Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/13344
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 – Daily News – 5A Commerce business A couple of months ago, a con- cerned chamber member asked for the services of the Local Government Ser- vices Committee to champion a con- cept loosely related to the success of the Radical 10 campaign that the city of Redding had recently completed. The concept was simple: a group of citizens and public officials work closely together to create a radical list of ideas that could stimulate our local economy within one year. As a result, the Red Bluff Rebound Committee was formed and put into action. The members of the committee consisted of the city manager, city councilmen, chamber directors, fair manager, Public Works director, coun- ty directors and local business owners. The group was introduced to each other and meetings were facilitated by the Local Government Services chair- man. The committee held several gener- al discussions and finally agreed to their top rebound ideas. At that time, sub-committees were formed to tackle the details and create generic propos- als to be presented to the City Council. & The items chosen for the City Council proposal were as follows: 1. Installation of a large, full-video billboard on Interstate 5. 2. Use of Prop. 1B funds to micro-surface overlay downtown streets. 3. Use Development Impact Fees the city has to create a shovel- ready project. 4. Use wastewater funds to repair the First Street to Monroe Street sewer interceptor. 5. Amortize or eliminate Development Impact Fees. 6. Provide a bidding preference to local business licensees. 7. Partner with the Tehama District Fairground and acknowledge the importance of the fairgrounds to Red Bluff. 8. Re-examine ADA requirements and give guidance to staff. 9. Participate and cooperate in "Shop Local" campaigns. 10. Develop a list of city-owned property that might be surplus and You may not realize it, but July 24 is Amelia Earhart Day. July 24 was chosen because it’s the birthday of perhaps the most famous female aviator in history. Earhart’s story ended tragically when she became lost in the Pacific Ocean in 1937 on her voyage around the world, but she is still celebrated for her bravery and pio- neer spirit. As an investor, you can learn a lot from Earhart’s career. Here are a few lessons to consid- er: • Plan ahead. After a lengthy analysis of Earhart’s final flight, decades after it occurred, a noted aviation expert came to one succinct con- clusion: "poor planning, worse execution." Yet on her successful flights, Earhart was known to have produced, and followed, detailed flight plans. As an investor, you, too, must plan your journey toward your financial goals. First, you need to identify your destination, such as a comfortable retirement. Next, you must create a "map" to reach your goal, in the form of a detailed financial strat- egy based on an investment portfolio tailored to your risk tol- erance and time horizon. And along the way, you must chart your progress via regular reviews of your investments’ per- formance. • Use the right "tools." Some sources have noted that, on the fateful flight, Earhart did not appear to fully understand how to use her plane’s direction-finding loop antenna, which at the time was a new technology. If you don’t fully under- stand the "tools" — that is, the investments — you need to help achieve your goals, you may run into difficulties. Always know exactly what you’re investing in and why you’ve chosen those specific investments. Without this infor- enterprise Red Bluff ready to Rebound available for development. 11. Require that a group appealing a development related court decision be required to post a bond or otherwise be responsible for appeal costs if the suit is unsuccessful. On June 22, the Red Bluff Rebound Committee presented the action items to the City Council for review. Some of the items did not make the agenda and could only be discussed without action, while others received the council’s approval for action or staff review. On Aug. 3, all of the items listed above will be on the City Council agenda once again. Updates will be presented for many of the items and several on the list will be placed before the council for consideration of approval or staff review. ——— The We Mean Business column is prepared and submitted by the Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Commerce. Navigating through the investment world mation, you could end up with investments that are either too risky for your comfort or too conservative for your goals. • Follow your vision. On the day they disappeared, Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, were scheduled to land on Howland Island. Unfortu- nately, it was a cloudy day; some researchers speculate that the clouds’ dark shadows on the ocean surface may have camouflaged Howland and confused the aviators. As an investor, you need a clear view of what you want to accomplish in the long term — and you need to avoid having your vision "clouded over" by short-term events such as price drops and recessions. • Put sufficient "power" in your portfolio. Tyler Smail Tyler Smail is a a financial advisor for Edward Jones, his office is located at 733 Washington St.in Red Bluff. He can be reached at 529-3627 or tyler.smail@edwardjones.com. Is your degree worth the cost? You’ve graduated from college. You have your degree in hand and you’re eager to join the work- force. However, as a recent gradu- ate you’re enter- ing the workforce amidst high unemployment rates, and it may be difficult to land that first great job. There is no doubt that you might be wonder- ing if your degree is worth the cost since the average Lisa yearly price tag to attend a four-year public university was $7,020 in 2009-2010, according to the College Board. The annual cost for attending a private universi- ty this past year was nearly four times greater than a public university at an aver- age of $26,273. The monetary and time investment required to com- plete your degree is defi- nitely worth the cost. You are more marketable and you possess proven disci- pline to accomplish your BOOK BARN Used Books Tues-Fri 10-5 Sat 10-2 Serving Tehama County since 1994 619 Oak St., Red Bluff (530) 528-2665 Hansen goals. Recent studies also confirm college degrees can result in higher earnings and lower unemploy- ment. Over the course of a col- lege graduate’s working life, they typically earn more than a high school graduate. According to a study conducted by PayScale for Bloomberg Busi- nessweek, a col- lege degree may earn you closer to $400,000 more than a high school degree over 30 years. PayScale’s study also revealed which colleges are most worth the money. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) topped the list for best annual return on investment (ROI). The average cost in 2009 to attend MIT was $189,300. However, the 30-year ROI is calculated at $1,688,000. This is an annual return of 12.6 percent. In addition, top jobs for 2009-10 bachelor’s degrees are for software design and development and field engi- neering. Results of a sum- mer 2010 Salary Survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers show these degrees respectively garner average salary offers of $62,505 and $60,920. It’s a tough job market, but in May 2010, the unem- ployment rate for individu- als with a bachelor’s degree was 4.7 percent, half the rate for high school gradu- ates. The unemployment rate for high school gradu- ates was 10.9 percent. A college degree will help you stand out in the crowd and is often required just to get your foot in the door at certain companies or within certain fields. Once you get your foot in the door, there are several things you can do to get the most out of your degree. Show your leadership skills. You have had numer- ous opportunities in college to develop your leadership skills. Try putting those skills to work by taking the lead on new projects. Be professional. Prove that you are a professional by preparing for meetings, doing your research, and dressing for the job you want, not the job you have. Offer solutions. Show your value by being cre- ative, thinking strategically and offerings solutions. Sometimes it is easy to get so involved in details that you miss the overall picture. By putting these tips into practice, you can help improve the value of your degree and your worth to the company. Lisa Hansen is the owner of Express Employment Professionals, 243 S. Main St. in Red Bluff. Many aviation scholars and researchers believe Earhart’s plane simply ran out of gas before she could land on Howland Island. Does you portfo- lio have sufficient "fuel" to help you go the dis- tance? Specifically, do you have the right mix of growth- and income-oriented vehicles to power you toward college for your kids, a comfortable retirement and your other goals? If you’re not sure, you may want to work with a professional financial advisor to get the assistance you need. You probably will never try to circumnavigate the globe in a small plane. But if you can emulate the best features of Amelia Earhart — such as her courage, perseverance and faith in the future — while taking steps to help focus on what you can control, your investment journey may be rewarding. ——— Edward Jones in spotlight • Business Spotlight – Edward Jones Investments, 1401 Solano St. in Corning, which specializes in helping individ- ual investors achieve their personal investment goals, is cel- ebrating its one year milestone in Corning. Financial Advisor Lisa Rodriguez was recently awarded the Regional Leader's Award by Edward Jones for her out- standing service efforts over the past year. Lisa, her husband Raymond, a Corning teacher of many years, and their son Durante, who will be starting high school this fall, have recently moved to Corning and are actively involved in many community events. Lisa's Branch Office Administrator Cynthia Kay, a long time Corning resident, is excited about her role in building client relationships with the Edward Jones branch. Edward Jones will be sponsoring "A Woman's Journey Toward Financial Independence" at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 17, at Fountain of Health, 1415 Solano St., Corning. If you would like to attend this luncheon, RSVP to Cindy at Edward Jones 824-4290 or Patti at Fountain of Health 689- 0222. • Corning in the Evening – July 8 more than 45 people met at Interland Business & Gifts, which served up some delicious homemade ice cream, made by Penny Blanchard, and some homemade baked goodies. Co-owner Renae Beckley shared what the business has to offer at Interland from business cards to lamination. Inter- land produces and prints the sponsor books for each of the chamber’s major events. Renae wants people to know that it is back in business after two major events in their lives: the passing of her father and Penny’s husband, Dave Blanchard, and the birth of Renae’s daughter, Jody three months ago. The chamber, as always encourages you to shop local. Renae and Penny are back and they are here to serve you. • Red Cross Meeting – Local Red Cross volunteers will be meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 20, at the Corning Fire Department to continue planning Red Cross disaster response in and around the Corning area. This response may be assisting families who lose their house because of fires, setting up shelters because of wild land fires, financial assistance to accident victims on I-5, localized flooding or more. At this meeting, volunteer John Hursey from Willows and Emergency Manager Charles McCaul from Yuba City will discuss specific ways to assist victims and the tools they use to assist them financially. The Red Cross is actively recruiting volunteers in Corning and Tehama County. This meeting is open to the public. For more information call 1- 800-934-5344 or email emergencymanager@arcnec.org. • Music in the Park – Because of unforeseen circum- stances the concerts had to be cancelled the last two weeks, but the organizers hope to be on track for Saturday with the band Punches the Clown performing at 7:30 p.m. at North- side Park. There will be barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs available. Proceeds go toward refurbishing Rodger’s Theatre. This column is prepared and submitted by the Corning Chamber of Commerce. ——— Want to start a business? The Shasta College Small Business Development Cen- ter is presenting a workshop entitled “So… You Want to Start a Business?” It will be offered 5:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 21, in the SBDC Training Room, 1420 Butte St., north end of the Market Street Promenade. The path traveled to start, run and grow a business is filled with a variety of obstacles that often result in costly set-backs, or even failure. The SBDC experts have traveled the path and can assist with overcoming the obstacles. The result is lower risk and increased probability of success. This seminar is a short introduction to entrepreneurship and the creation and development of new business ven- tures. Participants will explore the identification and evalu- ation of new business concepts, the development of the business plan, market entry strategies, organizational struc- ture, financing and critical success factors for entrepre- neurs. The presenters for this seminar will be Pat Landon and Tom Waddell, and there is a $10 fee to attend. Classes fill- up quickly so early registration is encouraged by calling 225-2770. 28 Years Plus Experience Full Service Tax & Bookkeeping Service • Tax Preparation & Representation • Business & Personal Returns COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check starting at $ (most cars and pick-ups) 2995 + cert. Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. • Filing for Delinquent & Non-filers • Non-profits • Get out of trouble with both IRS and FTB • Sales Tax Returns • Tax Classes • Bookkeeping • Payroll Service Rose Hablitzel, EA • Rex Cerro, EA “Enrolled To Practice Before The IRS” Open Year-Round • New Clients Welcome Enrolled Agents: (530) 527-8225 208 Elm St., Red Bluff