News

Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre: Keeping Local Families Warm HURLEYVILLE, New York — Over the last two months, staff members at the Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre have been receiving and cataloguing hundreds of brand new winter clothes donated by community members as part of HPAC’s annual Winter Holiday Clothing Drive. “Being able to help make a positive impact on our community has ...read more

Jacobowitz and Gubits Welcomes Two New Attorneys to the Firm      WALDEN, NY - Jacobowitz and Gubits, LLP (J&G) is pleased to announce that two new attorneys have joined the firm. Rebecca Baldwin Mantello has joined the firm’s Business Consumer Team as Senior Counsel concentrating in civil and commercial litigation, personal injury, and appeals. Michael J. Kenney has joined the firm’s Property ...read more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Thursday, January 14, 2021  DURING FIRST MEETING WITH PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN’S DOT NOMINEE, PETE BUTTIGIEG, SCHUMER PUSHES FOR EXPANSION OF ROUTE 17; FOLLOWING DECADES OF ADVOCACY, SENATOR MAKES ROADWAY SAFETY, ALLEVIATING CONGESTION, AND HV ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION TOP PRIORITIES FOR NEW ADMINISTRATION & INCOMING TRANSPORTATION CHIEF  Schumer Has Pushed For ...read more

The updated list of upcoming webinarsWe have scheduled webinars on four titles of SBA’s Coronavirus Relief five programs.Please see the descriptions of the topics and scroll down to the “The updated list of upcoming webinars in Jan. and Feb., 2021” to register the one(s) meet your needs.  We also are including webinars to help entrepreneurs start, grow and succeed. Let 2021 be your Year of new ...read more

2020 Driving Edition of Catholic Charities’ Goshen Christmas House Tour Offered Family Fun and Fundraising Success 6th Annual Tour Grossed $19,000  Goshen – The need to pivot was an often-repeated theme for 2020 and the 6th annual Goshen Christmas House Tour hosted by Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan, and Ulster was no exception. The beloved holiday event took on a pandemic twist and became ...read more

iHeartMedia’s 23rd Annual Friendly Auto Group Stuff-the-Bus Food Drive Helped Catholic Charities Feed Hungry Neighbors in the Mid-Hudson Region 10,500 pounds of food donated at area Stop & Shop locationsGOSHEN – With food insecurity mounting in the wake of the pandemic, the need for this winter’s iHeartMedia’s Stuff-the-Bus food drive was greater than ever. The bi-annual drive, now in its 23rd ...read more

SBA Extends COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Application Deadline through Dec. 31, 2021 WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration today announced that the deadline to apply for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program for the COVID-19 Pandemic disaster declaration is extended to Dec. 31, 2021.  The deadline extension comes as a result of the recent bipartisan COVID-19 ...read more

This year has been a little more difficult to figure out new year’s resolutions. Part of that is because we’re all still reeling from the “lessons” we learned in 2020. Even the best prepared businesses lacked preparation for a global pandemic. Still, the new year is a great time to reexamine what you’ve been doing and how it can get better. Here are a few ideas:   4 New Year’s Resolutions for ...read more

Western Sullivan Public Library Announces January Home-School Programs S.T.E.M. PacketA S.T.E.M. story is a fantastic way to incorporate English, Science, Engineering, and Math skills all in one! Jump into this story of four kids as they enjoy a winter snow day, but also encounter different kinds of STEM challenges for you to solve along the way!   Register any time before January 29. Packets ...read more

U.S. Chamber Supports Bipartisan Progress on Pandemic Relief, Calls on Congress to Pass Legislation by the End of the YearWednesday, December 2, 2020 - 1:30pmWASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce strongly supports the bipartisan group of lawmakers who have put forward a new pandemic relief package to be passed by the end of the year. The following statement can be attributed to Executive ...read more

Garnet Health to Offer Free Virtual COVID-19 Support Group      Garnet Health’s Community Health Department will offer a free, virtual COVID-19 Support Group from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every month, starting December 15, 2020.       The support group, which is aimed at addressing the emotional stress of COVID-19, is for those who are recovering, or who have recovered, ...read more

Change These 3 Things in Your Business Now for a Stronger Recovery  With numbers of COVID infections increasing daily in many states, people are wondering when it will end and when we can begin to start feeling confident in an economic recovery.  No one knows for sure when recovery will begin.  In the meantime, there are a few things we know about how business and customers have changed. You ...read more

5 Ways to Communicate Difficult Business Messages    If there's one thing 2020 has shown us, it's how to bolster our communication skills. We've had cause for a lot of really difficult conversations with our customers. Nobody ever wants to give bad news but 2020 seems like the year we have to keep reiterating and sharpening our communication skills with difficult messages.  But if you feel like ...read more

The Sullivan County Chamber is a Good Neighbor in our Communities   Often assumed a business support organization only, the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce is a good neighbor in all communities in Sullivan County and the region! The Chamber of Commerce does have one certain common denominator with our fellow Chambers, and that is to encourage and promote local business. While individuals who ...read more

Johnny the Bagger: a Customer Service StorySeveral years ago,  a motivational speaker at a convention shared the story of “Johnny the Bagger.” The presenter was hired by a large supermarket chain to lead a customer service program, and she shared that experience with us.In her presentation to the employees of this supermarket she said, “Every one of you can make a difference,” and she challenged ...read more

Help Your Customers Fall in Love Even If Your Brand Isn't George Clooney Customers want to do business with companies they know, like, and trust. You've likely seen extremely dedicated fans of the Fortune 100 brands. They wait in ridiculously long lines for product roll-outs; they refuse to buy from a competitor; and they think every other brand in that category is inferior.  But how can you ...read more

6 Popular Misconceptions About the Chamber That Could Be Limiting Your Business   Chamber membership is good for business because it influences the community's perception of you. However, many business owners don't know exactly what the chamber does and so they don't take advantage of the help and resources it offers. For a minimum investment, the chamber can help your business grow in ways ...read more

How to Prepare Your Site for Holiday Traffic If you have a brick-and-mortar location, chances are you're doing some sort of decorating for the holidays. Even if you don't celebrate, it's likely your customers do so in order to spread the holiday cheer you get festive.   The same should be true of your website. While you don't need to decorate per se, you do need to prepare for holiday traffic. ...read more

5 Ways Your Customers Win with You as a Chamber Member A chamber membership is an investment in your business. As an investment, you undoubtedly expect a return. While it’s easy to look at what you paid for membership and how many new customers were sent you way through the chamber and calculate your return that way, there’s more to it than just that. For instance, did you know that your ...read more

5 Ways the Chamber Can Help Make You a Better Networker Networking opportunities are everywhere. You no longer must leave your house to be able to network, but studies now show that online networking doesn’t hold the same power as in-person networking. Networking is critical to landing a job, learning about opportunities before they are broadcast, and getting more sales for your business. You ...read more

9 Tips For Improving Your Listing In Voice Search   Just when you thought your website was search engine optimized and then mobile search optimized we have another challenge--voice search optimization. Yes, that’s right. According to Bright Local’s Voice Search for Local Business Study, 58% of consumers used voice search to locate information about a local business. Nearly half of that number ...read more