Small businesses are the heart of our communities.
We are proud to spotlight our small business customers!
We know that small businesses play an important role in the local economy. At Cambridge Savings Bank, we understand how hard our customers work for their businesses, and we work hard for them. We offer solutions that help to meet our customers' visions and simple ways to move their businesses forward.
Did you know?*
- 99.9% of all U.S. firms are small businesses.
- 46.4% of all private-sector employees work for a small business.
- Small businesses have accounted for 62.7% of net new jobs created since 1995.
There are many ways to support your favorite small business. Check out our customer spotlights below and don’t forget to shop local!
*U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, Frequently Asked Question, March 2023
What our customers say.
CSB Customer Spotlights
Junebug
Amanda Mitchell owns two small businesses in Charlestown. Place & Gather, a home decor, gift and lifestyle boutique, and Junebug, a florist and boutique offering plants, accessories, and gifts. Junebug provides florals for local delivery, and does weddings, events, corporate work, and parties. Both stores offer a plethora of Charlestown-specific products, and we are frequently seen around town providing local delivery. Each store also offers a robust website which was developed during COVID.
"Being a women-owned business means lifting up and supporting the women around me. In my network, it includes building strong bridges among other female businesses so we can not only survive but thrive and have each other's backs," says Amanda. "It also means teaching my daughter how to work hard, take chances and lift up those around me. Being a women-owned business means juggling a lot, but I wouldn't have it any other way".
"The CSB staff have been our cheerleaders. They are a team of friendly faces who know and care deeply for my businesses, family, and employees. They get to know their clients, and that really means a lot. They offer genuine support when we need it and are quick to respond to our needs. We really appreciate having them down the street".
Dave's Fresh Pasta
Dave’s Fresh Pasta is a specialty grocery store that has been around for more than 30 years. Over time the shop has expanded to include a house made sandwiches, spreads, pesto, lasagnas, prepared foods, and a boutique wine selection. You may even be surprised to learn that many of their items come from New England producers, and they are constantly searching for the best artisan, small-production products.
Dave’s Fresh Pasta has been growing their catering business and recently provided exceptional food options for the grand opening of our newest branch in Assembly Row.
Siefer Nelson Law Group
Siefer Nelson Law Group offers legal counsel to individuals in a thoughtful and holistic manner. Their goal is to guide their clients toward a positive future by navigating difficult life transitions with compassion and care. They have a team approach to each client’s situation and often bring in like-minded professionals such as financial experts, real estate professionals or therapists, to help their clients achieve their goals.
Moving to remote client sessions and virtual court hearings was challenging at first, but has since helped them provide new efficiencies for their clients. CSB was in regular contact with them to ensure they had everything they needed, and offered support and guidance.
Buckalew General Store
Buckalew’s is a true general store focused on supporting small and local farms, artisans, and other businesses. They bring a thoughtfully curated selection of goods to Main Street in Melrose, but their business goes beyond their product offerings. “Our core values are deeply rooted in family tradition and creative innovation. Among our core values, inclusivity drives us to seek out and support women, minority, and LGBT-owned businesses.” says Robin Peevey, owner of Buckalew’s. “We strive to provide a warm, welcoming environment for all. We recognize and respect our place within the Melrose community and love being an active participant, partnering with numerous charities and events.
"As a woman-owned business, we place a high value on community, connection, team building and the creative process. That is what brought Buckalew's into existence and it is this same creativity that inspires our vision and our growth for the future.” Robin believes the success of her business is measured by the strength of its connections, the company’s commitment to excellence, and the care it shows for the community. “The fuel that drives us is our ability to stay connected to our customers as we make our best effort every day to serve them with friendly, attentive service and provide quality products that are curated with care."
"We thought 2020 was going to be our best year yet and then Covid struck.” said Robin, “My accountant suggested I reach out to Cambridge Savings Bank. They proved that they actually cared about my business. We found a great new community partner in Cambridge Savings Bank."
Aeronaut Brewing Company
Aeronaut Brewing Company loves to share the excitement and enjoyment of adventurous, inspired beer with their community. They offer a variety of craft beers including their flagship IPA, “A Year with Dr. Nandu”.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced them to pivot in a big way! They had to shift from indoor service to beer to-go, which required all hands on deck from the front- and back-of-the house teams! CSB was instrumental in helping secure two rounds of PPP funding and navigating loan payments during this challenging time.
Check out the Aeronaut Cannery, a second brewery & taproom located in the “fermentation district” of Everett, MA. They are looking forward to making more beer and hosting live music and events!
Anam Cara Wellness Center
Anam Cara Wellness Center offers massage and infrared sauna therapy and is the place to visit for anyone passionate about self-care! The benefits of massage and sauna therapy are wide-ranging. People come to them for many reasons, including pain relief, detox, injury recovery, and stress relief.
