Friday, September 28, 2012

Attention A&E Firms in Oakland & Beyond


Attention all firms wanting to do business in Oakland and beyond:

 
The Business Outreach Committee of the Golden Gate Transit District, in cooperation with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 4 Calmentor Program, invites all Architectural and Engineering (A&E) and Other Professional Services Firms to the:

Fall 2012 Business Development Workshop on Thursday, October 25, 2012,

from 2:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

at Caltrans District 4

111 Grand Avenue, Oakland

 

Four workshops will be offered:

·        Funding Drives Projects:  Learn How to Keep Track of What Funding is Available and When Allocations Can be Made at the State and Local Levels to Projects

·        The Advantages of Certification:  Agency Thresholds, Bidder Preferences, and Marketing Your Certification Effectively

·        Avoid Common Pitfalls to Increase Your Chances of Being the Choice Consultant

·        Contracting Methods Used in Bay Area Agency Procurements

 

To register, visit us at:



All are invited. You do not need to be a Calmentor member to attend.

The workshops will be followed with an A&E mixer

from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. at Vo’s Restaurant, located across the street from Caltrans District 4

at 59 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA.

This is a great opportunity for firms to network with other companies and public agency representatives.


The goal of the Business Outreach Committee is to assist small and disadvantaged companies in doing business with Bay Area Transportation Agencies.

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Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Oakland Restaurant Association Roundtable Discussion - October 2nd


Please join us at the Chamber for the first OAKLAND RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION (ORA) ROUNDTABLE SESSION – FREE! Event details below:

ORA Roundtable Workshop | OCTOBER 2nd | 2pm | FREE: ASCAP and BMI Music Licensing Assistance

If you own a radio station or a restaurant and you want to broadcast or play music, what you need are public performance rights-- the right to play music that the general public will hear in one way or another. Obviously, if you own a radio station playing 300 or 400 songs every day, obtaining public performance writes from every label and publisher is impossible. Therefore, public performance rights licensing is now handled by two very large companies named ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) and BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated) that simplify the process. Each one handles a catalog of about 4,000,000 songs.

A radio station will typically purchase from ASCAP and BMI what are called blanket licenses to broadcast music. A blanket license lets the station play anything it likes throughout the year. ASCAP and BMI decide how to divide up the money among all the rights owners.

Any establishment, including a restaurant, that wants to play music that will be heard by the general public needs a license as well. If you do not pay and you get caught, you can be sued. Beware, the fines are pretty steep -- sometimes thousands of dollars.

 Come join us on Tuesday October 2, at 475 14th St (Suite 100, Board Room) to learn how to best respond to this issue, it promises to be a frank and entertaining conversation with Philip Harris Lead Attorney of Philip Harris Law.

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Monday, September 24, 2012

11th Annual Walk to End Domestic Violence


The 11th Annual Walk to End Domestic &  Teen Dating Violence, a benefit walk in support of A Safe Place the only comprehensive domestic violence shelter in Oakland, will be held on Saturday, October 13, 2012 from 9AM to 2PM at Lake Merritt.  This is an excellent opportunity for Chamber members to promote their products and services at the Community Resources Expo as part of the walk festivities. 

 To reserve a spot for your business or for more information on sponsorship/tabling opportunities, please contact Alex Arteaga, aarteaga@arteagacoltassoc.com. or call (510)859-8111

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Port of Oakland RFP for Environmental Compliance Consulting

From time to time, the Chamber is made aware of local business opportunities and projects relevant to our members and other community based organizations. See below for the most recent opportunity spotlight from the Port of Oakland:

 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

For

On-Call Environmental Compliance Consulting

Including Laboratory Services


A Non-Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference is scheduled as follows:

9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Exhibit Room

530 Water Street, 1st Floor

Oakland, California


Proposal Due Date:  Monday, October 22, 2012

Proposal Due Time:  5:00 p.m.

