Laura Obando

There are a lot of moving parts to any organization, and the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce is no exception. Smooth operations are fueled by behind-the-scenes contributions of generous volunteers, from the board of directors to various committee members. Here’s a peek at some of those opportunities available to Chamber members. Ambassadors Committee – A minimum…

Read this week’s Let’s Talk Business column in The Emporia Gazette. Flexibility. Isn’t that a hallmark of any successful business? Here at the Chamber, we’re expressing our flexibility in the face of rapidly changing COVID-19 conditions. Although we’d much prefer to hold our 124th Annual Meeting next week as planned, we are well aware of…

New year, new resolutions, new hopes—there’s much to look forward to in 2022. Here at the Chamber, we’re busy polishing plans and putting projects into practice. We are eager to share the fruits of our labor with Chamber members and community members alike in 2022. Our premiere event of the year is coming up fast!…

New year, new resolutions, new hopes—there’s much to look forward to in 2022. Here at the Chamber, we’re busy polishing plans and putting projects into practice. We are eager to share the fruits of our labor with Chamber members and community members alike in 2022. Our premiere event of the year is coming up fast!…

As the holiday shopping season comes to a close, small businesses are the solution for last-minute shoppers. As we help with the last-minute marketing push for small business, it’s important to share the “why” behind the Emporia Area Chamber’s effort to support small business. We can thank a global pandemic for helping us realize the…

It’s that time of year…Every song you hear…Seems to say…Merry Christmas…May your New Year’s dreams come true! This year, you can give yourself and your business holiday gifts that are both free and useful–and they just might help your New Year’s dreams come true. Straight from the North Pole, here are five free sales tools…

‘Tis the season to be jolly…and that includes joyful holiday gifts for employees and coworkers. It’s been an especially challenging year in 2021, so it’s especially important to set the right tone with holiday gifting at work. Here are some simple ways to show your appreciation and gratitude for your employees and coworkers. Many employees…

It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays and forget that end-of-year business tasks require special attention in December. Work done in this last month of the year can make tax preparation easier. Reflecting on how business went in 2021 is the gateway to better planning for 2022. Year-end…

Two phrases that were never in my lexicon before this week: ‘Generation Alpha’ and ‘pre-consumers’. Chances are, they are not words most of us have encountered. Regardless, they are important phrases for any businessperson to add to their vocabulary right now. Generation Alpha is made up of the sophisticated youngsters born between 2011 and 2024.…

Lyon County had 831 total employer establishments in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Of those, the majority were—and still are—small businesses. Those small businesses robustly contribute to the health of our local economy and are at the forefront of nimble adaptation to the unprecedented events of the past couple of years. We can…