Small businesses are an integral part of our community, providing jobs and contributing to the local economy. Supporting small business has been one of the Lacey City Council’s longstanding, top priorities. In fact, they were the first in our area to provide local businesses with emergency COVID relief grants. In addition, they provide funding for the ScaleUp Business training, offered through the Thurston Economic Development Council’s Center for Business & Innovation (CB&I), that focuses on strategies to help small businesses increase profitability and spur growth.
To ensure all members of the Lacey community – one of the most diverse in Thurston County – have access to business support and training, on February 3, 2022, the Lacey City Council approved the partnership with the CB&I and allocated funding specifically for the development of curriculum and training focused on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) entrepreneurs. The training covered topics such as business finance, strategies, market identification and business plans. The overall training, and more specifically, assistance with creating a business plan, placed five Lacey business owners in a strong position to apply for, and successfully receive, a Thurston County Target Zone Grant. Ten Thurston County businesses each received a $100,000 Target Zone Grant, five of which were Lacey businesses that participated in the Lacey City Council-supported training.
“One of the City of Lacey’s fundamental goals is to reduce or eliminate barriers for entrepreneurs to develop and launch small businesses, with a focus on BIPOC entrepreneurs,” said City of Lacey Community and Economic Development Director Rick Walk. “Small businesses are the foundation of a strong and vibrant local economy. They create and retain jobs and wealth within our community. Thanks to our strong, collaborative relationships with our partners, such as the CB&I, we are able to provide training and resources for all members of our community so they have the best chance for success. Their success enriches our community fabric, culturally and economically.”
BIPOC Business Training Builds Opportunity
The online, webinar-based training took place over five weeks and included access to the City of Lacey’s Community and Economic Development staff. Information was geared towards small, BIPOC- and Veteran-owned businesses and discussed such topics as structuring and licensing; location choice; branding and marketing; finance and accounting; and writing business plans.
Training coincided with $100,000 Target Zone Grants that were made available to the public. “It was not a coupled program,” explains the City’s Economic Development Coordinator Wesley Nguyen. “Thurston County had Federal COVID-19 funding and wanted to use it to support small businesses that were highly impacted by the pandemic. It’s just coincidence, but the two programs aligned well with very similar goals of reaching and supporting underserved, BIPOC communities.”
Minority-Owned Businesses in Lacey
VBNC Physical Therapy
Daniel Rojas of VBNC Physical Therapy wants to provide the best possible treatment for his patients. He quickly realized, however, that to do so requires many strategies, such as finding the best location or developing a great marketing program, he shares. “The training was great and provided some insight on the business part of our industry that helped us develop a plan to bring our service to the community,” Rojas added.
“This grant will help us purchase physical therapy equipment that is meaningful to the populations we serve,” Rojas states. “For example, we are negotiating to purchase equipment that allows elderly people to safely exercise without the risk of falling by allowing them to perform exercises while comfortably supported in the upright position. It can also manage the amount of weight the patient can tolerate in that position, as it can reduce the weight bearing by 100%.”
Want to learn more or sign up for treatment? Swing by their offices at 4770 Yelm Highway SE today.
Jerk An Tingz
For Tevin Campbell of Jerk An Tingz, life is full of flavor. His Jamaican pop-up kitchen brings fresh, sassy island flavors to the Pacific Northwest. The training provided access to resources he wasn’t aware of and education in payroll, cyber security and other critical business management tools.
He hopes to use his grant funding to help the business grow and continue to provide something our community lacks. The grant funds must be used by the end of December 2022 so the recipients are actively working on their projects. Campbell and his two staff members are looking for a location, preferably in the heart of Lacey, to sell food and host public events.
Campbell hopes to find a brick-and-mortar storefront to sell curbside and to-go orders from a buffet-style assortment of goodies, as well as offering catering services for events and festivals. Call 360.884.9858 to cater your next get-together with these tasty selections.
Eunice Ndungu
Eunice Ndungu has a true passion for helping others. A one-time nursing student, Eunice’s passion for reading lead her to initially start a nonprofit that distributes books to people who don’t have library access. After hearing about the City’s BIPOC opportunities, she attended the training with the goal of opening a coffee shop that will hire people who are low-income, unhoused, or on the verge of homelessness to provide job training and steps to return to the workplace.
“The classes helped me write a business plan. I am so grateful for the training and tools they gave us,” Ndungu says. “For this, I used the access to business plan building resources and our local library.”
After finding out about the grant award, she began looking for a homey space to open her shop. She’d also like to partner with local flower growers to sell their amazing blooms. “You just need to dream and allow yourself to think about what you’d really like to do,” says Ndungu. “Then look for available resources.”
Ongoing City of Lacey Support
Read more about the Thurston Economic Development Council’s events or resources to start, grow, or maintain an established business. They’re also happy to answer questions about ways to help. The City of Lacey also has an array of business resources including data, incentives, and available properties.
“We work hard to encourage and support all Lacey business owners and entrepreneurs,” says Nguyen. “We are fortunate to be one of the most diverse cities in Thurston County and are excited to see these BIPOC business owners and entrepreneurs establishing their roots in our city. We will continue to support them on their journey to grow their businesses.”
The Census Bureau reports that nearly 2.5 million American businesses are owned by minorities, Veterans, and women. Nationwide, small businesses create 1.5 million jobs annually, nearly 64% of new jobs created in the United States. Encouraging growth through dedicated, creative individuals like Daniel, Tevin, and Eunice builds a strong future for everyone.
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