Comments
Business
Vacaville Chamber of Commerce
Fall 2015
Driven to Give
Chamber of Commerce
Director Level Sponsor
Best Partnership
2014 Chamber Buzz Award
d
Making a Difference
by Contributing to Our Community
Our Awards:
UÊ 2015 Ford & Lincoln Dealer
Rater California, Dealers of
the Year
Finance Partner
UÊ 2015 Reader’s Choice Best
Service and Parts Department in the Daily Republic
Crusading with the Salvation Army’s
Army of Hope to combat hunger,
pain and suffering.
UÊ Best Partnership with
The Children’s Nurturing
Project in 2014
2014 Red Kettle Volunteer
UÊ 2014 Reader’s Choice Best
New Car Dealership in the
Daily Republic
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Contents
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Board of Directors
2015-16
Chairman’s Corner
President’s Corner
Vacaville Magazine: How it all began
Chamber Sponsors
On the Scene
Calendar of Events
2nd Annual Business Walk
How small-business owners can market
their businesses
14 Membership Directory
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Chairman of the Board
Debbie Egidio
DTS Egidio
Chairman Elect
Scott Reynolds
Reynolds Law, LLP
Past Chairman
Tracy Mitchell
Trade Mark Advertising
Treasurer
Barry Nelson
Travis Credit Union
Vice Chairman of
Business Issues
Mike Fortney
Placer Title Company
Vice Chairman of Education
Scott Pardini
Recology Vacaville/Solano
Vice Chairman of Membership
Dallas Jackson
Jackson Medical Supply
Healthy Business. Healthy Community.
300 Main St, Suite A, Vacaville, CA 95688
Tel 707.448.6424 | Fax 707.448.0424
www.vacavillechamber.com
Becky Craig
President/CEO
[email protected]
DIRECTORS
Diane Barney
NorthBay Healthcare
Joanie Erickson
Solano Coalition for Better Health
Allan Haddox
PEI
Jamie Healer
Hearn Construction
Brian Honeycutt
Kaiser Permanente
Ed Rapisarda
Fox Realty Group
Lisa Ringelman
Cavanagh Ringelman CPAs
Karen Seymour
f
First Northern Bank
Dan Sharp
Sharp Public Affairs
Colleen Stafford
ON THE COVER: A 3-year-old girl walks along a path in Peña Adobe Park.
Photo by Kelley Badgley.
4 | Vacaville Chamber of Commerce
All Size Flooring &
Carpet Cleaning
Chairman’s
Corner
‘i’m just a volunteer, mom’
A
s I write this, the day happens to be my mom’s
birthday. This, naturally, led me to thinking
about her and her reaction when I told her
I would become Chairman of the Vacaville
Chamber. Like moms everywhere, she likes to
gush about her children’s accolades and accomplishments.
She particularly makes a big to-do about titles and was
quite impressed with my impending one. “Do you get an
office? Do you get paid? Will you have staff?” she asked.
“No, mom, I’m just a volunteer,” I patiently told her. “OK,
but it’s still a big deal, right?” she replied. And I agree – it
is a big deal. I take it as a great honor and privilege to be
at the helm of your Board of Directors and to be able to
work closely with your President/CEO to help guide the
Chamber’s activities this year.
But how did I get here? Well, six years ago I was asked
to be on the Board and much to the angst of Gary Tatum,
then President/CEO, I said no. Then, as now, I knew that
it would take a dedicated commitment to be a good Board
member and I didn’t feel quite ready to take that step. I
thanked Gary for considering me for the position and
said that if he would ask me again the next year, I would
be better prepared to accept. Little did I think he actually
would, but he did, and I said yes, beginning my first year
on the Board in July 2010. My second year on the Board,
I became Treasurer, a position I held for three years before
becoming Chairman Elect last year. When I first joined
the Board, I certainly didn’t envision that one day I would
be Chairman, but I believe that the years of experience I
have being on the Board will help me to be a good leader
for our organization.
So, how does anyone get here? There’s really no single
answer to this question. But at the heart, it has to do with
believing in the value of the Chamber for our business
community, an ability to dedicate personal and/or company resources to the Chamber’s efforts, and a willingness to be a cheerleader for the Chamber. Some of your
Board members were Chamber Ambassadors, some went
through the Leadership Program, and others have been
active as volunteers for Chamber events. Your Board members represent a spectrum of businesses from home-based
to large employers; they are managers for their companies
or business owners; they have a wealth of personal and
professional experience that they bring to the team; and in
the end, they are volunteers. Each of your Board members
could give you a different story about their path – ask us,
we’d love to share our experience with you and get you
more involved with the Chamber.
