THE BEDFORD BANNER  

                                                       APRIL 2015        

 

In This Issue
Say Hello to More Business!
We Are Going Coed
Business Development Updates
Chamber Announcements
What the Chamber did in March
Chamber Connections
Chamber Calendar
Follow us on Facebook
Say Hello to More Business !!
   
   You asked for some assistance and here it is... 
 
 
First Annual "Say Goodbye to Winter" Event

Friday April 10th through Monday April 13th

(snow date: not applicable)

 

Retailers are encouraged to participate by hosting in-store activities, promotions and giveaways. For the retailers, there will be no cost. Chamber members will receive premium placement in marketing materials. What we ask is you promote some winter or spring themed merchandise. It could be a special "spring" pizza, summer clothing or more. A few of the retailers are planning to go further such as having some dressed up as someone from Frozen but that is up to you.

The initial response from both local residents and the press have been very positive.
We will create a passport for residents and visitors to use to travel to each of the businesses. The passport will need to be stamped by business owners, one stamp for browsing, two stamps for buying something. Chamber businesses will get premier placement and double stamp value. Passports will be turned in by Monday, the 13th and there will be a drawing from the entries with the most stamps. There is no cost and the event is open to all Bedford businesses.

   

  The Passport will be published on Monday, April 6th  so you need to respond ASAP  

 

 
We ask that you let your friends, followers and business contacts know about the Bedford Say Goodbye to Winter Event before it takes place through tweets and by posting photos on Facebook, Instagram, or other social media sites using the #BYEBYEWINTER hashtag.

 

  We are Going COED this Month
WWA + MEN'S BREAKFAST CLUB
 

THE IMPORTANCE OF CONDUCTING BACKGROUND CHECKS IN BUSINESS

 

Thursday, April 16, 2015

7:30-8:30 AM

 

Brightview Concord River

199 Concord Road

Billerica, MA 01821

 

Please join us as we discuss the importance of background checks, with talking points from Gary White, CFE.

 

In order to determine that applicants meet the requirements that are essential for the position needing to be filled, a background check is almost necessary and the best way to go about doing that. As the economy has continued to change in recent years, more and more job applicants have showed dishonesty on resumes and job applications.

 

As a business owner, you hold yourself and your business to a certain set of standards and you expect the same from your employees as well, which is why the hiring process can often be a stressful and somewhat tedious one for employers

 

Conducting a background check is a great tool to utilize when wanting to thoroughly get to know an applicant who you are considering bringing into your business. And as a business owner, it is your right to do so.

 

Complimentary breakfast will be served  

 

Gary White, CFE has an impressive background:

  • Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Boston Chapter Board of Directors
  • Volunteer CASA of New Hampshire Guardian ad Litem for Abused and/or neglected children
  • Manager of Corporate Investigations, Raytheon Company for 17 years.
  • Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigations for over 28 years.
  • MBA in Management, Fairleigh Dickenson University
  • Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Bentley University

Look for your invite this week from Constant Contact
 

 

Business Development Updates



1. Retail Event/Best Practices. The feedback from this event was generally positive. Most retailers were able to get useful information out of this event that they could incorporate in to their business. There were no restaurants at the event, so the presenter skipped over the restaurant portion. We had a brief discussion on why there were no restaurants. The group felt it was a combination of the time of the event and also the fact that many restaurants do not consider themselves "retailers". It was thought for the next event to add the word restaurants in to the title of the flyer.

2. Depot Park Kiosk Update. A new map has been provided by DPW. Alyssa Sandovel met with the depot park committee and it seemed to be well received. She will provide next steps.

3. Cultural District Update. Karen Kenney updated the group on this meeting. There were several businesses present. Karen though it would be useful to have a few additional retailers present. Karen provided the group with details on when the next meeting was scheduled. 4. Promoting Say Goodbye to Winter Event to local businesses and residents. We had a long discussion on this. We discussed additional ways to promote this event to the businesses in town in order to help attract Bedford Company employees to other Bedford Businesses. It would be helpful to contact HR departments about this upcoming event.  

5. Small Businesses. We had a discussion about the challenges of small businesses in Bedford and what could be done to improve the environment. One of the items that came up is better communication with town departments. It was thought a meeting could be set up (similar to the meetings on Crosby and Wiggins Avenue) focused on the businesses on Great Road, local landlords as well as smaller retailers throughout town.  

