Masks on. Masks off. Masks on ... again.

At the signing of an Executive Order on July 9 to promote competition in the American economy, President Joe Biden stated, “The heart of American capitalism is a simple idea: open and fair competition—that means that if your companies want to win your business, they have to go out and they have to up their game; better prices and services; new ideas and products.”

Billionaire Warren Buffett says the one constant throughout the coronavirus pandemic has been that it has been difficult to predict how it would affect the economy, but clearly it has devastated many small businesses and individuals while most big companies have fared OK.

As a small business owner and leader, it’s likely there’s some intersection between how you’re setting up a legacy and protecting your business and how you can wisely manage your personal finances, including income tax planning, risk management, retirement planning and estate planning.

Jessica E. Meyers, founder and CEO of commercial construction company JEM Group, was named to the board of directors of Centric Financial Corp., parent company of Centric Bank.

The business owner needs to have a great relationship with two or more financial sources so they get to evaluate various options and aren’t limited to just one solution which may not be the best solution for their current situation.

New guidance through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allows anyone fully vaccinated to forgo face coverings in public settings, which could prove difficult for small businesses currently enforcing mask mandates.

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) announced its newest state director for Pennsylvania on Monday.

Four Republican Pennsylvania senators plan to introduce a series of bills they say will provide financial and tax relief for the state’s small businesses.

Two midstate entrepreneurs began their soda pop company in a small storefront in Lancaster. Today, the Lancaster-born company has relocated to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to take part in a local food movement happening there.

Community First Fund announced that it will receive a $5 million Grow with Google Small Business Fund loan from Opportunity Finance Network to aid small businesses battered by the COVID-19 economy.

The commercial real estate industry has yet to see how changing attitudes surrounding virtual work will affect the midstate’s stock of office properties.  And while many offices may still close in the coming months, experts in the region think the need for physical office space will prevail.

Small Lancaster County businesses will be able to apply for $15 million in grant funding next week through Recovery Lancaster’s Recovery and Sustainability Fund.

The first round of small business grant funding through the Lancaster County Economic Recovery Plan attracted nearly 1,200 applications for seeking more than $27.3 million. This round, totaling $10 million, targeted Lancaster County businesses with 20 or fewer employees.

The recipients included barbershops and salons (21%), retail stores (18%) and restaurants and food businesses (17%). More than 55% are located in downtown Lancaster.