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The 2nd annual Winter Business Fair on February 11th
drew hundreds of people to Burlington City Hall looking to
start, expand, or retool their business. Two hundred and
fifty people, from Old North End startups to business owners
from Woodstock, made their way to Contois Auditorium, and
over 160 attended five workshops at City Hall and the
Firehouse Gallery. The Fair was co-sponsored by the
Community & Economic Development Office, the Micro Business
Development Program and the Small Business Administration.
“The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in
Burlington,” said Steve Page, who staffed a table for
Northfield Savings Bank for the event. Jodi Whalen, co-owner
of August First Bakery attended last year’s event as a
startup with her husband and business partner Phil Merrick.
This year she came back as a successful business owner and
panelist for the Dream to Reality: Lessons from Three
Startups workshop. “Burlington is full of vibrant and
creative entrepreneurs, and provides an incredible web of
organizations that provide all types of business
assistance,” Whalen says, “and they were all at the Winter
Business Fair.” |
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Winter Business Fair 2010 at Contois Auditorium |
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| Bigger, better and more connected was the mantra. Free
wireless internet access was provided by Burlington Telecom.
The Radiator, Vermont’s Community Radio Station, emceed ZERO
to 60, where anyone had sixty seconds at the microphone to
tout their company, business idea, or in one case, announce
the sale of their business. Jen Mincar, owner of
Burlington’s new co-working space, Office Squared, set up a
mini version of her business inside Contois. Dubbed the ‘O’
Zone, many attendees took advantage of the comfortable
furniture and work tables to network, check their email, and
send Tweets from the Fair. “By teaming up with BT to create
and host the "O" Zone, I probably met and started at least
30 future Office Squared member relationships,” said Mincar.
“We spent minimal money on marketing,” commented CEDO’s
Larry Kupferman. “Our office, in concert with our partners
at Micro Business Development and the SBA, took care of the
basics: Front Porch Forum, the Buzz, school newsletters,
mass emails. Big Heavy World, the Bobbin, Office Squared,
August First, Union Street Media, all of whom are incredibly
savvy at navigating social media, helped tremendously by
promoting the event via Twitter and Facebook.” |
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CEDO Director Larry Kupferman, Front Porch
Forum founder Michael Wood-Lewis, and Ted Brady of Senator
Leahy's Office, connect at the 2010 Winter Business Fair |
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“The Winter Business Fair was a great opportunity for
established businesses and new entrepreneurs to revamp their
business plan or connect with important resources they may
not have been aware of,” says Burlington’s Mayor Bob Kiss.
“I’m pleased the City is able to encourage these kinds of
networking and brainstorming opportunities to help make
businesses in Burlington stronger.”
Among the Fair’s most popular workshop focused on online
marketing and the business use of social media. Sarah
Spencer of Got Clicks, and Spencer Taylor of Union Street
Media, teamed up for this spirited and timely presentation,
and there was standing room only in the Lorraine B. Goode
Room of the Firehouse Gallery. The conversations continued
long after the two hour session was up. Taylor was fielding
questions from the workshop via Twitter in the days
following the event. The Bobbin, Teacher’s Tree Service,
Pais Architects, Crazy Fox Piano Lessons, Hypnosis Works and
ReSource all got their names out to thousands of households
over the next few days thanks to free advertising through
the Front Porch Forum sponsored by FPF founder Wood-Lewis.
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Pat Bannerman, owner of the Mawuhi African
Market and Leroy Nedd of Diversity Hair Salon are happy to
see each other at the Winter Business Fair |
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| Kathleen Liang’s Intro to Community Entrepreneurship
students also attended the event. Liang, who teaches in
UVM”s Community Development & Applied Economics Department,
had not only instructed them to attend the event, but had
given them the assignment of interviewing one service
provider and one entrepreneur. “I would have never been able
to bring this event to the classroom. It is such a unique
learning opportunity for my students,” said Liang. “The
Winter Business Fair is one big shopping center for business
owners!”
"The Winter Business Fair is a must-attend event for both new and
seasoned entrepreneurs looking for fresh ideas to start and grow
business in Vermont," Sarah Spencer, Got Clicks.
"Everything in the Winter Business Fair provides a wonderful
opportunity to young entrepreneurs to see how people work together
to make things happen by creating work opportunities and
networking."
