OBMA Member & Business News

This section is for OBMA Member-specific information, events, issues, and news for small business owners in Ocean Beach.

Members, if you wish to have an announcement or article published in our Local News section for the general public, please email us your article or announcement here.

SDG&E: Give the people what they (will) want

Did you know that nearly 50 percent of United States electric vehicle (EV) sales are in California? Roughly 25,000 of those vehicles are right here in San Diego. More are on the way! Car manufacturers are rolling out new EV models every year equipped with more of the features drivers are looking for in their vehicles. More and more San Diegans will soon be switching to EVs. And they will all need places to charge. Be ahead of the demand. Now is the time to upgrade your facility with EV charging stations. Power Your Drive is SDG&E’s EV charging station program that is installing 3,500 chargers at apartments, condos and businesses. We do the work, you enjoy the benefits.

SDG&E: Act now to receive your free, smart thermostat(s)

Looking for savings and an increased ability to manage your energy use? Focus more of your time on other parts of your business, and worry less about your energy use. Smart thermostats can help you manage your energy use and give you the ability to:

SDG&E: How to prepare for an emergency at work

Proper planning and preparation in advance can teach employees how to respond, help protect operations, and save lives should an emergency occur. Watch this video on emergency preparedness for businesses. Here are ten ways to stay safe in your workplace.

Green Business Network Survey

From the San Diego Green Building Council: Are you a business owner or manager? Do you want to save money on your energy, water, and waste bills? Is free marketing and outreach interesting to you? If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions then you should sign up for the free Green Business Network today and take advantage of free waste, water, and energy evaluations and the opportunity to market yourself as a green business! To learn more AND to enter in a drawing for a dozen delicious Sprinkles cupcakes, take the survey below. Ends September 1st.

2017 Board of Directors Election Results

Welcome CC Summerfield to the OBMA Board of Directors. She was elected in early July 2017 to the Board. At the July 13, 2017 OBMA Board Meeting, the votes werer counted and ratified. These board members were re-elected for another three-year period: Barbara Iacometti, Matt Kalla, Tevia Oskin, and Craig Gerwig. We look forward to another busy year for our hard-working Board of Directors.

Food Safety & Preventative Maintenance Practices for Commercial Kitchens

Food safety is always top of mind when you are operating a commercial foodservice establishment. FSTC (Fisher Nickel Testing Center) is teaming up with Abraham Wilson, AKA Mr. Food Safety to discuss the important role that preventative maintenance plays in food safety. FSTC's Denis Livchak will talk about the importance of maintaining cooking equipment, refrigeration, ice machines and water heating in relation to food safety. Its going to be an information filled seminar that will have you walking away with tips and tricks to help you keep your food safe!

Mastering the Craft of Sustainable Brewing

Sustainable brewing is not a watered down science, therefore running an earth friendly brewery is just as important as the beer. The art of making craft beer is energy and water intensive. Learn steps to make your “beer” even more sustainable - looking at all aspects from the brewing process to the brewery. Hear from experts that will provide tips, tricks and tools to help you on your path toward the sustainable pint. Attendees will learn: • Where they can reuse their cooling water • Four areas to reduce energy and water in their operations • How to identify efficient technologies • How to calculate water and associated energy costs

SDG&E: Putting the Kitchen to the Test

PUTTING THE KITCHEN TO THE TEST Werewolf American Pub Restaurant, an award winner in San Diego County, will be on site to discuss real-world kitchen results on energy efficient equipment. This class is for any commercial kitchen that is interested in knowing more about what and when it is most beneficial to invest in new, energy efficient equipment. Fisher-Nickel, in partnership with SDG&E conducted the test and will share the stories behind the Werewolf cookline makeover as well as several other case studies in hotel, catering and institutional kitchens!

SDG&E: Energy Upgrade California: Do Your Thing™ - Inspiring Californians to Take Action

Do Your Thing™ is an anthem for all Californians, motivating residents and small businesses to take actions big or small to better manage energy consumption. The result is a cleaner, healthier, more prosperous California that we all can enjoy. Do Your Thing™ taps into the pride, diversity, and power that each individual California resident and small business has to create a big change for our state through smart energy use. It empowers every Californian with the tools and information to benefit themselves and the state through more efficient energy use. By rallying ALL Californians to take action, this will help to achieve the State’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.

SDG&E: Give Your Business a Savings Boost

SDG&E’s Business Energy Advisor online tool can provide businesses opportunities to save. The tool can make things easier by analyzing energy data and can also: • Group accounts and/or meters together for collective analysis • Track and assess the effectiveness of energy efficiency initiatives • Show time of use consumption and Event Day performance • Give savings tips and recommend programs to help save even more To learn more, visit sdge.com/BEA.

SDG&E’s EV charging installations have begun

SDG&E has begun installing their Power Your Drive electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for apartments, businesses and condos. With almost 25,000 plug-in EVs on our region’s road, the 600 property owners and managers on the Power Your Drive interest list today, see the benefit in adding this amenity for their tenants and residents. They also like that SDG&E will operate and maintain the chargers for the life of the program. How can you move up on the list? Fill out a Power Your Drive application today at www.sdge.com/PowerYourDrive. The program is first-come, first-serve, so those that have their applications submitted and move through the process quickly will move up on the list.

SDG&E: Do you know how your business uses energy?

California Utilities changed the way they charge for energy based on when customers use it. Energy costs more during times of peak demand, which can occur anytime – but is most likely to happen during the summer. Peak hours during the summer (May 1 – October 31, 2017) are weekdays between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Weekends and holidays are considered off-peak. Prices are lower during these low-demand times. Learn more about the pricing plans on sdge.com/business/PricingPlans.

Small Business Consulting at No Cost

The Small Business Consulting Program at San Diego State University pairs astute students with small businesses in the San Diego area. As a client, you meet your student team, led by a graduate assistant, and design the project plans to meet the scope of the project. This 16 week experience will give you the opportunity, to discover and apply, important primary and secondary market research, utilizing the 100+ hours of student enterprise, concluding in recommendations and an action plan. Not to mention the lasting positive impact made in students’ lives and your company. If the program interests you, please visit our website for more information. The deadline to apply is Tuesday August 1st, 2017.

Act now to receive your no-cost, smart thermostat

SDG&E has distributed and installed business customers with thousands of ecobee Programmable Communicating Thermostats (PCTs) worth $300 at no cost. Customers have found these smart thermostats easy to operate and it allows more control over energy use – which maximizes energy savings.

Take advantage of free energy-related courses

Specialized energy efficiency and sustainability courses sharpen your skills, and are a great way for businesses to competitively get ahead. SDG&E’s Energy Innovation Center offers over 250 free energy-related courses per year, making it easy to find classes that fit your needs. Keep up-to-date on the latest technologies that can help your business save energy and money. Gain basic skills or advanced training in green building practices, many customized to your type of business.