Speaking of getting involved . . . at our Planning
Retreat this June, we took the opportunity to spend some
time reviewing our current Chamber committees, activities
and events to see if they were
still best meeting the needs of
our members. This was a slightly
different approach than many
past retreats where the focus was more on long-term planning. It’s hard to plan the future, though, if you don’t have
a solid place to start from. We started with our Education Committee and quickly came to the realization that
this wasn’t the right name anymore – it is now called the
Business Resources Committee. The Business Resources
Committee will have an expanded focus on developing
resources and education for our members as well as working on how we connect with our educational institutions
for workforce development. Our committee chair, Scott
Pardini, is already meeting with the school district, Vacaville Christian School and others to explore potential new
programs toward this goal.
Our Membership Committee, chaired by Dallas Jackson, will be reviewing our membership brochure, pricing
structure and benefits to make sure that they still match
the needs and “landscape” of businesses in the city – not
just our members, but our potential members, too. This
committee will also be heavily involved in our second annual Business Walk, tentatively scheduled for Oct. 15.
Our Business Issues Committee expanded its name
and scope to become the Business Issues and Advocacy
Committee, chaired by Mike Fortney. This committee
will continue to plan and oversee our bi-monthly Business Issues Education Forum as well as be our primary
committee for discussion of regulatory issues that may
affect businesses. The committee will also be exploring the
revitalization of our Major Employers meetings where our
membership’s largest employers have a chance to interact
with each other and when available, city staff, to discuss
matters impacting our business community.
Lastly, we formed the new Fundraising Committee, chaired by Colleen Stafford. This committee will be
engaged in all three of the Chamber’s major fundraisers:
the Cowtown Classic Golf Tournament in September; the
new Innovation Expo in the spring (look for more on this
in Chamber communications soon); and our Annual Dinner, which will likely be moving to a date in June rather
than May as in past years.
OK, if you’re still with me this far . . . thank you and
one last thing. Committees are not just for Board members
or our ever-appreciated Ambassadors. If something interests you, contact the committee chair or our President/
CEO to get more information, try it out. Maybe one day
you’ll be saying, “I’m just a volunteer, mom.”
Debbie Egidio | Chairman of the Board, 2015-16
Business Comments | Fall 2015 | 5
President’s
Corner
you are the chamber
W
hy did you join?
First and foremost, you wanted to
promote your business or organization in
the community. Other reasons you joined
this pro-business association may have
included meeting fellow business owners at networking
events or accessing specific resources. Please let me know
if there’s another reason why you joined.
The publicity you received for your business initially
included – scheduling a ribbon cutting; listings on KUIC,
and in The Reporter and the Vacaville Magazine; receiving
an information table at an evening mixer and using the
Chamber’s office lobby on Main Street in which to display
flyers. You are also included in the Chamber’s Business Directory, both on the website and in this quarterly
magazine.
Why did you renew?
• You networked at a few morning and/or evening
mixers and made business contacts;
• You received assistance in understanding local development policies or expediting application processing;
• Your business sponsored an interactive hole, a contest
or an auction item at the Annual Cowtown Classic;
• You advertised a job posting or event on the Chamber’s
website;
• You appreciated the local and state regulatory information received through frequent advocacy messages;
• Your business held offsite meetings or interviews in
the Chamber’s conference room;
• You provided employment development through
Leadership Today or another educational offering.
What does it mean to be a Chamber Member?
Chamber members are stewards of the community
through mutual support of colleagues. Businesses are the
economic engine as employers and as tax payers. Members
become a unified voice when addressing elected officials.
You are the Chamber.
Thank you for your membership!
