Meet our Borrowers: Laurel Book Store
In 2014, long-time client Laurel Book Store moved to downtown Oakland. We’re thrilled that this business found a great location just across from City Hall in Frank Ogawa Plaza.
Five Important Things to Know About Community Lenders
NerdWallet (@smallbiznerds on Twitter), recently posted an article describing important differences between community lenders like OBDC and traditional lenders, like commercial banks. This great post features OBDC’s Scott Lewis, and makes important distinctions that small businesses seeking capital should be aware of. Click here to read the full article.
OBDC’s New Organizational Report
On June 11, 2015 OBDC released our new organizational report, sharing our impacts in Oakland, San Francisco, and with veteran-owned businesses. To request a physical copy, please email updates@mainstreetlaunch.org.
Laurel Book Store
Luan Stauss, the owner of Laurel Book Store, started her business to build community. She said, “We truly want to be ‘Your Neighborhood Bookstore in Downtown Oakland.’”
Local Businesses Celebrate Warriors’ Win
On Friday, June 19, 2015, Oakland business owners joined in the hometown celebrations for the Warriors’ parade. It was amazing to see the amount of #dubnation being celebrated by our clients on Twitter and at their businesses.
Successful Office Warming at OBDC
We were proud to host 100 staff, clients, partners, and friends of OBDC, featuring food from a few of our clients. During a brief program, we highlighted our new partnerships and programs, celebrating the work we’ve done for the past 36 years and the work coming up this year.
The Pop-Up Dinner Series You’ve Been Waiting For
Pampalasa, a new San Francisco restaurant and OBDC client, celebrates Filipino heritage and cultural pride by supporting and ensuring sustainably sound business practices and products for a responsible, cultural dining experience. The newest element of this dining experience is their upcoming pop-up dinner series, featuring several guest chefs.
We love craft beer (businesses)
Our team at OBDC was thrilled to read a recent article in San Francisco Business Times about our borrower, Noble Brewer. OBDC’s loan to Claude Burns, CEO of Noble Brewer, closed in December 2014, and since then, his business has taken off, creating an artisan beer tasting community that brings homebrews to life.
myRA: A Retirement Savings Option for Small Businesses
Small businesses now have a new way to help their employees save for retirement. The U.S. Department of the Treasury recently introduced myRA (my Retirement Account), a new retirement starter savings account that is simple, safe and affordable for both employers and their employees. It was created for employees who do not have…
Build your business while Oakland builds the BRT
Paula Groves is OBDC’s Vice President – Business Consulting. This is part of her ongoing series of best practices and tips for small business owners. Never miss a tip by signing up for our newsletter. The City of Oakland and AC Transit are preparing to begin development of a 9.5-mile Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route…