Recently I joined with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to renew a first-of-its-kind partnership to support business growth, economic development and job creation in our capital city.
This partnership addresses participation in state and federal incentives programs - one of the key action items in my economic development plan, Putting Providence Back to Work. It is the renewal of a unique agreement with the U.S. SBA to put valuable information directly into the hands of small business owners.
Through this program, we have hosted workshops throughout the city for nearly 150 individual businesses owners. Our programs have provided them with the skills they need 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. We bring the experts and the information to small businesses, so they can take what they need to start or grow a company.
Our renewed partnership means more free workshops will be held on a regular basis across the city, with the first of the series held on February 20 and the next on March 20. We will hold a special series in April for college students, recent graduates and entrepreneurs called, "Spring Break," which will explore search engine optimization (SEO) social media and more. Dates and locations for scheduled classes are available on the city's website at www.providenceri.com.
I thank the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Center for Women and Enterprise, and SCORE for their continued partnership with the city as we work to help our existing businesses be successful and to encourage new businesses to open and thrive.
Angel Taveras is the mayor of Providence.