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Even though the economy has been dismal and unemployment has been on the rise, a fascinating phenomenon suggests that small businesses and boutique firms stand to gain customers in these trying times.  Let’s face it, whether times are good or bad small businesses have never been able to afford the luxury of being wasteful, inefficient, or careless with money.  Large corporations, on the other hand, which are bureaucratic by their very nature, have a tendency to become highly inefficient and wasteful when times are good.  When faced with an economic downturn, the inevitable occurs in a large corporation—mass downsizing resulting in a loss of valuable talent and customer service.  Consequently, the large name brand company that customers were paying for tends to lose its luster in the face of lost relationships and customer support.

Peter Bregman, CEO of Bregman Partners, Inc., a global management consulting firm, also believes that small companies will win in this economy.  He states that “Small is the new big.  Sustainable is the new growth.  Trust is the new competitive advantage.”  He says that “small companies with low overhead, reliable owners, a small number of committed employees, personal client relationships, and sustainable business models that drive a reasonable profit are the great opportunity of our time.”  To read more about Bregman’s point of view on this topic visit his article Why Small Companies Will Win in This Economy.

The tenants of the Brentwood Business Center, the Sand Creek Business Center, and the Sand Creek Plaza are all too familiar with this mantra.  The majority of the tenants renting space in these Brentwood business centers are small local vendors with a particular focus on sustaining clients through relationships and keen customer service.  In fact, KMB Management, the managing firm over these properties, has developed a philosophy that embodies the spirit of Bregman’s slogan:  “Small is the new big. Sustainable is the new growth.  Trust is the new competitive advantage.”  Each new customer and/or potential customer at KMB Management is treated with respect, professionalism, kindness, and commitment. 

In closing, if you are a small business in this trying time don’t lose heart.  This is your golden opportunity to take advantage of the niche opportunities that are out there.  Just remember that small is the new big and the power of the personal relationship can never be underestimated.  Creativity may also be your number one asset in attracting new business and retaining loyal customers.  The business expert Peter Drucker once said that, “Business has only two basic functions—marketing and innovation.”  Therefore, turn your creativity into innovative marketing endeavors! 

This question has been at the forefront of our minds for a long time.  Analysts, speculators, and business people alike have been desperately trying to wrap their minds around the enormity of this problem for the past few years.  According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the United States has been in a recession since December of 2007.

Economic insight and analysts from the Wall Street Journal speculate that the American people will have to hold out until 2010 for the National Bureau of Economic Research to make an end-of-recession declaration.  In Washington last week, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, however; publicly declared that the recession was over.  He did qualify this statement by saying that there would not be a “splashy return to economic boomtime anytime soon.” 

Bernanke attributes the end of the recession to several factors as follows:  a rise in retail sales for the month of August, a rise in housing sales in key markets, and a rise in median home prices in Southern California markets, one of the hardest hit boom-to-bust areas in the country.  All of these factors combined serve as key economic indicators to market stabilization and recovery.  To read more about these factors visit Yahoo Real Estate News.

Unfortunately, unemployment is the wild card in this recession equation.  Even with the end of the recession drawing near, unemployment will not have a speedy recovery.  According to Robert Gordon, a Northwestern University economist and member of the Business Cycle Dating Committee, unemployment will peak sometime between December of 2009 and March of 2010.  Nevertheless, Bernanke says that the vast majority of Americans who are employed saw wage increases this year up to 5% marking the largest gain in fifty years. 

The experts are declaring that the recession is either over or coming to a close which is very good news for everybody.  This is certainly optimistic news for businesses both small and large who are anxiously awaiting the return of the market.  For local businesses like those located in the Sand Creek Business Center and the Sand Creek Plaza, this may stimulate expansion or growth plans for the coming years.  In which case, commercial building owners will be ready to meet this need with prime office and retail space. 

Sand Creek Plaza takes great pride in its tenants and the surrounding community, that is why we would like to showcase one of our oldest tenants, Old Republic Title.

Old Republic Title is one of the largest title insurance groups in the United States. They operate through a national network of company owned offices, affiliates, authorized agents and approved attorneys. Their mission is to provide market-responsive, real estate transfer products and services for individuals, businesses, and government. With good strong business partners located in Sand Creek Plaza, the city of Brentwood is the place to be.

Sand Creek Plaza recognizes that this is where our tenants spend a significant amount of their lives. It's where our neighbors and employees live, work, raise families, that is why the SCP continues to help and serve the community.

At the SCP we look forward to building more meaningful relations with our tenants and community partners, so if you're in the market for office space in the San Francisco East Bay, we're the place you have been looking for!

Fremont Bank decided upon the Sand Creek Plaza as its permanent home in Brentwood for several reasons.  Sand Creek Plaza is a part of the Sand Creek Business Center, the premier Class "A" office park in East Contra Costa County. Collectively, the Sand Creek Plaza and the Sand Creek Business Center contain approximately 150,000 square feet of professional office, medical, dental, and retail space which comprises the office hub within the City of Brentwood. This location puts Fremont Bank in the heart of the local business community. Additionally, Sand Creek Plaza provides a highly visible location along Sand Creek Road, the primary artery connecting Brentwood Boulevard to the Highway 4 Bypass, providing plenty of exposure to drive-by traffic.

The grand opening party lived up to Fremont Bank's reputation of being a community-centered organization. The Bank hired several local companies to help put on the event. The tables and chairs were supplied by Brentwood Party Rentals. The wine for the evening was provided by The CoCo County Wine Company, also known as The Wine Shop Of Downtown Brentwood. Entertainment for the evening was a live performance by Ashley Mendez of American Idol Season 8 fame. Ashley is a Brentwood resident with local ties to the community. Her stepmother, Trisha Piquero, is the publisher of 110 Degrees Magazine, a local publication whose content focuses upon the people, places, and businesses of Contra Costa County.