news
Small business newsletter for September 2026
Office of Small BusinessUpdates, trainings, announcements, and more, from the Office of Small Business
This month, the Office of Small Business will start offering Community Office Hours in commercial corridors throughout San Francisco. Drop in at any of the locations to speak with a staff person about a question or challenge you may have - anything from registering and licenses, to permitting, leasing, funded, and more. Office hours in September will be in the Excelsior. No appointment needed.
Key updates
New liquor license opportunities
Applications accepted from September 14-25, 2026
The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) is accepting applications for:
- Hospitality Zone Liquor Licenses: nontransferable restaurant liquor licenses for the downtown hospitality zone of Union Square and Yerba Buena
- Neighborhood-Restricted (“Type 87”) Liquor Licenses: nontransferable restaurant liquor licenses available in Bayview, Excelsior, Portola, Ocean Avenue, and the Sunset
Some key information:
- The first step for any business interested in one of these licenses will be to file an application during the two-week priority application period in September.
- An applicant will need to submit a short application form and the full application fee ($19,840)
- A business owner doesn’t need to have a location secured to participate in the priority drawing but will need one if they are selected to complete the full liquor license application process.
- If there are more applications than licenses available, ABC will hold a random drawing to determine the order in which they will process applicants.
- If the business doesn’t get a liquor license, their application fee is refunded (minus a service charge and, potentially, money currently owed to a California taxing agency)
Learn more about these liquor licenses
California GO-Biz STEP Export Voucher Program
The The Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) is now accepting applications for the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) Export Voucher Program. Eligible California small businesses can apply for reimbursement of up to 75% of pre-approved, eligible export promotion expenses. The current application window is open for export promotion activities taking place through September 30, 2026.
Get more information about the voucher program
Established Chinatown beauty business for sale
Dee Dee Boutique, 714 A Pacific Ave.
The boutique is a registered Legacy Business, operating continuously since 1988. The business offers a combination of beauty retail and facial services, supported by an established customer base, experienced operations, and a strong financial foundation.
The current owner is preparing for retirement, creating an excellent opportunity for a new owner to take over a fully operational, turnkey business.[TK1]
For additional information regarding the business, financials, operations, and acquisition opportunity, please contact deedeesf@gmail.com
Coming up
Small & Diverse Business Expo
September 30, 2026
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is hosting an expo to help connect small and diverse businesses to utility, government, and other entity procurement specialists. Learn the benefits of becoming certified as a small, women, minority, disabled veteran, LGBT, and/or persons with disabilities business.
Mastercard Small Business Summit
October 15, 2026
Hear from industry experts on a range of topics, including monetizing your creativity, protecting your business, leveraging the latest AI tools, accessing capital, and more. The day will include a networking reception at 5:00 PM, bringing together entrepreneurs, business leaders, and partners to connect and collaborate.
Learn business skills
September 8
Intellectual Property Essentials for Entrepreneurs
Host: SF Public Library
Format: Virtual
Learn the fundamentals of intellectual property and how trademarks, copyrights and other protections can help safeguard your business and creative work. In partnership with the SF LGBT Center.
September 9
Buy or Build Your Commercial Property
Host: Small Business Administration
Format: Virtual
Some small businesses reach a point where owning the building starts to make more financial sense than leasing it. SBA specialists will walk through how the SBA guaranty works, what the 504 and 7(a) programs each finance and how to tell which fits your project, and more.
September 15
Pop-Up Ready: Table and Booth Display for Small Businesses
Host: SF Public Library
Format: Virtual
Join Chanamon Ratanalert of Maison Chanamon to learn practical strategies for creating an inviting, effective table or booth display that showcases your products and helps your business stand out at markets, fairs and pop-up events. [TK3]
September 15 & 29
Financial Foundations Bootcamp
Host: Pilot
Format: Webinar
This is a free two-part webinar series designed to help business owners better understand and use their financial numbers. It covers key metrics like monthly burn, break-even point, cash runway, and effective hourly rate, and how to use these to plan strategically.
September 16
City Contracting 101 Workshop
Host: City Administrator’s Office
Format: Southeast Community Center
Connect directly with City staff who oversee supplier onboarding, contracting, compliance, and certification. You can also learn about Local Business Enterprise (LBE) or Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification.
September 29
Viral-Ready Videos in Minutes
Host: Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center
Format: Webinar
This is a hands-on session for busy storefronts to make social media work for your business in minutes, filming a short video, using a few AI shortcuts to speed up editing, and applying hyper-local tagging hacks to reach and target nearby SF Bay Area crowds and neighborhood shoppers.
ShopDineSF
Apply to vend at the next ShopDineSF City Hall Pop-up
Deadline to apply: October 1, 2026
Pop-upTuesday, December 1, 11am-3pm, San Francisco City Hall
Please fill in the short application form if you are interested in participating in the upcoming 2026 Holiday Pop-Up Shop, hosted by the Office of Small Business and ShopDineSF, a program of the Office of Economic & Workforce Development.
This year, we will prioritize vendors who have not previously sold at a ShopDineSF or City Hall pop-up. We will also prioritize businesses that are pop-up ready.