PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The National Urban League and the U.S. Small Business Administration are collaborating to help small minority business owners in Philadelphia who were impacted by the pandemic.
The Community Navigator Program is building on President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, with the goal of getting small minority-owned businesses in Philadelphia access to capital and resources they need to thrive.
Delaware Valley business owners gathered in North Philadelphia to discuss some of their struggles and their needs as they begin to emerge from the financial hardships brought on by the pandemic.
The Philadelphia Urban League is one of 25 across the country that will be participating in the Community Navigator Program.
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“Helping our small businesses connect to resources on a federal, local, and state level, to make sure they are positioned for success and to take advantage of some of the growth opportunities we see on the horizon," said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman.
Casillas Guzman said the Biden-Harris Administration changed the policy to make sure the needs of all businesses are met in an inclusive way.
"But beyond that as well, it’s the networks. It’s the outreach that you have to establish, and we took painstaking care in making sure that we were connected to the right local partners."
“The environment that the pandemic created where many Black small businesses closed their doors temporarily, some of them permanently, it's about giving them an opportunity to stand back up and grow once again," National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial added.
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State Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia, Montgomery County) said too many small minority-owned businesses have suffered and need to recover.
“What we’re doing is enhancing and investing dramatically in the small business infrastructure here in Philadelphia, and especially Black and brown businesses," said Hughes.
Recovery services include financial assistance, access to capital, business-to-business networking, marketing, and business development as well as industry-specific training.
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