Over 80 Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) offi cials, supporters and Mayors including Paterson’s Mayor Jeffery Jones attended a recent informative meeting on the recommendations of a recent study of the UEZ program, commissioned by Governor Chris Christie, which recommends scrapping the program.

At the request of the Christie administration, the reports were conducted by the New Jersey Institute of Technology and outside consultants Delta Development Group Inc. of Mechanicsburg, Pa., and HR&A Advisors Inc. of New York.

Offi cials fi nd themselves in yet another last-ditch effort to save a 28-year old program, which has brought economic development, private investment, a more stable tax base, and jobs to many urban centers. Many offi cials at this March 7th meeting took issue with the report, which called the program costly and “bureaucratically cumbersome.”

Valerie Jackson, Director of Planning for the City of Orange, stated, “We need to separate our Zones from the State’s UEZ Authority. The Bureaucracy is really on their end. They need to clean house and continue to let us run our Zone’s because we run them very well.”

Mayor Chris Bollwage, of Elizabeth, who is also Chairman of the Mayor’s UEZ Commission responded to the reports claim

that UEZs don’t spend thier program money in one year. He revealed that the State does not report income to the zones for at least two months and then, on top of the municipal level process of approval, it often takes 4 months to get on an agenda in Trenton. He said, “So it takes at least 6-7 months before a local Zone can begin a program. Of course not all the income will be spent in the same year.”

In one week, the Governor announced the report calling for the end of the UEZ, and the next week, he baffl ed UEZ coordinators and Mayors by making the program easier, less cumbersome and more inviting for businesses. Bill S-2132, signed by Governor Christie streamlines the purchasing process for UEZ businesses. Sponsored by Senator

Jeff Van Drew and Senator Jim Whelan, S-2132 provides all UEZ registered businesses located in one of the state’s urban enterprise zones (UEZ’s) with a sales tax exemption when making purchases for their businesses. Under previous state law, only small businesses with sales of less than $10 million were eligible for the “point of sale” exemption; other businesses were required to apply to the state for a reimbursement.

While a spokesperson for the Governor says he does not endorse the report recommending the dissolution of the program, and while he signed S-2132, Christie has all

but suspended the program since taking offi ce, keeping the lower sales tax in place, but redirecting revenue into the State budget. State Treasury Department spokesperson Andrew Pratt announced that the State plans to use $92.6 million of the sales tax money earned in 37 municipalities that participate in the program to help balance the State budget that begins in July 2011.

In Paterson, there are over 460 UEZ registered businesses, and many are worried that the incentives they benefi t from, will soon be gone.

“It seems as if this program is not going away in its entirety,” said Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce

Inside This Issue... continued... pg 3

GOVERNOR CHRISTIE TO DISCONTINUE FUNDING OF URBAN ENTERPRISE ZONES: CITIES FIGHT BACK

Chamber HappeningsGreater Paterson Chamber of Commerce Volume XII/Issue 3

MARCH 2011

OUR NEWEST MEMBER: PRINCIPIUM PAYROLL MANAGEMENT... PG 4

MEMBER NEWS... NEXTWAVE WEB, MALQUI TAX, ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL & H2M... PG 6

Paterson Mayor Jeffery Jones discusses the benefi ts of the Urban Enterprise Zone program with Chamber President Jamie Dykes, and Paterson UEZ Director Jan Northrop at a recent UEZ Mayors Commission Meeting.

The GPCC is interested in featuring your company in

Chamber Happenings. Call 973-881-7300 for details

GREATER PATERSON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE100 Hamilton Plaza, Suite 1201

Paterson, NJ 07505(t) 973-881-7300 (F) 973-881-8233

gpcc@greaterpatersoncc.org

EXECUTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:Jim White Jr., White & Shauger Inc.

Vice President/Finance

Irwin Bailey, EBCO Development Corp.Vice President/Retail

Teri Duda, Berkeley CollegeVice President/Education

Rick Ricca, Verizon CommunicationsPast Chairman

Vice President/Governmental Affairs

George Waitts, Crown Roll Leaf Inc.Chairman

DIRECTORS:James Chappell, JC Printing

Patrick DeDeo, William Paterson University

Robert DeMers, Esq.

Matthew Evans, Evans Architect

Peter Garafano, Garafano Tank Services

Paul Harencak, CLI Group

Thomas Horsburgh, Ridgid Paper Tube Corp.

Joseph Langan, River Drive Construction

Ken Morris Jr., St. Joseph’s Medical Center

Steve Rose, Passaic County Community College

Kimberly Rupp, TD Bank

Sean Ryan, Hanson & Ryan Inc.

