Category: Blog

Self-Serve Beer The Senate Federal and State Affairs committee held a hearing on a bill which would allow for the self-service of beer in Kansas. Current law already permits machines which dispense wine directly to the adult consumer. This type of self-service beer dispenser lies at the center of the Brew Bank concept which recently won Topeka’s first ever Top Tank competition. In their testimony, representatives of Brew Bank explained how the machine works and the many features which are built in to prevent minors from gaining access to alcohol and over-indulgence by adults. Vince Frye, President of Downtown Topeka, Inc., attested to the excitement this new concept is causing… Read More

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Protect your business in the digital world with tools and solutions provided at our Cyber Security and Continuity Planning Workshop Thursday, March 29th, 2018. Lunch will be provided at the seminar. Cyber Security 11:00a – 12:00p Roughly 60% of cyber-attacks in the U.S. target small businesses. Cyber-attacks negatively impact the availability, confidentiality, and integrity of data that organizations depend on to operate. Effective risk assessment, strategy development, planning and budgeting are critical to finding solutions to improve security and enhance business operations. Continuity Planning 12:00p – 1:00p Research shows that approximately 40% of businesses that close following a disaster never reopen. Protect yourself and your business with some simple preparation… Read More

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Short Week Lawmakers returned to Topeka last Wednesday following their mid-session Turnaround.  Given that each chamber had worked through a great many bills the week before, relatively little action took place last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Both parties in the Senate met to review the preliminary February 23 report by the school finance consultant. Her final report will come on March 15 and will inform the legislature’s proposed resolution to the K-12 school finance litigation.   Legislation Brewing The Topeka Chamber is working side-by-side with Top Tank winners, Brew Bank, and their investors to advocate a quick and simple change to the law which currently allows for the self-service of… Read More

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Session Has Reached The Halfway Point Lawmakers are now on a five-day break having spent last week working through numerous bills and trying to beat the Turnaround deadline; Thursday was the last day for the House and Senate to pass their own bills and send them over to the other side of the Statehouse. They will be back in business this Wednesday.   K-12 Cost Study Last Friday, lawmakers received an early sense of what to expect from the K-12 school finance study being conducted by Professor Lori Taylor of Texas A&M University. Taylor and her team have been commissioned by the state to review previous school finance studies, which… Read More

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From cutlery, to counter and catering equipment, and everything in between, Muckenthaler Inc. guarantees to meet your kitchen equipment needs. Serving the food service industry since 1970, this family owned business strives to meet the needs of its various clients, including schools, hospitals, restaurants and bars. Muckenthaler’s services include equipment delivery, installment and set up. Also, its knowledgeable staff is always eager to lend you valuable advice and provide you with equipment at a fair price.  With a head office in Emporia and an additional branch in Topeka, Muckenthaler is one of the leading commercial kitchen equipment and restaurant supplier in Northeast Kansas. Visit Muckenthaler’s website here for more information. 

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Pinnacle Staffing Group is a full-service staffing, recruiting and payroll firm with an emphasis on delivering outstanding customer service. This locally owned business is committed to providing the resources you need to help grow and sustain your business potential. With over 50 years of combined experience in the staffing, recruiting and payroll fields, Pinnacle Staffing’s goal is to customize a comprehensive solution that best benefits your organization. If you need a solution for payroll, HR, or Benefits Administration; want additional employees for a few hours or a few days, Pinnacle Staffing Group is ready to assist. For more information on Pinnacle Staffing Group, visit its website here. 

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Young Living Essential Oils is a renowned global essential oil supplier as well as the only supplier that is FDA approved. While the company is known for its quality oils, its overall mission is to provide methods to live a cleaner life. For Topeka Young Living representative Aimee Kosmala there is no doubt that what we put in and around our bodies affects our well-being. “For me,” says Aimee, “health is a lifestyle.” “I turned to Young Living after having suffered from chronic migraines. And after slowly substituting many of my household products for more Young Living’s more natural alternatives, I can honestly say I haven’t had a migraine since.”… Read More

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Small Business at the Statehouse On Tuesday, the Topeka Chamber, the Wichita Independent Business Association and the National Federation of Independent Business co-hosted a small business day at the Statehouse. Small business owners from across the state, including several members of the Chamber’s Small Business Council, gathered to hear from Senate President Susan Wagle, House Speaker Ron Ryckman, Senator Taxation Chair and 2nd District Congressional Candidate Caryn Tyson and Governor Jeff Colyer. Attendees learned about the school finance litigation and the legislature’s possible response to it. They also heard the new governor’s perspective on what it will take to grow Kansas’ economy in the future. Key on his mind, as on every business owners’: developing a… Read More

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State of the State 2.0 Last Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Jeff Colyer addressed a joint session of the legislature. His policies seem generally aligned with those of the Brownback administration. He announced nothing which would require amending the former governor’s proposed budget, which Colyer presumably helped draft. He pledged to work with lawmakers to keep schools open without raising taxes and to improve health care for Kansans. Colyer described his program entitled “My (Re)Employment Plan” designed to help fired or laid-off Kansans assess and improve their job skills and find a new job quickly. He repeated his commitment to upgrade transparency in government and followed-up later in the week with several… Read More

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