Feb 28, 2022

Technical Assistance and $1,000 Grants for Downtown Trenton Small Businesses!

As a Downtown Trenton small business owner in the NPP area, you're eligible to apply for NPP's SCORE Mentorship program, an opportunity to receive free assistance and $1,000 to put towards an identified project to improve your business. More details below:

Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP)

SCORE NJ Mentor Program 2022

MISSION

To provide personalized support to NPP Businesses in creating solutions to pressing business challenges that are inhibiting business growth and sustainability. The program includes:

Being assigned SCORE mentor to help you address specific business concerns and goals.
Meeting with your SCORE mentor for a minimum of 3 months, unless otherwise approved by the SCORE mentor.
Receiving recommendations to help your business growth.
Applying for an NPP Business Innovation Grant to help meet your business goal(s) once you have met the commitments established by your SCORE mentor.

SCORE can help with technical assistance that includes visual merchandising, marketing, online presence and e-commerce, business accounting and finance, store layout, point of sale options, enhancing the customer experience, and other topics as approved by NPP. Other examples may include (but are not limited to) actions that:

Introduce new products and service lines
Combine products and services with experiences that enhance customers’ knowledge and enjoyment (demonstrations, classes, events)
Support new collaborations between businesses that extend the market reach of each
Create “store within a store” opportunities (pop ups or permanent installations)
Increase a business’s technological capacity to sell online (such as developing an e-commerce enabled site) while retaining the physical presence in the NPP District
Experiment with or create new venues for sales
Support other innovative approaches to sales, design and delivery that will increase businesses’ connection to new markets; and
Create or enhance marketing, branding, and graphic design efforts (for physical and online presence.)

THE PROCESS

Complete the attached NPP Business Mentoring Request Form and submit it to your local NPP coordinator. If all requirements listed below are met, you’ll be able to apply for a Business Innovation Grants (BIG) of up to $1,000 to execute the project recommended by your SCORE mentor. Requirements include:

Number of years in business: at least 1-2 years
Business Location: Within the NPP District
Completion of the attached one-page request form to explain the business and identify main business issue(s).
Commitment to a minimum of three one-hour meetings over three months with a SCORE mentor (unless otherwise approved by the SCORE mentor). Meetings can take place via Zoom, phone, or in-person and at the discretion of the business and mentor and at times agreed upon by both parties.
SCORE will ask you to submit a mentor request online at SCORE.org
If all requirements are met and the SCORE mentor recommends it, you will be able to apply for a Business Innovation Grant through NPP.

After reviewing your business request form, a SCORE mentor with expertise in the area of concern, will be assigned to work with you. They will contact you to set a time and location to meet. Together, you will review and agree on the business problem(s) to be addressed and goal(s) to be achieved.