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Posts Tagged ‘Hannah Grimes Center’

Economic Potpourri

Thursday, January 31st, 2013

All sorts of good, interesting and useful news is crossing our desk this week, so without further adieu:

Hats off to the Hannah Grimes Center over in Keene, which received the first Champion in Action award of 2013, presented by Citizens Bank and WMUR-TV, in the category of strengthening communities. The prize includes a $35,000 grant.

Hannah Grimes Center: Champion in Action

Hannah Grimes, for which the center is named, was born in 1776 in Keene and lived on a farm in neighboring Roxbury. What she and her family could not produce on their land, they bought and bartered for from friends, keeping the 18th century economy moving and growing.

With her life as inspiration, the organization bearing her name began in 1997 as a retail marketplace for local products. More than 15 years later, it includes a business incubator providing office space for new and emerging businesses to start, grow, thrive and move out on their own.

Hannah Grimes’ Entrepreneurship Program is a six-month intensive program focusing on raising current businesses to the next level of operation. Graduates of the program report an average sales increase of 68 percent in one year.

The original Hannah Grimes Marketplace continues to grow and now supports more than 270 local artisans, cooks and farmers. The center recently established a partnership to strengthen and support the area’s growing regional food system, which will help improve farm income, create jobs in the food production industry, and stimulate economic productivity and food self-sufficiency in the region.

The Champions in Action program was launched in 2002 by Citizens Bank and WMUR to support nonprofit organizations in their efforts in local communities.

Congratulations to everyone at Hannah Grimes.

We’ve been talking trade a lot here at the Division of Economic Development because there is so much interest in the opportunities the world over has for New Hampshire companies.

For companies that have made the leap overseas, the International Trade Resource Center has a terrific seminar coming up on Feb. 13, International Marketing: Putting Your Best Face Forward. It’s a full day of tips including how to increase website traffic and using social media in other parts of the world.

Speakers include Nancy Clark, president of Glen Group in North Conway; Allen Voivod of Epiphanies Inc., in Gilford, and Wendy Pease of Rapport International in Sudbury, Mass.

Cost is $95 and includes breakfast and lunch. Go ahead and click over to register here.

(We’ll wait for you to come back.)

It’s lights, camera, action next week for an Amherst company, which will be featured on the popular television series, World’s Greatest, which is produced by How2Media.

Vibrac is a small manufacturer marking its 53rd year and it makes the world’s most sensitive torque measurement instruments, used in aerospace, military, defense, medical, bearing and the automotive industry.

We are especially pleased with this recognition, as our folks at the New Hampshire Procurement Technical Assistance program has worked with Vibrac. The piece is set to air Feb. 4 and 11.

“Very importantly, they are not resting on their longevity,” said GordonFreeman, executive producer of the show. “They continue to launch new product lines of precision measurement instruments to help multiple industries. That makes them a company we like to feature on World’s Greatest. We think their story will be meaningful to our viewers.”

We think so, too. Click on the media link above to see where it will air near you.

We’re heading over to the 8th annual Small Business Day next Friday, Feb. 8. Brought to you by the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire, the half-day event will take a look at federal health care reform, financing strategies for your small business, the new LLC act and an update on policy issues from legislators.
Gov. Maggie Hassan will also attend.
Cost is $15 and you need to register. Call 224-5388×116 or click here.

 

Lorna Colquhoun

Communications Director

NH Division of Economic Development

Exploring Government Contracting Subject of Small Business Roundtables

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.  

small_business1As 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.

Commissioner Bald to be Featured at Networking Event

Monday, August 24th, 2009

“… Networking is crucial to every aspect of entrepreneurship. We know that the most successful entrepreneurs have frequent, extensive contacts with people in the various fields and industries that could conceivably relate to their work. These contacts help them to think entrepreneurially. They provide insights that can help them spot, and act upon, unclaimed opportunities. And of course the contacts are useful in recruiting talent, investors, partners, advisors, and customers for the venture.” – The Kauffman Laboratory for Enterprise Creation

Want to meet some new and interesting people who share your passion for business creation? Interested in listening to a guest speaker who is entrusted with guiding the operations of four distinct divisions of state government?

old-man-legacy-fund-005The Hannah Grimes Marketplace will feature NH Department of Resources & Economic Development Commisssioner George Bald at its CONNECT Annual Entrepreneur Event to take place on Tuesday, October 27th from 4:15-7:30 p.m. at Alyson’s Orchard in Walpole, NH.  The 2009 Hannah Grimes Entrepreneur of the Year Award will also be announced at the event. 

The early bird registration cost is $25 (until 10/1/09) – interested parties can register online at http://www.hannahgrimes.com/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=227.

The Hannah Grimes Center mission – to help communities and entrepreneurs innovate, connect, and thrive – is rooted in the vision that the success of either is inextricably linked to the success of both. We believe that a local economy cannot thrive without a vibrant community – and, in turn, a community cannot be vibrant without a thriving local economy.