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14 Jan, 2009
SBA Honors Emerging 200 Initiative Graduates - - Small Businesses Who Are Impacting
Boston’s Inner City.
Boston – The U.S. Small Business Administration recognized 20 small businesses
today in a graduation ceremony in Boston. The goal of the SBA Emerging 200 initiative,
started last Spring, was to identify 200 inner-city businesses across the country
that show a high potential for growth—and to provide them the network, resources
and motivation required to build a sustainable business of size and scale within
a designated inner-city geographic location. Boston was selected to participate
in the SBA’s Emerging 200 Initiative (e200) and 20 businesses signed up. SBA
selected Cambridge-based InnerCity Entrepreneurs to conduct the executive training
aspect of SBA’s Emerging 200 initiative, a jobs and growth stimulation effort
targeting promising inner-city small businesses. The CEOs and small business owners
who have graduated from the program have produced a three-year strategic growth
plan with benchmarks and performance targets. They were trained further to target
their business strategies to accelerate growth, explore financing, diversify markets
and expand their networking. Jeff Andrade, Associate Administrator of the Office
of Entrepreneurial Development in Washington, D.C. was on hand to present the e200
grads with their awards. “SBA is investing in the e200 businesses so that
they can invest in others,” said Andrade. “Small businesses drive our
economy and keep our country vibrant, adaptable and competitive.” The cornerstone
of e200 in Boston was an in-depth 80 hour educational program, which ran from June
through December, 2008, focusing on topics such as organization management, growth
strategies and management, market development, and strategic planning. Graduating
businesses recognized for completing the program include: (MORE) •
- A.J. Cleaning
- Ameri-Print Network, Inc.
- Audissey Guides
- Balloon City of
Boston, Inc.
- Boston Green Building, Inc.
- Chan Insurance Agency,
Inc.
- Cliff & Sons Electric Contractors, Inc.
- Cottonfield, LLC
-
Fire Code Design LLC
- Fortunato & Associates
- Massachusetts Local
Telephone Company, Inc.
- MSS Business Management, Inc.
- Onyx Spectrum
Technology
- Peninsula of Boston, Inc.
- Rare Find Contracting, Inc.
- Signal Graphics
- tCognition, Inc.
- Thomas Construction Company,
Inc.
- TummyToys
- Vici Slayman Associates, LLC
The selection of Boston
as an e200 city was a prestigious one. There were 23 cities nationwide that applied
to take part in this initiative. Along with Boston, other e200 cities chosen included
Albuquerque, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Des Moines, Memphis, Milwaukee, New Orleans,
and Philadelphia. Adrienne R. Benton, President and CEO of Roxbury-based Onyx Spectrum
Technology addressed her fellow graduates at the ceremony. “e200 helped to
re-energize me around all the other activities important to business such as, strategic
planning, frequent goal setting and getting back to really reading and using financial
reports – all things we know, but sometimes when you are the chief, cook and
bottle washer, get lost in the shuffle,” said Benton. Those partner organizations
joining the SBA District Office to bring e200 to Boston were: - The City of
Boston
- The Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Boston
-
The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) State Office
The MSBDC Boston Regional Office/Minority Business Center Participation in e200
was free to qualifying businesses. Criteria for participation included having been
in business for a minimum of three years, $400,000 or more in gross annual revenues,
and a business location within the geographic boundaries defined by the SBA. Participation
was limited to 200 businesses nationwide. For more information on the program, contact
the SBA in Boston at (617) 565-5590.
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