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By PENNY FLETCHER
penny@observernews.net
SOUTH COUNTY
— All four chambers of commerce located in south Hillsborough County say their membership fluctuated throughout 2009. They gained some members, but then lost others because of the economy.
All four said (in separate interviews) that businesses began joining again in the fall, with November being their strongest month.
They also agreed the biggest problem businesses will have to face in 2010 is the legislation that increased unemployment taxes that became effective Jan. 1.
Toby Brown, for instance, owner of TMI Landscape Materials at 13511 Balm Riverview Road in Riverview for seven years, says the tax will definitely affect him adversely.
Since he sells landscaping materials to contractors and landscaping services, his business dropped when the construction industry and housing market fell.
Now the tax has hit and put an extra burden on his shoulders.
“I have four employees. I hope not to have to lay off,” he said in a telephone interview Jan. 9.
But what will happen to Brown in 2010, along with the many others whose businesses are affected by “ripple effect” of a drop in home sales and foreclosures, is at this point, an unknown.
The new tax rate initiated by the Florida Department of Revenue in an attempt to keep up with paying out the rising number of unemployment dollars has gone from approximately $8 per employee to more than $100 per quarter. Businesses with more than 50 employees will see a rise of about $100 per employee, making their figure more than $400 per quarter per person employed. The percentages of wages charged per employee could be even higher if an employer has a high layoff rate.
The Florida Chamber of Commerce, of which all four South County chambers are members, sent an explanatory sheet of information recently to the chambers to help them decide what they can do to boost their members’ businesses.
Florida’s 11.2 percent unemployment rate does not include those who no longer draw, or who were not eligible to draw checks; so it does not represent the true number of unemployed.
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| Greg Conley, President of the Executive Board of the Apollo Beach Chamber of Commerce. |
Despite the figures, those I talked with at the chambers say they are hopeful for a turn-around and each gave me a brief recap of their accomplishments in 2009 and what is known at this point of their plans for 2010. This is what they said:
Apollo Beach: Greg Conley, President of the 12-member Executive Board of that chamber, said his chamber currently has 240 members and is growing steadily. “We’re getting 3, 4 or 5 new businesses a month now,” he said. “Earlier in the year we lost some due to attrition. They either went out of business or couldn’t afford to join. But it is turning around now.”
Conley is personally affected as he has 10 employees himself with Technical Systems Integrators, Inc., based in Maitland. “It’s just too early to see how badly this will hurt us but I know we will feel it,” he said of the new unemployment tax rate.
Conley says the best thing about his chamber is its close networking at the monthly after-hours events where people get to know each other in a more informal atmosphere. These are held the first Wednesday of each month from 5:30 to 8 p.m. with a charge of $7 for nonmembers and $5 for members. “It’s held at a different business each month so they get a chance to show off what they have to offer,” he said.
The Apollo Beach chamber doesn’t start its new fiscal year in January, but in July, so it has already held its retreat and set new goals.
“We decided to institute an associate status that essentially allows someone from the community (who does not have a business) to network and get exposure at our events,” he told me.
Another thing he is concentrating on is collaboration and cooperation with officials and members of the other chambers. “We want to cross-participate and cross-advertise our events and invitations to make it more profitable- and easier for- the members,” he said. “I’ve already met with Patty Thornton (of the Riverview chamber) and have plans to meet with the others. If we can each promote the other’s works along with our own, it will benefit everybody. And why not include the South Tampa Chamber. I mean, it’s only 10 or 12 miles from us. People think of South Tampa as a long way away but it really isn’t, and South Tampa is a Bayfront community just like we are. Wouldn’t it be a good thing for their chamber — with more than 600 members- to be promoting us to its membership?”
The chamber also wants to maximize its use of its new facility by renting out its new, state-of-the-art meeting room with kitchen facilities. In 2009, the chamber moved to new offices at 137 Harbor Village Lane in the Mirabay Plaza (on U.S. 41 with Sweetbay supermarket). Its telephone number is (813) 645-1366.
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| Tanya Doran, executive director of the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce. |
Riverview: Tanya Doran, executive director of the Riverview chamber, which is nearing 400 members, said its 2009 turn-around also started in November and they are now averaging 8-to-10 new members a month and have decided that because of the economy they are not going to raise their dues for 2010.
Later this month Riverview will hold its annual board retreat, except that this year it will be called “Staycation” (like Vacation only staying put). “We won’t be going anywhere or spending any money. We’re just going to hold it right here in the chamber office for one day from 8-to-2. We felt that in this economy, we shouldn’t be spending chamber money on anything except events that promote our businesses,” Doran said. “Everyone else is tightening their belts, and so we decided to do the same.”
