We look forward to seeing you at our next workshop in June on Equity Financing.

This workshop was available exclusively for Bay Area entrepreneurs and will help to create jobs and strengthen our community.

Visit our Facebook page to see the photos from this workshop, and stay tuned for our next Entrepreneur Insights workshop.

Join us at Plaza Adelante on Tuesday, February 28th from 5pm to 6:30pm for an overview and discussion on: Tax credits for hiring, legal compliance, payroll tax, and knowing when to hire.

Location: Plaza Adelante, Room 304, Third Floor

Register here: http://einsights.eventbrite.com/

And on January 24, 2012 in a special press event with SF Mayor Edwin Lee and Wells Fargo Executive Tracy Curtis, Wells Fargo announced an additional $440,000 investment in WS' loan fund through the City for businesses in San Francisco's Southeast Sector.  The announcement was made in conjunction with the City recapitalizing the San Francisco Revolving Loan Fund.

Click here to read the full story in the San Francisco Chronicle. KTSF Channel 26 also featured the story. Click here to watch the news clip online. The World Journal reported on the story. Click here to read the full article.

Thank you Wells Fargo for being such a strong partner with WS and such a continuous supporter of local small businesses!!!!

Make sure to get your fitness equipment in time for the Holidays by visiting www.jungshinfitness.com.

You've heard of the importance of the valuation assigned to your company, but where do you start to understand what this valuation means and how it's derived? This workshop will provide an overview of several different valuation approaches. There will be a discussion around which method will give what kinds of business its most attractive outcome. We'll explore how you can use your company valuation to access capital as well as other relevant topics.

Register here: http://valuation101.eventbrite.com/

Owners Robert Dasalla and Steven Le will be using the loan to build out their cafe, located in the San Pedro Square shopping center.

For more information, visit their website at www.littlechefcounter.com.

Click here for the NPR story. Click here for the audio.

Click on the document below for the full article.

RGB Shop+Gallery is a design-inspired boutique in Cow Hollow. Owner Faithy Leong created a space for independent, fashion-forward, working professionals.

Candystore Collective gathers in one place things that inspire San Franciscans, from fashion and accessory items to home decor and unique gifts.

Read the full article here.

Congratulations Agnes and thank you for all your hard work!

The clip also featured Mark Quinn of SBA and a host of Mission neighborhood businesses.

Click here to watch the full video.

Click here to read more about Ineke and her line of perfume.

Click here to purchase!

About Women Advancing Microfinance Northern California (WAM NorCal)

WAM NorCal is the only member-led organization specifically for women microfinance professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California.  The mission of WAM Northern California is to advance the microfinance industry by supporting women in their professional development, promoting leadership, and increasing visibility of their participation and talent while maintaining a work/life balance. If you or someone you know might be interested in becoming a member of WAM or learning more about the organization, please contact Emily at emily@tmcworkingsolutions.org for more information.

AbA

For The Feast Article, click here.

For the Refinery 29 article, click here.

RGB Shop and Gallery, 3024 Fillmore Street, San Francisco.

Check out the article and get yourself a great bag!

This new retail and art space has just celebrated their grand opening. Stop by their store at 3024 Fillmore Street in San Francisco for all your fashion needs.

Click here for the full article.

Wells Fargo has had a long history of supporting Working Solutions. They made the first $500,000 investment in our microloan fund in 2005, and were a huge part of getting Working Solutions off the ground. Katy Johnson also serves on our Loan Committee and Client Marketing Committee. 

Thank you Wells Fargo!!!! 

Town Cutler was also featured in 7X7, SF Chronicle and Eater.

Find Town Cutler at 1005 Bush Street for all your sharpening needs and cutlery questions.

http://www.towncutler.com/

For the full article, please click here.

For the full video, please click here.

To read the article and see all the "Bests", click here.

Urban Bazaar is hosting a "Best Boutique" party on June 11th from 5pm to 10pm at their store on 9th Avenue. Come by and see unique art, eat some pizza, and have a good time!

For more information, please click here.  

