April 2007 1201 Placer Street - Redding, CA - (530) 246-7911

Business Travel We know, there is "no place like home." We love Shasta County too, but there are times when business requires us to travel. If you are the owner of a business with employees who travel, check this out (on gaebler.com): Five Sure Ways to Save on Business Travel If you're the one doing the traveling, here are Packing Tips for Business Travelers (about.com) If you need computer access while you're away, here's some good advice for those Traveling with a Laptop (travelocity.com) And, you could learn a lot from these Top 10 Business Trip Bloopers (www.inc.com) Travel Time = Work Time = Overtime? More than 130 million American workers are protected (or "covered") by the Fair Labor Standards Act, which is enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. "Covered employees must be paid for all hours worked in a workweek." "This would generally include work performed at home, travel time, waiting time, training, and probationary periods." "The overtime requirement may not be waived by agreement between the employer and employees." For information or assistance: FLSA Overtime Calculator Advisor - New! Record Keeping Requirements

What's in a Name? Could be everything if you're in business and, if you have a website, your domain name can be every bit as important. Customers must be able to find you, so do your research and choose wisely: Choosing a Business Name FAQ findlaw.com 'Oedipus Wrecks' and other business names to avoid microsoft.com Tips on Choosing a Good Domain Name thesitewizard.com Choosing a Domain Name j-learning.org Speak out! Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa wants to hear from CA's business owners. Your thoughts and experiences in regards to providing health coverage for your employees can make a difference. Take the Health Care Survey Prevent Identity Theft with Responsible Information-Handling Practices in the Workplace "In summary, everyone from the mail clerk to the CEO must make it their business to handle personal information responsibly in the workplace. Don't make the workplace a breeding ground for identity theft." It's your business. Click here to learn what you can do. Source: www.privacyrights.org Also see: Security & Privacy - Made Simpler from the Better Business Bureau.

April Workshops Hop to it! Sign up for these great workshops. Register now. www.shastasmart.com/events April 11th - 8-11 a.m. Recruit & Hire for Success Presenter: Amanda Braxton You can avoid bad hires! Learn the 8 steps of the hiring process and how to recruit applicants who will fit in, get the work done, and stay around for a while. April 11th - 1-3 p.m. Striking up the Conversation Presenter: Karen Lee Learn how to lead and hold a conversation that leaves a good impression, including easy ways to start a conversation, the do's and don'ts, and how to recognize verbal clues. April 25th, 8-10 a.m. A Positive Approach to Discipline and Terminations Presenter: Inez Bays The steps to take when rules are broken: towards solving problem behavior, preparing for a smooth termination, handling the emotional impacts and preventing lawsuits. April 25th, 1-4 p.m. Inside Sales Presenter: Karen Lee Every employee is a sales person, regardless of title. Learn how to give them the tools they need to make the sale by training, informing, and mentoring them.

Q & A What do Hot Jobs, Job Orders, and CalJOBS have in common? They are all part of the free hiring services available at Smart! When you choose the Smart Business Resource Center for your hiring services, we can: enter your job orders in the statewide CalJOBS system, feature your job orders in our Hot Jobs, in our Center and on our website, collect your job applications for you, and perform the initial screening to your job specifications. Four good reasons to contact us when you are ready to hire. Call Patrick at 245-1515 or email bpatrick@shastasmart.com. Hiring Fairs and Job Fairs - A Smart Choice - Smart Business Resource Center Hiring Fairs are held twice a year with the next one scheduled for September 12th. These events are free to participating businesses and limited to employers with current job openings. "The Spring Hiring Fair was a huge success," said Betty Harrison-Smith, Smart's One-Stop Center supervisor. "It just keeps getting better and better." She reports a record number of job seekers in attendance (441) to meet with the 19 employers on hand. A Job Fair in the One-Stop Center can be requested at any time of the year. Whenever you have a number of vacancies to fill, we're here to help. Together we'll design a job fair to meet your needs. Again, there is no fee. Call Betty at (530) 245-1532. ~ Our Goal is Your Success ~

March 29th was National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, which celebrates small business owners, a vital part of the U.S. economy. Show your support....shop their stores everyday!