trends chamber - metamorphosis...
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TrendsChamber
The Official Publication of The Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral October 010
Magazine
“To Promote and Serve Business and Community”
Join Us For The October 13th General
Membership Meeting At The Resort At Marina Village
Cape Coral Farmer’s Market Starts October 16th in Club Square
2010 Candidates Forum, October 5th at First Baptist
Church
Publisher & EditorDonna Schuman-GermainCommunications Director
Contributing EditorsMike Quaintance
Chamber [email protected]
Stephanie Roberson, Technology Director
Bob KnickmanSpecial Events Director
Claudia St. OngeBusiness Manager
Chamber of Commerce of Cape CoralP.O. Box 100747
Cape Coral, FL 339102051 Cape Coral Parkway
Cape Coral, FL 33904Phone (239) 549-6900
Fax (239) 549-9609
October 2010October 5th
Business Card ExchangeA Life In Christ
1404 Del Prado Boulevard Cape Coral, FL 339907:30 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.
October 5th2010 Candidates Forum
First Baptist Church4117 Coronado Parkway
Cape Coral, FL 33904
October 13thGeneral Membership LunchThe Resort At Marina Village
Guest Speaker Tamara Pigott, VCB5951 Silver King Boulevard, Cape Coral, FL 33914
Sponsored by Sprint & The News-Press $20.00 For Members w/reservations
Call 549-6900 ext. 300 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
October 21stBusiness After Hours
BJ’s Wholesale Club1929 Pine Island Rd N.E.
Cape Coral, FL 339095:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Starting October 16thCape Coral Farmer’s Market
Club Square SE 10th Place & SE 47th Terrace
8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
To register for any of the above event onlinevisit www.capecoralchamber.com
Q’s World 2010 Board of DirectorsJoe Padgett, Chairman of the Board, Lee
County Electric CooperativeMichelle Lewis, Chairman Elect All Power
Electric & All Power SecurityDonna Meola, Treasurer Regions Bank
Elmer Tabor, Past Chairman Wonderland Realty & Big John’s Plaza
Barb Adams, Lee Memorial Health System
Ed Bolter, Lamar AdvertisingAnnette Carrasquillo, Individual Member
JoAnn Cicone, TIB BankTony Constantino, Kevin Burns &
AssociatesAngela Davis, Merrill Lynch
Cindy Gallagher, The News-PressTom Giles, Avalon Engineering
Chuck Hugan, Closet TailorsWayne Kirkwood, Kirkwood Electric
Cheryl Komnick, Caloosa Tent & Party Rental
Nancy Kratt, R.A.K. Lawn ServiceCarl Schwing, City of Cape Coral
Joe Mazurkiewicz, BJM ConsultingAli Parker, Realty World—Florida
Beth Sanger, Cape Coral Community Foundation
Tom Shipp, Shipp, O’Neil & Pohl, LLPDominick Soricelli, Hampton Inn & Suites
Chris Spiro, Spiro & Associates
2010 TrusteesBeverly Black, Black Business Solutions
Brett Bisbe, B2 SolutionsJoe Francioni, Innovative
Printing & SignsMartin Hass, Entech Computer Services
Tim Hauck, Metz Funeral HomeToniRae Hurley, Iberia Bank
Mark Miloff, Miloff Aubuchon Property Management
Peggy Newlan, Ooh La La Salon & SpaStan Spicer, Platinum Service A/C
Chamber StaffMike Quaintance, President
Stephanie Roberson, Technology Director
Bob Knickman, Special Events DirectorDonna Schuman-Germain, Communications Director
Claudia St.Onge, Business Manager
Are You Missing The Boat?Mike “Q” Quaintance, President
This month’s nautical discussion refers to Chamber members who let the boat leave the dock everyday without being
on board. The members that are on the boat are waving to the landlubbers who do not take advantage of the Chamber’s Online Coupon Program. By the way it is FREE and it is part of your membership.