"We're keeping their dreams alive, and they're the engines of economic development and job creation in our local communities," said Emily Gasner, Executive Director of Working Solutions.

To view our webpage with full details of the event, please click here.

Mayor Lee emphasized the number of jobs created by the City of San Francisco's Revolving Loan Fund which is administered by Working Solutions. Since 2009, 27 businesses have received funding, leading to the creation of more than 50 full-time jobs.

Mission Cheese received a loan through Working Solutions that has led to the creation of 5 new jobs.

To view our webpage with full details of the event, please click here.

For the full article, please click here.  

Made from start to finish in Johu+Vela's San Francisco's studio, the bags come in two styles: a traditional shopper tote and a bike bag.

For more information and where to find the bags, click here.

The week will be full of seminars, workshops, mixers, parties, speakers  and more.

The fun-filled free celebration begins Friday evening at the Metreon Hotel, 101 4th Street in San Francisco at 5pm.

For more information and a full list of events, click here.

To sample these award winning Caramels, click here.

When: Monday, May 16th at 10:15am

Where: Mission Cheese, 736 Valencia Street (between 18th and 19th)

Mission Cheese: www.missioncheese.net

Click here to vote for 18 Rabbits and show your love for organic, natural, absolutely delicious granola bars!

Scroll down to vote at:

#9 Granola

#22 Snack Bars

Please check back for more details later.

To break it down:
• Urban Bazaar has purchased $25,815.17 worth of Fair Trade goods that support poor, disadvantaged artisans around the world. This has helped keep women out of sex slavery, children fed and educated, and families empowered to operate their own small businesses.
• Urban Bazaar has purchased $34,277.20 worth of local- and U.S.-made goods. Most of this money has gone straight into the crafty hands of Bay Area artists, and a small percentage has gone to companies based in the US who follow ethical labor and environmental practices.
And these figures continue to grow every day they're in business.

Read about Mission cheese in Mission Loc@l by clicking here, in Daily Candy by clicking here, in Urban Daddy by clicking here, and in 7X7 Magazine by clicking here.  

For the full article, please click here.  

The event is free to the public.

For more information about Urban Bazaar, visit their website at www.urbanbazaarsf.com. For more information about the Fair, please click here.

These delicious South American treats are available to take out, eat in, have catered, or order wholesale!

To read the full article, click here.

Click here to read the full article.

 To read the article, please click here.

Click here to read the article.

Working Solutions' Staff Member Receives Prestigious Financial Certification

On February 10, 2011, Agnes Cheung of Working Solutions received certification as an Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) from the National Development Council (NDC).  EDFP Certification is a professional credential given to individuals who successfully complete NDC's intensive economic development finance training series.  The training provides individuals working in the field of economic development with instruction in business credit analysis, real estate financing, loan packaging, deal structuring and negotiating and the creation and implementation of development programs. 

Each of the four EDFP Certification Program courses are five days in length and concludes with an exam.  Upon successful completion of all four courses, the candidate is awarded EDFP Certification.  

The National Development Council was established in 1969 and is a non-profit organization specializing in economic and housing development training and technical assistance for community development.  NDC has provided training to over  60,000 professionals working in the fields of economic and housing development.  Participants come from diverse backgrounds including city and state governments, public agencies, community-based organizations, professional organizations and banks.

Agnes Cheung joined Working Solutions in May 2009.  Agnes is a Business Development Officer for Working Solutions and she is responsible for assisting small business entrepreneurs throughout the microloan application process and providing business coaching and mentoring for entrepreneurs in the San Francisco Bay Area.  She holds a Bachelor Degree in Managerial Economics from University of California, Davis.  Prior to Working Solutions, Agnes worked in the automotive financing industry for 7 years and has extensive expertise in consumer and wholesale lending and credit analysis.  Agnes was born in Hong Kong and she is fluent in Cantonese.

To read the article, please click here.

To read the article, click here.

Click on the pdf below for all the details.

Congratulations Lorena!!!

Click here to read the story.

Congratulations Lorena!!

