chamberu magazine 9, 2011

ChamberUSeptember 2011ChamberU.biz Business Success Begins With the Chamber and You

Allan Zoghby

Owner

Zoghby’s Blueberry Mountain

Ice Cream

7 Tips to Pump

up Your

Productivity

Are you

Projecting

an Organized

Image?

10 Ways to

Promote Your

Business With

QR Codes

SPONSORS

Printed by Westfair Business Publications for the Orange County

Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurial Assistance Program

Only $297 when you enroll by 1/25/12

A 10 week accelerated business course is being offered for starting your own business, or growing

your existing business, that is partially funded by a grant from the Empire State Development

Entrepreneurial Assistance Program and the Orange County Chamber of Commerce.

This program is now being offered to individuals in Orange, Sullivan, Ulster,

Dutchess, Rockland and Westechester counties.

Your key to financial success!

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You may qualify to take this course:

R If you are a minority, a woman, or disabled

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R If you’re looking for funding to expand your existing business

R If you are looking for funding to start a new business

You’ll learn:

R 5 steps for starting your own business

R Advanced advertising & marketing strategies

R Using the Internet to attract customers

R How to create a winning business plan

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R How to organize your business for success

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All students are eligible to apply for funding up to $70,000 through our Mid-Hudson Loan Fund. Additional funding through traditional lenders as well as SBA backed loans.

The Entrepreneurial Assistance Program (EAP) is a 20 session, 60 hour program held over a 10 week period. Classes are held at the Orange County Chamber of Commerce Business Resource Center.

Classes meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 6pm to 9pm starting January 31, 2012.

ChamberU.b iz 1 September 2 011

Your Orange County Chamber of Commerce or more than 125 years, the

Orange County Chamber of

Commerce has worked on behalf

of businesses in Orange County

and the Hudson Valley. Our commit-

ment is deep: the average tenure of

staff members is 16 years; President

Dr. John A. D’Ambrosio has led this

Chamber for nearly 30 years and is the

senior Chamber execu�ve in New York

State; in 2007, the Chamber

constructed and moved into a new

20,000 SF facility, complete with

mee�ng rooms for members, as well

as a Small Business Resource Center

that provides free SCORE counseling,

as well as a new Entrepreneurial Assis-

tance Program funded by a grant from

New York State. We also offer two

revolving loan funds for small busi-

nesses.

The above -- and more -- enable the

Orange County Chamber to consis-

tently deliver excep�onal programs

and services not only to our members,

but to the community in general. Part-

nerships with other organiza�ons are

vital to the Chamber ’s mission, and

the results of these alliances have

dis�nguished the Orange County

Chamber locally, statewide and

na�onally.

Recognizing that businesses want to

be environmentally-conscious, the

Chamber recently launched a program

that enables members to become

cer�fied as sustainable. Partnering

with Greenopia, a na�onal leader in

green-rated brands and services, and

the local community college, the

Chamber makes it possible for mem-

bers to receive cer�fica�on as sustain-

able and to be promoted as such.

The Chamber is a key partner with the

105th Air Na�onal Guard and MAG-49

Marines units sta�oned at Stewart

Interna�onal Airport in Orange

County. Every three years, the Cham-

ber leads the business community

in hos�ng a Military Apprecia�on

Picnic for 6,000 ANG and Marines

servicemen and women and theirfami-

lies. The Chamber also coordinates an

annual Civic Leaders Tour in conjunc-

�on with the 105th ANG, bringing

local business and community leaders

to key military installa�ons around the

country to enhance their understand-

ing of our military.

Advocacy for business-friendly legisla-

�on has been a key element in the

Chamber ’s program of work for many

years, but never more so than recently

as we’ve all faced difficult economic

�mes and growing an�-business poli-

cies from Albany. Recognizing the

business community ’s need for pro-

ac�ve government rela�ons, two staff

members are registered as NYS lobby-

ists. Supported by an ac�ve Govern-

ment Ini�a�ves Commi�ee, the Cham-

ber is front and center on all issues

that affect the business community.

We are an ac�ve par�cipant in all of

The Business Council of New York

State’s e-advocacy programs.

For 19 years, the Chamber has hosted

the region’s largest business-to-

business trade show, in recent years

dona�ng the admission profits to local

chari�es. For more than a decade, we

have partnered with the Orange

County United Way to present the

county ’s largest golf ou�ng, again

dona�ng some of the proceeds to local

non-profit organiza�ons.

Another key Chamber partnership is

with the local daily newspaper, which

publishes the Chamber ’s monthly

newsle�er, The Business Viewpoint.

With a circula�on of more than

60,000, the publica�on provides

extraordinary promo�on for member

businesses.

We’re addressing the needs of

younger businessmen and women

through our dynamic Young Profes-

sionals group. These YPs have been

very ac�ve in developing a successful

workshop series on social media and

its implica�ons in today’s business

world.

The key message to our members is,

“Working together, we will succeed.”

Recognizing that difficult �mes o�en

bring out the best in people, it has

been the Orange County Chamber ’s

mission to help our members look

beyond the difficul�es and focus on

the new possibili�es for success on

the other side. Our programs and

services have reflected that mission

for over a century and they will

con�nue to do so.

ChamberU Magazine and The Entre-

preneurial Assistance Program are just

the latest examples of the Chamber

establishing programs to meet the

ever-growing needs of our members

and the business community.

F

Edison R. Guzman, Carol Smith and Chamber President , Dr. John A. D’Ambrosio

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EAP Welcomes New Program Manager

ne of the first graduates of

the Entrepreneurial

Assistance Program offered

through the Orange County

Chamber of Commerce is now

Manager of the program.

Cynthia Marsh-Croll, who is Presi-

dent of Croll Produc�ve Synergy,

became the new EAP Manager in

August, succeeding Edison

Guzman, who will con�nue as an

EAP consultant and instructor.

The EAP Manager is responsible

for oversight of the program,

coordina�ng instructors, imple-

men�ng the curriculum and

repor�ng to New York State (EAP

is par�ally funded by a grant from

the Empire State Development

EAP program).

