Myrna Crowther
Greg Martin
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Bob Crowther
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Appraisal & Credit Report for Bank of America / Countrywide REO’s
When you call Bank of America, you can rest assured that our top priority is providing personal service so you can make well-informed home financing decisions. We offer a variety of mortgage solutions for qualified buyers. From the beginning, we will work closely with you to make sure the process is as efficient and convenient as possible. If you are planning to purchase or refinance, you can experience exceptional service right in the neighborhood. Contact one of our mortgage loan officers today.
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Murrieta Branch (951) 816-3600 At the Sam’s Club Shopping Center 40484 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd., Murrieta, CA 92563
Say you saw it in the Homes Magazine November/December 2010 | Temecula Today
Home Loans
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Chairmans Elite Circle Members Platinum
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In this Issue
Silver
Patrick M. Schmidt, CEO, FFF............................................... pg. 4 2011 Awards Gala........................................................................... pg. 5 Winterfest Opens in Old Town............................................ pg. 10 November 2, Ballot Measures................................................. pg. 11
President’s Circle
New Workers Comp Requirements.................................... pg. 12 Temecula Valley Restaurant Month..................................... pg. 16 Chamber Calendar................................................................... pg. 26 Community Calendar............................................................... pg. 27 Directors
Nancy Austin, Grubb & Ellis Tony Berardino, Cornerstone E & S Insurance Services Dan Brunell, Dearborn West, LLC
26790 Ynez Court, Temecula, CA 92591 Phone: 951.676.5090 Fax: 951.694.0201 Email : info@temecula.org www.temecula.org Mission Statement
The mission of the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce is to promote the economic environment of all member businesses and by so doing will support the programs which preserve and improve the quality of life.
Officers Chairman of the Board — Stan Harter, Reid & Hellyer, A Professional Corporation
First Vice Chairman — Kelly Daniels, Premier Marketing/Valley Events Second Vice Chairman — Isaac Lizarraga, Rancho Ford Lincoln Mercury Treasurer — Jerry Konchar, Pechanga Resort & Casino Secretary — Janet Scott, Bank of America
Teresa Fleege, Southwest Healthcare System Ron Guerriero Jeff Kurtz, Promenade Temecula Shane Lesovsky, Temecula Valley Communications Suzanne Lingold, California State University San Marcos Paul Nolta, Small Business Development Center Tom Paradis, The Press-Enterprise Janese M. Reyes, Community Little Book Karen Roberts, Kaiser Permanente Bill Seltzer, Temecula Valley Golf School Jackie Steed, Clear Blue Promotions
Management Team
Alice Sullivan, President CEO Laura Turnbow, Chief Operations Officer Kimberly Freize-Uhler, Membership Director Katie Edmonds, Membership Coordinator Yvonne Ruiz, Membership Coordinator Jennifer Cloud, Special Events Director Jeanette Kristensen, Resource Coordinator Lynn Collett, Resource Coordinator Emily Pulley, Communications Director Karen Ratkowski, Operations Assistant Justin Lawler, Creative Director Jeremy Harris, Legislative Council Raynell Squyres, Member Sales
Committees
Legislative Council Chair — Roger Ziemer Membership Services Chair — Lori Maruffo – Virtual Outsourcing Solutions Co Chair — Ryan Andrews – Integrity Journal Co Chair — Adam Ruiz – A R Home Loans Direct, Inc. Business Development Resources Chair — Laura Bruno, Referral Institute VYP Chair — Adam A. Ruiz, A R Home Loans Direct, Inc. and Tiffany Carreon, Realty World & Associates Deadline for text is the 10th of the preceding month, and deadline for inserts is the 10th of the preceding month. Members wishing to submit articles for upcoming issues of Temecula Today, please submit to emily@temecula.org. Flyer insert: To reserve space for an insert, please call Alice Sullivan at 951.676.5090 For advertising opportunities please call Emily Pulley 951.676.5090
The opinions and views expressed in Temecula Today are those of the writer or person interviewed and are not necessarily those of the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce, its Officers or Board of Directors, the editor, or the advertisers in Temecula Today, The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce endorses no person, political candidate, or opinion unless specifically stated. The publisher accepts advertising on the condition that at no time shall the publisher’s liability exceed the cost of space involved, and the publisher is not liable for incidental or consequential damages.
Temecula Today | November/December 2010
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Patrick M. Schmidt
Chief Executive Officer, FFF Enterprises, Inc. (FFF) Introduce yourself!
Patrick M. Schmidt Chief Executive Officer, FFF Enterprises, Inc. (FFF). Temecula-based FFF is the nation’s largest and most trusted distributor of plasma products, vaccines and critical-care biopharmaceuticals. What does FFF stand for?
FFF comes from the Latin phrase “Fortuna Favet Fortibus,” which roughly translates to “Fortune Favors Fortitude.” When I was in college, I happened upon this phrase during my studies. It resonated with me and when I started my company in 1988, it seemed like a natural fit. Why did you decide to open your business in Temecula? At the time, we were considering locations from Los Angeles County to Marietta, Georgia. In the end, Temecula won out because it offered a good quality of life with affordability in an attractive, growing community. It was a good decision. Tell us about your company and some of the numerous resources your company provides.
FFF is recognized as the nation’s largest distributor of critical-care biopharmaceuticals, plasma products and vaccines. We partner with the leading manufacturers to serve more than 80 percent of U.S. hospitals and supply the nation’s leading nonacute care GPO members. A significant part of our business is handled by our MyFluVaccine program that delivers flu vaccines to customers on the date of their choosing. Another of our business units involved in flu vaccine distribution is VaxAmerica, which provides vaccinations for individuals, employer groups, school districts and colleges. VaxAmerica offers directto-consumer vaccination services and a clinic model that allows it to supply for mass vaccinations. FFF’s NuFACTOR Specialty Pharmacy delivers services and products to patients with inherited bleeding disorders, immune deficiencies and other chronic diseases. NuFACTOR also provides managed-care organizations and treatment centers with outsourcing services, including inventory management, distribution assistance, reimbursement support and cost management. Most recently, FFF has become a successful publisher with two award-winning national magazines, IG Living, for immune globulin patients and their healthcare providers, and BioSupply Trends Quarterly, reporting news and trends in the biopharmaceutical marketplace. Your company talks about “Guaranteed Channel Integrity.” What is that and what does it mean to the consumer?
Our motto expresses our dedication to “Helping Healthcare Care,” built on the recognition that at the end of every transaction there is a patient whose well-being depends on receiving a critical-care product. Because of FFF’s patient-first commitment, we have instituted a
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November/December 2010 | Temecula Today
series of safeguards within our distribution process that we call the “Eight Steps to Guaranteed Channel Integrity.” First and foremost, we purchase products only from the manufacturer and ship only to healthcare providers, with additional steps taken to safely store and ship products in a way that ensures patient safety is never compromised. Our customers remind us daily how important our Guaranteed Channel Integrity is to them, to their patients and to the future of FFF. To date, we have a flawless safety track record of more than 8000 counterfeit-free days of business.
What has been the most challenging issue your business has faced? How did you solve the issue?
FFF has always focused on illuminating industry-wide issues such as counterfeiting, inappropriate distribution of product and price gauging. We have faced these issues head-on with our commitment to provide a secure supply chain that ensures biopharmaceutical products move only from the manufacturer through a single, ethical distributor to the healthcare provider, eliminating the possibility of gray market activity. Our Verified Electronic Pedigree system (VEP), which was the first in the nation, allows customers to easily verify the pedigree of pharmaceuticals purchased from FFF within seconds of logging in. Because FFF’s secure distribution channel protects the efficacy, integrity and safety of biopharmaceuticals and the health and wellbeing of patients, we have earned a reputation as the nation’s most trusted distributor of biopharmaceuticals, plasma products, vaccines and clinical trial drugs. How did you start your company and how did it evolve into the diverse company it is today?
From very humble beginnings, I started FFF in 1988 in my garage, selling medical gloves. My initial goal was to pursue a career coaching football, with a small business on the side. A few years later, I was distributing gloves to a variety of businesses and one of my customers mentioned a need for plasma products like albumin. We explored that opportunity, which led to an expansion of blood plasma products and eventually vaccines. Today we are a billion dollar company and the largest supplier of the flu vaccine, IVIG and Albumin in the country. I was blessed to also have the opportunity to fulfill my original goal to coach. For two years, in addition to being FFF’s CEO, I was the high school football coach at my daughter’s school. What advice do you have for those that own their business or are thinking about starting a business?
I think you have to find something you are passionate about, pursue it aggressively, and be prepared to respond to opportunity as well as adversity. I am convinced that “Fortune Favors Fortitude” is true: If you are willing to be bold, take risks and stick it out even when things get tough, good fortune and success will follow.
