Solvang Chamber of Commerce E-Newsletter - January 2012
(Note: to see past E-Newsletters, click here)
John Martino - 2011Solvang Chamber Board of Directors President
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A NOTE FROM JOHN MARTINO:
2011 BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT
It has been an honor to serve as the Solvang Chamber of Commerce's President during the city's Centennial year.
This year has been both challenging and rewarding. I've seen the economy slowly start to recover, which is what our beloved town so badly needs. I've also had the privilege of leading and serving with the most committed, dynamic, and unique board of directors. You would never know they are all volunteers. I also met Prince Consort of Denmark with whom I shared the wonderful stories of my adopted hometown of Solvang.
Solvang continues to be a unique and successful tourist destination and while Paris may be called the City of Lights, Solvang is truly the Village of Lights.
I know that 2012 will be an extraordinary year for the chamber with its new executive director, co-presidents, executive committee and outstanding board members working together as a team to reach the same goals.
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There are great things in store for the Solvang Chamber of Commerce and its members. While the chamber reinvents itself this coming year, we will keep with the heritage and traditions of Solvang all while continually striving to serve the business and professional community. ~~~John Martino
2012 Board of Directors Executive Committee
Lana Clark, Co-President
Lana Clark is one of the 2012 Co-Presidents and previously served as the Chamber President in 2009 and 2010. Lana is a 40 year Solvang resident and as a Solvang resident and business woman, she enjoys helping the Chamber succeed in its goal to be the voice of Solvang businesses. She is a principal at the Solvang and Santa Barbara law firm of Buynak and Fauver where she specializes in representing business owners and handles estate planning, trust, estate and conservatorships.
Susan Williams, Co-President
Susan Williams moved to the Valley in 1987 from the Baltimore - Washington D.C. area. She spent 20 years commuting to Santa Barbara and Carpinteria and retired in 2007 from a career in corporate finance. That same year she opened Wandering Dog Wine Bar with her family. Becoming a Chamber member was a top priority for Wandering Dog and they immediately saw the benefits, along with the networking opportunities, that have helped them become an integral part of Solvang's business community. Susan Williams has been married for 34 years, has two children and two grandchildren.
Veronica Sandoval, Vice President
Veronica Sandoval is in her second year of service on the Solvang Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and assumes the role of Vice President. She currently serves as Administrator for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation. With more than 16 years of experience that includes marketing, promotions, entertainment, event planning, grant making, and public relations she brings a wealth of expertise to her role with the Chamber. Active in both her tribal community and the local community, she is a longtime Santa Ynez Valley resident and currently resides on the Chumash Reservation with her husband and their two children.
Daniel Johnson, Treasurer
Born and raised in the Santa Ynez Valley, Daniel Johnson was excited when his father asked him to return home and become a partner in his Accounting Firm: Johnson & Johnson, CPAs. Johnson & Johnson, CPAs has been working with businesses in Solvang for more than 30 years and is looking forward to providing their high level of service well into the future. Together, Daniel and his wife, Magdalena, appreciate all the Valley has to offer their young sons: Thomas, Maximiliano, and Leonardo.
Carol Lesher Peterson, Secretary
Since moving to the Santa Ynez Valley in 1986, Carol Lesher Peterson cannot think of a place she'd rather be than here. She owns and manages, along with her two daughters, Classic Mobile Notary a prompt and professional notary service that comes directly to you, seven days a week. Carol also serves on the Board of Directors for PAWS Park in Buellton, the Santa Ynez Valley's only off-leash dog park. Carol also served as Secretary for the Solvang Chamber of Commerce in 2011.
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CHAMBER INTRODUCES NEW
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: LINDA SMITH
The search for an executive director for the Solvang Chamber was not an easy one. With many qualified candidates and numerous hours of interviewing, we were delighted to select Linda Smith, a well-known local professional.
A graduate of UCLA and with masters work at both Chapman University and Cal Poly, Linda comes to us with a wealth of experience and excitement that will be contagious in Solvang. Linda has lived in Santa Ynez for 23 years. She is married to local psychologist Dr. Doug Smith and has two grown children, Cameron and Carly.
After spending 22 years in education here in the Santa Ynez Valley, both in teaching and in administration, Linda decided to return to business in a position that offers her the greatest amount of creativity and challenge.
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Over the past few decades, Linda has also served in numerous volunteer roles in the Santa Ynez valley including work on Danish Days, serving as an advocate for victims of domestic violence through People Helping People, and several roles connected to local churches and schools.
Linda has a wealth of business experience outside of education that lends itself well to assisting local business owners. Most importantly, Linda loves to research ideas and gather data that will assist local businesses in their quest to gather more customers.
She intends to listen to the needs of the business owners, both retail and office/professional, with the hope of finding out how our local business owners see the future of Solvang. |
SOLVANG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNUAL INSTALLATION DINNER |
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SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR
SOLVANG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOSTED SEMINARS |
"Social Networking for Business" and "The Power of Email Marketing" seminars will be held on February 2, 2012 at the American Legion Hall of the Veteran's Memorial Building.
Limited sponsorship opportunities are available for only $100 and include:
- Business logo on all collateral material
- Mentions in radio and newspaper ads
- Inclusion on event banner to be hung at the event
Sponsorship checks can be made payable to Solvang Chamber of Commerce and mailed to: PO Box 465 - Solvang, CA 93464.
