As part of our base-building strategies, we help small businesses organize into groups and networks, anchoring them in their local communities while amplifying their collective voice. By creating peer networks and advocacy coalitions, these groups of like-minded business owners can more effectively engage in dialogue, decision-making, and collective action. This organizing allows business owners to see how their individual challenges, such as permitting crackdowns or lease disputes, are connected to larger systemic issues, including real-time legislative proposals.We link everyday business concerns with broader discussions about policies that might further criminalization, fines or roll back gains in showing entrepreneurs how the political landscape directly impacts their livelihoods and communities.

This kind of organizing also builds power from the ground up. By catalyzing leadership opportunities for business owners and facilitating discussions around shared concerns, we help create a stronger, more unified community voice. These efforts not only strengthen individual businesses but also contribute to the overall resilience of the community, as small businesses are key to preserving local history, culture, and long-standing relationships. PL’s role is to help these business owners understand their agency and how they can be part of larger efforts that promote equity and collective economic justice.