County business center previews 'Launch Your Dream in MoCo' guide and $1.7M in small-business support

Nadia Klute, Business Center Manager, told the committee the Business Center focuses on retail and has used Small Business Support Services funds to contract with resource partners to provide legal clinics and marketing support. She said $1,700,000 was allocated under the support services program and that $1,400,000 has been distributed to partner organizations including the Maryland Small Business Development Center, the Women's Business Center, and local economic development centers.

"Through the $1,700,000 under the Small Business Support Services, we had allocated $1,400,000 that has gone through a wide variety of organizations," Klute said. She described a draft retail guide (to be piloted with local chambers and the Women's Business Center) and an upcoming open solicitation to identify service gaps and provide hands-on marketing and lease-assistance help for micro-retailers. Klute offered to circulate the draft and collect feedback electronically and asked for about three weeks for comments.

Committee members welcomed the guide and suggested attaching cybersecurity training to any technology grants; they also discussed timing for staff to circulate the guide and a feedback form. The county will compile suggestions from the briefing and consider targeted funding or program changes during an upcoming work session ahead of budget deliberations.