Thank you, Paramount, for taking the time to share your opinions in a recent survey conducted both online and through a mailing.
This was a follow-up to telephone polling that found that 66% of residents believe that the City of Paramount provides a better quality of life than neighboring cities because of its commitment to:
• Public safety
• Well-maintained streets and roads
• Safe, clean parks and public areas
• A vibrant local business climate
• Services that enhance quality of life for residents
The chart below shows percentages recorded on eight survey topics in terms of high/medium/low priority.
As the City focuses on safety and quality of life, such comments and feedback have been valuable in evaluating priorities, especially when facing the economic challenges of recent years.
Those challenges include the State of California eliminating redevelopment agencies, which took $6 million a year from the City’s budget. While this revenue has been lost, costs have continually risen related to the Sheriff’s Department contract and other essential City services.
To counter these expenses and to keep costs low to taxpayers,theCity has taken many actions, including responsible labor expenditure reductions, organizational restructuring, and forming partnerships with service providers like Long Beach Transit and the YMCA.
There exists a need, however, to secure a more long-term revenue enhancement to avoid million-dollar budget deficits in the coming years. This will allow the City to continue with its top objectives of maintaining quality of life and public safety for all residents while remaining committed to longterm, responsible financial stability.
taken a portion of the sales tax for their own use in the past.)
If these proposals were to pass, and the sales tax hit 10.25% (which is the highest it can go in Los Angeles County), Paramount would not be able to gain that three-quarter-percent in revenue. That income would be lost for City services.
If Measure Y passes, none of this money could be taken away by the State, the County, transit authorities, or any other entity and the entire .75% would stay in Paramount
If approved by Paramount voters, 100% of the funds raised by Measure Y will stay in town, insuring local control.
For this reason, the Paramount City Council voted to place Measure Y, a three-quarter-cent sales tax increase, on the March 2020 ballot for Paramount voters to consider.
If approved by Paramount voters, 100% of the funds raised by Measure Y will stay in town, insuring local control.
There are other agencies—Los Angeles County, Metro Transit, South Coast Air Quality Management District —that may be looking at their own sales tax measures in the near future. (The County and Metro have actually
Neighboring cities including Santa Fe Springs, Compton, Long Beach, Lynwood, Pico Rivera, South Gate, and Downey have already passed a similar increase. The cities of Cerritos, Lakewood, and Norwalk have all approved a comparable ballot measure for the March 2020 election (see “Sales tax measure” chart on page 8).
Continued community input is critical to the planning process.
For more information, to provide feedback, or to take the online survey, please visit: paramountcity. com/PublicServicesMeasure or (para Español) paramountcity.com/ ProyectodeLeydeServiciosPublicos.
Chamber Cares! Members show great generosity to community during holidays
IPULSE BEAT
n our December issue (page 14), we told you about the collaboration between Chamber members RCee’s Barbershop and Journey of Love and Hope to give back to the community at Thanksgiving. During the Christmas holiday period, Journey of Love and Hope also collaborated with Kimberly’s Dance Studio (above, left) to give away free toys that were collected from employees of Total Western and at the recent Chamber Holiday Mixer (see page 14). New Commandment Baptist Church (above, center) held a toy giveaway for families in need and also provided free food and drawings for free bicycles, turkeys, tablets and Christmas trees. Paramount American Legion Post 134 (above, right) provided gift cards from WalMart and Northgate Gonzalez Market to two Paramount families. Many thanks to all those who contributed!
Mayor’s Desk
Happy New Year, Paramount!
n behalf of my fellow City Council members and our City staff, I want to wish everyone a happy 2020. We hope it is a good, positive year for all.
Paramount is a great town in which to live, work, and play. I have lived here for more than 70 years, and I know what a special place it is. It’s always my great pleasure to share our local news with you each month here in the Pulse Beat
Get rid of old stuff at Clutter-Free Paramount
This month the City will hold its next free Community-wide Cleanup event. Clutter-Free Paramount will be on Saturday, January 18, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Paramount Park.
