Stay Rooted In your Community: Anti-Displacement Resources

Start or Grow Your Business!

Rise with Us!

With change coming to Watts through investments such as TCC, Watts Rising aims to protect Watts’ commercial tenants and small businesses from displacement, with particular focus on low-income, minority- and woman-owned businesses that are owned by Watts residents. Small businesses face various challenges to staying in business and we aim to provide assistance to help you start, sustain and grow.

The events, organizations, and resources below can help you with:

Business training and coaching
Access to capital
Identifying City and County departments that help businesses

Watts Rising will also have subcontracting opportunities created by our 24 climate infrastructure projects.

To have someone contact you directly for services and join the list to be notified about subcontracting,

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Upcoming Events & Business Opportunities

Apply to enter the lottery for the City of Los Angeles' Comeback Checks Program starting October 25. To learn more about the program, please plan to attend the workshop hosted by HarborWatts Business Program covering all of the application requirements for the program.

ComebackCheck_Flyer_HBRBSC.pdf

Join the next Small Business Meet-Up -- November 12, 2021 at 10a

Past Events

October Small Business Meet-Up, October 8, 2021

¡La Reunión de Pequeñas Empresas Celebra el Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana! / The Small Business Meet-Up celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month!

¡Nuestra reunión de octubre para pequeñas empresas tiene el honor de celebrar el Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana! Alojado en español, estamos emocionados de tener los siguientes oradores invitados:

Angélica Urquijo, The Imagen Group

Venga a escuchar de un exitoso empresario latino cómo legalizar su empresa de venta ambulante.

Reyna Chavez, Managed Career Solutions

Conozca los diversos servicios de capacitación, capacitación y acceso a los servicios de capital proporcionados por L.A. BusinessSource Center.

¡Feliz Mes Nacional de la Herencia Latina / Hispana!

Debido a una falla en la grabación, la traducción al inglés es audible en todo momento. Disculpe el paso adicional para acceder a una traducción. Una vez que se haya cargado el video de Youtube, haga clic en el ícono "Configuración", seleccione "Subtítulos / CC" y luego haga clic en "Traducción automática". Se mostrará una lista de idiomas a los que puede traducir. Seleccione "español". Verás que los subtítulos se han traducido automáticamente al español.

August Small Business Meet-Up, August 13, 2021

Check out the recording from August's Small Business Meet-Up which covered how to Go Green for the [Money] Green!

Marivic Sabillo, Green Business Program Manager, City of Los Angeles

Learn about how to become certified in LA Sanitation and Environment's (LASAN) Green Business Program! They offer free environmental consulting to office and retail locations to help meet environmental standards established by the California Green Business Network. Once all the measures are met by a business, they are certified and become part of a large statewide network of green certified businesses. Learn more about how to help customers find you in the Green Business Network here!

Daniel Ferguson, Director of Workforce Development, LACI

Hear about cleantech programming from the LA Clean Tech Incubator (LACI) including the Founders Business Accelerator (FBA). The FBA is is a free six-month virtual program designed to help companies in underserved communities from all over Los Angeles increase their economic, community and environmental impact, as well as maintain their resilience by developing a business strategy to adapt to COVID-19 challenges. The deadline to apply is August 20, 2021. Find more information here!

Guest speakers and topics (fast forward to the minute-marker for the speaker you're interested in):

- Daniel Ferguson: LA Clean Tech Incubator
  - Minute - 06:40
- Marivic Sabillo: LA Green Business Program
  - Minute - 30:14

July Small Business Meet-Up: Check out the recording from July's Small Business Meet-Up which covered how to live your best life by doing what you love! We are very thankful to have John Jones III have a conversation with us about how he started with East Side Riders Bike Club and how he manages this non-profit organization

July biz meeting.mov

June Small Business Meet-Up, June 11, 2021

Please watch June's Small Business Meet-Up recording to learn more about information on how to reopen your business safely and strategically June 15th.

Guest speakers and topics (fast forward to the minute-marker for the speaker you're interested in):

- Bet Tzedek Legal Organization: Legal requirements for reopening safely
  - Minute - 09:17
- Cozen O'Connor: legal information for reopening safely
  - Minute - 14:37
- Shopify: Strategies for effective in-person / ecommerce marketing
  - Minute - 41:41
- L.A. South Chamber of Commerce: Learn how to showcase your business by being featured in their South L.A. Destination Guide
  - Minute - 59:07

zoom_0.mp4

May Small Business Meet-Up: Check out the recording from May's Small Business Meet-Up which celebrated Mother's Day by featuring two "Mompreneurs" (mothers and entrepreneurs): Esperanza Gerardo of Gerardo's Meat Market and Janine Watkins, Environmental Designer and Concept Developer

FFB 5/14/21.mp4

Entrepreneurship101_Flyer_HarborWattsBSC.pdf

MCS Harbor-Watts BusinessSource Presents: Entrepreneurship Workshops Every 3rd Thursday from 2 - 3 PM. Learn more about topics such as business formation, business plan development, permits and licenses, and taxes!!!

Partners

Harbor Watts BusinessSource Center provides startup and established business owners with various tools to succeeed in business. Through these tools, small businesses can grow and remain competitive. Please visit their website or contact Amanda Enriquez, Business Coach at Aenriquez@MCSLosAngeles.com or (310) 221-0644.

Visit their website for more information.

Resources

Business Owners

Watts Rising Collaborative -- Apply for subcontracting opportunities.
- HACLA -- http://home.hacla.org/s3businessresources
City of Los Angeles
- L.A. COVID19 Recovery Fund -- grants and loans to small businesses and nonprofits that have been negatively impacted by coronavirus pandemic containment regulations.
- Business Portal -- various resources to assist you in your business needs: https://business.lacity.org/
- PledgeLA Fund for South LA Founders: https://pledgela.org/southlafund/
- Mayor Garcetti’s Office of Community Business: https://business.lacity.org/resources/mayors-office-community-business
County of Los Angeles
- Small Business Resource Guide: http://dcba.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/LACountySmallBusinessResourceGuide.pdf
- Department of Consumer and Business Affairs: http://dcba.lacounty.gov/small-business-services/
L.A. South Chamber of Commerce: Networking, mentorship, access to capital, importing/exporting http://www.lasouthchamber.com/
Inclusive Action for the City: Microloans for microenterprises and small businesses, https://www.inclusiveaction.org/

June's Small Business Meet-Up included many resources to help small business reopen. We were pleased to have an expert on reopening information from the Cozen O'Connor law firm provide us with the slide deck containing vital information along with a Return to Work Post-Coronavirus Checklist. Feel free to check out this information and download this checklist!

Covid Regulation Regarding Safe Re-Opening, Vaccines Condensed Presentation 6.2021.pdf

LEGAL 52543401v2 Post-Coronavirus_Checklist_6.3.21.PDF