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"Common sense is instinct. and enough of it is genius:' - J06h Billin06 DON'T FLY BLIND! . !T1INCORPORATION, LLC c.I.) 1 c.l.)COMMERCIAL COLLECTIONS CONTRACTS DAVID M. ANDERSON ATTORNEY AT LAw 526-2175 BOOKKEEPING ACCOUNTING SERVICE STATION Help for Small & Home-based Businesses BOOKKEEPING · On site seroices · Staff training · Vacation, sick leaves & emergencies ACCOUNTING · Business/Financial Plans · Compilations · System Analysis 612-427-4511 Home-based & Small Business Network, Vol. 11, No.3 The zoning issue By Joanne Frank Wise home-based business owners will be planning to keep abreast of their local zoning laws, especially if they live in urban areas. Fact in point: The City of Minne- apolis passed a new ordinance, the ,.~__ Zoning Ordinance, that legislates ow home-based busi- nesses can work in the city. Many of the new rules are very restrictive and could impair or end the ability of business owners to work profitably from home offices. The compliance date was set for September 30, 1997. Changing ordinances is a long process. This one, in fact, has been in the works for more than three years. Involved in the process was Michelle Bloom, recognized as a long-time advocate for home business and for the leadership she provides to home business owners, their groups and communities, both as a volunteer and through her 12-year-old firm, Creative Business Consulting. Assured by the opportunity for home businesses to provide dialog with planning staff for the ordinance revi- sions, Bloom activated discussions and participation to assure that the needs of home business owners would be heard. The work with the planning staff resulted in recommendations approved by the Planning Commis- sion which would, it was thought, be readily approved by the City Council. It was not so. After drastically tightening the pro- visions set forth, the Council passed the new ordinance without public tes- timony and without notifying the peo- ple who had worked with the plan- ning staff for three years. Response was immediate. A task- force was developed to rebuff the changes and establish fairness and effectiveness in the ordinance. Media attention and a barrage of calls and contacts with councilpersons have resulted in the delay of the compli- ance date as well as scheduling a pub- lic hearing on September 24, which promises that public testimony will be heard. Some of the changes that invoked the stir included: · no employees would be allowed who don't live on the premises (the draft allowed for one employee) · hours of operation would only be between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. (the draft allowed for 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) · hours of delivery between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. (draft allowed 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. reflecting delivery service stan- dards) . can't see more than three clients at a time, or five in a day (the draft lim- ited clients or customers to five at a time.) These are just some of the items in question, and may seem insignificant to some, but they are important issues. Most accountants need to see clients in the evenings, as do piano teachers and many others. Objections to the new changes voiced to one councilperson brought a response indicating that home businesses adopt a look-the-other-way approach and A1akingbefterlookingcotnpanies throllgh befter looking advertising! Your business can look as good as you dreamed it could. We offer professional advertising without the usually associated high costs. If improving your company image is in your plans call us and start looking better today!! Phone: (612) 413-0373 19