Miami AAPISTRONG Small Business Roundtable Tackles Workforce and Permitting Hurdles, Promoting Collaboration and Growth
[October 16, 2024, Miami, FL] – The National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE), in collaboration with the Florida Asian American Restaurant Alliance (FLAARA), hosted an AAPISTRONG Small Business Roundtable at Florida International University’s Koven’s Conference Center. The event brought together local AAPI entrepreneurs to discuss key challenges facing small business owners in South Florida, with a focus on workforce shortages and complex permitting processes.
The AAPISTRONG roundtable series’ mission is to connect policymakers, corporate partners, and community members to address the barriers that minority-owned small businesses face. AAPI small business owners are often excluded from policy discussions, despite the impact these policies have on their ability to thrive. This roundtable aimed to bring those voices to the forefront.
Participants shared the specific hurdles their businesses encounter, including the difficulty in finding skilled workers and navigating the intricacies of obtaining work permits. The influx of immigrant workers who lack the legal documentation to work has become a pressing issue for restaurant owners. “Restaurant owners’ chief concern is employee resources,” said David Jeng, a local restaurant owner. “Bigger restaurants need 20-30 workers, but we’re facing a hard time. Immigrants want jobs, and we want to hire them, but without proper permits, we can’t. We need a solution, like temporary work permits for immigrants.”
The permitting process itself was another area of concern, with attendees stressing the challenges of opening and expanding businesses in South Florida’s regulatory environment. Diego Ng, Co-Owner of Temple Street Eatery, highlighted the strain that excessive permitting places on small business owners. “Opening a business in South Florida is tough enough with the economy as it is. Permitting just adds another layer of difficulty and eats into both our time and finances. We need mentoring and guidance to meet these requirements,” he said.
Despite these challenges, the roundtable fostered a sense of optimism about the future of AAPI businesses in Miami. Joshua Ho, Project Director of the Miami-Dade County Asian American Advisory Board, emphasized the importance of collaboration and resource-sharing. “Language barriers limit so many opportunities. Think about the resources available to small businesses that they don’t even know exist. By working together with local and national partners, we can overcome these barriers and ensure our community thrives.”
Tan Kai, owner of 123 Tea Trading LLC, echoed the importance of unity and advocacy. “There needs to be a stronger voice for what small businesses need. Open communication will pave the way for more assistance and resources for AAPI businesses,” she said.
Access to capital remained a significant point of discussion, with many participants noting the difficulty in securing funding to grow their businesses. “Building and scaling a small business takes money—whether it’s hiring essential staff like servers and cooks or securing a loan. Banks need to work with small businesses at reasonable interest rates, and programs that teach us how to apply for loans and grants are crucial,” said one participant.
This roundtable was National ACE’s thirty-fourth in 2024, reflecting its ongoing commitment to supporting minority entrepreneurs. National ACE continues to provide tailored resources and programs that help small business owners access capital and grow their operations.
National ACE offers the Capital Readiness Program to further support small business owners seeking funding to grow their businesses. Through the Minority Business Development Agency, National ACE is providing one-on-one business coaching with little to no wait time for appointments. Clients can expect to get support with their financial documents, business plan, and applying for funding from certified lenders. “We have helped over 600 AAPI small businesses with our personalized business coaching,” said National ACE Vice President of Programs and Marketing Emily Fuder. “And we have connected AAPI small businesses to over $40M in funding this year through our capital partners.” Business owners can learn more at https://www.nationalace.org/capital-readiness-program.
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About National ACE:
National ACE’s mission is to serve as a strong advocate of AAPI business interests and positive change on all issues that enhance and advance the goals and aspirations of AAPI business owners, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders. National ACE strives to do this by supporting and promoting issues that impact the AAPI business community, improving the economic development and economic impact of the AAPI community, advancing coalitions, enhancing community building, and fostering the next generation of AAPI entrepreneurs and executives. National ACE provides a unified voice for the business interests of AAPIs nationally. Learn more at www.nationalace.org or www.aapistrong.com.
Florida Asian American Restaurant Alliance Inc is a non-profit corporation registered with the State of Florida. It aims to create professional leadership and provide restaurant businesses the resources and guidance needed to advance in the food service industry. Moreover, FLAARA has established Florida Asian American Business PC, which is a political committee registered with the State of Florida. It is an advocacy organization representing the interests and concerns of Asian American business owners in Florida, and advocate for policies and regulations that benefits their members and address their specific challenges.
At FLAARA, we provide information, advocacy, workshops, and other opportunities to restaurant professionals. We also support Asian American business owners with positive leadership and sound business practices in Florida.