Catalyst. Convener. Champion.
Chamber Connection
SA NTA M A RIA VA LLE Y CH A MB E R MO NTHLY NE WS LE T TE R | FE B RUARY 202 1
Moving Forward While Staying Home: Chamber Continues Partnerships, Advocacy and Outreach During Pandemic While we may have (until recently) been under a Stay at Home Order, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber has continued their forward momentum in supporting local businesses and planning for the coming year. Our partnerships locally and throughout the Central Coast region continue to play a critical role in advocating for our business community. Recently, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the other Chambers in Santa Barbara County to launch the “Safe Return to Work Campaign”, advocating that businesses should be allowed to open and operate safely while following COVID health and safety protocols. “The campaign was a collaborative effort that came out of discussions with local businesses across the county who were frustrated at the lack of attention paid to the economic impact local business closures are having on our community,” explained Glenn Morris, President/CEO of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce. “The campaign argues that the data does not support the Stay at Home Order we were under at the time, and that we can keep people safe while operating businesses safely at the same time.” In addition to a PR campaign, the Chambers also created a Resolution to Support Safe Business Operations, which was adopted by Santa Maria City Council
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with Chambers throughout Santa Barbara County on the "Safe Return to Work" campaign, arguing that businesses can keep people safe while operating business safely at he same time. at their January 19th meeting. “We applaud our City Council for supporting this effort, and look forward to seeing City Councils in our sister cities join us in supporting all businesses,” Morris said. The Santa Maria Valley Chamber has also remained active in their partnership with REACH, a Regional Economic Action Coalition uniting public, private and civic leaders across the Central Coast of
California. REACH recently developed community landing pages and a data tool that provides valuable insight into community metrics including workforce, jobs, housing and more. Sally Buffalo, Communications Director for REACH, says the community pages and data center tools are the first step for REACH in building a bottom-up regional Continued on p.2
WHAT ' S INSIDE : FE BRUARY 2021 ISSUE
Leadership Santa Maria Valley p. 3
Chamber Month in Review p. 6
Business Volatility p. 8
Chamber Board of Directors: 2020-2021 Executive Committee Chairman: Edgar Gascon, Hacienda Realty Chairman-Elect: Danny Deveraux, CalPortland Vice Chairman: Janet Silveria, Community Bank of Santa Maria Vice Chairman: Laurie Tamura, Urban Planning Concepts Past Chairman: Jean-Luc Garon, Radisson Hotel Santa Maria Board Members Mark Allen, Marian Regional Medical Center Ron Cossa, Tolman & Wiker Insurance Sandra Dickerson, Your People Professionals Donna Farrell, Santa Maria Town Center Karen Fothergill, Andre, Morris & Buttry Doug Janzen, The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center Emily Kitts, Naughty Oak Brewing Company David LeRoy, Toyota of Santa Maria Butch Lopez, V Lopez Jr. & Sons General Engineering Contractors David Merlo, Glenn Burdette Tere Paredes, Maya Restaurant Era Polly, Era Polly Real Estate Shannon Seifert, Santa Maria Valley YMCA Michelle Shipman, Searchlight Properties Kevin Walthers, Allan Hancock College Tim Williams, Digital West
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is a catalyst for business growth, a convener of leaders and influencers, and a champion for a stronger Santa Maria Valley. Learn more about the Chamber by visiting www.santamaria.com.
