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October 2007 Issue
Onward and Upward
There is always excitement in the air in the fall. It is a time of hope and new beginnings. We tell ourselves this will be the year our favorite football team wins it all, our children get straight As, and we lose the weight we swore we were going to lose in June. Here at Inside Business and its parent company, Great Lakes Publishing, we wanted to get into the spirit of the season, so we thought we’d make a new beginning of our own. As Woody Hayes was fond of saying, “You win with people.... |
Foxes in the Henhouse
It was a long, mean summer for Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson. There was increasing violence on his streets and a news media whose ferocity toward him was reminiscent of the days when Dennis Kucinich and his adolescent administration crouched beleaguered in City Hall as the darkness of default descended. Yet, while Plain Dealer columnists jabbed at Jackson for not speaking out strongly against the increasing appearance of thugs on city streets, the paper's own editorials were calling the criticism unfair... |
Barabara Brown
Barbara Brown is a true believer in fate. While working as a marketing manager for a real-estate developer in Columbus that allowed her flexible hours to balance a career and family, Brown's husband finished law school and wanted to start a practice in Cleveland. The Chicago native knew the chances of finding a "professional" job in any kind of less-than-full-time capacity was slim. But after a series of unfulfilling part-time jobs, her friend, Margie Flynn, told her about a part-time opening at Nationa... Christine M. Brown
After 14 years in the competitive toy industry — seven years in product management at Hasbro and seven years in marketing communications for Rubbermaid's Little Tikes division — Christine Brown was ready to venture out on her own. In 1998, she founded Marketing Resources & Results where she could use her experience launching and marketing new products to help businesses grow. Since then, Brown's Hudson-based marketing consulting firm has been involved in the launch of hundreds of products an... Dr. Merle Griff
An internationally renowned gerontologist and leading expert in the process of aging, Dr. Merle Griff understands not everyone wants to climb the same ladder in life. As CEO and founder of SarahCare Adult Day Services in Canton, Griff has not only earned the respect from those in the health-care field for her elderly care program, but also from those who work alongside her at the center, as well as local, state and national organizations. Her notoriety and the success of the program has led to the devel... Linda Kahn
Linda Kahn may have a master's degree in modern dance, but being a dance educator means much more to her than teaching the basics of choreography; it means being a catalyst for students. "I really find that what I teach and create dances about is intra- and interpersonal things," she says. Leading students to their greatest inner resource — creativity — is the core from where full potential growth, leadership and success come from, says the dancer-artist-educator and part-time life coach. "T... Margaret Flynn
When Margie Flynn was pregnant with her second child in the early '80s, she approached management at National City Bank for a more flexible schedule. At the time, Flynn worked in corporate communications, a department she helped create and grow. "I credit some key executives there for supporting my ability to go part time, given that I was working very closely with the executive management," recalls Flynn, now the mother of three teenagers and married for nearly 25 years. Eventually, the part-time sched... Maria Quinn
Maria Quinn is an expert at building legacies for others — both in her professional and personal life. Specializing in estate planning for more than 25 years, Quinn is president and managing attorney of her own firm, as well as chief counselor, caregiver and role model to dozens of friends, colleagues and clients she's met through the many organizations in which she is involved. "You name a group, I'm involved in it," quips Quinn. She is an advisory board member to the American Cancer Society, the... Mary Ann Corrigan-Davis
As president of Saint Joseph Academy, Mary Ann Corrigan-Davis has come full circle in both life and her career — and her ever-present interest in education has helped mold her into the successful woman she is today. Growing up in the Kamm's Corners area of Cleveland's West Park neighborhood, she attended the private, all-girls school, Saint Joseph Academy. After graduating in 1971, Corrigan-Davis commuted from her West Side home to John Carroll University, majoring in French. While finishing her b... Megan O'Bryan
As executive director of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, Megan O'Bryan is passionate about helping people succeed and meet their potential. "As a woman in the working world, I think it's our responsibility to reach out and [offer] support," she says. "It's something that I seek out by just giving someone a chance to be able to prove their abilities or by opening a door." O'Bryan began her career in fundraising as a member of the development team at WCPN 90.3, where she was responsible for raising 20 p... Susan Pierce
