Thanksgiving for Hallowed Ground

I have had the opportunity to spend time recently around “hallowed ground” and I’m grateful for that. The term hallowed ground can surely mean many things, to many people. My intention here is to not offer any new definitions, but rather a view on what it means to me.

My recent visits to hallowed ground include time my son Zack and I spent at Gettysburg, the great turning point of the American Civil War. No words I can offer can add to the volumes spoken and written about those momentous three days of July 1st through the 3rd, 1863, except perhaps for these. I agree with the great Civil War historian Shelby Foote that the Civil War defined us as a nation and I believe the Battle of Gettysburg defined the Civil War. Let’s hold on to thoughts of defining moments and hallowed ground.

Other visits to hallowed ground have included being a judge at the Russ Berrie Institute (RBI) for Professional Sales 2011 Sales Triathlon. RBI is part of the William Paterson University Cotsakos College of Business and advances the cause of professional selling skills through a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Sales.

Another continuing visit to hallowed ground is working with the Career Services professionals at Rutgers University, New Brunswick Campus, as they aid the cause of professional development for the students they mentor and counsel. Hallowed ground is also occupied, from my view, by the work being done by the Career Counselors at Berkeley College through their internship programs for students of the school. The folks of the New Jersey Technology Council, through their Technology and Entrepreneurship Talent Network, are also traveling through hallowed ground as they assist in career and job development efforts for the unemployed or those in employment transition.

I work with many dedicated professionals at SetFocus, a school for advancing education and training, while at same time bridging the gap between talent and opportunity, in the information technology career space. If you hold to the belief that a school is a building with the future inside of it, the physical and virtual campuses of SetFocus are tending to the future very well indeed.

And now back to defining moments and hallowed ground. I believe that hallowed ground is defined by the cause, belief and vision of those who travel it. Edison had it right when he said that “vision without execution is hallucination”. The Battle of Gettysburg was won because of a number of factors; I’d like to believe due to the character, competence and bias for execution shown by the victors.

My colleagues and friends at SetFocus, Rutgers University, the Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales, Berkeley College and the New Jersey Technology Council are traveling on the hallowed ground of learning and growth. When they sound the call of “fix bayonets”, it is for education and the vision and execution behind the creation and sustainability of jobs.

And for the ample evidence and substance they bring to the "better angels of our nature", I offer my thanksgiving.

The Better Angels of Our Nature

On March 4, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln concluded his first Inaugural Address with an exhortation and promise to our soon to be embattled nation. He spoke with full knowledge of the looming conflict that became the American Civil War; he also spoke with a deep conviction and belief that our “better angels” would prevail.

I agree with the historian Shelby Foote who said you cannot understand us a nation without understanding our Civil War, a war that was “central to all our lives.” I also believe that the lessons of this conflict stay central to this day.

As we recognize the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, I trust you will join me on this blog and Twitter for a discussion on lessons and learnings in the workplace from a time long ago but, in reality, not far away.

I Got "IT" - A Small Business Primer for Managing Technology Resources and Investments to Maximum Profitability

This free seminar presented on behalf of the Greater Princeton Chapter of SCORE helps small business owners/leaders establish specific ways and means to profitably manage their usage of and expenditures on technology programs. Included in the seminar are discussion points on all technology assets – people, software, hardware, data, telephony, web and networking.

Princeton Public Library - 65 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, NJ
June 29th from 6:45 to 8:45 PM

Contact Jerry Masin at jerrymasin@compasscale.com for further details.

PREPARING A NEW BUSINESS FOR THE WORLD OF DEBT FINANCING

6:30pm – 8:30 pm
Tuesday, April 20, 2010

In cooperation with:

Carteret Mayor Daniel J. Reiman
Carteret Office of Economic Development/Urban Enterprise Zone
Capital One Bank, Carteret
New Jersey Microlenders

Topics Include:

Small Business & Venture Counselor Jerry Masin along with SCORE resource partners and financial institutions will lead discussions on how to prepare for the important task or readying your business to seek loans and other financial support.

