G00dwill of North Georgia

Over the last 5 years, GoodBIZ graduates have started 135 new businesses and created 423 new jobs in Metro Atlanta. All program services and support are provided at zero cost to each entrepreneur. Considering 95% of our GoodBIZ graduates are a racial minority and 73% are female, GoodBIZ graduates are changing our communities.

Our human-centered program design focuses on meeting each entrepreneur where they are. The only criteria necessary to enroll in the program is passion. 

Entrepreneurs receive the following support:

Focused guidance from a dedicated career coach to build professional skills. With the support of a dedicated career coach, each entrepreneur creates a personalized business plan, sets goals and a timeline to achieve each goal.

A network of current GoodBIZ participants and alumni to share resources, collaborate, and communicate lessons learned.

12-week curriculum that covers the topics such as business feasibility, business plan development, marketing, business law, human resources, and intellectual property.

Bankability and Wealth Building workshops lead by banking professionals. Each entrepreneur sets a measurable goal i.e. increase net worth, increase credit score, increase net income. 

Unlimited access to 14 Goodwill Career Centers to conduct interviews, use computers, print, and connect with their career coach. Many GoodBIZ graduates have received ongoing support from Goodwill for 20+ years.

Access to capital and access to market at Goodwill's Battle of the BIZ! pitch competition. At the Battle of the BIZ! GoodBiz graduates compete for up to $10,000 in funding to expand their business.

Atlanta is the number one city for income inequality in America. In fact, if a person is born into poverty in Atlanta, there is just a 4% chance of escaping poverty in their lifetime. Across all measures of household financial security, households of color are faring worse than White households in Atlanta (Source: www.atlantawealthbuilding.org). 

Entrepreneurship is one of the best ways to create multi-generational wealth. The problem is Atlanta’s black-owned businesses face disproportionately more obstacles to success. In Atlanta, the median household income for a white family is $83,722 compared to just $28,105 for a black family. The inequities continue for black entrepreneurs in the city where the average African American-owned business is valued at $58,085, nearly 11 times less than the average value of a white-owned business at $658,264 (Source: 11Alive, ‘Is Atlanta really Wakanda?,’ Aug. 26, 2020). 

A recent study by Frontiers in Education shares entrepreneurs who completed a training program had significantly higher entrepreneurial alertness and efficacy levels compared to those who did not go through training. The problem is that the average training program is cost prohibitive to many entrepreneurs. In the United States, the average tuition & fees of the entrepreneur studies program are $5,705 for in-state residents. 

At Goodwill we serve the jobseekers who need us most. In Goodwill’s GoodBIZ program we focus on the growth, development, and sustainability of minority owned and women-led small businesses. Over the last 5 years, GoodBIZ graduates have started 135 new businesses and created 423 new jobs in Metro Atlanta. Considering 95% of our GoodBIZ graduates are a racial minority and 73% are female, GoodBIZ graduates are changing our communities.

The curriculum of the GoodBIZ program focuses on supporting micro-businesses. Definitions vary, but typically a micro business is a type of small business that employs fewer than 10 people. Size and scale are the main differences between a micro business and small business—micro businesses often function as sole proprietorships and earn less than $250,000 annually.

Target population of the GoodBIZ program is individuals with significant barriers to employment. Of the population served 90% are low-income individuals. The program serves people receiving public benefits, people with disabilities, veterans, justice involved jobseekers, non-custodial parents, senior citizens, and people experiencing homelessness. Financial cost and transportation to most entrepreneur training programs are a significant barrier for the population served. 

Goodwill takes the time to understand the needs of the population served through our one-on-one coaching sessions. Goodwill of North Georgia provides connections to childcare services and assistance in navigating public benefits. Goodwill Career Centers are accessible by public transportation and transportation stipends for ride share companies are provided when needed.  

Our network of GoodBIZ participants and graduates provide valuable feedback to each Goodwill career coach. Through on-going communication our GoodBIZ program evolves and changes each session to meet the needs of our community through changing times. 

