The Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce selected APPI Energy as the preferred energy consultant to help our members reduce electricity and natural gas costs. As a direct benefit to Chamber members, APPI Energy’s team of unbiased energy advisors will:

·       Verify the accuracy of your electricity and natural gas bills.

·       Help you choose from many reliable, competitive energy suppliers.

·       Negotiate the lowest price and best supplier contract terms and conditions for your business.

·       Provide ongoing, trustworthy customer service.

·       Monitor your accounts and the energy markets for future cost-reducing opportunities.

APPI Energy’s consulting and procurement program is offered to Chamber members at no risk, obligation, or upfront cost. Contact our trusted team of energy experts at 800-520-6685 or info@appienergy.com, and mention that you’re a valued member of the Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce.

Business is on the move in Washington County as the Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development announces a partnership with the Western Maryland Small Business and Technology Development Center . In addition to EDC outreach initiatives, Sam Devaram, SBTDC consultant, now serves as a community resource providing one-on-one small business consulting services, at no charge. To contact Sam Devaram with small business questions, visit the EDC headquarters at 100 West Washington Street, Room 103, call 240-313-2282 or email sdevaram@frostburg.edu.

As a way to say thank you and recognize the outstanding work of businesses in our community, the EDC honored more than 40 organizations celebrating anniversaries ranging from 5 - 185 years of business as part of the 15th annual Celebration of Business. Organizations in attendance were honored for supporting important events and quality of life initiatives that make the County a better place to live, work and play.

In other outreach efforts, the Washington County Department of Public Relations and Community Affairs will open its doors for Coffee and Conversation on the first Friday of each month, beginning May 3, 2013. Members of the community are encouraged to stop by to learn more about available services and ways to become involved with County government. Residents can also connect with the department via social media on Facebook at Washington County Government- Maryland or on Twitter @WashingtonCoMD. 

What's a wimpy manager? It's a manager who isn't honest, fair, and clear with her employees on her expectations.  It's a manager who believes she's being nice by not telling her employees when they're under-performing, veering off-track, or flat-out behaving in unacceptable ways. It's a manager who mistakenly believes she's being nice by not telling her employees what they're doing wrong so they have a choice and a chance to change their behaviors. A wimpy manager is someone who equates passiveness with kindness and assertiveness with meanness. A wimpy manager has it wrong.

In a recent training program, a supervisor asked me, "How do I deal with one of my employees who isn't qualified for the job. He doesn't have the skill sets to do the job and he doesn't want to learn them. He shouldn't have been hired in the first place. It's not his fault he can't do the job. He simply doesn't have the right skills." I almost fell over. Seriously?! This supervisor didn't see anything wrong with the employee accepting a job he wasn't qualified to perform and then refusing to learn the skills necessary to do the job? This supervisor needed to take a step back from being wimpy and look at the reality of the situation. Granted there is obviously something wrong with that company's hiring process, but the employee also bares a good bit of the responsibility for this mess too. Accepting a paycheck for a job he is not doing is wrong. The supervisor needs to clarify that issue with the employee, create an action plan with the employee to outline what skills he will learn, by when and how, and also clarify the consequences for unacceptable or non-performance. And, then the supervisor needs to follow-through.

Another manager asked me, "I've got a great relationship with my team and I don't want to change that. However, I'd like my team to perform to the level I believe they can. What can I do?"  Here's another wimpy manager. As I said to him, "If you've got such a great relationship with your team, why don't they already know they're not performing up to your expectations? It doesn't sound as if you've been clear with them."

Wimpy managers aren't fair. They don't speak up. They don't clue employees in on when they're veering off-track. They don't "tee up" employees so they can make choices. They simply withhold information and hold in their frustrations - believing they're being nice - while the employees continue to head down their undesirable paths. Then when an employee makes that one mistake too many, the manager can't take it anymore and moves right into the full blown disciplinary process and starts the path to termination. Is that fair? I don't think so.

Strong managers are fair. They clue in employees that they're starting to veer off-track. They address inappropriate behaviors and underperformance immediately. They view these as situations that require quick, "heads-up," you're-heading-down-the-wrong-path conversations.  Strong managers want to clue employees in on what they're doing wrong immediately so the employees have a chance -- and a choice -- to change their behaviors. Strong managers give employees the information and chance to learn the skills to do the jobs they're being paid to do. If the employees choose to learn the skills and behaviors needed to stay with the company - great! If the employee chooses not to learn the new skills - or can't - that's OK too.  At least the manager was fair, gave the employee a fair and honest chance to stay with the company. Strong managers enable choices. Wimpy managers don't. Don't be a wimpy manager.

Copyright 2013 - Liz Weber, CMC, CSP - Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com

On March 28, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program and Spike TV’s Hire A Veteran Campaign launched the Small Business Tournament of Veteran Champions to find the most veteran friendly small business in America.