Legislative Summit Recap
California’s Economic Future On Tuesday, October the 5, the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted the Legislative Summit at Pechanga Resort & Casino. Speakers included Dan Walters, a longtime political columnist with the Sacramento Bee and Joe Vranish, a business relocation coach from Irvine. The moderator for the event was Gene Wunderlich, Government Affairs Director, Southwest Riverside County Association of Realtors.
“California’s economic future will depend on how these agencies interpret their mandate,” said Walters. “Under Arnold Schwarzenegger, these (regulatory) mechanisms have been created. These mechanisms will move in one way or another” depends on who succeeds Schwarzenegger in November.
Vranich talked about the various companies he’s worked with recently and why many companies are choosing to leave what he considers an extremely hostile climate for businesses in California. He expressed his concern regarding AB 32, a law intended to cut California’s greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. A proposition on the November ballot would suspend the law until unemployment is at 5.5 percent for four consecutive quarters. “AB 32 is going to just compel people to look for options,” Vranich said. “The thing we have to be fearful of is when they look for options; they are going to find them.”
Overall the event was very informative and took a honest, serious look at the current state of California. There is work to be done and every California citizen must get involved and do their part by getting out and voting on November 2.
Gene Wunderlich, Dan Walkters, Joe Vranich
Awards Gala – Save the Date Saturday, February 26, 2011
Each year the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce honors exceptional businesses, service/ charitable organizations, and individuals with the title of Business or Citizen of the Year, during the annual Awards Gala. The Chamber realizes that the core of what makes Temecula so special is its people and businesses. So many make extraordinary contributions to our community and at the Awards Gala they are recognized. Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce members nominate businesses and individuals they feel to be outstanding in their service to the community, business values and leadership. Business, Service/ charitable organization, and Citizen of the year will be announced at the Annual Awards Gala on Saturday, February 26, 2011 at Pechanga Resort & Casino. For more information contact the Chamber at 951-676-5090 or visit www.temecula.org
Temecula Today | November/December 2010
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Athens & The Greek Islands
Presented by Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce TThe Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a Athens & the Greek Islands trip. The cost of the trip is $2,999 Double Occupancy, Single Occupancy is $3,549.
Price includes: Round Trip Air from San Diego Int’l Airport, Hotel Accommodations and 18 Meals: 8 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches and 6 Dinners. Trip Highlights: 4 Night Greek Islands & Turkey Cruise, visit Mycenae, Athens, The Acropolis and a Taverna Dinner Show.
The deadline to register is November 15, 2010. A $250 deposit is required to reserve your spot. Checks should be made payable to Collette Vacations. For detailed trip information please contact the Chamber at (951) 676-5090.
A Time to Celebrate and Thank You Member Appreciation Night 2010
Join us, Wednesday, December 8th at Journey’s End at Pechanga Resort and Casino for Member Appreciation Night. Enjoy the evening with your fellow chamber members as we recognize those who have reached a “Milestone” in their support of the TVCC. Businesses who have been members of the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 & 30 years will be recognized. A special thank you to the following businesses who have reached a “Milestone” for their long standing support of the TVCC: Keubler & Associates CPA’s Verizon McDonald’s The Press-Enterprise RBF Consulting Allie’s Party Equipment Rentals, Inc Community Little Book Inc. LifeStream Minuteman Press Stater Bros. Market Temecula Valley Drywall, Inc. Toyota of Temecula Valley
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30 years 30 years 25 years 25 years 25 years 20 years 20 years 20 Years 20 years 20 years 20 years 20 years
November/December 2010 | Temecula Today
Women in Business Inspirational Quote Books Available
The 2010 Women in Business Event, attended by over 200 guests, was a successful day filled with networking, sharing and inspiration. The event included an expo, artists showcasing their work, a clothing contribution and speakers including Dr. Haynes from California State University San Marcos. Additionally, each attendee received an Inspirational Quote Book, filled with quotes from women in our valley. Additional copies of the book are available for $5.00 each or 2 for $8.00. Please contact the TVCC for more information.
“With the eye of a friend may each single being regard all others.” – Yojht Veda
Sponsored by
Temecula Today | November/December 2010
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Are You Listening?
Online Conversations Define Your Brand Your brand– personal or business – is only as good as your reputation. It is a sum of all the comments and conversations by employees, peers, clients, prospective clients, competitors, and casual observers. These conversations about your brand are happening online – with or without you, minute-by-minute.
6. Monitoring Comments http://www.backtype.com/ Backtype sends you an email update whenever your search term is mentioned in a comment. By setting up an alert using your brand as a search term, you will be able to find and follow comments about your brand or links to your website.
Ultimately, your strategy in confronting bad press is up to you, but the first step is monitoring the conversation so you know WHAT is being said. The old adage “you don’t know what you don’t know” certainly applies here…you cannot manage a discussion you don’t even know is taking place.
8. Forums and Message Boards Not all forum threads are indexed by search engines, but the following are good resources for helping you uncover and manage those hard to reach conversations taking place in chat forums: http://www.boardtracker. com/” BoardTracker http://www.big-boards.com/” Big Boards, and Board Reader.
The key to protecting and managing your brand is to listen early and listen often. Once it’s out there, it’s there to stay. We’ve all seen the stories that recycle every so often; just when you think a story has died down, it gets legs – and off it goes again!
While there are countless fee-based software and social media optimization services, you can immediately start using the following 10 free tools to monitor your online brand. Best Practices for Brand Monitoring in 10 Easy Steps:
1. Manage Your Identity Think about managing your online identity with OpenID. This is a free service that provides you with a single ID that lets you log onto thousands of sites such as Google Reader, Del.icio.us, and Technorati without having to create a new account and password for each site. With ClaimID you can also set up one central location to cross-reference all the sites you may have, such as your blog, articles you’ve written, etc. Your ClaimID page lets you put your best face forward and manage the identity you wish to present. 2. Start an RSS Reader Account Start out by setting yourself up with a feed reader to subscribe to alerts, blogs, and news feeds from your favorite websites. I use http://www. google.com/reader/view/ Google Reader because it’s one of the best free readers and it is very easy to setup and to sort, bookmark, and share feeds. https://www.google.com/reader/view/ Google’s Quick Video Tutorial. 3. Del.icio.us Another popular resource is del.icio.us.com, which is a social bookmarks manager that allows you to bookmark any site on the Internet, no matter what computer you are using. You can share bookmarks with friends if they use del.icio.us and you can see what’s hot with other del.icio.us users. By looking at popular bookmarks for the tags you’ve created, you see the most interesting bookmarks on topics you’re most interested in. Get started with http://delicious.com/help/getStarted delicious.com. 4. Google Alerts http://google.com/alerts Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results based on your choice of query or topic. Set up a Google Alert for your brand and track blog posts, news articles, videos and even groups that mention your brand. http://pipes.yahoo.com/ pipes/ Yahoo! Pipes is another powerful composition tool to aggregate, manipulate, and mashup content from around the web. 5. Monitoring Blog Posts If you have a blog, then you should be on http://technorati.com/ Technorati.com. Technorati.com indexes millions of blog posts in real time and surfaces them in seconds. Technorati.com tracks blogs that link to yours and will alert you when someone blogs about you.
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November/December 2010 | Temecula Today
7. Monitoring Twitter Twitter users averaged 27.3 million tweets per day in 2009 – did any mention your brand? www.search.twitter.com Twitter search and http:// tweetbeep.com/ TweetBeep will locate any instances of your brand.
9. Social Comment Tracking Following comments and tracking conversations is easy with the right tool. I personally use Yacktrack, which searches various sources, such as Blogger, Digg, Flickr, Wordpress, FriendFeed, and Stumbleupon. Other excellent tools are http://commentful.blogflux.com/ Commentful, http://www.cocomment.com/ or http://co.mments.com/ comments to selectively track conversations on blogs.
10. Social Media Search Engine with Analytics Platform http://socialmention.com Social Mention is a social media search engine and analysis platform that is specifically focused on social media content. Social Mention doesn’t just search blog specific search engines; it also searches the big engines such as Bing, Google, and Yahoo!
Social Mention monitors 100+ social media channels directly including: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, FriendFeed, Flickr, YouTube, Digg, Delicious, Bing, Google, Yahoo!, Wikipedia, and more. If you are truly interested in social media optimization, this is a must have in your arsenal. The “listen early and listen often” mantra is a necessity to monitoring your brand. Most, if not all, of the above tools let you choose the frequency of alerts and notice. You will have a choice of frequency; something along the lines of “as they happen”, “daily”, or “weekly.” How often you choose to be notified depends entirely on you, but I like to get my alerts as they happen. The longer you wait to deal with a potential problem, the more steam it gains. The key is to be proactive. Join the conversation and stay engaged so you can control the message. Are you currently monitoring your online brand? If so, please let me know if you’ve found additional tools that other readers might find useful.
