Small Business Owners - Take Your Business To The Next Level

Develop the skills around technology solutions to increase sales and improve the operations of your business including:

Creating or re-designing your website to market or sell products online

Employ digital marketing techniques to expand your market presence

Utilizing social media strategies to attract engage customers

Setting up effective tracking systems to managing and grow customer accounts

Develop processes to do business with government entities

CARAT is offering FREE technology based training to small businesses to aid in operational efficiencies and enhance business profits. The trainings are live, 90 minute webinar-based courses that allow you the flexibility to take the course from any location, as long as you have an internet connection. Specific training topics in the areas of Social Media, Digital Marketing, E-Commerce, Website Design and Development, Collaboration Management, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), E-Procurement, Financial Management, and Purchasing and Inventory Management. More information...

Technical Assistance Capacity Building Program (TACP)

The TACP program focuses on establishing performance standards for technical assistance providers in California. CARAT has developed and implemented two pilot TAC programs that benchmark current performance in the industry. The findings are published and available upon request. Currently CARAT is in the final stages of implementing a statewide program that certifies Technical Assistance organizations who meet certain performance standards. The TACP assesses the current operations of the technical assistance providers as well as provides tools for building future capacity. More information....

Revolving Loan Fund Capacity Building Program

CARAT provides capacity building training to revolving loan fund operators and CDFI's. Customized training seminars include program design and development, portfolio management, credit analysis, microlending, regulatory compliance and loan workouts and loan recovery management, managing high performance loan funds and loan fund capitalization. More information...

Customized Post Loan Technical Assistance Program

CARAT has designed a Post Loan Business Assistance Program that trains and compensates business assistance providers to deliver financial analysis consulting services to CEDLI's Co-lending borrowers statewide. A financial analysis software tool has been developed to be used by the business assistance providers. More...

Community Partners Program

CARAT has partnered with CEDLI to develop a Community Partners Program. The program is designed to certify and train selected business assistance providers (Community Partners) to package CEDLI Co-Lending loan applications. Community Partners are eligible to receive a loan packaging fee of 1 percent of the loan amount upon loan booking. The California Economic Development Lending Initiative (CEDLI) Co-Lending Program targets loans to emerging businesses that are unable to qualify for conventional bank financing. To date, 48 economic development nonprofits have been certified as Community Partners.