ChamberNewsletter

March, 2016

A Message from our Board President

Dear Members and Visitors,Welcome to the Spring-Ford Chamber of Commerce! Our Chamber proudly represents the area businesses that make our community a great place to live and work. We hope that you find the Chamber a beneficial resource to find shops, restaurants, business and personal services, educational intuitions, civic groups, and other organizations that offer great service and value for your money.

For nearly 25 years, the Spring-Ford Chamber of Commerce has been an integral part of the 422 Corridor, proudly serving the communities of Limerick,Royersford, Spring City, Upper Providence, and beyond. The Chamber not only serves these communities but serves as a community in its own right – a group of business people who want to help each other succeed and also help the community succeed as well. Through our events and our fundraisers, we achieve our Chamber’s mission: “To provide leadership for business by buildingrelationships which promote the progress and prosperity of its members and the community.”

We offer many innovative programs, including:• Business to Business Expo on March 30th including our keynote speaker G. Terry Madonna and complimentary lunch with Taste of Limerick.• Annual WIN Fashion Show on April 7th to support a local non-profit organization• Our legislative panel luncheon on March 24th• Monthly network breakfast and lunches• Shark Think Tank for business owners• Education workshops and seminars• Monthly mixers and business card exchanges• Introducing our Networking Before Work initiative.

We also offer three scholarships to a graduating senior from Pope John Paul II High School, Spring-Ford Senior High School and the Western Montgomery Career and Technical Center. This year we’ll be introducing a new fundraiser to support our scholarship fund, Bingo Bash on June 10th at Sacred Heart Parish in Royersford.

We ask that in addition to supporting our events and activities, that you support our member businesses and other locally-based businesses in the area. In doing this, you will continue to help keep the Spring-Ford community vibrant and growing!

Also, if you’re new to the area, we hope you will consider the advantages of membership in our Chamber. Please contact our Executive Director, Carla Haydt, at 610-489-7200 for additional information!

Louise-Marie Tulio

March 17, 2016Shark Think TankBrookside Country Club850 N. Adams St., Pottstown11:30am -1:00pm$25.00 *Business Owner Members OnlyRSVP Online

March 24, 2016 - Date Change

Chamber LuncheonLegislative RoundtableRepresentatives Corbin, Quigley & ToepelSpring Ford Country Club48 Country Club Rd., Royersford11:30am – 1:00pm$25.00 Members$30.00 Non-MembersRSVP Online

March 30, 2016Business to Business ExpoPope John Paul II High School181 Rittenhouse Rd, Royersford11:00am – 2:00pmKeynote Speaker G.Terry MadonnaComplimentary Lunch with Taste of Limerick, Exhibitors RSVP Online TodaySponsorships AvailableFree to attend for local businessesRSVP Online

Please see the back cover for more MORE upcoming events

Officers of TheSpring-Ford Chamber

Board of DirectorsPresidentLouise-Marie TulioPope John Paul II High School

1st Vice PresidentErin CohenAmbler Savings Bank

2nd Vice PresidentSuzette SiebertPatrick J. Kelly Insurance Group

TreasurerTom ThunstromPenn Liberty Bank

SecretarySteve OehlertOehlert Bros. Heating & Cooling

Board MembersRich FlanaganMallie, LLP

Ronnie FitzPatrickMary Kay Cosmetics

Dr. David GoodinSpring-Ford School District

Mark GreenbergMinuteman Press

Dr. Margaret HagerSwede Family Chiropractic

Denise HarrisonPatriot Pest Solutions

Christi KellyWindham Group

Sean MeyersDS Pool Service

Ron RikerR&M Construction

Marc UmsteadComp-U-Ship

Legal CounselTom WolpertLaw Offices of Tom Wolpert

5th Annual Business to Business Expo

On Wednesday, March 30, 2016, the Spring-Ford Chamber will be hosting their 5th annual business to business expo at Pope John Paul II High School from 11:00am – 2:00pm. Come network with other local businesses, learn about new products and services that will help your business grow, and experience all the Spring-Ford Area has to offer small businesses.

