sbbt-santabarbara-header-mobile.png

support local business

Together we can build a thriving community.

How We Help

Santa Barbara Better Together is a community-based effort to support and sustain a vibrant local business community in Santa Barbara County.

Our goal is to provide the knowledge and resources necessary for businesses to thrive and enhance experiences for those who live in, work in and visit Santa Barbara.

 

Who We Are

Founded by a group of business and nonprofit community members in partnership with the Santa Barbara Foundation, SBBT was initially seeded by locally-based footwear and apparel company Deckers Brands.

We created SBBT to meet the immediate needs of our local business community at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our small grant program is ongoing and we’ve now expanded our reach with economic development initiatives aimed at retaining unique local businesses and recruiting and diversifying new business ownership.

Businesses We’ve Helped So Far

Pink Blossom Salon, Hama Sato Japanese Restaurant, El Palenque Mexican Restaurant, KT’s All-Star Gymnastics, Merrill Gardens Beauty Shop, Q-Nails, Park Avenue Smiles, The Pentaverite, Taco Ranchero, Children’s Montessori School of Lompoc, Eric Pacheco DDS, Spa Elan, St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal School, ForFriends Inn, Los Olivos General Store, Ellie’s Tap and Vine, Bob’s Well Bread Bakery, Kay’s Country Kitchen, Sams To Go, Taqueria El Pastorcito, AMS Franchise Corp, Dave’s Dogs, Family Barbers, Kim Nails and Spa, Pandora Nail Spa, Rock Star Transportation, Neighbor Tim’s BBQ, South Coast Montessori, Copyright Postal Copy Center, Sofi Hot Dogs 2, Rockfire Grill, NQ Nails and Spa Services, Bona Fide Brewing Company, Stone Soup Child Care, Steps to Learning Preschool, Old Town Coffee, HLA Transport, Draughtsmen Aleworks, St. Paul Cleaners, Brazilian Cultural Arts Center of Santa Barbara, Polished Nails, Super Cucas IV, Lovely Spa and Nails, Ocean Nails & Spas, Top Shelf Event Services, Lily Nail Spa, Saigon Noodle House, and MORE!

View fullsize Did you hear?? Santa Barbara County is now in the red tier which means, among other things, indoor dining is allowed at 25% capacity. Where are you racing to (safely) eat inside first? 📸 @lapalomasb #SBBetterTogether #SBBT #SantaBarbara #Californi
View fullsize Vaccine rollouts and financial stimulus are giving small businesses hope for a brighter future, but there’s still so much to be done! We’re building a grassroots community of people who care about the small businesses throughout Santa Bar
View fullsize Santa Barbara’s Botanic Garden was featured in the LA Times as one of the best places to visit in the spring. We couldn’t agree more! What are some of your favorite places to visit in the spring? 📸 @jason.morselandscape ⠀ #SBBetterToge
View fullsize President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan into law last night. Here’s what’s in it for small businesses! Sifting through the details of what’s in the plan can be cumbersome. Let your favorite small businesses kno
View fullsize As things slowly begin to reopen and the light at the end of the tunnel gets a bit bigger each day, it can be easy to forget that most small businesses are still struggling. Be the spokesperson for your favorite dry cleaner, nail salon, restaurant, c
View fullsize Today is the last day to apply for this round of Goleta small business grants! Get your applications in. 📸 @rebeccacaaron #SBBetterTogether #SBBT #SantaBarbara #California #SmallBusiness #ShopLocal #HelpUsHelpOthers
View fullsize Friday’s are great days to donate to help small businesses 😏 the link is waiting for you in our bio. On a side note, has this week felt topsy turvy to anyone else 🙃 📸 @deweynicks ⠀ #SBBetterTogether #SBBT #SantaBarbara #California #SmallBus
View fullsize PSA: Our Goleta small business grant application cycle is in full swing. Apply by March 8th to be considered for this round of grants! Basic qualifications are as follows: ✅ Based in Goleta ✅ Operational in SB County prior to Jan. 1, 2019 ✅ Ability
View fullsize As Black History Month comes to a close we came across a resource that (attempts to) compiles all Black owned small businesses in the county. Get access to the list by clicking the link in our bio! Supporting Black owned businesses mustn’t be r
View fullsize Did you hear? The State St. Promenade is extended for at least another year. Don’t know about you, but we’re excited for the much needed revival this could bring to State Street’s small business community! 📸 @sitelinesb #SBBetter
View fullsize Helping small businesses helps your neighbors, your friends, your family, and you! They're the backbone of our communities and they need our support now more than ever. 💪 #SBBetterTogether #SBBT #SantaBarbara #California #HelpUsHelpOthers #SmallBus
View fullsize Hands down, the best part of what we do is handing over checks to small businesses! 🤝 @yogasoup was one of our first recipients in Santa Barbara. To date, we’ve handed out 150+ checks to small business owners across the county, and we’re
View fullsize Small businesses are much more than restaurants and coffee shops. When we say we support small businesses, we mean the tailors, dry cleaners, print shops, nail salons, spas, and, of course, the restaurants and coffee shops too! Oh, and we just love w
View fullsize Santa Barbara County has a lot to offer and our small businesses are essential components to what makes our communities so great! From Santa Maria to Carpinteria, and everywhere in between, we are committed to keeping our small businesses alive and w
View fullsize There’s lots of love to go around! Show some love to your small business community by buying flowers from local shops, getting chocolate from your local chocolate makers, enjoying a nice dinner with your loved one(s) at a local restaurant, or p