Creating opportunities for people to live, work, & thrive on the Lower Cape |
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Inside Scoop - April, 2022 |
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Bringing you the latest tools to help your business.
April already, oh my!
Monday's Boston Marathon provided an excellent reminder as we prepare for the upcoming Summer business season: it's a marathon, not a sprint. Having put in the training all Spring, hopefully you are feeling confident and excited about Summer 2022. Taking it week by week, and adjusting as you go, you'll cross the finish line in September or October, with your best results to date. Consider CDP as your water stations throughout the season, here to offer support and expertise all along the way.
Speaking of support and expertise, this month's Inside Scoop is full of information for small business owners at all stages of operation. Be sure to register for our Cybersecurity Workshop with The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod's Paul Forni on May 5th. We are partnering with WE CAN to offer Introduction to Instagram for Business on April 28th (limited availability!) and Getting Your Financial Shoebox In Order - Roundtable For Business on May 17th.
Our Spotlight interview features Jay and Heather (Murphy) Skowronek, owners of Murrphy's General Store in Harwich Port. They talk about the challenges of facing the aftermath of a tornado in 2019, their first year of business then Covid restrictions in 2020 and 2021. Like all of us, they are hoping for an uneventful summer!
CDP is pleased to announce that in addition to seeing clients in our office in Eastham, we are once again offering in-person office hours in Chatham (Chatham Works), Harwich (Harwich Cultural Center), and Provincetown (The Commons) once a month. We are so grateful for the support offered by these organizations. Make an appointment today and see how CDP can you strengthen and grow your business.
April's Inside Scoop:
- Introduction to Instagram for Business on 4/28
- Cybersecurity: Identify Your Weaknesses Before a Cybercriminal Does on 5/5
- See Pam present at the Cape Cod Women's Business Summit on on 5/10
- Getting Your Financial Shoebox in Order - Roundtable for Business on 5/17
- CDP Office Hours in Chatham, Harwich and Provincetown
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Spotlight: Murphy's General Store in Harwich Port
- SCORE Legal Business Entities on 4/21
- WECAN Family Based Immigration Workshop in Portuguese on 4/25
- MA SBDC Using Financial Documents to Manage Your Business on 4/28
- Wage and Hour and Immigration Compliance Seminar on 5/9
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Assets for Artists Negotiating Pay and Pricing as a Musician on 6/7
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Barnstable County Business Resiliency Program - deadline extended to 4/29
- State Poll Seeks Input From Employers on Hiring Barriers - Please participate!
- MGCC Empower Digital and Biz-M-Power Grants
- Regional Employer Road Show to connect employers to new and existing workforce supports from the Commonwealth coming this Summer
- Current SBA COVID-19 Relief Programs including update on EIDL repayments
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April is Financial Literacy Month
- Help CDP expand its outreach to small businesses on the Lower and Outer Cape
- Volunteer with SCORE Cape Cod
- Business Law Consults Available
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CDP Business Assistance staff is here to help - Make an appointment today
- QuickBooks Help
- Do you need a microloan or professional services grant?
To learn more about these workshops and programs, as well as other topics important to your business, please see below. As always, if there is a business topic that comes up for which you need more information or assistance, please email or call. CDP staff will help find resources to answer your questions.
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CYBERSECURITY – HOW TO IDENTIFY YOUR WEAKNESSES BEFORE A CYBERCRIMINAL DOES
May 5th 9:00 to 10:00 am
News reports on Data Breaches are becoming commonplace on the evening news. To conduct business in today’s world we are becoming more and more reliant on the internet, electronic commerce, and communicating electronically (either through Social Media or Email). Knowing what you can do to secure your environment and how to respond to a cyberattack before an attack happens makes a big difference on the lasting effects of an attack.
Join Paul Forni, the Information Security and Identity Theft Prevention Officer at The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod for this timely and informative workshop. Paul has degrees in Computer Programming and Computer Systems Management, as well as a number of industry related certifications. He has worked in community banking on Cape Cod for over 20 years, 13 of which focused on information security.
Participants will learn how to identify strengths and weaknesses and what they can do to secure their environment.
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Join Pam and Tricia at the Cape Cod Women's Business Summit!
Pam is moderating a panel discussing "Start Ups and Side Hustles" with Jessica Georges, Founder and Owner of Green Road Refill and Tara Vargas Wallace, Founder and Director of Amplify POC Cape Cod.
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It’s not business as usual at this all-day event. This is the Cape Cod Women's Business Summit. We’re bringing local and national experts to every session. Nine of them. Our champions will help you kick-start your start-up, put muscle into your side hustle, scale up your business or nonprofit or turn it 180-degrees around.
They’ll give you power skills. Power moves. Powerful results. They’ll help you boost your brand, get fluent in financials, and put some geek in your speak.
