Home  ›  Uncategorized  ›  Happy Holidays from Your Favorite Microbiz Advocate

Happy Holidays from Your Favorite Microbiz Advocate

The CAMEO Staff wishes you and yours a very joyous holiday season. ‘See’ you in 2016!

  • Shop Micro for the Holidays
  • The Gift That Gives Year-Round – CAMEO Membership
  • Save the Date: MicroLenders Forum, January 26,2016 at the Federal Reserve Bank, San Francisco
  • The Goodies – This week’s highlight is a $200 discount off the early bird rate if you register for AEO’s EconoCon25 before December 31, 2015.

Shop Micro for the Holidays

Check out the holiday gift guides from CAMEO members!

And don’t miss Claudia’s op-ed “Shop (and invest in) small business to raise all boats” that was published in the San Jose Mercury News on November 20.

The Gift That Gives Year-Round

1001029036Give you and your organization the gift that keeps giving even after the holidays – renew your membership/join us.

In 2016, we will bring you more exciting programs and resources. We will again deliver Go-to-Market training to specialty food producers in rural regions. Also, back by popular demand is access to professional media relations tools. And of course we will persist in our tireless advocacy for government and corporate support for the micro sector, building the case for the DIY Economy, and promoting the new Small Business Borrower Bill of Rights. CAMEO is here to assist members to meet the growing demand for their services from the increased numbers of microbusinesses and self-employed in California.

Take advantage of everything we offer. In addition to high quality programs, your membership dues easily pay for themselves with free group trainings, individual training opportunities, discounts on professional communications tools, member meetings and the priceless intangible benefits of collaboration and support.

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!

AEO National Conference: Save the date May 18-20, 2016 in Washington, DC to celebrate 25 years! EconoCon25 gathers actors in the small business space who impact America’s smallest businesses and underserved entrepreneurs — lenders, nonprofit and for-profit service providers, advocates and policy makers, entrepreneurs, funders and investors — for meaningful dialogue about how to innovate faster, partner smarter, and execute better. AEO is offering $200 off the early bird rate if you register for EconoCon25 before December 31, 2015.

For Your Client: As of January 1, 2016 California employers are subject to nine new laws. Thanks to Cutting Edge for this post and keeping us all informed.

Free Webinar/For Your Clients: Join Cutting Edge Capital for “Is a Direct Public Offering Right for You?” on January 6, 2016, 1:00pm PT. A Direct Public Offering (DPO) is a term that refers to a public offering of securities by a business or nonprofit to both accredited and non-accredited investors in one or more states. The ability to raise funds directly from accredited and non-accredited investors makes a DPO an ideal fit for many enterprises, but is it right for yours? What factors should you consider when deciding to “DPO”?

State Workforce Plans: A series of ‘Roadshows for Public Input’ on the State Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) will be held around the state this month. The purpose is to communicate the vision and strategies; receive feedback/input on how the State (via the State Plan) can better facilitate regional leadership, alignment with industry, system integration for scale, new ideas and innovative practices, etc; engage local boards and their stakeholders; set-up for WIOA regional planning.

For Your Clients: The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) announced a series of 15 workshops across California designed to help businesses apply for the California Competes Tax Credit (CCTC). Your clients can benefit from the $75 million in tax credits available to business that want to come to California or stay and grow in California. The next application session is from January 4-25, 2016. A number of very small businesses have received tax credits of $20,000 or more, including an accounting services firm, a commercial printer and an animal memorial services company. Go-Biz is hosting a series of workshops around the state starting in Santa Clarita next Tuesday and going through the new year. Check the California Competes Tax Credit website for a workshop near you.

For Your Client: National Small Business Week has been recognizing the special impact made by outstanding entrepreneurs and small business owners since 1963. During this week, the U.S. Small Business Administration honors small business owners and entrepreneurs for their outstanding achievements through various awards. The The deadline is January 11, 2016.

CAMEO Speaking: Claudia will talk about microbusiness on an access to capital panel during the Small Business Summit put on by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) on January 19, 2016. All small businesses are welcome – tell your clients about it! There will be presentations on the new California Business Portal, small business financing, trade and export resources, state tax credits and incentives, and much more. The details: free to attend, 8:00am – 3:00pm at Milton Marks Auditorium, 455 Golden Gate Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102.

Funding Opportunity: The U.S. SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership announces a Women’s Business Center Grant Opportunity. The purpose of this grant is to provide funding for up to six (6) non-profit organizations that will provide services to the population of Alaska, California, Guam, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas or West Virginia to start a new, community-based Women’s Business Center (WBC). Deadline is January 28, 2016.

Entrepreneur Tracker: Join the seven CAMEO members who are using FIELD’s Entrepreneur Tracker. The tool offers a credible, affordable way to collect and understand outcomes achieved by small business and microbusiness clients. Such outcomes include: Business start and survival rates, jobs, changes in revenue, hourly wages paid to workers, and client movement out of poverty. To discuss pricing and learn more about EntrepreneurTracker, please contact Tamra Thetford.