Thank you Tina and Kati!

Thank you to the City of Lakeville's Tina Goodroad and Kati Bachmayer for giving us an update on economic development, the downtown parking study, and our business survey results! If you missed it, you can see the results of the surveys on the new Economic Development page - see below!

See you next month…

NEW Business Resource:

The City of Lakeville has launched a new website to help small businesses and developers find the information they need to thrive in Lakeville. Check out the newly launched site to learn more about small businesses resources, site selection tools, current development activity and more!

Happy Harvest indeed!

Thank you to Dougherty, Molenda, Solfest, Hills, and Bauer P.A. and Wings Credit Union for another fun evening at their annual fall after hours! It was fun to spend the evening with our friends at the Apple Valley and Burnsville Chambers of Commerce as well!

Thank you Burnsville and Savage!

Thank you to our friends at the Burnsville and Savage Chambers for inviting us to join their Meet & Eat Progressive Lunch this month. What a fun concept that allowed us to meet multiple new people throughout our lunch!

ICYMI...another joint event!

If you missed out on the above joint chamber events the last two weeks, no worries – we have another one next week. Our annual Cocktails & Conversations happy hour is Wednesday, November 1st at Valleywood Golf Course in Apple Valley. Join the Chamber team, and members from four other chambers, for some food, drinks, prizes, and connections. There are still spots left if you want to have a display table! Click the image to register.

Reminder – January 1

Minnesota's minimum-wage rates will be adjusted for inflation on Jan. 1, 2024, to $10.85 an hour for large employers and $8.85 an hour for other state minimum wages. The current large-employer minimum wage, $10.59, will increase by twenty-six cents to $10.85. Other state minimum wages, including the small-employer, youth and training wages, as well as the summer work travel exchange visitor program wage, which are all currently $8.63, will increase by twenty-two cents to $8.85. These increases are both 2.5%.

As of Jan. 1, 2024:

Large employers (with annual gross revenues of at least $500,000) must pay at least $10.85 an hour.
Small employers (with annual gross revenues less than $500,000) must pay at least $8.85 an hour.

The training wage rate, $8.85 an hour, may be paid to employees younger than 20 years of age for the first 90 consecutive days of employment.
The youth wage rate, $8.85 an hour, may be paid to employees younger than 18 years of age.

These state minimum-wage rates will not apply to work performed in the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, which have higher minimum-wage rates. Minnesota law requires employers to display five state-mandated posters in a location where employees can easily see them. The new minimum-wage posters are available HERE. As part of Minnesota's employee notice requirement, employers are required to provide each employee with a written notice of any change before the change takes effect, including a change to the employee's rate of pay. Learn more about the employee wage notice requirement HERE.

November 3

Less than 3 weeks away...

Our 3rd annual Women’s Symposium is less than three weeks away. Join us for a day of development, connections, and celebration! One lucky winner will receive a beautiful burgundy & blingy Kate Spade crossbody with $500 cash to spend at our vendor expo! Click the image to register – bring a colleague - or your whole team!

Save the Date - February 1

Mark your calendars. We will honor our 2023 award recipients, including Businessperson of the Year. Watch for registration link next month. If you would like to nominate someone for Businessperson of the Year, please submit to me no later than Friday, November 3.

New episode!

Calling all entrepreneurs!....Logan and I talk with Dr. Harold Torrence, faculty at DCTC, about their Technical Management AAS degree – and why it is a good fit for those of us who would be pursuing education while employed!

FREE SERVICE

Open to Business is a free business consulting resource. Our Dakota County Advisor, Natalie Mouilso, is extremely responsive and excited to help our local business community. You can reach her at nmouilso@mccdmn.org or 952-451-6390.

Member Minute

Tourism Tidbit

Have you ever watched a Bonspiel? Maybe you've seen Curling during the Olympics and got interested in the sport. Right here in Lakeville you can be a fan at the newly remodeled Dakota Curling Club! The venue is located in Downtown Lakeville and features a cool viewing area and bar. Learn to Curl lessons and events available here too! Come watch a Bonspiel this winter!