It's easy to forget or overlook the fact that to benefit from growth profitably, your business systems must be ready to support that growth. What does that really mean? Are HR, accounting, and IT systems ready to roll? This session will provide you with important information to determine:

• Staffing needs (hiring, resource reallocation, etc.)
• Potential changes to HR policies and procedures
• IT scalability
• Accounting system growth needs
• How to address identified issues

This event will have a panel of experts including:

• Brian Curtis from DominionTech Computer Services (IT)
• Andrea Gunther from Davis & Hodgdon Associates CPAs (Accounting)
• Dave Mount from SCORE Vermont (HR)

This event is organized by Vermont SCORE.

Date: Wednesday, January 9th

Time: 5.30-7.00p

Location: New England Federal Credit Union
141 Harvest Lane, Williston, VT 05495

Cost: Free (but registration is required)

Registration:  
Register online at: https://champlainvalley.score.org/event/my-business-growing-am-i-ready-manage-it-effectively

Seating is limited, so register today!

With the holidays upon us and the new year quickly approaching, December tends to be a time for celebration, reflection, and planning. In the last six months of my tenure as Director here at the Lightning Jar, I've had the privilege to meet many wonderful people and watch this community grow, and now I must move on.

To start with, you should know that the direction of the Lightning Jar will be in the very capable hands of the steering committee. These are the same folks that launched the project and kept it moving forward before I started in July. Because of their hard work coworking, programs, and events will continue to run as planned.

As any entrepreneur will tell you, starting a new venture like this one is challenging and exciting and, sometimes, scary. The beauty of the Lightning Jar is that makes it a little less scary. It's hard to really understand the power of the Lightning Jar community until you've joined it. I've seen young entrepreneurs build their confidence both organically and methodically here. Just last week the most recent Startup 802 cohort pitched their business ideas, and I was blown away. These folks are serious, and they're going to succeed. Some were makers, like carpenters and bakers, and others had plans to explore music management, fitness centers, and major tech innovations. There is a wealth of talent and enthusiasm in the Bennington community. Equally exciting, we have a community of mentors and support systems that is eager to help – I've seen casual conversations turn into learning opportunities and business referrals that eventually launched a new business.

For me, the best part of my time here has been the folks that walk in the door with an idea and no introduction. That's brave. Most people have fabulous ideas and only a few pursue them. For this reason, the Lighting Jar is hugely important. This community has built a place where others can come to explore their ideas and share their passions. I'm proud to have helped create these opportunities.

Looking forward, it's time for me to move on. It's bittersweet, but I'm not afraid. The Lightning Jar will continue on without me, and I'll get a chance to explore my own entrepreneurial tendencies. This is just the beginning for us both.

Thanks,
​
Michelle Marrocco
​

We're in it – it's officially the holiday season. So happy holidays! Did you enjoy your Thanksgiving? I hope you didn't get into too many political arguments and you were surrounded by people you love.

I'll admit it. I definitely spent some time working over the Thanksgiving break. I really believe in taking a break from screens whenever possible, so I tried to keep it to just reading and writing. If you're anything like most of the people I know, you probably checked your email too.

Thinking about the next month of parties, holidays, and travel (oh, the travel), I'm already planning how to get everything done. Last year, we drove the three hours to Boston for Christmas Eve then two hours to Connecticut for Christmas day, and then three hours back home the day after! Meanwhile, I'm trying to do whatever work I can in the car whenever I'm not the driver. It was overly ambitious.

For those heading to New Hampshire, we're also partnering with the Hannah Grimes Center in Keene. First of all, I was there in September and the Hannah Grimes Center is super cool! The Hive at the Hannah Grimes Center is specifically their coworking space. Next time you're in the area, bring you Lighting Jar badge and sign in at the desk. (I also suggest walking across the street and grabbing a smoothie at the co-op if you get hungry.)

Almost everyone I know has a great business idea, but they don't all have great businesses. Most don't even have a business! There seems to be this in between place, like a purgatory for good ideas, where folks think they need more money before they can start. In general, I challenge people on that assumption, but sometimes a bit of startup capital goes a long way.

That's when loans come in. I get it. Taking on more debt is scary – especially if you bought a car or a house or went to college in the last twenty years (or ever). But if it meant you could finally launch or expand your business, would it be worth it? At the very least, understanding your options can help you answer that question.

