Leadership Clovis, 2013

December 2012
Volume 2, Number 12
Chamber
Insider
A Publication of The Clovis Chamber of Commerce
Thank You
to our Sponsors
Take a Deep Breath and Look
Around You
I’m not going to sugar coat it. I am
disappointed in the election results but
they are what they are. Although social
issues played a major part for many voters,
my concern lies mainly about our economy
and businesses. Without a strong economy,
social issues become irrelevant. I still do
not believe that the current administration
respects or understands the private sector
in our country. And that worries me.
But what can I do about it? On the
national level, not a whole lot. I did my
duty by voting for pro-business people.
Some won, some lost. Right now they’re
arguing over the Fiscal Cliff. I’m going to
wait until a deal is done before tuning into
the discussions.
The state has a super majority of
representatives whose understanding of
business is that it should be regulated and
taxed. This year’s 1,900 submitted bills
will probably pale in comparison to what
they’ll come up with next year.
Of course the Chamber will continue
to monitor and oppose onerous legislation
that will hurt our members and the
community. But it will be a harder task
thanks to the new make up of Sacramento.
We won’t give up.
Once again, I remind myself that the
greatest impact I can have is to focus
locally on my family, Chamber members
and the community. That’s what we all
have to do – concentrate on what is really
the most important thing in our lives.
Our family of four moved to Clovis
in 1989 and has never looked back. Top
priority for us was the schools for our kids.
We knew that one of our greatest obligations
to society was to raise responsible kids who
would become productive adults. Thanks
to the assistance from Clovis Unified, we
have accomplished that goal. Although
neither our son or daughter lives here in
Clovis, they are contributing to their own
communities.
I consider the work that my wife,
Fran, and I are doing through the Clovis
Chamber to be of equal importance to the
community. We, and the entire staff, take
our jobs seriously and understand the
impact of our work with local businesses.
We break down our agenda into four
areas – membership, advocacy, promotion
and community.
Working with our members is our
number one priority. They are the movers
and shakers in the business community
and need our support. We offer many ways
to assist them from networking events like
our monthly mixers, speed networking and
leads clubs to social media exposure and
workshops, our directory and educational
seminars. Our monthly newsletter, the
Chamber Insider, is distributed to tens of
thousands of readers throughout Fresno
and Clovis that gives our members
advertising opportunities.
The Clovis Chamber is known for
our advocacy both on the local and state
levels. We take seriously our candidate
endorsements through ClovisPAC, the
Chamber’s political action committee,
and actively campaign for their election.
Our Legislative Issues Committee
reviews both proposed legislation and
ballot propositions before taking stands in
support or opposition. Over the years we
have had a major impact on ADA lawsuits,
state wide health care proposals, worker
compensation reform and fighting tax
hikes. Chamber representatives are often
contacted by the media for comments
about legislation and political activities.
Many of you know of the Clovis
Mark Blackney
CEO/President
Clovis Chamber
of Commerce
Message from
CEO/President
Chamber through our events that promote
the city. Between BIG Hat Days in April
and ClovisFest in September, over $6
million is created throughout the city. In
addition, promotion for the events both
through Chamber media outreach and
through visiting vendors, gives the city
wide exposure throughout the country.
Many times we have heard from people
who first hear of or visit Clovis thanks to
our events. I’m sure that many have either
continued to visit or possibly moved here
after seeing what how great Clovis is as
a city. In addition, our web site, www.
clovischamber.com, is a go-to site for
people wanting more information about
Clovis.
The fourth component of our Chamber
program is work in the community.
First and foremost is our support and
participation in the efforts of our award
winning school district. Chamber
members serve on boards and actively
take part in district programs. Every
March, a Chamber representative does
mock business interviews with students
from CART that leads to internships at the
Chamber. We have also proudly supported
every school bond measure that has a
100% passage rate.
Deep Breath, continued on page 2
Leadership Clovis, 2013
The Clovis Chamber is proud to
announce signups for the fourteenth year
of Leadership Clovis. Started in 2000,
the program has created many strong
leaders who have taken their skills into
the workplace and the community. The
program is an instructional and handson leadership learning experience that
includes networking, field observation and
community involvement.
Clovis Chamber of Commerce
325 Pollasky Avenue
Clovis CA, 93612
The program calls for a two year
commitment. The first year is instructionled learning (ILT) followed by community
project involvement.
The ILT will be held at the Willow
International Community College Center
and is led by the facilitator with various
guest speakers from business, government
and the community. The focus of the
sessions will include Communication,
Coaching, Conflict Resolution, Corrective
Action, Managing and Appraising
Performance,
Interviewing,
Human
Resources and the Law, Business
Communication, Time Management,
Diversity and Change Management.
The class will also make a collaborative
decision on the second year
project. Recently, the class of 2007
completed its project of obtaining
contributions and commissioning
a bronze statue of Floyd “Doc”
Bucahanan, founder of the current
Clovis Unified School District.
Other projects have included
creating the Clovis Way of Life
logo and definition, establishing
a scholarship fund for the Willow
International Community College
and donating to the Clovis Boys and
Girls Club.
The Chamber welcomes its new
facilitator, Kurt Stinson, Principal
of Stinson & Associates. A 30 year
resident of the Fresno/Clovis area, Kurt
has focused his professional energy into
training, instructional design, leadership
development and middle-management
executive coaching. He has facilitated
conference/meetingaudiences from 25 to
2500.
“In ten years with the Clovis Chamber,
I have enjoyed seeing Leadership Clovis
continue as a worthwhile program that
has helped create successful leaders
throughout our community,” stated
Chamber President/CEO Mark Blackney.
“For 2012, I am excited about the program’s
new direction under the guidance of Kurt
Stinson of Stinson & Associates and look
forward to seeing the program grow.”
Discounts apply for Clovis Chamber
members and their employees.
For information or to obtain the
brochure, call Fran at the Clovis Chamber
at 299-7363.
