News

For National Entrepreneurship Month, Dot Bay Launches New Campaign Targeted at “Unconventional Business Owners”

For Immediate Release: November 4, 2024
Media Contact: [email protected]

(Boston, MA) To mark the National Entrepreneurship Month of November, the Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation (DBEDC) wants to help grow “unconventional” community based small businesses and microbusinesses.

DBEDC is focused on reaching business owners who may not know they are eligible for loans, such as I-10/ITIN Holders, sole proprietors, Uber drivers, and home-based businesses. With quick pre-qualification and support for pre-startups, DBEDC wants to meet these businesses where they are. DBEDC is offering entrepreneurs who live in or own a business in Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, and Roslindale flexible payment schedules and low interest rates. The lending program is designed to help business owners launch a new venture or grow their business, providing quick access to funding, help with debt consolidation, or money for equipment.

“During National Entrepreneurship Month, we celebrate the innovative spirit that is alive and well in our community’s many entrepreneurs,” said Dorchester Bay EDC CEO Kimberly R. Lyle. “At Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation, we understand the unique challenges that entrepreneurs face, and we’re here to support them every step of the way on their journey to prosperity. Dorchester Bay recognizes the important role that each entrepreneur plays in our community’s economic growth, and we’re proud to provide the financial and technical assistance they need to launch and build their budding enterprise.”

“Thanks to Dorchester Bay EDC, I was awarded a life-saving amount of funding to save myself and my business… I was able to get back in black and prepare for our new space. In the last 4 years, me and my team have built a really functional and growing business… Thanks to organizations like Dorchester Bay EDC that do the work and invest in small businesses and understand the need for unconventional lending.” – Danielle Johnson, Owner, Spark FM, Hyde Park.

“DBEDC has supported Coils to Locs when we were just at the idea stage of starting a business. We’ve appreciated and have greatly benefited from the business expertise and capital that DBEDC has been able to provide our startup over the years!” Dianne Austin, Owner, Coils to Locs Wigs.

“Running a business is difficult, but to see everyday success is what keeps me going. I make sure to surround myself with like minded entrepreneurs, and it’s a bonus to be able to run my own business from home in the community I love and want to one day open a brick and mortar in. DBEDC has supported TheTéSpa with helping me acquire a small beverage cart, that will allow me to be mobile, and stand out whether it’s a pop-up in the community or private events.” – Alexis Jones, Founder and CEO of TheTéSpa.

“Trabajar Dorchester Bay fue grandioso, por qué me ayudó a repontecionar mi negocio y me permitió abrir una nueva oficina en el corazón de boston, permitiéndome acelerar las metas de mi negocio.” (English translation) “Working with Dorchester Bay was wonderful because it helped me revamp/boost my business and allowed me to open a new office in the heart of Boston. This has allowed me to accelerate my business goals.” Estefania Bezzubikooff Flores, CEO and Founder of Esjacpe Hospitality & General Services 

Learn more about the campaign at https://www.dbedc.org/smallbiz/.

 

Meet Some of the Businesses

Danielle Johnson – Owner, Spark FM in Mattapan – In 2023, Spark FM was awarded a $60,000 loan and a $15,000 grant from Dorchester Bay EDC. Danielle is a trailblazing entrepreneur and visionary leader who made history as the first Black female owner of a digital radio station with Spark FM in Boston. By leaning on her a background in marketing and media, Johnson was able to fill the need for more diverse voices and perspectives in the radio industry and took it upon herself to create a space where underserved communities could be heard. The station offers a diverse array of music, news, and talk shows that cater to a wide-ranging audience.

Coils to Locs – Received $30K in 2024A unique wig resource created by Dianne Austin, a cancer survivor and thriver, and sister Pamela Shaddock. “We understand the challenges that come with wearing natural hair, especially in the face of medical hair loss. Our mission is to provide high-quality synthetic wigs that cater to the unique needs of women of color with highly textured, tightly coiled hair and every range in between.”

Alexis Jones, Owner,  TheTéSpa – Received 10K – Alexis Jones is a jill-of-all-trades with a background in culinary arts. Her love for food was inspired by her grandmother whom would cook every night for their family, and her father whom tended their garden and made cooking fun with his at home cooking competitions. Art and giving back to the community are qualities that have been instilled in Alexis at a young age. These values have always emerged in her work outside of tending to her own garden and developing products for TéSpa. The premise of TheTéSpa has always remained the same even when it was merely just a garden of leafy green herbs planted on Mother’s day as a gift “give and create beauty, be healthy and kind”. Alexis hopes to inspire the world with her creativity that resides in the beauty of TheTéSpa and continue to blend her talents into healthy multipurpose products that will bring you closer to being healthy and kind.

Estefania Bezzubikooff Flores, CEO and Founder of Esjacpe Hospitality & General Services   – received $75K – ”ESJACPE has been offering residential/commercial cleaning services since 2011. We have built our reputation by exceeding our client’s expectations. We guarantee our work. Many of our clients refer us to their friends and neighbors. Let us tailor a program that meets your individual needs. Our trained teams of professional cleaning specialists will tackle dirt, dust and grime and leave your home shining. We provide residential house cleaning services throughout the county and always focus on cleaning for health. Our products and extensive industry experience give us a leg up when it comes to leaving your house cleaner, and healthier, than ever before.”

About Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation​

DBEDC is a Community Development Corporation (CDC) and a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Founded in 1979, we work to build a strong, thriving, and diverse community in Boston’s North Dorchester and Roxbury neighborhoods. We develop, preserve, and sustain affordable rental and ownership housing. We lend capital to and coach small businesses and prepare job seekers for well-paying sustainable employment. We stabilize tenancies and foster community leadership. We’re focused on equitable development without displacement and providing opportunities for economic mobility. We are one of Boston’s oldest and most established community development organizations.

In 2023, Dorchester Bay EDC provided 25 loans to 17 small businesses totaling $1.5 Million. To date, Dorchester Bay EDC has distributed more than $7 million to small businesses, providing loans and technical assistance to around 300 businesses per year to businesses and business owners who reside in Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, and Roslindale.

Editor’s Note: Interviews with entrepreneurs are available upon request.

 

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