In honor of long, hot summer days and vacation schedules, we’re keeping this issue of the Must Know short and just giving you The Goodies. We include lots of good stuff for your clients: a survey on California’s small business climate, access to capital webinars, a new SBA site, and fact sheets for California’s labor laws. Of course we list a grant opportunity and a bunch of professional development opportunities, too. Take a report or two to the beach and catch up on your reading. Finally, if anyone knows someone who would be a good executive director of West Company, check out the jobs page.
Happy Summer!
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!
For Your Clients: Our friends at Small Business California are conducting their 12th annual survey of small businesses around the state. Please forward to your clients and friends in the small business community. This is an important annual effort that takes the pulse of small business in California.
California Economy: Check out the Fast Facts on California Economy published by the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy (JEDE). The state has the 6th largest economy in the world with a $2.45 trillion GDP.
New Report: The Institute for Local Self-Reliance issued a new report that suggests troubling, explanation for the dwindling ranks of small businesses. “Drawing on examples in pharmacy, banking, telecommunications, and retail, it finds that big companies routinely use their size and their economic and political power to undermine their smaller rivals and exclude them from markets.”
For Your Clients: The SBA launches certify.sba.gov to assist small firms doing business with federal government; streamline applications and eliminate documentation obstacles. This new website starts with a focus on closing market gaps for women entrepreneurs in the federal marketplace by featuring the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program.
For Your Clients: Small Business Majority is hosting Access to Capital 101: Funding Options to Start and Grow Your Business every Wednesday, the next one is August 17. They present an overview of alternative lending options including community development financial institutions, SBA’s loan guarantee program and reputable online options, key questions to consider when seeking funding, the Small Business Borrowers’ Bill of Rights and helpful tools and resources.
Grant Opportunity: AARP Foundation is launching Work for Yourself@50+, a new initiative designed to educate low-income adults age 50+ about self-employment, including the factors that one needs to consider and first steps that one should take when deciding to work for themselves. This initiative includes the “Five Simple Steps to Get you Started” toolkit, Workshop, and interactive website. AARP Foundation is requesting applications from eligible organizations to partner with the Foundation to host the workshop component. Applications are due August 26, 2016 by 11:59 pm Eastern Time and must be completed online.
Nonprofit Taxes Webinar: The California Board of Equalization is offering free nonprofit seminars and workshops discuss tax laws, exemptions, and reporting requirements as they apply to non-profit and exempt organizations during the month of August in Perris, Oakland, Apple Valley, Fullerton, and Chula Vista.
For Your Clients: Fund and Fuel Your Dreams is a 2-day event on September 8-9 where you will get hands-on, expert training on how to raise money for your business. You will leave with a step-by-step plan and resources to take the plan forward. It is also a place to connect with like-minded mission-driven, heart centered women entrepreneurs in a supportive fun environment!
Attention CDFIs: The Department of Treasury (Treasury) is seeking your comments on the CDFI Program’s forms and applications. Federal agencies are required to give stakeholders the opportunity to comment on the agency’s forms and information gathering processes. Treasury is soliciting feedback on the Financial Assistance Application and the Technical Assistance Application. Comments are due by September 12, 2016.
Professional Development Opportunity: You’re invited to join the CFED Assets & Opportunity Network and Center for Financial Security for a new four-part virtual Listening & Learning Series on Financial Coaching & Counseling. The last one is on Wednesday, September 14 from 12:-1:30pm PDT. The A&O Network has also released Financial Coaching Census.
PayDay Lending Rules: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has proposed a rule aimed at reshaping the market for payday loans and other short-term credit. The proposal would require lenders to ensure that the consumer has the ability to repay the loan, provide notice that the lender is withdrawing funds from the consumer’s account and cease automatic withdraws if the consumer’s account is overdrawn. Comments on this proposal are due September 14, 2016.
OFN Conference: Registration is now open for Opportunity Finance Network’s annual conference – Rethink. It takes place October 24-27, 2016 in Atlanta, GA.
Conference: Save the Date for the 6th Annual Asset Building Symposium – Fostering Economic Equity in a Changing Bay Area on November 3, 2016.
New Report: Opportunity Fund released a very important research report, “Unaffordable and Unsustainable: The New Business Lending on Main Street.” Until now, we have been relying on stories to explain what’s happening with online lending. Now we’ve got some data on the loans and cash advances being offered to small businesses by short-term, high-cost alternative lenders. Cliff notes on findings: 94% interest rates; average payment is 1.78x income -YIKES.
For Your Clients: The California Labor Enforcement Task Force (LETF) has designed new mobile versions of fact sheets to help employers understand and follow labor, licensing and payroll tax laws. The fact sheets have been designed for employers in specific industries including: Agriculture, Automotive, Construction, Garment, Landscaping and Restaurant.
Take Action: If there’s ever a time in politics that really needs a woman’s voice, that time is now. CAMEO has joined Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) for their campaign – WE Decide 2016 – to engage women in business in the 2016 election.