Make new business contacts at the next Nothing but Networking breakfast Friday, July 10.  The breakfast will be at 7:30 a.m. at Eldorado Country Club, 2604 Country Club Drive.

Presented by the Women’s Alliance of McKinney, tickets are $15 for WAM members who register and pay in advance or at the door, and $25 for Chamber members and prospective members.  To make a reservation online go to www.mckinneychamber.com.  Click Upcoming Events then Chamber Calendar. Credit card payments are taken online.  For additional assistance, contact Sharon Montgomery at 972.542.0163 or smontgomery@mckinneychamber.com. Cancellations must be made in advance or will otherwise be invoiced. 

Sponsored by DiscountsinMcKinney.com.

This program is designed to increase the awareness of Chamber members’ special events in the community or program offers to other Chamber members by sending an e-mail blast to the Chamber membership at a regularly scheduled interval.  Approximately 1,600 contacts are reached.  The following are guidelines to participate in this program. 

• The charge is $45.00 for a 3 month period for each program, event or offer promoted.
• Changes to offer will be $25.00 per change.
• Single month rate is $25.
• The e-mail blast will be sent by the McKinney Chamber the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday of the month.
• Information is limited to one paragraph (50 words or less) and one picture in a .jpg format.
• Information must be submitted by e-mail to the Membership Services Director 4 working days prior to e-mail date.
• Information must be formatted by sender. 
• All information is subject to approval and editing by the Membership Services Director.

For more information, contact Kimberly Weeks at 972.542.0163 or kweeks@mckinneychamber.com.

Help the McKinney Chamber of Commerce welcome the newly hired McKinney ISD educators and administrators to our city!  The New Teacher Welcome Breakfast will be Wednesday, August 12 at McKinney Boyd High School, 600 North Lake Forest Drive beginning at 7:30 a.m.

Sponsorship opportunities and gift donation opportunities are available.  For more information, contact Sharon Montgomery at 972.542.0163 or smontgomery@mckinneychamber.com.  Title sponsor is Medical Center of McKinney.

We have come up with fifty different categories for our readers to "vote" for the businesses and places they think should be honored.  You may vote for one or vote for all.  You can vote on-line at www.McKinneyLiving.com.  We are only going to count one vote per person so you may want to get your customers and friends involved.  All ballots and votes must be received by 5:00 pm on Friday, July 31^st.  We will publish the results and honor the winners in our October "Business" issue.  Then for the next year you can not only say you are #1, but you will be able to prove it!

In these difficult economic times, your Chamber continues to provide tools which will help your business succeed. 

If you have not already done so, now is the time to check into your Chamber Electric Coalition.  Now, more than ever, it is important to watch your bottom line.  If you haven't shopped the competitive electricity market, you are paying too much!  There is no cost, or obligation, to get a savings comparison to your current electricity rate.

For more information, contact our electricity broker, Jason O'Krent at 888.822.9090 x104 or okrent@foxsmolen.com.

You may not realize it, but when you’re making a local purchase you are not only acquiring a new product or service – you are also helping a McKinney business keep their doors open.

With the current downturn in the economy, keeping businesses open – and keeping jobs – is top of mind. While the North Texas region has weathered the economic storm better than most parts of the state, we are not completely immune to suffering the ills of a down economy. That’s why it’s important that we all do our part to be part of the cure.

When making a purchasing decision think local first. Keeping dollars circulating in McKinney will help build a vibrant community. It will help keep McKinney businesses operating and providing jobs to the local workforce.

A great place to find the business you are looking for is the Chamber’s Website – www.mckinneychamber.com. You can search our Member Directory by category to find the product or service you are looking for!

Due to many requests, we will be accepting applications for the Leadership McKinney program through Friday, July 10 at 5:00 p.m.  Don’t miss out on the opportunity to be considered for a spot in the 2009-2010 class.  Click here to download the application.

For more information, contact Deb Fitzgerald at 972.542.0163 or dfitzgerald@mckinneychamber.com.

The McKinney Chamber of Commerce recently received recognition for the Annual Report 2008 at the annual Texas Chambers of Commerce Executives conference.  The Annual Report 2008 received second place in the brochure category of Chambers whose total income is $600,000 and above.

TCCE is an organization of chamber executives from across the state, working together to improve the business climate in Texas, while developing ways to enhance the quality of life in the communities that they represent.

Paying your invoices is now one step easier. With the Chamber’s new website you can log into the Members Only portal which gives you the ability to view and pay invoices online. For more information or to receive your login credentials, please email Tye Even at teven@mckinneychamber.com. Visit the Chamber website at www.mckinneychamber.com.

Want to get the most out of your Chamber membership? Learn more about the programs, services and products available at the Chamber. The next Benefits and Breakfast is set for Thursday, July 16 from 8:15 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Chamber office, 1650 W. Virginia Street, #110. The breakfast is free. To register, contact Mary Mac Brock at 972.542.0163 or info@mckinneychamber.com.

Michael Crise, Farmers Insurance Agent in McKinney, has been inducted into the Farmers’ “Topper Club” and invited to attend the 2009 annual meeting of Farmers’ top sales producers.  Crise is being recognized by Farmers for outstanding sales achievements during 2008.

“Farmers congratulates and is proud to welcome Michael to this year’s Topper Club.  Michael is committed to providing quality insurance coverage and industry-leading service to Farmers’ customers,” noted Executive Vice President of Field Operations, Jerry Carnahan.

The Topper Club convention will give Crise an opportunity to meet with other top Farmers agents and district managers to discuss local, state and national trends and activities affecting the insurance business in their communities.

Crise represents Farmers Insurance through the local agency located at 175 Ridge Road, Suite 600.