Susan Peirce passed the certified public accountant exam and entered the industry at age 33. Despite the relatively late start by most career standards, today she is a principal of Moore Stephens Apple, an Akron-based certified public accounting and business advisory firm, as well as the company's specialist in third-party administration and employee benefit plans, a division she created. Peirce finished her education — a bachelor's in accounting from Kent State University and a master's degree in... Theresa Carter
As a child growing up in the deep South, Theresa Carter never let the words "you can't do that" stop her. She says her conviction and perseverance came from her mother, who moved three young daughters from Ohio back to Alabama after divorcing Carter's father. When she graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism, Carter returned north, this time to Akron, to seek better employment opportunities. She met her future husband a week later. In need of a job, she t... |
Barabara Brown
Barbara Brown is a true believer in fate. While working as a marketing manager for a real-estate developer in Columbus that allowed her flexible hours to balance a career and family, Brown's husband finished law school and wanted to start a practice in Cleveland. The Chicago native knew the chances of finding a "professional" job in any kind of less-than-full-time capacity was slim. But after a series of unfulfilling part-time jobs, her friend, Margie Flynn, told her about a part-time opening at Nationa... Christine M. Brown
After 14 years in the competitive toy industry — seven years in product management at Hasbro and seven years in marketing communications for Rubbermaid's Little Tikes division — Christine Brown was ready to venture out on her own. In 1998, she founded Marketing Resources & Results where she could use her experience launching and marketing new products to help businesses grow. Since then, Brown's Hudson-based marketing consulting firm has been involved in the launch of hundreds of products an... Dr. Merle Griff
An internationally renowned gerontologist and leading expert in the process of aging, Dr. Merle Griff understands not everyone wants to climb the same ladder in life. As CEO and founder of SarahCare Adult Day Services in Canton, Griff has not only earned the respect from those in the health-care field for her elderly care program, but also from those who work alongside her at the center, as well as local, state and national organizations. Her notoriety and the success of the program has led to the devel... Linda Kahn
Linda Kahn may have a master's degree in modern dance, but being a dance educator means much more to her than teaching the basics of choreography; it means being a catalyst for students. "I really find that what I teach and create dances about is intra- and interpersonal things," she says. Leading students to their greatest inner resource — creativity — is the core from where full potential growth, leadership and success come from, says the dancer-artist-educator and part-time life coach. "T... Margaret Flynn
When Margie Flynn was pregnant with her second child in the early '80s, she approached management at National City Bank for a more flexible schedule. At the time, Flynn worked in corporate communications, a department she helped create and grow. "I credit some key executives there for supporting my ability to go part time, given that I was working very closely with the executive management," recalls Flynn, now the mother of three teenagers and married for nearly 25 years. Eventually, the part-time sched... Maria Quinn
Maria Quinn is an expert at building legacies for others — both in her professional and personal life. Specializing in estate planning for more than 25 years, Quinn is president and managing attorney of her own firm, as well as chief counselor, caregiver and role model to dozens of friends, colleagues and clients she's met through the many organizations in which she is involved. "You name a group, I'm involved in it," quips Quinn. She is an advisory board member to the American Cancer Society, the... Mary Ann Corrigan-Davis
As president of Saint Joseph Academy, Mary Ann Corrigan-Davis has come full circle in both life and her career — and her ever-present interest in education has helped mold her into the successful woman she is today. Growing up in the Kamm's Corners area of Cleveland's West Park neighborhood, she attended the private, all-girls school, Saint Joseph Academy. After graduating in 1971, Corrigan-Davis commuted from her West Side home to John Carroll University, majoring in French. While finishing her b... Megan O'Bryan
As executive director of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, Megan O'Bryan is passionate about helping people succeed and meet their potential. "As a woman in the working world, I think it's our responsibility to reach out and [offer] support," she says. "It's something that I seek out by just giving someone a chance to be able to prove their abilities or by opening a door." O'Bryan began her career in fundraising as a member of the development team at WCPN 90.3, where she was responsible for raising 20 p... Susan Pierce
Susan Peirce passed the certified public accountant exam and entered the industry at age 33. Despite the relatively late start by most career standards, today she is a principal of Moore Stephens Apple, an Akron-based certified public accounting and business advisory firm, as well as the company's specialist in third-party administration and employee benefit plans, a division she created. Peirce finished her education — a bachelor's in accounting from Kent State University and a master's degree in... Theresa Carter
