Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Sorted by date Results 1403 - 1427 of 1547
Supervisor Zack Scrivner announced that he was elected to serve as Chairman of the Kern County Board of Supervisors for 2017. "I am honored to serve as Chairman of the Kern County Board of Supervisors. 2017 will be another challenging year, but I look forward to working with Ryan Alsop, our new County Administrative Officer, and all of the county's hard working employees, and the many volunteers that make our county government work. Government derives not only its authority but also its...
With the County still in a declared fiscal emergency, overtime costs are eating the fire budget alive and must be addressed. That’s why the Kern County Fire Chief is reducing staffing from three-person shifts to two-person shifts at nine stations throughout the County to cut fire overtime costs by $2 million to $3 million annually. The firefighters union jointly developed this plan with the Fire Department as a fiscal emergency clause in the current Memorandum of Understanding between the County...
I was just thinking about what I need to do to get my business to the next level this year and thought I’d share with you what I’m telling myself. I’ve realized that as small business owners we’re basically all the same. A lot of people think that everybody’s different, that some people are just luckier than others or that they were just in the right place at the right time. On the surface that might seem to be true but the reality is, it is not true. The difference comes down to perfectin...
Here we are at the beginning of the New Year. I was just reflecting on the past year, thinking of all of the good things that were accomplished, and now, as I prepare for 2017, I’m thinking of all the ways I can make it the best it can be by taking full advantage of the moment created by a year finished strong. Some of the keys to building a successful business are effective time management, self-discipline and working a goal-oriented and effective game plan. Add to that self-confidence and exci...
It’s late December and now is the perfect time to reflect back on the past year. Ask yourself, how did you do? What could you have done better and what turned out better than you had planned? Was your year a success? Successful business owners monitor and measure their results. Why? What you measure is what you get done. It’s all about focus. Your success or failure in business for the most part, is determined by the numbers that you achieve. Your numbers define your performance, and there is...
Updated permit fees approved by City Council In April of 2015 the City Council approved a Services (user) Fee Study from Capital Accounting Partners of Sacramento and the development of a Full Cost Allocation Plan for updating the existing fees charged by the City for services and permits. The study was to determine the true cost to the City for providing services to the community broken down on a per-hour basis per involved employee as well as processing time. The direct costs take into...
Darin Lewis of Tehachapi Floor Covering may be new to Tehachapi, but he certainly is not new to flooring. He has moved his entire Bakersfield business here, and is changing the name from AD&D Flooring to Tehachapi Floor Covering. Darin says that Tehachapi Floor Covering sells and installs "almost everything for the floor." This includes wood, vinyl and laminate flooring as well as carpet. Darin's father started AD&D in 1993 and Darin has run it for the last several years. He says that he grew...
It is now the fourth quarter of the year, how are you doing? This is the time of year that it makes sense to look back and review your company's performance. Why now? Well, you still have time to make adjustments before the end of the year. Most small business owners focus on generating revenue, and while that's important, they often neglect maximizing what they have. You work hard for your money, so it is important to keep what's yours by legally taking advantage of the tax benefits available...
Vikki Montegna and her family took over the tack business as of Nov. 1. Former owners Jill Nelson, her husband, John, and friend Al Anders, said it has been a fun six years. "We started selling new and used tack at swap meets and other outdoor venues," Jill said. "People kept asking me where our store was located. So we decided to open one." The tack shop opened in February 2010 on South Street, but outgrew that location a short time later. It moved to its present spot at 117 S. Mill Street,...
At the Nov. 7 City Council meeting, Main Street Tehachapi President Scott Hammer presented Main Street's new Facade Grant Program. He informed the council that the primary focus of Main Street is the historic preservation and beautification as well as the economic redevelopment of the downtown area of Tehachapi. With all of their events like Farmers Market, the Wine Walks etc, they have been able to put away funds that can be put back into the community. Main Street has put $20,000 into the new...
Antique cars are at least 75 years old, but classic cars are special because fewer of them were made. This is one of the things Kiwanis members learned from Harold Cox when he spoke at their recent meeting. Cox became hooked on antique cars when, as a young man, he saw a 1929 Rolls Royce. He could not afford that one, but he borrowed $90 from his dad and bought an old Packard. He fixed it up until he sold it at a profit. From that beginning, his interest in cars grew to the point he joined the...
I was really excited to see most of the Tehachapi City Council candidates list water issues and aging infrastructure among their top concerns. TCCWD just turned 50, and you can bet 50-year-old pipes pumping water up the mountain under pressure is one of our top concerns! I wonder if people get why the candidates would have water as a top concern. You turn on the faucet and water comes out. As long as you pay your bill - no problem. Sustainability is quite the buzz word lately, but what does that really mean for Tehachapi Valley water supply?...
