Chamber Updates

Consumer Confidence in the 4th Quarter Last week the University of Michigan released their US Consumer Confidence sentiment rating of 63 for October indicating a more than five-point decline from 68.1 in September. Stick around for a quick over view of what the Consumer Confidence sentiment score is and what it means for the upcoming…

Business & Community Last week at the Cape Chamber First Friday Coffee one of our panelists mentioned the broader importance of a healthy community for their business success and the role they play in supporting and investing in the community in different ways. Aligning business values and goals with community support can be a great…

Seek First to Understand In an age of constant communication with social media, messaging, and a phone in virtually everyone’s hand or pocket, it is easy to get small amounts of information and react or even overreact quickly. From a business perspective understanding and clear communication is critical both internally and externally, maybe reflecting on…

Celebrating American Business Women’s Day Last Friday September 22nd was American Business Women’s Day, a holiday recognizing the founding of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) in 1949. The Holiday was officially recognized by Congressional Resolution and Proclamation by President Ronald Reagan in 1983 and 1986. According to a 2021 article titled Research: Adding Women to the…

Planning Ahead for Rising Business Cost The latest US Consumer Price reports for August revealed that some prices are rising again, despite the ongoing decline of core inflation. A notable example is Auto Insurance, which saw its highest annual increase in almost half a century. Businesses should be aware of these rising costs and plan…

Powering through Challenges Last Thursday the 2023 NFL Season kicked off in Primetime with the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs playing host to the upstart Detroit Lions. As a lifelong Chiefs fan, I was certainly hoping for a better outcome, and while the “Monday Morning Quarterbacking” started on Friday I still think there…

Labor Day and Workforce On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland singed Senate Bill 730 formally establishing Labor Day as a Federal Holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. “Labor” is a key part of our regional economy and critical for business success, today is a great day to reflect on that. Historically Labor…

Recognition for work can boost business! The end of summer and the start of the school year brought with it a fast and furious return to activities, meetings, and projects at the Cape Chamber. As I was reflecting on the variety of events, planning, and programs that our staff and volunteers work to coordinate I…

Understanding Economic Development Tools – What is a CID? Last week the Cape Girardeau City Council held a public hearing for the creation of River City Centre Community Improvement District (CID). If approved, this would be the sixth CID created in Cape Girardeau to support development activity and growth. Understanding how and why to use…