‘Keep it in Queens’

During these uncertain and scary economic times, the Queens Chamber of Commerce and Borough President Helen Marshall have announced a plan that makes sense to us and provides us all with a blueprint for the immediate future.
Their plan, the “Keep it in Queens” campaign, is designed to encourage development projects around the borough to use Queens-based businesses. An online database containing information about suppliers, distributors and service providers aimed at connecting them to borough businesses is now available.
Located at the newly-launched web site, www.keepitinqueens.com, businesses will find a form that they can fill out to become part of the database and during the coming month, businesses can search that database to find services or projects that might apply to their company.
Al Pennisi, President of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, said that, “Queens businesses are ready, willing and able to deliver services, products and workforce to any project - large or small.”
The “Keep it in Queens” initiative will play a huge role in all of the development projects currently taking place in the borough. The highlight of this new synergy will be the redevelopment of the Willets Point 60-acre site.
While this business solution is a great plan at the right time, we can take this idea and utilize it in our everyday lives too.
Travel less to Manhattan for entertainment, look within our own wonderfully diverse borough for movies, plays and exhibits. The Queens Courier gathers hundreds of choices for you in every age group within our pages and on our web site too.
“Keep it in Queens” when dining out. Every neighborhood has great hidden treasures of reasonably priced meals and many feature homemade desserts.
If you are shopping for a new car, clothing, jewelry, groceries, appliances and even computers - “Keep it in Queens” - and bring your business to your local stores.
Remember, all the big brand name stores have multiple branches and outlets in Queens or nearby Nassau County.
The more trade you do, the more dollars you spend here in the borough will help our whole economy recover faster. Your dollars, your purchases may ease a merchant’s tight credit problems.
When the merchants and banks begin to lend each other money again in a routine fashion, your credit problems with begin to ease as well.
For now, the best thing you can do is not panic, but hold on and become wary. Many scammers will be utilizing old ways and inventing new ones to part you from your money and your good credit.
Cleaning up your credit is one thing that you can do to help yourself and your all important credit score. Put away your credit cards. Pay off your high interest balances as quickly as possible before your lenders raise your rates. They have that ability and have repeatedly stated that fact to you in that small-print notice that comes with your monthly bills.
Cut back on the frills, clean up your credit and pay down your balances and “Keep it in Queens.” You can do it; we all have to try!