Business & Finance

A new hardware store has opened on Detroit Road in Westlake, just a few doors down from the recently-closed Ingersoll Hardware store that was a community staple for more than 100 years. Westlake ACE Hardware held a “chain cutting” ceremony on July 25 to mark their grand opening in the former Tuesday Morning location at the corner of Detroit and Dover Center roads.

Westlake ACE Hardware is owned by E &H Hardware Group, a family-owned enterprise based in Wooster. Like Ingersoll, E & H takes pride in top-notch customer service and knowledgeable employees.

The store will offer a large selection of Craftsman tools, Stihl outdoor power equipment and service, custom-cut keys, computer chip keys, sharpening, screen repair, propane exchange, glass cutting, carpet cleaning machine rental, pet supplies and a complete line of bird feeders and bird food.

Everyone loves a party and everyone loves to win prizes. That was evident at a June 13 event hosted by the West Shore Chamber of Commerce at Montrose Kia in Sheffield Lake.

As part of the "Power of More” campaign, which combines the strengths of the four local chambers of commerce (Westshore, North Coast, Fairview and North Olmsted), the year’s premier event featured a grand prize giveaway of a three-year car lease to one lucky chamber member.

The giveaway was a fun way for the chamber to tout the advantages of chamber membership, while giving members an incentive to attend chamber events over the past few months. Every chamber event attended by members throughout the year earned them an entry into the car raffle.

Employees swept, dusted and unloaded truckloads of fragrant beauty products on Oct. 5 to stock the shelves of Crocker Park's newest tenant, Bath & Body Works. The store will hold its grand opening Oct. 10 at 10 a.m.

Bath & Body Works, which also has locations in Avon Commons and Great Northern Mall, sells myriad scented lotions, candles, toiletries and aromatherapy products.

Bay Diner, located at 660 Dover Center Rd., is now open for business. Owner Mike Petrillo and his staff are working hard to create a clean, cozy and friendly atmosphere in the former Hoagies Grille location in Bay.  

Bay Diner is a great spot for early birds looking for breakfast, opening at 7 a.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. on Sunday. Breakfast is served until 11 a.m. daily, with lunch and dinner following. The full-service diner is open until 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and until 2 p.m. on Sunday.  

The Friday night perch dinner has been a hit with customers, along with the wide variety of menu selections, including appetizers, wraps, salads, sandwiches, dinners and desserts. The diner is now offering a Saturday night rib special as well.

To check it out yourself, stop by the newest diner in Bay located next to Kiddie Kollege in the Dover Commons plaza.

The West Shore Chamber of Commerce Education Committee presented the annual Student Achievement Award to Jaclyn Maat at the May 7 Chamber luncheon. Jaclyn is an employee of the Westlake Recreation Center, where she has worked since shortly before graduating from Westlake High School in 2011. The award is given to recognize West Shore Chamber business members and their student employees or volunteers that show an exemplary work ethic.

Jaclyn is a full-time student at Cleveland State, plays volleyball for the CSU club team and still finds time to work at the Rec Center on evenings and weekends. She works year round in the child care room, staffs the monthly "parent night out" program, serves as a summer day camp counselor and helps out with keeping score for the youth baseball program.

You can’t beat the convenience of checking e-mail and hopping on the Internet at Wi-Fi hotspots found in airports, coffee shops, bookstores, and even in some major parks. For the uninitiated, Wi-Fi hotspots are areas where you can use your wireless laptop to surf the Web and check e-mail.  

But the question you have to ask yourself is, just how safe is it to connect? With the proliferation of hackers, viruses and identity theft at an all time high, you are smart to be concerned. Wi-Fi spots are very attractive to hackers because they can use what’s called an “evil twin” connection to access your laptop.   

An evil twin is a wireless hotspot set up by a hacker to lure people from a nearby, legitimate hotspot. For example, when you log in at your favorite coffee shop, you might actually be logging onto the evil twin Internet connection set up by the innocent-looking person working on a laptop at the next table.  

With over 20 years of experience and expertise in the wine industry, Nick Nasrallah of Bay Village dreamed of having a place where people would feel comfortable shopping, while giving them the opportunity to browse wines they wouldn't see elsewhere. To realize his dream, in 2000 he established The Fine Wine and Tobacco in Westlake.

