Launching the San Francisco Kiva Hub

We are excited to share that as of September 1, 2021 Centro Community Partners (Centro) will be the Kiva Hub for San Francisco.

Joshua received a $9,000 Kiva loan to help open a community-driven cafe with a mission to support the sober community and help keep Ocean Beach clean.

Centro has collaborated with local organizations and supported entrepreneurs in San Francisco since the organization started in 2010. And when Centro became the Kiva Hub for Oakland and Alameda County in 2020, we started providing informal support to local San Francisco-based entrepreneurs.

With the expansion of the Centro’s Capital Hub, our team is looking to support more entrepreneurs and organizations in the city to cultivate the ecosystem and provide them access to Kiva’s interest-free microloans of up to $15,000.

What is Kiva US?

Kiva US is an online crowdfunding platform that provides entrepreneurs with 0% interest loans of up to $15,000. To qualify for a loan, applicants must be over 18 years old, not currently in bankruptcy, have a business located in the US, and the loan must be used for business purposes.

With a $10,000 Kiva loan, Reem was able to buy a utility truck and hire staff to grow her business, eventually opened a restaurant in San Francisco’s Mission District.

After the success of its international model, Kiva recognized the need to support local entrepreneurs in the United States and started the Kiva US program in 2011. Since then, Kiva US has provided over $3.5 million to 6,076 people throughout the country, including nearly $3.4 million to over 700 borrowers in Oakland.

What is Kiva Hub?

A local connection that guides borrowers and trustees through the Kiva process by providing on the ground support and personalized assistance.

Kiva Hubs are local organizations committed to the success of small business owners that agree to take responsibility for Kiva’s loan activity in a specific region. These organizations hire a Kiva-trained Capital Access Manager to guide borrowers through the loan process and assist the organizations (Trustees) supporting them with access to Kiva loans. Centro is honored to have been selected as the Kiva Hub for Oakland. In the near future, we will be supporting borrowers and their Trustees for all of Alameda County, as well as participants in all of the programs we provide.

We are here to help!

Centro’s Capital Hub has been able to help hundreds of entrepreneurs access capital through Kiva, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), government loans (PPP and EIDL) and grants. We’ve had a lot of success supporting entrepreneurs in Alameda County as the Oakland Kiva Hub, and expanding our support to San Francisco is a natural step for Centro. We look forward to continuing to work closely with local partners as we bring Kiva’s 0% interest loans (up to $15,000) to entrepreneurs in San Francisco.

Contact us

At Centro we have a team ready to support entrepreneurs to start or grow their business. Our goal is to have a single point of contact to assist in the application process, have a successful fundraising campaign, and have a positive experience when paying off your loan.

We have tools like Centro Business Planning App so that entrepreneurs can complete their business plan and navigate through the different local resources that can help them move forward.

Finally, we would like to invite all the organizations that are part of the Kiva ecosystem to join us in working with Centro so that more small businesses can participate in this experience and connect them with more financing opportunities.

Entrepreneurs

Read more about the eligibility requirements and application process on Kiva’s website. Please let us know if you’re interested in accessing a Kiva loan or have any questions.

Organizations

Learn more about becoming a Trustee on Kiva’s website. Please let us know if you would like to join as a Kiva Trustee or have any questions.

We’re here for you, so please reach out to us:

Verónica Gutiérrez, Capital Access Manager: KivaUS@centrocommunity.org

Sign up for free one on one business support

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Our team is committed to supporting entrepreneurs, as they look to start, grow and sustain their businesses through this current crisis. Since April, we have worked with around 100 entrepreneurs to help them access capital, restructure their business models, move to online platforms and create social media and marketing campaigns. We’ve been able to help close to 40 entrepreneurs receive funding from loans (including Kiva’s 0% interest loans, PPP, and other local microlenders) and grants.

Please let us know if we can help you or a friend. Sign up for free business support, by filling out our Emergency Rapid Response Form, emailing help@centrocommunity.org or calling (510) 556-4249 to talk with our advisors in English or Spanish.

