SEPTEMBER - alicetx.org 09.pdf · ing your Credit Scores. The last session held in August had Liz...

Chamber sets date for Second Annual Skeet Shoot The Alice Chamber of Commerce is

sponsoring its Sec-ond Annual Skeet Shoot on Saturday, October 10, 2008 at the Jim Wells County Fairgrounds. “We wanted to try something different as a fundraiser for the Chamber. Last year we had a great turnout and expect a

bigger one this year” event chairperson Virginia Garcia said. The Skeet Shoot will be a four-person team. With any of the four gauge shot-guns, 12, 20, 28 and 410, being used. The event will begin at 9 a.m. with par-ticipants opting to purchase practice rounds. Entry fee is $200 per team with various awards being given. There will be a silent auction as well. “We want this event to be family ori-ented,” Garcia said. The Chamber is also selling ad sponsor-ships for the event for $40. Business card ads can be purchased by calling the Cham-ber. “Last year, the event was very success-ful,” Chamber Manager Juan Navejar said. “We expect a bigger a crowd this year.” Entry forms are available at the Alice Chamber of Commerce. For more infor-mation, contact the Chamber at 361-664-3454

business tradition service community agriculture oil & gas growth

Official Publication of the Alice Chamber of Commerce

Lunch ‘N Learns a success

Second Annual Alice Chamber of Commerce Skeet Shoot

Sat. Oct. 10th Jim Wells

County Fairgrounds

The Summer Lunch ‘n Learns pro-gram sponsored by the Alice Chamber of Commerce came to a close last week. The nine-week seminars featured differ-ent topics during each session. “We are pleased to have offered these free seminars to our members and our community,” Chamber manager Juan Navejar said. “Each week during the summer we offered something different that could help benefit our business com-munity.” This was the second year the Chamber has put on the summer Lunch N Learn

Liz Harris, Vice President of Global Mortgage Group, was the guest speaker for the final Lunch ‘N Learn. Her topic was “How to Improve Your Credit Score.”

BB U S I N E S SU S I N E S S

seminars. Guests brought in their brown bag lunches and listened to the guest speakers. Topics included: Dealing with the Media; Managing Your Documents, Customer Services; SBA Loan Pro-grams; Keeping Business Crime Free; Interviewing Techniques, and Protect-ing your Credit Scores. The last session held in August had Liz Harris, Vice President of Global Mortgage Group, talking about Improv-ing your credit scores. The brown bag luncheons were free to the public and ran from Noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays.

SEPTEMBER 2009

“Alice Business Today” published by the Alice Chamber of Commerce

From the Chamber It’s that time of year where we start planning for the Board of Direc-tors terms. As per the Chamber By-Laws, we nominations committee has nominated four individuals to the 2010 Chamber Board. After dis-cussing many possible candidates the committee presented the current board with the following recommendations: Dr. Salvador Cavazos, Wayne Shoemaker, Paul Rycroft and Michael Garcia. The formal vote will take place at our next regular meeting in September.

The summer has come and gone and the school is back in session. We need to pay attention to school zones and the new laws going into affect this month. Alice Night at the Coastal Bend Thunder was a great success. Thanks to our Mayor Rito Silva and council members who throw out the first pitch. Those who attended had a great time. We had another Chamber Mixer in August at LoneStar Motors. I would like to thank them along with L&F Distributing for providing the location and the drinks and food. Those who attended had a great time.

Agapito “Gap” Alaniz Jr., Chamber Board President

2009 Chamber Leadership

Executive Committee

Gap Alaniz President First Community Bank

Yvette Johnson Immediate Past President/VP-CVB Individual Member

Virginia Garcia V.P. AJWC-EDC President Elect WorkForce Solutions of the Coastal Bend

Nena Pitts V.P. - Membership CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Alice

Rito Silva V.P. - Civic Coastal Bend College

Hector Hinojosa Treasurer City of Alice Board of Directors

Mark Alaniz Love Chrysler Jeep of Alice

Dee Dee Arismendez Home Interior Ind. Contractor

Mark Casanova CHRISTUS Spohn Alice

Lawrence Cornelius Century 21

Michael Day Individual Member

Servando Garza Coym, Rhemet & Associates

J.R. Gonzalez Wells Fargo Bank

R. David Guerrero JWC Dist. Clerk

Robert Molina State Farm Insurance - Robert Molina

Mirka Pena Dixie Iron Works/MSI

Ex-Officio Ray De Los Santos City of Alice

Staff

Juan A. Navejar Jr. Chamber Manager

GoCom Solutions LLC held a grand opening ceremony and Open House celebration on Friday, Aug 14th. The new business is located at 710 E. Main and is owned by Manuel Gonzalez III.

RIBBON CUTTING

Leadership Jim Wells County Class of 2010 applications now available at the Chamber


Your company celebrating an anniversary,

change of ownership or Relocation?

Contact the Chamber for a ribbon

cutting ceremony.

Your First Step to Success

Coastal Bend College Alice Center

704 Coyote Trail - Alice, Texas 78332 (361) 664-2981 - Toll Free 1-866-891-2981 - www.coastalbend.edu

Customized Training Available for the South Texas Workforce

Shocked by rising commercial electricity bills? We can help. Wish you could get better rates without having to spend a lot of time dealing with a bunch of salespeople and worrying about the contract terms? Take advantage of the

Chamber’s Electric Coalition. There is no fee to have a professional find out how much your business, church or organization can save. And you are not obligated to accept an offer if you don’t want to. It’s exclusive to Chamber

members, and it’s quick, easy and safe! Contact the Chamber at 361-664-3454.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that USDA is now ac-cepting applications for up to $1.7 bil-lion to fund projects that help spur busi-ness activity and economic growth in rural communities. This infusion of money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into rural business is designed to create and save jobs and help rural com-munities grow and prosper. “The Recovery Act funds announced today will help businesses get access to the capital they need to launch and ex-pand their businesses and help bring additional jobs to America’s small cities and towns,” Vilsack said. “President Obama and I are committed to building strong rural communities by helping businesses grow so we can put people back to work.” The funding announced today will be made available through USDA Rural Development’s Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan program, which sup-ports the development of private busi-nesses. Eligible applicants include coopera-tive organizations, corporations, partner-ships, nonprofit groups; federally recog-nized Indian tribes, public bodies and individuals.

