b2b illinois magazine - june 2008
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B2B Illinois Magazine is Illinois' premier monthly business resource.TRANSCRIPT
PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE
PAIDPERMIT #565
KANKAKEE, IL
Sole Proprietorship:
Common Mistakes in a Sensitive Economy
I-80 on a Roll
Watseka Chamber Annual Awards
An Entrepreneurial Foot in the Door
VOLUME 5 ISSUE 4 JUNE 2008VOLUME 5 ISSUE 4 JUNE 2008
THE BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS FORUM
PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE
PAIDPERMIT #565
KANKAKEE, IL
Publication DirectorKen Munjoy
EditorAndrew Wheeler
Art DirectorKim Carpenter
Advertising Manager Jeff Egbert
Copy Editor and Direct Connections CoordinatorVickie St. Louis
Distribution ManagerTerry LaVoie
Distribution CoordinatorBecky Blackwell
Press ForemanDave Grams
ComposingRoss Bertrand and Marcus Jackson
Advertising CoordinatorJanet Jones
Information SystemsMike Steele and Jennifer Hudson
Staff PhotographerMelissa Gaug
Advertising ConsultantsTerry Atkins
Jo Ann Bachar Sandy Behrends
Joanie Copenhaver Amy Eichholz
Thomas Goodrich Gina Harpin
Marcia Hellmuth Myrdis HinesBlake Naylor
Monte Parsons Lisa Sunn
Cary Turner Lyle Turro
uPCoMiNG B2B iLLiNoiS DEADLiNES
July 1, 2008 Publication:
Ad space reservation / article submission deadline: 6/13/2008
Ad approval deadline: 6/23/2008
To advertise, contact your advertising consultant at The Daily Journal: 815.939.6642
HoW To REACH uS
n To receive this publication or change an address, log onto our website: www.b2billinois.com
n Editorial, Andrew Wheeler: phone 815.791.3129; e-mail [email protected]
n Send announcements, press releases, etc. to: fax 815.935.0192; e-mail [email protected]
n Direct Connections, Vickie St. Louis: fax 815.937.3362; e-mail [email protected]
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n Mailing address: B2B Illinois, 8 Dearborn Square, Kankakee, IL 60901
B2B Illinois is a free publication of the Small Newspaper Group. Information published in B2B Illinois is the responsibility of the author and may not reflect the
opinions of the B2B Illinois staff. All editorial content and advertising published is the property of the Small
Newspaper Group dba B2B Illinois.
Features regulars4 From the Editor | andrew Wheeler
5 Around the County | ed Piatt News and programs from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
6 From the Desk of Rep. Dugan | lisa Dugan
8 innovative Management Solutions | Patrick seaton Operational advice from an industry professional.
14 Ask SCoRE | Michael Holtzman Life’s lessons learned from the Service Corps of Retired Executives.
16 Spanish Language Training | Dr. Héctor lópez Tips for businesses wanting to access the explod-ing Hispanic consumer market.
17 organize it! | Karen Mcgregor Suggestions on how to get out from under the clutter and into productivity.
18 How’s Business | Bill guertin Branding advice from an industry professional.
27 Direct Connections, State of illinois
27 Direct Connections, Grundy Co.
27 Direct Connections, Will Co.
28 out & About, Grundy & Will Co.
32 Direct Connections, iroquois Co.
33 out & About, Kankakee Co.
34 Direct Connections, Kankakee Co.
35 out & About, Kankakee Co.
Cover story
Sole Proprietorship: an entrepreneurial Foot in the Door
by Lisa Wogan | B2B takes a look inside what it takes to run a small business in today’s economy.
On the cover: Debbie Jensen, payroll accountant, Marsha L. Saathoff, accountant, and Susan D. Legris, C.P.A. of Legris and Associates. Photo by Melissa Gaug.
7 Closing the Deal: Common Mistakes in a Sensitive Economy by Joseph Perry | According to commercial real estate expert Joe Perry, there is a dis-turbing trend in his field. In order to do the deal in today’s market, momentum is the key.
9 online Advertised Job Vacancies Fall Sharply in April Inside the numbers with The Conference Board.
14 Declare Your Financial independence Day by Tom Vaccaro | Financial advisor Tom Vaccaro offers advice on moving toward finan-cial independence.
15 Letters to the Editor
17 Rail offers Surprising Growth opportunity in Transportation Sector For Manufacturers FMA economist Dr. Chris Kuehl asserts that manufacturers will benefit via rail expansion in Illinois and across the U.S.
19 Business Recruitment Fundamentals: How to onboard More “A” Players by Lee Froschheiser | Management consultant Lee Froscheiser offers tips on how to recruit top-level employees.
22 Leadership in the Face of Change by John Baker | Leadership in changing times is the difference between long-term suc-cess and going the way of the dinosaur.
23 Entrepreneurial Hiring by Ron Price | Advice on how to get the most out of the hiring process.
24 Small Business and a Contracting Economy by Mark Norris | Mark Norris looks at the economy, and discusses how a SBA 504 loan might be just what the doctor ordered for your business.
24 Accounts Receivable options by Reneé Perry | Reneé Perry looks at AR options for small business.
25 Become a Sales Superstar — 10 Critical Areas to Master by Voss Graham | Critical sales skills from author/coach Voss Graham.
26 i-80 on a Roll by Sharon Filkins-Jenrich | B2B Illinois attended the May Will County Economic Network breakfast in Frankfort, and despite national the outlook, Will County continues to experience substantial interest and unprecedented economic growth.
30 Businesses Need More than Team Players; They Need Team Leaders by Joseph Giunta | JJC training manager Joe Giunta explains the difference between committees and teams, and how to get the most out of both.
