Shine A Light On Child Abuse By Hosting A Pinwheel Garden

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Paint the town blue with pinwheels during Child Abuse Prevention Month and shine a light on the realities of child abuse & neglect within your community!

Pinwheels symbolize child abuse prevention as they conjure up the idea of a happy and carefree childhood. A safe childhood is something that every child deserves.

Displays are $100 and include 75 pinwheels along with a sign communicating your commitment to child abuse victims in our community. For more information or to place an order, visit www.thecarehouse.com/pinwheel-garden.

Order Deadline: Friday, March 3rd…or while supplies last!

Contact CARE House Outreach Coordinator, Alice Curry Gallego at agallego@thecarehouse.com with questions.

Small Business Tax Questions – Ask the CPA

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Tax season will be here sooner than you think! If you have tax questions, we have tax answers. This live Q&A session with certified CPA and small business tax expert Micah Fraim will take place on Wednesday, February 9th at 1:00 PM.  Get your tax-related questions and concerns answered and receive tax advice you can implement throughout the year. Live online event.

For more information, click here.

Social Media Marketing Strategies for Your Small Business

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Join Marketing expert Patty Ross on Thursday, February 2nd at 1:00 PM for a free online webinar.  She will teach the basics every business owner should know about social media marketing and the latest trends you should follow. Live online event.

For more information, click here.

Nationally Small Businesses Keep Hiring as Federal Reserve Tries to Slow Economy

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As the Federal Reserve increases its effort to cool inflation and the economy, American small businesses have seen a surge in hiring. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, small companies (those with fewer than 250 employees) have been responsible for all the net job growth in the United States and currently account for nearly four out of five available job openings. Starting February 2020, these small establishments have hired over 3.6 million more people than have been laid off or who quit, while larger companies have cut a net 800,000 jobs during that same time.

Small businesses accounted for 78 percent of the U.S. job listings in November 2022, and 91 percent of the post pandemic increase in job openings. While many big companies have laid off workers and/or ordered hiring freezes in recent weeks, small businesses have continued to hire workers at a rapid rate, although many are unable to fill open positions.

However, central bankers have pointed to the labor market as a primary driver of high inflation. The Federal Reserve hiked interest rates seven times last year, bringing U.S. interest rates to their highest level since the global financial crisis, and has plans to continue to increase rates this year to slow the economy. These rate increases are making it harder for small businesses to find outside funding, including personal and small-business loans.

To read the full story, click here.

Florence Stampede And Pro Rodeo Returns To Florence Center

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Bring the entire family to enjoy the animals, special attractions, and great competitions on February 3rd and 4th. Brong riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, team events, barrel racing, wild brahma bull riding, & SO MUCH MORE!

For more information, click here.

Stretch Fusion Mobility Spa Opens In Florence

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The locally owned and operated Stretch Fusion Mobility Spa has its grand opening Saturday at its 1518 Meadors Farm Road location.

The mobility spa helps clients achieve mobility, fitness, and wellbeing by providing facilitated stretch therapy in a spa environment. Stretch Fusion was established in East Tennessee, opening its first location in March 2021, and continues to expand with its 4th location opening in Florence, the first in South Carolina.

Shane and Robin Cox started Stretch Fusion to help others with chronic pain and limited mobility, and to perform better in sports and daily life.

Regular clients include not just those with pain and limited mobility but also those who want to improve performance and recovery such as runners, golfers, and those that play tennis, basketball, football, volleyball, and baseball with clients ranging from teenagers to those in their 90s.

To read the full story, click here.

Chamber Spring Golf Classic Set For Thursday, May 4th

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Join us for a day of golf at the Florence Chamber of Commerce’s Spring Golf Classic at the Traces Golf Club on Thursday, May 4th. This year’s event is sponsored by Raldex Hospitality.  Lunch begins at 11:00 a.m. and tee off at noon.  Each registered golfer will be entered into a drawing to participate in a $25,000 cash shoot out!

For more information, click here.

Save The Date: Chamber’s Building Bridges Diversity & Inclusion Summit

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The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Building Bridges Leadership and Diversity Summit will take place from 9:00 a.m – 3:00 p.m. on Monday, March 20th at the Florence Center.  The cost is $30 per person or $25 per person for groups of 5 or more, which includes continental breakfast and lunch.

For more information, click here.

24th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Held at Francis Marion University

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On Thursday, January 12th, The Florence Chamber of Commerce partnered with Francis Marion University and McLeod Health to host the 24th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. event.  The annual celebration took place at 6:30 p.m. at Francis Marion University’s Chapman Auditorium. This year’s speaker will be Rev. Norman Gamble of New Ebenezer Baptist Church.

To read the full story, click here.

Small Business Session: Protecting & Growing Your Business

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The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, along with Francis Marion University’s Kelley Center for Economic Development, have partnered to present a small business session for individuals looking to network among local entrepreneurs and gain useful insight on protecting and growing a business. The in-person event will take place on Wednesday, February 15th from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM in the Community Room at the Florence Chamber office (100 W Evans St) This workshop will offer advice on intellectual property law and details to understand about how digital marketing is used to grow business. You would be surprised at you need to know to protect your intellectual property of your business and avoid areas of trouble. This session will discuss what your business needs to know about trademarks, copyrights, patents and more – yes, even in small businesses. You will also hear about how to do compete and competitive digital marketing for small business.

Join this small group of individuals for a free lunch sponsored by First Citizens Bank and information you never knew you needed to know about managing a small business. Speakers include Douglas L. Lineberry, a licensed attorney that practices at Burr & Forman, LLP in South Carolina. He practices in the intellectual property practice group with representation including patent, trademark, copyright protection, as well as intellectual property litigation. Josh Richardson is the Sales Director at Influence Digital Agency, LLC in South Carolina and has more than 25 years of experience in building brands and driving revenue through innovative strategies, excellent leadership skills, and meticulous project execution.

For more information, click here.