You’ll learn how to break the ice, shatter glass ceilings and get a seat at the table. Any table you want. This is the place to be courageous. This is the place to up your game. At the Summit.
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SPOTLIGHT:
Murphy's General Store,
Harwich Port
Spotlight features an interview with local business owners. We ask the same questions each month, focusing on the "why" of the organization, as well as accomplishments, challenges, and next steps. By asking the same questions each month, we allow our readers to spot themes and trends that may be helpful for their small business.
This month Inside Scoop is pleased to place the Spotlight on Jay and Heather (Murphy) Skowronek, owners of Murphy’s General Store located at 540 Route 28, Harwich Port. Murphy’s General Store is a fresh take on the old-time general store--a modern, exciting gift shop housed in a rustic, 174-year-old main street building. In 2019, their first year of business, they received the Emerging Business Award from the Harwich Chamber of Commerce. That award recognized their commitment and passion, outstanding entrepreneurial spirit, strategic direction and innovative ideas. As they embark on their fourth year in business, we believe their experiences in starting and growing a business on the Lower Cape is relevant to all our Inside Scoop readers.
Why did you start Murphy’s General Store?
[Jay] Heather is originally from Harwich, but we both lived in Los Angeles for a long time. LA has so many interesting, funky and cool mom-and-pop stores. When we lived there, we always enjoyed going for walks and stopping by our favorite stores to see what was new. At the same time, we were also both working in careers that we no longer enjoyed. Heather and I worked in the television industry while in LA. Heather was a TV producer and I worked as a TV post producer. Even though the job titles sound glamorous, the hours were very grueling and it was often very stressful. We would come home from work every night and jot down ideas for ways to escape our career “hamster wheel.” One of the ideas was a general store on Cape Cod. When we found the building and location in Harwich Port, the stars aligned and everything kind of fell into place.
What have you accomplished so far?
[Heather] When we first opened, we barely had anything on our shelves. I remember very vividly unlocking the store’s front door for the first time and, timidly, letting customers in to shop. We had never owned or operated a retail store before, so it was 100% new to us. Everything.
Over the past couple of years, we have learned so much about owning and operating a business. You kind of have to start out with your own vision of what you think your store should be, but you also have to listen to what your customers are asking for. It’s always good to bounce a new idea around.
I have also found that I’m able to better connect with people again and to have more meaningful conversations. In LA, we were always running around, commuting, driving to get somewhere and always barely making it to the destination on time. We have slowed our pace of life in certain ways and have made a lot of great friendships by way of owning the store.
What is the biggest obstacle you had to overcome?
[Jay] Can I answer this in multiple parts? Hahaha. We opened the store in May of 2019. In July 2019, a tornado touched down one quarter mile behind our store. We lost power at our store for a full week at the peak of our summer tourist season. The Covid pandemic arrived in early 2020. We were truly very fortunate to get almost a full year under our belts to get our sea legs before the pandemic. I can’t even imagine what new businesses opening during the pandemic had to go through. Now, we are facing the ripple effects of the supply chain issues happening globally, as well as inflation. You have to keep shifting gears to adapt accordingly. Don’t give up the ship, right?
How did you overcome it?
[Jay] It was all day by day. We had to remember to breathe. To be patient. What if your physical store front doesn’t exist? In this case, it actually didn’t! How do you adapt and pivot? We worked very hard at building our store’s website. We started taking phone orders and doing local deliveries. That was actually really fun. When we were finally allowed to partially open our store for curbside pick ups, we set up a table in front of our store and set up a window display where each product had a number and a price. People walking by could place their order with us on the street and we would go in, fill the order, and make sales that way.
I would never, ever want to live through another pandemic, but we learned so much about our business because of it.
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What role has CDP played in the start and growth of your business?
[Heather] We were so fortunate to have the services of CDP available to us when we were first starting our business. Pam Andersen was so gracious with her time. We asked Pam so many strange questions! Pam really helped to guide us, keep us on the right track. and even helped to teach us Quickbooks for our accounting purposes. We were also able to meet fellow business owners who critiqued our business ideas and gave us real feedback based on their actual experiences. That helped us immensely.
What’s next for Murphy’s General Store?
[Jay] We are now about to enter our fourth summer in Harwich Port. Harwich Port has grown so much in the past few years. Lots of great new businesses are emerging—like Cape Roots Market, Below the Brine Books, and Seagulls Ice Cream--and it’s such an exciting time. It’s nice that Harwich Port is getting some attention, especially when you are next door to all the cool stores in Chatham (like Yankee Ingenuity).
We never stop searching for more unique products and never stop trying to better our store. As we can afford to do it, we try to get a better display here, or better lighting there. We also truly want people to have a new and exciting experience every time they walk through our door and it’s nice to see familiar faces return to our business each summer. It’s such a gratifying feeling when I hear a customer offer a genuine compliment about Murphy’s General Store, whether directly to us or when they are speaking with their friend and we are in earshot. It makes you feel pretty good!