Anam Cara Wellness Center, like many small businesses, was shut down for three months at the beginning of the pandemic. They reopened with enhanced safety and sanitation procedures to keep everyone safe and healthy. CSB helped Anam Cara Wellness Center acquire two rounds of the Paycheck Protection Program and navigate the process of getting 100% of their loan forgiven.
A lot of people have had the opportunity to reevaluate their priorities and lifestyles. If self-care is high on your priority list, check them out.
Arthur Murray Dance Centers
Have you ever been at a party or event and witnessed a couple or individual dancing so naturally and wished you could do the same? That’s what Arthur Murray Dance Centers provides - the lifelong ability to enjoy every party, social event and dance opportunity more fully! Arthur Murray Cambridge is a premier social Ballroom and Latin dance studio offering professional instruction that makes learning to partner dance easy and fun!
At the start of the pandemic, they trained their team of professionals on the technology and skills needed to teach effective virtual lessons and began offering virtual lessons and events immediately. Once they were allowed to open at limited capacity, they purchased outdoor flooring and began offering personal lessons, group classes and social events outside in the parking lot in addition to limited in studio, social distanced lessons. To help sustain them during this time, the team at CSB offered personal guidance through both rounds of PPP funding and helped them understand the right options for their business.
BoConcept
BoConcept opened its doors in Cambridge in 2008, introducing modern European Danish design furniture to New England customers. They offer exceptional products to the urban-minded individual with an eye towards modern interior design, clean lines, and streamlined furniture aesthetic. BoConcept offers complimentary interior design services to every customer experience, with available 3D renderings and exclusive home designs.
With personal attention and support from CSB, BoConcept was able to survive the pandemic challenges and continue their growth path by first relocating their flagship store to Newbury Street, and now with the opening of their new Legacy Place store in Dedham, MA. As they are in the home furnishing industry, they have helped people adapt their homes to their unique circumstances. They love helping their customers create beautiful, functional spaces where they can live, work, and play!
Central Square Eye Care
The Optometrists at Central Square Eye Care examine their patient’s eyes to find the best options to correct their vision and to prevent and cure eye diseases.
Central Square Eye Care has had a great relationship with CSB for more than 17 years, and their PPP Loan allowed them to continue to pay their employees and provide services to their clients.
Central Square Eye Care has shared with us that studies say that prior to COVID-19, most people spent approximately 9 hours a day in front of electronic devices. Now that number is more than 13 hours a day. This has caused an increase in Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). Central Square Eye Care is recommending new treatments for this syndrome to avoid problems down the road. If you are spending more time in front of a screen these days, maybe it is time to get your eyes checked!
Centre Street Food Panty
Centre Street Food Pantry has been around since 2011 and provides consistent access to nutritious food in a dignified and sensitive environment. When the COVID-19 shutdown began, the pantry was forced to move their indoor operation to a curb-side-pick-up pantry.
Prior to COVID-19, they served an average of 360 households in a month. Since the pandemic, that number has increased to 700-800 households seeking food. Food insecurity is likely to remain elevated for some time, and the Centre Street Food Pantry relies heavily on volunteers and donations to serve the needs of the community.
CSB has helped raise funds for the Centre Street Food Pantry through donations. If you are interested in getting involved, click Learn More below.
Champions Sporting Goods
Champions Sporting Goods is a small town sporting goods store that has been in business for 31 years. They offer a wide selection of equipment for soccer, hockey, basketball, lacrosse and more! Last year, they started offering both home delivery and back-door pick-up as new options for their customers.
Champions Sporting Goods has always had a great relationship with CSB. The Bank helped them get through the pandemic with two PPP loans and by assisting them through the Loan Forgiveness process. The team at Champions Sporting Goods knows how much everyone is looking forward to getting out of the house and back into outdoor activities. If you find yourself looking for high-quality sports equipment, check them out!
Food Revolution
Food Revolution is a mission-based, woman-owned, food forward, shared commercial kitchen and event space just north of Boston, focused on helping build local food startups and teaching others about food.
Early in the pandemic, Food Revolution had few businesses running out of their space. With revenues less than 50% of what they would normally be, they would not have been able to continue to operate without help from Cambridge Savings Bank. CSB helped them get through COVID-19 by providing guidance and quickly processing their PPP loan paperwork to successfully get operating funds in place. The businesses working in Food Revolution were able to pivot by successfully providing meal delivery and curbside pickup. Together they were able to prepare and deliver hundreds of meals to front line workers, as well as run fundraisers for the food bank in Stoneham.
They have many amazing businesses working in their space and are developing new programs to support those businesses and the community.