PHILADELPHIA – As Immigrant Heritage Month comes to a close, the City of Philadelphia proudly announces a groundbreaking initiative to enhance language access for diverse businesses. In a collaborative effort by the Office of Immigrant Affairs, the Department of Commerce, and the Office of Innovation and Technology, the City has launched a multilingual video series to help immigrant and multilingual businesses access vital resources and programs.  The videos are available on the Department of Commerce’s YouTube channel, providing easy and round-the-clock access to all business owners.

Key highlights

  • Multilingual Video Series: Available in nine languages explaining the Department of Commerce’s Storefront Improvement Program and the Business Security Camera Program.

  • Personalized Assistance: Narrated by the Mayor’s Business Action Team (MBAT) which provides support in multiple languages for all aspects of doing business in Philadelphia. Entrepreneurs can contact the MBAT team by calling 215-683-2100 or emailing business@phila.gov for direct services.

  • Improving the Business Experience: This initiative advances Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s commitment to making it easier for all Philadelphia businesses to access resources that will help them grow and thrive.

“Our City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection is home to businesses that speak multiple languages in zip codes across the city. During Immigrant Heritage Month and throughout the year, we are committed to supporting the growth of immigrant businesses that power our economy with essential goods and services,” said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. “We are so proud to launch this video series in nine languages – increasing access to information for multilingual businesses and helping fulfill my promise to create a Safer, Cleaner, Greener Philadelphia with access to Economic Opportunity for All of our residents.”

“Philadelphia is open for business. We are excited to share information in multiple languages that is available round-the-clock to reach all business owners,” said Alba Martinez, Commerce Director, City of Philadelphia. “The multilingual video series about our Mayor’s Business Action Team and programs at the Department of Commerce is making it easier for businesses from multicultural backgrounds to access help. When City departments work together like this to come up with solutions that can benefit our residents and businesses – especially immigrant and multilingual business owners, it is a win for all.”

“According to research reports from the Pew Charitable Trusts, the share of Philadelphians born overseas is now the highest it has been in eight decades, at nearly 16 percent,” said Amy Eusebio, Executive Director, Philadelphia Office of Immigrant Affairs. “Many of our foreign-born residents are small business owners who might not yet be proficient in English.  Our office has heard from immigrant business owners that the best ways for multilingual communities to access information is through audio and visual tools in their languages. We applied for this Innovation Fund grant to pilot this video series, expanding access to information and city resources for business owners in multiple languages.”

The Philadelphia Office of Immigrant Affairs worked with community-based organizations, including the Asian-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the African and Caribbean Business Council, and the North 5th Street Revitalization Project for language access feedback from businesses based on the video series.

“North 5th Street in Olney is the most linguistically diverse zip code in the state, boasting a wide range of businesses,” said Stephanie Michel, Executive Director, North 5th Street Revitalization Project. “The multilingual videos launched by the City of Philadelphia will help our diverse businesses grow and thrive. As One Philly, a United City – we are committed to increasing access to resources for businesses and residents alongside the Parker Administration.  Happy Immigrant Heritage Month, Philadelphia.”

These multilingual videos are funded by the City of Philadelphia’s Innovation Fund, in alignment with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s PHL Open for Business Executive Order.  The multilingual video series are a crucial resource for business owners at any time. A targeted marketing and outreach campaign for these multilingual videos are being developed to ensure widespread awareness and utilization of these resources among the immigrant business community. 

View the multilingual video series on the Department of Commerce’s YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3W2geMi 

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