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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.

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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.

November 25, 2021

Campaign finance complaint filed against El Paso County GOP | Local News

Joe Oltmann and Vickie Tonkins (center) confer during the February El Paso County GOP Central Committee meeting.

Heidi Beedle

The vice chairman of the El Paso County GOP, Karl Schneider, filed a campaign finance complaint form with the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office today, according to documents available on TRACER, a campaign finance disclosure website.

Schneider’s complaint involves donations from the El Paso County GOP’s Aug. 6 Lincoln Day Dinner, which featured Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. According to Schneider’s complaint, “Donations to the Party for the Lincoln Day Dinner were not found,” he wrote. “The [Treasurer] later resigned in part, due to the fact he requested, as did I on 8 October 2021, that we hire an outside accountant and conduct a full audit to help sort this matter out. The Chair [Vickie Tonkins] has refused to provide this support and refused to communicate with myself on the matter and other members of the Executive Committee of the El Paso County GOP which has a fiduciary responsibility w/regard to all financial matters. I am very concerned that the Party has violated and is violating the Fair Campaign Practices Act and, given our current bylaws structure, we are unable to compel compliance of the Act by our Chair. It is the intent of this complaint to report suspected campaign finance law violations and ultimately achieve transparency in our Party financial dealings by requesting the Secretary of the State of Colorado investigate these allegations of campaign finance law violations.”

Attached to the complaint was an Oct. 1 email from former El Paso County GOP Treasurer John Pitchford to the executive committee — Schneider, Chairwoman Vickie Tonkins, Secretary Sheryl Glasgow and Colorado Republican Committee Chairwoman Kristi Burton Brown — bringing attention to the discrepancies. “We need a full inventory of all Lincoln [Day] items sold and unsold,” wrote Pitchford. “I am unable to do any further Tracer reporting until we have accurate records from Aug 6. Jeanine Nelms was the winning bidder for two items. I wanted to get her address so I could enter her data into Tracer. She told me she came to the office to pay for her coffee – NO coffee. She wanted to pay for her necklace – NO necklace. I suggest we hire an accountant to figure this out.”

Also included was an Oct. 8 email between Schneider and Mary Elizabeth Fabian, who ran for the District 5 City Council seat in 2021. Schneider wrote, “Please reach out to John [Pitchford]. I recall he suggested an outside consultant/accountant be hired to help him clear up donation accountability problems as of a week ago. I think there were at least two items, possibly very high dollar value (jewelry), missing and some tracer challenges. There may be other issues but not sure. I do agree with our Treasurer that if he needs additional resources, he should get it.”

Schneider’s Nov. 23 campaign finance complaint.

Colorado Secretary of State’s Office

Schneider also addressed Tonkins, who was copied on the Fabian exchange, requesting an audit be conducted for all tickets and items related to the Lincoln Day Dinner; that a police report be filed if the missing items were over $50 in value; and a Special Executive Committee session be called to address the issues.

An undated message from the El Paso County GOP Executive Committee to Brown was also included in the complaint. Burton Brown wrote, “On Oct. 12, Dr. John Pitchford resigned from his position as Treasurer of the El Paso County Republican Central Committee…. He did this when his request to hire an accountant to investigate discrepancies with the Lincoln Day Dinner was denied by the County Party Chairwoman, Vickie Tonkins…. His resignation was to become effective on October 21 so that he could stay on to train a replacement. Ms. Tonkins informed him she was not giving him the training time that he requested. To her, his resignation was effective immediately and he was to turn in the books and any party related items in his possession…. Based on John Pitchford’s concern, Vice Chair Karl Schneider, also requested a full audit from Ms. Tonkins…. To date, she has refused to respond to his request. Our county bylaws are clear, the Executive Committee has a fiduciary responsibility for the finances of the Central Committee. As such, we, members of the Executive Committee, are concerned there could be discrepancies in the Lincoln Day Dinner records/accounts. We know this was a very successful dinner. It was attended by over 400 people with many auction items, and allegedly grossed approximately $50,000. All receipts should be properly accounted for.”

Tonkins did not immediately respond to the Indy‘s request for comment. Schneider’s complaint is not the first accusation of discrepancies in regards to the El Paso County GOP’s finances. According to a Sept. 4 email sent by Pitchford to members of the Fountain City Council, obtained via a Colorado Open Records Act request, Pitchford accused newly elected Fountain Mayor Sharon Thompson and Colorado Rep. Mary Bradfield (R-HD21) of filing a false report. “In 2019 I became treasurer of the El Paso County GOP and in that capacity, I reviewed our Tracer reports and found one of them to be in my opinion fraudulent,” wrote Pitchford. “I’ve attached this report and it will allow you to do the math so that you can determine for yourself that this particular report is fraudulent on its face. Our CPA put it this way, ‘it just doesn’t add up.’ I began asking questions as to why this report was falsified and who had knowledge of it. I wanted to know why no effort was made to determine why this report was in error by nearly $44,000 and why no efforts were made to correct it before filing it with the Secretary of State. Sharon Thompson had knowledge of this document and assisted state representative Mary Bradfield in preparing it.”

