WEEKLY UPDATE- February 19, 2026 | | |
Hello All –
Last week, I mentioned that we are leading a series of in-person workshops to provide small businesses with some common and necessary tools. These are: Developing a Business Plan; Creating a Capability Statement; and Responding to Requests for Proposal (RFPs). Each is important to understand, create, and have ready.
The first workshop, Developing a Business Plan, will be held on Wednesday, March 4th, from 9:00am to 10:30 am, at the DBA Office Conference Room across from Palm Springs City Hall. You can register directly online at www.DesertBusiness.org
Your Business Plan does not have to be 4 pages long or include every single detail. We will help you create something that is one-to-two pages and can/should be reviewed and updated regularly to help you keep your business activities better focused.
A recent study showed that only about 58% of small businesses have a written business plan. When we poll our members at events, the response rate is generally around 25%. When we ask if they actually use it or update their plan, the answer usually far less.
Do you need a Business Plan? Yes. It turns your business vision into a roadmap, clarifying your strategy. It helps you forecast and build your budget. It helps others take you seriously when you can clearly articulate where you are going and how you’ll get there.
Keep an eye out for more details on this series in our newsletter, on social media, and on our website www.DesertBusiness.org.
Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you soon. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me/us anytime.
Dave Powell, DBA Executive Director
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At the Desert Business Association, we are proud to spotlight members who lead with professionalism, integrity, and inclusive values. We are honored to feature Joy Baucom, founder of Diligence Security Group, an LGBTQ+ owned security company serving California, including the Coachella Valley.
Read About Joy Here
| | | DBA Learning Opportunities | | |
Event Details:
Date: February 24, 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 10:00- 11:30 am
Location: DBA Office
3111 E Tahquitz Canyon Dr.
Palm Springs
Cost: DBA Members $5.00
Non-Members $10.00
We’re excited to offer AI for Small Business, a 90-minute online training focused on practical, real-world ways small businesses are using AI to save time and work smarter.
●Live training
●Beginner and intermediate friendly
●Ideas you can use right away
We’re pleased to bring this timely training to our business community and hope you can join us.
Featured speakers: Frank Kenny – CEO and Co-founder of the Chamber Pros Community. Frank has a proven track record of exceptional training in social media, digital marketing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Norma Davey – Creative Director and co-founder of the Chamber Pros Community- brings over 16 years of small business training experience. Known for her expertise in creative marketing and technology, Norma’s insights will help your members use AI to create amazing marketing pieces and images.
Register Here
https://bit.ly/dba-learns-ai-training
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DBA Networking Event
hosted by
Desert Hand Car Wash
Cathedral City
Event Details:
Date: Monday, March 9, 2026
Time: 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: Desert Hand Car Wash
67790 E Palm Canyon Dr, Cathedral City
Cost: DBA Members Free
Future Members: $20
We’re excited to offer AI for Small Business, a 90-minute online training focused on practical, real-world ways small businesses are using AI to save time and work smarter.
●Live training
●Beginner and intermediate friendly
●Ideas you can use right away
We’re pleased to bring this timely training to our business community and hope you can join us.
Featured speakers: Frank Kenny – CEO and Co-founder of the Chamber Pros Community. Frank has a proven track record of exceptional training in social media, digital marketing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Norma Davey – Creative Director and co-founder of the Chamber Pros Community- brings over 16 years of small business training experience. Known for her expertise in creative marketing and technology, Norma’s insights will help your members use AI to create amazing marketing pieces and images.
Register Here
https://bit.ly/dba-learns-ai-training
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Event Details:
Date: March 30, 2026 (Monday)
Time: 5:30- 7:00 pm
Location: DBA Office
3111 E Tahquitz Canyon Dr.
Palm Springs
Cost: DBA Members Free
The DBA is bringing back Speed Networking: Meet Everyone in the Room. This high-energy event is designed to connect you with everyone—not just the people you know.
This structured networking experience lets you practice your elevator speech, and ensures that you’ll meet one-on-one and share about your business with everyone in the room in two-minute segments, each getting one minute.
You pair, you share, you move on.