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Vermont Farm Tours owner Chris Howell,
Sweet Basil Cards owner Megan Humphrey and Spencer Taylor of
Union Street Media share a laugh in Contois Auditorium |
We invite you to join us for the 2010 Vermont National Science
Foundation Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
(VT NSF EPSCoR) Annual Conference on March 11, 2010 at the Hilton
Hotel on the Burlington Waterfront. Each year, the VT EPSCoR program
hosts a state-wide meeting to highlight our accomplishments,
encourage networking and showcase new knowledge.
We are pleased to welcome Dr. Stuart Kauffman, one of the world's
most eminent scientists - a founder of the field of complex systems
science, pioneer of biocomplexity research, and MacArthur "Genius"
Fellow and UVM faculty member, as our keynote speaker.
http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/?Page=News&storyID=15044.
Leadership from the National Science Foundation and the University
of Vermont will attend.
Morning sessions will include presentations from our current and
emerging research initiatives - Complex Systems Modeling for
Environmental Problem Solving - and the Sustainable Energy Economy -
followed by lunch, engaging panel sessions featuring graduate
students on the frontiers of learning; and private sector first-hand
accounts of their funding experiences, chaired by Mr. Mark
Blanchard, from the Vermont Small Business Development Center.
Dinner and poster session* begin at 6:00 p.m.
*Posters required for EPSCoR funded projects since 2007;
Questions? Contact Troy.Krahl@uvm.edu. Poster abstract deadline -
February 26, 2010. No registration fee required! Registration
deadline - March 1, 2010.
For Agenda, Registration and Poster Information, visit:
http://www.uvm.edu/~epscor/events/annual_conference. Check
frequently for updates!
Questions? Email epscor@uvm.edu.
VT EPSCoR is pleased to offer two separate
funding opportunities for the private sector:
- SBIR Phase (0): Cover:
http://www.uvm.edu/~epscor/pdfFiles/SBIR_Cover_2010-2011.pdf
RFP:
http://www.uvm.edu/~epscor/pdfFiles/SBIR_RFP_2010-2011.pdf
- Innovation Fund Awards (IF): Cover:
http://www.uvm.edu/~epscor/pdfFiles/2010_IF_Cover.pdf
RFP:
http://www.uvm.edu/~epscor/pdfFiles/2010-2011_IF_RFP.pdf
Please read each RFP carefully and note the
following changes in this year's solicitations:
- Deadlines for proposals begin in April
2010 - please check each individual RFP for exact date
- Electronic Submission forms now available:
http://www.uvm.edu/EPSCoR/index.php?Page=businesses/businesses.inc.php&Opt=Solicitations
- Funding period - August 1, 2010 - April 30, 2011 (9 months)
- Identification of In-Kind Matching Funds are not required;
but will be accepted
Electronic Submission forms are available
on the web at the above links.
Questions? Contact Lillian Gamache at
epscor@uvm.edu
or visit us on the web at
www.uvm.edu/EPSCoR.
Liz Robert’s new company to bring 12 jobs and lease 10,500
square feet of commercial space.
Former VT Teddy Bear CEO Liz Robert will be moving her newly
acquired company, Terry Precision Cycles, to Burlington. The move
will bring most of Terry’s operation to the Queen City between
December 26, 2009 and January 3, 2010. The Rochester, NY based
company, founded by Georgena Terry in 1985, specializes in bicycles
for women and is a leading direct marketer of women’s cycling
apparel and accessories. Moving Terry to Burlington “had been my
hope all along,” says Robert. “…Burlington is a ‘brand’ for the
genesis of creative companies - Ben & Jerry’s, VT Teddy Bear, Phish
- and because its got the bike path, and because we want Terry, with
its element of style and fashion applied to cycling apparel, to
leverage the ‘commuter’ positioning in the cycling market.” Our
offices will be at 47 Maple Street (the first floor of the JDK
building) and our warehouse will be at 7 Ambrose Place off of Home
Avenue - both locations right on the path - we can ride our bikes
back and forth to the warehouse!”
With a focus on re-energizing Terry’s innovative position in the
cycling market and an intense commitment to the State of Vermont,
Robert has already partnered with a number of local businesses. For
product design and development, brand strategy, and overall creative
development, Terry has partnered with Burlington’s JDK Design. It
has engaged Timberline Interactive in Middlebury for web
development. And Terry works with Burlington law firm Dinse, Knapp &
McAndrew, as well as South Burlington accounting group Grippin,
Donlan & Roche. NBT Bank, now in Burlington, is the Company’s new
senior lender. As Robert integrates Terry into the local business
network, she plans to use her extensive experience in branding,
direct-marketing, and product development and manufacturing to grow
Terry Precision Cycles in Vermont
“I’m pleased to welcome Terry Precision Cycles to Burlington,”
said Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss. “I especially appreciate that they
chose Burlington. We have a vibrant recreational culture, a
commitment to environmental sustainability, and a track record of
encouraging bicycle use and bike safety. I look forward to Terry
Precision Cycles doing business here and being part of our
exceptional business community.”
