Reason: May be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Through routine testing on July 19, 2011, FSIS found a sample of cooked diced bacon imported from Aliments Prince, S.E.C. to be positive for Listeria monocytogenes. The initial product represented by that sample was refused entry. An in-depth investigation by the firm and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency into the root cause of the Listeria monocytogenes finding resulted in a recall of all precooked bacon products from the Canadian firm.    

Packs/Codes: The following product(s) are subject to recall:

• 10-lb. shipping container with two 5-lb. packages of “Napoli Cooked Bacon Topping” that bear the case code 83600
• 10-lb. shipping container with two 5-lb. packages of “Stefano Brand Cooked Diced Bacon” that bear the case code 83601
• 10-lb. shipping container with two 5-lb. packages of “Bellissimo Cooked Diced Bacon” that bear the case code 83602
• 10-lb. shipping container with two 5-lb. packages of “Olymel Cooked Diced Bacon” that bear the case code 83603 10-lb. shipping container with two 5-lb. packages of “Assoluti Cooked Diced Bacon” that bear the case code 83608

All production dates prior to August 10, 2011, are subject to recall. The labels on the shipping containers have “EST No. 169A” and “Product of Canada.”

Distribution: [USA ex Canada]: The products were shipped to distribution centers in the U.S. for further distribution to food service institutions.

Contact: Retailers with questions about the recall can contact the company at 1-800-361-5800.

Reason: Because the avocado has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. This recall was the result of a routine sampling program by the FDA which revealed that the imported AVOCADO PULP used in these products contained the bacteria. The company has ceased the use of avocado from the supplier.

Packs/Codes:  The product can be identified as follows:

Product with expiration dates USE BY 09/24/11 and AFTER are made with avocado from a different source and are NOT involved in this recall. No other products made by Fresh Food Concepts are involved in this recall.

Distribution: [US & CANADA]: The product was distributed nationwide and Canada through retail supermarkets and club stores.

Contact: Retailers with questions about the recall can contact the company at 1-714-562-5000 ext 134, Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM PDT.

Reason: May be adulterated with E. coli O157:H7.   The problem was discovered as a result of routine microbial testing conducted by the Ohio Department of Agriculture at a state-inspected facility that had purchased these products for further processing. A traceback investigation revealed that the slaughter facility, National Beef Packing Co. products were the sole source for the positive product sample.

Packs/Codes:  The products subject to recall include:

Ground beef chubs produced on July 23, 2011 with a Freeze by Date of August 12, 2011:

• Boxes containing six 10-pound chubs of “National Beef 80/20 Fine Ground Chuck.” These can be identified by the product code 483.
• Boxes containing eight 5-pound chubs of “National Beef 80/20 Fine Ground Chuck.” These can be identified by the product code 684.
• Boxes containing twelve 3-pound chubs of “National Beef 80/20 Fine Ground Chuck.” These can be identified by the product code 782 or 785.
• Boxes containing six 10-pound chubs of “National Beef 80/20 Fine Ground Chuck.” These can be identified by the product code 787.

Ground beef chubs produced on July 25, 2011 with a Freeze by Date of August 14, 2011:

• Boxes containing eight 10-pound chubs of “National Beef 81/19 Fine Ground Beef.” These can be identified by the product code 431.
• Boxes containing eight 10-pound chubs of “National Beef 90/10 Fine Ground Beef.” These can be identified by the product code 471.
• Boxes containing six 10-pound chubs of “National Beef 86/14 Fine Ground Round.” These can be identified by the product code 494.

Each box and chub bears the establishment number “Est. 262″ within the USDA mark of inspection. The products were shipped to distributors nationwide for further processing and/or distribution. It is important to note that the products listed above may have been repackaged into consumer-size packages and sold under different retail brand names. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on FSIS’ website at www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_Recalls/Open_Federal_Cases/index.asp.

Distribution: Nationwide. The products were shipped to distributors nationwide for further processing and/or distribution.

Contact: Retailers with questions about the recall can contact the company’s Vice President of Marketing, Keith Welty, at (816) 713-8631.

