Sound Bites - Issue #60 - August 2018 - #297

On the Cover
Donyea Adams Expands Property Management Offering

SMC Extension/Community Education will be offering a new class this fall, "Property Management – Residential, Commercial, Industrial" a career in which employment prospects are solid.

In fact, employment of property, real estate and community association managers is projected to grow 10 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Although SMC Extension/Community Ed has offered residential property management courses in the past, this class also covers the commercial and industrial areas as well. And the course will be taught by an instructor who brings more than 25 years of experience in real estate.

Donyea Adams has provided professional real estate advisory services for both the public and private sectors, and previous private sector assignments include commercial real estate advisory services, affordable housing resident manager and affordable housing rehabilitation development management.

Adams received a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Pepperdine University in 2004 and a Master's Degree in Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California School of Policy Planning and Development in 2008.

He has maintained an active California Real Estate Broker license since 1994. In 2009, he set up a consulting service to provide professional real estate advisory and investment services to corporations, private entities and local government authorities.

What are the rewards of property management?

The reward is to provide a service to a property owner that will result in generating income, delivering well-qualified tenants, and increasing the market value of the property.

What are the challenges?

The challenges to property management are the legal issues that can disrupt the property operation such as evictions, as well as city and state compliance. Also, staying in front of the rental market by providing leasing comps and market analysis.

Please explain briefly the differences between residential, commercial and industrial property management and what can be expected with each.

The differences between residential, commercial and industrial property management are numerous. Residential property management is focused on managing homes and apartment communities for the benefit of tenant possession and use. Tenants will reside on the property as a long-term residence or short-term residence. The lease agreement for residential property is typically 6 months to 1 year. The property conditions are regulated at the local, state, and federal level. The security deposit is based on the property being furnished or vacant and the maintenance of the property is generally the responsibility of the property management agent or property owner. The property manager will focus on selecting the best-qualified tenant, maintaining the property in good condition, and generating as much income as possible for the landlord/owner.

Commercial and industrial property management is very different than residential management. Commercial and industrial tenant communities are small and large businesses that need to occupy space to conduct their business. The lease terms can expand from 6 months to 30 years. The property use and condition can be controlled by the tenant. The lease type will fluctuate depending on what the landlord and tenant agree to pay. 

So with these minimal differences in residential and commercial/industrial leasing the property manager focused on commercial and industrial property needs to have the skill set to provide both the landlord and the tenant with a service that will add value to the leasing experience. The commercial property manager needs to understand the environmental issues the property may have as well as the legal complexity of a lease agreement. The manager is associated with trade organizations that cater to commercial, industrial, and office rentals and development and typically the property manager will have an advanced college degree.

What kinds of opportunities are there in commercial and industrial property management in L.A.?

There are lots of opportunities in property management. A person can work as an asset manager, leasing agent, or property supervisor. The entry to the industry is not difficult but may require training, a degree and understanding of the commercial and industrial market. Commercial and industrial property management requires a dedication to managing commercial and industrial real estate and is typically exclusive to that real estate category. The salary is different as well and tends to offer a higher salary than residential property management. Commercial property management is typically tied to commercial real estate sales and in both cases requires a real estate broker or salesperson license.

Donyea Adams will teach "Property Management – Residential, Commercial, Industrial" Oct. 20-27.

What's New
Everything Under the Sun, and more!

from the desk of Alice Meyering

With SMC Community Ed's fall session beginning in less than two weeks, I'm looking forward to a school year with new classes and a new position on a statewide organization that I believe will help community education programs throughout California.

Despite the continued staff shortage for our program, we continue to maintain and augment our offerings in response to our community's demands. For example, this fall we are offering several first-time new classes and programs – among them, a Federal Aviation Administration certificate in Commercial Drone Pilot Training, a field in which career opportunities are rapidly expanding; Photoshop for Mac; Advanced Digital Photography Printing Workshop; and More Mindfulness Meditation.

We're expanding our Property Management class (with a new instructor) to include commercial and industrial as well as residential. We are bringing back Introduction to Basic Drawing and Memoir Writing with new instructors, demonstrating our commitment to maintain popular courses when teachers leave our employ or are unable to continue teaching a certain topic.

We work on this constantly because we are committed to responding to the wishes of our community and because we believe passionately in lifelong learning, career education and professional development.

Meanwhile, I have just started in my new position as a Board Member and Co-Council Leader of the statewide Association of Continuing and Community Education (ACCE).

Why is this important? Because ACCE is working hard to bring about changes in the California Education Code that would be more favorable to our programs -- and thus, more favorable to our communities. In other words, we want to ensure we offer the most robust program to our students.

For these reasons, I'm excited about the opportunities ahead for 2018-19. And I wish all of you a stimulating year ahead full of mind and body expanding educational experiences.

Visit our award winning website at http://commed.smc.edu to register for classes online 24/7. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about our classes. You can email us at commed@smc.edu.

Behind the Scenes:
A Crazy Bon Appetit from P.O.P. Candy Company!

This is the story of a mom-and-pop candy-making enterprise in Santa Monica, an unexpected and special invitation from one of the most iconic and distinguished stores in Paris, and an SMC Community Ed instructor that is playing a supporting role in this tale.

And it's also a story of how Community Ed can fill a special need for local small businesses.

