Submitted by Liisa Sjoblom
Avoid time-consuming and costly mistakes by learning from someone who’s “been there, done that.” Continuing April 5, 2016, SCORE business counselors will be available every Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for free one-on-one small business counseling in the Second Floor Tutor Room of the Downtown Bend Library. Individuals who operate or wish to start small businesses can discuss business planning, organization and start-up, finance, marketing and other critical business issues with SCORE volunteers in private, confidential sessions. No appointment necessary.
SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and helping small businesses start, grow, and succeed nationwide. They are a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and have been mentoring small business owners for more than 40 years. For more information about Central Oregon SCORE please visit www.scorecentraloregon.org.
Session Dates:
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
The people spoke, and the City listened.
After hearing complaints from business owners at the Sept. 4 City Council meeting, the City announced Friday it will re-open the intersection of Galveston Avenue and Riverside Boulevard on Sept. 17.
10 Barrels Brewery partner Garret Wales told the Council the poorly publicized closure of the Galveston Bridge was having a dramatic effect on business.
Les Schwab could be on the hook for millions of dollars in fines after a jury in Portland decided today that the company failed to appropriately compensate assistant managers for overtime work.
The Bend-based tire company pushed its assistant managers to work an average of 66 hours per week without receiving overtime pay, the jury ruled. Oregon’s wage laws require employers to pay workers time and a half for work outside of a standard 40-hour work week.
Leadership at Les Schwab has asserted that this law did not apply to assistant managers and they will appeal today’s verdict, according to statement released by the company.
Les Schwab is the second Oregon company in the news this week for alleged violations of labor-related laws. Typhoon! closed all five of its restaurants and all other aspects of its business last weekend after Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industry filed charges against the company for its treatment of employees recruited from Thailand.
A determination of the amount Les Schwab owes to the more than 200 assistant managers involved in the legal action should be paid in the coming months.
Bank of the Cascades announced Thursday that it is pledging to make a billion dollar's worth of loans to small businesses and other customers in its Oregon and Idaho markets over the next three years.
New CEO Terry Zink, who recently took over the leadership of the Bend-based Bank from longtime CEO Patti Moss, said in a press release that the decision to commit to the aggressive lending strategy was based on the bank’s belief that increased lending is key to the region’s economic recovery.
“We know that business lending creates jobs and strengthens our local ecomonies. As a community bank, that’s exactly what we do. We invest in our communities and the people who live here,” Zink said in a press release.
Like other banks in the region, and across the country, BOTC was heavily hit by the housing collapse and flirted with insolvency just a few years ago. However, a successful stock sale has left the bank well capitalized and ready to lend, according to Zink.
However, the company is still dealing with so-called toxic assets and reported a $54 million loss in the third quarter because of charge offs related to non-performing loans (defaults). The company's stock closed at $5.47 yesterday, down from a 52 week high of $12.58, but above the low of $3.50
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