Lakeland Business Guide 2019 Chamber Guide_2019 | Page 44
their businesses to Lakeland because they
know the resources are here to make them
succeed. The Chamber plans to begin a
capital campaign later this year to raise
funds to build the facility for the Business
Resource Center, and they are currently
looking for land and the location, which is
the next step in the process.
The other big issue the Chamber will
tackle this year is Association Health
Plans. A new law allows organizations
such as Chambers to now pool their
membership numbers to provide
discounted health insurance rates to
employees. Chamber staff members have
been having conversations with the state
and national Chamber Associations, as
well as insurance providers, to work out
the details, and Skeates is hopeful that
more information will be available soon.
“It’s pretty exciting,” he says. “We’re
hearing in Texas [which already allows
Association Health Plans] that they’re
anticipating a 15-percent reduction in
average rates for employees.”
So, 2019 promises to be an exciting
year for the Lakeland Area Chamber of
Commerce. “We’ve got a lot of good
things coming,” says Skeates. “What we’ve
all been saying is, ‘It’s a great time to be in
Lakeland; so much is happening!’”
For Skeates, it comes down to one
thing. “I just love what I do. There’s
nothing more rewarding than seeing
businesses succeed, helping them grow.”
NAWBO (National Association of
Women Business Owners), micro lenders,
a college or university partner, and, of
course, the Chamber, among others. The
collaboration will be the key to success,
bringing many of the business support
organizations in the community together
in one building: sharing space, sharing
resources, and sharing knowledge.
The Chamber continues to work
closely with the National Entrepreneur
Center, which adds legitimacy to the
Business Resource Center here since they
have been in operation in Orlando for 15
years. As a result of their work, Orlando is
often listed as one of the best places in the
country to start a new business. The goal is
to make Lakeland a business destination,
with people feeling comfortable moving
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