By: Jule Pattison-Gordon
New initiatives, center & office to tackle business needs
After welcoming corporate giant General Electric, the mayor recently turned his attention to the other end of the business spectrum, announcing last week the city’s first plan for small businesses — a series of initiatives to tackle the needs of the sprawling sector.
“We want to make small businesses a top priority in the city of Boston,” Mayor Martin Walsh said, calling them “the lifeblood of our economy.”
Small businesses — defined as those with fewer than 50 employees and/or less than $5 million in revenue — provide a major source of urban employment and revenue. According to the small business plan report, they generate $150 billion in revenue and create 170,000 jobs annually.
“Ninety-five percent of Boston’s businesses are represented by small businesses,” said John Barros, chief of Economic Development.
Yet many struggle to secure the land, funding and knowledge to get started and build capacity. But resources do exists, said city officials, among a variety of local organizations as well as those offered by city government.
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