SUMMER 2013 · Vol. 07 · No. 02
iPads and Entrepreneurs iPads and tablet computers are game-changers for immigrant entrepreneurs at CAMBA Small Business Services (SBS), where clients are now learning to run their businesses with mobile technology. SBS is offering new three-part courses that introduce entrepreneurs to tablets and mobile apps, teaching them to use point-of-sale systems like Square, mobile accounting systems like Outright, Google Translate for customer service and social media for digital marketing. “Tablets are an affordable and portable computing tool that… can help entrepreneurs build operational capacity and increase sales without breaking the bank or having to learn complicated software,” says Jodine Gordon, SBS Business Counselor. “The program’s goal is to help immigrant entrepreneurs stay competitive in a rapidly changing marketplace,” she adds. Her students are enthusiastically adopting tablet computing for their businesses. “This is the best thing I’ve ever done,” says Debra Brown, owner of God First Enterprises Tax Services. “CAMBA taught me just how little I knew about running a business—I had been keeping track of clients on paper.” Tawana Chatman, who started Miss Sassy Boutique, says the mobile accounting program is a life-saver for her business. “I’m really bad at bookkeeping. This program helps me keep track of how much I’m making,” she says.
From the President and CEO To paraphrase social philosopher Eric Hoffer, CAMBA believes that in a world of change, the innovators shall heal the earth. Our 36 years of experience in human services shows us that change is inevitable. And to stay relevant–and successful–as we help struggling New Yorkers cope in an ever-evolving world, CAMBA staff members research the latest thinking in our fields. We attend conferences, meet with fellow experts, learn about state-of-the-art strategies and apply groundbreaking approaches in our work.
This issue of the CAMBA Courier explores some of the many innovations that CAMBA incorporates into our programs and looks at how they help improve the lives of our clients.
Entrepreneur Debra Brown now uses a tablet for her tax business.
CAMBA’s Mobilize Your Business class is a pilot project funded by a seed grant from the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) as part of the Competition To Help Reach Immigrant Ventures and Entrepreneurs (THRIVE) project. THRIVE is also supported by Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, the Garfield Foundation and the Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship at Baruch College. As one of five THRIVE finalists, CAMBA hopes our project’s success will lead to long-term funding after the pilot stage. Email smallbiz@camba.org to learn about upcoming tablet courses.
You’ll meet teenagers who gained sophisticated financial literacy skills through video games and entrepreneurs who are learning to harness mobile technology to run their businesses. You will learn how we make affordable housing sustainable through solar energy and how a unique garden in our food pantry combats hunger with freshly grown produce. CAMBA employs cutting-edge approaches to our social services, as well. One example you will read about is Project ALY, geared to help parents of LGBT youth overcome cultural or religious biases in order to accept their children. As a valued friend, your ongoing support is essential as we integrate new approaches into our programs. Working in partnership with you, we will continue to apply both tried-and-true and innovative practices to changing lives in New York City.