Overview
To increase economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, CRCOG launched this clearinghouse to connect municipalities, small businesses, and entrepreneurs to the resources needed to assess existing community resources, identify and mitigate vulnerabilities, and to better understand the populations and workforce in our Region's business corridors. This Municipal and Small Business Resource Center was developed using funds from the U.S. Economic Development Administration CARES Act, through the CT Department of Economic and Community Development.
Small businesses are a vital part of our economy. A 2019 Small Business Association (SBA) Report found that small businesses accounted for 44% of U.S. economic activity.
“Small businesses reflect the diversity of the United States population in a way that the employee base of large corporations do not. 36 percent of small businesses are owned by women. 9 percent are owned by veterans. 14.6 percent of small businesses are owned by people of color. This includes 2.3 million Latinx business owners, 1.9 million black business owners and 1.6 million Asian business owners.” Source: The Importance of a Small Business | Better Accounting
Community Assessment
A Community Assessment provides a path to diagnosing your community's vulnerability, understanding impacts to different populations, and planning for resilience.
Small Business/Commercial Assessment
Prepare A Diagnostic Of Your Community's Vulnerable Areas
- Adaptive Capacity - physical environment, business environment, market demand
- Identify small business hubs/areas and their workforce - correlation of Live & Work, including ALICE population
- Analyze the impact of past disaster/pandemic response on small businesses - SWOT business interviews
Municipal Small Business/Commercial Action Plan
Template for municipal action plan for implementation and response - know how to respond and who to respond to
- Recognize small businesses and role they play in your community's economic health and growth
- Identify Small Business support resources
- Identify supports available to ALICE population/workforce
- Identify existing gaps in Community Resources
- Implement policies and programs to support small businesses -review existing zoning and regulations, identify gaps or impediments
Corridor Data
A series of corridor Infographs were prepared to better understand the populations and workforce along business corridors in our region. "ALICE" stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, and represents the growing number of families who are unable to afford the basics of housing, childcare, food, transportation, health care, and technology. These workers often struggle to keep their own households from financial ruin, while keeping our local communities running.
Per the United Way Policy Agenda: "Locked out of assistance. In 2021, more than 40% of ALICE children lived in households that couldn't afford enough food; most of these families did not qualify for free/reduced-price school meals or for SNAP."
Identifying and Assessing Municipal and Regional ALICE Populations:
- Identify ALICE workforce residence/housing
- Identify unmet needs/areas of assistance for ALICE small business employees
- Identify ALICE & small business programs in place, and were services are lacking
- Assess the economic impact of a disaster on the small business workforce and community.
To learn more about ALICE populations in the region, click on the infographics for these business corridors.
- Berlin - Berlin Turnpike
- Bristol - North Main Street
- East Granby - Bradley Airport District
- East Hartford - Burnside Avenue
- East Hartford - Main Street
- East Hartford - Silver Lane
- Enfield - Thompsonville
- Hartford - Albany Avenue
- Hartford - Silas Deane Highway
- Hartford/Bloomfield - Blue Hills Avenue
- Hartford/West Hartford - New Park Avenue
- Manchester - Main Street
- Middletown - Main Street
- New Britain - South Main Street
- Newington - Berlin Turnpike
- Stafford - West Main Street
- Vernon - Route 83 Corridor
- Wethersfield - North Silas Deane Highway
- Wethersfield - South Silas Deane Highway
Resource Center
Community resources are for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to expand and grow their existing business. Resources include business planning, training, sources of capital and useful sites for creating a resilient business community.
Community Resources
- Small Business Support
- ALICE toolkit
- Action for ALICE
- Best Workforce Strategies
- ALICE methodology
- ALICE - Connecticut
- ALICE Dashboard
- 211 Data
Business Assessment Resources
- Mission to support economic prosperity for women
- Workshops
- One-on-one coaching
- Funding your business
- Low interest loans
- Tailored for Connecticut small business and non-profits
- Fixed 4.5% interest rate
Training and Education Resources
- Online learning center
- Development programs
- T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders
- Continuity planning
- Planning and financial statement templates
Business Growth Resources
- Low interest loans
- Tailored for Connecticut small business and non-profits
- Fixed 4.5% interest rate
- Marketing
- Procurement
- Supplying to federal, state, and local governments
- Connect with qualified workers
- For employers and jobseekers
- Webinar series
- Business loans for low- to moderate-income communities
- Business lines of credit
- Careerpreneur Mindset
