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2009 SBDC Small Business Survey

The Northern California SBDC Network is again conducting a study of small business needs.  I would appreciate it if you would forward this e-mail to your mailing lists and small business constituencies.

Please go to the following URL and complete the short survey:

http://norcalsbdc.org/sites/misc/limesurvey/index.php?sid=95157&lang=en

It will take you a few minutes and it will help our network serve the small business community better.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags: 2009 SBDC Small Business Survey, SBDC, Small Business Community, Small Business Survey

JOBS NOW!

The San Francisco Human Services Agency (SF-HSA) is using newly available federal stimulus funds to expand subsidized employment opportunities, with a goal of placing 1,000 participants in jobs between May 2009 and September 2010.

This new program is called JOBS NOW!

Consistent with the goals of the federal stimulus package, the primary objectives of the JOBS NOW! program are to provide an immediate source of income for low-income families and to stimulate local economic recovery. JOBS NOW! builds upon several successful transitional jobs programs already in place at SF-HSA, which were designed to help unemployed individuals address barriers to employment, develop soft skills, gain work experience and progress toward self-sufficiency. JOBS NOW! participants will exit the program with stable employment history, leaving them better positioned to obtain an unsubsidized job when the stimulus period ends. The JOBS NOW! program benefits local employers by providing referrals of qualified workers and by subsidizing 100% of their wages until September 30, 2010. It’s a win-win!

For more information, visit http://www.sfhsa.org/1278.htm

Popularity: 2% [?]

Tags: federal stimulus funds, JOBS NOW, San Francisco Human Services Agency, SF-HSA, stimulate local economic recovery

Customer Alert – Misleading Business Solicitations

The Secretary of State’s office has been advised that solicitation letters are being sent to California businesses encouraging them to comply with their California Corporations Code filing obligations by submitting fees and documents to a third party rather than by filing directly with the Secretary of State’s office. These solicitations are not being made by the California Secretary of State’s office and are not being made by or on behalf of any governmental entity. The solicitations request that a fee and a completed form be submitted in order for the business to comply with applicable California or other law.

These companies have no affiliation with the California Secretary of State’s office and no business is required to go through another company in order to file its documents with the Secretary of State’s office.

Statement of Information forms and instructions are available through our website, and the fee required to file the statement is $25 for California stock and foreign corporations, and $20 for California nonprofit corporations and all limited liability companies. Also, the Statement of Information can be submitted for filing directly by mail to Secretary of State, Statement of Information Unit, P.O. Box 944230, Sacramento, California 94244-2300, in person at 1500 11th Street, Sacramento, California, 95814, or, for most corporations, by using a credit card through the internet at https://businessfilings.sos.ca.gov/.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags: California Secretary of State, Customer Alert, filing obligations, Misleading Business Solicitations

Who is supporting small business?

The WSJ posted a great opinion piece on credit and the fact small businesses can’t seem to get any . . .

Small business loans are hard to find, and credit-card lines (a critical funding source to small businesses) have been cut by 25% since last year.

The banks get bailouts, while small businesses are left out in the cold.  Why do small businesses matter so much? In the U.S., small businesses employ 50% of the country’s workforce and contribute 38% of GDP. If you truly want to support economy, you have to support small businesses.

The Credit Crunch Continues

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags: Credit Crunch, credit-card lines, funding source, Small business loans, small businesses, support small businesses

Can you use up to $2,500?

from Small Business California -

Small Business California has been asked by the Department of Industrial Relations to advise you about a program that is available to small employers to help you help you bring employees back to work. Please see information about this.

Very small employers, can you use up to $2,500?

Then you need to know about the state’s “Bring ‘em Back” campaign. There is no need to lose a valued employee to a workplace injury because, through the end of this year, you can be reimbursed for purchases you make to bring that employee back, or keep them on the job, following an injury! That’s because the state’s Division of Workers’ Compensation will reimburse you up to $2,500 for workplace modifications that bring an injured employee back to work.

Getting reimbursed is as easy as filling out a few short forms and providing receipts. In addition to providing reimbursement for purchases that bring an employee back to work or keeping them on the job, the state’s return to work experts are available to provide consultations and presentations for employers, employer organizations or claims administrators on the subject.

Interested in learning more? Follow this link to the state’s www.bringemback.org campaign page, or go to www.dwc.ca.gov and click on the “Bring ‘em Back” link in the right navigation pane.

Questions? Contact a representative of the Return to Work Reimbursement Program at (510) 286-6990 or DWCReturntoWork@dir.ca.gov.

The Washington Post reports that the Treasury Department is finalizing a $15 billion initiative to stimulate lending by the SBA by using Federal Funds from the Federal bailout program to buy up SBA loans. Hopefully if put in place this will help small businesses access capital. The Post  says “While SBA credit markets are healthier than several months ago, they remain vulnerable to a relapse if, for instance, the wider financial industry suffers another crisis of investor confidence”

On the Small Business Innovative Research front the Senate on Friday passed a continuing resolution that would extend the SBIR program for another two months to September 30.  As I have mentioned previously the SBIR funding will end July31st without this continuing resolution.

It is expected to pass the House today.  According to people I am working with in Washington both the House and the Senate are negotiating in good faith to find a resolution to the venture capital problem.

I continue to get calls from the media on the health issue. I welcome any of your thoughts and letting me know if you will talk to the media.

Scott Hauge
President
Small Business California
2311 Taraval Street
San Francisco, CA  94116
shauge@cal-insure.com
415-680-2188

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags: Return to Work Reimbursement Program, Workers’ Compensation

Small Business and Recovery Plans

US Chamber.com does a nice job summarizing the effects of the Stimulus and Recovery Plans on Small Business

Small Business Under Siege
By Tom Donohue, President and CEO

Some may remember the old country song “Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places.” Something similar is happening in Washington today–politicians are looking for recovery in all the wrong places, namely, more government programs and spending. Instead, they should look to small businesses, which have led us out of the last seven recessions and create 60% to 80% of net new jobs.

