Auburn resident promotes state campaign to help small businesses

For Auburn resident Kaitlin Lewis, some of her favorite childhood memories include meeting her sister for lunch at Local Heroes, grabbing a sorbet from Tango Frozen Yogurt with her mom and browsing at Winston Smith Books. "Auburn is an incredibly charming mountain town because of its small businesses," Lewis said. "No matter what trail you take or which road has you passing through or stopping by, there's a small business that will be a special reminder of the bighearted people who call Auburn home." Lewis is now finding a way to give back to those businesses she remembers so fondly. Through her job as Assistant Deputy Director of Communications for the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, Lewis is helping to spread access to resources small businesses can take advantage of. Lewis' office is promoting the Calling all Californians: #ShopSafeShopLocal campaign, which helps increase small businesses' digital footprint so they can operate safely and stay connected to their customers. "This campaign is about making state and local resources accessible and encouraging locals to safely connect and continue to support their beloved Auburn small businesses," Lewis said. As part of this campaign, California has partnered with 20 industry-leading companies, such as Nextdoor, Google and UPS, and launched a website that connects California's small business owners to critical tools and resources. These resources are designed to help California's entrepreneurs adapt to new consumer and market demands and create safer shopping experiences by improving those small businesses' online presence. The website includes links to: Free consulting, in 31 languages, from California's network of small business centers; Resources and offers from our partners to help businesses operate safely and build a digital footprint including building a website, hosting an online ordering system and online advertising options; Latest state industry guidance and county variances; Access to personal protective equipment through California's new PPE marketplace; A free digital media toolkit for small businesses and partners. "Across multiple industries, COVID-19 has fundamentally changed day-to-day operations. Businesses have had to pivot, adopt new technology, open online and change how they engage with their customers," Isabel Guzman, director of the California Office of the Small Business Advocate, which is spearheading the campaign, said in a news release. "Yet they persevere and embrace the new marketplace. It is up to us as Californians to support all of our diverse small businesses by shopping with their survival and everyone's health in mind." The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus have presented extraordinary challenges for California's small businesses. Small businesses have stepped up to protect their employees and customers with innovations that meet the moment, but thousands have shut down or paused operations and face the threat of permanent closure. According to the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, the United States has experienced a 15% drop of active business owners between February and May. "You don't have to look far to see the strength of the community of Auburn," Lewis said. "It's apparent as you see people driving through downtown and offering a friendly wave to a passer-by. My hope is that resolve of community will continue in Auburn as we continue to do what we always have: supporting one another, and that is what this campaign is all about." During this campaign, officials said they hope the collective actions of all Californians – workers, consumers and business owners – to follow public health guidelines and shop safe and local can help small businesses survive and thrive. For more information, visit business.ca.gov/shopsafeshoplocal.