The DP School of Photography announces new expanded fall photography workshops in response to many requests on the topic of how to make money with photography. “Our workshops have focused on camera and photography learning skills and we plan to continue with these highly valued lessons in our fall workshops”, says Dan Pettus, owner of DP School of Photography. The November 7, 2009 workshop held at Wilson Creek Winery will include a new track on the business of photography. As customary with DP School workshops, students will learn by doing with ample hands-on time. The photography business track is designed for those who want to discover how to supplement their income with part-time or fulltime opportunities in photography. Dan Pettus also states, “Our fall 2009 workshops will have six of the best professional photographers in the business with plenty of oneon- one instructor to student time for an enjoyable and rewarding training experience. Along with outstanding photography and camera learning, we have added a business track with proven techniques on how to cash-in on your photo skills. I will personally show you how to make $500 to $1000 or more a month with what is called stock photography. Stock agencies cost nothing but you need to understand the requirements and rules.”
Fall workshop details:
Wilson Creek Winery • November 7, 2009 – 9am to 3pm
Register at: www.DPSchoolofPhotography.com or
call (951) 693-0500
Anyone who desires to expand photography skills or is interested in making money with photography. More details can be found on the DP School website at: www.DPSchoolofPhotography.com The $99 registration fee includes a Wilson Creek CreekSide lunch and the opportunity to win prizes some valued at $300. “We are so lucky to be in the heart of Southern California Wine Country. There is no better place to hold a photography workshop than at a beautiful winery like Wilson Creek.” says Myra Pettus, DP School Business Manager. A new feature on the DP School of Photography website (www.DPSchoolofPhotography. com) is “Ask a Pro”. Anyone who has a camera or photo question can ask a photography professional. Within a day or two, a professional photographer will answer your questions and it’s totally free.

For more information please contact: Myra Pettus DP School of Photography (951) 693-0500 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Temecula Women’s Council of Realtors, a national organization, recently
held its annual election during their monthly resources luncheon. The new board is
as follows: Steve Eckburg, VP of Membership, Alicia Newman, Secretary, Debbie
Korsum, Treasurer and Denyse Wilson, President Elect. (Not pictured - DJ Oliver,
President.)

The first new casualty in the housing wars has appeared... and it isn’t the one we wanted at all. By all accounts the first to fall by the wayside in the current cycle of the housing market is... TA-DAA ...the first-time homebuyer! Well that certainly sucks, doesn’t it?
More and more, our market is swinging toward the investor/cash buyer over the first-time buyer for one simple reason - CASH! Money talks and the rest of it walks. Is that bad? Well, it’s too bad if you’re one of those folks trying to buy your first home but not necessarily a bad thing. After all, over 70% of current buyers plan to be owner-occupants and that’s good. Just because they have cash doesn’t necessarily equate to investors and rentals - although savvy investors are in the market too. But the lion’s share of it is people who’s timing was inspired. They got out near the peak and rented for a couple years. Today they can buy their old house back for half-price or buy a nice new spread for the same price. I feel for the 1st timers. There was a brief window there when they ruled the streets but with the current shortage of inventory that window has closed, at least in some markets. Imagine if you’re the bank and you’ve just listed a 2,000 SqFt place for $189,000. The first two days your agent gets 67 offers, many of them higher than asking price and nearly 1/3 of them from cash buyers. Well what are YOU going to do?
On the one hand you have your first time buyers who are scraping together the FHA Down, they need closing costs paid, they can close in 45 days and they’re offering your asking price. On the other hand you’ve got a family who sold in 2006, banked the profit so they’ve got cash or close to it, they can close in 20 days and they’re offering $20,000 over asking price. Even the banks in their current stupor can make that decision handily.
Sorry Mr. & Mrs. 1st Timer. Try writing another 20 offers hoping you’ll get lucky. And actually, that’s not bad advice. If you persevere you WILL eventually succeed–if you give up you definitely won’t. In the past 120 days nearly 17,000 homes have had their Notice of Default filed in Riverside County. Over 7,000 REO’s sold during that same period but most of those fielded multiple offers. Our inventory of existing homes for sale is down to just two months right now–from a high of 11+ months a year ago. That means if no new homes were listed for sale everything would be gone in two months. A normal healthy market is considered to be 5 – 6 months. We are unhealthy on the anemic side right now.
Based on that, I think it’s a fairly safe assumption that if the banks released this ‘shadow inventory’ of homes we keep hearing about (and that some people are very fearful of), the current market could absorb the influx with minimal impact on median price. Again, at least in our market – I can’t speak to every market across the country but certainly in SoCal we are prepared to handle it. This would allow all the military and teachers, policemen, shop owners, young families and retired folks to get one more run at owning a home before the market heads back up. Local prices have been stable since last September/October and have actually posted small increases for the past couple months.
So if you have been trying unsuccessfully to buy a house for awhile and find your offers coming up short time and again. Don’t despair. There’s still a gripload of homes lurking just over the horizon somewhere but you’re going to have to be quick to benefit. The mainstream media is starting to print scattered articles alluding to an improvement in our housing market. By the time they let you know the recovery has started, you’ll be a day late and at couple bucks short. Housing may have led the way down, but we’ll be leading the charge back up as well. Under all is the land.