Phyllis Risner is Vice President of Marketing of ESI Technology Group, Inc. ESI is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner specializing in Network Infrastructure, Business Intelligence, and Network Security; and a Microsoft Small Business Specialist. ESI delivers full managed information technology solutions, services, and support to help businesses work better by solving their everyday business challenges with their information technology. Contact Phyllis at 877.331.9155 or phyllisr@esitechnologygroup.com.
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A lot of people and business owners know how to set up a Facebook profile or even a Facebook fanpage; however very few people know how to get their Facebook Vanity URL. If you are wondering what a vanity URL is then let me explain. A vanity URL is basically a creative link that makes it easier to guide people or local consumers to your Facebook Profile or Facebook Fanpage. Such as: http://facebook.com/MartinCanchola http://facebook.com/temeculavalleydirectory http://facebook.com/temeculainsider http://facebook.com/oldtowntemecula
So go to http://www.facebook.com/username/ today and set up your Facebook Vanity URL. Remember that if you haven’t set up your regular Facebook profile vanity URL then you will have to do that first, before you can name your Facebook fan pages. If you have any questions feel free to contact Martin Canchola of Geo Service Domains at 951-473-6577 for a free consultation. Also don’t forget to ask how you can get your business on the front page of Google.
Upcoming Events Lunch & Learn November 19th, 11:30am-1:00pm Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce “The State of our Youth�
Guest Speakers: Mayor Jeff Comerchero, Councilmember Maryann Edwards and Kyra Pelachik; YMCA Southwest Family VYPER November 18th, 6:00-8:00pm Monte De Oro Winery 35820 Rancho California Road, Temecula For anyone age 21-40.
VYPER “THANK YOU TO OUR MEMBERS� December 16th, 6:00-9:00pm “Tour of Temecula� with stops in Old Town, Promenade Temecula and Wine Country. VYP Members only + 1 guest. RSVP is required. For more information or to RSVP, email vyp@temecula.org
Temecula Today Â| November/December 2010
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International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) Announces 2010 Pinnacle Award Winners The International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) paid tribute to the 2010 Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival during the IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Ceremony held at the IFEA’s 55th Annual Convention & Expo in Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. – September 15-17, 2010, where they were presented with three awards in the prestigious IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards competition. Awards were won in the following categories: Gold Pinnacle (top honors) - Best New Promotion/Facebook & Twitter Campaign Silver Pinnacle - Best Media Kit Bronze –Best Media Relations Campaign
All three award-winning entries were produced by Melody’s Ad Works, Inc. of Wildomar, the Festival’s Public Relations firm. Melody’s Ad Works Inc. has been marketing and promoting the Festival for 14 years. The firm also produced the three 2009 IFEA Awards which included Gold Pinnacle Award (top honors) for Most Creative/Effective News Stunt, and Best Media/Press Kit. The Bronze award was for the best printed piece and was awarded for the Festival’s rack card. Both campaigns were conducted by Melody’s Ad Works, Inc. president Melody Brunsting. For more information about IFEA and a complete list of winners visit www.ifea.com.
Winterfest opens in Old TownTemecula with santa’s arrival thanksgiving weekend
supplies last at Santa’s Workshop. The colorful lenses will enhance the holiday light experience.
Santa’s Electric Light Parade comes to town Friday, December 3 at 7 p.m. Themed a Toyland Christmas, this is the first time for the holiday parade route to go through Old Town Temecula. The Franklin Haynes Marionettes perform two shows, Saturday, December 4, at 1:30 and 3 p.m. A dazzling fantasy of more than 30,000 twinkling lights, holiday décor, snow, and ice transform Old Town Temecula into a winter hamlet of family fun during WinterFest 2010 November 26 through January 2, 2011.
Other weekend entertainment includes Dynamite Dave and the Fine Arts Network Dickens Carolers throughout the holidays, Pennypickle’s Winter Wonderland with snow at the Pennypickle’s Workshop/Temecula Children’s Museum on December 10 and Community Music Day with local school bands playing holiday tunes on December 11.
It all starts with the opening of the Town Square Ice Rink Friday, November 26 at 10 a.m. A grand opening ceremony at 1 p.m. features guest competitive and professional ice skaters. The Menifee Jazz Ensemble will perform from 4 to 7 p.m. Festivities culminate with the arrival of the main man of the season, Santa Claus at 6 p.m.
The ice rink has grown to 3,500 square-feet of icy cool fun and will be open daily, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through January 2, 2011. Operated by Studio 33, this year’s enlarged rink will be open an additional three weeks and accommodate more skaters per session. Private sessions can be reserved for groups and organizations and must be booked at least 24 hours in advance. For information call: 951.694.6.ICE (951.694.6423). Santa arrives in Old Town Temecula aboard a twinkling horse-drawn carriage at Friday, November 26 at 6 p.m. and will visit with children until 9 p.m. at his new workshop on the corner of Front and Main Streets. He will be accompanied by Dickens Carolers and ushered down Front Street by deejay Geoffrey Gaier. Dynamite Dave will also be there to greet families and offer his balloon creations.
Children can visit Santa every Saturday and Sunday through December 19, plus Monday and Tuesday, December 20 and 21 from 1 to 5 p.m. The local Tahquitz District Boy Scouts will take souvenir pictures for a donation. Pick up a pair of Santa’s Magic Glasses while
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September/October 2010 | Temecula Today
Celebrate New Year’s Eve Temecula-style with a free family-fun bash on Main Street that includes the Grape Drop Countdown at 9 p.m. and midnight. The Valley Winds and Silver Beatles will perform from 6 to 9 p.m. Face painting, a party jump and Dynamite Dave will also be on hand from 5 to 9 p.m. Aunt Kizzy’z Boyz ring in the West Coast New Year with a concert and dancing from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. WinterFest 2010 is sponsored by the City of Temecula. For WinterFest information and a current lineup see www.temeculaevents.org or call (951) 693-3952. Holiday events are also planned at Pennypickle’s Workshop/Temecula Children’s Museum. See www.pennypickles. org. For plays, musicals and performances at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater see www.temeculatheater.org.
November 2, 2010 Statewide Ballot Measures www.SouthwestCA.biz
Vote NO on Proposition 19: Legalization and Taxation of Marijuana Proposition 19 allows people 21 years and older to possess, cultivate, or transport marijuana for personal use while permitting local governments to regulate and tax commercial production and sale of marijuana to people 21 years old or older. Vote YES on Proposition 20: Voters FIRST Act for Congress The Proposition 20 extends the responsibilities of the Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission) and gives the Commission the authority to draw the boundaries for the United States Congressional Districts. Vote NO on Proposition 21: Annual Vehicle License Surcharge to Fund State Parks Proposition 21 establishes an $18 annual state vehicle license surcharge and grants free admission to all state parks to surcharged vehicles and requires deposit of surcharge revenue in a new trust fund for the parks. Vote YES on Proposition 22: Local Taxpayers, Public Safety, and Transportation Act Proposition 22 would prohibit the State from taking, borrowing or redirecting local taxpayer funds dedicated to public safety, emergency response and other vital local government services. Furthermore, the Act would protect vital, dedicated transportation and public transit funds from state raids. Vote YES on Proposition 23: Suspension of AB 32 Also known as the California Jobs Initiative, Proposition 23 would delay the operation and implementation of AB 32 until California’s unemployment rate returns to the levels that existed at the time of its adoption, 5.5% or less, for four consecutive calendar quarters. Vote NO on Proposition 24: Repeal of Corporate Tax Breaks Proposition 24 would repeal several corporate tax reforms that are slated to go into effect in 2010 and 2012. The corporate tax reforms were approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in February 2009 as part of the budget agreement. Vote NO on Proposition 25: Legislative Vote Requirement for Passage of State Budget Proposition 25 changes the legislative vote requirement necessary to pass the state budget from twothirds to a simple majority. Furthermore, it provides that if the Legislature fails to pass a budget bill by June 15, all members of the Legislature will permanently forfeit any reimbursement for salary and expenses for every day until the day the Legislature passes a budget bill. Vote YES on Proposition 26: Legislative Vote Requirement for State Levies and Charges Proposition 26 increases legislative vote requirement to two-thirds for state levies and charges, with limited exceptions, and for certain taxes currently subject to majority vote. This Proposition changes the State Constitution to require voters to approve, either by two-thirds or majority, local levies and charges with limited exceptions. Vote NO on Proposition 27: Elimination State Commission on Redistricting Proposition 27 eliminates 14-member redistricting commission (The Commission) and its authority for establishing state Assembly, Senate, and Board of Equalization district boundaries. The Proposition replaces The Commission with elected state representatives responsible for their own districts and the drawing of congressional districts.
