LODI -- You might want to grab yourself a cup of coffee before you shop because in Lodi, National Small Business Week is taking over.
"It's just really fun to work downtown and to be a part of the community," said Gracie Diaz, a barista at Brew House Coffee.
Diaz has worked in countless small businesses across the city. She knows firsthand the importance of shopping local.
"It's hard to own a small business," she shared. "Having the people and the community of Lodi come together to support them, it means a lot to them. They're just people that want to start up, and they're just really chasing their dreams."
The city of Lodi is overwhelmingly local. Out of the nearly 2,600 businesses, nearly 94% of them are run by one to 15 employees.
You can take a stroll downtown and hardly see any chain restaurants or retailers, which means small businesses are the driving force of the economy.
That's why this week, the city, Lodi Chamber of Commerce and the San Joaquin County Economic Development Department are helping pave their paths to success.
They've hosted free webinars, summits and are even holding a mixer later this week. But that's not all.
"I was lucky enough to walk with the chief of police, and we went broke into groups and visited some local businesses to just try to understand what challenges they are facing right now and then also encourage them to utilize the resources that are out there," said J.P. Doucette, president of the Lodi Chamber of Commerce.
Jennifer Pratt is a small business owner of Her Pretty Things in Lodi. Knowing that the city has her back creates a sense of security.
"Sometimes being a small business owner can be very isolating," Pratt explained. "You kind of feel like you're on an island by yourself and so it's really nice to know that the city has our back and that they're trying to help us."
But she and other business owners know, Lodi loves local.
"You're feeding someone's family," Pratt continued. "You're putting gas in someone's tank. You're paying their mortgage. It really makes a difference and you get to know these people. On the flip side, we get to know our customers, and so we get to build those connections with our customers, which is also really rewarding."
This year, the city is featuring two initiatives -- Lodi's Microloan Program and the County's Spark Relief Grant.
The microloan program offers financing of up to $50,000 to first-time borrowers or owners who have had a hard time accessing traditional capital.
The grant provides utility reimbursements of up to $5,000 to help businesses across the county recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
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