Erika Spence: Business in the Park

An event or two

When you hear the term “chamber of commerce,” you might think of economic development, networking or professional development – and those things are alive and well at the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce.

First up is the Winter Park Executive Women Luncheon presented by Orlando Health on Aug. 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Winter Park Welcome Center/Chamber of Commerce. The luncheon will feature a presentation from Shawn Shaffer, executive director of the Winter Park Public Library, about how libraries drive community success. Shaffer will discuss how to build staff enthusiasm, respond creatively to customer demands, and how you can use the finance and business education resources available at the Library for your own success. The event is $20 for members and $25 for non-members.

Next, during the Winter Park Chamber’s Good Morning Winter Park program presented by Florida Blue, attendees will hear from Winter Park Memorial Hospital CEO Ken Bradley and nationally renowned geriatrician and executive medical director of Florida Hospital for Seniors Rosemary Laird, MD, to hear about innovative approaches the hospital is taking to care for all generations of Winter Park residents. The program will be held on Friday, Aug. 14, at 8:15 a.m. at the Winter Park Welcome Center/Chamber of Commerce. Good Morning Winter Park is free and open to the public.

Lastly, let’s not forget about August’s Small Business Education Series program presented by Stombeck Consulting CPAs. As a small business owner and professional, you are always looking for opportunities to improve your business. While many opportunities are readily available, most come at a cost. In this program, you will hear from three organizations that share a goal of helping your business grow and thrive—for free! The panelists will discuss the resources and services they can provide to help you succeed. The event will be held at the Winter Park Welcome Center/ Chamber of Commerce on Aug. 21 from 8 to 9 a.m. It is free for members and $10 for non-members.

To RSVP or for more information on all Winter Park Chamber of Commerce events, please visit winterpark.org.

Back to school

The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce hosted two weeks of Youth Leaders this summer, an adaptation of Leadership Winter Park. The week-long sessions offer rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors the opportunity to develop new leadership skills, explore career paths and learn more about our community. One graduate from the program returned to the Chamber this summer as a college intern. He spent the dog days of summer helping to plan, market and execute Youth Leaders, as well as a variety of other Chamber events and programs – thank you, Adam Webman!

While the recent Youth Leaders graduates, Chamber interns and many others prepare for the upcoming school year, there is one thing to look forward to: tax-free week! Scheduled for Aug. 7 through 16, this is the perfect time to pick up school supplies, clothing, shoes and other items. Businesses can also take advantage of the savings on office supplies purchased during this time. Not in the market for school supplies? There are several local organizations that can make good use of items purchased at sale prices this time of year, including A Gift For Teaching (agiftforteaching.org).

Whatever your motive, make the most of your back-to-school shopping and spend your dollars locally. The Institute for Local Self-Reliance conducted one of several studies that found that money spent at local independent businesses generates a greater return in secondary spending than money spent at national chain stores. In one study in Maine, for each $100 spent, independent businesses generated $45 in secondary local spending compared to just $14 at a national retailer. For a list of local businesses, search the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce membership directory at winterpark.org or call 407-644-8281. As for what’s tax exempt, visit myflorida.com/dor.

Erika Spence is the senior director of marketing and communications at the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce.