Remembering Micro Champion & Building Etsy Biz

  • Micro Loses Champion at SBA
  • Webinar: Building Etsy Businesses
  • The Goodies – This week’s highlight is to help to spread the word about our November 6 event for women veteran entrepreneurs in Los Angeles. Download a WOVEN flyer, forward it to your local veteran groups; print it and pass out at your events; send an email to your mailing list.

Micro Loses Champion at SBA

CAMEO is saddened to hear the news of Jody Raskind’s passing last weekend. Jody was the retired Chief, Microenterprise Development Branch, U.S. SBA and created the PRIME program. She was a pioneer in the microbusiness industry, a mentor, and a promoter for Main Street. Our heart goes out to her family.

Jody requested that in lieu of flowers donations be made to AEO to create a scholarship fund for AEO’s 2015 National Conference.

Building Etsy Businesses

CAMEO hosts Rachel Meira Greenwald and Lauren Weisenthal of Etsy on Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 11:00am PT for a free webinar – Building Etsy Businesses.


In our increasingly big box world, entrepreneurial artisans, craftspeople, and creative manufacturers struggle to connect with customers who value their one-of-a-kind craftsmanship. During this 45 minute presentation, we’ll illustrate how niche entrepreneurs use Etsy to gain exposure to their target market, share tips for identifying clients who could benefit from having an Etsy shop, give a walk-through of the platform, and review our top tips for advising clients who use the Etsy platform.

To access the webinar and the slides, register for Building Etsy Businesses. For audio, dial (626) 677-3000 with access code 4284853.

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!

CAMEO Event: Help to spread the word about our November 6 event for women veteran entrepreneurs in Los Angeles. Download a WOVEN flyer, forward it to your local veteran groups; print it and pass out at your events; send an email to your mailing list.

Extra Extra: Read Claudia’s piece in the Huffington Post about the gender gap in business ownership.

Take Action: Last week, the House introduced a bill that’s identical to the bill introduced by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) – the Women’s Small Business Ownership Act of 2014, S. 2693. Please urge your Senators to support S.2693 by signing on as a cosponsor of the bill. Please visit WIPP’s Action Center to write a quick letter. (And of course, we’d be grateful if you emailed me to let me know you contacted the Senators.)

Member 30th Anniversary: Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center celebrates 30 years of growing Bay Area small businesses on October 8. Renaissance is also proud to honor their Emerging and Established Entrepreneurs of the Year including:

  • Abraham Lopez, Owner of YucaTech Technology Solutions
  • Veronica Granillo, Owner of The Law Office of Veronica B. Granillo
  • Marcel Banks, Owner of Frisco Fried
  • Elizabeth Leu, Owner of Fiddlesticks

Healthcare Webinars: The Small Business Administration and Small Business Majority are helping businesses navigate 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 October 8, 2014 at 10:00am and October 22 , 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. Also Small Business California helped create a new Spanish-language website to help Latino business owners and employees learn how to comply with the health care law.

Free Webinar: Join CalNonprofit on Wednesday, October 8th at 11:00am for A Nonprofit Perspective on California State Ballot Propositions 2, 45, and 47.

Free Webinar: Join CalNonprofit on Monday, October 13th at 11:00am for What If We All Voted? What Nonprofits Need to Know About Voter Engagement.

CAMEO Partner Event: WHEN IT COMES TO POLICY, IF YOU’RE NOT AT THE TABLE, YOU’RE ON THE MENU – Join CAMEO, ASBC and fellow Bay Area business leaders for a reception to discuss the important role that business can play in supporting public policies that build a more just and sustainable economy. Details: October 16, 2014, 5:30-7:30pm; New Resources Bank, 405 Howard Street, Suite 110, SF.

Economic Forecast Conference: Beacon Economics hosts the 2014 Riverside/San Bernardino Economic Forecast Conference on October 23, 2014 from 7:00-11:00am at The Riverside Convention Center, 3637 Fifth Street, Riverside, CA 92501. CAMEO members receive a discount price of $100 by entering “cameo14” when registering.

New Report: FIELD, in partnership with the Citi Foundation, is pleased to announce the release of the newest findings from the Asset Building through Credit Pilot. The demonstration project worked with five microenterprise programs to test the delivery of secured card, combined with credit coaching, as a tool to help aspiring entrepreneurs to build their credit and move toward their business goals.

CAMEO White Paper: Read the CAMEO White Paper: Do-It-Yourself Economic Growth: How Communities Can Cultivate Their Talent and Thrive.