The Business Council of Westchester is hosting on seminar on ways to manage the costs of benefits Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. a the Westchester Graduate Campus of Long Island University in Purchase. The program’s offerings include three ways for business owners, manager and human-resource professionals to manage costs, regardless of whether a company is fully insured or self insured. Cost is $25 for Business Council members; $35 for non-members. To register, call 914-948-2110 or go online at www.westchesterny.org.

The Rockland Economic Development Corp. will host (REDC) is hosting “Financing Rockland County Business Development,� a free financing assistance seminar, from 8:30 a.m. to noon Friday at the Pearl River Hilton, 500 Veterans Memorial Drive in Pearl River. The seminar is intended to give businesses the chance to learn about financial resources available through the county Industrial Development Agency, New York Business Development Corp. and the Rockland County Empire Zone Program. Registration is required. To register or to get more information contact the REDC at 845-735-7040 or info@redc.org.

“Mitigating Risk in a Wired World� will be the topic Thursday at a luncheon sponsored by the Westchester County Association.

The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. at Sam’s of Gedney Way at 52 Gedney Way in White Plains.

Speakers will include Christopher Furey, chief operating officer of Another 9 LLC in Tarrytown, and Erica L. Martinson, director of risk management services of The Rollins Agency in Tuckahoe.

The program will explore the potential risks that businesses face from loss of records by damage or theft, leaking of company-sensitive information and liability issues surrounding electronic communication.

For more information, call Julia Salem at 914-948-6740.

The Rockland Business Association has partnered with United Way of Rockland County to create the Rockland Open golf tournament.

The event will take place May 21 at Rockland Country Club in Sparkill and Minisceongo Golf Club in Pomona.

Proceeds will benefit the community programs of the Rockland Business Association and the United Way of Rockland County. Presenting sponsors are Active International, based in Pearl River, and Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern.

Rockland Country Club will host a corporate-challenge event in which corporate foursomes compete for top showing. Minisceongo Golf Club will host regular individuals and foursomes.

For information on fees and how to register or become a corporate sponsor, log onto www.rocklandbusiness.org/rba_golf.html or call 845-735-2100

The Rockland Economic Development Corp. will host a free financing assistance seminar for Rockland County businesses on March 9. “Financing Rockland County Business Development,� sponsored by Commerce Bank, will cover financial resources available including the County of Rockland Industrial Development Agency, New York Business Development Corp. and the Rockland County Empire Zone Program. The event is from 9 a.m. to noon at the Pearl River Hilton, 500 Veterans Memorial Drive. A continental breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m. Seating is limited, and registration is required. To register, contact REDC at 845-735-7040 or info@redc.org.

Members of Westchester-Rockland Coaches, the local chapter of the International Coach Federation, is celebrating International Coaching Week, which starts Monday, with two events.

On Tuesday from noon to 2 p.m., Westchester-Rockland Coaches invites those who are interested in becoming a member of the organization, which provides life and business coaching services, to an event being held in Valhalla.

Those interested in attending should contact President Marcia Grubel at mgcoach@verizon.net or 914-591-4556 for location details.

Westchester-Rockland Coaches is also provide free coaching to senior management at Pleasantville-based Northern Westchester Shelter to help them provide services to domestic-violence victims.
The first round of the free-coaching project runs through February with another phase planned for later in the year, the organization said.

Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano will speak at The Westchester County Association’s annual breakfast with the county executive next month, the business group announced today. Spano’s speech will focus on the economic outlook and key initiatives of the county for 2007 at the breakfast forum, to be held Thursday, Jan. 18 at the Westchester Country Club in Rye. The cost for the event is $50 for WCA members ($60 at the door) and $70 for non-members ($80 at the door). Reservations can be made online at www.westchester.org or for more information call 914-948-6444.

Mount Vernon-native Terrie Williams returns to Westchester tomorrow to deliver a speech to the eighth annual Women’s Networking Roundtable at Berkeley College in White Plains.

The Manhattan author and founder of her own public-relations firm will discuss achieving success in life and business to a gathering of women business owners, who attend the roundtable to network and discover business resources.

In addition to hearing Williams’ speech, attendees will participate in breakout sessions on networking skills, marketing strategies, financial and accounting practices, Web site development and employment issues.

The event is sponsored by the Women’s Enterprise Development Center and the Alliance of Hudson Valley Business Owners.

To reserve a spot at the networking roundtable, e-mail Candy Palmer at cpalmer@westchester.org or call her at 914-948-6098 ext. 10.

The cost, including continental breakfast and lunch, breakout sessions and keynote speaker, is $50 a person.

Westchester Business Accelerator LLC principals Jeffrey Marks and Jeffrey Zink, also a former Yahoo! Inc. vice president, will speak at Rockland Economic Development Corp.’s annual economic development awards luncheon next week, the REDC announced today.

WBA is a White Plains-based consultancy that has advised start-up businesses for 25 years in sectors such as media, finance, technology and health care.

The duo’s expertise in getting small businesses off the ground ties in with the theme for this year’s REDC event — “Connections 2006: A Rockland County Small Business Summit.�

The event will be held Nov. 17 at the IBM Palisades Executive Conference Center on Route 9W in Palisades.

For more information, reach the REDC at info@redc.org or 845-735-7040.

Three major developers comprising the joint-venture partnership of Struever Fidelco Cappelli along with Yonkers Mayor Philip A. Amicone will be presented the Westchester County Association’s business leadership award next week for their efforts to revitalize Yonkers.

The three developers — Bill Struever, president and chief executive of Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse, a Baltimore-based developer with offices in Yonkers; Marc E. Berson, chairman at Fidelco Realty Group of Millburn, N.J.; and Louis R. Cappelli, president of Cappelli Enterprises Inc., Valhalla — and Amicone will be presented the award during WCA’s annual fall dinner to be held Nov. 16. in Rye Brook.

The cost is $195 for association members; $250 for non-members. To register, click here or call 914-948-6444 for more information.