Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce

Clark University Workshop: Employment Law
2016-12-01 08:45 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Grace Conference Room, Higgins University Center, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA, United States
Human resources law is complicated. Mistakes and miscommunication can lead to costly and distracting legal troubles. This session will keep you informed and empowered.
A basic overview will be provided on a wide variety of the topics during the main portion of the presentation. At the end of the program time will be allocated so that business owners can ask more specific questions to the various speakers. Some of the topics that will be covered in this session include:
• Exempt and nonexempt employees and overtime
• Massachusetts new pay equity law
• Independent contractor vs. employee Issues
• Workers’ compensation
• Non-payment of wages
• Non-compete contracts
• Severance agreements
• Employee handbooks
The speakers for this session have many years of experience in these highly specialized areas. They have worked with large and small businesses. They will focus the comments on the key issues that small business owners must keep in mind to avoid having significant HR problems. So whether you are hiring
your first employee or already have many employees, this will be a very informative session.
Speakers:
PAM STEVENS, Esq., Seder & Chandler, LLP, Worcester, MA
HOWARD STEMPLER, Partner, Seder & Chandler, LLP, Worcester, MA
KURT BINDER, Partner, Seder & Chandler, LLP, Worcester, MA
TIME: 8:45 a.m. – 12:00 noon
PLACE: Clark University, Grace Conference Room,
Higgins University Center
For reservations or information, call (508) 793-7615
You can pre-register at http://www.clarku.edu/offices/sbdc/schedule.cfm or online through the State MSBDC website: https://umass.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1CgCY7jVGIjik1m ; OR directly by emailing to sbdc@clarku.edu .

SBDC at Clark University Fall 2016 Workshop #1
2016-10-06 08:45 - 12:00
Do I Purchase a Franchise, Buy a Business, or Start a Business From Scratch?
You’ve been thinking about starting your own business for some time. You want to take action, but you’re not sure what direction you should take. In this seminar, we will focus on the different ways to start a business. First of all, do you have what it takes to be a business owner versus an employee? We will start the seminar with self-analysis questionnaire that will guide you as you listen to our different panelists.
Each panelist has a very different view point. How does it match with your personal makeup, business idea (you may not have this defined), and your resources? How will it affect your life?
Be prepared to ask questions that will help you make this very important decision.
Some of the different aspects in your decision will concern:

Control and decision making of the business
Lending options
Financial and operating systems
Cash flow
Customer base
Marketing
Support and training

Speakers:
Larry Lafranchi – Marketing Associate, FranNet, Beverly, MA
Christopher George – President & CEO, George & Company, Worcester, MA
Todd Snopkowski – Owner of multiple businesses, including Snapchef, Inc.
Registration Information
Please contact the Clark University SBDC for more information at 508-793-7615 or via email at sbdc@clarku.edu

The Importance of Print Marketing (How it Fits into Your marketing Strategy)
2016-05-12 08:45 - 12:00
All programs are held in the Grace Conference Room, Higgins University Center, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester. Cost is $39 for each workshop.
For more detailed descriptions of each workshop you can visit SBDC’s website at http://www.clarku.edu/offices/sbdc/schedule.cfm. You can pre-register at this website or online through the State MSBDC website: http://www.msbdc.org/training/; OR directly by emailing to sbdc@clarku.edu.
Seating is limited, so please register quickly by filling out the Registration Form in the attached brochure and mailing it, with your check made out to Clark University, to: Clark University/SBDC, attention Penny Tiernan, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610-1477 to guarantee a seat. Registering in advance helps with the planning of food & seating. Registration is on a first come first serve basis. Sorry, SBDC does not accept credit cards.
COST
$39 for the first seminar, $30 for each additional seminar or for each additional registrant (from same company), Special – $150 for all 5 seminars
Please feel free to contact SBDC anytime at 508-793-7615 should you need additional information.

