It’s time to think of Summer Fun, and how that may affect your business.  Are sidewalk sales, outdoor restaurant service, music nights in your summer plans? Click here to tell us yours?

Some businesses do things differently during the summer, whether it is employee-oriented events such as an outing, or the old fashioned company picnic. (It would be interesting to know how many companies still do that.)

Others such as restaurants may introduce changes to their menus, adding both food and beverage items that reflect the season. Some open outdoor service.

Even businesses that don’t change their product lineup may offer seasonal sales. Whatever you do, we’d love to hear from you.

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Some businesses in our region have taken a hit because of the recent storms. At least one restaurant on the Westerly side of the Pawcatuck River has closed its doors.  There is one good way to support those that are struggling to get back on their feet.

The most obvious is to patronize them. Two restaurants come quickly to mind, Somewhere in Time Café in Mystic and Prime Time Café on the bridge in Pawcatuck.  The floods knocked out a bridge on one side of the Somewhere in Time Cafe and the state DOT blocked access from the west on Route 184, making it difficult for some to reach the still-operating restaurant.

The Prime Time Café was closed until state inspectors could determine the extent of any damage to pilings that support part of the building it is in. It was closed for a time but has since reopened.

We want to hear from other businesses, not just restaurants, that sustained damage from the storm. We will include those names in future blogs.

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Tourism employs something like 140,000 people in our state, including many in the lodging industry. A tax measure pending before the state legislature would give us a hotel tax higher than Manhattan’s. Doing business in this state is costly enough already. What do you think?

Our state is blessed with an abundance of attractions that draws millions each year. They leave with memories and they leave behind money spent on a range of things, starting with their lodgings. As a state we are faced with a lot of taxing issues, one of them being a proposal to increase the hotel tax from 12 to 15 percent. An objective person could say we are taxing ourselves out of the competitive arena.

To some, a three percent increase might seem small, but what about the conference and convention business that has been growing in recent years? That kind of increase, multiplied by hundreds of rooms adds up fast.

Even the increase for a single room spread over a few days or a week means that the guests will have less money available to spend elsewhere during their visit.

In a recent editorial, The Day opined that tourism is a major economic lifeblood in the Northeast. We agree. Let’s keep it that way by not taxing away the businesses that cater to the tourists who make it so.

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How would you rate the business climate in Connecticut? Is our state anti-business? A lot of business people would agree with that claim. There’s the tax structure, the high electric rates, an aging transportation system and a regulatory process that has been known to cause even the most mild mannered among us to be uncharacteristically boisterous, blunt even. Blunt White is one of them.

Blunt, who is anything but in his dealings as a Mystic-based vice president of People’s United Bank, and as chairman of the Stonington Economic Development Commission, said something recently that deserves mention.

“The state is basically in the business prevention business,” he told those at an economic development forum organized by Stonington First Selectman Ed. Haberek.

And Blunt isn’t alone. Earlier this year, our chamber, along with the one in Mystic and the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, found that Blunt White is not alone in his assessment.

A survey we commissioned showed nearly two-thirds of eastern Connecticut businesses felt that the state legislature has had a negative impact on their ability to operate a successful business.

The same viewpoint was expressed today (April 16) when the heads of the state’s largest tourism businesses addressed a gathering we organized at the Mystic Seaport.
Tony Sheridan, president and CEO of our chamber, cited the example of a bill pending in the state legislature that would add three percent to an already high tax on the hotel room rate. That would make it higher than the tax in Manhattan, another speaker said.

Feel free to weigh in with your views on the subject, and maybe some suggestions about what should be done to ease the burden on businesses and to help save important jobs in the tourism industry.

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Tourism is a vital part of our region’s economy, one that defines our area in a way that few other business sectors do. Click here to read about a Chamber event next Friday that will focus on this important subject.

Talk to people who visit eastern Connecticut, and those who relocate here, and you will hear stories about our region’s natural beauty, its history and a less tangible quality that just makes people feel good.

The importance of tourism and the need for us to promote the region as an important destination, not just a stop on the road between someplace and someplace else, will be on full display next Friday, April 16^th.

We, at the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, working with Mystic Seaport, will host a panel discussion on tourism.  We recognize the importance tourism to all of us, particularly in a year when the state has eliminated its tourism promotion budget.

The event will feature key individuals from Mystic Seaport, Mystic Aquarium & the Institute for Exploration, along with Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. The panel discussion will be moderated by Ed. Dombroskas, the executive director of the Eastern Regional Tourism District.

In a recent interview with the Norwich Bulletin, Mr. Dombroskas said this about the event:  “That is the occasion where we will showcase our new public/private partnerships.  We’re in a transition year but involved in exciting new things. We look at the 16^th as a way to get that into people’s minds.”

