Side Street to Main Street Graduation

Hats off this week to our 13 students who will join the successful ranks of those who have graduated from the Side Street to Main Street Program. On Wednesday, March 26, at 6 p.m., the Chamber will hold a Graduation Awards Ceremony for the participants of Side Street to Main Street Class 11. For the past six months, these 13 students have shown commitment and dedication as they have attended three to four hour weekly work sessions. In addition, this program requires a substantial commitment of time outside of class. Reading, research, and writing assignments to build skills, personal goals, and a comprehensive business plan are all part of the required work to successfully complete the program. All of the elements in establishing a successful business are taught: motivation, organization, delegation, marketing, and goal setting. Fostering a professional and close-knit environment, the program serves as a very powerful support network that can be utilized by participants for years to follow. I am thrilled for these participants as this graduation ceremony will be their time to shine with family and friends in the audience. Each has prepared a brief speech that they will give in front of those in attendance.     Graduating 126 students in just 11 years, Side Street to Main Street has been a tremendously successful program that has resulted in several of our students opening or expanding businesses in Middlesex County, particularly Cromwell and Middletown. I would like to especially thank Jennifer De Kine for the terrific job she has done in managing the program for the Chamber and to John Robinson and Faith Jackson whose strong support 11 years ago got this program off to a great start. I would also like to give a big thanks to the Aetna Foundation without whose generous funding and support this program would not be possible, and in no small part, thanks to the leadership of facilitators Jim Jackson and David Bohy from the ESSEX Group, our participants’ experience and lessons have proven to be invaluable. The Side Street to Main Street Program has been a positive and rewarding experience for minority applicants looking to start up or expand an existing business. The program is designed to assist minorities in becoming successful businesspeople and thereby establishing profitable businesses in Middlesex County communities. In 1998, the Chamber was honored to receive the NAACP Business Award for its accomplishments with the Side Street to Main Street Program. The award marked the first time a Connecticut Chamber of Commerce ever received such an honor. Also the Chamber received the Models of Excellence designation from the U.S. Small Business Administration. In September of 2006, I was extremely humbled and proud to be honored by the Middlesex County NAACP Branch with the “Larry McHugh Business Award” that is given to a business in Middlesex County that has shown through its business practices its commitment to families, women, and people of color. Last year’s recipient was the Aetna Foundation for funding the Chamber’s Side Street program. The Side Street to Main Street Business Program has been a successful and effective way in which we have encouraged the development and growth of small businesses in our communities. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved: our participants, our communities and the Chamber. The success of small businesses bolsters our tax base, creates new jobs and boosts our overall economy. Classes for the 2008/2009 year will start next fall. An orientation for those interested in the program will be announced late summer. For more information on the Side Street to Main Street Leadership & Development Program please contact Jennifer DeKine at the Chamber at (860) 347-6924 or by email Jennifer DeKine .

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