Mayor Kevin Johnson’s Lack of Focus on Small Businesses

By Metro Chamber|February 1, 2016

In Mayor Kevin Johnson’s final State of the City Address, he announced two major tech firms, AnPac BioMedical and Flipboxx, would be calling the Capital City their home. However, those companies do not necessarily fall under the small business label. “Those are more larger companies because this is not their…

Business split on mayoral race

By Metro Chamber|January 29, 2016

Well-known Sacramento business leaders presented mayoral candidates with a list of ambitious ideas last week to improve the city’s business environment. The six-page document details policy ideas on boosting development and holding back new taxes. It shows private-sector executives engaging politically as the election season heats up with no obvious…

Regional Business Data Released

By Metro Chamber|January 25, 2016

Are generational differences a problem for Sacramento businesses? How represented are women and minorities? Last week, new regional data released at the annual Sacramento Business Review showed some progress made in terms of the “Human Resources Barometer,” but critical challenges still remain. Jessica Kriegel, a management professional who presented at…

RT seeks a patch but needs a big fix

By Metro Chamber|January 25, 2016

Searching for a way out of its financial predicament, Sacramento Regional Transit likely will be asking riders for a fare increase of as much as 20 percent. We understand the impulse. Public transportation must be improved across the Sacramento region. But any fare increase would be a patch, not a…

Bumping up minimum wage helps workers, costs businesses and customers

By Metro Chamber|January 24, 2016

There’s a price to be paid for raising the minimum wage. At one local Mexican food chain, it’s 14 cents a taco. Businesses and nonprofit groups have been adjusting to the state’s new $10 minimum wage since it superseded the old minimum wage of $9 an hour on Jan. 1.…

Business Community Lists Their Priorities for Sacramento

By Metro Chamber|January 21, 2016

Some of the most powerful and influential names in Sacramento are making an informal request about what they want from the next mayor. Developers, entrepreneurs, the Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership have publicly presented a list of what they call “principles and priorities” in a collective…

Three big questions about the mayoral to-do list

By Metro Chamber|January 21, 2016

Several leaders of Sacramento’s business community released a pro-growth manifesto this week to the candidates running for Sacramento mayor. The document, spelling out goals for making the city more prosperous and business-friendly, raises some interesting questions. Is this an attempt to turn Darrell Steinberg into Kevin Johnson? The document started…

Latest Sacramento economic forecast is positive, thanks to arena

By Metro Chamber|January 20, 2016

The 15th annual Sacramento Business Review’s economic forecast offered a positive glimpse of the downtown arena project’s impact. but it also stressed a continued weak spot in the region’s business climate. The forecast, co-authored by Sacramento State’s College of Business Administration, began with a look at the project’s impact. “The…

Business leaders ask next mayor to tackle ambitious to-do list

By Metro Chamber|January 20, 2016

An ad-hoc group of Sacramento business leaders this week presented mayoral candidates with an ambitious checklist to improve the city’s business environment. Described as a “statement of principles and priorities,” the document offers a long to-do list that includes sweeping reforms in city finances, culture and procedures. The city is…

Sacramento State experts offer mixed forecast for region in year ahead

By Metro Chamber|January 19, 2016

The year ahead will see continued job growth, but the lack of new private employers tempers the outlook, according to the Sacramento Business Review, an annual economic forecast issued by California State University Sacramento. Authors are scheduled to present the forecast this afternoon to hundreds of business and civic leaders…