[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6484708,"mediaKeyId","5590912-f4bc509e539319ad14086c6a9bf849a0","parentId",5590912,"title","Small-business owners and SBDC leaders tell Assembly rising costs and tariffs squeeze margins; call for technical assistance and incentives","audioSeconds",3674,"startMs",3015000,"endMs",6689000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5590912-f4bc509e539319ad14086c6a9bf849a0&start=3015&end=6689","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5590912-f4bc509e539319ad14086c6a9bf849a0/thumbnail_3015000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6484708/California/Small-business-owners-and-SBDC-leaders-tell-Assembly-rising-costs-and-tariffs-squeeze-margins-call-for-technical-assistance-and-incentives","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6484708-059305d6014c71d5a7290c66144d9b6f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439709&Signature=kYK1hg6j9qLv8~YIeO38oEoRiENohlTFb0co1U97EQijFW7G6qBJ7-HORAPHMGP5sJUJIe9t1meyWGri9DhQsM9mb-w3KuVhcpo4Gagq0xoBldIhP45CXTaSrFh1O~u1~vNucIUwpST1M79J5lLpyUz2T10Oesa3H6QadjAs90Xw0Z75q6VqbiVWTqOHaZsyY4fgDKm5RmyaDyXBbM~frWVm7ugOJYQP3uVPDLcex0KNpvSEZuOKrB832qTQh0oQdLonH8A~0bdY0g76GS9gvXk2svweRU8AeEFfForalD8JHIa5QSwZlSqlp-5zv~E5ayxNkEpMynFQ~78hykp2NA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","California State Assembly","date","2025-08-15T00:00:00Z","article","Local small-business owners, trade-association experts and workforce-board leaders told the California State Assembly in Paramount that rising rents, tariffs, insurance and supply costs are squeezing margins for microbusinesses and independent retailers, and they urged the state to expand technical assistance, targeted financing and incentives.

Pat Nye, leader of the Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Network, said the region's one million small businesses face \"unprecedented challenges\" and that technical-assistance programs are a \"lifeline\" for entrepreneurs seeking capital, leases and business-model changes. Nye asked the Assembly to increase funding for small-business technical assistance—including grants that support the TAP program run by the state's Office of the Small Business Advocate—because demand far exceeds current funds.

Microbusiness owners described specific pressures. Alma Marquez, founder and CEO of El Sol Group, said micro-enterprise approaches and community-based outreach can help families access economic opportunity, and she urged government-funded contractors to include microbusiness participation for large events. Jennifer Cox, owner of Mama Osa, said material and shipping costs had more than doubled in some cases, narrowing margins: \"Some of the material costs have doubled... my margins definitely decreased,\" she said.

Ariel Pei, owner of LabRx, highlighted supply-chain and cash-flow problems faced by small manufacturers and printing shops, and recommended expanded access to low-interest financing, incentives for local-source supply chains and workforce training programs.

Why it matters: Panelists framed small businesses as the engine of local economies—employing residents, supporting community identity and generating tax revenue—arguing that state action to shore up technical assistance, disaster preparedness and access to capital would help stabilize neighborhoods and jobs.

Specific policy suggestions raised during the hearing included increasing state funding for Small Business Development Centers and TAP grants, exploring incentives (for example, lower insurance rates for businesses that adopt disaster-preparedness training), creating or expanding low-interest and emergency lending to bridge cash-flow gaps, and using tax credits or other incentives to encourage local hiring and paid internships aligned with students' career goals. Assemblymembers discussed past proposals to offer tax credits for hiring from local communities and expressed interest in partnering with SBDCs on local outreach and district-level events.

Panelists also emphasized the distinct needs of microbusinesses—many are not part of chambers of commerce and require outreach that meets them where they work. Marquez urged \"community-informed outreach\" and mobile, neighborhood-level supports rather than relying only on digital newsletters. Pat Nye offered the SBDC network as a direct partner for Assembly members interested in district-level business clinics.

The panel concluded with Assembly members asking staff to consider legislative and budget approaches that could expand technical assistance and disaster response support for small businesses statewide.

