In March of 2007, a new business development and marketing plan for the Carlsbad Village area was presented to the community. Within the plan, there were three recommended market development strategies for the area:
1. Strengthen its role as a neighborhood-serving commercial center that provides basic goods and services to the people who live and work in and near the Village.
2. Make the Village into a vibrant arts, cultural and entertainment district.
3. Cultivate several clusters of specialty businesses in the Village that offer products and services unique within the community and region.
The report outlines a variety of actions to be pursued by various stakeholders in the Village to implement these strategies. The following is an update on a few of the implementing actions for 2008:
• Strengthen existing businesses in the Village. The Carlsbad Village Business Association has been working on enhancements to various special events and promotions to assist in the effort to increase pedestrian traffic in the area to help strengthen existing businesses.
• Focus on recruiting entrepreneurs rather than businesses. The Carlsbad Redevelopment Agency, the Carlsbad Village Business Association, the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Administration partnered to host a business development seminar in June. It focused on sharing information with entrepreneurs and encouraging them to open or expand a business in the Village. In addition, the Carlsbad Redevelopment Agency has developed a business resource guide that is available at www.carlsbadca.gov/housing.
• Create everyday ephemera to enliven the environment and the experience of visiting the Village. The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce recently renewed its fire hydrant painting program in the area, and added four electrical boxes this year. The theme is animals and provides for a very fun art project. You can't help but smile when you see the theme-painted hydrants and boxes.
• Animate storefront windows and improve storefront window displays. The Carlsbad Redevelopment Agency will soon implement a new program entitled Lighten Up in the Village. The program is intended to encourage business and property owners to provide additional lighting in their store windows and on the exterior of their buildings. It also encourages business owners to improve their storefronts to create a more light-hearted and brighter Village. The agency also intends to contract with a retail specialist who will provide recommendations on signage, window displays, lighting, merchandising and etc. The agency will pay for the service and the business participants will gain valuable advice on store improvements that will appeal to customers. A couple of stores will be identified to participate in demonstration projects for window makeovers, interior re-merchandising and overall customer appeal enhancements.
• Create an independent entity with representation from key partners to allow for a neutral venue for planning and implementing the specific activities by those that have the best skills and resources. A new organization known as the Carlsbad Village Improvement Partnership is working to obtain funding and begin implementing programs to benefit the business revitalization effort within the Village.
For more information, call Debbie Fountain, Carlsbad's housing and redevelopment director, at (760) 434-2815.
1. Strengthen its role as a neighborhood-serving commercial center that provides basic goods and services to the people who live and work in and near the Village.
2. Make the Village into a vibrant arts, cultural and entertainment district.
3. Cultivate several clusters of specialty businesses in the Village that offer products and services unique within the community and region.
The report outlines a variety of actions to be pursued by various stakeholders in the Village to implement these strategies. The following is an update on a few of the implementing actions for 2008:
• Strengthen existing businesses in the Village. The Carlsbad Village Business Association has been working on enhancements to various special events and promotions to assist in the effort to increase pedestrian traffic in the area to help strengthen existing businesses.
• Focus on recruiting entrepreneurs rather than businesses. The Carlsbad Redevelopment Agency, the Carlsbad Village Business Association, the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Administration partnered to host a business development seminar in June. It focused on sharing information with entrepreneurs and encouraging them to open or expand a business in the Village. In addition, the Carlsbad Redevelopment Agency has developed a business resource guide that is available at www.carlsbadca.gov/housing.
• Create everyday ephemera to enliven the environment and the experience of visiting the Village. The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce recently renewed its fire hydrant painting program in the area, and added four electrical boxes this year. The theme is animals and provides for a very fun art project. You can't help but smile when you see the theme-painted hydrants and boxes.
• Animate storefront windows and improve storefront window displays. The Carlsbad Redevelopment Agency will soon implement a new program entitled Lighten Up in the Village. The program is intended to encourage business and property owners to provide additional lighting in their store windows and on the exterior of their buildings. It also encourages business owners to improve their storefronts to create a more light-hearted and brighter Village. The agency also intends to contract with a retail specialist who will provide recommendations on signage, window displays, lighting, merchandising and etc. The agency will pay for the service and the business participants will gain valuable advice on store improvements that will appeal to customers. A couple of stores will be identified to participate in demonstration projects for window makeovers, interior re-merchandising and overall customer appeal enhancements.
• Create an independent entity with representation from key partners to allow for a neutral venue for planning and implementing the specific activities by those that have the best skills and resources. A new organization known as the Carlsbad Village Improvement Partnership is working to obtain funding and begin implementing programs to benefit the business revitalization effort within the Village.
For more information, call Debbie Fountain, Carlsbad's housing and redevelopment director, at (760) 434-2815.