Greetings!
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From yesterday's Advocate: . "(last year) the Arlington Redevelopment Board ("ARB") and the Planning
Department met with various groups in the town and conducted a survey to solicit the concerns of the public. The planning initiative generated a
number of other good ideas, but improving the vibrancy of Arlington's
commercial areas was the goal that was most often cited.The ARB
has therefore made a commitment to Arlington's commercial areas to
preserve and enhance that which serves Arlington residents so well. (my emphasis) For full text of article, click here.
Calling every storefront business in town! Next Thursday morning you have a golden opportunity to: 1) find out how you can help change the face of Arlington, 2) hear how you may be eligible for an architect's services for free, 3) learn about low-cost loan programs for small businesses and 4) ask questions of town officials and representatives from banks such as Leader Bank, Cambridge Savings Bank and Watertown Savings Bank. We hope to see you there!
I want to apologize to anyone who has sent an e-mail to info@arlcc.org and not received a reply. Since early fall that address has been directed to Outlook, which I planned to make my e-mail account. I tried to like Outlook, but I couldn't. When I returned to my tried and true one, I forgot to redirect the address. Out of sight, out of mind until a Chamber member wondered if I had received his e-mail. That e-mail address will now forward to Lorraine who will make sure you get a reply. You can also send e-mail directly to both of us at mmeagher@arlcc.org or lkilby@arlcc.org.
One last note: I realized last week that "presto, changeo" I can make section titles appear and disapper in the table of contents so from now on any section you see in "In This Issue" has new content.
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Upcoming Events
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To pre-register for an event, you have several options:
- Visit the Chamber's secure website to register and pay online with Visa, MC and even AMEX!
- Complete the monthly event flyer sent to you by postal mail or
available on the website's events page and mail/fax it to the Chamber
with payment. (Check, Visa or MC)
- Stop by the Chamber Tuesdays-Fridays from 9:30-2:30 and pay in person. (Cash, check, Visa or MC)
Once the deadline for pre-registration for an event has passed, you'll be able to register at the door for an event.
BREAKFAST MEETING:
Arlington Storefront
Improvement Program Kick-off
OR
How You May Be Eligible for an Architect's Services for FREEand Have Access to Low Cost Loans-Oh, My!
When: Thursday, February 28
from 7:30-9:30am
Hosted by: Arlington Chamber of Commerce
Where: Robbins Library, Community Room, 700 Mass. Ave.
Pre-registration fee: $10/member; $20 visitor
FEE AFTER FEB. 26/AT DOOR: $15/member, $25/visitor At this breakfast meeting, learn
about Arlington's
new Storefront Improvement Program and the town's efforts to improve its
community spaces.
The Planning Department and the
Redevelopment Board will:
- Explain
how you may be eligible to participate in the new program's first phase
- Discuss
interim improvements planned for the Broadway
Plaza
in the Center
Participating banks will be
invited to:
- Outline
their new loan programs to assist business owners who want to improve their
businesses
Network with other attendees and
town officials from 7:30-8:00am over a Continental breakfast. The presentation
will begin promptly at 8:00am and will include the opportunity for questions.
BREAKFAST SEMINAR: Ready, Set,
Network! When: Thursday, March 6 
Sponsored by: ImprovAndy
Presented by: Andy Winig
Where: Robbins Library, 700 Mass. Ave.
Pre-registration fee:
$10/member; $20 visitor
FEE AFTER MARCH 4 / AT DOOR: $15/member, $25/visitor
Learn the
skills that will make you more effective at trade shows, business networking
events, and social gatherings. This session will keep you on your toes through
interactive exercises, puzzling twists, inspiring storytelling, and a surprise
musical ending. You will learn: 1) the most important skill for effective
networking, 2) an approach for making a great first impression and 3) a simple
exercise for practicing these skills every day
Andy is a leadership trainer, business owner, and keynote speaker, as well as a Chamber member and president of Arlington's Rotary Club. Using a
unique blend of corporate and acting experience, he draws on his 15 years of
experience building and managing teams as an entrepreneur, community leader,
and high tech manager. You will learn by doing in this interactive session. Register and pay for this event online.Download the flyer to register by mail or fax.
AFTER-HOURS EVENT: Watertown Savings Bank When: Monday, March 31
Hosted by: Watertown Savings Bank
Where: 980 Massachusetts Avenue
Pre-Registration Fee:
$10/member; $20 visitor
FEE AFTER MARCH 26 / AT DOOR: $15/member, $25/visitor Here is your chance to use your networking skills honed at recent Chamber events, eat and sip some fun food and beverages. You'll be able to participate in an ice-breaking exercise and be eligible to win door prizes from our host. Chamber members who attend this event will enjoy the Chamber Promo, an exclusive member benefit. On a rotating basis, their logos, taglines and URLs will appear on a giant screen-courtesy of The Computer Cafe.
Submission details
to be included in the Chamber Promo If you part of the January Chamber Promo, you are all set as long as you pre-register by March 26. For those new to this exclusive Chamber benefit,
it's easy!
