Data Security is a problem for the Small and Medium sized business. Don’t be naïve in thinking it’s not a threat to your business and ignore it.

Data Security is a problem for the Small and Medium sized business. Don’t be naïve in thinking it’s not a threat to your business and ignore it.

Small/medium businesses are the target of cyber theft at unprecedented levels. This targeting is the direct result of the lack of awareness of their individual threat and the proper preparation and safeguards to ensure that they are not another negative statistic.

While having the proper IT/MSP support is very important, this will not by itself result in averting the number one cause of cyber intrusion and theft; EMPLOYEE ERROR! Over 90% of cyber theft and breaches is the direct result of employee error. It is vital that employees understand that their behavior is critical to the protection of theirs and their client’s information. It’s important for owners and managers to make their employees assets in this area at protecting theirs as well as their client’s information.

When owners and managers are made aware of the employee error problems and that the IT/MSP industry cannot successfully address human behavior, they want to make the improvements necessary to change the outcome.

The IT industry is now spending over $100 billion annually. In the face of this historic spending to prevent intrusion by cyber bad actors; the number of incidents grew over 412% in 2018 over 2017. In 2017 it was estimated that there were over 4000 daily incidents of cyber intrusion. A few statistics:

1. $188,000 is the cost to SMB’s of a cyber breach.

2. 90% of all SMB’s are out of business within 24 months of a data breach/loss

3. 60% are closed within six months.

4. 63% (and climbing as the cost go ever higher) of SMB’s lack the resources to combat the negative effects of a breach or data loss.

5. 67% of all cyber threat is now directed at the SMB

6. 90% of all breaches are the result of human error.

The solution: ensure that all measures are implemented to educate and train employees in their behavior in properly handling information, but digital and nondigital alike, including what they say or work they take home in the form of files or phone conversation they have. Of course, the errors that are caused by phishing emails, ransomware, and other digital threats must be understood to act appropriately as well. It is important that employees know why their individual role and activity are important to the safety and health of their company and clients. When they understand the ‘Why” they will let the IT person take care of it.

All programs to accomplish behavioral change must be simple, affordable and effective. It should have the right education and balance of training that results in the reduction of employee error to reduce the risk that they face every day. The program should map all education and training for the industry they are in and serve to the appropriate and up to date policy and procedures. This is critical to be able to show that the company has acted responsibly based on their size scope and complexity.

Working together we can reduce the number of incidents resulting in employee error and keep more SMB’s succeeding and doing what they love and enjoy which is building their business successfully and serving their client’s needs knowing that they have done all that they can do to protect their information.

Truvincio website home page: www.truvincio.com

Buy now Page: https://www.truvincio.com/buy-now.html

Chamber discount offer PROMO (limited to the first 100 members-only http://12monthsfree.truvincio.com/Special-Discount/

Lima/Allen County Employers Earn Workplace Safety Recognition

Lima/Allen County Employers Earn Workplace Safety Recognition

In conjunction with the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation Division of Safety & Hygiene, the West Central Ohio Safety Council presents safety awards to promote greater interest in the prevention of occupational accidents and disease. Members with the highest safety records were honored at the WCOSC 63rd annual awards banquet in Lima.

Awards were presented to qualifying businesses in the following categories:
Group Award – lowest incident rate in each group;
100% Award – zero injuries or illnesses resulting in a day or more away from work in the previous calendar year;
Achievement Award – a 25-percent reduction in the incident rate from the previous year;
Special Award – at least 500,000 hours and at least six months without an injury resulting in a day or more away from work.
On April 9th, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation (BWC) honored 49 local employers for zero injuries or illnesses resulting in a day or more away from work in the previous calendar year.
“A healthy workforce is crucial to ensuring that Ohio’s economy remains strong, and I applaud these businesses for their commitment to workplace safety,” said Governor DeWine. “These Allen County employers have demonstrated a commitment to safety, and I congratulate them on this special
recognition.”

