KP Helps Small Businesses Succeed in the 'American Dream'
For many people, starting a business is the American Dream – being your own boss, having the autonomy and freedom to work hard for your company to succeed, and to model your work style based on your lifestyle. What many don’t know is that most entrepreneurs work 24/7 and wear dozens of hats.
According to Brian Fisher, co-owner of Cornflower Creamery in Sacramento, being a business owner can sometimes be challenging, because they can get stuck in the internal operations of the business and don’t often have an opportunity to get out and learn how to run a prolific business.
But that’s about to change, thanks in large part to a partnership between Kaiser Permanente and the and the national non-profit Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) that works to help small businesses grow and expand. Fisher’s Cornflower Creamery is one of 85 businesses from the Sacramento and Stockton areas selected to join the 2019 cohort of the Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) program.
The goal of this 40-hour executive education program is to create well-paying jobs in urban areas across the United States.
The ice cream and pizza shop owner was thrilled to participate in the opening seminar of the program to kick off what’s known as the “mini MBA program.” On July 10, professors from top-flight universities provided lectures and best practices on topics including strategy, sales and marketing, talent recruitment and management, and entrepreneurial finance.
“This training was incredible,” said Gary Hansen, owner of G-Force Productions in Stockton. “The professors break down concepts into comprehensive and applicable practices that business owners are able to implement the following day. I’ve had my business since 1986 and learned so much today that I’m excited to go back and do my homework to help develop the economic growth of Stockton.”
ICCC provides free training, education, and mentorship to small business owners to help them build their capacity and seek access to capital.
During the closing remarks of the ICCC opening seminar Bechara Choucair, MD, Chief Community Health Officer, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals said to the participants, “Fifty-nine million people are hired by small businesses in this country. The key driver for health is the success of these businesses, the jobs they create, and the opportunity for people to live the lives they want to live.”
The ICCC 2019 Sacramento Stockton Cohort incorporates 53 percent woman-owned and 60 percent minority-owned small businesses from underserved communities.
“We know that the social and economic conditions in our communities profoundly influence the health of people who live, work, and play here,” said Trish Rodriguez, RN, Senior Vice President and Area Manager for Kaiser Permanente in South Sacramento.
In 2018, ICIC had a successful inaugural cohort of 60 businesses that averaged $1.2 million in revenue, 10 full-time employees at the time of participation, and an average business age of 13 years.
