Marcia Lawrence

It’s a touchy subject: price increases. Rising costs stemming from inflation, supply chain shortages, wage increases, or the cost of raw materials are forcing many businesses to raise prices. The way a price increase is communicated can make all the difference in how customers react. How do you determine if a price increase is necessary? … Read more

Childcare is a critical component of alleviating the worker shortage crisis. Childcare is also one of the key components of the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce Ignite Emporia platform. Following are four things employers can do right now to help their employees access childcare, as well as information on relevant tax credits and benefits options. … Read more

Read this week’s Let’s Talk Business column in The Emporia Gazette. Today’s remote-first work climate supports entrepreneurs who want to start a business and work from home. Following are some options for startup businesses that don’t require physical office or warehouse space. Content creation services.  Every business with an online presence–and that’s most businesses today–needs … Read more

Everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable. A succinct summation for the Earth Day 2022 theme of “Invest in Our Planet”. Earth Day 2022, on April 22, is focused on accelerating solutions to combat our greatest threat, climate change, and to activate businesses, citizens, and governments to do their part. Every year, EarthDay.org coordinates worldwide events … Read more

Is it time for a raise? Considering the current labor shortage, business owners naturally think about boosting pay in order to retain their best employees. But not so fast: before you start handing out raises, step back. It’s best to ensure you are assessing worker performance properly and distributing increases fairly. The first step is … Read more

There are plenty of affordable marketing tools and resources that can help build awareness of your business. But as your customers move through the sales funnel, it takes a little more effort–and a solid sales strategy–to close the final purchase. Integrating a sales strategy as you grow your business can help ensure you’re building strong … Read more

The Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce a new partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS) and Chamber of Commerce Executives of Kansas (CCEKS). This partnership stitches together about 35 other local Chambers of Commerce across Kansas to offer an Association Health Plan called Chamber Blue of Kansas. The Emporia … Read more

If you haven’t yet filed your small business taxes, the information below might spur you to get that necessary task completed. From home business deductions to employee benefit tax deductions, you are likely to be entitled to at least some of these. Employee Retention Tax Credit: Companies can get a maximum of $21,000 for keeping … Read more

Read this week’s Let’s Talk Business column in The Emporia Gazette. According to a recent study released by Deloitte, a significant 40% of respondents who don’t trust their organization’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion would consider leaving. In these days of worker shortage, don’t allow your business’s initiatives to languish. Many organizations pledged to … Read more

COVID had many ripple effects on our economy that we’ll be feeling for a while. One of the most visible is the employee shortage. Business owners everywhere are asking, “Where have all the workers gone?” At first, some pundits believed the unemployed were waiting for businesses to reopen, but now that they have, it’s clear … Read more