California Gives Small Businesses Free E-Commerce, Online Marketing Help

July 15, 2020 by  
Filed under Featured Articles

By Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media

Gov. Newsom says he wants to help small businesses. Combined, they are a major economic engine in the state. He wants them to get online quicker and expand their markets to reach new customers in cyberspace. This is as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to hammer their bottom lines and change the way we shop. 

To that end, the governor declared July 2020 “California for All Small Business Month” in a proclamation issued July 8. 

“With local businesses across the state working to meet unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 crisis, California for All Small Business Month is an important time to recognize their essential contributions to our state, and each do our part to help California’s diverse small businesses recover and thrive,” reads the proclamation. 

African American business owners and advocates across the state are optimistic. The much-needed assistance Gov. Newsom has announced in a time of crisis, they say, will enable them to remain competitive in a rapidly changing global marketplace. 

Get the resources here https://business.ca.gov/shopsafeshoplocal/calosba-resources/

“95% of the world customers are outside of the United States. As small businesses learn to pivot as a result of the Covid pandemic, it is imperative that they have the online presence and access to capital to reach those potential clients,” said Gene Hale, president of the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce (GLAAACC). ” Supporting local businesses will help stimulate those communities and invigorate job growth.” 

The Small Business Month proclamation coincided with the start of “Calling All Californians: #ShopSafeShopLocal,” a new campaign the governor’s office is leading. 

The #ShopSafeShopLocal campaign encourages shoppers in California to help small businesses operate safely during the pandemic. It also provides small business owners with resources to help them improve their online presence, including free website development and digital marketing. 

The portal provides comprehensive guidance on the different public health protocols for all industries, including retailrestaurantsoffice workspacesconstruction, and child care.

To help businesses understand and meet new Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements for businesses, the portal provides both free resources available through a partnership with the California Manufacturers & Technology Association and a marketplace to connect businesses with approved PPE vendors for face shields, hand sanitizer, plexiglass partitions, and other required equipment.

The Task Force has also teamed up with vendors and state-wide organizations to offer training, discounts, and special offers, such as four free business posts on NextDoor, $150 in matching Google Ad funds, and waived merchant fees for restaurants with 5 or fewer locations on DoorDash.

The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development has partnered with leading tech companies in the state, including Google, eBay, Square and Yelp, to provide services to small businesses, including free online advertising, free websites, and COVID-19 relief. They will also connect California businesses with under 750 employees to shipping companies that can help them set up e-commerce deliveries. 

“Local has taken on a new meaning and California’s beloved small businesses need our help now more than ever,” said Isabel Guzman, co-chair of the Small Business Subcommittee and Director of the state’s Office of the Small Business Advocate, in an OpEd she co-authored with Sarah Friar, who is co-chair of the Small Business Subcommittee and CEO of San Francisco-based Nextdoor. The Press Enterprise, a Riverside County media outlet, published their statement. 

“Supporting nearby stores, business owners, and local employees, as they modify operations to slow the spread of COVID-19, is an essential commitment to our community,” Guzman and Friar wrote. 

In addition to resources from business partners, the campaign’s website includes links to state and county industry guidance, free business consulting, and the California Manufacturers and Technology Association’s personal protective equipment (PPE) marketplace. The online portal links California businesses with COVID-19 safety equipment. 

“California’s small businesses are adapting to the new marketplace, integrating technology at higher rates than ever, developing creative ways to connect with clients digitally and repurposing to serve their communities with innovations that meet the moment,” said Gov. Newsom. “California remains committed to helping all of our diverse small businesses become more resilient and thrive.” 

There are nearly 4 million small businesses in California. In good times, they make up over 99% of all businesses in the state and employ nearly half of the state’s workforce — over 7.1 million people, according to U.S Small Business Administration’s 2018 numbers. 

Before the pandemic, across the United States, African-American and Latino women-owned businesses were experiencing the fastest growth, according to 2012 U.S. Census Bureau data. 

But COVID-19 is presenting new financial and operational challenges, especially for businesses owned by African Americans and other ethnic minorities in California. 

“According to the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, in the last 4 months, there has been a 15 percent drop of active business owners across the nation,” Guzman and Friar shared. “That decrease is nearly double for Black-owned and operated businesses at 26%, and at 19% for Latino, 21% Asian, and 25% immigrant. 

The governor also emphasized the importance of maintaining social distancing protocols while shopping. 

“Critically, amid the ongoing emergency, we must all do our part to keep small business employees, owners, and others safe by wearing face coverings when we go out, practicing safe shopping and following public health protocols.”

How to Go From Crowdfunding to the NASDAQ

June 21, 2016 by  
Filed under Featured Articles

Shift Pixy

This comes from an article: First Reg A+, then NASDAQ Listing for ShiftPixy
By JD Alois

ShiftPixy Workers FastTemp staff provider ShiftPixy is hoping to soon trade on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the ticker symbol PIXY but first, they are raising capital under Regulation A+. ShiftPixy has enlisted WR Hambrecht as sole underwriter on a “best effort” basis to raise up to $50 million with a minimum raise of $15 million.

ShiftPixy is a service provider that contracts with business clients in need of part-time staff primarily in the hospitality and restaurant industry. The company is currently operating in Southern California but intends on opening additional physical locations in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Orlando, Dallas, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Philly (in that order). ShiftPixy currently has over 150 clients and about 3,350 worksite employees.

Let me share why this is significant:

This is a great plan. Many people are just crowdfunding one time with no real vision of how to move forward after that. If all goes well with each step, going to the NASDAQ is the right idea. And you will be able to watch the company progress all along the way. I think there will be a stock exchange for crowdfunded projects in the future but until then, this is a solid plan. I hope it helps you think in longer terms instead of just getting funding that will last you, 6 months or so.

Read the rest of the article here https://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2016/06/87013-first-reg-a-then-nasdaq-listing-for-shiftpixy/

 

 

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My Experience with The Law Firm of Steven F. Bliss Esq.

My Experience with The Law Firm of Steven F. Bliss Esq.

By Artie Twilight

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How did The Law Firm of Steven F. Bliss, Esq. aid me?

Attorney Steven F Bliss

Attorney Steven F Bliss

Steve Bliss as the leading Murrieta Estate Planning Attorney, he had been in the legal industry for close to 3 decades. I knew very well that he was going to help me when I was looking for the services. After booking an appointment with him, he guided me on how I would change my mom’s real estate property to my name going by the existing laws. I was so happy since I knew that my problems on how to transfer the name was going to be over after seeking the services of Steve Bliss. He was so enthusiastic that he would help me find a solution to all the problems that I had after hiring him. He also told me to bring all the documents showing the death of my mother since that would help through the process of changing the ownership according to the stated laws. I can tell people that the cost of hiring Steve Bliss at Firm of Steven F. Bliss, Esq. was affordable given the other quotes that I got from other companies. I was able to save money when doing transfer of my mother’s real estate properties in the State of California to my name. I would recommend to anybody who is having a problem transferring his or her name to the real state property following the death of any of the parents should hire Steve Bliss at Firm of Steven F. Bliss, Esq. from his wealth of experience in inheritance real estate laws in Murrieta. I was happy that I met him as a Murrieta Estate Planning Attorney.

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