Are you a small business owner who has struggled to qualify for traditional bank loans in the past? If so, then now might be the ideal time to consider reaching out to a CDFI (Community Development Financial Institute). In this episode, Jon Aidukonis and Gene Marks, along with Dan Betancourt, the president and CEO of Community First Fund, discuss how CDFIs are stepping up to promote inclusion by offering financial assistance to business owners from historically marginalized groups and communities.

Continue reading New Funding: The CDFI Offers Financial Assistance to Philly’s Black and Brown Owned Businesses at .

Does your small business have a deeper purpose beyond generating profits? If not, you might be overlooking one of the most important aspects of your brand image. In this episode, Jon Aidukonis, along with Octavia Treadway and Ken Treadway from Love You Cookie, discuss the importance of building a brand with a purpose and how small business owners can make a difference in their communities.

Podcast Key Highlights

• Strategies for Building a Brand with a Purpose
  • If you’re unsure of your small business’s underlying purpose, start by identifying the core values of your brand and think of the different ways you can use your business resources to make a difference in your community.

Continue reading Building a Brand With a Purpose at .

With more and more people leaving their jobs to join “the Great Resignation,” countless small business owners find themselves questioning whether they can do anything to prevent their employees from doing the same. Fortunately, the answer is a resounding “yes.” In this episode, Jon Aidukonis and Gene Marks, along with Chelsey Paulson, Chief Strategy Officer of Keystone Group International, discuss how small business owners can utilize cultural strategies to not only retain their current employees, but also recruit new talent.

Continue reading How to Retain Talent During the Great Resignation at .