Overview
Our team is paying close attention to the evolving novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and its significant economic impact on freelancers, independent artists, small businesses, and non-profits. We remain committed to supporting business owners during these challenging times and in re-envisioning an economy that is more resilient, regenerative, and just. Here’s what we are doing and how you can access our support services.
Providing Community Care
For current and past participants of our courses and business advising services, we are offering free business support to help you navigate the current situation, stabilize your business, and reviewing your business model and strategies.
In the coming weeks, we are hosting a series of community calls to check-in, share resources, and support each other. We are also offering one-on-one business advising to help you access relief funds, negotiate rent abatement with your landlord, support your employees, make shifts in your business models and operational processes, and shore up finances.
If you are already a member of the Uptima community, please be sure to join our community group and look out for emails and group messages with next steps on how to access free business support.
Continuing Our Business Courses
Our courses to support freelancers, independent artists, and small business owners in starting, planning, growing, funding, and leading their businesses will continue as scheduled, with modifications to comply with shelter-in-place orders.
Our instructors and mentors are prepared to help you look at changes to shift your business model, processes, and finances to improve resiliency through this crisis and resulting economic downturn. And, our small class sizes provide a space to build community and have critical conversations about issues affecting business development and personal wellbeing.
For entrepreneurs of color, we are offering financial assistance covering up to 100% of your course fee.
Check out our schedule of upcoming courses.
Prioritizing Business Retention
In collaboration with our partners, we continue to offer business retention services for small businesses and non-profits that have been traditionally under-resourced. This includes free business advising services to assist small businesses and non-profits that are at high risk of closure.
Right now, if you operate a small business or non-profit in Berkeley or Oakland’s Black Arts Movement & Business District that is at risk of closure, you can work with us to access relief funds, negotiate rent abatement with your landlord, support your employees, make shifts in your business model and operational processes, and maintain your business in your community.
Additionally, we are actively seeking partnerships that will allow us to broaden our business retention services in communities of color.
Learn more about our business retention services.
Expanding Our Services
We are working on ways to expand our business courses and advising services to effectively support entrepreneurs through uncertainty and re-envisioning an economy that is more resilient, regenerative, and just.
Please sign up for our newsletter to keep posted on how we are expanding our services.
Sharing Business Resources
We’ve put together resources for freelancers, independent artists, small businesses, and employees in the communities we work in.
