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Bend Chamber Weekly E-News
July 11, 2008
By Courtney Linville, Communications Coordinator
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Small Businesses
offer flextime to employees
At a time when businesses and governments are
looking to switch to four day work weeks, some small
business owners are looking towards offering
flextime to employees.
The normal routine for many workers is to plan their
schedule around their boss’s schedule. The
Associated Press (AP) recently reported many small
business owners are changing this trend because they
“believe it makes good business sense.” Employees
have flexible hours which allow them to attend
school, help with charities, or work a second job.
“The only way to compete for top candidates is to give
them flexibility to go back to school or to pursue
outside activities, or to find a way to supplement
their income,” Matt Dornic, President of 3 Dog
Agency told the AP.
Dornic says while many owners fear productivity will
decrease, he has seen the opposite. The productivity
of his employees has increased greatly by being
flexible.
The offering of flextime can vary due to the type of
business and the specific job duties of an employee.
However, several owners interviewed by AP say the
flexible hours tend to make jobs more attractive to
workers.
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In the
News
Oil prices continue to flux amongst Middle East
tensions- During the early part of the week, many
analysts predicted a possible stabilization within
the oil market. However, with recent missile tests
from Iran and worries over supply shortages, oil
prices have again started to climb, reaching over $137 a
barrel on Thursday. OPEC announced Thursday it would
not be able to make up any shortfalls if Iran was
attacked and took its oil supplies off the market.
Iran is the second largest exporter of oil after
Saudi Arabia.
Congress is asked for new regulatory power- To further
insulate the national economy from possible damage
if a Wall Street firm collapses, Federal Reserve
Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry
Paulson informed Congress new regulatory powers are
needed. They believe the current system is
antiquated and a system needs to be in place to help
with housing and credit crises the nation faces
today. According to the Associated Press, “Both
Bernanke and Paulson endorsed creating new
procedures by which the government can guide an
orderly liquidation of a failing investment bank in
an effort to minimize any fallout that might be
inflicted on the broader financial system and the
overall economy.”
Bloomberg survey shows U.S. economy may stall- A new
survey by Bloomberg News shows the United States
might enter into a recession by the fourth quarter
this year. This is about the time experts predict
the effect of the $100 billion in tax rebates will
fade. Richard Berner, co-head of global economics at
Morgan Stanley in New York, stated consumers will
start to pull back due to the current credit
environment, record energy prices, and possible
declines in payroll.
Toyota to start Prius factory in the U.S.- Toyota Motor
Corp. announced Thursday it will start manufacturing
its hybrid Prius in the United States in 2010. A new
plant is currently under construction in Blue
Springs, Mississippi. The plant was originally
scheduled to produce the Toyota Highlander SUV. Due
to consumer demands for smaller, fuel efficient
vehicles, Toyota feels this is an excellent move.
This will be the first time Prius has been
manufactured outside of Asia.
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Prepare for the 2008
Mosquito Season
The West Nile virus (WNv) was established in most of
Oregon last summer. Deschutes County was one of a
few counties who had no WNv activity last year. Once
WNv is established in an area it can accelerate.
Deschutes County is asking all residents to prepare
their families for the possibility of the virus’
arrival in Central Oregon this year.
The start of mosquito season in Central Oregon is
generally May through the end of September with
August being the peak of season. At this time, no
mosquitoes in Oregon have tested positive for the
virus.
West Nile virus is spread to humans through infected
mosquitoes. WNv is not spread through casual contact
such as touching or kissing a person with the virus.
The county has several tips on protection including the
following:
1. Eliminate mosquito-breeding areas (standing water)
around your home such as puddles or containers that
hold water. This includes old tires, buckets, and
cans. Change the water in pet dishes, birdbaths or
stock tanks at least once a week.
2. Inspect all window and door screens at home to make
sure they are free of holes.
3. Stay indoors at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are
most active.
4. When outdoors, wear long sleeve shirts and long
pants. Use insect repellents with DEET according to
directions and place mosquito netting over infant
carriers when outside.
WNv can be a serious illness and affects the central
nervous system. Symptoms vary and develop between 3
and 14 days after an infected mosquito bites a
person. There is no specific treatment for the
virus.
For more information about preventing West Nile virus,
please call 322-7418 or visit www.deschutes.org or
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/ .
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Attention Leaders: Chamber Opportunity Available
Calling all leaders. If you have ever thought about
being a member of the Chamber Board of Directors,
now is your chance. This is a great way to be
actively involved in the community and the Chamber.
You must be a current Chamber member and have time to
devote to board responsibilities and Chamber
activities. There are four positions available. The
term is for three years starting January 1.
Those who are interested need to complete the
following questions and return them with a cover
letter to the Nomination Committee Chairman no later
than August 15, 2008:
1. Why would you like to be a member of the Board of
Directors of the Bend Chamber of Commerce?
2. What are your qualifications as a board member?
3. In your estimation, what are the four top issues
facing the Bend business community, and what are
your general thoughts relative to those issues?
Thank you for your interest and please send all
questionnaires to Pat Kesgard, Nomination Committee
Chairman at the following: Pat Kesgard, Steve Scott
Realtors, 685 SE Third St., Bend, Oregon 97702,
or
pckesgard@earthlink.net.
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Upcoming Chamber Events
July
15: The Real Leadership Challenge--Creating and
Maintaining Peak Performance - Are you realizing
your potential? How about the other people on your
team? Join Dana Barz, founder and president of
danamics, as she talks about simple and powerful
ways you can take your leadership to the next level.
In this session, you will learn: traits of a
successful leader, types of formal leadership, a
simple 7 step process to reach all of your business
(and personal) goals, how to exploit change for
maximum growth, 5 strategies for embracing
organizational change, and how to lead in times of
constant change. Please RSVP by noon on Monday, July
14 at
www.bendchamber.org or call 382-3221.
July 18: Town Hall Luncheon - Heath insurance
escalation and the effect on small businesses -
With the turbulent economy and rising prices across
the board, health insurance premiums continue to
jump every year. How can small businesses continue
to afford these costly premiums? What are
professionals within the industry seeing? Is there
an end in sight? Attend the Town Hall luncheon and
join in the discussion with our panel of local
experts. Talk with the people who deal with health
insurance issues every day. The Community Affairs
Council (CAC) Town Hall luncheons are held at
Touchmark at Mount Bachelor Village. To join the CAC
Town Hall luncheon series, register online at
www.bendchamber.org or call 382-3221 to reserve
your spot.
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