Inaugural Food Accelerator Cohort on February 9th

Introducing the Inaugural Food Accelerator Cohort!

Join us to celebrate the Inaugural Food Accelerator Cohort on February 9th at the SEG Hub from 6pm-8pm! These high impact New England-based food entrepreneurs will embark on a 12-week journey, taking their venture to the next level. Come meet and greet the entrepreneurs and their coaches; mingle with the growing social enterprise community; and most importantly, try delicious local foods prepared by this year's Food Accelerator participants! RSVP here! Learn more about the food cohort here.

SBA Seeking 15 Candidates for the 2016 Rhode Island Emerging Leaders Program

Seeking Candidates for the 2016 Rhode Island Emerging Leaders Program

Registration is now open for the 2016 Emerging Leaders executive level training program in Rhode Island. The goal of this program is to attract owners of established small businesses with high growth potential, and provide them with the knowledge and resources to build a sustainable business of size and scale. Seeking 15 applicants for this year's Emerging Leaders program. Criteria needed includes: At least three years in business, have at least one employee besides the owner, and have gross annual sales of at least $350,000. Participant must be an owner or key decision maker within the company. The course begins in the spring in Columbus and runs thru October.  This seven-month long intensive course, which is free for participants, requires a commitment of 100 hours, including 40 hours of in class training, seven CEO mentoring group meetings, and course work assignments, as well as networking and mentoring opportunities.  Any Rhode Island firms interested in the Emerging Leaders Initiative can contact Joan Moran at: 401-528-4580 or joan.moran@sba.gov or you may also register at the following link: https://www.interise.org/sbaemergingleaders

State Arts Council Announces the 2016 RISCA Fellowship Exhibition

State Arts Council Announces the 2016 RISCA Fellowship Exhibition

RISCA Presents 28 of the State’s Finest Artists at the Bannister Gallery, Rhode Island College

Opening Reception on February 25^th, on view through March 25^th

The RISCA Fellowship Exhibition is an annual event that showcases works by Rhode Island artists who have been awarded by the state for artistic excellence. Fellowship winners receive a $5000 award and Merit Award winners receive a $1000 award. Each of these artists’ artwork will be included in the annual RISCA Fellowship Exhibition. 

This year the RISCA Fellowship Exhibition will take place at the Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College.

The 2016 Fellowship Exhibition includes the following events:

·        Artists Reception - Thursday, February 25, 6-9:00PM.

·        Fellowship Writers Night - Friday, March 4^th, 6:30-8:30PM

·        Closing Reception and Artists Talk - Friday, March 25, 6:30-8:30 PM. 

“The Fellowship Exhibition is a great opportunity for Rhode Islanders to experience truly exceptional artwork by Rhode Island artists,” says Cristina DiChiera, Director of Artists Programs for the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. “No other statewide exhibition presents the combination of artistic excellence that is represented in the annual RISCA Fellowship Exhibition.”

Visual artists featured in the Fellowship Exhibition include: Kelli Rae Adams, Johnny Adimando, Juan Jose Barboza-Gubo, Brett Michael Eberhardt, Topher Gent, Richard Goulis, Jonathan Michael James-Perry, James Janecek, Talia Levitt, Thad Russell, Chris Taylor, Mara Trachtenberg, and Meredith Younger. Video installations will feature works by choreographers Bill Evans and Betsy Miller and filmmakers Christian de Rezendes and Brian O'Malley. Music by Music Composition Fellows Ben Knox, Jeff Prystowsky, and Paul Phillips, as well as Folk Arts Fellowship recipient Bisi Osuolale Kolawole can be heard at listening stations in the gallery. The Fellowship Writers Night will include readings by Tina Cane, Colin Channer, Franny Choi and Craig Alan Demi and live performance by Richard Goulis and Bisi Osuolale Kolawole. For more on the Fellowship Artists, click here.

About the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts

The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts is a state agency supported by appropriations from the Rhode Island General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. RISCA provides grants, technical assistance and staff support to arts organizations and artists, schools, community centers, social service organizations and local governments to bring the arts into the lives of Rhode Islanders. Visit www.arts.ri.gov for more information.