In the fall of 2009, Marsh-Croll

had been running her consul�ng

business for about five and a half

years. Her exper�se is streamlin-

ing businesses, enabling them to

operate be�er, faster and

cheaper than the compe��on. At

that �me, though, she had

rebranded Croll Produc�ve Syn-

ergy, deciding to take it in a

different direc�on. “I outgrew my

business plan,” she explains.

“ Taking my business in a different

direc�on and signing up for EAP

were both good decisions.”

Marsh-Croll graduated from EAP

in January 2010.

The fall series of EAP classes

begins on September 19. Another

round will start in January 2012.

Average class sizes is about 20. To

date, 67 individuals have gone

through the program. In addi�on

to helping exis�ng and start-up

businesses, EAP assists busi-

nesses that want to be cer�fied as

Minority or Woman-owned Busi-

ness Enterprises (MWBE).

Technical workshops are also

scheduled which are intended to

help students on a one-to-one

basis. The first of these work-

shops will be presented by Kim

Petro McCrum on October 15

from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Open to

the public, the workshop will

focus on small business finances

(accoun�ng, bookkeeping, Quick-

Books, etc.). Visit

www.OrangeNyEap.com for more

informa�on.

OBy Ellen Willoughby Daley, Vice President, Communica�ons, Orange County Chamber of Commerce

Cynthia Marsh-Croll

ChamberU is printed by Wes!air Business Publica"ons Custom Publishing Division

on behalf of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce

30 Sco�’s Corners Dr., Montgomery, NY 12549

Tel: (845) 457-9700 Fax: (845) 457-8799 Web: OrangeNY.com and ChamberU.biz

To adver�se in ChamberU Magazine, go to ChamberU.biz or call Edison Guzman at (845) 940-5369.

Front cover: Allan Zoghby of Zoghby’s Blueberry Mountain Ice Cream

Credits to: Edison Guzman, Ellen Daley, Daniel Rea O’Brien, and all contribu�ng experts to this publica�on.

This publica�on is par�ally funded by a grant from the Empire State Development Entrepreneurial Assistance Program,

and The Orange County Chamber of Commerce. Learn more at ChamberU.biz.


Ice Cream Grows in Orange County

Allan Zoghby of Blueberry

Mountain Ice Cream Inc.

Blueberry Mountain Ice cream

Inc, has been in business since

1985 and has had business suc-

cess over the years in the Walkill

area of Orange County, NY.

Allan joined the EAP program in

order to create a business plan

that would get no�ced by lend-

ers, due to the credit crunch most

business owners are experienc-

ing.

A�er gradua�on, he submi�ed a

winning business plan to the

Mid-Hudson Valley Loan Fund,

and was approved for funding.

He was able to use the funds to

add new lines of services, new

products, and hire addi�onal em-

ployees to help deliver his ser-

vices.

Blueberry Mountain Ice cream is

a community ins�tu�on that

offers ice cream and other food

services in addi�on to off-site

catering that allows him to

expand his business and increase

revenue.

You may have tasted his home

made ice cream over the years. If

you have, you’ll know why people

love it.

Blueberry Mountain Ice Cream is

located at 655 Route 17M Middle-

town. Call him at (845) 283-7200

Chad M. Wade, R.L.A.

LandArch Studios, Inc.

Chad is Licensed and Registered

with the New York State Board of

Educa�on to Prac�ce Landscape

Architecture and holds a Bach-

elors Degree in Landscape Archi-

tecture from the State University

of New York College of Environ-

mental Science and Forestry in

associa�on with Syracuse Univer-

sity.

Chad is no stranger to the land-

scape industry, drawing on expe-

rience of over ten (10) years

working in the maintenance and

construc�on side of the industry

and over five (5) years in design

and consulta�on.

He a�ended the 10 week EAP pro-

gram and graduated in December,

2010. However, he waited un�l

August, 2011 to incorporate Lan-

dArch Studios, PLLC due to a con-

flict of interest with his then,

exis�ng employer.

Chad was also approved for busi-

ness funding through the NYS

MidHudson Revolving Loan Fund

offered to graduates of the pro-

gram.

He has implemented what he has

learned by networking with

Steve Wagner of Wagner Land-

scaping, an EAP classmate.

Chad wants everyone to know

that “landscape architects is a

valuable tool to u�lize for any

aspect of a project. From as li�le

as picking plants, to variances,

approvals and permits.”

He is dedicated to ensuring that

the Hudson Valley con�nues to

grow and prosper, while being

conscious of the environmental

impact associated with this

growth. He is passionate about

reducing his carbon footprint,

and is an advocate for buying

local. Call him at (845) 216-0623.

A Sustainable Na!ve Twist to the Built Environment

4 ChamberU.b iz September 2 011

10 Ways to Promote Your Business With QR Codes

hat are QR Codes?

A QR Code (Quick

Response) is a mobile

phone readable barcode that's

been big in Japan for years, pen-

etrated Europe a while back, and

is now ge�ng trac�on in the USA.

A QR Code can contain a phone

number, a web site address, an

SMS message, V-Card data or just

plain alphanumeric text. You

simply use a scanning device

(smart phone with the right app)

and it will respond by opening up

the correct applica�on to handle

the encoded data.

Here is a sample: (scan this with

your smart phone. If you don't

have an app, go to the App store

or Android market and download

a free QR Reader)

Why are QR codes so popular?

Consider these sta�s�cs:

• 1.2 bill ion mobile phones were

sold in 2009

• 314.7 million phones were sold

in January to March 2010 alone.

54.3 mill ion were smart phones.

19% of all phones sold are now

smart phones

• In 2010 mobile subscribers sur-

passed 5 bill ion. The world popu-

la�on is 6.8 bill ion.

• Over 70% of the world's popula-

�on now have mobile phones.

• In the U.S., 9 out of 10 of every

man, woman and child have a

phone.

• One in ten people have a

second phone that is kept secret

from other family members.