The law will be implemented over five-years (2010-2014) to make transitions as smooth as possible. The general approach is to build on the current employer-based healthcare system: we can still buy insurance from private insurers or not-for-profit plans, and the private sector system isn’t changing. Medicare will still cover retirees and Medicaid will continue to cover uninsured children and low-income adults, with new flexibility to cover more people.

So what does the law actually mean for small business owners?

There are several provisions that are particularly important for small business owners and the self-employed. Key elements include:

Small business tax credits

Beginning in 2010, businesses that have fewer than 25 full-time employees, pay average annual wages of up to $50,000, and contribute at least 50% of the total premium will be eligible for tax credits of up to 35% of the employer contribution. The full credit will be available for businesses with fewer than 10 employees averaging less than $25,000 annual wages; it works on a sliding scale.

In 2014, eligible small businesses buying cove rage through the exchange will receive tax credits of up to 50% of the employer contribution. The credit can be claimed for any two years.

High-risk pool

A temporary high-risk pool was established in California in September 2010 to allow people who have been denied coverage because of a preexisting condition and have been uninsured for six months to buy affordable comprehensive coverage. Participants will be transitioned to the state exchange in 2014 without a gap in coverage.

Insurance pool

A state health insurance exchange will create a pool of small businesses with up to 100 employees to leverage purchasing power, enabling insurers to offer lower premiums because they’ll have lower administrative costs, and risk will be spread across a larger population. Insurers will have to offer standardized benefit packages within the exchange, so competition will be based on price and quality, not benefit design. Combined with insurance reforms, the exchange will offer small business owners and the self-employed easy access to a broader range of plans, and stable, affordable coverage year after year.

Insurance reforms

The law includes insurance reforms that will stop discrimination and improve access to coverage:

• Medical screening for health conditions and denial of coverage for preexisting conditions will be prohibited-as of 2014, no one can be denied coverage.
• Health status, claims history and gender will no longer be used to determine premiums. Rates can only vary by age, geographic area, family size and tobacco use.
• Lifetime limits are banned in 2010, and annual limits will be banned once exchanges are established.
• Parents will be able to keep dependent children on their health plans through age 26, effective September 2010 for the new plan year.

Shared responsibility

Employers won’t be required to offer health insurance. Those with more than 50 employees who don’t provide coverage will have to pay a fee when an employee buys insurance through the exchange and qualifies for a premium subsidy.

If at least one full-time employee receives a subsidy, the employer will have to pay a fee of $2,000 per full-time employee. The first 30 employees aren’t counted (e.g., a firm with 51 workers that doesn’t offer coverage would pay an amount equal to 51-30, or 21, times $2,000).

About Small Business Majority

Small Business Majority is a national nonprofit nonpartisan organization, founded and run by small business owners, that brings the voices of America’s 28 million small businesses to the public policy table.
We are focused on solving the single biggest problem facing small businesses: the skyrocketing cost of healthcare.

We use nonpartisan scientific research to understand and represent the interests and needs of all small businesses, from sole proprietors to 100-person companies.

Retail businesses have a number of potential leaks of gross profit dollars. To effectively minimize the financial damage these leaks do to your operation requires:

• Identifying the total value of the leaks. This simply requires measuring the actual retail value of the product sold weekly compared to the potential retail value of that product.
• Defining which departments are contributing to the losses and to what effect.
• Defining what is causing the leak in each department.
• Establishing controls to minimize the losses.
• Assigning accountability for implementing the controls.
• Establishing follow-up processes to measure the effectiveness of the controls and to make adjustments as needed.

Some of the more common causes of gross profit leaks are:

Pilferage - One person, whether an employee, vendor or customer, can do a lot of financial damage in a short amount of time.

Inaccurate Sales Forecast – Over-ordering of product with a short shelf life or highly perishable products can force excessive markdowns to move product.

Excessive Ad Markdowns – There is a price point on an item at which you will achieve optimum sales. Reducing the price on an item below that price point simply reduces gross profit without any financial benefit to your business.

Slow implementation of price changes – Some examples of when this occurs include:

1. When ad items and promotional items are not raised at the end of the ad or promotional period.
2. When a market increase on a product is announced and the retailer waits until the higher cost replacement inventory is ordered before making the price change.