If you are able to support Centro please consider donating to our Emergency Fund to Support Businesses Impacted by COVID-19.

Centro Responding to COVID-19

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Dear Centro Community,

We hope that you and your family are healthy and safe. Our hearts go to those who are struggling the most and who have lost loved ones. We believe that the human spirit is strong and courageous, and that we must act collectively to help each other through the COVID-19 pandemic that is affecting each and every one of us in some way. It is a time to reflect, adjust our actions, and move forward with intention. This is a defining moment in our lives.

At Centro, we stand together. Our entire team is working from home to do our part to flatten the curve and we are making necessary adjustments that allow us to continue to offer support to small business entrepreneurs in our community. By shifting all of our programming online, Centro is able to continue its vital work during these challenging times.

Our team has already begun to support existing small businesses that need assistance accessing emergency government loans, and we are expanding our business advisory team to better help connect small business owners to available resources. Centro will be also providing entrepreneurship training online throughout the year and we are continuing to build our online capacity to better serve our entrepreneurs. I invite you to review (and share) our webpage with resources for business owners impacted by COVID-19.

I have learned that, in challenging times, we fall back on our values and the love we have for our family and our community. Only love can cast out fear, and the time for strong love is now. We will persevere together as a family, team, and community and will continue to build a better future for all of us.

If there is anything our team at Centro can do to help you, please let us know. We are inviting Centro’s entrepreneurs to fill out our COVID-19 Response Form. You can also email us at help@centrocommunity.org or call us at (510) 556-4249 to talk with our advisors in English or Spanish.

If you are able to support Centro please donate to our Emergency Fund to Support Businesses Impacted by COVID-19.

Sincerely,

Arturo A. Noriega

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Centro is hosting the Kiva Hub in Oakland

This alliance between Centro and Kiva US is a new initiative to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Oakland. With the new Kiva Hub, entrepreneurs and organizations will have a single point of contact to help them access interest-free microloans.

What is Kiva US?

With a $10,000 Kiva loan, Reem was able to buy a utility truck and hire staff to grow my business, eventually opening her first location in Oakland’s Fruitvale District.

Kiva US is an online crowdfunding platform that provides entrepreneurs with 0% interest loans of up to $10,000. To qualify for a loan, applicants must be over 18 years old, not currently in bankruptcy, have a business located in the US, and the loan must be used for business purposes.

After the success of its international model, Kiva recognized the need to support local entrepreneurs in the United States and started the Kiva US program in 2011. Since then, Kiva US has provided over $3.5 million to 6,076 people throughout the country, including nearly $3.4 million to over 700 borrowers in Oakland.

What is Kiva Hub?

A local connection that guides borrowers and trustees through the Kiva process by providing on the ground support and personalized assistance.

Luis received a $10,000 Kiva loan to help purchase a commercial ice-cream maker for his new location, allowing to produce more ice-cream, more efficiently and hire local people from the community.

Kiva Hubs are local organizations committed to the success of small business owners that agree to take responsibility for Kiva’s loan activity in a specific region. These organizations hire a Kiva-trained Capital Access Manager to guide borrowers through the loan process and assist the organizations (Trustees) supporting them with access to Kiva loans. Centro is honored to have been selected as the Kiva Hub for Oakland. In the near future, we will be supporting borrowers and their Trustees for all of Alameda County, as well as participants in all of the programs we provide.

What does this mean for local entrepreneurs and organizations?

We are excited to welcome Verónica Gutiérrez to join Centro as our Capital Access Manager. She will serve as the main point of contact for all borrowers looking for Kiva loans, as well as organizations looking to provide their communities with access to capital within Alameda County. With a Capital Access Manager on hand, Centro will ensure that borrowers and organizations have a positive and successful experience with Kiva.

Entrepreneurs

Read more about the eligibility requirements and application process on Kiva’s website. Please let us know if you’re interested in accessing a Kiva loan or have any questions.

Organizations

Learn more about becoming a Trustee on Kiva’s website. Please let us know if you would like to join as a Kiva Trustee or have any questions.

