Business News
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Lake County Blue Zones Project held a ribbon cutting ceremony and cooking demonstration in honor of the designation on Nov. 3 at the store.
Foods Etc. is located at 15290 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake.
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- Written by: California Department of Food and Agriculture
The workshop is being offered by the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Partnerships & Public Engagement in partnership with the Fresno State University Jordan College of Agriculture and Division of Research and Graduate Studies.
Workshop topics include:
• How to register on www.grants.gov;
• Proposal development process;
• Submission requirements;
• Workplan;
• Partnerships;
• Grant writing tips.
Click here to register for the workshop.
For more information, please contact
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- Written by: National Federation of Independent Business
This year, Small Business Saturday falls on Nov. 26. Last year, spending at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday reached an estimated $23.3 billion, up 18% from $19.8 billion the year before and a substantial increase from the $19.6 billion spent in 2019, according to a survey by American Express and the National Federation of Independent Business, or NFIB.
“For some small businesses, the holiday season is the make-or-break time of the year,” said John Kabateck, NFIB’s California state director. “A good season of sales can keep the doors open and people employed going into 2023. Additionally, there’s the added joy of reacquainting yourself with the local small businesses in your area, where you’re more likely to find unique items, customer service, and product expertise than you will at a big-box retailer.”
He added, Small businesses have never had so much hit them. The scars of COVID still exist, compounded by inflation, a historic inability to find qualified workers, supply-chain disruptions, and the everyday struggle of operating in one of the nation’s more highly regulated and taxed states. We should all be doing everything we can on Small Business Saturday — and every day, for that matter — to help these businesses that have always been there for us, creating jobs, supporting local teams and schools, and helping to grow the local economy.”
Small Business Saturday began in 2010 when many Main Street businesses were struggling to recover from the Great Recession. Since then, it has become one of the biggest shopping days of the year, an opportunity for people to support the small, independent businesses that make their communities healthy.
Here are some of the ways shops and restaurants can make the most of Small Business Saturday:
• Stay on top of your social media. If you’re on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or Pinterest, post often and promote any Small Business Saturday deals. Use the hashtags #ShopSmall and #SmallBizSat so shoppers can find you easily.
• Showcase merchandise that would make a great gift. Group items on a table with a sign saying it would be the perfect gift for mom or grandparents, for example. Restaurants can offer Small Business Saturday specials and gift cards.
• Offer doorbusters. Chain stores know a great way to drive shoppers to their stores is by offering exclusive deals at different times of the day. There’s no reason a small business can’t do the same thing.
• Partner with nearby businesses. Pool your resources to buy advertising promoting the neighborhood as a shopping destination or team up with other merchants on in-store promotions. For example, if someone buys a shirt at one shop, tell them about the great deal on shoes next door.
• Don’t forget to tell your regular customers about Small Business Saturday. Put a sign in your shop and flyers in bags reminding folks to come back the Saturday after Thanksgiving for exclusive deals.
Keep up with the latest on California small-business news at www.nfib.com/california or by following NFIB on Twitter @NFIB_CA or on Facebook @NFIB.CA.
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- Written by: Employment Development Department
Veterans Day provides California’s Employment Development Department, or EDD, an annual opportunity to honor the many brave individuals who serve and have served our country, by highlighting employment resources the EDD provides statewide to help veterans in their transition from military service to the civilian workforce.
The EDD’s 2022 Veterans Day web page features valuable information and resources, along with video success stories that show how veterans, and employers who hired veterans, used EDD services to make a career connection.
“EDD proudly serves an ongoing role in the support of California veterans by helping them identify and connect with job opportunities offered by employers who value their unique skill sets and training,” said EDD Director Nancy Farias. “This campaign will reflect how the quality services and assistance we provide to veterans help launch lasting careers.”
The EDD has also released its annual Veterans in the Workforce Report, highlighting the latest data on veteran employment in California including the industries hiring veterans, the jobs they are performing, and the skills and education veterans possess to meet employer needs.
“Accessing their earned veteran benefits and getting their due respect back home should never be as difficult as what our veterans faced while defending our Constitution and freedoms,” said CalVet Secretary Dr. Vito Imbasciani, a 27-year Army veteran. “It is our privilege and duty to do everything within our means to smooth their transitions and ensure their futures.”
California’s veteran workforce
California is home to 1.3 million veterans, who compose over 7% of the national veteran population. As of December 2021, approximately 572,700 California veterans were employed.
The largest number of California’s veterans are employed in professional and related; management, business and financial; service; and sales and related occupations.
California’s veteran workforce is comprised of 91% men (approx. 1.23 million) and 9% women (approximately 118,000).
Approximately 68% of California veterans (909,400) were 55 years and older, while 23% were between 35 and 54 (315,200); 8% were age 25 to 34 (111,200); and 1% were age 18 to 24 (18,000).
Veterans and industry employment
As California continued rebounding from a peak of 2.7 million jobs lost at the height of the Pandemic, the largest year-over gains (December 2020 – December 2021) in the number of employed veterans were experienced in financial activities (+10,800), transportation and utilities (+7,500), education and health services (+7,100), and leisure and hospitality (+5,000) industries.
The heaviest year-over losses were found within the professional and business services (-19,100) and public administration (-13,600) industries. Several of these industries are leading economic growth in California, which is forecasted to add 1.3 million jobs between 2021 and 2023. That makes veterans well-poised to fill employer needs in the future.
Available services for veterans:
• Local EDD employment representatives at America’s Job Center of CaliforniaSM locations throughout the state provide job and career assistance to veterans. These veteran representatives work one-on-one and provide specialized assistance to veterans with significant barriers to employment.
• CalJOBSSM, EDD’s online labor exchange system, can help veterans translate their military training and specialties into marketable skills applicable to civilian jobs. Veterans will be directed to employers with job openings that match their military experience.
Additional services for employers:
• Local employment representatives at America’s Job Center of CaliforniaSM locations work with employers and help match their employment needs with qualified veterans.
• CalJOBSSM is available to employers to post job openings. Employers can also refine their candidate searches to focus on veterans.
• The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) program provides employers a tax credit for hiring veterans who face special obstacles as they try to reenter the workforce.
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