Include in an email to mmeagher@arlcc.org using this
subject line:
[your company name] Info for
Chamber Promo - Company name
- Company website address
- Company tagline (not to exceed 15 words)
- Company logo in JPG format
Deadline to be included in the Chamber Promo: March 26!
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Welcome Our New Members
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Meet new Chamber members here first! As members join, we will provide you with their company name, a direct link to their website and contact information, too.
- Every week in 2008, we have welcomed one or more new members. This week is no different except our newest member wishes to wait and be introduced when its new business is ready to launch. Stay tuned!
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Good News to Share About Chamber Members
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Has your business got good news to share-won an award, been reviewed, appeared in the media, added a
new employee, relocated? Then shoot an email to info@arlcc.org and we'll spread
the word in our weekly email. For your information to be included it must be in
the body of the email and not in an attached document or in the body of a
newsletter.
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| Chamber Connections |
The Chamber is where connections are made and business happens. If you have
connected with a Chamber member at a recent event, let me know and I will share
the good news here. And if you have kudos to share about another Chamber member, send that along too! - "I just wanted to let you know that Craig Rabe was able to solve a problem I have had for a long time--a way that I could make sure that my computer was being backed up off site without me having to do anything," says Andy Winig of ImprovAndy. "I didn't even know Craig had a business like Remote Data Vault until the January After-Hours event he hosted at The Computer Cafe."
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| Chamber Member Events |
Are you having an open house, a benefit, a wine tasting? Then send me the info
in sentence form in the body of an email and I will mention
it and include a link to your website for folks to visit.
- Renovations are nearly
complete at 13FORESTgallery's new Arlington
location and on its website. Please join the gallery on Leap Year Day, Friday,
February 29 from 7:00-10:00pm for the grand opening celebration of its East Arlington space and its new show, Leap.
- Restaurant (Two) Weeks is back and taking place March 9-14 and March 16-21, 2008. Three Chamber restaurants are participating. Contact each of them for complete details: Flora, Ristorante Olivio and Tryst.
- Visiting Nurse and Community Health, Inc. (VNCH)
will host its First Annual VNCH Golf Classic at Indian Ridge Country Club in Andover, Mass.
on Monday, May 12, 2008. The Scramble format tournament, will tee off with a 7:00am
shotgun start and conclude with a luncheon and awards ceremony. The tournament will
fund the purchase of 10 new HomMed monitors (at a cost of $7,450 each) used
primarily for cardiac and respiratory patients. VNCH invites you to join us for
this event, as a sponsor, golfer, or both! For more information, please contact
Karen Breehey at 781-643-6090, ext. 212, or by email at
KBreehey@TheVisitingNurses.com.
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Special Offers for Chamber Members
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Do you want to extend a special offer to your fellow Chamber members? Send it
along and we will include it.
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FYI: Members with Info to Share
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Would you
like to post a job? Are you moving? Has your business name changed? If you have
information you would like to share with your fellow members, send it along. For
your information to be included it must be in the body of the email and not in
an attached document or in the body of a newsletter.
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Critical Knowledge: Tips from Chamber Members
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Do you have critical knowledge that you would like to share with fellow Chamber members. Then include it in the body of an email and send it to the Chamber.
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| SCORE-Appointments for March |
SCORE Counselors to America's Small Business is a
nonprofit association dedicated to entrepreneurial education and the formation,
growth and success of small businesses nationwide. SCORE's national network of
retired and working volunteers are experienced entrepreneurs and corporate
managers/executives. These volunteers provide free business counseling and
advice as a public service to all types of businesses, in all stages of
development. SCORE is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business
Administration. A SCORE counselor comes to the Arlington Chamber's office twice every
month to meet with Chamber members for free confidential one-hour consultations.
Once the counselor has met with you, meetings can occur more often at your and
SCORE's mutual convenience. Call the Chamber at 781.643.4600 to make an appointment. Both
members and non-members can take advantage of this opportunity; however, Chamber
members get first preference for appointments. March
- Marty Kress, Wednesday, March 5: Completely booked!
- Judy Wessels, Tuesday, March 20: 9:00, 10:00 and 1:00
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Sincerely,
Michèle M. Meagher
Arlington Chamber of Commerce
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From Michèle
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The Bounce Manager
I was a bounce manager yesterday. Spending the time to
manage bounced e-mails in Constant Contact (CC for the rest of this posting), allows me to say "Welcome, Angelo (Baio), Carolyn (Morrow), Dirk, Kathy (Keefe),
Jeety, Kate (Killian), Marc (Clerc), Ara, Judy (Femia), Santosh, Sue (Cross), Bette
and Alex!" Starting today, they'll receive Chamber Connections on Fridays. I
logged into a contact report that showed me which e-mails were bouncing back
and why, correcting the missing letter here, the missing "dot" there, the extra
letter here, the changed e-mail provider there, the new manager here.
What initially made CC so attractive to the Board as an e-mail
service provider were:
#1:
Its Business Partnership program. The Chamber can offer a substantial discount
(from 20-25%!) to anyone-Chamber member or not--who signs up for a free trial
period through our co-branded
link and chooses to pre-pay for a 6-month or 12-month period, once the
trial ends. When you sign up via the co-branded link, you save money and |
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