The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) is looking for urban entrepreneurs for a seven-month intensive executive-level entrepreneurship training program geared towards small business owners.
“The Emerging Leaders Initiative advanced training series is open to small business owners and executives who have annual revenues of at least $400,000; have been in business for at least 3 years; and have at least one employee, other than self,” Al Titone, director of the SBA New Jersey, said. “Between now and April we are looking for the 17 best and most qualified small business owners who meet this criteria and are committed to taking their businesses to the next level.”
Titone said the SBA is seeking applicants from Newark, Paterson, Asbury Park, Atlantic City, Camden, Dover, East Orange, Elizabeth, Englewood, Hackensack, Hillside, Irvington, Jersey City, Morristown, New Brunswick, Neptune, Passaic, Perth Amboy, Plainfield and Trenton.
Applicants must be prepared to spend roughly 100 hours in the classroom for training, mentorship, and workshops. Participants will have opportunities to build important business ties with peers, experienced mentors, and members of the financial communities.
The program has no out of pocket expenses for participants. The SBA’s Emerging Leaders Initiative executive-level training series will begin in April in Newark. The initiative is now available in 48 cities throughout the United States.
The initiative is entering its eighth consecutive year this year. So far it has trained more than 2,000 small business owners in underserved communities. “Graduates of the program have increased their revenue, created jobs and helped drive local economic growth in their communities,” Titone said. “Providing more entrepreneurs in underserved communities with the support, resources and skills is only going to help them to succeed.”
Along with the SBA the 2015 Emerging Leaders initiative in Newark is co-sponsored by the New Jersey Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC), the African-American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (AACCNJ), the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship & Economic Development (CUEED), Greater Newark Enterprise Corporation (GNEC), New Jersey Business and Industry Association (NJBIA), PNC Bank, Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (SHCCNJ), and the Boardroom Radio Program.
Titone said the initiative is entering its second year in Newark. Last year, the SBA held a similar series of executive training in the Essex County city. “We are excited about recruiting candidates for our second class here in Newark,” Titone said. “Our primary goal is to get inner city small business owners to look at their business in a different light and find better processes to elevate their businesses.”
Requirement to apply for the initiative can be found here. Interested business owners can apply by filling out the online application here.