Business Briefs

SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) will sponsor a small business owners workshop from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 16 at the SCORE office, 2 Gateway Center, 15th floor, Newark.

The presentation is titled “Starting and Managing Your Own Business.” Topics will include marketing, business plans, tax obligations, legal requirements, financing and record keeping.

Registration fee is $25 and includes a revised copy of the book “Starting and Managing Your Own Business.”

SCORE is sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

For more information and to register, call (973) 645-3982, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is searching for outstanding New Jersey small-business owners and small-business champions who will be honored during National Small Business Week in April.

According to James A. Kocsi, SBA New Jersey district director, nominations are being sought for “New Jersey’s Small Business Person of the Year” and for outstanding “SBA Small Business Champions” in the areas of minority, women, veteran, financial services, home-based business, and “Small Business Journalist of the Year.” They are also seeking candidates for “Small Business Exporter of the Year,” “Young Entrepreneur of the Year,” and an “SBA Family-Owned Business of the Year.”

Kocsi stated that they are looking to individuals, local chambers of commerce, banks, trade associations, and other community-based business organizations to submit nominations and sponsor candidates.

The SBA will join with the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce in recognizing its Small Business Week award winners at the eighth annual New Jersey Small Business Conference scheduled to be held April 22 at the Hyatt Hotel in New Brunswick.

Nominations should be submitted to the SBA Newark District Office at 2 Gateway Center, 15th Floor, Newark 07102. The deadline for all nominations is Dec. 6. Details: (973) 645-6064 or e-mail harry.menta@sba.gov. Nomination guidelines may be downloaded at www.sba.gov/nj/sba05nominations.pdf.

Ocean Place Resort & Spa, Long Branch, has announced the appointment local restaurant owner and chef Mark Lepore to executive chef for the 254-room resort. Lepore was most recently owner/chef of Trabelli’s Ristorante, Old Bridge. He also held various executive chef positions at Sheraton, Hilton and Ramada hotels. At Ocean Place, he will oversee a staff of approximately 40 associates, the daily kitchen operations for the resort’s two restaurants, banquet kitchen and room service, as well as food revenues and product purchasing. He will also work closely with the director of food and beverage in developing seasonal restaurant and holiday menus and new concepts throughout the year. Lepore is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy, San Francisco, and was awarded the 2001 Culinary Excellence Gold Metal from the American Culinary Institute, New York City.

The East Brunswick Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a Peak Performance Community Dinner program at 6 p.m. on Nov. 16 at Sir John’s Restaurant, 230 Washington Place, North Brunswick.

Guest speaker Jim Campbell, D.C., of Campbell Chiropractic Center, East Brunswick, will offer a presentation titled “Live at Your Peak.”

Cost is $22 for chamber members, $27 for nonmembers. Seats are limited to the first 50 callers.

To register, call the chamber at (732) 257-3009 or fax a reservation to (732) 257-0949.