SBA Upcoming Rhode Island Small Business Seminars and Trainings

Upcoming Rhode Island Small Business Seminars and Trainings

Monday, February 8

Basics of Government Contracting (Center for Women & Enterprise – 132 George M. Cohan Boulevard in Providence from 1:00 – 3:00pm and is free of charge.  To register, visitwww.cweonline.org , or call 401-277-0800):

Are you ready to do business with the government? This session includes basic information about government contracting at the local, state and federal levels and is a good introduction for a business with no or very limited experience in government contracting and procurement.

Topics covered:
• Mandatory registrations
• Certifications
• The federal acquisition process
• Differences between the commercial and government markets.

Learn how to assess your company’s readiness for government contracting and determine if it may be a good way to diversity your business portfolio.

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Tuesday, February 9

Exploring Small Business Administration Resources (Center for Women & Enterprise – 132 George M. Cohan Boulevard in Providence from 11:00am – 12:30pm and is free of charge.  To register, visit www.cweonline.org , or call 401-277-0800):

Are you interested in starting a small business but don’t know where to start?  Do you already own a small business and need assistance with marketing, employee management, setting up financial statements?  Interested in possibly getting a loan? 

Join us as experts from the SBA guide you through all the resources available to you and your small business.  Let them show you where to go to get an expert help you draft a business plan for FREE, where to find financing for your business, exporting, how to get started in the world of government contracting, and more!

Topics covered will include:
• Technical Assistance Programs
• SBA Loan Guarantee Program
• 8(a) Business Development Program
• HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zones) Program
• Government Contracting Opportunities
• And more!

Legal Considerations for Business Owners (Center for Women & Enterprise – 132 George M. Cohan Boulevard in Providence from 9:00 – 11:00am and is free of charge.  To register, visit www.cweonline.org , or call 401-277-0800):

This workshop provides a high-level overview of a range of legal issues that entrepreneurs should be aware of when starting a new company. Attend this workshop to learn how to avoid common mistakes and employ preventative measures that can protect and ensure the success of your new business. Workshop topics will include:
• Entity formation
• Contract basics
• IP considerations
• Licenses and regulations    

After the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to sign up for a one-on-one consultation regarding their specific business legal concerns through the Center for Women and Enterprise’s consulting program.

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Wednesday, February 10 

Marketing Intensive (Center for Women & Enterprise – 132 George M. Cohan Boulevard in Providence for 3 consecutive Wednesdays from 9:00am – 12:00pm.  Fee for seminars is $195.  To register, visit www.cweonline.org , or call 401-277-0800):

As an entrepreneur, everything you do is a marketing opportunity. As more challenging competition and technical tools become the norm, it is essential to reach potential customers and develop loyalty in ways that are practical, convincing, clear, and urgent.

In this 3-week intensive course, you will:
• Understand market research and how to identify and quantify your target
• Review the commonly-referenced “4Ps and 3Cs” or marketing
• Know how new marketing tools such as Social Media, Search Engine Optimization, Online Marketing, and E-Marketing can work for you
• Gain clarity around how traditional marketing concepts such as Branding, Advertising, Public Relations, Even Marketing, Collateral Development can support you in growing your business
• Understand the importance and value of tracking and metrics as It relates to  marketing
• Develop a tailored plan that you can implement immediately, no matter how small your budget

Please bring, or send in advance, ay marketing materials you have for your business that you would like to share, receive feedback on, or improve ex: advertisement, logo, brochures, business cards, etc.)

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Thursday, February 11

Pitching to Angels: What Investors Want to Hear to Fund Your Ventures (Center for Women & Enterprise – 132 George M. Cohan Boulevard in Providence from 5:30 – 7:30pm,  Fee for seminar is $25.  To register, visit www.cweonline.org , or call 401-277-0800):

Entrepreneurs and investors all want the same result-success. But they often speak different languages, and sometimes that prevents great ideas from getting funded. In this seminar, you'll learn how angel groups work, how they choose the companies they'll invest in and how yours can one of them.

