200 small business owners gather for annual Micro Business Summit…

Small businesses are seen as the economic driver for Santa Cruz County. Today’s 3rd annual Micro Business Summit aimed at helping those owners take their business to the next level.

Out of the 14,000 businesses in unincorporated Santa Cruz county, 82% are considered small businesses. Barbara Mason, SCC Economic Development Coordinator, says she expects that number to grow, “In Our market at least that it should stay stable or grow, I mean we are sitting at just about 14,000 businesses in this county right now. And we don’t have business license here so we kind of have to ballpark that number as close as we can get, but we see the amount of entrepreneur ship in this community especially in the millennial generation they would much rather own their own business than work for somebody else so we just anticipate that is going to keep growing and we are fully in support of that.”

Mason says while Santa Cruz is largely known for it’s tourism, it’s the small businesses that keep people coming back, “what people really know us for and I think why they come here is because of all the really unique and unusual businesses that we have, amazing brands that you think about NHS with the skateboard, and there are so many you know, Annie Glass down in Watsonville, there’s so many amazing brands that are here and they all started as a very small businesses.”

But with success for many businesses there has also been some struggle. Pleasure Pizza and East Side Eatery owner, Derek Rupp says wages are one of the biggest challenges,”minimum wage is rising and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find people who can afford to live and work in the area.”

Rupp estimates 80% of his employees struggle with paying bills, “Even my senior guys who are making $18 an hour, you know if you are spending $2500 a month on rent and you have a family those numbers, it’s hard to make the numbers work.”

Other small business owners KION spoke with say finding customers is another big challenge when they are first starting out. “Well I am just getting started out, so it’s really getting customers,” says Tina Mcrorie who just started a Parent Coaching company.

Athena Gam says finding clients is also toughest for her, “primarily accessing audience and finding the kind of clients that want to work with us to have video done for them.”

Most people I spoke with say while there are challenges it’s worth it to have the interaction with customers. “It’s so rewarding and that is really the best part, when you walk into your restaurant and you see your regulars and you see your friends and you see your family and your neighbors and everyone is kind of coming together in your place and they’re having a good time. It’s a great feeling, you walk in and you’re like wow I made this,” says Rupp.

There were more than 40 speakers at the Micro Business Summit this year which was held at Cabrillo College. If you missed it this year, the county says there is always next year.