PRO Oakland

In 2016 Main Street Launch and Northern California Community Loan Fund (NCCLF) announced our partnership called PRO Oakland. Together, we are offering expert advising to small businesses (advising through Main Street Launch) and nonprofits (advising through NCCLF), entities poised to be impacted by the construction of the East Bay Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT). This…

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Oakland’s Laurel District

We are proud to call Oakland our hometown and to support the work residents and business owners do to revitalize our neighborhoods and increase the quality of services available for everyone. A number of our clients are starting and growing businesses in Oakland’s Laurel District.   One event that happens in the Laurel is The…

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Meet Our Clients: The Port Bar

Sean Sullivan has been an advocate for the LGBTQ community and the Oakland small business community for 15 years. He and his partner Richard Fuentes saw an opportunity to create a gathering place open seven days per week, specifically focused on serving LGBTQ people and Uptown. From that combination of passion and opportunity, The Port…

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Military Servicemembers: Guide to Business

The folks over at Inuit put together a guide for military servicemembers and their families hoping to start a small business.   In this guide they cover: Business plans Paperwork & permits Finding financing Additional resources specifically for veterans and their families Tips for finding customers Hiring employees Tips for keeping the business going while…

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Personal Finance Tips for Entrepreneurs

This article originally appeared on NerdWallet and is shared with with permission. By Heather Castle, CFP Learn more about Heather on NerdWallet’s Ask an Advisor As entrepreneurs, many small-business owners are comfortable taking risks. But their business is often their biggest asset, as well as the largest source of their household’s income, which means it’s especially important…

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