Facts you need to know…The Chamber website has well over 10,000 unique web visitors per month.The home page has a link that is easy to see and follow to our Coupon section.The coupon section targets customers with member-to-member coupons and public coupons.Users print the coupons out and use them.It is very simple to create your own coupon…Contact Stephanie Roberson from the Chamber at (239) 699-8442 or [email protected] to obtain you user and password information for your organizations account
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Go to www.capecoralchamber.comGo to the member login link and selectType in your username and password that Stephanie gave you
The whole process takes less than five minutes. Stephanie will be notified that you have submitted a coupon and she will review and approve. It will be posted on line after Stephanie’s approval, usually in less than 24 hours.
I am sure there are those of you out their floating around saying that I can’t coupon my business, I say to you, there is not a business out there that doesn’t have a coupon opportunity. Here are some examples of businesses that might not be traditionally involved in coupons.
Metz Funeral Home - Receive $200.00 saving on the purchase of advanced funeral and cremation arrangements.
Your Marketing Division - For a limited time, Your Marketing Division will provide a FREE critique for Cape Coral Chamber Members of any of your current marketing campaigns and provide you with an in-depth assessment. Even if you don’t use our services, this detailed critique will help you prepare a stronger, more effective marketing campaign.
Markham, Norton, Mosteller, Wright & Co. - Good for One FREE Hour of Training with Advanced Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor.
Chamber coupons are another innovative way for website visitors to find out about you! Don’t miss this Free opportunity.
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It’s Time To Meet YOUR Candidates!!
2010 Candidates ForumTuesday, October 5th5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
First Baptist Church 4117 Coronado Parkway, Cape Coral, FL 33904
Special Guest Moderators
Bob Chilmonik & David Plazas
Featured Debates...Lee County Commission Districts 1,2,4
Lee County School Board District 1Lee County Court Judge - Group 3
Please RSVP to (239) 549-6900 ext. 300
Thank you to our sponsors...
Creighton Construction & Management, East West Veterinary Care, HD PR Group, Honc Marine Contracting, Kirkwood Electric, Innovative Printing & Signs and Lee Country Electric Cooperative
Audio Mastering - Professional Video Production - Recording
www.highfidelitystudios.com 1-877-818-0693
“Supporting the Ida S. Baker HS Music Department”
Special Events NewsAre You Ready For Snowbird Season?Bob Knickman, Special
Events Director
We are having a Welcome Center Sell-A-Bration on
Thursday, October 14th. We will be presenting all the available Welcome Center advertising space for your consideration. If you are serious about reaching visitors you should register to attend by clicking on the link to your right. Space is limited and
will be on a first come first served basis.Now let me tell you why this is important to your business.Many businesses depend on the thousands of seasonal visitors
to make or break their year. The Cape Coral Welcome Center is the most efficient way to reach them. More than 40,000 people walk through these doors a year with the majority of them during the “Snowbird Season.”
Welcome Center volunteers say the top things visitors ask for are, places to eat, things to do, accommodations, seasonal rentals, and real estate.
Prepare you business to reach these important visitors. Businesses in the Welcome Center get first crack at their dollars because it’s the FIRST place they make their Cape Coral buying decisions
As a member of the Chamber you have the opportunity to put a business card or tri-fold flyer in the Welcome Center FOR FREE, its part of the value for your membership. I encourage you to update your material ASAP to get ready for the rush.
Prepare to WIN and take advantage of an opportunity only available to Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral members. SIGN UP NOW for the Welcome Center Sell-A-Bration before it’s too late.
Click Here To RSVPFor The Welcome Center
Sell-A-Bration
Get In on the Chamber’s Next Bulk Mailing
We are mailing the Comcast Holiday Festival of Lights and Cape Coral Farmer’s Market poster to every Chamber on the first of November.
Now you can piggyback off this effort! If you would like to send your company flyer to every Chamber member sign up now.
Just provide us with 800 copies of your flyer and $199, it’s that simple.
Currently, we have 5 flyer inserts available, with a deadline of Friday, October 20th. This is first come first served, so don’t wait and miss your opportunity to put a hard copy of your message in the hands of your fellow members!
To sign up email Bob Knickman at [email protected].
Chamber Golf Tournament
A Great Day For Golf!John K. Bolam, Assistant Special Events Coordinator
The Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament presented by Terrasi Media was held on September 25th at Palmetto Pine Country Club. It was a beautiful day with overcast skies and
a nice breeze. This kept the temperatures down which made a great day for golf.
