​​Week of January 23, 2017

We are now into the third full week of the 45-day “short session.”  The dominant issue still being debated is the Commonwealth’s $1.2 billion budget shortfall, forcing a critical look at spending and taxing priorities in order to bring the budget back in to balance. 

To address the shortfall, the Governor has proposed to use $567 million from the rainy day fund and hundreds of millions in additional spending reductions and tax adjustments. It is not all cuts, however, as the Governor has proposed new spending to address certain priorities as well as comply with mandatory spending requirements related to healthcare and other issues. 
The Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Chris Jones (R-Suffolk) and the Senate Finance Committee Co-Chairmen Tommy Norment (R-James City) and Emmett Hanger (R-Augusta), released a joint statement on Wednesday indicating their budget bills will include a 3% raise for state employees; this was something the Governor had proposed to eliminate. The complete House and Senate budget bills, HB15000 and SB 900, will be released on Monday, February 5.

The Northern Virginia Chamber is continuing to work with the Governor’s office and both chambers of the General Assembly on a number of budget amendments for core Chamber priorities.  Examples of some of the top budget priorities for the Chamber remain:

•    Restoration of funding for GO Virginia
•    Restoration of funding for Global Genomics and Bioinformatics Institute at the Inova Center for Personalized Health
•    Preservation of Cost of Competing Adjustment funding for Northern Virginia schools
•    The addition of funding for George Mason University in support of research, new initiatives, and financial aid.
•    A $1 million increase in funding for the New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program

In addition to addressing the budget, the Chamber is committed to advocating on those bills that will have a disproportionate impact on the business community and our regional business climate. Last week, the Chamber stood in opposition to a bill that sought to ease local government authority to implement single-industry taxes. Senate Bill 956 sought to eliminate the requirement of localities to hold a referendum before implementing a meals tax as well as increase the maximum tax allowable on prepared food from 4% to 8%. This bill failed to pass out of Committee. The Chamber stood in support of a Senate Bill 1296, which would require a three-year waiting period before a meals tax could be placed on the ballot after voters rejected it. This bill would also require localities to clearly state the total amount meals and prepared foods would be taxed.

This year, the Northern Virginia Chamber supports a series of bills designed to improve the tax atmosphere for business across our region.  The Chamber is working with Del. Tim Hugo (R-Fairfax) to put forth a bill, House Bill 1961, that creates a level playing field for businesses as it relates to appointment of BPOL Tax - this bill was approved on a unanimous vote of 18-0 in the House Finance Committee and is now scheduled for the uncontested calendar on the House floor. 

As it relates to transportation, the two top priority items the Chamber is putting its full support behind bills patroned by Del. Jim LeMunyon in the House, and Senator George Barker in the Senate, which will formally approve language to establish the federally mandated Metro Safety Commission.  Approving these bills is critical to building upon the renewed safety culture at Metro, and will ensure that millions of federal transportation dollars dedicated to transit across Virginia are not put at risk. Delegate LeMunyon’ s bill advanced from sub-committee last week, both bills will now be heard by the full Senate and House transportation committees.

Additionally, the Chamber strongly supports implementation of a floor to the regional motor fuels tax in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.   The bill, carried by Senator Frank Wagner, was approved by the Senate Finance transportation subcommittee last week, and will be heard by the full Senate finance committee this week.  Senator Wagner’s bill would implement a technical fix necessary because of a legislative oversight that was part of the landmark 2013 transportation law, HB2313.  Due to this oversight, Northern Virginia has experienced a shortfall of $35 million for road and transit funding.
 
In addition, the Chamber worked with a number of business organizations to support Senator Dave Marsden’s bill SB 1468, which streamlines towing regulations in Northern Virginia, lowers the administrative burden on businesses, and creates new consumer protections with regard to towing.
We have had an active session thus far engaging in member-supported bills that aim to strengthen the business climate in the Commonwealth, and will continue to do so throughout the entire session.  To keep up to date on the Chamber’s efforts in Richmond, be sure to follow the weekly recap and Doing Business newsletters, as well as participate in the weekly General Assembly update conference call each Friday morning at 8:00 AM.  Call in information is below:

Call-in number: (641) 715-3580
Passcode: 899-689  

Week of January 16, 2017
​
The Virginia General Assembly convened on January 11th and we are now into the second full week of the 45 day “short session.”  Like any other session, the General Assembly will consider thousands of bills and, this year, countless amendments to the two-year budget approved last year.   Hovering over the session, however, is the Commonwealth’s $1.2 billion budget shortfall, forcing significant changes in order to bring the budget back in to balance. 

