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
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Mountain Eagle, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244.
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
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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
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