WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020
AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE MIAMI HERALD
BEACON REPORT
BY MICHAEL A. FINNEY
Miami is known for many things — its energy and creativity, rich cultural diversity and entrepreneurial spirit. That sense of community and commitment to shared success are what make MiamiDade so resilient, but it is our ability to mobilize in an innovative, inclusive way that will ultimately drive our recovery. In only a matter of weeks COVID-19 has upended families, businesses and economies. Government, anchor institutions, foundations and
Miami-Dade is Open for Business
organizations like ours mobilized quickly, working together to not only try to slow the pandemic but mitigate its impact. Information and its timely dissemination was vital. The Beacon Council worked with Miami-Dade County and numerous partners to quickly launch an online portal streamlining the loan application process for our small businesses. Available in English, Spanish and Kreyol, BizHelp.Miami began as a portal to SBA-approved lenders working with Miami companies. The site has evolved to include dozens of private and public sector partners delivering much-needed assistance to our small businesses. The One Community One Goal platform also allows us to convene leadership across sectors and deploy much-needed resources to support the recovery and long-term economic health of Miami-Dade. At the County level, the top three priorities we are working to help address are access to capital, talent and workforce development, and marketing. Billions of dollars in forgivable federal
loans are still available via the Paycheck Protection Program, and we encourage every small business to reach out to their bank, the SBDC, Overtown CRA, Liberty City Trust, NANA, or one of the vetted organizations on BizHelp.Miami to understand if they qualify. Miami-Dade has also launched a forgivable small business loan program managed by Tools for Change and Partners for Self-Employment. Another revolving small business loan fund, RISE Miami-Dade, was unanimously approved by the Board of County Commissioners on June 2 and will roll out soon. With unemployment rising to 12 percent in April, Miami-Dade not only needs to retain displaced workers but help reposition them for success in an evolving economy. We are connecting local talent to companies with open positions, and working with organizations like CareerSource South Florida, General Assembly, WeWork Labs and others to facilitate reskilling and upskilling opportunities at little or no cost to the individual. Talent is the
13BB
No. 1 issue as companies reopen and revisit their existing processes; having access to qualified people is essential. Our third priority is to market that Miami-Dade is again “open for business.” Individuals and companies are both encouraged to buy goods that are Made in Miami, driving a stronger culture of “Localism.” Championed by the Health Foundation of South Florida and a dozen other organizations, the Anchor Alliance encourages large anchor institutions to source more products and services locally, increasing jobs and investment in Miami-Dade. This is a mindset that we can all adopt, stimulating our local economy. Collaboration and innovation have never been more important for our community. Connect with us and each other to ensure that we lead with our strengths as we build the best version of Miami-Dade … together. Michael A. Finney is president and CEO of the Miami-Dade Beacon Council. n