To address the shortfall, the Governor has proposed to use $567 million from the rainy day fund and hundreds of millions in additional spending reductions and tax adjustments. It is not all cuts, however, as the Governor has proposed new spending to address certain priorities as well as comply with mandatory spending requirements related to healthcare and other issues. 

The Northern Virginia Chamber has been working with the Governor’s office and both chambers of the General Assembly on a number of budget amendments for core Chamber priorities.  Examples of some of the top budget priorities for the Chamber include:
​

• Restoration of funding for GO Virginia
• Restoration of Funding for Global Genomics and Bioinformatics Institute at the Inova Center for Personalized Health
• Preservation of Cost of Competing Adjustment funding for Northern Virginia schools
• The addition of funding for George Mason University in support of research, new initiatives, and financial aid.
• A $1 million increase in funding for the New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program

 
In addition to addressing the budget, the Chamber is committed to advocating on those bills that will have a disproportionate impact on the business community and our regional business climate. Last week, the Chamber stood in opposition to a series of Senate bills (SB785, SB978) which would have mandated in increase in minimum wage, and we will do so when similar business mandate bills are heard in House committees. The Senate bills failed to pass out of Committee.

The Chamber has supported a series of bills designed to improve the tax atmosphere for business across our region.  This year, the Chamber has worked with Del. Tim Hugo (R-Fairfax) to put forth a bill that creates a level playing field for businesses as it relates to appointment of BPOL Tax - this bill will be before a Commerce and Labor Subcommittee this week.  
 
As it relates to transportation, there are two top priority efforts that the Chamber is putting its full support behind.  Bills patroned by Del. Jim LeMunyon in the House, and Senator George Barker in the Senate, will formally approve language to establish the federally mandated Metro Safety Commission.  Approving these bills is critical to building upon the renewed safety culture at Metro, and will ensure that millions of federal transportation dollars dedicated to transit across Virginia are not put at risk.

Additionally, the Chamber strongly supports implementation of a floor to the regional motor fuels tax in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.   Bills carried by Sens. Frank Wagner and Chap Petersen in the Senate, would implement a technical fix necessary because of a legislative oversight that was part of the landmark 2013 transportation law, HB2313.  Due to this oversight, Northern Virginia has experienced a shortfall of $35 million for road and transit funding.
 
The Chamber is looking forward to once again hosting its annual lobby day and legislative reception - Viva Virginia - this this Thursday in Richmond. Chamber board leaders, member companies, and staff will have a full schedule of meetings with decision makers from across the Commonwealth and Northern Virginia including Governor McAuliffe, Lieutenant Governor Northam, Speaker Howell, and Senator Minority Leader Saslaw. Lobby day will be followed by Viva Virginia which provides a great chance to interact with elected leaders, key influencers, and fellow chamber members.  For more information, and to register for Viva Virginia, please follow this link.
 
We have had an active session thus far engaging in member supported bills that aim to strengthen the business climate in the Commonwealth, and will continue to do so throughout the entire session.  To keep up to date on the Chamber’s efforts in Richmond, be sure to follow the weekly recap and Doing Business newsletters, as well as participate in the weekly General Assembly update conference call each Friday morning at 8:00 AM.  Call in information is below:

Call-in number: (641) 715-3580
Passcode: 899-689 

​Corporate Storytelling: 10 Ways to Find Your Story
Willona M. Sloan

​This is the second post in the three-part storytelling series. To learn about why your company should be investing in its storytelling strategy, please read the first post.  

Now that you’re onboard with storytelling, it’s time to think about how to generate the best stories to tell. 
Without even realizing it, you have a wealth of content that will serve your strategy. Start developing a year-long editorial calendar by looking at the different buckets where you can develop content.

Here are 10 topics every company can use to develop a storytelling strategy:

1. Results. How has your company created solutions, solved problems, and achieved results? Telling results-focused stories is the best way to attract new clients. This is your chance to shine. Be sure to make your story worth reading. Include different voices and photos to help tell a story that people will want to share.

