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Workforce development &
small-business assistance

Carlsbad Commuter app

Carlsbad Life in Action Recruiter

Useful resources 

Looking to start your own business? Our questionnaire is designed to link small businesses with local resources, providing information to tackle some of the top challenges prospective small businesses commonly face. Be sure to check out our 10 Key Steps to ensuring your new business will have success!

The Guide to Opening an Eating Establishment provides insight on where you can open an eating establishment in our city and how the process works. Useful information for food truck and sidewalk vendors can be found on our website as well. 

New state and local environmental regulations are being phased in over the next couple of years. Find information on these regulations, as well as resources for your staff and customers, on the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle page.

Doing business

The economic development team is here to serve and support the city’s business community. Whether you are a small business or our largest tech employer, the city wants to make sure your business thrives in Carlsbad. The city team is here to help with getting your business license, bidding on projects and contracts or meeting with our development services team about permits and processes. You can learn more about the benefits of starting or expanding a business in Carlsbad at our Doing Business in Carlsbad story map. If you are a business looking for a new space in Carlsbad, please email economic development staff at business@carlsbadca.gov.

Talent attraction & retention

One of the City Council’s strategic focus areas is bringing quality jobs to the city in today’s globally competitive economy. Carlsbad's Life In Action initiative is a resource for employers looking to land that perfect candidate. It provides additional tools, such as a hiring toolkit with media assets, brochures and infographics, to make the case for why the job in Carlsbad is the right one. 

Your Business Feedback

We encourage ongoing feedback from the business community. Please visit our resourcing and feedback survey to share your thoughts or reach out directly with any questions or additional comments. 

For any questions related to the survey, please contact our economic development team at business@carlsbadca.gov. 

Thank you for your participation and continued engagement in making Carlsbad a great place to do business! 

Economic Development Strategic Plan

Carlsbad Economic Development Strategic Plan

Economic Snapshots

Carlsbad Economic Snapshot FY 2022-2023 Q3

Connect with us

Carlsbad has a range of options for businesses to establish, grow and thrive. If you are ready to learn more about doing business along the creative coast or have general questions about doing business in our city, contact the Innovation & Economic Development Department at business@carlsbadca.gov. 

News headlines

Long term investing

Post Date:09/24/2025

When it comes to your budget, it’s always a good sign when you have money left over after covering your expenses.

The City of Carlsbad looks for the same thing at the city, and in most years has funds remaining after each fiscal year ends on June 30. This could be due to changing needs, new efficiencies, projects being reprioritized and revenues coming in higher than expected.

In Carlsbad, the city has a process in place for what to do with these surplus funds. That process dictates how the city reviews and analyzes the best way to use the money in a fiscally responsible way, instead of simply rolling those funds over. In that light, on Tuesday, the City Council approved how we will use the excess funds, called “carry forwards.”

Budget policies

Together, the city's budget policies formalize strategies and best practices for the city’s long-term fiscal health. One of these policies puts a framework in place for how to use unspent funds from the previous fiscal year:

Priority 1 – Ensure we have enough money in our rainy day fund

The City Council’s policy is to keep an amount equal to at least 40% of the annual General Fund operating budget in a reserve account. This year, the city's General Fund reserve is healthy at $146.9 million, which is 61% of the adopted budget. That is about $50 million above the 40% target, so the City Council moves on to the next priority.

Priority 2 – Manager pension costs

The City Council has two policies that help the city remain among the best funded pensions in the region:

  • One sets a goal of keeping the city’s pension plan 80% funded
  • The other established a separate pension trust account where the city can manage how funds are invested, as opposed to ceding that control to the California Public Employee Retirement System.

These policies are projected to save $8 million over five years. On Tuesday, the City Council approved adding $7.5 million from last year’s savings to the pension trust.

Priority 3: One-time expenses for other needs

After meeting the first two priorities, remaining funds go toward one-time expenses aligned with the City Council’s Five-Year Strategic Plan. This year’s investments include:

  • Traffic safety projects
  • Encampment cleanups
  • Police vehicle improvements and new city vehicles
  • Affordable housing
  • Improvements to IT services
  • Accessibility upgrades to the city’s website
  • Storm water system maintenance

The City Council also approved carrying forward the $5.2 million it had budgeted in fiscal year 2023-24 to use as matching funds for a grant to study and design putting the railroad tracks below street level through the Village and Barrio, roughly between the Agua Hedionda Lagoon and Buena Vista Lagoon. The city is partnering with SANDAG and NCTD to pursue the grant funding and project. 

See the full list of funding approved Tuesday and read the Fiscal Year 25-26 budget on our website. You can also learn more about the budget and see all the policies we use to safeguard the city’s financial health.

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