Soundings April 2015 The Monthly Magazine of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce Image size: 7.9 x 11.4 inches Minimum resolution 300 ppi What’s Inside: • Membership Spotlight • Upcoming & Recent Events • Cape Ann License Plate • and more! In This Issue Welcome New Members 4 Message from Chamber CEO & President We have a great opportunity for exposure for YOUR business, to some of Cape Ann’s strongest and most influential Business Leaders. 5 Upcoming Events 6-9 Recent Events 10 Member Spotlights The Chamber is looking for Raffle/Door Prize items to give away at our Business After Hours events. 13 Chamber Member Benefits 14 Healthcare Corner How about donating a Gift Certificate to your Business or to a client’s Business? This would give you exposure to the crowd at the event AND will drive customers to your or your client’s place of business it’s a winning situation! 15 Meet Walter Manninen 16 Business Tips & Tricks Call for Raffle Prizes! 11 -12 Community News & Job Openings PIVOTAL PARTNERS The mission of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce is to serve as the principal voice of business while working to enhance both the economic environment and the quality of life for the citizens of Cape Ann. Phone: 978-283-1601 Fax: 978-283-4740 Email: [email protected] capeannchamber.com capeannvacations.com rockportusa.com FRONT COVER The beautiful photograph on the front cover was provided by Arlene Taliadoros. Thank you for sharing your photography with the Chamber. If you would like to be considered for the cover of an upcoming edition of Soundings, please submit your image to [email protected]. The Chamber Team: Ken Riehl, CEO [email protected] facebook.com/capeannchamber 33 Commercial Street Gloucester, MA 01930 @capeannchamber If you are interested, or to learn more about this, please call Kerry at the Chamber Office. 978-283-1601 capeannchamber.com 3 Peter Webber, Senior VP [email protected] Kerry McKenna, Director of Events [email protected] Debbie Walter, Director of Operations [email protected] Michelle Budrow, Marketing & Communications [email protected] 2 Chamber News Welcome New Members Bonaccorso & Associates 617-912-0957 bonaccorsolaw.com Make sure to follow us on Facebook for our latest news and updates for the Chamber, the Cape Ann License Plate and Cape Ann Vacations! www.facebook.com/capeannchamber C.K. Pearl 978-890-7378 ckpearl.com DeLouise Studios 978-282-1540 DeLouiseStudios.com capeannchamber.com Brianna Cox Photography 978-317-5187 briannaphotography.com Stay Up to Date - Follow Us on Facebook! Gloucester Boat Rental 978-412-6644 gloucesterboatrental.com Northeast Art Workshop Retreats 978-729-4970 northeastartworkshops.com www.facebook.com/CapeAnnLicensePlate Project Adventure, Inc. 978-524-4506 www.PA.org @capeannchamber Gloucester Innovation, LLC 978-439-5359 gloucesterinnovation.com Pike-Newhall Funeral Home 978-283-0884 pikenewhall.com www.facebook.com/capeannvacations facebook.com/capeannchamber Uber Technologies, Inc 508-794-5938 uber.com/boston 3 A Message from Chamber CEO, Ken Riehl Chamber News Wow, what a winter, just when we thought we were going to get off easy, we were hammered! All of our January and most February events were cancelled and re-scheduled…twice. Even with that we had fantastic turn-outs, the last of which as an overflow gathering at the Gloucester House for the Irish Sweepstakes. A quick update on our three mission platforms. 3) Education: We are so excited to announce our first regional Cape Ann Career and College Fair – 20 May at the Gloucester High School Field House. We have over 70 colleges signed up already, and about 50 business leaders representing a dozen major career fields – stay tuned – much more to follow! Cape Ann License Plate: we are just over 1/3 of the way to getting the plates on the road, and are spreading the word with a new Facebook site (facebook.com/CapeAnnLicensePlate); please like us and share. Remember, the proceeds from the plates will go back to the four communities to support Community Development and Education initiatives. @capeannchamber 2) Economic Development: We have been busy meeting with the elected officials and businesses (members and non-members alike) from all four communities. We do this by walking the streets and through our community “Division Meetings”. In Gloucester, we meet more regularly with the Mayor and CAO, and monthly with Community & Economic Development. We are always looking for better ways to connect with all our communities, and welcome your feedback. Northeastern Professor and renowned economist Barry Bluestone has been back to both Rockport and Gloucester (the latter visit co-sponsored by the Chamber) to help garner consensus on