A TRACER report filed by Bradfield that Pitchford claimed was fraudulent.

Colorado Secretary of State’s Office

Thompson, who served as the Republican House District 21 chairwoman since 2012, denied involvement with the TRACER report in question. “I had nothing to do with the books,” she said in a Sept. 12 phone interview. “I’ve never prepared a TRACER Report.”

Bradfield confirmed that Thompson was not involved in the filing of the report, and said the report in question was the result of an adjustment made with the knowledge of the Secretary of State’s Office. “After collaboration with the Secretary of State Tracer Division, a one time adjustment was made in the EPC GOP Tracer account,” she said in an email.

November 22, 2021

Tens of Thousands Protest Belgium’s Tighter COVID-19 Rules | Business News

By RAF CASERT, Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — Tens of thousands of people demonstrated through central Brussels on Sunday to protest reinforced COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the Belgian government to counter the latest spike in coronavirus cases.

Many among the police estimate of 35,000 at the rally had already left for home when the demonstration descended into violence as several hundred people started pelting police, smashing cars and setting garbage bins ablaze. Police, responded with tear gas and water cannons and sought to restore order as dusk settled on the Belgian capital.

Three police officials and one demonstrator were injured in the clashes. In addition, 42 protesters were detained and two were arrested and charged in the violent spree that followed the march, said police spokesperson Ilse Vande Keere.

The marchers came to protest the government’s strong advice to get vaccinated and any possible moves to impose mandatory shots.

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Shouting “Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!” and singing the anti-fascist song “Bella Ciao,” protesters lined up behind a huge banner saying “Together for Freedom” and marched to the European Union headquarters. Amid the crowd, the signs varied from far-right insignia to the rainbow flags of the LGBT community.

The World Health Organization said last week that Europe was the hot spot of the pandemic right now, the only region in which COVID-19 deaths were rising. The autumn surge of infections is overwhelming hospitals in many Central and Eastern European nations, including Ukraine, Russia, Romania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Over the past several days, there have been many anti-vaccination marches in European nations as one government after another tightened measures. Dutch police arrested more than 30 people during unrest in The Hague and other towns in the Netherlands on Saturday, following much worse violence the previous night.

Austria is going into a 10-day national lockdown on Monday for everyone after first imposing a lockdown on the unvaccinated. Christmas markets in Vienna were packed Sunday with locals and tourists taking in the holiday sights before shops and food stalls are forced to close.

Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

November 21, 2021

Coterie Insurance Partners with B2Z Insurance for a Seamless Small Business Liability Insurance Experience | News

CINCINNATI, Nov. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Coterie Insurance recently announced a new partnership with B2Z Insurance—a small business insurance company offering an experience-led and human-centric platform—to introduce their one-stop-shop aimed at simplifying the small business liability insurance experience. Now, small business owners can directly access Coterie Insurance products on the B2Z platform, further expanding simplified digital insurance offerings to small businesses.

“B2Z and Coterie share the vision of providing a seamless small business liability insurance experience for small businesses, with digital options available at the user’s convenience,” said Ashleigh Burden, Account Director at Coterie Insurance. “Unlike traditional insurance companies, both Coterie and B2Z are committed to turning the insurance process on its head with a focus on what’s best for the small businesses of today.”

Coterie Insurance integrates with B2Z to provide tailored small business liability insurance coverage for small businesses. Small businesses can access Coterie’s general liability and business owners policies on the B2Z platform as well as all optional coverages.

“B2Z is very excited to partner with Coterie. Their business insurance expertise is an important part of our growth strategy and ultimately helps us reach more small businesses in need of coverage,” said B2Z Insurance Chief Growth Officer and founder James Norris.

“With the increase in new business applications and office reopenings, matching business owners with the right insurance coverage has skyrocketed in importance. This partnership combines Coterie’s exceptional coverage with B2Z’s best-in-class customer experience—to the benefit of small business owners,” said Norris.

For more information on Coterie and the digital transformation of small business insurance, go to http://www.coterieinsurance.com.

About Coterie Insurance

Coterie Insurance is on a mission to make business insurance easy. Through tech-based business insurance solutions, Coterie Insurance delivers simpler coverage, more accurate pricing, and a streamlined experience. By enabling the instant quoting and issuing of policies as well as a 100{1b90e59fe8a6c14b55fbbae1d9373c165823754d058ebf80beecafc6dee5063a} digital underwriting process, agents and brokers can simplify and digitize their operations to better serve small businesses. Digital insurance platforms are able to leverage Coterie’s simple, easy to integrate APIs, to further streamline the quoting and binding experience. Coterie’s expansive appetite is the most inclusive for the small businesses of today.

About B2Z Insurance

B2Z is a small business insurance company that provides coverage for on-the-go business owners: simple explanations, digital purchasing, and mobile claims. A product that is easy-to-use and helps you assess the unique coverage needs of your business with confidence—freeing you up to grow your business. You know your business, but we know how to protect it. Whether you work in retail, real estate or some other market, B2Z has the coverage you need to protect your employees and your business. For more information on B2Z Insurance, or to get a quote for your small business, visit https://www.b2z-insurance.com.

