CEI

Monday, August 24, 12:00pm-1:00pm CT https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4772477907747035664 Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome and the City of Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish recognize the challenges that local businesses are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To meet the short-term financial needs of microenterprises and small businesses, the Resilient Restart EBR: Small Business Micro-grants Program offers one-time, micro-grants of $2,500 to eligible entities that have been impacted by COVID-19. Recipients may use these funds for rent, utilities, inventory, accounts payable, fixed costs, employee wages and benefits.

Monday, August 31, 12:00pm-1:00pm CT https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8576302155712420112 Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome and the City of Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish recognize the challenges that local businesses are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To meet the short-term financial needs of microenterprises and small businesses, the Resilient Restart EBR: Small Business Micro-grants Program offers one-time, micro-grants of $2,500 to eligible entities that have been impacted by COVID-19. Recipients may use these funds for rent, utilities, inventory, accounts payable, fixed costs, employee wages and benefits.

Monday, September 14, 12:00pm-1:00pm CT https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8507566186302074896 Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome and the City of Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish recognize the challenges that local businesses are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To meet the short-term financial needs of microenterprises and small businesses, the Resilient Restart EBR: Small Business Micro-grants Program offers one-time, micro-grants of $2,500 to eligible entities that have been impacted by COVID-19. Recipients may use these funds for rent, utilities, inventory, accounts payable, fixed costs, employee wages and benefits. During this session, potential applicants will learn more about the program’s eligibility requirements and the application process. This program is activated by the CARES Act through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Program with an additional infusion of funding from Investar Bank. This program is being administered by the Urban League of Louisiana.

The Urban League of Louisiana is pleased to host its 2020 Veterans Small Business Resources Summit in celebration of veterans entrepreneurship, and as an extension of National Veterans Small Business Week (November 2-6). This year’s event will take place on Friday, November 6, 10:00am-12:00pm, and will be hosted online. During this event, we will shine a light on veteran’s entrepreneurship across the state of Louisiana by sharing the many resources that are available to veterans and their spouses to start and grow their businesses. This year’s event is sponsored by AARP Louisiana, and hosted in association with the Small Business Administration, Louisiana District Office, the Veterans Business Outreach Center – Mississippi State University, and Louisiana Economic Development.  The Urban League of Louisiana is proud to announce Joey Strickland, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, as our special guest speaker. Joey Strickland was appointed Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs by Governor John Bel Edwards on Jan. 13, 2016. In this position, he is responsible for overseeing five Veterans Homes, four State Veterans Cemeteries, the department’s Parish Service Offices, the Administrative, Contact Assistance, and Claims Divisions, the Military Family Assistance Fund, the Veterans Honor Medal Program, and […]

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing many businesses to adapt as quickly as possible to a new normal. Understanding this challenge, the National Urban League is partnering with leaders across a diverse set of industries to provide guidance on how to retool, rebuild, and rebrand in a COVID-19 world. Featured will be our own Klassi Duncan, Vice President of our Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation! Register at: https://nationalurbanleague.salsalabs.org/small-business-entrepreneurship-summit-ng/index.html For the virtual networking cocktail hour, you must have a Zoom to attend. You can register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMldu2srj4tEtwMrQYjTIZcJCE7OJkWMwfO

Please register for "QuickBooks Online, Session 1: Set Up Your Account the Right Way" by visiting https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7152171817806408461. As a business owner, having your financials in order is the most important step to running your business effectively and profitability. The start of the New Year brings a new opportunity to get your accounting system and processes set up the right way. Join the Urban League of Louisiana’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation for this special series to learn the foundations for setting up QuickBooks online, managing everyday transactions and financial reports, and the key concepts and tasks that you must know for ongoing maintenance. At the close of the series, participants attending all 3 sessions will receive 6 hours of customized, one-on-one QuickBooks Online training and maintenance support from a Financial Advisor. This program is sponsored by the United Way Worldwide and BET COVID-19 Relief Effort. During this session, learn how to get started with QuickBooks Online and receive guidance on the entire setup process. Participants will learn how to how to add your business information, which accounting method to use, how to setup and pull data in from your bank, and so much more! This is a foundational course that […]

