Notes
NotesFrom the studio notes
The notes are the long version. Read one before you decide to write to us.
Support
Massachusetts Technology Grants for Small Businesses in 2026, Plus Loans and Free Help
Massachusetts technology grants for small business, checked on official pages: who qualifies, what each pays for, status and dates, plus loans and free help.
Amelia Gagne
Support
When a Small Business Needs a Technology Advisor
When a small business needs a technology advisor or fractional CIO, what a good advisor does and does not do, and how Worcester owners can judge the advice.
Amelia Gagne
Support
IT Onboarding Checklist for New Employees: A Small Business Guide
A practical IT onboarding checklist for small businesses: accounts by role, encrypted devices, MFA, first-day training, the 30 day review and Massachusetts rules.
Brian Gagne
Support
IT Support Tiers Explained: L1, L2 and L3 for Business Owners
IT support tiers explained for business owners: what L1, L2 and L3 each fix, how escalation works, and what to ask a provider. With Worcester wage data.
Brian Gagne
Support
How to Switch IT Providers Without Losing Access or Data
How to switch IT providers in Central MA without losing access or data: contract, inventory, domain ownership, admin accounts, overlap, passwords, and a stalled handover.
Brian Gagne
Support
What Does a Massachusetts Website Cost a Small Business in 2026?
What goes into a Massachusetts website cost for a small business in 2026: public wage data, what you pay for, the upkeep owners forget, and why a site matters with AI.
Amelia Gagne
Support
Website Speed for a Small Business: The 3 Second Rule and How to Fix It
Website speed for small business owners: where the 3 second rule comes from, Google's Core Web Vitals in plain words, free tests, and what to fix first.
Amelia Gagne
Support
The SBA Proposed Calling a $531 Million Computer Company Small. What the New SBA Size Standards Mean for a 12-Person Shop
The proposed SBA size standards would make a $531 million computer firm small. What changes, who competes with you, and how to comment by November 20, 2026.
Brian Gagne
Support
Build the Team or Find the Partner: How to Decide Whether to Hire or Partner
Hire or partner for technical work: what a seat really costs, when steady demand justifies a hire, what to always own, and Massachusetts contractor rules.
Amelia Gagne
Support
Enterprise Quality Doesn't Require an Enterprise Invoice: What Small Business IT Should Include
What enterprise-quality small business IT includes, how to price it against downtime and a full-time hire, and the questions to ask any IT partner before you sign.
Brian Gagne
Support
Your Software Stack Costs More at Every Renewal. Here Is How to Audit It
Why your software stack costs more each renewal, what changed in Microsoft 365 on July 1, 2026, and a one-afternoon audit to cut unused seats and overlap.
Brian Gagne
Support
Small Business Investment Plans Fell to Their Lowest Since 2009. Owners Are Rewiring, Not Retreating.
Small business investment plans hit 16% in March 2026, the lowest since 2009. What NFIB and Fed data show, what changed since, and how to choose buy, hire or rent.
Amelia Gagne
Support
77% of Your Employees Are Staying. Only 18% Want To Be There. What Job Hugging Means for a Small Business
Job hugging is staying out of necessity, not choice. What MetLife and Gallup found in 2026, and how a small business can turn necessity stays into chosen ones.
Amelia Gagne
Support
Business Survival Rates: Do 75% of Startups Fail, and Which Tech Choices Help?
Business survival rates from BLS and SBA data: about half of new businesses last five years. Where the 75% startup failure claim comes from, and what tech helps.
Amelia Gagne