2018 August PASO Magazine

LOCAL BUSINESS
BEST Team to provide
ongoing support for
local businesses
Paso Robles Chamber
Builds on Summit and Public Input
By Melissa Chavez
Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce recently announced
two support resources which entrepreneurs can use toward
building successful businesses within the community.
BUSINESS LEADER SUMMIT
One resource includes findings
discovered through a recent Business
Leader Summit at Adelaida
Winery in Paso Robles. Hosted
by the Chamber, the Summit was
comprised of 55 business leaders
who represent a variety of sectors,
including hospitality, tourism, retail,
technology, media, real estate,
wine, professional services, construction
and development, and
manufacturing. The Chamber’s
goal was to explore a collective
vision for economic development
within the City of Paso Robles.
The Summit was hosted by
Don Masurka, whose book,
How Great Decisions Get Made –
10 Easy Steps for Reaching Agreement
on Even the Toughest Issues,
has been utilized by nonprofits and
government agencies alike. The
publication uses a cooperativebased,
problem-solving methodology
to yield the most positive
results and leverage each participant’s
talents and abilities toward
benefiting the whole.
Among the goals of both the
Chamber and the City are business
retention, expansion, attraction,
and effective leadership by which to
implement these economic efforts.
To this end, the Chamber partnered
with the City to hire Josh
Cross as Director of Economic
Development. At the Business
Leader Summit, Cross enlisted
the assistance of stakeholders to
present the results of a Strengths,
Weakness, Opportunities and
Threats (SWOT) analysis as the
subject for discussion and explore
how these areas could be improved
upon and used to meet their goals.
The Chamber’s goal was to
explore a collective vision
for economic development
within the City of Paso Robles.
Chamber of Commerce CEO
Gina Fitzpatrick emphasized her
organization’s goal to update the
2006 City of Paso Robles Economic
Strategy and provide 21st
century support with in-house
economic development services.
Seven concerns rose to the top
by way of a Chamber survey. They
include improving the northern
section and northern gateway of
Paso Robles, providing insight to
Part II of a series following the progress of the Paso Robles
Chamber’s Economic Development program.
the public’s awareness of the wine
industry as an employer of supplemental
services, acquirement and
development of the 157-acre former
El Paso de Robles Correctional
Youth Facility at 4545 Airport
Road, business development within
proximity of the airport, preservation
of the values and quality of life,
development of a performing arts
and conference center, attraction
of technological firms with headof-household
jobs, and retainment
of existing Paso Robles businesses
from relocation.
Among the Summit’s takeaways
were the need for affordable housing
(74 percent), infrastructure (77
percent), workforce (70 percent),
and workforce concerns (70 percent).
Detailed results of the Summit
will be utilized to better effect
development of a Strategic Plan
due this fall. Business merchants
and the public are welcomed to
add input by calling Director of
Economic Development Josh
Cross at Paso Robles Chamber
at 805-238-0506 or by email at
josh@pasorobleschamber.com.
BUSINESS AND
ENTREPRENEURIAL
SUPPORT TEAM
Another ongoing resource is development
of a Business and Entrepreneurial
Support Team (BEST)
to those interested in initiating, expanding
or relocating their existing
businesses to Paso Robles. The way
it works is that the City of Paso Robles
refers inquiries to a Chamber
Point Person who is familiar with
the trades and specialties of the
BEST Team and collaborates with
entrepreneurs, using information
and local expertise to assist them.
Detailed results of the
Summit will be utilized to
better effect development of
a Strategic Plan due this fall.
Within the Chamber Resource
Center and Business Economic
Committee for advanced planning
are an assortment of resources, such
as business support roundtables,
website information, social media
posting, event creation and participation,
a quarterly forum, mentorship,
and a Build Relocation Packet
toolkit. Strategic follow-up is also
just one more way in which the
Chamber and City of Paso Robles
are working together to come alongside
new and existing businesses.
To learn more about BEST or to
become a mentor with BEST Team,
call the Chamber at 805-238-0506.
Melissa Chavez can be reached
at Melissa@pasomagazine.com
30 | pasomagazine.com PASO Magazine, August 2018