The Foothill Workforce Development Board (FWDB) is seeking businesses that are willing to offer a second chance to individuals that have been justice-involved. This program pays for participants to work for 2 months (approximately 232 hours; up to 29 hours per week) with a company that will allow them to gain work experience and enhance their skills towards more sustainable employment. Employers will have the opportunity to interview the individual and decide if they will be a good fit. FWDB provides all necessary forms (worksite agreement and time sheets). Employers are not obligated to keep a participant and may terminate employment at any time. Participants’ wages are paid completely through program funding. No cost to the employer. For more information and details, and to get your business on the list, please e-mail aestevez@foothilletc.or
Jan 27 @ 2:00pm – 3:30pm FREE Hosted by SBDC at Pasadena City College We all know a picture paints a thousand words well, a video says 10,000 words, and a live video has infinite possibilities. There are so many case studies of Small Business Owners, like the DJ, DNICE where he went from 80K to over 1 million followers and landed a brand partnership with Michelle Obama. Results may vary, but when you learn to master this tool on Instagram, you can position your business and brand for an increase in sales. You will learn:• How to start an Instagram Live• How to write a script for your Live• How to increase engagement of the audience on the IG Live• What happens after the Live is over• How to re-purpose the Live in other places by promoting replay• How to position your IG strategy into leads, relationship building, and sales Plus much more in our Q&A sessions Presented by: Deborah Deras* The WEBINAR will be conducted via ZOOM. Instructions to connect via ZOOM will be sent out to all registrants the day before the webinar.
Jan 25 @ 10:00am – 12:00pm FREE Hosted by SBDC at Pasadena City College Are you looking to get more traffic to your website from Google search? Curious how to measure the effectiveness of your SEO activity? Join us for a seminar on how to build an effective SEO strategy as well as a dive into the tools and metrics that are used to measure SEO success. We will provide vital techniques that any small business can use to attract more visitors, drive more leads, and ultimately drive sales. We’ll help you find valuable keywords, optimize your website for Google, and measure the success of your SEO and marketing campaigns. In this seminar we will cover: What is SEO? On-page vs. off-page SEO The importance of rankings How to identify profitable keywords The difference between local and national SEO How to measure website traffic and success An overview of Google analytics and Google search console Conversions and conversion measurement Followed by Q&A Presented by: Colin Smith
Jan 21 @ 10:00am – 12:00pm FREE Hosted by SBDC at Pasadena City College Email Marketing. You probably have several marketing emails sitting in your spam or subscriptions folder right now! Email is sooo yesterday you think to yourself. Wrong. Email Marketing is still one of the most effective marketing channels a business owner has at their disposal! But, smart business owners know that it takes more than just blasting your customers with announcements. No. Because you are a Smart Business Owner, you know it takes Smart Marketing (Smartketing) to get your business to the next level and that’s what we’ll teach you how to do in this webinar. You’ll learn why Email Marketing is so effective and how you can leverage email to boost your business. Some of what you’ll learn at our Email marketing webinar:• Customer Segmentation• Transactional Emails• Marketing Automation triggers like abandoned cart emails, site visits, and more.• Lead Nurturing• Popular Email Service Providers• How to combine various aspects of Email Marketing for your businessPresented by: Alex VasquezWebinar will be conducted via ZOOM. Instructions to connect via ZOOM will be sent out to all registrants the day before the webinar.
