Small businesses are the driving force of the New Orleans economy. The New Orleans Business Alliance helps entrepreneurs grow and expand their businesses through initiatives, and a combination of powerful online business tools. We are especially interested in growing businesses owned by entrepreneurs of color and women.
In addition to growth-oriented initiatives and valuable tools, the Business Alliance Small Business Growth team engages anchor institutions along with larger corporate entities and public agencies to create quality opportunities for small business owners.
We also provide assistance to neighborhood business organizations and stakeholders of commercial corridors, including distressed areas of the city where organizations work to bring business and commerce back to the city’s high-impact communities.
Explore our tools below, and if you’re ready, check out the InvestNOLA initiative. If you have questions or need assistance with growing your business contact our small business professionals at sbed@nolaba.org.
Supplier Diversity Certifications offer many benefits for small businesses by creating access to contracting opportunities with municipal, state, federal, and corporate organizations looking to diversify their supply chains.
Developed and launched in 2019, InvestNOLA is a highly-customized small business growth program to provide support to local small businesses owned by people of color across New Orleans. The program is designed to accelerate the expansion of high-growth potential businesses by connecting them to public and private sector opportunities, innovative capital products, and advanced business management education.
Managed by the New Orleans Business Alliance, the program leverages Tulane and Xavier University’s combined expert faculty and network of mentors to provide executive management training focused on business expansion, sustainable growth, cost analysis, fiscal management, human resource management, and strategic planning.
The program also connects business owners to public and private sector procurement opportunities through the Business Alliance’s new online Opportunities Portal, in addition to developing and offering flexible credit and equity investments through financial partners, including New Corp Inc., TruFund Financial Services, Inc. and LiftFund.