Facebook Launches 'Summer Of Support' To Aid Businesses

AUSTIN, TX — Facebook on Friday announced the launch of Summer of Support, a six-week program providing free content designed to help businesses get back to business and to provide millions of individuals and small businesses with the digital skills and resources needed to survive and thrive in this economic crisis.

The value of the initiative is enhanced given current challenges stemming from the coronavirus scourge as physical distancing restrictions have yielded vast changes to business models.

The Facebook program will tackle a different theme each week, offering participants on-demand training courses and thought leadership lessons from business leaders, small business owners and featured guests, officials explained. This week’s theme is ‘The Changing World’ as the world is in a state of accelerated change.

It’s not just about the health crisis, officials stressed. Innovation itself has put business people in a permanent state of flux, and for businesses to succeed, it's important to understand how to respond to this new reality, officials added.

Some examples of recent sessions include:

• Unsung Heroes: Mikaila Ulmer, founder of Austin-based Me & The Bees Lemonade shares how a lemonade stand she started when she was four-years-old turned into a nationwide brand and product that continues to fund efforts to save honeybees.
• The New Work-Life Balance: Julia Cheek from Austin-based Everlywell discusses the unique challenges of balancing personal obligations with the responsibility of running a business during a time of unprecedented change.
• The State of Minority Owned Business: Monique Nelson, Chair and CEO, UWG is interviewed by Facebook’s Judy Toland to discuss how minority owned businesses can confront these new economic challenges and opportunities—and find ways to thrive.
• Access to Capital: Sports and business legend Magic Johnson shares his insights on using capital to build brands and communities.

In tandem with Summer of Support, Facebook is premiering Tan France’s “Boost My Business” show on Facebook Watch which features Tan — a former small business owner himself — helping other small businesses achieve success using Facebook and Instagram to grow their business online, even if their doors are currently closed.