A warm welcome to our newest members!* We encourage you to connect with them soon and see where your next partnership can be!
*Joined 2/10/22 to 3/8/22
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Events From Your Fellow Members |
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Charcoal Chef in Woodbury Donating 5% of Sales to Ukrainian Relief Efforts |
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During the month of March, the Charcoal Chef in Woodbury will be donating 5% of their sales, as well as collecting donations from customers to help with relief efforts in Ukraine. "As owners of a small business we feel it is a responsibility to help those in need," says owner Judy Doran. "Our ancestry is Lithuanian and we feel especially close to this part of the world." |
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March 10: Main Street Waterbury Monthly Happy Hour Returns |
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You've been asking and now, it's back! After 2 years of navigating immense changes in both a social and professional work environment, let’s reconnect.
We hear you are ready to be back at your favorite local downtown spots. If you're ready, Turf Rest & Bar is ready too.
Please RSVP, by clicking here, so we can give a headcount to the management staff at the Turf.
If you are not receiving our newsletters, be sure to add mainstwtby1@gmail.com to your contacts to ensure the delivery of future emails.
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March 11: Femme It Forward at Foxwoods; Celebrating 30 Years |
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March 24: Chittenden Group Insurance Free Workers' Compensation Seminar at the Waterbury Country Club |
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March 26: Pasta Dinner presented by Healing Hoofbeats of CT to Benefit Operation Warrior Horse |
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Save the Date: Monarch Communities Cinco De Mayo Event May 5 |
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Looking to advertise your company's news? The Chamber is happy to get updates out to members about your latest news. Click the button below and fill out the form to see your information featured in next month's newsletter! |
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Play It Again Sports in Southington Celebrates 16 Years |
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Alltown Fresh Waterbury Introduces New BBQ Menu |
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Alltown Fresh Waterbury New BBQ Menu
BBQ Wagyu Brisket Plate with B&B Pickles, Mac ‘N Cheese, Cucumber Salad and Cornbread
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Alltown Fresh® Waterbury has just introduced an all-new BBQ Menu featuring house-smoked BBQ plates and fantastic sides. It all reminds Chef Joshua Smith, Alltown Fresh®, of his Southern roots, with low and slow smoking bringing out deep BBQ flavors. “There was great BBQ around the corner when I was growing up” shares Smith. “Now Alltown Fresh® can be that delicious BBQ spot just down the street. Our Wagyu Brisket is gorgeous, we have our own smoker and our talented culinary team is committed to low and slow BBQ cooking. Our goal is to become a great BBQ destination for the Waterbury region.” And it’s important to note that the new BBQ Menu is in addition to the Alltown Fresh® menu favorites of Breakfast Anytime, Salads & Bowls, Sandwiches, Smoothies and Kids Menu.
ALLTOWN FRESH® BBQ MENU:
BBQ PLATES:
All plates come with b&b pickles, choice of two sides (hot/cold) and choice of house baked cornbread or biscuits.
- BBQ Pulled Pork
- BBQ Wagyu Brisket
- Smoked Chicken, ¼ or ½
SIDES:
- BBQ baked beans
- Black bean salad
- Coleslaw
- Corn Chow-Chow
- Cucumber salad
- Mac ‘n cheese
- Marcaroni salad
- Potato salad
BE SURE TO LEAVE ROOM FOR:
- B&B pickles
- Corn bread
- Biscuits & pimento cheese
- Banana pudding
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Carmody Offering Sexual Harassment Prevention Training |
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Carmody is pleased to offer both live virtual and on-demand sexual harassment prevention training. Employers may choose between training that is geared toward supervisory employees or training that is appropriate for both supervisory and non-supervisory employees.
All training covers topics required by Connecticut law. The training is interactive and features video scenarios and real-world examples.
Participants will leave our training with:
· An understanding of what constitutes harassment, discrimination, retaliation and inappropriate workplace conduct.
· An understanding of the various laws, processes and remedies for harassment and discrimination claims.
· Raised awareness in light of current developments.
· Knowledge, tools and strategies to minimize the risk of harassment and discrimination in the workplace.