Chamber Announcements
Bedford Research Foundation
Save the date to celebrate our new stem cell research facility in Bedford, MA. Join us for an open house that will include presentations by our director, Dr. Ann Kiessling, as well as our research team and partners. Learn about our current projects including our stem cell and HIV research, as well as opportunities for collaboration. Wine and cheese will be served.

We're hosting two dates!
Invitations and more details will be forthcoming.

April 30th
5:30 to 8:00 PM
124 South Road
Bedford, MA 01730

May 2nd
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM

For more information about the foundation, visit us on the web: www.bedfordresearch.org

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The Bedford Map has been completed and all Bedford Businesses and residents should have received one in the mail. Here is the online link to the map.

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Middlesex Savings Bank Business Success Seminar "Cyber-Security and Identity-Theft: What every business needs to know"
Date: May 12, 2015
Time: 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM EDT

What the Chamber did in March

 
Board of Directors Meeting

Working Women Alliance

Retail Visioning Event

4 New Members





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

 

Brookline Bank 


Kristen Presley/Bedford VA

Karen Kenney/ OrganizingWorks

JRM Antiques 

 

 

_________________________________________________________________

CHAMBER CALENDAR

April 9

Board of Directors Meeting
Flint Room
7:30 AM    

 

April 10-13
Say Goodbye to Winter
Retail Event
Bedford Businesses 

 

APRIL 16
Working Women Alliance
& Men's Breakfast Club
Brightview Concord River
199 Concord Road
Billerica, MA
7:30 AM
Click Here to register

April 29
Multi-Chamber Networking
Embassy Suites
55 Winter Street
Waltham, MA
4:30-7:00 PM
Click here to register

April 30th & May 2
Bedford Research Foundation Open House

30th- 5:30-8 PM
2nd- 4-6 PM

TEE IT UP GOLF LEAGUE
WILL BEGIN IN MAY
INFO TO FOLLOW 

  

 

  
 
   Welcome to New   Chamber Members

1751 Massachusetts Ave
LexingtonMA 02420
781-402-0920

Formulatrix, Inc.
10 Deangelo Drive
BedfordMassachusetts 
781-788-0228

ROI
541 Columbia street
Suite 100
Weymouth, MA 02190
(617) 869-0552

Moving Forward Physical Therapy, Inc
65 Wiggins Ave
BedfordMA 01730
781-791-9499

2015 Chamber Members

Amptek

Atlas Real Estate
Atlantica Capitol
B& D Advertising Agency
Baldwin Insurance
Baudanza Electric
Bedford Car Wash
Bedford Citizen
Bedford Childrens Center
Bedford Farms
Bedford Historical Society 

Bedford Motel
Bedford Plaza Hotel
Bedford Research Foundation 

Bedford Orthodontics

Bernstein Development 

Brown & Brown, P.C. 
Cafe Luigi 
Callahan Karate Studio 
Carlton-Willard Village
Carlton & Duran, CPAs
CertaPro Painters
Christine Pinney Marketing
Coldwell Banker
ComforCare Home Care
CouponSurfer.com 
Courtyard by Marriott 

Danielle Beck NP-C-LLC

Debbie Spencer
Design 2 Order
Design 1 Kitchen & Bath
Dianne Bridgeman, DDS
Doubletree Bedford Glen
DSA Publishing
Edward Jones Investments 

First Parish in Bedford

Great Road Gallery & Framing
FUJIFILM
Frank Webb's Bath Center
GE Infrastructure  

Hanscom Federal Credit Union
Harold Nichols Insurance
Heritage at Bedford Springs
Inside Out Staging & Design 

Kennedy Family Dental
Ken's NY Deli
Kimberly Bee Design
IMVerizon Wireless
Leary Auto
Lexington Symphony
Liberty Mutual
Lincoln Liquors
Live Life Well
Mettler-Toldeo Thorton
Middlesex Savings Bank
Minuteman Volkswagon

MITRE
New England Nurseries
North Road Chiropractic
Organix Spa & Salon
OrganizingWorks 

Oscar DePriest DMD
Patriot Pediatrics
Peter Quinn Insurance 

Primrose School of Burlington
Right at Home 

Salem Five
Salon Oz
ServPro 

Simply Natural Nails

Slak Chiropractic
Spire
Stories with a Heart 

Strawberry Hill Associates
St. Michael's Parish Center
Suzanne & Co.
The Goddard School 

The Higgins Group
The Well Effect
uVisualize 

 

Membership renewals 
 are now past due !

Renew today on line

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