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| | Author | Messages | |
maricopa_jjn
Posts:23
 | | 04/12/2008 9:52 AM |
 Alert | Calling all Maricopians who are saddened to see small businesses (and large)get derailed in the quest to start their ventures here. I am starting a grass roots group, "The Maricopa Growth Council" ..we will be a lobbying effort to help bring businesses here to our city, as well as offering a positive, supportive enviroment to help them navigate the bureaucracy of the city. The motto is "Maricopa Growth Council. Bringing evolution & revolution to Maricopa!" From the Montessori school that was going to be started by the Johns, to Mountainside Fitness, to who knows how many other small businesses that don't get the coverage in copanews.com or 85239.com taken from an article on copanews.com: http://www.copanews.com/?c=136&a=1551 "Mayor Anderson said that entrepreneurship was vital to Maricopa’s growth and prosperity"...“innovative ways in which entrepreneurship education” can bring together all the necessary skills to create and encourage future entrepreneurs in the City of Maricopa" There is so much potential here,but I think the way smalll businesses have been treated scares people from starting businesses here.... take for instance "The Detour" who's owners decided to open in Chandler (6403 W Chandler Blvd) Thanks for your time everyone! | | | |
| | TheSmokingGun
Posts:0
| | 04/12/2008 4:26 PM |
Alert | | There is a P&Z Commission opening you can apply for (see home page). | | | |
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| | crazyforcopa
Posts:0
| | 04/12/2008 8:38 PM |
Alert | I totally agree with thesmokingun, get involved on a committee where you can make a difference, especially if you think the current groups are doing something wrong.
While I feel for the small businesses that have gone out of business, I really think the one's who had good business cases will survive. Before you start a business, you have to make sure you can make enough to support the rent.
While I liked the idea of a Montessori school, I don't think they did their homework or had everything ready before going to the city. At least from the stories I've read, that appears to be the case.
Mountainside Fitness knows how to open a store and they know WHEN to open a store. They will be back when the timing is right. When the timing is right, lots of things will come. A business must make a wise business decision to open at the right time.
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| | Lano
Posts:266
| | 04/12/2008 9:28 PM |
Alert | | My guess is that the city pissed off Mountainside Fitness and they decided to hold off. Just a gut feeling, it seems to be par for the course. Our leaders need to realize they are not holding a great hand. For our sake, do what you have to get us to stop spending our dollars in Phoenix every weekend. The rents are set way too high.....why??? Give the first wave of businesses a break. How many years do we have to wait. Using phrase like , "prime the pump", and then throwing up roadblocks to potential suitors defies logic. Sorry if I'm a little impatient. How many years, or decades will it take?? | | | |
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| | BSpearsBdyGuard
Posts:103
| | 04/12/2008 11:25 PM |
Alert | | you need to realize, Lano, that the council does not control the rents nor can they influence them. That's a form of collusion. | | |
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| | Lano
Posts:266
| | 04/13/2008 6:54 AM |
Alert | True.....but can't the city, or planning department make life a little easier for new businesses? I read the Detour stories, along with the Legacy ones. It seems like we could make things a little easier for these guys. If we're driving them away, someone is doing a poor job. | | | |
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|  | BSpearsBdyGuard
Posts:103
| | 04/13/2008 7:55 AM |
Alert | I am only guessing here but possibly. In the case of the restaurant and school, from what I understand is that they wanted to build on sites that had no infrastructure. If that is the case, then tell me how roads, water and sewer are going to be built. Deveopment is responsbile for that. The Detour folks didn't want to do that so they choose to find an alternative location. Truth be told, their location has been 12 different restaurants over the years. They bought an exisiting building with a parking lot, adajcent to a road that already had water/sewer. While the city has boondoggled their fair share of stuff, I am guessing some of the people did not have a good business plan in place. | | | |
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| | maricopa_jjn
Posts:23
| | 04/13/2008 9:38 PM |
Alert | I appreciate the feedback & visibility this thread has received. I may put in for the p&z position, but I would like to get the citizens involved and make this a community effort.
From reading the posts from many of you it seems that there is a pretty good business savvy that some of you have, perhaps a business savvy that the city council, and others are missing. This group could help shed light and enlighten the city on opportunities missed.
Yes, the city cannot control rents, however they can offer incentives for businesses to open here rather than giving them interference.
I'm with Lano...I am getting impatient. Let's rally and grow this city into what it can be!
Thanks everyone. | | | |
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| | NY2Copa
Posts:86
| | 04/14/2008 6:27 AM |
Alert | | maricopa_jjn, I'm all for your idea and for you to apply for P&Z ... I'm all for anyone who wants to finally, finally, finally get some progress here in Maricopa. I understand the city can't help the rents, but possibly a little incentive for the landlords to lower rents, like an incentive or decreased taxes until the city pickes up a bit ... anything to make business scramble to get here ... not run for the hills. I believe we're at a weird stand still in this City. Population will bring businesses ... but many people may not come until the businesses are already here .. so they stand off and wait, neither making a move. I say get businesses here and the people will come, the forclosures will be absorbed and values will go up naturally. We need someone who will advertise and lobby for Maricopa in this way. | | | |
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| | crazyforcopa
Posts:0
| | 04/14/2008 9:38 AM |
Alert | Isn't the Chamber of Commerce the organization with the business savy that offers new businesses support? I believe so. No reason to reinvent the wheel.
