The Daily Transcript celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit with small business news and how-to articles, roundtables and more. Contact us at contact@sddt.com to get more involved.
Ray Weamer tells his City National Bank clients that there's a very good reason why an automobile's windshield is a lot bigger than its rear-view mirror.
When Hanna Gregor got a call from a friend in San Diego who was in need of a business partner to launch a new juice company, she was up for the task.
When Albert Abel Frost bought a railcar load of maple wood flooring and sold it to his first customers in San Diego back in 1911, he may not have known he was laying the foundation for a family business that has lasted more than 100 years.
Whether it's a birthday card from grandma, your monthly electric bill, documents from your attorney, even the come-ons in junk mail, it all arrives in your mailbox enclosed in an envelope of one kind or another -- an envelope quite possibly among the billion or so manufactured annually by Southland Envelope Company's 130 employees at its 75,000-square-foot plant in Lakeside.
On Oct. 8, 2013, a lone arsonist broke into and set fire to Santa Sophia Catholic Church in Spring Valley. Although the blaze caused about $200,000 in damage, the church would surely have burned to the ground had it not been for a lone smoke detector installed by CLS Security Electronics (clselectronics.com), which since 1993 has offered a wide range of security and home entertainment solutions for its business and residential customers throughout San Diego.
In 2009, Bob Leone sold his successful technology and services consulting business to Xerox and could have retired. But Xerox asked him to stay on, and he did, for two reasons:
Here are some quick and easy tips to help you create a balance between your work and personal lives. None of them are new or rocket science, but all are things we easily forget in our zeal to grow our businesses.
Small-business owners throughout the West Coast are the most optimistic they have been in four years, with a record-breaking 90 percent believing their businesses are headed in the right direction, according to an annual survey of small businesses conducted by Union Bank.
While 2014 was a solid year for small-business bank lending and 2015 is predicted to post even larger totals, what about those early-stage startup companies seeking microloans or that aren’t able to qualify for a bank loan? All hope is not lost.
California has earned a reputation as a pioneer in employment laws, with many of its policy initiatives leading to national legislative efforts or similar state laws.
Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- More U.S. small companies in November said they plan to raise wages in coming months after a net 21 percent said they recently boosted compensation.
NEW YORK — Chris Mann learned it's better to hire help for the November and December holidays while people in many parts of the country are still wearing shorts and tank tops.
NEW YORK -- It's not just big businesses such as JPMorgan Chase, Target and Home Depot that get hacked. Small companies suffer from intrusions into their computer systems, too.
NEW YORK (AP) -- When Monty Hagler learned his employee insurance premiums could rise as much as 38 percent, the small business owner decided he couldn't afford coverage that complies with the health care overhaul.
Rep. Scott Peters on Tuesday introduced a bill designed to cut red tape for small businesses by letting them file tax returns just once a year instead of every quarter, as currently required.
After a brief dip in July, the mood among San Diego business leaders rebounded last month, fueled by growing optimism about revenues at small and mid-sized businesses, according to a monthly business forecast released Friday by the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.
NEW YORK (AP) -- What do small-business owners need to pay attention to this fall? Heath care, Internet Security and new technology make the list.
NEW YORK -- Based on what she's seeing among the bank's more than 3 million small-business customers, Capital One's Keri Gohman is upbeat.
NEW YORK -- Women are a growing force in the business world, but if they own a company, they may still struggle to get a loan from a bank.
NEW YORK -- Barbara Corcoran expects entrepreneurs to listen to what she says, and then do what they want -- even when they're using her money to build their companies.
The “Meet the Buyers Tour” that has become a regular event of the North San Diego Small Business Development Center is scheduled to stop in Carlsbad Aug. 15 at the Carlsbad City Library.
NEW YORK -- The long-awaited surge in hiring at small businesses appears to be underway.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Women who own small business are still far behind their male counterparts when it comes to getting loans and government contracts, a congressional report said Wednesday.
NEW YORK -- For some small-business owners, the Great Recession turned out to be a lesson in how to run their companies better.
San Diego checked in with the second largest volume of commercial Small Business Administration 504 loans at $40 million through May of this year.
Eight local businesses received the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 2014 Small Business Award. Presented annually, the awards honor local small and micro businesses for their significant contributions as drivers of economic growth throughout the region.
