California Small Business Owner Highlight

Two heads are better than one, and Mar Y Sol Alvarado and her husband Alfred are a clear example of this adage. As the owners of Alro Window Coverings—an installation service company in Mountain View, Calif.—Alfred brings his entrepreneurial knowledge to the table, matched with Mar’s business development experience from working in nonprofit organizations for more than 10 years.

California Events

Thursday, April 25, 2024 | 3:00pm ET

Entrepreneurs and small business owners drive economic innovation through the invention of new products, technologies and ideas, which are all commonly referred to as intellectual property (IP).

Workshop | National
Friday, April 26, 2024 | 2:00pm PT

Discover the secrets to mastering your work-life balance with Small Business Majority and Grow with Google in this exciting webinar!

Webinar | CA
Thursday, May 2, 2024 | 2:00pm ET

To help prevent and combat money laundering, tax fraud and other financial crimes, a recent bipartisan law requires many companies and small businesses to report beneficial ownership information (BOI) to the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).  

Workshop | National
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 | 2:00pm ET

Since its inception more than 70 years ago, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has helped millions of small businesses across the country access the capital and resources needed to thrive and grow.

Workshop | National

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, March 1, 2024

Small Business Majority is enacting a comprehensive state policy agenda to ensure entrepreneurship is recognized as the lifeforce of a thriving and inclusive economy in California. Our state’s 4.1 million small businesses employ 7.5 million people, which amounts to nearly half of the private workforce.  

Monday, September 18, 2023

More than 80 small business owners and advocates signed on to Small Business Majority's letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom in support of passing SB 33, which preserves a cornerstone of SB 1235 by requiring APR disclosure for all commercial financing products.

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

On April 11, Small Business Majority's California Policy Director Bianca Blomquist testified before the Assembly Committee on Arts, Tourism, Sports and Entertainment in support of AB 1669, legislation that would establish the California Historically Significant District Program, an important program that can revitalize and support historically and culturally significant commercial cor

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

On April 4, Small Business Majority's California Policy Director Bianca Blomquist submitted a letter in support of AB 1669, legislation that would establish the California Historically Significant District Program, an important program that can revitalize and support historically and culturally significant commercial corridors and small businesses in the state. 

California Research

Published:
Wed, 07/12/2023
Mother and child working

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.

Published:
Tue, 02/23/2021
Banking online

Nearly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic that has strained California’s economy and public health system, small businesses across the state continue to experience significant financial setbacks. A new survey of California small business owners reveals that their struggles are being exacerbated by challenges accessing capital, and they strongly support policy solutions that would deliver the financial relief they need to survive this year-long crisis.

California Resources

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.