Wednesday, October 30, 2013

NYC's New Business Acceleration Team Aids Union Square Hospitality Group in Opening Restaurants & Understanding the Rules!

Below is a testimony and thank you from the Union Sq. Hosp. Group as to how NBAT helped them open restaurants and understand rules and compliance. Great stuff! See the following link for more info: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nbat/html/home/home.shtml


Dear Stephen,
Here are some of the many benefits we’ve enjoyed as a result of NBAT’s efforts:

*Clarity on next steps for permit application, job approval, and sign-off
*Clarity on the impact that one permit has on the next (e.g. DOB approval of equipment not on MEP list, which then leads to FDNY approval of placement, which in turn leads to FDNY suppression test and approval)
*A “no permit left behind” mentality that had our client manager, Elizabeth Gelpi, making sure all that we were aligned in our applications
*Helpful, friendly inspectors!
*We were treated like what we were doing (two full restaurant build-outs) was positive for the City (which we like to think it is, and if you’ve dined at North End Grill or Blue Smoke Battery Park City lately, I think “positive” makes the grade!) rather than trying to pull one over on the City
*Our contractors were treated with respect
*There were no screaming matches as there have been on job sites in the past
*Inspectors took their time and demystified their decision-making process
*“One-stop shopping” for all queries and concerns
*We never heard “that’s not my job; go ask another agency”
*An honoring, philosophical shift and the dignity that comes from being treated as a “client” (NBAT’s excellent term) by each inspecting agency.

Many thanks for all your team's help & all the best,
Austin

AUSTIN PUBLICOVER • OPERATIONS MANAGER,
COMPLIANCE & FACILITIES

UNION SQUARE
HOSPITALITY GROUP

24 UNION SQUARE EAST, 6TH FLOOR, NEW YORK CITY 10003
USHGNYC.COM@USHGNYC

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Hurricane Sandy Anniversary

On this anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, we are encouraging all business to Expect the Best, Plan for the Worst and be prepared. MCC has launched a checklist of tasks to prepare you, your employees and your business for the worst. Check out the list and circulate to your fellow business associates. Be prepared! http://www.manhattancc.org/about_mcc/Disaster_Preparedness.aspx

Thursday, October 24, 2013

MCC Provides New Benefit for Members from Time Warner Cable Business Class

Time Warner Cable Business Class

New!
Get a special offer from Time Warner Cable Business Class, just for Manhattan Chamber Members!
  • As a member of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce you’re eligible to take advantage of this great "members only” offer from Time Warner Cable Business Class: 
  • Get Internet, Phone AND/OR Television and get a month FREE of each service! Minimum 1-year agreement. 
  • Plus, combine that with other advertised offers from Time Warner Cable Business Class and save even more! 
  • Visit http://www.timewarnercable.com/NYC/ChamberPrograms/ccpp_manhattan.html to order, review terms and conditions, and learn more! 
  • You will need to complete the submission form so you can be contacted by a Time Warner Cable Business Class consultant to discuss your particular needs, and find the solution that's right for your business. 
  • Offer expires 12/31/13. 

Time Warner Cable Business Class takes the time to get to know your business, and then find the right mix of Internet, Business Class Phone and Television solutions for your unique needs.

High-speed Internet to keep your business connected.
  • Internet solutions offering fast, reliable connectivity so you can download large files, stream videos and easily manage e-mail. 
  • Bandwidth speeds up to 50 Mbps—find the right solution for your business, so you only pay for what you need. 

Dependable Voice solutions from an experienced provider.
  • Business Class Phone is more than just a reliable voice service. It includes Voice Manager, an online tool to manage and control your features, from anywhere at any time. 
  • Choose from available local, in-state long distance, and nationwide long distance calling plans. 

Television packages to enhance your business environment.
  • Programming options with up-to-the-minute news, sports, entertainment and music, plus exclusive local content. 
  • A selection from over 300 channels and HDTV with easy-to-use interactive program guides. 

