Criteria for Enrollment

Apply NowWhat:  The Emerald Cities-Boston Contractor Academy is a nine-week training program for people of color and women-owned contractors to build their businesses in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and building electrification.

Cost: The Contractor Academy is provided at no cost to businesses due to the generosity of our sponsors.

Who: Anyone who is a person of color or woman contractor working in MA, RI, and/or NH is eligible to apply for the Contractor Academy.

Requirements:

  • Submit an application

  • Agree to attend all nine consecutive Thursday sessions (except for Thanksgiving)

When: Thursdays, October 15 - December 17, 2020; 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Where: Given COVID, all sessions will be conducted on-line through Zoom or a similar video meeting platform. You will need a good Internet connection.

Thinking about whether to apply?

Is this you?

  • You want to grow your business.
  • You want to take on bigger projects.
  • You'd like to develop some steady sources of projects, not just sell jobs one by one.
  • You'd like to bump up your margins just a bit, because your work is worth it.
  • You want to improve your business skills and back office capabilities.
  • You want to upgrade the skills of your people.
  • You care about your community.
  • You care about our environment and know that your work can help make a difference on climate change,

BUT

You spend a third of your time selling jobs, a third of your time doing or overseeing work in the field, another third hiring and managing your people and maybe subcontractors, and we didn't even get to buying materials, collecting from clients, doing the books, ... no end to it.

If so, you're not alone.

Where are you going to find the time to develop a better strategy for your business, get new skills, explore the market? As one contractor put it, "I only have time to work in my business, not work on it."

Maybe you don't have the same access to project decision makers and big-time partners as some other contractors.

You might find it harder than many other contractors to get financing like working capital and equipment leasing, insurance, and bonding.

The Contractor Academy can get you the skills, the connections, and the support you need to grow your business.

Will it happen? That's up to you.

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