• Apple has sold almost 60 mil-

l ion iPhones world wide, while

Google’s Android OS is growing at

886% year on year and now ac�-

va�ng over 160,000 devices a day,

across 60 devices in over 49

countries. And at that rate,

Android will come from behind to

overtake Apple as the leading

smart phone OS in 2011.

• In 2009, $4.2 bill ion was spent

on apps. It is es�mated to grow to

$29.5 bill ion by 2013.

• The most common data applica-

�on is SMS (Text Messaging). By

the end of 2010 over 6.5 tril l ion

messages will have been sent.

(Most of them by my daughter).

• In the future, more people will

connect to the Internet via phone

than a PC.

See source of these sta�s�cs at

d i g i t a l b u z z b l o g . c o m / m o b i l e -

sta�s�cs-2011-growth-of-mobile

Now that you know the power of

the QR code, here are 10 ways to

use them to promote your busi-

ness:

1. Add code to your web site with

your contact info, or any other

info.

2. Add QR code to your facebook,

hvBiz.com, and LinkedIn

accounts.

3. Add QR code to printed mate-

rial (sta�onery, brochures, flyers,

billboards, etc.)

4. Add QR code to promo�onal

material (mugs, pads, calendars,

magnets, hats, etc.)

5. Add QR code to the back of

your business card.

6. Print QR code on a t-shirt and

promote your business with it.

7. Print QR code on a badge and

wear it to EXPOs, networking

events, etc.

8. Use QR codes to build a l ist of

subscribers. Instead of asking

someone to text "myoffer" to

"123456," this can be part of the

QR code. No typing, just scan-

ning. Once you build the list, you

can promote other products and

services to them in the future.

9. Use QR codes to send prospec-

�ve customers to your mobile

web site where you'll have

videos, tes�monials, product

demos, etc.)

10. Use QR code to send prospec-

�ve customers to a special VIP

page with coupons, special offers,

how to informa�on, etc.

Edison R. Guzman is the founder

of hvBiz.com, an online network

for Hudson Valley business

owners and Entrepreneurs. He

also owns A&E Adver�sing and

Web Design. Contact him at

www.aeAdver�sing.com.

W

By Edison R. Guzman, A&E Advertising and Web Design


Are You Projec�ng an Organized Image?

or those of you who were in

high school in the 1980s

(that would be me!), you may

remember Joan Je� singing, “I

don’t give a damn about my repu-

ta�on!” Sure, Joan could get away

with not caring about her reputa-

�on (indeed, one can argue that

her image was, in fact, not caring

about her reputa�on, but I

digress), but can you?

The idea of projec�ng an organized

image can be controversial. Why?

Because as professional organizers,

many of us teach that being orga-

nized has less to do with the way

an environment looks than how

effec�vely it func�ons. The goal is

not to be organized, but for your

life, home, and work to run more

smoothly. In other words, we do

not generally focus on the outward

percep�on of organizing or the

aesthe�cs of it, but more on the

way it improves your life. We

preach that it is not about being

“neat.”

And that is all true. But I also truly

believe that projec�ng an orga-

nized image will posi�vely affect

your life in a myriad of ways. Think

about it. Who would you prefer to

do business with? Messy Marvin,

who always looks a mess, can’t find

papers, forgets to return phone

calls, and is late for mee�ngs? Or

Organized Ollie, who always looks

put-together, returns phone calls

within 24 hours, has an efficient

paper management system, and is

consistently on �me for mee�ngs

and appointments? I would guess

Organized Ollie (yes, maybe you

would like to go to Happy Hour

with Marvin, but that is a different

story!).

Being organized can improve rela-

�onships and your reputa�on. You

will be more produc�ve at work,

which will translate into returning

phone calls and emails quicker,

showing up for mee�ngs on �me,

etc. When you are organized in the

workplace, you project a profes-

sional put-together image that

people trust and are a�racted to.

At home, many families have

disagreements that stem from

disorganized systems and habits in

the home. Therefore, ge�ng orga-

nized almost always improves your

family l ife. And there are many

people who are disorganized at

home and embarrassed to have

guests over, which certainly cur-

tails your social l ife. So ge�ng

organized at home and projec�ng

that type of image will probably

help you to be a be�er host.

Don’t confuse projec�ng an orga-

nized image with perfec�on. Per-

fec�on is not the goal here. But

realize that your habits do affect

your overall image and the way

others perceive you. Start watch-

ing others who you admire and

respect, and see what type of

image they project. Emulate those

who you think look put-together

and project an organized image. I

can’t promise you it will change

everything in your life, but I can

promise you it will help.

Copyright © 2011 Lisa Montanaro.

Lisa Montanaro is a Cer�fied Pro-

fessional Organizer, a business &

life coach, and a mo�va�onal

speaker. Drawing upon her experi-

ence as an a�orney, mediator,

teacher, and performer, Lisa

founded LM Organizing Solu�ons,

LLC in 2002 and has helped hun-

dreds of people live be�er lives and

manage more produc�ve compa-

nies and organiza�ons.

Lisa is a member of the Na�onal

Associa�on of Professional Orga-

nizers (NAPO) and the Na�onal

Speakers Associa�on (NSA). Lisa

has presented professionally to

audiences throughout the United

States, has been interviewed by

television and radio hosts, and is a

frequent guest expert for tele-

classes and webinars.

Lisa’s work has been featured in

the media, and her wri�en content

has been widely published online

and in print. Her new book, The

Ul�mate Life Organizer, was pub-

lished by Peter Pauper Press.

Details can be found at

TheUl�mateLifeOrganize.com.

Find more informa�on about Lisa

at her website, www.LMOrganizing

Solu�ons.com, and blog,

www.DecideToBeOrganized.com.

F

By Lisa Montanaro, LM Organizing Solu�ons, LLC


7 Tips to Pump up Your Produc�vity

s a business owner or an employee, we are all faced with doing more with less. Less money, resources and staff.

This is increasing stress, unhappi-ness and reduced produc�vity.

Below are some �ps to help you increase your produc�vity.

