As spring (hopefully!) approaches, many of us are getting ready for the Fargo Marathon Inc. Not only is it a great event, but the marathon also partners with local nonprofits and encourages individuals to run for a reason! Marathon participants simply pick a nonprofit through the GoFarCharities – that is close to their heart – and run/walk for a purpose! Since 2009, 1,470 GoFarCharity runners and walkers have raised a total of $412,000 for local and regional charities.

The biggest benefit for runners is the impact they get to have from being part of the GoFar Charity community on marathon weekend and the knowledge that their efforts have contributed to the greater good of the community by helping their fellow citizens who are in need. PLUS, runners will get the Official 2013 Fargo Marathon posters, incentive prizes for goals reached, including an official GoFar Charity Team technical running T- shirt, and other prizes from the charities, access to Charity Village at FARGODOME on race day for gear storage, treats, post-race massages, a post-race family meeting area, snacks and beverages and invitations to various social events and group runs organized by the charities.

Give to Chamber Members First
Members of The Chamber encompass a variety of organizations throughout the Fargo Moorhead area and beyond. Essential to our membership are nonprofits, many of whom depend immensely on the support of their local community. The following GoFar Charities are Chamber members:

• Alzheimer’s Association MN-ND Chapter Eastern North Dakota Regional Center
• American Cancer Society
• Arthritis Foundation – Upper Midwest Region
• Catholic Charities North Dakota
• Dakota Medical Foundation Lend A Hand
• HERO, Healthcare Equipment Recycling Organization
• Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity
• North Dakota Autism Center, Inc.
• Rape & Abuse Crisis Center of Fargo-Moorhead
• Riding on Angel’s Wings
• TNT Kid’s Fitness & Gymnastics 

The Chamber prides itself on educating and engaging our members about topics affecting the business community. One of the ways we do this is through our Business Training program, a 12-month series designed to enhance the success of our community’s businesses through a variety of targeted, practical and cost-effective training events.

Now we need you! We’re currently seeking presenters for our 2013-14 Business Training series. Do you or someone in your organization have expertise in a topic that you would like to share with Chamber members? If so, we encourage you and/or your teammates to apply to be a business training speaker. The Chamber welcomes all professional topics that are timely, useful and practical for Chamber members.

As a Chamber Business Training Presenter, you have the opportunity to establish yourself and your company as a thought-leader in your industry. Additional benefits of your participation include:

• 12 months of exposure promoting your session and company on FMWFChamber.com
• Two-month promotion of your session and company in The Chamber’s monthly newsletter, The Bridge, with a circulation of 3,600
• Reference to your session and company in The Chamber’s weekly eBridge, a circulation of 10,000 recipients (continuous four weeks leading up to the event)
• Electronic invitation email distribution of 10,000
• Distribution of the training calendar promoting the entire 2013-14 year distributed training sessions

We look forward to hearing about your experience and expertise and how you can help our business community become more engaged and grow. Applications can be found online or by contacting Bobbi Jo at 218.359.0525.

Please join us Thursday, March 7 at the Ramada Plaza & Suites and Conference Center from 7 to 9:30 a.m. for a complimentary breakfast and round-table discussion regarding the Health Insurance Tax (HIT). This event will help you learn about the HIP and provide you with an opportunity to discuss its impact on small businesses in North Dakota with your peers.

As a community leader, business leader, nonprofit director or interested citizen, please take advantage of this opportunity to educate yourself on the HIT and learn why it’s important for you and your community. RSVP by emailing NDWorks@Strategies360.com.

Meeting Goals:

• To learn about the Health Insurance Tax and its possible effects on small businesses in North Dakota
• To identify common concerns
• To identify and discuss action steps that may be taken to address the common concerns.

Agenda

7 a.m. Breakfast

7:30 a.m. Welcome, Introductions and Ground Rules – An Overview of the HIT and the Meeting Goals – Rose Stoller, Executive Director, The Consensus Council, Inc. (CCI)

7:45 a.m. What is the HIT and What Will it Do? – Andy Peterson, Executive Director, The Greater North Dakota Chamber (GNDC)

8 a.m. What Resources Exist for Me and My Business? – Paul Griffin, Deputy Director, CCI

8:15 a.m. Facilitated Discussion

• Common Concerns
• Personal Stories
• Opportunities

8:45 a.m. What’s Next? – Rose Stoller – CCI

9 a.m. Adjourn

Each month, The Chamber features an Honor Star member’s unique effort to support the members of our military community. March’s Honor Star Champion, Globe University was an early participator of the Honor Star program.

Globes’s Community Manager Babs Coler explains why and how the university supports the military.

