Board of Directors:

Scott Asher, PresidentBoys Club-Shelbyville

Aaron Wine, President-Elect Knauf Insulation

Tarah Kirschbaum, TreasurerBuilders Lumber and Hardware

Doug Cassidy, Past President Bishopp Appliances

Directors:

Ryan Claxton Major Health Partners

Treva Cunningham Walmart*

Scott Gabbard Shelby County Ag Promotion Committee/

Purdue Extension

Greg GerlineSandman Bros.

Ron Harrison O’Neal Steel

Amy Larrison First Bank Shelbyville

Chris King Runnebohm Construction

Gena Linville Major Health Hospital

Tony Long MainSource Bank

Chuck Tabeling First Bank

Cathy Wenning Duke Energy

Staff: Julie Metz, Executive Director juliemetz@shelbychamber.net

Courtney St. John , Executive Assistant

courtneystjohn@shelbychamber.net

Erica Montgomery, Executive Assistant ericamontgomery@shelbychamber.net

Founders Club Members: Colour Palette

RushShelby Energy, Inc. Shelbyville Paint and Wallpaper

Board of Directors:

Chamber Chatter

July 2012 A publication of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce

2012 Cash BashWe are excited about some new features coming to Chamber Chatter!

Our goal at the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce is to ever increase the value of your membership. With this in mind, we are changing the advertising opportunities in our monthly newsletter. Beginning in August, your advertisements that were “inserted” into the newsletter in the past will now become part of the newsletter. You will no longer need to provide copies to us. You simply e-mail your ad in a jpeg, pdf, or a Word document and we will incorporate it right in the newsletter. Because your ad will now be included as part of the newsletter, your information will be available in the online version that is viewed directly from our website, www.shelbychamber.net. In addition, your ad will be in all newsletters that are distributed at various locations around the county for members of the community to enjoy. See our new rates below that reflect this change and remember you will save time and money by not having to get inserts printed and delivered to the Chamber office.

New Advertising Rates: Full Color One Side Full Page Ad: $60 1/2 Page Ad: $40 1/4 Page Ad: $20

Want to advertise for more than one month? Save money by placing your ad in several issues of the newsletter. You choose which months during the year and you can insert a new advertisement each month*.

Full Page-6 months: $330 ($55/month) Full page-12 months: $600 ($50/month)

½ Page-6 months: $180 ($30/month) ½ Page-12 months: $240 ($20/month)

¼ Page-6 months: $90 ($15/month)¼ Page-12 months: $120 ($10/month)

*Ads may be changed if submitted by the 15th of the prior month.

Need help building your ad? For an additional $20, you provide the information and we will build your ad.

For an example of a full page ad, notice the Essex Cleaning and Restora-tion and Saver Gator advertisements inside. For more information, call the Chamber at (317)398-6647.

The Shelbyville VC Aktion Club was charted on September 9, 2009 and is composed of members living with a disability. A grant from the Blue River Community Foundation helped get the club up and running. There are currently 28 members and they meet twice-monthly at the Briley Fellowship Hall at Trinity United Methodist Church. Their meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. New members are invited to attend and all persons, age 18 and up, are welcomed.

Besides giving back to their community, the members also learn a variety of leadership skills, enjoy the fun and fellowship of the Kiwanis family and have the opportunity to be further integrated into their community. The club is jointly sponsored by the Shelbyville Kiwanis Club and Shares, Inc. In addition to being part of Aktion Club, the members are also part of the Self Advocates of Indiana, an organization dedicated to helping people who live with disabilities.

In addition to the local activities, club members also have an annual district training conference held at Kiwanis International in Indianapolis. In June, members were in New Orleans for an International Conference being held jointly with Kiwanis International and Circle K International. To contact the Aktion Club, call (317)398-6708.

Shelby County Chamber Welcomes First Assembly of God

First Assembly of God, located at 115 St. Joseph Street, is a community of believers who share a common goal. We want to reach our neighbors with the news that Jesus loves them. This family friendly church seeks to live in such a way that others will be moved to connect their faith with their everyday lives. To do this, we earnestly worship God; grow in our understanding of God’s word; we serve people in a broken world; and we maintain an atmosphere of fellowship and caring.

Dr. Allan and Lori Springer have served the congregation of the First Assembly of God for the past 19 years. Before coming to Indiana, they previously served congregations in Illinois. Come worship with us on Sundays at 10:45am. To contact First Assembly, call (317) 398-6783.