Register Here
https://bit.ly/2026-3-30speednetworking
| | | Look What Else is Coming Up... | | |
Ribbon Cutting for Sage and Honey Wellness
Date: February 20, 2026
(Friday)
Time: 3:00 PM
Location: Sage and Honey Wellness, 69844 Hwy 111, Suite H, Rancho Mirage CA
Join member Sage and Honey Wellness for the Desert Business Association and Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce joint ribbon-cutting and grand opening.
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Shoe Us the Love
Date: February & March
Various drop-off locations throughout the Coachella Valley
Friends of the Desert Mountains’ SHOE DRIVE! February-March, they will take your gently used shoes to get them into the reuse economy and out of the landfills! Drop boxes throughout the valley for more information and drop off locations https://www.desertmountains.org/friends-shoe-drive/
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10 Steps to Winning an RFP
Date: February 24, 2026
(Thursday)
Time: 9:00-10:30 AM
Location: Virtual (Microsoft Teams)
Cost: Free
Southern California Edison (SCE) is pleased to offer a virtual workshop, "Pillars of a Bank-Ready Business: Structure, Credit, Capital and Protection,” designed to help small businesses understand the foundational elements lenders look for when evaluating business readiness and financing opportunities.
Participants will gain insight into how business structure, credit, capital, and protection work together to support long-term business stability and funding readiness. The session will provide practical guidance to help businesses prepare to engage confidently with lenders and financial partners.
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The Graduate
Date: February 19-March 9, 2026
Location: Desert Theater Works, 45175 Fargo St., Indio
Cost: $46.50
Benjamin Braddock has just graduated from college with his whole life ahead of him. Enter the sophisticated and dangerously captivating Mrs. Robinson, who pulls him into an affair that changes everything.
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Coachella Valley Classical Voices Greatest Hits
Date: February 25, 2026
(Friday)
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Palm Canyon Theater, 538 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
Cost: $35
A very special concert featuring 35 trained local voices singing Opera and Broadway selections. Through the generosity of CVCV and these artists, all proceeds of this one-night-only musical spectacular benefit Palm Canyon Theatre, the venue for the performance on Wednesday, February 25.
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Palm Springs Speaks Wade Rouse
Date: February 24, 2026
(Tuesday)
Time: 7:30 PM (Main Event- book signing to follow)
Location: The Plaza Theater, 128 S Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs
Cost: GA $29-$65, $75 (includes book)
USE CODE TWO4WADE for 2 for one tickets
Inspired by The Golden Girls, a show that was unafraid of tackling issues, particularly those facing the LGBTQ+ community and a show that helped pave the way for Wade Rouse to come out to those he loved most, THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR celebrates love, aging, acceptance, finding your people, and the art of impeccably timed one-liners. “It’s ferocious and funny, hopeful and heart-wrenching, a story about what so many of us have endured in this life to find friendship, love, and respect in a world that continues to punch us in the gut,” explains Rouse. It’ll make you laugh, make you cry, and make you want to binge-watch The Golden Girls.
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Chocolate and Champagne
Date: February 26, 2026
(Thursday)
Time: 5:00 PM
Location: The Velvet Rope Hotel, 120 W Veredasur, Palm Springs
Cost: $125
Now in its third year, Chocolate & Champagne brings together community leaders, donors, advocates, and friends for an evening of appetizers, decadent desserts, sparkling champagne, live music, and a curated silent and live auction.
This evening of decadence supports Parkinson's Resource Organization's mission to ensure that no one is isolated because of Parkinson’s.
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Get Ready for
Cathedral City LGBT+ Days!
Event Details:
Date: March 3, 2026
(Tuesday) and
March 6 thru 8, 2026
(Friday-Sunday)
Time: 8:00 AM
Location: Various Locations in Cathedral City
Cost: Free
Join us at Cathedral City LGBT+ Days for a weekend-plus of entertainment, VIP experiences, food, drinks, artisan vendors, the world-famous Bed Race, and CommUNITY at California's First Pride Festival of the year.
For more information, head to cathedralcitylgbtdays.com
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