New Address: Two Embarcadero Center, 8th floor, San Francisco, CA 94111     

CAMEO Goes to NOLA and Matched Savings

Save June 17, 2014 for our 20th Anniversary celebration in Sacramento!

  • CAMEO at AEO In Nawlins
  • Matched Savings for Entrepreneurs
  • The Goodies – This week’s highlight is the 6th Annual San Diego Microfinance Summit – Expanding Horizons of Microfinance on April 8, 2014 from 9:00am-5:00pm at the University of San Diego – Joan B. Kroc Institute of Peace and Justice. Register for the 2014 San Diego Microfinance Summit.

CAMEO at AEO In Nawlins

 

Join CAMEO at
AEO’s Big Easy Takeover.
Claudia will be presenting on a panel entitled The State of Independence: Reframing Work for the 21st century.

Traditional economic development strategies are not working in our local communities. Enterprise zones, business attraction and tax credits often don’t result in net new jobs. And the government is downsizing. A shift is needed to move from old methods that may have worked for a different economy to a new innovative, creative and flexible method that will work for today’s economy – a method that is based on creating jobs locally, one based on a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) economy. This session will explain the changing landscape of the labor market that necessitates new approaches and examine the challenges, opportunities, and solutions being advanced.

It’s time to make those arrangements because the conference is May 5-7, 2014, immediately after the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The Astor Crowne Plaza will extend the discounted room rate if you come early…let’s show AEO that CAMEO members know how to party! CAMEO members are eligible for a $50 discount off the AEO nonmember rate and can access it by entering the code SMA2014 at registration. You can register now for AEO and receive March Madness pricing.

Check out the conference agenda and track descriptions. I am especially interested in “Reimagining Technical Assistance: Preparing Entrepreneurs for Lasting Success,” but there’s something for everyone.

And don’t forget to ask us about our professional development member benefit.

Matched Savings for Entrepreneurs

Register for Matched Savings for Entrepreneurs, a webinar on March 27, 2014 at 11:00am PT // 1:00pm CT.
Entrepreneurs benefit from maximizing the equity they can invest in their businesses, but low-income individuals may not have that much to start with. That’s where matched savings accounts like Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) can be helpful. Matched savings accounts – similar to 401(k)s – allow entrepreneurs to build capital for their small business. Monthly deposits from participants are multiplied by the matching funds offered, up to $4,000. In addition to accumulating capital, participants establish a history of regular savings that demonstrates creditworthiness that can strengthen their potential for other financing options, such as microloan programs.

CAMEO hosts the AFI Resource Center as they discuss how matched savings programs work and benefit low-income entrepreneurs and microenterprise development organizations. This webinar also showcases the work of a current AFI grantee, the Community Action Partnership (CAP) of Sonoma County, who will share insights on managing an IDA program and supporting low-income entrepreneurs.

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!

Member Kudos: Connie Evans, AEO President and CEO, was selected as a Women of Vision Legacy Award honoree. Connie is one of five trailblazing women who will be honored at the Ms. Foundation for Women’s 26th Annual Gloria Awards: A Salute to Women of Vision Dinner on May 1, 2014 in New York City. Big hearty congratulations from CAMEO staff and membership!

Member Kudos: Congrats to Bob Nash, Chief Executive Officer of Superior California Economic Development, who was selected as a CALED Regional Ambassador.

Webinar Download: Field presents Building Credit with a Secured Credit Card – a webinar that shares the initial lessons from its Asset Building through Credit Pilot. The demonstration worked with five microenterprise programs to test the delivery of a secured credit card combined with credit coaching, as a tool to help aspiring entrepreneurs to build their credit and move towards their business goals.

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 Affordable Care Act 101 Webinars for Small Business. The next one is on March 27, 2014 at 10:00am PT and every Thursday after. 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.

Media Training: The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) is hosting a four-part Media Training Series (March 26, and April 2). Topics to be covered: training for business policy, broadcast meeting, writing op-eds, and social media. ASBC has two offers for CAMEO members: 1) a 50% discounted pricing of $75 for the entire series and 2) three free spots to the the first three people who email me and want the spots (by doing so, you’re committed to attending). Click the link above for more info on the series. And email me for the discount codes.

Free Webinar: California’s GoBiz hosts How Businesses Can Apply for the ‘California Competes’ Tax Credit on Tuesday, April 1, 2014 11:00am-12:00pm (PDT). The California Competes program provides upwards of $180 million in tax credits over the next two years for businesses of all sizes that want to expand or relocate to California. GoBiz is also hosting ‘California Competes’ seminars in your area – find out the details.

IDA Program Grant: CFED, in partnership with Bank of the West, is soliciting applications from IDA programs to support homeownership initiatives in key Bank of the West markets in California and Arizona, particularly those serving ethnically diverse individuals and families. A total of nine programs will be selected, and each will receive a $12,450 grant. Deadline is April 4, 2014.

Economic Summit: Greenlining is hosting their 21st Annual Economic Summit on Friday, April 4th in Oakland. Learn more about “The 21st Century Majority: Empowering a New Nation“, including how to register.

For Your Clients: CAMEO is co-sponsoring a Certification Course for Veterans and Service Disabled Veterans. It’s a two week class offered by CAMEO member Joe Molina. Participants who follow the daily action items in this course will be able to complete the initial submission of information required for receiving a VBE or DVBE Certification. It starts on the first Monday of each month. The next one starts on April 7, 2014. Your clients can use the CAMEO discount code “CAMEO12014” to receive a $120 discount off the $199 tuition fee (so it costs $79.)

MicroFinance Conference: The 6th Annual San Diego Microfinance Summit – Expanding Horizons of Microfinance is on April 8, 2014 from 9:00am-5:00pm at the University of San Diego – Joan B. Kroc Institute of Peace and Justice. Register for the 2014 San Diego Microfinance Summit.

OC Social Enterprise Showcase: The Showcase will focus on to the growing number of business ventures that are creating social impact through the sale of products and services. The three components to the Showcase include: an Expo for local social enterprises to promote their products and services, pitches by the finalists in a Social Enterprise Venture Competition conducted by Academies for Social Entrepreneurship and a panel of practitioners highlighting the opportunities for solving social problems with ‘double bottom line’ businesses. The showcase is on Thursday April 10, 2014, 3:00-6:00pm at the Delhi Center, 505 East Central Avenue, Santa Ana.

For Your Clients: Tax prep season is in full swing. The IRS has a number of instructional YouTube videos to help prepare your taxes.