Temecula Today Â|September/October 2010
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New Workers’ Comp Requirements Coming Soon!
Lori D. Marruffo, Virtual Outsourcing Solutions The state has approved a requirement that employers must distribute new workers’ compensation materials as of October 8. The materials include the new hire pamphlet, claim forms and the posters that employers must use to inform employees of their rights and obligations under California workers’ compensation laws.
Current versions of the new hire pamphlets, posting notices and claim forms will remain in effect only until October 8, at which time the new, updated versions will be required. I have provided the link for the http:// www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/forms/DWCForm7_2010.pdf posting notices and http://www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/forms/ClaimForm2010.pdf claim forms. The pamphlets should be provided by your Worker’s Comp provider or you can click the http://www.cwci.org/store.html link to order them. Employers are also required to provide employees with a form to predesignate their own personal physician, chiropractor, and/or acupuncturist. The authorization must be on file with the doctors signed approval at least 30 days before a workers compensation claim is filed. Otherwise, the employee has the ability to designate a Medical Provide Network (MPN) available to him or her through the Workers’ Compensation Provider. Failure to provide these predesignated forms at the time of hire can lead to penalties and an employer’s loss of control over the medical claim. These latest amendments require additional information on Medical Provider Networks, eliminate references to vocational rehabilitation (which is no longer available), revise the state’s web site references and make other changes intended to streamline the forms. The MPN notice regulations require that before coverage is implemented, a complete, written MPN employee notification must be posted in both English and Spanish in a conspicuous location frequented by employees during the workday and in close proximity to the workers’ compensation posting.
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November/December 2010 | Temecula Today
“Because the details on this ‘complete written MPN employee notification’ are MPN-specific, claims administrators are scrambling to make sure these notices are ready for employers to post by the Oct. 8 effective date,” said a representative of the California Workers Compensation Institute (CWCI), a private non-profit organization of insurers and self-insured employers.
A medical provider network (MPN) is an entity or group of health care providers set up by an insurer or self-insured employer and approved by California’s Division of Workers’ Compensation administrative director to treat workers injured on the job. MPNs are required to meet access to care standards for common occupational injuries and work-related illnesses, thus the requirement for the new posters to include instructions in Spanish. Contact your workers’ compensation insurance carrier to find out if or when they will be providing you with the new forms.
Workers’ compensation is the nation’s oldest social insurance program. It was adopted in most states, including California, during the 1920’s. The workers’ compensation system is based on a tradeoff between employers and employees. Employees are entitled to receive prompt, effective medical treatment for on-the-job injuries or illnesses no matter who is at fault and, in return, are prevented from suing employers over those injuries.
As a result, California employers are required by law to have workers’ compensation insurance, even if they have only one employee. If an employer does not have Workers’ Comp Insurance, they can face stiff fines of thousands of dollars and even be liable for the medical expenses of an injured employee. To learn more about Workers’ Compensation and other employer/ employee related issues, contact me at 693-4477 and I’ll be happy to discuss your needs with you.
Temecula Today 足| November/December 2010
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New Members
A Very Special Welcome Limousines A Vineyard Tour of Temecula Rick Barry 28581 Old Town Front St. Ste. 202 Temecula, CA 92590 (951)760-9336
Veterinarians Butterfield Animal Hospital Kenneth Kalthoff 43810 Butterfield Stage Rd. F-103 Temecula, CA 92592 (951)303-8260 (951)694-5231
Shredding Services DSS Shredding Parish Morris 28039 Scott Rd. Suite D-239 Murrieta, CA 92563 (951)672-6224
Graphic Design Luminosity Carol Stout 26658 Jefferson Ave. Ste 102 Murrieta, CA 92562 (951)698-4344
Real Estate Mortgage Loans Academy Mortgage Corp Pat Whitney 43471 Ridge Park Rd. Temecula, CA 92590 (951)694-3300 (951)694-3900
Storage Butterfield Ranch Self Storage Patricia Moinet 43920 Butterfield Ranch Self Storage Temecula, CA 92592 (951)302-8288
Candles Dynamic Designs Darlene Racinelli 42259 Rio Nedo Temecula, CA 92590 (951)302-1344
Real Estate Mason Real Estate Mike Mason 30520 Rancho California Rd. #107 Temecula, CA 92591 (951)296-8887
Medical - Orthopedics Ahmed Medical Center Cherilyn Ocampo 28975 Old Town Front Street Temecula, CA 92590 (951)719-3111 (951)719-3112
Education California Institute for Performance Mgnt., The Yves Theriault 27475 Ynez Road Ste. 125 Temecula, CA 92591 (866)624-9992 (951)848-9399
Restaurant Fishmonger Cafe, The Mardelouis Hawthorne Temecula, CA 92592 (951)699-1383
Auto Accessories Mattman Global Specialty Vehicles John Delgado 42265 Winchestet Rd. Temecula, CA 92590 (951)719-3412
Synthetic Oils, Lubrication & Filtration AMSOIL Products Dealer Mike Verkouteren Temecula, CA 92592 (951)326-5922 Insurance - Health Anthem Blue Cross Ronald Stancil 3880 Lemon Street #400 Riverside, CA 92501 (951)240-0402 (951)223-3257 Engraving - Glass & Stone Artisan Engraved Arts Denise Gallagher 28690 Front Street Temecula, CA 92590 (951)551-0556 Risk Management Barragan Corp International David Barragan 27368 Via Industria Ste. 103 Temecula, CA 92590 (951)532-6490 Bicycles Bike Shop, The Rick Wessels 32835 Temecula Parkway Temecula, CA 92592 (951)303-9477 Exterminator Black Knight Termite & Pest Control Jim Pinner 39433 Colleen Way Temecula, CA 92592 (951)694-8100 (951)676-1423 Insurance Bluegrass Insurance Agency Douglas Ernst PO Box 894030 Temecula, CA 92589 (877)847-8629 (866)827-9702
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Rentals - Apartments Cantabria Apartments Shane Gainer 30951 Hanover Lane Menifee, CA 92584 (866)932-8347 Event Lighting CBC Technical, Inc. Aimee Braun 42075 Remington Ave. Ste. 102 Temecula, CA 92590 (951)304-0640 Counseling Center for New Directions Mary Scott Carpenter 41690 Enterprise Circle North #212 Temecula, CA 92590 (888)795-4337 Team Building- Corporate Events Challenge U, LLC Andrea Burgis 38053 De Luz Road Fallbrook, CA 92028 (760)535-3052 Non Profit Couture Girls Closet, The Tracy MacKellar 27540 Ynez J9 Temecula, CA 92591 (951)699-5758 Concrete Coatings – Decorative Creative Concepts & Supply Catherine Clark 36590 Los Alamos Road Murrieta, CA 92563 (951)600-8416 Attorneys Darrow Law Center Stephen Darrow 41619 Margarita Rd. Ste 201 Temecula, CA 92591 (951)296-2848 (951)719-3817
November/December 2010 | Temecula Today
Medical - Diagnostics Golden West Biologicals Inc. Brian Golie 27625 Commerce Center Drive Temecula, CA 92590 (951)699-0957 Jewelry Goldworks, The Alba Alicia Manning 27505 Ynez Rd. Suite A-7 Temecula, CA 92591 (951)676-2117 (951)676-9223 Non Profit Goodwill Southern California Christianne Ray 32705 Temecula Parkway Bldg F Temecula, CA 92592 (323)539-2095 (323)539-2177 Adoption International Christian Adoptions Linda Haas 41745 Rider Way #2 Temecula, CA 92590 (951)695-3336 (951)308-1753 Real Estate Keller Williams-The Lewis Team Jessica Lewis 33520 Willow Haven Ln. #105 Murrieta, CA 92563 (951)663-4040 Alcohol, Drug Addiction Treatment - Information - Recovery La Paz Recovery Bonnie Morentin PO Box 1444 Temecula, CA 92591 (877)527-2973 Attorneys Lorene Lynn Mies, APLC Lorene Mies 38975 Sky Canyon Drive Ste. 204 Murrieta, CA 92563 (951)894-4791 (951)894-4795
Financial Services Metlife Todd Clarke 25220 Hancock Ave. #250 Murrieta, CA 92562 (951)698-0023 Auto Classic & Hot Rods Motech Performance Myda Muckala 26871 Hobie Circle Ste. B9 Murrieta, CA 92562 (951)813-3550 Florists Murrieta VIP Florist Annette Larocque 25030 Hancock Ave. #110 Murrieta, CA 92562 (951)698-4038 Storage-RV Precisions Storage Concepts Andy Galbraith 28061 Diaz Rd. Temecula, CA 92590 (951)699-5588 Office Suites/Leasing Premier Business Centers Nancy Farely 41593 Winchester Rd. #200 Temecula, CA 92590 (951)375-4600 Legal Services Pre-Paid Legal Pierre Turgeon Murrieta, CA 92563 (951)252-5493 Garage Doors PROCRAFT Douglas Misemer 43123 Business Park Drive Temecula, CA 92590 (951)676-7515 (951)676-3263