The chamber would like to thank Terrasi Media for stepping up as title sponsor for the event. Terrasi Media and JP Terrasi, especially, helped us out greatly and allowed us to provide some of the nicest “hole sponsor” signs around.
We also would like to thank Paradise Deli for being our lunch sponsor. Paradise Deli is under the new ownership of Eric and Debbie Malasky and I know their new venture will be a big part of the chamber in the months to come.
The winner of the tournament was the Barton Insurance Team. Along with these winners were many more as we gave away some great raffle prizes and one of the largest 50/50 drawings in the history of Chamber Events.
We also awarded four closest to the pin prizes for those who hit the green on the par 3’s, not always an easy task on this course.
Along with these prizes we held a drawing for a non-profit organization to win a free membership and that winner was PACE Center for girls.
Terrasi Media also sponsored a non-profit through their title sponsorship of the event and that organization is Peace By Piece.
We must also thank all the golfers and volunteers that came out for the tournament. It is the involvement of our members that make these events fun and worthwhile endeavors. We had a great turnout with 80 golfers on the course.
It was truly my pleasure to be involved in the golf tournament this year and hope our future tournaments are as successful as this one.
Clockwise: Elmer Tabor and Carrie Tabor-Garcia, The Palm Auto Mall Team and the Team from Regions Bank.
Vision Applications For LeadersThe Perils of
Short-term thinking and instant
Gratification Doni Landefeld, Ph.D.
Let’s face it. In our society, instant gratification is the “modus operandi.”
With the advent of technology, we live in an age where information is unlimited, easily accessible, and instantly available. We expect to find information at any given time
and have little patience when answers cannot be located. This expectation to produce answers quickly has reinforced a value of short-term thinking. How often does a work crisis of the day hijack your big plans?
Short-term thinking also exists beyond work: when it comes to not saving for retirement, in our parenting skills when we plop our kids in front of the TV instead of engaging them in more mindful exercises, in our regard for the environment, and in voter behaviors when flip-flopping occurs from one party to the other. Our brains are not hard-wired to default to a long-term perspective, without deliberate, strategic behavior!
Essential for leaders and anyone who wants to realize lofty goals is to first have a vision - a long-term conception of your ideal plan. Next, specific action steps and some of the following deliberate behaviors may help facilitate long-term thinking:
1. Schedule “ultradian” breaks – everyone needs breaks from the chaos of life. Take note of your alert and drowsy times of day. Do more challenging activities when you are most alert. When your energy levels are especially low, take a 15 minute break. In addition to taking a lunch break, everyone should take at least one other break throughout the workday. It is during these restorative
moments when we rejuvenate our mind, energy levels, and rededicate ourselves toward that which is truly important. Just like muscles need a recovery period to function at peak performance, so do our minds.
2. Make time for unfettered thinking – Ever get some of your best ideas while in the shower or when you’re driving? This state of being in a “primary thought process” allows our minds to think freely. Creative thinking and problem-solving are enhanced during these moments, both of which facilitate long-term thinking. For a few minutes each day, engage in an activity that allows your mind to wander. Walking, meditation, or music may help facilitate contemplation of your vision, goals, and action steps to evaluate your progress.
3. Involve your team in long-term, strategic planning. Surround yourself in the talent of your “work” or “family” team and empower them to contribute toward a vision, and the long-term thinking that is necessary to make the vision a reality. Some of the basics involves addressing what you want to do, who you serve, when you want to accomplish your goals, and how you will execute specific steps and measure your outcomes.
More strategies exist, but the overall theme is to acquire deliberate, conscious, and planful behaviors to facilitate long-term thinking. Realizing your vision is contingent upon a long-term perspective that banishes instant gratification and short-term thinking.
Doni’s background is in executive college administration in both rural and urban Pennsylvania. Dr. Landefeld first started coaching with students, faculty, and her staff, and has always focused on helping others enhance their performance. Doni recently created Metamorphosis Coaching to offer small and medium sized business professionals strategy, support, and accountability factors that leverage their strengths and facilitate peak performance. Doni has a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology, a Master’s in Higher Education Administration, a B.S. in Music Education, and is finishing up a coaching certification. Much of her spare time is devoted to the Gulf Coast Symphony where she plays principal double bass and serves as a Board Member.