• Spend 15 minutes at the end of your day preparing for the next. Do the same thing at the end of your workweek to prepare for the next week and be able to enjoy your day off.

• Eliminate any unnecessary reports that have become out-dated or irrelevant. Do this by asking the people who receive the reports if they need or use them. Most people just want a

summary and not all that detail.• Have a standardized filing system for paper and electronic files to reduce or eliminate �me searching for these items.

• Piles on your desk contain post-poned decisions or work in prog-ress. That is cash flow on your desk. Instead of batching all that work at once, process small pieces at a �me and move it forward in the workflow. For example: get 3 orders processed by 12PM, then another 3 by 3PM and 2 more by 5PM.

Instead of not doing any of them and trying to do it all at once. This will also help to prevent overloading the person farther downstream.

• When processing paperwork or informa�on, make it harder for someone to make a mistake than to do it correctly. Look at how you are doing things and find ways to do it quickly and cor-rectly. Think of the website that will not let you hit enter before filling everything out.

• In an organiza�on workflow is never even across all areas. There are hills and valleys of ac�vity. By cross training staff you can u�lize someone from another area if help is needed in

a department that is backed up.• Spend at least 60 and up to 90 minutes a day of uninterrupted �me to process the most impor-tant tasks for that day. Schedule this �me in your calendar.

Just by implemen�ng these �ps you will see a marked improve-ment in your produc�vity as well as the organiza�on’s.

Share these with coworkers to see how they can reduce waste in their area while opera�ng be�er, faster, cheaper than your compe-��on. Croll Produc�ve Synergy has been successfully helping diverse businesses create cus-tomized efficiency systems in the Hudson Valley.

By “crea�ng the shortest path to success,” I have been able to facilitate improved workflow sys-tems, allowing clients to save �me, focus on revenue genera�ng tasks, priori�ze for maximum cash flow, effec�vely delegate and, consequently, increase prof-its.

To learn how to operate be�er,

faster, cheaper than your compe-

��on visit www.CrollProduc�ve

Synergy.com.

Copyright © 2011 Cynthia Marsh-

Croll, Croll Produc�ve Synergy.

A

By Cynthia Marsh-Croll, Croll Produc�ve Synergy

If You’d Like to Reach Business Owners and Business Startups,

You Should Adver�se in ChamberU Magazine. Here’s How...ChamberU Magazine is distributed throughout the Hudson Valley, in Orange, Rockland, Dutchess, Putnam, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester Coun-�es.

Copies are inserted in the Wes!air Communica�ons publica�on for distri-

bu�on to local businesses, and more are distributed through SCORE business chapters, libraries, Chambers of Com-merce, banks, county clerks offices, etc. in order to reach individuals desiring to start a business.

Get circula�on, adver�sing rates, ad

sizes, frequency of publica�on and full

Media Kit at www.ChamberU.biz.

If you’d like to adver�se in our upcom-ing issue, you can submit an ad 24/7 online at ChamberU.biz or call Edison Guzman of A&E Adver�sing and Web Design (9am to 5pm) at (845) 940-5369.


3 Insurance Traps of Triple Net

n recent years, more and more

building owners in the Hudson

Valley and across the country

have become fascinated with the

concept of the “triple net lease.” A

primary reason for this is that the

terms of such a lease require the

tenant of the building to purchase

and maintain adequate insurance on

the building itself. This contrasts

with tradi�onal lease agreements,

which generally state that a tenant is

responsible for insuring what ’s his

and the building owner handles the

rest.

In a world of shi�ing cost, it is easy

to see why a triple net lease is

a�rac�ve to building owners; their

tenants buy the coverage thereby

saving the owners the cost and

(assumed) hassle of ge�ng their

own coverage. In many cases build-

ing owners are encouraged by their

key people and advisors to pursue

such an arrangement.

Unfortunately, many forget to seek

advice from their insurance profes-

sional and this could jeopardize

them in unsuspected ways. This

ar�cle will address three specific

areas that the building owner should

be concerned about: control, con-

tractual rights and the coverage

itself.

Control. Your agreement likely

requires that you be added to the

tenant ’s policy as an “addi�onal

insured” (more on this later). How-

ever, this status does not give you

direct control of the insurance, in

fact it gives you no control of the

insurance. You will not receive

no�ces of change, failure you to pay

premium, etc. This lack of control

could have disastrous results.

If your tenant fails to pay the

premium or maintain proper cover-

age limits and there’s a loss to the

building, you, the building owner,

will ul�mately be the one to suffer.

For example, your lease may specifi-

cally state that the tenant must buy

insurance that covers loss from

flood. Your tenant fails to renew his

flood policy on �me and the building

is washed away the following day.

Yes, the tenant is in direct viola�on

of the lease and you can sue, how-

ever, that does not change the fact

that you are stuck with a flooded

building and no insurance to pay the

damage. How long will that take to

straighten out?

Contractual Rights. Consider the

following: most insurance policies

include special rights for mortgagees

of a property. These rights include

no�fica�on of changes (even cancel-

la�on) and the ability to receive pay-

ments for a loss, even if that loss is

in direct viola�on of the terms of the

insurance, such as a tenant causing

inten�onal damage (e.g., arson).

These rights are essen�al while the

mortgagee retains interest in the

property. The majority of landlords

are not mortgagees. Therefore,

landlords usually require they be

added to the policy as an addi�onal

insured or interest with the assump-

�on being they would be en�tled to

receive the insurance proceeds.

However, if your tenant commits any

viola�on of the terms of the insur-

ance contract (such as inten�onal

damage), the contract may be void

for every insured, including you.

Also, keep in mind that being an

addi�onal insured or interest does

not change the coverage provided by

the policy.

The insurance policy will not fulfill

the terms of your lease just because

your tenant thought it would.

Coverage. Why entrust an asset this

valuable to someone who has no real

ownership interest? Your tenant will

be contractually obligated to pro-

vide coverage, but at what level?

Will they review the coverage to

ensure that it covers you in the best

fashion, or will they just buy the

cheapest coverage they can? Will

this policy purchased by your tenant

provide sufficient coverage for

debris removal, ordinance or law

requirements, and replacement

cost?

