Welcome to the Economic Development Department's Business Brief! We are continuing to ensure you are updated on the latest business resources and news.

The City of Long Beach launched a new website for its upcoming Guaranteed Income Pilot Program, Long Beach Pledge, which will provide up to 250 Long Beach families living at or below the poverty line and residing in the 90813 zip code the opportunity to receive $500 a month for 12 months. The application for eligible residents is anticipated to launch sometime in November and will be publicly announced.

More program details, including eligibility, are available on the Long Beach Pledge website at www.longbeachpledge.org. The Long Beach Pledge website also features a donation page where community members can help expand the pilot program by providing monetary donations.

The City of Long Beach Technology and Innovation Department, in collaboration with nine Long Beach Recovery Act community partners, is re-launching the Free Internet Services and Computing Devices Program. to provide free connectivity, technology, computer literacy training and technical support services to qualified Long Beach residents, businesses and non-profits critically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Low-cost internet services, computer resources and free computer literacy training are also available to qualifying Long Beach residents through Human-I-T’s Connect, Equip, and Include Programs. Residents may also qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), that provides people in need with monthly subsidies and device discounts to help them get online and stay connected to the internet. Long Beach residents can text “City of Long Beach” to 562.561.2565, call 888.391.7249 or visit Human-I-T's website for more information.

New BizCare Pop-Up schedule is beginning in November! Pop-Ups will transition to once per week taking place Thursdays at different locations throughout the city. Find the latest schedule at longbeach.gov/bizcare.

Walk-ins are welcome, or you can schedule an appointment with one of our Pop-Up staff members with services are delivered in English, Spanish, and Khmer: Niyah (English), Rachel (English, Khmer), Ana (English, Spanish), Sam (English, Spanish), Ariel (English, Spanish).

To learn more about the BizCare Pop-Ups or for questions call the BizCare Hotline at 562-570-4249 or email 4Biz@longbeach.gov.

SCORE regularly offers free online workshops on topics ranging from startup strategies to marketing and finance. Attendees can watch webinars live, or view recordings online on their own time. We also offer interactive courses on-demand, so you can walk through each module at your own pace.

Register for an upcoming LIVE webinar, explore our past webinar recordings, and take our courses on demand. Learn more about Score by visiting their webpage.

Join the City of Long Beach Purchasing Division for information on how to do business with the City. These webinars will be held every Third Thursday of the month on Zoom.

The webinar event will feature an overview of contracting processes, a look at Long Beach Buys, the City's online procurement platform, information on business licensing, and a chance to ask questions of City staff. The next webinar will be held Thursday, November 17 at 11am. Register onlinefor the webinar for Doing Business with the City.

The California Dream Fund is a one-time $35 million grant program to seed entrepreneurship and small business creation in the State of California. New entrepreneurs and small business owners will complete an intensive training program through select participating centers of the Technical Assistance Expansion Program (TAEP). Following successful completion of the training and consulting program, new businesses will be eligible to apply for a microgrant of up to $10,000.

To learn more about the California Dream Fund Program visit their website. You may also contact them at 877-345-4633 or submit an email request. For a list of participating TAEP center, please visit this webpage.

The LB Resource Line is a hotline that supports anyone in Long Beach who needs help finding local, City and community resources. Connect with trained Resource Navigators for assistance with housing food access, utilities, transportation, legal aid, mental and physical health & more. You can also submit your contact information through our Assistance Request Form.

Call the LB Resource Line at (562)570-4246! Calls are answered Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Digital Inclusion Resource Hotline connects the Long Beach community to digital inclusion resources, services and language interpretation services. A team of digital inclusion navigators will be available via email and by phone on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to direct residents and business owners to information about free and low-cost internet services, computing devices, digital literacy training, and more.

One-on-one assistance and language interpretation services will be available for callers in English and Spanish through the digital inclusion navigators, with language interpretation services in Khmer and Tagalog available upon request. Hotline resources are available by calling 562-570-7000 or by emailing digitalinclusion@longbeach.gov. 

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.