Welcome everyone!  We are so grateful to Depot co-owner Paul Lazzareschi and his team for hosting our Annual Holiday Party. And a huge thanks to our Chamber team—Susan, Kathy and Adrienne—for making it all happen!

This is the time of year we hold our Annual Meeting as well so I’d like to share a few other appreciations and highlights. For the past two years, I have had the privilege of Chairing our amazing Chamber Board of Directors. I’d like to acknowledge in particular four of our retiring Trustees, who together served 20 years on the Board:

Mike Son with the Bank of Marin, Jim Iavarone with Mill Valley Refuse Service, Grilly's owner Jim Revoir Grilly’s owner and Quoc Phan with Tam Bikes. I’d also like to welcome our three new Board members who start in January: Ryan Canepa with Mill Valley Market, Christine Donohue, owner of The Revery and Shavery; and Karl Hasz, Owner of Hasz Construction—who brought us The Depot!!!

A special thanks as well to all our other Board Members who worked hard on your behalf:

• Hunter Moore, CEO of The Redwoods, who will be Chair next year.

• Megan Acio, owner of WIGT, who will be Vice Chair next Year
• Gabe Burczyk, owner of WrapManager who will be Treasurer
• Teresa Rea, our Board Secretary
• Jan Mathews co-owner of Mill Valley Lumber Yard
• Susan Cunningham, co-owner of the Mountain Home Inn
• Armando Gallegos, Co-owner of B12Love
• Tyler Higgins, Partner at Floodwater
• Melinda Neal, owner of Marin Conservatory of Dance
• Kendal Savelli, co-owner of Malugani Tires,
• Susie Turner, owner of Green Door Design; and
• Urban Carmel, MV City Council and ex-officio to our Board

I’m sure you all agree with me that It’s good to be looking at 2021 through the rear-view mirror.  

But it wasn’t all bad. Remember vaccination rollouts in March and our brief taste of freedom in June? While it was short-lived, our appreciation for each other endured.  Indeed, our Executive Director Jim Welte captured so many wonderful Mill Valley moments in his weekly Enjoy Mill Valley Blog posts, which are well worth re-reading in our website archives!

The Chamber tiptoed back to in-person meetings with two wonderful Fall outdoor “After Hours” at the Mill Valley Lumber Yard and Fernwood. A special “shout out” to our Ambassador Team, led by Phil Garratt.

Earlier this month, several thousand residents and visitors enjoyed Winterfest’s outdoor performances, games and a Super Slide.

The City and Chamber continued to work closely together all year, through the Business Vitality Panel, to facilitate new business openings and extend outdoor business uses through next June.  

We supported the City’s workforce housing goals and were very active in the 11-member Marin County Council of Chambers Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force.

And once again, we reached 40,000 plus households with our Annual Enjoy Mill Valley Guide, featuring dozens of local businesses and a full directory of all Chamber members. A special thanks to Chamber team member, Susan Lopes, for spearheading that.

I’ve been very proud to be part of this business community that has been so resilient during Covid--and to lead the Chamber these past two years. I welcome the opportunity to work with our new leadership team in 2022.

And to end on a very high note—I look forward to the Chamber’s exciting initiative to host an outdoor Mill Valley Music Festival on May 7th, 2022.  You’ll hear much more about this fun event in January—but mark your calendars!!

Together with our amazing staff and ambassadors, we will keep working hard in 2022 to shine a light on all of you, our nearly 400 members, who keep this community vital and thriving.

We will get through this! Thank you.

​Questions? Comments? Email us.

