You can access the report here. Of the main findings, the report highlights the need for the Commonwealth to expand existing workforce training infrastructure, implement flexible and lifelong training, and incentivize employer participation in all stages of workforce development.

Without actively addressing work-adjacent issues such as closing the childcare access gap for working families, expanding public transportation services, increasing housing options, and investing in broadband and IT, workers will be at a disadvantage for years to come. Another integral theme of the report is equity and racial justice. Following the resounding economic and social shifts of recent years, the success of all workers is dependent on incorporating a lens of equity in all decision-making.

Get your authentic street tacos at our newest member Hometown’s Tacos Locos!

(discount applies to individual orders for members, not catered events)

Learn more about this family business and all of their delicious offerings at www.guchanyapastry.com. Watch their Facebook posts for specials and photos of treats that will make your mouth water! YUM!

Stop by the Chamber's new office at 170 Dean Street, Taunton, on Monday, August 1st 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 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. 

Learn more and get your questions answered at the next meeting of the newly formed TACC HR Resource Group. This month’s topic is Exempt vs Non-Exempt Classifications. The discussion will be led by Atty. Wendy Hansen of Foley & Foley, PC.

Cost: Included with membership for TACC members; Prospective Members can attend 1 meeting of the TACC HR Resource Group at no charge then $15.

Registration is required as space is limited. Please indicate if you will be attending in-person or via Zoom.

We’ve got some beautiful new office space FOR LEASE at the TACC HQ! What you’ll get: two offices (350 total sq ft), access to a shared kitchen, conference room, bathroom, and separate entrance for just $900/mo. (utilities included). Located just off the bustling Rt. 44 corridor and close to Rt. 24 at 170 Dean Street in Taunton. BONUS: the friendliest office neighbors you could ask for! Have questions or want to check it out? Reach out to Kris@tauntonareachamber.org or call 508.824.4068.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has announced the agenda for Invention-Con 2022, their free, online flagship event for independent inventors and entrepreneurs, coming August 10-12. Attendees will learn from successful innovators and USPTO experts how intellectual property is key to their success and how the USPTO can help them achieve their dreams. Learn more here.

The MassINC Polling Group and Mass Growth Capital Corporation are conducting an important statewide survey on issues impacting small businesses in Massachusetts.

This survey is for small businesses with 500 employees or less. It’s available in several languages. It should only take about 10 minutes to complete. Your answers will be analyzed together with other responses and will never be used to identify you personally. Survey deadline extended to July 31, 2022.

Thanks to Harvard Catalyst, they are raffling gift cards in amounts of $250, $500, and $1,000 for respondents that provide an email and phone number.

English: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6905954/2022-Small-Business-Survey 

Spanish: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6905954/Spanish 

Portuguese:https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6905954/Portuguese 

Chinese: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6905954/Mandarin 

Haitian Creole: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6905954/Haitian-Creole

Thank you very much for participating in this important initiative.

While many businesses are launching diversity initiatives, there’s one area of diversity you may not have considered—neurodiversity. There are several ways to be designated a neurodiverse-friendly business, whether that’s creating a more inviting atmosphere for neurodiverse customers or creating a workplace where all employees are comfortable and valued. If you want to make your business more diverse from this perspective, learn more here.

The Jockey Club will be hosting a Summer Spectacular Networking on Tuesday, August 9th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. This is a joint event with Cranberry Country Chamber. Join us in the tent for some apps and drinks! 

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 for this fun event!

The Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce is partnering once again with the Cranberry Country Chamber of Commerce to present the 20th Annual Diamonds in the Rough Ladies' Golf Outing on Wednesday, September 14, 2022. It will be held at Hillside Country Club, 82 Hillside Avenue in Rehoboth.

Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. We will be playing 9 holes and the course will be played in a scramble format, with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m. The cost is $80 per player or $300 per foursome and includes green fees, ½ cart, breakfast, lunch, and a gift bag. You can sign up as a single, twosome, threesome, or foursome. There will be prizes on various holes and also raffle drawings.

Princess-Cut Sponsors: Bristol County Savings Bank, G. Lopes Construction and Morton Hospital

14 Cart Sponsors: BankFive, Pet Recess, Taunton Federal Credit Union, T.M. Ryder Insurance Agency

Beverage Cart Sponsor: Jaime Barnes, Ameriprise Financial

If you choose not to golf, you can also contribute by sponsoring a hole ($100), donating a prize item or gift certificate, or providing items for the players' goody bags. You can attend the lunch only for $30.

Register below or contact Lisa to donate a raffle prize or goody bag item.

The Old Colony History Museum (OCHM) is pleased to announce it has received a

$20,000 grant from the Staffing the Humanities initiative from Mass Humanities. Read the press release.

Pitch Your Big Idea to Win $10,000! If you are a small business owner looking to launch a new product or service, or expand an existing product or service, you are invited to participate in HarborOne’s 7th Annual Small Business Pitch Contest. Application is open July 15 - August 31. Learn more.

Mayor Shaunna O’Connell and the City of Taunton will be co-hosting a Complete Streets Funding Program Awards Event at the Taunton Fire Prevention Station in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Learn more here.

Raynham Community Day 2022 (formerly known as Community Pride Day) to be held on Sunday, September 18th, with a rain date of Sunday, September 25th. Learn more here.

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.

Thurs, Aug 18| 1:00 PM 

Research says that for every $1 spent on email marketing, there is an average $44 return on investment. You must implement the right strategy if your business wants to generate similar results.

In this webinar, expert presenter Patty Ross will show you the fundamentals and the advanced techniques of email marketing that will help propel your email efforts into a positive return on investment.

In this webinar, you will learn:

The 5 C’s of email marketing

What to look for when choosing an email platform for your business

Presenter: Patty Ross, California Wine Marketing

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!

·    Consumer Behavior Stats for 2022

·    2022 Top Marketing Challenges

·    Blogging Tips

·    New Rules of Marketing in 2020

·    Digital Marketing Rules

·    Cash Management

tauntonareachamber.org