Posts Tagged ‘Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’
Friday, July 19th, 2013
Small businesses interested in learning more about the wide-ranging effects of the Affordable Care Act are invited to a free forum scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 8 at the Southern New Hampshire University Dining Center Banquet Facility.
Countdown to Oct. 1, 2013: The Affordable Care Act and Your Small Business will provide all of the information New Hampshire companies will need to comply with the employer mandate to offer health coverage to employees. Topics to be discussed include coverage for dependents and spouses, qualifications for the health premium tax credit, the composition of the new health exchange and the portion of insurance costs employers will be obligated to pay.
Athough many of the concepts explored will center around small business, larger employers will also find this conference helpful.
 Tom Raffio “This is a great opportunity to get ahead of the curve and learn how your company will be affected by this legislation,” said Northeast Delta Dental President and CEO Tom Raffio. (Read his guest blog on the topic.) “Having the right information prior to the introduction of the Act is crucial and we look forward to educating as many small businesses as possible with the help of some top industry experts.”
Presenters will include New Hampshire Insurance Department Commissioner Roger Sevigny, as well as representatives of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Northeast Delta Dental, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and Great New Hampshire Restaurants, Inc.
The forum is presented by the Center for Women’s Business Advancement at Southern New Hampshire University in coordination with Northeast Delta Dental, WGIR-AM, the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce, the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, Southern New Hampshire University and New Hampshire Business Review.
Registration is required.
Tags: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Great New Hampshire Restaurants, Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, New Hampshire Business Review, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, New Hampshire Insurance Department Commissioner Roger Sevigny, Northeast Delta Denta, Southern New Hampshire University, U.S. Small Business Administration, WGIR-AM
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Free Affordable Care Act Forum Offered to NH Businesses
Friday, April 27th, 2012
We’re finishing up a busy week here at the Division of Economic Development that was unique and unusual and promising.
 The Chinese Delegation arrived Thursday.
Very promising.
In just a little over 24 hours, we hosted international delegations from Turkey (Wednesday) and China (Thursday). It’s not often we get to host to guests from overseas, so back-to-back visits is where the unique and unusual comes in. This tells us that from a global perspective, New Hampshire is rich in opportunity.
From our perspective, we do, of course, already know that … and we are quite confident that from these visits will come an awareness of the products made right here in the Granite State and create new markets for the companies that produce them.
When demand for products increases, so does the workforce and new jobs have to be filled.
Our Turkish guests were from the Istanbul Efficiency Business Association and arrived very eager and enthusiastic about exploring everything from cultural exchanges and a couple of our college campuses to making connections for another planned visit in September.
 The Turkish Delegation arrived on Wednesday. About 5,000 Turkish-Americans call New Hampshire home and Turkey ranks ninth among our trading partners. So there were no strangers in the group, just friends we hadn’t met yet.
On Thursday morning, we welcomed eight people from the Jilin province in China, many of them our counterparts in economic development, including Gao Cailin, Director General of the Office of Financial Affairs for the province and Dai Min, president of the Center for America-China Partnership.
Their tour included a visit to JP Sercel Associates of Manchester and a discussion about our high precision and advanced manufacturing industries.
New Hampshire companies exported products they make that totaled $4.3 billion last year and while parts of the world are dealing with their own challenging economies, China and Turkey are looking for new opportunities and new relationships.
And they are looking for them right here in New Hampshire.
Tags: Center for America-China Partnership, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Greater Manchester Economic Development, Istanbul Efficiency Business Association, Jilin province, NH Department of Resources and Economic Development, NH Division of Economic Development, NH Economy
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on International Calls
Wednesday, April 27th, 2011
Senator Jeanne Shaheen will be the keynote speaker at the first annual Small Business Week Forum hosted by Mayor Ted Gatsas and Manchester’s Economic Development Office. The kick-off event will be held on Monday, May 16th from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Southern New Hampshire University. The Forum will also feature a panel discussion on financing options for small businesses, followed by a Small Business Resource Fair. Manchester’s Small Business Week is presented by Citizens Bank.
 U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen As a past Governor and current Senator, Jeanne Shaheen understands the important role small businesses play in our City and State’s economy. “Innovative small businesses are the drivers of job creation in Manchester, in New Hampshire, and across the nation,” said Senator Shaheen. “Their creativity and ingenuity are important keys to America’s future economic prosperity and international competitiveness.” During the event, Senator Shaheen will discuss how she and her colleagues in Washington are working to help small businesses grow and prosper in New Hampshire.
