WEEKLY UPDATE- February 12, 2026 | | |
Hello All –
Small businesses are the backbone of our local communities and economies. Helping to prepare your small and diverse business for opportunity is one of our primary tasks at Desert Business Association.
On Wednesday, April 15, 2026, the City of Palm Springs is leading the 3rd Annual Coachella Valley Local Government Vendor Fair. This free event allows businesses that want to contract with local cities and agencies the chance to meet with their procurement departments and to learn more about what opportunities they may have. While many opportunities are posted online, in-person interaction is much better.
In advance of this Vendor Fair, DBA is offering three workshops to help businesses better prepare.
Starting Wednesday, March 4th, we will be offering a series of three in-person workshops: Developing a Business Plan; Creating a Capability Statement; and Responding to Requests for Proposal (RFPs). These are all important to understand and have ready.
Do you need a Business Plan? Yes. It turns the vision of your business into a roadmap, clarifying your strategy. It helps you forecast and build your budget. It helps others take you seriously when you can clearly articulate where you are going and how you’ll get there.
Why do you need a Capability Statement? It is your business resume; a concise and powerful snapshot that shows decision makes what you do. It displays what you and your business are capable to do and conveys you are ready to respond to their needs. When competing for contracts, this is not optional; it is essential.
Keep an eye out for more specifics on this series in our newsletter, social media, and website www.DesertBusiness.org.
Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you at a future DBA event.
Dave Powell, DBA Executive Director
| | DBA Learning Opportunities | | |
Event Details:
Date: February 24, 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 10:00- 11:30 am
Location: DBA Office
3111 E Tahquitz Canyon Dr.
Palm Springs
Cost: DBA Members $5.00
Non-Members $10.00
We’re excited to offer AI for Small Business, a 90-minute online training focused on practical, real-world ways small businesses are using AI to save time and work smarter.
●Live training
●Beginner and intermediate friendly
●Ideas you can use right away
We’re pleased to bring this timely training to our business community and hope you can join us.
Featured speakers: Frank Kenny – CEO and Co-founder of the Chamber Pros Community. Frank has a proven track record of exceptional training in social media, digital marketing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Norma Davey – Creative Director and co-founder of the Chamber Pros Community- brings over 16 years of small business training experience. Known for her expertise in creative marketing and technology, Norma’s insights will help your members use AI to create amazing marketing pieces and images.
Register Here
https://bit.ly/dba-learns-ai-training
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Event Details:
Date: March 30, 2026 (Monday)
Time: 5:30- 7:00 pm
Location: DBA Office
3111 E Tahquitz Canyon Dr.
Palm Springs
Cost: DBA Members Free
The DBA is bringing back Speed Networking: Meet Everyone in the Room. This high-energy event is designed to connect you with everyone—not just the people you know.
This structured networking experience lets you practice your elevator speech, and ensures that you’ll meet one-on-one and share about your business with everyone in the room in two-minute segments, each getting one minute.
You pair, you share, you move on.
Register Here
https://bit.ly/2026-3-30speednetworking
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DBA Networking Event
hosted by
Desert Hand Car Wash
Cathedral City
Event Details:
Date: Monday, March 9, 2026
Time: 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: Desert Hand Car Wash
67790 E Palm Canyon Dr, Cathedral City
Cost: DBA Members Free
Future Members: $20
Our March Networking Mixer is hosted by Desert Hand Car Wash-Cathedral City, the Coachella Valley’s most trusted destination for premium car washing and detailing. Family-owned since 1947, they've built their reputation on one thing: treating every car as their own.
Remember, as a benefit for attending, we’ll collect and scan business cards from everyone at the mixer. After the event, all DBA members in attendance receive a digital contact sheet, making it easy to follow up and stay connected. Note: We provide these card scans only to DBA members, so if you want to receive them, please become a member of the only LGBTQ+ chamber in the Coachella Valley.
Bring a Raffle Item, Get a Shoutout!
We’ll be holding our regular raffle to support LGBTQ+ Youth Education Scholarships through Safe Schools Desert Cities. Bring a prize to raffle off and some cash to win it back!
Register Here
https://bit.ly/dbamixer2026-3-9
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Safe Schools Desert Cities
Educational Scholarships for Local Students
Deadline for students to apply: February 20, 2026
Here is an excellent scholarship opportunity for students pursuing their educational studies after high school!
