NSDBC offers workshops to help companies prepare for 2030

The year 2030 may sound far into the future, but in reality it is just a few years away and businesses need to prepare now for the coming generation of customers, according to business experts.

“By 2030 most Boomers will be retired, so it is important to understand the future customer,” said Debra Rosen, president and CEO of the North San Diego Business Chamber.

That group includes Millennials, Generations X and Z, and current high school students.

To help businesses — especially those with fewer than 50 employees — prepare for the future, the Rancho Bernardo-based chamber will be offering a six-session series of monthly workshops. Dubbed “The Future Series,” it identifies technology and workforce solutions for small businesses.

The first workshop, “Understanding Talent Resources Available to Employers,” will be held from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8 at Palomar College’s Education Center in Rancho Bernardo, 11111 Rancho Bernardo Road. It is free to chamber members and $45 for non-members.

The speakers will be Jason Jarvinen, associate professor and work experience coordinator at Palomar College; Alex Ortega Jr, job placement coordinator at San Diego Miramar College; and Angel Stancer, manager of business services at the San Diego Workforce Partnership.

According to Rosen, the pandemic forced the business community to embrace technology at an extremely advanced rate and has fundamentally changed how business is done today. Anticipating that more change is to come, businesses must prepare for the uncertainties and opportunities ahead in commerce, the workforce and day-to-day life.

Of the regional chamber’s 800-plus members, 49.7 percent have fewer than 10 employees and 74 percent have fewer than 50, Rosen said.

“What prompted this is we really need to look out for small and medium-size businesses because they do not have the time and resources to go ... see what others are doing,” Rosen said. “They need to prepare for the future because technology changes everything so quick.”

Some workshop sessions will include presentations by younger generation customers who can talk about how social media and technology influence their consumer decisions.

“We want to bring in the future generation so they can talk to businesses about how they communicate, what social media they use for news, purchasing and how they communicate with businesses,” Rosen said.

The “Future” focus series will center around solutions, resources, technology and creative ideas for supporting the challenges businesses are facing in the workforce today and in the future, according to the chamber.

Finding and retaining talent are two of the big challenges for most companies, especially those that are small and mid-size.

The series’ other five workshop topics and dates are:

• “Starting with a Foundation: Your Talent,” Dec. 8.

• “Building a Workplace for the Future,” Jan. 10.

• “Preparing for the 2030 Customer Experience,” Feb. 14.

• “Cost of Goods and Services in 2030,” March 14.

• “What Jobs Will Look Like in 2030,” April 11.

The in-person workshop locations will vary and are still being finalized.

Register for the first three workshops at bit.ly/3gigmF9. For more information, contact the chamber at sdbusinesschamber.com or 858-487-1767.