BATON ROUGE - The governor's office announced Wednesday the state is launching a program to help empower small businesses' online presence. 

State officials say LASmallBizOnline.com, with support of global commerce company Shopify, will aim to make those businesses more competitive during the pandemic. 

With the website, Louisiana business owners gain access to a 14-day free trial with Shopify and enhanced one-on-one support. They’ll find tools, tutorials and live webinars for creating company websites, bringing more customers to their sites, managing inventory and fulfilling orders. Some of the resources include tools for email marketing, site security, setting up taxes and distribution channels. 

More details can be found online by visiting the website: https://www.lasmallbizonline.com/