Sanders Hosts Free Financial Management Workshop for Small Businesses / MWBEs

Senator James Sanders Jr. (D-Far Rockaway, Rochdale Village) hosted a free financial management workshop at the BOCES Building of St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway on Wednesday evening aimed at giving small businesses and Minority and Women-Owned Businesses the tools they need to achieve financial success. 
 
The workshop, attended by a few dozen small business owners and individuals interested in starting their own businesses, was presented by Luis Ramos and Carroll O’Connell of the Excelsior Growth Fund, a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to help New York businesses grow.
 
“I am proud to bring this information to Rockaway,” Sanders said. “This area is receiving over a hundred million dollars in economic development from the city and the state, and we must ensure our community is equipped with the skills needed to reap the benefits.”
 
Topics at the workshop included bookkeeping techniques, analyzing key financial statements , tools to evaluate financial health and using financial data to expand a company. The session included a question and answer period, where attendees were able to get personalized feedback from experts.
 
One business owner who attended noted it was a unique opportunity to receive assistance.
 
“I don’t see anybody knocking on the doors saying, ‘This is for small business.’ Everything I’ve gotten for my business I’ve achieved on my own,” stated William T. Robinson of Billion Bills Process Serving. “The event was helpful in dealing with the accounting and financial aspects.”
 
Presenters agreed it can be a challenge to connect businesses with available resources.
 
“Programs do exist,” Ramos said. “What the main problem becomes is…how do we get to the word to the people in many cases.”
 
As the father of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) having authored Local Law 129 and Local Law 1, a type of affirmative action, during him time in the City Council. Sanders makes it a priority to empower local entrepreneurs and ensure underrepresented businesses obtain their fare share of work.