Business Newsletter - October 2017

Update to License Renewal Process

The Town is working to streamline the process to renew your business licenses. Up until recently each department would contact your business individually to begin the renewal process. This means that you would have to complete paperwork and payments for potentially several different departments in Town. Recognizing this as a challenge for businesses, the Town has decided to consolidate each of our individual renewal processes into one packet.

There are a lot of advantages to this system. First it helps to reduce your renewal workload. Because the Town is consolidating everything into one packet, you only have to fill out information once instead of providing each department with information. Second, we will clarify in the packet what licenses need renewals, what information you need to provide us and if there are any outstanding tax bills that might prevent the issuance of your license. Finally, rather than paying each license with an individual check, you will be able to pay the Town in one bulk payment.

This process is designed to help you and your businesses renew your licenses faster and more effectively. We will be rolling out this new program in the coming months. As this is the first year the Town is preparing the packet and as we want to ensure that we do not delay any renewals because of the new system, some businesses may not receive the packet this year. Starting next year every business will receive this packet. We will provide you with more information as it becomes available.  

Three Pillars of Online Success: Building your digital presence

Join the experts from Idea Agency in a fun workshop to learn 3 ways to create a stronger online presence for your business. They will answer questions like:

1. Is your website working for you?
2. Which social platforms should you be on?
3. How to drive more traffic to your site?

Join us October 3rd from 8-9:30am in the Sturbridge Town Hall. Free breakfast, class worksheets and a purple raffle included. If you are interested in attending, please email Kevin Filchak to register. 

This is the second in our series of business classes aimed at providing business owners with lectures and discussions that will help to improve their business skills and become more resilient in our community. You can find out more about our business classes program on our website at: www.town.sturbridge.ma.us/businesses/pages/business-classes.

Business Focus Group

This month the Town began recruiting for its Business Focus Group. The purpose of this group is to answer five general questions about the Town to help us to continue to support our community businesses:

• What are the current challenges for businesses in Sturbridge as it relates to local Town government?

• What are short and long term solutions for each of the challenges identified?

• What does the Town currently do well as it relates to its interactions with local businesses?

• How can the Town expand on these positive trends in the short and long term?

• How should the Town evolve its policies to better serve the business community in Sturbridge?

The Business Focus Group will begin meeting this October. We will provide you with more information as to the group’s formation and findings in the coming months.

Special Events Committee

On September 12^th the newest committee in Sturbridge met. The purpose of the Special Events Committee is to help identify and create new community events in Sturbridge that will help to bring in visitors to the area and increase Town pride amongst the residents. If you have any ideas that you would like to share with the committee, please feel free to share those ideas with and/or join the Committee at one of their meetings. Their meeting times are posted on the Town’s website at www.town.sturbridge.ma.us.

Sturbridge Events Newsletter

The Town of Sturbridge publishes local events every month. If your business has an event, a special deal or is celebrating a milestone, please email us about it so that we can help promote your business. Also if you are on twitter please follow us (or encourage your patrons to follow us) at @visitsturbridge.

If you ever have any questions, comments, concerns or ideas, please do not hesitate to contact the Town. We look forward to working with and supporting your business.