Chamber Updates

Growing the Workforce through Higher Ed Graduation Last Saturday was a day of celebration, filled with “Pomp and Circumstance,” mortar boards with tassels, and the feeling of accomplishment as 723 RedHawks concluded their academic journey with graduation. The benefits of being one of only 750 communities in the U.S. that host a public 4-year higher…

Coming Down the Homestretch of 2024 Later sunrises and early sunsets, a very short window between major holidays, and the balance of focus means that these last few weeks in 2024 will offer their own challenges for businesses. While it may be easy to start pushing things off until the new year, now more than…

Latest in Holiday Trends…Self Gifting It’s Thanksgiving week here in the U.S., and that means there is no way possible to escape the Black Friday holiday shopping ads everywhere you go. With increasing attention and focus on the importance of one’s mental health and personal care, a rising trend in holiday shopping seems to be…

Creating an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem According to data from YourEconomy.org Cape Girardeau County has seen a significant decline in new business starts since the pandemic. Our ten-year high was in 2019 when 226 businesses were formed in Cape Girardeau County, compared to our lowest output over a 10-year period in 2023 when only ninety-three business starts…

Veteran’s and Workforce Opportunities November 11th is Veterans Day, officially recognized in honor of all veterans as a federal holiday in 1954 when Congressman Ed Rees, of Emporia, KS (my hometown) proposed renaming Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor all service members. As you take time today to reflect on the importance and service…

Live Music as a Driver for Business Over the weekend Taylor Swift wrapped up the second U.S. leg of her record-breaking Eras Tour as she completed three nights in Indianapolis. As a self-proclaimed “Swiftie” I have watched over the last eighteen months as her tour attracted millions of fans and hundreds of communities benefited for…

Corporate Transparency Act Requires Action for Business Owners With only 10 weeks left in 2024, business owners and managers need to be aware of a new federal law requiring many business entities in the United States to file Beneficial Ownership Information with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) within the U.S. Department of the Treasury.…

Investing in Your Business with Professional Development This month has been busy at the Cape Chamber with several staff members on the road for a variety of conferences, programs, and training opportunities. Sometimes it feels difficult to make time to engage in professional development activities, but the value to your business can certainly outweigh the…

Taking Steps Now for a Great Fourth Quarter It may seem hard to believe it, but last week was the start of the fourth quarter for 2024! Now is a crucial time for businesses to focus and make sure they end the year in the strongest way possible. With the holiday season and year-end activities…

Show Me Careers Helps Connect Business and Education Last week, a group of educators from 7 different school districts took part in the Southeast Missouri Show Me Careers program hosted locally by the Missouri Chamber of Business & Industry, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, SE MO REDi, and the Cape Chamber. Engaging with…