Business Archives - Page 56 of 70

November 29, 2021

Small Business Saturday shines a spotlight on local businesses | News, Sports, Jobs

T-R PHOTOS BY SUSANNA MEYER — Vic and Gayle Hellberg, the owners of Hellberg Jewelers, one of several local businesses that participated in Small Business Saturday in Marshalltown.

Small Business Saturday gives local mom and pop operations a chance to shine after the big shopping rushes of Black Friday at larger chain stores. Matt Gerstandt, the owner of Black Tire Bike Co said it had been a slightly slow day.

“Small Business Saturday hasn’t been gangbusters, but we’re running some select specials and we’ve had some good foot traffic,” Gerstandt said.

While it may not have been as busy as some would have liked, Gerstandt said the Holiday Stroll had a positive impact on business the previous week, jumpstarting the revenue a week early. He remains optimistic for the upcoming holiday season.

“Kids bikes have been great for availability, so we’re getting some of those families that have been patiently waiting for kids bikes. Some of those supply chains are loosening up just a little bit,” Gerstandt said.

Gerstandt also wanted to stress the importance of shopping locally not just because customers can feel better about where their dollars are going.

Matt Gerstandt, the owner of Black Tire Bike Co on Main Street, was happy to see the foot traffic in the downtown area on Small Business Saturday.

“Don’t shop local because it’s local, shop local because you’re getting better service,” Gerstandt said.

Another Main Street Business, Hellberg’s Jewelers, owned by Vic and Gayle Hellberg, was open for business on Saturday, and they were hopeful it would be a successful day.

“It’s definitely better than an average Saturday, so that’s the good part,” Vic Hellberg said.

The Hellbergs also participated in the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce Chamber Bucks giveaway. Select businesses offered the opportunity to register to win Chamber Bucks of different values depending on the business. The Chamber of Commerce has sponsored this giveaway for several years running in an effort to incentivize shopping locally and to support small businesses. While Vic Hellberg has never asked customers if the Chamber Bucks giveaway was a motivation for them to come shop, he was certain it had an effect.

“I know that makes a difference to people. They do come down because our chamber does a good job for our community,” Vic Hellberg said.

Chamber of Commerce Director John Hall was enthusiastic about the giveaway, hoping it would be a helpful tool for businesses looking to gain more shoppers on Small Business Saturday.

“We know the value of small businesses, and the Chamber Bucks giveaway is one more tool to bring in more business,” Hall said.

The Chamber of Commerce partners with the Small Business Development Center, which provides the materials for events like these and ships them to participating businesses. Chamber Bucks can be redeemed at any business or organization that is a member of the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce, and participating businesses can be found at www.marshalltown.org.

In addition to the giveaway, the Chamber of Commerce also partners with Shop Iowa, which provides a free online platform for small businesses to sell online. With resources like Shop Iowa, Hall hopes small businesses can thrive in Marshalltown all year, not just on Small Business Saturday.

——

Contact Susanna Meyer at 641-753-6611 or

smeyer@timesrepublican.com.

: T-R PHOTOS BY SUSANNA MEYER — Vic and Gayle Hellberg, the owners of Hellberg Jewelers, one of several local businesses that participated in Small Business Saturday in Marshalltown.

: Matt Gerstandt, the owner of Black Tire Bike Co on Main Street, was happy to see the foot traffic in the downtown area on Small Business Saturday.

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November 28, 2021

Saratoga celebrates Small Business Saturday

One day after hitting the stores for the Black Friday sales, Saratoga Springs was crowded once again for Small Business Saturday.

Midway through an afternoon of Christmas shopping, Dawn Darkes and her daughter Charley needed a little something to warm up at the Saratoga Tea and Honey Co.

“We are big coffee and tea lovers, getting special drinks, that’s our thing when we go away,” Charley Darkes-Burkey said as she waited for her chai tea latte.

What You Need To Know

One day after hitting the stores for the Black Friday Sales, Saratoga Springs was crowded once again for Small Business Saturday

Some downtown shop owners reported their busiest Black Friday ever after many shoppers stayed home in 2020 due to the spread of the coronavirus

The co-owner of Impressions of Saratoga believes concerns of supply chain shortages and shipping delays may also be driving shoppers to local stores

Celebrating the holidays from out of town, the whole family was going shop-to-shop on Small Businesses Saturday.

“When I can I prefer to support local,” Darkes said. “I think local businesses have more customer service and awareness of their products. I also think the variety is there because they’re looking for more unique items for their shoppers, so I like it.”
“Oh my gosh it is the best, it’s the best,” Saratoga Tea and Honey Co. owner Haley Stevens said. “We are really lucky to have such a supportive community.”

