The next Committee of 100 meeting is set for Friday, August 14, 2015, at 8:00 a.m. Committee of 100 meetings are held at the Health and Life Center (old Hospital), 1239 E. Main Street. If you are interested in becoming a member of this prestigious group, contact Chairman Brian Hinton at (863) 533-4196.

COMMUNITY ACTION & HUMAN SERVICES
Neighbor To Family
Ms. Heather Monteath, MA
1350 E. Main St., Suite A6
Bartow, FL 33830
(863) 537-7712
website
Join Date:05/29/2015

RESTAURANT
JK'S Cafe
Mr. Todd L. Sapulski, Sr.
211 1st Ave., NW
Mulberry, FL 33860
(863) 775-8224
Join Date:06/22/2015

COMIC BOOKS
Main Street Comics & Memorabilia
Mr. John Harrison
415 E. Main St., Suite C
Bartow, FL 33830
(Open Soon!)
Join Date:07/06/2015

SBDC Is Available At
Chamber On July 9
The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at University of South Florida, assists existing and emerging businesses in Polk County, through no-cost confidential business consulting, and low-cost training. Consultants can assist entrepreneurs in a variety of business topics, including: marketing, business certification, capital access, market diversification, developing strategic business plans, export services, and web optimization. A consultant will be at the Chamber on July 9, 2015 and available to Chamber Businesses. To schedule an appointment, visit www.bartowchamber.com and follow the links on the home page, or call (863) 678.4182, ext. 227.

Click here to read the Spring Business Quarterly Magazine!
















Want to find a retail or service business? Click here.

     With Summer being in full swing, I hope all of you will get some vacation time.
     Most things slow down a bit this time of year. The Chamber staff uses this time of fewer events to organize committees, set event dates for next year, and finish up projects that were, up until now, delegated to the back burner.
     As August arrives, the Annual Meeting Committee will begin plans for the 2016 event to be held in January. I chaired this committee last year as the incoming Board President and ended up running around town in a French maid's costume. This time, it’s Jennifer Hall's turn. I can’t help but wonder what the Committee will have planned for her.
     It’s also almost time to recruit the next Leadership Bartow class. Applications  are not even printed, yet we have a list growing for Leadership Class XVII. If you have an interest in this wonderful two-year program, please call the Chamber today. Be aware that the Chamber will only be accepting 30 students for Leadership XVII; so, call today!
     As I said before, I hope all of you get to take some time off soon. As you know, about the time school starts everything seems to crank up again. Thanks again to all of you who continue to support the Chamber organization. And, my special thanks to the Chamber staff who work so very hard for our community.

Until next week,
Sharon Casey
Community Southern Bank, VP
Chamber President, 2015

Monday the Dog and his helpers invite you to stop by and see the July Business of the Month, Affordable Appliance. Left to right are Joey Cain, Sherri Savary, and Monday, all from Affordable Appliance; and Barbara Adamson, Membership Director at the Chamber.

Business of the Month of July is . . .
AFFORDABLE APPLIANCE
Stop by and wish Monday the Dog a Happy Birthday and receive 10% off any major appliance purchase at Affordable Appliance, the Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce Business of the Month for July! Affordable Appliance is located at 220 Manor Dr., Bartow. Call 863-533-8775; or visit the Affordable website at www.appliancesbartowfo.com for more information.

We have two very exciting Chamber trips coming up:
Call Linda Holcomb, 533-7125, for more information!

JULY
Now-July 21, every Tuesday
Biz Kids Program

Thursday, July 9, 7:30 a.m.
SCORE/CHAMBER
Roundtable, FREE event

Friday, July 17, 5:00 p.m.
ENGAGE Social at
The Wine Stable
ALL CHAMBER MEMBERS
INVITED TO THIS EVENT!
also:
STUFF THE BUS Kickoff

July 21, 23, 28, 30
5:30-8:30 p.m.
Bartow Retail Academy
at DMAR Business Centers
300 E. Summerlin St., Bartow

July 29, ?
How To Bid On School Board
Projects Event
Chamber Boardroom

Thursday, August 13, 5:15 p.m.
Tom Edwards Chrysler Dodge
Jeep Ram Fun Thursday
1425 W. Main Street, Bartow

Mark your calendars for July 17, 2015, because ENGAGE Chamber Young Professionals are planning activities for the entire Chamber membership, you won't want to miss!

