CMA Daily News

CMA New Member - QSI Produce, LLC

CMA welcomes new member QSI Produce from Los Angeles, CA. QSI was referred to CMA by Kathy Evans from Davalan Sales. Thanks for the referral!

CMA New Member - Basic Chemical Solutions, LLC

From their website:

Basic Chemical Solutions is a U.S.-based global distributor and trader of commodity chemicals. With roots dating back almost 50 years, BCS has established a worldwide infrastructure with 28 offices in 13 countries on 4 continents and another 45 owned or contracted chemical terminal locations. Our product focus on inorganic mineral acids and bases includes some of the most broadly used chemicals in the world.

CFFS Preliminary Notice Price Increase - July 2, 2007

To Our Valued Customers,

We never like to raise prices, but the recent increase by the United States Post Offices has required us to update pricing for the Construction Forms Filing Service.  Our updated price sheet is downloadable for your review.

CMA has not changed the price of our preliminary notices since 2001, yet the cost of sending certified mail has increased three times.  In the past 6 years we have expanded the CFFS department, adding Mechanic Lien Filing in Arizona, Utah, Washington and Oregon and new educational opportunities through on-line Webinar’s and Lien Law Seminars.  Our most significant improvement is the 24/7 placement and tracking of lien filings through anscers.com.

Although our preliminary notice prices have increased there are still NO hidden costs.  Pricing includes owner verification and certified mailing costs.
 
We continue to be committed to offering the best customer service.

Thank you for your understanding, your business is important to us. We hope you will let us know immediately if there is any way we can serve you better.

Sincerely,
Kim Lamberty, CBA
CMA Las Vegas Chapter Manager 702-259-2622

P.S. As a reminder you can print FREE Progress Release’s on anscers.com.

WRCC website using Google Checkout

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of NACM's Western Region Credit Conference, we are offering attendees the most secure online payment  option you can find; Google Checkout.

Visit the WRCC website for more conference information. If you are ready to secure your place at the conference click the Register link and go to Google Checkout.

20th Annual Western Region Credit Conference Website Live!

Find out more about the 20th Annual NACM Western Region Credit Conference on our website: http://www.wrcc.biz.

Data breaches start at the gas station

San Francisco (IDGNS) - Using a credit card at a gas station could pose more of a risk for data theft than shopping online, as point-of-sale terminals have emerged as a weak link in the security chain, according to a Gartner analyst.

When a card is swiped, point-of-sale (POS) terminals often collect and store the data held in the magnetic stripe on the back of a credit card, said Avivah Litan, a Gartner vice president and distinguished analyst. Retailers are often unaware that their POS applications collect so much information.

In the hands of sophisticated hackers and counterfeiters, the data collected from the magnetic stripe is enough to create a replica card. "It's almost more dangerous to go to the gas station than it is online," Litan said at Gartner's Identity and Access Management Summit in London on Monday. "The data is just sitting there. No one even thought about what data is on a POS controller."

Retailers' network configurations are partly to blame. Many are using the Internet to transmit data in place of dial-up networks, and many have incorporated wireless access points into their networks using WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), Litan said, which is not considered a strong form of encryption.

Hackers lurk in parking lots looking for weak networks to penetrate. Since the POS terminals are linked via IP, once a hacker has accessed a network they can try out neighboring IP addresses until they locate a store of data, Litan said.

Data breaches that occur offline are common. Of 160 breaches investigated for one major credit card brand, 128 took place in the brick and mortar world where the card was physically present for the transaction, rather than being used online or over the telephone, according to Gartner.

To strengthen security, card brands such as Visa and Mastercard are pressuring retailers to comply with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard, a code of best practices created by the card industry. The standard forbids the storing of magnetic stripe data on POS terminals, and Visa plans to start fining retailers in the coming months if they don't comply, according to Gartner.

Implementing security is cheaper in the long run than having a data breach, which can be expensive and hurt a company's reputation. Gartner calculates that a data breach costs companies around $300 per exposed account because of investigations, fines and lawsuits. On the other hand, beefing up security costs around $16 per account for the first year, and that cost falls over time, according to Litan.

The short-term forecast for POS security doesn't look great, however. Gartner predicts that by next year, most attacks against retailers will be directed at their POS terminals, and only 30 percent of POS software will be compliant with the prevailing security standards by 2009.

