SBS commissioner sets high goals for 2020

As busy as SBS was in 2019, Bishop said 2020 will be another banner year, especially as Mayor Bill de Blasio’s last term comes to an end in 2021.

“We have two more years left,” he said. “We want to leave a legacy of supporting small business.”

One focus this year will be to make it easier for businesses to be in compliance and navigate government agencies. Bishop said SBS has already lowered fines for small businesses by $40 million, and will continue to review and reduce regulations. The department is also looking at additional technology to help businesses understand how to fix their violations and ease that burden.

“We’re working on those strategies,” he said. “More to come there.”

In February, SBS is releasing a report on and doing specific programming for black entrepreneurs, followed by a report and programming for women entrepreneurs. Bishop said the city has come a long way to help minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs).

In 2008, the MWBE utilization rate in the city was at three percent. When de Blasio came into office, it was at eight percent. In the last fiscal year, the city awarded 24.3 percent of its contracts to MWBE firms. The mayor has set a goal of 30 percent.

“We still have a long way to go,” Bishop said, “but there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Last year, SBS was directed to certify 9,000 MWBE firms, a goal that they exceeded. Bishop said agencies have more tools and more discretion with contracting. MWBEs also have more access to low interest rates. At fairs, including one coming up in April, SBS conducts specific outreach for MWBEs as part of a proactive strategy.

Firms can now come and start an application or begin a review. In 2020, the agency is focused on connecting more firms to win contracts. According to Bishop, two-thirds of MWBEs who won contracts utilized a service from SBS last year.

“Our focus is to increase that number,” he said. “A lot of that is smart strategy on how to bid on contracts.”

On the local level, SBS is continuing its Neighborhood 360 Fellows program. The agency is in the process of recruiting new fellows now, the commissioner said. The department has also been putting out commercial district needs assessments to understand where to make investments across the city. In Queens, SBS is focusing on how not only to improve the regulatory side, but also on creating a workforce that is able to take advantage of areas of growth in the economy.

Last year, SBS created a new program to prepare underrepresented New Yorkers for in-demand data analyst careers. That goes hand-in-hand with Queens College, which graduates one of the largest classes of computer science students in the country. The department is also looking to expand its commercial driving license program. From Downtown Far Rockaway to Flushing and Long Island, Bishop said he wants the community to know there are opportunities in health care, technology, industrial manufacturing and the food and beverage industry.

“Helping residents develop skills in those sectors,” he said, “and being paid a decent wage.” Bishop said SBS would not have been successful without the support of groups like the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “The only way for us as a city to succeed is to have chambers that understand the challenges that Queens businesses face,” he said, “and be able to communicate with the city on how to partner on those challenges.”

A perfect example of their partnership is their collaboration to help save Neir’s Tavern in Woodhaven, a 190-year-old bar that was on the brink of closure until the chamber, SBS and elected officials stepped in to help negotiate an agreement. Bishop said part of the solution was having a chamber that understood businesses, had relationships with city agencies and being that connector.

“As a commissioner, it’s so refreshing to have a chamber that can function in that capacity,” he said. “SBS has a lot of work to do, but we’re excited to have a strong partner.”