Salem, Massachusetts – Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll today announced that the Small Business Technical Assistance Services (SBTAS) Program for Salem businesses is now open to receive applications. SBTAS is a program of the Enterprise Center at Salem State University. The program is designed to help Salem’s small businesses navigate the challenges presented by COVID-19 and is funded by the City of Salem and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The goal of this program is to provide eligible small businesses in Salem with expert consulting services over a 3-month period at no cost to the business. Consultant service areas include:
Accounting/Financial Planning
Business Consulting
Legal Services
Marketing & Branding
COVID-19 Relief Program Navigation for Federal and State assistance programs (i.e. PPP, CARES ACT etc.)
Technology (i.e. working remote/online sales)
Workforce Management/Human Resources
As part of the program, participants will also be offered a six-month membership in an Enterprise Center CEO Group. Each CEO group is a confidential and professionally-facilitated peer advisory group that meets once a month for three hours. Business owners come together to discuss their challenges on an ongoing basis, receive feedback from other participating businesses, and identify solutions for their businesses.
The SBTAS Program, managed by the Enterprise Center at SSU, is funded by a Salem Together Assistance & Recovery Toolkit (START) grant, provided by the City of Salem. START grants were awarded to agencies and organizations providing direct assistance or support to families, workers, and seniors suffering due to the pandemic.
“While we are working hard to help our local employers recover and reopen safely, our business community is still struggling to get a footing during this economic crisis,” said Mayor Driscoll. “This program, which will allow local small businesses to partner with the Enterprise Center on technical guidance and assistance, will connect our businesses with expert advice to help them recover and begin to thrive again. I’m grateful to the team at the Enterprise Center for quickly putting together this program and to the City’s economic development staff who made the funding support possible for it to happen.”
“Now more than ever the Enterprise Center remains committed to supporting the needs of our small business community as they navigate this unprecedented crisis,” said Laura Swanson, Executive Director of the Enterprise Center.
Salem Businesses that are interested in the SSU’s Small Business Technical Assistance Services (SBTAS) Program can apply through the Enterprise Center’s website at www.enterprisectr.org.