Get your business online! It’s one more way to stay connected with your customers. Has building your own business website felt intimidating at times? Do you feel like you don’t know how to start? Or have you started to build your website and given up? Or do you wish to make it more dynamic? Getting Online! Pop-Up Technology Workshops are intended for Chamber member business owners who want to gain the knowledge and skills to develop a website or gain more knowledge about it when working with a developer. Workshop topics include: web site planning, building, content making and ecommerce technologies. Technology workshops with technology expert, Julia Moreno Perri. Julia is an experienced Technology Trainer with over 30 years experience in technology, from website development to digital media content production and editing. She consults with private clients and has worked for companies such as Apple, and Hewlett-Packard. An editor and producer, she has worked in digital media production both with individual clients and for companies like Comcast. Her expertise includes Apple products, digital media production and editing, social media, technical writing, portal set up and administration, POS systems, website development, e-commerce and more. Julia’s training philosophy is to empower people with varying levels of familiarity in technology, with knowledge and skills so as to remove the barriers that may keep them from reaching their goals. Workshop Fees: All workshops are 1 hour in duration (including Introductions and Wrap Up) and will be open to 4 participants per workshop. The price is $25 per person per workshop but the South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce is helping to cover registration fees for Chamber members, making your cost $12.50. Workshops are offered for a limited time through the Chamber of Commerce. Currently Available Workshops:* Web Site Fundamentals 101 This 60 minute workshop will cover foundation topics related to setting up your business website. We will describe what is an URL, how to purchase and set up a domain name, setting up administrative rights, discuss a variety of hosting providers, and features within all-in-one software to get you started with your business website. Workshop Available: Oct. 19 2:00 PM (Tuesday) Oct. 20 7:00 PM (Wednesday) Oct. 22 10:00 AM (Friday) Oct. 23 11:00 AM (Saturday) For more dates and a more in depth workshop description: Click Here Website Building: Adding Details 201 Now that you’ve bought your domain, decided on a hosting service and have selected a software to start building your website, how do you structure it? This 60 minute workshop will cover more topics in depth to building your business website. Workshop Available: Oct. 27 7:00 PM (Wednesday) Oct. 29 10:00 AM (Friday) Oct. 30 11:00 AM (Saturday) Nov. 2 2:00 PM (Tuesday) For more dates and a more in depth workshop description: Click Here *Keep an eye out for future workshops in Digital Media Content Creation, Instagram for Businesses, Point of Sales System 101 and more.
Saturday, July 17th 4:00pm – 8:00pm The Crawl is back! A Free Neighborhood-Night-on-the-Town with Art, Music, Family, Shopping, Food and Friends!Artists, musicians, and merchants will celebrate the summer season with another fun and family-friendly South Pasadena (Al Fresco) Arts Crawl on Saturday, July 17th, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, the South Pasadena (Al Fresco) Arts Crawl welcomes the community to this free event which offers art exhibition and activities, live music, open houses, food and drink specials, and sales throughout the business district. Mission Street, and adjacent blocks, will be lively with event activities. Please note that masks may be required in some stores for all customers. All activities and line-ups are subject to change. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Art ExhibitsLive PerformancesInteractive ActivitiesSales/Discounts A. Artisans’ Alley Meridian Ave and Mission St(next to Gold Line Station)Showcases a variety of art, crafts and gifts including: Sonali Kolhatkar, KARA TAUB, Steve Cheng, Mexican Crafts & Bags, Precious Few on Earth, Charming Devil Studios, Hojas damor, Goat Rodeo Soap, Polyfaction, Sascha Stannard, Bellagazoo Jewels, Beyond Blue Ceramics B. Chalk Painting Larry’s Union Service1100 Mission StCome see Chalk Festival winner, artist Ronny Johnson, create a chalk mural. C. SPARC GallerySouth Pasadena Chamber of Commerce 1121 Mission StK-rail art posters, plus exhibition of Billy Marks PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES 1. Adobe Design 1506 Mission StOffers a candle making workshop from 5 – 7:30. 