Carrie Swanson was hired as the Jamestown community chamber coordinator last November. After less than a year with the Chautauqua Chamber of Commerce, she remains focused on supporting local businesses and promoting a thriving atmosphere for business in the Jamestown community.

“It’s been great,” she said. “I enjoy getting out and talking with the businesses, talking with the community and trying to help and make it better and make sure people come downtown and see all the great things that there are to offer.”

Swanson said the Jamestown community has an excellent variety of restaurants and retail shops. She also said Jamestown has a “great group” of business owners that have provided helpful feedback. As the city’s new coordinator with the chamber, she is open to suggestions and has been thankful for the interactions she has had with the business community.

“It’s a great community and they all work together excellently,” she said. “They love to support each other, so it’s nice to see that, and it makes my job a little easier.”

One of the ways Swanson is encouraging businesses in the area is through collaboration efforts, specifically through different events and activities that promote awareness for local businesses. Part of her coordinating efforts involves what she described as “encouraging business to business interactions.”

The Chautauqua Chamber of Commerce is also finishing exterior work on the downtown visitors information center, which is currently open at 300 North Main St. The information center provides visitors with all the details on local businesses and encourages the community to support local shops and restaurants.

“We have a lot of information here about local businesses and local things to do,” Swanson said.

Swanson said she encourages people at the information center to visit some of the lesser-known attractions, shops and restaurants, as well as the more familiar locations in Jamestown.

The Jamestown branch of the chamber also provides a list of resources and programs for businesses to utilize to be successful. Swanson said the chamber has information on available resources through the Small Business Development Center, CCIDA, and other programs.

“We try to guide them in the right direction and help them to get the right resources,” she said.

Swanson said she also tries to keep the community updated about chamber and business events on both a monthly and weekly basis. Each month, she releases a calendar of events to all the local businesses to encourage the businesses, inform business owners on upcoming activities, and help businesses make wise business decisions. The chamber also releases a weekly calendar of local events on Facebook each Friday.

In addition to coordinating events with local businesses, Swanson also tries to engage with local businesses on a regular basis.

“I also try to touch base with as many of the downtown businesses as possible, visiting with them, checking in and seeing how everything is going,” she said.

While Swanson said she has not had any problem with businesses working together or working with the Chautauqua Chamber of Commerce, she acknowledged local businesses have been impacted by inflation issues.

Based on the information she has received from local businesses, the shopping patterns of customers have experienced a noticeable shift due to inflation in recent months. Instead of purchasing items over the $100 threshold, customers are often purchasing multiple items within a $20 to $30 price range.

“I think that impacts everybody,” Swanson said.

Despite the pressure of inflation on the business community, Swanson said the chamber’s focus has not been primarily on inflation; however, she believes it is something the chamber should address in the coming months.

As the Chautauqua Chamber of Commerce continues to support the business community in Jamestown, Swanson’s goal is to see a thriving community and additional businesses in the downtown region.

“I’d love to see some more businesses downtown,” she said. “The biggest way is to make sure we’re encouraging folks to visit our downtown businesses and shop local.”