Chamber Updates

Business Messaging and April Fool’s Day April Fool’s Day is the one day per year that businesses and brands can have a little fun and engage their customers in a fun and joking way. With a well thought out joke and gag businesses can get instant recognition and positive engagement, but it’s important to think…

2023 Population Estimates show nominal growth On March 14, the U.S. census office released updated county population estimates as of July 1, 2023. For Missouri, as well as our region, population estimates were relatively flat for this year. The Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program (PEP) produces estimates of the population for the United States, its…

Saving Daylight Sunday morning at two am we officially moved to “Daylight Savings” as clocks were moved forward one hour. This annual event that first started in Germany in 1916 and began in the U.S. on March 19, 1918 often leads to groggy mornings, tired employees and according to research done at the University of…

Revised 2023 Jobs Data shows some positive trends Last week, the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) released the January 2024 jobs report for the state and with-it annual revisions to 2023 estimates. There were some positive trends to watch in our region. Each month, labor data is reported at both a national level…

The Coming Solar Eclipse could mean Big Business! Six weeks from today millions of people across North America will turn their gaze towards the sky as a total solar eclipse passes overhead. With Southeast Missouri right in the path of totality that means a big opportunity for visitors and business is coming this way. As…

An early spring of new business in Cape Girardeau While we are still technically four weeks away from the official start of Spring, it’s hard not to notice several new businesses springing up here in Cape Girardeau lately. New business growth is the lifeblood of a local economy and as I have highlighted in previous…

What is a NAICS Code? According to the Small Business Administration as of 2024, there are approximately 33.2 million business recognized in the United States. Keeping track of that many organizations for statistical and economic purposes can be overly complicated, luckily, we have an organization system called NAICS to help with the process. The North…

Why Clustering like Businesses Works Have you ever wondered why some areas seem to be a hotspot for similar businesses? Several restaurants in the same neighborhood, jewelry stores on the same block, or even similar business models opening in the same community. It’s not just coincidence – it’s called clustering, and it’s a game-changer for…

4th Quarter Economic Growth Last week, the Commerce Department reported that U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by a seasonally and inflation adjusted annualized rate of 3.3%, more than double the 1.5% expected by most economist. Positive economic news is a good start to the new year but it’s important for businesses to understand what…

Corporate Transparency Act Requires Action from Business New Year’s Day started the clock on 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. While the initial filing deadline is the end of the…