The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation (NCMDC) recently approved three loans totaling $55,000 to Strong Style Coffee, Bion Greek Kitchen and Mi Rinconcito Salvadoreno in Downtown Fitchburg.
Strong Style Coffee, owned and operated by Kimberly Jones on 37 Boulder Drive in Fitchburg, is a coffee shop that serves as a comfortable space where patrons can be creative and productive during the day and relax and enjoy events and entertainment at night. They offer coffee, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and have a lunch menu, as well as beer and wine. Their loan for $25,000 was used to re-finance business debt, and were a referral from NewVue Communities where Kimberly also worked on the financial plan for the loan application. Check out information on their upcoming events on their social media pages, at
Bion Greek Kitchen received a $20,000 working capital loan to assist with operating expenses during the pandemic. Gregor and Violet Labovitis initially operated the business out of their home before eventually growing sales enough to open a physical location on 356 Main St., in Fitchburg. For more information visit their website at bion-greek.square.site or https://www.facebook.com/BionGreek1/?fref=tag.
Mi Rinconcito Salvadoreno is a start-up Latin American convenience store on Main St., Fitchburg at the site of the former Shack’s Clothing store. Owner Idelfonso Guzman and his wife Carmen decided to open the store after finding there were no reasonably close options for genuine Latin American oriented groceries in the area. The store opened on July 1, 2020 and features groceries, snacks and other novelties. For more information visit their store on 444 Main St., Fitchburg.
As a microloan lender, NCMDC can provide loans to small businesses up to $150,000 for working capital, equipment, inventory, expansion and working with our banking partners to provide gap financing for the final piece of a project.
This meeting will provide an opportunity for the public to hear an overview of the Fitchburg – Water Street Bridges Replacement project, including proposed construction staging and traffic impacts. The proposed project would replace two bridges along Water Street (Route 12) in the City of Fitchburg. The bridge over the Nashua River (F-04-018) will have its superstructure replaced. The bridge over Boulder Drive and Pan Am Railroad (F-04-017) will be fully replaced. Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions and offer comments.
All residents, abutters, local business owners, and interested commuters are invited to attend. A project fact sheet will be made available at the meeting. All attendees who sign into the meeting and provide an email address will be entered into the project’s email database to receive construction updates.
This meeting is accessible to people with disabilities. MassDOT provides reasonable accommodations and/or language assistance free of charge upon request (e.g interpreters in American Sign Language and languages other than English, live captioning, videos, assistive listening devices and alternate material formats), as available. For accommodation or language assistance, please contact MassDOT’s Chief Diversity & Civil Rights Officer by phone at (857) 368-8580, TTD/TTY at (857) 266-0603, fax (857) 368-0602 or by email to MASSDOT.CivilRights@dot.state.ma.us. Requests should be made as soon as possible prior to the meeting, and for more difficult to arrange services including sign-language, CART or language translation or interpretation, requests should be made at least ten business days before the meeting.
Since the COVID-19 crisis started, we have continued to prioritize job postings on our WorkNorthCentral.com online jobs board to help our members promote job opportunities at their business. We currently have over 500 jobs listed from throughout the region. We also continue to actively promote the jobs board to qualified and skilled job seekers.
Why post a job on the WorkNorthCentral.com Jobs Board?
There is NO-COST for members to post jobs and there is no limit on the number of jobs you can post. Members at the Business Growth level and above also receive premium job postings, which are highlighted, promoted at the top of the jobs board and published on the Google Jobs Network;
Posting your jobs is SIMPLE! You can easily post and manage jobs yourself or email your jobs to Sabbra Reyes at and we will post it for you. You select the duration and then the jobs are automatically dropped when the job expires;
It is EASY for you to review resumes and connect with qualified candidates. You decide if you want applicants directed to your website or you can provide instructions for applying;
When you post your jobs, you are also supporting our economic development efforts! The Chamber’s Jobs Board is the largest localized jobs board of its kind showcasing job opportunities in North Central Massachusetts. The jobs board connects job seekers to opportunities and helps promote our dynamic region by showcasing the many diverse opportunities available.