"There are great values from small wineries that people just don't know about." Nick says. "I try to bring in as many low-production, high quality wines as possible." These wines are showcased at bi-weekly wine tastings held at the store, with a portion of the proceeds from each event donated to various charities. Nick and his son, Tony, have given several thousands of dollars to local organizations, including Building Hope in the City, and other charities that aim to benefit the less fortunate.
 
An upcoming wine tasting will be held on Saturday, July 17 and will benefit the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure, a three-day, sixty-mile walk to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. The tasting will feature over 30 wines from around the world, and a portion of the $25 admission will be donated. Patrons will also be able to make private donations.

You hear it all the time – back up your data, keep your virus protection current, and install and maintain a firewall to protect yourself from hackers and other online threats. However, while these precautions will certainly help you avoid problems, they CAN’T do anything if you don’t have a good backup and disaster recovery plan in place.

Are You A Sitting Duck?    

We all know that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; yet, disaster recovery planning often takes a distant second to the daily deadlines and pressures of running a business. That means that most businesses, including your own, may end up offline and without your data after a simple lightening storm. 

Kudos to Officer Anna and her team of volunteers! Our son Naoki really enjoyed Safety Town at the Westlake Police Department this summer.

With technology permeated into every nook-and-cranny of our lives, it needs a digital world-equivalent of Safety Town. Gaining "internet street smarts" is my answer to the question: “How do we minimize our risk of being a victim in the digital world?”

The gray matter between your ears is the single-most powerful tool that you possess. Here are some tips to start building your internet street smarts!

With the new year we often refocus on financial goals for ourselves and our family, and one of those goals is often saving more money. 529 savings plans (also called CollegeAdvantage plans) offer a great way to save for your children’s or grandchildren’s college education, but there is a lot more to 529 plans than meets the eye.

Traditionally, a 529 savings plan allows for a parent or grandparent to save money for a child’s higher education expenses. The money gifted is after-tax dollars and the account grows tax-deferred and if the funds in the account are used for qualified education expenses, the withdrawals are tax-free. There are generally no substitutes for tax-deferred growth and tax-free withdrawals, and utilizing these IRS allowances can immensely improve the value of the account. Additionally, if you are using a state-sponsored plan, such as the Ohio 529 plans (of which there are currently four), you may be entitled to a state tax-deduction from your tax returns.*

Should You Convert To A Roth IRA?

If your income is $100,000 or less and you are single or married, filing jointly, you may be eligible to convert your traditional IRAs to a Roth IRA in order to take advantage of federally tax-free earnings in the future.  You will generally pay ordinary federal income tax (but not the 10% penalty tax) on the taxable amount that is converted. Your tax-free potential is maximized if you pay the taxes from your current income or personal savings, not your IRA.

Cleveland’s Westside region, like so many other communities in the Greater Cleveland area, has been hard hit by job loss and the difficulties that arise during extended unemployment. Some job seekers who are new to the current job market are facing challenges as they try to navigate the high-tech process of job searching.

Whether they are recent college graduates, a mom trying to go back into the workforce, or a senior with many years of experience, tracking down and successfully applying for jobs is more complex than in years past. Sadly, many types of jobs in our area have been lost forever and trying to transition to a new career is adding to the stress of job searching.

These economic times have made a lot of us face some tough decisions in our lives. Everything from our spending habits, things we do for fun and our saving habits have come under scrutiny as we try to ensure our families' well-being. Whether facing a lay-off, reduced pay, or the concern of cut-backs at work you may have had to take a hard look at your budget, and many have had to decide where the money will come from for the necessities of life.

When I recently asked a good friend of mine, who is the Marketing Director for a large nonprofit organization, what was the most frustrating part of her job, she immediately replied, “hiring new people.” She went on to relate how 400 resumes were received within two hours of posting an opening for a Marketing Assistant. When I asked how many of the 400 resumes she felt were good enough to warrant a call for an interview, my friend responded, “less than 10…and a few of those are borderline.” This is today’s reality for hiring managers.

