The Business Journal Q3 2026
small business & Innovation
Table of Contents
Happy Chamber Anniversary to the following Organizations!
E-COMMERCE FOR BRICK-AND-MORTAR Pages 3 - 4
AI TOOLS SMALL BUSINESSES CAN ACTUALLY USE Pages 7 - 8
A LOOK AT HANOVER’S NEW VENTURES Page 11-12
MEMBER NEWS Page 14
Thank you, WOrkforce SponsorS!
The Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to celebrate the Chamber membership anniversaries of the following organizations:
5 YEARS
10 YEARS Aero Energy All Shined Up Car Wash Thrivent - Patricia Hegberg Architecture Workshop, Inc. Finanta Edward Jones - Brandon J. Smith The YGS Group
Penn-Mar Castings, LLC Leonhardt Manufacturing Co. Inc. Fuhrman Creative, LLC Edward Jones - Luke Austin Clark Financial Planning Kasey King - Bodacious Properties Tailored Real Estate Adams County Technical Institute Automotive Lift Service Glo Fiber Business
25 YEARS
50 YEARS
Treysta Technology Management Belco Community Credit Union
Finch Rentals, Inc.
40 York Street, Suite 2
|
Hanover, PA 17331
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75 YEARS Hanover Concrete, Co. Gene Latta Ford, Inc.
(717) 637-6130
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hanoverchamber.com
Q3 2026 3
beyond the storefront: E-commerce for Brick-and-Mortar By Ava Kidd
A storefront on Center Square and an online store are no longer either-or decisions. For Hanover's brick-andmortar businesses, a well-built online presence can extend a store's reach beyond foot traffic without requiring a full-scale digital overhaul. More importantly, e-commerce can make it easier for existing customers to keep shopping locally, even when they cannot make it through the front door.
Start With What You Already Have Many point-of-sale systems already used in-store, such as Square or Clover, include built-in e-commerce features that can sync inventory between the shop floor and an online store. This is often the simplest entry point because it avoids managing two separate inventory systems and reduces the risk of overselling an item that just sold out in person. Before adding another platform or monthly subscription, business owners should explore the tools already included in the systems they use. The easiest online store to maintain is usually the one that fits naturally into existing operations.
Meet Customers Where They Already Are Not every business needs a complicated standalone website to begin selling online. Social media can help customers discover products and move them toward an online storefront, while website builders and ecommerce platforms make it possible to create a branded shopping experience without extensive coding knowledge. The goal should be convenience. A customer who sees a product in a social post should be able to find the item, understand the price and purchasing options,
and complete the next step without searching through multiple pages or sending a message just to ask how to buy it.
Make the Product Page Do Some of the Selling In a physical store, customers can pick up an item, see its size, ask an employee a question, or compare it with another product. Online, the product page has to do more of that work. Clear photographs and straightforward descriptions can make a significant difference. Retailers do not necessarily need an elaborate photography setup; consistent lighting, uncluttered backgrounds, and multiple useful angles can go a long way. Descriptions should answer the questions a customer is likely to ask in person, including dimensions, materials, available options, care instructions, or other important details. A little extra effort here can also reduce customerservice questions and returns. The easier it is for someone to understand what they are buying, the more confident they can feel placing the order.
Use Online Tools to Drive In-Store Visits E-commerce does not have to mean shipping products across the country. Features like buy-online-pickup-instore allow customers to order ahead and stop by the shop, combining the convenience of online shopping with the in-person experience that keeps them coming back. Displaying current inventory online can also drive foot traffic by helping customers confirm that a product is available before making the trip downtown. Businesses can take that connection further by using online purchases to encourage another visit. A pickup customer may discover something else while they are in the store, while an email receipt can include
4 hanover area chamber of commerce information about an upcoming event, new product arrival, loyalty program, or seasonal promotion.
Plan for the Work That Happens After Checkout Launching an online store is only part of the process. Businesses also need a manageable plan for fulfilling orders, handling returns, responding to online questions, updating inventory, and keeping product information current. That is another reason to start small. A limited selection of best-sellers can help a business learn how long it takes to prepare orders and what customers expect before expanding the online catalog. Clear pickup, shipping, and return policies can also prevent confusion for both customers and employees.
Keep it manageable The biggest mistake a small business can make with ecommerce is trying to do everything at once. Start with a small, well-photographed selection of best-sellers
rather than attempting to list an entire inventory on day one. Track which products receive views and orders, listen to the questions customers ask, and expand based on what is actually working. Businesses should also consider how they will promote the online store once it exists. Adding the shop link to social profiles, email signatures, newsletters, Google Business information, and printed materials can help existing customers discover an option they may not realize is available. For Hanover's shop owners, e-commerce is not about trying to outperform Amazon or replace the experience of shopping locally. It is about removing barriers between a customer and a local business. Whether someone is browsing from the couch, checking inventory before driving downtown, buying a last-minute gift card, or walking through the front door, a strong online presence gives that customer another way to choose local.
