Message from the President/CEO Let me start by saying that 2018 was a great year for the Richmond Chamber, but we still have more to do. I am extremely excited about 2019, because we will be offering more to our members and tackling tough issues like our Drug Epidemic. In order to get 2019 started on the right track, we did a Strat/Op training with Virgil Grant and developed four specific areas of focus to help lay the foundation for our Chamber to move forward. The key areas of focus include:
- Membership (New Growth and Retention) - Personal Development (Providing Personal Development Opportunities for Members) - Roles and Responsibilities - Marketing Strategy In addition to our four key areas, be on the lookout for many ways in which to grow your business both personally and professionally. We will be teaming up with the Small Business Development Center to offer numerous classes throughout the year on Google My Business, being more visible to the public. We will also be teaming up with Cyndi Hall to help you with subjects such as Time Management, Communication, Good Stress vs Bad Stress, etc. We hope you will take the time to be a part of these trainings, but we will also have some opportunities for those of you who can’t leave the office to view online or via video.
While we see a bright future ahead, we can’t ignore one of the biggest challenges facing our community and every community across the US; the Drug Epidemic. Why do I mention this here? Because as we look at preparing for the next big thing we must recognize this issue is a stumbling block. Many employers struggle daily to keep and find good employees. Many cannot pass a drug test. Do we have the workforce to land the next big thing? We can talk about and describe what’s going on and what we think we need to do to fix it, but I want to be part of a chamber and community that wants to be a catalyst in driving and facilitating change. The biggest obstacle facing us today is not educational systems or the lack of economic opportunities, it is not budget constraints, it is a crisis that in some way has affected every person in Madison County. We believe that it’s our responsibility to tackle the tough stuff, as well as providing opportunities and solutions for our members.
I invite all of you, member and non-member alike to take part in tomorrow’s Richmond.
