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

Micro Impacts: Survey, Webinar

Register for our 20th Anniversary Celebration in Sacramento on June 17, 2014! Join us for a full day of learning, networking, and celebrating two decades of micro.

  • Micro Impacts: Annual Survey
  • Micro Impacts: A Webinar
  • MicroLending Academy Peer Learning Call
  • The Goodies – This week’s highlight is the inaugural peer learning call, led by Jeremy Hofer of Fresno CDFI, about the strategic approach to developing a new loan product. RSVP today and receive the call information for the MicroLending Academy Peer Call on April 7, 2014, 11:00am-12:00pm.

Micro Impacts: Annual Survey


We are always being asked ‘what are your impacts?’ The best way for us – and you – to answer that is to fill out the microTracker census. CAMEO is partnering once again with FIELD for our annual survey, so it’s time to gather your data. If you complete the survey by April 30, 2014, CAMEO will treat you and your staff to lunch up to $100!

Last year, Community Action Agency of Butte County (pictured) was the first team to submit their survey results and photo. So far this year we know that JEDI and Opportunity Fund are the first to complete their surveys and several are on their way. The U.S. Microenterprise Census is an annual online survey to obtain updated information on the size and impact of our industry. Seven reasons to fill out the microTracker survey:

  • Resources for Members – CAMEO uses this information to advocate for state and federal policies that increase resources to the Micro field;
  • Data Quality – more consistent data quality across organizations and nationally;
  • Data Back up and Accessibility – microTracker will house your data in the cloud;
  • Industry Standard – funders increasingly are looking to microTracker for information (think Guidestar for the industry);
  • Impact – to demonstrate the significant role Micro plays in local and statewide economies.
  • Program Development – Raise your profile and manage valuable performance metrics from number of microloans disbursed to cost per client. Use this to sharpen and strengthen your program.

To complete the survey, all you need to do is…

  1. Download a sample survey to help you gather the data.
  2. Gather your 2013 year-end reports.
  3. Log on to microTracker.
  4. Create an account (if you don’t already have one).
  5. Complete the survey.
  6. Let us know you’re done. Email Andrew. He can help you if you have problems or questions.

Thank you for providing CAMEO with this vital data in a timely manner.

Micro Impacts: A Webinar

Micro-businesses are the true backbone of our economy. From 2004 to 2010, the smallest of the small U.S. businesses created a net of 5.5 million jobs, while the largest businesses lost 1.8 million jobs during the same period. Very small businesses created jobs every year and mostly created more jobs than any other firm size. During 2009 and 2010, micro-businesses were the only firm size that created jobs.

Join Elizabeth de Renzy, Women’s Initiative for Self Employment, Marsha Bailey, Women’s Economic Ventures, and yours truly on April 17, 11:00am. Register for Micro Business Economic Impacts in California. We will explore the macroeconomic impacts of the micro sector and two case studies of organizations that have had real impacts in their communities.

MicroLending Academy Peer Learning Call

Jeremy Hofer of Fresno CDFI will lead our inaugural peer learning call about the strategic approach to developing a new loan product.

April 7, 2014
11:00am-12:00pm

RSVP today for the MicroLending Academy Peer Call: Strategic Approach to Developing a New Loan Product to receive the call-in information.

Save May 20, 2:00pm for the next call, Small Business Lending and Referral Fees with Opportunity Fund.

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!

News Alert: The House Appropriations Committee for the SBA held their first hearing on the FY2015 SBA budget.

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.

Support the DIY Economy: There’s a new Independent We Stand mobile app to find millions of locally owned businesses. Check out the app and tell your clients about it.

Member Kudos: Congratulations are in order. The Santa Ana SBA recognized two CAMEO members: Stacey L. Sanchez, CDC Small Business Finance Corporation was named the ‘Financial Services Champion’ and Michael Sabellico of the Orange County SBDC was named ‘Veteran Small Business Champion.’

New Report: Would you value data on microenterprise jobs, job quality and the return on investment of microenterprise? Are you trying to make the case for supporting microenterprise? Visit FIELD’s site, Microbusinesses, Gainful Jobs www.gainfuljobs.org, for the report and all the information you need to answer those questions.

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.

Free Webinar: Aspen hosts : Outcomes and Experiences from the Field on April 9, 2014 at 11:00am PST // 2:00pm EST. Social enterprises in workforce development are businesses that sell goods or services in the marketplace while also helping disadvantaged workers gain meaningful employment and work experience. In this webinar, social enterprise experts and workforce development leaders will discuss their experience in supporting, starting, and running social enterprises and how workers have benefited from social enterprises.

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.

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 April 10, 2014 at 11:00am 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.

Economic Empowerment Conference: The SBA is partnering with the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) to host Many Faces One Dream, an economic empowerment tour for LGBT communities of color. It takes place at the Oakland Marriot Center, 1001 Broadway, Oakland on Monday April 21, 2014, 8:00am to Tuesday April 22, 2014, 2:00pm. Register for Many Faces One Dream.

AEO Conference: Join us at AEO’s Big Easy Takeover in New Orleans, May 5-7. Let’s show AEO that CAMEO members know how to party! Claudia will be presenting on a panel entitled The State of Independence: Reframing Work for the 21st century. 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.