Published by San Fernando Valley Business Journal on February 20, 2017
Published by Ventura County Star on February 12, 2017
“Help Unlimited! We do the ordinary and the extraordinary!”
So blared the classified advertisement in the Ventura Star-Free Press, promising to any and all readers that the newlywed couple that had placed it would be happy to do anything that anyone wanted them to do — from walking dogs to mowing lawns, from cleaning houses to stripping paint.
Little did the newlyweds — Gayle and Jack Bertsch, of Ojai, a teacher and engineer, respectively — realize that their ad, circa 1975, would evolve into Help Unlimited, a business devoted exclusively to providing in-home care to the homebound, employing nearly 250 and serving clients from Santa Maria to Westlake Village.
“All we wanted to do was help people, and do it as a couple,” Gayle Bertsch said. “We had no idea it would lead to this.”
Now, entering their 42nd year in what remains a family-owned business, Gayle and Jack — desiring to step back from the day-to-day operations — have appointed their daughter, Ariel, as Help Unlimited vice president. She grew up working in the business, and is dedicated to building upon the legacy established by her parents.
“I have always loved seeing my parents’ commitment and passion to caring for and serving others,” said the 33-year-old only child of the founders. “I enjoy working with people, building relationships, and in the caregiving business, it’s all about treating each other with respect and integrity. I owe my parents a huge debt for making that so important.”
Right people
The couple's entry into caregiving came as a result of their reputation for doing all of their jobs — however big, however small, however odd — with quality, dedication and integrity. That’s why a Ventura hospital discharge planner — who was impressed with what others had said about Help Unlimited — asked if the Bertsches could provide live-in assistance to someone who needed help with the daily tasks of living.
“That wasn’t our expertise,” Gayle said, “but we found her someone phenomenal. And pretty soon, we were getting calls from hospitals and others wanting care for people in their homes, so we worked super-hard at finding wonderful people — people with greater skills than we had — to do what we were being asked to provide.”
From there, the business grew.
“It was always a needs-driven business,” Gayle said. “Whenever I heard about a need, I wanted to fill it. And as the business developed, Jack and I felt like our mission to help people was being fulfilled.”
With offices in Ventura and Santa Barbara, Help Unlimited now provides professional caregiver assistance with dressing, exercising, shopping, meal preparation and other tasks that clients are less able to do for themselves.
“A lot of our service,” Ariel said, “is about offering companionship as well as assistance with the tasks of daily living. Trust is a big component of this business because you are dealing with individuals and families who are in a vulnerable situation, like clients who have dementia. And we always do random checks and follow up constantly to strengthen our relationships with our caregivers and clients.”
Increased need
Over the years, Help Unlimited has served more than 10,000 families, establishing a toehold in what is becoming an increasingly needed service, given the influx of baby boomers at or nearing retirement age (to say nothing of their parents).
A recent analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data by the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute stated that by 2020 the U.S. will require 1.6 million more direct-care workers (including nursing, home health and personal-care aides) than in 2010 — a 48 percent increase.
But meeting that need will be challenging because caregiving — whether done by a professional or by a family member or friend — can be physically and emotionally demanding.
“Burnout is a real issue in this business,” Ariel said. “You have to love it from inside, from your heart, in order to stick with it and do it well.”
And firms seeking to enter the market need to look beyond the bottom line.
“A lot of firms come and go in the caregiving industry,” Ariel said. “Over the years, people have looked at the aging baby boomer market with dollar signs in their eyes, but you can’t look at caregiving that way. You have to be passionate about meeting the individual’s health needs, and it can be hard to care for people who are not at their best. In home health care, passion and attention to detail is a requirement of good service.”
Added Gayle: “It’s a very competitive industry. Forty years ago, we were about the only ones in town, and now the industry has grown so much, which has necessitated the need for more regulation.”
Among the most significant new laws is Assembly Bill 1217, the Home Care Services Protection Act of 2013, which provides for the licensure and regulation of private home care organizations in California (starting July 1, 2014) and requires home care aides to be certified (as of Jan. 1, 2015).
