Small Business Week

2026 Small Business Week

From Sunday, May 3 through Saturday, May 9, 2026, Oakland will celebrate Small Business Week with a dynamic lineup of free workshops, events, and activities—both in-person and virtual—designed for small business owners and entrepreneurs across the city.

This year’s theme, “This is Town Business,” highlights the small businesses that power Oakland’s neighborhoods every day. In partnership with local organizations, the City of Oakland’s Economic & Workforce Development Department is curating a week of programming that offers practical tools, real-world strategies, and meaningful connections to help businesses grow and succeed.

The 2026 schedule will feature workshops and panels on topics such as access to capital, marketing and digital tools (including AI), financial management, permits and licensing, and business growth strategies. Participants can expect hands-on learning, expert guidance, and opportunities to connect with resources and partners that support Oakland’s business community.

2026 Small Business Week Workshops and Events

In addition to workshops, Small Business Week 2026 will include:

Multi-Cultural Chamber Mixer bringing together Oakland’s diverse business community
“This is Town Business” Campaign Launch, including a year-round digital billboard initiative uplifting local businesses

2025 Small Business Week

From Sunday, May 4 through Saturday, May 10, 2025, Oakland celebrated Small Business Week with a dynamic lineup of free workshops, events, and activities—both in-person and virtual—designed for small business owners and entrepreneurs across the city.

2024 Small Business Week

From Sunday, April 28th to Friday, May 3rd, Oakland will celebrate Small Business Week 2024 with a variety of virtual and in-person workshops, events and other activities for small business owners and entrepreneurs - free and open to all.

Small Business Week 2024 will feature in-person and virtual panels, workshops and resource fairs presented by partner organizations that are designed and curated by the City of Oakland Economic Development Department to provide relevant information, actionable strategies, resources and valuable connections to help Oakland businesses survive and thrive. From financial strategies, taxes and accounting, safety and security, building a digital presence, commercial lease negotiations, access to capital, transitioning from home-based or mobile business to a brick-and-mortar space, and beyond, the 2024 Oakland Small Business Week Schedule offers over 15 free educational workshops plus:

City of Oakland Small Business Resource Fair featuring representatives over a dozen City Departments on Tuesday, April 30th, 2-4pm.
Multi-Cultural Chamber Mixer on Wednesday, May 1st, 5-7pm.
2024 Celebration of Oakland Small Businesses, an in-person reception and mixer for small businesses and our business support partners on Friday, May 3rd, 4:30-6:30pm at Geoffrey's Inner Circle in Downtown Oakland.

2024 Confirmed Workshops & Events

Partnering organizations include: Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Laurel District Association / Montclair Village Association, Oakland-East Bay Local Business Alliance, Mainstreet Launch, Oakland Don't Play Inc, Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, Oakland Latino Chamber of Commerce, Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, and The Unity Council.

2024 Call for Workshop Proposals(PDF, 175KB)

Year-Round Assistance

Access City business support staff year-round via our Neighborhood Business Assistance Program with email and phone support, as well as in-person appointments available throughout Oakland.