CORONA BUSINESS NEWS
VOL 7 | #3 MAY/JUNE 2021
This Year’s Small Business Week: Is Your Website More Important Than Ever! Accessible?
By Kim Mabon
MAY 2-8, 2021
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mall Business Week runs from May 2nd – May 8th this year, and YOU can partner with the Chamber to
promote your business as well as show our local community some much-needed love. As part of our involvement, we will be sharing stories on how some members got their business break—and the challenges and successes they have experienced throughout their careers. If you want your story to be featured, email Andrew@ MyChamber.org. We will also be running fun competitions on our social media channels so make sure you’re following the
Chamber on Facebook and Instagram so you can join in the fun! Just scan the QR code on page 11 to be taken to our social pages. American small businesses, like many of the ones that make up our membership, continue to play a central role in building a strong country. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create nearly two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. Small businesses like yours ... Continued on page 11
Push to Reopen Riverside County Continues hand sanitizer. They also fought for local dollars to be allocated to businesses in the form of grants, with several rounds of funding for both for- and not-for-profit businesses. Spiegel will recap 2020 and share what lies ahead. Sponsorship opportunities Riverside County Supervisor and tickets are available Karen Spiegel online now by visiting bit.ly/GMC-May2021 or con(2450 Wardlow Rd., Corona, tacting the chamber office at 92880) in accordance with (951) 737-3350. This meeting current health guidelines. will be held outdoors at IHOP ... Continued on page 12
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he current City of Corona sales tax rate is set to increase one percent on July 1, 2021, from 7.75% to 8.75%. Voters narrowly approved Measure X in the November 2020 election, with 51.4% of the votes cast approving the measure, or a mere 1,827 vote difference. The sales tax increase only applies to already taxable goods. Businesses will need to ensure an update to their billing and sales services, to avoid a costly month- or quarter-end mistake. This may include re-programming software, registers, and other POS systems, as well as
FAST PITCH COMPETITION WINNERS ANNOUNCED
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Steve Ward of Future N Focus, Dream Catcher Enterprises
iverside County celebrated Innovation Month in April with lots of events taking place throughout the area. Here in Corona, the Chamber partnered with the City to host one of the region’s four Fast Pitch competitions, where eight talented teams and individuals presented their innovative ideas to a panel of judges. The Fast Pitch was a great success, and was livestreamed by viewers across multiple states. The eight competitors were: CNG Innovations, Future N Focus Dream
trillion and growing due to population growth. Making your website accessible means reaching out to 20% more of the population than before by default. It also means that more people will be talking about your company and attracted to your inclusive ethos. Wouldn’t you want to buy a product or service from an ethically responsible business that cares about its customers? ... Continued on page 2
Corona Sales Tax Increases July 1
Bringing Innovation to Our Region
ANDREW CREAM
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he Corona Chamber has been continuously advocating for the reopening of our economy, and we are pleased to offer two incredible upcoming programs on the subject (offered both in person and virtually), as we host the State of the County and State of the City for the business community. On Friday, May 21, Chair of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, Karen Spiegel, will share her message on where the reopening lies, and what the County is doing to help businesses through this tough transition. As of printing, Governor Newsom announced a full economic reopening of California come June 15, so Spiegel will share what to expect ahead of that reopening. The County has endured a difficult time during the pandemic, leading through something none of us currently living have ever experienced before. They have done a superb job considering the obstacles faced, standing up to the State, advocating for businesses, and helping residents who lost their jobs. They also partnered with area chambers, including Corona, to distribute PPE to the business community, first with disposable face masks, and then with
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n 2018 the Department of Justice (DOJ) declared that all websites are considered public accommodations and therefore subject to Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The CDC reports that 61 million Americans are currently registered as disabled, with an average annual spending power of $490 billion. Globally, there are 1.3 billion people within the disabled community with an annual spending power of $8
having a conversation with your bookkeeper or CPA. The City Council announced the Measure X initiative for voter consideration in July 2020. This onecent sales tax will provide additional locally-controlled funds to address City services needs and community-expressed priorities. These are the priorities ... Continued on page 13
In This Issue New Members – Page 4 Memorial Mile March – Page 7
Catcher Enterprises, Greenspace, IsoSlide, Seeing Reality, Tikiz Shaved Ice & Ice Cream, UniVue and VSI Technologies. Our regional competition was held at Corona City Hall and was open to contestants from four cities: Corona, Norco, Eastvale and Jurupa Valley, and we were delighted to have representation from each city. The pitches were incredibly diverse yet all fascinating in their own way. The judges got to learn about products such as an all-in-one workout ... Continued on page 10
Meet the ELR 2021 – Page 8 Economic Forecast Preview – Page 11 Fender USA Expansion – Page 12 Marketplace – Page 14