Tag: small business

Hawa Cosmetics Flawless Coverage

Post author By Grace Capobianco
Post date December 14, 2020

The coverage for female entrepreneurs receive is essential to expanding their impact and to get noticed. Therefore, as we wrap up one of our most difficult years 2020, we thought it fitting to highlight a brand that we feel deserves coverage.

Women from all industry’s, education, and ethnicity, every day are creating new products, start-up businesses, and cutting edge procedures from real estate, to cosmetics. These women are changing the way we view entrepreneurs, shop for new brands, and are showing determination, and fearlessness.

Hawa Cosmetics was created for its namesake, a working makeup artist, and model, with over a decade of being a makeup artist who saw first-hand women’s confusion and frustration at gimmicky products and confusing beauty regimes.

DTM: How did you come about creating a cosmetic company/brand?

CEO and Owner Hawa Abdul: How I came about creating a cosmetic brand started with me working for major cosmetic companies. To name a few; Clinique, Dermablend, Bobbi Brown, Tom Ford Beauty, Sisley, and a few others that are under the Estée Lauder umbrella. I was a top Makeup artist and selling producer for the color lines. So it gave me an edge on what women were looking for. Which made it easy to create a brand.

DTM: How long have you been in the beauty industry?

CEO and Owner Hawa Abdul: I’ve been a professional makeup artist for over 20yrs. Best time of my life!

DTM: What makes your brand stand out above the rest and what do you want our readers to know?

CEO and Owner Hawa Abdul: What makes my brand stand out above the rest is that Hawa Cosmetics is made with quality. I select and create colors that really work on All skin tones. A line created by a working makeup artist who touches and talks to every client about her needs.

DTM: It looks like you’re a New Yorker, how has Covid affected your business?

CEO and Owner Hawa Abdul: COVID has affected all businesses. But what I’ve learned is that you must stay open to reinventing yourself. I’ve learned that social media is my key to doing Supreme business.

DTM: If you could change one thing in the cosmetic/beauty industry what would it be?

CEO and Owner Hawa Abdul: If I could change one thing in the industry it would be Creating a system where makeup artist can have virtue one on one consultations with clients to ensure excellent customer service.

DTM: What’s the best way for consumers to become educated on how cosmetics are made and what they should look for when purchasing cosmetics?

CEO and Owner Hawa Abdul: The best way for customers to become educated in cosmetics is to utilize your PC. You can google everything today., I personally love YouTube, you receive so many reviews facts, and opinions on cosmetics. I Believe You should look for quality in products. I can not stress this enough. Drug store brands are Stepping up to High-end brands in this category.

DTM: Being a woman of color and selling makeup to different types of skin and color pigment, how difficult is that and is there a difference in the skin?

CEO and Owner Hawa Abdul: Being a woman of color selling makeup to all women was easy for me. As I worked for major Cosmetic brands in Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, Barnes, Neman Marcus, Saks, CosBar, and the Carlyle Hotel. These locations have had me Makeover every woman and man imaginable.

There is a difference in skin tones and texture but that comes with an expert eye.

DTM: When you were a little girl was that something you always played with and dreamed of make-up and beauty?

CEO and Owner Hawa Abdul: As a little girl I would always play in my Grandma “Pascuala Vasquez makeup. My grandma RIP was born in the 1920s

I couldn’t wait for the day for me to shave off all of my Natural brows and draw them on with a jet black eyeliner pencil like her. Her vanity table was my dream., Loads of makeup, lipstick, and Perfume.

She was a lady.

DTM: What is all the hype about botanicals and what difference do botanicals make in skincare?

CEO and Owner Hawa Abdul: The Hype of Botanicals stands true. Botanicals can make promising skincare. Natural Botanicals has anti-aging properties that help calm and firm skin. It can also help with acne, reducing redness and it’s ideal for soothing sensitive skin. There are so many benefits to natural plant extracts.

