County Starts Workshops for Retail Start-Ups

INDIO – If you have ever wanted to start your own retail business but did not know how, a free opportunity is knocking at your door.

Small businesses considering a brick and mortar site can learn how to build a physical retail business in a new county program that begins tonight, April 23.

“Brick by Brick” is a six-week program offered to businesses at no cost. The two-hour weekly workshops will cover topics such as basic business formation, competitive analysis, retail site selection, leasing, budgeting, marketing and more.

The retail start-up classes will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday evenings at the Coachella Valley Small Business Development Center in Indio, 44-199 Monroe St. The program runs through May 28.

“Brick by Brick will provide valuable information to anyone seeking to open a brick and mortar location, such as a kiosk, local market, mall space, or storefront,” Supervisor V. Manuel Perez said in a prepared statement. “These classes help aspiring retailers put together the building blocks of their business model, while introducing them to additional services and resources available to them. We are proud to have specialized outreach programs for the business community such as Brick by Brick to assist with the needs of the local economy.”

“Brick by Brick” is offered by Riverside County, in partnership with the Coachella Valley Small Business Development Center. The retail start-up program was developed in collaboration with the Haagen Company.

Funding for the program was provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration to the Coachella Valley Small Business Development Center, which is operated by the Riverside County Economic Development Agency.

Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, driving the U.S. economy and creating jobs in communities around the country, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).

California’s retail industry supports eight times as many jobs as the state’s entertainment industry, according to the NRF.

To sign up for the retail start-up program, click here.

Perez represents the eastern two-thirds of Riverside County on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. Stretching from Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs, south to the Salton Sea and east to Blythe and the Colorado River, the 4th District is the largest geographical district in the county.