We encourage you to consider posting any available job opportunities on this popular resource. Visit WorkNorthCentral.com or the Chamber’s website NorthCentralMass.com for more information or to post a job.
Article by: Matt Murphy
Fuente del artículo: State House News Service
SEPT. 11, 2020…..What lessons have been learned? What lessons will be taught? What past experiences can be put to good use to prepare for what’s down the road?
All these questions and more were on the minds of leaders this week as they returned to work after the extended Labor Day weekend, staring at the reality of time and the fact that the dreaded “fall resurgence” could actually be right around the corner.
“There’s a lot of scenario planning going on,” Baker said Tuesday, confronted with the possibility that the days of sub-1-percent positive testing rates may be numbered.
Those scenarios include making sure hospitals that survived the first wave of coronavirus without getting overrun are prepared again. And that the state’s testing labs are ready to handle the increased volume that could come from more college and grade school students getting tested, as well as people confusing symptoms from fall colds and the old-fashioned flu with COVID-19.
CommonWealth magazine reported that Partners in Health, which runs the state’s contact tracing program, is staffing up for the fall, and some outbreaks cropped up on campuses like Boston College’s.
But for now, the trends remain positive, even if the number of communities in the highest risk “red” category climbed by five to 13 this week. Some of that was explained by a cluster of restaurant staff in Chatham. And high schoolers in Dedham getting together to watch the Bruins playoff run.
But even those isolated cases can have consequences. Just look at the spread from one wedding in Millinocket, Maine. The puck party in Dedham was enough to force that town to cancel its plan to begin phasing in students for in-person learning on Sept. 21 after a remote start next week.
Secretary of State William Galvin too said he learned a few things from the first go-around with mail-in voting that he hopes to apply in November, including the need for more uniform ballot counting procedures, but he won’t be asking legislators for any changes to the law. What he has asked the administration for is more than $1 million to cover the cost of mailing another round of applications and ballots.
The unofficial end of summer also meant rethinking how some of the creative steps taken to allow the economy to begin to recover in the warm weather can be extended to chillier autumn days and night.
Baker visited Medford’s Bistro 5 on Thursday to announce that he was doubling the size of the Shared Streets and Spaces grant program from $5 million to $10 million to help restaurant owners like Vittorio Ettore afford modifications like heat lamps to extend the life of their new outdoor patios.
The governor also said that while the going was good he was prepared to allow outdoor and indoor arcades to reopen starting next week, a change to the reopening plan that came after the owner of the Salem arcade Bit Bar sued the administration, questioning why his business was being treated differently than casinos.
That’s not to say that’s the whole reason Baker decided to open arcades. But the courts are starting to become that player off the bench who just may have an outsized impact on the final outcome of the game.
U.S. District Court Judge Mark Wolf declined to intervene after a group of landlords sued over the state’s moratorium on evictions and foreclosures on Constitutional grounds. But the judge gave Baker more to think about over the next month when, according to the lawyer for the plaintiffs, he indicated that the ban’s shelf life may be coming to an end.
The landlord’s attorney Richard Vetstein said Wolf made clear that the ban’s utility as a measure to control the spread of COVID-19 is not indefinite, especially if the state continues to succeed in driving down infection rates. Baker faces a decision over whether to extend the moratorium beyond Oct. 17, and he’ll have to factor the court’s into his thinking.
With a possible return to Housing Court on the horizon for landlords and renters, a group of major health care providers and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh amplified calls to guarantee tenants facing eviction the right to counsel. Hard to see Michelle Wu argue against that, if as Walsh said Monday to great controversy, the popular city councilor is planning to run for mayor next year.
The Supreme Judicial Court also sat this week to hear arguments in a variety of cases, including one involving prisoners seeking release because of the threat of COVID-19 in incarceration.
