Welcome to the Economic Development Department's Business Brief! We are continuing to ensure you are updated on the latest business resources and news. | | |
To promote the Small Business Insights Tool and help familiarize businesses with the platform, the City invites local small business owners, entrepreneurs, and community members to participate in the Business Insights Tool workshop. The webinar will be taking place on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at 8:30am and 12pm. The Business Insights tool is available for entrepreneurs and businesses at longbeach.gov/businessinsights. | |
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The City of Long Beach is hosting a community webinar, April 12, 2024, to provide education and guidance to aspiring entrepreneurs, existing vendors and community stakeholders interested in learning more about the City’s new sidewalk vending ordinance and recently-launched Sidewalk to Success program and other supportive services.
The meeting will take place via Zoom and include a presentation followed by Q&A. Interpretation services in Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog will be available during the meeting. View all webinar dates at longbeach.gov/sidewalkvending.
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Need a business boost? Fast Break for Small Business is here to help your small business thrive. Accion Opportunity Fund, LegalZoom, the NBA, WNBA, and NBA G-League have joined forces to provide entrepreneurs across the country with grants and LegalZoom services to support their small businesses.
Administered by the nonprofit Accion Opportunity Fund, the program aims to assist business owners with the tools and resources they need to start and grow their businesses – the perfect play. Applications open February 15 and close September 13, 2024.
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Calling all entrepreneurs! Angel City FC, LLC ("ACFC"), a majority women-owned and community-minded organization, has teamed up with IFundWomen to fund and support entrepreneurs who want to launch or grow their small businesses. Apply now for your chance to win a $10k grant plus one year of business coaching! Learn more on the grant program website. | |
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All Ready Here is an unprecedented opportunity for business leaders, policy makers, and global location specialists to come together, connect, share insights, and identify opportunities to accelerate the economic growth for the City of Long Beach.
This inaugural Site Selector Conference provides Site Selector Guild members with the opportunity to explore why there has never been a better time to invest in Long Beach. With a business-friendly city administration, burgeoning tech scene, an expanding aviation and aerospace industry, and unprecedented coastal development opportunities, Long Beach is ready and open for business.
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National ACE has teamed up with Verizon to deliver personalized tools for small businesses like yours to succeed in today's digital world. Learning modules, expert coaching, peer networking, and more—it's all here, and it’s all part of our goal to provide resources to help one million small businesses thrive in the digital economy. Register now for our free online curriculum and move your business forward.
To unlock this grant application, you must have an account on Verizon Small Business Digital Ready and complete any combination of two courses, coaching events, and virtual community events between January 1st, 2024, and April 8th, 2024, and submit a grant application by April 8th, 2024. For example, you can unlock the application by completing one course and one coaching event, or one course and one virtual community event, or two courses, or two events.
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In partnership with American Express, the Backing Small Businesses grant program supports economically vulnerable and under-resourced small businesses with community reach. This year, eligible small business owners can apply for $10,000 grants for projects that grow or improve their businesses by building community, supporting their economic viability, or bolstering meaningful change.
Applications will be accepted from 9:00 am CT on March 14, 2024, through 11:59 pm CT on April 7, 2024. The application period will end once 5,000 applications have been submitted, even if that occurs before the deadline.
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Upcoming Events and Workshops | |
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The Port of Long Beach kicks off new “drop-in” office hours for small and diverse business enterprises seeking assistance with potential contracting opportunities at the Port.
The Port of Long Beach is proud to announce office hours on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for small and diverse businesses looking to explore contracting opportunities at the Port, or requesting assistance with small business enterprise or disadvantaged business enterprise opportunities. Office hours will occur at the Port of Long Beach Administration Building on the first floor, located at 415 West Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, CA.
