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August 2, 2012
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| Business Opportunities with the America’s Cup –The Chamber has partnered with the America’s Cup to help boost local business opportunities generated from the series of world-class sailing events, which kick-off August 21 and culminate in September 2013. Working out of the One-Stop-Shop, opened today on Pier 23, the Chamber is helping to inform local businesses about opportunities, facilitate the procurement process, and serve as an in-house resource for America’s Cup competitors seeking to connect with products and services. “The 34th America’s Cup is providing unprecedented opportunities for local businesses here in the Bay area,” said Stephen Barclay, CEO, America’s Cup Event Authority. “Our partnership with the SF Chamber helps to ensure that local organizations can take full advantage of our ongoing commitment to supporting the local economy.” Business interested in working with the America’s Cup should register with AC Business Connect, the event contracting portal, and contact Cynthia Palmerin at cpalmerin@sfchamber.com. The One-Stop Shop is open Monday- Friday, 10am-2pm, in the America’s Cup offices at Pier 23. |
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| Business Tax Goes to Voters – San Francisco voters will decide this November whether or not to dramatically change the city’s business tax to better incentivize job and economic growth. The measure, placed on the ballot by the Board of Supervisors Tuesday, will phase out the city’s 1.5 percent payroll tax over five years starting in 2014 and replace it with a variable tax on gross receipts based on industry-specific fee schedules. Businesses that earn less than $1 million annually in San Francisco generated gross receipts would be exempt. The measure would also increase the city’s business license fees, ranging from $75 to $35,000, to raise $28.5 million in new revenue for economic development, infrastructure and affordable housing. The Chamber Board of Directors along with its Public Policy and Tax Committees is evaluating the proposal along with other November ballot measures. Click here to view the legislation. Click here to view rates and fee schedules. Contact Jim Lazarus at jlazarus@sfchamber.com or 415.352.8810. |
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| Members Make Connections – Chamber members are making valuable connections through the Chambers’ new lunchtime networking program ConnectForLunch. “ConnectForLunch provides a natural forum for business people to dialogue, offer referrals and discuss business growth and development,” said participant Michael Campites, President of Valley Goldmine San Francisco. “Each lunch I have attended has been positive and worthwhile. I encourage my fellow members to give it a try.” All Chamber members receive a free introductory subscription for three lunches and can make up to 100 new business connections each year through the program. Read more and sign up today! |
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| Stop Deceptive Food Labeling – The Chamber has joined a statewide coalition of family farmers, small businesses, food companies, taxpayers and others to help defeat Prop. 37 on the November Ballot. If passed, Prop. 37 will ban the sale of tens of thousands of common food products unless they are specially repackaged, relabeled or remade with higher cost ingredients. The measure would also create new government bureaucracy and open the door for a new category of frivolous lawsuits. Click here to learn more and join the Chamber in opposing Prop. 37. |
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| Economic Development: July Update –San Francisco has the highest technology job growth in the nation – about double that of second-and third-place markets New York City and Silicon Valley. According to the most recent data from the Chamber’s foundation partner the San Francisco Center for Economic Development (SFCED), venture capital for San Francisco companies has risen 41 percent since this time last year and 1,850 tech firms are now based in the city. As a result, the overall office vacancy rate declined between Q1 and Q2 of 2012 to 11 percent, among the lowest in the nation. The green economy also remains strong. For the third year in a row, Site Selection's Green Guide has named California the "Top Sustainable State" in the country and the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont region led Green Guide rankings as the "Top Sustainable Metro" nationwide. Read more. |
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
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Keys to Effective Cash Flow Management
Higher profits or increased sales do not necessarily translate into improved liquidity. Review these key metrics to understand, project, and improve cash flow in your business, by Steve Jannicelli, BPM Senior Manager. Read Article. |
The Chamber gratefully
acknowledges
Diamond Circle Member:
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| MEMBER MAKING NEWS |
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Top chefs from Chamber member restaurants including 1300 on Fillmore, Pete’s Tavern, Pedro’s Cantina,Roses Café, Rose Pistola, Ristobar, Scoma’s, Terazo, Yank Sing and others are celebrating food, wine and spirits at this year’s SF Chefs festival presented by Visa Signature and the Golden Gate Restaurant Association. San Francisco Federal Credit Union employees raised over $1,000 for the 26th Annual AIDS Walk San Francisco. San Francisco State University professor Alejandro Murguia was named San Francisco’s new poet laureate. Click here to submit your company's news.
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| THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC POLICY |
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The Board of Supervisors delayed voting on the Chamber-supported California Pacific Medical Center to allow for a mediator to help facilitate the approval process. The Board approved legislation preventing the conversion of city apartments to student housing. Supervisor David Chiu introduced legislation creating new regulations for developers opting to incorporate advanced water-recycling systems. Supervisor Scott Wiener introduced legislation to eliminate the section of the city’s parks code that prohibits demonstrating and leafleting in some city parks and the section of the police code that requires owners of antique stores and pawnshops stores to provide information and transaction records of the people purchasing and selling at their stores. A referendum to block construction of the Chamber-supported 8 Washington project has qualified for the ballot. Michael Antonini was reconfirmed for the Planning Commission. Pacific Gas & Electric Company Local Government Partnerships Manager Mary Jung was sworn in as chairwoman of the Democratic County Central Committee. A San Francisco appellate court found the state violated an interstate compact by raising taxes on firms based on their California sales. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is considering giving away more CO2 permits for the state’s cap-and-trade program.
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COMING UP AT THE CHAMBER...
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August 16, 12 – 1 pm |
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ConnectForLunch |
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Make new connections and grow your business network through ConnectForLunch, the Chamber’s new lunchtime networking program arranging weekly face-to-face meetings with two to three fellow members at a convenient – and delicious – member restaurant. Chamber members receive a free introductory subscription for three lunches. Read more and sign-up today!.
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August 16, 5:30 – 7:30 pm [Arthur Beren Shoes] |
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Business After Hours |
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Join the Chamber for an evening of networking at Arthur Beren Shoes, the standard-bearer of classic contemporary footwear worldwide. Enjoy the beautiful Union Square retail space, food and drinks while networking and making new connections with Bay Area business professionals. Read more and register. |
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Click here to view more upcoming events from the Chamber and our members. Subscribe to EventFlash and get a weekly listing of San Francisco business programs and events delivered to your inbox. |
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