Village of Middlefield

Economic Development

Business E-Newsletter

From the Lt. Governor's Office:

The International Market Access Grant for Exporters (IMAGE) provides eligible businesses a 50% reimbursement of up to $10,000 for activities that promote international business.

The third application period closes April 7, 2022. Funding for the third round can be used for activities between April 1 and June 30, 2022. Additional IMAGE funding opportunities will be announced quarterly subject to funding availability.

Activities include:

·   Trade shows (international, domestic, and virtual)

·   International advertising

·   Website development

·   E-commerce

·   Search engine optimization (SEO)

·   Compliance testing

·   EXIM credit insurance premiums

Applications must be approved before starting grant activities. For more information and to apply, visit IMAGE.Development.Ohio.Gov, email IMAGE@Development.Ohio.Gov, or contact an Ohio SBDC Export Assistance Network director near you.

Vanpool Program

Interested in finding out more information on NOACA's Vanpool program. Contact LGambosi@middlefieldohio.com to set up a program presentation. Or visit their website HERE.

Financial Planning Course Available to Ohio Businesses

Beginning March 31, Ohio small business owners may participate in a seven-session virtual course in financial management that will give participants the tools and confidence needed to manage their businesses by the numbers.

The program, called Profit Mastery, provides independent business owners financial perspective and tools to take advantage of opportunities and deal with challenges.

The cost for the course normally is $895, but the Ohio Small Business Development Centers have worked with Profit Mastery so that 400 Ohio businesses will be able to participate at no cost. This is the fifth time the SBDCs have offered the course, and each time, the class has been filled.

For more information, contact the Ohio SBDC at sbdcreports@development.ohio.gov. To register, click here. The deadline to apply is now noon March 25.

March Round of TechCred Closes March 31st

The 13th application period for TechCred opened on March 1 and will close on March 31.

The current TechCred application period closes at 3 p.m. Thursday, March 31. Businesses with employees who have completed their approved TechCred training should complete the reimbursement process at TechCred.Ohio.gov.

TechCred helps businesses address their workforce needs by upskilling current and prospective employees. Businesses of all sizes, from any industry, are eligible for up to $30,000 per round and up to $180,000 per year. To allow businesses more time to plan their employee trainings in advance, the TechCred application will officially open on a bimonthly basis for the remainder of 2022.

Application dates:

·   Round 13: March 1-31

·   Round 14: May 2-31

·   Round 15: July 1-29

·   Round 16: Sept. 1-30

·   Round 17: Nov. 1-30

You can learn more about the program at TechCred.Ohio.gov

Ohio Food Industry Summit Returns in 2022

Challenges and trends in food production will be on the agenda for the Ohio Food Industry Summit 2022 next month.

The event will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, at the Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center, 100 Green Meadows Drive South, Lewis Center.

In addition to speakers, the summit features meal and networking opportunities. It is hosted by CIFT, the Center for Innovative Food Technology. CIFT is a partner in the Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which is part of the Ohio Department of Development.

For more information and to register, click here.

Business retention and expansion...you might have heard this before or you might have been contacted to participate in a business retention and expansion (BRE) visit, but what exactly is BRE and why is it so important for businesses and economic development? 

It is in these visits that roadblocks/barriers/bottlenecks can be addressed and if possible solved with the help of collaboration. The village of Middlefield's BRE program is designed to ensure longevity in the Village for our businesses.