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G2S Project Code: 2015-CA-74983
State: California
Fiscal Year: 2015

Grantee
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY

Project Director
Director Name: Lauren Talbott
Director Phone: 562-925-5545
Director Email: ltalbott@library.lacounty.gov

General Information
Title: Bellflower BIZ (Business Incubation Zone)
State Project Code: 40-8570
Start Date: 08/01/2015
End Date: 05/30/2016
Abstract: The Bellflower BIZ (Business Incubation Zone) was a project to help small business
owners and entrepreneurs with starting a business or with the various aspects of
running a business. The project was comprised of three elements. The first element
was the Brakensiek Library provided a business workspace within the library that
offered resources and services such as equipment, a business collection, and
access to staff expertise in research and technical skills. The second part of the
project included workshops, provided by the Long Beach Small Business
Development Center (SBDC), that addressed all phases of business from idea to
start-up to expansion and scaling. A second series of workshops, offering hands-on
training to the County Library's online business resources, was also offered to the
public. The third element was that all workshop participants were offered one-on-one
consulting with an SBDC advisor to work on specific goals on launching or
growing their business.

State Goal: Goal VII: Community Connections

Budget Information

LSTA

MATCH-State

MATCH-Other

Total

$5,000.00

$0.00

$2,601.00

$7,601.00

Intent(s)
Improve users' ability to use and apply business resources.
Small Business

Activities
Activity Details
Title: Small Business Focus
Narrative: The Small Business Focus was a series of five workshops on the basics of starting a business, targeted marketing (identifying your audience/customers and how to better target them), marketing technologies (online marketing using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc), recordkeeping (how to use QuickBooks and other bookkeeping software), and access to capital (how to get loans, present yourself and business to a bank, what types of funding is available, crowdsourcing, etc). These five workshops were taught by experts associated with the Long Beach Small Business Development Center. The workshops typically involved a presentation and in-class assignments and discussions. Attendees also received assignments to work on between sessions.

Intent: Improve users' ability to use and apply business resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: In-person

Quantity
Session length (minutes): 90
Number of sessions in program: 5
Average number in attendance per session: 25
Number of times program administered: 1

Partner Information

Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No

Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Urban
Suburban
For what age groups: 18-25 years
26-49 years
50-59 years
60-69 years
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: Yes: This activity was directed towards (a) those who want to start a business and (b) those that have a business and need assistance.

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: Clifton M. Brakensiek Library
Address: 9945 E. Flower St.
City: Bellflower
State: CA
Zip: 90706

Activity Details
Title: One-on-one consultions with an SBDC advisor
Narrative: At the SBDC office at Long Beach City College, advisors worked one-on-one with
business owners and entrepreneurs on a goal or task relating to their business. One
person might have worked with many advisors, depending on the topic. For
example, if someone needed help with marketing, they would be assigned to one
specialist in that field. If they need additional help with getting a loan from a bank,
then they would be moved to another specialist. There were no limits on how many
sessions a person could have. All sessions were free. Depending on availability and
the situation, advisors were willing to visit business owners at their place of business.

Intent: Improve users' ability to use and apply business resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Consultation/drop-in/referral
Format: In-person

Quantity
Total number of consultation/reference transactions: 13
Average number of consultation/reference transactions per month: 4

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Urban
Suburban
For what age groups: 18-25 years
26-49 years
50-59 years
60-69 years
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: Yes: This activity was targeted towards those who participated in the SBDC workshops

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: Long Beach Small Business Development Center
Address: 4900 Conant St., Ste. 108
City: Long Beach
State: CA
Zip: 90808

Activity Details
Title: Business Breakfast Workshops
Narrative: The Business Breakfast Workshops were designed to give attendees hands-on
experience using the library's online business resources. There was a brief
presentation on how to use the online resource but the bulk of the class was
reserved for hands-on experience using a laptop. The classes were 60 to 90
minutes long. Breakfast, paid for by the Friends of the Bellflower Library, was provided
at each workshop.

Intent: Improve users' ability to use and apply business resources.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Other
Format: Combined in-person & virtual
Other: The five workshops took place in the Brakensiek Library's meeting room. Thanks to the small size of the class, the instructor was able to give one-on-one attention to each student to help them out when necessary.

Quantity

Partner Information

Activity Details
Title: Acquired materials for the small business collection
Narrative: A small business book collection was created for and located in the small business
workspace. These materials were available for check out by anyone, not just users
of the workspace. They were readily accessible in the library’s online catalog. The
books covered a variety of topics including how to start a business, bookkeeping, crowdfunding, marketing (with a focus on social media marketing), bookkeeping, and managing employees.

Intent: Improve users' ability to use and apply business resources.

Activity: Content
Mode: Acquisition
Format: Physical

Quantity
Number of hardware acquired: 0
Number of software acquired: 0
Number of licensed databases acquired: 0
Number of print materials (books & government documents) acquired: 42
Number of electronic materials acquired: 0
Number of audio/visual units (audio discs, talking books, other recordings) acquired: 0

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Urban
Suburban
For what age groups: 18-25 years
26-49 years
50-59 years
60-69 years
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: Yes: The books are targeted for users of the BIZ workspace and library users interested in business topics.

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: Clifton M. Brakensiek Library
Address: 9945 E. Flower St.
City: Bellflower
State: CA
Zip: 90706

Activity Details
Title: Circulation of the small business collection
Narrative: The small business collection was put into circulation in February 2016 in the BIZ
workspace. The collection location in the catalog was changed to NF_BIZ and
searchable from the library catalog. Of the 42 items ordered, 8 circulated until June
2016. A book label for the collection was created to ensure that these items could
be reshelved properly and also to promote the BIZ workspace.

