The Chamber Blog

Is Your Business Owner-Dependent?

It’s a simple question. Slightly uncomfortable. Surprisingly revealing. If you stepped away from your business for two weeks starting tomorrow, no email, no Slack, no “just checking in,” what would fall apart? Most business owners don’t love this thought experiment. Not because they’re doing anything wrong, but because many small businesses are built on proximity. You are the system. You are the memory. You are the fixer of last resort. That works. Until it doesn’t.

Christina Metcalf

Support Your Team With Confidence in Today’s Workplace

At the risk of starting the year off with doom and gloom, this is a topic that’s becoming increasingly important. Whether it’s personal uncertainties leaking into the workplace or your employees have concerns about the business or their place in it, many of them are feeling like they’re operating on unstable ground. This topic, while uncomfortable, is not something to be ignored or swept under the business welcome mat. Yet for business owners, this can feel like one more thing on an exhaustive to-do list.

Christina Metcalf

Five Ways to Turn Holiday Foot Traffic into Real Loyalty

Frank Kenny

The Most Overlooked Growth Practice for Business Owners Isn’t What You Think. And It ’ s Free

Christina Metcalf

How Small Businesses Can Win Big on Black Friday

You already know this but you will never out-doorbuster the big box stores. You are not supposed to. Your power is not in pallets of TVs sold near cost to get people in the door. It is in how people feel when they walk through your door. If you lean into experience, Black Friday can shift from “we cannot compete” to “we own this lane.

Rhonda Zunker

Igniting the Shop Local Movement: Every Purchase Has a Purpose

Rhonda Zunker

Getting Your Business Holiday Ready in 5 Simple Steps

Rhonda Zunker

Your Community Is Your Best Marketing Tool

Maybe you can’t afford a celebrity endorsement like Taylor Swift, but there are still plenty of lucrative opportunities to do something on a local scale. Influence marketing is changing. While businesses once chased celebrity endorsements and mega-influencers with millions of followers, smart companies are discovering that their most powerful brand ambassadors might already be customers or people sitting in the next booth at the local coffee shop.

Christina Metcalf

Talking Websites: A Game-Changer for Small Business

If you’ve ever parented a teenager, you know talking back is not to be celebrated. But when it comes to your business website, talking back is the next big trend. Most websites feel like digital brochures. You scroll, you click, you squint at tiny menus—and if you can’t find what you’re looking for in 20 seconds, you’re gone. On to the next one. But what if you landed on a website that immediately addresses your needs:

Christina Metcalf

5 Simple Numbers Every Small Business Should Track

If the thought of “tracking KPIs” makes your eyes glaze over, you’re not alone. For many small business owners, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) sound like something reserved for corporations with big budgets, bigger teams, and even bigger Excel spreadsheets. Who wants the hassle? If you’re like most businesses that are just beginning their financial tracking and analysis you’re concentrating on two things—what did I make and how much did I spend? That’s a great start but it’s a lot more nuanced than

Christina Metcalf