WHAT IS TAP?
TAP is a female-founded, female-led nonprofit that is laser focused on creating a more equitable economy by delivering high-caliber and impactful services to under-resourced small businesses. TAP leverages its network of financial institutions, CDFI’s, economic development agencies and corporate partners to get to scale and ensure sustainability of our work. TAP’s innovative model channels underutilized talent into the economy by recruiting and cultivating a diverse consultant team that donates their time, expertise, and mentoring skills to advance TAP’s mission.
VISION
TAP’s vision is that all small businesses have equal opportunity to grow and thrive, contributing to vibrant communities and an inclusive economy for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and their families.
MISSION
TAP’s mission is to empower under-resourced small business owners and accelerate their success by providing high-impact and customized strategic, financial, operational and marketing support.
HISTORY
The idea for TAP emerged out of our desire to fix a problem: small businesses struggling to succeed in the face of pressures from the Internet and big box stores. Our main streets, our places to gather, work, shop and dine are fighting for survival. We've all seen the unprecedented rise in vacancies and shift in buyer behavior. These forces threaten our community, and we knew we could do something about it.
We recognized a great underutilized resource - the local talent pool, many having left their fast paced careers, who had skills that these small businesses could desperately use. With that in mind, we developed a program to identify, train and mobilize this force to provide actionable business advice and in the process keep their skills fresh.
In March 2020, when the COVID crisis hit, it immediately became clear that TAP’s mission to support under-served small businesses was more critical than ever. We began offering free emergency services to any small business struggling in the face of the crisis. As businesses begin to emerge post-COVID, we are helping them to rethink business models, products and services to best position themselves for success.
We recognized a great underutilized resource - the local talent pool, many having left their fast paced careers, who had skills that these small businesses could desperately use. With that in mind, we developed a program to identify, train and mobilize this force to provide actionable business advice and in the process keep their skills fresh.
In March 2020, when the COVID crisis hit, it immediately became clear that TAP’s mission to support under-served small businesses was more critical than ever. We began offering free emergency services to any small business struggling in the face of the crisis. As businesses begin to emerge post-COVID, we are helping them to rethink business models, products and services to best position themselves for success.