Petit Collage is a line of modern baby and child wall décor and accessories with a vintage twist. Founder Lorena Siminovich's distinct hand-made collages on wood were the first to capture the hearts of parents everywhere. The collection has expanded to include mobiles, posters, mirrors, prints on wood, and more, handcrafted in a sustainable manner from the best-quality, most eco-friendly materials available.

Originally from Buenos Aires, Lorena Siminovich is a San Francisco based artist, designer, and illustrator. Lorena has illustrated 16 books for children published by Chronicle Books, Templar UK, and Candlewick Press. Her books have garnered the OppenheimToy Portfolio Gold Award and the Center for Early Literacy's "Best Books for Babies 2010" award, and are favorites of both indie and chain bookstores as well as specialty retailers including Pottery Barn Kids, Pea in the Pod, Babies R Us, Target, Barnes and Noble, and Borders.

In addition, her licensed artwork has been sold at Anthropologie, Pottery Barn Kids, Land of Nod, Mead, and Giggle. Lorena has been featured in the Martha Stewart Show and important blogs such as Oh Joy, Designsponge, Ohdeedoh, Apartment Therapy, Print and Pattern, Book By Its Cover, and many more. Her board books have garnered praise from Parents magazine, Kirkus Revies, Telegraph (UK), Pregnancy magazine, and Publishers Weekly, among others. Lorena lives with her husband and baby daughter in a recently-renovated, art-filled home on a hill.

Kris Nations is having a trunkshow at Eco Citizen this Thursday!

Kris Nations and Eco Citizen are both Working Solutions borrowers.  This is one example of how our borrowers network with each other and do business with each other.  Kris Nations is a jewelry designer and Eco Citizen is a retail store selling high-end eco-friendly women's clothing and accessories.

The event is Thurday, November 11th, 5pm to 9pm at 2255 Polk Street (at Green).

Details are attached below.

We hope to see you there!

Click here to read the article.

Click here to read the article.

These funds are from the SOMA Stabilization Fund and are now part of the San Francisco Revolving Loan Fund.

To read the article, please click on the link below.

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/SoMa-small-businesses-can-receive-up-to-50K-in-loans-104212274.html

Please click on the pdf below to read all the event details. 

We hope you can join us!

To receive a special Working Solutions discount on the admission price, please use the discount code: TMCworking

Note that the code is case-sensitive.

The Grand Opening Party will be held on Saturday, 8/14 from 7:00pm to 10pm.  They will have free drink and pizza (Little Star Pizza), crafting demos, and the chance to win a gift basket of Fair Trade merchandise.

Urban Bazaar is located at 1371 9th Avenue @ Judah Street, Inner Sunset neighborhood in San Francisco. 

Please visit Urban Bazaar's website for more details:  http://urbanbazaar.wordpress.com/

 http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/05/18/plastiki.food/?hpt=C2

Address:  1371 9th Avenue (between Judah and Irving), San Francisco

Website:  http://urbanbazaar.wordpress.com/

The business has been receiving rave reviews so far:

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2010/07/51st_state_a_mobile_taste_of_a.php

This is a 2-year grant totaling $100,000 to increase technical assistance for local microentrepreneurs.

Working Solutions is extremely grateful for Wells Fargo's strong support of local microenterprise development.

Pictured below: Katy Johnson, Raminder Somal, Ansi Ting, and Patrick Gaughan from Wells Fargo plus Working Solutions Staff and Loan Committee Members 

Robert Kreyer was chosen because of the restorative dental prosthetic cases he has provided at no cost to survivors of domestic violence.

Robert Kreyer (pictured below 3rd from the left) was given the award April 29, 2010 at the 26th Annual AACD Scientific Session, in Grapevine, Texas.

To read the story, click here:

http://www.sfbg.com/pixel_vision/2010/05/20/coffee-shop-dollar-store-king-divco

WORKING SOLUTIONS CLIENT THE CORNER STUDIO WOULD LIKE TO OFFER YOU THIS SPECIAL: 

GET YOUR SUMMER ON WITH OUR GROUP CLASSES!

