Yorba Linda adopts program to help 'bricks-and-mortar' small businesses; some community notes

 A program designed to assist Yorba Linda’s small “brick-and-mortar” businesses with digital marketing and growth strategies has been approved by the City Council at a recent meeting.

The Yorba Linda Small Business University aims to help up to 25 commercial enterprises “adapt, innovate and thrive,” according to a report to council members from Colleen Callahan, the city’s economic development manager.

The selected businesses must have been in operation for at least one year, be in compliance with regulations required by governmental and regulatory agencies and have between two and 100 employees, Callahan said.

Program cost to the city will be $32,500, which includes 25 $1,000 grants to the participating businesses and a $7,500 administrative fee to the Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center. The center was organized in 2003 and is based in Irvine.

The program will offer local businesses access to training, individualized consulting from development center counselors and financial assistance upon completion of the program, Callahan noted.

She said an example training opportunity is a digital marketing program designed to equip businesses with the skills to establish an effective online presence to increase sales and customer awareness.

The program would include four to five group sessions and an individualized consultation with experts from the development center. Businesses that complete the program will receive a $1,000 grant to be used for their company’s digital marketing efforts.

Businesses that complete the training may access further development center services, including business planning, financial analysis, marketing strategy development, operational improvements and workforce support.

The city will collaborate with Yorba Linda’s Chamber of Commerce to promote the program, which will be underway within the next two months. Similar programs are available in Cypress, Huntington Beach, Lake Forest and Westminster.

* * *

Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies will conduct an e-bike training and safety session at City Hall on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 9 to 11 a.m.

Deputies also award local business gift cards to riders they see wearing helmets, obeying traffic laws and riding responsibly in the city’s “caught being good” program.

Citizen of the Year nominations are due Tuesday, Sept. 1. Selection is by a five-member committee that includes the mayor and one member each from the city’s four council-appointed commissions. Nomination forms are available on the city’s website. 

The award will be made at the mayor’s State of the City address Oct. 14 at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum.

A wildfire preparedness community meeting is scheduled for Oct.1 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Yorba Linda Public Library. Safety experts will explain practical steps to prepare family and home and outline evacuation zones and neighborhood exits.