Business Retention Support

BUSINESS RETENTION SUPPORT for Members of the Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce

Mission: To maintain strong, sustainable businesses and increase employment opportunities, while animating the streets and sidewalks of OTR.

Goals:
•    To connect businesses with trained employees.
•    To provide contacts to lending organizations.
•    To make referrals to resources and information that will strengthen business operations
•    To inspire collaborative relationships between businesses, residents and strategic partners

Employees:
Looking for qualified, experienced employees? OTR has several organizations that train and match skilled workers with jobs.

•    Tips on Conducting Interviews
•    TIPS on Training Employees
•    Resources

Super Jobs Center- Business Services Unit is located at 1916 Central Parkway, Cincinnati 45214 and is part of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services. Super Jobs provides employers with assistance posting current job openings, reviewing resumes, finding employees for current job openings, reporting new hires and the labor market, tax credit programs, and unemployment compensation. For more information contact Super Jobs Center at business.services@superjobs.com or call (513) 458-6140.

Venice on Vine, an OTR restaurant started by two local nuns, operates as an educational program to provide on-the-job training to inner-city residents. If you need employees for restaurant, coffee house, catering or food service, please contact Venice on Vine at (513)221-7020 or visit the store located at 1301 Vine Street.

Cincinnati State Culinary School can provide your company with an excellent pool of highly qualified job candidates for independent restaurateurs to corporate, institutional and large scale hospitality recruiting. Contact (513) 569-1621 for more information.

Cincinnati Cooks! is a job training program affiliated with the Freestore Foodbank. If you need employees for restaurant, coffee house, catering or food service, please contact Cincinnati Cooks at (513) 651-0700, located at 425 Ezzard Charles Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45203

Business Coaching Referrals:
Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) One-on-One Business Coaching
OTR Chamber of Commerce is proud of our relationship with SCORE, the volunteer arm of the Small Business Administration, and pleased to match you with a retired executive that has the skills and experience to help in all aspects of small business, such as marketing, operations and accounting. SCORE has many seminars that can benefit you and your business. They include: sales and marketing, financial management and funding, web site fundamentals, hiring and retaining the best employees. Visit www.scoreworks.org to register for a seminar.

Springboard Founded in June 2011 by ArtWorks, is a business planning and development program for artists, artisans and creative entrepreneurs that targets sustainability in small business. http://springboardcincinnati.org

Bad Girl Ventures is an educational and micro-finance organization dedicated to inspiring and supporting women entrepreneurs in all the key elements of their business. BGV enables female entrepreneurs to build and sustain well managed, profitable businesses through guidance, education and access to capital. Bad Girl Ventures combines micro-lending with a nine week business development course. http://www.badgirlventures.com

Greater Cincinnati Microenterprise Initiative (GCMI) offers an Entrepreneurial Training Academy, technical assistance and business education classes (including financing). Call (513)569-4816 or visit www.gcmi.org for more information.

SmartMoney Community Services provides financial services and economic education to undeserved individuals in Over-the-Rhine. Contact Smart Money Community Services, located at 19 West Elder, 2nd Floor. Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, at (513) 241-7266 or visit www.smart-money.org for more information.

Capital for Growth:
The Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce extends partnerships, contacts and our relationships to other organizations and financial institutions to support OTR merchants and businesses.

SocStock is a web-based platform that helps small businesses raise capital through their communities and allows you to become a Socstock Shareholder in those businesses. In return for your purchase of Socstock Shares you receive goods, services and access to special events worth more than your Socstock Share purchase. socstock.com

SoMoLend is a web-based company with a big heart for connecting entrepreneurs with investors, and vice versa.SoMoLend connects business borrowers seeking loans with investors looking to make a return on investment, doing well by doing good. https://www.somolend.com

Horizon Certified Development Company (HCDC) has been certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration to offer the SBA 504 Program that enables small businesses to purchase, construct or renovate owner-occupied real estate and purchase equipment with a low down payment and fixed interest rate for a term of ten or twenty years. Call (513) 631-8292 or visit www.HCDC.com for more information.

SmartMoney Community Services provides financial services and economic education to underserved individuals in Over-the-Rhine. Contact Smart Money Community Services, at (513) 241-7266 or visit www.smart-money.org for more information.

SBA Express Loans allows owner-operated business to obtain loans with lower down payments and lower interest rates. SBA Loans are administered by HCDC. Contact HCDC at (513) 631-8292 or visit www.HCDC.com for more information.

“Grow Cincinnati Fund” encourages the expansion and increases the capacity of small business by providing “gap” debt financing and access to technical assistance. Funding is available through the City of Cincinnati to successful growing or qualified emerging small businesses.

Greater Cincinnati Microenterprise Initiative (GCMI) Loan Fund was created to increase the number and capacity of for-profit businesses, operated by low-to-moderate income individuals. The maximum loan term is 5 years (60 months). The interest rate will be in relationship to prime based upon risk, term and conditions. Call (513)569-4816 or visit www.gcmi.org for more information.