Art Scialla Jr., Ace Reprographic Services

Michael Seeve, Mountain Development Corp

Dan Shiver, Shiver Real Estate Agency

Roland Straten, Associated Fire Protection Inc.

Everton Scott, Public Service Electric & Gas

James Suessmann, CPA

Nick Tsapatsaris, Center City Partners, LLC

Nick Tselepis, Nicholas Real Estate

Don Vanderbeck Jr., C.J. Vanderbeck & Son Inc.

Dot Woods, Columbia Bank

STAFF:James “Jamie” A.M. Dykes II

President

Sheri A. FerreiraAssociate Director/Editor, Chamber Happenings

Gladys BayonOffi ce Administrator

Chamber Happenings is published by The Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce. Our monthly

publication is THE source for today’s top business news and information as it relates to our members and

the Greater Paterson area.

Want Ink? Send us your announcements. What is new with you and your company? The GPCC wants to promote your goods and services. Are you an expert in your fi eld? Do you have advice to lend to our mem-bers? If so, Chamber Happenings allows members to submit by-lined articles. Send your news, announce-

ments or by-lined articles to Chamber Happenings Editor, Sheri Ferreira at sheri@greaterpatersoncc.org or contact the Chamber via telephone: 973-881-7300.

© All Rights Reserved. If you would like a copy of an article that appeared in Chamber Happenings, for your

own project, please let us know.

Chamber Happenings

Dear Chamber Members,Prior to introducing his proposed State budget, Governor Christie commissioned a study of the New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zone program. This study has proclaimed that the UEZ program should be done away with. Having been involved with The Paterson Urban Enterprise Zone program, �irst as a merchant and then as a Chamber President, I can tell you from personal experience and observation, THE STUDY GOT IT WRONG!

Recently, I attended the Urban Enterprise Zone Mayor’s Commission meeting held at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. I was not alone; from Paterson we had a strong contingent. Mayor Jones, Paterson UEZ Director Jan Northrop, Penni Foresteri, County of Passaic Director of Economic Development, Deborah Hoffman (Paterson & Passaic have UEZs), and Associate Director of the Chamber Sheri Ferreira also represented the Downtown Paterson Special Improvement District, Inc.

The topic of the meeting was to discuss the �indings of the State’s study and to discuss courses of action to keep the UEZ program from being abolished. If there is a chance to save them it will take a strong uni�ied effort by all 32 UEZs and their registered businesses.

There has never been a consistently more effective economic development program in Paterson and we can not afford to lose it now.

If you are a UEZ registered business, I urge you to take action alongside the Chamber of Commerce. Call our of�ice at 973-881-7300 to learn how you can help.

Jamie

A Note from Our President

JOINT GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE LUNCHEONS

Attendance is open to all Chamber members and their guestsFor more information call Gladys at 973-881-7300

Most Fridays/12:00 pm - 1:30 PMThe Hamilton & Ward Steakhouse

(101 Ward Street)Valet Parking Available (or)

Underground parking is FREE with validation from restaurant

Cost: $25

AT JGA MEETINGS WE GET CANDID ABOUT BUSINESS AND POLITICS

We meet regularly with Federal, State, County and Local Officials for the purpose of building relationships that facilitate and build our ability to exchange ideas

and initiatives, in an open forum setting, for the purpose of making a more business friendly environment for our member businesses to conduct commerce.

Upcoming Speakers:Upcoming Speakers:March 25th - Assemblyman Thomas Giblin (D) - Redistricting in New Jersey.

Where Are We Going and How Are We Getting There?April 29th - Terry Duffy, Freeholder Director, Passaic County - Update on The

2011 Passaic County Budget and Economic Development

Now scheduling other speakers such as Assemblyman Scott Rumana (R)and Senator Kevin O’Toole (R)

President Jamie Dykes. “The Governor maintains that business benefi ts such as the 3 1⁄2% sales tax will remain in place. However, what he hasn’t stated so loudly is that will only happen for one year. Overall, this is going to hurt Paterson. The steps the State has taken and continues to take, certainly seem to be putting this program on the chopping block.”

The report suggested creating a new program in which all current UEZ cities would be eligible for inclusion. The new program would potentially offer tax credits for capital improvements; support a revolving loan fund aimed at business development and job creation within communities; and create a performance metric that would create accountability within the program.

Some Mayors, like Bollwage, believe the Governor is pitting local Zones against their registered businesses in order to create less resistance to the termination of the program. He said, “The Governor distanced himself from the report. The Zone Assistance Fund is what Lori Griffa, and Caren Franzini recommended is cut. This plays right into the Governor’s politics. This guy’s not stupid. He’s clearly helping the business community, but not the mom and pops.”

