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Join us!
Become a Member
or Renew Your
Membership! |
Your support is essential to our success and to the success of entrepreneurs in our region.
Click HERE to make a donation! |
| Upcoming Workshops | |
Free Information Sessions: Explore Going Into Business
First Weds. of each month, 3:30-5 pm, FCCDC
Dec 7, 2011
Jan 4, 2012
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| FCCDC Staff |
John Waite
Executive Director
Amy Shapiro
Business Assistance
Director
Alan Singer Lending Director
Larry DiLuzio
Jill Fitzsimmons
Project Manager
Megan Couture
Commonwealth Corps
Amelio Receptionist
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| FCCDC Board of Directors | |
Jessica Atwood
Franklin Regional Council of Governments
Chuck Bellinger Architectural
Components Inc.
Denise Coyne
Greenfield Savings Bank
Regis Crosby
Franklin County Home Care Corp.
David Farrick
Baystate Franklin Medical Center
Darren Gale
Innovative Design Concepts
Gary Gruber
Attorney
Mark Lattanzi
WRSI
Joe Shoenfeld
UMass Center for Agriculture
Roberta Wilmore
The Children's Equitation Center
Susan Worgaftik
Greening Greenfield
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The mission of Franklin County Community Development Corporation:
- to stimulate a more
vital, rural economy
-to maximize community control over our future economic destiny
-to expand opportunities
for low and moderate income residents
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Please join us at our Annual Meeting on November 17th to Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Western MA Food Processing Center and remember to eat well and eat local. - John Waite |
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Join other members, staff and board members on November 17th from 4:30- 7:00 p.m. here at the Food Center, 324 Wells Street in Greenfield to celebrate the
10th Anniversary of the Western Mass Food Processing Center!
Come take a tour of our commercial kitchen, learn about our Farm to Institution Project, and our expanded business technical assistance and lending services. Also, enjoy products made here at the Food Processing Center, and 10th anniversary cake!
The annual meeting is FREE and Open to the Public. We are looking forward to seeing you! |
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Business Assistance 
and Lending
The seasons are changing.
The economy is changing.
The best way to do business is changing...
Isn't it time to invest some time to assess your current business and plan for the future?
The FCCDC can help you to update or develop your business plan, look at trends and new avenues for growth, and strategically plan your next move. And we have plenty of capital available to help you with your changes.
Contact Alan Singer, Lending Director, alans@fccdc.org
413-774-7204 ext 105 |
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Upcoming Workshops and Classes
at the FCCDC |
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 Buzz on Biz:
Friday December 7
Join us on Friday, December 2nd from 8 - 9:30 a.m. to discuss Tax Stratregies for Business Owners
Light refreshments and hot drinks provided. Afterward there will be time to network with other business professionals. Walks-in welcome, RSVP Recommended. Click the link below to register!!
First Friday of Each Month, 8-9:30 am, FCCDC
Register online or contact info@fccdc.org or 413-774-7204 x100. RSVP recommended, walk-ins welcome. Free!
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 Explore Going Into Business
and Business Resources
Start your business the right way! This free 1 1/2 hour session is offered on the first Wednesday of the month for people interested in going into business, or taking a hobby to the next level. If you are also interested in using the Food Processing Center, this is your first step! Topics include:
- Business resources available
- The importance of developing a business plan
- Tour of the Food Processing Center
- Is business ownership right for you?
- Information about starting a food business
Upcoming Dates:
Wednesday, December 7th, 3:30-5 pm, FCCDC
Wednesday, January 4th, 3:30 - 5 pm, FCCDC
Wednesday, February 1st, 3:30 - 5 pm, FCCDC
Register online or info@fccdc.org or 413-774-7204 x100.
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M A Farm Disaster Recovery Fund Established
Severe weather this summer brought devastation to many Massachusetts farms. Making a bad situation worse, hundred year flooding from Tropical Storm Irene washed away farmlands, farms, livelihoods, families, and in some cases large chunks of rural communities. Coping with a tragedy of this magnitude demands a full court press. The Commonwealth's agricultural community has reacted swiftly to this tragedy and established the Massachusetts Farm Disaster Recovery Fund, a charitable initiative formed under Massachusetts Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) to mitigate suffering and to improve farm lives and communities.
Click here to learn more about the fund,
and to find out how you can make a contribution.
