What Chambers Are Doing Around the West

Carlsbad Chamber Launches Podcast Studio

The Carlsbad (CA) Chamber ended the year with a new state-of-the-art podcast studio in their offices. The studio was created in collaboration with Imagine Podcasting, a local podcast consulting business. For those looking to launch their own podcast, the studio has raw equipment, production and publication capabilities all in one.

Interested in doing something similar? Reach out to Bret Schanzenbach at bret@carlsbad.org to get all the details.

Kitsap Chamber Offers Small Business Assistance Through Grant Program

The Greater Kitsap (WA) Chamber, in partnership with the Washington State Department of Commerce, has launched the Growing Greater Business Program serving historically underserved small business owners in Silverdale and Central Kitsap County. The grant includes not only financial assistance but also support in the form of entrepreneurship opportunities and educational workshops.

Twenty businesses will be eligible for a grant of up to $10,000 each, which will be used to help grow their businesses as they continue to recover from the loss of business income and activity during the pandemic. Eligible business growth opportunities include attending or exhibiting at industry conferences, leadership training, brand awareness, lead generation, customer acquisition, customer retention, increased customer lifetime value, and employee training.

The grant also includes a six-month membership to the chamber and access to its many benefits.

Learn more at greaterkitsapchamber.com.

Eugene Chamber Focuses on Child Care

The Eugene Area (OR) Chamber has launched several efforts to help expand access to child care in their community. Pre-pandemic data shows that in Lane County there was one child care slot for every four children ages 0–5 years and just one slot for every seven infants and toddlers.

Onward Eugene, in partnership with Quality Care Connections and the Early Childhood Hub of Lane County, is supporting local child care providers and community stakeholders in applying for upcoming child care capacity building grants.

In addition to helping connect providers with grants, they also published a toolkit, “Leasing with Care: Supporting Child Care as an Employer,” designed for employers interested in supporting their employees’ child care needs, ranging from simple, low- or no-cost strategies, to more robust approaches, and everything in between.

High-quality, affordable and accessible child care has a significant impact on the economic growth and competitiveness of not only companies but also our country. Download the toolkit at honwardeugene.org.

More questions about the program? Contact Childcare Sector Strategist Holly Mar-Conte at hollym@onwardeugene.org.

Atascadero Chamber Debuts Jr. CEO Program

In 2023 the Atascadero (CA) Chamber is launching a six-week digital business education course that teaches kids the basics of starting their own business. The program is sponsored by a local credit union. The program has been developed with the theme of how to open a lemonade stand business.

At the end of the program, students will open their lemonade stand (or another concept that they created) at The Plaza at La Plaza during “Jr. CEO Business Day,” Saturday, April 1. The program will communicate basic information at a junior high learning level and covers five main categories: business fundamentals (forming a business plan, setting up a bank account, etc.), cost models, safety and food prep, marketing and customer service, and money management.

Each virtual session will be facilitated by Chamber CEO Josh Cross as well as feature local business leaders as guest speakers.

Learn more at https://www.atascaderochamber.org/jr-ceo/.

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Information featured each month in Around the West is taken from chamber newsletters and websites that W.A.C.E. receives from its members. We try to share best practices, innovative ideas and programs from chambers working hard to be Catalysts, Conveners and Champions and make a difference in their community. Make sure to subscribe W.A.C.E. to your mailing list, if you haven’t done so already, and you may be featured in a future Insider!

Send e-newsletters to: jennifer.johnson@calchamber.com.