Economic Development Collaborative

Join the SBA Office of International Trade and the Association of Women's Business Centers in Celebrating Women in International Trade on April 14 at 11am! This free event will be feature women-owned businesses that have achieved global market success. Hear about their international journey, including programs and services they tapped into for global market success. Whether you are a business owner or counselor to women-owned businesses, you will want to make sure you are aware of these strategies and resources for global sales growth. Register today at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WTrGBovIQpKW_IkmbwENxQ

All of us at the EDC wish you and your families a safe and happy holiday season!

Our EDC Loan Program is dedicated to providing access to capital and direct business advising to businesses across Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. One of the five funds we have is the Child Care Investment Loan Fund, committed to building more child care and early childhood education capacity in Ventura County. To learn more click here: http://ow.ly/dYvH50CQq7w

Your generosity powers WEV’s high impact programs for women and minorities, to help business owners facing the challenges of COVID-19. Please help us support l...ocal business owners like Sabine Dodane of Rêves de Sabine -- by making a year-end donation today at www.wevonline.org/give. #SupportSmallBusiness #WomenEntrepreneurs #ShopLocal #WEVCommunity #madeinVentura #supportLocal #artisanMade Women's Economic Ventures WEV en Español California WBC Network Ventura

The EDC is thrilled to announce the addition of David Mitroff to our consulting team! David is a business consultant, marketing strategy and sales expert, keynote speaker and author who has held numerous consultative positions for diverse organizations; such as restaurants and retail specialty stores, franchises, professional services firms, start-ups and individual entrepreneurs. To schedule your NO-COST appointment with David or any of our other advisors, call 805.409.9159 (ENGLISH) or 805.309.5874 (SPANISH).

Before you fulfill your dream of being a small business owner, you’ll need some help getting started. Here are the different types of people who can help mentor your small business in Ventura County and Santa Barbara: http://ow.ly/OFhm50CQq5V

COVID-19 Relief Grant for Small Businesses: The Governor announced the creation of a $500 million COVID-19 Relief Grant administered by the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) for small businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19. Funds would be awarded to selected intermediaries with established networks of Community Development Financial Institutions to distribute relief through grants of up to $25,000 to underserved micro and small businesses throughout the state by early 2021. CalOSBA is establishing the program and will make it available to small businesses as soon as possible to sign up for updates on availability, click here: http://ow.ly/StqN50CKdA5

Join us next Wednesday, November 4th, for a free webinar update on California Employment Law! Our excellent guest speakers from Fisher Phillips will review current guidance and discuss real-life scenarios. Register in advance today at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__hEf7Kr9Sj2PbG8HYI1Wgw

It is not too late to apply for the City of Santa Barbara Small Business Grant Program! After receiving a second round of grant funding, the Santa Barbara Foundation extended the application deadline to tomorrow, Wednesday October 28th! For more information visit the links below.

The EDC encourages you to sign up for our partner's no-cost webinars. Space is limited. Here are a few of the upcoming webinars: SCORE Santa Barbara Quickbooks Accounting Series: Financially Closing Out 2020 WEV Financial Education Series: Organizing Your Finances with Quickbooks... Register today on our new Upcoming Events page: http://ow.ly/w6tZ50C28r8

Labor Market Report for September 2020: The California Labor Market Information Division released its September 2020 report earlier today. For all the details, read the full report here: http://ow.ly/Nw9P50C28qF With our unemployment rate improving very little from 8.7% in August to 8.4% in September, please keep in mind that unemployment benefits are available for self-employed individuals and employees. If you have lost hours or wages due to the impact of COVID-19, apply for unemployment with the EDD here: http://ow.ly/fUMS50C28qE

According to Alignable’s latest report, 45% of small businesses have stated that they have earned less than half of their Pre-COVID-19 revenue. If your business has experienced economic injury due to the impact of COVID-19, you do not have to walk alone. Please call us at 805.409.9159. We are here to help.

International trade and logistics represent a significant source of economic vitality and jobs in the state of California. The EDC recently put together a report surrounding careers in global trade and logistics. In total, this trade report was an examination of over 167,100 companies in California. The figure shown here represents the number of job postings included in our analysis for each of the clusters of interest. To read more about the scope of our research as well as job growth, educational requirements for traders and more, please click here: http://ow.ly/d1JZ50BVI1E

It’s not too late to register for tomorrow’s webinar! The SBDC is providing a webinar for the Small Business Community on information as it relates to funding information during the COVID-19 pandemic. They will be discussing the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, Payroll Protection Program, Disaster Bridge Loan, 7a Forgiveness Program, and other funding opportunities for your business.. You can register here: http://ow.ly/Y0G550BVI0v

Do you know about the program EDC Grow? This program is designed to assist businesses in key areas with one on one technical advising. In partnership with the Small Business Development Center, all EDC Grow programs provide entrepreneurs with high level business consulting at no cost. To learn more, click here: http://ow.ly/BvLo50BVHZJ

COVID-19 forced many businesses to dive into remote work without any notice and without any solid strategy in place. As companies look to an increasingly remote future, they must continue to make changes to prepare their teams for success. As a reliable business consultant in Ventura County, CA, we have come to understand remote working as a very viable possibility for future roles. Click here to read about how you can prepare your small business for the future of remote work: http://ow.ly/ne4f50BPCdk #coronavirus #sbcounty #venturacounty

TODAY is the last day to complete the 2020 Census! Participating in the Census helps inform funding for local schools, health care, affordable housing, and infrastructure for the next 10 years. Businesses also rely on the Census, as it allocates money for direct business resources and the data can be used to understand your local city. Help your community by taking just a few minutes to respond to 9 easy questions that can be completed online at my2020census.gov, by calling 844.330.2020, or via mail postmarked by today, October 15, 2020!

Looking for small business COVID-19 resources, opportunities to talk with knowledgeable business advisors, or access to loan capital? The EDC is a one- stop-shop for all your small business needs. Feel free to give us a call at 805.409.9159 or go to our website https://edcollaborative.com to learn more

Looking for updated information the PPP forgiveness process? SCORE Santa Barbara is offering a detailed webinar and Q&A session on "Getting Your PPP Loan Forgiveness- Updates on the Rules and Process" simultaneously in both Spanish and English! Free registration for tomorrow's webinar is available at https://santabarbara.score.org//october-15-getting-your-pp

It is critical for both landlords and tenants to continue communicating with one another through COVID-19. Review the EDC’s Guide for Tenants, Landlords and Advisors for suggested immediate recommended actions, general principles for communicating, and potential win-win strategies for both landlords and tenants here: https://edcollaborative.com//EDC-Guidance-for-Advisors-Ten