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March/April 2017 Newsletter

Thank you to our Newsletter Sponsor!

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Kent Chamber of Commerce: You can LEAN on us

Understanding your personal strengths

can improve the contributions you make to

your company, increase your workplace

culture, and provide an “In Case of

Emergency” plan for times when work gets

stressful.

Knowing your personal strengths makes

workers more productive. According to Andy

Stanley, author of “The Next Generation

Leader,” knowing and acting on your

individual strengths allows others at your

company to do what they love, and to take

something off your plate that you don’t. Many

times people believe that they must excel in all

areas, and not just in their areas of strength.

Workers and bosses oftentimes spend copious

hours trying to improve a skill that will never

reach the level of expertise another coworker

has achieved. This is not to say that working

on areas of weakness has no benefit.

Improving work skills will always have a

place. Every job has requirements that must be

met by that specific employee. Spending two,

three, or four times as long on a project as

someone else that could get it done in a

fraction of the time is wasteful. Instead:

Stanley says that if you’re not skilled at a job

or even enjoying a project, then chances are

that someone else in your company likes doing

that task and can probably do it better than

you. Allowing someone else to take on a job

instead of slogging through it yourself gives

your coworkers joy. The adage “One man’s

trash is another man’s treasure,” applies here

too, roughly translated: “Your source of

insanity and frustration can be a source of joy,

productivity, and purpose for your peers.”

Give your coworkers and employees a chance

to prove their worth.

While playing to your personal strengths

and skills makes your work life easier, many

people struggle to identify their top skills.

Using a tool like “StrengthsFinder 2.0” from

Gallup by Tom Rath can help identify your top

five strengths. Rath points out that, “People

who do have the opportunity to focus on their

strengths every day are six times as likely to

report having an excellent quality of life in

general.” Tests like “StrengthsFinder” can

give both employees and managers the tools

they need to flourish in the workplace. Other

tools are available for free, or at minimal cost,

such as the Enneagram Test (found at

www.enneagramtest.net). The Enneagram

quiz allows test-takers to see their top-ranking

personality types along with suggestions on

how to use the results to interact with

customers and coworkers. Taking the time to

learn more about your own strengths makes not

only your work life easier, but can positively

impact your personal life as well.

When work life becomes stressful, having

a plan in place to face tough circumstances can

be the difference between a meltdown and a

breakthrough. Most personality tests,

including the Enneagram Test, give feedback

on how to apply your

strengths, and on what

can make “being you”

difficult. Knowing

and revisiting those

“difficult” parts of

your personality can

help everyone in your

life make you

successful. For

instance, if your test

results show that that

you have a hard time

saying ‘no,’ then you can develop a plan to

politely decline invitations to join a new

project or committee. If you have a tendency

to not finish projects that you start, you can ask

a coworker to periodically check in to see how

the project is moving along, or to ask if you

need help completing a difficult step. As you

learn more about your personality and your

strengths, the drawbacks and difficulties you

experience become easier to navigate,

especially if you have an idea of what to do

when situations get stressful.

Take the time to know yourself and your

strengths—your job and personal life will

benefit. Works Cited

Stanley, Andy. The Next Generation Leader: Five Essentials

for Those Who Will Shape the Future. Cape Town:

Struik Christian, 2006. Print.

Rath, Tom. StrengthsFinder 2.0. New York: Gallup, 2007.

Print.

President’s Corner

Bronze Investors

Business After Hours Monthly from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mark your calendars for the 4th Thursday of every month from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Enjoy

networking in a fun and relaxed environment at our Business After Hours. Held in a

variety of businesses throughout the Kent area, these evening receptions are a great

place to meet fellow professionals. After Hours events are always professionally

catered, have great giveaway prizes and new in 2017, a networking game will be played

at all After Hours events.

March 23rd - Hudson’s Portrait Design

April 27th - SKCAC Industries and

Employment Services

Bronze Investors

PRESIDENT’S GALA AWARDS SUBMISSION

The annual “Business Excellence Awards” recognize and applaud

the exceptional leadership, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit that

member companies and their employees embody and share with our

organization and our community. Nomination alone for one of these

awards brings prestige. Please join us in identifying those who

deserve to be recognized by nominating a Kent Chamber member.

Nomination forms are inserted into this newsletter or can be found

at www.kentchamber.com Please complete all information requested

and submit to the Chamber office no later than April 15, 2017.

Educator of the Year - Presented to an educator, school administrator or businessperson who has made significant

impact to ensure a highly motivated and skilled workforce.