The Port has posted the Request for Proposals (RFP) in digital format on a hosting website that can be accessed via the ‘Current RFPs/RFQs/Procurements/Other Business Interests: All Other Port Departments’ link at the following URL:  http://portofoakland.com/business/rfpsrfqs.asp.  Proposing parties should carefully review the requirements of the RFP to ensure that they meet all of the stated requirements.

  

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Thursday, September 20, 2012

Parking Day is tomorrow!

**Bring your street to life for Oakland PARK(ing) Day on Friday, September 21!**

PARK(ing) Day is an annual worldwide event where artists, designers and citizens transform metered parking spots into temporary public parks (AKA ‘parklets’).

 Tomorrow you can make PARK(ing) Day 2012 a smashing success!  Check out the  "PARK(ing) Day Passport" that Oaklanders can complete by visiting a minimum number of Parklets online here: http://www.walkoaklandbikeoakland.org/pages/page.php?pageid=1 .

Get involved:

1.       Register your location for inclusion on the 2012 Oakland PARK(ing) Day map and passport: http://tinyurl.com/PARKingDay2012-OaklandSignup

2.       Visit Parklets around town, and enjoy!

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Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Contracting Opportunity at the Port of Oakland


From time to time, the Chamber is made aware of local business opportunities and projects relevant to our members and other community based organizations. See below for the most recent opportunity spotlight:

Contracting at the Port of Oakland for FURNISHING LABOR, MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT FOR ELECTRICAL WORK AND ASSOCIATED SERVICES FOR PORT OF OAKLAND FACILITIES


A Non-Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting is scheduled as follows:

9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Board Room

Second Floor, Port of Oakland Building

530 Water Street

Oakland, California


Bidders may obtain the Bidding Documents (Plans and Project Manual) for this project on line at the Port of Oakland website at http://portofoakland.com/business/bidnotic.asp on or after Monday, September 17, 2012.

Detailed instructions on downloading the Bidding Documents are available at the following web address: http://portofoakland.com/pdf/bidDownloadInstructions.pdf.

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Thursday, September 13, 2012

Just Stay Baby


Just stay. It’s a simple way to sum it all up.

Here’s how a good friend describes the Raiders’ experience. It describes why the Raiders are one of Oakland’s leading economic development lights and why we as a business community should do everything we can to keep them.

"The three-hour drive to Oakland is worth every minute just to be a part of one of the most unique cultural celebrations in North America – a Raiders home game. Since the last game, a day has not gone by without a laughter-filled conversation about going to a Raiders game as a family. The Raider Nation is alive and well and the experience lives up to the all the hype." – Josh Cook, Chico, CA.

The Raider Nation in Oakland is arguably the most passionate and loyal group of fans in the history of American sports. The team owns a storied history in Oakland, with championships in 1976 and 1980.

Last season, nearly a half-million people came through the turnstiles, many from far beyond the I-880 corridor. Raider fans spend money in Oakland. Raider fans drive national visibility for Oakland. Raider fans hella love Oakland.

The legacy of Al Davis looms large over the franchise, its fans and our city. Young fans are indoctrinated into the Raider Nation by learning some of Al Davis's (literally) trademarked slogans: "Pride and Poise," "Commitment to Excellence," and "Just Win, Baby." Photos of famed players hang in the lobby of the Tribune Tower.

But Raider Nation is far more valuable than just slogans. The most recent Forbes NFL franchise valuations show 19 of 32 clubs being worth at least $1 billion. In Major League Baseball, only the Yankees have a valuation of over $1 billion, as ranked by Forbes.

And the economic importance of the Raiders makes it to the grassroots as well. During last year’s lockout, the NFL Players Association estimated that shutting down the league would cost each city $140 million in revenue. The NFL supports about 110,000 jobs in NFL cities and adds about $5 billion to the economies of those cities (according to Edgeworth Economics).

Let’s be very clear, the Raiders are a nearly billion-dollar enterprise in the midst of our city. Shouldn’t we do everything we can to find them a new home in the city and grow jobs and the economy at the same time?

Oakland is the epicenter of Bay Area sports. We host to the Raiders, the A’s and the Warriors. While two of the teams are making noises about leaving, the Raiders, by way of Amy Trask and Mark Davis, Al’s son, have consistently said that the city, the community, and the fans make this their number one choice for a home for generations to come. Our job as East Bay business leaders is to ensure it stays that way. Let’s win baby.

