November 2013 - Vol. 5 - Issue #11

In this issue...

Small Business Funding Opportunities More Easily Found Through Community Banks
Ask any Elk Grove small business owner and they'll tell you about the ease and convenience of working one-on-one with local financial institutions that share a commitment to the Elk Grove community.

Elk Grove Businesses Encouraged to Get Online
The City of Elk Grove and the Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to launch a new program designed to help Elk Grove businesses develop an online presence.

Elk Grove High School Teacher Named California Teacher of the Year
Elk Grove teacher Tim Smith has been named as one of five outstanding educators of the 2014 California Teachers of the Year 2014 award.

New Elk Grove Community Park to Open in Spring 2014
Construction has begun on a new 1.82-acre park that will encourage families to explore, play and imagine themselves in a storybook.

Business Spotlight: Networking Solutions
Networking Solutions has been doing business as a managed IT service provider in Elk Grove for the past 14 years with about 25% of their business coming from right here in the city.

Featured Property: Freestanding Class "A" Office Building For Sale

Offered by PDF Commercial, this Class "A" office building is ideally located between the City of Sacramento and the City of Stockton

Also in this issue:
ElkGroveSiteSearch.com
News from the EGEDC
Elk Grove Quick Facts
Contact the EGEDC
EGEDC Supporters

Small Business Funding Opportunities More Easily Found Through Community Banks

Ask any Elk Grove small business owner and they'll tell you that everything they could ask for can be found right here in Elk Grove--incredible demographics, a large established population, great access to two highways, a centralized location in the Sacramento region and an abundance of diverse economic development incentives. They'll also tell you about the ease and convenience of working one-on-one with local financial institutions that share a commitment to the Elk Grove community.

As a locally owned and operated bank, Five Star Bank is one example of a community bank working closely with the unique needs of Elk Grove's business community. Small businesses, which are often turned down by large corporate lending institutions, can find solutions in community banks that are more apt to lend to small businesses because of close relationships created with small business owners.

With expertise in commercial real estate finance, small business lending, commercial and residential construction and residential mortgage lending, Five Star has helped local businesses stay competitive. Because Five Star Bank is also a Small Business Administration (SBA) preferred lender, they act as final authority on credit decisions, meaning local businesses receive funding faster.

"Five Star Bank is the only bank dedicated to emerging business in the Sacramento Valley," said Vice President/Business Development Officer Mark Lepp. "Our commitment to business is the same whether a company has two or 200 people. No other bank has our experience in giving local entrepreneurs the insight, exposure and feedback that is so critical to getting started."

Lepp notes two types of SBA lending in which 5 Star Bank specializes:

SBA 7(a) Loans

Use for a variety of purposes, from working capital to commercial real estate financing
Terms from 7-25 years
Values from $50,000-$2 Million

SBA 504 Loans

Use for permanent financing for commercial real estate
Lower capital requirements
Financing up to $5 Million

"Local institutions like 5 Star Bank share in the commitment to the Elk Grove community," said EGEDC Board Chair Jim Cline. "They also support productive investment and help businesses to not only succeed themselves, but to also put their money to work in growing the local economy."

Elk Grove's well-known reputation for being a large city with a small-town feel pays off for area business owners. As a part of Elk Grove's tight-knit business community, 5 Star Bank can readily pair businesses with local technology investors, venture capital partners, and area accountants, attorneys, real estate agents and recruiters.

"We are here to help those who want to start or expand a business in Elk Grove find local experts and potential investors to help them hit the ground running," added Lepp.

Call the EGEDC at (916) 691-3895, or send an email to info@elkgroveedc.org for more information.

Elk Grove Businesses Encouraged to Get Online

Nearly 97 percent of Internet users look for local goods and services online, yet more than half of California's businesses do not have a website. That's why the City of Elk Grove and the Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to launch a new program designed to help Elk Grove businesses develop an online presence.

The site, www.ElkGroveGetsOnline.com, offers local resources, information and directories to make it easy for Elk Grove businesses to learn how to set up a website. The site also promotes Google's California Get Your Business Online promotion, which offers business owners a free website, custom domain name, hosting and other online resources for free for a year, with costs of less than $20 a month afterward.

