The Brentwood Voice of Business October 2010
Vol. 46, No. 10
by nter & d re l Ce er o s n t ca Spo Medi al Cen ic ta d l e e r D uir M e tt Su hn M Jo Downtown Brentwood First & Oak Streets from 5-8pm Let all the Ghosts and Goblins get to know you and your business! Come join the Chamber for a Night of Fun! Flip to page 10 for more information on getting a booth for your business or organization...
Page 2: Director’s Corner & Board of Directors and Staff Page 3:Chamber Events, Ambassadors, & Ambassadors Message Page 4: “Brentwood City Update” Page 5: Membership Renewals
Mission Statement :
Page 6: IRS Health Care Tax Credit for Small Businesses Page 7: Good Morning Brentwood Page 8: AT&T Small Business Loans Page 9:Which Industries are using Social Media?...
Page 10: Hometown Halloween Page 11: Your Elevator Pitch Page 12: September Mixer Page 13: October Mixer & Big News Page 14: New Members
The Brentwood Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary organization dedicated to the promotion of the civic and commercial progress of the community. We will continuously strive to maintain and foster a healthy business climate for Chamber members and the entire community.
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Page 2 BRENTWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2010 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Shayn Cutino, President Anja Wellness Karen Spann, Past President The Monthly Grapevine Joe Trebino, President-Elect Delta Pure Water, Etc. Ken Seamann, Chief Financial Officer Discovery Professional Services Olga Vidriales, V.P. Community Programs, Travis Credit Union Brent Aasen Equus Group Amy Alvis Alvis Frantz and Associates Greg Benner Les Schwab Tires Paul Kelly Home One Mortgage Lori Knudsen California Payroll Shelly McMahon Shelly’s Garden Richard Perez-Pacheco Black Sheep Design Donna Spencer Cortona Park Dirk Zeigler Zeigler Insurance Group ********************************
Director’s Message I became a member of this chamber back in 2005. Just a few years ago I was elected as a Director on the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce Board and I wear the title with great honor and pride. What I have learned as a fellow member is you have to participate in order to get the most of your membership dues. When I started my business the first thing I did was file a business license and fictitious business name, then joined my local Chamber. I can remember the first experience attending an evening mixer. I was like a fish out of water. I had no idea how to network with other business owners; it was a completely foreign territory for me. Then a nice lady came up to me and held my hand and started introducing me to so many other chamber members, she even introduced me to the chamber president. I felt like a VIP! It was such an amazing experience. What I learned from Lisa Moore, the wonderful Ambassador of the chamber at that time, was that if I wanted to get my name out into the business community I must get involved. "Become an Ambassador and start networking," she said. Boy, she was right. I used the opportunity as an Ambassador to not only promote the Chamber but my company as well. This Chamber or any other Chamber has a common goal, which is to give you the platform to talk about what you are passionate about, which is your business. I urge you to take advantage of these benefits of the Chamber. • Attend networking events including the luncheons, workshops, evening mixers and ribbon cuttings. • Advertise on the Chamber website or newsletter or sponsor an event. • Volunteer as an Ambassador or get involved with events such as the CornFest or Hometown Halloween. • Let the Chamber know any ideas or programs you would like them to host. There are so many opportunities, you just have to participate. Although my term will be coming to an end this December, like I said before, I am proud to have this opportunity to serve as your Chamber board member. Each time I attended a board meeting I had my fellow members in mind: What we could do to increase your exposure and how we could help achieve your success, especially in this challenging economy. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and I hope to see you soon at one of the many Chamber events. I wish you and your family much success and happiness.
