Financing Business Opportunity  






October 2016
In This Issue
Client Spotlight
AEDC Annual Meeting
New Funds for AEDC
Workshop Update
New Biz Net Coordinator
Quick Links

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From the Executive Director
 
This is the time of year when we invite the public to attend our Annual Meeting, which will be held tomorrow. If you're not registered to attend, and would like to, please let us know. (See story below) 

We always enjoy this time of year, looking at what we've accomplished. We're even more excited about what's coming up in the future. 

You'll see from this month's newsletter that AEDC just received $2 million in a loan fund to help build or improve essential community facilities and services such as education, health care and infrastructure. This was received in conjunction with an Uplift America grant of $335,000 to help make the most of the USDA funds.

You'll see that though our CALED conference has passed, the conversations about how to engage and retain youth in our workforce are far from over.

We have a nice story about one of our clients, who was a neighbor of ours in the Foodworks Building, that overcame an unexpected hardship to help Royal Cookie Capers recover and grow. 

We're also happy to share that the North Coast SBDC has brought on a new Biz Net Coordinator to help local business connect with the support and information they need to thrive. 

What can you do to foster growth and new beginnings in your business?

Please visit us at AEDC to talk about your ideas and see how we can help. 

                                            -Ross

 Client Spotlight 

Royal Cookie Capers 


Royal Cookie Capers was established in 1997 by Carolyn Salas.  In 2006, Ken Cameron joined the company. In 2015 Ken became  more pro-active in managing the business, and the successful   implementation of more efficient baking processes and time management was reflected in the increase in sales in 2015.  

Carolyn and Ken were in the process of developing a partnership to expand the business when Carolyn unexpectedly passed away in February 2016.  Ken continued to manage the business and on July 14, 2016, thanks in part to an AEDC loan, Cameron became the official owner of Royal Cookie Capers.

"So far things have been going rather smoothly, 'Cameron said. "The biggest challenge I have at the moment is all of the paperwork that comes with running a business."
 
Ken's plans for expansion include seeking out new accounts, both local and out of the area, sponsoring local schools and sports teams by providing cookie dough fundraising sales, providing products to caterers and looking into catering opportunities. He also plans to create a web page, another tool to further increase sales  and maintain existing customer loyalty via viral marketing strategies. "I am also w orking on getting the outlet store we previously had reopened," he added. "My unofficial target is to have it reopened sometime early spring 2017."
 
Royal Cookie  Capers offers the following sweet breads: Banana, Pumpkin, Zucchini, Banana Chocolate Chip, Lemon poppy seed, Lemon blueberry, Orange chocolate chip, gluten free banana; also, chocolate cake, carrot cake and chocolate chip cookies and cookie dough, peanut butter cookies and cookie dough and snickerdoodle cookies and cookie dough.

Royal Cookie Capers' products can be found at the North Coast Co-Op (2 locations), Jitter Bean Coffee Company (6 locations), Eureka Natural Foods, Big Oil and Tire (3 locations), Humboldt Petroleum (6 locations), Wildberries Marketplace, Murphy's Markets (2 locations), Gold Rush Coffee,  Mosgo's Coffee, Old Town Coffee & Chocolates, Valley West Chevron, Riptide Cafe, the Coffee Break and Petro Mart 

 
Learn about AEDC 

AEDC Annual Meeting 

Please join us for our 2016 Annual Meeting to hear all of AEDC's latest news and learn what will be happening in the coming year.
  • State of AEDC/Program Highlights 
  • 2016 Treasurer's Report/Audit Update
  • Featured Presentation: Greenway Partners will talk about our partnership projects in the past and what is possible in the future. 
 
When
Tuesday October 25, 2016 from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM PDT

Where 
AEDC Conference Room 
707 K Street
Eureka, CA 95501
  
 

Refreshments by 
 
 
 AEDC News 

AEDC Receives $2 Million from USDA for 
Relending Program 
 
 
AEDC is pleased to announce that we have received $2 Million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development through an innovative public-private partnership Community Facilities Relending Program . AEDC was one of only two organizations in California to receive funding from this national program. 

The funds will provide long-term, low-interest financing to help build or improve essential community facilities and services such as education, health care and infrastructure.
 
"Our recent projects, from Open Door Community Health to the Eureka Rescue Mission to the Arcata firehouse, all prepared us to qualify for this funding when it became available," Ross Welch said. "This is a new program for USDA, and it reflects what we are seeing as a great need in our community. We couldn't be more pleased to add it to our portfolio of loan options."
 
This new financing program came with additional support from Uplift America in the form of a grant of $335,000. Uplift America is a  collaboration of government, philanthropy and finance aimed at addressing poverty in rural America by directing significant capital toward creating needed community services and strengthening community-based lenders. 

USDA Rural Development California annually invests $1 billion, on average, in California's rural communities. Since 2009, USDA  Rural Development   ( @USDARD has funded nearly 9,200 community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care facilities; invested nearly $13 billion to start or expand nearly 112,000 rural businesses; helped 1.1 million rural residents buy homes; and helped bring high-speed Internet access to nearly 6 million rural residents and businesses.

