California Spotlight #121
June 24, 2025
Revenue Maker: The “Pending Contract Wake-Up Call”
If you’ve got old proposals that never got a yes—or a no—this one’s for you.
Here’s the move: Go through proposals you sent in the last 6 months that never closed. Pick the 5 that had potential but went cold.
Then send this line via email or text:
“Hey [First Name]—we’re reviewing open projects this week, and yours came up. Are you still exploring [service]? If not, totally fine—just want to close the loop.”
Why it works:
It’s respectful, not pushy.
It creates a soft deadline in their mind (“reviewing projects this week”).
People hate loose ends—they’ll often respond just to clear mental clutter.
Our community member in Santa Clara used this last week and reactivated 3 clients in a single day.
No tools. No ads. Just your outbox.
🚨 $25 Business Spotlight – June 25
Want your business seen by thousands of founders, buyers, and operators in California?
We’re featuring 2 small businesses in our June 25 edition of the California Bulletin — one of the most-read business newsletters in the state.
You’ll get:
📩 A 100-word spotlight with your link + CTA
📣 Distribution to 30K+ engaged readers
Note: Our $150 spotlight includes podcast coverage and distribution across 3 channels with 116K+ total reach. This $25 version is for those who want a lean, high-leverage start.
No waitlist. No fluff. Just affordable visibility that gets you noticed.
✂️ Expense Cutter: The Insurance Rebill Hack
Here’s something most founders miss: annual insurance policies often include inflated broker fees or renewal surcharges—especially on liability and cyber coverage.
What to do today:
Look up your commercial insurance policy.
Search for: “Broker Fee,” “Policy Admin Fee,” or “Renewal Surcharge.”
Email your provider and say:
“Can you send a breakdown of each line item in my current policy, including any admin or broker fees? I’m doing a quick audit this quarter.”
One Los Angeles founder recently discovered $700 in annual junk fees after asking that one question—and got them waived.
Bonus: Use a site like CoverWallet to get a quick comparison quote (no need to switch, just use it for leverage).
🏛️ California Compliance Watch: New Labor Poster Mandate
As of July 1, 2025, California employers must post updated labor compliance posters that include:
2025 Paid Sick Leave Amendments
Remote Work Anti-Harassment Policy notice
New Minimum Wage info for counties like San Diego, Cupertino, and Emeryville
This applies even if:
You have a hybrid or fully remote team in California.
Your team is under 5 people.
Tip: If you use a home office, the poster must be visible during “working hours.”
You can grab compliant posters from CA Chamber Store or ask your payroll provider if they supply digital versions.
Failure to post = up to $17,000 in penalties.
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Smart Tax Saver: Use This “Hidden R&D Deduction”
If you’ve paid developers, designers, or even UX testers in the past year—even via contractors—you may qualify for California’s Research & Development Tax Credit, even without a formal product launch.
What counts:
Any prototype development, MVP testing, backend infrastructure work.
Can include contractor payments—not just W-2.
The IRS lets you claim up to 20% of qualifying R&D costs. And yes, you can amend previous years.
To do today:
Pull records of dev/design expenses over the last 18 months.
Search for an R&D specialist CPA—or email your existing one and ask:
“Are any of my service-based build costs eligible for the R&D credit under IRC Section 41?”
We found one tax firm in Sacramento that helped a solo founder claim $6,400 for previous Firebase dev work.
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If today’s edition helped you save time, money, or stress—pass it on to one California founder.
We’re building the most useful newsletter for real businesses in the state, one reader at a time.