Ahh yes, the holidays are in full swing and so is gift shopping season. Whether you're clicking add to cart or browsing the shops in person, think about where you want your money to go this holiday season. The convenience of big box stores is undeniable, but so is the joy that every purchase from a small business owner brings. Your money matters to small, locally owned businesses more than you know! Small businesses are crucial to the communities we live, work and play in. 

• For every $100 spent at a small business, $68 of it is put back into the local economy.
• Small businesses employ 533,340+ people in the state of Minnesota.
• Small businesses donate 250% more than large businesses to community causes.

Small business is the backbone of the economy, and incredibly vital to the business community right here in the St. Cloud Area. We are proud to give a voice to hundreds of small businesses locally to help them grow, learn, and flourish. So we encourage you to do your part and put your money where your heart is by shopping local this holiday season!

Stats are from Nerd Wallet and US SBA.

Business After Hours is hosted by St. Cloud Technical & Community College on

December 8 with festive networking & fun!

The New Member Mixer is a great way for new Chamber members to get to know each other in a casual environment. Come hang out at House of Pizza on December 13 to meet some friendly faces and learn a little bit more about the Chamber. RSVP to Antoinette to attend!

Here are a few more important dates to put on your calendar, but don't forget to check out our full events calendar for even more.

• Chamber Connection 33rd Birthday Party 12/2/22
• Downtown St. Cloud Cocoa Crawl 12/3/2022
• Chamber Food Drive Bowling Fundraiser 12/6/22
• Lunchtime Learning: Marketing on a Budget - Setting Yourself Up For Success in 2023 -12/7/22
• Chamber Connection: Danielle Palmateer - Dynamic Body Balancing 12/9/2022
• NEXT - Chamber's Emerging Leaders Meeting - 12/13/2022
• Legislative Connection 2023 - Session Preview - 12/14/2022
• Sauk Rapids Chamber Meeting 12/15/22
• Chamber Connection: Green Thumb Etc 12/16/2022

With the goal of keeping members informed and up to date, these news bites feature local, regional and national news items that relate to the business community in Central Minnesota. 

 

LOCAL

 

HAPPENING TODAY: Honor retiring St. Cloud Police Department Chief WM. Blair Anderson with a reception from 1-3pm TODAY, 11/30 at the St. Cloud City Hall Council Chambers followed by cake and coffee at Olde Brick House from 5-8pm.

 

Local Congressman now Majority Whip - Local congressman Tom Emmer has been elected as the House Majority Whip for the 118th Congress. Read more

 

Last chance to register! Join the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce as the Statewide Policy Tour makes a stop in St. Cloud at Marco on December 1st. Register ASAP

 

Downtown Revitalization Summit: Join Mayor Dave Kleis on December 12th at 5:30pm for a Downtown St. Cloud Revitalization Summit. Learn more

 

December 2022 Quarterly Business Report: Join the GSDC and King Banaian at 7:45am on December 15th at the Sartell Community Center for a discussion on the current and forecasted condition of the local economy. Register Here

 

STATE & NATIONAL

 

Need interns? MN DEED will help you find and fund STEM college interns through their SciTech Intership Program. Learn more

 

Looking ahead - The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce presented on Election Outcomes & the Potential Impact on Minnesota Businesses - view the presentation here.

- Sponsored Content -

Advance your education. Reach your career goals.

 

The College of St. Scholastica offers flexible learning formats to help you advance your education and move ahead in your career. Learn more about the wide variety of MS and MBA opportunities available for busy professionals to build their skills.

Thank you to all of these Chamber members who celebrated milestone anniversaries of Chamber membership in October, 2022. We are so grateful for your continued support!

Supervisor Development Certificate Program

Are you new to a supervisor role or hoping to expand and strengthen your leadership skills? Or maybe there is a member of your staff would benefit from some additional management training? The Supervisor Development Certificate Program is meant for you.

About the program

Effective supervisors must have many different qualities including flexibility, adaptability, strong leadership skills, and commitment to goals. Supervisors are often seen as teachers, counselors and mentors. The Supervisor Development Certificate Program at the St. Cloud Area Chamber offers you courses in six distinct areas, giving you the necessary tools to become a more effective supervisor.

Session Topics

• Hiring for Retention
• Supervising Others - A Team Approach
• Employment Law - Keeping You and Your Employer Out of Trouble
• Conflict Management
• Helping Employees Achieve Peak Performance
• Interpersonal Communication Skills for Managers

The Supervisor Development Certification Program meets 6 times from January through April, 2023 always at the Chamber office. Attendance at all of the sessions is highly encouraged to complete the certification. 

 

Program Cost:

Member: $325 | Non-Member: $525

Learn More & Register

Call the Chamber at 320-251-2940 or click the link below for more information or to register for the program. The deadline to register is January 24th, 2023.

Member-Exclusive Advertising Opportunities

As a member of the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce, you have several different member-exclusive advertising opportunities available. From email marketing to print advertising, get your name in front of thousands of business professionals in the Greater St. Cloud Area and beyond.

Website Advertising

With two different banner ad opportunities available, you can get your company in front of over 13,700 website visitors per month. We offer prime positioning on the Chamber's home page for great results. 

Enhanced Web Listing

Stand out from everyone else with more text, profile photos and videos, logo usage and more with an Enhanced Web Listing on the online business directory, which has received over 32,000 views so far in 2022. 

Learn more about all of these opportunities by visiting our website below, calling Emily at

320-656-3809, or emailing her here.

St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

1411 West Saint Germain Street, ste. 101

St. Cloud, Minnesota, 56301

 

320-251-2940

StCloudAreaChamber.com