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How Open4’s Support is Building the Capacity of Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Rochester

My organization, the Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Rochester [CCCS of Rochester], offers the Small Business Owner Credit Building Program. This program gives small business owners the necessary information and training required to gain financial and credit knowledge, increase their credit scores, and gain access to business capital because of their improved credit.

Vision
Our vision is to equip entrepreneurs and small business owners with the knowledge and skills they need to position their personal finances and credit to be successful. As an organization, we aim to be the most trusted source for financial counseling and education.

The Impact of Open4 Support

Normally, our financial counseling and education services are supported by funds received when clients elect to enroll in our long-term programs such as our Debt Management Program. While this offers a more sustainable funding model, it can prevent us from expanding our financial counseling to serve other populations or address other needs. The support received from Open4 allowed us to increase the number of Small Business Owner [SBO] clients we serve each year by approximately 100.

Final Thoughts

We are working to build better connections and referral channels with other SBOs who work with entrepreneurs and small business owners. A big part of this is educating organizations and their representatives regarding the importance of good personal finance and credit for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Additionally, we are working with other service providers to identify when it is best to connect a client with our services.

Chad Rieflin, Director of Programs and Grants – Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Rochester (CCCS), October 13, 2022