New MembersCape Coral Community Partners
Stephanie Records
Cape Dental Nita Kraver
Community Cooperative Ministries IncJohn Mayhugh
Gostout Dental Peter Gostout, DDS
Greenway Boxes, LLC Brent Rissling
Johnny Sunshine Productions John R. Fellows
Maximum Weight Loss Michael Aymar
Paradise Handyman Services LLC Sharon Harris
RenewalsA-1 Shelters Inc
Member Since: 09/01/1991
All Power Electric, LLCMember Since: 04/10/2008
Balfour Beatty ConstructionMember Since: 08/29/2005
Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts HallMember Since: 07/19/2006
Bergermann & Seliger Law Firm05/26/2006
Berke and Lubell, P.A.Member Since: 07/15/2002
Big Papa’s Concessions and Catering LLCMember Since: 03/28/2008
Bouchard InsuranceMember Since: 11/01/2001
Bradco Supply Corp.Member Since: 08/01/1989
Cambio DermatologyMember Since: 09/19/2007
Cape Christian FellowshipMember Since: 09/29/2006
Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife, Inc.Member Since: 09/12/2005
Cape Coral High SchoolMember Since: 09/28/1999
Cataract & Refractive InstituteMember Since: 09/01/1991
Champion Self StorageMember Since: 09/25/2007
Chicago Pizza (Miramar St.)Member Since: 06/24/2008
Coral Reef Car WashMember Since: 08/14/2009
Crystal Clear WaterMember Since: 05/08/2009
The Foundation For Lee County Public Schools
Member Since: 09/20/2005
Hair Gallery Salon & SpaMember Since: 09/14/2009
Ida S. Baker High SchoolMember Since: 09/01/2009
J.R.L. Ventures Inc. DBA Marine ConceptsMember Since: 09/27/2005
Knights of Columbus Council 7131 St. Andrew Parish
Member Since: 08/17/2009
Labor ReadyMember Since: 06/04/2009
Literacy Volunteers of Lee CountyMember Since: 09/26/2006
Medi-Weightloss Clinics®Member Since: 09/26/2008
Mel’s Diner Of Cape CoralMember Since: 05/07/2007
Northwestern Mutual Financial NetworkMember Since: 04/13/1999
Ooh La La Salon & Spa Serv. IncMember Since: 09/15/1998
Parrot Bay Candle CompanyMember Since: 05/15/2009
Pavese Law Firm, LLPMember Since: 09/01/1991
PERKINS RESTAURANT & BAKERY /Cape Coral Pkwy. E.
Member Since: 05/26/2009
Professional Tax & Bookkeeping Services, Inc
Member Since: 09/01/1999
Red Salon & SpaMember Since: 09/26/2007
Rick’s CommunicationsMember Since: 08/25/2004
The Bell Tower ShopsMember Since: 07/10/2000
Trafalgar Middle SchoolMember Since: 09/28/2007
Tundra HomesMember Since: 09/08/2006
Urgent Care Center of Southwest FloridaMember Since: 09/01/2007
West Coast CollisionMember Since: 05/12/2008
Wine & Roses RestaurantMember Since: 04/24/2009
The Rotary Club of Cape CoralMember Since 1999
US 41 Self StorageMember Since 2009
Villa Realty Group, Inc.Member Since 1998
Thank you for your membership!
August 2010 New Members & Renewals
Get In & Get Busy in the Chamber Trends MagazineMore than 6,000 readers monthly
Basic Advertising PricesFull Page $337.001/2 Page $227.001/4 Page $147.00
Business Card $117.00(All ads can be linked to your company’s website or a
30-second commercial promoting your business. Non-profit organizations receive2 free 1/2 page ads per year upon request with their membership.)
Prime Advertising PricingFull Page $387.00
(includes banner ad on chamber website only 4 available per issue, full page only)1/2 Page $287.001/4 Page $207.00
Business Card $167.00(All ads can be linked to your company’s website or a 30-second commercial promoting
your business and a banner ad in the Chamber Trends Weekly E-Newsletter)
SpecialsSpotlight On Business Article - One per issue $347.00
Includes a hyperlink to your company’s website or a 30-second commercial promoting your business, a banner ad on the Chamber website and a banner ad in the Chamber
Trends Weekly E-Newsletter.
