by Laura Ojeda, Latino Outreach Coordinator, Oceanside Chamber

Last Saturday members of the Latino Business Committee of the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce along with members of the community celebrated the 50th anniversary of Johnny the Barber. We were honored to have celebrated this milestone in his career and see the impact he has in the Latino Community.

Johnny opened his barber shop in a time in which man were not accustomed to cut hair in a time and the industry was full of woman. He mentioned how he does more than cutting peoples hair, but he builds relationships with his clients and delivers outstanding customer service and that is the sole reason why he has had such great success as a Barber. 

El Sábado pasado celebramos el  cincuenta aniversario de Johnny el Barbero. Miembros del comité Latino de la cámara de comercio en Oceanside y miembros de la comunidad se unieron para celebrar con Johnny. Estamos muy orgullosos de Johnny y el impacto que ha tenido en la comunidad Latina en Oceanside.

Johnny abrió sus puertas al negocio en el tiempo que no se acostumbraba a ver a hombres cortar el pelo ya que esta industria era dominada por mujeres. Johnny dice que le debe mucho a su éxito y al alto nivel de servicio al cliente. Muchas personas han sido clientes de Johnny desde su juventud y todavía vienen como adultos a ver a Johnny.

​by Quantal Langford, Langfordesign

What exactly is a brand? It’s a very trendy word nowadays in the business world. Even the clients that I work with get confused with the actual concept of branding or brand development in regards to their logo. In this series I want to give you a different perspective on what the term “branding” actually is and how you can better connect your brand with your audience.

As a designer my job is to effectively communicate one’s vision and ideas into physical form and connect with a target audience in a way that increases the overall value of one’s brand. Take in mind that it may not result in a bottom line value at first. Through brand recognition, positioning, experience, meaning, character, and crafting the story of the brand in a way that connects with their audience emotionally, you will eventually convert that customer into your tribe. The way a person experiences your brand from first recognition, through their experience and story of the brand (website, marketing material, communications) even to customer service encompasses the vast spectrum of what branding is. 

First things first, identity thieves do not discriminate when deciding to hack into a company.  Large, small and everything in between are vulnerable.  They want the biggest bang for their buck with the least amount of risk.  So what are a few of the ways they invade?

1.    False invoices are sent to Accounts Payable in the hopes that those who are writing the checks will not verify their legitimacy.   This seems impossible, but these invoices appear real and are very nearly the same as others sent to the company and are not in amounts that would draw much attention.    

2.    Employees are contacted by what they think is their HR department telling them that there has been a change in their human resource status.  They use the link supplied in the email and are taken to a site that looks very much like the real HR site for their company.  As soon as they log in, the thieves capture that login information and go to the real site to gain access.  Once there, they redirect that employee’s paycheck by changing the direct deposit information to the thief’s bank account.

3.    Emails are sent to employees from thieves who are posing as their CEO, Supervisor or Manager requesting documents or sensitive data.  Because it’s coming from their “admin staff,” employees assume it’s legitimate and so don’t even hesitate to send this data off.  Prevalent is the request for an employees’ W2 information or horror of horrors the entire payroll spreadsheet.  This is on the rise and the W2 information is used to file fraudulent tax returns.  The IRS has issued an alert to Human Resource people to inform their staff of this particular scam.  Interesting results come up when Googling phishing and W2 scam.  You will be stunned.  

4.    Even churches are in the crosshairs.  An email is sent to the person who is in charge of the books that appears to come from the pastor or a senior church official.  The email requests a bank-to-bank transfer for an urgent and confidential matter.  Because this type of request is plausible in the context of church business, there’s no question and the transfer is made, right into the thief’s bank account.

June 14, 2016  |  The Inspired Home, organization + design 
 
With "Spring Cleaning" checked off of the list (or not, we won't judge), it’s the perfect time to transition into  "summer organizing."  The phrase might not have quite the same ring to it, but here at the Inspired Home we think its always a great time to get organized.
 
For most of us, summer brings with it a big shift in work and family life.  With the kids home from school, beach days, and more hours of sunlight— our schedules change, foot traffic in and out of the house picks up, and so does the clutter and messes.  We'd like to help you prepare for this busy season by sharing a few of our favorite organizing tips and tricks to inspire your "summer organizing."

by Scott Ashton

Earlier this week, the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce held its 1st Annual Oceanside Heroes event, recognizing some of Oceanside's finest public safety employees and educators. The event, presented by Tri-City Medical Center, was held on the rooftop terrace at the Springhill Suites by Marriott in downtown Oceanside. 

Representatives from the Oceanside Police Department, Oceanside Fire Department, Oceanside Lifeguards and Oceanside Unified School District were recognized for outstanding contributions to the well-being and advancement of our City.