Small Business Owners: Make your voice heard!

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…

What are CDFIs?

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.…

Oakland Holiday Campaign

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…

Protecting Intellectual Property: A Guide for Entrepreneurs

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…

Resource for your business: Alliance for Community Development

The Bay Area boasts many great resources to help small business who are looking to start or grow. Main Street Launch is a proud member of the Bay Area Entrepreneurship Alliance, convened by the Alliance for Community Development.   The Alliance for Community Development is a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to capital for underrepresented…