October 26, 2015Edition

Video Dirty Girl Shop Talk

Most Internet users have heard the recommendations that they need to use a password not related to their name, address or pet's name while including symbols, numbers and random capital letters. The reality is the usernames they have created for email accounts, social media and other online services could be delivering all their private details into the hands of cyber criminals – no password needed.

Ford R. Myers is a career coach and president of Career Potential, LLC.

In one fell swoop, a 168-room hotel has done something that years of development efforts have been striving for: align Worcester's downtown with the words luxury, premiere and high-end.

Getting promoted to a leadership or managerial position is great, a fruit of the labor of one's hard work. Going from a coworker to a boss can bring challenges, as well. It pays to reflect on the circumstances and situation at hand rather than just jump in.

MARIJUANA DOESN'T CONCERN 81% OF SMALL BUSINESSES A survey by Employers Holdings insurance found most small businesses...

Earlier in my commercial banking career, I came upon the customer files of a small company launched as a startup more than 50 years ago. Today, it is a well-known technology company. My bank had financed some of its startup costs. However, within just a couple of years, the financing needs of that company increased to millions of dollars, and the bank was no longer able to support its growth.

MutualOne Bank of Framingham donated $5,000 to Homeowners Options for Massachusetts Elders (HOME), to help low-income seniors.

It would be the largest acquisition in the history of the technology sector, but for locals, the bigger story is what's ahead for EMC's Hopkinton operations when Dell acquires the data-storage giant for $67 billion.

In fiscal 2014, Saint Vincent Hospital was the most profitable outside of Greater Boston at $65.2 million.

Any one of the six 2015 Outstanding Women in Business is amazing in her own right, but the combined force of this class presents a vast array of lessons and insights for men and women of all ages looking to succeed in their professional and personal lives.

Dick Fiske Sr. and his Heart to Heart Foundation of North Brookfield was honored by the Children's Smile Coalition at Hanover Theatre in Worcester last month.

For local nonprofits, it can be a never-ending marathon to gather the dribs and drabs of money that keep the lights and the paychecks signed, which explains the enthusiasm in the voice of Joseph Cox when he talks of the $2 million his EcoTarium received from the Worcester-based C Jean and Myles McDonough Charitable Foundation.

Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School in Marlborough has reopened, following a $62.4 million renovation project which included new wiring, windows and heating system. A new security system with cameras was installed, along with a new roof and science labs.

These Central Massachusetts businesses filed incorporation papers with the Massachusetts Secretary of State's Office from July 16-31, 2015. Listed are the name, address, ZIP and president.

Economic development assets, whether for a community or for a region, often involve unique attributes that foster commercial growth and strengthen the desirability of a location.

TODD DONOHOE was hired as a commercial lender at Hometown Bank in Oxford. He was most recently...

Katherine Fairbanks knows a thing or two about branding – and business survival. A lifelong Millbury native, she has 20 years of experience in rubbish disposal through the family business, Millbury Rubbish Removal (MRR).

The hoopla surrounding this month's announcement of a $33-million, high-end luxury hotel for downtown Worcester may seem a bit overhyped, but given the step-by-step nature of economic revitalization, business and city officials have the right to be excited to get another important piece of the puzzle in place and can't be faulted for shouting their successes from the rooftops.

The Baker administration announced the first non-stop commuter rail train from Worcester to South Station in Boston. The train will run at 7:55 a.m. during the week and shave a half hour off of the commute, eliminating up to 16 stops along the way. In our poll for the week of Oct. 12, most respondents said they would use it never or only occasionally.

When Worcester-based Reliant Medical Group announced the layoff of 78 employees early last month, the healthcare provider cited a projected budget shortfall.