Small Businesses Empower Local Communities

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights’ Legal Services for Entrepreneurs, helps small businesses, merchants, and microenterprises develop sustainable businesses that invest in their communities, create local jobs, and provide goods and services to local residents.
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Some ways that our clients serve their communities:

  1. Making an effort to conduct job searches locally and hire employees from the community, including employees who were formerly incarcerated.
  2. Providing healthy food, products, or services that are locally-sourced.
  3. Providing affordable food, products or services that bring business diversity to the area, and that were requested by the community and in their language.
  4. Offering special pricing or discounts for frequent customers.
  5. Offering free or affordable event space or event menus for non-profit organizations.
  6. Providing a family-friendly environment, and providing flexibility for employees with care- giving responsibilities.
  7. Providing gathering place for community members or for local artists to exhibit their work or perform.
  8. Creating entry-level positions and training employees so that they acquire new skills.
  9. Providing employees with a living wage.
  10. Participating in community meetings and community safety efforts.
  11. Advocating for the neighborhood as a whole.
  12. Being environmentally responsible by composting, recycling, and encouraging employees to use public transportation for commuting and for business errands.
  13. Accommodating the needs of people with disabilities and seniors.
  14. Sharing services with other small businesses, i.e., a delivery driver service.

Do you know about other ways that small businesses serve the community? Email us at lse@lccr.com.
Legal Services for Entrepreneurs (LSE) is an economic justice and community empowerment project of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area. LSE provides free business legal services to low­-income individuals who want to start or develop sustainable businesses that invest back into the community, create local jobs, and provide goods and services to local residents. For more information,  contact: LSE@LCCR.com or 415­543­9444 x217.

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