PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach continues to expand its innovative business resources with the launch of its Business Insights Tool, a new, free online resource for local businesses that makes big data accessible for small businesses, allowing them to benchmark performance, optimize marketing, and analyze competitors, suppliers and underserved markets. Small and medium sized businesses in a variety of stages, from the entrepreneur looking to start their first business to a seasoned business owner looking to expand their customer base, are encouraged to access the tool. To promote the new resource and help familiarize businesses with the platform, the City invites local small business owners, entrepreneurs and community members to participate in the Business Insights Tool workshop, taking place Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023.

“Small businesses play a vital role in our local community, adding to the diversity and culture of our city,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “I encourage entrepreneurs and our local small business owners to participate in this workshop and take advantage of the Insights data to find more customers and the best way to advertise their business.”

The Business Insights tool, now available for entrepreneurs and businesses at longbeach.gov/businessinsights, is powered by the City’s technology vendor, SizeUp. Small businesses and entrepreneurs can use the Business Insights Tool to answer questions like:

• Where should I start my business in Long Beach?
• Who are my competitors and how do I perform compared to them?
• How can I find more customers?
• How do I identify the best places to locate and advertise my business?

Business owners and entrepreneurs are encouraged to attend the Business Insights Workshop, hosted by SizeUp, on Tuesday, Oct. 3, from noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom. Everyone who signs up for the workshop will receive a recording of the event, so people are encouraged to register even if they cannot attend the live workshop. The free, online workshop will be held in English with live Spanish interpretation and will teach attendees how to conduct market research, discover potential customers and suppliers and grow their business. Interpretation in other languages will be available upon request with advanced notice.

“The Business Insights Tool is an innovative platform that uses business data to support the expansion and planning of Long Beach businesses throughout the City,” said Economic Development Director Bo Martinez. “We’re excited to see what businesses can accomplish with access to this data either directly or with the support of BizCare and coaching from our local partners.”

The City’s BizCare team, which provides support for small businesses and nonprofits accessing resources and information such as grants, loans and technical assistance, will support outreach and assistance on the Business Insights tool for businesses throughout the city. The City’s Inclusive Business Navigators, which provide free business coaching and advising services to Long Beach small businesses, have received training to incorporate Business Insights into their services. Business assistance is available in multiple languages.

This effort is made possible in part by the Long Beach Recovery Act, a plan to fund economic and public health initiatives for Long Beach residents, workers and businesses critically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. More than $940,000 in funding has been allocated to support the BizCare Program, which includes support for free online business tool. Additional information about the Long Beach Recovery Act is available at longbeach.gov/recovery.

More information about the Department of Economic Development’s programs and resources for local businesses is available at longbeach.gov/economicdevelopment/ and on social media at @lbecondev and the City’s main account at @longbeachcity to learn more and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram and X.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.