On Thursday, November 4, the Yucaipa Chamber of Commerce hosted its monthly meeting at the Yucaipa Woman’s Club. Attendees included local business owners, civic leaders, and representatives from Congressman Jay Obernolte’s office and the Yucaipa Police Department. The meeting began with a networking activity that had members mingling and sharing their social media accounts to earn entries for the door prize drawings. The activity encouraged engagement and provided opportunities to build connections.
The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Yucaipa Police Lieutenant Steve Scovell. New members and first time attendees were given time to introduce themselves and their businesses. Newcomers and established Chamber members were excited by the opportunity to collaborate and support other local businesses.
First time attendee, Jake Middleton – New Your Life Financial Planning – said, “My take-away is that it is nice to see how impactful the small businesses are in the community. This was my first breakfast with the Chamber and it was important to see how I can get involved as well.”
President Anthony Hernandez introduced the featured speaker, Robert Usher from the Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (SBDC) who detailed the services provided to small for-profit businesses. The SBDC provides no-cost workshops and consulting services to local business owners.
Over 300 workshops are offered each year, both in-person and webinars. Workshops presented in Yucaipa are coordinated through the City of Yucaipa and have included Business Plan Basics, Building a Strong Online Presence, and AI Tools to Power Your Business.
Business experts in the areas of compliance, financial, marketing, and expansion provide consulting services through Zoom, telephone, or in-person meetings. Usher said, “Over 100 business consultants are available on topics such as funding capital, government certifications and contracting, business planning, human resources, payroll / bookkeeping. The most common request during consultations is for marketing advice. Businesses want to know how to engage and maintain a customer base.”
In concluding the presentation, Usher asked the group, “The question is will you take advantage of our resources?” Molly Salas, CEO of Yucaipa’s Small Business Accounting Services was enthusiastic about the presentation and said, “I love it. It was so informative. They (SBDC) cover all aspects of business. You are going to walk away with a good resource.” Harris Vertlieb from Khyra Beaucrest Ranch was equally impressed. “I’m going to be calling!” he said.
Other Chamber members expressed enthusiasm for the support for small enterprises, which aligns with the Chamber’s ongoing mission to foster local business growth. Sarah Jo Antonucci has worked with SBDC in the past and said, “The meeting today was divine timing to reconnect with Robert Usher. This organization has helped me numerous times in the past 13 years with business mentoring.”
For more information or to schedule a consultation contact the SBDC at ociesmallbusiness.org or (800) 616-7232.
The meeting concluded with a reminder of next month’s meeting on December 4 which is planned as a pancake breakfast and celebration of local businesses and the Chamber’s progress in 2025. To register for the December Good Morning, Yucaipa breakfast visit www.YucaipaChamber.com or email YucaipaChamberofCommerce@gmail.com.
Photo Caption: Robert Usher from the OCIE SBDC provided a detailed explanation of services for small businesses.