WHO WE ARE
A statewide voice for the people building solutions every day.
Small business owners are builders, employers, innovators, problem-solvers, and community leaders. We understand how to operate on tight budgets, adapt quickly, manage people, create jobs, and deliver results with limited resources.
California is stronger when the people building solutions every day have a seat at the table.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to advocate for California's small businesses by promoting fair policies, responsible public spending, local economic opportunity, and greater inclusion of small business owners in government decision-making.
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Small businesses are not just part of the economy — we are part of the community.
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We create jobs, train workers, mentor future leaders, support families, serve neighborhoods, and invest locally.
WHY CALIFORNIA NEEDS SMALL BUSINESS VOICES
Practical experience California can't afford to overlook.
California is one of the most innovative and economically powerful places in the world, but many small businesses are struggling under rising costs, complex regulations, labor challenges, taxes, insurance increases, permitting delays, and competition from large corporate entities. Too often, decisions that affect small businesses are made without enough input from the people who actually operate them.
Budget discipline, project management, innovation, community understanding, real-world problem solving — these skills should be viewed as a public asset.
EXPERTS IN EFFICIENCY
Small business owners know how to get things done.
We work without large administrative teams, unlimited consultants, or extra padding in every budget. We manage tight margins, solve unexpected problems, build teams, and make decisions quickly because our businesses depend on it.
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That experience can help the government design programs that are more effective, more accountable, and more connected to real-world outcomes.
INNOVATION STARTS SMALL
California's strength has always been its builders, creators, and dreamers.
Innovation does not only happen inside large corporations or major institutions. It happens every day in restaurants, veterinary clinics, construction companies, farms, retail stores, local service businesses, manufacturers, and family-owned companies across the state.
Small businesses innovate because we must.
We adapt quickly, test new ideas, respond to community needs, and find better ways to serve people. California should harness this entrepreneurial mindset to help solve public challenges.
WE ARE COMMUNITY
Boots on the ground.
We understand what families, workers, customers, and neighborhoods are experiencing because we interact with them every day. We see the effects of rising costs, housing struggles, and workforce challenges — and we see where public systems are working and where they are falling short. Unlike outside corporations, local small businesses are rooted in the communities they serve.
RESPONSIBLE USE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS
The goal isn't to spend money. It's to solve problems.
When billions of dollars are allocated toward major challenges but residents see limited results, people lose trust. Small business owners can help identify inefficiencies and bring practical solutions to public programs. The Coalition supports:
Transparency in public spending
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Reduced administrative waste
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Clear performance metrics
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Stronger oversight
Competitive bidding
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Measurable outcomes
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Local participation in contracts​
FAIR TREATMENT
Not special treatment — a fair chance.
Too often, large corporations receive major tax credits, incentives, and public contracts while small businesses carry heavy tax burdens and rising costs. San Diego should not only attract large corporations — it should protect and grow the local businesses that already serve this city. We support:
Tax fairness
​Faster government payments
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Local-first contracting
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Reduced red tape
Small-business set-asides
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Small business impact reviews
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Simplified procurement
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More representation in policy
SMALL BUSINESSES CREATE OPPORTUNITY
Ladders of opportunity for workers and families.
Small businesses often give people their first job, first leadership role, first trade skill, or first path toward entrepreneurship. We train workers, mentor employees, and help people build careers.
When small businesses thrive, families thrive. Neighborhoods thrive. California thrives.
OUR PRIORITIES
Eight commitments for a stronger California.
A STATEWIDE COALITION WITH LOCAL CHAPTERS
One statewide voice. Many local roots.
The California Small Business Coalition supports local chapters across the state. Each chapter elevates regional concerns while contributing to a larger statewide voice — together helping shape a stronger, more accountable, more innovative California.
OUR MESSAGE TO CALIFORNIA LEADERS
We are not just asking to be protected. We are asking to be included. We are asking to help.
We ask California to recognize the value of people who build, hire, serve, solve problems, and invest in their communities every day. The people building solutions deserve a seat at the table.
Join the Coalition
If you are a small business owner, employee, policymaker, community leader, nonprofit, or resident who believes California's small businesses deserve a stronger voice, we invite you to join us. Together, we can build a California that values local businesses, uses public funds wisely, creates opportunity, and strengthens communities.