Join us for the first Business After Hours of the year! The Clarion Hotel & Conference Center (formerly Holiday Inn Taunton) will be hosting on Wednesday, April 13th from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. They are located in the Myles Standish Industrial Park at 700 Myles Standish Blvd. First drink FREE, compliments of the Clarion Hotel!

Business After Hours is an evening of fun, food, and fellowship among Chamber members and their guests, with a chance to network, make new friends, and meet potential customers. Register below.

Let’s celebrate our newest member Matt Donovan with Thrivent! Want to pursue lifelong dreams — while supporting people and causes you care about? The right guidance and clarity can help you get there. Tell Matt where you're at today, then tell him where you would like to be tomorrow. Driven by YOUR goals and values, he’ll help you map out a path to a more secure financial future. Along with his team, Matt can help you navigate any aspect of your financial picture. Learn more here.

We are so grateful to Home Plate Bay Street Grill for sponsoring our weekly E-News for a second year!

Contact Kris for more information about sponsoring a breakout room at the start of the TACC Annual Meeting on April 27th.

The Massachusetts Health Connector will be hosting a Spanish-language public webinar session on April 12 from 12:00 -1:00 p.m. This webinar will help Spanish-speaking Massachusetts residents learn about their options through the Health Connector, new savings because of the American Rescue Plan, and how to shop for plans and complete enrollment. This is for individuals and families, so any sole proprietors, owner-only, and entrepreneurs you have as members who are Spanish-speaking would benefit greatly from joining this webinar! Register here.

On March 30, 2022, Vice President Kamala Harris and Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman announced impactful reforms to the agency’s Community Advantage loan program, a key SBA tool for Community Development Financial Institutions, Community Development Companies, microlenders and other critical mission-based lending partners, that prioritizes equitable access to capital for low-income borrowers and those from underserved communities. Learn more.

On March 31, 2022, the SBA published an updated list of eligible industries for federal contracting set-asides for the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program based on a recent study analyzing industry gaps for women-owned businesses. The study, commissioned by the SBA, showed that women-owned businesses are underrepresented or substantially underrepresented in the federal marketplace across hundreds more North American Industry Classification System industries. The updated list will support agencies in allocating set-asides for women-owned small business and economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses across more industries, potentially resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in additional set-aside opportunities for women entrepreneurs. Learn more.

The Small Business Digital Alliance (SBDA), a new public-private co-sponsorship between the SBA and Business Forward, Inc., published a comprehensive suite of free resources to help small businesses expand their customer base, manage their growth, find and retain talent, and enter new markets. These resources are being provided by some of America’s most respected leaders in business, government, economic development, and other aligned spaces. The SBDA previously announced its first slate of events and national members, including: Amazon, Comcast, Google, Meta, PayPal, Principal Financial Group, Square (Block, Inc.), TriNet, Venmo, Verizon, Visa, and ZenBusiness. Since launching, the SBDA has brought on LinkedIn and Microsoft as national members. Learn more here.

The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development has announced the creation of a new employer grant program designed to facilitate hiring and training of new employees. Administered by the Commonwealth Corporation, the HireNow Program provides eligible Massachusetts employers flat rate awards in the amount of $4,000 for each eligible newly hired employee. 

Funds are being issued on a first come, first serve basis through the December 31^st deadline or until funds are exhausted. To learn more please visit the Commonwealth Corporation’s HireNow webpage.

Does Boston hear you? Join the conversation during Small Business Day 2022, virtually - Tuesday, April 12, 2022, from noon until 1:30 p.m.

Learn about pending legislation dealing with healthcare, taxes, labor mandates, UI, and energy.

This year’s program will focus on small business health insurance affordability and what can be done to lower costs for employers and their workers. As you are aware, health costs continue to rise in Massachusetts forcing many small businesses into high deductible, high-cost plans. There will be a robust discussion on this topic with policymaker guests to explore potential solutions and cost relief for employers.

In addition to healthcare affordability, NFIB will present on other issues facing Massachusetts small businesses like unemployment insurance, labor mandates, taxation, and energy.

Ready to register? Click here.

To receive additional updates please email, Elizabeth.parks@nfib.org and continue checking your inbox for details!

How much is binge watching TV really helping your business?

We get it. You need that down time after a busy day. You don’t want to think. You’re burned out. TV is easy. You’re spending time with family. Whatever your excuse is as to why you’re losing hours in your night staring at a screen, you could be moving your business or yourself forward. If you need to unwind that way, give yourself an hour, not three. Here’s what you could be doing instead with just 1-2 hours each night.

