NEW YORK, Sept. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With more than a decade of experience helping small and micro businesses with high potential and limited access to resources they need to grow and thrive, Start Small Think Big is announcing its refreshed look. With this new look also comes an "All for Small" campaign, which celebrates the small businesses that are integral to our community and local economies. Since 2009, the one-of-a-kind non-profit organization has offered small business owners a unique mix of assistance across legal, financial, and marketing services—all at no cost—thanks to the support of volunteers, donors, corporate and community partners, and the communities these businesses serve.
This year alone, Start Small Think Big will provide crucial resources for over 4,500 small businesses, 95% of which are owned by women or people of color, that contribute to their overall livelihood and longevity. Throughout the pandemic, small businesses have been disproportionately impacted by the devastating toll of COVID-19, even more so as it relates to women or people of color. A recent Facebook and Small Business Roundtable report found that retail businesses, whose employees consist primarily of people of color, were the hardest hit by closures and saw sales and workforce declines. Despite these challenges, more women of color own businesses in the U.S. than ever before — they are a crucial community lifeline.
"We judge our success by the success of our small business owners, and I'm incredibly proud of the impact we have made over the last decade," said Jennifer DaSilva, founder, and executive director, Start Small Think Big. "Not only have we partnered with thousands of small business owners in creating thriving businesses, but we've also impacted their families and stimulated economic activity in communities where it's desperately needed. However, our job is far from done, and together we must continue to prioritize supporting local small businesses now and every day."
With the new branding comes a new outlook on how to continue to prioritize and creative innovation solutions explicitly aimed at setting up small business owners for success. Looking ahead to the next ten years, Start Small Think Big has set an ambitious goal to double its corporate partners and expand its network to assist 15,000 small business owners annually. One partner that has been instrumental in this growth has been Blackstone and their Blackstone Charitable Foundation, who provides both monetary and pro bono support to Start Small Think Big.
"The Blackstone Charitable Foundation is committed to helping increase diversity, equity, and inclusion across the firm, our portfolio, and the communities in which we operate," said Amy Stursberg, executive director of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation. "It's been an honor to partner with Start Small Think Big to help transform our commitments into impact through corporate volunteering. By partnering with Start Small Think Big, we've been able to engage our staff and provide them with meaningful professional development opportunities, all while assisting small business owners who lack the resources needed to grow their businesses. Start Small Think Big makes giving back easy and rewarding – any organization looking to help advance equity in entrepreneurship should consider volunteering with them."
Start Small Think Big provides a turnkey and meaningful opportunity for corporations to turn their CSR strategy into impact. Gone are the days for organizations to be silent on their beliefs and values. Aligning a CSR strategy with an organization like Start Small Think Big makes sense for many reasons. And, engaging corporate volunteers is accessible, meaningful, and rewarding. It's a beautiful way to give back to others that benefits employees, individual small business owners, and society.
For more information on how to get involved as a volunteer or corporate partner, please visit startsmallthinkbig.org. Because small businesses make a big difference.
About Start Small Think Big
Start Small Think Big helps small business owners from marginalized communities with limited access to the resources needed to grow to create thriving businesses. We partner with small business owners and their communities, building connections and always judging our success by theirs. Our small business owners, partners, and volunteers are united in their determination to make a difference — one far greater than they could alone. Visit startsmallthinkbig.org to learn more.
Media contact:
Sarina Lavon
[email protected]
SOURCE Start Small Think Big
Related Links
http://www.startsmallthinkbig.org/
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