Over the next
several weeks, many will be out enjoying family and friends as the Holiday
Season commences. Further, a lot of
shopping will occur over the next several weeks, and this is a time as a
community we can really support local businesses. NOVEMBER 28, 2015 IS SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY. Small Business Saturday is between Black
Friday and Cyber Monday. It was first
promoted nationally in 2010 and is a trademark of American Express (#shopsmall). You can visit the following site to learn
more about the evolution of Small Business Saturday and how communities have
embraced this as an opportunity to promote their local businesses: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small/. Although Small Business Saturday, #shopsmall,
is marketed as a retail opportunity it’s important to remember retail is but one
component of a vibrant and diverse economy.
Small
businesses represent the backbone of our local, regional and national economies
and the term small business is also somewhat misleading. A small business can include up to 500
employees, nonetheless, as consumers we need to ensure we support these “brick
and mortar” companies and we can do this in numerous ways. Shopping and buying local is a great
opportunity to support local businesses but don’t forget small businesses which
provide services or manufacturers which employ people within the
community. By utilizing these products
and services we are supporting not only the business but the people who work
there (many of which live in our community) and contributing to our local
economy, which has a domino effect on the regional and national economies.
Cyber Monday
is another day which has evolved in our 24/7/365 economy and “showrooming”
refers to people visiting brick and mortar stores to research an item they are
seeking to purchase and then going on-line to find the best price for the
product they want and purchasing it.
On-line shopping certainly has a place in our economy however it does
impact small businesses, with brick and mortar locations, as items purchased
on-line does not always equate into sales tax received by the local community
and currently it is increasing more difficult for businesses with physical
locations to compete.
Here’s a suggestion
I want to offer. If you do want to “showroom” do so in this manner: go on-line to research a product and compare
pricing and when you determine which product you want to purchase visit a brick
and mortar store in the City of McHenry and purchase the item. Alternatively, order the item on-line and
have it shipped to a store in the City of McHenry. Either way, your tax dollars will stay in the
City and you are supporting local businesses and the people who work there.
As previously
stated on-line shopping and “showrooming” will always have a place in our
economy however brick and mortar stores are here to say. People want to look and touch items they are
interested in purchasing and they can only do so in traditional stores. Moreover, the “retail experience” as it has
come to be known as is people visiting stores, shopping centers, etc. and not
only shopping but dining, using WiFi and having coffee, visiting- everything
people enjoy doing but in one place.
This
“experience” is all about getting people into the stores and keeping them there
as long as possible because that translates into additional consumer spending
which benefits local businesses and the local economy. This is one of the ways “traditional” stores
and shopping centers are “combating” on-line shopping-by offering an array of
services: dining, day care, wifi, public
spaces, cafes, etc. It’s all about an experience
and not just running in, picking something up and running out but running in
and staying in….and spending!!!
UNITED STATES SMALL
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION RESOURCES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES!!!!
The United
States Small Business Administration is one of the City of McHenry’s Power
Partners. They provide grant
opportunities as well as a wealth of knowledge and resources to assist small businesses. All of the information
below comes directly from the United States Small Business Administration and
offers many strategies businesses can utilize and capitalize on Small Business
Saturday.
Find participating
small businesses in your area
Get
advice on how to prepare for the holiday season on our blogs
Get
free Small Business Saturday® marketing materials
Help
spread the word on social media by using the hashtags #SmallBizSat, #ShopSmall
and #DineSmall.
Additionally,
below are informational resources, blogs, webinars which you can take advantage
of, all of which pertain to issues small businesses face on a daily basis, as
well as information on upcoming topics to assist small businesses in staying
ahead of the curve. Please take
advantage of these valuable resource opportunities!
Webinar | 10 Cybersecurity
Mistakes You Cannot Afford to Make - Tips from the Federal Trade Commission
Tuesday, December 08,
2015 at 2:00 PM ET
The
consequences of a data breach can be disastrous for a small business. The good
news is there are steps you can take to protect your company’s data. Using the
Federal Trade Commission’s Start with Security guide and drawing on lessons
from more than 50 FTC data security cases, this webinar will lay out ten key
steps to effective data security for small businesses. The training is aimed at
small business owners who have basic familiarity with their company’s
information technology. A Q&A session will follow. Topics include:
Password
policies
Access controls
Network
segmentation
Securing
physical media
With Black
Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and the full holiday
retail season just around the corner, it’s an ideal time for small businesses
to focus on safeguarding against cyber-vandalism and to be watchful of their
cybersecurity practices.
