Welcome New Members — December 2012

The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce welcomes these new members. Please keep these companies in mind when doing business. View the complete directory listing of all Chamber members.

• Blue Harbor Resort and Spa
• Echo Tap and Grille
• Full Circle Natural Medicine, LLC
• Kayla’s Custom Cleaning
• Klaas Financial
• Realty Executives Cooper Spransy
• Security Health Plan of Wisconsin Inc.
• US Cellular
• Verizon Wireless-Select Communications
• Wilde East Towne Honda

Soglin Says City Needs to Change Perception through Performance

Speaking before the Chamber’s Small Business Advisory Council this morning, Madison Mayor Paul Soglin was optimistic about the direction of the city. A development deal is close for the Union Corners site, a high level of interest remains along the East Washington corridor, and the city will soon release a request for proposals for Judge Doyle Square.

The Mayor said he wants to change the city’s attitude towards business. In addition to procedural changes, employees from every city agency that does economic development business with the public will receive training on how to interact with customers and find a way to make projects happen.

The Mayor also called for more public and private dollars to create innovative spaces for entrepreneurs, saying “It’s our obligation to bring together city resources so people can flourish.”

State Board Recommends Changes to Agency Rules Impacting Small Businesses

Under direction from Governor Walker to find efficiencies and eliminate policies that hinder economic growth, the Wisconsin Small Business Regulatory Review Board has identified 307 agency rules recommended for modification or elimination.  A copy of the 2013 Wisconsin Regulatory Review Report may be found here.

Many of the recommendations are industry specific. The following could impact many small businesses.

1. Increase the thresholds which trigger Sales Tax Filing frequencies – a move which will reduce paperwork time for over 50,000 businesses statewide.
2. Create a model Unemployment Employer Manual to better prepare employers for unemployment insurance adjudications.
3. The Department of Workforce Development is in the process of adopting a new rule which would give the department flexibility in disciplining violations by small businesses.
4. Create a “Wisconsin One-stop Business Portal”. This e-Government program could allow businesses to register for unemployment insurance, workers compensation and taxation, and complete corporation registration in one centralized location.

Likely the most controversial recommendations in the report involve changes to unemployment compensation.  One would require those receiving unemployment compensation benefits to conduct four employment searches each week, instead of two as currently required. Another would make it more difficult to collect unemployment compensation if an employee quits his/her job.

The Wisconsin Legislature must approve these recommended rule changes before they take effect.

Zach Returns to Madison’s Economic Development Committee

Speaking before the City of Madison Economic Development Committee last night, Chamber President Zach Brandon presented his vision for successful partnerships to grow greater Madison’s economy. As a former member and advocate for the Economic Development Committee, Zach expressed his enthusiasm for how far the committee has come since its inception.

In his comments, Zach challenged the committee to be intrepid in its approach and unafraid to push the city outside of its comfort zone. He praised the committee for its recent work to revamp Madison’s strategy for tax incremental financing investment and the development approval process, as well as the committee’s attention to challenges facing entrepreneurs in the innovation economy. Zach assured committee members that the Chamber will be strong ally in economic development, particularly in business retention and expansion efforts.

Moving forward, Zach said the Chamber will be an advocate for innovation and work to make greater Madison identifiable to the rest of the world by building and protecting Madison’s strong brand.

U.S. Bank Eve to Feature 23 Family Friendly Events at Seven Locations

Newer entertainment information in bold type.

MADISON, Wis. (Dec. 18, 2012) – Madison area residents who want to bring in a fun, family friendly and alcohol-free New Year can join the festivities at U.S. Bank Eve. U.S. Bank will host 23 events during its annual U.S. Bank Eve on Monday, Dec. 31, 2012.

“U.S. Bank is honored to host this annual event for the 22 consecutive years,” said Dan Frazier, president of U.S. Bank in Madison. “We’re expecting 12,000 people to celebrate the New Year at U.S. Bank Eve. More than 100 volunteers work very hard to make this special event come together. We are very fortunate to do business in this wonderful community and hosting U.S. Bank Eve is one way that we demonstrate our commitment to Madison.”

U.S. Bank Eve showcases some of Madison’s marvelous entertainers and venues:

Other city parking garages – **$5 charge:
Government East – 215 South Pinckney Street; Capital Square North – 218 E. Mifflin St.

Tickets:
Family Pass (2 adults, 3 kids); $12 in advance; $15 at the door
Adult: $5 in advance; $7 at the door
Children (ages 5 to 15): $3 in advance; $5 at the door
Children under 5: free

Tickets are available at all 10 U.S. Bank branches in Madison during hours through Monday, Dec. 31;
the U.S. Bank branch located at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (389 E. Campus Mall) is closed
on Dec. 31. All other U.S. Bank branches in Madison close at 3 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.

For more information about U.S. Bank Eve, call 414-325-5281 or visit
www.usbank.com/cgi_w/cfm/about/community_relations/NextUpYearsEve.cfm

U.S. Bank operates 10 branches and employs 257 people in the Madison area and more than 5,100 in Wisconsin. U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), with $352 billion in assets as of September 30, 2012, is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association, the fifth-largest commercial bank in the United States. The Company operates 3,086 banking offices in 25 states and 5,080 ATMs and provides a comprehensive line of banking, brokerage, insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses and institutions. U.S. Bancorp and its employees
are dedicated to improving the communities they serve, for which the company earned the 2011 Spirit of America Award, the highest honor bestowed on a company by United Way. Visit U.S. Bancorp on the web at usbank.com.

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