A DeKalb County commissioner allocated $200,000 toward an entrepreneurship training program that focuses on operating a business post-pandemic.
The free, eight-week training course will be funded with Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds, according to a news release from Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson. The program is designed for small business owners in the county who have been severely affected by COVID-19.
The online course will be hosted by Operation HOPE, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that focuses on poverty and economic empowerment for low-income populations. The organization previously partnered with Shopify to help Black-owned startups get bank loans and professional help during the pandemic.
“We have lots of business owners in DeKalb who function but lack proper structure to legitimize their business and receive federal and state assistance,” Cochran-Johnson said in the release.
The course will consist of self-guided instruction and instructor-led lessons. Some of the topics include evaluating business feasibility, obtaining start-up money, outlining a business plan and advertising a business.
I am excited to introduce my new initiative with Operation HOPE, The DeKalb Entrepreneurship Training Program, an 8-week course free to residents that will guide aspiring & current entrepreneurs with the support they need to operate a business. REGISTER » https://t.co/qE8XP9HtYr pic.twitter.com/uniHRAiAyJ
— Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson (@Lorraine4Change) December 8, 2020
The program’s orientation will take place 4 p.m. Tuesday. Upon completion, participants “will receive assistance with small business loans and secondary resources to progressively move their businesses forward,” the release said. The DeKalb County Community Development Department will oversee the program and funding.
