ing" business news, special sales, per- sonnel chances, etc. • An appearance on the local cable TV program titled "Your Chamber Today." Interviewed by long-time chamber member Gordon Muir, the business owner highlights his or her store or company, reading a commer- cial in the process. The Channel 15 telecast, donated by MediaOne, fea- tures six businesses per month. • Free consultation with a member of the Service Corps of Retired Executives, a business-counseling orga- nization sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Retired busi- ness executives fi-om SCORE volunteer their time and expertise to consult with small business owners on their prob- lems. • Access to the chamber area's busi- ness computer database, mailing lists and labels. • Opportunities to sponsor meetings and programs for members and guests. • Discounted group insurance pro- grams and other group services. • A number of business network- ing programs, including business card exchanges, awards luncheons, an annual golf outing and other social/business events throughout the year. "Wake Up West Bloomfield" is a monthly 8 to 9 a.m. networking ses- sion usually hosted by a new business or one that has undergone renovation or expansion. "Network at Night" is a monthly 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. session at a different business site each month. One of the chamber's biggest and most popular programs each year is the annual Art Festival held in June on the grounds of the Henry Ford Medical Center. Herman Frankel, head of the Herman Frankel Organization, was chairman of the festival in 1998. "He dressed up the show and gave it a real touch of class, leading to well-deserved recognition in the com- munity," said Schneider. "Gordon Muir took over the festival this year and kept up that tradition." Frankel, who has beer"' in the building business for 47 years, is a past chamber president and has served on the board for 15 years. "It's easy for me to participate in the chamber of commerce because of the nature of my business," he pointed out. But its tough for the small retail merchant who may work 12 hours a day and be involved in a real competitive business environment. "Sometimes they are just too tired or don't have the time to attend meet- ings or take part in activities. So, we really have our work cut out for us to get and keep retail business people as chamber members. I give a lot of credit to the store owners who are active in the organization." Sy Warshawsky of State Farm Insurance is a charter member of the chamber, a past president and current board member. He's been in the insur- ance business for 35 years, and used to sell insurance to the farmers who popu- lated West Bloomfield before stores and offices were built. His office has been on Orchard Lake Road for 30 years. He feels that his affiliation with the'cham- ber means at least a 10 percent increase in business each year. When new businesses started springing up in the area, I used to go door to door trying to get new mem- bers for the chamber of commerce," he recalled. "Lack of office manpower pre- vents me from doing that now, but I talk up the chamber as much as I can among the local business community. "Because of the fierce competition, it used to be difficult to unify the store owners in the various strip malls and get them to sit together as chamber members to try to solve our problems, or work on joint programs for the com- munity. However, there's a more har- monious spirit of cooperation among the business owners now. More people seem to want to contribute back to the community ... The chamber of com- merce is definitely a strong force in this community" Chamber members also participate in community service programs that may not directly affect their bottom line profits, but help spread good will among residents. Szwak serves on a West Bloomfield Schools advisory committee that conducts mock job interviews with high school students. We then critique the oral inter- views and the resumes they submit, and provide the feedback to the stu- dents," he said. "Many of them need a great deal of help on resumes. We tell the students the same thing. They had better make sure the resumes are correct, or they'll get off on the wrong foot with the prospec- tive employer. The students, teachers and administrators agree that these mock interviews help prepare the youngsters for a business future." Annual dues to join the chamber . are $165 for businesses with 10 employees or less; $195 for 11-21 employees; $220 for 22 to 100, and $275 for 100 or more. Elected offi- cials pay $120 yearly. Li IT GETS CHItOREN TO SCHOOL. I T HELP GET THEM TO COLLEGE. See the all new 2000 S40/V40 Today! 248-624-0400 OPEN SATURDAY on Maple Rd. 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