The Community Business Connector (CBC) program intends to support local small businesses that are the backbone of our neighborhoods and communities. To achieve this purpose, we are piloting an outreach and technical assistance program to support these vital enterprises and help businesses tap available resources.
The CBC pilot program creates a framework for stronger partnerships, referral processes, and programs that focus on small business development efforts across King County. The City of Seattle is not a designated service area currently.
The overall goal of the Connector program is to make our small business support ecosystem more supportive and inclusive by building relationships with businesses facing challenges due to linguistic, cultural, and geographic barriers, including economic impacts due to COVID-19.
A Connector is a contracted organization or individual with the Chamber functioning in the role of liaison between small businesses and business assistance providers.
With the aid of an online help ticket system, a Connector will contact the business owner directly and provide referral options to business experts like advisors, lenders, and advocates.
Connectors live and work in King County communities. The ideal Connector is recognized in the community as a trusted messenger, ambassador, and resource navigator.
The services will consist of one-on-one support in-language and culturally relevant interactions to share helpful information. Targeted outreach includes connecting with BIPOC-owned businesses and reaching business communities in rural and unincorporated areas.
This Connector will contact the business owner directly and provide referral options to business experts like advisors, lenders, and advocates.
Connectors will be in regular communication with business owners in their community, prepared to help where they can with support from business assistance providers.
Connectors will track and manage client intake and referrals via an online Business Help Desk Ticket System. Help Ticket information will be received in person or over the phone by a Connector. The Chamber will provide administrative support to Connectors when needed.
A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) application is now available at https://communitybusinessconnector.com/apply.
The CBC is recruiting culturally and linguistically knowledgeable advisors to help bridge the gap to reaching economic equity in underserved communities.
Responses will be evaluated based on various criteria, including but not limited to communities served, applicant’s relevant experience, knowledge, cultural or geographic competency, track record, and capacity to deliver quality services.
The anticipated program launch is November 2022 with seven (7) Connectors in the first year assigned to defined geographic hub locations and language communities.
In year two, we expect to add at least three (3) additional Connectors. The number of new Connectors will depend on projected funding from cities and other sponsorship opportunities.
The CBC initiative will fund and support seven to ten Connector organizations across King County to help impacted small businesses get the critical help and resources they need to survive. The Connectors will be assigned defined geographic hub locations and language communities.
CBC is a local business outreach program utilizing a help desk ticket system to coordinate small business support. Program design considerations for targeted outreach align with business retention and expansion best practices and address specific needs of multicultural communities.
Connectors will be in regular communication with business owners in their community, prepared to help where they can with support from business assistance providers.
The services will consist of one-on-one support in-language and culturally relevant interactions to share helpful information. Targeted outreach includes connecting with BIPOC-owned businesses and reaching business communities in rural and unincorporated areas.
Connectors will track and manage client intake and referrals via an online Business Help Desk Ticket System. Help Ticket information will be received in person or over the phone by a Connector. The Chamber will provide administrative support to Connectors when needed.
Businesses, community-based organizations, or anyone in the “community network,” in this case, King County cities and unincorporated areas, can submit a help ticket.
Once an online ticket is submitted, it will be assigned to a “Connector.” The Connector will pinpoint a specific need based on the help ticket request using the system’s interactive search function.
The Connector will report back to the business owner with referral options to facilitate a service connection. Connectors stay with the business owner as a liaison to help coordinate services
There is no cost to the small business owner to use CBC’s services.
The CBC initiative was inspired by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Community Navigator Pilot program.
After numerous conversations with city agencies and other stakeholders, we learned that King County needs a community-focused business navigator initiative to strengthen our small business support ecosystem.
Economic development staff from local cities, community groups, and small business assistance providers helped guide overall program development and supported additional community engagement.
Recruiting culturally and linguistically knowledgeable advisors can help bridge the gap to reaching economic equity in underserved communities.
The CBC receives funding from the Port of Seattle, King County, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, city partners, and others.
By deploying individuals as small business support liaisons who are recognized as trusted messengers in their communities, we hope to address the barriers that prevent BIPOC-owned and rural businesses from accessing available resources to any small business negatively impacted by COVID-19.
Building a more inclusive regional small business support ecosystem requires enhancing awareness, skills, relationships, and trust between our Connectors and existing business technical assistance providers.
Our intent is to encourage collaboration and learning together to create collective processes to best serve all small businesses.
The overall goal of the Connector program is to make our small business support ecosystem more supportive and inclusive by building relationships with businesses facing challenges due to linguistic, cultural, and geographic barriers, including economic impacts due to COVID-19.
The CBC is a hub of trusted business support liaisons in King County cities and neighborhoods dedicated to ensuring small businesses get the direct support and resources they need to succeed.
Connectors will provide resources to help small business owners navigate complex issues like applying for loans and grants, taxes, expanding to add online sales, and hiring new employees.
By deploying business support liaisons capable of providing culturally appropriate business support within their communities, CBC hopes to address the barriers that prevent Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-owned and rural businesses from accessing available resources.
Building a more inclusive regional small business support ecosystem requires awareness, skills, relationships, and trust between our Community Business Connectors and existing business technical assistance providers.
The intent is to encourage and assist all entities in the ecosystem to learn from each other and create processes and services to serve all small businesses best.
Connectors will track and manage client intake and referrals via an online Business Help Ticket System. Help Ticket information will be received in person or over the phone by a Connector. The Chamber will provide administrative support to Connectors when needed.
Success will be measured by how well Connectors meet the needs of the small business owners, including ensuring an excellent client experience and accuracy of referrals, in addition to the Connector developing a robust database of diverse small businesses and populations.
The CBC pilot program is designed to collaboratively create a framework for stronger partnerships, networked referral processes, and collaborative programs that serve small businesses across King County.
Any modifications of the program will be assessed by the Chamber with input from King County Associated Development Organizations (ADOs) members and its strategic working groups. ADOs are funded in part by the Department of Commerce and their performance and expertise are critical to growing the economy and building communities statewide.
This program is open to any small business owner in King County. The City of Seattle is not a designated service area currently.
A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) application is now available at https://communitybusinessconnector.com/apply.
Recruiting culturally and linguistically knowledgeable advisors can help bridge the gap to reaching economic equity in underserved communities.
CBC seeks trusted messagers to serve as business support Connectors to neighborhood-based small businesses. New connectors will receive training on the online Business Help Ticket System.
Available on request at https://communitybusinessconnector.com/resources.
Available on request at https://communitybusinessconnector.com/apply.
The CBC launches in November 2022. Seven Connectors will support businesses in five (5) to six (6) locations during the first year, with three more joining the program in the second year.
Responses will be evaluated based on various criteria, including but not limited to communities served, applicant’s relevant experience, knowledge, cultural or geographic competency, track record, and capacity to deliver quality services.
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