“And that’s a good thing,” Gayle said, “because we were doing criminal background checks, fingerprinting, hiring only licensed caregivers, obtaining the necessary insurance — all of those things years before they were mandated. We’re talking about people’s health, their quality of life, and the trust they and their families place in you. So you can’t do it with both eyes on the bottom line.”
At Help Unlimited, the focus is on making sure the employees, as well as clients, are treated correctly.
“My parents have employed a lot of great people, many of whom have been with the company over 20 years, both office and field staff,” Ariel said. “And I enjoy being part of the company culture and staff dynamic, and seeing how much everyone cares about each other and our clients. Working has to be enjoyable in order to be done well, and that means treating each other as well as clients with respect and integrity.”
Now into its fifth decade of service, she said, Help Unlimited is “focusing on what we do great, and deepening our relationships with our clients and staff. We listen to the market and try to deliver high-quality service.”
Published by Noozhawk on January 28, 2017
Santa Barbara attorney Renee M. Fairbanks, a certified family law specialist, has opened a new firm: Law Office of Renee M. Fairbanks.
Renee M. Fairbanks (Law Office of Renee M. Fairbanks)
Formerly a principal of Ehlers & Fairbanks, Fairbanks represents clients in divorce, custody, support, and domestic partnerships proceedings on the Central Coast. She also sits on the State Bar of California’s Family Law Executive Committee and focuses on education, which includes self-study and other continuing legal education programs.
Fairbanks is a past board member of Santa Barbara Women Lawyers and served as president of the board of directors of the Santa Barbara County Bar Foundation from 2014 through 2015.
Her community volunteer activities include having served as a director for the board of Old Spanish Days, Inc. and supporting various local charities, such as the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara, Animal Shelter Assistance Program, The Fund for Santa Barbara, and the Environmental Defense Center.
Fairbanks can be contacted at 845-1600.
— Jennifer Goddard Combs for Law Office of Renee M. Fairbanks.
Published in Santa Barbara News-Press on January 1, 2017
Published in Noozhawk on January 9, 2017
Published by Ventura County Star on December 16, 2016
CPA firm Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co. LLP has named Joe Bishop, of Thousand Oaks, and Tom Olson as new partners.
Both Bishop and Olson are certified public accountants. NHH&Co. is a full-service public accounting office founded by Bill Nasif in 1976 and based in Santa Barbara.
Joe Bishop
Bishop works primarily with small to medium-sized businesses and their owners. He specializes in wine clients and international exporters. Bishop provides taxation services, which includes tax compliance, tax planning and accounting consulting. He joined NHH&Co. in 2010 after working in accounting and management at a local Fortune 500 company. Bishop graduated with an accounting degree from San Diego State University in 1997. Additionally, he holds a California Real Estate Broker's license.
Tom Olson
Olson primarily works with closely held small to medium-sized business with an emphasis in tax preparation, compilations, and reviews in conjunction with providing business consulting. Olson is a Leadership Santa Barbara County alumni and former board member. He serves on local for-profit and nonprofit boards of directors. Prior to joining NHH in 2009, Olson was an accountant at one of Santa Barbara's oldest and largest companies. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in biological sciences from UCSB in 2003, returning later to complete his accounting education.
Both Bishop and Olson are members of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants in addition to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Bishop may be contacted by phone at 979-9383 or email jbishop@nhhco.com. Olson may be contacted by phone at 979-9769 or email tolson@nhhco.com. The NHH&Co. main phone line is 966-1521 and the website is http://www.nhhco.com.
Published in Pacific Coast Business Times on December 9, 2016
Published in Noozhawk on December 1, 2016
Published by Noozhawk in Business on November 22, 2016
Santa Barbara attorney Renee M. Fairbanks, a principal of the firm Ehlers & Fairbanks, PC, has been assigned to work on education, including self-study programs, for the State Bar of California’s Family Law Executive Committee. A member of the committee since October 2015, Fairbanks is a Certified Family Law Specialist.
With the purpose of increasing knowledge for its members, the State Bar’s Family Law Section, produces continuing legal education programs, authors the Family Law News and an electronic newsletter, reviews proposed family law legislation, and works with the state Legislature in developing new family law legislation.