2 - www.clovischamber.com
Deep Breath
Continued from page 1
Clovis Chamber of Commerce
325 Pollasky
Clovis, CA 93612
299-7363 · Fax 299-2969
www.clovischamber.com
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Rick Snow · Board Chair
Snowflake Designs
Rod Geist · Past Chair
Central Valley Community Bank
Ken May · Chair Elect
ClovisPAC
Randy Baer · Vice Chair Facilities
Schneider Electric
Shelly D’Arcy
Vice Chair, Chamber Gives Back
Kaiser Permanente
Gina Estrada
Vice Chair, Fundraising
AXA Equitable
Ellie Huston
Vice Chair, Membership
Nick Maxwell
Vice Chair, Finance
Edward Jones Investments
Jay Peterson
Vice Chair, Marketing
The Geeks Computer Service
Thom Richardson
Vice Chair, Legislative Issues
Sunrise Displays
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ron Barsamian
Barsamain & Moody Professional Corp.
Alex Contreras
Donaghy Sales­
Karena Dillon
Baker Dillon Group
Ed Flores
Century 21/M&M & Associates
Bob Hall
Harlan Consulting & Marketing
Nykole Hibbs
Dinner MyWay
Paul Hinkle
Kellner Properties
Gary Honeycutt
BJ’s Kountry Kitchen
Cynthia Jones
Hilton Garden Inn
Claudia Moorefield
See’s Candies, Inc.
G­­reg Newman
Land Value/Sierra Vista Mall
Paul Spraetz, Sr.
­Farmers Insurance Group
STAFF
Mark Blackney · President CEO
Beth Bridges · Membership Director
Fran Blackney · Business Advocate,
Communications Director, Newsletter
Editor
Tammi Walton · Events Director
Susana Peckinpah · Office Manager
Shirley Bundros · Membership
About this publication...
Chamber Insider is the official
monthly publication of the Clovis
Chamber of Commerce, 325 Pollasky,
Clovis, CA 93612, (559) 299-7363.
Reproduction by any means of the
entire contents or any portion of this
publication without written permission
is prohibited.
The
appearance
of
any
advertisements in this publication
does not constitute support or
endorsement for any product, person,
cause, business or organization named
therein, unless specifically noted
otherwise in the advertisement.
This year, the Chamber stepped up
to the plate by creating the Hooked
on Books program through the newly
formed The Chamber Gives Back
committee. Through corporate and
individual donations, hundreds of books
have been purchased to be given to
elementary school children. So far two
distributions have been done with a third
scheduled for December. For many of
these students, these are the first books
they have ever really owned. Seeing the
excitement in their eyes makes the effort
well worth it.
The Leadership Clovis program is
in its 14th year and has produced many
trained leaders serving in the community.
This year we have reformatted the
curriculum and are excited to present Kurt
Stinson, Principal of Stinson & Associates,
as the facilitator. He brings many fresh and
new ideas and will greatly enhance this
exciting program. Please see the article
below for more details.
One of our greatest tasks in the coming
months is to buoy up our members as
the economy continues to stutter along.
We still don’t know about tax hikes, but
we do know there are a myriad of new
regulations just waiting to be imposed. For
many businesses, Obamacare will have
an impact so they have to prepare to pay
more for new mandates or to cut back on
expenses while trying to create a profit.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate is
staying stubbornly high.
Despite my angst, I remain confident in
our small businesses and the community.
The city makes it easier for us by having
a responsible government, award winning
police and fire departments, an active
religious community and, of course, our
outstanding school district.
The next few months, and perhaps
years, are going to be tough but we have
the foundations here locally to make the
adventure a little more palatable.
The next time you get frustrated with
the national news, turn off the TV or the
internet and step outside to look at your
neighborhood and commit your energies to
our community. It is well worth the price.
Marketing Deal of the Month
There is a whole new category
of membership benefits coming to
members of the Clovis Chamber in
2013. Each month there will be at least
one valuable, exclusive marketing offer
for Clovis Chamber members from the
Chamber or from other members. It
could be free advertising, buy one get
one, discounted consulting, bonus offers
or other marketing benefits. These deals
will be designed to help you stretch your
budget and get more exposure, more
promotion and more bang for your buck.
We’re looking for members who want
to offer a Marketing Deal of the Month.
If you are in advertising, branding,
business development, customer service
training, internet marketing, marketing
consulting, networking, public relations
, sales training, social media, or other
business product or service that serves
to help a business market and promote
themselves, please get in touch with
Beth Bridges, our Membership Director
right away. If your “Marketing Deal of
the Month” is accepted, you’ll get your
business name and marketing expert status
in front of the entire Clovis Chamber
membership and the business community
at large.
We’ll promote your offer through:
*a direct email to the members
*an article in the print email newsletter
(30,000 copies are distributed throughout
Clovis and Fresno)
*an article in the email newsletter
*postings on our Facebook page
(1,500+ fans)
*tweets on our Twitter account (3,100+
followers)
Does that sound like a good deal
for everyone involved? We think so! If
you’re interested in offering a Marketing
Deal of the Month, contact Beth
Bridges, Membership Director, at beth@
clovischamber.com If you’re interested in
taking advantage of the Marketing Deal of
the Month, keep your membership up to
date, watch your email inbox, “like” us on
Facebook or follow us on Twitter so you
don’t miss a single offer.
Clovis Area Brokers Christmas Breakfast
The annual Clovis Area Brokers
Traditional Christmas Breakfast will be
held on Thursday, December 13th at the
Classic Catering Banquet Hall in Old
Town.
This holiday gathering is filled with
lots of fun, music, inspiration and most
importantly, networking. Guest Speaker
is once again Pastor Steve Davidson of
Clovis Hills Community Church.
Donate a holiday center piece and bring
money for the raffle. All proceeds benefit
the Clovis Boys & Girls Club.
Admission is only $10 each. If you’re
already working in the realty industry
or are interested in joining it, you’re
encouraged to attend.
advance from the Clovis Chamber or the
breakfast sponsors – Century 21, M&M
Associates; SendOut Cards; Jimenez
Construction; Ken Garcia Property
Inspections; Kellner Properties; Keller
Williams Realty; Mission Hills Mortgage
Bankers; Primary Residential Mortgage,
Inc; and W.J. Bradley.
