Pulse Beat March 2014 by City of Paramount

PULSE BEAT PULSE BEAT

Paramount Chamber

State of the City Address

The Paramount Chamber of Commerce recently hosted its annual State of the City Address sponsored by Paramount Petroleum. More than 150 business and community leaders attended the event.

Chamber President Brenda Olmos was the ﬁrst speaker reporting on Chamber activities and accomplishments for 2013. Olmos said, “The Chamber like most businesses is still recovering from the economic down turn, but I am pleased to report we managed to accomplish a lot. The Chamber produced and delivered 240,000 copies of the Pulse Beat. With help from Emmanuel Reformed Church 388 new businesses and residents received Welcome to Paramount packets, and more than 270 people received free business counseling. More than 200 people attended quarterly Networking Breakfasts, and more than 170,000 people visited the Chamber website. The

Chamber co-hosted 10 Ribbon Cuttings, and started a Facebook page. We put on a Job Fair, partnered with the City to promote “Purchase it in Paramount,” produced a new business directory, and a 2013 collectible poster.

“Each and every one of these programs is geared toward promoting business and the local economy, said Olmos” She closed by thanking Chamber members for their support in helping the Chamber accomplish its mission of promoting economic growth and stability in Paramount.

The next speaker was Superintendent Herman Mendez. Mendez started by thanking the School Board for his appointment to Superintendent and reported he had learned nine key things when speaking with community leaders, parents, visiting schools, and talking to students. (1) There is a strong sense of pride in Paramount. (2) The Board of Education

What’s inside

works well together. (3) Bond Measure AA – was a great success. (4) Music and Arts are important. (5) Sports keep our youth engaged. (6) College is important, but also recognize the value of the trades. (7) Collaboration, among all stakeholders is strength in the community. (8) Schools are safe. (9) The District is on the right track – it has shown steady academic improvement.

The Superintendent went on to say the 2012 – 13 graduating class was the largest to date not only in number of students but also in percentage of students. Mendez said the State set forth an API target of 800 for all schools, currently Paramount has 7 schools meeting or exceeding that goal, with the balance poised to move into the 800 plus club. The district has three Career Technical Education Courses; Medical Academy, Engineering and Architecture, and Design and Media Services.

This year, Jackson, Alondra, and Zamboni middle schools were recognized by the State as Schools to Watch.

Superintendent Mendez closed by saying “As an educator I draw my inspiration from our children, and in the words of Paramount High Student Noe Sandoval “Anything is possible if you set your mind to it.”

Before turning the program over to City Manager Linda Benedetti-Leal, Mayor Gene Daniels thanked the Chamber for hosting the event and the business community for their support.

City Manager Benedetti-Leal - “My theme this year is taken from the game show Wheel of Fortune, which might not be an inappropri-

Event sponsor Paramount Petroleum. Seated from left; Annina Brown (Paramount Petroleum), Connie Toscano (Principal - Wirtz Elementary School), Bill Winters – PPC V.P. of Human Resources) Kathy Gleeson (Paramount Petroleum), and Greg Buckner Principal - Paramount High School).

Paramount Chamber President Brenda Olmos

Paramount Uniﬁed School District Superintendent Herman Mendez

City of Paramount Mayor Gene Daniels

Paramount City Manager Linda Benedetti-Leal

Thank You, Paramount

My year-long term as mayor has come to a close. These 12 months spent representing our City and leading the Council have been a wonderful, active, and exciting time. I want to thank our residents and my fellow councilmembers for giving me the opportunity to serve.

We have a truly committed community of fantastic people. I’m proud to be a part of the community and help the city move forward.

“State of the City” Showing on TV

The Paramount Chamber of Commerce produced its annual State of the City event at Progress Park Plaza in February. Speakers

Members in the News

included City Manager Linda BenedettiLeal, PUSD Superintendent Dr. Herman Mendez, Chamber President Brenda Olmos, and me.

A video of the presentation is airing on Time Warner cable channel 36 on Monday at 4:00 p.m., Tuesday at 5:00 p.m., Wednesday at 6:00 p.m., Thursday at 5:30 p.m., Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 9:00 a.m. and Sunday at 9:00 a.m.

Red Cross Preparedness Fair March 29

The American Red Cross, along with the City, the Chamber of Commerce, Paramount Petroleum, and Southern California Edison will be hosting a free Preparedness Fair at Paramount Park on Saturday, March 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Those attending will be able to learn all about making plans to be prepared in case of disaster hitting.

