The Chamber is proud to honor local businesses that have differentiated themselves through their exemplary commitment to their customers, employees and the community. The three categories are Large Business, Small Business, and Community Impact Award. Be sure to submit your nomination under the appropriate category.

Deadline to submit a nomination is March 1st. Nominees must be current members of the TACC. Honorees will be announced at the Annual Meeting to be held virtually on April 27, 2022.

We are in the process of updating the TACC Business Directory and Community Information Guide for 2022. This guide, published annually, includes:

• Complete Directory of TACC Member Businesses – Listed Alphabetically and by Industry

• Business Resources

• Community Profiles of Taunton, Raynham, Dighton and Berkley

• Directory of Government Officials

• Education and Recreation Information

• Business Holiday Calendar

The TACC Business Directory and Community Information Guide is Distributed to:

• All TACC Member Businesses

• Local Hotels and Conference Centers

• City and Town Halls

• Anyone Requesting Relocation or Membership Information with the TACC

Contact Lisa if you would like to place an ad in the 2022 issue. Ad sizes and rates vary, starting at only $150! This advertising opportunity is exclusively for TACC members. Click here to view last year's directory. Deadline for ad submissions is March 4th.

Please review your listing on our website for accuracy and notify us of any information that needs to be updated.

The Holiday Cheer Campaign was a success again this year! Last week, TACC President & CEO Kris Silva, TACC Board Chair John Moran, and Morton Hospital President Heidi Taylor delivered checks totaling $2,600 to Girls Inc. Taunton, CO-OP, and New Hope, Inc. This was possible thanks to the generosity of our TACC members who contributed and our Matching Gift Sponsor, Morton Hospital.

Congressman Jake Auchincloss is hosting a Local Business Chamber of Commerce Roundtable TOMORROW at 12:00 noon.

Kris Silva, the Chamber President & CEO, will be joining several other Chamber leaders during this roundtable. Hosted by the Congressman, this is an opportunity to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and to learn more about the implementation of the American Rescue Plan Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill’s impact on the region’s business community.  We invite you to participate.

TACC member Relaxation Works will be attending and raffling off a $50 gift card!

The TACC is pleased to host Jay Pateakos, VP of Business Development for MassDevelopment, in our offices for monthly drop-in hours! No appointment necessary!

Stop by the Chamber office at 6 Pleasant Street, Taunton, on Monday, January 31st from 10:00 – 12:00 p.m., and chat with Jay to see how MassDevelopment may be able to assist your business! Contact Jay directly at jpateakos@massdevelopment.com if you're unable to make it that day.

MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development agency, works with businesses, nonprofits, banks, and communities to stimulate economic growth. Their bond financing programs offer a cost-effective w ay for companies to finance capital projects, new equipment purchases, and facility expansions. They also provide loans and guarantees to help grow your operations, and development assistance for early-stage projects.

Last week, the SBA and Business Forward, Inc., a non-profit organization working with small business leaders in support of policies promoting America’s economic competitiveness, announced the launch of the Small Business Digital Alliance. A joint public-private co-sponsorship, the SBDA will connect small businesses with critical tech resources to start and expand their e-commerce business to scale for success. The new initiative will also feature a series of free briefings and training to help small businesses access and utilize these digital tools to reach new markets, find diverse talent, improve operations, and raise capital. Learn more.

Did you know that nearly 96% of consumers live outside the U.S., and two-thirds of the world’s purchasing power is in foreign countries? The SBA has resources to help you export your products or services. Learn more here.

The City of Taunton, through the American Rescue Plan Act, has established the STEP-UP Grant Program to assist City of Taunton small businesses through a combination of technological, web, and media enhancements that serve the dual purpose of mitigating the effects of Covid-19 and providing long term solutions to help their businesses thrive. Grants will vary based on individual needs and available funds.

​These grants will assist a small business with:

Learn more here. Attend our webinar to get help with your application.

Commonwealth Places supports creative placemaking in communities throughout Massachusetts. The program funds place-based, community-driven projects that revitalize downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts, such as outdoor dining spaces, pop-up parks and beer gardens, sidewalk retail infrastructure, and more.

Nonprofits and community groups can apply for:

• Seed grants: Between $2,500 and $15,000 to fund inclusive community engagement, visioning, and local capacity building that will support future placemaking efforts.

• Implementation grants: Between $5,000 and $50,000 to execute a placemaking project.

Expressions of interest are accepted on a rolling basis as funds allow. Projects that meet program requirements will then be invited to submit a full application. Register to attend an informational webinar about the program on January 31, 2022.

Have a question? Email TDI District Partnership Officer Nick Giaquinto.

When you run your own business, you’re the person deciding on the direction. You’re in control of start dates and marketing promos. You’re the one who must hold yourself back from the shiny object syndrome.

And yet, so many of us fail on that last one and it’s easy to understand why. Read more.