There are other areas as well, but

only some of the most important

have been highlighted.

It ’s true that a triple net lease can

save you a few premium dollars. Just

remember that savings doesn’t come

without a price. Consider what

you’re giving up in return.

Gregory M. Hogan, CIC, is a Cer�fied

Insurance Counselor specializing in

coverage for business owners and

their assets. He can be reached at

the Hutchings Agency, Inc. in

Middletown, NY, 845-343-2148.

I

By Gregory M. Hogan, CIC, Hutchings Agency, Inc.


Keeping Your Business Safe from the Internet

here are many things to

worry about when it comes

to your business. One of

the most unknown and unpredict-

able elements out there is the

internet.

I am going to describe a scenario

where some preventa�ve mea-

sures make being connected to

the internet a lot safer.

Everyone uses the internet in

their work, wether you are look-

ing something up or actually

doing business online.

There is also a dark side to the

internet, the many hidden threats

that come in many forms. A good

example of this is a seemingly

friendly email that you open up

to read and before you know it,

your computer is rendered use-

less.

One of my clients recently

received an email from someone

that he thought he knew and

opened the email. As soon as he

opened the email, Internet

explorer opened up and what

looked like a virus removal tool.

The hoax virus scanner looked

like a normal window, a scan

started and told him he had 35

viruses that needed to be

removed. He couldn't close the

window, uninstall the hoax virus

scanner, or run any of his pro-

grams. The hoax virus scanner

had completely consumed his ma-

chine. The malicious program

wanted him to purchase the “full

version” of the scanner and enter

a credit card number. We were

both glad he didn't.

Other less obvious threats can

lurk about in the background of

your computer, gathering your

data or even worse, your clients

data without anyone knowing.

This may go undetected for weeks

or months. A good virus scanner

will minimize these threats and

keep your corporate network

safe.

Your internet connec�on also

needs a good firewall to block

malicious threats from the inter-

net. A firewall will provide a

greater level of security than if

you just plugged your computers

into your cable modem directly.

The firewall is designed to watch

the internet traffic and determine

whether the traffic is safe or if

there is a threat contained in the

informa�on coming in. If the fire-

wall finds a threat it stops it from

coming in to your businesses net-

work and you usually are never

even aware of it. The firewall has

to be maintained and kept up to

date on what threats are out

there. A good firewall will come

with a subscrip�on for updates,

usually based on an annual term.

This keeps it current.

One of the best things you can do

to keep your business computers

safe is to be aware. We have all

been in a hurry and gone through

our email really fast and opened

junk mail by accident. Take pre-

cau�on to really no�ce who is

sending you an email and what it

may be for. If you receive an

unexpected email from someone,

give them a call to see if they

really sent it.

Some computer viruses take con-

trol of computers and send

emails out with the user's

account, so it looks like someone

you know very well just sent you

an email. A li�le precau�on can

save a lot of headaches.

Patrick D. Turner is President of

Li�le Pond Consul�ng, LLC. You

can reach him at 845-541-6335,

or visit him on the web at

www.Li�lePondConsul�ng.com

T

By Patrick D. Turner, Li�le Pond Consul�ng, LLC.


Your Resource for Inspira�on and Mo�va�on

hink this is a photo of a photographer who wants you to hire her to take your picture? Think again! It is a self portrait of a photographer launching her new career as an author of inspira�onal stories, e-books, and audio books designed to promote stress reduc�on and personal growth.

I graduated from the EAP program in November 2010 during a six month period of reflec�on I em-braced in order to discern the viability of a new business ven-ture I wanted to pursue. Under the inspiring guidance of Edison Guzman of A&E Adver�sing I learned that business develop-ment and personal development go hand in hand. You simply can’t do one without the other.

Through the EAP program I learned that my new idea to have a travelling book mobile was viable, but not lucra�ve.

The process which ensued was both soul searching and gut wrenching. The result was the expansion of my vision from becoming a local peddler of exist-ing inspira�onal books, to a new iden�ty as an author of my own crea�ve wri�ng with a web based business.

Now I have the ability to reach the whole world, without spend-ing a dime on gas or inventory!

My biggest challenge has been overcoming my fear of technol-ogy and the loss of my anonymity. The very process fuels my didac-�c mission. The classical method I have chosen to convey my mes-sage is story telling.

In addi�on to modern fables, I also produce children’s stories for young entrepreneurs and pro-fessionals which are as good for parents as they are for their kids.

I put my working knowledge of theology, psychology, neurosci-ence, nutri�on and business development into my stories to help people cope and grow in this great �me of personal, economic, poli�cal and global stress.

I am currently working with ar�sts Jay Chamberlin and Ta�ana Rhinevault to il lustrate and pro-duce videos of my work, and hope to have feature films in the future. But for now, you can read or l isten to my new e-book THINK AGAIN. Come visit my web site for a free sample of my work at www.Al�mater.com!

TBy Linda Rose D’Avanzo

The State Small Business Credit Ini�a�ve

President Obama signed into law the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 on September 27, 2010 to help increase credit availability for small businesses. The Act included the State Small Business Credit Ini�a�ve, a $1.5 billion program administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury intended to provide direct support to states for use in programs designed to increase small businesses' access to credit. See www.NYfirst.NY.gov

Empire State DevelopmentEmpire State Development is New York's chief economic development agency and administrator of the statewide business resource portal New York First (www.NYfirst.NY.gov [2]). The mission of Empire State Development is to promote business investment and growth that leads to job crea�on and prosperous commu-ni�es across New York State. ESD also oversees the mar-ke�ng of "I LOVE NY," the State's iconic tourism brand. For more informa�on on Empire State Development, visit www.esd.ny.gov [3]. See resource links: [2] www.NYfirst.NY.gov and [3] www.esd.ny.gov


Fonts of Knowledge

es, I know the phrase is

“fount of knowledge,” not

“font of knowledge,” but

bear with me. Somebody could

get rich with what I am going to

reveal. We are all ge�ng older. As

we age, our eyesight gets worse. I

have various vision problems:

nearsightedness, cataracts, epi-

re�nal membranes, distor�on of

the… well, never mind. You get

the idea.