Attorneys Ray A. Mandlekar, Attorney At Law Ray Mandlekar 27555 Ynez Road, Ste. 208 Temecula, CA 92591 (951)200-3427 Rentals - RV RVRent.Net, Inc. Kathy Moore 27941 Jefferson Ave. Temecula, CA 92590 (951)676-7711 (951)676-4477 Real Estate Rancon Realty - Sandra Reynolds Sandra Reynolds 27740 Jefferson Avenue Ste. 100 Temecula, CA 92590 (951)240-1032 (951)699-0387 Real Estate Reliable Realty, Inc. Kellee Spillman 28544 Old Town Front St. Ste. 205 Temecula, CA 92590 (951)696-9090 Non Profit Runkle for Council 2010 Paul Runkle 27475 Ynez Rd. PMB 283 Temecula, CA 92591 (951)506-2616 Marketing - Mobile Saleclub Cara Olson 30520 rancho California Rd. #107 Temecula, CA 92591 (951)226-0013 Insurance - Health Sawyer Cook Insurance Eric Sammons 550 East Hospitality Lane San Bernardino, CA 92048 (909)379-6751 Advertising Screamin Coupons Mike Mamian 41185 Golden Gate Circle Ste.102 Murrieta, CA 92562 (951)541-9536 Food-Specialty Simply Fine Gourmet John Petreyko Temecula, CA 92592 (310)463-7433 Marketing Social Media By Joe Joe Von Gerichten Menifee, CA 92584 (951)543-9839 Fire & Water Damage Restoration Stop - Service Team of Professionals Frank Taylor Canyon Lake, CA 92587 (714)624-0678 Non Profit Temecula Valley Art League Sandra Williams 41789 Nicole Lane Ste. Temecula, CA 92592
Non Profit Sierra Club, Santa Margarita Group Jim Mitchell 31915 Rancho California Rd. Ste 200-133 Temecula, CA 92591 (951)506-9607 Networking Simply Networking USA Sharon Little 7636 Isla Street Hemet, CA 92545 (951)692-6403 Insurance State Farm Insurance - Jerrod Novodoczky Jerrod Novodoczky 31205 Pauba Road Ste. 104 Temecula, CA 92592 (951)694-5330 Skin Care / Cosmetics Sweet Cheeks Studio Advanced Skin and Body Care Cheryl Rhodes 41493 Margarita Rd. Ste. G 108 Temecula, CA 92591 (951)541-1769 Insurance Temecula Valley Insurance Jose Ramirez 28924 Old Town Front St. Ste. 107 Temecula, CA 92590 (760)532-8099
Home Inspections Wine Country Trails by Horseback Diana LeFort 38915 E. Benton Road Temecula, CA 92592 (951)795-1444 Wine / Retail Winenourmous Tom Plant 26171 Castle Lane Murrieta, CA 92563 (951)907-9701
Wireless Retailer Xtreme Wireless - Verizon Authorized Retailer Wayne Hunt 27470 Commerce Center Dr. Temecula, CA 92591 (951)473-9089 Organizations Your Chamber Connection Jimmy Cusano 501 Oak Hollow Lane Fort Worth, TX 76112 (808)678-6241
Real Estate Mortgage Loans WJ Bradley Mortgage Capital Corp. Bill Jawitz 32605 Temecula Parkway #312 Temecula, CA 92592 (951)757-1885 Non Profit Woodman of America David Reid 29222 Rancho Viejo Road Ste. 207 San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 (949)481-1074 Non Profit World Emergency Relief Kristi Cheslow 27715 Jefferson Avenue Ste 205 Temecula, CA 92590 (760)930-8001
Website Design Temecula Website Designs Cole Randall Winchester, CA 92596 (951)833-7853 Website - News Media Temeculazone.com Steven Cantrell Temecula, CA 92592 (951)526-6900 Computer Service Todays IT Chris Hutchins 1119 S Mission Rd. Ste. 172 Fallbrook, CA 92028 (858)764-2953 Urgent Care US Healthworks Medical - Murrieta Rahab Kamau 25285 Madison Ave. #101 Murrieta, CA 92563 (951)600-9070 (951)600-9177 Horse Back Riding Vail Lake Stables Dave Hart 38000 Highway 79 South Temecula, CA 92591 (951)551-2603 Non Profit Western Eagle Foundation Stacy Duty 40940 County Center Drive Temecula, CA 92591 (951)695-7206 (951)695-7207 Temecula Today 足| November/December 2010
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January is Restaurant Month in Temecula! RestaurantMonth.org
Look for great deals and promotions from your favorite local eatery! A website of all participating restaurants is coming soon at www. RestaurantMonth.org. Are you a local restaurant that would like to learn more or participate in the Restaurant Month? Call the TVCC at 951676-5090. In addition, the January/February Temecula Today newsletter theme is “Dining Out.” The issue will be geared around the Restaurant Month and dining out locally. If you’d like to advertise in this issue, please contact Emily at 951-676-5090 or Emily@temecula.org.
Media Sponsors
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November/December 2010 | Temecula Today
Shop Temecula First this Holiday Season
Pledge to keep your money in Temecula by committing to support local stores and restaurants during this holiday season. When you buy local you’re helping to support your local economy and the people who live in it. How does shopping local help the community you may ask – sales tax is a major source of revenues for the City, which pays for our parks, fire department, youth and community services and road maintenance. So please support your community this holiday season and instead of spending your money online or traveling out of the area to shop, make a commitment to buy local – every dollar counts!
Renewing Members Thank You
A Perfect Balance Bookkeeping ACE Computer Technology Affordable Window Coverings Alexander Pacific Electrical Contractors American Grooming Services & Academy American Society for Quality, Temecula Valley Section Anselmo Investment Management BMW of Riverside Bank of America Home Loans Barney’s Tire & Wheel Bejoca Grove and Landscape Management Big Apple Physicians Big Fogg, Inc. Bob’s Canvas, Inc. Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest County Brookhavens Mortgage Camp del Corazon Canine Support Teams, Inc. Cape May at Harveston Century 21 Wright Champion Employer Services Collette Vacations Computer Alert Systems, Inc. Cornerstone E&S Insurance Services Craig Davis Family Insurance Agency, Inc. DBA: FARMERS Creative Bar, The Creative Industries Media Group Cutting Edge Staffing D.L. Phares & Associates Dan Pettus Photography David Neault Associates Dental Suite At Rancho Pueblo, The Derek Thomas, CPA Domenigoni Barton Properties/Sky Canyon Ent., LLC ERA Ranch and Coast Esther N. Phahla, CPA FFF Enterprises Faith Quality Auto Body Farenbaugh, Marcy Fitness Together Francesca’s Italian Kitchen Guadalajara Mexican Grill Guild Mortgage Hospice of the Valleys Hospitality Car Wash Humana Inc. Inland Management Group ‘IMG’ Inn at Churon Winery Innovative Pain Treatment, Richard A. Weiner, M.D. International Rectifier Jacob’s House John Hine Temecula Mazda John P. Dubots Capital Management, LLC Keller Williams Realty - Allison McClelland Keyways Vineyard & Winery, LLC Kiwanis Club of Temecula Valley
Koch Heating & Air Conditioning Inc. La Masters of Fine Jewelry Lake Elsinore Storm Baseball Lawlor Chiropractic Loma Linda University Medical Center Loma Vista Bed & Breakfast Luvata ElectroFin, Inc. ME Business Brokers, Inc. Margarita Summit Apartments Mediamax Productions Midas of Temecula Miramonte Winery / Celebration Cellars Mission Electric Supply Mortgage House, The Murrieta-Temecula Property Managers Nimmo Construction Oak Mountain Winery Old Town Spice Merchants P & R Foundation PCS Building Maintenance Pala Casino Spa and Resort Portofino Apartments Pro Source Wholesale Floor Coverings Professional Womens Roundtable Quality 1 Auto Service Inc. Quality Inn Wine Country Ranch Muffler & Truck Accessories, Inc. Rancho Dental Rancho Runners Courier Service Riverside Community Hospital Robert Renzoni Vineyards Roto Rooter Safe Alternatives For Everyone, Inc. Sam’s Club Sizzler / BMW Mgmt Smart Card South Coast Air Quality Management District South County Pest Control Southern California Edison Southern California Telephone Company Southwest California Pageants Southwest Riverside News Network Spray Green Fertilizer Stadium Pizza - Redhawk Standards Of Excellence State Farm Insurance - Richard Lawe State Farm Insurance Agent Julie Ngo Steadfast Healthcare Business Services LLC Stifel Nicolaus Strictly Workout Wear Stromsoe Insurance Agency Sullivan, Keith Susan G. Komen for the Cure Swim to Shore Sycamore Terrace Apartments Tarbell Realtors - Jody & Ron Mathews
Temecula ACE Hardware Temecula Eye Center, Optometry Temecula Ridge Apartments Temecula Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau Temecula Valley Cardiology Tierra Verde Tina M. Gottlieb Chiropractic Trevi Spa & Salon Tucalota Springs RV Park Union Bank of California Unique Solutions University of Redlands, School of Business Vail Ranch Self Storage & Postal Center Vintage View Apartments Virtual Outsourcing Solutions Wal-Mart Walters Management Company, The West Coast Flooring Center WestMar Property Management, Inc. Willow House Wine Country Pools & Supplies Wong Johnson & Associates Your Pain Care
Temecula Today | November/December 2010
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Networking to build and create connections
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November/December 2010 | Temecula Today
Health Reform 2010
Present and Future Outlook for Employers and Employees By John H. Wilson, Philip J. Weis and Lynn Krisay Brehm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC
On March 23, 2010, the President signed into law the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148)” (called “PPACA”), which is the major part of the health care reform initiative. Moreover, just last week, the President signed into law the first technical modifications and immediate revisions to key parts of the PPACA. This Advisory highlights some of the more important components of the PPACA, as amended, that will directly affect employers and their employees. What Does Health Care Reform Mean to Employers?
