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10/27/15 – NCM Development Corporation Press Release Entrepreneur Workshop
All-Day Workshops Scheduled for Entrepreneurs in Gardner
The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation, the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, and TD Bank are holding two business workshops on October 27 in Gardner aimed at assisting potential and existing entrepreneurs.
The free workshops are being held in cooperation with the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC), the Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce, SCORE, and Twin Cities CDC.
Both workshops will last approximately 2.5 hours and will be held at the Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce, 29 Parker Street, Gardner on Tuesday, October 27.
Session I: Fundamentals in Planning, Preparing, and Financing Your Business will run from 8:45 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and will focus on evaluating and understanding the fundamentals of owning one’s own business. Information on how to get started, where and how to get financing and the loan application process will be presented. Registration begins at 8:30. Breakfast will be provided for all participants. Presented by Roland Nutter, AdviCoach
Session II: Understanding the Purpose of Financial Statements and How They Can Help Determine the Health of Your Business will run from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will focus on understanding a balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement. The workshop will also explain how a small business owner can anticipate financial needs in order to operate his/her business more efficiently. Registration begins at 11:00. Lunch will be provided for all participants. Presented by Robert C. Alario, CPA
To register, please contact Sandie Cataldo at 978-353-7600 ext. 232 or or register online at northcentralmass.com.
The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation (NCMDC) is a non-profit corporation with the mission of creating jobs and improving the economy of North Central Massachusetts. NCMDC is certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the U.S. Department of the Treasury under the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Program. The NCMDC works in partnership with local banks, credit unions, chambers of commerce and area nonprofits to support emerging microenterprises, small businesses, and community projects with loans and business assistance. Since 1996, the NCMDC has granted over $4,200,000 in loans to small businesses to help grow jobs and the economy in 26 communities in the North Central Massachusetts region.
For more information about the NCMDC loan programs, please call 978-353-7607.
Marketing classes for the Center for Women and Enterprise in Worcester
Marketing classes for the Center for Women and Enterprise in Worcester, 50 Elm Street, Worcester. (women and men invited)
Each class is $20 per person (except for the Word Press, which is $50) and is presented from 4pm – 6pm.
Tuesday, September 22nd – The Importance of Networking and Creating an Effective Elevator Speech
Thursday, October 8th – Business Logo Basics – Creating Your Logo
Tuesday, October 13th – Your Business Brochure – What will you do with it? What do you expect it to do for you?
Tuesday, October 20th – Marketing on a Shoestring – Low-Cost/No-Cost Marketing Tools
Tuesday, October 27th – Word Press Website Basics – What you need to know to plan and launch a Word Press Website (This workshop will be presented with Geralyn Miller of Geralyn Miller Design, Littleton, MA)
NR New Look of Appleseed.org
The New Face of Appleseed.org Fitchburg
(July 7th ) – The Johnny Appleseed Trail Association (JATA), through a grant awarded by the Massachusetts Office of Administration and Finance, has launched a new website redesign to visitnorthcentral.com to better promote North Central Massachusetts as a tourist destination to the traveling public and the local community. The new website serves as the official, premier resource for travelers, the media, group tour operators and locals interested in learning more about the region’s unique attractions, businesses and events.
The new design will give users a unique experience every time they visit the site that focuses more on members and local events. The website was performing on a ten years old platform, and was receiving over 160,000 hits a year. The upgrade and redesign will allow JATA to publish additional content and create a more user friendly website all while increasing interconnectivity between the traveling public and local businesses and events. By increasing the site’s capabilities it will be able to bring a greater visibility to the local tourism industry, and to better market North Central Massachusetts as a unique tourist destination, and continue the growth of tourism as an economic driver in the region.