We’re here for you, so please reach out to us:

Verónica Gutiérrez, Capital Access Manager: KivaUS@centrocommunity.org

We understand that capital access is a permanent challenge for entrepreneurs. For this reason, we want to be a welcoming option to support and build successful businesses in Oakland. Be part of this initiative!

Why Wait on Your Dream Business? Start With as Little as $60 and Your Wit

Why wait on your dreams? Start a business in 2018! This winter season Centro is offering two 9-Week Basic Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy Training Series in Old Oakland.

What will I gain from the program?

• Basic business strategy. This means you will create a vision, mission and values for your business, and understand why it is so important. You will also finish the program with a detailed breakdown of your personal and business finance, a market analysis, your value proposition and marketing strategy, and what's required for your operations.

• A basic business plan and a business plan presentation, so that you can pitch your business to others.

• A network of Bay Area entrepreneurs just like yourself.

• Access to a Kiva micro loan that can help you get started right away if you need seed funding.

Basic program details

Choose the 9-week session that works best for you:

• Session 1 will be on Wednesdays, starting Jan, 31st from 5pm - 8pm. Here is how to register.
• Session 2 will be on Thursdays, starting Feb. 1st from 5pm - 8pm. Here is how to register.
• Where: At Centro Community Partners in Old Oakland (825 Washington Street)
• Cost: A total of $60 only for 9 classes.
• No business experience or training of any kind required. Come and we'll guide you step-by-step.

Secure your spot today by completing the application corresponding to the session in which you are interested, and submit the initial $20 payment.

More information?

If you have any questions, feel free to contact our Oakland trainer, Hope Lehman, at hope@centrocommunity.org or (510) 990-0184.

9-week Basic Entrepreneurship Program in Oakland begins August 15

Have you always wanted to start a small business? To offer something unique to others? To play a bigger part in your community? If you are not afraid to work hard for your dreams, join us!

Centro is offering a 9-week Basic Entrepreneurship program in Oakland. Our mission of building communities through thriving businesses is at the heart of the workshop series, as is Centro's Business Planning App.

The coursework will be a guided, step-by-step process to create a business plan through simple and fun activities, in addition to interactive workshops that will help you analyze and develop further the concepts you put in paper. We will also cover Basic Strategy (i.e. vision, mission and values), Personal Finance, Market Analysis, Value Proposition, Operations, Marketing Strategy and Business Finance.

Program Details:

• 9 consecutive Tuesdays from 5 - 8 pm, beginning August 15
• Cost: $60 (payment plan offered)
• Place: The program will take place at Centro Community Partners at 825 Washington Street, Suite 228, Oakland.

For more information about the program and the scholarships available, please email: Hope@centrocommunity.org. She will be happy to chat and reserve a spot for you!

Ready to Sign Up?

9-week Basic Entrepreneurship Program in Oakland begins May 16

Have you always wanted to start a small business? To offer something unique to others? To play a bigger part in your community? If you are not afraid to work hard for your dreams, join us!

Centro is offering a 9-week Basic Entrepreneurship program in Oakland. Our mission of building communities through thriving businesses is at the heart of the workshop series, as is Centro's Business Planning App.

The coursework will be a guided, step-by-step process to create a business plan through simple and fun activities, in addition to interactive workshops that will help you analyze and develop further the concepts you put in paper. We will also cover Basic Strategy (i.e. vision, mission and values), Personal Finance, Market Analysis, Value Proposition, Operations, Marketing Strategy and Business Finance.

Program Details:

• 9 consecutive Tuesdays from 5 - 8 pm, beginning May 16
• Cost: $90 (Scholarships available for low-income entrepreneurs)
• Place: The program will take place at Centro Community Partners at 825 Washington Street, Suite 228, Oakland.

For more information about the program and the scholarships available, please email: Arturo@centrocommunity.org. He will be happy to chat and reserve a spot for you!

Ready to Sign Up?

