Chamber Updates

Creating an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem According to data from YourEconomy.org Cape Girardeau County has seen a significant decline in new business starts since the pandemic. Our ten-year high was in 2019 when 226 businesses were formed in Cape Girardeau County, compared to our lowest output over a 10-year period in 2023 when only ninety-three business starts…

Veteran’s and Workforce Opportunities November 11th is Veterans Day, officially recognized in honor of all veterans as a federal holiday in 1954 when Congressman Ed Rees, of Emporia, KS (my hometown) proposed renaming Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor all service members. As you take time today to reflect on the importance and service…

Live Music as a Driver for Business Over the weekend Taylor Swift wrapped up the second U.S. leg of her record-breaking Eras Tour as she completed three nights in Indianapolis. As a self-proclaimed “Swiftie” I have watched over the last eighteen months as her tour attracted millions of fans and hundreds of communities benefited for…

Corporate Transparency Act Requires Action for Business Owners With only 10 weeks left in 2024, business owners and managers need to be aware of a new federal law requiring many business entities in the United States to file Beneficial Ownership Information with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) within the U.S. Department of the Treasury.…

Investing in Your Business with Professional Development This month has been busy at the Cape Chamber with several staff members on the road for a variety of conferences, programs, and training opportunities. Sometimes it feels difficult to make time to engage in professional development activities, but the value to your business can certainly outweigh the…

Taking Steps Now for a Great Fourth Quarter It may seem hard to believe it, but last week was the start of the fourth quarter for 2024! Now is a crucial time for businesses to focus and make sure they end the year in the strongest way possible. With the holiday season and year-end activities…

Show Me Careers Helps Connect Business and Education Last week, a group of educators from 7 different school districts took part in the Southeast Missouri Show Me Careers program hosted locally by the Missouri Chamber of Business & Industry, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, SE MO REDi, and the Cape Chamber. Engaging with…

What Does the Fed Rate Cut Mean for Business Last Wednesday, the Federal Open Market Committee announced it would be cutting the federal funds interest rate by 50 basis points, the first cut the Federal Reserve has made since March 2020. While this is just the beginning, the cut may create several opportunities for businesses.…

Celebrating American Business Women’s Day This coming Sunday, September 22, is American Business Women’s Day, a holiday recognizing the founding of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) in 1949. According to a 2021 article titled Research: Adding Women to the C-Suite Changes How Companies Think published online by Harvard business Review, that is a good thing. The…

Transportation Key to Business Growth Last week I had the opportunity to attend a meeting with several community and business leaders in the region to talk about some access limitations for transportation here in our area. While there is no easy solution to solving complex transportation planning issues, it is certainly an important conversation to…