Business Updates For April 22, 2021
Business Assessment Survey

As we pass the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Ventura Economic Development Division has created this brief survey to gain a better understanding of the impact this past year has had on our business community and how we, and our community partners, can assist you moving forward.

We know your time is valuable and we appreciate your participation in our survey and welcome your feedback.
General Plan Update Community Workshop

Join us on for our first community workshop for the General Plan Update on Thursday, April 29th
 
Help shape the future of Ventura over the next 20-30 years by sharing your vision, values, and goals.

This virtual workshop will include topics and themes that are driving change around our city. Learn about how the General Plan guides future growth and policy development, visit www.planventura.com for more updates and to register for the workshop.
Visit Ventura's Year In One Short Video

Throughout the pandemic, Visit Ventura reversed gears and focused inward on the Ventura community, applying creativity, innovation, and the desire to simply do the next right thing to help keep Ventura’s businesses -- and economy -- afloat.

Check out this short video from the Visit Ventura team that highlights the their efforts over the last year to support and safely promote Ventura.
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Restaurant Revitalization Fund
 
The new American Rescue Plan Act established a $28.6 billion “Restaurant Revitalization Fund” (RRF) within the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). An eligible business may receive a tax-free federal grant equal to the amount of its pandemic-related revenue loss, calculated by subtracting its 2020 gross receipts from its 2019 gross receipts.
 
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund is NOT yet accepting applications. Review the newest information below to learn more about the program and how to prepare!
 
3 Things to Know about the Restaurant Revitalization Fund
 
1. Get the program details
  • Get the program details such as eligibility, funding amount, allowable use of funds and more on the SBA's Restaurant Revitalization Fund program websites in ENGLISH or SPANISH.
  • Optional: Sign up for RRF email updates from the SBA CLICK HERE.
 
2. How to prepare
  • Currently, SBA is not accepting applications for RRF. However, you can prepare your application by reviewing the sample applicationprogram guide and cross-program eligibility chart on SBA COVID-19 relief options.
  • You will be able to apply through SBA-recognized Point of Sale Restaurant Partners or directly via SBA in a forthcoming online application portal.
  • NEW: Registration with SAM.gov is not required. DUNS or CAGE identifiers are also not required. 
 
3. When to apply
  • The official application launch date will be announced shortly. Ahead of the application launch and over the next two weeks, the SBA will establish a seven-day pilot period for the RRF application portal and conduct extensive outreach and training on how to apply, application requirements and where to apply. Participants in this pilot will be randomly selected from existing PPP borrowers in priority groups for RRF and will not receive funds until the application portal is open to the public. 
  • Following the pilot, the application portal will be opened to the public. For the first 21 days that the program is open, the SBA will prioritize reviewing applications from small businesses owned by women, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Learn more about the priority groups CLICK HERE. Following the 21-day period, all eligible applicants are encouraged to submit applications. 

Assistance
Looking for assistance with the Restaurant Revitalization Fund? Reach out to the SBA's Restaurant Revitalization Fund Program Hotline at 844.279.8898 (Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 8:00 pm ET).
Expansions To State And Federal Unemployment Benefits

There have been extensions to state and federal unemployment benefits under the American Rescue Plan. If you are struggling to understand or access unemployment benefits as employees or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) as a small business owners, self-employed individual or independent contractor here is what you need to know:

UI And PUA Extension And Benefits

  • Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension (PEUC)- For Employees who have exhausted their UI benefit period, they may be eligible for the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension (PEUC). NOTE: The American Rescue Plan added 29 weeks of benefits for weeks of unemployment between March 14 and September 4, 2021 for a total of up to 53 weeks of benefits.

  • Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)- (Available for small business owners, self-employed, independent contractors and others who don’t qualify for regular UI and meet pandemic eligibility requirements) NOTE: The American Rescue Plan added 29 weeks of benefits for weeks of unemployment between March 14 and September 4, 2021.

  • Pandemic Additional Compensation- The American Rescue Plan added a $300 stimulus payment to weekly benefits for weeks of unemployment between March 14 and September 4, 2021.

Unemployment Benefit Resources

California UI Benefit Programs - CLICK HERE Review California’s Unemployment Benefit Programs and understand the benefit eligibility.
 
Flow Chart Of Federal Unemployment Benefit Programs - CLICK HERE Review the types of federal unemployment benefits available during COVID-19 presented in a flow chart for better navigation when benefit periods end.

