Orange County Business Council (OCBC) is the leading voice of business on important issues locally, regionally, and nationally.  The council works with local business leaders to help maintain Orange County’s competitive edge and encourage prosperity in the region.

President and CEO Lucy Dunn spoke in February at the 2012 State of Education at the Orange County Department of Education.  Workforce Development is one of OCBC’s 4 core initiatives. These initiatives are accomplished by a high profile advocacy program for business interests.  They include:

• Enhancing investment in infrastructure
• Preparing a workforce for the future economy
• Ensuring an adequate supply of workforce housing,
• And promoting economic development.

They are the heart of Orange County’s ability to attract and retain top businesses, talented entrepreneurs, and a high-skilled labor force in an increasingly competitive global market.

Orange County excels in many key areas:

• The sixth largest county by population in the nation,
• And one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state.
• Orange County exports are expected to reach an all-time high of $27 billion by the end of 2013, up from $20 billion just 2 years ago.
• Ranks second in the nation in the number of high-tech clusters, making it one of the most diverse high-tech economies in the country.
• It is the center of innovation with headquarters of many in the Pharma, BioTech, MedDevice & High-tech industries.

As one of the most economically competitive and prosperous regions in the world, OC is the leader in California’s economic recovery!

OCBC’s new theme “Nothing Rhymes with Orange” reflects how innovative and diverse our county is from a business perspective.  For more information:

www.ocbc.org/

www.facebook.com/…/Orange-County-Business-Council/

us.linkedin.com/company/orange-county-business-council

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OC Business Owners: you have the opportunity to establish a new client and a long lasting relationship by reaching out to the new resident population  shar.es/rXHqC

Need more exposure for your small business? Advertise with OCRG and Welcome Express!

California Chamber of Commerce

Orange County business owners: You may know the value of being a member of your local Chamber of Commerce, but did you know that there is a California Chamber of Commerce? They are here to help you! Take a look at this short description of who they are and how they can help.

Mission: To serve as an advocate and resource for California employers and to engage in other activities, domestically and internationally, that enhances the California economy and make the state a better place to live, work and do business.

To learn more about CalChamber visit: http://www.calchamber.com

If you have not yet tapped into the resource of your local chamber of commerce, here are just a sampling of the reasons why you should delay no further.
• You tap into an extensive volunteer base that acts as an arm of your business by providing marketing and promotional assistance and educational opportunities, and by working to improve the quality of life in your community — all in the name of member businesses!
• Your investment is returned to the community through better legislation, greater productivity, quality education, a quality workforce, and area advancement.
• You support the community that supports your business.

Learn more about your local Chamber of Commerce by clicking HERE

Advertising companies in Orange County need to pay attention to current trends in mobile marketing in order to stay competitive.

The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) council has produced a list of the top 10 things it believes markets absolutely have to know about mobile advertising at the moment.

It follows research from the IAB and PriceWaterhouseCoopersthat mobile advertising is set to become part of the mainstream marketing mix over the next two years.

1. It’s an always on medium: Consumers love their mobile phones so much that researchers found when they took peoples phones away for a day they claimed to feel a phantom ‘tingle’ in their pocket that normally proceeds the excitement of a text/call. Stephen Upstone, managing director of European business development, AdInfuse.

2. Social media is driving growth: IAB research in 2009 found that updating social network sites via mobile handsets is increasing with 25% of all social networkers logging on to check or update their pages. 16 to 24 year olds are the biggest mobile social network fans with 44% saying they have updated via mobile, compared to 17% of over 55s. Amy Kean, senior PR and marketing manager, IAB.

3. It provides immediate interaction: Mobile phones allow the consumers to interact immediately with advertising. Upon seeing an advert the consumer can text, call or download content instantly. It can help maximise the effectiveness of other media, a short code is a great example of this. Rachel Wright, business development director, Phonevalley.

4. It’s got a lot to offer: Mobile Marketing is much more than banner adverts within internet content; a wide range of formats can be delivered as campaign components from text links in SMS messages through to full screen static or video display adverts within applications or mobile internet sites. Jeremy Copp, CEO, Rapid Mobile Media.

5. Application crazy: iPhone users have downloaded over 1 billion applications worldwide to their handset since launch. Applications are not restricted to iPhone however; advertisers can create useful applications for consumers for the majority of handsets. David Fieldhouse, mobile manager, MediaCom.

