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Chamber News
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Chamber News
The Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce
Spring Is In The Air!
Let’s Celebrate Westfield!
Get ready to welcome the masses to Westfield! We
are swiftly approaching Spring Fling Westfield, the 10th
annual Spring festival, to be held Sunday, April 25, from
11:00 AM to 5:00 PM in downtown Westfield, along
Quimby, Elm, E. Broad and Prospect Streets.
With the promotional and organizational expertise of
our new event planner, This Is It! Productions, we expect to draw huge crowds and provide an outstanding
showcase for Westfield businesses.
The event will include unique arts & crafts, family entertainment and amusements, a children's area, and
all your favorite festival foods. We welcome participation from all our members and businesses in the
Westfield area and will gladly work with any organization to create an original, entertaining experience for
the event. VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED for the day
of the festival. Details available by calling the Chamber office.
Art In Westfield
Show And Sidewalk Sale
On Saturday, May 8, the Westfield Art Association
(WAA) will present its bi-annual “Art in Westfield” Sidewalk Art Show and Sale of original fine art.
The show will take place in downtown Westfield, along
Elm and E. Broad Streets from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
The rain date is May 15.
Artists from the Westfield area will exhibit their original artwork for display and sale. Artists will present photography, painting, sculptures and graphics. Landscapes, natural life, still life, figures, portraiture and
abstract art will be among the framed and unframed
selections. Demonstrations and musical entertainment
will be provided and the show will be judged.
The show is co-sponsored by the Downtown Westfield
Corporation and the Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the WAA. For more information call the WAA at (908) 232-7058.
March 2004
You Can Still Participate Even If You
Can’t Make It To The Festival!
A wide range of SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES are available. We would greatly appreciate your support as we make every effort to
create a crowd-pleasing festival. Please contact the Chamber office for more information.
140 WACC Members Renew
Memberships For 2004
We are happy to announce that during our recent
dues renewal process, 140 members renewed their
commitment to partner with the Chamber in order to
achieve success and make Westfield a great place to
work and live.
Our members value the services that the Chamber
provides, such as appealing Town events, monthly networking activities, an informative monthly newsletter,
and valuable business resources. It's all here for the
asking.
If you haven't yet responded to your 2004 dues invoice, please do so today!
Business After Hours
Networking Event
The next Business After Hours Networking Event
will be hosted by Presidential Pen, located at 112
Central Avenue in Westfield, on Wednesday,
March 31 from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM.
Corby O'Connor, co-owner of Presidential Pen,
business etiquette trainer and columnist, will offer
a presentation focusing on the development of
networking skills to help your business grow.
Light refreshments will be provided by Jeffrey's
of Westfield.
Please RSVP to the Westfield Chamber office.
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WACC Women In Business Group
Set To Relaunch In April
Chamber News
Chambers Of Commerce
Business After Hours
The WACC Women in Business Association hosts
gatherings to provide local women the opportunity to
meet each other, exchange experiences, and discuss
important business issues. All women who live or work
in the Westfield area are invited to participate.
The next meeting will take place Wednesday, April 7
at the offices of the Downtown Westfield Corporation
at 105 Elm Street from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. We will
conduct “Six Minute Meetings.”
For more information or to confirm your attendance,
please contact the Chamber.
Once again, the Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce (WACC) invites its members to participate in
this outstanding business-to-business event, to be held
Thursday, April 29, 6:00 PM tp 8:30 PM at the Grand
Summit Hotel, 570 Springfield Avenue in Summit.
Produced in cooperation with the Suburban Chamber of Commerce and other area Chambers, the Chambers of Commerce Business After Hours offers your
business an opportunity to see and be seen by many
of the top companies in the area.
If you are interested in exhibiting, display tables are
available for $249. Guests are admitted free. There will
WACC Read Of The Month:
be hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar, and door prizes, so invite
your best customers to come and enjoy themselves.
Eat That Frog!
For more information, to make a reservation, or to
Larry Fisher, business coach from Action Internareceive
FREE tickets, please call the Suburban Chamtional, recommends Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to
Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time bers at (908) 522-1700.
by Brian S. Tracy.
To get your copy, visit the Town Book Store at 255 E. Help The Chamber Help You
Broad Street or call (908) 233-3535.
By Volunteering Today
Present a copy of this newsletter to receive 10% off
The Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary memthe cover price.
Reminder That Employees
Are Members Too
Did you know that if your business is a member, all of
your employees are also members? Membership and
all its privileges is not limited to the business owner or
Chamber contact. We welcome all employees of a
member organization to our Business After Hours
events, workshops, and to take advantage of the business counseling services that we offer.
Gateway Regional Chamber Offers Tips
To Stop High Employee Turnover
Courtesy of Gateway Regional Chamber of Commerce, Inside Business:
If you have high turnover among hourly employees,
try adjusting your compensation practices to better meet
their needs.
Start by granting smaller raises more often. A year is
too long for low-wage workers to wait. Acknowledge
every level of skill growth by offering small increases
when appropriate. Also, reward workers that mentor
or train new employees. Make it worth their while by
providing spot cash awards, merchandise, or gift certificates.
This positive reinforcement will help them feel that
they are recognized as a valued member of the business. Source: Success in Recruiting and Retaining,
1750 Old Meadow Rd. McLean, VA 22102
bership organization that benefits from the expertise of its members and gains strength from member participation.
Help us to be the best that we can be by volunteering with our committees. Please contact the
following board members for more information
about how you can contribute. Thank you!