Staff Members Harry York, CEO Lisa Hurt, Support Services Dir. Jilda Fairhurst, Event Coordinator Bill Putman, Volunteer
Sincerely, Richard Perez-Pacheco, Chamber Director CEO of Black Sheep Design http://www.blacksheepca.com/ http://youtube.com/blacksheepca
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Brentwood Chamber Ambassadors
Ambassador's Corner
Vicki Sexton, Chair, First Bank Amy Alvis, Alvis -Frantz and Associates Ashley Guzman, Pre Paid Legal Services Fred Ehler, Terracare Associates Jennifer Jost, Edward Jones Joe Trebino, Delta Pure Water, Etc. Karen Spann, The Monthly Grapevine Kathi Regan, Maxx Worms/Maxx Imprints Kerri Fritsch, Monogramming by Fritchy Kurt Tomicich, KRT Services Lori Knudsen, California Payroll Maurice Daroy, Farmers Insurance Olga Vidriales, Travis Credit Union Pat Trombino, First Bank Paul Roman, Window Innovations, Inc, Sarah Jamar, Paychex Terry Aldaya, Hampton Inn
ANNUAL CHAMBER EVENTS October 23, 2010 Hometown Halloween November 6, 2010 Fall Taste of Brentwood Restaurant Tour November 20, 2010 Holiday Parade
Chamber Mixers October 21 hosted by Markots November 18 hosted by: Shepherd’s Gate December 16 hosted by: Travis Credit Union
This year has presented quite a few changes and opportunities, and for me, the invitation to join the Board of Directors for the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce has been one of the most flattering and fulfilling. For the first few months of this year, I chose to develop myself by attending sales training and marketing conferences, and the thing that continues to strike me is how many people are still saying that good salespeople don’t sell on price. That goes back to Selling 101: someone will always sell the same thing for less, so you better be able to differentiate yourself and your business on something else. For me, it’s been exceptional customer service and an outstanding experience with California Payroll. But something struck me during all this professional growth…if people don’t have the money to spend, then they are going to buy on price! It seems pretty basic. If I need something and only have $5 to spend on it, no matter how great you tell me the value-adds are at your company, I can’t spend $7! It’s wonderful to differentiate yourself and your business by the value you add, but in today’s economy, we all need to know what our clients can afford to pay! I’m excited to take this opportunity to share my thoughts with other business people because I believe that this economy gives us the opportunity to really understand what our customers’ needs are and provide them true solutions. My clients need affordable payroll and HR services, and I strive to make that available to them while also providing exceptional customer service! I believe that being in touch with the needs of my customers is how I can win their business and their loyalty. Does that make me different than the norm? How are you differentiating yourself today? And now imagine a world where you, as a customer, walked into any buying situation and were treated with respect. The sales person listened to your needs. Then he/she provided you what you said you needed for a price that was within your budget. Would you buy? Would you tell other people? I would. And I have. So for the remainder of 2010, I’m going to listen to people. And if price is a motivating factor (if not the MOST IMPORTANT) driving force to making a buying decision, I’m going to respect that. And I’m still going to add my value, too. That’s the only way I know how to do business. Lori Knudsen, Chamber Ambassador and Director California Payroll, Account Executive lori@californiapayroll.com
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“ The Brentwood City Update”
Sponsored By: &
T
he Brentwood Chamber of Commerce and the City of Brentwood would like to Thank Travis Credit Union and PG&E for Sponsoring “The Brentwood City Update” on September 8, 2010 at the Senior Citizen Center in Brentwood. The City of Brentwood would also like to Thank everyone for attending the event and showing their interest in the construction of the new City Hall and upcoming Downtown renovations. Thanks to Roxanne Cruz of PG&E, Olga Vidriales and Eric Maldonado of Travis Credit Union, County Supervisor Mary Piepho, Assembly Member Joan Buchanan and Mayor Robert Taylor for speaking at this event .
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MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS Thank you to the following members who have renewed their membership in September. We appreciate your continued support!
Page 5 Join Us on Facebook! Click the Facebook picture to the left to be directed to our page. Also Look for our CornFest Page.
