News You Can Use

An innovative program from Santander designed for food entrepreneurs. Santander's Cultivate Small Business program is designed to support the growth of early-stage woman-, BIPOC-, and immigrant-owned food businesses in emerging neighborhoods. The 12-week, fully virtual program is completely free to entrepreneurs, and provides you with industry specific education and networking, along with capital grants for your business. The Fall 2024 cohort will support entrepreneurs in the Greater Dallas, Miami and Philadelphia areas. Applicant Criteria Cultivate Small Business aims to strengthen minority entrepreneurs (including women and people of color) in food - related industries and their businesses with the building blocks to be successful busines...

Unlock YOUR Potential! Featuring the following topics: Level up your financial wellbeingLevel up your communications skillsLevel up your customer service and management practices FREE FOR ANY EMPLOYEE IN BUCKS COUNTY IN PERSON & VIRTUALFriday, April 19, 2024, 9 am - 12 pmBucks County Community College, Perkasie Camputs1 Hillendale Road, Perkasie, PA 18944 Wednesday, May 29, 2024, 9 am -12 pmUpper Bucks Chamber21 N. Main Street, Quakertown, PA 18951 VIRTUALThursday, June 13, 2024, 3 - 4:30 pmFriday, June 14, 2024, 9 - 10:30 am PRESENTERS Kirk Walters, Chief Momentum OfficerLesley Katz, CPA, CGMA, PMPYvonne Caputo, MSMA All topics will be covered at each event. You only need to attend once.. Presented by Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce an...

JOIN US AS WE RAISE AWARENESS TO SUPPORT THE NEXT GENERATION OF MANUFACTURING Founded in 2015, The Silvene Bracalente Memorial Foundation (SBMF) was instituted to support and provide resources to the education of the manufacturing trades, with special emphasis on Precision Machining. And at the same time boost the image of manufacturing throughout our community, schools and most importantly the families that are raising our next generation. Since its founding, SBMF has raised more than $345,000 for local academic institutions and community organizations. Money is raised through the annual sporting clay shoot. Each year, this fundraiser sells out with donations going directly to local schools to use for scholarships and materials purchases. ...

You're invited to participate in our Center for Private Company Excellence Private Company Pulse Survey. This survey is intended to provide insight into the current sentiment of private company owners and executives, and the outlook for their businesses. The survey only takes about 5 minutes to complete and your participation would be greatly appreciated. Survey deadline is Friday, March 29. All information collected will remain completely confidential and results will be presented in aggregate form. Your company's identity and information will not be revealed in any publication or presentation of the survey results. If you wish to receive a copy of the survey results once they are compiled, please provide your contact information at the co...

We are excited to announce the application portal for the 2024 SBA T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders Reimagined Program is open. This program is designed to provide free, comprehensive business coaching and education to CEOs of small businesses, like yours, looking to take their businesses to the next level. The SBA Eastern Pennsylvania District office will host two cohorts: in King of Prussia and the Central Pennsylvania area. Join one of our no-cost virtual interactive sessions to learn more about the program and have your questions answered. Register at the links below: Tuesday, March 19, 1:00 p.m. EST – Learn about the King of Prussia cohort:https://www.sba.gov/event/44112Thursday, March 21, 1:00 p.m. EST – Learn about the Central Pennsylva...

Attendees Can Participate in Educational Workshops, Network, and Learn about Federal Resources to Help Them Succeed Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and SCORE, mentors to America's small businesses and a resource partner of the SBA, announced that registration for the 2024 National Small Business Week Virtual Summit is now open. The two-day online event will take place from April 30-May 1. Attendance is free of charge, but registration is required. To register, visit National Small Business Week Virtual Summit registration. This year's NSBW Virtual Summit will feature educational workshops presented by event cosponsors, access to federal resources, and networking opportunities. A detailed agenda and list of cosponsor spea...

