NEWS

Small business newsletter for September 2025

Office of Small Business

Updates, trainings, announcements, and more, from the Office of Small Business

September is Latino Heritage Month, and there are plenty of events and opportunities to support Latino-owned small businesses. The Excelsior Taco Tour on September 12th features at least six local restaurants. On September 20th, the Mission will be home to the San Francisco Lowrider Parade. Pair the parade with the ShopDineSF “Perfect Day” in the Mission.

Announcements

Register your sidewalk furniture or merchandise

San Francisco has a new and improved process for businesses to place sidewalk dining or display merchandise in front of their shops.

  • If you already have a permit, you are good to go. The City automatically moved your existing permit to the new registration system. You don’t need to do anything else.
  • If you don't have a permit or have an incomplete application on file, register for free. No site plan or proof of insurance required.
  • If you are unsure about your permit status, reach out to sharedspacespermit@sfdpw.org
  • Remember that you are responsible for following the rules and ensuring that the public can safely access the sidewalk.

Learn more and register for free

New Type 87 liquor licenses available in parts of the Bayview, Excelsior, Ocean Avenue, Sunset and Portola neighborhoods

Type 87 licenses are affordable, nontransferable liquor licenses for restaurants in a set of qualifying San Francisco neighborhoods.

The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) will be accepting applications for Type 87 licenses from September 8 through September 19, 2025. Learn more about the application process and cost.

New PermitSF reforms

On September 2, Mayor Lurie announced the next set of permit reforms. Highlights for small businesses include:

  • Adding "Over-the-Counter" (OTC) permit review for small restaurant remodels. This includes the option for a small restaurant to make an appointment with the Department of Public Health for their OTC review.
  • Introduced legislation that – if passed – will increases flexibility for historic buildings.
  • Adding protocols to escalate in-house permit applications with more than three revisions requests.

Read the full announcement

Apply for a grant to make your business accessible

Small business owners can get reimbursed for accessibility inspections or for making your business more accessible to the public, as required by the Americans for Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III. Grants are up to $10,000 per small business location. Read the details and apply.

Host a Film Industry Mixer with Film SF

Film SF (the San Francisco Film Commission) has brought back its quarterly filmmaker industry mixers, and they are seeking local businesses to host. These events spotlight your venue as a film-friendly space while connecting directly with Bay Area filmmakers and production professionals. Reach out at film@sfgov.org to learn more.

More ways to be involved with Film SF:

Join CalSavers for your employees

CalSavers is California’s retirement savings program for workers who do not have a way to save for retirement at work. The deadline for eligible employers to register and start facilitating CalSavers is Dec 31, 2025. The sooner you register, the more time your employees will have to save and the more support that is available to you during the registration process. Learn more about which businesses must join and get started.

Download the Bay Area Public Screen Playbook for the Super Bowl and World Cup

San Francisco and the Bay Area are hosting two major sporting events in 2026, Super Bowl LX and the FIFA World Cup. The Bay Area Host Committee is offering a free Playbook — a practical resource to help local businesses and community organizers host fun and compliant watch parties. The playbook includes guidance on NFL/FIFA regulations, marketing tips, and practical ideas to help you host successful events. Download the Playbook.

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.

Upcoming

New grant for bringing events and activations to Downtown SF

Priority deadline: Sep 28, 2025

Downtown ENRG (“energy”) is a grant program by SF New Deal that provides funding, training and support in marketing and event production to help downtown small business owners build capacity. Learn more and apply.

Learn about the Prop E Commission Streamlining Task Force

In November 2024, voters passed Prop E, creating the Commission Streamlining Task Force to review the City’s appointive boards, commissions, and other public bodies. The Task Force is charged with making recommendations to the Mayor and Board of Supervisors about ways to modify, eliminate, or combine the City’s appointive boards and commissions to improve the administration of government. Its final recommendations are due February 1, 2026, to the Board of Supervisors for consideration of a potential November 2026 ballot measure.

Small Business Commission is one of the public bodies that the Task Force will review.

Timeline:

  • Sep 12: The Task Force will publish its recommendations on the Small Business Commission
  • Oct 1: The Task Force will discuss the recommendations on the Small Business Commission at its public meeting at 1:00pm in City Hall Room 408
  • Feb 1, 2026: The Task Force will approve final report with recommendations and send them to the Mayor & Board of Supervisors

Get involved:

Submit your business offers and events for Fleet Week

Fleet week: Oct 5-13, 2025

During the annual Fleet Week, SF will host the United States Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Coast Guard personnel, as well as visitors from all over the country. Post your business information and special offers on the Fleet Week Liberty Guide, located on the San Francisco Fleet Week mobile app. Email questions to PAO@fleetweeksf.org.

Legacy Business Spotlight

Heritage Happy Hour at The Ramp

Sep 11, 5:00 – 7:00 PM

Heritage Happy Hours offers a casual “no-host” gathering of heritage professionals, young preservationists, aficionados, friends, and Legacy Business cohorts interested in safeguarding San Francisco’s unique architectural and cultural identity. Originally a public boat ramp and bait shop in the 1960s, The Ramp is a well-kept local secret situated on the water’s edge just blocks from Chase Center and Oracle Park.

RSVP

Webinars & Events

Wednesdays

Mentoring sessions with SCORE

SCORE mentors will be at the Main Library weekly, each Wednesday from 10am-2pm. Aspiring entrepreneurs and existing small business owners can sign up for free 1:1 appointments.

Sep 11

City Contracting 101 – Supplier Support

This in-person workshop hosted by the City Administrator’s Office will focus on helping small businesses connect directly with City agencies involved in supplier onboarding, contracting, and compliance.

Sep 18

Small Business Legal Clinic

Get free, one-on-one legal guidance for your small business from volunteer attorneys. Topics include entity formation, contracts, and more. Space is limited—advance registration required. Hosted by Legal Services for Entrepreneurs.

Sep 23

How to Write a Winning Business Plan

Learn the essentials of business planning, from why it matters to how to create each section of a strong plan. Led by Eddie Tang, Small Business Consultant at the SF LGBT Center and longtime entrepreneur, hosted by the SF Public Library.

Sep 23

San Francisco Paid Parental Leave Ordinance

This is an introductory webinar to the Paid Parental Leave Ordinance (PPLO) for employers of 20 of more. This webinar will help employers learn who is a Covered Employer, who is a Covered Employee, and how to calculate and pay Supplemental Compensation.

Sep 30

Finance Basics for Retail Storefronts

This in-person workshop from the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center focuses on managing daily cash flow. They will be in plain language, with practical tips tailored for retail owners.

Neighborhood-specific events for businesses

Sep 16

Tenderloin Small Business Resource Fair

The Small Business Resource Fair is at the Phoenix Hotel from 12-4pm. Find free resources to help your business, like marketing services, connections to financing, legal advice, leasing and permitting help, and more.

Sep 18

Bayview Business Summit

Join the Bayview Merchants Association for a full day of insights and connection with fellow Bayview small businesses. It will include workshops, speakers, an awards luncheon, and a resource fair.