Small-business owners learn fiscal survival skills
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
By JACK KATZANEK
The Press-Enterprise

Small-business owners often sense they're in a boat going upstream. In this year of tight budgets, no credit and too few customers, many have a feeling they don't even have the luxury of a paddle.

But many public officials and some private industry representatives say entrepreneurs are not as alone as they fear. There are numerous lifelines business owners don't know about that can help ease the pain, most of which are offered though local government.

Many of these agencies were present Wednesday at a Business Survival Workshop in Grand Terrace offered through San Bernardino County and the county's Workforce Investment Board. It is one of a series of events in Inland Southern California that introduces Inland business people to some of the resources that are available.

Some of the presenters are surprised how few business people are aware what's out there. For example, San Bernardino County buys some $450 million in goods and services every year, but a lot of the people running small businesses in the area don't know that getting on the county's vendor list is a relatively easy process and can pay big dividends.

"Whether it be getting access to government contracts or using government services, I think businesses are leaving money on the table," said Vincent McCoy, executive director of the Inland Empire Small Business Development Center.

There are about 133,000 firms in the two-county area with fewer than 100 employees, and about two-thirds of all new jobs in the Inland area are created by small businesses. That means county and city governments have a vested interest in these companies' survival, McCoy said.

The SBDC has done, for free, about 20 detailed assessments of small businesses, taking a look at the companies' work force, administrative skills and strategies before coming up with a prescription for improving their conditions. McCoy said it's the kind of assessment usually only big firms have the resources to afford.

Sandy Harmsen, executive director of the San Bernardino County Jobs and Employment Services Department, said an average of about 75 people have been attending the workshops.
"It does take a lot of courage for a business owner to come out and ask for help," Harmsen said.

Private industry also offered ideas and solutions. A representative from Southern California Gas Co. was on hand to point out that they offer rebates for companies that buy energy-efficient equipment. Other companies offer financial assistance to small businesses whose customers are in trouble and can't pay their bills.

Mimi Barre, owner of International Skin and Body Care in Redlands, said business is holding up well because people who are stressed about their finances need more massages, not fewer.

Barre has not had to lay off any of her 40 employees, but said she's "running leaner and meaner." She's using both sides of paper for internal memos, e-mailing instead of using the U.S. Postal Service and using the Internet for just about all her marketing and discounting.

"There is money to be made in this downturn," Barre said. "This is the time to get your business perking for the next 20 years."

Sally McGuire, president of Helping Hands Companion Care, a Grand Terrace firm that provides care for senior citizens, said the workshop made it easier to increase the company's visibility and get some answers.

"Every dollar counts now, and you don't have time to spin your wheels," McGuire said.