Up to $10,000 in grant funds is available now until February 23 to historically disadvantaged businesses. In partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the Pennsylvania CDFI Network is administering the Historically Disadvantaged Business Assistance (HDBA) Grant Program. Below you will find important information to note. Complete instructions and information can be found on the PA CDFI Network's site. Eligible businesses must: Be at least 51% owned and operated by individuals that identify as African American, Black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian American, or Pacific Islander. This target population is based on the U.S. Treasury Department's definition of disadvantaged individuals that historicall...

Businesses across Pennsylvania are facing a growing concern as the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue raises awareness about unreported use tax liabilities. According to Department records, numerous companies, and possibly yours, have not reported or remitted use tax within the past three years. The gap in use tax reporting has resulted in the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue issuing written communication to businesses alerting them to their responsibility. This communication should prompt a call to action for businesses to review their purchase invoices and assess their use tax obligations. Understanding Use Tax Pennsylvania residents or businesses that purchase taxable tangible personal property or services for use in the state owe a si...

Profits and external partnerships are not the only factors determining a business's strength. If a company is internally fractured, the organization will crumble apart. You can fortify your enterprise by considering ways to enhance collaboration and draw your team together. Review the following recommendations to turn your business into an impenetrable fortress. Promote Better Communication Trust is the cornerstone of a strong organization, and solid communication creates the building blocks of that trust. As the company's leader, you set the tone for communication. To develop a culture of openness, start by modeling the behavior you want to see. Encourage employees to share ideas and concerns freely, without fear of retribution. Make it cl...

Are you looking for ways to fund training to upskill your new hires and current workforce?Is your workforce retiring, and you can't find candidates who already have the skills you need?Does your business require new technical skills that your current workforce doesn't have? If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, then Train to Retain is for you. Meet the experts who are helping area businesses every day to utilize federal funding and no-cost resources—collectively known as work-based learning—to upskill your employees and train your new hires, hire young adults for short-term projects, and develop Registered Apprenticeship programs for your most in-demand, hard-to-fill occupations. RSVP today! Train to Retain Thursday, November 16,...

October 25, 2023 | 9-10 AM Featured Expert: Erin StaffordTopic: Employee Burnout Erin will discuss ways businesses and organizations can revitalize their workforce by providing tools and tactics to sustain peak performance without burning out. Attendees will experience renewed excitement and engagement in their work and personal lives. WEDTalk Objectives: Keep teams happy and productive while working remotely and on-site Recruit, engage, and retain employees while maintaining a thriving company culture Maximize retention and breathe life into a tired and overwhelmed group WEDTalks are one-hour virtual masterclasses in trending workforce topics. This webinar series is a collaboration of workforce development boards in Bucks, Berks, Chester, ...

Beginning on January 1, 2024, many existing companies will have until January 1, 2025 to file reports with information about their “beneficial owners” with the federal Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”); companies formed on or after January 1, 2024 must comply within 30 days of formation. The new law is an effort to combat money laundering and other crimes, and access to the database is generally limited to law enforcement agencies.

Who is required to report?

With some exceptions, corporations, limited liability companies, and any other entities that are formed by filing a document with the secretary of state or similar office of any state must file an initial report and update as information changes (or if incorrect information was filed).

Who are “beneficial owners”?

With some exceptions, “beneficial owners” are individuals owning 25% or more of the equity of a company and persons who substantially control the business (generally, individuals holding significant decision-making authority).

Business, Resilience, Innovation, Growth, Hustle, Transformation The BRIGHT business planning course is a 6-week program designed to provide you with the skills needed to run a successful business. You'll finish the program ready to take your business to the next level and feel comfortable composing a business plan. Topics Covered: Business Planning Targeting Customers Market Research Talent AcquisitionLegal Concerns Financial Planning Loan Preparation Marketing & Branding  Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion from the Temple University Fox School of Business and the Small Business Development Center. Make Your Business Shine BRIGHT. SIGN UP TODAY! 6-week virtual program Wednesday...