Free Tax Preparedness Workshop for Small Businesses

Small business entrepreneurs can encounter many challenges as they plan and run their businesses simultaneously, usually spending most of their time tending to customers and "putting out fires." For months-at-a-time, accounting and tax preparedness can take the "back seat," until they sneak up as an immediate need once a year.

If you are wondering what you should have done throughout the year to make sure you are ready to file your taxes on time, please join us for this free workshop led by Mayfield Accounting. You will not only receive advice on how best to organize in preparation for either working with a tax preparer or using at-home software, but you will also learn a lot about the inner-workings of your business, and feel more confident about making decisions to improve it.

BASIC WORKSHOP DETAILS

• Title: Business Tax Basics for Startups
• Who is this workshop for: All small business entrepreneurs - Centro students, alumni and anyone running a small business who needs help.
• When: Wednesday, March 15th 2017
• Time: 5 - 7 pm
• Place: Centro Community Partners Office in Oakland, CA
• Free of charge

YOU WILL LEARN

• How to meet all the tax compliance requirements for your startup.
• Pros and cons of each type of business structure.
• How to navigate and plan for various business related filings, including entity/income returns, sales tax and payroll.
• What supporting documents you need to maintain to ensure proper preparation of your income tax returns.
• Strategies on how to organize and manage your documents, and reduce the clutter. 

QUESTIONS & REGISTRATION

Please contact Irina Kurtsevaya at irina@centrocommunity.org to ask any questions you may have or let her know you will attend.

ABOUT MAYFIELD ACCOUNTING

Mayfield Accounting is a small business accounting and consulting firm, dedicated to the development and growth of female-owned businesses. "It is our belief that within every woman lies the power to make the  world a better place, and at Mayfield we deploy the practical application of this belief by using our  knowledge and training to improve the performance of businesswomen." say founders Lindsay Hiken and Joy Pang. 

Lindsay and Joy come from a variety of educational and experiential backgrounds ranging from Big 4 public accounting, to post baccalaureate work in the fields of business administration and accounting, to hands-­on experience as entrepreneurs and small business owners. This diversity allows them to be more than just number crunchers for their clients: they are advisors, confidants, partners...and yeah, they are good at crunching the numbers too!

We're lucky to have Lindsay and Joy lead this workshop for you!

New Financial Literacy & Entrepreneurship Programs in Santa Clara County

AnewAmerica and Centro Community Partners (Centro) have come together to launch a new program addressing the needs of low-income entrepreneurs in Santa Clara County. Together we will offer entrepreneurship and financial literacy workshops geared primarily towards women and minorities, fully funded by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. 

Our main goal is to provide participants with the technical assistance they need to succeed in their businesses, and give them access to the capital and mentorship services they will need to fuel and sustain their own goals. In parallel, we are also aiming to introduce participants to vetted financial products that have proven to be successful in building assets within underserved communities.

In this new partnership, we will be responsible for leading our Basic Entrepreneurship Program in two formats (9-week program and 1-day bootcamps) and reach approximately 120 low-to-moderate income entrepreneurs. Centro will also offer these programs in both English and Spanish.

While Centro will co-facilitate the entrepreneurship training portion of the project with AnewAmerica, our partners will offer their expertise and curriculum for financial fundamentals and introduce participants to fitting financial products such as Kiva USA micro-loans, savings match accounts, peer lending circles and pre-paid debit cards - all catered to help them improve their financial health.

As part of the project, AnewAmerica and Centro will also jointly host a hack-a-thon for small business entrepreneurs and techies to come together and solve business problems using technology.

The training programs are open to any gender, but the majority of the program participants are expected to be low-to-moderate income women and minorities from underserved communities in San Jose.

OVERALL GOALS & IMPACT

• 120 participants in eight nine-week business development and asset building trainings, and four one-day bootcamps, half of them led in English and the other half in Spanish.
• 100 participants registered to receive on-going and one-on-one coaching from AnewAmerica.
• 10-20% of the participants accessing at least one financial product, such as a microloan, a matched savings account or a lending circle.
• 10 participants pitching their idea at a hack-a-thon.