The Delta report said the UEZ program employs 135 workers state-wide and costs the state $276.6 million a year in lost tax revenue and administrative overhead. The report also claims that only 20% of eligible businesses participate in the

program because it is too complex.

Mayor Jeffery Jones, who has indicated to the Chamber and business community his willingness to make, maneuvering through municipal programs easier, is in favor of simplifying and fi xing the UEZ program. “The Urban Enterprise Zone Program has brought millions of dollars in private investment and jobs to Paterson. In many ways it is the

engine driving the economic revitalization of Paterson. If the current processes by which zones operate needs fi xing, then by all means, fi x the processes.”

Offi cials such as Mayor

Ballwage, foresee that the Christie Administration is looking to squeeze out the smaller zones, and perhaps he will keep the larger zones in some form. Other offi cials, such as State Senator Joseph M. Kyrillos Jr., a Republican from Middlesex County, suggest that the program did get too large to be effective. The program has grown from 10 zones in 1983 to 37 zones today.

In Paterson, the UEZ has 462 active businesses registered, and those businesses, according to the local Zone offi ce employ 9,500 full-time and 4,000 part-time employees. Over $9 million in loans has been awarded to UEZ businesses for private investment into their businesses, and $2 million in facade improvement grants have been awarded. Larger projects include a major streetscape design of Main Street, a $2 million investment into Paterson’s Farmers Market, and development of the Rt. 20 corridor with the recruitment of retailers

Making Everyone Welcome

Urban Enterprise Zone

UEZ PROGRAM FACING EXTINCTION HISTORY OF THE URBAN ENTERPRISE ZONE PROGRAM

In 1967 Senator Robert Kennedy intro-duced for legislation, the Urban Employ-ment Opportunities Development Act to provide federal tax credits, accelerated depreciation schedules and job-training programs as incentives for employers to locate industry in urban poverty cen-ters. Kennedy was killed in June 1968 and the bill never passed Congress.

During the 1970s the Enterprise Zone con-cept was introduced to the United King-dom as a way to revive Britain’s declining industrial cities. The concept called for reduced governmental regulation within economically depressed urban communi-ties as a means of stimulating economic growth within those areas. With reduced regulation, lower taxes, and other �inan-cial incentives for businesses, economic activity would increase due to the re-duced cost of operating businesses within those areas. The Thatcher administration introduced Enterprise Zones in 1979.

The concept was re-introduced in the United States by The Heritage Foundation in 1979. Enterprise Zones caught the attention of then Rep. Jack Kemp R-N.Y., who co-sponsored legislation in Congress with then Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of the South Bronx. Originally sponsored only at the federal level, UEZs have become increasingly popular with state governments as well. Louisiana was the �irst state to adopt such legislation, in 1981, and was followed by seven other states in 1982 and seven more in 1983.

In 1983, under Republican Governor Thomas Kean, the Urban Enterprise Zone Authority was established in New Jersey. The bill would create up to four UEZs a year for the next �ive years in cities with the highest poverty and unemployment rates.

After Senator Jon A. Girgenti put forth legislation to sponsor its creation, The City of Paterson was designated as an Urban Enterprise Zone in 1994.

Continued from ... COVER

Continued... pg. 4

such as Home Depot, Lowes, Micro-Center, and Reno’s Home Appliances.

In Paterson, the Urban Enterprise Zone continues to work as though the program will remain in place. Paterson UEZ representatives will attend another Mayor’s Commission on the UEZ meeting on April 6th in New Brunswick and from there, learn of strategic courses of action. In the interim, the business community

When you think of payroll services, big companies such as ADP, and Paychex immediately come to mind. William Escobar, The Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce’s newest member, is hoping to change that for members of the Chamber.

After receiving a BA in Finance, while also studying Psychology, Escobar began working in the fi nance industry. He went back to school 20 years ago and joined the many individuals doing so to study Computer Science. While a student, he received a call from a recruiter for a company called Mobile-Com, a developer and manager of beeper services. While at Mobile-Com Escobar began working in their payroll department, which is where his initial interest in payroll began. While still in school, Escobar developed a payroll system with some fellow students, and he began using that system at Mobile-Com.

“Six months later the manager asked me to handle payroll for approximately 500 employees and I ultimately ended up doing payroll for their Texas call-center, which employed 1200 people from three shifts,” explained Escobar.

