Marketing your business is integral to its success and bottom line. Every business is founded on a business plan and all sound business plans contain a detailed marketing section. It should be a requirement to garnering a business license –whether a business succeeds in the long term is related directly to the follow-up and execution of what was laid out.

Sadly, many business owners treat marketing as a luxury, optional or an after-thought. They “go through the motions” by laying out a marketing plan because they feel not having it will affect their chances of getting a business license. The all too common thought is “When I have the money, I’ll purchase some ad space.” However, the inverse is true “I’ll purchase some marketing, so I can make some money.”

The latter belief is a false one that harms many local businesses. New Bedford Guide works alongside the city and local businesses on a daily basis and we see the direct relationship between failure with the latter belief and success with the former.

You may have the South Coast’s best customer service; you may have the highest quality ingredients, textiles, metals, or products; you may have the planet’s best chef; none of that matters if no one knows about it or just as important, you aren’t reminding people. Letting people know about you and your services or products is the starting point. Reminding them on a regular basis fuels your profit. A great marketing company takes your small investment in them and gives you a return that is much greater. This should be a regular cycle whereby, for example, you hand them $100 and they give you back $500. Rinse and repeat.

This is a no-brainer. If your marketing company isn’t doing this for you, they are either using the wrong approach and happy with taking your money and riding off into the sunset, they are a large marketing company that prioritizes meeting projections over customer satisfaction or you are with the wrong company.

All too often a large corporation will overcharge you and provide you with “faith-based” marketing. They can’t provide you with statistics of exactly how many people saw your ad. They say that their sole method is the best and since they’ve been around forever, business owners believe it. These poor business owners buy the most expensive ads in the area, reach fewer people, and do not get a return on their investment.

That is not how marketing is supposed to work.

A business owners wants to pay the least, to reach the most, and get their money back and then some.

There are a few companies that make this formula their maxim. One of those is Local Blast Marketing owned by Bruno Pereira. Bruno is an uprising entrepreneur in New England focused on helping business get more exposure in their local market place. Bruno has done such a superlative job, that though he founded his company in 2011 he is already referred to as the “Marketing Tycoon” of New England.

He may be called this “tongue-in-cheek,” but it came about because of his smashing success with promoting local businesses and executing the aforementioned formula perfectly. Taking someone’s money with a promise to promote their business and ensure that they get their money back is something he takes seriously. “If you don’t get your money back or grow your customer base, you are not getting effective marketing.” Bruno explained. “This is an all too common business practice — one that leads to stagnating cash flow and contributes to a business owner eventually closing his or her doors.”

Being a small business owner himself, Bruno understands what the local business owner goes through in terms of concerns. He’s wearing the same “shoes” and walking in the same footsteps. Being a local, Bruno also has a genuine desire to see the community uplifted, the economy stimulated and producing more jobs. This is his community; where he lives, sleeps, works and plays. He knows the struggle all too well.

Bruno’s parents were among the thousands of employees affected by the closing of the once booming textile factories. Since then Bruno’s mission has been to build a business that can employ the upcoming generation. His vision is for Local Blast Marketing to become a strong employer and asset of New England for both the general public and businesses’.

Starting in his parent’s basement, Bruno decided to start an advertising company that would help local business such as Restaurants, get exposure to attract new customers. After a long and difficult 5 years he has not only created a name for himself but his customers can’t stop singing praises of what he has been doing for business in the city and beyond.

Bruno is having such tremendous success with this passion of his, that his company is hiring. He is looking for motivated individuals that want to build a career in a local media company. From social media marketing to website management services. Hint, hint.

So how exactly would Bruno do this for your business? He has an all-in-one solution that he applies to promote your business. He utilizes up to 26 –yes 26– methods to most efficiently brand, get the word out, and remind people to purchase your services and products. He evaluates your business and like a good doctor, gives each individual a specific diagnosis and remedy.

This contrasts the aforementioned “faith-based” method whereby a company says “Our one method is the only and best method you should consider.” Of course, they will say that: they only offer one method. Since Bruno isn’t offering one method, he is unbiased. His sole interest is in applying the best of 26 methods. His primary interest is in your business’s success. The better he applies that method, the better your return, the more you will continue to work with him. So, from the get-go he has a vested interest not only in your success with him, but your continued success with him.

What are some of these 26 methods that he may apply to get the word out? Primarily through Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing, Text Message Marketing, and Website Marketing Services. Under this purview are New HTML5 Website, HD Documentary Video on Your Business, Custom HD Photography, Social Publishing Tool, Easy to Manage Blog, Your Personal Pro Team Account Manager, Mobile Site for Every Device, Your Website on Facebook, Detailed Site Analytics, Local Directory Listings Calendar, e-Commerce Capabilities, Appointment Booking System, Easy Online Ordering Tool, Coupons and Discounts, To-Do List Creation and Reminders, Guaranteed Secure Web Hosting, Custom Domain and more.

Doesn’t that make going with “one method is best” seem absurd? A multi-pronged approach is the most effective, efficient way to turn your business into a profitable one.

There’s no better time to meet with Bruno and see what he can do for your business in terms of revenue and cash flow. In celebration of Local Blast’s 5th year anniversary Bruno is excited to announce a special contest to find and help Massachusetts and Rhode Island businesses that have yet to enter the Digital Age. They might not have a functioning mobile-ready website, managed Facebook page, Instagram Account or even an Email list.

Businesses in Massachusetts and Rhode Island are invited receive a FREE digital marketing consultation. This is great for startups, existing or struggling establishments. Don’t use the ineffective, backwards method of “profit will buy me marketing.” The truth is that marketing generates profits. If you are interested in a no obligation, no pushy salesperson, consultation to really kick-start your business call (508) 974-9977 and talk to Bruno or one of his equally passionate staff.

See what happens when passion meets marketing and someone has a genuine, vested interest in helping you succeed. It’s like having a knowledgeable best friend spending 24 hours a day telling people about how great what you’re doing is. Most people hire an employee and pay them hundreds of dollars a week. Imagine what effect it would have if you hired an employee for less pay, that would spend every day, all day and night promoting your business?

_________________________________________________________

Bruno Pereira-Local Blast Marketing
Fall River, MA 02720
Always open!

Phone: (508) 974-9977 or (774) 526-2616
Email: brunop@localblastmarketing.com
Facebook: facebook.com/localblastmarketing/
Website: localblastmarketing.com

_________________________________________________________

Last year we showcased one of the nation’s premier maternity photographers, Abrah Zion of Miss Z Photography, in a spotlight article. Since then a lot has happened. A lot.

Abrah has entered the lives of scores of people across the South Coast. I don’t mean solely as a business entity, but also as a person who has found their life’s passion and a way to integrate relationships with it. I come across a lot of people who are passionate about what they do, but the exuberance and excitement that come from Abrah when discussing her passion are on another level.

Her entire energy changes when the topic of her photography comes up. Here is someone whose first and fondest childhood memories revolve around a camera – a gift from her father – and snapping anything and everything in sight. While sunsets, sunrises, flowers, natural scenery and their ilk were targets, there was something special about living, breathing, dynamic targets.

