City of Tacoma announcement.
TACOMA, Wash. – As part of ongoing efforts to build upon the existing entrepreneurial ecosystem in Tacoma, the City of Tacoma’s Community and Economic Development Department is leveraging Washington State Department of Commerce’s Small Business Innovation Fund (SBIF) dollars to partner with three organizations specializing in technical assistance for small and micro businesses. From March 2023 – May 2023, Devland, Kay Tita, and Spaceworks Tacoma will use one-time SBIF funding provided by the City of Tacoma to roll out three new programs focusing on direct intermediate to advanced level technical assistance for small and micro-businesses in the areas of financial and digital literacy and readiness.
“Fueled by passion and purpose, small and micro businesses comprise a large percentage of our local business community today,” said Mayor Victoria Woodards. “Their ability to grow and thrive is critical to the overall health of our local economy and, in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Commerce and other partners, we have been working to better support them and position them for greater success in the years to come.”
Devland “GROW” Program
GROW supports micro enterprises looking to advance their businesses through lean and efficient operations. They will be selecting 12 micro businesses and begin programming for confirmed participants in the first week of March. Applications for this program are now open.
Kay Tita Digital Sales Access Program
The Digital Sales Access Program seeks to bridge the digital divide that impacts immigrant, minority, and small businesses—particularly those operating as cash-only or those in need of support in the areas of financial management, marketing and e-commerce. The goal is to help 65 Tacoma-based business owners grow their businesses in these areas, by providing them with free point of sale systems and training while also helping them establish community connections and a sense of belonging. Applications for this program will open on February 27.
Spaceworks Tacoma
Spaceworks Tacoma aims to provide training, technical assistance, and financial resources to 35 graduates of its incubator programs to grow their digital marketing efforts. This includes web design, social media content creation, product photography, video creation, paid advertising, e-commerce platforms, and accounting and invoicing software. Applications for this program are now open.
Eligible small businesses based in Tacoma are invited to submit an application directly through these organizations. More information and direct links to each organization are available now at makeittacoma.com.
Language assistance is available upon request. Questions, or requests to receive information in alternate formats, can be submitted via email to Dierdre Patterson at dpatterson3@cityoftacoma.org or (253) 591-5621.
