Cabbies hail help from Sacramento: Bills target Uber, Lyft
Two pending bills in the state Senate could significantly change the competitive landscape between booming ridesharing startups such as Lyft and Uber and the flagging taxi-cab industry in California.
Pour no more: Small wineries oppose Santa Barbara County tasting-room ordinance
Many small wineries in rural areas of Santa Barbara County such as the Santa Ynez Valley may be unable to house tasting rooms or hold special events if county officials approve changes to a winery ordinance that has been in place since 2004.
In their own words: Spirit of Small Business 2014 winners
The Pacific Coast Business Times’ 2014 class of Spirit of Small Business winners were honored at an awards luncheon on Aug. 14, 2014 following the publication of a special edition on July 25, 2014. The special section, produced in partership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, highlights entrepreneurship in the Tri-Counties, with profiles on successful Read More →
Boutique to boutique: Startup launches online fashion marketplace
A Santa Barbara startup has stitched together a network of high-end clothing boutiques with an online marketplace where consumers can peruse independent stores across the country.
Persona signs deal to roll out 20 pizza restaurants in Florida
Santa-Barbara-based Persona Neapolitan Pizzeria has inked a franchising deal to open up to 20 stores in Florida across a 10-year span, kicking off a development plan the restaurant announced earlier this year. The State Street restaurant, which serves fast-casual, thin-crust, Neapolitan-style pizzas, is launching a string of stores in South Florida through Sager Management Read More →
Startup Weekend, en Español: Entrepreneurs pitch in Santa Maria
A design for a face-mask to protect farm laborers from dust, pesticides and sun damage took home the top spot at the first Spanish Startup Weekend in the U.S. The event, held the weekend of Aug. 1-3 in Santa Maria, gathered four teams who spent 54 hours working on prototypes and presentations for their Read More →
Portable power: Ojai firm makes battery systems that can go anywhere
An Ojai company’s creation that started as a way to run camera and lighting gear for on-location film shoots has evolved into a battery system that can power everything from military forces in Afghanistan to an off-grid organic vodka distillery in Hawaii.
