MARKETING AND NETWORKING
PRnewswire | May 31, 2023
Interise, a national non-profit headquartered in Boston, has partnered with The Urban League of Springfield and Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts to offer NextStage Minority Business Entrepreneur Academy and NextStage Accelerator powered by Interise."We are excited to bring these programs to our small business community as they are the heart of each town and city in the region", said Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts Interim CEO & President Dr. Keith Motley.
"NextStage Minority Business Entrepreneur Academy and NextStage Accelerator will provide a welcomed boost to Springfield area minority-owned small business, and we are grateful for this partnership with Interise and Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts," added Urban League of Springfield Consultant/CEO & President Yvette M. Frisby.
The programs will use Interise's StreetWise MBA curriculum with an emphasis on procurement readiness and provide minority-owned small businesses with the knowledge, know-how and networks needed for business growth and expansion."These programs are yet another way to provide much-needed assistance to minority-owned small business owners located in key cities throughout the state of Massachusetts," said Interise CEO Darrell Byers. "We are honored to partner with Urban League of Springfield and Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts on this important initiative."
Nationwide approximately 10 to 18% of small businesses are BIPOC-owned, while less than 1.5% of BIPOC-owned small businesses are successful in securing contracts. Securing long-term contracts provides predictable revenue, a critical success factor for any small business.Historically, Interise companies become-contract ready through StreetWise'MBA' program. Companies that have completed these programs have achieved greater success procuring contracts with an average increase in revenue of 36% and a job creation rate 4x that of the private sector.
Byers added, "We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to develop a more inclusive economy in Massachusetts by helping BIPOC-owned small businesses secure government and corporate contracts. The Federal Infrastructure Bill alone comprises a total spending of more than $3 trillion over the next five to ten years."
The program will be offered throughout the Commonwealth with a focus on Gateway Cities and is funded through a $3 million earmark from the Federal American Rescue Plan Act in a spending bill signed by former Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker.The first cohorts began in April in Holyoke, Worcester County and Merrimack Valley and subsequent cohorts will launch in Pittsfield, Fall River, New Bedford, Lynn, and Springfield in the next few weeks. The programs will also launch in Boston and Brockton later this year. NextStage Accelerator will be offered in both English and Spanish while NextStage Minority Business Entrepreneur Academy will be in English only.
About Interise
Interise builds diverse and inclusive local economies through small business development, supporting the growth of minority-owned small businesses and small businesses located in low- and moderate-income communities. Interise contributes to inclusive economic development through its national research on the growth of established small businesses and its award-winning business development programs. As Interise companies grow, they contribute to local job creation and build community wealth. Interise companies historically create new jobs at five times the rate of the private sector and are responsible for the creation of over 30,000 new jobs. Interise partners with government agencies, anchor institutions, and business associations to offer the StreetWise 'MBA'™ program in more than 80 cities nationwide. Strategic Growth Partners include the Kauffman Foundation, the TD Bank Foundation, the Wells Fargo Foundation and the Prudential Foundation.
About The Urban League of Springfield, Inc.
The Urban League of Springfield, Inc., serves the African American Community in Greater Springfield by advocating for and providing model services that enhance the academic and social development of young people and families, promoting economic self-sufficiency, and fostering racial inclusion and social justice.
About The Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts
The Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts (ULEM) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and one of the oldest affiliates within the National Urban League movement. Since 1919, the doors opened to the at-large Boston community and surrounding metropolitan area residents, ULEM has been employing a multi-point strategy to deliver services and programs which aim to increase self-reliance, specifically in the area of workforce and economic development.
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TECHNOLOGY
Businesswire | June 01, 2023
Weave , the all-in-one customer communication and engagement platform for small- and medium-sized businesses, today announces a slate of new features designed to enable more offices to leverage remote or hybrid staff including Softphones and several significant improvements to Weave’s mobile application. The new capabilities will enable teams to answer calls and communicate with patients from anywhere within the US and Canada, no matter if they’re in the office or outside of it.
Remote work has transformed nearly every industry and small business owners now require the freedom to answer calls from anywhere while working from multi-office locations, at home or on the go, to ultimately provide customers with the seamless experiences they expect. Flexibility is a priority for small business owners and Weave’s new capabilities enable businesses to provide employees with the ability to work remotely, gain access to larger employee candidate bases amid ongoing labor shortages, and deliver enhanced experiences to customers.
