We’re thrilled to share this great piece about our Oakland clients Marisa Montalvo & Kristin Whitlock, owners of Alt. Brides, a bridal boutique on wheels, allowing brides-to-be to shop for their wedding dress easily. Here’s an except: “Then they needed the wheels. After scouring Craigslist for months, they finally found a truck…
We’re thrilled to share Opportunity Finance Network (OFN)’s post about Main Street Launch’s support of Brown Sugar Kitchen, a long-time client. Brown Sugar Kitchen is a staple of West Oakland and a destination eatery (some Golden State Warriors players recently took a picture during their meal there). Main Street Launch has been a proud…
On Wednesday, May 11, Main Street Launch and Veteran Launch hosted a networking event for our small business clients to connect with each other and with our team. The event was hosted at our offices by our Oakland-based Veteran Launch client Noble Brewer. Noble Brewer, owned by Claude Burns, is the world’s first homebrew subscription…
This article originally appeared on NerdWallet and is shared with with permission. When starting or growing a business, it’s tempting to cut costs by tackling projects yourself. When it comes to legal matters, a DIY approach works sometimes, but it can be risky. Online legal services offer do-it-yourself options and lawyer access at far lower…
Cafe Santana, owned by Richard Santana offers empanadas, bagels, and more, but for Richard and his team, it’s all about the coffee. The roast onsite in small batches, so their customers can walk out with a warm bag of roasted coffee beans on demand. Check out an excerpt from Cafe Santana’s profile: “Opening the…
Main Street Launch was proud to support our partner Localwise in their first Work Local Awards, held at the Port Workspaces on April 28. Localwise helps to connect small businesses to workers by providing a dedicated job board focused on small businesses’ hiring needs. The goal of the Work Local Awards is to not only…
Asian Heritage Month has been celebrated in the United States in May since 1979. To celebrate, we reflect on the impact that Asian and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs make in our communities. There are approximately 1.5 million Asian-owned businesses in the United States, responsible for $507.6 billion in receipts. In California, 14.9% of firms are…
In 2015, The City of Oakland and Main Street Launch (formerly OBDC) partnered to launch the Oakland Business Sustainability Program. The Oakland Business Sustainability Program offers a comprehensive, integrated mix of services to support businesses along the East Bay Bus Rapid Transit Route. The technical assistance part of the Oakland Business Sustainability Program is provided…
Running a small business is expensive, and meeting the obligations of vendors, employees, and paying yourself can make benefits like retirement savings seem too much for your expense line. We know that small business workers have the least access to retirement plans than any other employed group. There’s a solution that will now allow small…
On Wednesday, April 13, Main Street Launch and Veteran Launch hosted a networking event for our small business clients to connect with each other and with our team. The event was hosted at the veteran-owned, Oakland-based business Spice Monkey. Spice Monkey is one of our clients, located at 1628 Webster Street in Oakland. Owner…