Trade mission to Northern Ireland

A delegation of Colorado Springs high tech company officials will be traveling to Belfast, Northern Ireland for a trade mission Jan. 28-Feb. 3. The participating businesses will have four days of one-on-one appointments with carefully selected potential partners to facilitate entry into the rich European Union market. The Northern Ireland Technology and Development Center of Denver, which is organizing the mission, is seeking participation from local companies in the biotechnology, life sciences, information technology, precision engineering, medical device, aerospace manufacturing, nanotechnology and renewable energy fields. For further information contact Peggy McMahon, director of the NITDC, at mcmahondenver@aol.com or at 1-303-572-5200

Arizona fitness chain has eye on Colorado Springs

Mountainside Fitness of Phoenix is considering Colorado Springs for one of the six locations it plans to open in Colorado in the next two years. The company will make its first venture outside Arizona when it opens a fitness center in the Denver suburb of Westminster in January, and it is scouting locations in downtown Denver, Thornton, Golden, Littleton, Aurora, Parker and Lone Tree, in addition to the Springs. Mountainside Fitness clubs offer exercise classes and weight training, with amenities ranging from sauna and steam room to a climbing wall. The clubs range in size from 13,000 square feet to 40,000 square feet.

Checks Unlimited spared significant layoffs

Colorado Springs-based Checks Unlimited was spared significant job cuts when parent company Deluxe Corp. of Minneapolis laid off 250 of its 8,500 employees nationwide last month. Terry Peterson, vice president of investor relations for Deluxe, estimated that the cuts in Colorado Springs amounted to "fewer than five employees, mostly in the support and administrative areas." Checks Unlimited, the 23rd largest private employer in the region with 670 workers, designs, manufactures and sells specialty checks and accessories to consumers through direct mail and on the Internet.

The survey says: Don't blame the media for soft home sales

Many people shoot the messenger when the news is bad, or, at least, not to their liking. Now that the Pikes Peak region's housing market has followed the rest of the nation into a funk, some local real estate industry members have pointed a finger at the local and national news media as bearing some of the blame. Their theory is that when prospective home buyers hear or read the market has slowed, they'll hold off on their purchases. News stories become a self-fulfilling prophecy, critics say. But a recent National Association of Home Builders' survey says traditional pocketbook issues, not news stories, largely drive home-buying decisions. When asked to rate the importance of several factors that might affect their purchase, the No. 1 reason, which was cited by 80 percent of survey respondents, was price. Other reasons, in order of importance, included: home appreciation, cited by 71 percent of respondents; the ability to sell their current home at a fair price, 70 percent; mortgage rates, 69 percent; and personal issues, such as a new job or a growing family, 60 percent.

On a list of eight factors, news stories about the real estate market ranked second to last, with 28 percent of respondents saying such stories were an important factor behind their decision to buy.

"The media provides an important service by giving consumers the big picture of what is occurring in the housing marketplace, even the big picture in their local markets," said NAHB President David Pressly, a North Carolina builder. "But despite that, local reporting can't convey the information that consumers consider the most when they are looking for a new home." The NAHB surveyed 2,000 households during the last week of October.

Personal assistant service for seniors

Nearly everyone could use a hand around the house, and one local business specializes in giving seniors a little extra help.

Peter and Marsha Thorson recently relocated their company of 12 years, GoodLife Senior Care Inc., from Scottsdale, Ariz. to Colorado Springs. The business provides non-medical, in-home personal services to seniors.

Caregivers assist with housekeeping, meal preparation, laundry, shopping, running errands and transportation.

Personal assistants enable seniors to stay in their homes as they age, Peter Thorson said.

Services are typically arranged on an hourly basis, however, overnight and 24-hour care also are available.

For more information, call 266-4799 or see www.GoodLifeSeniorCare.com.

