Karla De Leon is Main Street Launch’s Lead Business Advisor. She offers tips and advice to entrepreneurs to help them start and grow their small businesses. This tip is about how lending circles can support a small business owner who wants to establish or improve credit. As a business owner, making sure you are…
This week Venturize launches, a campaign designed to help small business owners understand their financing options so they can make the best choice for their business. Nationally, there are nearly 8 million small businesses owned by people of color and 11.3 million small businesses owned by women that help power their communities. However, entrepreneurs of…
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…
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…
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…
Main Street Launch’s Oakland Business Sustainability Program offers Central and East Oakland businesses impacted by the upcoming Bus Rapid Transit construction business advising and small business capital to help their businesses develop growth strategies during the construction period and thrive by taking advantage of the new opportunities this project will bring. Artesanias Mexicanas El Sol is…
Main Street Launch (formerly OBDC Small Business Finance) is thrilled to be sponsoring events at both Oakland and San Francisco Small Business Weeks this May. We hope to see you there! Shop Small Saturday, May 7 in Oakland Click here for a flyer to post in your Oakland-based business for Small Business Saturday on…
