Small Business Services

Magic seems to follow Harlen wherever he goes. He earned his nickname, “La Magia” (The Magic), because of his skills as a barber, but the enchantment hasn’t stopped there. Today Harlen and his wife, Argentina, own two businesses that have thrived and grown during the pandemic. Before they emigrated from the Dominican Republic in [...]

When Marquita and her husband took over his uncle’s business in 2004, they were eager to get to work growing NHK Electrical Contracting. But after 10 years of hard work, long days, and a variety of marketing efforts, they felt stuck in the same place where they had started. “It was hard to get [...]

As a child, Vicki Gray loved watching how carpenters and other contractors fixed things. “I realized I was handy,” she says. So even after beginning a career in healthcare administration, she harbored the dream of owning her own home repair business. Vicki pursued her dream and started New Chapter Home Improvement, offering commercial and [...]

Have you tried a hot dog topped with pineapple sauce, salad, quail eggs, potato chips, mayonnaise, tomato salsa, and crushed up bacon? These are unique Colombian hot dogs, or perros. Andres’ entrepreneurial journey of opening Perros Paisas, which began in his kitchen, is now headed toward his first restaurant location in East Boston. Andres [...]

2020 was a year of struggle and loss for most small businesses. Brian and Trish did something surprising: they opened their business, JP Lock and Security, during the pandemic. Here's how they took on that daunting challenge.   Brian and Trish first connected with JPNDC’s Small Business Services team in Fall 2019, when [...]