Call 299-7363 for more information.
All tickets must be purchased in
A Holiday Mixer at Sam’s Club
One of the Chamber’s favorite annual
mixers is coming up on December 12
from 5 – 7 pm. Join us at Sam’s Club on
Blackstone Ave near RiverPark.
at one of our biggest mixers of the year.
Sample delicious food and drink
that you can buy at Sam’s! Win a nice
door prize suitable for keeping or
gifting! Take Advantage of a special
membership offer from Sam’s. And of
course, enjoy GREAT networking with
the best networkers in the Central Valley
This event is FREE to Clovis Chamber
members who are encouraged to bring
potential members as guests.
You do NOT need to be a member of
Sam’s Club to attend.
Host a 2013 Mixer
Clovis Chamber mixers are a huge
success with our members. Every
month over 100 visit a fellow member’s
location to enjoy great food, great
networking and to see the great things
the host member is doing.
There are still openings for the 2013
mixer schedule if you, as a member,
would like to host one.
We are looking for:
• Enough room for 100-125 people,
plus parking
•
A location that is easy to get to
and will enhance attendance
•
Fresno businesses are accepted,
although location will be even more
important: proximity to a freeway helps
•
You are willing to provide food,
beverages and at least one door prize
In return, you will have 100+ people
in your business. The Chamber will
promote your mixer on our website, in our
newsletter, via e-mail and on our Facebook
and Twitter pages
Open dates are Jan 16, Feb 20, April 17,
May 15, June 19, July 17, August 21 and
Nov 20
Applying
approval.
does
NOT
guarantee
If interested, submit a proposal to Beth
Bridges, Membership Director via e-mail
at beth@clovischamber.com or fax to 2992969
Call 299-7363 for more information.
www.clovischamber.com - 3
More Good News from Clovis Chamber Members
Despite the bleak economic news,
Clovis Chamber members shine.
Kaiser Permanente Fresno received yet
another honor. The Hospital Council of
Northern and Central California recently
recognized Kaiser as a top performer for
significantly reducing hospital acquired
infections (HAIs), an accomplishment that
meant people had better health outcomes
and millions of dollars in health care costs
were avoided. Details: 448-4138
Valley Public Radio is pleased to
announce it is one of the 31 statewide
James Irvine Foundation grantees. The
station received a $225,000 grant under
the Foundation’s California Democracy
program that will increase news coverage
of governance and public policy issues in
the San Joaquin Valley. Details: 800 2750764, ext. 20
M & M Screen Printing & Embroidery
received the 2012 Best of Clovis award in
the Best Screen Printing Services category
The Clovis Award Program recognizes
outstanding local businesses throughout
the Clovis area. Details: 325-3400
Karkazian Jewelers is happy to
announce that this will be their 33rd
Christmas serving the San Joaquin Valley.
They are excited to introduce two new
affordable Silver and 18K lines from
the Panther collection by G Panther
and Colore by Lorenzo. They have two
locations to serve you. Details: 297-0201
Celebrate the holidays and give back
to homeless animals at the annual Kitty
Christmas & Merry Mutts event held at the
Valley Animal Center on December 7th
from 4 to 8 pm. The entire community is
invited to partake in wine sampling, tasty
treats and a great raffle. Admission to the
event is a monetary donation or a gift for
the animals from the shelter’s Wish List at
www.valleyanimal.org. Details: 233-8690
The Perfect Vacation in Old Town tells
us about two new hires. Kim King brings
over 20 years of corporate and leisure
travel industry experience. She has worked
for four other local agencies. Linda Blanks
is a new travel adviser who is looking
forward to working in Old Town. She will
specialize in Adventure Travel. Details:
324-8150
Thanks to wonderful community
support, Dr. Treva D. Lee’s office at 2630
N Fresno St #101 collected over 170 lbs
of candy during the Halloween Candy
Buyback event. Our men and women in the
Armed Forces overseas really appreciate
the candy and other items that are included
in the care packages sent by Operation
Gratitude. Details: 226-3010
The Aflac District Office represented
the Central Valley in the New York Macy’s
Parade accompanying the Aflac Children’s
Cancer Center float on Thanksgiving.
Agent Patty Arriaga and her spouse
Gustavo Arriaga Sr. were balloon handlers
along the 3 mile route. The Clovis Aflac
District office is a strong supporter of the
children’s cancer center. Details: 326-7269
As a member of the Clovis Chamber
and a valued sponsor, Table Mountain
Rancheria feels blessed this holiday
season by being able to hand out over
3,000 turkeys to their employees and
local charities. In the spirit of the Holiday
season, they would welcome their fellow
Chamber members and others to follow
their lead in giving thanks to employees
and charities. Details: 822-7015
Sierra
Relief
Chiropractic
has
opened its doors and started serving the
community and of course, has joined the
Clovis Chamber of Commerce. They are
excited to be in Clovis and are grateful for
the response of patients in the area who
have benefited from short term back and
neck care. Details: 297-0030
Cen Cal Business Finance Group
congratulates its annual award recipients:
Bank of the Year: Premier Valley Bank.
Banker of the Year: Dorothy Thomas, Sr.
Vice President at Premier Valley Bank.
Business of the Year: Sakura Chaya.
Realtor of the Year: Buk Wagner, Vice
President, Colliers International. Details:
227-1158, ext. 203.
Habitat for Humanity Restore would
like to recognize Chris Marquez as the
“Making the Difference Award” winner
for October. They also welcome Blake
Dunkin to the team as the new Lead Driver.
San Joaquin College of Law
congratulates July Bar Passers: Ashley
Allred, Timothy Bartell, Nicea Bates,
Satnam Brar, William Buttry, Gary Caine,
Elizabeth Durbin, My-Linh Huang,
Timothy Jolly, Joshua Kruger, Tomas
Kunder, David Litman, Jeremiah Paul,
Kendall Reynolds, Kyle Roberson, Nicole
Rothford, Stephanie Smittle, Daren
Stemwedel, Rajinder Sungu, Chester
Walls, Philip Walsky, Derek Walzber,
Christina Widner, Allie Wieland and Ian
Wieland. Details: 323-2100
Chris Bundros, CPA, tells us his business
is growing so fast he is calling in his wife,
Shirley, to assist him. Unfortunately,
Shirley will have to leave the Chamber
staff where she has been the membership
assistant for two years. Details: 765-0313
Don Watnick is pleased to announce
that he has received an In-lieu appointment
to the Board of the Clovis Veterans
Memorial District for a four year term. He
is honored by this opportunity and looks
forward to the responsibility of continuing
CVMD’s outstanding work of supporting
and honoring our veterans.
