Tuesday, March 17, 2020:  12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Every business needs an initial investment to get off the ground, and established businesses often require investment in order to expand. Learn how to apply for and obtain small business loans, plus learn about vital alternative funding sources for startups.

Class covers:

• How to sell your business to investors
• Crafting a business pitch
• Best practices for loan applicants
• Other funding options, like friends and family, and crowdfunding

Presented by: Kevin Lew with the support of Bixel Exchange, and Brian Ishida of Pacific Western Bank:

Kevin Lew is the director of Bixel Exchange, the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce's Emerging Tech Center. He endeavors to connect community interests and needs to Bixel Exchange events and programs. Kevin has an extensive background as an event and content producer and partnership program specialist from his ventures at Opportunity Green and Eventologie. With a love for technology, sustainability, and design, Kevin hopes to promote and foster a pragmatic and sustainable business economy at a local and global scale. Now, with three-plus years leading the Startup Development Program at Bixel Exchange, Kevin has extensive knowledge about the early stage startup ecosystem in L.A.

Registration fees: FREE - sponsored by the Friends of the Los Angeles County Law Library through the generous support of Pacific Western Bank.
Classes fill up fast, register today to reserve your seat! All registrants must check-in 10 minutes prior to class time to ensure your seat is not reassigned to waiting-list and walk-in attendees when classes are full.

Photography / Videography:
If you register for this class, you may be photographed or recorded. By registering for this class you are giving the LA Law Library your consent to photograph, videotape, record and broadcast your picture, likeness, voice and statements.  

No legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The Law Library is pleased to offer our patrons the opportunity to obtain assistance from third party legal service providers at this and other events within the Library. However, the Library does not control and is not responsible for the content or scope of any assistance given by those providers.

Due to public health concerns, this class will be offered online only. Registrants will be emailed a link to access a recording of the session.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020:  12:00 p.m. — 2:00 p.m.

New and growing businesses must enter into a variety of contracts, with landlords, suppliers, and clients, to name a few. Learn how to read common “boilerplate” contractual language and negotiate contractual terms to your advantage.

Class covers:

• Contract law basics 
• Essential terms of a commercial lease: what is negotiable and what is non-negotiable
• Essential terms of a contract for goods or services 
• “Typical” contracts negotiated by business people
• Caveat emptor: how to avoid problematic contracts

Presented by Gina Pak:
Gina Pak is the COO and Co-founder of Lawgood, a legal tech company that is helping business owners with their everyday legal contracts through a combination of real lawyers and artificial intelligence. Prior to Lawgood, Gina was as a corporate lawyer at large firms in New York and Los Angeles working with Fortune 500 companies. She was also a law professor at Peking University. Gina graduated from Columbia Law School.

Registration fees: FREE - sponsored by the Friends of the Los Angeles County Law Library through the generous support of Pacific Western Bank.
Classes fill up fast, register today to reserve your seat! All registrants must check-in 10 minutes prior to class time to ensure your seat is not reassigned to waiting-list and walk-in attendees when classes are full.

Photography / Videography:
If you register for this class, you may be photographed or recorded. By registering for this class you are giving the LA Law Library your consent to photograph, videotape, record and broadcast your picture, likeness, voice and statements.  

No legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The Law Library is pleased to offer our patrons the opportunity to obtain assistance from third party legal service providers at this and other events within the Library. However, the Library does not control and is not responsible for the content or scope of any assistance given by those providers.

Class recorded September 12, 2023

In this class, government officials from the state of California and the City and County of Los Angeles will give business owners and entrepreneurs important, practical information on how to “make it official,” obtain business licenses, comply with local tax requirements, and follow COVID-19 reopening requirements.

Class covers:

• How to comply with state and local COVID-19 reopening requirements
• Determining which licenses and permits you need
• How to apply for business licenses and permits
• City, county & state tax requirements
• How to avoid common license, permit & tax compliance issues

Course Materials: If you would like to receive a copy of the course materials for any of the classes, including any PowerPoint used, please register at the Register Now! button for the class, provided below.

Video Recordings: We recognize that not everyone can attend in person classes, so even if you can't make it in, please watch any of these recordings and remember that we are still here to help! Call us at (213) 785-2513, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or chat with us online to get help finding information and resources on any legal (or not-quite-legal) question. Access to the video recordings is free.

Dated Material: Please note that the law changes. The original recording date for each class is provided on the display page. To be certain that you receive up-to-date information, please attend the in-person class, or contact us for help researching or updating your specific legal issue.

Registration fees: FREE - sponsored by the Friends of the Los Angeles County Law Library through the generous support of Pacific Western Bank.

LA Law Library does not provide legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The information presented in this program is not legal advice and is provided solely as an educational service to our patrons. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

For the time being, due to public health concerns, this class has been cancelled.

Tuesday, April 7, 2020: 12:00p.m. - 2:00 p.m. - CANCELLED

In the day-to-day of managing a business, it can be easy to lose sight of the big financial picture. In this class, learn to set realistic goals, budget effectively, save and invest properly, and manage financial risks and returns for you and your business.

Class covers:

• Setting realistic financial and personal goals
• Developing a plan to reach your goals
• Learning to adjust your spending and maximize your income
• Planning for risk with insurance
• Minimizing tax liability

Presented by Kimberly Kelly-Rolfe:

Kimberly Kelly-Rolfe is founder and CEO of Kelly Rolfe Financial Services, a Los Angeles based accounting firm, established in 2005, that provides small businesses a one stop solution for financial services integrating accounting, bookkeeping, tax preparation and payroll functions in a single space utilizing a team of experts. Kimberly has nearly 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, recently earned her Master of Science degree in Entrepreneurship & Innovation from USC’s Marshall School of Business and was awarded this year, USC’s prestigious Marcia Israel Award. She is best known for teaching workshops on business and finance throughout Southern California and in 2017, launched Accelerate Business Training designed to help entrepreneurs launch, run and grow in business. Her notable work includes a trip to the White House to advocate on behalf of small businesses and recognition by the SBA and City of Los Angeles as an Emerging Leader in business. Kimberly’s focus, as well as company mission is to improve the financial position of the people they serve. Through her work with Kelly Rolfe Financial Services and Accelerate, she works to fulfill a greater goal of developing small business owners into employers to create total employment in the U.S. Currently, Kimberly resides in Los Angeles, California with her husband of 23 years and two children.

Registration fees: FREE - sponsored by the Friends of the Los Angeles County Law Library through the generous support of Pacific Western Bank.
Classes fill up fast, register today to reserve your seat! All registrants must check-in 10 minutes prior to class time to ensure your seat is not reassigned to waiting-list and walk-in attendees when classes are full.

Photography / Videography:
If you register for this class, you may be photographed or recorded. By registering for this class you are giving the LA Law Library your consent to photograph, videotape, record and broadcast your picture, likeness, voice and statements.  

No legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The Law Library is pleased to offer our patrons the opportunity to obtain assistance from third party legal service providers at this and other events within the Library. However, the Library does not control and is not responsible for the content or scope of any assistance given by those providers.