NJSBDC Launches #NJThrives Campaign

On Sep 30, 2020

America’s SBDC New Jersey (NJSBDC) kicks off #NJThrives and a series of comprehensive programs and services to help New Jersey businesses impacted by COVID-19.

Kelly Brozyna, the NJSBDC’s new CEO-state director said, “The #NJThrives initiative is designed to help New Jerseyu businesses pivot, survive, and thrive despite the effects of COVID-19.” Using the hashtag, #NJThrives, small and mid-sized businesses are encouraged to record a video of themselves, their teams and their businesses and share how they are successfully operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. The videos will be shared on the NJSBDC’s YouTube channel and on other social media platforms. #NJThrives videos are being compiled between the Small Business Week (Sept. 20 – 26, 2020) through Small Business Saturday (Nov. 28, 2020).

“We’re trying to understand how the pandemic has affected our business community. There are definitely challenges but we also know that there are businesses out there that have been able to pivot, sustain and thrive in today’s climate,” said Brozyna. “We want to share those businesses and their stories with everyone to motivate and inspire us all.”

To participate in the #NJThrives initiative, business owners will need to complete a short online form giving the NJSBDC permission to share the video on their behalf and then upload their finished production to their own YouTube channels using the hashtag #NJThrives.

The NJSBDC is also offering a series of comprehensive training programs for small and mid-sized businesses impacted by COVID-19 to help with issues ranging from “Continuity Planning for Sudden Disasters” to “Debt Restructuring and Bankruptcy”. These programs will be available online starting Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020 with “Return to Work: Health & Safety Issues”, taught by Mitchel Rosen, Ph.D., of Rutgers School of Public Health, Center for Public Health Workforce Development (CPHWD). All programs in this series are presented by field experts with the sole purpose of helping New Jersey business overcome the business-related effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. These programs are made available by the Cares grant, funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

The NJSBDC network also offers additional training on regular business matters, that can be accessed online at the NJSBDC’s website.

However, the best service that the NJSBDC offers for small to mid-sized businesses impacted by COVID-19 is no-cost one-to-one expert counseling. Experts at 12 regional centers across the state are available to guide business owners through various stages of business development and continuity planning to help them survive the pandemic. “Counseling is the core foundation of the SBDC program and helps support our mission to assist entrepreneurs and small business owners throughout the state,” said Brozyna. “This is really where we are able to affect real change in the business’s life. And through our counseling programs, we help them identify the problem areas, find specific solutions, and put plans, tactics, and goals in place to overcome every challenge. It takes time and a lot of effort, but we love it. That is why we are here and now is the time when it is needed most.”

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