P.S. – As an aside, if you have read this far, you know the value that the Oakland Business Review has to you, your business and your customers. Please take a moment to consider advertising in some of our upcoming editions and in our on-line properties. You’ll get huge bang for your marketing buck.

Dan Cohen, a principal at Full Court Press,
a full-service public relations, public affairs and crisis communications agency in downtown Oakland, is a member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors and is chair of the Communications Department.

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Attention Oakland Restaurants


Attention ORA Members:

For restaurants who are thinking of PRODUCING products please attend this free city-sponsored workshop on Friday September 14 at 8:30am.

************************************************************************************

 OAKLAND FOOD & BEVERAGE MANUFACTURING WORKSHOP:

 SEPTEMBER 14, 2012  8:30-10:30 AM

OAKLAND CITY HALL, ONE FRANK OGAWA PLAZA,

HEARING ROOM 3 (ground floor)

OAKLAND CA 94612

We invite Oakland Food & Beverage Manufacturers to attend the first in a series of discussions, sponsored by the City of Oakland, Office of Economic & Workforce Development, promoting products & services “made in Oakland” through technical assistance seminars for our manufacturers.

Oakland places a high value on its Food & Beverage Sector- exemplary established and start up artisan, specialty & mainstream food production & processing businesses, their distributors, packagers/co-packers, ingredient suppliers and wholesalers. Food & beverages made, moved and processed in Oakland is a tradition that goes back to the late-1800. The Office of Economic Development strives to help you locate, permit, and publicize your efforts through our Oakland Food & Beverage Trail. This fall the City is conducting an Oakland Food & Beverage Economic Sector Study as a component of our Economic Development Strategy. We hope to engage you throughout the Fall, ask your input on the Study as well as educate us about your facility, workforce, and other needs so that the City can support your growth.

This first seminar will help to educate local Food & Beverage Producers and Distributors on Local Building Services permitting, Food Safety, Packaging and Distribution/Supply Chain Management. Future seminars will continue with such detail, and add information and exchange between local businesses on the local supply chain, greening the supply chain, best buys in efficiency and mechanical/ drainage/ power systems, and topics that arise during the discussion.

8:30:   Welcome and Introductions / light refreshments

8:45    Regulation: Guest Speaker Jeff Hutcher, City Building Services

9:00    Packaging: Guest Speaker: Kevin Kelly, CEO, Emerald Packaging

9:30    Distribution and Supply Chain: Guest Speaker Tom French, Supply Chain Coach

10:00  Food Safety: Guest Speaker Phil Cullen, Manex Consulting

There will be some time for questions and discussion with each Guest Speaker.

Please help us help YOU grow in Oakland by answering a few survey questions on the following website. All answers will be held by city staff of Economic Development only, and in strict confidence.  Find the Oakland Food & Beverage Company Survey at:  http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e6bmy8tjh6h9s2uz/start

For more information and to RSVP, please contact staff Margot Lederer Prado, mprado@oaklandnet.com or direct line, 510. 238.6766

 

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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Oakland Chamber September Non-Profit Roundtable Meeting


Oakland is the place for culture, and the growing and prospering arts community will be the feature conversation at the September 18, 2012 Oakland Chamber Non-Profit Roundtable. Featured presenters will include Margo Dunlap, Executive Director of Pro Arts; Andrea Lundquist, Tara Batholomew and Executive Director Steve Young of The Crucible and Vessel Gallery owner Lonnie Lee. We are also planning a special salute to Chamber Membership Director/Roundtable liaison Triche Christmon.

The Non-Profit Roundtable serves as the Chamber’s hub to connect the Non-Profit business community with the For-Profit business community in the mutually beneficial way to support Oakland. Please join us and participate in the conversation to strengthen Oakland.

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Tuesday, September 11, 2012

OakPAC 2012 Candidate Endorsements


OakPAC          Our Candidates Mean Business!

