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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 27, 2019)
A4 OPINION Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, November 27, 2019 Smarten up state spending W hen people spend other people’s money, they can be less than finicky. And so it seems with workers at the state of Oregon. For instance, the state bought 23 Xerox printers for $1,461.78. A state audit found a better deal that could have saved the state more than half that amount. The state bought 58 copies of some statistical software for $12,694.42. A state audit found a better deal that could have saved $6,079.52. And the state bought four licenses for some database software for $119,649.11. The same state audit from December 2018 found a bet- ter deal that could have saved the state $107,017.51. Yikes. Those are egregious exam- ples. We did pick them from the audit to highlight the shocking savings that the state could have made if it spent money more carefully. Of course, state workers may not always have the time to seek out a great deal on every purchase, and state purchas- ing requirements can inter- fere with getting the cheapest price. The state audit found, though, the state could have saved between $400 million and $1.6 billion during the 2015-17 biennium based on $8 billion in procurements during that time. We’d like to be able to tell you that’s all fixed now. We can’t. But we can tell you the state is moving in what could be a positive direction in one area — purchases by state and local governments that are too big to put on a credit card. The state has a contract with Periscope Holdings, an Austin, Texas, company, to build a new statewide pro- curement system, according to Governing magazine. The platform called OregonBuys Marketplace is scheduled to gradually go live across gov- ernment in 2020. There are similar systems in Illinois, New Jersey and Massachu- setts. If it works right, it will replace what’s called ORPIN, which is the system the state and local governments use now. Buying stuff for the state gets complicated, because there are many legal require- ments. The hope is that the system will keep that in the background and government workers will be able to shop for goods more easily. It will automate a lot of the work. It might make it easier for smaller vendors to compete for state dollars. And the state should be able to better track spending and purchases and manage that data. Will the cost of the Oreg- onBuys be recouped in sav- ings? We hope so. Will it fix the fundamental problem that people aren’t as care- ful when they spend other people’s money? No. But it should enable the state and the public to better moni- tor it. GUEST COMMENT Are your books in order? I t’s hard to believe, but the end of 2019 is nearing, and busi- ness owners have multiple items to address. One of the most important things owners can do is make an appointment with their tax profes- sional now — before tax season — so they won’t be surprised by an unwelcome and hefty tax bill. If given enough time, an accoun- tant can advise whether addi- tional allowable business pur- chases can be made to reduce any tax liability. For an accountant to accurately assess the finances of a business, the books must be in order. It can be a very easy task if income and expenses have been entered in a regular and timely manner. If not, the owner has a big job ahead, and it may be very wise to hire a bookkeeper as it essential for this to be completed right away. Thoroughly evaluate finan- cial statements which include the following three common docu- ments. If unsure how to generate these or interpret the information, ask the accoun- tant for assis- tance. Reviewing this information should occur on regular intervals instead of just Greg Smith once a year so adjustments can be made, helping to ensure profit- ability and growth. • Balance sheet: This includes business assets, liabilities and equity and provides a snapshot of how the business is doing at a spe- cific point in time. • Income statement: Is the busi- ness profitable? The income state- ment itemizes expenses and reve- nues and quickly tells the owner if the business is showing a profit or loss during a selected time period. • Cash flow statement: An illustration of how money is flow- ing in and out of a business from operating activities (income and expenses) and assets purchased and sold. It is also not too soon to begin planning for 2020. If you have a business plan, spend time review- ing it and ask whether it accu- rately summarizes the objectives with specific plans and bud- gets to achieve stated goals. Per- haps there are new opportunities on the horizon that will necessi- tate a change in operations, addi- tional key employees or financ- ing. On the other hand, if there is no business plan, now is the per- fect time to create one. There are many online resources available, and capable business advisers at a local Small Business Develop- ment Center can assist. Benjamin Franklin is often credited for the following quote, “If you are failing to plan, you are planning to fail.” Small business owners should take that to heart. Greg Smith is the director of the Eastern Oregon University Small Business Development Cen- ter, 1607 Gekeler Lane, Room 148. To schedule an appointment for free, confidential business advising, call 541-962-1532 or email eousbdc@gmail.com. GUEST COMMENT The small business experience A WHERE TO WRITE GRANT COUNTY • Grant County Courthouse — 201 S. Humbolt St., Suite 280, Canyon City 97820. Phone: 541-575-0059. Fax: 541-575-2248. • Canyon City — P.O. Box 276, Canyon City 97820. Phone: 541-575-0509. Fax: 541-575-0515. Email: tocc1862@ centurylink.net. • Dayville — P.O. Box 321, Dayville 97825. Phone: 541-987-2188. Fax: 541- 987-2187. Email:dville@ortelco.net • John Day — 450 E. Main St, John Day, 97845. Phone: 541-575-0028. Fax: 541-575-1721. Email: cityjd@ centurytel.net. • Long Creek — P.O. Box 489, Long Creek 97856. Phone: 541-421-3601. Fax: 541-421-3075. Email: info@ cityoflongcreek.com. • Monument — P.O. Box 426, Monument 97864. Phone and fax: 541-934-2025. Email: cityofmonument@centurytel.net. • Mt. Vernon — P.O. Box 647, Mt. Vernon 97865. Phone: 541-932-4688. Fax: 541-932-4222. Email: cmtv@ ortelco.net. • Prairie City — P.O. Box 370, Prairie City 97869. Phone: 541-820-3605. Fax: 820-3566. Email: pchall@ortelco.net. • Seneca — P.O. Box 208, Seneca 97873. Phone and fax: 541-542-2161. Email: senecaoregon@gmail.com. SALEM • Gov. Kate Brown, D — 254 State Capitol, Salem 97310. Phone: 503-378- 3111. Fax: 503-378-6827. Website: governor.state.or.us/governor.html. • Oregon Legislature — State Capitol, Salem, 97310. Phone: (503) 986-1180. Website: leg.state.or.us (includes Oregon Constitution and Oregon Revised Statutes). • Oregon Legislative Information — (For updates on bills, services, capitol or messages for legislators) — 800- 332-2313. • Sen. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario – 900 Court St. NE, S-301, Salem 97301. Phone: 503-986-1730. Website: oregonlegislature.gov/Bentz. Email: Sen.CliffBentz@oregonlegislature.gov. • Rep. Lynn Findley, R-Vale – 900 Court St. NE, H-475, Salem 97301. Phone: 503- 986-1460. Website: oregonlegislature. gov/findley. Email: Rep.LynnFindley@ oregonlegislature.gov. WASHINGTON, D.C. • The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500; Phone-comments: 202- 456-1111; Switchboard: 202-456- 1414. Blue Mountain EAGLE Published every Wednesday by s online shopping has steadily grown during the past decade, brick and mortar retail businesses have been looking at new ways to address this shift in consumer behavior. In an attempt to convert some of those “clicks” back to “bricks,” experiential shop- ping has become the latest trend and marketing technique for tra- ditional retailers. Experiential shopping can take many shapes — a focus on consumer engage- ment over sales, creating an experience to share with others or offering other services beyond the products sold, to name a few. But for most small, mom-and- pop businesses, this is simply business as usual, and has been for generations. Small businesses are the original experiential shop- ping experience. There are no new marketing techniques at play — just an authentic, local and per- sonal shopping experience. That is why the #ShopSmall movement is so important. It reminds us of the importance of spending our dollars in the estab- lishments that power our econ- omy, benefit our communities and enrich our lives. Small Business Saturday will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Nov. 30. The movement is set to son not only grows the econ- omy, it typically comes with a great story to share: the artist who handcrafted a piece of jewelry, the father and son who decided to take their barbecue rub recipes to market, the corporate professional who got burned out and decided to pursue a passion for pet care — they are the people who natu- rally create experiential shopping for consumers simply by being themselves. This year, the SBA Portland District — which serves Oregon and southwest Washington — will participate in Small Business Sat- urday by doing Main Street busi- ness tours with mayors in Lincoln City and Tillamook, connecting businesses with holiday marketing resources, and getting the word out to #ShopSmall. I invite you to join us in participating in Small Business Saturday and create a memorable experiential shopping experience for you and your loved ones this year. Jeremy Field is the regional administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration Pacific Northwest Region, which serves Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. The SBA empowers entre- preneurs and small businesses with resources to start, grow, expand or recover. L ETTERS POLICY: Letters to the Editor is a forum for Blue Mountain Eagle readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. Brevity is good, but longer letters will be asked to be contained to 350 words. No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person. No thank- you letters. Submissions to this page become property of the Eagle. The Eagle reserves the right to edit letters for length and for content. Letters must be original and signed by the writer. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers should include a telephone number so they can be reached for questions. We must limit all contributors to one letter per person per month. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Send letters to editor@bmeagle.com, or Blue Mountain Eagle, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244. Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper Publisher............ ......................................Chris Rush, crush@eomediagroup.com Editor & General Manager ...............Sean Hart, editor@bmeagle.com Reporter ...................................................Rudy Diaz, rudy@bmeagle.com Community News .................................Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Sports ........................................................Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Marketing Rep .......................................Kim Kell, ads@bmeagle.com Administrative Assistant ..................Christy Smith, office@bmeagle.com Office Assistant .....................................Alixandra Hand, office@bmeagle.com MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION build on a decade of success and rally even more communities to come together in support of small businesses. Last year, a Jeremy Field record estimated $17.8 billion was spent on Small Business Saturday at indepen- dent retailers and restaurants, momentum I urge you to continue by shopping small this holiday season. Supporting Small Business Saturday doesn’t have to be a choice between “clicks” or “bricks” either. More and more small businesses are bringing their local and personal touch to the convenience of online shop- ping. In fact, 41% of consum- ers who reported participating in Small Business Saturday last year did so by shopping small online. There are nearly 378,000 small businesses in Oregon, and more than half of the Oregon workforce either is employed by a small business or owns a small business. Plus, two out of three net new jobs are created by small businesses. Spending your dollars with a small business this holiday sea- Online: MyEagleNews.com 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Grant County .........................................$45 Everywhere else in U.S. .......................$57 Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60 Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery Periodicals Postage Paid at John Day and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER send address changes to: Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 USPS 226-340 Phone: 541-575-0710 Copyright © 2019 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission of the publisher. facebook.com/MyEagleNews @MyEagleNews