The employers listed below, members of the West Central Ohio Safety Council, received BWC’s 100% Award during the Safety Council’s annual awards ceremony on April 9, 2019.
Adriel, Inc.
Allen County Council on Aging
Allen Co Regional Transit Auth.
Allied Environmental Services, Inc.
American Trim, OCP
Area Agency on Aging 3
Bluffton University
BRP Manufacturing Company
Budde Sheet Metal Works, Inc.
Comfort Keepers
Custom Staffing Lima
Custom Staffing-Wapakoneta
Degen Excavating Co., Inc.
Fort Amanda Specialties LLC
Frost Roofing Inc.
Guardian, Lima
Habitat for Humanity
HCF Management, Inc.
Hoffman Analytic Services, Inc.
Hydrofresh LTD
INEOS Lima Chemicals
Innocor Foam Technologies
Interdyne Corp.
International Tank Service, Inc.
Jacobs Industrial Services
Kahle Electric Inc.
Krendl Machine Co.
LaKing Trucking Inc.
Lima Millwork
Lima Sheet Metal
Lost Creek Healthcare & Rehabilitation
M & W Construction
Manpower
McBride Brothers, Inc.
R. A. Flynn & Son, Inc.
R.D. Jones Excavating, Inc.
Smith-Boughan, Inc.
Sparta Electric Inc.
Spencerville Local Schools
T & D Interiors, Inc.
Thermal Technology
Toledo Mechanical Insulation
Trisco Systems, Inc.
Tuttle Construction, Inc.
Warehouse Associates, LP
Wright Distribution Center
Wright Logistics
Wright Pallet, Inc.
Wright Refuse Inc.

Media Coverage:
https://www.hometownstations.com/news/allen-county-employers-earn-workplace-safetyrecognition/article_5e7ec586-5fb4-11e9-93f1-4fdd824b027f.html

https://www.hometownstations.com/news/area-businesses-receive-safetyawards/article_4c4cd468-5ad5-11e9-a9df-5711cac4a4d7.html

Photos:
https://limaallenchamber.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/EmzqxyG-dqdGqcAaAha4wIIBsvzvIbRNEp4yjNBYwXjIA?e=m16wJR

For more information about the West Central Ohio Safety Council please contact Deb Katzenmeyer, Safety Council Manager at dkatz@limachamber.com or 419-222-6045.

Written by: Deb Katzenmeyer, Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce

Increase your company’s sales and profitability

Each year the U.S. government procures goods and services from businesses like yours totaling more than $500 Billion! Some of that money needs to be spent on companies manufacturing goods and providing services in west central and northwest Ohio. Our goal at the Rhodes State College Northwest Ohio Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) is to educate, train and encourage businesses to be successful in government contracting at the federal, state and/or local level.

Most small businesses need help in understanding the process of contracting with government agencies: how to start, what is needed, where to find opportunities and how to bid.  We work one-on-one with each client, often in person– and all of our services are free.  This PTAC is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense
Logistics Agency, Ohio Development Services Agency and Rhodes State College.

Our services help with:

  • Identifying potential agencies that buy your goods/services
  • Obtaining Free Bid-Match Service
  • Finding Federal/State/Local agency bid opportunities as a prime or sub-contractor
  • Completing the necessary registrations to sell to the government. entities
  • Assessing eligibility and complete certifications for small business preference categories such as
    8(a), HUBZone, Veteran, and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, Woman-Owned, minority business Enterprise (MBE), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Encouraging Diversity,
    Growth & Equity (EDGE)
  • Developing sales and marketing strategies geared toward government customers
  • Understanding solicitations and assist with the bid proposal process
  • Recommending training workshops on specific contracting topics

In general, PTAC services are geared towards established companies who have been in business for at least a year and have over $25,000 in average annual sales. If you are interested in putting another tool in your toolbox to increase your company’s sales and profitability, please take a moment to register as a new PTAC client at:
http://ptac.rhodesstate.edu/
Click on CLIENT REGISTRATION (along with the top of the webpage) and then complete as much of the information as possible. If you don’t know something, leave it blank. Then scroll to the bottom of the
page and hit SUBMIT. When your registration is received you will get a phone call to set a date and time to meet to determine if government contracting is a marketplace you would like to develop.