If you take part in one of the preparedness classes you will be given a free starter emergency kit. (There will also be kits available for purchase.)

There will also be youth puppet shows, emergency response vehicle tours, CPR demonstrations, free blood pressure testing, and much more.

Make sure and come out to this very important event. For more information, visit www.redcrosslb.org.

Stater Bros. Appoints

Michael Reed to Senior Director Real Estate

Jack H. Brown, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Ofﬁcer of Stater Bros. Markets, has announced the appointment of Michael Reed to the position of Senior Director Real Estate of Stater Bros. Markets.

“We have great conﬁdence that Michael will do an outstanding job of leading our Real Estate Division,” stated Brown. “His management and real estate expertise will help Stater Bros. meet our present and future real estate needs.”

Reed has over 13 years of retail real estate experience and has held various leadership positions with other retailers. He most recently served as Real Estate Store Development Manager for Starbucks and was responsible for growing the company’s Mid-West and Western Mountain Regions. He also worked for a major supermarket chain, including nine years in Southern California working his way through the ranks from Real Estate Coordinator to Director of Real Estate.

Reed has a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Finance from Boise

State University and is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), where he served as the Illinois State Retail Chairman from 2011 – 2013.

Paramount Chamber of Commerce

Households Earning Less Than $52k Eligible For Free Tax Return Help

If you need help ﬁling your taxes, the California State Board of Equalization is hosting a series of Free Income Tax Assistance and Family Resources Fairs. Free tax preparation services will be available from trained and certiﬁed volunteers for households with an annual income of $51,567 or less.

All those attending will also get information on a broad range of low-cost and free medical services, how to prepare for a job, in addition to ﬁnding food and nutrition services, discount telephone service, lowcost auto insurance, and more.

The Fairs will also enable eligible families to receive up to $6,044 in Earned Income Tax Credit.

The Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs will be providing information at these events, as well.

Please make an appointment online at http://bit.ly/VITA-2014 or call 1-866-9109559. For more information, visit the California State Board of Equalization website at www.boe.ca.gov.

Here is a list of upcoming Fair locations:

• Saturday, March 8, at Cal State Dominguez Hills, Carson, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Friday, March 14, at Rio Hondo College, Whittier, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

• Saturday, March 22, California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach, from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

• Saturday, March 29, South Bay One

Stop Business Career Center, Inglewood, from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Volunteer tax assistance is also available by appointment every Wednesday until April 9 at the BOE Norwalk District Ofﬁce, 12440 East Imperial Highway, Suite 200; phone: (562) 466-1694.

Household Hazardous Waste Roundups

The County of Los Angeles also holds monthly household hazardous waste (and ewaste) collection events in various cities. These roundups accept brake fluid, paint, paint thinner, cleaners with acid or lye, pesticides or herbicides, household batteries and car batteries, pool chemicals, motor oil, oil ﬁlters, expired pharmaceuticals, anti-freeze, ﬂuorescent light bulbs, computer monitors, televisions, computer CPUs, keyboards, printers, cellular phones and more.

There are two coming up fairly close to Paramount in March. The ﬁrst will on Saturday, March 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Southern California Gas Company, 8101 Rosemead Blvd. in Pico Rivera.

The second will on Saturday, March 22, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the intersection of Butler Ave. and Bellinger St. in Lynwood, with the entrance from Alameda St.

For a complete listing of what you can and cannot bring, or information on upcoming events throughout the year, call 1-888CLEANLA or visit www.888CleanLA.com on the internet.

“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.”

– Christian D. Larson

Mayor, Gene Daniels

Michael Reed

Preventing Auto Theft

The City of Paramount’s Public Safety team and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department employ a number of creative approaches to ﬁghting crime. One deterrent program that the Paramount Sheriff’s Station offers to help deter auto theft for residents who own certain models of automobile is called Prevent Auto Theft (PAT).

PAT provides free anti-theft, steering wheel lock devices for certain makes and models of cars. Based on the latest analysis of regional auto theft trends, these cars are: 1990 to 2000 Honda Civics, Honda Accords, and Nissan Sentras; 1998 to 2012 Ford Econoline Vans; and 2000 to 2007 Chevy Tahoes.

Residents will receive one device per vehicle. They must provide a photo ID, proof of residency (such as a utility bill) and proof of vehicle ownership.

To participate in either program, stop by the Paramount Sheriff’s Station at 15001 Paramount Blvd. or call (562) 220-2002 for more information.

