Registration for the Downtown Long Beach Alliance’s (DLBA) Entrepreneur and Small Business Education Series opened Friday, it was announced.

Current and future business owners are encouraged to register for the free, six-week course, to begin on April 1. The series consists of ten modules, from Writing Your Marketing Plan to Negotiating a Lease, and is in partnership with Cal State Long Beach (CSULB).

“The team at CSULB has been an excellent partner as we both work to grow and support our small business community,” Adam Carrillo, DLBA economic development manager, said in a statement. “Small business forms the core of our economy and it’s squarely in line with DLBA’s mission to invest in their success.”

Entrepreneurs who have completed the series will qualify for the DLBA’s Small Business and Job Creation Grant, which awards up to $2,500 of matching funds raised by the applicant for a total of up to $5,000.

The valuable tools and skills taught during the series, alongside the grant, are meant to help entrepreneurs push their ideas to greater heights, according to the release.

“By partnering with the DLBA on this set of workshops, CSULB brings the necessary expertise in the areas needed for the entrepreneur to succeed,” said Director of Graduate Programs of the College of Business Administration at CSULB, Dr. Ingrid M. Martin, in a statement. “This partnership is designed to create an entrepreneurial culture in Downtown Long Beach leading to an innovative and dynamic economy.”

All sessions will be held in downtown Long Beach from 8:00AM to noon, with Week 1 set to take place at WeWork, at 100 West Broadway, with the remaining sessions to take place at Studio 111’s new offices at 245 East 3rd Street.

Week 6’s “Pitch Fest” will be the culmination of the series, where participants will present their business plans to DLBA’s Economic Development team, as well as private angel investors.

“Encouraging current and future entrepreneurs to follow their dreams and providing them with the skills to reach those dreams is paramount,” Martin said in a statement.

For more information on the free Entrepreneur and Small Business Education Series and Job Creation Grant, visit the webpage here.

Asia Morris is a Long Beach native covering arts and culture for the Long Beach Post. You can reach her @hugelandmass on Twitter and Instagram and at [email protected].