City of Sebastopol March Newsletter

The City has given approval to the Ceres Community Project to lease and substantially improve a City-owned building at 7351 Bodega Avenue.

Ceres is a community non-profit that prepares healthy meals for seriously ill persons throughout Sonoma County, using volunteer high school students to prepare the meals.

The City’s approvals will allow the retention and expansion of this community-based food-related non-profit, achieving one of the City’s economic development goals. http://www.ceresproject.org/

Would you like to start a business in Sebastopol? Or do you already do business in Sebastopol? If either applies to you, then you should know about the Sebastopol Entrepreneurs Project (SEP). SEP is about to establish a business incubator in Sebastopol. It is a “do business local” initiative. Its aim is to foster business activities beginning and growing in Sebastopol while providing opportunities for synergy. The Community Center has agreed to be the SEP’s 501 (c) (3) fiscal sponsor. An office location is being sought, preferably downtown. The SEP has conducted several business seminar events during the past months. The next class will focus on customer service. For qualifying businesses, SEP plans to offer a physical office location with desks, chairs, computers, copiers etc., ultrahigh speed Internet access, business software applications and conference space. SEP plans to offer assistance free of charge from experienced business advisors with creating business plans, information technology, human resources (hiring, firing, training, etc.), location and real estate considerations, obtaining funding, marketing and advertising, licensing, operations and production, insurance and liability, identifying key metrics, accounting and more. The SEP is particularly interested in economically vibrant and ecologically responsible local businesses. With this in mind, three key business sectors which fit well are: 1) food- organic, sustainable, natural, slow; 2) technology - especially “green” tech, software and information; and 3) makers and inventors running the gamut from arts and crafts to new tools and toys for home or business use. The SEP committee welcomes any innovative idea. Call 829-0669 for more information.

Through an initiative of the City’s Business Outreach Committee, over 1000 business surveys were mailed with December’s annual business license renewals. Over 200 completed surveys were returned. The results were illuminating. Major takeaways included:

95% of the respondents said Sebastopol was an OK place to do business versus not OK.  This is extraordinarily high. The overwhelming majority of business license holders are feeling positively about doing business in Sebastopol, and this is good news.

Our community wants to buy locally, sell to locals, and deal with fellow community members to conduct business. Our community does business locally now to an extent, but businesses want to do more. The survey indicates acknowledgement that many have a part in this — purchasers of goods and services, sellers of goods and services, landlords, the City, and the list goes on. Meeting the unmet desire to have more local business dealings is clearly important and valued. It helps everybody, is environmentally conscious, and adds to City revenue. Approximately one-third of Sebastopol’s revenues come directly from business. This funds law enforcement, fire protection, maintenance and infrastructure improvement and other important services.  Knowing this may contribute to our desire to do business locally.

Approximately one-third of the City's business providers live within the City limits. A like number live within four miles of City limits. With proximity in mind, this further contributes to our desire to do business locally. This geographical profile also has implications for planning, public policy and transportation.

If you’ve found this illuminating, survey results in their entirety are available on the Community Development page of the City’s web site:  http://ci.sebastopol.ca.us/page/community-development-agency

Sebastopol Business Directory is Online

The City has established an online business directory. As of this writing, over 250 local businesses appear in the Business Directory on the City of Sebastopol web site which can be accessed on the left side of the City’s home page under “Quick Links.” Local businesses can be easily accessed by business category or name. Listings can be added via the Business License process, or for existing licensees, by contacting the Administrative Services Department at (707) 823-7863. Sebastopol businesses with approved Business Licenses are eligible for inclusion on the Directory.

Plaza Restroom Coming Soon

A new public restroom at the Town Plaza is expected to be in operation by June of this year. The restroom is funded by the City’s Community Development (redevelopment) Agency and will be a resource for customers of downtown businesses as well as for Plaza events.