Business notes

All chamber members and employees are invited to attend the event, which includes watching the night street drags, getting a tour of the raceway, amusement rides for children and a drawing for BIR merchandise.

CHOW Time South luncheon set Thursday at Prairie Bay

BAXTER -- The Brainerd Lakes Area Chambers of Commerce July CHOW Time South luncheon event will run noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, sponsored by Prairie Bay Restaurant, 15115 Edgewood Drive.

CHOW stands for Chamber Highlights What's Happening. The restaurant is north of the Comfort Suites Hotel off Highway 371 North and Woida Road.

CHOW Time is a networking lunch activity highlighting what's new at the chamber. It also allows new members to be introduced and offers an opportunity to promote their own business.

Cost to attend is $3 with advance reservations or $5 at the door. Reservations may be made by calling 829-2838, extension 801.

Anderholm named State Star

Julie Anderholm of Nisswa, a financial consultant with the Small Business Development Center at Central Lakes College in Brainerd, was named the 2004 Minnesota State Star.

This honor recognizes service provided to clients in the 11-county region served by the local SBDC. The counties are Crow Wing, Cass, Wadena, Todd, Aitkin, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Kanabec, Isanti, Pine and Chisago.

She will represent all nine SBDC regions of the state as the recipient recognized at the annual Association of Small Business Development Centers conference in New Orleans, La., Sept. 26-29.

"Julie has been an integral part of the SBDC program since 1995, providing general business counseling, financial analysis and loan packaging assistance to small business owners and prospective owners," said Greg Bergman, SBDC director, who nominated her.

In 2003, Anderholm provided 97 clients 863 hours of counseling and research. The same year she assisted clients in obtaining more than $9.5 million in financing through 52 transactions.

Anderholm is the second Brainerd SBDC representative in four years to earn the honor. In 2001, Julie Platta received the award.

'Going Into Business for Yourself' class scheduled Aug. 12

"Going Into Business for Yourself" at Central Lakes College will be offered 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 12 in the Business and Industry Center on the Brainerd campus.

The seminar covers all areas of business start-up, helpful advice on how to get one's dream off the ground, how to become and stay profitable, including financing of a new venture.

This session will assist the potential business owner through the process of developing the project, provide the opportunity to have questions addressed and identify other helpful resources. The instruction includes business structure and required government filings.

Free follow-up counseling is available from the Small Business Development Center's team of consultants.

Pre-registration is required. Cost is $40 per person or $60 for participant and one additional business partner.

Registration deadline is Aug. 5. For information or to register, call 800-933-0346, extension 8142, or 855-8142 (fax 855-8141).

North Memorial Ambulance center honored

The North Memorial Ambulance Service Communications Center was recognized as an Accredited Center of Excellence by the National/International Academies of Emergency Dispatch.

North Memorial is the first communications center in Minnesota to receive this award, and only the 91st worldwide. This award acknowledges emergency dispatch centers that provide superior, up-to-date public care and efficient resource utilization to achieve maximum results in emergency situations.

Operating out of the North Memorial Ambulance headquarters in Brooklyn Center, emergency medical dispatchers dispatch ambulance services for Aitkin, Brainerd, Crosslake and Pine River, as well as the air care medical helicopter based in Brainerd.

During 2003, the NMAS Communications Center received approximately 42,000 911 calls. More than 10,000 of those required pre-arrival/post dispatch instructions, which are handled by the center's EMDs. Pre-arrival/post dispatch instructions are when the EMD provides life-saving instructions over the phone. The most common types of scenarios involving these instructions include cardiac arrest, childbirth, breathing problems, severe bleeding and burns.