Membership:
Joanna Marsh
ELB Internet Services
(908) 317-8606
[email protected]
Finance & Audit:
Neil Sullivan
Westfield Mortgage
(908) 518.0800
[email protected]
Promotions:
Richard Fromkin
Westfield Interiors
(908) 232-7211
[email protected]
Programming:
Tom Calzolari
UBS Financial Services
(908) 789-6178
Chamber News
Mark Your Calendar For
Upcoming Chamber Events
Events subject to change, please confirm your attendance by calling the Chamber office at (908) 233.3021.
MARCH
25 Westfield Business Awareness Workshop
WACC Business Workshop & Networking Event
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
The Kellogg Room, Westfield Y
220 Clark Street.
Discussing valuable ways to improve and protect
your business. FREE, but registration is required.
Call the Chamber office.
31 Business After Hours Networking Event
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Presidential Pen
112 Central Avenue
Featuring a presentation by Corby O'Conner about
networking to make your business grow. Light refreshments courtesy of Jeffrey's of Westfield. RSVP
to the Chamber office.
APRIL
2
7
Top Ten Mistakes in E-Commerce
9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
PNC Community Education Center
209 W. Second Street, Plainfield
Offered through the NJSBDC. FREE, but registration is required. Please contact the Chamber office
for the form.
Women in Business, "The Six Minute Meeting"
7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Downtown Westfield Corporation
105 Elm Street
FREE registration is required.
13 Introduction to Team Building
9:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Union County College, Cranford
A HR Management seminar offered by the NJ
Department of Labor. Admission is $10 and preregistration is required. Call the Chamber office for
the form.
21 Financing Your Small Business
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Elizabeth Public Library
11 S. Broad Street, Elizabeth
Offered through the NJSBDC. FREE, but registration is required. Please contact the Chamber office
for the form.
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Small Business Development Center
Offers Resources For You
The New Jersey Small Business Development Center at Kean University (NJSBDC) provides entrepreneurs with practical information, skills and strategies
that make a measurable, positive impact on the performance of their businesses and by extension, on the
communities in which they work. The local NJSBDC
office is located at Kean University and provides:
• A full schedule of professional development workshops, on topics ranging from Microsoft Excel to
Marketing to Procuring Government Contracts;
• Expert professional consultants to discuss any
aspect of your business, such as accounting,
marketing, or e-commerce;
• Information and assistance on securing financing to improve or expand your business;
• A comprehensive resource library to help keep
you informed about business issues, new laws
and technology.
To find out more, contact Regional Director, Mira
Kostak at (908) 737-5950 or visit the NJSBDC website
at http://www.njsbdc.com/contact/kean.asp.
Share Your Experiences
With Fellow WACC Members
Do you have a great book, workshop, business program or trainer that you would like to recommend to
fellow chamber members? Share your experience with
your fellow WACC members.
Send your recomendations to the Chamber at
[email protected].
APRIL (continued)
22 Tapping the Internet for Global Market Intelligence
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Kean University, East Campus Bldg. Room 158A
North Ave, Union.
Admission is $15, 2 for $20. Call the Chamber for
a registration form.
25 Spring Fling Westfield
11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Downtown Westfield
Applications now being accepted. Available from
the Chamber office.
29 Chambers of Commerce Business After Hours
6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
The Grand Summit Hotel
570 Springfield Avenue, Summit.
Information available by calling Suburban Chambers at (908) 522-1700.
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Chamber News
The Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce
Invites You to Advertise With us!
Publish your business card in our newsletter which
reaches over 350 businesses in Westfield.
It’s a practical, affordable way to advertise.
Contact Mary Cirillo in the Chamber office
for more information.
Welcome New Members!
Cold Stone Creamery - Gina Frerich
Ice Cream Parlor
163 E. Broad Street
(908) 518-0044
Koetje Technologies, Inc. - Milei Joshi
Computer Consultants, Software & Service
66 Elm Street - Suite #1
(908) 789-6422
M & R Landscape & Design - Manny Carlino
Landscape Designers & Mason Contractor
1560 Rahway Avenue
(908) 233-0822
Mile Square Studio, LLC - Jeffrey Eades
Graphic & Web Design
212 Prospect St. #2
(917) 538-5437
Trinkets & Treasures - Camille Fortino
Jewelry/Jewelry Design
261 Twin Oakes Terrace
(908) 233-3043
For Information on Joining
The Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce
Contact The WACC Office at:
(908) 233-3021
[email protected]
Thanks To Center For Acupuncture
And Herbal Medicines
2004 Westfield Board of Directors and Officers
Richard Fromkin
Chairperson
Neil Sullivan
Treasurer
Jim Brown
Vice Chairperson
Maria Fuentes
Secretary
Paul Babik
Joanna Marsh
Tom Calzolari
Warren Rorden
W. Jubb Corbet
Julianne Venezia
Hans Winberg
Thank You, Ross and Ann Rosen of the Center for
Acupuncture and Herbal Medicines, for providing a
lovely setting for the Business After Hours Networking
Event in February.
Members met at the Center for Acupuncture and
Herbal Medicines at 166 Mountain Avenue, and enjoyed a tour, a brief overview about acupuncture and
herbs, great snacks, and interacting with each other.
Hope to see even more members at our next event!
Chamber News
is a publication of
The Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce
Diane Barabas
Past Chairwoman
Rafael Betancourt
Council Liaison
173 Elm Street, Westfield, NJ 07090
908-233-3021 Fax: 908-654-8183
www.WestfieldChamber.com
Email: [email protected]
Sherry Cronin
DWC Liaison
Georgia Aquila
Mountainside Liaison
Allison O’Hara, Executive Director
Mary Cirillo, Administrative Assistant
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