I do like the thought of everyone taking your ideas and speaking out to your city leaders. The 'call to the public' is a great place to do that. I look forward to the day when a dozen people show up to share their ideas publically at city council and request that the council respond to your idea. As we all know, the councilmembers can't respond immediately but you can request a response at a later meeting. If enough people expected a response back at a later time, maybe some of your ideas could be addressed. | | | |
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| | gilbertglcn
Posts:202
| | 04/14/2008 10:58 AM |
Alert | | It is difficult for any small business to justify the cost of doing business here in Maricopa. Rent in Chandler, Gilbert and Phoenix, is much better priced. For what you pay here, you get twice the space and can be right off of th I-10, the Loop 101 or 202 freeways, or even the 51 freeway. That gives you the potential of many more people coming into your business, and thus more money in the business owner's pocket. So, until the cost of actually doing business here, comes more into line what it costs elsewhere, it will hard on smaller buisnesses to come and stay in Maricopa. | | | |
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| | Lano
Posts:266
| | 04/14/2008 2:11 PM |
Alert | Do you know why this is the case? Why would these landlords overcharge? | | | |
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| | crazyforcopa
Posts:0
| | 04/14/2008 6:19 PM |
Alert | | It's called 'supply and demand'. They will only have to lower their rents when they are tired of them sitting empty or they have mroe competition of space available. | | | |
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| | 60milecommute
Posts:38
| | 04/14/2008 7:37 PM |
Alert | | I think the "sitting empty" will come waaayy before the "more competition of space available" BTW what's the progress on Walmart? | | | |
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| | Lano
Posts:266
| | 04/14/2008 8:33 PM |
Alert | The development here has come to a complete halt. I'm not so sure it's a "supply and demand" thing. You'd think a car wash owner would be licking his chops to come down here. My guess is that the unrealistic expectations of the landowners / landlords, along with the timeframe our city imposes, scares a lot of them away. | | | |
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| | crazyforcopa
Posts:0
| | 04/14/2008 9:10 PM |
Alert | 'supply and demand'
If there was an abundance of places to rent, the rent would go down. A car wash is coming to the Fry's shopping center.
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| | maricopa_jjn
Posts:23
| | 04/15/2008 7:00 PM |
Alert | crazyforcopa, yes, the chamber can help with these things, and I am extremely pleased to see that they have an enterprise business conference noted on their schedule, however, this is not a Maricopa Chamber event, it is being held by the ASBA along with the WP Carey school.
If the local chamber could host more events like this that would be a terrific start. I am going to continue to compile ideas and feedback and will plan on attending the May 14th monthly mixer. | | | |
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| | gilbertglcn
Posts:202
| | 04/16/2008 8:16 AM |
Alert | | Lano - the landlords overcharge because they think they can get the price. I know this to be true since I have gotten quotes, and have friends and associates who are small business owners who have looked at Maricopa to open a buisness. It is just not competetive here, for many businesses, versus going other places. I know of at least one business currently in Maricopa that will be relocating to Phoenix in mid May, and I am sure there are others to come. | | | |
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| | Lano
Posts:266
| | 04/18/2008 8:39 AM |
Alert | | This city is being held hostage by these landlords / landowners. Couple that with a city council that has no clue on how to make Maricopa a desirable place to live, and you get this mess we are in. Yes, the economic downturn killed our momentum. Thank God, can you imagine what the 347 and the tracks would be like if people kept pouring in here? Use this time to beautify our the city. Add as many parks/recreation as possible, don't cut back in this area. We have 1 park??? Sorry, but still taking the dogs to Pecos park after 5 years is pathetic. Offer any incentive you can to get new business want to come here. I read that our leaders did not bring up improvements to the 347 at the MAG meeting on March 3rd, for risk of offending whatever plans the Gila River Tribe may have?? We're also being held hostage there as well. Keep issueing those permits! A fricken trainwreck. | | | |
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| | gilbertglcn
Posts:202
| | 04/18/2008 3:26 PM |
Alert | Today's monitor has another story of another local business closing their doors. Entrees Made Easy, the article note, closed. The Monitor stated that the Carlisles paid rent that "was nearly double per square foot compared to property in Papago Plaza in south Scottsdale". That is in a large part why companies here cannot survive. It takes a lot of meals to pay for rent that is twice the cost of a well established, busy Socttsdale plaza. My best to the Carlisles, I purchased their food, and will miss them! Good Luck to you guys in whatever endeavor you choose next!
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