Not long ago, many of us were intrigued by the use of a Garmin GPS.  The device provided a step-by-step road map to our destination – we were wowed by its’ capabilities.  Today, the proliferation of guidance systems are keenly at our disposal from our cars to our phones.  One cannot imagine going somewhere new without plugging in the address and letting the system take us to our place of interest.

As a SCORE volunteer, all too often I meet with individuals who demonstrate excitement and enthusiasm to developing or expanding a given business yet lack the road map to their business development.  Business planning is often represented in an intuitive or limited written format.   So why is the exercise of writing a business plan so important?

Like our use of the GPS, a business plan is the necessity to improved proficiency and clarity to your destination.  It helps you define the appropriate road map to success Vs taking a circuitous route of undefined roads to potential disaster.  

Completion of a business plan evolves over time and requires refinement as you develop the experiences of your business development.  It is an essential tool that defines your long term business goals – strategy – which in turn helps you know where to say “yes” to opportunity and equally important, where you say “no” to perceived opportunity.

Within the SCORE.org website we offer business planning templates that can help and guide you through the process to writing a plan.   Each section offers a building block to help you think through the components of your business with the eventual outcome to substantiating your own confidence as to why your business or entity will flourish to success. 

We offer our assistance to members of the Chamber each Monday or Wednesday from 1:00 to 4:00.  Call to arrange your appointment at (817) 871-6002.  Let us help you with your road map to success.  

Steve Ruel
SCORE Volunteer

Exercise Your Right to Vote!

 One of our rights, and privileges, as U. S. citizens is the right to vote on the officials who represent us – and that includes city council members and school board trustees.  Hurst, Euless and Bedford all have contested races this year as does the HEB ISD.

Early voting starts soon and you can vote at any early voting location in Tarrant County since they have electronic ballots.  The dates and times are:

                        Monday – Friday, April 29-May 3: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

                        Saturday, May 4:  7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

                        Sunday, May 5:  11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

                        Monday-Tuesday, May 6-7:  8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

 All early voting locations can be found at www.tarrantcounty.com,

 If you miss early voting, vote on Election Day, Saturday, May 11 from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at your city’s location:

             Bedford and HEB ISD – Pat May Center, 1849 D Central Drive, Bedford

            Euless and HEB ISD – Euless Public Library, 201 N. Ector Drive, Euless

            Euless and GCISD – Bear Creek Elementary, 401 Bear Creek Drive, Euless

            Hurst and HEB ISD – Hurst Public Library, 901 Precinct Line Road, Hurst

 Candidates for contested races for HEB City Council and HEB ISD Board of Trustees are:

             HEB ISD Place 1:    Fred Campos, Jr., Julie Cole, Alicia W. Probasco

            HEB ISD Place 3:     Jason Sinisi, Matt Romero, Allan Solmon

            Hurst Place 1:           Howard Shotwell, David G. Booe

            Bedford Place 3:       Sherri Olsen, Ray Champney

            Bedford Place 5:       Roy Turner, Salvatore Caruso

            Euless Place 1:         Tim Stinneford, Bruce German

            Euless Place 3:         Darl Easton, Linda Martin

            Euless Place 4:        Linda Eilenfeldt, Warren Wilson

The decisions of local government officials affect what happens in your daily lives, right in own back yard, so please take the time to research candidates and then vote – every vote counts!

The Texas Legislature has begun their work on the 2014-15 budget and the HEB Chamber needs you to be engaged in this important session. In 2011, the Legislature made numerous cuts and delayed funding programs like Medicaid to balance the budget. These cuts and delays will have an immediate impact on how our legislators will develop the next budget. Even with a projected surplus for 2014-15, they will have some difficult decisions to make in the coming months.

The Governmental Affairs Committee researched areas that are vital to the HEB community and made recommendations to our Board for their approval. Our goal was to make sure essential programs and activities are funded so that our state can attract and retain companies to keep our economy growing. Our Chamber feels this can be best done by investing in economic development, providing our businesses and citizens with a quality infrastructure and sustainable resources, properly educating our workforce and provide the necessary funding for healthcare programs. These position statements were approved and have been shared with the HEB legislative delegation.

Some of our positions include restoring public school funding to the Fiscal Year 2010 levels, maintaining the current franchise tax threshold while reviewing it to eliminate inequities and to provide adequate funding for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). We also support investing in our transportation infrastructure and optimize existing funding sources without diverting funds or raising fees as well as developing a permanent source of funding for new water supply development to support the continued population growth and economic development in the State.

To see the summary of the HEB Chamber’s positions, click here.

 To see the complete list of positions we support, click here.

 This session, the Chamber is taking two trips to Austin – one with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, January 29-31, and another with the Coalition of Tarrant County Chambers of Commerce, February 6 and 7.  Hopefully some of you will be able to join us.

As bills make their way through the House and Senate, we will be reaching out to you to assist us in making our positions known to the legislators, particularly those that represent all or part of HEB:  Senator Wendy Davis, Senator Kelly Hancock and State Representative Jonathan Stickland.

