41.0°

Sound off on the important issues at

wood is an Alaska financial services company that provides accounting, book-keeping, management consultation and tax preparation.

Wolk, who still maintains the Anchorage business, opened the Juneau office Sept. 1.

For more information about Wolk or her business services, contact her at 563-9004 or via e-mail at bsuewolk@ak.net.

Class offered in disaster planning

JUNEAU - Business owners and staff are invited to attend a Disaster Preparedness for Business class being held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 21 at the University of Alaska Southeast in the Egan Lecture Hall.

Topics will include strategic planning for local and national disasters that might affect area businesses. The seminar will provide information and resources so businesses can assess their own risks and develop their preparedness plans. The keynote speaker will be Cynthia Stewart, former Boeing Field manager who handled the Nisqually earthquake.

Also, Juneau businesses who have been affected by fire and flood will share their own experiences and the city's disaster manager, Michael Patterson, will discuss the city's emergency plan with a discussion following. Finally, representatives from Juneau's essential service businesses, including barge lines, electricity and fuel distributors, communications, banking and insurance, will discuss their own disaster planning and how a disaster might affect their services to business.

The event is being sponsored and coordinated by a variety of groups, including Alaska Electric Light & Power, American Red Cross of Alaska, the city, the Juneau Empire, the Juneau Small Business Development Center, the U.S. Small Business Administration and Coeur Alaska.

Registration costs $25 and includes a continental breakfast and lunch, with net proceeds going to the American Red Cross.

To register or to find out more information, call 465-3789 or e-mail jsbdc@alaska.com.

Business start-up tutorial offered

JUNEAU - A two-evening class, "Starting Your Own Business," will be offered by the Juneau Small Business Development Center from 6 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 18 and 25.

Juneau-area professionals will share their knowledge of business start-up steps, risk management, record keeping, commercial banking, marketing and other key elements to consider before starting a business. Speakers include Stephen Sorensen, of Simpson, Tillinghast, and Sorensen; John Grummett, of Shattuck and Grummett; George Elgee, of Elgee Rehfeld and Mertz; Heather Mitchell, of Alaska Pacific Bank; and Jackie Stewart, of the Juneau Small Business Development Center.

This is the first of the Juneau SBDC's fall schedule of classes. Other offerings will be "Operating a Home Business," "Marketing on a Shoestring," "Creating a Business Plan" and "Bookkeeping with Quickbooks Simple Start."

Classes will be held in the third-floor conference room at the Juneau Empire's building on Channel Drive. Registration is required and costs $35, with scholarships available to low-income participants. For more information or to register, call 463-3789.

• Business Digest is compiled by Empire reporter Brittany Retherford.