​What We're Doing

We're looking to support our local, immigrant owned businesses by providing them access to a wide-range of business metrics available through the Square register program while also allowing each business to accept more forms of payment.  This will give our local business owners the capacity to increase revenue and strategically plan business operations to maximize profit. 

With YOUR SUPPORT, we're looking to transition the largely immigrant owned businesses to the use of an online register, which will allow them to move from an all-cash operating model to accept credit card transactions and access to metrics on business operations.

Transitioning to online registers will also help solve safety issues around theft, especially for women owned shops who may fear carrying cash at the end of the night. With the lack of banks in the neighborhood, busy store owners are unable to deposit funds during the day. The use of credit will help familiarize business owners with the credit process and open up to other shoppers who are heavy credit users (i.e. young people).

What We're Acquiring

Bowdoin Geneva Main Streets (BGMS) would like to purchase 12 portable Square Register kits tailored for beauty and nail salons and other local businesses across the district, but we need YOUR help to get there.

To overcome the digital divide, BGMS will also assist owners in connection to an internet service provide and offer $120 (x 12 = $1,500) subsidy for internet connection. BGMS will also introduce owners to on-line marketing platforms such as Yelp, Google Business, Facebook, etc. through our partners.

A Strategy For The Future

Understanding that the neighborhood's 30%+ poverty rate and the 20%+ unemployment rate are a result of systemic issues, BGMS needed to devise a antipoverty strategy for the future well-being of the neighborhood. 

Poverty places a huge burden on the economic output and productivity of the neighborhood. Thus, our economic development strategies and initiatives are aimed directly at reducing poverty and its effects by increasing the capacity of local businesses that in total employ thousands. Local small business owners understand that their financial survival is based on a healthy neighborhood. Moreover, the local businesses generate thousands of dollars in disposable income and reflect the racial and ethnic, and linguistic, diversity of residents of the city. 

The market realities of Bowdoin Geneva is that it will become increasingly difficult to retain and sustain the majority of ethnic small businesses as market forces drive out the resident market base because this base is poorer in comparison. Bowdoin Geneva neighborhood businesses are coming under economic stress as Boston’s exploding real estate market is placing them under growing pressure, forcing them to pay higher rents, some without leases. In the last two years, Bowdoin Geneva lost ten neighborhood-serving businesses. The loss impacts not only the business owner but also their families and children, who live in the area.

BGMS’s business retention approach to address these problems is to engage, educate, and train business owners in revising business models and adopting appropriate technology so they can thrive given the new economic realities. BGMS builds the trust necessary to work closely with business owners, evaluate business practices, and mutually develop a plan for growth. In providing these services, BGMS bridges language barriers within Bowdoin Geneva’s multi-ethnic business community to establish direct and ongoing communication with business owners.

How YOU Can Help

• Donate: We cannot make this possible without your support.  Remember --Your donations go further with a match of 1:1 provided by Boston Main Streets Foundation.
• Spread the word: Tell your friends, neighbors, people who just love supporting small business about this opportunity and exciting new program. Use the social media tools above to share the campaign with friends.  The more support this project gets, the better it will be.