Fondly poring over black and white images in the family’s photo albums is responsible for many of her favorite childhood memories. The albums captivated her. These moments conveyed early on the sheer potency of images; the feel of holding the photographs in your hands and passing them along; the aroma of the aged vintage photos and paper it was attached to; the intimacy that came through sharing them with family and friends who sat alongside you. She knew then and there that life, memories, and moments would be her prized targets. She wanted to share with the world everything that was conveyed in the time spent with these albums.

In pursuit of this aim, she has rubbed shoulders with giants in the photography world and is constantly honing and developing her craft. She has learned directly from world renown newborn and maternity photographer to the stars Ana Brandt. She is a member of PPA – Professional Photographers of America, PPAM – Professional Photographers of America, Massachusetts division and NAPCP – the National Association of Professional Child Photographers.

She has also collected some pretty prestigious awards along the way. This January she won the Beauty and Lifestyle Mommy Magazine 2015 Parent’s Choice award – quite a strong declaration by the people. One of the top publications in the photography world is Photography Magazine who listed her as one of the best newborn photographers in Massachusetts for 2016. When the critics and the people alike say you are one of the best you’re doing something right and have something special.

It doesn’t stop there: she graciously volunteers her services to “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep,” an organization of professional photographers who dedicate their time and talent to photographing still born babies for parents as part of the bereavement and healing process.

Do you get the idea that she lives, breathes, sleeps and eats photography? What is the point I am illustrating here? That you would be hard pressed to find someone who cares as much, who is dedicated to doing her best, and who is determined to providing you with the finest quality photographs on planet earth. If you are looking for a way to document those fleeting memories that happen only once a lifetime, you’d be hard pressed to find someone better!

You may be asking “What does she specifically do? Just take pictures of my baby?” Of course, my words can’t do anywhere close to the justice that her images can, but in a nutshell if it’s related to maternity, newborns, babies, or families she excels at it. It’s her niche – photography is such a deep field that the top photographers narrow that field down. Specialization is the name of the game and being able to take world-class photographs of a nature, doesn’t mean it translates to photographs of newborns or vice versa.

That means if you want these moments captured, you want a photographer that spends all her/his time in one niche. Someone who knows the ins and outs, is highly experienced and is on the cutting edge of the field.

One of the newest services Miss Z has added that has become incredibly popular is the “Birthday Smash and Splash.” You and Abrah will discuss a theme that best fits your baby and choose the cutest, funniest, or sweetest one. On the day of the shooting, a fully themed backdrop will be presented and a matching themed cake will be waiting for your baby to smash. Talk about a photo opp!

After your baby enjoys making his or her mess, and you are laughing and smiling from ear to ear, the “splash” part comes in. A small bubble bath awaits, raising the cute factor through the stratosphere. You can blow bubbles to get his or her attention and create more smiles and photo opportunities.

This is certainly not a “Bring your cute baby by and I’ll snap some photos.” session. There’s quite the bit of thought behind it. There’s a clear passion and love for the subject matter. I mean, who doesn’t love babies? The manliest man will have no problem declaring how cute newborns are! To provide an atmosphere, the bring the best out of the baby (or mom or dad), and to create the photogenic moments takes much more than someone pushing a button behind a fancy camera.

These moments will happen once and be gone forever – as a father of a 14 year old, I can vouch for the speed with which our children grow up is astoundingly fast. While I took lots of pictures as any proud father would, I took pictures with a cruddy, cheap camera (smartphones with high-resolution cameras didn’t exist yet) then stored them in boxes for later perusal. Struggling with sport-related memory issues, if I didn’t have these images those moments would be gone forever. Pulling those boxes out and browsing through those images not only brings back those forgotten memories, but they are so incredibly powerful that they actually get a 14 year old teenager to put her phone away. How many things can do that these days?!

The two of us not only take great delight in passing the photos back and forth, but there’s plenty of laughter, smiles, and the occasional sadness when we come across family we’ve lost in the 14 years she’s been on the planet. An hour can pass by easily and the intimacy and bonding moment is something I can’t put a price on.

My only regret is that I wish that I had better quality photos in terms of technique – less red eye, less blur, better centering, fewer cut-off heads, more spontaneity, and of course I wish I had better quality, more durable paper that would stand the test of time.

This illustrates the sheer power and massive value of “physical” pictures – images on paper being passed, hovering over shoulders and shoving them in each other faces “Hey look at your pants in this one! HA HA!” The feel, the energy, the atmosphere you get with physical pictures is superior to crowding around a computer screen. Having that box or photo album is far easier than trying to find where I put that blasted minuscule USB or where I left the CD that when I am lucky to find, is scratched.

You don’t want to trust this sort of thing to an amateur photographer, but someone who is world-class, acclaimed, passionate and more than capable. Someone who will provide customized, individualized service with a personal relationship. Someone who will give lots of unmentioned extras. This is what sets Abrah and Miss Z Photography from the rest.

After the photo shoot, you can set up a custom “in-person” ordering session and will spend time deciding on your prints and choose which ones to keep a la carte. You can also determine the size and number of photographs and whether they will be framed or not. The images are mounted on a matboard and are printed on high quality archival paper that is also fade resistant. They can be finished with a protective high end linen texture or on thick, highly textured fine arts paper called Hahnemuhle prints. Prefer canvas (including Lagniappe) or metal prints? You can have that. Want a high quality photo book or album? She’ll help you there as well.

Want to use a credit card? Want a payment plan? Looking for gift certificates to give a special gift to a friend or family member who is pregnant or just had a newborn? All covered by Miss Z.

If you want to read what people are saying, you can check out the testimonials on the website or Facebook. Want to see examples of her work or find out more about Abrah? Check out her blog or join the newsletter. If you sign up for the newsletter, not only will you get a 15 page e-book titled How to take more memorable photos of your children.” but you will also be among the first to know about model opportunities, specials, and fun happenings at Miss Z Photography studios.

___________________________________________________________

The photographs in this article have been formatted to be functional for viewing on phones, tablets and computers. They have been compressed and re-sized to speed up load times. They are poorer quality versions of the originals and do not accurately portray the high quality of the actual photographs nor the talent of the photographer. Please click the following links to see the actual quality.

_________________________________________________________

Miss Z Photography
227 Union St #412
New Bedford, Massachusetts 02740
Always open!
Phone: (508) 663-6544
Email: info@misszphotography.com
Facebook: facebook.com/MissZPhoto
Website: misszphotography.com/
Twitter: twitter.com/MissZPhoto

_________________________________________________________

ngg_shortcode_0_placeholder

Since ubiquitous is a good way to describe how many insurance agencies there are, how do you choose one to trust with your property, livelihood, and possessions? No one wants to take chance with the most important things in our life. We won’t put them into just anyone’s hands.

Just like any business, there is a gamut that runs from mediocre to superlative when it comes to insurance companies. What are the earmarks and attributes of those that are at the top? We want friendly, knowledgeable, professional customer service. We want to be sold the highest quality products. We want a reasonable asking price that is appropriate to the service and product we are getting. We want to be a name, not a number.

Because of the commonality of insurance agencies, if we don’t get these requirements met, we don’t have to travel far – often walking distance – to take our business somewhere else. This “threat” is one of the positives of a capitalist economy: compete or die.

