By TODD J. TRANUM

President and CEO of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce & Executive Director of the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier

The holiday season may be over, but the ShopLocalCHQ.com marketplace continues its work selling Chautauqua county goods and services. When a business joins the new ShopLocalCHQ online marketplace that business attracts attention and consumers all year long.

ShopLocalCHQ is a platform designed specifically to help small local businesses market and sell their products and services. When it was launched just before Thanksgiving, there were 50 businesses participating. That number is now up to 67, and more are being added regularly. The marketplace has grown to feature over 350 local products.

From the launch of ShopLocalCHQ the end of November through the end of December the marketplace experienced 48,771 pageviews and well over 50,000 consumers have been reached through social media advertising and post shares.

At the heart of everything the Chamber of Commerce does is a commitment to drive foot and internet traffic to local businesses in an effort to increase sales. ShopLocalCHQ does just that and carries the process one step further by actually creating a platform for online sales even when a business doesn’t have its own system to do so.

Local merchant participation covers a variety of retail, restaurant, and service industries offering a range of products from apparel to home goods to specialty artwork and local wines.

There is no cost to businesses to participate beyond their Chamber membership investment. To get started, simply visit www.shoplocalchq.com and click the link to “start selling.” Once your membership is processed, you’ll be able to begin posting products for sale on the platform.

For consumers, we encourage you to visit the site and see what’s new and ready for Valentine’s Day giving!

Members of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce receive a return 12 times greater than their initial investment – not only through the ShopLocalCHQ program, but also through access to human resource compliance services, an array of health and ancillary insurance offerings, clear and concise information provided to meet the critical needs of the business community, networking opportunities with other businesspeople, and much more. For more information about all of the services the Chamber provides, see our Member Handbook online at www.chautauquachamber.org.

Tuesday Talks: Vaccination Challenges and Opportunities

In its growing series of Tuesday Talks the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce and Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier are proud to present a panel discussion around the COVID-19 Vaccination – Challenges and Opportunities. This event will be held via Zoom Webinar at 8:30am, Tuesday, February 9.

Our panelists will include Chautauqua County Health Commissioner Christine Schuyler and Dr. James Sherry, Executive Director of the Chautauqua County Health Network. Additional panelists from the local medical community are still being confirmed.

This program is free to attend, but donations are welcome. It is sponsored by OBSERVER, The Post-Journal, and Univera Healthcare Southern Tier. Advanced registration is required, including an email for each attendee, so that we can send a direct link to join the meeting. To register visit the Chamber’s online calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org.

Safe and Healthy Practices Will Get Us Back to Normal

Wear a mask. Don’t gather in groups. Wash your hands. All of these routine practices have been drilled into our brains for many months. At the same time, we have seen an increase in Coronavirus cases in Chautauqua County in recent weeks. Even as the COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out, it remains crucial that we all take precautions to keep our customers, employees, and families safe. The Chamber and MAST remain committed to communication that assists local businesses of all types as they continue to apply for loans and grants to help get through this most unusual time. We ask that the entire population do its part to keep our economy strong and community healthy. Thank you for doing your part.

Virtual Doors Open Jamestown is February 27

Even while some doors remain closed or restricted for local attractions, the tradition of showing off our myriad local museums, institutions, and recreational facilities goes on! Doors Open Jamestown will be held virtually this year, featuring a fun and engaging online scavenger hunt.

The theme is Follow the Red Brick Road! Viewers will have an opportunity to enter the scavenger hunt searching for Wizard of Oz themed items strategically placed in each video from each local attraction. There will be chances to enter each time you spot a special item in the video. The more entries you have the better your chances of winning a prize. Prize packages are being donated by the local attractions, in addition to Shoptauqua Gift Cards from the Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to the focus on non-profit attractions, this online event will highlight many of our local businesses. Watch for more details to be announced soon including links for viewing this unique event on February 27.