Chamber Member of the Year - The award honors a member whose infectious enthusiasm, vision and drive has

caused more businesses and their employees to be engaged and supportive of the Kent Chamber.

Legislator/Government Employee of the Year - Awarded to an elected official or government employee who, through

their actions and leadership, supported the business community’s need for reasonable costs for rules of doing business.

Citizen of the Year - Awarded to a member that has contributed significant resources to the community improving the

livability and quality of the community through personal or company leadership.

Customer Service of the Year - Presented to a member company that engages in exceptional customer service.

Manufacturer of the Year - Honoring the individuals and companies that bring uncompromising excellence to Kent

manufacturing.

New Business of the Year – Awarded to a new business that has come to Kent. Must have opened doors in the last two

years.

Economic Engine of the Year – Presented to a member company that caused new jobs to be sustained in the area or

maintained a significant number of current jobs to insure a stable job force in our community.

Business of the Year - Presented to a member company that has engaged in civic and community leadership.

Not for Profit of the Year - (industry specialty category for 2017). Each year, the Kent Chamber will recognize

industry specific businesses of the year. This will be awarded to a not for profit for their years of work in our

community.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT April Sta. Rosa from Valley Floor Company

Jennifer Hamor from Heritage Bank

These two extraordinary women recently gave

up their Saturday afternoon to attend the City

of Kent Council Retreat with the Chamber

CEO. April and Jennifer are dedicated to making sure the Chamber is part of

the conversation in regards to the future of the B&O Tax in Kent. Both ladies

serve as part of the Government Affairs team and on the Board of Directors.

Thank you to the sponsors

already signed up to support

the President’s Gala

Table Sponsors

Carlisle Interconnect

Technologies

Columbia Bank

Multi-Service Center

Shannon & Associates, CPA

We as a Chamber of Commerce provide unique L.E.A.N.

membership benefits through: Legislative advocacy,

Educational opportunities, Advertising and Networking to

enhance and grow local business and organizations.

Bronze Investors

NEW MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Cornerstone Agency -

Allstate Insurance Company

Serving the needs of

customers while helping them

with their future and life’s

uncertainties is both a

privilege and an honor from the South Puget

Sound office located in Kent, Washington.

Michelle is proud to be part of the nation’s

largest publicly held insurer for personal lines.

While Allstate helps in the protection of over

16 million households nationwide, her team

prides themselves in providing personal

attention and bringing the “You’re in Good

Hands” motto to life every day. They listen.

Whether auto, home, renters, business or life,

we understand your options so you can select

the coverage that is right for you.

Contact: (253) 850-0999

Email: michellelee@allstate.com

Office: 10803 SE Kent Kangley Road, Suite 201

Back of Bid Card

Marti Reeder - John L. Scott Real Estate

Live Auction

Bowen Scarff Ford Lincoln

Dessert Dash

Alki Bakery

Heads & Tails

AAA Pest Control

Wine Sponsor - Bathfitter

Bar Sponsor

Blackfish Distillery

Check out Sponsor Alaska USA Federal Credit Union

More sponsorships are

available at

www.kentchamber.com

Copper Investors

Thank you to businesses who have

already sponsored the President’s Gala!

Auction Sponsors Alki Bakery

Auburn Golf Course

Azteca Mexican Restaurant

Bowen Scarff Ford Lincoln

Cedar Grove

Christa Media

Cutco

Fountainhead Northwest, LLC

From the Ground Up Floral

Hands on Children's Museum

Jeff Heiss Painting

John Schneider—Edward Jones Investments

Keurig - Green Mountain Coffee

King County Sheriff's Office

Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority

Red Lion Inn & Suites

Seattle Shakespeare

Starbucks

Valley Floor Company, Inc.

Washington State University

Wild Waves Theme Park

Woodland Park Zoo

Dessert Dash Alki Bakery

Pie Lab

Call us today to sponsor the event,

nominate your favorite business,

and buy tickets! You do not want

to miss this fun event!

A BIG thank you to

University of Phoenix for donating

their gently used furniture to the

Kent Chamber of Commerce!

Copper Investors

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT - Motor Oil Supply

Member of the Kent Chamber since 1980

Motor Oil Supply is a wholesale

oil distributor serving the Pacific

Northwest for over 30 years.

They carry more brands than any

other distributor in the region, offering a full line of lubricants,

automotive products, and equipment. If you need it, they can get it. They

service all types of automotive businesses from small one-man auto repair

shops to large car dealerships. All of the customers are important and they

service each with equal commitment and care.

