UPCOMING Virtual Events
Monday 1/10/22 / 10:00am – 11:00am
Make
Better Business Decisions with Google Analytics
Monday 1/10/22 / 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Basics
of Starting Your Business
Tuesday 1/11/22 / 9:00am – 10:00am
Get
Started-Doing Business with the Federal Government
Tuesday 1/11/22 / 11:00am – 12:00pm
How
To Become Women-Owned Certified with SBA
Wednesday 1/12/22 / 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Book(keeping!)
Club – CWE Eastern MA – Live Workshop
Wednesday 1/12/22 / 10:00am – 12:00pm
Excel
Formulas — They Can Do More than Just Math
Thursday 1/13/22 / 9:00am – 12:00pm
Basics
of Starting Your Business
Thursday 1/13/22 / 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Business
Foundation: Business Planning – The Easier Way
Thursday 1/13/22 / 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Become
a Digital Media Creator with Canva, Session 1 – CWE Central MA – Live Workshop
5 DAYS LEFT FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS WEEK AWARDS SUBMISSION
Reminder: The deadline to electronically upload submission packages for the 2022 National
#SmallBusinessWeek
awards is next
Tuesday, January 11th at 3pm ET.
Please review the SUBMISSION
GUIDELINES for each of the award categories carefully and be sure to follow the directions before you upload your package to the MA district office BOX
ACCOUNT HERE.
QUESTIONS?
Contact: norman.eng@sba.gov
2022 Award Categories
National Awards
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Small Business Person of the Year
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Small Business Exporter of the Year
Massachusetts District & New England Regional Awards
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Jeffrey Butland Family Owned Small Business
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Minority Small Business Owner
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Veteran Small Business Owner
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Woman Small Business Owner
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Microenterprise
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Young Entrepreneur (30 or under on June 1st 2022)
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Small Business Manufacturer
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Homebased Business Champion
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Financial Services Champion
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8(a) Graduate of the Year
Thursday 1/13/22 / 12:00pm – 1:00pm
BUSINESS
PLANNING—THE SIMPLER WAY.
Friday 1/14/22 / 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Cloud
Implementation and Cyber Security
Friday 1/14/22 / 11:30am – 1:30pm
Accounting
for Non-Accountants – CWE Central MA
Tuesday 1/18/21 / 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Start
Your Own Business
Wednesday 1/19/22 / 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Marketing
Your Products or Services to the Federal Government
Wednesday 1/19/22 / 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Working
on Wellness: Lunchtime Fitness for Busy Businesspeople – CWE Central MA – Live Workshop
Wednesday 1/19/22 / 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Website
Planning 101
Thursday 1/20/22 / 9:00am – 10:00am
Instagram
101
Thursday 1/20/22 / 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Business
Foundation – Building a Startup Budget
Thursday 1/20/22 / 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Ready
to Turn Your Idea into a Business? NOW is the Time!
Friday 1/21/22 / 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Thought
Leadership to Attract More Business
Friday 1/21/22 / 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Power
Up Your Small business with Verizon’s Digital Ready Program
Monday 1/24/22 / 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Social
Media Made Simple – CWE Central MA
Tuesday 1/25/22 / 9:00am – 10:30am
SBA
8(a) Business Development Program
Tuesday 1/25/22 / 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Business
Plan Basics – CWE Central MA
Wednesday 1/26/22 / 12:00pm – 1:00pm
What
the Yelp: Turning a Negative Online Review Into Positive P.R. – CWE Central MA – Live Workshop
Wednesday 1/26/22 / 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Building
Business Credit – Part 2 – CWE Eastern MA – Live Workshop
Wednesday 1/26/22 / 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Steps
to Start a Business – CWE Eastern MA – Live Workshop
Thursday 1/27/22 / 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Become
a Digital Media Creator with Canva, Session 3 – CWE Central MA – Live Workshop
Friday 1/28/22 / 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Major
Types Insurance That Businesses Should Have
Massachusetts Export Expo
Speakers and content to be announced soon.
Date: Thursday and Friday, January 27 and 28, 2022
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST
Location: Virtual
Cost: No charge
Contact: Massachusetts Export Center at 617-973-6110
Join us for the Export Expo – the state’s largest and most important export event of the year that brings together resources, training and information for the local exporting community!
The Massachusetts Export Center’s Export Expo provides a forum for exporters to connect with the wide range of export resources available in Massachusetts while learning about issues that impact their day-to-day operations.
This year’s Export Expo will again be a virtual event that will include an exhibit area featuring government, non-profit and private sector service providers serving the export community. The Export Expo will also feature a lineup of workshops, panel discussions
and special addresses on a wide variety of export-related topics.
