Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Bronx Business News You Can Use

 

Upcoming Events, Legislative News,  Grant Opportunities, & More

(Friday) Extra, Extra Click here for this week's video: This week's video features Bronx Chamber membership manager Alexis joined by Chamber member Martha Lynn Laskie on site at our 5/30 Small Businesses, Big Connections event, celebrating the vitality of our borough's small businesses and their importance to our community! During the event, Martha shared the fundamentals of good design and effective small business branding with attendees.

CALLS TO ACTION

If you have applied for, or may apply for, a new Liquor License in NYC: We need you to sign this letter urging the state legislature to pass the “temporary liquor permit” bill before the end of the legislative session. Due to backlog at the State Liquor Authority, it can take up to a year to get a liquor license at one of the many locations not currently eligible, which is untenable for many new businesses. If enacted, this proposed law will reduce the time it takes to serve alcohol by many months – a much more reasonable timeframe, while the SLA works hard to get through the backlog. Take Action HERE

Since 2006, the NYC Tourism & Conventions budget with the City of NY has not increased. The organization is now operating with a $3.7 million shortfall, which is unsustainable. Further cuts will have a very real economic impact on the City, and your help is needed to make sure that message is heard by the City Council.   Please consider signing the letter to the City Council linked below. By adding your voice, we can emphasize the $74 billion economic impact tourism has on the NYC economy, the value of tourism for your business, and the importance of restoring our full City contract so we can continue to effectively promote NYC globally. Please click the link below and follow the directions to sign your name by Tuesday, June 4:  Preserve Funding for NYC Tourism + Conventions

MAYOR ANNOUNCES NYC FUTURE FUND

Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Small Business Services Commissioner Kevin Kim closed out NYC Small Business Month by announcing the administration’s investment of $10 million to seed the city’s next major small business loan fund -- the “NYC Future Fund.” The fund will accelerate the growth of hundreds of new small businesses in New York City by addressing the gap in access to affordable capital faced by small business owners, particularly early-stage businesses, as well as Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and women entrepreneurs that otherwise often cannot obtain traditional bank financing. Stay tuned for future launch announcements, once applications open. Read the full press release HERE.

NYC SUMMER RESTAURANT WEEK

NYC Summer Restaurant Week July 22 - August 18 Attention Bronx Eateries: Don't Miss Out! If you participated in NYC Restaurant Week Winter 2024, you will have received registration details via email. Registration for past participants is available via the members-only section. If you are new to the program, please click here to fill out the interest form and you will be contacted regarding next steps. Questions: Email nycrestweek@nyctourism.com

BRONX CHAMBER SIGNATURE EVENT: GOLF OUTING

Less Than 3 Weeks Away! Have you registered yet? The Joseph P. Kelleher Memorial Golf Tournament June 18, 2024 Bally's Golf Links at Ferry Point 500 Hutchinson River Parkway Bronx, NY 10465 Join us for a day of friendly competition on the links as we honor the memory of Bronx Chamber chairman Joe Kelleher and celebrate this year's honoree Mark Stagg of Stagg Group Development. Don't golf? No problem! Purchase a Dinner-only ticket and join us for networking. ---> CLICK HERE for more information about the Tournament and to register Select Sponsorship Opportunities are still available - contact Dolores@bronxchamber.org Special thanks to our sponsors to date (list in formation): DJ Ambulette Services, Monroe College, BronxCare Health System, Lettire Construction, Manhattan Parking Group, Simone Development Companies, Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts, Orange Bank & Trust Company, Altice USA, The Stagg Group, KZA Realty, A&A Maintenance Enterprise, and Stagg Wabnik Law Group.

CHAMBER IN THE COMMUNITY

Last week, Bronx Chamber President Lisa Sorin participated in a site visit with NYS Department of Financial Services (top) in support of our Member Ponce Bank's application to create a Banking Development District (BDD) in Bronx Community District 9. This site visit was a key opportunity for community partners to share their perspectives on how added financial resources in the area will benefit the communities they serve. This week, the Bronx Chamber hosted a lively networking event on Arthur Ave. (bottom right), creating connection & growth opportunities for Bronx small businesses to close out Small Business Month with a bang! The Bronx Chamber outreach team also participated in NYC Small Business Services' first annual Small Business Month Expo (bottom left) at Pier 36 downtown to provide an array of resources to small businesses, alongside our fellow Chambers and City agencies.

Coming up June 10, Bronx Chamber President Lisa Sorin will moderate a panel discussion of Bronx changemakers at the Connected by Culture Series: Technology Across Communities event, hosted by Verizon. Courtesy headshots, food, resource stations, and live entertainment will all be available on-site. REGISTER HERE for this free event at 257 E. Fordham Road Bronx, NY 10458.

MORE UPCOMING BRONX CHAMBER EVENTS

Next week on June 6: An Evening of Scotch & Cigars The Bronx Havana Room 3604A East Tremont Ave. 6:00 - 8:00pm $25 Members / $30 Non-Members Join us at the sophisticated Bronx Havana Room on June 6th for an evening of scotch tasting, fine cigars, networking and industry updates. Act fast - space is limited and this event has sold out 2 years in a row!

