The COVID-19 pandemic has caused pain and frustration for everyone, but especially for business owners. If you, a colleague, an employee, or a loved one are experiencing anxiety, depression, or just fear of the unknown, please know that the following organizations are here to help you:

Was this article helpful? Yes | No

This afternoon, state health officials released their weekly update on COVID-19 tiers for all California counties. Of California's 58 counties, 52 remain in California's purple tier (down from 53 last week). Ventura County has an unadjusted new case rate of 43.9 cases per 100K population (down from 61.8 cases last week) and an adjusted new case rate of 26.2 cases (down from 41.1 cases last week). The adjustment is a bonus because Ventura County tests so many people for COVID-19.

To move from the purple tier to the less-restrictive red tier that will reopen more sectors of the economy, Ventura County must get its adjusted new case rate to below 7.0. With vaccine production ramping up, we are making progress toward reaching 7.0, but there is still a significant gap yet to close.

To see what businesses can open in the various tiers, or to see how Ventura County compares to the rest of California, visit covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/.

Was this article helpful? Yes | No

With a number of state and federal assistance programs re-opening and being rolled out, the Economic Development Collaborative is hosting an ongoing series of webinars on alternating Wednesdays and Fridays at 12:00 PM to answer questions about available resources, including Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Unemployment Insurance programs, grants, and more. Each webinar consists of sharing the latest information about available resources and a Q&A session.

Wednesday, February 17, 5:00 PM | Join Here

The Small Business Administration's Los Angeles District office will go over the SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), Shuttered Venues Operator Grant (SVOG) Program, and debt relief options. No pre-registration is required; just click the "Join Here" link above.

Thursday, February 18, 10:00 AM | Register Here

Though companies and entrepreneurs can get their start with the success of a single product, it is difficult to achieve long-term success without introducing new products and services. Learn how to build on the success of one product to amplify your brand and grow revenue. This webinar will discuss how to develop an adjacent product from a company's existing product line to appeal to the changing demands of a COVID-impacted market.

Tuesday, February 23, 10:30 AM | Register Here

Social media is constantly evolving, which can make it difficult to keep up. This webinar will break down social media marketing for businesses with best practices that you can use to improve your digital marketing strategy: Developing your brand voice, understanding your audience, leveraging best practices for posting, advertising on social media, and utilizing influencer marketing.