Here are some of the most common errors on resumes that prevent candidates from being added to the short list of people to be called for interviews:

As new owners of Bay Lanes Bowling Center in Bay Village, my husband, Mark, and I are working hard to create a fun, family-friendly atmosphere where kids, teens and adults can come bowl, eat and have loads of fun at extremely affordable prices. 
 
After years working in college admissions, Mark decided to leave his former position and take over Bay Lanes to fulfill his dream of owning his own business while still working with kids and families.

As much as you’d like to, it’s really not safe to just throw away old computers, network equipment, or any electronics like TVs, cell phones, and DVD players. These items contain toxic chemicals, like arsenic and mercury, that can harm the environment if disposed of improperly.

How do you dispose of these things properly? Check out these two tips:

Reuse

This is the most environmentally friendly of the disposal methods. Find another use for your old equipment. For example, you might be able to use an old PC as a firewall, run a basic program like an older voicemail system, or make it a toy for your kids or grandkids to beat up.

E-cycle

April is Cuyahoga County's "Recycle Your Computer Month," during which residents can recycle home computer and cell phone equipment. Accepted items include CPUs, monitors, keyboards, mice, printers, terminals, modems, cables, software, ink printer cartridges,  and cell phones and accessories.

Jeff and Lori Kolenich are working in Westlake now, but it didn’t unfold the way they envisioned. The husband and wife duo had spent their careers moving up the ladder into management positions at American Greetings, and expected to move with the company as it transferred operations from Brooklyn to Westlake.

But fate had other ideas, as both were laid off from the company in a round of downsizing. The couple, who reside in Bay Village, were unhappy with the prospects of a “traditional” job search and decided to strike out on their own as entrepreneurs.

Although the general consensus is that most jobs are found via networking, very few job seekers actually understand (or are comfortable executing) what it takes to do this effectively.

When I ask job seekers, “How many people are in your network and how often are you speaking or communicating with them?” they admit that little to no time has been spent working their network.

The bottom line for making networking work is to help those in your network help you. That’s basically it…really.

World-renowned chef and cooking school founder Loretta Paganini is the featured speaker at the League of Women Voters’ “First Thursdays” public meeting series now in its eighth season. The theme of the series is “Women Who Know Their Place,” celebrating highly successful women.

The event is set for Thursday, Dec. 2, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at Trinity Commons at Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Chef Paganini’s talk is titled, “A Woman’s Place is Running the Kitchen.” The public is invited to attend at no charge, with free parking behind the Cathedral off Prospect Ave.

Something that is shared with me by many of the job seekers with whom I’ve had contact is that they take “rejection” personally. My response to that is always pretty simply put: DON’T.

Remember, hundreds of job seekers send resumes in response to just about any job opening/posting, and usually only one of them is made an offer for employment. That means there are hundreds of “no thank you” letters sent/phone calls made.

IRAs. You have heard the acronym before, and you may even have an IRA, but what is it exactly? IRA is the acronym for Individual Retirement Account, and although you may have other retirement accounts, chances are that you will one day utilize an IRA. We will look at what each letter means and why an IRA can be essential to your investment planning.

How do the rise and fall of our country's interest rates affect you and your portfolio? Even though there are myriad opinions on ‘what the rates will do’ over the next year or so, it is important that you understand what changes in interest rates mean for you.

Over the past year, we have seen the Federal Reserve lower rates to unprecedented levels in an effort to spur the economy. The intention is that lower rates will encourage us as consumers to spend more, borrow more, and therefore lead to greater revenue generation for companies who are selling goods and services. As an investor, there is an additional perspective on rates that is important.

After years of working at a bustling westside salon, stylists Nicole Gilsdorf and Katie Klein decided to start their own business. The settled on a cozy location on Westwood Road in Westlake, officially opening in January to their existing clients.

After more than six months styling the hair and nails of loyal customers who followed them from their previous salon, the pair have recently begun accepting new clients. Studio 6a Salon & Spa held a ribbon-cutting ceremony July 25 with special guest Mayor Dennis Clough.

So you have a Twitter account, Facebook page and a LinkedIn profile. Are you using them as tools to help you to get re-employed? Or is your online presence creating the wrong personal brand/image and eliminating you from contention for being seriously considered as a candidate?

