Assemblymember Mark Weprin, Chair Notice of Assembly Roundtable
State Programs for Micro-Business Assistance:
Friday, June 2, 2006 |
Description: The Roundtable will bring together a panel of experts from micro-business development organizations, micro-loan programs, community development funding institutions, libraries and business owners, to discuss strategies for improving the State's outreach to micro-businesses. The Roundtable is open to the public. Background: Micro-enterprise development is a proven, viable grassroots strategy for achieving significant gains in the incomes and assets of citizens excluded from the economic mainstream, yet the State has heretofore done relatively little to encourage it. Micro-businesses, generally defined as business enterprises with five or fewer employees, account for 88% of all businesses in New York State, and employ approximately 20% of the State's workforce. There are currently 1.6 million micro-businesses operating in New York, generating approximately $58 billion in annual revenues. Micro-businesses generate jobs, often in communities with high unemployment, and provide a route to economic self-sufficiency. Home-based and part-time micro-businesses can be an innovative way for families, and in particular women, to combine child-rearing with income generation. Although the State has a number of programs in statute to encourage micro-enterprise development, including the Minority and Women-Owned Business Development and Lending Program, the Entrepreneurial Assistance Program, SUNY Small Business Development Centers, the Self-Employment Assistance Program, and the Rural Revitalization Program under the Urban Development Corporation, these programs may not be as effective as they could be. Overall budget allocations for these programs are relatively low, and are inconsistent from year to year. Actual expenditures by the State are difficult to track, due to the broad funding streams through which micro-business development monies flow. Finally, restrictions in statute such as caps on micro-loan amounts and eligible populations may need to be re-visited. The Roundtable will help us to learn more about how to best assist micro-businesses, and to make the case for robust State support. Questions to be addressed:
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ROUNDTABLE REPLY FORM Please let us know by May 25th if you are able to attend, and please contact us with any questions about the event. We look forward to your joining us in what promises to be a productive and informative exchange.
Jean Emery |
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I plan to participate in the roundtable on State Programs for Micro-Business Assistance to be conducted by the Assembly on June 2, 2006. | |
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I do not plan to attend the above roundtable. | |
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