The number of small businesses in our area continues to grow - many with the help of some local organizations where the people want to see them succeed.
The Sacramento area got more than 70 new businesses in the past two years - with more than 300 jobs created and nearly 200 more saved - all thanks to help from people at the Small Business Development Center's Capital Region - led by the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.
One of them is Casa De Espanol in Sacramento - where people can go not only to learn to speak Spanish, but about the cultures in Spanish-speaking countries - and where Spanish-speakers can also learn English.
Maria Harrington says she and her husband were able to grow their business to 400 students and raise the number of people they employ with the help of an SBDC counselor. "It's not just providing you a pamphlet and 'here, figure it out yourself,'" Harrington says, "It's someone who extended their hand to us to be able to pull us up from the ground and say 'You can do it. I believe in you".
Those counselors help guide people to Small Business Administration Loans, which require local matching money, so they also help connect them with local banks to get the cash they need to grow.