The Export Expo will feature influential guest speakers and opportunities to connect with experts to answer your specific export questions. We hope that you will join us for the same timely and important international trade content in a convenient and safe
virtual format! Our virtual platform will provide opportunities for networking and allow participants to view all of the conference’s content, so you won’t miss a thing!
Government Contracting
and Business Development
Tuesday 1/11/22 / 11:00am – 12:00pm
How
To Become Women-Owned Certified with SBA
Tuesday 1/11/22 / 9:00am – 10:00am
Get
Started-Doing Business with the Federal Government
Tuesday 1/25/22 / 9:00am – 10:30am
SBA
8(a) Business Development Program
7(j) training, provided to eligible firms and their employees, includes very specialized training in the areas of federal contracting. The training will be provided in an online format with live instructors and the ability for students to participate and ask
questions. Up to 40 participants per workshop will receive training on how to make “real world” business decisions that will facilitate their firm’s success.
Please check out the 7J training schedules for Stover & Associates and Gabriel Enterprises below.
Stover & Associates, Inc. Training Schedule
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
REGISTER
HERE: https://sbaworkshops.stoverteam.com
Click the “Register for Training” button on the left side navigation pane and check out a complete list of topics offered this month.
Introduction to Construction Project Management
Wednesday, January 12, 2022 / 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Marketing to the Government Buyer
Thursday, January 13, 2022 / 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Understanding the Requests for Proposal
Tuesday, January 18, 2022 / 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Negotiating Government Contracts
Wednesday, January19, 2022 / 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Managing & Administrating Government Contracts
Wednesday, January 26, 2022 / 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Contractor Teaming
Thursday, January 27, 2022 / 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Federal Acquisitions Regulation (FAR) Primer
Monday, January 31, 2022 / 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
SVOG Spotlight: Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts
Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts is a nonprofit arts organization based in Holyoke MA. Started in 1994 – MIFA produces, presents and sponsors performing arts programs in collaboration with communities in Western Massachusetts.
Executive Artistic Director Don Sanders leads MIFA, which has been a catalyst in providing an outlet to young people interested getting involved in the arts.
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MIFA’s Education Program introduces students to major arts events and disciplines. Students participate in performances, workshops, masterclasses; and are given an opportunity to interact with major international artists and arts companies.
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MIFA’s Vocational Program is a collaboration with Holyoke regional schools and the International Association of Technical and Stage Employees (IATSE Local 53) with the goal to train secondary and college-age students for highly skilled jobs in the Entertainment
and Media Industries.
All MIFA programming supports the economic revitalization of Holyoke and a goal of the organization is the preservation and reopening of the century-old, 1,600 seat Broadway-style landmark, Victory Theatre located in the downtown area of Holyoke.
EIDL lifeline helps pivot programming In March of 2020, MIFA ceased operations and had to lay off all four employees due to COVID restrictions on live performances and gatherings mandated by the state.
The first lifeline came from an SBA EIDL loan of $150,000 in August of 2020 which provided the support to pivot programming from in-person to virtual with the help of volunteers and part-time staff. For example, through a relationship with New England Public
Media, MIFA was able to present the Latinx theater festival with “Torched and The Red Rose” from Pregonnes, Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre.
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SVOG keeps MIFA on course with mission Deprived of box office income, MIFA continued to fundraise through private supporters, foundations and other state programs. Additionally, after meeting Rosa Taormina, Advisor at the Massachusetts Small
Business Development Center at Salem State University – MIFA learned about the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, which was awarded in July of 2021. The SVOG funds assured that MIFA could continue with recovery plans and replace the loss of income from the
Covid shutdown.
The injection of SVOG funding enabled MIFA to stay on course with their mission, rehiring dedicated staff focused on transforming Victory Theater to be a cultural institution on a par with the likes of Tanglewood, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), and the Lincoln
Center International Festival of the Arts.
On December 31, 2020, the Victory Theatre turned 100! MIFA celebrated by hosting a special virtual event, “Victory Theatre’s 100th Birthday Celebration” featuring the work of one of Latin America’s most promising composers, Iván E. Rodríguez. You can watch
a short video about the event
HERE.
NEWS RELEASE: SBA Lending Leaders to Minorities, Women, Veterans, Construction, Restaurants, and more Highlighted in SBA MA Annual Meeting
Traditional lending (7a/504) saw 43% increase year-over-year; 7(a) dollar amount up 69%; 504 dollar amount up 28% with loan approvals up 27%
Release Date: December 13, 2021
Release Number: 22-03
BOSTON – The Massachusetts District Office held its’
Annual Meeting virtually on Friday, December 10th and announced the
2021 Lender Awards to highlight SBA lending activity for federal fiscal year 2021. “Collectively, including 7(a), 504 and microloans, the SBA with the help of over 113 different lenders, supported capital to 1,533 small businesses for $970.47 million in
Massachusetts,” said Robert H. Nelson, SBA Massachusetts District Director. “We thank all of our partners and friends for working with the SBA to ensure small businesses get the access to capital they need to start, grow, expand and recover.”
