Worcester Business Journal

22 Worcester Business Journal • May 25, 2015 www.wbjournal.com www.chartertv3.com Catch PawSox Baseball LIVE on Charter TV3! 11:00AM Telecasts: June 24 July 29 August 19, 26 September 2 12:00PM Telecasts: May 26, 27 June 10 July 30 1:00PM Telecasts: September 7 6:00PM Telecasts: May 25 July 3 7:00PM Telecasts: May 27, 29 June 9, 10, 12, 23, 26 July 10, 24, 28, 30 August 7, 18, 21, 25 September 1, 4, 7 Presented By: Law Offices of Joseph J. Cariglia Paul Cantiani Insurance Agency Percy's Watch us on Charter 193! Commercial Lending Law is: Protecting your interests while helping grow businesses. A good commercial lending lawyer knows how to close loans. A great one also handles complex transactions and compliance issues and resolves disputes so that everyone feels like a winner. Commercial Lending Practice Group Members: Christopher J. Currier, Chair, David M. Gilden, Michael A. Kehoe, William R. Moorman, Jr., Richard Nadeau, Christopher J. Panos, Jay R. Peabody, David F. Hannon, William F. Macauley, Christopher C. Cassara, Alexandra W. Pezzello, Robert M. Tammero, Jr. www.psh.com 508-599-3000 Grossman-led nonprofit aims to help small-biz owners tion and our downtown," Vallee said. "There's a lot of resources available… the municipality needs to be the 'go- between' to help with workforce devel- opment." Many business owners may have skills in a particular area but lack col- lege business degrees, Traynor said, so gaining skills to ensure smooth expan- sion is important. The city has its own education efforts, working with such organizations as the Worcester Business Development Corp. The business assistance division has administered programs for those look- ing to open a business, as well as estab- lished business owners. The ICIC programs would mesh with those local offerings, Traynor said, offering ways for entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. The city takes steps to walk budding business owners through the permitting and planning. This includes a 10-point guide to starting a new business and can even involve helping businesses find locations. It is vitally important to help new ventures in the city, Paul Morano, director of the division of business assistance, said. "We want to make sure they are edu- cated and they are successful. If some- one opens a business and then closes three months later, it doesn't help the entrepreneur, it doesn't help the city to have a storefront turning over every few months," said Morano. "It's job creation. If somebody starts a business, they are hiring people." The programming in the city also extends to established businesses, said Peter Dunn, business programs manag- er in the division of business assistance. The city holds free workshops that have included topics such as how to bid for government contracts, accounting and human resources. "Even if you've been in business for 20 years, the environment of business is always changing, so it is a continuous education and continuous improve- ment," Dunn said, adding that business owners must keep themselves up to date on changes to laws such as mandatory sick time. The city's programs, especially those that focus on accounting and human relations management, have been well received by the business community, said Julie Theriault, executive director of Worcester Local First, a network of local business owners. Many of the city's small-business owners may be getting by with a lack of formal education, but understanding different areas will only benefit local businesses, she said. n >> Continued from Page 9

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