Workshops Planned on Y2K Concerns

Bank of Ventura branch manager Betty Davenport recalled a joke she came across pertaining to Year 2000 fears. The anecdote, she said, centered on a man who changed all of his printed Ys to Ks to solve the Y2K problem.

If only it were that easy.

Davenport knows as well as anyone that Y2K problems can be hard to find, let alone solve. That’s why she and other Bank of Ventura officials have scheduled a Year 2000 seminar for March 24 at the bank’s main branch on Telephone Road. The breakfast and informational meeting will address concerns of small-business owners and offer suggestions on preparing for and preventing system malfunctions.

Guest speaker J. Matthew Carroll, director of the county’s information systems department, will discuss Y2K problems that can arise within a company as well as external problems associated with contractors, clients and others throughout the business network.

“We’ll have an outline of what a business should do,” Davenport said. “What is their action plan? Does it include their vendors, work in progress? Do they have a contingency plan?”

Areas of discussion, she said, will include ensuring that cash registers and other point-of-sale equipment will continue to function when Jan. 1, 2000, arrives.

“It’s really customer awareness, community support, playing our part of Y2K in getting the word out,” Davenport said. “Just like any other business, we’re making sure our vendors, our clients, the people who take out loans and make deposits, are prepared.”

Joseph Huggins, director of the Gold Coast Small Business Development Center, shares Davenport’s concerns.

Under the guidance of the Small Business Administration, Huggins has planned a Y2K workshop at his Ventura office. The program, on March 31, is intended to help businesses assess their risks, design procedures to correct the situation and be aware of liabilities associated with glitches in their operation.

“We’ve been directed by the state and the SBA to do more on the Y2K problem,” Huggins said.

“You have a real paradox,” he said. “There are some people that are panicky and don’t think we’ve done enough. Some people are moving to the wilderness, people are selling extra rations, almost like doomsday. People are thinking everything is going to crash. And on the other hand there are people that are not dealing with it at all.”

For more information on the Bank of Ventura program, call 644-8136. For the SBDC workshop, call 658-2688.