The Power of the Inbox (Tips & Tricks for Successful Email Marketing)
2016-05-05 08:45 - 12:00

Solving the Social Media Puzzle
2016-04-21 08:45 - 12:00

Your Brand Versus Your Website (How to Get the Most Impact)
2016-03-31 08:45 - 12:00

Great Marketing Research (The Foundation to Your Success)
2016-03-10 08:45 - 12:00

Human Resources (What You Don't Know Can Hurt You)
2015-12-03 08:45 - 12:00
Human resources law is complicated. Are you an expert in the changes to sick time pay and the Affordable Care Act? Mistakes and miscommunication can lead to legal troubles and will deflate your business. This session will keep you informed and empowered.
A basic overview will be provided on a wide variety of topics during the main portion of the presentation. At the end of the program time will be allocated so that business owners can ask more specific questions to the various speakers.
Some of the topics that will be covered in this session include:
• Hourly & Minimum Wage Issues as well as Overtime
• Independent Contractor vs. Employee Issues
• Hiring/Termination proceedures
• Sick Time Regulation
• A Brief Overview of the Affordable Care Act
• Workers’ Compensation
• Non Payment of Wages
• Non Compete Contracts
• Severance Agreements
The speakers for this session have many years of experience in these highly specialized areas. They have worked with larger corporations, but also many small businesses. They will focus their comments on what are the key issues that small business owners must keep in mind to avoid having significant HR problems. So, whether you are hiring your first employee or already have many employees, this will be a very informative session.
Speakers:
Cheryl Miles & Rocco Mammone, Resource Management, Inc. (RMI), Fitchburg, MA
Kurt Binder, ESQ., Partner & Howard Stempler, ESQ., Partner, Seder & Chandler LLP, Worcester, MA
Sponsored by:
RMI (Resource Management, Inc.), Seder & Chandler LLP, United Bank & Webster Five Cents Savings Bank
Register Here

Legal Issues For Small Businesses
2015-11-19 08:45 - 12:00
There is nothing that can deflate the chances for a successful venture or season, than getting into legal trouble. Just ask Tom Brady…
There are a variety of important legal issues that small business owners must be aware of. Starting with the formation of the business and determining what type of legal entity is the best one i.e. sole proprietor, sub S or C corporation, or an LLC. The business owner then has to consider signing leases, hiring employees, signing contracts, to trademarks and protecting personal assets. The area of intellectual property is another specialty area. The choices and technical issues for a new business owner can be overwhelming. This session will provide an overview of many of the most important issues that business owners have to face.
Topics that will be covered include the following:
• Choice of Entity
• Contracts
• Employment Issues
• Intellectual Property
• Real Estate
These topics and many others will be covered in the presentation. The attorneys from the law firm of Mirick O’Connell have many years of experience working with small businesses and have specific specialties in the various topics that will be discussed.
Time will be provided to ask general questions in the larger group setting. In the last portion of the program each specialist will take more specific questions in a small group setting.
Speakers:
Jeffrey Donaldson, ESQ., Of Counsel; Todd Helwig, ESQ., Partner; Jonathan Sigel, ESQ., Partner, Jeffrey Swaim, ESQ., Partner
Attorneys from Mirick O’Connell, Worcester, MA
$39 for the first seminar
$30 for each additional seminar or registrant (from same company)
Special – $150 for all 5 seminars
Sponsored by:
Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU), Mirick O’Connell, People’s United Bank & TD Bank
Register Here

