We are so proud to welcome our newest member Taunton Diversity Network (TDN) to the Chamber community! Check out their February newsletter and follow them on Facebook. Special thanks to BankFive for sponsoring TDN as part of the TACC's Business for Business program. To learn more, contact kris@tauntonareachamber.org. 

We continue to update the Chamber's database for the 2022 Business Directory & Community Information Guide. Please view your listing on our website for accuracy and notify us of anything that needs to be updated by Friday, March 11th.

Email Lisa with the changes that need to be made. Also, please let us know if the main contact has changed.

Space is still available in the TACC's 2022 Business Directory & Information Guide! This is a great way to advertise your business. This guide is distributed to:

• All TACC Member Businesses

• Local Hotels and Conference Centers

• City and Town Halls

• Anyone Requesting Relocation or Membership Information with the TACC

Contact Lisa for ad rates and sizes. Deadline is March 4th!

Join our TACC Team! 🎉

We have a part-time Membership Coordinator role to fill who will work closely with our President & CEO in implementing a strategy to increase memberships, sponsorships, and programs. The position is 20 hours per week, and has a base + commission pay module.

For full position description and application details, visit our website.

Stop by the Chamber office at 6 Pleasant Street, Taunton, on Monday, March 7th from 10:00 – 12:00 p.m., and chat with Jay to see how MassDevelopment may be able to assist your business! Contact Jay directly at jpateakos@massdevelopment.com if you're unable to make it that day.

The $75 million will be focused on small businesses that employ between two and 50 people, with $25 million directed toward businesses that did not qualify for previous MGCC grants because of a lack of revenue loss in 2020; and $50 million directed to businesses that reach underserved markets and historically underrepresented groups, or are minority-, women-, or veteran-owned businesses, or are owned by individuals with disabilities or who identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Applications for each grant program will be accepted now through Monday, April 4, 2022 and will award grants ranging from $10,000 to $75,000.

Eligible uses of these funds include the following:

• Employee payroll benefits costs

• Interest on other debt obligations incurred after March 3, 2021

• Cost to pivot company due to COVID-19 pandemic

• Business mortgage or rent and utilities

For more information about each grant program, visit the links below:

Supporting businesses negatively impacted by COVID that have not previously received financial relief from MGCC’s COVID-19 Relief Grant Programs.

Supporting business negatively affected by COVID that are also socially and economically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented, underserved markets, and businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, disabled individuals, or those that identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

We received updated information about the eligibility of sole proprietors for these grants. Sole proprietors without any employees or 1099 workers are not eligible. If you are a sole proprietor and you have employees or 1099 workers and you meet all other criteria, you might be eligible.

Center for Women & Enterprise will be hosting a live workshop on the new MGCC program on Thursday, March 3rd at 1:30 p.m. REGISTER HERE.

Employers seeking reimbursement for paid COVID-19 sick leave should apply as soon as possible. The COVID-19 Massachusetts Emergency Paid Sick Leave Program (MEPSL) will likely end soon. By law, the program ends on April 1, 2022, or earlier if the Executive Office for Administration and Finance (A&F) determines it that the $100 million budget will run out of money.

A&F conveyed to our partner Associated Industries of Massachusetts that the program is nearing the end of its $100 million budget. Any early termination of the program requires 15 days’ notice, and the formal announcement should be going out to employers later today.

While the program will not end today, the fund will be depleted in the near future. A&F will establish a run-out period after the program ends to allow employers to finish their submission of applications for reimbursement. We strongly encourage employers seeking reimbursement to apply as soon as possible.

The program was created in May 2021 to provide Massachusetts workers with paid sick leave for COVID-19 related issues and employers could be reimbursed for the cost. Learn more here.

Braver Technology is excited to host their Quarterly Cybersecurity Training on Thursday, March 3rd at 1:00 p.m. It is being presented by Tim Weber, Director of Security Services, ADNET Technologies.

In this webinar, you will:

• Learn the top threats companies face today

• Hear real stories of security incidents

• Learn more about the tools, techniques, and services used to get companies back on track after a security event

• Discover how you and your team can help prevent security incidents

• Learn how to take a proactive approach to handle cybersecurity risks

• This comprehensive training will satisfy cybersecurity insurance requirements!

