| In this week’s message, you will find: 10 things Baltimore Business Professionals Should KnowEvents for Maryland Professionals, Business Owners and Entrepreneurs Offers from Chamber Members |
 Our Vice Chair James Dorf hosted a much needed get-together for the Chairs of the regional Chambers! Excellent work, James! |
 You are invited to join us!Are you looking for a support system of professionals and resources coordinated to help you grow?Are you interested in doing more business in Baltimore or with the State or Federal government? Are you ready to get involved in the business community and start building your network?Do you want to be a part of one of the largest and most active Chambers in the region?If yes, you should click here and join the Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce. If this message landed in your spam or promotions folder, please add us to your address book! Was this message forwarded to you? Join our Mailing List! |
| Here are 10 things you should know: First, have you registered for our BIG EVENT with the Mayor of Baltimore??? On 9/9/2021 at 6pm, we have the honor of hosting an online discussion with the Mayor of Baltimore Brandon Scott. Click here to register! Second, on 9/30/21 the Women’s Leadership Committee will host a fundraiser for our Real Men Wear Pink Breast Cancer Awareness campaign. If you’d like to participate in planning, hosting or fundraising, click here to contact Brenda Kwateng. If you would like to support the Chamber’s efforts in the Real Men Wear Pink Campaign, please click here to make a donation and list your company’s name. Third, our friend Janice Walker-Emeogo from the Maryland Department of Labor shared the following resources: Rental Assistance Grant for Businesses: The maximum grant request amount is $30,000 for one year (rental payment up to $2,500 per month). Applicant’s monthly rent can exceed $2,500, but the maximum that will be paid by the Rental Assistance Grant will be $2,500 per month. Only applications that are fully complete at submission will be considered for funding. For more information regarding requirements and applications click here.Business Operations Grant: The maximum grant award amount is $250,000 for 1 or 2 years. The Business Operations Grant can be used for activities and costs related to sustaining and growing the business such as staff costs, capital improvements, marketing, inventory and supplies, utilities, and the like and cannot be used for executive salaries or bonuses. Grant awards will be paid quarterly and will be based on the amount of sales and use tax generated by the business and submitted to the State in Calendar Year 2022. Only applications that are fully complete at submission will be considered for funding. For more information regarding requirements and applications click here. Manufacturing Hardware Accelerator: Sponsored by Rev: Ithaca Startup Works. This accelerator supports hardware companies as they move their prototypes into production. The 60-week program will launch with its second cohort in October 2021 and guide entrepreneurs through design programming, train them on manufacturing do’s and don’ts, provide one-on-one mentorship, and offer introductions to manufacturers and investors. The program is funded by the Economic Development Association and is affiliated with Cornell Engineering. Participants must have a fully functional prototype and a confirmed customer market. They do not need to be located in New York state to participate as the majority of programming will be hosted virtually. Participants don’t pay anything or give away any equity. Applications close September 20, 2021. Learn more here. Apply here.Live Your Dream Awards: This programprovides education grants to women who provide the primary source of financial support for their families. Applications are accepted Aug 1 – Nov 15, 2021. Learn more here.Fourth, this Thursday evening I am hosting an Open House for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. This program is free and offered to business owners who want to grow revenue, add jobs and have a more positive impact on their community. Click here to register for the Open House and learn how you can take advantage of this opportunity. Fifth, last week we had a much needed meet-up with local Chairs of the regional Chambers of Commerce. Huge thanks toBrent Howard (Baltimore County Chamber), Debra Keller-Greene (Greater Baltimore Black Chamber), Terri L. Hett (Maryland LGBT Chamber) and Marco V. Ávila, P.E. (Maryland Hispanic Chamber) for attending. Special thanks to my Vice Chair James Dorf and the Orioles for making it happen. Sixth, our Finance Committee Chair Kimberly Royster is in the newspaper!!! Check out her article in the Daily Record. She talks about the effects of the pandemic on small and minority businesses. Pandemic recovery unequal for Black-owned businesses in Maryland – Maryland Daily Record (thedailyrecord.com) Seventh, Chamber Member Dr. Rhonda Farrell, CEO of Global Innovation Strategies is fielding a new program called “You 2.0“. Break through your Money Mindset blocks, more strongly