Oneonta Microenterprise Grant Winners Appointed To Same Committee

Five Downtown Oneonta business owners who all received New York State Microenterprise grants, have now been appointed to an Oneonta Common Council committee to evaluate 2019 grant applications from other business owners. Theresa Cyzeski, Elizabeth Raphaelson, Vicki Reiss, Sonia Shultis and Madeline Silber were each recipients of a Microenterprise grant from the state and named to the committee tasked with evaluating applications for the 2019 awards during last evening's Oneonta Common Council meeting.

According to AllOTSEGO, Mayor Gary Herzig commented, "who knows better what it takes to be successful in starting a new business?”

New York State's Microenterprise Small Business Assistance Program is competitive and provides financial support ranging from from $5,000 to $35,000 to small business entrepreneurs (with five or fewer employees) of new, start-up businesses or existing small businesses that wish to expand.

The track record for Oneonta businesses winning these grants has been good with grant winners in four out of the last five years.  The city has been able to secure 28 awards to either small businesses or start-ups with a total dollar amount of  $534,000, an average of $28,000 for each business.

The city also appointed to chair the grant committee, Robert Brzozowski who is the President of the Greater Oneonta Historical Society.

For more on this story provided in partnership with AllOTSEGO, click here.