Clear out your post-holiday clutter. Bring the following things for free disposal: large bulky items, e-waste, green waste, documents for shredding, and old tires. Please do not bring paint, hazardous waste, light bulbs, liquids, or auto parts.
This event is for Paramount residents only. You must present a valid ID with a Paramount/90723 address.
Special thanks to CalMet Services, the City’s refuse hauler, for providing containers, dropoff and pickup, and disposal at no cost.
Paramount Park is located at 14400 Paramount Blvd. For more information, please call (562) 220-2002.
A Producer of Renewable Fuels Using
Animal Fats and Vegetable Oils
Paramount Youth Hall of Fame for student athletes
The City is starting a Youth Hall of Fame for Paramount student athletes who played high school sports between January and December 2019. The nomination period is now open, with a deadline of Jan. 27. (There will be new nominations each year.)
A banquet will be held celebrating the inductees on March 14. The Hall of Fame’s displays will be located at the new Horchateria Rio Luna on Paramount Blvd. just south of Alondra Blvd.
For more information and to find out where to apply, please call (562) 220-2121 or visit the news feed on paramountcity.com to download an application.
La Diosa de los Moles restaurant honored
Congratulations to Paramount’s La Diosa de los Moles for coming in at #56 on the Los Angeles Times’ 101 best restaurants list.
The food critics chose from 1,000 establishments, and Rocío Camacho’s business was one of only a handful located in the Gateway Cities region.
Known as “the undisputed mole whisperer of Los Angeles,” Rocío opened her Paramount location at 8335 Rosecrans in late 2017. It’s great to see her, and the City, acknowledged this way.
Recycle your Christmas tree
Now that the holidays are over, remember that Paramount residents who had Christmas trees can place them out at curbside for pickup. Trees will be recycled into mulch. CalMet will pick up trees at no charge from single-family residential accounts through January 17. Remove the stand and all decorations, lights, and tinsel, and do not wrap the tree or enclose it in a plastic bag. If the tree is four feet tall or less, you can put it in your green waste recycling barrel. For anything larger, just set it curbside on your normal garbage collection day by 6 a.m. Flocked trees will also be picked up.
After January 17, your tree can still be taken away by scheduling a bulky item pickup. For apartments or condominiums, trees on the curb by 6 a.m. during the stated time period will be taken away for free on regular pickup days. If it’s necessary to drive onto the property, there will be a $5 charge per tree. In these latter cases, the service must be ordered 24 hours before the regular pickup day by the manager or owner, who must have the account number for verification.
Also, commercial customers must call CalMet before placing a tree out for collection so that a green waste truck can visit their location. Questions? Call CalMet at (562) 259-1239.
Rocío Camacho
Public Safety
Free document shredding January 18
The City will hold its next free community-wide cleanup event, Clutter-Free Paramount, on Saturday, January 18, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Paramount Park.
Among the things you can dispose of will be documents for shredding like the ones mentioned below. You can bring a maximum of three medium-size boxes (15” x 12”) per residence. Please do not bring paint, hazardous waste, light bulbs, liquids or auto parts. This event is for Paramount residents only. You must present a valid ID with a Paramount or 90723 address. (See the related story on page 3.)
Special thanks to CalMet Services, the City’s refuse hauler, for providing containers, drop-off and pickup and disposal at no cost.
Paramount Park is located at 14400 Paramount Blvd. For more information, please call (562) 220-2002. (Above photo by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay)
15 tips to prevent identity theft
• Shred receipts, credit offers, account statements, and expired credit cards to prevent “dumpster divers” from getting your personal information. (See the story above about the community-wide Clutter-Free Paramount event, at which free shredding will be available. Also see CityScape on page 15.)
• Secure your Social Security number (SSN). Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet or write your number on your checks. Only give out your SSN when absolutely necessary.
• Don’t respond to unsolicited requests for personal information (e.g., your name, birthdate, Social Security number and bank account number) by phone, mail or online.
• Contact credit reporting agencies and request a freeze of your credit reports.
• Collect your mail promptly each day. Place a hold on your mail when you’re away from home for several days.
• Don’t respond to unsolicited requests for personal information (your name, birthdate, Social Security number and bank account number) by phone, mail or online.