Follow these additional safety tips to prevent auto theft and auto burglaries:

• The best way to protect your car is to park it in the garage.

• Make sure all doors are locked.

• If parked outside, make sure it is in a well-lit area.

• Have an auto security system installed.

Tax Season is Tax Scam Season

Tax season is underway. That means it’s also the season for tax scams. Consider the following information provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs.

Doing your taxes requires a lot of personal ﬁnancial information. You send out paperwork or electronic files with your personal information to the IRS and others. Thieves are looking for any opportunity to get their hands on your information and your money.

Here are some common tax-related schemes:

Refund Theft

In this scam, an identity thief uses your Social Security number and other personal information to ﬁle a fraudulent tax refund claim. If you are the victim of a refundrelated scam, you should call the Identity Theft Protection Specialized Unit at (800) 908-4490.

Phishing Scams

This scam occurs when a consumer receives a phony email which looks like it’s from the IRS and asks the reader to send personal and bank account information. The IRS will never email you to ask for your personal information.

IRS Phone Scam

Recently, some consumers have received bogus calls from scammers alleging to be representatives of the IRS and threatening them unless they send money. The IRS will never call you to demand your banking information or ask to be paid by wire transfer or pre-paid debit cards.

Here are some tips from the IRS to avoid tax scams:

• Don’t carry your Social Security card or any documents that include your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identiﬁcation Number.

• Check your credit report every 12 months for free at www.annualcreditreport. com.

• Protect your personal computers by using ﬁrewalls and anti-spam/virus software, updating security patches, and changing passwords for Internet accounts.

• Don’t give personal information over the phone, through the mail, or online unless you are sure you know who you’re dealing with.

Tax Preparer Fraud

A good tax preparer will ask you plenty of questions and use your receipts to see if you qualify for deductions.

Some tax preparers will make big promises, even if that means illegally giving false information on your returns. Remember, even if someone else prepares your taxes, you are responsible for what you ﬁle and will face the penalties if something is inaccurate.

Here are some tips from the IRS when choosing a tax preparer:

• Be cautious of tax preparers who claim they can get larger refunds than anyone else.

• Avoid preparers who base their fee on a percentage of the amount of the refund.

• Use a reputable tax professional who signs your tax return and provides you with a copy for your records.

• Make sure they have a Preparer Tax Identiﬁcation Number. Only attorneys, certiﬁed public accountants, and enrolled agents can represent taxpayers before the IRS.

• Never agree to have any portion of your refund deposited into your tax preparer’s bank account. Your refund should be sent to you or deposited into your bank account.

Paramount Chamber 2014 State of the City Address

BY:

Resources), Michael Conroy (Asst. Superintendent Business Services), Alicia Anderson (Board Vice President), Vivian Hansen (Board Member), and Tom Hansen (Paramount Councilmember).

(Payroll Clerk), Diane Holman (Billing Clerk), and Kelsey Bonzer (Accounting Clerk).

C ONTINUED F ROM P AGE 1

ate way to look at what’s been going on in state and local government over the past few years. The state budget seems to be moving in the right direction and they are predicting a signiﬁcant surplus. Sadly, of that surplus, local government will not be getting one dime.

“Back in 2012, we lost redevelopment as a tool for economic growth. Unwinding the former redevelopment agency has been a long process which is not yet complete. We are working with the State Department of Finance and I can only say that the experience has been beyond frustrating.

“Even though redevelopment is out of the picture, we were able, through the use of some federal housing funds, to assist in the development of a really nice senior affordable housing complex on Adams Street that opened in December. The 32 units, for folks 55 years of age and older, ﬁlled up quickly and we were happy to see this housing option become available for this sector of our population.

“Of course, as we do every year we kept up our long tradition of steady improvements and maintenance throughout the city. At our most frequently used facility, Progress Plaza, we re-carpeted the room and reupholstered the chairs; we completely remodeled the restrooms; and we put in new pavers in the large courtyard. We also continued a multi-year repaving of Alondra Blvd. and made it as far as Paramount Blvd.

“Regarding public safety, this continues to be the area where we spend the largest chunk of our budget – about $.34 of every dollar we bring in. In 2013, crimes against persons, such

as assaults or robbery, were down once again, by 9%. Property crimes are still at historic lows, but last year we did see an uptick of 6%, largely due to an increase in auto thefts.

