Grow Your Business
In Pittsfield

When you are ready to grow your business, Pittsfield makes it easier than ever with a variety of resources available to businesses of all sizes. Whether you plan to expand your retail establishment, hire new team members or build onto your space, Pittsfield has the expertise to help you get started.

Download Our Pittsfield Business Guide

“And there is no doubt in my mind that Pittsfield is going to grow. … And that will mean more customers for us.”

– Mike Dell’Aquila

Hot Plate Brewing

Read Tami′s Case Study

Personalized Assistance

  • Business Advice

    Free, confidential, one-to-one business assistance and low-cost educational training programs are available in Pittsfield from the Massachusetts Small Business Development Network Berkshire Regional Office.  Areas of assistance include:

    • Start-up Business Assistance
    • Business Plan Development
    • Financial Plan Development
    • Marketing and Sales Strategies
    • Cash Flow Analysis
    • Organizational and Personnel Issues

    If you are seeking financial incentives from the City of Pittsfield, the Small Business Development Network can help you create a business plan. It will be your roadmap for building your business and will explain to others what you plan to do.  A business plan is usually essential before you can receive external financing.

    Complete the Request for Counseling Form to make an appointment.  The assistance is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Massachusetts Office of Business Development under a cooperative agreement through the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Isenberg School of Management.

  • Red Carpet Team

    Those planning significant expansions or hiring should contact Michael Coakley, the City’s Business Development Manager, at [email protected] or call 413-499-9368. He can mobilize the City’s Red Carpet Team, which streamlines the process of expanding or locating businesses in Pittsfield.

    Chris Kapiloff, a principal of LTI Smart Glass, needed to rapidly expand his limited Pittsfield manufacturing capabilities. He was afraid that the permitting process alone would take six to nine months.  Instead, according to Chris, the entire process took just 60 days with the help of the Red Carpet Team. (See the LTI Smart Glass Case Study.)

    The Red Carpet team brings together representatives from the Mayor’s office, various city departments, economic development organizations, MassHire, MassDevelopment and the Massachusetts Office of Business Development to meet with a prospective company. They can smooth out any concerns and propose incentives to win your business.

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“There are a lot of resources available to grow in Pittsfield and many of them are free.”

– Scott Kirchner

MadMacs

Read Scott′s Case Study

Financial Incentives

Make an appointment with Brandon Gill, Community Development Specialist, who can guide you through all of the incentives available to small businesses in the City of Pittsfield. His expertise lies in connecting you to the best available resources for your business.

Our financial resources make Pittsfield an especially inviting place to start your business. Some of our grants and loans are not available anywhere else in the state. The $500,000 Pittsfield Small Business Fund and resources from the Pittsfield Economic Redevelopment Corporation stem from Pittsfield Economic Development Fund (formerly known as the GE Economic Development Fund) and are available to help you.

Mr. Gill may combine funds from multiple programs to obtain the assistance you need.  Each program has its own requirements and Mr. Gill will help you.  Contact Brandon Gill at 413-499-9378 or send an email to [email protected].

Here are some of the programs that may be available to you:

  • Technical Assistance Grants

    This program provides grants for specialized technical assistance for individuals developing small and micro businesses in Pittsfield. It offers matching grants of up to $20,000 to be used for professional services including accounting, bookkeeping, business consulting and marketing. This program is designed to provide funding to businesses unable to obtain funding in the private market. The program is funded by the City of Pittsfield through its Community Development Block Grant and administered by PERC.

  • Micro-Loans

    The Community Development Micro-Loan Program provides loans up to $15,000 to microenterprise businesses owned by low- to moderate-income residents of Pittsfield.  These loans can be used for purchase of fixed assets, equipment, inventory and/or working capital needs.  Up to 95% of project costs can be funded at reasonable interest rates.  The program is funded by the City of Pittsfield through its Community Development Block Grant and administered by PERC.

  • Small Business Loan Program

    Loans are for construction or acquisition of fixed assets and/or working capital. The maximum loan is $100,000, but may not exceed 40% of the financing package. The project must result in the addition or retention of jobs for low- and moderate- income citizens. These loans are offered as “Companion Loans” in conjunction with other public programs and/or private financing. The program is funded by the City of Pittsfield through its Community Development Block Grant and administered by PERC.

  • Economic Opportunity Area Tax Incentives

    Tax incentives are available for qualifying business in Pittsfield’s two approved Economic Opportunity Areas in exchange for job growth and private investment that generate sales outside of Massachusetts. These areas are along the City’s downtown and Tyler Street neighborhoods. The benefits to certified projects can include a negotiated investment tax credit, a vacant building tax deduction and a local real property tax reduction.

