When you shop at a small locally owned business, 67 cents of every dollar you spend stay right here in our local community. That’s compared to less than 45 cents on purchases at chain stores. Why does this matter? Because it’s the small local businesses that reinvest in our local economy and make our communities the vibrant places they are to live, work, and play.

Today is Small Business Saturday. For the small business community, today is their “Super Bowl.” They are stocked, open, and ready to do business.

For consumers, our local small businesses offer amazing and unique gift items from clothing to décor to edible products and toys. And you will find these great little shops all over Chautauqua County: Bemus Point, Chautauqua, Dunkirk, Fredonia, Jamestown, Lakewood, Mayville, Sherman, Silver Creek, Westfield, and everywhere in between.

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce urges you to SHOP SMALL today, and enter to win in our Small Business Saturday gift card giveaway. Each time you visit a small locally owned business, do a photo check-in on Facebook or Instagram and add #ShopSmallCHQ. Each check-in gets you an entry, so enter each time you visit a new store or local restaurant. The Chamber is giving away up to $500 in ShopLocalCHQ Gift Cards. No purchase is necessary. Winners will be drawn Monday, November 28. Entries will be counted for Small Business Saturday, November 26 only.

Then on Cyber Monday, November 28, you can still shop online and support local businesses, and take advantage of a great offer! The Chamber is offering a 20% discount on products valued at $200 or less on our special web sales and marketing platform at www.ShopLocalCHQ.com. The transaction is easy for consumers – you just need to use the promo code CYBERMONDAY and you’ll get the discount. It’s seamless for the local participating merchant since the Chamber is covering the discounted amount. Discounts cannot apply to purchases made when you click through to other sites, only for purchases directly through the Chamber’s Shop Where I Live platform.

When you support small locally owned businesses you are supporting your friends and neighbors right here in our community. Shop Small. Shop Local. And find the joy in holiday shopping this season.

Fiorella Chosen for Pam Lydic Coalition Builder Award

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has selected Larry Fiorella of Fredonia as the recipient of this year’s Pam Lydic Coalition Builder Award. While Larry chairs the Fredonia Community Chamber of Commerce Committee, he also heads up Festivals Fredonia.

In a nomination letter submitted to the Chamber, committee member Sheila Starkey Hahn noted, “Larry not only spends countless volunteer hours on Festivals Fredonia events, but he takes the time to get to know his volunteer teams and business owners. He works collaboratively with everyone to ensure that Fredonia remains a vibrant community which continues to attract residents and entrepreneurs.”

Larry has been instrumental in bringing together volunteers from a cross-section of organizations in Fredonia to not only support the work of the Chamber of Commerce and Festivals Fredonia, but also as a champion for Small Business Revolution in 2020, and to forge partnerships comprising community organizations, the Fredonia Central School District, SUNY Fredonia, the 1891 Fredonia Opera House, the Village Council, and more. He is also the treasurer for Partners in Kind and Adjutant, Secretary, and Finance Manager for the Fredonia Memorial Post 59 American Legion. In addition to his volunteer work, Larry is a financial advisory at HBKS Wealth Management.

The award will be presented during the Chamber’s Annual Meeting, to be held at noon, Friday, December 2, at Webb’s Captain’s Table in Mayville.

CCIDA/CCPEG to Present at Chamber Annual Meeting December 2

Representatives from the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency and Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth will be keynote speakers for the Chautauqua County Chamber Annual Meeting, December 2. The topic will be: Talent Attraction and Retention Efforts. The work currently being done to focus on the lifestyle available in Chautauqua County as a true asset to building business here is uplifting and engaging. We invite all local businesspeople to learn more about this important work and how it can positively impact our economy and communities.

A few new at large members are on the slate to be elected to the Chamber’s Board of Directors. They are: Dr. Courtney Curatolo of the Small Business Development Center; John Felton, CEO of Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union; and Dr. Stephen Kolison, President of the SUNY College at Fredonia.

The Chamber Annual Meeting is sponsored by Brooks-TLC Hospital System, DFT Communications, Jamestown Community College, Law Offices of Sheila Starkey Hahn, Small Business Development Center at JCC, ServPro, OBSERVER, The Post-Journal, and Artone. The price is $28 for a delicious lunch at Webb’s including soup, salad, and sandwich options. Register online before November 28 through the Chamber’s web calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org.