Chamber Updates, Member News

& Tips for Business You Can Use

Dear Members,

First off, some housekeeping - the office will be closed on Monday in observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day. We will back on Tuesday.

A couple of weeks ago we introduced Mölnlycke as a new BBRC member but failed to mention that they came on board as a Cornerstone Member at the Chamber Partner level. It goes without saying that that level of commitment to the chamber is both exciting and incredibly important to the development of our programming and the chamber itself. We are so grateful for the continued support of all our members but Cornerstone Members really help us move forward.

For those of you who may not be familiar with Mölnlycke, they "design and supply medical solutions to enhance performance in healthcare" right here on Brunswick Landing! You can learn more about what they do over on their website.

We Need MTF Volunteers!

As with most fundraising events, volunteers are the biggest key to success. When you show up at MTF (or any event!), know that hundreds of hours that have gone into planning trees, setting up, decorating, cataloguing, scheduling, logistics, and a million other things! None of it would be possible without volunteers.

So we ask that you take a look at the website, check your calendar, and see where you may be able to help out. The MTF is a fun way to kick off the holiday season and what better way than helping to raise money for a bunch of great causes?

Need more MTF info? Scroll down!

Events, News & Notes

October 6, 2023

Will we see you on Tuesday10th at Olive Pit Brewing for Drinks with Neighbors? Join us and the Lisbon Economic and Community Development for what's sure to be a fantastic event!

Congratulations to MCFA's Ben Martens on being named to the Mainebiz NextUp: 40 Under 40! This list specifically recognizes Maine leaders who share their energy and vision as they rise in their careers. They come from a wide range of industries and professions and we're so lucky to call one of them one of our own!

BBRC Workshop Series: How Do I Get There From Here? Resources for Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs

Ask any small business owner and they'll tell you: whether you've been doing it for a short or long period of time, the struggle is very real. In this first workshop in BBRC’s new How Do I Get There From Here? Workshop Series we have experts from Coastal Enterprises Inc. (CEI) and the Small Business Administration (SBA), joining us to share the most common missteps and solutions they see when they meet with businesses. You’ll also hear from local business leader Allison Hopkins about the tools and programs she utilized through these two organizations to have success in growing her business.  

NEW* Specific Topics to Include:

• Steps (and missteps) on the Entrepreneurial Journey
• Employee Retention Strategies
• Looking Into the Off-Season
• Customer Identification & Product Improvement
• ...and much more

All are welcome on Wednesday, October 18th from 10:00 to 11:30am at the BBRC office. The format will be presentations from our three guest speakers with lots of time dedicated to Q&A from those in the room. Pre-registration is required and is open on our website. We’ll have more details on specific topics next week, but honestly with the time devoted to Q&A you can bring forward any issue you are having and we will do our best to give you a little direction and guidance. 

Discover a diverse range of business-building insights in these workshops from SCORE Maine. "Starting Your Own Business" offers a comprehensive 90-minute webinar covering entrepreneurial essentials, from debunking myths to crafting business plans, with the added bonus of SCORE Mentorship. Lastly, our QuickBooks for Desktop training series, led by experienced instructor Michael Fortin, equips you with the skills to take control of your company's finances through comprehensive QuickBooks Desktop training, making it accessible whether you're new to QuickBooks or looking to enhance your proficiency. In Maine Technology Institute's Grants & Programs for Your Business, you will have the opportunity to gain valuable insights into MTI's funding process, understand the criteria they consider when evaluating projects, and learn how to navigate the application and selection procedures.

Don't miss the opportunity to boost your business knowledge across marketing, entrepreneurship, and financial management with these practical workshops.

Our next Chamber After Hours is hosted by Reform Physical Therapy at their Topsham location. Registration is now open!

Bowdoin International Music Festival Launches Series Featuring the Ying Quartet at Nomad Pizza

The Bowdoin International Music Festival is thrilled to launch a three concert series featuring the Ying Quartet at Brunswick’s Nomad Pizza on October 23, February 12, and April 29. The series follows two popular Festival event

s at Nomad last year and will offer inspiring music collaborations, gourmet pizza, and craft beverages. “Our continued partnership with Nomad brings together two cherished aspects of Brunswick’s cultural scene: extraordinary music and fantastic food. We are excited to create opportunities for our community to gather throughout the year over our shared love of chamber music in this vibrant downtown space,” said Festival Executive Director Daniel Nitsch.

Read more about the series, including where to get tickets, over on our blog.

2023 Midcoast Tree Festival Updates

What is the Midcoast Tree Festival (MTF)?

Each November, the BBRC partners with Spectrum Generations and All Saints Parish to put on the MTF. It is a fundraiser for all three organizations with money going to support Meals on Wheels, programs of the Parish, and the BBRC. It is held over two weekends at the St. John's Community Center in Brunswick - Nov. 17-19 (the weekend before Thanksgiving) and 24-26 (Black Friday through Sunday). We saw over 1,500 families come through the doors last year and are so excited to see more this year!

