Ventura County Business Bank gives hope to area banks
OpinionIt might be the understatement of the decade to say that raising capital has been extremely difficult for area banks. But in a very difficult environment, President Jerry Lukiewski at Ventura County Business Bank has found a way to increase his bank’s capital and perhaps set the stage for the acquisition of assets or other Read More →
Foundation puts cash to work in soft commercial real estate market
ColumnsIn a typical week, I get about a dozen real estate deals in my inbox. Most of them are pretty forgettable, and some are only buzzworthy because, well … there’s nothing else to buzz about. Leases are few and sales are far between. So you can imagine my surprise when I heard from Ron Gallo, Read More →
Business tax violates Sol
ColumnsFirst, a disclosure. My late father, Sol Dubroff, spent much of his career as a tax systems architect, working for the U.S. Treasury and later for the IMF and other development agencies. He absolutely detested the value added tax, or VAT. He accepted the fact that taxes are the price we pay for liberty and Read More →
Let them eat cupcakes
Small BusinessCall it comfort food if you will, but cupcakes may just be the perfect recession-proof little indulgences. In the Tri-Counties, cupcake bakeries – or cupcakeries – have proliferated over the past two years, and their owners say they’re only getting more popular. Maybe it’s because the HBO series “Sex and the City” shows its characters Read More →
Fueling the future
UncategorizedCalifornia has long been famed for its sun, sand and surf, but Dutch financial giant Rabobank is only concentrating on the sunshine. The Netherlands-based bank teamed up with a solar power company from the Bay Area to install a network of solar-powered electric vehicle recharging stations that would let drivers travel from Los Angeles to Read More →