Lack of Strategic Merchandising and Display Planning – Keep in mind your mix of sales must contribute more gross profit dollars than the expense dollars it takes to operate your business. The objective never is to see how much of product A you can sell. Rather it is to place demand products at locations and price points which will optimize the number of gross profit dollars your customer will pay you for the goods and services you provide.

Take action today to minimize the loss of gross profit dollars.

• The mission of your business
• The purpose of your business
• The market and customers the business will serve
• Your competition
• The organization and structureof your business
• The strategies and tactics your business will implement to be successful to includethe marketing plan and operating plan
• The current financial condition of the business
• The projected financial results which the business plan will achieve

A business plan provides a start up business with a detailed reference of what your business objectives are and how you will achieve them.  For an on-going business the business plan is a management tool for gaining management understanding, support, input and follow-through.   For all businesses the business plan is a must for receiving financing.

The most difficult business plan to write is for the start-up business.  The lack of historical financial numbers from your business will require extensive market research to strengthen the credibility of your projections.

Input from professionals outside of your business who have successfully operated in your industry and members of your management team can strengthen your business plan.  The best meeting environment for developing a business plan is one which encourages challenges and disagreements.  This enables the premises of the plan to be tested.

There are a number of websites which provide guidance on the structure of a business plan.  These are great for structure but should not be used for content.  You must be able to articulate the plan, it’s rationale and substantiate the numbers.

Once your plan is developed it should be used on a comparative basis with your actual results.  Tactical changes should be addressed on an ongoing basis as needed.

As a strategic tool it should be reviewed by you, your team and outside professionals on a yearly basis. The best environment is to take your team off-site where you can focus on determining what, if any, changes need to be made.  Prior to the meeting give specific assignments to your team members.  The assignments would include updates on the economy, market demographics, competitive activity and other subjects related to improving your business plan. Business plans improve the probability of success because you, your team and your lender know where you are taking your business and how you plan to get there.

High unemployment, a slow growth GDP and low inflation have eliminated three sources from which to grow sales.  Too many businesses ignore competition.  Knowing your competitors strengths and weaknesses enables you to compete more effectively, serve your customers better and strengthen your ability to increase your sales. Plus, you can minimize the effectiveness of competitors promotional tactics.

Customers in general shop multiple stores.  If you want customers to spend more of their disposable income in your store you cannot ignore what competition is doing.  Knowing what your competitor is doing is part of the responsibility of managing a business.

What should you know about competition?

• What is their price position in the market in each department of the business?
• What “A” features, price and item, do they run each week?
• How many items do they advertise in total?  How many pages of advertising do they use? What do they promote on their web site? How else are they promoting their business?
• What are the quality standards they sell in the perishable departments?
• What is the variety count in the perishable departments?
• How many price signs do they have in each aisle in their store?
• How often do they rotate promotional items in their wall of values and end caps?  What are the price points on their end cap items?
• What are their signature items?  Are they having unusual success with any item or department?
• Why do their customers shop their store?
• How many part time and full time employees do they have?
• Do they have out- of- stock issues?
• What is their price spread between national brands and private label?
• How many customers are in line to check out?   How many checkouts are running at peak selling times?
• Do they receive new items before you?
• Is there a specific product category which they  promote?
• Do they offer special services?
• What non-profit organizations do they support in the community?
• Does their assortment reflect a strong ethnic presence?

Once you have gathered and recorded the information on your competition a schedule should be developed to keep this information updated.  Most of the information gathering can be delegated.  However, the Store Owner/Manager should walk competition weekly.

The objective of gathering this information is to enable you to adjust your business model to increase sales by pulling business from your competitor. The more aggressive you are in soliciting competion’s customer the higher the probability of achieving your sales goal.

With the projected deficit estimated at nearly $26.4 billion, Governor Jerry Brown released his first budget proposal since winning election last fall. He has called for $12.5 billion in spending cuts, including reductions in welfare, social services, health care for the poor and a combined $1 billion cut to the University of California and California State University systems.

Governor Brown also wants the Legislature to call a special election in June to give voters an opportunity to continue hikes in the income, sales and vehicle taxes (set to expire this year) for an additional five years. His proposal relies on the $12 billion in new revenue that the tax extensions will bring.

