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Doing Business Downtown

Downtown Santa Cruz is a great place to come to work. Whether making the perfect latte, developing the next tech phenomenon, leading the world in design, or practicing state of the art healthcare,  you’ll find a community of people who are thriving in the work that they do right here in Downtown Santa Cruz.

In addition to being a home to extraordinary retail offerings and hosting an exciting, and growing food and entertainment district, Downtown Santa Cruz is becoming more and more known as a place for innovative entrepreneurship. Many science and technology companies have found great success building businesses “on this side of the hill."

If you are considering starting or expanding a business in the Downtown commercial district, there are numerous resources and lots of people to help. In addition to welcoming you to the neighborhood, the Downtown Association will advocate for your success and help you make all the right moves and take advantage of all of the available benefits.

The City of Santa Cruz Department of Economic Development is a great place to start. Their Business Roadmap will take you through all the steps, from building a business plan to opening your doors.

Downtown Association

If you currently operate a business in Downtown Santa Cruz you are a member of the Downtown Association.

Visit our Downtown Business Members Portal to find out how you can best take advantage of the programs of the Downtown Association and stay connected with your Downtown Business Community and make sure to connect with our Business Membership Coordinator.

If you are looking to work Downtown but not quite ready to break ground on the bricks and mortar location for your project, there are some great Coworking Spaces with great communities of freelancers and small businesses waiting for you to come in and connect. The support that comes with working in a vibrant and engaged community is just the edge you need to succeed.