Please call Donna Germain at 549-6900 ext 107 for more [email protected]
The Healthy BusinessStay Healthy This Flu
SeasonSalvatore Lacagnina, D.O.
Lee Memorial Health System
Cold and flu season is upon us, and there are several things we can
do to stay healthy. One of the most helpful is to get a flu shot annually. The seasonal influenza vaccine covers the strains of the virus that are common in the current season, and this year’s vaccine also contains the H1N1 vaccine.
All people should get immunized. Universal immunization is one way to control the spread of disease.
Many people elect not to take the flu shot as they think it can give them the flu. This is completely false. Since the vaccine does not contain any live virus particles, you cannot get an active infection from the vaccine. You may experience a slight fever and achiness, but these are typical side effects as the vaccine is doing its job to stimulate your immune system to do its job. These are minor side effects and usually go away in a few days. You also may feel some pain at the injection site but this also is minor.
When you are offered the shot, you will be asked if you have any allergies that may prevent you from being a candidate for the vaccine but otherwise, most individuals will be able to receive the vaccine.
In addition to getting the vaccine, other ways to stay healthy during flu season include good hand-washing habits, avoiding others who are sick, eating healthy and getting enough exercise and sleep. Keeping your stress level down also helps.
When you get your flu shot, talk with your health care provider about other immunizations that might be necessary depending on your age. These may include a tetanus shot, pneumonia vaccine and, for adults, vaccination against shingles—or zoster.
Immunizations are a great way to stay healthy, and it is important to know which ones you should get depending on your age and how often you should receive them.
Stay well!
Salvatore Lacagnina, D.O., is the Vice President of Health and Wellness for Lee Memorial Health System. He is board certified in internal medicine and has been in practice since 1993.
The Battle of the Sexes Membership DriveJohn Bolam
The Chamber is getting ready to kick-off the Battle of the Sexes Membership Drive, but we cannot do it without YOUR help!
We need 25 ladies and 25 gentlemen who want to help the chamber grow by recruiting new members during this week long drive.
Team members can be ANY Chamber member who wants to get involved and make a significant impact. Each gender will be working with 5 teams of 5 team members.
On October 12th, the Chamber will be hosting a Membership Drive Kick-off Party at Wine and Roses Restaurant for everyone participating in the drive. All Drive materials will be handed out at that time and any questions will be answered. We will also be forming the teams at this event.
Our goal is to bring in 2 new members per person. The drive will be held the week of October 18th with each team taking a 3 hour shift to call potential members. Of course pre-selling any memberships before hand in encouraged and will make your call time that much easier.
So if you are interested in helping us build an even stronger chamber please e-mail me at [email protected] by October 8th.
Call John at 549-6900 ext 111 or e-mail [email protected] to sign up today!
The Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral does not endorse or support any political candidate.
Help Us Build A Stronger Chamber
Ribbon Cuttings & More
Browsing HousingPatrick O’Reilly
www.BrowsingHousing.com(386) 445-2727
Schedule Your Ribbon Cutting Today!!!Contact Donna Germain at
(239) 549-6900 ext. 107 or [email protected]
Greenway Boxes. LLCBrent & Jennifer Rissling
1624 NE 10th Terrace Ste ACape Coral, FL 33909
(877) 569-9275 www.greenwayboxes.com
American Red Cross of Lee CountyKari Hennigan
7051 Cypress Terrace Ste. 110Fort Myers, FL 33907
(239 278-4829 www.arclcc.org
Right At HomeMark Franzblau
1407 Viscaya ParkwayCape Coral, FL 33990
(239) 541-8700 www.rahcapecoral.com
Real Estate TrendsBuyers’ and Sellers’ Common Mistakes By Berge Aslanian, Realtor
Successful real estate transactions in any market are triggered by
being in tune with the specifics of your particular community. Some of you may be thinking, “That sounds important but what the heck does that mean?” Well there is a good answer to that; there are mistakes Buyers and Sellers often make that can easily be avoided.
By not making these mistakes, transactions will proceed more smoothly and quicker with less chance of issues arising during the process. Let’s see if we can identify a few to help us all accomplish our mission more effectively.
1. Please resist the temptation of trying to impress the realtor with how much you know. Ninety-nine per cent of Buyers and Sellers do not buy and sell as many properties as their real estate agent does. And, the way you did the deal in Wisconsin five years ago is not how a transaction is done in Cape Coral, Florida today under current laws.
2. Try not to apply national real estate news universally to this specific market. If the national price trend is downward but the trend here shows a 12% increase in low priced homes over the past twelve months, it really doesn’t make sense to base your buying (or selling) decision on the national trend. Check the local trends in terms of prices, whether the number of listing is increasing or decreasing and overall market conditions. Try to understand the local supply and demand beforehand. This can save you so much time and get you the house you want instead of having to settle for less later.
3. Make sure you are not a victim of selective hearing. Too many times buyers tell us what they heard. They can’t identify where they heard it or who said it but becomes the gospel they swear by. “I heard you could get a nice house for $30,000”; “I heard they were just about giving them away”; “I heard most of the houses here have that Chinese drywall”; “I heard that when you see an empty house you can go directly to the bank and make them an offer to get a better
deal”… It goes on and on yet none of it is true. Listen to the experts (local Realtors) and thank your well-meaning friends but please tune their hearsay evidence out!
Now, the biggest mistake Sellers make is what we call “Chasing the Market”. Somehow, most folks think their house is worth more than any other similar properties. This extreme case of Pride-of-Ownership has very expensive consequences. You lose time by having your property on the market at an inflated price. By the time you drop the price, in a soft market, the others have gone down more.
Just look at the prices of what has sold and then look at the prices of what is out there. Noticeably, the properties on the market for the longest time are almost always the higher priced properties. In the meantime, you will be paying taxes, insurance and maintenance on your property while waiting for it to sell. The smart ones are priced right and moving quickly thereby reducing expenses with the owners taking the money instead of holding on for a few bucks more that might never come.
And, finally, there is a tie for the biggest mistake Buyers make, waiting too long to make an offer (we call this Analysis Paralysis) and making extremely lowball offers. How many times have you seen folks take so much time to decide that by the time they get into gear, the property has been sold to someone else. Get ready, get set and GO is the simplest way to solve this one.
Those really smart guys from the Midwest are the ones who almost always tell me how they will only offer half of the distressed price on a short sale or foreclosure because they “know” the bank will come back with a counter-offer to start the negotiations. Wrong! Let’s see, the bank is on the floor bleeding by having this property priced at one third of what is owed and these “smart” people want to kick the bank some more by offering even less. At the same time, my clients are preparing to close on the property because they were prepared and ready to do a clean deal at a reasonable price in a timely manner.
The best advice to avoid mistakes is to find a reputable Realtor, listen to what they say and decide if the deal makes sense to you based on your situation. If you don’t know a reputable Realtor or can’t find one, this is when you should ask your friends or neighbors for a referral. Or, call me and I’ll refer you to one. Best of luck in your search for property!
Berge Aslanian is a Realtor in Cape Coral with RE/MAX Realty Team, title sponsors of Red, White & Boom. Berge is also on the RE/MAX Realty Team Advisory Board and an active member of the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral.
Advertise in the Chamber Trends Magazine
Contact Donna Germain at (239) 549-6900 ext. 107 or [email protected]
for more information
Leadership Cape CoralThe Class of 2010 has been very busy the last
few weeks as they make their way through the program.
During Health Care Day, the class was given a tour of Cape Coral Hospital and Gulf Coast Village by day chairs Barb Adams - Lee Memorial Health System and Jennifer Grimes - Gulf Coast Village.
Sheriff’s Day took the class on a tour of the Lee County Sheriffs Department where classmember Brett Bisbe volunteered to be tased and participate in a demonstration with one of the Sheriff K-9 Dogs (see pics below) Thank you to day chairs Cindy James - TIB Bank and Brian Beaulieu - Beaulieu Financial Services.
Finally, the class attended the Industry Appreciation Lunch at Harborside Convention Center. Stan Spicer - Platinum Service A/C and Frank Dethlefsen - Suncoast Moving & Storage served as the chairs for that day.
Mark your calendars for Graduation on November 12th.
