Category Archives: Entrepreneurship

Happy Easter? Bah, Humbug!

Posted on by
7

***Here’s an oldie but a goodie in the holiday spirit.***

Easter is my least-favorite holiday.  At Christmas you get good chocolate and lots of presents.  At Easter you get Peeps. No comparison.

As a kid growing up in Eureka, I was subjected to all kinds of barbaric treatment by well-meaning family members. I HAD to have a new coat, made from scratch by a lady on “A” Street, Audrey Hansen and her mother. Anyone remember them? Every coat involved two or three fittings all of which involved repeatedly being stuck with pins. These days we’d call it child abuse. The ladies were still in business when I was in sixth grade and had to have a Tiger Lily costume for the Christmas Pageant. More pins.

My normal hair wouldn’t do for Easter, either. My grandmother would march me down to Daly’s to have my hair permed. Remember that salon on the mezzanine level?  The sulphurous fumes from the frying hair filled the whole store.  Ah, the good old days.

Like it or not, Easter is a big holiday for retail spending. The National Retail Federation tells us each of us will spend $140 on Easter this year.  I’m not even close. I bought some Reese’s and a Paas egg coloring kit.  Don’t ask.  Our Easter Dinner will be a pork roast rescued from the freezer. I like to slow-cook them so that the house smells good for hours.  

That NRF article includes some fascinating data on how people plan to spend the holiday. almost half of you will be in church.  Which is good.  I don’t go myself, but I definitely  approve of church. Almost a third of you will be surfing the web on Easter, maybe doing some online buying. I asked the friendly staff at Partrick’s the other day about their holiday sales and they reported that while their big days are Christmas and Valentine’s,  Easter comes in a close third,  representing maybe 15% of yearly revenues. That’s pretty much the same as on the national level.  

So Happy Easter, everyone.  Support your local candy store and don’t make your kids get their hair fried. And go to the Zoo. It’ll make you feel good.

END

“Billionaire Buyer” Complains About SF Labor Laws

Posted on by
2

Anyone watch “Billionaire Buyer” on CNBC?  The show follows Tillman Fertitta,  an 

entrepreneur with enormous buying power  (he owns the Bubba Gump’s chain, among others.) Tillman,who is based in Texas,  doesn’t like the liberal wages in San Francisco.  Guess we could have figured that out.  Have never eaten at Bubba Gump’s, (and probably won’t) and HATED the movie) but they get about 3 stars on Yelp and the location on Pier 39 is great for views.  It’s the kind of place that sells souvenir glasses.

Read about it HERE.

END

The Importance of Internships-and an appreciation from a recent intern

Posted on by
Reply

Our friends at StreamGuys  forwarded this letter  from a recent intern who became an employee through HSU’s Business Internship Program.  I would just add that in the many years I worked in HR and employment there was NO greater indicator for college grads than having completed an internship. NONE.

I had a client, who had a degree from CR in Office Practice,  who didn’t know the proper format for a simple business letter.  She explained, “They teach us all these different computer programs but no one teaches us how to DO anything”.  That’s where internships come in. Please consider contacting the HSU School of Business if you can host an intern. It’s a win-win situation.

Here’s the letter:

On April 27th, the HSU Business Department, The Patricia D. and William B. Smullin Foundation Board, The McLean Foundation, 36 student interns, and local business leaders gathered at the Arcata Theater Lounge to celebrate. The Smullin and McLean Foundations’ generosity has brought HSU’s Business Internship program to life, a private and public sector partnership.

The program pairs eager students with local businesses interested in soon-to-be graduates. Real world learning begins when students apply for the program with references and a letter of interest.

Under the vision of Dean John Lee; Dr. Hari Singh and Chris Gaines, the HSU Business Department’s Internship Coordinator, has enthusiastically leveraged his professional network to connect interns with local businesses. Every two weeks Chris meets with the interns as a group to discuss challenges we are facing.

HSU’s Business Internship Program is beyond teaching basic work experience; it is providing career experience relevant to student’s degrees.

StreamGuys gave me a full time position after graduation, something I would not have without the forward thinking of the HSU Business Department, The Smullin Foundation, The McLean Foundation, and our local businesses. I want to thank all involved and both myself and my employer want to thank HSU School of Business for being on target and looking towards the success of the areas small businesses and the future of its graduating students. We want to encourage future students and local business that have an interest to learn more as this great program continues next year!

Thank You,

Timothy Labelle

Jonathan Speaker, StreamGuys, Inc.

Eating Out: Finally Made It to the 6th and Eatery

Posted on by
4

This long-underutilized venue, catty-corner from the KAEF studios and the SBDC office, opened to what have been pretty close to rave reviews. They’ve been open since Hallowe’en and are owned by the same wonderful lady, Christine, who brought us the Humboldt Soup Company. I finally got there Thursday.