2. Influencers. Find those influential voices in your field and ask them to share why they love your company. The temptation will be to have your communications director do some ghostwriting. Cease and desist. Be authentic. Let people say why they love you in their own words.

3. Corporate social responsibility. Does your company organize staff volunteer events? Do you give corporate donations or sponsorships? Sharing your work in the community helps to promote your services and build goodwill. 

4. Annual meetings. Your annual conference or other meetings offer a great source of interesting content. Write pre-event previews, which can include interviews with presenters about their areas of expertise. During the event, try interviewing attendees to develop stories that can be shared both during and after the conference. 

5. New products. Are you waiting until just before your launch to let people know about your new amazing product that will change everything? You can build anticipation without letting the cat out of the bag. 
Let your clients know that something exciting is coming so they can keep an eye on you. Share reports and recent news to establish the need for your product. Explain how your product will address this need. By the time your product launches, you will be poised to sell. 

6. Staff. Increasingly, people want to do business with people they feel like they know. Go beyond the bio. Show who your staff is and how they make a stellar team that can achieve results.

7. Industry leaders. Do you have an awards program where you name the top people in your industry? Develop profiles of your award recipients. 

8. Industry news. Write stories that show your company is a leader in the field. You understand the problems that need fixing and your company is ready to create solutions. 

9. Corporate mission and values. How does your company carry out your mission every day? Your company’s mission and values are not static sentences on your website. Create stories that show your mission and values in action. 

10. Customer feedback. When people say they like your service, follow up. If you do feedback surveys, provide an option for customers to give permission to publish their quotes. Also ask for permission to follow up to get the full story. You could find some exciting gems. 

Willona Sloan provides content creation and storytelling training to help companies and nonprofit organizations engage, inform, and generate revenue. Learn more at willonasloan.com. 

Stories Sell. Are You Telling Your Story? 
Best Practices for Corporate Storytelling
Willona M. Sloan

​How well are you telling your company’s story? How often do you update your clients on your new services? When do you tell people about your successes?   

In the current marketplace, ads aren’t enough. Facebook posts aren’t enough. Twitter isn’t enough. For the best results, these pieces should work together with an integrated storytelling strategy. 

Stories sell. Companies like Hurley (owned by Nike), Google, Starbucks, and Boeing use strategic stories to build brand loyalty, promote their products, and share their company’s mission and vision. 

Your company should be using storytelling (both print and video stories) to communicate core corporate values, to highlight your products and services, and to let people know about all the ways that your organization gives back to the community. 

Storytelling should be part of your company’s overall marketing and communications strategy, but it should also involve every member of your organization. As you plan for 2017, think about how you can integrate a storytelling culture into the way that you do business. 

Use these six corporate storytelling best practices to get started: 

1. Engage and connect with your customers. To do that, you need to think of your corporate stories as a way to both entertain and inform. Get creative. 

2. Share diverse voices. Use more than one author for your stories. Identify people—staff, clients, industry leaders—who can share a range of perspectives. 

3. Set a regular editorial schedule. Develop a year-long strategy for creating and disseminating stories. Take advantage of annual events and meetings, volunteer events, and other corporate activities to start building out your editorial calendar. 

4. Solicit ideas from across your organization. Ask your staff for ideas. You will find that stories come everywhere: from the finance team to the product development division to the custodial staff. 

5. Show results. Whether you are highlighting your community partnerships or client success stories, make sure that you demonstrate how your company gets results. 

6. Show some personality. Have fun, inspire, motivate. Demonstrate personality through your company’s stories. 

7. Use storytelling best practices. There’s nothing more annoying than being sucked in by click bait. If you promise a story then deliver one -- not a case study or a press release or a marketing brochure. Give them a story that’s moving and informative. Make reading your story worth the effort.  
Stories can be published on your website, in your newsletters, and in your annual report. If your company has a blog that’s grown static, now’s the time to create a thoughtful strategy (or let it die altogether if it’s a disaster). 

A true storytelling strategy requires planning and investment. It’s worth it. 

Willona Sloan provides content creation and storytelling training to help companies and nonprofit organizations engage, inform, and generate revenue. Learn more at willonasloan.com.