Chamber HighlightsThe Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral
hosted its 3rd Annual Principal’s Lunch. More than 150 members were in attendance as the
Chamber honored our local principals. Thank you to all who attended, especially those
members who sponsored a principal for the lunch. A special thank you to our guest speakers and the Chamber’s Education Committee for putting together another wonderful program.
For more information about our upcoming events, please call the Chamber at (239) 549-6900 or visit www.capecoralchamber.com.
The Chamber welcomed new members at the September General Membership Lunch.
Chef Jethro Joseph spoke about the Culinary Arts Program at Oasis Charter High School. Many of his students have also taken part in catering several local events through the program.
Guest Speakers Cherie Sukovich and Joe Mallon from Island Coast High School showcase The Academy of Natural Resource at the September General Membership Lunch.
The Chamber welcomed more than 40 new members at its last New Member Orientation held on September 1st at the Hampton Inn & Suites.
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Health Care Reform
Kevin M. Burns, CPAKevin M. Burns & Associates, PA
If you are like me, you understand the need for reform in our health care
system.Premiums and costs, as a result of
cost shifting, are out of control. As a business owner I looked forward to the potential relief I might see in my premium costs. If you have renewed your insurance lately, you
know how wrong I was. Insurance agents are preparing us now for the 40-50% increase in premiums next year as a result of Health Care Reform. This will be in addition to the other costs we will incur in the form of taxes, penalties and government mandates. Let’s have a look at some of the key provisions affecting individuals and businesses.
Individual Mandate - The new law contains an “individual mandate”-a requirement that US citizens and legal residents have qualifying health coverage or be subject to a tax penalty. The penalty will be phased in from 2014-2016. The amount of the penalty will rise to $2,085 per family or 2.5% of household income over the threshold amount of income required to file a tax return. There are exceptions to the penalty.
In an effort to fund the cost of the individual mandate, low and middle income taxpayers will be offered a premium assistance credit. The refundable credit is available after 2013 for qualifying taxpayers who purchase insurance through an “Exchange”.
The credit is payable in advance and paid directly to the Exchange. The amount of the credit is based the percentage of income used to purchase insurance, ranging from 2% to 9.5% of income. Clear as mud.
Higher Medicare Taxes on high-income taxpayers - High income taxpayers will be hit with a double whammy: a tax increase on wages and a new levy on investments.
The Medicare payroll tax is the primary source of financing for Medicare’s hospital insurance trust fund. Under current law, wages are subject to a 2.9% Medicare payroll tax. Workers and employers pay 1.45% each. Unlike the payroll tax for Social Security, which applies to earnings up to an annual ceiling amount ($106,800 for 2010), the Medicare tax is levied on all of a worker’s wages without limit.
Beginning in 2013, single people earning more than $200,000 and married couples earning more than $250,000 will be taxed an additional 0.9% (2.35% in total) on the excess over those base amounts. Note that the employer portion does not increase.
Under current law, the Medicare tax only applies to wages. Beginning in 2013, a Medicare tax will, for the first time, will be applied to investment income. A new 3.8% tax will be imposed on net investment income on single taxpayers with AGI above $200,000 and married couples earning more than $250,000. Net investment income is interest, dividends, royalties, rents, gross income from a passive activity and net gain from the disposition of non business
property. It does not include tax deferred retirement accounts such as 401(k) plans. This tax will only apply to income in excess of the $200,000/$250,000 thresholds.
Note that the increase in the Medicare tax and the expansion to include investment income begins in 2013, while virtually all other tax and credit provisions of the law begin in 2014.
Floor on medical expenses deduction raised from 7.5% of AGI to 10% - Under current law, taxpayers can take an itemized deduction for unreimbursed medical expenses to the extent those expenses exceed 7.5% of a taxpayer’s adjusted gross income.
The new law raises the floor from 7.5% to 10%, effective for tax years beginning after 2012. However, the floor for individuals age 65 and older will remain unchanged until 2016.
There are numerous other provisions to the tax law including, but not limited to, the Cadillac Tax, Excise tax on tanning services, tax credits to certain small employers that provide health insurance etc etc. Perhaps these will be the focus of future articles, but it is sufficient to say that the benefits of this law, in general, apply to low income taxpayers and the costs apply to people making more than $200,000. It is a certainty that this law will cost both small businesses and individuals of middle income and higher levels more money in the form of taxes and higher costs of insurance. As I sit here in Southwest Florida, all I can figure is that somewhere on the road to health care reform, we took a left turn.
