Consolidated Credit and Comerica Bank Announce 2 New Small Business Workshop Series

Maria Gaitan, Consolidated Credit Director of Community Development: The business readiness certification training, sponsored by Comerica Bank was presented by Consolidated Credit in partnership with the City of Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency to give local small businesses, entrepreneurs, and startups the knowledge, the tools and the resources to build a sound and successful enterprise.

The attendees learned how to create a business plan, about legal and accounting principles, about marketing and, of course, how to utilize social media. They learned about alternative financing and how to do business with local government.

At Consolidated Credit, we believe that when we educate, promote and strengthen small businesses, we empower the individuals, their families and the community. We thank all the presenters and congratulate the graduates. Thank you.

Annetta Jenkins, Director of Neighborhood Services: Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency: My name is Annetta Jenkins. I’m the director of neighborhood services for the Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency. I connect residents to opportunities and this class is one of the best examples that I could think of that does that.

Working at the CRA, we’re focused on economic development and with economic development, we should be fostering small business. I think this program is important because we do things on a grassroots level. I think that if you come back here in five years, when we have shiny new buildings, when we have revitalized neighborhoods, that you will see a vibrant, vibrant small business core.

Irvin Ashford, Comerica Bank Sr. Vice President of Community Development and External Affairs & National Director of Financial Education: I’m Irvin Ashford, Senior Vice President of External Affairs for Comerica Bank. I happen to also be the National Director of Financial Education for Comerica. I think programs in Riviera Beach are necessary and I think it’s good for the community. Comerica is in the business of helping people be successful. That also includes helping people be successful in small business and financial education.

So, this program is very appropriate for not only Comerica but for the neighborhood. It’s very much a situational business sense program. We don’t do what Comerica wants you to do. We do what you say you need done.

Bruce Lewis, LB Limited & Associates, Inc President: Hi, my name is Bruce Lewis, the President of LB Limited and Associates Strategic Public Relations. The business readiness course and training curriculum is very comprehensive. And these small businesses are challenged to the tilt on how much the really want to be viable business owners – both sustainable within their community and sustainable within their business operations.

This curriculum is so intense that each of these students have to make a commitment and they come to the table with a lot of courage and desire. We got from the business plan formation to financial schemes to projections to marketing to help them speak publicly through our pitch platform contest. And at the end of the day, they all are very, very confident in what they’re doing, even when they start and [are] not quite sure of what they want to do. When they leave this coursework, they have a clear path to success.

Thanks to Consolidated Credit, who put this program together and presented this program on behalf of the City of Riviera Beach CRA and sponsored by Comerica, these students how have a leg up and have an advantage to be competitive, self-sustaining small businesses within the City of Riviera Beach.