WORCESTER – Katia Norford, president of the Main South Business Association, hopes Small Business Saturday on this Saturday brings more business to her association’s members.
Small Business Saturday was founded by American Express in 2010 to promote small businesses entering the holiday season and has been co-sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration since 2011.
Norford, 43, and her husband, Carlos Norford, 43, own Carlito’s Barbershop at 925 Main St and she has served nearly two years of her three-year term as MSBA president.
Norford said business in Main South has not fully recovered from the pandemic and that some people stay away from the region because drugs are sold on the sidewalks during the day.
Nevertheless, Norford believes in the potential of Main South and she would like to see Small Business Saturday result in more customers shopping at the region’s businesses.
Norford said she didn’t know that Small Business Saturday existed until a reporter told her about it for this story, but she appreciates it.
“For me, that’s a great idea,” she said. “After the pandemic, we’ve been struggling, at least in the Main South area. Unfortunately, we don’t see that much revenue right now. Our businesses are losing business. So it’s a great idea to promote it (Small Business Saturday) nationally.”
Norford said Carlito’s Barbershop isn’t open on Saturdays, but she hopes Main South businesses that are open will benefit from Small Business Saturday.
Many Main South businesses are “underwater right now,” according to Norford.
“Unfortunately, the stigma that we have in this area is the drug abuse on the streets and that is making us lose business,” she said.
Norford said the MSBA is talking with city officials to help those on the streets and the businesses as well. She said some business owners must arrive to work early to clear the needles and trash from the sidewalks in front of their businesses.
“It would be nice to have Main South cleaned up and very welcoming and friendly,” she said, “so people don’t feel ashamed or worried that they’re going to be attacked.”
David Jerry, community ambassador for the Main South Community Development Corporation, has been among those who have tried to clean up Main South, but Norford admits the process has “been a challenge.”
Norford said District 4 Councillor Luis Ojeda has attended meetings of the Main South Beacon Brightly Neighborhood Association in which the region’s issues have been discussed and she hopes to see progress. Norford lost a District 4 Council race to Luis Ojeda in 2023.
Norford said Main South has more than 200 businesses and 28 of them belong to the Main South Business Association, but she hopes to add more. Among the members are Carlito’s Barbershop, Mandi’s Travel Agency, Maria’s Kitchen, Tu Arepa restaurant, the Corner Emporium cannabis store, Sara’s Auto Sales and Prasom Enterprise fabric store. Also, 4U Bridal & Prom remains a member even though it has moved out of Main South to Lincoln Street. The annual membership fee is $75.
Norford believes small businesses deserve the public’s support.
“We are the backbone of the economy,” she said.
Norford, who moved to Worcester from the Dominican Republic, described Main South as the most diverse region in the city.
The Main South Business Association meets monthly, sometimes with guest speakers, to promote economic development and enhance the quality of life by fostering strong relationships among businesses, community members and organizations.
“The goal for our association,” Norford said, “is to make our community walkable, engaging and vibrant for those that live here, work here, patronize here or just visit us. The district is beautiful and we’d like to uplift it.”
For more information about the Main South Business Association, visit mainsouthbusinessassociation.org.
Bill Doyle has been a professional journalist for 47 years, most of them as a sports writer for the Telegram & Gazette. He covered the Boston Celtics for 25 years and has written extensively about golf, boxing and local high school and college sports. He also worked for the campus newspaper when he attended UMass-Amherst. He can be reached at billdoyle1515@gmail.com
