Business Glance

QuickBooks workshop

A hands-on beginning QuickBooks workshop will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. two consecutive Tuesdays on June 30 and July 7 at the Arizona WesternCollege Entrepreneurial Center, 1351 S. Redondo Center Drive, Room 158.

Participants will learn how to set up a new company and handle monthly accounting chores and become familiar with the various reports available using Intuit's QuickBooks accounting software.

Cost of $110 includes a textbook. Pre-registration is required at awc.azsbdc.info or call 317-6151.

San Luis to hold job fair

The San Luis Chamber of Commerce in alliance with the Yuma Private Industry Council will host a job fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Cesar Chavez Cultural Center, 1015 N. Main St. in San Luis, Ariz. Registration is free.

The job fair will include a series of workshops on resume writing, interviewing skills, dress for success and job search strategies. Businesses on hand will include SOS Staffing, Arizona Western College, Marine Corps and Army, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Hunter Employment, Goodwill, Cocopah Indian Tribe and Northern Arizona University-Yuma.

For more information, call Gabby Martinez at 627-0005 or Ralph Villa at 329-0990, Ext. 149.

SAHRA to hear about SMART

 Information on a new program that provides information to employers on how to survive during the economic downturn and manage layoffs will be presented during the SAHRA (Southwest Arizona Human Resources Association) monthly meeting from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at Ramada Inn-Chilton Conference Center, 300 E. 32nd St.

The program, SMART (Strategies Mandatory at Recessionary Times) Training, is being offered through the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce and Yuma Private Industry Council.

The business survival module will be led by Ken Rosevear, executive director of the chamber. He will share 12 principles he learned through 30 years of owning and managing businesses. Layoff training will be provided by Cynthia Marshall, YPIC business services officer who previously worked for the Yuma Sun for 20 years in sales, training and human relations.

Cost of the lunch is $18 for SHRM national members or $25 for nonmembers. Reservations are required: RSVP to SAHRA. secretary@gmail.com.

Workplace Excellence

nominations sought

Nominations are now being accepted for this year's Workplace Excellence, an annual awards program that recognizes businesses in Yuma with excellent people practices.

Businesses are nominated by employees. Awards recognize best practices in small, medium and large businesses, one overall winner and one special award winner. Winners will be recognized at a luncheon Nov. 4.

The program now in its fifth year was created by the Southwest Arizona Human Resources Association and the Yuma Sun.

Nomination forms can be found at the Yuma Sun offices or at www.contestsinyuma. com/workplaceexcellence. The nominations are due by 5 p.m. Aug. 7. Nominations can be e-mailed to kpaiz@yumasun.com, faxed to 329-2753 or delivered to the Yuma Sun office at 2055 S. Arizona Ave.

Changes to SBA

loan program

Small businesses seeking to expand will be able to refinance existing loans used to purchase business real estate and other fixed assets such as equipment as a result of permanent changes to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 504 Certified Development Company loan program. The changes were authorized in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The 504 program’s refinancing changes are the latest in several Recovery Act provisions that have been implemented by the SBA in recent weeks. On March 16, the agency temporarily raised to 90 percent the guarantee level on many of its 7(a) program loans and reduced fees on both 7(a) and 504 loans, and also doubled to $5 million the surety bond guarantee level for small businesses competing for construction and service contracts.

In addition, on June 15, SBA ARC loans became available for viable small businesses facing immediate financial hardship.

For more information on the 504 loan program and eligibility requirements, go to www.recovery.gov or www.sba.gov/recovery.