Behind the Business Blog

GoDaddy Inc., the world’s largest cloud platform dedicated to small, independent ventures, has signed Ayesha Curry, one of the most successful food entrepreneurs in the world. Together, GoDaddy and Ayesha will work together to inspire entrepreneurs, makers and independent do-ers to turn their ideas into reality online.

“I’m an entrepreneur myself and know how hard it can be to turn your passion into a business. My strategy has always been to stay true to myself and my vision by building an intimate connection with my community, and GoDaddy understands the importance of community by making it easy to get any idea online and discovered,” Ayesha said. “GoDaddy is all about helping people advance their dreams, build businesses and make their big ideas real. Together we can reach millions of people around the world who are looking to convert their passions into reality.”

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On September 17, Governor Brown signed the Safe Sidewalk Vending Act (Senate Bill 946), prohibiting criminal penalties for sidewalk vending and treating vendors like other businesses in the state.

“With Senate Bill 946 we can start seeing sidewalk vendors for who they are – women and seniors, single parents, and micro-business owners taking that first step to starting their own business,” said Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens). “Governor Brown’s signature validates that thousands of sidewalk vendors are an important part of our economy, whose hard work supports their families and gives California its unique flavor.”

SB 946 allows municipalities to establish permit programs for vendors, and they may require sidewalk vendors to obtain a business license and abide by state tax laws, just like other businesses.

Vendors who were previously convicted under local anti-vending laws may petition the court for dismissal of the sentence.

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Statement by Mark Herbert, California Director for Small Business Majority, on why the California Senate vote yesterday to pass a bill that would permit chefs to sell meals made in their home kitchens is a victory for entrepreneurship.

The California Senate’s vote yesterday to pass AB 626, which would allow the sale of meals prepared in home kitchens and improve public health safeguards around the existing informal food economy, would benefit many of California’s entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women, immigrants and people of color.

Without the fear of fines, AB 626 would permit thousands of existing home cooks to openly access business education and training on safe food handling practices. Small-scale microenterprises are an important tool for those who want to grow their business but don’t have access to sufficient capital to enter the commercial food industry. What’s more, this bill would protect consumers by ensuring public officials have access to the kitchens where the food is prepared and protect their rights to use existing public health reporting mechanisms if concerns arise.

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