North Omaha is on development map

Omaha.com – The Omaha World-Herald: Money – North OREBECCA S. GRATZ/THE WORLD-HERALD

Published Monday February 8, 2010
By Jeffrey Robb – WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

The economic development push in north Omaha is gaining momentum, and the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce can point to results to prove it.

Take Ames Avenue, a stretch now being dubbed north Omaha’s “financial corridor.”

In October, First National Bank announced it would build a new bank branch at 50th Street and Ames Avenue to replace its location just east of there.

Just last month, SAC Federal Credit Union announced it would relocate from 50th and Ames to a larger branch at 31st and Ames.
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Then Centris Federal Credit Union completed the trio by announcing it would move into First National’s former spot.

Ed Cochran, executive director of the chamber’s North Omaha Development Project, said the banking activity shows that north Omaha is thriving, despite the economic trouble across the country.

“We are moving ahead,” Cochran said. “You can see some activity taking place, people continuing to invest.”

The chamber started the development project to address the lingering economic problems in north Omaha, which suffers from high unemployment and deep poverty.

Cochran said the development project is attacking north Omaha’s poverty by creating jobs, sparking business development and promoting quality housing.

“We think that goes a long way in terms of addressing some of the key underpinnings,” he said.

The project has met some doubters who expected it to founder just as other development efforts have in the past. In response, the project set specific, long-term goals of generating $200 million in private development, creating 2,500 jobs and developing 1,000 housing units.

The 2010 progress report puts the emphasis on results.

» In November, discount grocer Aldi opened a new $3.5 million store at 30th Street and Sorensen Parkway.

» Metro Community College debuted its $16 million Institute for the Culinary Arts, complete with space for classes and a bistro that’s open to the public.

» Omaha North High is building an $8 million science and engineering addition.

» The Charles Drew Health Center is putting more than $900,000 into new parking, green space and a new health and fitness center.

» Along 24th Street, 10 “live-and-work” town houses opened at a $2 million project, offering a trendy place for people to live and run a business.

» Nearby in the North Omaha Business Park, Signs and Shapes International — which makes inflatable mascots — moved into its new $2.1 million headquarters.

The chamber also has helped foster several work force and business development efforts that drew many of its participants from north Omaha: customer service training for Mutual of Omaha and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska, new programs to train prospective welders and ophthalmic assistants and a seminar that produced a few people interested in starting a franchise business.

Last week, the North Omaha Development Project also announced a business training partnership with the influential Kauffman Foundation and its Urban Entrepreneur Program.

The north Omaha project isn’t taking credit for spurring all the activity. Instead, the chamber says it is a catalyst that brings groups together and helps projects clear hurdles.

Violence in north Omaha is an issue the project must face, Cochran said. But he said that involves overcoming perceptions about north Omaha and showing that the community is a safe place where people do good business.

Sometimes, he said, his job is to persuade prospective businesses “to come to north Omaha because you can make money.” The development project’s 2007 study concluded that north Omaha residents spend $200 million on retail purchases — and more than half of that goes outside north Omaha.

Cochran said the progress in north Omaha is real.

“We’re building that momentum.”

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Women Business Owners Forum Breakfast, February 19

Discussion: Metro Omaha Women’s Business Center & Forum | LinkedIn

Women Business Owners Forum Breakfast, February 19

Each month three (3) women owned businesses will introduce their services and products in a five-minute presentation. A special speaker will present a topic of concern to women business owners. Bring business cards, brochures, flyers to exchange. Join us for business promotion and networking opportunities. Get to know your fellow business owners.To be a presenter email Rita Rocker at Speakers@mowbc.org.

LOCATION
WH Thompson Alumni Center, University of Nebraska at Omaha campus (6705 Dodge Street)

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
$13 (pre-registration) $15 (non-registered attendees). To get breakfast included with your registration fee, you MUST RSVP to info@mowbcf.org by the Tuesday before the event!

Pay at door with cash or check. PLEASE NOTE: Since we must order breakfast based on registrations, you must cancel before 3pm, Wednesday before breakfast or you will be billed $13.

2010 schedule

February 19, Program & Breakfast: 7:30-9:00 am
Networking: 9:00 am

Special Speaker: Cardiologist Dr. Valdez from the Cardiovascular Institute.  Wear red in support and be in the drawing for a great prize, while showing your commitment to getting educated on Heart Disease in women.
Visit www.mowbcf.org Go Red.

March 19, Program & Breakfast: 7:30-9:00 am
Networking: 9:00 am
April 16, Program & Breakfast: 7:30-9:00 am
Networking: 9:00 am

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INC.: Home based Businesses You Can Start In Your Pajamas in 2010

Home based Businesses You Can Start In Your Pajamas in 2010 | Inc.com

1. Internet Marketing –– Jason Sadler, IWearYourShirt.com
2. Franchising –– David and Stuart Pikoff, Games2U
3. Online Advice –– Amanda Steinberg, DailyWorth
4. Insurance –– Chris Jordan, Atlanta Insurance Live
5. Personal Fitness –– Franklin Antoian, IBodyFit.com
6. Specialty Travel –– Deborah Mayer, Shop Around Tours
7. Government Contracting –– Jim Anderson, LeadDog Consulting
8. Children’s Wholesale and Retail –– Michelle Tunno Buelow, Bella Tunno
9. Online Content Aggregation –– Michael Sitarzewski, Callisto.fm

(read more)

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Featured Workshops in February

FEATURED WORKSHOPS:

Featured Self-Assessment

Use our personalized 2-minute small business assessment tool for new and growing small business owners.  It will give you recommendations and resources for small business success.

