Opinion

Small business owners in Massachusetts are now in the fight of their lives, many forced to close their doors when Gov. Charlie Baker shut down all non-essential businesses in mid-March.

Immediately, as our pandemic unfolded I found myself in a frenzied search for information! What would this mean for family or my business, already in a challenging position this year?

A couple of weeks ago, the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester, as well as other licensed child care centers, had to make perhaps one of the biggest-ever decisions affecting our industry: Do we close our doors due to Gov. Charlie Baker’s order or apply through the state to become an emergency childcare site?

The coronavirus is affecting all of us. And in extraordinary times, extraordinary actions are required. Worcester Together was born.

Mid-sized businesses face tremendous opportunities, as well as some challenges, as we look ahead in 2020.

If Gov. Charlie Baker succeeds in his efforts to have Massachusetts join the Transportation and Climate Initiative, a 12-state compact to reduce carbon emissions by imposing fees on fuel distributors, it will be a Pyrrhic victory.