CEI

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. To learn more about Resilient Restart EBR, please join us for a special webinar session, during which potential applicants will learn more about the program’s eligibility requirements and the application process. If you have questions about the required documentation, we encourage you to join. Register today! Additional sessions will be held, as well. This program is activated by the CARES Act through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Program with additional funding from Investar Bank, GMFS LLC, Postelthwaite & Netterville, and ExxonMobil. This program is being administered by the Urban League of Louisiana. For more information about the Resilient Restart EBR program, including eligibility requirements and required documents, please visit https://urbanleaguela.org/restartebr/. There is no cost to […]

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. To learn more about Resilient Restart EBR, please join us for a special webinar session, during which potential applicants will learn more about the program’s eligibility requirements and the application process. If you have questions about the required documentation, we encourage you to join. Register today! Additional sessions will be held, as well. This program is activated by the CARES Act through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Program with additional funding from Investar Bank, GMFS LLC, Postelthwaite & Netterville, and ExxonMobil. This program is being administered by the Urban League of Louisiana. For more information about the Resilient Restart EBR program, including eligibility requirements and required documents, please visit https://urbanleaguela.org/restartebr/. There is no cost to […]

Discover Google tools that can help business owners work and manage their business during this time of uncertainty. Plus, get insights on more online and timely resources for small businesses. In this workshop, we’ll discuss: - How to update critical business information online - Keep customers informed - Conduct virtual meetings - Access important files from anywhere. Course Facilitator: Brandon C. Armant has nearly twenty years of experience in public relations, media relations, marketing, crisis management, and journalism; and he serves as the CEO and President of BAMM | A Communications Company that he founded in 2012. There is no cost to attend this informational webinar; however, you must be registered on GoToWebinar to participate. Please secure your spot today by visiting https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2981187653354311952

Face your financial fears and take control of your money. Get educated on financial matters and learn how to save for the future, lower debt, prepare for emergencies, safeguard with insurance, and grow your money through investments. Being smart with your money will build your confidence so you can focus on small steps and reach all your financial goals. This workshop will answer these big questions: - What stresses you and what motivates you about finances? - What can you do to really take charge of your money? - How can you educate yourself to be confident about your finances? - Why do you need to be confident about your finances? - What are your short-, medium-, and long-term goals? - Why is saving important, and should your plan change over time? During this session, a Regions associate will walk small businesses through the answers to these questions and provide guidance to get you on the road to financial wellbeing. This webinar is a part of the Regions Next Step Seminar Series. There is no cost to attend; however, registration is required. Register today to reserve your seat!

Learn about Google tools that can help you work and stay productive no matter where you are. Plus, get tips on more free online resources to help you gain new digital skills. In this session, we’ll show you how to: - How to schedule and host effective virtual meetings - Discover, collaborate on documents with others in real time - Access your files from anywhere Course Facilitator: Brandon C. Armant has nearly twenty years of experience in public relations, media relations, marketing, crisis management, and journalism; and he serves as the CEO and President of BAMM | A Communications Company that he founded in 2012. There is no cost to attend this informational webinar; however, you must be registered on GoToWebinar to participate. Please secure your spot today by visiting https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7034900107987762192

Session 1: Understanding and Improving Your Personal Financial Position | Tuesday, July 13 | 12:30p-2:30p During this workshop, participants will learn what it means to become bankable and how the personal finances of the entrepreneur are connected to the business. This session includes a deep dive into the components of a personal financial statement and why it is such a critical part of the funding package for small businesses. Attendees will also examine the debt to income ratio versus the debt service coverage, as well as, one’s personal credit score versus the business’ credit score. This interactive session will also allow participants to begin the process of developing their own personal and business budgets to form the foundation of their financial statements. Register for Session 1 here Session 2: Examining Your Business' Financial State and Needs for Growth | Wednesday, July 14 | 12:30p-2:30p During this session, participants gain insights into how to get their business finances in order including ensuring that your balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows are accurate. Attendees will receive tips on accounting systems, banking, equity needs and other important aspects of becoming bankable. Participants will also learn how to examine the financial […]

Register today for the Small Business Matters Summit 2021 to learn best practices for preparing your business for future opportunities in St. Bernard Parish! The event will take place at 3710 Paris Rd, Chalmette, LA 70043 in the Art, Science, and Technology Building at Nunez Community College. The event takes place on Thursday, July 22nd, 1:00pm-6:00pm. There is no cost to attend, however, registration is required. Click here to register!

