City of Boston Resources for Small Businesses
**Small Business calls are held every Tuesday at 3PM as a resource for small businesses. Please email smallbiz@boston.gov to be added to the distribution list.
All Small Businesses
Mayor Walsh announced the creation of the Small Business Relief Fund on April 2, 2020, established to assist Boston’s small businesses most directly impacted by closures, policies, or general loss of revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Designed to quickly and strategically disburse grants to local businesses through a streamlined process that does not require businesses to assume additional debt.
- Application available here.
- Anyone needing support to fill out the application should call 617-635-2111 (in English + 9 languages including Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cape Verdean Creole, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Somali, French, and Russian)
- The How-To-Apply Guide with requirements and guidelines can be found here.
The City of Boston has put out a third survey for small businesses to fill out. There will be new surveys periodically to get updated data. If you own or manage a small business, please fill it out!
- Financial Relief Handbook
- Office of Economic Development FAQ Document
- Apply to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program
- Chief John Barros’ FaceBook Live Small Business Session
- City of Boston’s website dedicated to information sharing
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts Small Business Tax Relief
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce Coronavirus Emergency Loans Small Business Guide and Checklist
- U.S. Department of Treasury’s Small Business Resources
- Legal Memo from a District 8 law firm that addresses COVID-19 loan options for small businesses
- Boston Main Streets Foundation small business grant
Essential Businesses
- The Office of Economic Development encourages all essential businesses that are allowed to remain open during the statewide closure of businesses that are non-essential to the COVID-19 response to register online if they are still open.
- Open Businesses in Boston: a tool for essential businesses to publicly share that they’re open, share gift-card information, and which (if any) delivery/take-out services they use. This guide is available for residents to utilize, and explore what local businesses are open in their neighborhoods.
- Businesses with questions on what is deemed essential are encouraged to view the State’s guidance on essential businesses.
- Businesses may request designation as an essential business. This is available through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and can be applied for online.
Restaurants
- Restaurants in Boston Open for Takeout
- Small Business Takeout and Delivery Handbook
- Apply for a temporary food pickup zone in front of your restaurant
- Office of Economic Development has created a form for employers and employees to complete if they agree to expand their services to delivery.
