2022 Wrap Up in the Northern Berkshires

Issue #57 | Friday, December 30, 2022

NAC Year in Review

This year the North Adams Chamber focused on connecting with the business community and learning how the organization can support business owners in a new and invigorating way. From casual networking events to interactive sticky-note activities, we learned lot about the challenges that business owners, entrepreneurs, artists and community members are faced with every day. Below are some ways we’ve supported the Northern Berkshire business community and we hope to continue with even more outreach and assistance in the new year!

We hosted and helped organize roughly 20 events and workshops
42 businesses participated in the Technical Assistance program in 2022
Since 2021 the Chamber has supported the creation of:
- 21 Full-time jobs
- 16 Part-time jobs
12 Businesses have received grants, and we are currently working with or have helped with grant applications of 5 additional businesses.
The Technical Assistance program has helped maintain 22 jobs in our community.

Client Testimonial

Keri Granda - Sift Ceramics

Keri is a ceramicist and jewelry maker who utilized all aspects of the NAC Technical Assistance program and worked with each team member to refine her business structure and marketing strategies. Here’s what she shared about her experience.

“The experiences and growth I’ve experienced as a result of receiving consult through the Chamber had been monumental.”

Marketing Assistance Outcomes:
-Launched my first email marketing campaign, reaching over 500 subscribers for my first email
-Promoted a highly successful in-person event to local publicity via print media and press release
-Improving my social media presence and outreach, growing 10x this past year from a following of 400 to a following of over 4,500.

Sales and Business Systems Assistance:
-Obtained my largest wholesale client to-date (which helped me achieve a personal business goal of having my work represented by a major contemporary art museum) and increasing my revenue this year by over $10,000 because of this account.
-Diversified my local offerings among the many wonderful retail opportunities in Berkshire County

Structures and Strategizing:
-Identified weak points in my business structure, and created effective systems to improve my workflow and revenue opportunities
-Created an effective yearly production schedule, which will improve my production capacity, decrease my stress load, and improve my revenue
-Identified parts of my business that could be automated & delegated, allowing me to save time and support other local business by hiring out certain parts of my business, as well as helping me to become a better boss and entrepreneur.

FIRST Friday 2023

Please provide feedback in this short survey about your experience with FIRST Fridays North Adams to better strategize for the new year. The first event in 2023 is Friday, January 6 with the theme of “Fresh Start.”

Survey

North County Happenings

>>Monthly Events<<

Every First Saturday | 9-1 p.m. | North Adams INDOOR Market at Terra Nova

Every Friday | 8-close | Karaoke at State Street Tavern
Every 1st & 3rd Sunday | 7 p.m. | Karaoke Night at The Log in Williamstown
Every 2nd Saturday | 8 p.m. | Comedy Night at Bright Ideas Brewing

Common Folk Artist Collective
Every Friday | 6-8 p.m. | Common Craft Night
Every 2nd Tuesday | 5-7 p.m. | Herbalist Meet-up
Every 2nd Sunday | 3-5 p.m. | Adams Artist Meet-up | St. Marks Church in Adams

December 31 | 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. | NYE Party with CJ Field at the Purple Pub

January - March 2023 | Free Admission to The Clark Art Institute

January 3 | 7 p.m. | Live Music at Belltower Records

January 6 | Live Music by JJ Slater at Hearts Pace in North Adams

January 6 | 5-8 p.m. | FIRST Fridays North Adams

January 6 | 12-2 p.m. | Bingo/Board Game Pot Luck First Congregational Church Williamstown

January 8 & 22 | 1-2 p.m. | Berkshire Pup People | Pups at the North Adams Dog Park

January 14 & 15 | Bay State Winter Figure Skating Competition | Williams College

January 16 | 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. | MLK Day of Service | MCLA

EforAll 2023 Business Accelerator Program
Applications Due January 25

February
Fundamentals of Coffee Classes | Berkshire Community College & Barrington Coffee Roasters

This class is about fundamentals and includes lecture, practice in cupping, a cursory understanding of roasting and the third and final class will be 3 hours and be an in depth training for professional Barista training.

Feb. 7, 14 and 21

More information

NAACP Berkshires | White Learning Programs
Every other Sunday from October to May

Want your event listed? Submit the listing here

Save The Dates

In The News

A message from Grazie Italian Restaurant

Thank you everyone for your continued support of us and other local area restaurants. We couldn't be who we are without you all.

While this business is a tough one, we've been fortunate with such a great staff and customer base. We have made friends that are like family. We are forever grateful.

Some businesses are not as fortunate and have not made it through these challenging times. We feel for those businesses and customers who may not have been able to use their gift cards.

We will accept any NORTH ADAMS restaurant that has closed in the past years' gift cards at HALF VALUE after the 1st of the year.

This is a little kick back to our local restaurant supporters. We need you. We appreciate you.

Happy New Year!

With Love,
Your friends at Grazie

Desperado’s Mexican Restaurant Closes

The restaurant announced that they will close after new ownership took over in September. Gift certificates that were sold by the previous owner Pete Oleskewicz will be honored at Miss Adams Diner.

Year in Review

Air BNB Update: North Adams Approves Short-term Rental Ordinance

Funding Opportunities

Massachusetts Cultural Council

Cultural Facilities Fund - grants supporting the sound planning and development of cultural facilities. Office hours: Thursdays.
Deadline: Feb. 2, 2023.

Jan 20 Grant | Mass Humanities "Reading Frederick Douglass Together"
Feb 2 Grant | Cultural Facilities Fund (for Cultural Orgs)
Jul 23 Grant | Martha Boschen Porter Fund
Aug 1 Grant | Berkshire Taconic Artist Resource Trust (for individuals)
ongoing Grant | Hilary Teachout Covid-19 Relief Grant
ongoing Grant | The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant
ongoing Grant | Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Grants
monthly Awesome Foundation Grant
rolling Eyebeam Center for the Future of Journalism
rolling Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants
rolling Creative Capital x Skoll x Kickstarter Funds for Asian/Black/Indigenous/Latinx Creators
rolling A.P.E. Open Call for Project Proposals
rolling BridgeSong Fund: Emergency Relief for Women, Nonbinary, and Genderqueer Artists of Color
rolling New England Musicians Relief Fund
ongoing NEFA Grant Finder List

Provided by the Artist Impact Coalition

Workshops & Webinars

PrixFixe Accounting Winter Webinar Series

January 4 | 1 p.m. | What is a 1099?
February 8 | 12 p.m. | Strategies for Reducing Labor Costs

Assets for Artists

Full Schedule of Workshops for 2023

Connect with Us!

North Adams Chamber Business Development Team

Community Engagement: Stephen Warley
Marketing: Makayla-Courtney McGeeney
Business: Nico Dery