Every business goes through similar stages, no matter which industry it operates in. Knowing what stage your company is in can help guide you in focusing your efforts on the right activities for your current situation. Here’s an overview of the primary stages of any business.

Stage 1: Development

This stage actually takes place before your business even becomes a business. In this phase, you’ll be developing your products or services, finding suppliers and other service providers, and establishing the goals for your company. Take the time to do ample research on the market you intend to enter so that you can set yourself up for success right from the start.

Stage 2: Startup

Once you have completed the planning process, it’s time to launch your business. This is the riskiest phase for any company in any industry. You’ll need to keep close watch on all company activities to ensure that your team is working on the most critical tasks in this delicate stage. It is also important to be flexible during this period as you gain feedback from your earliest customers. Don’t be afraid to tweak your offerings to better meet the needs of your customers.

Stage 3: Establishment

By this point, your business should have a solid customer base and continue to bring in new customers. Your products and services should have reached their peak at this time as well. Your company’s cash flow should cover your ongoing expenses, and you should be able to see a bit of extra money to cover the expenses related to future growth.

Stage 4: Expansion

Now is the time to start really pushing to grow your business. Draw on your existing customer base for referrals to keep growing your company. This phase is also the ideal time to think about adding new products or services to your arsenal. Use customer feedback to guide you in the best areas for your company to grow. Don’t forget about the importance of delegating once you reach this phase. Your team can likely handle many of the daily tasks you complete yourself, freeing you up to focus more on growing your enterprise.

Stage 5: Maturity

In the maturity stage, you are running a successful business with stable income and high-quality products or services. Your customers are happy with your offerings, and your team is more than capable of handling their work load. At this point, you can keep doing what you are doing, sitting back to watch the profits roll in. You also have the option of selling your company. With this route, you can obtain a large windfall of cash and relieve yourself of the ongoing duties of running your business so that you can shift your focus to your next endeavor.

Although every business is unique, the stages that it will go through are common across all industries. It is important to know where your company falls in this hierarchy so that you know which tasks are most deserving of your time. The better prepared you are for each stage, the easier it will be to progress to the next level.

Leadership comes in many forms, from those who inspire dedication and support to those who rule through fear and intimidation. A true leader is someone who can command those under them without having to resort to extreme tactics. Many great leaders share some common traits, so work to improve these qualities in yourself to establish yourself as a leader in your community.

A Vision for the Future

You won’t get very far as a community leader if you don’t have a destination in mind. In order to get your friends and neighbors to rally around you, they need to have a sense of what your goals are for the community. Take the time to think about what it is that you want for your neighborhood, and find out whether others share your vision. This way, you can all begin to work together towards a common goal.

Humility

One of the marks of a great leader is the ability to recognize when you don’t know something. Admitting that you need outside help or advice is not a sign of weakness but rather a show of wisdom. Just because you ask for help doesn’t make you any less of a leader. Of course, you don’t want to discount your own knowledge, as you have a unique perspective to offer your community. The key is to recognize when others are more qualified to handle certain tasks. True leaders know when to do the work themselves and when to delegate.

Charisma

Some people seem to have a quality about them that just draws people to them, even if you can’t pinpoint what it is exactly. You’ll need charisma to succeed as a community leader because you need to be able to persuade people to listen to what you have to say. Take every opportunity you can get to refine your public speaking and networking skills. As you continue to rise through the ranks of your community, you’ll need to draw on these skills more and more frequently.

Bringing Out the Best in Others

A true leader knows how to maximize other people’s strengths by encouraging and supporting them. Rather than clawing your way to the top by tearing down those around you, it is far better to build yourself up by building a strong team. With everyone working together, the entire team gains greater recognition, and as the leader, you’ll get the most recognition of all. You’ll get greater loyalty from your team as well, as they’ll be more inclined to support you when they feel valued and that their skills are being put to good use.

Patience

You won’t become a community leader overnight, so you’ll need to have the patience necessary to gradually build your audience over time. If you take the time to get involved in your community and listen to what your peers are saying, you’ll establish yourself as an active member of society. Over time, your neighbors will start to get to know you and value your opinion. As you continue to grow and expand your influence, you’ll be well on your way to establishing yourself as a community leader.

