Building a Scalable, Agile, and Resilient Small Business

COVID-19 has had a profound impact on small, minority-owned firms in our most vulnerable communities. While businesses seek to obtain critical resources such as emergency funding to survive during these crises, the need for minority-owned businesses to reconsider “what” business they should be doing and “how” they should be doing business is of the utmost importance. Now, more than ever, small businesses have an opportunity to re-imagine, re-position, and re-charge their business models and operations towards becoming more scalable, agile, and resilient. During this session, entrepreneurs will gain insights on how to develop a strategy and plan of action to build operational leverage, flexibility, and sustainability. Participants will learn: - What scalability means related to growth and operational capacity - Best practices for evaluating new business models and revenue streams that are responsive to changing market needs - Considerations for new and improved processes and technology - Insights on how to reorganize one’s business support model, including employees, suppliers, consultants, mentors, accountability partners, etc. - How to best integrate risk management and continuous improvement strategies to increase organizational resilience The session is funded by Louisiana Economic Development (LED) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). Facilitator: Desiree Young, Founder, VentureWalk […]

2022 Empowerment and Policy Conference

Registration is now open for the 2022 Empowerment and Policy Conference! The conference is virtual and FREE to attend, but space will be limited. Join us on March 16 & 17 as we explore this year's theme: Equitable Sustainability: Building Louisiana's Infrastructure Beyond Roads and Bridges. The annual Empowerment and Policy Conference is a statewide convening designed to examine systems, influence policy decisions and enact changes that will positively impact the African American and other communities. Register here. For more information, visit urbanleaguela.org/polcon2022

2021-22 Women in Business Challenge

The Urban League of Louisiana is proud to host its 2021-22 Women in Business Challenge: Scale Up! on Monday, March 21, 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm CST, sponsored by Fidelity Bank, Chevron, and AARP Louisiana. This year's event is being held virtually during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW), March 21-25, 2022. NOEW the premier event celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation in all its forms across the great city of New Orleans. This annual pitch event is designed to prepare women-owned businesses with the education, tools, and resources needed to scale their businesses towards profitability and sustainability. The event will showcase the business potential of several of ULLA’s women-owned business clients to bankers, equity investors, and other potential resources. This year’s event will feature four finalists who will pitch their plans to grow and scale their businesses for a chance to win $10,000 in funding. Congratulations to the finalists! Sierra Dee, SugarLove Bakery Twila McGee, NOLAs Finest Pets Sherilyn Hayward, Leroy’s Lipsmack’n Lemonade AnaMaria Bech, Viva NOLA Magazine Register today to join us for this special event!

LADOTD: Opportunity and Preparation: Developing a Business Development Plan for Your Construction Business

Business development in construction management refers to a strategic and actionable plan for pursuing new business and fostering relationships with your most preferred clients. Your business development plan outlines how you identify prospects, share your capabilities, and nurture business relationships so that prospects become clients when the time is right. Business development is strategic integration of marketing, sales and customer service efforts. It also is most successful when everyone in the business understands and works towards a common goal for bringing on new business. During this session, contractors will learn how to increase profitability and scalability, by creating and managing a business development strategy – one that maximizes its strengths and experience and one that targets and converts its most preferred client types. The goal is to convert prospects to clients and to turn bids into awards! All current and aspiring DBE contractors are welcome to attend. There is no cost to participate, however, registration is required. Register today to reserve your seat! 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://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/579163772703446799 . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information […]

Resume Writing Workshop

Not sure if your resume is up to date? Want to make your resume stronger? The Urban League of Louisiana Office of Workforce Development will be hosting a Resume Writing Workshops on Wednesday, April 6 at 10:00 am. and 1:00pm. Sign up for a session now at https://www.urbanleaguela.org/resume-writing

Register for Scale Up Summer 2022

The Urban League of Louisiana, in partnership with Capital One, will host its sixth cohort of Scale Up! Louisiana. This cohort is designated for small businesses in Terrebonne parish. Scale Up! Louisiana is a statewide entrepreneurial education intensive hosted by the Urban League of Louisiana’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. The program provides early-stage entrepreneurs with the education and resources that are critical to creating a scalable and profitable business. This is a transition program that guides existing, early-stage small business owners towards becoming high-growth, sustainable ventures. This modular program will be delivered in-person 11, 6-hour sessions, and 5 pre-recorded web sessions adhering to CDC, state, and city guidelines. Participants will receive technical assistance and other support services throughout the program. Scale Up! Louisiana Cohort 6 is sponsored by Capital One, AARP, and Louisiana Economic Development. Interested entrepreneurs must apply for the Scale Up! Louisiana program. The application deadline is Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at 5:00p.m. CST and must be submitted online at https://tinyurl.com/2p8ce93m. For more information about the program and the full schedule, visit https://urbanleaguela.org/scale-up-la/.

Mock Job Interview Preparation

Need help preparing for job interviews? The Urban League of Louisiana's Office of Workforce Development will host mock interviews Wednesday, April 13 at 10:00am and 1:00pm to help prepare potential employees for how to best conduct a job interview. Register today at https://www.urbanleaguela.org/mock-interview

Early Giving for GiveNOLA Day

The 2022 GiveNOLA Day will take place Tuesday, May 3 from midnight to midnight. But you can give as early as April 19-May 2! Your donation on GiveNOLA Day will help us continue to be a leading organization in the fight against the challenges of the pandemic as well as assisting African Americans and other communities seeking equity to secure economic self-reliance, parity, and civil rights. Click here to make an early donation now!

LADOTD: Crew Management: Recruiting, Hiring, and Retaining an All Star Team

2022 is expected to yield an increase in public and private construction projects across the U.S. This is great for the industry, however, this also means that small business contractors must be prepared for the competitive landscape that is sure to impact how you recruit, hire, and train a best-in-class crew. It is critical that owners have a strategic plan to efficiently manage and retain your field crew. This is essential to staying on budget and on schedule, and can lead to increased profitability. During this session, construction managers and owners will learn how to build a foundation for a successful field crew which requires processes, discipline and the proper resources. This session will dive into best practices for recruiting, hiring developing, managing, and retaining an all-star team! 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://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4223380713757747725 . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Resilient Restart EBR Grant Information Sessions

To meet the short-term financial needs of microenterprises and small businesses, the Resilient Restart EBR Program offers one-time, micro-grants of $2,500 to eligible entities that have been impacted by COVID-19. Interested in applying for the Resilient Restart $2,500 grant? This program is activated by the federal CARES Act and administered through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Program. As a federally funded program, in order to apply, eligible small businesses are required to have a DUNS number and must be registered on SAM.gov. Join the Urban League of Louisiana starting next week for a special webinar to get step-by-step instructions on how to obtain a government DUNS number and how to register your business on SAM.gov. Please note that all eligibility requirements must be met and all other supporting documents must be submitted in addition to the DUNS number and verification of the SAM registration. For more information about the Resilient Restart EBR program, including eligibility requirements and required documents, please visit https://urbanleaguela.org/restartebr/. Register for the Upcoming Informational Sessions (DAY - 12:00pm -1:00pm) April 26: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8336247994891648271 May 24: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2331257543211699726 Register for the Upcoming Informational Sessions (EVENING - 5:15pm - 6:15pm) May 5: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3665930518913129231 May 12: […]

Second Chance Virtual Career & Resource Expo

The Office of Workforce Development is hosting a Second Chance Virtual Career & Resource Expo for justice-involved/returning citizens. The expo will help assist qualified and professional candidates who are returning citizens seeking employment. Register at https://urbanleaguela.org/virtual-job/