Oh boy, did we serendipitously thread the heck out of that needle.
One day after an absolute deluge of rain, and one day before a statewide indoor mandate went into effect – followed by another downpour – we hosted our Enjoy Mill Valley After Hours' Holiday Party, a chance to cap off an incredible, bruising year of highs and lows with some of our favorite people.
It was also a celebration of our hosts, the owners of the Depot Cafe & Bookstore, who navigated a long, complex renovation and restored the centerpiece landmark of downtown Mill Valley, in collaboration with the city.
Thanks to Paul Lazzareschi and his team of investors for being such gracious hosts, to our incredible Chamber Ambassadors for helping to make it happen, to Susan, Kathy and Adrienne for leading the charge and to the incredible businesses who served up a dazzling array of tasty beverages and delicious bites: Bungalow 44, Piazza D’Angelo, Good Earth Natural Foods, Joe’s Taco Lounge, Flour Craft Bakery, Simple Mills and the Depot itself. And thanks to Daniel Patrick for the sound system and the Larry the Hat and BiOAID95 for the mask filters. We're putting our feet up for a minute. We wish you all Happy Holidays and some respite from the tumultuous year in the rearview mirror. We'll take an After Hours break in January in conjunction with the statewide mask mandate through Jan. 15. See you again soon! FULL PHOTOS FROM GARY FERBER!!

(Click the image above to read at a larger size)

Learn more about the rich history of Redwood Credit Union, as well as its deep ties to our local schools, in the videos below:

From the Restaurant Revitalization Fund to the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program, there have been no shortage of relief opportunities for specific industries over the course of the pandemic, though some of them have been plagued by rollout hiccups and clunky application systems.

Now there's a new kid on the block: the California Venues Grant Program, which seeks to support eligible independent live events venues that have been affected by COVID-19 in order to support their continued operation. Eligible independent live event venues must have a physical address and operate in California, which will be validated through submitted business tax returns. If your business tax returns do not reference a California address, you will be deemed ineligible.

But the grant's availability will be short-lived – it opened on Oct. 29 and ends Nov. 19 – so venue operators have to get on this opportunity fast. Nonprofits and businesses can apply. If an organization already received other funding, they can still apply. 

MORE INFO.

APPLICATION.

APPLICATION GUIDE.

If you need support in applying, GO HERE for help.

Last year, the federal government spent over $145 billion with small businesses, buying everything from construction and lab services to dog food and coffee beans. Indeed, government agencies – including city, county, tribal, and state governments – purchase just about everything.

It can, however, be difficult to get your foot in the door as a small business – that's where the Procurement Technical Assistance Center comes in. Join us to discover the opportunities and requirements of the government marketplace, how to conduct relevant market research, find opportunities, which certifications can improve your success, and where to find resources and assistance.

On Wednesday, Nov. 17, 12-1pm, we're hosting a webinar with the Procurement Technical Assistance Center to help you learn to navigate the world of government procurement contracts.

Webinar Topics Include:

• Getting ready to market your goods and services to the government
• Understanding the basic rules and regulations you must adhere to
• Securing and utilizing government certifications to benefit your business
• Conducting market research and learning basic marketing tips and tools
• Learning about opportunities for government contracting and business support from the Norcal PTAC

Here's a guide to getting technical assistance from PTAC.

FREE REGISTRATION REQUIRED: GO HERE TO REGISTER.

Here's a preview to the webinar:

There's been a ton of discussion in Mill Valley and across the country about how hard it has been for employers to bring back their employees and hire new ones.

Despite an unemployment rate of just 2.5% here in Mill Valley, the job boards for the 94941 are loaded with postings, primarily for service industry jobs, spanning grocery store, cafe and retail clerks to salon, pet care and real estate office receptionists. As with most issues, the real reasons employers are struggling to fill openings are complex and nuanced. 
FULL STORY. 

Our focus at the Mill Valley Chamber remains supporting our members. To that end, remember that if you email us your job postings, we will leverage our blogs and myriad social media channels to get the word out, and we're also partnering with our fellow Marin Chambers on a virtual job fair later this year! EMAIL US HERE.

Here's what's available right now:

​Urban Remedy, with more than 100 locations on both coasts, including in Mill Valley and Marin, is hiring part & full time Retail Crew members for their stores all around the Bay Area:
 
Competitive Wage + Tips
$50 Gift Card at Date of Hire
$100 Gift Card after 90 days of employment
Employee discount on all Urban Remedy products
 
More info and apply at urbanremedy.com/careers.