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For more information, visit www.usda.gov/results . To read more about USDA's investments in rural America, visit  Rural America Is Back in Business .



Workforce Conference Success

Reflecting on How to Engage and Retain Young Professionals


On October 3, over 80 people attended, "How to Engage and Retain the Next Generation of Young Professionals," hosted by AEDC, the California Association for Local Economic Development and the Humboldt State College of Professional Studies and the Humboldt Workforce Development Board.
Take-Aways include:
1) Young people are listening and they want to engage. Many millennials attended and participated throughout the conference.  They represented as  young professionals seeking careers,  employers, and  workforce development experts
If we make the decision that we want young people to make Humboldt home, simply opening the conversation to them makes a difference.
2) The conversation is only truly effective, however, if we  listen and are flexible to employee needs.  One of the most important roles of the conference was to show different perspectives and the changing expectations of employees.
3) Marketing is important for everyone
  • Job Seekers- Participants were surprised to hear that as few as 10% of the available jobs may be advertised.
  • Employers- Job candidates are no longer waiting in line, resume in hand, for any job. Successful employers will proactively seek candidates who are most likely to flourish in their environment.   
To read more, please visit http://www.aedc1.org/reflecting-how-engage-and-retain-young-professionals
 
To join this on-going conversation  please contact Susan at (707) 798-6132, or email susans@aedc1.org. 



Michelle Stephens, Program Manager at CALED; Gurbax Sahota, President and CEO at CALED; Susan Seaman, Program Director, AEDC; My Kristy Nong, Manager of Administration and Member Activities, at CALED

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Brought to you by 





  
Partner News 

Introducing Debbie Toste

BizNet Coordinator at the North Coast Small Business Development Center
 
Debbie Toste has been newly recruited as BizNet Coordinator of the North Coast Small Business Development Center. She comes with over 20 years of local small business experience along with an International business background.
 
As part of her role, she is responsible for providing useful information and tools for creating a small business as well as connecting clients with the right Business Advisor and promoting SBDC services.
 
Debbie is an HSU graduate, having completed her BA in French with a minor in Spanish. She then obtained her Master's degree in French at San Francisco State University. Debbie spent the last several years studying and working in Paris and Singapore. While living abroad, she had the opportunity to do what she loves most: traveling, hiking and exploring different cultures.
 
In her free time, Debbie enjoys spending time with her family and being back home in Humboldt County. She has a great love for her community and is ready to help it flourish. 
 
* * *
Visit the 

North Coast Small Business Development Center
Prosperity Center, 520 E Street, Eureka, CA 95501

707-445-9721



An Economic Development Converation hosted by Go-Biz
 
Jesse Torres, Deputy Director and Small Business Advocate from the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, is hosting a Humboldt economic development conversation next Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the Prosperity Center conference room at 520 E Street, Eureka. 

Besides Torres, the presenter lineup includes:
  • Dominic Forrest, Chief, Labor Enforcement Task Force, CA Department of Industrial Relations
  • Angela Jemmott, Executive Director, California Commission on Disability Acccess
 
Each presenter will give a short presentation followed by a conversation with local economic development stakeholders about issues they are experiencing and exploring, in search of ways to partner. 

If you have questions, Jesse can be reached at jesse.torres@gov.ca.gov.   
SBA 504 Refinance Program is permanent
 
                                                                                                     
SBA Logo   


SBA 504 Current
  
 
 Rate:
    
4.261%
  • Low down payment for borrowers
  • Competitive fixed interest rate
  • Long Term loan
  • From $50,000 to $5 million for commercial real estate, construction and equipment acquisition.
Many commercial loans available on the market require a sizeable percentage down before the loan will be granted, and this can be an obstacle for many business owners looking to improve their facilities. The SBA 504 Loan offers a solution for that -- you can borrow up to 90% of your financing needs at a fixed rate, so only a minimum of 10% down is required.
 
The remainder is split between the SBA loan (40%) and a bank loan (50%), and the Arcata Economic Development Corporation will work with your bank to submit your loan application. Loan amounts range from $50,000 to $5 million, and some restrictions apply.

Some refinancing is also eligible through the 504 Refinance Program. This was made permanent in late May of 2016. It will help small business owners ease their financial burdens and create incentives for potential expansion and further job creation.  

The 504 loan program, with is long term fixed-rate can help refinance debt from adjustable rate loans with significant savings to borrowers. For more information about this newly re-instated program, contact us at AEDC.


Kelli Sterling
Loan Manager
(707) 798-6132  Ext 214

                                                                                                     
color map  

We are proud of the variety of businesses we've served over the years at AEDC. We would love to include you in our family of success stories. 

 

Visit www.aedc1.org to get more information about AEDC loans, events and programs. 

 

 


Ross Welch
Executive Director
(707) 798-6132 ext. 211