Objectives:

1. To promote self-employment entrepreneurial options as acceptable alternatives to unemployment, underemployment, and to improve the success rates of minority and other small businesses.

2. To provide free in-depth quality technical and financial assistance to small businesses in all areas that promote growth, expansion, employment opportunities, innovation, increased productivity and management improvement.

3. To demonstrate how linking resources of the Institute with federal, state, and local governments, colleges, universities and the private sector can be effective in meeting the needs of students and small businesses in the Greater Cleveland Community.

4. Strengthen small businesses by offering management and marketing training, and helping them to obtain qualified staff through Job Fairs, and other employer assistance programs.

5. Give students and small businesses (potential employers) access to business capital to meet their businesses’ needs and to take advantage of the unique resources in the Greater Cleveland Area.

6. To work closely with local businesses to obtain employment opportunities for students, place students into internships and to engage in technical assistance projects with local businesses.

To improve accessibility to traditional financing mechanisms which result in the establishment of a revolving loan fund.