Advice on Buying Insurance for Your Company

Let's face it: buying insurance is not a favorite topic of conversation for most business owners.

But it is one of the most important.

Click here to get quick tips on buying insurance from an article that appeared in the Chamber's Enterprise magazine.

BPU Offers Free Energy Audits to Firms

The state Board of Public Utilities recently launched Direct Install, a program offering small and mid-sized businesses free energy audits and covering 80% of costs for recommended upgrades.

It's available to commercial and industrial facilities with peak electric demand of 200 KWs. Buildings must be located in New Jersey and served by one of the state’s public, regulated electric or natural gas utility companies. For more information, click here.

Get On The Train

The 73rd Annual Walk to Washington and the Congressional Dinner - the state's premier networking event - is Jan. 28 & 29. The train trip is called "The Walk" because business leaders walk up and down the train networking while on the way to the nation's capital.

At the Chamber dinner or at many of the other events taking place at the Marriott, you will continue to make contacts, and leave Washington with plenty of business cards that otherwise would take months or years to collect.

Register now for the train and dinner. Book a room at the Marriott by calling (202) 328-2000. To register, click here.

Employee Benefits: Another Victim of the Recession

2009 may be remembered as the year of layoffs, salary freezes and furloughs -- a time when employers did all they could to keep their heads above water.

But there have been other, less storied cuts during this torturous economy: cuts to employee benefits.

Read article in Chamber's Enterprise magazine by clicking here.

Top Executives Worried About NJ Economy

About 68 percent of New Jersey executives believe the U.S. economy will get better in the next 12 months, and about 9 percent think it will worsen.

Meanwhile, 38 percent believe the state economy will get better, and almost 28 percent believe it will worsen.

The Rutgers survey results were released at the Chamber's Economic Policy Forum yesterday.

For Asbury Park Press story, click here.

The Solar Panel State

5,000 solar panel systems have been installed on NJ homes and businesses - 1,000 since August, said Jeanne Fox, state Board of Public Utilities president, during a breakfast this morning with Chamber members.

That's more per-square-mile than any other state, she said. "Energy efficiency is the most effective way to save money and carbon emissions," Fox said.

In 2009,$100 million in efficiency incentives have been available to the commercial and industrial sectors in NJ.

State Chamber Offers Suggestions on Health Care Reform

See article in NJBIZ newspaper by clicking here.

To the Men and Women, We Salute You

The Chamber salutes our veterans and today's military members. Many of our war fighters are full-time private-sector employees who took leave from their jobs to serve our country.

The U.S. relies heavily on part-time soldiers such as National Guard members, and about 30 percent of New Jersey’s citizen warriors—teachers, plumbers, lawyers—have served two or three tours of duty.

Hot Post-Recession Careers

What fields will be hot when the nation emerges from the recession? What kind of jobs will be awaiting today's college students? See this article from the Chamber's Enterprise magazine.

Vote Today

Vote today!

To listen to exclusive New Jersey Chamber audio of each of the gubernatorial candidates talking about their economic development plans, to read their answers to our surveys, and much more, click here.

State's H1N1 Flu Hotline is Ringing Off The Hook

The state's H1N1 influenza hotline is averaging 1,000 calls a day, said Heather Howard, the commissioner of the state Department of Health and Senior Services, during a breakfast with Chamber members today.

She called H1N1, also known as Swine Flu, "mild thus far" but "unpredictable."

She added, "Employers are recognizing that you need to encourage sick people to stay home. It's a cultural change because people value hard work."

NJ Chamber of Commerce Honors Legislators and a Business Leader for Economic Growth Activities

Four state legislators and one of the state’s top business leaders are being honored tonight at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Legislative Awards Reception, which will commence at 6:30 p.m. on Pfizer’s Peapack campus. The awards program recognizes individuals for advancing efforts to make the Garden State business-friendly, economically sound and a great place to live and work.

The Legislative Award winners are:

*Senate Minority Leader Thomas H. Kean (R-21 Union, Somerset, Morris and Essex counties)
*Sen. Robert G. Smith (D-17 Middlesex and Somerset counties)
*Assemblyman Louis D. Greenwald (D-6 Camden County)
*Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-12 Monmouth and Mercer counties).

The recipient of the Chamber’s Business Advocate Award is Chamber Executive Committee member Ralph Izzo, chairman president and CEO of Public Service Enterprise Group in Newark.

“Tonight’s honorees were selected because improving the state’s economic climate and making sure New Jersey takes advantage of its many assets is a priority for them,” said Joan Verplanck, president of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. “New Jersey faces many challenges, and we are fortunate to have individuals such as these advocating on behalf of the employer community. Through their individual efforts in the areas of ethics reform, fiscal integrity, the green movement, and health care, our award winners are ensuring the Garden State’s competitive future.”