Demographics: 

Age: 
65 years and up - 6%
25-64 years -76%
18-24 years – 18%

Gender: 
Female – 73%
Male – 27%

Race: 
African American – 83%
Hispanic – 5%
Multi-Racial – 3%
American Indian – 3%
Asian – 1%
White – 5%

Georgia 

Goodwill's mission is to put people to work. The GoodBIZ program for entrepreneurs is an integral part of our mission to put people to work. 

Need: In Atlanta, black entrepreneurs face an uphill battle. The average African American-owned business is valued at nearly 11 times less than the average value of a white-owned business.

Desired State: Black-owned business overcome structural obstacles and thrive in a supportive ecosystem and gain value.

Activities

Minority owned business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs enroll in GoodBIZ and become participants

Goodwill career coaches plan and execute 12 Week GoodBIZ workshops at Career Centers across Metro Atlanta 3 times per year

GoodBIZ participants and GoodBIZ alumni network in person at career centers and through group communication channels to share resources, collaborate, and communicate lessons learned.

Participants engage in Bankability and Wealth Building workshops offered every Wednesday and Friday

Participants conduct business at 14 Goodwill Career Centers

Participants sign up for Goodwill's Battle of the BIZ! pitch competition

Outputs

Entrepreneurs gain competency in running a successful business

Increase in racially diverse or women-led small businesses in Metro Atlanta

Increase in goods and services provided in the community

Business scale to a point where they are earning a profit

Businesses scale to a point where they are creating jobs

Public gains awareness of Goodwill’s GoodBIZ programs and more entrepreneurs enroll

Short Term Outcomes

80 percent of participants will successfully complete the GoodBIZ program

60 percent of graduates will start a business 

20 percent of the business starts will create new jobs

Long Term Outcomes

This excerpt from the Brookings Institute study, “To expand the economy, invest in Black businesses,” outlines the long-term impacts of supporting minority owned businesses.

Black businesses create an average of 10 jobs per firm, compared to 23 for non-Black businesses. If the average employees per Black business increased to 23, it would create approximately 1.6 million jobs.

Black businesses pay their employees an average of 29882, compared to non-Black businesses’ average of 51357. If Black businesses paid as much as non-Black businesses, then employees would see an increase in pay by approximately 25 billion.

Currently, we are serving 60 entrepreneurs in the GoodBIZ program. By the end of the year, we project to serve 93 entrepreneurs in the GoodBIZ program. In 5 years, we plan to serve 465 entrepreneurs in the GoodBIZ program. 

Over the last 5 years, GoodBIZ graduates have started 135 new businesses and created 423 new jobs.

Our solution is being implemented in Goodwill career centers across Metro Atlanta. The community we serve is defined by jobseekers with barriers to employment in Metro Atlanta. The board of directors oversees the execution of our organizational strategy and holds staff accountable to our mission goals. The organizational strategy is developed through listening sessions with staff, community leaders, business owners, the participants we serve, and graduates of our program. 

In addition to the populations described above, stakeholders include Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Invest Atlanta, Banking Institutions, Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) and Department of Human Services (DHS). Recently, DHS selected Goodwill’s GoodBIZ program as an approved path to eliminate a family’s need for government support. Also, when approving business plan the GVRA asks Goodwill to review and approve all business plans submitted to the GVRA before awarding support. 

Goodwill hosts listening sessions in the communities where we serve and gain “build-In” from partner agencies, residents, business owners, and community leaders to customize our GoodBIZ program to meet the needs of that community. Our board of directors engages with GoodBIZ graduates to gain informal feedback through connect to the cause events and celebrations at Goodwill. Of the 15 staff on the GoodBIZ team, 3 (all African-American, 2 female, 1 male) have previously owned a small business before joining the Goodwill team. While the 3 former business owners on the GoodBIZ team are not at the top of Goodwill’s organizational chart, they serve as proximate leaders speaking from experience on behalf of the entrepreneurs we serve. 

