The Sonoma County Small Business Stabilization Grant Program, administered by Working Solutions, is providing COVID-19 relief grants of $2,500 to $15,000 to small businesses in Sonoma County. The application window is now closed. [Ver esta información en español aquí.]

Working Solutions is proud to have received a new grant from the CDFI Fund—through a highly competitive federal grant program that is only available to certified CDFIs. Thank you to the CDFI Fund for supporting our work, and congratulations to our fellow grantees!

Working Solutions CEO Sara Razavi was honored to participate in KCBS Radio’s inaugural Small Business Roundtable on Thursday, September 24. Sara joined KCBS Business Reporter Jason Brooks and other small business experts to take questions about small business loans, PPP, tax implications, and operating in the age of COVID-19.

Particularly during these challenging times, Working Solutions is proud to advocate at the local, state, and national levels for measures that protect small business owners from predatory lending practices. Read about the recent ways in which we have served as a voice for small business.

The City of Oakland and Working Solutions have announced the disbursement of $1.375 million in COVID-19 relief grants to 275 low-income small business owners in Oakland. Thank you to the Oakland COVID-19 Relief Fund, Union Bank, and the many generous individual donors who made the Oakland Small Business Emergency Grant Program possible.

August 2020 marks the 17th annual National Black Business Month. To celebrate, join us in supporting local Black entrepreneurs by directing your purchases to Black-owned small businesses. Click below for links to several directories of Black-owned businesses. Also, make sure to check out Bay Area Black Restaurant Week, which starts on Friday, August 21.

Working Solutions CEO Sara Razavi was honored to meet with California State Assemblymember Rob Bonta and staff from the offices of State Senator Jerry Hill and State Senator Steve Glazer in July as part of the Advocacy Day organized by the California Association for Micro Enterprise Opportunity (CAMEO). Thank you to our state legislators for speaking with us about the needs of small business owners during this crisis and beyond.

Working Solutions joined the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and other partners in promoting the #ShopSafeShopLocal campaign this summer. Today and every day, support local small businesses to help keep our neighborhoods vibrant and diverse—and make sure to follow public health protocols to keep all employees, owners, and shoppers safe. Check out our Client Directory to find great small businesses in the Bay Area.

Check out this powerful feature in The New York Times about Working Solutions client Pancho Kachingwe, founder of The Hatch—a bar, restaurant, and community space in Oakland. The reporter followed Pancho and his employees from mid-March through mid-June as they worked hard to pivot and survive the COVID-19 crisis.

Congratulations to Working Solutions client Maria Palacio, founder of Progeny Coffee, on a wonderful feature in Forbes magazine about how she is challenging the status quo in the global coffee industry. The interview highlights Maria’s commitment to lifting up coffee farmers and their families in her native Colombia, as well as how Progeny has been responding and adapting to the COVID-19 crisis.

Do you have questions about accessing capital to support your business during this time of crisis and beyond? Check out this video produced by the City of San Jose—featuring Working Solutions CEO Sara Razavi and Mayra Contreras from Opportunity Fund—to get helpful advice and resources available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.