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2023 Projects:

Project 1: Ana’s Perfumes   

In July 2022, ESMS assisted Ana in updating and designing new business cards after her initial inquiry. The finalized cards were delivered a month later. In March 2023, ESMS organized their inaugural Meet and Greet event, which Ana and her staff attended, fostering community engagement. Ana also debuted at Carnaval 2023 with a tent and merchandise in front of her store, marking her first participation in the event.

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Project 2: Marlon’s Barbers

ESMS assisted Marlon's Barbers by contacting a graphic designer to create branding for the interior and an A-frame sign for the exterior. The sign features Marlon's services and contact information, aiding visibility during nearby construction. Marlon remains actively engaged in ESMS business meetings, programs like Carnaval, and their TA program.

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Project 3: Taqueria Montecristo

Marlo utilized Somerville's Outdoor Dining Loan Forgiveness program to build a parklet at Taqueria Montecristo. ESMS assisted with the reimbursement process starting with a meeting on August 5th, leading to the completion of the Loan Forgiveness Agreement by Economic Development. Following a change in ownership in October 2022, ESMS supported Rosa and Jose in obtaining necessary permits and licenses for reopening. Since then, Taqueria Montecristo has participated in local events like Carnaval and Foodie Crawl.

 

Project 4: Rei Da Picanha

ESMS, Centrepoint Architects, and Rei Da Picanha collaborated on applying for and constructing a parklet under Somerville's outdoor dining forgiveness program. Rei Da Picanha began the reimbursement process on July 29th, with ESMS assisting Marlene in preparing and uploading receipts. ESMS also supported Marlene in updating her Certificate of Occupancy and renewing her Common Victualler's License, maintaining communication with both Marlene and the City of Somerville throughout the process.

 

Project 5: Susanita's Fiesta

ESMS tracked Susanita’s Fiestas' Empower Digital Project in FY 23. They collaborated with Brand Accomplished on website training and refining details for the online inventory. A draft website was presented on August 2nd, with ongoing updates until late August. In October, ESMS organized in-person Shopify and social media training for Susanita’s Fiestas. Additionally, ESMS assisted with their application for the City of Somerville's Small Business Recovery Fund, ensuring all required paperwork was ready for distribution.

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Project 6: Fadil African Hair Braiding 

ESMS helped Fadil resolve heating issues at his salon by connecting him with Lawyers for Civil Rights and facilitating discussions with the landlord and Eversource. This partnership also led to Fadil African Hair Braiding's involvement in ESMS programming and Illiassou's nomination to the ESMS Board.

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Project 7: DaMata Barbershop

DaMata Barbershop received a stop work order from the City of Somerville for using their basement as a nail salon. East Somerville Main Streets connected Marlei and Josy DaMata with ESMS. ESMS engaged CentrePointe Architects to update the floor plan to include the nail salon space. They also facilitated the creation of a CitizenServe account and submitted an application for a Certificate of Occupancy. On October 6th, ESMS contacted Economic Development to navigate responses required to advance the application in CitizenServe.

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Project 8: Additional Technical Assistance Provided

-Outdoor Dining Applications

-Somerville Small Business Recovery Funds

-MGCC Small Business Technical Assistance: 

  • MGCC Empower Digital Grant Awardees: Continental Flavor, Myrth Ceramics, and Susanita’s Fiestas.

  • MGCC Biz-M-Power Grant Awardees:Gauchao Brazilian Cuisine

  • Inclusive Grant: We assisted 7 qualifying  businesses with the Inclusive Grant Application in FY23.

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