The free workshops are being held in cooperation with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), RI District Office, RI Small Business Development Center (RISBDC), the Greater Providence Area Chamber of Commerce, RI Economic Development Council, Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE), and SCORE.

Both workshops will be held on Thursday, June 20, 2013 at the Larry Friedman International Center for Entrepreneurship, Johnson & Wales University, TACO Building, 10 Abbott Park Place, Providence.  The first of these workshops entitled “Learn the Fundamentals in Planning, Preparing, and Financing Your Business” will be held from 9:00 a.m. to noon.  Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.  Breakfast and lunch will be provided free of charge to attendees. 

This workshop is geared toward helping potential entrepreneurs evaluate and understand the fundamentals of owning one’s own business.  Information on how to get started, where and how to get financing and the loan application process will be presented.  Attendees will also be provided with a free guide to writing a business plan and other materials.

The second workshop entitled “Understanding the Purpose of Financial Statements and How They Can Help Determine the Health of Your Business” will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

The focus of this workshop is to help attendees understand a balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. The workshop also explains how a small business owner can anticipate financial needs in order to operate his/her business more efficiently.

Please call SEED Corporation at 508-822-1020, to register for either or both sessions by Thursday, June 13^th and for directions to the TACO building.  SEED Corporation holds this entrepreneurial workshop series on a monthly basis throughout the region.  For information on future sessions, please contact SEED. 

SEED Corporation is a non-profit organization certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and designated as an Intermediary under the SBA’s Microloan Program.  This program is designed to provide loans to new and existing business owners in amounts up to $50,000.

As a regional economic development organization, SEED also offers a full range of financing programs providing loans up to $5.5 million to assist small businesses to grow and create jobs in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  SEED works with other economic development and financing institutions throughout the region to ensure that individuals who are committed to owning and operating a small business in the region are able to get the assistance they need to be successful. 

For more information on SEED and its programs, please call the SEED office at 508-822-1020 or visit SEED’s website at www.seedcorp.com.

Bristol County Savings Bank, founded in 1846, is a full-service financial institution offering commercial lending, personal and business banking, and mortgage services.  The Bank’s Financial Advisory Services division has successfully assisted businesses, individuals and non-profits with the management of their assets since 1989.  In addition, the Bank also offers quality property and casualty insurance options for its customers through its majority-owned insurance subsidiary, Farrell Backlund Insurance Agency.

The Bank’s steady growth and expansion has resulted in $1.4 billion in assets and just over 300 employees in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  The key words at Bristol County Savings Bank are: “Commitment, Stability, and Community,” values that are combined with state-of-the-art technology to meet the needs of its customers.  A dedicated local community bank for over 165 years, Bristol County Savings Bank is actively involved in giving back to all the communities it serves both through financial support and the volunteerism of its people.

The Main Office and Corporate Headquarters of Bristol County Savings Bank are located on Broadway in Taunton, MA. For additional information, please call 508-824-6626 or visit www.bristolcountysavings.com.

# # #

The free workshops are being held in cooperation with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), MA Small Business Development Center (MSBDC), New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce, New Bedford Economic Development Council and SCORE.

Both workshops will be held on Thursday, June 13, 2013 at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, Waypoint Event Center, 185 MacArthur Drive, New Bedford.  The first of these workshops entitled “Learn the Fundamentals in Planning, Preparing, and Financing Your Business” will be held from 9:00 a.m. to noon.  Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.  Breakfast and lunch will be provided free of charge to attendees. 

This workshop is geared toward helping potential entrepreneurs evaluate and understand the fundamentals of owning one’s own business.  Information on how to get started, where and how to get financing and the loan application process will be presented.  Attendees will also be provided with a free guide to writing a business plan and other materials.

The second workshop entitled “Understanding the Purpose of Financial Statements and How They Can Help Determine the Health of Your Business” will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

The focus of this workshop is to help attendees understand a balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. The workshop also explains how a small business owner can anticipate financial needs in order to operate his/her business more efficiently.

Please call SEED Corporation at 508-822-1020, to register for either or both sessions by Thursday, June 6^th and for directions to the Fairfield Inn & Suites, Waypoint Event Center.  SEED Corporation holds this entrepreneurial workshop series on a monthly basis throughout the region.  For information on future sessions, please contact SEED. 

SEED Corporation is a non-profit organization certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and designated as an Intermediary under the SBA’s Microloan Program.  This program is designed to provide loans to new and existing business owners in amounts up to $50,000.

