TACC E-NEWS
April 20, 2022

Event Calendar


April 27

May 25

June 27
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Chamber News
Welcome Our New Membership Coordinator
Meet new Membership Coordinator, Elizabeth LaBrecque! Elizabeth comes to TACC with 10 years of sales and marketing experience. Her prior roles include time in the hospitality industry and senior healthcare. A resident of Taunton since elementary school; her love and pride for Taunton are deep rooted. She brings a passion for sales and desire for the TACC communities to thrive.

“I am so excited to join the TACC team! I am even more excited to be a helpful resource for our local business owners & show them all the chamber has to offer.”
Business After Hours at Clarion Hotel & Conference Center
The Business After Hours at Clarion Hotel last week was a great success. Exciting changes are coming to the hotel! Stay tuned!
Business & COVID Information
Upcoming Regional Employer Road Shows

The Baker-Polito Administration, including MassHire Career Centers and Workforce Boards and the Commonwealth Corporation, is hosting a series of 10 regional employer roadshows from late April to May, with the goal of connecting employers to new and existing workforce supports from the Commonwealth. Learn more here.

 
  • MetroWest | Monday, April 25, 4:30 PM | Joseph P. Keefe Technical High School, Framingham, MA
  • Southeast | Tuesday, April 26, 3:00 PM | Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA
  • Central #1 | Monday, May 2, 10:00 AM | Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School, Charlton, MA
  • Merrimack Valley | Tuesday, May 3, 11:00 AM | Northern Essex Community College - Lawrence Campus, Lawrence MA
  • Pioneer Valley | Thursday, May 5, 1:00 PM | Holyoke Community College, Holyoke, MA
 
The roadshows will be a unique opportunity to hear from MA workforce leaders and to share your perspective with them. Attendance will vary by event but speakers may include Lt. Governor Polito, Secretary Acosta, Secretary Peyser, and Secretary Kennealy, among others.
 
The roadshows will be hosted by workforce partners, including community colleges and vocational training institutes. Each event will be ~1.5 hours and will have roughly the same agenda.
 
Agenda
  • Opening remarks by host and special guests
  • Overview of Commonwealth workforce resources for employers
  • Introduction to Market Makers
  • Breakout sessions

o  Market Maker / MassHire Engagement Session. Learn about how the MassHire system can help your company build a pipeline of skilled employees. Meet your new Market Maker and hear how you can access more than $200M in workforce funding.
o  HireNow Workshop. Learn more about the new HireNow program - you can receive $4,000 per new hire to support hiring, training and retention.
o  Workforce Development Roundtable. Sit down with MA workforce leaders to share your perspective and discuss broader workforce trends in the state.
  • (Optional) Tour of the facilities / meet the students
Do You Have These 10 Things on Your Business Website? You Should.

If you’re a small business, you probably bootstrapped your website content, picking it up here and there, copying what you like from other sites (hopefully not word for word), and adding as you go. That’s the way most small businesspeople do it unless you’re lucky enough to know someone who offered their writing services or have it in your budget to have it written for you.

But do you ever wonder if you have the type of content that will transform the casual web visitor into someone who buys?

Here are the components you need on your website to ensure more sales conversions.
Events
NEXT WEEK!
TACC's 105th Virtual Annual Meeting & Awards - April 27th

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.

We are excited to announce the Business Award honorees:


Congratulations to the Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year, Steve Kulpa, Special Ed Teacher at Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School.

The two recipients of the Charles E. Volkmann Scholarship are Alec Rego and Timothy Luc, both of Taunton High School.

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,” was released 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.

Register below to attend this virtual meeting.
Taunton Federal Credit Union will be hosting a Business After Hours on Wednesday, May 25th from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Stop by and see their new branch at 403 Winthrop Street in Taunton. Co-hosted by Brownstone Realty Group.

Business After Hours is an evening of fun, food, and fellowship among Chamber members and their guests, with a chance to network, make new friends, and meet potential customers. Register below.
Member News
Wine & Cheese Party at Happy Health Center May 6th

Happy Health Center will be hosting their 1st Annual Wine & Cheese Party on Friday, May 6th. It will be held from 4:00-9:00 p.m. Learn more here.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South Hosting a Community Conversation 

You're invited to play a critical role in shaping the future of our community! Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South is working with United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley to gather input about Taunton's unique strengths, concerns, and challenges; input that will be used to directly shape United Way’s work in our community. 
This approach of getting feedback directly from residents marks a new way of working for United Way and promises to lead to much more collaborative solutions in the future. 
As a Community Connector agency, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South will be hosting a Community Conversation which will bring together a diverse set of voices and perspectives from our community. United Way will use feedback from these sessions to set its fundraising and grantmaking priorities. Please join us 
 
Date: Wednesday, May 11th
Time: 12:00 PM
Location: Virtual - Zoom

WHAT TO EXPECT
• Community Conversations are about open dialogue and exchange of ideas. 
• Events are small group gatherings where guests share their experiences and stories, and are encouraged to imagine a better future for themselves and for our communities. 
• Guests answer a series of questions, including, “What does the best version of your community look like?” 
• Information gathered from the Community Conversations will be aggregated and delivered to United Way to help the organization focus its next strategic plan on the greatest needs in our community. 
• Individual answers will be kept confidential. 
 