INTERNET | VOICE | TELEVISION | NETWORK SERVICES | CLOUD SERVICES


Offer expires 12/31/13 and is available exclusively at http://www.timewarnercable.com/NYC/ChamberPrograms/ccpp_manhattan.html to new or existing customers. Free month will be applied as a bill credit to the second month’s bill and is equal to the monthly recurring rate paid for new services excluding taxes, fees, installation and applicable construction. Additional charges apply for equipment, taxes, fees, Directory Assistance, Operator Services, and installation and construction costs (if applicable). At the end of the term, regular rates in effect at the time will apply. Early termination fees may apply. All offers and services not available in all areas. Offers are not transferable and may be combined with any other offer. Subject to change without notice. Some restrictions apply. Local calling area boundaries may vary based upon subscriber-originating area code and phone number. Actual speeds may vary. Customer service satisfaction claim based on Time Warner Cable Business Class customer C+R Barometer study from September 2012. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Time Warner Cable Business Class is a trademark of Time Warner Inc. Used under license. ©2013 Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Congratulations to MCC Member Center for Employment Opportunities on their partnership with MTV!

MTV teamed with volunteer platform Catchafire to put creative and social firepower behind a worthwhile, "tough sell" cause--the Center for Employment Opportunities, which offers comprehensive job services to people leaving prison.

“We have a very tough product to sell.” That’s Mindy Tarlow, the CEO of Center for Employment Opportunities. You can’t tell by the name of the organization, but that “tough product” is people--men and women recently released from prison. The New York-based nonprofit specializes in helping them transition into the work force and stay employed.

Read more here:http://www.fastcocreate.com/1683031/before-and-after-how-mtv-gave-one-nonprofit-a-makeover-and-got-schooled-in-social-storytelli

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

NYC Business - Quarterly Progress Report

Dear Business Owners, Employees, Customers, and New Yorkers,

In the last 90 days, Mayor Bloomberg’s Business Customer Service Initiative has continued to make New York City government more effective and efficient in helping businesses open, operate, and expand.

Take a look at the Quarterly Progress Report for July - September 2013 here.

1776 Challenge Cup NYC: Competition for StartUps

1776, an incubation platform based in Washington, DC, is hosting the Challenge Cup to identify the most promising startups tackling the biggest global challenges. The competition with center on startups innovating in four primary categories: education, health, energy, and smart cities, and will come to New York City on December 11, 2013.

Participants in the regional and final competition will receive worldwide PR and marketing through a dedicated 1776 staff writer, distribution through global media channels and spotlighted features through our corporate partner channels. In each of the 16 cities, one winner will be selected in each of the four categories to compete in an expense-paid week-long final tournament in May 2014 in Washington, D.C. and will win a virtual membership and the opportunity to win prize money of up to $150,000.

Companies must be less than 3 years old, have less the $3M USD in revenue to date at time of application, have a scalable product or service in the market, and raised less than $1.5M USD in capital at the time of application. Apply at challengecup.1776dc.com/apply

MCC’s own Nancy Ploeger will be a judge in the competition!





Tuesday, October 22, 2013

MCC Member announces first annual Casa Latina Home Expo

NEW YORK, Aug. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Casa Latina, the premiere bilingual home and lifestyle brand (www.casalatina.com) and Chase are proud to announce the first annual Casa Latina Home Expo offering a host of workshops and activities with expert advice on financial management and home buying information. The Home Expo, sponsored by Chase to be held on November 9, 2013 at the historic Altman Building in New York City is a full day event featuring expert advice such as home repair (DIY/How-To, Decor), parenting, home health, and home safety. In addition, the expo will offer live how-to-clinics, product give aways, cooking demonstrations, a kid's zone, and cultural entertainment.

"We are truly excited to launch the first bilingual Home Expo for the Hispanic community allowing us to increase our reach and empower home ownership. Our intent is to give consumers answers to their home ownership, design, re model and lifestyle challenges," says Nora Diaz Bretherton, co-founder of Casa Latina. "We will have booths and industry-recognized experts on site to provide real-time help, targeting one of the largest demographics in the U.S. and providing them with the tools they need as current and future home owners."