Q3 2026 7
AI Tools small businesses can actually use By Ava Kidd Artificial intelligence can sound like a big-business problem, something reserved for tech giants with data science teams. In reality, some of the most useful AI tools available today are built for owners who wear five hats. Small businesses don’t need to automate everything or become technology experts to benefit. The best place to begin is often with a repetitive task that already takes too much time.
customer communication Chatbot and email assistant tools can draft responses to common customer questions, freeing up time for the conversations that need a personal touch. Many scheduling platforms now include AI features that can confirm appointments, send reminders, and handle simple rescheduling automatically, cutting down on no-shows without adding to a small staff's workload. AI can also help organize frequently asked questions into reusable responses or turn rough notes into a polished follow-up email. The important part is keeping a person in the process. A quick review before sending helps ensure the response is accurate, appropriate, and still sounds like the business behind it.
Marketing and content Writing assistants can help draft social media captions, email newsletters, website copy, product descriptions, and promotional ideas, giving a business owner a starting point rather than a blank page. Simple design tools with built-in AI features can also resize graphics, remove backgrounds, suggest layouts, or adapt content for different platforms. For businesses that struggle to maintain a consistent
content calendar, AI can be especially useful for brainstorming. An owner might ask for ten social media ideas based on an upcoming event, seasonal promotion, or frequently asked customer question, then choose the ideas that best fit the business. Used this way, AI serves less as an automatic content creator and more as an extra brainstorming partner.
Meetings, Notes, and Everyday Organization Administrative work is another area where AI can quietly save time. Some meeting platforms can generate transcripts, identify action items, and summarize discussions so employees spend less time recreating notes afterward. AI assistants can also help turn a long set of notes into an agenda, organize a project checklist, or summarize a lengthy document before a meeting. For a small team, saving fifteen or twenty minutes on several routine tasks can add up quickly. The goal is not necessarily to eliminate a job or responsibility, but to reduce the time spent moving information from one format to another.
Back-office tasks Bookkeeping software increasingly uses AI to automatically categorize expenses and flag unusual transactions, catching potential errors before they become a headache at tax time. AI-assisted inventory tools can help smaller retailers spot slow-moving stock, identify sales patterns, or predict when it may be time to reorder a bestseller, turning gut instinct into a more data-informed decision. Businesses can also use AI to make existing information easier to understand. A spreadsheet of sales figures, for example, may be easier to interpret
8 hanover area chamber of commerce when a tool helps identify trends or organizes the data into a simple summary. Those insights should still be checked against the original numbers, but AI can make it easier to know where to look first.
Use AI With a Review Process Convenience should not come at the expense of good judgment. AI-generated information can be incomplete or incorrect, so anything customer-facing, financial, legal, or otherwise important should be reviewed by a person before it is used. Businesses should also be cautious about what information they enter into public AI tools. Customer records, confidential company information, passwords, financial details, proprietary documents, and other sensitive data should not be pasted into a tool without first understanding how the platform handles and stores that information. When a business adopts an AI tool, it is worth establishing simple internal guidelines for what employees can use it for and what information should stay out of it.
Getting Started Without Getting Overwhelmed The businesses that get the most out of AI tend to start small. Pick one repetitive task, whether it is answering the same customer question five times a day, spending an hour writing a weekly newsletter, summarizing meeting notes, or organizing a recurring report, and look for a tool that can make that task easier. Before paying for a new platform, businesses should also look at software they already use. Email programs, accounting platforms, design tools, customermanagement systems, and office suites are increasingly adding AI features of their own. The most practical first AI tool may already be included in a subscription the business is paying for. AI is not going to replace the relationships, expertise, and local knowledge that make a Hanover small business special. Used thoughtfully, however, it can clear away some of the busywork, help a small team do more with the time it has, and give owners more room to focus on the parts of the job only they can do.
Q3 2026 11
Small Business Meets Innovation: A Look at Hanover's New Ventures By Ava Kidd Innovation does not always arrive with a ribbon cutting or a brand-new storefront. Across the Hanover area, established businesses and organizations are finding new ways to serve customers, improve their operations, strengthen the community, and prepare for what comes next. For Chamber members, innovation can mean adopting new technology, developing specialized products, rethinking how a downtown is marketed, or simply finding a better way to meet a changing need.
Technology That Helps Businesses Move Forward For many small and mid-sized businesses, keeping pace with technology is an ongoing challenge. iNet Technology Group, LLC has built its work around helping businesses navigate that challenge. Serving small to medium-sized businesses in South Central Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland, iNet provides technology services while also helping customers better understand and use the devices and systems they rely on. That kind of support illustrates an important part of local innovation: businesses don’t have to develop new technology themselves to benefit from it. Having local resources that can help companies adopt, maintain, and make better use of technology allows organizations of all sizes to modernize without losing the personal service and relationships that define the Hanover business community.
