Philadelphia's Office Of Business Services Helps Small Businesses Get Started
Jericka Duncan reports...
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Janice Nasuti never envisioned she'd be behind a counter.
She worked as a forensic technician for the city for six years then moved to Florida before she eventually came back to Philadelphia in 2009.
"For one year, I searched for a job," said Nasuti. "I couldn't go back to the city because there was a freeze. There was no work."
She did what more and more people are doing; she started her own business, called Produce Farmers Market and Deli, at W. Oregon and 21st in South Philadelphia.
Nasuti doesn't take full credit for starting a successful small business on her own. She says she had help from a city agency that's working directly with small business owners who need help getting started. The agency is called the Office of Business Services. So far, they've been able to save Nasuti close to $4,000 through grants and programs.
"They were very extremely helpful," said Nasuti. "Without them, I wouldn't have opened.
"We can see that what has driven the economy out of the doldrums has been small businesses," said Kevin Dow.
Dow is the Deputy Commerce Director for the city and oversees the Office of Business Services. He wants more people to know OBS exists, so prospective small business owners know where to turn.
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Reported by Jericka Duncan, CBS 3