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Continued - Moving Forward While Staying Home Continued from p.1 brand that leverages the strengths and opportunities offered by each of the Central Coast’s many communities. “Between the data center and community pages, we now have a comprehensive view of the region’s assets and resources but also a spotlight on each community’s distinct character and advantages. Viewed collectively, this landscape boosts the region’s ability to compete for business opportunities and job growth,” Buffalo said. “The wealth and granularity of data available in this resource puts valuable business intelligence at the fingertips of both existing local companies and businesses considering a move or expansion, allowing them to make location, market and other decisions informed by hard data,” explained Buffalo. “While the data center is available for anyone to use, it really supercharges the regional partnership’s ability to work together in attracting new investment, marketing the region and supporting businesses.” Santa Maria’s REACH community page can be found at reachcentralcoast.org/ santa-maria/. In order to maximize our effectiveness in terms of legislative advocacy and to provide collaborative programming, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber continues to play a leadership role in the Tri-County Chamber Alliance (San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties). The alliance recently offered programming from the U.S Chamber of Commerce on how businesses can combat the opioid crisis. “Our partnership with the alliance allows us to pool our resources and bring high level programming to our communities,” Morris said. “The recent opioid crisis webinar is a perfect example on how we can partner and bring this valuable and important information to all businesses in our region at once.” The Alliance is finalizing its legislative priority guidelines for the 2021 session and will begin tracking bills proposed in Sacramento as the session gets fully underway. Locally, the Chamber continues to find creative ways to support local business. The Santa Maria Valley Visitors Bureau recently launched “The Great Santa Maria Valley Takeout” campaign to highlight local restaurants during restaurant month. Santa Maria Valley wineries, breweries and restaurants offered specials the week of January 22- January 31st, and community
The Santa Maria Valley community landing page on REACH's website provides an interactive data center. members were encouraged to dine local and submit photos of their takeout to a selfie contest for a chance to win a local staycation. “The Great Santa Maria Valley Takeout was our way to still bring a fun and engaging promotion to our community during Restaurant Month,” explained Yarely Corona, Social Media & Marketing Coordinator for the Chamber and Visitors Bureau. “It has been a great boost for our local restaurants, and community members have been able to safely support these local businesses.” Corona said the selfie contest has also been a huge hit, with over 100 locals participating. “It’s really encouraging to see so much community support for an industry that has taken a huge hit during the pandemic.” As we come out of the Regional Stay at Home Order and move back into the Purple Tier, adaptability remains a constant for the Chamber and our local businesses. The Chamber will continue to be a trusted resource of information for our community, providing timely updates on reopenings, financial assistance, networking opportunities and other valuable information for your business. If you have specific needs, please reach out through our business assistance form (LINK) and we will connect with you. “With a new year, our organization continues to support local businesses and seek meaningful ways to engage with our community,” Morris said. “Through our regional partnerships, advocacy efforts and targeted programming, we will continue to help our community through this challenging time.”
Leadership Santa Maria Valley Adapts for Class of 2021
Leadership Santa Maria Valley class of 2020 tours new construction in the community during one of their monthly topic days. Due to the pandemic, the class of 2021 will begin with virtual programming and transition to in person topic days when it becomes safe to do so. Leadership Santa Maria Valley is looking for candidates for their 2021 class. The 10 month program is designed to build leaders in the Santa Maria Valley community, give class members opportunities to network and to learn more about local business industries. With COVID-19, this year’s program has made some adjustment to still provide a valuable experience for the class. The program will kick off in March with a retreat, where class members get a chance to get to know one another better and learn more about the program’s topic days and legacy project components. “This year the retreat will not be overnight and out of town as usual,” explained Terri Oneschuck, Program Director for Leadership Santa Maria Valley. “We are currently revising the retreat to fit with the pandemic regulations in March while still offering a fun an interactive experience for class members.” Following the retreat in March, the program consists of monthly topic days from April through December. “In our program, the class members actually plan the topic days with the guidance of a couple alumni,” Oneschuck explained. “These days will probably start in the Zoom format and as things open up, we will be meeting in-person at the sites of the businesses and organizations we are learning about.” The final component of Leadership Santa Maria Valley is a legacy project, where the class gets to plan and implement some type project that gives back to the community.
“The legacy project is an opportunity for the class to be creative and work together on something that can have a big impact on our local community,” Oneschuck explained. The most recent graduating class built a mobile observatory for students and also published a bilingual children’s book, with profits going to local nonprofits. “It is always so impressive to see the project each class comes up with, and how they navigate the challenges and triumphs that come with having to work together towards a common goal,” Oneschuck said. While this year’s leadership program will look a little different because of the pandemic, Oneschuck says it’s a great opportunity for the class to really make
the program their own. “A huge part of leadership is adaptability, and I’m excited to see how this year’s class thinks outside the box and tackles the challenges the pandemic may present,” Oneschuck said. “We look forward to an exciting year and encourage any locals looking to build their leadership skills to check out our program!” For more information contact Terri Oneschuck, Program Director, at terrio@ santamaria.com. You can also learn more and apply online at http://santamaria.com/ leadership-santa-maria-valley. (Please note that we have extended the program's early bird pricing of $895. Contact Terri for additional details on this great offer!)
Leadership Santa Maria Valley class of 2020 works on their legacy project, a mobile observatory for the local community. Each year's class gets to determine their legacy project that gives back to the community in a significant way.
Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce | February 2021
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Chamber Membership Corner New Members: November & December 2020 The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is proud to welcome these new members joining the Chamber. We appreciate their vote of confidence in our ability to add value to their business and to create a strong local economy together. We highly encourage individuals and businesses to support Chamber member businesses. BHGRE Haven Properties 2646 Santa Maria Way, Ste. 106 Santa Maria, CA 93455 (805) 592-2050 California Mentor Network 124 Carmen Lane, Suite D Santa Maria, CA 93458 (805) 346-2615 www.thementornetwork.com Farmers Insurance - Shannon Denison 338 E. Betteravia Rd., Suite A Santa Maria, CA 93454 (805) 310-5045 agents.farmers.com/ca/santa-maria/ shannon-denison American General Media Armando’s Autobody & Paint Inc. BBSI Babe Farms, Inc. Black Bear Diner - Santa Maria Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast CALM Cat Canyon Resources, LLC CenCal Health Certified Freight Logistics College and Career Readiness, Santa Barbara County Education Office Comcast Community Bank of Santa Maria Community Carpenters Diani Companies Family Care Network, Inc. FUEGO 97.1 Hot Hits/La Buena Golden State Water Company Innovative Produce J. Wilkes Wines Jack's All American Plumbing Morris & Garritano Insurance Moxie Cafe New Life Painting/Bath & Kitchen/Restoration NKT Commercial I, LLC Orkin Central Coast PCPA - Pacific Conservatory Theatre Phillips 66 Pipeline LLC Phoenix Property Inspections/ Veritas Innovative Pest & Termite Solutions Plantel Nurseries Safran Cabin Santa Maria Santa Barbara Foundation Santa Maria Bonita School District Santa Maria Country Club Santa Maria Joint Union High School District SCORE San Luis Obispo SESLOC Federal Credit Union Smith’s Alarms & Electronics, Inc. SM Tire SunOpta Testa Catering Tileco Distributors, Inc. The Towbes Group, Inc. Trojan Petroleum, Inc. Urban Planning Concepts/ Rural Planning Services VTC Enterprises Wave Business Wells Fargo Bank Wine & Design Orcutt World Financial Group, The Altergott Strategic Focus Team WSPA Xtreme Electronics The Y
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Get Socked Up 235 Town Center East Santa Maria, CA 93454 (805) 260-0901
Home Builders Association of the Central Coast 3765 S. Higuera St., Ste. 102 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 (805) 546-0418 www.hbacc.org Manny Fajardo, Jr. MBA - PB & Associates 1619 S. Broadway Santa Maria, CA 93454 (805) 863-8820 Homesbymannyrealestate.com Taft Electric Company 2310 A Street, Unit A Santa Maria, CA 93455 (805) 642-0121 taftelectric.com
Member Upgrades: November & December 2020 The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce thanks the following companies for upgrading their membership by stepping up their commitment to our Chamber Investor Program and to the communities of the Santa Maria Valley. Investor Level World Financial Group, The Altergott Strategic Focus Team Santa Maria (520) 250-9505
Grow Your Network: Chamber Now Accepting Applications for Various Committees Interested in building your professional network, building your leadership skills and getting involved in the community? The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce has openings available for 2021 on a number of their committees including: • Chamber Ambassador Committee • Business & Government Roundtable • Santa Maria Connect! Young professionals Group • Leadership Santa Maria Valley
Learn more and apply at santamaria. com/committee-interest-form. Questions? Contact Glenn Morris, President/CEO at glenn@santamaria.com.
Renewing Members: December 2020 The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is excited to recognize these partners who strive each day to create jobs, boost our local economy and build a community of which we can all be proud. Thank you for your loyalty and continued support in renewing your commitment to the Chamber and to the communities of Santa Maria Valley. 72 Years: Stowasser Buick GMC 40 Years: Santa Maria Association of Realtors Tomooka Brothers Ptr 35 Years: Santa Maria Museum Of Flight 31 Years: L & G Farms / DL Farms 30 Years: California Giant Associates 28 Years: Center for Employment Training Foodbank Of Santa Barbara County 27 Years: Abbey Carpet of Santa Maria Cambria Winery & Vineyard The Olive Garden Italian Restaurant 24 Years: KTAS TV Telemundo
Spencer's Fresh Markets 23 Years: UCP WORK, Inc. 19 Years: LPL Financial Services People for Leisure & Youth 17 Years: Santa Maria Nissan Mazda 16 Years: Plus Property Management Tyler Wilson DDS 15 Years: Chiropractic Wellness Group 12 Years: Family Service Agency 7 Years: Cary Gray Gray Electrical Consulting + Engineering, Corp
Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce | February 2021
6 Years: Allstate - Michelle Horenberger Central Coast Insurance Services Nostalgic's Inc/Alternative Energy Solutions 5 Years: Advanced Wireless First 5 Santa Barbara County Shred 2 You, Inc 4 Years: SCS Engineers 3 Years: Eddie San Jose - Envoy Mortgage Winn Hyundai of Santa Maria 2 Years: Caliber Collision 1 Years: Eco-T Tire & Retreading, LLC RRM Design Group World Financial Group, The Altergott Strategic Focus Team
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Working Hard on Your Behalf: Chamber Month in Review The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is here for business. We are a catalyst for business growth, convener of leaders and influencers, and a champion for a stronger Santa Maria Valley. We continue to work hard to serve our members, local businesses and the Santa Maria Valley community. Here’s a glimpse at what we’ve been up to lately.
