New Address: Two Embarcadero Center, 8th floor, San Francisco, CA 94111     

Cutting Through the Budget Rhetoric

By Marsha Bailey Cutting a budget isn’t easy.  Whether you’re a small business owner, a non-profit executive or a local government manager, making cuts is hard.  It’s hard because in small organizations, we don’t see the line items on our budgets as numbers, we see them as people. There is much discussion in Washington, D.C.

STORY TELLING TOOL

MICRO ENTERPRISE STORY TEMPLATE DEVELOPED FOR CAMEO By Joel ben Izzy © 2011 The world of Micro Enterprise development is filled with stories.  In fact, there’s a tale to be told behind every loan we make and behind every business that succeeds, adds a new product or service, or creates a new job. With so

Simonida Cvejic, Bay Area Medical Academy

When Simonida Cvejic came here from former Yugoslavia in 1996, she never thought she’d find herself wanting to start her own business. She had a job in the financial industry when, in 2004, she became a single parent. She realized she would have to make some changes in her life to accommodate her new situation. “I was looking for some way that I could be more available to my kids and have a flexible schedule and the ability to generate income,” she says. She was scared of the uncertainty until her mother said something that made her look at things from a new perspective. “Now you can do anything because you’re not tied to anything,” her mother said. So Simonida shook her fears and got to work.

Writing Tips

– Writing well is an essential skill in any micro-business’s tool kit. CAMEO’s Heidi Pickman walks through what to look for and what to avoid to make your writing clear, concise and persuasive.

Cold Dead Fish Problem

Telling the Story of Micro Enterprise We suffer from the ‘cold dead fish’ problem.  That’s the problem of the delicious sushi restaurant owned by a really nice Japanese couple with awesome service and great prices that’s empty.  Why? It might have something to do with the sign out front that says “We Sell Cold, Dead

Ms. CAMEO in DC – Proof!

Claudia Viek has been making the case to California legislators for restoring technical assistance funds in the FY 2011 . Here she is with Nancy Pelosi’s Chief of Staff – Terri McCullough and Legislative Assistant – Liz Miller.  They’re in the Rayburn Room with George looking on.

Ms. CAMEO Fights for Funds

I arrived in Washington on Sunday where I initially sought to build the case for TA but I came away realizing we need to fight for our very existence! Federal funds for our programs are dangerously close to ending up on the cutting room floor. I will need your help to make sure that doesn’t

AEO’s 20th National Microenterprise Conference

(Earlybird registration deadline is April 1!) Join Claudia, Shufina and Heidi in Washington, DC from May 2-4 for the most important microenterprise conference of the year: AEO’s 20th National Microenterprise Conference. Hundreds of other leaders from the non-profit, corporate and social investment sectors will gather for three days of dialogue, networking and learning in the

CARAT Seeks Collaborative Partners

CAMEO member California Resources and Training (CARAT) is looking for collaborative partner(s) to implement the Sustainable Broadband Adoption grant, Access to Careers and Technology. The partner(s) will provide outreach support and host regional small business technology trainings on the benefits of using software to enhance small business operational efficiencies that will positively impact the company’s