Fair Oaks Businesses Remain Optimistic in Recession

Like much of the Unites States, businesses in Fair Oaks are suffering from an economic downturn.

"Our business is basically in survival mode," said Bill Brown, co-owner of Bella Fiore, Inc. "We're cutting overhead costs and trying to stay afloat." 

Brown and his wife, Deborah, own Bella Fiore, which houses a flower shop, boutique and event florist in the Fair Oaks Village.

Brown said Bella Fiore began to see a decline in business in 2007 and has headed in a downward spiral since. 

One organization in Fair Oaks which is focused on helping businesses in the area is the Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce, which currently has 300 members. Jan Bass Otto, executive director of the chamber, said by joining the organization Fair Oaks' businesses get exposure and marketing.

"The chamber is a vital business organization with a community slant," Bass Otto said. "I tell people you can rapidly multiply your opportunities for success with a chamber of commerce membership. Marketing is where it is at and we can get you exposure quickly through our mixers, luncheons and seminars."

At a regular event, Bass Otto said approximately 80 people will attend. 

"A lot of people say word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising. It is and it is also the slowest, but if you attach yourself with a vital business organization you'll rapidly multiply those opportunities because then there will be many words-of-mouth going around instead of just one," she said. "The numbers are there."

Before Bass Otto worked with the chamber she spent many years as an advertising manager for the Sacramento Suburban Newspapers and for two military newspapers, the Space Maker and Wing Tips.

"I was not the best advertising manager but I was the smartest. I worked smart not hard. If there was a group of people there, I was there. I know how this business works," Bass Otto said.

In fact, Bass Otto said many people and business owners in the Fair Oaks area also know how to work smart.

"Small business people are a different breed. They're a cut above and can-do people that are optimistic," she said. "They believe in themselves and most of the businesses are a reflection of their owner’s personality."

Bella Fiore is a member of the chamber but has also taken other precautionary measures to keep their business afloat. 

"We have really started to market ourselves in the wedding arena, because flowers are almost always considered a necessity at a wedding," Brown said. "We're in a generation of text-savvy brides. So we stopped paying for unnecessary employee hours in the store; we also stopped paying the ridiculous $90 to run an ad in the yellow pages. Now we focus on our Yelp, blog and FourSquare account - along with our website."

Around the corner from Bella Fiore, sits a "cooperative art gallery" called New Artworks Gallery. This gallery is battling the recession in a different way than Bella Fiore.

"We're a cooperative gallery, which means each of the members pay a monthly due to hang their work," said Marion Silva, artist and Fair Oaks community member.

Silva said she recognizes that artwork is not a staple in day-to-day life.

"There are occasions when I feel revitalized about the necessity of art," she said. "One day a man came into the gallery and he saw a specific photograph hanging on the wall - he stared at it awestruck for about 15 minutes and then declared that he just had to have it. When I couldn't figure out how to use the debit card machine he ran home to get a check. Everyone said, 'Marion you can't let him get away.' But I knew he'd come back."

Silva said artists at her gallery keep a daily log of what kind of customers come in and what they are normally looking for. That specific day, by 5 p.m., five customers had come in.

Although businesses in the Fair Oaks Village continue to struggle, instead of competing for customers they encourage and spread word of one another's businesses.

On the Bella Fiore website it states, "Come visit us at Bella Fiore, then explore the other unique shops and restaurants in Fair Oaks Village."

Similarly, while Silva spoke of the slowdown in business the New ArtWorks Gallery has seen, she took time to mention the new business that opened up next door, Craftology.

"Yes, it's been slow, but the winter is always slow. Craftology just opened next door," Silva said. "You should go over there and chat with them - they're really nice people."

Bass Otto said she remains optimistic for the businesses in Fair Oaks. There have been seven ribbon-cuttings for new businesses in 2011, which is above the numbers the chamber saw in 2010.

"People are still opening up shop. People still believe in the American dream - as silly as that sounds - there is an American dream,” Bass Otto said. “You can have your own business, do well, be your own boss and succeed."