Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 25, 2011

17

HOMES AND PROPERTY

Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 25, 2011 

One Of A Kind: Featuring unique homes and gardens and the people whoe create them. Story By Chris Bertrand Photos clly, ourtesy of Terra Bella

Time for a Sunday Drive to See 2011 Arcadia Beautiful Awards!


On June 6, the city of Arcadia 
announced their yearly, 
Arcadia Beautiful Awards. 
Early in the spring, nominations 
are solicited from the 
community, as well as the 
seven Arcadia Beautiful 
Commissioners, residents 
who volunteer for this well-
loved event, the Holiday 
Decorating Awards event 
and Arbor Day festivities. 

A banner announcing the community event hangs 
yearly over Baldwin at Huntington, and the announcement 
also goes out in the Spring edition of 
the quarterly Arcadia Newsletter and on the city’s 
Hot Sheet publication, giving notice that the judging 
would take place on May 26th. 

The City Manager’s office received 44 nominations 
this year. Each of the seven commissioners also 
toured their assigned section of the city to develop 
their own nominations. Then the entire commission 
toured the city, reviewing the nominations. The sixteen 
winners were announced by the city on June 6th. 

According to the city’s website, “Properties are 
evaluated on overall appearance, landscaping, general 
property maintenance, architecture and use of color. 
A property can win an award once

every fourth year. The primary purpose of the Arcadia 
Beautiful Program is to promote a beautiful city 
and to encourage residents, businesses and property 
owners to take an active part in the improvement 
and beautification of their property. The program 
fosters pride in the appearance of our city, calls attention 
to the need for good property maintenance 
and supports

practices that help maintain an attractive 
community.”

An awards ceremony was held on June 21 at the 
city council meeting at Arcadia City Hall, 240 W. 
Huntington Drive. Winners of the Arcadia Beautiful 
Awards “receive a sign to display in their yard, a 
certificate of commendation and a gift. Arcadia has 
a well-deserved reputation for superbly maintained, 
beautiful homes and neighborhoods. Now is the time 
to recognize some of the people who help us ‘keep 
Arcadia beautiful,’” according to the city website.


285 W. Huntington Drive

711 San Luis Rey Road

29 W. Orange Grove Avenue

1625 Hyland Avenue

1300 Rancho Road

1301 Rancho Road

340 Arbolada Drive

1320 Santa Margarita Avenue

210 N. Altura Road

875 Monte Verde Drive

929 Panorama Drive

876 Hugo Reid Drive

726 S. Golden West Avenue

1505 S. Baldwin Avenue

415 W. Leroy Avenue

416 Coyle Avenue


R.O.I.: RETURN ON 
IMPROVEMENT

If you plan to remodel or update before selling your home, you have to find the balance 
between what's appropriate and what qualifies as over-improvement. If you're in a mid-
range neighborhood and install granite countertops, you're unlikely to recoup your costs. 
But if you're in a higher-end community, laminate may be too little, too late, resulting in a 
lower sales price.

So what will always work? Painting, inside or out, is one of the most affordable ways to 
increase your resale value. If you've got wood floors underneath carpeting, show them off. 
Old light fixtures in the kitchen, bath and hallways should be updated to popular styles 
with stainless steel or brushed nickel finishes. And be sure to make a good first impression 
outdoors with a maintained yard and perhaps a new mailbox, doorknobs and house 
numbers.

Before you plan your updates, visit some open houses or new home communities where 
you can see the latest styles, and update your home's features accordingly. Just remember 
to keep your improvements clean, neutral and timeless.

Try not to be the last one on your block to remodel or update, because buyers will pass your 
listing over for one up the road that's already been updated. Improve your chances for a 
quicker sale at a higher price by discussing with your agent which improvements provide 
the greatest return.

BUSINESS TODAY

The latest on Business News, Trends and Techniques


By La Quetta M. Shamblee 

Thinking about starting a 
business and don’t have a lot 
of capital to invest? If you’re 
willing to invest your time 
and talents, working as a 
consultant may be the best 
way for you to get started. 
It is a business that you 
can launch based on your 
knowledge and experience 
in a specific area, and it’s one 
of the few that you can start 
while you’re still employed. 
If you’re unemployed, you 
have the advantage of extra 
time on your side. However, 
there some basics to consider 
before getting started.

The first thing to ask yourself 
is, “Am I really ready to do 
this?”

You need to identify your area 
of expertise for consulting. 
Take an inventory of your skill 
set. Be sure to stay abreast 
of the newest developments 
in your area of expertise. 
Consider consultants that 
have been hired by your 
current or past employers, 
especially if they’ve been paid 
for the type of expertise that 
you have. 

Be prepared to put in some 
long hours, especially in the 
early stages of your consulting 
practice. You may decide 
to “moonlight” to get your 
business started while you’re 

still employed. In any case, 
be prepared for some early 
a.m. or late night sessions to 
meet deadlines. There is no 
automatic paycheck at the 
end of the workweek. For 
some clients, it may take 
several months to cultivate 
them, secure new contracts, 
complete the work and submit 
your invoice to get paid.

The second thing to ask 
yourself is, “Do I have the 
business basics?”

It is imperative to have an 
understanding of “business 
basics.” Even if you plan to 
hire an individual or company 
to handle certain aspects 
of your business, it is very 
important for you to have a 
solid frame of reference for 
the “administrative” functions 
of your business. The key 
areas of activity that must 
function well to support 
the success of your business 
include recordkeeping and 
accounting, marketing and 
advertising, and project and 
business management.

The final question to ask is, 
“What do I do next?”

If you’re ready to take the leap, 
it’s time to start laying the 
groundwork by putting some 
action behind your consulting 

idea. First, start by simply 
documenting your ideas for 
your business in writing by 
answering three questions: 
1) What services do you have 
to sell?, 2) Who is my target 
audience/Who need my 
services? and 3) What do I 
need to put in place to deliver 
my expertise to clients? 
(website, special equipment, 
etc.). This information can 
be incorporated into a more 
detailed business plan that can 
be developed as you proceed 
with the development of your 
consulting practice.

There are a number of local 
resources that provide 
information and training 
on how to start and build a 
small businesses, including 
community colleges, 
the U.S. Small Business 
Administration and several 
local nonprofit organizations. 
For starters, there is a wealth 
of free information available 
online – just Google® what 
you’re looking for to start your 
personal business training 
program.

Read Part II in next week’s 
issue.

WORKING AS A CONSULTANT: 

A Basic Checklist (Part I)

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com