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“Yeah, (the city) really turned our business around. It literally would not have happened without the PERC grant.”

– Auric Enchill

Elegant Stitches

Read Auric′s Case Study

Permits and Location

Make an appointment with Amber Spring, Community Development Specialist, who can guide you through all of the permitting requirements in the City of Pittsfield. His expertise lies in identifying what you need to do to get your business up-and-running quickly.

You can reach Amber Spring at 413-448-9673 or send an email to [email protected].

  • Site Selection

    The usual first step is to identify a site for your growing business. Many business owners work with a real estate agent. 1Berkshire’s Site Selector showcases a number of the prime commercial real estate opportunities.

  • Zoning Requirements

    Getting approval for a suitable location usually starts with a preliminary “zoning review” to make sure that the business you propose can operate in the location that you propose.  The City’s zoning ordinances state the types of businesses that are allowed in each specific location.  For example, factories are generally not located in residential areas as it could hurt the quality of life of the people already living there.

    Amber Spring can provide personalized advice and will help you to understand what rules apply to your business and your location.

    If your use is permitted under the zoning ordinances, your use is considered “by right,” which means you have the right to conduct that use in that zone. You can go to the next step for a business certificate. If not, you will either need a “site plan review” or a “special permit” from one of the City’s two land use boards.  Nate can help start that process.

    If you want to review your location before meeting Nate, you can download a copy of Pittsfield’s zoning map or look-up the zoning for a particular location using the interactive map.  (To use the interactive map, insert the address in the “property quick search” box on the top right of the map page.  Click the property and a detailed “property card” with the zoning district details will appear.)

  • Business Certificate

    With the zoning review complete, you are now ready to apply for a Business Certificate. The application form is quite simple. It primarily requires that you enter the name of the business, its location and the names of the business owners.  Bring the form to the City Clerk’s office with a small filing fee.  Details can be found on the City’s Business Certificate web page.

    If you are planning to open a business in an existing building or space whose proposed use is consistent with its most recently permitted use, the proposed use is allowed “By Right” and there are no proposed changes to the building or space, you can ask for a Business Occupancy and Approval inspection with a City Building Inspector.

    The purpose of a Business Occupancy and Approval inspection is intended to confirm that existing conditions and life safety systems appear to have been adequately maintained and that no life safety hazards have been observed and to confirm that your proposed use of the space will not require additional building code or zoning ordinance review.

  • Licenses and Special Permits

    Certain types of businesses will require additional licenses or permits before a Building Permit will be issued. Most businesses in the City do not require licenses or special permits. However, it is a good idea to check the list to be sure.  Most  licenses and special permits are issued by the following groups:

    Licensing Board: The City’s Licensing Board issues more than two dozen types of licenses. You can see if your business is one of them by reviewing the list of Types of Licenses issued by the License Board. There are also special requirements for the sale of alcoholic beverages.  The process for applying can be found on the Licensing Board web page.

    Health Department: The City’s Health Department issues permits for various types of businesses to ensure compliance with state and local sanitary codes.  Any place that serves food or tobacco products must get a Health Department permit.  See the Health Department page for a more complete list of the services requiring a Health Department permit.  In certain cases the Health Department will participate in Building Permit plan review before any construction is done.

    Engineering Division: If you are planning to connect to any City utilities, interfere with the operation of a City street or right of way or make a change to land involving more than a half-acre, you will need to contact the City’s Engineering Division.

    Conservation Commission:  The Conservation Commission is charged with enforcing the State’s Wetland Protection Act and  reviews land use before a building permit can be issued. Protection is afforded to most all lands within: 100 feet of any streams, creeks, lakes, ponds, wet meadows, marshes, fens, swamps, and/or bogs; 200 feet of a perennial river; or 100-year (FEMA Zone A) floodplains.

  • Building Permit

    If you are building a new building or planning to modify the use of your commercial or industrial space, it is a good idea to hire a contractor, architect, surveyor or other design professional licensed by the state of Massachusetts to make sure that you will meet the building code requirements.  Using a licensed professional is typically the best way to minimize the potential concerns of the Building Department.

    Once your professional develops your plan, it is submitted to the City’s Building Department for review.

    Once the approval(s) are received, a Building Permit will be issued and construction may begin.

  • Certificate of Occupancy

    After the construction or modifications are complete, a Building Inspector will visit to make sure that the work conforms to the approved plan.  The Fire Department will also want to review the final construction to make sure that the building meets fire codes.  If a Health Department permit was required, that department will want to inspect the construction to ensure that the work was done correctly.

    Once all the reviews are completed and approved, a Certificate of Occupancy will be issued and your business can begin.

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“Nowhere else in the country will a high school student graduate as a certified tech. Once they graduate, they will be able to show their card anywhere in the country and get a job.”