Please register for "QuickBooks Online, Session 2: Everyday Transactions & Financial Reports" by visiting https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8284441195509015824. As a business owner, having your financials in order is the most important step to running your business effectively and profitability. The start of the New Year brings a new opportunity to get your accounting system and processes set up the right way. Join the Urban League of Louisiana’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation for this special series to learn the foundations for setting up QuickBooks online, managing everyday transactions and financial reports, and the key concepts and tasks that you must know for ongoing maintenance. At the close of the series, participants attending all 3 sessions will receive 6 hours of customized, one-on-one QuickBooks Online training and maintenance support from a Financial Advisor. This program is sponsored by the United Way Worldwide and BET COVID-19 Relief Effort. During this session, participants will learn how to process transactions QuickBooks Online. As a business owner, this is imperative in understanding your sales and expenses, and managing your cash flow. Participants will learn how to customize invoices, create sales receipts, receive and pay money. For those that sell products, this session will also cover how to use […]

Please register for "QuickBooks Online, Session 3: Ongoing Accounting Tasks & Maintenance" by visiting https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3985744356067636752. As a business owner, having your financials in order is the most important step to running your business effectively and profitability. The start of the New Year brings a new opportunity to get your accounting system and processes set up the right way. Join the Urban League of Louisiana’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation for this special series to learn the foundations for setting up QuickBooks online, managing everyday transactions and financial reports, and the key concepts and tasks that you must know for ongoing maintenance. At the close of the series, participants attending all 3 sessions will receive 6 hours of customized, one-on-one QuickBooks Online training and maintenance support from a Financial Advisor. During this session, participants will be guided through a deeper understanding of the reporting process in QuickBooks Online and how to set up your Chart of Accounts for optimal clarity into your business financials. Participants will learn how to run the three primary financial reports (income statement, balance sheet, statement of cash flows), how to read these reports, how to reconcile accounts and how to create custom fields to track income/expenses. […]

Capital access and growth are long-standing pain points of minority-owned businesses across the nation and in the Greater New Orleans (GNO) region. Minority-owned businesses, consequentially, have been disproportionately affected during the current economic downturn. As such, Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.) and the Urban League of Louisiana (ULLA) will co-host a series of virtual discussions to dissect opportunities for minority-owned small businesses to increase their ability to access capital and to create viable, sustainable ventures that create generational wealth. In order to build scalable, profitable, and sustainable businesses, minority entrepreneurs must be able to access the necessary funding to increase capacity, integrate technology into their operations, and to implement growth strategies that meet the changing needs of their existing and potential customers. However, based on data from the Brookings Institute, large banks approve around 60% of loans sought by white small-business owners, 50% of those sought by Hispanic or Latinx small-business owners, and just 29% of those sought by Black small-business owners. In addition, data from McKinsey & Co. shows that only 1% of Black business owners get a bank loan in their first year of business, compared with 7% of white business owners. During this session, representatives from […]

The U. S. Treasury Department has authorized another round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), designed to assist businesses and nonprofit organizations that have faced financial challenges related to the Coronavirus pandemic. The Urban League of Louisiana has partnered with Hope Credit Union to assist clients in determining eligibility, completing the application process, and managing the loan forgiveness process. Hope is an experienced SBA-authorized lender and is ready to help small businesses and nonprofit organizations across the Deep South take advantage of this opportunity. By applying through Hope, your business may be able to tap into 100% federally guaranteed funding that will help cover up to 24 weeks of payroll expenses, including benefits, mortgage interest, rent, insurance, utilities, and other authorized expenses. Join the Urban League of Louisiana, Hope Credit Union, and the SBA Louisiana District Office on Thursday, January 28, 10:00am-11:30am for a special webinar to learn more about the second round of the Paycheck Protection Program. Attendees gain insight on eligibility requirements, required documentation and how to apply! There will also be time for Q&A. There is no cost to attend, however, registration is required. Register today!

Capital access and growth are long-standing pain points of minority-owned businesses across the nation and in the Greater New Orleans (GNO) region.  Minority-owned businesses, consequentially, have been disproportionately affected during the current economic downturn. As such, Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.) and the Urban League of Louisiana (ULLA) are hosting a series of virtual discussions to dissect opportunities for minority-owned small businesses to increase their ability to access capital and to create viable, sustainable ventures that create generational wealth. Government contracts can yield long-term, high-dollar opportunities.  Gaining the skills and tools necessary to secure such contracts can be critical to expanding and scaling a business, particularly in the midst of a global pandemic. This discussion will detail opportunities for minority-owned small businesses to bid on available local, state and federal procurement contracts. Presenters Jo Ann Lawrence, Deputy Director, SBA – Louisiana District Office Paula Roddy, DOTD Program Director, Compliance and Program Section, LADOTD Christina Dayries, Assistant Deputy Director, Grants and Administration, GOHSEP Noel Williams, Owner, Legacy Restoration & Referral Moderator: Jasmine Brown, Public Policy Manager, GNO, Inc. There is no cost to attend this session, however registration is required.