3 min read August 2023 — Invest: spoke with Sandy Michael McDonald, director of the Broward County Office of Economic and Small Business Development, about Broward County’s pride in being a small business community, providing affordable housing and their successful program that requires the county and municipalities to spend a percentage of MAP Broward Funds with local certified firms. “We also have an overall small business required commitment, which means that when the county buys goods, materials or services and constructs a building, at least 25% must be spent with Broward County small businesses,” he said.
What are some key highlights or milestones for Broward County over the last 12 months?
A milestone coming out of COVID was that most businesses did stabilize and grow. That said, we lost some of our smallest businesses, and it unfairly hit some of our minority and women owned businesses the hardest. However, as a whole, our numbers and activities grew. This was because the county continued a small business program, which differs from other counties that cut similar programs off or was slow in restarting them. We have a small business required commitment, which means that when the county buys things or constructs a building, at least 25% must be spent with Broward County Certified small businesses. Our tax base is continually growing, we are pouring that revenue into our projects. Broward County’s economy is trending strongly, and most projects are trending at levels similar to 2019 or they are exceeding those numbers, when it comes to our small business goals.
How are you helping with affordable housing efforts in Broward County?
We are aware of other communities who have affordable housing programs for teachers and police officers that help them find affordable housing through developers. Communities are also looking at bonds as a means of growing affordable housing. This is the new method of community development and redevelopment which will boom and is booming, all over the country. The Broward County Board of Commissioners along with our Housing Authority are looking at creative ways to bring more affordable housing to Broward County. We recognize the importance for our residents and also for the business community that is here and for the community we are looking to attract.
Why is Broward County a great place to do business?
At the end of the day, we have nine county commissioners that believe in business, and especially small business. There are over 85,000 businesses in Broward County. 89% of them have 25 employees or less, so we are truly a small business community. Big companies and the county buy from small vendors in Broward and the employees live in Broward, they pay rent and go to the gas station, grocery store, and participate in leisure activity so the money always finds itself back in the economy. That is where we believe the impact is coming from. The county commission has intentionally committed to ensuring that small businesses participate in procurement here.
Given the current macroeconomic landscape, what challenges are currently the most pressing in Broward County?
There are many challenges right now, but our only focus is on navigating those challenges for small businesses. Supply chain problems are an issue, but we still have goals, and we still need small businesses to be involved. Price escalation is killing businesses of all sizes. COVID was a detriment to small businesses in the county and country, and slow inventory will be the next major detriment to the small guy. Many businesses gave quotes for bids in 2019, but costs have increased significantly, and they can’t hold that price. Price escalation is killing big and small businesses everywhere.
How are you developing and growing a qualified workforce in Broward County?
One of our programs is WIP, otherwise known as the Workforce Investment Program. This means if someone wins a contract from the county, and if they need to hire additional staff, then they have to adhere to our WIP program. CareerSource Broward is our number one workforce development program. It helps employers find employees and the other way around, and it also provides businesses with training dollars. We have a direct connection to our workforce and its development, and we want to find new jobs for the residents in our county.
What are the key priorities for Broward County over the next few years?
Our priority is growth. With all of the projects we have described today, and with 85,000 businesses in Broward, we will continue to grow. The challenges are there, but with the small business ordinance, there is more room for small businesses to help meet the demand. We have parks, courthouses, airports, transportation, or anything the county buys requires small businesses to supply at least 25%. We need to meet that demand. There is an opportunity to grow small businesses while we are engaged in all of these important projects and procurement.
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