A Bed of Roses bed and breakfast
had their ribbon cutting ceremony with
the Oakhurst Chamber, a shared open
house with Evergreen Haus B&B for the
Coarsegold Chamber and has an open
house scheduled for May of next year to
kick off their spring season. They were
delighted to have their rooms completely
booked for the Thanksgiving holidays.
Details: 692-2100
The Fresno Women’s Network 2013
board is looking forward to a fabulous
2013.
The Hampton Inn & Suites Fresno is
hosting a holiday mixer on December
13th from 5 to 7 to show off their recent
remodel. Enjoy complimentary holiday
drinks and appetizers, a raffle, networking
and gift drive for Be s Santa to a Senior
Central Valley. Please bring a lap blanket,
fuzzy socks, scarf, or snuggie to help this
great cause. Details: 447-5900
Artco is pleased to announce the
completion of the Thin Mint 5k web site.
(thinmint5k.com) where runners of all
levels can get information and register for
a great event supporting the Girl Scouts
of Central California South. Details: 3220996
There was a great turnout on October
20th for the 14th annual Komen Central
Valley Race for the Cure with 4759
participants gathering at Fresno State to
support Breast Cancer Awareness in the
Central Valley. They are excited to report
that so far over $300,000 has been raised
and they are accepting tax deductible Race
donations until the end of the year. 75% of
the funds raised go directly to funding the
following projects for 1000’s of women
here in Fresno County. Low/cost-No/
cost mammograms, financial assistance
to breast cancer survivors, lymphedema
treatment and culturally diverse education
programs. Details: 229-4255
Central Valley Business Incubator –
Small Business Development Center
recognizes two new Water, Energy &
Technogy (WET) Center members:
OnFarm Systems and H2O Optimizer.
The BlueTechValley Initiative is gaining
momentum. Designed as an initiative
to globally recognize the Central Valley
for water and energy innovation and
technology commercialization, it will
host a conference in 2013. In August,
the WET Center was awarded the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency’s 2012
Environmental Achievement Award in the
Pacific Southwest Region for its Efficient
Water Infrastructure. Details: 292-9033
Butler Web and Design has hired a new
designer, Anthony Baker, to take care of
accounts. They finally have a sign erected
on their building.
How to Make More Sales by
Going to Networking Events
by Beth Bridges
If I could give every new networker in
the world one piece of networking advice,
it would be “Networking is not selling!”
If you’ve been to any of my Chamber
networking trainings or new member
orientations, you’ve heard me say this.
You’ve heard me emphasize more than
one time that you will not be successful
if you go to networking events to make
more sales. So how in the world could I
write an article about making more sales
by attending Clovis Chamber networking
events? Because there is a big difference
between networking and selling but they
can go hand in hand.
Selling is a process where two people
agree in advance that they are going to
make an exchange of goods or services for
something of roughly equal value. If you
have a store, you provide clothes, food,
tools, etc. for a set dollar amount. That’s
obviously selling. They give you money,
you give them the product.
Networking is a series of activities
where we are making the effort to build
positive relationships with other business
people because as Zig Ziglar said “We
can get everything we want in life, if we
help other people get what they want.”
The line gets blurry when we are at a
business networking event because the
eventual result that we want from all
of our marketing efforts, including our
networking, is to reinforce our current
business relationships, find new prospects
and make more sales to grow our
businesses.
Networking is not selling, but it certainly
can lead to more prospects, more referrals,
and easier closing of the sale. But there is a
very important middle ground between the
networking efforts and making more sales.
Networking helps you to:
*get ideas on how to reach out in your
marketing
*learn more about your market and
your potential clients
*build a reputation as an honest and
helpful business
*prove your value to others before you
ever ask for a sales meeting
If you focus your networking on these
results, you will get more sales and you’ll
make them more easily. If you skip the
above and just use networking events
to qualify prospects and give them your
sales pitch, you will be discouraged and
frustrated. Attend Clovis Chamber events
with the intention to meet great people,
learn more about them and to find a way to
provide them with value. They’ll get what
they want, and you’ll get what you want.
4 - www.clovischamber.com
Chamber Sponsors and Volunteers Make It Happen
It’s time to reflect on the many
businesses and organizations that have
assisted the Chamber throughout the year.
From stuffing envelopes with the monthly
member statements to working at and/or
contributing towards BIG Hat Days and
ClovisFest, the largest two day events in
the Central Valley, the Chamber is grateful
for their assistance.
•
Table Mountain Casino has been
a mainstay for Chamber events for more
than 20 years. It is the title sponsor for
Big Hat Days and ClovisFest and supports
other events. Their booth at the events is
one of the most popular. More importantly,
it is very active in promoting Chamber
activities at the Casino
•
Donaghy Sales, Budweiser
has been the longest supporter of Clovis
Chamber events. For over 28 years
they have provided liquid refreshment
and entertainment at Big Hat Days and
ClovisFest. They work tirelessly to
make sure our visitors have an enjoyable
experience in the Budweiser Beer Garden.
•
Pepsi Cola has supported the
Chamber for over 22 years. You will find
only Pepsi products for sale at our events.
They sponsor all the youth and family
activities.
•
The Chamber is enjoying its
partnership with Clear Channel Radio
home of The Wolf 102.7, Soft Rock 98.9,
Fox Sports 1340, KRZR 103.7, KBOS
B95, KFSO La Preciosa 92.9 and Alice
96.7. Promotions for Chamber events
are now highlighted on 7 top rated radio
stations.
