Looking ahead: Chamber leaders say their organizations are ready to help businesses face challenges

The Poway and Rancho Bernardo area’s two chamber leaders said there will be challenges for businesses in 2026, but their organizations are poised to help through various programs and outreach.

“As CEO of the Poway Chamber of Commerce, I am both excited for the New Year for our member businesses and the business community, and also know that many will face some challenges in 2026,” said Mike Leland, who is also the chamber’s president. “We live in an amazing, diverse community that is highly desirable to both live in and have our businesses in, and also has many business and regulatory challenges here in San Diego County and the State of California.”

Chris Thorne, CEO of the North San Diego Business Chamber based in Rancho Bernardo, agreed that there are many challenges in the coming year.

“As we look ahead to 2026, businesses across San Diego County are navigating an increasingly complex operating environment shaped by affordability pressures, workforce constraints and policy uncertainty,” Thorne said. “The North San Diego Business Chamber is focused on helping employers stay informed and engaged on these issues through regional convenings, advisory councils and ongoing dialogue with public and private sector partners.

“San Diego County businesses have shown remarkable resilience, but the challenges they face in 2026 are increasingly interconnected and require regional solutions,” Thorne said.

The Poway Chamber is likewise planning on providing resources to help businesses navigate the future.

“The adoption and expansion of artificial intelligence into the workplace continues to be a factor that businesses must contend with as it becomes more mainstream and part of everyday life to at least some extent in all businesses, and to a greater extent for many businesses,” Leland said. “Nobody wants to miss the boat and be left behind. With this being the case, AI will be one of the regular topics of the education seminars that the Poway Chamber of Commerce will be offering for our membership.”

The seminar on best practices of using AI in the workplace is one of four education seminars that Leland said the Poway Chamber plans to host this year. Another will focus on regulations and various forms of compliance related to doing business in California.

Both organizations will provide workforce development opportunities in 2026, their leaders said.

“Workforce development remains a central focus as businesses adapt to evolving skill needs and technological change,” Thorne said. “The North San Diego Business Chamber continues to advance regional workforce strategies through employer-education partnerships, internships, work-based learning and skills-based training initiatives designed to align talent pipelines with real-world business demand.

“Preparing our workforce for the future means building flexible, skills-focused pathways that allow both businesses and workers to adapt quickly in a changing economy,” Thorne said.

Because workforce development is something that businesses are looking for, in addition to educational seminars, the Poway Chamber will utilize a variety of resources for its member businesses that connect them with the chamber’s educational and workforce development partners, Leland said.

“Additionally, we regularly share information from the state and local government and agencies in our communications to our members,” he said. An example of that in 2025 was an educational seminar about Cal Savers and the impending requirement for businesses with five or more employees to offer some sort of retirement savings plan for their employees.

“Through our Government Affairs Committee, we work with all of our elected officials and their offices to disseminate information that is pertinent to our member businesses,” Leland said. “We also facilitate communication between these offices and our members when our members, their constituents, need assistance. We also work very closely with the City of Poway for our Poway businesses.”

A regional issue that involves government and has chamber officials’ attention is housing.

“Housing affordability and the ability to deliver essential housing and infrastructure projects are emerging as defining business issues for 2026,” Thorne said. “Prolonged permitting timelines and uncertainty in project approvals continue to drive up development costs, affecting housing availability, infrastructure delivery and overall economic competitiveness.

“The chamber is actively engaged in regional conversations around modernizing project review processes, including thoughtful reforms to how the California Environmental Quality Act is applied, with the goal of improving predictability while maintaining strong environmental protections,” Thorne said.

“When projects stall for years, the costs ripple through the entire economy, impacting housing affordability, infrastructure delivery and the ability of businesses to plan for growth,” Thorne said.

“Housing challenges are directly linked to workforce availability across San Diego County,” he added. “Employers increasingly find that housing costs and commute realities influence hiring, retention, and long-term workforce stability.”

Through the North San Diego Business Chamber’s workforce and economic development initiatives, Thorne said the chamber is working with employers, education partners and community organizations to elevate housing as a workforce issue, not just a quality-of-life concern.

“Workforce challenges in our region are no longer just about skills — they are about whether employees can afford to live and work in the communities they serve,” he said.

Because of small businesses’ unique circumstances not shared by their larger counterparts, Leland said the Poway Chamber is doing what it can to help small businesses.

“Big picture, the struggle continues to be real out there for small businesses especially,” Leland said. “The Poway Chamber… recognizes this, and as a result has not raised membership dues for our small businesses for several years now; even though many of our costs have gone up.

“We will continue on this path so long as we continue to be blessed with support from our corporate sponsors, many other sponsorships throughout the year from all sized member businesses and occasionally non-member businesses … and with support from the City of Poway and County Supervisor Joel Anderson’s office,” Leland said.

“Despite the challenges and headwinds faced by businesses in 2025, the Poway Chamber of Commerce grew again year over year in almost all of our metrics for the fifth straight year, and we anticipate continuing that growth in 2026,” he said. “Our staff, working with the guidance of our board of directors, will continue to stay vigilantly focused on our members and the business community to bring value, and to help businesses in all ways that we can.”

While much of their focus is on businesses, the chambers also look for ways to help the broader community. For example, Leland said that in 2025 the Poway Chamber launched its Senior Life and Solutions Group to provide resources that assist the growing demographic of seniors and their families. It will expand that by adding educational seminars in 2026.

In addition, the Poway Chamber is rolling out a Young Professionals Group in the coming year, Leland said.

“Despite ongoing challenges, the outlook for 2026 remains cautiously optimistic,” Thorne said. “San Diego County’s diverse economic base — including life sciences, defense, healthcare, technology and tourism — provides a strong foundation for continued innovation. The chamber brings business leaders together across sectors to share insights, assess emerging trends and collaborate on solutions that strengthen regional competitiveness.

“Our region’s economic diversity is one of its greatest strengths, and collaboration across industries will be essential to sustaining growth in the years ahead,” Thorne said.

He added that the North San Diego Business Chamber remains committed to serving as a regional convener for forward-looking conversations that help businesses anticipate change rather than react to it.

“Through continued engagement, education and advocacy, the chamber provides opportunities for business leaders to stay informed and participate in shaping the region’s economic future,” Thorne said. “Businesses that stay connected to the conversation are better positioned to navigate uncertainty and help shape solutions that benefit the entire San Diego County region.”