Using Blogging to Grow Your Business (Center for Women & Enterprise – 132 George M. Cohan Boulevard in Providence from 10:00am – 12:00pm,  Fee for seminar is $30.  To register, visit www.cweonline.org , or call 401-277-0800):

Are you a business that would like to reach out to your audience effectively, timely, and inexpensively? Do you enjoy writing, sharing your thoughts and idea while creating conversation? If you answered yes, then blogging is for you!

Blogs are an amazing addiction to any business website and social media campaign. They work to communicate with you customers effectively, truthfully, and quickly. In this workshop, you will have an interactive learning experience as you create your very own blog. Using social media to build blog exposure, you will leverage your blog to generate business as well as improved search engine rankings and website leads.

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Friday, February 12

How to Secure a Business Loan (Rhode Island Small Business Development Center – RI Society of CPAs, 40 Sharpe Drive, Unit 5 in Cranston from 8:30 – 10:30am.  Fee for seminar is $55.  To register, Click Here , or call 401-874-7232):

Are you an established business owner looking to obtain financing to grow your operation? Don't know who to approach, how to prepare, what lenders are looking for or how your proposal will be evaluated? Then plan to attend this dynamic, insightful workshop where you will learn how to position your request and improve your chances for success. Through lively discuss and examples, our expert presenters will help to demystify the lending process. Topics will include the role of the business plan in financing requests; the steps in the application process; how loan applications are evaluated by lenders; and what you can do today to move toward your goal of obtaining a business loan. The session will include a Q&A period, so bring your questions and concerns.

SBA presents 7(j) Government Contracting Classes for February

• Understanding RFPs
 February 1, 2016
 1:00—3:00 pm EST

• Capture Management
 February 2, 2016
 1:00—4:00 pm EST

• Developing and Managing Contractor Teams
 February 3, 2016
 1:00—3:00 pm EST

• Marketing to the Government Buyer
 February 4, 2016
 1:00—4:00 pm EST

• Federal Contracting Basics
 February 8, 2016
 1:00—4:00 pm EST

• Developing Technical and Past Performance Responses to RFPs
 February 9, 2016
 1:00—4:00 pm EST

• Developing Pricing and the Cost Proposal
 February 10, 2016
 1:00—4:00 pm EST

• Government Contracting Vehicles
 February 11, 2016
 1:00—3:00 pm EST

For Course Details and to Register:
http://sbaworkshops.stoverteam.com 
Workshop information: Phyllis Embree or Chris Strudthoff ,sbaworkshops@stoverteam.com , or call (770) 423-9888.

Cranston 週五早上七點起，限制停車 學校停課

*UPDATE ON FRIDAY'S STORM*

*The predicted totals have risen since earlier today, and the morning commute looks to be very problematic. Please plan accordingly and be safe out there if you must go out.

*There is a PARKING BAN in Cranston as of 7AM. We cannot clear your road effectively when there are cars in our way. Please adhere to this so that we can do our best for you and your neighbors.

*We will be out at 3AM pretreating the more than 300 miles of roads in our city.

*Waste management will be out there tomorrow trying to pick up everyone's trash on schedule. If the weather gets so bad that we must pull the trucks off the road for their safety, they will do make-up stops on Saturday.

*As of right now, there is no word on any potential school delay. The superintendent will continue to monitor.

Thank you and I'll keep everyone up to date as things develop.

2016是丙申 ，紅猴年

2016是丙申 ，紅猴年。丙屬火，屬紅色，代表太陽。申屬金，申是猴子。所以，2016是火紅猴年。

過完2015乙未年，表示「火」運結束，2016是「金」運的開始。火運要努力工作，金運是要驗收成果。正如，夏季要辛苦做農事，秋天穀物才能豐收。因此，2016紅猴年，將會是很多人的轉折點，不少數人會熬出頭。火運偷懶者，秋風會帶來惆悵。