So, how do we sort through all of these insurance agencies? Do we “buy” into the marketing? Do we believe what the commercial is stating or implying about the business to be true? While I wouldn’t rule out that there are people who would “fall” for a commercial, its business mascot, or sales pitch, most of us require more convincing than that. Of all businesses, an insurance agency should be held to a higher standard – if we made a wrong choice in purchasing a policy we can’t simply return it like we can with other industries. Having found out you purchased the wrong insurance policy or bought it from the wrong people after disaster can have marked effects that can last a lifetime.

This higher standard comes down to anecdotes, word-of-mouth, and persistence. If a sister, best friend, or aunt says “I’ve been going to so-and-so for 15 years and never had a single problem.” or shares a story about the time they had to actually redeem a policy, that carries weight. You listen.

And since there are many insurance companies and people can go down the road, you won’t last long at all if you aren’t providing all the aforementioned superlatives when it comes to service and product. One place that has been going above and beyond, is trusted by thousands, and is highly respected, is Cordeiro Insurance Agency of Fall River. The proof as they say is in the proverbial pudding: they are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year. 30 years of impeccable service speaks for itself.

The agency which Anthony F. Cordeiro himself founded in 1987, has thrived off of what they feel is the best form of advertisement: word-of-mouth. Indeed, their slogan – which they take seriously – is “Stability, Integrity & Trust.” Treat people right, stand by your word, and follow through and people will talk and tell their friends, families, and neighbors.

It has worked swimmingly.

They have successfully served and continue to serve thousands of families and companies throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Mr. Cordeiro iced that “cake” by telling me that he feels this is a privilege and one he is grateful for. He’s doing something he wants to do and has a passion for. His work is his inspiration: he finds great reward in the ability to assist people in protecting their most valuable assets such as their autos, homes, businesses, and future of their families.

When asked about the success of the agency, Anthony stated “We’re a family-owned boutique agency, we are highly involved with our clients and their lives, and we listen to the needs of our clients and aim to serve them.” In that vein, Anthony and the rest of the staff, feel the first step is informing and educating the customer so they can make better decisions.

You may be baffled to find that if you shop for a policy with any of the agents at Cordeiro Insurance Agency, you may hear them recommend a cheaper option – they may even talk you out of an expensive one. Seems counter-intuitive, but they want what is best for you, not to upsell you. They are already successful and don’t need to “milk” you. When you do the right thing, word-of-mouth spreads. That is their preferred method of generating revenue.

“We genuinely help you get exactly the coverage you need to safeguard your home, family, property, or business. Not more, not less. Exactly.” declared Anthony. Besides that integrity, they offer a comprehensive line of personal and commercial insurance products – serviced by a veteran team of insurance professionals with over 125 years of combined experience in the industry.

So who would benefit most from considering Cordeiro Insurance Agency? Millennials who are now searching for policies separate from their parents, first-time homebuyers, owners of multi-family tenement homes, employers seeking commercial, worker’s liability, and/or health insurance for their businesses and employees, and individuals who are unhappy with their current agency/agent. In essence, everyone.

For many it comes down to affordability. A lot of companies offer great service, great options, and are very accessible. The sole barrier is cost. You can stop in and compare prices for yourself with no obligation and you will find them to not only be very competitive, but for the price, Cordeiro Insurance Agency will be hard to beat.

Outside of helping people make the best possible decisions when it comes to a policy, and then protecting them, Anthony F. Cordeiro Insurance Agency,is proud to play a leading role in supporting key community initiatives that are improving the quality of life for everyone here in southern New England. It makes a lot of sense: helping the community thrive translates into more customers!

If you are unhappy with your current insurance agency because of poor service, being treated like a number, rates have skyrocketed, or you would prefer to talk to the face of someone local rather than go through a website or outsourced operator, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with your experience with any of the staff at Cordeiro Insurance Agency.

Don’t fall for a silly lizard, general, or quirky, annoying actress. “Fall” for a local insurance agency whose proven success is based on friendly, professional service, decades of experience, and thousands of satisfied customers that live right next door.

______________________________________________________________

Executive Team

Anthony F. Cordeiro
President & CEO
30 years experience
Holds Series 7, Series 13, and Principal 24 Securities Licenses
Insurance licenses in Property, Casualty, Life, Accident, and Health
Certified Chartered Pension Professional
Licensed real estate broker in Massachusetts
Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy from University of Massachusetts- Amherst
MBA with a concentration in Finance from Bryant College

Helinette Souza
Operations Manager
30 years experience
Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from University of Massachusetts- Amherst

Mark Cordeiro
Account Executive
9 years experience
Series 7 General Securities registration
Series 63 State Securities registration
Insurance licenses in Property, Casualty, Life, Accident, and Health
Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy from Bryant University

Paul Rebello
Account Executive
26 years experience
Insurance licenses in Property, Casualty, Life, Accident, and Health

Andrew Cordeiro
Account Executive
5 years experience
Insurance licenses in Property, Casualty, Accident, Sickness or Health
Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy from University of Massachusetts- Dartmouth

Melanie Cordeiro
Marketing Director
2 years experience
Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Management from Providence College

Staff

Lyn-Marie Silvia
Receptionist/Front Desk
1 year experience

Christine Pavao
Commercial Lines
15 years experience
Customer Service Representative

Laurie A. LaCroix
Personal Lines
8 years experience
Customer Service Representative

Ashley Pimentel
Personal Lines
7 years experience
Customer Service Representative

______________________________________________________________
Cordeiro Insurance Agency
171 Pleasant Street
Fall River, Massachusetts 02721
Phone: (508) 689-5885
Email: melcordeiro@cordeiroinsurance.com

Mon-Fri: 9:00am-5:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am-12:00pm

Facebook: facebook.com/AnthonyFCordeiroInsurance/
Website: cordeiroinsurance.com/

In November, we shared some of the great things that the family owned and operated Care Free Homes is doing in the community and beyond. Donating to charitable organizations, giving away roofs in their “No Roof Left Behind” program, and honoring our veterans and those who have served with substantial rebates in their “Roof Fro Troops” program are just a few of the ways that they choose to give back.

The biggest demonstration of who they are and how big their hearts are is with their extremely generous Care Free $25,000 Home Makeover Sweepstakes. Yes, you read that right: 25,000 big ones, smackeroos, duckets, shekels, greenbacks. Some lucky person or family will get a whopping $25,000 worth of products and services towards their home. They could choose to spend that money on marketing, but they feel giving back to the community is the best marketing there is.

Well, they are at it again!

This year’s Care Free $25,000 Home Makeover Sweepstakes is underway and began on Sunday, January 31 and it will end on April 30, 2016. If you are a homeowner, you are eligible. Simple as that. You can register online or in person at any one of their shows across the South Coast, like the Greater New Bedford Home Show, the Hyannis Rotary Home & Garden Show, the Plymouth Home Show, and the Bristol County Home & Garden Show.

What will the lucky winner receive? Your home will be wrapped in vinyl siding by industry leader, Mastic Home Exteriors. Their gorgeous Carvedwood 44 premium vinyl siding is very durable in all weather and has the appearance of natural wood. Care Free Homes is of course, a Mastic Elite contractor qualified to install this award winning siding.