This year welcomes the addition of a Keynote Speaker at 11:30am, Dr. G.Terry Madonna will be

discussing the “2016 Presidential Election: At the Starting Gate--Prospects and Possibilities”. Dr. G. Terry Madonna is a nationally recog-nized political pollster and commentator. Then back to the expo floor to enjoy a complementary lunch with our vendors of “Taste of Limerick”.

Sponsorships and vendor signups are now available on the chamber web-site at www.springfordchamber.com.

Shark Think Tank 2016

Join Todd Rogers of Agents of Efficiency as he leads a round table discuss for our chamber business owners. This group meets monthly and addresses hot topics that affect small business owners. Join them on the third Thursdayof each month from 11:30am-1:00pm (check chamber website for location). Topics for the 2016 Shark Think Tank include:

3/17/16 Positioning: Learning from each other’s value proposition & differentiation4/21/16 Product-Market Fit: Customer profile, segmentation, targeting5/19/16 Advertising channels that work6/16/16 Review of marketing materials7/21/16 Mid-year check in vs. goals8/21/16 The Challenges of Family Business: The dotted lines between home and work life9/15/16 Leveraging vendors and partnerships to maximize your business value

Sponsorships are waiting for you!The Spring-Ford Chamber of Commerce has abundance of sponsorship op-portunities that can help you advertise your local business.• Monthly Post Card, Website or Email blast - $75.00 Per Month• Host a Network Before Work or an evening Mixer - $100• Sponsor a Membership Meeting - $150• Sponsor the B2B Expo -$500• And many more…All sponsorships include benefits such as logo branding on flyers, printed materials and social media. Call the chamber office for more information on boosting your visibility for 2016.

Visit www.springfordchamber.comfor Chamber Events, Press Releases,

Online Newsletters and more!

Re-Thinking Employee ROIHow to get the most value from your employees.

At Agents of Efficiency we hear it all the time – one of the most difficult challenges small business owners’ face is finding, keeping and managing good employees.

And it is hard.

Whether you’re working with full or part-time employ-ees, trusting someone else with your baby is scary – and if you can’t afford to pay them $25+ dollars an hour for their effort, getting and managing the “right” people gets increasingly difficult the farther you try and slide down that pay scale.

So what’s a small business owner to do?

Management Alone Is Not EnoughFor starters, if you find yourself micro-managing your employees because of a lack of trust in the quality of their work, that’s evidence of a problem. Lack of trust is a very expensive problem, and throwing more supervisory time and resources to combat it is usually the most expensive (and common) non-solutions to the problem.

If you find yourself micro-managing an employee, the first step is to admit you have a problem. But is the problem with the employee? Or with you? Or maybe with your processes?

1. If you’re convinced the problem is primarily just that you bet on the wrong employee – then the first step toward a solution is to find a new employee. 2. If the problem is letting go of control, consider a Business Coach or Outsourced COO to help you with your delegation skills.3. But when the problem is really more of a process issue (which is often the case) then ask yourself, “How can I better align the incentives and passions of my employee with my goals and needs?”

Aligning PassionRecent studies have shown a remarkable correlation between boredom and inefficiency. (Intuitive, right?)

There’s several strategies to defeat this, including paying more and establishing competitive games. But for the small-business owner with the freedom to design your own workforce, you’re far better off challenging your employees with tasks he or she considers interesting.

It’s as simple as this. The closer you can align the passions of your employees with the work they’re doing the happier they’ll be, and that translates into

both higher quality and more efficient work. Instead of a full-time jack-of-all-trades, hire part time people focused on one thing within your small business that they love doing and are passionate about – and nothing more – and you’ll find trust will come much more easily.Submitted by Todd Rogers, Agents of Efficiency

The “T-3 Free” LifestyleWhere does health come from, and how can we maintain the best health possible? This is a question that most people would love to have answered. As a chiropractor, I see people in good health and also people who have had a decline in their health to the point where they experience symptoms. There are three main factors that can alter the health within each and every single one of us: Toxic Thoughts, Toxins, and Traumas. In chiropractic we call these the Three T’s.