Stevens says Small Business Saturday is always one of the busiest days of the year because the community goes out of its way to promote its local shops.

“When you support a small business it is very likely you are supporting many sub-small businesses,” Stevens said. “A lot of our vendors are local people, people who are making pottery, people who are making beeswax products so it’s been really wonderful.”

At Impressions of Saratoga, co-owners Mare Baker and Maddy Zanetti say this weekend is typically a bellwether for the entire holiday shopping season.

“It’s been very good and very busy, it started early too,” Baker said. “We are used to November being a little quiet in the beginning but that was not the case this year.”

Zanetti says global concerns like supply chain issues may actually be driving more shoppers into local stores.

“People got in the habit of buying local last year and they’re continuing that this year,” Zanetti said. “They want to know that they have the item they want to give in-hand, they don’t have to wait and worry about whether it’s going to make it in time.”

“We had our best Black Friday ever, it was great,” said Jennifer Marcellus, who opened Miss Scarlett Boutique 12 years ago. “We had a huge response both online and in-store.”

Especially after a tough year and a half of staying in business throughout a pandemic, Marcellus says it’s gratifying to see so many shoppers downtown.

“It’s been really great to see that so many regular customers have been back and have been throughout the pandemic and ordering online when we were closed down, that was huge for us,” she said.

As they made their way throughout downtown, many shoppers feel supporting local businesses is a great way to get into the holiday spirit.

“I think we’re finding it wonderful, lots of variety in the shops and a very quaint feel about the types of shops we’ve been shopping in and a festive feel with all the people around,” Darkes said.

November 27, 2021

Couple launches farm store in Middlefield | Business News

Shannon Sears is cultivating something new on her family’s Middlefield farm.

Sears, 23, together with her boyfriend, Robert Dorrough, launched Valley View Farm Store at 3286 County Highway 35 in early November. The store began, Sears said, as a way to expand offerings to locals while supplementing the farm.

“My parents first started farming in Jefferson, and I was 2 when they moved, so I pretty much grew up on the farm,” she said. “It was my parents’, and they bought it in 2000, and now me and my boyfriend are in the process of taking it over.

“(The farm store) is all new,” Sears continued. “The store got started because, in dairy farming, it’s very tough to have a strong revenue stream, especially in Middlefield — there’s no stoplight and there’s no store, the closest one is in Cooperstown — so we wanted to give an opportunity for the local community to be able to have the convenience and be able to get it right up the road at the farm, and we offer only local products.”

The site, Sears said, showcases typical farm store fare along with some surprises.

“Our milk is from Lentsville Farm in Cherry Valley, and they have a Jersey farm there and cheese curds and yogurt that we have,” she said. “And the other (milk carried) is King Brothers, out of Saratoga.

“We have homegrown beef and pork, with different cuts available — hamburger, steaks, sausage, bacon and that’s all grown on the farm — then we have a wide variety of baked goods,” Sears continued, listing products from Brimstone Bakery in Sharon Springs and whoopie pies and assorted muffins from Udderly Sweet. “And we have, from MT Acres in Schenevus, all our health and beauty products, (such as) goat milk soap, aromatherapy, sugar scrubs, lotion, lip balm and grain-free dog treats,” she said.

Sears said, though the store is open for self-service daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., she’s committed to making face-to-face customer connections.

“It’s different, our farm store, because it is manned (during weekend hours),” she said. “We think it’s important to have conversations with our customers and find out what products they like and what products they’re looking for next; it just gives you an opportunity to actually communicate with your consumer and otherwise, you miss out on that.”

Customers, Sears said, are appreciating the venture. Though she said shoppers are primarily “locals,” Sears said that, in summer, “the (Cooperstown) tourist population will probably come over.”

“Our grand opening (in early November) was quite a few customers and people from the community that showed up, so that was good,” she said. “It’s definitely a start. They all really love that the store is right down the road. When I was handing out flyers before the opening, I was talking to one of my neighbors, and she was like, ‘Thank God (you’re opening), because I need a gallon of milk and thought I had to go the store.’ So, the main feedback that we’ve gotten is, it’s very convenient and they love the setup and that we offer products that are some essential household products, and different stuff like the health and beauty.”

And, Sears said, the farm store accepts cash, cards, checks, Venmo, PayPal and other electronic payment forms.

Sears said she’s planning to build on Valley View’s momentum in time for the holidays.

“We’re going to be working on Christmas baskets,” she said. “Those will be deals where the health and beauty can be a basket, with one soap, one sugar scrub, one lip balm at a set price, but it will make an easy gift. And we’ll have a meat special; we’re going to put a steak and some hamburger together.