You need to have the right mindset to be successful, and it all starts with focus. Many small business owners get off to a great start and then quickly reach a plateau where they quit growing. The reason for this is they have a plan to get started, and that plan keeps them focused for a while, but once they achieved that initial goal, there is nothing to keep them moving forward. There are three things you need to avoid in your business to maximize success. By avoiding these things, you will...
Third in a series on Deeds (From CALDA, California Association of Legal Document Assistants) Deed of Trust A Deed of Trust is utilized by a borrower (trustor) to convey “bare legal” title to the subject property to a neutral party (trustee), in order to secure an obligation (usually the payment of a promissory note) payable to a lender (beneficiary). The trustee (usually a corporation) gives instructions to issue a Deed of Reconveyance (when the obligation has been paid in full) or to begin for...
Whether you are starting a business or have been in business for some time, what do you do about taxes? There are strict tax laws in the United States that make this is an important question, but most small business owners are focused on making money without any concern for the tax consequences. How you legally structure your business will determine how and when you pay. The first thing to do once you start a business is to get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) otherwise known as a...
If you’re like one of the thousands of employees in the oil industry who have been laid off, the big decision you face is what you want to do next. Sometimes, losing a full-time job is the perfect time to think seriously about starting your dream business, especially before you get caught up in the corporate world again. Ask yourself, if you don’t do it now, when will you? A lot of the oil industry workers were victims of the “golden handcuffs,” earning good salaries that prevented them from co...
Social risk Social risk refers to the possibility that a segment of society will institute boycotts, litigation, publicity campaigns, or lobbying efforts against a company due to its social policy or business practices. The actions of society can negatively affect that company’s performance. Tobacco, energy, gaming, and weapons companies often face this type of risk, as do companies that face environmental or discrimination concerns. Example(s): A large oil company ships crude oil overseas in g...
The Loop Newspaper: Jay, what motivates you in your role as a business advisor? It all starts with my fundamental belief that the average, hardworking American business owner doesn’t get a fair shake. Everything is stacked against them. And the average small or even mid-sized business generally does not have access to the kind of professional guidance a Fortune 500 company does. I think most businesses are left with few options related to available services. I have made this the focus of my b...
Do you have dreams bigger than your obstacles? There are a lot of people who hope their dreams will come true, but they don’t have an opportunity big enough to achieve their dreams. Owning your own business may be the best way to do this. Those of us who have big dreams need to periodically reassess where we are to see if we are on track. As entrepreneurs, we love to create but what we need to do is be in the duplication business. You need to have a viable model that is duplicable; then, the r...
For those of you who have not visited the new boutique, Nannette Keller, at 116 South Robinson across from City Hall, be prepared for a feast of color and style for all women. The Nannette Keller Boutique offers several designs in natural fabrics of cotton, linen, and silk. The store carries sizes from petite to plus and everything in between. It is with great pride that all of Nannette's garments are created and produced in the USA. Nannette and her husband, Roger, moved to Tehachapi in April o...
Well, it may be over, but it won’t soon be forgotten. I’m talking about the month of May. Every year during the month of May small businesses around the nation are honored and recognized for the work they do. They are the unsung heroes who go to battle every day to take care of their clients and provide for their families. It’s well known that these men and women are the backbones of the American economy providing the bulk of new job creation. These are the jobs that make our economy hum. I’ve...
Building an insignificantly small business doesn’t take much in leadership, but if you’re going to build a great business, it’s going to take great leadership. To make success happen it’s going to be an all hands on deck, leading from the front all of the time, kind of leadership. Andrew Carnegie once said, “you have to capture and keep the heart of the supremely able man before his brain can do its best.” He might have said that a long time ago but it is just as true today as it was then. H...
There is no real magic to making your sales barriers go away. If you are looking for that special close, or that magic button, there isn’t one. It is more about strategy than anything else but, there are incredible strategies that you can learn that will help you become better at “making the deal.” The secret is to become better at communicating and creating relationships. When you do that, you will sell more service and move more products resulting in you making more money than ever befor...
Keeping your business protected against credit card fraud has never been more paramount, but for whom? Does your business have this kind of exposure? There are some exceptions. What business types are included in the liability shift and, most importantly, is yours? With an astounding amount of misinformation and misrepresentation from both sides of payments industry processors, we want to give you some perspective coming from over 30 years of payment industry experience. So let’s go. We have noticed that there is a major disconnect with many m...
May is my favorite month of the year. No, it’s not because it’s my birthday month and I try to do something different and exciting every year to celebrate my birthday. No, it’s not because I love my mother and we celebrate Mother’s Day. No, it’s not because spring is in full swing and the weather is perfect, and the wildflowers are blooming. May is my favorite month of the year because I am passionate about business, especially small entrepreneurial businesses, and the first week of May is Na...