Unlimited group classes for only $50. June 7- June 19 Sign up online now to reserve your spot, space is limited. *reformer class excluded from offer *current students can suspend their packages to take advantage of offer.

Cutest Curios - 2010

The Curiosity Shoppe

The Curiosity Shoppe

855 Valencia (at 19th St.)

San Francisco, CA

415-671-5384

Visit Website

Map & Details>>

Share

If the Curiosity Shoppe reminds anyone of ReadyMade magazine, it's because the adorable Mission District store was opened by former ReadyMade editor Derek Fagerstrom and Lauren Smith, a former associate of fashion designer Todd Oldham. Talk about cute cred. The tiny depot celebrates the duo's self-proclaimed obsession with "beautiful things," giving shoppers a chance to decorate their homes with such delightful items as a Clare Rojas floriography journal, a porcelain cupcake container, a set of wooden bricks, handmade baseballs, a ukulele kit, a Rubik's Pepper Mill, and a dining table Ping-Pong set. Ready? You've got it made.

Best Restaurant Soundtrack - 2010

Outerlands

Outerlands

4001 Judah (at 45th Ave.)

San Francisco, CA

415-661-6140

Map & Details>>

Sure, food is important in selecting where you want to eat, but ambience is up there, too. Outerlands gets high marks on both accounts. The cozy Outer Sunset restaurant puts care into everything it presents - the driftwood counters and walls; the fresh bread, soups, and salads; and the soundtrack drifting out from the speakers. If you're an indie-rock fan with Pitchfork tastes, the owners always have the best selections playing at a volume that won't upset your dinner conversations. Savor your Côtes du Rhône and seafood stew as the ebullient albums by Real Estate, the Dodos, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Animal Collective, and other upbeat, weirdo pop and folk artists offer an invisible serenade. Best part of this kind of music: The artists aren't gonna come begging for dollar bills when they're done.

To learn more, click here.

Grand Re-Opening of Working Solutions Client Bayview Webspot this Saturday, April 10, 2010 from 10 AM - 7 PM.

--
Bayview Webspot
4342 Third Street between Kirkwood and Jerrold
San Francisco, CA 94124
415-670-9405
http://www.sfwebspot.com/
Mon-Sat 10AM-7PM

To read the article, please click here.

Contact: Ritu Sangwan, ritu.sangwan@cooksf.com

Ph: 415-513-5328

Cook! SF Joins Sustainable Seafood Movement through San Francisco Seafood Watch® Alliance Restaurant Partnership

(SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.) - October 31, 2009 - Cook! SF (http://www.cooksf.com/) has been named an official partner of the San Francisco Seafood Watch® Alliance, created by Aquarium of the Bay, the California Academy of Sciences and the San Francisco Zoo, to provide regional support for the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program. With its commitment to using only whole, real and fresh ingredients Cook! SF makes healthy eating easy.

"We are proud to join the San Francisco Seafood Watch Alliance and to promote sustainable seafood choices and protect ocean habitats," said Nona Lim, Cook! SF founder. "Cook! SF meal kits feature healthy ingredients that are organic and sustainable. Joining the San Francisco Seafood Watch Alliance is a great way to work with other eco-friendly businesses to create a better future for our oceans."

Cook! SF offers up to 20 different meals each month, many of which are gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian and qualify as low glycemic index foods. The best part is Cook! SF meals always taste delicious, never diatetic. Ultra gourmet dining and a healthy gut go hand-in-hand with Cook! SF. Many people don't realize that health symptoms that bother them on a daily basis are actually related to food. Gluten - the protein found in wheat and other grains - can cause digestive and skin problems. And studies show a chronic dairy allergy affects up to 80% of the population. The good news is it is possible to heal symptoms with Cook! SF's real healthy meals.

"We are delighted to welcome Cook! SF into the San Francisco Seafood Watch Alliance," said Carrie Chen, Director of Education & Conservation at Aquarium of the Bay. "We applaud Cook! SF for promoting sustainable seafood offerings to its customers.  