•
If you enjoy the hot air balloons
at ClovisFest in September, you can thank
Kaiser Permanente for its sponsorship and
AmeriGas for providing the fuel. Both
companies are great chamber supporters.
•
CVES has been a longtime
sponsor of Big Hat Days and ClovisFest.
You can find their booth at the corner of
Fifth and Pollasky at both events.
Social Network with
the Clovis Chamber!
Follow us on: Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn
www.facebook.com/ClovisChamber
twitter.com/clovischamber
www.linkedin.com/in/bethbridges
•
Alert-O-Lite that provides all the
barricades at our events has generously
come on board as a sponsor. Brad Hunsaker
is out there at 4 a.m. to close the streets
and ensure the safety of Clovis residents
driving through.
•
Our thanks to Fresno Equipment
for providing the bright green and yellow
“gators” that are invaluable in maintaining
trash pick ups and set up during our events.
We couldn’t do it without them.
•
BIG Hat Days and ClovisFest are
known for their clean streets and emptied
trash cans. For that we can thank the tireless
efforts of the Work By the Sea Scout Troop
63, sponsored by the American Legion.
These young men and their parents arrive
early and stay late into the evening to make
sure our events are clean.
•
Thr Fresno Bee has formed a
partnership with the Chamber to promote
our events. Besides regular ads, they are
generous with articles and lots of photos to
bring the crowds to Clovis.
•
The Clovis Chamber has a staff
of only 6 people who put on some of
the largest events in the Central Valley.
We couldn’t do that without our selfless
volunteers. Many show up at 4 a.m. to
help the vendors set up and many more
run the Budweiser Beer Garden under
the direction of volunteer extraordinaire,
Ellie Huston. They always have smiles on
their faces as they serve the noisy crowds.
Thanks so much.
•
The Chamber hosts two trade
shows each year. Our thanks to Business
Street for promoting the events and running
a live feed from the venue. Also, PGE and
ADT Security Systems were gold sponsors
and of course, Sees Candies always
provides their wonderful chocolates for
the crowds.
I’d be remiss not to thank the folks
from the Clovis Senior Center who have
assisted whenever called. For many years
they stuffed our monthly newsletters
and flyers into 1,000 envelopes for our
members. Lately they have come every
month to send out our member invoices.
They are a great group of people and we
enjoy having them here.
Sponsorships assist the Clovis Chamber
to help build a healthy economy, promote
the city of Clovis and enhance the Clovis
Way of Life. It is also a great way for
businesses to promote themselves.
At Clovis Chamber events, sponsors
are showcased with their logos highlighted
and are introduced at Chamber functions.
If you are interested in becoming
a Clovis Chamber supporter, please
contact Mark at 299-7363 or mark@
clovischamber.com
www.clovischamber.com - 5
Year-End Tax Planning Moves
for Individuals
Uncertainty dominates year-end tax
planning this year. Unless Congress acts,
the Bush-era tax cuts will expire and bring
higher tax rates and the loss of many
deductions and credits starting in 2013.
More individuals will be snared by the
alternative minimum tax, which has not
been patched for 2012 as it has for many
years in the past.
Even with the uncertainty, there are
actions you can still take before the end of
the year that can save a considerable amount
of tax. Not all actions recommended in
this article will apply to your particular
situation, but you will likely benefit from
many of them.
Maximize Education Tax Credits –
If you qualify for either the American
Opportunity or Lifetime Learning
education credits, check to see how much
you will have paid in qualified tuition
and related expenses in 2012. If it is not
the maximum allowed for computing the
credits, you can prepay 2013 tuition as long
as it is for an academic period beginning
in the first three months of 2013. That will
allow you to increase the credit for 2012.
Employer Health Flexible Spending
Accounts – If you contributed too little
to cover expenses this year, you may
wish to increase the amount you set aside
for next year. As a reminder, you can no
longer set aside amounts to get tax-free
reimbursements for over-the-counter
drugs, and the maximum contribution for
2013 is $2,500.
Maximize Health Savings Account
Contributions – If you become eligible
to make health savings account (HSA)
contributions late this year, you can make
a full year’s worth of deductible HSA
contributions even if you were not eligible
to make HSA contributions for the entire
year. This opportunity applies even if you
first become eligible in December. In brief,
if you qualify for an HSA, contributions
to the account are deductible (within IRSprescribed limits), earnings on the account
are tax-deferred, and distributions are
tax-free if made for qualifying medical
expenses.
Roth IRA Conversions – If your income
is unusually low this year, you may wish to
consider converting your traditional IRA
into a Roth IRA. The lower income results
in a lower tax rate, which provides you an
opportunity to convert to a Roth IRA at a
lower tax amount.
State Income Taxes – State income
taxes paid during the year are deductible
as an itemized deduction on your federal
return. As long as pre-paying the state
taxes does not create an AMT problem and
you expect to owe state and local income
taxes when you file your 2012 return next
year, it may be appropriate to increase your
withholding at your place of employment
or make an estimated tax payment before
the close of 2012, thereby advancing the
deduction into this year.
Advance Charitable Deductions – If
you regularly tithe at a house of worship,
you might consider pre-paying part or all
of your 2013 tithing, thus advancing the
deduction into 2012. This can be especially
helpful to individuals who marginally
itemize their deductions, allowing them
to itemize in one year and then take the
standard deduction in the next.
Pay Tax-deductible Medical Expenses
– For example, if you have outstanding
medical or dental bills, paying the balance
before year-end may be beneficial, but
only if you already meet the 7.5% of the
AGI floor for deducting medical expenses,
or if adding the payments would put you
over the 7.5% threshold. You can even use
a credit card to pay the expenses, but you
would only want to do so if the interest
expense you’d incur is less than the tax
savings. You might also wish to consider
scheduling and paying for medical
expenses, such as glasses, dental work,
etc., before the end of 2012, since the
medical floor is slated to increase to 10%
of the AGI in 2013 for taxpayers under the
age of 65.
Don’t Forget Your Minimum Required
Distribution – If you have reached age 701/2, you are required to make minimum
distributions (RMDs) from your IRA,
401(k) plan, and other employer-sponsored
retirement plans. Failure to take a required
withdrawal can result in a penalty of 50%
of the amount of the RMD not withdrawn.
