Oceanside Library Offers Training For Small Biz
Now that the initial shock over the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States has subsided, one question is how the national tragedy would affect small business in an already weakened economy.
The chief economist for the National Federation of Independent Business, a Washington, D.C.-based business advocacy group, said the economic impact on small business would likely only be felt in New York City and Washington, D.C., as long as nationwide consumer spending does not falter.
Before the attacks on Tuesday, Congress was gearing up to begin debating key small business issues, including a patients’ bill of rights and the national budget. Those issues have now been put on hold as lawmakers grapple with the crisis, William Dunkelberg said.
The shutdown of U.S. markets and suspension of all air travel in the wake of the attack hurt the nation’s economy, but moves by the Federal Reserve , including cutting interest rates , could help prevent a recession, he said.
How quickly the economy recovers depends on how greatly consumer-buying patterns is affected in the wake of the crisis, Dunkelberg said.
“The big picture in this is consumer confidence,” he said.
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Library Fine For Business:
For small-business owners in North County looking for a new way to generate leads and contacts, the Oceanside Public Library may be able to help.
The library’s Community Computer Center at 321 Nevada St. will offer a free training session to local business owners on how to use its online business directory, ReferenceUSA.
The training will focus on how to use the database to find contacts and business leads, find new markets for products, or find new suppliers.
The ReferenceUSA directory provides information on more than 12 million U.S. business listings used by salespeople, entrepreneurs, job seekers, law firms, consumers and individuals. The database can be used to find names, addresses or phone numbers of companies, as well as company contact names and other information.
Also, the database can be searched by type of business, product sold or manufactured, location, size, number of employees and other factors.
The directory can also locate parent companies, subsidiaries, branches, schools, real estate agents, nonprofit organizations, residential phone listings and more.
Registration is required and space is limited. To sign up, call Cathy Green at (760) 435-5578.
A New Sales (P) Itch:
Trying to control mosquitoes and other insects may leave bug experts scratching their heads , and every other part of themselves. But a Carlsbad-based small business has come up with an electronic solution to the endless itching that comes with many mosquito, gnat, horsefly and fleabites.
Zapit Marketing has created the ItchZapper, a battery-operated device slightly smaller than a computer mouse. The ItchZapper works by applying heat to the skin, breaking down the toxins injected by the pest.
Steve Dahl, “chief executive zapper” for Zapit, sang the praises of the product.
“If you hate bug bites, you’ll love the ItchZapper,” he said. “The ItchZapper makes the itching stop for most people in about five to 10 seconds.”
The ItchZapper provides an alternative to using chemicals to get relief from insect bites. It helps keep the wound from itching, swelling, and reddening, he said.
More information on the ItchZapper can be found at (www.itchzapper.com) or by calling (888) 888-2418.
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And Speaking of Bugs:
Another Carlsbad small business, U.S. Microbics, announced one of its subsidiaries has received certification to do business in South Carolina and now has its eyes on the Midwest.
U.S. Microbics, which trades on the OTC bulletin board as BUGS, is a biotechnology company marketing proprietary microbial applications for agriculture, water treatment, bioremediation and other uses. Its subsidiary Sub-Surface Waste Management, Inc., was certified Sept. 11 as an underground storage tank rehabilitation contractor.
The certification, by South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control, allows the company to bid for work on underground storage tanks. In South Carolina, there are 12,705 active tanks, of which about 8,000 have had chemical discharges, said Bruce Beattie, president of SSWM.
SSWM is also attending the Brownfields 2001 Expo in Chicago. During the Sept. 24-26 show, the firm will market its bioremediation efforts for “brownfields,” or commercial land left undeveloped due to fears of industrial contamination, Beattie said.
The conference markets solutions to developers, bankers, government agencies and others in the six-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin, he said.
E-mail Zion at lzion@sdbj.com, or call (858) 277-6359, Ext. 112. The deadline for the Oct. 8 issue is Sept. 28.
