Happy Filipino Heritage Month! This month, we will be featuring Filipino-owned businesses through ShopDineSF. If this is your business, please reach out to shopdinesf@sfgov.org with a photo and a link to your website or social media handles. The SOMA Pilipina Filipino Heritage District celebrates the living legacy of the Filipino experience and contributions to San Francisco. They hold frequent events and programs! It is also the continuation of Hispanic Heritage Month, plus LGBTQ History Month, and National Disability Employment Awareness Month – offering many opportunities to celebrate our diversity!
Announcements & Highlights
San Francisco secures $17 million in state grant funds to fight organized retail theft
Funding will support resources for the SF Police Department and District Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute organized retail theft cases. The funds will go towards additional staff, equipment, vehicles, technologies, and more.
Spaces available for lease at The Market
The Market at 1355 Market Street has six spaces for lease. They range in size and include some with or without refrigeration, hand sinks, and other built-ins. Each space and lease terms can be tailored to the tenant’s projected sales.
For more information email joy@visitthemarket.com
Pop-up retail leases available at SFO
A Request for Proposals (RFP) is now open for Pop-up retail leases in Terminal 3 of SFO. Proposals are due in January 2024.
The Airport will be hosting an in-person Informational Conference on October 25 at 10:00 AM at 575 North McDonnell Road, Ground Floor, Conference Room 1A, San Francisco.
IRS pauses new claims for the Employee Retention Tax Credit
On Sep 21, 2023 the IRS has paused all new claims until at least the end of 2023, in response to fraud. Check back for an update when the program re-opens.
Market Street roadwork impacts in October
From Oct. 14-28 Market Street will be shut down between 5th and 8th Streets, for roadwork. During this period, all above-ground transit on Market Street, as well as taxis, bicycles, and delivery vehicles will be rerouted off Market Street between 3rd Street and 10th Street to avoid the construction zone.
Get a permit for an existing awning
If your business has an unpermitted, existing awning, follow steps under a time-limited program to help you comply with City requirements. The Awning Amnesty Program features a simplified application and waived fees, and is open through June 30, 2024.
Permit Specialists with the Office of Small Business are available to help - sfosb@sfgov.org or 628-652-4949.
Watch a video guide to the program
*Versions of this video in Spanish, Chinese, and Filipino will be available by Oct 13*
Office of Small Business in the Community
Let us know if you would like the Office of Small Business to visit your corridor and share resources for small businesses. Please send requests to: sfosb@sfgov.org.
Updates on APEC
This November, San Francisco will be hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting. During the week of November 11-17, we are expecting up to 20,000 delegates from across 21 APEC Member Economies, 1,200 CEOs from around the world, and over 600 media representatives for this 30th annual event.
This is a unique opportunity to showcase San Francisco's vibrant commercial corridors, cultural districts and neighborhoods.
Showcase your events
Submit a planned event to share with APEC delegates. We are using this survey form to collect info to share with APEC delegates, which does not guarantee attendance. Our staff are not able to organize events nor provide funding.
Get event permitting help
For technical assistance for event permits, contact entertainment.commission@sfgov.org or sfosb@sfgov.org.
For a temporary event with indoor entertainment, apply for the One Time Indoor Event permit.
For a temporary event with outdoor entertainment or amplified sound, apply for the One Time Outdoor Event permit.
Local Impact
Most of the official events for APEC will take place at the Moscone Center. There will be significant security presence in that area, as well as near hotels and other neighborhoods during the conference. We can expect that large attendance and security will significantly impact traffic, public transit, and parking.
The Office of Small Business is working with event planners to learn about any potential street closures or traffic issues. We will receive details about security perimeters and other impacts in mid-October. We will share information via newsletter and social media once we have it.
APEC is seeking volunteers
Help with staffing information stations, greeting visitors and providing directions, language interpretation, registration, and more.
Deadlines
Participate in the next SF Restaurant Week
Register by Oct 9, 2023
SF Restaurant Week will be Fri, Nov 3rd - Thu, Nov 16, organized by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association. SF Restaurant Week is a promotional campaign designed to drive traffic directly to restaurants. Participating restaurants offer special prix-fixe menus.
Legacy Business Spotlight
Heritage Happy Hour at SF Heritage’s Famed Haas Lilienthal House
Oct 12, 5:00 – 7:00 PM
A casual “no-host” gathering of heritage professionals, young preservationists, aficionados, friends, and Legacy Business cohorts interested in preserving San Francisco’s unique architectural and cultural identity.
San Francisco Heritage is a Legacy Business and nonprofit whose mission is to preserve and enhance San Francisco’s unique architectural and cultural identity. Since 1971, San Francisco Heritage has protected the city in the face of rapid change. This includes advocacy for historic resources, education programs, and tours and rental of the 1886 Haas-Lilienthal House.
Webinars & Events
Month-long
Breaking barriers: A legal series for immigrant-owned small businesses
Legal Services for Entrepreneurs and collaborating partners are hosting a new legal webinar series this month aimed to reduce the barriers for immigrant-owned businesses in the SF Bay Area.
10/17: Worker-Owned Cooperatives: A great option for undocumented entrepreneurs (English/Spanish/Cantonese/Vietnamese)
10/18: Choosing Your Business Structure (English/Spanish/Cantonese/Vietnamese)
10/18: ITINs: Who needs them? How do I apply? *Spanish Only*
10/19: Know Your Rights: Commercial Lease (English/Spanish/Cantonese/Vietnamese)
10/23: How to Start A Business with ITIN *Spanish Only*
10/24: Tax Implications for Immigrant Businesses (English/Spanish/Cantonese/Vietnamese)
10/25: How to Make Your Business ADA Compliant (English/Spanish/Cantonese/Vietnamese)
10/26: Accessing Capital as an ITIN Holder (English/Spanish)
11/2: Virtual Small Business Legal Clinic
OCT 10
Digital Marketing Office Hours
Join Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center’s for 1.5 office hours on digital marketing. Office hours kick off with some topical points and then open up for Q&A on any relevant marketing topic.
OCT 16
Key Financial Metrics: How to make your Food business work for you
In this webinar, instructors will break down your business’s numbers to help you understand which are more important. Learn how to integrate them into your daily schedule for ease and increased profit. Hosted by the San Francisco Small Business Development Center.
OCT 17
Menu Engineering for Profitability
Learn to refine your menu and influence your sales and profitability as you integrate customized menu engineering into your business. Hosted by the San Francisco Small Business Development Center.
Shop Dine SF
A campaign to support businesses in San Francisco. Visit shops, eat at restaurants, and get services and experiences from the small businesses that make San Francisco special.
Visit sf.gov/shopdineSF or follow the campaign on social media to find events and initiatives across San Francisco! Share events supporting businesses and commercial corridors by emailing shopdinesf@sfgov.org.
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Did you know?
San Francisco announced a new education effort to better support San Francisco’s Coordinated Street Response Program, ‘Okay to Call’.
911 is for police, fire, and medical emergencies. A behavioral health crisis is a medical emergency. Calling 911 puts you in contact with a highly trained dispatcher who will send the most appropriate response team for each situation. Calling 911 does not necessarily mean that the police will respond.
311 is for City services, information, and non-emergencies, including: mobility and access issues, encampments, street/sidewalk cleaning, and graffiti.