In addition, the supervisory training will focus on the special role that supervisors have in preventing harassment, discrimination and retaliation in the workplace, including real world strategies and tips for proactive management techniques.
Upcoming Live Training Dates:
Supervisory Training
Friday, April 29
8:00 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Non-Supervisory Training
Friday, September 16
8:00 a.m. - 10 a.m.
On-Demand Training
On-demand training allows you access to one of our pre-recorded training sessions so that you can schedule the training at date and time that is most convenient. On-demand training is available upon request. Please reach out to Romania Morley for more information.
Cost and Registration
Registration for training is $25 per person, and each attendee will receive a course-completion certificate. For employers looking to train groups of 50+ employees, please reach out to Romania Morley.
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Easterseals of Greater Waterbury Spring Chocolate Fundraiser |
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For a limited time only, the first 150 donors to make a gift of $65 or more to Easterseals will receive a complimentary chocolate sampler box filled with a special selection of chocolates and cookies that have been donated by our generous supporters; Fascia’s Chocolates, Sweet Maria’s, CC’s Chocolates and Thompson Chocolates. |
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Valued Technology Services is a trusted Managed IT Services Firm that specializes in delivering full-service IT support & Cyber Security Solutions for businesses in the Connecticut area. Click here https://lnkd.in/ePqssAm to download our FREE REPORT to learn more about us and our unique approach.
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IT News from Golden Technology Services Inc. and BSquared Intel |
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Phishing is an act incorporating electronic messaging be it email, text or voice mail where the bad actor tries to convince you are a trusted source of theirs. This is followed by asking you to click on a clink in the message, download an attachment or provide sensitive information that can result in financial and reputational losses.
There has been a significant uptick in phishing attacks recently. Since the start of the pandemic the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reports the overall majority of cyber incidents are phishing related.
SmallBizTrends states that 97% of consumers cannot correctly identify phishing emails.
Business Insider wrote that 78% of people claim to know the risks of clicking unknown links in emails and yet still click these links.
With the increase of phishing incidents now and the war in Eastern Europe going online cyberwarfare may now be an attack vector facing us here at home.
You need to validate inbound electronic messaging first well as what is being requested is legitimate before responding.
If you have doubts, contact the sender with the telephone number you have not what’s provided you. Also, is what is being requested in the normal course of business?
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Cyber Attacks; BSquared Celebrates 5 years! March 10 Monthly Virtual Cybersecurity Meetup |
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On February 24th, the world witnessed Russia invade Ukraine. As part of the initial campaign, cyber attacks against Ukraine were launched. Two new pieces of malware were discovered from these attacks. One is called Cyclops Blink, which currently turns Watchguard brand firewalls into part of a botnet. CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency), which is part of DHS, believes the code for Cyclops Blink can be modified to affect other devices.
The second malware is called HermeticWiper. This malware falls into the family of wiper malware which destroys data.
There is potential for these two pieces of malware to spillover into other parts of the world.
Hacker/hacktivist collective Anonymous and Russian ransomware gang Conti declared cyberwar. Conti threatens to attack critical infrastructure of those who attack the Russian government. It is therefore important to make sure your organization’s cyber defenses are buttoned up. Patch your devices/software, anticipate phishing/SMiShing (phishing over text) and other Social Engineering attacks to escalate. Use good password hygiene and enable two-factor authentication wherever possible. These are just a few things, but not the only things, to do. We urge you read CISA’s Shield’s Up alert, regardless of the size of your organization https://www.cisa.gov/shields-up Feel free to reach out to us with any questions. Contact information is below.
In other news
Bsquared Intel is celebrating 5 years! Join us Thursday March 10th at 8PM EST over Zoom for our monthly virtual cybersecurity meetup because we’re having a privacy policy party!
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Help Literacy Volunteers of Greater Waterbury Earn Grant Money |
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Did you know you could Literacy Volunteers of Greater Waterbury earn grant money!?!
Voting has begun for the 13th Annual Community Awards Program so please help us earn grant money! We will receive a $25 donation from the Ion Bank Foundation for every vote we receive from an Ion Bank Customer*!
