PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE  

Dear SBBA Members:

I hope everyone is doing well and looking forward to the Holiday season. It is hard to believe it is here. Many thanks to Lynn and Joan for organizing the Annual Holiday Party. If you have not received your invitation in the mail please contact myself or Vicki St. Martin. Please remember to RSVP for the holiday event by November 29th.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Loren

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SECRETARY'S MINUTES 

The regular monthly meeting of the Santa Barbara Bookkeepers' Association was held on Tuesday, October 19, 2004, at Milligan's Cafe.

Vice President Karen Mora opened the meeting. She reminded members to please turn off their cell phones, and then asked new members and guests to introduce themselves.

Vicki St. Martin asked if anyone present was, or knew of a Peachtree consultant, to please contact her.
Katrina Tinker was the winner of the free lunch next time.

An announcement was made about the Holiday Party: it is scheduled for Tuesday, December 7. Invitations will be going out shortly with information about where it will be held, the food selection, and asking members to RSVP with a check. (Ed. note: Invitations have gone out), Pam Allman announced that today's program is Table Topics.

Vicki circulated the Roster, and requested each member to review, and correct if necessary, the information listed for themselves.

Paula A. Mauro, Secretary SBBA

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don’t forget to rsvp if you’re coming to November meeting

E-mail to Jennifer Loren jen.loren@cox.net   - be sure to put RSVP in the subject line of your e-mail. 
 
She must receive your response no later than the Friday before the meeting.

For November that means November 12.

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Program for Tuesday, November 16, 2004 

Our speaker will be Jacqueline A. Willson of Anticouni & Associates.

Anticouni & Associates is the foremost employment law firm on California's Central Coast. With a practice focused primarily on representing plaintiffs in labor and employment matters, the firm has successfully handled more than 1,000 litigated matters during the last 20 years. Its expertise ranges from class actions on behalf of employees to sexual harassment, discrimination, wrongful discharge cases and wage claims.

Ms. Willson's area of practice is employment litigation. She earned an undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1973.

Ms. Willson then continued her education at the University of San Franciscoand graduated J.D., with honors, in 1978. She was admitted to the California Bar in the same year!

Ms. Willson will discuss the California Family Leave Act and give us an overview of the current wage and hour laws.

Meeting attendees are welcome to ask questions regarding current labor laws.

This quote from Anticouni and Associates' website may give you something to think about before Ms. Willson's presentation on November 16. "OVERTIME PAY at time-and-a-half is required for almost all salaried and hourly employees, regardless of title, who work more than 40 hours in a week or 8 hours in a day."

We look forward to seeing you on November 16!

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PLEASE REMEMBER to notify Vicki St. Martin of any email or address changes to keep the data base current!!

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LIABILITY AND WORKER'S COMP INSURANCE FOR BOOKKEEPERS AND CPAS

One of my clients was recently re-evaluating their insurance, and I ended up speaking with the broker regarding my own insurance. He was able to quote me a special group rate, combining my liability and worker's comp, and my total cost is going to be less than half of what it was. The worker's comp is where I will save going from $1.29 to $0.53 for every $100.00 of wages. That is a 58% savings. The plan is only for Bookkeeping and CPA businesses. I just wanted to remind everybody that it is a good idea to re-evaluate your insurance needs on an annual basis, especially in this rapidly changing insurance economy. I try to remind my clients to do this, but I forget to do it myself! The new policy also has a "Loss of Wages" payment clause if something catastrophic happens to my business, which my old policy did not have. Even if you do not have employees and work out of your home, you should consider getting a liability only policy because it would insure many things your renters or homeowner's policy will not.

Karen Mora

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Here's a question from Michelle Sullivan:

Does anyone have any experience, positive or negative with QuickBooks Online?
Has anyone heard any reports from friends etc. positive or negative with QuickBooks Online?

Michele Sullivan
Sullivan Business Service

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Whistleblower Notice Requirements

California Labor Code Section 1102.8 regarding whistleblowing now requires that employers post the employees' rights and responsibilities in the form of a printed notice in a typeface or font size that is larger than the previously required 14 points.

Attached is a form that a Ventura labor law firm has prepared using 15 point or larger type that incorporates the sample text provided on the DLSE website at http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/whistleblowersnotice.doc. 

Fall is a good time to review your own employee notices and make sure that they are in compliance with recently enacted legislation. The form on the DLSE site contains links to the applicable laws on the internet that provide further information and requirements on whistleblowing.

submitted by Caron Garliepp
(prepared by the Employment Law Group of Nordman, Cormany, Hair & Compton)

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SPRING SEMESTER AT SANTA BARBARA CITY COLLEGE

Accounting with QuickBooks - Accounting 160
Tuesday evenings 5 - 8 PM Class begin January 25, 2005
Excellent textbook and we will cover QB 2005 new features.

Call Sandy O'Meara for more information - 965-9907

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For anyone who loves puns. (and I can't help myself!) Two brothers, Simon and Garth, had a dog called Walter. They loved to take him to their Uncle Charlie's mansion. But one day, they were surprised to find the gates locked. Fortunately, Uncle Charlie's tall chauffeur saw them and approached the gates. Walter began barking, making a huge noise. Neighbors leaned out of their mansion windows and asked what the hubbub was. One replied: "Simon and Garth's uncle's big chauffeur's troubled Walter."

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You're invited to the:
 
SANTA BARBARA BOOKKEEPERS ASSOCIATION'S 2004 Annual Holiday Party

DECEMBER 7, 2004 at 11:30am

Stella Mare's Event Center
(located at 3302 McCaw Avenue - off Las Positas)
$13.00 per person

If you wish to participate, please bring a Wrapped Unisex Gift for the SBBA Gift Exchange (value $15 or less), and

(if you wish) an Unwrapped Gift or Food to donate to Unity Shoppe

Get in the holiday spirit! Everyone is encouraged to wear their holiday outfit/accessories.

Tear off and send the bottom section of this flyer to:
SBBA c/o Lynne Klinkenberg 822 Orange Ave., Santa Barbara CA 93101
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All those planning to attend -- RSVP's must be rec'd by Nov 29th with payment in
advance. Please enclose check payable to SBBA for $13.00 per person.

Name__________________________     How many attending____      Amount Paid $_________

Menu Selection (please put a P for each person's choice):

____ Roasted chicken roulade stuffed with sun dried cherries, wild rice cake, julienne vegetables and a cherry cream sauce.

____Sautéed Sea bass stuffed with lobster mousse and a saffron sauce, grilled asparagus, baby eggplant and roasted tomatoes.

____ Vegetarian Torte, light pastry layered with roasted red peppers, eggplant, roma tomatoes, Portobello mushrooms and roasted asparagus, melted mozzarella cheese and tomato herb sauce.

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