Week of June 5, 2023

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Primeros Graduados:

FIRST ENTREPRENEUR TRAINING IN SPANISH

Seventy-two students recently graduated from the first Spanish Entrepreneur Training Program led by ICON CDC, operator of the North and South Valley BusinessSource Centers. Over the course of eight weeks, entrepreneurs learn the foundational skills of innovation and entrepreneurship. They apply these learnings through a hands-on project, identifying a startup idea, validating the market, and taking the first steps toward launching and sustaining their own venture. No prior experience in startups or entrepreneurship is required. Everything from required permits, establishing business, Credit and Access to Capital are also covered in the eight weeks.


The next series conducted in Spanish starts June 8, 2023. To learn more about the Entrepreneur Training Program, email ICON CDC Entrepreneur Training Program Manager Eric Lara at elara@iconcdc.org and ICON CDC Program Manager Maria Luviano at mjluviano@iconcdc.org.

ENTREPRENEUR TRAINING PROGRAM

BSC HELPS TRUCKING BUSINESS PLUG INTO EV


The South Valley BusinessSource Center recently helped Salvador Medina, owner of Medina Truck and Transport, obtain access to capital to purchase a state-of-the-art 2023 Peterbilt 579 Electrical Vehicle (EV). This new EV truck will reduce the company's carbon footprint and improve its overall efficiency, leading to significant long-term cost savings and increasing the possibility of hiring an additional driver. 


“Thanks to the assistance of the BusinessSource Center (BSC), I was able to upgrade my equipment and reduce the cost of operations,” he said. 


Last fall, Salvador was faced with the daunting task of upgrading his truck or ceasing operations if he could not meet the California Air Resource Board's Truck and Bus Regulation, which requires heavy-duty diesel vehicles to reduce toxic air contaminants emissions from their exhaust. With assistance from South Valley BSC Program Manager Luis Luna, Salvador successfully secured a $220,000 loan to purchase his new EV. The BSC helped Salvador’s business overcome a significant hurdle, prepare for a sustainable future and continue employing two full-time employees. Now, his business can continue to operate and contribute to the City of Los Angeles' zero-emission goal by 2030. 


Medina Truck and Transport is located in LA City Council District 7. For more information about their freight transportation services, email sal@medinatnt.com or follow the business on Instagram @medinatruck2017.

TATTOO SHOP INKS NEW SPACE FOR ARTISTS


The Pico-Union/Westlake BusinessSource Center (BSC) helped Nicole Petrou and Jesse Gomez, co-owners of Raven’s Nest Tattoo in Highland Park, expand from a startup studio to an established boutique space, where they can onboard and develop apprenticeships for new tattoo artists. 


The BSC, operated by PACE Business Development Center, provided the owners training on the essentials of operating and growing a business,  marketing, accounting, and business administration. Nicole said, “We have been focused on slowly establishing our studio space and the processes needed to run the business smoothly. Now that we are situated, our focus has turned more aggressively towards growth. Our goal is to have at least two other artists in the studio within a year. We provide an environment where artists receive a majority of their hourly pay rates and can thus thrive artistically. Developing this mutually beneficial relationship is our top priority. A close second is developing the marketing channels needed to support all the studio artists.” 


She added that the BSC “has helped us to fully build out the workstations, purchase the necessary inventory, and provide the necessary funds to fully explore the potential of the various marketing channels we will be using.” Raven’s Nest Tattoo Shop has continued working with their BSC counselor to secure grants, refine their business and marketing strategies, and receive additional training on self‐identified topics. Raven’s Nest Tattoo is located in LA City Council District 1.

EWDD RESOURCES & JOB FAIRS

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If you have any questions, comments, or wish to have a contribution considered for inclusion in an upcoming EWDD Updates, please contact Jamie Francisco at (213) 744-9048 or Jamie.Francisco@lacity.org