Fresh Ministries Beaver Street Enterprise Center

NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION

Fresh Ministries Beaver Street Enterprise Center (Jacksonville, FL)

Who They Serve: Business owners in a distressed neighborhood in Jacksonville.

What They Do: Business development for small business owners in the core city, training, personal development, technical assistance and networking opportunities for the clients who participate in Beaver Street Enterprise Center programs, marketing and publicity for the tenants at Beaver Street Enterprise Center

Community Development, Job Training and/or Occupational Retraining, IDAs

Brief Description: Fresh Ministries is working to renew a distressed neighborhood in inner-city Jacksonville by giving small business owners an opportunity to succeed when otherwise they might have lacked the adequate resources.  The Beaver Street Enterprise Center is a business incubator.  Small business owners use the Center as their first professional space, available to them at a low, subsidized cost.  They can remain there for three years and while there, they work with Beaver Street to help their business flourish.  Financial experts help them with their business plans and monthly statements.  The business owners receive training and education and have the opportunity to network and fellowship with other growing businesspeople like themselves.  They are matched with business mentors from the community and thus are connected to the larger business world in their area.  After three years, the business owners are meant to relocate into the surrounding neighborhood, working towards its renewal.