Tersely put, I have trouble seeing.

Not so much trouble as to war-

rant taking away my driver ’s

l icense, of course, but trouble. I

am not alone. The Baby Boom

genera�on is right behind me,

their vision worsening, too.

The Big Idea is this: larger type

fonts on almost everything, espe-

cially that which you want us to

read. I love my electronic book,

my Kindle, especially two of its

features: I can adjust the type

size and I can also have it read to

me from those books that have

not disabled the reading-out-loud

func�on.

My peeve with my device is that

there are areas which do not

allow increasing the too-small

type face. Worse yet, my key-

board has �ny type with poor

contrast. Redesigning the key-

board should allow for a some-

what larger font. Do it, Amazon.

Concerning contrasts, please use

black on white whenever pos-

sible. Those of us with cataracts,

common in the “mature” ci�-

zenry, need more contrast. Gray

on white or l ight green on white

or any pastel on white no longer

suffice. White on a dark back-

ground is not as good, either.

Sorry.

A favorite magazine, Guideposts,

has a Large Print edi�on, a bless-

ing. I’ve told my publisher to use

twelve-point type for my memoir,

Ting and I [this is a not-too-subtle

plug]. I wish the daily newspaper

came with larger type, too.

Physics Today has sec�ons I can

read and some I cannot. Lis�ngs

of ingredients on packages, direc-

�ons for use, could benefit from

larger fonts. I know there would

be room for fewer words, but

“brevity is the soul of wit.” Be

pithy, in a larger font, please,

black on white, where feasible.

Readers, the race is on. Who

among you will bring LARGE

PRINT to us masses?

Douglas Winslow Cooper, Ph.D., is

a freelance writer and re�red

physicist, author of Ting and I: A

Memoir of Love, Courage, and

Devo�on, available from Out-

skirts Press in September 2011 or

from web site, �ngandi.com. His

email is douglas@�ngandi.com.

Y

By Douglas Winslow CooperEconomically Green-Friendly Household CleanersHelp to create a healthy environment for you, your pets and your family. Go to MyGreenCleanerPower.com

for more information, or call 845-386-1241

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County Clerks Offices f you’d like to start your own

business as a sole proprietor

or partnership, you must file

with your local county clerk’s

office within the Hudson Valley.

You must file a business

cer�ficate for any county you

wish to do business within. Visit

each county ’s web site in order

to download a copy of the

business cer�ficate.

Dutchess County

Dutchess County Clerk

22 Market Street

Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

Phone: (845) 486-2120

Fax: (845) 486-2138

Web: www.co.dutchess.ny.us

Orange County

Orange County Government

Center

255 Main Street,

Goshen, NY 10924

Phone: (845) 291-2700

Web: www.co.orange.ny.us

Putnam County

Putnam County Office Building

40 Gleneida Avenue, Room 100

Carmel, NY 10512

Phone: (845) 808-1142

Web: www.putnamcountyny.com

Rockland County

Rockland County Courthouse

1 South Main Street, Suite 100

New City, NY 10956

Telephone (845) 638-5070

Web: www.co.rockland.ny.us

Sullivan County

Sullivan County Clerk

100 North Street

Mon�cello, NY 12701

Phone: (845)794-3000

Web: www.co.sullivan.ny.us

Ulster County

Ulster County Clerk's office.

244 Fair Street

Kingston, NY 12401

Phone: (845) 340-3288

Fax: (845) 340-3299

Web: www.co.ulster.ny.us

Westchester County

110 Dr. Mar�n Luther King Jr.

Blvd., Room 330

White Plains, NY 10601

Phone: (914) 995-3070

Web: www.westchestergov.com

I


Free Help for Anyone Star�ng or Growing Their Business

n just 3 steps, we’ll show you

how to find, develop and

nurture a business mentor

that will help you through the

booms and busts of small business

ownership.

Whether you’re just ge�ng started,

or are a business veteran and look-

ing for answers, the following will

help you find the right help for you.

Step 1 - Figure Out What You Need

Help With — and Yes, Everyone

Needs Help from Time to Time.

Pick out the top three challenges

you or your business faces—and

priori!ze them in order of having the

biggest impact on your business

success. If you’re just star!ng out,

have a series of ques!ons ready.

Although some!mes you will not

know what to ask, it is always good

to arrive prepared with as many

ques!ons as possible, so that you

can get the most out of your meet-

ing.

Step 2 - Carve Out Time in Your

Busy Schedule to Devote to Mee�ng

with a Business Mentor.

It ’s not easy for entrepreneurs to

find !me to meet with a mentor

when so much is happening with the

business that appears to be and

maybe is, more pressing. But, in

order to get help, you have to

commit some of your !me and

energy to mee!ng with your mentor.

It ’s just l ike exercise—you’ll be glad

that you did it and will feel ener-

gized when you finished.

Step 3 - Find a Mentor you Click

With

There are several local SCORE chap-

ters l isted below. Choose the most

convenient for you for a face-to-face

confiden!al mee!ng.

If you can’t get to a local chapter,

visit www.Score.org for an online, or

“virtual,” mentor.

Dutchess - Chapter: 59

1 Civic Center Plaza

Poughkeepsie, NY 10261

Phone: (845) 454-1700 x1021

Fax: (845) 454-1702

Web: www.ScoreDutchessNY.org

Orange - Chapter: 465

30 Sco"'s Corners Drive

Montgomery, NY 12549

Phone: (845) 457-9700

Fax: (845) 457-8799

Web: www.OrangeNyScore.com

Putnam - Chapter: 678

34 Gleneida Avenue

Carmel, NY 10512

Phone: (845) 225-6030

Fax: (845) 225-0311

Web: www.PutnamScore.org

Rockland - Chapter: 677

Key Bank

4 North Main Street

Spring Valley, NY 10977

Phone: (845) 426-1206

Web: www.RocklandScore.org

Sullivan - Chapter: 697

P.O. Box 405

Mongaup Valley, NY 12762

Phone: (845) 791-4200

Web: www.SullivanScore.com

Ulster - Chapter: 533

1 Development Court

Kingston, NY 12401

Phone: (845) 339-0468

Fax: (845) 339-0780

Web: www.ScoreUlster.org

Westchester - Chapter: 306

120 Bloomingdale Road

White Plains, NY 10605

Phone: (914) 948-3907

Fax: (914) 948-4645

Web: ScoreWestchester.com

Your counseling session is always

free thanks to our volunteers.

