“Invest in the community that invests in you.” — A truly profound statement. For SSN Small Business & Nonprofit Development Group (SBND) this mantra represents the challenge which they put in front of Chicago businesses and citizens. How large or small businesses endear themselves to the community in which they do business is important to the success of their business and sustainability of the surrounding community. Positive change resonates when the entire community can feel and see the impact. Manicured lawns, streets, highways and pathways, organized activities for youth, packed trains with people traveling to and from work, jobs for young people, board ups that have transitioned into homes, police presence, quality schools, mom and pop stores as well as thriving strip malls are all signs of community stability. These are the things that any business or resident will be proud to show off.
Unfortunately, many neighborhoods have struggled financially simply because dollars don’t change hands in the community, presenting an insidious cycle of economic decline. Dollars that are exported outside of the community only fuels depression within those neighborhoods that the currencies are being exporting from, and expanding the communities in which the money is being spent.
Think of it like this, when local banks such as Citibank and Hyde Park Bank support agencies like SBND (and they do) those banks are suddenly a part of the prosperity and growth within communities. They are recognized as ambassadors of change. The people in the community either experienced positive change or can provide firsthand accounts of the progress. The enlightenment and enrichment of entrepreneurs translates into a community of greatness. It translates to jobs, prosperity, support, favor of supporting companies and of course endless opportunities.
Just in case you are not familiar with SBND. SBND is an extension of Strategic Solutions Network, Inc. (SSN), a small management consulting firm that created SSN Small Business and Nonprofit Development Group (SBND) to improve its impact in providing a laser-focus on self-employment and job opportunities.
SBND provides support in the form of mentorship, strategy, financial sourcing for entrepreneurs, small and micro businesses find the answer to the question, “What are the characteristics of successful business leaders in an economy that is fighting to maintain its competitive edge?” SBND believes it’s their relentless drive to accomplish goals and tenacious ability to capitalize on opportunities missed by others.
(1) “In consideration of this belief, SBND recently created a community enterprise platform of opportunities to expand business markets and cultivate new customers. Through multiple marketing outlets, those who partner with SBND will increase their chances to gain positive publicity for contributing to the economic turnaround in communities most affected by the recession. More specifically, SBND is focused on driving the economy forward with the creation of more self-employment opportunities, and by increasing the number of new legal enterprises, jobs, and tax revenues in Illinois, Cook County and Chicago neighborhoods.”
The agency founded by Nita Marchant has received great favor from Governor Pat Quinn, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, President of Cook County Board of Commissioners Toni Prekwinkle and others in support of SBND’s outstanding initiative. The City of Chicago believes that “small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the glue that holds communities together.”
(2) As I go back to the opening statement, “Invest in the community that invests in you.” This is what many of our small businesses do for this country and the impact is significant. Just how important are small businesses to the U.S. economy?
(3) Small firms:
- Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms.
- Employ half of all private sector employees.
- Pay 44 percent of total U.S. private payroll.
- Generated 65 percent of net new jobs over the past 17 years.
- Create more than half of the nonfarm private GDP.
- Hire 43 percent of high tech workers (scientists, engineers, computer programmers, and others).
- Are 52 percent home-based and 2 percent franchises.
- Made up 97.5 percent of all identified exporters and produced 31 percent of export value in FY 2008.
- Produce 13 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms.
Peace & Harmony Solutions, Inc. applauds SBND for its work with small businesses and helping them to build foundations that will greatly improve our economy.
Whether you are a local business who would like to invest in the community that invests in you or an entrepreneur seeking services, for more information visit their website:
www.ssncandoit.com or www.sbnd-bizhelp.com or email Nita Marchant at email sbnd@ssncandoit.com.
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(1,2) Pulled from Introduction SSN Small Business & Nonprofit Development Group (SBND)
(3) Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Census Bureau and Intl. Trade Admin.; Advocacy-funded research by Kathryn Kobe, 2007 (www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs299.pdf) and CHI Research, 2003 (www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs225.pdf);U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.