Consider this, from a potential employer's frame of reference – if he can find and read all of this information about you, so can his boss and his company’s best client. So he must be very cognizant of the image you have chosen to portray online. If what can easily be seen or read about you online might embarrass his company, why would he consider hiring you?

Three years after opening their first Thai restaurant in Sandusky, the owners of Siam Orchid are very excited about the recent opening of their second location at Kensington Square in Westlake.

Oh Markthuam and Ek Nitedthunyakij emigrated from Bangkok, Thailand, in 2002. They worked in a Thai restaurant in Boston for four years before moving to Ohio and opening their own restaurant in Sandusky. Encouraged by the success of that eatery, the couple moved to Westlake earlier this year to open their second location.

“We chose Westlake because it is a thriving area with a growing population and ample opportunity to present our unique style of Thai cuisine,” said owner Ek Nitedthunyakij. “Westlake is overflowing with new ideas and ambition and there is an environment here that we want to be a part of because we believe that we can flourish as well as contribute to the community's success.”
 

If watch the myriad investment programs on TV today you will notice a wide array of strategies and game plans to help you make the most of your investments. It is easy to become overwhelmed with all of the information and advice available today; however, it’s often best to stick to the basics when seeking consistent results.

As with a lot of things, once we feel we finally have a handle on the basics it’s easy to forget those simple things that got us started and instead chase after newer, more complicated ideas. To help you stay on track, let’s look at five investing basics to help you stay on track.

 “Hey, I have this hilarious video of you dancing. Your face is so red. You should check it out!”

If you've received a message like that through a Facebook or MySpace friend, you may have been exposed to the "Koobface" virus. Here’s what’s going on…

Hackers have now made a cozy new home for themselves on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Disguised as one of your friends, they’ll send you a direct message with a video link attached. If you click on the link, you’re prompted to update your Flash player to see the video, and therein lies the virus – cloaked in a "flash_player.exe" file. Once installed, this  worm transforms your computer into a Zombie machine as part of a botnet (a network of computers that are controlled and used by the originator of the worm for unscrupulous purposes).

Bay Village welcomed its newest business on July 9 to the Dover Commons plaza. Jennie Kehoe, her son Zachary Meaney and his wife Mary Kate, owners of A Luncheon Time Catering, Café and Meals To Go moved into the space formerly occupied by Bamboo House and then briefly Grand Rodeo. The space had been vacant for a year and a half, according to property owner Ray Negrelli.

The family-owned and operated company has been in business for nine years, catering primarily to businesses, hospitals and medical offices throughout Greater Cleveland from their 6,000-square-foot kitchen in a warehouse off Canterbury Road in Westlake.

Each year, over 20 million people in the United States change jobs due to mergers, downsizing, and layoffs, as well as voluntary career changes, and millions more enter retirement. Whether you have recently retired or changed careers you may have one or several retirement plans at former employers, and because of the array of options you have, many individuals are inclined to not make a decision at all and leave the money in their former employers’ plans.

Furrer & Associates Inc., a full service CPA firm serving the west side of Cleveland, recently moved to 28045 Clemens Road, Suite B in Westlake. This office park, located next to Five Seasons is now owned by Clemens Road Real Estate Holdings LLC, associated with Stephen J. Furrer, CPA. Saratoga of Ohio Ltd. owned the building previously and their company, Shoreline Contractors Inc. moved out with the sale of the building. 

After seven years in the Westlake Woods office park, Furrer & Associates relocated in July 2010. In order to better suit the needs of a growing accounting practice, the space underwent a two-month construction renovation. Additionally, a new parking lot was put in to support the three other tenants also in the office park.

John Lance Ford in Westlake is among an elite group of Ford and Lincoln dealerships to be recognized with the 2012 President’s Award by Ford Motor Company. The prestigious award honors dealerships that have excelled in automotive retailing in 2012, by providing exceptional customer service and satisfaction. Less than 10 percent of dealerships nationwide received the award.

“Earning this award is a reflection of our entire staff’s commitment to delivering the best customer experience possible,” said general manager Dean Szalai.

Water quality is essential to all of us – and the quality of our water affects the quality of our lives. Cleveland Division of Water is committed to providing its customers safe, high-quality drinking water.

