Centro Community Partners fosters socioeconomic change by providing business advisory services and leadership programs to rising yet underserved entrepreneurs who want to launch or grow their businesses and create jobs in their communities. Centro offers a Basic Entrepreneurship Program, an Advanced Entrepreneurship Program, and a Small Business Advisor Program. In the basic program, entrepreneurs…
Owned by Jennie Lennick, Jenny Lemons is a retail store, working studio, and workshop space in San Francisco’s Mission District. Jenny Lemons sells their own clothing line made of hand printed and cut fabrics, as well as the work of other local artists and makers. In addition to retail, Jenny Lemons hosts events that celebrate…
The Federal Reserve Banks are conducting a national survey of existing and pre-start small business owners/managers. This survey is a platform through which small businesses can be heard. It is designed to track small business financing conditions and bring them to the attention of service providers, lenders, and policy makers. Individual responses are confidential. Summary…
Secession Art & Design opened their Mission Bernal location in August 2007 and has since grown to represent over 70 independent artists and designers. Their retail location is a gallery, boutique, and workspace, creating a non-traditional storefront that allows customers to see art being made in-house by Heather Robinson and to experience shows curated by…
The majority of people who live and work in Oakland and San Francisco work for small companies and organizations. It’s important as we get closer to a big shopping season to make active choices about where you put your dollars. Small businesses are the backbone of our local economies, but they also invest heavily…
Main Street Launch’s Intern – Impact Evaluation & Marketing Linda Ho offers information about CDFIs. This article was originally posted on January 10, 2018. WHAT IS CDFI? Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) provide access to financial services for local residents and businesses, sharing a common goal of expanding economic opportunity in low income communities.…
This post was written by Ann Brown, editor at printmeposter.com. Click here to read their blog. When you are an owner of a small business, your marketing opportunities may be rather restricted. The majority of campaigns require considerable money investment, which not every entrepreneur can afford. If you aren’t able to spend huge sums on…
Main Street Launch is proud to partner with the City of Oakland, Oakland Grown, the Oakland Chamber, and Visit Oakland to celebrate small businesses and shopping locally this holiday season. The deadline for small businesses to sign up for free marketing by Oakland Grown is October 31, 2018. Oakland Grown’s holiday campaign kicks off…
Coworking can be a viable alternative to dedicated brick and mortar space for some entrepreneurs. In the Bay Area and beyond, coworking as a model continues to grow, becoming more customized and accessible more more small business owners. Especially for new businesses, online businesses, consultants, and other service businesses, office space might be a large…
This post was written by Jackie Zimmermann and originally appeared on NerdWallet on September 5, 2017. It is reposted here with permission. If you’re a small-business owner looking to profit from your invention or artistic work, you should learn to protect your intellectual property ASAP. What is intellectual property? Intellectual property is any invention or…