The only area of state spending being protected by the new administration is K-12 education.

In an effort to persuade voters to back his tax extension, Governor Brown also has said he will seek to fundamentally restructure state government, shifting a host of responsibilities from the state to counties and cities, a process he has acknowledged will be complicated and controversial.

That includes eliminating redevelopment agencies and ending tax breaks available to businesses that operate in depressed areas designated as enterprise zones. A growing number of cities and counties are lining up in fierce opposition to this portion of the Governor’s proposal, stating that it will stop vital economic growth and cost thousands of jobs.

The Governor’s office has said that if voters approve his proposal, revenue generated from the sales tax and vehicle license fees currently set to expire in July would go to local governments to help pay for the changes.

Despite the passage of Proposition 25 last November – which lowered the threshold for budget passage to a simple majority – the governor’s proposal to extend taxes will require support from Republicans in the state Legislature who have vowed to oppose all taxes.

While Governor Brown campaigned on a promise not to raise taxes without voter approval, this is seen as a politically risky move after Californians rejected an extension of the taxes just two years ago as part of a package of ballot measures supported by former Governor Schwarzenegger.

Already strongly adverse to the notion of increased taxes, Republicans are also questioning the Governor’s characterization that his plan relies on half cuts and half taxes, roughly $12 billion of both, to solve the deficit. The remainder of Brown’s plan relies on nearly $2 billion in internal borrowing, transfers and non-tax revenues.

In particular, they call into question four items that Brown has dubbed “spending cuts” but involve taking outside money to reduce the state’s general fund burden. These include taking $861 million in Proposition 63 mental health funding; $1 billion in First 5 early childhood development reserves, $1.7 billion in aforementioned redevelopment funds and $1 billion in a fuel-tax swap that involves local transit money.

Because of these fund shifts, as well as other accounting maneuvers, Republicans are contending that the governor’s proposal contains $14 billion in taxes and $8 billion in cuts.

Further complicating what will inevitably be a difficult negotiating process is the factor of timing.

In order to allow enough time to place the tax question on the ballot for an anticipated June election, the Governor’s proposal also assumes the state Legislature would pass a spending plan by March — a date unheard of in recent years as legislative budget debates have typically dragged on late into the fall.

On January 4th, 2011, Governor Jerry Brown was sworn in for an unprecedented third term as California’s governor, taking the reins of a state battered by the national economic downturn and a seemingly endless budget crisis.

Twenty seven years after he ended his first round as governor, Jerry Brown handed Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman a sizeable defeat despite her spending more than $140 million in her quest for the governor’s office.

Governor Brown is the son of the late former Governor Pat Brown. He first became governor in his own right in 1975, when the Golden State economy was vibrant and the envy of the nation.

Stating that he has “not come here to embrace delay and denial,” the Governor has called upon Democrats and Republicans in the oft-gridlocked state legislature to work together in making the tough choices needed to get California back on a strong economic footing.

Much has changed in Sacramento between the tenures of Governor Brown, who held the governor’s post before term limits were instituted, as he works toward that goal.

In the decades since he left office, state officials and legislators lost flexibility on budget matters in large part due to the property-tax cap instituted by Proposition 13, the strict school funding mandates resulting from the passage of Proposition 98, and a host of other voter-approved ballot measures.  Those fiscal constraints, coupled with a dramatic increase in spending on permanent programs, have created an unsustainable dynamic that the new Governor has pledged to permanently unwind.

Confronting a state with high unemployment and a record deficit, Governor Brown used his inaugural speech to pledge fiscal austerity, job creation and a broad effort to rebuild public trust in state government.
In the speech, the Governor referred to Californians’ intrepid spirit as he outlined the monumental task ahead: closing the multi-billion dollar budget deficit and getting the California economy moving again.
“From the native peoples who survived the total transformation of their way of life, to the most recent arrival, stories of courage abound. And it’s not over,”

As he acknowledged the magnitude of the state’s problems, he stated that California was up to the challenge, and that innovators in Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and in small businesses throughout California “give hope to an even more abundant future up ahead,”

On behalf of the members and Board of the Neighborhood Market Association, we congratulate Governor Brown on his election and look forward to working in partnership with him during the years ahead.