These seminars are free and open to the public. Join us on February 2 for great tips on mastering social media to grow your business. |
OUR MORTGAGE-FREE POPULATION
Kenneth Harwood
Economist
Solvang Chamber of Commerce
Most people who occupied housing in Solvang in 2010 did not have to pay off a mortgage on the place where they lived. Most who occupied housing in the Santa Ynez Valley did have to pay off a mortgage. Here are the numbers. |
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We tend to think of mortgages as affecting property. Perhaps it is more important socially and economically to think of people who had mortgages or loans on the places in which they lived, people who owned free and clear, and people who rented.
Fewer than half (43%) of those who occupied housing in Solvang had a mortgage or a loan, 12% owned free and clear, and 45% rented.
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Slightly more than half (51%) of those who occupied housing in the Santa Ynez Valley had a mortgage or a loan, 14% owned free and clear, and 35% rented.
A notable difference between occupants in Solvang and those in the Valley was in proportion of renters. Renters in Solvang were 45% of total occupants, while renters in the Valley were 35%. Multifamily rental dwellings were prominent in Solvang.
Population of Solvang was part of the population of the Santa Ynez Valley. Renters included those who paid rent for dwelling structures, or land for dwelling, or both.
Household net worth tends to be affected by home ownership. Net worth is the dollar value of all that the household owns less all that it owes, including a mortgage. When house prices fall, net worth goes down, and when house prices rise net worth rises, all other things being equal. Renters tend to be less affected than owners when house price rise or fall.
Families in owner occupied dwellings in the U.S. had a median net worth of $243,200 in 2007, when families in renter occupied dwellings had a median net worth of $5,100. The Great Recession began in December, 2007.
Economic activity of households seems to change with household net worth. The wealth effect is a tendency of households to increase spending when their household net worth is rising, and to decrease spending when it is falling. Recent declines in house prices might level off in a year or two and then begin a sustained rise, thus helping to produce stronger gains in economic activity. Please go online to U. S. Census Bureau American FactFinder 2010 Census Summary File 1, Table H11, for City of Solvang, and for Solvang-Santa Ynez Census Defined Division (CDD) of Santa Barbara County, California. Thanks to realtor Allan Jones www.santaynezvalley.com. See online 2012 Statistical Abstract of the United States, Table 271, for median net worth in 2007. |
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TOP BUSINESS TRENDS FOR 2012 |
- Red Carpet: Corporations, Cities and entire Nations around the world will roll out the red carpet for the emerging wealthy Chinese visitors, tailoring their products and services to the Chinese Culture.
- DIY Health: web sites, apps, and products geared to let people monitor their own health concerns.
- Dealer Chic: The quest for good deals will become trendier as the perception of the hunt for a bargain becomes thrilling and as perceived as "smart".
- Cash-less: MasterCard and Google are setting the standard with a whole new system of cashless and easy payment options centered around mobile technologies.
- BOUP buyers: Bottom of the Urban Pyramid (workers with low incomes) will have many new affordable options of technology to choose from, some even geared towards people who can't read. BOUP buyers are one of the largest growing "purchasing" markets.
- Flawsome: Businesses who are honest about their flaws and show empathy and humor in revealing them. Responding to negative posts about your business on Yelp and TripAdvisor are examples.
- Screen Culture: The three mega-tech currents will converge via touchscreens, tablets and interface with everything that lies beyond the screen such as: mobile web and "the Cloud". People will stay constantly in touch and be influenced in their purchasing choices with the help of their friends, followers and fans who connect through their screen. "Mouth to Mouth" advertising, but in a global market.
- Recommerce: People will tap into re-selling their durable goods as new markets appear every day. "Trading" is the new buying for 2012.
- Emerging Maturialism: Middle-class and younger consumers will be buying products that push the boundaries. Expect frank, risqué or non-corporate products which will appeal to more daring, non-traditional shoppers.
- Point & Know: Smart phone users will simply point at an object (or bump it), click their app and learn about the product and/or service. QR Codes, Tags, Google Goggles are all examples of this. The newest technology will have product recognition in as much as you can take a picture of a product and the app will instantly take you to where you can buy it for the cheapest price.
So the bottom line is that almost all of these trends embrace technology in some form and businesses who tap into this reality will have much more prosperity in 2012!
As reported by trendwatching.com |
AND THE WINNERS ARE....
Tree Decorating and Window & Storefrong Decorating Contest:
Tree-decorating contest winners:
Most creative:
Mirabelle Inn & Restaurant
Most Danish:
Home Connection
Best traditional:
True Addiction
Best nontraditional:
Artistic Pony Studio
Most reflective of the business:
First American Title
Best interpretation of the Julefest theme:
Solvang Conference and Visitors Bureau and
Santa Ynez Valley Hotel Association
Judge's favorite:
Jenger's Exclusive Expressions
Window and storefront-decorating contest winners:
Most creative:
Atterdag Kids
Most festive:
La Gioconda
Most humorous:
Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care
Best use of merchandise:
Solvang Antiques
Best use of holiday lighting:
Wandering Dog Wine Bar
Best interpretation of the Julefest theme:
Design Alternatives
Judges' favorite:
Olsen's Danish Bakery
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