Resources For Small Businesses Affected By Los Angeles Fires

Pre-Episode Clip

Hey, psst. Before Chelsea gets here, real quick y'all. I have a $25 Amazon gift card that I want to give to you. So let me tell you how you could be the lucky recipient of that gift card. First and foremost, don't tell Chelsea I'm doing this because she's going to be mad that I'm giving this gift card to you and not to her.

So, we know how much you guys love getting practical, no fluff marketing tips to help your small business thrive and now we need a little help from you. Leaving a review for this podcast. yes the one you're listening to, is one of the best ways you can help us reach more small business owners like yourself. To say thank you, and to give you that little nudge you need, we're going to be giving you a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card.

So here's how it's going to work. Leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform, snap a quick screenshot, email it to us at Help@TheSeasonedMarketer.com or you can find us one on Instagram at The Seasoned Marketer. You can send us a DM with the screenshot as well, we'll allow it. That's it, you're in. Not only will you be entered to win, but your review helps us grow this S.O.B. (small owned business) community, and continue to bring you guys the latest and greatest to help you market smarter and not harder.

So pause for just a second, leave us that review, and then get ready for today's episode. It's a good one.

Updated Information PSA

Chelsea: Hey y'all, it's Chelsea. Before we get into this week's episode, we just wanted to give you a couple of updates. We did record this episode last week, and there have been some changes as of Wednesday, January 29th. So the day before this episode comes out.

In the episode when I talk about the Small Business Disaster Relief Fund, I do say that there are currently no ways to actually apply for the fund. That is no longer true. You can now fill out a form saying that you are interested.

the Open Air Worker Emergency Fund is unfortunately closed at this time, but they are still accepting donations. It could be very likely that they reopen it, so just keep an eye on that if that is something you're interested in.

Again, all of this information is updated as of Wednesday, January 29th.

Earlier this week the Trump administration announced that they were putting a pause on government spending. While we are still a little unclear as to what federal funds are being paused, the Trump administration on Tuesday, January 28, stated that the pause on government spending is not to include funds for small businesses.

As of Wednesday, January 29th, a federal judge also put a block on this pause on federal spending. All of this is kind of up in the air. Supposedly funds for small businesses will not be impacted, if there's any new information then we will update you guys.

Again, all the links to the information that we talk about will be in the description so go look at that.

If you have any information or resources that we don't talk about in this episode, please share it with us. Leave it in the comments, send us a DM, or send us an email at Help@TheSeasonedMarketer.com. We just want to share all this information with small business owners who may need it. Especially because the wild fires have been pretty intense in California. So go ahead and continue listening to this episode and go be the best S.O.B. you can be.

Intro
Chelsea: Hey everyone and welcome to the S.O.B. Marketing podcast. Where we celebrate to S.O.B. you are, and if you haven't figured it out yet - we mean Small Owned Business, we don't mean S.O.B...

Vivian:
Listen, we know that as a small business owner you are working hard on the daily to keep your business fully operational while trying to promote it. And while some days it may feel like the business is owning you, if we're being honest with each other I bet you would admit that you wouldn't give up the insanity for anything.

Chelsea:
Our commitment here at the S.O.B. Marketing podcast is to give you the real talk, what works when it comes to advertising, marketing, and promoting your business. And then what doesn't really work.

Vivian:
And Chelsea and I promise to always keep the conversation real.

Beginning of Episode

Chelsea
Hey everybody and welcome back to the SOB Marketing Podcast. SOB as in small owned business. I promise we are not calling you guys names. We are still apart. It hurts, but it's okay. In case you don't know if you don't live in the South, for some reason there's snow coming. Don't know what that's about, but...

For now, Vivian and I are not in the same place, but we're still bringing you guys some great marketing topics. Before we get started, I do want to say thank you so much for listening. If you could pretty, pretty please also leave us a review, that would be amazing. Share this with your other boss besties, your business besties. And if you have a topic that you want us to talk about, please let us know, you can leave a comment, you can send us a DM, you can email us at Help@TheSeasonedMarketer.com, whatever works best for you guys. But Vivian, what are we talking about today?

Vivian:
I think this episode is going to be a little sobering just because the topic is not one that we would prefer to do because it's sad, but we are going to be talking about resources that are available to small businesses that have been affected by the LA fires. If you are a small business owner that isn't or hasn't been affected by these fires though, please keep listening because if anything, we want you to be proactive in sharing this episode with a fellow small business owner that could find the information useful. So maybe you know somebody that's been impacted and so you could easily share this episode with them. Also, we'll give you guys maybe a few ideas for how you can also...oh I just said also a whole lot of times. We'll give you a few ideas for how you can proactively help others as well because as SOBs, small owned businesses, we got to stick together and we need to be able to lend a hand when we can because you never know when you could be on the other end of that.

