The Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Offers Resources and Technical Assistance

The following was originally posted in the Sacramento Business Journal on October 19, 2020. 

Written by: Felicia Alvarez  – Staff Writer, Sacramento Business Journal

Link to original article: https://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2020/10/19/sacramento-hispanic-chamber-assistance-program.html

The Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is launching a wide lineup of resources and technical assistance to help minority-owned businesses during the pandemic.

The chamber announced the launch of its "#JuntosSacramento" campaign, which translates to "together Sacramento," on Monday. The campaign is aimed at bringing together all corners of Sacramento's Latino community, which includes immigrants and people who draw their heritage from a mix of countries and languages, said Cathy Rodriguez Aguirre, CEO of the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber.

Minority-owned businesses have been among the hardest hit during the pandemic, as they may have lower cash reserves and less access to banking resources to buoy their businesses.

The effort includes one-on-one consulting, resources on digital marketing and financial planning during the pandemic and job training programs.

The Sacramento Hispanic Chamber received about $615,000 in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, dollars for the initiative. Those dollars arrived from a $3 million grant that the Sacramento Inclusive Economic Development Collaborative received from the city of Sacramento. The Sac IEDC was formed two years ago, and includes 15 groups within it like the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber and several property business improvement districts.

“Hispanic and minority owned businesses have been a historic pillar in the growth of Sacramento and our mission is to help the region recover from the impacts of Covid-19 by supporting the community through increased services and new, innovative programs,” Rodriguez Aguirre said, in a prepared statement. "Through our partnership with SAC IEDC we will be able to help foster more business development and spur economic growth.”

The program includes a free, six-part webinar series on topics like digital marketing, financial planning and disaster preparedness. The series starts on Oct. 23 and runs every other Friday, and will be conducted in Spanish and English.

The chamber is also offering one-on-one consulting for technical assistance for small businesses. Another program, called Promotores de Negocio, or Business Navigators, will be visiting businesses in Sacramento's corridors with minority-owned businesses with consultants to help small businesses with digital marketing, budgeting, operational and financial planning, and access to capital. Through the program, the organization is offering free translation services for both its consulting and webinar series.

The chamber is also offering two new educational programs that are geared toward helping Hispanic businesses both launch and grow. These include a 10-week program, which will be conducted in Spanish, for early-stage businesses or businesses that have less than $1 million in revenue.

The NxLevel Academy consists of four all-day sessions designed to help businesses expand and survive post-Covid-19. The course will help participants with their business plans, conduct feasibility analyses, refine their budgeting and financial plan and obtain access to capital. NxLevel will be conducted in English and Spanish. Sessions will start on Friday, Nov. 6. For both programs, participants will be matched up with a business consultant for the duration of the course.

More information, including how to register for the programs, is available at sachcc.org/juntossacramento.