Your First Business Plan
2015-11-05 08:45 - 12:00
This next program covers a topic that is critically important with the start-up process of a small business and can also be beneficial to existing businesses that may be ready to expand. Business owners do not want to start with overly optimistic or inflated goals and expectations. A well written Business Plan can help to make the projections much more realistic. After you have proven the feasibility of your concept, limited your risk, analyzed your financials, and developed a marketing plan; how do you package all of this information together so you can really get your business started?
Our team of expert advisors enjoy working with people who are ready to get their businesses started. Developing a winning business plan can be invaluable as a management planning tool and/or as a loan proposal. The Business Plan becomes the blueprint that an entrepreneur can follow to avoid the pitfalls that await every small business owner. This program is designed to guide the participants on a step by step journey to develop a thorough and comprehensive Business Plan.
Topics that will be included are:
• What a banker looks for in a Business Plan
• Defining the business
• Describing the target markets
• The marketing/advertising program
• Projected balance sheets
• Projected income statements
• Projected cash flow projections
The business advisors for this presentation each have many years of experience in advising small business owners. Ample time will be provided for questions from the audience.
Speakers:
George Isaac, CPA, Owner, George J. Isaac, CPA, Worcester, MA
Paul Raffa, Vice President, Government Guaranteed Lending, Yadkin Bank, Auburn, MA
Michael Holbrook, Consultant, Small Business Development Center @ Clark University, Worcester, MA
$39 for the first seminar
$30 for each additional seminar or registrant (from same company)
Special – $150 for all 5 seminars
Sponsored by:
Bank of America, Commerce Bank, Middlesex Savings Bank & Yadkin Bank
Register Here

Take the "Fright" out of Marketing
2015-10-29 08:45 - 12:00
Marketing can be a huge haunting challenge with lots of scary obstacles and decisions to make; sometimes with frighteningly little return on your efforts.
Demystify the ghostly and confusing path to a solid marketing foundation and learn the basic steps and concepts to be competitive. This session will help you build the marketing foundation for your business that incorporates today’s important innovations and methods. Quite simply, a solid marketing strategy mixed with some good old fashioned know-how creates the environment for a powerful sales opportunity to reach potential clients. Without that your product or service may never be noticed…and potential sales could be lost to the competition.
So, take the “Fright’ out of marketing and discover how to market your business in a bewitchingly traditional, yet savvy way during this informative, interactive workshop. You will feel empowered with the basics and all your fears will disappear like magic.
Some of the key steps presented to design your own marketing plan will include:
• Defining core goals
• Identifying primary target markets
• Establishing the key message
• Creating the brand for your company
• Developing vital strategies and tactics
• Designing all the marketing tools
• Determining how to use these techniques to gain awareness
The speaker for this program, Fern Nissim, CMD (Certified by the International Assoc. of Shopping Centers) brings her 20+ years of experience in the strategic marketing field. She is a well known speaker on a variety of marketing topics.
Speaker:
Fern Nissim, President & Founder, Round Pond Group, LLC, Shrewsbury, MA
$39 for the first seminar
$30 for each additional seminar or registrant (from same company)
Special – $150 for all 5 seminars
Sponsored by:
BayState Savings Bank, Fidelity Bank, Southbridge Savings Bank & UniBank
Register Here

Starting A Business (Build Your Management Team)
2015-10-01 08:45 - 12:00
Starting a business is somewhat complicated and involves elements of risk and uncertainty. To increase the odds of being successful, the small business owner needs access to the best information and advice that is available.
To help guide you through your decision process, we have assembled a group of expert business professionals that will provide you with helpful tips to start a new business.
Even when you are starting a small business you need to develop your “Outside Management Team”. The services of an attorney, an accountant, an insurance specialist and a banker are essential. Each of these people can supplement the knowledge of a small businessperson. Our speakers will be able to provide the audience with key insights and tips on what it takes to run a small business.
Topics that will be included in this session are:
• Start-up issues
• Pitfalls
• Legal considerations
• Accounting tips
• Financing
• Insurance
If you are thinking about starting a business, or have recently started one, this is the session that you should attend. You will have the opportunity to ask these experts questions about your proposed business venture.
Speakers:
Joshua LaPan, CPA, Partner, Shepherd & Goldstein, Worcester, MA
Mary Casey, ESQ., Managing Attorney, The Harbor Law Group, Northborough, MA
Claire Cheevers, Employee Benefits Manager & Yvonne Baker, Commercial Account Manager, The Feingold Companies, Worcester, MA
Karla Christiansen, Vice President – Relationship Manager, Berkshire Bank, Westborough, MA
Sponsored by:
The Feingold Companies, The Harbor Lew Group and Shepherd & Goldstein
$39 for the first seminar
$30 for each additional seminar or registrant (from same company)
Special – $150 for all 5 seminars
Register Here