In many respects, the significant parts of PPACA generally will not be effective until 2013-2014. That’s good news and means there is not necessarily reason for haste or panic, yet. For the most part, there is ample time ahead in which to study and plan.
Many more developments will occur. These will be in the form of legislative, regulatory and interpretive refinements. It is certain, however, that the delivery of health and medical benefits coverage in the workplace will need to change in order to adapt to this significant shift in philosophy and direction. There is more to come. What’s Important to Know for the Next 12 months?
Nevertheless, employers and their employees should be aware of some key provisions right now. Many of these will require employers to amend and modify their health and medical benefit plans and change some current administrative practices. Within the next 12 months or less, employers should be prepared to manage these key changes:
Medical Flex Plans: Health care flexible spending accounts (FSAs) will be altered in two key ways: first, over the counter drugs will not be eligible for reimbursement as an eligible medical expense, unless supported by a prescription (begins for tax years after 12/31/10); and, second, a $2,500 cap will be imposed on the pre-tax dollars that can be set aside through salary reductions for these FSAs (begins for tax years after 12/31/12).
Definition of Dependent for Medical Care: Dependent adult children up to age 26 must be eligible to be covered dependents for group health plans offering coverage for dependent children (begins for tax years after 9/23/10). No Lifetime Limits: Lifetime dollar limits on the value of “essential” health benefits must be eliminated under group health plans and insurance programs (begins for tax years after 9/23/10). No Restrictions on Pre-existing Conditions (Minors): Pre-existing conditions exclusions must be eliminated for enrolled children under the age of 19 under group health plans and insurance programs (begins for tax years after 9/23/10). Retiree Reinsurance: A temporary reinsurance program will be available for health/medical coverage for early retirees over age 55 who are not eligible for Medicare (begins after 6/23/10 and ends 12/31/13). Expansion of Non-discrimination Rules to Insured Benefits: The “nondiscrimination” rules (presently only applicable to self-insured medical programs under Code Sec. 105(h)) will now extend to insured health/
medical plans, such that insured medical programs will no longer be allowed to favor high paid/owner employees in areas of eligibility for participation and available benefits (begins for tax years after 9/23/10). Appeals of Denied Medical Claims: An opportunity for personal testimony must be given whenever there’s an appeal of a denied medical claim (begins for tax years after 9/23/10). Furthermore, all self insured medical plans that deny a claim for benefits must offer an opportunity for external third party review of such denied claims in a way that meets standards set by the Department of Health and Human Services (begins for tax years after 9/23/10). What Happens After the Next Year or So?
Loss of Deductions for Retiree Drug Costs: There will no longer be a deduction for the subsidy cost for employers who maintain prescription drug plans for their Medicare Part D eligible retirees (begins for tax years after 12/31/12).
Required Statement of Benefits: Prior to enrollment (or re-enrollment), all participants in insured and self-insured group health plans must receive a “summary of benefits” (SOB). This new document is independent of the traditional SPD and must be four pages or less. Strict printing and content specifications apply. Material modifications of the SOB must be furnished at least 60 days in advance. Penalties of up to $1,000 per violation may be applicable if there is a willful failure to deliver this new SOB (begins for tax years after 3/23/12). What Lies Ahead?
Several years from now, the major changes in national health care policy will come into play. Employers will be forced to evaluate how they provide health and medical benefits to employees. These key changes do not become effective until 2013-2014. Nonetheless, a general awareness now of what lies ahead will aid in the eventual planning process. Starting in 2013-2014, the following is generally how things will be different for employers and employees in the workplace:
Individual Mandate for Health Coverage: With very limited exceptions, all individuals will be required to have a minimum qualifying level of health/medical coverage either through an employer/employee arrangement or through individual coverage from a health coverage exchange (see below) or otherwise there is a tax penalty for anyone without individual coverage (begins for tax years after 12/31/13).
Employer’s Delivery of Health Coverage: Employers will have the choice between delivering at least “minimum essential health care coverage” to their employees or paying a stated fixed dollar penalty tax per employee per year, if they do not provide minimum coverage. Even where an employer offers minimal essential medical coverage, however, another lesser penalty tax will be imposed where one or more employees choose to take their own subsidized coverage under a health coverage exchange (see below), instead of taking employer coverage. Automatic enrollment will be required for larger employers (begins for tax years after 12/31/13). Health Coverage Exchanges — Purchasing System: Beginning in 2014, states will receive federal funding in order to set up “health benefit exchanges” through which small employers and individuals will be able to acquire health insurance coverage. From 2017 and on, Temecula Today | November/December 2010
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Health Reform 2010 continued…
employers will be required to notify employees about the health benefit exchanges and explain how some employees might be able to get subsidized (reduced cost) coverage if they opt for standard, qualified medical coverage through a health benefit exchange (in which case their employer will pay a penalty tax) (begins for tax years after 12/31/13; and after 12/31/16).
Employer’s Design of Health Coverage: Health and medical plans that provide rich or generous benefits (so-called “Cadillac Health Plans”) will be subject to an excise tax of 40 percent on the value of the excess benefits. This tax will be paid by the insurance coverage provider — namely the employer (self-insured) or insurance company (insured) or other person (administrator) (begins for tax years after 12/31/13). Medicare Tax Increases: The Medicare tax rate on annual wages (unlimited) is increased such that a higher rate of 2.35 percent will be paid on taxable earnings over $200,000 (single individual) and over $250,000 (married filing jointly) (begins for tax years after 12/31/12). Pre-existing Conditions Exclusions or Limitations (Non-Minors): Pre-existing conditions exclusions must be eliminated for all enrolled non-minor individuals under all group health plans and insurance programs (begins for tax years after 12/31/13). Prior to this change, pre-existing conditions limits are removed for minor individuals (see above). There Will Be More to Come, More to Study
The new law under PPACA, as amended, is a massive undertaking. This Advisory is only a very general summary of parts of the new law. Much more will develop and will need to be analyzed as time passes. For more information, email the author(s) at firmadvisory@bipc.com.
South Coast Winery Resort & Spa Launches New Twist On Happy Hour One of the hottest trends, appearing on The Doctors and In Style Weddings tv shows; major networks like NBC, Fox, ABC and CBS; as well as Allure magazine, is a skin care product that has heads spinning and faces glowing. In fact, this trend is giving faces back its youth-like skin in just one visit — with long-lasting results and no pain or downtime. While there are a lot of products out there claiming to do this, most have minimal, if any, immediate impact; that is, until now… Introducing the all-new HydraFacial.™
Acclaimed as the most popular non-invasive, age-defying skin procedure in aesthetic practices around the world, South Coast Winery Resort’s GrapeSeed spa is the ONLY resort spa in Southern California to offer it. To celebrate its special addition, the GrapeSeed Spa has created a special Hydra Happy Hour for its premiere. GrapeSeed Spa Director, Kate Santarsieri states, “Patients see immediate results – similar to Botox and Micro-dermabrasion – yet without the pain or the high price points.” What is HydraFacial™? HydraFacial™ is a refreshing facial that instantly reduces the appearance of fine lines and sun-damaged skin caused by dryness and dead skin cells. Following a pretreatment with a renewing serum that is used on areas of the face and decoutage,
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November/December 2010 | Temecula Today
then the HydraFacial™ blends into a deep cleansing treatment that exfoliates, hydrates and extracts (when necessary). Follow this with a specialty mask to finish the treatment, and the result is instantly bright, luminous younger-looking skin.
