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By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Monday, January 4th, 2010 / Columns / Comments Off on Time to bid good riddance to the recession
And then there were four. We’re ringing out what I call the Dismal Decade with no fewer than four economic forecasts for the region and very little agreement among the principals involved. Sung Won Sohn of California State University, Channel Islands, is probably the most optimistic, having said in early December that he expects a Read More →
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By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Monday, January 4th, 2010 / Columns / Comments Off on Forecast: Don
If you’re in real estate, you probably don’t want to reflect too much on 2009. That’s understandable. Rising vacancies and declining sales volumes, paired with foreclosures and disappearing financing, dealt a devastating blow to the real estate sector over the past year — one that might knock the industry off its feet until late 2010. Read More →
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By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Monday, January 4th, 2010 / Top Stories / Comments Off on Banks remain under tight watch in 2010
The tri-county banking industry enters 2010 with two fewer banks than the year before and at least three banks working under federal orders or agreements to raise cash. A few community bankers see brighter days ahead, but regulators remain tough and the story remains unchanged from 2009: Capital is king. Santa Barbara-based Pacific Capital Bancorp Read More →
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By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Monday, January 4th, 2010 / Top Stories / Comments Off on Only up from here
It took all of 2009 to do it, but retail is slowly building momentum after coming to a virtual standstill in late 2008. It wasn’t a strong year by any measure, but for retailers that means 2010 can only get better. Despite deflated holiday sales, stores in the Tri-Counties and across the nation reported a Read More →
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By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Monday, January 4th, 2010 / Top Stories / Comments Off on Start-ups face venture capital drought
In the world of technology start-ups, 2010 may mark the beginning of a new normal, with fewer, saner deals and a tight focus on getting profitable ideas to market without burning through a lot of cash. In 2009, venture capital investment in the Southern California region was down 62 percent to $643 million, according to Read More →
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By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Monday, January 4th, 2010 / Top Stories / Comments Off on Drinking but not staying
Visitors will keep coming to the region this year to enjoy a glass or two of Central Coast wine, but they probably won’t stay long. The tri-county tourism outlook indicates that while wineries can expect tasting room visits and sales to go up, area hotels and resorts will likely see continued price and occupancy rate Read More →
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By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Monday, January 4th, 2010 / Top Stories / Comments Off on Higher education tightens its belt again
In 1960, California passed a master-plan for higher education that put the state at the leading edge of the nation’s public colleges and universities. Without that vision, inventions like the Internet never may have come into American homes. But after a year of implementing layoffs, staff furloughs, tuition increases, enrollment freezes and cuts to deal Read More →
