Seminars

In the business world, as in life itself, education is the key to sustaining growth. One of the main goals of the Chamber is to educate members on small business topics. Providing top-notch programs on a wide range of topics at a reasonable cost to our members has always been one of the main goals of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce. I am very pleased to see that our Seminar Series has evolved into one of those programs. The Chamber would like to thank all its members for their continued support of our Monthly Small Business Seminar Series. The response to topics presented has been very positive, with most seminars being sold out and in some cases a second session being added. Because of the large interest in professional development programs, our latest trend has been to hold two or more workshops within the same month as the occasion arises. Some of our popular topics have included Negotiation, Public Speaking, Time Management, Networking, Wage and Hour Laws, Management, Conflict in the Workplace, Marketing and Sales, and Employment Law, just to name a few. And due to the hard work of the members of our Real Estate and Insurance committees, the Chamber now offers several CEU programs for Real Estate and Insurance professionals throughout the year. Small businesses make up a large part of our economy and the success of those small businesses is vital to the health of our region. The Chamber’s seminars place a high value on learning and training within the small business community and allow small businesses to take control of professional development training for their employees. And because the Chamber has been able to maintain affordable prices for our seminars, employers of all sizes have been able to take advantage of this tremendous learning opportunity. Over the next several months, the Chamber will be offering a variety of seminars of interest to the business community. This Wednesday, May 7th, the Prevention Committee will present a “Wellness in the Workplace” seminar that will focus on keeping your employees healthy and happy.  It will touch on health clinics and smoking cessation initiatives and easy, low cost ways to start your own employee wellness program.  The seminar will feature a panel of experts including Maura McQueeney, BSN, MPH, Executive Director of Middlesex Hospital Homecare, Andrew Degling, Nicotine Addiction Counselor at Middlesex Hospital, Cheryl Kraft-Johnson, Employee Health Fair Co-Chair at CT Valley Hospital, and Abby Anderson, MS, LPC, CEAP Program Coordinator for Solutions EAP.  This special workshop costs $15 and is sponsored by Middlesex Hospital Occupational Medicine, Solutions EAP and the Chamber’s Prevention Committee.  A big thanks goes out to Nancy Dahlstrom of Middlesex Occupational Medicine for all of her hard work in coordinating this event and to Thomas Danyliw, MD for moderating. On May 13th the regular monthly seminar at the Chamber will be “YardeZone: The Fun Way to Score Big Profits at Work.”  Presenter Craig Yarde founded Yarde Metals Inc. in 1976 in the basement of his home.  From this modest $1,000 investment to a $400 million business, he credits his management style, now known as the YardeZONE, for creating a revenue-building machine.  Now, Craig is turning his knowledge and experience into helping other companies achieve the success that he has known.  At this seminar, Craig Yarde will teach you about his unique management style and out-of-the-box business philosophy that will allow you to win big at work. The next seminar, “Getting Down to Business with the Passion of Cashin” will take place on June 10th and will feature presenter Duane Cashin of Cashin & Company.  This seminar will focus on how to establish credibility in the buyer’s eyes, and how to deliver value in every prospect and customer interaction.  Duane Cashin will be presenting a motivational and inspirational talk on making clear what is necessary to leverage “consultative selling” and “relationship based selling” by getting down to business.  Mr. Cashin has over 20 years of experience in executive management, sales leadership and team development.  His analogies, metaphors, and real-life stories combined with his warm and witty style will keep you laughing while you learn sound business and life principals.  Come experience the passion of Cashin! July 8th will be a seminar on Telephone Etiquette with presenter Isabel Jackson of the Essex Group.  This is always a popular and well-attended seminar, as it affects each and every business.  The lifeline to all business is your customer and the way you and your co-workers answer the phone can determine in a matter of seconds the impression your customers and associates have about you and your organization. Isabel Jackson will reveal why it’s so important for your business to learn telephone essentials that will give your company an advantage over your competitors.  This seminar will allow you to learn the latest techniques to effectively make the Best Impression for your company. I want to give a big thanks to all of our outstanding seminar presenters.  Our members are so lucky to have such experts coming in to educate them and give them the tools they need to grow their businesses. I urge everyone in the Middlesex County business community to take advantage of our Small Business Seminar Series. Chamber Seminars are held on the second Tuesday of the month from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., unless otherwise noted. Cost is $25 for members and $35 for non-members. For more information on the Chamber's Small Business Seminar Series or if you are interested in presenting a workshop, please contact Taren McKinney at the Chamber at (860) 347-6924 or email her at

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393 Main Street, Middletown, CT 06457
Phone: (860) 347-6924 | Fax: (860) 346-1043 | info@middlesexchamber.com
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