31 Watseka Chamber Announces Annual Awards The Daily Journal staff report
39 The CenterPoint for Entrepreneurs Sponsors Veterans’ Entrepreneurial Boot Camp
tHanKs to our inDePenDent ContriButors:John Baker y READY Thinking, LLC y [email protected] y www.ReadyThinking.com
Lisa Dugan y State representative, 79th district y 815.939.1983
Lee Froschheiser y Management Action Programs (MAP) Consulting y 1.888.834.3040 y www.MapConsulting.com
Joe Giunta y Joliet Junior College y 815.280.1555 y [email protected] y www.trainingupdate.org
Voss Graham y Inneractive Consulting Group, Inc. y 901-757-4434 y [email protected]
Bill Guertin y The 800-Pound Gorilla y 815.932.5878 y [email protected]
Michael Holtzman y SCORE Chapter 0674 y 815.427.9818
Dr. Héctor López y BEST Solutions, Inc. y 630.910.4509 y [email protected]
Karen McGregor y Organize It! Professional Organizing Services y 815.936.1108 y www.organizeitillinois.com
Mark Norris y Illinois Business Financial Services, Inc. y 815.846.2468 y www.ibfs.org
Joseph Perry y Perry Group, Ltd. y 815.936.7358
Reneé Perry y Small Business Consultant and Coach y 815.722.0041
Edward Piatt y N.E. Senior Account Manager, Illinois DCEO y 312.636.0739
Ron Price y 866.442.0556 y www.Price-Associates.com
Patrick Seaton y Innovative Management Tools, LLC y 715.340.9606 y [email protected] y www.innovativemanagementtools.com
Tom Vaccaro y Edward Jones y 815.937.5674
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815-929-9095 office 815-929-9085 fax
Chris Curtis, BrokerCell 815.693.4949
Joe Nugent, BrokerCell 815.509.9005
Pamela BaronCell 815.955.2392
Sandy WursterCell 815.274.2535
Paul WalshCell 815.955.2457
Nate HenrichsCell 815.739.9859
Kankakee. 38,100 SF industrial warehouse for sale as an investmentor for user. Current gross annual income: $52,200 w/10,000 sf availableto lease or for use by a purchaser. 4 exterior docks, 20' - 22' ceilingheight, 1.63 acre site. $395,000
Kankakee. 2,994 SF office/service facility for sale. 1575 SFfinished office w/ track lighting. Large, open 1395 SF area w/12' ceiling and air conditioned. MLS 190847
$275,000
Kankakee. 7,075 SF facility. 5,000 SF clear span showroom w/vaulted wood beam ceiling. 2,025 shop area w/ 10'x12' drive-indoor. 100% sprinklered. 750 SF mezzanine office area. MLS 190887
$265,000 $248,500
Momence. 84x26 multi use bldg. on commercial corridor, wellsuited for office use. Currently divided into 2 separate spaces.Frontage on main thoroughfare. Priced to sell! MLS 190701
$99,900
Grant Park. 5,500 sq ft facility. Multiple overhead doors forease of use. High ceilings. Ideal for operation of business orstorage. On slightly over 1 acre. MLS 191837
$255,000
Kankakee. 18,000 - 80,000 SF for lease. 22' to 24' ceilingheights, up to 8 docks w/ levelers and 4 drive-in doors.480/277 volt/400 amp/3 phase power. MLS 191837
$4.50 PSF gross
Bourbonnais. Low new construction rates. Suites available1,500 SF and larger. High visibility with large 2-story atriumlobby entrance. Suites available for sale also. MLS 191837
$8.00 PSF NNN
Bourbonnais. For sale or lease. 4,680 SF brick & block bldg.Great location on busy Rt. 45 in the path of progress w/ add’lland for expansion. Many uses. MLS 191837
$700,000
Kankakee. Custom built ranch w/ full lookout bsmt. NearKankakee St. Pk. 4 BR, 3 BA. Kit w/brfst nook/sun rm, granite.Mstr Suite w/ Jacuzzi, double sinks, skylight, ceram. shower.
$379,900
Bourbonnais. Spacious 3BR, 2BA brick ranch w/ open floorplan. Kitchen updated. Good size utility/mud room off garagewith new ceramic tile. Fireplace. Shed. MLS 191616
$187,900
Bourbonnais. Ranch w/open floor plan. Kit w/stone back-splash, granite counters, maple cabs. Bsmt w/home thea. sys.,poss 4th BR, rec/family rm. Fenced backyard. MLS 191975
$289,900
Bourbonnais. Brick home on corner lot. 5 car garage. Fin.bsmt w/BA, bar. Split floorplan; master suite. MBA w/whirlpool, sep. shower. Open kit & FR w/ FP. MLS 191748
$304,900
Bourbonnais, Prarie Chase Subd. New 2-story w/ 4 BR, 2.5BA, 3 car gar & full bsmt. HW flooring. Kit w/ custom cabinets.Master Suite w/Jacuzzi, shower & WIC. MLS 192304
$304,900
Bourbonnais, Prarie Chase Subd. New brick ranch w/ split floorplan. 3 BR, 2 BA, 2 car gar, full bsmt. HW floors. Kit w/ customcabs, isl., pantry. Master Suite w/Jacuzzi, sep shower. MLS 192303
$304,900
Bourbonnais. Neutral colors & lots of space. Partial unfinishedbsmt. Completely remodeled incl: new flooring, fixtures, doors& trim. New Maple cabinets, ceramic tile in kit. MLS 192597
$239,900
Kankakee. Well maintained 2 BR, 2 BA condo. Outside park-ing & 1 car det. garage with storage & electric opener. Updatedkitchen. Condo fee Includes water/sewage. MLS 192579
$88,900
www.nugentcurtis.com
www.nugentcurtis.com
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LOTS AND LAND: Manteno: 80 +/- Acres, $12,000 per acre • Manteno: 224 +/- Acres, $22,000 per acre • Bourbonnais: 75 Acres w/ Preliminary Plat, $50,000 per acre • Bourbonnais: .80 Acre lot on Rt. 45, $300,000
LOTS AND LAND: Limestone: .70 Acre lot in River Crossing, $145,000 • Limestone: .70 Acre lot in River Crossing, $145,000 • Limestone: .78 Acre lot in River Crossing, $145,000
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From The Editor | by andrew Wheeler
What is small business? Is it a dollar amount, the number of employees, or a physical description? Some may say it is a business do-ing under $10,000,000 a year in top line, while oth-
ers use $50,000,000 as a qualifying bench-mark. Regardless of how it is classified, it is widely accepted that small business is the driving force behind the world’s economy. By far, it is the largest sub-classification by sheer numbers and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) throughput.
So why is it that so much of the national economic picture is comprised of big busi-ness? Why do we have the perception that it’s the little guys that are stuck in the eco-nomic vise, each turn squeezing out our
resolve to keep fighting, while corporate America glides down to Earth in golden parachutes?
We are the personalities. We are there on the front lines. We are the ones juggling home and work, volunteering and coach-ing. We are the ones who are a bad decision away from super-sizing somebody’s order. Why do we do it?
Our dreams. We all have dreams, and most have a plan to realize them. And that is why B2B Illinois is here: to provide an-other brick in the path to your dreams. So when you realize your dreams, and your small business is not so small anymore, remember what it was like to live in today while dreaming of tomorrow.
And by the way, I work for the Small Newspaper Group. It’s a family name, an adjective, and an attitude.
Best,
Andrew H. WheelerB2B Illinois Editor
A Rose by Any other Name
05300820196388
Throughout the year, The Daily Journal publishes SpecialSections and Feature Pages of the newspaper. These annualsections target lifestyles, address specific consumer needsand/or feature event information of national and localimportance.