“I first heard about Liz’s new company almost a year ago, at a
Digital Bridges Entrepreneur’s Forum at Middlebury College,” says
Bruce Seifer, CEDO’s Assistant Director for Economic Development.
“Our Office has been in regular contact with them since. We have
provided assistance with their commercial space search, we wrote a
letter of recommendation for their successful VEGI [Vermont
Employment Growth Incentive] grant application, and we are hoping to
work with them on the financing. They will employ twelve people upon
arrival, with more coming on the following year, and leasing 10,500
square feet of commercial space. That’s substantial, and we look
forward to working with them.”
“We are excited to have them,” says Jon Adams-Kollitz, Economic
Development Specialist with CEDO. “There is a growing cluster of
bicycle and human powered transport businesses in Burlington, and
Terry will be a welcome addition. They are already a well
established national player, and with Liz at the helm, there is
tremendous potential for growth. They chose Burlington for its
livability and bike-friendliness. They know this will enhance their
brand image and help them attract talented and creative employees.
In turn, CEDO realizes attracting and retaining companies like Terry
(and Burton, Seventh Generation, Ice Factor, to name just a few) is
good for the Burlington brand. Terry will be a welcome member of the
business and biking communities in the City,”
Over 65 exhibitors and hundreds of attendees packed the third
Vermont 3.0 event at the Sheraton Burlington Hotel & Conference
Center on Monday, October 26, 2009. There were plenty of green, high
tech, innovative companies on hand to offer a glimpse into Vermont's
future.
To view a video report from the event, click
here.
The U.S. Small Business Administration
(SBA) will hold a press conference on Tuesday, June 23, 2009,
at 10:00 am at Burlington City Hall in Conference Room 12 (first
floor) announcing details of a new and temporary program, America’s
Recovery Capital (ARC) loan program. ARC loans are now available to
help viable small businesses address immediate financial hardship,
save jobs, and provide a way to make it through tough times.
For more information, contact Kate
Herrington at 802-828-4422 or by e-mail at
kathleen.herrington@sba.gov.
Free webinars on tools and tips for career advancement are
available this month through the University of Vermont. The webinars,
on topics including careers in health care management and
technology; starting or returning to college for adults; identifying
career gaps; and the career ramifications of education and training,
are free and open to the public. Information, registration at:
http://learn.uvm.edu/events.
The US Army Corps of Engineers conducts significant work in
Vermont including the repair of dams, breakwaters, shoreline
upgrades, flood damage mitigation, and environmental projects.
Typically, the USACE brings in outside contractors; however, local
businesses can become eligible to obtain some of this work.
In order for local businesses to be eligible for work with the
USACE, there are procedures that need to be followed. Please go to
these Small Business Information Websites for more information:
New York District Corps of Engineers:
http://www.nan.usace.army.mil/business/buslinks/smallbus/main.htm
Department of Defense, General:
http://www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/
Below is a list of some of the companies in the Burlington area
that are hiring. The Burlington Free Press Business Monday
lists over 500 jobs available of which 150 are located in
Burlington.
1) Seventh Generation (world headquarters)
2) Dealer.com (world headquarters)
3) Burton Snowboards (world headquarters)
4) General Dynamics
5) Fletcher Allen
6) Gardners Supply (they will be holding two different job fairs -
http://www.gardeners.com/Jobs-at-Gardener+s-Supply-and-Dutch-Gardens/5201,default,pg.html)
7) Select Design
8) Chittenden County Transit Authority
9) Champlain College
10) Associates in Rural Development (international company)
11) Vermont Energy Investment Corp (green economy)
12) City of Burlington
13) Ben and Jerry's
14) Brueggers Bagels
15) EpikOne
16) Ringmaster Software
17) Merchants Bank
18) Lake Champlain Chocolates
19) HowardCenter
20) AgRefresh
21) Koffee Kup Bakery
22) AON
23) Community Health Center
24) Dwight Asset Management
25) Meineke Muffler
26) UVM
You can also visit these websites for more job opportunities:
CEDO can help!
