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Introduced to the California State Legislature by Assembly Member Leland Yee of San Francisco, this measure recognizes October 2005 as California Microenterprise Development Month and acknowledges the contributions of microentrepreneurs and the value of microenterprise development to the California economy.

Whereas, Microenterprises are the small businesses of fewer than five employees that comprise over 19 percent of California’s employment, providing jobs for more than three million; and

Whereas, Eighty-eight percent of businesses in California are microenterprises; and

Whereas, Microenterprises produce jobs through all economic cycles, accounting for 77 percent of all new employment growth in the state from 2000 to 2003, when larger employers lost 444,000 jobs; and

Whereas, Seventy-eight percent of those benefiting from microenterprise development are women entrepreneurs; and

Whereas, California recognizes that microenterprises stabilize the economies of California communities with local ownership and home-grown products and services; and

Whereas, California recognizes the contributions of microentrepreneurs who come from diverse cultures and backgrounds to build the American dream of owning their own business; and

Whereas, California treasures the social, economic and environmental contributions of its microentrepreneurs; and

Whereas, California recognizes the importance of microenterprise development, training, business counseling, and accessible credit as key to the success of microentrepreneurs; and

Whereas, The California Association for Microenterprise Opportunity is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization founded in 1993 to build the capacity of California microenterprise development; and

Whereas, Microenterprise development is an essential component of every community hoping to inspire and promote entrepreneurship; and

Wheres, Globally, microentrepreneurs use loans as small as $100 to grow their businesses and support their families and local economies; and

Whereas, The United Nations has declared 2005 as International Year of Microcredit; and

Whereas, California communities can stimulate the growth and success of entrepreneurship by fostering microenterprise development and by working together to promote outreach, advocacy, and education to encourage the growth of microenterprise and microentrepreneurship opportunities; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature acknowledges the contributions of microentrepreneurs and the value of microenterprise development to the California economy, and recognizes the month of October 2005 as Microenterprise Development Month; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

For more information on Microenterprise Development Month press material and celebrations throughout the state, click here.