The New Jersey Small Business Development Center (NJSBDC) at New Jersey City University (NJCU) is continuing its efforts to assist entrepreneurs and small businesses affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Center has deployed personnel and resources throughout Hudson County to ensure that all small businesses and entrepreneurs receive disaster assistance, information on relief programs, and additional support services provided by its economic partners.
At the start of the pandemic, NJSBDC at NJCU hosted a successful webinar series called "Mindshare Monday'' to help simplify and share information on constantly evolving assistance programs, mandates, and policies. Local subject matter experts were invited to the series every week to share updates and advice with small business owners and entrepreneurs.
“Our Center has always encouraged growth in small businesses, and in the past year, the number one priority for our clients has been ‘Response, Recovery, and Resilience,’” said Vid Bahadur, Regional Co-Director of NJSBDC at NJCU. “Our advice to small business owners has ranged from finding the right relief programs and how to apply for them, to how to cover the cost of retaining employees and keeping up with loan payments.”
Throughout the lockdowns and limitations, foot traffic to the small businesses in the region has reduced significantly. For Small Business Saturday and the #ShopSmall movement, NJSBDC at NJCU has curated a ‘Shop Small Deal’s List’, which consists of exclusive holiday discounts and promotions offered by the Center’s clients. Along with encouraging holiday shoppers to engage with small businesses during the economic upheaval, the goal of the list is to guide physical and online traffic to the small businesses and for owners to take advantage of the holiday season.
“This is a difficult time for small business owners everywhere. We are dedicated in our efforts to offer the best assistance to small businesses, whether it is through one-on-one management consulting, virtual training webinars, or connecting our clients to the local communities,” said Dr. Michael Edmondson, Regional Co-Director of NJSBDC at NJCU and Dean of Professional Education and Lifelong Learning (PELL).
The Center is now finalizing plans for the 2021 Events Calendar, which will include business survival-related topics such as “Financial Literacy for Business Owners” and “Meet the Lenders 2021.” It also actively promotes training workshops facilitated by the NJSBDC Statewide Specialty Programs such as “Social Media Marketing,” “Pivoting to an e-Commerce Business Model,” and “Creating a Culture of Health and Safety,” which can be found here.
Small businesses in Hudson County interested in receiving business counseling can register here. For any inquiries, questions, or concerns, email sbdc@njcu.edu.
To learn more about the Center, please visit www.sbdchudsoncounty.com.
About the NJSBDC at NJCU
New Jersey Small Business Development Center (NJSBDC) at New Jersey City University (NJCU), as part of America’s SBDC network, aids small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs in the Hudson County. Hosted by NJCU and funded in part through a partnership with SBA, NJSBDC at NJCU provides a variety of educational and business resources, including periodic (virtual) workshops and confidential, one-on-one consulting and advisory services, offered at no-cost to assist entrepreneurs and small business owners with any aspect of small business management.
Follow @SBDCHudsonCounty on Instagram and Facebook and @sbdchudson on Twitter for updates and information.
Contact:
Vid Bahadur (vbahadur@njcu.edu)