As the voice for business in Oakland, the Oakland Political Action Committee (“OakPAC”) is proud to unanimously endorse the following candidates:    

 
District 1:             Amy Lemley

                                                2nd choice – Richard Raya

District 3:             Sean Sullivan

                                                2nd choice – Lynette Gibson-McElhaney

District 5:             Mario Juarez

                                                2nd choice – Shelly Garza

District 7:             Larry Reid

                                                2nd choice – Sheryl Walton

At Large:              Ignacio De La Fuente

                                                2nd choice – Rebecca Kaplan

City Attorney:      Barbara Parker

18th Assembly District:          Rob Bonta & Abel Guillen

                                                            Dual Endorsement                             
 
School Board District 1:         Jody London                          

School Board District 3:         Richard Fuentes

School Board District 5:         Rosie Torres                           

School Board District 7:         James Harris


“The OakPAC Board interviewed all the candidates, reviewed their extensive answers to our questionnaires and determined who we believe will best improve the City of Oakland.” said OakPAC Board Chairman John Gooding.

“Our goals of creating jobs, improving the economy and enhancing public safety for everyone in Oakland are shared universally by every candidate for office”, added OakPAC Board Vice-Chairman Mike Jacob, “but after careful review of their experience and policy proposals it is clear these candidates have the vision and ability to best make those goals a reality.”

OakPAC has a proven track record of successfully helping to elect candidates who appreciate the needs of Oakland’s business community.  With a winning percentage of 80% over the last several elections, OakPAC endorsements are highly sought after – and only the best candidates earn the distinction.

The purpose Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce is to promote commerce and industry, to advance economic growth and to enhance the quality of life in the City of Oakland.  It is the purpose of OakPAC to promote those goals by supporting candidates that reflect those goals and objectives.

For more information on how you can help these candidates make Oakland a better place contact OakPAC Executive Director Paul Junge at (510) 874-4817 or pjunge@oaklandchamber.com

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A Kick off to Election Season


What’s best for Oakland? What do Oakland’s voters think are the most important issues? The Chamber has embarked on the first of what it expects will be an annual series on “The Pulse of Oakland,” a public opinion poll that is currently underway to find out what issues are most important and the direction that the city is headed. The poll of Oakland residents, conducted by EMC Research, covers everything from economic development and jobs to public safety and education.

The results of the poll will be announced at a special Chamber breakfast on Tuesday, Sept. 18 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Scott’s Seafood Grill & Bar in Jack London Square, and a professional pollster will be on hand to explain the results of the poll and answer audience questions. The breakfast costs $40 for Chamber members and $50 for non-members. Sponsor tables are available.

Join us to learn what Oakland voters consider the most important issues – and discover the story behind the numbers.

For tickets and information, contact Amanda Medina of the Chamber staff at (510) 874-4800, ext. 319 or at amedina@oaklandchamber.com.

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Governor Brown Announces Appointments


Governor Brown today announced appointments to his Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) executive team. He has appointed Kish Rajan of Walnut Creek as the new director, who will work closely with the Governor’s Senior Jobs Advisor Mike Rossi to lead the executive team in streamlining services for business leaders and enhancing job creation, economic development and international trade statewide. The Governor also appointed Lillian Conroe of Los Angeles as small business specialist at the Office of Business and Economic Development, where she has served as senior permit assistant since 2010.

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Friday, September 7, 2012

Recology Job Announcement


From time to time, the Chamber is made aware of local business opportunities and projects relevant to our members and other community based organizations. See below for the most recent opportunity spotlight from:

Recology San Francisco

Recology San Francisco at 501 Tunnel Avenue is currently looking for a Casual - Material Handler (On-Call –As Needed). The application deadline is Sept. 21th – best of luck to applicants!


Job Description:

Recology is a leader in the resource recovery industry. We provide services throughout California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, including collection, transfer, disposal, landfill management, composting, and recycling. We are the largest employee-owned company in our industry and our success has stemmed from the dedication of our employees, the service we provide to our customers, and our genuine concern for a sustainable environment.

