Reserve table for ChamberCON 2018
The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce’s annual membership meeting and community showcase – ChamberCON – will take place Oct. 18 at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Space is limited so contact the Chamber to reserve your showcase space.
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Chick-fil-A opens for business with a ribbon-cutting ceremony
Staten Islanders in the mood for chicken now have another option as Chick-fil-A officially opened for business with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new Staten Island Mall location. The franchise boasts 2,363 locations, but the Mall site is the first one on Staten Island.
Chick-fil-A will be an active contributor to the Staten Island community as the restaurant will participate in the company’s Shared Table program, which eliminated food waste by providing surplus food to those in need in the community. Through this initiative, the new Chick-fil-A will assist Chamber member Project Hospitality.
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New training center for construction workers opens in Great Kills
The United Safety Academy opened the training center on Saturday.
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State Comptroller DiNapoli details borough’s strong economy
State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli held a press conference last week to review the recent release of An Economic Snapshot of Staten Island.
In addition to DiNapoli, also speaking at the event -- which was held at Chamber member St. George Theatre – was Staten Island District Attorney Michael E. McMahon, Deputy Borough President Ed Burke, Staten Island Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Linda Baran, and CEO of Catholic Charities of Staten Island Vincent Ignizio.
Among the items featured in the snapshot include how the unemployment rate declined by half from 9.4 percent in 2010 to 4.6 percent in 2017, close to the citywide rate and the record-low reached in 2006 (both 4.5 percent). Also, the borough had a record 9,500 businesses in 2017, 9 percent more than in 2012. More than two-thirds had fewer than five employees and 81 percent had fewer than 10 employees.
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New York City hits record low unemployment rate
Further proof that the city’s economy continues to grow came last week when the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announced the unemployment rate hit a record low of 4.1%, the lowest since reporting began in 1976. Based on seasonally-adjusted data, New York City added 6,100 private sector jobs in August 2018. The city’s strongest gains were found in the combined sector of Education & Health Services, which added a total of 3,200 jobs last month. The Information sector also added 2,300 to payrolls in August 2018.
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Chamber to host Employer Compensation Expense Program
The passage of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) will have a significant impact on the economy and tax system of New York State. The legislation's new cap on the itemized deduction for state and local taxes at $10,000 is estimated to cost New York taxpayers an additional $14.3 billion in federal taxes this year alone. In response to the law, the Governor and the legislature enacted bipartisan reforms to mitigate the negative impacts of the TCJA on New York State.
As part of these reforms, New York is making a new, optional
Employer Compensation Expense Program
available to employers in the State. Employers that opt-in will be subject to a 5 percent tax on all annual payroll expenses in excess of $40,000 per employee, phased in over three years beginning on January 1, 2019.
For businesses to learn more about the program, the Chamber will host an
Employer Compensation Expense Program workshop
on
Wednesday, October 3, 2018 from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Chamber’s office
(950 West Fingerboard Rd.)
Michael Schmidt, Senior Economic Advisor to the Governor, and Scott Palladino, Deputy Commissioner for Tax Policy Analysis at the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, are expected to attend.
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Model Sexual Harassment Policy/Training FINAL GUIDANCE Released by the Department of Labor - Division of Human Rights
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Baran featured on news report about New York Wheel
Staten Island Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Linda Baran was featured on a CBS2 report about the New York Wheel.
Reporter Dave Carlin came to the Chamber office to interview Baran for her thoughts on the project that has an Oct. 23 deadline before the manufacturer may start auctioning off Ferris wheel pieces if a bailout is not reached.
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TODAY IS THE LAST DAY FOR APPLICATIONS
!
The deadline for the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce Building Awards Program is today, October 3. Judging takes place Friday, Oct. 19 and the Annual Building Awards Luncheon will be Friday, Dec. 7 at the Richmond County Country Club.
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Boutique Boss Fashion Show
Congratulations to Boutique Boutique who celebrated its one year anniversary last Thursday with a ribbon-cutting and a fashion show.
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Wagner College students tour East Shore to relay data for Chamber’s Needs Assessment Report
Twenty-six students from Wagner College hit the streets recently to tour the East Shore to evaluate and collect data to share with the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce’s upcoming Needs Assessment Report for that area.
An evaluation of needs in the area includes gathering primary data on district environmental issues such as flood resiliency, transportation arteries, inventorying commercial vacancies, and collecting information overall that would tell the story of needs for economic development in this community.
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How Online Reviews Can Help Boost Business &
How To Get More
Staten Island Chamber of Commerce member
Tom & Co.
informs members that Google reviews are becoming an essential part of marketing for small business.
Why are they so important?
Google reviews effect:
- Your rankings in local search results on Google (i.e., Staten Island dentist, Staten Island personal injury attorney)
- Which search results show on Google maps (and get clicked on)
- Whether or not to do business with you
How do you get more reviews?
- Ask! The best way this works is if you make it a part of the sales process. You want to ask customers to leave a review right after they have been delighted by your service/product
- Develop a marketing campaign to get more reviews. This could be online (social media, email) or offline with print (postcards, newsletters)
What are some tips for dealing with a negative or fake review?
- Respond quickly
- Flag or dispute fake reviews
- Rectify the situation
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Did You Know that the Chamber can help you grow your business online?
Through the Google GoDigital Fellows program, the Chamber can assist local businesses to market themselves for free. The initiative, which is made possible through its partnership with the 5 Chamber Alliance, will help you list your business on Google Maps and even include photos and building profiles.
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Chamber Events & Workshops
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Business Events & Workshops
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Coggno has 1,000's of training courses available in topics such as Human Resources, Business Management, Sales & Marketing, Safety, Accounting, Social Media and more. Training is delivered online, available 24/7 and many come with certificates of completion.
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THANK YOU TO OUR E-NEWSLETTER SPONSORS!
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Did You Know You Can Earn Credit Towards Your Membership Dues?
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Sign up a new member yourself by bringing in their application and check to the Chamber office, and
earn a membership dues credit of $100!
Refer a prospect that we convert into a new member and
earn a membership dues credit of $25!
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Stay Connected #sichamber
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Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 41277, Staten Island, NY 10304
718.727.1900 | sichamber.com
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