Small Business Development Series

The Ohio Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), the Columbus District Office of the SBA, SCORE, The Urban League of Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Dept. of Development Minority Business Enterprise Division and US Bank is offering this FREEsix month Resource Training Seminar Series. Each individual seminar is designed to enhance the setup and/or growth of your small business concern. Mark your calendar and plan to attend these informative and very exciting small business seminars. “You Owe Your Business, Every Opportunity For Its Success.”

Sessions Include:

Friday	April	26	9:00-12:00	The Resource Network	(Small Business Resource Partners)
Friday	May	24	9:00-12:00	Starting Right and Beyond	(Legal, Accounting, Insurance)
Friday	June	28	9:00-12:00	Access to Capital	(Building Banking Relationships)
Friday	July	26	9:00-12:00	Credit Report/Credit Score	(How to Improve/Better Money Mgmt.)
Friday	Aug	23	9:00-12:00	Small Business Marketing	(Media and E-Commerce)
Friday	Sept	27	9:00-12:00	Small Business Procurement

The Small Business Development Center Program of Ohio is a funded program of the Ohio Department of Development and the U.S. Small Business Administration. The support given through such funding does not constitute an express or implied endorsement of any co-sponsor(s) opinions products or services. The program is provided on a non-discriminatory basis. Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least 2 weeks in advance.

If you would like to register for the program please visit the following webpage:

https://www.ohiosbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=52320118

For more information contact: The Ohio SBDC at The Urban League of Greater Cincinnati Business Development & Entrepreneurship , 440 E. McMillan Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45206 - or call Phone: 513-487-1155.

This is a FREE program but you MUST register ahead of time!

Fifth Third Bank Annual Report-ORV~WBC Story

The Ohio River Valley~Women's Busines Council (ORV~WBC ) is featured in the 2012 Fifth Third Bank Annual Report..  Fifth Third Bank through its Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Trust provided the ORV~WBC with a $25,000 gift last year in support of the certification process of women owned businesses. View 24 &25 of the report for the story.

https://www.53.com/resources/pdf/pe-about53-foundation-office-annual-report.pdf

ORV~WBC is an organization for women business owners interested in promoting, developing and maintaining business relationships with other women business owners, major corporations and governmental agencies. It is a non-profit organization with a mission to certify bona fide women-owned businesses and to promote the activities directed at the development, establishment, expansion and encouragement of businesses owned by women. ORV~WBC is a certifying partner organization in the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Through our partnership with WBENC, our WBE certification process is a nationally recognized and accepted certification. WBE certification is required by numerous private-sector companies and governmental agencies. ORV-WBC includes numerous WBEs and corporate partners located in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. For more information about ORV~WBC and its services, follow this link to visit the ORV-WBC website.

Summer Youth Jobs Program

Cincinnati – Mayor Mark Mallory and Council Member Yvette Simpson announced today that the City has selected the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati to administer the City’s Summer Youth Jobs Program.  The program will hire 277 local youth between the ages of 14 and 18 to participate in the 8 week program that will place them in local businesses or non-profits.

“The Urban League's partnership with 4 other agencies will is going to strengthen the City’s youth employment program.  This will be a great opportunity for hundreds of local youth to gain valuable on-the-job experience and career preparation,” Mayor Mark Mallory said.  “Youth employment has been one of my top priorities as Mayor.  Employment experience at an early age is crucial in giving young folks the best opportunity for success as an adult.”

”I am excited about this year’s partnership,” stated Council Member Simpson, “The Administration and I have worked hard since last summer to improve the program’s training and assessment tools, and this coalition will help implement these changes and enhance the experience for our young people.” 

Informational flyers explaining how to apply for the City’s Summer Youth Employment Program will be available at the Mayor’s Youth Job Fair on Thursday, March 28, at the Duke Energy Convention Center from 2 pm to 6 pm.

The City’s Summer Youth Employment Program pays the youth employees over $1,200 for the eight week employment program, which includes one week of training, and seven weeks working at the partner businesses or non-profits.  As part of the program the youth will receive financial literacy training, college preparation and exploration, on the job experience, and participate in service learning projects. This year, the Urban League partners with the Cincinnati Hamilton County Community Action Agency, Cincinnati State College, Easter Seals, and the Urban Appalachian Council to place the youth into jobs.

The City is also hiring young people to work for the Cincinnati Parks Department, the Cincinnati Recreation Commission, ArtWorks Mural Program, and a few other City Departments such as Health, Law and Enterprise Technology Solutions. 

Secretary of Labor Visits the Urban League

Great article by WCPO's Casey Weldon on the visit to the Urban League to discuss increasing the minimum wage.  Below is Ms. Weldon's article at WCPO Digital and a link to their website for a great video piece on the Secretary's visit.

By: Casey Weldon, WCPO Digital

CINCINNATI – Acting Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris was joined by Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory at a roundtable discussion Wednesday to discuss President Barack Obama’s proposal to raise the national minimum wage.
The meeting at the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati on Reading Road allowed low-wage workers and advocates to share their thoughts about how a minimum wage increase would benefit them, their families and their communities.
The minimum wage rate in Ohio is currently $7.85 an hour or about $16,000 a year for a full-time worker. The rate is $7.25 an hour for those employers grossing $283,000 or less.
In Kentucky and Indiana the rate is $7.25.
“A lot of times things go unpaid because you have to eat, have to make sure you get to work and get your kid to school,” said Heather Quick, a mother who earns minimum wage and is trying to provide for her 5-year-old son, Gage.
Quick works part time at a local store but says the business has made recent cutbacks which have cut into her hours even more.
President Obama wants the national rate to be $9 an hour by 2015 to help ensure that hard work leads to a decent living, according to Sec. Harris. The White House said last month that raising the minimum wage would boost earnings for 15 million workers by the end of 2015.
“The president said it's an outrage that people are working full time and still living in poverty,” said Sec. Harris. “I think a large majority of Americans agree with that and they'd like to see minimum wage increase.”
Quick says she doesn't want the wage increase to help her get ahead. She just wants to stay afloat.
“I would have more money to do things that are a necessity. Not things that I want, but things that I need and that my son needs.”
Many small business owners worry that a hike in the minimum wage rate could affect their profits, which would cause them to raise prices for the services and goods they provide.
The proposal to change the rate is still pending. It still needs to be approved by Congress.
You can join the conversation on Twitter by following the United States Department of Labor (@USDOL) and Sec. Harris (@ActingSecHarris).

9 On Your Side reporter Mekialaya White contributed to this report.

http://www.kypost.com/dpps/news/region_central_cincinnati/acting-secretary-of-labor-seth-d-harris-visits-cincinnati-to-discuss-possible-raise-in-minimum-wage_8339271?CMP=201303_emailshare

Corman visits Urban League of Greater Cincinnati

Keith Corman, Regional Liaison, Region 8 of the Ohio Secretary of State Office (Jon Husted) was in Cincinnati March 20, at the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati’s Customer Contact Center  to recognize four staff members of Total Outsourced Systems that were promoted Feb. 20.

To read more about this article and see a photo follow this link:
http://local.cincinnati.com/share/story/203224