There is no time like the present to start grooming yourself to become a pillar of your community. Focus on self-development and improving the community around you, and the rest will eventually fall into place.

FEB. 26, 2021…..It’s the supply, stupid.

Those weren’t the exact words Gov. Charlie Baker used Thursday, but as he got barraged with criticism from Democratic lawmakers eager to show they were ready to stand up to the Republican administration, it was a defense he would return to again and again.

The new Joint Committee on COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness’s vaccine oversight hearing was must-see streaming on Beacon Hill, even with the governor trying to offer his own counter-programming.

The state’s vaccine rollout, and more specifically its online appointment booking system, continued to be a source of consternation this week. While the system didn’t crash, per se, the experience of fighting online with hundreds of thousands of people for one of the 50,000 new appointments left an anxious public unpacified.

The math just doesn’t work, Baker told lawmakers who were seeking answers, or someone to blame. When the feds give us more doses, we’ll vaccinate more people, he said.

However, the limited-supply argument only took the governor so far as he testified for about an hour before the committee, whose members felt that just putting shots in people’s arms wasn’t a sufficient measure of success.

They weren’t there to hear the governor recite statistics about Massachusetts ranking tops in the country for first doses administered among states with more than 5 million residents, or that Bloomberg placed the state second for first doses administered to Black residents. Though he did do that.

“You’re missing how broken the system is right now,” said Rep. William Driscoll, a Milton Democrat and co-chair of the committee.

Residents — their constituents – were tired and frustrated of logging onto the state’s vaccine website day-after-day, week-after-week, only to find there are either no appointments available or, as occurred Thursday, they were in line behind 90,000 other people. There has to be a better way, lawmakers said.

“Will you say sorry to the million of people…,” said Sen. Eric Lesser, in one of the most pointed lines of questioning the governor faced all day.

“Of course, absolutely. Definitely. Yes, of course,” Baker said.

In the middle of this tense back and forth between Baker and legislators, it leaked out that Baker was about to announce that the state would allow fans to return to large venues like Fenway Park in time for Opening Day.

He would use his 1 p.m. event in Salem as a reason to duck out of the 11 a.m. oversight hearing, though he promised he would come back in a few weeks when asked.

But at the Ledger Restaurant and Bar, Baker announced that the reopening phase he first described back in May as the “New Normal” was finally on the horizon.

Beginning March 22, Baker said the state would move into Phase 4, meaning Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium and TD Garden could reopen to spectators, although at a limited 12 percent capacity. For baseball fans, that means about 4,500 people will be able to watch the first pitch get thrown live on April 1.

The push ahead into the next phase of economic activity also means that gathering size limits on indoor and outdoor events will increase to 100 and 150, respectively. So as Massachusetts mourns the anniversary of the superspreader Biogen conference this week, it can also look ahead to the return, on a much smaller scale, of conferences … and weddings … with dancing.

Even before that happens, the administration said beginning Monday most businesses will see their capacity limits increased to 50 percent. Concert halls and theaters will be allowed to reopen at half capacity, capped at 500 people, roller rinks and other indoor recreation facilities will be back in business. And restaurants beginning will no longer have a percent capacity limit and will be permitted to host musical performances, with six-foot social distancing enforced and limits of six people per table and 90-minute seatings.

“We’re almost there,” Baker said. “We’re going to continue to move forward and if all goes according to plan and the feds increase supply (of vaccine) we could be in a very different position a couple, three months from now,” Baker said.

There was that supply issue again, and it could improve soon. Pfizer and Moderna both told Congress that they planned to significantly ramp up production in March, and the FDA on Friday was considering Johnson & Johnson’s application for emergency use of its one-dose vaccine.

But in the meantime, Baker said vaccines are not required to safely bring students back to school, and wants to see that happen by April.

Education Commissioner Jeff Riley helped lay out the administration’s plan on Tuesday to bring elementary school students back to the classroom full time by April.

About 80 percent of districts have brought students back at least part-time, and the administration’s position is that the improved health conditions no longer justify waiting, at least for younger students.

The administration’s goal was a slam dunk. It was hard to find anyone who didn’t think children belong in a classroom and would benefit socially and academically from a return to in-person learning. The controversy remains about how to make that happen.

