Long Beach brick and mortar gets ready for a makeover

Brick and mortar businesses are poised to get a lot of help in the city of Long Beach, KNX’s Nataly Tavidian reported Saturday.

“As part of COVID recovery, we invested over $16 million in direct grant funding to local businesses,” Courtney Patterson of Long Beach Business Development told Tavidian. Now, in the wake of the pandemic, she said there has been a surge of entrepreneurship in the city.

This week, Long Beach also announced the launch of “Level Up LB: Extreme Small Business Makeover and Grant Program,” and applications are available through May 21.

According to the city, this new program is “designed to propel small businesses towards success and sustainability,” and it “offers entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to connect with essential business support resources and undergo comprehensive workshops aimed at crafting new business and marketing plans.”

Overall, the 25 small business owners will receive support from the program. This includes support services, workshops and $10,000 in grant funding.

“Supporting our small businesses will advance inclusive economic growth for our city,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “With one-on-one coaching and $10,000 grants, Level Up LB takes our business support to the next level. I encourage Long Beach small businesses to take advantage of all the resources, tools and programs available through the City and our local partners.”

For more information about program eligibility requirements, businesses can visit longbeach.gov/levelup. Small business owners can also visit longbeach.gov/biznavigators for more information and details on participating with the Long Beach Inclusive Business Navigators program.

Assistance for small businesses is offered via the BizCare Hotline at 562.570.4249 or 4Biz@longbeach.gov.