ENTERPRISE
Transcription
ENTERPRISE
ENTERPRISE A newsletter of Asian American Economic Development Enterprises, Inc. A non-profit organization helping Asian Americans and others to help themselves July 2012 Volume 22, Number 1 AAEDE Proudly Presents the 5th Annual 2012 Scholarship Recipients: F: L to R, (Bell Gardens HS) Tiffany Chen Jessica Jimmy Hsueh Luu Lisa Nguyen Amy Duong, Tianna Li Judy Wu Rio Djiwandana Kitty Lin July, 18th 2012, AAEDE’s 5th Annual Scholarship Luncheon. For more information, please visit, www.aaede.org. How Jack Huang Became Successful at Villa Sorriso 2012 Scholarship 1 Meet Jack Huang 1 President’s Message 2 AAEDE Intern 3 2012-2013 Economic 4 Forecast Why Pay Rent When 5 You Can Own! Getting a Head Start 6 on Your Resume. A Glimpse of Alham7 bra from Yonemoto Career / Job Fair By Alex W. Hsu & Kenneth Right next to the 210 freeway in Old Town Pasadena, there is an Italian restaurant resting at the corner of Pasadena Ave and Colorado Blvd called Villa Sorriso. People might walk past it treating it like an ordinary restaurant, but they are missing out on a paradise right in front of them. Kenneth ordered the halibut that comes with mashed potatoes and vegetables and Alex ordered the seafood spaghetti. Both of us devoured our meal because it was so delicious and there was nothing left on our plates at the end of the meal. Inside this issue: able to receive helpful tips on how to run a successful business and to hear about his intriguing life story while enjoying a meal at Villa Sorriso. He wasn’t born rich or just given tools to easily become successful so he had to work hard his whole life. It is a fascinating story on how he became the person he is today. 8 slow paced for him and he wanted to do something different, so he went to work for Panda Express for two years. After gaining enough confidence, he went on establishing his own business. Jack started out with a Chinese fast food restaurant called Wok and Roll. Soon after, he added a sushi bar to the Before he chose to study Aerospace Engi- restaurant to diversify and to attract more neering at UCLA, Jack emigrated from Amer- customers. However, he later realized that ica from Taiwan when he was a teenager. His this was not what he wanted as well. He family opened a Chinese restaurant and he later saw that other restaurants decided to worked tirelessly in his family's restaurant copy his ideas and setup their own fusion Jack Huang runs this exotic restaurant, while at the same time attending school. restaurant. He needed to create a new but this is not the only restaurant he owns; Through working in the restaurant, Jack was style. he has two more Italian restaurants: iXtapa able to learn important skills on how to sucThe Italian restaurant down the street and Bar Celona. cessfully run a restaurant. (where Villa Sorriso is now) went out of We both got the wonderful opportunity It was not until after ten years of working business and it was leasing out the space. to interview Mr. Jack Huang and we were for national defense, he decided that it was too (Con’t Huang, Pg 4) ENTERPRISE President’s Message by David Woo The other night I made two rice dishes. Why rice? It’s a near universal staple and probably in two thirds of the world it may be the binding element of meals, of families, of communities and societies. My first attempt was traditional Chinese fried rice. Memories come to mind when my mother created the same dish in a small, dusty Arizona town, cultural light years from her Cantonese roots. (Did you know that rice was used in the construction of the Great Wall of China, a mixture used in lieu of cement, which seems to have stood the test of time?) I have always wondered why we place so much emphasis on food and on the comfort of food we are familiar with. I suppose there is no place like home and that the meals we eat are a source of that connection. So, I began with some shrimp, the little bay shrimp which Mark, my seafood purveyor assures me is frozen (but still fresh, from being frozen very quickly after being caught). For some none obvious reason, I have trouble locating this variety of shrimp in the Downtown Ralph’s market, hence it’s my wife who forages for it in Glendale or Hollywood. That’s easy to use because there is little prep work, other than to wash it thoroughly. Then the leftover steak from a prior meal is chopped up with the interminable question, should it be diced, sliced or in big chunks? I change my mind on that preparation every time the dish is cooked. Add a little chicken which is already cooked and is the remains of a rotisserie bird from Costco - one of the slam dunk bargains in the cooking world. The chunk question comes up again. As I stir fry the meat part of the dish in canola oil (trying to maintain a veggie balance) it was easy to see that the dish could all come together very well. Then the rice. There is a huge debate whether the rice should be freshly steamed or cold, leftover portions. I have always thought that the real beauty of fried rice is the incorporation of left over portions of food, hence cold rice makes sense. But some