“We support a very active Neighborhood Watch program and last year held 29 meetings involving over 1,000 participants. With our Pitch In, Paramount program, 359 volunteers helped out over a number of Saturdays to paint out grafﬁti along the railroad right-of-way, paint bridge railings over the 710 freeway, do landscaping along the new bike path, and clean up the homes of elderly or disabled folks.

“We’ve made a strong commitment to encouraging health and ﬁtness. We opened our new bike trail along the MTA right-of-way from Lakewood to Downey. We continued adding to our network of outdoor gyms, with exercise equipment at Progress Park and getting a grant from Supervisor Don Knabe for equipment at Paramount

and

can Park, as well.

“Of course, the crown jewel project of last year was the opening of Salud Park in April. This 9-acre, ﬁtness-oriented park has been a huge success. We, again, need to thank Southern California Edison for partnering with us and providing the land for this project.

“Our retail sales per capita – when compared to neighboring cities – is about average, which is pretty surprising since some of our neighbors have malls and large shopping centers. We perform well in certain areas, such as grocery, service stations, and building materials, but there is leakage, meaning people are shopping elsewhere in certain key areas such as restaurants, pet stores, sporting goods, and apparel.

“We also learned that, in Paramount, retail sales are higher than the retail spending potential of our households. So not only are residents spending their money in town – which we’ve been heavily promoting – but we’re also capturing retail spending from outsiders.

“I’d like to mention one effort that the City of Paramount spearheaded for the larger region in terms of job growth. The southeast Los Angeles area has higher unemployment than the rest of L.A. County, higher than California in general, and far higher than the national average. It seems as if our area has never really fully rebounded from the loss of the aerospace industry.

“In December, we initiated and hosted the ﬁrst meeting of a group of local manufacturers from Paramount, South Gate, and Santa Fe Springs to talk about the state of manufacturing today and to gauge interest in forming a grassroots effort to assist manufacturers and

even, down the road, create a voice for our region in Sacramento. Hopefully, something constructive will grow out of this.

“Locally, we are expecting a couple of interesting new ventures soon. The Paramount Swap Meet was once a drive-in theater and it’s planning to reopen. You should be able to pile the kids in the car and catch a flick at the drive-in this spring. Another interesting project involves the Paramount Petroleum Refinery and a new green technology company, Alt Air, which plans to refine diesel fuel, not from crude oil, but from cow fat, or tallow. There’s a sort of poetic symmetry here, as Paramount used to be a big dairy town. It’s not quite the same situation for the cows as it was back then, but they are returning in an altered form nonetheless.

“We are making improvements and expanding our water infrastructure for the simple reason that the costs of having to buy water from another provider are so much higher than pumping from our own wells. We added a new well to our system about two years ago and this allowed us to increase our pumping capacity to about 78% of our daily demand, where we were pumping about 60% before.

“I’d like close by mentioning a nomination that we were honored to receive last year. The LA County Economic Development Corporation holds an annual competition, called the Eddy Awards, for cities that are deemed to be the most business friendly in the region. We submitted an application and were chosen as a ﬁnalist for the Eddy, along with the cities of Glendora, Lancaster, Santa Monica, and Pico Rivera.”

Seated at the Weber Metals table from left; Paul Dennis (V.P. Finance) , Woody Till (Lean Enterprise Mgr.), Rick Creed (President), and Justin Owen (Director of Finance).

Seated at the SC Fuels table from left; Tom Latham (General Mgr.), Katie Pringle (HR Coordinator), Chris Mattson (Assistant HR Mgr.), Anthony Akers (Site Mgr.), Gabe Hollingsworth (Site Mgr.), Daniel Grifﬁth (Operations Mgr.), Bernett Robertson (Billing Supervisor), and Justin Pasco (Order to Cash Mgr.).

Seated at the Carlton Forge table from left; Victor Cinco (CFW-Facilities Manager), Jay Hunter (Hunter Security), Kevin Dahlin (CFW-Vice President), and Neftali Penarrieta (CFW-Safety Manager).

Seated at the Total-Western, Inc. table from left; Leonard Crespo (Corp Safety/HR/QC Mgr.), Karen Sonnenberg (Corp. Administration), Paul Conrad (President), Andrea Garay (Timekeeper), Debra Robbins (Project Controls), Linda Villanueva

Pastor Larry Jameson, Lifegate Foursquare Church gave the State of the City Address invocation.

Park

All Ameri-

State of the City table centerpieces were sponsored by The Gas Company.