"When a business has a website, the business is expected to grow more than 40 percent faster than businesses that do not," said Mayor Gary Davis. "Since small businesses are the backbone of Elk Grove's local economy, we want to make sure our business community has the tools and resources needed to be successful in Elk Grove."

"We are happy to partner with the city to offer this great tool for businesses to find the information they need to set up and manage a website quickly and easily," said Chamber President/CEO Angela Perry. "The new site not only offers the information needed, but local resources to help businesses along the way."

For more information visit www.ElkGroveGetsOnline.com, call the Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce at 916-691-3760. Economic Development Director Randy Starbuck can be reached at rstarbuck@elkgrovecity.org or by calling (916) 478-3690.

Elk Grove High School Teacher Named California Teacher of the Year

Elk Grove teacher Tim Smith has been named as one of five outstanding educators of the 2014 California Teachers of the Year 2014 award. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson also selected Smith as California's nominee for the National Teacher of the Year competition.

Smith teaches math at Elk Grove's Florin High School and is the third Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD) teacher to be selected for the statewide award. Earlier this year, Smith was also selected as a teacher of the year for both EGUSD and Sacramento County.

The 2014 California Teachers of the Year, the finalists, and semi-finalists will be honored at a gala next February. Click here for more information about the California Teachers of the Year Program.

New Elk Grove Community Park to Open in Spring 2014

What kid wouldn't want to explore a space station, pirate ship or dinosaur safari? In Elk Grove, plans for all three are about to unfold like the pages of a storybook.

Construction has begun on the new Storybook Woods Park--a new 1.82-acre park that will encourage families to explore, play and imagine themselves in a storybook--and is slated for completion next April. Developed in partnership with the Cosumnes Community Services District (CCSD), the park will include three unique playground areas, a picnic area, open space and a storytelling circle area.

A Space Station area will feature outer space-inspired climbing and rotating play equipment, allowing children to exercise their strength and balance while experimenting with their center of gravity. Pirates Cove will feature a shipwreck play area complete with climbing crates, gunpowder barrels and rotating decks with climbing nets. A "Land of the Lost" prehistoric playground will include raptor fossils, a T-Rex climbing skeleton, and outdoor climbers and play structures for toddlers to explore.

A new pedestrian bridge that connects the park with an existing trail system will connect both the nearby Del Webb and The Grove family-friendly communities.

The CCSD provides parks and recreation services to the Elk Grove region and oversees more than 90 parks, 18 miles of off-street trails, two community centers, four recreation centers, two aquatics complexes, picnic areas, softball fields, skating, swimming, golf courses and a number of driving ranges--all in all more than 940 acres of parks, corridors, creeks and trails throughout the Elk Grove area.

Click here for more information on the CCSD click here.

Business Spotlight: Networking Solutions

Networking Solutions has been doing business as a managed IT service provider in Elk Grove for the past 14 years with about 25% of their business coming from right here in the city.

"It's a tight-knit community here in Elk Grove," explains owner Jon Cooper. "If you do good work, people know about it. If you don't do good work, people know about it. I think that's one of the reasons we've flourished because it is such a tight-knit business community, and we do good work."

Elk Grove's affordable retail space, as compared to downtown Sacramento, was a driving force in locating business here.

"When we decided to actually get retail space, we looked into Sacramento, but the rents were much less expensive here in Elk Grove," said Cooper.

Networking Solutions serves small and midsized businesses that have annual revenue of $1 million+. Cooper--whose two-mile commute to work affords the occasional bike ride--manages six employees, and his clients are spread far and wide across four different counties in the Sacramento region.

"Being located in Elk Grove puts us in a really good spot. We're in between the Modesto/Stockton area and the Sacramento/Roseville/Rocklin area. We're in a really good spot here in Elk Grove."

Cooper and his wife both grew up in Elk Grove, and now they are raising three sons here.

"Elk Grove is very family-friendly, and it's safe. It has a small-town feel with large-town amenities," said Cooper. A centralized location close to the San Francisco Bay Area to the west and Lake Tahoe to the east is an added bonus for a busy family who enjoys day trips to the coast as well as snowboarding.