As businesses in Mill Valley and across the country continue to dig out from the wreckage of the COVID-19 crisis, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has made it clear that relief is still available. And in an surprising twist to many, that relief now has a much higher cap.

The SBA announced major modifications to the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program this month, including raising the loan cap from $500,000 to $2 million and adding business debt payments to the list of ways businesses can use the loan proceeds. The department said it was implementing the changes to make it easier for the small business communities still reeling from the pandemic, especially hard-hit sectors such as restaurants, gyms, and hotels, to access the more than $150 billion in funding available for loans. 

The following key changes were announced. All are effective immediately:

• Increasing the COVID-19 EIDL cap from $500,000 to $2 million: Loan proceeds can be used for any normal operating expenses and working capital, including meeting payroll, purchasing equipment, and paying debt. COVID-19 EIDL funds are now also eligible to prepay commercial debt and make payments on federal business debt.
• The SBA said small business owners will not have to begin COVID-19 EIDL repayments until two years after loan origination. Payments are deferred for the first two years (during which interest will accrue), and payments of principal and interest are made over the remaining 28 years. The agency previously had implemented an 18-month deferment period for loans made during 2021.
• Establishment of a 30-day exclusivity window: To ensure Main Street businesses have additional time to access these funds, the SBA said it is implementing a 30-day exclusivity window of approving and disbursing funds for loans of $500,000 or less. Approval and disbursement of loans over $500,000 will begin after the 30-day period.
• Simplification of affiliation requirements: To ease the COVID-19 EIDL application process for small businesses, the SBA established more simplified affiliation requirements to mimic those of the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

The COVID-19 EIDL program, which runs through Dec. 31, offers 30-year loans with fixed interest rates of 3.75% for small businesses, including sole proprietors and independent contractors, and 2.75% for not-for-profits.
The SBA specifically noted that the Restaurant Revitalization Fund RF received 278,304 applications seeking more than $72 billion in assistance, nearly three times the amount appropriated. Funding was quickly exhausted, leaving 177,300 businesses without assistance. The SNA expanded COVID-19 EIDL eligibility from organizations with no more than 500 employees to businesses in the hardest-hit industries that have 500 or fewer employees per physical location, provided the business, together with its affiliates, has no more than 20 locations.
The new rule allows COVID-19 EIDL recipients to use loan proceeds to make debt payments including monthly installments, deferred interest, and pre-payment on business debt. The same payments, except for pre-payments, are now permitted on loans from federal agencies (including the SBA) and licensed Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs).

COVID-19 EIDL recipients may use loan proceeds to pay debt incurred both before and after submitting the loan application. Previously, the funds could be used only for working capital needed to sustain the business until it could resume normal operations.
​
The SBA did add a new regulation limiting entities that are part of a single corporate group to receive a combined total of no more than $10 million in COVID-19 EIDL loans. For purposes of this limit, entities are part of a single corporate group if they are majority owned, directly or indirectly, by a common parent.

MORE INFO.

Are you “Late to the Party” and “Underdressed” on LinkedIn? 

How strong is your online presence? 

Professional branding is known to establish trust, increase your earning potential, position you for growth opportunities and collaboration, establish you as a thought leader and much more. Are you taking full advantage of it? Learn the key elements of creating your Professional Brand online and off. This virtual webinar from Cowgirl Creative Coaching's Angela Dunz, set for Nov. 3, 12-1pm via Zoom, will prepare you to sharpen your LinkedIn engagement.

REGISTER HERE.
​
Here are the facts:

• 70% of your prospects look at your LinkedIn profile first when deciding to contact you or not
• With 774 million members, LinkedIn isn’t going anywhere soon. It is THE business platform
• 80% of the traffic in the newsfeed on LinkedIn is B2B

This workshop will cover:

1. The Top 3 Converting Elements of your Profile
2. Visibility & Profile Optimization (being found for the right thing by the right people)

1. Business Development on LinkedIn in 10 minutes / day

    
We all do business with people – not glass buildings, not brick and mortar. Your professional brand is your reputation and your community’s awareness of you. Bold Brands attract clients and instill trust. 