DTM: We’re thrilled to have you in the print Holiday gift guide for 2020, we have sampled your products and we enjoy them and feel that they’re good solid quality. The coverage is exceptional. Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers that we have not asked you?

CEO and Owner Hawa Abdul: We all at Hawa Cosmetics are ecstatic to be in the Holiday Gift Guide for 2020! I am happy that everyone has enjoyed the quality of the products. It means the world to me. I want to thank every woman who has poured into me their concern and need over the years that helped me to create a brand that all women will enjoy.

“I want to thank the CEO Of Downtown Magazine Grace A. Capobianco for having me in this special issue. I would also like to thank my dear friend Marcia Nakaydo for believing in the brand. We have worked together in this beauty industry for years. Let’s have a wonderful Holiday. Thank you. CEO and Owner Hawa Abdul”

Tags cosmetic brand, coverage, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Female leaders, flawless, Hawa Cosmetics, lips, make up, make up artist, model, powder coverage, skin, small business, women of color

Business

Things to Consider for Start up Owner’s

Post author By DTMag Intern
Post date December 11, 2020

Striking out with your own company for the first time.

Everyone starts off as an inexperienced business owner. Click here to find out about some of the areas you need to cover to get the best start for your company.

If you are new to the world of business, you need to make sure that you tread carefully. There are many pitfalls that an inexperienced company owner could fall into. However, with a little research and hard work, these can also be avoided. Here are some of the things you need to consider if you are striking out with your own company for the first time.

Legal Paperwork

Setting up a business requires a lot of legal paperwork. First of all, you need to make sure that you launch the company properly and register it with the correct parties. You also need to ensure that you registered with the tax body so you do not run into any issues here. If you are going to be hiring employees straight away, you are going to need to make sure that you have contracts ready to give them.

These are best drawn up and looked over by a lawyer. You are likely to return to the services of this lawyer time and time again, as there are many legal matters a business owner could need advice over. As a result, you might want to consider taking their services on retainer.

Funding

Funding is one of the most important aspects of a business. Though you might have started the business with your savings, they are not going to be enough to carry you forward now. You need to make sure that have ways of acquiring funding beyond the sales of your goods and services should you need the extra cash flow.

As a result, it is worth knowing how to get business lines of credit and how to apply for loans. More companies than you might think will apply for these types of funding, so it is vital that you find ones that could best work for you and your business’s needs.

Insurance

Insurance policies are vital for protecting your business. There is no one-size-fits-all policy when it comes to business insurance. You need to find the policies that apply to your business and then stitch them together to create a scheme that works best for you.

Some policies might not apply to you – such as product liability insurance – whereas others might be mandatory depending on your sector, as public liability insurance. It is up to you to cast the right net of protections around yourself so your business will be protected in the event of an unfortunate incident.

These are three key areas that all startup owners need to address. It does not matter whether you are starting your first business or your 20th, you need to make sure that the above points are all included in your structure. Start with the basics and then build things out so your startup is able to fully flourish. No matter what industry you are trying to launch into, you need to make sure that you also have a good grasp of the business aspects of your company.

Tags employees, funding, insurance, owners, small business

Bars Business Chefs Dining Featured Finance NYC Restaurants

SMALL BUSINESS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT

Post author By Grace Capobianco
Post date August 6, 2020

Small businesses and locally-owned shops are the lifeblood of our city.

Unfortunately, almost all have been adversely impacted by COVID-19. To help businesses better cope with the changes the pandemic has imposed upon them, the Downtown Alliance is providing up to 25 small businesses the opportunity for one-on-one, technical-assistance consultations with Streetsense, a retail and urban-design consultant. The goal of these consultations is to assess operations and surface opportunities to better prepare businesses for the ongoing crisis. Streetsense has decades of first-hand operations experience across a variety of disciplines and industries, including research and analysis, hospitality, branding, and marketing and interior design.

Consultations will provide the following:

Individual 45- to 60-minute work sessions with retail or restaurant owners with two members of the Streetsense Pandemic Response Team.
A documented strategic guide for “pandemic readiness” for each business, delivered to the business owners, and to the Downtown Alliance.
Participating businesses will receive links to pandemic signage templates and the capital planning tool (for restaurants and bars only) following the completion of each session.