Why? The expert therapists at South Coast’s GrapeSeed Spa know healthy and youthful skin need not be expensive. Through specialty treatments, like the HydraFacial™, by the specially trained GrapeSeed Spa skin care professionals, you too can repair your skin that may damaged by the sun, or watch any scars fade into nothingness and witnessed your body’s natural collagen elasticity significantly improve — naturally, painlessly, and inexpensively — without surgery and injectibles. The GrapeSeed Spa is extending its Thursday and Friday night hours now thru December to feature an exciting new twist to happy hour. In fact, Happy Hour has never looked so good. Guests are invited to meet up with girlfriends after work at the GrapeSeed Spa, slip into a lux, spa robe and put their feet up while enjoying a complimentary glass of bubbly and taking advantage of this amazing specialty 25min HydrafacialTM for a special rate of just $110 – a $45 savings!
Nobody Ever Washes a Rental Car Written by Jan M. Smith, Inland Management Group Do you? Or would you admit to tossing gum wrappers on the floor and leaving your lunch remains on the passenger seat? Do you care for that rental car like you would your own? Most people don’t. Why should they? It’s not theirs to worry about. This is the same issue with employees who work for you. What would make them take care of your place of business as if it were their own? Ian MacGregor, of The Lobster Place in New York City coined the phrase “Nobody ever washes a rental car” years ago when he was trying to understand the essence of employee ownership and empowerment in the workplace. Like so many hospitality managers, he was tired of his employees treating their jobs with little motivation, pride, or ownership.
According to MacGregor, “In order to reduce turnover and develop long-term employees with special qualifications that only time and training can give them, work every day to ensure your employees are empowered and connected. We all know that empowered employees - those who have a sense of ownership over their working lives, often generated through such things like giving them authorization to make decisions and not only perform better, but are less likely to leave or steal. That means real savings in the employment column.” With costly recruiting and emerging Talent Wars, (employees jumping ship with or without another job lined up), business owners might consider hiring and developing “ownership mentality” in employees. It could be useful to ask a question in the interview, “So tell me, do you ever wash a rental car?” The candidate might stare blankly, with a look of, “That’s a crazy question,” or, you may get someone who says, “I take care of my rental car as if it’s my own”. That may be the one who gets hired!
It’s actually possible to promote and foster this type of mentality by allowing your employees to take ownership of their specific area of responsibility in your company. Allow your employees to have some independent decision authority with regard to resolving customer issues. Help employees own their work and take responsibility for their results. Encourage employees to take pride of ownership in their job and ask them for their ideas to streamline operations or to provide service levels. Following are tips to help empower your service employees:
Adapted from Susan M. Heathfield, Principles of Empowerment
1. Demonstrate You Value People Your regard for people shines through in all of your actions and words. Your facial expression, body language, and words express what you are thinking about the people who report to you. Your goal is to demonstrate your appreciation for each person’s unique value. No matter how an employee is performing on their current task, your value for the employee as a human being should never falter and always be visible.
2. Share Leadership Vision Help people feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves and their individual job. Do this by making sure they know and have access to the organization’s overall mission, vision, and strategic plans.
3. Share Goals and Direction Share the most important goals and direction for your group. Where possible, either make progress on goals measurable and observable, or ascertain that you have shared your picture of a positive outcome with the people responsible for accomplishing the results. 4. Trust People Trust the intentions of people to do the right thing, make the right decision, and make choices that, while maybe not exactly what you would decide, still work.
5. Provide Information for Decision Making Make certain that you have given people, or made sure that they have access to, all the information they need to make thoughtful decisions. 6. Delegate Authority & Impact Opportunities, Not Just More Work Don’t just delegate the drudge work; delegate some of the fun stuff, too. Delegate the important meetings, the committee memberships that influence product development and decision making, and the projects that people and customers notice. The employee will grow and develop new skills. Your plate will be less full so you can concentrate on contribution. Your reporting staff will gratefully shine - and so will you. 7. Provide Frequent Feedback Provide frequent feedback so that people know how they are doing. Sometimes, the purpose of feedback is reward and recognition. People deserve your constructive feedback too, so they can continue to develop their knowledge and skills.
8. Solve Problems: Don’t Pinpoint Problem People When a problem occurs, ask what is wrong with the system that caused the people to fail, not what is wrong with the people.
9. Listen to Learn and Ask Questions to Provide Guidance Provide a space in which people will communicate by listening to them and asking them questions. Guide by asking questions, not by telling grown up people what to do. People generally know the right answers if they have the opportunity to produce them. When an employee brings you a problem to solve, ask, “What do you think you should do to solve this problem?” Or, ask, “What action steps do you recommend?” Employees can demonstrate what they know and grow in the process. 10. Help Employees Feel Rewarded and Recognized for Empowered Behavior When employees feel under-compensated, under-titled for the responsibilities they take on, under-noticed, under-praised, and underappreciated, don’t expect results from employee empowerment. The basic needs of employees must feel met for employees to give you their discretionary energy, that extra effort that people voluntarily invest in work. Empowering your employees might just work to get them to take care of your place of business as if it were their own!
Temecula Today | November/December 2010
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Temecula Valley
Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce celebrates each new member with a Ribbon Cutting ceremony. Or, if you are an existing member and move locations let the business community know with a ribbon cutting. Contact the Membership Department to learn more call 951-676-5090.
Creative Concepts & Supply Catherine Clark 36590 Los Alamos Road Murrieta, CA 92563 (951)600-8416 www.CreativeConceptsandSupply.com
Ahmed Medical Center Cherilyn Ocampo 28975 Old Town Front Street Temecula, CA 92590 (951)719-3111 www.AhmedMedical.com
All from the Heart Judy Harter Murrieta, CA 92562 (951)440-9051 www.AllFromTheHeart.org
Full Value Entertainment Bill Gould 27315 Jefferson Avenue #J124 Temecula, CA 92590 (951)491-9053 www.FullValueEntertainment.com
Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que Allen Cameron 40748 Winchester Road Temecula, CA 92591 (951)719-7427 www.LucillesBBQ.com
Mason Real Estate Mike Mason 30520 Rancho California Road #107 Temecula, CA 92591 (951)296-8887 www.GoTakeAction.com
Nothing Bundt Cakes – Temecula Mobile Video Plus Tate Parker-Donner Patrick Cronin 27540 Ynez Road #J1 & J2 36278 Veramonte Avenue Temecula, CA 92591 Murrieta, CA 92562 (951)676-5284 (760)272-8327 www.NothingBundtCakes.com www.MobileVideoPlus.net November/December 2010 | Temecula Today
Paint A Dream Lou Provenzano 40760 Winchester Road #180 Unit B Temecula, CA 92591 (951)296-0056 www.PaintADream.com
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Promenade Auto Spa Charles Anderson 40820 Winchester Road Temecula, CA 92591 (951)514-5354
RVRent.Net, Inc. Kathy Moore 27941 Jefferson Avenue Temecula, CA 92590 (951)676-7711 www.RVRent.net
Ryan’s Comics Ryan Haggerty 41539 Kalmia Street Murrieta, CA 92562 (951)691-0610 www.RyansComicShop.com
Sign A Rama Jerry Pappalardo 26019 Jefferson Avenue #B Murrieta, CA 92562 (951) 304-9993 www.SignARama-Murrieta.com
Southern California Lighting Matt Kronguist 28163 Lookout Point Lane Menifee, CA 92585 (951)402-2000 www.SouthernCaliforniaExperts.com
Sunset One Escrow Aaron Lloyd 24630 Washington Ave #202 Murrieta, CA 92562 (951)200-3331 www.SunsetOneEscrow.com
Temecula Valley Insurance Jose & Laura Ramirez 28924 Old Town Front Street Ste. 107 Temecula, CA 92590 (760)532-8099
TemeculaZone.com Steve Cantrell Temecula, CA 92592 (951)526-6900 www.TemeculaZone.com
Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services Greg Maasberg 28075 Bradley Road Ste. A Sun City, CA 92586 (951)639-5949 www.VisitingAngels.com
W.J. Bradley Mortgage Capital Corporation Bill Jawitz 32605 Temecula Parkway #312 Temecula, CA 92592 (951)795-4507 www.WJBradley.com
Tilted Kilt Michael Helm 26520 Ynez Road Temecula, CA 92591 (951)553-7644 www.TiltedKilt.com
The Creative Bar Justin Lawler 41185 Golden Gate Cirlce #108 Murrieta, CA 92562 (866) 796-6307 www.thecreativebar.com Temecula Today | November/December 2010
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Year-End Important Planning Time for Small Businesses
By Paul Nolta, Inland Empire Small Business Development Center
Summer is over and as fourth quarter is here, small business owners find their thoughts turning more toward year-end results than vacation plans. The fourth quarter of any year is an important time for small business owners. That’s when you need to be doing year-end budgeting and tax planning and looking ahead to next year.