Learn How to Become a Vendor of Choice for Major Corporations!Join the Urban League of Louisiana's Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation for its 3-part, signature series, the "Best Practices in Corporate Contracting" sponsored by Chevron. This series will provide entrepreneurs who are seeking corporate clients with best practices for building the financial and operational capacity required to do business with medium- to large-sized corporations. Tuesday, August 3 | 10:00am-11:30amFacilitator: Lakeisha Robichaux, Lakeisha Robichaux, LLC As small businesses set their site on growth, it is imperative that capacity building strategies be deployed to ensure that your firm can effectively and efficiently manage larger contracts. Access to these larger contracting opportunities is important, but the benefit is null and void if you do not have the capacity to meet the expectations of larger, more complex opportunities. During this session, learn specific strategies for building financial and operational capacity, including:  Attracting and retaining high-quality workers Controlling operating costs and scalability Improving internal controls such as financial systems, inventory and human resource management platforms Wednesday, August 4 | 10:00am-11:30amFacilitator: Nenette Lusk Gray, Lemonade Creative Marketing During Part 2 of “Capacity Building for Corporate Contracts”, participants will gain insights into additional strategies for building financial […]

Scale Up! Louisiana is a statewide, community-based, entrepreneurial education intensive hosted by Urban League of Louisiana’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. This program provides early stage, women- and minority-owned firms with the education and resources needed for scalability and profitability. In order to participate, entrepreneurs must commit to a business education program that is delivered via 11, 2.5 hour web class sessions. Participants must also commit to utilizing additional resources and services to support their business outside of the curriculum, including: individual and group counseling sessions, technical assistance, pre-recorded videos, business plan assignments, and engagement with an assigned business advisor. The Urban League of Louisiana is working to increase access to entrepreneurship training in the communities that it serves – based on the challenges, opportunities, and small business development needs that are unique to selected communities across the state of Louisiana. The Urban League of Louisiana, in collaboration with Mastercard, will host its fourth Scale Up! Louisiana series, online, beginning in August 2021 for eligible small businesses in the Greater New Orleans area. The series will take place via 11, 2.5 hour web sessions. Other sponsors include AARP and Louisiana Economic Development. This series is also funded through a Cooperative […]

During this special online series, Black-owned small businesses will gain insights and learn concrete steps that can be taken to reach the full financial potential of their businesses.The Urban League of Louisiana's Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation understands that one of the keys to closing the racial wealth gap in the Black community is through entrepreneurship and other pathways that yield economic independence and prosperity. The COVID-19 pandemic, social injustice, and the economic downturn have presented challenges that have stunted the growth of many Black-owned small businesses, and some have even closed their doors. This means: rethinking your business model towards scalability, agility and resilience; examining your revenue model and growth metrics to ensure profitability; optimizing your pricing strategy for profit and cash flow; and leveraging the right financial resources to meet your growth needs. Thank you to our community supporters - Liberty Bank, Greater New Orleans, Inc., and the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce! Session 1: Building Scalable, Agile, and Resilient Small Businesses Tuesday, August 10 | 1:00pm-3:00pmFacilitator: Desiree YoungSession 2: Revenue Models and Metrics Thursday, August 12 | 1:00pm-3:00pmFacilitator: Lori JacksonSession 3: Pricing for Profit Tuesday, August 24 | 1:00pm-3:00pmFacilitator: Desiree Young Session 4: Leveraging the […]

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted small businesses. Many businesses have had to close or limit operations, lost revenue, and terminate or furlough employees. While these are challenging times, small businesses have an opportunity to deliberately pivot their business to meet the needs of a changing world. What You Will Learn: • How to finalize your new opportunity including the business model and revenue streams • How to explore changes to your financial, operational, marketing, and staffing • Best practices in brainstorming goals, priorities, and actions to be taken Once participants have identified and assessed the feasibility of their new opportunity, it is imperative that a strategy is developed to reposition the business by building a new and improved foundation including confirming the new financial, operational, marketing, and staffing models. This also includes new processes and revenue streams for the business. This session will include best practices for recalibrating their business strategy by aligning goals, priorities, and actions. The facilitator for this series will be Malaika Moran, Owner and Lead Strategist of SocialStep Marketing and Consulting. There is no cost to attend this informational webinar; however, you must be registered on GoToWebinar to participate. Please secure your […]