Brought to you by SCORE, America's

small business mentors.

I

ChamberU.b iz 13September 2 011

Governor Cuomo Signs Bill to Expand Small Business Access to Credit and Equity Investments

lbany, NY ( July 20, 2011 ) Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that he has signed a bill to enhance small businesses' access to capital and credit in New York State. The bill authorizes the use of federal funds for three New York State small business programs: the Innovate NY Fund, the New York State Capi-tal Access Program, and the Bond-ing Guarantee Assistance Program. New York will receive up to $55.4 mill ion through this ini�a�ve. These funds are expected to lever-age at least $800 million in private investment and create thousands of jobs.

"Small business innova�on is key to crea�ng a more efficient and effec�ve economy that works for all New Yorkers," Governor Cuomo said. "These programs will help increase access to cri�cal capital and credit for a wide range of small businesses, giving them the tools they need to kick-start the economy across our state. With these programs, we are also making it easier for minority- and women-owned business enter-prises to secure bonding for state contrac�ng and we are crea�ng a suppor�ve environment for small businesses throughout in New York."

The bill authorizes the use of fed-eral funds that are available through the U.S. Department of the Treasury's State Small Business Credit Ini�a�ve for three economic development programs: • The bill establishes the Innovate NY Fund, a new seed-stage equity fund to support innova�on, job crea�on, and high growth entre-preneurship throughout the state; the bill provides approximately $25 million for this program• The bill amends New York's Capi-

tal Access Program, which provides matching funds to loan loss reserve pools at financial ins�tu�ons as an incen�ve to increase small busi-ness lending; the bill expands the range of New York-based financial ins�tu�ons that can par�cipate in the program, which had been ac�ve only as a pilot program from 2002-05; the bill provides approxi-mately $18 million for this program• The bill ac�vates New York's Bonding Guarantee Assistance Pro-gram, which provides credit to help small and minority- and women-owned businesses secure bonding; the bill provides approximately $10 million for this program New York is eligible to receive approximately $55.4 million in fed-eral funds for these programs. The exact award that the state will receive is expected to be announced this summer.

Empire State Development Presi-dent, CEO & Commissioner Ken-neth Adams said, "Vibrant small businesses are the backbone of a strong economy, and thanks to Governor Cuomo and the Innova-�ve NY Fund, they are ge�ng stronger. With the introduc�on of the Innovate NY Fund, we will be�er support our new high growth firms by making cri�cally needed 'seed-stage' capital avail-able to small businesses that have the poten�al to grow rapidly and create jobs. These programs will provide small businesses with greater access to addi�onal credit from tradi�onal and alterna�ve financial ins�tu�ons, rebuilding our economy from the ground up." New York State Senator James S. Alesi, Chairman of the Senate Com-mi�ee on Commerce, Economic Development & Small Business and lead sponsor of the bill in the Senate, said, "I commend Governor

Cuomo for making his top priori�es this session revitalizing New York's economy and pu�ng people back to work. Today's legisla�on is a step in the right direc�on, provid-ing New York's hundreds of small businesses access to more than $50 million in federal funds, and empowering emerging businesses through the Innovate NY Fund. Ul�mately, these vital funds will further our efforts to revitalize our struggling economy and create new jobs, and no one could argue that New York doesn't need new jobs right now." New York State Assemblyman Robin Schimminger, Chairman of the Assembly Commi�ee on Eco-nomic Development, Job Crea�on, Commerce & Industry and lead sponsor of the bill in the Assembly, said, "I am very pleased that Gov-ernor Cuomo signed this legisla�on into law. The Innovate NY Fund will do exactly what New York State is in desperate need of – crea�ng and retaining jobs in homegrown high-tech companies by inves�ng approximately $25 million in seed-stage funding to New York State businesses. Up un�l now, government-sponsored research helped support the inven�on of numerous ideas and products that could benefit society, but fell short of advancing products beyond the incep�on stage. The crea�on of this new fund will increase the State's ability to assist businesses that are launching new inven�ons by gran�ng funds for products to get out of the incep�on stage and into the marketplace."

Source URL:h�p://www.governor.ny.gov/press/07202011Bil lToExpandSmallBusinessAccesstoCredit

Link:h�p://www.governor.ny.gov

Bill authorizes use of federal funds for New York State small business programs and establishes a new seed-stage equity fund

A


EAP Gradua�ng Class of April, 2011

EAP Gradua�ng Class of December, 2010

Mayra Araujo Peter Artusa Rachael Bertoni Gregory Brennan Angela Castellano Amanda Dorthe Charles Fox Kevin Gallagher Steve Gross Zachary Holden Merridith Ingram Patricia Kleiman Stacey Lyle Maggie Matos Fred Medina Mary Muller Ruth Platt Hassan Ray Bernadette Redmond Tracey Robinson Leroy Simpson Yvonne Whitaker

Far left - Carol Smith Far right - Edison Guzman

Third from left - Carol Smith Far right - Edison Guzman

Winston Ash Marie Byrne Angelina Collins Linda D'Avanzo Rick DiDonato Larry Giuliana Deborah Giuliani Edison Guzman II Stacey Hawkins Randy Hedden Robert Massarini Ruben Osorio Craig Pelsue Shawn Roebuck Johana Sanchez Ty Satcher Margaret Turner Maria Turner Vicki Vingoe Chad Wade Steven Wagner Chris Wheeler Charlene Finerty - Instructor

Is it your turn to start or grow your business? Go to www.OrangeNYEAP.com to discover how you can be part of the next EAP class.


