LEWIS COUNTY, N.Y. (WWTI) — Naturally Lewis was selected as a recipient of a $15,000 grant from National Grid’s Small Business Technical Assistance Program.

The grant was awarded as part of National Grid’s “Project C” Initiative to support the Doing Business As Lewis County Program. The program aims to help entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses and connect existing resources and services to provide a pathway to success. National Grid Regional Executive Alberto Bianchetti explained how the initiative focuses on improving the community.

“National Grid and Lewis County have a vested interest in supporting new entrepreneurs that can increase employment opportunities and economic growth for the region,” Bianchetti said. “National Grid’s Project C community support initiative is designed to create a more equitable energy future in every community we serve. We are confident this award will foster that future by supporting growth and opportunity through the Doing Business As Lewis County program.”

Naturally Lewis stated they are seeking local business owners to provide technical assistance and consulting services to entrepreneurs and small business owners through the DBA Lewis County Program. The DBALC Program partially funds technical assistance for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to launch or scale up in Lewis County. They are seeking expert consultants in several areas, some examples are listed below.

• Business Plan/Strategy (vision, mission, planning)
• Establishing Business Structure (DBA, LLC, etc.)
• Real Estate (finding a business location, moving, zoning)
• Financial Operations & Management (financial systems, bookkeeping, budgeting, projections, turnover, cash flow)
• Access to Capital (equity and debt financing)
• Business Insurance
• Legal (reorganizing, drafting contracts, certifications, regulatory compliance)
• Branding (Name, Logo, Tagline, Colors, Fonts, Photography, Videography)
• Marketing/Communications (website, social media, visibility)
• Product or Service Development (new or better products and/or services, consumer and market research)
• Sales (merchandising, pricing, margins, online sales)
• Operations (production methods, administration, waste, downtime, inventory)
• Workforce Development (hiring, training, human resources, benefits)
• Identify and Expanding Markets
• Leadership Development
• Mentorship

DBA Lewis County Program Coordinator Jenna Lauraine said that the funding is critical to growing local business in Lewis County in a press release.

“Project C funding will be incremental to the growth of the DBA Lewis County program providing additional funding for marketing and technical assistance,” Lauraine said. “With additional funding Naturally Lewis, in partnership with the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce, will be better equipped to market the program to the Lewis County business community. This is also a great opportunity for local businesses to get involved with DBA Lewis County to receive customer referrals and depending on your scope of services, there may be an opportunity to offer entrepreneurs an onboarding incentive, paid for by the DBA Lewis County program.”

Those interested in getting involved can find more information on the Naturally Lewis website.