"The thieves always find the path of least resistance," Litan said.

SOURCE - Jeremy Kirk, InfoWorld

Effectively Managing Staff Vacations

As summer weather warms up and children enjoy a break from school, you're probably expecting many in your department to take vacation time. In a survey developed by Accountemps, 36% of senior executives polled said August was the best month for employees to take time off, while 21% said July. Yes, it's traditional, but don't forget: While breaks can offer a fantastic source of rejuvenation for your employees, they can also cause a bit of stress for those left back in the office. Here are some tips to help make vacation season relaxing for all involved:

• Plan ahead. Let employees know that you'd like as much notice as possible for their vacation requests. After all, not everyone can take a break at once. Clearly communicate your department's policy so that your staff understands the procedure when multiple workers would like the same days off. For instance, is your policy based on seniority or is it first-come first-served? Be sure to consider how vacation time was awarded in prior years, so that no one is left feeling unfairly treated.
• Create a back-up plan. To make sure things run smoothly, have employees who are taking time off designate a point person who will answer questions, make decisions on time-sensitive matters and carry out any necessary action items while they are away. This will allow the absent staffers to truly rest, rather than spend their break consulting with coworkers via laptops and cell phones.
• Enlist temporary help. Even with proper planning for vacation season, there will be times when several people will be out during the same time, which can leave the rest of your staff feeling frazzled. To prevent this, you may want to consider bringing in project credit professionals to help fill in the gaps. Interim employees can alleviate pressure placed on your non-vacationing employees.

Source: Robert Half Financing and Accounting and Accountemps

Credit Congress Hits the Jackpot

NACM's 111th Credit Congress in Las Vegas was a rousing success. It was the best-attended congress in several years and the consensus from attendee feedback was overwhelmingly positive. For example, Sam Smith, Regional Finance Manager for Crescent Electric in East Dubuque, IL and first-time Congress attendee, said that it turned out better than he expected — and he had high expectations going in.

As usual, the General and Super Session speakers were inspirational and provided most attendees with words of wisdom to apply in their business and personal lives. Elaine Cooper, Operations Manager for Cascade Windows of Spokane, WA, who was attending her sixth Credit Congress said, "The opening speakers were great. I really liked Mark Sanborn and how their books were available (for purchase and to be autographed)."

There were also other great events that made Credit Congress special, like the Annual Golf Tournament and Silent Auction — both of which raise money for the NACM Scholarship Foundation — various receptions, the Expo Hall that featured various credit-related vendors and a multitude of other events. Even those attendees hoping for an Elvis sighting weren't disappointed, as a talented Elvis impersonator provided the entertainment at the opening General Session.

Of course, the backbone of Credit Congress, the educational sessions, once again provided a vast array of information and advice critical for credit professionals who want to expand and refine their expertise in the field of business credit. John Bouldin, Jr., Credit Manager for Robertson Ceco Corp. of Rocky Mountain, NC and first-time Credit Congress attendee said, "I've enjoyed the classes. I wish there was more time to attend more classes. All the presenters were first-class professionals."

Those who could not attend Credit Congress may now purchase a DVD of the recorded educational sessions. Be sure to check the NACM website in the coming days for a link to an order form. Also, look for additional coverage in the July/August issue of Business Credit and online at www.nacm.org.
Source: Tom Diana, NACM staff writer

Letter of Thanks from Scholarship Winner

Bob Hoder & the NACM Committee,

Thank you for granting me the scholarship to attend the NACM Credit Congress & Exposition in Las Vegas. I had a great time.  I took classes on bankruptcy,  fraud,  and empowerment, self-mastery.  All the classes I took were so inspirational and motivating. I definitely learned a lot of factual information that will assist me in my career as a credit professional.

Thank you very much!

Sue Sullivan, Credit Supervisor
Roland Corp. U.S.

Welcoming Two New Members in Vegas

Join CMA in welcoming two new members from Las Vegas in the construction industry:

Aberdeen Electrical Technologies - they sell and install fire, safety, and surveillance systems. Aberdeen was referred by Judy Henderson from the Construction Notebook.

Pacific Stucco, Inc. - they do lath and plastering work. Pacific Stucco was referred by Anne Mustagh from Coyote Building Materials.

Thanks for joining our diverse membership!