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As we begin to usher in the holiday season here in Western New York, we also prepare for the most wonderful and economically pivotal time of the year. This holiday season, I urge every resident, from across our community, to make a deliberate choice: Shop Local & Shop Small. Your decisions matter. When you spend at independently owned boutiques, restaurants, and service providers, you're not just buying gifts, you're shaping the very fabric of our regional economy.
The numbers tell a compelling story. For every $100 spent at a local business, approximately $68 remains in our community. These dollars are helping to pay wages, allowing purchases from neighboring suppliers, and, in many cases, resulting in local sponsorships and donations to various not-for-profits. Nationally, only about $43 is recirculated from big-box or online giants. Our member businesses employ tens of thousands of people. When those paychecks are spent shopping in the village of Williamsville or visiting a business in the village of Hamburg, the multiplier effect ripples outward, supporting everything from town services to community upgrades. While a single click on a mega-retailer's app may save a few dollars, those savings quickly evaporate when we factor in the hidden costs, such as vacant storefronts on Main Street, reduced municipal services, and the erosion of the unique character that makes Western New York ours. The pandemic taught us the value of resilience; now, prosperity demands intentionality.
Shopping small isn't charity; it is smart economics. Our local entrepreneurs pivot more quickly, source regionally, and reinvest their profits locally. You have likely seen the family-owned store in East Amherst or the restaurant in Williamsville, supporting our local community through donations and sponsorships. These aren't just transactions that you are making; they are relationships that compound over generations, fostering a sense of belonging, community, and strengthening our unity. [Read More]
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Omaha, Nebraska - November 1, 2025
Today, Warren E. Buffett converted 1,800 A shares into 2,700,000 B shares in order to give these B shares to four family foundations: 1,500,000 shares to The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and 400,000 shares to each of The Sherwood Foundation, The Howard G. Buffett Foundation and NoVo Foundation. These donations have been delivered today.
Mr. Buffett’s comments to his fellow shareholders follow:
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To My Fellow Shareholders: I will no longer be writing Berkshire’s annual report or talking endlessly at the annual meeting. As the British would say, I’m “going quiet.”
Sort of.
Greg Abel will become the boss at yearend. He is a great manager, a tireless worker and an honest communicator. Wish him an extended tenure.
I will continue talking to you and my children about Berkshire via my annual Thanksgiving message. Berkshire’s individual shareholders are a very special group who are unusually generous in sharing their gains with others less fortunate. I enjoy the chance to keep in touch with you. Indulge me this year as I first reminisce a bit. After that, I will discuss the plans for distribution of my Berkshire shares. Finally, I will offer a few business and personal observations.
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As Thanksgiving approaches, I’m grateful and surprised by my luck in being alive at 95. When I was young, this outcome did not look like a good bet. Early on, I nearly died.
It was 1938 and Omaha hospitals were then thought of by its citizens as either Catholic or Protestant, a classification that seemed natural at the time.
Our family doctor, Harley Hotz, was a friendly Catholic who made house calls toting a black bag. Dr. Hotz called me Skipper and never charged much for his visits. When I experienced a bad bellyache in 1938, Dr. Hotz came by and, after probing a bit, told me I would be OK in the morning.
He then went home, had dinner and played a little bridge. Dr. Hotz couldn’t, however, get my somewhat peculiar symptoms out of his mind and later that night he dispatched me to St. Catherine’s Hospital for an emergency appendectomy. During the next three weeks, I felt like I was in a nunnery, and began enjoying my new “podium.” I liked to talk – yes, even then – and the nuns embraced me.
