April Business Connection |
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Board of Directors
Chair of the Board
*Julie Molloy
Compass Real Estate
Vice Chair
*Tim McCabe
The League School
Past Chair
*Robert Ferrini
McGowanPRO
Treasurer
*James Donellon
Gray, Gray & Gray, LLP
General Counsel
*Thomas Flaherty
Bacon Flaherty, LLC
President/CEO
*Thomas O'Rourke
Neponset River Regional Chamber
Anthony Brown
Dedham Savings
Mary Chetwynd
Rockland Trust
Todd J. Chipman, MST, CPA
John T. Chipman & Co., CPAs
Monica Doyle
Legacy Place
Erin Hooker-Thomas, Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane
*Michael Kennedy
Norwood Bank
Jon Levy
American Holt Corporation
Michelle Llorett
Fairfield Inn & Suites
Sal Perla
Norwood Hospital
Jill Rossetti
Blue Hills Regional Technical High School
David Scarcella
Bank of Canton
Shonda Sumpter
Brigham and Women's Health Care Center
Tricia White
Norwood Space Center
Nicole Zea
CertainTeed
*Member of the Executive Committee
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Are You Leaving $ on the Table? |
The Chamber will be receiving a check from the IRS for roughly $8,000. How much could your business get?
After hearing many of my colleagues talk about the refunds they and their member businesses were getting, I tuned in to a webinar by our payroll provider, ConnectPay. The webinar was about the Employee Retention Tax Credit, a program included in the CARES Act in 2020.
Employers, including tax-exempt organizations, are eligible for the credit if in 2020 and 2021 they experienced either:
- the full or partial suspension of the operation of their trade or business during any calendar quarter because of governmental orders limiting commerce, travel or group meetings due to COVID-19, or
- a significant decline in gross receipts as compared to 2019.
After reviewing our eligibility with ConnectPay, we determined that we were eligible for a refund of $8,000. And that is for a business with just 2 employees and we only qualified for one fiscal quarter.
If you haven't looked into this program, you really need to. We will host a webinar with ConnectPay on Tuesday, April 19th at noon at which they will go over the details and take questions from members.
Additionally, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development has announced the creation of a new employer grant program designed to facilitate hiring and training of new employees.
The HireNow Program provides eligible employers flat rate awards in the amount of $4,000 for each eligible newly hired employee. To be eligible for the grant, new hires must be (1) brought on between March 23, 2022 and December 31, 2022, (2) retained for 60 days, (3) a Massachusetts resident working in Massachusetts, and (4) work at least 30 hours per week for a salary between minimum wage and $85,000 a year.
These funds are being issued on a first come, first serve basis through December 31st or until funds are exhausted. To learn more please visit the Commonwealth Corporation’s HireNow webpage
Tom O'Rourke, President and CEO
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Annual Meeting Meeting Draws Big Crowd
(in person!)
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The NRRC held its 128th Annual Meeting last month at the Sheraton Four Points in Norwood. Julie Molloy, Mayer Realty Group was elected as the board chair for 2022. We also recognized Rob Ferrini, McGowanPRO for his two years as board chair, leading the Chamber throughout the pandemic. New board members, Jill Rossetti, Blue Hills Regional Technical High School Superintendent, and Tricia White, Norwood Space Center, were also elected.
Chamber members heard from guest speaker, Mike Kennealy, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development for the Commonwealth as well as a presentation on how the Chamber was able to assist a number of small, local businesses through a state-funded grant program.
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(clockwise from the top left) Board chair, Julie Molloy thanks Rob Ferrini for his tenure as board chair. Karen Thompson, In Touch Well-Being, was recognized for 20 years of membership. Senators Mike Rush and Paul Feeney and Representative John Rogers present a check for $100,000 to the Chamber for additional small business assistance programs for the coming year. Beth Quarles, Dedham Exchange, thanks Kerry Aglugub and Trish White for their work rebuilding the Exchange's website.
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Elder Care Alliance Podcast |
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The Elder Care Alliance is developing a series of podcasts to educate people on “What to Expect as You Age”. Each episode will explore a specific topic, designated by the Alliance, with local speakers who have expertise in the subject. We will cover a wide variety of topics and explore how aging impacts us all.
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Celebrate Restaurant Week with us!
From April 24th - 28th, restaurants in Canton, Dedham, Norwood, Walpole, and Westwood will be putting together their best prix-fixe offers for you to enjoy.
Support your local restaurants and become eligible to win gift cards to our local restaurants! Post a photo on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn and we will pick daily winners to receive the cards. Be sure to tag us @nrrchamber and use #regionalrestaurantweek
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(clockwise from top left) Chamber members enjoyed a delicious lunch at Lewis' last month. Members reconnecting at our Noon Networking. Trillium Brewing hosted our Young Professionals After Hours. Members enjoying locally brewed beverages at Trillium.
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U. S. Chamber Dream Big Awards |
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On Monday, the U.S. Chamber’s Dream Big Awards program officially opened for 2022 application submissions. The annual awards celebrate the success of small businesses and highlight their contributions to America’s economic growth.
This year they will be collecting applications from small business owners through July 8, 2022. They will be recognizing businesses in 8 different award categories: Community Support & Leadership, Emerging Business, Green/Sustainable Business, LGBTQ-Owned Business, Minority-Owned Business, Veteran-Owned Business, Woman-Owned Business, and Young Entrepreneur. All completed applicants will be considered for the Small Business of the Year Award, a $25,000 cash prize!
More information on the awards and the link to submit an application can be accessed by clicking here. |
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Thank You! The following members have renewed their membership with the NRR Chamber |
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Affordable Cleaning Solutions
American Holt Corporation
Avalon Norwood
Comfort Inn Randolph
Conrad's Restaurant
Courtyard Boston - Westwood
Donahue Real Estate
Edgewood Development
Fox Hill Village at Westwood
Hanlon & Associates, LLC
In Touch Well-Being, LLC
J. Williams Insurance Agency
KMA Web Design, LLC
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Law Office of Brian F. Mahoney
M. Donahue & Associates
Massachusetts Association of Realtors
McCafferty & Company, PC
Meantide Associates, LLC
Middlesex Savings Bank
Needham Bank
Norwood Gardens
Norwood Space Center
Norwest Woods
Ryan Seamless Gutter Systems
Sinclaire Enterprises
Vanderveer Motors
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Member Benefit of the Month
401(k) for Small Business
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As you know, the Chamber has implemented a 401(k) program to bring Chamber businesses and their employees a full suite of retirement plan solutions that save time and money. Businesses of all sizes are eligible.
To learn more about the program you can watch our brief introductory video below from Brian Williams of Northshire Consulting or click here. |
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