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Hello! This month we are busy, busy, busy, and there is a lot of news to share with you. The North Coast SBDC is busy this time of year preparing for both the Humboldt County and City of Crescent City California Community Development Block Grant applications so that we can continue to provide free services for low to moderate-income individuals. Grants and Contracts Manager, Tazsa Hartwell, is leading the effort. Also in preparation is our very first Retail Flight. This series of workshops and counseling spans 10 months and is designed for owners of retail businesses to get more out of their daily routine while expanding on business planning and marketing skills. We are also excited about the Artists in Flight Art Show. For the entire month of August at the Ink People Center for the Arts,
artists who are also clients of the North Coast SBDC will be showcasing
their work. All different mediums are used so there should be
something for everyone to enjoy. Opening night is August 1st during Arts Alive from 6 to 9 pm. If you are in the area, please stop by and see the artists' creations. Check it out!This month, Executive Director Michael Kraft also chimes in to provide commentary about our current economy. |
| Programs |
We are currently in the planning and recruiting stages of North Coast SBDC's very first Retail Flight program!This 10-month program is based on our flight model, which includes a 2-hour workshop every month and intensive counseling with one of our business advisors. Participants will have the opportunity to create effective marketing materials and learn from Industry leaders. Not to mention the excellent networking and peer-counseling opportunities, this program comes right after what may have been a less-than-ideal summer and gets business owners started before the Holiday seasons begins.  For more information please contact Kathrine Bridgwater at 707-445-9057 or bridgwater@northcoastsbdc.org. 2009 Fall RFP -- The North Coast Small Business Resource
Center is soliciting an open list of qualified business contractors to perform
specialty skills as needed for various groups or individuals. The
purpose of this request is to establish a list of preferred contractors that we
can call upon to provide business support services of varying specialties to
NCSBRC clients in both Humboldt and Del Norte Counties.
If you or someone you
know is an experienced business consultant
with expertise in areas such as Accounting and Financial Management,
Imports/Exports, Manufacturing/Prototyping, Business Law, Marketing, Sales,
Graphic/Website Design, Human Resources, Organizational Systems, Public
Relations, or Broad-Spectrum knowledge and would like to assist local small
business, please respond to our current Request for Proposals by 5:00 PM October 2nd 2009.
 The person to contact for more information is Tazsa Hartwell, Grants and
Contracts Manager, (707) 445-9612 or email hartwell@northcoastsbdc.org |
| Events |
ARTISTS
IN FLIGHT:
3rd
ANNUAL North Coast SBDC
GROUP SHOW
As one of its industry-specific, business training "flights", each year the North Coast Small Business Development Center runs a 10-month program which assists artists in succeeding at the business of art. Through the program, accomplished local artists receive intensive instruction that includes business planning, fiscal management, sales and marketing, and the development of promotional materials. This annual exhibition is the summation of the artists' flight - a chance for the artists to show their work, and in turn, to highlight the program. This year's exhibition includes the following artists and their mediums: � Steven Coach - Eureka Photographer who has an extensive background in many areas of photography, though now he primarily shoots landscapes. An avid advocate of digital fine art photography, he will soon begin working on his MFA in Digital Photography. � Amanda Devons - A photographer who records still and video life portraits, and likes to focus on intergenerational family relationships. She works for family members to produce the family memories they commission. � Jennifer Graham - Photography & Portraits � Eric Korbly - Oil on canvas. www.erickorbly.com � Sarah Mitchell - "I am a dreamer fascinated by stories. My work revolves around that sense of story: a moment, frozen in time, invites the viewer to imagine a before and after and to create their own world within that image." � James Reid - Fashion Photographer, Studio 424 Gallery and Studio � Lauretta Weltsch - One-of-a-kind bears and dolls � Andrew Daniel - Painter. Selling Cards, Prints, and Original Work. � Bobbie Finster - "I create artwork to uplift and inspire utilizing the clarity and freshness of watercolors and inks. Creating images that reflect spirituality, I hope to remind the viewer of the deeper meaning of life by illustrating a variety of rich and meaningful subject matter." � Amy Granfield - Oil Painting. www.amygranfield.com � Leslie Odelberg - Portraits, Still Life, Landscape, Cards � James H. Smith - Large Scale Sculptures � Kathryn Stotler - Textile dying, piecing & assemblage � Eva York - Eva has been a photographer since 1998 and has earned an excellent reputation for her graceful style and sensitive images. Eva is originally from Austria, Europe. She earned her Fine Art Degree at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1996 and has since exhibited her work in California, Oregon, New York and in Europe. For more information about North Coast SBDC future Artist Flights, you can call Tazsa Hartwell, Arts Flight Program Coordinator, North Coast SBDC at 445-9612. |
Workshops
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We are happy to announce that the Small Business Seminar Series is being offered in Redway
 The workshops will be held Thursdays from September 10 through October 8 at the Healy Senior Center from 4-6 pm. Please check our website for full details or to register.
Essentials of Business WebsitesAugust 13, 2009 10:00 am Fortuna Monday Club For more information click here |
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State and National News
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California Micro Enterprise Development Month ProclamationSenator Yee, on behalf of the California Legislature, declared July 2009 and July of every year thereafter as Micro Enterprise Opportunity Month in recognition of the fact that micro businesses - those with less than $35,000 start up costs and 5 or fewer employees - comprise the largest growing sector of California's economy (19%).