“The ability to take your work with you wherever you go is a powerful, necessary advantage in today’s work environments,” said Brett White, CEO of Weave. “Nearly 4 in 5 of our customers offer remote work in some capacity. Weave Softphones will not only provide business owners with increased flexibility, but will also open revenue opportunities for businesses to take advantage of new customer segments, expand employee talent, and facilitate remote office management.”
“Weave Softphones are a wonderful addition,” said Dr. Jeffrey Ellis, MD, Board Certified Dermatologist. “We are using them for our staff who work offsite, full-time or part time as it keeps them connected to the office in a much better way. My staff in the office also like it because it makes it much easier to call someone directly from the desktop app, and a headset is comfortable for anyone with neck pain.”
The release of Weave Softphones follows various new product and integration launches in recent months, including Online Bill Pay, Response Assistant, Bulk Texting, Online Scheduling & Text Connect, Insurance Verification, Phone Analytics, and more.
About Weave
Weave is the all-in-one customer communication and engagement platform for small- and medium-sized businesses. From the first phone call to the final invoice and every touchpoint in between, Weave connects the entire customer journey. Weave’s software solutions transform how local businesses attract, communicate with and engage customers to grow their business. Weave has set the bar for Utah startup achievement & work culture. In the past year, Weave has been named a G2 leader in Patient Engagement, Optometry, Dental Practice Management and Patient Relationship Management software.
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MANAGEMENT
PRnewswire | June 01, 2023
Xplor Technologies, a global platform integrating software, payments, and commerce accelerating technologies for "everyday life" businesses, today announced a new omni-channel point-of-sale solution for small to medium-sized businesses. The technology enables business owners to seamlessly operate, manage, and grow their company across all sales channels, regardless of the sector they operate in.
The National Retail Federation has forecasted that retail sales will grow between 4% and 6% this year.1 And in the first increase since January, retail sales rose in April, showing both month-over-month and year-over-year growth, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.2 To capitalize on this opportunity, it's vital for businesses to be able to accept payments quickly and securely, manage daily tasks more easily; and deliver a great experience to customers.
Xplor Technologies has created a seamless way for small and medium-sized business owners to run and grow their company using a single, feature-rich, all-in-one technology solution tailored for the needs of various sectors, including restaurants, retail, health and beauty. Also known as Clearent, Xplor Technologies now offers omni-channel payment processing plus all the essential business management tools needed to simplify inventory, sales, marketing, scheduling, and employee management.
"For too long, small to medium-sized businesses have had to invest in multiple systems, and then deal with all the extra administration overhead this situation creates," said Matt Morrow, Chief Revenue Officer, Xplor Pay at Xplor Technologies. "Xplor Pay point-of-sale has everything a local business owner needs to operate more efficiently. Whether a business operates online, instore, or both, our new omni-channel technology is here to help customers manage their day-to-day more easily, and most importantly, never miss a sale."
With this launch, Xplor Technologies offers the powerful combination of secure and reliable payment processing alongside valuable features like online ordering, appointment booking, time and attendance, and marketing and loyalty tools. This unique combination will help businesses build lasting communities of buyers across all sales channels, and more easily promote their products and services to shoppers. The solution also provides the ability to reduce operating costs by making back-office tasks more efficient – business owners can see a complete view of sales activity and inventory, enabling them to identify their best sellers, busiest hours, and future opportunities.
"Tasks like bulk product uploads, setting employee permissions, and sending marketing and loyalty reward emails can take the average small to medium-sized business owner several hours each week. With Xplor Pay Point-of-Sale, these owners now have more time to focus on providing a great experience to their customers, and most importantly, understanding how to grow their business," ends Matt Morrow.
About Xplor Technologies
Xplor Technologies is a global platform combining SaaS solutions with embedded payments and Commerce Accelerating Technologies. Xplor provides enterprise-grade SaaS solutions for SMBs in "everyday life" verticals: Childcare & Education, Fitness & Wellbeing, Field Services and Personal Services – and a global, cloud-based payment processing platform.With operations across North America, Australasia, Europe, and the United Kingdom, Xplor serves over 78,000 businesses that processed over $36 billion in payments, operating across 20 countries in 2022.
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