Business ResourcesBusiness Resources in NYS - Just

about anything you want to know

about running a business, includ-

ing a searchable database of

available grants and financial

resources for your business.

www.Business.gov

Corpora!on and Business En!ty

Database Search - See if your

company’s name is available

before you incorporate.

www.dos.state.ny.us/corps/bus_

en!ty_search.html

Corpora!on filing informa!on,

fees, and publica!ons – NYS

filing fees when incorpora!ng

your business.

h"p://www.dos.state.ny.us/cor

ps/dom_busfile.html

Domain Name Research and

Registra!on - See if your desired

domain name is available for

registra!on. A domain name is

the address your poten!al cus-

tomer will use to find you on the

Internet. www.aeDomain.com

Government Loan Programs - A

comprehensive list of all Govern-

ment loan programs, and how

they can financially help you

start or grow your business.

www.GovLoans.gov

Grant Programs – Free lis!ng of

all available government grant

programs. www.Grants.gov

Internet Tools and Resources –

Tools needed to get your busi-

ness on the Internet. Hos!ng,

company email accounts, video

conferencing, email marke!ng,

video hos!ng and more. Build

your own website with these

tools.

SmallBusinessInternetTools.com

IRS Web Site - Find all related

issues with US Federal taxes.

www.IRS.gov

Minority and Women Owned

Business Development - You will

find informa!on related to the

cer!fica!on process, resources

for technical assistance, access

to capital, contract opportuni-

!es, MWBE Events, and a vendor

registry search tool to help you

find New York State cer!fied

MWBEs.

www.nylovesmwbe.ny.gov

NY State Web Site – Everything

you need to know about doing

business in NYS can be found

within this web site including

taxa!on and finance.

www.dos.state.ny.us

NYS Department of Labor – Have

employee ques!ons? This is the

place to answer anything and

everything which has to do with

labor laws within NYS.

www.labor.ny.gov

NYS Online Permit Assistance

and Licensing - If you want to

start a new business or expand

your current business, this site

will help you find the New York

State business permits you may

need. www.nys-opal.com

SCORE “Counselors to America’s

Small Business” - Main web site

which contains many business

resources, business templates,

examples, and online counseling.

www.Score.org

Small Business Administra!on –

The official SBA web site offering

programs and services that will

help you start, grow and succeed

in business. www.sba.gov

US Patent and Trademark Web

Site – An agency of the depart-

ment of commerce. Just about

everything you need to know

about protec!ng your inven!on

and more, can be found on this

site. www.uspto.gov

A


Why Join Your Chamber of Commerce?

ery simply, it ’s good for

your business.

What should you do?

1. Find out what your Chamber is all

about. What has the organiza�on

done? Who are the members? Who

do you know?

2. Make a commitment in your own

mind that when you join, you will

make the Chamber as much a part of

your business as paying the light bill.

This is the key to making your mem-

bership successful for your business.

3. Understand that the Chamber of

Commerce is the best way for you to

get others to know you, l ike you,

trust you and do business with you.

4. Listen carefully to what others

have to say about their business and

you will discover exactly how your

business can help them. The more

you know about a business, the

greater the opportunity for you to

recognize how you can help that

business.

5. Promise yourself to a�end at least

five mee�ngs or events in the first

three months of your membership.

At that point, you will have friends

and a sense of how you can make

more business connec�ons.

6. Take advantage of every free ben-

efit your Chamber offers.

7. Don’t ever forget that the Cham-

ber, l ike business golf, is a superb

business investment.

You’ll just have to forgive yourself if

you also end up having a good �me.

V

Mid Hudson Chambers of CommerceDutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce(845) 454-1700 One Civic Center Plaza Poughkeepsie NY 12601 www.DutchessCountyRegionalChamber.org

Goshen Chamber of Commerce(845) 294-7741 223 Main St. P.O. Box 506 Goshen NY 10924 www.GoshenNyChamber.com

Greater Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce(845) 628-5553 953 South Lake Blvd. Mahopac, NY 10541 www.MahopacCarmelChamber.com

Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce(914) 737-3600 1 South Division Street Peekskill, NY 10566 www.hvGatewayChamber.com

New Paltz Chamber of Commerce(845) 255-0243 124 Main Street New Paltz NY 12561 www.NewPaltzChamber.org

Orange County Chamber of Commerce(845) 457-9700 30 Sco�'s Corners Drive Montgomery, NY 12549 www.OrangeNY.com

Rockland Business Associa!on(845) 735-2100 P.O. Box 1567 Pearl River NY 10965 www.RocklandBusiness.org

Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce(845) 791-4200 P.O. Box 405 Mongaup Valley NY 12762 www.Catskills.com

The Business Council of Westchester(914) 948-2110 108 Corporate Park Drive, Suite 101 White Plains, NY 10604 www.WestchesterNY.org

Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce(845) 338-5100 214 Fair Street Kingston NY 12401 www.UlsterChamber.org

Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce(845) 986-2720 P.O. Box 202 Warwick, NY 10990 www.WarwickCC.org

By Daniel Rea O’Brien, Senior Vice President, Membership Development & Services, Orange County Chamber of Commerce

If you’re not a member yet, contact your Chamber and join today!

1) Choose a company name2) Research and register the domain name for your company 3) Choose company legal entity and �le (Sole Prop, Partnership, C Corp, S Corp, LLC, LLP)

4) Get EIN (Employer Identi�cation Number) 5) Open company bank account6) Acquire required permits, licenses, and �le retail tax collection forms if necessary7) Advertise your products or services

SCORE can help you. Attend our business workshops. Get a full workshop schedule by visiting www.OrangeNYScore.com.

Or call our Orange County Chapter at (845) 457-9700 for a free consultation.

If You’re Looking to Start a Business, Here is the 7 Step Process...

chamberu magazine 9, 2011

Documents

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winning business planr

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chamber s mission

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best business legal

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