California Spotlight #114
$8K Relief, Quietly Open, The “Double Vendor Audit” Trick and more..
#SPOTLIGHT
Merch Dept
Branding is a powerful to engage, connect and communicate the essentials of success.
Putting a company logo on clothing and everyday promotional items, is like creating miniature billboards.
Logo recognition grows each time that logo is seen, which means Merch Dept is a cost-effective addition to any advertising budget.
We believe the key to helping business' prosper is by innovative and responsive to their needs, while ensuring our products are not only simple to use and affordable, but also generate a positive return from their marketing campaigns.
California Grant Radar — $8K Relief, Quietly Open
Who it’s for: Brick-and-mortar businesses operating in counties hit by early 2024 storm disruptions (especially San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Ventura)
What’s new:
The California Resilience Microgrant quietly reopened June 12 for “second-round hardship verification.” It’s offering up to $8,000 per eligible location, even if you previously got EIDL or SBA funds.
What’s different this time:
Now includes secondary income disruptions (e.g., if your clients were disrupted but your business wasn’t directly).
No new paperwork—reuse 2024 utility or rent receipts as proof of operations.
Apply via your local SBDC or calosba.ca.gov—applications are not indexed on Google, but you can request the updated PDF by calling your regional office.
🟡 Deadline: June 28. Don't wait. This round will close early if capped before then.
Cutting Expenses — The “Double Vendor Audit” Trick
Save up to $300/month in under 2 hours
Most small business owners think cutting expenses means killing software or payroll hours. Here’s a smarter way:
The strategy:
Step 1: Go through your last 2 months of vendor payments (tools, freelancers, SaaS).
Step 2: For each tool or vendor, Google “[Vendor Name] competitors” and contact two similar companies asking:
“We’re reviewing our costs. Can you do better than [current vendor]?”
Why this works now:
Many SaaS startups and service firms are quietly offering under-the-radar discounts if you’re ready to switch—or threaten to.
Last week, one of our readers saved $110/mo switching from Podium to Birdeye just by asking for “inbound migration pricing.”
Bonus: For any business paying over $400/month in tools or subscriptions, reply to this email with your stack—we’ll help analyze and suggest cheaper combos.
🚨 Business Spotlight for June 18 (Podcast + Newsletter)
Want to get in front of 116K+ founders, operators, and buyers?
We're spotlighting 7 businesses in June 18 release—seen across our top-rated podcast and California's highest-performing newsletters.
A podcast shoutout in front of a business-savvy audience
A 100-word spotlight with your link + CTA
Distribution to 65K–70K daily openers
We’ve featured brands like Google, Squarespace, and Monday.com.
Now it’s your turn.
No waitlist. No fluff. Just visibility that drives real leads.
More Revenue — The “Immediate Add-On” Offer
Make more without getting new clients
If you’ve seen flat revenue this month, try this:
Instead of chasing new clients, create a 24-hour add-on offer for your current customers.
How:
Pick 1 part of your service you can break out. (e.g., onboarding audit, mini strategy, tech cleanup, quick workshop)
Send a simple email:
“We’ve had a few clients ask for help with [X]. If you want it too, we’re offering a one-time [add-on] for $150 through Friday. Just reply to this email.”
Why this works:
No cold outreach.
No setup.
Just instant cash from people who already trust you.
One California marketing firm we spoke to pulled in $2,100 in 48 hours last week using this exact email.
If you want a 3-line version of the offer you can paste into your CRM, reply and we’ll write it for you.
Tax — June’s Most Missed Deduction: Software Amortization
Most overlooked IRS move of Q2 2025
If you purchased software for your business this year (even a $29/month tool), you’re likely missing a deduction that IRS now lets you front-load.
Here’s how it works:
The IRS now allows amortizing software expenses over 3 years, but lets you elect to expense it fully upfront under Sec. 179 if used directly in operations.
This includes subscriptions, licenses, CRM platforms, and workflow tools—not just full software purchases.
Why this matters now:
Many CPAs wait till Q4 to tally deductions. But logging these now (via a monthly software log) means cleaner books—and you’ll avoid overpaying Q2 estimated taxes.
Tip: Create a one-line log in Google Sheets:Tool / Purpose / Monthly Cost / In Use Since / Direct Business Use? (Y/N)
🟡 If you want a fillable template for this software log, reply “Tax Tracker” and I’ll send it.
🚨 Business Spotlight for June 18 (Podcast + Newsletter)
Want to get in front of 116K+ founders, operators, and buyers?
We're spotlighting 7 businesses in June 18 release—seen across our top-rated podcast and California's highest-performing newsletters.
A podcast shoutout in front of a business-savvy audience
A 100-word spotlight with your link + CTA
Distribution to 65K–70K daily openers
We’ve featured brands like Google, Squarespace, and Monday.com.
Now it’s your turn.
No waitlist. No fluff. Just visibility that drives real leads.