New York Department of Small Business Services Encourages Minority and Women Owned Businesses To Get Certified

Press release from Manhattan Community Board 5:

June 8 2020

From the Department of Small Business Services:

In addition to sharing our usual weekly round up of updates related to COVID-19, I wanted to first acknowledge the other crisis affecting all of us. Right now we’re seeing the impact of centuries of systemic racism come to a head in the midst of a pandemic. The same pandemic that is disproportionately affecting black and brown communities worldwide.

At the Department of Small Business Services (SBS), we are well aware of how systemic racism plays out in the small business community. It’s the reason we launched BE NYC, an initiative to advance black entrepreneurship in September 2019. We also know that other communities of color are affected. Census data tells us that while the black community makes up 20% of New Yorkers, only 2% of businesses are black-owned. That doesn’t look like equity to me, and it's a disparity we are addressing through BE NYC.

Equity of access and inclusion are at the core of the work we do at SBS, and is a personal mission for me. We are committed to creating economic security for all New Yorkers by connecting members of our community to good jobs, creating stronger businesses, and building thriving neighborhoods. And it is my belief that none of us thrives when some of us suffer.

Equity for New Yorkers, especially for black New Yorkers, requires that we all play a part in elevating black voices, challenging the norms of institutional racism and connecting people of color to the resources they need to succeed—whether through education, transportation, housing, healthcare, or economic opportunity.

If you are a minority or woman business owner, please get M/WBE certified. Our team will work with you one-on-one to help with everything from filling out the application to winning your first contract with the City. More contracts won by communities of color means more dollars in the community. You can learn more at nyc.gov/getcertified or write to our team at mwbe@sbs.nyc.gov.

As Commissioner, I am committed to deepening our reach into communities of color and making sure our resources are being distributed equitably. Our agency is proud to work for you and alongside you.

Sincerely,
Commissioner Jonnel Doris

This press release was produced by Manhattan Community Board 5. The views expressed here are the author’s own.