|
|
|
Almanac
|
Business New Haven
11/6/1995
By: BNH
|
Box of Rocks: The city has begun foreclosure proceedings against Mordecai Lipkis, owner of the derelict Malley's building. But what do they plan to do with it? No one's saying for the record, but off the record, city officials acknowledge that they'd like to demolish the big brick box and create a “welcome center” for downtown, including a parking area, landscaped with grass and trees. “This is the first vision you get when you come into New Haven. Right now it's an eyesore.”
Everything I Know I Learned from SBI: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce last month launched the Small Business Institute (SBI), an education program designed to provide one-stop training resources for small-business owners and their employees. SBI offers 35 class “segments” in small-business management, including marketing and sales, budgeting and finance, legal issues, human relations and communications, improving productivity, quality and customer service, and supervision, management and leadership. In addition to a certificate of achievement, course completion affords participants Continuing Education Units. “All too often the small-business community feels less competitive than larger companies because they can't afford to take time off from work to attend training classes,” says chamber vice president Roger Jask. “Our program has been specifically developed to be user-friendly, timely and inexpensive for small companies searching to expand their skills base. Information is available by calling 202-778-2401, or on the Web at http://www.uschamber.org/chamber/bizfirst.htm.
Why, They've Already Increased Tourism in the Nation's Capital: Connecticut Tourism Council honorary chairwoman Patricia L. Rowland was slated to lead a 17-member state delegation to the first-ever White House Conference on Travel & Tourism October 30-31 in Washington (at press time). Items on the Connecticut group's agenda include public- and private sector coordination of data collection and career-enhancing training initiatives, expanding urban and rural economic-development opportunities through tourism, and using new and expanding technologies to improve the way the tourism industry does business as well as to enhance the “visitor experience.” Local delegation members included executive director Elinor Gregory of the Greater New Haven Convention & Visitors Bureau, Jo B. Fox, Bridgeport's media and marketing director, and Vito Luciani of New Haven's Worldtek Travel.
Private Dancers: The Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) has jumped on the privatization bandwagon. Speaking last month before a meeting of the New England Consortium of State Labor Relations Agencies, CBIA economist Peter M. Gioia urged state and local governments to “take a hard look at their operations to seek appropriate government services that could be privatized in order to raise efficiency and lower costs.” Gioia point to successful privatization initiatives in Rocky Hill and West Hartford, noting, “Certainly not every government sector is appropriate for privatization. But some areas where there has been a lot of success include housing, data processing, testing and laboratory services, as well as services to the mentally retarded, mentally ill and substance abusers.”
Going on the Offense About Defense: A new financial program has been unveiled to help Connecticut businesses adversely affected by Department of Defense cutbacks. The DELTA Loan Program allows businesses to borrow up to $1.25 million for job creation and retention as well as plant retooling. Managed by the Hartford-based Business Lenders Inc., the program assists both businesses that define themselves as defense contractors as well as small businesses “somewhat” dependent on defense contracts as prime or subcontractors. To be eligible, businesses must certify that only 25 percent of revenues during the preceding year derived from defense-related contracts. Information is available by calling 860-244-9202
|
Go FirstGo PreviousGo
NextGo LastGo
to Index
|
|