Billions in assistance available for rural businesses The funds will be targeted to creating and retaining quality jobs and serving difficult to reach populations, and areas hardest hit by the current economic downturn. USDA will accept applications for this Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan program until Sept. 15, 2010, or until all funds are expended. Recovery Act fund-ing will be available through Sept. 30, 2010. For information on eligibility criteria and for application assistance, please contact your state Rural Development office, or visit www.rurdev.usda.gov for a listing of all state offices. For example, projects that have util-ized the program in the past include Hoffland Environmental, Inc. who refi-nanced their loan thru a Business & In-dustry Guaranteed Loan to expand op-erations, purchase additional equipment, and pay for professional services associ-ated with the loan. The company designs and manufac-tures equipment, primarily for the eco-nomical treatment of wastewater that contains toxic heavy metals, oil & grease, toxic hydrocarbons, suspended solids, and animal waste. This project created an additional 10 new skilled jobs and retained 30 skilled jobs in Conroe,

Texas. Pineywoods Academy, located in Lufkin, Texas, is a college preparatory charter school which utilized the USDA Business & Industry Guaranteed Loan to purchase the building they had been leasing that hosted their charter school. Originally, the Academy was Pre-K through the 8th grade, now they are plan-ning to incorporate a high school. The Academy has an enrollment of 276 stu-dents and meets or exceeds the standards set forth by the Texas Education Agency. More information about USDA’s Re-covery Act efforts is available at www.usda.gov/recovery. More informa-tion about the Federal government’s efforts on the Recovery Act is available at www.recovery.gov. USDA Rural Development’s mission is to increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for rural resi-dents. Rural Development fosters growth in homeownership, finances business development, and supports the creation of critical community and technology infrastructure. Further information on rural programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office or by visiting USDA Rural Development’s web site at www.rurdev.usda.gov.

Did you know the Chamber/CVB has…Maps, brochures, phone books, info on attractions and other cities.


Alice Ambassadors

Melva Alegria

Dee Dee Arismendez

Nettie Cornelius

Michael De Leon

Manuel Galindo (Life Member)

Albert Gonzales

Cynthia Hinojosa

Melissa Jaramillo

Debbie Micallef

Bruce Menking

Tem Miller

Rachel Munoz

Dene Murphey

Delma Palacios

Nena Pitts (Life Member)

David Silva

Margaret Smith (Life Member)

Ellen Startz

Jack Walker

Clare Wonders

Emeritus

Joe Ash

Ralph Gomez

Pedro Jasso

Johnny Rivera

• P r o d u c tio n T e s t in g• O ffsh o r e S e r v ic e s• B r a id e d a n d S lic k l in e S e r v ic e s• F r a c F lo w b a c k s• H y d r a u lic C h o k e M a n ifo ld s• F r a c V a lv e s• P ip e l in e “ P ig g in g ” S e p a r a to r s• C a p illa r y T u b in g S e r v ic e s• P -V -T L a b o r a to r y• P -V -T S im u la t io n s• H y d r o c a r b o n L a b o r a to r y• R e s e r v o ir F lu id S a m p lin g• P r e s s u r e T r a n s ie n t A n a ly s e s

C o r p o r a t e H e a d q u a r t e r s1 0 0 0 F E S C O A v e n u e

A l i c e , T e x a s 7 8 3 3 23 6 1 -6 6 4 -3 4 7 9

w w w .fe s c o in c .c o m

ALICE AMBASSADORS Where did the summer months go, cooler temperatures should be around the corner but you know South Texas, it could be here yet some time. Kids are back in school and before long the Holidays will be around. Time to start saving your pennies for the Holi-day Shopping. I’d like to thank LoneStar Motors for a great Mixer. We had over 40 people there. Also like to thank L&F Distributors for the adult beverages as well. We have been hav-ing great turnouts at these events which are held every other month. Bring your business cards to exchange with others and promote your business. It’s a great way to meet other people in our business community. Our next Mixer will be in October at Del Cielo Home Health and in December we invite you to the new Alice Heart and Vascular Cen-ter building. Alice Night at the Coastal Bend Thunder was a huge success. Thanks to everyone who attended and/or had a part in organizing the event. We still have some spots available in the Ambassadors. If you are a Chamber mem-ber and would like to be represented contact one of the Ambassadors for more informa-tion. We would love to have you be a part of this active group.

Rachel Munoz

Our Mission The mission of the Alice Chamber of Commerce

is to promote the economic and community development in Alice, Jim Wells County

and the surrounding trade area.