Attract Your Talent of the Future Today! Host an Open House During October to Celebrate Manufacturing Day 2023 Join thousands of manufacturers across the U.S. as they showcase the realities of modern manufacturing and inspire the next generation of creators. MFG Day, celebrated on the first Friday of October, inspires the next generation, reshapes perceptions about manufacturing, and fosters a robust future workforce. It's an initiative of the Manufacturing Institute, dedicated to diversifying, strengthening, and advancing the manufacturing workforce, promoting opportunities, and driving industry growth in the United States. New to MFG Day or Need Assistance? Let us help you! DVIRC will support you with planning and will share your event wi...

Want to learn more about transportation projects happening across the region? Want to share your thoughts on the region's transportation needs? Come take part in the Public Participation Task Force's (PPTF) Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) online public meeting on June 15th! The meeting will be hosted via Zoom from 6:00 - 7:30 with presentations and discussions led by DVRPC staff. Register here: https://dvrpc.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMocOitrjssEtA6ynD6sqNsWqoLgx_poiNg. DVRPC's Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is the agreed-upon list of specific priority projects and is required for the region to receive and spend federal transportation funds. The TIP lists federally funded transportation projects and non-federally fund...

PECO understands the importance of small businesses in the Greater Philadelphia region and this support becomes even more important as energy bills rise nationally through this winter season. Small businesses located within PECO's natural gas service territory can now apply for a one-time $500 grant to help pay their PECO natural gas bill. This new grant program is part of PECO's commitment to small businesses and the communities we serve. The $500 grant will be applied directly to the customer's bill and will lower current outstanding balances. Eligible applicants for the Small Business Gas Grant Program can apply now at www.peco.com/gasgrant. Businesses must be a existing PECO natural gas customers with an account in the name of the ...

Enterprises and large organizations need high-quality business phone services to facilitate effective internal team collaboration and external customer interactions. For decades, traditional landlines, desk phones and on-premises PBXs were the go-to solutions for business communications, whether deployed at a single business location or dozens. Many enterprises have shifted to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) systems to take advantage of their increased flexibility and scalability. If your enterprise is considering upgrading its business phone system, you must know the ins and outs of enterprise VoIP solutions. In this blog, we'll walk through everything you need to know about enterprise VoIP, including what it is, how it works, dep...

Imagine this crisis scenario in Bucks County: 70% of residents are unemployed.70% of the Bucks County area high school students do not graduate. 85% of the students that go on to college drop out. Thankfully that is not the case here in Bucks County, but if it was, would you want to know the causes of that crisis and find solutions? My name is Kristin Smedley. I am quite blessed to live, work and raise a family here in Bucks County. While those statistics are NOT real inour community, they are very real in the blind community. The crisis is real for those living with vision loss and my fear of those numbers fueled me to fix them. You see, 23 years ago, I met blind people for the first time. They happened to be my two sons, Michael and Mitch...

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Energy Programs Office is offering an Agriculture Energy Efficiency Rebate Program for PA farmers and ag producers. Rebates are being offered for the following technology categories: Energy efficient lighting systems: LED lighting (both interior and exterior), including fixtures and controls (DLC or Energy Star rated lighting)Energy efficient ventilation equipment: Ventilation fans including both circulation and exhaust fans, motors and controls Energy efficient dairy and refrigeration equipment: Variable speed vacuum pumps, efficient motors and controls, scroll compressors, well water pre-chillers (plate coolers/heat exchangers), and refrigeration heat recovery (RHR) All of the ...

Pennsylvania's State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) is also known as of Pennsylvania Catalyst Loan Fund. Pennsylvania's State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) was established under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) in response to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to help small businesses gain access to capital. BCEDC has been selected to receive $1.4 million in funding in order to establish a revolving loan fund for small businesses in Bucks County. This program will allow BCEDC to engage with businesses and meet demand for smaller loans that do not typically fit our existing financing programs. BCEDC will receive and review all applications from eligible companies in Bucks County. To learn more pleas...