“This week-long event celebrates the contributions small businesses make to our city’s economic vitality, and will provide business owners with resources to help them succeed,” said Chris Wellington, City of Manchester, Economic Development Office. “If you own your own business, or are thinking of starting one in Manchester, this is a great opportunity to network and learn.”
The Small Business Week Forum’s panel will include Kimberly Dee, Senior Vice President, Business Banking Group at Citizens Bank; John Hamilton, Vice President of Economic Opportunity and Managing Director, Vested for Growth at the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund; Marilyn Bogue, Acting District Director at the NH Small Business Administration; and Robert Schwartz Jr., a corporate attorney with Devine Millimet.
Other programming events of Small Business Week include small business workshops at Devine Millimet and FairPoint Communications, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Pecha Kucha; tour of downtown office space by Intown Manchester; New Hampshire High Technology Council Entrepreneurial forum; and a networking event hosted by DYN. The week culminates in the Mayor’s Small Business Awards Breakfast which will recognize three businesses that have demonstrated strong business growth, an innovative approach within their business model, and a commitment to community service. For more information about the activities taking place during Small Business Week, visit www.yourmanchesternh.com
The Small Business Resource Fair following the Forum will feature local and statewide business resource organizations that provide assistance and support to small businesses. Representatives from the various organizations will be available to provide information and advice for a number of topics important to small businesses including financing, healthcare options, city regulations, creating a business plan, legal issues, legislative issues, “greening” your business, social media, marketing plans and much more. Registration forms for the Small Business Week Forum are now available online by visiting www.yourmanchesternh.com and clicking on the Small Business Week link.
The Manchester Small Business Week is made possible by presenting sponsor Citizens Bank and supporting sponsors Devine Millimet, DYN Inc, Fairpoint Communications, Public Service of New Hampshire, MVP Healthcare, WEDU and Printer’s Square.
For more information about the programs and events scheduled during Manchester Small Business Week or to register for an event please contact Chris Wellington at 603-624-6505 or visit http://www.yourmanchesternh.com/smallbusinessweek/default.aspx.
Exhibitors for the Small Business Resource Fair scheduled for the kickoff event at Southern New Hampshire University include: Citizens Bank, Devine Millimet, MVP Healthcare, Public Service of New Hampshire, Fairpoint Communications, WEDU, Printers Square, NH Small Business Development Center, NH Division of Economic Development, abi Innovation HUB, NH Community Loan Fund- Vested For Growth, Manchester Young Professional Network (MYPN), Interface Financial Group, City of Manchester Fire Department, City of Manchester Health Department, City of Manchester Building & Planning Department, City of Manchester City Clerk’s Office, Manchester Economic Development Office, SCORE, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Intown Manchester, NH High Technology Council, NH Small Business Administration, Business and Industry Association of NH, StayWorkPlay NH, New Hampshire Businesses For Social Responsibility, and Capital Regional Development Center.
Tags: Chris Wellington, Citizens Bank, Devine Millimet, DYN, FairPoint Communications, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Intown Manchester, John Hamilton, Kimberly Dee, Manchester Economic Development Office, Marilyn Bogue, Mayor Ted Gatsas, MVP Healthcare, New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, New Hampshire High Technology Council, NH Small Business Administration, Pecha Kucha, Printer's Square, Public Service of New Hampshire, Robert Schwartz Jr., Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Southern New Hampshire University, Vested for Growth, WEDU
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Senator Shaheen confirmed as Keynote Speaker for Manchester Small Business Week Forum
Wednesday, April 20th, 2011
 With American Express reporting that the number of businesses owned by women in New Hampshire has grown by 37.2 percent in the last 14 years, there is no better time to be a female entrepreneur in the Granite State.
Recognizing that fact, Women Inspiring Women will present “Inspiring Women in Business” on Thursday, May 19, 2011 from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. at SERESC Conference and Training Center, 29 Commerce Drive in Bedford. The day will celebrate National Small Business Week and include five educational sessions, exhibitors and networking.
Workshops include “Tap Into Your Inspiration” with Deb Titus of Dale Carnegie-NH, “Master Your Money Mindset” with Kathleen Burns Kingsbury of KBK Wealth Connection, “Fearless Marketing” with Nancy Clark of the Glen Group and “Growing a Successful Business” with Dr. Deborah Osgood of the Knowledge Institute. “We Mean Business,” a panel discussion featuring NH Business Review’s 2011 “Outstanding Women in Business” will also be held. These honorees and panelists include Maureen Beauregard of Families in Transition, Maren Boothby of Boothby Therapy Services, Robin Comstock of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Andrea Johnstone, Esq. of Bernstein Shur and Karen Pollard of the Rochester Department of Economic Development. It will be moderated by Leslie Sturgeon of Women Inspiring Women, also an “Outstanding Women in Business” honoree.