Sincerely,
Becky Craig | President/CEO
Get to know our
Ambassadors
Name: Tempest (Tempe) Hoover
Business: Gillespie’s Abbey Carpet & Floor
Job: Showroom Manager / Design Consultant
Education: B.A. in Media Studies, 2012 from the
University of California, Berkeley
Hobbies: Yoga, camping, crafting, repurposing furniture,
shopping, volunteer work, photography, reading, traveling,
hiking, dancing, writing, live music, white water rafting,
How long have you been an Ambassador? 1.5 years
Why do you volunteer? Volunteering has been a passion of
mine for a very long time. It is very rewarding to give back
to a community that has given me so much and it gives
our business an exposure that is unique to the Ambassador group. It’s great to meet other successful professionals
who are enthusiastic about supporting the local economy.
We encourage success for each other’s businesses through
6 | Vacaville Chamber of Commerce
word-of-mouth referrals and doing business
with one another.
What’s your favorite
Ambassador memories? I absolutely love
event planning. While
the ambassador group is
a huge part of organizing monthly mixers,
being on the Annual
Dinner Committee the past two years is one of my favorite memories. While it can be stressful leading up to the
event, it is so much fun to see everyone’s hard work come
in to fruition and everyone always has such a great time!
My other favorite memory is more of a general
See Ambassadors, Page 10
Inside the Chamber
the advocacy and work of the vacaville chamber
Vacaville Magazine: How it all began
By Lauren Runow
A
fter I graduated college, I
worked for both Fox40 News
and Good Day Sacramento. I
loved the news environment
but was constantly saddened
by the horrible news that came across my
desk. It was disheartening and I got to
the point where I could not make another
graphic of a heartbreaking story, so I had
to leave the news industry.
I knew there was good in the world
around us and I wanted to show it off,
especially in my own community, where
I was born and raised and came crawling
back after trying my life in the big city of San Francisco. The
same things that drove me nuts about our “small town” when
I was in high school became the things that I cherished most
after living in San Francisco. When I got the idea of Vacaville Magazine my parents thought I was crazy but Chris,
my boyfriend at the time, was very supportive and knew we
could pull it off.
I’m a huge believer of everything happening for a reason.
When I lost my job at Solano Bank after they got bought
out I was literally told, “You’re losing your job and you’re
starting your magazine.”
Shortly after that the market crashed, and with Chris as
a mortgage lender, we both thought his time would be more
valuable helping build the magazine. He started researching
ideas for articles and making connections with people who
wanted to get their message out in the community.
So, off I went with 80 pages of bound paper that displayed ideas of what I wanted the magazine to look like. I
walked every shopping center in town to try to find businesses to support my idea and me. I’m proud to say that we
had 43 advertisers our first issue and have grown from there.
To say that was a crazy time in our life would be an understatement. We planned our debut issue with the Vacaville
Fiesta Days parade so we could hand out the magazines
there. Our first issue, the May/June 2007 issue, came out
May 15th and Chris and I were married not even a month
later on June 2nd.
Eight years later, we just celebrated our 50th issue!
The goal of Vacaville Magazine is to display the good
in our community. We are citizen journalism so the community provides all of the articles and ideas to us. We love
when people call us with a great story and
we have the honor of spreading it to our
community. One of the best complements
we receive is that people read every single
article in the magazine.
We print and distribute 10,000 magazines displaying them all over the community, at businesses, coffee shops and waiting rooms along with 10 racks throughout
the community for people to grab them
on a regular basis. We stagger the release
so the magazine is in the community for
the entire two months. To anyone who
subscribes, we mail them a free copy of
the magazine, as well. If you haven’t had
a chance to pick up the magazine, please
visit www.vacamag.com for a flipbook version.
Our main goal is to help the nonprofits in our community. Sometimes the hardest part of a nonprofit is getting the
word out and we want to help change that. We welcome any
nonprofit to call us when they have an event or a mission
they are trying to accomplish. We want to help them and
without cost, thinking all the money they raise should support their mission.
Since the magazine is owned by just Chris and myself
and we work out of our home, we can offer cheaper ad rates
to help our advertisers spread the word of their business. We
have many different options for advertisers and try to fit everyone’s budget with ads as low as $100 a month. I personally lay out the magazine so I try to place a business ad next
to an article that makes sense. This way the people reading
the article will also see the ad displayed next to the article
and hopefully support that advertiser as well.
We try to give back to our advertisers as much as we
can at no additional charge. As an advertiser they have the
opportunity to supply educational articles about their business free of charge. Advertisers get a huge response from
our articles because it is not a feature business talking about
what they do but more of educating them on what they have
to offer. This way the reader feels more comfortable about
calling that business because they feel educated about the
subject.