FIRST TRAINING PROGRAM

The first 9-week training program will start the second week of March. It will meet weekly on Mondays (in English) and Wednesdays (in Spanish) from 5 - 8 pm at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Library (3rd Floor) in San Jose. The cost is $75 per participant.

Start a Business: Sign Up for a Basic 9-Week Entrepreneurship Program in Oakland

Have you always wanted to start a small business? To offer something unique to others? To play a bigger part in your community? If you are not afraid to work hard for your dreams, join us!

Centro is offering a 9-week Basic Entrepreneurship program in Oakland. Our mission of building communities through thriving businesses is at the heart of the workshop series, as is Centro's Business Planning App.

The coursework will be a guided, step-by-step process to create a business plan through simple and fun activities, in addition to interactive workshops that will help you analyze and develop further the concepts you put in paper. We will also cover Basic Strategy (i.e. vision, mission and values), Personal Finance, Market Analysis, Value Proposition, Operations, Marketing Strategy and Business Finance.

Program Details:

• 9 consecutive Tuesday from 4 - 7 pm, beginning March 7
• Cost: $90 (Scholarships available for low-income entrepreneurs)
• Place: The program will take place at Centro Community Partners at 825 Washington Street, Suite 228, Oakland.

For more information about the program and the scholarships available, please email: Arturo@centrocommunity.org. He will be happy to chat and reserve a spot for you!

Ready to Sign Up?

New Business Incubator Program - Available in Spanish

If you have been wanting to flesh out a business idea but know you need help from someone with experience, this is your opportunity!

AnewAmerica and Centro are offering a business incubator program for aspiring small business entrepreneurs who want to sign up for ongoing coaching. The program includes:

• 9 weeks of training, using Centro's Business Planning App.

• One-on-one coaching during and after the training.

• Access to capital, including matched savings and Kiva micro-loans.

• Sessions with trainers and coaches who speak Spanish, so that you can study and plan for your business in your own language.

Basic Details:

• Sessions in English: Every Monday from March 6th to May 1st.

• Sessions in Spanish: Every Wednesday from March 8th to May 3rd.

• Time: From 5 - 8 pm.

• Where: Meets at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Library (3rd Floor) in San Jose.

• Cost: $75 for the training plus the cost of ongoing coaching. Scholarships available.

Questions?

Please contact us anytime. We'd be happy to share more about the curriculum, scholarships and registration details:

• jgarcia@anewamerica.org / 408.326.2669

Ready to Register?

The First and Only Guide to Shop Local and Small in the Bay Area

Photo credit: Pavel Fedorov.

For the first time, the Bay Area has a vetted guide to shop local and small from rising creatives, makers and skilled professionals around you. We called it: Meet the Neighbors!

Meet the Neighbors (localandsmall.com) is a special project of Centro Community Partners that emerged as a collective of small business entrepreneurs, all of whom have started their businesses in the Bay Area in the last five years, so you always have something new to discover and someone new to support.

View fullsize

Wether you are looking for a good restaurant, a caterer, a lawyer or a new scarf, go to localandsmall.com often to discover new choices, meet your neighbors and support our growing home community.

Meet the Neighbors was created in collaboration with other Bay Area non-profit organizations dedicated to economic development and entrepreneurship. Thank you Kiva, Main Street Launch, Working Solutions, Urban Solutions, MEDA and Pacific Community Ventures. We couldn't have gathered this amazing collective of local small businesses without you!

We also want to express our deepest gratitude to the 2016 sponsors of the guide: the Port of Oakland, the University of San Francisco School of Management and Union Bank. 

Refer a Small Business

Great small businesses emerge all the time. If you want to refer a new shop around you or an independent professional to Meet the Neighbors, let us know!

100 Best Non-profit Websites of 2016: Centro Made the Cut!

Our website is meant to be a helpful resource for those we serve and our supporters, so we’re really excited to be included on EveryAction’s 100 Best Nonprofit Websites list for 2016! 

Check out what they liked about our site, and take a minute to visit us online too. We'd love to hear your feedback as well, and add new features to give you an even better experience! So feel free to contact us anytime at info@centrocommunity.org.