• Pay attention to your billing cycles. If bills or financial statements are late, contact the sender.
• Enable the security features on your mobile devices, especially if you have contacts, banking websites and applications saved.
• Update sharing and firewall settings when you’re on a public Wi-Fi network. Consider using a virtual private network, which can give you the privacy of a secured private network.
• Review your credit card and bank account statements. Promptly compare receipts with account statements, and watch for unauthorized transactions. If you spot unauthorized use of your credit card, report it to the credit card company.
• Store personal information in a safe place at home and at work.
• Install firewalls and virus-detection software on your home computer.
• Create complex passwords that identity-thieves cannot guess easily. Change your passwords if a company with which you do business has a breach of its databases.
• Review your credit report once a year to be certain that it doesn’t include accounts that you haven’t opened. You can order a report for free from Annualcreditreport.com.
• Never leave Social Security cards, passports, birth certificates, vehicle pink slips, income tax records, checkbooks or payroll stubs in your unattended car, even in the glove compartment. Thieves breaking into vehicles are often looking for these types of documents. Keep them at home in a safe location.
College scholarship applications available
More than $1 million thus far has gone to local Paramount students via PEP college scholarships to help them achieve their educational dreams.
PEP scholarships of $1,000 are awarded to students attending a community college and $3,000 to students attending an accredited four-year state university within the U.S, including vocational, trade and technical schools. Scholarship availability jumps to $4,000 if a student is attending a University of California campus or a private four-year university in the U.S.
PEP scholarship monies may only be used to pay tuition and fees and to purchase books and supplies for the 2019-2020 school year.
Here are requirements for applying for PEP scholarships:
• You must be a City of Paramount resident and/or a Paramount United School District (PUSD) student.
• You must have a high school diploma or GED or be a graduating senior in high school.
• You must enroll in an accredited program.
• You must possess a minimum cumulative high school grade-point average (GPA) of 2.0.
• You must submit a copy of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid Report (FAFSA).
Dream Act AB 540 students are welcome to apply.
Completed applications must be turned in to Paramount City Hall by the end of the day on February 14, 2020. Copies can be downloaded on the City of Paramount website at paramountcity.com.
For more information, please call (562) 220-2121. (Above
PULSE BEAT
Executive Director: Barbara Crowson
Executive Assistant: Dora Sanchez
Distributed and read by more than 20,000 residents and business owners in Paramount.
Layout & design: Danmark Associates Printing: Reed Printing
Delivery: Great Western Distributors
City Council
Volunteers recognized and thanked
Representatives from volunteer groups and donors who helped at the City’s Halloween Festival and Haunted House, Veterans Day Celebration, and Seniors Thanksgiving Luncheon were recognized and thanked at the Paramount City Council’s December 17 meeting. Halloween volunteers: Paramount High School West Campus, Paramount High JROTC, Paramount High AVID Club, Paramount High Cheer Team, Paramount High Soccer Team, Paramount Adult School, and Pitch In, Paramount. Veterans dinner dance volunteers: Paramount High Corsairs Club, the Cheer Team, the JROTC, and Paramount Starbucks. Seniors Thanksgiving Luncheon volunteers: the Corsairs, volunteers from Weber Metals, AppleCare Medical Group, SCAN Health Plan, and L.A. Care Health Plan (the three gave $4,000 combined), and the Office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, Ace Clearwater Enterprises, Clinica Medica Hispana, and, again, Weber Metals (who all donated $500 each).
Helping the homeless
Members of two groups that help people struggling with homelessness in Paramount were recognized at the December 17 Paramount City Council meeting. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homeless Outreach Support Team (HOST) and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), the latter formed by the County Board of Supervisors and the City of Los Angeles, work together on these issues. They hold training for City staff, conduct outreach with non-profit organizations, perform encampment cleanups, and more.
City wins financial reporting award
The Government Finance Officers Association, a non-profit watchdog group made up of professionals throughout California, gave Paramount an award of excellence for the
at the December 17
Thank you, MUSA members!
