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. Watch a video at the event to learn about the exciting renovations to come!

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.

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

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.

Join the U.S. SBA TOMORROW, March 31st at 1:00 p.m. for an online event celebrating Women’s History Month. You will hear from industry experts including Natalie Madeira Cofield, SBA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Women’s Business Ownership; Candace Waterman, President and CEO of the Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP); Alisa Sheard, SBA Acting Deputy Director for the Office of Government Contracting; and Michelle Sherod, President and CEO of Accounting Legal & Logistics Solutions, Inc.

The discussion will focus on financial wellness for women-owned small businesses, the importance of increasing equity and access to opportunities that help uplift and support women entrepreneurs, and SBA initiatives and resources that support existing women-owned small businesses and new startups as they pivot and grow in a post-COVID world. Register here.

The $75 million will be focused on small businesses that employ between two and 50 people, with $25 million directed toward businesses that did not qualify for previous MGCC grants because of a lack of revenue loss in 2020; and $50 million directed to businesses that reach underserved markets and historically underrepresented groups, or are minority-, women-, or veteran-owned businesses, or are owned by individuals with disabilities or who identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Applications for each grant program will be accepted now through Monday, April 4, 2022 and will award grants ranging from $10,000 to $75,000.

Eligible uses of these funds include the following:

• Employee payroll benefits costs

• Interest on other debt obligations incurred after March 3, 2021

• Cost to pivot company due to COVID-19 pandemic

• Business mortgage or rent and utilities

Sole proprietors without any employees or 1099 workers are not eligible. If you are a sole proprietor and you have employees or 1099 workers and you meet all other criteria, you might be eligible.

For more information about each grant program, visit the links below:

Supporting businesses negatively impacted by COVID that have not previously received financial relief from MGCC’s COVID-19 Relief Grant Programs.

Supporting business negatively affected by COVID that are also socially and economically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented, underserved markets, and businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, disabled individuals, or those that identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

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

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!

Do you need more attention? Do you feel like your business isn’t top of mind in your community? People won’t buy from you if they don’t think of you. While the easiest way to increase sales is to upsell existing/current customers, the second-best way is increased exposure. These days—to stand out—you need to get creative. Click here for a few ideas to help get your business the attention it deserves without breaking your budget.

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.

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.

Bristol Community College (BCC) is offering the community free webinars focused on professional and technical skill development for job seekers, educators, employers and employees. These short webinars will increase proficiency in current work and learning environments as well as provide individuals critical workforce skills.

For 8 weeks starting March 7th to April 25th, Bristol will offer virtual courses that focus on three areas: Career Exploration & Personal Branding, Upskilling Opportunities, and Professional and Organizational Training. Register today!

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving & Service Recovery - April 4th, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. 

Cultural Competency in the Workplace - April 11th 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Resumes and Cover Letters - April 18th, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Personal Branding: Social Media, LinkedIn and Interviewing Skills - April 25th, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. 

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

A summer of fun and adventure awaits at Camp Riverside in Taunton for ages 5-15! Round-trip bus transportation is available from several surrounding communities! Learn more here. Register here.

Town Administrator Michael Mullen, together with Highway Superintendent Tom Ferry and Building Commissioner James Aguiar, announces that construction has begun on the Town Hall entrance ramp accessibility project. Read more.

Last week, Mayor Shaunna O’Connell announced the local partners of the Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) have begun the work of sharing ideas and information regarding this new initiative to reenergize the Whittenton area. On March 1st, the TDI kick-off began with an introductory meeting of community members from the public, private and nonprofit sectors of Taunton. Learn more.

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.

This webinar will guide you through the process of creating a startup and operating budget. Whether you are already in business or working towards starting one, you’ll learn how to create a budget that will guide your spending decisions, monitor your financial performance and identify your cashflow needs. The presenter will work through a specific budget example and distribute an Excel template for you to use for your own business.

Presenter: Michael Sandman, SCORE Boston Mentor

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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