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Small Business Resources
A guide to public and private sources of assistance
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Business New Haven
3/31/2003
By: Karen Singer
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Ample resources are available statewide for small businesses in varying stages of maturity.
Colleges and universities offer business courses as well as connections to groups providing counseling and other assistance.
Membership in local, state and national organizations can facilitate networking opportunities that could unlock the door to doing business with big corporations.
A variety of certification programs enable small businesses to bid on state and federal government contracts.
Here are several places to start looking:
The small business center at Gateway Community College in New Haven offers associate's degrees and certificates programs, as well as credit-free courses. It's also a one-stop shop for business assistance through partnerships with groups such as the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), the Women's Business Development Center and the Connecticut Small Business Development Centers.
"We're the first community college in Connecticut to sponsor all of these agencies in one spot," says business professor Rose Bednarz, who set up the small-business center at the Long Wharf campus last year.
SCORE, for instance, offers free counseling and monthly workshops for start-ups, and the Women's Business Development Center provides counseling every Thursday.
Bednarz says she is currently is finalizing "an articulation agreement" with Quinnipiac University to enable Gateway students with an associate's degree to earn a bachelor's degree in entrepreneurship at Quinnipiac.
Elizabeth Appel, senior regional manager for the state's Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD) spends her time matching company needs with available resources. Her territory is south-central Connecticut.
Most of the firms she deals with are manufacturers and retailers. "I learn about their business, and make some suggestions about where they might go for help," Appel says. The organizations she works with provide a free first visit. They include the Connecticut State Technical Extension Program (ConnSTEP), the Connecticut Development Authority and Connecticut Community Investment Corp.
An entire section devoted to business and industry development can be found on DECD's Web site (www.ct.gov/ecd). Also available there is information about Connecticut's Business Response Center (800-392-2122, or e-mail info@YouBelongInCT.com.
Appel also recommends small-business owners check out the Connecticut Economic Resource Center Web site, www.cerc.com, for information and referrals, or call it at 860-571-6203.
"Nowadays I'm hearing more from the smaller companies," says Appel. "People who own these businesses work very hard, and they care about their employees. They're doing the best they can, but sometimes it stops being fun.
"But we often see that creativity comes from smaller companies."
Appel can be reached at 860-270-8043.
The state's Department of Administrative Services (DAS) offers certification for small-business enterprises, including those owned by ethnic minorities and women through its supplier diversity program. Certification in the so-called Business Connections Program enables companies to bid for state-funded projects.
Meg Yetishefsky, director of DAS' small-business programs, explains that 25 percent of the state agencies' overall procurement budget, with certain exemptions, must be earmarked for certified small-business enterprises. Of that proportion, another 25 percent must go to certified minority businesses.
To be eligible for certification, companies must have been in business at least a year, have annual sales of less than $10 million and do most of their business in-state. Minority companies must be at least 51-percent minority-owned. The certification process generally takes about three weeks and may include an on-site visit.
There currently are 2,261 companies in the program. Of those, 1,059 are certified as minority business enterprises, including firms owned by African-Americans, Asians, Latinos and women, according to Mark Carroza, program manager.
Yetishefsky characterizes the program as an economic-development initiative.
"We did not want it to be just another certification to put on their wall," she says. "Many small companies are struggling against bigger companies, and this program gives them a chance to get a piece of the pie."
Yetishefsky also says the program has "forced many small companies to become computer-literate," because they can't participate if they don't have an e-mail address. Certified companies receive regular updates on bidding opportunities. "We also offer a free hyperlink if the company has a Web site," she adds.
Applications can be downloaded at www.das.state.ct.us\busopp.asp or requested by phone at 860-713-5230.
Yetishefsky says she receives 15 applications a week, a "drastic increase" from just 12 months ago. She attributes the burgeoning interest to an effort to increase awareness of the program via trade shows and chambers of commerce throughout the state.
"We used to get a lot of construction companies; now we get applications from all kinds of companies," she adds.
Many recent applicants include highly technical firms, such as software development and environmental hazard companies, Carroza notes.
The state's Department of Transportation has a similar certification program, offering "disadvantaged business enterprises" access to a federally run program for projects with federal funding.
To qualify, companies must be at least 51-percent minority-owned or run by employers whose net income cannot exceed $750,000, or have gross receipts of more than $17 million over a three-year period.
"The companies should be owned or controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged minorities and women," explains Debra Goss, assistant director for contract compliance with the state's Department of Transportation (DOT). As of earlier this month, 318 companies had state certification, and 200 of them were Connecticut-based.
The certification process takes two to three months. Information about the program is available at the DOT Web site, www.dot.state.ct.us, by calling Shari Pratt at 860-594-2171 or by e-mailing her at spratt@po.state.ct.us.
Goss is looking to launch a new program later this year that would provide supportive services gratis to disadvantaged business enterprises. "It will include hiring consultants to assess a firm's strengths and weaknesses," she says. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Web site, www.sba.gov/ct, houses a wealth of information, including details about an online registry, the Central Contractor Registration (CCR), for companies desiring to do business with the U.S. Department of Defense.
"It's basically a free marketing tool," says Greta Johansson, the SBA's deputy district director for Connecticut. "Most private-sector employers are trying to diversify their vendors, and this is a way to make it happen.
"If you're a small business there's zero reason not to register," Johansson adds.
For CCR registration help, visit its Web site at www.ccr.gov/, call 888-227-2423 or 269-961-4725. A DUNs number is needed for registration.
The SBA is perhaps best known for its loan-guarantee program, and in 2002 its third district, which includes New Haven and Middlesex counties, had a higher loan volume than the Hartford area, according to Johansson. Leading lenders include Fleet, Webster and People's banks, and most loans are "at or below" $150,000.
"Our fiscal year ended October 1, and our year to date already is between 15 and 20 percent higher than last year," she says.
The SBA's Connecticut office can be reached at their Web site, www.sba.gov/ct, or by calling 860-240-4700.
A privately funded group, the Connecticut Minority Supplier Development Council, is a "kind of a corporate matchmaker, creating opportunities for large companies to work with minorities," says its president, Fred McKinney. "We also assist the minority community with training."
Founded in 1976, CMSDC is a non-profit affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). Local and national Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, universities, financial institutions, associations and organizations are on its membership roster.
Small businesses account for around 80 percent of CMSDC's 250 members. About 15 to 20 percent are in the New Haven area; the rest primarily in Hartford, Stamford and Bridgeport. The 98 corporate members include General Electric, Xerox and Pitney Bowes.
To qualify for certification, a small business must be 51-percent owned and operated by a member of an ethnic minority who controls the management and daily business operations.
Eligible groups include African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Asian-Indian Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans.
To apply, download an application at www.cmsdc.org, or call 203-288-9744. There's a $150 application fee.
The Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce is developing a support group for established women business owners.
"There's a lot of stuff out there for women who want to start a business, but not much for women who have established businesses, and they have really different needs," explains Janet Testa, the chamber's vice president of operations. "We're also thinking about hosting an event or forum for women to explore and exchange best practices."
Eligible businesses should have at least five employees and $1 million in annual sales, Testa says. "We're in process of choosing 15-20 companies for a focus group, to brainstorm to see whether this would be a forum they need."
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