To be the healthiest we can be, the best thing we can do is minimize the three T’s as much as possible. First, we need to be aware of what these truly mean. Toxic thoughts are those stressors that come up in our world and the way in which we process them. Toxic thoughts can manifest themselves through relationship issues, financial issues, low self-esteem, and even sitting in traffic. Toxins are the negative items that we consume, breathe in, or even put on our skin. Toxins can be ciga-rette smoke, food dyes, or M&Ms. Traumas are negative impacts on our physical body. Traumas can be as severe as a major motor vehicle accident or as simple as sitting with poor posture at a computer all day.

So how do we help reduce and minimize these Three T’s? I’d like to suggest some practices that have been effective for both me and my patients. Let’s start by tackling Toxic Thoughts. Meditation is a great way to free the mind. If meditation is too difficult, daily affirmationsare a great way to bring more positivity to your life. Next are Toxins. Start by eliminating poor food choices from your diet. We all know that celery is a better snack option than a donut. With toxins, it truly is taking the time to prepare your food daily. A simple way to start is to add more nutrient dense food into your daily routine. For instance, I am a big fan of juicing – it is a great way to get lots of nutrients into your body! Finally, let’s address Traumas so we can get your body moving properly again. Yoga is a great option for this, as you are stretching and strengthening. Regular chiropractic care is also an amazing way to maintain proper spinal align-ment, allowing your body to function better. Health comes from within you. With everything you think, drink, and do you either increase health, or de-crease it. Encouraging a lifestyle free of the Three T’s will put you on the right path! You’ve got this! Article submitted by Dr. Margaret Hager

Construction Begins on Veterans’ Housing ProjectSight preparation work has begun at the Whitehall Inn in East Vincent. It will soon become subsidized housing for veterans. Mark Deitcher of the Mission First HousingGroup explained the project at the Chamber’s March breakfast in 2014. Government approvals and funding are in place to bring the project to fruition. The funding for The Whitehall comes from the Pennsylvania HousingFinance Agency, Riverside Capital Equity Partners, Citizens Bank and The Home Depot Foundation.

The building will be remodeled into a shared communityspace and caretaker’s apartment. An addition will be constructed that will create permanent housing for at least 50 veterans. The building will also include a community room and fitness facilities, as well as a computer room. To be named “The Whitehall” the facilitywill have a live-in property superintendent and on-site supportive services to link veterans to community-based supports.

The Inn, which is located on Route 724, was built in 1802 and has been empty for several years the sight was chosen because it is on a SEPTA bus line and in close proximity to the Spring City VA Outpatient Clinic.

Mission First is developing The Whitehall in response to a local need to provide permanent supportive housingfor at-risk veterans and a national effort to end veterans’ homelessness. Approximately 2,800 veterans in Pennsylvania are homeless. “

Mission First was founded in 1988 to develop and manage decent, safe and affordable housing for persons in need with a focus on the vulnerable. They currently manage 2,438 housing units in SE Pennsyl-

vania, Delaware and Washington, DC. For more information or to learn how you can help, go to www.mis-sionfirsthousing.org or call 215-557-8414.Article by Gail Wellington

Chamber Fashion Show to Celebrate 10 Years!On Thursday, April 7th the Women in Networking’s annual Fashion Show will celebrate 10 years. This fantastic fun event has only grown bigger and better over the last decade, starting as a small private chamber event; the Fashion Show has grown to be a community fundraiser that benefits a local charity with the proceeds of the event. In the past years selected charities have

included; Mom’s House and Laurel House. Last year the fashion show raised a record $2,000 for the Julia Grace Foundation.

This year the committee is proud to announce that their proceeds will benefit Operation Backpack, providing food to students in our community who would otherwise go without meals over the weekend. Operation Back-pack serves alongside individuals and organizations to collect food and materials. Volunteers pack these items into backpacks, which are sent out to qualifying students who discretely pick up the backpacks each Friday and return them on Monday. The process then begins again for the following weekend. In 2015 Operation Backpack expanded their reach from the Pottstown and Pottsgrove school districts to include Boyertown and Spring-Ford School Districts.

Ronnie Fitzpatrick, Committee Chair, loves this event, because our chamber is so community oriented and the proceeds go directly to benefiting the people of our community.