Small-business workers getting health insurance through Obamacare were supposed to be able to choose their own plans. Instead, in more than half of states using the U.S.-run version of the program, employers will pick.
NEW YORK — It's cheap. It's easy to do. And it can take less than 20 minutes to set up. Yet more than half of all small businesses still don't have a website.
NEW YORK -- Avi Shenkar runs his four hair salons from the palm of his hand.
NEW YORK — If you go to work for a newer business, there's a good chance you'll be working for a woman.
Have you ever read about “mastermind groups” and wanted to join one, but didn’t know where to start? The concept of mastermind groups was formally introduced in Napoleon Hill’s book, “Think and Grow Rich.”
Small business optimism continues to improve, and business owners are feeling more positive about the year ahead, according to the latest Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index.
SCORE San Diego's Business Enhancement Forums provide a venue for entrepreneurs and business owners to both receive and provide peer advice on common issues many small business owners face.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Facebook wants to increase its advertising and get more clicks on all kinds of ads. It believes tapping into the lucrative small business market will help it achieve those goals.
Fitn, a San Diego fitness membership service where individuals can choose from various boutique studios whenever they want and at a fraction of the cost, announced its strategic partnership with AdBoom.
San Diego City Councilmember Sherri Lightner honored SCORE with a proclamation recognizing SCORE’s 50th anniversary as a national advocate of small business.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Wells Fargo has set a goal of at least $100 billion in new loans to small businesses over the next five years.
NEW YORK — When Psyche Terry's lingerie business needed a lift, she got it from a retailing giant.
A flurry of surveys about the attitudes of small business owners have surfaced lately and they paint a pretty rosy picture.
NEW YORK -- Small businesses are in limbo as they wait for Congress to make decisions that could save them a lot of money.
NEW YORK (AP) -- The email from the bank was unexpected. Laura Benson got an increase in her small-business credit line.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Small businesses are using social media to promote their businesses and lure shoppers this holiday season -- and they're not just on Facebook. Or Twitter.
Despite sales hours that reached into the heart of Thanksgiving, shopping at the major retail chains during Black Friday was nearly 3 percent lower than in 2012 -- the first year-to-year drop since the depths of the Great Recession in 2009.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- California has opened an online insurance exchange for small business, with questions looming about how many employers will sign up and whether rates could climb.
NEW YORK (AP) _ Here today, gone in weeks -- pop-up shops and temporary stores are back for the holiday season.
Sales of small businesses are finally making big gains.
The Filipino American Lawyers of San Diego, Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego and the Housing Opportunities Collaborative will present a free legal seminar on small business basics Tuesday, Oct. 22 in National City.
Oct. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Confidence among U.S. small businesses fell in September to the lowest level in three months as more companies grew pessimistic about the economic outlook.
Small business owners can network with government agencies and get tips on obtaining contracts at the Meet the Buyers Tour on Oct. 4 at the SDG&E Energy Innovation Center.
NEW YORK (AP) -- LaJuanna Russell has lost a third of her revenue and about half of her staff to federal budget cuts.
Sept. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Confidence among U.S. small businesses stagnated in August as weaker sales damped earnings even as companies projected demand would improve and encourage the addition of more workers.
NEW YORK — Jerome Cleary was on the verge of taking a trip to Hawaii this month when he started getting emails and phone calls from potential clients. He had to choose between new business for his public relations firm and the white sands of Waikiki.
NEW YORK (AP) -- A year ago, Teresa Hartnett was on the verge of expanding her small business. The company had hit $1 million in sales, and requests from clients were flowing in. She planned to transition from nearly 30 freelancers to a full-time staff of 60 by 2014.
NEW YORK -- One casualty of the new health care law may be paid coverage for families of people who work for small businesses.
Aug. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Confidence among U.S. small businesses improved in July to its second-highest level in a year as managers became less pessimistic about sales.
NEW YORK — Uncle Sam isn't as easy a customer to land as he used to be.
NEW YORK — When Lisa Stevens speaks about her role as head of small business banking at Wells Fargo & Co., she focuses more on how she can help her customers rather than how she can grow the bank's loan portfolio.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Small business owners are spending more time and money to get federal contracts, but they're also making fewer bids to get those contracts.
