Pontiac’s Community Navigator Program

T. Ramsey & Associates (TRA) has been working with micro and small businesses in Pontiac since 2015 and is a trusted voice in the community as a fighter for small businesses. TRA has strong relationships with business owners that allow them to mentor and train them. Since 2015, TRA has worked with over 150 small businesses in Oakland County. TRA is a key technical assistance partner within the Pontiac community, providing one-on-one personal and professional assessments, assisting with loan and grant documents, providing small business workshops, and technical assistance and case management support.

As part of the Community Navigator Pilot Program, TRA will be a critical technical assistance partner providing small business classes, workshops, one-on-one technical assistance, and loan application support.

Centro Multicultural La Familia’s mission is to provide culturally competent support services to families in a holistic approach in order to improve their quality of life. CMLF’s programming includes mental health, support for victims of crime advocacy, and outreach to the Latino/Hispanic community specifically focused on the City of Pontiac. CMLF is invested in supporting the small business ecosystem, specifically involving the Latino/Hispanic community in the City of Pontiac. CMLF believes that all people should have access to equal financial and business resources that are culturally and linguistically competent to allow people with skills and a dream to open their own business or grow their business into a major enterprise.

As part of the Community Navigator Program, CMLF will provide outreach services to the Hispanic/Latino community as well as assist participants through a job coach to either open or grow their business. This program will assist CMLF to ensure that entrepreneurs have access to education/financial resources, technical assistance opportunities and capital that is culturally-competent.

Rebrand Cities is a global civic design that partners with communities all across the world to get small businesses online to build brands, mobilize impactful missions and share their amazing stories. They have served over 1,000 businesses thus far and continue to grow their services exponentially. Rebrand Cities focuses specifically on branding/marketing training, website development, business landing pages, and pitch development education and training.

As part of the Community Navigator Program, Rebrand Cities will ensure that entrepreneurs will have access to education resources, technical assistance opportunities, and capital. Rebrand Cities will offer the Rebrand Accelerator, a 6-week curriculum focused on online brand building and telling their story. Through interactive sessions, coaching from subject matter experts, office hour sessions and peer-to-peer learning, businesses will be better prepared to pitch their business to investors to further their business.

Main Street Pontiac (MSP) was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2018 after transitioning from Pontiac’s Downtown Development Authority. MSP is charged with managing the City of Pontiac’s Main Street program in Downtown Pontiac and implementing the Main Street Four-Point Approach (Design, Organization, Promotion and Economic Vitality)

As part of the Community Navigator Program, MSP will specifically focus on engaging the Downtown community and leveraging their support to both provide technical assistance for brick-and-mortar businesses and to prepare Pontiac’s small business owners for being in a brick-and-mortar space in a visible downtown.

For nearly 50 years, Accounting Aid Society has assisted low to moderate income residents of southeast Michigan with tax preparation and education services. Not only is Accounting Aid Society the largest provider of free tax assistance to transitioning populations in Michigan, but they are also the only provider of the unique small business services and low income tax clinic services we provide, often on a pro bono basis.

As part of the Community Navigator Program, Accounting Aid Society will provide vital technical assistance, helping small business owners budget and understand the financial landscape of owning a business.