Backing Small Business

A Q&A WITH CJ BELL, DIRECTOR OF THE DELAWARE DIVISION OF SMALL BUSINESS

Nominated earlier this year by Gov. Meyer, Christopher “CJ” Bell now leads the Delaware Division of Small Business (DSB). He previously worked with U.S. Sen. Tom Carper and founded the statewide young professionals network The Connect, bringing both policy experience and entrepreneurial energy to the role. We sat down with him to discuss his vision for supporting Delaware’s small businesses.

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that nearly half of all small businesses fail within the first five years. Recognizing this reality, what role can your office play in helping Delaware’s small businesses not only survive but thrive?

I am a big believer that small businesses need more than just funding to grow and scale. Sometimes, funding is just a temporary bandage to cover what the real issue is — capacity, knowledge, and tools to succeed. That’s why we are weaving supportive services into some of our programs.

For instance, we’ve expanded the EDGE Grant Program so that finalists, as well as awardees, receive in-kind services such as accounting or marketing, free organization memberships, expedited paths to additional funding, and networking opportunities with prior EDGE winners to form a support group.

Another example is a bonding pilot program that our Office of Supplier Diversity (OSD) launched at the start of the summer. The program is designed to support small and diverse contractors in securing the bonding capacity needed to grow and compete for larger construction opportunities — something that has been challenging for them to date. OSD is sponsoring up to 30 qualified contractors to participate in a structured program that delivers both education and practical bonding support.

OSD has partnered with two companies — one to provide expert review and guidance to help firms achieve bonding eligibility and long-term financial sustainability, and the other to deliver a customized curriculum focused on building the companies’ operational and financial readiness. Businesses receive no-cost access to training, technical assistance, and a pathway to bond readiness — key components in winning public and private construction work across Delaware and beyond. Those that successfully complete the program also receive $1 million in surety bonding.

Our goal is to do more than fund businesses — it’s to empower them with the resources and resilience to grow, compete, and succeed for years to come.

Small businesses often don’t have the in-house capacity to navigate complex permitting requirements, meaning they must hire outside firms to manage the process. This can be a disproportionate burden compared to larger companies. How is your department ensuring that small business voices are included in conversations about permitting?

The Division of Small Business has Regional Business Managers (RBMs) who work one-on-one with owners to help them with a variety of challenges — one of those being navigating state permitting processes and regulations. State permitting and licensing processes can be complex.

Our RBMs serve as liaisons between owners and state agencies, providing feedback, guidance on next steps, and connecting them with individuals within agencies who can provide the answers they’re looking for. For example, restaurant owners may receive inspection reports that they don’t understand or experience delays in receiving inspections needed to open. Our RBMs meet with the owners to review reports and provide more detailed explanations.

They have facilitated and participated in meetings between the owner and state inspectors. They’ve also engaged directly with inspectors to identify any roadblocks to receiving initial inspections for permitting and helped both parties address them. With their contacts across various state agencies, our RBMs are vital sources of support for small business owners in the regulatory and permitting process.

Gov. Meyer has emphasized the importance of building Delaware’s entrepreneurship culture. How does your office support and incubate this culture, and what more can be done to strengthen the ecosystem for startups and small businesses?

We deeply appreciate and support the Governor’s vision for an innovation-driven economy and focus on entrepreneurship. Over the last six months, we’ve been making internal changes, expanding our reach, and spotlighting programs that support startups and small businesses at every stage of their journey.

Referring again to the EDGE Grant Program, one key change was offering post-pitch and post-award support. Additionally, we wanted to shake up the structure. In our application process, we awarded additional points to businesses that operate in the Governor’s areas of focus. We also changed how — and how many — awards we offered. Now, we can provide larger awards to companies with the strongest proposals and pitches, instead of limiting ourselves to a specific number of awards. This flexibility allows our expert panels of outside judges — who live in this ecosystem daily — to call on their experience as a predictor of success.

We relaunched our State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) program in April and have been providing consistent updates on our Race to $14M initiative, aimed at distributing that amount of funding to small business owners before Dec. 31. By spotlighting the available funds and creating urgency, we’ve triggered an influx of applications to both the loan and direct investment programs. Loans have ranged from $50,000 for renovations and upgrades to $600,000 for constructing entire facilities.

Through the Delaware Accelerator & Seed Capital Program, the state is doing something unprecedented — making direct investments in high-growth, high-impact small businesses. Many of these companies are driving innovation in the state. Through SSBCI, we’re supporting small businesses at all levels and stages of growth.

We’ve also restructured how our RBMs operate — shifting from a strictly county-based structure to an industry-based one. This allows them to focus on industries and sectors they’re most passionate about and become true experts within them.

When it comes to strengthening Delaware’s small business ecosystem, we’re focused on three key areas:

Expanding access to capital: Ensuring startups and small businesses have the funding they need to scale and succeed.

Building on strategic partnerships: Collaborating with organizations such as the Delaware Prosperity Partnership and the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce to provide mentorship, networking, and business development resources.

Promoting inclusive entrepreneurship: Prioritizing support for minority-, women-, and veteran-owned small businesses to ensure equitable opportunities for all entrepreneurs, especially in state contracting.

Through these initiatives, we aim to create a thriving ecosystem where innovation is celebrated and businesses have the tools and support they need to succeed.

Workforce challenges remain a consistent issue for small businesses, especially when they don’t need full-time staff but still require skilled support. Is your department open to collaborating with the Department of Labor or other partners on models — such as shared staffing resources or untapped talent pools — that could better serve these businesses?

Absolutely. Workforce challenges are among the most persistent hurdles for small businesses. Our office is highly engaged in workforce development issues. We frequently collaborate with the Department of Labor and participate on various workforce development committees at the state and local levels.

DSB is open to working with the Department of Labor and other partners to explore innovative solutions to pressing workforce issues. By connecting small businesses with flexible, skilled labor resources, we can help them grow and compete without the burden of hiring full-time staff for every need.

Was there a small business you grew up around or interacted with that shaped how you think about entrepreneurship today?

My perspective on entrepreneurship comes from two places — the values I was raised with and my own experience starting The ConnectDE Inc. Growing up, I was taught that there’s always room for improvement — no matter how successful something appears, you can find ways to make it stronger, more efficient, or more impactful. That mindset has carried into everything I do.

When I launched The Connect, I experienced firsthand what it means to build something from scratch — developing a service people would believe in, navigating the maze of licenses and compliance, and managing the uncertainty that comes with risk. It was both humbling and rewarding. That journey reinforced for me that entrepreneurship is as much about resilience and continuous learning as it is about ideas or funding.

Those lessons are what I bring with me into my role at the Division of Small Business. I understand not only the technical hurdles entrepreneurs face, but also the emotional ones — the doubts, the risks, and the constant push to keep going. That personal perspective drives me to ensure our programs don’t just exist but truly meet business owners where they are and help them move forward with confidence.