Running a minority-owned small business in South Florida? Free training is available
If you’re a South Florida small business owner looking for training in 2025, you’re in luck. The Miami Bayside Foundation received a $500,000 grant from the PNC Foundation that will help local small business owners access resources to develop their businesses.
“You can go on YouTube and find coursework, but it’s the continued hand-holding to introduce a [subject] that will lead to immediate growth,” said Alan Alvarez, Miami Bayside Foundation’s director of educational programs. “That’s what’s made this program incredibly successful.”
Workshops began in September and will continue through April. Three workshops have already been completed on the topics of digital marketing in Spanish, minority certification training and financial training in Spanish.
The remaining three workshops will focus on sales and technology training, sales and technology training in Spanish and minority certification training.
To qualify for the program, applicants must have a business in Miami-Dade, Broward or Monroe that has been active for at least six months. Participants must have also completed Miami Bayside Foundation’s small business training program or be a current or past borrower from the foundation.
Small business owners interested in the program can visit miamibaysidefoundation.org/workshops or contact Alvarez at alan@mbf.miami or (786) 703-5764.
The program is important because members of marginalized communities are often less aware of available resources, said Cressman Bronson, PNC regional president for Southeast Florida. He noticed that many small business owners got started during the pandemic but didn’t have the support needed to thrive.
“Going back to [Paycheck Protection Program] loans, [many] minority business owners didn’t receive those benefits and didn’t know who to call,” he said.
The grant is part of PNC’s efforts to better support marginalized communities, Cressman said. To make the process of engaging a bank easier for residents, PNC has a minority business advocate program that helps bankers better understand their clients’ cultural and financial challenges in doing business.
Alvarez considers Miami Bayside’s work with minority-owned and women-owned businesses to be in alignment with PNC’s and appreciates the ability to work with small business owners before, during and after they receive training.
“Not only do we meet with business owners at the start — we’re able to check in with them,” he said.
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