In 2015, Kristine de la Cruz, owner of Crème Caramel LA and co-owner of Frankie Lucy Bakeshop in Los Angeles, traveled to Washington D.C., to participate in one of Small Business Majority’s policy-focused events. Four years later de la Cruz joined us again–a little closer to home–for the “California Small Business Summit: Building Local Economies” to learn how she can expand her businesses. She wasn’t disappointed.
The Women’s Business Center (WBC) at JEDI provides in-depth, substantive, outcome-oriented business services to women (and men) entrepreneurs, both nascent and established business owners, a representative number of whom are socially and economically disadvantaged.
WBC services include:
Small Business Majority has created a comprehensive state policy agenda to ensure entrepreneurship is at the center of a thriving and inclusive economy in California. California’s 3.9 million small businesses employ seven million people, which amounts to about half of the private workforce, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The Latino Business Networking Group provides assistance and support for Latino businesses in the Fruitvale, Richmond, Martinez, Hayward, Fremont and San Jose areas. The main purpose of the project is to bridge and connect the monolingual Spanish speaking - Latino business owners and entrepreneurs to all the resources and services that the city of Oakland and other organizations offer to support them in their development, growth, and sustainability of their business.
Small Business Majority writes in support of California's Angel Investor Bill, AB 2758. The legislation would support qualifiying small businesses struggling to find financing by creating a tax credit of 5% to angel investors that invest in businesses with less than $2 million in gross receipts. Additionally, the legislation prioritizes investor applications from those investing in traditionally underrepresented businesses.
The CalSavers Retirement Savings Program will be a portable workplace retirement savings program for private sector workers whose employers are unable to offer their employees a way to save for retirement. CalSavers will be run by the state and funded by modest employee contributions, so it involves minimal requirements for employers. Below is an overview of what small businesses need to know about the program.
California’s paid sick leave law, which went into effect on July 1, 2015, allows employees to take time off from work to address their health or a family member’s illness without losing a paycheck.
The paid sick leave law in California helps promote a healthy workforce while benefiting small employers’ bottom lines through reduced employee turnover and increased productivity. Additionally, it helps employers take care of their employees in order to retain a loyal and healthy workforce and to attract top talent.
California’s Paid Family Leave program (PFL) provides wage replacement benefits to workers who need to take time off from work to bond with a new child or to care for a seriously ill family member.
This document is intended to answer any questions small employers might have about California’s PFL program and its effects on small business owners and their workers.
Energy Upgrade California® is a statewide initiative committed to helping Californians take action to save energy, conserve and preserve natural resources, reduce demand on the energy grid and make informed choices about their energy use at home and at work—all of which goes a long way for California.
To learn more about Energy Upgrade California, please visit their website.
On Small Business Saturday we’re all encouraged to “shop small,” which is great for the millions of small companies in California and elsewhere. But how many people think about helping small businesses beyond that one day? We should, because we can do more to assist small firms than just buying holiday gifts from them—we can also help them invest in energy efficiency.
Copyright © 2019 Small Business Majority. Small Business Majority is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization.