As a child growing up in the deep South, Theresa Carter never let the words "you can't do that" stop her. She says her conviction and perseverance came from her mother, who moved three young daughters from Ohio back to Alabama after divorcing Carter's father. When she graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism, Carter returned north, this time to Akron, to seek better employment opportunities. She met her future husband a week later. In need of a job, she t... |
Do as I Say, Not as I Do
You've heard it many times over: Practice what you preach. Those who can, do. Those who can't, write columns. This month, I decided to evaluate my actions to see if I was following my own advice. Listed here are a few things I did right and wrong. All Backed Up As I watched the cars floating in the floodwaters this past August, I was secure in the knowledge that even if my office flooded (it did) or was unreachable (it was), my data was safe and accessible. It is essential to have at least one copy of y... |
Monster Gamble
Dan Gilbert isn't exactly a hockey enthusiast. But what the majority owner of the NBA Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers lacks in the love of the sport, he makes up for in a passion for selling it. His words are speeded by excitement as he asks if we've seen a video clip chronicling the legend of the mythical serpent that inspired the name of his latest majority-owned acquisition, the American Hockey League (AHL) Lake Erie Monsters. And his voice is tinged with regret that he's agreed to le... String of Hits
Customers come to dine at the historic Warehouse District's Blue Point Grille expecting quality and rarely leave disappointed — exactly how restaurateur George Schindler always envisioned it. "We do whatever it takes to make guests leave with a smile on their faces," he says one afternoon amid the lunchtime rush. "And that's understood within our company." On any given weekday, customers fill the trendy dining room early in the lunch hour but stay well past 1 o'clock. All afternoon the space is cr... The Heat is On
In early August, Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc. Chairman, President and CEO John M. Stropki Jr. visited one of his international factories. Not an unusual trip for the leader of a $2 billion global manufacturer, but during this stop in Mexico, Stropki had some downtime while the workers were going over their quarterly goals. Instead of catching up on e-mails and phone calls, Stropki grabbed a protective mask and gloves and went to work. The Mexican facility had developed a new arc-welding machine, which... What Would Fred Do?
Fred Nance, regional managing partner for Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP, was a top five finalist for the position of NFL commissioner last year. The job went to front-runner and former-NFL Chief Operating Officer Roger Goodell, but Nance's NFL experience created a close race. In 1999, after former-Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell moved the team to Baltimore, Nance negotiated on behalf of the City of Cleveland to help return not only a football team to the city, but the Browns' name and colors as well. ... |
How to apply for commercial real estate financing
The biggest question a small-business owner has to make before taking out a capital loan is "why am I buying this building?" "If it's for the right reason, usually a case can be made for a loan," says Ed Hopson, senior partner and chief executive officer with Real Estate Capital Partners in Macedonia. Once you've set your sights on a building, make sure buying the building makes good business sense in terms of net worth, cash flow and profitability. Next, Hopson suggests getting an appraisal of the buil... How to become a leader and take charge of your professional development
You've just landed the big promotion that's catapulted you to the management level. You are now the boss, but have never managed others before. What do you do? As the saying goes: "Great leaders aren't born, they're made." You must start with some training. Corporate College, a division of Cuyahoga Community College, offers numerous leadership-development programs and courses specifically designed for the newly promoted manager. "There are thousands of programs available," says Rosalind Thompson, leader... How to choose the right loan to expand your business
The most important step when choosing a loan to expand your business is putting together a good team, says Pete Collins, senior vice president of commercial lending with Home Savings Bank. "You might be a great company with great development ideas, but if you don't do your homework and find the best accountant or the best attorney for you and your business, the plans may never take off," he says. Your banker can help determine what type of loan is right for your business needs. Permanent real estate loa... How to comply with new rules for electronic data discovery
Unlike paper, documents created in digital form have a life cycle that survives long after sending it to the electronic shredder, known as control-alt-delete. More than 90 percent of all documents produced since 1999 were created in digital form. That's an immense amount of electronic data, especially when litigation is involved. Electronic data discovery - the process of securing electronic documents such as word processing files, e-mails or other electronic records for use in a lawsuit - is at the for... How to leverage your local university for business and economic development
