The City of Boston wanted a plan to make the small business economy thrive and to foster economic and social inclusion and equity. Next Street helped assess the ecosystem and develop a plan.
A Plan for the Future
Next Street worked with Chief John Barros (Office of Economic Development) and Chief Sheila Dillon (Office of Housing and Neighborhood Development) to develop the first-ever city-wide small business strategy. We conducted an ecosystem assessment that became the basis of the work to develop a citywide plan to help small businesses.
The Impact
The Small Business Plan was published in March 2016 and is the basis for a reorganization of the City’s services and programs for small businesses. In the months following the announcement of the Small Business Plan, Next Street supported the City’s new Office of Small Business Development to develop a launch and business plan for the new Office and the new Small Business Center, a brick and mortar hub for information and resources. As part of this work, we also advised the City to shape and re-launch its own procurement strategies focused on small and diverse suppliers, as well as to initiate collaboration on procurement with both public and private anchors in the City.
