Extra, extra – Claudia Viek talks about the non-profit lending for small business in The New York Times!
In this week’s Must Know
- CAMEO’s Annual Survey
- Webinar: Business Incubation and Free Rent Opportunity for your clients
- The Goodies: information on important opportunities like trainings, funding, scholarship programs. This week’s highlight is that Rich Mostert, CVBI-SBDC Assistant Director, will receive the UC Merced SBDC State Star Award at the annual ASBDC Conference in New Orleans on September 11, 2012.
CAMEO’s Annual Survey
More congrats for Central Valley Business Incubator! They turned in their data to microTracker and have already treated their staff to breakfast (see pic left with Sam the caterer) on CAMEO.
Twenty-seven CAMEO members have completed the survey with about 15 more who have started it. If your organization completed the survey by July 31, 2012, then CAMEO is treating staff to lunch (or breakfast) at a local eatery. We will continue to collect data until August 31, 2012. We do this for you, our members.
Collecting data and reporting outcomes is as integral to our industry as training and lending. Policy makers, government agencies, corporate and private funders regularly approach CAMEO for impact information. CAMEO uses this information to advocate for state and federal policies that increase resources to the Micro field; to demonstrate the significant role Micro plays in local and statewide economies; and to educate funders and investors to better understand market trends so that they can support the field.
Webinar: Business Incubation and Free Rent Opportunity for your clients
CAMEO invites you to join Kimco Realty to learn about the Kimco Entrepreneurs Year Start (KEYS) Program- an incubator program for entrepreneurs that offers one year of free rent and business counseling.
Register now!
When: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 3:00-4:00 pm Pacific
Who should attend: anyone who works with entrepreneurs, such as business trainers, loan packagers, loan officers
Learn about
- the benefits of program;
- who qualifies;
- how to qualify; and
- why Kimco is offering this great deal.
The Goodies
New opportunities for trainings, 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 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!
Member Kudos: Rich Mostert, CVBI-SBDC Assistant Director, will receive the UC Merced SBDC State Star Award at the annual ASBDC Conference in New Orleans on September 11, 2012.
Job Opportunities: California Farmlink, Valley Economic Development Center, Fresno EOC and Fresno CDFI, West Company and Renaissance Marin are hiring. Please check CAMEO’s job page for more information and other listings.
Take Action: The 2012 Farm Bill will shape agriculture and food policy for the next five years. It is vital that the legislation reflect priorities that sustain economically-profitable farms, promote local and regional food systems, promote public health, and support economic equity for agriculture workers. Help Promote a Sustainable 2012 Farm Bill, a campaign by American Sustainable Business Council.
Take Action: Grameen Bank has been under attack from its government for 20 months. Tell Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh that the continued actions of her government against the independence of Grameen Bank are not acceptable.
Conference: Meeting of the Minds 2012 – Collective Impact (Timely Training – Regional Economies – Sector Strategies). This dynamic conference offers a framework for workforce, economic development, education and business and industry to collectively support regional economies and identify workforce development initiatives and strategies that address critical issues facing California’s major regional industry sectors. September 4-6, 2012 at the Monterey Marriott. Early bird registration ends 8/7/12. Claudia Viek and Judy Hawkins, CAMEO boardmember, are presenting.
Win $10,000+: SAP and Ashoka Changemakers are hosting a competition – The Power of Small: Entrepreneurs Strengthening Local Economies. The competition is for organizations and partnerships with innovative strategies designed to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities. Learn more about the competition and how to apply. The deadline for submissions is September 5, 2012.
Vote for Micro Enterprise: Julie Abrams, CEO of Women’s Initiative, is up for MORE Magazine’s HIRE CALLING: MORE’S JOB GENIUS AWARD, an award given to one of ten woman innovators who create jobs for women. Learn more or vote directly by August 31. The winner will receive $20,000 donated to her organization.
For Your Clients: SohoOS is the free and simple way to manage a micro-business. It is designed to help users focus on what they are passionate about while daily administrative activities are fully automated by the SohoOS platform. Read an interview with the founder in HuffPo.
For Your Clients: More corporate contests! DailyCandy launched its third annual “Start Small, Go Big” campaign, aimed at helping small companies become “the next big thing.” The deadline is August 3. MillerCoors Urban Entrepreneur Series (MUES) business plan competition is now open and accepting entries and it’s specifically focused on minority businesses. The deadline is October 26. Fresno CDFI client, Jaymor Enterprises, is in the running to win a $250K grant from Chase/Living Social’s Mission Small Business challenge. Has anyone else had a client send in an application? If so, weigh in on our LinkedIn discussion.
For Your Clients: CARAT offers free online trainings for small businesses through December. Check out their calendar.
New Member Benefit: Through 2012, CAMEO members will receive a 20% discount to the Mighty Minnow Web School in Oakland. Mighty Minnow is picking up the role of teaching technology to non-profits as Compasspoint has discontinued its tech classes. For non-Bay Area members, remember that CAMEO can help defray travel costs. Contact CAMEO for the discount code and information on assistance.