Bringing together San José’s small business owner community to share experiences, learn from each other and connect them to resources is a big part of the work of the City’s Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs.

We did just that when more than 130 San José small business owners and partners attended our Small Business Month event, Helping Small Businesses Thrive: Tools to Grow Your Online Presence and Manage Your Finances on Friday, May 12 at the City Hall Rotunda. View photos of the event on our Facebook page. 

We were happy to have many of our partners there, including representatives from the local chambers of commerce, business associations, the federal agency the Small Business Administration as well as many of our council members who stopped by during a break in the budget meetings to say hello.

Live interpretation in Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese was provided to attendees who needed it, and food and beverages were provided by Mezcal Bistro and Bar, owned by downtown entrepreneur Adolfo Gomez.

The focus of the event was on two panel discussions to share with business owners some practical tips that can boost their business’ online presence as well as a panel discussion on financial resources so they can better organize their tax paperwork or apply for a loan.

Online marketing panelists Tony Lam (CEO, Launch Your First), Ky Truong (CEO, Designed by Ky), Mark Balliet (Owner, Mentality Designs & Local Rank Hero) and Katelyn Studebaker (Director of Marketing, Discover Santa Clara) stressed simple tips as taking ownership of your Google business listing, how to make it easier for people to find your business online, as well as ways to engage with your audience and be authentic in your social media to create a loyal customer base.

Financial tools panelists Stephanie Flores, (Tax Consultant, Latino Business Foundation of Silicon Valley), Mayra Contreras (Director of Partnerships, TMC Community Capital), and Azer Manashir (Senior VP, Bank of America) shared the barriers faced by small business owners who are immigrants or whose primary language is not English, and products and services their organizations provide to help these groups of entrepreneurs.

The community response to the event has been amazing, with many sharing with us how helpful the panels were and asking us when the next one will be. Some of the testimonials from attendees:

“We really enjoyed how informative it was and connecting with others. Would you be able to let us know when the next event is? We are very interested!”

“We appreciated the panelists sharing their info on networking strategy with us. As you know times are difficult for small businesses today, and we appreciate you hosting an event in an attempt to support us. A fine event with a high polished feel. Hopefully you will be offering more of these in the near future.”

“It was a great event…this is a very critical time for local Small Businesses trying to recover from the pandemic. They need…support more now than ever”

The Office of Economic Development’s Business Development team along with our partners are committed to supporting our small business community. Blogs and upcoming trainings and workshops include:

• Blog: Social Media Marketing Tips for Small Businesses by Ky Troung
• Wednesday, June 14 and 21: Incrementa tus ventas! Se el influencer de tu negocio, Spanish language social media marketing training hosted by Prosperity Lab
• Tuesday, June 20: Starting a Business: Write a Business Plan, online training hosted by SCORE Silicon Valley
• Wednesday, June 21: Harness the Power of Listings & Reviews, online training hosted by SCORE Silicon Valley
• September 14 – November 16: San José Business of Art: Entrepreneurial Training for Artists, hosted by San José Office of Cultural Affairs and Center for Cultural Innovation.

We will continue to organize more in-person events that will bring local business owners together to make new connections, learn from each other, and be inspired to continue building their businesses. Sign up to our email list to receive information on future small business trainings and events!

For additional information on small business assistance resources or networking contact Executive Analyst Jiawei Tang – jiawei.tang@sanjoseca.gov or (408) 535-6884