Small Business Navigator

Position Title: Small Business Navigator

Reports To: Business Advisor Program Manager

Employee Classification: Hourly

Hours: .5 Part-time (up to 20 hours/week), Limited Duration

Compensation: $22.70 - $25.55, based on experience

Benefits: This position is not eligible for APANO benefits. Sick leave is provided in accordance with city and state regulations. 

Consideration of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

About APANO CUF:

APANO Communities United Fund unites Asians and Pacific Islanders to build power, develop leaders, and advance equity through organizing, advocacy, community development, and cultural work. We envision a just world where Asians and Pacific Islanders and communities who share our aspirations and struggles have the power, resources, and voice to determine our own futures, and where we work in solidarity to drive political, social, economic, and cultural change. APANO Communities United Fund (CUF) is a 501(c)(3) organization that works closely with its affiliate 501(c)(4) organization, APANO Action Fund (AF). 

Find out more about our work at www.apano.org.

About the Position:

APANO is looking for someone passionate about working with the API community and with a solid cultural familiarity. The work in this position will be cultivating opportunities to win concrete change in the lives of Asian and Pacific Islanders in Oregon and the larger world through supporting entrepreneurship, small business ownership, and financial and economic growth. This will create the opportunity to elevate our community through economic empowerment. This position will specifically support development in the Childcare industry in the greater Portland area and work as a part of the Small Business Development Team. The focus of work for this position will be to help small businesses that offer childcare services the opportunity to grow their business and also support entrepreneurs who wish to start childcare businesses access resources and services already in place with the APANO Small Business Team and Childcare Project Manager. This work is a part of the Statewide effort to increase affordable childcare slots for families that need more access to quality and culturally specific childcare. 

Our ideal candidate has knowledge of the childcare industry plus an entrepreneurial or small business ownership background and experience or understanding. They would be proficient in English; additionally, proficiency in an Asian language is preferred. (This is desired but not required.)  They are also informed and comfortable working with diverse populations, personable, and comfortable cold-calling and reaching out to folks. The role includes outreach through networking events, small business events, and cold-calling to businesses. They will learn the landscape of the small business and childcare resources available to the APANO community and connect them with resources as appropriate.

The work also requires attention to detail and multiple software programs. The Small Business Navigator reports to the Business Advisor Program Manager without supervisory responsibilities. They will support the goals of the small business advising team and childcare development through a culturally sensitive lens and the Mission, Vision, and Values of APANO. The Small Business and Economic Development department at APANO is growing, and there will be opportunities to help develop programming and work with the Program Manager, helping create and present workshops and learning opportunities for entrepreneurs.

This is a hybrid position. Most of the work is done remotely at your home office or community. Support is provided to set up your home workspace. Some meetings will be at the Orchards of 82 main offices and some at the APANO West office in Beaverton. Attendance to partner events, discussions, and in-person small business meetings and visits is also required.

This is a limited duration position ending June 30th, 2025. 

Position Responsibilities:

Business Resource Navigation (75%)

• Become familiar with business support, childcare resources, and programs at the APANO, city, county, regional, and state levels and navigate small business clients to relevant resources.
• Participate in outreach and light touch business support (childcare program introduction, evaluation of business owner's current tools, systems, and needs). Evaluate a business in its lifecycle and make recommendations for the best types of support and resources. 
• Help connect folks to those resources. Through program enrollment, application assistance, and follow-up. 
• Guide clients to access additional programs to further their business, marketing, and finance plan
• Work collaboratively with organizational partners and APANO small business team to ensure the participants reach their goals
• Work will be focused on serving clients doing business or residing in Portland and Multnomah County communities. Some work may extend to Washington County areas as well. 

Program Coordination and Data (25%)

• Assist in identifying and understanding business resources to share as needed with small business owners and entrepreneurs
• Outreach and enrollment to local business owners, including demographic information collection
• Reporting and tracking work: submit program activities to supervisor or directly to funders quarterly or as needed.
• Input data on time, maintain contractually required information database system to track client information

Qualifications:

The Business Navigator will have:

• Minimum two years of business entrepreneurship or ownership or relevant childcare experience
• Self-starter, able to initiate client contacts, comfortable cold-calling, and able to build foundations for long-term relationships.
• Ability to work closely with individuals and community partners
• Highly organized and able to ask questions and seek out information as needed.
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral.
• Ability to navigate a personal computer and relevant software for word processing, calendaring, e-mail, data entry, and social media (Use of Microsoft Office, Google products - Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive, Adobe, etc).  
• Efficiently research and perform various tasks via the Internet.
• Collaborative but also self-directed and able to work independently.
• Deep commitment to and vision for APANO’s mission and strategic plan, including understanding the role of grassroots community organizing in social change and movement building.
• Respect for and demonstrated experience working with Asian and Pacific Islander activists and a deep understanding of issues affecting Asian and Pacific Islander communities.

Preferred, but not required:

• Asian and/or Pacific Islander language proficiency, both spoken and written. 

Physical demands and working conditions: The position is a mix of sedentary and ambulatory, regularly required to walk. Agility is necessary to operate a computer with substantial repetitive motion of wrists, hands, and fingers. Able to lift and move up to 10-15 pounds regularly. The visual acuity to read and prepare/analyze data and figures. Ability to express/exchange ideas utilizing the spoken word; perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. The majority of the job is performed indoors. Local travel may be necessary. Some evenings and weekends may be required.

How to Apply 

Applications will be reviewed upon receipt and this position will be open until filled. Applications should be emailed (PDF preferred) to jobs@apano.org with subject “Small Business Navigator”.

Complete applications include:

• Cover letter (1 page max) clearly outlining the specific skills, knowledge, and experience you bring to the job and how those fit the position's responsibilities well. 
• A complete resume (2 pages max) detailing relevant experience, work history, education and accomplishments.
• 3 references, with contact information and your relationship to the reference. References will be contacted if the candidate advances to the finalist stage. 

APANO Communities United Fund and APANO Action Fund are actively seeking to increase representation and develop the leadership of women, LGBTQ+ people, people with lived experience of economic injustices, and other underrepresented groups, including diverse API communities, both within the organization and the broader racial justice movement in Oregon and API communities. APANO and APANO Action Fund are equal opportunity employers. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status, or any other legally protected classification.

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