Small business development efforts at the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce attempt to target two distinct and separate groups. Those small businesses that are in operation and current members of the Chamber, and those individuals not yet in business, but trying to gain some information "comfort level" on what running a business involves.
Those who fall into this second group are probably not yet a chamber member, but as they learn about the world of business it is hoped and expected that they will see the benefits of membership. Our primary method of information delivery to this group is through our Small Business Toolkit and counseling services provided by the Troy University Small Business Development Center. The Toolkit publication is available at the Chamber for $5.00 each or free of charge online at our website. To download click here.
For the established small businesses, we are always seeking ways to provide you with pertinent and timely information that will assist some aspect of your operation.
It is recognized that many of our small businesses do not have a Human Resources department and maintaining a functional level of knowledge to ensure compliance with pertinent federal laws can be a challenge. We have a fairly extensive employment law reference library and are happy to share our resources with our membership. Our goal is to increase the small business person's awareness level of all aspects of conducting business.
To that end, the following thresholds, which are significant in the application of federal employment laws, are brought to your attention. The laws are not listed, but the complete listing is provided in the Small Business Toolkit.
Federal employment law thresholds:
- One or more employees
- Two or more employees covered by a group health plan
- 15 or more employees
- 20 or more employees
- 50 or more employees
- 100 or more employees
For more information about the Small Business Development Initiative at the Chamber, please call Steve Turkoski, project manager, at (334) 792-5138 or email sturkoski@dothan.com.