Helping participants stimulate the local economy with micro-businesses

Successful in-town neighborhoods often include or are near commercial activity. While convenient shopping is beneficial, the most important benefit is the money local businesses circulate in the community. Neighborhoods lacking local businesses often lack local jobs.

In order to increase the number of neighborhood businesses and job opportunities, The Center for Working Families, Inc., launched the Moving to Entrepreneurship Pathway in 2008. This pathway is an important resource for the TCWFI participants who face multiple barriers to employment, including criminal backgrounds, literacy challenges and limited access to transportation to get to work.

With funding from the US Department of Health and Human Services, we help participants gain the skills needed to create a business plan and accumulate the start-up funding required to start a micro-business through matched savings accounts (such as Individual Development Accounts). 

Top Priority Cleaning is an example of this strategy’s great potential.  Roddy “Gino” Longino came to TCWFI after losing his job and struggling to support his four children. Unfortunately, Gino’s prior criminal background made it challenging for him to secure sustainable employment – even with more than 20 years of experience in janitorial services.  With TCWFI’s help, Gino was able to make his dream of starting a janitorial business a reality.  He enrolled in entrepreneurship classes, obtained a business license and, in April 2008, he opened Top Priority Cleaning, Inc. Today, Top Priority employs six TCWFI participants. Gino plans to grow the company and, as he secures additional client contracts, is committed to hiring additional TCWFI participants to serve his growing business. 

“I currently have four local customers located right here in our neighborhoods,” Gino says. “Not only am I able to maintain employment for myself, but I can offer jobs to other participants. That has been a true blessing for me – to be able to give back to the community by employing others.”

Gino is taking steps to grow his business and continues to work with TCWFI to acquire new clients expand his business, and hire more employees.