By Veer Mudambi / Cambridge@wickedlocal.com Aug 5, 2020 at 4:45 PM; Updated Aug 6, 2020 at 2:10 PM. See the article in full here. With the rollout of Phase Three reopening, the staff at Christopher’s in Porter Square had begun preparations to return to indoor dining: replacing air filters, separating tables, offering new training for staff. But plans suddenly ground to a halt when the […]

By Christina Ru, July 30, 2020. Small businesses are struggling all over the country. As all business plummeted in March, small business owners began to fret. They knew that they were in a harder position than national companies or chains. For starters, small businesses tend to operate with much less cushion in their accounts. They

As lawmakers negotiate the details of a Phase 4 Covid-19 relief bill, local chambers of commerce are pleading for financial assistance. Here’s why. BY CAMERON ALBERT-DEITCH, REPORTER, INC. View the full article at Inc. At the local visitor’s center, you’ll learn a few things about Latrobe, Pennsylvania: The city of 8,000, just east of Pittsburgh, is the original home

By Anqi Zhang, originally published in Sampan on July 24, 2020. At this very moment when the Black Lives Matter movement nationwide encountered the long-lasting Covid-19 pandemic, the situations of small local businesses, especially Black-owned businesses, have been brought to the forefront of public awareness. The restaurant industry in Mass. is approaching $5 billion in

By Lina Cho (CLF), originally published in Cambridge Day on July 22 Michael Kanter, co-founded the Cambridge Naturals health and wellness store in 1974. (Photo: Cambridge Naturals) Michael Kanter, of the store Cambridge Naturals in Porter Square, is sick of hearing the terms “new normal” and “pivot.” Kanter founded the natural wellness and health store as Cambridge

By Lina Cho (CLF), originally published in Cambridge Day on July 14, 2020 Irving House at Harvard, in Mid-Cambridge, was allowed to reopen to guests June 8. But a reopening doesn’t fix everything. In a time of lockdown and travel restrictions, it is hard to imagine many businesses affected more harshly by the coronavirus epidemic

By Lina Cho (CLF), originally published in Cambridge Day on July 8, 2020 and updated on July 14. For Cambridge independent business owner Antonina Colbert, the coronavirus epidemic meant three months with no income. Colbert is the sole proprietor of Antonina Bodywork, an injury and sports massage therapy service. A licensed practitioner and a professional member

By Hilary Burns  – Associate Editor, Boston Business Journal Mar 19, 2020, 5:39am EDT Updated Jul 7, 2020, 4:11pm EDT. Read the full article here. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world swiftly and drastically. Businesses across the commonwealth are doing their best to keep employees and customers safe, but that comes at a price. Companies across industries are bracing

By Ruth Simon and Peter RudegeairUpdated July 6, 2020 1012 am ET Small-business owners who haven’t yet applied for forgivable loans designed to ease the economic pain of the Covid-19 pandemic now have another chance. Congress passed legislation extending the deadline for submitting applications for the federal Paycheck Protection Program, and President Trump signed the

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold and cases surge as we enter July, the American economy continues to reopen. Although the unemployment rate has come down from its peak of 14.7% in mid-April, a full job market recovery is far from certain. As we contend with this unpredictability and precariousness, the dedicated team at