To be eligible, businesses must have gross annual revenues of less than $3 million and employ fewer than 30 full-time-equivalent employees and occupy a ground-level storefront in the Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District. If selected, businesses will be required to complete a self-assessment questionnaire to share with Streetsense providing relevant information about their business and describing the challenges they face as the city reopens.

To be eligible for a consultation, businesses must meet the following requirements and provide appropriate documentation:

Be located on the ground floor within the boundaries of the Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District.
Be an independent business with five or fewer locations in New York City.
Open by October 1, 2020.
Employs fewer than 30 full-time-equivalent employees as of March 1, 2020.
Gross annual revenues of less than $3 million.
Have a lease at their current location through December 31, 2020.

Applications will be reviewed and consultations will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis beginning August 10, 2020, at 9 am ET.

The application period will close when the available consultations have been exhausted. Consultations will take place between August and October 2020.

If you do not qualify for this program, please see our informational guide on COVID-19 relief programs available to businesses.

Tags application, Bars, covid-19, deadline, downtown alliance, grant, restaurants, small business

Living NYC

Downtown News – COVID 19

Post author By Downtown Magazine
Post date May 22, 2020

Downtown Alliance Opens Pearl Street As Part of City-Wide Open Streets

Beginning on Saturday, May 23, the Alliance for Downtown New York, the nonprofit business improvement district for Lower Manhattan, is partnering with the Department of Transportation to bring the Open Streets Program to an eight-block stretch of Pearl Street, between Cedar and State Streets from 11a-3p ET.

“As the city moves forward with the recovery, we need to ensure that people feel more comfortable in public places,” said Jessica Lappin, President of the Alliance for Downtown New York. “We hope these first measures will help our neighbors make good use of this reclaimed roadway.”

Per the organization’s proposal to participate in this citywide program, the Alliance Operations team will place and remove temporary barricades along the stretch of road to designate the protected area as restricted to traffic. DOT will also provide signage that explains social distancing requirements and requests slower vehicular travel speeds. This effort is part of a City-wide program to make a total of 100 miles of roadway available for public use in the warmer weather. Pedestrians and bicyclists using the roadbed along Pearl Street must maintain social distancing of at least six feet and wear a face-covering in public.

No through traffic will be permitted while Open Streets are in effect. Vehicle traffic will be limited to local deliveries, pick-ups/drop-offs, necessary city service vehicles, utility vehicles, and emergency vehicles only. When Alternate Side Parking regulations are in effect, drivers must move their vehicles from the street and may return when ASP is over. These drivers and cyclists are advised to be extremely cautious and to drive 5 MPH or slower.

NOW OPEN- MORE DOWNTOWN DELICIOUSNESS MADE TO ORDER

Diversify your home dining experiences by supporting the following Lower Manhattan restaurants recently reopened for takeout and delivery:

—Jeremy’s Ale House (228 Front Street)

—La Parisienne (9 Maiden Lane)

—No. 1 Chinese (10 South William Street)

—Route 66 Smokehouse (46 Stone Street)

—Tacombi (74 Broad Street)—Ulysses (95 Pearl Street)

As always, bookmark and keep an eye on our list of restaurants offering takeout and delivery, which we’re constantly updating.

DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE EXPANDS CRITERIA FOR SMALL BUSINESS RENTAL ASSISTANCE GRANT

The Alliance for Downtown New York is expanding criteria for the Small Business Rental Assistance Grant to offer immediate help to more storefront businesses currently providing vital services to residents and workers in Lower Manhattan during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program, which launched earlier this month, is funded by the Alliance with support from Brookfield Properties, Silverstein Properties and The Howard Hughes Corporation to award a total of $800,000 in grants.

More businesses can apply to start on, Thursday, May 21 at 9a ET at downtownny.com/RentAssistGrant.