Make an appointment to meet with one of our business advisors to
talk about your idea. Call 865-7144 or email jadamskollitz@ci.burlington.vt.us.
Check out our Doing Business In Burlington Guide (link to
http://www.cedoburlington.org/business/doing_business_in_burlington/TheGuide.pdf.
This award-winning booklet is also available at City Hall and a
number of other locations around the City. You can also
request a copy by calling 865-7187 or e-mailing jadamskollitz@ci.burlington.vt.us.
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'How Burlington Became an Award Winning City:
An Historical Summary of Burlington’s
Economic Development Efforts with a Vision for the Future 1983-2008'
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This new booklet is a chronicle of major economic development
efforts in the City, highlighting a handful of particular programs
and projects as well as some of the many awards that have been
received. Included are sections containing Five-Year Goals,
Priorities and Lessons Learned over 25 years.
“Burlington’s many accolades and successes have resulted from
active City government, an engaged citizenry, and committed local
businesses, non-profits and other organizations,” said Mayor Bob
Kiss. “CEDO’s role in supporting and leading the City’s economic and
community development efforts has been vital and this publication
recognizes their 25 years of work for the people of Burlington. If
Burlington did not have a CEDO office today, we would all be
demanding that one be created.”
This year marks the 25th anniversary since Mayor Bernie Sanders
created CEDO, Burlington’s Community & Economic Development Office.
The newly established office had an unusually broad mission: to
foster economic vitality; preserve and enhance neighborhoods,
quality of life and the environment; and promote equity and
opportunity for all of Burlington’s residents. Over the past 25
years, CEDO has worked diligently towards those goals; accomplishing
much, suffering some setbacks, and receiving quite a few accolades
along the way. In fact, in the field of community and economic
development, CEDO is often cited as a model of how an engaged
municipal government can play an active role in helping create and
maintain a livable city and foster a healthy and vibrant local
economy. In recent years, it has been repeatedly suggested that CEDO
‘write its story’ to be used as a teaching aid and promotional tool,
as well as a guide for other city governments.
In support of its mission, CEDO works in partnership with
citizens, the public and private sector, and other city departments
to strengthen the quality of life in Burlington’s neighborhoods,
pre-serve and develop decent, safe, and affordable housing
opportunities; maintain and improve the vitality of Downtown, the
Pine Street area and neighborhood business districts; encourage a
thriving small business sector; foster job growth and employment
opportunities; increase civic engagement and citizen participation;
support the delivery of human services; and revitalize Burlington’s
waterfront. CEDO has developed an extensive reach into the community
and has partnered with most of the non-profit organizations operating
in the City. CEDO is funded through federal and State grants, and
through the Housing Trust Fund.
CEDO’s Economic Development Division distributes an
international, award winning Guide to Doing Business in
Burlington along with the Chittenden County Resource Guide;
maintains an available commercial space database; and provides free
individualized technical, financial, and location assistance. CEDO is
Burlington’s hub for information and assistance for all things
business. Whether it is assistance with the permitting process,
forms to file, gap financing, assessing the region’s resources, or
simply a desire to discuss a business plan, CEDO is here to help.
The booklet, How Burlington Became an Award Winning City: An
Historical Summary of Burlington’s Economic Development Efforts with
a Vision for the Future, 1983-2008, is available, free of
charge, at the CEDO office in City Hall.
If you would prefer to view and/or print this booklet in PDF
format, click
here
 .
To view the printable PDF, you will need
Adobe
Acrobat Reader. If you do not have a current copy of this
free software, you can
download it now.
CEDO Assistant Director for Economic Development, Bruce Seifer,
sees a silver lining in the current economic crisis. "I've
been through, in my job, three economic downturns. And the
entrepreneur that meets a market, meets a need, can be successful.
They need the same things they needed when the economy was doing
well. They need access to capital, they need a market, they need
space, they need a trained work force. They need support from their
local community. And there's going to be a lot of interesting
innovative companies that get started this time around. I'm working
with lots of them right now.''
Read the transcript or listen to the Podcast with Vermont Public
Radio's (VPR) Ross Sneyd at
http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/83495/.
CEDO and the Micro-Business Alliance convened a third gathering
focused on workforce re-training on Wednesday, January 7, 2009, in
Contois Auditorium, City Hall. Staff members from Vermont's
Congressional Delegation reported on the status of the Economic
Stimulus Package, and professionals involved in worker re-training
outlined existing and potential programs that might benefit from
this influx of Federal dollars.
