Posts by DIFDESIGN
MassLive Media announces incentive program with up to $1 million in matching marketing grants to help businesses rebuild following mandated shutdowns
For about three months many businesses across Massachusetts have been closed due to mandated shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic. As some businesses have been cleared to open up, under strict guidelines as part of the state’s four-phase reopening plan, others are still waiting for approval from Gov. Charlie Baker. Read the source article at…
Read MoreUnderstanding the Employee Retention Credit
Businesses that either repaid in a timely fashion or did not receive a loan pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) should explore their eligibility for the new Employee Retention Credit, one of the tax-relief provisions of the CARES Act passed on March 27. Like the PPP loan program, the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) is…
Read MoreUS Rep. Richard Neal touts $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan for trains, green energy with Springfield Union Station visit
Speaking over the rumbling locomotive of the 12:05 Amtrak train to Hartford, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal touted a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan he and his fellow Democrats introduced with a Friday visit to Springfield’s Union Station. Read the source article at masslive.com
Read MoreLandscapers Say Homeowners Are Focused on Lawns, Yard Projects
On his daily commute from Wilbraham to East Longmeadow, Dave Graziano has never seen lawns as green as they are this year — even with the recent lack of rain. And as project manager for the landscape division of Graziano Gardens, he knows a thing or two about green lawns. “More than ever, people are…
Read MoreArea Restaurants Begin to Reopen to Eager Guests
Lisa Pac has been brewing beer for almost two decades, eventually growing a home-brewing enterprise into Skyline Beer Co., a restaurant, craft beer and wine bar, bakery, and home-brewing supply store in Westfield. In December, she and business partners Dana Bishop and Daniel Osella realized a dream of moving into a much larger space in…
Read MoreTourism and Hospitality Sector Ramps Up for Uncertain Summer
As he talked with BusinessWest about his industry and his family’s hotel group, Kishore Parmar kept glancing back and forth between the lobby of the Hampton Inn in Hadley and the parking lot outside. He did so with a look that blended something approaching disbelief — still, after roughly three months of the same view…
Read MoreSpringfield east-west rail, faster broadband internet, green technologies highlight $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill
A $1.5 trillion infrastructure construction bill introduced Thursday in Washington by House Democrats including U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield could fund the transition away from fossil fuels, bring faster internet to rural central and Western Massachusetts as well as east-west rail. Read the source article at masslive.com
Read MoreUMass Amherst Contributes to Development of Open-source N95 Respirator
In one of the latest COVID-19 response projects at UMass Amherst, the Advanced Digital Design and Fabrication (ADDFab) laboratory is collaborating with a global network of design, engineering, and manufacturing experts to help develop an open-source N95 face mask. ADDFab, one of the core facilities at UMass’s Institute for Applied Life Sciences, has been rapidly…
Read MoreSTCC Receives $35,000 COVID-19 Relief Grant from Community Foundation
Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) received a $35,000 grant to help students affected by the COVID-19 health crisis. The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts awarded the grant through the COVID-19 Response Fund for the Pioneer Valley. STCC was one of several organizations to receive financial help in the latest round of awards through the COVID-19…
Read MoreMassachusetts Announces Additional Tax-relief Measures for Businesses
Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Senate President Karen Spilka, and House Speaker Robert DeLeo announced additional administrative tax-relief measures for local businesses that have been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, especially in the restaurant and hospitality sectors. This tax relief builds upon previous, similar tax extensions and includes postponing the collection of…
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