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Written Proponent Testimony - SB105 (Brian Dicken, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce)

Summary

Brian Dicken, Vice President, Advocacy & Strategic Initiatives of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce, submits written proponent testimony on SB105 dated October 27, 2021, to the House Economic and Workforce Development Committee. The testimony states that the chamber supports more than 2,000 businesses in northwest Ohio and that its Small Business Development Center staff assisted more than 750 clients last year. It states that data from the State of Ohio show fewer than 1,200 certified MBEs in Ohio, while U.S. Small Business Administration data indicate more than 122,000 MBEs in Ohio. The chamber asks for consideration of amendments to streamline the certification process.

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“Written Proponent Testimony - SB105 (Brian Dicken, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce).” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2021-10-27-econ-workforce-dev-testimony-toledochamber-sb105-written-8e06a1c0ec/, SHA-256 9df45ec58b5b16f503600afd74472c2e9250bcc581f4047869b0b53bfb8a19a0.

Full text

                 House Economic and Workforce Development Committee
                                Chairman Jay Edwards

                              Proponent Testimony on SB105
                             Written Testimony of Brian Dicken
                       Vice President, Advocacy & Strategic Initiatives
                           Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

                                       October 27, 2021


Chair Edwards, Vice Chair Powell, Ranking Member Upchurch and Members of the House
Economic and Workforce Development Committee, thank you for this opportunity to
submit testimony in support of Senate Bill 105.

The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce supports more than 2,000 businesses in
northwest Ohio. More than 80 percent of these businesses are considered small business
employing 50 or fewer people. Our Small Business Development Center staff assisted more
than 750 clients last year, with more than 60 percent of those being minority- or woman-
owned. We regularly hear about the barriers and burdensome processes that can get in the
way of their success. SB105 is one effort that will help them succeed.

SB105 allows a person who has been certified as a Minority Business Enterprise
(MBE), a Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE), or a Veteran-Friendly Business
Enterprise (VBE) by the State of Ohio to present that state certification to a local
government entity as evidence that the person qualifies for programs. Once a small
business has been certified by the state as an MBE, WBE, or VBE, they should not have to
start from scratch in each community they choose to seek business in.

Additionally, the Chamber respectfully asks for your consideration of amendments to
streamline the certification process and provide certainty to the process in the future.
Certification goes beyond the state goals and set asides for businesses. A small business
holding the MBE, WBE, or VBE certification is better positioned to seek private sector
procurement, public and private access to capital programs, exclusive consulting and
coaching opportunities, and other opportunities.

The application process could more effectively serve the core purpose of certifying only
relevant facts that specifically and directly prove 1) the identity, residency and
disadvantaged status of the principals of the business, 2) ownership and control of the
business, and 3) that the business is operational. And, as a matter of principal and good
policy, it shouldn’t be any more difficult to get certified as an MBE or WBE than it is to get
certified as a VBE – which it currently is.
One example that illustrates this is data from the State of Ohio showing that there are fewer
than 1,200 certified MBEs in Ohio. U.S. Small Business Administration data indicates more
than 122,000 MBEs in Ohio. That means there is less than 1% of Ohio MBEs are registered.
Ohio can and should do better in assisting these small businesses.

We look forward to working with you to support the small businesses that are the
backbone of our communities and increase opportunities for them to succeed. Thank you
for your time and consideration.

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