Mayor Taveras, US Small Business Administration Renew Partnership to Support Business Growth, Development in Providence
Mayor Angel Taveras joined Rhode Island District Director Mark S.
Hayward of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) this morning to
renew a first-of-its-kind, 18-month partnership to support business
growth, economic development and job creation in the Capital City. The
partnership addresses raising participation in state and federal
incentive programs, one of the 20 action steps outlined in Mayor
Taveras’ economic development action plan, Putting Providence Back to
Work.
“The renewed partnership supports our work to encourage
business growth, economic development and job creation in Providence,”
said Mayor Taveras. “We are grateful to the U.S. Small Business
Administration, the Center for Women and Enterprise, and SCORE for their
continued partnership with the city to help our existing businesses to
be successful and to encourage new businesses to open and thrive.”
The
partnership was originally formed in May 2012 and was the first-ever
agreement between the two public agencies to grow jobs and businesses in
the Capital City. Over the course of the two-year agreement, the
agencies hosted 12 workshops for nearly 150 individual businesses
owners, equipping them with the skills to access working capital, write
successful business plans, secure government contracts, participate in
the federal procurement process, access state tax incentives, and become
eligible women- and minority-owned businesses. The City and the SBA
also introduced many start-ups and existing business owners to social
media, HUB zone and Enterprise Zone certifications, as well as small
business financing.
“We are extremely excited to continue our
collaboration with Mayor Taveras and the City of Providence,” said Mark
S. Hayward, district director of the SBA in Rhode Island. “For the past
two years, it has been a partnership that has yielded outstanding
results, and has helped small businesses gain access to the resources
and information they need to at all levels of government.”
As a
result of the renewed partnership, the free workshops will be held on a
regular basis in various locations across the city, and presented to
small business groups and merchant associations upon request. The new
schedule of workshops is currently in development and will be posted to
the city’s website at: www.providenceri.com/economic-development. The first workshop will be held in the beginning of February.
At
the two-hour workshops, attendees meet with representatives of city,
state and federal government and quasi-public agencies to learn how to
access working capital, contracts and tax incentives, develop specific
strategies to prevent loss and grow their bottom line, and network with
other business owners. The workshops also provide an opportunity to
arrange for free follow-on assistance as needed.
“The Rhode Island
business community thanks Mayor Taveras and the U.S. SBA for extending
this partnership and working to provide more business owners with the
necessary resources and skills to help grow and strengthen their
companies. Especially for small businesses and start-ups, access to
information on federal contracts, state tax incentives and basic
assistance for staff writing business plans can make a real difference,”
said Laurie White, president of the Greater Providence Chamber of
Commerce. “Small businesses are the engine of our city’s economic growth
and we look forward to our continued work together to ensure that
businesses across the city have the information needed to take advantage
of this program.”
The City has fostered partnerships with the
U.S. Small Business Administration and other agencies, including the
Rhode Island Small Business Development Center, Commerce RI,
Southeastern Economic Development Corporation (SEED), the Rhode Island
Secretary of State’s One Stop Office, and the Center for Women and
Enterprise.
“I am very excited to continue our partnership with
the City of Providence to provide local business owners with the
technical assistance needed to grow their businesses and create jobs to
contribute to the strength of the state’s economy,” said Carmen
Diaz-Jusino, senior program director of the Center for Women and
Enterprise.
“The Rhode Island chapter of SCORE is pleased to
continue the organization’s 50-year record of working with towns, cities
and states to help small businesses that are the cornerstone of our
economy,” said George Hemond, SCORE’s chapter chairman. “Our Rhode
Island staff of over 25 volunteer mentors, with extensive business
experience, is here to help small businesses grow and prosper.”
This
morning’s announcement was made at G-Form, a young and fast-growing
international company based in the heart of Providence’s Knowledge
District.
“G-Form has greatly benefited from being located in
Providence – not only is it a sweet spot from an operational standpoint,
but it offers a convenient and professional backdrop for visitors. As a
young, fast-growing business, the Jewelry District especially helps us
to maintain the image of a cutting-edge, innovative company,” said
Thomas Cafaro, vice president of innovations, G-Form. “We’re very
pleased to have contributed over 300 jobs throughout New England, many
of them here in Rhode Island, and to have been able to take advantage of
talent through the local colleges and universities.”