SCORE San Diego offers low-cost workshops for people interested in starting a small business and entrepreneurs seeking to improve the performance of an existing company.
NEW YORK — Thousands of stunned small business owners call Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp. each week after they're turned down for a loan. Jeff Stibel, CEO of the business credit reporting company has a message for them: Don't blame the bank.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Small businesses took out more loans and leases during April, the first increase in borrowing this year, according to an index released Wednesday.
A new method of getting Camp Pendleton veterans hired in the civilian world could be used as a model across the United States.
SCORE San Diego is increasing its already impressive workshop roster by offering new and existing business owners advice on government contracting.
One of the biggest questions facing decision-makers today is whether to continue investing in IT infrastructure or start migrating to cloud services. The following are 10 key factors that, in addition to capital expenditure, should be considered by small business leaders when making a cloud ROI calculation.
Since 1966, SCORE San Diego’s mentors have assisted small-business owners by offering reliable and relevant advice. Continuing that legacy, the organization offers bilingual mentors to support new and existing small business owners in the Hispanic community.
NEW YORK — Baby boomers preparing for retirement are driving a surge in small-business sales, as they find more and more buyers confident enough in the improving economy to expand their own businesses through acquisitions.
Local small business entrepreneurs are invited to attend SCORE San Diego’s workshops to tackle a variety of issues at all stages of a company’s development, and meet with mentors to help grow their business.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Small business owners were slightly more optimistic during April but are generally still cautious.
All small business owners, whether they are just starting out or have been in business for many years, face obstacles as they grow their business. SCORE San Diego's free and unlimited team mentoring provides business owners expert advice from volunteers with diverse business backgrounds who have encountered similar obstacles and can provide relevant advice for overcoming challenges.
May 10 (Bloomberg) -- Jim Brown, owner of JWB Properties LLC, says community banks called him almost every day in 2006 trying to lend him money. Now, his homebuilding business in Atlanta can’t get a loan.
SCORE San Diego's new Business Enhancement Forums provide a venue for entrepreneurs and business owners to both receive and provide peer advice on common issues many small business owners face.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Small business owners support raising the federal minimum wage because they believe it will help the economy and, in turn, enable small companies to hire more workers.
NEW YORK (AP) -- She could save money, and there's a good chance she wouldn't get caught, but Consuelo Gomez says she won't hire people who aren't authorized to work in the U.S. to work for Marty K, her cleaning and landscaping business.
NEW YORK -- When a witness at a Senate hearing in March on small business accused state and local governments of not doing enough to prepare for disasters, he got a sharp retort from the committee chair.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Tax relief for small businesses that hired or gave raises to their workers last year is among the proposals that President Barack Obama revealed in his $3.8 trillion budget plan on Monday.
April 9 (Bloomberg) -- Confidence among U.S. small businesses fell in March for the first time in four months as job creation plans soured.
Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Co. this week began raising its rates for small business customers by an average of 9.6 percent, despite objections from the state Insurance Department that the hikes are “excessive” and “unreasonable.”
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. (AP) -- If you want to go into business during tough economic times, you might want to do it with family.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Two months after a severe flu season forced millions of workers to stay home, paid sick time is becoming an issue for many small business owners.
SCORE San Diego hosts workshops to help companies at all stages of business development avoid obstacles and prosper.
NEW YORK -- A notable piece of small-business news on Capitol Hill this year isn't about a bill -- it's about a tax proposal that could lift some of the uncertainty owners have been complaining about.
March 12 (Bloomberg) -- Confidence among U.S. small businesses rose in February for a third month as more company leaders said they will invest in equipment and stockpiles.
With the threat of sequester looming over the federal budget, U.S. Small Business Administrator Karen Mills came to San Diego Wednesday to tout the importance of funding small businesses during an era of cutbacks.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Small businesses across the country can expect to feel some pain if $85 billion in federal budget cuts go into effect on Friday.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Small business owners remained cautious in October as they awaited the outcome of the presidential election, according to a survey released Tuesday by the National Federation of Independent Business.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Small business owners borrowed less during September, a sign that they're still not confident enough to invest heavily in their businesses.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Small businesses kept to their slow pace of hiring during October, according to two reports Thursday.