– George Haddad

Haddad Toyota

Recruiting and Training

A number of free and low cost programs are available:

  • 1Berkshire

    1Berkshire, a nonprofit membership organization, is the official Regional Economic Development Organization and Regional Tourism Council of Berkshire County. They have low cost and free programs to assist those starting a business:

    The 1Berkshire and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) Business Bootcamp is an educational program that provides attendees with a basic understanding of the essential elements involved in successfully starting and growing a business venture.  Workshops cover a progressive range of topics including Design Thinking, Accounting, Creating a Go-to-Market Strategy and Funding/Capital.

    The free Entrepreneurial Meetups are great for building a business network and learning from other business owners. These events bring entrepreneurs together once a month to connect over coffee or drinks.

  • Berkshire Innovation Center

    The Berkshire Innovation Center, a $13.8 million facility on Pittsfield’s east side, builds upon the region’s deep experience in life sciences, custom materials (e.g., plastics, paper, textiles) manufacturing and defense industries. The BIC’s collaborative environment brings together design thinkers, entrepreneurs and engineers so that they can have their next “eureka moment.”

    Shared cutting-edge rapid prototyping equipment lets members test ideas before committing to manufacturing. The state-of-the-art facility includes large scale 3D printers for digital anatomy and high-performance materials, SolidWorks CAD software with workstations, a wet lab and a planned cleanroom. Companies in the area can elevate their level of precision and analytical power for prototyping.

    Classrooms, lecture halls, five conference rooms, and meeting areas foster formal and informal interactions that stimulate creativity and lead to the next big idea.  The BIC plans seminars and programs with leading experts, including those from nearby academic institutions, such as UMass, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and SUNY Colleges of Nanoscale Science & Engineering. Incubator and accelerator space are available for those that want to work in the rich, collaborative environment.

    The BIC is located in the William Stanley Business Park.

  • 1Berkshire’s The Jobs Thing

    Recruit candidates using 1Berkshire’s The Job Thing, a job portal that hosts only postings for full-time, permanent jobs located in the Berkshires that pay at least $40,000 annually. It’s a major recruitment tool with over 2,000,000 digital impressions in the first year.

  • MassHire Career Center and Workforce Development

    MassHire’s Pittsfield office wants to help you hire qualified candidates and train new and existing employees for your expansion or location.

    Recruitment services to advertise positions, pre-screen an applicant pool using to your specifications, host job fairs, coordinate recruitment needs with community colleges and assist with ongoing recruitment need are available at no cost.

    MassHire also offers an on-the-job training program that pays 50% of first six months of wages for eligible employees undergoing training. The on-the-job training program is targeted at helping companies that have identified potential employees with some of the skill sets, but not all of the skill sets, that they need.  MassHire assists in creating a training plan with the employer with specific measurements in place.

    Training grants of $2000 to $250,000 from MassHire can help to upgrade the skills of existing employees so that your business is more competitive in the marketplace. Training grants have been given for machine setup and operation, sales, continuous improvement, software skills, customer service, leadership and more. You may use a training provider of your choice.

  • Berkshire Community College

    Berkshire Community College, located in Pittsfield, offers both credit and non-credit educational programs.  Business owners may look to improve their skills in accounting or marketing through credit or non-credit coursework or arrange for on-site education and training for their employees.  BCC offers general business classes as well as courses that will improve skills in reading, writing, and analytical thinking. Employers and employees can take single courses or enroll in a degree or certificate program.

    The credit courses parallel those that one might find during the freshman and sophomore years of business studies at a four-year college.  BCC students transfer to public and private universities to complete their Bachelor’s degrees in any number of disciplines.

    Because BCC is small and community-based, it is optimally positioned to work with business owners to customize programs for themselves or their employees.  The college will also develop programs for employers with at least 12 employees in attendance. Previous programs have included basic communications skills, workshops in communications and food handling.

  • Pittsfield Taconic High School and McCann Technical School

    Pittsfield Taconic High School and nearby McCann Technical School offer opportunities for internships and co-operative work programs with majors in advanced manufacturing, automotive technology, computer-aided design, health technology, information technology and metal fabrication.  Innovation includes the first-in-the-nation program between Toyota and Pittsfield’s Taconic High School leading to high school students graduating as Certified Toyota Technicians.

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Call Us Now.

We’ll Help You Get Started.

Michael Coakley

Michael Coakley
Business Development Manager
[email protected]
1-413-499-9368

Laura Mick

Brandon Gill
Community Development Specialist
[email protected]
1-413-499-9378

Amber Spring

Amber Spring
Permitting Coordinator
[email protected]
1-413-448-9673

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