UNITY GROUP HOSTS FREE BUSINESS WORKSHOPS

Since October 2011, The Unity Group has offered free monthly workshops to local businesses entitled Monthly Brew.  Guest speakers are invited into Unity’s training center to educate business leaders on a variety of topics to help with sustainability, efficiency, productivity and profitability.

Topics include marketing, bookkeeping, HR, tax planning, and Social Media.  All topics are taught in a comfortable, non-sales atmosphere.  Monthly Brew workshops are held on the second Tuesday of every month from 8am until 9am at 110 Unity Street, Bellingham.  There is no cost to attend but registration is required.

The next workshop is titled HR 101 for Small Businesses and will be taught by Patricia Dye of HR Consulting NW, LLC.  Patricia has over 20 years of experience in human resources in multiple industries.

For more information on upcoming workshop topics and instructions on how to register, please visit http://www.theunitygroup.com/monthlybrew.html.

UNITY GROUP DONATES $5,000 TO BELLINGHAM FOOD BANK

The Unity Group is pleased to announce in lieu of corporate gifts they have chosen to make a $5,000 donation to the Bellingham Food Bank’s – Food Bank Fresh program.  Unity was a founding sponsor of this program last year and with its success is happy to continue supporting the program.  Their founding contribution resulted in the production of 8,000 pounds of food to the food bank throughout 2012.   “We are hopeful this contribution will provide over 10,000 visitors per month to the food bank with fresh, locally grown, organic produce throughout 2013,” says Barry Hanson, President of The Unity Group. 

For more information about the Food Bank Fresh program, please visit the Bellingham Food Bank’s web site at www.bellinghamfoodbank.org. 

UNITY GROUP TO SPEAK AT NW FOOD PROCESSOR’S EXPO

Andy Billingsley, Employee Benefits Specialist at The Unity Group Insurance and Employee Benefits will be a guest speaker at the 99^th Annual NW Food Processors Expo and Conference to be held in Portland, Oregon, January 14^th-16^th, 2013.  Andy, partnered with Kristine Bingman Esq. of Vigilant, will speak on the latest components of the Health Care Reform debate, the Affordable Care Act, IRS rules, and creative cost control strategies.  Human Resource Professionals who attend their session will earn 1.5 HRCI credits.  This session is among 40 educational opportunities available during the conference.

The expo will host over 400 exhibitor booths and will attract over 3000 industry professionals from around the world.  Limited free tickets are available to individuals from the food processing industry who would like to attend this event.  Please contact Amanda Brock at amandab@theunitygroup.com for more details.

For more information about the NW Food Processors Expo and Conference, please visit the organization’s website at http://www.nwfpa.org/expo2013.

FREE FLOOD INSURANCE WORKSHOPS FOR LENDERS AND REALTORS

The Unity Group Insurance will be hosting two free workshops on Flood Insurance Essentials on October 22^nd (4-5pm) and October 23^rd (8-9am).  Both sessions will be held at 110 Unity Street in Bellingham.  The workshops will be taught by a Certified Floodplain Manager who is flying in from Arizona specifically for these courses. 

Talking points include: The Definition of Flood, Flood Zone Determination, Mandatory Purchase Agreements, and Coverage Requirements.  Attendees are encouraged to submit questions prior to the event as the presenter would like to address as many inquires as possible in the allotted time. 

“We feel it’s necessary to provide as much education as possible to local lenders and realtors on the National Flood Insurance Program," said Amelia Mendenhall, Personal Insurance Agent. "By providing information to other local professionals to better educate buyers in Whatcom County, smarter purchases will be made and everyone is at less financial risk the event of a flood. Increased flood insurance coverage in flood-prone areas can reduce tax dollars spent on future flood-related disasters. This information really helps everyone in the community."

UNITY GROUP OFFERING SALES TRAINING

Kari Glennon, Partner and Sales Leader at The Unity Group, will be conducting sales training in addition to the organization’s currently provided services.  Samples of topics include: Personal Branding, Improving Value Propositions, Advanced Questions Asking Skills and Overcoming Objections.  This service is available to clients and non-clients on a project basis and can be customized for each organization.

Kari earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Puget Sound and has 17 years of experience in Sales and Marketing. She finds staying connected to the pulse of the market key to providing quality counsel to organizations whom she provides training and consultation.

“I am passionate about education and believe by offering enrichment opportunities, we are ultimately helping with the sustainability of our business community” said Amanda Brock, Marketing & Events Coordinator for The Unity Group. “With Kari’s background and expertise, it only seemed natural to offer sales training which can be a fundamental part to any business’ successful growth.”

DOWNTOWN BELLINGHAM PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCES NEW SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT

The Downtown Bellingham Partnership and The Unity Group have announced a critical new sponsorship agreement for the final performance of the 2012 Downtown Sounds Concert Series. When the former sponsor for the last concert backed out in July, the Partnership was faced with a number of options, including possibly canceling the show. Fortunately, The Unity Group stepped in and offered to sponsor the concert. 

The concert series relies heavily on businesses to pay for the cost of the bands.  Without sponsorship and support from local businesses, the Downtown Bellingham Partnership can't offer the concerts for free. "I think Downtown Sounds helps build a strong downtown community. By offering a series of free summer concerts, it benefits local businesses, community groups, downtown residents and visitors," explains Rob Camandona, Executive Director for The Downtown Bellingham Partnership. "It's hard to express the gratitude we have for The Unity Group's generosity towards the concert series as well as to downtown in general."

The Unity Group is no stranger to supporting their community. "Part of The Unity Group's mission is to invest in the success of our community. We value what the Downtown Bellingham Partnership does for local businesses and residents, so when Rob approached us with this opportunity to help, it seemed like a perfect fit," explains Robb Dale, CEO of The Unity Group.

The final concert of the 2012 season, will be on August 8^th and is expected to be the biggest show in the series, drawing the most people due to the popularity of the band and the announcement of the grand prize raffle winners. Bay Street in Bellingham will be transformed into a large public space, which was recently ranked #8 in the list of the top 100 public spaces in the US and Canada. The space allows the Partnership to offer a unique venue for the public to enjoy a free outdoor concert.

UNITY GROUP OFFERING SAFETY WORKSHOPS

The Unity Group is hosting safety-related workshops as part of the complimentary services they offer to their clients. This series is designed to offer clients access to valuable, up-to-date information that will help to develop businesses, improve processes and policies, and ease the administrative burden within organizations.

Workshops will cover various topics in the areas of Worker’s Compensation, Employment Practices Liability, Risk Management, OSHA Compliance & Reporting, and Claims Cost Containment.

This series will be in addition to their Business Development Series which covers topics for HR professionals and Managers to help control their overall company risks.