During the holiday season, businesses -big chains and small business- hope they can make the jump from the red to the black numbers, and if not making a big return at least make it even. scams during the year are always there, but during the holiday season, they seem to more prevalent, and find many small business owners unawares of what is going on making the profits a bit harder to come by.
Read more about what is happening in Northeast Ohio by following the links below.
Ohio jumps nine spots as entrepreneur-friendly state
When it comes to fostering entrepreneurs, Ohio is doing it right. The Buckeye State jumped nine spots on the annual Small Business Policy Index, which ranks states by entrepreneurship-friendly policies.
This year, Ohio ranks No. 9, compared to No. 18 in its 2012 ranking.
The annual report takes into account 47 policy measurements, including taxes, regulatory and government spending measures. The report is published by the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.
Policy reforms aimed at small-business startup and growth are mostly being implemented at the state level, said Karen Kerrigan, SBE Council president and CEO.
However, federal policy and uncertainty remains a negative for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
“The top states on the Small Business Policy Index 2013 are streamlining government and lifting burdens like excessive taxation and regulation,” Kerrigan said.
FBI issues alert to NE Ohio businesses: Criminals are now using aluminum foil in credit card scam
The Cleveland FBI reports criminals are scamming small businesses in several states, using stolen credit cards. Store clerks aren’t alerted to these bad credit cards until it’s too late, allowing the crooks to steal thousands of dollars in merchandise.
The scam works because some businesses rely on satellite equipment to relay credit card information once a card is swiped inside the store.
Criminals then have the opportunity to climb onto the roofs of these businesses and put aluminum foil over satellite antennas to block credit card communications.
Cleveland FBI Special Agent Vicki Anderson told NewsChannel5 once the satellite equipment is blocked, the crooks will then make their way into the store and are using bad credit cards without necessarily being detected.
“They’ll interrupt the signal and then they’ll go in the store and purchase high-end items, and when that credit card is not authorized, a lot of times the businesses will allow it to go through thinking that they’ll validate it later,” explained Anderson. “When they do that, later they’ll find out it was a bad credit card.”
When she found herself without a job at age 54, Mary Magyar decided she wanted to take fate into her own hands.
So she went back to school, enrolling in the Culinary Arts program at EHOVE Career Center.
She knew she didn’t want to work for $10 in someone else’s kitchen. The idea of working for herself took root.
“They didn’t just teach cooking,” she said. “It was management, math and how do you do pricing. I realized, ‘I can do this’”
Magyar also went to Small Business Administration seminars at Terra Community College, where she met Bill Auxter, who would soon become her ally in the new venture.
Magyar came up with “Mary’s Catering to Go,” a business where she cooks the food and clients pick it up. She’s also preparing “The Railroad Depot,” an all-purpose venue where she can cater banquets, corporate functions and private events.