Separation and removal of cardboard, wood, sheetrock, plastic, metal, concrete and aluminum from the waste stream and dump into bunkers.


Work indoors and outdoors for a full shift in all types of weather conditions.

Ability to work on approximately 16ft. high sorting platform.

Repetitive bending and lifting to move odd shapes and sizes of objects weighing up to 70 lbs. from the ground into containers, piles or overhead.

Repetitive throwing or carrying recyclables to sort into piles.

Climbing up and down into a debris box.

Must be willing to work overtime, including Saturday and Sunday as needed.

Attend all required training and safety meetings.

Understand and comply with all company safety rules and policies.

Other duties may be assigned.

 
Qualified candidates will have:

High School Diploma or GED.

If you meet the qualifications of this position and are interested in applying, submit your resume, cover letter, and salary requirements to:

Arleen Leon, HR Coordinator

Recology San Francisco

250 Executive Park Blvd., Suite 2100, San Francisco, CA 94134

Email: aleon@recology.com Fax: 415.656.1253
When applying, please refer to Casual -Material Handler - Requisition #55167 in your correspondence. Resumes will be accepted through September 21, 2012.


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Thursday, September 6, 2012

Go Back to School on LinkedIn: 5 Tips to Refresh Your LinkedIn Profile

So maybe you sent your youngster off with a new backpack and a thermos.  Maybe you shipped your college student off with a few huge suitcases.  For you, however, it’s time to get back to the matter at hand – succeeding at work (or finding work) and letting social media help you. 

Now is the time to embrace new opportunities to learn, to network, and to make new connections.  All with just a few changes and updates to your LinkedIn profile.

Here are five things you can do – all while you drink your morning coffee or sit on a conference call – to get your LinkedIn profile ready to make the grade.

 1) Your profile should be a dynamic digital representation of who you are in your professional world. That means it needs to change, grow and develop with you. Why not take a few minutes to refresh your profile, add new positions, interests, even work and volunteer affiliations?  Finally, add a short personal statement – two sentences – on your “vision for success” for your organization or your role as a co-worker.

 2) Do a Keyword/Search Engine Optimization makeover.  Industry “buzz words” change.  New areas in your field of expertise demand more attention. Even some long-held terms and concepts fall out of favor.  You don’t want your profile to be the tweed jacket with elbow patches in a business casual world. Today, update your profile to show you are staying current in your field.  The question to ask: when people put in key search terms for your job or industry, will your profile pop up?

 3) Brag, even just a little. LinkedIn has added many new categories for your personal profile.  Don’t be shy.  Add in your honors, awards, certifications, projects, publications, and more. Use links if your work is posted in industry journals or on your company’s website.

4) Help LinkedIn help you! LinkedIn now has a pop-up feature that walks you through your own profile.  It asks if each item is accurate.  It suggests more things you “could” add to your profile.  In addition, LinkedIn is always suggesting more and more people you may want to be linked with.  Doing your LinkedIn homework has never been easier.  Just a few minutes of collaborating with the site's proactive help system will keep your profile current and will help you expand your reach.

5) Share the LOVE!  Write a recommendation. Write a few.  A great way to help a connection and to have your profile to be seen by someone else’s entire network is to write a recommendation for a trusted colleague.  This creates goodwill.  It positions you as an expert, and a generous one at that.  Finally, writing recommendations for people outside of your own industry (partners, friends, vendors, etc.) helps your name to be seen far outside of your usual network. 

Going back to school on your LinkedIn profile doesn’t require writing a term paper. Think of it as scanning the Cliff Notes and still passing the test with flying colors. 

 

Ana-Marie Jones
www.LinkedIn.com/in/MsDuctTape ~www.Twitter.com/MsDuctTape
www.CARDcanhelp.org ~www.Twitter.com/CARDcanhelp ~www.Facebook.com/CARDcanhelp

 
Dan Cohen
http://twitter.com/dcstpaul /www.facebook.com/FCPCommunications
www.linkedin.com/in/dancohenfullcourtpress
See Social Media Trainings at: www.slideshare.net/dcstpaul

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