Business Advocate Award

Ralph Izzo, chairman, president and CEO of PSEG since 2007, has been working to ensure New Jersey capitalizes on the intersection of the green environment and the green economy. He chairs the Chamber’s Platform for Progress Environment Coalition, which has supported legislation encouraging companies to reduce their carbon footprint, expand or invest in the manufacture of environmental technologies, or manufacture products using environmentally friendly processes. He is the chair of the Chamber’s Cornerstone New Jersey Green Companies Initiative, which is engaging companies in energy-reduction activities that, if implemented, would save them money, reduce environmental impact and create jobs.

Legislative Advocates

The Chamber selected its legislative award recipients based on their past voting records, bill sponsorships, committee votes and overall history of supporting economic growth.

Senator Kean sponsored the Public Employee Pension and Benefits Reform Act of 2008, which was signed into law and supports the Chamber’s Government Reform initiatives calling for changes to the state’s pension and benefits system. He also introduced bills that would strengthen the ethics laws regarding members of the Legislature. Additionally, he introduced legislation that would provide the public with more information on the state budget before it is signed into law.

Senator Smith was the prime architect of the recently-signed License Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) legislation, which was borne out of recommendations from a Chamber-funded study. LSRP expedites the state’s licensing process so that contaminated sites may be efficiently remediated. He sponsored legislation promoting energy efficiency, wind and solar use, and incentives for designing and constructing buildings that meet "green building" criteria. He is a leader in the effort to pursue cost-saving measures such as shared services and school district consolidation. He called for a binding referendum allowing voters in each county to establish an administrative school district to oversee all public schools in that county.

Assemblyman Greenwald sponsored legislation that reforms the state’s Corporation Business Tax. He is a strong advocate for securing stable funding to provide emergency care for the uninsured, and he called for a dedicated fund to pay for charity care as well as an increase in the reimbursement rates for hospitals. Greenwald was a prime sponsor of the Permit Extension Act of 2008, which extends state, county and municipal permits so that projects delayed by the economy may be completed without revisiting the permitting process, beginning at square one.

Assemblyman O’Scanlon introduced chamber-supported government reform legislation, including banning dual office holding; limiting the payment of accumulated sick leave for state and local public employees; and revising the financial disclosure requirements for members of the Legislature. He ushered through legislation in the Assembly that prohibits elected and appointed officials from receiving dual health benefit coverage. O’Scanlon consistently opposes tax hikes and burdensome regulations that have a negative impact on employers and job creation.

Important Election Dates

Election Day is four weeks from today, Nov. 3rd, and there are some important dates you need to be you aware of.

Voter Registration – Deadline Oct. 13: In order to vote in the upcoming election, you must be registered in the county where you live. If you would like to cast a ballot for the candidate of your choice, but have not registered, don’t worry – you still have time. The deadline to register is Oct. 13. Click here for registration information.

Vote by Mail for the First Time – Deadline Oct. 27: Voting has been made more convenient and easier than ever for New Jerseyans who find it difficult to get to the polls. For the first time, you can vote by mail. To be eligible, you must complete the Application for Vote by Mail Ballot, and mail the application to your County Clerk up to seven days prior to the election. The deadline is Oct. 27 to complete the Vote by Mail Ballot. A voter may also apply in person to the County Clerk until 3 p.m. the day before the election. Click here for information regarding voting by mail.

Vote on Nov. 3: Exercise your civic responsibility and vote on Election Day. A democracy only functions properly when our citizens vote. Click here to find your polling location.

Voter Education Tools

Download Poster with Important Dates – Display Prominently: Please click here to download a poster listing these important dates; display in areas frequented by your employees.

Familiarize Yourself with the Candidates: Visit the Chamber’s Election 2009 website to better understand the positions of the candidates. Take advantage of this opportunity to become a more informed voter. Review the wealth of information assembled and share it with others so that they, too, are encouraged to cast a ballot on Election Day. Click here to visit the Chamber’s Election 2009 page.

Candidate Joint Appearances

Gubernatorial Candidates Answer Your Questions Tonight: Emmy Award-winning anchor Steve Adubato and New Jersey’s gubernatorial candidates will participate tonight at 10 p.m. in “On the Line: Decision 2009,” a live prime-time call-in special on THIRTEEN. Adubato moderates as the candidates respond to listener call-in and e-mail questions.

Chamber Social Media

You may also access voter information by becoming a fan on the Chamber's Facebook page and by requesting our Twitter updates.

What's So Great About The Bottom?

There is a long recovery ahead and for companies to survive and thrive over the next several years, they have to maintain the disciplines that got them through the worst of this recession while taking advantage of new opportunities.