6. It’s popular: The number of mobile media users in the UK has reached the tipping point with over 30% of all UK adults accessing mobile media every month and a large proportion of those going online everyday according to ComScore. Stephen Upstone, managing director of European business development. AdInfuse

7. Smartening up: Over the last 18 months the number of UK Smartphone users (iPhone, Nokia N96, T-Mobile G1 etc) has grown from 3.6m subscribers to 6.3m, a 73% increase, and these users are over three times more likely to browse for News and Information on their phones than non Smartphone users (Comscore/MMetrics). Tim Hussain, head of mobile advertising, Sky.

8. It’s out of your hands: If you’re not sure if your brand should be on mobile, consumers have already made the choice for you. 0ver 4 million consumers are already using their mobiles to search for information on products and services and search volumes are growing 4 times faster than online. Jon Mew, head of mobile, IAB.

9. It can reach you: Target through to point of purchase – no other medium allows such precise targeting, from location based services like local search through to in-store Bluetooth marketing you can reach consumers wherever they are and provide relevant and engaging advertising. Paul Lyonette, head of mobile advertising, Microsoft.

10. Consumers like Mobile! The Orange Exposure study shows 70% of mobile media users find innovative ad formats appealing. In an ad funded games trial 89% said they liked or were neutral to advertisements appearing on the Orange World portal and 88% said they were happy to be exposed to advertising in exchange for free or discounted content. Alex Kozloff, media research manager, Orange.

WE (Welcome Express) can help you implement several of the basics of Social Media Business Marketing Packages and take advantage of the mobile marketing trend!

Are you angry, frustrated, & worried about the state of the business climate in CA? Many business owners like yourself are too busy running your own company to be active politically, yet you would like to see changes. Here are some answers:

A coalition of concerned chambers of commerce in south OC will now be a voice for you. Chambers work behind the scenes as your legislative advocate; you may not be aware of all that they do on your behalf. This group is LASOC—Legislative Alliance of Southern Orange County—founded to be a strong voice for business. Welcome Express attended the inaugural meeting of about 50 local interested parties forming this group and can confidently report back the following agenda.

Vision: The voice of and Advocate for the Southern Orange County Business Community

Mission: The Legislative Alliance of Southern Orange County LASOC will work to ensure that the collective voice of the Southern Orange County business community is heard at the County, State, and Federal levels of government.

Strategic Initiatives: To that end, LASOC will develop a strong focused agenda and implement a proactive advocacy plan to address the issues most critical to the success of the region’s businesses. These include:
Regulatory Reform
Health Care Reform
Housing & Infrastructure
Workforce Development
Stop the state from raiding local funds

Many top officials in government, legislative advocacy groups, and civic organizations on all levels have made a commitment to become involved and raise the volume of our voice in Sacramento and DC. They will not participate in political theatre; they will contact your elected officials and ‘hold their feet to the fire’ in terms of addressing your needs. You are welcome to attend the LASOC meetings. They will be held 7:30am-9:00am every 4th Friday at Saddleback College (need to confirm location.) Get involved or don’t complain; help be part of the solution. If unable to attend, visit the websites and contact your local officials.

Important & Related Links:
www.calchamber.com
www.uschamber.com
www.freeenterpriseamerica.com
www.savelocalservices.com
www.socchambers.com/advocacy/

Orange County Business Owners, have you received your Census questionnaire yet? It shouldn’t be long now until you can take part in this historic event and be counted. Make your voice heard!

The U.S. Constitution requires a national census every 10 years and has been conducted each decade since 1790. It includes everyone living in the United States, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. All people, all ages, races, ethnic groups, citizens and non-citizens participate. Hundreds of thousands of temporary jobs are created across the nation.

Now, as a business owner, how does the census affect you? The data obtained by the census guides local decision makers such as your city council. It enables them to make sound decisions as to where to build new roads, hospitals, schools, etc. Robert M. Groves, Director of the United States Census Bureau, states, “Just like we can’t survive without roads and bridges, the country doesn’t function well without an updated Census to distribute funds to areas that most need them and to support community decisions about their own future.” Businesses can use census data to locate supermarkets, shopping centers, new housing, and other neighborhood services. Knowing your community will assist you in making sound decisions on how to meet the needs of your customers.

