Entrepreneurs guide high school students in business pitch contest
A six-week program that helped more than 450 middle and high school students in Ventura learn about entrepreneurship and craft business plans will culminate in a final pitch competition on Dec. 11.
The maverick of the valley: New Vintners’ chief has bold plan for Santa Barbara wine country
Morgen McLaughlin believes that some of the best wines in the in the world are being produced in Santa Barbara County, but that message hasn’t been getting out to consumers or the media.
Holiday spirits: Liquor for locavores
Read on to learn about the entrepreneurs behind the emerging locavore liquor movement in the Tri-Counties and their favorite holiday cocktail recipes.
Reelin’ in the years: Jensen Music celebrates 40th anniversary
While other mom-and-pop shops got caught up in a race to the bottom on retail pricing, Jensen Music relied on non-tradeable services to stay in business, repairing instruments and dedicating about half of its space to lesson rooms and instruction.
Wine on wheels: Mobile bottling service works with vintners large and small
The Bottlemeister’s schedule is so busy that CEO Tom Nulman can only take on a few new clients a year. But he tries to make room for small operations, giving them the same pricing as larger clients, even if the lower volumes means he’ll only break even on a day of bottling.
Entrepreneurship Q&A: Growing your small business in the new economy
As part of an occasional series checking in with small-business experts in the region, the Business Times asked Ray Bowman, the director of the Small Business Development Center at the Economic Development Collaborative — Ventura County, to take part in a written Q&A about entrepreneurial finance.
The new Black Friday: Small businesses rely on Saturday promotion to boost sales
Small businesses throughout the Tri-Counties will offer their own promotional events and discounts as part of the most recent addition to the holiday shopping calendar, Small Business Saturday.