Lastly, kudos to our Marketing Advisor and Website Designer, Liliana Peliks. She makes everything beautiful, and so easy for us! Don't hesitate to let us know if you want a referral. She also works with small business entrepreneurs! 

More About EveryAction

EveryAction is a Customer Relationship Management leader for non-profits, offering tools for marketing, advocacy, online donations and donor management.

Their unified solutions are designed to help busy non-profit professionals build a supporter base with more automation and expertise. Learn more about them at everyaction.com.

Behind the Business Conference in San Francisco, September 16-17

Cuisine Noir Magazine Presents the Behind The Business Conference 2016 for Small Food Entrepreneurs September 16 – 17 in San Francisco

Starting and running a business takes passion, hard work, patience and a great network. Join us in San Francisco for Cuisine Noir’s first Behind the Business Conference on Friday, September 16 and Saturday, September 17 -  a new space for current and aspiring small business owners.

This conference is especially designed for anyone who is in the culinary, wine/beer/spirits, restaurant/food truck and specialty gourmet foods industries. Whether you are starting or have been running your business for a while, there is always something to learn.

Schedule Overview

The conference kicks-off on Friday, September 16th at 6:30 pm with our Welcome and Networking Reception at The Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco where guests will mingle attendees, panelists and speakers and media.  The evening will also host a meet and greet with this year’s keynote speaker Andre Mack, founder of Mouton Noir Wines, the largest producing black-owned wine label in the country.

Andre Mack, founder of Mouton Noir Wines and keynote speaker at Behind the Business Conference. 

On Saturday, September 17th we’ll come together at the South San Francisco Conference Center from 8 am – 5 pm for a full day of workshops, and a luncheon that will include a highly anticipated discussion around the opportunities and obstacles securing funding to start, grow and expand one’s small business.

Discounted Registration Available

We have been offered a discounted rate of $70 for the two-day conference for anyone who is part of Centro Community Partners. So, Centro entrepreneurs, current and past MBA advisors, donors, supporters and friends, please contact us at info@centrocommunity.org to receive the special registration code. The code will be valid until Sunday, September 11th. 

Questions About the Conference

Please contact Sheree Williams at events@vshereepublishing.com.

We hope to see you there!

Get Your Small Business Idea on Paper and Running: Fall Workshop Series

The Mandela Marketplace is presenting a fall workshop series in Castlemont, Oakland specifically designed for new and local small business entrepreneurs. So if you, or someone you know, is ready to turn an idea into a smart business but doesn't have any business knowledge or experience, this might be the right pathway.

The Sustainable Economies Law Center and Centro Community Partners will collaborate with Mandela Marketplace to lead the legal and business coursework, making it a well-rounded offering at a very low-cost.

Basic Details

• What: 9 workshop sessions covering business entrepreneurship, marketing, finance; food development, safety and handling, and a legal cafe for individual counseling. 
• Who: For all local aspiring small business entrepreneurs (general and food entrepreneurs.
• When: From September 7th to November 2nd. One session per week. If you are a food entrepreneur, you are required to attend all 9 sessions, otherwise, you can skip weeks 5-7.
• How much: Sliding scale and 1:1 match. What does that mean? Contribute anything from $25-$100, and if you have minimum attendance, at the end of the workshop series, you will be given back $50-$200 you can use on your business.
• Where: 8711 McArthur Boulevard, Oakland CA.

More Information and How to Sign Up

Please contact Mariela Uribe at (510) 208-1223.

We look forward to seeing you there! 

We're Giving Away Squares to Process Credit Cards On-the-Go

Square has generously donated 50 credit card readers for Centro's small business entrepreneurs, and we are giving them away starting now!

Ask for your reader as soon as possible by emailing us at info@cenetrocommunity.org with the subject line: "My Square Credit Card Reader."

Run your business with ease and grow faster by processing credit cards anywhere with Square. Visit their website to learn about their fee per transaction, and other Square products that can help your business succeed faster.