*Voting is open to all Ion Bank customers. One vote per customer, however, for accounts with multiple owners, each owner may vote. Customers with multiple accounts may only vote once. Each customer can vote for only one organization.
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Comcast Expands Affordable Connectivity Program |
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Comcast is participating in the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and the $30/month benefit can be applied to any tier of Xfinity Internet service. Today, Comcast introduced two new ways for customers to connect through ACP and both are available to any customer who qualifies in all the company’s service areas. Customers can sign up for Internet Essentials Plus, which includes 100 Mbps download speeds, a cable modem, and WiFi router, and is free after the government’s ACP credit is applied. Additionally, Xfinity Internet customers participating in ACP now can add mobile service through Xfinity Mobile.
“As a company and a society, it is imperative that we work together to help people connect to the transformative power of the Internet both at home and on the go,” said Broderick Johnson, Executive Vice President, Public Policy and Digital Equity, Comcast Corporation. “The Affordable Connectivity Program is a once in a lifetime opportunity that Comcast is proud to support. Connectivity is just the beginning, however. We will continue to partner with nonprofit organizations across the country to deliver digital literacy skills training so more people can learn how to take full advantage of everything the Internet has to offer.”
For more than a decade, Comcast has been working with trusted community partners, businesses, and government to help millions of low-income households connect to the Internet and the technology they need to participate in the digital world. On February 14, 2022, the world saw how these efforts can produce inspirational results when Llulisa, a Comcast Internet Essentials customer who is enrolled in ACP, joined government leaders at the White House to tell her story about achieving her goal of being the first in her family to go to college.
Llulisa is just one example of millions of people across the country benefitting from access to the Internet through programs like ACP, which offers a $30/month discount on Internet service ($75/month on Tribal lands). Any Xfinity Internet or Internet Essentials customer who qualifies can use it to save money on their Internet bill. Comcast’s expanded ACP offers include:
Internet Essentials Plus
Internet Essentials Plus is a new tier of service for Comcast’s hallmark digital equity program that is available in all Comcast service areas to any customer who qualifies. It offers twice the download speed – up to 100 Mbps – of the traditional Internet Essentials service, which has a 50 Mbps download speed. Internet Essentials Plus is available for $29.95/month to new customers who qualify. Existing Internet Essentials customers can upgrade to this new, faster tier at any time. Customers who subscribe to Internet Essentials Plus and enroll in ACP will effectively get broadband for free after the $30/month government discount is applied.
Xfinity Mobile
Comcast’s top-rated Xfinity Mobile service, which includes 5G, is now available to customers enrolled in ACP, giving them the ability to save money on their connectivity needs inside and out of the home. Internet Essentials customers can use their $30/month ACP discount to pay for both Xfinity Internet and Xfinity Mobile service. For example, an Internet Essentials customer (paying $9.95/month) can add one line of Unlimited on Xfinity Mobile ($45/month) for $24.95/month after applying the ACP discount.
Xfinity Mobile has no line access or activation fees and comes with unlimited talk and text, so customers only pay for cellular data. Customers can mix and match between two straightforward plans on Xfinity Mobile with 5G included, Unlimited or By the Gig, and pair these mobile plans with any tier of Internet service to provide ultimate flexibility. They can also switch back and forth between Unlimited and By the Gig mobile plans at any time. In addition, Xfinity Mobile devices automatically connect to millions of Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country to reduce customers’ dependence on cellular and save money.
Signing up for ACP
New and existing Xfinity Internet or Internet Essentials customers can visit www.xfinity.com/acp or call 844-389-4681 for more information, to determine eligibility, and sign up.
Customers can also call to speak to a dedicated ACP Enrollment and Support Center that is available from 8AM to 12AM daily, with multi-lingual capabilities to assist anyone interested in the program.
Project UP and Comcast’s $1 Billion Commitment to Advance Digital Equity
Connecting more people to the Internet and the technology they need to participate and excel in an increasingly digital world has been a core focus for Comcast. Looking toward the next ten years, Comcast is building on that foundation and expanding its impact through Project UP, a comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities. Backed by a $1 billion commitment to reach tens of millions of people, Project UP encompasses the programs and community partnerships across Comcast, NBCUniversal, and Sky that connect people to the Internet, advance economic mobility and open doors for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, storytellers, and creators. For more information on Project UP and the latest news on efforts to address digital inequities visit https://corporate.comcast.com/impact/project-up.
