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PowerShift: Building Small Business

Empowering minority, women, and veteran-owned small businesses.

Black small business owner shipping a box

About PowerShift

The PowerShift: Building Small Business program highlights local small businesses in the Greater Rochester area. With an emphasis on minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses, PowerShift amplifies the visibility and presence of each business and offers a platform to share their story (services, products, and offerings) with the community.

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Overview

PowerShift: Building Small Business Program tells the stories of local businesses — providing a spotlight feature on the Urban League of Rochester’s website, social media platforms, and more — to help them gain recognition and awareness throughout the community.

Program includes: 

  • 5 businesses will be selected annually by the Urban League of Rochester Business Development Division staff to be spotlighted in the program.

  • Each selected business will be interviewed (virtually — phone) to capture your business story.

  • Each selected business will have its story captured by a professional videographer/photographer at its business location.

  • Each business story will be featured on the Urban League of Rochester website, social media platforms, and other Urban League of Rochester communication channels.

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Program Goals and Objectives

With our new program, we aim to:

  • Shift the power dynamic and increase the visibility of minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses in Rochester

  • Amplify the services, products, and missions of local minority, woman, and veteran-owned businesses in the Rochester community

  • Direct business owners to sign up to be listed in the Urban League of Rochester business directory 

  • Inform business owners of available business resources and services that the Urban League of Rochester has to support, accelerate, and strengthen businesses throughout the community

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Outcomes

The PowerShift: Building Small Business program was developed to meet the following outcomes:

  • By developing, launching, and successfully executing the PowerShift: Building Small Business Program, the Urban League of Rochester will show our community that we offer a multitude of services and programs — including but not limited to business development and support for small businesses. 

  • This program will help develop new and strengthen current partnerships with local entrepreneurs and business owners. 

  • The PowerShift: Building Small Business Program will increase awareness of often overlooked businesses in our community.

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Guidelines and Eligibility

To be eligible for our PowerShift: Small Businesses Program, please ensure you meet and follow our guidelines. Please note that five (5) Businesses will be selected, annually, for our program.

Businesses must complete our Intake Form on our Business Development Division webpage to be listed for FREE in our directory.

  • Businesses will be selected, amongst their peers, based on their:

    • Ambition and determination/business success

    • Commitment to creating jobs, fostering community, and/or participation in Urban League programming to advance and grow their businesses

  • Your business must be a minority, veteran, or woman-owned business located in the County of Monroe. 

    • *Does not need to be MWBE, MBE, or WBE certified

  • Business must operate as a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation (both S and C), professional association, limited liability company, limited partnership, or limited liability partnership. 

  • The business shall not be one of the following, regardless of its general eligibility under subsections above:

    • Any business operating as a sexually-oriented business

    • Any financial institution that makes loans or issues credit to the public, including, but not limited to, banks, credit unions, payday lenders, or any other similar business.

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List Your Business in our Directory

Our business directory features Rochester minority, women, and veteran-owned small businesses. Each of these businesses is vital to our city’s community and economy and deserves more support and access to resources. By focusing on minority-owned businesses, we are shedding light on the incredible work, programs, products, and services being created and offered right here in our city.  

To be considered for the PowerShift: Building Small Business Program, you must be listed in our directory. Learn more about our directory requirements and submit your business today!

Directory Eligibility and Requirements:

  • Must be a minority, veteran, or woman-owned business located in the County of Monroe.

    • Does not need to be MWBE, MBE or WBE certified.

  • Business must operate as a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation (both S and C), professional association, limited liability company, limited partnership, or limited liability partnership.

 How Does it Work?

  • Fill out the intake form on the ULR Business Development Division website.

  • By submitting the form, you are attesting you are answering the form honestly and to the best of your ability. If your business meets our requirements, your business will be added to our directory as soon as possible for community members to find and learn more about your services or products.


*For additional questions or concerns, please contact busdev@ulr.org.