In honor of Small Business Week, Los Angeles County’s Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) launched American Rescue Plan Act programs and grant opportunities for small businesses, microbusinesses, and nonprofits. The Economic Mobility Initiative (EMI), facilitated in partnership with 15 local community-based organizations, is a $25 million investment aiming to support the startup and growth of local ...

By Dianne Anderson For novices and pros alike looking to handle their business in “the IE,” an area historically almost invisible to investors — there’s more money, grants and resources just around the corner. And, newbies shouldn’t be nervous if it’s their first time getting in the mix. On Monday, January 22, the Small Business ...

Existing and aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners in San Bernardino are about to have a new resource available to help them launch and grow businesses, thanks to an innovative initiative developed by the City and California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). The newly created Entrepreneurial Resource Center (ERC), led by CSUSB’s Inland Empire Center for ...

By Selen Ozturk Those with 26-49 employees in 2021 or 2022, who paid COVID sick leave, are eligible for $5K to 50K. While COVID relief grants have phased down nationwide since the end of the federal health emergency declaration, California has announced a new one. Through June 30, small nonprofits and businesses with 26 to ...

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Sr Natl Correspondent Vice President Kamala Harris was as integral to the negotiations as anyone else in helping to reach a bipartisan deal so America could avoid defaulting on its debt obligations. Also, in two-plus years in office, the nation’s first Black and first woman vice president already has ...

By Dianne Anderson Mom and pop micro and small businesses along with many nonprofits often miss out on good money while trying to single handedly juggle community outreach and the minutia of operations. But if they get their applications in on time, they can soon tap a great lineup of new funding, support services and ...

By Dianne Anderson Ever since the last go-round of stimulus dollars, money has been flowing through multiple streams, and will continue over the next two years for those astute enough to grab at it. Jeff Williams, operations director for the Long Beach Center for Economic Inclusion (LBCEI), said that ARPA [American Rescue Plan Act] funding ...

By Dianne Anderson Robin Thorne is not a novice engineer, but when it comes to her latest management gig, she’s excited to just get her foot in the door. She was recently awarded the contract in managing the Long Beach Transit’s modernization project, which involves upgrading their facilities, including a state-of-the-art training center. The Transit ...

By Dianne Anderson Some 40% of Black businesses have crashed over the last nearly two years of the COVID shutdown, while some owners have managed to soar to new heights. Pepi Jackson knows that it’s not luck. It’s access to money and strategy. While many businesses have gone under, he said others have managed to ...

By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌ ‌California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌ Next week, after more than a year, California is expected to lift the majority of its COVID-19 related restrictions and reopen its economy at almost-full capacity. But as the state prepares for a long-anticipated comeback, many Black businessowners say enterprises across the state that African Americans own face ...