Women entrepreneurs make up 78 percent of those benefiting from micro enterprise development. Additionally,
the legislature passed a $3,000 tax credit for small business owners to
deduct each time they hire a full-time employee.
Federal Budget Subcommittee approves an increase in spending for the national SBDC program.On
July 8, the Senate Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Financial Services
and General Government, chaired by Senator
Richard Durbin, marked up the FY 2010 Financial
Services Appropriations bill. The Subcommittee approved an increase in funding
for SBA and for the SBDC national program for FY 2010. The bill approved by the
Subcommittee provides $860.9 million for SBA, an increase of $81.6 million over
the FY 2010 budget request. The bill provides $114.4 million for Small Business
Development Centers, an increase of $4.4 million over FY 2009 and $17.4 million
over the Administration's budget request. The Association of Small Business Development Centers is extremely appreciative of the
funding increase and the demonstrated support for and confidence in the SBDC
national program that this new appropriation level represents. At press time,
the full Senate Appropriations Committee was considering the Financial Services
Appropriations bill for FY 2010. We are cautiously optimistic that the full
Committee will support the level of SBDC funding approved by the
Subcommittee. 
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| People |
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Michael Kraft receives Job Generator of the Year Award
Michael Kraft, Executive Director of the North Coast Small Business Development Center,was
recently awarded at the CAMEO conference. The Job Generator of the
Year Award is given to micro enterprise development professionals who,
through their leadership, are helping entrepreneurs in communities with
the highest unemployment rates in California start businesses and
create new jobs. On behalf of the California Association for Micro
Enterprise Opportunity (CAMEO), Wes Chesbro presented the award to
Michael Kraft.
Jessicurl named Best Brand in national online poll!
Jessica McGuinty, founder of Jessicurl, recently announced that Jessicurl was voted the Best Brand by online opinion leaders at NaturallyCurly.com.
Jessicurl also won in every category that they were eligible.
Jess was voted Most Inspirational Curly, probably for her entrepreneurial and philanthropic approach to competing in the global marketplace of products for curly hair.
Jessicurl is located in Humboldt County and develops products for curly hair.
Jess is on the Board of Directors and a client of the North Coast Small Business Development Center.
photo courtesy of www.jessicurl.com
Young Professionals for Economic Development (YPED) has formed in order to bring young professionals together for a more vibrant economic environment. Their vision is to attract and retain talented, educated ambitious young professionals in our community.
You can visit their webpage at www.YPED.org to learn more.
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| Stat for this month. |
Housing starts and building permits
INCREASE!!!
Housing starts in the U.S.
unexpectedly rose in June as construction of single-family
dwellings jumped by the most since 2004, signaling the market is
stabilizing even as unemployment worsens. A 3.6% increase of housing starts from May to June was reported. Building permits for housing increased 8.7% from May to June. The increase may be partially due to homebuilders rushing to complete homes so that first-time homebuyers can receive attractive tax credits. |
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A Message from the Executive Director
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Good News/Bad News
If it feels like we've been slogging
through a tough economy for a while now, it's because we have. I recently
picked up a copy of US News & World
Report from November of 2007, and the news was of wild stock market
gyrations due to questions surrounding banks and subprime mortgages. Shortly
thereafter, we officially slipped into recession and that has been the story of
the past 18 months.
But the current situation was felt
before that. I remember real estate agents in 2006 speaking of a bad market.
Real estate values had peaked earlier that year. A slowing housing market was
already touching other parts of our economy, including the critical local forest
products industry.
It's not certain where we stand
now. Clearly, there are remaining risks. For what it's worth, I have thought
we have been at or near bottom with respect to economic growth for a few weeks
now. The stock market, a leading indicator, seems to agree. The 2-year high of
the Dow was right about that time in November of 2007, at 14,000. The 2-year
low was back in March, at 7,000. As I write this, there has been 5-month rally
to just over 9,000.
Touching bottom refers to economic
growth, as measured by gross domestic product. Jobs are a different story and,
in the end, it's largely about jobs. Economists consider jobs to be a lagging
indicator and most of them don't believe jobs will rebound in general until
sometime in 2010.
It's in this context that our team
of business advisors and specialty contractors, and those of us who support
them, do our work. Our clients, small businesses, are the job creators. In
this same 18-month period, North Coast SBDC clients created 245
jobs.
So it was that I was pleased to
accept a proclamation by the state Assembly that recognized our organization's
contributions to job creation. Assemblyman Chesbro was kind enough to take a
few minutes from budget stuff to come onto the capitol lawn and present me with
the proclamation. The bad news is that the four organizations that were honored
were all in regions that have high unemployment. The rate in Del Norte is over
12%; in Humboldt, it's over 11%. The good news is that the work of our fine
team was recognized and, by extension, the real job creators, our private sector
clients.
Those of us who work here took a
couple of occasions to bask in the good vibe of this recognition. It's a long
game, however, so now we dig in and prepare to take another
swing.
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I hope this message finds you in good spirits and eager to go out there and experience some of the various points of interest, including our local micro enterprises.
Sincerely,
Kathrine Bridgwater
Small Business Development Analyst
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