1123 4th Ave N, Kent, WA 98032-2941

253-854-5454 or 800-859-LUBE (5823)

Like the Kent Chamber of

Commerce on Facebook and

make sure

you are receiving the weekly

Monday E-newsletter to keep up

to date with the Kent Chamber!

A Pacific Northwest native—born in

Seattle, raised in Renton and Federal Way.

She swam for several local teams, played

water polo for Federal Way High School, and

threw shot put for Tacoma Baptist High

School where she graduated in 2003.

Following high school, Virginia attended

Grove City College in Pennsylvania (an hour

north of Pittsburgh). She studied English and

Secondary Education, served as captain of the

Division III Water Polo and Swim teams,

played tenor saxophone in the marching

band, and continued to support the Seattle

Seahawks amidst a sea of Steelers fans.

After graduation in 2007, Virginia found

a teaching job in the Bethel School District in

Spanaway where she taught English,

Leadership, and History for five years. Then

she switched to Puyallup School District

where I taught English, History, and

Yearbook/Journalism for four years. During

her teaching career, Virginia also coached the

Stadium High School Girls Water Polo

team—one of her greatest passions. Most

recently Virginia worked as a UPS Seasonal

Driver Helper, which gave her a new

appreciation for the workers who deliver

packages during the holidays.

Virginia has always valued community,

and has found joy in her volunteer

opportunities at my local church and for

Cavalcade of Authors West (a non-profit

focused on reaching young readers and

writers in Puget Sound).

Virginia’s passions include music (she

plays tenor and baritone saxophone), playing

water polo, reading,

cheering for the

Seahawks, watching

movies, making art,

gardening, cooking,

and spoiling her

nieces and nephews.

Meet our new

Administrative Assistant:

VIRGINIA LARSEN

PICTURES FROM OUR GREAT “DAY ON THE HILL”

FOR CHAMBER DAY IN OLYMPIA. We are so lucky to have such amazing representation in

the 47th and 33rd District. Our delegation included:

Kevin Hasslinger from Edward Jones, Steve Haft from

Oberto, Harry Williams from the Rotary Club of Kent,

Jim Berrios from the Golden Steer & City Council, Ken

Taylor from Valley Cities Counseling and Consultation,

and our CEO Andrea Keikkala. We spoke on education,

transportation, mental health & homelessness, and the

funding for the YMCA on Kent's East Hill.

MEET OUR AUCTIONEER FOR THE

PRESIDENT’S GALA! Keith Eldridge has been a reporter-

anchor with KOMO 4 News since

1983. Keith handles the South Sound

Newscenter covering the entire

southern region of Washington

from Sea-Tac Airport,

to the Oregon border,

to the Pacific Ocean.

A well-planned approach to social media always works

better than random social media activities. Your plan

should inform all of the activities that you’ll run for your

business on social networks.

Start by writing down your business goals and branding objectives. Your social media plan should also

address the following areas.

Align Social Media to Your Business Goals

Every business has a specific set of goals, and your social

media plan should tie directly into those goals.

For example, if you run a coffee shop, an objective might

be to increase the number of walk-in customers. Your

social media goals would then be to create more

awareness of your coffee shop and drive more people to

your location.

Create a Persona for Your Business

Identify how you want people to perceive your business. Think of this as an online persona for your

business. People will form a perception about your

business when they interact with you online.

Your social media presence should work in concert with

your other business channels to tell a story about your

brand. Everything from the words you use on social

media, the kinds of campaigns you run, and the types

of images you post will leave an impression about your

business in your audience’s mind.

Start by defining how you want people to perceive your

business.

Write down a list of adjectives and terms that you want people to associate with you. Use a tool

like Wordle to create a word cloud of these terms so you

can pin them up and keep them handy as you create a

voice for your brand on social media.

Define Your Target Audience

Describe your target audience with a list of typical

demographic segments. It’s helpful to specify a broad

age range, occupational segment, key interests, and geographic areas for your audience. Understanding

these segments will help you design campaigns and

create content.

American Na�onal Insurance - Axzavor Dill

Brad Kenning - John L. Sco� Real Estate

Cornerstone Agency - Allstate

Insurance Company

DAWN (Domes�c Abuse Women’s Network)

Edward Jones Investments - Laura Borg Urban

Hudson’s Portrait Design

FASTSIGNS KENT - Southcenter

First Class Technology, LLC

Jim Berrios for Kent Mayor

Rusty Power Studios

Thri6y Events

ESTABLISHING A SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE DOESN’T HAVE TO BE

A DAUNTING TASK. Check out these 4 tips throughout the Newsletter.

