As we enter the final quarter of 2020, I imagine we are all reflecting on next steps for our families, our children’s education, our jobs, and — for many of us — our businesses.

Our Chamber launched publicly in 2018, and we rose to the challenge of supporting the specific needs of our small business owners and corporate partners. We continue to do so in our pandemic-affected reality. Many of us are now adjusting to a new normal and pivoting on how to keep our businesses operating. Others of us have been able to take this time to thrive with new product lines and even entirely new businesses.

As we begin October, and look to November and December to close out our books for 2020, set up strategic plans for 2021, and adjust to PPP, EIDL, and the other necessary steps many of us took to stay afloat, I urge us to stay strong and lean on our solid community for support.

After months of preparation and several rounds of eliminations, the Chamber held the grand finale for our first-ever Virtual Pitch Competition on September 18. Small business owners showcased their business in pitch-style presentations — first a slide deck, then a pre-recorded video, and finally live via Zoom. Every business that competed had strong submissions, and each round gave the judges some tough decisions as to who would advance.

Ultimately, Rodrigo Vargas of American Vinegar Works was declared the winner in a very tight race, claiming the $10,000 top prize for his business! Congratulations to Rodrigo and all of our contestants. Next year’s pitch competition will be even bigger — so start working on your pitch deck today!

September 24 marked two years since the Chamber’s public launch. While the past year hasn't exactly gone to plan, we are extremely proud of how our members and partners have rallied and shown great resiliency. Before COVID hit, we hosted LGBTQ+ job fairs (including our second annual job fair in partnership with the Trans Club of New England), added new partners, organized our inaugural Worcester roundtable, and expanded our presence in Western Massachusetts.

Since going remote, we've coordinated a robust series of virtual programming, and the Chamber’s mission hasn’t been slowed down. We’ve partnered with the Small Business Administration to explain COVID business relief opportunities to our members; we’ve hosted workshops and webinars to help small businesses develop new skills and adapt to the current situation; we adjusted our job fair model so that we could still hold one virtually during Pride Month; and found a way to have our first ever Pitch Competition entirely over Zoom just a few weeks ago.

The Chamber has always aimed to be innovative and strategic, and this past year has certainly put those skills to the test for everybody. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished in our second year, and excited to expand upon it throughout our third. Thank you for continuing to join us in this work.

Our virtual programming continues to draw audiences, with Wells Fargo Advisors and Mantell Retirement Consulting, Inc., sharing valuable information with members about social security and the U.S. Small Business Administration detailing how paycheck protection program (PPP) loan forgiveness works. View the full recordings on our YouTube channel:

Cathy Burgess, Wells Fargo Advisors

Marcia Mantell, Mantell Retirement Consulting, Inc.

Caroline Williams and Dan Martiniello, U.S. Small Business Administration

Find video recordings of previous webinars and our pitch competition finale on our YouTube page.

The Mass Growth Capital Corporation is partnering with the Federal Reserve to conduct a Small Business Credit Survey for both pre-start and existing businesses, and they are asking that you participate. This short survey takes approximately 10 minutes and asks about business conditions, financing needs, and credit experiences. Responses are confidential.

The survey highlights the experiences of small businesses and provides critical information that service providers, policymakers, and lenders use to improve programs for small business owners.

Business owners, click here to participate in the survey and help MGCC and the Federal Reserve gather data.

Chamber members are invited to join our statewide Facebook networking group.

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