lifeinaction
DoingBusinessinCarlsbad

 

OIED work 125

 OIED commuter 125 OIED life 3 125

 

Workforce development &
small-business assistance

Carlsbad Commuter app

Carlsbad Life in Action Recruiter
 

2024 Carlsbad Business Survey is Open

The City of Carlsbad has launched its 2024 Carlsbad Business Survey. This survey is a confidential and convenient way for local business owners and leaders to share feedback about Carlsbad as a place to do business. 

You can take the survey here: carlsbadca.gov/BusinessSurvey 
It should only take about 15 minutes to complete. 

About the Survey
  • The survey will be open through January 2024.
  • The survey is intended for business owners, executive management, and senior leaders who have knowledge of the overall operations and direction of the business.
  • Responses will be anonymized and aggregated with other responses. No individual or business information will be shared or published.
  • The survey asks about different aspects of current business operations, such as workforce and hiring needs, access to clients and customers, and permitting and regulatory concerns. It also asks about future growth expectations and feedback on the business climate in Carlsbad.
  • The survey is conducted every two years to ensure the city understands current challenges and trends in the business community.
  • The City of Carlsbad appreciates your time and participation in this survey. Your feedback will help improve services and support for the local business community.
  • For any questions related to the survey, please contact our economic development team at business@carlsbadca.gov.

Thank you for taking the time to ensure the City of Carlsbad is better informed about the state of the business community!

Doing business

The economic development team is here to serve and support the city’s business community. Whether you are a small business or our largest tech employer, the city wants to make sure your business thrives in Carlsbad. The city team is here to help with getting your business license, bidding on projects and contracts or meeting with our development services team about permits and processes. You can learn more about the benefits of starting or expanding a business in Carlsbad at our Doing Business in Carlsbad story map. If you are a business looking for a new space in Carlsbad, please email economic development staff at business@carlsbadca.gov.

Useful resources 

Looking to start your own business? Our questionnaire is designed to link small businesses with local resources, providing information to tackle some of the top challenges prospective small businesses commonly face.

The Guide to Opening an Eating Establishment provides insight on where you can open an eating establishment in our city and how the process works. Useful information for food truck and sidewalk vendors can be found on our website as well. 

New state and local environmental regulations are being phased in over the next couple of years. Find information on these regulations, as well as resources for your staff and customers, on the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle page. 

Talent attraction & retention

One of the City Council’s strategic focus areas is bringing quality jobs to the city in today’s globally competitive economy. Carlsbad's Life In Action initiative is a resource for employers looking to land that perfect candidate. It provides additional tools, such as a hiring toolkit with media assets, brochures and infographics, to make the case for why the job in Carlsbad is the right one. 

The Carlsbad Job-Readiness Room is a free program that helps residents build job skills and bolster their chances of landing a new job in Carlsbad. The platform is powered by Bendable, a learning marketplace that allows people to discover new knowledge and skills through online courses, in-person events and other learning resources.

Economic Snapshots

Carlsbad Economic Snapshot FY 2022-2023 Q3

Economic Development Strategic Plan

Carlsbad Economic Development Strategic Plan

Biennial Business Report

The biennial business report provides an understanding of specific attributes of Carlsbad’s business climate, including workforce and hiring needs, access to clients and customers, and permitting and regulatory concerns, among other issues for Carlsbad’s business community.

2022 Carlsbad Business Report

Connect with us

Carlsbad has a range of options for businesses to establish, grow and thrive. If you are ready to learn more about doing business along the creative coast or have general questions about doing business in our city, contact the Innovation & Economic Development Department at business@carlsbadca.gov. 

News headlines

Progress reported on priorities

Post Date:02/07/2024

In a little more than a year, the City of Carlsbad has made measurable progress in all five areas of the City Council’s 5-Year Strategic Plan, the city’s first planning document of its kind. City staff presented the progress report Tuesday as one of several steps leading up to the presentation of the draft budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

Prior to approving the strategic plan in October 2022, the City Council had focused on developing annual goals through a process going back decades. By following a five-year plan, the city is now able to focus on larger initiatives and maintain the momentum needed to get them done.

The five goals in the plan are:

  • Maintain Carlsbad’s unique community character
  • Prioritize the safety and well-being of the community
  • Protect the environment and natural resources
  • Foster a healthy economy
  • Be a model for effective and efficient local government

The plan includes objectives and tasks to support each goal, while recognizing the importance of maintaining day to day city services at the high level the community expects. This section of the plan, called Be Brilliant at the Basics, sets benchmarks for things like streets maintenance, drinking water, police and fire calls for service, library programs, parks and city trails.

Highlights

  • Among the highlights shared Tuesday were actions taken by the City Council that will maximize local control over new housing, reduce homelessness and improve traffic safety.
  • A new fire station, the city’s seventh, was opened in a temporary location last year to serve the city’s busy coastal area.
  • Two new parks are underway and thanks to an updated Parks & Recreation Master Plan approved by the City Council, new outdoor pickleball courts are in the works.
  • Last year, 43% of all miles driven by city workers in the field were in low emission vehicles.
  • The city added two new fast chargers to support its growing fleet of electric and hybrid electric vehicles, which now total 96.
  • The city’s greenhouse gas emissions are currently 4% lower than they were in 2012.
  • New environmental programs were launched including organics recycling and reducing city use plastics.
  • City Council approved the creation of a Section 115 Pension Trust, a tool that will help manage the city’s long-term pension costs, and maintained the most well-funded pension in the region among cities that have not taken out major loans to help with funding.
  • Finally, the City Council approved a new Economic Development Strategic Plan focused on helping local businesses succeed and attracting talent to Carlsbad, while supporting Carlsbad’s major industries, like life sciences, technology and action sports.

Creating next year’s work plan to implement the City Council’s 5-Year Strategic Plan is part of the city’s annual budget process.

  • The preliminary budget is scheduled to be presented to the City Council for feedback May 21
  • The city will hold a community budget workshop May 23
  • Final budget adoption is scheduled for June 18

Read the staff report

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