- Federal Budget Gift for Micro!
- Supporting The New Economy Business Owners
- 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.
Federal Budget Gift for Micro!
This week, Congress finalized a $1.1 trillion Omnibus spending bill to fund the government for FY 2016! (It’s not set in stone yet. The House and Senate passed another Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government funded through December 22, which will give Congress enough time to pass the spending bill.) CAMEO’s hard work in Washington, advocating for increases in the programs that we care about, paid off. We are pleased to report that funding levels that we advocated for were either exceeded (Women’s Business Centers!) or met in full. Happy. Holidays. To. Us!
- SBA PRIME – $5 Million (same as FY15) CAMEO has helped save PRIME from the chopping block several times, the latest being in 2014.
- SBA Micro Lending – $35 Million ($25 million in FY15, 40% increase)
- SBA Micro TA – $25 Million ($22.3 million in FY15, 12% increase)
- SBA WBC Program – $17 Million ($15 million in FY15, 13% increase – we recommended $16 million)
- SBA SBDC Program – $117 Million ($115 million in FY15, 1.7% increase)
- CDFI Fund – $233.5 Million ($230.5 million in FY15, 1.5% increase)
- USDA Rural Business Development Program (formerly RBEG and RBOG) – $24 million ($24 million in FY15)
- USDA RMAP – forthcoming
Lawmakers also agreed to make small business tax breaks permanent, including those for companies’ research and development and Section 179 or “small business expensing” that allows small businesses to deduct the full cost of equipment rather than use a multi-year depreciation. Read a cliff notes version of the tax extenders, thanks to Madison Services Group.
Supporting The New Economy Business Owners
The Industrial Revolution brought a new way of working and a social safety net rose up around the needs of workers. The Information Revolution and Internet of Things is bringing about another pivotal change in the way our economy works. Our existing safety net no longer fits the changing times. The labor market trend toward self-employment and independent work has shifted benefits such as healthcare and retirement contributions from the employer to the employee. And the middle class is shrinking. The big question is how can we create a ‘future of work’ that allows for the independent worker, aka self-employed microbusiness owner, to succeed and thrive.
This week, an interesting development happened in Seattle. In a unanimous vote, Seattle City Council granted Uber and Lyft drivers (and others) the right to unionize. Here at home, the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) “plans to introduce the California 1099 Self-Organizing Act in January, creating a new way – outside of unions – for gig workers on platforms like Uber, Lyft, TaskRabbit, Postmates and Handy to collectively bargain with those entities.”
Also, as part of Aspen Institute’s Future of Work Initiative, Aspen held a set of panel discussions that addresses the issue of support for independent workers – The Next Big Idea: Portable Benefits for Independent Workers. The panels discussed the need to create a new support system as well as some of the solutions that exist to provide a safety net to these new independent microbusiness owners.
The Gift That Gives Year-Round
Give 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!
Holiday gift guides from CAMEO members:
- Working Solutions
- InnerCity Advisors
- Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights
- Accion’s small business online marketplace
- Pacific Community Ventures
- Women’s Economic Ventures
CAMEO In The News: “Shop (and invest in) small business to raise all boats” was published in the San Jose Mercury News on November 20.
Member News: VEDC announced the appointment of lending executive Robert Lopez as chief operating officer. Lopez comes to VEDC from national online small business loan provider Dealstruck, where he oversaw client services and portfolio risk management as director of servicing. He previously served as chief credit officer at Accion San Diego. Welcome back to micro! Also, congratulations to Robert Lattimore, formerly COO of AnewAmerica for his new position managing the CDFI Diversity Initiative at OBDC, funded by Wells Fargo Bank.
Annual Micro Census Summary: Download a copy of the
Annual Micro Census Summary for more details on our collective work.
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.
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.
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”?
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.
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.
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.