Wendy Stoneberger's Blog

Tired of hearing 'NO'?

Wendy Stoneberger - Membership & Small Business — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 13:25:27 GMT

Some new rules to an old game
Guest post by LeShane Greenhill, founder, Sagents Partners, LLC

More than 92 percent of businesses in America are small and medium enterprises (SMEs). With entrepreneurial businesses representing such a large majority, we all can understand why SMEs are so important to the growth ...

Moving the Needle

Wendy Stoneberger - Membership & Small Business — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Guest post by Alison C. Lynch, director, entrepreneurial growth & engagement, Nashville Area Chamber

There’s a lot going on in this city. Some days I open my calendar and actually groan with all of the opportunities and over-commitments staring back at me on my phone, wondering how I am going ...

2011 NEXT Award Winners: Where Are They Now?

Wendy Stoneberger - Membership & Small Business — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 16:27:49 GMT

Our annual NEXT Awards, co-hosted with the Entrepreneur Center, recognize the accomplishments of some of the most successful businesspeople driving our regional economy.

We checked in with three of last year's winners to find out how their businesses have changed since winning the NEXT Award. Excerpts from the answers appear ...

Enhancing Your Chamber Membership With New Benefits & Services

Wendy Stoneberger - Membership & Small Business — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 12:13:17 GMT

Guest post by Olivia Billingsley, director of member services, Nashville Area Chamber

As the Chamber kicks off a new program year, we are excited to announce some enhancements to our member offerings. I invite you to take advantage of these new features and benefits that were designed with your business ...

When Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship Combine, Anything Can Happen

Wendy Stoneberger - Membership & Small Business — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Guest post by Alison C. Lynch, director, entrepreneurial growth & engagement, Nashville Area Chamber

As many of you already know, I am fairly new to the Chamber. What you may not know is that I am also fairly new to Nashville. I arrived in Middle Tennessee about a year ago, ...

Referrals = Rewards

Wendy Stoneberger - Membership & Small Business — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 09:33:05 GMT

Earn rewards for recommending your colleagues, clients and friends for Chamber membership. Our new Referral Rewards program offers opportunities to win complimentary event registration, fun outings for yourself, as well as great visibility for your business.

Every referral receives one point. The person with the most points by Friday, March ...

Business is Good in Nashville

Wendy Stoneberger - Membership & Small Business — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Just before Thanksgiving 1997, I pulled into South Nashville with a U-Haul, $300 and an appointment with a temp staffing company. My dream was to be an event planner in the music industry. Eight months later, I was hired as an event coordinator for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. ...

NEXT Awards: Celebrating Middle Tennessee's Entrepreneurial Spirit

Wendy Stoneberger - Membership & Small Business — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:47:26 GMT

From the perspective of the Chamber's mission of facilitating economic prosperity, supporting entrepreneurial companies is a perfect fit. A solid base of growing companies is an essential ingredient for any thriving economy, particularly in Nashville, where some of our largest industries - such as health care and entertainment - have ...

Social Enterprise in 2011

Wendy Stoneberger - Membership & Small Business — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:00:00 GMT

By guest blogger Jim Schorr, professor for the practice of business & society, Vanderbilt University

Since the late 20th century, a new breed of organization has been emerging to tackle social and environmental problems that have been inadequately addressed by traditional nonprofit and government approaches. Like nonprofits, these organizations revolve ...

The Value of Digital Media in Our Local Market

Wendy Stoneberger - Membership & Small Business — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 11:03:15 GMT

By guest blogger Dave Delaney, social media coordinator, Griffin Technology

There are so many different businesses in Nashville that participate in creating digital media. Each has its own unique way of creating compelling content.

Companies that produce original content like online videos and music, thought-provoking blog posts, or even something ...

The What and How of Sustainability

Wendy Stoneberger - Membership & Small Business — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 09:50:38 GMT

By guest blogger William Paddock, founder & managing director, WAP Sustainability

Last night, at a networking event, a woman asked me what I did for a living, and I told her I was a sustainability consultant. She replied, “That’s pretty cool, but how do you keep up with all the ...

NEXT Awards: Celebrating Excellence in Entrepreneurship

Wendy Stoneberger - Membership & Small Business — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:03:23 GMT

The Nashville region is a leader among U.S. metropolitan areas in supporting entrepreneurship. The city has been lauded for its nurturing environment for tech start-ups, and Tennessee consistently ranks well for its entrepreneur- and small business-friendly environment based on cost of doing business and policies that enable competitiveness and growth. ...

Walkabout180: Growing Your Business through Affordable Expertise

Wendy Stoneberger - Membership & Small Business — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 09:00:00 GMT

Many small business owners struggle to get the expertise and consulting they need to grow their businesses at a cost that makes sense for their bottom line.

The Chamber is committed to supporting small and entrepreneurial businesses in a variety of ways, including offering low-cost educational opportunities. One of our ...

What Can an Employee Wellness Program Do for Your Company?

Wendy Stoneberger - Membership & Small Business — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:34:23 GMT

The Chamber is always looking for ways to bring valuable, innovative ideas to our members and the business community at large. These ideas could help your bottom line, improve employee morale, or just add a new and inventive twist to your business. A company-sponsored wellness program for employees is one ...

Sustainability SIG: It's Easy Being Green

Wendy Stoneberger - Membership & Small Business — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 10:00:00 GMT

With an ideal location between the two largest solar manufacturers in the U.S., Nissan's recent $2.5 billion expansion of its Smyrna plant to develop the lithium-ion batteries for the all-electric Leaf, and the announcement that Nashville is one of only 16 cities nationwide to get the infrastructure necessary to support ...