Latino Business Foundation Silicon Valley

TO PROVIDE EMPOWERING RESOURCES TO EXISTING AND FUTURE LEADERS IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THROUGH LONG-LASTING LEARNING AND SUPPORT.

SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE - THE LATINO BUSINESS FOUNDATION OF SILICON VALLEY (LBFSV) IS CURRENTLY SERVING LOCAL BUSINESSES THROUGH RESPONSIVE, AGILE AND ESSENTIAL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE. OVER 90% OF THEIR MEMBERS FALL INTO THE LOW TO MEDIAN INCOME CATEGORY; 70% OF THOSE SERVED ARE LATINO AND ABOUT 30% OF THOSE SERVED COME FROM OTHER IMMIGRANT GROUPS. THEIR EXISTING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IS BILINGUAL AND INCLUDES A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS SUCH AS A BUSINESS ACADEMY COURSE, A QUICK-RESPONSE HOTLINE FOR SMALL BUSINESS INQUIRIES, THE SMALL BUSINESS INCUBATOR, PARTNER REFERRAL SYSTEMS AS WELL AS SMALL BUSINESS WORKSHOPS ADDRESSING THE MOST PRESSING ISSUES FACING SMALL BUSINESSES. LBFSV HAS REMAINED EXTREMELY RESPONSIVE AND AGILE TO THE NEEDS OF SMALL BUSINESSES WITH GROUP PROGRAMMING AS WELL AS BESPOKE, ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT WITH INDIVIDUALS AS NEEDS ARISE SUCH AS ASSISTING BUSINESSES COMPLETE GRANT APPLICATIONS.

TBUSINESS ACADEMY - THE LATINO BUSINESS ACADEMY IS A SELF-PACED, 12 MODULE COURSE GEARED TOWARDS SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURS IN FORMING A NEW BUSINESS, IN COLLABORATION WITH SANTA CLARAS MY OWN BUSINESS INSTITUTE (MOBI) PROGRAM. THE LATINO BUSINESS ACADEMY PROVIDES DIRECT ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY AND ACCESSIBLE TRAINING COURSES TO SMALL BUSINESS HOPEFULS AS WELL AS TAILORED ASSISTANCE FROM LBFSV SMALL BUSINESS COACHES AND STAFF THAT SUPPORT ENTREPRENEURS IN SELECTING AND COMPLETING THE COURSES. THE COURSE PROVIDES TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL TRAINING AND ONE-ON-ONE COACHING AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. THE PROGRAM COVERS A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS SUCH AS: BUSINESS PLANNING, FINANCING THE BUSINESS, LICENSES AND PERMITS, ACCOUNTING AND CASH FLOW, MANAGING EMPLOYEES, AND DEVELOPING NEGOTIATION SKILLS. THE ACADEMY WAS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED IN JULY 2021 AND WITHIN ITS FIRST MONTHS GAINED OVER 200 STUDENTS AND GRADUATED OVER 30 STUDENTS.

WOMEN IN POWER - LBFSVS WOMEN IN POWER INITIATIVES INCLUDE TWO MAIN AREAS OF WORK: SINGLE MOTHER BUSINESS OWNERS AND THE BEAUTY BUSINESS INDUSTRY COUNCIL. THE PROGRAMS ARE A COMBINATION OF WORKSHOPS AND SPEAKER SERIES FOR WOMEN SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO OBTAIN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, LISTEN TO LOCAL EXPERTS AND SUCCESS STORIES, AND ENGAGE IN A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY OF LIKE-MINDED PEERS. THE WORKSHOPS COVER TOPICS SUCH AS: SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING, WEB PRESENCE, ACCESS TO CAPITAL AND FINANCIAL PLANNING (IN COLLABORATION WITH EXCITE CREDIT UNION), COMMERCIAL LEASE AND CONTRACT PROTECTION, NETWORKING DYNAMICS, BEAUTY INDUSTRY INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKER SERIES, AND INNER HEALING FOR WOMEN. SINGLE MOTHERS BUSINESS OWNERS: A RAPIDLY GROWING PROGRAM THAT ADDRESSES THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES SINGLE MOTHERS FACE AS SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND THE SOLE-INCOME PROVIDER FOR THEIR FAMILIES. NEARLY 61% OF SMALL/MICRO-BUSINESSES IN EAST SAN JOSE ARE WOMAN-OWNED; 75% ARE SINGLE MOTHERS. BEAUTY BUSINESS INDUSTRY COUNCIL: BUSINESS LEADERS CO-CREATE SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES THAT ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS. THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY IS THE LARGEST INDUSTRY IN OUR MEMBER COMMUNITY IN EAST SAN JOSE AND AS SUCH, THE BEAUTY BUSINESS COUNCIL WAS FORMED TO RESPOND TO INDUSTRY PAIN POINTS AND CO-CREATES ACTIVITIES. THIS COUNCIL IS CURRENTLY HOSTING A SPEAKER SERIES THAT BRINGS TOGETHER LOCAL BEAUTY INDUSTRY EXPERTS TO SHARE THEIR STORIES, SUCCESSES, AND CHALLENGES IN THE FIELD. IN THE PAST WE HAVE ALSO HELP WORKSHOPS FOCUSED ON SPECIFIC COMPLIANCE ISSUES THAT THIS SECTOR WAS FACING.