If you turned age 70-1/2 in 2012, you can
delay the first required distribution to the
first quarter of 2013, but if you do, you
will have to take a double distribution in
2013. Consider carefully the tax impact
of a double distribution in 2013 versus a
distribution in both this year and next.
Take Advantage of the Annual Gift Tax
Exemption – You can give $13,000 in 2012
(increases to $14,000 in 2013) to each of
an unlimited number of individuals, but
you can’t carry over unused exclusions
from one year to the next. The transfers
also may save family income taxes when
income-earning property is given to family
members in lower income tax brackets
who are not subject to the kiddie tax.
Avoid Underpayment Penalties – If
you are going to owe taxes for 2012, you
can take steps before year-end to avoid or
minimize the underpayment penalty. The
penalty is applied quarterly, so making
a fourth-quarter estimated payment
only reduces the fourth-quarter penalty.
However, withholding is treated as paid
ratably throughout the year, so increasing
withholding at the end of the year can
reduce the penalties for the earlier quarters.
This can be accomplished with cooperative
employers or by taking a non-qualified
distribution from a pension plan, which
will be subject to a 20% withholding,
and then returning the gross amount of
the distribution to the plan within the 60day statutory limit. Please consult this
office to determine if you will be subject
to underpayment penalties (there are
exceptions), and if so, the best strategy to
avoid or minimize them.
Be Aware of Two New Health Care
Taxes in 2013 – Both can have unexpected
consequences. If you expect your 2013
income to exceed the thresholds at which
one or both of the new taxes applies, and
you are able to accelerate some of the
income you anticipate for 2013 into 2012,
it may be beneficial to do so.
•
Additional Hospital Insurance Tax
– This additional 0.9% tax is imposed upon
wage earners and self-employed taxpayers
starting in 2013 whose wages and selfemployment income exceeds a threshold
amount. The threshold is $250,000 for
married taxpayers filing jointly ($125,000
if filing separately) and $200,000 for
all others. Although each employer will
withhold the additional tax, the employer
is not required to account for other
employment or both spouses working.
Thus, in these situations where the total
earned income exceeds the threshold
amounts, the unpaid tax will have to be
included on the 2013 tax return. Employees
may want to adjust their 2013 withholding
amounts or make estimated tax payments
to account for the additional tax. Selfemployed taxpayers subject to the tax will
need to increase their 2013 estimated tax
payments to cover the additional amount.
•
Unearned
Income
Medicare
Contribution Tax – Obviously, our
politicians came up with the name. This
is not a “contribution”; this is actually a
3.8% surtax on the lessor of a taxpayer’s
net investment income or the excess of the
taxpayer’s modified adjusted gross income
in excess of the threshold amount, which
is the same amount as for the additional
hospital insurance tax explained above.
This surtax would apply to home sale gain
where the long-term gain substantially
exceeds the $250,000 home-sale exclusion
amount ($500,000 for joint filers).
Withholding and estimated taxes should
be increased as necessary to cover this
“contribution.”
Caution – There are additional factors
to consider for a number of the strategies
suggested above, and you are encouraged
to contact this office prior to acting on any
of the advice to ensure that your specific
tax circumstances will benefit.
If you have questions relating to your
year-end taxes, please give this office
a call at (559) 326-2029 or email to
tmstevenscpa@sbcglobal.net.
6 - www.clovischamber.com
To Party or Not to Party?
By, Mr. Fred Mora, III, MA,
Human Resources Consortium, Inc.
To party or not to party? That is the
question faced by many employers as the
Christmas holiday approaches. Many
organizations take this time to hold special
events and functions centered on the
spreading of good holiday cheer together.
So, what is the harm with that?
If your plans are to serve alcohol at the
event and/or sponsor department “happy
hours” at the local pub, your business could
be at serious risk for potential legal liability
if an employee harms themselves or others.
For example, an intoxicated employee
driving home without a responsible,
designated driver may experience a tragic
accident that may result in their death or the
death of another. An intoxicated employee
may engage in a form of unlawful sexual
harassment with a fellow coworker or
member of the establishment where the
party is being hosted resulting in a lawsuit.
These are just a couple of examples of
what potentially could happen. However,
most holiday gatherings do not result in
such serious circumstances.
In anticipation of your decision to host
a holiday event, here are a few safe holiday
party ideas. They are not in any particular
order. Please note that the following ideas
are meant to help employers minimize
overall risk for their business and
employees.
1. If your holiday party is being
held on the worksite or off-site while on
company time, consider not serving any
form of alcoholic beverages. Reiterate
your company’s policy concerning the use
of alcohol and illegal drugs while at work.
2. Emphasize that attendance is
voluntary and that the function is a social
event. This may help reduce risk associated
with the function being considered directly
related to work.
3. Remind employees that work
rules regarding appropriate behavior and
conduct, including unlawful harassment
apply to employer-sponsored events.
4. Put limits on the availability and
consumption of alcohol by stipulating that
it may be served only for a set period of
time.
5. Do not allow supervisors/
managers to purchase alcoholic drinks for
employees.
6. Serve substantial food that may
Merry Christmas and Happy
Holidays from the Clovis Chamber
By Fran Blackney
Communications Director
offset the effects of alcohol.
7. When possible, hold events at
restaurants or other sites not operated or
staffed by the employer.
8. Have a designated monitor to
make sure that intoxicated or impaired
employees do not drive themselves
home.
9. If alcohol will be served, then
strongly emphasize accountability, help
minimize consumption and limit your
exposure.
Employers have a responsibility
to safeguard the overall safety of
their employees and take necessary,
reasonable
precautions
to
help
minimize risk on both sides. Alcohol,
business entertaining, and employee
functions can be a volatile mix. Always
exercise caution, focus on safety, and
communicate effectively your rules and
expectations associated with company
sponsored events.
It’s hard to believe that this year is
almost over. It seems like yesterday that
we were ringing in the New Year and what
a year it’s been. Between the economy,
the never ending heat of the summer and
the election, it seems like we’ve been on a
roller coaster ride.
