A Q+A with Belknap EDC’s Community Navigator, Amanda Dudek

Last year Belknap EDC welcomed Amanda Dudek to the team. Her position is funded by the Community Navigator Pilot Program, where her role is to help enhance Belknap EDC’s marketing efforts and strategic program initiatives. And, in just a few months she has brought a lot to the region.

Amanda is a Laconia native, who loves the Lakes Region and was thrilled to have the opportunity to help her community grow. We spoke to her about the program, who it serves and its resonating impact across the state.

Q: Who's eligible for the program and the communities you serve?

“Anyone who owns or is looking to start a small business in Belknap County. 

The Community Navigator Program targets social and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs and historically vulnerable community members. We're trying to make sure that businesses and our community know that our services are available to everyone.”

Q: What are some of the most significant hurdles that hopeful entrepreneurs may encounter when starting up a small business or micro enterprise? And how does the Community Navigator Program help to address these issues?

“I think a lot of entrepreneurs lack the time and the knowledge to put together a true business plan with financial projections, and all the elements that go into creating a business plan. We work closely with the SBA and have a small business counselor who we refer our customers to. It allows them to create a realistic plan so that they don't dive into something that they're not prepared for when it comes to starting a small business.

We also assist with addressing a gap in financing, so they'll get a loan from the bank, and we fill that gap for them if they need a little bit extra. Then sometimes it's technology, and we have resources to support them with technology needs. There’s a number of different needs for starting or running a small business that people find challenging, and we have resources for most of the big problems that they deal with.”

Q: How would you characterize long term success for the program in your region?

“The program is all about breaking down barriers for people who might look at what we offer and think, that's not for me, those socially disadvantaged entrepreneurs. So, for the long term success, we're going to try and continue to break down those barriers to the point where there isn't a barrier there, where everybody can see that all of these services are for them.

We have so many different resources, so if they're not making what they should be making to be successful, then we would send them to a business counselor who would give them direction to grow their business and help them. We are open to help anyone who is in the area who is looking to start a business or grow their business.”

Q: How does the growth of small businesses in New Hampshire benefit not only the individual, but also the state, in your opinion?

“I think it's going to provide more job opportunities, more career opportunities, and then those businesses can put money back into the community through paychecks and taxes and improve the local public services in general. Specifically for Belknap County, we are a high tourist area, so I think it drives that as well.”

Q: Can you share a specific success story about the Community Navigator Program?

“A business called Clarina's Coffee. The owner was born in one of the coffee regions in Colombia, which is the third largest coffee producer in the world, and her relatives were coffee farmers. She now lives in Laconia and opened an ecommerce coffee business a few years ago, where she sells coffee from Columbia on an e-commerce website. She'll also frequent farmers markets and coffee festivals and events like that locally. I think it's really cool that she is also helping the women in agricultural areas where the coffee is produced by getting her coffee through them and selling it here.”

New Hampshire’s Community Navigator Program was designed to reduce barriers that underrepresented and underserved entrepreneurs often face when trying to recover, grow, or start their businesses. Read more about the program’s impact to-date.

The Community Navigator Program is a statewide initiative to help coordinate efforts to reach out to small businesses that are owned or being started by historically vulnerable community members, specifically Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; immigrants and refugees; veterans; women; disabled, formerly incarcerated; and LGBTQ and gender non-conforming people. Through the Community Navigator Program, CFDA engages with resource partners and other organizations to support targeted outreach for small businesses in underserved communities - building a new network and connections.

The support to diverse communities is made possible through a network of established micro-enterprise technical assistance providers, New Hampshire’s Small Business Administration office, statewide training and language-access partners, and on-the-ground community partners. Funding for the program is provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration. 

If you want to know more about CDFA’s Community Navigator Program, get involved or request support for your business, visit https://www.nhcommunitynavigator.org/.