Destiny Cyr

With the sweltering days of summer not far away, Eversource customers recently filed into the Raymond Library in East Hartford to learn more about their energy bills and the help that’s available to control costs as temperatures start to rise. Throughout the year, the energy company hosts a variety of in-person events like these—offering a chance for customers to meet with Eversource’s dedicated representatives and have a safe space to discuss financial assistance, flexible payment plans, and energy efficiency programs that can help them manage their monthly bills.

For many small businesses, May is a moment to pause and celebrate the grit, creativity, and resilience that fuel local economies. Small Business Week shines a spotlight on the entrepreneurs who keep our communities vibrant, but it also highlights the challenges they face.

In an era when banking is increasingly shaped by consolidation, scale, and digital reach, the phrase “community bank” is used more freely than ever before. Yet those of us who live this mission every day know that being a true community bank isn’t about size, branch count, or market share. It’s also not necessarily about location, but instead about proximity– proximity to people, to challenges, to dreams, and to the everyday moments that shape local life.

Steve was a Newington business owner seeking to buy out his partner. He spoke with many banks who structured the financing in a way that was too restrictive and not conducive to their growth plans. Fortunately, he was introduced to Jerome Baier, the Business Banking Regional Manager at M&T Bank. Jerome didn’t just hear Steve; he paid attention.

For many small and midsize businesses, a banking relationship starts and ends with transactions. Deposits go in, payments go out, and as long as everything clears, it feels like the system is working. But in today’s environment, where fraud is more sophisticated, margins are tighter, and time is a scarce resource, viewing your bank as merely a utility can quietly expose your business to unnecessary risk and inefficiency.

Whether it is crews restoring power or working on their daily jobs of maintaining or upgrading the electric system, it’s not uncommon to see an Eversource truck rolling down the street—but now, there’s a different type of utility vehicle on the roads in Connecticut. The energy company’s new Agile Technical Training Unit is hitting the highways to bring on-demand technical courses directly to its lineworkers across the state—for the benefit of both crews and customers.

In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, a company’s brand is more than just a logo—it is a promise. And how that promise is presented to the public, physically and visually, matters more than ever. At Sign Pro, we believe delivering on that promise starts with how and where your signage is made. That’s why every product we create is proudly Made in the USA and manufactured right here in Connecticut.

According to the latest KeyBank Middle Market Sentiment Survey of 750 financial decision-makers, 77% of middle market businesses expect their performance to improve over the next year—a level nearing historic highs. What’s driving this confidence? In a word: momentum.

Earthlight Technologies, a Connecticut-based energy solutions company, has been working with commercial customers across the state to implement battery storage as part of their long-term energy strategy. As new utility programs expand and become more lucrative, interest from businesses has grown as more organizations recognize that their facilities can play a meaningful role in helping utilities manage periods of peak demand while creating a financially beneficial opportunity for their own operations.

Manufacturing has long been a bedrock of the Connecticut economy. As the state’s second biggest industry – accounting for more than 11% of the state’s GDP – that’s as true today as ever. But while nearly 70% of firms report profitability, according to the Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA), many are deeply challenged by margin pressure, rising costs, and ongoing volatility across labor and supply chains.