With holiday shopping in full swing, reminders to shop local are abundant. As you know, when you shop local, your dollars are staying in the community and supporting dreams! While shopping local is the ultimate way to support small business, there are also other ways you can share some love with your favorite local companies this holiday season.

• Get Social: Share links to your favorite stores, posts from your favorite companies, and photos while interacting with your favorite local businesses. Sign up for their newsletters, follow their social accounts, and engage with their posts online. Word of mouth is great advertising, and a no-cost way to show small business some love!
• Leave a Review: Have a local business you love? Let them know! Leave a review on Google and/or Facebook as a way to show others just how great the business is, too. 
• Give a Referal: Much like social media, giving a referal for a local business to a friend is a great way to support them. And, bonus - you'll be the smart, helpful friend!
• Spend Thoughtfully: Purchase gift cards to use for later, pre-buy things you know you'll use down the road, and tip generously when possible. 

Want to show some local business love, but not sure where to start? Check out our Chamber Member Directory for a full listing of great local businesses to support this holiday season - and all year long. Thank you for thinking local first, your community appreciates it!

Business After Hours is on Tuesday, December 5th, hosted by St. Cloud Technical and Community College. Come anytime between 4:30 and 6:30pm for great networking!

NEXT - Chamber's Emerging Leaders meets on Tuesday, December 12th from 4:30-5:30pm for a holiday party! Bring a white elephant gift and enjoy some holiday cheer.

Here are a few more important dates to put on your calendar, but don't forget to check out our full events calendar for even more.

With the goal of keeping you informed and up to date, these news bites feature local, regional and national news items that relate to the business community in Central Minnesota. 

 

LOCAL

Retail trade strong in Central MN. Retail Trade is an important industry in Central Minnesota, both for holiday shopping and for employment. Click here to see just how important.

 

Parade registration now open! The St. Cloud Downtown Alliance is working to plan Bold + Bright, a winter festival downtown on January 25-28, 2024. Part of that celebration is a parade on Saturday, January 27th! Register your float now.

 

2024 Enterprise Funds Budget: City of St. Cloud's Enterprise Funds Budget is now available for viewing. Click here to check it out.

 

STATE & NATIONAL

Reasonable accomodations. The MnDEED Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund (ERAF) creates a central fund where small to mid-sized Minnesota employers can request reimbursement for expenses related to providing reasonable accommodations for job applicants and employees with disabilities. Learn more

 

MN Chamber 2024 Business Benchmarks Report: Each year, this report assembles data into categories of taxes, costs, infrastructure, innovation, employment and growth. Measurements within each of these categories illustrate a clearer picture of their impact on businesses and how business leaders make decisions with ramifications on our state as a whole. View it now

 

Housing regulation reform? States are re-examining how they regulate housing development as rents and mortgage prices increase, according to the Federal Reserve. Read more

60 Year Anniversary

• Molitor Excavating Inc.

The Chamber Food Drive is an annual campaign to raise funds for the Stearns Bank Community Challenge. This year, the goal is to raise $15,000 just from Chamber-related donations! You can donate via cash at a Chamber event, check made payable to "St Cloud Area Chamber Foundation," or the Chamber's Venmo account, @chamberfoundation. Or, simply attend these fundraising events for a good time, a great drink, and donations to a good cause!

Beeranthropy

Wednesday, 12/13 from 3-10pm

 

Come out and enjoy some Pantown brews while raising money for the Chamber Food Drive at Pantown Brewery! From 3pm to 10pm on Wednesday, December 13th, 25% of all beer sales and 100% of tips will go to the Chamber Food Drive.

Tending for a Cause

Wednesday, 12/20 from 5-7pm

 

Sip on some great Beaver Island brews while raising money for the Chamber Food Drive at Beaver Island Brewing! From 5pm to 7pm on Wednesday, December 20th, $1 from every beer sale and 100% of tips will go to the Chamber Food Drive.

Want to learn more about the Stearns Bank Community Challenge?

The Central MN Farm Show is February 27th and 28th, and sponsor and vendor booths are filling up fast! Learn more about these opportunities to get in front of several thousand agriculture professionals, farmers, students and more. 

St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

1411 West Saint Germain Street, ste. 101

St. Cloud, Minnesota, 56301

 

320-251-2940

StCloudAreaChamber.com