{"id":488958,"date":"2026-10-08T07:34:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T07:34:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/488958\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T07:34:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T07:34:09","slug":"long-beach-awards-205k-to-level-up-small-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/488958\/","title":{"rendered":"Long Beach Awards $205K to Level Up Small Businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"

The City of Long Beach Department of Economic Development & Opportunity<\/a> (EDO) has awarded $205,000 in grants to 25 businesses that have successfully completed its Level Up LB: Extreme Small Business Makeover and Grant Program<\/a> (Level Up LB), which provides local entrepreneurs with essential support and resources to grow and thrive.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Level Up LB Program is an investment in the entrepreneurs who are helping shape Long Beach\u2019s future,\u201d said Mayor Rex Richardson. \u201cWhen we create pathways for small businesses to grow and succeed, we\u2019re expanding opportunity, fostering innovation, strengthening our local economy, and building a more vibrant and prosperous city for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Level Up LB application period for the program\u2019s third cohort was announced<\/a> in February while the program\u2019s culmination ceremony was held Sept. 29<\/a>. EDO\u2019s Business Development team led the selection process and coordinated program activities, with support from local partners including Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce<\/a>, SCORE<\/a>, Small Business Development Center<\/a> and Visit Long Beach<\/a>. The City received 219 applications for the program, of which 95 qualified for review by a selection panel. Panelists consisted of City staff and representatives from the City\u2019s Economic Development Commission, local business organizations and small businesses. Businesses were scored and selected for their need and readiness to participate, the potential impact of the program to their business and diversity of representation across all parts of the City and multiple industries.<\/p>\n

Twenty businesses, which include a mix of restaurants, retail shops and health and wellness facilities, education, and nonprofits throughout Long Beach, were selected to participate and awarded $10,000 in grant funding. Additionally, five more businesses that were selected as alternates and successfully completed the program were each awarded $1,000 grants. Businesses also received a one-year membership to the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and a marketing package from Visit Long Beach. Participating entrepreneurs completed a series of workshops, received personalized business counseling and established comprehensive business plans over the course of the 10-week program.<\/p>\n

Selected businesses are listed as follows:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

1984 Barbershop
\nAbby\u2019s Beauty Salon
\nAce of Spades Tattoo
\nAll In CDL Training
\nAmbiance Skin Care
\nAmerican Vintage Barbershop
\nAntonio\u2019s Barber Supply
\nAuto Stop Insurance Services
\nBoba Bee
\nBrakenetic
\nGuerrero Taqueria
\nHacienda Ruan
\nInternational City Theatre
\nJessbraids Fareal
\nLong Beach Beer Lab
\nLong Beach Woodwinds
\nLovely Beauty Salon
\nPro Spa Nails and Hair
\nPS Fast Food 168
\nSEM Computer
\nSesame Dinette
\nSticky Icky Funnel Cakes
\nThe Bicycle Stand
\nUnforgettable Lemonade
\nWrigley Coffee<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLocal entrepreneurs bring new ideas, energy and opportunity to our economy, and supporting their success helps build a stronger, more dynamic Long Beach,\u201d said EDO Director Bo Martinez. \u201cWe\u2019re proud to invest in these 25 businesses and be part of their journey as they grow and reach new levels of success.\u201d<\/p>\n

The City is committed to empowering small businesses. Over the past year, EDO\u2019s BizCare<\/a> team has provided support and resources to more than 2,134 businesses and more than 681 businesses have received assistance through the Inclusive Business Navigators Program<\/a>. Last year, $220,000 was awarded<\/a> to 24 businesses that successfully completed the second cohort of Level Up LB.<\/p>\n

Level Up LB aligns with Goal 4, Strategy 2 of Long Beach\u2019s Racial and Reconciliation Initiative<\/a>, which focuses on partnering with local organizations to facilitate business navigation services through inclusive, neighborhood-based business centers. The program also aligns with the City\u2019s Grow Long Beach Economic Blueprint<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The third cohort of this program was made possible by one-time funding that was approved by the Long Beach City Council as part of the adopted Fiscal Year 2026 Budget.<\/p>\n

To learn more about programs and resources for small businesses, those interested can call the City\u2019s BizCare Hotline at 562.570.4BIZ (4249) or email BizCare@longbeach.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The City of Long Beach Department of Economic Development & Opportunity (EDO) has awarded $205,000 in grants to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":488959,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[190860,190768,190861,97613,131,133,132,4823],"class_list":["post-488958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-bizcare","tag-cohort","tag-grant-program","tag-level-up-lb","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-small-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/488958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=488958"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/488958\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/488959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=488958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=488958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=488958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}