Let’s bring more of your tax dollars back to west central and northwest Ohio!

Kent Kahn
Northwest Ohio PTAC Coordinator
Workforce, Economic Development, and Continuing Education
Keese Hall 141
4240 Campus Drive
Lima, Ohio 45804

 

Lima’s Growth Continues

Lima’s Growth Continues

In 2014, the Columbus Dispatch ran a story debating which economy, Columbus or Cleveland, was more vibrant. In the article, it stated that “Lima showed the strongest growth last year in Ohio at 7.9 percent, led by a strong boost in manufacturing. That growth rate was the ninth largest in the
country.” Great news for Lima; unfortunately, those two sentences were the last lines of the article! 

The good news was that Lima’s growth didn’t go unnoticed by Governor, John Kasich. Local growth led him to do his State of the State address at Memorial Hall in Lima that year. Since others have noticed Lima as well and as a place for growth and to conduct business.

If anybody’s keeping score, a couple of thousand jobs were or are in process of being created: with a couple of hundred new jobs each, give-or-take, at Dana Corporation, P&G, General Dynamics, Pratt Industries, Airstream, and Husky. In addition, Mercy Health St. Rita’s is adding a graduate medical education program that will add one-hundred medical students doing their residency programs here.

This growth is the byproduct of good infrastructure namely, the Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce, Allen Economic Development Corporation and Greater Lima Region, Inc. Additionally, Ohio Means Jobs, Maker Fest, and other organizations are helping to let our youth and outside the industry to know that available jobs (1,200 at present) are available right here at home.
This is exciting to witness along with the growing pride that we make things in Lima. We make Ford engines, Honda subframes, the Abrams tank, gasoline, most of the liquid Tide and among other things for goodness sake, all the NFL’s footballs in America, are made right here in our region.

Written by: David Murphy

Who is your target market?

Many members will say they invest in the Chamber to network and increase exposure for their business. It’s well known that the Chamber programs are well attended by a diverse group of business leaders. But how do you determine if you are meeting your target market? Have you reviewed your business plan to understand your ideal customers and the most effective way to increase your market share?

We realize business leaders are busy with the day to day operation of running your business. When you take time out of the office to attend an event, you want to make sure your networking is giving you the results you are seeking. The Chamber has aligned our programs to a specific audience that provides effective use of your time.

The quarterly Women in Business luncheon draws over 100 women from a wide variety of businesses – both large and small. Marketing to women has become very focused as they tend to be the primary decision maker in many areas, such as health care, wellness, and home purchases. The addition of a leadership development segment provides an educational component.

The all new Chamber University targets human resource managers and small business owners/managers. Workforce is the number one issue facing business leaders. This program will present valuable information on human resource topics and will provide a venue for you to network with those individuals making decisions related to their personnel and benefit packages.

Lima Young Professionals caters to the 40 and under business leaders and provides many opportunities for mentoring, community education, volunteerism, and leadership development. They represent a unique group of potential clients who are in the early stages of investing in real estate, cars, finances, and numerous products that allow you to build long-term working relationships.

These are just a few brief examples of ways for you to find new clients. If you need more information on how the Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce can assist you in connecting with your target market, contact Cindy Tenwalde at tenwalde@limachamber.com or 419-236-8090. We want to learn more about your business and how you can get the greatest value on your investment in your Chamber.

Chamber Saves Members Millions of Dollars Each Year

The Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce membership consists of 84% of small businesses with 50 employees or less. In 2018 the Lima Chamber was able to host several Google workshops and webinars for businesses, marketed Shop Small Saturday, headed up the business education aspect of the Opiate Campaign, and had a great turnout for our annual Agri-Business Outlook event; as well as working with several partners on providing training and education to new and existing entrepreneurs.