*We are giving away up to two credit card readers per business. And if you are no longer in the Bay Area, let us know and we'll put it in the mail for you. 

What You Need to Know to Grow Your Small Business

Christine Doerr, Owner of NeoCocoa and Centro's Entrepreneur Readiness Program Alumn. Photo credit: Susie Wyshak.

Are you an entrepreneur looking to grow your small business? 

Centro is recruiting for the Fall 2016 intake of its Entrepreneur Readiness Program, our advanced training program for small business entrepreneurs who have already developed a product or service, and are looking for help to take their business to the next level.

This program is intentionally designed for entrepreneurs without access to traditional business training and who can attend weekly workshops to improve their business competency, credit health, and professional development. 

Throughout the program, participants also receive support from Centro’s trainers, outside experts, peer entrepreneurs and an MBA advisor, exclusively dedicate to consult and build up with you a complete business plan.

Interested? Apply online today.

Interview Period
August -  September 5 (Some exceptions allowed).

Program Duration
Friday afternoons from September 16 through December 16, 2016.

Cost
$500 per participant.

Inquiry Contact
Please email Irina Kurtsevaya at irina@centrocommunity.org.

More Information

Learn more about the Entrepreneur Readiness Program, meet alumni and read what they have to say about their experience with Centro.

Learn Entrepreneurship in Spanish at The Latina Center

Join us and let us help you launch your small business or plan for the business growth you have been wishing for. Never received any formal training? Not entirely comfortable speaking English? No problem! The sessions will be conducted in Spanish and are purposefully tailored to meet the needs of entrepreneurs who are self-taught or haven't attended a formal business school before. 

The workshop will be led using Centro's Business Planning App - a one-of-a-kind tool that guides you through the process of creating a business plan step by step, and right on your mobile phone. We'll combine simple and fun activities on the app with some interactive group sessions to help you analyze the strengths, the challenges and the opportunities ahead for your business.

The program covers: Basic strategy, personal finance, market analysis, value proposition, operations, marketing strategy and business finance.

• Dates: 8 consecutive Wednesdays, from July 13 to August 31. 
• Time: 6 - 9 pm.
• Place: The Latina Center (3701 Barrett Ave., Richmond, CA 94805)
• Cost: $25 per person
• Language of instruction: Spanish

To register or ask any questions:

• Maria Gamboa, mgamboa@thelatinacenter.org, (510) 233-8595
• Elena Restrepo, elena@centrocommunity.org, (650) 416-4578

Español

Taller Básico para Emprendedores en Español en The Latina Center

Ven y planifica con nosotros el lanzamiento de tu pequeña empresa y el crecimiento que tanto deseas para tu negocio. ¿Nunca has recibido ningún tipo de capacitación formal? ¿No te sientes completamente cómodo hablando inglés? ¡No hay problema! Las sesiones de este taller serán impartidas en español y están adaptadas a las necesidades de emprendedores autodidactas o que nunca han asistido a una escuela de negocios.

El taller será impartido usando la aplicación móvil "Centro Business Planning App" que te guiará paso a paso en el proceso de crear un plan de crecimiento para tu negocio. A través de actividades simples y divertidas, combinadas con dinámicas grupales, te ayudaremos a analizar las fortalezas, los retos y las opciones para crecer tu negocio.

El programa cubre: Estrategia básica, finanzas personales, análisis de mercado, propuesta de valor, operaciones, estrategia de marketing y finanzas del negocio.

• Fechas: 8 miércoles consecutivos, del 13 de julio hasta el 31 de agosto.
• Hora: 6 - 9 pm
• Lugar: The Latina Center (3701 Barrett Ave., Richmond, CA 94805).
• Costo: $25 por persona
• Idioma de instrucción: Español

Escríbenos para inscribirte o hacer preguntas:

• Maria Gamboa, mgamboa@thelatinacenter.org, (510) 233-8595
• Elena Restrepo, elena@centrocommunity.org, (650) 416-4578

Basic Finance Workshops Led in Spanish for Small Business Owners

Luis Abundis, owner of Nieves Cinco de Mayo in Fruitvale, Oakland.