Gene Wunderlich is Government Affairs Director for the Southwest California Association of Realtors. The opinions expressed are strictly that of the author. Share your opinion with This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Now that the worst of the recession appears to be over, here is your opportunity to jump on a brand new office for your business. West Pointe Business Park, is in the 27000 block of Via Industria in Temecula, and offers stand alone business condominiums for sale and for lease. These new buildings are in a Class ‘A’ business park and set in a beautiful campus-style environment.
The handsome brick and limestone exterior finishes complement the fully landscaped grounds which include a water feature, trellises providing shade, connecting walkways and outdoor seating. West Pointe Business Park sits in the Temecula foothills with most buildings offering exceptional views of the Temecula Valley. “Both tenants and owners tell us that the fact that these buildings offer such wonderful views, played an important part in their decision to move forward,” remarked Gary Driver, on-site Broker representative for Grant General Contractors, the builder of the complex.
There are a total of 12 free standing or individual office buildings/ lease spaces between 1800 and 6900 sqft. Buildings are priced from the $600’s - leasing is also an option and is priced competitively starting at $1.00 per sq. ft. “This is an ideal ownership opportunity for small business owners – tenants and owners already include an acclaimed architectural firm, attorneys, software development companies, finance and insurance companies,” says Driver. Single as well as two-story buildings are being offered. The single story buildings are designed with 2 canopied entrances for multi-tenant occupancy options and the two story buildings boast inviting main entrances with elevators already installed.

Gary Driver is on-site Monday through Friday 10a.m.-5p.m. at 27238 Via Industria and by appointment at (760) 579-2488 and welcomes the opportunity to give you a tour of the site.