“We felt the perfect way to recognize National Small Business Week and the fact more women are starting businesses than men in NH was to bring business women from around NH together for a day of education and inspiration,” according to Leslie Sturgeon, founder and president of Women Inspiring Women.”
As a result of a generous contribution from Microsoft BizSpark, NH Division of Economic Development, Public Service of New Hampshire, and Exeter Health Resources, the registration price is only $40 and includes lunch. Reservations are needed and space is limited. Contact Women Inspiring Women at (603) 744-0400 or visit http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=jtyn8ccab&oeidk=a07e3npt4qia831e39f for more information and to register.
Women Inspiring Women was founded in 2007 in the Lakes Region by Sturgeon to give women of all ages and backgrounds an opportunity to get together at educational, fun and inspirational events on a monthly basis. Since that time the organization has expanded to Concord, Nashua, Manchester, Bedford and the Seacoast, hosts bi-weekly events including the NH Conference for Women in November, and quickly become the state’s largest organization for women’s empowerment, personal development and networking.
Tags: American Express, Andrea Johnstone, Bernstein Shur, Boothby Therapy Services, Dale Carnegie NH, Deb Titus, Dr. Deborah Osgood, Exeter Health Resources, Families in Transition, Glen Group, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Inspiring Women in Business, Karen Pollard, Kathleen Burns Kingsbury, Knowledge Institute, Maren Boothby, Maureen Beauregard, Microsoft BizSpark, Nancy Clark, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, NH Business Review, Public Service of New Hampshire, Robin Comstock, Rochester Department of Economic Development, SERESC Conference and Training Center, Women Inspiring Women
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Inspiring Women in Business Conference Scheduled for National Small Business Week
Thursday, February 24th, 2011
In FY 2010 New Hampshire small businesses were awarded over $438 million in contracts by federal agencies, state agencies and as subcontractors to prime contractors. These contracts represent awards to hundreds of small businesses in New Hampshire, who have often worked with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the NH Division of Economic Development’s Procurement Technical Assistance Program (NH PTAP) to realize increasing success and profits.
 As more small business have entered the arena of selling their goods or services to government agencies or prime contractors, a common thread has emerged with successful companies. The businesses that understand how the process works and how regulatory requirements can be met, are the same businesses who receive contracts in the government contracting marketplace.
On Wednesday March 9, 2011, in Manchester and Thursday March 17th in Keene, representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the NH Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP), and SCORE will host a roundtable discussion with area businesses who want to learn more about the process of selling product and services to federal government agencies and their large business prime contractors. Business owners will also receive an introduction to the resources and services provided by the SBA, NH PTAP and SCORE to assist them if they decide to pursue government contracting with their companies.
Wednesday March 9, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, 54 Hanover Street, Manchester, NH
or
Thursday March 17, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The Hannah Grimes Center, 25 Roxbury Street, Keene, NH
Each session is free of charge, but attendance is limited and pre-registration is required.
Please contact Rachael Roderick at (603) 225-1603 or Rachael.roderick@sba.gov for additional information or to register.
Tags: Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Hannah Grimes Center, NH Division of Economic Development, NH Procurement Technical Assistance Program, Rachael Roderick, SCORE, U.S. Small Business Administration
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Exploring Government Contracting Subject of Small Business Roundtables
Monday, November 8th, 2010
FairPoint Communications today announced it is introducing a powerful economic development modeling tool to assist economic development and planning professionals in forecasting regional growth. The announcement was made today at a press conference held at the State of New Hampshire Legislative Office Building in Concord. Joining FairPoint Communications State President Teresa Rosenberger were Commissioners George Bald of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, Tara Reardon, Department of Employment Security, George Copadis, Department of Labor and Liz Gray, Governor Lynch’s Special Assistant for Policy.
 Fairpoint Communications State President Teresa Rosenberger The Connect NNE Economic Scenario Model™ is a FairPoint-sponsored Microsoft Office Excel-based software tool created to provide information on existing economic conditions and estimate potential impacts of new development and job creation scenarios in New Hampshire and across northern New England. The model allows users to estimate impact on jobs, earnings, output and gross domestic product (GDP) resulting from changing a region’s economic focus.
