On June 12, Small Business Majority Northern California Outreach Manager Suli Kenyatta tesitified in support of AB 2201. This egislation would help keep more California small business owners and their employees enrolled in Medi-Cal.
California Small Business Owner Highlight
How did Stepheni Norton, a military veteran, go from active duty, to farmer, to successful entrepreneur over the course of just six years?
In February 2012, Stepheni and her husband Mike, who is also a military veteran, purchased the Wallace D. Dickinson homestead in National City, Calif. When they bought the property, Stepheni was preparing for a 10-month deployment, and after a seemingly harmless tick bite, she was unknowingly experiencing the early symptoms of Lyme disease. After being left untreated for two and a half years, Stepheni was finally diagnosed in 2014.
California Events
There are currently no events scheduled in this area. Please check back later or register for one of our upcoming national webinars on topics like small business lending options, retirement and more.
California Policy
Browse our latest state-based regulatory comments and legislative testimony in this area below, or click the button to view all records.
Friday, June 12, 2026
Monday, May 11, 2026
On May 11, Small Business Majority sent a letter signed by more than 100 small business owners and organizations in support of AB 1776, the COMPETE Act, which would update California's outdated antitrust laws.
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Small Business Majority network member Paloma Corona, owner of Little Sprouts Language Immersion Preschool in Los Angeles testified before California State Assembly Committee on Banking and Finance to share her experience with predatory loans and ask the Committee to support AB 2116, which proposes to expand the California Consumer Financial Protection Law (CCFPL) to pr
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
On March 10, Booksmith and Kepler's Books owner Christin Evans submitted testimony to the California Joint Assembly and Seante Health Committees on how rising healthcare prices impact small businesses and recommendations on how to make health insurance more affordable.
California Research
Published:
Thu, 06/11/2026
Research by University of Texas at Austin Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs graduate students Janet Perez Shensky, John Paul, Andre Cowan and Stephanie Mora, advised by Professor Dilawar Syed, examines how the 2025 U.S. tariff regime affected small businesses in California, Georgia, Illinois and Colorado. Using trade, employment and SBA lending data, the report finds that tariffs and policy uncertainty disproportionately burden small firms, particularly in the agriculture, manufacturing and retail sectors, limiting their ability to invest, hire and grow.
Published:
Wed, 07/12/2023
As the California Legislature considers updating the state’s small business paid family leave and sick day policies, a new poll shows that small businesses owners strongly support expanding family leave protections and other benefits to their employees, including increasing the amount of paid sick days that employees can take.
Published:
Tue, 08/31/2021
California lawmakers are weighing a proposal to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test for customers at consumer-facing businesses and to similarly require employers to mandate vaccinations or negative COVID-19 tests for employees. New opinion polling from Small Business Majority reveals that small businesses in California are supportive of proposals to mandate vaccinations and testing at places of business to help ensure local economies can operate safely, amid setbacks from the current surge in COVID-19 cases.
California’s Paid Family Leave program (PFL) provides wage replacement benefits to workers who need to take time off from work to bond with a new child or to care for a seriously ill family member.
This document is intended to answer any questions small employers might have about California’s PFL program and its effects on small business owners and their workers.
California’s paid sick leave law allows employees to take time off from work to address their health or a family member’s illness without losing a paycheck.
This document is intended to answer any questions small employers might have about California’s paid sick leave law and its effects on small business owners and their workers.
The CalSavers Retirement Savings Program is a portable workplace retirement savings program for private sector workers whose employers do not offer their employees a way to save for retirement. CalSavers is run by the state and funded by modest employee contributions, so it involves minimal requirements for employers. You can learn more by watching this introduction video.
As a small business owner, we know you wear many hats—from running the day-to-day operations of your business, to managing employees, building a brand and much more. One thing many entrepreneurs feel unequipped to deal with while starting or running a business is how to handle business finances and maintain a healthy workforce.
February 1, 2026, the Workplace Know Your Rights Act went into effect in California. The new law requires California business owners to provide current and new employees with a stand-alone written notice outlining their workplace rights during immigration inspections and interactions with law enforcement. As increased immigration enforcement continues to impact workplaces and communities, Small Business Majority is committed to ensuring entrepreneurs have access to the information and resources they need to stay informed and compliant. To help small employers and immigrant entrepreneurs understand their rights and responsibilities, we’ve compiled an overview of the Workplace Know Your Rights Act, as well as a list of guides, legal aid and other immigration resources that can offer support.