Am I crazy or is everything moving faster today?
The evolution Is certainly true in communications where historical paradigms such as the written letter and telegram gave way to the telephone. Then came fax machines (does anyone still own a fax?), followed by email, and later, cell phones.
Today, instant messaging is becoming more popular in business environments as is text messaging. But the coup de grace for today’s fast-track business professional is none other than the gotta-have-it, do-it-all, you’re-nothingwithout- one: smart phone!
Let’s face it. If you miss a call, voice mail, text, email or appointment on your (electronic of course) calendar, you’re just not in the game. Okay, so I just got my smart phone (which I have since found out isn’t so smart) last month. But now that I have one, I’m on the soap box!
At least I’m not alone. In August Gartner, Inc., a leading information technology research and advisory company, noted that more than 40 million smart phone units were sold worldwide in the second quarter of this year. That’s a 27 percent increase over the first quarter.
Smart phone, cell phone, mobile phone, what’s the difference? Well, a smart phone allows you to connect to the Internet and view emails, Web sites and more. At least that’s what I thought.
Actually, Gartner has a lengthy explanation of what defines a “smart phone,” but it’s too long for this article. Suffice to say a real smart phone, according to one of world’s leading research firms, must have an open operating system (OS) that can support multiple third-party applications (apps). iPhone and Blackberry fit the bill for Gartner, Your August article “Report Finds New Quarry Will Improve Traffic, Air Quality” failed to state it was written and paid for by Granite Construction. In fact, the truth is exactly the opposite as evidenced below in Riverside County’s Planning Department’s cover letter for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) on Liberty Quarry: “DEIR No. 475 determined that the proposed project would result in significant and unavoidable impacts to Air Quality and Traffic/Transportation, which cannot be mitigated to below a level of significance. In addition, the DEIR determined that the proposed project would contribute to cumulatively considerable and unavoidable impacts to Air Quality (criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases), Biological Resources (wildlife movement), Traffic/Transportation (funding and timing of road improvements), and Utilities (water supply), which cannot be mitigated to below a level of significance. As a result of the potential significant and unavoidable impacts, adoption of a Statement of Overriding Considerations will be required in order for the project to be approved.” The article is just another fine example of Granite’s “honesty” and “integrity”. Don’t believe all you read. —Nita Delnay, Rainbow but pretty-smart phones like my LG Touch, do not. LG Touch runs on a proprietary OS and the available apps are proprietary to the carrier and a bit costly.
Right now I can view and send emails, browse the Web, and get all kinds of news and entertainment on my not-so-smart phone, but I can’t open attachments, much less work on them. But that may change.
Like other areas of technology I’ve written about here, the smart phone space is opening up and getting more competitive. Good news for us!
In August, Microsoft announced a major alliance with Nokia, the world’s leading mobile device manufacturer. For the first time, the software-giant will allow its mobile applications (Office mobile, etc.) to run on an OS other than its Windows Mobile. The new Nokia phones, running Symbian OS, will be able to view and collaborate on a variety of Microsoft programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more.
No word on what carriers will be offering the new Nokia series, but I’m anticipating faster, cheaper, and way more functionality than what we have today, regardless of what service you use.
The bottom line for us trenchers is that mobility is a must-have in today’s business world, and it’s getting better all the time. Ooops, I hear a beep, someone is pinging me, gotta go!.

Herb Torrens is the principal of Herb Torrens Media Communications providing small-to-medium size businesses with Web and multimedia services. He can be reached at htorrens@verizon. net. Profile available at Linkedin.com, or contact him on Twitter @zmediaman.

Web 1.0/2.0/30 - what exactly does all this mean, and more importantly, what do they mean to you as a business person? Where does your company website fit in?
Rethink what you’re accustomed to, for unlike conventional software versions, web X.0 refers to movements in how we use the internet.
A quick and dirty breakdown:
Web 1.0 was about accessing content. With the dawning of the Internet Age, you could search for and immediately access information — but, it was a read-only, one-way street. Involving no new creativity, the technical community shifted its focus toward recreating the medium into a two-way street – or Web 2.0.
Web 2.0 was about interacting with content. New s o f twa r e t o o l s made it possible for users to publish their own content to the Internet. Hark, the birth of Web 2.0. Videos, blogs, and Wikis exploded on the scene. The Web became a readwrite phenomenon; a two-way street… and web posting became a national past-time.
Web 3.0 is about aggregating content. Imagine a library containing 100 million volumes of print and no Dewey decimal system. The internet is much the same; one search producing 50+ pages of results. How do you sift through pages of results to find exactly what you want? Enter Web 3.0, with keywords, tags, and widgets. You now can create a single dashboard, define the content you want it is delivered to you, looking exactly the way you want to see it.
It isn’t just personal, it’s business
The Internet is a major force in branding and marketing, and interactivity gives businesses a vehicle to gauge customer reaction to products and services; and receive feedback.
If your service or product isn’t selling, wouldn’t it be nice to get input from users as to what they really want? Or perhaps you’re providing what they want, but they don’t know it? Maybe your marketing message is not resonating with their needs. With interactivity, you create a dialog and this means you can react immediately to properly target the message to the buyer.
Clear as mud?
Get practical examples of this discussion, as well as training tips to make the web work for you; download a free white paper at: http://www.esi-ca.com/News-apr01.aspx