Assistance
 
The EDC SBDC call team and experienced advisors are available to answer questions and help you navigate today's complex business environmentThe Economic Development Collaborative hosts the Small Business Development Center and is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Signing up as a client takes just a few minutes and provides you lifetime access to all of their no-cost services. 

More information is available on the EDC COVID-19 page, or you may click above to learn more about each extension and program.

Get started today with the EDC no-cost consulting by calling their Business Assistance Line at 805.409.9159 for assistance in English and Spanish.

To access their Loan Program by calling 805.409.9497.
Cada Jueves a las 11 a.m.
SBA-Programa de Protección de Pago
Ofrece la condonacion de prestamos para retener empleados mediante la pandemia Termina 31 de Mayo. Sintonicé con la SBA y aprenda mas!
  • Para unirse al evento, por favor llame: 213 279 1690 Para escuchar oprima: 24 207 36 #

Thursday, April 22, 6:00 p.m.
WEV-How to Generate Cash Flow Projections with Quickbooks
Learn how you can generate cash flow projections that are meaningful and relevant to you and your business with WEV QuickBooks coach, David Machacek. You will also learn how you can use your projections as a tool to get funding, stay accountable to your business goals and better understand and manage your finances.

Viernes 23 de abril, 9:00 am - 10:00 am
WEV-Café con Exito
Conecta, Colabora, Aprende con WEV. Únete a nosotras/os una vez al mes (con tu bebida matutina favorita) para conectarte, colaborar y aprender de otras emprendedoras y emprendedores. Al reunirnos una vez al mes de 9:00am a 10:00am acompañadas/os por una/un invitada/o especial, tendremos la oportunidad de compartir, escuchar y apoyarnos mutuamente para alcanzar las metas de tu negocio.

Friday, April 23, noon
COVID-19 Business Resources – EIDL, PPP, UI and Grants
The EDC invites you to join their webinar series on alternative Wednesdays and Fridays at 12:00 pm to answer questions about EIDL, PPP, UI, Grants and all currently available COVID-19 related business resources. Please register in advance. Space is limited.

Monday, April 26, 3:00 p.m. - Ventura Visitors Center & Convention Bureau
Thursday, April 29, 10:00 a.m. - DDM Metering Systems, Inc.
Certified Green Business Program
Join the City of Ventura Environmental Sustainability Division and the Ventura Chamber of Commerce on Facebook Live every Monday at 3:00 p.m. and Thursday at 10:00 a.m. in April as they highlight Chamber Businesses that have been certified through the City's Green Business Program.

Tuesday, April 27, 10:00 a.m.
SCORE-Plan Your Website for Online Success
You know you need a website for your business. But, how do you set it up for online success? First, you need to have a solid plan in place. Fortunately, this webinar will help with exactly that! This webinar, presented by Co-Founder of Cardsetter Jessica Baldwin, will share a comprehensive plan for your business's website. Attendees may also request the free website planning workbook upon completion of the webinar.
After the session, you’ll have a better understanding of:
  • Your website’s audience
  • Feature and functionality needs
  • Content planning
  • How to choose the right platform
  • Best practices for online success
  • Register HERE

Tuesday, April 27, 10:30 a.m. or noon
SCORE- Create the Business Plan That Is Right For You
Do you have a business idea but need assistance to think through all of the details? This workshop will take you through the basics of putting your business idea on paper. Topics covered include:
• 7 reasons why you need a business plan
• 5 key elements of a business plan
• How to avoid 6 key mistakes when writing a business plan
• Confidence in going forward with your plan
• Free tools provided by SCORE to help you with your plan.

Friday, April 30, noon-12:45 p.m.
COVID-19 Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources
This event will include an overview of SBA programs and services designed to help our small business community recover, including Economic Aid available through the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Small businesses will receive information pertaining to PPP First and Second Draw, the PPP application process, PPP Loan Forgiveness process, the Shuttered Venues Operator Grant, Restaurant Revitalization Fund, and Economic Injury Disaster Loans.