Why did Globe University join the Honor Star program?

Coler:  At Globe University, we joined the Honor Star program as a way to say thank you to the men, women and families who have answered the call to serve our country. We appreciate their sacrifices and understand the special circumstances military students may face. We’ve had members from Globe University Moorhead on the MAC since it was formed several years ago and our institution prides itself on our military friendly scholarships and policies.

What has the Globe University done on its own to support our military?

Coler:  We accommodate military personnel academically:

• Credit is available to eligible students for military training
•  Staff members help students receive military educational benefits for which they qualify
•  Flexible scheduling accommodates active-duty service members
•  Special scholarship opportunities are available to qualified military personnel
•  Combined the Financial Aid and VA benefits to allow for smooth coordination of benefits and grants

At our local campus level:

• Presenting sponsor for 2012 Career Fair through MAC
• Beyond the Yellow Ribbon – Moorhead.
• Veterans appreciation events – movie night to Acts of Valor Movie
• Sponsor for Legion Baseball’s Moorhead Blues military night
• Veteran’s Day Military Appreciation Open House
• Collaborated with Vietnam Veterans of American Chapter 941 to hold a Christmas party for children of economic need in our community
• Globe University, was named to ‘2012 Military Friendly Schools’ List making it the third year in a row to be on this prestigious list

Why is supporting the military important to the Globe University?

Coler: The sacrifices our military veterans and their families make are too great to be ignored. Whether fighting floods or fighting wars our military men and women are always there when we need them. Supporting the Honor Star program and other military organizations gives us a chance to be there for military and to let them know that we care.

The Honor Star program was developed through the engagement of The Chamber’s Military Affairs Committee. It’s a way for business organizations and individuals to say thank  you to the men, women and families who have answered the call to serve our  country.

Learn more about the Honor Star program.

Thank you to Globe University, our March Honor Star Champion!

2012-13 Military Affairs Committee Program Sponsors

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The Business Training committee has been hard at work planning this year’s training series. We are so excited over 1,100 people have joined us at these sessions and the feedback we have received has been outstanding.

We are also currently planning our first ever Business Summit which will be held on June 5 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fargo. The summit will provide a platform for business thinkers and professionals in our community to come together to share experiences, discuss real-world ideas and discover ways to handle the challenges in the workforce today. We would love to have you join us for this powerful event.

Want to get more involved? Join the Business Training committee. The committee is made up of a diverse group of professionals who have a passion for life-long learning and ongoing education. We strive to bring you the best and most cost-effective training events possible. So if you want to be a part of selecting the very best training events for next year, come meet with us on the third Wednesday of every month. You might just be amazed at how much fun it is to work on a committee.

The Business Training committee and events are all about connecting, learning and sharing with others and we invite you to get involved. Attend an event, join our committee and/or see the next page on becoming a featured speaker. We look forward to your involvement and thank you for helping us serve the businesses and professionals in our community.

Dawn Kaiser, The Village Business Institute
2012-13 Chair of the Business Training committee

Come watch the puck drop with us! Join your Chamber for a night of hockey and fun as the Fargo Force take on the Des Moines Buccaneers.

Here are five reasons why you should definitely attend:

#5 – Mingle with your coworkers and clients in a different setting, away from the office.

#4 – See the one and only Chamber President/CEO Craig Whitney perform a ceremonial puck drop.

#3 – Get excellent content for water cooler talk at work.

#2 – It’s $11 for a night of hockey, concessions and networking … need we say more?

#1 – Support members Fargo Force and Scheels Arena … we love seeing members helping members.

Cost is $11 per person and includes on reserved ticket and $3 in Puck Bucks, to be used at any concession stand or at Top Shelf, the official apparel store of the Force. Register.

Join us for an afternoon with the stars of the business community during the 2013 ChamberChoice Awards Luncheon, hosted by master of ceremonies James Cunningham.

Cunningham is a stand-up comedian, TV show host, entrepreneur and public speaker who has enjoyed smash success on comedy stages across North America as well as with his award winning “Funny Money” lectures, a stage show designed to teach students about finance. He has hosted and performed at numerous events for clients, including Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Sobeys, Future Shop, McDonald’s, Nestle, Purina, Walmart, Proctor & Gamble and more.

No stranger to the world of entertainment, Cunningham has shared the spotlight with former United States President Bill Clinton, Sir Richard Branson, Martha Stewart, Barbara Walters, Andre Agassi and Hilary Swank.

Cunningham currently hosts Food Network Canada’s hit show Eat St., which gives audiences a curbside view of North America’s tastiest, messiest and more irresistible street food. The show also airs on the Cooking Channel in the U.S.