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CONNSTEP Services: Training Within Industry (TWI); Job Instruction (JI); and Jobs Relations (JR); Job Safety (JS); Job Methods (JM) |
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Training Within Industry, commonly referred to as TWI, originated in the United States in the 1940s during World War II. According to the TWI Institute, a national network of industry professionals was drafted to develop techniques to quickly train unskilled workers entering the war production workforce as many skilled laborers went off to war.
TWI was introduced in Japan after the war for rebuilding purposes and is still in widespread use there today, most notably as part of Toyota’s Production System. It has helped drive success for Toyota in continuous improvement, standard work and in its ability to sustain those improvements.
While its use in the U.S faded over time, TWI has seen a resurgence in recent years as industries such as healthcare, construction and manufacturing are reaping its benefits.
Simply put, this proven tool applies to anyone who teaches anybody to do anything. It’s ideally suited for supervisors, team leaders, and those indirectly managing others. A superior training methodology, particularly in a mass-production setting, TWI helps to facilitate greater speed to market and remove waste associated with training time. Once it’s taught, it helps sustain high performance and excellence in quality.
For manufacturing companies concerned about retiring employees taking their production and operational knowledge with them, TWI can help capture that experienced know-how and transfer it to the remaining workforce.
TWI teaches workers more than just what to do to complete a specific task, it reinforces how to do a job and gets them to understand why the job must be done that way.
TWI-JI
One of the first courses of Training Within Industry is Job Instruction (JI). The purpose of TWI JI is to get workers fully trained and adding value to the organization in the shortest period of time possible while preventing problems that could arise from faulty instruction. JI establishes a single best method for doing a job and allows a trainer to transfer knowledge to a learner quickly while also verifying comprehension.
TWI-JR
Another TWI program is Job Relations (JR) training. JR training involves teaching supervisors how to handle problems, how to prevent them from occurring, and it helps develop a logical approach to tackling issues with a people-centric view. The core elements of JR teach the basics of consensus-building and individual problem-solving leading to positive employee relations.
TWI-JS/JM
TWI also offers Job Safety (JS) which enables supervisors to decrease employee injuries and potential causes; and Job Methods (JM) which assists employees in recognizing the waste inherent in current methods and how to reduce those wastes utilizing existing resources.
TWI is an improvement process with a set of standardized programs that addresses the essentials skills needed by anyone who leads the work of others. It can help transfer valuable knowledge of seasoned workers to younger and newer employees in an organization. And it can ensure that a job is done correctly and consistently over time.
For more information contact Carol Grosso – Regional Manager CONNSTEP.
860-929-8506.
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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!
We would love to have you join our team of SCORE Western Connecticut volunteers. SCORE relies on our volunteers to help small businesses thrive.
Volunteer Opportunities
SCORE is looking for volunteers with backgrounds and experiences as diverse as the small business owners we serve.
We offer multiple volunteer roles to fit many levels of experience, skills, and time commitment. Pick the role that best suits you:
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About SCORE
SCORE was formed in 1964 as a resource partner of the Small Business Administration. Our mission is to foster vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education. Our vision is for every person to have the support necessary to thrive as a small business owner, supported by over 10,000 volunteers organized into 250 geographic chapters. The Western Connecticut chapter ranks among the highest in client satisfaction across these chapters.
SCORE Western Connecticut
SCORE Western Connecticut and our volunteer business mentors are dedicated to providing the best possible professional quality, free, one-on-one advice face to face, phone, email and via Zoom. The Western Connecticut Chapter volunteers are dedicated and anxious to share their broad mix of entrepreneurial, management and small business experience. They represent currently employed and retired executives, business owners and community leaders.
We offer a wide variety of on-line and in person workshops and webinars in addition to one-on-one client mentoring services. We typically conduct more than 600 private, confidential sessions, and over 40 live workshops/webinars each year. SCORE volunteers use their expertise to help implement business practices to guide our clients on the path to accomplishing their business objectives.
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