Align your Brand, and Hone your Super Niche focus. Additionally, she offers many other service packages to get you into action, generating income, and nailing your business outcomes! Schedule a FREE consult with Dr. Rhonda today or take action now and start your program tomorrow! https://www.gblinnovstratllc.com/thrive Eighth, let me know how you feel about in-person events. Obviously, I want us all to be safe so I have limited our in-person events this year. But, I want to hear from you. Email me your opinion on when you’ll be ready to attend in-person Chamber events again. Your opinion matters! Ninth, we are building a Sponsorship Committee. If you have experience with grants, fundraising, developing sponsorship packages and growing non-profits, we want you! Contact Vice Chair Allan Hirsh to discuss how you can participate. Tenth, despite the pandemic, the Chamber has continued to grow. If you would benefit from meeting new members and building relationships with local business owners, contact Vice Chair James Dorf and let him know you want to know more about our Membership Committee. We have listed some great opportunities below! Keep reading for this week’s Events and Offers! If you are an active Baltimore City Chamber Member and you have a special offer for our Members, or if you would like to discuss Membership, schedule a call with Will Holmes at https://whc.as.me/baltimorechamber or contact us at info@baltimorecitychamber.org. EVENTS 8/17/21 ASQ Innovation Next Gen Leader Spark Session Click here to learn more and register. Contact Dr. Rhonda Farrell with questions. 9/1/21 The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program is accepting applicants for the next cohort! You must be in business for 2 years and have at least 2 people (including you) on your team. Apply for this free program at www.10ksbapply.com/baltimore. 9/2/21 General Membership Meeting and Marketing Panel After our General Membership Meeting, we will have a panel of marketing gurus share innovative techniques for improving client conversion. Click here to register. 9/9/21 at 6pm Baltimore 2022 and Beyond with Mayor Brandon Scott Online event. Register here. 9/16/21 at 6:15pm Women’s Leadership Committee Event “Unleashing the Power of Purpose to Drive Your Life and Work”. Speaker: Ms. Luciana Paulise. RSVP here. 9/21/21 ASQ Innovation Next Gen Leader Mentoring Session Click here to learn more and register. Contact Dr. Rhonda Farrell with questions. 9/23/21 Women’s Leadership Committee Workshop on Marketing Save the date! 9/30/21 Women’s Leadership Committee Breast Cancer Awareness Fundraiser Save the date! 10/15/21 ASQ Innovation Day. Calls for Participation open until 25 Aug 2021. Click here to learn more and register. Contact Dr. Rhonda Farrell with questions 12/9/21 Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce Holiday Party Save the date! OFFERS Free Program for Business Owners The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program is free and has helped over 10,000 companies increase revenue, add jobs and have a positive impact on their communities. If your business is in Baltimore you are encouraged to apply today at www.10ksbapply.com/baltimore. Connections to Resources Every week, Business Owners search for accountants, bookkeepers, attorneys, consultants, coaches, lenders, marketing professionals, training programs and web designers. To make it easy, we developed an automated connection service. Click here to get connected to a local service provider! If you’d like to be a Service Provider, click here. Commercial Loans Chamber Member Meridian Management Group. MMG was tasked with lending $12.5 million in COVID-19 Relief Loan Funds to businesses in the region. And they did it in 10 months!!! MMG tries to say YES to small businesses who need funding. If you need funding, contact Tim Smoot at tim.smoot@mmgcapitalgroup.com. Employee Tax Credit If a penny saved is a penny earned, what if you are saving $100 bills? How much FREE money could your business use to bring on qualified employees? The Maryland Employment Network can show you how to find qualified employees and potentially earn more than $12K in tax credits for each new hire! Contact Deborah Zipkin Temple at the The Maryland Employment Network. Phone: 443-499-6882 | Email: dtemple@ticket2workmd.org. Savings on Energy Bill As a member of the Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce, you’re invited to enroll in Constellation’s Energy Shift Challenge* where you can earn prizes and compete against other Marylanders to see who can save the most energy! The Energy Shift Challenge is a game that rewards Constellation customers who shift their energy use from peak hours to off-peak hours. Those who enroll and use less than 23 percent of their energy usage during peak hours, on average, per month, receive points that can be redeemed in our Rewards Store for prizes like smart home devices, fitness products and more. There are no penalties for using your energy normally, but you could be a winner if you use it wisely. Click here to learn more. Bookkeeping and Accounting Chamber