The Queens Chamber of Commerce and U.S. Rep Grace Meng recently celebrated the success of the Small Business Help Desk program for small business owners.
Meng and Queens Chamber officials gathered on Monday, May 19, to reflect on how, over the past year, the program has supported 300 small business owners throughout Meng’s congressional district, D-6. Business owners have received support from experts in human resources, finance, accounting, and legal issues, such as contracts and leases. The program was launched in 2023 with $1 million in federal funding secured by Rep. Meng.
Throughout the program, the Small Business Help Desk hosted 51 in-person events and office hours at CUNY campuses, libraries, and partner organizations across Queens. Additionally, business owners attended over 30 community webinars covering a wide range of business-related topics. All of these services were provided in 17 different languages, including Mandarin, Korean, Bengali, Russian, and Spanish.
The program supported a range of entrepreneurs representing Queen’s diverse immigrant population, with 76% of businesses served being minority- and women-owned (MWBEs), 53% of which were women-owned businesses, and 55% were immigrant-owned businesses
“As the daughter of local small business owners, I know how hard it is to navigate complex legal and financial systems—especially if English is not your first language,” Meng said. “This program was designed to meet entrepreneurs where they are and provide the support they need to grow and thrive. I’m thrilled that it has delivered for so many of our local businesses, and I thank the Queens Chamber of Commerce and all our community partners for making it a success.”
Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, said that the Small Business Help Desk program has served communities directly reflecting the diverse makeup of the borough. Grech emphasized that the program and support from Meng allow for vital resources to businesses that may not have access to legal or financial guidance. “This is a model of what public-private partnerships should look like—targeted, accessible, and impactful,” Grech said.
Mari Vasconez, owner and director of MotionScoop Dance Corp. in Maspeth, shared that her business benefited from the programs offered by the Help Desk Program. Vasconez was struggling to secure a commercial space for the dance academy, and connected with representatives from the Queens Chamber of Commerce/ Through the Help Desk Program, Vasconez was connected with a representative who provided personalized legal guidance and walked her through the leasing process, and MotionScoop was able to secure a new space.
“Thanks to the invaluable support of The Small Business Help Desk Program, we were able to secure the perfect commercial space to expand our Dance Academy classes. This milestone means the world to us, as it allows us to create a true home for our dancers—one that reflects our passion for movement, creativity, and community,” Vasconez said.
