Businesses Get Good News For New Year

  • Paul Sipple from the Kern Microenterprise Opportunity Program and Diane Howerton from the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will be at the Holiday Inn Express (in Lebec) for a meeting at noon, Thursday, Jan. 21 with Mountain Community business owners. All are encouraged to attend the free meeting to learn about resources available to local businesses from a wide variety of sources.

    Paul Sipple from the Kern Microenterprise Opportunity Program and Diane Howerton from the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will be at the Holiday Inn Express (in Lebec) for a meeting at noon, Thursday, Jan. 21 with Mountain Community business owners. All are encouraged to attend the free meeting to learn about resources available to local businesses from a wide variety of sources.

January 21 Meeting at Holiday Inn Express

After a tough 2009 business year, the cavalry is on the way to help mountain businesses with funding, consulting and free workshops in 2010.

The Mountain Enterprise has resumed the Synergy Summit workshops, joining forces with the Mountain Communities Chamber of Commerce and the Pine Mountain Village Merchants Association to invite federal, state and county resource groups to come to inform mountain businesses about lowand no-cost funding, free workshops and free private management consulting.

On Thursday, Jan. 21 at noon a brain trust of resource people will be here at the brand new Holiday Inn Express to meet mountain business owners and managers who want to learn about the varieties of resources available.

To name two, Paul Sipple from Kern County will discuss low- and no-interest loans to help small business with the cash flow crunch that most small businesses have experienced in 2009.

Diane Howerton, Director for the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Regional Network, will be here from U.C. Marin to take the next step in working with local business owners to establish an SBDC satellite office here in the Mountain Communities. Howerton suggests, “a working meeting about details, workshops, schedules and consulting arrangements.” She is actively assisting in the effort to develop cash match funding for the satellite office operations right here in the mountain area.

Meanwhile, SBDC workshops are already beginning in Bakersfield. The first free workshop is January 14 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. on human resources and California labor laws. “Numbers Count: Why Size Makes a Difference in Which Laws Apply to Your Business” will be held at UC Center, 2000 K Street in Bakersfield, 3rd floor ( in the Provost Room). The facilitator is Jay L. Rosenlieb who has over 20 years of experience in all facets of labor and employment law and vast experience in counseling employers on wage and hour issues, termination policies, discrimination, leaves of absence, and employment contracts. Call (877) 826-7232 to enroll. There is no charge.

This is part of the January 01, 2010 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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