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Photograph by Douglas Rider
Mental Connection: Members of the Downtown Campbell Business Association are (clockwise) President Marsha Smith, general manager of the Mio Vicino restaurant; Treasurer Michael Symons, owner of Kensington Art Center; board member Lloyd Taylor, owner of In the Cup golf gift store; and Vice President Farhad Ghamgosar, owner of Import Connection, a European auto repair shop. Missing from the photo are DCBA board of directors members Dana Smith, owner of Stone Griffin gallery and retail store; and Bob Sneed, DCBA newsletter editor and writer for the 'Campbell Express.'
The Downtown Campbell Business Association helps city entrepreneurs
Group gives voice, forum to city business owners
By Moryt Milo
The two-year-old nonprofit Downtown Campbell Business Association has quickly developed a presence in historic downtown Campbell establishing a direct line of communication with the city.
"Our [monthly] meetings pull the city and businesses together," says Marsha Smith, DCBA president and owner of Mio Vicino. "It gives a business owner an opportunity to state [his or her] concerns, hear what's going on and suggest how things can be improved for the betterment of downtown Campbell."
The meeting also provides an opportunity for members to stay abreast of what buildings are available for rent and what new businesses are coming into the downtown area. They also have a chance to offer their input about tenant changes.
DCBA meetings often include representatives from the city's planning and redevelopment departments, the city manager, the Campbell Police Department and the Campbell Chamber of Commerce.
All businesses located in the historic downtown area--between Railroad and Winchester avenues--can become association members. The only requirement is paying annual dues of $50 per year. There are more than 60 businesses operating in the downtown area, but only one-third are members, says Lloyd Taylor, DCBA board member and In The Cup owner.
"I wish we had a lot more energetic business owners," he adds. "Greater participation would lead to different points of view and that brings new ideas, which would help the DCBA's efforts to improve the downtown. A larger turnout at the DCBA meetings would be beneficial for all the downtown businesses."
Smith agrees and says, "It would be great if more downtown businesses became actively involved. It's difficult when only a few people do most of the work."
The association's efforts have mushroomed into a variety of responsibilities, which include advertising and promoting downtown businesses, paying for the tree lighting on E. Campbell Avenue, buying the business flowerpots and sponsoring two events--the St. Patrick's Day Festival, which drew 20,000 people last year, and the Bunnies and Bonnets Parade, which includes floats and music.
It was the first St. Patrick's Day event three years ago, designed as a small gathering to help promote the downtown, that gave the DCBA its strength and became the association's turning point.
The event was held at the corner of Central and E. Campbell avenues on the lot of former business B & J Auto Repair. It was sponsored by Mio Vicino, but DCBA treasurer and owner of Kensington Art Centre Michael Symons says no one anticipated the turnout.
"We completely ran out of beer and had to restock the same evening, and no one anticipated a $14,000 profit when the evening was over," Symons says.
"With these funds we decided to incorporate as a nonprofit, and elected a board."
The event is in its third year and has grown so big that the DCBA had to hire an events organizer to put on the festival.
Last year, Symons says, the event doubled its profits, to $28,000, with all the funds going back into the downtown for promotion and advertising.
This is the DCBA's main purpose: to help revitalize the downtown area and make it an exciting place where new and old businesses can flourish.
Its board members include DCBA vice president and owner of Import Connections Farhad Ghamgosar and members-at-large Bob Sneed and Stone Griffin Gallery owner Dana Smith. They believe the group's voice has an opportunity to grow even stronger if more business owners become members and volunteer their time.
Taylor suggests that if a member can't attend the monthly meetings, he or she might write down his or her ideas, suggestions, or concerns and give them to one of the board members to be read and discussed among those present at the meetings.
"This would be really helpful," Taylor says. "We would have a better idea what other owners are thinking."
But Ghamgosar is also sympathetic toward those who sit on the sidelines.
"For all of us, our first goal is to run our businesses and make them successful," he says. "This requires a lot of time, so I understand why people have a hard time volunteering. But taking a couple of hours a month to help out isn't that difficult."
Smith suggests downtown businesses consider volunteering 10 hours a year.
"That doesn't amount to [much] time at all," she says. "Of course, if anyone offered to do more, we would love it."
In the association's short life span the strength of its voice has grown quickly and new businesses arriving downtown are welcome to contact association members for help and advice.
"Any business can call us at any time with any issues they might have," Taylor says. "That's one of the reasons we are here."
This is the DCBA's ongoing mantra, which has grown stronger as the downtown area continues to be redeveloped.
Smith says, "People ask, 'What do I get for $50?' My response is, 'You get a voice, a vote and a say; and you also get the promotion of your business.' Put it all together and it can make a lot happen."
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Campbell, California
