Verizon Small Business Digital Ready opens new round of grant funding
Read Time 3 MinutesVerizon just announced that a new grant funding opportunity for small businesses, totaling $500,000, is now available via Verizon Small Business Digital Ready.
In partnership with partners Next Street and LISC, the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready online resource is designed to give small businesses the tools they need to thrive in today’s digital economy. Small businesses can access, for free, personalized learning through over 40 courses, mentorship, peer networking, 1:1 expert coaching and incentives such as grant funding. There are over 30 online courses on digital readiness, finance, operations and more and more than 200 live and virtual events to connect with experts and peers.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our communities,” said Rose Stuckey Kirk, Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer at Verizon.
“We developed the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready portal to give small businesses tools and resources that can help them succeed and, ultimately, help benefit their local economies.”
The Verizon Small Business Digital Ready portal was created with and for small businesses, with a specific focus on helping diverse and under-resourced business owners. Starting March until May 12, 2023, small businesses can unlock the application for this round of grant funding by first registering on Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, available at www.verizon.com/smallbusinessdigitalready, and completing at least two of the following, in any combination: courses, live coaching or community events. Small businesses that complete the application will be eligible to receive a $10,000 grant.
“We had taken a Verizon Small Business Digital Ready course on social media and wanted to invest in digital marketing. And we were fortunate to receive a Verizon Small Business Digital Ready grant,” said Joe Alvarez, co-founder of iCareClean. “With the grant funds, we funded marketing projects and placed ads in online search results and on social media, all of which have significantly helped our sales efforts.”
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready includes courses designed to provide essential knowledge and tools, including topics such as developing a marketing strategy, marketing with influencers, creating a content calendar, and the basics of building your business website. The free portal also includes access to mentorship, providing small business owners with the opportunity to obtain ongoing advice and support from experienced professionals who can help them overcome business challenges. Spanish language course offerings, coaching from experts and community events are also available.
In an effort to help launch the next round of grants and support the small business community, Verizon welcomed hundreds of entrepreneurs for StartUP FIU’s Small Business Kick-Off presented by Bank of America this past week. Merdochey LaFrance, Director, Local Engagement (State & Local Government Affairs) at Verizon, moderated a discussion on Digital Equity for Small Business Panel which explored the importance of digital equity for small businesses in today’s digital age.
She was joined by panelists Martu E. Freeman-Parker, Director of Fashion Business Development at Mana Common, Steven Banasiak, Broker Associate at Baron Real Estate, Dr. J. Chris Ford,
Mission-to-Market Manager at FU, and Nikki Cabus, CEO at South Florida Tech Hub, who discussed the challenges small businesses face in accessing digital resources, strategies to create a level playing field for all businesses, and the potential long-term effects of building equity for small businesses.
This initiative is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1M small businesses by 2030 with the resources to thrive in the digital economy as part of its responsible business plan, Citizen Verizon.
Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts.