CHENANGO COUNTY – Examining entrepreneurs’ barriers to developing new businesses and trying to determine why so many downtown storefronts remain empty were two goals identified at Tuesday night’s Downtown Summit, coordinated by Commerce Chenango.

According to Commerce Chenango President Maureen Carpenter, the organization was approached about downtown revitalization over a year ago, and it was determined that a strategic plan was needed. “It was one of our top five priorities, but there were so many issues that needed to be addressed. We realized we needed to reach out to the people in the downtown,” Carpenter said.

The Downtown Summit brought new and established business owners, Commerce Chenango representatives, representatives from the City of Norwich Code Enforcement Office and the Business Improvement District together to discuss issues affecting downtown businesses.

Dave Emerson, former owner of Hoppie’s Ice Cream Shop in Oxford, was the keynote speaker. Emerson, who was a partner in the Blueox corporation and who currently serves on the Downtown Business Improvement Committee, opened Hoppie’s with his wife MaryEl in 1994. Emerson discussed the five things you should have when planning a business: capital, a business plan, a vision, persistence and luck. Emerson explained that luck played a large part in the success of Hoppie’s.