September is here and the Hispanic Heritage Festival is back and set to take off Friday, September 11-12, 2009 in downtown Alice. The two-day event will be filled with lots of festivities for everyone. The festi-val will have live entertainment/street dancing on Friday and Saturday, food vendors galore, crafts, talent shows and much more. The Hispanic Heritage Festival has been a long time traditional event of Alice and it maintains its integrity by enriching the heritage of the Hispanic Community. To kickoff the events for Friday their will be a IBCA sanctioned event cook-off team set up at 3-8 pm, the fiesta is set to open to the public starting at 6:30 p.m., A Tejano son of Texas traveling exhibit will be located on the 1st floor of city hall the presentation will begin at 6-7:30 p.m. * Friday nights Music opener will begin its performance introducing Joe Lara y Xprezzion from 7-8:00 pm; next up will be Ruben Rivera Y RA starting at 8:30-10:00 pm, and to finish off the night will be Eddie Gonzalez y Natural at 10:30-11:45 pm. Saturday’s events will start bright and early with IBCA cook’s meeting sched-uled for 8 a.m., Kid’s Pork Chop Cook-off event for youths 8-14 starting at 11 a.m., Mexican Bingo (1st floor city hall)

Hispanic Heritage Festival celebrates annual event

will also start at 11a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the talent showcase will begin at 2-3 p.m., the adorable baby contest awards at 3:15 p.m., the talented Ballet Folklorico starts at 3:45 p.m., KOPY/KUKA Radio will have a Jalapeno Eating Contest to begin at 4:30 p.m., Cook-off Awards start at 5 pm. *Musical Entertainment for Saturday night will launch at 6 pm with Strolling Mariachis followed by Patron at 7-8:30 p.m., next up will be Ricardo Castillon from La Differencia starting at 9-10:30

p.m., and to close up the last night for the Hispanic Heritage Festival will be Tx-Mex Kadillaks from 11-12:30 a.m. Applications are available at the Alice Chamber of Commerce next to the Alice Concrete Water Tower. Welcome all, please come and join us on this two day traditional annual event. The Hispanic Heritage Festival is all about promoting culture awareness and maintaining traditions in our commu-nity.

As the unemployment rate rises, so does the threat of scams targeting job seekers. Better Business Bureau warns job hunters to be extremely cautious in their search for work because scammers are out to take advantage of them and make a fast buck. The national unemployment rate is creeping closer to 10 percent and already 13 states are experiencing unemploy-ment rates in the double-digits. As more people find themselves out of work, they are also becoming targets of scammers looking to take advantage of those who are already facing a tough financial situation. “More families are becoming increas-ingly susceptible to suspect offers for employment as they try to find work in an extremely competitive job market,” said Carrie A. Hurt, President and CEO of BBB serving Central, Coastal and Southwest Texas. “Scammers have set their sights on the unemployed because the number of potential victims is grow-ing every month.” BBB advises job hunters to beware of:

Job offers that require an upfront fee

Earlier this year, job ads cropped up in Florida from a company claiming it was looking to hire 2,500 employees for their new headquarters. Applicants had to submit $24 to pay for a background check. Law enforce-

Byron W. Blair, P.C.

Certified Public Accountant

1315 E. Main, Suite 101 P. O. Box 211

Alice, Texas 78332

Office 664-6541 Fax 664-6544

Residence 664-4685

Cornerstone Member 2004

www.prosperitybanktx.com

1200 E. Main Alice 664-5446

361-661-1580 (24-Hour Fast Line Free, Secure Internet Banking

R

R

Page 4 “Alice Business Today” published by the Alice Chamber of Commerce

ment later found out that the money only went to the pockets of the company’s owner. Sadly, similar schemes crop up across the country every year. While the amount of money lost by any one victim may be small, the total amount taken in by the schemer can be significant. BBB advice: Job hunters should never have to pay money up front to be consid-ered for a job. If a potential employer asks for the job hunter to pay the company to cover the costs of testing, training or background checks, it should be consid-ered a red flag.

Job placement assistance that makes big promises

but can’t deliver Job placement companies, or headhunter firms, often do not charge the job seekers for help finding a job, but are instead paid by companies that need help filling posi-tions. Some job placement companies, how-ever, have been taking money from job hunters and not fulfilling their promises of quick employment. One such placement firm that was ad-vertising on Craigslist charged as much as $195 and guaranteed it could find job hunters work. Unfortunately, job hunters didn’t re-ceive call backs or refunds and had no real way to contact the company. BBB Advice: Always research a job placement company first with BBB before signing any contracts or paying any

money. Be extremely cautious about paying up front fees and know the deal on how to get a refund.

Phishing attempts by ID thieves pretending to be real businesses

Identity thieves employ many different methods for getting personal financial information from job hunters. Spam e-mail might offer a great op-portunity and direct the job hunter to a Web site that is designed to install mal-ware on his or her computer or solicit bank account or Social Security num-bers. In other cases, the job hunter might even be asked to submit a resume, find out they’ve been hired and then immedi-ately be asked for bank account or Social Security numbers. BBB Advice: Be extremely cautious when responding to unsolicited e-mails from supposed employers—even if the company name is well-known—and do not click on any links in the e-mail until having verified the company fully and can confirm that the e-mail came from a legitimate source. Legitimate employers will need Social Security numbers for tax purposes and may need a bank account number to de-posit paychecks for new employees, but job hunters should be wary of any re-quests for such information from compa-nies and job offers that they have not met in person. For more advice on avoiding scams and fraud visit www.bbb.org.

Three scams job hunters should look out for


Wells Fargo is a proud Cornerstone Member of the

Alice Chamber of Commerce

Alice Main Alice Medical 601 E. Main Street 1910 E. Main Street 361-668-2400 3 6 1 -668-1000

WELLS FARGO


SEE UNIQUE, Page 14

Find the freedom to execute your day-to-day business plan without all the HR worries. What would you think about having the opportunity to just be the think-tank person in charge leading the direction of your company, without the burden of HR? What exactly is HR? Human Resources is

everything having to do with your em-ployees on the worksite – payroll, pay-roll taxes, unemployment claims, work-ers’ compensation insurance and claims management, safety programs, legal compliance, workplace employee proce-dures and policies, and the administra-tion of benefits. You’d be surprised how much more you could accomplish if you had proac-tive HR plans in place. In addition, you wouldn’t have to administer anything but the day-to-day direction of your employ-ees that drive your business. Establish and execute a plan of action for HR and be done with it. There are a multitude of laws that change from year to year and you need to comply with every one that applies to your business. If you are going it alone, you’ve got to stay on top of it. Is your company presently running a big risk? Do you even know what risks you might be taking by not having up-to-date, legally compliant HR procedures in place? It might be frightening once you think about all the what-ifs, and right-fully so.