Special Sections and Feature Pages can be a cost-effectiveway to reach thousands of readers with a particular interest.Plus, these sections generally have a longer shelf-life thanthe daily newspaper allowing your business' message to beseen again and again!
SPECIAL SECTIONSMonth Section Publication DateJune Local Business Profiles Thursday, June 5
HBAK Parade of Homes Thursday, June 12*NEW! A Day in the Life Monday, June 30
July County Fairs Monday, July 14Bears Extra Thursday, July 24*The Answer Book Thursday, July 31NEW! Regional Restaurant & Delivery Directory July 2008
August Fall Home & Yard Thursday, Sept. 4
FEATURE PAGESJuly Childcare Directory Sunday, July 27
Hire-a-Pro Thursday, July 31
August Pick the Pros Tuesday, Sept. 2Fall Home & Yard Directory Thursday, Sept. 4
*Publication dates are subject to change.
For more information about any of these Special Sections, contactyour Advertising Consultant or call 815.939.6642.
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This month I would like to highlight DCEO’s Bureau of Community Develop-ment, which administers The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program. This
program was created by the federal Omni-bus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981. The CSBG program is designed to provide a range of services that assist low-income people in attaining skills, knowledge and
the motivation necessary to achieve self-sufficiency. The program also may provide low-income people immediate life neces-sities such as food, shelter, medicine, etc.
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) ad-ministers the CSBG pro-gram in accordance with federal law and the Illinois Economic Opportunity Act. In its administration, the department places an equal emphasis on self-sufficiency efforts and pro-viding relief for the imme-diate needs of low-income people. The state receives approximately $30 million annually in CSBG funding to provide employment, education, housing and emergency services to the eligible population.
How are CSBG funds distributed?
Federal law mandates that states distribute their CSBG funds in the follow-ing manner: n Ninety percent (at min-
imum) to the state’s network of Com-munity Action Agencies (CAAs) and the Illinois Migrant Council to provide anti-poverty services in Illinois’ 102 counties and in the City of Chicago. The funds
are allocated among the CAAs and the Illinois Migrant Council according to a poverty population-based formula. The CAAs also receive funding for operation of a scholarship program, which enables low-income students to attain additional academic or vocational education result-ing in high employment potential.
n Approximately 5 percent to eligible pub-lic or private organizations for discretion-ary antipoverty programs or services to support the CAAs.
n Up to 5 percent for state administration, monitoring and technical assistance ac-tivities.
What are Community Action Agencies?
Community Action Agencies are created by their local governments as public or pri-vate entities to serve two primary purposes: to provide essential antipoverty programs, and to advocate for the needs of the poor in their communities. The CAAs’ required three-part board of directors is unique, comprised of local elected officials, private-sector representatives and representatives of the low-income population. Examples of programs administered locally by CAAs include:n Anti-Drug Abuse n Economic Development n Energy Assistance n Foster Grandparents n Head Start n Homeless Assistance n Housing n Job Counseling and Training n Literacy Training and Basic Education n Outreach and Referral n Senior Assistance n Small Business Loan Financing
n Surplus Food Distribution n Transportation n Weatherization n Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
What other organizations receive funds?
The Department allocates approximately 5 percent for discretionary funding, in ac-cordance with the federal law, to provide supportive services and special projects to enhance and/or complement community action agency programs. Although the dis-tribution may vary from year to year, the Department provides discretionary fund-ing to entities that can support the CAA’s program activities and provide key services to support low income populations. The fol-lowing are examples of such entities:
n Illinois Association of Community Ac-tion Agencies (IACAA)—for statewide CAA coordination activities, training, and technical assistance relating to anti-poverty programs
n Illinois Ventures for Community Ac-tion—for statewide job-creating eco-nomic development in partnership with the CAA network
n Illinois Community Action Develop-ment Corporation—for regional and state-wide low-income housing projects
n Illinois Coalition for Community Ser-vices—for the promotion of economic and housing development and advocacy activities
n Instituto del Progresso—for providing English literacy training and support
What services are provided under CSBG?
Illinois’ Community Action Agencies
Around the County with the State of Illinois | by edward s. Piatt
opportunity returns:
Bureau of Community Development
Continued on page 38
As you all know, our children are tomor-row’s leaders and there is no better way to help mold them than to participate in their learning and development. The Bradley-Bourbonnais Regional Chamber of Com-merce is providing local businesses such an opportunity through the Adopt-A-Room Program.
The Adopt-A-Room Program provides local businesses with a chance to partner with area school to help develop the work-force of tomorrow by allowing a business owner or a representative to teach the class about their business and the business world. The program requires “Proud Adopters” to donate an hour of their time each month to a classroom.
This year, as part of the program, I have had the wonderful opportunity to adopt Ms. Melissa Heldt’s fourth grade class at Bradley West and Whitney Weddell’s fourth grade
class at Manteno Middle School. During our first meeting in November both class-rooms were studying government. I had the unique opportunity to teach the children about the work I do as a legislator and how it impacts the people of Illinois. We also discussed the various levels and branches of government as well as 'How a Bill Becomes a Law'. Below is a list of other activities we participated in this year:
Manteno Middle School:December—Students participated in a
discussion on community service and how it ties into the Holiday Season.
January—Linda Stevens from the Hu-mane Society visited to talk to students about how to take care of a pet and the im-portance of animal safety. Linda also talked about the mission of the Humane Society and the services it provides.
February—A representative from JR Short Milling visited to speak with the students about the food processing indus-try and how workers spend their days at the corn milling producer to meet the demands of food manufacturers around the world.
April—Entrepreneurs Tom Shamblin of Shamblin Insurance and Toby Olszeweski of The Bourbonnais Herald made a class-room visit to speak with the students about what it’s like owning their own businesses and the concept of supply and demand.
May—The class took a trip to the Kanka-kee River State Park and had a picnic and a tour. There students learned the history of the area, geology, and plants and wildlife. We also walked along the Kankakee River, Rock Creek Canyon and visited the historic Smith Cemetery.
Bradley West:December—Students volunteered at a
Winter Carnival at a local nursing home and were in charge of monitoring several games and activities.
January—A representative from the In-fection Control Department at Riverside Health Care gave a presentation and activ-ity on infection control.
February—Steve Magruder from the
Kankakee County Building and Trades Council made a classroom visit and spoke about how electricity works.
April—The class took a field trip to the Bradley fire and police stations and had a pizza party. Students also toured the Brad-ley Village Hall offices and learned about the work of Bradley’s Street and Alley De-partment.
May—A representative from JR Short Milling visited to speak with the students about the food processing industry and how workers spend their days at the corn mill-ing producer to meet the demands of food manufacturers around the world.