Catalyst for Business Growth •
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The Downtown Revitalization Committee identified their preferred development team and directed staff to formally negotiate with them on the details of a development agreement. The Economic Development Commission has led the marketing, developer recruitment, and review process associated with this project over the past two years. The Visitors Bureau launched The Great Santa Maria Valley Takeout to celebrate restaurant month in the Santa Maria Valley. The promotion took place January 22 – 31 and featured local specials from restaurants, wineries and breweries. The campaign also featured a selfie contest where participants could share their photos at a local restaurant for a chance to win a local staycation package. The Chamber continues to hold their weekly BYB (Build Your Business) networking event on Zoom, where local professionals have a chance to network and share leads and testimonials.
The Great Santa Maria Valley Takeout ran January 22-31.
Convener of Leaders and Influencers •
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The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with Chambers across Santa Barbara County on the “Safe Return to Work” campaign (santamaria.com/safe-return-towork), which argues that we can keep people safe while operating businesses safely at the same time. As part of this campaign, the Chamber sponsored a resolution which the City Council adopted to Support Safe Business Operations. The Tri-County Chamber Alliance offered a webinar through partnership with the U.S Chamber of Commerce on how businesses can combat the opioid crisis. A video recording of this presentation can be found at bit.ly/SMVOpioidWebinar. The Visitors Bureau continues to connect with businesses in the tourism/hospitality industry through their monthly industry meetings. These meetings allow staff to understand the current challenges faced by hospitality businesses and to share resources and opportunities for these businesses. The Visitors Bureau worked with local hotels to address increased concerns about safety and criminal activities associated with homeless or other transients. In addition to a meeting between the hotels and PD leadership, the Chamber facilitated multiple hotels in creating a joint contract with a local security company to increase security patrols around the businesses.
The Chamber partnered with Chambers in Santa Barbara County on the "Safe Return to Work" campaign.
Champion for a Stronger Santa Maria Valley •
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The Chamber endorsed the ordinance regulating sidewalk vendors proposed by city council, which requires street vendors be regulated in a similar way as brick and mortar businesses. City Council passed the ordinance in a 4-1 vote. As part of the Chamber’s engagement on this issue, we partnered with City Councilmember Carlos Escobedo to meet with business owners and hear their concerns about negative impacts from unfair competition by the street vendors. The Visitors Bureau worked alongside the nonprofit Restaurants Care’s relief fund, which designated financial support to North Santa Barbara County restaurant workers who were furloughed. In total, 20 scholarships were made available to 4 employees at 5 restaurants who had to make the difficult decision to furlough workers. The Santa Maria Public Airport District and Allegiant Airlines announced new passenger service from Santa Maria to Portland, OR. The EDC continues to be an active participant in the Airport’s Air Service Team and is proud to be part of increasing options for our community. The Chamber continued to add new resources to our COVID-19 Tool-Kit (http://santamaria.com/COVID19-Recovery )including materials related to the PPP-2 loans, additional funding programs and the updated Cal/OSHA emergency COVID regulations.
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Volatility Can Give You A Business Advantage It's no secret that our local businesses are struggling, but that doesn't mean your business has to suffer, too. Throughout history, many great business stories have begun in an economic downturn. You're probably as tired of "the pivot" as we are, but these adjustments can make your business more resilient. Explore Emerging Opportunities The pandemic has ushered in massive changes and lost revenue for most small businesses in our community. However, within the disruptions and changing market lies opportunities that can help you stay afloat. It takes comprehensive analysis and review of the business to identify and explore viable opportunities, which exist in all industries. Digital sales soared as governments advised people to stay home to prevent new infections. However, a significant percentage of the sales were discretionary and non-essential items. As time went by, people became comfortable with ordering groceries and other day-to-day supplies online. If you were yet to explore the online market, there couldn't be a better time to evaluate your opportunities. For instance, if your business only served walk-in customers, migrating part or all of your operations to the online delivery model can help you maintain sales and customer engagement. Whitespaces are bound to emerge in any business model, although not all are worth exploring. We recommend a comprehensive evaluation of your business to identify the best opportunities arising out of the economic chaos. Consider Hybrid Models Many businesses, such as restaurants and retail stores, that depended on walkin customers for their revenue were dealt big blows following social distancing
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The new normal is something all entrepreneurs must adapt to if they are to stay in business.