Rachel Flores and Bill Waiste have owned their p.o.p. candy co. business -- which sells fresh all-natural butter crunch in several flavors -- for 11 years. They started out by selling their product mostly at farmers markets and have since expanded to include event, online and retail sales, the latter of which are mostly in California and the Pacific Northwest.

But never did they dream they would be invited to test and sell their product in Paris -- and yet, that is exactly what happened.

It all started earlier this year while selling their butter crunch at the Mar Vista Farmers Market. Unbeknownst to them, one of their regular customers had been hired by the historic, high-end Le Bon Marché department store in Paris to identify Los Angeles artisans with crafted food goods that would be suitable to feature in the store's Los Angeles Rive Gauche Exhibition to be held in September.

Out of the blue, Flores and Waiste received an email in January from their farmers market customer inviting them to present their products to Bon Marché food buyers. They were among other L.A. artisans for the tasting event, which was held at the Cooper Building in downtown L.A. in February. At the tasting, two Bon Marché representatives sampled the couple's candy.

"They tried the product and loved it instantly," Flores said.

Months later, they received an email inviting them to present their confections at Los Angeles Rive Gauche Exhibition, Bon Marché's annual, month-long and hugely popular tasting event, which focuses on crafted food items from a particular city -- this year, L.A., and last year it was Milan, Italy. Flores said of the eight flavors offered at the L.A. tasting, Bon Marché ordered six - and a total of 1,500 pieces that filled 50 cases when shipped to Paris for the exhibition.

"When we read the email, we were just so excited, delighted and incredibly flattered," Flores said. "We've had customers take our products to friends and family in other countries but we never actually sold internationally. And the Bon Marché people have been so wonderful and personable as we've corresponded with them in preparation for the event."

The couple will display their product for tasting at the event Sept. 7-9, the first full weekend of Rive Gauche Los Angeles, and they will be in the City of Lights for 10 days.

"There's nothing like a little French incentive to get us to take the work vacay that we've been postponing for about 6 years!" Flores posted excitedly on their Instagram account.

Flores said this will be Waiste's first visit to France and her second (she had a brief tour of Paris when she was in high school). Neither speaks French, though Waiste studied the language in high school.

Soon after receiving the exciting news, Flores said the couple realized they knew nothing, not only of the language, but also of French culture, customs and business operations. And this is where SMC Community Ed French instructor Harriette McCauley comes into the story.

An occasional Lyft driver, Flores had picked up McCauley once and drove her to her "Beginning French for Travelers" class at Community Ed. They struck up a conversation, hit it off immediately and exchanged contact information.

Flores later called McCauley to give her the news and asked for her assistance with some private French language tutoring and tips. McCauley was more than happy to help.

"It's one of those stories where you go 'Wow,'" McCauley said. "I've tasted their product, and oh my, it's amazing."

Flores said McCauley has been a wonderful and helpful tutor, already bringing with her workbooks and maps of Paris to their first meeting. She and Waiste are considering taking McCauley's class after their French sojourn, particularly if the tasting turns into regular orders from Bon Marché.

"Rachel and Bill's amazing story demonstrates why short-term, not-for-credit classes can truly make a difference in someone's life," said Program Coordinator of Community & Contract Education Alice Meyering. "But more importantly, this is why our program is essential in a community like ours, which passionately believes that the heart of education is in fact the need for life-long learning."

Meanwhile, in celebration of their upcoming French adventure, p.o.p. candy is offering, through the end of this month, a "Crazy Bon Appetit" box set of butter crunch in the six flavors that will be sampled in Paris -- almond, pecan, p.o.p. mix, fire pistachio, brown sugar and cinammon, and rum y vanilla.

Their trip won't be all work. They will have time to sightsee and enjoy Paris.

"We've been working hard and haven't taken a vacation in so long," Flores said, "so this is a great way to mix a little business with a lot of pleasure."

Harriette McCauley will teach Beginning Conversational French for Travelers – Level I beginning Sept. 15. She will also teach Beginning Conversational French - Combo, Level 1 & Level 2 beginning Sept. 15. And she will teach Beginning Conversational French for Travelers - Level 2 beginning Oct. 27.

Perspectives:
Business Development Series Making a Difference

Small businesses in America have a major impact on the economy: 60 percent to 80 percent of all U.S. jobs are created by small businesses. In addition, since 1995, small businesses are responsible for paying out 44 percent of the total U.S. private payroll.

And that's not all -- small businesses give people the opportunity to achieve financial independence, encourage innovation, and create employment opportunities. A small business is a dream come true for many, many Americans.

But it's not always easy starting, maintaining or growing a small business. And that's where SMC Extension/Community Ed comes into the picture.

As former Director of the SMC Small Business Development Center (SBDC), I still have a desire to support the small business community. And I continue to get calls from small business owners seeking help with developing their enterprises.

Fortunately, we can provide that help. Our Entrepreneurship & Business Development Series gives small business owners the tools necessary to launch and grow a firm, from conception to start-up and beyond.

Courses cover everything from Business Plan Writing to Quick Books to Marketing.

The series is perfect for professional service providers, manufacturers, distributors, artists and more. The courses can benefit employees or those seeking to add skills that employers are looking for.

We will be adding more entrepreneur-focused courses in the future, but for now please check out the various programs we offer at SMC Extension, including the Entrepreneurship & Business Development Series.

Warm regards,

Michelle King
Director of Career &
Contract Education

 

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