areas for economic improvement. We also held our first Cape Ann Caucus since 2012, where all local state representatives and local elected, education, and public safety officials met to better collaborate on issues and opportunities affecting all of Cape Ann. capeannchamber.com 1) Promotion of our members and the region: In addition to our networking and community events, our focus has been on the 2015 publications – the Cape Ann Visitor Guide and Map, Rockport and Essex Maps, and 2015 Membership Directory – almost 300,000 printed pieces in total! We are on schedule to deliver these even earlier this year, well in advance of Memorial Day. An Update from Catherine Schlichte, Chamber President I also represented the Chamber before the Joint Revenue Committee at the State House to give testimony opposing the repeal of the state film tax credit. This tax incentive is of great economic benefit to Cape Ann and we appreciate the coordinated effort from all three of our legislators in opposing the repeal of this tax credit. The Chamber’s Tourism Council is also sending a letter strongly opposing the proposed drastic cuts to the state’s tourism budget. facebook.com/capeannchamber It’s been a busy first quarter and your Chamber has been hard at work! We continue advancing our three platforms of Promotion of our members and the region, Economic Development, and Education. On promotion and networking, the Businesswomen’s Committee held a social at the Crow’s Nest with a record-breaking 60 women in attendance! Less well realized is the work we are doing in Economic Development. We co-sponsored bringing back renown economist and Northestern Professor Dr. Barry Bluestone to Gloucester for an Economic assessment session that involved the Mayor and city staff, city councilors, and business leaders. Our Government Affairs Council also hosted our Cape Ann Caucus roundtable discussion at the Manchester American Legion. The Chamber, along with Town and City officials from Rockport, Gloucester, Manchester and Essex sat with our state legislators, Senator Bruce Tarr, Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante and Representative Brad Hill, and there was a great exchange of information. On the Education front, we are busy planning one of, if not the largest event for high school students on Cape Ann - a regional Cape Ann College & Career Fair occurring on 20 May at the Gloucester Field House. The staff is working hard with our community partners to organize the fair. This first time event will be a great opportunity for our high school students to be exposed to both college and career information. We’ll have lots of great exchanges and festivities coming up this summer and we hope you to see you there! 4 Upcoming Events capeannchamber.com @capeannchamber facebook.com/capeannchamber 5 Business After Hours at the Pilot House Restaurant Recent Events The March Business After Hours was graciously hosted by Winnie and Tony Chen at the Pilot House Restaurant. It was a great evening of socializing along with a delicious sit down dinner in their new function space. Thank you to Winnie & Tony for hosting this lovely event! Tony and Winnie Chen, owners of the Pilot House Restaurant, thank you for a great evening! capeannchamber.com Cape Ann Chamber President Catherine Schlicte addresses the crowd. @capeannchamber It was an excellent evening of Networking with local business professionals! Andrew Marques, Cape Ann Savings Bank Jonathan Lawrence, Sonolite Plastics Corporation facebook.com/capeannchamber Patty Colbert & Bev Gardner - Sign up at the Chamber for we couldn’t do it without them! the Cape Ann Licesnse Plate 6 Irish Sweepstakes Recent Events The 2015 Irish Sweepstakes at the Gloucester House Restaurant was a blast! We had our biggest crowd to date and enjoyed a traditional Irish dinner, excellent live entertainment and handed out some BIG prizes! There were exciting door prizes, a 50/50 raffle and $20,000 in prizes. Thank you to the Gloucester House Restaurant, musicians John Rockwell and Larry Young and everyone who came out to make the event such a hit. It was a full house at the Gloucester House Restaurant! capeannchamber.com Congratulations to all of the winners!! Pat Thorpe of Bank Gloucester pulls the $10,000 winner! @capeannchamber There was at least one winner at this table! Live music was provided by Larry Young and John Rockwell. We have another winner! Our BIG WINNER! Capt. Bob Beloff received his check from Chamber CEO Ken Riehl. Contratulations! facebook.com/capeannchamber Former Executive Director of the Chamber Mike Costello enjoys himself while our very own Peter Webber is busy selling raffle tickets! Steve Kaity of Strong The Gloucester House put out a Leather accepts