So, if you have a nonprofit you are trying to get the word
out on, or you are a local business looking to grow your
clientele, we would love to help in any way we can. Call us at
707-628-7835 or email me at
[email protected].
Business Comments | Fall 2015 | 7
chairman’s circle sponsors
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8 | Vacaville Chamber of Commerce
SILVER
Cornerstone Assisted Living,
Hampton Inn & Suites – Vacaville, Manpower,
Ray Morgan Co., Solano Irrigation District,
Standard Pacific Homes, Vacaville Magazine,
VITUS Wine, Walmart
BRONZE
AAA Northern California, Aarons Automotive,
Ad Special T’s, Cache Creek Casino Resort,
Coldwell Banker Kappel Gateway Realty,
Compassionate Care Dental, Costco Wholesale,
Courtside Cottages of Vacaville, Dickey’s BBQ Pit, Janssen,
M&G DuraVent, Inc., Mariani Packing Co., Inc.,
Mary’s Pizza Shack, McDonald’s Restaurants,
Mercedes of Fairfield, Momentum Auto Group,
Pacific Gas & Electric, Philippi Engineering, Transpac, Raley’s,
State Compensation Insurance Fund, Theatre DeVille,
Suihkonen CPAs & Consultants, Toyota Vacaville,
Vacaville Premium Outlets, Vacaville Residence Inn,
Walmart Neighborhood Markets
Inside the Chamber
{On the Scene}
»
Carnegie 100 Celebration: The 100th anniversary of the original Vacaville Library
at the Carnegie Library Building, 300 Main St.
» Board
Installation:
Reception to
install new
Chairwoman,
Debbie Egidio,
and Board of
Directors
« Joint Mixer
at NorthBay
Healthcare
Wake-up Vacaville at Chick-fil-A
»
»
Wake-up Vacaville at AZ Rents to U
Business Comments | Fall 2015 | 9
{Calendar of Events}
SEPTEMBER
3
THURSDAY
SEPTEMBER
Business After Hours Mixer
5:30 to 7 p.m., Evelyn’s Big Italian Pizzeria
& Ristorante, 555 Main St., Vacaville
Labor Day
OCTOBER
20
TUESDAY
OCTOBER
7
31
MONDAY
SATURDAY
SEPTEMBER
11
FRIDAY
SEPTEMBER
15
TUESDAY
OCTOBER
8
THURSDAY
OCTOBER
9
FRIDAY
OCTOBER
15
36th Annual Cowtown Classic
Golf Tournament
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Green Tree Golf Course,
999 Leisure Town Road, Vacaville
Wake-Up Vacaville
8 to 9 a.m., Visit Vacaville, 1661 E. Monte
Vista Ave., Suite S-102, Vacaville
Joint Mixer with Fairfield-Suisun
Chamber of Commerce
5:30 to 7 p.m., Recology Vacaville Solano,
Vacaville Town Square
Business Issues Educational Forum
9 to 10 a.m., Community Room at Travis
Credit Union’s Corporate office, 1 Travis
Way, Vacaville
NOVEMBER
5
THURSDAY
NOVEMBER
17
TUESDAY
NOVEMBER
26
Wake-Up Vacaville
8 to 9 a.m., Sam’s Club, 1500 Helen
Power Drive, Vacaville
Halloween: Trick-or-Treating
Chamber courtyard, 300 Main St.,
Vacaville
Business After Hours Mixer
5:30 to 7 p.m., Buick Vacaville,
350 Orange Drive, Vacaville
Wake-Up Vacaville
8 to 9 a.m., In-Shape Health Club,
615 Elmira Road, Vacaville
Thanksgiving Day
THURSDAY
DECEMBER
3
THURSDAY
Holiday Mixer
5:30 to 7 p.m., Travis Credit Union,
Community Room, 1 Travis Way, Vacaville
2nd Annual Business Walk
9 a.m. to noon, Citywide
WEDNESDAY
AMBASSADORS From Page 6
experience shift with the Ambassador group. When I first joined,
I was a little nervous as I didn’t know anyone (besides my Uncle
Monte) and a lot of the other Ambassadors had already established
relationships. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and as I continued
to attend events, it was really nice to see familiar faces and develop
friendships with everyone!
