Ladies and Gentlemen, Las Vegas is roaring back! Restaurants are filling up, bars are pouring their (usual) potent concoctions, hotels are promoting extended stays and the roads are loaded with traffic. It surely is not what you might remember from a visit in 2018 or 2019, but all the lights look “green” from my perspective.
I write this from the steps of the Las Vegas Convention Center, home of the 2021 International Car Wash Convention. After a two-year hiatus, this convention occupies more than 150,000 square feet of booths, displays, stainless steel blowers, wrought-iron conveyer belts, life-size buildings, and lots and lots of bubbles. This may be the only time of the year—and the only place in Vegas—where “keeping it clean” is the gist of the conversation. It was here in 2013 when I had my own, small epiphany to jump into this business. Crowds were half the size of this year’s event for 8,000 guests, but the industry’s meteoric rise from mom-and-pop venture to its current, professionalized state was on a wonderful ascent. Entrepreneurs were realizing that customer-focused practices aided by technology could turn occasional customers into consistent, brand-loyal devotees.
“Loyalty” software, the advent of unlimited-use, monthly pass memberships and personalized discount programs caught my eye. And as my family and friends will attest, those few days in 2013 turned me into a fervent believer that I had stumbled onto something I needed to launch in the North Bay. Seven years, three fire seasons, one drought and a global pandemic later, Splash Express has grown to market leadership with four thriving locations. Two more will be completed in January and April of next year, and I feel blessed to serve such a great team, supportive partners, and well over 700,000 visitors each year.
This year’s convention has reinvigorated my belief that I must expand, however. I headed home with a “fervent” feeling once again— a feeling that I have been failing my company by ignoring obvious growth opportunities. The pandemic neutered my ambition to grow, and dozens of convention floor conversations with my peers made this all too obvious. My hesitancy toward deep strategic development has put me behind the eight ball once again. Only growth and progress will allow Splash to maintain its leadership.
This month’s issue
Welcome to NorthBay biz magazine’s annual Growth and Strategic Planning issue. It couldn’t have arrived in a more timely fashion for me, and I hope for you as well. Traditionally, this issue provides a platform to shed light on the issues that impact those who live and work in the North Bay.
This month’s cover story, “Gen H,” by Jessie De La O, takes an in-depth look into the housing affordability gap in the North Bay. The October 2017 firestorms destroyed 5,300 homes and businesses, making an already dire situation that much worse. Then the pandemic arrived in March 2020, forcing more businesses to close and more people to lose jobs, but it’s a lingering problem that impacts everyone and it’s in a state of crisis. Jen Klose is the executive director of this relatively new nonprofit organization, Generation Housing (Gen H), which opened in January 2020. Its mission is to advocate for more diverse, affordable housing in Sonoma County by way of educating the public as well as public officials on how opposing development concerns can become aligned. Proper strategic planning will be at the heart of this new organization’s success.
“The Kids Are Alright,” written by Jean Saylor Doppenberg, tackles the issue facing most parents with young children in the North Bay: quality child care and its increasing costs. Much like the housing affordability gap, finding (and keeping) child care is an ongoing issue exacerbated by the pandemic. Low pay, lack of benefits and the risks associated with caring for young children not eligible for COVID-19 vaccines are just some of the reasons preschools are persistently understaffed. Assembly Bill 130, which was signed into law in July by Gov. Newsom, will offer parents some relief in the 2022-2023 school year with free, universal Pre-K for all 4-year-olds. Be sure to read this article to learn what child-care experts have to say on this topic.
Bonnie Durrance reports on the progress the North Bay has made in wildfire preparedness in her article, “Engaged & Involved.” When the Tubbs firestorm ravaged Sonoma County in 2017, almost everyone knew someone who had lost a home. That reality, coupled with back-to-back wildfires in what is now called “fire season” has made the job of preventing wildfires everyone’s business.
Change can be painful, but many changes are beneficial and they help you grow. Look at any business that’s been around for more than a decade, and you’ll note all the changes that business went through. As you identify what needs to change and plan your best strategies for this coming year, let us know what worked (and what didn’t). Perhaps we can all learn from each other and take action, move forward one step at a time and keep the North Bay thriving.
On a final note, as we approach the holiday season, I want to thank you for your readership. NorthBay biz magazine has evolved and changed for more than 45 years to remain useful and relevant for those living and working in the North Bay. Today, it’s the North Bay’s most widely read the business source. Thank you for that.
Please keep in touch at Lawrence@NorthBaybiz.com