The event's messaging: Improve Your Home, Improve Your Life (Mejora Tu Casa, Mejora Tu Vida) focuses on helping Latino families create an aesthetically appealing, highly functional, and safe home environment that positions them to achieve their goals and live the best life they can. It embodies Casa Latina's mission and vision of empowering Hispanic families to improve their homes and lives by offering a path to sustainable homeownership. It will offer a wide variety of culturally relevant home improvement and lifestyle information and tips that speak to the life aspirations of many in the Latino community.

Hosting a variety of exhibitors and sponsors, this will be a unique opportunity to access the Hispanic community to help advise and educate attendees. Experts in attendance will include:

• Interior Design/Decorating/DIY and Crafting:

• Evette Rios, correspondent of ABC's The Chew

• Marlene Pratt, Casa Latina Co-founder

• Martin Amado, co-hosted Decorando Contigoon Galavision

• Kathy Cano-Murillo aka The Crafty Chic

• Parenting Clinics:

• Jeannette Kaplun, who co-hosted the award-winning Univision series Viva La Familia de Todobebe

• Ana Flores, co-founder of Spanglish Baby and Latina Bloggers Connect

• Leading The Casa Latina Home Health Initiative:

o Dr. Helen Troncoso, a health expert and Ms. New York America 2012

Expo partners include media entities like Vme Media, Telemundo Channel 47, Fox News Latina; Hispanic organizations like the National Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), National Hispanic Leadership Institute (NHLI), Latinos In Social Media (LATISM) as a social media promotional partner, Las Comadres a Latina networking organization and New York City Latino Professionals (NYCLP).

For more information and sponsor opportunities, please visit http://casalatinahomeexpo.com/.

About Casa Latina
Co-founders Marlene Pratt and Nora Diaz Bretherton developed Casa Latina as a multi-media bilingual home-and-lifestyle brand when they discovered a strong demand for culturally relevant home-related information that addresses the different, yet intertwined, realities of Latina life in the U.S. Casa Latina's growing platform includes a weekly feature on Fox News Latino and regular articles in El Diaro La Prensa and Vista Magazine and offers a strong value proposition for brand partners and a way for sponsors to connect and communicate with millions of Latinas in both English and Spanish.

Casa Latina's Marlene Pratt has been featured on multiple media outlets, including NBC, Telemundo, Univision, Television Dominicana, NY1 Noticias, Fox News Latino, The New York Times and is a featured writer for Fox News Latino, El Diario La Prensa and Vista Magazine. She is an experienced on-air talent, interior designer, and lifestyle expert in both English and Spanish language television, print, and radio. She has also served as a Latina spokesperson for major brands.

Media Contact:
Casa Latina Enterprises, LLC
Nora Diaz Bretherton
Nora@casalatina.com
917.518.3950
SOURCE Casa Latina

RELATED LINKS

http://www.casalatina.com

Friday, October 18, 2013

How Can MCC Benefit NYC Young Professionals?

MCC seeks to develop the next generation of business owners and professionals in NYC by providing educational and networking opportunities in a relaxed atmosphere. On October 15th, MCC hosted its Young Professionals Launch Event at Pioneers Bar in Chelsea. Here’s how one MCC member attended a MCC Young Professionals event and made great contacts (as told to MCC Program Director Anna Strindberg):

Anna,

Thank you for hosting last night’s event. It was the first time I’d ever been to a networking event, and I really enjoyed it! My expectations were quite a bit different from the reality, which was good. I thought it might be a little more anxiety-producing than it was, but in actuality, it was very relaxed, and I met a great deal of interesting and beneficial people.

I manage the Professional English Programs at a private school in midtown (Rennert NYC), so meeting some professionals from other countries (e.g., Germany, Japan, etc.) and discussing our business helped me to find potential clients (i.e., students), who can come learn professional, business English with us.

In addition, I found some potential placements for our volunteer students, who want to get immersed in American business culture and use their English skills.