Cook! SF was recently voted the Bay Area's "Best-Kept Secret" by San Francisco Magazine readers who raved about Cook! SF's real simple, real healthy meal kits. Cook! SF's sustainable seafood entrees include:

• Wild Alaskan salmon with wasabi green onion mayonnaise and sautéed green beans with caramelized onions (gluten-free & dairy-free)
• Grilled Californian line-caught halibut with lemon caper dressing and baby pea shoots sauté with organic carrot and ginger soup (gluten-free & dairy-free)
• Fresh grilled local sand dabs with home-made avocado salsa and brown rice pilaf (dairy-free)

Cook! SF has pledged to not serve items from the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch  "avoid list." Cook SF's fish supplier is Ports Seafood-the same supplier to the Bay Area's finest restaurants, such as Boulevard and Chez Panisse. For example, the Half Moon Bay fisherman who catches the sand dabs for Cook! SF sustains only about 10 pounds of bycatch a year. That's ocean-friendly fishing! 

Cook! SF and Seafood WATCH are committed to the following sustainability principles:

• Ensure a bounty of seafood for this and future generations
• Support environmentally responsible fishing and fish farming
• Increase the demand for ocean friendly seafood
• Give species that are in peril a break so that they may recover

About Cook! SF

Cook! SF creates real simple, real delicious meal kits to help people achieve real lasting health. Clients follow three simple steps: 1) select their meals for the week, 2) receive their weekly box of easy-to-make-food, and 3) cook their meal in just 20 minutes! Cook! SF uses whole, real, fresh, and mostly organic ingredients prepped just-in-time to be cooked in your kitchen. It's like being an organic gourmet chef without...well...actually being an organic chef. Cook! SF believes food is medicine and offers gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and vegetarian meals to help people heal their digestive system. The Cook! SF Cleanse follows the nutrition protocol of Dr. Mark Hyman, author of Ultrametabolism. Cook! SF uses only eco-friendly, recyclable packaging. For more information, please contact Ritu Sangwan at ritu.sangwan@cook-sf.com.

About San Francisco Seafood Watch® Alliance

San Francisco Seafood Watch Alliance aims to raise local consumer, restaurateur and seafood industry awareness of the importance of acquiring seafood from sustainable sources. Working together, Alliance members Aquarium of the Bay, California Academy of Sciences, and San Francisco Zoo provide regional support for the Seafood Watch program created by Monterey Bay Aquarium.

About the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch® program

Launched in 1999, the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch® program is a key component of the Aquarium's Sustainable Seafood Initiative. The Initiative works to transform the seafood market in ways that support ocean-friendly fishing and fish-farming operations. Seafood Watch® provides science-based seafood recommendations through its website and pocket guides, and works with over 180 partners nationwide to educate consumers and businesses about this important issue. Contact: www.montereybayaquarium.org, www.seafoodwatch.org

Click here to read the article.

Click here to visit Outerland Cafe's website.

Here is a small excerpt from Sunset Magazine:

Dine at the year's must-try dinner spot. Beachcombers have always had a reason to venture west. Now food lovers are making the pilgrimage too,​ to try the fish stew, braised pork shoulder, garlic soup, and other wintry comforts at Outerlands. Add to that beer served in mason jars and an always-changing lineup of desserts, such as flourless chocolate cake and seasonal fruit tarts, and this eight-table restaurant paneled with driftwood is excuse enough to make the trek. $; closed Sun night; 4001 Judah St.; 415/661-6140.

To learn all about the competition and watch the news clip, click here.

To check out the photos of the event and learn the details, click here.

Click here to see the article.

 Holiday Gift Fair

Thursday, December 3, 2009 from 3pm to 7pm 

550 Montgomery Street @ Clay Street

First Bank (Top Floor)

All the details are below.  And you can download and print the invitation as a pdf by clicking HERE.

If you have questions, please contact Emily Gasner at 415-477-8415.

Click here to read the press release.

Featured Below: Steve McClure (Executive Vice President, Wells Fargo & Chairman & CEDLI Board of Directors), Emily Gasner (Executive Director, Working Solutions), Selma Taylor (Executive Director, CARAT)

Click here to read the article.

To read the article, please click here.

Click here to read more.

Click here to read the article.

Please click here to read the article.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/08/ED1117GHAF.DTL&type=printable

www.to-goware.com

To Go Ware makes green and sustainable products such as bamboo utensil sets in carrying cases made out of recycled plastic bags and recycled plastic bottles.

http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2009/03/30/daily74.html?s=smc:3

The loan fund will officially launch on April 15, 2009.

If you are interested in learning more about the City RLF, please contact us and we will send you the information once it becomes available on April 15th.

Please click below to read a copy of the Press Release.

You are invited to attend!

For more details and to register, please visit http://www.vedc.org/newsroom/eventreg.php?eid=695 or download the pdf below. 

What: Access to Captial Business Expo

When: Saturday, May 23, 2009, 8am to 2:30pm

Where: Hyatt Regency, 5 Embarcadero Center, SF, CA  94111

Cost: $10 

To read more, please visit AIA SF's website at http://www.aiasf.org/Programs/Awards_Program/Design_Awards/207.htm

You are invited to attend!

Where: Bayview Web Spot -- 4744 Third Street @ Oakdale (in SF)

Website: sfwebspot.com

When: Saturday, March 28, 2009, 10am to 7pm

For more details, please download the invite PDF below.

Check out Outerlands!

The restaurant offers art and music, along with unique, local, organic food and drink.

http://www.outerlandssf.blogspot.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/outerlands-san-francisco

Hours: Tues-Sat, 11am-3pm, 6pm-10pm (Closed Mondays)

Sunday Brunch: 10am-2:30pm

Location: 4001 Judah Street @ 45th Avenue, San Francisco, CA

Contact: (415) 661-6140, outerlandssf@gmail.com

When: Thursday, May 28th, 2009, 8am to 6pm
Where: Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
For more details:  http://www.microfinancecalifornia.org/

Up to Two Million Entrepreneurs in California can't access the small amounts of capital they need to get their business off the ground.  What are U.S. microfinance organizations doing to meet this demand?

Join us for the first state-wide conference on microfinance to:
Learn the nuts and bolts of domestic microfinance
Visit Bay Area microfinance borrowers through small group tours
Understand the impact and future of microfinance in California
Contemplate your role in the field of microfinance through small group dinners with practitioners, leaders, and investors
 

Emily Gasner, Working Solutions Program Director, is a panelist for the following session:

How Microfinance Works in the US: Products, Services, and Risk Management
http://www.microfinancecalifornia.org/conference-info/sessions.php

Explore the nuts and bolts of microfinance in the U.S. including discussion of the loan application process, technical assistance, portfolio risk, interest rates and payment terms. Learn the key differences between international and domestic microfinance. How is the current economic climate affecting potential borrows and how are microfinance lenders responding to these trends?

Speakers
Evelyn Huang, Program Director, Opportunity Fund
Robert Lopez, Director of Lending, ACCION San Diego
Emily Gasner, Program Director, TMC Development Working Solutions

We were thrilled to launch our new website last week. 

The website design was generously donated by Trinity Applied Internet, Inc. www.trinity-ai.com/. 

Thank you Trinity Applied Internet!

We invite you to explore the new website and give us feedback at info@tmcworkingsolutions.org.

We hope to see you soon at a future event!

http://tmcworkingsolutions.org/latestnews/app-calendar/

Emily is a dedicated advocate for financial services, particularly for microenterprises and small businesses with limited or no access to traditional financing.  To date, she has connected microenterprises with $485,000 in microloans and small businesses with $1.9 million in financing.  Her clients include such businesses as Kris Nations Jewels, Kika's Treats, To Go Ware, Kick Start SF, and The Curiosity Shoppe.

Emily has provided countless hours of technical assistance to entrepreneurs helping them create business plans and financial projections.  Over one thousand entrepreneurs have been educated about starting a business and how to apply for a loan as a result of her participation in business workshops around the Bay Area.

Emily's passion for economic development is an inspiration.  On behalf of Working Solutions, we wish her continued success with her advocacy for businesses in the community.