Chamber Updates

The Coming Solar Eclipse could mean Big Business! Six weeks from today millions of people across North America will turn their gaze towards the sky as a total solar eclipse passes overhead. With Southeast Missouri right in the path of totality that means a big opportunity for visitors and business is coming this way. As…

An early spring of new business in Cape Girardeau While we are still technically four weeks away from the official start of Spring, it’s hard not to notice several new businesses springing up here in Cape Girardeau lately. New business growth is the lifeblood of a local economy and as I have highlighted in previous…

What is a NAICS Code? According to the Small Business Administration as of 2024, there are approximately 33.2 million business recognized in the United States. Keeping track of that many organizations for statistical and economic purposes can be overly complicated, luckily, we have an organization system called NAICS to help with the process. The North…

Why Clustering like Businesses Works Have you ever wondered why some areas seem to be a hotspot for similar businesses? Several restaurants in the same neighborhood, jewelry stores on the same block, or even similar business models opening in the same community. It’s not just coincidence – it’s called clustering, and it’s a game-changer for…

4th Quarter Economic Growth Last week, the Commerce Department reported that U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by a seasonally and inflation adjusted annualized rate of 3.3%, more than double the 1.5% expected by most economist. Positive economic news is a good start to the new year but it’s important for businesses to understand what…

Corporate Transparency Act Requires Action from Business New Year’s Day started the clock on 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. While the initial filing deadline is the end of the…

Inspiring Business Leaders with Lessons from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. January 15, 2024, marks the 95th anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther King Jr. Today is also the third Monday in January, and since November 2, 1983, we recognize this day each year as a national holiday in his honor. While some businesses are…

An Opportunity to Bounce Your Big Idea! Have you ever encountered a problem or an issue at work and thought there should be a technical solution to this problem? Do you have ideas for an application or technical concept that could be a business but don’t know where to start? Thanks to a new program…

Have a S.M.A.R.T. New Year It’s the official start of a New Year as we step in to 2024 and many businesses are setting plans for 2024 into motion. One way to help ensure a good year is to be S.M.A.R.T. in your goal-setting process. First introduced in an article by George T. Doran in…