THE BEDFORD BANNER

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In This Issue
Chamber presents to Board of Selectmen
You ever get that nagging feeling?
Sign Bylaw Review
Suzanne & Company Holiday House Tour
What the Chamber did in September?
Business Development Committee
Alewife Shuttle to Crosby Drive
Chamber Connections
Chamber Calendar
Follow us on Facebook
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Bedford Chamber Business Development Committee presents Economic Goals to Selectman
By Chris Gambon
 

Members of the Bedford Chamber of Commerce (COC) addressed the Board of Selectmen Monday night on how the community can better encourage business owners, specifically owners of small businesses, to choose Bedford when determining what town to bring their business to.

Chairman of the COC Business Development Committee, Adam Schwartz, said economic development has become an area of increasing concern for Bedford residents, as there are several visible locations around town advertising vacancies in commercial space.

"People in town have been concerned about economic development in Bedford," Schwartz said. "People notice a lack of business, especially in the Crosby Drive area."

Vacancies in the Crosby Drive area draw concern from Bedford residents despite the fact that the area is on the outskirts of town, Schwartz said.

Schwartz said 30 to 40 percent of office space in the Crosby Drive area is currently vacant.

"This leads to a depression of real estate value in the area," Schwartz said.

Schwartz said this public concern stems from a rise in taxes, which coupled with less commerce in town, leaves the onus to fall on Bedford residents.

The COC is aiming to work with the Selectmen to make it easier for businesses to set up shop in Bedford, Schwartz said.

"The Selectmen have been looking at economic development in town and we are hoping to come to solutions that make it easier for businesses to come to town," Schwartz said.

These solutions could include simplifications to the permitting and signing process, creating an expediated proccess for small business owners looking to come to Bedford.

"A lot of the town committees that small business owners have to go to only meet once or twice a month," Schwartz said. "We want to ask the Selectmen how can we give these small business owners three sheets of paper for the permitting process so they only have to come before the committee once."

Schwartz said there have recently been many steps in the right direction in creating a healthy retail environment in Bedford.

The recent announcement of the Middlesex 3 coalition, a regional public partnership dedicated to promoting the region's competitive advantages, will provide Bedford with more resources for attracting commerce to the area, Schwartz said.

Commerce in Bedford has recently shown signs of improvement, Schwartz said, with several restaurants announcing new locations in town, in addition to the Blake Block construction coming closer to completion.

Chipotle recently announced a new location coming to 343 Great Road, while Panera announced a possible new location at 213 Burlington Road.

               

Overcoming the Hum-Drum Response...with a Word

               

 

By Geoffery Moore

 

You ever get the nagging feeling that something you've written-an ad, email, letter, article, or presentation of an idea-is getting a hum-drum response?

 

You know what a hum-drum response is? First they hum, instead of paying attention to your words. Then they drum you out of their minds.

 

And it happens all the time! People are awash in an ocean of words. And, what's worse, they've become jaded. They've heard it all before, and they've also figured out that most of the words they see or hear really don't say much worth hearing.

 

No wonder they hum...and drum.

 

So what can you do? For one thing, you can remember the power a single word.

 

You can commit to the difficult task of finding exactly the right word to say what you want to say...a word that really means something to readers...a word that makes customers sit up and pay attention...a word that raises eyebrows, gets heads nodding.

 

It can take courage to find that word, because one of the best ways to gain attention and credibility is to use a word that simply tells the truth.

As Mark Twain said, "Always tell the truth; it will gratify some people and astonish the rest." And there is something astonishing about honesty.

When Volkswagen was selling their Beetles in the 60s, they found such a word. The word was: ugly. They created a famous ad with a picture of the Beetle and the headline: 

 

                          It's ugly, but it gets you there.

 

"Ugly" was honest, refreshing, surprising. But back in the day, "ugly" was also a counter-culture statement. "Ugly" spoke to college students who were wearing ripped blue jeans, protesting against the establishment, and going to Woodstock.

 

"Ugly" was also practical, economical. It said: who needs to pay a lot of extra money just for a fancy name brand anyway?

And one thing is for sure. "Ugly" didn't get a hum-drum response.

Mark Twain also said, "The difference between using almost the right word and exactly the right word is like the difference between hitting someone with a lightning bug...or a lightning bolt."

 

So keep looking for exactly the right word. The discipline and persistence you bring to looking for that word will make you a better writer and communicator...and help you overcome the hum-drum response.