The time I spent with our local school-children was a wonderful experience and I hope the students enjoyed it as much and my staff and I did! To find out more about the Adopt-A-Room Program, please con-tact Jaclyn Dugan-Roof at the Bradley-Bourbonnais Chamber of Commerce at 815.932.2222.
Lisa Dugan, state representa-tive, 79th district.
B2B IllinoisGoes Green in July
B2B IllinoisGoes Green in July
Does your business sell a sustainable product or perform eco-responsible services? Don’t miss your opportunity to promote your product/service to business decision makers from across a broad geography.
To reserve your advertising space, contact your advertising consultant at The Daily Journal: 815.939.6642
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Serving businesses in Kankakee,Iroquois, Will, Grundy andSouthern Cook Counties
From the Desk of Representative Dugan | by lisa Dugan
The Adopt-A-Room Program
Closing the DealCommon Mistakes in a sensitive economy
Last month we wrote about the relative stability of the market and why a steady growth pattern is anticipated for 2008. While our opinion has not changed, we have noticed a peculiar pattern that has created some concern about whether some deals will close.
With prevailing warnings of more rough waters for the real estate marketplace, those companies and individuals that are in the market obviously have done extensive analysis and thorough consideration before “pulling the trigger” and tendering an offer to lease or purchase commercial real estate. Often this exercise is painstaking and in-cludes formal processes that may include corporate, committee and/or board of di-rector approval.
Recently we have noticed that the reac-tion time and papering methods is allowing some deals to fail as the lack of momentum allows the buyer or lessee to re-assess the transaction and “put the bullet back in the gun.” One particular development is a per-fect, if not unfortunate, example of a good deal gone bad because the owner/landlord failed to keep sufficient deal momentum. A Fortune 500 company, whose business model is centered on a 27,000 square-foot junior box retail store, had tendered a letter of intent to a client who controlled a premier property adjacent to a new lifestyle center in a rapidly expanding south-western suburb. The negotiations were slightly arduous, but certainly not hostile, and we were able to negotiate a $20.75 per square foot triple-net lease rate for the build-to-suit/leaseback which, given the size of the facility, is con-sidered a premium rate.
When the letter of intent—providing the targeted lease rate—was finally received, the landlord/developer (against our strong ob-jections) attempted to massage the deal by making some changes to the letter of intent that would have no material effect on the financial performance of the transaction. Also, the interviewing of the architect and civil engineer was much more comprehen-sive than necessary, delaying the municipal entitlement process. Nonetheless, the letter of intent was ultimately executed and coun-sel for both parties went to work on drafting and reviewing the lease document.
Then the sky fell. Counsel for the lessee suddenly informed us that, under the terms of the letter of intent, the lessee was termi-nating the transaction. What happened?
This project required corporate approval, which was secured prior to execution of the letter of intent. But after a few months of languishing, the senior officers had time to reconsider the deal—and the overall cli-mate—and to “put the bullet back in the gun.” Later it was acknowledged that, had sufficient momentum been in place, it was likely that this deal would have naturally progressed into a lease and, ultimately, full development.
Another perfect instance was related to us recently when an occasional client who had constructed a 500,000 square foot spec industrial facility found out about a break in the deal momentum between a neighboring property owner (who happened to represent a large institutional investment fund) and a national credit tenant. Within hours this tenacious developer was on an airplane and in front of the corporate real estate direc-tors for this prospect and literally returned home with an executed deal for his entire building. The developer had previous expe-rience with the tenant and made an expedi-tious deal by duplicating the general lease format from the prior deal. This all occurred while the counsel for the alternative prop-erty was hammering out likely-trivial mi-nutiae. Score one for the agile.
During the first quarter of 2008, we have seen first hand and heard of many more in-stances where the transaction fell apart be-cause of a lack of urgency, cumbersome (and sometimes downright silly) legal wrangling processes, irresponsible negotiations where the deal no longer is mutually beneficial, slow provisions of tenant improvement al-lowances or other considerations, and many other dynamics that can slow down deal momentum.
We maintain our prediction of a prosper-ous year and continued commercial expan-sion, but there will be many projects that don’t get built, leased or sold because the principals did not recognize that the deci-sion process by the prospect can be reversed. Just because the trigger has been pulled does not mean the bullet cannot be put back into the gun.
Joseph Perry is president & CEO of Perry Group, Ltd.
by Joseph Perry
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If you are in the group of readers that has implemented lean principles in your organi-zation, I say congratulations to you. I hope that your lean journey has given you the re-sults you had hoped for—and perhaps more results than you had once thought possible.
If you’ve been on your journey for more than three years, you have most likely dis-covered how to keep the momentum going throughout the organization. For those of you who have not yet discovered how to build and maintain the momentum, let me offer you some ideas and advice.
Appoint a Lean ChampionOnce you’ve made the commitment to
lean, you should consider appointing a Lean Champion within your organization. What is a Lean Champion? This is a person who eats, breathes and sleeps lean for your orga-nization. This person looks for opportuni-ties for improvement and works with em-ployees to make changes. This person tracks your lean results and communicates them to the management team and the employees. This person facilitates improvement ses-sions and trains employees on what lean is for your organization. The Champion is a driver for lean, but is NOT responsible for its success. The entire staff is responsible for success. The Champion guides the people down the path to success.
At first, your Champion might start out in this role part-time. However, as the lean momentum spreads throughout the organi-zation, most management teams realize that the Champion must be able to dedicate his or her full attention to the lean initiatives.
If you need to appoint the role of Lean Champion to a person who has another role in your organization, make sure the expec-tations are explicitly clear for this person. Avoid adding the role and responsibilities
to a person’s current workload and turning the Champion role into an “as time permits” job. If you give the role to somebody whose main passion and first job is something else, they will most likely favor the position they had first and turn the Champion role into an optional role. This will give the employ-ees the message loud and clear that lean is an optional program.
One very important aspect of the Cham-pion’s role is communicating successes and failures. People want to be part of some-thing exciting and productive. When the Champion touts successes and gives credit where credit is due, then others become more willing to join in.
If you are serious about lean, serious-ly consider appointing or hiring a Lean Champion. The money saved through the improvement initiatives will easily pay for the additional headcount. By appointing a Champion to the staff, you give people the message that lean is a long-term way of run-ning the business, not an “as time permits” program.
Eliminate Waste Throughout the organization
There are 15 forms of waste to reduce
and/or eliminate. They are:AuthorizationsConflicting Department GoalsInventoryOrder Processing TimeOverprocessingOverproductionPurchasing ReordersScrap, Rework and CorrectionsSearchingTransportationUnderutilized EmployeesWaiting TimeRedundant ActivityWasted MoneyPoor Product Design
By regularly initiating waste reduction and elimination efforts throughout the or-ganization, you will build momentum for years to come. So much of our internal processes are waste. Therefore, taking small improvement steps every few months keeps people engaged in the process and builds their waste elimination skills.