Join Bryan Caplan, Speaker for Grow with Google, as he walks you through how to sell your products online.

He will walk through listing your products for free with Google My Business and Merchant Center and will show you one way to sell on your website, using an E-Commerce store built with Shopify. Plus, learn about more helpful tools to stand out online, such as Local Opportunity Finder and Grow My Store.

In this workshop, he will:

• Discuss the Products tab in Google My Business

• Introduce Google Merchant Center and the basics of creating a free account and a product feed

• Show you set up an E-Commerce website using Shopify

Register below.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn first-hand about the City of Taunton's new Small Business STEP UP Grant from TJ Torres, Grant Coordinator with Taunton’s Office of Economic and Community Development. Grants will vary based on individual needs and available funds and will assist a small business impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with:

Peter Daley, professional grant writer and Director of Public Relations at People Incorporated, will also be on hand to discuss how to best prepare and write a strong application for any grant funding opportunity. We are here to help you!

This session is included with your TACC member benefits and is being offered complimentary to non-members as well to help support our small business community. Register below.

Join us as we celebrate our newest TACC member, Society Coffee Bar, with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Thursday, February 3rd at 3:30 p.m.! Society offers specialty coffees and lattes, along with teas and pastries in a bright, modern café. Welcome to The Society! While there, we will also celebrate the opening of Milestone Realty, located in the same building and also owned by Keith and Debra Viveiros. Congratulations to you both!

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. This session is sponsored by The Lopes Companies. Submit questions in advance here. Register below to attend this virtual meeting.

• Creating a community center

• Commonwealth Places Grant

• Build Back Better funds

• STEP UP grant

• 911 Emergency Services

• B-P School Construction Project

• Taunton Redevelopment Authority

• Election Commission

• Procurement Office

• Charter

• Airport Admin Building

• ARPA Funds – disbursement/programs

• Silver City Business Park

• Casino

• Biosolids project at Taunton Landfill

You could sponsor the next Quarterly Q&A for only $200! Contact Lisa for more info.

Who helped you become the person you are today? Who influenced you? Who was there to model, guide, inform and support you along the way? Chances are there were several people. Maybe for you it was your parent or guardian, spouse, sibling, teacher, boss, or friend. Maybe it was all of them. They are your mentors. Why not pay it forward and Become a Career Mentor? Learn more here.

The Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation marked its 25th Anniversary with a $25,000 grant to the Raynham Fire Department during a check presentation ceremony held recently at the station. The donation, which the Department will use for general public safety equipment, is part of $325,000 in grants currently being awarded to fire departments in the 13 communities throughout Southeastern MA and Northern RI. Read the press release.

The Mechanics Cooperative Bank Scholarship Program was created to support local students who excel in academics, athletics and community service, to help toward their pursuit for higher education. Learn more here.

Commonwealth Corporation's Express Program provides employers fast, simple access to grant-funded training, helping businesses in Massachusetts respond to emerging needs. Join informational sessions here to 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.

Looking for a business mentor? During National Mentoring Month, connect with a business mentor through SCORE, an SBA resource partner. SCORE, a nonprofit organization, is the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, dedicated to helping small businesses plan, launch, manage and grow. Find your mentor for 2022 today.

Instagram is a free worldwide social network focusing on photo and video content. Instagram is quickly becoming the “go to” social media network for ages 44 and younger. This demographic largely performs research in their own organization or the employers they work for which makes Instagram a must use network for small businesses.

Join veteran marketer Dale Shadbegian to learn more about this fast growing and effective marketing tool. Learn about:

1.  Account creation

2.  The difference between business and personal accounts

3.  Optimizing your profile

4.  How to socialize and build a community

Requirements: Although Facebook Creative Studio can be used to create content, some of the Instagram post options require a mobile device.

Register here .

How do you know if your price is “Right”? Nothing drives profitability more positively than effective pricing!

This webinar discusses what you must consider when choosing the price for your product or service. You will learn how the “4 C's” of Marketing are critical in todays digital world and how it will affect your pricing methodology. The webinar will examine several pricing strategies implemented today and how they can impact your profitability. Finally, the discussion will turn to the impact choosing the sales channel for your products.

Join SEMA SCORE for our Price it Right! workshop. Key takeaways you can expect:

• How “Consumer Value” is a reflection of your brand

• Consumer experience determines your success: Price it right!

• Pricing strategies that increase demand

• Do's and don'ts when considering price changes

• Choosing the appropriate sales channel

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.

Veterans make up an important part of the small business community. They make up 8% of the population, but own 9.2% of all American businesses. Check out these resources specifically for veteran entrepreneurs. SCORE is here to help!

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!

·    Blogging Tips

·    New Rules of Marketing in 2020

·    Digital Marketing Rules

·    Cash Management

tauntonareachamber.org