“I grew up in this area and wanted to bring something back to the
community. Something relaxing, holistic, bringing goodness and
wellness to the neighborhood. So you don’t have to go outside the
neighborhood to find these things”
- Donica Johns, Botanical Nail and Skin Studio
In 2024, BCC saw the need to have a clearer picture of businesses' triumphs and needs along the Broad Street corridor. The BCC team brought together community members, volunteers, and other organizations to craft a survey, with the intention of assessing business owner’s needs, detailing their orientation to COVID post-pandemic, and their business health post-Hurricane Ida. Engaging the local community, BCC hired and trained 10 community surveyors to collect responses from 50 Broad corridor small business owners. Results were used to address those needs raised in the surveys, including communication with key partners and provision of necessary technical assistance.
BCC worked with MRP Coaching & Consulting to design, conduct research and report back on results of the survey. The Data Center of Greater New Orleans advised on survey questions. Students of MIT’s Department of Urban Studies & Planning (DUSP) supported community surveyors in collecting responses. NewCorp partnered with BCC to host ‘Make It Rain’, a workshop on capital readiness for small business owners, in response to surveyed business owners’ stated needs.
The goal of the survey was to understand Broad Street Business owners’ unique needs in the corridor and their visions for the future. BCC aimed to get a sense of needs across the major thoroughfares in the Broad Street Neighborhood (Broad Street, Bayou Road, Orleans, Esplanade, etc) in order to provide free and existing support services as well as help connect owners to capital - business services, loans, or grants.
The resulting 2024 BONA Survey provided powerful demographic and economic insights about Broad Street businesses. Of the Broad Street business owners surveyed, 54% are women, 48% are between the ages of 41-55, 42% are African American, 26% are white. 53% own their buildings.
Businesses have smaller staff sizes, with 35% of the businesses employ 1-3 employees and 24% employ 4-6 employees. Broad Street businesses reported strong local engagement, and highlighted their focus on creating high quality customer experiences.
While revenue trends are mixed, the Broad Street corridor favors long term, neighborhood businesses. Most businesses have been in operation for 10+ years, and establishments in business for 10 + years have higher revenue than newer businesses, which tend to indicate cash flow issues when surveyed. 60% of businesses exclusively use revenues to sustain themselves, less than 2% use loans.
Major challenges affecting the corridor include stormwater management and flooding and lack of marketing for businesses, causing potential clients to be unaware of their locations or services. Interpretation of survey results implies that collaborative marketing, virtual marketplace options, and increased customer engagement may be keys to maintaining and improving business outcomes in the corridor.
Direct Response
In response to a directly stated business owner need, on June 23, 2025, BCC organized ‘Make It Rain’, a workshop on small business loan preparedness in partnership with Seventh Ward-based entrepreneur support organization and small business lender NewCorp. The resulting workshop was titled “Make It Rain”, and served as a hands-on opportunity designed to demystify small business lending. Business owners heard directly from experienced lenders including Loan Funder Manager, Peter Brooks of NewCorp. The workshop marketing was able to reach both participants who had engaged in BCC activities in the past, as well as new participants. Additionally, BCC made the decision to dedicate more time and resources to coordinating small business mixers to network businesses in the Broad Street corridor. Since November 2023, has hosted 6 mixers with 118 unique small business owners in attendance.
Conclusion
The Broad Street neighborhoods are a vital economic and cultural anchor in the city of New Orleans, and BCC is committed to continuing to understand the business needs of the neighborhood, connect business owners to necessary resources, and advocate for the future of the corridor. To participate in this year’s survey, fill out the form HERE.
