MCbiz wants your business

Small businesses owned by Latinos and Latinas are growing fast, and MCbiz stands ready to offer advice

MCbiz, a Maricopa County program that connects small businesses with County agencies ready to purchase a variety of goods and services, is seeking business owners to help, says its program manager.  MCbiz is part of the Maricopa County’s Small Business Enterprise Program.

Small businesses owned by Latinos and Latinas are growing fast, and MCbiz stands ready to offer advice.

“One way for small businesses to survive is to find more customers,” says Andres Chagolla, MCbiz program manager. He says Maricopa County routinely provides procurement opportunities to small businesses through a competitive, low-bid process.  But first, those businesses must register and self-certify to be contacted to provide a bid for the goods or services that County departments need, he adds. The MCbiz workshops also helps entrepreneurs manage their businesses. For example, workshop presenters and Cecilia Guerrero of American Family Insurance focused her discussion on how small businesses can protect themselves from unplanned incidents.  Whether the business has suffered a theft of property, a loss due to equipment malfunction, or a catastrophic event such as an owner’s untimely death, businesses should be prepared to effectively reduce the negative impact of such events.

“What is key is that all significant bases are covered, which means that we sometimes need to be creative with the insurance protection offered,” says Guerrero. For more information and MCbiz workshop schedules, go to www.maricopa.gov/mcbiz.