Fairbanks represents clients in divorce, custody, support and domestic partnerships proceedings on the Central Coast. She served as president of the Board of Directors of the Santa Barbara County Bar Foundation from 2014 through 2015 and is a past board member of Santa Barbara Women Lawyers.
In addition to being a director for the Board of Old Spanish Days, Inc., Fairbanks supports various local charities, including the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara, Animal Shelter Assistance Program, The Fund for Santa Barbara, and Environmental Defense Center.
For more information on the State Bar of California, visit calbar.ca.gov. To contact Fairbanks, call 845-1600 or visit ehlersandfairbanks.com.
Published by Santa Barbara News-Press House & Home in Around Town on November 20, 2016
Published by Noozhawk in Business on November 10, 2016
CEO and co-founder Johannes Sauer founded Suissly in April after working eight years in the mattress industry. (Sam Goldman / Noozhawk photo)
One of the hardest tasks during a move is transporting one’s mattress, says Johannes Sauer.
His solution: roll it up into a vacuum-sealed bag and move it in a box.
Sauer is the CEO and co-founder of Suissly, a Santa Barbara-based mattress company that does just that.
Seven months after incorporating, Suissly is celebrating the opening of a showroom beside its 511 Olive St. headquarters.
The room resembles a bedroom that features the four types of mattresses Suissly carries, which vary in their firmness.
Sauer says the variety fits the bedding needs and preferences of 90- to 95-percent of people.
The showroom serves customer-experience and customer-service purposes, he said; if customers have a problem with their mattress, they can come in and demonstration in-person what they’re experiencing.
Suissly, which sources all of its materials in the United States, manufactures its mattresses in Denver, Colorado. Its products, which also include Egyptian cotton sheets and hypoallergenic pillows, are available only online.
Sauer began his career in his native Austria with a tech company that manufactures electronics that go into furniture, and became acquainted with American bed and mattress companies that became his clients.
“Pretty much over the last eight years that I spent in the mattress industry, I learned a lot about how things are done,” he said. “I felt there was a way to improve how you shop for mattresses and the experience that you get from it. There’s a lot more value that you can get out of it.”
Believing he could improve on current industry’s standards, Sauer opened Suissly with funding from Swiss investors, stealing away local industry employees in the process.
Suissly is also opening a second office in Switzerland.
Published by Pacific Coast Business Times in Financial Briefs on November 4, 2016
Chicago-based HUB International Insurance Services acquired Riviera Insurance Services in Santa Barbara, Hub announced on Nov. 1.
Riviera’s Chris Hill and Steve Woodward, along with their staff, will join a team of more than 40 Tri-County brokers from San Luis Obispo to Westlake Village.
Riviera will continue to operate from its location at 418 Chapala St. until Feb. 1, when it will move to HUB’s current office at 40 E. Alamar Ave.
“As we searched for the right buyer, we looked for one that would allow us to continue our direct connection with our clients and our community involvements,” Hill said in a news release. “After a diligent search, the choice became obvious: HUB has the capabilities of size and a business model that brings extensive resources to support our local businesses and community.”
HUB International is one of the top 10 insurance agencies in the country with more than 400 offices and 9,000 employees.
HUB’s 2015 property and casual revenue was more than $1 billion while property and casual premiums totaled about $6.7 billion.
There have been several other tri-county insurance mergers this year.
The Leavitt Group purchased a majority stake in Santa Maria’s Murray and Murray Insurance Agency on Oct. 26 and Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. acquired Hogan Insurance Services in Westlake in May.
• Contact Alex Kacik at akacik@pacbiztimes.com.
Published by Pacific Coast Business Times in Who's Who in Professional Services on October 21, 2016
Published on Noozhawk in News Releases on October 10, 2016
Portion of October proceeds will be donated to Cancer Center of Santa Barbara.
Ablitt’s Fine Cleaners & Launderers is adding pink to its green philosophy.
