Aug. 31–SBA REQUESTS ‘DO NOT FAX’ RULE CHANGES: The U.S. Small Business Administration’s advocacy office last week filed a petition asking the Federal Communications Commission to significantlychange “do not fax” rules, citing the concerns of small-business trade associations, membership organizations and non-profits.
The FCC rule, a sibling to the federal “do not call” regulations, is slated to go into effect Jan. 1. It bars businesses and associations from sending a fax to anyone who has not given their written permission, under threat of a $1,500 fine per fax. The SBA Office of Advocacy asked the FCC to reinstate an “established business relationship” exemption that would allow businesses to correspond with prior customers and associations to contact members.
The rule was slated to be enacted this fall, but the FCC delayed it under pressure from business groups. The SBA’s advocacy office supported a delay, claiming businesses and groups needed more time to prepare, and it accused the FCC of performing an insufficient analysis of the rule’s effect on small businesses.
An FCC spokesman said the agency will consider the petition.
VENTURE CAPITAL CONFERENCE SET: The Great Lakes Venture Capital Conference is taking applications from Midwestern companies seeking a second or later round of investment to participate in a Nov. 13 gathering of leading venture capitalists and other investors at the Hilton Chicago.
Entrepreneurs, service providers, suppliers and others interested in attending, as well as firms interested in exhibiting and investors, can register online starting Sept. 1.
More than 4,000 attended the most recent Great Lakes Venture Capital Conference in April 2002, including more than 100 representatives from venture capital funds, investment banks and other investors.
Interested firms can submit business cases starting Sept. 1 by going to the conference’s Web site at www.glvcc.com.
FREE WORKSHOPS TARGET WORKFORCE: The Chicago Workforce Board and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce are offering a series of free workshops on creating a committed, high-performance workforce.
The first, scheduled for Sept. 16, is “Learning from the Pros” and will feature small-business managers who will discuss programs they developed and their effect on the workplace and bottom line. Panelists include Anne Arvia, president and chief executive of ShoreBank; Peggy Finley, president of K40 Electronics; and Bill Vogel, president of DeCardy Diecasting.
The series, which continues Oct. 1, 14 and 30, will be held at the chamber office, 330 N. Wabash Ave. Reservations are requested at 312-499-2671.
For more information, go to www.workforcechicago2.org/workshops.html.
—–
To see more of the Chicago Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.chicago.tribune.com/
(c) 2003, Chicago Tribune. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