Cost: FREE Register 732-541-3836 or EcDevInfo@carteret.net

Location: Carteret
Thomas J. Deverin Community Center
All-Purpose Room
100 Cooke Avenue
Carteret, NJ 07008

Hosted by Carteret Business Partnership

www.carteret.net

Angel Investor Seminar for the benefit of the New Jersey Small Business Development Center at The College of New Jersey.

Overview of NJSBDC @ TCNJ Strategic Human Capital Consulting Program

Contact sbdc@tcnj.edu for program details.

Small business workshops come to Carteret

[Carteret] Mayor Dan Reiman has announced that the Borough has partnered with the Intersect Fund in hosting an 8 week advisory course for potential small business investors. The courses are a part of the Carteret Office of Economic Development’s expanding program agenda for new and existing local businesses.

A free seminar will be hosted prior to the course program, providing entrepreneurs an overview of the curriculum, a quick evaluation of their potential investment, and the range of opportunities provided through Carteret’s various small business startup programs.

The free seminar will be held at the Carteret Public Library, 100 Cooke Avenue, on Thursday January 28, and Thursday February 4, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.. Pre-registration is required at (732) 447-1324 or www.intersectfund.org .

The following 8-week course will offer training in small business planning and operation. A fee of $100-$250 will be required, depending on the participant’s income.

Graduates will receive:
* 250 professionally designed business cards
* Quickbooks Simple Start ($99 value)
* Two hours of one-on-one consulting
* An SBA-approved business plan
* Access to Intersect Fund microloan program
* Invitation to annual entrepreneur showcase

“Encouraging the establishment of new small businesses and nurturing their growth have been major facets of our agenda for a strong business community,” Mayor Reiman commented. “This program will provide potential investors with an invaluable learning experience and tools that may prove vital towards the development of a successful business venture.”

Mayor Reiman added that that SCORE, Counselors to America’s Small Business, will host a range of small business workshops in Carteret. The Princeton Chapter of SCORE will host scheduled counseling sessions at the Carteret Public Library for entrepreneurs, as well as on-site business counseling, seminars, and workshops customized to the specific needs of participating businesses.

“Local businesses should also benefit from expertise and services of SCORE’s resource partners,” Mayor Reiman stated, “and the network of New Jersey’s Small Business Development Centers. This is a rare opportunity for existing businesses to consolidate their business strategies and operations, and for new businesses to avoid some of the common stumbling blocks towards their development.”

SCORE, the “Counselors of America’s Small Business Owners,” is a national association dedicated to helping small business owners form and grow their businesses. Headquartered in Herndon, Virginia and Washington D.C., SCORE has 364 chapters in the United States as well as in U.S territories. SCORE is a partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

More than 8.5 million entrepreneurs have benefitted from the service and expertise of SCORE’s 12,400 volunteers, and 364 offices nationwide.

Since its foundation in 1964, SCORE has:

* Assisted more than 523,000 people in the last year alone.
* Provided counseling to more than 8.5 million business owners.
* Conducted more than 322,000 counseling sessions.
* Received 3.2 million visitors through its Web site in the last year.
* Helped successful companies, such as Vermont Teddy Bear, Vera Bradley Designs, and Jelly Belly Candy.
* Worked with 12,400 working and retired volunteers.
* Helps create nearly 20,000 new small businesses each year.

Councilman Jorge E. Diaz, Chairman of the Borough’s Finance and Administration Committee, said, “Small businesses have created 64% of private sector jobs over the past decade, and ensuring job sustainability is an essential part of our economic recovery. The Borough is focused on giving small businesses the tools to grow, to create jobs, and to drive our economy.”

“These tested resources will bring experience and innovation to our ever-growing small business startup programs,” Office of Economic Development Director Kathaleen Shaw added.

For more information on SCORE’s upcoming programs in Carteret, call (732) 910-3586, or visit www.scoreprinceton.org .