WORCESTER—Seventy community members, including local government officials, business leaders, and representatives from Clark University, gathered last week to celebrate the launch of the Small Business Accelerator at the Idea Lab on Franklin Street.
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 12, Thomas Herald, director of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), emphasized the importance of engaging with small businesses of all sizes in the Worcester area.
“Quite frankly, I don’t know how we could handle the number of clients that we do have and the depth of the projects [without the CCG],” Herald said in the announcement. “When you get down into finance and marketing and business analytics, the details that are required to operate a business and be competitive in today’s economy … you really need to be on the cutting edge. These students help us to maintain that cutting edge with innovation and thought, and also a youthful approach to talking with businesses.”
The new downtown space allows business owners to easily access resources from the SBDC and the Clark Consulting Group, offering help with marketing, business planning, and financial analysis.
David Jordan, dean of Clark’s School of Business, highlighted the opportunities the Accelerator provides for Clark students to gain hands-on experience while supporting the local business community.
“I can’t imagine having a better group of students and fellow colleagues at Clark to make that dream possible,” said Jordan in a statement. He noted that the Accelerator offers Clark students real-world learning opportunities as they help meet the needs of the local business community.
Tim Murray, president of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, noted the importance of the Accelerator, saying it acts as a “force multiplier” for the Chamber’s 2,100 member businesses, 80-85% of which are small businesses.
Senator Robyn Kennedy praised the collaboration between Clark and its partners for challenging conventional approaches and supporting innovation. The event underscored the ongoing efforts to boost Worcester’s small business ecosystem through this new initiative.
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