his delicious traditional Irish Dinner. winnings from Kerry McKenna of the Chamber 7 Businesswomen’s Mixer at The Crow’s Nest Recent Events Our latest Businesswomen’s Mixer had our best turnout to date! The businesswomen of Cape Ann took over the Crow’s Nest for a fun night of networking, yummy food and drinks, door prizes and a raffle that benefitted the Carolyn O’Connor Scholarship fund. Thank you to Mary Anne Shatford and Greg Sousa for hosting this wonderful event. We look forward to seeing all of you ladies again (and more) at our next event! capeannchamber.com There was a lot of Networking going on as we welcomed both new and familiar faces to the event! facebook.com/capeannchamber Thank you to all of the fabulous ladies who came out to support this businesswomen’s event! @capeannchamber The Businesswomen of Cape Ann took over the Crow’s Next for a successful Networking Event! 8 Recent Events Your Chamber Was There Red Cross Heroes Breakfast Cape Ann Bowl Painting for Open Door Fundraiser capeannchamber.com Sate House Hearing on Film Tax Credit facebook.com/capeannchamber Gloucester Economic Developement Session with Barry Bluestone @capeannchamber Spring Cape Ann Caucus with the regions elected officials. SeniorCare Breakfast 9 Member Spotlight Madam Had’em Bringing Couture to the North Shore! If you haven’t already stopped by, head over to Madam Had’em Boutique Consignment for your fashion fix! Eleven years ago, Madam Had’em began, after McGuire, a recruiting executive at the time, decided it was the perfect time to make her lifelong dream a reality. As a single mother of three boys, she knew how hard it could be to create a curated style you love without paying top dollar, and her mission soon became to create a unique place where high-end style and the secondary market met. This idea paved the path to the successful business she runs today. Follow on Social Media: Facebook: facebook.com/Madam.Hadem Twitter: @madamhadem Instagram: @madam_hadem @capeannchamber Specializing in women’s high-end clothing, shoes, handbags, and accessories, there is an ever-changing collection of designer pieces available for sale, with favorite brand names such as Gucci, Oscar de la Renta and Christian Louboutin making frequent appearances. “Why pay retail when you can pay resale?” says McGuire. “It is a win-win for the community...women are making money for something as simple as cleaning out their own closets, and the customers who are shopping get amazing high-end labels...for a fraction of the cost.” capeannchamber.com Located at 7 Summer Street in Manchester-by-the-Sea, this is the upscale reseller’s glossy second seaside location and owner Cheryl McGuire is beyond thrilled at the already overwhelming support from local shoppers and new consignors. Harbor Tours, Inc. Harbor Tours, Inc. ushers in a new member to the business, a fourth generation of the family’s salty bloodlines: Captain Evan Douglass, great-grandson of the late Fred (“Daunty”) Douglass, a Gloucester mackerel fisherman during the late eighteen hundreds. Evan’s grandfather was Harbor Tours’ founder Captain Fred Douglass (a fixture on the waters of America’s Oldest Seaport for many decades). The young Douglass has sailed throughout Central and North America and the Caribbean Sea as a crew member on a luxury yacht for the past few years. Prior to graduating from college with a business degree, Evan crewed on one of Gloucester’s whale watch boats for several years. His Dad, Captain Steve, who has been running the company since 1983, welcomes him aboard this 2015 season. facebook.com/capeannchamber Welcome Aboard Fourth Generation Douglass Captain Harbor Tours offers narrated sightseeing trips on their two boats, and also private charters. M/V KING EIDER carries passengers on the Lighthouse Cruise, a 2.5 hour fascinating journey that circles the island, as well as the Gloucester Harbor Tour, a 1.25 hour lovely cruise that tours the entire harbor and features a lobstering demonstration. Harbor Tours also operates the Inner Harbor Water Shuttle. Passengers can hop on and off the M/V LADY JILLIAN at four locations, from St. Peter’s Park to Smith’s Cove in Rocky Neck, and explore Gloucester’s Inner Harbor at their own pace with a $10 all-day ticket. Discounted season’s passes are now available. www.capeannharbortours.com 978.283.1979 10 Community News 2nd Annual Lungstrong 5K 2nd Annual Lungstrong 5K and 1.5 mile walk Sunday, May 3, 2015 Please join us at our 2nd Annual LUNGstrong 5K Run and 1.5 Mile Walk on Sunday, May 3, 2015 in Beverly, MA! 100% of the proceeds from this event will benefit Mass General Hospital’s Lung Cancer Research Program, under the direction of Dr. Jeffery Engleman. Great post-race celebration