As businesses evolve to IP Telephony, they also want to deliver the benefits of intelligent communications to support daily tasks and decision making. Intelligent communications can help organizations improve efficiency by embedding communications right into business processes.

Geek Girl Camp

Updates on businesses and people making news

To view or download a PDF listing newly incorporated businesses in Plymouth County for the period November 2008 to February 2009, click here.

To see the current Plymouth Industrial Park tenant list, click here.

Nearly 50 years ago, a dedicated group of business and town leaders, deeply troubled by the loss of Plymouth’s primary industry and employer, percolated a vision that has brewed a half-century of economic development which still exudes the aroma of possibility.

President of the Plymouth Industrial Park Association

It’s the baby boomer squeeze: You are still paying for your childrens’ college educations. You are trying to keep your job, or manage your business in the toughest of economic times. You are planning your retirement – while watching your 401(k) plummet. And increasingly, you are investing money, time and emotions dealing with your aging parents’ failing health.

In 1927, when J.T. Cazeault & Sons Inc. was started, the economy was devastated by the stock market crash. This did not stop Pierson Cazeault and his father from persevering and building their roofing business. Today, as the fourth generation takes over, the outlook is ironically similar.

It’s all about closing the deal for Oreck’s Anthony LaGreca

You can’t see the miniature hearing devices, even with her short styled hair. The two small devices are not only totally computerized, but they communicate wirelessly with each other, instantly adjusting to the sounds and voices that often come from opposite directions.

Eye Health Services offers total eye care solutions

Jon Bond is like many small business owners: He started his company so he could be independent and follow his dreams. He even brought his wife and son into his printing firm so it would truly be a family affair.

This case study exemplifies the benefits of a well-thought-out technology plan utilizing a terminal server to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

As the Massachusetts job market continues to shift and evolve, so must the training, education and development of its workforce. For adults without a college degree or career-enhancing certificate, this evolution is now critical.

No matter the industry, the basis of every business is communication – communication with your clients, prospective customers, business associates and staff. While technology can clearly make this interaction easier, the plethora of options can also make the decisions about where to spend your communications dollars more difficult. And once you have chosen your telephone, Internet connectivity, hardware and more, you are faced with the best way to integrate these tools with each other and into your business operations.

Everyone knows a contingent or temporary worker can act as a band-aid when a worker calls in sick or will be out on a long leave. But if that’s the only way you think of temporary employees, you may be underestimating their value as true pain relievers. Used properly, temporaries can cure all kinds of business headaches – from pressure headaches like meeting tight deadlines to migraines caused by bad hires.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) was signed on February 17, 2009. Included in the stimulus package are some changes to COBRA that all Massachusetts employers need to address prior to April 18, 2009.

With the recent economic downturns affecting most sectors, businesses of all types are trying to maximize revenue while minimizing expenses.

In a pleasant change, there is some good news on the real estate front. Lower interest rates and a spring market combined to increase the number of sales and mortgages recorded in Plymouth County last month, reported Plymouth County Register of Deeds John R. Buckley Jr.

I read there are new FMLA rules going into effect this year. Can you please explain which of these, if any, apply to employers and when they become effective?

While Plymouth County has not experienced quite as dramatic an increase as Cape Cod, its unemployment rate has risen significantly since last year.

Sustainability is the key word here. Tinkering with small changes by just reducing prices and/or cutting costs here and there, that is not part of an overall strategy that is longer than just trying to survive to next week with the hope that things will get a little better, is a sure fire way to get caught in the recession’s death grip. To navigate through the crisis, there are four critical areas that need to be addressed by management.

While investment sales have tanked in most U.S. markets across every property type, interest remains keen in sale-leaseback transactions as more cash-strapped companies look at their non-income-producing assets as an alternative capital source for reducing debt or funding operations. Businesses of all types, under pressure to quickly boost liquidity, have stepped up their push for sale-leasebacks as an avenue to monetize their assets. Banks have sold off their retail branches and office buildings in response to declining capital positions. Retailers have sold and leased back store locations, corporate headquarters offices and distribution facilities, in response to steep declines at the cash register.

Sticking to the basics and emphasizing safety prove a winning combination for credit union’s new CEO

Young and female, this Pinehills-based CPA firm is identifying new markets and models to steadily grow

While the woes of the residential real estate market are a frequent topic of conversation, the commercial market is actually holding its own in this challenging economy. Ben Stout of Atlantic Properties has provided a sampling of recent transactions in Plymouth County—showing a clear diversity of businesses and properties, and a certain confidence in the region’s economic future.

To view or download a PDF listing a variety of Plymouth County wages and salaries, click here.