Innovation on the Manufacturing Floor Hanover's manufacturing sector offers another view of what innovation looks like locally. AquaPhoenix Scientific, Inc. combines manufacturing with analytical testing and chemical feed and control solutions. Its work includes custom manufacturing, fabrication,
private labeling, water-quality test kits, chemical feed equipment, and reporting software that helps customers centralize data entry, storage, and analysis. The company's emphasis on continuous improvement is a useful reminder that innovation is often incremental. New products matter, but so do better processes, more flexible manufacturing capabilities, smarter use of data, and the ability to respond to specialized customer needs. CAM Innovation, Inc., another Hanover manufacturer, demonstrates the reach local expertise can have beyond the region. The company manufactures equipment for industries including railway, mining, steel, defense, and automotive markets, serving both domestic and international customers. Businesses like these show that innovation happening in Hanover can have an impact far beyond the borough's borders.
Rethinking How We Experience Downtown Innovation is not limited to products and technology. Sometimes it is about finding new ways to connect people with a place. Main Street Hanover, an organization focused on strengthening downtown Hanover's economic capacity and quality of place, was recognized with a 2026 Townie Award from the Pennsylvania Downtown Center for its Explore Downtown Hanover marketing campaign. The recognition highlights how creative marketing and collaboration can become economic-development tools. Encouraging residents and visitors to see downtown in a new way can support existing businesses, attract new investment, and create the kind of activity that makes a commercial district more inviting for future entrepreneurs.
12 hanover area chamber of commerce
Main Street Hanover honored with 2026 Townie Award for Excellence in Downtown Marketing Campaign (Pennsylvania Downtown Center) Main Street Hanover has also continued connecting local businesses and property owners with improvement opportunities, including information about small-business and facade grants. These efforts may happen behind the scenes, but they help create an environment where businesses can invest, experiment, and grow.
Innovation is bigger than a new business It can be easy to think of innovation as something reserved for startups, technology companies, or businesses introducing a never-before-seen product. Hanover Chamber members tell a broader story. A technology company helping another business modernize its systems is innovation. A manufacturer improving its processes and developing custom solutions is innovation. A downtown organization
finding creative ways to market a community and connect property owners with resources is innovation. What these examples share is a willingness to adapt. Hanover's business community has deep roots, but those roots don’t prevent it from changing. In many cases, they provide the foundation that makes thoughtful change possible. For local businesses considering what innovation might look like for them, the answer does not necessarily have to be dramatic. It might begin with one new tool, one improved process, one new partnership, or one different way of reaching customers. Taken together, those changes help keep the Hanover-area business community competitive, connected, and ready for whatever comes next.
14 hanover area chamber of commerce
Member News
Borough of hanover seeks proposals for municipal parking master plan
The Borough of Hanover is seeking proposals from qualified Engineering, Landscaping and Planning firms to develop a comprehensive Master Plan for all Borough-owned surface parking lots.
wellspan hospitals earn national recognition from u.s. news & world report Several WellSpan hospitals have been recognized by U.S. News & World Report in its 2026-2027 Best Hospitals rankings, highlighting the health system's strength in key areas of care.
Dawg Gone Bees introduces skep coffee, a new honey-inspired experience in downtown hanover Dawg Gone Bees, LLC is expanding its unique honey and beekeeping experience with the introduction of Skep Coffee, a new coffee offering that blends locally sourced ingredients with the shop’s signature honey products.
Upcoming Chamber Events September 24th: Membership Mixer hosted by Re/Max Quality Service October 3rd: Snack Town Fall Fest th October 9 : Coffee & Connections at First Ed Credit Union November 6th: Q4 Legislative Roundtable
Chamber Staff JACOB TAYLOR President
HOLLY LAPIDUS
Administrative Coordinator
BROOKE HOOVER Events Coordinator
AVA KIDD
Marketing Manager
MADISSON SENTZ Marketing Coordinator
Photos by Cheyenne Baker — Moments By CB LLC
2025-2026 Board of Directors Cynthia Simpson, Chair of the Board - Utz Quality Foods Ashley Hershey, Secretary/Treasurer - Brown Plus Michael Kelly, Past Chair - ACNB Bank Tom Allison, Allison’s Plumbing, Heating & HVAC Robin Fitzpatrick, Adams Economic Alliance Dr. Robert Friel, South Western School District Jon Harris, M&T Bank Elizabeth Johnides, Edward Jones Ken Kirkpatrick, KLK Welding Dustin Lippy, Leonhardt Manufacturing Co. Inc. Drew Little, Conewago Valley School District Kelly McDonald, UPMC Aubreyanne Ochs, WellSpan Health Stacy Pitta, Campbell’s Snacks Dr. John Scola, Hanover Public School District Ben Shaw, HCM Wealth Management Loni Smith, Hanover Auto Team Jennifer Stetter, Barley Snyder Chris Watson, Schmuck Lumber Co. Clair Weigle, Ream Printing Brandon Wingert, L2 Brands LLC - League & Legacy
POSTAGE HERE 40 York St. Suite 2 | Hanover, PA 17331 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED LOOK FOR US ON
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