For Small Businesses to Survive, San Francisco Must Provide Dedicated Advisors
Over the past few months, I’ve been in touch with countless small businesses as our campaign for Supervisor has shifted its energy to helping neighbors during the pandemic. From learning how to apply for PPP (Paycheck Protection Program), access ever-evolving City grants, or adapt to the latest technology to offer new services, there’s no shortage of ways small businesses need our support.
During this time, I’ve been struck by the disconnect between what some businesses are aware of versus others. Many still don’t know about programs and resources available to them that could significantly improve their chances of survival. This means that right now, the future of many of our favorite small businesses are based on something as simple as access to information, not how hard they work or how good their product or service is.
This is why I’m calling for the next phase of the City’s economic response to include building out a team of Small Business Advisors. This would let every small business in San Francisco have a dedicated advisor to guide them through these challenging times, and it would immediately shift the responsibility of sharing information to be on the City rather than the small business owner.
We also know this will help those who need it most: immigrant merchants, first-time operators, and monolingual owners. Data from the Center for Responsible Lending shows that nationally, small businesses owners of color are excluded at an alarming rate from these programs, with Asian owners being denied in 75% of PPP applications. A Small Business Advocate program can help close this disparity in San Francisco.
Hiring a team of Small Business Advisors also offers an employment opportunity to dozens of individuals with hospitality or customer service backgrounds who are out of work in one of our hardest-hit industries. Former operators and staff from small businesses know first-hand the struggles of small businesses and can bring much-needed experience to make sure the City understands how its policy and programs will actually land in the real world.
At this moment, the last thing that should stand in the way of our small businesses surviving is something as basic as access to information. It’s time for our City to finally be proactive in its engagement and advocacy for our small businesses. It can start by building out a team of Small Business Advisors to provide immediate relief and pave a path to getting our businesses back to work.
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Danny Sauter is a renter, non-profit director, and neighborhood organizer. He is running for District 3 Supervisor in November 2020. DannyD3.com