For full article appearing in the Chamber's Enterprise magazine, click here.

Projection: Flu Will Strike a Quarter of Workers

Be prepared for 25% of workers to call in sick due to influenza this fall and winter, said Dr. Stuart Weiss, at yesterday's Chamber event on flu planning.

To see coverage of the event in today's Star-Ledger, click here.

New Jersey Firms Get Ready for H1N1

Facility workers are wiping down door handles and elevator buttons at the offices of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

PSEG has handed out flu medicine to its employees and their family members, and has stockpiled ready-to-eat meals for in-office employees and personal protective equipment for workers who work outside company offices.

Hand sanitizers are all over the building at Global Crossing headquarters in Florham Park.

The flu season is here. And this year, companies are taking extra steps to prevent an outbreak of H1N1, known to some as swine flu. In case prevention doesn’t work, they are preparing for the possibility of widespread employee absences. A report delivered to the White House last month suggested H1N1 could infect half the U.S. population, more than double the number that occurs in an average flue season.

“The big companies have in-house experts that handle business continuity issues, but many small and mid-size companies haven’t given thought to what they would do in case of high absentee rates,” said Matt Conlon, vice president of market development at Cantel Medical Corp., a Little Falls-based provider of infection prevention and control products. “There is a lot companies can do.”

Though H1N1 is not as dangerous as experts initially feared, it is easily transmittable, making it a serious concern.

The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a seminar at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Monroe on Sept. 30 that is designed to advise business operators how to plan for and weather a flu outbreak.

“A lot of companies call me and say, ‘Can you give me a template for a pandemic preparedness plan?’” Conlon said. “I don’t do that because every company is very different. They need to ask what’s right for their organizations. At the seminar, we’ll cover every aspect of the physical threats and the threat to business.”

To read full State Chamber story on H1N1 and tips for your business, click here.

NJ Chamber Survey: 54% of Firms had Layoffs

NJ Chamber survey results: 54 percent of companies had layoffs; 49 percent pay freezes and 30 percent reduced hours to weather the recession. The 107 respondents were allowed to choose more than one answer. Eight percent of the respondents reported their firms were doing well and did not need to cut back.

See story on njbiz.com by clicking here.

State Schools Chief Has Breakfast With Chamber

155 of the state's 1,500 public schools are more than 100 years old, said Kris Kolluri, CEO of the NJ Schools Development Authority, at a breakfast with Chamber members this morning.

Over the next 3 years, the SDA will build 52 schools and repair others as part of its $3.9 billion program -- the largest state-funded school initiative in the nation.

"It's an investment in our children; Your future employees," he said.

NJ Chamber 'Among Most Vocal' On Health Care Reform

On health care reform, NJBIZ newspaper today reports:

"The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce has been among the most vocal,
co-founding a national organization, Employers for Quality Health Care, intended
to make sure that state employers’ voices are heard on the issue."

For whole story, click here.

The Great Recession is Approaching Two Years Old

It's approaching two years since the Great Recession began. What steps has your company taken to weather the storm. Take the NJ Chamber Survey by clicking here.

Chamber Responds to Obama's Address On Health Care Overhaul

“The President was eloquent and persuasive about the reforms most of
us agree are necessary. But he was disappointingly silent or vague on those key
issues where details really matter."

-- Jeff Scheininger, Chairman of the Chamber’s Health Initiative.

For Chamber's full response, click here.

NYT: New Jersey Nabs 1,600 Financial Jobs From Lower Manhattan

The New York Times today is reporting that an incentive package offered by New Jersey has convinced Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation to move 1,600 jobs to Jersey City in 2012, but the company will keep its headquarters in Lower Manhattan.

The article reads:

New York is still vulnerable to New Jersey, which offers generous
incentives and where real estate costs are already lower. In February, New
Jersey’s development authority offered Depository Trust a package worth
$74.6 million over 10 years if it moved 1,600 employees to Jersey City when
its Manhattan lease expires in 2012.

For full article, click here

Health Spending Is 17% of GDP, And Growing

"Health-related spending accounts for 17 percent of the nation's gross
domestic product, and it's rising rapidly. If we don't get costs under control, the stress on our economy may be insurmountable."

-- Joan Verplanck, president of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, in today's Star-Ledger.

See Verplanck's quotes in today's Star-Ledger and Record.

New Jersey Chamber Co-Founder of National Health Care Reform Coalition

Business groups from 20 states band together to support meaningful reform

The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce has joined 19 other statewide chambers and employer organizations in an unprecedented alliance that will unify their efforts in the federal health care reform debate. The alliance was launched today.

