Expert Assistance

 

Here's a list of good resources for business owners once the doors are open, ranging from counseling and mentoring services to employment law and tax assistance.

Santa Cruz County partners with the Cabrillo College Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to help our businesses start, grow and thrive. Their services are free of charge and confidential. Call the SBDC at 831-479-6136 or go to www.centralcoastsbdc.org for assistance.

The Workforce Santa Cruz County web site provides a wealth of information, tools and resources for employers and job seekers. Here you will find links to comprehensive on-line business services, local labor market information, job seeker links and information for youth, job training and education providers, and the Virtual Career Center, an on-line resource for career planning.

The Workforce Investment Board (WIB) of Santa Cruz County brings together the business and education communities, local government, and residents of Santa Cruz County to achieve specific goals pertaining to the workforce in Santa Cruz. These goals include the identification of emerging local and regional workforce issues and the creation of practical solutions, the provision of resources to implement new employment services envisioned in the federal Workforce Investment Act and to set policy for Workforce Investment Act (WIA) services provided through two Career Centers.

The California Employment Development Department (EDD) offers a wide variety of services to millions of Californians under the Job Service, Unemployment Insurance, Disability Insurance, Workforce Investment, and Labor Market Information programs. As California's largest tax collection agency, EDD also handles the audit and collection of payroll taxes and maintains employment records for more than 17 million California workers. The EDD also maintains CalJobs, A no-fee Internet service created and maintained by the California EDD to help employers find qualified job applicants.

The California Employer Advisory Council (CEAC) and local Employer Advisory Council (EAC) will be generally recognized and accepted by employers and government as the premier information resources for the employer perspective on employment and other workforce development issues. The CEAC works closely with national, state, and local governments through various partnerships to facilitate mutually acceptable change.

The California Chamber of Commerce's active Government Relations program works in tandem with business leaders throughout the state to promote key business policy and support pro-business candidates and initiatives through our political action committees. The California Chamber also offers affordable products and services to help California businesses navigate the often-complicated terrain of labor law. Finally, the California Chamber is a comprehensive business resource. From international trade guidelines to industry networking, they've got the information businesses need. Businesses up and down the state rely on our daily news updates, legislative analyses and educational forums.

Santa Cruz County SCORE (Service Core of Retired Executives), a resource partner of the SBA, provides business counseling and training for small businesses and entrepeneurs.  More than 500 Local Santa Cruz County Clients have received free, confidential counseling services over the past 3 years.  Contact SCORE at https://santacruzcounty.score.org or call 831-621-3735.  

Working Solo is designed to help individuals create personal and professional success through the mastery of self-employment and related business practices, working solo advises corporations to increase the understanding of how their organizations can best communicate with and serve SOHO (small office/home office) business owners, to serve as an advocate for micro businesses, and to foster the creative entrepreneurial spirit in both individuals and larger organizations.

The Business Owner's Toolkit offers information in the CCH Small Business Guide to answer your business, tax, and legal questions and to get practical tips that will help you work smarter, save money and stay in compliance with the law. Try out some of the business tools and see how you can get the job done easier and save significant time and dollars in the process. And keep up to date on the latest news and trends that affect small business.

WomenOwned.com walks would-be entrepreneurs through the launch process, from writing a business plan to raising capital. It provides online business information and networking assistance as well as a number of resources for setting up / running / growing businesses. The most outstanding feature is an online search engine of women business owners from every type of industry and from almost every country around the world. The site also provides advice on marketing and scoring government contracts on the web.