Gov. Charlie Baker walked down the State House steps Friday morning carrying an American Flag to remember Sept. 11, 2001 at an annual flag-raising ceremony, absent the many others who normally attend. [David L. Ryan/Boston Globe/Pool]
The must-see-court-TV had to wait until Friday, though, when the SJC heard oral arguments in a lawsuit brought by small business owners, church leaders and educators that put Baker’s entire body of work during the pandemic up for judgement. The plaintiffs say Baker’s executive orders aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19 overstepped his authority under the Civil Defense Act, and a ruling in their favor could negate everything from forced business closures to gathering size-limits.
Needless to say, the outcome of the case will have broad implications for executive power beyond this pandemic, including any future public health crises.
A week before that case was heard, Chief Justice Ralph Gants, 65, suffered a heart attack. He announced the health scare himself on Tuesday in a statement released by the court, indicating that he expected to make a full recovery after a surgery to insert two stents, but would be limited in his ability to judge cases for a time.
Justice Frank Gaziano on Friday said that while Gants would not be participating in oral arguments, he would be following the proceedings and helping to decide the case.
While not a court, per se, the Commonwealth Employment Relations Board also fired a shot across the bow of teachers’ unions when it ruled against the Andover Education Association, finding that teachers who refused to enter school buildings and classrooms on Aug. 31 for back-to-school safety training had participated in an illegal strike.
It didn’t matter, the board said, that teachers deemed the school buildings unsafe and set up in school yards outside with laptops and prepared to work. They don’t have the authority, the CERB decided, to decide where they report for duty.
Baker said he agreed with the decision, and that there was nothing unsafe about returning to a “basically empty” school building for professional development.
But Massachusetts Teachers Association President Merrie Najimy lit into the governor and his administration for not starting school remotely this fall, and said the ruling would not stop teachers in other communities from doing what they needed to do to protect themselves.
With students in many communities prepared to either return to the classroom or fire up their Zoom rooms next week, the back-and-forth between local unions, school committees and the administration all point to a tense week to come and uncertainty about how much learning will actually be taking place.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Mourning summer.
SONG OF THE WEEK: Because everyone can use a reminder now and again, especially if Massachusetts is to avoid a COVID-19 backslide.
The Chamber’s tourism arm, Visit North Central Massachusetts (VNCM), has developed its annual marketing plan to promote the region. As a result of the pandemic, VNCM plans to strategically shift its marketing resources in FY2021 to focus on helping our regional economy recover quickly and effectively from the disruption. The restaurants, retailers, hoteliers, farms and attractions that comprise our local visitor industry have been among the hardest hit by the disruption caused by this health crisis and will take the longest to recover. Marketing strategies in FY2021 will focus on Shop/Eat/Stay/Explore Local promotional efforts that encourage companies and residents to support local businesses during the recovery. Marketing efforts will also target the regional drive market within a 250-mile radius, including key markets like Boston, Southern Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island highlighting our advantages and safety. Data and research from our economic development planning process suggests that we are well positioned to potentially benefit from the new environment and changing consumer demands, given our rural character, affordability and agricultural heritage. The plan was approved by the Board of Directors and submitted to the Mass Office of Travel and Tourism as part of our annual tourism grant submission. We also presented it to members during the Summer to gather input. It was well received by both MOTT and our members, however we are still waiting on state tourism funding in the state budget.
As part of this marketing/recovery plan, we focused our efforts in Q1 with updating our VisitNorthCentral.com website and social media platforms for the “new normal” including developing new locally focused content, developing new messaging, optimizing our site for new searches and utilizing digital and social media channels to promote, connect and engage with consumers. Messaging and themes have been centered around re-opening and supporting our businesses. “When it Matters Most” is being utilized as an overarching theme. It is important that our target audience understands why “spending local” is now more important than ever. Member-focused contests and promotions have also been utilized to drive engagement with messaging focused on the attributes of the region that appeal most to visitors, such as our safety as rural region and abundance of family-oriented activities. As we move into the traditionally busy Fall season and Q2, we plan to ramp up our paid digital advertising to promote the region and local businesses. We plan to focus primarily on digital media for now as it provides the greatest flexibility and allows us to adapt quickly if needed. As we move into the Spring, we will start to leverage some print advertising. Our media buys will be dependent on the final receipt of our grant funding from the state.
