February 22, 2023

City of Tacoma

As part of ongoing efforts to build upon the existing entrepreneurial ecosystem in Tacoma, the city of Tacoma's Community and Economic Development Department is leveraging Washington State Department of Commerce's Small Business Innovation Fund (SBIF) dollars to partner with three organizations specializing in technical assistance for small and micro businesses. From March 2023 through May 2023, Devland, Kay Tita, and Spaceworks Tacoma will use one-time SBIF funding provided by the city to roll out three new programs focusing on technical assistance for small and micro-businesses in the areas of financial and digital literacy and readiness. Devland's GROW Program supports micro enterprises looking to advance their businesses through efficient operations. They will be selecting 12 micro businesses and begin programming for confirmed participants in the first week of March. The Kay Tita Digital Sales Access Program seeks to bridge the digital divide that impacts immigrant, minority, and small businesses, particularly those operating as cash-only or those in need of support in the areas of financial management, marketing and e-commerce. The goal is to help 65 Tacoma-based business owners grow their businesses in these areas, by providing them with free point of sale systems and training. Spaceworks Tacoma aims to provide training, technical assistance, and financial resources to 35 graduates of its incubator programs to grow their digital marketing efforts. This includes web design, social media content creation, product photography, video creation, paid advertising, e-commerce platforms, and accounting and invoicing software. Eligible small businesses based in Tacoma should submit an application directly through these organizations. More information and direct links to each organization are available at makeittacoma.com.