As a regional economic development organization, SEED also offers a full range of financing programs providing loans up to $5.5 million to assist small businesses to grow and create jobs in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  SEED works with other economic development and financing institutions throughout the region to ensure that individuals who are committed to owning and operating a small business in the region are able to get the assistance they need to be successful. 

Rockland Trust Community Development Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rockland Trust Company, the commercial bank subsidiary of Independent Bank Corp. (NASDAQ: INDB). Rockland Trust is a full-service commercial bank headquartered in Massachusetts with $5.7 billion in assets which provides a wide range of consumer, business, investment, and insurance products and services.  Named a Boston Globe “Best Place to Work” for four consecutive years and one of America’s “Best Banks” by Forbes for three consecutive years, Rockland Trust’s network consists of nearly 80 retail branches, 10 commercial lending offices, four investment management, and three residential lending centers throughout Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. To find out why Rockland Trust is the bank “Where Each Relationship Matters®”, please visit www.RocklandTrust.com.  Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

For more information on SEED and its programs, please call the SEED office at 508-822-1020 or visit SEED’s website at www.seedcorp.com.

# # #

The first of these workshops entitled “Learn the Fundamentals in Planning, Preparing and Financing Your Business” is geared toward helping potential entrepreneurs evaluate and understand the fundamentals of owning one’s own business.  Information on how to get started, where and how to get financing and the loan application process will be presented.  Attendees will also be provided with a free guide to writing a business plan and other materials.  Breakfast and lunch will be provided free of charge to attendees. 

The second workshop entitled “Understanding the Purpose of Financial Statements and How They Can Help Determine the Health of Your Business” is focused on helping attendees understand a balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement.  The workshop also explains how a small business owner can anticipate financial needs in order to operate his/her business more efficiently. 

The following is a list of dates and locations for SEED’s upcoming workshops.  Please call SEED Corporation at 508-822-1020, for more information or to register for a free workshop.   

SEED Corporation is a non-profit organization certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and designated as an Intermediary under the SBA’s Microloan Program.  This program is designed to provide loans to new and existing business owners in amounts up to $50,000.

As a regional economic development organization, SEED also offers a full range of financing programs providing loans up to $5.5 million to assist small businesses to grow and create jobs throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  SEED works with other economic development and financing institutions throughout the region to ensure that individuals who are committed to owning and operating a small business are able to get the assistance they need to be successful.

For more information on SEED and its programs, please call the SEED office at 508-822-1020 or visit SEED’s website at www.seedcorp.com.

# # #

   Founders/Ownrs: Matthew Mastroianni and Jesse G. Brown
(Photo by Steve Haines)

Published by Cape & Plymouth Business Magazine

Cape & Plymouth Business Magazine spoke to Jesse Brown, co-founder/owner, about his company:

…………………………………………………….

What is Heidrea Communications?

Heidrea Communications LLC is a veteranowned business specializing in the wireless industry. We have locations in Plymouth, MA, Bellingham, MA, and Oriskany, NY, to optimize our response time to our customers in the Northeast and Upstate New York. Heidrea’s goal is to meet our customers’ needs in every aspect of the wireless construction market with a primary focus on tower construction and maintenance throughout New England and Upstate New York. Our Bellingham site is a 6,500-square-foot, two-story offi ce, along with a 6,000-square-foot secure, climate-controlled warehouse and secured outdoor storage on 6.5 acres.

Some of the services that we off er are: microwave installations and alignments, co-locations, tower erection and upgrades, tower inspections & mapping, structural analysis, mounts and platforms, site lighting and painting. Recently, Heidrea has ventured into self-sustainable energy with the construction of solar energy fields.

Our customers include Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, AT&T, Crown Castle Inc., American Tower and SBA Networks. Our employees are trained professionals with certifications in each of their respective fields and are continually advancing their training. More than 30 percent of Heidrea employees are United States Veterans.

Heidrea also offers a full range of construction services ranging from electrical service, civil engineering (foundations, fencing, landscaping), carpentry, HVAC and steel fabrication.

How did you come to start Heidrea?

Heidrea was founded on the idea of bringing quality services with high regards to customer service. The company in its early process was just a thought which came to reality in 2007.  The company was started with me and my business partner, Matt Mastroianni. The business name comes from the combination of our wives’ names – Matt’s wife, Heidi, and my wife, Andrea. We had a sound business plan and followed our plan while also continually changing with the industry and technology. The company is run on many military principles with a strong chain of command and core principles of pride, integrity and commitment.

