A letter from the Executive Director,
Jenn Tracz Grace

One of the great things about being the executive director of CABO is that there always seems to be something new and exciting to announce.  This month is no exception.  We are proud and delighted to announce the addition of a new corporate partner: MetLife/New England Financial.  They have graciously agreed to host a speed networking event at their Bloomfield campus on February 29th from 6pm -8pm.  

Speaking of corporate partners, did you know that CABO members can get discounted rates of up to 70% on UPS shipping through our affiliation with the NGLCC?  This is just one of the extended member benefits that NGLCC affiliation brings.  You can find more at http://www.nglcc.org/membership/memberoffers.

Also, we are very happy to have the new 2012 member directories in hand and they will be mailing with new member decals at the end of January, so be on the look out for those.  Lastly, please remember that there’s still excellent advertising opportunities available on the CABO website.  Just go to http://thecabo.org/marketing/WebsiteAdvertising.aspx.

Thanks again for all the energy and success that you as members have brought to CABO.

- Jenn

In this newsletter

• Congrats MetLife!
• Workplace Equality
• Aetna Consumer Survey
• CABO Interest Groups
• Foxwoods - Experience the
  Wonder of it All
• Business E-mail Tips from Murtha Cullina
• CABOgraphy
  
• Special offers from Nutmeg State Federal Credit Union, Comcast, The Rainbow Times and Bearingstar Insurance!
• 2012 Member Directory!
  

A special thanks goes out to Matthew Craver of Talcott Mountain Media, who helped a great deal in writing the content for this quarter's newsletter.

CABO Rings in the New Year with New Corporate Partner
MetLife/ New England Financial

2012 is off to a wonderful beginning for the Connecticut Alliance for Business Opportunities (CABO) with the announcement of MetLife/New England Financial as its newest Corporate Partner.

“It is always a great day when CABO adds a new family member to its growing organization, and this one is particularly special because of CABO’s ongoing relationship with New England Financial, the MetLife firm spearheading this partnership,” offers Executive Director Jenn Tracz Grace.

CABO Founder and President Dena Castricone is thrilled about the partnership with MetLife, which is also a corporate partner of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC).  “MetLife continues to show its commitment to creating a more inclusive economy while New England Financial representatives, Kathy Lucas and Lana Wong breathe life into that commitment here in Connecticut through their valuable and regular participation with CABO.”

Kathy Lucas says relationship building and earning trust are one of the keys to New England Financials’ success.  “From the moment Lana and I first began coming to the CABO events, we have felt that warmth and connection from its members.  We are so excited about this marriage.”

NGLCC Director of Affiliate Relations Sam McClure is pleased, too, since MetLife has such a great track record and investment in supporting LGBT communities.  “Their long-standing relationship with the NGLCC and their new commitment to CABO are powerful indicators that this is an organization that wants to do everything they can to ensure the economic strength of LGBT people.”  

Lana Wong adds, “New England Financial congratulates CABO on its distinction as the 2011 NGLCC Chamber of the Year, and looks forward to being a part of its new goals and growth for 2012.”

Connecticut Companies to the Top of Human Right’s Campaign’s
“Buying for Workplace Equality” List

Aetna, Diageo, The Hartford, ING, Travelers and Xerox recently received top grades from the Human Rights Campaign for their workplace equality policies.  These six companies based in or with major operations here in Connecticut are getting well-deserved recognition.

The HRC is one of the leading organizations seeking to ensure equal treatment under the laws in the workplace.  As part of their program to foster corporate inclusiveness and social responsibility, they publish the “Buying For Workplace Equality” list.  This list attempts to use the buying power of the LGBT community to support business that foster inclusion by providing accurate information about companies’ workplace policies towards LGBT employees
. 
The newest version of the list, available at http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/buyers-guide, puts these Connecticut companies at or near the top of their respective categories.  Aetna, Diageo, ING, and Xerox all received perfect scores of 100.  The Hartford and Travelers were close behind with scores of 90.  We’d like to congratulate these local leaders in workplace equality.

