Impact on Local Businesses
Our Library to Business program supports entrepreneurship in our community, particularly in underserved areas, with virtual one-on-one support, workshops and legal consults.
Impact on Local Business 2022
Working one-on-one with entrepreneurs
- In 2022, business librarians met virtually with more than 290 entrepreneurs and small business owners to offer one-on-one support in areas such as market research and business funding.
- Through a partnership with the University of Washington School of Law, offered free legal consults with volunteer attorneys to more than 190 people in topics such as patent, copyright, trademark and real estate law. 22 consults were conducted in Spanish.
- Of the entrepreneurs that attended one-on-one help services, 48% said their business was a Black/Indigenous/People of Color (BIPOC)-owned business, 76% said their business was women or minority-owned, 13% said their business was a LGBTQ+-owned business, and 6% identified as veteran-owned businesses.
- 60% of entrepreneurs accessing one-on-one help said they were starting a business and 31% were growing a business.
Workshops on taxes, credit, marketing and more
- Collaborated with 29 community partners on more than 65 programs and events for small businesses, mostly virtual, which reached around 1,900 people in 2022.
- Programs and workshops covered topics such as bookkeeping, business taxes, accounting, marketing products and services online, as well as a four-part series for BIPOC literary entrepreneurs called “The Business of Books.”
- Working with Take Charge Credit Consulting, the Library piloted workshops on improving personal and business credit, and offered eight one-on-one credit consultations.
- Collaborated on the Third Annual Black-Owned Business Excellence (BOBE) symposium, a conference that empowers entrepreneurs and business owners to relaunch, revive and expand their businesses. More than 730 people from 18 states attended the day-long virtual event.
- Used the Urban Libraries Council’s new Business Value Calculator to calculate the market value of our prior year's (2021) business services at $4.9 million.