disagree, Wolfgang and Emeril among others. Seasonings include soy sauce, two kinds, the dark, heavy soy favored by Filipino friends of mine and the light superior soy with the ubiquitous Pearl River name, a Hong Kong discretion. Finally, scrambled egg and green peas are added and we have a dish which can and has been eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Next up was a Cuban rice dish, with kudos to Anita Lee. I took a fresh chicken, separated it into parts, musing that my father who ran a grocery store and butcher shop would have been disappointed with my grappling with the chicken breast. I can never figure what to do with that hard bone in the center, whether it is best to excise it completely, chop through it or ignore it. He would have been satisfied with my careful dispersion of the wings, drumsticks, thighs and backs, however. All of this, salted and heavily peppered, gets thrown into sizzling oil to brown before being set aside. Slivered onions and sliced green peppers are added to the pan drippings still lingering in the skillet until they have sweated out, a curious term which states the obvious, cook until they are wilted out. Then, in a twist which my mother would never fathom, three cups of uncooked rice are added to the pan with chicken broth (canned, because who has time in this day and age for broth made from scratch) and a full tablespoon of ground chili powder. The chicken parts are scattered onto the rice mixture and brought to a boil, then cooked until the rice is fluffy and tender, not “al dente” like the Italians favor in risotto. The result is something pretty far from that Southwestern town my mother landed in, but classic in its own right. The two dishes are emblematic of Los Angeles - two strong strands of ethnic heritage, culture which bring hometown eats to this part of the planet. Do these dishes have to get along? Not really, each stands on its own, but we would be far less content, rich without the both of them in our lives. enterprise A newsletter of Asian American Economic Development Enterprises, Inc. Phone: 626-572-7021 Fax: 626-572-6533 Website: www.aaede.org Email: [email protected] PRESIDENT David Bow Woo, Esq. Newsletter Editors Helen Au & Mei Han Page 2 VICE PRESIDENT Dr. William Chang ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Norman Lee Newsletter Writers Kenneth Drennon, Mei Han, Alex W. Hsu, Jason Lee and Tiffanie Lee ENTERPRISE AAEDE’s Interns: Tiffanie Lee, Alex Hsu & Kenneth Drennon As a third year undergraduate student at California State University, Los Angeles, I was given this great opportunity to become an intern and be a part of a non-profit organization at the Asian American Economic Development Enterprise (AAEDE). I am currently in the process of earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, option in Marketing Management. When I first started interning, I was given several projects to complete throughout my internship involving business-related work. I have learned to work with my peers and put together a marketing plan for the Goodrich building, newsletter publication, hosting a job fair, tutoring elementary/high school students and putting together a profile of the San Gabriel Valley. The major course classes I have taken at CSULA have helped me prepare for some of the projects that needed to be completed. I was able to incorporate some of my skills into these projects. I wanted to take a glimpse of the business world and AAEDE I enjoyed my time here and want to thank everydefinitely provided that for me. I like the fact that one at AAEDE for giving me this great opportuAAEDE is a non-profit organization because I nity and memorable experience. -Tiffanie Lee have always wanted to see the development and management of how non-profit organizations are operated. AAEDE specializes in helping small businesses help themselves. We contribute to these businesses by hosting job fairs to give those who are unemployed or employed an opportunity to see a variety of careers that best suits them. We also tutor elementary/high school students and help them with any subjects they are not familiar with. Throughout my time here, I have successfully improved on my time management and communication skills. Not only has these experiences prepared me for the business world, but I have also obtained office etiquette. My mentor and coworkers have definitely welcomed me on my first day and created a very friendly work environment. When I declared my college major, without a doubt I chose engineering. I chose engineering not only because it was a field I enjoy, but also a profession I thought I did not have to communicate with other people. I was never comfortable in social activities; despite my large figure (I am 6’2”). I would be unable to blend in with the crowd so I wandered away. Yet when I try to talk to people, I always seem to make a bad impression. I wanted to improve on my verbal as well as communication skills. Luckily AAEDE gave me this opportunity to learn. There were a few projects handed down to me for this summer which entails: doing real estate research, hosting a job