At
the heart of Santa Barbara’s economy are its thriving tourism, education, and
technology industries, which bring jobs and financial prosperity to the area.
With a culture deeply rooted in environmentally-friendly practices, personal health, and sustainability, the
city also fosters the promotion of entrepreneurship and the development of the
local business sector.
In
order to support the growth of businesses in Santa Barbara, various nonprofit
entities focus their efforts on providing business owners with resources that
will assist them in securing their economic futures. Listed below are four of
the best resources that local businesses and entrepreneurs can use to help them
effectively pursue their professional endeavors.
1. Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board (WDB)
The
WDB is a public-private partnership that provides free services to area workers
who have been laid off as well as Santa Barbara county businesses that are
looking for economic assistance in the form of professional advisement.
Additionally, it offers services to struggling professionals in industries that
significantly affect the county’s economy, such as agriculture, tourism, and
energy.
For
individuals, the organization conducts workshops that teach skills such as
resume writing, interviewing, and job preparation. Additionally, the WDB hosts
job fairs in order to pair local businesses that need talent with WDB members
who have attended training workshops. The organization operates these workshops
and job fairs out of two locations within Santa Barbara County in order to make
them easily accessible to members citywide.
For
businesses, the WDB offers resources designed to assist firms that are
struggling with human resource needs like recruitment, associate training, and
the retention of valuable employees. Business owners may also participate in
the organization’s youth program by mentoring young residents with
entrepreneurial aspirations.
2. The City of Santa Barbara
Santa
Barbara’s local government uses its website in order to inform residents about
all amenities available to them as members of the city. Among these amenities
is an online directory for entrepreneurs and company owners to access tools
that can make their businesses more successful.
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| Santa Barbara City Hall - Image courtesy Damian Gadal on Flickr |
Included
in these resources is a video library that contains 30 minutes’ worth of video about
tips, regulations, and services that are provided specifically to businesses by
the local government. Additionally, the website sports an online tool that
helps business owners create custom maps that contain in-depth geographical
information such as zoning, streets, and aerial photos.
On
the website, individuals can also learn about permits, licenses, and fees, and access
paperless business books archived by local libraries. Additionally, businessmen
and women can find a list of legal steps that entrepreneurs opening businesses
need to take. The site also identifies ways to make a business
environmentally-friendly and makes it easy to research tips for complying with
regulations put in place to prevent water pollution in the area. All of these
amenities and more can be accessed by logging onto www.santabarbaraca.gov/business/.
3. The Economic Forecast Project
Established
more than 30 years ago by the University of California, Santa Barbara, the Economic
Forecast Project is a valuable resource to the business and nonprofit
communities as well as government entities within the region. Through its collection
of statistical data, the group is able to analyze economic and demographic
trends that affect the business community of Santa Barbara at a regional level.
After
examination, the data collected by the Economic Forecast Project is put into
articles that are available to the public free of charge. These articles can be
used in order to help firms see trends in areas like employment within specific
industries, home values, and median household income, which may help them make
educated business decisions that create a healthy local economy.
The
project’s most recent articles about the economy within the region have
reported on subjects such as third quarter job growth, the rate of
affordability within the housing industry, and seasonal employment trends.
4. SCORE Santa Barbara
The
Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) Santa Barbara is an organization
that provides mentoring services to aspiring entrepreneurs in the county. All
SCORE mentors serve the organization on a volunteer basis and are part of a
network consisting of more than 13,000
experienced business professionals
across many industries. These sectors range from areas like real estate and
hospitality to capital raising, technology, and the nonprofit sector.
The
only requirement that an entrepreneur needs in order to secure a SCORE mentor is
an email address. Because SCORE has no headquarters, all mentorship sessions
are scheduled via email in order to establish the needs of the entrepreneur in
a timely, convenient manner. Once an entrepreneur has requested assistance, he
or she will be paired with a mentor who has experience in the same industry,
meeting online or in person in order to ask questions and receive assistance in
evaluating business decisions and strategies.
In
addition to mentoring services, SCORE also offers local businessmen and women
the opportunity to participate in online workshops on subjects such as
financial management and online reputation. A visit to the organization’s
website can also provide individuals with tools and templates designed to
facilitate better business practices.