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 crisis, VNCM’s participation in several travel shows were cancelled including the Discover New England Summit in Maine, the Dream Destinations Showcase in Western Mass, and a major bridal expo in September. We will resume these business development activities that play an important role in promoting the region to groups once it is safe to do so.
COVID-19 hasn’t stopped Chris Urbine, owner of Mattress by Appointment (MBA) in Fitchburg, MA, in his tracks. In fact, he says there has been an influx of new customers since the Baker-Polito’s reopening plan was released back in May 2020.
“People have been home a lot more, which makes them realize ‘I might need a new mattress,’” Urbine states. “They’ve been banging down our doors [in a good way] to get a new mattress!”
Mattress by Appointment is a parent company based out of Greensville, SC. Urbine’s brother started a MBA in Florida. He saw how successful his brother was, and opened a location in Fitchburg, MA this past year. Urbine’s drive was to have a successful business that provided opportunities for him to support his family and lifestyle.
Urbine also mentioned that there hasn’t been a “new” normal when it comes to “the new normal.”
“The ‘new normal’ is what we’ve been doing anyway pre-pandemic,” Urbine said. As the name implies, MBA Fitchburg is open by appointment only. “Customers always have the whole store to themselves to get that one-on-one experience with us. Mattresses have always been sanitized in between appointments. We always planned ahead to have mattresses in the store for customers to take home. Right now, there’s a 6-8 week manufacturing delay, but we order everything ahead of time for customers to take home the same day, so there’s no delay due to COVID-19 manufacturing shortages. The only thing that’s really different is the social distancing and requiring a face covering in the store.”
Video appointments are also available for customers if they do not feel comfortable going in the store. They are a virtual way to shop for a new mattress, while still obtaining a personalized experience with MBA.
“Every day is a holiday at our store,” Chris Urbine, dealer of MBA Fitchburg, exclaimed. “Being open by appointment only and having no employees, we are able to keep the lowest possible prices year-round, so that our customers get the best price without having to sacrifice quality.”
Urbine looks forward to expanding a relationship with an existing vendor to add brand new contemporary, cost effective bed sets and adjustable bases. He expects these to roll out at MBA within the next 4 to 6 weeks and is very excited to share this with his customers looking to get a better mattress for themselves.
Mattress by Appointment is a member of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and looks forward to meeting their customers, either virtually on video, or in-person. They are located at 28 Ashby State Road, Fitchburg, MA, and you can schedule your appointment by texting or calling 978-400-0393.
The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation (NCMDC), the economic development arm of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, has recently been awarded a $946,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA).
This grant will be used to capitalize and administer a new Revolving Loan Fund to provide loans to coronavirus-impacted small businesses in North Central Massachusetts. This new loan fund will help supplement the NCMDC’s existing efforts to provide support to local businesses and spur investment in the region.
With these funds, the NCMDC will provide fixed rate loans of up to $150,000 to start-up and existing small businesses in the region. The loans will be provided with flexible terms, low fees and interest rates as low as 1% for existing businesses and 5% for start-up businesses. Monthly payments will be deferred for up to one year on the loans, depending on the situation. Each loan offered will be tailored to the needs of the borrower after careful analysis and underwriting. Loan amortization will vary based on use of funds and underwriting with monthly repayment terms up to ten years. At maturity, loans may be extended for up to five years by modifying note terms at market rates and recasting or restructuring payments.