Seated at the Paramount Uniﬁed School District table from left; Herman Mendez (Superintendent), Deborah Stark (Asst. Superintendent Educational Services), Myrna Morales (Asst. Superintendent Human

Are you Prepared for the Next Disaster Red Cross Host Preparedness Fair

Join the American Red Cross, Paramount Petroleum, City of Paramount, Southern California Edison and the Paramount Chamber of Commerce at Paramount Park for a disaster preparedness event where you can learn the best way to prepare you and your family for a disaster in Southern California.

“All members of the household should work together on the family disaster plan and know how to shelter in your home for 3-5 days. Planning together is important so everyone in the household knows what they should do if something occurs” said Margaret Arbini Madonna CEO of the Greater Long Beach/Rio Hondo Chapter. “Participants will have the opportunity to participate in a build a kit presentation and learn the skills they need to prepare their family. Participants will also be given a free starter emergency kit at the end of the presentation.”

Red Cross volunteers will also be available to speak about Red Cross services such as CPR/First Aid, Service to the Armed Forces, Disaster Response, and International

Services. Emergency kits will be available for purchase and local vendors will be in attendance to provide information on local resources in the community. Be prepared, take advantage of this opportunity!

Date: March 29, 2014

Time: 10:00am-2:00pm

Location: Paramount Park, 4400 Paramount Blvd, Paramount

Activities Include:

• Disaster Preparedness Presentations at 11:00am and 12:30pm

• Youth Preparedness Sesame Street Puppet Show for kids

• Free Blood Pressure Exams

• Hands Only CPR Demonstration

• Emergency Response Vehicle Tours

• Mock Mini Red Cross Shelter Demonstration

• Veterans History Project

• LA Country Fire Department Shakey Quakey Earthquake House

For more information visit www.redcrosslb.org.

PEP

Deadline Approaching for Scholarship Submissions

If you are a Paramount resident or PUSH student planning on continuing your secondary education career, you have until March 28 to apply for a PEP college scholarship.

Hard copy applications are available at Paramount City Hall, the Paramount City Yard and locations throughout the School District. In addition, copies can be downloaded on the Paramount Uniﬁed School District website at www.paramount.k12. ca.us/ and on the City of Paramount website at www.paramountcity.com (where there is a story on the homepage with a link to the application).

There is a certain amount of work needed to complete the form and some associated documents that must be included. Finished applications must be submitted in person or by mail at: Paramount Education Partnership, Inc., Attention: Scholarship Committee 16400 Colorado Avenue, Paramount, CA 90723

Scholarships of $1,000 are awarded to students attending a community college and $3,000 to students attending an accredited four-year institution within the U.S, including vocational/ trade/ technical schools. Scholarship monies may only be used to pay tuition, fees, books and supplies for the 2014-2015 school year.

An average of 24 scholarships are given

Community News

to local students each year.

Applicants will be reviewed based on their completed application, academic record, ﬁnancial need, extracurricular activities, work or volunteer experience, and future goals. Plagiarism or false information will permanently disqualify an applicant. Please be aware that ﬁrst-time applicants will receive priority over past recipients.

The following are the mandatory requirements:

You must be a City of Paramount resident or Paramount Uniﬁed School District student.

Have a high school diploma or GED. Be enrolled in an accredited program to obtain an Associates of Arts or Bachelor’s degree and/or vocational certification. (Students must be able to provide proof of enrollment in an institution to be eligible.)

Provide one letter of recommendation from a teacher or counselor (who cannot be a relative).

Possess a cumulative high school GPA of 2.0 or better.

Submit forms that demonstrate ﬁnancial need as determined by FAFSA (and include a copy of a Student Aid Report).

PEP is a collaborative effort between the City of Paramount, Paramount Uniﬁed School District, and the Paramount Chamber of Commerce. For information, please contact Suleyma Rosales at (562) 220-2132.

CERRITOS COLLEGE FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

AUTHORS NEW PRACTICAL

Is it possible to become a better leader in 30 days? Absolutely! Most of us have read one too many books on leadership. We have found them helpful, but the question is, “How much of what we’ve read have we actually implemented into our everyday leadership style and practice?”

This is what Cerritos College Foundation Executive Director Steve Richardson explores in his recent release Become a Better Leader in 30 Days. We have all heard that it takes 30 days to make or break a habit, so Richardson thought why not use the same approach to leadership. The book is a 30-day journey that if the concepts are embraced and practically applied, you really can become a better leader in just 30 days.

Often asked to write a book on leadership, Richardson would hesitate not wanting to add another book to the “already extensive list of books on leadership that would just end up on a shelf.”

