Small Business Navigator 

 

The Small Business Navigator position is designed to use technology and business expertise to coach and mentor women and minority business owners, with revenues from $50,000 to $500,000, who are interested in growing their business. The work is estimated to begin at 10 hours to 70 per month, growing to full time as cohorts are added.  This work is conducted remotely by video conferencing. 

 

About OmniWorks:  Our organization’s mission is to improve the rate of success and growth among women and minority entrepreneurs by providing a safe, highly effective, community and peer-based continuum of mentoring services that are free through funding from banks, foundations and community-based organizations. Many small businesses don’t have the support and resources to move beyond the nation’s average revenue of $85,000 or hire their first employee.  Our objective is to help 1,000 businesses reach $1,000,000 in sales.  

 

Position Description: 

Working with selected participant entrepreneurs, the Business Navigator will: 

• Provide expert advice, mentoring and assistance to participant entrepreneurs, helping them identify priority decisions and develop SMART action plans.  

• Assist entrepreneurs in assessing their business plan elements: business model and marketing strategy, organizational structure and people strategy, customer relations and operations. assess market, operations and finance. 

• Introduce Subject Matter Experts (“SME’s) from OmniWorks’ trusted sources or additional SMEs as needed.  

• Create professional, effective working relationships with entrepreneurs, demonstrating care, respect, and commitment to their success.  

• Follow organizational guidelines for intake, on-boarding, meeting management and documentation of action plans. 

• Meet with other OW Navigators weekly to join collaborative discussions, both seeking and providing assistance, as needed, to create highly effective mentoring experiences for program participants. 

 

Skill Sets: 

• Excellent listening skills and a sincere interest is needed to develop strong trust and professional working relationships 

• Excellent writing skills are necessary for organizational and participant communication 

• Strong adoption of technology platforms used in this program: Growth Wheel, Google Suite, Circle, Zoom Video or other video technology, Calendly, CRM systems, Power Point, Word and Excel. 

• Functional experience with any of these key areas of business operations: 

• Accessing major forms of capital, including knowledge of financial requirements, business plan preparation and development of other documents to improve entrepreneur readiness for capital raising. 

• Strategic Planning 

• Marketing  

• Excellent team working skills, collaborating for the overall success of the program. 

• Excellent time management skills that include meeting planning, on-time meetings and on-time follow-up.  

 

We believe a candidate who has successfully performed in the following prior positions could execute this position well (but this is by no means a complete list):   

• A small business banker with 5-10 years’ successful experience growing a portfolio with women and minority owned businesses.  

• An accountant with 5-10 years’ experience successfully growing a portfolio of women and minority owned small business accounts  

• A small business entrepreneur who has successfully grown a business to include revenues of at least $1mm and 5 employees  

• A business consultant or coach with 5-10 years’ experience successfully helping women and minority clients grow their businesses.    

Preference will be given to Los Angeles based candidates.