City of Long Beach Business Brief
January 7, 2021
Welcome to the Economic Development Department's Business Brief! We are continuing to ensure you are updated on the latest business resources and news.
Economic Development Commission Meeting
Join the Economic Development Commission Meeting Monday, January 10 at 4pm. Find out how you can be a part of planning the City’s Blueprint for Economic Development!

The Blueprint focuses on advancing a 10-year vision of making Long Beach a City of opportunity for workers, investors, and entrepreneurs.
Long Beach Accelerator Summer 2022 Cohort Now Accepting Applications
The Long Beach Accelerator is thrilled to open the application period for their Summer 2022 Cohort expected to start in June 2022.

The Long Beach Accelerator has graduated 12 cohort companies, 25% of which have received acquisition offers, and collectively raised over $4.5M in capital and earned over $1M in revenue since February 2021.

Startups accepted to the program will receive the resources and runway needed to flourish, including:
  • $75,000 to $100,000+ in capital funding in exchange for 7% equity.
  • Access to prime working space in Downtown Long Beach.
  • A specialized four month program where each month the startups will work on a specific component of the business with expert instructors, mentors and other resources.
  • Digital resource package worth approximately $500,000 and include services such as Amazon Web Services, Airtable, Stripe, Zoom, and many more.

Early Bird Deadline: February 4th, 2022
Application Deadline: February 18th, 2022
SER National Webinar
SER National's goal is to transform lives and communities through education, employment and empowerment. Register for their free webinar that will discuss how to build a better financial future for your business! In this 2-part virtual presentation you will learn about the Banking Services Available for a Small Business.
OmniWorks Virtual Mixer
Are you having problems finding and keeping employees? Now more than ever having a solid people strategy is key to driving more revenue. Join OmniWorks CONNECT Virtual Mixer on January 10 at 4:00pm PT and learn some HR tricks from Carmen Torres, HR Specialist, and make new business contacts. 
Whimsical Charm KIVA Campaign is Live
The KIVA campaign for Rosie's business Whimsical Charm of a $9,500 loan is still live for 4 more days! The business is a line of uniquely handmade and personalized embroidered baby blankets, fun robes, and quality apparel designed for parents who desire to provide their children with warmth, comfort, and style all locally made in the USA. Currently, the campaign is 68% funded. The KIVA loan will allow Rosie to create jobs and hire cyclical staff members including three youth from underserved disadvantaged communities. These resources will assist in creating a happy and healthy environment for everyone involved while creating and maintaining an ongoing network of creatives.

Check out Rosie's KIVA campaign:

Long Beach entrepreneurs can access 0% interest rates, no-fee loans, and up to $15,000 through KIVA (www.kiva.org), a nonprofit organization focused on expanding financial opportunities to small businesses in the community. The City of Long Beach has partnered with LISC-LA to ensure that the business owners, that may be unable to access traditional commercial loans from a bank, can find KIVA loans to be a successful tool to sustain or grow their business.

KIVA Requirements for to business owners:
  • Must be 18 years and older
  • Business must be based in the United States
  • Food, farming, social services, fashion, or retail-based businesses are ideal

The City of Long Beach is now accepting applicants to endorse through the KIVA process. To learn more, please contact KivaLB@longbeach.gov or call (562) 570-4249.

To learn more about other City of Long Beach loan programs click here.
The City, through its contract with “on-call” property management consultants, will conduct work related to the removal, haul away, and disposal of window/storefront coverings (plywood). Work will be paid for by the City and contracted directly with the property management consultants.  The estimated value of each grant is estimated between $100 and $600 (maximum) per location, subject to the size of the storefront. Maximum pieces of plywood to be removed, 30 pieces. 

We will be accepting applications from July 28, 2021, to January 31, 2022. The SRBR program will assist applicants on a first-come-first-served basis for the removal of plywood boards only. Any applicants that may require additional storefront repairs in addition to plywood removal may require additional review and experience longer application processing times.
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.