But, policymakers are doing more harm than good. Let us count the ways.

Small Business Under Siege

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags: Small Business, Small Business Under Siege, Stimulus, Stimulus and Recovery Plans

SBA ARC loans

On June 15, SBA ARC loans became available for viable small businesses facing immediate financial hardship.

ARC loans of up to $35,000 are designed to provide a “bridge” for viable small businesses with immediate financial hardship to keep their doors open until they get back on track.

Debt Refinancing: Legislation allows 504 program projects to include a limited amount of debt refinancing if there is a business expansion and the debt refinanced does not exceed 50 percent of the projected cost of the expansion. “Expansion” includes any project that involves the acquisition, construction or improvement of land, building or equipment for use by the small business. The following are some of the conditions under which borrowers will be eligible for refinancing:

• The debt being refinanced was incurred to acquire land, to construct a building or to purchase equipment. The assets acquired must be eligible for financing under the 504 program.
• The existing debt is collateralized by fixed assets.
• The existing debt was incurred for the benefit of the small business.
• The new financing provides a substantial benefit to the borrower when prepayment penalties, financing fees, and other financing costs are taken into account.
• The borrower has been current on all payments of existing debt for one year prior to the date of refinancing.

For more information on the 504 loan program and eligibility requirements, go to www.recovery.gov or www.sba.gov/recovery.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags: 504 loan program, debt refinancing, recovery, SBA ARC loans, SBA loans, sba.gov

Return to Work Money Available/ SB356

from Small Business California

The Division of Workers Compensation has asked that I let you know about a campaign to provide small businesses money to bring injured workers back to work.

Please see information below.

Small Business California is supporting SB356 by Senator Rod Wright to allow small businesses the ability to give more input on regulations before they become law. You have told us in our survey that the cost of complying with regulations is one of the top issues for small business in the state. A study will be coming out shortly that will show that small businesses  in California pay significantly more than larger companies to comply with these regulations.

For more information on SB 356 go to www.leginfo.ca.gov

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags: Return to Work Money Available, SB 356, Small Business California, small businesses, workers compensation

SAN FRANCISCO’S LOCAL ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE

The Mayor’s office has released a press release relating to a SF local economic stimuls package.

While we applaud these efforts – we hope that City Hall adds in a layer of accountability.  While it’s nice to say all the nice things you will do for local businesses, it is equally important to track the progress of the programs be implemented.  How many businesses are being assisted?  What percent of procurement contracts are being awarded to local businesses?  This is not an area the City Hall has historically managed well.  But as Harvey Milk would say “You Gotta Give ‘Em Hope!” – Here’s hoping City Hall gets it . . .

and of course – it has to get past the Board of Supervisors – that should be interesting.

The updated strategy details, and in some cases expands, the City’s efforts to implement those key strategies. These implementation strategies both build on existing economic development programs and launch a number of major new initiatives, including:

• Granting local businesses a New Jobs Payroll Tax exemption for two years. Businesses will not have to pay payroll tax on any increase in non partnership payroll over 2008 levels for two years. This means new businesses coming to San Francisco in 2009 and 2010 will not pay any local payroll tax until 2011;
• Amending the City’s Public Works Code to further expedite billions of dollars of already funded local infrastructure projects and to make it easier for local companies to work on those projects;
• Directly providing over $23 million in no-interest loans to local businesses;
• Granting local businesses a tax credit on new, locally purchased equipment;
• Providing an offset for qualifying small businesses who are participating in Healthy SF;
• Launching a business assistance strategy specifically directed to Spanish-speaking businesses;
• Building on the success of “Homeless Connect” by launching a series of new “Job Connect” events that include job fairs and workforce assistance and counseling;
• Opening the a “one-stop” workforce center for the unemployed in the Western Addition;
• Expanding the City’s “Bank on San Francisco” program to include financial literacy;
• Expanding the scope of the “Working Families Tax Credit” program;
• Expanding the successful “Shop SF. Get More” and “Staycation” holiday marketing campaigns;
• Expanding the City’s successful Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative (“NMI”) and Community Benefit District (“CBD”) Programs to support even more neighborhood commercial corridors;
• Expanding the scope and reach of existing state and federal tax credit programs;
• and Providing free space to local artists in vacant storefronts.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags: LOCAL ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE, San Francisco, SAN FRANCISCO’S LOCAL ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE, SF Business News

David Chiu Elected San Francisco Board Of Supervisors President

First-term Supervisor David Chiu has been elected president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.  Chiu replaces Aaron Peskin both as president of the board and as supervisor for District 3, which is composed largely of the North Beach and Chinatown neighborhoods.  Peskin had termed out and has since been elected chair of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee.

Chui is the first Chinese-American to lead the board and a close ally of former board President Aaron Peskin.  Chiu is an attorney who used to work in the district attorney’s office.  The new board is comprised of three Chinese Americans, including a woman; two gay men, including a Latino who arrived in the United States as an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala; another Latino; an African American woman; a disabled woman; a Persian man, and two straight, white men.  How’s that for diversity?

Chiu’s Wikipedia entry

Chiu’s page on the City and County of San Francisco Web site

Former colleague Marisa Lagos’ article on Chiu’s election as board president

Chiu’s campaign Web site

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags: Aaron Peskin, David Chiu, San Francisco Board Of Supervisors, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, SF Board Of Supervisors