Hyde Jackson Monthly March 20, 2017


 
We have lots of upcoming activities and could use your help to continue creating a vibrant and economically sound central business district in Hyde and Jackson Squares. Our community is only as strong and vibrant as are the people that care for the community and help improve it. So come on out and lend us a hand.

And if you have thoughts on our programs and how best to spend CDBG funds, come to the Action Plan Hearing on March 22. Learn more by reading below.


Main Street Activities

Merchant Alliance Program (MAP) Recap
 
One year ago we set out to bring monthly (and more) small business workshops to our local community of retailers, restaurateurs, and community service businesses. We have had many great workshops (with Spanish interpretation) to furnish our community of storefront businesses expanded skills to provide better services and products to the neighborhood. Along the way we learned more about our business community, the challenges they face, and important topics and tools useful to them.

Businesses learned about marketing and getting their business on the web, having proper insurance coverage, human resources basics, food handling needs for restaurants, business legal issues, and much more. As an added benefit, businesses have built community by discussing important issues critical to them outside of the workshops.


Our final event for this first phase will be a Business Networking and Small Business Resource event at The Frogrmore Restaurant, 365 Centre Street, from 5:00 - 6:00 pm. If you have a business here, please come and we'll be sure to provide some tasty food for you, a great community, and some business-growth services to learn about. RSVP to us at info@hydejacksonsquare.org.

Help Us Beautify Centre Street on Earth Day 
 
What better way to nurture our urban natural environment this Earth Day on April 22 than to take care of our tree
s and plant shrubs and flowers in the Hyde Jackson business district. We will be gathering volunteers at Mozart Park at 9:00 am and split into groups to put fresh mulch on our street trees and do plantings along the street and in the business district.  
We could use your help in sprucing up the district. Please contact us at info@hydejacksonsquare.org to let us know that you will coming.

More Help Needed on Our Inside Out Sidewalk Sale

Our Inside Out Sidewalk Sale on May 20 is a great opportunity to showcase neighborhood businesses. We have many ways for you to help out. We are looking for creative, local musicians for performances along the street and energetic volunteers to help with set up and break down before and after the event.  

To learn about these opportunities or to just volunteer,
please contact us at info@hydejacksonsquare.org. 


What Is CDBG?

HUD's Community Development Block Grant Program 

The CDBG acronym has been in the news lately, but do you know what this is? The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) was established in 1974 to provide flexibility while addressing local needs for low- to moderate-income communities. It is a funding source that is controlled by local entities with community support to address challenges in housing, support services, and economic development.

Locally these CDBG funds are received and administered by the City of Boston's Department of Neighborhood Development (DND), and they partially fund 16 of the 20 Main Streets programs in the City of Boston (Hyde Jackson Square Main Street is one of these 16). In the Hyde Jackson Square Main Street district, we use these funds to strengthen community collaboration between various entities such as the police, merchants, and neighborhood organizations; improve the streetscape (one example is fabrication and installation of bike racks); hold regular merchant workshops; plan celebratory events like our summer Teatro series; organize community cleanups; develop neighborhood promotional tools (like our business directory brochure); coordinate volunteers who work toward improving the district, and more. Without these funds we, and other 16 programs across Boston, would not be able to do our important community-building work.

Across the country, CDBG also funds meals for seniors, daycare centers for low-income people, network revitalization, economic development, supportive living services to homeless people and those with disabilities, infrastructure and public services, and much more. 

To justify the breadth of programs being overseen locally by DND, and to receive feedback from the local community on these programs and local priorities, DND is required to have annual hearings to receive feedback. Upcoming hearings to solicit feedback on the Annual HUD Action Plan will be:   
 
Wednesday, March 22  
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
26 Court Street, Winter Chambers, Boston

Wednesday, May 3 
6:00 - 8:00 pm
26 Court Street, Winter Chambers, Boston

The first Action Plan Hearing on March 22 will solicit comments and ideas to issue a draft Action Plan. After issuing the draft plan, a 30-day comment period will follow beginning April 13. The May 3 hearing will be an opportunity to solicit comments on the Draft Action Plan. Past Action Plans can be found here. For more information, about the hearing go here

Please attend these hearings to provide your input on CDBG programming. 
 

Business Corner
 
Minority Business Expo

The Minority Business Expo is an opportunity to capture prospective clients and customers . The expo will have an array of businesses from the community and business support companies.

Saturday, March 25, 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm 
Reggie Lewis Center, 1350 Tremont Streeet, Roxbury

Workshops will be held March 21 - March 23  and networking will be on March 24.
 
FREE & LOW-COST WORKSHOPS FOR MERCHANTS   
 
Hyde Jackson Square Main Street's  
Merchant Alliance Program (MAP)
 
Networking and Small Business Resources

Meet your fellow storefront business owners in Hyde & Jackson Squares and learn about programs and resources to help you grow your small business. We'll have some light food as you mingle and learn about different offerings that can help you reach your goals.

 

Wednesday, March 21, 5:00 p m - 6:00 pm 
The Frogmore Restaurant   
365 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain   


City of Boston's Office of Economic Development (OED)

Visual Merchandising for Small Businesses  
 
Learn best practices for making your business look appealing to current and prospective customers, and
ways to spruce up your business, both outside and inside, including ideas for visual merchandising on the sales floor and in your windows. You will also learn easy ways to build your business identity into a recognizable brand and make all of your communications compelling in print and online. This workshop is in partnership with Four Corners Main Street and Retail Visioning. For more information and to register click here. 
 
