Kindred Connector
A weekly newsletter connecting the Maine family and business community!
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Wednesday, March 10, 2021
“Alone, we can do so little; together we can do so much.” - Helen Keller
Upcoming Events
See what's happening this month!
A FREE open networking series!
Tuesday, March 16 | 12:00 - 12:30 p.m.
Zoom
A Enjoy a panel covering all things B Corps and hear from other businesses who've become certified!
Thursday, March 25 |8:30 - 10:00 a.m.
Zoom
Covid-19 Resources
Join the IFOB!
Thank you for being a part of our community! If you're not a member yet, we hope that you will join the many family businesses and associate partners who support our mission.
Welcome to the Kindred Connector, the IFOB's new weekly newsletter!
We hope this weekly publication is something you look forward to, as we provide important resources, upcoming IFOB programs that are tailored to your needs, member news and more!

Think of us as your friendly neighbor, the hub of the community, your kin; we're here to look out for you. We're family! So dive in, and stay connected to us, our family and business partners!
Featured IFOB Programs!
Tuesday Talks
Tuesday, March 16 | 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. | Zoom Networking
A FREE open networking series hosted by Andrea Parker Michaud of Michaud Accounting Solutions.

Join us for our first session on March 16th as we discuss "Preparing for the new normal. How will you, the business you work for, and with, adapt and prepare for "normalcy" again?"

Sponsored by:
Family Businesses The "Original" B Corps
Thursday, March 25, 2021 | 8:30 - 10:00 a.m. | Zoom Webinar
This session will introduce the B Corp movement, now almost 3,500 companies strong around the US and the world, and develop a deeper appreciation for why more and more companies are choosing to carefully consider and improve their impact on a diverse range of stakeholders including employees, the community and the environment.

Participants will be introduced to the B Impact Assessment (BIA), an open-access, rigorous assessment tool, which is widely regarded as a comprehensive way to assess a company’s social and environmental impact, and to B Lab, the nonprofit that serves a global movement of people using business as a force for good.
Join Helen Sterling Coburn, Shareholder, Bernstein Shur/ advisor for this panel and Steve Tenney, Founding Partner & CEO of Great Diamond Partners who will be moderating the panel of advisors and B corp businesses!

Other speakers include:
  • Dr. Fiona Wilson, Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer for the University of New Hampshire (UNH)
  • Rebecca Hamilton, Co-CEO, W.S. Badger
  • Mary Allen Lindemann, Co-founder/ Community Builder, Coffee By Design
  • Paul Turbeville, Vice President of Marketing, Pete and Gerry’s Organics
  • Ben Conniff, Co-Founder, Luke’s Lobster
Sponsored by:
Upcoming Member Programs
Albin Randall & Bennett Business Equipment Tax Relief Programs
Thursday, March 11, 2021 | 8:00 a.m.

Maine has two programs targeted specifically to helping new and established businesses invest for growth by allowing them to recoup local property taxes paid on eligible business equipment and property.
 
  • The Business Equipment Tax Reimbursement Program (BETR) program is designed to encourage capital investment by established Maine businesses. The program reimburses taxpayers for local property taxes paid on most qualified business property.
  • The Business Equipment Tax Exemption Program (BETE) program is a 100% property tax exemption program for eligible property.
 
Find out how your company can utilize these property tax exemptions for potentially substantial tax exemptions and reimbursements.  
Join in to hear ARB Principal David Jean as he explains both programs and walks you through the BETE and BETR application process. 
PretiFlaherty - Preparing for a Post-Pandemic Workplace: Discipline and Discharge Issues
Wednesday, March 16, 2021 | 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Now that vaccination programs are in full swing, employers have started to imagine a return to workplace normalcy later this year. As state and local stay-at-home orders are rolled back, more and more employers are facing the prospect of bringing some employees back to work while allowing those to perform in a dramatically different world than the one that they left a year ago. The potential for retaliation lawsuits, disability discrimination claims, and governmental investigations in this period of uncertainty highlights the need for employers to carefully think through discipline and discharge decisions. Matt LaMourie will review best practices in the area of employee discipline and discharge and highlight solutions for managing legal risk in this context. 
Gorham Savings Bank's LaunchPad
Applications due by April 1

Gorham Savings Bank's LaunchPad supports Maine ingenuity, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit by celebrating the best of Maine's small businesses. Whether you've just opened shop or you're looking to expand, LaunchPad has evolved to help more businesses at more stages of development than ever before. In 2021, the LaunchPad pitch event will livestream to screens across Maine on June 1.
Your business is well on its way. Imagine how much further it could get with $50,000. Applications are now open for Maine’s premier small business competition.
2021 Maine HR Convention
May 10, 12 & 14

  • LIVE Keynote Sessions
  • LIVE Forum Discussions
  • Reception & Networking Time
  • Small group “roundtable” sessions and one-on-one “speed networking” through an easy-to-use video chat.
  • HR EXPO Booths
  • Visit sponsor booths to see contact information, product offerings, videos, weblinks, and more
  • On-Demand Recorded Sessions
  • ALL SESSIONS will be recorded and available on-demand for attendees after the event.
  • Strategic HR Online Community Membership
  • Before, during, and after the event – membership to an exclusive online community for Senior HR professionals.
  • The community will include:
  • 2021 Maine HR Convention Content
  • Participatory Community Discussion Forums to connect with peers across the nation
  • A Virtual EXPO Resource Center
  • And more!
Good to Know!
Maine Development Foundation - Women Transforming Leadership: Tribal Health and Leadership
Thursday, March 18, 2021 | 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Keynote speaker Lisa Sockabasin of Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness will share data and stories to make meaning of the past and present to create a holistic model for Tribal healing. She will also share a model for leadership, one rooted in her indigenous culture, that is about lifting others and giving away power. She will be joined by Kimberly Crichton, Executive Director at the Maine Women’s Fund.
Are you an IFOB member who wants to highlight news or an upcoming program? Submit them to us through the link below and we will include it in our next newsletter.
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Learn More About the IFOB Family!
Catherine Wygant Fossett
Executive Director
Brooke Stewart
Director of Communications
Bethany Dehmer
Marketing & Events Intern
THANK YOU TO OUR FOUNDING SPONSORS
TD Bank logo Dec 2011
Institute for Family-Owned Business | [www.fambusiness.org]