Risk Mitigation A strategically designed program to eliminate or lower risk must be in place. This plan should target issues specific to your company, lower the risk factors, and help enhance production and morale. Should there be a loss, these programs help minimize that loss. Employee manuals, job descriptions, and new hire forms need to be updated, reviewed, and documented annually. Safety manuals and programs should be in place and documented annually. Worksite injuries need to be handled immediately, by professionally trained staff.

Unemployment hearings need to be handled appropriately and HR proce-dures must be in place to ensure only valid claims are paid. I-9’s need to be properly documented and filed.

Expenses Affecting Budget Outsourcing HR helps keep your budget on track with the pay as you go plan and by eliminating a multitude of un-foreseen risks. ♦ Unemployment claims driving your

SUTA rate higher ♦ Employment turnover due to im-

proper HR structure Quarterly tax payments and fines

Workers’ compensation insurance pre-miums and end of the year audit billings Payroll time accounting and payroll so-lutions You must be educated and up-to-date on how to effectively run the HR side of your company. It doesn’t matter if your office has 12 employees or 1,200. If you have an employee in charge of HR, how do you know it’s being handled appro-priately? An alternative HR plan is avail-able. If you are the one overseeing HR wouldn’t your time be more effectively spent driving revenue? How do you spell relief? PEO (Professional Employer Organization) It’s not easy to find business solutions or the personnel to blend continuity with experience and professionalism over the long haul. It is tough enough to drive core functions on a daily basis. My ex-

perience has been that too many business owners down play or ignore the impact that not having HR processes in place could have on their business. It’s a dis-turbing trend in today’s world of mitiga-tion and “free rides”. The mindsets of some business leaders stay sheltered from the consequences that could lie ahead. Sometimes having appropriate plans in place aren’t costly, and you are wise to ensure you are legally protected while implementing the worksite poli-cies that provide positive employee mo-rale. In an effort to recruit and encourage a higher level of employees to your place of business, provide the most benefits you can afford to offer. If a full-blown health care plan isn’t affordable, you might want to offer alternative plans that don’t require your participation. Benefits administration can be a tiresome and tedious job, as every year you’re looking for the best deal with the most robust offering. The aggregate buying power of HR process outsourcing companies called PEO’s (Professional Employer Or-ganizations) is one viable solution. They are more than likely the one to find the best health insurance option for your company. If you chose their health insur-ance plan, they administer it. Profes-sional Employer Organizations provide the total package. Effective and efficient

Effectively execute your business plan

Connie Jackson Unique HR

Business Consultant

Washington, DC – Congressmen Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15) spoke on the House floor in support of legislation he and Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy (RI-01) introduced, the Adult Education and Eco-n o m i c G r o w t h (AEEG) Act of 2009.

The legislation would increase the scope and effectiveness of adult education, literacy, and workplace skills programs to ensure adult Americans are prepared for the jobs of the future. Congressman Hinojosa stated, “If we are to remain competitive in the global economy, we must invest in high quality adult education and workforce training programs that lead to family-sustaining jobs in careers with the promise of ad-vancement and postsecondary educa-tion.” In introducing the bill, Kennedy and Hinojosa pointed to a report issued ear-lier this week by the President’s Council of Economic Advisors, Preparing the Workers of Today for the Jobs of To-morrow, which stated, "A well-functioning post-high school education and training system cannot be achieved with the current, often conflicting and confusing, maze of job-training pro-grams spread across several federal agencies.” The Adult Education and Economic Growth Act (AEEG) ad-dresses these challenges by developing an adult education, literacy, and work skills system that coordinates greater involvement of business leaders, state agencies, the adult education commu-nity, and workforce leaders so that adult students are better and more broadly served. The AEEG Act goes even further to enhance the use of technology, in-creases funding to meet the growing demand for adult education services and also adjusts the federal funding formulas


U.S. Congressman

Ruben Hinojosa

For a color version of this newsletter visit us at www.alicetx.org

to better meet the needs of states. Hinojosa added, “The “Adult Educa-tion and Economic Growth Act,” H.R. 3238, strengthens our adult education and workforce training systems, in-creases economic growth in local com-munities and supports President Obama’s call to once again lead the world in college degrees by 2020.” The Adult Education and Economic Growth (AEEG) Act aims to improve access to innovative and effective work-force and education programs to help meet the demands of a 21st century workforce . The b i l l wou ld : Through the Adult Education and Eco-nomic Growth (AEEG) Act, modify pro-gram goals of Title I and Title II of the Workforce Investment Act to place greater emphasis on adult education, literacy, and workplace skills services for adults and bring about coordination of goals and outcomes among federal programs. ♦ Encourage collaboration between

education, labor and business to provide education and training for low-skilled incumbent workers, create incentives for business to improve employee skills, and en-courage states to increase the par-ticipation of incumbent workers in their workforce training and adult education programs.

♦ Revise funding formulas to ensure that states receive funding according to the demographics and needs of their populations including the needs of their non-English speaking population.

♦ Currently, states may not use more than 10 percent of funds for correc-tions education. The AEEG Act would establish 10 percent as a minimum to be used for corrections education. The Act also requires a report on how the funding is being used to ensure that we are effec-tively preparing these individuals to become productive members of our

society. ♦ AEEG creates a tax credit to en-

courage employers to invest in adult basic education and work-place skills.

♦ Creates a new adult education tech-nology program for states and local service providers to expand access and services through the use of technology, and funds the develop-ment of a national adult education web portal.

