Stories of Resiliency: Supporting Women-Owned Businesses in East Los Angeles
The LA Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund has provided a much-needed wave of financial relief and recovery tools for small businesses, non-profits providing essential services, immigrant-owned enterprises and the most vulnerable Angelenos impacted by the pandemic. Serving as the Fund Administrator, LISC LA has awarded grants to over 1,000 businesses. Each week, we’ll be sharing the stories of our resilient grant recipients.
As we head into the New Year, it is easy to focus on the hardships our community has experienced in 2020. Since March, the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we live and work. On top of the public health crisis, the lockdowns and operating restrictions in effect across the city and county have made running a business a daily struggle. Some were able to transition their services online and develop protocols to meet new safety standards, but with less revenue coming in and bills piling up, Angelenos needed economic relief. A number of financial relief programs were created to address the needs of local businesses, but unfortunately, the many cultural, technical and financial barriers in receiving this aid have caused many businesses to fall through the cracks.
But, as we look forward to the New Year with optimism, let us remember that there are still pockets of good to be grateful for this past year. To support the small businesses that form the backbone of the diverse Los Angeles community, the City and County created the nearly $100 million LA Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund to provide $5,000 to $75,000 grants to small businesses, microentrepreneurs and non-profits. With over 40 years of experience connecting communities to resources and opportunities, LISC LA ensured grants were distributed equitably and reached the most vulnerable Angelenos.
Two such local women-owned businesses who LISC is grateful to support through the LA Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund grant were Sweet Potato Music in Atwater Village and Hammer and Nails in Echo Park.
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A professional and classically trained musician, Leah Paul taught music for 20 years before she started her own business, Sweet Potato Music, nearly three years ago. Her music classes have become popular in the East LA community, providing families with relief and enrichment through music. Having experienced a good flow of business, Paul was planning to expand her operations to the Westside and hire her first employee back in December 2019. However, COVID-19 suddenly brought everything to a halt. Unlike many businesses, Leah Paul was lucky — she was able to move her business online to continue operating during the shutdown. However, with the amount of widely available musical resources online, Paul was forced to cut her class prices by 20% to stand out and stay competitive. This became an issue for her family’s financial security, as her husband’s career was among the affected industries put on hold due to the pandemic.
When Leah received her grant from the LA Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund, she was able to supplement her payroll, replace equipment to meet the latest COVID-19 safety protocols and invest in innovative ideas to boost Sweet Potato Music’s presence and popularity in its new online environment. With the financial aid the grant provided for Paul’s business, she has since been able to host a number of small, socially-distanced outdoor classes, which she says has been really helpful — many parents have told her these classes are the first thing they’ve been able to do with their kids in months. “The grant gave me breathing room to get what I needed to change direction. There are still so many unknowns that I can’t relax, but I feel like I have enough structure in place that I will be able to get through this,” Leah Paul said. “Even before COVID I felt like what I did was important. But now I am not just providing an education, but a community.”
Our second featured recipient, Hammer and Nails, is a 100% woman-owned men’s grooming salon in Echo Park that is the premier destination for haircuts, shaves, and hand and foot care. Rebecca McDonald, one of the three owners, is an entrepreneur born and raised in Los Angeles who genuinely enjoys serving the unique and admirable Echo Park community. She and her fellow owners have created a relaxing and luxurious salon experience that treats their customers like royalty — filled with personal TVs, noise-cancelling headphones, leather chairs, and complimentary frosty beverages. Hammer and Nails was even featured in the popular show Shark Tank, showing the Sharks firsthand the deluxe services that their salon and barbershop provide. However, hair care has been one of the hardest-hit industries during the pandemic, and this small business faced many uncertainties since it began. Especially in this industry, business reopenings have been volatile, with Hammer and Nails closing and reopening multiple times in both indoor and outdoor settings since March.
While they’ve adjusted their operations and services quite efficiently, they’ve still dealt with financial difficulties. With a lack of stimulus coming from the federal government, McDonald was diligently looking for ways to get help and keeping her relatively new business open — and the LA Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund provided the solution. As a grant recipient, McDonald has received the help she needed to pay her employees. Now, Hammer and Nails has the breathing room to continue growing as an Echo Park hotspot, with a follow-up segment on Shark Tank in the works! “I was ecstatic when I was finally picked,” said McDonald. “All I can say is that it is impossible to be anything other than grateful.”
While the Fund’s final round of its grant program is now closed, LISC LA continues to build resilient and inclusive communities for people, places and businesses through a number of programs they offer throughout the year. To learn more about LISC LA and the programs they offer, visit https://www.lisc.org/los-angeles/.