Clovis Unified contributes to the
economy by producing highly educated
students who go on to great things. Of
course, we still have a lot of work to do to
convince them to stay in the Central Valley.
Again, a healthy economy with good jobs
will fill the bill.
I describe the effects of the economy as
“holding our breath”. Everyday I search for
encouraging news and companies that are
expanding. They are few and far between.
Of course, I realize that being an election
year, much of the “news” is skewed toward
either side.
Our weather this year has been a
challenge. I didn’t think the heat would
ever go away. The worst part was our PGE
bills both here at the Chamber and at home.
I dreaded opening that blue and orange
envelope every month. On the bright side,
retail stores that sell hot weather clothing,
equipment and pool supplies, thrived.
But we do have empirical evidence
right here in Clovis that things are still
moving along. Every month dozens of
members report their good news and
many are adding new staff. Maybe not
hundreds or thousands new employees, but
at least some, and that’s a good sign. Our
membership has remained pretty steady
from last year but we know it’s tenuous.
That’s why we are placing such importance
on assisting our member businesses.
One indication of the future of the
Clovis economy is the Clovis Crossing
Shopping Center rising up on Herndon
Avenue. It’s exciting to see the giant
stores getting close to completion. Dick’s
Sporting Goods is already open with
WalMart and Home Goods coming soon.
Just think, I no longer will have to drive to
RiverPark to shop and my tax dollars will
be supporting Clovis.
The best part is that a whole new
group of customers will come into town.
Besides the new center they will find our
charming Old Town, Sierra Vista Mall and
the Willow and Herndon Center. It’s a winwin for everyone.
The local economy can continue
to grow thanks to the responsible way
our government is run. Kudos to the
entire council and staff for acting on the
recession in 2007 before it really hit. We
have weathered the storm quite well and
should be proud to live here.
And then there was the election. Right
now we’re suffering over Washington’s
posturing on the “Fiscal Cliff” – will they
raise taxes or won’t they? Who will win
the macho contest back there? Of course,
the common sense approach is to leave
businesses alone, let us keep as much of
our hard earned money as we can and quit
the class, gender and race division talk.
(Don’t hold your breath). Once this disaster
is solved, they’ll come up with something
new. I must say, the Cartoon Channel on
TV is looking awfully good lately.
Despite your opinions of the election,
our lives will go on.
We’re fast approaching the beginning of
2013 with all its mysteries and events. Who
knows what it will bring? We all have to be
prepared, smart and pay attention to what’s
going on around us. Most importantly, we
have to stay “local” by taking care of our
families and communities.
One more thing, please keep our
servicemen and women, many of whom
won’t be home for the holidays, in your
thoughts and prayers.
The Clovis Chamber of Commerce staff
wishes you a very Merry Christmas and
the Happiest of Holidays and look forward
to working with all of you in 2013.
I hope you found this article helpful.
The Human Resources Consortium is
a professional outsource HR Company
which offers valuable, cost-effective HR
training, consultation, and services to
local businesses. Please let us know if
we can be of assistance to your business.
Thank You to these renewing members - December 2012
21 - 30 Years
Warner Financial Services...............................1/5/85
Enterprise Rent-A-Car....................................4/18/88
Whitcomm Electroics...................................12/26/89
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3225..............11/5/90
11 - 20 Years
Clovis Exchange Club......................................1/1/96
Merit Manor Apartments................................11/1/96
Douglas M. Smith & Co. CPA......................10/31/97
State Farm - Dave Shivers..............................10/17/00
Derrel’s Mini Storage, Inc............................10/24/00
6 - 10 Years
Sierra HR Partners.........................................12/12/03
Hinds Hospice................................................10/1/04
Optimal Hospice Foundation.........................12/1/04
Kenneth May................................................12/13/04
ZJ’s Auto Body.............................................12/29/05
2 - 5 Years
Valley Vista Inc............................................11/17/08
Payroll People Inc..........................................8/17/09
KDG HR Solutions.........................................10/2/09
The Advance Group........................................6/13/08
U.S. Small BusinessAdministration...............11/18/09
Rio Mesa Insurance Agency...........................12/1/10
1 Year
Bott Radio Network - KCIV...........................11/8/11
Holiday Inn Express & Suites - Clovis.............11/10/08
Welcome our Newest Members!
Sierra Relief Chiropractic
(559) 297-0030
2147 Herndon Ave Suite 104
Clovis, CA 93611
www.sierrarelief.com
Truth Skin Care
(559) 287-0470
755 N. Peach Ave. Suite E9
Clovis, CA 93611
Valhalla Health Coaching
(559) 790-3270
8831 N Cedar Ave
Fresno, CA 93720
www.ValhallaHealthCoaching.com
www.clovischamber.com - 7
Are You Kidding Me?
By Fran Blackney
Business Advocate
As you watch every cent you spend and
cut back on expenses, I’m going to tell you
some of the ways your government spends
the hard earned dollars it confiscates from
you. You may want to sit in a comfy chair
and take a deep breath – it’s really going
to upset you.
The numbers come from The Waste
Book that is published each year by
Senator Tom Coburn, (R-OK) where
he reports on the expenditures from the
previous year. Be prepared to be amazed
but probably not surprised.
Much attention has been given to the
crony capitalistic money thrown at “green
energy” firms, most of which have gone
bankrupt. However, just wait until you
see where other money has been frittered
away into the private sector.
Starting small - $40,000 from the
National Endowment for the Arts was
given to USC to support production costs
of a video game based on the writings
of Henry David Thoreau at Walden
Pond in Massachusetts. Creators of the
game said that players will “walk in his
virtual footsteps and discover the virtual
landscape.” The game designer envisions
thousands sold to people who will
“discover” Thoreau. I’m sure you’ll all
rush out to purchase it for under the tree.
$10,000 was used in Michigan to
purchase talking urinal cakes. Using a
motion sensor, it reminds people not to
drink and drive. Interesting that they’re
only used in the men’s restrooms.
A cartoon school in Vermont received
$255,000 to support a program for
graduates of the Center for Cartoon
Studies that will allow them to produce
“comics, graphic novels and other visual
narratives for print and digital industries.”
