Hi,
I really enjoyed reading about the comprehensive programs and services offered by Project Enterprise. I'd love to hear more about the partnerships that you currently have and the ones that you'd like to develop. What are your strategies for leveraging these relationships to further your goals (for example, increasing market share)?
Thanks!
Alexis
We currently have several partnerships with city government, nonprofit organizations, and for profit companies. Through our partnerships, we are able to reach wider audiences, have meeting space for our events, provide pro bono services for our members, and gain sponsorship dollars for events that allow us to better serve our entrepreneurs. For example, one of our partners is the New York City Business Solutions Center. They offer us meeting space in the outer boroughs of New York City where we hold our bi-weekly Center Meetings. They also refer clients who might come to them for help to us to provide more comprehensive service. We have also partnered with them on events. Just this past March, we held a Spanish speaking networking event in their Brooklyn location. Other partners like the Lower East Side People’s Federal Credit Union provide savings options for members. Companies like TD Bank have supported our programming by sponsoring networking panels for members. A pro-bono legal partnership with the firm Dorsey & Whitney provides free legal services for our businesses covering everything from incorporation to trademarks.
Our partners definitely allow us to increase our market share by publicizing our services and highlighting our program. Partners also help us deepen and expand the services we can offer entrepreneurs. We are continually looking for ways to increase our partnerships to provide new or expanded services.
On May 27, 2010 the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers Revelation to Action: Your Place. Your Idea. Your Change. competition and would like to pass on the following feedback (listed below) for your entry. Thank you for applying and for your hard work in the field. We are excited to archive your entry to serve as a leading solution for the worldwide community of innovators. We wish you continued luck with your innovative, sustainable, and socially impactful initiatives.
All the best, The Changemakers Team
“This was one of the most well thought out initiatives in terms of the costs and the systems needed to implement this idea. This initiative has the potential to have incredible impact by utilizing the idea of incubating small businesses. I would love to hear more information on the community and population served by the program.’
“The idea of microcredit has been very successful in many parts of the world and is a very well developed idea. It would be great to see how this initiative incorporates it within the banking system in the US.”
- Changemakers Revelation to Action: Your Place. Your Idea. Your Change. Judges
Thank you! We appreciate the recognition. Our members come from communities throughout New York City. This target market is underserved and under-resourced in a number of ways that make Project Enterprise critical. Aside from higher unemployment, caused by lower education rates and higher incarceration rates, these communities lack access to financial institutions, have less success in applying for a loan, and have lower rates of self-employment success. As a result, these neighborhoods have higher rates of poverty than the rest of New York City (about 34% of individuals living in poverty compared with 20% for NYC). 99% of the businesses we help are minority owned businesses and 59% are women-owned. Sixty-one percent of the microbusinesses PE serves are home-based businesses when they first come to Project Enterprise, and 22% operate from a storefront or office location; the remainder are operating their business at vending events or selling on the street.
As a member of PE since 2002, I can testify to how effective this organization is. I was able to get assistance in writing my business plan, support from other entrepreneurs, one-on-one support from the staff at PE and loads of professional resources from PE's various partnerships. I have witnessed it assist underemployed persons from full-time jobs that don't inspire them to doing something they are passionate about that can sustain them financially. This organization keeps the spirit of the small business alive. I am happy to have the opportunity to work with them and cast my vote!
As a member of PE since 2004, our TESAGE business have been helped by PE in so many ways. None of the banks and organizations listened our business situation seriously while we were suffering Credit Card scam and get lowest personal credit score. But project Enterprises did cared about our business like family members and provided a direct loan and business workshops to move our business to next level. We used the loan for wholesale trade shows and sold TESAGE to many speciality stores in USA.
If PE didn't helped us, we may not exist in this resession. 1 in 10 small businesses remain in 10 years. PE helped us to be 1 of 10. We are celebrating 10th anniversary this September.
Thank you for Project Enterprise members!
Hope you win!!