Current adult education services reach only 3 million adults annually and were not designed for today’s global eco-nomic challenges. According to the National Commission on Adult Liter-acy, 80 to 90 million U.S. adults today, about half of the adult workforce, do not have the basic education and com-munication skills required to obtain jobs that pay a family-sustaining wage. Population demographics tell us that our workforce is growing exactly among this lower skilled group of working adults from a variety of back-grounds, in particular, among minority a n d i m m i g r a n t c o m m u n i t i e s . In literacy, English language learning and other adult education areas, many states are struggling to provide the req-uisite services under outdated program goals and funding formulas. It is critical to our national competitiveness that we build bridges to sound workplace skills and postsecondary education for a growing part of our workforce. Congressman Hinojosa concluded, “We must reform our adult education and workforce delivery systems if we are to provide adults with the educa-tional opportunities and 21st century skills needed to acquire family-sustaining wages and remain globally competitive.” Senators Webb and Brown will intro-duce companion legislation in the Sen-ate.

Hinojosa supports adult education & economic growth


The struggling economy is taking its toll on animal shelters across the country. Families who are facing hard financial times are being forced to surrender their dogs, cats and other pets to animal shel-ters at an alarming rate. In turn, animal shelters are having a hard time keeping up because while demand for their services is skyrocketing, financial donations to these shelters—also due to the economy—are dramatically declining. In response, maurices is launching a nation-wide effort to support local shel-ters and the animals help. Rescues & Runways will sweep the country during the month of September. More than 700 maurices stores in 44 states will each host pet-themed fashion shows, partner with their local animal shelter, sponsor pet supply drives to support their local shel-ter, and sell a special charm to benefit the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®). “Given the crisis that animals and ani-mal shelters are facing, we are confident that they could use our help,” said Vivian Behrens, senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “By shining the spot-light on these animals—and with our cus-tomers’ and associates’ passionate sup-port for this worthy cause—I know we can make a difference.” Each Rescues & Runways fashion show will feature models from each com-munity walking the runway with the latest fall looks from maurices, along with a

pet, of course, that is available for adop-tion. “Our hope is to garner attention and support for the shelters. Ultimately, we hope to encourage people to adopt an animal from a shelter so as to provide a loving home to a ‘forever friend,’” ex-plained Behrens. Throughout September, people within these communities are encouraged to support their local animal shelter by bringing pet supplies to their local mau-rices store. Customers who bring in a donation will receive a coupon for 20 percent off one regular-priced item. The campaign goal is to collect 500,000 pounds of supplies across the nation. Also recognizing pet lovers’ devotion to their own pets, maurices is introducing a limited edition Friends for Life Charm; a celebration of the special bond people share with their furry friends. “It’s a token of unconditional love,” said Behrens. “Women can wear half of the charm, while the other half of the charm is worn by their pet.” The Friends of Life Charm is just $5 and will be sold in all maurices stores from mid-September through October

31. For every charm purchased, $2.50 will go to support the ASPCA and its national shelter outreach program. The ASPCA will receive a minimum donation of $50,000 from maurices with an ultimate goal of raising more than $100,000. We are thrilled that maurices will be in-troducing this charm to the pet-loving public,” said Jo Sullivan, ASPCA execu-tive vice president of external affairs. “Customers will feel good knowing their donation helps the ASPCA save the lives of countless animals each day.” The Rescues & Runaway event will kick off on August 26 with a major fash-ion show and entertainment at maurices in Duluth, Minn., where the corporation’s home office is located. The event will include check presentations by Chief Ex-ecutive Officer David Jaffe to the ASPCA and local partner Animals Allies. For information on when a Rescues & Runaways fashion show will be held in your local area, please contact the mauri-ces store nearest you. Visit www.maurices.com maurices inspires young women to find their style, with adorable, affordable fashions in sizes 1-24. Whether it’s jeans or jewelry, maurices offers everything a girl need to fill her closet with the latest trends. From loungewear to office wear, evenings in or out on the town, maurices fits the way women live and work.

Maurices launches Rescue & Runaway campaign Maurices of Alice Rescue & Runway

Saturday, Sept. 20th 10 a.m.

Veterans Plaza Park


Auto Home Business Life Health

1810 E. Main Alice 361-664-4348

1-888-664-4349

www.carlisleins.com


2701 E. Main (361) 668-0441

CHAMBER MEMBERS OF THE MONTH

Workforce Solutions is the Large Business Chamber Member of the Month. Workforce Solutions is dedi-cated to creating a first class workforce development system. They provide services to individuals seeking employment, those wanting better jobs, and to employ-ers needing skilled, experienced employees. Work-force’s job is to ensure that employers have resources to solve workforce-related problems and that individuals make successful career transitions.

Alice Shoe Shop is the Small Business Chamber Mem-ber of the Month. Locally owned by Billy Wursthorn, Alice Shoe Shop has been a part of the Alice business community for many years.

See ELLIS, Page 14

In order to accommodate entrepreneurs busy schedules the Del Mar College SBDC operates a satellite office at Coastal Bend College - Alice. The Alice office services Jim Wells, Duval, Brooks, Kleberg, Live Oak, McMullen and Kenedy counties. This office run by senior coun-selor Larry Ellis offers business counseling, training and procurement technical assistance to the residents and businesses of South Texas. For more information on the Small Business De-velopment Centers and Procurement Assistance, contact Larry Ellis at 661-1119 or check out our website http://www.delmar.edu/sbdc

Cornerstone Member

1600 E. Main Alice

Bonuses: Rewarding your employees

Bonuses can be a great motivation tool, even for employees of the smallest busi-ness. They can also be a waste of money. How they are planned and administered makes the difference. Properly administered bonuses can rein-force behavior that will lead your company to success by rewarding people for making a specific contribution to the organization. Bonuses dolled out improperly will lead to disgruntled employees who expect a bo-nus, but who may not be happy with what they receive.