Alpaca Direct Brentwood Seawolves Discovery Bay Accounting Dr. Bill Moore Medsolutions New Delta Cinema
UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS Brentwood City Council Candidates Night October 13th, 7-9 p.m. Liberty High School Performing Arts Center Heritage High School Band-2nd Annual Auto Raffle ―Win a New Ford Focus‖ Tickets are a $100 donation and include entry into the auto raffle and cash drawings for $500 and $1,000. Drawing will be held Friday, November 12 at halftime of the Heritage High School Football game (need not be present to win) For tickets and information call Pam 759-6138, Kim 642-7601 or Jim at Bill Brandt Ford 634-3551. Kiwanis International of Brentwood and Oakley, in conjunction with the Liberty High School District are sponsoring The Annual Bell Game Luncheon on Monday, November 8.Sponsors are needed to award scholarships to two MVP players from each school. Donations can be sent to Kiwanis Club of Brentwood, PO Box 981, Brentwood, CA 94513.
Also Join us on our Linked in page by clicking the link above.
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IR-2010-96 Sept. 7, 2010
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IRS Releases Form to Help Small Businesses Claim New Health Care Tax Credit
WASHINGTON –– The Internal Revenue Service today released a draft version of the form that small businesses and tax-exempt organizations will use to calculate the small business health care tax credit when they file income tax returns next year. The IRS also announced how eligible tax-exempt organizations –– which do not generally file income tax returns –– will claim the credit during the 2011 filing season. The IRS has posted a draft of Form 8941 to this website. Both small businesses and tax-exempt organizations will use the form to calculate the credit. A small business will then include the amount of the credit as part of the general business credit on its income tax return. Tax-exempt organizations will instead claim the small business health care tax credit on a revised Form 990-T. The Form 990-T is currently used by tax-exempt organizations to report and pay the tax on unrelated business income. Form 990-T will be revised for the 2011 filing season to enable eligible taxexempt organizations –– even those that owe no tax on unrelated business income –– also to claim the small business health care tax credit. The final version of Form 8941 and its instructions will be available later this year. The small business health care tax credit was included in the Affordable Care Act signed by the President in March and is effective this year. The credit is designed to encourage small employers to offer health insurance coverage for the first time or maintain coverage they already have. In 2010, the credit is generally available to small employers that contribute an amount equivalent to at least half the cost of single coverage towards buying health insurance for their employees. The credit is specifically targeted to help small businesses and tax-exempt organizations that primarily employ moderate- and lower-income workers. For tax years 2010 to 2013, the maximum credit is 35 percent of premiums paid by eligible small business employers and 25 percent of premiums paid by eligible employers that are tax-exempt organizations. Beginning in 2014, the maximum tax credit will go up to 50 percent of premiums paid by eligible small business employers and 35 percent of premiums paid by eligible, tax-exempt organizations for two years. The maximum credit goes to smaller employers –– those with 10 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employees –– paying annual average wages of $25,000 or less. The credit is completely phased out for employers that have 25 FTEs or more or that pay average wages of $50,000 per year or more. Because the eligibility rules are based in part on the number of FTEs, and not simply the number of employees, businesses that use part-time help may qualify even if they employ more than 25 individuals. More information about the credit, including a step-by-step guide and answers to frequently asked questions, is available on the Affordable Care Act page.