In 2001 when several companies merged to form Cingular Wireless, Escobar was promoted from within his company to manage payroll and the company’s 401K accounts.

Six years later a discussion with his local barber would start Escobar on the path to starting his own payroll management company. The barber had received a letter from the IRS he didn’t understand and asked Escobar for assistance. This ultimately led to this entrepreneur purchasing a small payroll computer system. Suddenly Escobar’s business, which he would later name Principiumwas born.

is urged to contact their local representatives asking them NOT to support the Governor’s budget unless it funds the UEZ program.

Local Paterson Legislators are:Senator Jon. A. Girgenti: (973) 427-1229, Assemblywoman Nellie Pou: (973) 247-1555, and Assemblywoman Elease Evans: (973) 247-1521. In conjunction, the Paterson UEZ has

created a “Save Paterson UEZ” Facebook page, for those willing, to join and stay informed of developments.

Applications for registration as a UEZ business are still being accepted at the UEZ offi ces, located at 2 Market Street, Paterson, NJ. Information on the program is available by calling the UEZ offi ce at 973-321-1212.

“I chose this name because in Latin it means, ‘A higher level of your principals’ and in the payroll industry we take care of mostly confi dential information, and over the years I’ve mastered how to deal with that,” said Escobar.

The payroll industry is extremely important, and not be taken lightly by a small business. Escobar, through the years has mastered the information needed for this industry through studying the industry by becoming a member

of The American Payroll Association, and of the Society of Human Resources Management. Through these organizations

Escobar receives summaries of all payroll regulations and changes from the State and Federal Government which helps keep him knowledgeable for his customers.

“Small businesses may struggle with things such as whether to pay someone as a contractor or employee or whether they can deduct the amount of their medical premiums as per Cobra,” explained Escobar. “It’s very easy to make a

mistake if you are not informed and this is why I recommend all businesses work with a payroll manager in-house or a company like mine.”

He elaborated on the benefi ts of using an out sourced payroll management company, stating, “A business is going to be paying more doing it themselves. They’ll have

to buy a system and pay a yearly license for the payroll system. They’ll have to pay someone to do it in-house. Payroll from what I know, based on my years of experience, is very complicated. If you’re doing payroll it should be your 100 percent focus and if you own your own business you have so much more to focus on.”

According to the Principium Payroll Management Website small business payroll services include: working with a specialist who will ensure employee hours to be paid,

PRINCIPIUM FOR YOUR PAYROLL MANAGEMENT NEEDS

If you’re doing payroll it should be 100 percent of your focus and if you own your own business you have so much more

to focus on.

William Escobar, President of Principium Pay-roll Management, is the newest member of The

Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce

Continued... pg 6.Continued... pg 6.Continued... pg 6

UEZ ... from pg. 3

CHAMBER NOW RECRUITING FOR LEADERSHIP PATERSON 2012The First 2012 Leadership Paterson Session is in January ‘12

The cost of enrollment is $950 and the sponsoring employer has to provide 9 full days away from work for the participant to attend the seminars.

Aside from fostering the development of community leaders, the sponsorship of a participant in LP produces residual benefi ts that accrue directly to sponsors: •Those sponsored become more responsible and develop more self-reliance and self-esteem from being in a competitive environment with others who have a wide range of educational accomplishments, jobs, careers and professions. • Those sponsored develop/expand leadership potential

and a willingness to take on greater responsibility and to exercise a leadership role in their jobs and careers. • Those sponsored are afforded networking opportunities to promote their employers. There have been many instances throughout the LP years, when business relationships evolved and where business opportunities were revealed and exploited through the contacts that participants made among other LP participants, as well as those made with others in the 35+ visits that LP made during the year to businesses, organizations, institutions, etc., in conjunction with the 9 LP seminars.

LP enrollment is not limited to sponsored employees. Many business owners as well as top executives of community organizations and institutions have participated and continue to be welcomed.

The GPCC welcomes the return of previous years’ sponsors and of course, sponsorships from those members that have not previously sponsored a participant or themselves.

To enroll a participant or even yourself, or to arrange for more information, or to request a personal visit to your place of business, please call, write, telephone, e-mail or fax:

Sheri A. FerreiraAssociate Director and Director of

Leadership Paterson Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce 100 Hamilton Plaza, Paterson, N.J. 07505, Tel.: 973-881-7300 / Fax: 973-881-8233, E-mail: sheri@greaterpatersoncc.org

The Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce is now recruiting for Leadership Paterson 2012. Leadership Paterson is the largest community outreach program of the GPCC.

GPCC urges Chamber members to give consideration to the sponsorship of an employee or other individual with leadership potential, in the program.

