Some views of our new business office at 3232 Rio Mirada (north end of Buck Owens Blvd.).

Fortune Small Business -- April 28

Fraud of all sorts -- embezzlement, business identity theft, patent infringement, and product counterfeiting -- is increasing. The median loss form embezzlement cost small companies $190,000 in 2006, up from $98,000 in 2004, according to the latest numbers from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. The number of patent-infringement lawsuits rose 6 percent last year. New research has found that counterfeit goods account for an estimated 15 percent to 20 percent of all products manufactured in China, says the former chairman of House Committee on Small Business.

Technological advances have made it easier than ever for the unscrupulous to victimize businesses. Consider that hundreds of pages of sensitive financial information can be stored on a USB drive the size of a thumb -- or that millions of dollars can disappear at the flick of a computer key. Given all the day-to-day challenges small business owners face, most feel they don't have the time, patience, or money to protect their business. This helps explain why small businesses are nearly twice as likely to be victims of fraud as are big corporations.

From Inc.com website

#7 Lying on your job application
Sure, a little dishonesty is expected in the business world. But remember, thanks to the web, more employers are now doing background checks on your resume, even after you've landed the job. If you really don't have that Harvard MBA or never worked on Wall Street, saying so will get you fired.

#6 Drinking on the job
It's one thing to let loose at the office holiday party. It's quite another to slip out for cocktails after lunch every other day to ease the afternoon grind. Don't fool yourself--if you're drinking on the job and everyone knows it, it won't be long before it's closing time.

Dear Members and Friends:

May is the month when we celebrate Mothers Day and this year it falls on Sunday, May 11th so please pay tribute and give them thanks. Buy them flowers, take them to breakfast, lunch, dinner or simply remember them if they are no longer with us.

The Kern County Hispanic Chamber has now fully relocated to 3232 Rio Mirada Drive Suite D3. Please come by the new office to visit and see what the chamber has to offer your business.