fair, profiling businesses in the San Gabriel Valley, and tutoring kids. As my boss Norman was briefing me on this, my mind somewhat got nervous and went to panic mode. I was expecting deep conversations, but nothing this heavy duty. However, there were other interns that are very helpful. They instructed me to take these projects in small steps as to make it not seem to be that bad at all. So far, I’ve been doing well with the help of my fellow co-workers and never knew I had this personality inside of me. By the end of summer, I think being shy was a foolish trait that I was glad to have left behind. It would not only help me communicate better with people in my future engineering projects but also in casual talks as well. I hope these projects could give me a new insight on how businesses work. I feel that having some business skills allow me to interact with firms or developers more productively. –Alex Hsu I enter into my 5th year of college at UCLA as an Asian American Studies major, I realized I need to obtain quality work experience so that I may gain the necessary skills and experience to make it in the real world. I applied to AAEDE and worked hard to obtain this internship because I knew that this was a perfect opportunity for me to take the next step and advance in my career. Even though I am currently unclear of what I specifically want to do with my career, I know that AAEDE is a great stepping stone to figure out what I want to do in life. On my first day on the job, they explained that they are a non-profit organization dedicated to help economic support to Asian Americans and others. They briefed me on many of their projects they are working on to give back to the community such as tutoring Chinese elementary and high school students and creating a job fair to help many people in the community to start their knowing that I am giving back to the community careers. I instantly knew that I would enjoy it here at the same time. -Kenneth Drennon and would be able to gain the necessary skills to advance in my career and at the same time, I get to give back to the community. I have tremendously grown to love working at AAEDE because the work environment is so pleasant here. Everyday is exciting because we get to experience new situations and everyone that works here is so polite and pleasant to be around. When I walk into work early in the morning our mentor, Helen Au, greets me with a smile and a happy “Good Morning Kenneth!” I also feel a sense of true teamwork within me and the other 4 interns. I feel that everyone is willing to help out and have each other’s backs at all times and we have bonded to become good friends through this process. I truly enjoy coming into work everyday because of the people I get to work with and Page 3 ENTERPRISE Los Angeles County Economic Development 2012-2013 Economic Forecast and Industry Outlook By Jason Lee Ever wonder how the US is doing? Well, during the anby 0.2%. People still have a feeling that the US has not imnual LAEDC (Los Angeles County Economic Developproved in which LAEDC makes three general statements on ment Corporation) why people think Eonomic Forecast this. First, on aver2011-2013 U.S. Economy forecast: forum, held this age, GDP usually year on February increases by 4 % 15, 2012 at the LA after recessions, Marriott Downton, but last year’s is a corporation growth was 1.7%. that predicts the The second reason future of America is that the unemthrough wellployment rate is known professtill higher than sional economists. the average, but in Despite the recesreality, it lowered sion few years from 9.1% to prior, America has 8.3%. Lastly, just been actually increasing its GDP and revenues overall. the speculation of everyday people can affect GDP globally. 2012’s current status for GDP is 1.9% and the unemployment rate is 8.5%. Their predictions on 2013 are an inFor more information, please visit www.laedc.org. crease of 0.4% on GDP and a decrease in unemployment (Huang, Page 1) So he decided to use this chance to advance on to something new. Eventually he invested more and started the other two restaurants, which are very successful too. We asked him why he chose to run an Italian restaurant; he claimed it was a random encounter. When we asked him what some of his secrets to success were, he replied with that “You must stay humble at all times.” Even though he is the owner of the restaurant, Jack is willing to help out with valet, taking customer orders or even clean up the bathroom. Jack takes a lot of pride in customer service and he is willing to do anything to make the customers’ experience a pleasant one. Jack was nice enough to give us some of his wisdom on how to run a successful business. He explained to us both since we are so young, there are numerous of opportunities that lie ahead of us. Jack stated, “We can not be afraid to take those opportunities, and when we do take them we Page 4 have to put a 110% effort in and nothing less.” He did not give out any cliché advices; instead he was genuine and formulated them from his personal experience. Also, he explained that even if we are willing