LP is structured to motivate its adult participants, the majority of whom are employees sponsored by GPCC members, to stop complaining about the way things are, or complaining about or criticizing what was done/not done by current leadership, and to get off the sidelines and take on a leadership role in the public/private sectors. In those roles, they will be able to infl uence and initiate new ideas, new ways of doing things, new programs, etc., that will help to make Paterson a better place to live, work, go to school, own a business, shop and in general, to improve the quality of life for those who live and work in the City.

Many of the program’s alumni have been or are involved in community leadership activities. Here are some examples: 4 current members of the 9 member Paterson City Council and 5 former members; 3 former member of the 7 member Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders; one former Passaic County Clerk, the current Board Chair of the GPCC and 3 past Chairs; the current President of Passaic County Community College; several members of the Paterson School Board, the former Editorial Page Editor of the Herald News; the Executive Director of the Paterson Education Fund; a member of the Editorial Board of the Herald News and the driving force behind the annual statewide workshop on Latino Empowerment; the President of the N.J. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; The current President of the Paterson Rotary Club, and 4 former presidents, and many others who serve in volunteer/paid roles as executives, staff members or as board members of community organizations, as well as others in local, county and even state government roles. Wherever there is a need for leadership in the community, there will be an alumnus of LP ready to serve.

Above: Leadership Paterson’s Class of 2006 pays a visit to Lam-Above: Leadership Paterson’s Class of 2006 pays a visit to Lam-bert Castle, the home of Catholina Lambert, one of Paterson’s most notorious silk barons. The excursion was part of “Pater-son’s Glorious History,” LP’s fi rst seminar of every year.

Leadership Paterson offers opportunities for forging Leadership Paterson offers opportunities for forging strong relationships with classmates. Pictured above at LP’s Annual Alumni networking event is Jamie Dykes, GPCC Presidents, with Sue Greenbaum, President of Greenbaum Interiors (Class of 1989) and Anthony Davis, Paterson’s First Ward Councilman, Anthony Davis, Paterson’s First Ward Councilman, (Class of 2002)(Class of 2002)

Two ‘LP participants (Councilman At-Large Benji Wimberly, and Lisa Alston) observe the activities in-side a 2nd grade public grammar school in Paterson during the Education seminar, which focuses on Paterson’s Public Schools, which are under State control.

EXPLORE THE CHAMBER’S NEW WEBSITE

WWW.GREATERPATERSONCC.ORG

OUR NEW AND IMPROVEDWEBSITE FEATURES A MEMBERSHIP LISTING,

FLYERS, RESERVATION FORMS, AND DOWNLOADS FOR EVENTS, AN EVENTS CALENDAR, AND INFORMATION ON

ALL PATERSON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PROGRAMS, SERVICES AND EVENTS.

ALSO.... YOU CAN NOW DOWNLOAD ISSUES OF CHAMBER HAPPENINGS!

PLEASE BROWSE THE SIGHT, AND SHARE COMPLIMENTS AND/OR

SUGGESTIONS BY CALLING 973-881-7300.

prepare payroll and management reports every pay-week, make payroll calculations including voluntary deductions and tax withholdings, send payroll taxes to your local tax offi ces, compile quarterly and annual payroll tax reports including Form W2. If you are a public work employer, Principium also calculates certifi ed payroll checks and prepares and submits reports to your public body each pay period. For mid-to-large sized employers, Principium also has available EZ Payroll, online payroll and even more comprehensive payroll outsourcing solutions.

Escobar, who lives in Paterson, keeps an offi ce in Clifton. However, with three employees, he tends to work from home most of the time.

When asked how large he would like to expand Principium Payroll Management, he stated that he never wants to go up against the giants. “I can provide the same or better service they are providing. I have a payroll system that is as powerful as ADP. I don’t aspire to grow as big as them. I simply want to focus on my core group of clients, recruit some more, and do well by them.”

Joining the Chamber of Commerce,

was the next necessary step in Escobar’s plans.

“It’s the next level in the process of building my company. I’m out meeting new people at the Chamber events and this is very good for me to build a circle of partners and clients.”

For more information about Principium Payroll Management, or to speak directly to William Escobar call 800-449-9499 or e-mail wescobar@principium.us.com. The company website is www.principium.us.com.