“We are very excited about this new and improved website. In today’s highly competitive travel marketplace, it’s essential that our region stay competitive by maintaining a cutting-edge website that’s attractive and engaging and helps grow our share of the tourism business.” said Suzanne Farias, General Manager of the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Leominster and Chair of the Board of Directors for the Johnny Appleseed Trail Association. “We expect the new visitnorthcentral.com to be a wonderful new tool in showcasing the many great things that North Central Massachusetts has to offer and growing the economic impact of the tourism industry to our local communities.”
Visitors to visitnorthcentral.com will be able to look up what to do, where to stay, and where to go shop and eat all within North Central Massachusetts. New to the site is an ability for users to see local deals and promotions in the region. Business and organizations also have a place where they are able to submit both deals and events that they would like to have posted on visitnorthcentral.com.
The Johnny Appleseed Trail Association is the official designated Regional Tourism Council serving the 26 cities and towns of North Central Massachusetts. The organization’s primary mission is to educate the traveling public, tourists, and residents of North Central Massachusetts about the many historical, cultural, and hospitality related sites within this scenic New England Region. Through this mission the Johnny Appleseed Trail Association works collectively with local attractions, hospitality businesses and local communities to market the North Central region as a destination and provide information and services to the traveling public. The North Central Massachusetts region is comprised of the communities of Ashburnham, Ashby, Athol, Ayer, Barre, Bolton, Clinton, Fitchburg, Gardner, Groton, Harvard, Hubbardston, Lancaster, Leominster, Lunenburg, Pepperell, Petersham, Phillipston, Princeton, Royalston, Shirley, Sterling, Templeton, Townsend, Westminster, and Winchendon.
For more information about the Johnny Appleseed Trail Association please visit visitnorthcentral.com or call 978-353-7604.
New Member Campaign Press Release
NORTH CENTRAL CHAMBER TO HOLD NEW MEMBER CAMPAIGN
(North Central, MA)—The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce will be holding an aggressive New Member Campaign on September 29 and 30, 2015. This new member campaign will include reaching out to over 3,500 businesses in the region that are not yet benefiting from Chamber membership. The campaign will include a mailed invitation and personal phone calls from business leaders in the region encouraging them to join the Chamber.
Paul DiGeronimo, President of Geronimo Properties and Immediate Past Chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors will chair this special campaign. In addition, nearly 80 business leaders have volunteered to help recruit new members to the Chamber by sharing information about their positive experiences and the many benefits of Chamber membership.
“The Chamber is an important element in the fabric of the community and has a tremendous impact supporting the local business community,” said Paul DiGeronimo, Chairman of the New Member Campaign. “This is a great opportunity to tell our story and give the Chamber’s financial and membership efforts a solid boost.”
The Chamber provides numerous services for members, including networking and professional development, free and low cost marketing, health and dental insurance, as well as government affairs and economic development programs to encourage a positive business climate for the region.
In addition, the Chamber’s New Member Campaign will feature several “join now” incentives for businesses and organizations that enroll with the Chamber, including free advertising, web site listings, admission to Chamber networking programs and more.
Highlighting the campaign will be a two-day, four-session phone-a-thon at the Chamber’s offices on September 29 and 30. Volunteers will be competing for bragging rights as the top recruiter and some great prizes including overnight trips, gift certificates to restaurants and stores, and much more.
The Chamber’s New Member Campaign is sponsored by Comcast Business and Heat Trace Products. Supporting sponsors include S.J. Mullaney Engineering, Inc. and the lunch sponsor is Burkart-Phelan Inc. In addition, media sponsors for the Campaign include the Sentinel & Enterprise, Leominster Champion, Worcester Business Journal, WPKZ 105.3 FM, AdviCoach, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, LATV and FATV.
Businesses interested in joining the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce should contact should contact Yasmin Loft, Member Services Manager at (978) 353-7600, x234 or via email at .
About the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce
The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce (northcentralmass.com) is a business advocacy, economic development organization working to create and sustain relationships among businesses and between businesses and the community. With 1000 member firms, employing over 25,000 people in the region, the Chamber is working to foster economic opportunity in Fitchburg, Leominster, and surrounding communities.