What changed? Why write the book now? When asked, Richardson explained, “One day I was sitting in my ofﬁce looking at the 10-15 books on leadership sitting on my own bookshelf that I had collected over the years. As I looked at the titles I realized that two or three of them had inﬂuenced my viewpoints and approach to leadership. In that moment I decided that maybe I should listen to those who had encouraged me through the years to write something. Maybe my unique perspective would add something that would help someone become a better leader.”

Richardson’s unique perspective in his ﬁrst release has been met with great reviews on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Reviewers have described Become a Better Leader in 30 Days as “extremely practical”, “a great book for the practitioner”, and “very common sense approach.” The book is available in both soft cover and digital editions at

LEADERSHIP BOOK

Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and Bookstore.WestbowPress.com.

To help spread the word about the book and to further explore leadership concepts, Richardson launched a blog (blogspot. becomingabetterleader.com), has videos available on YouTube (search Become a Better Leader in 30 Days), has a presence on Facebook.com/BecomeaBetterLeader and Twitter.com/30DayLeader, and recently was interviewed by Entrepreneur on Fire. The podcast is available at www.entrepreneuronﬁre.com/podcast/steve-richardson.

Steve Richardson has been leading and managing people for over thirty years, spending the last 14 years at the helm of the Cerritos College Foundation. Whether running a company, managing a turnaround, or building a business, his direct, honest and fair approach to leadership has been the key to his success. Richardson resides in Seal Beach, CA with his wife, Stephanie.

Steve Richardson

David Ford, representing Southern California Edison, presents Paramount Chamber staff with a $2,500 check. The check is a grant to help with chamber expenses related to the promotion of the Prepare Paramount program. From left: Maria Villasenor (Paramount Chamber Executive Assistant), Peggy Lemons (Executive Director), David Ford (Public Affairs Southern California Edison), and Maria Mac Lean (Paramount Chamber Membership Services).

CALIFORNIA OUTREACH ORGANIZATION

ALEXANDER HAST (310) 926-7699, 15929 GARFIELD AVE, PARAMOUNT

WE ARE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS TO HELP US WITH HANDLING AND GIVING OUT THE FOOD & FOR DONORS WHO ARE WILLING TO HELP US WITH FOOD OR MONEY CONTRIBUTIONS THAT ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. PLEASE CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION (310) 909-9019.

Now hiring, AUTO MECHANIC, BODY AND PAINT TECH., AND OUTSIDE SALES ACCOUNT MANAGER. Email Heraldsgarage@gmail.com or visit Herald’s Garage 8124 E. Alondra Blvd., Paramount.

ZLS Beauty Salon, hiring LICENSE COSMETOLOGIST & A HAIR STYLIST must have 2 years of experience, ﬂexible schedule & great customer service skills if interested call. Ruby 323 377 5508 .

BILINGUAL SALES in English & Spanish with basic computer skills. Also looking for WAREHOUSE EMPLOYEE with inventory, order-picking, and/or UPS experience. Please call 562-408-1984 and ask for Ivette or send an email to mimi.kim@ptminconline.com for Mimi.

Seven Strategies For Saving

By Maria F. Galli State Farm Insurance

562-817-5620

Are you doing your best to save for your future? It can be very challenging to begin a savings program. After necessities such as food, clothing and housing, there can be little left to put aside for future goals.

Unfortunately, failing to save could mean the difference between enjoying a comfortable retirement and giving up some basic needs. Often it is a matter of making the decision to begin saving now in order to buy a new home or car later. Making changes to prepare for those goals can make a difference.

For that reason, let’s look at various ways to get a person’s savings plan on track and come up with seven strategies that you can use today.

1. Don’t splurge with your tax refund. Instead of spending your refund, use it wisely by paying down debt, funding an individual retirement account, or saving it for future ﬁnancial goals.

2. Take full advantage of your employer’s retirement contributions. Your employer may match a percentage of the contributions you make to your retirement savings plan.

3. Start small and stay steady. The ﬁrst

Pregunte al Experto

word is the most important – start. You should begin as early as possible to get the most out of your savings plan.

4. Pay yourself ﬁrst. Think of your savings or investments as a bill you must pay on a regular basis, much the same as a car or mortgage payment. Be disciplined and make the payments according to a set schedule.

5. Create separate pots of savings for upcoming life stages. Retirement may be an important goal for which to begin saving, but other goals or events need as much or more preparation.