The event is open to the public. Tourism-dependent businesses are encouraged to contact the Chamber and reserve a seat.

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Jim Reed, the popular radio personality on KOOL 101, summed it up best Friday morning when he said what many of us had been thinking:  “What a week it’s been.” 

Without question, it was one for the record books.

The images in our local media told a compelling story of people forced out of their homes, businesses damaged and in some cases swept away.   Two local communities, Norwich and Stonington, declared states of emergency.  In short was not a good week. 

As bad as things were the week also brought out the best in people. We at the chamber salute the rescue workers who braved the elements to save people.  They deserve our special praise. Police and firefighters in every community went on alert, and stayed on the job until it was done. From rescuing people to pumping out flooded basements, they were there for us, and we shouldn’t forget it.

At the mid-mark of the week, we quietly noted our 100^th anniversary.  We also made an offer of office space to businesses displaced by the storm. In the broader sense of business needs, it was a small thing. But if it helps even one business we can feel that we contributed something to the people who make our area what it is.

If you have a storm story, whether it involved your business, or your home, please share it with us. We like to hear from you.

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It seems everyone has an opinion on health care reform. Tell us yours.

The health care reform measure signed into law this week by President Obama has generated a lot of heat. We’d like to shed some light on the subject and invite your views. The web site of Congressman Joe Courtney http://courtney.house.gov/ contains details that may help, but you might want to contact the experts in our Insurance Resource Center at 860-701-9113.  In the meantime, let us know what you think about this important topic.

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Tony Sheridan, our chamber president, testified March 15^th before the legislature’s energy and technology committee on a bill that we feel strongly would hurt a critical part of our state’s economy. He told the legislators that the proposed law, an act concerning “electric rate relief,” would boomerang and end up hurting our already battered state economy.

Increasing taxes in a recession is not the best course of action to take if we want the economy to rebound, with all the job creation that we sorely need in our state.

This bill will also add another bureaucratic layer to doing business in the state, and do it at a time when many of us feel the state needs to be going in the opposite direction.

This bill will also discourage the necessary investment to improve productivity; it mocks the concept of free enterprise and discourages future investments by existing industry for fear of losing all or a portion of the profits to the state.

Last but not least, it runs the risk of discouraging new companies that may wish to come to the state and have a negative impact on the job creation those companies would bring.

What do you think about the proposed legislation? We’d like to know.

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Have you heard about the Chamber’s birthday? On March 31, 2010 the Chamber will turn 100. No matter how you cut it, 1910 was a big year in Connecticut and throughout the country. The organization that grew into the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut had its humble beginnings that year as the New London Businessmen’s Association.  What you may not recall is that 1910 was the year Connecticut’s most well known figure, Samuel Clemens, popularly known as Mark Twain, rode Halley’s Comet out to the great beyond.  The comet streaked across the sky the year he was born, and he famously—and accurately—predicted that he would go out the way he came in– with the comet that made its appearance every 75 years.

Not long before that on the very day the New London Businessmen’s Association came into being, The Day newspaper boasted to advertisers that it could guarantee double the circulation of all other New London newspapers put together.  If that wasn’t a good deal for business owners, Day subscribers could get their favorite paper delivered in the mail for $5.  A year.  Add a dollar for home delivery.

Connecticut wasn’t the only happening place.  Nationally, the Boy Scouts of America was formed.  Father’s Day was first celebrated in Spokane, Washington.  The Camp Fire Girls of America was founded and, Fanny Brice joined the Ziegfeld Follies. As we said, it was quite the year. Share with us anything you may know about that year, or general time period.

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When New London Harbour Towers received their Regional Chamber Award for Community Revitalization of the Year, Lou Tagliatela had some flattering things to say about New London’s role in the project. Tagliatela, of Franklin Construction LLC of New Haven, joined forces with Tony Silvestri to complete the project in recent months. He had this to say:

In October 2008, Franklin Construction, LLC assumed financial control of New London Harbour Towers. Our hope was to begin steel erection the following April but various approvals were needed. Based on our experience with other municipalities we were apprehensive about meeting our timeline.

The Mayor and the Chamber of Commerce offered to help in any way possible. Planning and Zoning and the City Manager put the project on a fast track. The Building Department, the Fire Marshall and the Historic Commission made suggestions and gave quick responses that avoided delays.

 Our family has been in construction for four generations and has worked in 37 municipalities. We have found New London to be the City which has been easiest to work with.

Workmen began steel erection in April as projected and the project progressed steadily. On two occasions we sought approvals from City Council and received unanimous approvals. As a result of those approvals New London now enjoys a brand new project with a much enhanced Columbus Circle. Property taxes will be tenfold previous taxes paid.

Thanks, Lou, for giving New London the credit it deserves.

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