I grew up in Cambridge and when I came back to Cambridge as an adult, mom and chef, I started my personnel chef business in Cambridge. Cambridge Local First was an important part of my understanding of how to transition from home cook to small business owner. At the feet of the members I gleaned important knowledge, some subtle hints and some hugely important facts.
When the crisis started, Cambridge Local First jumped to attention, immediately, rallying professionals at recently adopted Zoom meetings to explain complicated nuances of labor law and business relief applications.
Even though I am now a Somerville business owner, I have been welcomed to these meetings and I feel supported as much as I did when I was a Cambridge business. I am so grateful for these information sessions!
CLF has done the work of a year in the past month, and like all of us small businesses they could not have anticipated this and they were not funded to do it.
I appreciate this small business organization and I need it, so I have asked them what they need to get through the next 8 months. I believe that a lot of small businesses are going to need their help for that time, and longer, as we get through this, to the other side, and get back to the business of being fabulous!
Here are words, from Cambridge Local First about Cambridge Local First . Thanks for reading and for supporting local businesses by helping this organization to keep providing essential support to us.
Cambridge Local First is a nonprofit network of 400 local and independent businesses here in Cambridge, working in partnership with independent business associations nationally. Our mission is to support, promote, and celebrate a local economy community by educating the public and government about the significant environmental, economic, and cultural benefits of a strong local economy.
This is a dire moment for our small businesses, which constitute the bedrock of our economy. Many are closing, and some estimates suggest that 40% of our local businesses will fail to reopen following this crisis, and an additional 25% within the year. And, given that local businesses constitute 99.9% of all U.S. businesses and employ 50 % of all working Americans, their vitality will be critical to a robust post-COVID recovery.
We are working hard to provide meaningful small business assistance, education to the public, and advocacy. We are a grassroots and community organization. We are determined to support Cambridge’s local businesses, but we can’t do it alone. We need help to support our staff and operations, so that we can be the best advocate possible for our local businesses to survive this crisis.
Please help or share, by donating here.
Together we are strong. It is hard, but we can do this.
Thanks,
JJ Gonson
Small business owner
Cuisine en Locale
ONCE Somerville
www.cambridgelocalfirst.org
#SmallBusinessRelief #KeepTheLightsOn #TooSmallToFail
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