(Sheila Fortune is executive director of La Jolla Village Merchants Association.) When you open up your business every morning, what do you see? Clean sidewalks? Beautiful buildings? Smiling patrons? Pedestrians walking with packages? Cars moving easily through the Village? If you are not seeing this, what is your goal for 2015 to make a change? La Jolla Village Merchants Association’s focus this year is on education. Our block captains will be out throughout the year stopping in to visit our 1,350-plus merchant members to let their voices be heard and while we provide information on what your business can learn and do to support your business. The association asks you to partner with us on creating a better La Jolla. Everyone travels around the world, or within the United States; what would work well in La Jolla? What business would you like to see as your neighbor? Let’s start marketing to the businesses we want here, not just waiting for real estate brokers to take orders for anyone that can sign a lease. If there is a certain type of store or a particular named business you’d like to see here, send us a note, with as much information about the business as you know, to [email protected]. Is your building looking a little shabby, and would you like to get some help? The City of San Diego has a storefront improvement program for repair, replacement or new applications of awnings, windows, doors, lighting, paint, landscaping, tile or other decorative material and signs. Also eligible for rebate is the removal of security bars and code compliance for signage violations. Contact the City of San Diego at sandiego.gov/economic-development/business/starting/improvement.shtml. You are invited to start 2015 with a marketing bang! The association has created the Village Marketing Group, providing free marketing expertise to our members so they can capitalize on the synergy of all our neighbor businesses and create a marketing buzz. The group’s intent is to provide a platform on which association members can learn marketing, public relations and social media skills and brainstorm ideas to support their unique businesses and create a shared vision for the Village. We’ll do this through monthly brown-bags (bring your own lunch) with guest speakers, presenters and networking opportunities. These will be held the third Tuesdays of each month at the Riford Branch Library from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The meetings are free for members, so mark your calendars to attend and learn! The schedule and topics are as follows: • Jan. 20: Marketing 101, Allison Andrews, APA Consulting/Fashion Week SD
• Feb. 17: PR 101, Peyton Robertson, BayBird Inc. PR
• March 17: What could $50 do for your business, featuring social media tips and experts on Yelp!, Instagram, TripAdvisor, Facebook and others. Attendance at these meetings will require a reservation. For more information or to reserve your seat for the January meeting, please email [email protected] or call Heather Vrana at (858) 454-5718. Meanwhile, a section we’d like o start is tentatively titled, “What Would You Do?,” posing a question such as, “What would you do if you had only one opportunity to change something in the Village to make it better?” James Niebling, merchandising principal at Esteban Interiors, responds: “Add a signature beautification project and/or green space to La Jolla Village that would be iconic to the area. The natural beauty of La Jolla Cove is already a stunning attraction that many locals and tourists alike come to visit. Having an iconic landmark such as the Belvedere project on Prospect or adding a beautiful fountain/sculpture work in a focal area of the Village would only add to the draw of this compelling seaside enclave.”