Your roof will be replaced with the high quality GAF Timberline Lifetime Roofing System. GAF is North America’s largest manufacturer of commercial and residential roofing and they got that way by utilizing the finest and most rugged material available. Care Free Homes is one of the elite qualified contractors: they are a GAF MasterElite contractor and excel at doing exactly this so well, that they won the GAF Consumer Protection Excellence Award.

It doesn’t stop there: the winner will also receive Harvey Classic vinyl replacement windows for their home. Care Free Homes is the only Harvey Elite Dealer in the South Coast. Harvey has been producing world class windows for almost 60 years and are the region leader in engineering leak-proof, tough windows. The elite series, like all their windows comes with their industry-leading warranty: it covers the window and parts for life and a lifetime glass breakage warranty.

Can you imagine what your house would look like with new siding, new windows and a new roof? Care Free Homes turned last year’s winners home into a new home in just a few weeks – so you can watch in amazement how efficiently and expertly the experienced construction team works as your new home gets a makeover.

To get a glimpse of the quality of products Care Free Homes utilizes and the craftsmanship and pride that goes into their work, check out last year’s winner here Their green asphalt shingles were were replaced with Mastic’s Carvedwood 44 premium vinyl siding, English Wedgewood which gives the appearance of natural painted Cedar clapboard. Since their roof was in perfect shape, Care Free replaced the roof on their 2 car garage with a GAF Lifetime Roofing System’s Pewter Gray to match the roof of the house. The windows were replaced with Harvey’s energy efficient versions in a six over one grid pattern.

If the before and after images aren’t convincing enough, the response from the winning family and their glowing review on Care Free Home’s Facebook page and on Guild Quality should push you off the proverbial fence. You can see a video of the reveal here.

The homeowners raved: “The Mastic siding is gorgeous. Our beautiful new Harvey windows add so much curb appeal. The Timberline roofing tops it all off. The Care Free staff and crew were so wonderful and easy to work with! A fantastic family run business with great employees.” The young daughter of the family perhaps said it best: “They took our house from the ugly duckling to a beautiful swan.”

Want to enter to be just like this family? register online here. No purchase is necessary, simply fill out the registration form and click “submit” and you will then have a chance to to win a $25,000 home makeover courtesy of Care Free Homes.

_______________________________________________________________

Care Free Homes Spotlight
239 Huttleston Avenue
Fairhaven, MA
Phone: 508-997-1111 or Toll Free: 1-800-407-1111
Email: info@carefreehomescompany.com

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Fri: 8:00am-5:00pm

Website: carefreehomescompany.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/carefreehomes
Twitter: twitter.com/makeitcarefree
Instagram: instagram.com/carefreehomesinc/
YouTube: youtube.com/user/carefreehomesinc

ngg_shortcode_1_placeholder

With today’s technology, we often don’t realize how much we rely on an appliance until it’s on the blink. Often, we don’t get reminded of how reliant we are unless we lose power in a storm or car accident. Within an hour we begin to look at one another cross-eyed, so pull out board games, play cards or head out for a country ride. The other reminder is when we go on long camping trips and realize how convenient a microwave or refrigerator is.

Not being able to simply reach into a refrigerator, having to hang clothes on a line because the dryer is toast, or not being able to bake something because the oven no longer functions properly are minor first world inconveniences, but disruptive ones – especially if one has plans, has hundreds of dollars worth of food in a refrigerator that could spoil, or you are expecting guests.

When something does sputter out and no longer work, we set up an appointment with a large, super store. This is in spite of the fact that often they are so busy that they are booked days or even weeks out. Why should one suffer when there is a local, small business that does these things? A smaller business means you call each other by name, can build a rapport over the years, and can trust them to not refer you to the sales department to turn a repair call into a larger profit margin.

Pelletier’s Appliance Repair is a local, family business that has decades of experience in fixing appliances all across the South Coast from New Bedford, Fairhaven, Dartmouth, and Westport to Rochester, Wareham and Lakeville and beyond. Father Dennis Pelletier started Pelletier’s Appliance Repair over 40 years ago and his son Danny (and three brothers!) were “helping” dad out as far back as he can remember. In fact, he can’t remember a time when he wasn’t tinkering or learning. He continued his education in northern New York and by attending a trade school near Cleveland, Ohio.

The two fixed most brands of washers, dryers, dishwashers, ovens, stove refrigerators and more while providing that small business friendliness everyone loves. Once they worked their magic for someone, they were always called back – being familiar with a customer’s history and where they live makes the whole repair process much smoother. Not having a stranger come to your house or having a different person on each call isn’t popular for a reason. Everyone likes that friend that can swing by and fix something and that’s what the Pelletiers aim for. They want you to have the same feeling when you reach for the phone.

When Danny came of age and cut his teeth on the trade, he struck out on his own, but so proud of his father that he did not rename the business: his business is called Pelletier’s Appliance Repair 2nd Generation. Same wealth of knowledge and experience. Same reputation for speedy response, expert repair, reliability, and affordable prices.

The next time one of your appliances breaks down give one of the Pelletiers a call. After your first repair you’ll see how friendly, professional and affordable it is. You can then rely on the fact that that all future phone calls for appliance repair will be to a “friend.” Having a familiar face show up is just something you won’t get from a large super-store or chain. The convenience of saying “Danny – the washing machine is doing the same thing again.” and having him know exactly what that means, showing up with the right parts and tools means you are back up and running in no time at all.

I’ll never call a chain store or big department store and deal with aggressive salesmen trying to upsell me, push products I’m not interested in, try to replace a part I don’t need, or tack on expensive warranties. Or even try to convince me to replace my appliance that simply needs a repair.

I love small businesses, mom & pop stores, or one man-shows. It’s not that I think super-stores are a bad thing – I enjoy the choices, the massive inventories, and low prices -but there are some products or services that I’d rather get from the local folks. The Pelletiers have rescued us countless times – they are appliance “ninja.” I like that I can go about my business at home knowing that in the next 15-30 minutes I’ll hear those magic words “All set!”

Pelletier Appliance Repairs & Pelletier Appliance Repairs 2nd Generation
1161 Victoria St,
New Bedford, Massachusetts 02745
Phone: 518.429.0834 (Call or Text)

Facebook: facebook.com/Pelletiers-Appliance-Repairs-2nd-Generation-1701535236735868/
Website: dpappliancerepairs.com/

ngg_shortcode_2_placeholder

America is the land of opportunity and choices. A first world economy presents ample opportunity to strike out on a business venture of your own as opposed to working for someone else. Many people have grown frustrated with the old business model developed in the 1950s of working a “9-5” for the “man.” Being one of many on an assembly line and getting little recognition for hard work or extra effort while massive profits are made for a small group at the top isn’t a highly rewarding way to make a living. The ratio of pay often does not match the amount of effort. While there was a time when this model was effective and rewarding, times have changed. Drastically.

Job security used to mean finding a company that offered benefits, an annual cost of living raise, and some type of investment options. However, the reality is that lay-offs, cutthroat firings, and corporate buy-outs mean that ones job is anything but secure. And as the world economy “flattens,” factors like outsourcing and offshoring – the relocation of warehouses, plants and headquarters, lend even more instability to that “security.”

