In Long Beach, small businesses just got a glow-up.

The City’s Economic Development Department recently awarded $220,000 in grants to 24 local entrepreneurs through its Level Up LB: Extreme Small Business Makeover and Grant Program.

Level Up LB provides local entrepreneurs with essential support and resources to help small businesses grow and thrive. It is basically a competitive 10-week business bootcamp where participants complete a series of workshops, receive one-on-one counseling and build comprehensive business plans to elevate their operations. After completing the program, participants walk away with $10,000 or $5,000 grants.

Out of the 229 businesses that applied for Level Up LB’s second cohort, just 24 made the final cut. From lattes to locksmiths, the businesses selected to participate and completed the program represent a mix of restaurants, retail shops and health and wellness facilities throughout the city:

• Andrade's Notary & Tax Service

• California Locksmith Company

• Coffee Parlor

• Confidential Coffee

• El Paisa, LLC

• Elations Extension Lounge & Hair Collection

• Encore Awards

• Dieseltronics Injection Service

• Dreamy Vegan

• Firm Hands Incorporated

• Holistic Sports Acupuncture, Inc.

• Inky Dreams Tattoo LLC

• La Guanaquita Restaurant, Corp.

• Lash Brow and Beyond

• Long Beach Kickboxing

• Nueva Imagen Beauty Salon

• Pastrana’s Beauty Salon

• PBS Pub & Co.

• Prozix LLC

• San Juditas Religious Articles

• The Bed Post

• The Muse Academy

• Toxic Toast Records

• Vargas Marble, LLC

Twenty of those small businesses were awarded $10,000 in grant funding and four were awarded $5,000 grants. Businesses also received a one-year membership to the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and a marketing package from Visit Long Beach.

This marks the second round of funding for Level Up LB. Last year, 29 businesses split $266,000 in grants.

Empowering local small businesses is a cornerstone of the City’s business-friendly practices. Over the past year, more than 1,884 businesses received support through the BizCare team and over 467 businesses have received assistance through the Inclusive Business Navigators Program.

For more information about Level Up LB which recently received an Award of Merit from the California Association for Local Economic Development or other small business resources, the City’s BizCare Hotline is available at 562-570-4BIZ.