Tax Time
Network Administration
Maintenance Agreements
Off-site Data Storage
Dell, Acer, Apple
(239) 573-1000
www.entechcomputers.com
More Chamber HighlightsThe Chamber had another great Business
After Hours this month thanks to our gracious hosts www.BrowsingHousing.com
and Marker 92 Waterfront Bar.More than 100 members packed the restaurant
for some great networking and to learn more about our host businesses. We also raised another $100 towards our high school scholarship program through our 50/50 Raffle.
Thank you to all who attended and a special thank you to our hosts for helping us provide another successful networking event for our members.
Special Events Director Bon Knickman introduces the staff from www.BrowsingHousing.com
John Behuniak, Optimization Service Corp and Brett Bisbe, B2-Solutions
Above: John Bolam, Bonnie Timberlake, Cape Coral Housing and Elmer Tabor, Wonderland Realty.Below: Ali Parker, Realty World FL, Karen Ramos, City of Cape Coral, Sandra Aguilar, BJ’s Wholesale, Kandace Salter, EZ-To-Use Bluebook.
TIB Bank - 8 locations599 9th Street
North Naples FL 34102
506 Cape Coral Pkwy Cape Coral FL 33904
521 Del Prado Blvd S Cape Coral FL 33990
3405 Hancock Bridge Pkwy N Ft Myers FL 33903
15280 McGregor Blvd Ft Myers FL 33908
12205 Metro Pkwy Ft Myers FL 33966
2107 Santa Barbara Blvd Cape Coral FL 33991
8820 Stringfellow Rd St James City FL 33956
Lee Memorial Health SystemP.O. Box 2218
Fort Myers, FL 33902
Grosse Point Development15065 McGregor Blvd Ste 108
Fort Myers, FL 33908
Tarpon Point Marina5902 Silver King BlvdCape Coral, FL 33914
The Resort At Marina Village5951 Silver King Blvd.Cape Coral, FL 33914
Gulf Coast Village Retirement Community
1333 Santa Barbara Blvd. Cape Coral FL 33991
HARLEY-DAVIDSON/BUELL OF FORT Myers
Colonial Blvd. Fort Myers FL 33907
LCEC - Lee County Electric Cooperative4980 Bayline Dr
North Fort Myers, FL 33908
The News-Press Fort Myers Office
2442 Dr. MLK Blvd. Ft. Myers FL 33901
The News-PressCape Coral Bureau
1490 Pine Island Rd NE Bldg 3 B & C Cape Coral FL 33909
West Coast Motorsports 1855 Boyscout
Dr. Fort Myers FL 33907
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2
3 4 5 Business Card Exchange, A Cuppa Life, 1440 Del Prado Blvd. 7:30 am 2010 Candidates Forum, First Baptist Church, 5:30 pm
6 MAP Committee Meeting, Community Bank of Cape Coral, 4:00 pm
7 8 9
10 11 12 Membership Development Committee Meeting, Hampton Inn & Suites 7:45 am
13 General Membership Lunch, Guest Speaker, Tamara Pigott,VCB, The Resort at Marina Village 11:30 am
14 Welcome Center Sell-A-Bration, 5:30 pm or 6:30 pm at the Chamber Welcome Center
15 16 Farmer’s Market Opens for the season, Club Square, 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
17 18 19 Chamber Executive Committee Meeting, 7:30 am
20 Leadership Advisory Committee, 4707 S.E. 9th Pl., 4:00 pm
21 Business After Hours, BJ’s Wholesale, 1929 Pine Island Rd.
22 23 Farmer’s Market, Club Square, 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
24 25 26 Chamber Board Meeting, Cape Coral Assoc of Realtors building, 7:30 am
27 PAC Meeting, 4707 S.E. 9th Place 4:00 pm
28 Educaiton Committee Meeting, Mariner HS 701 Chiquita Blvd, 8:30 am
29 30 Farmer’s Market, Club Square, 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
31
Register For These Events at www.capecoralchamber.com
October 2010