The event was beneficial and relaxed, and I appreciate your hard work and effort. I’m looking forward to joining future events!
Best,

Phillip Thompson
Manager
Professional English Programs
Rennert New York
pthompson@rennert.com
[P] 212-867-8700 ext. 85

http://www.rennert.com/english/professional_programs.htm

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Citizens Budget Commission Elects New Trustees

Congratulations to MCC Partners Ron Bergamini of Action Carting and William Floyd of Google on being elected to serve as a trustees on the citizens budget commission. The Citizens Budget Commission is New York's nonprofit, non-partisan voice for efficiency in government. Learn more at http://www.cbcny.org/sites/default/files/Press_Release_10102013_0.pdf

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

MCC Thanks September Renewing Members

Name
Company
Website
Linda Porto
ABC-TV
www.abc.go.com
David Meir-Levi
Wealth Advisory Group LLC
Martin Torre
MBTorre Architects and Planners
Adrian Sealy
Invest Barbados
Calvin Lee
Credit Suisse
Kyle Pennacchia
Wiss & Company, LLP
Greg Barber
EcoFriendlyPrinter-GBarber LLC
Martin Radensky
Martin Radensky Inc
Shari Rosenblatt
A.R.T.S.
Gregory Collier
Collier Capital Advisors
Rosemary Figlio
De Figlio Design
Bonnie Witler
Weigh to Health Inc.
John Brouillard
NPA Computers
Debra Duneier
EcoChi, LLC
Matt Merrilees
DHL Express
Maralyn Dolan
Integrated Printing & Graphics, Inc.
Tani Mills
Center for Employment Opportunities




Friday, October 4, 2013

A New Beginning: Entrepreneurship and Business Education

MCC’s Nancy Ploeger recently participated in an entrepreneurship panel attended by a group of international entrepreneurs. We thank them for their response!

Nancy,

Hi. Thanks so very much for a great panel on Tuesday regarding the best public and private practices for encouraging and supporting entrepreneurship in NYC. The 30 international entrepreneurs brought together by our International Visitors program thought it was a highlight of their entire US trip, so thank you for putting together such a worthwhile and terrific panel.
Thanks,

Linda Piccirilli

Office of International Visitors

United States Department of State

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

TD Bank: Where Going Green Is Going Viral

TD Bank's successful environmental employee engagement program features five lessons for companies and individuals looking to integrate sustainability into their workforce culture and processes.

In 2012, TD Bank launched its ambitious Environmental Employee Engagement (EEE) Program to bring sustainability into its business practices and workforce culture.

At Net Impact, we believe that one of the best ways to learn is from experience – which is why we
partnered with GreenBiz Group to investigate key insights from TD Bank’s experience.

MCC Welcomes September's New Members!

Company Name
Name
Website
Chase Bank
Paul Harrison
Worry Free Labs
Paul Choi
multiClick media
Irving Pena
Entrepreneur & Small Business Forum
Bruce Crawford
Capital One Bank
Robert Chisholm
Couture Within Reach LLC
Maiya Kim
Atto LLC
Gabriel Diaz
attoconsulting.com
Regus
Amena Choudhury
Manhattan Sideways
Betsy Polivy
manhattansideways.com
Breakwater Ventures, LLC
Michael Patton
MikaPak
Josh Yu
L'Artisan LLC
Olga Istratii
8 Path Solutions LLC
Jennifer Shin
Randy Joy & Co.
Randy J Epstein
R&L IT & Telecom Consultants, LLC
Ronald Klink
J. Hilburn
Susan Klapkin
Edible Arrangements
Victor Panwala
DeLuca Coaching

ESSFRANCHISECONSULT
Ernest Sciutto
Greenwood Heights Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc.
Amy Cunningham
NYCGreenFunerals.com
Consultants 2 Go LLC
Sandi Webster
Linguistic Consulting
Caroline Latterman
Pia Gschossmann
Pia Gschossmann
Brad A. Robertson LLC
Brad A Robertson
BradARobertsonLLC.com
Assai Management Consulting, LLC
Fredrick Redd, MBA, PMP
The Little Baby Face Foundation
Eric Salvarezza
P SINALY CPA PC
PAUL SINALY, MBA, CPA
Patriot Advance
jeremiah Lowe
InnerHarbor Advisors
John O'Meara
Benjamin Marc
Anthony Savino
Mingo Design LLC
Kari Brooke Elwell-Katzander
mingodesign.com
PEOPLE PER HOUR INC.
XENIOS THRASYVOULOU
The Howard Teich Network
Howard Teich
Please N Thank You Fitness
Maria Knecht