For information on how to reach them and other key legislators, click here.

Decisions will be made in Austin this year that impact the HEB area and the Chamber asks that its members stay informed and to communicate with our legislators. Your involvement is vital in assisting the HEB Chamber support our positions at the state level. With your help, we can keep our economy growing and continue to make our area a viable place to live and work!

The Hurst Euless Bedford Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE). 

 On Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., members of the Fort Worth Chapter of SCORE will be available for counseling small businesses at the HEB Chamber office at 2109 Martin Drive in Bedford.  This will provide current and prospective small business owners an easy connection to key expertise in all areas of business.

Jim Lewis, Chairman for SCORE Chapter 120 commented, “SCORE is constantly looking at innovative ways to provide small business mentoring at convenient, confidential locations.”

SCORE volunteer counselors are retired senior business executives and small business owners.  In addition to the individual counseling, SCORE provides workshops and resource articles on every division of business, including financial spreadsheets, entrepreneurship and business software.

Counselors Steve Rue and Gerry Cartwright are available by appointment through the SCORE office.  To arrange your appointment, call (817) 871-6002.

Having SCORE volunteers participate with the HEB Chamber gives our members and potential members another great resource to grow their business!

Although the weather turned out cold and windy, there was a record crowd at the HEB Chamber’s Annual Stan the Man’s Chili Challenge!  We had a great turnout to sample chili from 26 different cooks and enjoy hot dogs grilled by Kevin Ball and Jay Stephens.

Thanks to our donors that enabled us to hold the event at no charge to attendees: Coors Distributing Company of Fort Wort, Walmart Super Center in Bedford, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas, Tom Thumb in Hurst, Ben E. Keith Distributing/Budweiser, and Shield Awards and Promotions who produced the rosettes for our winnners.

AND THE WINNERS FOR 2012 ARE:
Great Bowls of Fire/Spiciest Chili- Tyler Brown, Fusion Under Glass Catering
Tasebud Tickeler/Mildest and Smoothest Chili – Shelli Davis Redford, Reflections of Health
Eclectic Delight/Most Unusual Chili – Mark Crowson, Top Page Marketing Solutions
Best Team Spirit – Tyler Brown, Fusion Under Glass Catering
Stan’s Choice/Overall Best Chili – Tyler McCarty, SEDALCO, Inc.

The winner of Stan’s Choice will be the HEB Chamber’s entry in the Classic Chevrolet Chili Cookoff on November 13. You’ll want to attend to cheer for SEDALCO!

Thanks to everyone who helped set up and take down, cooked chili, donated door prizes and attended!

One of our rights and privileges as U. S. citizens is the right to vote on the officials who represent us in Tarrant County, Austin, Texas, and Washington, D.C.

 Early voting for the November 6 general election for county, state and national offices will be October 22 through November 2: 

 Voting locations in the Hurst, Euless, Bedford area include: 

Tarrant County College, Northeast Campus, Student Center will be open for voting Monday-Thursday, October 29 through November 1 from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.  TCC NE is located at 828 Harwood Road in Hurst. The Student Center is in the building with the clock tower.

 If you miss early voting, vote on election day, Tuesday, November 6.

 Exercise your right to vote!

It’s not too late to submit your application for the next class of Leadership HEB!  Take advantage of this unique experience and position yourself to be one of tomorrow’s leaders in our community.

The program starts with an orientation and mandatory attendance, all-day Challenge Course in October.  Classes are held monthly, covering topics such as transportation, education, economic development and health care.  Criteria for graduation include attendance at classes and one city council or school board meeting, as well as participating in the completion of a group community service project.

“Remember, the first step to becoming a leader is getting involved.”

For more information, contact me at 817/283-1521, ext. 104.

As a graduate of Leadership HEB 2000, I urge you to apply and avail yourself of this unique experience that will enrich your life and enable you to be a better business person and volunteer.

Mary Martin Frazior, President & CEO

Dedicated HEB Chamber Officer, Board Member and Volunteer Bill Hurlbut passed away on May 16.  He had been at the Chamber Board meeting and stayed to talk to some other members doing what he loved to do — buidling relationships by networking.  Bill told me one time that his goal was to help people build their business and that, in turn, would help build his business.

Several people have told me about their experience of meeting Bill when they first joined the HEB Chamber, and how helpful he was in getting them started with their membership by finding a committee and/or leads group that was a good fit for them and their business.

Bill was always willing to lend a hand – whether it was volunteering at the Golf Tournament, handling the Chamber’s social media, or speaking at a new member orientation, he was there for his Chamber family.  I can’t begin to tell you how many roles he filled through the years!

As Bill’s fellow member and friend John Fletcher wrote:  “He was a man of great faith and he lived it well.”  Please keep his wife, Brenda, and the family in your thoughts and prayers.

A fund has been set up at Affiliated Bank for the benefit of the family.  You can contact Gala Wagner at 817/285-6195, 500 Harwood Road, Bedford, 76021, to make a contribution.

Bill, you will be sorely missed!

Mary Martin Frazior, IOM, President & CEO