We are back with Part II of my experiences with local initiatives for small businesses here in NYC. This is part of a series and though each post is written to stand alone, you may want to read Part I to learn about some of the acronyms I will mention here.
So, as you know my first foray out into the world of small business initiatives didn't go so well. My next one however, was definitely promising. I regularly check the websites for the SBA, SBDC, and SBS for updates and help for whatever new step I am on in my path to business ownership. One day, or night, the work never stops, I came across a promotion on the SBS site about a new initiative called WE NYC. WE NYC stands for Women Entrepreneurs New York City. This new initiative was created by the first lady of NYC, the Commissioner of SBS, and many others, to focus on giving more support to women entrepreneurs here in NYC.
I, as a woman in NYC looking to start my own business, thought this was a lovely idea. Now this is a brand new initiative so they haven't gotten off the ground quite yet. But, they did hold forums to ask local women entrepreneurs questions about what kind of support they need. I attended the forum held in the Bronx at Startup Box a South Bronx-based organization co-founded by Majora Carter, a local celebrity business woman. Or at least that's how I think of her.
Anyway, the forum went great. They asked us lots of questions about how we feel, what our experiences with starting our businesses were, and what we would want out of this new initiative. It was nice to be listened to for once; to be asked about my wants and needs as an entrepreneur. The workshop was also a great networking event as well. It was nice to meet and hear from other local women entrepreneurs; to see what we had in common and what made each of us different. Also in attendance were several partners of SBS. They shared their client feedback and experiences during the workshop and afterwards were glad to talk to those entrepreneurs in attendance that were looking for the types of assistance they provided.
Overall, I had a good time at the WE NYC workshop. Even though the initiative didn't give me anything concrete they helped by letting me interact with others in a similar situations and they let me be apart of brainstorming ideas for future programs that will be to my benefit. Also, I believe that many of the people met may become beneficial relationships in the future. If nothing else, I got a confidence boost because I know that I am not the only one doing this and that there are people out there ready and willing to help us all succeed.
Look out for next week's post about the NYC Business Solutions and the classes I have taken with them.
