Business Glance

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Chamber’s ‘Bingo and Beer’ virtual mixer on Wednesday

The Yuma County Chamber of Commerce will hold a “Bingo and Beer” virtual mixer at 5 p.m. Wednesday. The event, free to all chamber members, will be sponsored by Takos & Beer.

“We can’t get together in person, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do something fun together. Grab your favorite beer (or other beverage) for some online fun at our virtual mixer,” the chamber noted.

advance registration is required so the chamber knows where to send bingo cards. all registrants get one bingo card per game. Everyone who submits a receipt from Takos & Beer dated between Jan. 11-18 to kimberly@yumachamber.org will get an extra bingo card for an extra chance to win.

registration will end when the event reaches a capacity of 50 attendees or at 11:55 p.m. on Tuesday (whichever comes first) so be sure to register early. To register, go to www.yumachamber.org.

Gratitude Referral Network dinner meeting on Jan. 25

Gratitude referral network is hosting a networking dinner meeting at 6 p.m. monday, Jan. 25, at Brewers restaurant and Sports Bar, 2191 S. 32nd St., located on the second floor of the Yuma International airport (free validated parking).

Learn how to use the power of gratitude to grow your business. at each meeting of Grn, Yuma’s newest networking group, a different member of the group gives a 10-minute presentation on their business.

The meeting is free; just be ready to order food. Bring your business cards and grab a friend

Workforce webinar for employers set for Jan. 26

The Center for the Future of arizona, in partnership with the

Yuma County Chamber of Commerce and Greater Yuma Economic development, will present a free webinar titled “Yuma County: Getting Your Workforce Back to Work” from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 26.

Organizers invite Yuma County retail, hospitality and service employers to attend the presentation to learn about ways the industry is adapting and hear about ways employers are positioning themselves to attract, retain and upskill workers.

The sponsor, retailWorks aZ, is initiative-driven to help make it easier and faster for retail workers to move up the career ladder.

Virtual session Zoom link: https:// asu.zoom.us/j/82181236363. For more information, email: Orlando.

Cazarez@arizonaFuture.org.

Friday deadline for virtual citrus clinic for backyard growers

registration for the maricopa County Cooperative Extension master Gardeners’ 2021 Virtual Citrus Clinic closes Friday, Jan. 22. Evening sessions will be held Jan. 25-28 with limited seating.

The clinic will feature state citrus experts, including university of arizona faculty and local professionals, including dr. Glenn Wright, associate professor and extension specialist at the university of arizona Yuma agricultural Center.

The cost is $15 for the entire seminar series. registration will give access to all nights of the online seminar. Participants can join one, a few, or all of the sessions.

To register, go to https://tinyurl. com/y8nyqhqj.

Arizona Commerce Authority continues Boot Camp webinars

The arizona Commerce authority regularly hosts Small Business Boot Camp webinars, with speakers sharing strategies on navigating these unprecedented times and making important mentorship connections. The webinars are held from 9-10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays with occasional extra sessions.

Here are the upcoming webinars:

• Jan. 19 – Bringing Your Brand to Life: Featuring local branding agency, Blaze Experts. Learn how to brand your business with a customer-focused approach, using Blaze Experts’ 360º Brand Engagement tool.

• Jan. 20 – Special Session: Paycheck Protection Program and Stimulus Programs: update on PPP loans, Employee retention Tax Credit and all other stimulus programs that were established or updated in the recent stimulus bill signed on dec. 27, featuring the experts at BeachFleischman and The Idea Gardener.

• Jan. 21 – Scaling Back up: rebuilding a Better Business for 2021: Hear Trainual’s founder and CEO, Chris ronzio, discuss how to leverage the changes you were forced to make due to COVId-19 into a positive impact on your business in the new year. Learn how to position your product as a niche and reach your target market, work with assets already available to you, build repeatable processes, hire only when necessary and more.

To register and/or see upcoming or archived webinars, go to https:// www.azcommerce.com/small-business-boot-camp.

$5K scholarship program recognizes ethical behaviors

Better Business Bureau Serving the Pacific Southwest encourages integrity and ethical behavior in the community, and the BBB Ethical Torch Essay helps students recognize these actions at an early age.

The Ethical Torch Essay Scholarship honors students who have chosen ethics and integrity when faced with a dilemma.

“Ethics is doing the right thing even though no one is looking or if there are consequences for speaking up. By promoting trust and ethical conduct with students, they will be able to model that behavior when they enter the workforce,” said Faustine Chan, director of business and community programs.

The program aligns with BBB’s annual Torch awards for Ethics which celebrates companies for upholding outstanding integrity throughout their business operations.

Students are invited to write a 400-word essay on “The Importance of Ethics and Integrity in our Community.” The essay challenges students to dive into inner-conflict while describing resolution tactics for their unique encounters with ethics and integrity. High school students in Greater arizona are eligible to apply and five winners will each be awarded $500 to $1,500 in scholarships to be used for college tuition and expenses.

