Upstate Business Journal

By Jack Van Rossum This is a nautical term that I think expresses what our business community is experiencing here in the North Valley.  The economic storm and resulting strains that were imposed on our economy have subsided a bit, but the resulting damage has not yet been completely experienced.  I believe the financial environment [...]

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By Jack Van Rossum California’s state university system is experiencing difficult times.  The state’s budget does not allow for the public university and college system to continue in its present form.  There is simply not enough money to keep moving forward as we have in the past.  A change is required and demanded by this [...]

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By Jack Van Rossum The list of the ten largest banks in the world includes Bank of America at number seven and J.P. Morgan at number nine.  On the list of the largest banks in the U.S., Bank of America and J.P. Morgan are number one and number two, respectively.  Citigroup is number three and [...]

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By Jess Krager Owning a vehicle is one of the most costly investments that people are often faced with. According to statistics compiled by the Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAIA) on their website carcare.org “the vehicle failure rate for at least one part or system in April 2010 was 72 percent.”  With that being said, the majority [...]

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By Keith McElroy Two traveling salesmen I know were rushing to catch a flight. They screeched in front of the airport in their rental car, tipped the skycap, ran like mad and slipped by the closing airplane door.  Up above 10,000 feet, one said to the other, “did we leave our car running at the [...]

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By Jack Van Rossum Backlog of Foreclosures/Shadow Inventory There is a backlog of home-loan foreclosures everywhere in the country.  The number of loans in default and the number of people who are not making their mortgage payments are two very different totals.  The foreclosures that are either going to short sale or to complete REO [...]

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By: Robin Cripe Nearly fifteen years ago Chico saw the advent of a second microbrewery.  Smaller than Sierra Nevada and never with as much marketing power, Butte Creek Brewery was known for its earth-friendly approach to the creation of some of the finer organic brews.  The company was started by local businessmen Bill Beeghly, Tom [...]

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By: Jess Krager Starting your own business is a challenge that few people are prepared to take on. The cost associated with creating your own business from the ground up can often discourage ambitious entrepreneurs. That’s where companies like Winmark Corporation come in to save the day. As a frachisor of over 900 retail stores [...]

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By: Jack Van Rossum If you have not heard the term “MERS,” do not feel left out–it is not appearing in the normal media channels. The term MERS stands for Mortgage Electronic Registration System, and it is a corporation that is owned by its members, the federal banking industry–Bank of America, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, [...]

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By: Jack Van Rossum The multiplicity of diversity in California is sometimes difficult to understand, and its impact on your business can be significant. The United States Bureau of the Census defines 280 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) in our country.  The Census Bureau also compiles detailed information about personal income in each of these areas [...]

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