March 2009 Online at www.thesmartcenter.biz

Do you work for a great company? The Smart Business Resource Center is looking for the Best Companies to Work For in Shasta County 2009. Do you love your job? Does the company you work for offer: a great working environment, on-going training or advancement opportunities for employees, and a superior overall experience for customers? If the answer is YES Nominate the company you work for Go to bestinshasta.com. Prizes will be awarded in 4 catagories: 1-15 employees, 15-49 employees, 50+ employees, and nonprofits. The winning companies will be announced at a breakfast awards event on April 21st at Win-River Casino's Event Center. The more nominations a company gets, the better their chances of winning. And, every employee submitting a qualifying nomination will be entered in a drawing for a special prize, so you could be a winner too. Vote now, then spread the word. Send your co-workers the link to bestinshasta.com

Are you looking for a few good men or women? You can meet hundreds of job seekers, ready and willing to work, at Smart's Spring Hiring Fair March 10th, 10am-2pm There are still a few slots available for businesses with current job openings. View the flyer Call 245-1514 Entrepreneur.com's Small Business Tech Advisor includes advice from their panel of experts and answers questions sent in by viewers. networking.entrepreneur.com is advertised as a Blog Network. Read The 10 Commandments of Business Networking - and much more.

Common Sense for Uncommon Times March 3, 5:30-8:00pm In this hands-on workshop from the Small Business Development Center you will learn about the driving forces in the economy that affect your small business and what you can do to stay above the crisis. Call 225-2770. March 17, 24 & 31, April 7 The Importance of Financial Statements Cash is KING! Financial Management - Finding the Goal Marketing without Money 4 dates - 4 different presentations Call 225-2770 or go to sbdcsc.org Brought to you by the Smart Business Resource Center and the Small Business Development Center at Shasta College Website Design Workshop March 30 & 31 9-11am each day Create your own business website - it's quick, easy, and affordable. Your website's homepage will be published to the Internet at the end of the first session! Fee: $50 Get 4 hours of training Get 3 months website hosting Get a domain name for a year Get going. Learn more... WomenBiz.gov has been set up as the gateway for women-owned businesses selling to the federal government.

Welcome to the Next Level Corner - created especially for entrepreneurs. Each month we will include sites of interest to entrepreneurs. Featured Website Superior California Economic Development provides assistance in economic development planning, coordination and implementation and provides small business training, counseling and financing assistance with the goal of creating stable, long-term employment opportunities in the private sector economy. Links Recommended for Entrepreneurs Small Business California Shasta Technology Association SBDC Calendar of Events SCORE's Accelerate Your Success Program is a three-month campaign to help small business owners focus on a plan for success, manage and acquire cash, and develop a sales pipeline. Visit www.score.org/accelerate through April for online toolkits and resources designed specifically to reach today’s entrepreneur.