The National Community Development Association (NCDA) has recognized April 1-5, 2024, as National Community Development Week. This week provides the opportunity for communities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. Member communities are also recognizing the work of the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program. The programs are critical to […]
National Grid announced it will donate $800,000 to eight Chambers of Commerce in Massachusetts to support local small businesses. Each chamber will receive $100,000, which they will then distribute in grants of $1,000 to small businesses with fewer than 150 employees. This pledge follows a similar donation by National Grid in January 2023, when the […]
The MA SBA will have two cohorts for the Emerging Leaders Thrive program – one in Greater Worcester/surrounding communities and also Greater Boston. They need 25 businesses for each for a total of 50 businesses. SBA underwrites 100% of the cost of this program and it is free to the entrepreneur. To be eligible, the […]
USA Luge announced a new partnership with Sitka® Creations, LLC, a graphic design studio providing clients with creative and effective graphic and web design, and visual communication services, making Sitka Creations the official marketing partner for the organization. Founded by Tamar Russell Brown in 2002, Sitka Creations was first opened in Rockland, Maine with Russell Brown […]
Here is a recap of efforts over the Winter from the Chamber’s destination marketing arm, Visit North Central Massachusetts (VNCM). Advertising & Promotion Throughout the Winter, we continued to promote the region with a blend of print and digital advertising strategies across our target markets. The creative messaging for these ads focuses on “Everything You […]
In January, the Worcester Business Journal announced its 2024 Economic Forecast, which focused on the future of several topics in Central Massachusetts but paid particular focus on the current health care landscape here in North Central. The publication forecasted that our region would see more challenges related to access to health care services, especially with […]
Federal Affairs: At the end of January, the House passed their Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act. According to a House Ways and Means Committee summary, the bill includes $78 billion worth of tax breaks for businesses, expands the small business expensing cap, expands access to the child tax credit, and would allow […]
CHAMBER WEBSITE REFRESH: In February, the Chamber launched a refreshed website to offer a more dynamic and valuable resource for our members and communities. The project included redesigning the homepage and several interior pages. It also included consolidating our economic development website – choosenorthcentral.com – into the Chamber website to make it easier to manage […]
Source: State House News Service Author(s): Colin A. Young What difference can a year make? When it comes to home sales in Massachusetts, the answer is about $50,000. There were 2,042 single-family homes sold in Massachusetts in February, the exact same number of sales as in February 2023. But analysts at The Warren Group said […]