Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/16643
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 – Daily News – 3C Commerce business Since the launch of our new website and chamber specific soft- ware, many businesses and visitors have expressed their appreciation for the new features. This includes a member specific log-in pass code to access your portal of information for your information. With this tool, you can add specials, sales, events, updates, job openings and so much more. For those who are members, we are so glad you are partnered with the Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Commerce. For those not yet members, consider the fol- lowing information. Benefits gained by being a chamber member are available in many ways. You can take advan- tage of excellent opportunities for & your business to attract new cus- tomers and share information with our community and the world. Log in to your chamber mem- ber portal to take advan- tage of these features. Business Directory Listing - your business information is available to consumers through the chamber’s website – visitors can search by category, key- word or alphabeti- cally Online Informational Brochure - your own page on the chamber’s website which can include your business description, hours of operation, location information, and up to eight keywords — these help identify your business when a website visitor does a keyword search on the Business Directory. Job Postings– add your own job enterprise New chamber website proves to be very popular and effective openings to the Chamber’s web- site. Hot Deals – include store coupons and special offers on the Chamber’s website Event Posting - add your busi- ness’ events to the Chamber’s Online Events Calendar – chamber website visitors can add your event to Outlook, e-mail the details to a friend and request an automatical- ly generated email reminder for your event "Email to a friend" link - visi- tors to your Online Informational Brochure may select a link to email your business information to a friend By entering your login name and password you can gain access to all of these features, update your information, or if you’ve forgotten your password, and more at www.chamberlogin.com. See you at the fair. Keeping your business afloat in choppy waters Small business is said to be the lifeblood of the nation’s economy. Cash can be the lifeblood of any small business that wants to survive and thrive through a choppy eco- nomic environment. Building up a sufficient cash reserve to help see a business through lean times can be a challenge, but it should be a priority for any small business owner. Just as individuals and families should have enough emergency cash on hand for a rainy day, the same is true for a busi- ness. A 3-6 month reserve of cash is critical to help a business overcome peri- ods when business slows or any number of other factors that can affect cash flow. Here are four impor- tant ways that a sufficient cash reserve can help your business: Keep up with payroll and bills You and your employ- ees count on a regular paycheck, but cash flows into your company might vary unpredictably from month to month. Having a stash of extra money in the bank can provide a necessary cushion to meet payroll and monthly expenses during times of tightened cash flows. It can also help cover the costs of supplies, equip- ment and services neces- sary to conduct business. Avoid borrowing Financing can be a challenge for a small busi- ness, particularly in today’s economic environ- ment. Business loans are not always easy to obtain. If they are available, the interest charges and other fees have a negative impact on the company’s bottom line. In many cases, business owners utilize high-cost credit card debt if other sources of borrowing are not avail- able. Having money in the bank to meet cash flow needs or to make large investments designed to help grow the business always gives a company greater flexibility and lowers costs. Reduce current debts Many business owners started their company with some debt. As cash reserves build up, some of those dollars can be used to pay down existing loans, reducing interest costs and fixed monthly payments. That will help improve the cash flow and general financial health of the company. Stay afloat through chal- lenging times Perhaps the most important function of a cash reserve is to provide a bit of an "insurance policy" for a small business. The economic environment of recent years has proven to be Alan unpredictable. More small business owners are being forced to find creative ways to keep their compa- ny relevant and profitable. As business ebbs and flows, a cash reserve helps keep operations running smoothly. Building and main- taining sufficient reserves A lesson that many small business owners probably learned during the most recent recession was that the good times can’t be taken lightly. When business is boom- Foley ing and money is coming in, it makes sense to tuck some of it away in a cash reserve. Having that kind of foresight may be what helps your business survive through more difficult times and also might help facil- itate its next growth phase. An important point about a cash reserve – this is money that needs to be fairly liquid and readily available when needed. It should not be invested in long- term assets (such as stocks, bonds or real estate). Try to earn a com- petitive return, but without taking undue risks with the money. The most important role of a cash reserve is to be there when your business needs it. ___ Alan Foley is a financial advisor and business financial advisor for Ameriprise Financial, 2150 Main St., Ste. 8, and can be reached at 528- 1328. QuickBooks workshop scheduled in Chico The Northeastern California Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Butte College presents the workshop: Quick- Books for Profit and Cash Flow Management. The workshop will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 20, at Butte Community Employment Center, 78 Table Mountain Blvd., Oroville. This interactive workshop teaches the basics of QuickBooks accounting and bookkeeping applications. Exercises include setting up the