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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCRA-R-13-0044 BackupNEIGHBORS AND NEIGHBORS ASSOCIATION, INC. ("NANA") Overtown Business and Community Work Training Program Resource Center For the Southeast Overtown/Park West Redevelopment Area I. ORGANIZATIONAL EXPERIENCE NANA has been funded by the Southeast OvertownlPark West Community Redevelopment Agency ("CRA") since 2008. NANA has a wealth of experience in assisting small businesses to realize economic success. NANA's technical assistance includes, but is not limited to, assisting businesses with technical support by of offering business training, negotiating with govermment agencies, permits, license, code compliance, completing loan and grant applications, landlord/tenant disputes, 40-year building recertification, on -site visits/on the job training, assist Miami -Dade County Business Entity Registration Application, help with completing a Daily Sales Report for business owners that are not computer literate and referrals. NANA's goal to helped small businesses and to support economic development initiatives is clearly evident from the nature of the numerous programs administered by NANA. A. MIAMI-DADE COUNTY'S "MOM AND POP SMALL BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM" Examples of the aforementioned can be seen in NANA' s administration of Miami -Dade County's "Mom and Pop Small Business Grant Program," in which NANA has created an avenue to access dedicated funding through Miami -Dade County. The "Mom and Pop Small Business Grant Program" was created to provide financial and technical assistance to qualified small businesses that are approved for funding. In turn, small businesses have been afforded the opportunity to interact with local government under favorable conditions and this relationship has ultimately worked towards bridging the gap between the small business community and local governmental entities. Funding from the "Mom and Pop Small Business Grant Program" can be used to purchase equipment, supplies, advertising/marketing inventory, building liability insurance, security systems and to make minor renovations. NANA helped to develop the grant process for the "Mom and Pop Small Business Grant Program" in order to ensure that funding reach those eligible businesses in need. Participants in the "Mom and Pop Small Business Grant Program" are afforded technical assistance to help create better working and business environments, promote economic development opportunities, and educate small businesses on the various programs and projects that benefit small businesses, As a result, financial assistance has been made available to over 6,000 small businesses throughout Miami -Dade County. B. MIAMI-DADE COUNTY'S MICRO LOAN PROGRAM As with, the "Mom and Pop Small Business Program," NANA also administers Miami -Dade County's Micro Loan Program, which provides direct technical assistance to a minimum of 300 small businesses throughout Miami -Dade County in order to assist said businesses in becoming efficient and profitable. Additionally, small businesses are able to access funding through a loan process that considers the economic circumstances of these small businesses. C. CITY OF MIAMI'S MICRO ENTERPRISE BUSINESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM NANA administers the City of Miami's Micro Enterprise Business Program, which provides funding, up to $10,000, to low to moderate income business owners located in the City of Miami's District 5. 1 D. SMALL BUSINESS FORMATION WORKSHOP The Small Business Formation Workshop provided by NANA offers a thorough overview of all the considerations and components of starting a business. Participants in the workshop learn how to incorporate as a corporate business entity, and what type of corporation status their particular business needs, as well as the various legal entities involved in incorporating. The workshop also offers participants a corporate kit filling. H. BUSINESS INCUBATOR AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM; COMMUNITY WORFORCE TRAINING PROGRAM A. REQUEST NANA seeks to continue the provision of assistance to small businesses and to expand its efforts to reach individual residents to help develop job opportunities for said residents. To achieve this, NANA hopes to continue its administration of the Business Incubator and Development Program at the Overtown Business Resource Center, and to develop and administer Community Workforce Training Program. The Business Incubator and Development Program will continue to provide office space and direct technical assistance to small businesses with the hope of creating job opportunities for residents. Participants in the Business Incubator and Development Program will benefit from various training exercises and exposure to successful business owners who can act as mentors. The Community Workforce Training Program will help to prepare residents throughout the Redevelopment Area to enter into stable, gainful employment by identifying their level of job readiness and providing them with the skills necessary to enter into the workforce. NANA is interested in continuing its administration of Business Incubator and Development Program because the services offered through said Program complement our organizational goals and objectives of offering direct assistance to small businesses, while also serving to support economic development in the Redevelopment Area. For the Community Workplace Training Program, NANA's long term mission is will be met because NANA is looking to expand beyond providing technical assistance to small businesses and include assisting individuals that reside within the cornrnunities we serve. This program enables NANA to provide direct assistance to the participating residents in order to ensure that they have an opportunity to participate in the broader revitalization of the Redevelopment Area. B. DESCRIPTION AND SCOPE 1. BUSINESS INCUBATOR AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM The Business Incubator and Development Program consists of providing incubator space each month to a minimum of five (5) businesses owned within the Redevelopment Area. Services provided through this program include: • Access to various business related workshops and training • Computer use and Wi-Fi access • Business advice and technical assistance, including one-on-one counseling. • Access to site visits of successful business enterprises and participation in a business mentoring partnership 2 • Office services, including copies, telephone and facsimile use, and notary services • Access to conference space • Business referrals • Assistance with the preparation of a business plan • Assistance with obtaining business licenses • Assistance with identifying capital funding sources • Link business to City/County websites (advertising) In an effort to ensure that participating businesses are fully realizing the benefits offered, NANA will monitor businesses that receive incubator space by evaluating the following: • Program participation/completion • Attainment of required licenses/permits • Workshop/training session attendance • Sales/Gross receipts Additionally, invited guest speakers will be participating and offering business insights and opportunities in their respective fields ( i.e., Department of Treasury/IRS, Barry University Entrepreneurial Institute, City of Miami Purchasing Department, South Florida Workforce, Accion USA, Partners for Self Employment, Service Corp. of Retired Executives (SCORE), Florida Women's Center, Miami -Dade County Department of Procurement Management, etc.) Business participants are generally small businesses located in low to very low income areas and their customer base also falls into the low to very low income category, and whose census tracts with the L/M population is fifty-one percent or more. NANA also intends to leverage benefits afforded to participating businesses under the Incubator and Development Program with the other programs administered by NANA on behalf of the City of Miami and Miami -Dade County. 2. COMMUNITY WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAM The Community Workforce Training Program consists of providing on -site background and certification screening for specific employment projects. Specifically, NANA screening will include the following: • Register the potential employee into Work Training database • Review & help create resumes when needed • Provide drug screening (pre -employment and during) • Evaluate job readiness • Preparation for Placement • Referrals to other services (training, schools, etc.) NANA hopes to serve a minimum of twenty (20) residents each month. C. BUDGET; REPORTING In order to continue the administration of the Business Incubator and Development Program, and to commence the administration of the Community Workforce Training Program, NANA requests a grant award of Eighty Thousand Dollars ($80,000.00) to be disbursed on a monthly basis over the course of one (1) year. NANA will seek disbursement of the grant funds on a monthly basis, and provide the CRA with 3 status reports of progress made under each of the aforementioned programs. Specifically, said reports will detail the following data: Community Workforce Training Program: • Daily Visitors (Number, Visitor Names, Phone Numbers, Email Addresses • Types of Services Provided to Each Visitor • Number of Repeat Visitors • Number of Job Referrals and Actual Placement • Referrals to Other Programs/Training Business Incubator: • Participating Businesses (Number, Business Name, Type of Business, Phone Number, Email Address) • Services Provided to Each Business • Term of Occupancy of Incubator Space for each Business • Workshops Attended • Referrals to Other Programs/Opportunities for Funding • Revenue data for each Business Evaluation: In addition to the monthly reports submitted with invoices, NANA will perfolni pre and post -program assessments that will track the progress of all businesses and individuals that participate within the project. These assessments will be submitted to CRA with the final invoice for payment. 4