Building a City That Works, One Small Business at a Time
Small businesses are fundamental to the fabric of our City. When residents and visitors #ThinkPVD and shop locally, they invest directly in our roads, schools and neighborhoods. Because local businesses are so critical, we want to make sure that entrepreneurs who want to invest in Providence succeed. The PVD Self Employment Program, which we showcased this month at Hotel Providence, provides unemployed or underemployed aspiring entrepreneurs with the skills and education necessary to successfully launch and grow their small businesses.
As Mayor, I want every resident to have a fair shot at economic success. To date, the Office of Economic Opportunity, in partnership with the Center for Women and Enterprise, has provided nearly 100 residents with financial literacy training, practical business skills and access to capital required to start and grow their small business. To graduate from the program, each cohort must complete a comprehensive three-week course of intensive business planning and must also meet with a mentor twice a week for six weeks, who will walk participants through the creation of a bank-ready business plan.
This program provides our residents with access to resources that helps create jobs and has the potential to be a national model for entrepreneurship education that supports our families and communities. So far, businesses ideas ranging from mobile food establishments to apparel lines have been supported.
I encourage those interested in learning more to visit the PVD Self Employment webpage or by contacting the Mayor’s Center for City Services by calling 3-1-1 or by downloading the mobile app from Google Play or the Apple Store.