Create Birmingham to host program for minority business owners

Create Birmingham will host a certification program for minority business owners that will equip them with the accountability and technical assistance needed to obtain their Office of Minority Business Enterprise Certification.The program, which will run May 16 to June 20, will be facilitated by Autumn Sanders, founder and CEO of Quire Consulting. Sanders was on the BBJ’s 2023 list of Women to Watch.
Applications are being accepted for the Alabama Office of Minority Business Enterprise Business Certification Program, where each cohort session will meet on Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.According to a release, the program will equip business owners with the following:
  • OMBE certification: Participants will be guided through the certification process, breaking it down week by week.
  • One-to-one technical assistance: Participants will receive guidance to tackle their unique business challenges.
  • Peer network: This cohort is capped at 14 participants and will engage with like-minded entrepreneurs, share experiences and build valuable connections.
  • Resources: Participants will also be able to gain access to valuable tools, information and resources to drive their business forward.
To qualify for the program, applicants must be a small business owner in the Greater Birmingham region, and their business must have been in operation for more than a year. The business entity must also be at least 51% owned and controlled by a minority or female owner(s). Applicants must also be U.S. citizens.
“We understand the unique hurdles that small business owners face, especially in today’s rapidly evolving landscape,” Sanders said. “Our goal is to create a network of support, knowledge sharing and mutual accountability — entrepreneur to entrepreneur. We’re creating space to work as colleagues so that we can all acquire this certification and achieve long-term success.”By Marie Leech – Managing Editor, Birmingham Business Journal