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Vol. 20 Issue 6TVCC BizCenter ENewsJune 2014Table ofContents Pg. 1 -2Sofie’s ParadiseBoutiquePg. 3Online ClassesPg. 3Tip from the Team:Managing Your TimePg. 4 -5Balance andPerspective areImportant to SuccessPg. 5Resource: StephenCovey’s FourQuadrants BizCenter650 College Blvd.Ontario, OR gTreasure Valley CommunityCollege is an equalopportunity educatorand employer.Sofie’s Paradise Boutiquehad the skills and knowledge to build their own business and work for themselves. Thus the idea of SoƤe’s Paradise Boutique was born. They Ƥrst opened a location on Main Street in Payette. They were there for less than 3 months before building lease issues forced them to Ƥnd a new location quickly. Unsure what their options were, they contacted Christina Grace at the BizCenter for advice. Christina was able to help them Ƥnd a new storefront for their business and they were able to immediately relocate to their current location. Though like many businesses the space is leased, Irma’s longǦterm goal is to one day own a building where she can run her business. Christina “Christina (BizCenter advisor) and the began BizCenter have always been there if I have any Family makes up the working as questions. I know that I can call and they’ll be an advisor heart and soul of this able to help me Ƥgure out an answer. small boutique located at with the 369 S. Oregon Street in motherǦIt really helps to have someone who can help daughter Ontario, Oregon. Irma with pricing, advertising, and all the forms Rodriguez and her duo soon you need, especially when you Ƥrst start your after they daughter SoƤa opened business.” the shop together on started their April 5th, 2013 where it business. ǦIrma Rodriguez, Owner now ƪourishes with the After their help of Irma’s son and daughterǦinǦlaw. initial meeting, she immediately helped lead them through the paperwork Previously, SoƤa had worked as an necessary to own and run a business. assistant manager at a Payless Shoe Source in Texas and Irma had worked for over six She and Irma also spoke inǦdepth about years in the clothing department at price merchandising. Irma struggled with Walmart. She realized that together they pricing since she said she felt bad for Ǧ cont’d. next page

June 2014TVCC BizCenter ENews— cont’d. from page 1charging clients, however Christina was able to help her clients. They sell men’s, women’s, and children’s clothes and Ƥnd pricing that helped Irma continue to run her business but was also very fair to her clients. also do special orders. They bring in unique dresses for prom, weddings, and quinceneras individual to each Though both Irma and SoƤa had experience in person’s taste which is something that they are very merchandise, neither had much experience in the proud of. marketing and advertising aspect of owning a business. Christina was able to oơer multiple classes through the However their real specialty is in the accessory department: decorative purses, sunglasses, and a BizCenter, including topics like sales excellence and building a business plan. They were myriad of perfumes and “Working with Irma and watching her also able to discuss social media shoes. “We try bring in other business grow has been so much fun and strategies and how to make them products that you can’t so rewarding. She really cares about her eơective for their small business. “I always Ƥnd in Ontario,” Irma business and is willing to put in the hours and says. wish that I had put more time into work to make it a success. advertising since it can be really helpful for a business, so my advice Working together as a family I really enjoy being able to help her in any way towards a common goal has for another small business would that I can Ǧ no matter how small the request.” been the backbone of the be to make sure you do that.” boutique. “It’s nice to work ǦChristina Grace, TVCC BizCenter Advisor After starting her together because whatever I business, Irma says don’t do she does, and the she’s been surprised other way around. Then we both get at how much she to do the parts that we like. SoƤe’s enjoys it. “Some days better at building the displays and can be slow, but all reading up on the trends, so she together it works. I does that part,” Irma says. just don’t give up. We stay busy trying Though owning any small business is to do diơerent a lot of work, time, and energy, the things.” passion that an owner brings into the business always shows and that She believes that is certainly the case with SoƤe’s ultimately the move Paradise Boutique. to downtown For more information SoƤe’s Ontario has been good for business. “There seems to be more foot traƥc Paradise Boutique, visit their location at 369 S. Oregon Street in Ontario or call (208) 405Ǧ5378. at this location so we get more walkǦins. People are curious about our products and come in to see what we have.” However, they’ve also found success at events For more information about business like the Apple Blossom Festival and farmers markets. advising through the TVCC BizCenter call Their “rolling boutique” has been a great way of (541) 881Ǧ5772 or visit www.bizcenter.org. marketing their business and meeting new potential The BizCenter is partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). SBA’s funding is not an endorsement of any products, opinions, or services. All SBA-funded programs areextended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Special arrangements for handicappedindividuals will be made if requested in advance. Contact Treasure Valley Community CollegeBizCenter, 650 College Blvd., Ontario, OR. Phone: 541-881-5772.Page 2