PRINCIPIUM ... from pg. 5

Around Town and Member News*Send your company news to sheri@greaterpatersoncc.org for publication in Chamber Happenings

Next Wave Web Awarded SBDC Success AwardNext Wave Web, was recently honored as one of 13 diverse small businesses across New Jersey as a recipient of the Small Business Development Center’s Business Success Award. Alia Suqi, owner of Next Wave is especially proud of this award, saying, “You can always get an award for something you’ve done in the community, but this is an award for busi-ness success, for staying profi table.” The 9-employee, union print shop is focusing on increasing sales and staying com-petitive in today’s market. For more information about Next Wave Web call 973-742-4339 or visit them on the Web at www.nextwaveweb.com.

Nextwave Web own-ers Alia and Isa Suqi received the SBDC Success Award. They are pictured with representatives of the State SBDC and Kate Muldoon of the William Paterson University Small Business Develop-ment Center.

Malqui Tax Opens New Location on 21st AvenueWith Mayor Jeffery Jones, and Councilman Julio Tavarez in attendance, Cesar Malqui, President of Malqui Tax recently opened his relocated branch of Malqui tax Services at 469 21st Avenue. In the height of Tax season, the offi ce was bustling with customers and a busy color coordinated staff. The location offers plenty of off-street parking and close proximity to Route 80.

Cesar Malqui, president of Malqui Tax cuts the ribbon of his new 21st Av-enue location with assis-tance from Mayor Jeffery Jones. Also pictured is Councilman Julio Tava-rez and Maritza Davila, who represented Senator Jon Girgenti.

You can’t go anywhere today without hearing about social media, whether it’s facebook, linkedin, twitter or plaxo to name a few. If you believe in it or not it’s happening all around you. You see social media’s infl uence just about everywhere. But is it necessary and specifi cally, do you need it?

I say YES, but under certain circumstances. There are several questions you must ask before you jump in and the answers must be positive or encouraging. If these questions produce positive answers, you need to go for it. If not, hold off for now and reevaluate it later. Here are some of the questions that you must ask. They are:

1. What do I want to accomplish? (Make sure you include fi nancial goals in what you want to get done.)

2. Will it cause sales? This is a yes or no answer – forget about maybes. 3. What is the fi nancial return on my time, energy and/or investment?4. Do I have the skill, time and desire to do it myself or do I need to hire

someone? 5. Will I be realistic about my expectations and consistent with my

effort?6. How will I track my results? 7. Did my projections come true?

a. If not, can this be fi xed in a cost effective manner? If not, stop doing it.

Be clear - the only reason for social media in business is to drive sales like any other sales tool. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to have name recognition, but most small businesses need money more than recognition. If you have other reasons for doing this or you like doing it, it’s okay; but it must generate qualifi ed leads and drive sales or it’s ineffective for your business.

To use social media requires time, energy, skill, money and a clear vision of what you want. Some of the biggest mistakes I see happen are because people don’t ask the above questions and they really don’t know what they’re getting into (at least to make money). Many people have no clear cut goals for what they want to happen; they just heard they should do it. Some think that if they build a big list they can send out their stuff and people will buy what they’re selling. You must understand that people who buy products and services online go through the same process that people who buy offl ine do. They still need to be interested or develop an interest to buy your stuff.

In conclusion, social media is good in certain situations; but you must be clear and it must make fi nancial sense if you are going to do it for business. It must drive sales directly or produce qualifi ed leads. It’s for selling, not just telling.

For more information or if you would like to comment, please call me at 973-684-5505x201 or email me at danshiver@aol.com and put ‘chamber’ in the subject line.

Is Social Media All Its Cracked Up to Be? If it Doesn’t Sell; It

Dan ShiverShiver Real Estate

St. Joseph’s Medical Center Announces VP of Physicians and Ambulatory CareSt. Joseph’s Healthcare System, Paterson, NJ, is pleased to announce the appointment of Donald J. Parker as Vice President of Physicians’ and Ambulatory Services at St. Joseph’s Healthcare System.

Mr. Parker comes to St. Joseph’s from AtlantiCare Health Services, a member of the AtlantiCare Health Systems, Egg Harbor, NJ, where he served as President. Prior positions include Vice President, Business Development, AtlantiCare Health System, and President/CEO of AtlantiCare Behavioral Health. Mr. Parker’s areas of expertise

include strategic planning/implementation, business development, health care innovation, medical talent management, and partnership building.

Actively involved in the community, Mr. Parker is currently a member of the leadership boards of Atlantic Cape Community College, United Way of Atlantic County, and the Atlantic County Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the faculty of The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Social Work & Business Departments and has served as President of the Hammonton School Board, Kessler AtlantiCare Home Care, The New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies, and Gilda’s Club of South Jersey.

