Supervisors Back Small-Business Aid

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors has agreed to consider using some of the county’s federal grant money to support a popular pilot program aimed at helping small businesses expand.

The board on Tuesday authorized Personnel Director Ron Komers to submit applications for a total of $300,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds from the county and each of its 10 cities to continue the regional Entrepreneur Academy.

Komers credited the academy, which trains small-business owners to expand their businesses, with helping to create 284 jobs and $38 million in new revenues for county businesses in its first year.

But state funding for the project expired in December. As a result, Komers said, he is seeking $75,000 in federal grant money from the county and $225,000 from the cities to keep the academy operating.

He said a portion of the money would be used to pay for two full-time personnel employees who would train 200 small-business owners on how to increase their business. Through a 50-hour course, the business owners would be taught how to take advantage of tax credits, write financial plans and conduct marketing campaigns.

Komers said the county would also benefit from the academy because it would provide a link between business owners and various job-training programs. He said every time a welfare recipient receives a job through the program, the county would be able to save $3,600 to $15,000 in welfare expenses.