To submit an application or to learn more, visit torchessay.bbbcommunity.org. Submissions will be accepted through Oct. 10. Winners will be announced at BBB’s Torch awards for Ethics celebration in the fall and on the website.

Charter launches advanced robocall blocking with Call Guard

Charter Communications announced the launch of Call Guard, a feature for both Spectrum Voice and Spectrum Business Voice customers that automatically blocks malicious robocalls and sends caller Id alerts for other suspicious telemarketing calls.

Call Guard will be automatically activated and provided at no additional charge to Spectrum Voice and Spectrum Business Voice customers.

“robocalls are consistently the FCC’s most frequent consumer complaint, and we understand these unwanted or fraudulent calls are not only a nuisance, but can also pose a security threat,” said Carl Leuschner, Spectrum’s senior vice president of internet and voice products. “We are making Call Guard automatically available to all our customers as part of our commitment to providing quality products that prioritize safety and security.”

Call Guard monitors incoming calls and applies advanced analytics to appropriately score and categorize them. The scoring system helps differentiate between fraudulent calls and robocalls that are delivering important information from organizations like schools or health care providers. malicious robocalls are automatically blocked while suspicious telemarketing and spam calls are delivered with a caller Id alert, notifying customers of a “Spam risk.”

Customers can access Call

Guard through their voice portal at Spectrum.net or Spectrumbusiness. net to personalize their experience. Through their voice portal, customers have the ability to view which numbers have been blocked, add additional blocked numbers, add allowed numbers to ensure important calls are delivered, or turn off the Call Guard feature.

more information about Call Guard can be found at spectrum. com/callguard and spectrum.com/ home-phone.

$500K in grants available to nonprofits fighting opioid epidemic

Blue Cross Blue Shield of arizona is awarding up to $500,000 in grants to assist organizations that are fighting the opioid epidemic and substance use disorder by increasing access to life-saving services.

The substance use disorder grants will be awarded to arizona nonprofit organizations, academic institutions and government entities that are seeking resources to further their work related to prevention, treatment, resilience and recovery for substance use disorder.

Organizations may request up to $100,000 for projects that are addressing substance use disorder and at least one of three complicating factors: COVId-19, social determinants of health, and/or co-occurring mental health conditions. Selected projects will be funded for a 12-month term, beginning april 1.

The grant program is part of mobilize aZ, BCBSaZ’s public health movement, which among other activities, invests in community organizations that are working to address several health concerns facing arizonans, including substance use disorder. arizona declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency in 2017 and since then, BCBSaZ has awarded more than $3.4 million in grants to organizations that are dedicated to tackling opioid misuse and substance use disorder.

“There is no better investment we can make than solving arizona’s most critical health issues,” said

Pam Kehaly, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of arizona. “Our organization is committed to addressing the rise in substance use disorder in arizona; something that has only been exacerbated by the COVId-19 pandemic. By supporting the organizations that are doing important work in this field, we can amplify the impact and make real change for families and communities.”

This new round of grant funding will continue to build upon the work being done through mobilize aZ and its partners. 2021 grant proposals will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 11. more information and proposal guidelines can be found at mobilizeaz.com/substance-use-disorder-grant-program.

APS shares energy-saving tips

national Cut Your Energy Costs day was marked on Jan. 10, but arizona Public Service noted that energy-saving tips can help customers save money at all times.

Here are ways customers can start saving energy and money in 2021:

Install a smart or programmable thermostat – Customers can set it and forget it while saving money year-round with a smart or programmable thermostat that automatically adjusts their heating and cooling settings. aPS customers can comparison-shop thermostat models and take advantage of rebates up to $105 at marketplace. aps.com, the online aPS marketplace for energy-efficient appliances and products.

Switch to LEd light bulbs – not only do LEds consume up to

90% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs, but they also last up to 25 times longer and emit less heat. While supplies last, aPS customers can receive a free LEd light bulb kit at aPS marketplace.

Schedule maintenance checkups – Take advantage of the cooler months in arizona to schedule maintenance checkups on appliances such as aC units and pool pumps to keep them running as efficiently as possible before you need them most.

Schedule a free Virtual Energy Checkup – aPS energy efficiency advisors will walk customers through a personalized virtual tour of their own homes giving tips on how and where to save energy and money. To sign up for this free consultation, call 888-663-2734.

Create an online home energy profile – In less than five minutes, customers can complete an online survey to see how efficient their home is and get potential savings estimates and energy savings recommendations that make sense for their lifestyle. Visit aps.energysavvy. com to get started.

In addition to following these tips, simply switching service plans for when and how a household uses energy could save a customer hundreds of dollars annually. monthly aPS bills show customers if and how much they could save on a different plan, and customers can compare and switch plans by logging into aps.com. also, customers can set up Budget Billing and arrange payment plans based on their needs.

If someone needs help paying electric bills, aPS offers a variety of customer assistance programs that can provide qualified customers with monthly discounts and other support.

To explore available resources, visit aps.com/support or contact the aPS Customer Care Center. advisors are available to assist in English and Spanish 24/7 at 602-371-7171 or 800-253-9405.