CHAIR

HELEN ROSENTHAL

Contracts

Council Member, District 6

Manhattan

COMMITTEES
Finance
Housing and Buildings
Cultural Affairs
Community Development
Oversight and Investigations

DISTRICT OFFICE
563 COLUMBUS AVENUE, AT 87TH STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10024
(212) 873-0282
CITY HALL OFFICE
250 BROADWAY, ROOM 1744
NEW YORK, NY 10007
(212) 788-6975
www.council.nyc.gov

THE COUNCIL
OF
THE CITY OF NEW YORK

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, February 6, 2015
EVENT TAKING PLACE Monday, February 9, 10am-5pm
Contact: Stephanie Buhle
Director of Communications
sbuhle@council.nyc.gov

Chamber on the Go Brings Services to

Small Businesses on the Upper West Side
Council Member Helen Rosenthal funds a day of free services for local small businesses,
an initiative founded by Brooklyn Council Member Robert Cornegy

Chamber on the Go, a van bringing all of the services of a city Chamber of Commerce,
will visit the Upper West Side thanks to support from Council Member Helen Rosenthal.
The van will offer free services to small businesses including assistance with financial,
legal and employee recruitment issues, and it will be parked on 78th and Amsterdam
between 10am-5pm on Monday, February 9.
The citywide initiative was envisioned by Brooklyn Council Member Robert Cornegy,
Chair of the Council's Small Business Committee, in collaboration with the Brooklyn
Chamber of Commerce. This pilot began in Council Member Cornegys district
of Bedford Stuyvesant and northern Crown Heights in September 2014 and is moving
throughout the city.
Council Member Helen Rosenthal, Council Member Robert Cornegy, Deputy
Commissioner Gregg Bishop of the Department of Small Business Services, Manhattan
Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board Ken Biberaj, West Manhattan Chamber
of Commerce Executive Director Andrew Albert, Brooklyn Chamber of

Commerce President and CEO Carlo A. Scissura, and Allcar Rent a Car / Carpingo
President Gil Cygler will be on site to launch the day's event from 10am-10:30am.
"Small businesses on the Upper West Side are getting free services from the City brought
to their neighborhood, including information on pro-bono legal advice, online marketing
assistance, business loans, health insurance, bidding opportunities for government
contracts, and more," said Council Member Helen Rosenthal. "It was a no-brainer to
fund Chamber on the Go for my district, and I'm grateful to Council Member Cornegy for
creating this program. I hope all small business owners on the Upper West Side take
advantage of this amazing opportunity!"
Running a small business in NYC is much more than a 9-5 job," said Council Member
Robert Cornegy. "Many small businesses owners are tied up with employees, customers
and administrative duties all day and all night. So it just makes sense to take small
business services to them where they are. Through Chamber on the Go, the city and the
small business services providers we partner with are extending our hands to serve small
business owners in their own establishments. And thats progress!
We thank the City Council for funding Chamber on the Go," said Ken Biberaj,
Chairman of the Board, and Nancy Ploeger, President of the Manhattan Chamber
of Commerce. "Informing small businesses about the resources available to them at the
city level and through their local chambers is incredibly important. The Manhattan
Chamber of Commerce is excited to participate in this effort and we will be referring any
business with questions that are specific to their industries, to their industry-sector
organizations so that they will have the full array of resources at their fingertips!
"Your local Chambers are your one-stop resource for local businesses, providing valuable
information, assistance with any type of problem, and invaluable advice on a wide range
of issues," said Andrew Albert, Executive Director of the West Manhattan Chamber
of Commerce. "The West Manhattan Chamber of Commerce stands ready to assist all
businesses that call the West Side of Manhattan home!"
"Since being launched in September, Chamber on the Go has already visited 537
businesses in 40 commercial corridors across Brooklyn, and Im thrilled to be able to
expand the program into communities throughout New York City, said Carlo A.
Scissura, President and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. "I want to
thank Council Member Rosenthal for supporting Chamber on the Go and for hosting us
in her district."
"It is great being able to assist the Brooklyn Chamber and the City Council to provide
business services to the local business community," said Gil Cygler, President of Allcar
Rent A Car/ Carpingo, who donated the Chamber on the Go van. 'We strongly believe
in and support small businesses."
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