artists are young people (long business background not necessary)

or very old, retired people. Management background should be easy

to check always.

to speak to the credit manager rather than the person you were told

to contact. Tell-tale signs of foul play: a glowing account of the

business in question before records are checked, and hard-to-trace

fax numbers that could lead to a single location.

is heavy on assets, and low on debt, it might look too good to be

true. Call the company’s primary bank for a reference — ask about

the average balance. Make sure their number jells with the number

you see on the balance sheet.

to mention a reference, and makes a strong case for urgent delivery

— especially of a very large order. If the customer is too

familiar

with your credit policy, you may have a criminal in your midst.

business operations generally utilize short-term, low-rent locations,

and prefer mail drops. Make sure the address is appropriate to the

type of business. You can check with the building management firm

or ask a third party to drop by the address for you.

certain industries are rife with swindlers — the wholesale general

merchandise, small item, and low-to-medium priced apparel industries

in particular. Be cautious because, as they say: "Running a

profitable

business is hard enough without getting ripped off."

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Financial Institutions Directory

The Winter 2000 edition of the NJBA New Jersey Financial Institutions

Directory has just been released. The directory lists banks and their

branches in New Jersey, along with town population and the name of

county and Federal Reserve District in which each are located. NJBA

officers and information are also included. The state directory is

$33, but consolidated orders are slightly less. Call 609-924-5550.

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Tax Help

Already dreading the day April 15? Before you tear your

hair out, there are some area organizations that can help. For the

17th straight year, Rider University accounting students will be

working

with the IRS to offer free tax assistance to those who cannot afford

professional help. Volunteers will be at the court near Lord and

Taylor

at the Quaker Bridge Mall on Mondays from 1 to 4 p.m., and Saturdays

from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from February 7 to March 4.

On Tuesdays, from noon to 3 p.m., volunteers will also be in the main

lobby of the Student Center on the Lawrenceville campus. Call Rider’s

Public Relations office: 609-896-5192.

If Lawrenceville is too far from home, the Princeton Senior Resource

Center is also sponsoring free tax assistance for low and

moderate-income

senior citizens. Trained volunteers from the American Association

of Retired Persons will be available Mondays from February 7 to April

10, between 12:30 and 4:30 p.m. Call the Princeton Senior Resource

Center to schedule an appointment: 609-924-7108.

For either program, participants should bring a copy of their 1998

Federal and New Jersey tax returns, as well as all pertinent 1999

tax information.

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Certificate in Nonprofit Management

Learn how to fundraise, build an effective board, and

establish a reputation for your nonprofit organization with Mercer

County College’s Certificate in Nonprofit Management. Marge

Smith,

former executive director of the YWCA of Princeton and consultant

for nonprofits for 20 years, teaches "Fundamentals of Nonprofit

Management," a four-session course offered on Mondays at 7:10

p.m. beginning February 28 ($100).

Experts in the area of finance discuss budgets, accounting procedures,

capital campaigns, solicitations, endowments, and fundraising during

four sessions of "Financial Management and Fundraising,"

beginning

April 10 ($80). Call 609-586-9446.

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Donate Please

Here’s a corporate gift with a one/two punch — with

one sum of money you not only send a gift basket, but you also help

a charity. The "Touch of Taste" division of the ARC/Mercer’s

employment center on New York Avenue, run by Dilys Henninger,

offers all kinds of gift baskets for any occasion. The baskets range

in price from $15 to $55, and you can make your picks from a

four-color

catalog and have them delivered — or sent out of town by U.P.S.

"Our prices are very competitive," says Arlene Gold,

the marketing director, "and you are helping a good cause and

putting a group of people to work." A hand crafted ceramic pot

with seasonal bulbs is $15, and an office party basket, perhaps for

a nurse’s station, is $50. Some corporations include items with their

own logo — a key chain or a t-shirt, for instance — to their

clients.

ARC can also take donations of products to be used in the baskets

— overruns, overstocks, or samples of "gifty" type items

or even canned and packaged food items. Call 609-393-2483.

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Donate Please

The Mercer County Community College Foundation

sponsors its 11th annual scholarship gala, "Join us for a Chinese

New Year Celebration," on Saturday, March 4 at the Hyatt Regency

in Princeton. Proceeds go directly towards student assistance. Tickets

are $175, or support the event through donations, corporate

sponsorships,

or by placing ads in the gala journal. Contact Linda Lichtfus

at 609-586-4800, ext. 3269.

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Call for Entries

Windsor

are accepting applications for their Career Development awards. The

awards are for women 25 or older who are continuing with college,

or returning, or seeking vocational training. Application deadline

is Monday, February 28. Call 609-448-5599 for an application.

"Making a Difference" awards, to those "unsung heroes"

who sacrifice their time for others. To submit a nomination, contact

Ramapo College at 201-684-7050 by Monday, February 14.

seeking

applicants for the 2000 Impact Awards, a competition for excellence

in marketing communications. The deadline for entries is Friday,

February

4. All entries must have been produced during calendar year 1999.

The cost is $60 for members, $85 non-members. Call Andrew

Serenyi

at 732-225-7115, or visit the website at http://www.bma-nj.org.

Corrections or additions?

— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.