Volume 15| May 2021

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEWS & INVESTOR UPDATES

Have exciting business information you want us to share? Email Us Here!

-FROM THE CEO'S DESK- ORGANIZATIONAL UPDATES FROM CEO, DAVE WHITE Read Dave's Letter Here - VOLT INSTITUTE UPDATES- LEARN ABOUT THE NEW UPDATES AND ADDITIONS TO VOLT INSTITUTE Learn More Here

Considering Remote Work For Your Business?

Are you looking to hire with the option of working remotely? Here are things to keep in mind!   Decide ahead of time if the role is completely remote or remote right now due to COVID-19. It may be that there is flexibility in how much work is remote in the future or you may just not know yet. In that case write your job description as you normally would and add the words “temporarily remote.” If it ends up working out, great. But if things change then you are not locked into anything. Lots of employers are aware of the money saved in going remote for things like rent, utilities, and janitorial services. But be aware that there is not yet much data on the costs of things like OSHA compliance in ensuring your employees homes are safe and healthy workplaces. And depending on which state your workers live in there may be additional tax obligations for your organization. Be sure to address potential IT vulnerabilities. Important things to address include installing antivirus solutions for newly-issued devices, preventing potential future unauthorized access of current employees, and ensuring that cloud collaboration tools have adequate cybersecurity. Treat onboarding of remote employees with care. The first few weeks on the job are critical for any employee but explaining your organization, its culture, and the intricacies of a new position to someone who is unfamiliar with it adds another layer of difficulty. Make sure your employee has all the technical support they need to access resources remotely and schedule more time than usual for personal connection with their supervisor in phone calls and videos. You could also consider assigning them a work buddy, i.e. they can talk to as a peer about the ins and outs of your organization.

NEW VALLEY SIERRA SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER DIRECTOR ANNOUCED The Valley Sierra Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Opportunity Stanislaus are excited to announce the new Director of the SBDC, German Zavalza. Mr. Zavalza joins the team after the promotion of former SBDC Director, Katy Winders, to Chief Financial Officer for Opportunity Stanislaus. To learn more about Mr. Zavalza, please click here.

SBDC AND OPPORTUNITY STANISLAUS WELCOME NEW  TEAM MEMBER TIM DUTTER Tim Dutter is originally from Beloit, Wisconsin. He met his wife in Colorado, where he began his Economic Development career at the Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance. They have been married 9 years and have 3 boys: Aiden, Brogan and Nolan. Time has worked in economic development roles in Colorado, Wisconsin, WA State and California. He has worked as a Chamber of Commerce CEO and as an ED Manager for Public Government. Tim holds Master’s Degrees in Business and Education.  The Dutters love living in California and enjoy biking in the area, dining out at our amazing restaurants and taking weekend trips to the ocean. Tim is looking forward to diving in and helping our local businesses succeed!

Sector Strategies Program Update OS hosted four Sector Strategy huddles to dig deeper into what "Soft Skills" really means to local employers. Various industries were represented during the huddles, giving a range of input. The most compelling issue discussed was the lack of critical thinking. Many workers do not seem to have the ability to solve problems and identify potential outcomes by thinking ahead. We will continue these huddles to discover more. If you would like to participate and share your businesses' own experiences, please contact program manager, Teresa Green.

Hear from state legislators on the Voice of Ag Tech in the Valley and Water Initiatives, industry experts on trends in sensing, equipment and analytics, COVID responses and resources from local agencies, and educators on increasing the education to industry pipeline.   All content is available in segmented short videos   Thank you to this year’s sponsors: Grimbleby Coleman CPAs, Inc. and Modesto Irrigation District.  Watch the videos here!

OPPORTUNITY STANISLAUS WELCOMES OUR NEWEST INVESTORS BUNGE NORTH AMERICA

RESOURCES

Need Help Recruiting? Check out our Selling Stanislaus HR Recruitment Guide! Read More Here

Want free training to create an artisan or maker business? Join the upcoming webinars for more information on our Recipes for Success program. Click here for more information and free training!

Want a FREE $10 Starbucks Gift Card? Opportunity Stanislaus has been tasked with finding local business needs before and after the pandemic. The focus is on what it takes to keep you successful and able to fill your open positions within your industry. Please take the time to complete the survey. By doing so we will send you a $10 Starbucks gift card in appreciation of your time.   Click here to take the survey.

UPCOMING SBDC WEBINARS May 20th, 2021- Are Your Ads Delivering Results May 27th, 2021- Get Your Small Business Seen June 10th, 2021- AngelCon

SPOTLIGHT YOUR BUSINESS ABOVE! Have news to share in this newsletter? Contact our Director of Marketing & Communications, April Potter via email: apotter@opportunitystanislaus.com