Participants are recruited through our partnership with Invest Atlanta, DHS, Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, google searches, and mailings. Our most effective recruitment tool is through word of mouth from our GoodBIZ graduates. 

When GoodBIZ graduates recommend the program to their friends, family, faith based community, and through their social media trust is built within the community we serve. 

In addition to sharing their program experience organically, GoodBIZ graduates speak on behalf of Goodwill at community event, advocacy days at the capitol, and Goodwill celebrations. Trust is also built in the community as GoodBIZ graduates share their success stories on Goodwill's website. Please see the following link to read Amber Tellis's story: Amber Tellis

Over the next 5 years, our goal is to serve 465 entrepreneurs in the GoodBIZ program. Of the 372 program graduates, 223 will start a new business. Annually, an average of 15 businesses will create new jobs each year.

We plan to reach these goals by continuing our delivery of supportive services to entrepreneurs at every stage of their development. Career coaches will remain engaged with each entrepreneur throughout the program and after graduation.

We know that the consistency of our career coaches and the relationships they build with each participant plays a key role in our ability to achieve the goals above. In our 2023 Strategic Plan, Goodwill has set a target to be “Recognized as an employer of choice, with the ability to attract, cultivate, and retain an exemplary team of employees.” Leadership in the GoodBIZ team maintains an exemplary team of employees by providing recognition, awards for service, team building exercises, retreats, handwritten notes from senior leadership, and additional perks. As an organization, in 2020 Goodwill of North Georgia was a winner in the Outstanding Diversity in an Organization category of Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Diversion & Inclusion Awards.

Jenny Taylor, VP of Career Services, joined Goodwill of North Georgia through a merger in 2005 where she was Executive Director of Kelley Diversified, Inc. And Toccoa Rehabilitation Industries and led the consolidation of the entities with Goodwill. Now VP of Career Services, Jenny is a national speaker on the topics of successful large-scale public/private partnerships, employer engagement, and employment outcomes for people with significant barriers.

The GoodBIZ team represents the people that we serve in the fact that 3 of the team members were a minority business owner before joining the team. This group of former business owners influences the curriculum and supports provided through sharing their experience. The GoodBIZ team consists of full-time professionals dedicated to serving their community and furthering their professional development.

The team participates in an annual retreat to plan the annual implementation of the program. The retreat includes the selection of a wildly important goal "WIG!" which must be agreed upon by the majority of the team to be adopted. The WIG! is the beacon for the year and the team works together to ensure all program implementation is moving the needle towards that goal. 

Goodwill's biggest barrier to success changing the public perception of 'what Goodwill means to my community.' Last year alone, we connected over 27,000 jobseekers with a meaningful careers. Despite our success, the general public sees us as a place to donate items and shop. Our program would benefit from a comprehensive needs assessment to determine what resources and support are most appropriate to share our work with the community. 

As we change the perception of the community, we feel our program will quickly attract more entrepreneurs. We look forward to the opportunity to engage in learning and development models aimed at plans for scaling. 

Lastly, the publicity surrounding a partnership with the Truist Foundation and MIT Solve would jumpstart our campaign to establish Goodwill as the premier service for starting a micro-enterprise. Goodwill could leverage this prestigious award to ensure funding is secure to sustain the growth of the GoodBIZ program.

Based on the past success of our program and positive feedback from our graduates, we feel the GoodBIZ program is changing the landscape of micro-enterprises in our community. As stated earlier, we need assistance in communicating the benefits of this program and the opportunity to enroll. 

Technology is constantly changing and our phones are incredible tools to reach the community. We feel with the right guidance we could utilize technology to enroll more participants. We also have a vision to deliver the GoodBIZ program through a zoom room, with the support of a para pro on site, to our career centers in more rural areas. 

We are interested in connecting with professionals and retired professionals with a background in micro-business ownership or micro-business consulting. A cohort of volunteers to serve as mentors in each GoodBIZ class would advance our solution to include additional support to our participants. We would be interested in creating a formal partnership with SCORE to support each GoodBIZ class.