6. If you have children, ﬁnd the right education plan. You have a number of choices when it comes to saving for a child’s education. Finding the one that makes sense for your situation takes planning and information.

7. Work with someone you know and trust. Everyone’s needs and goals are unique. Just as you go through many changes during your lifetime, your ﬁnancial goals may change.

8. In the end, it all boils down to making a plan, getting started and staying the course. When you make the decision to ﬁnally start, contact your local insurance and ﬁnancial professional who knows you and understands your needs.

EL ENOJO Y SUS CONSECUENCIAS (PARTE 2)

Hola amigos, esperando se encuentren bien en compañía de sus seres queridos, amigos y cómodamente leyendo su periódico PULSE.

Recordemos un poco el tema que empezamos en la edición pasada acerca del enojo y sus consecuencias. Comentamos que el enojo es una emoción natural, pero que en realidad es un conjunto de emociones que involucra al cuerpo, mente y voluntad. El enojo se encuentra en todo lugar, en la casa, en el trabajo, en la escuela, en la calle, etc.

Hablemos ahora de cómo AYUDAR A LOS ADULTOS A CONTROLAR EL ENOJO.

Muchos de nosotros nos enojamos no solo con lo que ocurre afuera sino contra nosotros mismos; esto es aún más difícil, pues al estar enojados contra nosotros mismos, estaremos enojados con nuestro conyugue, con nuestros hijos, padres, hermanos, amigos y con el mundo entero. Esta es la raíz del problema: Nosotros. Algunas veces los pensamientos hacia nosotros son altamente condenatorios: Mi vida es inútil, no merezco ser feliz, no sirvo para nada, a nadie le importo, etc. Pero, ¿cuáles serían unas de las razones de nuestro enojo? Algunas ejemplos podrían ser: Insatisfacción personal, inseguridad, culpabilidad, baja autoestima, infelicidad entre otras; desarrollando amargura y por ende el enojo .También, cuando nos sentimos incompletos o incompetentes para realizar algo, nos frustramos y nos impacientamos cayendo en el enojo y muchas veces en la ira. El enojo es progresivo, se empieza con uno pequeño disgusto, después le sigue el enojo, hasta que termina en ira incontrolable, aquí es en donde a veces se cometen desgracias con consecuencias irreparables. El enojo es un mecanismo de defensa natural ante una injusticia y/o un peligro, pero cuando no se sabe dirigir de una manera saludable es muy perjudicial.

TAG ART SHOW

Progress Park West

Saturday, March 8, 2014

9:00 am – 2:00 pm

El enojo es como un cáncer que va carcomiendo poco a poco, que si no lo arrancamos desde la raíz y a tiempo nos matara lentamente.

Permítanos darles unos consejos que serán de gran ayuda para controlar esos momentos de enojo:

1. Admita su enojo. Admítaselo a usted mismo, o ante un amigo o familiar de conﬁanza, o ante un consejero profesional, pero admita que está enojado con usted mismo. Esta es la primera declaración de sanidad.

2. Analice su enojo. El enojo hacia un mismo podría ser definido o distorsionado. El enojo Definido hacia sí mismo significa que su enojo surge a partir de una falta real que usted ha cometido. El enojo Distorsionado significa que el enojo se ha originado por una falta que usted ha percibido como tal y no por una falta real.

3. Decida perdonarse a usted mismo. Perdonarse es muy similar a perdonar a una persona que ha cometido una falta contra usted. En su raíz, el perdón personal es una decisión. Decida perdonarse en vez de reprocharse.

4. Aprenda de sus errores. Tome pasos positivos para asegurarse de no volver a cometer los mismos errores. Cuando de acciones positivas se trata, el amor es la mayor de todas. Quiérase a usted mismo, acepte lo que sucedió, pero no se martirice.

Recuerde que la única persona que decide enojarse es usted mismo, de usted depende de cómo reaccione ante las circunstancias adversas. Sea responsable de usted mismo, de sus pensamientos, sentimientos, emociones, de sus palabras y de sus reacciones.

Bueno queridos lectores, aquí terminamos por hoy. En la próxima edición seguiremos hablando del enojo y sus consecuencias. Muchas gracias por su atención, y hasta la próxima.

Con cariño: David y Klaudette

Paramount Chamber of Commerce

Students from Paramount (PSUD & Our Lady of the Rosary) and Artist of Southern California Student art submitted through their school on February 26, 2014

10 Steps for Deﬁning Your Target Market

Have you heard of the 80/20 rule, better known as the Pareto Principle? Then, as you may know when applied to your business, 20% of your customers more than likely buy 80% of your products or services. So, how do you target that 20% of your business’ best customers? Follow the 10 steps below to observe your best customer’s behavior and develop a target market for your business.

