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Small business newsletter for November 2026
Office of Small BusinessUpdates, trainings, announcements, and more, from the Office of Small Business
With a strong El Niño forecast for this winter, taking steps now can help minimize disruptions and protect your business. Join city departments and a seasoned small business owner on Wednesday, November 5 at 10am for a webinar to learn how to prepare. Get straightforward guidance on emergency planning, insurance considerations, documenting losses, operating during outages and keeping food safe. Walk away with clear steps you can take immediately to help safeguard your business and your customers.
Key updates
Office of Small Business Community Office Hours
November 5
9AM-12PM at Progressive Grounds, 400 Cortland Ave.
1-4PM at Imperial Garden, 2626 San Bruno Ave.
Drop in to speak with a staff person about a question or challenge you may have, such as business registration, licenses, permitting, leasing, funding, and more. No appointment needed. See more office hour dates at sf.gov/osb-office-hours
Golden State Valkyries Championship Parade
November 4, 2026, 12:00-2:00PM
Congratulations to the Golden State Valkyries – the 2026 WNBA Champions! The parade will travel along The Embarcadero, starting at the Ferry Building near Mission Street and ending at King and 2nd Street. Fans can begin lining up along the parade route at 9:00AM on the bay side of Embarcadero from Mission Street to 2nd Street.
For all transit and traffic updates, please visit sfmta.com/valkyries.
Renew Parklet permits
Deadline to renew: November 15
If you have a Shared Spaces Parklet permit you will need to renew. Renew by providing the Shared Spaces team an updated Certificate of Insurance and Neighboring Letter of Consent (if applicable) to SharedSpacesPermit@sfdpw.org.
Parklet permit fees
If you have a parklet permit, you will be charged a fee in your 2027 Unified License Bill. Businesses that gross $5 million or less annually will automatically receive a 50% waiver.
Removing your parklet?
You don’t need a permit to remove a parklet. To stop future billing, email a photo of the cleared parking lane to SharedSpacesPermit@sfdpw.org. Include your business name, address, and permit number so the Shared Spaces team can close your account.
Office of Economic & Workforce Development seeks proposals for programs
Apply by November 13
Request for Proposals (RFP) 237 is for organizations and businesses to deliver economic and workforce development programs that support San Francisco residents, businesses, commercial corridors, and communities. Program Areas include workforce development and sector training, small business and entrepreneurship support, commercial corridor economic vitality and activation, arts and cultural economic development, entertainment zones, and organizational leadership and development.
New state laws impacting small businesses
Below is a round-up of recently signed California state laws that apply to small businesses across the state. Unless otherwise stated, the new laws take effect January 1, 2027:
AB 1693 – Accelerated retailer building plan approval: tenant improvements
Requires local building departments to allow a qualified professional certifier (architect or engineers, for example) to certify plans for tenant improvements. Local building departments would have 20 business days to approve or deny complete applications.
AB 2418 - Nonresidential private permitting review
Through Jan 1, 2032, requires local agencies to contract with private plan checkers, at the applicant’s request, to do plan check if the department process would cause excessive delay in review (30 business days or more).
SB 936 and SB 758: Nitrous Oxide
Prohibits the sale and distribution of nitrous oxide that is: marketed as having a food taste, is more than 8 grams and can be directly inhaled; or a device allowing for nitrous oxide to be inhaled. Businesses that sell cigarettes or tobacco products cannot sell nitrous oxide.
AB 1918: Body art practitioners
Body art facilities must post a specific notice about human trafficking in English, Spanish, and one other widely spoken language. Before July 1, 2027, those businesses need to provide at least 20 minutes of training to employees in recognizing the signs of human trafficking and how to report.
AB 762: Disposable, battery embedded vapor inhalation device (vape pen)
Starting Jan. 1, 2027, a person is prohibited from importing or manufacturing new or refurbished disposable battery embedded vapor inhalation devices for tobacco. Starting on Jan 1, 2028, a person is prohibited from selling those devices.
SB 1149: Employees: bereavement leave
Allows employees to use bereavement leave for a family member, which now includes a ‘designated person.’ A ‘designated person’ is any individual related to the employee by blood or whose association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.
AB 2663: Alcoholic beverages: retail on-sale license: off-sale privileges
This bill extends until December 31, 2029 a rule that lets bona fide restaurants with off‑sale privileges and on‑site beer, wine, or craft distiller producers sell certain alcoholic drinks for takeout. They may sell distilled spirits in manufacturer‑sealed containers and may also sell other alcoholic drinks (not beer) in sealed single‑serve or capped containers.
Coming up
Disability Entrepreneurship Event
November 18
“Advancing Health Equity Through Entrepreneurship, Accessibility & the Arts” is an event hosted by the San Francisco Disability Business Alliance. It brings businesses together for an evening celebrating disability entrepreneurship, creativity, health equity, accessibility, and the power of an inclusive Bay Area business community.
Learn more and sign up for the Disability Entrepreneurship Event
Host an SF Music Week Partner Event
Submit a proposal by November 20
Event: February 15-21, 2027.
SF Music Week is seeking industry partners to host unique offerings and events that showcase San Francisco’s rich history and future as a city that champions music. SF Music Week is a week of events, culminating in two day-long conferences for both local music industry members and artists, aiming to support the future of the local music scene.
Learn more about SF Music Week
Learn business skills
November 4
El Niño is Coming: Is Your Business Ready?
Host: Office of Economic & Workforce Development, Office of Small Business, Department of Emergency Management, Department of Public Health, and SF Public Library
Location: Virtual
Learn how to prepare your small business for severe winter weather, including heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, and power outages.
November 4
Commercial Leasing for Small Businesses
Host: Legal Services for Entrepreneurs
Location: Virtual
Get legal guidance to understand your lease terms, potential liabilities, and protections before entering into a new lease or modifying an existing one.
November 4
Go Deeper with IBISWorld: State & Archived Industry Reports
Host: SF Public Library
Location: Virtual
Learn how to use IBISWorld’s State Industry Reports and Industry Archives to research industries by location and over time. Find data on industry performance, employment, wages, establishments and other trends at the state and local level.
November 9
Cómo atraer y fidelizar a clientes con discapacidades
Host: Office of Small Business, Office on Disability & Accessibility, and SF Public Library
Location: Excelsior Branch Library, 4400 Mission St.
Learn simple, practical, and affordable strategies for welcoming customers with a wide range of disabilities. We’ll also share information about how to apply for a grant of up to $10,000 for making accessibility improvements to your shop or restaurant. Only in Spanish. Solo en español.
November 10
El Niño Economic Preparedness Panel
Host: CA Business & Economic Development and CA Office of Emergency Services
Location: Virtual
This webinar is for statewide partners, local governments, businesses, and community organizations. It will feature panelists from the state’s Office of the Small Business Advocate, Department of Insurance, and more.
November 19
Become a City Supplier
Host: SF Public Library & Clecha
Location: Virtual
Learn how to become a City Supplier and explore opportunities to do business with the City and County of San Francisco. This workshop covers supplier registration through the SF City Partner website, Prop Q purchasing, navigating the City's procurement process and finding City contract opportunities.