2. Camille DePedrini 1516 Mission St Features collages by Michael Provart PLUS 30% off select styles and extended hours to 8pm. 3. De Milo Design Studio & Letterpress 1401 Mission St Free letterpress poems and $3 handmade marble paper for sale. 4. The Dinosaur Farm 1510 Mission St Hosts a special guest, magician Daniel Perez. 5. Hotbox Vintage 1127 Mission StPop-up Art Show by Noa Melendez, musical performance by Susie Rozler from 5 – 8pm and ticketed film screening of “Electric Dreams” at 8pm. More info and tickets here. 6. Jeweled Universe 1017 Mission St Unit B Trunk Show 1-5pm featuring ‘The Feathered Head’s’ Owner & Designer, Andie Cohen-Healy. Andie and her unique hair accessories have been featured on The Today Show and CBS The Talk, and showcased at Disney Dapper Day and in dozens of lifestyle and bridal magazines. Singer, songwriter, pianist Michelle Repajic performs 8-10pm, $10 cover charge. 7. Old Focals 1110 Mission St Live music with band Double Naught Spy Car 6pm-8 pm. Free non-prescription sunglass lenses with purchase of any frame. 8. PROSPECT 1502 Mission Street Displaying work by a local photographer 9. Raíces Beauty 906 Meridian Ave Offers complementary soap samples 10. Republic of Lucha 1020 Mission St Suite H Artist reception for A 3 Caidas: The Art of Sergio Arau and a live acoustic performance by Sergio Arau, plus special guests. A 20% off SPARC sale (excluding) professional masks. 11. Rue de Mimo 1514 Mission St Hosts Tarot healing artist 12. Santa Fe Crafts 1123 Mission St Special retrospective exhibition of the work of Ernest Moore, a famed Hopi katsina doll carver who was designated an Arizona Living Treasure by the state of Arizona in 2005. This collection has been in private hands for over 40 years, Santa Fe crafts is excited to bring it to public view for the South Pasadena Arts Crawl. 13. South Pasadena City Hall 1414 Mission St Back-to-back clean comedy shows from 5 pm-7 pm! Host Hailey Hackett (@haileyhacketttalks) will be kicking off the first show at 5 pm followed by Vinnie Paul (@theCubanCowboy), Cole Saleh (@SalehCole), Jennifer Vally (@JenVally), Al B (@AlBahmani), and Anna Abbott (itsAnnaSinatra). The second show starts at 6:15 with Hailey Hackett, Anna V (@AnnaVisFun), Nick Alexander (@NickofComedy), Josh Edelman (@theDelmeister), Ahmed Al-Kadri (@AhmedLovesBread), and Abby Acachner (@Your_Friend_Abby). 14. South Pasadena Public Library 1100 Oxley St Decorate feathers to add to a giant set of wings, before which you can take photos of your library visit. Take and Make craft kits for children and adults will be also be available. The Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library will sell art & gardening books. South Pasadena Beautiful will have a plant a succulent station for kids. All activities are from 4pm – 6pm. 15. SugarMynt Gallery 810 Meridian Ave Kid friendly vendor PopUp called HalloweenTown. 12 spooky vendors including Jennifer of Dual Crossroads. $10/person admission includes the gallery and mini Halloween town with fun spooky photo ops. 3pm – 8pm. 16. Vidéothèque (at Hotbox) Screening “Electric Dreams”, a 1984 romantic comedy, starring Virginia Madsen & Lenny von Dohlen. In collaboration with Hotbox Vintage (in their parking lot), at 1127 Mission. $12 at the door, or $12 ahead of time. From 8:00 pm-10:30 pm RESTAURANTS & EATERIES 17. ARO Latin 1019 Mission StHeaven the Dude playing a fire DJ set from 7:00 pm-9:00 pm 18. Griffins Of Kinsale 1007 Mission St The Drive playing at 7:30 pm 19. Jones Coffee Roasters 1006 Mission StArtist reception for current artists on display which includes Roland Wilhelm (long exposure urban photography), Andrew Peña (contemporary impressionist) and Scot Kuza (street photography). Noe Pina (sculpturist) will also have an art piece on display within the patio area. Jazz band entitled, the Hank Mehren Jazz Trio 4pm – 8pm. Raffle tickets will be made available and items include Jones Coffee Roaster coffee, artwork from each of the artists, a signed poetry book by artist Scott Kuza, a free piano lesson from the lead jazz musician Hank Mehren and a variety of other artistic items! Raffle winners will be announced periodically after 7pm. $5 a ticket, winners need not be present to win an item. All proceeds from the raffle will go to the South Pasadena Education Foundation (SPEF)! 20. Mamma’s Brick Oven Pizza & Pasta 1007 Fair Oaks Ave Musical Performances starting at 6pm. Opening the show is South Pasadena’s so-called ‘Nighttime Mayor,’ Brad Colerick. Colerick has shared his songs and stories all over the US and beyond. Billboard Magazine called him “one of a baker’s dozen of acts to watch in the folk community around the world.” Next up is Day
