Small Business

Most public life in Massachusetts will remain shut down until at least May 18, adding at least another two weeks to business closures as the state launches an effort to create a roadmap for a phased reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Derek Canton has made a shift during the coronavirus pandemic from developing a restaurant app for dining rooms to one offering a safer and more secure method for takeout and delivery, he said during an interview on the WBJ Podcast.

In an interview for the WBJ Podcast, bankHometown President and CEO Robert Morton said the Oxford-based bank already had 250 loans totaling about $15 million lined up for when the second round of Paycheck Protection Program.

As the second round of Paycheck Protection Program funding is starting to be dispersed, bankHometown has 250 loans totaling about $15 million from customers who missed out on the first round.

A coalition of 74 organizations is asking the state to develop a small business relief and recovery program that would focus on the operations that are most vulnerable during the COVID-19 crisis, including those owned by immigrants, women and people of color and those located in rural areas, gateway cities and low-income areas.

The necessity of staying far apart from others has become clear to restaurateurs that habits will likely change long after dine-in eating returns.

Four multigenerational Central Mass. businesses owners underscore the importance of mixing up both their goods and their services, as well as an overwhelming willingness to adapt to customer requests and market demands.

Five Central Mass. business owners will be honored during National Small Business week, as part of their receiving a number of Massachusetts small business owner of the year awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The U.S. Small Business Administration approved 509 Economic Injury Disaster Loans for businesses dealing with COVID-19 fallout in Massachusetts, according to an April 20 update.

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday approved an extra $320 billion in funding for the Paycheck Protection Program, the original $349-billion forgiveable loan program for small businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, which ran out of money after less than two weeks.