Messages from Program Participants VIEW TRAINING PROGRAMS

If you have comments about any of our programs, please contact us today to share them. Thank you.

ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING for DISLOCATED WORKERS

Eugenie Sills   The Women's Times, Great Barrington, MA
"Berkshire Enterprises is a tremendously important resource to the economic development efforts of our region, providing essential tools to the women and men who are taking part in our economy's small business revolution".

Pam Knisley   I'll Do It! Concierge and Errand Service, Pittsfield, MA   www.illdoitconcierge.com
"Participating in the Entrepreneurial Training Course at Berkshire Enterprises is one of the best things I’ve done! The opportunity to work through the “seedling” of an idea and learn, through the planning process, whether it will bloom with the support of the staff is so helpful. The instructors create an environment that is encouraging, but realistic and make it a place where everyone in the class is comfortable to give and receive thoughts that can only help build a stronger business plan and in the end your business. A huge thanks to Steve, Dave, Wendy, Jill and my fellow classmates!"

Nora Hayes MSW  Hayes Happy Dog Daycare and Training Center, Sheffield, MA   www.hayeshappydog.com
"I would not have been able to start a successful business without the help of the staff at Berkshire Enterprises. Jill, Dave and Steve especially were instrumental in helping in so many ways -- always going above and beyond the call of duty. Now I know I can still rely on them even though I graduated in 2005. They are truly exceptional and the program is an essential service to anyone wanting to start a successful small business."

Pat Talbott   BerkshireHomeWatch, Dalton, MA
"There is never a good time in your life to lose a job unexpectedly but the Dislocated Worker Program through Berkshire Enterprises made a critical difference for me. The professional staff presented a program that allowed me to work through the experience in a very positive and supportive environment. Today I am more independent and confident than I have ever been. I highly recommend the program to others. "

Leo Richard   Grayledge Pump and Industrial, Pelham, NH    www.Grayledge.com
"Berkshire Enterprises provided an accurate overview of the various aspects of the entrepreneurial process. The information, as well as the motivational and technical support provided by the instructors and staff, facilitated the leap from employee to business owner."

Myk Daigle   MAD Mercantile, Pittsfield, MA  
"This entrepreneurial class made a huge difference. It changes people's lives in the most positive way - - I am now able to be self-employed and a contributing member of society. I cannot say enough about the course itself, and the staff of Berkshire Enterprises. This program is so valuable to our community."

Adam Dunetz   The GreenBean Restaurant, East Hampton, MA
" Folks at Berkshire Enterprises have a deep commitment to the success of their students. From my first day in class through the opening of my new business, I feel that Berkshire Enterprise has been an inexhaustible resource for great advice. The class was about writing a business plan, but, really, it taught me to think about business from so many perspectives. I learned more in my class at Berkshire Enterprises than I ever thought I would. Thanks Steve, Dave, Wendy, and Jill."

T. Ellen Coffin   Winter 2006 , Schutesbury, MA
"Why did I drive two hours each way to the training in Pittsfield on the snowiest roads in Massachusetts? I
knew graduates of the program who were highly successful as entrepreneurs. They said this programwas THE BEST.
I agree with them wholeheartedly. They forgot to tell me that it was also FUN.

This class gave me the skills that I needed to put my best foot forward and advance my career. As a direct
result of this class I landed the job of my dreams. When my new employer asked me to review a business
plan he had written, I saw immediately that Berkshire Enterprises had taught me more than he knew and so I
helped him rewrite the plan.

At mid-career, I was unemployed, and then underemployed, trying every type of counseling and coaching that I could find. Berkshire Enterprises steered me back in the right direction. Our homework assignments allowed me to research the right career direction. The lectures and presentations allowed me to correct problems with my attitude that had been getting in my way."

Now that I have an excellent job, I apply lessons from Berkshire Enterprises every day. I am attentive to customer service, our market,our product, capacity, competition, and team-work in a way that I never was before. I wouldn't have gotten this job without the hard work and the team work that was required at Berkshire Enterprises."

Elizabeth Macisco, MBA  Fall 2005, Pittsfield, MA
"Attending Berkshire Enterprises helped me get a real hands on look at starting my own business. We examined each part of a business plan in detail - and created our own. I would highly recommend this program to anyone looking to create a profitable and sustainable business for themselves. The teachers were engaging and highly experienced. And the ongoing support, priceless."

SEMINARS IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Beth Phelps, Sweetbrook Alpaca Farm, Williamstown, MA

The workshop was very informative and helpful to me in starting my business plan. Dave’s knowledge of business and economics is top notch, and his experience is invaluable. With every topic he covers, he tries to apply each person’s business idea to the topic and how it might apply to or what they might do in a given situation. Dave’s sense of humor is refreshing, and he keeps the class focused. Great job Dave!

Colby Gail, Fair Trade Carpentry, Berlin, NY

Berkshire Enterprises has been extremely helpful to me and is a valuable resource to the community at large. Dave Roche inspires confidence and the technical know how to turn ideas into a profitable reality. I am impressed by Dave's varied background and the selflessness which he displays towards those seeking his help.

PITTSFIELD ENTERPRISE CENTER - TENANT COMMENTS

Brendan Burns , Brendan M. Burns, Managing Partner, Stepping Stone Capital, LLC

Since October 2003 I have maintained a working relationship with Berkshire Enterprises and several of its key staff members; notably Steve Fogel & Jill Drummond.

My initial interaction with BE was a result a leaving a company I had founded and run for eight years (PowerOne Media, a $20 million revenue internet company based in the Capital District). I was looking for a place to “incubate” my next idea (office space, great support services and, importantly, a group of professionals that know how to nurture and provide support to entrepreneurs). I found this and more at Berkshire Enterprises. In my experience, this is a terrific full-service facility for entrepreneurs and job-changing professionals that has made a significant, positive impact, not just on me and others I have met, but Berkshire County as a whole. From job training skills to business plan development (and opportunity assessment), their efforts have resulted in hundreds of jobs created, people trained and retrained with critical skills.

I enthusiastically endorse Berkshire Enterprises and its staff members to anyone at a critical juncture of their professional career or as a place to simply enhance one’s existing skills or career development.

Phil Weiner , SCORE, Western MA

Berkshire Enterprises provides ideal office space for small and start-up businesses at its convenient location in downtown Pittsfield. Finding a small furnished interim office space in very pleasant surroundings at a reasonable cost is not something that is readily available, particularly when it also includes high-speed Internet, shared fax and copy machine. The added bonus is that there is access to Berkshire Community College resources, business training & consulting, plus many networking opportunities. SCORE, retired business executives that volunteer to provide free confidential counseling to small businesses, is extremely pleased with its space within the Berkshire Enterprises office complex. SCORE is a service partner of the US Small Business Administration.