with awards, great food, beer, and live music. Danversport Yacht Club - 161 Elliott St., Danvers Bring a Friend! Come meet with representatives from local non-profits to learn about opportunities for volunteering. Refreshments will be served. For information, 978-281-1750 or 1-866-927-1050 [email protected] Please bring a non-perishable food donation. Collection bins will be located at the fair for our local food pantries. seARTS 2015 Wearable Art III Save the Date: September 27, 2015 This event has recently been chosen to be the biennial fundraiser for seARTS. In 2015, it will kick off Boston Fashion Week and ties the north shore of Boston into the Boston Fashion Trail by way of Gloucester. Full slide shows from 2011 and 2013 can be viewed by checking out the links on the left hand side of the seARTS info page. facebook.com/capeannchamber Celebrate Wearable Art (CWA) is a half day event that showcases hand-made, one of a kind art-to-wear for sale and for show. The event has two parts – a “sale” of locally made clothing and accessories and a runway show that combines art-to-wear, fashion, and sculptural, functional wearable art by creatives from all parts of the local economy. @capeannchamber For more information visit www.lightboxreg.com/lungstrong-5k NORTH SHORE VOLUNTEER FAIR Thursday, April 16, 2015 10 am - 1 pm capeannchamber.com 1.5 Mile Walk: 10:30 a.m. 5K Run: 11:00 a.m. SeniorCare Volunteer Fair For more information on how to become a Sponsor, Participant attendee or Volunteer visit http://searts.org/wp/cwa/ 11 Community News Sally Webster Inn Housekeeping For more information and to apply contact Suzan Galpin at 978.546.9251. www.sallywebster.com/ Gloucester Charter Connection Personal Assistant Part-time personal assistant/office help needed. Duties will include answering a high volume of phone calls as well as general office administration. For more information and to apply, contact Johnny Johnson at 256-486-6094. No Pilots, No Demos Programmers No Pilots, No Demos in Manchester is looking for enthusiastic, tech savvy programmers to help build websites, mobile applications, and internet-of-things devices. Familiarity with HTML/CSS/Javascript required, Programming skills a HUGE plus, but overall need reliable, enthusiastic people willing to learn fast. High School and college students may apply, among others. For more information and to apply contact Mark Henderson at 978.328.4466 or [email protected] Bearskin Neck Motor Lodge Housekeeper Bearskin Neck Motor Lodge, a family-owned and operated establishment in Rockport, MA, is currently seeking a part time Housekeeper. Be part of a team that provides clean rooms, a friendly atmosphere, and a memorable experience to all their visiting guests! Responsibilities include: Cleaning rooms, responding to guest requests, replacing supplies, reporting maintenance problems and more. To Apply: Interested individuals with applicable knowledge and experience are encouraged to email their resumes to [email protected] or call the main office at (978) 546-6677. All Chamber members are encouraged to send in their news about job openings, new hires, new locations, expansions/ additions and other significant happenings at their businesses to [email protected] for inclusion in the Member News/ Business Briefs section of future editions of Chamber Soundings. facebook.com/capeannchamber Job Openings @capeannchamber Looking for candidates that are neat, organized and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment. Experience with accounting and QuickBooks is ideal. capeannchamber.com The Sally Webster Inn is seeking housekeepers for the 2015 summer season. Weekend hours possible until mid June, then 3-4 days per week, 4-5 hours daily. 12 Did You Know? Benefits of Being a Chamber Member - Affinity Programs As a member of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce you are eligible for a number of excellent business benefits. Among these benefits are our Affinity Programs. We have partnered with three great companies in order to offer exclusive discounts for our members. HSA is your one-stop-shop for health, dental and other employee benefits. Whether you are self-employed, run a small business or are an individual, the benefit experts at HSA can find the best plan for you at the best price. There are 3 significant benefits to this program. 1)Expert local and free consultation services provided by BankGloucester Financial Services. 2)Small Businesses are able to participate in major health programs. 