Starting October 2022, South Pasadena has chosen to select 100% Green Power as the default option for businesses, to receive 100% clean and renewable energy that is derived from sources like wind and sun. The choice is yours: 100% Green Power will be the default selection for all businesses, but if you decide 100% Green Power is not the best fit for you, you can change your service by selecting one of Clean Power Alliance’s other two rate options: Lean Power, which provides 40% clean power at the lowest possible cost Clean Power, which provides 50% clean power with the opportunity to support building a cleaner future. Customers may also choose to opt-out and select Southern California Edison as their electricity provider. To learn more about rate options, visit cleanpoweralliance.org/compare. For more information visit www.cleanpoweralliance.org or contact Clean Power Alliance at customerservice@cleanpoweralliance.org or 888-585-3788. Customers enrolled in discount programs such as CARE and FERA are also enrolled in 100% Green Power but charged the same rates as they were previously paying to Southern California Edison (SCE), and therefore will see no bill impact while participating in the green economy.
Check out the KTLA news coverage with Megan Telles on the Chamber’s ‘Al Fresco South Pasadena’ program – our monthly event series encouraging residents of South Pas and other local communities to shop and dine at our many wonderful small businesses right here in town. Al Fresco South Pasadena is one component of a larger, integrated marketing campaign encouraging the public to “Eat, Shop and Enjoy South Pasadena.” Read more about the campaign here, and view our online guide of local businesses to explore here. Read about June’s Al Fresco event here, and about other past Al Fresco events here. Save the date for the next Al Fresco day: Saturday, July 17th. Al Fresco South Pasadena is held on the third Saturday of every month. July’s Al Fresco day will be an amplified event, with many components of the previously held quarterly Arts Crawl events, which were put on hold in 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions. We are calling this Al Fresco/Arts Crawl mashup the ‘South Pasadena (Al Fresco) Arts Crawl.’ Check back for more details soon!
Saturday, June 19 (Hours Vary) Join us on the 3rd Saturday of the month for an Al Fresco day of shopping and dining in support of our South Pasadena small businesses! Enjoy strolling the streets of South Pasadena – find something fabulous at one of the shops and stop for a bite at your favorite eatery. Some stores will have goods and services on the sidewalk, others will have their doors open to welcome customers in. Restaurants will be serving food ‘al fresco’ and to go. Many will have indoor seating available as well. Hours may vary – check with your favorite store or eatery! Eats & Drinks Pop Ups, Sales & Activities Other Shopping Stops SPARC Gallery Opening The South Pasadena Arts Council Gallery at the Chamber of Commerce is once again opening it’s doors! Please join us as we host an opening reception for local artist Mark Billy on Saturday, June 19th from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. The SPARC Gallery reopens with “BREATH,” an exhibition of works by artist Mark Billy June 19 through August 14, 2021 Head to our Guide to South Pasadena to map out other places you’d like to hit! As always, masks and social distancing are required. Al Fresco South Pasadena is held on the 3rd Saturday of every month. Follow us on Instagram & Facebook for regular updates! #StrollSouthPas #EatShopEnjoySouthPas #AlFrescoSouthPasadena
Meet the Mayor of South Pasadena, Diana Mahmud. Diana gives a brief discussion on the City’s goals for 2021 and fields questions with a focus on business related issues.