As they have done for many years now, members of MUSA Mujers Unidas Sirviendo Activamente (Women United Serving Actively) showed their Christmas spirit by putting in hours of volunteer work to fill many thousands of bags with apples and candy canes for the much-anticipated run last month of the Santa Express, an exclusive Paramount tradition (see photos above and below). Santa and his elves handed out the free goodies to the kids of Paramount along the train’s route. MUSA is a wonderful contributor to our community, and the City sincerely appreciates both their efforts and their enthusiasm.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
BARTENDER —Part-time. Must have evenings and weekends available. Call Leroy: 562-634-9001.
SKILLED LABOR OPPORTUNITIES —SkillsetGroup currently has these positions available for first, second and third shifts: Machine operator, sanitation, loading & unloading, forklift drivers, production line, and order pulling. Come in and apply today! SkillsetGroup actualmente tiene aperturas para puestos disponibles para Primer, Segundo y Tercer turno. ¡Ven y aplica hoy! Call us at 866-375-3094 or use Instagram (@skillsetgroup) or Facebook for weekly updates. 7300 Alondra Blvd., Suite 202, Paramount, CA 90723.
STATE FARM AGENT —State Farm Agents help customers protect what’s important to them while making time to give back to their neighborhoods. Improve your career! Call David Maciel: 562-305-2111.
FULL-TIME SEAMSTRESS —5-Star Interior Services, Inc., needs a full-time seamstress with drapery experience. Contact Leroy at 818-845-4518.
MAINTENANCE WORKER —Part-time, entry-level or skilled. Painting, locksmith work, lighting, general maintenance, minor or major plumbing repairs, upkeep and repairs in a senior citizens’ facility. Email Gaby at gaby@immpco.com or call 562-408-0801 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
meeting.
City Finance Director Karina Liu, City Accountant Joanne Cha, City
Accountant Jaime De Guzman, and Councilmember Peggy Lemons.
CREW WORKER —Specialty construction. Will train. Basic function is installation of epoxy coatings, including preparation of concrete floors and other structures using various types of equipment. Long-term, 30+ hours, including some weekends. Report in person to TECHCOAT, 15720 Garfield Ave., Paramount, CA 90723; M-Th 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m.
City’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report
City Council
Paramount has won the award for more than three decades. From left: Councilmember Brenda Olmos, Councilmember Laurie Guillen, Mayor Tom Hansen, Kinnaly Soukhaseum representing the GFOA,
Senior
Membership RENEWALS
We’re very grateful that the businesses below have renewed their Paramount Chamber of Commerce memberships, making our valuable services possible.
Paramount Swap Meet......................................................................51 years
7900 All American Way, Paramount, CA 90723
RGS/ Richard Griffin Sales
8519 Chester St., Paramount, CA 90723
January 15 • 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
323 Chamber Interchange ‘Moonlight Mingle’
At Embassy Suites, 8425 Firestone Blvd., Downey, CA 90241. Appetizers, drinks and networking. RSVP with your local chamber, and please see the ad on page 11.
January 15 • 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
29 years
Total-Western, Inc. 24 years
8049 Somerset Blvd., Paramount, CA 90723
Transcom Telecommunications 28 years
1390 E. Burnett St., Ste B, Signal Hill, CA 90755
Merlin-Altec Mold Making, Inc. 21 years
15543 Minnesota Ave., Paramount, CA 90723
Downey Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioner..............20 years
11829 S. Downey Ave., Downey, CA 90241
Stater Bros. 19 years
8640 E. Alondra Blvd., Paramount, CA 90723
Madame Pompador 10 years
13516 Paramount Blvd., South Gate, CA 90280
United Steel Workers IUPIW-USW Local 1945 7 years
8131 E. Rosecrans Ave., Paramount, CA 90723
Reed Printing 5 years
4071 Greystone Dr., Ontario CA 91761
2000 Insurance..........................................................................................2 years
15110 Paramount Blvd., Paramount, CA 90723
The Workout...............................................................................................2 years
At Progress Park Plaza, 15500 Downey Ave., Paramount CA 90723. Donation: $15. Proceeds will benefit student scholarships (please see the ad on page 11).
