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Ms CAMEO goes to DC

  • Ms. CAMEO Goes to DC
  • Workforce Investment Act Reauthorization
  • The Goodies – This week’s highlights include new news from the SBA: CDBG funds can be used as a match against the PRIME grant. Scroll down for more info on PRIME and other grants.
  • If you haven’t already, fill out the microTracker census with your 2013 impacts. Email Andrew with any questions. We will be closing the survey at the end of July.

Ms. CAMEO Goes to DC

“Women’s entrepreneurship is all the buzz at the SBA,” says Claudia. “I couldn’t be more excited.” She is in DC for the AEO Board meeting and meetings with the SBA, the USDA, the Federal Reserve and several Congressional leaders. Besides extolling the work that you do, she attended a Congressional briefing this morning on AEO’s Micro Capital Task Force (MCTF). The MCTF is a private multi-stakeholder group that was formed to identify solutions, particularly regarding access to capital in amounts of up to $250,000. The MCTF will present fact-based and practical recommendations to the White House, the Department of Treasury and the Congress. Connie Evans explains the reasoning behind the MCTF.

In the land of the great American Dream, 8,000 daily business loan denials are symptomatic of a massive market failure. Our analysis shows it’s a failure to deliver an estimated $44 billion to $52 billion in critical capital to Main Street.

Read Connie’s remarks to Congress on the task force.

The MCTF recommendations (pp 9-11) that were presented at this morning’s Congressional Briefing include:

  • Make Every Main Street Investible
  • Unleash a Robust Product and Service Marketplace: Path to Capital and Pricing
  • Turn “Decline” into “Delight”

Stay tuned for action you can take to move more money to Main Street.

Workforce Investment Act Reauthorization

We never thought this day would come. Yesterday, the House voted to pass The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which passed the Senate on June 25, and now goes to President Obama to sign. Read a summary of what’s in HR 803.

As far as making it easier for WIBs to contract with entrepreneurship training programs, we are working with the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the Vice President’s Jobs Driven Training for Workers Initiative to identify a solution to the WIA performance measure issue, whether legislatively or administratively.

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!

Grant Opportunities

Grant Opportunity: The U.S. SBA announced that it is seeking grant proposals to award up to $1.5 million in grant funding to for-profit and non-profit service providers including, but not limited to, universities, trade and professional associations, firms, and other organizations for special projects to promote the development, success, and long-term survival of small disadvantaged businesses that participate in the agency’s 8(a) Business Development Program. The application deadline is July 20, 2014.

Grant Opportunity: The SBA announced the Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs (PRIME) Grant RFP. Applications are due July 16, 2014. Friedman and Associates are available to request a consultation for PRIME application support, which includes full proposal development or project design, review and refinement of drafts. To request a consultation. This just in from the SBA: CDBG funds can be used as a match against the PRIME grant.

Grant Opportunity: The SBA has issue an RFP for new Women’s Business Centers. California is one of 11 states that can apply. The deadline is July 30, 2014.

More Good Stuff

CAMEO’s 20th recap: Gwendy Donaker Brown from Opportunity Fund wrote “Staying Centered while Changing with the Times” on their blog, a look at seemingly contradictory things that she learned at the event.

Member Kudos: Congrats to California Capital Financial Development Corporation. It has been designated a Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) by the Defense Logistics Agency. This designation will provide federal funds to California Capital, allowing them to provide training, counseling, and resources for businesses to build their capacity and pursue government contracts.

Take Action: Our friends at ASBC is conducting a campaign to ask Governor Brown to sign SB 1272. This important legislation will place an Advisory Measure before the People of California in November 2014, calling on the US Congress to overturn Citizens United v. FEC and “all applicable judicial precedents”. Download the template small business-oriented letter.

For Your Clients: Lots of contests for your small business clients including one from Wells Fargo.

For Your Clients: Six million young Americans are both out of school and out of work – a staggering number that contributes to weak economic demand. At the same time, small business leaders are struggling to fill job vacancies that are critical to both individual company success and overall economic growth. Small Business Majority has identified some best practices that will help address this problem while also benefitting small employers. Have your clients pledge to help youth employment and check out our best practices.

Healthcare Webinars: The Small Business Administration and Small Business Majority are committed to helping businesses navigate the changes and opportunities in health care through the webinar series What the Healthcare Law Means For Your California Small Business . It’s every two weeks in English and monthly in Spanish. The next ones are on July 16, 2014 at 10:00am and July 8, 2014 at 1:00pm respectively. Note the Small Business Health Option Program’s online enrollment function is on hold and will be back online in the fall. Businesses can still purchase insurance through the traditional paper process, working with your Certified agent or the SHOP Service Center. A recent survey by Transamerica Center for Health Studies revealed six in 10 small businesses are aware of SHOP, but only 56 percent of them feel very informed about their company’s options for health insurance. Check out this new online guide of small business health plan options and costs through SHOP.

Free Webinar: Learn about how your clients can raise money using a Direct Public Offering (DPO). CAMEO member Cutting Edge Capital, hosts DPO 101. Register for the webinar on July 22 at 11:00 am PST//2:00 pm EST.

Women Business Leader Conference: Women business owners from across the country will be gathering in Washington, D.C. to grow their businesses, enhance their leadership skills and advocate on key issues impacting the women entrepreneurship community. Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP)’s Annual Leadership Meeting is on July 23-24, promising an opportunity to network and cultivate business opportunities with women business owners as well as interact with policymakers to discuss the challenges you are facing in your industry.

Professional Development Scholarship: Through the Diane Lupke Scholarship Fund, IEDC is proud to award four scholarships to economic development professionals (two IEDC members and two nonmembers) working in distressed communities to attend an IEDC education course of the recipient’s choice. Submit all materials by Friday, July 25, 2014 to be eligible for consideration.

Scholarship Opportunity: Do you have an idea, product or service that helps microbusiness owners address their financial challenges? CFED is collecting those ideas. Up to 10 standout submissions will be selected, recognized, and offered a free trip to Washington, DC from September 17-19, 2014 to take part in a special design thinking intensive at CFED’s Assets Learning Conference. Deadline for submission is July 25, 2014.

Microlending Capacity Building Opportunity: OFN and Goldman Sachs have committed to helping small business lenders grow to better serve small businesses by launching the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Financing Initiative. OFN is hosting a free workshop on August 5-6, 2014 in Los Angeles designed to help small business lenders identify and pursue growth opportunities.

CAMEO White Paper: Download Do-It-Yourself Economic Growth: How Communities Can Cultivate Their Talent and Thrive. Read it. Use it as a resource. Share it. The Do-It-Yourself Economy is built on a foundation of small, locally-owned, diverse businesses. CAMEO’s white paper focuses on why we need a new approach to economic development, explains the reality of small business and self-employment labor market trends, and delineates some of the tools that local economic developers can use to create a sustainable future for their regions.