 In addition to NRCS, CISA Emergency Farm Fund was launched last week by Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) in partnership with Whole Foods Market, Equity Trust and individual donors.
The revolving fund will offer quick, zero-interest loans to assist farmers and farm businesses who are struggling to meet their immediate needs in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene's storm and flooding. In the future, the fund will be available immediately following disasters to help farmers affected by unexpected events continue farming.
An anonymous matching grant of $50,000 catalyzed the funds creation. Donations to the fund will be matched up to $50,000 and will help reach and exceed the goal of $100K.To donate or apply for the fund visit www.buylocalfood.org
Additionally, there is free legal help available for flood victims. The American Bar Association, young lawyers division, is volunteering its services to help individuals in these two declared counties, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has been working with county residents and towns hurt by the river flooding in Greenfield and western towns. If you need disaster legal services, call 1-855-866-1644 and leave a message. The services is available 24 hours a day. You will be contacted by a lawyer within 48 hours according to FEMA.  Valley CDC's First Time Homebuyer Program is coming up!
The Valley CDC's First Time Homebuyer Workshops provide a comprehensive overview of the homebuying process. During the four part workshop, you will learn: - Who's who in the homebuying process
- Advantages and disadvantages of homeownership
- Homebuyer's roadmap
- Budgeting
- Credit
- And so much more!
The classes will take place on four consecutive Monday's (Jan. 12th, 19th, 26th and Feb. 2nd) from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. To register, go to their website, www.valleycdc.com, or contact Fern Selesnick at 413-586-5855 ext. 16 for more information! 
Massachusetts Conference for Women Small Business Boot Camp: Live Fearlessly! Imagine your path to purpose and boldly transform. The Massachusetts Conference for Women, the state's largest event of its kind with more than 7,000 attendees, offers community and connection, information and inspiration, motivation and momentum. Branding, marketing, funding, public relations, social media, and sales will all be discussed. December 7-8, Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Boston. For more information see www.maconferenceforwomen.org/
Be ready for the Mass. Department of Agricultural Resources Agricultural Business Training Program (ABTP) ABTP courses for 2012 will begin in January-March, with registration open in September. Those who provide their email addresses and course choices before then will be given priority in early contact. If you are interested, please send an email to rick.chandler@state.ma.us with your contact information (including address, phone and email), and tell us which course interests you most. We will give you priority notification as soon as the next round of courses is scheduled.
Each course is limited to 12 farms/potential agricultural businesses, with an option to bring a key partner for no extra cost. Full attendance is required to get expected results. Fees are kept low through MDAR support. You can visit the ABTP website here.
Law and Business Center for Advancing Entrepreneurship Events for Fall 2011 - Spring 2012 The Center's Speaker Series, which is free and open to the public, will take place at Western New England College Blake Law Center, from noon - 1:30 p.m. on the follow dates: - Thursday, November 17, 2011: Prof. Marc Meyer, Northeastern University School of Business: "Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century"
- Thursday, January 24, 2012: Prof. David Weber, Creighton University School of Law: "Undocumented Entrepreneurs: Business Structure and Immigration Compliance"
- Thursday, April 5, 2012: Prof. Barry Barnes, Nova Southeastern University, School of Business: "Management Secrets of the Grateful Dead"
Additionally, the Center will hold a Financial Literacy for Small Business Workshop, also at Western New England College Blake Law Center from 1 - 3 p.m. on the following dates. The cost is $20 per session or $100 for the entire series: - December 2, 2011: Pricing your products and services and break-even analysis
- February 3, 2012: Managing credit and banking relationships
- March 2, 2012: Introduction to tax issues for small businesses
- April 6, 2012: Insurance risk management techniques for small businesses
 Entrepreneurship, the early years
The Franklin Hampshire Regional Employment Board is looking for local employers to participate in youth employment. Choices include being part of a career fair, guest speaking at a local school, providing tours of your business, hosting a student for a job shadow day, mentoring an intern through a work experience, or supporting a current youth employee through a work based learning plan. If you would like to learn more, please contact Donna DuSell, Youth Pathways Coordinator at 413-774-4361 ext. 363 or ypcoordinator@fhreb.org. Read more about this initiative here. |
Other Local Business Classes
Valley CDC offers classes for business owners, artists, and first-time homebuyers.
Hilltown CDC has computer classes and classes for business owners.
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