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During times of volatility, your business doesn't have to suffer. Exploring new opportunities like online delivery and hybrid business models that cater to selling online and in person can help your business adapt and remain successful through the pandemic and beyond. restrictions. A significant number closed their doors after losing more than 60% of their income. However, some took the chance to diversify the business and explore other sources of revenue. For instance, restaurants and hotels rely on guests coming to the facility and while some still cater to their walk-in guests, the turnover has dropped significantly. Some restaurant owners have expanded their model to accommodate ghost kitchens, online dishes and food trucks to compensate for the revenue loss. Hybrid business models can work in any industry but require drastic changes and investment. You will need various third-party software applications, security solutions, service delivery frameworks and shipping. Nonetheless, with digital sales soaring, you can expect to recover your investment sooner. The business will also serve its primary customers while garnering new ones that are looking for safer shopping experiences. Make Long-Term Strategies The effects of the pandemic will remain for several months, so it is vital to think long-term. Consumer behavior has changed
drastically, but there are many positives to take from the new opportunities and experiences. Businesses should develop strategies and roadmaps that extend beyond six months to guarantee smooth transition and continuity. It is a new world for entrepreneurs who now must rely heavily on digital engagements to spark sales. In the past, finding the perfect physical location was essential to success. However, with less traffic in the streets, businesses are shifting focus to develop a strong online presence. This might imply redirecting funds meant for facility expansion to digital platform optimization. Ultimately, the goal is to understand what changes will last and how you can adapt to guarantee business continuity. Thinking long-term is vital even in the absence of a pandemic. Although things will eventually return to normal, many of the changes are poised to stick around. The new normal is something all entrepreneurs must adapt to if they are to stay in business. Fortunately, there are many tools companies can use to predict the future and implement long-term plans that will outlast the pandemic.
Stay Connected with the Santa Maria Valley Chamber Visit: 614 S. Broadway, Santa Maria Call: (805) 925-2403 Email: info@santamaria.com
614 S. Broadway Santa Maria, CA 93454
Website: santamaria.com Facebook: facebook.com/SMVCC Twitter: twitter.com/SMVCC Instagram: santamariachamberofcommerce Email List: bit.ly/SMVCCMailingList Text Message Alerts: Text "CHAMBER" to 33222 Chamber Connection is the official monthly publication of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce. For questions about this publication or to be added to our monthly mailing distribution list, email molly@santamaria.com.
Weekly Opportunity to Connect & Promote Your Business at Build Your Business Networking Meetings! Every Friday at 8:30am, the Chamber hosts Build Your Business (BYB) virtual networking meetings. The hour long program is a great opportunity to connect with other local professionals and promote your business. " What I like most about BYB is being able to stay connected with my professional colleagues during the most interesting time in our history," says Allison Borja of Morris & Garritano Insurance and a frequent attendee of BYB. "BYB has benefited my business by allowing me to continue to form new relationships while maintaining my existing relationships. I would absolutely encourage all business professionals to join us at BYB to connect with other like minded business people in the community
to help foster growth of their business and their relationships," Borja said. "Staying connected is what we all could use more of during this pandemic and BYB is a perfect place to do so!" BYB includes a 12 minute showcase presentation from a local business, 1 minute introductions from each attendee, time for discussion and announcements, and more! "My favorite part of BYB is the community of locals it has fostered," said Kira Cosio of CASA. "I am always energized by seeing all of the smiling faces of fellow business leaders, whether familiar or new," Cosio said. "It has helped me tremendously in developing my speaking skills and learning what works best in getting CASA's message across." Come check out the program for yourself
- BYB meets every Friday morning via zoom. Learn more and register at santamaria.com/ events/calendarcatgid/6, or contact Alex Castillo at alex@santamaria.com.
Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau 614 S. Broadway, Santa Maria | (805) 925-2403 | santamaria.com | info@santamaria.com Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce | February 2021
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