Small business entrepreneurs often struggle with keeping their finance organized. In reality, it is a challenge for most people whether they own a business or not. It can also be daunting to take the first step if your preferred language to learn is Spanish, and all the help you seem to find is in English. We understand, and want to help! 

If you own a small business and you want to truly understand the financial position in which you and your business stand today, come to our Basic Finance Workshop. The sessions will be led in Spanish, aiming to serve the many small business owners in the Fruitvale District of Oakland, and other hispanic community hubs in the Bay Area.  

This workshop is possible thanks to The Unity Council with the collaboration of Centro Community Partners. 

What You Will Learn

This introductory workshop will walk you though the basics of finance, how to separate your personal and business finance, understanding your business costs, what is the breakeven point of your business and how to make simple financial projections.

Workshop Details

• When: Wednesday, May 18th from 9 am - 12 pm OR Thursday, May 19th from 6 - 8 pm; choose the date and time that works best for you.

• Where: The Unity Council (1900 Fruitvale Ave, Oakland, CA 94601)

• Language of instruction: Spanish

• Cost: $25 per person

How to Sign Up

To register, please email Elena Restrepo at elena@centrocommunity.org.

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Español

Taller Básico de Finanzas en Español para Emprendedores de Negocios Pequeños

Los emprendedores de negocios pequeños con frecuencia tienen dificultad organizando las finanzas. En realidad, es un reto que la mayoría de las personas tenemos, seamos dueños de negocio o no. También puede ser desalentador cuando uno prefiere aprender en español y toda la ayuda que encuentra está en inglés. ¡Nosotros entendemos y queremos ayudar!

Si eres dueño de un negocio pequeño y quieres dar el primer paso para realmente entender cuál es la posición financiera de tu negocio y en la que te encuentras personalmente, ven a nuestro Taller Básico de Finanzas. Las sesiones serán en español, con el propósito de servir a tantos dueños de negocios del distrito de Fruitvale de Oakland quieran participar. El taller también está abierto a emprendedores en otras comunidades hispanas del Área de la Bahía.

Este taller es posible gracias a The Unity Council con la colaboración de Centro Community Partners. 

Contenido del Taller

Este taller de introducción explicará las partes básicas de las finanzas personales y de una pequeña empresa. Te ayudará a entender los distintos tipos de costos, cómo calcular el punto de equilibrio de tu negocio y cómo hacer proyecciones financieras sencillas.

Detalles de Taller

• Cuándo: miércoles 18 de mayo de 9 am - 12 pm O jueves 19 de mayo de 6 - 8 pm; selecciona la fecha y hora que sea mas conveniente para ti. 

• Dónde: The Unity Council (1900 Fruitvale Ave, Oakland, CA 94601)

• Idioma de instrucción: español

• Costo: $25 por persona

Inscripciones

Para registrarte, por favor escribe un email a Elena Restrepo a elena@centrocommunity.org.

Celebrating National Small Business Week

Nancy Charraga, Owner of Casa Bonampak

Local small businesses come together during the month of May, all throughout the United States, and re-affirm how much they contribute to the economy, and how happy their owners are to do so!

In our area, the cities of Oakland and San Francisco have put together an array of events for everyone to enjoy. Do not miss them!

• Oakland Small Business Week: May 1 - 7, 2016
• San Francisco Small Business Week: May 21 - 28, 2016

If you are a small business entrepreneur, review the schedules closely because there are many resources and opportunities that will be brought forth during these weeks of celebration.

Free Admission to "Flavors of San Francisco"

San Francisco's Small Business Week kick-off event, Flavors, is on Monday, May 23. Centro will be there together with 70 other small business resource providers. Come to find ways to improve your business, and explore the many other new entrepreneurs emerging in the area. There will be lots to eat and drink too!

If you are part of the Centro community, please email us at info@centrocommunity.org and we will get you in for free with a promotional code.

If nothing else, please join the "shop local movement" and support the small businesses near you!