To view or download a PDF with a chart of all FDIC-insured banks in Plymouth County, click here.

To view or download a PDF listing newly incorporated businesses in Plymouth County for the period January 2008 to October 2008, click here.

With the advent of the health reform legislation in Massachusetts a few years ago, health insurance regulations for business owners and operators have become much stricter, and are being updated frequently. How can you figure out which rules apply to your business? To read the rest of this article and see a flow chart that will help you determine your level of responsibility, click here.

A young woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident, a middle-aged athlete who sustained multiple fractures in a cycling accident, a boy born without legs who now plays soccer, a popular artist who lost the use of her arm and leg after a stroke, and a professional golfer who’s back in the game after back surgery – these represent the range of people cared for by the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape and Islands in East Sandwich.

This family has been in car business for a century – but today’s environment is a whole new world

Tamarack markets its new-age house fans as a green, economical alternative to air-conditioning

A Kingston father/son team shows companies how their garbage is anything but rubbish

This corporate émigré brews a new career

Cape Business consultant Beth O'Neal, Esq., of Masterman, Culbert and Tully LLP discusses performance appraisals.

Almost 439,000 Massachusetts residents have signed up with private or state-subsidized health coverage under a 2006 Massachusetts law requiring individuals to obtain health insurance or pay a penalty. Before the new law, there were as many as 650,000 uninsured people in Massachusetts.

Apart from the sagging economy, the No. 1 issue facing most small businesses today continues to be the rising cost of health insurance for employees. As health insurance premiums increase an average 9.5 percent in 2009, obtaining the most cost-effective plan is a high priority.

Very few businesses are even aware that a new law will be implemented by April – and it promises to add time and expense to your operations.

Fewer homes sales, mortgages and dropping residential equity has taken its toll on bank lending. In recent weeks, however, lower interest rates have created a boom in refinancing current home loans.

The Cape Business Marketing Toolbox: A continuing series of articles by the editor of Cape Business on how to market your company in 2009

What can you learn from this case study?

The big surprise is mandatory drug coverage – some at steep costs

“Market better. Brand better. Get your name out there. As things start to turn around, people will know to go to your store.” That’s a positive, upbeat message to local retailers from chamber of commerce leaders such as Deborah Converse, president and CEO of the Hyannis Area Chamber of Commerce.

In the midst of a challenging economy, Q&A will be interviewing local lenders in the magazine and at capebusiness.net to give you the best advice to weather the storm.

A conversation with Rob Byers, COO of MyPayrollHR.com

Plymouth County real estate sales in November remained on roughly the same pace as in recent months, with the volume of deeds down 10% from 2007, reported Register of Deeds John R. Buckley, Jr. Through eleven months of 2008, Plymouth County has recorded 6,912 deeds, down from 7,709 during the same period last year.

The town of Plymouth is a hub of the South Shore, both economically and culturally. Plymouth County Business spoke to officials from the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce to get their insight on the town’s challenges and opportunities, as well as a vision for the future.

For The Market located at The Pinehills, it is back to the future.

Peter Holden considers himself  “one of the lucky ones.” Even as a youngster growing up in Arlington, he already knew he wanted to dedicate his life to health care.

Quietly, without fanfare, businesses that began on Cape Cod a century or more ago are becoming a regional force by expanding throughout Southeastern New England.

Wareham-based SMH Electronics is also turning increasingly 'green'

Born in a basement, Industrial Communications has evolved into a dynamic communications enterprise

On the heels of sluggish sales in August and September, Plymouth County’s Register of Deeds reports an increase in the number of home sales and refinances during October.

Reviewing and retaining employee personnel records

David Kirkpatrick can boast 200 films in his repertoire. Yet, with a lifetime of artistic and financial success behind him, he is marching to a new vision, returning to childhood roots where his family once vacationed in Plymouth - when he only dreamed of Hollywood.

Duxbury is a South Shore gem, a historic waterfront community boasting three quaint village centers, a very wealthy residential population, easy proximity to Boston and ever-growing access to rail transportation for easy commuting. Statistically, its unemployment rate was 3.5 percent in 2007, below the state level; and its median household buying power is more than twice the national average.

Plymouth County Business spoke with a number of town officials and businesspeople to gain their perspectives on Duxbury’s strengths, weaknesses and economic development.

Its growth reflects a changing economy and population

South Shore bakery copes with rising commodity and gas prices amid a slowing economy

Expanding from the South End to the South Shore brings opportunity, but also new risks

Still sailing despite choppy seas roiling newspaper industry

The South Shore Young Professionals

It's about choices, values and happiness in life

Four experts forecast the second half of 2008

The Village may be a model for Hanover's future.

