Small business workshop connects local Haitian business owners with various resources
SALISBURY, Md. – “The community is growing tremendously. It’s like they’re hungry for this information,” HBA’s Samson Orneus said.
How do you start a business or grow an existing one? Local Haitian entrepreneurs got those answers and more as the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce and the Haitian Business Association of The Eastern Shore Inc. hosted a small business workshop Wednesday. “Right now, we have more that 25 Haitian businesses in Salisbury just to give you an idea. That’s why we needed to get together to create HBA,” HBA’s Fritz Jaudy said. “We decided to create that group to help educate, network, and employ the Haitian community. We can connect them to the Chamber of Commerce and other resources they might need.”
The event dived into a variety of topics from how to gain access to capital, grant opportunities, and technical support. HBA said those business owners face a unique set of challenges, with the biggest being the language barrier. “Because of lack of education and knowledge, they kind of hold hack. Now with this in place, this will really help them to achieve their goals and vision,”
One of the resources on site was Maryland Capital Enterprises. The nonprofit allocated $150,000 in funding to provide loans ranging from $5,000-$10,000 for Haitian business owners on the shore. “It’s not all that we have, but we want to make sure they understand that there’s money earmarked to help them out so that they feel more comfortable asking for it,” MCE’s Baltimore Regional Director Nick Rudolph said. “One thing we want to do is build trust in that community. We want them to understand that not only are we here for them, but banks are also willing to help them out. Once we cross that bridge, everything else becomes so much easier.”
It’s not just about becoming their own boss, as Sam Orenus with HBA said it gives these entrepreneurs a new sense of freedom. “That’s the mindset. To be able to feed their children better, to be more independent, and get financial freedom. That’s what they’re looking for,” he said.
Maryland Capital Enterprises offers technical assistance, one on one counseling, and is an SBA lender. Thier office in Salisbury is located at 314 Civic Ave.
The Haitian Business Association plans on hosting more events in the future.