Seacoast Commerce Bank (OTCQB: SCCB) announced it was ranked the 14th largest provider of loans to small businesses in the United States, as reported by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), for the SBA's fiscal year ended Sept. 30. This is up from the 18th largest in 2011 and the 23rd largest in 2010.
Regardless of who wins the November election, San Diego’s next mayor has promised to use an obscure immigration program to attract foreign investment as a means of spurring the local economy.
Precise Permits Inc. is a building department permit processing service. The company obtains building, engineering, and discretionary permits for architects, contractors, developers, and homeowners. They also do records research, site visits, noticing packages for the discretionary permits, health department permits, any and everything that clients require of a building department. They work in all jurisdictions in the San Diego County area.
NEW YORK (AP) -- A survey shows that small business owners are losing confidence as they see the economy struggle.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Small business owners' concerns about government policies that affect their businesses have intensified after the deep recession and a recovery that doesn't feel much better.
NEW YORK -- Expedia is starting a rewards program for small business travelers who carry Chase credit cards.
MiraCosta Community College District Superintendent Dr. Francisco Rodriquez is a leader with a steadfast philosophy that economic development and education cannot succeed without the other.
The San Diego and Imperial Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Regional Network announced Cheryl Brown as the 2012 Regional State Star. Brown is a business consultant for the North San Diego SBDC.
Entrepreneur, best-selling author, nationally syndicated columnist and acclaimed business adviser Rhonda Abrams is the keynote speaker at the GrowBiz Conference and Small Business Awards Luncheon presented by the Small Business Development Centers, San Diego and Imperial Regional Network.
Veteran entrepreneurs are on the winning side of a great opportunity as the San Diego and Imperial Small Business Development Center Regional Network (SBDC) partners with Kauffman FastTrac to bring a NewVenture program to local entrepreneurs.
After more than 20 years of service in the San Diego and Imperial region, as well as 30 years nationally, the San Diego and Imperial Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Regional Network continues to deliver and expand the level resources that support the growth and success of entrepreneurship.
A long-time supporter of the San Diego and Imperial SBDC Regional Network, SDG&E, a Sempra Energy utility, once again steps up to help local small businesses.
Small business owners' optimism sank again in July as they expected sales to weaken in the coming months, according to a survey released Tuesday.
Congratulations to Jack White, owner of Ballast Point Brewing Company, for being named 2012 California Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Managed IT services is rapidly becoming one of the hottest solutions in business today because it dramatically improves an organization’s profitability, frees up internal resources and offers a unique competitive advantage.
If you are running an online business and visitors are flocking to your site, congratulations, you’ve passed a significant hurdle. But who are your customers and most importantly, what do they think of your business?
Small Business Administration (SBA) loans are a worthwhile financing option for small to mid-sized companies. These government-backed loans typically offer longer terms, more competitive interest rates and new maximum loan sizes of up to approximately $10 million.
Do an Internet search for microcredit, and images of colorfully dressed women in Africa, South Asia and Central America pop up. But the international trend that began more than three decades ago in Bangladesh is increasingly finding a home in the United States.
Using today’s multitude of social media and Internet service outlets to gain, retain and track the progress of a business can be a nightmare for the beginning entrepreneur. With an all-star cast of experienced business owners and social media experts, the San Diego and Imperial Small Business Development Centers’ GrowBiz and Small Business Awards Luncheon is bringing this valuable information to local businesses.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has joined with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to launch a training program for transitioning service members and veterans to help them become entrepreneurs and create jobs. Operation Boots to Business: From Service to Startup is a national initiative that will be piloted with the U.S. Marine Corps.
MIAMI (AP) -- Do an Internet search for microcredit, and images of colorfully dressed women in Africa, South Asia and Central America pop up. But the international trend that began more than three decades ago in Bangladesh is increasingly finding a home in the United States.
How much do you know about information security? How about Internet security? What about cybercrime?
Today, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce will partner with more than 15 of San Diego’s top businesses to recognize small business leaders.
The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce is a network of nearly 3,000 public and private companies, including more than 100 nonprofits. These companies include roughly 400,000 employees who earn more than $15 billion dollars annually and represent nearly 23 percent of the regional GDP.
