Worcester Business Journal

10 Worcester Business Journal | October 17, 2022 | wbjournal.com E X P E R T I S E M A K E S A L L T H E D I F F E R E N C E When you arrive at a certain size, your banking needs become more complex. With Country Bank's commercial banking team, you get customized problem-solving, higher lending limits, industry expertise, and highly responsive service. Street and elsewhere. As part of the beautification of the downtown area, the town offers financial assistance to businesses to have attractive signage. While designs for these grants are subject to approval, there is no standard, allowing businesses to create a sign in their own styles and keeping the street from all looking the same. One large sign along Clnton's High Street is e Strand eater marquee. While the sign offers current information about goings-on in the town, the theater closed during the COVID pandemic. Seeing it is an asset to downtown, the Town of Clinton secured a grant to conduct a feasibility study, researching whether the site could be turned into a performing arts center. "e population is younger and more diverse than one would expect," said Lee Abdella, a marketing consultant the town hired, who works with Duffy to get the word out about Clinton. In early March, two grand opening signs hung outside of Brazilian restaurants around Depot Square: Delicias da Nossa Terra and Brazilian Flavor Bakery. On High Street, within a block of each other, businesses are opening or have recently opened: e Scarlett Nook, a gi shop, e Soulful Co., a dance and fitness studio, AB Aesthetics, a cosmetology clinic, and Revival Gis. "Downtown is an incubator for small businesses," said Duffy, "As of six months ago, 62% of the businesses here were woman-owned, minority-owned, or immigrant owned." An organized business community As new businesses open around Clinton, the region's business leaders relaunched the Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce and a started local business marketing association, Discover Clinton. Lauren Crossman- Nanof started the chamber in June, as an affiliate of the Greater Worcester Chamber of Commerce. e last chamber of commerce in Clinton was the Wachusett Chamber of Commerce, which disbanded in 2012. "We need to earn that trust back from businesses aer the old chamber fell apart," said Crossman-Nanof, "We'll introduce ourselves as being a resource. Some people don't understand the benefits of being part of the chamber Lauren Crossman- Nanof, president of Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce Continued from page 9

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