Conway's Red Top closes its newest store

Conway's Red Top restaurant has shut down its worst-performing store at 5865 Palmer Park Blvd. due to a sharp loss in business and concern over the minimum wage increase. Operations manager Ralph Brown said the Palmer Park store -- the newest in the chain -- was bringing in one-third the revenue it was shortly after it opened three years ago. With added competition from restaurants in the area and an anticipated increase in wages of $100 a store, per day, due to the change in the minimum wage law, the Conway family decided it made little sense to continue. The chain's other five stores, four in Colorado Springs and one in Pueblo, will remain open, and Brown said the company may look at a location to replace the Palmer Park store "once we have had a chance to assess the impact of the minimum wage law."

Of mountains and molehills

You knew this would happen. In a Gazette story Dec. 3 that discussed why views are important to area residents and businesses, Mike Kazmierski, the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corp. president, was asked if mountains and views matter to prospective employers when they're considering the Springs as a place to do business. Nope, Kazmierski, replied; a quality work force is most important. Views, he said, are "a single component in a very complex mix of different elements in the community. What we educate a prospect on is the quality of our work force. If we don't get past that hurdle, they don't care about anything else." Then, Kazmierski added that not every area with great mountains is a hotbed for business expansion. "There are mountains in Alaska," he said, "and nobody really cares about them." His comment didn't set well with one e-mailer to The Gazette. "He really stuck his foot in his mouth," the e-mailer said. "Has he ever been to Alaska? There are plenty of people who care about them, to include myself. One could make the same statement about the hill called 'Pikes Peak.' It's not just the mountains in Alaska that draw people there. It's the majestic beauty of the entire state; the friendly people, the free spirit and the simple lifestyle. Alaska is a far better place to raise kids than in Colorado. It's Mr. Kazmierski's thinking along with many other things about Colorado that solidify it was a mistake moving here." Kazmierski said he wasn't ripping Alaska, just using it as an example to explain that businesses care more about quality workers than quality views.

HBA seeking MAME entries

The Housing and Building Association of Colorado Springs has set a 4 p.m., Dec. 15 deadline for entries for its 24th annual MAME Awards, which will take place in April. The MAME Awards are the housing's industry's Oscars -- honors given out each year for best new home, best sales person, best architectural design, best signage and even best sales office or showroom, among several other categories. Awards go to builders, developers, architects, designers and others in the industry, and the annual dinner and MAME ceremony -- typically a stylish affair -- serves as a showcase for the Pikes Peak region's home building industry. Only builders, developers and their associates who were HBA members in good standing during 2006 are allowed to enter. For entry information, categories and the like, visit the HBA's Web site at www.cshba.com and click on the MAME Awards link. The event takes place April 14 in the Rocky Mountain Ballroom of The Broadmoor hotel's International Center.

The EDC acknowledges PRC

The Colorado Springs Economic Development Corp. has acknowledged -- albeit in a subtle way -- that a Florida company is bringing a 550-job call center to the city. A Dec. 7 EDC news release, which recapped the organization's 2006 successes in bringing new jobs to the area, included a mention that PRC of suburban Fort Lauderdale would open a call center in the Springs. But PRC wasn't part of an EDC ceremony a day earlier, which recognized new and expanding companies, and David White, the EDC's marketing vice president, wouldn't acknowledge PRC's expansion in the Springs. However, EDC Vice President Julie Boswell said the organization decided to include PRC in its new release that recapped new and expanding businesses after a Dec. 6 story in The Gazette outlined PRC's plans and quoted a company spokeswoman.

PRC, which operates call centers in several states and on behalf of Fortune 500 clients, announced in a Dec. 7 news release on its Web site that it would open a 400-job call center in southern Oklahoma. There's no news release yet regarding the Springs, but a PRC spokeswoman has acknowledged the company will open its Springs call center in early 2007 and lease space in the Tiffany Square office and retail building, southwest of Interstate 25 and Woodmen Road. PRC has set up an e-mail address for job inquiries: springsjobs@prcnet.com. The company's Web site is www.prcenet.com.

Having good credit can help you start your own business

A Small Business Administration report last month that found the introduction of credit scoring by banks for small business loans may help increase small business owners' or entrepreneurs' access to credit.

The SBA report showed that "the use of credit scoring can lead to risk-based pricing of loans which democratizes lending, meaning that riskier loans can now be made to start-ups or small business owners with little credit history," said Dr. Chad Moutray, chief economist for the Office of Advocacy with the SBA.

