News Flash

March 11, 2021

Click here for the visual version -

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Commerce UPDATES/NEWS

2021 New York Virtual Small Business Day

Hosted by NFIB

March 23 – 24, 2021

Be a part of the largest small business advocacy group in the nation by joining our efforts to protect your right to own, operate and grow your small business!

Join Commerce Chenango for a complimentary virtual event and the opportunity to engage with your legislators, fellow NFIB members, and small business advocates. Although it will be held as a virtual format this year, this event will be intimate, interactive, and informational. Register here.

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Virtual Entrepreneurial Roundtable Series – II

Sponsored by sfcu

MWBE Certification – An introduction to the what, why & how. 

Time: Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Speakers:

Liam McMahon - Certified Business Advisor

Robert (Bud) Sweet – Regional Director ESD 

Mary Branham – Pivotel, Women Business Enterprise (WBE) Owner

This event is complimentary but registration is REQUIRED. Click here now.

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Virtual Town Hall Discussion with Congresswoman Claudia Tenney

Time: 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Congresswoman Tenney serves on the House Small Business Committee, and this outreach event is geared towards small businesses who would like to share their experiences and priorities in dealing with the pandemic and moving beyond.

This event is complimentary but registration is REQUIRED. Click here now.

We are excited to announce that we are in the process of creating a new Chenango County Relocation and Community Guide. While this publication provides Chenango County information, and promotes our new Commerce Chenango brand, you as a Chamber member, will have the opportunity to advertising your products and services. New this year – our guide will be digital adding additional distribution. Details for advertising in the 2021 publication can be found here.

MADRONA Tasting Room Corp

248 County Rd. 1, Chenango Forks, 13746 (physical)

PO Box 5719, Endicott, 13763 (mailing)

607.766.1235

Contact: Amanda Janicki

amanda@madronany.com / www.madronany.com

Madrona’s mission is to offer the Southern Tier Region a unique experience that supports local and small businesses in the style of a tasting room. Come enjoy the local wines, beers & spirits in beautiful surroundings. Watch for more on this Chenango County favorite.

MEMBER Section

Hidden Springs Brewhouse Shares Their Story

Owners of Hidden Springs Mark Moore and Krista Porter-Moore, along with brewmaster Nate Edgett recently shared their success story with the Daily Star. Read it here.

Changes to NBT Branch Availability

NBT branch lobbies are open. Please review how you can bank safely inside the branches. They encourage you to review local branch hours using the online directory. As always, please contact your local branch with any questions, or to make an appointment.

UHS Chenango Memorial and  CCHS Partners

The Chenango County Historical Society recently shared news of a new collaboration between CCHS and the Senior Center of UHS. As part of the collaboration, pieces related to the Norwich Pharmacal Company are to be displayed for the senior residents at UHS Chenango. Suzanne Martin, who was essential in establishing the partnership, said, "The pandemic and resulting regulations guiding long term care facilities in an effort to keep them safe have also resulted in a sense of loss of routine, family, and community. Many of our residents have learned to embrace technology such as Facebook and Zoom, but as a whole, this is a population that loves to reminisce. This visual display affords them that opportunity and provides opportunities for stimulation and a feeling of community involvement."

For the INTERESTED….

Quote of the day:  

"Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, 'Make me feel important.' Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life." -Mary Kay Ash

Click here to see the Better Business Bureau March Webinar Offerings

HR TRENDS 2021: The Current Talent Landscape

Tuesday, March 23

Today’s managers and human resource professionals are challenged with engaging employees and recruiting and onboarding new hires who are working from home. Join SkillPath Enterprise Solutions for this free 30-minute webinar to learn the latest HR trends from business consultant and expert trainer Kim Nash and explore the new talent landscape.

Topics that will be discussed:

•           Trends in recruiting, hiring and onboarding remote employees

•           Strategies for engaging your workforce and maintaining a strong culture

•           Ways to advocate for employee mental health and wellbeing

•           Keeping your employees’ skills current through online training

Plus, you’ll be able to have your questions answered during a live Q&A session following the webinar. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the latest talent development and management trends. Register here.