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Visit the BizCare Pop-Ups for in-person business assistance on Thursdays at different locations throughout the city. Find the Popup's latest schedule at longbeach.gov/bizcare. Pop-Up services are delivered in English, Spanish, and Khmer. BizCare is available by phone, email, or in-person appointment. Call the BizCare Hotline at 562-570-4249, email 4Biz@longbeach.gov, or request assistance. | |
The City of Long Beach continues to expand its innovative business resources with the launch of its Business Insights Tool, a new, free online resource for local businesses that makes big data accessible for small businesses, allowing them to benchmark performance, optimize marketing, and analyze competitors, suppliers, and underserved markets. The Business Insights tool is now available for entrepreneurs and businesses at longbeach.gov/businessinsights. | |
The Visual Improvement Program (VIP) Grant is providing direct financial relief to local small businesses and nonprofits impacted by crime and vandalism on or after 10/1/2022. Eligible businesses can receive $1,500 to cover repairs to their storefront caused by vandalism. To find more information and access the online application visit longbeach.gov/smallbizgrants. | |
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The City of Long Beach launched the Inclusive Business Navigators Program to provide outreach, workshops, education, and direct technical assistance for local small businesses and nonprofits to support their economic recovery from financial hardships and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The City previously sought partners to administer the Inclusive Business Navigators Program to support equitable economic recovery for Long Beach small businesses and nonprofits. The City selected vendors including CentroCHA, UCC, April Parker, and RightSource Services to provide outreach and assistance to local businesses. More information on these vendors and assistance available can be found at longbeach.gov/biznavigators. Businesses can also access assistance through this program through the BizCare Hotline: 562.570.4249 or 4Biz@longbeach.gov.
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Looking for an opportunity to make a positive impact while also benefiting your business? Consider partnering with Pacific Gateway Workforce Innovation Network, the City's workforce agency. Pacific Gateway is seeking employers who can provide work experience opportunities to individuals with limited experience.
By hosting a temporary worker through Pacific Gateway, you'll provide meaningful work experience to shape their professional growth. Pacific Gateway will serve as the employer on record and pay the worker's wages.
For more information about the Work Experience program or additional questions, please contact Sokko Kong at Sokko.Kong@pacific-gateway.org or 562-570-3728.
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The Commercial Corridor Façade Improvement Program (CCFIP) will provide financial assistance in the form of a grant to commercial property owners to significantly improve the appearance of the entire façade of their property that is visible from the street.
Visit the program webpage for more information and eligibility requirements.
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Whether you are looking to create digital marketing assets for the first time or you need to level up your current efforts, CSULB is here to help your small business grow! This program will work with CSULB students enrolled in Marketing 437: Digital Marketing and Media to create customized digital marketing materials to boost your business for free. Students will assist in creating marketing material such as website creation, email marketing, and social media marketing. | |
Take your business to the next level with free online courses, entrepreneurship training, and marketing tools from the Digital Library. Offering notable and distinguished resources such as Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning, the Digital Library contains an invaluable wealth of knowledge to help business owners (and their employees) upskill and lead a successful business. The Digital Library is free for all LBPL cardholders. Sign up for a library card to access these Digital Library Resource. | |
The Certified Blue Restaurant (CBR) program supports and recognizes the outstanding Long Beach restaurants that achieve exceptional water efficiency in our community. Interested restaurants can enroll below to receive a no-cost, on-site efficiency survey, free water-efficient devices (if eligible), and an assessment for other possible rebates. Enroll your restaurant for the Certified Blue Restaurant Program. | |
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Every year, the Port of Long Beach needs small businesses to partner with, to build, maintain, and service the 2nd largest Port in the United States. Small businesses earn millions of dollars as primes and/or sub-contractors on Port contracts.
Small business opportunities are available for a variety of contract types, such as construction, supplies, landscaping, recycling services, technology hardware, software, and even food services. Visit the Port’s Business Opportunities Overview webpage to download a sampling of products/services procured by each Port division.
Port of Long Beach Small Business Enterprise / Very Small Business Enterprise (VSBE) Program
The main goal of the SBE/VSBE Program is to promote the participation of SBEs and VSBEs on Port contracts and procurements, via prime and subcontracting opportunities. The Port has a 27% annual department-wide goal which is achieved by setting minimum SBE and VSBE participation goals for applicable construction and professional services contracts, and bureau-wide and/or division-wide SBE/VSBE goals on applicable purchases. Learn more about the Port’s SBE/VSBE Program at polb.com/sbe.
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Long Beach Procurement Platform "Long Beach Buys" | |
The City of Long Beach has launched Long Beach Buys, a new purchasing platform and marketplace that is free for all businesses and organizations seeking to do business with the City. Long Beach Buys is part of the City’s Extreme Procurement Makeover initiative, which aims to enhance the City’s procurement process to be more efficient, results-driven, equitable, and sustainable. | |
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Contact the City of Long Beach BizCare Hotline for Immediate Assistance:
Phone number: 562-570-4BIZ (4249)
Days: Monday - Friday
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.
City staff will respond to voicemails made after business hours within 24 hours.
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