While there are bastions of companies where the old model actually does apply, their ranks are thinning. For many the new job security is working for oneself. Some find security in entrepreneurship – whether through diversity of projects, or confidence in one’s abilities that your effort will determine whether you will have a pay that week or not. Many find comfort in knowing that if they want a raise or more money, they will need more clients, have to work more hours or be more clever and efficient.

In the past 10 years the internet’s popularity has grown exponentially. Once relegated to the realm of geeks, hackers and nerds – these days everyone is digitally connected. Men, women, children, elderly, organizations, corporations, and just about any other demographic uses the internet to garner information, promote their business, sell products and more. We have reached a point where a business simply must have an online presence, even if you do the vast majority of your sales out of a brick and mortar facility.

This is why in the past few years, the cafe and home have become the “offices” for many new and experienced entrepreneurs. People who struck out on their own needed a facility to plan, organize, meet with employees, have sales meetings, or anything else that a typical business would need a roof for. The home wasn’t the perfect place for it – too small, too many distractions – so people naturally gravitated to cafes. When you factor in that there is a “kitchen” in-house, you can have breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and all the caffeine you need to keep in motion, the cafe made much more sense.

The problem with this is that the cafe has become increasingly more difficult to function in. An inability to find a seat can throw a monkey wrench in an important meeting with a potential client. Not having a large enough table means you’ll have to cancel that team sales meeting or relocate it. Have a table? Bummer – no outlet means you have to clear out in 45 minutes when your laptop battery fizzles. The din is too much, too loud or too distracting? It can hurt the focus of the meeting or affect comprehension of your listeners.

That’s the tip of the iceberg, but you get the picture. When you are getting a business idea off the ground, or have an established business where you need to focus on instruction and production, you want a quiet facility, with plenty of seating. You want a place where you can stop to refuel with some coffee or fare and only be “down” for 10 minutes when the crunch is on. In essence, you want all the positive aspects that you get when you work out of a cafe, but none of the negatives.

All ideas must evolve or die. The new entrepreneur took a back seat in the cafes and was forced to mingle at the expense of production. Now they or we, are large enough to make some noise and be noticed. Change was in the air. This is where coworking comes in. Simply put this a shared work environment. A common facility that mimics the old corporate offices e.g. tables, chairs, markerboards, conference rooms, a break room, etc.

The American workplace has come full circle: from a facility where the many make a lot for the few, to migrating to cafes, and now returning to that office space but with a completely new structure to it. Instead of working for “them” we are working for ourselves – whether as individuals or business partners. I’m a big fan of passion. I like progressive ideas. Coworking spaces are a place where you will find passion and progressive ideas in spades.

Now, I’ve been in some coworking spaces that were tiny, that were just spaces with tables, a few chairs and a spotty wifi connection. I’ve been to some pretty horrendous spaces in my day. The coworking facility has morphed into a legitimate work environment and there is no better facility on the South Coast than Groundwork, co-founded by Cape Cod natives Sarah Athanas and Dena Haden.

The idea came to Sarah while living and freelancing in Buenos Aires – a large city saturated with cafe entrepreneurs and shared workspaces. Upon returning to Massachusetts it didn’t take her long to pine for the energy and sense of community – those intangibles that make coworking far superior to a home or cafe office. Being surrounded by other creative freelancers, knowledgeable business owner sharing their enthusiasm, ideas and inspiration is an invaluable aspect to a shared office environment like Groundwork.

Further inspiration came to Sarah when she saw what Dena was doing in community building and with her art critique group. “I thought, why don’t we work together and build something close to home? So Dena and I really set out to build the workspace that we dreamed of working in ourselves.”

Their objective is to reach reach entrepreneurs, freelancers, and people who work independently in the area. Having first-hand experience of the benefits of such an environment they are excited to be able to actually provide it and watch people and companies prosper and grow as a result.

So how does a coworking space actually work? I’ll leave Dena’s words unchanged since she says it far better than I can “A coworking space is a shared office space that typically works on a membership model. For a monthly fee, members can work in the space and get fast internet, printing and copying, free coffee and snacks, and use of conference and meeting rooms. But the real benefit of coworking is the community that forms when people have repeated, face to face interaction in the same space every day. Because members work across a broad range of industries and skill sets, collaborations happen naturally.”

Whether you are a planning a new business, an established freelancer, have a short-term project (non-members can rent conference rooms for a reasonable hourly rate), or need a place to meet uninterrupted and surrounded by people with a wealth of experience you need a place like Groundwork. While I enjoy working out of cafes, when we at New Bedford Guide need to hunker down, focus, and be really productive we know there is nowhere better than Groundwork. We get more done in a shorter period of time at Groundwork than anywhere else.

If you were a member of Groundwork when they first opened their “beta” space on the second floor of the Quest Center, you may recall that it was small – though brightly lit, and had a large enough kitchen. If you haven’t been there since, you are missing out: they have grown the community into the ground floor of the Quest Center now. It’s a much larger space (5,000 sq. ft.) in terms of size, seating, and amenities, including the kitchen area.

Membership comes in three forms, Part-Time, Full-Time and Dedicated Desk. More flexible options are also available in day prices, use of the conference rooms, and there is special pricing for corporations. All memberships include access to members-only workshops and events, online networking with the Workbar Network, free snacks and locally roasted coffee, and copying and printing. You can request a tour online here.

In addition to the coworking services that are offered at Groundwork, there is a genuine altruistic focus on the community. Spend one minute with either Sarah or Dena and you will see that his is not simply a business idea. This is a lifestyle for them – one that they are enthusiastic and passionate about. They schedule many events to bring the Groundwork community together. This can be anything like a fun pie contest, a music jam night, or workshops on creativity, marketing, accounting, etc. Groundwork! is like a big family and they work hard to make all of the members feel welcome.

This is not lip service – when Sarah discovered that a few of the Groundwork members were musicians she and Dena scheduled a “jam night” a few weeks ago. That was a proud moment for the duo – while laughing and playing songs it struck Sarah how diverse a range of people were members – different age groups, social status, and political ideals – all of whom were together and enjoying each other’s company.

Groundwork is a fantastic facility – one that should be on every freelancer’s or entrepreneur’s “must check-out” list. One visit and you’ll ask yourself why you punished yourself for so long at home or at a cafe. The wifi is always up and fast. There’s always someone smarter than you in some field milling about. There’s always an ear willing to listen to your ideas and give you feedback. There’s always someone to network with. Members are automatically enrolled in the Chamber of Commerce at no additional cost.

It’s an environment that no start-up, established business, or freelancer should be without.

Sarah Athanas studied art at UCSB and then directed and produced a documentary while living in Chilean Patagonia. She then transitioned to marketing for a language and travel company and eventually directed a team of web designers and developers based in Buenos Aires.

Dena Haden has an undergraduate degree in Painting from UMass Dartmouth and a Masters of Fine Arts from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She then went on to teach art and design at Newbury College and at several nonprofits in Dorchester and on Cape Cod. She is also the director of the Boston Critique group, an artist collaborative that fosters community and growth for working artists in the greater Boston area.