Google event Lima Ohio

The Chamber had a member retention rate of 97.8% this past year which places us in the top 10 Chambers in the Nation of similar size. In 2018 we maintained the Chamber’s membership base of 906 members.  The Lima/ Allen County Chamber of Commerce has received the Membership Achievement Award provided by the Associates of Chamber of Commerce Executives.  The award consists of chambers of commerce that are in the top 10 for their total revenue range in one or more of these categories: member retention of accounts, member retention of dollars, or new member retention of accounts. These statistics were compiled from ACCE’s Fiscal Year 2017 Operations Survey via Dynamic Chamber Benchmarking (DCB). DCB is open year-round for survey participation, but for the Membership Achievement Awards, chambers who submitted FY 2017 data through March 23, 2018, were eligible for the awards.  The Lima Chamber has consistently achieved this award for the last several years by focusing efforts to increase the Chamber’s value-added programs and resources that allow us to assist member businesses. 

 

One of our most valuable programs is the Worker’s Comp Group Discount Program with Sheakley.  The 27-year partnership between the Lima Chamber and Sheakley enabled us to save our members a total of $8 Million in 2018 with Burea of Workers Compensation discounts.  Workers’ compensation premiums and unemployment taxes can be some of the most expensive costs of doing business in Ohio. As one of the most experienced third-party administrators (TPA) in the industry, we work with more than 16,000 employers to reduce these expenses through savings opportunities like Group Rating, Group Retrospective Rating, the Drug-Free Safety Program and Self-Insurance for workers’ compLima Workers Compensation.

 

Among this is and many other value-added programs such as the West Central Ohio Safety Council program, Office Depot/Office Max Office Supply Discount program and Health Insurance program and many more.  To learn more about these programs please contact the Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce at 419-222-6045 or visit www.LimaChamber.com.

Call for Award Nominations

The Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the Annual Awards Gala on May 5th, 2020. This is an elegant evening in which we recognize area businesses and leaders for outstanding accomplishments. You may now make reservations by contacting the Lima Chamber at 419-222-6045 or programs@limachamber.com. Tickets are $45 each and $320 for a table of eight for members, and $50 each and $ for a table of eight for future members.

We are currently accepting nomination for businesses and individuals in the following categories. Nominations must be received by February 7, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.

Thank you to our Award Sponsors –

Small Business of the Year – Citizens National Bank
Non-Profit Agency of the Year – Tom Ahl Family of Dealerships
Woman-Owned Business of the Year – Huntington Bank
Emerging Business of the Year Award – State Bank
Young Leader of the Year Award – St. Rita’s Medical Center
ATHENA Award – The Lima Auto Mall

Thank You to our Event Sponsors –

Major Sponsors – The Union Bank Company and Sheakley
Media Sponsors – The Lima News and Your Hometown Stations
Print Sponsor – Post Printing

BWC Phone System Upgrades Security

Businesses and injured workers who use the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s automated phone system, 1-800-644-6292, will soon see improved security to better protect their sensitive information.

 Beginning Feb. 15, 2017, callers will need more than just their policy or claim number. Injured workers will also be asked for the last four digits of their social security number and their date of injury. Businesses will also be asked for their federal tax ID number (FEIN or SSN) and the ZIP code for the mailing address on the policy.

We encourage callers to have this information handy when they call. While it may require a few more taps of the finger, they can feel confident their sensitive information is more secure.

ApproRx® the Equalizer in Healthcare

approrx

ApproRx® the Equalizer in Healthcare
Because you deserve the lowest price on your generic drugs!

Register your FREE card as a secondary form of payment and always ask, “What’s my ApproRx® Price?”

No Insurance?
Save up to 87% on prescriptions.

The ApproRx® prescription savings card benefits the insured, uninsured, underinsured, and those with high deductibles.

ApproRx® is driven to help all people.  We negotiate deep discounts with pharmacies to provide low cost prescription drugs to consumers.  Always ask, “What’s my ApproRx® Price?”and start saving today.

View More