The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) has begun its annual Business Solutions Center (BSC) Crawl, bringing resources to entrepreneurs and small business owners in neighborhoods across the five boroughs.
The SBS Crawl’s first stop was the Queens Business Solution Center (BSC) 90-27 Sutphin Blvd on Tuesday, Sept. 9. It will continue through October 9, stopping at other locations throughout the five boroughs. The BSCs provide support for small business owners who want to start, grow, and operate their businesses.
The crawl includes visits from SBS’s mobile unit to each of its Business Solutions Centers. The mobile unit offers free Wi-Fi and printing. Additionally, business owners and budding entrepreneurs can receive government navigation education, referrals to the Business Express Service Team (NYC BEST), and support in securing renewal or negotiating an existing commercial lease through SBS’s Commercial Lease Assistance Program.
Additionally, they can get referrals to the SBS’s Business Preparedness and Resiliency Program, and Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Certification application support.
Furthermore, there are workshops and webinars on various topics related to opening, operating, and growing a small business through marketing, financial management, and more.
Hana Isa, program manager of the SBS center of operations, said the crawl was built on an earlier initiative to highlight and amplify the business solutions centers that SBS has throughout the city.
“I thought of the concept of a crawl, and instead of hopping from bar to bar, let’s hop from center to center all in one month to amplify all these resources and great, wonderful opportunities that small business owners and potential small business owners have in New York City,” she said.
During the first stop of the crawl, SBS Commissioner Dynishal Gross spoke to passersby who stopped by to ask questions. Gross said the annual event series serves as an important way to raise awareness of the various free services the business solutions centers offer that business owners may be unaware of.
“We want all New Yorkers and all residents to be aware that there’s a system that is here to help New Yorkers achieve their economic dreams,” she said.
Gross added that Queens is a thriving borough for small businesses.
“Queens is such a rich small business community. This is one of the most diverse small business communities in America. The industries range from transportation logistics to hospitality and food service to personal care, education, and food services. The Brooklyn Queens waterfront is one of the sites of small business growth since the pandemic,” she said.
Titilayo Yasukawa, a Forest Hills resident, stopped by the SBS crawl to gather information about starting her business, Digital Life Essentials. Yasukawa said Digital Life Essentials is geared towards technological literacy skills and resume help for seniors and anyone who wants to learn. Yasukawa said so far, the event has been very helpful for her.
“The staff have been so helpful, and they have opened up the pathway to solve something that I didn’t know they could help me with, and I’ve been struggling with for a long time,” she said.
The full calendar for the SBS Crawl is below:
- Tuesday, Sept. 16: Washington Heights BSC, 560 West 181st Street, Manhattan
- Thursday, Sept. 25: Bronx BSC, 400 East Fordham Road, Bronx
- Tuesday, Sept. 30: Brooklyn BSC, 9 Bond Street, Brooklyn
- Thursday, Oct. 9: Staten Island BSC, 120 Stuyvesant Place, Staten Island
