In 2012, Mayor Julián Castro convened a task force of business owners and advocacy organizations for the purpose of brainstorming methods and strategies for promoting small and new business growth in San Antonio. The task force identified the need to establish a culture of entrepreneurship throughout the community for both adults and youth, but specifically engaging the city’s younger population. In addition, the task force determined the need to increase coaching, mentoring and apprenticeship opportunities for future and existing small business owners. The task force also highlighted the value of existing business development resources in San Antonio and identified the need to increase marketing of these resources. The result is Café Commerce. Café Commerce was developed as a partnership between the San Antonio Public Library (SAPL), the City of San Antonio Economic Development Department (EDD) and Acción Texas, a technical assistance provider that is also a small business lender and the nation’s largest micro-lender. Café Commerce addresses the need for a centrally-located free space that provides small businesses with meeting and conference space at no-charge as well as access to experienced business lending experts. The space, located in a re-purposed area of the Central Library, will be open during regular Library hours and will be staffed by members of the Acción Texas team that includes lending and business planning experts.

The City of San Antonio issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the operations of Café Commerce in May 2013. The RFP required responders to implement the U.S. SourceLink and the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program that were developed with support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, Missouri, and satisfy key objectives of centralizing business resource information and fostering the entrepreneurial mindset. Acción Texas was awarded the contract in 2013 and will maintain a working partnership with the San Antonio Public Library. The two entities will share resources and databases.

Performance metrics associated with Café Commerce include the numbers of clients served, service referrals, client follow-up requests, and Ice House Program Participants. Outcome-oriented metrics also include client satisfaction, percentage of service referrals accessed, new business formation, and existing business expansion. The San Antonio Public Library will also promote Café Commerce through its various traditional and social media outlets, taking full advantage of the City of San Antonio’s media capabilities.