BUSINESS BRIEFS: Nerds, Rising Index, New Legal Eagles in Town

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The chamber serves the communities of Bellingham, Franklin, Holliston, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Medway, Milford, Mendon, Millis, and Upton. More information is available at https://www.tricountychamberma.org

Attorney Moves Practice to Franklin

Attorney Daniel J. Cardinal (pictured above) of the Franklin Law Group MA, LLC, has specialized in Personal Injury services for over 30 years. Recently, Attorney Cardinal moved his law practice from the Boston/Brookline area to Franklin to better serve his community in the MetroWest area. Attorney Cardinal has been practicing personal injury law and automobile insurance law for over 30 years. "At Franklin Law Group your claim is handled by me personally from the initial meeting through the successful resolution of the claim. Your claim is not handed off to another attorney or referred to another law firm. I personally care for you, your family, and your claim.” Attorney Cardinal's success is the success of his clients. If you or someone you know has suffered personal or bodily injuries or continues to suffer from previous personal injuries due to the negligence of someone else, contact Attorney Daniel Cardinal at Franklin

NFIB Condemns More Local Taxes

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation's leading small business advocacy association, released the following statement by NFIB State Director Christopher Carlozzi, commenting on the legislature's Joint Committee on Revenue hearing for the Municipal Empowerment Act being held later today.  "Allowing Massachusetts municipal governments to further increase local option taxes would be a step backwards in making the Commonwealth more competitive and affordable," said NFIB's Massachusetts state director Christopher Carlozzi. "After miraculously surviving the effects of the pandemic, inflation, and labor shortages, the restaurant and travel industries don't need higher taxes dissuading people from dining out or vacationing in Massachusetts. Additionally, the creation of a new annual 5% tax on vehicles that deliver food, transport products to store shelves, transport plumbers, or construct the homes we need to overcome our housing crisis will only add to the already high cost of doing business in Massachusetts. This will also make it more expensive for workers who require their cars to commute to work to live in the Bay State."

AIM Index UP

Confidence among Massachusetts employers reached a 14-month high in February as inflation continued to moderate and the economy settled into a slow but predictable pace. Every component of the Index strengthened during the month. The Associated Industries of Massachusetts Business Confidence Index (BCI) gained 1.0 point to 54.5 last month, the third consecutive month in which sentiment improved. The reading is comfortably within optimistic territory and a full point higher than it was in January 2023. Labor markets remained strong, and inflation moderated to a 3.09 percent annual pace in January. At the same time, the Massachusetts economy slowed from a 4.9 percent annual growth rate in the third quarter of 2023 to 1.2 percent in the fourth as employment, wage and salary income, and goods spending were all weaker in the state than in the rest of the country. “It may seem counterintuitive that employer confidence has strengthened as the economy has slowed, but companies believe that the Federal Reserve has brought inflation under control without sending the nation into recession. The outlook is for slow growth during 2024 but the economy is stable and that is big plus for employers,” said Sara Johnson, Chair of the AIM Board of Economic Advisors.

Kevin Martin of NerdsToGo of Franklin recognized with Sales Achievement & President's Award

NerdsToGo®, a leading IT solutions and technology services franchise, recently held its 2024 NerdsToGo Franchise Convention in Orlando, Florida. Themed "Secure Your Future," the four-day event celebrated franchisee achievements and the growth initiatives of the network.
Highlights from the 2024 Awards Dinner at the Convention include:

• The award recognizing the Highest Volume locations in Sales Achievement were presented to Regis DeVeaux: NerdsToGo of Alexandria, Va.; Kevin Martin: NerdsToGo of Franklin, Mass.; and NerdsToGo of Bellevue, Wash. team led by Michael Santiago.
• The President's Award, which recognizes the top NerdsToGo locations with the highest total sales, was given to Regis DeVeaux: NerdsToGo of Alexandria, Va.; Kevin Martin: NerdsToGo of Franklin, Mass.; Gina and Michael Santiago: NerdsToGo of Bellevue, Wash.; David Alcorn: NerdsToGo of Kemah, Texas; Rory Dunnaback: NerdsToGo of Milwaukie, Ore.; and Erik Nelson: NerdsToGo of Swarthmore, Pa.
• Susan and Don Dally of NerdsToGo of Knoxville, Tenn., were recognized with the Rookie of the Year Award, which honors the franchisee with the highest sales for the first full 12 months of operation.

"NerdsToGo is at the forefront of providing franchisees the support they need to be successful in the growing IT solutions industry," said Regis DeVeaux, franchise owner of the Alexandria, Va. location. "I'm proud to be part of a network that is not only thriving but also embracing new strategies for revenue growth and operational efficiency."