Resources Available to Keep Small Business Running in CV
Starting and maintaining a small business can be very exciting and rewarding, but it may also come with a lot of unforeseen challenges, stress, and uncertainty.
Take Pete Schaaphok, the owner of Music Depot in Hayward, for example. He says he wishes he had an extra helping hand when he opened his music store 14 years ago.
“We started off with a pack of guitar strings, and then we built up the business from there,” Schaaphok told the Forum. “I even think having an advisor would have been nice too. My wife and I didn't work in retail before opening a music store, so we tried to figure it out as we went along.”
According to the US Census Statistics of US Businesses, there are 4.2 million small businesses registered in California, which make up 99.8 percent of all businesses in the state. Because most are staffed by the owner and perhaps a few people, state and local officials took the time last Tuesday, May 21, to help anyone start, maintain, and deal with the challenges of small business ownership.
“When we ask people why they want to start their own business, they often say because they want to be the boss,” said Clair Whitmer, Assistant Deputy with the Governor’s Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA). “The challenge is that most business owners might not know where to start to tackle the big issues like business planning, funding, state lending options, how to grow their business and marketing strategies.”
Assemblymember Liz Ortega (District 20) organized the Small Business Seminar, bringing in speakers such as Whitmer with CalOSBA, Toni Gomez with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), and Nancy Mangold with the East Bay Small Business Development Center (SBDC). More than 80 people attended the free seminar at the Castro Valley Library, and even more followed along online.
“Almost half of California employees work for small businesses, so we want to ensure they have the resources they need to succeed,” Assemblymember Liz Ortega (District 20), told the Forum. “That’s why I partnered with local and state agencies to provide our small business owners with the resources and knowledge they need to succeed.”
Among the key takeaways from the seminar were recommendations to develop relationships with banks and lenders long before applying for business loans, keep business finances separate from personal finances, and ensure the boss gets as much help as possible.
“No one is going to bring these resources to you. You must be persistent,” said Gomez. “If you keep pushing, show up, and make connections, you can take your business to the next level.”
After the event, April Yamaguchi, the owner of Snappy's Café on A Street, said she would likely seek help from the SBDC office—especially regarding funding—to increase the number of customers coming in.
“Like so many things in life, you have to know where you are going so you know where to get help,” Yamaguchi says. “When you don’t know, it’s difficult because you're running around this way and that and trying to run your business at the same time.”
For more information about the East Bay Small Business Development Center (SBDC), located at California State University, East Bay, visit eastbaysbdc.org.