ARTICLE
Connecting businesses to other businesses and organizations is part of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce Five Point Focus, and we work to do that in a variety of ways. One of those ways is through a series of Experience Chautauqua Business After Hours events held all across the county that help to showcase local attractions and businesses. In addition to the Business After Hour events, the Chamber provides a wide variety of programming that brings together business people who want to make new contacts and build relationships with potential vendors and customers. Hundreds of local business people attend Chamber events over the past year to build their network. Whether a business is seeking to increase sales or build its workforce there are a variety of ways to connect through the Chamber and our partner organizations. In addition to participating in Chamber programs, businesses should be strategically utilizing social media which can help build business contacts, connect with vendors, identify customers and find talent. For example, if you’re looking for specific skills or talents, or looking to recruit new staff, you may turn to LinkedIn. Founded in 2003, LinkedIn connects professionals across a variety of fields. LinkedIn is currently used by only 27% of adults in the United States, but half of those surveyed with college degrees or with incomes greater than $75,000 tap into this widening social network. Speaking of identifying talent and leveraging technology, the Chautauqua County Education Coalition worked recently worked in partnership with the National Comedy Center to convene over 80 community leaders from the county’s learning systems for a presentation by Tallo. Nicknamed the “LinkedIn for middle and high school students,” Tallo is designed to give the next generation of talent the ability to overcome traditional boundaries and connect with opportunities. Tallo is an online platform that connects emerging talent with colleges, companies, and organizations. Users ages 13 and up can create digital portfolios to showcase their talents, accomplishments, interests, and future plans. Colleges and other talent seekers can join Tallo and identify the students who may be a good fit educationally or for specific skill-related career tracks. Tallo works with individuals, school networks, two- and four-year educational entities, state commerce, and private industry in order to build a digital ecosystem where each stakeholder benefits. Ben Martin, Vice President of Partnerships for College & Industry at Tallo said, “We’re looking forward to helping local students gain more insight into the workforce and educational opportunities within Chautauqua County and the surrounding areas." To stay competitive in today’s talent economy, businesses, business leaders, schools and students must be proactive in leveraging good old fashion networking opportunities and technology platforms like Tallo and LinkedIn to ensure that the right opportunity is reaching the right person with the right skills at the right time.