News

To all of Sullivan County:   The clock is ticking, and it is getting louder and louder. The September 30 impending deadline to get a complete and accurate count of Sullivan County is just 50 days away and only 33.2% of our households have responded.    Yesterday, I spoke to one of your neighbors who was so concerned that he had not been counted because his home is hard to find off the main road ...read more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 31, 2020  Census Takers BeginningLocal Visits on August 11Sullivan Remains at Bottom of NYS Response Rate  Monticello, NY – If you haven’t yet completed the 2020 Census form for your Sullivan County address, expect a knock on your door from a Census worker in a few weeks. Non-Response Follow Up, where Census Bureau employees go door-to-door for households that ...read more

4 Marketing Tips for Businesses with No Marketing Budget   You likely have heard the phrase, “you need to spend money to make money.” I'm not here to argue that from either side but digital marketing has allowed businesses with very small budgets to make a big impression. While it hasn't exactly leveled the playing field, it certainly has helped businesses gain a larger audience with very little ...read more

Governor Cuomo announced yesterday that schools can reopen if the region is in Phase 4 and if the region's daily infection rate remains at or below 5 percent using a 14-day average. Schools will close if the regional infection rate rises above 9 percent, using a 7-day average, after August 1. Read more about New York State's school reopening guidance here.   Guidance for Pre-K to Grade 12 ...read more

Addressing the COVID Customer’s Content Needs: yes, they’ve changed and you should too   If ever there was a reason to increase and alter your social media and blog posting, it’s COVID. At first, with so much of the workforce at home, there was a lot of traffic online. You may have been happy with the number of reactions and shares you were getting.   But let's face it, people were bored or ...read more

Childcare for Essential Workers in Sullivan County   Liberty:  By Executive Order, the public school districts of Sullivan County, New York have developed emergency child care plans for essential workers. Essential workers include first responders, healthcare workers, food manufacturers, supermarket workers, food preparation workers, commercial truck drivers, transit workers, carriers of critical ...read more

Are You a 2020 Business?   If you are a business owner, you likely have learned quite a bit over the past decade. No matter what your industry, the way we do business has changed drastically. From internet sales to global competition,  social media to chatbots, search engine optimization to word of mouth marketing, the learning curve in business has been steep.   But these tools are not what ...read more

Good BusinessAs the economic outlook in Sullivan County continues to be bright, more and more businesses are popping up in Sullivan County’s villages and towns.  This means existing businesses are working harder than ever to remain competitive.  One such way to remain viable in our county’s new business market is updating retail interiors.  Accessibility renovations have become de rigueur of the ...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