Chelsea:
Absolutely. We are focusing on resources for specifically small businesses. So we don't have a list of resources for individuals specifically, but there is a vast array of knowledge, a vast array of knowledge out there. So if you're looking for that kind of information, you will easily find it as well. But we're focusing on small businesses today.

Vivian:
Alright, so Chelsea, you did a lot of the heavy lifting for this episode. What did you find out there? First and foremost, were you pretty impressed that there was a lot of information available for resources specifically targeting small business owners?

Chelsea:
Yes, I was pleasantly surprised. There were a lot of resources out there and I have a lot of things to bring to the table today.

There is no TLDL for this episode simply because we're really just going to be listing resources. A TLDL would be me just listing resources again. There's no reason.
So let's go ahead and talk about LA Area Chamber of Commerce.

Vivian:
For those of you that might be new around here, if you're wondering what a TLDL is, there's a section at the end of every episode that we do called "Too Long Didn't Listen". That's where Chelsea kind of recaps the episode. So we're going to forego that for this particular episode.

Chelsea:
Yes, yes, for this particular episode. Most of our other episodes do have it though.

LA Chamber of Commerce have a small business disaster relief fund. They announced it on the 15th. Right now, as of recording this, it is the 21st. They have not announced yet how to apply. Right now, they're focusing on building up funds. So as soon as I get information, I'll let you guys know. So maybe give us a follow on Instagram or I'll try to leave a comment in the YouTube section or in the Spotify section with an update once I have it. But as of right now, you can find information on their website. I just haven't been able to particularly find information about applying. But they will have immediate needs assessment. They'll have one on one advising, training, resources, help with FEMA and SBA loan instructions. They'll have direct grants anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000, financial resources for their specific partners, and they'll have webinars for post disaster recovery.

Vivian:
So what I love about that are grants are what are issued and not expected to be paid back. Yes.

Chelsea:
Yes, grants are a gift. Like our father used to love to say all the time, grants are gift. Loans need to be paid back. So your life is a loan right now. Did Dad never say that to you?

Vivian:
No. He never said that to me.

Chelsea:
Excuse me??

Vivian:
I, I feel like, maybe it was an indication of the child. He never said that to me. So dad, if you're listening to this, I think you need to set the record straight. Chelsea's out here...

Chelsea:
M-hmm, mhm, sure, okay.

He said it to me. Maybe just because Vivian's the oldest. We'll have to bring Hector into this and ask Hector if Dad ever said that to him.

Vivian:
Well, I agree. I am the perfect child. So I mean, I did not need much.

Chelsea:
I mean, third time's the charm, but anyways...

The Department of Economic Opportunity. On their website, they are offering direct one on one counseling and referrals through their Office of Small Business Concierge and referrals to trusted partners for entrepreneurship academics, technical assistance and training, and capital programs as well.

The DEO is also coordinating energy information and resources from public, private, and community-serving partners. So they're just trying to share all the information that they have and connect people with partners that can help them. They also have listed grants on their website. So the Support Small Business Insurance Deductible Relief Fund.

From Team Friday. it is supporting impacted small businesses with cash-based mutual aid to help cover the cost of deductibles for insurance claims.

Vivian:
Yeah, and I just want to remind everybody whenever you are a small business owner that is in need of funding of any type, regardless of the reason you need that funding, please always read the fine print. Always be sure that you're asking questions. If there is something that is left to be desired, if it does not particularly state the answer to something, to a question you have, be sure that you're reaching out to them prior to just engaging and saying yes to something because you want to be sure that you're being smart about these decisions. That you have all of the information upfront so that way you understand what you're getting into.

Chelsea:
Yes, they also have the Open Air Worker Emergency Fund. So this is a new emergency fund to help outdoor workers. So think landscapers or food vendors. You can apply for one time cash support of $500. It is first come first serve basis until the fund runs out.

Vivian:
And what website was that?

Chelsea:
This is all on the Department of Economic Opportunity website. I also have a link specifically for the Open Air Worker Emergency Fund. Again, all of these links will be in the description.

They also have listed the California Restaurant Foundation's Restaurants Care Program. So you can, it is support for independent restaurants and food and beverage workers. So if you're a chain, probably not. But if you're an independent restaurant or an F&B worker, this is an option for you. Grants range from $350 to $1,500. Awards are based on needs and fund availability.

The DEO website also has a lot of other resources for businesses and workers. Just want to say that. So even if these funds, if you don't fit into these specifics, still go check out this website because they had a lot of things listed on there.

Vivian:
I love that they're doing this by industry as well. So like you said, the restaurant industry, and then also the open air one was specifically targeted at people that are outside working. So I really love that they're thinking or wanting to think about everybody, every segment and industry.

Chelsea:
We have the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation. They have a lot of resources for wildfire assistance, business assistance, accommodations, transportation, and childcare. They have listed government and non-government support. So another really great website to check out.

They have confidential consulting for businesses at no cost and with no obligation. Really big. It's performed as part of the LAEDC's nonprofit public benefit mission. They have a contact form that you can fill out to get the support, this consulting.