January 16 • 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Ribbon-cutting for The Comeback Barber Shop
At their location, 8008 Jackson St., Paramount, CA 90723. Lunch and networking. RSVP at 562-364-3980 or Paramountchamber.com (please also see page 10).
January 23 • 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Ribbon-cutting for Grocery Outlet
At their location, 15719 Downey Ave., Paramount, CA 90723. Lunch and networking. RSVP at 562-364-3980 or Paramountchamber.com (please also see page 10).
January 28 • 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Networking Breakfast
At their location, 8008 Jackson St., Paramount, CA 90723. Lunch and networking. RSVP at 562-364-3980 or Paramountchamber.com. (see the ad on page 11).
February 12 • 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Annual ‘State of the City’ Luncheon
At Progress Park Plaza, 15500 Downey Ave., Paramount CA 90723. Please save the date and see reservation details in the ad on page 16.
l caldining
LOCAL DINING
To place your ad in Local Dining, please
member-to-member discounts Paramount Chamber of Commerce
As a Paramount Chamber of Commerce member, these discounts are extended to you by your fellow members. Visit the following businesses to receive the discounts listed below. But remember, these offers are available only to Paramount Chamber members!
Attorney & Legal Services
Lerma Law Office (562-272-4353):
15% discount on initial retainer fee or flat-rate service.
Automotive
Herald’s Garage (562-633-2136): 15% discount on labor and a free engine light reset.
Beauty
Family Cutz (562-408-2733):
$3 off regular haircut, 10% off color service. Comeback Barber Shop (310-920-5090):
$17 haircut for Chamber members.
2rue Beauty Salon (562-952-1951):
$25 haircut and blow out.
Cleaners
Alert Cleaners (562-634-4602): 10% discount on any dry cleaning. Communications
H1 Floor Covering (424/785-5551): 15% off first visit.
Jones Scaffold Co. (800-266-3864): 10% off net rental of scaffold equipment.
Data Base Services
NEXTSTEP (877-305-6932): Free needs analysis and special Chamber member discount rate.
Dental
Paramount Dental Care (800-266-3864): Free whitening. Free exam. Free cancer screening
Financial Services
SG Tax Services (562-630-4004): $25 off tax preparation for Chamber members and their employees.
United Credit Education Services (424-298-1726): $50 off $99 enrollment fee.
Vicky Professional Services (562-634-1178): 20% off bookkeeping and accounting service.
Flowers
Diana’s Flowers (562-529-5045): Free local delivery and free balloons.
The Touch of Elegance (310-697-2227): 25% off any purchase.
Funeral Services
Palacios Funeral Home (562-972-5429): 5% off services.
Hotels & Motels
Embassy Suites Hotel (562-861-1900): 15% off best available room rate (subject to availability). Ask for “Chamber rate.”
Insurance
2000 Insurance Service (562-602-0001): 25% off new business.
Medical
Azul Homecare Partners (562-862-9249): 10% off medical supplies (call Giselle Ortegon). Clínica Médica Hispana (562-630-1991): 25% discount.
Hansen, Thomas D.C. – Chiropractor (562-634-0985): 25% off initial visit.
Lakha Medical Clinic (562-602-8877): Alena Skin Care–Free consultation. Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center (562-865-9600)–10% off any laser or cosmetic surgery Procedure.
Plumbing & Heating
Downey Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning (562-861-1234): 10% off HydroJet service and/or 10% off material.
Production (Events)
YSL Production (323-490-6315): 20% any event services: Sound, lighting, stage, LED video, wall & truss equipment.
Printers
Source Graphics, Inc. (562-408-2734): 10% discount on all printing.
T & C’s Screen Printing ((310-292-8508): Free two-color set-up on screen printing. Free set-up on embroidery ($50 value) on a 24-shirt minimum.
Real Estate
Century 21 Allstars–Mark Sourial (562-745-8171): Free market evaluation of your property.
GM Properties (562-696-0200): 5% of gross commissions on closed deals will be sent to the charity of our choice in your name. Ask for Matt. Penta Pacific Properties (562-699-1922): Free market value opinions on commercial and industrial properties.
