Equipping local small businesses with skills and capital for success

Professional 1:1 business coaching and $100,000 deployed to Orange small, locally-owned businesses to support long-term economic growth and sustainability.

Our 2025 application cycle is closed.

“You always think you know everything until someone else comes and open your eyes to a lot of things that could change and improve the way you do business in the fast, new and daily changes in the market.”

— 2022 Sustain & Thrive Participant

$100,000

54

100%

in grants deployed

hours of 1:1 professional coaching

of businesses report increased customer traction and revenue growth

Investing in Entrepreneurs

Investing in entrepreneurs is investing in the local economy. HANDS’ programs help to strengthen and sustain wealth and well-being by supporting residents to identify, launch, and grow businesses that serve their community—thereby creating a positive feedback loop of economic growth and community revitalization. 

The mission to support small businesses took on an increased urgency during the pandemic, when many local retailers struggled to stay afloat. In response to an increased need for resources and technical support, we partnered with Rising Tide Capital to create a grant-supported small business coaching program: Sustain and Thrive. 

Entrepreneurs selected into Sustain & Thrive are paired 1:1 with Dedicated High-Growth Coaches who are themselves successful business owners. The Coach identifies the business's most pressing needs and works individually with selected entrepreneurs to enact a targeted 90 Day Business Action Plan, build their knowledge base and professional network, and improve the growth potential of their business.

To increase the impact of the coaching, the selected entrepreneurs are also granted $8,000 to use for business operations, online presence & marketing, and bookkeeping & accounting. 

Through this initiative, we equip small-business entrepreneurs with knowledge-based and financial resources to change their financial trajectory. We are already seeing this initiative inspire more entrepreneurs to collaborate with each other and residents to improve the neighborhood’s economic and social conditions. 

Participant Testimonials

  • "Charlene, my coach, has a sharp eye for business and helped identify aspects of my business I could improve and offered many helpful tools to help me achieve success."

  • “My coach has given me the tools that are necessary to carry my business to next step.”

  • “We see more customers walking in the store we didn’t see before and they willing to build a long relationship with our business.”

  • “The program gave us the confidence that we can do better and there is room to grow our business.”

  • "The program has made me want to get more involved with community events and has made me want to eventually give back to the community."