Riding it out
Tri-county surf shops have taken quite a beating during the past year’s storm of changing retail trends, poor surfing conditions and a down economy. Now they’re looking for new ways to ride it out. Doug Yartz, owner and manager of Goleta-based surf shop Surf Country, could only sum up his store’s sales performance in one Read More →
Fine dining is a family affair
Go to the Plug Nickel Restaurant for lunch during the work-week, and you’ll likely see a lot of suits and ties. The charming Westlake Village restaurant, known for its atmospheric dining, has sat tucked away in the city’s industrial park for 33 years. And now, the family-run business, which takes pride in offering its patrons Read More →
Spirit of Small Business 2009 photos
The Business Times and the Los Angeles District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration presented the 7th Annual Spirit of Small Business Awards on Aug. 6 at Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort. The event honored eight businesses as well as this year’s Small Business Advocate, Rudy Estrada of California State University, Channel Islands and was Read More →
Frozen yogurt heats up as economy melts down
Stroll along State Street in Santa Barbara and you’ll find them dotted around town like candy sprinkles. There’s Yogurtland, Red Mango, Rock’n Yogurt and Pinkberry — to name a few. In Ventura and Oxnard, there’s Yogurberry, Tutti Frutti, Golden Swirl and U Yogurt, and up in San Luis Obispo, Bali’s and Yogurt Creations are just Read More →
Players in the online game – Presidio Sports fills a niche on South Coast
Presidio Sports founders Blake Dorfman and John Dvorak stepped up to the plate last year to provide Santa Barbara with more sports coverage, and they’re hoping to score in a tough market. The former Santa Barbara News-Press sports reporters co-founded the Web site of sports news and features in September 2008, knowing that starting an Read More →
Minding the skills gap – Workforce program trains employees for emerging firms
If your business is hiring, Cheryl Moore has good people and money for you. Moore is the executive director of the Workforce Investment Board of Ventura County, a federally backed program that helps laid-off workers retrain and find new jobs. But what’s less known, Moore said, is that the board can help funnel pre-screened applicants Read More →
Cloudy but clear – Software firm Eucalyptus raises $5.5 million
He just sealed a $5.5 million round of venture capital, but last fall, Rich Wolski wasn’t even sure he wanted to start a business. Wolski is a computer scientist who helped create cloud computing software called Eucalyptus. Widely popularized by Amazon, cloud computing means linking many computers over the Internet to handle tough tasks cheaply. Read More →