If you’d like more information on the forms of wastes listed above, feel free to contact me for a more detailed list.
Create a Process Analysis Strategy
Very often we venture into continuous improvement projects after we’ve hit a crisis moment—a process has failed or a customer has complained loudly enough to merit an investigation into the problem with correc-tive actions as the goal.
What I would propose to you is a much more proactive strategy. Instead of subscrib-
ing to crisis management, subscribe to pro-active continuous improvements. Identify the top 15 to 20 processes in your organiza-tion. Then place them on a review schedule throughout the year. When a process’s re-view is due, gather the process players and perform a process analysis to see where the process is working well and where it needs help. Confirming where processes are run-ning well is a great way to give praise to the employees.
If, for some reason, a process issue comes up prior to its scheduled review, move the process analysis up and deal with the prob-lem. However, take more than a cursory glance at a process by asking a few people, “How are things going with process x?” as your process analysis. Invest a couple of hours and really pull the process apart, get feedback from ALL the process players, and then make improvements. People need to understand that continuous improvement is a responsibility of theirs, not an optional activity, so make sure they get involved.
The bottom line: create the proactive schedule and drive improvement initiatives. Don’t wait until the crisis dictates a review.
improve the Planning ProcessProjects very often fail because of a lack of
planning at the onset of the project. When there isn’t enough planning done up front, it is usually done later on and at a much greater cost because it involves undoing and redoing work that has already been done.
Therefore, set a planning process and policy in place for everyone in your orga-nization to follow—no exceptions. This
Innovative Management Solutions | by Patrick seaton
going lean, Part 5:
Keeping the Momentum Going
Proper Planning upfront Lowers Rework Costs
Top 5 Momentum Builders: 1: Appoint a Lean Champion
2: Eliminate Waste Throughout the Organization
3: Create a Process Analysis Strategy
4: Improve the Planning Process
5: Celebrate Successes
Continued on page 38
In April 2008 there were 3,649,900 on-line advertised job vacancies, a 16.4 percent decline from the April 2007 level, accord-ing to The Conference Board Help-Wanted OnLine Data Series™ (HWOL) released this month. This is the second consecu-tive month of over-the-year declines for the nation as whole. Even for the six states that posted gains, the pace of growth has slowed. In April, there were 2.4 advertised vacancies posted online for every 100 per-sons in the labor force, down from a high of 2.9 in April 2007.
“The weakness in online advertised va-cancies evident over the last few months deepened in April and hiring is likely to continue to be lackluster into summer,” said Gad Levanon, economist at The Conference Board. “April is a month when we normally see employers increasing their recruitment, but this year it actually declined. The lack of new job opportunities is contributing to consumers’ feelings of uncertainty and is affecting their buying intentions. With in-creasing job worries and rising fuel prices, the percentage of respondents intending to take a vacation over the next six months fell to a 30-year low in the April Conference Board Consumer Confidence Survey.”
The National-Regional Picture n 2,591,500 new online job ads posted in
April.n All Nine Census Regions post over-the-
year declines in labor demand. In April, 2,591,500 of the 3,649,900 un-
duplicated online advertised vacancies were new ads that did not appear in March, while the rest are reposted ads from the previous month. In April, a month expected to show a seasonal increase in labor demand, the number of total online advertised vacan-cies declined two percent while new ads rose two percent from March. The weak labor demand is clear in the April year-over-year numbers where total ads fell 16.4 percent and new ads dropped 10.6 percent. Both declines are the largest over-the-year declines since the HWOL series began in May 2005.
The monthly national decrease in adver-tised vacancies between March and April ’08 reflected deterioration in ads in all nine Census regions. Additionally, the year-over-year (April ’07—April ’08) growth rates in each of the nine Census regions turned negative in April.
State Highlightsn Alaska posts the highest ads rate in the
country for the eighth month in a row.n Delaware leads the nation with the low-
est supply/demand rate. The number of advertised vacancies de-
clined from April 2007 to April 2008 in 44 states (compared to 14 states in March 2008), and all the states experienced a slow-ing in the year-over-year growth rate. The March employment data released by the
BLS indicates that all 50 states also expe-rienced a slowing in their year-over-year growth rate of employment.
States where job seekers are continuing to see a large number of advertised vacancies include Alaska, Nevada and Massachusetts. Alaska posted 4.45 online advertised vacan-cies for every 100 persons in the state labor force, the highest rate in the nation. Alaska has held the number one position for eight months in a row. Nevada (4.09) and Mas-sachusetts (3.97) were close behind in the number of advertised vacancies when ad-justed for the size of the state labor force. Half of the top 10 states with the highest ads rate are along the Eastern seaboard, and in addition to Massachusetts, include Delaware (3.96), Maryland (3.67), Vermont (3.53) and Connecticut (3.48).
Online advertised vacancies in Califor-
nia, the state with the largest labor force in the nation, totaled 491,400 in April. The ad volume in California dropped by over 231,000 ads, 32 percent below the April 2007 level. The volume of online advertised vacancies in Texas (309,900) was down 12 percent and ads in New York (268,000) were down 15 percent from year ago levels.
“Although one cannot infer that the oc-cupation or geographic location of unem-ployed persons matches the occupation or geographic location of the vacancies, look-ing at the number of unemployed in relation to the number of advertised vacancies pro-vides an indication of available job opportu-nities for the unemployed,” said Levanon.
Using the latest unemployment data avail-able from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statis-
tics (BLS) (March data) and computing the supply/demand ratio (unemployed/adver-tised vacancies), the states with the most favorable (e.g., lowest) supply/demand rates included Delaware (0.93), Maryland (0.95) and Arizona (1.02). This month, there were only two states where the number of ad-vertised vacancies exceeded the number of unemployed (e.g., a supply/demand rate less than 1.0). This is down from last month, when four states had a supply/demand rate less than 1.0, and well below the peak of 11 states with a supply/demand rate less than 1.0 in July 2007. For the nation as a whole, the comparable supply/demand rate for March was 2.15, indicating that for every two unemployed people looking for work; there was only one online advertised va-cancy.
