Business association to launch new website next month
Business census data will be added
By Sheila Sanchez
The Willow Glen Business and Professional Association (WGBPA) is launching an official website soon under the URL www.downtownwillowglen.org.
But don't log on yet. The association is still accepting bids from web designers, and the deadline is May 13.
During the WGBPA April 30 general board meeting at Bayview Bank in Willow Glen, association members announced they have received a total of nine bids to design the website. The association is encouraging those interested in submitting a bid to contact Valerie Onorato, owner of Q Advertising, at qadssj@pacbell.net. The association will select its official website designer during its May 14 meeting.
The website will include a merchants' section that provides a directory of all members' names, addresses, faxes, email addresses, and business links, in addition to a brief description of each business.
Visitors will be able to search alphabetically or by category and email the association comments and suggestions. The website will feature a map of the Lincoln Avenue shopping district, a calendar of events and promotions, a page of historical facts and figures, photos and links to San Jose city government sites, and a section highlighting a "merchant of the month."
The site will also have an association member section listing its meeting minutes and agendas, calendar, names of board members, and issues of concern, as well as featuring discount offers for members only.
In other news, WGBPA members have been busy conducting a business census, which they hope to compare to business census data gathered by the city of San Jose. The association census effort, which was started about April 15, will be ongoing, said Cara Finn, WGBPA president.
The association says the avenue has the potential to accommodate approximately 100 retail owners and 320 non-retail and commercial property owners, all of whom could join the association.
"It's a lot of potential retail, but a lot of small office buildings are used as service," Finn said during the meeting.
"The vacancy along the avenue is not extreme, compared to the rest of the area," she said. "But there's potential to reach more business owners. Certainly we didn't talk to everyone along the avenue, but we probably have reached about 80 percent."
Finn added that the census' purpose was "getting to know people and gathering information." Finn added that the association took the city list of all business improvement district (BID) businesses located from Minnesota to Coe avenues. "We went to every address and asked them some questions to verify the information the city gave us with the information we had."
Finn said she's been told by one segment of insurance agents that they're exempt from the BID tax. The association is looking into that because of the high number of insurance agents along the avenue.
Conducting the census has helped the association become more visible along the avenue, Finn said, with many business owners saying they had never heard of it or praising it for finally taking the initiative to count all the businesses along the avenue.
"This was an effort to kind of say hello to everybody and tell them that they're in an association," said Linda Waltrip, owner of Park Place Vintage. "We're trying to improve communications."
The association plans to provide information on the website about the 2002 Dancing on the Avenue festival, slated for June 15, 5-10 p.m., on Lincoln Avenue between Willow Street and Minnesota Avenue. The festival is expected to attract more than 30,000 people. The association is seeking about 100 volunteers to help in beverage and ticket booths and with other event duties. Those interested should contact Mimi Braatz, owner of Braatz Advertising, at 408.294.2197.
"We're really looking forward to WGNA's participation. just as we'll be right there for them for Founder's Day," Finn said. "It's a great opportunity for the businesses."
Volunteers will receive many incentives for their efforts, including T-shirts, foods and discount coupons.
Other good news for the association is the sponsorship--for the first time--by big-name wine company Kendall-Jackson. Michelob is another potential sponsor. The association has, so far, received more than $40,000 in cash or in-kind donations.
The association received a $10,000 grant from the city to help underwrite the event. The association also asks for sponsorships, which are, in essence, donations that give businesses advertising by the placement of their logos in different places, depending on the amount of the donation. The Willow Glen Resident, Peak Travel, Longs Drugstore and Bayview Bank are big event sponsors, with much smaller sponsors wanting to have a booth on the avenue or space to reach festival participants with information.
"The more funding we have for the event, the more the association gets to keep any proceeds, which go to beautification profects for the avenue. These things are expensive. This is our big fundraiser," Finn said.
The event will feature three stages. Two of them will be band stages and another will be a community stage. One of the bands will be the Joe Sharino Band.
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
