The Chamber’s first Business After Hours of the year was such a blast that we’re heading back to The Jockey Club’s fabulous outdoor patio on Tuesday, September 14th from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.! Join us for apps, conversation and cocktails. Interested in coming, but don’t know anyone? We have your back! Our Ambassadors will be ready to greet you and introduce you to our fun and friendly Chamber community!

The cost is $10 for TACC Members and $15 for Non-Members. Register below.

The Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed Los Jefes: Comida to the community with an official ribbon cutting ceremony on September 1st! Special Thanks to Mayor Shaunna O'Connell, city officials, Chamber Ambassadors, and local residents who attended.

Los Jefes: Comida, owned by Nikki Irving and her husband Eduardo Miralrio, is a Mexican-American-Caribbean-Soul Café and World Kitchen. Their popular restaurant was previously located in Plymouth. They are now at 71 Broadway in Taunton, the former location of Royal Restaurant and Pub.

Join us for a lively Oktoberfest celebration on October 6th! Our festivities will be held at Berkley Beer Company where we will have the entire restaurant to ourselves! Come and enjoy their beautiful outdoor patio area complete with cornhole, giant Jenga and Connect Four! We anticipate a sold-out event so get your tickets fast!

Ticket prices: $30 for members; $35 for non-members. Register online here.

Entertainment Sponsor $500 – Be featured as the exclusive sponsor our evening’s entertainment, the talented Matt Silva! You’ll receive sponsor recognition and 2 complimentary tickets to the event.

Pint Sponsor $500 – SOLD! Freshly Baked Company

Cornhole Sponsor $500 – SOLD! Taunton Federal Credit Union

Beer Garden Sponsor $150 – Join in the fun and promote your business as a Beer Garden Sponsor! You’ll receive sponsor recognition and 1 complimentary ticket to the event.

Contact TACC President Kris Silva if interested.

Let the TACC help with your hiring needs! Send us your job postings and we’ll include them in a weekly E-Blast (also shared on Facebook) every Thursday.

Please send a brief (one paragraph max) description of the position and a link to the complete posting online or a pdf document. We will run the posting for 3 weeks and you can contact us if you would like to renew.

Posts must be received by Noon on Wednesday to be included in that week’s E-Blast. Please send information to info@tauntonareachamber.org.

September 2021 is National Preparedness Month. Disasters can take many forms and the financial cost of rebuilding after a disaster can be overwhelming. If you’re prepared for emergencies, you’ll be in a better position to recover and continue operations when a disaster strikes. During National Preparedness Month, take the important steps to keep your small business, employees and family safe when a disaster strikes. Learn more.

Governor Baker recently filed a $1.6B FY21 Supplemental Budget. Notably, this bill would relieve employers of significant costs associated with unemployment insurance by stabilizing the UI Trust Fund with a $1B transfer of the budget surplus, therefore decreasing employers’ future UI obligations. This bill also includes language that ensures small businesses that received relief grants like PPP, EIDL Advances, Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants, and Shuttered Venue Operator grants, and MGCC awards will not have a state tax liability for these grants (consistent with federal tax treatment). Read more in the press release.

Governor Baker recently announced that he will require all executive branch employees to provide proof of vaccination for COVID-19 by mid-October. This is an important step for keeping state government employees and their families and communities safe – over 42,000 employees will need to prove vaccination this fall in accordance with his executive order. The COVID-19 vaccine is the best and most effective way people can protect themselves and others from the virus. Read more in the press release.

MassHire continues to run weekly webinars on Thursdays. Employers are encouraged to join to learn about new programs, opportunities, and updates. Register and access a webinar recording here.

The Workforce Training Fund Program helps address business productivity and competitiveness by providing resources to Massachusetts businesses to fund training for current and newly hired employees. This grant opportunity is available to businesses of all sizes. Business owners can join an upcoming Info Session to learn more about how this program can work for their businesses. The next session will be September 17th at 10 am.

SBA’s Surety Bond Guarantee Program helps small business to build their bonding capacity to help land public or private contracts. SBA’s terms allow a business with limited liquidity to access a surety bond guarantee and also allows a business to include unused business lines of credit in their calculations of liquidity. Read more here about the SBA Surety Bond Guarantee Program.

Protect your business from cyber threats! Learn how at this informative webinar on Tuesday, September 14th at 12:00 noon, presented by Braver Technology Solutions. Register below.

Get an update on city happenings and have your questions answered during this Q&A with Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell and Economic Development Director Bill Roth. Join us on Thursday, September 16th at 11:00 a.m. Register below to attend this Zoom session. Submit your questions in advance here.

Topics of discussion may include:

Thank you to our sponsor BankFive! 

You could sponsor the next Quarterly Q&A for only $200! It is scheduled for Tuesday, November 30th at 9:00 a.m., with guest speaker, State Representative Carol Doherty. Contact Lisa for more info.

Join us as we celebrate the Grand Opening of Andi’s Aesthetics on Saturday, September 18th! The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will take place at 11:00 a.m. followed by light refreshments, a prize wheel, a raffle and “Guess the botox units.” The first 50 visitors will receive a free gift bag! Andi will be offering consults, information about the services she provides, and a tour of the facility. Andi’s Aesthetics is a medical spa proving Botox, Dermal Fillers, Kybella, Body Sculpting, Chemical Peels, Dermaplaning and Vitamin Injections. We hope to see you there!

Included in this month’s edition are the following news and information updates:

- A report from the Cow Chip Contest

- Dighton Public Library Temporary Relocation to Town Hall Complex

- Special Town Meeting Planned for Monday, November 1, 2021

- Dighton Elementary and Middle School Drop-Off Proposed Plans

Read the newsletter here.

Genealogy classes, stress management seminar, Thursday night lecture, and a hands-on workshop highlight a busy month at the Old Colony History Museum (OCHM)! Read the press release. To see everything they have to offer and register for those that take place on Zoom, visit the Event Calendar at www.oldcolonyhistorymuseum.org/events/.

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.

The U.S. Small Business Administration and SCORE will host a 3-Day Virtual Summit for National Small Business Week 2021. This free, online summit is offered to small business owners, entrepreneurs, and those aspiring to start their own businesses.

2021 Virtual Summit Includes:

• Education sessions with industry experts addressing a variety of crucial small business topics

• A special highlight on small business resiliency in 2021 and beyond

• Keynote session by the Secretary of Commerce

• Focus on Hispanic small business on Sept 14 as part of Hispanic Heritage Month

• Resources from industry-leading small business partners

• Easy to navigate online virtual conference space, with live interactive networking and sessions

• Networking lounge and opportunities with other business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs

Register 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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