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The Brentwood Clarion AT&T ANNOUNCES INDUSTRY-FIRST FINANCING INITIATIVE TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES SECURE ‘GAME-CHANGING’ WIRELESS SOLUTIONS
AT&T Capital Services Provides Cash-Strapped Small Businesses With Loans For AT&T Wireless Devices, Wireless Data Plans, and Mobile Applications WASHINGTON, DC, Sept. 28, 2010 — With access to capital among their biggest challenges, cash-strapped small businesses got some good news today from AT&T*. Through its financing subsidiary, AT&T Capital Services, the company is now providing loans to small businesses looking to deploy new wireless solutions or upgrade existing ones. Cathy Martine, AT&T Executive Vice President – Small Business Solutions, AT&T Business Solutions, made the announcement during her keynote speech at the annual Women Impacting Public Policy Conference in Washington DC this morning. Until recently, AT&T Capital Services financing had focused on traditional wired communications solutions, including office phone systems and equipment, high speed Internet, maintenance and associated software. ―With more than 25 years experience in communications financing, we know the challenges that small businesses face and understand that today, perhaps more than ever before, access to capital is critical to sustaining their operations,‖ Martine said. ―Our goal is to provide small businesses with access to new options for funding game-changing wireless solutions, to help them innovate and grow and, ultimately, to serve as a catalyst to jumpstart this critical engine for U.S. economic recovery.‖ Since recently introducing wireless solutions financing, AT&T Capital Services has closed loans totaling several hundred thousand dollars, with deals totaling several million dollars in the pipeline. The organization finances transactions as small as $1,000 in support of organizations purchasing AT&T business solutions. AT&T Capital Services was established in 1984 to finance business customer purchases of AT&T products and services by converting onetime, upfront costs into monthly payments. To date, the organization has recorded more than $6 billion in contract originations for more than 5,000 commercial and municipal customers. Benefits of AT&T financing include: Minimal capital outlay – allows customers to avoid down payments and make easy monthly payments that fit their budgets Lifecycle management – minimizes risk of technological obsolescence Packaged solution – offers one-stop shopping and a simple contracting process Reliability –AT&T Capital Services does not sell its loans, holding and servicing them for their entire term Alternate source of credit to preserve bank credit line Competitive rates
“In recent months, we’ve made loans to small businesses to meet a variety of needs,” said Anthony Lewis, President of AT&T Capital Services, “ranging from smartphones and other mobile devices equipped with fleet management or GPS tracking applications to the rollout of netbooks and laptops embedded with mobile broadband and WiFi capabilities. Bottom line, AT&T is in a position to meet the communications needs of small businesses that are challenged by tight budgets.” Small businesses interested in finding out more about opportunities afforded by AT&T Capital Services, should contact their authorized AT&T Sales representative. If they don’t have an authorized AT&T representative, they can call 866-323-6955.
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Which Industries are Using Social Media – And Which Social Media Do They Use? by smallbiztrends on 09-08-2010 02:45 AM - last edited on 09-08-2010 02:45 AM
A common question among small businesses with limited budgets (that means most of us, right?) is where to allocate your online marketing budget. SEO? Social media? Blogging? Today there are so many choices it can be confusing. A recently-released report by Hubspot* may offer some guidance. The report took a look at 33 industries and determined where the online activity for a common keyword was for each industry – was it in search engines, on blogs or on social media? It turns out, there are some distinct differences, depending on the industry. According to the report, online activity is centered on:
Social media – for non-profits, consulting, oil, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, restaurants, transportation
Search engines – for travel, insurance, cell phones, banking, airlines, real estate, video games
Blogs – for government, the movies, music, fashion, marketing, healthcare
Another key issue the report looked at was which social media sites were used more for which industries. healthcare
Facebook – cell phone, movie, restaurant, travel
These are just some of the fascinating findings in the HubSpot report. However, don’t just take this data as gospel. As the report notes:
Continued on page 14...
Advertise your Business here!! For more information call the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce
(925) 634-3344
Page 10
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Your Elevator Pitch: Communicating Your Revenue Model is Key… by TonyaWilson on 09-09-2010 09:51 AM At our SBDC in Columbus, Ohio we occasionally run a contest called, “Pitch It!”. It’s an elevator pitch contest that gives budding entrepreneurs the opportunity to practice their pitch delivery in front of an audience and panel of business development judges. Everyone who hits our stage is excited to have a chance to talk about their business. The passion in their presentation is evident, but what usually is not is how the business will generate revenue. Here Michael Bowers* enlightens us on how to present a pitch the right way… You have a cool business idea. You are ready to move your business idea to a real business. You are ready to raise money to take your idea to the market. You're out there pitching, pitching and pitching your idea. Why aren't you getting money? Because you aren't telling the investor what they want to hear...How you are going to make money? Let me be clear, I know you are discussing the product, the market, the management team and projected financial statements (the standard stuff) but are you telling them...How you are going to make money? Put yourself on the other side of the presentation. What would you want to hear? What you wouldn't want to hear is how the entrepreneur thinks they'll make money. You don't want to hear generalities? You want to hear specifically what steps they plan to take to target, sell and close business. Here are a few things you can do to better articulate your intentions:
Focus on adding value: A couple of years ago I wrote a post called "Value Inflection Points"* where I discussed the concept of building value in your company by focusing on activities that build value in the business (it's real good, you should read it).
