by Salt Lake Chamber

by Jeff Thredgold, CSP, President, Thredgold Economic Associates

Event Calendar

August
• 08/28/2008 ChamberWest Business Before Lunch Networking
• 08/28/2008 ChamberWest General Membership Meeting
• 08/28/2008 Westminster Professional Bachelor of Business Administration Lunch-N-Learn
• 08/30/2008 Belly Dance Workshop with award winning Sumra!

September
• 09/02/2008 Ask a Foster Parent Night
• 09/02/2008 UMA Sales Training
• 09/03/2008 Internet Marketing
• 09/03/2008 Partners In Business - Operational Excellence Seminar
• 09/03/2008 Legal Traps for the Unwary
• 09/03/2008 Top Five Mistakes When Raising Capital
• 09/03/2008 CEO Space Utah - Business Networking Meeting
• 09/04/2008 Start Smart
• 09/06/2008 1st Annual Memory Ride
• 09/06/2008 Hula Hooping Workshop (includes - performance grade - hula hoop)
• 09/08/2008 Utah Trade Mission to Japan and Malaysia

Today at Utah Pulse

The Beat: USANA Unveils Million Dollar Club Walk of Fame

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--USANA Health Sciences, Inc. today unveiled its Million Dollar Club Walk of Fame at the entrance of its Salt Lake City headquarters.
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The Beat: Unishippers Makes the 2008 Inc. 5000 List

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Unishippers Global Logistics, LLC has been included for the second year in a row in Inc. magazine’s Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. In addition, Unishippers’ Laredo, Texas-based franchise has again been included on the list for its outstanding growth since 2004. Both organizations are honored to be a part of the Inc. 5000, which is an extension of Inc. magazine’s annual Inc. 500 list.
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The Beat: Raser Technologies Adds 32,700 Acres to Its Geothermal Resource Portfolio

PROVO, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Raser Technologies, Inc. announced today that it has obtained seventeen new lease agreements covering approximately 32,700 acres of geothermal, surface and other rights in Central Utah.
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The Beat: AxisPointe Ranks No. 509 on 2008 Inc. 5000 List of Fast-Growth Companies

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Inc. today ranked AxisPointe No. 509 on its annual ranking of the 5000 fastest-growing private companies in the country. The list is the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy – America’s independent-minded entrepreneurs. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the U.S. economy.
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The Beat: College Interns Can Help Grow Your Business

Are you using college interns to help grow your business? They can be a great asset to your company. In fact, The Employers Council says hiring interns can help lower costs and bring fresh perspectives and new ideas to revitalize your business while building employment relationships with local colleges and universities. What’s more, employing interns can help your company build good will.
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The Beat: Sales Tip: How Effectively Do You Follow-Up?

The second greatest cause of lost sales is due to one fatal flaw in the sales process: poor follow-up. Three reasons sales people don’t follow up effectively include poor timing, technique and organization. Let me explain how you can double your sales by following up like professionals do.
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The Beat: HR Corner: Rising Fuel Costs and Flexible Schedules

A win-win solution to rising fuel costs may be to offer employees flexible schedules. Research indicates that flexible schedules may even help employees stay healthy! According to research published in The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, employees with flexible job schedules tend to have healthier lifestyles than those with less workplace freedom.
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The Beat: Business Tip: Using Colleges and Universities to Help Your Business

1. Volunteer your company to be a business school case study. You’ll learn much about your company in the process and get good ideas for the future.
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Business Tip: How To Set Up a Home-based Business

Home-based businesses are fast becoming a popular way to operate your small company, while reducing expensive start-up costs such as leasing space, lease hold improvements, utility and phone deposits and major office equipment. Thousands of people across the country are finding that working from home provides them with the advantages of earning an income with the flexibility to work when it is best for them and take care of family and other responsibilities that often arise throughout the work day. However, before starting your home-based business, consider the following advice:

Determine local and state requirements for licensing and zoning regulations. Be sure to check with your local zoning office to find out how the zoning regulations in your area may affect your business plans. Determine if your business requires any licenses and file the necessary forms.

Rent a post office box and use that address on your promotional mail and stationery, doing this will make it less obvious that you are working from home. The professional image you portray is very important to your clientele.

Install a phone line in your home dedicated to your business.
Use an answering machine for incoming business calls.
Organize your work space with great care. Make sure that you have sufficient space to meet your needs.

When scheduling appointments with clients, consider meeting at your client's office or renting a conference room to maintain a professional image.

Establish contacts with your competitors and join associations pertinent to your business. Have your clients suggest possible new clients and ask if they will recommend you.

Keep excellent records of entertainment and travel expenses. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tends to audit home-based businesses more frequently—especially when they are writing off a variety of expenses, including the percentage of the mortgage or rent for your office space. There are several good record keepers such as Day Timer®, Franklin Quest® and Day Planner that will help you keep track of your expenses. Your accountant, a CPA is recommended, can advise you on deductions you can take and records you must keep for the IRS.

And above all, put some of your earnings into a savings account for those times when your business is in a slump . . . and it will happen.

Discipline yourself. You must be a self-starter and follow a routine, just as if you were working for any other business. In many cases, you are the only person you can rely on to get the job done. Unless it's an emergency, do not baby-sit or chat with your neighbors.




(Source: SCORE )

Lighter Side: Did you ever notice?

When you put the two words "The" and "IRS" together it spells "THEIRS".

Coincidence?

(Source: My Humor )

Today in Business History: Aug 28

1922: The first radio commercial aired on WEAF in New York City. It was a 10-minute advertisement for the Queensboro Realty Co., which had paid $100.

1947: Legendary bullfighter Manolete was mortally wounded by a bull during a fight in Linares, Spain; he died the following day.

2002: Prosecutors indicted WorldCom executives Scott Sulivan and Buford Yates Jr. in connection with the company's collapse. Both later pleaded guilty to criminal fraud.

(Source: NY Times )

Wise Words

"Ask five economists and you'll get five different answers - six if one went to Harvard".
-- Edgar R. Fiedler
(Source: Brainy Quote )