Wednesday, May 5, 9:00 am - 10:00 am
WEV-Legal 101 for Small Business Owners: Company Formation
As a small business owner, do you know what the right legal entity structure is for company? Sole Prop or LLC? LLC or S Corp? Legal professor and lawyer, Virginia Fuentes Esq. will explain how to choose a business entity, the difference between doing business as a Sole Proprietor, Partnership, LLC, and Corporation, and the documents required to start and maintain these entities. Virginia is an attorney and business coach specializing in employment law, business law, estate planning, and workplace investigations. She counsels businesses, public agencies, and academic institutions on how to comply with California's complex employment laws, protect their organizations from litigation, protect their legacy in case of incapacity or death, and - when necessary – mount an effective defense to workplace and sexual harassment complaints.

Wednesday, May 5, 5:00 p.m.
SCORE-4 Week Series: Learn Skills to Ease Stress and Increase Resilience: Mindfulness Fundamentals for Small Business Owners and Staff
Four weekly, 1-hour, interactive zoom group sessions with guided practice and discussion to enhance work performance, as well as customer and team communication and relationships. Topics include: Developing simple sustainable habits of self-care; Cultivating attention and emotional resilience.; Providing specific ways of working with distracting or negative thoughts and feelings.; Learning to respond rather than react in moments of difficulty.; and Intentionally creating a positive, collaborative workplace culture. Please commit to attending all four sessions to gain the maximum benefit from this material.
Sessions will be held:
  • Wednesday, May 5, 2021 5:00 PM
  • Wednesday, May 12, 2021 5:00 PM
  • Wednesday, May 19, 2021, 5:00 PM
  • Wednesday, May 26, 2021, 5:00 PM
  • Register HERE

Thursday, May 6, noon
EDC-Planning for the Unexpected: Resources and Strategies from Outsmart Disaster
The Economic Development Collaborative is proud to partner with the Outsmart Disaster Campaign to present a timely webinar on practical tips and strategies on disaster preparedness. The hour-long webinar includes an overview of the Outsmart Disaster Resilient Business Challenge and a walkthrough of core concepts on resiliency strategies for your business.

Tuesday, May 11, 10:30 a.m. or noon
SCORE - Quickbooks Online & Best Accounting Practices For Small Business
This live, interactive webinar session is designed to help you understand the features, functions and benefits of QuickBooks Online for small business owners as well as assist you in implementing accounting best practices to manage your business finances including COVID-19 Funds and Forgiveness.

Wednesday, May 12, 10:30 a.m. or noon
SCORE-Digital Marketing & Branding Essentials That Can Grow Your Business
Learn how to build your brand to increase the online visibility of your business and stand out from your competition.  In this webinar, we will break down successful marketing strategies that focus on promoting your brand to new and existing customers, and that will keep your business top-of-mind when consumers are making their buying decisions.

Tuesday, May 18, 10:30 a.m. or noon
SCORE - S.W.O.T. Analysis (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats)
Are you on the right track with your business?  This simple strategic planning technique can help you identify what your business is doing well, what it needs to improve, where it needs to grow, and what could be its downfall.

Wednesday, May 19, 10:00 a.m. or 10:30 a.m.
SCORE - An Introduction To Intellectual Property: Patents, Copyrights, & Trademarks
This Webinar will explore the fundamentals of intellectual property (IP); how to obtain a patent, copyright or trademark and how to use them. It will also discuss when should you keep certain information as a Trade Secret. It will provide you an understanding of the terminology, the available resources, costs, timing and rules of thumb necessary for optimizing the value of your IP. Technical, legal, financial and practical issues will be explored from a business perspective. Both US and International filings will be explored.

Wednesday, May 26, 10:00 a.m. or 11:30 a.m.
SCORE-How To License Your Intellectual Property (Patents, Copyrights, & Trademarks)
This Webinar will explore the fundamentals of how to license intellectual properties either to or from other companies. It will provide you an understanding of the terminology, the available resources, costs, timing and rules of thumb necessary for optimizing the value of your IP. Technical, legal, financial and practical issues will be explored from a business perspective.

Additional Webinars
  • Click HERE for additional live and recorded SCORE webinars
  • Click HERE for additional live and recorded EDC webinars
  • Click HERE for additional live and recorded WEV webinars
Ventura County COVID-19 Updates, Business Registration, Testing and Vaccine Info

COVID-19 Hotline
For inquiries regarding state and local orders or COVID-19 business compliance questions or concerns, please call the County of Ventura COVID-19 Hotline at:
  • 1 (844) VC-OPENS or 1 (844) 826-7367

CDC Updates

Download & Print Free COVID-19 Print & Digital Graphics
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