Posts by rgilligan_robgilligan

New Restaurants Springing Up in Cape Friday was officially the first day of Spring, as we crossed the vernal equinox and head straight into the renewal of the season. If you have been watching the news in Cape Girardeau lately, it almost feels like someone was planting seeds of entrepreneurship for food establishments as several…

Beware the Ides of March The first few months of 2025 have been a bit of a whirlwind with lots of activity, changes, and uncertainty in the air. I spent a fair amount of time last Saturday thinking about the date and if there was any business meaning to be forewarned of the Ides of…

Daylight Saving Time Daylight savings kicked in on Sunday morning, and that means we all lost an hour of time and maybe even an hour of sleep. If your workday is starting off a little slow, you’re probably not alone, but the time change can also lead to positive change for business. With daylight saving…

Understanding Tariffs and Potential Business Impacts After a brief pause in February to negotiate on issues related to border security, President Trump has indicated that new tariffs will now go into effect on Tuesday. Tariffs are taxes imposed by a government on imported goods, aiming to protect domestic industries by making foreign products more expensive.…

Business Advocacy at the State Level Later this week, I’ll join a group of business and community leaders from throughout Southeast Missouri in Jefferson City, connecting with state leaders on a variety of topics and issues important to business in our region. Advocating at the state level can be a critical part of supporting business…

New Development Project Announced in Scott City Economic Development is often viewed as a marathon because the work may take time to pay off. Development of the SEMO Industrial Park in Scott City over the past few years has taken time and significant resources from both the private developers, as well as the community and…

Preparing for Disruption Last week, an unexpected memo from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent many into panic as a freeze on Federal grant and loan funds was announced. While the order was rescinded before going into effect, it certainly has leaders examining what the potential impact could have been. In…

Jumping into the World of AI Some days it can be difficult finding the right things to say or the right image you want to share. With the continuing advancement of technology, some of the newest tools can help get you from being stuck to unstuck quickly. As technology continues to evolve, artificial intelligence (AI)…

Lessons for Business from Dr. King Today is the third Monday in January, and since November 2, 1983, we recognize this day each year as a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While some businesses are closed and others are open today, all business leaders have an opportunity to reflect on…

Preparing your Business for Inclement Weather Ice Storms, Snow storms, wildfires in California, and we haven’t even thought about spring yet! Inclement weather can disrupt businesses, posing challenges such as operational downtime and safety risks, but with proper planning everyone can be ready for when the forecast changes. Weather conditions can seemingly change overnight and…