Comments
Hi,
I really enjoyed reading about the comprehensive programs and services offered by Project Enterprise. I'd love to hear more about the partnerships that you currently have and the ones that you'd like to develop. What are your strategies for leveraging these relationships to further your goals (for example, increasing market share)?
Thanks!
Alexis
We currently have several partnerships with city government, nonprofit organizations, and for profit companies. Through our partnerships, we are able to reach wider audiences, have meeting space for our events, provide pro bono services for our members, and gain sponsorship dollars for events that allow us to better serve our entrepreneurs. For example, one of our partners is the New York City Business Solutions Center. They offer us meeting space in the outer boroughs of New York City where we hold our bi-weekly Center Meetings. They also refer clients who might come to them for help to us to provide more comprehensive service. We have also partnered with them on events. Just this past March, we held a Spanish speaking networking event in their Brooklyn location. Other partners like the Lower East Side People’s Federal Credit Union provide savings options for members. Companies like TD Bank have supported our programming by sponsoring networking panels for members. A pro-bono legal partnership with the firm Dorsey & Whitney provides free legal services for our businesses covering everything from incorporation to trademarks.
Our partners definitely allow us to increase our market share by publicizing our services and highlighting our program. Partners also help us deepen and expand the services we can offer entrepreneurs. We are continually looking for ways to increase our partnerships to provide new or expanded services.
On May 27, 2010 the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers Revelation to Action: Your Place. Your Idea. Your Change. competition and would like to pass on the following feedback (listed below) for your entry. Thank you for applying and for your hard work in the field. We are excited to archive your entry to serve as a leading solution for the worldwide community of innovators. We wish you continued luck with your innovative, sustainable, and socially impactful initiatives.
All the best, The Changemakers Team
“This was one of the most well thought out initiatives in terms of the costs and the systems needed to implement this idea. This initiative has the potential to have incredible impact by utilizing the idea of incubating small businesses. I would love to hear more information on the community and population served by the program.’
“The idea of microcredit has been very successful in many parts of the world and is a very well developed idea. It would be great to see how this initiative incorporates it within the banking system in the US.”
- Changemakers Revelation to Action: Your Place. Your Idea. Your Change. Judges
Thank you! We appreciate the recognition. Our members come from communities throughout New York City. This target market is underserved and under-resourced in a number of ways that make Project Enterprise critical. Aside from higher unemployment, caused by lower education rates and higher incarceration rates, these communities lack access to financial institutions, have less success in applying for a loan, and have lower rates of self-employment success. As a result, these neighborhoods have higher rates of poverty than the rest of New York City (about 34% of individuals living in poverty compared with 20% for NYC). 99% of the businesses we help are minority owned businesses and 59% are women-owned. Sixty-one percent of the microbusinesses PE serves are home-based businesses when they first come to Project Enterprise, and 22% operate from a storefront or office location; the remainder are operating their business at vending events or selling on the street.
As a member of PE since 2002, I can testify to how effective this organization is. I was able to get assistance in writing my business plan, support from other entrepreneurs, one-on-one support from the staff at PE and loads of professional resources from PE's various partnerships. I have witnessed it assist underemployed persons from full-time jobs that don't inspire them to doing something they are passionate about that can sustain them financially. This organization keeps the spirit of the small business alive. I am happy to have the opportunity to work with them and cast my vote!
As a member of PE since 2004, our TESAGE business have been helped by PE in so many ways. None of the banks and organizations listened our business situation seriously while we were suffering Credit Card scam and get lowest personal credit score. But project Enterprises did cared about our business like family members and provided a direct loan and business workshops to move our business to next level. We used the loan for wholesale trade shows and sold TESAGE to many speciality stores in USA.
If PE didn't helped us, we may not exist in this resession. 1 in 10 small businesses remain in 10 years. PE helped us to be 1 of 10. We are celebrating 10th anniversary this September.
Thank you for Project Enterprise members!
Hope you win!!
TESAGE Designer
Yukiko Sato
http://TESAGE.com
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