Focus on "execution-oriented" activities: Execution is more important than anything else. VC's will tell you that "A" teams with "B" ideas will beat "B" teams with "A" ideas. This is due to the "A" teams ability to execute.
Be specific: Don't talk in generalities. Be very specific in describing your plan to attack the market and get people to buy your product.
Pitch, don't beg: Think of this as a sales presentation because it is. You are pitching your ideas to investors to get them to buy into your company. Granted some investors are jerks but good investors that like your business will look to create a win-win for both them and you. Continued on page 15...
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September Mixer @ Apex Securities
The
Brentwood
Chamber of Commerce would like to Thank Apex Securities for
hosting
the
September
Mixer on September 16, 2010. We would also like to Thank th e
f oll ow in g
wonderful
for
raffle
the
prizes:
Brentwood Press, WineShop at Home, Apex Securities, Travis Credit
Union,
Regional
Parks,
East
Bay
CompuPay,
Brentwood Auto Spa, Kimberly Victor as well as the Chamber 50/50 Raffle. If you would like to contact
Apex
Securities
&
Asset Management for any Financial Advice or Investment and
Wealth
Management
please call (925) 516-2739 or you can find them at 8660 Brentwood Blvd. Ste. G in Brentwood.
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October Chamber Mixer Hosted By: Thursday, October 21, 2010 5:30pm to 7:30pm 470 Harvest Park Dr. Ste. A
*Always accepting donations for our Mixer Raffles* Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
C
raig and Christine McKnight, owners of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory opened their doors October of 2008 at the Streets of Brentwood and have been successful since the beginning. It wasn't until recent that the McKnight's, who have been together since they were 15 and 16 years old, were recognized for their true dedication and hard work that has kept their business being one of the most family oriented and fun places to walk into. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory had received an award for being named Rookie of the Year in 2008 for the first year of being in Business. The McKnight's received this award at their company's Bi-Annual National Convention in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Chamber congratulates Craig and Christine McKnight for their hard work and yummy Chocolate treats.
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Page 14 Continued from Page 9... Looking at Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube (which Hubspot says are the 4 largest social media sites), the report found that references to the following industries are more prevalent on certain social sites than others:
LinkedIn – consulting, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, advertising, banking, publishing
Twitter – oil, spa, insurance, hotel, lawyer, fashion
YouTube – video games, music,
"Do not simply look for the most active area for your industry and conclude that the optimal place to market is the most active space. As with many things in life, it is possible that great benefits can be accrued by following the less travelled path." Consider the report just one source of data. Use it as one input but not the only factor in your decisions about where and how to market online. Viewed that way – as helpful input but not the only input – it is very good information when developing your online marketing strategy and plans. For additional background, please also see my earlier post here at Business.gov Community: 10 Social Media Benchmark Statistics: How are You Doing?
nonsite.