Fall means back to class, but students aren't the only ones who should consider heading back to school. According to Dr. Patricia Book of Kent State University's Division of Regional Development, area businesses might want to turn to a local university to bolster their business plans and secure the grounding for success and growth. "Businesses don't always think of their local university as a resource, but we thrive as the region thrives, so we support business here to keep it healthy and growing," Book... How to run your healthy care business more smoothly
When your business is health care, your focus is on the patient and giving the highest quality and timely care possible. To do this well, you'll need a prescription that includes conveniently located offices, the latest in cutting-edge equipment and, perhaps, a partner or two to create a dynamic practice. Plus, a trusted health-care business-banking advisor can help your business with a complete financial physical to remedy complex issues and ensure the practice runs smoothly. "National City health-care... How to save money on your direct mailings
Over the past several months, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has implemented the most dramatic changes in the past 30 years. More than just rate hikes, the USPS has essentially changed the way it does business. If your business relies on the mail - either to sell, communicate with customers or provide products and services - one thing is certain: When the Postal Service changes the way it does business, your business will change along with it. How can you and your business cope in this new post... How to set up a seperation agreement for terminated employees
In Ohio, employers have the right to terminate an employee for any reason. "But if you are going to give people transition benefits, you want to have a clean break," warns John Cernelich, a partner with Calfee, Halter and Griswold and co-chair of the firm's labor and employment group. That means setting up a separation agreement. The first issue it should address is compensation, either a continuation of salary for a specific time frame or a lump sum severance pay. Unused vacation pay should also... How to use a business advisor to help manage risk and improve operations
Business advisors can offer a variety of services to assist you in running your business more smoothly, especially when dealing with financial and operational performance. Grant Thornton LLP, the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International, is a national audit, tax and business advisory organization with 50 offices across the country. Locally, the Cleveland office employs approximately 125 professionals, including 13 partners who serve both public and private clients, providing a variety of account... How to use a chamber of commerce to help grow your business
For centuries, businesses have reaped the benefits of joining chambers of commerce. But beyond the myriad of networking opportunities, there are many ways a chamber can help your business grow and thrive. According to Vicky Hawke, executive director of Northern Ohio Area Chambers of Commerce (NOACC), networking is the No. 1 reason businesses join a chamber. "For the small cost of a chamber membership, businesses have access to other businesspeople in the community," she says, adding that chambers also a... |
Go Where No Workplace Had Gone Before
The other night I had a bizarre dream I feel compelled to share with you. Though it was a bit strange, I thought relaying the key parts of my dream would stimulate some thoughts on how a stranger to our world's approach might view our priorities and work life. The dream started out innocently. I was enjoying a warm summer evening, watching the sunset from my back deck when all of a sudden I was startled by what I thought was a shooting star. It was quite beautiful and filled the night sky with brilliant... |
Letters
Sinful Pleasures In the August article, "God Inc.," (Senior Pastor) Paul Endrei says, "It's a sin to bore people in church." But perhaps the greater sin is to indulge their desire always to be entertained. I find Endrei's secular approach to religion shallow and troubling. It's religion "lite" — a doctrine of self-improvement, feeling good, financial success, marriage and career counseling and, of course, entertainment, with a little religion sprinkled in between. John Stuart Mill, the 19th... |
Observations from the Box
There are many people in the business community who fear the jury system. In some instances, they may be right — terrible injuries or injustices can create large damage awards. In others, lousy lawyering can lead to disastrous results. However, my recent experience as a juror has given me another perspective that has made me even more convinced that there is much more to cheer than to fear in a trial by jury. Every jury consists of mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, sisters, broth... |
Anti-Nuisance Bill Becomes Law
Just days after IB's August issue arrived in your mailbox, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled Governor Ted Strickland's veto on a bill prohibiting a type of lawsuit affecting former lead-paint makers was invalid. The court's 5-to-2 ruling allowed the bill, S.B. 117, passed by the General Assembly late last year, to become law. The law restricts lawsuits against paint companies, like Cleveland's The Sherwin-Williams Co., that claim lead pigment in the paint — not used by the company for 66 years — ... Local Lifesaver
