| Business Briefing
Jerry Boehm has been appointed vice president and manager of First Independent Bank's new community banking department. The department focuses on small business clients with lending needs of up to $2 million. Christie Rust has been promoted to director of sales and marketing for the Hilton Vancouver Washington. Rust, a certified meeting planner, will lead a team of five sales managers and has been part of the Hilton chain for 12 years. Diana Fitzpatrick has been appointed vice president and cash management officer for Riverview Community Bank. Fitzpatrick will team with commercial banking professionals, branch managers and asset management to help make customers more aware of the bank's cash management solutions. Jill Homme has been appointed chairwoman of the Board for Educational Opportunities for Children and Families.
TI Automotive's Marysville Plant Receives Small Business Award
TI Automotive's Marysville, Mich., plant has received a 2007 Thomas Edison Business Award from the Port Huron Hospital Foundation. The TI Automotive facility took top honors in the program's "small business" category, according to Bob Cook, plant manager. Thomas Edison Business Awards are presented in three categories: large business, small business and not-for-profit. Fifth Third Bank was the recipient in the "large business" category and "not-for-profit" honors went to Marwood Nursing and Rehab. .
State grants charter to Greensboro business bank
Greensboro is a step closer to getting its first business-only bank. The North Carolina Banking Commission has granted a charter to Premier Commercial Bank, a startup lender for small and medium-sized businesses. The bank said it expects to open in early 2008. Premier was founded by Frank Gavigan, a longtime Triad banker who was most recently senior credit officer at 1st State Bank in Burlington. It's joining a space that's become increasingly crowded in North Carolina since Raleigh's Paragon Commercial Bank became the state's first business-only bank in 1999. The Triad has yet to get in on the action, however, with most of the startups planting their headquarters in Charlotte or the Triangle. So far, Premier has raised more than $11 million in its initial stock offering, which began Aug.
UK Parliament Committee Scolds Chancellor Over Tax Plans
LONDON -(Dow Jones)- The U.K. government should have consulted more widely before announcing plans to change the capital gains tax and must now set out proposals to mitigate its effects on small businesses, a U.K. parliamentary committee report said Monday. "The changes to CGT will have an immediate impact on many individuals and businesses that have sought to plan ahead," said John McFall, chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, an influential group of U.K. members of parliament. "There is a window for meaningful consultation between now and the 2008 budget, and the Treasury needs to clearly establish terms for the consultation," he said. The criticism will add to mounting pressure on Chancellor Alistair Darling to shelve his controversial capital gains tax plans.
MoreBusiness.com Adds Over 100 Business Plans to Help Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses Boost Holiday Sales
MoreBusiness.com, a leading small business portal, launches the exclusive Small Business Holiday Resource Center where entrepreneurs can learn tips and ideas for boosting profits for the holidays. The new center adds 100 free business plans to its collection of more than 1,500 business how-to articles, including sample proposals and guides to starting and running a successful company. .
A doughnut shop's mission: Help military families in need
EVERETT -- John and Dee McCall could be traveling in a motor home, watching Nascar races around the country.
That and other retirement plans will wait for now, as the McCalls instead decided to open a small business with a cause.
Riverside Donuts & Deli opened in October in the College Plaza strip mall in north Everett. The shop features locally baked and daily- delivered fresh doughnuts, packaged muffins and sandwiches, along with fountain drinks and other snack fare. There's also free Wi-Fi access.
But most doughnut shops don't offer the added benefit that a portion of what you pay could help a military family someday.
The McCalls' modest shop is registered as a nonprofit business, with proceeds -- when there are some -- destined for the Chaplain's Fund, which assists military families in crisis.
Feds to revise immigration plan
U.S. labor, business and farm groups have convinced the White House to revise a planned crackdown on firms employing illegal immigrants.
The Bush administration has agreed to make unspecified changes to its plan to pressure employers to fire as many as 8.7 million workers with suspect Social Security numbers, The Washington Post reported Sunday.
The Bush administration Friday asked a federal judge in San Francisco to delay hearing a lawsuit brought by labor, business and agriculture until the revised plan is ready.
Those who brought the suit are not convinced, however, their objections will be met, including reducing the enormous cost of the plan to small businesses, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Vice President Randel K. Johnson said.
"I hope they give the employer community adequate time to comment and do not just jam it through during the holidays," Johnson said, "particularly given that this regulation covers all industries, across all sectors of the
economy."
Copyright 2007 by UPI .
Marketing ‘ABC’s’ for small businesses scheduled Dec. 3
Proven marketing tools and successful advertising techniques will boost a small business's bottom line. In a two-hour Business Basics workshop, "The ABC's of Marketing," participants can explore how to put these tools and strategies to use for their business.The Potomac Highlands Small Business Development Center will offer the workshop on Dec. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Bank of Romney Community Center, 95 E. Main St., Romney.Christina Lundberg, an SBDC manager, will show participants how to create a positive image in the minds of customers and how to communicate effectively with them. A four-step model to develop a successful marketing plan will lead participants to accomplish these goals and earn profits by convincing customers that your business knows exactly how to fulfill their needs.The workshop requires pre-registration by 11 a.m.
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