To be eligible, businesses must have 500 or fewer employees and an annual revenue of less than $20 million. They also must commit to hire as part of the National Chamber Foundation and Capital One’s Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign, which has a goal of engaging the business community to hire half a million veterans and military spouses by the end of 2014. Signing up is easy – just go to www.Hiring500000Heroes.com. The team at Hiring Our Heroes will work with you to help you fulfill your commitment.

The winning business will receive a 30 second Public Service Announcement produced by and aired on Spike TV to highlight its commitment to veteran-friendly practices. The winner will also receive two tickets, roundtrip airfare, and hotel accommodations to attend the Spike TV Guys’ Choice Awards in June where their business will be recognized.  Applications will be accepted online at www.VetChampsTourney.com through April 26.

After the retirement plan industry went through an eventful 2012 -- 401(k) fee disclosure rules were enacted and the fiscal cliff debate came down to the eleventh hour, among other headlines -- 2013 promises to be just as memorable.

Despite the eventual fiscal cliff deal, the issues brought up during the final months of 2012 are far from over. Because of the budget deficit negotiations, the industry in 2013 will need to navigate trends that will impact professionals advising plan sponsors and fees being imposed on plan sponsors and participants.

Here are the three things I think 2013 has in store for the industry.

1. Retirement benefits face restrictions

The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, the deal that addressed the fiscal cliff, kicked the can down the road. The White House and Congress still have to address the budget crisis by enhancing revenue, cutting spending, or implementing a combination of the two. 

Regardless of the solution, the result will affect Americans’ retirement plans. The worst case scenario is contributions that can be made to employer-sponsored retirement plans on a tax-favored basis will be limited. Cuts in the maximum contribution level to retirement plans will more directly impact higher wage earners. However, all participants will face a trickledown effect.

Further, small business owners might choose to not offer a plan if they do not personally see a financial benefit. Our retirement crisis would face further strain if this cut in tax-advantaged retirement plans coincides with a reduction in Social Security benefits. 

The industry needs to proactively help participants understand and solve their retirement challenges.

2. The role of the advisor will change

The role of the advisor in the retirement plan industry will come under greater scrutiny by regulatory agencies, such as the Department of Labor and the Securities and Exchange Commission. These agencies will be more involved to accomplish the continual goal of protecting businsesses and consumers against fraud and other abuses.

Advisors in the retirement industry will therefore need an unprecedented level of expertise to navigate the complexities created by additional rules and regulations.

An example is the possible requirement that industry advisors take full fiduciary status for plans and advice. Such a change would continue the regulatory shift for more disclosure on the services being provided by a plan’s current advisor and call for an increased level of expertise demonstrated by advisors.

It is likely that the DOL and SEC will also expand their guidance to cover the advice to participants rolling funds out of tax-qualified retirement plans and funds in Individual Retirement Accounts. 
The fallout is that advisors that dabble in servicing retirement plans will find it difficult to service retirement plans and effectively bring value to their clients.

3. Fee disclosure will continue to force change

Plan sponsors and participants now receive a great deal of information regarding fees charged by service providers and have had time to review and absorb this information, leading to questions about the fees being charged and the services performed.

In 2013, we will see greater scrutiny of the services provided and the fees associated with those. Service providers should be prepared to justify the fees being charged for the services. Similarly, as more information about plan fees is made available, plan sponsors and their advisors will be questioned by participants regarding the fees being charged. 

We are in the early stages of plan sponsors and participants digesting this information and using it when shopping for services in the marketplace. It’s my belief that a more informed consumer will be a far more cost conscious consumer, driving down prices.

For more solutions and insights to help better manage your employees and business, check out Human Capitalizing at http://blog.cbiz.com/.

Here is a gift to you from the Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce. It is a complimentary and helpful guide to procurement opportunities for businesses. We encourage you to use it!

                  Free Guide to Federal, State and Corporate Procurement Opportunities

Braddock's Procurement Opportunities Guide, 2013 Edition, is designed to help small-business owners and decision-makers understand the procurement process used by governments and large corporations.

The Guide provides an overview of government and corporate markets with an emphasis on who buys and how buying decisions are made. The Guide also presents "next-step" resources that small business can use to penetrate these markets.

Topics include:

• Selling to the Federal Government/State Governments
• Selling to Large Corporations
• Selling to Foreign Governments and International Organizations
• "Green" Procurement
• Special Resources for Women-, Minority-, or Veteran-Owned Businesses

A glossary of procurement-related terms is included, as well as a procurement preparation checklist, information about teaming agreements and joint ventures, and more.

Available at no charge to you
This special PDF edition of Braddock's Procurement Opportunities Guide is available at no charge thanks to the generous support of Microsoft Corporation. Braddock's Procurement Opportunities Guide is published and copyrighted by Braddock Communications, Inc.

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