Chamber Connections 
March 18, 2022
Register Today for our Spirit of Community Awards
Nominees & Winners Announced
CMC’s Spirit of Community Awards celebrates the individuals and businesses who make the region special. This annual event honors educators, businesses, public safety officers, and military personnel for their community contributions!
“We are so excited to celebrate and honor some of the incredible individuals and businesses who serve our community. Our region’s high quality of life is due in large part to the people we will be recognizing. We hope you can join us IN-PERSON at Live! Casino to thank those who make our region one of the best places to live, work, and do business!” Kristi Simon, CMC President & CEO.

The CMC is thrilled to announce 2022 Spirit of Community Winners and Nominees, click below to learn more!
Small Business Seminar
How to Build Trust & Gain Customers Through 5-Star Reviews
Bad reviews? Angry staff reviews? Annoying customer reviews? We'll show you how to turn that around and gain POSITIVE reviews!

Local businesses are using new and highly effective strategies to generate lots of 5-star reviews for their business. You may have noticed all of your competitors' reviews and wondered how they did it. They’ll never show you, but I will! 

In this informative session, we’ll cover:
  • Why consistent online reviews across multiple sites are important for any business
  • The 3 big reasons why your customers don't post reviews
  • Proven strategies for gathering more reviews and attracting new customers
About Our Speaker
Dominic Vecchiollo has worked in publishing and marketing from a young age — since starting a class newsletter in the fourth grade — and opened DOSSU Design + Consulting, a digital marketing agency, in 2001.

During his career he's created and worked on award-winning campaigns for nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and local businesses. He has worked at Baltimore CenterStage and the Human Rights Campaign, as well as print shops and marketing agencies in central Maryland.

Along the way, Dominic has learned a good deal about reaching audiences and moving them to action. Now he's applied that experience to help you harness the power of the Internet to attract more customers — and he's made it easy, too!
Membership 101
March 24 | Virtual | 9:00 - 10:00 am
Rock The Walk Presented by
Arthritis & Pain Associates
BGE Energizing Small Businesses
In 2021, BGE awarded 176 small business with $20,000 grants through its Energizing Small Business Grants program. This grant program is part of BGE’s $15 million pledge to assist small businesses with COVID-19 relief and recovery and is a multi-year commitment expected to run through at least 2023.
Through the BGE Energizing Small Business Grants Program, eligible businesses located in BGE's service area will have two additional opportunities this year to apply for grants of up to $20,000: 

  • The first round opens February 14, 2022 at 9 a.m. ET and closes March 25, 2022, at 6 p.m. ET. Recipients will be announced in mid-May.

Applicants must be an existing BGE electric and/or gas customer with positive BGE credit history. Other eligibility criteria include:
  • Be a business founded in 2020 or prior
  • In good standing (or on the way to) with the State of Maryland
  • A maximum of twenty-five (25) employees
  • Annual gross revenues in 2021 of less than $7 million USD
  • Demonstrated need for funding to support business and serve customers
CMC UPCOMING EVENTS
SAVE THE DATE & REGISTER TODAY!
  • Mid-Session Update | March 22nd | 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. | Virtual | Register here
  • Small Business Seminar: How to Build Trust & Gain Customers Through 5-Star Reviews | March 23rd | 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. | Hybrid | Register here
  • Membership 101| March 24th | 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. | Virtual | Register here
  • Spirit of Community Awards | March 28th | 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. | The HALL at Live!| Register here
  • Mid-Year Economic Outlook Update| April 6th | 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. | Virtual | Register here
  • Business Builder Breakfast | April 7th | 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. | Hella's Restaurant | Register here
  • Networking Mixer | April 14th | 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. | Maryland Jockey Club | Register here
  • Coffee Catch Up | May 25th | 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. | Tipton Aiport | Register here
Central Maryland Chamber Job Board
Job Opportunities Available
Utilize the Chamber’s job board to help you find the perfect hire!

Members may post job openings to the board for free
Fostering IDEA's
Weekly Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Awareness Conversations
Enhancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Requires Listening
O’Melveny partner Darin Snyder, head of the firm’s DEI, shares important realizations with the legal industry and corporate America to accomplish real progress on diversity. He says merit alone doesn’t explain disparities, companies need to have open and honest discussions, but most important is just to listen to diverse voices.

A recent study by consulting firm Russell Reynolds Associates found that more than half of Fortune 500 companies employ a chief diversity officer—a position that LinkedIn has described as the “job of the moment.”
Member and Regional Business News
Read and Share the CMC Business Guide!
Central Maryland Chamber is on YouTube!
Member Benefit!
Member-Only LinkedIn Group Page
Join here!
Have an Article or News to Share?

Chamber members are encouraged to share their news in the weekly newsletter.

Newsworthy articles are included for free
Looking to Fill an Open Position?

Utilize the Chamber’s job bank to help you find the perfect hire!

Members may post job openings to the job bank for free

THANK YOU!
2022 Corporate Trustees
Legacy Leader:
Platinum Trustees: 
Gold Trustees: