Please join us and invite some of your customers to attend the first Business & Breakfast session of the season with Dale Dixon, President/CEO of the Better Business Bureau as our keynote speaker. The B & B will be held on Thursday, September 10th from 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Nampa.

Dale will be offering principles for business owners/managers to apply during...read more

Do your commercials differentiate you? Do you get a favorable reaction? Have you tried sharing stories of frustration your previous prospects asked you to solve before they became customers? Take the opportunity to show potential customers that you understand their problems. People want to know how much you care before becoming your customer!

Here are a few interesting statistics about how social media is changing our world

-Because of the speed in which social media enables communication, word of mouth has now become "world of mouth."

-In the near future we will no longer search for products and services - they will find us via social media.

-Successful companies in social media also act more like party planners, aggregators...read more

The good news is that being optimistic is a learned skill. You can develop the habit of looking on the bright side, even if you're not naturally inclined that way. Which is great, because happy, optimistic people tend to enjoy their successes more.

As stated by About.comToday

The Campaign for an American Solution is following all the latest developments on health care reform and sharing them with you through a blog and Twitter feed. The latest information is posted from Capitol Hill, the White House, the stakeholder community, think tanks and the news media.

Go to www.americanhealthsolution.org/blog or follow Twitter at www.twitter.com/CFAS2009

The Nampa Chamber of Commerce welcomes the following new members:

Therapeutic Associates, Huong Vi - Vietnamese Restaurant and El Centro of Nampa.

Ultra Clean/Idaho Fire & Flood of Meridian and Valley Office Systems of Boise.

Visit www.nampa.com business directory for more information on these new chamber members.

Here are some great ideas to think about from Les Brown, speaker and author:

-Shoot for the Moon - because even if you miss you'll land among the stars.

-Most people fail because they aim too low and hit.

-Look at a man the way that he is, he only becomes worse. But look at him as if he were what he could be, then he becomes what he should be.

-When things go wrong, don't' go with...read more

Grit -- the quality that allows a person to overcome setbacks -- may be the most important predictor of success, researchers argue. Grit still isn't well understood, but recent studies suggest that, unlike intelligence, grit can be learned or developed over time. The Boston Globe

The first ever "You Glow Girl Slumber Party" is coming to the Nampa Civic Center on Thursday, September 17th from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. It has been said that the secret to our success is something we already own. Sometimes we need a break from our daily routine to focus on ourselves and re-energize. From mothers, daughters, wives and leaders, women exude the kind of grace, confidence and strength...read more

Are you prepared for today's business challenges? Tom Peters, the world's most influential management guru and a self-described "professional loudmouth," can help guide us with passionate new ideas on preparing for what lies ahead. Peters declares war on the worthless rules and absurd barriers that stand in the way of our creativity and success

I can't wait for my copy of Re...read more

Rapid government expansion and increased taxes, regulations, entitlements, debt, and attacks by anti-business activists are all evidence that the American free enterprise system is faced with unprecedented challenges

The Campaign for Free Enterprise, a new U.S. Chamber initiative will rally small businesses, local chambers, policymakers, and the general public to stand up for free enterprise, entrepreneurship...read more

The best approach to communicating in a winning way is to get out of yourself and try to become the other person . . You have to try to imagine what that person is feeling, thinking and/or assuming. And above all, why whould they agree with you? Tim Hayes, Communication Consultant, as quoted by USA TODAY.

More than 100 people attended "Breakfast with the Governor" Wednesday at the Marriott Courtyard in Meridian. Governor Otter encouraged us to focus on all of the good things our state has to offer. He also reminded us that innovation is extremely important in our current economic situation.

What are you doing to re-invent your business through innovation to remain viable?

What's the key to true business networking? It's the establishment of a mutually beneficial relationship. It goes way beyond the standard shake-hands-and-exchange-your-business-card situation

The best business networking groups operate as exchanges of business information, ideas and support. What's the most important skill for effective business networking? It's the skill of listening...read more

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."

Oprah Winfrey

By getting to know who you are, what is important to you and where you want to go, you put yourself on a path towards creating a stronger sense of self, which in turn will actually lead to a much stronger personal brand.

Marcos Salazar

Have you taken the time to brand yourself?