Intent: Improve users' ability to use and apply business resources.

Activity: Content
Mode: Lending
Format: Physical

Quantity
Total number of items circulated: 8
Average number of items circulated / month: 1
Total number of ILL transactions: 0
Average number of ILL transactions / month: 0

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Urban
Suburban
For what age groups: 18-25 years
26-49 years
50-59 years
60-69 years
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: Yes: This activity was directed towards users of the BIZ workspace.

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: Clifton M. Brakinsiek Library
Address: 9945 E. Flower St.
City: Bellflower
State: CA
Zip: 90706

Activity Details
Title: Cataloging the small business collection
Narrative: The books acquired for the project were cataloged so that all library patrons, as well as BIZ users, could search and access them.
Intent: Improve users' ability to use and apply business resources.

Activity: Content
Mode: Description
Format: Physical

Quantity
Number of items made discoverable to the public: 42
Number of collections made discoverable to the public: 0
Number of metadata plans/frameworks produced/updated: 0

Partner Information

Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Urban
Suburban
For what age groups: 18-25 years
26-49 years
50-59 years
60-69 years
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: Yes: Although targeted for small business users, the books were available to all library customers.

Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: Clifton E. Brakensiek Library
Address: 9945 E. Flower St.
City: Bellflower
State: CA
Zip: 90706

Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important findings or outcomes from your project:
All three parts of this project: the Business Breakfast Workshops, the Small Business Focus, and the BIZ workspace, had good outcomes and great findings. Important findings and outcomes from the Business Breakfast Workshops (5 workshops, 24 attendees) included the following: 100% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the content was relevant to their business, job, or interests. 100% of attendees strongly agreed or agreed that the workshop activities stimulated their learning. 100% of participants strongly agreed or agreed that they can use what they learned in the workshops. The Small Business Focus workshops (5 workshops, 127 attendees) were very successful and staff got some good feedback and outcomes as a result. 94% of attendees strongly agreed or agreed that the seminars were a good use of their time. 99% of the attendees strongly agreed or agreed that the instructor was knowledgeable. There were 9 current Small Business Development Center clients attending the workshops. After the workshops, 4 additional participants decided to become clients and take advantage of the great resources that the SBDC has to offer. The BIZ workspace had its mini-grand opening on February 23, 2016. There also have been individuals, as well as small businesses, who have used the space for working on a business plan, for studying, and other business related activities. Overall, the surveys were very positive, especially after April 2016. Users loved the amenities, the privacy, the cleanliness, the size of the space, and the quiet.
Please briefly describe importance of findings:
Although the community needs assessment already established the need for such programs in the city of Bellflower, this was confirmed by attendance numbers and survey results. The Bellflower BIZ was a great first step in establishing the Brakensiek Library as a community locus for business help and business resources. The success of this project was also in part due to the great partnerships the library developed with the City of Bellflower, the Bellflower Chamber of Commerce, and the SBDC. Staff look forward to furthering those relationships and developing additional business programming for the community. Thanks to the success of the BIZ, the Brakensiek Library was selected as a location for Small Business Saturdays where staff from the Los Angeles County Department of Business and Consumer Affairs will go over the basics of opening a business, how to get financing, getting a business license, and more. Due to the successful outcomes, this model may be expanded to other libraries.
What methods did you use to determine your findings? Check all that apply:
Survey
Based on outputs, outcomes and/or other results, explain any significant lessons learned from these findings for either the SLAA or others in the LIS field:
The Bellflower BIZ had many successful outcomes that clearly showed a need for business programming and meeting space in the community. According to the Small Business Administration, half of all new business fail in the first five years and only a third of those will make it to the 10 year mark. By connecting entrepreneurs and business owners to business resources and programs, libraries can help new businesses succeed and demonstrate economic worth to local officials and business leaders. The Bellflower BIZ was a model that can be replicated in any library and be scalable to any size. Although not all libraries are able to create a designated business incubation space, outside organizations such as the SBDC and SCORE want to create new partnerships, and libraries would be a great fit. This project also showed the importance of marketing, not just marketing the workshops but also library business resources. Public libraries offer a huge range of business resources, from books and multimedia to databases and online classes. SBDC staff didn’t realize that our library offered free access to Lynda.com with a valid library card. When library staff made that known during the first SBDC workshop, four attendees signed up for a library card that day. By making library business resources more visible and well known, public libraries can attract new customers and create collaborative ventures between the library, local government, and local businesses.
Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort:
Yes: Changes in the level in effort will happen as funding for workshops such as the one that the SBDC provided will be challenging to find. There are great avenues for funding to explore such as the Library Foundation matching grant or local funding from the Chamber of Commerce or from the City of Bellflower. Future workshops should be more advanced (possibly even longer), focusing on topics such as marketing or bookkeeping in more depth. It is conceivable that the Business Breakfast Workshops will expand beyond the library to be held at Chamber of Commerce events or even at city-sponsored events. There is a lot of room for expansion and improvement, given time and staffing.
Do you anticipate any change in the project's scope:
No
Do you anticipate any other changes in the project:
No

Exemplary: Yes
Exemplary NarrativeThis project has created a template for success that can be replicated, scaled, and even modified, depending on the situation and library. In June 2016, the Bellflower BIZ won a NACO award, which recognizes innovative county programs that modernize county governments and increases services to county residents. The BIZ will continue and will be replicated across our library system. This is an exemplary project that holds great promise for the future and addresses a common problem facing all communities and localities.

Project Tags: community, business, library