We arrived at 130 and the place was pretty empty, which was a good thing because the seating is extremely uncomfortable- we had a choice between high barstools that I couldn’t even sit in and rickety seats at a wobbling table. We snagged one of the banquettes and things immediately improved. 

I had the blue cheese burger, which I ordered well-done. I usually don’t worry about degree of doneness with a burger-  it’s a burger, right?- but at this place they ASK you how you want it.  Mine was pretty darned pink for well-done but I ate it; it was basically an excellent burger.  But the surprise was the onion rings. They were THE BEST I HAVE EVER HAD.  I hope it wasn’t a fluke. They were crispy, light. Just incredible.

My friend had a plain burger  which she enjoyed and she also thought the rings were incredible. They also have fish tacos and a lamb burger- lots to explore on future visits.

No website.  Like a lot of restaurants locally they are trying to get by with just a Facebook page.  Get a website, folks. You’re ready.  

END

The Ad That Makes Me Cry

Posted on by
3

I’m talking about the GE ad that shows an Idea, in a costume that looks like it was recycled from the Farmer’s ad about “gaps in your insurance coverage”. The Idea is a scruffy, shaggy creature that no one wants around because it’s ugly and disturbing.  It hangs out at coffee shops till they close. It’s homeless, living in a box in an alley. Finally a yuppie takes it in but by that time my eyes are filled with tears.

Cherish your ideas! Every business in this community started as an idea. Cherish your ideas- nourish them, love them, work on them, discuss them and above all be thankful for them.

Happy Thanksgiving!

END

My Favorite Businesses: Jeff W’s Lawn Service

Posted on by
2

I’d like to give a shout out to a business in which I have no financial stake at all. Jeff Wickizer has been doing my lawn for three or four years now and does a great job. He shows up when he says he will and works quickly. His cleanup is great and his suggestions are helpful.  In other words, he gets five stars.

You can reach Jeff by email to mailto:j.wickizer@yahoo.com or on his cell which is 601-2090.  He’s also the General Foreman and Estimator at Professional Tree Services and you can reach him there at 839-TREE (8733). Jeff is a hardworking young guy with a family (they just had a baby a few weeks ago) and I say anyone ambitious enough to start their own company on top of a full-time job is the type of entrepreneur who deserves your support. Besides, he does good work. Give him a call and tell him I sent you. You won’t regret it. 

END

Tidbits and Gossip August 19 2015

Posted on by
Reply

One thing leads to another: I called the Kyoto Restaurant because I saw one of these liquor license notices in the window and wondered if they had changed hands.  Not so, said Jenny Masaki,  wife of owner Eric Masaki.   The liquor license transfer came about because Eric has been hired as a Deputy Sheriff and was only pinned a day or so ago. A corporate “split” was necessitated because law enforcement personnel are prohibited by law from selling booze. Good luck in your new assignment, Deputy Masaki!

The Cutten Inn is still in a holding pattern.  No less a personage than the owner’s brother gave us the word on when the Inn will be open again: “Sometime”.

I apparently don’t get  out enough or I wouldn’t be the last person on earth to know that The Works, our hallowed indy record store, has left its digs on “C” Street and is now located at 434 Second Street. They have less space but lots more visibility.  Bandon hasn’t thrown a grand opening party yet but let’s keep asking. The old space on “C” Street was taken over by neighboring Mantova’s Two Street Music.

I signed up for Newsmax by mistake- and it’s been enlightening. One of the out-of-town papers I read is showing a lot of Trump ads and when I clicked on a poll I somehow ended up with a trial subscription. I’ll be bailing soon because most of their “news” is about health matters and topics of interest to the elderly. I had expected a lot of right-wing politics,  not so much the alzheimers-and-diabetes  ads. I guess they know their market.

The ONLY fast-food chain that I would cheerfully welcome into Humboldt County,       Chick-fil-A, is opening a new store today in Rancho Cordova at 2234 Sunrise Boulevard. The closest CFA fix remains the Santa Rosa store at 1452 Mendocino Avenue. Ave. For those of us who are truly addicted, there are days when we have to stop ourselves from hitting the road in  pursuit of the Magic Sandwich. To go from the sublime to the ridiculous, I’m even having pangs for KFC lately.  We are truly a chick-deprived community.

