Strengthening Local Business Connections

Bellows Falls, VT – In an era marked by economic uncertainty, rising operational costs, and rapid shifts in local and global markets, Southern Vermont’s small business community is coming together to find collective solutions. This week, the BizConnect series returns to Bellows Falls to provide a space for open dialogue, practical learning, and deep collaboration among entrepreneurs, resource providers, and community stakeholders.

The Bellows Falls BizConnect event will take place on Wednesday, May 14th at the Waypoint Center (17 Depot St, Bellows Falls, VT 05101).  It is co-hosted by the Bellows Falls Downtown Development Alliance and the Town of Rockingham Development Office, two organizations with long-standing commitments to supporting local businesses and economic development in the community.

BizConnect events have become a vital space for regional collaboration.  These gatherings offer more than networking as they are forums for problem-solving. Entrepreneurs, lenders, mentors, and municipal leaders come together to explore what is working, what is needed, and how to respond collectively to shared challenges.

At the most recent BizConnect in Bellows Falls, participants generated over 35 concrete resources, referrals, and tools through facilitated conversation and peer exchange. Business owners left with access to regional business advising services like SCORE Granite Region, Vermont Small Business Development Center, SEVCA’s Micro Business Development Program, and the Center for Women & Enterprise. These organizations provide critical, no-cost guidance to business owners navigating the pressures of inflation, hiring constraints, supply chain issues, and scaling for growth.

Events also offer recommendations for planning tools such as LivePlan, and introductions to key contacts for financing options including KIVA loans, community development lenders, and local banking partners. For entrepreneurs thinking long-term, resources are shared around succession planning, employee ownership, nonprofit board development, and sector-specific learning such as manufacturing and food production. Perhaps most importantly, BizConnect emphasizes that small business owners are not alone. In a time when rural businesses must be creative and resilient, these events build local trust and capacity. 

To learn more or ask specific business-related questions, contact Anthony Toscano at atoscano@brattleborodevelopment.com or Danielle Delaini at ddelaini@brattleboro.com.

BizConnect is an initiative of the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation and community partners, dedicated to advancing economic vitality through connection, collaboration, and collective action.

About BDCC

The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) is a private, nonprofit economic development organization with the mission of investing in the drivers of the regional economy so that people, businesses, and communities in Southern Vermont can thrive. BDCC serves as the State of Vermont’s certified Regional Development Corporation (RDC) for the greater Windham County area (including Windham County and the towns of Readsboro, Searsburg, Winhall, and Weston). BDCC is one of 12 RDCs throughout Vermont. BDCC activity is made possible in part by a grant from the State of Vermont through the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. For  more information visit:  https://brattleborodevelopment.com/