A catalyst for business growth, a convener of leaders and influencers, and a champion for a stronger community.
MEDA Conference Starts Monday May 22
Register now for the MEDA Montana Economic Developers Association (MEDA) spring conference May 22-24 in Billings. This year’s theme is “What Connects Us Today and Tomorrow.” Discover exciting economic development opportunities, participate in the Rock31 Consumer Product Accelerator Pitch Competition, enjoy a networking social hosted by the Montana Ambassadors, and much more!
Get Ready to Celebrate the Decades with Choteau’s 2023 Independence Day Parade!
The Choteau Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to announce the theme of the 2023 Independence Day Parade: “Celebrating the Decades 1913-2023.” At our May 10th meeting, the Chamber membership voted to select this theme, which will allow us to showcase the history and cultural changes that have occurred in Choteau over the past 110 years.
The parade will take place on July 4th, 2023, and we encourage all residents, businesses, and organizations in the area to participate. The parade is a beloved Choteau tradition that brings our community together to celebrate our nation’s independence, and we can’t wait to see how everyone incorporates the theme into their floats and displays.
We invite participants to choose a decade from 1913 to 2023 and use it as inspiration for their parade entry. You could dress up in vintage clothing, decorate your float with images and symbols from the era, or play music from that decade. You’re also welcome to showcase important events, people, or businesses from Choteau’s history during that decade.
This year’s parade promises to be a memorable one, and we can’t wait to celebrate with all of you. So start brainstorming your ideas and get ready to bring your creativity and enthusiasm to the streets of Choteau on July 4th!
If you have any questions or would like to register your entry for the parade, please contact the Choteau Chamber of Commerce at choteauchamber@gmail.com.
Join us in Conrad for a 2-day bootcamp on all things QuickBooks with Wendy Weissman, CPA! Bring your own laptop or iPad. April 26-27, 9:00 am each day at the Royal Order of Moose in Conrad. After lunch (we provide) Wendy will do one on one training both afternoons.
Choteau’s annual Fireworks Fundraiser is just around the corner, and this year, the event’s organizers are shaking things up with a new approach to the silent auction portion of the fundraiser. Instead of businesses creating individual baskets, the organizers are encouraging local businesses to partner with each other to create high-value baskets for the auction.
The change was made to foster a greater sense of community among local businesses and to ease the burden that fundraising efforts often place on individual businesses. This new approach will allow businesses to collaborate and pool their resources to create unique and exciting baskets for the silent auction.
While the organizers want to encourage businesses to collaborate, they also want to ensure that businesses that have created successful individual baskets in the past are not discouraged from doing so again this year.
As a Chamber member, you have an opportunity to get involved and help make this year’s fundraiser a great success. If you’re interested in participating, reach out to other local businesses and start brainstorming ideas for your auction basket. By working together, we can create something truly special that will benefit the entire community.
We hope you’ll join us in supporting this important fundraiser and in strengthening the bonds between Choteau’s local businesses.
For more info or to donate, please contact Fireworks Fundraiser co-Chair Cody Marney 406-590-5698 or by Facebook Messenger
The Governor’s Conference on Tourism is Montana’s annual gathering of private and public sector partners in the tourism and recreation industries.
Due to limited space, no guest registrations are offered for the conference, meals, or FAM tours. Those wishing to attend any or all of the conference activities, meals, etc. must register as a standard conference attendee and pay the full registration fee. This guarantees each attendee a seat and space at all sessions and all meals.
Small Business Season™ Is Big in Choteau!
Small businesses deserve more than one day of support.
So, we’re issuing a challenge to shop small all season long.
Think about the difference it could make to our businesses and the local economy if everyone pledged to buy one thing a week from a small business, whether that’s a meal, a cup of coffee, a book, a present, a decoration, a service or even a ticket to a local event!
Will you join us in the pledge to:
A Local Business?
Small businesses are a big deal. Let’s show them what they mean to us.
If you’re a small business, visit the Small Business Season website for your free marketing collateral.
https://frankjkenny.com/small-business-season-resource-area/
Before the October 20th Chamber After Hours event kicked off at the Choteau Senior Center, I took a few minutes to visit with Mona VanDeRiet, manager of the Center.
Mona: What’s going on at the Senior Center is our transition from, you might say the forties, fifties, sixties, even seventies to now. There was a time when we had a lot of people here eating; maybe 20, 30 people a day and we’re now down to 10, 12 people. COVID had a lot to do with that. Because of COVID we are now allowing takeout meals. Before Covid, if you could walk through that front door, you had to sit down. The only ones that got takeout meals were the Meals on Wheels. And I think what the big news is here is our thrift store downstairs. Because COVID has affected the people coming in here, the elderly. We are relying on traffic through the thrift store and our thrift store is just thriving. Our manager is Pat Richardson and she, along with Gary Poor, have remodeled our thrift store. It is something that whether you buy anything or not, people should just come and look and see the difference.
Continue reading “Chamber Spotlight: Choteau Senior Center”
An internet connection is crucial for residents for school, work, and staying in touch with friends and family. As such, the Montana Department of Administration’s ConnectMT broadband effort is conducting research to increase broadband access and quality across the state. To meet the needs of as many Montana residents as possible, it is important that officials understand the experiences and opinions of both individuals and community groups.
They are asking residents of Montana, 18 years or older, to take the survey and tell them about your individual experiences and opinions on broadband access. The survey is being administered by Summit Consulting, LLC on behalf of ConnectMT.
In addition, the State of Montana has contracted with Summit Consulting to host a series of outreach sessions across Montana for community leaders. These outreach sessions are crucial to hearing firsthand how internet access (or a lack thereof) impacts your communities. The nearest one to Choteau is at the Heritage Inn in Great Falls on September 13 from 8a-9p, to RSVP for a session, please click here by Friday, September 2.
If you have any concerns or questions about the survey, or have trouble accessing the survey, please contact ConnectMT@mt.gov and one of the research team members will respond as soon as possible.
Thank you in advance for your participation and helping to close the digital divide in Montana.
Original email: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MTDOC/bulletins/32a3284
Do you have a business idea, but don’t know where to start? Are you looking to grow your existing business?
Great Falls Development Authority Small Business Development Center will be hosting a pitch event at Copper Creek Coffee this month and are looking for presenters to pitch their business idea or plan! Â
It’s a few hours to give BUSINESS-MINDED dreamers, thinkers, makers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and community members the space to share ideas, pitch crazy stuff, and meet like-minded peeps.
Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made requested at least two weeks in advance by contacting Tony:
For more information contact:
Tony Peres
Small Business Navigator
Great Falls Development Authority
Tony@GrowGreatFalls.org
1-406-750-2099
Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.