“The state’s plan to fully reopen most schools in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic shows callous disregard for the health and safety of school employees, students and families and rides roughshod over the rights and interests of local communities,” said Massachusetts Teachers Association President Merrie Najimy.

And Najimy isn’t alone in thinking teachers – who are in the next group to be vaccinated — deserve even greater prioritization. House Speaker Ron Mariano amplified the issue last weekend in a television interview when he said he thought teachers should be moved “to the head of the line.”

But this week, Mariano was all about pushing through a package of legislative rules that stopped short of the transparency-driven reforms passed by the Senate that would make sure all committee votes are published online and written testimony to committees be made public upon request Rules reformers, like freshman Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven, found more support among her Republican colleagues than her fellow Democrats for matching the Senate’s proposal. But that’s actually not an unusual phenomenon when it comes to debating the rules.

While the joint House-Senate rules sparked considerable back-and-forth, there were no objections to calling off a special election for mayor of Boston this year. The House and Senate both enacted a necessary home rule petition to make that happen should Walsh resign before next Friday, as one of their own – Rep. Jon Santiago of the South End – jumped into the race for mayor.

The new speaker also told House members that he would seek to extend voting-by-mail through June while the House works on making the option permanent in Massachusetts. An extension of the voting-by-mail rules past March 31 would ensure that all municipal elections planned for this spring would be covered.

Massachusetts Republican Party Chairman Jim Lyons, however, said he is still waiting for Secretary of State William Galvin to acknowledge GOP requests for a full review of the 2020 election and the strengths and vulnerabilities of the mail-in voting system.

Regardless of how that debate unfolds, voters in the 19th Suffolk District will choose before the end of next month who should replace former Speaker Robert DeLeo and represent them in the House.

That race got rocked this week by allegations of sexual harassment against former DeLeo and Sen. Paul Feeney aide Tino Capobianco, who quickly saw endorsements from Attorney General Maura Healey, Joseph Kennedy III and even Feeney disappear. Capobianco denied the thrust of the allegations, reported by GBH, and apologized if he hurt anyone, but voters will deliver the ultimate verdict in the primary on Tuesday.

They may be at odds over voting, but Lyons and Galvin were able to agree Friday, along with Democratic Party Chairman Gus Bickford and BC Law School Dean Vincent Rougeau, to offer Woburn City Clerk Bill Campbell the job of director of the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

Campbell will be the first new head of the campaign finance agency in more than 25 years.

That’s less than the maximum sentence for one count of bank fraud, to which former Rep. David Nangle pleaded guilty to four of this week as part of a plea agreement with departing U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling.

All told, the Lowell Democrat pleaded guilty to 10 counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, four counts of making false statements to a bank and five counts of filing false tax returns. Nangle’s crimes involved using campaign funds to pay for golf club memberships and his casino gambling habits, as well as fraudulently securing loans by concealing his debt and using that money to gamble.

Federal prosecutors did not make a recommendation of prison time, but the 11-term legislator who lost reelection last year while under indictment has a sentencing hearing set for June 24.

BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced a new $4.7 million initiative to promote COVID-19 vaccine equity in the 20 communities most disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The Administration also announced 11 high-efficiency regional vaccination collaboratives involving local health officials and other regional partners.

Vaccination Appointments: Tomorrow, around 50,000 new appointments will be added at mass vaccination locations across the Commonwealth. This includes the mass vaccination locations at Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, Springfield, Danvers, Dartmouth and Natick. Retail pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens will also administer over 20,000 doses next week as well.

Residents can go to www.mass.gov/COVIDvaccine tomorrow morning to find and schedule their appointments. Appointment availability is very limited due to the constrained supply of vaccine doses that the Commonwealth is receiving from the federal government.

$4.7 Million for Vaccine Equity: The Administration today announced a $4.7 million effort to support its vaccine equity initiative announced last week, which focuses on reducing barriers to vaccination in the 20 hardest-hit communities in the Commonwealth. The Administration will work with Archipelago Strategies Group (ASG) and Health Care for All (HCFA) to best leverage these funds.