Wednesday, March 22, 8:00 am - 10:00 am 
Four Corners Main Street, 157A Washington Street, Dorchester  

Facebook: Turning Posts into Profits

Use Facebook to grow your customer base and market your small business brand. Attendees will learn tips on what makes a successful post, how to integrate photos and videos on your page, as well as how to connect with new customers, engage current customers, and bring new life to your brand. This workshop is in partnership with Creative Business Consulting Group and Roslindale Village Main Street. For more information and to register click here. 

Wednesday, March 29, 8:00 am - 10:00 am 
BCYF Roslindale, 6 Cummins Highway, Roslindale

Instagram for Small Businesses

Engage your customers and grow your audience through Instagram. This workshop will include tips on how to link Instagram and Facebook pages to spread your messages via sponsored ads on both platforms. You'll learn how to build an Instagram business account and find out how to determine which posts get the most likes, comments, and shares.This workshop will be held in partnership with Upham's Corner Main Street, Fairmount Innovation Lab, Artmorpheous, and Creative Business Consulting Group. For more information and to register click here.

Wednesday, March 29, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Fairmount Innovation Lab, 594 Columbia Road, Dorchester 
 

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)

Cracking the Funding Code Webinar

Eric Uva, Director of Small Business Lending for LISC and an expert at helping small businesses achieve new levels of growth, will give you an inside look at how lenders evaluate your business. Learn how to position your company to get financing fast. Learn more about this webinar and register for it here.

Friday, March 31,12:00 pm - 1:00 pm 


Massachusetts Small Business Development Network (MSBDC)

Where's the Money? Small Business Financing Sources 

At this workshop you'll learn types of financing and lender requirements, preparing for financing and increasing it, avoiding costly surprises, and financing options for little or poor credit. Register for this workshop here.

Wednesday, April 5, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Kirstein Business Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston

Build Your Credit to Grow Your Business

In this workshop you'll learn the fastest ways to boost your personal credit scores, big credit score mistakes of many owners, how business credit is different from personal credit, and quick steps to build business credit (even if you have no business credit or poor personal credit). There is a $5.00 registration fee. Register for this workshop here.

Wednesday, April 5, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Fairmount Innovation Lab, 594 Columbia Road, Dorchester 
 
 
Small Business Administration (SBA)  
 
Tips for Women Starting or Growing a Business Webinar

The number of woman-owned businesses are on the rise. In honor of Women's History Month, we are hosting a free webinar that covers the trends surrounding women and entrepreneurship. In this webinar, you will learn: 
  • Trends in women's entrepreneurship and why women entrepreneurs are important to the economy
  • SBA programs and services available to women entrepreneurs
Thursday, March 23, 3:00 pm
 
For more information and to register click here.
 
SBA Online Workshops

SBA  has many free online workshops that can help you in your business. Click here for a complete list of workshops.   

 
Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) Boston

HR 101 for Small Businesses  
 
In this introductory seminar, a Paychex Human Resource professional will present foundational knowledge on 10 key human resource issues that business owners face in today's business environment and steps business owners can take to solve each issue. For more information and to register click here.      
  
Wednesday, April 5 from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Harvard iLab, 125 Western Avenue, Allston

Conscious Capitalism: A Better Way for Business    
 
If you're frustrated with the current negative political climate, this workshop will help you see that your business can help. Come and learn about a better, more sustainable, and more effective way of building your business. See how you can upgrade your reason for being in business (whatever your business is) to have a positive impact. For more information and to register click here
  
Wednesday, April 5 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Kirstein Business Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston  
     
SCORE Online Workshops 
 
The Service Core of Retired Executives (SCORE) has many online workshops and services. Click here for a list of online workshops.  
   

  
For additional small business resources in the Hyde Jackson Square Main Street district, please contact us at info@hydejacksonsqure.org.  
 


If you would like to receive further information specific to the business community (workshops, meetings, etc.), please register/re-register here by typing your email address and clicking "Go". Instructions will be send to you to change your profile. Or you can send us an email to info@hydejackonsquare to change your profile. 
 
  
In This Month's Issue
Main Street Activities
What Is CDBG?
Business Corner


Main Street Activities


Merchant Alliance Program -
Business Networking & Small Business Resources    
Tuesday, March 21   
5:00 pm 
The Frogmore Restaurant
365 Centre Street

Centre Street Beautification
Saturday, April 22
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Meet at Mozart Park
10 Mozart Street
 

Take Our Survey!

Over the last year we have been asking the community about our assets and need your perspective. Please take 3 minutes to help u s gather this valuable information about our strengths here in Hyde & Jackson Squares. Learn more and take our survey now:

English Survey
Spanish Survey






















Do you have neighborhood news that you'd like others to know about or information about a meeting, activity, or event that you'd like to post?  

 

Send listings or ideas to info@hydejacksonsquare.org or call 617-522-3694.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Sign up for our Newsletter


Hyde Jackson Square Main Street would like to thank our generous partners for their support:

















































































































































































































































































































































































































Email marketing services
are generously provided by:

 






Constant Contact



Celebrate the neighborhood everyday! 

Like us on Facebook     Follow us on Twitter 

 

¡Celebre la comunidad cada día!