West Hartford Chamber Blog
Welcome to the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce Blog! Check back here for updates on the Chamber and its Members. We will also curate a collection of articles, tips, and resources to assist you and your business.
Chris Conway
Monday, June 5, 2023
It’s predicted that by 2040, 80.8 million residents of the US will be over the age of 65 (currently, we’re at 47 million). That’s more than double the number in 2000. While we can wring our hands all day worrying about things like social security and healthcare as the population ages, an older demographic can also be a lucrative market to explore for your business. With more people staying active longer, they’re more apt to make their own buying decisions as well. In the past, many seniors got to an age where younger relatives or caretakers were making their purchase decisions. That’s no longer the case. Plus, many seniors are working longer. In some cases, this means more disposable income.
Here are a few things you can do to be more appealing to an older demographic.
Read more
Christina Metcalf
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Search is evolving and if your business targets Gen Z, paying to rank for certain keywords is about to lose some forward momentum. We’ll see this impact first among changing search patterns with early adopters, but AI is so easy to use, it will quickly catch up to the rest of the generations.
Read more
Chris Conway
Monday, May 22, 2023
Many small and medium-sized business owners think that workforce development isn’t in their “lane.” They leave it to the big guys to work with the chamber and community leaders to ensure the large businesses have the skilled employees they need for the future. But unless you are a business of one and plan on remaining that way, workforce development should be a concern of all sizes of businesses. Here’s why you should want to get involved:
Read more
Christina Metcalf
Monday, May 15, 2023
Influencer marketing is a powerful strategy for businesses looking to reach a wider audience and build brand awareness. But it’s not just for the big guys. You can leverage the power of the influencer even as a small business. You may not have the pockets to bring in Michael Jordan, but you can build an audience by working with (smaller) influencers.
Before we get into how you can use influencers, let’s address the influencer in the room. Where are these minor celebrities and how do you work with one?
Read more
Christina Metcalf
Monday, May 8, 2023
Building a following on your desired platform on social media requires a bit of luck but there are some things you can do to help that luck (and other users) find your profile. But sadly, those things probably don’t have a lot to do with your business.
Read more
Christina Metcalf
Monday, May 1, 2023
As a small business owner, it's easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day operations of your business. You're constantly juggling tasks like managing inventory or staff, paying bills, and dealing with customer service issues. It can be challenging to find time to think about the big picture, let alone act on it. However, it's essential to think bigger if you want your business to grow and thrive. Now’s as good a time as any.
Read more
Christina Metcalf
Monday, April 24, 2023
Periodically, the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) gurus come out and tell everyone some <insert noun> is changing SEO forever. Add that to the nearly constant adjustments search engines are making to their algorithms and hitting the moving target of organic ranking success becomes as impossible as winning a giant stuffy at a carnival. Sure, you see it happen on occasion but never to you.
This article is going to tell you that artificial intelligence (AI) will forever change SEO. We know. You’ve heard claims like this before but this time it’s true. Because for once we’re leveraging machine learning against the machine. It’s a war of the alphabet AI versus SEO and here’s why it’s changing the search landscape forever:
Read more
Christina Metcalf
Monday, April 17, 2023
If you’re like me, you may be wrinkling your nose at the thought of people making millions of dollars on one movie giving you business advice. But there’s a new generation of Hollywood stars that aren’t content with just time on screen. They’re building empires, too. And while name recognition is easier for them and start-up capital only requires dipping into their millions, they still have the same struggles to find a valuable product or service to bring to market. They didn’t go to Harvard but they’re learning every day just like you are and here’s what they have to say:
Read more
Christina Metcalf
Monday, April 10, 2023
Many small businesses overlook the importance of team culture. They might do so because they feel they have a transient workforce and people won’t stick around. It’s possible they believe they’re simply too small and team culture is for larger companies like Nike. But that’s not the case. A team or company culture is as important as your brand. You’re not too small for one of those, are you?
Read more
Christina Metcalf
Monday, April 3, 2023
Teddy Roosevelt is credited for having said, “If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month." And so it is that we are often our biggest impediment to success, especially as business owners. We spend hours helping customers and often don’t show ourselves the same assistance (Oh, doctor, heal thyself.).
If you’re wondering what this advice has to do with your “top employee,” you need this article more than you realized.