So when you receive your questionnaire, take the time to complete it in a timely fashion. Don’t worry about sharing personal information as the Census Bureau ensures that they don’t release or share information that identifies individual respondents or their households. And while important at the local level or for the local business owner, the census data also determines how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. For more information on the U.S. Census, visit www.census.gov/2010census

7th Annual Orange County Chamber ‘Mega’ Business Expo/Mixer Event Set For March 24, 2010 at OC Fair & Event Center

Networking Event Of The Season – Orange County’s Largest Mixer® VII Unites Local Businesses, City Chambers, Business Groups

Considered by many as the most heralded business mixer/expo of the year, Orange County’s Largest Mixer® VII returns to Orange County to set the standard for all other networking events to follow.

“Now in its 7th successful year, the Mixer has grown to represent a powerful meeting of Orange County area chambers of commerce and local businesses representing hundreds of industries and companies in Southern California,” said Dave Linden, producer of Orange County’s Largest Mixer®. “Each year, as the event grows, I take the most pleasure out of the fact that we have created a forum for chambers and members of the business community to come together for a productive evening of meeting new contacts – that’s where I conceived these events to be and I think we have succeeded.”

Scheduled for Wednesday, March 24, 2010 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the event will be held at the OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. A $20 admission fee gives attendees the opportunity to view more than 300 exhibitors and network with thousands of local “influentials” on the cutting edge of Orange County’s business elite. In total, the 2009 event drew more than 3000 participants. Designed to be part expo and part business social event, Orange County’s Largest Mixer® accomplishes both by providing an “open feel” on the exhibitor floor along with conversational areas for casual one-on-one discussions with existing contacts or building new relationships.

“I have attended Orange County’s Largest Mixer® since the beginning and each year I gain new prospects for membership, as well as new friends in the business community,” commented Linda Martin, Vice President of Membership for the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce. “Also, above the social aspect, this event has put me in contact with other local chamber executives, and for that fact alone, the event is invaluable.”

For a complete list of exhibitors and sponsors, please visit http://www.ocmixer.com or call 949-338-8338 for further information.

How do we reposition the company? How do we survive long enough for it to make a difference?

If these questions intrigue you as an Orange County business owner, then the “Pilgrim on the 405” newsletter is the perfect place to find the answers.

Here is some background on the writer, Will Crist.

Tracking through the new world of business

After seminary at the Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the pilgrim was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church and worked in congregations in the Diocese of West Texas. If you want to see what the pilgrim has done and where he has been after his professional start in 1974, check out the Pilgrim’s Trail.”

What a great and timely source for business owners in today’s world. We encourage you to sign up for his newsletter.

Orange County Advertising is more important than ever to today’s business owners in what is considered a “down market”.

A study commissioned by IBM found the following U.S. Consumer Trends based on 4000k phone interviews:
• 72% of respondents have made “significant spending cuts” due to economy. Hardest hit are those earning less than $45,000, but 59% of those earning greater than $100,000 have also cut back.
• Steps taken to change: 49% shop at more stores to get best deal, 35% switched grocery stores.
• “It used to be much more about price & want, now it’s all about value & need. This is a much more sophisticated approach to shopping,” says IBM Institute for Business Value.
• Shopping for clothes is major area of cutback: 38% say they’re buying less clothing & 20% say they’re buying cheaper brands. People are also more open to online coupons sent to their mobile devices to save money.

Why is this information important to you, the Orange County Business Owner?

Noteworthy: Consumer behavior change is “49% shop at more stores to find value / get best deal
Takeaway: Consumers are actually “looking in more places” as a function of being more selective in their shopping. It is therefore important for merchants, etc to “get the word out” about their business. Why not replace “lost customers” with new residents who are eagerly exploring their new surroundings! Newcomers don’t know your business, much less where it’s located & they are not familiar with their surroundings. However, based on your Welcome Express introduction, they “find you first.” As a “get acquainted” tool, newcomers are far more likely than established residents to share their new lifestyle experiences with neighbors, friends & work associates. Let their enthusiasm work for you in your Orange County Advertising!

(Source for the above: OC Register, 9/25/09)