July 3, 2008
-BEAR Action Network Reaches Out to Downtown Businesses
-The VIBE at Sports Town on Kern Street
- How to Kill a Profitable Business

July 25, 2008      

Hero’s Sports Bar and Pizza Parlor   

“Currently the target is 25 full-time positions, but the number keeps growing,” says Robert Williams, owner of the restaurant Hero’s. A new concept currently under construction at 830 Van Ness Blvd. “It started out with a smaller number, but we see this growing as things are shaping up.”

Robert, a long term resident of Fresno, has been bitten by the downtown vision. He has watched it grow and sees that there is an energy mounting there. When visiting with a friend in Modesto, he fell in love with the Hero’s Sports Bar concept and knew there was a place for it in downtown Fresno. With a design expert and architects he immediately went to task of customizing the Hero’s concept to fit his vision and the building just north of Inyo. It will house sports memorabilia of all kinds; local, international, past, and present; as well as heroes from the local Fire and Police departments, not to mention comic strip heroes as well.

Robert came to the City of Fresno Economic Development Department with a basic plan in March. He sat down with Department staff and a city planner and a plan was laid out. After a couple of months laying groundwork, the project was under construction with an opening date of October 1, 2008.

Robert sees his restaurant as a part of the Economic catalyst that is occurring and is excited about being part of Downtown Fresno.

For more information, please contact Martin Wendels, Project Manager, at 559.621.8362 or martin.wendels@fresno.gov.

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Economic Development Trends     

“Key Elements of a Prosperous and Healthy Community” was presented to the City of Fresno Economic Development staff and several City Representatives. The presentation by Deborah Nankivell, CEO, Fresno Business Council, included specific criteria concerning Community Values, Economic Development Sphere, Infrastructure Sphere, and Human Development. Following the presentation, the impact, possible revisions, and how to incorporate these spheres into economic development were discussed.

For more information, please contact Cynthia Dondero, Assistant to the Director, at 559.621.8352 or Cynthia.dondero@fresno.gov.

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July 17, 2008    

Social Compact Neighborhood Market Drilldown and Asset Mapping Update     

The City of Fresno (COF) Economic Development Department continues to work with Washington D.C. based Social Compact, Inc. on a drill down analysis of the City of Fresno. The purpose of this analysis, which is funded in part by the COF, is to uncover the underlying cash economy in the underserved neighborhoods throughout Fresno, making a solid case for investment in areas that typically are overlooked by banks, retailers and other investors and challenging the negative stereotypes that have historically defined inner-city neighborhoods. To date, Social Compact has completed the bulk of the data collection, with only the public housing and electrical utility data still outstanding. The scheduled completion date for the project is December, 2008.

The Economic Development Department is also working, in partnership with the Fresno West Coalition for Economic Development and other partners, on an Asset Map project in the 93706 zip code area. The asset map,which is funded in part by the COF as well as a grant from the California Endowment, will compile all relevant neighborhood, public and private "assets" in the 93706 area that will then be coordinated to create economic and community development opportunities for residents. The Fresno based Ramsay Group has been hired to perform the Asset Map study and a steering committee meets once a month to oversee the process. To date The Ramsay Group has facilitated five "Community Builder Meetings", purchased the GIS software and PDA's for the data collection, developed a marketing plan, completed the data sources for the asset map, selected the video production company for the related documentary, and completed the data collection for the Economic, Education, Health, Transportation and Environmental indicators. The scheduled completion date for this project is also December, 2008. In the future, this process can be used to generate asset maps for other areas in the City of Fresno.

For more information, please contact Kelly Trevino at kelly.trevino@fresno.gov or 621-8426.

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Partnering to Improve Economic Growth    

In an effort to help promote job growth throughout the Fresno area, seasoned City of Fresno Incentive Zone Manager, Kelly Trevino, participated in the training of new Fresno County Enterprise Zone vouchering agents on Wednesday, July 2, 2008. Kelly, who has been processing Enterprise Zone hiring tax credit vouchers for the City for over five years, was able to offer real life experience and first hand knowledge to the new vouchering agents. The City of Fresno has enjoyed the benefits of an Enterprise Zone designation for nearly 22 years and processed nearly 3,200 vouchers in FY 2008 alone.

For more information about Business Incentive Zones available in the City of Fresno, please visit www.fresnoez.com and select Incentive Zones and Tax Credits or contact Kelly Trevino at Kelly.Trevino@fresno.gov or call 559.621.8426.

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Businesses Helped by the Municipal Restoration Zone Incentive   

The City of Fresno Economic Development Department recently processed Municipal Restoration Zone (MRZ) business incentive checks for six companies: RM King, Haron Motor Sales, Western Manufacturing, Action Towing & Dive Team, R.H. Kiggins Construction, and Marlin & Tony's Auto Repair. These checks, which totaled $30,731.87, brought the grand total of disbursed Fiscal Year 2007 (FY) MRZ business incentives to $93,525.08. This marks the close of the FY 07 payments. Businesses in the MRZ who had a qualifying event in the FY 08 time frame can complete the qualification process now and apply for their payments between October 1, 2008 - June 1, 2009.