Register here.

Join the Maine SBA District Office and the Veterans Business Outreach Center of New England (VBOC) for their online Boots to Business - REBOOT class on Saturday, March 5th from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The curriculum provides assistance to those interested in exploring business ownership or other self-employment opportunities by leading participants through the key steps for evaluating business concepts and providing foundational knowledge required to develop a business plan. Participants are introduced to a broad spectrum of entrepreneurial business concepts and resources available to access start-up capital, technical assistance, contracting opportunities, and more. Register here.

Wright Technology Group (WTG) continues to emphasize the importance for all organizations to remain vigilant, implement cybersecurity measures, and be prepared to respond to disruptive cyber-attacks.

What does this mean for their customers and employees? WTG expects to see an increase in cyber attacks on government agencies, businesses, and organizations in the United States. They also expect to see an increase in phishing emails and other types of attacks.

Please be extra careful when opening emails, clicking on links, or visiting websites. Please verify any changes of payment methods, such as ACH requests by reaching out directly to known contacts' telephone numbers. DO NOT TRUST EMAIL ALONE FOR VERIFICATION. If you have any questions, please reach out to Wright Technology Group at (508) 232-7951.

Massasoit Community College invites employers in southeastern Massachusetts to register for its upcoming virtual career fairs, being held on March 9 from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and on March 10 from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. Employers in the fields of business, hospitality, culinary arts, and information technology are encouraged to participate; employers are welcome to participate on one of or both of the career fair dates. Learn more here.

Are you on TikTok? Maybe you’re just figuring out video and livestreaming and you have written off TikTok as a site for kids.

While you aren’t wrong about that (32.5% of users are between 10 and 19, while 41 percent of TikTok users are between 16 and 24 years old), the TikTok adult audience has grown at a rate of about 5.5 times in just 18 months.

The app now boasts 1 billion active users. TikTok videos are becoming a way to pass time for many people and the average user spends about 52 minutes per day on the app. It also has huge reach. 167 million TikTok videos are watched in a minute on average.

So, if you’re looking to reach an under 35 audience in your business, TikTok might be the avenue for you. Here’s what you need to know as a beginning user.

Hosted by one of Google’s internal SEO experts, this workshop will give you a behind-the-scenes view into how Google approaches SEO for its own sites. You will learn practical strategies that you or your web development team can implement to help drive traffic from Google Search to your site. Register below.

Ladies! Get ready for a great night by supporting #womenownedbusinesses and a few TACC members at Berkley Beer Company’s Painted Laydezes Night on March 23rd! $15 entrance ticket includes a flight of 4 Painted Laydezes brewed teas. A Special 3-Course Menu will be available for $35 and you’ll get to meet business owners from: The Luxury Booth, Anchor Barre, Honest Books, and KatieJodly!

Tickets for each seating (5-7p.m. and 7-9p.m.) are available at Berkley Beer Company during business hours.

Join National Trainer, Bryan Caplan, as he shows you how to manage work and life tasks more effectively using Google tools. Register below.

This event is sponsored by:

• Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce

• Missouri River Regional Library

• Boston Public Library

This year's keynote speaker is Dave Wedge, a New York Times bestselling author, podcaster and communications consultant based in Boston. He has written six non-fiction books, including “Boston Strong: A City's Triumph Over Tragedy,” a drama about the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings which was adapted for the 2017 movie “Patriots Day”; “Hunting Whitey: The Inside Story of the Capture and Killing of America’s Most Wanted Crime Boss”; and “The Last Days of John Lennon,” written with co-author Casey Sherman and James Patterson. His next book, “Riding with Evil: Taking Down the Notorious Pagan Motorcycle Gang,” comes out March 15 via William Morrow/Harper Collins.

Dave was an award-winning investigative journalist for the Boston Herald for 14 years and has written for VICE, Esquire, Newsweek and Boston magazine. He and Sherman host the true crime podcast, "Saints Sinners & Serial Killers." He has also worked as a communications consultant with a diverse roster of clients in politics, business, nonprofit, hospitality, health care, sports and more.

