March 2008 Online at www.thesmartcenter.biz

You could be a winner! What better way to attract new employees and customers than being named the best company to work for by those who work for you? Post the flyer - Vote online See bestinshasta.com or call 245-1571 to learn more. Three grand prize winners will be announced at the Breakfast Awards Ceremony at Win-River on April 22 with motivational speaker Jack Schultz. All eligible nominated companies will be invited to attend and will be entered in a special drawing. The employees who nominated them will be in a special drawing for a gazebo from Phoenix Spas. - Event Partners - Smart Business Resource Center & Lake College - Platinum Sponsors - Rush Personnel, North Valley Bank & Win-River Congratulations! The Shasta Trades Academy was presented the first annual Jim Simpson Workforce Advancement Award on February 19 at a ceremony at the Smart Business Resource Center.

The Healthy Organization March 18, 8-10am This free seminar will be held at the Holiday Inn in Redding. Click here to sign up. Take two hours to make your business the best it can be! A Healthy Organization will attract and retain the people you need to survive - and thrive - in the 21st century. Discover policies and practices that can work for you Tap into local resources available for your employees Consider work-life programs that increase employee satisfaction and morale Get the edge to attract new talent & retain top performers Energize your workforce and discover bottom line benefits Stay in compliance with related labor laws Funding provided by First 5 Shasta & Smart Are you ready to hire? You'll meet people you'll want to hire at Smart's Spring Hiring Fair on March 11. We have a few spots left for businesses with current job openings. Call now. 245-1514

What are the features of your company that will make job seekers want to work there and how do you get the word out? - Take the quiz - Is Your Business Employee-Friendly? (score.org) "Employment branding is the process of placing an image of being a 'great place to work' in the minds of the targeted candidate pool." Read Building an employment "brand" (ourworld.compuserve.com) Tax time is here again and new Economic Stimulus Package has some good news for small business owners. Read New Tax Breaks for Small Businesses on SmartMoney's Small Business Site. Health Care Reform Update At the Town Hall Forum on February 5th, Herb Schultz, Senior Health Policy Advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger, discussed heath care reform. The following information was sent to attendees after the presentation: Health Care Reform and the State Budget Deficit Benefits to Business The Health Care Security and Cost Reduction Act You may email your comments to herb.schultz@gov.ca.gov.

Entrepreneur Workshop March 12, 5:00-7:30pm March 19, 5:00-7:30pm This free training consists of a workshop and a coaching session. The five presenters are successful local business people. It is open to anyone interested in starting or growing their own business. View the flyer. Learn the key steps to business start up and growth. Learn how to bring your product to market. Discover financing options for start-up and expansion. The first 25 attendees will receive The E Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber. Sign up on the Smart website Seating is limited. Website Design Workshop March 20 & 27, 9-11am each day Smart Center, Redding We'll walk you through the steps of developing and publishing a website for your business. You will receive 4 hours of training, 3 months of website hosting and a domain name for 1 year. Sign up online. Fee: $50 Enterprise Zone Seminar March 26, 9:00-10:30am Redding City Hall Learn how you can reduce your California State Taxes for 2007 with Shasta Enterprise Zone Tax Credits. Call 530-224-4920 to reserve your seat. No fee. What is the Enterprise Zone? Find out on the Smart website.

Last Chance! The annual survey closes on March 5th. The questions in this survey by Small Business California (SB-Cal) are about doing business in the State of California. SB-Cal is a proactive, non-partisan business advocacy organization whose only agenda is the well being of California’s small businesses. Annually, SB-Cal surveys California businesses. Results of the survey are sent to the Governor and Legislators. Those who participate have an impact on policy discussions over the next year. To have your voice heard in this year’s survey, click here.