News for Chamber

A media kit (also called a press kit) is a curated package of materials that tells your business's story to journalists, partners, and investors — on your terms, before they ask. For businesses in Lake Wales and the broader Lakeland-Winter Haven area, where the Economic Development Council is actively drawing new attention to the region, being prepared matters. Studies show that 70% of ...read more

(March 31, 2026) – GiveWell Community Foundation (GWCF) is proud to announce a new granting milestone: since its founding in 1997, GWCF has awarded $524 million in grants to nonprofit organizations in Polk, Highlands, and Hardee counties and beyond. The announcement was made at the Community Foundation’s annual celebration of philanthropy event, attended by founders, fundholders, current and past ...read more

TAMPA, Fla.(March 19, 2026) – On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, the Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at USF will recognize businesses from the 10-county Tampa Bay region during the 4th Annual Florida SBDC at USF Business Awards Luncheon. The 2026 Annual Business Awards will recognize Florida SBDC at USF and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) business award winners for their hard ...read more

Tri-County Human Services will host its annual fundraising dinner on May 15 at the Bonnet Springs Park Event Center, and we would love to have you join us.Tri-County holds accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and ranks in the top 2 percent of providers across the nation for mental health and addiction treatment services. Our work serves ...read more

Click Here: 2026 Community Impact Grant Eligibility Requirements DAVENPORT, Fla. (Friday, March 05, 2026) -- AdventHealth Heart of Florida and AdventHealth Lake Wales have opened the application period for the 2026 Community Impact Grant, an initiative designed to expand community health programs and strengthen access to whole‑person care throughout Polk County. Local nonprofit and ...read more

POLK COUNTY, Fla. (March 4, 2026) CareerSource Polk is inviting Polk County businesses to participate in the Best Places to Work Lunch & Learn, which will provide insight into the 2025 Best Places to Work application process.  This informative session is designed to help local employers understand the value of applying for this prestigious award and how the recognition can positively impact ...read more

Attracting new customers is essential, but when your existing customers become your biggest fans, you unlock one of the most cost-effective growth levers in business: customer referrals. Referrals build trust faster than advertising. They cost less than paid search. And they scale when you build systems—not just hopes—around them. But here’s the problem: most small business owners wait for ...read more

  Launching a startup is often described as a leap of faith, but that metaphor misses something important—it implies a single moment of risk. In truth, starting and scaling a company means walking a daily tightrope, balancing opportunity with uncertainty, growth with exposure, ambition with fragility. The mythology around entrepreneurship loves to spotlight risk-takers as if recklessness is a ...read more

As we celebrate Women's Small Business Month this October, it's important to recognize the innovative tools that empower women entrepreneurs to streamline their operations and drive growth. Adobe Acrobat offers a suite of features designed to enhance productivity, making it easier to manage documents, collaborate with teams, and handle essential business tasks efficiently. For women business ...read more