Have A Business Need? NJBAC Can Help.

The NJBAC is offering no-cost technical assistance, training, and problem-solving – we are here to support all of your Business Enhancement needs. Whether you have a one-off resource question, are looking for a strategic assessment of a district, or could use some quick visualized tactical inspiration to foster visible and tangible change, NJBAC can help. Contact NJBAC Assistant Director Jef Buehler to start the conversation and move towards action.

Today’s email has information on assistance we can provide, as well as about technical and financial resources that may be a fit for your community or district. Please feel free to share this information with other officials, district management stakeholders, and businesses. To see all prior Business Enhancement Connection emails, click here!

Best Practices

The Importance of Programming Your Places: Turning a space into more of a place with some paint, planters and volunteer-built chairs is something that almost any town or district management organization can do these days to foster immediate visible and tangible change. Entities like Build A Better Block offer open source toolkits for these projects that 10 years ago seemed radical, yet are now everywhere. But upgrading the functionality and appeal of the physical realm is more than a question of infrastructure and aesthetics – it’s also a matter of how the place is activated and how the community connects to it through those activations.  In this article, New York City’s “standard” placemaking treatments are shown to foster sameness – unless they are programmed with locally-relevant activity. The key with place activation is to be authentic to what the community enjoys and who it is…giving meaning and critical mass to where things are happening, which then may attract visitors and others. Seek to make your events unique and that specialness will ripple out over time.

Featured Grants & Support

$5,000 Placemaking Challenge Grant: Already have a placemaking project planned or incoming that could use an additional up to $5,000 match? Check out the Patronicity Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper Challenge Grant. There’s a live grant webinar happening on September 11, or you can watch the recorded webinar from August. Fill out the pre-screen form to make sure your project will be eligible – non-profits and municipalities may both apply.

Time is Running Out! Activation, Revitalization, and Transformation (A.R.T.) Program - Phase II: On September 10 from 11:00am to 12:00pm the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) will present a webinar on the A.R.T. Phase II competitive grant program which intends to catalyze community placemaking efforts by leveraging New Jersey’s arts and cultural sector as a creative force for change and supporting non-profit organizations focused on creating placemaking projects, public art installations, and arts-based activities and initiatives.  The EDA will award grants from $100,000 to $500,000 for projects located in 31 commercial corridors in municipalities across 12 counties throughout the state. This grant opportunity is now tentatively scheduled to launch on Sept. 26^th. Register for the webinar here.

$50,000 T-Mobile Hometown Grants Due Soon:  For communities with populations of 50,000 or less, the T-Mobile Hometown Grant program provides grants of up to $50,000 to help build stronger, more prosperous towns and communities. From placemaking to enhancing public tech infrastructure to creating new recreational trails and restoring historic landmarks, these grants are transforming communities like yours.  Register and apply here. The deadline for this quarterly grant round is September 30^th so don’t wait to start!

Job Opportunities

UCEDC – Training & Technical Assistance Officer:  The UCEDC is looking for the right professional to instruct workshops for the small business community as well as mentor start-up and existing small businesses throughout New Jersey. The application for this full-time role can be found online here.

NJBAC Can Work With All the Businesses in Your Community

We are here to support your communities’ and districts’ businesses. NJBAC offers free online chat and telephone (800-537-7397) assistance in English and Spanish to any business in NJ – any size, any location, and any type. Businesses can always download the NJBAC Small Business Manual – a one-stop tool for many business concerns – online here. Individual businesses or organizations can order up to 10 printed copies as well by clicking this link.

Our NJBAC team can advocate for businesses, concierge them to funding and technical solutions, help them find locations for growth or developing export markets, guide them to navigating the commercial cannabis sector, and much more. Want to set something up online or on-site for your businesses? Reach out to NJBAC Assistant Director Jef Buehler to get plugged in to all of our business success services.

NJBAC’s Business Enhancement Services is online:  Now you can refer to Business Enhancement Services directly online with just a click!  Please favorite the website – it will be expanding over time as we add new resources and tools that support municipal and district revitalization and place-based business enhancement.