In the wake of August's tragic bridge collapse in Minnesota, Mayfield Village-based Swiss+Tech announced the release of a new emergency tool designed to help motorists in life-threatening situations. The BodyGard 7-in-1 Platinum Emergency Tool comes fully loaded with a seat-belt cutter and automatic glass breaker for quick escapes from vehicles, as well as a sonic alarm to ward off danger, LED flashlight and emergency flasher to signal location. This model, an upgrade from the company's 5-in-1 Emergency... Page Turners
Here are Amazon.com's top five best-selling Business/Finance books for Northeast Ohio for the month of August. "Strengths Finder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test From Gallup's Now, Discover Your Strengths" By Tom Rath "The Dollarization Discipline: How Smart Companies Create Customer Value ... and Profit From It" By Jeffrey J. Fox "Resonant Leadership: Renewing Yourself and Connecting with Others Through Mindfulness, Hope and Compassion" By Richard E. Boyatzis "The 4-Hour Workweek: Esc... Plumbers of the Internet
What bomb-sniffing dogs? Many attendees at the Cisco Networking Academy Conference were so immersed in their activities that they didn't notice the increased security and large crowds milling about. Just down the hall from their conference at the Intercontinental Hotel this summer, President George W. Bush was giving a speech. The Cisco Networking Academy (CNA) began in 1997 to "teach students networking skills," says Gene Longo, senior manager of U.S. Field Operations, CNA. Cisco was known as the "plum... Talk of the Town
Growth at Akron teleservices company InfoCision Management Corp. has been so rapid that it has new employees sitting in the hallway, senior executives using secretarial desks and workers traveling between two buildings. "Fortunately, we're growing as a company, but we'd be in deep trouble if we didn't do something," says InfoCision President and CEO Carl Albright, whose 700 Akron employees are only a portion of the 4,000 workers throughout Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The space crunch, how... Teamwork Triumphs
When every state, county and city in the United States is competing to attract jobs and new companies to their areas, it takes a lot of teamwork to score a win. That's why it took numerous organizations in Lorain County to attract Englewood, Colorado-based TeleTech to build a customer service and back-office support call center in Amherst, which will bring 500 jobs to the area. The area's collaboration impressed the company. "There is a high level of community excitement and engagement in Lorain County,... There Goes the Sun
Welcome to autumn. The leaves are falling — as are the temperatures — which means more time spent indoors and more risk for a deficiency in vitamin D: the sunshine vitamin. With 220 cloudy or partly-cloudy days a year, Cleveland is the fifth-cloudiest city in the lower 48 states. That, and the fact that most adults have diets low in vitamin D-rich foods, means Northeast Ohioans don't get the vitamin D their bodies need. "When you don't get enough vitamin D to meet your body's requirements, y... |
It's the PITS, and More
Unlike most business owners, Jay Schabel isn't afraid to muddy the waters. In fact, he wants others to join him in the slop he creates. Then he wants everyone to hang out, listen to folk music, eat some food, go for a balloon ride, get a massage and enjoy an outdoor movie — all in the course of a single day. No, Schabel isn't operating some sort of new age spa, just a family-friendly, multicharity, all-day event known as the Shadow Woodstock Festival, which features all of the previously mentioned... |
Diva of Decadence
In 2000, Lisa Paige Blair ran a full-service catering and events company with a client list that read like a who's who of celebrities, ranging from Michael Jordan to the prince and princess of Sweden. "I have a knack for paying attention to details and going over-the-top," says Blair, who has 30 years' experience in the food industry working with such renowned chefs as Julia Child and Cleveland's own Michael Symon. "The parties started getting more lavish, and I started gaining more clients." Although B... Igniting Future Leaders
Michael LaPerch has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. "I keep an idea book of things I want to do," he says. "It's in my personality, I guess." LaPerch, 21, launched his next big idea last March at John Carroll University, where he is an English and communications major. He sold St. Patrick's Day T-shirts around campus — racking up $900 in profit from the 400 shirts he sold. It was that endeavor that caught the eye of one of LaPerch's professors, who told him about the Entrepreneurship Educati... |
Resourceful Restauranteur
Local Kid: Restaurants and entrepreneurship were fixtures in Andy Himmel's upbringing and always points of interest in his life. When Himmel was growing up in Beachwood, his father owned The Boarding House restaurant at Mayfield and Euclid avenues. So when the landlord of a building on Larchmere Boulevard approached Himmel after he graduated from The Ohio State University in 2002 to open a restaurant there, it all came together for him. It just made sense, Himmel says, "I know the market so well and the... |
How to apply for commercial real estate financing