The Annual Meeting will include the presentation of the Annual Business Awards, and new this year, an Educator of the Year award and recognition of the Charles E. Volkmann Scholarship recipients.

We are excited to announce the Business Award honorees:

Congratulations to the Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year, Steve Kulpa, Special Ed Teacher at Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School.

The two recipients of the Charles E. Volkmann Scholarship are Alec Rego and Timothy Luc, both of Taunton High School.

This year's keynote speaker is Dave Wedge, a New York Times bestselling author, podcaster and communications consultant based in Boston. He has written six non-fiction books, including “Boston Strong: A City's Triumph Over Tragedy,” a drama about the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings which was adapted for the 2017 movie “Patriots Day”; “Hunting Whitey: The Inside Story of the Capture and Killing of America’s Most Wanted Crime Boss”; and “The Last Days of John Lennon,” written with co-author Casey Sherman and James Patterson. His next book, “Riding with Evil: Taking Down the Notorious Pagan Motorcycle Gang,” was released March 15 via William Morrow/Harper Collins.

Dave was an award-winning investigative journalist for the Boston Herald for 14 years and has written for VICE, Esquire, Newsweek and Boston magazine. He and Sherman host the true crime podcast, "Saints Sinners & Serial Killers." He has also worked as a communications consultant with a diverse roster of clients in politics, business, nonprofit, hospitality, health care, sports and more.

Register below to attend this virtual meeting.

Taunton Federal Credit Union will be hosting a Business After Hours on Wednesday, May 25th from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Stop by and see their new branch at 403 Winthrop Street in Taunton. Co-hosted by Brownstone Realty Group.

Have some fun this month at the Old Colony History Museum (OCHM). They will be virtually visiting the Dighton Rock Museum, celebrating National Poetry Month, and hosting their 169th Annual Meeting in April! Learn more.

Bristol County Savings Bank (BCSB) recently announced the promotion of James P. Ferrara to the position of Executive Vice President/Chief Human Resources Officer. In this capacity, Ferrara is responsible for identifying business requirements and translating them into human capital strategies, including workforce planning, recruitment initiatives, associate development, increasing technologies and engagement assessment. Read the press release.

LeBaron Hills Country Club is having an Easter Bruch again this year on Sunday, April 17th. First seating is at 11:00 a.m. and second seating is at 1:30 p.m. Reservations are required - call 508-923-5706. Click here for the menu.

Taunton Area School to Career (TASC), a program of Associates for Human Services, proudly presents their 18th Annual Business -Education Spelling Bee! It will be held at Taunton High School on April 27th at 5:30 p.m. Where community businesses and civic groups partner with local students for a traditional spelling bee! Learn more here. Sponsorship and Team Registration Form

Girls Inc. of Taunton is excited to announce Stronger, Smarter, Bolder. A Women’s Workshop! It was designed to bring their mission to women in our community. The workshop will be held on Friday, May 13th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Learn more here.

Let SCORE business advisors help you navigate the SBA Debt Relief Programs or the start-up and growth of your small business. All services are FREE and CONFIDENTIAL. If you are an existing SCORE client, please send an email to your SCORE counselor to schedule a phone call or Zoom conference. If you are new to SCORE, please complete the Request a Mentor form and someone from SCORE will contact you via email to schedule an appointment with an advisor. Sign up for SCORE webinars here. View upcoming webinars here.

Sales is the key to success in starting and growing your business. Every small business owner is responsible for uncovering prospects and turning them into paying customers, and this webinar highlights the techniques and processes to help you.

Presenter: Dick Rossman and Bev Gottleib; SCORE Boston Mentors

Register here .

This year, during an unprecedented national health crisis, small businesses needed help more than ever before. In order to support these business owners when they needed it most, the SCORE Foundation provided funding for SCORE’s Small Business Resilience program. This platform allowed SCORE to pivot their mentoring and educational services onto virtual platforms, where clients could easily access the pandemic-related information, guidance and resources they needed to survive and thrive. Learn more here.

Are you looking for ways to help your small business community? Would you like to grow your network or develop professionally? As a SCORE volunteer, you get it all!

Join the SCORE network of 10,000 volunteers. SCORE relies on volunteers to help small business around the country thrive.

Interested? Visit the volunteer web page to find about the many benefits of volunteering and the right opportunity for you!

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