The kickoff for the annual STUFF THE BUS initiative, a program that helps more than 3,000 homeless students in Polk County, is Friday, July 17. The program will run through August 7, so bring school supplies to the Chamber; or to the ENGAGE Social, which will be held July 17 at The Wine Stable at 5:00 p.m.

EVERYONE who is a member of the Chamber is invited to attend the Social, hosted by ENGAGE. Immediately following is Main Street Bartow's FRIDAY FEST, 6:00 p.m., downtown Bartow. It's going to be a great evening of fun!

BARTOW RETAIL ACADEMY TO TEACH
MARKETING & SALES TACTICS TO BUSINESSES
      Polk County business owners are invited to learn new marketing and sales tactics for their small businesses at the Bartow Retail Academy, beginning July 21 at DMAR Business Center, 300 East Summerlin Street, Bartow. The Academy, presented by Main Street Bartow, Greater Bartow Chamber of Commerce, Bartow’s Community Redevelopment Agency, and the Florida Small Business Development Center at University of South Florida, will include four seminars for just $120. The seminars take place June July 21, 23, 28 & 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
      Businesses in the Bartow CRA District qualify for a scholarship and can register by calling Main Street Bartow at 863-519-0508 or Greater Bartow Chamber at 863-533-7125.

KIWANIANS CRYIN' TOWEL EVENT SET
     The Bartow Kiwanis Club is reviving a long-held tradition, The “Cryin' Towel.” The event, in which area high school football coaches “sing the blues” will take place Thursday, Aug. 6, at the Bartow Civic Center, 2250 S. Floral Ave.
     The event begins 6 p.m., with light hors d'ouevres and boiled corn on the cob. A steak and potato dinner follows at 7 p.m., with the evening's show kicking off at 7:30 p.m., .
Other features will include free beer, a cash bar, raffle tickets and silent auction and comedy act by a top flight comedian who will also be serving as the night's emcee.
     Tickets are $40 and limited to those 21 and older. Tickets may be obtained at the Chamber of Commerce, 510 N. Broadway Ave.


ALL GAVE SOME, SOME GAVE ALL . . .
Bartow’s Purple Heart Committee and The Bartow Area Chamber Foundation, Inc. need your help in honoring our local PurpleHeart and POW Veterans. Monuments will be erected in theirmemory at the Civic Plaza located on Davidson Street, across from the Polk County History Center in Downtown Bartow. Your tax-deductible gift, in its entirety, will be used to fund a Purple Heart Memorial and a POW Memorial similar to the ones pictured below. The goal is to raise $25,000 that will be used to erect the memorials and necessary enhancements to accommodate these important tributes to those who have fought to protect our freedoms. Donations may be dropped off at the Chamber.

Looking for a commercially zoned lot, building for rent or to buy for your business? Please check out this site :

You'll get to create an account for free and check out MLS commercial listings for Bartow.
For a downloadable CRA District map, click here, scroll down and look under IMPORTANT LINKS in the right hand column of the Chamber's website.

$25 per run (up to 35 words), call 533-7125 or email Virginia.

COMMERCIAL RENTAL SPACE perfect for small business client consultation and/or satellite office space in Polk County's county seat. Minutes from the courthouse and county administration buildings. The 40-600 square foot move in ready space is located at 1480 N. Broadway Ave., Suite C in Bartow. Rental rates $450-$650 per month. Interested parties should call (863) 559-3180 or (863) 559-0101.