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Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State leaders talk legislation, tariffs and more with Connecticut business owners
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Tuesday was the day the business community brings its concerns to legislators in Hartford. The Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) hosted Connecticut Business Day 2025 at Hartford's Bushnell Theater. Business owners and business groups spoke about their agenda for this budget season. Advocates push for increased support at Women-Owned Business Day at State Capitol 'Trying to look at every piece of legislation and asking these legislators, 'Does it make Connecticut more affordable? Does it make it easier for businesses to create more jobs? To grow here in the state, and be able to have a stronger economy?'' CBIA Vice President of Public Policy Chris Davis said. Carmen Romeo runs Fascia's Chocolates in Waterbury. He would like the state's help in providing employee health care. 'There's 36 other states that allow associations, groups of companies, to get together through a chamber and allow small companies to band together and offer health care to their employees,' Romeo said. There is also a push among businesses that Connecticut schools teach students the skills they need to enter the workforce. Tariffs may have pushed up inflation a bit in April, government report to show 'With 82,000 job openings here in Connecticut, it's important for those policymakers to hear directly from the job creators about the programs that they need, the industries that need that additional help,' Davis said. While this event is mostly about talking to state officials, there is a topic on many business owners' minds that comes down from the federal government: international tariffs. 'We haven't heard a whole lot about it,' Katie D'Agostino, the president & CEO of the Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce, said of her members. 'Really trepidation in the beginning, and now just trying to figure it out.' For Romeo, who imports the cocoa beans, it is a big deal. Those beans already cost four times what they did three years ago. That is a big obstacle to success. 'We're going to hit another one and that is tariff related,' Romeo said. 'The price of cocoa beans has skyrocketed over the last couple of years. That's just our little industry.' But the tariffs could hit just about everybody, which is why business leaders want state policies that help them as much as possible. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Advocates push for increased support at Women-Owned Business Day at State Capitol
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Tuesday was Women-Owned Business Day at the Connecticut State Capitol. While the number of businesses owned by women keeps growing, the organization that helps them is facing some serious challenges this year. Every year, the Women's Business Development Council holds a Women-Owned Business Day to remind state officials the importance of women in the economy. 'This year, it's even more important, because we learned on Friday night that our federal funds were eliminated from the president's budget,' said Fran Pastore, the CEO of WBDC. All Smithland Pet & Garden Centers closing after 40 years of business That funding represented almost 10% of the council's budget. The council helps women entrepreneurs secure capital. 'I have met a great group of women at WBDC,' said Dr. Natasha Louis-Charles who runs Family Eyecare of Orange. 'I've partnered with them and was able to get multiple grants and funding to help my business grow.' It also helps them market their products, which is Maria Miranda's specialty as a 'brand manager' with her company, Miranda Creative. 'So, social media, website, traditional media,' Miranda explained. 'We manage their brand and their reputation across all of those spaces.' In addition to the funding challenges, the WBDC is also facing another challenge. The Stamford office building where they have their headquarters had a fire earlier this year. 'But we have had an incredible response from our community of women and men throughout our state, and so we are going to keep forging ahead and we are going to be there for the women in our state who need our support,' Pastore said. A lack of federal funds would make state support more important than ever in continuing recent momentum. 'Just to give you a quick snapshot, in 2019, we worked with about 800 women entrepreneurs in Connecticut,' said Pastore. 'We closed out 2024 with over 3,500 women.' That's more than four times as many in just five years. The question now is: Will that increase keep going in the current economic climate? Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