“In the past two years, we have heard from economic development leaders that they are looking for tools to help them understand influences on the local economies,” said Teresa Rosenberger, state president for FairPoint in New Hampshire. “This software tool will provide local communities with quantitative data to support economic development initiatives that will help the communities grow and prosper and, in turn, provide a benefit to all.”
 NH Department of Resources & Economic Development Commissioner George Bald “This model will provide economic development professionals across the state with a much needed tool that will allow us to benchmark the region’s current economic status and forecast the impact of future economic and community development strategies,” said George Bald, commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development speaking on behalf of Commissioners Copadis and Reardon as well. “With New Hampshire-specific data, we can compare public infrastructure projects competing for limited available funds as well as calculate the economic impact of a capital investment proposal.”
The model was launched in Maine and has been used by economic development professionals there to show the impact that a soon-to be-abandoned rail spur in Aroostook County would have on jobs and gross domestic product, gaining the attention of Maine’s legislature and providing data to support a bond initiative. Supporters of a charter school in northern Maine used the model to calculate the economic benefit to the area in earnings and jobs, adding quantitative data to the discussion that resulted in the school staying open at its existing location. Output from the model has also been part of discussions on the impact of various plant closures, helping benchmark equivalent job replacement strategies. Annual updates ensure that the model is using the most up-to-date data and that its functionality continues to be improved.
FairPoint is offering hands-on training sessions led by its economic development arm, Connect NNE, at six sites across New Hampshire.
November 8th (2:30-5:00 pm)
Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce, 151 Main Street, Nashua, N.H.
November 9th (9:00-11:30 am)
Grappone Conference Center, 70 Constitution Avenue, Concord, N.H.
November 9th (2:00-4:30 pm)
Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, 54 Hanover Street, Manchester, N.H.
November 10th (2:30-5:00 pm)
Granite State College, 53 Technology Lane, Suite 150, Conway, N.H.
November 12th (9:00-11:30 am)
Great Bay Community College, 320 Corporate Drive, Portsmouth, N.H.
December 7th (9:00 – 11:30 am)
Courtyard by Marriott, Downtown Keene, 74 Railroad Street, Keene, N.H.
Economic development professionals interested in attending one of these sessions are asked to contact jill.wurm@fairpoint.com.
Tags: Connect NNE Economic Scenario Model, Courtyard by Marriott, FairPoint Communications, George Copadis, Granite State College, Grappone Conference Center, Great Bay Community College, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce, Jill Wurm, Liz Gray, New Hampshire Department of Labor, New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development, New Hampshire Employment Security, Tara Reardon, Teresa Rosenberger
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on FairPoint Communications Announces New Economic Development Tool
Thursday, October 21st, 2010
It was a real pleasure for the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development to be a sponsor of last night’s New Hampshire Business Review “Business Excellence Awards” at Southern New Hampshire University. This was a great celebration of New Hampshire’s best and brightest companies and the good folks at NHBR were rewarded for their hard work with a packed room.
Special congrats are in order for “No Bull Business Blog” guest blogger Dr. Russ Ouellette of Sojourn Partners who was recognized with an award in the “Business Services” category. Way to go Russ!!
Here’s a recap of last night’s festivities:
New Hampshire Business Review honored 14 individuals at the 2010 Business Excellence Awards, which recognize the efforts and achievements owners of businesses with 100 employees or fewer.
More than 50 nominations in 13 categories were received, making the job of the 14 judges that much more difficult.
More than 300 people attended the Oct. 20 event, which was held at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester.
Because of the extraordinary number of accomplished candidates, NHBR also named a tie in the Retail category and finalists in several other categories.
NHBR also announced two inductees into the Business Excellence Hall of Fame, which singles out people whose entire careers have been marked by a consistent and impressive record of accomplishments, both in their chosen fields, in their communities, and across the state and beyond. These honorees were selected by a separate panel of judges.
“Each of the businesspeople who receive these honors has a different story to tell,” said Sharron McCarthy, president of McLean Communications and publisher of NHBR. “But what they have in common is determination, industriousness and the ability to come up with innovative solutions that have allowed their businesses to survive and thrive, regardless of economic conditions, and a commitment to serving their communities.”
 NHBR Editor Jeff Feingold Jeff Feingold, editor of NHBR, said, “We would like to salute all of the nominees, the people who nominated them and the winners themselves for their contributions toward making New Hampshire a great place to do business.”