Through our DBA partner, Safe Schools Desert Cities, there is funding available for a scholarship to the college or university they will attend. Students who fully complete the application are highly likely to receive an award.
✨ Who can apply?
- High school seniors and college-age students (up to age 22)
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Students attending community colleges, trade schools, or 4-year universities
✨ Even better:
-
Students who have received a prior scholarship may apply again!
Please share this opportunity with local Coachella Valley students.
They can learn more and apply here:
https://www.safeschoolsdc.org/awards-program
| | Look What Else is Coming Up... | | |
Shoe Us the Love
Date: February & March
Various drop-off locations throughout the Coachella Valley
Friends of the Desert Mountains’ SHOE DRIVE! February-March, they will take your gently used shoes to get them into the reuse economy and out of the landfills! Drop boxes throughout the valley for more information and drop off locations https://www.desertmountains.org/friends-shoe-drive/
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Karaoke for a Kause
Date: February 17, 2026
(Tuesday)
Time: 8:00 PM
Location: Hunters Palm Springs, 302 E Arenas Rd, Palm Springs
Cost: $125
The Marsha P. Johnson Youth Drop‑In Center is the February recipient of the Karaoke for a Kause at Hunters Palm Springs.
The MPJ LGBTQ+ Youth Drop-In Center is a safe space in Coachella Valley, offering support, mental health resources, skill-building, and community for LGBTQ+ and allied youth, ages 13-17. Services include counseling, mentoring, support groups, social events, a food pantry, and more. Learn more about them at trans.health/marsha-p-johnson-lgbtq-youth-drop-in-center/
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Ribbon Cutting for Sage and Honey Wellness
Date: February 20, 2026
(Friday)
Time: 3:00 PM
Location: Sage and Honey Wellness, 69844 Hwy 111, Suite H, Rancho Mirage CA
Join member Sage and Honey Wellness for the Desert Business Association and Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce joint ribbon-cutting and grand opening.
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Out at the Fair is BACK!
Date: February 14, 2026
(Saturday)
Time: 11:00 AM -9:30 PM
Location: Riverside County Fairgrounds, 46350 Arabia St, Indio,
Cost: Entrance to the fair
This Saturday, February 14, at the Palm Grove Stage, join Out at the Fair for a full day of music, drag, dance, and queer joy.
PLUS:
Bingo, Honey! (Ticketed Event) 1:30–3:00 PM at the Oasis Tiki Lounge
Hosted by Deven Green & Handsome Ned
Whether you’re coming for the drag, the dancing, the bingo, or just the vibes—this is your sign to make a day of it.
Come celebrate love, community, and being unapologetically YOU.
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10 Steps to Winning an RFP
Date: February 24, 2026
(Thursday)
Time: 9:00-10:30 AM
Location: Virtual (Microsoft Teams)
Cost: Free
Southern California Edison (SCE) is pleased to offer a virtual workshop, "Pillars of a Bank-Ready Business: Structure, Credit, Capital and Protection,” designed to help small businesses understand the foundational elements lenders look for when evaluating business readiness and financing opportunities.
Participants will gain insight into how business structure, credit, capital, and protection work together to support long-term business stability and funding readiness. The session will provide practical guidance to help businesses prepare to engage confidently with lenders and financial partners.
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Chocolate and Champagne
Date: February 26, 2026
(Thursday)
Time: 5:00 PM
Location: The Velvet Rope Hotel, 120 W Veredasur, Palm Springs
Cost: $125
Now in its third year, Chocolate & Champagne brings together community leaders, donors, advocates, and friends for an evening of appetizers, decadent desserts, sparkling champagne, live music, and a curated silent and live auction.
This evening of decadence supports Parkinson's Resource Organization's mission to ensure that no one is isolated because of Parkinson’s.
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Get Ready for
Cathedral City LGBT+ Days!
Event Details:
Date: March 3, 2026
(Tuesday) and
March 6 thru 8, 2026
(Friday-Sunday)
Time: 8:00 AM
Location: Various Locations in Cathedral City
Cost: Free
Join us at Cathedral City LGBT+ Days for a weekend-plus of entertainment, VIP experiences, food, drinks, artisan vendors, the world-famous Bed Race, and CommUNITY at California's First Pride Festival of the year.
For more information, head to cathedralcitylgbtdays.com
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