Small Business

After three months of steady decline, business confidence in Massachusetts began to recuperate in May, yet stayed in pessimistic territory for the fourth consecutive month.

Warning that a "silver tsunami" of Baby Boomer businessowners looking to sell in the next 15 to 20 years could lead to vanishing local small businesses, advocates asked lawmakers Thursday to provide incentives for employee ownership structures.

A third-generation roofer based in Fitchburg, Cochran earned his MBA from Fitchburg State University and turned the family trade into a business with locations in Massachusetts, Florida, and Connecticut. He now hopes to pass the tradition on to his son, continuing the legacy into a fourth generation.

The Boulevard Diner now stands as Central Massachusetts’ sole independently-owned diner operating with any kind of 24-hour model.

Nine Central Massachusetts nonprofits have received a total of nearly $1 million in grant funding for their efforts to provide small businesses with technical assistance training and access to financing.

Restaurant owners scrambling to turn profits amid rising food, labor and energy costs again turned to the Legislature Tuesday for some reprieve as they lobby to pass credit card surcharges onto their customers. Meanwhile, economic development groups that support minority businesses aired their worries on Beacon Hill about how the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies and tariffs are impeding their supply chain and customer base.

Story by Joseph Corrazini, vice president for government and community affairs at Clark University

The School of Business at Clark University in Worcester, in partnership with Worcester Business Journal, has launched a training academy to help emerging women leaders develop new skills and advance their careers.

Safe Exit Initiative, a Worcester nonprofit supporting those involved in the sex trade, has expanded its reach into the Mid-Atlantic, launching a harm reduction and outreach program in Baltimore. 

Bella Pizzeria, which has an existing location in Milford, will serve items including pizza, burgers, and esfihas, which are small pies containing either savory or sweet fillings.