*Note: Hyperlink directs reader to government Web
NEW MEMBERS Comforcare Home Care Michelle Garrigan 410 Beatrice Court, Suite C Brentwood, CA 94513 (925) 684-7113 Email: delta@comforcare.com Kaiser Permanente Ronald A. Wetter 200 Muir Road, Hacienda Building Martinez, CA 94553 (925) 372-1475 Email: Ronald.Wetter@kp.org Brentwood Regional Community Chest Lill Pierce 1066 Claremont Drive Brentwood, CA 94513 (925) 634-3216 Email: lillpierce@yahoo.com E-Z Ink Promotions Brandon Combs Brentwood, CA 94513 (925) 813-1784 Email: brandon4835@hotmail.com Vineyards at Marsh Creek Charleen Earley 1700 Trilogy Parkway Brentwood, CA 94513 (925) 809-7191 Email: Charleen.earley@trilogyresortliving.com
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Continued from page 11…
Get help: If this is your first time seeking funding do not go it alone, get some help. There are a number of free resources like the Small Business Development Centers* (click here to find your local SBDC*) or TechColumbus * (if you are in Central Ohio) that are charged with helping entrepreneurs succeed. You should also look at mentors and advisers that have been there, done that to provide you guidance.
Be flexible: Learn from every experience and apply it to your plan. You may start out on one path but through discussions with customers or investors you can gather valuable feedback on your product that may take you down a more profitable path. Be willing to listen to this advice and incorporate as appropriate.
Don't beat your head on the wall: This kind of goes along with the previous point but when something isn't working, don’t keep using it. I know a guy that has been pitching the same product since 2000 and he has never gotten any investment. His product was actually not too bad when he come up with it but due to his lack of willingness to change he missed his market window and he no longer has a viable product.
Don't focus on Percentage - focus on Dollars: In the war between investors and entrepreneurs many of the battles come down to valuation. You think your company is worth $20 million and the investor values it at closer to $2 million. What do you do? These difference in opinions can be the difference between selling 10% of your company and 40% of your company. Trust me you won't win this one but if you focus on working to reach a realistic valuation you can reach a level you are comfortable with. Look closely at where the company is really at today and what you need and when you need it to move your company from milestone to milestone. At each milestone what is happening and how is this impacting the value of the company? Work all of this through and bring it back to make a case for where you honestly think the valuation should be.
What's the bottom line?: I'm not talking about the company's financial bottom line, rather the big picture bottom line. Do you need the money? Are you clear to yourself how you are going to deploy the funds to build your business? If you need the money you have to get it. Don't engage in unnecessary confrontation over silly details. Work to build your case to get the investment.
Focus on sales and marketing, not the product: Revenue is what will drive value and get investors excited. Everything else is window dressing.
Seeking investment is a challenging process. The key is to put as much detail as you can into what you are going to do to drive revenue and valuation. If you do this and stay committed and diligent, your odds of success will increase dramatically.
Now that I have you thinking drop by the blogs of a few of my friends and consider their thoughts on this subject. Susan Solovic discusses how the professional presentation is key to attracting investors and Caron Beesley shares why your business needs an elevator pitch and how to stand out in the crowd. Happy reading!
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Page 16 IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS City of Brentwood
(925) 516-5400
Parks & Recreation
(924) 516-5444
Community Development
(925) 516-5405
Brentwood Library
(925) 516-5405
Police Non Emergency
(925) 634-6911
Fire Department
(925) 634-3400
Brentwood Aquatic Park
(925) 516-5430
Stop by the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce today for your very own copy of “Images of America Brentwood.” Cost: $21.65
Newspapers Brentwood Press
(925) 634-1441
Contra Costa Times
(925) 757-2525
Brentwood News
(925) 779-7120
The Brentwood Chamber of Commerce is now offering:
Transportation Tri Delta Transit
(925) 754-4040
Hotels Hampton Inn
(925) 513-1289
Holiday Inn Express
(800) 345-8082
Hospital Sutter Delta Medical Center
(925) 779-7200
John Muir Medical Center
(925) 308-8100
Theaters Delta Cinema
(925) 240-7370
Rave
(925) 809-0030
The Brentwood Clarion Brentwood Chamber of Commerce 8440 Brentwood Blvd., Suite C Brentwood, CA 94513
2010 California and Federal updated Labor Posters. Pick yours up today at 8440 Brentwood Blvd. Ste. C Paper Version: $23.00 Plastic Version: $39.00 Phone: 925-634-3344 Fax: 925-634-3731 Email: info@brentwoodchamber.com www.brentwoodchamber.com