Join us for the next session of our Chamber Chat virtual networking series! Meet other members in this fun and informal setting with trivia and prizes! This session is Tuesday, November 9th at 1:00 p.m. and is sponsored by our newest member The Star Drive-In. Register below for this event.

You could sponsor a future session for just $50! Email kris@tauntonareachamber.org for sponsorship details.

We are proud to announce a new collaboration with the Town of Dighton! Jon Geggatt, a member of our Board of Directors and Ambassador for the Chamber, was recently sworn in to serve a 5-year term on the Dighton Development and Industrial Commission.

"I am proud to represent the Taunton Area Chamber on the Development and Industrial Commission for the Town of Dighton. I look forward to contributing to this important effort to support the growth and sustainability of our local community business environment." - Jon Geggatt

Our board members do so much for our communities; they share their experiences, knowledge, and expertise in countless ways.

Thank you Jon, for your continuous efforts in helping our communities thrive!

Latino Business Series Replay: Contabilidad para su Negocio y Beneficios que Usted Puede Obtener en el Banco

Did you miss this webinar for Latino small businesses, sponsored by HarborOne Bank?  Click here to register to watch the replay (in Spanish).

Mayor Shaunna O’Connell announced the VaxBus will be returning to the City of Taunton on Friday, November 5th at Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School from 2:00 - 8:00 p.m. Read the press release. ​ 

Mayor O’Connell created a Taunton Women’s Business Group this past year to provide resource information and networking opportunities for our local women business owners. They are hosting the next meeting on Thursday, November 4^th at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall. There will be two guest speakers, including Maretta Johnson, a local businesswoman, and Bill Roth, the Director of the City’s Office of Economic and Community Development. This will be an informative and inspiring meeting. They welcome any new members interested in joining the group, or even someone who is simply interested in attending the next meeting. Any questions may be directed to the Mayor’s Office at 508-821-1000.

The Replenishing Employer Investment in Education & Workforce Training (RENEW) program will support education and training models that retrain unemployed individuals and place them in jobs with partnering employers. This is one workforce intervention to equip individuals to take on good jobs, with the close participation of employers in the design, implementation, and success of the program. Lead applicants can be community-based organizations, including adult basic education providers, employer associations, higher education institutions, labor organizations, local workforce development entities, local workforce boards, and others. Read more about the program and review the application here.

Join the SBA on Friday, November 5th from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. for this Veterans Business Support Workshop in collaboration with SCORE Worcester.

In this virtual workshop, you will learn about the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), its' Resource Partners, and free support services available to help you start and grow your Veteran-owned business.

They will also have an SBA Lender Panel explaining how to access capital and you will hear from Veteran Business Owners on their challenges and success. All are invited to join, you don't have to be a Veteran. Register here.

Businesses can still apply for two MGCC programs that provide small businesses with critical investment and resources to grow their businesses. The Biz-M-Power Program provides grants to match crowd-funding raised by the businesses, and Empower Digital brings together technical assistance and small grants to invest in products and services to improve their digitization (both for brick-and-mortar businesses only). Businesses should approach SBTA providers listed as participating in the program to apply.

The SBA and Public Private Strategies Institute have teamed up to provide small business owners with a series of webinars that will cover resources to help small businesses grow and thrive. Join them for the next session on Wednesday, November 10 at 2:00 p.m. for Community Navigators and Supporting Women Business Owners Women’s Programs. Learn more and register here.

The next session of the Young Professionals Group Informational Series, Life Skills - Accepting Constructive Criticism, will be held virtually on Thursday, November 18th at 12:00 noon.

Learn with us as Tom Harkins talks self-improvement through Accepting Constructive Criticism and becoming more self-aware! Tom Harkins is on the BCC Alumni Steering Committee. This informational series is sponsored by Commonwealth Alternative Care. Register below.

Get an update on state happenings and have your questions answered during this Q&A with State Representative Carol Doherty, sponsored by The Lopes Companies. Submit questions in advance here. Register below to attend this Zoom session on Tuesday, November 30th at 9:00 a.m.

Stop by the Taunton Small Business & Artist Vendor Fair this Sunday and visit the TACC table!

Included in this month’s edition are the following news and information updates:

- Gratitude and Reflections from this week’s Nor’easter

- Special Town Meeting Scheduled for Monday evening

- DPD and DFD Share Tips for Halloween and Trick-or-Treating

- Community Electricity Aggregation Update Provided to Board of Selectmen

- Dighton Portal Additional News and Updates

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.

Your website is your digital front door, your best salesperson... or your weakest link for supporting your revenue goals.

Whether you are an eCommerce shop, a brick and mortar business, or a nonprofit, your website should be built to deliver an intended result. Join experienced digital marketer (and 25+ year web designer) Dale Shadbegian as he explores a step-by-step process for planning an effective website:

• Outlining the goals of a website

• Best practices for content and creativity

• Examples of great websites, and ones that could use improvements

• Overview of the latest tools to see how your website is being used

Register here.

The question many business leaders have is….How can I get more people to buy? Especially in the world today - businesses struggle to find better ways to market their products and services. Yet successful companies are leveraging the internet and capturing new ways to sell virtually, and the really successful ones learned where to get grants and supports from the government to expand internationally.

In this workshop, learn how to build a strategy and connect with your clients, no matter where they are in the world. Bring your questions, challenges, and visions to this interactive workshop with two highly experienced marketing pros!

Objectives:

• Define your buyer persona

• Understand what makes you different and better

• Develop messages that make your buyers act

• Adapt your marketing to bring Inbound leads in from around the world

• Delighting your international clients so they stay around

Presenters: Sarah Ginand, owner of Strategic Marketing Consulting, and Wendy MacKenzie, owner and president of Rapport International

Register 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!

·    Blogging Tips

·    New Rules of Marketing in 2020

·    Digital Marketing Rules

·    Cash Management

tauntonareachamber.org