We are halfway through the year, and I hope you take time to reflect on where you have been, where you are, and where you want to be. While the summer is in full swing, it is easy to fall into the trap of a third-quarter lag through multiple distractions. Unfortunately, many indicators are trending the wrong way for the future of our economy, and if you do not prepare as a business for a negative downturn, the tough few months ahead will be exacerbated by lack of preparation. Large and small companies alike should evaluate their output, look for inefficiencies, review credit rates, and evaluate their cash flow. Take advantage of the next three weeks to review the goals you laid out with your team and look for opportunities to re-energize your team. The summer months afford plenty of outdoor options to rebuild workplace culture and bring your team together. Being in business is a challenge, and every day is a fight, but there are plenty of victories to be had, stay focused on your core beliefs, and the wins will be there.
This week we will celebrate several small businesses who have had plenty of wins over the years and continue to raise the bar in their standard of excellence when we gather for our Small Business Awards Luncheon & Showcase. It is well known the Chamber has experienced incredible growth at our three major events over the past few years, but this event has truly taken off. The excitement around this awards event is in large part due to our very deserving winners and recipients:
Family-Owned Business Award
Moriarty Meats & Café Bar
Friend of the Chamber Award
Mike Neal, Quality Contacts
Community Steward Award
Dr. Susan McCartney
SBDC at SUNY Buffalo State College
Start-Up Award
Circuit Clinical
KeyBank Sponsor’s Award
Law Offices of Kenneth Hiller
Small Business of the Year
Glen Park Tavern
While we have been planning our Small Business Awards Luncheon & Showcase for the past few weeks, we still have a full calendar of events for our members to partake in. On Tuesday, July 19, our next Business After Hours event will be at the Hampton Inn near UB. Business After Hours is a free casual networking event for our members to participate in and consistently moves throughout the Western New York region. Last month for Business After Hours, we visited Assembly House 150 in downtown Buffalo. Our members enjoyed the uniqueness of the location, networking, and learning more about how Assembly House 150 contributes to the WNY workforce. After a very successful Lunch Mob in downtown Buffalo at Fat Bob's Smokehouse in June, we will be back in Amherst on July 26th visiting Amherst Pizza and Ale House.
We will start the month of August with our West Herr Driven to Success Series event featuring Kim Minkel, Executive Director of the NFTA. Kim is responsible for all of the public transportation in our region while overseeing both Niagara Falls and Buffalo-Niagara International Airports. As we continue to attract more companies to our region, the ability to move people throughout the community and bring people to our area in a timely fashion is vital to our long-range success. Our West Herr Driven to Success Series is a more personal way to interact with leaders in our community and learn about the future of their organizations.
We couldn't be more excited about the programming the Chamber has to offer; there is something for everyone, and we will continue to reach out to our members to ensure you are taking full advantage of your membership. If there is an event or a location you would like to see or a community leader you would like to hear from, please do not hesitate to reach out to our member services team by emailing memberservices@amherst.org. I wish everyone an incredible summer and please remember; my door is always open.
716 Realty Group WNY
Ace Handyman Services - Buffalo Southtowns
Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel
Buffalo Girl Home Inspection
Buffalo Prep
Child & Family Services EAP
Colvin Cleaners
Ellicott Development
Empower Federal Credit Union
Evans Bank
FB Displays & Designs
GlobalSecurityIQ
Highmark of Western New York
Home2 Suites by Hilton Williamsville Buffalo Airport
Horizon Health
Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo
Hover Networks
Independent Health
KeyBank
LoTempio PC Law Group
Marathon Energy
Mental Health Advocates of WNY
Modern Disposal
NOCO
Park Place Installations
PCA Technology Group
PCI
Small Business Development Center SUNY Buffalo State
Spectrum Reach
Staff Buffalo
Toastmasters
The Real You Physical Therapy
The Woodlands
Town of Amherst Police
TripleTrack HR Partners
Trocaire College
Uniland Development
Univera Healthcare
Vision Financial Group
Wild Birds Unlimited
WNY Sustainable Business Roundtable
WNYACC/WNY Association of College Career Centers
The Small Business Awards Luncheon & Showcase is always a very energetic and unique event; I hope you will join us at 10am to visit the Showcase that includes these wonderful partners:
Congratulations to our 2022 Small Business Awardees