COVID-19 UPDATES

Commerce Chenango would like to remind you that it still mandatory to wear a mask and to social distance.

3/3/2021 - Beginning April 2, event, arts and entertainment venues can reopen at 33 percent capacity, up to 100 people indoors and up to 200 people outdoors. If all attendees present proof of negative test prior to entry, capacity can increase up to 150 people indoors and up to 500 people outdoors. Social distancing and face coverings will be required by all attendees, as well as strict adherence to all applicable Department of Health guidance.

The Governor also announced domestic travelers to New York State who have been vaccinated no longer have to quarantine or test out within 90 days of their full vaccination.  

Governor Cuomo also announced that beginning March 22, residential gatherings of up to 25 people can be held outdoors. Indoor residential gatherings remain capped at 10 people to reduce the continued risk of spread. Also, non-residential social gatherings of up to 100 people can occur indoors and up to 200 people can occur outdoors.

3/8/2021 - Restaurants outside of New York City, which have been operating at 50 percent capacity, can now move to 75 percent capacity starting March 19. The data has shown that restaurants can operate safely and in accordance with strict health protocols at 75 percent capacity. New York City restaurant capacity will remain at 35 percent capacity.

3/9/2021 - People 60-years-old and up will be eligible for the vaccine beginning March 10. That brings the age requirement down from 65 to 60.

On March 17, all vaccination sites, including those run on the state and county level, can vaccinate people who are eligible for the vaccine, with the exception of pharmacies, which will only vaccinate people who are 60-years-old or older, and teachers. The governor says this is because pharmacies do not have an easy time identifying different types of workers. However, they can identify age with a driver's license and teachers are a priority to get vaccinated.

In addition to this, eligible workers include public-facing public essential workers, not-for-profit public facing emergency employees and employees who are providing necessary, essential public workers and public facing building workers.

3/11/2021 - Domestic travelers will no longer be required to quarantine after entering New York from another U.S. State or U.S. Territory starting April 1st. While no longer required, the NYS Department of Health still recommends quarantine after domestic travel as an added precaution. Mandatory quarantine remains in effect for international travelers. All travelers must continue to fill out the Traveler Health Form. Individuals should continue strict adherence to all safety guidelines to stop the spread - wearing masks, socially distancing and avoiding gatherings.

Vaccination Resources

Guidance for?the New York State COVID-19 Vaccination Program

NYS Am I eligible site: https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/ or call 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).

Chenango County waitlist for those in 1A and 1B/ including age 65+ group: Email name, D.O.B, address, phone number and eligibility criteria to COVID19@co.chenango.ny.us

For more information on COVID-related news from Commerce Chenango visit our COVID resource page. https://commercechenango.com/covid-19-resources/

Tourism Updates

Coronavirus Resources for Travelers: Updated 03/11/21

https://www.iloveny.com/travel-tools/coronavirus-resources-for-travelers/

Chenango Arts Council invites you to an Interactive Culinary Adventure sponsored by NBT Bank.

On Sunday, April 11, 2021, at 2:00 p.m., learn to make ‘Carrie’s Johnny Cake,’ a recipe from the Chenango County cookbook, “Made Nine Pies.” Register at https://www.chenangoarts.org/workshops/ by Friday, April 9, 2021, and include your name, email and phone number. A ZOOM link will be sent prior to the event. Call 607-336-2787 or email mailto:info@chenangoarts.org for more details.

The 2021 Tourism Recovery: Planning to THRIVE, not Just Survive New York State Tourism conference is slated for April 21, 22 & 23. Join your NYS tourism colleagues for a combination of ‘how to’ implementation guidance and thought provoking, inspirational keynotes, panels and programs. Registration is just $95. Click here to register and see the full schedule.

Last but not least…

Did you know? Tesla has a “$0 Marketing Budget”. Now try to recollect the advertisements, slogans, commercials, or any other promos of Tesla. Have anything? No? Because there aren’t any. What does that mean?