4 Tips to Get Your Business

Started on Social Media Published by Meera Sapra on September 19, 2016 at www.SocialMediaExaminer.com

#1: IDENTIFY YOUR GOALS,

PERSONA, AND AUDIENCE

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Member of the Kent Chamber

since 1983

S&S Welding is a premier tool and steel manufacture. Servicing the Pacific Northwest since 1974, S&S has

supported Aerospace, Research and Development, Agricultural, and Commercial Markets. Utilizing current

and best shop manufacturing practices, S&S strives to complete each job, large or small to the utmost

standards of quality and on-time delivery that each job requires!

Opening in 1974 with the mantra the customer is "KING" and that employees will work to their full

potential when treated fairly. Daniel S. Stucke started with humble beginnings, but rapidly grew to a

company that has been recognized by industry leaders as a company who delivers an excellent product.

With over 40 years of success, S&S is ever growing and has expanded using stringent quality control

processes and the detailed oversight to every aspect of your project.

Located in the Kent Valley, we offer local full-service project management solutions team that identifies

risk, and works with you to mitigate those problems to meet and exceed your implied expectations.

Through our devotion to providing our employees the training, resources and a safe professional work

place, we have been able to achieve our goals and create success for our customers.

Our mission is to be the number one custom metal fabrication and machining company in the west as

measured in terms of Quality, Growth, and Customer Satisfaction.

Many business owners spread themselves too thin by

signing up for multiple social networks all at once. Take

the time to understand some of the popular social

networks before deciding which ones are right for you.

Start by listening. Before setting up accounts for your

business, create personal profiles on popular social

networks and use them first as an individual.

Search for popular keywords related to your business or its products and get a sense of how each

social network operates. Pay attention to the search

results for these keywords to discover how people

interact with these topics. Does your business figure into

these discussions? Do

you think there’s value

in engaging with these

people and

conversations?

You’ll also want

to understand the

nature of each social network. Each

network is different in

terms of what types of

content work and the ways people interact with other

users and businesses on it.

For example, Twitter is popular for real-time updates

and shorter, micro-blog content. Pinterest and Instagram

are popular for visual content, and both are more

popular on mobile phones.

On Facebook, businesses can’t be “friends” with people,

but people can “like” brand pages and follow updates.

LinkedIn is used for professional networking, but a lot

of people join interest-specific communities and follow

company pages where they interact with businesses.

You also want to find out where your customers

are. Search for your products on popular social

networks to figure out if your existing customers are

using these platforms and if they’re talking about your

business there.

If a majority of your brand mentions happen on a

specific social network, consider building your presence

on that network to engage that audience. Similarly, you

could identify prospects by looking for conversations

about your competitors and their products.

SOCIAL MEDIA TIP #2: IDENTIFY THE BEST

SOCIAL NETWORKS TO ENGAGE ON

Copper Investors

We have an exciting new program bringing member benefit!! BUSINESS CONNECTIONS:

YOUR BRIDGE TO SUCCESS

Featuring Lisa Voso of the Voso Impact

and sponsored by: Tray Svendson of John L. Scott Real Estate!

Lisa is the Chamber’s most sought after speaker! Due to the high demand

of the presentations, space will be limited to 25 participants. While walk

ins are welcome, the only way to guarantee your spot in the room is to

register for these events at www.kentchamber.com or call (253) 854-1770

Spring Series - 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

March 22nd - Get them Hooked!: Perfecting Your 1 Minute Elevator Speech

March 29th - Develop your Voice, Presence, and Delivery

Summer Series - 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

June 14th - Communication Assessments & Conflict

June 21st - The Power of Communication Habits

Fall Series - 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

September 6th - Team Dynamics & Motivation

September 13th - Human Influence Strategies

The series will be held in the Shannon & Associates, CPA Conference room located at the Kent Chamber in

Downtown Kent at 524 West Meeker, Suite 1

About our Trainer: Lisa Voso is a communications expert with over twenty-five years of experience. She

offers her original body of work, which draws from her extensive background in law, communications

training, and speech coaching. Through the Voso Method, Lisa has taught thousands of people around the

world about the power and pitfalls of communication, how to develop their voices and presentation skills,

and methods of speaking and listening effectively and with influence. Lisa’s primary areas of focus are

speaking with influence, managing conflict, advanced body language analysis, active listening, and speech

coaching. When she graduated from law school, Lisa began her career as a litigation attorney and

communications instructor. During this time, she honed her skills in managing conflict, body language

analysis, active listening, and speaking with influence. In addition to her JD, Lisa also has a Master’s degree

in Communication and Leadership from Gonzaga University. She is currently working on her first book.

