Newport Beach chamber is small business

Richard R. Luehrs

In a recent chamber-commissioned telephone survey of Newport Beach

residents, 87% of the respondents identified themselves as supporters

of small business. This could not make me more excited, because if

you are talking about small business, the Newport Beach Chamber of

Commerce and the Newport Beach business community as a whole is small

business.

As I have mentioned in previous columns, Newport Beach is a very

unique place because of the small businesses and entrepreneurs that

are located here. We are unique because we not only have business

owners who care about their bottom line, but about Newport Beach, as

many are Newport Beach residents, as well. Contrary to the belief of

some people in the community, Newport Beach is not about big business

and real estate development. In fact, nothing could be farther from

the truth. Newport Beach is small business.

The city is full of business owners who have invested life savings

into dreams and have poured blood, sweat and tears into their

business and our beautiful city. They provide a wonderful array of

goods and services. They employ our residents and provide a source of

revenue for college-bound teens. They contribute to the community tax

base, helping to provide city services. They give freely to a host of

charitable endeavors and they support each other through networking

and business-to-business patronage.

Examples? If you’re hungry, head to Amelia’s Italian and Seafood

Restaurant on Balboa Island and ask for small business owners John

and Hetty Robinson. For more than 38 years, the Robinson family has

made Amelia’s one of Orange County’s most famous restaurants.

If you need a boat slip, call small business owner Roland Vallely

of Vallely Boat Rental. Roland and his family have rented out boats

and slips since the 1920s.

Tax problems? Give Rudy Baron at Baron Accountancy a call. Rudy

has been a small business owner in Newport Beach for more than 30

years.

Do you have a special gift need? Contact Marion or Lula Halfacre

at Traditional Jewelers in Fashion Island. The Halfacres moved here

from Mississippi in 1972, opened a small shop and have grown the

business into a Newport Beach icon.

There are literally hundreds of remarkable success stories found

right here in our community.

If it is not obvious yet, my point is that Newport Beach really is

small business at its best. The Newport Beach business community is

truly made up of small “mom and pop” stores in every commercial

district in the city. You will often find this in other communities,

and together we should embrace and support our local merchants.

Of the nearly 1,000 business members of the Newport Beach Chamber

of Commerce, 95% have fewer than 25 employees. That’s right -- the

Chamber of Commerce represents and works to build the local economy

through its support for the success of each and every small business

owner in the city.

The Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce does its best to help all of

the small businesses in the community in many ways -- from giving the

city’s economy a needed boost in the traditionally slow winter months

by hosting the Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade to showcasing the

many different dinning opportunities at its annual Taste of Newport.

Another event that illuminates our local small businesses and

allows them to show off their goods and services will take place Feb.

19 at the Newport Beach Marriott. The Business at the Beach Business

Expo is the lone “locals only” business expo to give businesses

important exposure to residents and other businesses in the area.

With food, drinks, entertainment and more than 70 local small

businesses expected to be on display, I encourage everyone in the

community to come out and support our risk-taking entrepreneurs.

Small business owners in Newport Beach face many challenges. Their

biggest is simply making ends meet. We recently read in the Wall

Street Journal that executives across the nation ranked California as

the nation’s worst business climate. The criteria involved whether a

certain state’s costs, laws and regulations made it unduly burdensome

for business.

To put it bluntly, our lawmakers at the state and local level have

a huge blind spot when it comes to the daily realities of

entrepreneurs and neighborhood businesses. They seem obsessed with

the politics of consumers versus big business.

As a result, too much regulatory legislation is aimed at large

corporations, which are better able to absorb the cost, without

regard to the consequences for small companies that bring stability

to our local and state economies.

This next legislative session will be even worse for our small

businesses. With a projected $20 billion state budget deficit,

enormous pressure will be brought to balance the budget on the backs

of business, regardless of size or ability to cope.

We at the chamber understand the hardships and sacrifices that

small business owners face and applaud their efforts. We need to do

more to keep our small businesses and our local economy thriving. The

Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce will continue its effort to help

small businesses succeed ... one member at a time.

* RICHARD R. LUEHRS is president and CEO of the Newport Beach

Chamber of Commerce.