States where the number of unemployed
persons looking for work significantly ex-ceeded the number of online advertised va-cancies included Tennessee (3.06), Indiana (3.54), Kentucky (3.71), Michigan (4.93), and Mississippi (5.17). occupational Focusn Healthcare still leads occupations in
highest demand. “Many jobs in high demand are also,
on average, among the highest paying oc-cupations,” said Levanon. Healthcare practitioners (238,500) and management (195,800) are the two occupations with the most number of ads posted online. Accord-ing to the latest federal hourly wage data, wages average about $30 for healthcare practitioners and above $44 an hour for management. Also in high demand are oc-cupations in computer and mathematical (180,400), business and financial operations (173,000), and office and administrative support (170,500).
Metro Area Highlightsn Among the top 52 metro areas, only Ho-
nolulu, Milwaukee and Rochester post over the year gains. In April, 49 of the 52 metro areas for
which data is reported separately posted a smaller number of advertised vacancies than last year. The deterioration in the job market in some of the nation’s largest metro areas is further reflected in comparing the number of unemployed to the number of advertised vacancies. Since July 2007, the number of metro areas with a supply/de-mand rate of less than one has fallen from 23 areas to ten areas.
The top metro areas in March as measured by most advertised vacancies per 100 per-sons in the local labor force included Austin (5.40), Milwaukee (5.34), San Jose (5.12), San Francisco (4.88), and Denver (4.64).
online Advertised Job Vacancies Fall Sharply in April
from press release
online advertised vacancies dropped by 715,100 from april 2007 to april 2008.
Job demand is below year-ago levels in 44 of 50 states.
Full Service Event PlanningPEGGY MAYER
1100 W. Calista, Kankakee, IL 60901ph: 815-932-7092 • fax: 815-932-7094
Meetings & Events
cover story
Th e Small Business Administration (SBA) reports that an astounding 99.7 per-cent of employers in the United States are small business owners. Businesses with fewer than 100 employees numbered 8.1 million in 2005; 70 percent of those actually had fewer than fi ve employees. According to the SBA, these fi rms employ half of all private-sector workers, provide 60 percent to 80 percent of the net new jobs annually, pay 44.3 percent of total U.S. private pay-roll, and produce more than 50 percent of non-farm private gross domestic product.
And then there is the all-important job satisfaction factor. Th ough they often work longer hours for less pay, it seems most small business owners—61 percent—would not forfeit their independence to make more money working for someone else. Discov-er Small Business Watch’s recent survey of 1,000 business owners with fi ve or fewer employees found that 46 percent of entre-preneurs said that they started their own business to have more freedom or more fl ex-ible work schedules, while only 19 percent of respondents admitted starting their own company to earn more. Additionally, about seven in 10 business owners said they do not want to grow their businesses much larger, at the risk of negatively impacting customer service.
The Sole Proprietor SectorIllinois had an estimated total of
1,121,300 small businesses—those with fewer than 500 employees—in 2006. Em-ployer fi rms totaled 295,300, up 1.5 per-cent from the previous year. Of this total, an estimated 98.4 percent, or 290,600 were small. Self-employment (incorporated and unincorporated) totaled 597,500, a decrease from 621,400 in 2005. Non-employer fi rms totaled 835,200 in 2005, an increase of 4.2 percent since 2004.
According to the SBA, the vast majority of small businesses start out as sole propri-etorships. Simple, informal structures that are inexpensive to form, these entities are typically owned by one person, usually the individual who has day-to-day responsibili-ties for running the business. Sole propri-etors own all of the assets of the business as well as the profi ts generated by it. Th ey also assume complete responsibility for any of its liabilities or debts.
In the eyes of the law and the public, the sole proprietor is viewed as one and the same with his or her business. Th is struc-ture stands in stark contrast to a corpora-tion, which is chartered by the state where it is headquartered and is considered by law to be a unique entity, separate and apart from those who own it.
Sole proprietors can conduct business
by Lisa Wogan, B2B Illinois correspondent • Photography by Melissa Gaug and Kim Carpenter
Jim ridings self-publishes his books out of his Herscher home offi ce.
cent from the previous year. Of this total, an estimated 98.4 percent, or 290,600 were small. Self-employment (incorporated and unincorporated) totaled 597,500, a decrease from 621,400 in 2005. Non-employer fi rms totaled 835,200 in 2005, an increase of 4.2 percent since 2004.
According to the SBA, the vast majority
Sole Proprietorship:an entrepreneurial Foot in the Door
Entrepreneurship: Most recognize it as a keystone in our
country’s development. What many probably do not realize is that it
continues to be a signifi cant strength. and, in the face of a weakening
economy—and its attendant corporate downsizing—entrepreneurial
outfi ts are sure to sustain us once again.
under their own name by simply doing business, for example, as “Jane Jones.” A sole proprietor can also do business under a trade name (DBA). If operating under a under a trade or “fictitious” name, the sole proprietor usually is required to file a “trade name certificate” in the city, county or state where the business is located.
Statistics from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the SBA’s Office of Ad-vocacy reveal that non-farm propri-etors’ income, which is a share of small business income, totaled $42.5 bil-lion nationwide in 2006, an increase of 5.5 percent from the previous year. The most recent census data for Kankakee County (2000) show that self-employed workers in their own, not incorpo-rated, businesses ac-count for 5.1 percent of employed persons; home workers, 2.5 percent.
Local Guidance for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Ken Crite, coordinator of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Kankakee Community College, sees a resurgence in entrepreneurship in the River Valley area. It is a real alternative, he says, for people who are unhappy with the job market or merely want to chart their
own course.The local SBDC—developed through a
partnership between the U.S. SBA, the Il-linois Department of Commerce and Eco-nomic Opportunity, and KCC—provides low-cost technical and management assis-tance through one-on-one counseling and group training for potential and current
small business own-ers. Crite estimates that his office serves from 200 to 300 cli-ents per year.
“We walk with them from start to finish,” he explains, “guiding individuals who are in the earli-est concept stages as well as those with established busi-nesses looking to expand or improve operations.” The lo-cal SBDC, which serves both Kanka-kee and Iroquois counties, offers in-dustry research re-sources, including
mentoring services; free professional ser-vices, including legal assistance; and busi-ness plan and financing guidance. The only charges incurred, Crite notes, are for special workshops conducted by outside presenters.
Seminars are regularly offered on various topics of interest to small business owners, including developing a business plan, sales tax compliance, marketing, recordkeeping and financing. Free business counseling to new or prospective business owners is pro-vided by SCORE, a group of volunteers
who have had successful business careers as company executives or business owners. The local SCORE chapter, one of nearly 400 nationwide, is a joint venture between the Small Business Development Center and the Kankakee River Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Crite stresses that potential small busi-ness owners should be aware of the pitfalls of their endeavor and plan as thoroughly as possible while, at the same time, avoid-ing getting “hung up on technicalities.” He adds that Kankakee County is very recep-tive to small business. If individuals are properly financed and prepared, he says, there’s no reason they cannot achieve suc-cess. Following are some local individuals who have managed to do just that.