So join the Women in Net-working on Thursday, April 7th at Brookside CountryClub from 11:00am to 1:30am as they strut their stuff. Twelve chamber member will be featured modeling men and women’sfashion from Dress Barn and DKNY. Tickets are $25.00 and you can RSVP on the Chamber website. Other activities at the show include a 50/50 drawing and a basket raffle.

Chamber Welcomes April ThorumIn February, the Spring-Ford Chamber welcomedApril Thorum as their new Marketing Coordinator.April is a graduate of West Chester Universityand was employed with The Vanguard Group for seven years. While raising her two boys, April has been very active in her community.She has served as president of her son’s

PTA group, is a deacon and Sunday school teacher with her church and was a Tastefully Simple consultant for 11 years. April is excited to be a part of the Spring-Ford Chamber community and this new position.

Member Notes!• Congratulations to Steve Oehlert of Oehlert Brothers for receiving the Chamber Member of the Year award at the Annual Lunch on Thursday, January 14, 2016.

• In late January, Phamous Phil’s Barbecue restaurant welcomed Bob Shoudt aka Notorious B.O.B. professionaleater as he trained at their Limerick location. Bob was preparing for the 2016 Philadelphia Wing Bowl where he quickly ate 100 wings in 15 minutes just to perfect his technique.

• Did you know; Chamber Member, Agents of Efficiency made the CNBC news. Efficiency Expert Justin Crawford Takes Care of the Boring Stuff - Helping Clients Focus on Their Passion. You can find this article on the chamberwebsite under “News” in the “What’s New” section. Check it out.

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Welcome to the New Members of the Spring-Ford Chamber

• Sienna, Carr, O’Connor and Lynam• Windham Group• TriCounty Community Network• Spring Hallow Golf Club• All About You, LLC• Ackerman Secuirity• The Mike Budzius Farmers Insurance Agency• LeRoux School of Dance• Beyond Windows, LLC• ID Life – Kelly Gatfield• Silvertone Med Plans

Above: Pictures from the March 11th Chamber Luncheon held at Cutillo’s Restaurant.Below: Photos form the March 18th Regional Business Card Exchange held at Copperfield Inn.

See ALL our Events Online!www.springfordchamber.com/events

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January 14th Chamber Annual Lunch at The Loft at Landis Creek with Guest Speaker-Tom Burgoyne, The Phillie Phanatic’s Best Friend!

Congratulations to Steve Oehlert, the Chamber Member of the Year!

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313 Ridge Pike | 2nd FloorLimerick, PA 19468610-489-7200

Visit www.springfordchamber.comfor Chamber Events, Press Releases, Online Newsletters and more!

April 5, 2016Network Before WorkBryn Mawr Trust Bank, 33 W. Ridge Pike, Limerick8:00am – 9:30amFree for Members, $10.00 Non-Members, RSVP Online

April 7, 2016WIN Fashion Show - Brookside Country Club850 N. Adams St., Pottstown11:00am – 1:30pmProceeds Benefit Operation Backpack, Tickets: $25.00RSVP Online

April 19, 2016Mixer - Swede Family Chiropractic130 West Main St., Trappe5:00pm – 7:00pmRSVP Online

April 21, 2016Shark Think TankCopperfield Inn - 594 W. Ridge Pike, Limerick11:30am -1:00pm$25.00 *Business Owner Members Only, RSVP Online

May 3, 2016Network Before Work - Harleysville Savings Bank, 1889 E. Ridge Pike, Limerick8:00am – 9:30amFree for Members, $10.00 Non-Members, RSVP Online

May 12, 2016Chamber Luncheon – Estate Planning and Elder CareChampps Restaurant, 51 Center Ave, Collegeville11:30am – 1:00pm$25.00 Members, $30.00 Non-Members, RSVP Online

May 19, 2016Shark Think TankCopperfield Inn -594 W. Ridge Pike, Limerick11:30am -1:00pm$25.00 *Business Owner Members Only, RSVP Online

May 19, 2016Joint Mixer with Perkiomen Valley ChamberCommunity Music School775 W. Main St, Trappe5:00pm – 7:00pmRSVP Online

More Upcoming Chamber Events - Don’t Miss These Great Networking Events!