Last Call for the September 4 Freeburg Chamber Luncheon! 

This is the last call for the quarterly Freeburg Chamber Luncheon scheduled for September 4 at Reifschneider’s Grill and Grape in Freeburg. The luncheon will be held from 11am to 1pm. 

Guests will have the option of soup and salad, six wings and a side, a burger and a side, or a quesadilla. Sides include fries, chips, slaw, or potato salad. Each meal includes a non-alcoholic drink and costs $10. 

As with our previous two quarterly luncheons of 2018, a new addition to the Chamber calendar, space has filled up quickly for the September 4 event. If you plan to attend, call 618-410-8077 or email mtrout@freeburg.com as we only have a handful of spaces left for this event! 

Chamber Luncheons include a brief keynote address from a guest speaker. The guest speaker for September is Judge Heinz Rudolf. Judge Rudolf has been an Associate Circuit Judge in the 20th Judicial Circuit in St. Clair County, Illinois since 2006.

These events, launched in January, have been extremely popular and we are looking into the possibility of expanding our offerings of lunch meetings in the future. These meetings get individuals who work in Freeburg but don’t live in Freeburg, a more convenient time to get involved with the Chamber. 

In addition to lunch and the guest speaker, the luncheons offer a relaxed, casual atmosphere for members to network and mingle. As opposed to more rigid networking events, our luncheons are a laid back, professional meal and a great chance to talk to other business people in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. 

The Freeburg Chamber has many exciting events coming up, including the Chili Cook Off and Fall Festival on September 29 and the Freeburg Community Yard Sale on September 15. At the luncheon, we will give attendees more information on these and other events upcoming in our community, and fill guests in on our plans to promote business in Freeburg in the coming months. 

The quarterly luncheons are just one of many benefits accessible to Freeburg Chamber, in addition to a free newspaper spotlight advertisement, social media promotion, other events, and more. Join us today and help us grow the business community in Freeburg! 

The Benefits of Joining the Freeburg Chamber of Commerce

The Benefits of Joining the Freeburg Chamber of Commerce

As a businessperson, you are no doubt hounded constantly by various organizations looking for your membership. We just want to take a moment to share some of the benefits of joining the Freeburg Chamber of Commerce. An annual membership for in-town is $50, $100 for out-of- town. The Freeburg Chamber is dedicated to providing the best possible benefits for our members to better help us serve the community. We are always looking for new ways to improve our offerings.

Access to Networking Events

As a member of the Freeburg Chamber, you get access to business networking events throughout the year. Our monthly meetings are on the second Monday of every month. Additionally, we have quarterly business luncheons throughout the year, a number that may be ramped up in the future as there has been much demand.

These are far from the only networking opportunities, as our summer months include an annual barbecue and the newly introduced Chamber Pool Night, during which attendees can bring their family (as well as staff and their families) to a fun night of BBQ and swimming at the Freeburg Pool. We also hold an annual Banquet for all Chamber members. Last year’s event included mouse races and prime rib.

Listing in Our Business Directory

Our business directory includes listings sorted by industry. With your listing, you can add your address, phone, website, and social media accounts. Our directory is easily accessible here, and is promoted through our marketing efforts.

A Free Newspaper Advertisement

Your membership in the Freeburg Chamber includes one free Spotlight on Business advertisement in The Freeburg Tribune. That advertisement carries a $48 value. The Spotlight on Business advertisement allows you to spotlight your services, location, or any other facets of your business for which you would like to raise awareness. These spotlight advertisements are also shared on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

Facebook and LinkedIn

Members of the Freeburg Chamber of Commerce get access to our networking groups on Facebook and LinkedIn. In these groups, you can converse with other members of the business community in the Freeburg area and promote events, services, and products. We also share content from our members on our Facebook and LinkedIn accounts, which work to promote Chamber events and business in Freeburg.

Join Our Community

The Freeburg Chamber is dedicated to strengthening the Freeburg Community. We work to promote business, strengthen community bonds, promote cooperation between businesses and civic bodies, and to raise the quality of life for everyone in the community. Please join us and be part of our growing community.

Phishing Scam Targets Chamber Members – How to Protect Yourself

Phishing Scam Targets Chamber Members – How to Protect Yourself

A fraudulent email account claiming to be the Freeburg Chamber Secretary contacted at least one chamber member. The email asked for the chamber member to click a link to update their contact information and was signed “Chamber Secretary”. This email was not sent by the Freeburg Chamber of Commerce or any of its representatives, and represents a dangerous type of email scam: phishing.

 

For those of you who aren’t aware, phishing is when a scammer sends a fraudulent email claiming to be a company or entity that they are not in order to get victims to hand over personal information like contact info, credit cards, bank accounts, etc. At best, these attacks get the victim’s contact information. More malicious ones target bank accounts and credit cards. Other phishing scams include Trojan horse viruses or ransomware.

Ransomware is exactly what it sounds like – scammers get access to your data, your computers, or your network and hold it for ransom. These attacks can lead to money stolen from accounts, identity theft, and can cripple your ability to do business by wreaking havoc on your data and holding your ability to do business ransom.

How can you protect yourself?

Don’t open any suspicious emails. Anything that looks too good to be true usually is. Check the email addresses carefully, many will have tell-tale signs of a fake like transposed words or will be hosted by sites like gmail instead of a company website. Look for logos that don’t seem to be properly sized. As many of these attacks come from overseas, many times the English used feels off. It’s very common for phishing emails to have terrible spelling and grammar.

The most important takeaway – do not click any links or give any personal information if anything even remotely seems off about an email.

If you’re worried about security, the Freeburg Chamber has two member IT companies who can help protect you from online scammers: Computype IT Solutions and CTS Technology Solutions. You can find these Chamber members under the computers and telecommunications section of our business directory.

Take any precautions you possibly can to make sure that you or your employees don’t fall for these phishing scams. Remember:

Correspondence from the Chamber will come from freeburgchambersecretary@gmail.com.

Hans Carpenter
-Freeburg Chamber Secretary