The Center accepts 24 applicants per year.
Pity poor Sergeant’s Pet Care Products,
Inc. Their revenues are only $140 million
a year and yet they needed $505,000 of
your money to develop new pet shampoo
and toothpaste. After all, Fido desperately
needs tea tree oil, mild baby shampoo,
brightening shampoo and a deep cleansing
herbal blend for tougher coats. Another
firm, Espree, maker of canine products
such as volumnizing spray, hair spray,
styling gel, sparkle spray and facial
cleansers also received funds from the
Department of Agriculture.
Hey, golfers. Did you know that if you
imagine that the hole is bigger than it is you
have a better chance of sinking that putt?
How do we know that? Why YOU paid
$350,000 to Purdue University researchers
to determine that. Results of the research
might help “an athlete get out of a slump”
Well worth the money.
So you paid Syracuse University
$67,926 from the EPA to run “Students
Against Trash”, a poster contest getting
students in New Jersey, New York and
Puerto Rico to “compete to create the
most fresh and engaging poster campaign”
which will encourage people not to litter. I
wonder how many of these posters ended
up on the streets?
Here’s a good one. Science research
dollars, $697,177, went to a musical about
biodiversity and climate change. It’s an
intriguing plot line – a woman is looking
for her lost sister who disappeared from
a Panamanian jungle research station.
The disappearance has something to do
with an upcoming international climate
change conference set to take place in New
Zealand. Doesn’t that sound like the next
Tony award winner? Needless to say, the
audience fought off sleep.
Okay. Those are just chump change.
Now, here are the expensive ones. Hold
onto your hat.
In St Louis, $35.6 million was spent on
a trolley that will run on a 2.2 mile line
from the Missouri History Museum to the
University City Library. The owner of the
Trolley company that got the loot is also
the president of the History Museum.
Hmmmm. Never mind that there is already
a Metrolink light-rail and bus service
in the area. The project’s supporters are
vague about funds for operating costs
if they fall short. They have suggested
that “the difference could be made up by
increasing revenues from the sales tax.” I
guess another state is taking its cues from
California.
As you know, the fastest growing
demographic is food stamp recipients – a
stunning 46 million, thanks to the Obama
economy, that costs billions each year. It is
estimated that over $2.5 billion is made in
improper payments. In the old days, food
stamps could only used for certain foods
but nowadays, they can be used for just
about anything from junk and sugary foods
to gourmet coffee and fast food. And if you
live in Maine, New Mexico or Oregon and
use medical marijuana, you get to deduct
those costs when reporting your income
to determine how much you’ll receive in
stamps. Gotta pay for those munchies.
Of course, the government has to
promote the program to hook more people
onto dependency. Spending more then $3
million, it encourages local offices to throw
parties, host social events with activities,
games, food and entertainment. The
USDA has produced several two-minute
Spanish public service announcements,
some that are heard in Mexico, to promote
the program in California, Texas and other
states.
Did you know that you spent $27 million
in Morocco to teach pottery classes? Never
mind that Moroccans have been producing
pottery since at least the fifth century B.C.
We had to swoop in and teach them how
to do it better. Only problem was that
the translators were not fluent in English
and the materials they used in class were
not available for purchase in Morocco.
Whoosh. More money down the drain.
If you as an individual taxpayer owe
income taxes, you don’t receive refunds
and you are hounded by the IRS that
usually ruins your life. But, if you’re
certain business people, you not only get
away without paying, you get to receive
Medicaid payments worth millions.
Almost 7,700 Medicaid providers in just
three states owed $791 million in unpaid
federal taxes but received $6.6 billion in
Medicaid payments in one year. A social
services company owes over $1 million
in unpaid taxes yet received $4 million in
Medicaid payments. A nursing business
has received over $2 million in funds
while owing over $200,000 in unpaid
taxes from the late 2000’s. The problem
lies in an IRS loophole that doesn’t allow
continuous liens like wage garnishments
on funds provided by the states. Perhaps
Congress should include this in their Fiscal
Cliff negotiations.
A lot of people own smartphones sold
by private companies. But that’s not good
enough for the government. It had to spend
$1.3 million to test “the user experience,
WiFi, 3G, and 4G performance, and even
the performance of the operating system.”
200 students will be given Android phones
with a year’s worth of free service. They
are to use the phones as their primary
phones and use all the features. The poor
babies will have to do a few hours of
experiments monthly. After the year is up,
they get to keep the phones at a discounted
rate of $44 per month.
Speaking of phones and the government.
Remember the Obamaphone woman who
loved her free phone courtesy of you and
me? Well, she’s definitely not alone. In
the last year alone, enrollment grew by
43% to 16.5 million participants. They
not only get free phones but free minutes
that are replenished monthly. You and I
pay for these through the universal service
charge on our phone bills. The charge is
increasing because more people are taking
advantage of the offer and us. The private
companies that provide the phones are
reimbursed with government funds. One
company, TracFone, is owned by one of
the world’s richest men, Carlos Slim, who
is worth about $70 billion, with a B. Of
course there is fraud. People can phone
shop at different carriers and have multiple
phones. One woman wanted one for her 16
year old daughter because “she deserves
it.” When will the insanity stop?
With tax time coming up, I end on this
note. Over $3.9 billion is fraudulently
refunded to scofflaws who use identity
theft to file phony tax returns. The
criminals use social security numbers of
deceased or low income people and make
up phony W-2’s. Of course, the IRS has
this idea that refunds must be expedited,
so nothing is checked before the money is
sent out. It’s not caught until years later,
then it’s too late. Now the IRS claims
they have anti-fraud measures in place
but they don’t seem to be working. One
Michigan address had 2,137 refunds sent
to it and one bank account received 590
direct deposits totaling $909,000. Typical
government. They don’t care because it’s
not their money – it’s ours and they’re
wasting it everyday.
As Washington tries to avoid the Fiscal
Cliff with tax hikes and regulations, it’s
really unfortunate that they don’t look at
all this wasteful spending. But then again
that’s about par for the course. Nothing is
going to change.
8 - www.clovischamber.com