North Bay Business Journal

John Sawyer, Santa Rosa councilman: Making it ‘the city that can’

SANTA ROSA – John Sawyer, a fourth generation Santa Rosa native whose family came to Sonoma County in the 1890s, has served on the Santa Rosa City Council since 2004.

Brian Sobel, Sobel Communications: State needs to be more business friendly

Attracting new business in a tough economic climate, along with retaining our core businesses in the face of competition from out of the area, including from other states, many of which are actively recruiting in California.

Tom Duryea, CEO, Summit State Bank: Making the most of a very special place

Increasingly, I see the more and more economic vitality from those businesses that are more lifestyle oriented. Sonoma County is becoming increasingly driven and transformed by individuals seeking a piece or being part of our unique lifestyle. Sonoma County has so much to offer, with our premium wineries, local produce and quality food, good climate and even our appealing cycling culture that is among the best of the world. Tourists are coming in increasing numbers to spend time in Sonoma County. We are attracting many who are moving here full-time to experience the bounty that makes up Sonoma County.

SMART will be a jobs engine for the North Bay

When voters of Marin and Sonoma approved SMART in 2008 to fund a passenger rail line between Sonoma and Marin Counties, they did so with substantial support from the business community. Why? Because business leaders in the North Bay recognized that SMART is good for the economy of the North Bay.

We never stop fighting the same battles, but we can do so more skillfully

The magical mystery tour continues with another retrospective about some of the subjects covered in my first 100 columns … seriously? … the “first 100”? (Is that a threat or a promise?)

Food bank building purchase ‘necessary and historic endeavor’

A couple days after the papers reported that the Redwood Empire Food Bank is purchasing a larger warehouse for $5 million, I opened my email to find a subject line reading, “Extravagant Expansion.” The message came from a generous donor who questioned how much of his donation is actually going to food bank programs for hungry people and how much is gong to buy a new building.

Want something to pass along or sell? You’d better insure it

Many business owners consider their biggest assets to include tangible items such as: buildings, inventory, vehicles, etc. However, it is the owners and key employees that are the most valuable and impactful to the company’s bottom line. What would happen to the company should an owner employee become disabled, want to retire or have an untimely death? How can you protect your business’s most valuable asset? The answers to these questions must be part of your overall risk management.

Santa Rosa use-permit policy needs streamlining

There are hundreds of factors involved in coordinating our community’s efforts to continue to develop an economic environment that is powerful, accelerating, and moving forward. We all want innovative ideas and efficient programs that will positively affect and empower Sonoma County’s economic engine.

New California short-sale law can help homeowners

Short sales are increasing as a percentage of home sales, according to recent industry statistics. It’s not surprising since a successful short sale enables the distressed homeowner to sell her home for market value — even if it’s less than the loans against it — with lender consent, and move forward without a foreclosure on her record. Better yet, Fannie Mae has stated that you will be able to obtain a home loan five years earlier if your exit strategy is a short sale instead of a foreclosure.

Three Strategies to Selecting Winning Accounting Software

The main aim of any accounting software is its use as a business management tool in assessing the fiscal health of one’s business. For business owners, selecting the right accounting software means the ability to post transactions in a way that’s meaningful to your business. This translates into greater clarity into financial results and the ability to create operational reports that help managers run the business.

Licensed private fiduciary an option for estates

In a recent article I outlined the importance of selecting a trustee and gave several ideas for making that very important decision. Some options were using a family member, a bank or a trusted advisor who already has a relationship established like an accountant or attorney. Another option well-deserving of a separate article is that of using a California Licensed Private Fiduciary as trustee. While this industry has been around for decades, licensing requirements and professional associations for fiduciaries have arisen in the last five to 10 years, adding additional assurances to the field.

Sustaining our manufacturing sector is critical

The inaugural North Bay Business Journal Manufacturing Awards event on July 19 demonstrated how important manufacturing is to our North Bay economy. It also highlighted the challenges these companies face. The business community must come together to support and help sustain and grow these businesses, many of which have been operating here successfully for generations.

Does economic volatility and market change signal opportunity for start-ups?

An article in the Wall Street Journal entitled “Shrinking in a Bad Economy: America’s Entrepreneur Class” recently caught my attention. The author asked whether or not the damage done by our weak economy would have a long-lasting effect and thus discourage the next generation of entrepreneurs.

For Proposition 65 bounty hunters, time to tame them

When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?” asked the great economist John Maynard Keynes.

Much has changed since California voters approved Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. Twenty-five years later, the facts about the law’s enforcement mechanism – and some very jarring statistics – make a strong case that the time has come for some common-sense reform.

Getting your staffing levels right for stability and growth

From July 2007 the market went south until March 2009, then bounced for six months until September 2009 and since then it has continued to rise at a modest pace but with major spikes caused by political and economic bumps along the way. In fact, today many people feel that there is a disconnect between the market and the economy with the gradual rise being because of emerging markets and commodities.

‘Green jobs’ are not a panacea for California’s economy

During a recent California Energy Commission proceeding on our clean energy goals, it was recommended that job creation be included as a metric for measuring the success of clean energy policies. This will only be meaningful if we count all the jobs that will be lost as a result of a policy. Therefore our job creation goal, and the metric to measure it, should only count net new jobs.

Commentary: Bad HR habits and the ‘tsunami’

This month, June 2011, we are starting to see signs of some economic recovery. It’s time to re-evaluate your risks and determine how the recovery will impact your business.

Commentary: Our economy depends on healthy non-profits

At the recent 2011 North Bay Economic Outlook breakfast event hosted by Bank of Marin, I was joined by Robert Eyler, economics department chair at Sonoma State University and interim CEO of Marin Economic Forum and Jared Huffman, 6th District Assembly Member representing Marin and Southern Sonoma counties.

Commentary: California deserves a real plan for economic growth

Earlier this month, I testified before the Assembly Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy Committee in support of AB 29 by Assembly Speaker John Perez. AB 29 would create a state economic development entity within the governor’s administration and has the potential of being the most significant piece of legislation in the last ten years. It could create the structure to jump start California’s job creation machine. But we have to get it right.

Commentary: Reflections on 30 years in trust services

March 23 marked my 30th anniversary working in trust departments. A great many things have changed over the years. From a technological standpoint, I experienced the transition from typewriters and word processers to desktop computers, the internet, cell phones and social networks. From an investment standpoint, securities have proliferated with a myriad of derivatives, futures, Collateralized Mortgage Obligations, and Credit Default Swaps to name a few.