Groundwork
1213 Purchase Street
New Bedford, Massachusetts, 02790
Phone: (508) 441-4622
Email: info@newbedfordcoworking.com

Mon-Fri: 9:00 am-5:00 pm

Facebook: facebook.com/newbedfordcoworking/
Website: newbedfordcoworking.com/
Gift Certificates: newbedfordcoworking.com/gift-certificates/

ngg_shortcode_3_placeholder

Nothing marks a special occasion in more grand a fashion than a gorgeous stone set to precious metal. Whether an anniversary, wedding, birthday, or just as a way to say “I love you.” one of the first gifts that most people think of is a piece of jewelry.

This is in spite of the DeBeers conspiracy that many people will rattle off at the mention of the word “diamonds” or “precious stones.” Even those who are aware of this story still acknowledge the powerful message that is sent when someone is gifted with a set of diamond earrings, or holds a giant “rock” while down on one knee asking for a hand in marriage. No matter what the price is – $1 or $ million dollars – the dramatic effect is the same. The number is irrelevant, the message, that aforementioned effect, and the timeless moment is ultimately all that matters.

When it comes to jewelers it seems that there is one on every other corner. They aren’t exactly as rare as the gems they are offering. This ubiquity has its benefits: supply and demand determines the sales price. The more competition there is among jewelers the lower the sales price – we’ll simply walk or drive to the next jeweler down the road.

Even if your prices are fair, to stay competitive you have to go beyond price. You need to offer superlative customer service – an old-world style of taking care of the customer. You not only want to be treated like VIP, but you want to develop a relationship, particularly one where you can trust the jeweler – after all, you may spend a substantial amount of money.

So, once you find a jeweler with a fair price, fantastic customer service and one that you can trust – they are as valuable -and rare – as the precious stones they are selling.

One place that can contribute its success to all these positive characteristics is the family owned and operated A & A Jewelers at 279 State Road in North Dartmouth. (Some of you may recall it as the old Mr. Tux.) While the location is a new spot, A & A Jewelers are hardly new to the industry. They have been serving the community for well over 20 years now. Family is the inspiration for owner and master jeweler Alex and he hopes to be able to continue to serve for another 20 years or more, by passing the business down from family member to family member.

What separates A & A Jewelers from most other jewelers is the old world customer service, family values, and professionalism that everyone on staff exhibits. Brett, A & A Jeweler’s floor manager, is extended family and cherry picked by Alex because he has the same values. When the owner and manager of a business have these values, they trickle down to the rest of the staff.

What also places them ahead of the pack is that they are not re-sellers of jewelry – since Alex is a master jeweler that means all of the jewelry is made and repaired in-house and they don’t need to send anything to an appraiser. It’s done in-house as well and in many cases the alterations and repairs are done while you “Wait and Watch.”

You not only have a destination to purchase world-class jewelry, but you are not subject to someone else’s standards. A & A Jewelers can customize, alter, or redesign jewelry and ring settings to your specifications, desires and budget. Because a piece does not have to be sent off to a middle man and then returned this gives A & A Jewelers the ability to sell diamonds below wholesale price or that which you will see at other jewelers.

Being certified appraisers, a member of the Jewelers’ Board of Trade, the Better Business Bureau and the New York Diamond Dealers’ Club means that you can trust that the prices they offer are more than fair. If that doesn’t convince you, 25 years in business, over 7,500 regular customers, and their stellar Facebook Reviews should!

Alex, Brett and the rest of the staff at A & A Jewelers want a relationship – they have a passion for what they do and want to be your jeweler for life. While Alex feels that the reason his business took off in the beginning was the the affordable prices and the customization, he is convinced that the biggest factor is how they treat their customers. That’s what started him on his road to success and maintained him on that road. There is a direct connection.

If you’re looking for a jewelry shop that can be trusted, has a desire to build a long-term relationship, is not a re-seller, but manufacturer, and has a wealth of experience in the industry, you need look no further than A & Jewelers. They are not a chain store, but local. We at New Bedford Guide are big fans of “Shop, local, shop small!” 25 years and 7,500 customers can’t be wrong. Being one of the 7,500 customers I can speak from personal experience. This place that specializes in rare and uncommon gems is a rare gem itself.

A & A Jewelers
279 State Road
Dartmouth, Massachusetts, 02747
Phone: (508) 992-5320
Email: aajewelersic@gmail.com

Mon-Fri: 9:00 am-7:00 pm
Sat: 9:00 am-6:00 pm

Facebook: facebook.com/AAJEWELERSINC/
Twitter: twitter.com/aajewelersinc
Website: aajewelersinc.com/

ngg_shortcode_4_placeholder

Smoke shops have never been more popular – either in the nation’s or the city’s history. We have more smoke and vaper enthusiasts than we’ve ever had and of course, that has led to an increase in a variety of products, advances in the technology, and multiple brands of everything available.

This is a fantastic development. When I was growing up, you either chose a “grandpa” pipe to smoke with or you jury-rigged something. It seemed like “grandpa” was the only demographic of smoke enthusiast complete with smoking jacket of course.

Times have changed and these days it’s become incredibly popular to roll your own cigarette, have a collection of smoking pipes – many of which are literal works of art – and desire more choices in your variety of tobacco. Of course, there is a smaller demographic that been drawn to the industry because of medicinal marijuana, but the largest group by far and large are those people who enjoy a good stogie, the aroma of high quality tobacco, and kicking the smoking habit by transitioning to vaping.

Regardless of your reason for being a smoke enthusiast, you want choices. Like any customer, you want to defer to a knowledgeable, friendly staff. You want fair, affordable prices. You want top quality products. While years ago, these products were relegated to the shelf behind a counter-person at a convenience store, these days entire shops are dedicated to smoke products.

There are many in the South Coast, and there are a few within the city of New Bedford. The largest one in the city is the Downtown Smoke Shop located on Union Street, directly across the street from the Registry of Motor Vehicles. in fact they have the largest selection of pipes, hookahs, cigars and e-cigarettes and accessories in Southern Massachusetts.

The 18+ only establishment, operated by Kyle and Ray, opened its doors in April of 2014 to meet the demand of locals and fellow smoke enthusiasts. “We started the smoke shop to fill a void in our downtown district. There are many smokers and vaper enthusiasts in Greater New Bedford and very few options other than a typical convenience store. We want to enhance the experience and bring quality experiences to our our customers.” explained Kyle. Ray followed that up with “We also focus on helping people quit smoking cigarettes through vaporizers.”

Both guys are proud of how far they have come in such a little time. But it comes as no surprise that thy have sky-rocketed in popularity – they aren’t just a quintessential smoke shop: they are a quintessential business offering superlatively friendly and knowledgeable customer service, a wealth of experience, and top quality products. While being a smoke enthusiast may be a hobby for some, for Kyle and Ray it is a lifestyle and their livelihood.

But you are here to find out what they offer in terms of inventory, specials and deals. What kind of products do they carry? Every manner of large or small pipes whether glass, hand, or water. A wide variety of e-cigarettes and vapes, their chargers, mods and of course many flavors of e-juice – with flavors like pineapple, strawberry, custard and more.

If you prefer to roll your own cigarettes, Downtown Smoke Shop has a stunning array of rolling paper with popular brands like Raw, Big Bambu, Job, Elements and many more. Are you a cigar aficionado? Downtown Smoke Shop has the largest walk-in humidor in the region with an astounding choice of cigars to appeal to every taste.