Aetna Consumer Survey Shows Confusion When Selecting
a Health Insurance Plan

- Redesigned Plan for Your Health website and other Aetna tools can help consumers better understand their health benefits

HARTFORD, Conn., December 01, 2011 — As millions of people across the country finalize  their  benefits choices for 2012 , Aetna (NYSE: AET) today announced results of a consumer survey showing that more than half of insured adults are confused with several important aspects related to choosing a health insurance plan. Aetna has enhanced and completely redesigned the Plan for Your Health website to simplify the often complicated information available on health benefits, and help consumers better understand how to choose, use and get the most from their health benefits.

According to the survey of more than 1,000 insured adults1, many individuals had trouble understanding:

• the total cost of a health insurance plan – the premiums plus out-of-pocket expenses (32 percent);
• the differences between plan types such as Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) and Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) (30 percent);
• which providers are in network (26 percent); and
• whether referrals are needed (24 percent).

The redesigned Plan for Your Health site includes information that can help consumers make health benefits decisions during Open Enrollment, such as the Navigating Your Health Benefits For Dummies® guide, 3rd edition, which was produced in partnership with the Financial Planning Association, the largest membership organization of personal financial planning experts in the U.S. More than 300,000 consumers have used free copies of the guide over the past five years, and the 3rd edition includes tips on how to maximize health benefits in a tough economy, as well as information on the health care reform law.

“We know that health insurance can be confusing, but the Plan for Your Health website can help,” said Wendy A. Richards, MD, MBA, FAAP, a National Medical Director for Aetna, and co-author of Navigating Your Health Benefits For Dummies. “The site has information and tools that can help everybody better understand their health benefits, no matter their age or how much they already know about health insurance.”

Continue reading on the CABO website.

Business Banking just got a lot easier.  
Every business should make the move to
Nutmeg State Federal Credit Union.  
We offer Business Checking & Savings, Loans and Lines of Credit, and all the Electronic Services you need.

 We also offer Health Savings Accounts and Retirement Planning for you and your employees.  And much more.  
Click Here for more information.

CABO Interest Groups

We are seeing a lot of energy developing in our new interest groups, and we are inviting any interested members to join and continue these successes.  The first interest group, the CABO Lawyers' Group, has been a great success and has become our “template” for two new groups, the Realtors Group and the Marketing-Communications Group.  All these groups are fostering collaboration between members in similar fields.  These are great forums for the social and business networking needs of our members.

Dena Castricone is the convener for the Lawyer’s Group and if you are interested in taking part, you can contact her at dcastricone@thecabo.org.  If you are interested in the Realtors group, Danie Fineman of Keller Williams is leading this group and you can contact her at daniefineman@kw.com.  The Marketing-Communications Group is still in its formative stages and you can contact Jenn Tracz Grace at jgrace@thecabo.org if you want to help get this group off the ground.

Foxwoods, one of CABO's proudest partners invites you
to experience the "Wonder of it All"

Foxwoods is thrilled to celebrate its 20th Anniversary this February with a myriad of exciting events and promotions all month long. What began as a high stakes bingo hall has grown into New England’s 6.7-million-square-foot award-winning entertainment destination. Foxwoods features more than 2,200 rooms in four hotels; two luxurious spas; 38 dining experiences; 25 retail outlets; multiple entertainment venues hosting world-class performers; two 18-hole championship golf courses; and six casinos buzzing with over 6,400 slot machines and 350 table games.

Foxwoods invites Dream Card holders to take part in the 20th Anniversary Celebration this January & February with 20% more Dream Points from slots and table games on Tuesdays. On Wednesdays, Dream Card Holders will earn $10 in bonus slot for every $20 played.

Foxwoods is always proud to offer something for everyone and welcomes a number of other world-renowned entertainers and concerts in 2012, including: Stephen Lynch (January 20); Jay Mohr (February 4); Doo-Wopp Hall of Fame of America (February 11); Bill Burr (February 17); Colin Quinn (February 18); Lynyrd Skynyrd (February 18); Steve Harvey (February 25); Big Time Rush (March 1); and Jo Koy (March 10). For more information, visit www.foxwoods.com or call 1-800-FOXWOODS.