to put in the effort, we are still going to make mistakes. The secret to success is not to dwell on those mistakes but move past them and learn from them. Jack said to us, “You have to be humble, when you make a mistake you should admit that you did something wrong, and learn from it ” We had a terrific time interviewing Jack at his restaurant. We got to enjoy the delicious food, had the pleasure to hear his personal stories and learned a lot about business in the process. We would like to thank Jack for his time and his wisdom because we both have learned so much and will try to take what we learned today and apply it into the business world. We had a great time with Jack and encourage all of you to try Villa Sorriso. It certainly will not disappoint. Villa Sorriso Bar Celona Ixtapa Cantina ENTERPRISE Why Pay Rent When You Can Own! By Tiffanie Lee On February 11, 2012 at the El Monte Aquatic Center, Cathy Bank in Conjunction with Operation Hope, hosted “Why Pay Rent When You Can Own! New Home Buyers’ Workshop” to potential lenders providing great insights on how to become a homeowner. One of the great advantages of owning a home is that it allows you to gain equity to leverage into a bigger investment. Equity is the difference between the current market value of the property and the amount the owner still owes on the mortgage. It is the amount that the owner would receive after selling a property and paying off the mortgage. With that being said, it is important to know what banks are looking for nowadays and that is the income versus expense. Here are some questions one should familiarize themselves with because these are the questions the bank will be asking you: 1) How much can you afford on a mortgage payment? 2) What is my income? 3) What are my expenses? 4) How many years do you expect to live in that home? During or after the thought process, distinguishing between your wants and needs and develop a frame work to plan out financial statements to become a homeowner. Also bear in mind, before owning the home, the borrower first has to obtain a mortgage. A mortgage is when the borrower borrows money from a lender in order to purchase a home and promises to pay back. If the borrower defaults the lender, the lender has the right to take ownership of that property. When qualifying for a mortgage, the lender has to preapprove your credit, the last two years of your employment history, the last two years of your rental history, monthly average gross income, monthly average debt, down payments (checking and savings) and the closing costs. Make sure you have all this information ready. Know that there are several types of loans. Aside from traditional fixed or an adjustable-rate loan, there are also two main types of loans that a borrower can acquire; conventional loans and government backed loans. A conventional mortgage loan is offered with fixed or adjustable interest rates and some loans require mortgage insurance. On the other hand, government loans include the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) loans. These loans usually have low down payment requirements since it is designed to help those with low to moderate incomes. VA loans promise mortgages for qualified veterans and active duty military Page 5 personnel. Once approved, one will begin to make mortgage payments which include principal, interest, taxes and insurance. The principal starts off as a small portion on your monthly payment but as you continue to make payments, the amount that goes to principle increases. Interest is the cost of borrowing the money. The only way the interest rate of your payment would interest is when you do not pay your monthly dues on time. Taxes are paid by homeowners to local governments and charged with property value. Depending on where you live, the tax amount varies. Insurance can help protect homeowners from any financial losses due to fire, wind, natural disasters or other hazards. Most lenders do require you to have insurance on the home. An important suggestion before purchasing a home is finding a licensed real estate agent. Licensed Real Estate Agents are committed to help advise you with your process of becoming a homeowner. Agents have a strict code of ethics and are expected to have obtained a great level of knowledge on the process of buying and selling real estate. The guidance of a real estate agent can aid your financial capacity, help search for available properties that better suits you and your family, provide a great amount of information about the property, understand any financial processes and help close the sale of your home. Cathy Bank offers homeownership counseling services such as the Operation HOPE to provide homeowners with these opportunities and prepare a preparation plan to purchase a home. Operation HOPE is a HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agency. In hopes to meet the needs of potential homeowners, Cathy Banks hopes to achieve and convert renters into homeowners. For more information, please visit www.cathaybank.com or www.operationhope.org. ENTERPRISE Getting A Head Start on Your Resume By: Alex Hsu Keeping a job in this market is hard, but getting a job is even harder. We know there are hundreds of thousands of people who are currently unemployed and are in desperate need to secure a stable income. With the lack of opportunities, coupled with high unemployment rates equates to stiff competition for many job seekers. How can they successfully find a job? The Employment Development Department of California hosted a résumé workshop on May 3, 2012 at the East Los Angeles Employment & Business WorkSource Center. The event went over in detail on how to write a professional résumé and cover letter. The presentation also covered on how to write résumé for CalJobs: California’s Labor Exchange Systems. Their general guideline for a successful essay is simple, the key is to be as professional as possible and convey your ability in limited space. Follow these guidelines: 1) Limit your résumé to one page and be as brief as possible in stating information in each section of your résumé. Keep your résumé legible, that is no more than size twelve and less than size ten, and avoid fancy fonts, Times New Roman or Arial are preferred. 2) Keep your contact information businesslike as well, avoid nicknames and use appropriate email addresses. For example, [email protected] is better and more formal than [email protected]. If you include phone numbers, make sure it is properly set up as well. 4) Always double check your contact information before you send it in, any inaccurate information could cost you your interview and possibly a new job. Also check your email or voicemail regularly to stay informed. 5) Before you apply for a job, investigate it. Research its desired qualifications and target key words that describe the company’s misPage 6 sion, values, and business. This way you can mold your résumé specifically to that position and have a better chance getting hired. Generally, you can find this information in placement office, Internet, or company bulletins. 6) As you present your abilities on your résumé, relate to them the job you desire and show what you can do for the company. One to three sentences of your area of expertise and career interest are sufficient. However, avoid general statements and be as specific as possible. You want to make your statements persuasive and yet concise. 7) When you include your education, write it in chronological order starting with your most recent degree. This section tells the employer that your educational background will help you do your job better and it is a proof of your qualification. People who are still in college or graduate recently can extend this section to relate to their career goal, otherwise keep it short to save space. 8) Your employment history is also a powerful tool to convince potential employers to hire you. It makes you stand out from others. However, an organized employment history will give you a better chance to be hired. Start with the most relevant occupation and be creative. This is the section where you prove to the interviewer that you are worthy of the job. Also, do not include your previous employers and their contact information in your résumé. It is enough to say that references are available upon request at the bottom of your résumé. You can create a separate sheet in case an employer requests references during or after the interview. 9) Cover letters are an important part of your résumé. The purpose of it is to show that you exceed the requirements listed in the job description. It should also show your interest in the position and that you are available to accept the position if offered. Be positive and do not include your salary history unless it is required. You can also be creative on cover letter as well; there is no specific format to follow. Make sure you include hiring manager’s name, if available, and company name and position you are applying for. Get to the point on your cover letter, anything extra is counterproductive and it could make your résumé weak. The department also encourages people to apply in CalJobs. CalJobs provides a standardize résumé to employers and allows them to search for matching candidates efficiently. Caljobs’ résumé is the same for everyone, but most of the employers require you to provide a professional résumé. However, never use a CalJobs résumé for a position outside the CalJobs system unless the employer requests it. It is generic and it is ineffective to describe people creatively. For more information, visit CalJobs at http://www.caljobs.ca.gov/. ENTERPRISE A Glimpse of Alhambra from the Eyes of Stan Yonemoto By Mei Han & Tiffanie Lee It is not too often that we receive great opportunities and even rare, the eye to recognize one when it does arrive. Our director had opened an invitation to all the interns an opportunity which allowed us to interview distinguished and accomplished individuals. We jumped at the chance to interview Stan Yonemoto, Alhambra’s City Marketing Manager from the most Business Friendly City of 2010. We share to you, with great priviledge and respect, the successes of Stan Yonemoto. Stan Yonemoto was born in Japan and