A Note from New GBA Director, Hannah Rechtschaffen
Hello! I am thrilled to be signing on as the newest Director of the Greenfield Business Association. As we come up on our 75th Anniversary Bash on July 13th, I've been doing a lot of thinking about the question I get most often - 'WHY join the GBA?'
What is the purpose of an organization like ours at a moment like this? Well, after what we've all been through these past few years, I see the role of any strong Business Association to be three parts - Advocacy, Visibility, and Growth. The Greenfield Business Association is here to support your business in many ways; in fact, we're here to support your business in any way YOU need. We are an organization comprised of business owners and managers, who understand the challenges and opportunities of running a business. Your membership has many benefits, and we could list them all day long (and we have, below), and the heart of it is that your support enables us to support you.
We are here for your questions and concerns, we represent your interests at the Town and State level, we spread the word about Greenfield and encourage residents to frequent hyper-local businesses first, and we work with the other organizations in our ecosystem to get you and your employees resources and training, and compound your efforts through strong connections.
Our biggest goals for this year are to grow our memberships and sponsorships - to enable us to have a full-time Director position, a strengthened relationship with the Franklin County Chamber and other organizations serving our community, and to step up our offerings of networking events and marketing opportunities - to bring more people to your businesses both in-person and online.
We have reworked our membership structure to include the special decorations and events the GBA is known for - from bees to holiday lights, and we will also leverage our platform to ensure that you know what is going on in your City, especially the things that impact your business most. Greenfield is in a moment of growth and when we meet that moment as a unified business community, our voice is louder, our needs are met, and our City grows in a sustainable, positive way. We hope you'll consider being a member of the Greenfield Business Association, whether you're renewing, joining for the first time, or coming back after time away - your membership supports our whole business sector.
I look forward to seeing you on July 13th at Hawks and Reed!
GBA Membership Benefits
We are on your side!
- Access to city and state officials through GBA advocacy
- Be the first to know about impactful information
- Share ideas, solutions, and successes through the GBA Newsletter
- Discounted membership to greenspace co-working
- Opportunities for collaborative marketing and promotion
- Free listing on the GBA website - "find it in Greenfield First!"
- Support Greenfield's growing business ecosystem with your membership dollars
- Stay connected to your larger business community through FREE networking events
- Discounts on trainings and workshops
- Access to advertising discounts
- Free event and business info posting on GBA social media
- And so much more!
GBA 75th Anniversary Bash!
Join us for our 75th Anniverasary Bash on July 13th at Hawks & Reed from 6:00 - 8:00 PM. All GBA members and the wider business community are invited, and if you're NOT a member, we hope you'll consider joining in real time!
Event Schedule:
- 6:00 - 6:30: Shmoozing and networking, live music by Michael Nix
- 6:30 - 7:00: Introductions and Speakers
- Mik Muller, GBA Board president: GBA's past 75 years
- Hannah Rechtschaffen, GBA Director: GBA's future
- Bill Baker, owner of Bakers' Office Supply: the value of the GBA
- Caitlin Von Schmidt, former GBA Coordinator and City Administrator: the GBA and the City
- Jessye Dean, Franklin County Chamber Director: working together
- 7:00 - 7:45: Business Bingo for prizes and further networking
- 7:45: Bingo winners and raffle drawings
Throughout the event there will be platters of finger food, and the first 40 people to arrive will get a free drink ticket!
Parking Study Results are In!
Business owners and downtown enthusiasts, give a watch to the parking study report, presented by Jason Schrieber of Stantec Consulting. Jason gives a funny and clear presentation on the data around our town's parking inventory and layout, and makes recommendations for improvements going forward. "Funny" and "clear" are usually not words associated with dry stuff like parking... but truly, this presentation was both, as well as highly informative.
The City is already making moves to implement the findings of the study over the near, mid, and long term, especially as we come up on a complete redesign of our downtown Main Street. This is great information for our business community to have, and there is more to come in future months, so stay tuned.
Watch the video, here.
Business Directory & Community Info Kiosk Debuts In Downtown Greenfield
Located in the heart of Downtown Greenfield, a newly-installed business directory and community information kiosk will serve as a year-round hub for Greenfield residents and visitors alike to discover the great businesses, restaurants and events featured throughout the city.
Downtown Greenfield features dozens of establishments, including retail shops, restaurants, cultural venues, services, and other organizations. A comprehensive directory lets patrons learn about the area quickly and helps drive additional economic activity to local outlets. It also promotes a sense of discovery, allowing visitors and residents alike to learn about new locations or re-discover a business they used to visit.
The kiosk integrates with the city’s VisitGreenfieldMA.com website, a digital database dedicated to the wealth of commerce and culture dispersed throughout the city. Visit Greenfield features several intuitive features, such as informational displays of local businesses and a detailed calendar continuously updated with the latest events. The GBA will be working with the City to populate the businesses presented on the board, to ensure that local businesses are easily found and engaged with.
“This kiosk builds on the success of the visitgreenfieldma.com website that the city launched last summer,” said Community and Economic Development Grant Assistant Christian LaPlante. “It provides visitors to downtown with a new way to discover our local businesses and will be an important tool as we implement our recently completed downtown revitalization plan."
Got an event you want the public to know about?! Consider posting it on https://visitgreenfieldma.com/
Monthly Member Highlight: Greenfield Garden Cinema!
From their FREE Summer Movie Camp, to $5 Tuesdays, to special movie-related events, it's hard to overstate the value and fun of having our own independent movie theatre right here in Greenfield. The Greenfield Garden Cinemas features old classics and cult movie nights, brings top tier new releases right our downtown, and even added The Bored Room for a little extra fun to be found on Main St. The next time you're thinking about a night out, check out what's playing at The Garden!
And don't miss their upcoming Barbie Cosplay Contest on July 21st, to kick-off the release of the new Greta Gerwig film 'Barbie,' starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Prizes include a getaway to The Green River Bridge Inn in Guilford VT, a free consultation with local fashion studio Pixxie & Co., and a Barbie date night at the Garden with free tickets, popcorn, and soda. Are YOU Greenfield's #1 Barbie?!