San Bernardino Stands for Small Business

San Bernardino stands for small business! Whether it be from national chains like McDonalds, which started in San Bernardino, to long time restaurants like The Mexico, Alfredos, or Miltas, San Bernardino has not been hostile to folks who want to take risks.

However, I do see some problems as far as retention is concerned. The inability to keep businesses here after they have grown to a certain size is a sad reality for a city that is full of promise. Starbucks bought Evolution fresh and moved it to Rancho Cucamonga. IEHP is moving to Rancho Cucamonga. We have to stem the tide before its too late.

Here is a list of the major contributors to the inability to retain businesses:

Weak Chamber of Commerce

Our local chamber of commerce is lackluster at best. The communication and business recruitment strategy is nonexistent. They are not utilizing social media effectively to bring in younger and minority demographic businesses.

I feel that the current Chamber has largely written off our residents as low income welfare recipients with no disposable income. This is sadly untrue as most are hard working class families who use their disposable income elsewhere. 

Promoting why San Bernardino is a place to open a business should be priority number one. Building a positive brand for San Bernardino businesses is key to engaging and retaining consumers.

Lack of Curb Appeal

San Bernardino just looks run down. This is the first step in admitting we have a problem. So much money goes into keeping us safe that basic infrastructure is crumbling around us. I remember walking into the flower shop on the corner of E street and seeing water damage everywhere.

Politician can claim they care about small business, but until they put the money where their mouth is, it is all just empty promises. Our buildings are representations of our city. We must not neglect them.

Lack of Good Governance

The constant political battles on the city council are another factor in driving businesses from the city.We have no policy certainty as projects are haphazardly approved with no thought beyond their ward, or the future. In addition there is no vision for what we want to see in 5, 10, or 20 years. We have to make long term commitment and stick with it to ensure that we have a bright future.