Media Contact

Stephanie N. Blahut, CMO, B2Z Insurance, +1 800-330-1750, marketing@b2z-insurance.com

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SOURCE B2Z Insurance

November 21, 2021

Iraq War Veteran Launches Business to Employ Former Soldiers | Michigan News

By JENNIFER TIMAR, Livingston Daily

BRIGHTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Iraq War veteran Justin Billard is launching a Brighton Township business that will employ and support his fellow returned soldiers.

Tools for Veterans is housed in a workshop that Billard, 42, set up in his home garage. There, he collects old hand tools, cleans and restores them and sells them online or at local events, the Livingston Daily reports.

He plans to expand the business to a larger workshop in the Brighton area in the next year. He also hopes to fill the shop with veterans who love restoring old tools.

“You want to contribute to something you understand and believe in,” he said. “If you have a connection, you are more passionate.”

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Billard previously ran a private detective agency. But now with a wife, a 4-year-old daughter and a set of newborn twins, it was time to pivot to a less risky career, he said.

Billard’s new company, Tools of Veterans, will donate a percentage of profits on a quarterly basis to charities that support veterans’ causes with an emphasis on those in Livingston County

He currently employs two veterans and one employee who is not a veteran. He hopes to hire more in the future.

Billard is also working on a series of videos telling veterans’ stories — he describes them as “kitchen table” interviews — which he’ll share on social media.

“I think documenting those stories is important to get the whole picture. What did they do when they returned? Were they married during their service? Some guys have 30 or 40 years of career experience after the service.”

He said he’ll also post instructional videos on tool restoration.

Billard’s favorite tool he’s restored is a bench vise he found at a neighborhood garage sale.

When he found it at the sale, it was covered in grime and rusted. The parts didn’t move at all.

While restoring the vise, he uncovered stamped words on a small plaque on the side of the tool that gave him a clue as to its history.

The plaque indicated that the vise was in the World War II era by the Defense Plant Corp., a government-chartered agency that supported manufacturing during the war.

Today, the Columbian vise is in full working condition and a centerpiece of one of Billard’s workbenches.

Each tool he sells to buyers will come with a thank you note.

“It talks about how the tools have a story and journey and then it becomes a part of their story.”

Other prized restorations in his workshop include a 1930s dye filler that was used by one of the auto manufacturers in Detroit at the time.

He found a late-1800s workbench at a house in Troy. He is restoring it to use once he moves into a larger workshop.

He also acquired and a one-of-a-kind iron American flag made for a retiring Detroit union ironworker in the 1990s.

“These are the interactions I love,” he said. “Hearing stories of the tools.”

Billard said he’s invested about $50,000 in inventory to get the business off the ground.

Tools for Veterans will take donations of old tools that need to be restored.

“We’ll pick up at people’s houses. Maybe they have boxes of their dad’s old tools and they don’t know what to do with them and don’t want to throw them out.”

To start, they’ll plan pick-up days once a week in Livingston County and surrounding communities, including Ann Arbor, Lansing and Metro Detroit.

“Our other goal is to be at farmers markets and partner with existing businesses, like maybe set up in something like a brewery parking lot and do a ‘fill the trailer’ event.”

He said he’s working on getting a trailer and adorning it with business’s logo and other graphics to use for drop-off events.

He’ll sell the restored tools on eBay, Etsy and the Tools for Veterans website, toolsforveterans.com, which launches Veterans Day, Billard said.

“There is a market for this stuff online, especially things that have stories,” he said.

He also plans to sell some tools at events, but the focus will be on spreading word of the business and how to donate tools.

He said he wants to operate as close to “zero waste” as possible. Anything that doesn’t get restored will be sold for scrap.

Billard grew up with a sense of duty to his country. His father and grandfather both served in the military.

“I was going to do college and a career path, but there was always this sense of duty, and I was able-bodied.”

He served in the U.S. Marine Corps. for eight years with a Marine Wing Support Squadron. He was deployed in Iraq from 2004-2005.

He said he witnessed an exchange of cultural experiences when he was overseas.

“We were doing a lot of humanitarian missions,” he said.

He recalls, for instance, standing guard over Iraq’s first free elections.

Billard exited the military in 2006 when he was 28. He started his detective agency when he was living in Boston and started another after moving to Michigan.

He said the charities he plans to support will be local, rather that large agencies and national nonprofits.

“Donating to some of these national organizations, I can’t really see the impact, but I can make a bigger local impact. I like the littler groups that do mental health in the community and not big like the VA.”

He said he’s inspired by the initiative The Empowerment Plan, based in Detroit, which repurposes surplus fabrics from automakers to create coats that convert to sleeping bags for individuals experiencing homelessness.

“If we could buy just 25 of those jackets and they can hand them out, it is a very local, memorable thing we can do.”

He said he is passionate about causes that address mental health counseling, training service dogs for veterans, veteran homelessness and suicide prevention.