They also have a step-by-step guide on how to prep your business for disasters with links to even more resources. I thought that was really interesting and really great because they're trying to also be proactive as well. Definitely something to check out, especially if you live in California.

Vivian:
Yeah. I think sometimes small business owners, often have to get insurance for certain things. So I think the, there's always that seed of like, you know, what am I insuring myself against? But this may be a great reminder to any business out there that, you know, as a restaurant or as a business in another industry, maybe it's worth popping in there and taking a look just to see what types of stuff they're recommending to people. Because even if it doesn't 100 % like you said relate to you maybe it will spark a thought process that you need to be preparing for something else.

Chelsea:
So we can also talk about the US Small Business Administration, the SBA. They have disaster loans. If you listen to our episode on Hurricane Helene and resources for that, we have talked about this before. There is the business physical disaster loans, which is specifically to help repair and replace damaged property.

Then there's the economic injury disaster loans which is working capital loans for small businesses. Again, these are loans. You will have to pay these back. So just something to keep in mind.

The U.S. Business Grants website. This website is designed to help small businesses find grants for their specific needs and help you to find niche grants like for minorities, maybe for your specific industry, that sort of thing. Again, this is something that we have talked about before.

We have the disaster assistance website. This website is an official government website. It is designed to help those in need during disasters specifically. It lists loans, grants, services and programs, any type of support you could be looking for after a disaster. So definitely something to check out.

There is also tax relief, the misfortune and calamity tax relief. If your property was destroyed in a calamity, so like the fires, you can check out this specific website. There's an option to contact someone for support so you can figure out how to file your taxes in a way that you can get some tax relief.

Vivian:
Also, small business owners, hopefully you have a trusted accountant or a, what do call it, tax advisor. So that would be a great person to coordinate with and just reach out to them ahead of time to see because we are pretty much in tax season now. So just to kind of see what type of information, if any, you need to bring to the table. And if they know of these resources that are out there that you could tap into.

Chelsea:
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Little sidebar. I think it's really funny. Your tax person is your father in law, correct? My tax person is our father.

Vivian:
Yeah, dad. We need to get a shirt that says we trust dads with taxes.

Chelsea:
Absolutely. I'm like, Dad, what do I need to be recording every year? Like, what do I need to keep track of? And he's like this, this and this. Got it. Okay.

Vivian:
Yeah, I love it. I mean, what would we do without people that loved keeping up to date with all of the legalities of how to file our taxes? Yeah, that's it. So, yes, please reach out to whoever does y'all's taxes just to be sure that they, you know, maybe they don't know that this website exists. Maybe they're up to date with it, maybe not.

Chelsea:
The California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank has disaster relief loan guarantees. So basically this program means you have iBank, the California Infrastructure, you have iBank, backing up your loan. So if you default, they'll pay up to 95 % of the loan.

Vivian:
Interesting. I always feel like there's got to be something to it though. Why y'all be paying my bills like that?

Chelsea:
Again, we have the link so you can check it out. Obviously they didn't tell me any of that when I was doing the research. So if you do apply for this, make sure you're asking questions.

Vivian:
Yes, read all of the FAQ section, read all of the fine print, be sure that you're looking at, you know, what the requirements are and all that.

Chelsea:
Yes. They also have the Jumpstart Micro Loan program. So it's specifically for businesses in low wealth communities, and it's $500 to $10,000. They also provide other resources to help these small businesses succeed. Again, this is a loan, and this is a program that if you apply for it, make sure you're reading up all the information.

So those are the specific links and websites that I found. I will say there are so many ways that you could support small businesses out there that have been impacted. There are of course GoFundMe's out there that you can donate to. Just double check that they are legitimate before you donate any money.

Make sure that you've vetted out any programs and you know where funds are going to if you are going to donate. But again, there are so many different ways that you could help someone as well as there are a lot of resources out there if you are someone who's been impacted by these fires.

Vivian:
Yeah, to the GoFundMe, they have started really upping their game when disasters like this strike. We saw this during Hurricane Helene too, they actually build out an entire section of their website that is dedicated to the disaster. Then they group all of the GoFundMe's that are related to that within that part of their website. It becomes very easy to be able to see which GoFundMe's are attached to the LA fires because they have that centralized. So if you guys are looking to donate, highly recommend that you do go to that GoFundMe specific page for the LA fires and they have all of those GoFundMe's listed on there. They have a filter so you can like scroll through there and kind of look through them.

But as Chelsea said, just be sure that you're being smart about that donation, just like you would be with anything else. We're telling you guys to be sure that you know what you're getting into. Make sure it looks legit. Go ahead and make your, donation or participate, give back however you can.

Chelsea:
Okay y'all, so this was a really short episode, but we just wanted to share some of the resources that we found in case you are impacted by the fires in the LA area. Or if you want to donate, again, just be smart about it and go be the best SOB you can be.

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