Nearly 90 percent of businesses in San Diego are considered small or micro businesses. This represents a unique opportunity for our region, and for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce — the voice of business for the San Diego region.
How can a communications protocol elevate your business? Consider the impact of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications, and its ability to lower costs and offer powerful new business applications.
Silvergate Bank is a San Diego-based business bank that specializes in helping businesses grow through the provision of innovative, customized banking programs and products tailored specifically to each company’s needs.
In the latest sign of San Diego's craft brewers exiting their niche market and breaking into the city's mainstream, Ballast Point Brewing Company's CEO Jack White won this year’s local Small Business Administration's award for small businessman of the year.
American Express OPEN, the small business division of the American Express financial services company, continued its annual Victory in Procurement program Wednesday with a workshop at the Mission Valley extension campus of Point Loma Nazarene University.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- It seemed like a good idea at the time.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Selling a product in China may seem daunting for a small company. But Earl Kluft found it can be done -- with the help of someone to guide him through the unknowns of doing business in a foreign country.
NEW YORK (AP) -- If you work for a small business there's a good chance that, since the recession, you have taken on additional responsibilities and are working longer hours. Some of the work that used to be done by fellow employees may be getting farmed out to freelancers or other independent contractors.
Law schools can’t employ students, but San Diego schools of law have developed programs and clinics to ensure their graduates have the practical skills and experience that give them a competitive edge in an evolving and increasingly demanding legal field. Some programs are teaching students how to create policy while others offer the opportunity to learn while providing pro bono legal services to startup tech companies, small businesses or nonprofits that might not otherwise have the resources to hire an attorney.
Small business owners are slowly growing more confident about their companies and the economy — but they're also still cautious about hiring and expanding.
Reports of companies being hacked, national weapons programs being compromised, intellectual property (IP) being stolen, and ransomware (“CryptoLocker”) proliferating highlights the urgent need for a unified cyber security protection profile for us all.
A few years ago I needed to have two window blinds replaced in our home. The process of ordering these blinds from a local merchant was excruciating. The store was disorganized, made one mistake after another, and could never even find my order in their computer! The good news is finally after several weeks the blinds were delivered to our home -- the bad news is that both of the blinds were incorrect. This is where the plot thickened even more.
California employers are required to provide workers' compensation coverage to their employees, which also requires the employer to pay for benefits should an employee become injured or ill on the job
SHRM resources at the local, state and national level develop analysis, white papers, forms, templates, web content and seminars to help employers stay in compliance and up to date.
The consensus among small-business lenders of varying size, scope and sector was unanimous at a recent executive roundtable at The Daily Transcript: 2014 will be a bounce-back year, and in a big way.
The cloud has defeated the "blue screen of death," but companies are constantly taxed with updating security software and finding new ways to combat cyberthreats.
The national economy still might be struggling, but for some small businesses in San Diego, things are looking up.
Small businesses navigated through the recession on different paths — some remained stable and some thrived, while others struggled to obtain loans and land clients.
Despite a brutal market for booksellers, Warwick’s, the oldest family-owned and operated bookstore in the nation, still draws customers to La Jolla.
May 15, 2014 -- George Chamberlin speaks with Jim Matteo, CEO of Bird Rock Systems, about how the company offers technology solutions to enterprise businesses and Matteo's efforts to foster entrepreneurship.
The Daily Transcript celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit with local success stories.
The Daily Transcript celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit with small business news and local success stories.
The Daily Transcript celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit with small business news and how-to articles.
The U.S. Small Business Administration and the San Diego/Imperial Region of the Small Business Development Centers honor local small business owners.
The Daily Transcript celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit with a look at some stand-out local small businesses, issues and trends, and information from the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Join the Transcript, the Regional Chamber of Commerce and SBA in celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit. This annual issue also serves as the official program guide to the San Diego Small Business Awards Luncheon.
Read about the latest economic forecasts and marketing strategies for small businesses.
Join the Transcript, the Regional Chamber of Commerce and SBA in celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit. This annual issue also serves as the official program guide to the San Diego Small Business Awards Luncheon.
Celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit with this official program guide to the San Diego Small Business Awards Luncheon, hosted by the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and the San Diego chapter of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Find out how small businesses can survive and thrive in a tough economy.
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