Small Business Owners Meet with Congresswoman Davis
Last month I was fortunate to attend a breakfast/coffee session with the board of the Mission Hills Business Improvement District (BID), which was held at the Red Door Restaurant on Washington Street in Mission Hills.
When I arrived at the session, there was already a healthy conversation occurring. BID board members were seated around Congresswoman Susan Davis.
She was inviting the BID members to offer their thoughts on the state of the economy and how their businesses were doing. Eager to inform Davis of the current business climate, some of the restaurant owners said that they seeing some activity, however it’s still a hesitant and cautious market.
One of the common comments was the issue of funding. Banks aren’t accommodating small businesses with loans and other assistance even though that’s the impression. Davis was surprised by this reality and the comments about government assistance.
Tom Curl, president of the Mission Hills BID, shared with Davis that the rising cost of Workman’s Comp Insurance is having a serious impact on businesses. He also expressed a concern for the difficulty of obtaining financing and the amount of red tape required to run a business.
Mission Hills BID board members and Presidio Sentinel executive editor (center) meet with Congresswoman Davis (far right).
Following the session, Davis and members of the BID visited other local businesses to hear directly from the owners, including Doug Yeagley of Tops Salon and Cinema Under the Stars; and Michael and Victoria McGeath of Brooklyn Girl.
Victoria McGeath offered her thoughts on the visit with Davis, “It was a pleasure to meet with Congresswoman Susan Davis and we enjoyed having the opportunity to address local issues with her.” She added, “Hopefully, this visit will be beneficial in raising awareness of the needs of small business owners. It is imperative that the city and state officials work with small business owners to help reinvigorate the economy, put people back to work and eliminate multiple obstacles toward reaching those goals.”
As it is important to have our elected officials working with and for small businesses, which represent a significant percentage of San Diego’s market, I plan to reconnect with Congresswoman Davis and learn what steps she plans to take to respond to the comments from BID board members. We also plan to talk to the individuals running for Mayor to learn their plans to support the small business community.
Category: Local News