For sponsorship opportunities or to register a team, contact Courtney at the Chamber by e-mail at courtneystjohn@shelbychamber.net or call (317)398-6647.

Essex Cleaning and Restoration

Accidents happen, fittings break, pipes burst and that’s why Essex has the powerful extraction equipment to remove all classes of water damage from your home or office. Our trained technicians can extract the water, germs and dirt and set up the needed air movers and dehumidifiers to get you back into your normal routine. In addition, Essex Cleaning and Restoration Service is committed to helping people when tragedy strikes. Our focus is in providing fast and thorough Crime Scene Cleanup services for families or companies facing the aftermath of a homicide, suicide, accidental or unattended death.

Call us Any Time of the Day! 317-392-2026

(317)392-2026

It’s relatively easy to start a business. But once it’s started, it can be tough to keep it going. According to U.S. Small Business Administration, about 70 percent of small businesses make it to their two-year anniversary. About half survive for five years. Starting a business is risky business, but a smart entrepreneur can reduce the risk by taking some time to study the feasibility of a new venture before actually taking the plunge.

The purpose of a feasibility analysis is to determine if a business is likely to be successful based on a set of assumptions and whatever research the entrepreneur is able to do. The good news is, you can do your own business feasibility analysis, if you take some time, follow some common sense guidelines, and remain objective. Your feasibility analysis should look at personal issues, the market(s) you’ll be serving, and a basic financial analysis of the proposed business.

Personal issues Do you have what it takes to be successful in business? Answering this question requires objectivity and a good deal of introspection. Not everyone is cut out to be a business owner. But if you:

•are passionate about what you do, •are willing to work hard and put in long hours week after week,•have demonstrated independence and self-reliance,•are a creative problem-solver with strong intuitive skills, and•are persistent and self-confident,

then you may have the “right stuff.” To help with your own personal evaluation, you may want to take the online “Entrepreneurial Aptitude Quiz” at http://www.nvcs.stier.org/ms/MsA/Entre/attitudetest.pdf or determine your “Entrepreneurial Quotient” at http://www.3smartcubes.com.

Market evaluation Proving that a market for your product exists, and demonstrating that you understand your market, are critical parts of your feasibility analysis. The market evaluation starts with a precise description of the types of customers you’ll be serving in terms of geographic location, demographics and/or psychographics. Who are your competitors? Every business has competitors, and it’s important that you know who they are, and that you understand their strengths and weaknesses. What are the current trends and the outlook for your industry?

To answer these questions, you’ll have to do some market research. This may mean a trip to the library or some online searching for information by visiting websites of trade associations, government agencies and private research groups. The market evaluation should include an estimate of “market potential” – how much of your product/service is sold in your market area by all providers during a year? From that, you need to estimate what share of that market potential you may reasonably expect to capture in your first year or two of operation. This is a real challenge for most people, but a conservative estimate of future sales is better than no estimate at all.

Financial analysis The third component of the feasibility study begins with a detailed list of your start-up costs. This list should be exhaustive and include everything you’ll need to spend money on just to open your doors for business. It’s important to have accurate figures (get actual price or quotes whenever possible) and to include an allocation for “contingencies” – unforeseen expenses that inevitably pop up for any business start-up. The next step is to develop your operating budget – what will it take to keep the business operating from month to month. Like the list of start-up costs, do your

legwork to get accurate figures and avoid “guesstimating.”

The heart of the financial component is the breakeven analysis. Here, using key bits of information from your market research and the operating budget, along with a simple formula, you’ll determine the level of monthly sales you’ll need to cover your monthly expenses – your breakeven point. Having a good understanding of your breakeven point probably will help you more than any other single factor to determine the feasibility – or likelihood of success – of your proposed business.

Your completed feasibility study is comprised of the combined results of the three individual steps briefly described in this article. It should give you a good indication of what it would take for your business to be successful based on personal issues, an evaluation of the market, and a basic financial analysis. If you decide to go forward, the next step is to write your business plan.