Real Estate Homes & Investments (562-200-1164): 20% discount. Ask about preferred pricing for Chamber members.
The R.M. Cool Company (562-630-6000): Ask about preferred pricing for Chamber members.
Restaurants
Café Corleone (562-408-6100): 10% discount on all food purchases.
Café Camellia (562/866-2824): 10% discount on food purchases.
Casa Adelita (562-408-2360): 10% off (may not be combined with other specials).
Casa Gamino (562-634-6225): 10% discount on food purchases. El Compa Restaurant (562-630-1068): 10% discount on all food purchases.
Gus’s Deli, BBQ & Grill (562-630-2802): 10% off all food purchases.
Mariscos El Parihuete (562-408-1661): 10% off on food purchases over $10.
Mariscos Mi Lindo Sinaloa #1 (562-529-5110): 10% discount on all food purchases.
Pika Tortas Ahogadas (562-529-5787): 10% discount on all regular-priced food items (excludes combo deals).
Shakey's Paramount (562-630-6090): 10% discount off regular-price large or medium pizza.
The Hummus Factory, Downey (562-622-2300): 20% off any order.
Skating Rinks
Paramount Iceland (562-633-1171): 10% off admission and skate rental.
Wellness & Health
Spiritual Quest (877/535-2267): 50% off salt lamps only.
Wholesalers & Distributors
Rayvern Lighting Supply, Inc. (562-634-7020): 5% off fixtures and ballast orders (commercial distributor of lighting and fixtures).
To learn more about this discount program, please call the Paramount Chamber of Commerce office at 562-634-3980
Above: Pollo ala Plancha Left: Caldo Rez Casa Adelita Coupon
ere’s
“Holiday lights” are defined as a string of lights commonly associated with the holiday season that contains multiple- or single-colored or clear light bulbs that are attached to a structure. Only residential properties are affected by this ordinance.
The ordinance was passed in response to concerns voiced by residents about keeping our neighborhoods attractive.
Wednesday, January 15 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Social time starts at 11 a.m.)
Progress Park Plaza
25500 Downey Avenue Paramount, CA 90723
Donation: $15
Proceeds will benefit student scholarships
To receive additional Bingo cards, please donate these items:
• Canned goods & unwrapped toys for Ronald McDonald House
• Pair of socks for Su Casa (to help end domestic abuse)
Reserve your seat by January 11 by calling one of these numbers:
• Lydia Guillen: 310-503-7595
• Elisa Trasoras: 562-861-0408
• Jean Williams: 310-962-3048
Thanks for your support!
TBUSINESS CORNER
Tips to get your business off the ground
By Megan Totka, freelance writer and business consultant. This article orginally
he early days of launching your small business are often very exciting, yet daunting. As a beginner trying to get your venture going, you will have your share of unglamorous work but it’ll be worth it. Take a look at these tips to help get your business off the ground.
Make Monday your favorite day of the week
It’s not easy getting a business running, but if you’re passionate about what you’re doing, you’ll find success. This is why you need to launch a business that allows you to do what you love so that Monday is your favorite day of the week. Most people spend more than half of their waking hours working, so it’s extremely important to love what you’re doing.
Write a business plan and pay attention to details
When you start a business, you have to do more than offer desirable products and services. Before anything else, you need to write a business plan that explains why you care, determines the purpose of your plan, documents all aspects of your business and helps create a clear understanding of how you plan to operate it. Plus, it will increase your chances of securing funds. Then, you obviously need to fund your startup. Don’t let initial lack of money stop you from pursuing your dreams of business ownership.
Understand your various funding options
If you want to start your own business but don’t have the funding, you can still get it off the ground in a number of ways. You can visit your local bank to seek options or explore online companies, seek help from friends or family, or secure funds from financial venture capitalists, angel investors, or crowd funding. And keep in mind that there are many ways to get a loan. Consider an easy payday loan app, even with no credit, bad credit or bankruptcies. You need to fully understand your market. You need to develop an influential and powerful message. You need to understand your own skills, strengths and the time you are available. It’s best to surround yourself with advisors and mentors who can support you.