Budgeting and Tax planning involves conceiving of and implementing various strategies in order to minimize the amount of taxes paid for a given period. For a small business, minimizing the tax liability can provide more money for expenses, investment, or growth. In this way, tax planning can be a source of working capital. According to The Entrepreneur Magazine Small Business Advisor, two basic rules apply to tax planning. First, a small business should never incur additional expenses only to gain a tax deduction. While purchasing necessary equipment prior to the end of the tax year can be a valuable tax planning strategy, making unnecessary purchases is not recommended. Second, a small business should always attempt to defer taxes when possible. Deferring taxes enables the business to use that money interest-free, and sometimes even earn interest on it, until the next time taxes are due. But remember your business does not operate in a vacuum, so your budget plan needn’t exist in one. For example, the business environment may change during the year or additional marketing opportunities may arise. Building in flexibility to adjust throughout the year can avoid the pitfall of continuing down an unproductive path.
This year end checklist for small businesses will help you get your budgeting and income taxes in order and get your business planning off to a good start.
Get your financial books in order. Whether you’re one of those solo entrepreneurs with a glovebox full of receipts that haven’t even been entered yet or a small business person who has a bookkeeper on your payroll, you have to get this step done before you can do anything else. Determine your position. The next step on the year end checklist is to figure out where your business is now. There are three areas you need to examine: finances, goals, taxes
Plan for the coming year. All right. You’ve done all the groundwork and you’re ready to do some business planning. That means that you are going to: Set next year’s goals, Prepare an action plan or plans, Start implementing your action plans Get your tax documents prepared. You can turn over the required documents to an accountant That’s It! You’re Done!
You know the cliché; businesses that fail to plan plan to fail. We all know how important business planning is, but it’s easy to put off in the press of daily events. Hopefully this year end checklist has inspired you to get to it and made your business planning easier.
New Media Is Here To Stay
Start Customer Relationships Online Kelly McGary, Associate Manager, E-Mail Marketing, kmcgary@uschamber.com
Over the last year, new media—social networking sites, aggregate news services, blogs, e-mail, and other online messaging tools—has taken a foothold, earning a permanent seat in the marketing mix. In the wake of eroded marketing budgets, new media is flourishing, consistently delivering greater ROI than any other medium. From Fortune 500 corporations to your local hardware store, everyone is drinking the digital Kool-Aid.
Once considered the domain of teens, the new media ecosystem is increasingly populated by adults and companies or, in other words, potential customers. As of September 2009, 47% of online adults used a social networking website, according to Pew Research. As you throw new media into your marketing mix, here are some strategies to consider: Build trust through your website.
Customers have more access to information and more options than ever. If you can’t sell trust, your customers will go elsewhere. Therefore, your company website, often the first impression you give to potential customers, should establish trust. You can do this by providing links to news, research, or product reviews. Get to know your customers through blogging.
A blog puts a face on your business and reinforces your brand personality. It allows you to foster conversation and debate in a public forum with like-
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November/December 2010 | Temecula Today
minded people.
To friend … Facebook is a prime place to gain exposure when starting a new business or launching a new product. Everyone and everything have a place on Facebook. More than 700,000 businesses use Facebook, and one in three U.S. residents has an account on the social network website, according to Nology Media. One fan page dedicated to Flo—the character in the Progressive Insurance commercials—has more than 490,000 fans. … Or follow? Twitter is tops when it comes to building brand equity with little investment. Like Facebook, Twitter reinforces relationships but has the upper hand when you want to retain top-of-mind awareness with customers and industry insiders. Increasingly, service providers such as cable companies are providing 24/7 technical support via Twitter. Get personal with e-mail.
Consider dedicating e-mail marketing solely to one-on-one communication. Messages should be personal, relevant, and reinforce what customers perceive to be the unique value of your brand. Leave prospecting to your social channels. It’s difficult to track potential customers through e-mail marketing anyway, as most people forward e-mails directly from their inboxes, instead of using the “forward to a friend” link provided in their e-mail.
What Is An App Store? Why You Should Care? Laurie McCabe, Partner, SMB Group, www.smb-gr.com
An app store can offer a lot more than just mobile apps. Essentially, it is a website that aggregates software solutions for business or personal use. App stores, also known as applications marketplaces, are typically created and built by a “marquee” vendor, such as Adobe, Apple, Google, Salesforce.com, or Intuit. They serve as the anchor tenant for the marketplace and operate as a hub where you can discover, search for, purchase, and deploy integrated third-party applications. App stores can help streamline the application shopping and selection process, providing a one-stop shop for finding, trying, and buying small business applications. Many feature cloud-based solutions that you can try for free and purchase in a flexible, pay-as-you go model. App stores often offer free apps as well and feature user-generated ratings and comments to help your decision-making process.
App stores can help you more easily locate new small business software that will work with apps you already use, adding them in an incremental yet integrated manner.
For instance, Intuit’s Workplace App Center provides a central location where small businesses can locate and try business applications that work with QuickBooks and with each other. You can, for example, sync your QuickBooks data to a CRM solution offered in the App Center, eliminating the need to enter the same data twice. Some app stores (e.g., Salesforce.com’s AppExchange and the Intuit Partner Platform) require developers to use a common data model, which enables tighter
integration. In contrast, in Google’s more open approach, the web is the platform. Both approaches promise integrated applications, but the degree of integration varies.
In addition to supplying ready-to-run applications, some app stores help companies locate solution developers that can build custom applications that integrate with their anchor solutions. For example, Zoho’s Marketplace lets users submit requests for new apps and features.
Of course, there are also stores for mobile apps that work with different smart phones, from Apple’s App Store to Google’s Android Marketplace. In the case of smart phones, customers select marketplaces solely based on the device they use. But when it comes to running apps on your Mac or PC over a web browser, your choice of which app store to shop at isn’t device dependent—and may be a bit more complicated.
Here are some questions to ask yourself when choosing an app store: How many applications are in the marketplace, and how fast are they growing? How simple is it to sign up, sign in, and test drive new applications? How active is the user community in providing reviews, comments, and ratings? What level of integration do you need between your existing application(s) and new applications?
Temecula Today | November/December 2010
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TVCC Calendar November 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010 12:00pm – Power Networking Workshop Election Day - Remember to Vote
December 2010 Thursday, December 2, 2010 8:00am - VYP Committee Meeting 1:00pm – SCORE
Thursday, November 4, 2010 8:00am - VYP Committee Meeting 1:00pm – SCORE 4:00pm – New Member Reception
Friday, December 3, 2010 8:00am – Coffee Connection
Friday, November 5, 2010 8:00am – Coffee Connection
Wednesday, December 8, 2010 8:00am – Membership Committee 5:00pm – Member Appreciation Night
Tuesday, November 9 12:00pm – Business Success Forum Wednesday, November 10 8:00am – Membership Committee Mtg. Thursday, November 11, 2010 Chamber Closed No SCORE Monday, November 15, 2010 SWCLC Meeting Dark Tuesday, November 16, 2010 11:00am - Power Networking 2 - The Lab Wednesday, November 17, 2010 1:00pm – Networking Mixer@ Commerce Bank of Temecula Valley Thursday, November 18, 2010 1:00pm – SCORE 6:00pm – VYPER at Monte De Oro Winery Wednesday, November 24, 2010 Dark Networking Breakfast Thursday, November 25, 2010 Chamber Closed No SCORE Thursday, November 26, 2010 Chamber Closed
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November/December 2010 | Temecula Today
Tuesday, December 7, 2010 12:00pm – Power Networking Workshop
Thursday, December 9, 2010 1:00pm – SCORE Tuesday, December 14, 2010 12:00pm – Business Success Forum Wednesday, December 15, 2010 11:30am – Ambassador Luncheon Thursday, December 16, 2010 1:00pm – SCORE 6:00pm – VYPER at TBD Monday, December 20, 2010 SWCLC Meeting Dark Wednesday, December 22, 2010 Dark Networking Breakfast Thursday, December 23, 2010 1:00pm – SCORE Thursday, December 30, 2010 1:00pm – SCORE
Temecula Today 足| November/December 2010
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