Business Glance

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Virtual ‘Breakfast & Learn” to focus on upskilling workers

The Yuma county chamber of commerce, aZ retail careers and the center for the Future of arizona will present the free Breakfast & Learn virtual event “Your Workers are Back at Work – how to develop and Keep Them” at 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursday.

Frontline workers are a hot commodity right now. many businesses are reporting they are short-staffed between pandemic-related issues and increased unemployment benefits. how do you keep the employees you have?

The center for the Future of arizona will share best practices and tools for how employers can position new staff roles for success and access training to skill/upskill their workers.

advance registration required at https://tinyurl.com/4kd82r39.

BBB Pacific Southwest hosts International Entrepreneur Summit on April 7

Better Business Bureau Serving the Pacific Southwest, which promotes diversity, inclusion and access for business owners, will host the International Entrepreneur Summit presented by Godaddy on Wednesday, april 7.

Immigrant business owners and entrepreneurs face unique challenges when it comes to accessing resources to start and develop a business. The virtual event will provide refugee and immigrant entrepreneurs the mentorship needed to reach the next level in their business journey.

Mayor’s State of the City address set for April 8

Yuma mayor doug nicholls will present his State of the city address during the Yuma county chamber of commerce “Good morning, Yuma!” virtual event at 7 a.m. Thursday, april 8.

The virtual event will be streamed live on Facebook.

Arizona Commerce Authority continues Boot Camp webinars

The arizona commerce authority regularly hosts Small Business Boot camp webinars, with speakers sharing strategies on navigating these unprecedented times and making important mentorship connections. The webinars are held from 9-10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays with occasional extra sessions.

here are the upcoming webinars:

• march 30 – understanding Small Business Loans: hear from Karen Burns, Pima Small Business development center interim director and banking expert, as she discusses the various types of small business lenders and the loan products they offer. Learn about the various attributes and tiers of these loans and next steps you can take.

• april 1 – updates on Paycheck Protection Program and Loan Forgiveness: receive the latest information on the Paycheck Protection Program, featuring BeachFleischman subject matter expert, cariann Todd. Learn about the expected extension of the PPP2 loan program, recent changes to the loan computation formula for PPP2 for Schedule c sole proprietors, eligible expenses for the loan forgiveness application and tips on maximizing PPP loan forgiveness and Employer retention credits.

To register and/or see upcoming or archived webinars, go to https:// www.azcommerce.com/small-business-boot-camp.

“Immigrants are twice as likely to start a business than native-born americans and at BBB, we understand that the guidance needed to get started is often limited,” said Linda Karimi, BBB director of hospitality and business development. “There are numerous challenges you must overcome to start your own business in the united States. One of BBB’s goals is to support immigrant populations by providing them with tools needed to create a successful and ethical business.”

This summit is geared for those interested in starting a business or early stage entrepreneurs who want to learn how to create self sustainability. It will be a welcoming space to explore new business ideas and to gain education about current opportunities.

Topics covered at the event will include steps for getting your business started, how to access capital and tips for success in the digital realm. resources will be shared for businesses in both arizona and california. The keynote speech will be delivered by mahesh Thakur, vice president of product management at Godaddy, with additional industry experts guiding the sessions.

The no-cost virtual event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. registration is required and more details, including the agenda can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ntuj8z2v.

This event is the second of a three-part series of summits uplifting veterans, international, and women entrepreneurs. Visit BBB’s website for future events.