OC's Brick-And-Mortar Businesses Dive into the Digital World

ORANGE COUNTY — What's one way to bring southern California businesses into the digital age if they're not there already? Help them develop their online profiles to attract and retain new customers.

It worked for the owners of bridal shops in downtown Santa Ana earlier this year. And now the program is being expanded to help any small business owner in downtown Santa Ana.

The new Main Street Digital Program is funded by Wells Fargo. It's another brainchild of the Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC).

Helping brick-and-mortar retail businesses create new online sales channels to grow their customer base is critical, said Manal Richa, director of the SBDC, which is hosted at Cal State University Fullerton.

While they're starting in Santa Ana, they plan to expand to Garden Grove and other neighboring cities in OC. No timeline has been set for this yet.

“By arming them with tools and strategies to increase their digital footprint, we can really change the way they do business and increase both online and foot traffic," he said in a recent press release.

The Main Street Digital Program started this month, with close to 50 small businesses in downtown Santa Ana participating. It's a three-week virtual training session where business owners learn core concepts on how to use digital assets to expand the exposure of their business and grow their customer base.

How It Works

The first part of the program is about building a digital presence through avenues including Google, social media and review sites. The second portion reveals the various paid and non-paid advertising channels available to small businesses.

All sessions are taking place in a group format, coupled with individual one-on-one consulting with SBDC staff. The first cohort will be conducted in English, with additional groups in various OC cities taught in Spanish, Vietnamese or Chinese (Mandarin), based on need.

Wells Fargo Community Relations Senior Consultant Linda Nguyen discussed the program.

“COVID-19 has exacerbated persistent and deep inequalities impacting small businesses owned by women, people of color and businesses in underserved communities,” Nguyen said in the release. “While some small businesses have weathered the pandemic with access to government relief, many minority business owners who have been disproportionately impacted have not. To keep these businesses open, it is critical to find new pathways, like digital and online platforms, that drive customers into their local shops and keep them engaged. We want people to get to know the amazing businesses in their community.”

Building on Previous Success

It's basically an expansion of a similar program the SBDC hosted in April supporting the bridal association businesses in downtown Santa Ana. Twelve bridal business owners participated, many of whom said they saw a significant increase in customer traffic and sales.

Santa Ana business owner Vanelin Martinez can tell you it's working. Martinez owns Nino's Bridal, a shop that created innovative designs for weddings, suddenly has a much broader reach.

"A lot of people didn't know what I did," Martinez explained. Before the program, there was no way to show their innovative designs and creations or sell their products outside Santa Ana. "Now I can."

Interested entrepreneurs should visit www.ociesmallbusiness.org or call 800-616-7232.