Recent storms have caused property damage across the region. Learn more about FEMA aid here.
The "Center for Business Growth" is the Bridgeport Regional Business Council’s program to provide an array of valued services targeted at its small business members and potential members. Recognizing that the majority of its investors are small businesses – those with less than 50 employees and the majority of the BRBC’s opportunity for membership/investor growth, and recognizing that the vast majority of our job growth comes from small businesses, the BRBC will launch in 2010 a number of initiatives
designed to service those companies, the sum of which will be called, "The Center for Business Growth"
First, the BRBC now has as a part of its team, Jeff Bishop, formerly employed by the Bridgeport Economic Resource Center. Jeff’s role is to provide business retention and recruitment services to small businesses in partnership with the city’s Office of Planning and Economic Development. Jeff is well versed in all of the public and private programs and opportunities there are for service to this business constituency. In addition, Jeff serves as the point person for the film industry now utilizing
the Bridgeport market more than ever.
Second, the BRBC, in partnership with its Bridgeport, Stratford and Trumbull Chambers of Commerce, is unveiling the following new initiatives aimed at providing value to our small business community throughout 2010:
A Small Business Journal is being published quarterly. This electronic "how to" blog, Small. Fast. Smart., is being distributed to our members and is available at http://brbc.typepad.com/. Each installment of Small. Fast. Smart. contains at least 4-6 helpful articles written by our members on topics of interest. The journal is interactive in that readers will have the opportunity for question and feedback to and from
the authors.
A new social internet presence is being established for the BRBC so that we can communicate better with our constituencies and provide them with more timely information and opportunities. Visit the BRBC Facebook page or our LinkedIn profile.
We are offering two seminars during the course of the year on how to access business from large companies, the state, the city and the federal government
We are offering 4 high-end seminars that will be restricted to a small audience and that will be presented by professionals and designed to be timely, interactive and topical.
We are offering 2 high-end networking workshops that will provide a teaching and learning opportunity to our small business members on how to more effectively and usefully network to gain new clients and customers.
We are creating an "on the road" marketing program, starting in the City of Bridgeport, to market the city to local and regional audiences. We are leaving behind marketing and advertising materials about local restaurants and attractions with each group that sees our presentation. To have the Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce present at your upcoming meeting, please contact Gail Solis at solis@brbc.org. You may also contact us at (203) 335-3800 to have the
Bridgeport, Stratford or Trumbull Chambers present at an upcoming meeting.
We will also be developing a group advertising program for our members that will enable them to save money on ads and be associated with other local businesses.
Municipal Business Resources
City of Bridgeport Office of Planning and Economic Development (203) 576-7221
Town of Stratford Office of Economic Development (203) 381-1351
Town of Trumbull Office of Economic Development (203) 452-5043
Small and Minority Business Resources
City of Bridgeport Small and Minority Business Resource Center (203) 576-8473
Connecticut Small Business Development Center (860) 832-0650
Greater Bridgeport SCORE (203) 576-4369
Women’s Business Development Center (203) 353-1750
Connecticut Businesses Resources
Connecticut Better Business Bureau (203) 269-2700
Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (860) 270-8000
Connecticut Development Authority (860) 258-7800
Connecticut Economic Resource Center (860) 571-7136
Connecticut Minority Suppliers Development Council (203) 288-9744
Connecticut Secretary of the State (860) 509-6000
Contractors’ Consumer Protection Agency (860) 713-6110