Community Conversations are taking place in communities across United Way’s footprint, and the information gathered will be reflected in their strategic plans for the next year and beyond. If you have ideas about Taunton, this is an opportunity that’s too good to miss!
TASC's 18th Annual Business-Education Spelling Bee

Taunton Area School to Career (TASC), a program of Associates for Human Services, proudly presents their 18th Annual Business -Education Spelling Bee! It will be held at Taunton High School on April 27th at 5:30 p.m. Where community businesses and civic groups partner with local students for a traditional spelling bee! Learn more here. Sponsorship and Team Registration Form
Girls Inc. of Taunton Women's Workshop - May 13

Girls Inc. of Taunton is excited to announce Stronger, Smarter, Bolder. A Women’s Workshop! It was designed to bring their mission to women in our community. The workshop will be held on Friday, May 13th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Learn more here.
SCORE Business Resources
Help For Your Small Business
 
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.
Plan Your Website for Online Success
TODAY! | 7:00 - 8:00 PM 

You know you need a website for your business. But, how do you set it up for online success?
First, you need to have a solid plan in place. Fortunately, this webinar will help with exactly that!

After this webinar you’ll have a better understanding of:
●  Your website’s audience
●  Feature and functionality needs
●  Content planning
●  How to choose the right platform
●  Best practices for online success

After this webinar, you'll have a comprehensive plan in place for your business's website. Attendees may also request the free workbook upon completion of the webinar.

Presenter: Jessica Baldwin, Co-Founder of Cardsetter

Register here .
Grant Funding 101: Risks, Rewards, and Reality
Tues, April 26 | 10:00 - 11:30 AM 

Grants sound great, but are they really too good to be true? Aren't they just for nonprofits? Once I've won one, isn't it just free money?

Let's cut to the chase and decide whether grant funding is right for your business. We'll dispel the myths and misdirections that lead many to spend time on the wrong programs--or pass up the right ones! With a strong understanding of what makes you or your work of interest to grant funders, you can craft a targeted search and application strategy. Finally, we'll look at trends in funding and where to find grants that could make a big difference in your business.

Key Takeaways
• The real risks and rewards of grant funding
• Why grant funders invest in businesses, organizations, and individuals
• What it takes to write a grant application--and manage the award after
• Grant readiness assessments
• Grant search basics

Presenter: Victoria Flynn, nonprofit strategist and grants consultant

Register here .
Price it Right!
Wed, April 27 | 10:00 - 11:30 AM 

How do you know if your price is “Right”? Nothing drives profitability more positively than effective pricing!

This webinar discusses what you must consider when choosing the price for your product or service. You will learn how the “4 C's” of Marketing are critical in todays digital world and how it will affect your pricing methodology. The webinar will examine several pricing strategies implemented today and how they can impact your profitability. Finally, the discussion will turn to the impact choosing the sales channel for your products.

Join SEMA SCORE for our Price it Right! workshop. Key takeaways you can expect:

• How “Consumer Value” is a reflection of your brand
• Consumer experience determines your success: Price it right!
• Pricing strategies that increase demand
• Do's and don'ts when considering price changes
• Choosing the appropriate sales channel

Presenter: Tom Oertel, SCORE Certified Mentor

Register here .
SCORE’s Small Business Resilience program

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.
Volunteer At SCORE

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!
SCORE's Partners In Success Newsletters
 
·    Blogging Tips
·    Cash Management
$5 off orders of $50 or more

20% off your first month membership or class package. Email Melynda for more info

Offering Chamber members $10/unit for Botox. $150 off a syringe of Dermal Filler.

10% off first week temporary services.
Email Joni for more info.

10% off photobooth experience for Chamber Members

10% off for Chamber members

10% off for Chamber members

free estimates for all moves and 10% off the first month of storage for Chamber members. Contact Pauline for more info.

10% off most services. Contact Kerry for more info.


5% off your auto insurance. Contact Luke for details.

Relaxation Works Spa
$10 off any facial. Enter code TACC online. (Does not include membership appointments.)

Small Business Sizzle
Discount on Energy Leadership Profile Assessment (normal fee $130, discounted to $97). Email Sue for more info.

10% off any purchase

Staples
10% off regular price items on the sales floor, and 20% off print and marketing orders over $50.00. Chamber Members must access through the Members Only section of the TACC website. Email Lisa for assistance.

10% all parts, labor on applicable services. Email Ken Rubino for more information.

10% off for TACC Members
Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce, 6 Pleasant Street, Taunton, MA 02780
(508) 824-4068