NYC Small Business Solutions mobile tour visits Staten Island Tuesday, offering various free resources

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The 2024 NYC Small Business Solutions (SBS) Crawl hit Staten Island on Tuesday, bringing free resources and services to small business owners on the North Shore.

“At SBS, we believe in reaching New Yorkers where they are,” said SBS Acting Commissioner Dynishal Gross, who was on-hand at the event to help promote her organization. “We are throwing the doors of our NYC Business Solutions Centers open wide to bring the resources SBS provides daily right into our city’s neighborhoods. With our innovative Mobile Unit, we are meeting New Yorkers face-to-face in their communities, and ensuring that economic opportunity finds everyone, no matter where they are.”

The “Crawl,” which has been touring all five boroughs since September, included a visit from SBS’s innovative Mobile Unit, or “Mobie,” which serves as a mobile command center for SBS and features free Wi-Fi, printing and other services. It was parked outside of 120 Stuyvesant Place in St. George, where SBS’ Workforce1 Career Center is located.

“Workforce1 helps New Yorkers prepare for, and connect to, jobs across New York City’s five boroughs and in every sector of the economy,” SBS noted on its website, detailing ways that individuals can Identify jobs, prepare for interviews and access free training.

“SBS has so many free resources and services that can benefit the city’s entrepreneurs and small business owners, and too many small businesses in the city do not know about these tools,” note Maria Torres-Springer, deputy mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce, in the press release. “Kudos to the SBS team for continuing to identify novel ways to reach these businesses and spread awareness about how the city can help them grow.”

Resources available through each SBS and at each SBS Crawl stop include:

• Government navigation assistance through the NYC Business Express Service Team (NYC BEST)
• Help securing, renewing, or negotiating an existing commercial lease through the Commercial Lease Assistance Program
• Emergency planning and risk assessment from disasters through the Business Preparedness and Resiliency Program
• Financing assistance and capital access, including the NYC Funds Finder online marketplace
• Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Certification application support
• Workshops and webinars on topics ranging from how to open, operate and grow a small business to marketing, financial management and more
• Pro bono legal services and consultations related to business incorporation, employment, and intellectual property
• Hiring assistance through SBS’s NYC Workforce1 Career Centers

“As an advocate for small businesses, it is important to bring resources such as the NYC Business Solutions Center directly to the community,” Councilmember Kamillah M. Hanks (D-North Shore) noted in the SBS release. “Resources like financial assistance, lease negotiation support, and business planning are essential for helping small businesses thrive. The SBS Business Solutions Center Crawl ensures that Staten Island small business owners are aware of and can take full advantage of these vital services, helping them to grow and succeed.”