The city of Springfield, Massachusetts is putting an emphasis on supporting its small business community with a new executive training program called RiseUp Springfield.
Riseup Springfield Small Business Training Program
The program, which is a collaboration between the City of Springfield, the Association of Black Business and Professionals and the city’s Chamber of Commerce, consists of courses held at the University of Massachusetts center in Springfield. The training program will offer knowledge, tools and networking opportunities to help small business owners support and grow their businesses.
Business owners don’t need a degree to participate in the program. But there are some basic eligibility requirements. For example, businesses must be located within the city of Springfield, must have an annual revenue of between $150,000 and $10 million, must be in at least the third year of business ownership and have at least one other full-time employee besides the owner or owners.
The city and its organizations take the growth of small businesses so seriously because of the huge impact these businesses can have on the local economy.
Chairman of the Association of Black Business and Professionals, Robert Jones, explained to 22News, “They tend to hire locally, and if you’re hiring somebody locally, and if you’re giving them an opportunity to earn an income to support their family, everybody benefits from that. The business, the families, thus, the communities.”
The program offers a great example of a city supporting its small business community. Training and education can provide small business owners with a major boost. But it’s not always easily attainable.
So if successful, RiseUp Springfield should increase the chances of its local small businesses growing enough to hire more employees, spend more capital locally and grow and sustain the local economy.
Springfield Photo via Shutterstock
Aira Bongco
I think that any place could benefit from the proliferation of small businesses. It encourages the entrepreneur mindset and people get to improve their skills and make money at the same time.
It is nice to see a city doing its best to improve small business in the area. It will not only help the people but will also make its place thrive.
I find the proactivity amazing. I think that other cities could learn from them for they see the value of small businesses in their area.
Hi Annie,
Can you connect with me – I’d like to get in contact with Robert Jones (or someone from the Association of Black Businesses and Professionals) for a program that I think would be a great fit.