News

HIGHLAND - On Saturday, Feb. 8, the Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Chapter will hold its 10th annual Subzero Heroes ice jump at Berean Lake.The event will feature a costume contest, and participants will have access to a variety of refreshments including hot cider from Minard Farms Beverage Company, a hot chocolate bar with marshmallows from Hudson Valley Marshmallow Company and gourmet ...read more

6 Law Changes That May Affect Your Business in 2020   Ahhh 2020. A year in which the futuristic movies Blade Runner and Back to the Future are both now set in the past. If that doesn't blow your mind, you’re either under 25 or not one for movies. Not impressed? Then how about some of the big changes that are taking effect for small business this year? Many of these were signed into law a ...read more

A SINGLE BITE KICKS OFF PROGRAM FOR SULLIVAN COUNTY The Non-Profit Celebrates Four Years of Success and Announces Expansion in 2020 Livingston Manor, NY– On a chilly Saturday evening in November, a small yet enthusiastic group gathered for an intimate event to celebrate A Single Bite, a free, interactive, volunteer-presented program that empowers students to care about the food they eat and ...read more

 Western Sullivan Public Library Announces -New Technology Programs in January Tech Talk Time: We are excited to announce a new weekly 2020 series at the Western Sullivan Public Library centered around internet and technology. Join us at the respective locations for insight, discussion, and training on different topics each week.   Tech Talk Time will be an hour dedicated to bringing you ...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

Chamber Membership: Getting Out What You Put InThere’s a saying in chamber circles that a chamber membership is like a gym membership. You get out what you put in. You can’t join a gym, never go, and expect to have abs like Ryan Gosling. But is a chamber membership really like going to the gym? That depends on whether you like going to the gym or not.Getting Out What You Put in to ...read more

Experience Is the New Marketing Gimmick I've worked with many businesses in creating content for their website. When I do, one of the questions I ask is what makes them different from their competition. Almost always they answer their customer service and their willingness to stand behind their product or service. Perfect. Except…   Every business thinks they have these things. And even if they ...read more

31+ Social Media Posts to Improve Your Holiday Marketing The fall and early winter are a treasure trove of holidays.  It seems like we go from one to the next. That's why it's incredibly important to make sure you're using these momentous occasions in your marketing.     Have you ever noticed how retail goes straight from one holiday to the next? One of the reasons for that is because holidays ...read more

4 Ways a Chamber Membership Can Balance Out Seasonal Business If your business is seasonal, it probably feels a lot like feast or famine. You may love your seasonal crowds but hate the fear you won’t last long enough to see your next one. Seasonal businesses or businesses in towns with a seasonal draw struggle with year-round consistent revenue. While you might not ever achieve revenue equality ...read more

Do you track the number of sales you make along with the revenue? Of course you do. How do your numbers look? Are you increasing or remaining the same? Hopefully you’re not down this year but if you are, these may be some of the reasons why and what you can do to fix them: You Can’t Compete on PriceI’m making a broad generalization here, but as a small business you can’t compete on price with the ...read more

In a recent survey by Daysmart Software, 54% of small business owners admitted to being worried about making enough money. Making money is a common concern because not only does it factor in bringing in enough clients or customers but also ensuring your products or services are priced right and negotiating any cash flow problems.   Small business owners have lots of stressors as they follow ...read more