“(Holiday baskets) are a good seller at a lot of farm stores I’ve been to, but also a thing for when you don’t know what to get that one family member,” Sears continued. “So, it can help check that person off and you’re helping the community and a small business.”

Valley View will host a Dec. 18 Christmas event, Sears said, featuring product specials and photos with Santa and farm animals.

Sears said she plans, too, to expand into farm-fresh to-go options.

“We just opened,” she said, “but we’re currently working with the health department to offer grab ‘n’ go meals — sandwiches, coffee, that kind of stuff.

“I set up our one-year goal and our five-year plan,” Sears continued, “and in five years, we’d like to set up a small cafe in the back part of the store and make it so you can see a viewing window of the cow pasture right there. (People will be able to) sit, have breakfast and watch the cows grazing and really bring that farm-to-table aspect.”

For more information, find “Valley View Farm” on Facebook or follow @valviewfarm on Instagram.

November 26, 2021

Business Insurance Market May See Big Move | Allianz, AXA, State Farm

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The Study covers exploration of all necessary data related to the Business Insurance market. All phase of the market is analyzed thoroughly in the Study to provide a review of the current market working. The estimates of the revenue generated of the market includes opportunity analysis using various analytical tools and past data. To better analyze the reasoning behind growth estimates detailed profile of Top and emerging player of the industry along with their plans, product specification and development activity.

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On the Basis of Product Type of Business Insurance Market: , Commercial Property Insurance, Commercial Health Insurance & Other

The Study Explores the Key Applications/End-Users of Business Insurance Market: Large Corporations, Small and Medium-Sized Companies & Personal

On The basis of region, the Business Insurance is segmented into countries, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate in these regions, from 2014 to 2025 (forecast), see highlights below

** North America (USA & Canada) Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Analysis ({1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) and Opportunity Analysis
** South Central & Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Mexico & Rest of Latin America) Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Share ({1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) and Opportunity Analysis
** Europe (The United Kingdom., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden, Denmark & Rest of Europe) Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Share ({1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) and Opportunity Analysis
** Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN Countries, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Rest of Asia) Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Share ({1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) and Opportunity Analysis
** Middle East & Africa (GCC, South Africa, Kenya, North Africa, RoMEA) Market Revenue (USD Billion), Growth Share ({1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}) and Opportunity Analysis
** Rest of World

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Business Insurance Competitive Analysis:

The key players are aiming innovation to increase efficiency and product life. The long-term growth opportunities available in the sector is captured by ensuring constant process improvements and economic flexibility to spend in the optimal schemes. Company profile section of players such as Allianz, AXA, Nippon Life Insurance, American Intl. Group, Aviva, Assicurazioni Generali, Cardinal Health, State Farm Insurance, Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance, Munich Re Group, Zurich Financial Services, Prudential, Asahi Mutual Life Insurance, Sumitomo Life Insurance, MetLife includes its basic information like company legal name, website, headquarters, subsidiaries, its market position, history and 5 closest competitors by Market capitalization / revenue along with contact information.

There are 15 Chapters to display the Business Insurance market
Chapter 1, to describe Market Definition and Segment by Type, End-Use & Major Regions Market Size;
Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;
Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of , Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;
Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);
Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes United States, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India & Central & South America, Business Insurance Segment Market Analysis (by Type);
Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the Business Insurance Segment Market Analysis (by Application) Major Manufacturers Analysis of Business Insurance;
Chapter 9, Global Production & Consumption Market by Type [, Commercial Property Insurance, Commercial Health Insurance & Other] and End-Use[Large Corporations, Small and Medium-Sized Companies & Personal];
Chapter 10, Production Volume*, Price, Gross Margin, and Revenue ($) of Business Insurance by Regions (2020-2027). [* if applicable]
Chapter 11, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;
Chapter 12, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of Business Insurance.;
Chapter 13,14, to describe Business Insurance sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.

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November 26, 2021

Area Businesses Ready For Small Business Saturday | News, Sports, Jobs

The Chautauqua Chamber of Commerce building is pictured in downtown Jamestown as the chamber gets ready for Small Business Saturday this coming weekend.
Submitted photo

Small businesses across the county are gearing up for Small Business Saturday, a day meant for focusing on shopping local.

Dan Heitzenrater, Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, said this year it is vital for area residents to focus on supporting local businesses.

“Small Business Saturday is an annual tradition as a part of the holiday season overall, but especially the shopping season,” Heitzenrater said. “The idea is for consumers to support their local community and try to spend some of their dollars locally, as opposed to the traditional Black Friday holiday shopping that is heavily drawn more toward big-box retailers. It’s an opportunity for people to go out, explore their communities and support the local smaller shops.”