To top things off, Miss Madsen, my third-grade teacher, told my 30 classmates to each write me a letter. I probably threw away the letters from the boys but read and reread those from the girls; hospitalization had its rewards. [Read More]
| | Early Bird Pricing Ends Nov. 30th!!!! | | |
Stop in or call for more information
All November Giving Tree Donations
are Due by Monday, December 1st!
| Donations should be new and do not need to be wrapped | |
For ease, we welcome you to place an online order from your
favorite retailer and have it delivered directly to our office:
Amherst Chamber of Commerce
400 Essjay Rd Suite 150
Williamsville, NY 14221
Need a list of items? Call Lauren at (716) 250-0981
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Dates to Know:
Friday, Nov 21st, Pink Friday, (Shop Local!) Boutiques & Retailers
Friday, Nov 28th, Black Friday
Saturday, Nov 29th, Small Business Saturday, Shop Local, Shop 716
For a list of over 900 participating retailers, see here
Monday, Dec 1st, Cyber Monday, Online Shopping (Shop Local!)
Tuesday, Dec 2nd, Giving Tuesday (Give Local!)
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Business After Hours at Buffalo Airport Hotel November 18th at 5:30pm. All attendees will be entered to win an overnight stay with parking!
Ribbon Cutting for ReMix Market of Buffalo November 20th at 4pm.
Toastmasters Open House November 21st at 8am. All attendees will be entered to win a gift card! Breakfast treats provided.
ProLIFT "The Art of Gathering" Thursday, December 4th at 8:30am.
Ribbon Cutting for Breathe Buffalo Thursday, December 4th at 4pm.
Lunch & Learn "The Executive Buzz" with MGM Coaching December 5th at 12pm
| Visit Amherst.org/events for more info | |
PowerUpTech:
Buffalo’s Premier Internship Experience
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Learn more here or watch a video from 2025 here.
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Consumer Alert: Attorney General James
Warns New Yorkers About Algorithmic Pricing
as New Law Takes Effect
| | New York Attorney General Letitia James today issued a consumer alert warning New Yorkers about algorithmic pricing and encouraging them to report cases of companies using algorithmic pricing without properly disclosing it. Algorithmic pricing allows companies to automatically adjust prices based on individuals’ personal data, charging some consumers more than others depending on factors like their location, income, and previous shopping habits. On November 10, New York’s Algorithmic Pricing Disclosure Act takes effect, requiring most companies that use algorithmic pricing to clearly display a disclosure notifying consumers that prices are set using their personal data. Attorney General James is urging New Yorkers who believe they have encountered algorithmic pricing that is not properly disclosed to file a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General (OAG). [Read More] | | |
Unemployment Insurance Maximum Benefit Rate Has Increased
Governor Kathy Hochul partnered with the Legislature to give relief to businesses by paying off the nearly $7 billion Federal Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund Loan — a historic move that strengthens the state’s economy and supports long-term growth.
Businesses will see these real benefits:
- No more annual Interest Assessment Surcharge bills
- Unemployment insurance contribution rates will go down in 2026
- No additional federal tax liability related to the loan
Paying off the loan prevents spikes in per-employee contributions for businesses, leading to significant savings. Businesses will also see savings come from no longer being burdened with having to pay federal surcharges tied to the loan.
Employers will save an average of $100 per employee in 2026 and $250 per employee in 2027.
By cutting costs associated with the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund loan, Governor Hochul is giving employers the breathing room to invest in their workers and businesses.
Additionally, the taxable wage base will rise in 2026 to better align with increases to the average annual wage. This change will help rebuild the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund reserves over time and keep future tax rates stable and affordable.
This measure will ensure that the small businesses that drive New York’s economy continue to thrive even in uncertain times.
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Minimum Wage Increases on January 1st
Effective January 1, 2026, New York State’s minimum wage will increase to $17.00 an hour in New York City, Westchester, and Long Island, and $16.00 an hour for the rest of the state.
This is part of the state’s historic multi-year plan to raise the minimum wage through 2027, when it will be indexed to inflation. This increase makes New York State's minimum wage one of the highest in the nation, helping New Yorkers across the state support their families and keep pace with rising costs.
NYSDOL enforces Minimum Wage Law and helps collect underpayments for workers. Often, we collect the funds without resorting to court action.
