Courtesy of Office for Jimmy Van Bramer
March 17, 2011 By Christian Murray
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer has scheduled a town hall event at La Guardia Community College (details below) that aims to help small business owners in Sunnyside, Woodside and Long Island City get through these difficult times – and help budding entrepreneurs get off the ground.
The key speaker will be Robert Walsh, the commissioner of the Department of Small Business Services. That department is best known for providing up-and-coming business owners with guidance on obtaining licenses/permits, loans – as well as offering free courses on business.
The event, to be held on Thursday 24th at 6 p.m., will include speakers from many New York City agencies – from the Small Business Services, Department of Health, Department of Sanitation, Department of Building and Department of Consumer affairs.
“We all know and can appreciate these are challenging times not just in Sunnyside and Woodside but all over the district,” said Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer.
“This meeting will not be a panacea. We are not going to resolve everything in one night, but it should help,” Van Bramer said. “It’s a good way to learn how we can help nurture businesses.”
Van Bramer said that the forum will be a good opportunity for business owners to learn how they can navigate their way through–and get help–from the agencies.
“It’s good for the agencies to hear what is concerning business owners,” Van Bramer said.
This event is free and open to all. The various local chambers and business organizations have all been invited to attend.
Van Bramer asks people to RSVP: e-mail: cmjvb.rsvps@gmail.com
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4 Comments
This is a great, I’m a small business owner in Queens and welcome this sort of meeting.
Well put, Conrad. There are numerous business owners throughout the City, particularly here in Sunnyside, where the Chamber of Commerce has worked closely with the Queens Business Solutions Center, that can attest to these tools and resources having helping them start and grow their businesses. A number of these programs have been developed in partnership with the private sector as well.
However, for those determined to just spew out mindless libertarian platitudes and whose thinking through economic policy extends to being able to fit it on a bumper sticker, presenting them with concrete examples of effective government programs won’t do much good.
Do you know for a fact that none of the elected officials involved have ever run a private business?
Do you really think it’s a bad idea to have a meeting where business owners can learn information from groups like the Departments of Buildings, Health, and Commerce? Someone, for free, who can educate business owners on how to obtain loans and permits? And it’s free and open to everyone? You really think this is a waste of time?
And your solution? Lower taxes, cut the red tape. Broad, vague, meaningless strokes.
Government employees who never ran a private enterprise giving business advice, what could go wrong?
Lower taxes, get rid of red tape, business will flourish.