The following article was submitted by Jody Steffen, Account Representative at GMG member business, Hire Image. She writes about the importance of background screening in the hiring process.
Are you part of a Greater Mankato member business and have an interest in writing a guest blog for us? Send 500-800 words to media@greatermankato.com or reach out to Greater Mankato Growth with further questions.
Looking for a job? Need to make a new hire? In partnership with CareerForce (formerly the Mankato Workforce Center), JobsHQ is putting on the 2019 Mankato Job Fair on September 12, 2019 from 11:00am – 2:00pm at the Mankato Armory.
The following article was submitted by Rob Friend of Energy Smart which is part of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, a GMG member. He writes about how to reduce energy usage within your business and the benefits of doing so. Are you part of a Greater Mankato member business and have an interest in writing a guest blog for us? Send 500-800 words to media@greatermankato.com or reach out to Greater Mankato Growth with further questions.
Energy Smart, a program of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, will be conducting no cost energy consultations for Mankato area businesses in the months of September and October. The consultation identifies no cost, low cost, and investment-level energy efficiency opportunities to lower the utility bill.
Our entire team at Greater Mankato Growth, Inc. works each day to bring value to our members and drive increased vitality to the Greater Mankato region. To ensure that we’re effectively updating our partners and the community on our work, we recently revamped our annual report. Instead of a once-a-year 40+ page document, we’ve transitioned to a quarterly report in a new, condensed infographic layout. This has allowed us to streamline and considerably reduce staff time as well as printing costs all while making the content easier to digest, more immediate, and more impactful. I invite you to take a look at our Quarter 1 report.
The following article was submitted by Rachael Evers of GMG member business Monarch Meadows. She writes about the importance of creating an employee-first workplace culture during a time when retaining talent is crucial. Are you part of a Greater Mankato member business and have an interest in writing a guest blog for us? Send 500-800 words to media@greatermankato.com or reach out to Greater Mankato Growth with further questions.
In today’s world we are faced with a challenging workforce. Unemployment levels are low and there are more jobs available then people entering the workforce. As workforce industries prepare for the baby boomer population to retire, a proactive approach needs to be taken. How can employers attract and retain employees? It starts with the workplace culture. Read More
The following post was submitted by Sean Dahlman of GMG member business Pantheon Computers and focuses on the importance of keeping your technology safe from cybercriminals. Are you part of a Greater Mankato member business and have an interest in writing a guest blog for us? Send 500-800 words to media@greatermankato.com or reach out to Greater Mankato Growth with further questions. Read More
Visit Mankato working with influencers to promote Greater Mankato as a travel destination
It’s no secret that “word of mouth” has always had a strong effect on consumer behavior. If John Doe is patronizing a business and just scarfed up the #WorldsBestPizza, social media is going to know about it. On the contrary, the door of publicity can swing both ways especially if Mr. Doe had to wait a few extra minutes in line to receive his car rental and then plasters his negative review all over the Internet. So in reality, influencers are everywhere sharing their #BestTimeEver and #NeverDoingThatAgain experiences. Anyone can be a critic, but who’s to say they are a credible source? Some have even gone so far as to “arrange” negative reviews on their competitors (UFF DA!).
Influencer marketing has been a strong initiative of Visit Mankato and developing effective strategies through research of our local markets. We have built relationships with notable influencers from around the country that align with our destination’s assets. From there, we work with local businesses to build an itinerary and create an experience for these influencers to promote Greater Mankato by sharing their story through various mediums to followers from all around who share similar interests.
You’ve probably heard the adage, “You have to spend money to make money.” So how does that apply to marketing your business? It’s a common saying that means it’s hard to make money in a business without investing in supplies, products, marketing and advertising, or other business expenses. The breakdown of how much to spend in each area will most likely depend on your business, industry and if you’re a B2B or a B2C organization. The key is to focus on marketing as an investment, not an expense. Read More
The following guest blog post is courtesy of Abdo, Eick and Meyers Workforce Solutions.
In case you missed it, on May 30, 2019, Minnesota passed the Jobs and Economic Development Omnibus Bill. Along with many other budget and legislative items, that bill included several new regulations imposing new responsibilities and recordkeeping requirements for Minnesota employers effective July 1, 2019.
These regulations, referred to as “Wage Theft” rules, are intended to ensure that all employees are provided with transparent access to important employment and payroll information and was passed in response to the large volume of wage theft complaints submitted to the Minnesota Department of Labor (DOL) each year.
CHANGES & NEW REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY
While it’s easy to get behind the overall intent and goals of the new Wage Theft regulations, employers need to understand how these requirements will affect the timing and documentation related to many of their most common HR and payroll processes. Here, we will review several key processes impacted by the new regulations: the employee written notice, commissions payment timing, payroll and earnings statement information, and employee handbook policies and recordkeeping requirements. Read More
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) announced this week that it is applying for a $25 million grant from the federal government’s BUILD Grant Program to help fund Highway 14 expansion from Nicollet to New Ulm. MnDOT has committed to fund the difference between the $25 million grant and the full cost of the project if Highway 14 is selected for this federal grant.
We need your help! Public support is an important aspect of the federal BUILD grant program. MnDOT has asked Highway 14 supporters to submit as many letters of support for the project as possible.
Act Now!
Submit a letter of support for Highway 14 under these guidelines:
Format: Here is a letter of support template. Letters must be addressed to the US Secretary of Transportation, Elaine L. Chao.
Submission: Email your letter to Doris Degenstein, MnDOT District 7 at doris.degenstein@state.mn.us, or submit by mail at the following address:
MnDOT District 7
Attn: Doris Degenstein
2151 Bassett Drive
Mankato, MN 56001
Deadline: Letters must be submitted to MnDOT by Monday, July 8, 2019.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Patrick Baker (pbaker@greatermankato.com) with any questions.
The following article is written by Marta Berglund, Greater Mankato Growth’s marketing intern. Marta is a junior at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has majors in digital innovation, film and television (DIFT), and communications. She also has minors in French and public relations.
“You know, the city you go to college in doesn’t really matter because you spend so much time on campus anyways.” When my high school best friend’s older brother told me this my senior year of high school, I believed him, but with a grain of salt. Here I was, one of the few people from my high school about to move more than a few hours away from my friends and family. I wanted to believe that making this drastic move would have some impact on my life and finding a job in the future. But at the same time, I wanted the comfort of knowing that no matter the location of my university, I would still be able to find good opportunities, experiences, and eventually employment. Read More
The MN Supplier Match is an initiative of the Minnesota Chamber’s Grow Minnesota!® program, seeking to highlight and expand Minnesota’s robust supply chain, increasing business-to-business activity in the state.
MN Supplier Match creates value for Minnesota businesses who want the advantages of sourcing from local suppliers: accessibility, short lead-times, shared networks, and trusted quality. It creates value for suppliers looking for new business opportunities with Minnesota-based customers. And it creates value for the Minnesota economy by keeping more dollars in the state and making our suppliers and buyers more competitive. Read More