What can visitors expect?

The Community Center is filled with trees decorated with gifts donated by local businesses, each with a value of at least $500, some as much as $5,000! Visitors have the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets at 50 cents each - put your raffle ticket into the bucket of the tree of your choice for your chance to win the entire tree's worth of prizes! This year we are expecting to have 55 trees to raffle off, including the Mega tree!

How do you get a tree in the MTF?

Currently we are registering businesses and organizations for trees. We already have 40 of the 55 tree spaces spoken for so needless to say, they're going quickly! Some things to know:

• The value of the gifts on the tree must be at least $500 - that could mean 100 things worth $5 each or 1 thing worth $500. Truly the options are endless.
• The "tree" is provided by the registrant - while most participants choose an evergreen (per fire code, it must be fake!), we've had palm trees, kegs stacked to resemble a tree (looking at you, Flight Deck!), boxes stacked in a tree-like form - you get the idea! We're totally into creativity if you don't want to do a traditional holiday evergreen.

NEW* The deadline for tree registration is when we get the 55th tree space accounted for OR Friday, October 27th, whichever comes first. The deadline for getting us your list of gifts/items for the tree is Halloween, (October 31). Why so early? Because the state requires us to send them this information 10 business days prior to the event and we need time in the office to gather, organize, and present it to them in the proper format.

How do I register?

Our MTF Website is no longer active this year. To be blunt, we got locked out by WordPress and after three weeks of trying to solve it, we've decided we cannot wait any longer to get it active and updated (quite frustrating). With that, we will be splitting the online presence between two of our existing entities for this year:

BBRC Website- Forms & Guidelines

The BBRC website now has an active MTF page at www.midcoastmaine.com/midcoasttreefestival this pages includes tree registration, guidelines, sponsor registrations and more. As the volunteer links and other pieces become active this will be where we host the resources.

MTF Facebook Page

For marketing, event news updates and more at:

www.facebook.com/midcoasttreefestival

What if we want to support but don't want to do a tree?

Check out the Sponsor Page below!

Got Questions? E-mail Cory with anything

Have a wonderful weekend!

Brunswick Landing Neighborhood News

We’re thrilled to announce launch of Brunswick Landing Neighborhood News, a new publication of the BBRC focusing on Brunswick Landing events and business updates, news from MRRA, and infrastructure information. It is intended to both highlight things happening on Brunswick Landing, and to share information that is highly-impactful to Brunswick Landing businesses.

Please note that this is a separate newsletter from the weekly Chamber newsletter. If you would like to be included, you must sign up using this link.

Anyone is welcome to sign up however submissions will be limited to BL businesses and BL news with very few exceptions. Feel free to submit anything you think may be relevant but we will be the final arbiters of what is included. That said, your submission could very well end up in our regular Chamber newsletter. 

After Hours, 12 @ 12, & Cornerstone Info

Chamber After Hours hosts get the chance to show off their space to 60-80 attendees and educated them on their organization. While we are fully booked for the remainder of 2023, we're always happy to secure hosts for 2024. More information and application can be found below.

2023 Cornerstone Memberships Are Still Open!

Help Sponsor All the BBRC Does in 2023

The Cornerstone Membership Program is a tiered program of support that includes 12 months of annual dues*. Cornerstone Members are recognized supporters of all chamber events/activities in a year including: The BBRC Awards Dinner, Hacker's Ball, Midcoast Tree Festival, all Chamber After Hours and more. Cornerstone members also receive a tiered marketing package for the year.

Cornerstone Member $5000

The top tier makes you our Cornerstone Member for your industry, includes 12 months of your dues, and gets you primary recognition at chamber programs and activities. There is exclusivity as only six members can be at this level, and five are spoken for at this moment. 1 remaining.

Chamber Partner $2,000

The second level, called our Chamber Partner level, gets you 12 months of your dues, secondary recognition at chambers programs and activities and is open to all.

Chamber Supporter $1000

This tertiary level of support is ideal for smaller members as this includes $400 towards your annual dues payment along with recognition at chamber events and some marketing too.

The BBRC News & Notes are generously sponsored by

Our 2023 Cornerstone Banking Member: 

The BBRC News & Notes are generously sponsored by

Our 2023 Cornerstone Commercial Real Estate Member: 

The BBRC News & Notes are generously sponsored by

Our 2023 Cornerstone Residential Real Estate Member: 

The BBRC News & Notes are generously sponsored by

Our 2023 Cornerstone Healthcare Member: 

The BBRC News & Notes are generously sponsored by

Our 2023 Cornerstone Automotive Sales Member: 

Darling's Brunswick Ford