Cash is King!

The economic downturn that we have faced over eighteen plus months has truly been a litmus test for all. And when I say all, I truly mean ALL. From the most obvious, businesses, to marriages, people, organizations, relationships, attributes have all been tested, for better and for worse. And as they say, you can tell and learn a lot about a person from how they act and react when faced with adversity. And since a lot of us in this great area are in business, it’s times like these when business men are put to the test. My business partner and close friend, Martin Porter, frequently brings up scalability. This is a term that is often times overlooked, and when our economy, and financial systems take a hit like they have during our economies latest recession, it is not only crucial, but vital. And while scalability is something that needs to be of focus and practiced no matter what the times are like, there is no better time to start when things are ghastly. At a time when money is just not available, businesses have had to reflect upon themselves as to what there normal course of business is, and discover alternative avenues of cash flow, while keeping expenses relatively flat. This can be a daunting task for some, but for those that can think outside of the box, this can be the difference between closing your doors and keeping them open. As any business man knows, cash is king, and at a time when cash flow is evasive scalability is a necessity.

full disclosure: please email me your thoughts and/or opinions at  btomich@flvllc.com

Making a Home of Our Concrete Jungle

Being a current member of the South Park community, a graduate of a local University and a lifetime Angelino, I have been witness to the transformation of our civic center from the beginning.  And while billions of dollars have been pumped into the area, and much change has been made in downtown, and specifically South Park, it seems as if our locale is suffering.  One of the first and biggest additions to the “neighborhood” was Ralphs. This supermarket absolutely helped draw people and families to the area. This showed a level of commitment to our local infrastructure in making downtown livable, but it seems as if the road ended there. Sixty-two point eight percent of households in the area have more than one person.  To me, this means that developers as well as business owners need to think along these lines meaning that within this micro-metropolis a neighborhood needs to be created. Outside of the people, a neighborhood is created by family stores, parks and schools.

Currently in our “neighborhood”, there is a vacancy rate in retail space well above sixty-five percent. Current and recent tenants include Starbucks, Premier Real Estate, State Farm Insurance, Castlewood Real Estate, Eleven Salon, PYO Gallery, and the company which I partially own and manage, The South Park Development Group. With limited retail space in general in the area, the types of stores which are being placed into available spaces, should really be well thought out, in terms of creating a community. Starbucks and Salon Eleven are real neighborhood stores, and help build that sense of community. Outside of ourselves, who are actually striving to create this local neighborhood, a lot of the current tenants do not give South Park the feel of a neighborhood; rather they give the feel of a central business district, which is not what I am looking for in my home neighborhood, as I can only speak for myself. Here at The South Park Development Group, we currently have clients under contract as well as our own plans that do indeed bring that sense of neighborhood to the area. So as residents of South Park, I am calling on you folks to fill my inbox and post on this blog, ideas of what you would like to see in the spaces below your homes.  It is your home, your neighborhood. What do you believe the area needs to turn this “neighborhood” into a neighborhood?

full disclosure from the mind, heart and soul: please email me your thoughts and/or opinions at  btomich@flvllc.com