The initiative will support and coordinate with local leaders and community- and faith-based organizations to strengthen existing efforts in these cities and towns. These efforts will specifically focus on communities of color, homebound seniors, disabled individuals and other hard-to-reach populations. ASG and HCFA will provide hyperlocal, population-specific communication resources as well as hiring local residents and working with local organizations with cultural and linguistic competencies to reach disparately impacted populations in each priority municipality. ASG specializes in grassroots mobilization, partnering with local leaders, community organizations, and media partners to develop community-based solutions. As a subcontractor, HCFA will provide high-touch support for priority communities, including direct service support, community organizing, education, and outreach.

This work will complement the Commonwealth’s $2.5 million public awareness campaign, “Trust the Facts, Get the Vax,” adapting the campaign’s messaging for specific communities. The initiative will focus on the 20 municipalities with the greatest COVID-19 case burden, taking into account social determinants of health and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on people of color. These communities are Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Framingham, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, New Bedford, Randolph, Revere, Springfield and Worcester. This work will be coordinated with targeted opportunities for increased vaccine access through existing and new locations, including pop up sites and mobile clinics.

Regional Collaboratives: In addition, the Administration today also designated 11 new regional collaboratives that will support efforts to streamline vaccination efforts. These collaboratives will leverage local health officials, regional hospitals and others to deliver high-throughput, efficient vaccination sites for all eligible residents across the Commonwealth beginning March 1. Collaboratives must meet several criteria:

• Have capacity to vaccinate a minimum of 750 individuals per day, 5 days per week (subject to vaccine availability);
• Meet an administration rate threshold of 85% and report doses within 24 hours;
• Be open to all residents of the Commonwealth (collaborations may focus outreach efforts towards those who live or work in the area, but must be open to all Massachusetts residents)
• Provide public links for vaccine appointments on www.mass.gov/COVIDVaccine.

New and existing collaboratives announced today:

• Barnstable County
• Berkshire County Boards of Health Association
• Franklin County Regional Collaborative
• Harrington Hospital, in Collaboration with LBOH
• Heywood Hospital, in Collaboration with LBOH
• Lawrence General Hospital, in Collaboration with LBOH
• Marshfield-Plymouth
• Northampton & Amherst
• Randolph – Collaboration between Avon, Holbrook, and Randolph
• Rutland
• Worcester, Worcester State University, Commonwealth Medicine and St. Vincent Hospital

Information about booking appointments through these collaboratives will be available on www.mass.gov/COVIDvaccine in the coming days.

Regional collaborative leaders on their programs:

Marshfield-Plymouth: “The Marshfield Fairgrounds drive-through site is a place for residents on the South Shore to get vaccinated while in their cars without the worry of parking, walking, or waiting in line. Special thanks to Governor Baker, Lt. Governor Polito and their administration for supporting this site to service so many people in South Eastern Mass. The more people we can get vaccinated the closer we get to ‘herd immunity.’ This pandemic does not recognize town borders, and neither can we.” – Michael Maresco, Marshfield Town Administrator

Lawrence General Hospital, in collaboration with local health departments: “Our Lawrence General Hospital vaccination team is currently vaccinating over 1,000 people a day including some of the most vulnerable in our community. The communities we serve have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and Lawrence General Hospital remains committed and eager to continue working closely with city leaders and state health officials as we ramp up vaccination efforts here in the Merrimack Valley.” – Deborah J. Wilson, President and CEO of Lawrence General Hospital

Berkshire County Boards of Health Association: “We recognized early-on that working together would be the most effective way to vaccinate our community here in the Berkshires. Our local health care organizations and public health departments had been partnering since the beginning of the pandemic, and collaborative vaccination clinics were the natural next step. We are grateful to the Commonwealth for helping us to formally create the Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative, and we look forward to continuing our work to vaccinate our entire community.” – Laura Kittross, Director of the Berkshire County Boards of Health Association, and Darlene Rodowicz, Executive Vice President of Berkshire Health Systems

Randolph: “Since February 5th, Randolph has been operating as a regional Covid-19 vaccination site in collaboration with our neighboring communities of Avon and Holbrook. As our efforts ramp up to vaccinate Massachusetts residents through the different phases of eligibility, we are grateful for this opportunity and partnership with the COVID Command Center. This step towards vaccine distribution equity is important and Randolph is proud to partner with the state to ensure a smooth and efficient process.”  – Gerard F. Cody, REHS/RS, Randolph Public Health Director