2021 SBA Massachusetts Lender Awards:
Greylock Federal Credit Union approved 10 SBA 7(a) loans totaling $437,000 in Western Massachusetts.
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#1 Western MA SBA 7(a) Lender
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#1 Lender to Rural Businesses
Granite State Development Corporation approved 35 SBA 504 loans totaling $17,198,000 in Western Massachusetts; Statewide – Granite State approved 105 SBA 504 loans totaling $57,828,000.
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#1 Western MA 504/CDC Lender
Greenfield Savings Bank approved 12 SBA 504 3rd Party loans totaling $2,809,972 in Western Massachusetts.
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#1 Western MA 504/CDC 3rd Party Lender
St. Mary’s Credit Union approved 34 SBA 7(a) loans totaling $2,898,200 with 47% made to the construction industry. St. Mary’s Credit Union also remained the only credit union in the top 10 statewide for 7(a) loan approvals.
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# 1 Lender to Construction
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Credit Union of the Year
Avidia Bank approved 12 SBA 7(a) loans totaling $6,171,500 with 40% of loans made to manufacturers.
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# 1 Lender to Manufacturers
Leader Bank approved 53 SBA 7(a) loans totaling $6,276,400 with 62% made to the retail trade industry.
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#1 Lender to Retail Industry
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CFI Lender of the Year
Northern Bank and Trust Company approved 11 SBA 7(a) loans totaling $3,327,100 with 36% of loans made to restaurants.
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# 1 Lender to Restaurants
Cape Cod Five Cents approved 16 SBA 7(a) loans totaling $2,504,600 with 50% of loans made to women owned businesses.
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# 1 Lender to Women Entrepreneurs
North Shore Bank approved 15 SBA 7(a) loans totaling $3,801,000 with 20% made to veteran owned businesses.
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# 1 Lender to Veteran Entrepreneurs
Rockland Trust approved 32 SBA 7(a) loans totaling $16,405,500 with 41% made to minority owned businesses.
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# 1 Lender to Minority Entrepreneurs
Atlantic Capital Bank approved 14 SBA 7(a) loans totaling $16,051,000 with 85% made to new businesses.
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#1 Lender to New Businesses
Bay Colony Development Corporation approved 128 SBA 504 loans totaling $79,157,000 statewide.
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#1 504 CDC by Loan Approvals & Dollars
Common Capital approved 26 microloans totaling $693,319, representing 36% of all microloans approved in the state.
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# 1 Micro Lender of the Year
Live Oak Banking Company approved 47 7(a) loans totaling $70,248,000 – the most by dollar amount statewide. In 2020, Live Oak approved 16 SBA 7(a) loans totaling $18,187,000; This year’s activity increased by over 270% in dollar amount and 193% in the number
of approvals.
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Most Improved 7(a) Lender of the Year
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#1 7(a) Lender by Dollar Amount
Eastern Bank approved 185 SBA 7(a) loans, 16.74% of all SBA 7(a) loans made in the state, totaling $35,737,300. Eastern Bank also approved 30 SBA 504 Third Party Loans totaling $31,161,805.
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#1 7(a) Lender by Loan Approvals
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#1 504 3rd Party Lender of the Year by Approvals & Dollars
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Lender of the Year for Job Creation and Retention
WHERE CAN I GET HELP?
Please direct all other inquiries and questions to our District Office email at:
MassachusettsDO@sba.gov
FREE and confidential counseling services are available across the Commonwealth.
Virtual education, training and networking sessions are happening daily.
Please schedule a virtual session with any of our Resource Partners below…
Resource Partner Network
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WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS!
Staff are working remotely and can be reached via email or telephone. MSBDC is committed to supporting entrepreneurs during these very challenging times.
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MSBDC advisors can assist businesses with disaster loan applications.
If you are not currently a client and would like to speak with a counselor, please find your region and reach out to the
REGIONAL
OFFICE SERVING YOU.
Berkshire Regional Office
33 Dunham Mall, Suite 103
Pittsfield, MA 01201
413-499-0933 | Fax: 413-499-3005
www.msbdc.org/berkshire
Central Regional Office
Clark University
The Carriage House, 125 Woodland Street
Worcester, MA 01610
508-793-7615 | Fax: 508-793-8890
www.clarku.edu/offices/sbdc
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