By Mark Engle, Director 

What a relief that the holidays are upon us, and at least for a brief while, we can focus on family and friends, and let some of the pressure of the last few months take a back seat to the things in life we value most! 

Please have a safe and joyful holiday and a prosperous 2009!

NPC is Going Green!

In an effort to save paper and postage, NPC is making a commitment to providing online final grades reports, registration, and other tasks that used to require a visit to a campus.

In fact, there are now two NPC web sites that have recently established, www.npc.edu for the general public, and mynpc.edu for the student population. Check them out and find out how "green" you local Community College is becoming!

THANK YOU for your help in allowing NPC to save resources!

The production of 1 ton of paper: · Takes 17 trees to create · Takes up 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space · Uses 360 gallons of water · Uses 100 gallons of gasoline · Creates 60 pounds of air pollutants · Uses 10,401 kilowatts of electricity

Recycling is not a new concept, which makes it an easy idea to forget about. We all know that the availability of our natural resources is quickly diminishing, but we tend to forget about the simple things that we can do in order to retain what little resources we have left. The National Recycling Coalition has created a fun and interactive way to inform students.

To eliminate the need for paper many schools have discovered online based curricula. This allows students to participate in coursework from any location with an Internet connection and reduces the use of natural resources. Check out our online curriculum for NPC atwww.npc.edu or the SBDC at www.npcsbdc.com (go to Online Classes).

Why is everyone going green?

There is a growing interest in going green or buying products and construction that are environmentally friendly -- meaning natural, sustainable, recyclable and more energy and water efficient. One reason for the increase in green construction is rating systems that give builders clear-cut methods to obtain certification through the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Energy Star and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Another reasaon is the growing concern about climate change as well as an interest in lowering monthly bills due to increased energy costs.

Remember your favorite first date? Think about what made it special for you. Maybe it was the way your date listened and took an active interest in you and the things you care about. It could have been the extra care your date put into looking just right for the occasion or the bouquet of flowers that greeted you at the door.


Making a good and lasting first impression in business is a lot like a memorable first date. In a competitive marketplace where consumers, companies and government institutions have multiple choices about where and how to spend money, it's vital for small-business owners to remember that selling yourself can help you sell your product or service.


A common mistake of business owners is failure to make a positive and lasting first impression, but it's a mistake that's simple to correct by following a few simple steps. Be prepared. Begin building a lasting first impression even before your meeting starts. Know everything you can about your product or service. This might include having a portfolio of work or product samples or other promotional or marketing materials. Be prepared to answer commonly asked questions. Remember the adage: Failure to prepare is preparation for failure.


Know your audience. Research the client or the organization whose representative you will be meeting. Informed observations go a long way toward creating a memorable encounter. Research will also allow you to tailor your presentation to the specific needs of the organization or individual whose business you're courting.


Choose appropriate clothing. If you want to convey professionalism, wear clothing that reinforces the image you want to project. Remember that first impressions set the stage, and clothing is one of the first things noticed by potential customers.


Arrive early. Chances are your favorite date didn't leave you waiting. If he or she was early, it probably boosted your ego and made you feel like your date was really interested and excited about spending time with you. The same is true in business.


Extend a good handshake. While it might seem inconsequential, a firm handshake can project confidence and competence. When shaking someone's hand, lock the soft, "webby" part of your hand between the thumb and forefinger with the same part of the other person's hand. That way you avoid the dreaded "wet fish" handshake and are also less likely to clamp down too hard and hurt the other person. (The only caveat here is a cultural one: Not all cultures view a strong handshake as a positive gesture. So remember step No. 2: Know your potential client.)


Listen. A common mistake is to talk too much during an introductory meeting. Part of selling yourself is to understand the needs of the person or team you're meeting with, which recalls tip No. 1 about preparation: If you did your homework and have some basic knowledge about the business representative or individual you're meeting with, you will understand his or her concerns and be prepared to address them.


Thank your clients for their time. Everyone is busy these days, and time is a precious commodity. Thank your client - or potential client - for spending some of that valuable and finite resource with you.

Barack Obama and the business community can expect to have a happy honeymoon as long as the president-elect's focus is on economic recovery. Tax increases and union-friendly legislation may cause major rifts down the road, but for now, business groups and Obama share the same priorities: quick passage of an economic stimulus bill and immediate aid to struggling auto makers. 


"Our newly elected leaders understand that they and the business community have a strong, mutually shared interest to bring about economic recovery as soon as possible," said Tom Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "Any successful and sustainable recovery must involve the business sector." The chamber wants Congress to include tax breaks for business investment in an economic stimulus package, which could be considered when Congress briefly reconvenes later this month. The chamber also recommends a temporary reduction in fees on Small Business Administration loans, an increase in the portion of the loans guaranteed by the government, and changes that will improve the ability of SBA lenders to sell these loans on the secondary market. 


Other business groups also are lobbying for an economic stimulus package. Realtors and home builders want Congress to expand a tax credit for first-time homebuyers, and construction companies favor increased infrastructure spending. Obama agrees with business groups that Congress should act quickly. "I want to see a stimulus package sooner rather than later," he said Nov. 7, after meeting with economic advisers. "If it does not get done in the lame-duck session, it will be the first thing I get done as president of the United States." 


During the campaign, Obama proposed changes to SBA's loan programs to make them more helpful to small businesses. During his Nov. 7 press conference, he cited the need to aid "small businesses that are struggling to meet their payrolls and finance their holiday inventories." Obama also mentioned small businesses two other times during this brief press conference -- once about their role in the auto makers' supply chain and once about his proposal to cut capital gains taxes for investments in small businesses. 'Working relationship' likely Democrats, as well as Republicans, should understand the key role small businesses play in creating jobs, said Dan Danner, executive vice president at the National Federation of Independent Business. "I don't think that changes," he said, even with a change of control at the White House. Karen Kerrigan, president and CEO of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, thinks Obama, like fellow Democrat Bill Clinton, "will do what he can to secure some type of working relationship with the business community." 


At his press conference, however, Obama may have foreshadowed future conflicts with the business community over taxes. He declined to back off on his proposal to increase income taxes on families making more than $250,000. Instead, he pointed out his plan would provide "substantial middle- class tax cuts." "The goal of my plan is to provide tax relief to families that are struggling, but also to boost the capacity of the economy to grow from the bottom up," Obama said. Unions could ruin honeymoon Labor unions, which poured millions of dollars into electing Obama and increasing Democratic majorities in Congress, support this "bottom up" approach to economic growth. 


"There's only one way to get a vibrant economy going forward," said Lawrence Mishel, president of the union-backed Economic Policy Institute. "And that is based on broad-based earnings growth of the vast majority, earning a good paycheck, spending it fueling an economy. "We will not be able to get back to that without a vibrant labor movement. And that won't happen without policy changes that will allow people to join and form a union where they want." Unions are pushing for quick passage of legislation that would allow them to organize a workplace if they can           get 51 percent of workers to sign cards stating they favor union representation. No election would be required. Obama supports the bill. Business groups vow to fight this legislation vigorously, contending workers could be coerced into signing union cards. Workers should make their decision in a secret-ballot election, business groups argue. Donohue said the Employee Free Choice Act, as the           legislation is called, should not even be considered until the economy recovers because of the "serious implications" the bill would have "on the creation of jobs and on the stability of the economy." 


Bringing up this bill early also could damage the spirit of cooperation that now exists between business groups and Obama. "This is not the issue to build a relationship on," said John Engler, president of the National Association of Manufacturers.