Category Archives: Business Matters

Betsey Nash, Business Matters, Professional Perspective

Are You an Employee or a Contractor?

Betsey Nash bubble portraitOnly Human
By Betsey Nash, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

A disgruntled home, health, caregiver under contract to provide services for a small company was let go because the owner of the business learned that she was trying to steal clients.
Seems when she found a patient she liked, the caregiver asked them to fire the company she worked for and hire her independently — they’d save a lot of money, she promised.
Well one client called the owner, who learned he wasn’t the only one she’d asked, so she was let go, released from the contract, since she had clearly violated one of the provisions.
I want to say she was “fired,” because that’s the word we most often use, even if the employee wasn’t a true employee, but a contractor. Sometimes they’re called “1099 employees.” Continue reading Are You an Employee or a Contractor? →

Business Matters, Michael Gunther

How Do You Handle Mental Blocks?

Michael guntherBottom Line
By Michael Gunther

Here it is again: the deadline to write another article and my mind seems to be blank as to what to write about.
I have been replaying my week within my mind trying to identify what has inspired me, provided me a fresh perspective or generated some new insight to life as a leader or a business owner.
I don’t know if you have ever experienced the need to complete a task with a deadline looming, and it appears your mind just doesn’t seem to want to function in order to get the job done.
If you haven’t, I envy you. If you have, you can understand the frustration and tension that slowly seeps into your thinking space as you see the deadline approaching faster and faster. Continue reading How Do You Handle Mental Blocks? →

Bay News, Business Matters

Business of the Month!

Ornament 16Congratulations! Business of the Month is Dutchman’s Seafood House.  Paul Van Beurden, owner/operator of Flying Dutchman Seafood House comes from a long line of family owned restaurants- since 1964! “We here at Dutchman’s strive to bring you the freshest seafood possible sourced from our hardworking local fisherman that we know and support. We strive to use seafood caught using sustainable fishing methods whenever possible. We Paul+with+fishalso strive to buy local produce and use local vendors. We own and operate our own dock ensuring the freshest and superior fish for our customers.” Thank you for supporting our local economy, Paul! Check out their menu and hours at www.dutchmanseafoodhouse.com

Business Matters, Nancy Puder, Professional Perspective

Winning Strategy To Buy or Sell

Nancy PuderOn The Market
By Nancy Puder

Most of us make our resolutions or goals at the first of each year, only to realize in late summer that the year has gotten away from us. Where does the time go, we ask each other with looks of genuine bewilderment.
If this sounds familiar to you and one of your goals was to buy or sell some real estate in 2015, I have some good news for you.  It is not too late! Continue reading Winning Strategy To Buy or Sell →

Betsey Nash, Business Matters

No Waffling with Employee Satisfaction

Betsey Nash bubble portraitOnly Human
By Betsey Nash, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Bobby is angry because he’s hungry — you know, “hangry” — but he doesn’t know it. I want to take a piece of cheese and shove it in his mouth like Julia Robert’s mamma, Sally Field, did in Steel Magnolias.
Julia is having a diabetic reaction that could become a seizure and coma, but I feel just as desperate to turn around Bobby’s mood, as Sally does to help poor Julia. A snippy coworker is hard to take, and a reasoned, calm discussion is useless; nothing works except food!
So we have waffles on Tuesday mornings and hot dogs at lunch Wednesday, and I sometimes bring fruit, just in case our wellness director is in town. And even if the employees are not “hangry,” the food has a wonderful effect on them, increasing camaraderie, lightening the mood, almost team-building. Well, except when it’s time to clean the kitchen. But I digress. Continue reading No Waffling with Employee Satisfaction →

Bay News, Business Matters, The View from Harbor Street

Caring for People, Environment & Neighborhoods

David Buckingham New MUGA View From Harbor Street
By David Buckingham

From helping low-income utility customers, to announcing new water conservation measures, and adopting updated residential design guidelines, the City Council took important action last week to care for our residents, improve environmental stewardship, and better define our regulations for property owners and developers. Here’s a summary of a few items of import to many of our residents:
Utility Discount Program
The Council approved a water and sewer rate discount for our most financially challenged residents, providing an opportunity for perhaps one-fifth of our ratepayers to see up to a 10 percent reduction in their monthly utility bills. Morro Bay will use water and sewer fund penalty fees, non-sufficient check charges and Continue reading Caring for People, Environment & Neighborhoods →

Betsey Nash, Business Matters

Some Things Change; Others Don’t

Betsey Nash bubble portraitOnly Human
By Betsey Nash, SPHR

How cool is this? I just found out that my mom was the February, 1978, Employee of the Month at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles.
I came across a copy of the hospital newsletter, “Chatter,” when going through some boxes in the garage last week. If I once knew, I forgot, so it was a thrill to read through the list of attributes in the article about her; they are a laundry list of customer service best practices.
As a “referral center specialist,” who helped parents get their sick children to the vast network of services in the hospital, she spent all day on the phone. Continue reading Some Things Change; Others Don’t →

Business Matters, Michael Gunther

Delegation — As Simple as Riding a Bicycle

Michael guntherBottom Line
By Michael Gunther

One of my team members, Erin, was retelling a story of teaching her 6-year-old daughter, Julie, to ride a bicycle. She realized coaching Julie was like effective delegation.
My curiosity piqued, and I asked her to explain her thought process. Erin first taught Julie how to ride a tricycle. After various falls and steering accidents, Julie soon understood the concept with Erin’s consistent guidance.
Once she mastered the tricycle, Erin moved Julie up to a bicycle with training wheels. Soon afterwards Julie was promoted to a two-wheel bicycle without training wheels. The progression, training and mentorship Erin performed throughout Julie’s growth is what really matters in this story. Continue reading Delegation — As Simple as Riding a Bicycle →

Business Matters, Gareth Kelly

Hoppin Plaza

gareth 4Story by Gareth Kelly
Photos courtesy of SLO Downtown Association

Every Friday throughout the summer there is only one place to be. Between 5.30 p.m. and 8 p.m. the Mission Plaza in downtown San Luis Obispo becomes a concert venue and host to the annual Concerts in the Plaza series. Celebrating its 20th year this unique venue has become the place both locals and tourists alike kick off their weekend, “let down their hair and boogie down” to the sounds of a wide ranging selection of bands including many local ones such as Damon Castillo and the world renowned Young Dubliners.
Continue reading Hoppin Plaza →