City announces more resources to help small business owners
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced more resources to support small businesses as part of work to continue opening Los Angeles for business. The two programs include LA Optimized 2.0, which will help small businesses build and strengthen their digital presence, and LApreneur, a new online learning platform created to equip entrepreneurs with key skills and information to succeed.
“We are continuing to open Los Angeles for business by offering more and new resources to help Angelenos be competitive online and new learning opportunities to help Angelenos deepen their knowledge and hone their business skills,” Bass said. “These resources are part of our ongoing work to make sure small businesses can start, grow and thrive in the city and our recommendations are directly informed by what the business community tells us is needed.”
LA Optimized 2.0 is the second iteration of a program by the Economic and Workforce Development Department that seeks to bridge the digital divide and help small businesses access assistance to adapt and compete in the digital marketplace. It helps businesses improve or create websites and social media channels and provides branding support. Up to 500 businesses will receive assistance with website and social media creation and up to 1,000 businesses will be eligible to receive digital evaluation and recommendations to optimize digital presence. The program is made possible through American Rescue Plan Act funds and an earmark appropriation made by U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA).
LApreneur is a comprehensive, collaborative partnership established by the Mayor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, the city’s BusinessSource Centers, Loyola Marymount University and other partners to streamline entrepreneurship education and resources for aspiring and existing business owners. The program was developed based on recommendations provided by the Mayor’s Small Business Cabinet, whose members shared concerns over gaps in entrepreneurship knowledge communities of color face and the need for the city to connect microbusinesses to existing resources.
The release of new resources follows the fourth installment of the Los Angeles Region Small Business Summit, an ongoing partnership between the city and county of Los Angeles that drew more than 500 small business owners and entrepreneurs. For information, visit ewddlacity.com/index.php/local-business/laoptimized and ewddlacity.com/index.php/lapreneur.