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SCORE BOSTON
Business Foundation Workshop
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Legal Business Entities Webinar April 21st at 12:00
Join SCORE Boston for a presentation on the legal issues facing all business owners.
Discuss the different Legal Business Entities and the difference and similarities between each. This webinar will go over all the information you need to determine which business entity is right for you.
Bring your questions to this one hour webinar.
Presenter is Bill Hulsey, SCORE Boston Mentor
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This workshop is only
available to women.
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Upcoming Assets For Artists Workshops |
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Barnstable County announces
Business Resiliency Program
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 29, 2022
In recent years, local businesses on Cape Cod have faced unprecedented economic challenges. Barnstable County's Cape Cod Cooperative Extension and Woods Hole Sea Grant are offering a program that aims to help Cape Cod small businesses develop plans to respond to and recover from disasters related to flooding and other storm events and build resilience in advance of an emergency.
This business continuity program builds on research-based frameworks, tools, and checklists created in 2021 to help Cape Cod business owners recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and catalyze preparation and response plans for future disasters.
Twenty businesses will be selected by Barnstable County's Cape Cod Cooperative Extension and Woods Hole Sea Grant to participate in the program, which provides 1-on-1 technical support to build a business resiliency plan.
Deadline to apply for the grant is April 29, 2022
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Community Development Partnership is always here to help you plan for continuity before and during a crisis, as well as thrive in altered circumstances.
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MGCC Grant Programs for Small Business Owners
Please read more about both programs below and follow the links. If you think either of these programs is a fit for your business, conntact pam@capecdp.org
or call 508-240-7873 x18.
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Crowd Funding Matching Grant
MGCC is partnering with a crowdfunding platform, Patronicity, to assist low to moderate-income and underserved entrepreneurs, and small business owners with meeting capital needs of their business through matching grants. The objective of the is to provide entrepreneurs with new knowledge and skills for growing their business and advancing toward innovative approaches to obtaining capital through the earned support of local residents, neighborhoods, community members, and stakeholders alike by raising funding to match the amount requested in their grant application.
Eligible MA-based small businesses that have been nominated by MGCC’s SBTA providers may be funded up to $20,000.
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Digital Capacity Building Grant Program - Updated 2/10/22
Update: MGCC will now pay the Business Owner the grant funds upon submission of the Project Completion Certification Form. This change allows business owners who previously couldn’t afford to start digital projects the flexibility to pursue projects by receiving funds before all projects are completed.
MGCC launched its Grant Program for the Development of Digital Capabilities on June 15, 2021 to provide funding (up to $5k) for tools and services to develop digital capabilities for your small business. MGCC will make these funds available for eligible businesses until funding is fully disbursed. MGCC no longer requires a "brick & mortar", public-facing store front. MGCC will cover up to $5,000 without requiring the 20% from the business owner. Eligible MA-based small businesses must be sponsored by MGCC's SBTA providers.
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The Baker-Polito Administration, including MassHire Career Centers and Workforce Boards and the Commonwealth Corporation, is hosting a series of 10 regional employer roadshows from late April to May, with the goal of connecting employers to new and existing workforce supports from the Commonwealth.
The roadshows will be a unique opportunity to hear from MA workforce leaders and to share your perspective with them. Attendance will vary by event but speakers may include Lt. Governor Polito, Secretary Acosta, Secretary Peyser, and Secretary Kennealy, among others.
The roadshows will be hosted by workforce partners, including community colleges and vocational training institutes. Each event will be ~1.5 hours and will have roughly the same agenda.
Agenda
· Opening remarks by host and special guests
· Overview of Commonwealth workforce resources for employers
· Introduction to Market Makers
· Breakout sessions
1. Market Maker / MassHire Engagement Session. Learn about how the MassHire system can help your company build a pipeline of skilled employees. Meet your new Market Maker and hear how you can access more than $200M in workforce funding.
2. HireNow Workshop. Learn more about the new HireNow program - you can receive $4,000 per new hire to support hiring, training and retention.
Workforce Development Roundtable. Sit down with MA workforce leaders to share your perspective and discuss broader workforce trends in the state.
The Cape & Islands meeting will be held at the Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Bourne. Date to be announced. Pre-register here to be notified of the Cape & Islands date.
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Current SBA COVID Relief Programs |
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On March 15, 2022, the SBA announced additional deferment of principal and interest payments for existing COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program borrowers for a total of 30 months deferment from inception on all approved COVID EIDL loans. The extended deferment period will provide additional flexibility to small business owners impacted by the pandemic, especially those in hard-hit sectors managing disruption with recent variants, as well as recent supply chain and inflation challenges amid a growing economic recovery.