The Home-based Sole Proprietor
Jim Ridings is a Herscher-based writer who has self-published a dozen local his-tory books over the past 15 years or so, most recently two volumes of antique postcard collections, “Greetings From Kankakee County” (2005) and “Kankakee Makes Good” (2007). The U.S. Census Bureau reports that in 2005, there were 5,974 “non-employers,” like Ridings, in Kankakee County, nearly half of which were working in the construction, retail sales, real estate and health care/social assistance industries. The Bureau adds that while non-employers, businesses with no paid employees, account for roughly three percent of all business ac-tivity in terms of sales/receipts, they account for nearly three-quarters of all businesses.
Ridings relishes the control that self-publishing affords. “If I went through a publishing company,” he explains, “they might not publish my book at all or they may change it significantly.” With greater independence comes greater responsibility, however, a fact Ridings readily admits. As such, he must devote a good portion of his time to ancillary tasks like promotion and distribution, duties a publishing company would otherwise assume.
In addition, while technological advances have made self-publishing significantly eas-ier than it was in the past, they have also boosted the number of independent authors, thereby increasing competition. “There are a lot of local authors in the Kankakee area,” Ridings notes. “It’s a challenge.”
Ridings relies strongly on relationships with fellow small business owners. It is typically the local concern, he explains, that has the flexibility and willingness to distribute his books, places like Busse & Rieck, Groucho’s Deli, Joy’s Hallmark and Paperback Reader. He says the red tape in-volved with distribution at chain stores is usually prohibitive to a sole proprietor. One exception for Ridings has been the Kennedy Drive Walgreens, which faithfully stocks his works in the same fashion as locally owned businesses.
According to SBA’s Office of Advo-cacy, in 2002, home-based sole proprietors earned lower average receipts ($62,523) and net income ($22,569) than businesses oper-ated in rented space ($178,194 and $38,243, respectively). Home-based firms, however,
Sue Legris formed her own business in order to focus on the personalized accounting needs of small business clients.
a loyal following at the Kankakee Farmer’s Market encouraged Diane and Bob labriola to open rondinella’s italian imports.
Small Businesses Represent 99.7 Percent of Employers NationwideSmall businesses with fewer than 100 employees numbered 8.1 million in 2005. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), these firms:
n employ half of all private-sector workers and 39 percent of workers in high-tech jobs;
n provide 60 percent to 80 percent of the net new jobs annually;
n pay 44.3 percent of total U.S. private payroll; and
n produce more than 50 percent of non-farm private gross domestic product.
Continued on next page
gained a higher return on gross revenues compared with their office counterparts (36 percent versus 21 percent).
The Specialty RetailerAccording to U.S. Census Bureau, those
involved in retailing in Kankakee County made up 14 percent of the work force in the year 2000. Rondinella’s Italian Imports, which opened on Kinzie in Bradley in De-cember, fills a very specific niche within that sector. “This area is fabulous for a business like ours,” owner Diane Labriola explains. “We’re the only authentic Italian food spe-cialty shop in all of Kankakee County.”
Labriola saw a need for a business like hers while working a booth at the Kanka-kee Farmer’s Market, which featured her husband Bob’s family’s homemade Labriola breads. Customers were dissatisfied in hav-ing to travel north to procure traditional Italian ingredients and goods. “I viewed this as an opportunity to provide a real service to the local community,” Labriola notes.
Though Diane and Bob each brought solid experience to the new venture—she, with an associates degree in business man-agement and marketing as well as experi-ence operating a small construction busi-ness, and he, as a pizza company proprietor for many years—they sought additional guidance from the SBDC and SCORE to develop a business plan specific to current market conditions and within their target industry.
Labriola admits that gaining financing was not a simple matter of going to those banks that had supported her in the past. “Some were skeptical of my idea,” she says. But, her persistence, supported by a realis-tic, three-year budgetary projection, even-tually paid off.
By design, a niche business’ top priority must be customer responsiveness. Though she and Bob do have a couple of part-time employees, Labriola says she is spending more hours on the job than ever before. “Ultimately, I’m the one who’s accountable to meet the customers’ needs.
“It’s a lot of hard work.”Being a sole proprietor also means think-
ing outside the box in terms of marketing. Though the shop does sell pantry stores, including specialty canned food items, as well as Italian wines, sausages and cheeses, a deli offers ready-to-serve items, like Ital-ian lunchmeats, raviolis and pizzas, as well. With those offerings, the business can pro-vide catering services and party trays as well as arrange corporate lunches. The Labrio-las have not done too much paid advertis-ing to date. Diane explains that they have, instead, used this launch time to “work out any operational kinks.”
Does Labriola have advice for other as-piring entrepreneurs? “People have to be willing to jump into it,” she offers. “Get as prepared as possible, but be willing to learn from trial and error as well.”
The Service ProfessionalNestled among the fastest growing fields,
financial service occupations are projected to experience growth of from 30 percent to 40 percent by 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And, according to Sue Legris of Bourbonnais accountancy Legris & Associates, a key to success in this and similar fields is a long-term outlook that involves slowly building client trust and providing superior customer service.
“Every year, my business has grown 10 percent,” Legris reports. “It’s just happen-ing naturally.”
While that steady growth cannot be at-tributed to things like large-scale advertis-ing campaigns, Legris’ success is definitely the result of a clear business plan that in-volves affordably and personally serving small business clients in the areas of pay-roll processing, income tax preparation and general accounting services.
Legris was in her 30s with two children in 1991, when she landed a job working for a large, local public accounting firm. Armed with a math degree, newly achieved CPA status and copious experience in the finan-cial services field, she had reached what many view as the pinnacle of professional success. Legris, however, eventually was compelled to move on.
“There’s still a lot to learn once you have the CPA,” Legris explains. She says life and professional experiences can continue to lead business professionals in new directions if they are open to the challenge. In her case, “I saw a need to take care of small business clients in the way that a larger firm couldn’t,
providing individual focus for a reasonable fee.” She founded her own firm in 2004.
Though buying her book of business from her previous employer allowed Legris to “hit the ground running,” she faced typical startup challenges. “There are many things to buy and employees to pay,” she cautions. “You might not get paid in the beginning.” Legris started with four employees; she now has seven, including a part-time CPA and other paraprofessional staff.
Networking with local civic and profes-sional groups was instrumental in Legris building her business. “It takes years to develop relationships,” she says. Her long-term involvement with groups like the Bradley-Bourbonnais Regional Chamber of Commerce, Zonta and the Rosie Fund, as well as her position teaching QuickBooks and other classes at KCC, have helped Legris build that all-important trust that is essential for those providing financial and similar services.
