Chamber Updates

Century Casino Receives Approval for Hotel Downtown Cape Girardeau is home to more than 300 businesses and organizations, 4,500 residents and soon, a riverfront hotel. On Monday, February 7th, the City of Cape Girardeau held a public hearing and approved an amendment to the development plan of Century Casino Planned Development District. Century Casino’s proposed…

Weather and the Economy While there are some who enjoy in the calm of a storm, there are others who rush for shelter. Regardless of your personal views, there is no doubt that extreme weather can have significant effects on the economy. On Wednesday, February 2, a winter storm swept the Midwest blocking roadways, closing…

OSHA Withdraws Workplace Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard On November 5, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard, or ETS, to protect unvaccinated employees of large employers from workplace exposure to the coronavirus. As of January 26, 2022, this emergency temporary standard is withdrawn. The Supreme…

Quality of Life Quality of life – it’s a difficult thing to define but a critical component of a vibrant community. Quality of life is a phrase used in the marketing materials of nearly every community. But exactly what is quality of life and how do you measure it? Several indicators are widely recognized in…

The Great Resignation The last several months have seen a tidal wave of resignations, in the U.S. and around the world. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4 million Americans quit their jobs in July 2021. Resignations peaked in April and have remained abnormally high for the last several months, with a record-breaking…

Creative Compensation Compensation is typically among the first things potential employees consider when looking for employment. When it comes to employee compensation, most business owners are busy asking: “What do I have to pay?” A better question might be: “What do I want my compensation package to say?” Hobby Lobby took the world by surprise…

Networking Tips You Need To Know Sticking on a nametag and making small talk about the weather can be, well let’s face it, a little cringe-worthy. But, here’s the thing, it does not have to be like this! Networking in business is one of the best resources for career development. If you hope to grow…

Business Predictions for 2022 As we close the chapter on another year, it’s once again time to pull out the crystal ball and take a look at some of the top predictions for the business world in 2022. The end of the year not only provides a natural opportunity for reflection, but it’s also the…

Reflecting on 2021 The end of the year, especially a year like 2021, is a time when a myriad of emotions are naturally present. When I step back and think about where we were one year ago, I am blown away. The resilience I have witnessed, the leadership we’ve encountered, and the light of goodness…

A 4-Day Workweek There’s been a lot of talk about the potential benefits of a four-day work week instead of a five-day week. Several studies have shown that at some point, productivity decreases as the number of hours worked increases. A four-day workweek is, ideally, a 32-hour workweek with no loss in productivity, pay, or…