California Small Business Owner Highlight

Derreck Johnson

Derreck Johnson is painstakingly aware of how the current global health crisis has impacted not only his small business but the entire small business ecosystem in Oakland, Calif. 

Derreck has been an entrepreneur for the past 30 years and has always had a passion for identifying a community need and filling it with a business. His entrepreneurial journey started with a small car washing business, but now he is a restaurateur and the proud founder of the now employee-owned restaurant Home of Chicken and Waffles.

California Events

Wednesday, June 10, 2026 | 11:00am PT / 2:00 pm ET

Join Small Business Majority, Business Consortium Fund and U.S. Bank for a free virtual workshop on growing your network and growing your business. Discover how intentional networking can open doors to new customers, partners and resources for your business.

Workshop | National
Tuesday, June 23, 2026 | 12:00pm PT

Please join Small Business Majority and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (LCCRSF) for a virtual webi

Workshop | CA

California Policy

Browse our latest state-based regulatory comments and legislative testimony in this area below, or click the button to view all records.
Monday, May 11, 2026

On May 11, Small Business Majority sent a letter signed by more than 100 small business owners and organizations in support of AB 1776, the COMPETE Act, which would update California's outdated antitrust laws. 

Thursday, April 23, 2026

Small Business Majority network member Paloma Corona, owner of Little Sprouts Language Immersion Preschool in Los Angeles testified before California State Assembly Committee on Banking and Finance to share her experience with predatory loans and ask the Committee to support AB 2116, which proposes to expand the California Consumer Financial Protection Law (CCFPL) to pr

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

On March 10, Booksmith and Kepler's Books owner Christin Evans submitted testimony to the California Joint Assembly and Seante Health Committees on how rising healthcare prices impact small businesses and recommendations on how to make health insurance more affordable.

Monday, January 12, 2026

Small Business Majority has created a comprehensive state policy agenda to ensure entrepreneurship is recognized as the lifeforce of a thriving and inclusive economy in California. The state’s

California Research

Published:
Wed, 07/12/2023
Mother and child working

As the California Legislature considers updating the state’s small business paid family leave and sick day policies, a new poll shows that small businesses owners strongly support expanding family leave protections and other benefits to their employees, including increasing the amount of paid sick days that employees can take. 

Published:
Tue, 08/31/2021

California lawmakers are weighing a proposal to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test for customers at consumer-facing businesses and to similarly require employers to mandate vaccinations or negative COVID-19 tests for employees. New opinion polling from Small Business Majority reveals that small businesses in California are supportive of proposals to mandate vaccinations and testing at places of business to help ensure local economies can operate safely, amid setbacks from the current surge in COVID-19 cases.

Published:
Tue, 02/23/2021
Banking online

Nearly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic that has strained California’s economy and public health system, small businesses across the state continue to experience significant financial setbacks. A new survey of California small business owners reveals that their struggles are being exacerbated by challenges accessing capital, and they strongly support policy solutions that would deliver the financial relief they need to survive this year-long crisis.

California Resources

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.

California’s paid sick leave law allows employees to take time off from work to address their health or a family member’s illness without losing a paycheck.

This document is intended to answer any questions small employers might have about California’s paid sick leave law and its effects on small business owners and their workers. 

The CalSavers Retirement Savings Program is a portable workplace retirement savings program for private sector workers whose employers do not offer their employees a way to save for retirement. CalSavers is run by the state and funded by modest employee contributions, so it involves minimal requirements for employers. You can learn more by watching this introduction video

As a small business owner, we know you wear many hats—from running the day-to-day operations of your business, to managing employees, building a brand and much more. One thing many entrepreneurs feel unequipped to deal with while starting or running a business is how to handle business finances and maintain a healthy workforce.