credit card workshop
Overuse of credit, credit cards and poor credit histories are major problems for small business owners. Instructor Mary L. Gibson, a financial problem solver, will present a workshop on strategies for debt reduction and credit card repair on Tuesday, Nov. 13, from 5:30–7:30 p.m., at the Gavilan College SBDC offices at the Dry Creek Village Center, 8351 Church St., Building E, Gilroy. The cost for this two-hour workshop is $20, payable in advance or at the door. Office hours are 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday – Friday, closed Saturday and Sunday. Due to limited space please call in advance to pre-register 847-0373.
starting your own business
Good planning is the basis of any successful business start-up, and a necessity for a loan application. This workshop will lead you to focus on a marketing plan, financial projections and a strategic plan to put your business on the road to success.
The workshop will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 11, from 5:45–9 p.m., at the Gavilan College SBDC offices at the Dry Creek Village Center, 8351 Church St. Building E, Gilroy. The cost for this three-hour workshop is $20, payable in advance or at the door. Office hours are 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday – Friday, closed Saturday and Sunday. Due to limited space please call in advance to pre-register 847-0373.
american business women’s association
Please join the American Business Women’s Association as we welcome Rob Branch, an award winning veteran journalist. In 35 years on radio and television has covered murders, riots, politics, plane crashes and supermarket openings. He will explain why the last item is consiered news at our monthly meeting to be held Nov. 19, at 5:30 p.m. at the Embassy Suites, 2885 Lakeside Drive, Santa Clara. Charge is $25 per person. Guests are always welcome. Details: 745-1988.
financial executive of the year
The Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) and Robert Half International Inc. (RHI) announced the national and regional winners of the 2003 Financial Executive of the Year Award. Winners were chosen from nominations submitted throughout the country for executives demonstrating exceptional achievements in the finance and accounting fields.
Larry R. Carter of Cisco Systems, Inc. was named a regional award winner. Carter is a senior vice president in Cisco System’s Office of the President and a member of the Cisco Board of Directors in San Jose. Until May 2003, he served as the company’s chief financial officer. Under his leadership, Cisco’s finance organization leveraged Internet technologies to pioneer daily financial reporting on crucial metrics for company executives and made the one-day worldwide “virtual close” a reality. The virtual close not only increased the accuracy and timelines of financial reporting at Cisco but also cut finance costs almost in half as a percentage of revenue.
During his career as CFO at Cisco, Carter’s finance organization was spotlighted in major publications such as Fortune, Harvard Business Review and Financial Executive. His expertise has also been recognized by CFO magazine, which honored him with a CFO Excellence Award. Carter was selected by the Golden West Council.
Winners were selected in each participating IMA council regions and an overall national winner was then chosen. Nicholas Malden of Tucson, Arizona-based Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. was named the national award winner.
wedding planner
The Gilroy Wedding Planner is an online directory of local businesses that support the wedding industry. The website serves Morgan Hill, San Martin, Gilroy, and Hollister. After eight months of researching local businesses, the launching of the website, Sonya Carter Cardenas will join the Gilroy Wedding Planner as business account manager. Sonya will be managing the sponsorship program as well as the business profiles. Sonya will also help with PR communications.
With a career as varied as a buyer for the Marriott Corporation, program director for NASA Ames Research Center, Merchandise buyer, for Corporate Pizza Time Theater, and currently Research Program and Publications at the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University, Sonya Carter Cardenas brings both her experience and business savvy to the Gilroy Wedding Planner.
A lifelong Bay Area resident, Sonya most recently served as the Education Program Director for NASA Ames Research Center’s STELLAR education program. In that position, she was the recipient of several awards for program excellence, including the National Rotary Award in Space Education, and 12 Specific Productivity Awards from NASA Ames from 1985-1999. Sonya has been a resident of Gilroy for more than years. Details: http://www.GilroyWeddingPlanner.com or 848-0256.
sv network president
Silicon Valley Network has named Russell Hancock, director of the Walter H. Shorenstein Forum at Stanford University, as its new president and chief executive officer.
In addition to four years at the Forum, Hancock has diverse experience in the public policy, governmental, political, cultural and religious life of the Bay Area. He was vice president of the Bay Area Council (1995-1999); project manager for the Bay Area Water Transit Initiative (1997-1999); lay minister of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at Stanford (1996-2001); campaign manager for Ron Anderson for Palo Alto City Council (1993); policy analyst for the San Jose City Council (1990); and a special adviser to the GCA Corporation (1985). He has been managing director of the Ensign Street Concerts of Palo Alto since 1988.
The Stanford Forum brings together senior policymakers, executives, journalists and scholars to help shape public policy in the Pacific Rim. It conducts research, sponsors discussion between national leaders, organizes symposiums, and arranges policy briefings. As director of these activities, Hancock also built partnerships with other organizations, launched the Shorenstein Award together with Harvard University, and raised money.
Marguerite Wilbur, current chief executive officer of Joint Venture, will return to her previous role as chief operating officer.
Get your own geek
Isn’t it time you had your own personal geek? From personal assistants to personal trainers to personal adisors and shoppers, we’ve come to rely on many kinds of individualized services to make our lives easier. Now, a new personal service is available to local residents.
Founded by Anthony Petit of Gilroy, “Personal Geeks” suppirts the small business owner and home office user to get beyond any computer glitch. Services include selection and installation of software or hardware, maintenance, troubleshooting, recovery from crashes, creating backups of critical dataand setting up networks.
Personal Geeks serves Santa Clara County, San jose, Morgan Hill, San Martin, Gilroy and the surrounding cities.
With more than 20 years experience in creating software for a variety of purposes on many different platforms, Petit brings a wealth of knowledge to the home office and small business computer user.
“At some point, just about everyone has said, ‘I need a Geek!’ now you can have one,” Petit said. Details: www. personal-geeks.com
Business counseling offered
The Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce will sponsor free counseling for owners of small businesses and for people interested in starting a new business. Topics include business planning, marketing, legal requirements and funding. Counselors include members of the Santa Clara Chapter of SCORE – the Service Corps of Retired Executives – who volunteer their time to assist business owners. Appointments are available in the Chamber offices on the first and third Thursdays of each month or by special arrangement. Details: 779-9444.
Open house for south county chapter of leads club
The South County chapter of Leads Club meets at 7:15 a.m. each Thursday in Morgan Hill. Details: 857-0120.
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