company; creating and using bank, cash and credit card accounts; reviewing profit and loss transactions; reconciling; accounts receivable- creating invoices and bills, receiving pay- ments and making deposits; accounts payable- paying bills, partial payments and credits; memorized transactions; payroll capabilities overview; running Church becomes chamber member • New Member – The Corning Chamber of Com- merce is happy to welcome First Presbyterian Church, 471 Marguerite Ave. in Corning as a new member. • Spotlight – Our spotlight this week is on Anderson Air Care, P.O. Box 3, Los Molinos. Phone, (530) 384- 2678. Wes Anderson is owner and operator of Ander- son Air Care. He specializes in quality heating and air conditioning service and installs. He has 15 years expe- rience in the field and he started his own business a year ago. Wes was born and raised in Los Molinos but lived in Corning when he worked for John’s Heating and Air. He also lived in Redding while working as general manager for one of the largest heating and air services in Redding. When asked what he would like people to know about him and his business he said, "I am here to handle all of their heating and air conditioning needs, that I am available whenever they need me and I am reasonable with pricing." Three years ago Wes took a tumble off a roof and shattered his wrist and has undergone 4 surgeries. The last one was a success and he now has a clean bill of health and has no problem since he opened his business for which he is very grateful. Wes has a 3-year-old son and says that his life out- side of work is filled with family and friends. If you have need for a heating and air conditioning man, call Wes Anderson at 384-2678. • Book Sale – 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16 at the Corning Library, 740 3rd Street, next to the police station, the Corning Friends of the Library are having their annual Fall Book Sale. One of the Friends of the Library said, "We would like to invite everyone to come support our wonderful community library and enjoy some "new" reading material. Also, a special thanks to our Corning 4-H partners for helping with the set up and clean up. New this year: bring your own bag and get one book for free". So mark your calendar then come to the sale and find some great bargains and support your local library. • Drug Disposal – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25 at the Corning Police Department, 774 3rd Street, you can turn in your unused or expired medication for safe disposal. • Hometown Christmas – Please take note that the date has changed for the annual Hometown Christmas and Lighted Parade. This year it will be Saturday, Dec. 4. The Chamber Directors are making plans for a won- derful event and we hope you will plan to participate. The Lighted Parade will take place at 5:30 p.m. after a day of fun activities for the whole family. There will be craft and food vendors, entertainment, live nativity, children’s bounce house and games, carriage rides and more. Santa will arrive on the fire truck so your chil- dren can get a photo with Santa. We will be Christmas Tree Lane again this year and again we offer the opportunity to enter the decorating contest or just install lights on the tree to light up down- town Corning at night. The cost of sponsoring a tree is $25. Christmas Tree Lane is a wonderful Corning tra- dition that started with Bud Gott in 1970. We will have 25 live trees to go on the light poles between Third Street and Houghton Ave. and Christmas banners to go on the rest of the poles, so if you would like to sponsor either a tree or a banner let the chamber know by call- ing 824-5550 or email corningchamber@sbcglobal.net. Those who have sponsored in the past will be given first choice. ——— financial reports and understand- ing how to use your financial information to better manage your business. The cost, which includes the manual, is $50 each prepaid or $60 at the door, but participants must be preregistered. The trainer is a Certified Public Accountant and QuickBooks Pro Advisor. For more information or to reg- ister call the Northeastern Califor- nia SBDC at 895-9017. Free shredding event in Redding In 2009 11.1 million Americans fell victim to identity theft fraud costing more than $50 million, according to a national sur- vey. That's about 1 of every 20 Americans. There have been breach- es of secure information in nearly every sector of the business community not Just in the credit industry. It also reaches into education, health care, banking, and even into government sec- tors. Anyone can be affect- ed by identity theft. The average victim's loss from identity theft is $4,849, but more than that, the victim of identity theft spend an average of 600 hours and an additional $496 resolving the issues related to the crime. Prevention is the best answer to this growing problem which is why it is important to shred, shred, shred. Better Business Bureau in Northeast California is helping Northern California by hosting a free shredding The Electric Man For all your electrical needs • New Outlets / 220 • Fans / Fixtures • Pools / Spas • Code Corrections • Troubleshooting • Panel Upgrade • Telephone Wiring $10.00 Customer Discount FREE Estimates License# 826543 347-4441 event in Redding, in part- nership with American Mobile Shredding, Access Information Management, the Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts of America and Premier West Bank. The free shredding event will be in the parking lot of Premier West Bank: 880 W A Clean, Reliable, Trustworthy, Chimney Company... Possible? ”Their tarps are always clean and my home is always clean afterward. What I like best is their reliability and quality.” “I can trust them!” Dr. Evan Reasor Flue Season 527 3331 THE Chimney Professionals 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. Cypress Ave. Redding 96001, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or until trucks are full on Saturday, Oct. 16. The first file-size box is free. For an additional box a $3 donation to the Boy Scouts of America is requested. Maximum of 2 boxes per vehicle. This column is prepared and submitted by the Corning Chamber of Commerce.