The expanded criteria include eligible businesses with gross annual revenues of up to $3 million and who employ up to 30 employees, and to storefronts within expanded geography that covers everything south of Chambers Street.

The individual grants will offer $10,000 each to small businesses as a single direct payment to be applied to April or May rent. Businesses must provide appropriate documentation and meet all the following requirements:

—Currently be open and providing an “essential” service as defined by Governor Cuomo in the PAUSE order of March 22, 2020

—Be located on the ground floor in Lower Manhattan below Chambers Street—Be an independent business with five or fewer locations in New York City

—Have fewer than 30 employees as of March 1, 2020

—Gross annual revenue below $3 million—Have a lease at their current location through December 31, 2020

—Provide proof of rent payment for April or May 2020 or potentially for later months if the landlord has given approval for rent deferral

Applications are available starting Thursday, May 21 at 9a ET on a first-come, first-served basis through June 4 at 11:59p ET or until funding has been exhausted. Required documentation includes 2019 4th Quarter 941, relevant lease agreement pages, and the main pages from the business’s most recently filed IRS business tax return, showing its annual gross revenues.

RESTAURANTS CATCH A BREAK FROM DELIVERY APP FEES, THANKS TO CITY COUNCIL MEASURE

Food-delivery apps will no longer be able to charge high fees to restaurants in the five boroughs, thanks to local legislation. On Wednesday the New York City Council passed Int.1908-b, a bill that caps third-party delivery fees at 15%.

The vote tally was 46-4 with zero abstentions.

Int.1908 was introduced last month in the Committee on Small Business by Queens council member Francisco Moya and co-signed by District 1’s Margaret Chin of Lower Manhattan, among others.

At a City Council hearing in April, Downtown Alliance President Jessica Lappin spoke in support of the bill.

“Our local restaurants, which already operate on razor-thin margins, are facing a once-in-a-generation crisis,” Lappin said. “They may be serving takeout and delivery, but are likely doing so at a loss just to keep their doors open and staff on payroll. These outsized fees are massively eating into what little profit restaurants are able to realize today. Charging a 30% fee, especially during an unprecedented crisis, is unconscionable.”

The new measure goes into effect seven days after being signed into law by the mayor.

DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE

Business Featured Finance NYC

Downtown Alliance Launches Small Business Rental Assistance Grant

Post author By Downtown Magazine
Post date April 29, 2020

The Alliance Will Award $800,000 In Cash Grants To Essential Lower Manhattan
Small Businesses

Once again, its time for Downtowner’s to get up dust ourselves off and prepare for another resurgence. We are all struggling, not just Lower Manhattan by the entire globe.

Lucky for Lower Manhattan, we have been here one too many times, most recent was Super Storm Sandy. Our leaders know how to get us through the worst of times, and we always come out better than before.

Today, Downtown Silverstein Properties, Howard Hughes, Brookfield Properties, and The Alliance for Downtown New York is launching the Small Business Rental Assistance Grant program to offer immediate help to storefront businesses currently providing vital services to residents and essential workers in Lower Manhattan during the COVID-19 pandemic. With support from Brookfield Properties, Silverstein Properties and The Howard Hughes Corporation, the Downtown Alliance’s Small Business Rental Assistance Grant will give Lower Manhattan’s small businesses access to $800,000 in grants. The Small Business Rental Assistance Grant program is part of the Alliance’s ongoing small business relief efforts.

Businesses can apply, starting Friday, May 1 at 9a ET at downtownny.com/RentAssistGrant

“The Alliance has long worked to nurture the growth of local retail, and that focus will continue to drive our recovery efforts,” said Downtown Alliance President Jessica Lappin. “There is not one storefront business in New York City that has been spared by COVID-19. Every one of them is struggling. We are stepping up to do what we can to help our stores keep their lights on. We know there are a number of landlords trying to work with tenants, and we hope all property owners will be as flexible and creative as they can be at this challenging time.”