The Central Indiana Small Business Development Center works with business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to help them achieve their goals. If you’d like to know more about the business feasibility process, please contact the Central Indiana SBDC at 317-233-7232 or visit www.isbdc.org The SBDC offers a three-hour business feasibility seminar once a month in Lawrence. Two-hour “Launching Your Business” webinars are also available online (please check the schedule at the SBDC website). ________________________

Kevin W. Jones is a business advisor with the Central Indiana Small Business Development Center. He can be reached at 317-916-7529 or kjones@isbdc.org

Starting a business? Look before you leap. Information from the Central Indiana Small Business Development Center

Newsletter Sponsors Edward Jones is Pleased to Introduce Ben PurvisEdward Jones is pleased to introduce Ben Purvis to Shelbyville as a financial advisor. Ben is originally from Shelbyville. He graduated from Shelbyville High School before attending DePauw University, where he majored in Economics. Ben has been a member of the soccer community for nearly 20 years, earning Shelby County Player of the Year and All-Conference Selections in 2003 and 2004. He is also a proud member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He joined Edward Jones in November 2011.

After returning to Shelbyville, Ben has tried to become very involved in the community. He recently joined the Shelbyville High School boys soccer coaching staff as well as coaching for the Blue River Soccer Association. He also joined the Kiwanis Club to help further assist in community service.

Ben was always interested in helping people and working with numbers, which made a career as a financial advisor the best fit. He currently holds his Indiana insurance license as well as Series 6, 63, 65, and 7. These certifications allow him to offer all of Edward Jones’ services to his clients. Ben is currently working with Scott Mullins at 26 Public Square and can be reached at (317)398-3143.

Chamber HappeningsJune 1, 2012 Grand Opening of the Blue River Memorial Park

Karen Martin, Shelbyville Parks and Recreation Director, enjoying the

new splash pad.

Thank you to Little Caesars Pizza for providing the lunch. Thank you to Grover Museum for hosting the event. Thank you to Ray Basile of Basile Law Office for speaking. Thank you to all who attended.

June Networking Luncheon

photo credit: Rachael Ackley

Thank you Renewing Investors!

At Home Assisted Living Services* provides non-medical home healthcare. To contact, call (765)621-2992.

Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt*, located at 2544 East State Road 44, offers sixteen flavors of frozen yogurt with over 26 toppings.

Freudenberg-NOK*, located at 1700 Miller Avenue, manufactures automotive parts. To contact Freudenberg- NOK, call (317)421-3400.

Blue River Bouncers* provides party rental items including bounce houses, drink dispensers, sno cone machines, cotton candy machines, tables, chairs, and canopies, just to name a few. To contact Blue River Bouncers, call (317)946-7193.

Welcome New Investors

*Denotes Presidential Member

*Denotes Presidential Member

Upcoming Chamber Events21st Annual Chamber of Commerce Golf Outing Sponsored by: Indianapolis Gastroenterology and Hepatology August 9 Bear Chase Golf Course Contact the Chamber at (317)398-6647 for team registration and sponsorship opportunities.

July Networking Lunch Member Appreciation Luncheon July 11th, 11am-2pm at the Porter Center This LUNCH is Free! Call the Chamber at (317)398-6647 to RSVP.

ADECCO* Atlas Logistics GroupBasile Law Office* Boyer Technologies* Brammer & Yeend* Builders Lumber and Hardware*CGS Services, Inc.* Chicken Inn* Dean Rush Electric* First Presbyterian Church*GenFed Federal Credit Union*Glasco Insurance & Financial Services Hampton Inn*Heritage Financial Management Services* Hidden Paradise Campground*Huber Bros.*Hubler Chevrolet Center*

Indiana Wesleyan University*J.R. Wortman Co., Inc.*Kent Property Group Knauf InsulationMcDaniel Family Eye Care* Office Pride Commercial Cleaning* PNC BankRammelsberg & Rumsey, P.C.* Shelby Community Health Center Shelby County Fair Association* Shelby County Life Long Learning SIHO-Southeastern Indiana Health Organization* Sanders Jewelry Store* The Salvation Army*The Shelbyville News Toray ResinTriumph Fabrications*

Want to be in the Chamber Chatter Newsletter? Contact Courtney at the Chamber at courtneystjohn@shelbychamber.net or (317)398-6447 for more information!

Bulk Rate U.S. Postage PAID Shelbyville, IN Permit No: 3

501 North Harrison Street Shelbyville, IN 46176

Chamber News Where You Belong

In this issue: Edward Jones-Ben Purvis First Assembly of God Aktion Club Indiana Small Business Development Center Advertising Opportunities

July 2012