Merrimack Valley Strong will help small businesses recover from COVID-19 and become more resilient by pairing them with local business advisors to assist with accessing federal and state grants, operations, accounting, marketing, and more at WeAreMV.com 

The Merrimack Valley Planning Commission (MVPC), in partnership with Mill Cities Community Investments (MCCI) and Small Business Strong (SBS), announced on Monday a new program providing free business assistance for small businesses in the Merrimack Valley impacted by COVID-19. The program, named MV Strong, will invest $250,000 in local business assistance thanks to funds from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. 

Powered by Small Business Strong’s proven platform for matching small businesses with experienced Business advisors and functional specialists the MV Strong program will assist business owners with marketing, legal assistance, operations, finance, PPP Loan forgiveness, accessing federal and state grants, and more. The advisors, who offer a wealth of knowledge in their field and are available in five languages, are fully paid through the program to provide businesses with ten hours of their services at no cost to the business.  

“The small businesses in our region are the backbone of our communities and faced significant adversity throughout the pandemic, especially women and minority-owned business” says Nate Robertson, Community and Economic Development Planner at MVPC. “Through this program, we will ensure our businesses have the tools they need to thrive as we continue to recover from the economic effects of COVID-19.”  

After filling out an initial intake form, business owners will be matched with an advisor who aligns with their needs and will work one-on-one with the business owner. Business advisors are typically local with deep roots in the region, over one-third of the local advisors are Spanish speaking ensuring that the Latino business community can be effectively served. 

“The Merrimack Valley is fortunate to have a diverse small business community and an extensive network of technical assistance providers,” says Jerrard Whitten, Executive Director at MVPC. “With a strong history of collaborative work throughout the region, MVPC is well poised to make good use of our CARES Act funding and launch the MV Strong program in partnership with MCCI, SBS, and the 15 communities of the Merrimack Valley.” 

“MCCI is excited to partner with MVPC to support small businesses throughout the Merrimack Valley,” says Glynn Lloyd, Executive Director at MCCI. “As the region’s only community development financial institution, we have formed strong community-focused partnerships throughout the Merrimack Valley and are well positioned to work directly with small business owners addressing their needs, especially women and minority-owned businesses”

Interested businesses can learn more about the program and sign up at wearemv.com/strong. The program is open to any small business in the 15 communities of the Merrimack Valley: the cities of Amesbury, Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen, and Newburyport, and the towns of Andover, Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, Merrimac, Newbury, North Andover, Rowley, Salisbury, and West Newbury. 

About the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission: The Merrimack Valley Planning Commission is a regional planning agency created in 1959 with a goal of consistently planning, developing, and promoting not only the sustainable development of the Merrimack Valley through responsible and efficient use of regional resources, but to also rally and unify the communities to perpetuate the region’s vision. A 16-member Board of Commissioners governs the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, which serves 15 member communities, including the cities of Amesbury, Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen and Newburyport, and the towns of Andover, Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, Merrimac, Newbury, North Andover, Rowley, Salisbury, and West Newbury. https://mvpc.org/  

About Mill Cities Community Investments: The mission of Mill Cities Community Investments (MCCI) is to provide appropriate, flexible loan products to low and moderate income persons and families, developers of residential projects, and small businesses.  MCCI lends primarily throughout Essex and Middlesex Counties, with a particular focus on the mill cities of Lawrence, Lowell and Haverhill. MCCI’s goal is to be an effective lender within a functioning infrastructure for regional community development. https://mccinvest.org/  

About Small Business Strong, a private and public sector partnership, recognizes that our 650,000 Massachusetts small businesses are the lifeblood of our towns, cities, and communities, and that these businesses – many of which are often women and/or minority-owned – have been hit the hardest by the current economic fallout from COVID-19. As a result, Small Business Strong was assembled to help these small businesses, primarily minority and women-owned, navigate the devastating economic impact of the pandemic. Small Business Strong is supported by collaborative efforts from State Street Corporation, The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, McKinsey & Co., Bank of America, PwC, Foundation for Business Equity, The Boston Foundation, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Eastern Bank and Nutter, McClennen & Fish LLP. and several other organizations throughout the Commonwealth. https://www.smallbstrong.com/