In November 2023, the Karsh Center’s Small Business program proudly culminated, after an impactful year offering invaluable tools and guidance for the growth and success of small businesses. This program was a part of a larger collaborative called the Community Navigator Pilot Program effort involving five organizations, led by Koreatown Youth + Community Center (KYCC) with the objective of channeling resources to Korean-owned businesses in Koreatown and Orange County. The Karsh Center’s efforts helped expand the reach of this program and was primarily directed towards Spanish-speaking Latina women including first-time entrepreneurs, street vendors, home-based business owners, and brick-and-mortar business owners in the Los Angeles area. 

Services we offered through this program included support for business development, digital marketing, grant applications, tax preparation, and monthly workshops. Over the course of the program, we supported 60 small business owners through 149 individual consultations and provided training to 66 individuals via 17 workshops. Workshop topics ranged from bookkeeping, budgeting, and acquiring business permits to tax readiness and web design. Funding for this initiative was provided in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA).

In November 2023, we celebrated the culmination of this special program with a Small Business Resource fair, connecting entrepreneurs with 10 other organizations offering free or low-cost services for small businesses so that members of our cohort could continue growing and deepening their business efforts. As a final resource for our participants, the program concluded with the Photoshoot Project, aimed at capturing professional photographs of 14 small businesses and providing owners high quality, compelling images to enhance their marketing and branding efforts. Our small business counselor met with each owner to come up with strategies on utilizing these photos effectively for their marketing and advertising purposes.

The Small Business Program enabled the Karsh Center to venture into a new service area and engage with a fresh set of clients, and we’re grateful for the chance to have worked with exceptional entrepreneurs. And while the Small Business Program has formally concluded, we’re committed to aiding business owners and helping them thrive by linking them with agencies equipped to offer the assistance they need.

The impact of this program is best explained by some of the entrepreneurs we worked with themselves:

“I felt like my business really mattered to someone. I am thankful for organizations like yours that genuinely want to help out the Latino community.” -Ruth Banaga, Banaga Fashion

 

“I am feeling encouraged to seek additional assistance for my business, which I believe will lead to further growth and success.” -Maria Maldonado, New York City Deli 

 

“I would have liked to have knowledge on organizations like the Karsh Center sooner, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic because I had to close my business for a couple of months. I encourage others to seek help and to take advantage of opportunities to learn and make their business grow.” -Milbia Garcia, Religiosos Flowers y Varios

 

“Thanks to the funds the Karsh Center helped me get through the [EOG] grant, I have more money for inventory. This has truly made all of the difference during this time.” -Jose Valtierra, Christian Shoes

 

“Oftentimes, people overlook those with smaller businesses, specifically street vendors thinking that they are not capable of something greater. It has been thanks to interactions with such organizations [KYCC and Karsh Center] that I feel like my business matters to others and not just them.” -Emiliano Sanchez, Don Taco y su Familia