Set goals To reap the most out of bonuses, tie them to clearly-set goals. A good time to set these goals is at the beginning of the year. These goals should be concrete, at-tainable, and critical to the growth of your business. The steps below will help you set good bonus goals:

Set goals with employees Employees are often the best source for information about what job-specific goals will contribute to overall increased produc-tivity, responsiveness, or other business goal. Involving employees in goal-setting will also do away with resentment that can come from the imposition of goals from senior management. R e e v a l u a t e g o a l s f r e q u e n t l y Do this, at a minimum, halfway through the year to insure that goals still make sense and that employees are on track. Big companies tend to have concrete goals but smaller companies let this information slide.

Make goals specific and measurable Don’t set goals such as “Do a better job,” because a general goal does not in-struct an employee in what steps to take. An example of a constructive goal is “Increase response time to customer calls by one-third” or “Cut customer complaints by 50 percent.”

Set goals that tie employees into the success of your company

Don’t automatically assume that bo-nuses should be tied to increased sales or even profitability. For example, it may be most impor-tant in a given year for your business to cut costs or raise visibility. Tie bonuses into that critical goal rather than one that is traditional.

Make sure employee goals are attainable

Most people tend to set goals that are too high and this leads to employee frus-tration and demotivation over time, which kills off the value of setting goals.

Other reasons to give bonuses If you didn’t set goals with your employ-ees last January, that doesn’t mean that you can’t pay bonuses this year. There are a number of reasons that you might want to consider paying year-end bo-nuses to your workers. According to Ted A. Hagg of Able-man Management Services, a New York City-based financial and management consulting service for individuals and small businesses, you can still make an educated decision at year-end by asking yourself the following questions:

Can I afford to give bonuses? It is legitimate not to be able to give bonuses every year. If you did not make a profit, for example, bonuses are inap-propriate. Do I want to retain the workers I have? Bonuses are a tool for attracting and keeping good employees. If you are con-cerned about losing someone to the com-petition you should factor that into your decision.

How much to pay There are no hard and fast rules except that you should make bonuses equitable among peer groups and always have performance justification for bonuses. Employees will discuss bonuses, and paying inequitably will generate strife or potentially lawsuits. When you deliver bonuses, be sure you explain the reasons for them. These reasons should be non-subjective, meas-urable, and performance-oriented. When you deliver bonuses, make it clear that a bonus is an extra that may not always be available. As nicely as possible, drive home the fact that you are rewarding them for this year’s accomplishments


September is here and time to g e t t h i n g s revved up when it comes to tour-ism. The His-panic Heritage Festival is right around the cor-

ner on September 11-12 in downtown Alice. This festival brings quite a few people into the city for the two-day event. The Alice Coyote football team will once again host a California team in Sep-tember. We will begin working on wel-come packets for them this month. October brings about the Street Rods of Alice Annual Rod Run on Oct. 3-4 at the Jim Wells County Fairgrounds. The Chamber sets its eyes or bulleyes on clay targets for its annual Skeet Shoot on Sat. Oct 10th at the JWC Fair-grounds. Two weeks later, the JWC Fair kicks off its annual Fair from Oct. 21-24th. Each month we tabulate the number of sessions received on the pages and you would be amazed as how many and where the hits are coming from. In July the number of hits to our web-


CONVENTION AND VISITORS

BUREAU

Convention & Visitors Bureau

1-877-992-5423

page were 15,623 sessions to the site indi-cating an increase from June with most hits coming from northern Texas. Among the targeted webpages was general infor-mation about Alice, accommodations and sites. Applications for 2009 project funding are available at the Chamber of Com-merce and are due 60 days prior to event in order to receive board approval for events to be held in Alice. All requests

must be presented to the Chamber board for approval before granting assistance from the CVB. Funding will be done a bit different this year. Aside the application, the CVB will require a business plan and proof of insur-ance before awarding funding to assure we are using proper documentation of the hotel tax funding. Copies of a business plan can be obtain by contacting the Chamber of Commerce.

Rollies BBQ & Country Store held a grand opening ceremony on Friday, July 31, 2009. The new BBQ restaurant and store is located at 316 FM 2507 and is owned by Rojelio Cuellar Jr.

GRAND OPENING

One of the biggest lessons coming out of the recent bear market is that you need to find financial profes-sionals you can rely upon. A number of factors can go into the process, such as the professional back-

ground and history of the individuals you are considering, referrals from others who have used them and your own com-fort level from having a one-on-one dis-cussion. But for many, a good starting point is to understand the credentials of the pro-fessionals you are considering. As you look at their business cards, letterhead or office nameplates, you are likely to see professional designations being used.

Financial advisors There are several different certifica-tions you may commonly see attached to financial advisors. These typically pro-vide an indication that the professional you are considering has invested time and energy to increase his or her knowl-edge to a specific area. Here are some basic explanations of fi-nancial designations: CFP® (Certified Financial Planner ™ professional); ChFC® (Chartered Fi-

nancial Consultant) To qualify for these designations, profes-sionals must have at least three years of experience in financial planning and pass rigorous exams that typically require one-to-two years of study and ongoing education. The coursework provides these individuals with more in-depth knowledge about key financial planning topics that should better prepare them to develop beneficial solutions for their

PAUL RYCROFT on Finance


Sorting through the financial professionals alphabet clients.

CLU® (Chartered Life Underwriter); CPCU® (Chartered Property Casualty

Underwriter) Both are professional designations for those who provide insurance products to individuals and companies. Again, they require a course of study and continuing education, often dealing with more com-plex topics related to the application of insurance coverage to meet individual financial planning needs.

RIA (Registered Investment Advisor) These individuals must be registered with their states or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in order to provide investment advice and manage invest-ments for others. They typically are held to a high standard of fiduciary responsi-bility by regulators.

Registered Representative These are professionals licensed by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, a self-regulating body of the securities industry. They have to complete a course and pass an exam to be licensed and abide by industry regulations.