Rick Risner is President & CEO of Elite Systems Integrators, Inc., a full service Information Technology Partner. Contact ESI at 951.461.1789 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Is your company aggressively pursuing cost reduction? Are you looking for people who can help you reduce costs now and control costs in the future while preserving your technical excellence and customer value? Here are 9 ideas from recent surveys of Southern California financial executives who indicated their most successful cost reduction strategies being used today. Do you have these skills at your disposal?
“Hire people with experience, knowledge, and skills to execute actions that are successfully reducing costs today,” executives said, including:
1. Process improvement experience and skills - Look for people with experience improving processes, reducing costs, improving quality and speeding up operations at the same time. These skills are useful in all business functions in all phases of the business cycle. Find out what processes are targeted your company for improvement and what knowledge and skills are needed. Ask candidates for ideas and insights they can put to work immediately.
2. Experience and demonstrated success in multi-disciplinary teams. Research has shown that multi-disciplinary teams very often perform better analyses and make better decisions than do single department groups. The use of multi-function teams tends to increase communication and cooperation between silos within a company. Does your company have a problem with silos? Can your candidates successfully facilitate meetings of engineering, marketing, manufacturing, and finance staff members, all of whom can very have different perspectives about managing the business? Ask about their techniques for managing conflicts.
3. Experience in cost management and cost reduction initiatives, with a strong desire to reduce all costs all the time. People with examples of successful cost reduction programs they can employ in your company are likely to be sought after and hired. Ideal candidates would be people with the knowledge and desire to train others as well. Find out what cost reduction projects are being planned for your company? Do the candidates have experience in those areas? Can they bring ideas and insights they can put to work immediately?
4. A wide range of skills that give a company flexibility to meet future needs is always a plus, such as: quickly taking over jobs previously filled by people who were laid off, without delays, waste of resources, and reduced quality (i.e., ability to learn quickly); quickly taking over work brought back inside from outside suppliers; and, having experience with changing job definitions due to downsizing facilities or consolidating operations.
5. Interest in and ability to learn new skills. This skill can be very important in times of layoffs, rapid changes in customer needs, technological changes, and bringing work back inside from outside suppliers. Ask candidates for examples of learning skills, how those skills were used and what difficulties they encountered.
6. Product designers willing to design for cost reduction as well as technical excellence (e.g. reusing current designs, using current equipment rather than buying new equipment, etc. The transition from primary focus on high quality to adequate quality at lower cost can be difficult for some engineers and others. Ask your candidates how they have dealt with this tradeoff.
7. Forecasting and planning skills. Accurate forecasting and planning skills are critical in times that require cutting costs to meet customer demands for price reductions while maintaining product quality and profit margins. Ask candidates for examples of successful and unsuccessful plans they have used in their past work.
8. Understanding the costs of carrying inventory and ways to reduce or eliminate problems that cause excess inventory, including: Inaccurate forecasts lead managers to have extra inventory ‘just in case’ the plans change at the last minute, increasing on-time deliveries from raw materials to WIP to finished goods to product delivery and installation, improving inventory records, improving product quality and shortening production cycle times.
9. Sound financial knowledge required to understand the needs for cost reduction, actions that can be taken to reduce costs without reducing technical excellence or customer value, and the ability to motivate other employees to take action as soon as possible. While very few of the executives listed “Improving employee selection” as one of their cost cutting techniques, it was obvious from their responses that skills in these areas were very useful. Do you ask for evidence of these skills in your job interviews? Make sure your interview questions demonstrate meeting your cost reduction needs through hiring the right talent. Penn Post conducts Managing for Financial Success workshops and helps companies identify and implement actions to improve profitability. He is an author (10 Ways to Improve Profitability), teacher (at UC-San Diego), and Certified Management Consultant (CMC).

