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107 N. Main Street, Suite 7
Barre, VT 05641
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Community Capital of Vermont August/September 2007 E-Newsletter

An Alternative Financing Source
for Vermont Entrepreneurs
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Greetings!

From Emily Kaminsky, Director

Welcome to our late Summer issue! As we rolled into September, activity picked up and we weren't able to produce our August e-newsletter. We decided to save up all the news up for a double issue. Enjoy!

This month, our Quick Links section at left include links to some of the private consultants we use for our Post-Loan Technical Assistance program. Scroll down further to learn more about this program. Articles this month include:

  • Staff Changes: Farewell and Thank you, Judith Kaufman
  • Staff Changes: Welcome, Mike Carr
  • Up Close: All About Our Post-Loan Technical Assistance Program
  • Consultant Highlight: Samantha Bovat, Contagious Energy

WELCOME NEW BOARD MEMBER: Laurie Hammond, owner of Triple Loop Skate & Dance in Colchester, is our newest board member. Laurie is a former Job Start borrower and a former Job Start Advisory Board member. She was also the winner of the 2005 SBA Microenterprise of the Year Award! Welcome, Laurie!
Judith Kaufman
Effective September 30th, Judith Kaufman will no longer be serving as Community Capital's Southern Vermont Loan Officer. As has been our plan from the beginning, we have hired a full-time Loan Officer to take her place (see article about Mike Carr below).
As you may know, Judith owns her own consulting firm called Community Development Services. Her gig with Community Capital as a Loan Officer over the last year was on a very part-time basis as we built up our Southern Vermont operations.
On behalf of all of us at Community Capital, I would like to express our deep appreciation and gratitude to Judith for her dedication and commitment to Community Capital clients. We also recognize her success in establishing a strong presence for Community Capital in Southern Vermont.
We are sure that Judith will remain a close friend and colleague of Community Capital. But, please join us in wishing Judith well in her future endeavors!
Mike Carr
Please join us in welcoming Mike Carr to the Community Capital team! Mike is replacing Judith Kaufman as our new Southern Vermont Loan Officer. Mike's first day was September 24th. He's already working on applications and meeting borrowers. For those of you who work in Southern Vermont, Mike will be in touch with you soon to make an introduction.
For now, here's a little more about Mike. Mike Carr is a lifelong Vermonter and has a deep and varied background in business. His focus has been Management, Communications and Customer Service and he has explored those fields with careers in law enforcement, government and retail.
His entrepreneurial spirit has lead him to own and operate a health club, start up and expand a set of bagel shops, and compete and win an FM radio license to build a station in Rutland Vermont. He worked for several years for the Department of Social Welfare and has always had a strong desire to help give people the start they need to be successful.
He lives in Brandon with his wife Chris and looks forward to helping to expand the opportunities for small businesses to grow and prosper with the help of Community Capital.

Click here to read Mike's full bio...
Did you know that Community Capital offers grants to its borrowers? Our recent market analysis tells us that very few people are aware of our post-loan technical assistance grants. Yes, these are indeed grants!
Since 2001, every successful Community Capital applicant has had access to a grant of at least $1,000. These grants are meant to provide borrowers with additional support that they might need, outside of what they already would receive from their Micro Business Development Program or Small Business Development Center counselor. Post-Loan Technical Assistance grants provide the following support to Community Capital borrowers:
  • at minimum, each borrower receives a $750 consulting grant that allows them to receive expert advice from a business consultant in marketing, financial management, human resources or in their specific industry
  • at minimum, each borrower recieves a $250 grant to attend a business development workshop, trade show, or other event that advances their business

The following are some examples of how borrowers have utilized this grant program:
  • a retail flower shop utilized an inventory management specialist to help with budgeting and cost controls
  • a startup retail store worked with a marketing consultant to increase outreach, stretch limited marketing dollars through effective ad placement, and improve word of mouth
  • a startup retail store worked with a bookkeeper to set up their books and learn more about how to analyze whether their business is achieving projected goals
  • a logging/trucking company utilized their business advancement grant to attend several workshops on forest ecosystems, equipment handling, professionalism in forestry, GPS classes, and first aid.

If you are a consultant or know a consultant who is willing to provide intensive one-on-one services to a Community Capital borrower, please contact Emily Kaminsky at [email protected]. We can pay consultants up to $75/hour for their services.
Read the following article about Samantha Bovat, a talented writer and marketing consultant and Community Capital Post-Loan Technical Assistance Consultant, who is working with a Community Capital borrower in Southern Vermont.

For More Information on the PLTA Program, click here...
Bovat
Community Capital utilizes several private consultants around the state for our Post-Loan Technical Assistance program. Samantha Bovat of Contagious Energy is new to our program. Read on to find out more about what Samantha can offer you!
Samantha Bovat is a professional content writer, marketing consultant and motivational speaker. She is the owner of her new business called Contagious Energy and although the company is new, her experience as a business owner and consultant are not. Her business background includes ownership of a previous business called Write hand Gal, she was a Key4Women Relationship Associate for KeyBank and was also the business manager for her husband's plumbing company for seven years.
She has a Master's Degree in Elementary Education from Norwich University with a thesis written on Self- Esteem and the Multi-age Classroom. Her Undergraduate Degree is from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in Health Education and Administration. She is the mother of three small boys and a wife of fifteen years. She lives and works out of her home in southern Vermont, is the Chair of her local school board, the leader of the Key4Women networking group and is the Vice President of Public Relations of the new Toastmaster's group in Brattleboro.
Samantha is passionate about helping business owners to clarify their marketing message and stay motivated to achieve their goals. She is professional, creative and fun to work with. Just like the name of her business indicates, when you work with Sam, you can't help but catch the positive attitude and Contagious Energy that she puts forth.

Click here to visit the Contagious Energy website...

If you have news that you would like featured in any of our upcoming e-newsletters, please contact me at 802-479-0167 or [email protected]. Until next time...

Sincerely,
Emily Kaminsky , Community Capital of Vermont

email: Emily
phone: 802-479-0167
web: http://www.communitycapitalvt.org