SJF Webinar Series
Employee Financial Stability Webinar
July 14, 2009, 2:00 - 3:00 EDT
Fee: $35
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Webinar Description
As the global financial crisis continues, smart businesses will do what they can to help address their employees' financial stress. Increased costs for basic necessities—food, fuel, health care, housing—are stretching families to the limit. The credit crisis is squeezing working people at all income levels, resulting in unprecedented numbers of bankruptcies and home foreclosures.
The financial instability of your workforce will affect your business’ bottom line. Studies show that employee financial problems result in lower job productivity, increased absenteeism, increased substance abuse, and high turnover – all of which impact a company's profitability. Businesses that recognize that it's more expensive to ignore their employees' financial difficulties than to address them head-on have developed strategies to bring financial education and credit counseling/debt management, and other financial services to the workplace. Join us to hear about successful strategies and potential resources to help your workforce – and your business – better weather the financial crisis.
Presenters shared the warning signs of employee financial stress, low-cost local and national resources your business can tap, and strategies used by leading entrepreneurial employer Ryla such as their paper free payroll system, "cashless cafe," and financial education workshops
Presenters:
Anne Claire Broughton, SJF Advisory Service (Moderator)
Janet Raffel, JE Raffel & Associates
Karen Clay, Ryla
Alison Yonas, Latino Community Credit Union
Larrey Riddle, MACED
J.E. Raffel and Associates is a consulting practice in the fields of community and economic development, workforce development, and financial services. Ryla is a leading call center solutions provider with proven expertise in customer contact solutions and business process outsourcing. The company employs more than 1,600 individuals and is commited to training and retaining its valued employees. The Latino Community Credit Union (LCCU) is a community-based and member-owned nonprofit financial institution that provides protection of financial assets, access to loans, financial independence and financial education. MACED works to create economic alternatives that make a difference to people and places in eastern Kentucky and Central Appalachia. Its Common Cents Financial Initiative seeks, among other things, to educate borrowers and to provide a reasonably priced loan alternative.
Past Webinars
Downstream Solar Market Opportunities
March 18, 2008
Recording available for $25 -- Click here to buy via PayPal (PayPal account not required)
Note: After payment is submitted, the link to the webinar recording will be sent via email.
Webinar Description
Venture capital investment in solar grew from $360 million in 2006 to more than $1 billion in 2007, in 71 transactions in North America, according to Greentech Media. However, 90% of this capital went into ‘upstream’ solar technology firms in thin film, concentrating solar, silicon optimization, or next generation PV. ‘Downstream’ solar services firms with innovations in financing, installation, distribution, and integration of multiple solar technologies captured the remaining 10% of the venture capital investments in 2007.
This webinar focused on these emerging opportunities in downstream solar services. David Kirkpatrick of SJF Ventures introduced SJF's strategy of focusing on cleantech innovation commercialization and how it applies to the solar sector. Jeff Osborne of Thomas Weisel Partners gave an overview of capital markets activity for solar as a whole, commentary on more mature solar markets such as Germany, recent developments with North American downstream solar public companies, trends and opportunities, and projections for 2008-1010. Chris Whitman of U.S. Solar Finance discussed trends in financial solar installations, evolution of the PPA model, current developments in key incentive states, and risks regarding ITC renewal. Finally, Jeff Wolfe of groSolar gave lessons learned from building a national solar integration firm, perspective on opportunities in residential, commercial, and utility scale solar, trends in solar PV technology that is commercially viable, PV pricing trends, and projections for the development of the downstream U.S. solar market in 2008-1010.
Presenters:
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David Kirkpatrick is Managing Director and co-founder of SJF Ventures, a venture capital fund with offices in Durham, NC and New York. SJF focuses on rapidly expanding cleantech, tech-enhanced services and premium consumer products firms, has 20 portfolio companies, and is investing from its second fund. SJF assists and invests in enterprises with innovations that have a positive impact in the world and create strong competitive advantages in large markets. Kirkpatrick serves on the Boards of groSolar, B.B. Hobbs, Edmap, the NC Sustainable Energy Association, and the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership. |
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Jeffery Wolfe, P.E., co-founded and is CEO of groSolar, www.groSolar.com, a leader in solar distribution throughout North America, and a leader in system installation in the northeast US. Wolfe is PV Chair of the Solar Energy Industries Association, and is a member of the Investment Committee of the $26 million Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund. He is on the Union of Concerned Scientists National Advisory Board. Jeff was a founder, board member and officer of Renewable Energy Vermont, and the New Hampshire Sustainable Energy Association. Recently he was one of the thousand people in the US trained in presenting Al Gore’s climate change presentation to others. |
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Jeff Osborne joined Thomas Weisel Partners in July of 2007 as a Managing Director and is responsible for coverage of the Alternative Energy industry. Jeff brings 10 years of experience in the financial services industry, including four years of sell-side experience at CIBC World Markets, five years on the buyside at Munder Capital Management and Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and a Master of Business Administration from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. |
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Developing a Fantastic Customer Service Culture
Produced in conjunction with Winning Workplaces
April 23, 2008
Post session recording available for $35 -- Click here to buy
Webinar Description
Savvy business leaders know they must have a motivated and engaged workforce in order to retain a loyal customer base. In this one-hour session, hear from two leaders who will provide their valuable expertise related to facilitating this connection in their businesses.
All participants receive a copy of the slides and an Executive Summary of Winning Workplaces' 2007 Top Small Workplaces Data Report.
Read Event Press Release
Presenters:
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Mike Faith, Founder and CEO, Headsets.com Headsets.com, an Internet and catalog specialist retailer of telephone headsets, has been led by Mike Faith since he founded the company in 1997. With more and more call centers moving offshore, companies like Headsets.com have risen to dominate distribution of telephone headsets to small and midsize offices. While maintaining a successful enterprise is what drives Faith daily, he knows in order to be a success you have to treat both employees and customers with respect and understanding. The culture of Headsets.com can be summed up as 50 people working towards a common goal – delivering world-class customer service. Faith's philosophy for ensuring camaraderie is to constantly show his employees how crucial their role is within the organization. |
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Mark Wilson, CEO, Ryla Based north of Atlanta, SJF Ventures' portfolio company Ryla provides customer contact solutions for Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and non-profits nationwide. It's tough work, and the company's employees are often on call at all hours, able to provide assistance in a variety of languages. With benefits far above the industry standard and professional and personal development seminars enriching even entry-level positions, Ryla is making sure its team sticks around, resulting in a turnover rate around one-third the industry average. A high level of caring and diversity saturates this organization, and their uniquely positive attitude is perhaps no more apparent than in the employee-crafted cheers presented at monthly "Ryla Huddles," highlighting the accomplishments of the team and talents of each individual. |
