The U.S. Small Business Administration Utah District Office and the Utah Black Chamber have agreed to combine resources to better help African American and other minorities, as well as veterans and women-owned businesses in the development, formation and growth of small businesses. The two organizations recently signed a strategic alliance memorandum (SAM) to mark their cooperation.
“Partnering with the Utah Black Chamber will offer the African American and black community more efficient access to the mentors, training, tools and networking that will help them achieve their long-term entrepreneurial goals,” said Marla Trollan, SBA Utah district director.
The partnership between the SBA Utah District Office and the Utah Black Chamber will allow members of the chamber to take advantage of a complete suite of services that walks an entrepreneur through the complete business life cycle — from formation and launch to exit strategy, the SBA said in a release. Linked by a common mission, both organizations provide business training, expanded access to capital, technical support, paths to procurement opportunities, networking and information-sharing, all with the goal of strengthening small businesses within their shared communities.
“We believe that our coordinated efforts will provide significant results for those who are starting and growing small businesses in the black small-business community and we are very excited about this new partnership,” said Trollan.
According to the founder of the Utah Black Chamber, James Jackson III, the chamber welcomes this partnership with the SBA to create more opportunities for Utah’s black small-business community, as members build upon their experiences, networking and training to become successful. “This partnership with the SBA will allow us to become more resourceful to our members and community, as the SBA gives us access to its resources throughout Utah to better educate and elevate Utah’s small black businesses,” he said.