With over 300 stand-up performances a year, Cunnigham is hysterically quick-witted and will have you on the edge of your seat … and not just to find out who the winners of the ChamberChoice Awards are.

Register! 

When it comes to health care reform, we know we probably don’t know as much as we should.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has created enormous uncertainty for companies. Its unclear to us what taxes, fines, fees, and rules we’ll be subjected to—and without having a lot of guidance on how to comply with all that red tape—it’s hard to plan. It’s hard to invest and hire and to know what kind of coverage we can offer to employees. On top of that, the law contains $800 billion in higher taxes and hundreds of new regulations and mandates that will drive up costs and eliminate jobs, creating even more instability and uncertainty in our economy.

But one thing we should all understand is —the law isn’t going anywhere.

Just because we’ve been saddled with a law we didn’t ask for doesn’t mean we don’t have decisions to make. By working together, we can minimize the negative impacts of the health reform law and make the good business decisions that have put our economy on top.

We  can help lead the way by pursuing health care solutions tailored to our interests and abilities. Many companies and private health service providers are implementing commonsense programs into their business plans. Employers who’ve implemented workplace wellness initiatives have successfully driven down their health care costs. Healthy North Dakota and Healthy Minnesota are great resources for you to get started.

Incorporating wellness into your office can be more fun than you might think. You’ve registered for Corporate Cup, haven’t you?

So while we don’t yet have all the answers, The Chamber is committed to engaging you along the way. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to learn more about health care reform and the decisions that lie ahead.

Dear Chamber Members,
I am proud to announce we have kicked off our third annual membership campaign. Our 2011 and 2012 campaigns were incredible successes and have catapulted our Chamber to new membership records, making us the largest local chamber in both North Dakota and Minnesota. We are continuing to build on that momentum because a highly engaged business community positions this region for success.

The best part about our campaigns is they feature members like you. Thanks to a continued partnership with Go Radio Broadcasting, the community is hearing why many of our members get it! on Go Radio’s numerous stations. They’ve also offered to give all members recruited during the campaign free radio advertising. Plus, we’re about to roll out a new series of Members Get It ads featuring more local businesses.

The membership campaign is designed to help spread the word about how Chamber membership benefits local businesses. Why are you a member of The Chamber? We invite you to share your story with prospective members. Let them know why they should get involved in their local Chamber. If you do refer, you’ll be registered for a number of great prizes from fellow member firms. Learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved. 

We’re proud to have you as a member of this organization and we are dedicated to promoting economic growth and prosperity throughout this region on your behalf. Together, we can do what one cannot do alone.
Thanks for your membership

Craig Whitney
President/CEO
The Chamber

More than 400 people gathered to hear about our economic outlook and a mostly bright future during the annual Economic Outlook Forum on February 21 at the Ramada Plaza & Suites and Conference Center. The event, moderated by Chris Berg of Valley News Live, featured discussions on the local, regional and national economy.

Keynote speaker Terry Fitzgerald of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis started the morning with information on the national outlook. While the national unemployment rate is down to 7.9 percent, Fitzgerald noted we’re still experience a slow turnaround due to:
 Lack of demand due to lost wealth.
 Limited credit access for firms and households.
 Uncertainty regarding income and jobs as well as taxes and regulations.
 Lower potential output.

Regarding a long-term solution, Fitzgerald was quick to point out that while monetary policy helps, it’s not a cure all. “Innovation and creativity drive growth, not monetary policy,” he said.

Ftizgerald also discussed the regional economy, heralding North Dakota’s bright economic future. “North Dakota is the economic promise land,” he said. “It’s fun to talk about you guys because you decided to skip the recession.”

The optimistic outlook was also reflected in the results of the Business Outlook Survey, presented by Dan Staller of Starion Financial. The survey, a collaboration between Starion, the NDSU Department of Management and Marketing and The Chamber, was sent to 1,800 Chamber members and had a 13 percent response rate. Of those that responded, 80 percent stated their business will get better in 2013.

These results were good news for speaker Jim Gartin, president of the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, who projected stronger growth in all sectors locally, as well as increased capital investment and entrepreneurial activity in 2013.

“This area really is the center axis of the world from an economic perspective,” Gartin said.

There’s still work to be done. Gartin raised concerns regarding the need for workforce development, a sentiment that was echoed in the results of the Business Outlook Survey. “Workforce issues are the 800 pound gorilla in the room” Gartin said. “If we don’t act now to train skilled employees, businesses will have to move production elsewhere.”

Resources:
Results of the Business Outlook Survey