Results from the Los Angeles County Business Federation (BizFed) Annual Pulse Poll released yesterday, have the City of Santa Clarita ranking in the first spot as the most “Business Friendly” City in the County.
“We are thrilled to once again receive this recognition,” said Santa Clarita Mayor Laurene Weste. “The City works closely and collaboratively with the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation, the Chamber of Commerce and the Valley Industry Association to attract, retain and grow a wide variety of business and industry in the Santa Clarita Valley.”
Between 2016 and 2017, the number of businesses in the City grew 4.9% and the number of jobs grew by 5.4%. This equals 445 new businesses and over 4,600 new jobs in the community in one year.
In addition, the City’s Business Incubator serves as a home for creative and technology startup companies, with the goal of growing these businesses of the future and creating new jobs. This program is a partnership between the City, College of the Canyons and the Small Business Development Center. So far two companies have graduated from the Incubator program, four companies are currently in the Incubator, new jobs are being created and the local entrepreneurial ecosystem is thriving.
The annual BizFed poll represents a snapshot of key issues of concern in the Los Angeles County business community. The BizFed Pulse Poll was first taken in 2008, and has for a decade asked business owners and executives about issues they deem most critical to the ongoing operation and growth of their business. This year, the BizFed poll received 710 responses from business leaders in more than two dozen industries throughout Los Angeles County.
Other results from the poll demonstrate a growing concern for housing costs and homelessness throughout Los Angeles County. These issues moved from low-level concerns in 2017 to among the highest priorities of the business community in this year’s poll. Taxes and fees again ranked as the number one business concern, as it has since 2011, and despite a growing economy the employment outlook is largely similar to recent years’ results.
For more information about the Santa Clarita Business Incubator, please visit ThinkSantaClarita.com or contact the City of Santa Clarita’s Economic Development Division at (661) 255-4347. To see all of the results from this year’s BizFed poll, please visit bizfedlacounty.org.