Heitzenrater said the efforts are a nationally coordinated initiative by American Express. He added that there are various reasons to do holiday shopping locally this year, including keeping funds local.

“It’s more important than ever this year especially to support small businesses and participate in Small Business Saturday because, first of all, it’s an opportunity to shop safe with the continued, ongoing pandemic,” Heitzenrater said. “It’s typically going to be a safer environment. But, also, there’s a lot of question marks and consumer worry about the supply chain issues. Certainly, some of our small businesses are also experiencing those, but it’s not going to be to the scale likely that larger retailers might experience.”

He said those circumstances, in addition to the large economic hit many small businesses have taken over the past 18 months, are all the more reasons for area residents to get out to local businesses this Saturday and support their local community.

“In a general sense, just like any other year, when you shop small, 67 cents is estimated out of every dollar that you spend stays in the local community. That’s again money that is supporting in your community and then being reinvested.”

However, the benefits aren’t all financial, Heitzenrater said.

“When you participate in Small Business Saturday, make it an experience,” he said. “Small Business Saturday is an opportunity to go out and explore your community. You may have a few specific places you want to stop, but get an experience along the way – take family and friends with you, stop and grab lunch and sit down to take some time to really be in the community and enjoy the experience rather than just making it about a transaction.”

For those who can’t make it out to shop local on Saturday, Heitzenrater invites the public to visit the local business online shopping portal at www.ShopLocalCHQ.com that features various local businesses.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist said local businesses are vital to the city.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy and part of what makes Jamestown so special,” Sundquist said. “After the past few years, it is important to reflect on the challenges small businesses face and celebrate their resiliency and contributions to our community. I encourage everyone to celebrate and shop at our local, small businesses not only on Small Business Saturday but every day.”

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November 25, 2021

Asian Stocks Mixed After Late Slump on Wall Street | Business News

By ELAINE KURTENBACH, AP Business Writer

Asian shares were mixed Tuesday after a late drop left major Wall Street indexes mostly lower.

Tokyo was closed Tuesday for a holiday. Hong Kong and Seoul declined while Shanghai advanced.

Market players appeared to be relieved to learn that President Joe Biden will nominate Jerome Powell for a second four-year term at the helm of the Federal Reserve, a vote of confidence in Powell’s handling of central bank policies during the brutal disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to 24,705.41 and the Kospi in Seoul lost 0.4{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to 3,001.07. In Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.6{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to 7,397.80 and the Shanghai Composite index added 0.3{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to 3,592.07.

Political Cartoons

Investors are closely watching the Fed to see whether pressure from rising inflation prompts it to speed up its plans for trimming bond purchases and raising its benchmark interest rate.

“Powell getting the nod is a sign that Biden is staying the course on monetary policy and the Fed is steadily moving toward normalizing policy,” said Brad McMillan, chief investment officer for Commonwealth Financial Network. “On the whole, the Fed is going to continue to be a force for monetary stability.”

Still, a late-afternoon burst of selling derailed the market from another all-time high on Monday.

The S&P 500 fell 0.3{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to 4,682.94. The Dow gained less than 0.1{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to 35,619.25. The tech-heavy Nasdaq gave up 1.3{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to 15,854.76.

Small company stocks also fell. The Russell 2000 index dropped or 0.5{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} to 2,331.35.

Bond yields moved solidly higher on heavy selling. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 1.63{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} from 1.54{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} late Friday.

Higher Treasury yields make the more expensive areas of the market, like technology stocks, less attractive, which may explain why there was more selling in stocks toward the end of the day as the bond market shifted.

With rising inflation hanging over the recovery from the pandemic, the Federal Reserve is starting to trim bond purchases that have helped keep interest rates low to support the economy and markets.

More than 55{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} of the stocks in the S&P 500 rose Monday, but losses by big technology and communication companies outweighed gains elsewhere in the benchmark index. Chipmaker Nvidia slid 3.1{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} and Netflix fell 2.9{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}.

Energy companies got a bump as U.S. crude oil prices rose 0.9{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a}.

On Tuesday, U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 50 cents to $76.25 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Brent crude, the standard for international pricing, gave up 35 cents to $79.35 per barrel.

The U.S. dollar rose to 115.08 Japanese yen from 114.88 yen late Monday. The euro edged up to $1.1239 from $1.1237.

Markets in the U.S. will be closed on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday. They will also close early on Friday.

AP Business Writers Damian J. Troise and Alex Veiga contributed.