Indiana Chamber VP of Small Business & Economic Development Cam Carter discusses issues pressing Indiana small businesses in a recent interview with the Indiana Small Business Development Center. He talks about the Chamber’s key achievements and the status of current policies.

As of July 1, many new laws became effective in Indiana. Chief among those was the Chamber-opposed bill that allows employees to bring guns to work, favoring gun rights over businesses’ property rights.

I’m not sure what to make of this, but it’s related to business and internships and this video is hot right now — so it’s going on our blog. Meet Cisco’s rapping intern:

If you’d like an intern of your own — rapping or otherwise — check out our fine affiliate program, Indiana INTERNnet. The INTERNnet team, led by executive director Pam Norman, is doing an amazing job connecting Indiana businesses with eager interns. You can also follow the program’s blog at www.indianainternnation.com.

With nearly 5,000 members and 26,000 customers, the Chamber’s web page generates a significant amount of traffic. Not the backed-up Interstate-405, watching O.J. Simpson roll by in a white Ford Bronco, pull your hair out, Los Angeles kind of traffic, but about 600 unique visitor hits a day to our home page traffic. Members are encouraged to post their press releases and to submit a Member Spotlight to our site. Both may be done at no charge by being our beloved member.
 
Press release announcements regarding company milestones, new products or services, prominent new hires or community involvement, may be submitted here.
 
Additionally, the Member Spotlight gives you two weeks on our site to tell your company’s story and to promote your products and services.
 
Not a member? Contact Tom James at tjames@indianachamber.com or (317) 264-7539 to learn more about membership benefits.

Telling stories is simply cool. I’ve been doing it for more than 25 years (must have started when I was age 7, right?), first for newspapers and now in our BizVoice magazine, among other forums. Some of the leading stories each year emerge from our Best Places to Work in Indiana program.

I made three road trips this time around. Below is a quick takeaway from each visit and a link to the full stories, where you can find out more about a trio of the 70 companies recently honored for having workplaces that many of their employees think are also really cool.

• Energy Systems Group in Newburgh: Company president Jim Adams didn’t even know his HR department had registered to participate in the program for the first time, a true sign that authority and decision-making are diversified and not driven from the top down. And you’ll want to learn how humor is incorporated into presentations at the annual company meeting.
• Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company of Fort Wayne: This quote from chairman and president Mark Robison says it all. "If we’re just an insurance company insuring churches, what difference are we? We’re paid by the tithings of someone else — parishoners and church-goers. Their sacrificial gift allows me to have a job. We have to make sure we’re worthy of that sacrificial gift."
• Draper Inc. in Spiceland (that’s just south of New Castle on State Road 3): No layoffs in more than 108 years for one of the few manufacturers on the list. Family and community are more than just words for this organization. A health care clinic and wellness park are among the benefits.

Indiana Chamber members and others are invited to Lunch with Brinegar at Conseco Fieldhouse at 11:30 a.m., June 9, 2010.  Chamber President Kevin Brinegar will provide an update on membership benefits and current legislative issues facing Hoosier businesses. The Chamber played some killer defense for business in the 2010 Indiana General Assembly, and Kevin will update you on the session’s outcome.

The event is a great opportunity to network with other Chamber members from central Indiana. Kevin might even show off his mad dunking skills.

The lunch is free for members and $19 for non-members. To RSVP, contact Tom James at tjames@indianachamber.com or (317) 264-3793.

We hope to see you at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Don’t miss your chance to listen, learn and communicate with the president of the state’s leading broad-based business association. At our Lunch with Brinegar stops around the state, Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar updates area business leaders on issues impacting your region, introduces Chamber programs and services that benefit your bottom line and answers your questions. Registration is FREE for Indiana Chamber members; $19 per person for non-members, and the events take place from 11:30- a.m.-1:00 p.m. local time.

RSVP: One of three ways
1. Our web site
2. E-mail tjames@indianachamber.com
3. Call Tom James, (317) 264-3793

Here are the locations currently on the schedule. Hope to see you there!

• June 9 – Indianapolis (Conseco Fieldhouse)
• June 30 – South Bend (1st Source Corporation)
• July 7 – Terre Haute (Hulman Memorial Student Union)
• August 4 – Muncie (Minnetrista Cultural Center)  
• August 9 – Bloomington (Fountain Square Ballroom)
• August 18 – Fort Wayne (Sycamore Hills Golf Club) 
• September 8 – Merrillville (Centier Centre)