The Hanover Chamber of Commerce stays relevant in a tough economy by reaching out to members, local chambers.

Several residential projects are catering to the baby boomers. Will the concept hold up during the housing downturn?

Longtime South Shore manufacturer now sells 35 percent of its product abroad. Can your company become an international player?

An ambitious mixed-use development, a new Target store, the prospect of a hotel and conference center, the widening of Route 53, the completion of three new 55-plus housing communities and prospects for a new $60 million high school.

“When Hanover Mall opened, it changed what was a country road into a major thoroughfare,” recalled Realtor Dick Stevens, who moved to Hanover in 1976. “Consequent development has been both positive and negative, but overall, it has added to the quality of life – not only for Hanover, but for the entire region,” he says.

Hanover hits the big time with dual retail, infrastructure projects

Plymouth County Business spoke with a number of town officials and businesspeople to gain their perspectives on Hanover’s strengths, weaknesses and economic development.

Hingham Savings expands south

Women need to take part in financial planning

While some people are ‘born leaders,’ others tend to back away from leadership roles for fear of the power or responsibility that comes with the role. The truth is that we are all leaders in some aspect of our lives and perform leadership duties on a daily basis. To be a truly effective leader, you need communications skills to negotiate and inspire people through change. Developing a strong repertoire of communication skills can help to advance your career as well as contribute to the success of all professional and personal relationships.

You don't have to be big to export

Plymouth Rock Studios project is on the fast track.
Will officials respond in time?

A new strategic relationship helps Rogers & Gray diversify into financial services across the South Shore

Credit unions are shedding their once humble image. HarborOne CEO James Blake explains how focusing on his organization’s strengths helps beat the big guys.

Sandy Blitz takes over the regional SBA office after helping launch a technology incubator

As part of its Celebrating Success awards program, the Massachusetts Small Business Administration has honored 11 companies and organizations from across the state. We are proud to share the winners with our readers.

Plymouth County Business spoke with a number of town officials and businesspeople to gain their perspectives on Hanover’s strengths, weaknesses and economic development.

Longtime South Shore manufacturer now sells 35 percent of its products abroad. Can your company become an international player?

The home market across Cape Cod and Plymouth County certainly has felt the sting of the nation’s housing downturn. Signs of optimism early in 2007 continually eroded, with forecasts of a recovery first expected last fall now postponed at least until this autumn.

An overwhelming 88 percent of Plymouth voters expressed support on Saturday for Plymouth Rock Studios proposal to build a movie studio complex on 350 acres of town-owned land.

For years, large companies have relied on Microsoft tools such as Outlook and SharePoint to increase productivity. Using them, employees can access and synchronize e-mail from work, home or via mobile phones and laptops. They also can collaborate among themselves and clients by sharing calendars, documents and even project tasks.

Despite current uncertainties facing the residential market, activity remains strong for the commercial side of the industry. Land that once cost $100,000 an acre is now in the $200,000 to $300,000 range – and rising.

Duxbury native Skip Bennett founded Island Creek Oysters 15 years ago after becoming fascinated with aquaculture. His company functions as a true farmers’ cooperative, with growers leasing plots from the town of Duxbury and farming year-round in Duxbury Bay.

Plymouth, the largest town in Massachusetts, is on the verge of unprecedented development. The biggest question facing the town is: What kind of development?

The town of Plymouth is experiencing unprecedented economic development. Plymouth County Business sat with town Planning Director Lee Hartmann and Senior Planner Valerie Massard recently to gain their insight.

It’s called 40R; and it’s at the heart of North Plymouth’s renaissance.

Joe and Lou Jannetty’s latest endeavor seems to have all the elements for success – the 3-quarter-mile waterfront, the Old Colony train station, the surrounding infrastructure, Plymouth’s rapidly changing demographics and economy.

This town within a town reflects Plymouth’s rapid transformation – among residents and businesses.

Architect Len Cubellis’ firm is rapidly expanding, with more than 370 colleagues from Chicago to Florida – and beyond.

Saxon Partners built Colony Place with confidence the shoppers will come: It’s not quite a corn patch in Iowa transformed into a magical baseball diamond, but it’s the Plymouth version of a field of dreams.

On one side, a stalled CanalSide Commons; on the other, a fast-tracked Wareham Crossing: Location, location, location – that oft-repeated mantra was never truer than on the shores of the Cape Cod Canal.

Do you have a large portion of your balance sheet tied up with your real estate assets, effectively making only a 7.5 percent to 8 percent return on value in today’s market? If so, that money invested in bricks and mortar might be better spent elsewhere.