‘I want my business to grow’: Coaching for Impact program helps local entrepreneurs with consulting

Editor’s note: The American Journalism Project (AJP) and JPMorgan Chase have partnered to support local news organizations – including Signal Ohio – throughout the country. In addition to providing funding for AJP’s national efforts to rebuild local news, JPMorgan Chase is sponsoring eight nonprofit newsrooms nationwide, sharing ongoing financial health content, organizing local events, and providing expertise tailored to their unique challenges to help meet their business and operational goals. We officially launch the partnership next month — Signal Ohio readers can expect to see JPMorgan Chase sponsored content on our site regularly. Here’s a preview, with a look at a program JPMorgan Chase has available for small business owners in Cleveland.

By Kristine Gill

Justine Johnson was working her first real job out of college when the pandemic hit and she was laid off. 

Rather than search for another position, the interior designer and artist took a risk. 

“I decided to pool my resources together,” she said. “I always wanted to have my own business, and just the right time came.”

So Johnson launched JustDesigns, an interior design studio offering custom resin art in the Cleveland area. 

Four years later, her company was humming along but Johnson knew she wanted help. 

“I want my business to grow,” the 28-year-old said. “And with growth, there is a need for capital. I could really use a larger workspace and more technology to make things more efficient for my clients and myself.”

That’s when a friend referred Johnson to the Coaching for Impact program, a complimentary consulting program at Chase Bank that links established entrepreneurs with business consultants to help scale their operations. The program began in 2020 as part of JPMorgan Chase’s $30 billion Racial Equity Commitment aimed at closing the wealth gap for minority groups, specifically in Black, Hispanic and Latino communities. 

“I think it’s great that extending this offer to small businesses, especially in neighborhoods and areas where there’s a need for that,” said Johnson, who is two months into the program and already seeing benefits. 

Working alongside her mentor LaTrese Steplight, Johnson has learned new ways to organize her finances and streamline customer invoicing. 

“I’m excited to see where my business is at after this and how much I’ll grow a year from now,” Johnson said. 

Steplight has worked with JPMorgan Chase for 12 years, but began working as a senior Business Consultant this year. She said it’s been an exciting experience working with business owners who need a leg up especially having been a small business owner herself at one point. 

“I did really well and fell on my face really fast,” she said. “If I had a senior business consultant that could help me scale my business back then, I would probably be a different person right now; my family would have different opportunities.” 

The program is free for individuals who have owned their business for at least two years and are making $100,000 in annual revenue. Participants apply online and get linked up with a consultant in their area who they meet with twice monthly for four to six months. 

Steplight said the program is tailored to each individual entrepreneur to ensure it’s truly helpful to their goals. She’s currently working with a range of individuals from restaurant owners to contractors, and nonprofit heads to adult day care center workers. 

Steplight offers advice and connects these business owners to community resources such as tax professionals or software experts. 

The program currently has 74 senior business consultants across 35 cities – with plans for three more – each coaching up to 40 small business owners at a time.

As of December 2023, the program has graduated more than 3,000 business owners nationwide. 

“The highlight of this role for me is I can truly help our business owners, because I’m not selling you anything,” Steplight said. “The goal is to truly grow your business, truly scale your business.”