NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1 January 2017

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Welcome 2017! We would again like to thank the members for their continued support throughout 2016 and look forward to working together during 2017. Many events are being planned for this year, seminars/workshops, scholarship fundraisers, and the annual awards event, networking luncheons, breakfasts and mixers. We hope to see you!

The 2017 Membership Renewals were mailed to all members mid-December. Please take a minute to complete and return or renew online at www.slatebeltchamber.org. A reminder that the information your give us is what we use for the web site and the membership directory. If we don’t receive your renewal before March 15th, you will not be listed in this year’s directory.

Special “Thank you” to the Bangor School District, chorus and Elite Catering for the fantastic venue, service and food for this year’s Slate Belt Toys for Children luncheon and toy drive. We delivered many toys to local families through Families First of the Pen Argyl School District and Slater Family Network of the Bangor School District.

The Election of Directors was held at our annual holiday celebration dinner on 12/15. The 2017 SBCC Directors are as follows: Rosemary Albert, Jewel Williamson-Burns, Mary Marshall, Nadine Moyer, Joann Ginder, Chuck Niclaus, Jeff Ott, Adolph Marth, Paul Donovan Jr., Lucy Flinn, Fred Curcio, Kim Armitage, Steve Hurni, Bryan Gault & Mike Ortoski. The election of offers will be held at the January full board meeting.

Special “Thank you” goes to Little Corner Café for hosting our Annual Holiday Celebration, the food was fantastic and the atmosphere perfect.

Don’t forget there is still time to showcase your business….sign up to be a sponsor or host an SBCC 2107 Mixer, Luncheon, Breakfast or Seminar. This is a great way to showcase your company and involve members in your business. If your business doesn’t have the facility to host an event we can use your donation towards an event and also advertise your business as the sponsor. Call Laura today to sign up!

2016 Santa’s Elves Committee

The Santa’s Elves a committee of the SBCC would like to thank the outpour of donations and volunteers for this year’s children’s Christmas Party for the less fortunate. We served 102 children a hot lunch, provided those with entertainment and each received a gift bag full of goodies from Santa. Remember to start saving your glassware for this year’s Dime Toss booth at Blue Valley Farm Show.

New Members for December Hometown Brand Center

Faust Ruggiero 54 Market St.

Bangor PA 18013 610-588-6294

E-Mail: faust@hometownsaves.com Web Site: www.hometownbrandappliances.com

Cherry Creek Hideaway Tome & Maureen Modzelewski

565 Bangor Mountain Road Stroudsburg, PA 18360

570-801-6022 E-Mail: cherrycreekhideaway@gmail.com Web Site: www.cherrycreekhideaway.com

Please update the following member in your directory. Change from New York Life Insurance to Market Street Financial Advisors, LLC

Joseph Palma 14 West Market Street Bethlehem PA 18018

610-997-8780 Fax: 610-997-8787

E-Mail: joe@msfaonline.com

SBCC Upcoming Events 2/21: SBCC Business Luncheon @ the Broadway Pub, Bangor, 12 pm

March: Brag Party to give everyone in attendance a chance to learn what your company does. 4/18: SBCC Business Luncheon Much much more to come……

If you have any ideas or suggestions for an event, call Laura at the office, 610 588 1000.

A message from APPI Energy the SBCC endorsed provider…… Did you know? … Every day, APPI Energy evaluates prices from vetted, reliable suppliers in deregulated markets, and identifies the lowest prices. Visit http://www.appienergy.com/price-finder for electricity prices specific to your state and utility. The national average benchmark price for a January 2017 electricity contract jumped last week by 3.3%, to $0.0763 per kilowatt hour (kWh). The national average benchmark price is now 5% higher than one month ago. Last week, electricity prices posted their strongest gains in Connecticut (5.2%), Maine (4.6%), Rhode Island (4.6%), and New York (4.2%). Month-over-month, electricity prices are up substantially in almost every market, with the most significant increases in Connecticut (9%), Texas (6.7%), Maine (6.5%), and Rhode Island (6.3%). Nationally, electricity prices are 5% higher today than just one month ago. The price of a January 2017 electricity contract with a 34-month term is now 2.5% higher than it was 12 months ago. Last month, the same contract was 3% lower than it was one year ago. In short, prices for a January 2017 electricity contract have increased more than 5% in the past 30 days. Press Releases Families first will hold their 7th annual benefit Snow Ball Dinner Dance on Saturday, January 21, 6-12 pm. See attached flyer for details. Portland-Upper Mount Bethel Food Pantry looking for our support. See attached flyer.

Why not kick off the New Year by advertising your business on our web site?

Slate Belt Chamber of Commerce Web Banner Advertising

Submissions should include:

Sponsor image, 220 x 85 pixels

Block, 470 x 190 pixels

Banner, 970 x 125 pixels

Square, 150 x 150 pixels

All formatted as a JPG or GIF file. Sponsor, Block and Banner ads will be placed on the home page of the

chambers web site. The Square will be on a sub page of the web site.

