By now most of us have part of our lives in the cloud. Family photos, videos, home entertainment, sure. But there are some business owners who are still hesitant in giving everything over to an “entity” they can’t see, touch, or visit. If you’re considering cloud services and placing all of your business’ data assets in the cloud, read on. What is the Cloud? It sounds a little ominous but the cloud isn’t new. It’s merely a term for web-based storage and application hosting. T

If you own a business or work for one, I’m hoping it’s a social one. I’m hoping you’ve embraced at least one social media platform and are working hard to engage and connect on it. If not, go do that. If you already are, you should appreciate this list of the worst advice out there for social businesses. Try it All Some businesses are so excited about every social platform that they get out there every time a new shiny object shows up. Vine, My Space, Eons, and Orkut apprecia

The day is your chance to be heard in Olympia. This event brings together business leaders, legislators and special guests with one message – to keep businesses’ priorities top-of-mind with elected officials. In addition to a full day of content, the Hill Climb gives attendees the opportunity to take their issues and concerns directly to their legislators on the Capitol Campus. Check-in opens at 7 a.m. and the day’s panels discussing everything from education to budget kick o

A Texas federal court judge has issued an emergency order that stops the Department of Labor’s new overtime rules from taking effect nationwide on December 1, 2016. The new overtime rules were set to increase the minimum salary level for exempt employees from $455 per week ($23,660 annually) to $913 per week ($47,476 annually). The rule also established an automatic updating mechanism that adjusts the minimum salary level every three years, with the first automatic increase

Marketing is dead. At least traditional marketing is. People don’t want to be cajoled, tricked, or begged into buying from you. 81% of buyers research the options before talking to a salesperson. When you pounce on them with unsolicited emails and phone calls, it turns them off much the same way an overly persistent courter might. To win loyal business and improve your word-of-mouth marketing, you don’t need to be Don Juan. People aren’t looking for suave, but fake approache

Content marketing provides the kind of quality content your audience is looking for. Marketers in today’s business climate must yield to the interests of their customers to be successful in the same way that party planners who want people on the dance floor must select music the vast majority of people in attendance will find appealing. Content marketing has to start somewhere and the best place to do that is with a couple of evergreen pieces. These are strong heavy-hitting,

Does My Business Need Brand Ambassadors and how do i get them? Some business owners think brand ambassadors are only for large companies with mass appeal, like Coca-Cola or Nike; ones that have huge outreach, alluring to organized groups like mommy or fitness bloggers. But that’s not the case. Any size business can benefit from a group of loyal customers who sing its praises. You just need to know how to motivate them and give them something to talk about. Steps to Creating a

Get your business recognized for waste reduction, recycling and customer education efforts! Apply to win a 2016 Golden Dumpster Award. The application deadline has been extended to Oct. 31, 2016. The honor recognizes commercial businesses in Issaquah that have made significant achievements in the areas of waste reduction, recycling and customer education. To learn more and apply, go to cleanscapes.com. Winners will be announced and recognized in November. The competition is s

Our Business U event on October 20th is set and the speakers have been announced! Business U puts you in front of a professional panel of experts that will be giving insights into various topics. You will also get the opportunity to ask them question and get feedback! An opportunity to network will preceded the panel. If you have ever thought about mentoring, career coaching, or offering internships in your business, this class is for you! Led by a panel of experts, this pane

Guess what's back, back again... That's right, 5 Chamber Breakfast is coming back to the University House in Issaquah, Friday May 20th from 7:30-9:00am! Hot breakfast while networking with an expanded group of business people from the Issaquah, Sammamish, Snoqualmie Valley, Newcastle and Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce! This event is only $20 for members and $40 for non-members. Click here to register today! #5chamber #Issaquah #chamberofcommerce #network