Recapping 2009 was hard for Doran because she had such a long list of events and accomplishments. But two events did stand out because they were new: Jet Netting with the Ruskin Chamber – an event set up like speed dating only promoting businesses- and Riverview Summerfest, which was held at the Hilton Garden Inn in June and had more than 100 participating businesses. “Twelve local restaurants let those who attended sample their fare and although we didn’t have a head count, it was very well attended,” she added.
Doran credits the high number of attendees at the monthly luncheons, which are held at the Riverview Civic Center the fourth Tuesday of each month to her Chamber Ambassadors. “They make me really proud and always inspire me to do better,” she said. “We get from 80-to- 90 at the luncheons every month and have gone as high as 120. That’s an incredible percentage of our membership, which is nearing 400 and is run by a 17-member board.” The chamber, which is located two blocks off U.S. 301 on the north side of Riverview Drive, can be reached at (813) 234-5944.
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| Penny Fletcher photo
Melanie Morrison, executive director of the Ruskin Chamber of Commerce. |
Ruskin: Melanie Morrison, executive director of the Ruskin Chamber of Commerce located at 315 Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) in Ruskin, said that chamber gained 100 new members in 2008 and 54 in 2009, with a slowdown in the beginning of 2009 and a pickup by year’s end.
Its 15-member board under the leadership of John Smith of H&R Block will have its retreat later this month to decide new goals.
“We are a very tight-knit group,” Morrison said. “We have been helping each other right along and we earned a Community Service Award from the Board of County Commissioners just this year.”
For example, several chamber members pitched in and donated their expertise, time and supplies to revamp the exterior of Frances Hereford’s gift shop, Southern Grace, next door to the chamber. “There’s something in there for everybody, but the outside of the building didn’t reflect that,” Morison said. “So our members brainstormed and came up with the new look and donated their time, paint, and everything, really helping give it more curb appeal.”
The chamber calls this part of its work, “Pride through Involvement.”
Morrison said that kind of thoughtfulness is a regular part of the chamber’s attitude.
With membership now around 305, the chamber has noticed members using different types of coping with the new economy.
“Many mom and pop businesses have one partner- or spouse- working a job while the other takes care of the business,” she said. This brings in a paycheck until business picks up.”
A fishing tournament and Jet Netting with the Riverview chamber were added last year and the chamber urges its members not just to pay their dues, but come to all the events and network to get the most bang for their buck.
This year the chamber was involved with Toys for Tots, the Big Give, stocking the Community Cupboard and the Veteran’s Day Parade. Besides this, it sponsors monthly coffees the first Tuesday of every month; a business after hours event the second Tuesday; and a luncheon the fourth Monday.
“We are very eager to be a part of economic growth and development in South County and have made county officials aware of this,” Morrison added.
For times and locations of coffees and luncheons call the Ruskin chamber at (813) 645-3808.
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| Elaine Brad, President of the Sun City Center Area Chamber of Commerce. |
Sun City Center: With a membership of 513, the Sun City Center Area Chamber of Commerce has restructured its titles and duties of leadership. Instead of calling Elaine Brad executive director, her title was changed in 2008 to President, and their 13-member board has changed the title of its head from President to Chairman.
“This is in line with the way larger chambers operate,” Brad said in an interview last week. “The duties haven’t changed much, but the actual structure has.”
Membership has stayed fairly steady, but Brad said she noticed a pick-up around November.
The chamber’s 12 ambassadors lead new members through events so they won’t feel strange or alone, and Brad says they do a “tremendous” job at this. “I am immensely proud of our ambassadors who work so hard to promote our chamber and make new people feel at home,” she said.
Although they’ve continued to have their annual favorite events, the Business Expo in the spring and the Trade Show in summer, they spend more time on networking and growth, she added.
“Everything we do is targeted toward the changes in the economy and helping our members find a way to manage in hard times as well as good,” she said.
For the first time in three years the chamber is putting together a map that shows each member business. “We are very excited about that,” she said.
Two new events were added in 2009 to give their businesses an additional push: a Summer Show, which helped year-round residents with issues from pest control to what to do with your pets in case of a hurricane.
Being the first year for the event, Brad said she thought participation by 25 businesses was excellent.
The second new event that was added was Chat and Chew, an informal lunch held the fourth Tuesday of every month.
“The luncheons are more formal, with a speaker and sponsors. Chat and Chew is just like a get together. People have to eat anyway so they just bring their sandwich or whatever they’re going to have and we get together and talk. That kind of networking really helps people to know each other better,” she added.
The catered luncheons are held the third Tuesday of each month in the chamber’s meeting room. The chamber is in Sun City Center Plaza, in front of the U.S. Post Office. It may be reached at (813) 634-5111.
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