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Cottonwood Heights Business Association plans for 2017

Jan 18, 2017 04:23PM ● By Cassie Goff

The CHBA is planning on doing a different schedule for their business boot camps this year. There will be more frequent boot camps instead of the events only taking place a few months out of the year. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

By Cassie Goff  |  [email protected]

2016 was a successful year for the Cottonwood Heights Business Association (CHBA). There were many busy events, including business boot camps and luncheons. A new website was published through the economic development department of the city. The association experienced significant growth, with many new members and increased traffic to their social media pages.

For this upcoming year, CHBA organizers are working to fine-tune the association and their events.

One example is a change to the business boot camps. In previous years, boot camps were held once a week for two months. This year, CHBA organizers plan to spread them out a little more evenly, hoping to have at least one a month.

The CHBA will continue hosting their quarterly business luncheons. The luncheons are great networking opportunities, helping businesses build connections with the city and with each other.

“They provide time for the city staff members to get to know the businesses and to figure out ways in which they can help,” said Business Development and Licensing Coordinator Peri Kinder. “It’s important for the businesses to know they have a contact with City Hall.”

The first business luncheon for the year will be held 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on March 7. Many businesses within the city plan on attending, along with the mayor and council members. There is limited seating for this luncheon, so contact Kinder at the email provided below to reserve a seat.

On March 16, the CHBA will host Death by Chocolate. During the event, businesses within the city will provide their favorite chocolate desserts for the attendees to sample. CHBA coordinators are hoping to get at least 20 businesses to participate. The event provides an opportunity for the businesses to promote catering and other different products that shoppers may not be aware of.

Currently, 11 businesses have signed up to provide treats, including Mon Cherie, Angel Café, Paradise Bakery and Café, Porcupine Pub and Grille, Smiths, Market Street Grill, Whole Foods, Harmons and Trader Joes. Harmons will also teach an educational segment about chocolate.

Death by Chocolate will be from 5–7 p.m. at Cottonwood Heights City Hall, 2277 E. Bengal Blvd. Tickets are $10 per person or $15 per couple and are available through the Cottonwood Heights Business website.

On March 23, adventure capitalist John Richards will discuss a new way of thinking about starting a business, called lean startups. He will discuss “why entrepreneurs should follow this process to achieve superior results in venture launches and the most common cause of failure.”

Richards will also go over what many entrepreneurs and investors are doing in the field currently. This will be a free event, but make sure to RSVP to Kinder at her email below.

In April, photographer Kari Sikorski will teach a brief photography class about taking basic shots and marketing images on social media.

Many additional events are in the works with dates yet to be determined. CHBA coordinators hope to host a zombie bike ride, where participants will dress up as zombies and ride their bikes for two or three miles. The finish line may be Cottonwood Heights City Hall with zombie-themed food.

A CHBA Awards Banquet is also in the works. It is tentatively planned for October this year and will celebrate the businesses in the community, according to Kinder.

The CHBA plans to focus on service this year.

“We hope businesses will get involved with the community,” Kinder said.

In efforts to be more involved, the CHBA has teamed up with JustServe, a website that provides visitors with many different volunteer opportunities available in their area.

The CHBA is always looking for ideas from the community, as well.

“We are excited for next year,” Kinder said. “CHBA has stuff you can’t get anywhere else.”

The city staff members involved with CHBA hope to remain a useful resource for the businesses within the city. Over the past three or four months, the city has noticed much more activity within the association.

“People are starting to get it,” Kinder said.

To contact Peri Kinder for the numerous reasons discussed above, email her at [email protected].

To find out more about the CHBA, visit www.chbusiness.org, or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CHBusinessAssociation.