The group, Employers for Quality Health Care, is an independent coalition that is bringing a unique perspective to the table alongside national business groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers.

The members of the coalition – representing thousands of employers who voluntarily provide coverage for millions of workers and their families – outlined their priorities and suggestions for reform in a letter to President Obama and members of Congress. A copy of the letter can be found here.

“Health-related spending accounts for 17 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product, and it’s rising rapidly,” said Joan Verplanck, president of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. “If we don’t get costs under control, the stress on our economy may be insurmountable. Reform is in everyone’s interest, but it must be done smart and it must be done right.”

State’s First Lieutenant Governor Should be Job Creation Chief

New Jersey this January will get its first lieutenant governor and members of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce are hoping that she or he will focus primarily on making the Garden State an economic juggernaut.

“The lieutenant governor should help address New Jersey’s top priority -- growing the economy and creating jobs,” said Richard Bagger, senior vice president, Worldwide Public Affairs & Policy, at Pfizer Inc. and a former state senator and assemblyman.

“It would send a powerful signal for New Jersey to have its lieutenant governor working together with the governor and across all of the cabinet agencies, as an advocate and ambassador for economic growth and job creation,” Bagger added.

Amy Mansue, president and CEO of Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick, agreed. In a state that has a reputation for high taxes and burdensome business regulations, “the lieutenant governor should be constantly thinking about how (state policies) will impact business and jobs,” said Mansue, who previously served as deputy chief of staff to Gov. James McGreevey and a policy advisor to Gov. Jim Florio. “There is no more important issue than New Jersey’s workforce.”

In November, New Jersey voters will for the first time choose a ticket that includes candidates for governor and lieutenant governor. The new lieutenant governor’s office, approved in a 2005 ballot question, could head a state agency or do whatever the governor asks, according to the measure that creates the position.

Click here to read full article.

A "9/11 Commission" On Corruption

State Chamber chief Lobbyist Jim Leonard is the subject of a Q&A in The Star-Ledger in which he discusses ways to address corruption in New Jersey.

"We would like the governor to empower a blue-ribbon task force similar to the 9/11 Commission that would include elected officials, law enforcement at every level, the Election Law Enforcement Commission, the inspector general -- all together to come up with a list of recommendations in 30 days."

The Cost of Corruption

“A business that’s looking to move to or expand in New Jersey is probably less likely to do it if they think that New Jersey is the Wild West."

That's a quote from New Jersey Chamber lobbyist Jim Leonard from a story on public corruption in this week's NJBIZ newspaper.

In the article, written by Andrew Kitchenman, Leonard called for a panel of state, local and county officials, along with police and federal prosecutors, to conduct a review of the state’s laws regarding conflicts of interest, corruption and ethics.

“It’s clear that the public perception of officials is as low as it probably ever has been,” Leonard said.

Chamber Unveils "Dream Team" to Help Members Land Government Contracts

New Jersey Chamber of Commerce has assembled a “dream team” of experts to help its members land local, state and federal government contracts – a $5 billion market in New Jersey alone.

The three experts, Henry Savelli, Michelle Hermelee and Patrick Guidotti, totaling 70 years experience in government contracting, provide hard-to-find knowledge to give business owners a competitive edge in the complex world of government procurement. “Things have dried up for many companies that have been doing business in the private sector, and they are looking to government for new business,” said Hermelee, founder of Mercerville-based BH SKY Associates. “We can help.”

For companies hungry to beef up their bottom lines, the government is the place to go. The state government puts out about $2 billion in contracts per year – and an additional $3 million in contracts are issued by the state’s 566 municipalities and 574 school districts. Further raising the stakes is the tens of millions of dollars in stimulus money New Jersey is spending over the next few years.

Still, for many business owners, public contracts remain a mystery. Many say they aren’t aware of impending projects and don’t know how to bid for the work. “Through education and training, we help them navigate the bureaucracy and the paper work,” said Savelli, president of Henry Savelli & Associates in Trenton. “ We lift the veil off it.”

The dream team members, who call themselves The Contract Connection, say just about any business can become a government contractor. Federal, state and local governments put out bids for a wide variety of goods and services, such as concrete; computer consulting; exterminating services; food; heavy machinery; janitorial services; light bulbs; office furniture; publishing services; road work; transcription services; soap; uniforms; vehicles and much more.

A free consultation with The Contract Connection, available to all business owners, will determine if companies have the potential to become government suppliers. If the business then hires The Contract Connection team as a consultant, Chamber members get a 10 percent discount on their billing rates.For a free consultation, call Kathy Anderson at (609) 771-2947, or e-mail her at kanderso@tcnj.edu. She is with the New Jersey Small Business Development Center at The College of New Jersey and is handling initial calls to The Contract Connection.