 

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Sales & Marketing Jumpstarts is written by Geoffery Moore, president of Geoffery Moore Marketing and author of Think Like a Customer To Market Like a Genius.He can be contacted at 603-353-4700 or [email protected].His website is www.YourBestMarketingMove

Sign Bylaw Review Committee Deals With Questions, Large and Small   

By Kim Siebert MacPhail

 

Member Jeff Cohen says the tasks that the Sign Bylaw Committee faces have both minor and far-reaching implications.

On the one hand, reviewing punctuation and grammar of the current

At the same time, he acknowledged that periodic housekeeping of

this sort is important to do. Additionally, as a member of both the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Board, Cohen also sees weekly examples of how people struggle to understand the current bylaw and how hard it can be for Town committees to interpret it. For these reasons, two of the goals of the Sign Bylaw Review Committee are to disentangle the bylaw's structure and to improve it grammatically.

As for the more far-reaching aspects of the Committee's work, the sign bylaw has a direct impact on the visual appearance of the town, which is a quality of life issue. Businesses are also helped or hindered by whether they can effectively use signage to advertise their location. For

Cohen said that the Committee has canvassed a variety of business owners, hailing from different parts of town. They report that the current bylaw is not especially friendly to them so the Committee is considering a change that would allow different styles of signage in different zones of town.

"What may be appropriate for a Crosby Drive business might not be appropriate for The Great Road," Cohen explained. But, he emphasized, that while it wanted to help business, the Committee did not want to turn Great Road into Route 1. Read more

 

 

 Board of Director Karen Kenney is a member of the Sign Bylaw Committee

 
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housetour 

 

 

   Suzanne & Company Holiday House Tour

December 9, 2012

1-4 PM

Tickets on sale at Suzanne & Company, New England Nursery & Great Road Gallery & Framing and at www.bedfordchamber.org

  Adults- $20.00

Seniors - $15.00

Children 8-12 - $10.00

A portion of the proceeds fund the Charles Hume Scholarship

 

What the Chamber did in October?

 Catch the Net -Flatbread Company
 The Goddard School Trunk or Treat
 Board of Directors
Flatbread Host Joe Sylva
johnmonahan
John M leading Catch the Net

  trunkortreat 
higgins

BEST TRUNK WINNERS

THE HIGGINS GROUP

Art Smith & Christine Pinney
doubletree
Doubletree Bedford Glen Hotel
 

Business Development Committee Update

 
Business Development- The committee is putting togethe two new programs-

 

Bedford First Program- A member to member discount program which will be rolled out in January, details to follow.

I'm A Bedford Business Video promotion. Mix of businesses to include retail, personal services, high tech, etc...
 

 

MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS

edge ports  

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ST. MICHAEL CRAFT FAIR - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17

The annual St. Michael Holiday Craft Fair will be held on Saturday, November 17, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the St. Michael Parish Center, 90 Concord Rd., Bedford, Mass, 01730. The popular event features holiday and gift items, local crafters and artisans, a white elephant sale, and a bake sale, including homemade apple pies in time for Thanksgiving. Plus, a huge raffle of gift baskets, blankets, jewelry, gift cards, and other donated items. Delicious, low-cost luncheon items served as well. There is no admission fee.

Crafters, artisans and independent vendors are invited to purchase a table for display and sales. Donations for the white elephant sale and bake sale are welcome. Contact Kathy Clark at [email protected] or 781-275-6630 for more information.

 

 

    ALEWIFE SHUTTLE TO CROSBY DRIVE

      offers guaranteed ride home program

 
 Did you know the 128 Business Council's offfers guaranteed ride home, along with several other member benefits such as

 

  • DEP Rideshare Regulation Compliance
  • RideMatching
  • Guaranteed Ride Home
  • Commuter Benefits Events
  • Shuttle Bus Services
  • Transportation Advocacy Programs
128 Business Council could be your one-stop resource for alternative transportation and pro-sustainability solutions for the 128 West region. Their  shuttles connect major employers, institutions and communities to public transit (MBTA stations), making commuting more effective and reducing Route 128 West and related roadway congestion.  
 Please contact the Chamber office at 781-275-8503 if your company is interested in participating in this Shuttle Program and/or if you know some other companies in the Crosby Drive area that you think would be interested. 

