If anyone knows the struggles of local business, it’s those in the Pike County Chamber of Commerce.

That’s why the chamber and the Pike County Young Professionals will partner next week to try to give business leaders a little aid in these challenging economic times.

Dale Carnegie, a nationally known group dedicated to serving business communities, will play host to a conference on modern management Wednesday, Aug. 19 at the Troy Municipal Airport Training Center.

The “Leading and Managing in Tough Times” seminar is filling up fast, and PCYP President Ben Bradley said it will be an event residents don’t want to miss.

“The chamber just saw this would be really beneficial to the community, especially in the though times we’re going through right now,” Bradley said. “It will teach business leaders to have better communication skills and how to improve in economic times.”

While the event is cosponsored by the young professionals group, it is not only open to the group’s members.

“It’s not just for the young professionals group. It’s for anyone who would like to attend,” Bradley said. “We just see it as an opportunity to provide more leadership in our community.”

The seminar will be held in an informal meeting style, led completely by officials from Emerald Coast Dale Carnegie Training.

Attendants can expect to hear how to insure more profitable results in the challenging business environment, including: “how to motivate people to ‘want to,’ total commitment and its payoffs, how to obtain better results through people and improving ‘bottom-line’ results.”

Pike County Chamber of Commerce President Jenniffer Barner said the event is one she hopes will be beneficial for local business leaders.

“I think that this will prove to be very insightful for all those that attend,” Barner said. “The topic fits with what is on everyone’s mind right now in the economy.”

Barner said this isn’t the first time the chamber has held a Dale Carnegie seminar locally, but it is the first time in several years.

Bradley, as a local business leader himself, said he is looking forward to gaining useful tips on how to manage in the current environment.

“I’m expecting to get a lot of good information on how to motivate people to ‘want to,’ which is one of the topics to be discussed,” Bradley said. “Especially with the tough economy we’re in, I hope it will present services we can offer people and how we can modify things that will suit people in tough times.”

There is a $10 registration fee, which covers the cost of lunch. For reservations, call the Pike County Chamber of Commerce at 566-2294.