MemberAdaptive Business Solutions is known for providing knowledgeable advice, insightful analysis, systemization, and strategic planning services through exceptional and comprehensive bookkeeping services, supported by top-notch coaching and education. These services provide clarity and foresight for their clients in managing their business. As a Chamber Member you can receive a 20% discount for 6 months in your bookkeeping services. Ready to sign up? Contact Adaptive at https://calendly.com/adaptivecon/30min?month=2021-06. Real Estate Investment Chamber Member Leann Blanchard, President of Zirkamax connects investors, developers, and buyers and sellers of property. She has some great ways to help you make passive income this year, so please contact her at leeannblanchard@zirkamax.com. Plus, she wants to start some small networking meetings in Baltimore, so please contact her if that interests you as well. Employee Retention Tax Credits Has your business been impacted by COVID 19? Were you shutdown or partially shutdown? Did your revenue drop when COVID hit? If you answered yes to any of the questions above book your session and find out how we can get you up to $5k for each employee from the IRS! Not a loan…Nothing to pay back!!! Book an appointment with Nina Love to learn more about Employee Retention Tax Credits. Coaching Chamber Member Dr. Rhonda Farrell, CEO of Global Innovation Strategies is fielding a new program called “The Millionaire Mindset”. Break through your Money Blockages, Own your Inner Business Archetype, and Hone your Super Niche population. She’ll get you into action, generating income, and nailing your business outcomes! Schedule a FREE consult with Dr. Rhonda today or take action now and start your program tomorrow! https://www.gblinnovstratllc.com/thrive American Red Cross Though it has been 140 years since Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross, the need to alleviate human suffering hasn’t changed. Volunteers continue to come together in innovative ways to serve and give hope during life’s emergencies. Volunteers continue to bring their talent and compassion to help build stronger and more resilient communities. Learn more about becoming a Red Cross volunteer at www.redcross.org/volunteer. For MDOT Certified Businesses MDOT certified businesses should learn more about the new Business Development Reimbursement Program. The BDRP is a DBE supportive service, with the goal of increasing the number of State Certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms serving as prime contractors and subcontractors on federally funded contracts. The objective is to assist MDOT Certified DBE firms in increasing their competency and business capacity. Questions? Contact Lisa RS Grant, CCA, Manager, Disadvantaged Minority Business Enterprise Programs, at 410-545-0317 or lgrant2@mdot.maryland.gov. IT Services Chamber Member Wayne S. Stewart has an offer for state certified Minority Business Owners. Do you need help with your IT services? Wayne is offering 25% off web design and development services to all state certified Minority Business Owners. This offer will expire Friday, May 30th. For more information please leave your contact information at this link https://sdagency.net/contact-us or e-mail Wayne at wstewart@sdagency.net.Life Insurance Chamber Member John Gourdin is available to answer your questions regarding life insurance. Remember, life insurance is something you have to own before you need it. Get a free quote and approval online in less than 20 minutes. NO sales pitches. NO physicals. You can be covered TODAY. Visit www.samdlife.com. Having a Special Event? Backyard Movie Theaters LLC is here to make your next event movie ready and memorable. You bring the crowd, and we’ll bring the big screen, HD projector, popcorn machine, lounge chairs, inflatable rooms, streaming access, and more. Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia. Give us a call (410-419-3229) and upgrade your event. Meditation Chamber Member Kadampa Meditation Center-Maryland welcomes Members to a complimentary meditation and special offer. Baltimore’s only Buddhist Temple offers ancient wisdom and practical tools for taking on today’s challenges. Click here to learn more and register. Need Medical Insurance?Chamber Member George Faber can help you find suitable affordable medical coverage, critical illness, short term disability, dental and more! Whether obtaining a health plan is your financial responsibility or you want to supplement an existing plan to protect your savings and family, send George a message at George.Faber@USHAdvisors.com or call (443) 474 4800. Immediate quotes provided! Fundraising Opportunity for Non-Profits Does your nonprofit want to raise money AND promote cleaner air? CleanChoice Energy is seeking active 501(c)(3) organizations for the new Clean Electricity fundraising program. For each household that enrolls in 100% Clean Electricity through their campaign, CleanChoice will donate $50 to your organization. Email kathleen.wojtowicz@cleanchoiceenergy.com to learn more about this fundraising opportunity. |