The Downtown Alliance is contributing $250,000 from redirected funds within its annual budget, and from outside its assessment collection, to support the Small Business Rental Assistance Grant program. Additional funding is being made available through neighborhood partners Brookfield Properties, Silverstein Properties, and The Howard Hughes Corporation. The individual grants will offer $10,000 each to small businesses as a single direct payment to be applied to April or May rent. Businesses must meet the following requirements and provide appropriate documentation:

Currently, be open and providing an “essential” service as defined by Governor Andrew Cuomo in the PAUSE order of March 22
Located on the ground floor within the BID’s boundaries
Be an independent business with five or fewer locations in New York City
Fewer than 20 employees as of March 1, 2020
Gross annual revenue below $1.5 million
Current lease at their current location through December 31, 2020
Provide proof of using this grant towards rent

Applications are available starting Friday, May 1 at 9a ET on a first-come, first-served basis, until May 15 or until funding has been exhausted. Required documentation will include: 2019 4th Quarter 941, relevant lease agreement pages, and the main pages from the business’s most recently filed IRS business tax return, showing its annual gross revenues.

“Brookfield is committed to Lower Manhattan and to doing what we can to help build bridges for its small businesses – such a big part of what makes Downtown a great place – to survive and recover,” said Ric Clark, Chairman of the Brookfield Property Group and Chairman of the Alliance for Downtown New York. “We’re proud to be joined by Silverstein Properties and the Howard Hughes Corporation in supporting this Alliance for Downtown New York initiative. Lower Manhattan has come back again and again from steep challenges. We know it will again.”

“Lower Manhattan is one of the greatest neighborhoods in the world, thanks in large part to its dynamic mix of restaurants, shops, bars, and other small businesses,” said Larry A. Silverstein, Chairman, Silverstein Properties. “Downtown’s businesses have been through a lot over the past two decades, but we are resilient, and will once again come back better and stronger than ever. Until that time, we need to stand together, which makes me grateful for this opportunity to directly support our most treasured local establishments.”

“Our city’s vibrant neighborhood businesses are the lifeblood of our economy,” says Saul Scherl, President of the New York Tri-State Region, The Howard Hughes Corporation. “The Howard Hughes Corporation is proud to support the Downtown Alliance’s newly created grant program to help essential small businesses hard-hit by COVID-19. Lower Manhattan has been through the toughest of times and has always found a way to rise again. These grants will ensure these important local businesses are ready and able to drive New York City’s post-pandemic economic recovery.”

The Small Business Rental Assistance Grant is part of a continuing effort by the Alliance to support businesses that are being adversely impacted by the spread of COVID-19. The Alliance is actively working to help Lower Manhattan’s business community weather this painful temporary shut-down: educating local business owners about available funding opportunities, convening working groups, communicating which businesses are open to residents, and spotlighting essential workers who are making a difference. Efforts will continue throughout the recovery phase with dedicated marketing programs and initiatives to help turn the lights back on across the neighborhood.

About the Alliance for Downtown New York
The mission of the Alliance for Downtown New York is to provide service, advocacy, research, and information to advance Lower Manhattan as a global model of a 21st century Central Business District for businesses, residents, and visitors. The Downtown Alliance manages the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District (BID), serving an area roughly from City Hall to the Battery, from the East River to West Street. For more information visit downtownny.com

https://www.dtm.wix2wp.site/the-downtown-all…tion-bus-service/ ‎

Tags Brookfield Properties, COVID19, downtown alliance, grant, jessica lappin, Larry Silverstein, Lower Manhattan, retail, Saul Scherl, Silverstein Properties, small business, store front retail

Featured NYC Sports

Cycle Haus – Mobile Bike shop

Post author By Luigi Rosabianca
Post date April 21, 2020

New York has it’s very own mobile bike shop. Founded by Jonathan Romero. In 2010 Jonathan moved to Germany and ended up working at his friend’s bike shop.

