News from Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corporation

May 2011

Yuba-Sutter Business Consortium Launches New Website

Yuba-Sutter Business Consortium, an association of business assistance organizations that pool resources, just launched its new website. yubasutterbusiness.org

Each consortium organization offers expertise pertinent to the specific needs of the region's businesses. Yuba-Sutter Business Consortium consists of 12 organizations that offer free and low-cost services and technical assistance for business start up and expansion.

California Employer Advisory Council

California Employment Development Department

North Central Counties Consortium

Small Business Development Center

Sutter County One Stop

Yuba City Economic Development

Yuba Community College

Yuba County Economic Development

Yuba County One Stop

Yuba-Sutter Chamber of Commerce

Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corporation

Yuba-Sutter Enterprise Zone

Business Planning and Counseling

A business plan is an initial step toward financing and establishing direction for your business and will include key information such as financial projections and a marketing plan. The website provides a detailed description of a business plan and more information to obtain counseling in business plan development and other business-management skills.

Workforce Development and Training

Human resource issues, employee recruitment and training, labor market information, labor laws, resource materials and other employer information is available for your business from several organizations. Funds are even available to pay to train your employees.

Business Financing

Several loan programs are available to entrepreneurs who may not be able to qualify under conventional lending criteria. Potential candidates are businesses that are new or existing; small to medium; corporations, partnerships or sole proprietors; and, located in Yuba and Sutter counties.

Tax Credits

A variety of tax credits and incentives that can reduce the cost of doing business and increase profitability are available to new and existing businesses in Yuba-Sutter. Can you earn $37,000 on employer hiring tax credits for each of your qualified employees?

Business Resource Seminars

Meet the consortium organizations for breakfast or dinner at one of its bimonthly seminars held all over the Yuba-Sutter area. Find out about the business services available and speak with representatives about your business needs. The next seminar is scheduled for June 23 at the Yuba County Board of Supervisors Chambers in Marysville.

Visit yubasutterbusiness.org and use the resources-at-a-glance page to see how easy it is to get assistance with accounting and bookkeeping training, site identification, website development, marketing, licensing and permits, demographics and statistics, and many more business resources.

What's Happening?

Popeyes to Open in Marysville

Popeye's

Harshraj Ghai, franchise owner of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, has leased the former Kentucky Fried Chicken building at 619 10th Street in Marysville and is currently performing tenant improvements to prepare for a June opening.

To assist with this endeavor, Harshraj took advantage of Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corporation's (YSEDC) business assistance loan program to purchase equipment and inventory required to start.

Popeyes will offer a "New Orleans" style menu that features spicy chicken, chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, fried shrimp and other seafood and red beans and rice. This store will join the 1,900-plus Popeyes restaurants worldwide.

Mr. Ghai was referred to YSEDC by a local lender. Although he is the owner of two successful Burger King franchise locations, his decision to expand and pursue the development of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen brand, rendered him a start-up business and therefore unable to obtain traditional financing. However, he was a perfect fit for YSEDC's business loan program which has more flexible collateral and repayment terms than traditional commercial lenders.

Marysville Popeyes will be the first restaurant to open, of potentially four others, that Mr. Ghai is looking to develop in the greater Sacramento area. Its opening will result in the hiring of approximately12 full time employees and 8 part-time employees.

Businesses interested in more information on the loan program may contact Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corporation at 1227 Bridge St., Suite C, Yuba City, CA. 95991, (530) 751-8555 or www.ysedc.org

Ribbon Cutting/Pinata Breaking Celebrates Collaboration

Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corporation and Small Business Development Center Welcome North Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Ribbon Cutting

A Mexican quartet greeted nearly 150 business associates who turned out to celebrate the recent relocation of the North Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (NCHCC) to its new Yuba City site. Now housed with Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corporation (YSEDC), Yuba Community College District Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Sutter-Butte Flood Control Agency (SBFCA) at 1227 Bridge Street, Yuba City, the North Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has the added support of these like-minded agencies in meeting its mission.

NVHCC plays an important role in the community as a whole and understands its role as advocate for the Hispanic community. Through a variety of programs, NVHCC provides a vital forum for the Hispanic business community to share ideas, concerns and successes. It facilitates local community leaders and its members in building partnerships that allow Hispanic businesses and other members of the community to better understand the contribution that each of us makes to the growth and development of the North Valley.

Essentially, each of the groups have the same goal; to enhance the business environment of the Yuba-Sutter region while providing access to resources that allow our existing business to flourish and encourage new business growth in Yuba-Sutter.

"When we moved into this building in 2004 we had 10 full-time employees and worked with a number of contactors that periodically required space. With the change in the economy, our staff is now down to four so we had extra space available. Many of these groups and a number of others were consistently using the meeting facilities here regularly. This saves them from traveling from other locations," says Brynda Stranix, YSEDC president and chief operating officer.

YSEDC and SBDC have been co-located since 2007. Adding the Sutter-Butte Flood Control Agency in 2009 and now the Hispanic Chamber is another way YSEDC could help the community.

According to Stranix, "Extending the opportunity to the North Valley Hispanic Chamber earlier this year just made sense. We had the space and we're able to provide some staffing assistance to the all-volunteer group by providing a facility that is open during business hours. We are very anxious to watch them grow and prosper."

Ken Freeman, director of the SBDC is equally excited about the additional partnership. "The SBDC welcomes the Hispanic Chamber to our facility. The ability to serve our business community through the strengths generated by this network has been expanded exponentially by the addition. If you want to get business done, come to the YSEDC Business Center" says, Freeman.