Women today
make up nearly 29 percent of all U.S. business owners, and according to preliminary data from U.S. Census Bureau, women’s
entrepreneurship is on the rise. U.S. business ownership rose 27.5 percent for
women, and overall, America added one million net, new businesses from 2007 to
2012, a period in which U.S. employment fell by 3.8 million.
Blog | How to Protect Your Business Name in the US and
Worldwide
The process of naming your business is a complex one. Not only must it reflect your brand but you need to find ways to protect it against name hijackers, scammers, impersonators, cybersquatting, and business identity theft.
The process of naming your business is a complex one. Not only must it reflect your brand but you need to find ways to protect it against name hijackers, scammers, impersonators, cybersquatting, and business identity theft.
Data is
everywhere today. That’s where business dashboards come in. They help bring
data together in one easy-to-view place, so you can use it more readily.
It is often
said, small business is the backbone of America. We are incredibly
committed to these entrepreneurs who want to help grow the American economy.
If you’ve
been on the hunt for a franchise to buy, and haven’t found one that you feel is
right for you; I have an idea that you may want to explore.
The U.S.
Department of the Treasury recently
announced the official launch of myRA, a new retirement savings account for the
millions of workers in America who don’t have access to a retirement savings
plan through work or have not found an easy way to start saving. Employees
can:
Start
funding their myRA account directly from their paycheck
Fund their
myRA directly from their checking or savings accounts
Direct all
or part of their federal tax refund to their myRA account, at tax
time
Learn more
about this new way you can help your employees save at myRA.gov.
The Affordable Care Act 101
Webinar Series
Find out how
to navigate the opportunities in health care through the Affordable Care Act
101 webinar series. Registration is free, but required.
Thursday,
December 3 at 2 PM ET: Click to Register
Thursday,
December 10 at 2 PM ET: Click to Register
The
Affordable Care Act 101 in Spanish.
Tuesday,
December 15 at 4 pm ET: Click to Register
For more
information on what the health care law means for small businesses,
check out www.sba.gov/healthcare.
Self-employed? 2016 Open
Enrollment is Underway
HealthCare.gov is working for millions of Americans and
it’s ready to help even more get covered.
Open
Enrollment for 2016 coverage starts on November 1 through January 31
If you want
to start the New Year with coverage, you must sign up by December15
For people
who enroll after December 15, coverage will begin on February
Financial
assistance is available
Visit HealthCare.gov or CuidadoDeSalud.gov to learn more
Call
24hrs/day 1-800-318-2596
TTY users
should call 1-855-889-4325
Assistance
is available in 150 languages
For free
in-person help in your community, visit: Localhelp.healthcare.gov
Small Business Exporters:
Register Now for the 2016 Hannover Messe Trade Show in Germany
5,000+
exhibitors from 100 countries
200,000+
attendees
Includes a
worldwide audience of buyers, distributors, resellers, and investors
Certified by
the U.S. Department of Commerce
The SBA is
providing export finance counseling to U.S. small business exporters, to engage
commercial lenders and financial institutions, as well as to educate
private-sector partners on U.S. government export financing and insurance
programs.
What You Need to Know About
Exporting to Cuba
December 8 at 2:00 pm ET
The Bureau
of Industry (BIS) under the U.S. Department of Commerce has scheduled monthly
call-in programs to field questions from the exporting community concerning the
Cuba rule published on January 16, 2015.
Toll
Free Number: 1-888-889-0538
Participant
passcode: CUBA
NOVEMBER 28, 2015 IS SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY!!!
COMING SOON CITY OF MCHENRY RECREATION CENTER!!
Please help us keep our community vibrant and strong to the greatest
extent practical for businesses, residents and visitors alike! The City Council is continually evaluating
ways to assist in promoting business, tourism, community events and
service! Economic development is an
ongoing effort the City is committed to and is a community-wide effort. At the end of the day the entire community
and everyone who is a part of it benefits!
Coming in future blog posts:
- What factors do non-retail businesses consider when thinking about relocating?
- Free Business Resources
- Exploring New Marketing Opportunities to promote business attraction, retention and expansion…
- 2015 Year in Review….
- International Council of Shopping Centers Conference
- How do brick and mortar businesses remain competitive with on-line businesses?
- What are Class A, B and C spaces?
- Franchising? What is it? What companies offer it and what challenges are associated with attracting a retailer which operates exclusively using franchising?
- Future trends in economic development: “market segmentation;“ “pop-up” stores; “placemaking/third places”
- Challenges associated with economic development…
Douglas P. Martin
Director of Economic Development
City of McHenry
333 S Green Street
McHenry, IL 60050
815.363.2110 (d)
815.363.2173 (f)
815.790.4752 (c)
