Chamber News

Hello St. Charles,

Our weekly blog covers financial forecasting this week and how it could be beneficial for you as a business owner. Forecasting can be used regardless of the size of your business and can help prepare you to make quick, effective decisions to help when times get tough or speed things up when business is on the up-and-up.

This week is more of a general overview of forecasting; Next week, we plan to go into more detail if you're interested. Thank you!

The Community and Children’s Resource Board (CCRB) of St. Charles County has released its 2023 Community Needs Assessment, a comprehensive review of the strengths and challenges affecting children and youth throughout the county.

The report shows that a significant majority of local students are benefiting from CCRB-funded services. These outcomes reflect the county’s continued investment in creating safe, supportive environments where children can thrive. However, the report also identifies areas of emerging concern. The mental health needs of youth are becoming more intense, with increased reports of self-injury, suicide ideation, and suicide. Juvenile justice interactions are rising, while staffing shortages among service providers, along with cost burdens for families, present ongoing barriers to care.

In response to these findings, CCRB will convene community conversations around areas of emerging concern, further its investment in mental health services, and expand data collection efforts at the school level to evaluate program impact, identify gaps, and promote equity across all populations. These steps will help inform future funding and programmatic decisions that align with the community’s needs.

Delta Center for Independent Living launces a new program to assist local businesses.

On May 5, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce led a group of over 350 state and local chambers and national trade associations in calling on Congress to prevent a backdoor tax increase on American businesses by preserving the B-SALT deduction as an essential feature of the federal income tax system. The St. Charles Regional Chamber was one of four organizations in the State of Missouri to sign on to this letter.

St. Charles Chamber joins call to Congress to preserve vital B-SALT deduction.

Dardenne Prairie ranks among top Midwest cities for highest six-figure household incomes.

O’Fallon and St. Charles were ranked among the Midwest’s most up-and-coming small cities for financial prosperity, highlighting strong growth, opportunity, and quality of life.

Partnering with an accounting firm can bring about many benefits to a business owner, and in this week's article, we discuss a few and provide a few real-world examples at the end as well. Having this type of relationship in your business can free up more time for you to be an operator and create a baseline for a solid financial framework. Having a clean financial record of your operations can make tax time smoother and allow for an easier look at the overall health and direction in which your company is heading - Like hiring an employee for a specific role, partnering with an accounting firm can greatly aide in the financial side of a business's workings.

Viva Bene proudly celebrated the grand opening of its inaugural property on April 16, 2025 in St. Peters, Missouri. The nearly 200,000-square-foot development, boasting 161 apartments, marks a national first by intentionally integrating price-attainable housing with resort-style wellness amenities and proactive healthcare services.

Next Thursday, the Paid Sick Leave portion of Prop A will go into effect. We have a blog article reviewing the details and challenges the Prop

Camp Bow Wow St. Charles is hosting the second annual Best of St. Charles County: It's a Dog's World award competition, highlighting dog-friendly businesses, events, and locations in the St. Charles area! Nominations are now open for those who want to celebrate their pup's favorite local spots!

In this week's article, we continue on with more educational content surrounding marketing for businesses. Driving growth, creating a sense of presence, and connecting with those you do business with are all achievable through your marketing operations. This week we go into more detail on the technical side of things, and how using these indicators can help evaluate your progress and performance when implementing new marketing strategies.