Running a small business has never been easy — in 2020, with the previously inconceivable disruptions brought on by COVID, just staying in the black seems to have become a Herculean task. And, as we have all seen, the fine line between success and failure these days seems to come down to the ability to evolve and remain flexible in ever-changing conditions.

The REACH Series is designed to take a small cohort of business owners and their key managers through a 12-module program, designed to be engaging, timely, and responsive to the business environment. Participant will gain practical skills on how to shift thinking, evolve competencies, accelerate digitalized approaches, and foster new skill sets, while proactively responding to the pace of change and uncertainty happening within their businesses and in the marketplace.
The REACH Small Business Series is presented by AWE — Advancing Workplace Excellence — a Providence-Based company whose CVO (Chief Visionary Officer) is Bristol resident Lisa Bergeron.

AWE's core service focuses primarily on diversity and inclusion training, and their work remains human-centric and anchored in advancing diversity and inclusion efforts. But the impact of the pandemic on their clients seemed to call for an expansion of their services, and the REACH program was born.

"We did two in the spring, and the programs were initially designed just to support small businesses but it completely pivoted with COVID," said Ms. Bergeron. "This is a really challenging time, especially for retailers, and we caught them just as they were in shock from all the changes, while the second group started just as we were going into phase 2. We got people thinking differently about their purpose and why they were in business in the first place."

"It's a really tough environment, and I don't want to sugar coat it," she said. "It helps to know you're not alone."

For restauranteur Eli Dunn, who participated in the series, that was one of the best takeaways. "I really enjoyed the peer to peer aspect of the program, and the networking and the friendships," he said. "It's not a business class — it gets into leadership, innovation, and the corporate culture you want to create. The timing was great for me because I had just hired a new head chef and it gave us the opportunity to take it together and really get to know each other and get on the same page."

Delivered through Zoom’s video conferencing format, the program's modules are designed to create an energizing and interactive experience. Utilizing breakout sessions, group discussions, peer coaching, private Facebook groups, and access to AWE’s membership, resources, and programming, the journey offers a connected learning experience.
For Ms. Bergeron, AWE needed to quickly pivot too, in order to serve her clients in the new corporate environment. "We normally focus on humanizing the workplace, and on diversity and inclusion," she said. "That was something we did in person, and suddenly we could not be in person. We started by giving back, running free Friday conversations, and creating a place where people could connect and talk."

That giveback, and being a resource for the community, worked for AWE. By creating a more interactive online experience and partnering with Skills for RI's Future, they have been able to offer the REACH series in partnership with CCRI with funding is provided through the State of Rhode Island’s Back to Work RI initiative and the Department of Labor and Training.

"Businesses are now looking to repair and renew and get into a position to thrive," said Ms. Bergeron. "The digital economy was here, yet local small businesses were lagging."

One business that very successfully pivoted into the digital economy from a very hands-on service business was Omallys Hopper, a makeup artist who does business as Belissima MUA (Make Up Artist).

"I'm a professional make up artist," said Ms. Hopper. My business shut down completely." A friend recommended she enroll in the REACH program, and during the 12-week course, she began recording herself cooking her Puerto Rican family meals on social media, just for fun.

"Every time I posted a video, I got more followers," Ms. Hopper said. "And they liked how I looked, and they asked how I did my make up." So in addition to her cooking videos, she began to add online tutorials to her Belissima Instagram page. Her page, which had amassed 6,000 followers in the past 8 years, has grown to 25,000 followers in the months since the pandemic began. And her cooking videos — which are monetized — have 95,000 followers on Instagram, 27,000 on YouTube, 230,000 on TikTok, and 65,000 on Facebook, where she can be found at Cooking Con Omi.

"I still want to do makeup but I may not be as hands on as I used to be," said Ms. Hopper, who just returned from a promotional visit and television appearance in Puerto Rico for her cooking channels. "I used to joke around it was for fun. But it kept growing."

Ms Bergeron will continue to run these courses for as long as the demand continues. "It's no longer the 'new normal'," she said. "It's a market of uncertainty, but it's now normal."

The REACH program is free for Rhode Island Small Businesses disrupted by Covid-19. To qualify for the next session you must register by Dec. 10 and participate in the pre-session on Dec. 15. The program will run through April 1. For more information and to register, visit aweconnect.com and click on the events tab.