Invest Newark announced the launch of the Language of Capital series in partnership with Valley National Bank Nov. 4.

According to the organization, Newark’s economic development corporation, the course offers city-based entrepreneurs instruction to build business acumen that will help to make the most informed decisions to reach their goals.

This is the ninth iteration of the program and the fourth in partnership with Valley National Bank. Since its inception in 2019 more than 300 Newark-based small business owners have participated.

Topics covered include: business insurance, using merchant services, business planning, equipment financing and more.

“The health and success of Newark’s economy is directly tied to our local businesses, which are vital to sustainable and equitable economic growth,” said Marcus Randolph, president and CEO of Invest Newark. “The Language of Capital class has proven an important resource for entrepreneurs that are looking to expand their knowledge and literacy of financial planning for their small businesses, and we are grateful to our partners at Valley National Bank for investing their resources into such a valuable program.”

“Valley is proud to partner with Invest Newark’s Language of Capital program to support small business owners in Newark,” said Luis De La Hoz, regional director of community lending, Valley Bank. “Our Community Lending Team is dedicated to helping minority-owned businesses achieve financial security through this program with Invest Newark we are providing important financial information that owners need to operate their businesses successfully.”

The first class of this session took place Oct. 26 with 42 attendees. The program is offered two to three times per year with versions in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

The series is one of many Invest Newark initiatives that work to support the city’s economic prosperity.

“As business owners, we must learn to build a profitable business,” said Hilda Mera, owner of Newark-based S&A Auto and a previous participant in the series. “The Language of Capital series has helped me understand how important it is to understand our business financials, our market competition in order to remain profitable.”

“We look forward to continuing this class along with our other efforts to promote economic development opportunities across Newark,” said Randolph.