CNBC’s latest series, “Make Me A Millionaire Inventor” is an oddball show, to judge from its first episode. They followed two inventors through the initial pitch.  The first was a woman from an events-planning background whose invention was a kind of chocolate fountain but instead of chocolate, it showers down cascades of marinara sauce! I didn’t find it appetizing at all;  it reminded me of chainsaw massacres and Edgar Allen Poe, but maybe some one will find it charming.  The contraption kept breaking down, since marinara sauce is much thicker than chocolate, fountain chocolate anyway.  Maybe they should try alfredo sauce.  The other invention was a device to be worn by athletes which signals when one is in danger of sustaining a concussion. The two Silicon Valley types who pitched this came away with some seed money and a lot of compliments and encouragement from the investor. THEIR  invention didn’t remind anyone of a slasher movie.  Continues Wednesdays at 7pm, repeats at 10pm, on CNBC, Suddenlink Channel 51.  I’m in.

END

 

Art Bell Is Back- and Riding StreamGuys

Posted on by
Reply

“Dark Matter Digital Network, a burgeoning online radio network focused on science, paranormal and related topical radio shows, has selected StreamGuys to provide all content delivery network (CDN) and streaming services for its programming, including dynamic ad insertion.” according to a press release from StreamGuys.

It continues, “The appointment of StreamGuys as the network’s exclusive CDN and streaming partner coincides with paranormal radio legend Art Bell’s return to broadcasting. Mr. Bell’s new Midnight in the Desert program premieres this week, airing weeknights on Dark Matter Digital Network at 12 midnight ET.”

(Calls to KINS and to BiCoastal Media,  formerly the local outlet for Bell’s late night show, established that they currently have no plans to carry his new show but a barrage of phone calls could perhaps change their minds.  Bell fans are vociferous in their devotion. KXL in Portland, 101.1 FM, is carrying the broadcasts as are KNYE in Pahrump NV,  95.1 FM and four SoCal stations. Does anyone besides Art Bell really live in Pahrump NV?)

Here is an interview from RadioLink.  

More from the release:

“Keith Rowland, owner of Dark Matter Digital Network and a longtime webmaster and engineer for Art Bell, has gradually built a live talent roster since launching the network in 2013. With the return of Art Bell and the addition of The Other Side of Midnight, a new show from Richard C. Hoagland airing immediately after Midnight in the Desert, Rowland sought to offload the growing responsibilities that come with a busier live streaming schedule—and a quickly growing audience.

A recommendation from TuneIn, the popular stream aggregator that will carry Midnight in the Desert via its mobile app, brought StreamGuys into the picture. StreamGuys quickly established a robust, cloud- based streaming architecture that can quickly scale up or down to accommodate audience sizes from show to show, along with redundant mp3 and AAC+ streams to accommodate most media players. Rowland also signed on for StreamGuys’ dynamic ad insertion service, ensuring a simple path to stream monetization without the burden of managing ad schedules and delivery.”

“StreamGuys developed a strong combination of hardware and streaming infrastructure that covered everything from dynamic user numbers to ad delivery,” said Rowland. “They built a redundant server backbone to handle thousands of connections seamlessly, with automatic failover to backup systems as needed. It’s an intelligent configuration that can determine which server and data center location is best equipped to handle each connection.  And the ad insertion service happens entirely server-side, which means we simply have to send a toe down the audio chain to trigger ads. They do all the heavy lifting, which removes the headaches of manual ad management from the client side.”

The monetization angle is especially important for Dark Matter Digital Network as a quickly growing streaming network. While 22 over-the-air radio stations in North America have signed on to pick up Midnight in the Desert from a relay stream, Rowland emphasizes that his operation is primarily an internet streaming network—a vision that he sees quickly gaining momentum.

“Increasingly, broadcasters who leave the corporate market recognize independent internet streaming as the next logical step,” said Rowland. “Even when Art Bell was on terrestrial and later satellite radio, more listeners were switching to a concurrent internet stream with each passing week. This was the next natural step for Art, and it’s exactly where we want to be as Dark Matter Digital Network. We can control everything we do, and streaming is a more exacting technology when it comes to financials. We understand our demographics, we know our audience numbers and we can monetize everything easily compared to the surveys and averages of terrestrial radio. StreamGuys is helping us achieve our monetization goals.”

About StreamGuys, Inc.

In business since 2000, StreamGuys is an industry-leading service provider of live and on-demand streaming, podcasting delivery, and SaaS toolsets for enterprise-level broadcast media organizations. The company brings together the industry’s best price-to-performance ratio, a robust and reliable network, and an infinitely scalable cloud-based platform for clients of any size to process, deliver, monetize and playout professional streaming content. StreamGuys supports many of the world’s largest Podcasts, global TV and radio broadcasters, video and audio production companies, houses of worship, retail and hospitality businesses, government organizations, medical and healthcare services, and live venues for sports and entertainment. The company excels in developing and deploying technologies for business growth and revenue generation, including dynamic ad insertion, mobile streaming and detailed business and data analytics.

Finally, here is an interview with The Man himself from Dark Matter, including a link for those who wish to sign up for Midnight in the Desert.  Enjoy!

END