However, an employer that violates the Minimum Wage Law is subject to criminal prosecution and penalties. Action may also be taken in civil court.
The Commissioner of Labor may require an employer to pay minimum wage underpayments and liquidated damages PLUS interest and civil penalties up to 200 percent of the unpaid wages.
NYSDOL offers free consultation services to answer your questions about changes to the minimum wage. We are ready to help you with any concerns you have about staying in compliance with New York State labor laws.
For more information, please visit our Minimum Wage webpage.
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Does a new career await you or someone you know?
See more at our Job Openings resource
Hiring? Members can post jobs in the Member Information Center
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In addition to FeedMore WNY's food banking program, they also have a home-delivered meals program, where volunteers assisting spend about an hour or two of their day delivering meals on a specific route. They have meal delivery routes throughout Erie and Niagara counties with a typical route taking about an hour to complete. These volunteers are helping to deliver much-needed nutrition for up to 12 clients during the lunch hour Mondays through Fridays (11am to 1pm). They offer a pretty flexible with time commitment here as some volunteers work every day, while some just help out once a month.
The Adopt-A-Route (AAR) partners volunteer in a similar manner to FeedMore's regular home-delivered meal volunteers. They commit to taking on the same route out of a particular site on a set schedule (e.g. once a week, once a month, etc.). This is an excellent option for businesses, schools, organizations, etc. looking to volunteer as a group. The great thing about our AAR program is that it is a minimal time commitment for each individual within the group. Only two group members deliver each scheduled day, therefore, group members may only have to deliver a maximum of once a month if there are 8 volunteers per group.
Learn more about FeedMore's volunteer opportunities here.
| We have a new Volunteer Opportunities page on the Chamber website! Learn about our nonprofit members and how you can give back by visiting the web page here. | Nourishing Your Body This November with Gratitude | |
Let’s take a moment to embrace the power of gratitude to nourish our bodies and minds. By focusing on the positive elements in our lives, we can allow this appreciation to guide our choices, enhancing both our physical health and emotional well-being.
The beauty of integrating gratitude into our daily lives lies in its ease; simple practices like expressing thanks, maintaining a gratitude journal, or reflecting on two uplifting moments each day can significantly impact your overall wellness.
Benefits practicing gratitude has to offer
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Improves Mental Well-Being- Focusing on the positive aspects of our lives can significantly enhance our mental well-being. By shifting our attention away from negative thoughts and emotions, we can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
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Increases Resiliency- Research has shown that practicing gratitude can increase resilience in individuals. When we are faced with challenges or adversity, being grateful for what we have can help us cope and manage difficult situations.
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Improves Sleep- Gratitude has been shown to improve sleep quality and duration. Directing our focus toward positive experiences and emotions creates a calming effect that alleviates stress, leading to better rest.
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Physical Health Benefits- Studies have also found that those who regularly express gratitude tend to experience lower blood pressure, better immune responses, and reduced chronic pain symptoms. Cultivating a sense of appreciation for the positive aspects of life not only fosters a more optimistic mindset but also encourages healthier lifestyle choices.
Simple practices can make a significant difference
- Daily journaling offers a more frequent opportunity to express gratitude. Being authentic in your reflection and maintaining consistency are essential for harnessing this practice as a powerful means to foster a positive mindset. Focus on being specific and heartfelt in your entries, as this will enrich your writing and deepen your self-reflection.
- Integrating mindful moments into your day allows you to invite a sense of gratitude to permeate in your life. It is about fully immersing yourself in the experience of appreciation. A simple reflection during your morning coffee can turn into a mindful ritual expressing gratitude for the sensory delight of a simple cup. Take the time to appreciate the aroma, feel the warmth, and savor each sip, enhancing your overall sense of well-being.
This season, let’s prioritize our happiness by implementing gratitude in our daily lives. It’s important to recognize that even the simplest, sincere expressions of thanks can have a remarkable effect on our overall well-being.
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