3)There is a waiver of the $150 annual HSA fee Through the partnership, Cape Ann Chamber members have an opportunity to participate in a nationwide group discount program that accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express card transactions. Through this program, Chamber Members can potentially reduce their processor’s fees by up to nearly 40%. For more information on each of these programs visit http://capeannchamber.com/affinity-programs/ facebook.com/capeannchamber Constant Contact Your chamber has partnered with Constant Contact, the leader in online marketing for small businesses like yours. Constant Contact brings you a great way to connect and engage with your customers and since we are partnered with them all of our members can get up to 25% off for their accounts! @capeannchamber Credit Card Processing with Infintech The Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Infintech, a national provider of credit card processing for all types of business, for an exclusive Chamber member discount program. capeannchamber.com Cape Ann Health Care Benefits Health care benefits are provided through Health Services Administrators. 13 Did You Know? Healthcare Corner QUALIFIED MEDICAL EXPENSES: Generally HSA and health FSA funds can be used to pay for anything that your health insurance plan (including high deductible health plans with an HSA) considers a “covered charge,” including charges not paid by your health insurance because they were subject to a co-pay, deductible or coinsurance. Online Marketing Seminar Series The Cape Ann Chamber currently has a Online Marketing Seminar Series in the works. This will be a series of four seminars, coming in late spring and early summer, available to Chamber members and local business professionals. The four topics to be covered are: • Website Management • Social Media • Google Analytics • Constant Contact facebook.com/capeannchamber Health Care Benefits Provided by BG Financial Services Group through Health Services Administrators Diane Rule-Enos Vice President – Financial Services BG Financial Services Group T: (978) 675-9940 | F: (978) 921-4107 [email protected] @capeannchamber For a sample list of medical expenses that qualify for tax-free withdrawal from an HSA or health FSA, contact BG Financial Services Group. This list is provided as reference only and is not meant to be comprehensive. Individuals are responsible for determining whether a specific treatment or service is a qualified expense. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act made changes to the reimbursements available, effective Jan. 1, 2011, by eliminating the availability of over-the-counter drugs as a tax-free withdrawal from an HSA, HRA or FSA without a prescription. A partial list of items has been made available at this time of what items will be affected by this change. capeannchamber.com IRS Publication 502, “Medical and Dental Expenses,” lists expenses that can be itemized and claimed on a Schedule A (Form 1040). Most of those expenses qualify for tax-free withdrawal from a Health Savings Account (HSA) or a health Flexible Spending Account (FSA), unless the expenses were reimbursed by your health care coverage (i.e., your employer-sponsored health insurance plan). We are in the process of selecting speakers for each of the seminars. Each seminar session will be two hours long with a 90 minute presentation and 30 minute Q&A. Interested candidates please contact Ken Riehl or Kerry McKenna at 978-283-1601. 14 Meet Walter Manninen Did You Know? Walter Manninen a resident of Rockport, joined the staff of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center’s Northeast Regional Office in November 2005. A former entrepreneur, Walter served as president and chief executive officer of CXO Media Inc. which published Chief Information Officer, Chief Security Officer and Chief Marketing Officer magazines for senior managers bridging technology and businesses along with associated professional conferences. capeannchamber.com As part of the Small Business Development Center’s Northeast Regional Office, Walter Manninen is a wonderful resource to the Chamber and Cape Ann Community members for business advice and support. Affiliated with the Salem State Enterprise Center, Walter is available for assistance with business plans, financials and more. He meets with clients in the Chamber’s conference room every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. Call the Chamber for more information and to set up an appointment with Walter. 