- Capacity Building: Stories and Training
- Sharing Economy
- Read Claudia’s recent blog about scaling up business assistance services to women-owned microbusiness – “Boosting Women-Owned Businesses Will Boost the Economy.”
- The Goodies – This week’s highlight is a call to action to support SB 197. The bill would allow CAMEO’s microlenders to pay referral fees to consultants, non-profits (e.g. TA providers) and others who refer successful loans. Download the SB 197 Support Letter Template. Scroll down for more instructions
Capacity Building: Stories and Training
One of CAMEO’s roles is to advocate/be the Voice for the micro sector. In addition to the data that you give us in our spring annual survey, we need your stories. Right now, we’re especially looking for the following:
- A business that you’ve refinanced because its online financing didn’t work out so well
- Successful women veteran businesses
- Successful women-owned businesses in agriculture
- Trucking businesses that have revamped their trucks to comply with California’s environmental regulations
If you’ve got a great story about any client, we’re all ears. Please email or call 415.992.4484.
And another of our roles is to build capacity of our members. Following on the demand for last year’s Microloan Readiness webinar series, we’re pleased to bring you more training! All webinars start at 1:30pm. All staff members are welcome. Registration information is forthcoming, but mark your calendars now for the following dates:
- March 11 – Loan Capital Projection Worksheet
- April 8 – Cash flow projections
- May 27 – Balance Sheet Basics
- June 17 – Balance Sheet Advanced (tentative)
Also, as part of our MicroLending Academy we will be holding a series of peer calls focused around the results of our Excellence in Lending (EiL) assessment. All calls are at 1:30pm. And, yes, information will be sent closer to the call, but mark your calendars now for the following dates:
- March 18
- May 13
- July 15
- September 9
We will also be holding MMS learning calls for participants. Some possible topics may include: underwriting grids, MMS’ reporting capacity, application fees, and staffing.
Sharing Economy
The sharing economy has been top of mind recently. This week, the Collaborative Economy Conference was held in San Francisco. The topic popped up at our board meeting. Our friends at Emergent Research are studying the economic impacts of independent work and gig work.
You’ve heard of Uber, AirBnB, Etsy, and TaskRabbit. Technology has made it easier to connect supply and demand for housing, transportation, skills, and labor. While some of the sharing economy involves bartering or borrowing, a substantial part is a true market activity with $3.5 billion in revenue for 2013. The key question will be how to make these markets work for workers, oops, I mean business owners.
Aspen’s Working in America series held a discussion to explore how the the sharing economy affects workers and work. As this trend becomes more embedded in our culture and our workforce, CAMEO is thinking about how our sector can serve this new type of business owner and how we can help you to reach these new markets.
The Goodies
New opportunities for training, conference information, funding, scholarships, and other information that have crossed our desks since the last Must Know. I have posted a running tab of current Industry Goodies on the CAMEO website that lists items that were in past emails. Check it out to make sure you’re not missing anything, like grants whose deadlines are still alive!
Take Action: Support SB 197. The bill would allow CAMEO’s microlenders to pay referral fees to consultants, non-profits (e.g. TA providers), and others who refer successful loans. It also will give your clients more information about affordable lending products. Download the SB 197 Support Letter Template and put it on your letterhead. Edit appropriately, then email to: Senator.Block@senate.ca.gov, and cc Eileen.Newhall@sen.ca.gov and me! For more information check out the Must Know from February 19, 2015.
For Your Clients: Join the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) for a free workshop on how to apply for the California Competes Tax Credit. Upcoming workshops in Southern California start on Monday, March 2, 2015 in Torrance.
For Your Clients: OBDC Small Business Finance launching business training programs for veterans. They have available space in their upcoming 10-week business training course, and welcome your referrals. We also appreciate your help by posting about this opportunity to your social media networks. The registration deadline is March 3, 2015.
For Your Clients: Working Solutions has teamed up with Whole Foods for their Small Producers Grant program. If you or someone you know has an exciting product, but need a little more capital to grow, this is the program for you. The deadline is March 4, 2015.
Small Business California survey: Our friends at Small Business California take an annual pulse of small businesses in California. Let microbusinesses be heard! Please send to your clients and small business owners. The survey takes 10-15 minutes to complete. The results will be sent to every legislator in the state, Governor Jerry Brown, and the media. The survey deadline is March 5, 2015.
Free Webinar: Last November, the Center for an Urban Future in New York City published “Small Business Success” – a report on the “secret sauce” for growing small businesses into medium-sized or large businesses. Join AEO on Wednesday, March 11, 2015 at 11:00am PT // 2:00pm ET for a webinar to discuss the report and its findings. Call-in toll number (US/Canada): 1-650-479-3208
Access code: 662 934 147.
SBA Funding Webinar: The SBA is hosting an upcoming best practices webinars for microlenders on March 12 at 11:00am PT / 2:00pm ET – Best Practices for Microloan TA Grant Applications. The meeting information is – Meeting number 1-888-858-2144, Access Code: 2390263, login at www.connectmeeting.att.com. Learn about other webinars throughout the year on microlending and the community advantage program.
For Your Clients: The U.S. Small Business Administration Los Angeles District Office has launched the registration for its 2015 Emerging Leaders executive-level training series for Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Nationally, the Emerging Leaders Program has trained more than 2,400 promising small business owners in underserved communities, and its impact continues to expand in helping small businesses to grow and create jobs. Participant recruitment begins in February through SBA’s local district offices and classes typically begin in April. Learn more.
Impact Data: Do you need credible data on your organization’s micro and small business outcomes to support fundraising and program management? Aspen’s FIELD is signing up programs now to join the EntrepreneurTracker client outcomes survey process in 2015. Check out the one-page summary to get a visual idea of what EntrepreneurTracker is all about. Sign up ends April 3, 2015. To learn more about EntrepreneurTracker and how your organization can participate in 2015, please contact Tamra Thetford, tamra.thetford@aspeninst.org.
Economic Outlook: Forecast LA is an annual event that combines an economic forecast for the U.S., California, and Los Angeles, with original survey research to produce a comprehensive look at what lies ahead for Los Angeles County and its nearly 10 million residents. CAMEO members receive a $25 discount off the $175 ticket (use link). The event takes place on April 7, 2015, 8:00-12noon at Gersten Pavilion, 1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045.
Funding Opportunity: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Community Services (OCS) today announced the next funding round for CED and CED-HFFI grants. These are extremely competitive grants that supports social enterprises that create jobs for low-income individuals and require a considerable amount of pre-planning. Friedman Associates will partner with a limited number of CDCs and CDFIs to write successful proposals. The grant deadlines are April 24, 2015.
Business Conference: NAWBO California ‘Propel Your Business’ Conference takes place on April 27-28, 2015 at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel. The theme is Think Bigger- Grow Strategically-Network Statewide.