In a recent article on CNNMoney.com called “Love a Local Business?  Buy A Share,” there were some wonderful stories about small businesses that offered shares to their local communities to raise capital.  For example, according to the article, “In January 2009, Vox Pop, a popular bookstore and coffee shop in Brooklyn . . . offered [...]

California state law (and the law of most other states) authorizes the establishment of a “Business Improvement District” (BID).  A BID is a district whose boundaries are selected by its organizers that is established by a majority vote of the property owners within the district.  Once a BID is established in conformance with the procedures [...]