CHAMBER CONNECTIONS 

 

 

 Each month, Executive Director Maureen Sullivan tapes the Chamber Connections at the Bedford Tv Studio. Check out the links below of who she has interviewed and if you are  interested in being a guest, email her at [email protected]

 

Madeline Altman ~ Bedford TV

Linda Stimson ~ Inner Visions Interiors

 

Adam Schwartz - Business Development


Mara Briere - Grow a Strong Family

The UPS Store

 

 Joan Turnberg - Live LIfe Well
 

Dr. Jean Marc Slak ~ Slak Chiropractic Group


Lea Ann Knight ~ Garrison Knight Financial

 

The Goddard School

 

Brookline Bank


Kristen Presley/Bedford VA

Karen Kenney/ OrganizingWorks

JRM Antiques

 

 

_________________________________________________________________

 CHAMBER CALENDAR

 

November 6
ELECTION DAY
Voting at JGMS
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM


November 8
Board of Directors Meeting
Bedford Police Station
7:30 AM

 

November 13
Special Town Meeting
Bedford High School
7:30
Click here for warrant

November 17
St Michael Craft Fair
Concord Road
Bedford, MA

9:00 AM -2:00 PM

 

December 9
Suzanne & Company
Holiday House Tour
1-4 PM

 

December 15

Celebrating Business Failures
Aloft Lexington
727 Marrett Rd
Lexington, MA 02421
8-10 AM
Limited space

 


 

 

 
 

  2012 Chamber   Members 

 
 

Acme Packet Inc Advanced Media Web

Art Smith & Associates

Atlantic Capital Strategies
Atria Longmeadow
Baldwin Insurance
Baudanza Electric
B2B CFO

B&D Agency

Bedford Acupuncture Center
Bedford Car Wash

Bedford Center for the Arts

Bedford Children's Center

Bedford Farms

Bedford Funeral Home,

Bedford Historical Society

Bedford Plaza Hotel

Bedford Montessori School

Bedford Motel
Bedford Orthodontics
Bedford Research Association
Bedford Rug Company

Brightview Concord River

Brookline Bank
Brown & Brown, P.C.
Cafe Darling

Cafe Luigi

Callahan's Karate Studio

Calling All Pets

Cambridge Savings Bank

Carlton & Duran CPAs

Carleton-Willard Village

Christine Pinney Marketing

CouponSurfer.com

Cranberry Hill Associates

Dalya's

Design 1 Kitchen & Bath

Design Photo

Dr. Dianne Bridgeman

Dr. Kiana Kaymanesh

Dr. Oscar DePriest

DSA Printing

Edward Jones/Britton Wilson
Edward Jones/ Barb Davis

Elm Brook Place

EMD Millipore

Empirix

Enterprise Bank

First Parish
Flatbread Company

Frank Webb's Bath Center

Fujifilm Recording Media U.S.A.
Garrison Knight Financial Planning

GE Infrastructure Sensing, Inc.

Genetti's Wine & Spirits, Inc
Get In Shape for Women

Great Road Gallery & Framing

Grow a Stronger Family
Hanscom Federal Credit Union
Harold Nichols Insurance Agency

Heritage at Bedford Springs

Inner Visions Interiors

JRM Antiques

Inside Outside Staging

Kamate Fitness

Keller Williams Realty

Latady Design

Leary Auto Repair

Lexington Symphony

Live Life Well
Massage Therapy Associates

Mettler -Toledo Thorton

McCullough Associates, Inc

Middlesex Savings Bank

Minuteman Volkswagen Inc.
New England Nurseries, Inc.

NIGHTSEA

North Road Chiropractic
Organix Spa & Salon
OrganizingWorks!
Panospin Studios
Patents Etcetera and Minuteman Legal Services
Patriot Pediatrics
Peter Quinn Insurance Agency
Progress Software
Pulte Homes of New England
Quality Database Design
Rental Car Momma
Richard Egan Insurance AgencyRight At Home

Salon Alfonse 

Salon OZ
Scotia Lights
Serenity Yoga
Servpro of Lexington/Bedford
Simply Your Home

Slak Chiropractic Group
Spencer Company

St. Michael's Parish Center
Stonebridge at Burlington
TD Bank
The Bedford Citizen
The Bedford Minuteman

The Boardroom Bistro

The Divorce Collaborative

The Edge Sports Center

The Goddard School

The Higgins Group
The MITRE Corporation

The Tired Dog

The UPS Store

Town Planner

Vela Ventures

Watson Law Offices
What Army

William Raveis Real Estate

Women's Financial Network

 

 

 

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