SCORE and VISA

Financial Management for Small Businesses Are your accounts receivables late? Is your inventory not moving? You will learn how to maximize income and minimize expenses.

SCORE and The UPS Store

Find Customers and Deliver the Goods This workshop will give you insight on how to target your market, build your brand and select the best shipping options for your business.

Web and Marketing

Create an Online Presence, Concentric Technology for Your Biz, Verizon eCommerce for Your Biz, Verizon

SCORE Webinars for February

FEATURED SCORE/SOUNDVIEW WEBINARS:

Trust, Loyalty and Cash Flow
Featuring Stephen M.R. Covey

Ready to Be Your Own Boss?
Featuring Steve Forbes

The Decline: The Geography of A Recession

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 31 million people currently unemployed..that’s including those involuntarily working part-time and those that want a job, but have given up on trying to find one.  In the face of the worst economic upheaval since the Great Depression, millions of Americans are hurting.    The below interactive map serves as a vivid representation of just how much.  Watch the deteriorating transformation of the U.S. economy from January 2007…approximately one year before the start of the recession…to the most recent unemployment data available today.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics

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SCORE online workshops for February

WORKSHOP TOPICS:

Cover via Amazon Starting Your Business

Business Planning Snapshot Business Plan Developing a Business Plan Creating a Strategic Plan Can You Afford to Start a Business? Making Your Business Competitive Working Out Your Prices Conducting a Marketing Analysis Analyze your Competition Targeting Your Market Maintaining an Agile Company Creating a Competitive Advantage Legal Considerations Determining Your Business Legal Structure Protecting Your Business with Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks

Growing Your Business

Planning Your Advertising Creating Customer Loyalty Establish Your Advisory Board Develop Efficient Systems

Marketing Your Business

Pricing Products and Services Building Your Brand Promoting Your Business Advertising Your Business Building a Web Site Personalization Strategies to Attract and Retain Customers Identifying Your Sales Strategy

Managing Your Finances

Creating Your Cash Reserve Preparing a Cash Budget Preparing a Balance Sheet Managing Your Cash Flow Running a Profitable Company Creating a Profit and Loss Statement Analyzing Your Financial Ratios Protecting Your Business with Contracts Assessing Your Company’s Financial Needs Partners and Investors Valuing a Business

Bank customers feel pinch

Omaha.com – The Omaha World-Herald: Metro/Region – Bank customers feel pinch

Published Sunday January 31, 2010
Bank customers feel pinch By Steve Jordon

Call it the incredible shrinking bank.

Used to be that banks wanted to grow by taking in more deposits and lending more money. Now they turn down your loan application and even chase away customers by raising the interest rates on their loans.

“Wall of Banks”

They reduce your line of credit, especially if you don’t use it.

They pay hardly anything for deposits.

They call to remind you about your monthly mortgage payment even if you always pay within the grace period.

All this despite pleas from the Obama administration to loan more money to help the economy grow.

What’s going on here?

(read more)

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Kaufmann Foundation to help in north Omaha business development

Omaha.com – The Omaha World-Herald: Money – Program’s aim is north Omaha development

Published Thursday January 28, 2010 – Program’s aim is north Omaha development
By Jeffrey Robb

A leading philanthropic force in promoting entrepreneurship will be bringing an acclaimed program to Omaha in an effort to spur north Omaha’s business development.

The Greater Omaha Chamber’s North Omaha Development Project announced Thursday that it will team with the Kansas City, Mo.-based Kauffman Foundation and its Urban Entrepreneur Partnership on a new business training program.

The Kauffman Foundation is one of the country’s largest charitable foundations and is the country’s largest foundation devoted to entrepreneurship.

Its urban program, which is in place in such battered cities as Detroit, New Orleans and Baton Rouge, La., has shown strong results. The partnership says 51 percent of start-ups have moved from concept to operation, while existing businesses who participate see profits rise 24 percent.

“It’s very promising, and we’re very excited about it,” said Ed Cochran, the North Omaha Development Project’s executive director.

The chamber started the project — and hired Cochran two years ago — to address the lingering economic problems in north Omaha, which suffers from deep poverty and high unemployment.

The project set long-term goals of generating $200 million in private development, creating 2,500 jobs and developing 1,000 housing units.

Originally spurred by then-President George W. Bush, the entrepreneur program got its start in 2005 following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The north Omaha project and the foundation are in the early stages of determining exactly how the program will work. But it will follow the partnership’s model of teaming business owners or prospective owners one-on-one with experienced, credentialed business people, said Lena Rodriquez, the partnership’s director of development, expansion and government relations.

The coaches, who are hired locally, take the entrepreneur through a comprehensive six- to nine-month course in learning to run a business, from creating a business plan and handling finances to sales and marketing.

“You get your own, if you will, consultant,” Rodriguez said.

Funding behind the new effort also is being worked out.

Cochran said the chamber is raising funds to support the program, although he declined to specify how much. The Detroit program — which is attempting to retool 150 auto suppliers — is funded by a $3 million grant from a Detroit economic initiative.

Although the program will focus on north Omaha, Cochran said participants could be from around the metro area.

The Urban Entrepreneur Partnership operates in five cities, including Kansas City and the Gulf Coast city of Hammond, La. The foundation also plans to expand the program to two other unidentified cities this year, Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said the foundation was approached about bringing its program to Omaha and saw an urban area where the “entrepreneurial spirit needed to be spurred.”

Omaha will need to decide how the program will fit its needs, Rodriguez said. But in other cities, it is showing results.

“It’s a remarkable program,” she said.

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