For more information about Business Incentive Zones available in the City of Fresno, please visit www.fresnoez.com and select Incentive Zones and Tax Credits or contact Kelly Trevino at Kelly.Trevino@fresno.gov or call 559.621.8426.

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CSU & FFEC = FILM   

The Fresno Film & Entertainment Commission recently went location scouting with writer/director Michael Berlin. Berlin, whose TV resume dates back to Crockett & Tubbs in South Beach, is the visiting professor who is conducting the filmmaking component of California State University (CSU) Summer Arts program held on the Fresno State campus. The “Indie short” process sees one week of filming and one week of post production with seven groups of four students each creating their own version of Berlin’s script. First, however, they needed locations. Berlin met Fresno Film & Entertainment Commissioner Ray Arthur for an afternoon of location scouting for apartment complexes and romantic fountain. Berlin, Arthur and CSUF Film Student Teresa Flores searched from the university campus to Woodward Park and back to find the perfect locations for the perfect film project.

For more information about the CSU Summer Arts program, please visit www.csusummerarts.org. For more information about the Fresno Film and Entertainment Commission, please visit www.filmfresno.com or please contact Ray Arthur at 559.621.8358 or ray.arthur@fresno.gov.

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July 3, 2008   

BEAR Action Network Reaches Out to Downtown Businesses   

The City of Fresno Economic Development Department, in partnership with the Economic Development Corporation, is reaching out to Downtown Fresno businesses through the BEAR Action Network.

Studies have shown that companies already existing within a community are responsible for up to 80% of all net local employment. Therefore, it is essential that we do everything we can to connect businesses with resources, information, and services that will help expand their businesses and make them prosper.

The first step was a direct mail campaign to over 90 downtown businesses that provided information about BEAR Action Network services. They were invited to schedule a one-on-one appointment with a BEAR Action Network Outreach Specialist. The goal of these meetings is to identify those services that are most relevant to each company’s needs and to connect them with Service Providers as quickly as possible.

BEAR Action Network services include:

• Lucrative Business Tax Incentive Information
• Local Government Services
• New Employee Recruitment /Existing Employee Training Services
• Strategic/Marketing Plan Development Assistance/Business Consulting Services
• Financing and Microloan Programs
• Building Contracting/Architectural/CPA/Engineering Services
• Utilities – Incentives, Rebates, Special Programs, and Energy Rate Analysis Assistance

For more information about the BEAR Action Network and the City of Fresno Business Retention and Expansion Program, please contact Melodee Schwamb at (559) 621-8366.

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The VIBE at Sports Town on Kern Street   

On Friday, June 27, 2008, nearly 5,000 people flooded Kern Street to enjoy great entertainment, good food, and fun with friends and family. On hand to provide musical entertainment were Super Lucky Catz, Flight 409, Special Reserve, Helen Ochoa, and La Jesa. The City Manager’s Office made a surprise appearance when they put together a band to participate in the XBOX ROCK BAND Competition.

The VIBE at Sport Town on Kern Street was created to bring attention back to the downtown area and aid in its revitalization. The VIBE is sponsored by the City of Fresno and Peak Broadcasting.

Future events are being planned. Check the VIBE website at http://www.fresno.gov/Government/DepartmentDirectory/EconomicDevelopment/VIBE/default.htm

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How to Kill a Profitable Business   

It's frighteningly easy to kill a profitable business: just watch it grow faster than it can generate cash to support its growth. Then to finish it off, withhold additional capital, lend or invest too little additional capital, or lend it capital that must be repaid in the short term.

Too often rapidly growing businesses either die from this lack of cash, or their profitable growth is stifled because they either cannot get the cash they need, or they do not understand the real source of their problem. An often heard expression of frustration by business owners is, "I don't understand it--I am growing, and I am profitable, yet I have no cash, and I'm overdrawn at my bank all the time."

The Economic Development Department works with new and existing businesses that run into these kinds of financial problems, and assists them to find the permanent working capital they need to sustain their rapid growth. In order to better understand these issues, and to better assist businesses to access capital, George Smith, Interim Assistant Economic Development Department Director, completed the third of four training courses sponsored by the National Development Council which will lead to earning of the Economic Development Financial Professional (EDFP) designation. EDFPs have the training and expertise to help businesses to identify financial issues, and help them access the capital that will enable them to grow, expand, create new jobs, and thrive.

For more information, please contact the George Smith, City of Fresno Economic Development Department, at George.Smith@fresno.gov or call 559.621.8357.