Recognized for his expertise and leadership, Mr. Parker has lectured extensively on innovation and entrepreneurial initiatives in health care. He is the recipient of numerous awards including The United Way Director of the Year, the New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies Leadership Award (twice), as well as special citations from the United States Senate and House of Representatives for volunteer community contributions.

Mr. Parker earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Rutgers University and has been involved in health care for more than 25 years.

Two from H2M Earn New York State Professional Engineering License (P.E)H2M, an architectural, engineering and environmental testing laboratory services fi rm, recently announced that Nicholas F. Bono and Hardik Parekh are now New York State Licensed Professional Engineers (P.E.).

Conference Room Available for RentThe GPCC Conference room is available for your next business meeting at an affordable rate. The conference room features a U-shaped conference table and seating for up to 35 people.

The Chamber offi ces are easily accessible at 100 Hamilton Plaza in Downtown Paterson, a short drive from Route 19, the Parkway, and Route 80. In fact, the conference room’s view from our 12th fl oor location offers a spectacular view of Downtown Paterson and other areas

of the city. A cafe on the same fl oor, is a perfect option for catering and plenty of parking is located at the underground parking facility across the street at Center City Mall. For more information call 973-881-7300.

Downtown HappeningsYou can experience Downtown Paterson on the web at www.shoppaterson.org

THE FAMILIAR FACE OF MAIN STREET’S JENNY’S FASHIONS

Jessica Venancio has been an acting manager of Jenny’s Fashions at 261 Main Street since she was about 15 years old. Though born in NYC, her family moved to NJ when she was young. Therefore, she considers Paterson her hometown and is happy to spend her days here. Her parents, Ruben and Paula, established the store soon after the family relocated and it has been seen as a Downtown staple for the past 20 years.

Jessica left the business for a while to pursue a career as a certifi ed paralegal. However, she missed servicing the welcoming and diverse customers who visited her in Paterson. “I’m friendly! I like to talk a lot,” she simply stated. So,

Jessica came back home to Paterson.

She is proud of the fact that many of the regular customers continue to return to the store, week after week and month after month. In fact, it’s one of the main reasons she enjoys working in Paterson.

The close relationships she’s fostered with her clients drives her to work hard and be passionate about her family business. She is honored that when customers visit, many of them so often say, “I know I can fi nd this in other places, but I’d rather give my money to you.”

Even though the times are a little tough, Jessica would not want to work anywhere else and treasures the business her family built together, fostering their wish to fulfi ll the American dream.

Jenny’s Fashions could be categorized as a basic gift shop, selling accessories, perfumes, watches, travel items, and apparel. For more information call the store at 973-333-3089

Jessica Venancio stands in front of a winter hat display in her store, Jenny’s Fashions

by Lauren Ricca

CITY BEGINS TO CRACK DOWN ON CODE VIOLATIONSRetailers and property owners beware. City inspectors have begun to canvas Main Street in the Downtown Paterson area to issue warnings to retailers and property owners who are violating City codes. For example, signage is only al-lowed to cover a certain percentage of a storefront’s window. If a City inspector witnesses a sign taking up too much of a window, the retailer could be fi ned.

Other types of violations include broken windows, graffi ti, merchandise hanging from awnings and outside of the store.

The Downtown Paterson SID is in the process of getting a list of violations that inspectors are looking out for, and will have the list available for property owners and retailers to obtain. For more information about this, please call Sheri Ferreira at 973-881-7300.

CITY OF PATERSON TO BE AWARDED SUSTAINABLE NJ BRONZE STATUSCouncilman Andre Sayegh recently spearheaded the City of Paterson’s ap-plication process to become a Sustainable NJ City. Sustainable Jersey is a certifi ca-tion program for municipalities that want to go green, save money, and take steps to sustain their quality of life over the long term.

Sayegh recently asked the Downtown Paterson Special Improvement District to participate in the application process. On behalf of the Businesses and merchants of Downtown Paterson, the SID markets and advertises shopping locally. Such cam-paigns earn points for municipalities who are applying for certifi cation, and the SID supplied the Councilman with a report of marketing and advertising of the shop-ping district, which included our recent “Shop. Eat. Explore” campaign, and new website: www.shoppaterson.org.

The SID was recently notifi ed by Coun-cilman Sayegh that the City of Paterson obtained 195 points and thanked the SID

for it’s efforts. He said, “The SID’s ag-gressive advertising doesn’t just help to promote local businesses in Paterson but it also earned us points toward Sustain-able NJ, and we are thankful.”

150 points earned Paterson the Bronze certifi cation, while the additional 45 will count toward the City’s eventual applica-tion for Silver Status, which requires 350 points.