In Vermont, a 'sustainable' job is one that not only can endure
but can boost environmental protection, social justice, and economic
equity. Today business competitors collaborating on sustainable
goals are doing well by doing good. For more information,
visit
http://www.bos.frb.org/commdev/c&b/index.htm to view an article
on the Sustainable Jobs Fund.
The 6th edition of the streetwise
guide for starting, expanding, and relocating your business in
Burlington is now available at CEDO, Room 32, City Hall, Burlington,
865-7187. Click
here to view the online version of the guide.
CEDO recently completed a survey of the largest employers in the
county. The results indicate that while companies are cautious
about the national economic climate - particularly energy
costs - most appear stable and continue to plan moderate growth.
You can read more about the survey results
here.
The Community & Economic Development Office just finished the
twelfth edition of the Resource Guide, a directory of organizations
that assist and support Chittenden County businesses. Since 1995,
CEDO has been producing this free comprehensive guide to the vast
array of local, state, and national organizations that provide
services to businesses and employees in Chittenden County. The
release of the eye catching print version will be closely followed
by it’s availability on CD. You can also view it on CEDO's
website
here.
From small business classes to advanced business degrees, from
micro-loans to venture capital, from local union chapters and
economic development entities to Federal agencies that assist and
regulate businesses and employees, this guide is the go-to
publication for all questions business. “This CEDO publication is an
exhaustive guide to an incredible array of services available to
Chittenden County businesses and workers. The release of the new
edition is timely. With the layoff announcements at IBM, and the
general state of the economy, people need help negotiating the
difficult economic terrain. This book can be their travel guide,”
says Mayor Bob Kiss.
The Guide features an education section, listings for
twenty-three employment and training/re-training agencies. New to
this edition are chapters on Health Care Resources and Green
Resources. Generous sponsorship for printing was provided by
Burlington Electric; Burlington Telecom; Merritt, Merritt &
Moulton/Vermont Venture Network; Northfield Savings Bank; The
Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center & Process Strategies Group;
and the Burlington Free Press. Print copies are available now at
CEDO, 149 Church Street (City Hall), Room 32. Copies of the Resource
Guide, and other CEDO publications, are available for circulation
and at the Reference Desk at the Fletcher Free Library.
The streetwise guide “Doing Business in Burlington” is now
available in CD-Rom from the Community & Economic Development Office
(CEDO).
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“If you’re thinking of starting,
expanding or relocating a business, you can’t do better
than Burlington. With the help of this guide and the
free assistance of Burlington’s Community and Economic
Development Office (CEDO), you can begin your
entrepreneurial journey with confidence.” |
| (Quoted from the letter on page two of the guide
from Mayor Bob Kiss) |
The guide, an award-winning publication from CEDO now in its
second edition, features a step-by-step process of technical
assistance for starting and expanding a business in Burlington.
The CD-Rom version offers a new business owner valuable reference
for a successful venture. The disc contains City, State and Federal
Forms and Publications needed to start or run your business. The
information is now on CEDO’s website too,
www.cedoburlington.org.
Direct web links to all resources and business planning templates
for business plans and pro-forma spreadsheets are easily accessible
from both CEDO’s website and the disc. A directory of traditional
and alternative lending options, state and federal agencies to
contact, and even programs on energy efficiency are listed.
Guidelines to writing a business plan, selecting a location,
creating livable wage jobs and insight on permitting and licensing
requirements, even information on what steps to take to be a street
vendor.
This Guide is an invaluable tool even off-line; but the Guide is
best used while online, as you'll find hundreds of linked resources
within.
Every business has different needs when starting up. "Doing
Business in Burlington" can help you start your dream. Pick up a
booklet or CD-Rom today. Schedule an appointment to speak with an
economic development specialist. It is free and confidential.
"Doing Business in Burlington" is available by calling
802-865-7187 or 802-865-7144; E-mail: cedofd@ci.burlington.vt.us; or
stop by 149 Church Street, Room 32 in City Hall. It is also
available on the CEDO website, just visit
www.cedoburlington.org.
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Mayor Kiss has begun meeting with individual
businesses in order to hear one-on-one about their concerns.
The Business Calling Program is part of an effort to:
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Improve communication between city
officials and small businesses.
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Gain a better understanding of the
challenges that confront the business community.
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Identify the needs of businesses to
ensure their retention and expansion.
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Actively encourage businesses to stay
in, and where possible, expand in Burlington.
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Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)-RFPs
and related websites of interest:
http://www.uvm.edu/EPSCoR/Small%20Business%20Innovation%20Research.html
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