Chris Stiehl, “The Listening Coach,” is an author (Pain Killer Marketing), teacher (at UC-San Diego), speaker and consultant. He helps companies understand their employees and customers through listening well. For more information, contact Penn Post, Post Associates at (949) 706-0623 or Chris Stiehl, StiehlWorks at (619) 516-2864.

Employees almost always watch their bosses closely for signs of being in or out of favor. With employment as volatile as it is today,that scrutiny is now even more intense. Half the battle is providing good feedback when employees do well; the other half is not giving out negative messages inadvertently due to being distracted. You know the harm that kind of mistake can do. Avoid three kinds of unintended negatives:
1. Threats as motivators. It’s easy to think, “This person isn’t taking seriously the challenges we’re facing.” You may end up resorting to threats, such as, “Well, if you’re not interested in doing your job, there are plenty of out-of-work people out there who might enjoy it.” Snarky as that sounds, you may indeed say something like that when you’re especially tired. If you feel a threat coming on, take a few deep breaths to combat the tension.
2. Lack of personal contact. Many people, including everyone who’s primarily an introvert, would rather be alone when there’s hard work or stress to deal with. If that’s the way you work, be careful about making employees feel that you’re snubbing them. Let your employees know that you’re closing yourself in your office or a conference room simply “to get some alone time to prepare for this presentation.”
3. Micromanaging. The opposite side of ignoring people is being all over everything they do. You can find yourself doing this not because you want to send a negative message but because you care a lot about the outcome—or even because you enjoy working with the employee on challenging projects. You’re thinking, “We’re having a great time,” but the employee is thinking, “Why doesn’t she trust me to do my own work?”

Furloughs, or short-term/temporary layoffs, are taking their place beside permanent layoffs and long-term work-week or hourly-pay reductions as corporate money-saving tactics. Like those tactics, furloughs take workers out of production, but furloughs offer the advantage of not being permanent and thus not involving the expense of hiring up again when the company’s finances stabilize.
That’s great for the company, but what can you do to make it work for you, too? If you think a one- or two-week unpaid break might loom in your future, think through the following options:
Keep working anyway? In this option, you’d treat the furlough as simply a temporary pay reduction and continue working full-time. You might even keep going in to your office, although working from home would certainly be appropriate. This option is not as radical as it first seems. After all, you’re pretty much assured of going back to work after the furlough, and this choice offers a way to keep your workload under control. If things are already hectic, why stay home and worry about the work piling up when you can do something about it now?
However, before choosing this route, check out whether your company will allow it. For simpler administration, some companies might want to make the furlough an all-or-nothing proposition. These companies might also want to avoid any risk of having to pay employees for work done.
Combine delegation and monitoring? This choice involves treating the furlough as an extended business trip, a stay at a conference, or a working vacation. You’re absent from the office, doing something else, but continuing to keep your hand in. One key issue: How able are your lead employees, supervisors, and assistant managers to keep things running without you around? If they’re not really up to it, or if there are sensitive or complex issues in play that need your touch, then your monitoring might have to be pretty regular. If your staffers are experienced and energetic, delegate your duties to them and make yourself available for calls on an as-needed basis.
Take a vacation? The risk from treating the furlough as a vacation, besides your work stacking up on your desk, is primarily political. How are your boss, your senior managers, and your peers handling their furloughs? What they do does make a difference in your world. If the majority of them are staying close to their groups and their work, that might be a sign that your organization’s managerial culture has shifted in a certain direction, a shift that you might want to make as well.