The city of Yonkers has forged a two-year strategic alliance with the U.S Small Business Administration to better reach the city”™s small businesses with SBA consulting, capital and contracting programs, making it the first municipality to sign such an agreement in New York.
Flanked by federal officials from the SBA and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano on July 29 put his signature on a strategic alliance memorandum below that of Beth Goldberg, director of the SBA New York district office. The agreement is intended to foster a working relationship between the city and SBA to strengthen and expand small business development in the state”™s fourth largest city.
That effort will include jointly sponsored training programs and outreach activities, including guidance on government contracting opportunities for small businesses, which start this month at Yonkers public libraries. Federal officials said they will encourage businesses to take advantage of federal contracting preferences for companies within the city”™s Historically Underutilized Business Zone, or Hub Zone, mapped by federal officials.
[box title=”Training sessions” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#000000″ border_style=”solid” bg_color=”#efefef” align=”left”] The alliance will kick off with a free “Starting your own business” training series as follows:
Riverfront Library, 1 Larkin Center:
Aug. 12, 2 to 4 p.m., Youth program: How to develop an idea into a business.
Aug. 12, 5 to 7 p.m., Starting a business at 50-plus.
Sept. 23, 5 to 7 p.m., How to start a business and how SBA can help your business.
Oct. 21, 5 to 7 p.m., Business plan writing.
Nov. 9, 5 to p.m., Selling your products and services to the government.
Will Library, 1500 Central Park Ave.:
Aug. 19, 5 to 7 p.m., Starting a business at 50-plus.
Sept. 30, 5 to 7 p.m., How to start a business and how SBA can help your business.
Oct. 28, 5 to 7 p.m., Business plan writing.
Nov. 18, 5 to 7 p.m., Selling your products and services to the government.
To register, contact man-li.lin@sba.gov or call James Hackett at the Yonkers Public Library at 914-375-7947.[/box]
Goldberg, the SBA New York district director, said only one business in Yonkers ”” Clason Point Partners Inc., a strategic management consulting company on South Broadway ”” has been awarded federal contracts as a Hub Zone business. Throughout Yonkers, the SBA in the last 21 months awarded 21 loans totaling $20 million to small businesses. But the federal agency can do more to encourage small businesses, she said.
“The potential for small-business owners to secure federal contracts in the Hub Zone is huge,” Goldberg said. “This newly formed alliance could be the catalyst that brings more federal contracting opportunities and dollars to small businesses.”
Kellie LeDet, administrator for SBA”™s Region II, said she and Goldberg plan a walking tour of Yonkers businesses to tell owners about SBA offerings. She said the new agreement “allows the city of Yonkers to become an extension of the SBA.”
Goldberg said the SBA and HUD are planning a two-part summit in the fall in Yonkers to get established businesses into government contracting with special emphasis on Hub Zone opportunities.
The city”™s SBA partnership is one result of a Community Needs Assessment survey done by HUD in the last two years in partnership with the Yonkers planning and development office. Holly Leicht, HUD regional administrator for New York and New Jersey, said the survey identified three top needs: storm water management, small-business services and affordable housing support and funding. The SBA was brought in to take over the federal response to small-business needs, she said.
Leicht said Yonkers is one of three New York cities, along with Rochester and Utica, chosen for HUD”™s community needs assessment program. “We”™re kind of looking for perfect partners that need a leg up but have leadership to carry out plans,” she said.
“Every step of the way,” Spano said at the signing, “HUD has been supportive and has helped us find opportunities that might not be identified otherwise.”
Spano called the memorandum signing “a historic announcement for our business community and our city. ”¦ Once again, Yonkers is leading by example.”
“This is a great partnership, the first in the state” between a municipality and the SBA, LeDet said. “There”™s many more to come after this.”
In Yonkers, “You”™ll be seeing a lot more of us around,” said HUD”™s Leicht.