The City will be recognized by the State of NJ at the November 2011 League of Municipalities Conference, where the “certifi cation” will be offi cially awarded.

PATERSON RESTORATION CORPORATION

grow, and relocate to the City of Paterson.

relocation loans, or property development loans. The PRC enables businesses to

PRC’s mission is to create opportunities for Paterson Businesses ~ including equipment loans.

Wth a particular focus on small-to-medeum business (SMB) loans, from $25,000.00 to $200,000.00, the

No loan points!

Lanisha Makle, Director Community Development (973) 321-1212

Jeffery Jones, Mayor/Director Economic Development

No pre-payment penalties!Low interest rates!

Alpine Painting & Sandblasting Contractors

17 Florida Ave.Paterson

American Dream Management Corp.P.O. Box 380

Totowa

Arrow Steel, Inc.629 E. 19th Street

Paterson

Associated Fire Protection, Inc.100 Jackson Street

Paterson

Atlantic Stewardship Bank630 Godwin Avenue

Midland Park

Bascom Corporation495 River Street

Paterson

Bragg Funeral Homes, Inc.256 Rosa Parks Blvd.

Paterson

Broadview Networks744 Broad St., 10th Fl.

Newark

Brownstone, The351 West Broadway

Paterson

Burger King/Franchisees Jethwa Food Mgt. Inc.

675 Paterson AvenueCarlstadt

CJ Vanderbeck & Son, Inc.P.O. Box 705

Paterson

Classic Auto Body of Paterson33 Beckwith Avenue

Paterson

Coldwell Banker Susani Realty209 Union Avenue

Paterson

Commercial Financing Solutions, LLC103 Rock Road

Wayne

DeJong Iron Works Inc.223 Godwin Ave.

Paterson

Diaco Food Service110 Pennsylvania Ave.

Paterson

Douglas Stephen Plastics Inc.P.O. Box 2775

Paterson

Evans Architects A.I.A.470 Chamberlain Ave.

Paterson

Gates Flag and Banner6 E. 1st Street

Clifton

Great Falls Industrial Park Inc.70 Spruce Street

Paterson

Hanson & Ryan, Inc.P.O. Box 347

Totowa

Joseph A. Gilosa Bindery, Inc.555 20th Ave.

Paterson

Kirker Enterprises Inc.55 E. 6th St.

Paterson

Little Falls Alloys Inc.189 Caldwell Ave.

Paterson

Lipo Chemicals Inc.207 19th Ave.

Paterson

Longstreet Development Corp.9 Mill St.Paterson

Machinery Services Corp.P.O. Box AY

Paterson

Malqui Tax469 21stAve

Paterson

Miami Onion Roll Company111 Berkshire Ave.

Paterson

Nextwave Web, LLC229 Marshall St.

Paterson

Paterson Fire Fighters Assoc.850 Madison Ave.

Paterson

Peragallo Organ Co.302-308 Buffalo Ave.

Paterson

Prestige Hospitality, LLC2 Wood St.Paterson

St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center703 Main Street

Paterson

St. Paul’s Community Development Corp.451 Van Houten St.

Paterson

Star of Hope Ministries Inc.34 Broadway

Paterson

Valley National Bank490 Chamberlain Avenue

Paterson

Wells Fargo95 Route 17 South

Paramus

THE CHAMBER THANKS OUR FEBRUARY-MARCH RE-NEWING AND NEW MEMBERS

PRC MICRO LOAN PROGRAMLOOKING FOR HELP TO START A SMALL BUSINESS?

PATERSON RESTORATION CORPORATION • 131 ELLISON STREET, PATERSON, NJ 973-321-1212

•The rate will be Prime + 2% and will be fi xed at the time of closing•For loans of $500 to $1,000 the term will be one year•For loans of $1,001 to $5,000, the term will be two years•For loans $5,001 to $10,000, the term will be three years

$500 - $10,000 TO START A SMALL BUSINESS IN PATERSON

Applicants must contact theWilliam Paterson University

Small Business Development Center at 125 Ellison StreetTel.: (973) 754-8695

Applicants must reside in the City of Paterson as well as plan to operate their business in the City of Paterson. All applicants will attend FREE SBDC business training

classes and individual counseling sessions.

The Micro-Loan program offers loans in the range of $500 - $10,000 to eligible candidates who reside in the city of Paterson and who are looking to establish or expand a business within the City of Paterson. The lender and source of the loan funds is the Paterson

Restoration Corporation. The Small Business Development Center locates at 131 Ellison Street is contact for the borrower.

FREE BUSINESS TRAINING

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