Tax Preparers You have many options when considering a professional to help you manage and prepare your tax returns, from a one-person shop on the street corner to large, international tax preparation companies. In most states, there is little regulation of tax preparers and no licensing require-ments. Those who have more complex needs may want to consider a CPA.

CPA (Certified Public Accountant)

Individuals with this designation have passed an in-depth exam and, in some states, must have completed a work ex-perience requirement. If you are choos-ing a CPA to help you with taxes, it may be beneficial to find one that specializes in working with individuals or busi-nesses, depending on your need. An ex-perienced CPA can provide advice to help you sort through key financial and investment decisions that may have tax consequences. Designations don’t mean everything Finding professionals who have achieved designations is one qualification of many to consider as you go through your own selection process. Keep in mind that the designation alone does not necessarily assure the level of quality you will find in the professional. This column is for informational pur-poses only. The information may not be suitable for every situation and should not be relied on without the advice of your tax, legal and/or financial advisors. Neither Ameriprise Financial nor its fi-nancial advisors provide tax or legal ad-vice. Consult with qualified tax and legal advisors about your tax and legal situa-tion. This column was prepared by Ameriprise Financial. Financial planning services and invest-ments offered through Ameriprise Finan-cial Services, Inc., Member FINRA & SIPC. ©2009 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

801 N. Texas Blvd. Alice, Texas

Cornerstone Member

Member FDIC

“Your Only Locally Owned & Operated Bank In Alice, Texas” Commercial Auto/Boat Checking Consumer CDs Safe Deposit Boxes IRAs Mortgages

24-Hour Banking 664-8789 - 668-8831(24-Hour Customer)

STREET RODS OF ALICE

ANNUAL ROD RUN

October 3-4 JWC Fairgrounds

UNIQUE, From Page 7


Manufacturing Sales Engineering Service Technical Support Training Repacking Rental

www.endyn.com Cornerstone Member 2004

300 W. First Alice 361-668-8311

JIM WELLS COUNTY FAIR

October 21-24

ELLIS, From Page 11 and that bonuses are available based on the company's performance this year only.

Bonus nuances The end of year is not the only time bonuses can be given out. Some business owners believe that whether you give bonuses or not, you should also provide periodic rewards for jobs well done. Ac-countants often give them at the end of tax season, other entrepreneurs give them at the end of a large job or busy season to demonstrate appreciation for employees’ devotion and hard work. Even a bonus as small as $50 can mean a lot to someone because it demon-strates that you acknowledge their hard work. If you don't have a lot of extra money to spare, a small bonus or a bonus in the form of time-off can work.

payroll administration, workers’ com-pensation insurance/claims management, unemployment claims management, safety programs, human resource proce-dures (employee handbooks and poli-cies) with respect to hiring, disciplinary actions and terminations are all key in-gredients for morale and leading a proac-tive company. Take your business to the next level. Small businesses can run professionally and have the same benefits just like a Fortune 500 company for normally the same cost as you’re presently paying or maybe you can even save a few bucks. Having worksite regulations and policies in place protects your assets, which adds up to a lot more than a few bucks! For more information on what federal regulations concern your business, work-ers’ compensation insurance, how to reduce SUTA rates, or for a HR analysis on your business call or email Connie Jackson for more information. Connie can be reached at (800) 824-8367 or at [email protected]. Website: www.uniquehr.com

South Texas Tamales and BBQ held a grand opening ceremony on Wednesday, Au-gust 12. The new restaurant is located on Front Street.

GRAND OPENING

Some people believe that giving all bonuses at the end of the year is not a good idea. According to David H. Bangs, Jr. author of Smart Steps to Smart Choices (Upstart Publishing Company), end-of-year bonuses can create a mine-is-bigger-than yours syndrome in your com-pany. Bangs recommends providing bo-nuses for goals attained at the time of the

achievement. When you are doling out bonuses dur-ing the year or at the end of the year, don't forget the behind-the-scenes people who have made the big orders, the successful client presentations, and the travel, possi-ble. Clerical staff is instrumental in mak-ing all other functions of the company operate smoothly. Reward them for it.

A Rainbow Beginning AT&T - Texas A&W Investments Sunset Terrace A-1 Quality Fence Acetylene Oxygen Company Adcock Pipe & Supply Alamo Lumber Company Alamosa Animal Hospital Alice Autoplex, Inc. Alice Board of Realtors Alice Body & Paint Alicecalendar.com Alice Cash & Carry Alice Counseling Center Alice Echo-News Journal Alice Family Eye Center Alice Fire Fighters Asso. Alice Feeder Supply, Inc. Alice Heart Center Alice Housing Authority Alice Mini Storage Alice Motor Inn *Alice Noon Lions Alice Optimist Club Alice Paint & Decorating Alice Pest Control, Inc. Alice Police Officers Asso. Alice Radiator & Muffler Alice Shoe Shop *Amanda’s Country Classic Amerigroup Community Care Ameriprise Financial Andrews Distributors Angel Care Ambulance *Armando Marroquin Astromatic Car/Truck Wash Atkinson - Wonders Avon Products B&J Air & Pump *Baby ‘N Me Ultrasound Baker Auto Sales Ball-Montez Electric Co. Barker, Paulette Bedgood, R.E. & Sons Best Western Executive Inn Betty Allison Realtors. Inc. Bob Hays Western Store Bordeaux Apartments Bowden Ford *Boys & Girls Club of Alice BriteStar Brush Country Bank Brush Country Casa Brush Country Claims Buckhorn Mini Storage *Burger Basket Byron W. Blair, P.C. C.A. Jackson, Inc. *CAM Trucking Service C.A.W. Company Inc. Cameron Village Apts.