Provenance: recorded testimony from the microbusiness panel, including remarks by El Sol Group, LA SBDC and multiple small-business owners.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact (1)","oneSentenceSummary","Local small-business owners, trade-association experts and workforce-board leaders told the California State Assembly in Paramount that rising rents, tariffs, insurance and supply costs are squeezing margins for microbusinesses and independent retailers, and they urged the state to expand technical assistance, targeted financing and incentives.","taxTitle","California State Assembly, House, Legislative, California","taxId",17099,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6484710,"UCLA research: most student workers in Los Angeles struggle to cover basic needs, panel tells Assembly hearing",144,2754000,2898000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5590912-f4bc509e539319ad14086c6a9bf849a0&start=2754&end=2898","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5590912-f4bc509e539319ad14086c6a9bf849a0/thumbnail_2754000.jpg","/articles/6484710/California/UCLA-research-most-student-workers-in-Los-Angeles-struggle-to-cover-basic-needs-panel-tells-Assembly-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6484710-dd87fb652d254a9c3869828a8da320ab/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439710&Signature=mPFL50q8AdCBFWPhXOSgxi-qv~8RqWlUSLmQ2K0QQnO6rG~IvKeUeBR4aKm0lUQKn8XqQ7USJSX9qQKTlAQ2gBrXYSWBNOmkjIYG~QjrweTIfcacyM9TfFf2e0Da67n12Tw3tHCzLtEOzLXgCGUYoby6H5lhFjUuarUD3-B2BK~K9WExe6UByRYRP-vO2kQfNl-cKo8LOFRHzof9YrPno6CGe2GzrbqwE4zbeNEzOhnZJVdC3a5mWtRym~fT0gfapAtR6hQWuZy0CJR0oTziUuhWl1tlSQbVrDV16n-I1yRwtYX5GyyK1PMUqtvyfMzsqZY~bSp~14eAZd0-90gJvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Assemblymember Jose Solache convened an informational hearing in Paramount where researchers from the UCLA Labor Center testified that many public college students in Los Angeles County work long hours for low pay and face regular difficulty covering basic needs.

The UCLA Labor Center presented survey and interview findings showing 65% of surveyed student workers earn under $15,000 a year; 63% of those receiving financial aid called it insufficient; 71% reported working while sick because they could not afford to miss a shift. \"Students aren't just learners. They're the workers who keep Los Angeles running, often at the cost of their own health,\" said Saba Wahid, director of the UCLA Labor Center.

The panel said a majority of student workers hold full-time course loads while working more than 15 hours a week, with many working 20–30 hours; half of student respondents reported their jobs had no connection to their career goals. Hina Malik, a student researcher who led part of the UCLA Labor Center summer study, told the committee, \"We conducted 139 surveys and 26 in-depth interviews\" and summarized the findings: \"Two thirds work more than 15 hours a week with many working over 30,\" and \"55 percent of student workers receive no workplace benefits.\"

Why it matters: Panelists told the committee that students balancing heavy work and course loads risk delayed graduation, poorer learning outcomes and deteriorating mental and physical health, which may reduce the future pipeline of credentialed workers for the state.

Details and recommendations offered to the Assembly included expanding state-funded work study to reach students who currently fall outside eligibility; instituting a statewide internship tax credit to encourage small businesses to hire paid interns aligned with students' fields; adjusting financial aid formulas to reflect regional cost-of-living differences; and ramping up employer- and campus-based career pathways and paid internship opportunities. \"A statewide internship tax credit would offset onboarding costs while encouraging students to take on jobs that align with their intended career,\" Malik said.

Panelists emphasized academic flexibility and worker protections as complementary strategies: record lectures, increase flexibility around attendance and deadlines, expand workers' rights training, and scale up paid, career-aligned work opportunities at public universities and community colleges. Saba Wahid described the UCLA Labor Center's Research Justice approach, which centers student voices in study design and findings.

Assembly members asked practical next steps. Assemblyman Michael Gibson asked the panel for a three-item legislative \"wish list\"; Malik reiterated expanding state work study, the internship tax credit and aid-formula adjustments. Committee members said such proposals could be considered in revenue, taxation and higher-education policy discussions.

The research was presented during the hearing's first panel; panelists and student researchers asked the Assembly to consider budget and statutory changes to make paid, career-aligned student work more widely available and to reduce the number of hours students must work to stay enrolled.

Provenance: UCLA Labor Center presentation and student testimony, as recorded in the committee transcript.","A California State Assembly hearing in Paramount heard UCLA Labor Center findings that many public college students work long hours for low pay, often unrelated to career goals, and panelists recommended expanding state-funded work study, a statewide internship tax credit and adjustments to aid formulas.","actionData","errors"]

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Small-business owners and SBDC leaders tell Assembly rising costs and tariffs squeeze margins; call for technical assistance and incentives

UCLA research: most student workers in Los Angeles struggle to cover basic needs, panel tells Assembly hearing