Familiarize yourself with legalities
As early as possible, seek counsel from an attorney who is familiar with business issues. You need a business name that is not too similar to another business name. A lawyer can draw up documents needed to help you apply for an LLC and set up a federal tax ID.
Protect your business
Buy insurance to protect your business from accident liability, theft, fire, vandalism, etc.
Take time to research health insurance plans for you and your team. Decide if you want to offer insurance to your employees or wait until your business is a bit older.
Don’t forget to start a checking and savings accounts for your business and look into retirement plans.
Have a good time
With the long list of essential things to do, don’t forget to have some fun with your employees. While there are inevitably challenges for entrepreneurs, such as how to manage everything and that feeling of uncertainty and embarking into the unknown, focus on cultivating a work environment in which your team is happy and motivated to excel at their jobs. Consider going as a team to happy hours and other bond-forming events like those offered by your local Chamber of Commerce. When you foster a fun and engaging environment, you will strengthen your team.
Focus on customer satisfaction
Determine who or what is your competition, then figure out how you can deliver a more emotional and better connection with your customers. If you can delight your customers, you will make them lifelong supporters of your business. Customer loyalty results in business longevity.
A product idea and a business plan are great starts to embarking on the process of starting your new business, but don’t stop there. Use these tips to help you complete the necessary tasks to get your business successfully off the ground and running.
Megan Totka is a freelance writer and business consultant. She was the marketing and editorial director at ChamberofCommerce.com for over a decade. As an expert, she specializes in reporting the latest news, helpful tips and reliable resources, as well as providing advice. She has significant marketing experience and has spent several years exploring topics like copywriting, content marketing, list building, social media and other hot topics to help businesses run successfully.
Sheriff’s deputies are special guests at potluck luncheon
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies were special guests at a holiday potluck luncheon on December 17 at the office of the Paramount Chamber of Commerce, which hosted the event. Other attendees included City, County and State officials, Chamber officers and members and local citizens. It was an “everybody is welcome” occasion, and there was plenty of good food and good company all around.
Image credit:
Skeeze
(Pixabay)
Deputies who attended the luncheon included (left to right) Sgt. Sanchez, Deputy Furtsch, Deputy Marquez, Acting Lt. Aiello and Deputy McGee.
Tel: 562.633.2300
Fax: 562.633.2345
www.wardprop.com • Rose@wardprop.com
MChamber Holiday Mixer
aking merry eating, drinking, dancing and winning prizes was the main purpose of our annual Paramount Chamber of Commerce Holiday Mixer on Dec. 6 at Progress Park Plaza, but the event also included gift-giving for those in need (see the story on page 1). Our thanks go to the many who came and evidently had a very good time!
We’re especially grateful to our event sponsors, Farmers & Merchants Bank and SoCalGas, and to all our local businesses that contributed food and drink for the holiday feast: Casa Adelita, Rosewood Family Restaurant, La Amapola, Domino’s Pizza, Doublz, Casa Gamino, El Perihuette, El Perishusi, Mariscos Mi Lindo Sinaloa, Delfin Seafood Market and Restaurant, Antojitos, Alondra Hot Wings, El Compa, Horchateria Rio Luna, Cates Ice Cream, Fu Plus Chinese Kitchen, Tropical Paradise, Pizza Press, La Espiga, Gus’s Deli, Hummus Factory, Cafe Corleone, Papa John’s Pizza, and Enagic.
We also thank those who donated raffle prizes: Grocery Outlet, Latinoamericana, Century 21 All Stars (Mark Sourial), Holly Chiang, Frank J. Zamboni Company, Farmers Insurance (Patty Avila Agency), So-Cal Immediate Medical Center, Total Western, REMAX College Park (Edwin Jacinto), Palacios Funeral Home, Panaderia Texcoco, Fobi Pharmacy, Lifegate Church, Farmers & Merchants Bank, A&R Cleaning Multiservices, Enagic, SpiritualQuest, 261 Fearless (Pat Winiecki), Chase Bank (Jenny Aragon), and ACE Clearwater.
Thanks to you all, and Happy New Year from the Paramount Chamber!
