Please consider joining Friends of Berkshire Enterprises. Thank you.

Berkshire Enterprises One Fenn Street, Suite 301, Pittsfield, MA 01201 Phone: 413-448-2755   Fax: 413-448-2749 An affiliated program of Berkshire Community College Life Long Learning Workforce Development

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March 2007

Dear Graduates and Friends of Berkshire Enterprises,

Berkshire Enterprises is faced with two challenges. Our major grant that supports the Entrepreneurial Training Program for displaced workers was cut substantially both in terms of this year’s request and in terms of last year’s grant. The cut amounted to over 30% which represents around 20% of our budget. We need to raise $30,000 between now and June 30th to survive. At the same time, we have more availability to work with you because we are not offering a spring program for displaced workers.

In answer to the challenges, Berkshire Enterprises is pleased to announce the formation of Friends of Berkshire Enterprises. Friends of Berkshire Enterprises is a program to allow alumni and friends of Berkshire Enterprises to stay in touch with each other and a way for Berkshire Enterprises to raise the money needed to maintain the program in a year of severe cutbacks to our funding.

Membership dues in Friends of Berkshire Enterprises are $100 per year. Members will receive either one hour of one-on-one consulting with Dave Roche or Steve Fogel or a half day of Essentials of Leadership training. The normal fee for the technical assistance is $100 per hour and the normal fee for the half-day training is $130. As many of you know from experience, one-on-one consulting can help you focus on problems or opportunities your business faces. It can serve as a business check-up. The training can teach you new skills to manage your business better. The training uses Developmental Dimensions International materials. DDI training is used by over half the Fortune 500 companies to train their managers and staff. Berkshire Enterprises’ staff is offering over 20 training modules to local businesses focusing on management, communications, and customer service.

In addition, Friends of Berkshire Enterprises will offer quarterly programs that provide programs of interest to owners of small businesses. This will offer you an opportunity to network with other owners and provide you a break from the everyday routine of running a business.

Membership in Friends of Berkshire Enterprises is open to anyone. We welcome membership from the broader community of bankers, lawyers, accountants, business people, and others who recognize the importance of the work Berkshire Enterprises does and would like to contribute to making sure that Berkshire Enterprises continues.

We hope that you will join Friends of Berkshire Enterprises today. Berkshire Enterprises has been an economic engine in Berkshire County since 1989 and your contribution will help us survive. Please respond by email to let us know that you are joining and mail in the attached form and your check today to Berkshire Enterprises, One Fenn Street Suite 301, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Please note that checks should be payable to Berkshire Enterprises/BCC.

Sincerely,

Steve Fogel
Dave Roche