The East Bay cities of Berkeley and Emeryville are both known for being home to innovative new companies and industries that promise to create transformative products and services that will change people’s lives. What is arguably much less talked about is how these cities have embraced this reputation while also supporting their local-serving small businesses, many of which are continuing to seek out resources and strategies to navigate these uncertain times.
The city of Emeryville has been hard at work the past few years trying to revamp its Bay Street shopping area since the onset of the pandemic, recognizing the importance of this area to the city’s many residents and visitors who come to dine, recreate, and shop. When CenterCal Properties purchased the Bay Street Emeryville property in 2021, they worked closely with the city to reimagine the amenities and offerings at Bay Street, leading to the creation of a new dining terrace with ample outdoor seating for its many new bars and restaurants, some of which have just recently opened. This newly reimagined shopping center also has also aimed to include new and different amenities that are hard to find elsewhere, such as Tokyo Central, which will become the center’s anchor tenant when they open what will be their second Bay Area location in 2025. Collectively, the addition of these new businesses is helping to breathe new life into Bay Street Emeryville, attracting residents and visitors seeking new and interesting dining, entertainment, and shopping experiences. This momentum has also helped to spur local business leaders to launch the Emeryville Commerce Connection to better connect the business community and serve as an advocate and networking resource for Emeryville small businesses.
Over in Berkeley, one can quickly see how that city has been investing in different approaches and strategies to help support small businesses. The city’s Office of Economic Development provides a variety of services to help existing and new businesses with finding space, navigating zoning and building permits, marketing, providing referrals to resources for key needs such as capital and talent, and more. The city-sponsored Discovered in Berkeley website provides an overview of the commercial corridors and neighborhoods where most of the city’s small businesses operate, providing a helpful and user-friendly overview to business owners and consumers alike. Moreover, as a college town and a hub of global innovation, the city has embraced the need to connect with a wide range of organizations and resources that match its incredible diversity of businesses. Whether helping to connect high-tech startups through networks like the Berkeley Startup Cluster or helping a local restaurateur with accessing funding to expand their through the city’s revolving loan fund, the city of Berkeley has put together a thoughtful array of resources and supports to help small business owners succeed. To help amplify these and other resources, the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce put together this page to help businesses access some of these resources more easily and efficiently.
The East Bay Economic Development Alliance (East Bay EDA) understands the challenges facing small businesses in our region and state and has been working hard with local governments and organizations serving small businesses to help them succeed. Although the current economic climate and regulatory environment still present challenges to entrepreneurs and small business owners, there are resources and solutions out there to help them navigate the many obstacles in their way. While we recognize that there is still a great deal of work to do to make things better, cheaper, easier, and faster for small businesses to reach their full potential, it begins with recognizing how to effectively leverage the assets and resources here in our region – such as the more than 400 entities listed on East Bay EDA’s business resources map – so that we can create a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable regional economy for all.
This article was originally published in the San Francisco Business Times for the East Bay Business News series. Read the article here.