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Shuttered Venue Operators Grant
Applicants can choose to apply for any amount up to 50% of their original SVOG amount, with a $10 million cap of the initial and supplemental awards combined, according to the law. The supplemental awards also allow SVOG recipients to extend the time to use their grant funds for expenses accrued through June 30, 2022 and lengthen their budget period to 18 months from the initial grant’s award date. Please note, this program is only available to those organizations that previously applied for the SVOG and received an initial grant.
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April is Financial Literary Month.
Take advantage of these free opportunities to increase your financial literary!
Why Record Keeping is Vital
SCORE Volunteer, Barbara Weltman offers this great explanation of the benefits of record keeping:
Recordkeeping isn’t fun, but keeping good records is vital. It doesn’t use the talents and skills you deploy in running your business, and it takes time and effort away from your business activities. Recordkeeping for business isn’t optional. The IRS requires you to keep books and records for your taxes, and various government agencies require records for employees. But even if it’s not fun and you have to do it, recognize that recordkeeping is a vital way to stay on top of what’s happening in your business. Additionally, good recordkeeping can translate into increased profits and avoid problems.
Business Bookkeeping Basics - SCORE Webinar
Bookkeeping is a critical element of your business’s success.
In this educational webinar Phyllis Johnson, owner & CEO of PKJ Consulting, will break down the bookkeeping process into simple terms so that you can begin keeping track of your numbers and move your business forward.
- Understanding what bookkeeping is
- Understanding the importance of bookkeeping for your business
- Review of bookkeeping software to use
- Making the decision to hire or manage your books yourself
New digital tool library geared toward empowering entrepreneurs to scale their business
Resources available to small business owners through the SBDA library include:
- Tools geared toward establishing a digital presence, reaching new markets, managing growth, finding and retaining talent, improving operations, expanding customer bases, e-commerce, and raising capital;
- Live workshops and curricula tailored to business leaders’ needs;
- Development and support in accelerating online and social media strategies; and
- Trainings to assist in accessing and utilizing digital tools provided by national members.
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Help Community Development Partnership
Expand its Outreach to Small Business
CDP is actively expanding its outreach efforts to small business owners and entrepreneurs on the Lower and Outer Cape. If you are receiving this e-newsletter, then you likely have worked with CDP to strengthen and grow your business. Who better to spread the word about all CDP has to offer than a satisfied customer?! As one of our recent business owners put it, "everyone needs someone to talk to". You already know that CDP is a great "someone" with whom to discuss your small business goals and challenges.
Spend a few minutes looking at your Contacts and think about who you know that would benefit from working with CDP's Business & Credit Programs. Share this newsletter with business owners you know who might benefit from working with CDP. Encourage a small business owner to reach out to CDP. We work with businesses in all stages of growth, including inception. Help us fulfill our mission of Leading the Lower Cape in building a diverse community of year-round residents who can afford to live, work and thrive here.
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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!
SCORE would love to have you join its network of 10,000 volunteers. SCORE relies on its volunteers to help small businesses around the country thrive.
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CDP offers Individual Business Guidance in a number of ways.
How can we help your business?
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Individual Business Guidance
Are you self-employed, a solopreneur or a small business owner, and live or work on the Lower Cape?
The CDP offers individual business guidance for all types of businesses.
What are your business needs?
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Professional Services Grants Available for 2022.
Many businesses are finding the need to change their business model in these turbulent times. The CDP has Grant Funds available to help business owners hire specialized consultants to quickly implement these changes whether in technology, legal or marketing.
Make an appointment to learn more and to help stabilize or grow your business.
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Individual Mentoring through SCORE
SCORE offers individual mentoring across the Cape. The CDP partners with SCORE to offer mentoring on the Lower Cape. Due to COVID19 all SCORE Mentoring Session are currently being help remotely. Please register with SCORE using the link below.
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QuickBooks Help tailored to your needs!
Did you struggle putting your records together to give your accountant?
Do you use QuickBooks but need to learn how it can do a better job for you and provide you with the information you need when you need it?
CDP Staff offers QuickBooks help. Follow the link below and schedule an appointment to get your business on track.
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Need a microloan?
The CDP has microloans up to $50,000 for small businesses on the Lower and Outer Cape. Visit our website for complete program details and eligibility requirements.
We are able to lend to businesses that have a limited credit history, are too new to obtain a bank loan or need help developing a business plan or cash flow projections. We even work with local banks offering loan packaging to potential applicants.
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The CDP's small business and technical assistance programs are made possible by the following funders: |
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Mass Growth Capital Corporation
Cape Cod Five Charitable Foundation Trust
Rockland Trust
Santander Bank
Seamen's Bank Long Point Charitable Foundation
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Follow the CDP on Social Media! |
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. |
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