Get your business
ready for what’s next.
SCALE connects California small business owners with one-on-one guidance to understand financing, strengthen their application, and take the next step with confidence.
Start your capital-readiness journey Complete the secure SCALE intake form on Startup Space.Capital can feel complicated. You do not have to navigate it alone.
The California Office of the Small Business Advocate created SCALE to help diverse small businesses find resources to start, grow, and create jobs.
The California Rainbow Chamber participates as a resource partner, helping underserved business owners understand the lending process and prepare for funding opportunities.
Preparation builds confidenceBuild a stronger case for your business.
Work with a capital coach to see where you are ready, where you need support, and what steps can make your application stronger.
- Understand what lenders look for and what to prepare
- Strengthen your financial, legal, and accounting foundation
- Prepare a clearer, more complete loan application
- Compare financing options for your business and goals
- Tell your business story with greater confidence
More business owners deserve a fair shot at growth.
SCALE is designed to help close information and preparation gaps for entrepreneurs who have historically faced barriers to capital.
LGBTQ+ business owners
Women business owners
People of color
People with disabilities
Veterans
Businesses in rural, disaster-impacted, or low-to-moderate-wealth communities
Know the next step
before you take it.
The intake gives the Chamber a clearer picture of your business so support can begin in the right place.
- 01
Share where you are.
Complete the SCALE intake with basic information about your business and financing goals.
- 02
Meet your coach.
Talk through your needs, questions, and the documents or skills that may need attention.
- 03
Prepare with purpose.
Build a clearer application and understand which financing options may fit your situation.
State-backed support for California small business.
Funding for the $25.3 million SCALE program comes from the U.S. Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative, established by Congress in 2010 and reauthorized through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
The initiative supports the deployment of $1.1 billion in federal funding for capital-support programs through the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank and the California Pollution Control Financing Authority. Lenders are expected to use that support to generate $18 billion in new small-business loans.
This project is supported, in whole or in part, by a subaward under federal award number SSBCI-21031-0018, awarded to the California Office of the Small Business Advocate by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.Take the next step in your business growth.
Start with the SCALE intake. We will use your answers to understand where support can make the biggest difference.
Start the SCALE intake