Why is the Chamber of Commerce valuable? The Chamber of
Commerce is extremely valuable to our business and other local businesses for many reasons. Membership with the Chamber increases
our visibility in the community, and gives consumers a reputable
resource when looking for a company to do business with. The Chamber provides information to keep us up-to-date with ever-changing
10 | Vacaville Chamber of Commerce
issues as well as educational forums related to our community, our
economy and the local marketplace. Membership also provides great
networking events and opportunities that create business contacts.
Those contacts often turn in to referrals, new business and continue to
stimulate the business-to-business commerce that is so valuable to our
community.
What would others be surprised to learn about you? In June 2012
after graduating from college, I embarked on a journey. Alongside my
dad and 14 others, we conquered the Grand Canyon! We rafted 252
miles on the Colorado River through the mile high canyons of the
Grand Canyon for 19 days. Carrying all of our own food, gear and
filtering our water daily, I survived the journey with only one flip!
Inside the Chamber
2nd Annual Business Walk
T
he Vacaville Chamber of Commerce
coordinated its first local Business Walk last
year and will expand it this fall. The Business
Walk’s goal is to provide business owners and managers an opportunity to share
thoughts and feedback with policymakers, processors
and support organizations. Approximately 30 business
and civic leaders canvassed 250 businesses in
November 2014 to gauge the local business climate
and the barriers.
B u s i n e ss Wa l k R e p o r t 2 0 1 4
Question 1:
How is business?
5.6%
Question #2: What can be done to
improve local business conditions?
Poor/Slow
Steady/Fair
50.6%
50
Good/Great
Financial Assistance / Resources / Access to Capital
11.8%
40
23.3%
25.9%
30
70.7%
20
10
0
Question #3:
What is one thing your business
needs to be more successful?
Marketing / Advertising Assistance
20.1%
57.7%
9.2%
More
sensible
regulations
Education / Training
Improve process
for licensing,
permitting
or inspection
Reduce
Crime
28.5%
More
Parking
253 responses
241 responses
Business Comments | Fall 2015 | 11
Inside the Chamber
How small-business owners can market their businesses
A
ccording to Forbes magazine, more than 50 percent of
the working population works for a small business. The
Small Business Association reports there are almost 28
million small businesses in the United States. Many small businesses are home-based and hundreds get started each month.
Despite their prevalence, only a handful of small businesses
survive more than 10 years. Small-business owners must learn
how to properly market their businesses and garner a larger
audience to stay afloat. While there’s no set amount a business
should devote to advertising and marketing, such expenses
should be included in an organization’s operational budget.
Small-business owners just getting started may want to
consider the following tips as they attempt to market their
businesses and expand their customer base.
• Create an online presence. A survey from online marketing firm Yodle found that only about half of small businesses
have websites. Customers routinely go online to learn more
about businesses and make purchases. Customers will visit
websites to find directions to brick-and-mortar stores, find
store hours and/or learn about the products or services offered
by a particular firm. Small-business owners should establish an
online presence and ensure the site is routinely updated and
modernized.
12 | Vacaville Chamber of Commerce
• Sponsor local events. For a relatively small investment,
small businesses can get their names out to the public by
sponsoring community events. When approached by schools
and other organizations, lend your help. Donate a basket of
goods or a certificate for services for gift auctions. Work with
organizations to donate a portion of sales to a charity or school
through a specialized fundraiser. Contact a sports league to see
if your company name can be printed on uniforms or used on
banners around the field. Not only will this get your name out,
but it also will establish a positive image of your company.
• Establish yourself as an ‘expert.’ Be accessible to journalists
and media outlets who may need quotes or insight when writing articles. Local papers and circulars can get your name out
to the community and bring in new customers. Being quoted
in print helps establish a reputation as being an authority in
your field.
• Don’t ignore social media. According to Adroit Digital,
75 percent of Americans who use the Internet admit that
product information found on social media influences their
shopping behavior and enhances brand loyalty. Social media
accounts are generally free to set up and require minimal effort
to maintain. Social media can help establish and maintain a
brand and help you share messages and other content.
REALTORS®
Supporting
Our Chamber!
Office: 707-446-0600 x312
Cell: 707-696-7063
[email protected]
www.sandyst.com
Sandy Stewart, REALTOR®
Lic #01038978
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