Photo by Hung T. Vu
Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight T. Frank Smith with his works in the background at a recent conference in Anderson. Smith started his photography business about three years ago. He mounts a camera to his wheelchair and connects the camera to a laptop computer.
Photo by Hung T. Vu
photos by Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight Teresa Oliver of Chico (right) talks to BJ Christenson while looking at Christenson's artwork during a recent conference. Christenson uses her foot to paint her artwork.
Photo by Hung T. Vu
A close-up of artwork by BJ Christenson at the conference.
The business owner of Flowers for You since 2007, Dyvonne Washington takes pride in creating still flower arrangements and floral hair pieces, as well as floral pens and pencils.
"Every year my business grows," said Washington, of Palo Cedro. "I want to encourage others with my own positive attitude so they will believe in themselves. I want others to see hard work pays off."
Washington is among nine adults with developmental disabilities involved with Adventures in Business, a program offered through the We Care A Lot Foundation that began in 2006.
"People with developmental disabilities want to work just like you and I," said Katherine Bogue, Adventures in Business coordinator. "Many have a dream of finding a job where they can get off public benefits such as SSI."
Adventures in Business serves people with developmental disabilities in the nine-county catchment area of the Far Northern Regional Center, a fixed point of reference for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
The center is one of 21 nonprofit regional centers in California funded by the California Department of Developmental Disabilities.
"Adventures in Business offers adults with developmental disabilities an opportunity to be self-employed through owning a microenterprise," said Tammy Torum, executive director of the We Care A Lot Foundation. "The business owners have the opportunity to show off their amazing gifts and talents while doing work they love, and hopefully, to make enough money to make to raise their standard of living."
The program involves a business mentor who helps the business owner, as well as a bookkeeper who maintains records for the business owners and helps file and pay taxes.
"Mentors help business owners write business plans and do whatever is necessary to start the business," Bogue said. "After the business is started, mentors teach the business owners how to operate their businesses."
Mentors must have successfully conducted a similar or same business as the one that the business owner they support is conducting. "For example, we have many artists and the mentors hired to support them are artists themselves who sell their art," Torum said.
In Washington's case, she said: "My business mentor, Kathleen Leyden, takes me to shows, helps me prepare flower arrangements, teaches me new techniques and design ideas, and helps with marketing and customer service skills. One thing I am very proud of is that I have created and coordinated an annual Valentine sales event that is held in Palo Cedro."
Washington was inspired to start her business by attending flower shows. "I found that I really enjoyed working with flowers." With that, "my Far Northern Regional Center Service coordinator referred me to We Care A Lot Foundation and their Adventures in Business program," she said.
Looking back on her endeavor so far, "I get great joy in sharing the beauty of flowers with others," Washington said. "My flower arrangements and positive attitude bring smiles to people's faces."
Jack Reyes, of Yreka, owner of Jack's Works, has been involved with Adventures in Business for two years.
"I specialize in abstract art," Reyes said. "I feel I can be a successful business owner. Success means creating art, selling my art at art shows, meeting new people, especially people who paint, and talking to others about art. I want to work my way up the ladder."
Reyes' ultimate goal is "to be a successful painter. I want to make people happy through my art." Through Adventures in Business "I am motivated to work harder. I am aware that there is more for me to do and learn about art and being a successful business owner. I am proud of what I am doing. I create good art that makes people happy."
Other adults involved with the program — ranging from 20 to 50 years old — include Rebekah Amick of Life Art, Marie Blair of Paintings by Marie Blair, TJ Bryant of TJ's Creations, BJ Christianson of BJ's Art Studio, T. Frank Smith of TF Smith Photography, Coby Walters of Pine Meadow Photography and Naomi Rose of Artwork by Naomi Rose.
"People with disabilities are just like everyone else, they want to work, have families and friends, live where they choose, have a sense of belonging and to make a positive difference in the world," Torum said. "They enjoy the same rights as everyone else does, but sadly, there are so many negative stereotypes about them and this often prevents them from having the same opportunities that other adults enjoy."
The ultimate goal "is for the business owners to have meaningful work that they are proud of and to make enough money to make a positive difference in their lives," Bogue said. "We also hope that people in the community will meet these business owners, and change their perceptions of people with developmental disabilities."