Do you want your business to take off like a rocket? Craft a strong online personal brand with a clear message. Ensure your ideal client can find you.

On March 11, 2020, representatives from an array of local food-serving businesses gathered at the Mill Valley Community Center for the latest in a series of Zero Waste Marin forums hosted by the City of Mill Valley and the Mill Valley Chamber, all to discuss the components of the County of Marin’s proposed Reusable Foodware regulations.

The new rules would require the use of reusable, compostable and non-bioplastic foodware materials (e.g., plates, bowls, cups, utensils, and trays) at restaurants, grocery stores and delis, bakeries, carry-out, mini marts, farmers markets, food trucks, and other businesses requiring a health permit. The Draft Ordinance, whose primary goal is reducing Marin’s greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of waste going into our landfills, also prohibits the use of single-use plastic foodware items and proposes a 25-cent charge for disposable cups. The food ware ordinance would also span accessories like napkins, cup sleeves, lids, condiments packets, coffee cup spill plugs, stirrers and more. 

Six days after that gathering, of course, the world ground to a halt as we confronted the COVID-19 crisis that refuses to relent 18 months later.

So after a long pause by county officials, they began reviving efforts in May to obtain Board of Supervisors' approval for the food ware ordinance, which would span all of unincorporated Marin, and subsequently the approval of each municipality within Marin. After a period of education and outreach to local governments and their respective business communities, they intend to take the ordinance to the Board of Supervisors in the late fall/winter of 2021, according to Claire Wilson of R3 Consulting Group, which is spearheading the ordinance.

If adopted by supervisors, the new regulations would apply to all food-serving businesses within unincorporated Marin, with subsequent approvals required from each municipality’s city council. There was a virtual workshop on this subject for food businesses on Sept. 15. If you missed it, we've embedded the video at the bottom of this post.

The ordinance would not be enforced until one year after its passage by the supervisors and the respective municipalities throughout Marin, Wilson said. 

Thankfully, Mill Valley has already taken strides to address the reusability of some food ware, including the CommUnity Cup, an innovative, community-centered pilot program born right here in Mill Valley that seeks to replace single-use café cups with a lending system of reusable cups for Mill Valley’ans and others to enjoy, as well as Dispatch Goods, which provides businesses with reusable containers for take out and is running a pilot program in Marin. Containers are primarily stainless steel and glass.

A few bit and bites:

• Aluminum is recyclable and is allowed.
• Dine-in foodware must be reusable
• The front and back areas of restaurants, including areas in public gathering spaces like the hot bar at grocery stories, would require 3-stream collection containers - organic, recyclable and trash.
• Coffee cup lids are exempt until there is a product option that is viable and available.
• Similar to the plastic bag fee that has been in effect for years, government officials won't have a say in how the 25-cent fee is implemented, only that there would have to ne an additional charge for the cup itself. 
• There are some sensitive issues to grapple with, namely how customers' bringing in their own reusable containers mesh with the health and safety regulations of the county’s Environmental Health Services division. For instance, if a customer brings in a reusable cup or bowl, must business' staff use subjectivity to decide if a cup is clean?
• The county is offering a reimbursement of between $100-$500 for a business that wants to implement the requirements now and receive technical assistance to do so. 

As City of Mill Valley Senior Planner and Sustainability Coordinator said at the March 2020 meeting, “You might have thought you were in the food business, but you are also in the waste business.”

Here's a survey on the ordinance for food-serving businesses.

Here's a list of foodware products that would comply with the proposed ordinance:

Click on the images below to see descriptions and larger illustrations of products that are approved and not approved under the proposed ordinance.

The 411: The County of Marin has proposed Reusable Foodware regulations. And here's a list of foodware products that would comply with the proposed ordinance.
​
QUESTIONS? CLICK HERE TO EMAIL CLAIRE WILSON.