"We'll go over to San Francisco and hang out at Pier 39 because we're close enough to do that for a day. We're headed to Tahoe for a week during the holidays, and that's real close. It's great because you can go an hour and a half in either direction and you can either be skiing or you can be at the ocean.

"Elk Grove is family and business friendly," adds Cooper. "I can't imagine living or working anywhere else in the Sacramento region. It's been fabulous for us over the last 14 years to be business owners in Elk Grove."

For more information, contact the EGEDC at (916) 691-3895, or send an email to info@elkgroveedc.org.

Featured Property: Freestanding Class "A" Office Building For Sale

2400 Maritime Dr., Elk Grove
Offered by PDF Commercial

Class "A" office building +-19,000sf
Building: +-16,000sf
Sprinklered roof storage: +-1,800sf
Sprinklered covered patio: +-1,200sf
+-2.64 acres
Zoned MP per City of Elk Grove
APNs: 119-1920-026-0000 & 119-192-027-0000
54 parking spaces available
Built in 2005 and extensively remodeled in 2012
Highway visibility from Interstate 5
20 minutes from downtown Sacramento & 26 minutes from Sacramento International Airport.
Ideally located between the City of Sacramento and the City of Stockton

For more information on this property, contact the EGEDC at (916) 691-3895, or send an email to info@elkgroveedc.org.

Find Available Commercial Property at ElkGroveSiteSearch.com

View Elk Grove's extensive commercial property listings along with size, use, cost and development incentives at ElkGroveSiteSearch.com. Corresponding demographic and statistical reports such as labor force, education levels, community profiles, and consumer spending and age can also be created. Businesses are mapped by industry showing their distribution and concentrations throughout the area. For more information contact the EGEDC at info@elkgroveedc.org.

News from the EGEDC

New City Policy Supports Economic Development in Industrial Areas

The permitting process has been expedited and fees reduced for businesses moving into Elk Grove's industrial spaces within in the city limits. Under the new policy, businesses moving into existing industrial spaces will no longer have to obtain a new building permit, as long as the previous owner had the required permits for the space and no additional construction work is required. The policy also allows for a Certificate of Occupancy to be transferred to similar businesses in industrial areas on spaces less than 3,000 square feet. The new policy will reduce fees and ensure an efficient transition into a new space. For more information visit www.elkgrovecity.org/building-permits or contact Sarah Sandoval at ssandoval@elkgrovecity.org or 916-478-3629.

Elk Grove Slashes Homebuilder Fees

The City of Elk Grove has eliminated the 97 cents/sf affordable housing fee that developers of office facilities have had to pay that funded a city program seeking housing for low-income residents. The fee, however, will remain unchanged and still be charged for commercial/retail, hotel, manufacturing and warehouses, and range from 46 cents to $1.36/sf. Residential impact fees for future homes were also reduced. For more information, contact the EGEDC at info@elkgroveedc.org.

Program Expedites Small Business Building Permits

The City of Elk Grove's new personalized service, "T.I. Tuesdays," expedites building permits for small businesses and allows applicants to meet one-on-one with staff to process smaller tenant improvement building permits. In most cases the permit can be issued at the counter the same day. For details call 916-478-2235 or visit: www.elkgrovecity.org/building-permits.

Download EG's Small Business Start-Up Guide

Check out the City of Elk Grove's new user-friendly Small Business Start-up Guide full of tools and resources to help aspiring business owners succeed in Elk Grove!

Free Consulting From the Small Business Development Center!

The Small Business Development Center provides free business consultation to Elk Grove's existing and emerging businesses. An SBDC consultant is available at the beginning of each month in the same office space as the Chamber and the EGEDC. Free and low-cost workshops are also available. Send an email to info@elkgroveedc.org for more information.

Business License Report Online--See Who Else Has "Opened Up to Elk Grove"

Click here for the City of Elk Grove's latest online monthly new business license report!

Online Plan Reviews Streamlined
A convenient web-based electronic plan submission, review and tracking system is available on the City of Elk Grove's website that allows building permit customers to manage a plan review, upload files and track the status of a project review.

For more information on news items, contact the EGEDC at (916) 691-3895, or send an email to info@elkgroveedc.org.