What a great way to start a new year with a CABO Corporate Partnership for MetLife/New England Financial.  We are thrilled to be able to associate with such a high caliber organization and the opportunity to serve the LBGT community. 

While MetLife has been a strong supporter of the NGLCC, now that commitment has extended to the local level.  By combining the strengths of MetLife and New England Financial, we are uniquely qualified to provide the needed support and guidance.  Kathy Lucas, Lana Wong and Travon Sexton from New England Financial have the resources, tools and expertise to help CABO members to meet their short and long-term financial planning objectives. 

We are grateful and excited for this exceptional opportunity to be a partner in serving the LGBT community.

Comcast Business Services:
Transforming Connecticut’s Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

If you own your own small or medium-sized company, your priority is running your business, not running an IT department. Still, someone has to make sure everything works. Luckily, today Comcast is making it easier than ever for business owners to stay focused on the big picture, with its Business Class suite of communications, information and entertainment services. Comcast provides Business Class Internet, Business Class Voice and Business Class TV in a variety of packages designed to boost efficiency and productivity for any size business.

Until now, many of the features that Comcast offers its Business Class customers were reserved only for big companies. With Comcast’s offering, local companies can now leverage the power of our fully converged nationwide fiber-optic communications network, while enjoying the convenience of one provider for all three services, one bill and one number for dedicated, round-the-clock support.

The Bearingstar Difference
What makes Bearingstar Unique?

Our local agency staff is dedicated to serving you. Bearingstar agents are trained to provide a professional risk analysis to help identify any exposures and then customize a protection plan that fits your needs. Providing stellar customer service is at the forefront of every interaction and we strive to ensure that each customer contact is a memorable event.

We are a member of the Arbella Insurance Group which is comprised of one of the best property and casualty carriers in New England. Because Arbella is a regional carrier, they focus on protecting you against the risks you are susceptible to and you can take advantage of their excellent pricing and discounts.  In the event that you have needs outside of what Arbella offers, Bearingstar agents also have access to multiple markets to help you find the right coverage at the right price.

Perhaps most importantly, you get the advantage of partnering with a local agent who lives in your neighborhood and works closely with you as your advocate on all service related matters.

CABO members and their colleagues at work are eligible for a savings of up to 30% on your auto, home, condo and renter's insurance.  Furthermore, we have a REFERRAL REWARD program which provides $25 American Express gift card, to any CABO member,  for each referral that results in an actual sale.  Anthony Cervoni, CABO member and Bearingstar agent, is available for more information on all of our programs.  Email him at anthony.cervoni@bearingstar.com. Bearingstar Insurance. Working with you. Working for you.

It's that time of the year again and The Rainbow Times is producing a special map (folded and pocket sized piece) that will be available in all of Western MA & beyond before and during this 2012 Pride Season. This Map is western New England specific and will only feature local events & happenings during Northampton Pride week.

The glossy, 11x17 Map will be folded into a pocket size piece to be used as a pocket reference for the thousands of attendees that come to Northampton during this season. In the center of its first side, it will showcase the parade route. The center of Side 2 will contain a listing of ALL of the events happening prior, during and after Northampton Pride. The Maps will be distributed during Pride Day and prior. The MAP will also be showcased as the centerfold of The Rainbow Times' May edition. The Rainbow Times' readership is approximately 65K.

It is a great opportunity to advertise during these difficult times!

The Map Prices will vary, but will also start at $175 for the smallest display ad (2.75W x 2.05H) and $349 (2.75W x 4.25H) for the standard size. If you are a small non-profit, a church, etc. and wish to use our $99 special, you can do so too (Text ONLY). If you are interested in the Back Page (premiere spot, or a larger spot), please contact us/me as soon as possible because these spots tend to fill up quickly. Click here to see your options!
 
To view last year's Boston Pride Map, which will look similar to this year's Northampton Pride Map, please click here: http://bit.ly/jhB1wI