Small Business = Big Impact

National Small Business Week is coming May 4-10, 2025. California is home to 4.2 million small businesses, representing 99.9% of all businesses in the state and employing 7 million workers. That’s a huge impact in our economy. That’s why we listen to their voices through our Small Business Employer Advisory Committee (SBEAC).

This committee brings together small business owners and representatives from small business organizations to give us feedback and advice. Their ideas help us understand what California employers need, and how we can better support them.

Why the Employer’s Voice Matters

The small business committee helps us in many ways.

• Understand real challenges. Members share their experiences running small businesses in California, including what’s working well and where they run into problems.
• Make our services better. Their feedback helps us improve how we deliver payroll tax services and communicate with employers.
• Stay connected. It keeps us in touch with the small business community so we can stay informed and responsive to their needs.

Lori Kammerer, a committee member representing the Small Manufacturers Association of California, puts it this way, “Being part of this diverse Council that includes participation from many associations that represent small businesses provides us with the opportunity to share important issues and observations that are important to the industries that we represent… As members of SBEAC, all of us leave the meeting fully briefed on the projects that are important to EDD and to its Council members.”

What the Committee Does

The Committee meets with our EDD leaders twice a year. During these meetings, they:

• Hear updates about our programs and services.
• Share their thoughts about forms, processes, and policies.
• Suggest ways to make the employer experience easier, clearer, and more helpful for businesses.

These conversations help us improve our outreach, education, and services. So, small businesses can focus on what’s most important, growing and creating jobs.

A Real Example of Partnership

The committee played a key role in the success of our Accounting and Compliance Enterprise System (ACES). Their feedback guided everything from form design and marketing, to the testing of e-Services for Business. Committee members ensured that the concerns of the small business employer were heard throughout the development of this system, and they continue to play a vital role in the continuous improvement of it.

Andy Agrawal, committee chair and representative for the California Coalition of Domestic Referral Agencies, shares, “This partnership has been crucial in navigating California’s complex economic landscape—one of the largest in the world—where the EDD plays a vital role in enforcing tax codes and supporting both employers and employees. Through the SBEAC, we’ve gained invaluable access to critical updates and the opportunity to provide meaningful feedback on behalf of our constituents.”

A Partnership That Works

This isn’t just a feedback group. It’s a working relationship that helps shape better policies and services. Committee members bring deep knowledge and real-world experience to the table, and we listen—because we know the best solutions come from working together.

As Bud Rice from the California Automotive Business Coalition said, “EDD’s forward-thinking approach should be a model for other agencies—proving that government can work with businesses, not just regulate them. Their dedication to helping California thrive makes our great state an even more welcoming, prosperous place for everyone.”

When small businesses thrive, California thrives. And this partnership is helping make that happen.

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