Still, you need to have a good credit history. Most banks in the Colorado Springs area look at a person's credit history when he/she comes to the bank for a small business loan, according to Matt Barrett, director of the Small Business Development Center at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

Each bank is a little different, but someone with a credit rating of 700 and above will most likely have an easy time getting a business loan, Barrett said. Getting a loan with ratings from 700 to 680 is possible, and any person with rating below 680 would have a difficult time obtaining a small business loan.

If a business is doing well and the owner wants to take out a loan to expand, the bank will look at the books of the business and at the business owner's credit history for the past three years, according to Barrett.

Advice on Year-End Tax Planning for Small Business Owners

The U.S. Small Business Administration is hosting a live Web chat on year-end tax planning for
small business owners11 a.m.-noon Dec. 14 through its Web site, www.sba.gov.

Thomas Ochsenschlager, vice president of taxation for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, will host the Web chat. Chat participants will receive information about the importance of year-end planning and steps small business owners can take to reduce their 2006 tax bills, and Ochsenschlager answers questions on year-end tax savings.

Participants can join the live Web chat by going to http://www.sba.gov/, and clicking “Online Business Chat.” Web chat participants should post questions for Ochsenschlager before the Dec. 14 chat by visiting http://app1.sba.gov/liveMeeting/liveDec06/intro.cfm

The health of our state

The health of Colorado residents improved one notch this year, according to a national annual checkup by United Health Foundation. Colorado now ranks 16th in the nation, up from last year's 17th placement, for health.

Colorado Strengths:

Low prevalence of obesity, at 17.8 percent of the population.
Low rate of cancer deaths, at 180.6 deaths per 100,000 population.
Low rate of deaths from cardiovascular disease, at 274 deaths per 100,000
population.

Challenges:
Limited access to adequate prenatal care, with 68.6 percent of pregnant
women receiving adequate prenatal care.
High rate of uninsured population, at 17 percent .
Low per capita public health spending, at $92 per person.

Significant changes:
In the past year, immunization coverage increased from 77.1 percent to 83.4 percent of children ages 19 to 35 months receiving complete immunizations.
In the last year, the percentage of children in poverty increased from 11.7 percent to 14.7 percent of persons under age 18.
Since 1990, the prevalence of smoking decreased from 28.6 percent to 19.8 percent of the population.
Since 1990, the rate of uninsured population increased from 12.8 percent to 17 percent.

Business trivia for $200, please Alex....

Scrabble's big break came in the early 1950s, when the president of Macy's discovered it while on vacation and ordered it for his store. Within a year, clerks couldn't keep the game in stock. Macy's has two Colorado Springs stores, formerly Foley's.

Downtown shopping event to benefit CASA

Circle of Impact and a group of 18 downtown shop owners are staging a fundraising event for CASA of the Pikes Peak Region at 1-5 p.m. Dec. 10. All proceeds from a $20 shopping pass will go directly to CASA, which provides a volunteer's voice in court for children who are victims of abuse, neglect or domestic conflict. The shopping passes assure a 20 percent discount on purchases made at participating stores; restaurant discounts may vary. For more information call 365-1600.
Participating stores and restaurants:

• Putogether
• Kirk and Hill
• Idoru
• Guinea Pigg
• William Kurtz
• Phantom Canyon Brewery
• SoleMates
• Out of the Box
• The Olive Branch
• What's In Store
• Novis Frame and Art
• The Catbird Seat
• Saboz
• Seabel's
• Jose Muldoons
• Textures Gallery
• My Jewelry Designer
• The Ritz

Gourmet pizza chain eyes Springs' market

zpizza, a Southern California-based gourmet pizza chain (http://zpizza.com), is searching for a franchisee to develop multiple stores in the Colorado Springs territory, says company spokeswoman Katie Magers. The typical franchise agreement is between three and five units and usually the franchisee opens one store per year. The company, which is looking to open stores all over the state, has a particular interest in Colorado Springs, which was recently ranked number six in Men's Fitness magazine's annual Fittest Cities ranking. "We feel like zpizza is a perfect match for Colorado and its residents," said Chris Bright, zpizza president. "Locals in the state live healthy lifestyles and enjoy great food." zpizza currently has one franchised store open in Denver and another 60 locations open nationwide. The chain is looking to have more than 100 stores open by the end of 2007.

