Supporting local business in times of uncertainty: Lessons from Pasadena and Chino

In today’s climate of rising costs, workforce shifts, and unexpected disruptions, supporting local businesses has never been more urgent—or more complex. In a recent live panel hosted by Bludot and HUUB, two economic development technology leaders, at CALED’s 2025 annual conference—Teresa Garcia, Senior Project Manager from the City of Pasadena, and Rhonesia Perry, Economic Development Manager from the City of Chino—shared how their cities are navigating these challenges.

From leveraging technology to building trust through outreach, their insights offer a roadmap for other economic development professionals working to strengthen their communities. Below, we’ve organized key takeaways from the discussion into five actionable themes.

1. Outreach is still the foundation

Both Pasadena and Chino emphasized the importance of showing up—in person, in the community, and consistently. In an era of digital everything, business retention and expansion still hinges on relationships.

“We do business outreach visits every year. We ask, ‘What are your pain points? Are you looking to grow? Do you need space? Are you hiring?’ and we work with them one-on-one.” Teresa Garcia, Senior Project Manager with City of Pasadena, CA

These interactions often lead to direct support—Pasadena might connect a business with workforce training, help them find larger space, or connect them with city departments. Chino’s Rhonesia Perry echoed this hands-on approach.

“It’s not just a one-time conversation. It’s about being available, listening, and keeping the relationship going. I try to meet with businesses individually to understand what’s really happening on the ground.” Rhonesia Perry, Economic Development Manager with City of Chino, CA

2. Turning feedback into action

Both cities use feedback loops from these conversations to inform and adjust their programming. But as Teresa pointed out, hearing is only part of the job—acting on what’s heard is the key.

“Sometimes we find that businesses aren’t aware of all the resources available to them. That’s a signal that we need to do better internally—whether it’s updating our communications, doing a training, or clarifying something in the permit process.” Teresa Garcia, Senior Project Manager with City of Pasadena, CA

In Chino, Rhonesia’s team frequently surveys small businesses to identify gaps and challenges.

“One of the best things we can do is look for patterns. If multiple businesses are saying the same thing, that tells me where we need to focus.” Rhonesia Perry, Economic Development Manager with City of Chino, CA

3. Responding to disaster

After the historical Eaton wildfire hit the City of Pasaneda and destroyed hundreds of structures while putting 23% of its 12,000 businesses in evacuation areas or do-not-drink-water zones, helping the businesses recover has been the top priority for Teresa. 

“If a business is forced to close for a certain number of days, they have very little cash on hand. To sustain a closure and try to get back on track is really really difficult for them. So, a lot of our focus has been on that.” Teresa Garcia, Senior Project Manager with City of Pasadena, CA 

When a disaster like this hits, that is when the local businesses are especially in need of information, resources, and assistance. Although we can’t predict when and how the next disaster might come, having a robust response plan is critical in delivering the right help to the local businesses and getting them through the challenging time. 

The first step? Getting direct input from the businesses to assess their needs.

“We used Bludot to conduct a survey after the fire to see what the impacts were, and we got almost 600 replies from our small businesses. 70% reported that they had to close for some duration, and 95% of them reported that they got no financial assistance to weather that storm. Also 8% of the respondents who own their businesses also lost their homes. Many of them had employees who lost their homes. So, it's really a major major shock to the system.” Teresa Garcia, Senior Project Manager with City of Pasadena, CA

With a concrete understanding of the businesses’ needs ranging from clean-up of the debris to financial assistance, Teresa had a clear direction on what needed to be done.

“We spent a lot of time keeping our ear to the ground and joining all the calls and the task forces to see what was coming down the line. There was a lot of overwhelm with small businesses during that time and business owners didn’t know how to navigate, so as soon as we could get more information, we would digest that information for them,  get it to them digitally through Bludot, and through a lot of in-person engagements.” Teresa Garcia, Senior Project Manager with City of Pasadena, CA

4. Choosing the right technology

Chino and Pasadena both emphasized the role of technology—but stressed that the best tools are those that meet the city’s specific needs, not the other way around.

Pasadena uses Bludot’s CRM to centralize business data. Tracking 12,000 businesses is no small feat, and Pasadena has integrated the city’s business license data with the CRM while also leveraging the vital business data and monthly refreshes that Bludot provides to ensure that they always have a current and comprehensive database at their fingertips. With that as foundation, Pasadena can then use the CRM to track outreach, manage projects, and ensure follow-up doesn’t fall through the cracks.

“Bludot has all of our business license information and keeps us as up to date as possible on that. Having a system like Bludot has really helped us manage our touchpoints. It keeps us accountable and lets us track which businesses we've met with, what we talked about, and what next steps we owe them.” Teresa Garcia, Senior Project Manager with City of Pasadena, CA

Chino partners with HUUB to deliver programs and resources to businesses digitally. While the platforms are different, the principle is the same: invest in tech that enhances a team’s ability to engage meaningfully and move quickly.

5. Collaboration makes it sustainable

Economic development doesn’t happen in a silo. Both Teresa and Rhonesia emphasized the need to collaborate—with other city departments, external organizations, and even other cities.

“We’ve worked with our planning department to make permitting more transparent. It’s not always easy, but when departments collaborate, businesses win.” Teresa Garcia, Senior Project Manager with City of Pasadena, CA

Rhonesia noted that being part of regional economic development networks helps her stay ahead of funding opportunities, policy changes, and shared challenges.

“No one department can do it all. It’s important to lean on partners—to co-host events, co-promote programs, and learn from each other.” Rhonesia Perry, Economic Development Manager with City of Chino, CA

Final thoughts: Consistency, responsiveness, and the right tools

The City of Pasadena and City of Chino have supported their local business community in different ways, but their core strategies are aligned: listen closely, act intentionally, and build systems that scale. 

If your community is exploring how to better support and grow your local businesses, see why 200+ communities across 30 states have chosen to partner with Bludot to scale their Economic Development impact. Schedule some time today.