SO MUCH FUN PLANNED FOR CINCO DE MAYO!!!!

WE HAVE SECURED AN

AUTHENTIC SEATTLE MARIACHI BAND!

Mariachi Fiesta Mexicana

will join us for the silent

auction and start of dinner!

Once you’ve developed a social media plan for specific

networks, it’s time to select a social media management

tool. Choosing the right tool can save you a lot of time

and help you get the most out

of your social media marketing

efforts.

Based on your social network

plan, draw up a list of basic

features that you expect to need from a tool. As a small

business, these might include

publishing content across key

social networks, monitoring

brand mentions and keywords,

understanding your audience,

creating content, and

generating reports on performance.

If you have a social media team representing your brand

on social media, you’ll want a tool that offers some

collaboration features. Building a truly social brand

involves getting other team members on board and

creating a unified brand voice that represents your

business and the people behind it.

Because social media is in real time, you need to be able

to work anywhere. Your social media management tool

should work on your mobile devices (as well as your

team members’ mobile devices), and keep you tuned

into everything that’s

happening on your brand’s

channels.

You’ll also want to find a tool

that integrates with other business applications, such as

your CRM. Though it may not

be something you’ll do right

away, eventually you’ll want to

generate leads from social

media, measure the impact of

your social media marketing

activity, and be able to view

customer transactions with your business in the same

window as their tweets and posts about your brand.

Finally, as your business expands, the tool should scale

well with your growth.

Pro tip: The most popular social media management

tools might not necessarily be the best ones for your

business. Do an independent evaluation before

deciding which tool is perfect for your needs.

AMBASSADOR OF THE MONTH - DIANE BIEGLER

Diane joined Primerica in 1993 after hearing about a business opportunity from a

friend. At that time in her life, she was working as an office manager and was

searching for a chance to improve her family's quality of life. Primerica allowed her to

be her own boss, work as many or as little hours as she chose and enjoy an unlimited

income potential — all while helping families become debt free and financially

independent.

More about Primerica - Their mission is to help families earn more income and

become properly protected, debt free and financially independent. Today's families

face major financial challenges. They're being forced to downsize their goals and

dreams — to settle for less. Primerica shows them how they can change their life.

They are the one company focused on the middle market and helping families get the financial help they

need. We help families get the protection they need at a price they can afford, invest for the future and get out

of debt. They teach families fundamental financial principles that aren't taught in school and they give them

an opportunity to build a business and transform their life.

For more information contact: Diane Biegler—dianebiegler@primerica.com or call her at: (206) 444-0727

SOCIAL MEDIA TIP #3: PICK THE PERFECT

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT TOOL

Monitoring and measuring are both critical to improving

your social media performance and keeping in line with

your goals and plan. But what specifically should you

monitor and measure?

Measure Engagement, Not Follower Count Although you’ll want to keep an eye on your follower

count for each social network, it’s not a number you

should worry about too much at first. Instead, pay more

attention to how people engage with your business.

Do people respond to your content? What kinds of

reactions do you see to your campaigns? What kinds of

posts get the most engagement and how can you

maximize these?

It’s okay to experiment with content on social media,

as long as you can measure how much engagement

you’re generating and use the results to inform your

content plan.

Monitor Mentions Listen to what people are saying about your business

across social networks. Every interaction is an

opportunity to engage. Create multiple listening

columns in your social media management tool so

you can instantly engage with people who talk about

your business and other relevant topics.

Acknowledge all of the appreciation and positive mentions that you receive. Encourage happy customers

to talk about their experiences with your business on

social media. If you find unhappy posts about your

business on social media, use them as an opportunity

to reach out.

Over time, you should be able to improve your brand

perception, delight your customers, and get more word

of mouth on social media.

Track Industry and Social Media Trends Apart from monitoring the conversation around your

business, also use social media to keep track of current

trends. Staying in tune with trending topics can help you

generate content ideas quickly.

In addition, use tools that let you research

popular hashtags and discover trends and sentiment

about any topic. This can be pretty handy when you

want to create content around a specific theme.

Copper Investors

Social Media Tip #4: Monitor and Measure What Matters

CONCLUSION Although social media is free, it

does take time and effort to build

a presence for your business. The

good news is that once you get

started, you’ll get a lot of

immediate feedback due to the

real-time nature of most social

networks.

Presorted Standard

US Postage

PAID

Kent, WA

Permit No. 238

Kent Chamber of Commerce

524 West Meeker, Suite 1

Kent, WA 98032

(253) 854-1770

info@kentchamber.com