The biggest question a small-business owner has to make before taking out a capital loan is "why am I buying this building?" "If it's for the right reason, usually a case can be made for a loan," says Ed Hopson, senior partner and chief executive officer with Real Estate Capital Partners in Macedonia. Once you've set your sights on a building, make sure buying the building makes good business sense in terms of net worth, cash flow and profitability. Next, Hopson suggests getting an appraisal of the buil... How to become a leader and take charge of your professional development
You've just landed the big promotion that's catapulted you to the management level. You are now the boss, but have never managed others before. What do you do? As the saying goes: "Great leaders aren't born, they're made." You must start with some training. Corporate College, a division of Cuyahoga Community College, offers numerous leadership-development programs and courses specifically designed for the newly promoted manager. "There are thousands of programs available," says Rosalind Thompson, leader... How to choose the right loan to expand your business
The most important step when choosing a loan to expand your business is putting together a good team, says Pete Collins, senior vice president of commercial lending with Home Savings Bank. "You might be a great company with great development ideas, but if you don't do your homework and find the best accountant or the best attorney for you and your business, the plans may never take off," he says. Your banker can help determine what type of loan is right for your business needs. Permanent real estate loa... How to comply with new rules for electronic data discovery
Unlike paper, documents created in digital form have a life cycle that survives long after sending it to the electronic shredder, known as control-alt-delete. More than 90 percent of all documents produced since 1999 were created in digital form. That's an immense amount of electronic data, especially when litigation is involved. Electronic data discovery - the process of securing electronic documents such as word processing files, e-mails or other electronic records for use in a lawsuit - is at the for... How to leverage your local university for business and economic development
Fall means back to class, but students aren't the only ones who should consider heading back to school. According to Dr. Patricia Book of Kent State University's Division of Regional Development, area businesses might want to turn to a local university to bolster their business plans and secure the grounding for success and growth. "Businesses don't always think of their local university as a resource, but we thrive as the region thrives, so we support business here to keep it healthy and growing," Book... How to run your healthy care business more smoothly
When your business is health care, your focus is on the patient and giving the highest quality and timely care possible. To do this well, you'll need a prescription that includes conveniently located offices, the latest in cutting-edge equipment and, perhaps, a partner or two to create a dynamic practice. Plus, a trusted health-care business-banking advisor can help your business with a complete financial physical to remedy complex issues and ensure the practice runs smoothly. "National City health-care... How to save money on your direct mailings
Over the past several months, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has implemented the most dramatic changes in the past 30 years. More than just rate hikes, the USPS has essentially changed the way it does business. If your business relies on the mail - either to sell, communicate with customers or provide products and services - one thing is certain: When the Postal Service changes the way it does business, your business will change along with it. How can you and your business cope in this new post... How to set up a seperation agreement for terminated employees
In Ohio, employers have the right to terminate an employee for any reason. "But if you are going to give people transition benefits, you want to have a clean break," warns John Cernelich, a partner with Calfee, Halter and Griswold and co-chair of the firm's labor and employment group. That means setting up a separation agreement. The first issue it should address is compensation, either a continuation of salary for a specific time frame or a lump sum severance pay. Unused vacation pay should also... How to use a business advisor to help manage risk and improve operations
Business advisors can offer a variety of services to assist you in running your business more smoothly, especially when dealing with financial and operational performance. Grant Thornton LLP, the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International, is a national audit, tax and business advisory organization with 50 offices across the country. Locally, the Cleveland office employs approximately 125 professionals, including 13 partners who serve both public and private clients, providing a variety of account... How to use a chamber of commerce to help grow your business
For centuries, businesses have reaped the benefits of joining chambers of commerce. But beyond the myriad of networking opportunities, there are many ways a chamber can help your business grow and thrive. According to Vicky Hawke, executive director of Northern Ohio Area Chambers of Commerce (NOACC), networking is the No. 1 reason businesses join a chamber. "For the small cost of a chamber membership, businesses have access to other businesspeople in the community," she says, adding that chambers also a... |
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