You can do this yourself by going to www.slatebeltchamber.org and clicking on the ad you want!

Sponsor Image 220 x 85

$75.00 for 3 months

(Home page placement)

Banner

970 x 125

$225.00 for 3 months

(Home page placement)

Block

470 x 190

$105.00 for 3 months (home page placement)

Square

150 x 150

$45.00 for 3 months

(Secondary page

placement)

Photo by stevepb via Pixabay

The day-to-day requirements of running a small business aren’t exactly a breeze, but tax time can really throw a wrench into your operations. Tax prep can pull you away from other necessary tasks, and one missing receipt can send you into a panicked and time-consuming search. If you’re already dreading tax season, here are a few steps to take to help you minimize stress during this crucial time for your business: Call your CPA ASAP. The lead up to Tax Day is an extremely busy time of year for CPAs so naturally their schedules fill up fast. Don’t procrastinate on scheduling a tax prep appointment with your CPA. Knowing you’re on their schedule will give you peace of mind. And once you have your appointment on the books, you’ll have a set deadline for getting all of your necessary paperwork together. And remember, it’s never too late to start prepping for next year. When you go in for your meeting, ask if you can go ahead and schedule a tax prep appointment for the following year. Don’t handle what you don’t have to. Business owners tend to be micromanagers, but as with the day-to-day operations of your business, in order to manage your own stress levels during tax season, you need to delegate the tasks you can. When prepping your taxes, one way to do that is to hire a CPA or other tax preparer, who can help ensure all of your t’s are crossed and i’s are dotted. It also means using available software and technology. For example, if you have employees or work with contractors, you’ll have to provide them with W-2s or 1099s. Preparing these forms for employees without help can increase the chances that you make a mistake that will cost them and you. There’s no reason to pile this extra stress onto your plate. W-2 and 1099 software is available to guide you through the whole process from data entry to printing. Get digitized. Keeping all of your receipts in the same shoebox does not mean you’re organized. Even if they’re all in there, it’s still difficult to find a specific receipt when needed. If you haven’t already, it’s time to digitize your receipts and other documents you’ll need for your taxes. Software like Shoeboxed and Expensify make the digitizing process easy. Once you’ve scanned in your receipts, they’ll be searchable and much easier to find. You’ll be less stressed, and trust me, your CPA will appreciate it, too. Take breaks. When you’re overworked and tired, your chances of making a mistake increase. So, if your plan is to wait until the last minute and slog through all of your tax prep after close of business a night or two before your meeting with your tax preparer, reconsider. Chances are you’ll be tired and more likely to make a costly mistake. Instead, start your tax prep far enough ahead of Tax Day that you’re able to take breaks. Taking a break once every hour can actually boost your productivity. Tax prep is no time for an all-nighter. Plan carefully so that you have plenty of time to get everything done.

There’s plenty to stress over as a business owner, but preparing your taxes shouldn’t be one of them. With the help of tax professionals and available software, you can place much of the burden of your tax prep in more seasoned hands. And when you give yourself plenty of time to get all the necessary to-dos checked off your tax prep list, you’ll be sitting pretty come Tax Day. Photo by stevepb via Pixabay - https://pixabay.com/en/calculator-calculation-insurance-1044172/

1099 software - https://www.1099-etc.com/

receipts - http://www.forbes.com/sites/sage/2014/04/10/8-tips-to-make-tax-season-easier-for-small-business-

owners/#536a3e0e264f

Shoeboxed - https://www.shoeboxed.com/

Expensify - https://www.expensify.com/

productivity - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kate-bartolotta/5-science-backed-ways-taking-a-break-boosts-our-

productivity_b_8548292.html

SBCC Officers & Directors One Year Directors Rosemary Albert, Mary Marshall, Jewel Williamson-Burns, Nadine Moyer, Joann Ginder, Chuck Niclaus, Jeff Ott, Adolph Marth Two Year Directors Paul Donovan, Jr., Lucy Flinn, Fred Curcio, Kim Armitage, Steve Hurni, Bryan Gault, Mike Ortoski

DON’T’ FORGET TO LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: SLATEBELTCHAM BER

Gift Certificates are available at the SBCC office year round for many of our area businesses!

SBCC Mission Statement: To promote and enhance positive business activity and growth in the Slate Belt region with special emphasis on community involvement. SBCC, 187 Blue Valley Dr., Bangor, PA 18013 610.588.1000 info@slatebeltchamber.org www.slatebeltchamber.org

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Jewel Williamson-Burns, CLU, FIC Financial Associate Jewel.williamson-burns@thrivent.com 610-746-0344

Lucy W. Flinn