business

The End of Restaurants as We Know Them?

by RDavis | Health

Sadly, one of the sectors of the economy taking a major hit during the pandemic is the restaurant industry. Many places have gone out of business and those that remain are struggling to figuring out a way to create a new kind of business model that promotes financial viability.

When restaurants ramp down and close there are all kinds of ripple effects in the economy. People lose jobs and supporting industries, which include farmers, also feel the pinch. If one looked at the pandemic solely from an economic viewpoint that would mean that opening all public businesses would be the highest priority.

The Business of America

by tomaidh | History

President Calvin Coolidge once said “The business of America is business”. He really meant it. Everything else is window dressing.

There’s an elite class of business people who control things (and have forever). Their interests dominate all others. They can’t be voted out. (Most of them work behind the scenes and hold no office at all). Money is speech. All we can do is roll with the punches.

BDCC COVID-19 Invitation to Businesses for Weekly Webinars

by Not Signed In | Business

Dear Business owners and employers, 
 
We understand that news is coming in fast as the circumstances around COVID-19 change. In order to make sure the region’s businesses have access to vital information necessary to navigate a turbulent economy, BDCC is making the most up-to-date information available on our website

Help Yourself While Helping a Brattleboro Business

by Not Signed In | Health

It’s a nightmare for a small business owner: a major chain moves into town, undercutting a small business owner on price, and customers flee – with some just aiming to try the competition for a while. If the small business fails, it is not only a tragedy for its owner; the ramifications are also dire for its employees, for its loyal customers, and for those who have fled and who would no longer have the option to go back if they are not satisfied with the new competitor.

So Brattleboro’s Supreme Fitness finds itself in a battle for survival, and as a long time member, I and other members are asking for your help, and in the process you will help yourself get in shape! Here’s what you need to do: join or rejoin Brattleboro’s Supreme Fitness.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – FY21 Finals, Finances, and Fund Balances

by cgrotke | Town News
brattleboro selectboard january 2020

The FY21 proposed budget inched closer to becoming the FY21 official budget at the first meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard for 2020. The board ran through a list of final loose ends, heard from the human resources committee and police department, talked loans and grants, discussed public toilets, and were offered both CBD joints and liquor.

A citizen stood up for war crime whistleblowers, select board goals were reviewed, and more. A few budget meetings remain in January, but the board skipped the review of their upcoming meetings schedule so any meetings are theoretical at this juncture.

Can We Get Behind Hemp Yet?

by Matt | Economics

Close your eyes and imagine a wealthy Vermont. A Vermont with many high-paying jobs, exports, environmentally friendly manufacturing. Now open your eyes and look at the opportunity that is staring us in the face, hemp.

What are the barriers preventing the return to hemp products in the US and more specifically VT? Can we possibly overcome these barriers? The answer is yes.

$2.6 Million Initiative Calls for Proposals to Support New Markets for Wood Products

by Not Signed In | Business

CONCORD, NH — The Future Forest Economy Initiative is looking for new ideas, products and markets to increase demand for wood across the northern New England and New York. The deadline for concepts to considered in the first round of funding in 2020 is Dec. 2, 2019. 

The initiative — a cooperative effort of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities, and the Northern Forest Center — grew out of a congressional mandate to support the development of markets for wood products. Over the next three years, the Initiative cooperators will invest $2.6 million in sub-grants to expand innovation, create market demand and create conditions that will allow businesses and communities to benefit from these innovations. 

Brattleboro Downtown Merchants

by tomaidh | Business

Quote: “I’m no economist, but when I hear about downtown businesses blaming their financial woes on the presence of people on the sidewalk asking for spare change, I’m left scratching my head. It seems like if you’re going to run a business, you’d want to know the basics of supply and demand… Like, if you want to make money, you need to offer goods and services that people want at a price they can pay. Sell things people need and can afford. Three-thousand-dollar rugs not flying off the shelves? Rethink your business strategy. I can buy an 80-dollar bouquet of flowers downtown, but I have to drive somewhere else to buy a pair of underwear.”

Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce Cannabis Forum

by Not Signed In | Business

BRATTLEBORO, Vermont, August 15, 2019 – Cannabis!  The Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce invites the public to attend The Growing Business of Cannabis:  A panel discussion on the ins and outs of the cannabis industry.  This Chamber Breakfast Series event will take place in Brattleboro on Thursday, September 5; 7:30am-9:30am at the American Legion, 32 Linden Street.  Tickets are $20 and include a full buffet breakfast.  RSVP is required.

Opposed to 1% Local Option Sales Tax

by JSteele | Op/Ed

I would like to thank our Town Meeting Reps and the Brattleboro Selectboard for reviewing and reconsidering the support of the 1% Local Option Sales Tax. 

I would like to express my opposition to this as a resident that has owned and operated small businesses here in Brattleboro spanning over the last 13 years. At this point it is no secret that running a business in Southern Vermont is a very difficult thing to do. And yes, it may seem that one penny on one dollar or bringing the Brattleboro sales tax from 6% up to 7% may not be a big deal but it really is. Right now, with every business in town competing with online retailers like Amazon, or watching potential customers go across the river to tax free New Hampshire, I feel strongly that this is not a beneficial option for the town nor to the businesses in Brattleboro.

SoVermont Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy 2018 Draft

by cgrotke | Economics

BDCC and SeVEDS have released a draft version of the 2018 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. Below you’ll find the full text of what is being suggested for improvements to this part of the state. It is currently a draft, and you can get involved to help improve it.

Note some of issues relate to having a regional community web site with a calendar and such. Too bad we don’t have one of those around here!

Noticed Around Brattleboro – Summer 2018

by cgrotke | Town News

Time for another “Noticed Around Brattleboro,” where little things about the town are noticed and recorded for posterity. This edition starts off with some special nature-loving observations:

– Nude man walking.  On Tuesday afternoon I was on my way to the train station to pick up a visitor. Coming down Canal Street I caught sight of a naked man walking up the hill. He was probably in his late 60’s, had a beard, and was walking happily, confidently, and totally naked.

Oligarchs and Entrepreneurs

by cgrotke | Philosophy

Ever notice how wealthy Russians are oligarchs and tycoons, but wealthy Americans are entrepreneurs and magnates?

Oligarch comes from the Greek, meaning “rule by the few”.

A Russian oligarch is a businessperson who rapidly accumulated wealth after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Seeking Local Wedding and Party Businesses… For VFW

by Not Signed In | Business

The Brattleboro VFW located at 40 Black Mountain Road sometimes hosts weddings and parties in their facility. I would like to start a binder of local businesses that are into the wedding or parties business…..do you make cakes, take professional photos, DJ, do flower arrangements, make decoarations, etc? Please mail your contact information to the VFW at 40 Black Mountain Road, PO Box 8233 Brattleboro VT 05304. Some photos of your work would be perfect too, along with contact information of satisfied customers.

Future Shock in Upstate New York – A Visit to the Real World

by Lise | Travel

Recently, C and I shuffled off to Buffalo for a short visit with family. Leaving Brattleboro is always an adventure, partly because we hardly ever do it and never know what we’ll find out there. This time, it seemed as though everywhere you looked, the future was being installed, and folks, it wasn’t pretty. In fact, it was almost scary.

Our first jolt of the new normal came in the outer Albany area where we’ve been stopping at McDonald’s for years for a quick bite before we hit the Thruway. This time, there was only one young woman at the counter with maybe 5 or 6 customers in the lobby.

Brattleboro Company Named VT Woman-Owned Business of the Year

by Not Signed In | Business

MONTPELIER, Vt. – A construction management and consulting company has been named the 2018 Vermont Woman-Owned Business of the Year. Mel Baiser and Kate Stephenson, owners of HELM Construction Solutions, are being recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration for employment growth, financial success, expansion and community involvement.

HELM Construction Solutions offers a wide range of services, but primarily works to help small business owners develop their companies and manage the construction of green buildings. With offices in Montpelier and Brattleboro, HELM Construction Solutions has over 50 clients throughout the country that include contractors, designers, institutions, homeowners and business owners.