Survey of Local Business Climate Set for Wednesday

The best information comes from asking people in the trenches, which is why city staff and business leaders will be walking door-to-door in Watsonville on Wednesday to survey local businesses.

The third annual Watsonville Business Walk will take the economic pulse of the city with one-on-one conversations at the city's biggest and smallest businesses.

Put on by the city and the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, the Business Walk sends teams of three out to ask each business questions that will help understand the overall state of the economy. The questions also helps leaders identify businesses that are struggling and how they can be helped.

Last fall, the Business Walk findings indicated that businesses outside of the downtown area were experiencing some growth while those in the city center still faced hard times.

Volunteers meet in the Civic Center Community Room, 275 Main Street, 4th Floor at 8:30 a.m. for breakfast and an overview of the project. They'll spend two hours walking a Watsonville business district, then reconvene to share their findings. To volunteer, contact Kurt Overmeyer, Economic Development Manager, at kovermeyer@ci.watsonville.ca.us or Shaz Lint, Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, at Shaz@pajarovalleychamber.com.