The Hookah – an instrument that utilizes water to turn the tobacco into a vapor – has become incredibly popular these days. The ancient device that has been around for thousands of years has been revitalized and modernized and if you haven’t heard of them yet, you will. Kyle and Ray carry a massive inventory of every color, size, and type and they have all the tobacco varietals to accompany your hookah with.

Of course, if you are a simpler man and just prefer an old-fashioned pack of cigarettes the smoke shop carries your favorite brand.

Kyle and Ray chose New Bedford for a reason: this is their city, where they were born and raised. They wouldn’t have it any other way. Since this is their community they offer a number of military and student discounts. They are especially proud to extend a 15% discount to all veterans with a valid military ID. They also offer BCC and UMass students with a valid ID, a full 10% off your order.

With the number of smoke shops in the city and beyond increasing every year, smoke enthusiasts are looking for a shop that separates itself from the others in terms of the quality of products and service, the variety and the affordability. This type of competition is a good thing: have top service, high quality products, and offer a fair price or we’ll walk down the road to the next place.

Downtown Smoke Shop has clearly placed themselves at the top of that list and will continue to do so for a long time. We all drive down Union Street sooner or later, so if you are a smoke enthusiasts, like to roll your cigarettes, looking for a new pipe, or just a curious bird – stop in at the Downtown Smoke Shop and say “Hi!” to Kyle or Ray. One stop and you’ll be hookah-ed….er….hooked!

Downtown Smoke Shop
277 Union Street
New Bedford, Massachusetts, 02790
Phone: (774) 425-3914

Mon-Fri: 9:00 am-7:00 pm
Sat: 9:00 am-6:00 pm

Facebook: facebook.com/DowntownSmoke
Website: newbedfordsmokeshop.com/

ngg_shortcode_5_placeholder

Beer has never been more popular in this country than it is today. The amount of varieties available are astounding. The general knowledge of the common man is at its highest – people know more about the brewers, the brewing process, even the cultivation of the ingredients. For the first time ever, we even have the term “Beer Snob.” You know that guy that tells you why that favorite beer of yours shouldn’t be your favorite and then tells you what your favorite beer should be based on his elaborate algorithms, scientific understanding of gluten, and bunch of other mumbo-jumbo?

The same can be said about wine. Though it has been around for thousands of years, it has crept into popular culture and can be bought in boxes, mixed with fruits and even heated up. These days many restaurant will host special pairing events and knowledge of varietals and understanding profiles with the common folks is of a high level as well.

So it should come as no surprise that many are delving into crafting their own wines and beers to their palettes and preferences. We’ve all sampled a wine or beer that we thought was near perfect and with the slight addition or removal of a certain element it would be perfect in your eyes. Information on recipes, the process, and everything else under the grapevines…er…sun, is published in magazines, books, blogs the only thing holding one back to enjoy this increasingly popular hobby is a way to purchase the necessary tools and ingredients.

If you don’t live near a supply store, you are relegated to the poor method of ordering online. This leaves you with a LOT of questions, and if you end up finding out you purchased the wrong thing or ruined a batch, you are weeks in between a resupply. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to browse the tools and ingredients? To hold them in your hand? To ask someone a question face to face? To defer to someone more knowledgeable so you can spend less time dealing with errors and issues and more time experimenting and sipping your creations?

Well, you can. Adega Beer and Wine Supplies, owned and operate by Barry Ferreira, opened their doors three years ago on State Road in Westport. They carry all the popular brand name devices, kits, adjuncts, top quality grains, cleaning supplies, yeast, extracts and everything else one can imagine. Finings to clear your wine, oak chips for flavor, bottles and corks. The list goes on and on.

In essence, if it is used in wine and beer crafting – even cheese crafting – Adega has it, and if they don’t have it they will not only order it for you, but keep some in stock for your next visit.

The beauty of Adega’s inventory is that they not only carry everything sectioned out for the advanced crafter, but if you are new or just starting out, the kits contain everything you did. You can literally walk into Adega, grab yourself a kit, and be crafting your beer or wine 10-30 minutes later and then sampling it days later. These kits lay everything out for you, and if there is any confusion, you have a crafting partner at Adega more than willing to help out – give Barry or retail assistant Chris Camara a call and they will get you out of a spot or provide you with enough advice to bat it out of the park.

Barry has a passion for the home-brewing process that goes back decades. He began 20 years ago when he was an accountant for a local wholesaler in Westport. His love for wine prompted him to explore how it was made, what gave wine its flavor profiles, aromas and appearance, and how the varietals affected its production.

Luckily he had a friend who worked with him at the same wholesale company who was already crafting wine. This friend became his mentor and today they still craft wines and beers. Barry has found it to be an incredibly rewarding hobby even 20 years on.

This wealth of experience and knowledge translates into a cherry-picked inventory of the best products and equipment available. This doesn’t mean it is limited in scope – if you browse through the aisles at either location, you will be astounded by the variety.

If you are interested specifically in beer making, there is a large variety of hops, malted grains and yeast from around the world available at Adega. They also have a grain mill and will gladly mill the grains for you free of charge. Yes, free.

If you are already an experienced brewer and have your own recipes or want to clone one of your favorite beers or wines you will find everything you need to do exactly that. However, if you are new to the hobby the kits which allow you to get started as soon as you get home, make one or five gallon batches. A five gallon batch makes up to 55 bottle of hand-crafted beer at a fraction of the cost if you bought those beers wholesale at a liquor store. That means your new-found hobby is one that can actually save you money!

That aforementioned experience also means hundreds of recipes that Barry and his friends have perfected over the years are shared with you. So you don’t have to start out with all the ingredients and tools and not know where to start. You and your friends can even have a friendly competition whereby you all set a date, invite some friends and family over and have a blind tasting.

If you prefer to craft wine, the wine kits contain concentrated juices from the best vineyards around he world and produce one or six gallons of wine – approximately 30 bottles. There are well over 200 kits available from simple table wine to fruit-flavored wines to high-end wines. You’ll be able to reproduce your favorite wines – maybe even one that it out of reach in terms of price, for a fraction of the cost.

All the kits – beer, wine or cheese – contain step-by-step instructions and come with a 100% guarantee. If there is any problem with the kit, simply take it back to Adega and it will be replaced.

If your hobby turns into an active one, and you wish to pursue more knowledge, Adega has periodic wine-making classes right in the store. They also offer wine-making parties where you can book the experts to come to your house and teach you and your friends how to make delicious wines and have a complete and total blast doing so.

If you want to expand your wine or beer crafting – or perhaps neither of those is you cup of proverbial tea – than you may be interested in crafting your own cider or cheese. The cider kits show you how to make mouth-watering ciders from apples, pears, cranberries and other fruits so you can make either hot cider to keep you warm during those frosty nights, or cold cider to cool you down on those hot summer days!

Learning how to make a few cheese to pair with your wines is one excuse, but heck…you can just make cheese to eat on its own. Mmmmmm…..cheese. Only a communist doesn’t like cheese!

If you aren’t interested in crafting any of these things, you may know someone who would be. The kits make fantastic gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, corporate promotions, or Christmas.