Helping the Pink Hanger Program at Ablitt’s, from left: Mari Vasquez, Sean Nguyen, Danny Arroyo and Ashley Gomez. (Ablitt’s photo)
The Santa Barbara-based environmentally friendly dry cleaners is donating a portion of all its dry-cleaning proceeds for the month of October to cancer research. It’s part of the Pink Hanger Program, designed to support cancer research both monetarily and by raising awareness.
“Donations will go to the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara,” said Sasha Ablitt, owner of the local business. "We will also be selling 'Clean for the Cure' T-shirts, and the proceeds will go to cancer research."
Additionally, an Ablitt’s team is participating in the Oct. 16 walk/run, sponsored by Cancer Center of Santa Barbara with Sansum Clinic.
For more information on the Pink Hanger Program and Ablitt’s, call 963-6677. Ablitt’s is at 14 W. Gutierrez St. For more on Ablitt's visit ablitts.com.
Published on Noozhawk in News Releases on September 10, 2
Local graphic designer and branding expert, Irene Hoffman, has been honored with the Award of Excellence of the prestigious Communication Arts’ Design Annual 57.
The award is for a logo designed for FOLD, a Santa Barbara-based business offering handcrafted linens created and curated by Viktoriya Filippova.
Communication Arts is a professional journal for designers, art directors, design firms, corporate design departments, agencies, illustrators, photographers and everyone involved in visual communications.
Its annual design competition is one of the most exclusive major design competitions in the world – only 161 entries were selected out of 4,228 submissions by a jury of respected creative professionals.
Irene Hoffman, principle of Irene Hoffman Design, works internationally from her base in Santa Barbara, California.
Her work is grounded in branding and strategy (positioning, naming, values), but spans the entire field of visual communications – advertising, web design, packaging, book design, and more.
Ms. Hoffman earned her Master of Arts degree in Advertising from Bucks New University in the United Kingdom.
Ms. Hoffman may be reached at mail@irenehoffman.com or (805) 637-4047.
Irene Hoffman Design is located at 735 State St., Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101. The phone number is (805)637-4047, and the website is www.irenehoffman.com.
FOLD Santa Barbara – www.foldsantabarbara.com.
Published on Santa Barbara News-Press in Life on September 6, 2016
By Charlotte Boechler
Dianne Duva has been elected to the board of directors of the Apples to Zucchini Cooking School. Ms. Duva is a founding partner of Arlington Financial Advisors and is a certified financial planner. She co-hosts the weekly "Money Talk" show on KZSB AM 1290, the News-Press radio station. She serves on the board of the Santa Barbara Public Library, CALM endowment committee and Music Academy of the West's planned giving committee. The Apples to Zucchini Cooking School, a fiscal sponsorship fund of the Santa Barbara Foundation, teaches children and their families how to prepare nutritious, delicious and affordable meals.
Published on Santa Barbara Independent in Opinion
By Wells Hughes
Wells Hughes, Partner, Arlinton Financial Advisors
Children need a viewpoint of the world that is bigger than they are. Parents focus on the physical, mental, spiritual, and financial health of children. I think we should be concerned equally with the health of our community.
We model good eating habits, help with schoolwork, encourage outside activities, and share religious beliefs; we need to teach how to build better communities.
In addition to creating a better to place to live, there are many reasons to build stronger communities. The most important one is giving children the feeling and power that they can affect their futures — the gift of self-responsibility and self-determination.
Involving children in volunteer work is the most effective way to teach them about a world that does not revolve around them. I volunteer for the Dream Foundation and the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation. My daughter joined me on Flower Empower, a Dream Foundation program that prepares and delivers flower arrangements to homes, hospitals, and hospices.
Volunteer work need not be “heavy” to be meaningful. Children should choose the volunteer work. They’ll be happier and their tenure will be longer. Is your child interested in music? Sea life? Sports? Reading? An Internet search will yield many possibilities. Volunteer work need not be with an organization. There’s bringing in the trashcans for a neighbor or participating in the food train for a family in mourning.
Last year, I was honored with the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation’s Humanitarian Award. I don’t tell you this to boast, but rather to share the feeling of joy volunteering gives me. My 14-year-old and I still volunteer together, and she has branched out into her activities of her own choosing. Watching her help create the world she’ll inherit is probably the most joyful feeling of all.