U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock are delivering new resources to boost entrepreneurship across the Central Savannah River Area.

Working alongside the Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce (GABCC), Sens. Ossoff and Warnock brought Republicans and Democrats in Congress together to help expand opportunities for entrepreneurship and grow the local economy.

With the new resources, the Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce will expand trainings for Black entrepreneurs to learn more about starting and managing small businesses. The Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce’s Step-Up Program is a 12-month hybrid series and technical assistance program that aims to empower and equip business owners from the Greater Augusta community and CSRA with the essential tools and knowledge needed to thrive in today’s competitive business landscape.

Prospective and current small business owners can learn more about the programs and contact the Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce and sign up for the program at mygabcstepupprogram.orgThis is an external link.

“Working closely alongside the Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce, Senator Warnock and I brought Republicans and Democrats together to expand access to entrepreneurship and opportunities for business owners in Augusta and across the region,” Sen. Ossoff said.

“This bipartisan investment will go a long way towards bridging the gaps in economic disparities for Augusta’s Black entrepreneurs and small business owners, and in turn will benefit all Georgians in the region,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “I am proud to have worked alongside Senator Ossoff in getting this done, and we will continue to fight for small businesses in every corner of the Peach State.”

“Thanks to Senators Ossoff and Warnock, we are able to continue our growing efforts in supporting business owners in the CSRA with the expansion of our technical assistance and programming innovative initiatives at the Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce and continue to carry out our mission to foster economic stability for businesses in the CSRA through advocacy, education, networking, discovery, and strategic partnerships,” said Ronic West, President and Co-Founder of the Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce.

“As Mayor of Augusta and a small business owner, I am excited for all the opportunities this program will create for prospective and current business owners in Augusta-Richmond County. I applaud Senators Ossoff and Warnock and the Greater Augusta Black Chamber for all that they’ve done to increase entrepreneurship opportunities in our community,” said Mayor Garnett L. Johnson.

The Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce aims to nurture entrepreneurship and foster economic empowerment within the community, and this program serves as a catalyst for achieving those goals. The Step-Up Program comprises a comprehensive series of engaging sessions that cover a wide range of business topics, including critical aspects of entrepreneurship, including Finance 101, Business planning, Business Automation, and more.

This program will benefit entrepreneurs across the Central Savannah River Area — representing more than 33,000 business owners in the area.

Sens. Ossoff and Warnock secured $250,000 for the Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce through last year’s government funding package, which passed into law with bipartisan support.