moved to the United States when he was seven years old. He attended nine different elementary schools and later earned a B.A. in Economics from UCLA. As a passionate and skillful tennis player, Yonemoto, under a coincidental occasion, played with the NCAA Champion Jimmy Connors while studying at UCLA. Married to his high school sweetheart for over 32 years, Stan and his wife started their own business in 1982, Yonemoto Physical Therapy, in the city of Alhambra, CA. After 12 years of working in Alhambra City, Yonemoto finally decided to become a part of it by establishing residence there. As an active member of the community, Yonemoto later became the Marketing Manager of the Alhambra Chamber of City and continues to contribute to the growth of the city. Being the third oldest urban city within the Los Angeles County, Alhambra is a self-service city unlike other adjacent contract cities. Through the collection of sales tax, the city is able to fund its own police department and other public facilities. By being a self-service city, the city has a greater managerial ability to oversee and direct its resources. The city has large working class population and consists of 52% Asians and 38% Hispanic and 10% Caucasian. When asked what makes the city of Alhambra the most business friendly city for the year of 2010, Yonemoto proudly stated that it was the result of joint corpoPage 7 City of Alhambra, CA rations of different entities. The notable communication and corporation ability amongst different departments has allowed city officials to foster an efficient and beneficial atmosphere for business owners. The city has a strong sense of united community involvement. The city officials hold a monthly board meeting that invites not only professionals in different fields and industries but also authorities from the Alhambra Unified School District. The goals of the joint board meeting are to avoid unnecessary miscommunications between various social entities and provide a medium for individual entities to present aid for one another. The city and its residents are particularly involved in the betterment of educational development. On April 16, 2009, the District was approved to receive $25 million from the elementary bond. The bond was implemented in the hope of furnish the three high school campus. The Alhambra city was one of the entities that made the enrichment of Alhambra Unified School District possible. Not only local officials strive to develop expedient programs, the city itself embraces natural geographic advantages as well that would assist businesses to achieve optimal producer benefits. Located in the heart of Southern California, Alhambra City is no more than 20 minutes away from Downtown Los Angeles. Due to its valuable and resourceful location, Alhambra city can provide excellent transportation services to its business owners. It is in the midst of both commercial and residential region, providing its business owners the necessary population density and available resources for economic progress. In terms of future development for the city, Yonemoto forecasted a decreasing immigration trend in the next 10 years and emphasized on the continued growth of retail stores. It is inevitable to encounter an era of the service industries but the city of Alhambra believes it is essential for the city to maintain its retail entrepreneurships and secure collection of sales tax that supports most of the city development. As the Marketing Manager, Yonemoto hopes to prolong the business cycle not only for smaller retailers but also for extensive retailers such as Costco and Target. Towards the end of the interview session, Yonemoto bequeaths the readers a piece of his knowledge not only about how to become successful entrepreneurs but also as growing individuals. Yonemoto practices in the motto of “being true to yourself at all times” throughout his life and advices all to do the same. As for business owners, he also advices them to always remember to give back to their community. Only through the process of giving back to the community, the business can grow and flourish. Stan Yonemoto ENTERPRISE Asian American Economic Development Enterprises, Inc. Presents: Career & Job Fair View NUMEROUS Opportunities All In One Place. Bring at Least 20 Resumes. Dress to Impress! Visit www.aaede.org to view a list of companies attending. For Inquiries/RSVP: Visit: www.aaede.org When: Time: Email: [email protected] Friday, September 7, 2012 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Where: L.A. Convention Center 1201 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90015 Cost: FREE ADMISSION!!! $12 Parking Call: (626)572-7021 Partial List of Companies Attending: Abercrombie & Fitch Farmer John LA Fire Dept. AT&T FBI CA Army Nat'l Guard Health Net, Inc. Metropolitan Water District of SO. CA Carmax Chase Kaiser Permanente Penske Verizon Wireless LA County MTA CVS/Pharmacy LA Police Dept. Asian American Economic Development Enterprises, Inc. 216 West Garvey Ave., Unit #E Monterey Park, CA 91754-1688 Wells Fargo U.S. POSTAGE NON- PROFIT PAID PERMIT NO. 2 MONTEREY PARK, CA