Get Your Tickets

June 13: Karaoke Night! Sponsored by The University of Mount Saint Vincent The Bronx Beer Hall 2344 Arthur Avenue 6:00 - 8:00pm $25 Members / $30 Non-Members Join the Bronx Chamber's Young Professionals Committee for an evening of great food, questionable singing, & drink specials, brought to you with generous support from Bronx Chamber Member The University of Mount Saint Vincent, who will be sharing information about continuing education opportunities at UMSV, tailored for busy professionals.

Get Your Tickets

June 27: The Art of Networking Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education 928 Simpson Street 6:00 - 8:00pm $25 Members / $30 Non-Members Join The Bronx Chamber of Commerce for an evening of networking in Casita Maria's beautiful community Art Gallery, surrounded by the inspiring work of local artists. Don't miss this opportunity to cultivate your network and ignite your creative spirit!

GET YOUR TICKETS

MEMBER EVENTS

Support Bronx Chamber member VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired at their June 11 event, where our President Lisa Sorin will proudly serve as event auctioneer! 📣 Get your tickets here and help raise vital unrestricted funding for VISIONS' programs for the Blind and visually impaired in our borough!

Bronx Day: Celebration of Juneteenth at NYBG June 15 10:00 am – 6:00 pm Visit the NY Botanical Garden for a Juneteenth celebration featuring music, dance performances, arts and crafts, food trucks, and more! Bronx Residents can Register HERE for complimentary tickets!

Bronx Chamber President's Circle member New York Power Authority & New York Transco invite you to learn about Propel NY Energy, an underground electric transmission solution proposed in the Bronx to bolster the system’s reliability and resiliency, and create pathways to deliver clean energy. Bronx Community Open Houses: June 8, 12, and 13 (in person and virtual options) Click HERE for full details on each Open House, and to register

DIGITAL TOOLS FOR GROWTH

With support from the Verizon Digital Inclusion program, The Bronx Chamber of Commerce is offering a series of webinars aimed at helping small businesses maximize the potential of digital tools and literacy for business growth. All sessions are virtual Upcoming Dates and Times are as follows: Cybersecurity - How to Protect Your Business  Session 1: Wednesday, June 5, 2024 11:00 am to 12:00 pm Session 2: Wednesday, June 12, 2024 11:00 am to 12:00 pm To register for the next event on June 5, Click Here

OPEN + ONLINE Applications are still open for Bronx businesses to sign up for the popular Open + Online program through the NYC Small Business Resource Network! It's crucial that your small business has a strong online presence to compete in today's marketplace. The Open + Online program offers FREE website building, logo & branding design, or expert SEO (search engine optimization) consulting.  APPLY HERE

WEBSITE UPDATES: CITY & STATE LEGISLATION

Check out the latest Bronx Chamber website updates for city and state legislation policy news impacting your business, plus events, resources and much more. To visit our website, Click Here

FUNDING, CERTIFICATION, CAREER, & OTHER RESOURCES

MWBE | SDVOB Procurement Conference June 5 8:30am - 3:00pm John Jay College of Criminal Justice 524 West 59th Street New York, NY 10019 Learn how to navigate procurement opportunities throughout CUNY and CUCF at this one-day event designed to help MWBEs & SDVOBs learn, grow, and network. Co-hosted by The City University of New York, City University Construction Fund, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Bronx Chamber of Commerce, Queens Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Women in Construction. Click Here To Register

NYC Small Business Services Emergency Preparedness Webinar June 3, 2024 from 2:00 - 3:00pm From gas leaks and fires, to major hurricanes, flooding, and blackouts, NYC business owners face many challenges that can impact your operations and assets. NYCSBS is here to help guide you through the start of a business continuity plan. You will learn how to: Stay in business: Identify your key business functions, employees, and documents Protect your investments: Understand how to protect your assets and navigate insurance processes Be ready for action: Create a business continuity plan for your business REGISTER HERE

NYC Funds Finder NYC's Department of Small Business Services (SBS) and Next Street are offering a user-friendly platform, NYC Funds Finder, where small businesses can review funding options, including loans and grants, and request free 1-on-1 financing assistance from the SBS team.  NYC Funds Finder is a partnership between SBS and Next Street and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. Next Street Scale, the platform that powers NYC Funds Finder, was created to address the hurdles that small businesses, especially those run by women and minorities, face in accessing the resources required to grow their business and build wealth.

M/WBE Certification Unlocking Opportunities The Bronx Chamber of Commerce is proud to partner with NYC SBS to help guide you through the application process of getting certified as a Minority/Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE). This certification program, offered by NYC Small Business Services, is a critical initiative aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion in government contracting and procurement processes. The program seeks to create opportunities for businesses owned and operated by minority individuals and women, ensuring they have fair access to government contracts and economic opportunities, opens your business up to increased opportunities from New York City agencies, free advertising in the NYC Online Directory of Certified Businesses, mentorship programs and workshops, networking events, and more. The City has committed to awarding $16 billion in contracts to M/WBE certified organizations over the next decade--don’t miss out! Are you eligible? (Qualification checklist below) Business is legally authorized to transact business in New York City Business has been in operation for at least one year Business is more than 51% minority and/or woman owned If you are interested in applying, or for more information on M/WBE certification, contact Chanel Perez at Programs@bronxchamber.org

For the complete Bronx Chamber Events Calendar, featuring educational workshops, networking events and other opportunities hosted by the Chamber, its members, & partners, please visit and bookmark our website events calendar link in your browser - new events are added weekly!