North County Business Briefs, Jan. 16

ESCONDIDO

Grants available to help employment

Grant funding is available from the Escondido Community Foundation to support organizations that provide workforce development resources needed for economic growth in Escondido. In the 2022-23 grant cycle, the foundation, an affiliate of The San Diego Foundation, invites local organizations to submit a letter of intent specifically for projects in Escondido. The foundation is committed to programs that provide resources for job readiness, job shadowing, internships, vocational education, advancement opportunities and technology instruction. These projects should be achievable within a 12-month time frame, and have prospects for long-term sustainability. Find information and applications at sdfoundation.org/programs/regional-affiliates/escondido (scroll down to “Grants”). Submissions are due by 5 p.m. Jan. 24. To join the foundation, email [email protected].

NORTH COUNTY

Low-cost Internet for qualifying households

Cox Communications is offering ConnectAssist, a low-cost broadband option available to qualifying low-income households with no school-age children in the home and who don’t qualify for Cox’s Connect2Compete, a program for families with children in grades K-12. ConnectAssist is for households that participate in government-subsidy programs such as SNAP, TANF, Head Start, WIC, LIHEAP, Public Housing, Pell Grant, Veterans Pension & Survivors Benefits, Tribal Programs, Supplemental Security Income, or Medicaid. ConnectAssist provides broadband Internet speeds up to 50Mbps download/3Mbps upload and a modem rental for $30 per month plus tax. Eligible customers can sign up at cox.com/digitalequity and are not required to go through credit checks, commit to long agreements, or pay deposits. Customers qualifying for ConnectAssist are also likely to be eligible for the federal Emergency Broadband Benefit program, which offers $50 per month Internet credit. The Connect2Compete program offers Internet service for $9.95 per month to K-12 families receiving free or reduced school lunch or other government assistance. Learn more at cox.com/digitalequity.

ACE offers live webinar on bias

The San Diego-based American Council on Exercise and SELF magazine are hosting a live webinar at 11 a.m. Wednesday to discuss ways exercise professionals can make sure that people of all sizes feel supported in the fitness industry. The panel will discuss the state of gym spaces, the issue of weight bias and stigma, and ways that exercise professionals and enthusiasts can help create a more inclusive fitness environment. The webinar is open to all, with an option to earn continuing education credits for qualified professionals. The webinar will be recorded and available on the ACE website and YouTube channel. Register at . Visit www.acefitness.org.

SCORE hosts Women’s Success Lab

SCORE San Diego and the Women’s Business Center are offering the Women’s Success Lab, a six-part low-cost virtual series for women aiming to open or grow their small business in San Diego or Imperial counties. The sessions will be held from 8:30-10 a.m. Fridays starting this Friday and continuing on March 18, May 20, July 15 and Nov. 18. Cost is $9.99 per session. Topic for Friday’s session is “Why You Need to Pay Yourself First, and How to Do It.” Participants will be introduced to small-business mentors and learn how to set up free mentoring appointments. Register at . Spanish language support will be available through Spanish language breakout rooms. SCORE San Diego, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with more than 10,000 dedicated volunteers nationwide, focused on helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals. All SCORE mentoring appointments are free, and workshops are free or low cost. Visit https://sandiego.score.org.

OCEANSIDE

Next class forming for incubator program

The second cohort is now forming for the free Women Entrepreneur Incubator program led by the National Veterans Chamber of Commerce, SCORE Mentors, and the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce. The virtual program, which launches Thursday via Zoom, is helping train entrepreneurs to develop their part-time or full-time businesses in one of three tracks: Social Media Management Company, Virtual Assistant Company, and Business/Personal Coaching. The sponsor organizations are providing training, technical assistance, peer-to-peer support, and financial information. Each entrepreneur will receive in-person coaching, and mentoring will take place at the Oceanside chamber office after the online training sessions. Women interested in joining the next cohort can contact Victoria Carlborg at [email protected]. Register by emailing [email protected].

VISTA

State of community lunch postponed

The Vista Chamber of Commerce has postponed its annual State of the Community Luncheon, which will now be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Vista Civic Center. Keynote speaker will be Mayor Judy Ritter. Other speakers are Dr. Gene Ma, Chief Medical Officer, Tri-City Medical Center, and Matt Doyle, Vista Unified School District superintendent. Tri-City Medical Center is the presenting sponsor; other sponsorships are available. Tickets start at $75. Register at .

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