LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Downtown Strategies, a division of Retail Strategies, has partnered with the Lake County Economic Development Corp., or Lake EDC, to help expand Lake County, California’s business retention programs.

The partnership will provide unique training and technical assistance, job retention services, and individual coaching sessions directly to small business owners. Lake EDC is utilizing USDA grants to provide small business support to business owners.

“Lake EDC has a fundamental belief in securing and supporting our small businesses through retention, creation, and expansion,” said Nicole Flora, economic recovery coordinator at Lake EDC. “Our partnership with Downtown Strategies fulfills these initiatives by providing our community with direct, private consulting and small business support. We feel hopeful that through this direct approach and partnership, Lake County’s small businesses will flourish.”

“Our team has created practical training, tutorials, and unique opportunities for sharing and collaboration for communities to provide directly to their local businesses,” said Jenn Gregory, president of Downtown Strategies.

This partnership includes quarterly live training sessions, customized support, and one-on-one coaching for businesses most in need of technical assistance. Sessions focus on business modernization, omnichannel retailing, and seasonal opportunities for business growth and development.

Quarterly reporting will be provided to the Lake EDC that outlines the deliverables and impact provided to the community.

“Retail Strategies, the parent company to Downtown Strategies, is excited to be working with Lake EDC to take a deeper look into the market and provide small business assistance,” said Matthew Tate, director of West Coast business development for Retail Strategies. “The Lake EDC is taking the responsible approach to supplying their community with the tools for business retention and education. Our team believes this partnership will produce positive outcomes and economic growth on the heels of the pandemic.”

The first two webinar trainings are scheduled for June and July.

E-tail Strategies: Get Your Business Online!
June 8, noon

In this training, Jenn Gregory will discuss omnichannel strategy, national retail trends, and the future of retail. Additionally, she will cover best practices and real-life examples of successful implementation of omnichannel retail strategies by peer small businesses.

Restaurant Recovery Strategies for Success
July 27, 9 a.m.

During this 60-minute live training, Elliott Cook will identify tangible and implementable strategies for restauranteurs to meet consumer needs and tighten up their operations.

Visit Lake EDC’s website at www.LakeCountyCaEDC.org/services for more information and registration details.