Emcee was Charlie Sherman, host of WGIR-AM’s morning news talk program.
A portion of the proceeds from the evening benefited Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, which advocates for New Hampshire children in the state’s court system in cases of neglect and abuse.
The winners of the 2010 NHBR Business Excellences Awards were:
 "Business Services" winner Dr. Russ Ouellette • Excellence in Business Services — Russ Ouellette, Sojourn Partners LLC, Bedford
• Excellence in Construction — G. Hayden McLaughlin, Belknap Landscape Co., Inc., Gilford
• Excellence in Financial Services — Frank Teas, The Nashua Bank
• Excellence in Health Care — Joshua Siegal, M.D., Access Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics, Exeter
• Excellence in Hospitality — Carol Sheehan, The Red Arrow 24 Hr. Franchising Inc., Manchester
• Excellence in Media & Marketing — Linda Fanaras, Millennium Integrated Marketing Inc., Manchester
• Excellence in Nonprofits — Peter Kelleher, Partnership for Successful Living, Nashua
• Excellence in Professional Services — Jonathan Halle, Warrenstreet Architects, Concord
• Excellence in Real Estate — Quentin Keefe, Regency Mortgage Corp., Manchester
• Excellence in Retail (tie) — Susan Lozier Robert, Frederick’s Pastries, Amherst; Curt Jacques, West Lebanon Feed & Supply
• Excellence in Technology — Jason Alexander, Alexander Technology Group, Bedford
The 2010 NHBR Business Excellence Hall of Fame Inductees were:
• Alex Ray, founder, Common Man Family of Restaurants
• Lew Feldstein, former chairman, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
The judges for the 2010 NHBR Business Excellence Awards were:
• Jennifer Boulanger, loan officer at Capital Region Economic Development Corp. in Concord and former executive director of the Belknap County Economic Development Council based in Laconia
• Robin Comstock, president and CEO, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce
• Roy Duddy, interim director, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development
• Lou Guevin, former chairman, Junior Achievement of New Hampshire
• Julie Gustafson, president and CEO, Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester
• Richard Hanson, professor, accounting and taxation, Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester; executive director, Institute for Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination, SNHU
• Mahboubul Hassan, professor, economics and finance, SNHU
• Lise Howson, vice president and business banking relationship manager, Citizens Bank
• Witmer Jones, New Hampshire district director, U.S. Small Business Administration
• Dave Juvet, senior vice president, Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire
• Patrick F. McDermott, economic and community development manager, Public Service Company of New Hampshire
• Tim Sink, president, Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce
• Ashley Smith, business editor, The Nashua Telegraph
• Chip Underhill, senior marketing manager, FairPoint Communications, Manchester
Sponsors of the event were FairPoint Communications, Laconia Savings Bank, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of New England, Public Service of New Hampshire, J Maze Design, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, Merrimack Street Volvo, WGIR-AM 610, New Hampshire Public Television and Southern New Hampshire University. — NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS REVIEW
Tags: Alex Ray, Alexander Technology Group, Ashley Smith, Belknap Landscape Co., Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire, Capital Region Economic Development Corp., Carol Sheehan, CASA, Charlie Sherman, Chip Underhill, Citizens Bank, Common Man Family of Restaurants, Curt Jacques, Dave Juvet, FairPoint Communications, Frank Teas, Frederick's Pastries, G. Hayden McLaughlin, Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of New England, J Maze Design, Jason Alexander, Jeff Feingold, Jennifer Boulanger, Jonathan Halle, Joshua Siegal M.D., Julie Gustafson, Junior Achievement of New Hampshire, Lew Feldstein, Linda Fanaras, Lise Howson, Lou Guevin, Mahboubul Hassan, Merrimack Street Volvo, Millenium Advertising, Nashua Telegraph, New Hampshire Business Review, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, New Hampshire Public Television, Partnership for Successful Living, Pat McDermott, Peter Kelleher, Public Service of New Hampshire, Quentin Keefe, Regency Mortgage Corp., Richard Hanson, Robin Comstock, Roy Duddy, Russ Ouellette, Sharron McCarthy, Sojourn Partners, Southern New Hampshire University, Susan Lozier Robert, The Nashua Bank, The Red Arrow, Tim Sink, U.S. Small Business Administration, Warrenstreet Architects, West Lebanon Feed & Supply, WGIR-AM, Witmer Jones
Posted in NH Business Matters | Comments Off on Winners Celebrated at 8th Business Excellence Awards
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