On Wednesday, May 29, 2024, the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) hosted the inaugural NYC Small Business Month Expo 2024 .
This groundbreaking event saw more than 10,000 New Yorkers sign up for free services and nearly 3,000 attend in person to access a wide range of resources tailored to small business owners at every stage, across all industries and boroughs.
Extensive Resources
Participants had access to over 150 free city programs and partner resources, including:
- Funding and legal support
- Worker employment support
- New York City Contracting Opportunities through the M/WBE Borough Forum
- Engage directly with representatives from over 40 city, state and federal agencies
Workshops and learning opportunities
Nearly 1,000 participants took part in 12 workshops covering key topics including:
- Show Me the Money: Financing Your Business
- Make New York City your next customer
- Developing a marketing strategy
- Collecting the keys! Legal procedures for opening a store
- All about nightlife!
- Staffing for success
- NYC BEST Serves Your Regulatory Needs
- FastTrac® Your Business
- M/WBE Success: Tips and Strategies for Government Contracting Success
- The growth of the cannabis business
- Small Business Owners, Unite! The Power of Business Organization
- Prepare for the unexpected
Key announcements and investments

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and SBS Commissioner Kevin D. Kim kicked off the event with a major announcement: a $10 million investment to establish the NYC Future Fund.
“… will accelerate the growth of hundreds of new small businesses…”
The new loan fund aims to accelerate the growth of hundreds of new small businesses by addressing the lack of affordable financing, particularly benefiting early stage businesses, BIPOC and women entrepreneurs who often face challenges securing traditional bank loans.
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Small business boom

The same day, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) released encouraging statistics: New York City will have 183,000 small businesses in 2023, more than 1,000 above pre-pandemic levels.
An astonishing 62,000 small businesses have been established in the past two years alone, accounting for one-third of all small businesses in the city.
“…the city’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship…”
The NYC Small Business Month Expo is a testament to the City’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and supporting small businesses, ensuring that all entrepreneurs have the resources and opportunities to succeed.
Photo courtesy of NYC Small Business.