The Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Bronx Business News You Can Use

 

Upcoming Events, Funding Opportunities,  Legislative News, & More

(Friday) Extra, Extra Click here for this week's video: Chamber President Lisa Sorin is back with your Bronx business and community updates, filmed on location at this week's Summer BBQ event! - Intro 991 Licensing Hotels Bill Hearing Postponed - Updates to Street Fair Vending License Requirements - Supporting Legal Cannabis Shops - Upcoming Events: Bronx GameChangers Luxury Suite Networking Event at Yankee Stadium on 8/9; updates on our 9/19 Annual Gala!

Summer Hours: The Bronx Chamber office is on a 4-day schedule, closed every Friday through 8/30/24

LEGISLATIVE & REGULATORY UPDATES

Quick update on Intro 991, pertaining to Hotel Licensing: The Bronx Chamber of Commerce planned to testify in person in front of the NYC Council at the Consumer and Worker Protection hearing scheduled for Tuesday, July 30th, however that hearing has been postponed for the time being thanks to an outpouring of outreach in opposition to Intro 991 by the Bronx Chamber network and throughout the NYC business community. We will keep you posted on developments surrounding this legislation, and encourage you to continue contacting your City Council representatives to voice your concerns. Intro 991, sponsored by Council Member Julie Menin: This bill would require hotels to obtain a license in order to operate their business in the City. The application term would be one year, and there would be an annual fee of $200. Large hotels would be required to maintain continuous front desk coverage and have at least one security guard. All hotels would be required to maintain the cleanliness of each guest room. The licensee would be required to directly employ all core and critical employees, who would be subject to safety trainings. The department of consumer and worker protection could refuse to issue or renew a license, or suspend or revoke a license if the hotel violates the conditions of the license. Hotels that violate the license conditions would be subject to civil penalties. (Committee: Consumer & Worker Protection) Our concerns regarding impact on hotels in the Bronx: As this bill stands now it will increase costs for hotels, and in turn make it more expensive for the consumer. In addition, revoking a potential license for a hotel based on an outage of wi-fi or an elevator is not reasonable, and we stand to lose any potential development of new hotels in our borough.  Learn More About Potential Impacts Here We encourage all Bronx businesses who may be impacted by this legislation to contact your representatives to express concerns about Int 991 - CLICK HERE for a list of City Council Representatives and their contact information. Be sure to visit our website Advocacy page for weekly Bronx Business Legislative Updates

FINAL REMINDER: Dining Out NYC Deadline is TOMORROW, August 3 Food service establishments (FSEs) currently participating in the temporary outdoor dining program must apply to the Dining Out NYC program by August 3, 2024, to continue operating their current temporary outdoor dining setup. If an FSE has not submitted a Dining Out NYC application by the deadline, they must remove their current temporary outdoor dining setup at their sole cost and expense. Both sidewalk and roadway cafes require a license and revocable consent from NYC DOT. The revocable consent and license will each have a four-year term.

NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Notice Of Adoption: Repeal of the Temporary General Vendor License Requirement for Street Fair Vendors The Department believes this temporary vending license represents an unnecessary step for street fair vendors because it does not add any new requirements for vendors at street fairs that are already overseen by the Street Activity Permit Office, and that this license can create confusion for vendors who otherwise require a regular general vendor license to vend in public outside of the street fair context. Repeal of the Department’s temporary general vendor license requirement aims to streamline the street fair application process and remove an extra administrative step. There are other related amendments related to nonprofit association street fairs that you can read about in the full document HERE.

Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams Announce More Than 1,000 Illegal Cannabis Shops Have Been Shut Down Statewide Since Governor Hochul signed legislation expanding cannabis enforcement powers, New York City has reported more than 779 illegal cannabis retailers have been padlocked, and the New York State Illicit Cannabis Enforcement Task Force has closed an additional 230 across the State — bringing the statewide total to more than 1,000.   In April, Governor Hochul unveiled new initiatives to shut down illicit cannabis operations and protect the legal marketplace as part of the FY25 Enacted Budget. Shutting down these unlicensed storefronts has had a direct impact on the legal cannabis industry, with licensed shops reporting significantly increased sales and business growth. Read the full press release from Governor Hochul's office HERE.

BRONX CHAMBER 2024 GALA

Gala Registration Is Now Open Our annual gala is just weeks away! Sponsorship and VIP opportunities, tickets, tables, and more are now available ICYMI: Click here for a word from Chamber President Lisa Sorin, who delves into our Gala theme and the selection of *SOPHIA*, our AI-powered humanoid Master of Ceremonies - who will join us to demystify AI and showcase its many possibilities to evolve commerce in our borough, as we celebrate this year's Honorees:    DJ Ambulette, Business of the Year    Monroe College, Community Organization of the Year    Lemle & Wolff Companies, Developer of the Year   Amazon, recipient of the Joseph P. Kelleher Excellence Award Thursday, September 19, 2024 Marina Del Rey, Bronx, NY 6:30 - 11:00pm Last year’s sold-out gala brought together over 600 executives, community leaders & supporters to celebrate our Honorees - and this year's theme is not to be missed! Anything Is possible… Sincere thanks to our first round of Sponsors (list in formation as of 8-1-24): Bronx Champions: Amazon, DJ Ambulette, Monroe College, Lemle & Wolff Companies Bronx AI Sponsors: Simone Development Companies, The Stagg Group Bronx Partner: DoorDash Bronx Supporters: Affinity by Molina Healthcare, KZA Realty Group, Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts

LEARN HOW TO BECOME PART OF OUR GALA

UPCOMING BRONX CHAMBER SUMMER EVENTS

Bronx GameChangers Night With Special Guest 3-Time World Series Champion Jim "The King" Leyritz! Friday, August 9 at 7:05pm Yankee Stadium * TICKETS ARE ALMOST GONE - ACT FAST * $250/Members • $300/Non-Members This is your chance to meet a Yankee legend! Join us for an exclusive Bronx experience and prime networking as the New York Yankees take on the 2023 World Series Champion Texas Rangers Friday, August 9! (Suite opens at 6:30pm, game time is 7:05) Enjoy the game in climate-controlled comfort from an all-inclusive luxury suite with private stadium entrance - your ticket includes an open bar, dinner, a great view of the diamond, and - a special Meet & Greet with World Series Champion Jim Leyritz! Don't miss this opportunity to connect with Bronx business and community leaders, partners and supporters working to make our borough thrive.

GET YOUR SUITE TICKETS HERE

CHAMBER NEWS, MEMBER & PARTNER OPPORTUNITIES

Bronx Chamber Summer BBQ Despite the heat, our annual Summer BBQ at Pelham-Split Rock Golf Course was a huge hit! Attendees enjoyed a selection of outdoor games, toasted new connections with flowing drinks in the air-conditioned lounge (upped to full open bar, thanks to sponsoring Chamber Board Vice-Chair John Bonizio of Metro Optics), a delicious pig roast from Chamber member Havana Cafe, live DJ and dancing, and dessert bar! Want to get in on the fun? Bookmark our full Bronx Chamber Events Calendar so you don't miss out on upcoming networking mixers, workshops, and other opportunities to build your business. Special thanks to Assemblymember Landon Dais (D-77), Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, and Council Member Kevin Riley (D-12) for joining us and meeting with constituents from our business community. Boots on the Ground Outreach Last week, Small Business Outreach Specialist Laura Levine-Pinedo joined with Third Avenue Business Improvement District Executive Director Pedro Suarez and reps from Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark's office for a walkthrough of the BID commercial corridor, providing guidance and information to help small businesses access valuable resources including free digital tools through the Open + Online Program (details below in next section), loans and grants, and more! Congratulations Mind-Body-Hair Salon On Saturday July 27, Bronx Chamber Membership Manager Alexis Martinez joined Chamber Member Mind-Body-Hair Salon for their one-year anniversary HAIRitage Event at their 1446 Williamsbridge Road location! We are proud to celebrate our members' milestones - we'll bring our Big Red Scissors to your Ribbon Cutting and help promote the event to the Chamber network - reach out to membership@bronxchamber.org for more information.

 Attention Bronx Small Businesses: Hire CUNY Alumni! Take Action Before August 23 Internship to Employment provides opportunities for recent CUNY grads to intern for 12 weeks with NYC small businesses, with the aim of converting the internships into employment.  CUNY Provides: Recruiting qualified CUNY graduates for your business; 12 weeks of paid internship; support of CUNY I2E staff who are responsible for intern recruitment; program management; intern payroll; wage reimbursement for up to $10/hour for 35 hours per week for the 16 weeks following the internship; rofessional development workshops during both the internship and employment periods CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND START THE HIRING PROCESS DIGITAL TOOLS FOR GROWTH 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 to help your small business put its best foot forward. APPLY HERE 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, & OTHER RESOURCES Free Recruitment Services For Businesses NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) can help you hire the right employees at no cost. Their pool of 100,000+ candidates contains qualified individuals in industries like food services, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, transportation, and warehousing. Free services include:  Sourcing job seekers Recruiting and screening candidates based on your needs, referring the most qualified Scheduling interviews to help you save time and focus on your core business To Get Started: complete and submit this online form.  NYC Small Business Emergency Preparedness Assessments & Grants Your small business or commercial property may be eligible for a free on-site, one-on-one risk assessment. A team of experts will come to your business to: Review your physical space, operations, and insurance coverage Provide a custom report to prepare your business for future disruptions After the assessment, you may receive a grant of up to $5,000 to buy recommended resiliency equipment, such as flood barriers, generators, and fireproof storage containers. Program participants can receive a grant of up to $5,000 to cover the costs of recommended measures or certain types of resiliency equipment such as portable flood barriers, generators, and fire-proof storage containers. Application Priority Deadline: Business PREP Risk Assessment and Grant Program will be prioritizing applicants whose annual revenue does not exceed $17 million until July 26, 2024. Awardees will be determined on a first-come, first-served basis, based on the order in which applicants have submitted a complete application. APPLY 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!  ‌  ‌  ‌  ‌