In a time of rising costs and increased concerns over mental health, business owners must see an investment in themselves as one of the most important they can make for the future of their business.
Read more
Monday, June 5, 2023It’s predicted that by 2040, 80.8 million residents of the US will be over the age of 65 (currently, we’re at 47 million). That’s more than double the number in 2000. While we can wring our hands all day worrying about things like social security and healthcare as the population ages, an older demographic can also be a lucrative market to explore for your business. With more people staying active longer, they’re more apt to make their own buying decisions as well. In the past, many seniors got to an age where younger relatives or caretakers were making their purchase decisions. That’s no longer the case. Plus, many seniors are working longer. In some cases, this means more disposable income. Here are a few things you can do to be more appealing to an older demographic. Read more(0) Comments
Tuesday, May 30, 2023Search is evolving and if your business targets Gen Z, paying to rank for certain keywords is about to lose some forward momentum. We’ll see this impact first among changing search patterns with early adopters, but AI is so easy to use, it will quickly catch up to the rest of the generations. Read more(0) Comments
Monday, May 22, 2023Many small and medium-sized business owners think that workforce development isn’t in their “lane.” They leave it to the big guys to work with the chamber and community leaders to ensure the large businesses have the skilled employees they need for the future. But unless you are a business of one and plan on remaining that way, workforce development should be a concern of all sizes of businesses. Here’s why you should want to get involved: Read more(1) Comments
Monday, May 15, 2023Influencer marketing is a powerful strategy for businesses looking to reach a wider audience and build brand awareness. But it’s not just for the big guys. You can leverage the power of the influencer even as a small business. You may not have the pockets to bring in Michael Jordan, but you can build an audience by working with (smaller) influencers. Before we get into how you can use influencers, let’s address the influencer in the room. Where are these minor celebrities and how do you work with one? Read more(0) Comments
Monday, May 8, 2023Building a following on your desired platform on social media requires a bit of luck but there are some things you can do to help that luck (and other users) find your profile. But sadly, those things probably don’t have a lot to do with your business. Read more(0) Comments
Monday, May 1, 2023As a small business owner, it's easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day operations of your business. You're constantly juggling tasks like managing inventory or staff, paying bills, and dealing with customer service issues. It can be challenging to find time to think about the big picture, let alone act on it. However, it's essential to think bigger if you want your business to grow and thrive. Now’s as good a time as any. Read more(0) Comments
Monday, April 24, 2023Periodically, the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) gurus come out and tell everyone some <insert noun> is changing SEO forever. Add that to the nearly constant adjustments search engines are making to their algorithms and hitting the moving target of organic ranking success becomes as impossible as winning a giant stuffy at a carnival. Sure, you see it happen on occasion but never to you. This article is going to tell you that artificial intelligence (AI) will forever change SEO. We know. You’ve heard claims like this before but this time it’s true. Because for once we’re leveraging machine learning against the machine. It’s a war of the alphabet AI versus SEO and here’s why it’s changing the search landscape forever: Read more(0) Comments
Monday, April 17, 2023If you’re like me, you may be wrinkling your nose at the thought of people making millions of dollars on one movie giving you business advice. But there’s a new generation of Hollywood stars that aren’t content with just time on screen. They’re building empires, too. And while name recognition is easier for them and start-up capital only requires dipping into their millions, they still have the same struggles to find a valuable product or service to bring to market. They didn’t go to Harvard but they’re learning every day just like you are and here’s what they have to say: Read more(0) Comments
Monday, April 10, 2023Many small businesses overlook the importance of team culture. They might do so because they feel they have a transient workforce and people won’t stick around. It’s possible they believe they’re simply too small and team culture is for larger companies like Nike. But that’s not the case. A team or company culture is as important as your brand. You’re not too small for one of those, are you? Read more(0) Comments.jpg)
Monday, April 3, 2023Teddy Roosevelt is credited for having said, “If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month." And so it is that we are often our biggest impediment to success, especially as business owners. We spend hours helping customers and often don’t show ourselves the same assistance (Oh, doctor, heal thyself.). If you’re wondering what this advice has to do with your “top employee,” you need this article more than you realized. In a time of rising costs and increased concerns over mental health, business owners must see an investment in themselves as one of the most important they can make for the future of their business. Read more(0) CommentsCategories