That is why the division maintains a rigorous quality control program and continues to invest substantial financial resources to improve our water treatment facilities and distribution system. Our water is constantly monitored and tested. The water produced and delivered by Cleveland Water far exceeds the most stringent water quality standards currently mandated by federal and state water regulations, and last year was no exception.

So, here’s a riddle: What has over 1,000 local residents and business decision-makers exchanging ideas with over 100 exhibitors, while enjoying great food, wine and beer from 15 local establishments? Answer: the 9th annual Business Expo, sponsored by the Rocky River Chamber of Commerce.

Every year, hundreds of local business owners and local residents mark their calendars awaiting the opportunity to network and learn from IT consultants and graphics firms, to furriers and cosmetic dentists, while enjoying a wide variety of food, beer and wine.

Grace Ha, an experienced nail technician and resident of Westlake, has opened a new, upscale nail salon in the Dover Commons Shopping Center in Bay Village. Grace is very excited about doing business in Bay, with a vision of providing a full range of nail services in a beautiful, clean and comfortable environment where customers can come to relax and enjoy a professional manicure and pedicure. 

Does your computer ever run slow, act funny, or crash unexpectedly? Do you get a ton of pop-up ads, even when you are not actively surfing the web? Has your browser been “hijacked” and replaced with another unknown browser?

If so, your computer is infected with malicious spyware and viruses that can alter your computer, steal your confidential information, and disable the use of your PC, leaving you without a computer for hours or days while you get it fixed. And what’s worse –most times once your computer has been hit by these threats, it has to be completely wiped in order to fix it.

Unless you have a backup image (a snapshot of everything on the PC, exactly as it is), it will never quite be the same again. You may lose software programs that you downloaded, but don’t have the disk for, your icons won’t be where you remember them, and “little” things like your default printer could be all screwed up. It can be a nightmare. 

Estate Planning. You may know the term, and some may even have an estate plan in place, but what is it really? What does it mean to have a plan for your estate? Isn’t estate planning only for the super rich? Or is it? In this article we will answer those and many more questions about estate planning, and while there is a lot of information here, there is still even more to be known. Hopefully this article can give you a clear picture of what an estate plan is and why you would need to take action.

I am a Financial Advisor, not an estate planning attorney, and all the experience in the world is no substitute for someone who practices estate planning law on a daily basis and with that in mind I have consulted Laura L. Noble, an estate planning attorney in Bay Village, for some help. If you need more information or to see how this article applies to your specific situation, be sure to contact an estate planning professional.

The Gardens at Westlake senior assisted living center was the recipient of two awards from the Ohio Assisted Living Association. Christina Melaragno was named Oustanding Executive Director and Rosey Cichon won in the category of Outstanding Business Manager. The two women each received a plaque and recognition at OALA’s statewide conference in Columbus on Nov. 7.

Melaragno, who has served as executive director since 2007, began her career working as a nurse aide and going to night school to become a licensed practical nurse. The time she spent working directly with patients served her well, as she makes it a priority to connect with the Gardens’ residents and employees.

My husband, Rick Holton, and myself, both longtime residents of Westlake, are excited to announce the opening of our new Polish pottery shop in Williamsburg Square. For over ten years, we have been one of the leading distributors of this hand-painted stoneware from the small town of Boleslawiec, Poland. 

What began with ten pieces on our dining room table has amassed into an inventory surpassing 30,000 pieces. This has been a home-based business for the past ten years of distributing Polish Pottery to more than 225 kitchen/gourmet shops throughout the United States.

Recently I heard from three of the people who have just landed new jobs. Each did a terrific job of networking, putting together customized resumes that focused on key accomplishments and truly separated themselves from other candidates during the interview process.

In addition to doing the right things during a job search, candidates in today’s very competitive job market must have the “right stuff.” OK…so what is that?

From conversations with dozens of recruiters and hiring managers, I have compiled a list of the top traits that “ideal candidates” are expected to possess:

Gray House Pies, the local, award-winning pie bakery, is expanding into Westlake. With an opening planned for March 1, Gray House Pies brings to the area a second location at 26075 Detroit Road.

This new shop will have seating for customers to stop in and enjoy slices of favorites such as Caramel Apple or Maple Bacon Pecan. There are also savory selections, such as traditional quiches and single-serving “pub pies.”