Loans made by the NCMDC can be used for working capital; operating expenses and costs; leasehold improvements; machinery and equipment; furniture and fixtures; start-up costs for a new business; purchasing or expanding real estate related to the business; and the refinancing of existing business debt. To be eligible, a loan applicant must be a for-profit enterprise; be located in one of the NCMDC service communities; create or retain at least one job for each $20,000 of funds provided; and show economic injury or funding needed for re-opening and recovery as a result of COVID-19. In addition, start-up businesses are required to provide a 10% equity injection.
“This infusion of capital will reinforce our lending capacity and allow us to continue to support the economic recovery of North Central Massachusetts with low interest loans.” said Roy M. Nascimento, President & CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation. “We are appreciative of the Economic Development Administration for their confidence in us. These funds will go a long way in helping many vulnerable small businesses regain their footing from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
For more information or to inquire about a loan, please contact Sandie Cataldo, Economic Development Manager at 978.353.7600 or email .
“Hire the best talent for the best compensation plan – the people that work best with your company and your culture – regardless of where they live,” advises business consultant Cameron Herold, co-author of The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs. He’s the mastermind behind hundreds of companies’ exponential growth and teaches today’s most dynamic business leaders.
Cameron Herold advises businesses to focus on hiring the best talent and offering the best compensation plan. According to the business expert, you should recruit employees who will work best with your company and culture regardless of where they live. They should be able to fit into the business culture and work with minimal help and supervision.
Train employees to do job interviews
One of the mistakes that most businesses make when it comes to hiring is failing to train employees to do job interviews. Today, companies are competing for top talent, making it essential to create a recruitment process that will help you attract the best employees. The interviewers will know how to ask the right questions and understand the importance of job relevance during the interviews.
Work with freelance recruiters
When looking to hire remote talent, you should cast your net wide. Working with freelance recruiters can help you find employees with the capabilities you need during tough times. The recruitment specialist will play a big role in outsourcing talent, effectively making the hiring process fast and easy. You can also make use of social media to reach a wider audience.
Help candidates self-decide if they fit in the setup
Since remote working is not for everyone, you should actively help candidates to determine if they fit in the setup. During the recruitment process, we suggest that you give the candidates an insider look into what working remotely involves. Sharing an insider perspective will not only prepare them for their work environment but also help you make the most of the skills they offer.
Offer a paid work trial
Once you have identified the best candidate for the job, you can offer a paid work trial before making an offer. This period will give you a chance to see how skilled they are, whether they fit into your business, and how well they can learn. We recommend that you give candidates actual work during the trial process and provide flexible work schedules.
Running a business and guiding your team through uncertain times is a huge challenge. Growing your business when it is slow, will be even more challenging. You will need to boost revenue and ensure that all your employees are protected from tough times. As a chamber of commerce, we believe that only true leadership can help navigate a crisis. Business leaders can use these tips to help their companies survive and thrive.
This has been Part 6 of 6 in the series How to Grow When It’s Slow, inspired by author and speaker Cameron Herold. For information about how to become a better business owner or operator, check out the Second In Command Podcast at CameronHerold.com/podcast.
(North Central, MA) –The next edition of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber’s popular Good Morning North Central program is scheduled for Friday, September 18, 2020 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Due to COVID-19 and restrictions around large-scale events, the September program will take place online. The September edition is sponsored by Unitil.
The Good Morning North Central series is a high-profile, fast-paced and educational morning program geared towards executives, senior managers, professionals and business owners. Each of the programs has a business-oriented focus and features popular speakers to present on topics of interest to local businesses.
The featured speakers for the month of September are the Honorable Michael Nicholson, Mayor of Gardner and Andrew E. Lelling, United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.
Michael Nicholson was elected the 20th mayor of the City of Gardner following a special election on June 30, 2020. Prior to being elected Mayor, Nicholson served as the Administrator for the Town of Rutland and previously as the Executive Aide to Former Gardner Mayor Mark Hawke. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst with Bachelors’ degrees in both History and Political Science and a Master’s degree in Public Policy. He is currently a candidate for a Juris Doctor degree at Suffolk University Law School.
