The Level Up Program is a program developed by SBDC to assist small businesses in expanding and driving their business to the next level. During the four (4) weeks, business owners will work on putting together their path towards progress as they evaluate and develop on their metrics, benchmarks, teams, financials, triggers and strategies to reach the next level of growth. Trainees will learn how to de-risk expansion and get involved in proactive growth and development.

Biggest obstacles in growing your business include:

• Intelligent Planning
• Cash
• People
• Customers
  
  

Categories of growth include:

• New Revenue Streams
• Entering New Market Segments/Expanding Customer Base
• Expanding Team
• Acquiring New Technology/Equipment
• Adding Strategic Partners
• New/Additional Location
• Mergers and Acquisitions

Program Structure

• A total of four (4) two-hour mandatory Zoom training sessions. In the event a business misses one of the mandatory training sessions, they can make it up by scheduling an additional 1:1 consultation meeting with their SBDC consultant. If a business misses two (2) or more mandatory training sessions, they will then be ineligible to receive the $10,000 grant.
• One (1) mandatory 1:1 consultation meeting with a SBDC consultant in between cohort meetings/sessions

Program Outline

The Level Up Program covers the following topics with a focus on building growth strategies:

Planning
Every business faces a series of challenges on its path to growth. This module covers a variety of successful approaches to growth. You will find out how to grow your business as you learn about successful growth opportunities, identify failures in growth and pitfalls to avoid, and take actions setting your growth plan as aligned with your vision. Are you ready to grow?

• What does growth mean to you? Identifying the key drivers of growth in your business.
• Building a Strategic Plan that matches your vision. (What goes into your strategic plan?)
• Conducting Market Research to validate your vision.
• Establishing Key Performance Indicators(KPI)/Key Performance Areas (KPA) to ensure you achieve your vision.

People
During this module, you will learn about actionable steps you can take to assess and develop your human capital talent into a formidable all-star force for your company. Utilizing individual skill sets and training to personal strengths ensures all individuals are functioning within the overall team at their highest and best use, creating a competitive edge not easily duplicated.

• Your workforce
• Breakdown of your labor force

Customers
There is only one boss:  CUSTOMERS! Growth in your business is all about attracting new customers and/or expanding what your existing customers are buying from you. This module will take your growth plan and help you hone in your efforts on bettering the outcomes of your current marketing efforts, defining your target areas that you are trying to reach and developing a strategy to grow your customer base.

Customers: Marketing

• What is your Marketing Strategy?
• Breakdown of your Customers – Who Are They?
• Marketing Channels – Where Are You Marketing? Where Should You be Marketing?

Customers: Sales

• Revenue Analysis
• Sales Channel Analysis

Cash & Plan
Cash is king. But the question is: cash for growth or growth for cash? To grow, you need to maintain adequate cash flow. In this module, you will understand your numbers through your Profit & Loss (P&L) and build your financial projection to support your growth plan. This class will teach how to accurately project growth, model it, and stress test it to make sure capital will work effectively with your growth plan.

Cash

• P & L Analysis
• Financial Forecasting
• Cash Flow Analysis
• Funding Options

To be eligible to apply for the Level Up Program, a business must meet certain criteria that has been established by the City of Tustin and the guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Treasury for utilizing ARPA funds. The business must also demonstrate the need for financial support resulting from the loss of revenue due to the impact of COVID-19.

General Terms and Conditions

The business applicant must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered for grant funding:

• The business must be a for-profit business and physically located in Tustin;
• The business must be located in a commercial or industrial space;
• Residential or real estate projects including short-term rental operators are not eligible;
• The business must have an active Tustin business license since the first quarter of 2019 (January – March 2019);
• As of July 1, 2022, the business must have at least five (5) employees – including the owner – and no more than a total of fifty (50) full-time and part-time employees;
• The business must be in good standing with the City (current on bills, no liens or judgements, etc.), unless directly correlated to COVID-19 impacts;
• The business must not be suspended or debarred or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal funding;
• The business must submit the application and all required supporting documentation;
• The business applicant must certify that it experienced financial hardship related to COVID-19. Financial hardship is defined as more than a $10,000 loss of revenue due to COVID-19. For example, total revenue for the business during the 2020 calendar year or 2021 calendar year (including any COVID-19 grant assistance received in that calendar year) was down more than $10,000 in comparison to total revenue for the business during the 2019 calendar year; and 
• The amount requested ($10,000) cannot exceed the amount of lost revenue, which must include a reconciling of any previous grants the business received.

* City employees and elected and appointed officials are not eligible to participate in this program.

Funds should be used to cover expenses for the business. The primary expenses include such items as rent or mortgage expense, utilities, inventory, marketing, business planning, payroll and benefit costs, PPE, or other operational expenses for the business (“Eligible Expenses”). Applicants will fill out a section of the application form that will breakdown how the funds will be spent within their business (“Spending Plan”). Each applicant will need to sign and verify that the use of funds will be spent on business expenses, such as those expressed above. Any use of funding other than that to support the business is strictly prohibited. Eligible Expenses are considered necessary expenditures that provide economic support in connection with the COVID-19 public health emergency and they were incurred during the period that begins on July 1, 2022 and ends on December 31, 2022. In the event a business does not expend the funds in the manner consistent with the Spending Plan as outlined in the application or does not expend the entire grant amount, the business will be required to submit a report to the City no later than January 31, 2023, identifying how the funds were spent. If there is a remaining balance, the business will be required to return the funds to the City by January 31, 2023.

The following is a nonexclusive list of expenditures that shall not constitute Eligible Expenses payable from the grant amount:

(1) Damages covered by insurance.
(2) Expenses that have been or will be reimbursed or recovered through other funding programs, such as the reimbursement by the federal government pursuant to the CARES Act or contributions by States to State unemployment funds.
(3) Reimbursement to donors for donated items or services.
(4) Workforce bonuses other than hazard pay or overtime.
(6) Severance pay.
(6) Legal expenses or settlements.
(7) Debt service or loan repayment.

Upon pre-approval and notification of selection for funding, the first 40 businesses will be required to submit the following documents by September 12, 2022 for review and verification in order to receive the grant:

• The most recent monthly bank statement; and
• Current City of Tustin Business License.

In addition, SBDC will provide the selected businesses with the following documents to complete
and submit by September 12, 2022:

• W-9;
• Direct Deposit Form (includes voided check which matches account and routing numbers listed on Direct Deposit Form. Grant funds are directly deposited into your account);
• Check Request Form; and
• A signed Tustin Small Business Grant Agreement, which includes business impact statement and self-certification.

For additional information regarding the Main Street Digital Grant Program, please contact the following:

City of Tustin
Economic Development Department
300 Centennial Way
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 573-3117
TustinEconDevDept@tustinca.org

For questions about the guidelines and application or assistance in completing the application and to set up a one-on-one consultation (at no cost), please contact the SBDC at:

Manal Richa, Director
CSUF SBDC
15375 Barranca Parkway, Suite A111 Irvine, CA 92618
(657) 256-3874 office
Manal.Richa@ociesbdc.com