INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Small Business Assistance Center

A center dedicated to helping City of Sacramento small businesses start, grow, and thrive. Need help with your business? Follow the four steps below to access free services today!

Step 1: Register for a business 311 account

Create an account online and submit a 311 business resources request.  Just like the general 311 portal, the business 311 portal  allows you to submit service requests directly for your business. While you can submit any type of service request, the City encourages you to take advantage of its business assistance programs by submitting a "Business Resources" request.

Step 2: Get a free consultation

Receive one-on-one consulting from an industry expert.  

The City is offering businesses free one-on-one consulting from industry experts.

Businesses can customize their consultations based upon their individualized needs. Topics can range from business planning help to marketing assistance to e-commerce expansion and more! 

Request assistance today by registering for a business 311 account and submitting a 311 business resources request !

Step 3: Apply for micro-capital assistance

Apply for up to $5,000 in grant funds and up to $2,500 in fee credits.  The Small Business Microgrant Program provides the participants of its Business Technical Assistance Program with up to $5,000 in micro-capital to implement recommendations identified during technical assistance consultations. The purpose of the program is to promote business growth and expansion.

Step 4: Explore business data resources

Get valuable information from available business analytics tools.  SizeUp Sacramento  is a free, robust business analytics tool designed to support small and medium-sized businesses in a variety of stages, from the entrepreneur looking to start their first business to a seasoned business owner looking to expand their customer base.  

SizeUp Sacramento also offers the Small Business Advisor, a service that provides information on numerous topics related to planning, starting, managing, and growing a business. It is designed to easily enable users to explore business topics of their interest. This service provides a roadmap of tasks and processes an entrepreneur can take to be successful. The content is a mix of text information, graphics, videos, and interactive research tools which are data-driven, hyper-local, and industry specific.