978.283.1601. Walter also brings to the SBDC ten years of experience in banking as a treasurer, controller, vice president and loan officer. His outstanding performance was noted in 2004, when he was nominated for an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and was later given the IDG Chairman’s Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Walter holds a BS from Salem State College and an MBA from Suffolk University. His interest in art, demonstrated through his philanthropy, has resulted in an endowed chair and a building named in his honor at Endicott College the WALTER J. MANNINEN CENTER FOR THE ARTS. Walter’s art collection has been highlighted in several feature articles both in U.S. News and World Report, along with CFO Magazine. Learn more about Walter Manninen on www.SalemState.edu @capeannchamber In 2005, Walter partnered with the director of the Secret Service and the director of CERT Coordination Center to conduct a comprehensive research study on cyber security. facebook.com/capeannchamber 15 Business Tips & Tricks 5 Tips for Small Business Marketing Success Article by S. LOMBARDI & ASSOCIATES 1. Develop a Marketing Budget 2. Join the Digital Age 3. Boost Your Content Quality If a picture is worth 1000 words, then how many words is a video worth? Video is predicted to soar in 2015 with production costs continuing to drop and the strengthening of online capabilities. However, this means that everyone will be taking a stab at it and only those with a strong message, a touch of creativity and a clear call to action will shine through. These principles should be applied to all of your advertising mediums. In order for your marketing dollars to pay off, you must present strong purposeful content. If you don’t have the capabilities of creating great content in-house, you might want to start exploring local ad agencies to help build your content. With technology becoming a staple in our daily lives, the barrier between work and home is more blurred than ever before. The debate on whether this is a good or bad trend, we will leave to you to decide. We are required to represent our brand at any moment of the day and on every type of platform. Start by identifying your brand. What is your unique selling proposition? Who is your target audience? What voice should you use? How does your brand grow? Take this information and write, a few brief sentences, so you can quickly explain what your business is all about on a moment’s notice. Share this with your employees and turn them into your brand ambassadors. They are on your team and the face of your brand. 5. Be Transparent Transparency is a popular buzz word floating around the marketing industry right now and for good reason. Sharing a realtime picture of what your company is doing in the interest of your consumers makes your brand more meaningful. Consumers no longer choose where to spend their money just on availability and price... we have Amazon for that. Instead, they want to know their money is going to a company with ideals they support. Consumers also want to know their voices are heard and ideas incorporated. Transparency allows you to start a conversation with your customers and create successful marketing campaigns that speak directly to them. facebook.com/capeannchamber 4. Live your Brand @capeannchamber If you haven’t joined the digital arena yet, start by building a complete and accurate listing presence on Google, Bing, Yelp and others. These are free avenues that allow your customers to find you online and you need that information to be accurate. . 2015 is also a great year to build a website if you don’t already have one. This might not be as difficult, time consuming, or expensive as you might think. Website options are more numerous than ever before.Just make sure the site design is mobile friendly. If you have those areas covered , try a new digital avenue such as display ads, search engine marketing, e-mail blasts or social media campaigns. capeannchamber.com If you already have one, great! You are one step ahead of the game. But for many small businesses a marketing budget is something that is commonly overlooked. You may have a misconception that you can’t afford any advertising or you just don’t know where to start. Whether you can afford $500 or $500,000, set specific dollars aside for marketing. Next, start breaking it apart by determining what media types you want to utilize and how frequently you want your ads to run…and don’t forget to take into account production costs. Not only will this give you peace of mind as to how you will pay for that great radio commercial idea that hit you in the shower this morning, but it will also set a purposeful tone for your advertising initiatives throughout the year. If you still feel like setting a marketing budget is a daunting task or you just don’t have the time to devote to it, contact a local ad agency for help. Choose one or all of these goals to focus on in 2015 and watch your marketing success turn into business success. Article Source: S. LOMBARDI & ASSOCIATES www.slaslo.com 16
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