Carlisle Insurance Agency Century 21 Hallmark *Chentes Restaurant Chiles Sales & Service CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Alice Church’s Fried Chicken Claro Communications Coastal Bend Blood Center Coastal Bend College Coastal Community & Teachers Credit Union Community Action Corporation *Community Coalition For Children and Families Copy Center Cornelius, Nettie Cornerstone Baptist Church *Corpus Christi Hammerheads *Corpus Christi Hooks *Corpus Christi IceRays Covance Research Products Cowley Supply Company Coym, Rehmet & Gutierrez Engs. CVS Dairy Burger Dan’s Processing Center, Inc. Day, Michael & Melanae Days Inn *Del Cielo Home Health Dee Dee C. Arismendez, Ind. Contractor Home Interiors DeLaune Drilling Service Devon Energy Dixie Iron Works MSI, Ltd. Dr. Alejandro Lopez Dr. Bandeira Teixeira Dr. Gary T. Cloud, O.D. Dr. Roel Garza & Assoc. Family Dentistry Dr. William Nisimblat, M.D. Edwards Furniture *Elsa’s Pill Box EnDyn OMS, Inc. *Especially For Me *Family Heritage FESCO, Inc. First Community Bank First State Bank of San Diego First United Methodist Church Flournoy Family Properties Flowers Machine & Welding Co. Garza, Joe Frank Richard J. Garza, P.C. Gilbert’s Fine Jewelry *GoComm Solutions LLC Goodwill of South Texas Guaranty Title & Abstract Gulf Coast Federal Credit Union H&S Constructors, Inc. Halliburton Services *Hampton Inn *H-E-B

Hispanic Heritage Committee H.D. Machine & Welding Holiday Inn Express *HomeCare Medical Equip. Humpal Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Hunter Petroleum Hunter-Ash Oil Co. Immanuel Lutheran Church International Bank of Commerce Island Glow Jasso Insurance Jigger JWC Fair Association Joe’s Plumbing Johnny’s Blooming Shop Johnson, Yvette Jolene’s Merle Norman K.C. Hall K&S Thread Services Keetch & Associates LHR Services & Equipment L&F Distributors La Copita Ranch La Hacienda Pharmacy *La Quinta Inn & Suites Lack’s Furniture Store Lawrence B. Cornelius & Co. Lemon & Gonzalez-Lemon Loomis International *Lone Star Motors Lopez Finance Love Chrysler Dodge Jeep Maurices Manpower *Maresch, Ernestina McCoys McDonalds McNinch, Leon CPA *Mi Familia Adult Day Care Model Key Shop Murdoch Welding NSCL N&S Air Conditioning Neff’s Plumbing Service New York Life Insurance New Sound Hearing Aid Nortex Bakery & Fast Foods Page Water Well Drilling Paladium Bowl Panda Chinese Restaurant Perez, Marisela Phoinix Global LLC Picture Perfect Sanitizing Platinum Slickline Service Plaza Four Popeye’s Port of Corpus Christi *Prodigy Child Academy Prosperity Bank Raul Ramirez - State Farm

Ray Vess Jewelers *RC Electric *Rialto Jewelry Richardson’s Water Well Drilling Right of Way Service Inc. Rios, Margot Robert Molina - State Farm Insurance Robstown Catering *Rollies BBQ & Country Store *Rosas Funeral Home, Inc. Rush Truck Center, Alice Rushing & Gonzalez Saldivar Coastal Services, Inc. Sandoval, Ruben Scott Bearing Company Scottish Inn Sears Authorized Dealer Store Seidel, Whittington & Company SERCO of Texas, Inc. Sherwin-Williams Small Business Dev. Center SNBL USA, Ltd. South TX Blood & Tissue Center South Texas Museum South Texas Screening - Driving School Stewart Title Company St. Elizabeth Catholic School St. Joseph Catholic School Star Light Limo Service State Rep Yvonne Gonzalez-Toureilles State Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa Steamatic of Alice Steve Costley Advertising *Tesoro Loan Texas Champion Bank Texas Star *The Menu Gazette The Tint Shop Third Coast Squadron *Tiny Tots Day Care Tractor Supply Company Truckers Equipment *True Elite Fitness & Well Tutti Frutti Delight Tyrone City Barber Shop *Unique Staffing *Universal Mortgage United Medical Services V.F.W. Post 8621 *VillageProfile.com *VTX Communications Walker, Jack Wal-Mart, Inc. Weiben Chiropractic Clinic Wells Fargo Bank Whataburger of Alice Workforce Solutions *Indicates new 2009 new member

Thank You 2009 Alice Chamber of Commerce Members

Alice Chamber of Commerce 612 East Main P.O. Box 1609 Alice, Texas 78332

Membership Benefits • Two FREE classified listings in the Chamber web-

site: www.alicetx.org • FREE Subscription to Alice Business Today, the

official Chamber monthly newsletter • Annual Membership Directory/Buyer’s Guide

listing all members, including a classified directory for member businesses

• Advertising opportunities in Chamber publications to promote your business

• Membership Services which include FREE Busi-ness Announcement/Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies, Conference Room Rentals and Mailing Lists

• Networking Opportunities through Chamber activi-ties to make valuable contacts and promote your business

• Opportunities to get involved in the Chamber’s volunteer working committees to help build a stronger economy and bright future for our commu-nity

• Access to economic and statistical information through the Chamber office

• Support of a professional staff that works fulltime for you and your fellow members

Objectives The following objectives have been established by the Alice Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors:

• To encourage and advance the growth of existing industries and businesses.

• To provide all proper assistance to any new firms, professional or individuals seeking to locate in the Alice area.

• To serve as liaison with all government, civic and educational entities, and law enforcement agencies in Alice and Jim Wells County.

• To increase our membership and provide quality service for our members.

• To identify and assist in obtaining funding to accomplish the ob-jectives of the Chamber of Commerce.

For more information on how to get involved and benefit as a member of the Chamber of Commerce, call (361) 664-3454, or stop by the of-fice located at 612 E. Main, Alice, Texas.

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