Resources for Small Business During Crisis

Most small businesses will be devastatingly impacted during the coronavirus crisis and their very survival is at stake. Not only is access to physical business locations very limited with no specific end in sight, but also, most people have significantly shifted their buying patterns to essential goods and services but this is further hampered by the number of people now out of work with no or reduced capacity.

We have developed a resources page for small businesses that includes information from:

• The Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce
• Arlington Chamber of Commerce
• Representative Lori Trahan's Office
• The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
• Kevin J. Kuros at the Massachusetts Office of Business Development
• Help for Health-Related Businesses
• MassHire North Central Workforce Board

We will keep this resource board up to date when new information is received and we welcome any other resources for small business that you happen to come across. If you need any help locating resources that are not listed here or on applications for assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me, Christopher Ryan, Director of Community and Economic Development, at cryan@harvard.ma.us or 978-456-4100 x.323 anytime.

What Really Happens When You Donate Your Clothes—And Why It’s Bad (from GetPocket)

"Blame fast fashion."

Good article about the non-sustainability of the fashion industry.

Go to article here...

Harvard Receives 2020 DLTA Grant

The Leominster-based Montachusett Regional Planning Commission or MRPC, notified the Town of Harvard last week that the Town has been awarded a $15,000 equivalent grant through the annual District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA) program administered by regional planning agencies such as MRPC. Harvard's grant will be to conduct an updated municipal buildout analysis (updating 2002 version done by MRPC through the State's EO418 program) adding both commercial and agricultural components and also developing scenario analysis into the model. A buildout analysis evaluates what could be built on remaining developable parcels in the community showing how many additional housing units and commercial space can be added and how much additional population, school children, and miles of new roads will be added at full buildout. Harvard will also ask MRPC to add a scenario building module so that different buildout futures can be evaluated, a component that not many other communities have included.

Figure 1 - Conventional and OSRD Developments Compared

 

Harvard will then have a fiscal impact analysis conducted on the updated buildout version and any scenario that evolves from the update. Then, each scenario can be run through a fiscal impact analysis tool to show the different revenue models that would likely occur through different buildout scenarios. The Agriculture Commission will also be participating in the project as they wish to show how much Agriculture contributes to the local economy and this component will be included in the study. If you have any questions about this project, contact me at cryan@harvard.ma.us or call 978-456-4100 x.323.