Andrew E. Lelling was sworn in as U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts on December 21, 2017. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Lelling served as a federal prosecutor for over 15 years, first in the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department and later at the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Virginia and the District of Massachusetts. He was the lead prosecutor in a number of complex fraud, immigration and international drug trafficking investigations. In addition, Mr. Lelling has prosecuted major drug trafficking organizations, domestic branches of Mexican drug cartels, and global drug traffickers based in Eastern Europe.
Before joining the Justice Department, Mr. Lelling was a senior litigation associate at Goodwin Procter in Boston and a litigation associate at LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae in New York. Mr. Lelling graduated cum laude from University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1994 and received a Bachelor of Arts in Literature & Rhetoric from Binghamton University in 1991.
The cost is just $10 for Chamber members/$25 non-members. Virtual attendees can engage with the chance to submit questions for our guests. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, please contact Kathleen Deal at 978.353.7600 ext. 235, o visita www.northcentralmass.com.
How to Grow When It’s Slow: Change Your Business for The Better
“Companies are getting good at ripping off the band-aid and making decisions quickly and swiftly,” reports Cameron Herold, business expert and author of Meetings Suck. “That’s a good skill to have now that they’ve all benefited from making those tough decisions confronted with real facts.”
We got to eavesdrop on business expert Cameron Herold in a recent Real Estate Rockstars Radio interview. He’s the mastermind behind hundreds of companies’ exponential growth and teaches today’s most dynamic business leaders.
There are tons of lessons that companies and business leaders can learn from a crisis. We see this period as an opportunity for retooling businesses and making them better. Cameron Herold offers the following tips that we think can help you thrive.
Create a more empathetic workplace
One of the most important lessons that you can learn during tough times is empathy. After a crisis has passed, there should be a shift in your business culture. Both the management and employees should appreciate each team member’s contribution to the running of the organization. There should be more humanity, with colleagues looking out for and seeking to understand each other more. This will create a sense of belonging and make employees feel valued and appreciated.
Make tough decisions swiftly
For any business to grow when it is slow, the management has to make a lot of tough decisions. The changes that such events bring require that businesses adapt quickly to survive. Considering the fast-changing world in which businesses operate, the ability to make decisions quickly is an asset that will deliver great benefits. Herold says that these are skills that will stay with people beyond the crisis. When decisions are made based on data, there is a good chance they will make your business better.
Focus on innovation
Making your business better will also involve focusing on innovation and investing in technology systems that facilitate mobile working. Most crises will create barriers to business, making it necessary to develop better approaches and new ways of thinking. Greater innovation will create an environment for employees to explore, exercise creativity, and develop problem-solving skills. In the end, it will be important to ensure that all employees are comfortable with technology.
Improve leadership
Leadership will be instrumental in guiding the team through tough times and improving business operations going forward. In uncertain times, business leaders will adopt the most effective behaviors and attitudes. These include communicating clearly, thinking long-term, staying calm and strong, taking decisive action, and demonstrating empathy. If you want to make your business better, you should demonstrate the true leadership character that a crisis reveals. You should make these values part of your business culture to ensure sustainable growth in the long term.
Renewed career opportunities
The adjustments that are made during a crisis will create work that allows for more diversity. The use of technology will also make work more flexible as employees work remotely. Business leaders will encourage engagement to ensure that all employees play their part in overcoming the crisis. Depending on how the process is handled, there will be numerous career opportunities for staff as the management broadens the definition of responsibilities, reassesses critical jobs, and motivates employees.
For information about how to become a better business owner or operator, check out the Second In Command Podcast at CameronHerold.com/podcast.
And stay tuned for the next article in the 6-part series How to Grow When It’s Slow on the topic of remote hiring.