June 2014TVCC BizCenter ENewsBizCenter Online ClassesFind a list of classes below that are accessible online through the BizCenter. These classes are available at any time and can be taken at your convenience from your own home or oƥce. You can Ƥnd a full list at ǦbusinessǦcourses or click the name below to go directly to that class. Customer Relation How to Get PeopleManagementTo Click “Buy”Social MediaBasicsBetter, Smarter,RicherShorten your sales cycle, Learn how to use your New to social media? This If you work solo as your increase proƤts, and website to generate sales intro to social media own business Ǧ or you’d like to start a solo in this self paced course. shows stepǦbyǦstep how create longǦterm to create a Facebook business Ǧ this course can customer relationships Your online store will be page and a Twitter available 24 hours a day to help you be successful. with this 3 part course. people anywhere in the account. world. Retail ManagementWordpressStart, Run, & GrowGoogle BasicsLearn the basics of operating a successful retail business in this informative course. Start a blog or build a fullǦƪedged website. Then share your work with the world by connecting your page to social media. Tim Berry provides examples, tips and the answers to common questions for new business startups. Learn how to utilize free Google products Ǧ includǦing Google Calendar, Chrome, Documents, Gmail, and others.Tip from theTeamManaging Your TimeWhat’s the one thing that small business owners never seem to have enough of? No, it’s not customers, inventory or capital Ǧ it’s time. If you’re constantly wishing that there were more than 24 hours in a day, try these tips to better manage your time: x x x Make appointments with yourself Manage interruptions Get a grip on email and social media correspondences See the article on Stephen Covey’s Four Quadrants on page 5 to help categorize and prioritize your tasks. Page 3

June 2014TVCC BizCenter ENewsBalance and Perspective AreImportant to SuccessBy: Andrea Testi, TVCC BizCenter DirectorReprint Argus Observer 12/1/13Those fortunate individuals who run a business understand that it is tiring, stressful and challenging. Small business owners are required to wear many diơerent hats, often at the same time. There are critical questions to answer, customers to serve, records to keep, inventory to manage, taxes to calculate and details to handle. Technology has changed how business is done. Do you ever Ƥnd yourself answering emails from your smartphone before falling asleep at night or updating the accounting system at midnight because that is the only time of day when there are no interruptions? So much needs to be done, often by only one or two owners. It is not uncommon for the business to drain our energy and motivation, regardless of how much we enjoy the business. Finding balance in this chaos can be diƥcult. Neglecting to Ƥnd this balance can lead to burnout, business failure or personal illness. Creating boundaries between personal time and work time is necessary to keep your business in perspective. To start this process of setting boundaries it is important to reƪect on priorities and know what’s really important to accomplish in a day, a week or a month for your business to succeed and then you can feel better allowing the time you need for personal activities. Analyze and understand all the tasks you perform in your business. Prioritize tasks and calculate the time needed to accomplish them. Are there any tasks that are unnecessary; for instance, marketing that used to work but is not bringing in customers any longer? Eliminate those from your schedule. Are there any tasks that can be delegated? Assign those to someone else and eliminate them from your schedule. Are there any tasks that can be done more eƥciently? Make changes so that those tasks take less time. Are there any areas where you need to say “no” to a particular project or task? Find other ways to contribute to those causes that you are passionate about. What are some common strategies busy business owners use to balance a personal life with business success? They learn time management skills including: planning, prioritizing, being productive not just busy, delegating when necessary and taking a break to recharge. Finding balance is about making choices that are healthy, both emotionally and physically, and implementing tolls that reduce stress. Rethink business hours of operation to allow time for family, friends, exercise and fun. Keep business activities conƤned to those hours of business operation as much as possible to avoid burnout. The key to successfully keeping business in perspective is to establish — cont’d. next pageIt is the policy of the Treasure Valley Community College Board of Education and the College that there will be no discrimination orharassment on the grounds of race, color, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, or disability in anyeducational programs, activities, or employment. Lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation incareer and technical education programs. Persons having questions about equal opportunity and nondiscrimination should contact theHuman Resources Director located in the Student Services Center on the south side of the Four Rivers Cultural Center building, or call (541) 881-5838 or TDD(541) 881-5839.Page 4