Business Information

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Business Help

San Francisco Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center

Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center is a non-profit organization that provides small business training and support services to women and men throughout the Bay Area; by helping them to start or grow their own business, Renaissance promotes lasting economic development for individuals and communities that traditionally have not had access to capital and business support.

The Small Business Development Centers
There are over 63 Small Business Development Centers across the country, with at least one in every state. These centers provide small businesses with management and technical assistance. This link takes you to their site locator. In addition to the main office there are satellite locations in each state.

SCORE
A nationwide network of seasoned business professionals that provides business counseling, as well as up-to-date information on current business trends.

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SF Business Groups

Golden Gate Business Association

For over thirty years, the GGBA has served as a dynamic voice for the Bay Area’s LGBT businesses. Specifically, it has built a community of excellent LGBT businesses with significant value for the economy and has provided a strong voice both to the Office of the Mayor and to the members of the Board of Supervisors. The GGBA provides members with networking and mentoring opportunities, informal business advice, business leads and referrals. The organization provides a sense of community for members facing the task of doing business in today’s rapidly changing and challenging marketplace.

NAWBO-SF

The National Association of Women Business Owners, San Francisco Chapter.   Women Business owners in the San Francisco Bay area meet particular challenges; sharing our resources, expertise and experiences benefits everyone. Greater networking opportunities and strategic alliances advantage individual businesswomen; our events and programs also provide the means to learn and earn more. Together, we are building better businesses, and our voice is large enough to be heard by policymakers.

San Francisco Small Business Commision

The seven member Chartered Small Business Commission (SBC) was established to respond to and advocate for the needs of small business.  The SBC functions as the city's central point of information and referral for small businesses located in the City and County of San Francisco.  By championing "business-friendly" policies, the SBC works to support and enhance an environment where small businesses can succeed and flourish.

San Francisco Small Business Network

The San Francisco Small Business Network (SBN) serves as a strong, clear, and unified voice advocating for the small business community in San Francisco.

San Francisco Chamber of Commerce

The San Francisco Chamber has some 2,000 member businesses and organizations, and represents more than 250,000 employees of those businesses. Member companies are drawn from every industry in the city, and are of all sizes – from the smallest to mid-size firms and large corporations. The Chamber was founded in 1850.

San Francisco Locally Owned Merchants Alliance

SFLOMA was founded in 2005 by a group of local merchants, and we already have over 50 members. While we are concerned about the negative economic effects of big-box stores and tax-free internet sites, we have a more positive story to tell: locally owned businesses recirculate more money in the local economy than national chains. So not only are our businesses competitive, quirky, friendly, unique, and creative, we better support the local economy.

Small Business California

Small Business California is a proactive, non-partisan business advocate whose only agenda is the well being of California’s 1,137,584 small businesses.

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LGBT Business

Economic Development Program @ The Center
The Economic Development Program at San Francisco's LGBT Community Center helps LGBT entrepreneurs create and grow small businesses.

The Golden Gate Business Association
The Golden Gate Business Association (GGBA) began as the nation's first LGBT Chamber of Commerce. The GGBA empowers LGBT businesses in the Bay Area by providing members with networking and mentoring opportunities, informal business advice, business leads and referrals.

The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) is the only national not-for-profit advocacy organization specifically dedicated to expanding the economic opportunities and advancements of the LGBT business community. Seeing new opportunities for community advocacy, specifically in the economic arena, the NGLCC was founded as the exclusive organization for certification as an LGBT-owned business enterprise. The NGLCC is the direct link between Corporate America and LGBT businesses and entrepreneurs.

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Women in Business

Amber Grants for Women
Assistance for women who are trying to start small businesses, home-based or online.

Center for Women’s Business Research
The premier source of knowledge about women business owners and their enterprises worldwide.

E-Magnify
With a focus on entrepreneurship, e-magnify offers convenient access to a unique mix of business resources, educational offerings, articles, and practical advice to help women of all ages learn, network, grow, and succeed.

Forte Foundation
Forté works to inspire women to pursue leadership careers in business and to increase their access to business education and business networks.

Global Summit of Women
An annual gathering of women business, professional, and political leaders from around the globe who work to advance women’s economic and entrepreneurial progress worldwide.

Grants and Other Resources for Women Entrepreneurs

The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)
The only dues-based national organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs in all types of businesses, NAWBO has over 75 chapters.

National Women’s Business Council
Federal advisory council created to advise the federal government and the SBA on issues that are important to women business owners.

Office of Women's Business Ownership
Promotes the growth of women-owned businesses by providing educational programs and access to credit and capital.

Online Women's Business Center (Office of the US Small Business Administration)
Women's Business Centers promote the growth of women-owned businesses through programs that address business training and technical assistance, and provide access to credit and capital, federal contracts, and international trade opportunities.

Springboard Enterprises
Springboard Enterprises offers programs that educate, showcase and support women entrepreneurs as they seek equity capital and grow their companies.

Women Business Center
Women Business Centers promote the growth of women-owned businesses through programs that address business training and technical assistance, and provide access to credit and capital, federal contracts, and international trade opportunities. Find a center near you.

Women's Initiative
The mission of Women’s Initiative is to build the entrepreneurial capacity of women to overcome economic and social barriers and achieve self-sufficiency.

Women's Network for Entrepreneurial Training

Women-21
This site provides general information for women entrepreneurs, information about obtaining federal contracts, registration for online programs, and networking opportunities.

WomensNet Online!
Where Women Mean Business!

Women's Opportunities Resource Center
WORC provides training, individual business assistance, job placement, and access to business and financial resources.

The World Association of Women Entrepreneurs
International women’s business organization