Not all loans are the same. If you're interested in learning about those differences and how to choose the best one for you and your business, we want to help. Join us on Wednesday, November 7 at the Lightning Jar for a panel discussion moderated by the US Small Business Administration. The panel begins at noon and registration, at 11:30am. Get here early so you can meet the lenders one-on-one!

​Find more information HERE.

Last week, I got the chance to sit in on the final session of Startup 802: An Entrepreneurial Mindset, the first class of a two-part curriculum offered at CCV - Bennington in partnership with The Lightning Jar, the Chamber, the Bennington County Regional Commission, the Bennington County Industrial Corporation, Southern Vermont College, and Williams Financial. You may have heard about it while reading The Banner earlier this year (HERE and HERE).

I’ve sat in on the class a few times over the past couple weeks, and I immediately noticed the enthusiasm Robert brings to the program. As the founder of BE Your Start, which has been delivering training, incubator services, custom workshops, and other entrepreneurial programming to startups and growing businesses since 2005, and a professor of management, marketing, hospitality, and entrepreneurship as several colleges, it’s clear that Robert knows what he’s talking about.

When asked to imagine an entrepreneur, many people think of tech giants like Steve Jobs or Elon Musk – larger than life figures and companies. It’s hard to imagine ourselves as entrepreneurs if that’s the definition, and its easy to assume you need to be born with some special ability to achieve that level of success. This class challenges those assumptions.

Being an entrepreneur does require a certain mindset. Those that succeed sign a life-long learning contract to adapt and persevere. Entrepreneurs strive to better themselves and their businesses by identifying problems quickly developing strategies to solve the problem. (And they don’t do it alone!) The focus of Startup 802 has been just that: developing entrepreneurial mindsets.

This cohort of participants are learning to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and the elements required to launch and grow a successful small business or start-up. Over 8 weeks, participants have worked to build personal skills and traits that enhance entrepreneurial success. Traits including, but not limited to, creativity, curiosity, systems thinking, partnership, and collaboration. You can find more information about Startup 802 program HERE.
​
This semester’s showcase is tonight! Stop by CCV tonight between 6:15 and 7:45pm to meet the startups and learn about their progress. The format of the event is similar to a trade show or “poster session”. Stop by anytime to walk around and chat with 8-10 startups. Participants include a custom door company, a safety device for runners, an allergy-sensitive food company, entertainment venues, a gym/smoothie bar concept, Upstate Balloon Company, a nonprofit benefiting women’s education in impoverished countries, and more. More details about the showcase can be found on the Startup 802 Startup, Small Business, and Idea Showcase Eventbrite.

– Joe Braim, ​Media & Outreach Intern

Chris Brooks is a fifth-generation lumberman and the CEO & Co-Founder of Vermont Wood Pellet. Like many Vermonters, Brooks has a passion for sustainability, and he built Vermont Wood Pellet on this passion. Today, Vermont Wood Pellet is still committed to sustainable, renewal harvesting techniques that ensure our forests are as beautiful and vibrant tomorrow as they are today.

Before Vermont Wood Pellet, Brooks worked as a consultant developing and expanding business strategies for 25 years. With that kind of experience, it makes sense that he now manages a staff of 20 or so while overseeing the company's finances and operational efficiencies himself. Oh, and before all that, he got a liberal arts degree in archeology and then a graduate degree in computer simulation. The path to a solid business – or even a good idea – is rarely a straight line. 

Learn more about Brooks's journey and how Vermont Wood Pellet came to be at Lever, Inc.'s Lean Lab on July 10 at the Lightning Jar, 6-8pm. Register and find out more HERE. 

Join us for an evening with Michael Wood-Lewis, Co-Founder & CEO of Front Porch Forum.
Front Porch Forum is one of a growing roster of successful Vermont entrepreneurial startups leading the state's tech startup scene, including Ello, Dealer.com, MyWebGrocer, Logic Supply, GameTheory, Pwnie Express, and many others.  Co-founder and CEO Michael Wood-Lewis will be in Bennington to tell the story of how this tech startup got going and how they're continuing to grow.

Doors open at 5pm, talk starts at 5:30.  Cash bar and light fare will be available.
$15 in advance / $20 at the door 
Lightning Jar members enter FREE & receive a free drink

For more information and to register visit our Events page.