Minority Business Growth Program

Join the Connecticut Small Business Development Center for this FREE 8-session virtual course that will provide Minority Owned Businesses with strategies and support to accelerate growth. Sessions will have a presentation followed by an application exercise.

APRIL 2024 COHORT: April 9 - May 2, 2024 

Tuesdays & Thursdays 6:00 - 9:00 PM via WebEx. 

Register for the APRIL 2024 Cohort here.

Program Description

The Minority Business Growth Program (MBGP) will provide the students with knowledge and access to resources to help their businesses scale and thrive while taking part in a shared collaborative experience. 

At Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC), we believe small and minority businesses are an important component for building and sustaining vibrant communities, therefore, a key objective of the MBGP is to help business owners understand essential drivers for growth.

Your MBGP journey will commence with a critical review of your business, its operational capability, performance, and resource adequacy to build a snapshot of your business status. Your journey will continue over eight engaging sessions where you will receive valuable information from subject experts, participate in practical exercises, networking sessions, and be guided through operational and technical challenges that are common to many small businesses.

New for the April 2024 Cohort:

There will be four Cohorts in 2024, including two industry-specific cohorts in June and September, and a Spanish language Cohort in October 2024.

We have developed new content for Operations Management, which will now include:

  • Financial Statements Analysis
  • Financial Decision Making – costing, B/E analysis, profit maximization
  • Processes optimization
  • Technology Adoption
  • Managing Teams
  • Tax Compliance Matters

Students will have the opportunity to supplement learning with a Student Workbook.

"The eight-session online educational course has been very helpful in refreshing the key business fundamentals and its disciplined implementation. The instructor who led course content, guest speakers, and other subject experts have provided valuable resources."

Nikhil - 1st Cohort (May - June 2022)

Eligibility
To participate in the program, businesses must meet the following requirements:
  • In operation for at least 1 year
  • Sales greater than $150,000*

*Businesses will be pre-screened to verify that they meet the eligibility criteria. If sales are below $150,000 but above $50,000 will review your application accordingly.

Course Curriculum
Session Date Topic
Session 1 Tuesday 4/9 - 6:00 - 9:00 PM (EST) Stage Setting
Introduction, Expectations, and Work Effort Requirements
Session 2 Thursday 4/11 - 6:00 - 9:00 PM (EST) Strategy
Understanding and Applying Business Strategy
Session 3 Tuesday 4/16 - 6:00 - 9:00 PM (EST) Marketing
Principles of Marketing
Session 4 Thursday 4/18 - 6:00 - 9:00 PM (EST) Marketing
Understanding Digital Marketing: Uses and Limitations
Session 5 Tuesday 4/23 - 6:00 - 9:00 PM (EST) Operations
Building Effective Teams & Federal, State, and Local Compliance Matters
Session 6 Thursday 4/25  6:00 - 9:00 PM (EST) Operations
Understanding Financial Statements, cash flow, profits, and measuring business performance & Financial Decision Making
Session 7 Tuesday 4/30 - 6:00 - 9:00 PM (EST) Operations
Understanding Business Management Systems & Business Process Optimization
Session 8 Thursday 5/2 - 6:00 - 9:00 PM (EST) Capital
Readiness, Types of Capital, including, Debt, Equity and Venture Capital

 

 

Presenters
Course Leader

Mark Hayles is a business advisor for the Connecticut Small Business Development Center where he focuses on the development of small and minority businesses, especially those in underserved communities across the state. He has long understood that thriving small businesses are critical to local economic growth and that they need access to opportunities, capital, and resources so they grow and thrive.

He has more than 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur, business educator, and mentor with a professional background in accounting, technology, and faith-based organizations in Europe and the US.

Mark’s life journey from the Caribbean to the UK, Europe, and the United States has helped him appreciate the incredible imagination, creativity, and determination of people to improve themselves and their communities. This experience has defined him and his rai·son d’ê·tre, to be an agent of impactful change.

Mark is passionate about learning and is a life-long student of history. He enjoys the outdoors, cooking (and eating), and being a dad to his two daughters.