Rutland: “The Town of Rutland is pleased to operate a regional COVID vaccination site. Rutland is the geographic center of the Commonwealth. We anticipate operating at 750 vaccine doses daily / 5 days a week. We are happy to fulfill this need in Central MA.” – Richard C Stevens, Rutland Health Agent

Heywood Hospital, in collaboration with local health departments: “In partnership with the City of Gardner, Heywood Healthcare opened its Covid-19 Vaccine Clinic on January 28, 2021. Located at the Polish American Citizens Club in Gardner, the clinic is staffed primarily by community volunteers consisting of retired physicians and RNs, in addition to Mount Wachusett Community College nursing students. It’s an honor to provide this service to our community, and we look forward to expanding that service to more individuals eligible for vaccine. We are grateful for our partnership with the state as we work through this pandemic and look forward to coming out on the other side. During its first month of service, operations at the clinic quickly ramped up from 200 doses administered during one session per week to nearly 2,500 doses now being administered during three sessions per week.” – Rozanna Penney, Vice President of Perioperative Services and Clinic Director at Heywood Hospital

Harrington Hospital, in collaboration with local health departments: “Harrington began providing vaccine to its employees in mid-December and quickly moved to vaccinate first responders. We then began working with the State to receive more vaccine to become a Statewide site and partnered with the local and regional communities. We worked closely with Southbridge to utilize their community center and gained support from local police and fire/EMS. This is an ongoing critical partnership! We went from vaccinating about 150 per day and now are doing more than 500 per day. The Commonwealth has supported our program as essential to provide vaccine to all those that are eligible.” – Ed Moore, President and CEO of Harrington Hospital

Northampton & Amherst: “I’m proud that Northampton has been chosen to fulfill this critical role for the people of Western Massachusetts. We take our responsibility very seriously as we work to get everyone vaccinated and get all our lives back to normal. I’m proud to have strong partners in the Town of Amherst and the State Department of Public Health to accomplish our mission as fast as possible.” – Merridith O’Leary, Northampton Public Health Director

Whether you’ve recently relocated, you’re dissatisfied with the care you’ve received at your current dentist, or you’ve just never gotten around to finding one, choosing the right dentist can feel overwhelming. Before you get your floss in a wad, take a look at our tips for choosing a great dentist.

Check Your Insurance

If you have dental insurance, then finding out which dentists are in your network should be your first order of business. Most insurance companies provide this information on their website. If you can’t locate this information, then a quick call to your provider will give you the information you need. This will narrow your search considerably, making it easier to quickly find a dentist.

Ask for Recommendations

Once you’ve narrowed your search, seek out recommendations. If you’re searching for a dentist because you’ve relocated, then your current dentist may be able to recommend a dentist that is near your new home. If you know people in the area, then ask around; oftentimes, you’ll hear the names of one or two dentist offices that people have had consistently good experiences with.

Look at Treatments Offered

Some dentists also have training in orthodontics, while others specialize in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Other dentists have received extra training beyond dentals school to provide pediatric care, and still others specialize in periodontics. Consider the unique needs that you and the members of your household have, and look for a dentist that offers the specialized care that you need.

Consider the Location and Office Hours

No matter how wonderful the dentist is, if they’re located 45 minutes away from your home or workplace, then keeping regular appointments will be a challenge. The same goes for office hours. If the dentist you choose is only open three days a week and their hours of operation are also the hours that you will be at work, then you’ll have a difficult time keeping regularly scheduled visits. Look for a dentist that is conveniently located and has office hours that will accommodate your busy schedule.

Personal Comfort

One of the primary things to consider when you choose a dentist is how comfortable you feel with that person. Do you feel free to talk about your symptoms and ask questions? Do you feel as though the dentist rushes through your check-ups rather than taking time to hear and understand your concerns? If you are receiving a procedure like a filling or a root canal, do you feel comfortable expressing your anxiety or asking for more pain medicine? While some discomfort with certain procedures may be inevitable, your dentist should provide attentive and empathetic care.

Choosing a dentist can feel like a daunting task, but by taking these things into consideration, you can pick one that will fit your needs and lifestyle.

North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce has some great dentists that are members. To check out a full list of dental chamber members, visit https://web.northcentralmass.com/Health-Care-and-Medical/Dentist.