The City of Hanford's Cut 2 Business (C2B) program offers free ribbon-cutting ceremonies for business owners outside the downtown district.

The City of Hanford is rolling out the red ribbon for local businesses to experience a free and impactful way to celebrate grand openings, groundbreakings, renovations and more.

The program follows the unexpected closure on April 1 of the Hanford Chamber of Commerce, which previously handled ribbon-cutting duties for members. 

The city’s economic development division has launched Cut to Business (C2B), a free ribbon-cutting program with all the fixings — ribbon and giant scissors, media advisory, certificate of recognition, your very own elected city official and more.

“The Cut to Business program is a great way for the City of Hanford to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit that drives both our local economy and our community,” said Mayor Travis Paden. “We’re proud to recognize the hard work and investment made by people in our great City, and excited to help them mark these important milestones in a meaningful way.”

 

Rolling out an idea

The program was born out of a trip by Brian Johnson, City of Hanford community relations manager, to the California Association for Local Economic Development conference a couple of months ago. A key takeaway was that although he didn’t have as much time as he’d like to promote economic development efforts in Hanford, there were steps he could take “that aren’t super complicated or time consuming.”

A representative from Culver City mentioned that they had stepped in to do ribbon cutting ceremonies after their chamber encountered some struggles.

Johnson decided to bring the idea home. The costs are negligible, he said — the giant scissors have been purchased and city-branded ribbon is on its way. Flyers will be printed out as well. C2B will be the main focus of his intern before she returns to UC Berkeley late next month. The intern will also take the lead on social media posts and videos.

 

A no-cost boost 

City officials say C2B is more than a ceremonial photo op. Hanford city staff will coordinate the entire experience — from scheduling to promotion. Participating businesses can expect attendance from the mayor, vice mayor, city council members and/or city management. Photos and/or video from the ribbon cutting will also be posted to the city’s social media

The only requirements: the business must be located outside Hanford’s downtown business improvement district, have a valid city business license and submit an online application at least two weeks in advance.

Ribbon cuttings are available Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays. For new businesses, the event must occur on opening day or within six months of launch.

 

What businesses need to do

Business owners are encouraged to invite friends, family and customers, designate a speaker for brief remarks and select an exact location for the event. Optional touches include balloons, business cards, snacks and tours.

Businesses located in the downtown district should contact Main Street Hanford for separate ribbon-cutting arrangements.

Johnson said as far as scheduling, they’ll try to be flexible and hope business owners will be too. 

“If we can’t secure a Council member or other guest, it might still be worth proceeding with the event in order to start getting the word out about the business!”