Lynn's Top Five I have come to believe that market volatility is the new normal. Ever since public access to the Internet connected us in profound and irreversible ways, so too has more information been available to investors than we can perhaps, given our nature, immediately ...By Lynn Ballou, CFP(r)
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Lafayette Pack and Ship Brings Boutique Feel to Mail "It has always been in the cards," said Sue McKinlay, when I asked why she and her husband, Ian, moved from Denver to California, where they run the new Lafayette Pack and Ship, located on Mt. Diablo Boulevard. Originally from London, the McKinlays had long been ...By A.K. Carroll
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Kevin Reneau: Moraga's 2015 Business Person of the Year Kevin Reneau would probably have been Moraga Business Person of the year much sooner if he had not also been the president of the Moraga Chamber of Commerce. A successful local entrepreneur, Reneau has built with his wife, Pam, one of the fastest growing Senior ...By Sophie Braccini
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The Cost of Convenience A stressed-out consumer, not knowing much about flowers and feeling the extra pressure of Valentine's Day, makes for an easy mark in the floral industry, and plenty of operators are ready to pounce, many promoting online with a toll-free phone number.
By Nick Marnell
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The Real Estate Year in Review It was another extremely strong year for ...By Conrad Bassett
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Real Estate Dealings from the Ground Up Residential real estate often comes in two varieties: move-in ready and do-it-yourself. In the former, the house is usually available for occupancy shortly after close of sale. Yet some clients prefer to work literally from the ground up, by locating and buying a ...By Cathy Dausman
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Deer Hill Winery Takes Over Owner's Basement Sometimes a little hobby turns into a big one, expanding its influence as it takes over your free time, your resources and even your home. This has been the experience of Lafayette resident and owner of Deer Hill Wines, Bill Scanlin, whose backyard vineyard turned into ...By A.K. Carroll
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Fundamental Shift Heralded at Moraga Business Symposium Since the 1960s there has been a lack of integration and vision in Moraga's two shopping centers, but that may all soon change. At the Jan. 19 business symposium at Saint Mary's College, organized by the Moraga Chamber of Commerce, planning director Ellen Clark spoke ...By Sophie Braccini
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Lessons Learned From A Major Disaster Seeing one's business go up in smoke can be a terrible blow, but that is exactly what happened to Moraga resident John Schwartz and his family on Thanksgiving night last November when fire broke out at Sam Clar Furniture in Concord. Fortunately, Schwartz was well ...By Sophie Braccini
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New President Takes the Helm at Orinda Chamber of Commerce There are a lot of new faces in the leadership of the Orinda Chamber of Commerce this year. At the top of the list is Roy Hodgkinson, who started his three-year term as president on Jan. 1, succeeding Sylvia Jorgensen. Joining him are four new board members, a new ...By Victor Ryerson
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Lamorinda Weekly Publishers Named Lafayette's Business Persons of the Year Sometimes, the way to break out of the box in the business world is to stay contained within tight parameters.
Putting that counterintuitive practice into play, Andy and Wendy Scheck, ...By Lou Fancher
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Local Volunteer Business Advisors Boast of One Client's Success When Ciara Stockeland, a young entrepreneur from Fargo, North Dakota, was invited in October to the White House to hear President Obama speak and to testify in front of the Senate on behalf of small businesses, Moraga resident Larry Tessler felt like a proud g ...By Sophie Braccini
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Agemark Senior Living and Memory Care Communities Managed From Orinda Lamorinda does not just have retail or small business operations. Some larger companies are run from offices tucked away in commercial areas, like Agemark. Founded 36 years ago by Orinda resident Richard Westin, Agemark owns and operates assisted living and memory care ...By Sophie Braccini
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Lynn's Top 5 The Gift of Financial Independence In just a few short weeks we will be celebrating the end of another busy and productive year, and welcoming 2016. As part of our shared experience, we use the changing of the calendar as a time for reflection and resolutions. If working toward (or retaining) ...By Lynn Ballou, CFP(r)
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Natasha Grasso Jewelry in Moraga What gave Natasha Grasso the desire to open a shop in Moraga? The young woman is a metal welder, an artist and a businesswoman. A success on Etsy, Instagram, and upscale boutiques and museums around the country, Grasso's creations have been featured in magazines ...By Sophie Braccini
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