During a leisurely bike ride along Brooklyn Bridge Park, I noticed this eye-catching truck with German stripes. Contrary to my Italian instincts, I still pulled over to inquire as to their cycling services. I met Jonathan and his partner Anastasiia Chub, a talent in her own right. She manages the day to day operations and creative aspect of the business

I haven’t regretted it!

As an avid cyclist, I’m more than excited to share this business with all New York cyclists, as Jonathan and Anastasiia have been a life saver several times in our short friendship.

Jonathan, learned everything mechanically to do with cycling and quickly learned the cycling industry. “Working in one of Northern Germany’s busiest shops was a fantastic experience. Throughout the years my passion for cycling grew and I knew it was finally time to make this idea come true. I wanted to bring that experience from Germany here to New York”. Cycle Haus was born.

DTM: Tell us your background and where you are from?

CH: I am a native New Yorker. In 2012 I moved to Germany for 3 years and ended up
working in a friend’s bike shop, a friend who turned into family. He taught and showed
me everything mechanically and on the business end of the cycling industry. Working in
one of Northern Germany’s busiest shops was a fantastic experience.

DTM: How long have you been cycling?

CH: I have been cycling since my childhood. My mom used to take me and my friends on
bike rides to Far Rockaway, parks and beaches. I even remember taking my bicycle late
night to go play soccer with my friends at Pier 40 – Fun times.

DTM: When did this idea come to you to create a mobile cycling shop and why?

CH: Throughout the years my passion for cycling grew and I knew it was finally time to make this idea come true. I wanted to bring excellent experience from Germany, here, to New York. After searching for a storefront and realizing that everything is way overpriced,
that our customer base would be limited to a particular area – I thought why not to go
mobile and be able to help as many people as I can.

DTM: What are some of the comments you’re hearing from your current clients?

CH: Our customers love convenience, that they don’t have to get out of their house, carry
bikes to the shop and wait for weeks to pick it up. We get most jobs done on the spot,
while clients spend time with their family or don’t get interrupted at their job. Also, a lot
of customers noticed that we are cheaper than their local bike shop, which I am happy
with since my goal is to bring cycling culture up in New York City closer to how it is in
Europe.

DTM: What do you want all New Yorkers to know about your business?

CH: We bring a fully equipped bike shop to your door or wherever you are on your bike ride. Now you can have your own support team whether you ride for the breeze, the fitness, the transportation or the suffering of it all – Cycle Haus will be by your side.

DTM: How do we find you or rather how do you find us?

Just Google us. We are always on the go and a lot of times our customers send
“spotted” pictures of the van on the streets to us. That’s funny, this is a small world.

DTM: Are your prices less expensive than going into a brick and mortar cycle shop?

CH: I would say – Yes. We are less expensive than other shops in the New York area, based
on our customers’ feedback.

A)DTM: Do you feel you’re in competition with the cycle shops?

CH: No, I do not. I do not like to look at it as a competition. We are all passionate about
cycling and are always looking to help grow the cycling community. There are more
than 8 million people in the New York City area and a single shop cannot service them
all.

DTM: What other items or services can I purchase from you or is it just for a quick
fix?

CH: You can purchase everything from nutritions, bar tape to freshen up your ride, a bicycle to cruise around town and all the way to a cycling support team that will keep your bike running, give you a boost over a hill, fuel you up, so you can ride further, faster and
longer.

DTM: What do you love about Cycling?

CH: The freedom it gives you.

DTM: Have you seen an increase or decrease in business since COVID-19?

CH: I have seen an increase in business for sure. I have a lot of calls from essential
workers, many of which understand the risk and do not wish to take public transportation,
that’s why first responders are always my first priorities. Also, sadly to say, I see that
people are stuck at home, can’t get their routine in and are looking for alternative
opportunities – finding their bicycles in their garages stuck for years and trying to get
some exercise in. That is why I get most of the calls today and am working some days
until midnight, trying to squeeze everyone in, to help as many people I can.

Cyclists, when you are on the road no matter where in New York, and you find yourself in need of a bike fix, pick up your phone and dial 516.412.9847.