The Bowser administration announced the launching of the DC Small Business Census to better understand who makes up the city’s small business community and to ensure that the District is a place where small business owners of all backgrounds can thrive.
The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development will supervise the project.
“D.C.’s small business community is the backbone of our local economy, and we want to ensure that D.C. is a city where small businesses can thrive,” said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Nina Albert. “In the Comeback Plan, Mayor Bowser set a bold goal of expanding the share of minority-owned businesses in the District. The Small Business Center will help us accurately capture the current landscape and reach businesses that may not have engaged with the government before.”
District small business owners are urged to participate in the program. Starting this month and continuing through the summer, businesses may receive a call or in-person visit from a member of the Small Business Census team, and can choose to take the census in English, Spanish, Amharic, French, Chinese, Korean, or Vietnamese. The census will be conducted by the team of BBC Research and Consulting and two Certified Business Enterprises (CBEs), Pantera Management and Tiber Hudson.
The BBC-Pantera-Tiber team previously assisted the District government in conducting the 2021 citywide disparity study to examine the availability and utilization of minority-and-women-owned businesses under D.C. procurement and contracting activities.