For more information about Adventures in Business, call 223-7771 or go to www.wecarealot.org.
Swiss investigate Syrians, Libyans over money-laundering - trust.org
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ZURICH, May 20 (Reuters) - The Swiss state prosecutor said on Sunday it had opened criminal proceedings against Syrian and Libyan citizens on suspicion of money laundering. Jeannette Balmer, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor, said Swiss authorities had ...Airtel Money Market’ Launched - GhanaHomePage
Business News of Sunday, 20 May 2012
Source: Daily Guide
To add value to its mobile commerce product, Airtel Ghana has launched an online store for the marketing and sale of goods.
The new online portal, (www.airtelmoneymarket.com), will allow Ghanaians to use social interactions and contributions from trusted individuals to buy online goods.
It also enables merchants to have multiple outlets in addition to opening a virtual store and stocking it with goods for sale.
The product, which runs on Rancard’s Rendezvous technology, will provide customers, who visit the portal with the opportunity to window shop as well as compare prices from different merchants from the comfort of their homes or offices.
Speaking at the ceremony in Accra, Philip Sowah, Managing Director of Airtel Ghana, said the addition of the online store to the company’s mobile commence product is in line with the company’s quest to introduce innovative products, which customers will find beneficial to their daily lives.
“The Airtel money market is just another addition to the many other packages we have added since the launch of Airtel Money,” he said.
Kola Sonola, Director for M-Commence at Airtel Ghana, explaining how Airtel money works, said the process involves purchasing through recommendations on a regular social commence website.
“When a user checks out of the virtual store after making all their purchases, they receive an SMS message asking for a confirmation of the order and payment of amount.
“Once the user selects send, the money is transferred to the retail vendor, and the user receives another text message with a purchase code.
He said the purchase code will then be used to pick their order from the merchant.
Managing Director of Rancard, Kofi Dadzie said the Airtel Money Market provides a burgeoning market that could be energized to create high demand in online shopping through social recommendations.
Small-business director: Lack of capital still hindering start-ups - Orlando Sentinel
CFB: What are some of the challenges facing small businesses in this region?
I think — and this is not just for Central Florida — nationally, I think, access to capital is an apparent issue and it has not been eased at all. Some small-business owners were able to utilize their home equity or some equities they had, but they don't have such equity anymore. That's why access to capital is a huge hindrance. So unless you're kind of self-sufficient, to grow businesses and expansion of a business, which requires capital — that is a big issue.
CFB: What can the Small Business Development Center do to help?
We have various special programs. Our center's mission is really to provide small businesses with the necessary tools and resources to help them maximize their growth within means. Under the current circumstances, we try to help them provide in-depth health checks so that they can see where they are standing and what kind of areas of improvement they should make. When the economy turns the corner, that means that they can come out stronger and gain enough muscle to grow their companies. We have a CEO XChange program that is peer coaching, and with the [federal] jobs bill we were able to roll out last year Growth Acceleration Services, and that is a good program specifically designed to help second-stage companies, and we do very in-depth financial analysis, strategy planning, market analysis. … With our in-depth assistance, eventually they can have better access to capital eventually — that's our goal.
CFB: You honored the Kimball Cos. at this year's Small Business Week luncheon. What did the SBDC do to help that company grow?
We did very thorough feasibility analysis upfront. And then he started his own business and through trial and error — he kind of went through some hardship, but yet he found his own niche and then he continued to grow his company. And lately, especially once he became bigger, I connected him and introduced him to our CEO XChange program, which he was very interested in participating in. … And once he participated, he fell in love. …This year, we connected him with the Growth Acceleration Services. … We have a lot of successful, long-term clients, and I am very fortunate to witness their growth. And that's why I've stayed in this profession for this many years.
CFB: What's your advice for someone thinking of starting a business?
Come to see us, because these are no-cost resources, and we can help them start to grow and succeed. And we can provide them with an unbiased, third-party, objective opinion. And we are not paid, so actually we can provide them with very thorough, objective opinions — and sometimes, that can help them make a go or no-go decision. More than 40-60 percent of small-business owners, they would fail within two years because of lack of planning. But with us, they can tighten up their planning process, and that can increase their likelihood of success.
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