The Annual Meeting will include the presentation of the Annual Business Awards, and new this year, an Educator of the Year award and recognition of the Charles E. Volkmann Scholarship recipients. Register below to attend this virtual meeting.

Rockland Trust has just launched its annual Small Business, Big Dreams contest. This competition offers small business owners the chance to take their enterprise to the next level. Participants will be narrowed down to three finalists that will be paired with a Rockland Trust Business Banking Officer (BBO) who will provide one-on-one consultations to coach the participants through the competition and help them build a comprehensive business plan to present to a panel of judges. The grand prize winner will receive $20,000, and both runners-up will receive $2,500. Learn more.

Bristol Community College (BCC) is offering the community free webinars focused on professional and technical skill development for job seekers, educators, employers and employees. These short webinars will increase proficiency in current work and learning environments as well as provide individuals critical workforce skills.

For 8 weeks starting March 7th to April 25th, Bristol will offer virtual courses that focus on three areas: Career Exploration & Personal Branding, Upskilling Opportunities, and Professional and Organizational Training. Register today!

Leadership Styles, Communication & Emotional Intelligence - March 7th, 6:00- 9:00 p.m.

Teamwork, Conflict & Feedback - March 14th, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Bluestone Bank has been recognized as a 2021 NEFMA (New England Financial Marketing Association) award winner in the category of Best Overall Campaign.

An independent panel of judges selected the most creative, innovative, and successful campaigns among financial marketers in the New England area, who were celebrated at a virtual Awards Show on February 17. Read the press release.

Have some fun this month at the Old Colony History Museum (OCHM). Celebrate Women’s History Month, virtually tour the Attleboro Area Industrial Museum, or re-discover a delicious apple pie! Learn more here.

TASC/AHS Career Mentoring Program is recruiting mentors for their 2022 program. Most of the high school students in their program just need a little support and direction. Career mentors help them discover the opportunities available to them, explore their options and understand the connection between their education and their goals. Learn more.

Mayor Shaunna O’Connell advises City residents the upcoming Referendum Vote on the Bristol-Plymouth School construction project is on Saturday, March 5, 2022. Polls will be open from 9:00am – 3:00pm. Voting will occur at the usual polling locations. For a list of polling locations, please refer to the City of Taunton website (taunton-ma.gov) or contact the Elections Department at 508-821-1044.

Residents from the City of Taunton will join residents from Berkley, Bridgewater, Dighton, Middleboro, Rehoboth, and Raynham to vote on whether to approve the construction of the proposed new Bristol-Plymouth school building.

Residents may vote via absentee ballot. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot in person is Friday, March 4, 2022 at 12:00 noon.

For further information, please contact the Elections Department at 508-821-1044.

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

- Special Election for Proposed Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School Building Project Scheduled for Sat, March 5, 2022

- Dighton Board of Selectmen Announces School Committee Vacancy

- Town Hall Interior Renovations Making Progress

- Dighton Police Department Announces $20,000 State Grant for Traffic Enforcement, Road Safety

- Meet Director of Veterans Services Ray Hague

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.

Social Media can be a powerful tool for winning new customers and clients, as well as continuing a relationship with existing ones, but it can also become very time consuming and expensive. We will help keep you focused and get you moving forward.

This webinar addresses the key questions every small business owner has to answer when they embark on an online marketing effort to support their business:

• What do I need to start?

• What Social Media should I use?

• How does it work?

• What does it cost?

Register here .

Pricing your product or service correctly is a key element to profitability. This webinar will walk you through the math and the marketing of pricing for a small business. This webinar is presented by Gloria Spence, SCORE Boston Mentor. Register here .

This year, during an unprecedented national health crisis, small businesses needed help more than ever before. In order to support these business owners when they needed it most, the SCORE Foundation provided funding for SCORE’s Small Business Resilience program. This platform allowed SCORE to pivot their mentoring and educational services onto virtual platforms, where clients could easily access the pandemic-related information, guidance and resources they needed to survive and thrive. Learn more here.

Veterans make up an important part of the small business community. They make up 8% of the population, but own 9.2% of all American businesses. Check out these resources specifically for veteran entrepreneurs. SCORE is here to help!

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

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