Workshops to help businesses grow

A Dec. 7-8 workshop on International Business Fundamentals at the Chamber of Commerce, 2 N. Cascade Ave., suite 110, is designed for the novice as well as the experienced exporter wanting to learn more about what is involved with making international shipments. Laura Pederson of First National Bank will lead discussions on documentation, export requirements, how to prepare a Proforma Invoice, foreign currency requirements and other related issues. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day with a cost of $150 for World Trade Center members and $170 for non-members. For further information contact the WTC at www.wtcdn.com.

... SCORE and Quest Communications are offering a free workshop 9-11 a.m. on Dec. 7 at 721 19th St., suite 246, to help business operators indentify their common telecom needs and "avoid common costly mistakes.

... Brian Maready, president of Leanbuilt and Richard Mather, vice president of operations at Current USA, will be the featured at the Jan. 23 meeting of the Colorado Springs Manufacturing Task Force, discussing the Lean Systems installation at Current. For location and details contact Dave Anderson at dcanderson51@adelphia.net.

Learning about consumer rights the hard way

Gary Wood of Palmer Lake's Villa Pasta (see Springs & Co. in the Monday's Business Edge section in The Gazette) was not the only person to contact Melisa and Jim Rittenberg after they butted heads with a Best Buy store in St. Louis last week. Their experience in getting a box with pasta sauce, a phone cord and a plastic electrical outlet cover inside instead of the $1,600 Sony camcorder they had paid for, brought them calls from consumers all over the country who had suffered similar shopping mishaps and poor store response.

"This whole thing got blown out of proportion because of the way the store handled it," Melisa Rittenberg said. "The corporate headquarters was never contacted and the local store manager just said there was nothing they could do."

Sony did come through, shipping a camcorder to the Rittenbergs on Nov. 29, but the whole process was an eye-opener for the Perryville, Mo. couple. "Consumers often don't know what to do when these things happen. The most important things we learned are to open the box in the store and that there are steps you can take -- filing a police report, disputing the charges with your credit card company and contacting the state district attorney. You do have recourse."

Ent honored by trade group

The Credit Union National Association Mutual Group and CUNA Lending Council have selected Ent Federal Credit Union for one of five annual Credit Union Excellence in Lending awards.
Ent, southern Colorado's largest financial institution with $2 billion in assets, received the Mortgage Lending Excellence Award for credit unions with more than $250 million in assets during the CUNA Lending Council conference earlier this month in Indian Wells, Calif.
"This part year Ent has made strides in reaching out to interested home buyers in creative ways," said Jon Paukovich, real estate lending director for Ent.

Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce New Board Members

The Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce announced its new board of director members in its December newsletter.

They are:

• Darlene Cruz of Colorado Mountain Bank
• Diane Danner of Ent Federal Credit Union
• Juan Flores of Pre-Paid Legal Services and a retired veteran
• Shawn Heard, who was on the Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce board for three years
• Angela Hoyle of Security Service Federal Credit Union
• Linda McGee of American Family Insurance
• Linda Puckett of Maile's Gourmet Baskets
• Linda Thompson of Sixties Chrome, and
• Scott Turner of UMB Bank
  

Ent looks for cards with more Élan

Ent Federal Credit Union began a new partnership this month with Élan Financial Services, a division of U.S. Bank, to issue and manage credit card accounts for its nearly 160,000 members.
The Colorado Springs-based financial institution has been in a similar partnership since 2001 with MBNA Corp., which was acquired Jan. 1 by Bank of America. MBNA started the partnership with Ent after buying its $36 million credit card portfolio in July 2001. Ent members with MBNA cards can still continue to use their cards; Élan will issue cards to those who apply for new accounts.

Élan offered Ent a wider variety of cards that will give its members more choice on types of cards such as platinum cards, cards for college students and cards for small businesses as well as giving members more choices in the rewards they earn, said Jim Moore, Ent's senior vice president. For more information, go to www.ent.com