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June 30, 2009

Small Business Pilot Program Will Help You

Create Jobs!

Earlier this year, the Long Beach City Council unanimously passed a Long Beach Chamber-supported pilot program by Mayor Bob Foster that seeks to stimulate our local economy.

The Small Business Enterprise Program (SBE) encourages three City departments to increase their relationships with small businesses by setting a goal that Long Beach Public Works, Gas & Oil, and Parks, Recreation & Marine contract at least 20% of projects with small businesses. 
 

Recently, Mayor Foster spoke with Mike Ryan from Los Angeles Business TV about the state of Long Beach small businesses including an overview about the SBE.

Click here to watch the Mayor's interview.
 

Click here for more information on the SBE.

Long Beach Chamber President and CEO Randy Gordon spoke about the creation of the SBE:

This is exactly what our local economy needs. Our city has been hit hard by the slumping economy. Small businesses account for over 95% of our local employers. Long Beach has no economy without small business. The Small Business Enterprise Program will draw work to these companies, increasing revenue, creating jobs and stabilizing our local economy.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Mayor's Office at (562) 570-6801 or email him at mayor@longbeach.gov if you would like to receive more information on the SBE.

Last week, the Long Beach City Council unanimously passed a Long Beach Chamber-supported ordinance that seeks to stimulate our local economy.

Spearheaded by Mayor Bob Foster, is the Small Business Enterprise Program (SBE) will encourage three City departments to increase their relationships with small businesses by setting a goal that Long Beach Public Works, Gas & Oil, and Parks, Recreation & Marine contract at least 20% of projects with small businesses.

Long Beach Chamber President and CEO released the following statement last week in response to the City Council action:

This is exactly what our local economy needs. Our city has been hit hard by the slumping economy. Small businesses account for over 95% of our local employers. Long Beach has no economy without small business. The Small Business Enterprise Program will draw work to these companies, increasing revenue, creating jobs and stabilizing our local economy.

Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster released the following statement last week in response to the City Council action:

During difficult economic times, small businesses are the engine of job growth. This pilot program will assist small businesses by giving them the tools to work on more City of Long Beach contracts.

About the Program:

The one-year pilot program will be administered by existing City staff. The program will be evaluated at the end of the test period. The City’s program is based off of the Port of Long Beach’s successful SBE recruitment model.

Mayor Foster, the City of Long Beach and the Port of Long Beach will host a free seminar to give small business owners more information on the SBE pilot program and how to register with the City’s SBE vendor database.

The seminar will take place on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at the Long Beach Main Library, 101 Pacific Ave. Registration begins at 3:00 p.m. and the program begins at 4:00 p.m. There is limited seating and you must RSVP to reserve your spot.

To sign up for the free seminar, contact Taylor Honrath at (562) 570-5377 or Taylor.Honrath@longbeach.gov

It's All About Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

Out of the leanest times come the best ideas. In these days of scarcity, we continue to look for ways to work together and operate more efficiently.

One such innovative idea to stimulate our local economy, spearheaded by Mayor Bob Foster, is the Small Business Enterprise Program. The Chamber strongly supports this proposed Program and we will speak in favor of it tonight at the Long Beach City Council meeting.

The Small Business Enterprise Program will encourage three City departments to increase their relationships with small businesses by setting a goal that Long Beach Public Works, Gas & Oil, and Parks, Recreation & Marine contract at least 20% of projects with small businesses.

This is exactly what our local economy needs. Our city has been hit hard by the slumping economy. With our own City Budget challenged and shoppers being less willing to spend money, small businesses need a hand. That’s all the reason that the City Council should vote to approve this Program. After all, small businesses account for over 95% of our local employers. Long Beach has no economy without small business. The Small Business Enterprise Program will draw work to these companies, increasing revenue, creating jobs and stabilizing our local economy.

The most important by-product of the Program is its effect on jobs. Currently, Long Beach’s job market is hurting. Recent figures from the California Employment Development Department indicate that Long Beach's unemployment rate rose to 12.1% in February – topping the rates of both our state (10.5%) and our nation (8.1%). February marked the thirteenth straight month that Long Beach has seen an increase in unemployment. But with a renewed commitment to supporting small business, the City now has an opportunity to help Long Beach residents stay employed.

The Enterprise Program may not end unemployment in Long Beach, but it can certainly contribute to slowing it down. Companies will be able to retain their employees, and will not need to slash expenses thanks to increased business. When the economy rebounds, those small businesses that benefited from the Enterprise Program will be in excellent position to enter a new period of expansion. Employees will be in high demand and businesses will see new growth.

But first, to get to this land of plenty, we must assist the companies currently in need. Setting a firm goal of having the three City departments contract at least 20% of their projects with small, local businesses is the first step on the road to the recovery of Long Beach’s economy. It will allow the little person to compete and will keep contracting local. How can we be so sure? The Port of Long Beach has used a similar model for years, with great success.

We cannot sit back and depend on the nation’s economy to magically recover. We must begin putting the pieces in place for a successful future.
The Mayor's leadership with the Small Business Enterprise Program will offer more opportunities for local companies and even the playing field. With these new opportunities available, small businesses will be encouraged to strengthen their operations in order to appear more attractive for these projects. They will be encouraged to compete for large bids, strengthening their portfolios and preparing them for future endeavors.

The Small Business Enterprise Program will allow Long Beach to regain its reputation as a place of dependable revenue and employment, no matter the economic forecast...