1. The Average Sale: Do you know how much the average person spends when purchasing a product or service at your business? Begin with tracking your average sale in day, a week, and month for starters. Then, once you have a ﬁgure for the average sale, begin to track how many of your customers purchase over that amount, by how much (dollar amount), and how often. For example, If the average person spends $35 in your boutique, your top customers may spend $75, come back weekly, and may be more likely to refer a customer. Start tracking!

2. Common Characteristics of the 20%: Once you have your average figure and track every time someone spends over the average $35 from our previous example, begin assessing similarities in the customer’s characteristics. For example, the age, location, gender, marital or family status, income level, ethnic background, and needs (particularly for services.)

3. Why and What: Why do your customers buy from you, what do they care about, and what are they willing to pay? Why are your customers choosing you over your competitors - engage your customers with a simple survey after purchasing or at the counter through

friendly conversation. Is it because you are local, is it for a social cause, quality, convenience? If your competitors charge more or less, check out their business and assess what makes your business different.

4. Where: Where do your customers buy your product or service? If you have a store front and online shop, where are most of your sales coming from online or in-store? Why? Maybe your customer service sets you apart. In our previous example, your customers may enjoy a personal shopper to help with their purchases or enjoy in-store only discounts or promotions. For service based businesses, where is the sale coming from? Are your customers answering cold calls, online ads, referred by friends, looking at our website? Assess and track.

5. When: When do your customers buy? Is it seasonally, in the morning, evening, once a week, twice a month? In our example, maybe you find that many of your best customers come in after work from 5pm to 7pm, but your store is only open until 7pm, maybe you can stay open another hour or have an invite only promotion for your best customers where from 7pm-8pm the store exclusively stays open to your best customers once a month and perhaps offer a special promotion during that time.

6. Returning: Why will your customers come back? Did your customers receive great service, do they celebrate a special occasion with a purchase at your business, is it need based, did the experience give your customer something to talk about to their friends or family? What reason are you giving your customers to come back?

If all else fails, ask your returning customers why they come back. If Saturday is your best sales day, ask your customers to come back on Tuesdays for special promotions or exclusive deals. Get your customers in the habit of coming back.

7. Your Portfolio: Do your customers know all of the products and services you offer? Assuring your team members inform your customers of all your products and services is crucial. It doesn’t hurt to train your staff to say for example, “Don’t forget we cater” or your insurance agent who primarily sells commercial insurance to say “We also sell home and auto insurance” or simply display signage or reminders on your website. The simple fact that your customers are familiar with conducting business with you, purchasing from you may just be convenient, but they can’t buy from you if they don’t know!

8. Reaching the 20%: Now that you’ve studied the 20%, how do you reach them? What marketing channels work best to communicate with that group? Let’s say your best customers at your convenience store are mostly retired individuals or senior citizens. The best channels to communicate with this audience may be through local newspapers, direct mail, and radio. Pay attention to the group’s behaviors and interests and use corresponding channels.

9. Ask for Referrals: Now that you may know the faces or names of your best customers, track them in a CRM system, and market directly to them. Ask them in person or through the appropriate channels to refer you to their friends or family. Your best cus-

tomers already like your product or service and they may already be referring you. So, institute a referral program to reward your customers or give them an incentive to refer business.

10. Cross Promote: Cross-promote through partnerships with other businesses that do not offer similar products. Sometimes aligning your business with a larger company may give your business added credibility or alternatively selling complimentary products may offer your customers convenience. When you search for partners, assure you both have the same target customers, but complimentary products. For instance, if you own a marketing or creative consulting company prized on customer service, partner with a local, quality print shop and offer next day delivery of creative designs to your customer’s doorstep.

Stay tuned for the next 10 steps for attracting new customers to your business coming in March. For now, start with the ten steps above to get closer to your target customer and remember, the LA Regional SBDC is always ready to assist you with extra expertise at 1-866-588-SBDC.

The SBDC is a group of successful small business owners helping fellow entrepreneurs start, sustain, and grow their business through low-cost workshops and free one-on-one consulting in business planning, ﬁnance, marketing, and various other specialty areas (Spanish speaking consultants available). To make an appointment call: (562) 938-5100, or email: sbdcinfo@lbcc.edu