Has your business considered pop-up retail? Pop-up stores are generally designed to be temporary places with products for sale for a limited time only. Now, the Chamber of Commerce is working with a group of partners to create a different kind of pop-up: one that would ensure a year-round presence in a growing local market.

A pop-up retail location in downtown Jamestown would provide a low-cost, low-risk opportunity to increase sales, test products in a new market, reach new customers, or test a new location. physical retail or new location. Downtown Jamestown offers high-visibility storefront locations, a wide variety of event programs (especially as pandemic regulations continue to be lifted), local attractions such as the National Comedy Center and the Lucy-Desi Museum, an active weekly public market, hockey tournaments that bring visitors, year-round entertainment at local theaters and bus traffic.

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce is working with various partners in this endeavor. The Resource Center established a draft business model that would allow a fully operational year-round showcase where suppliers could rotate. The site would include a professional staff supervisor and would also be a training ground as the Resource Center continues its mission of training people with disabilities to work in the real world through experience and supervision. The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation works to identify locations and acts as a liaison with the landowner. The Small Business Development Center provides assistance to small businesses and supports the recruitment of retailers. The Gebbie Foundation supports this development model.

The Chamber of Commerce will focus its efforts on recruiting retail salespeople for the space as well as marketing the store as an extension of its new ShopLocalCHQ brand: already providing an online shopping and marketing platform. as well as a gift card for local businesses.

There is still work to be done to complete this program. The Chamber and the SBDC meet with local businesses that may have an interest in participating. Factors that are still being determined are costs to vendors, including potential square footage or sales commission agreements. The Chamber and Resource Center are also working to convene an advisory board with community members to finalize details.

If you are a seasonal business looking for off-season sales, or have a retail store outside of Jamestown, we welcome your questions and comments. For more information, please contact Todd Tranum at [email protected]

VACCINATIONS WILL GET US BACK TO NORMAL

Ready to ditch the mask? There is a simple solution for this: get vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control recently announced that fully vaccinated people no longer need masks in most places. There are a few caveats. The CDC specifically states that even people who have been vaccinated should cover their faces and physical distance when visiting doctors’ offices, hospitals, or long-term care facilities; when you travel by bus, plane, train or other means of public transport; or in transportation hubs such as airports and bus stations, or in prisons, prisons or homeless shelters.

At the same time, the CDC also referred to local or state requirements for masks in businesses and workplaces.

This announcement should be seen as yet another good reason for Americans to get vaccinated, however. We’ve already seen that as more New Yorkers get vaccinated, the state has lifted – and continues to exist – restrictions on businesses and gathering places. We continue to urge all local businesses to stay informed of any policy changes on forward.ny.gov.

If you have not been vaccinated, please consider doing so. It’s the fastest way to restore some normalcy by protecting the health of our families, communities, workplaces and economy. Vaccines are readily available – often without an appointment. You can find vaccination sites and make an appointment by visiting www.vaccinehound.org/chautauqua – a site developed by the University of Buffalo to help all New Yorkers in the West get vaccinated. In addition, the Chautauqua Center will bring vaccines to your workplace if you have ten or more employees ready to be vaccinated. For more information, contact the Chautauqua Center at (716) 484-4334 or find them online at tcchealth.org.

GET THE LATEST FEDERAL SMALL BUSINESS AFFAIRS – JOIN US FOR TUESDAY TALKS WITH SBDC

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce will continue its series of Tuesday events for local businesses on Tuesday, May 18 with special guest Courtney Curatolo, director of the Small Business Development Center at Jamestown Community College.

The discussion will focus on the most recent assistance programs available to businesses under the American Rescue Plan. This includes the Restaurant Revitalization Fund and the Closed Site Grant program.

This event will take place online starting at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 18. You can register online through the Chamber calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org.

Any small local business is encouraged to contact SBDC at (716) 366-1024 with any questions or concerns regarding assistance programs.

ATTIC & SELLER DAYS IS BACK IN FREDONIA JUNE 4-5

The Community Chamber of Commerce of Fredonia is organizing again this year Granaries and Vendors Days. This community-wide garage sale event helps raise funds for other events hosted by the Community Chamber. Anyone interested in hosting a sale on June 4 and 5 and being featured on the Attic & Seller Days card can submit their entry for a fee of $ 5, either in person at the Fredonia Village Hall or online through the calendar. House web. All sales must be registered by Tuesday June 1 to be included on the card.