What lessons have you learned running a small business?

Communication. Since the inception of our business, Matt and I have maintained a strong presence with our employees – communications is and will always be a top priority. We maintain constant contact with all of our employees, customers and vendors. Communication is crucial for success.

Teamwork. To build a strong business, everyone needs to work together, but at the same time independence in every employee is encouraged.  There are goals that are set by management to accomplish and we rely on our employees to accomplish their goals. Teamwork is imperative to a successful business. 

What were the biggest challenges you have faced?

Creating and maintaining a skilled workforce while continually providing the best service to nationally recognized clients, all while operating within a conservative budget. To find and train a new employee is still challenging because of the job itself. It’s not that someone does not want to do the job, it’s just that sometimes they can’t. It is not normal to climb every day from 100 feet to 1,000 feet all throughout the year – it takes a certain mindset.

What have your greatest successes been?

Our greatest success has been the ability to create our nonprofit Heidrea For Heroes, which was helped by Heidrea Communications. Matt and I pride ourselves on helping others and giving back to the veterans of this nation. We try to do our part and hope that we make a difference.  Heidrea for Heroes’ mission is to provide adaptive housing and transportation, veteran/family support, and specialized equipment that will inspire and motivate veterans and families to move forward in a positive direction during unexpected hardships as a result of their unselfishservice.

What advice do you have for other businesspeople?

Set a good example. Conduct yourself and your business principles in high regards so that the example set is followed and respected. Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions. Make sound and timely decisions. This is needed for any business to run smoothly. Don’t be afraid to make a decision.

 If you could distill your business philosophy into one sentence, what would it be?

The 7 P’s: Perfect Prior Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance.

 Source

The free workshops are being held in cooperation with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), MA Small Business Development Center (MSBDC), Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce, The Neighborhood Corporation and SCORE.

Both workshops will be held at Eastern Bank, 742 County Street, Taunton, MA on Thursday, May 30, 2013.  The first of these workshops entitled “Learn the Fundamentals in Planning, Preparing, and Financing Your Business” will be held from 9:00 a.m. to Noon.  Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.  Breakfast and lunch will be provided free of charge to attendees. 

This workshop is geared toward helping potential entrepreneurs evaluate and understand the fundamentals of owning one’s own business.  Information on how to get started, where and how to get financing and the loan application process will be presented.  Attendees will also be provided with a free guide to writing a business plan and other materials.

The second workshop entitled “Understanding the Purpose of Financial Statements and How They Can Help Determine the Health of Your Business” will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

The focus of this workshop is to help attendees understand a balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. The workshop also explains how a small business owner can anticipate financial needs in order to operate his/her business more efficiently.

Please call SEED Corporation at 508-822-1020, to register for either or both sessions by Thursday, May 23^rd and for directions to Eastern Bank.  SEED Corporation holds this entrepreneurial workshop series on a monthly basis throughout the region.  For information on future sessions, please contact SEED. 

SEED Corporation is a non-profit organization certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and designated as an Intermediary under the SBA’s Microloan Program.  This program is designed to provide loans to new and existing business owners in amounts up to $50,000.

As a regional economic development organization, SEED also offers a full range of financing programs providing loans up to $5.5 million to assist small businesses to grow and create jobs in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  SEED works with other economic development and financing institutions throughout the region to ensure that individuals who are committed to owning and operating a small business in the region are able to get the assistance they need to be successful. 

For more information on SEED and its programs, please call the SEED office at 508-822-1020 or visit SEED’s website at www.seedcorp.com.

# # #

SBA 2013 Veteran-Owned Small Busienss of the Year

Plymouth– Congratulations to our clients, Jesse Brown and Matthew Mastroianni, owners of Heidrea Communications, LLC, on being selected as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2013 Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year for the state of Massachusetts.

Jesse and Matthew met when they served together in the U.S. Marines in Iraq. The veterans founded Heidrea Communications in January 2007. The business is located at 275B Court Street in Plymouth. The company is a general contracting firm specializing in building and maintaining cell towers for the wireless communications industry.

SEED assisted Heidrea with the purchase of their new location in Bellingham for warehouse operations to expand their business.

Heidrea was nominated by Anne Trevisani, Vice President and Commercial Loan Officer of SEED and William Lewis, Vice President of Bristol County Savings Bank.

We wish Jesse and Matthew continued success in their venture.