Adega Beer and Wine is active in many areas: a monthly newsletter, participation in many local beer festivals and tastings, and social media – all ways to keep you informed on the latest news in the industry, recipes, new items & products, deals, specials and discounts. Inquire about their loyalty discount plan. If you live too far away for frequent visits, Adega Beer and Wine ships to anywhere within the 48 continental states.

The professionals at Adega Beer and Wine have a genuine interest in helping the general public make the best beer, wine, cider, or cheese possible. They know first hand how much fun, rewarding, and infectious the hobby is. They know you are one kit away from being hooked!

If you would like to find out more about what people are saying about Adega, you can check out their Facebook Reviews/a>. Gift Certificates can also be purchased online as well as in person.

Adega Beer & Wine Making Supplies
151 State Road
Westport, Massachusetts, 02790
Phone: (774) 319-5454

Tue-Wed: 12:00 pm-7:00 pm
Thu: 10:00 am-7:00 pm
Fri: 1:00 pm-7:00 pm
Sat-Sun: 10:00 am-4:00 pm

Facebook: facebook.com/Adegabeerandwinesupplies
Website: adegabeernwine.com/

ngg_shortcode_6_placeholder

Are you a woman who wants to live an active lifestyle, but don’t like the co-op gym atmosphere? While, most guys are not creepy, it only takes that one creep to make membership at a fitness center an awkward or uncomfortable one. You want to wear what’s comfortable and often gym gear is light and minimal – without someone gawking or undressing you with their eyes. If you put on some weight after a pregnancy and not happy with your appearance, you don’t want to be placed under a microscope.

Going beyond that, even removing the concern of that rare creep, you want a quality fitness center, one that caters to common female goals and objectives. One that specializes in the lifestyle, understands and sympathizes with women’s health and fitness needs and has a number of classes and programs that are what most women prefer.

Body Work Fitness Center on King’s Highway offers all these services and more. They are the quintessential women’s fitness center, offering a variety of classes, professional instruction, in a friendly environment. Owner and C.E.O. Arnold Noël found his inspiration for starting an all-women fitness center after working as a therapist at Taunton hospital and seeing patients undergo serious depression after weight gain. Most of those who were undergoing therapy were women.

It wasn’t uncommon for the weight gain to be a slippery slope and transform into obesity or even drug or alcohol abuse. Depression and weight fluctuations go hand in hand and often feed one another. Looking to drug or alcohol is a temporary fix, with long term effects. Arnold saw the effects of this first-hand and it motivated him to write a book called Mindset Bodywork, published in 2005, and which can be purchased from Amazon. This book and its response inspired him to open the Body Works Fitness Center.

Arnold is more than qualified for such an endeavor, holding a Master’s Degree in Psychology and finishing his doctorate in Law at Boston University. He currently holds the title of Master Trainer, holds a myriad of certificates – some from the American College of Sports Medicine – multiple Black Belts and Sashes in Judo, Aikido, and Kung-Fu. In addition to an amateur career as a kickboxer, he is certified to teach Pilates, Thai Yoga, and as a nutrition coach. His nutrition program was further developed by a software company and has had stellar success treating or alleviating symptoms of major illnesses like diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, cancer and many others.

Of course, Noël isn’t alone. He has equally passionate people staffed at the center. One of those, Dr. Peggy W. Fellouris runs the facility. Before coming to Body Work Fitness, had a successful career as a Therapist and wrote three bestselling books, “3 Boys and a Boat.” “Dancing in the Rain.” and “The Man in the Black Cashmere Coat.”

They have both cherry-picked a staff of knowledgeable, friendly individuals. Every person that works at the facility is the cream of the crop in terms of personal training, nutrition, and professionalism. Their diversity allows for a like-minded variety of courses, e.g. cross training, CrossFit, metabolic testing, supplements, boot camps, Synergy, Curving Diva, counseling, facials, massage, personal training, group exercise, group pool, kickboxing, MMA, aqua exercise, Pilates, Zumba and more.

All these programs and services make Body Works Fitness one of the premier facilities on the South Coast having something for everyone. No need to have two or three memberships as different locations to meet your health and/or fitness needs – it’s all right there under one roof at Body Works Fitness. The programs and services can even be had under your “roof” since everyone gets the Body Works app FREE whether on the Apple store or Android Marketplace. Here is the link to the Android Body Works App.

This means if need to adjust your diet, lose a little or a lot of weight, challenge yourself physically and mentally, you will find a home and the app means that Body Works programs are accessible 24 hours a day – your needs don’t depend on a fitness centers hours of operations!

One of the rather fascinating services that Body Works offers is for those who have stubborn fat. Are you one of those that can’t lose weight in spite of a strict diet and exercise regimen? When you join Body Works they utilize DNA test to see if there is a biological reason for this stubbornness. Knowing the reason means they can effectively isolate why you are not losing the weight and help you focus on your goals and objectives more efficiently.

Weight loss is an area that Arnold finds particularly rewarding. “Being able to aid another human and help them better their life is pretty powerful. Helping people change their negative lifestyles is incredibly satisfying and something I find very rewarding.” explained Arnold. “I will help you rise to your weight loss challenge and get you starting to enjoy the new you. A new beginning starts first in your mind. Mindset is the key for your body to work, and we can help you get the body you desire.”

He further explained that without motivation many people fail. He feels that having life coaching as an aspect of a health & fitness program as a way to inspire and motivate, is an integral aspect of any exercise program. He feels this is far more effective than simply signing up for a gym. How many people do you know -perhaps you’ve done this yourself- that got a membership at a gym, but only went a few times and still paying? This is because signing up isn’t enough – you need inspiration and motivation. In fact, you need to start with it.

Once you are fired up, you can access the knowledge base at Body Work, attack a variety of classes until you find the one or the combination of ones that you like. With their help, you will have a cutting-edge fitness plan designed just for you.

If group class is not your thing, or you have a tight schedule, you’ll want to meet one of Body Works’ trainers who will let you access all the programs and services on YOUR schedule. They will, of course, design a personalized workout plan, and push you. Whether you are part of group or personal fitness programs, you get the same attention.

Want to know more beyond the classes and staff? Body Works Fitness has a heated pool, sauna, full exercise room, Nautilus machines, Celluderm, and free weights.

Having an all-women facility means you work out in a place without feeling ogled, allowing you to stay focused on your goals and objectives. Money an issue? Worried about the cost of a Body Works membership? All of Body Works services and programs are very affordable, and they even offer some great package deals where you can enjoy some substantial savings.

Body Works has a complete schedule that can be accessed online here. The website is incredibly informative and kept up to date, but the best way to see what Body Works offers is to check the facility out. Stop in, tour the facility, meet the staff, maybe even bump into Arnold. Need a little extra incentive? Right now Body Works is offerins a special: purchase the metabolism test and a 12 week nutrition plan and receive a 6 month membership FREE. That would also make a GREAT gift!

If you do decide to become a member of Body Works, we would love to see your progress. Take some before pictures so we can see how effective Body Works is!

Body Works Fitness Center
500 King’s Highway
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Phone: (508) 901-9211
EMail:

Mon-Fri: 5:00am-9:00pm
Sat & Sun: 8:00am-5:00pm

Facebook: facebook.com/bodyworkswomenscenter
Website: bodyworkswomenscenter.com/

ngg_shortcode_7_placeholder