She says that sole proprietorship is a great way to “test the waters” as a businessperson. “There are fewer costs involved,” she ex-plains. “Once your business evolves and you start making money, you can always change to a corporation.” After four years in busi-ness, Legris recently did just that.
A corporation chartered by the state in which it is headquartered, notes the SBA, is considered by law to be a unique entity, separate and apart from those who own it. A corporation can be taxed, it can be sued and it can enter into contractual agree-ments. The owners of a corporation are its shareholders. The shareholders elect a board of directors to oversee the major policies and decisions. The corporation has a life of its own and does not dissolve when owner-ship changes.
A shift in business structure is just a legal formality for Legris. All services will re-
cover story Continued from page 11
Sole Proprietorship Pros & ConsAdvantages:
n It is the easiest and least expensive form of ownership to organize.
n Owners retain complete control within the parameters of the law.
n Owners receive all income generated by the business to keep or reinvest.
n Profits from the business flow directly to the owner’s personal tax return.*
n The business is easy to dissolve.
Disadvantages:
n Sole proprietors have unlimited liability and are personally legally responsible for all debts against the business.
n Business owners may be at a disadvantage in raising funds and are often limited to using funds from personal savings or consumer loans.
n Sole proprietorships may have a hard time attracting high-caliber employees or those that are motivated by the opportunity to own a part of the business.
n Some employee benefits, such as owner’s medical insurance premiums, are not directly deductible from business income.
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration
*Any income that is earned from the business is considered the owner’s income. The sole proprietorship itself is not separately taxed on its income. Instead, the sole proprietor reports business income and expenses on his or her own tax return. This means that the net income from the business is taxed only once. In contrast, the income from a corporation is taxed twice—once when the corporation is taxed and again when the income is distributed to shareholders in the form of dividends.
Small Business Breakdown by Numbers of Employees
source: iDC, “u.s. small Business 2005-2009 Forecast,” 2005
main the same. She also has no immediate promotional plans, gaining new clientele almost entirely through word of mouth. “I don’t really need to advertise at this point,” she explains. “I don’t want to lose that per-sonal touch.”
The FranchiseeAspiring entrepreneurs concerned with
assuming too much risk may consider an-other option: franchising. A franchise is a legal and commercial relationship between the owner of a trademark, service mark, trade name or advertising symbol and an individual or group wishing to use that identification in a business. The franchise governs the method of conducting business between the two parties and provides some business services; the franchisee brings the entrepreneurial spirit and drive necessary to make the franchise a success.
According to the International Franchise Association, a new report from Pricewater-
houseCoopers reveals that direct economic output of franchises grew by more than 40 percent to $800 billion in 2005 from $625 billion in 2001, while economic output of all businesses grew by 26 percent to $20.1 trillion from $16 trillion. Employment generated by franchises grew by more than 12 percent to 11 million in 2005 from 9.7 million in 2001, while jobs in all businesses grew by only 3.5 percent, from 132 million to 136.7 million.
Sisters Vicky Mansberger and Laurel Gowler are in the final stages of laying the groundwork to open a Dinner by Design in Bourbonnais. There are currently more than 30 locations of the popular and growing, do-it-yourself food service operation in Illinois. Serving dual-income families stretched for time, the corporate website touts, “In just two hours or less, you can make 12 entrées or more.”
The sisters’ backgrounds combined with our current lifestyle trends seem perfectly aligned for the venture. “I’m a registered di-etician and have done some personal chef-fing,” explains Mansberger. “My sister’s a graphic artist.” Though the corporation covers the accounting and marketing end, the pair was still able to utilize the SBDC for legal and financing assistance. Mans-berger, in fact, cites the ready access to local resources and experts as an important factor
in her business’s startup. “It’s been a real motivational force.”
For the most part, Dinner by De-sign’s purchasing, operations and marketing are standardized, which Mansberger views as a positive. “That way, customers are assured of product safety, quality and consis-tency.” However, because Dinner by Design places heavy emphasis on promotion and customer ser-vice, the business’s ultimate success
relies largely on the enthusiasm and savvy of its owner(s). Promotional initiatives include: a corporate delivery program; fundraising opportunities; raffles and special events; GERD-friendly meals; gift certificates; and a customer reward program.
The sisters have a target opening date of June 1, though presentations to corpora-tions and groups are starting now. They ex-pect to hire 12 part-time employees as well as a full-time manager.
sisters vicky Mansberger and laurel gowler are set to open a Dinner by Design franchise in Bourbonnais.
resources/ContactsBeecher Chamber of CommerceContact: Patty MeyerPhone: 708.946.2261E-mail: [email protected]: www.villageofbeecher.org
Bolingbrook Area Chamber of CommerceContact: Mike Evans, Executive Director Phone: 630.226.8420E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.bolingbrookchamber.org
Bradley Bourbonnais Regional Chamber of CommercePhone: 815.932.2222 • Fax: 815.932.3294E-mail: [email protected]: www.bbchamber.com
Chicago Southland Chamber of CommerceContact: Tammy MatthewsPhone: 708.957.6950 ext.117 E-mail: [email protected]: www.chicagosouthland.com
Crete Area Chamber of CommerceContact: Pat Herbert Phone: 708.672.9216E-mail: [email protected]: www.cretechamber.com
Frankfort Chamber of CommerceContact: Lynne Doogan/Marla Krippel Phone: 815.469.3356E-mail: [email protected]: www.frankfortchamber.com
Grant Park Chamber of CommercePhone: 815.466.0604E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.grantparkchamber.org
Grundy County Chamber of CommercePhone: 815.942.0113 E-mail: [email protected]: www.grundychamber.com
Herscher Chamber of Commerce Contact: Timothy Feller Phone: 815.426.2131E-mail: [email protected]: www.herscher.net
illinois Department of Commerce and Economic opportunityWeb: www.commerce.state.il.us/dceo
State of illinois Business PortalWeb: www.business.illinois.gov/FAQs.cfm
Homer Township Chamber of CommerceContact: Shirley Ciferri or Kathy CongrevePhone: 708.301.8111E-mail: [email protected]: www.homerchamber.com
Joliet Region Chamber of CommerceContact: Russ Slinkard /Janet ContosPhone: 815.727.5371E-mail: [email protected]: www.jolietchamber.com
Kankakee County Clerk’s office(To register sole proprietorship)Phone: 815.937.2990 • Fax: 815.939.8831E-mail: [email protected]: www.kankakeecountyclerk.com
Kankakee Regional Chamber of CommercePhone: 815.933.7721 • Fax: 815.933.7675Web: www.kankakee.org
Lemont Area Chamber of CommerceContact: Karen Halper or Dawn DentzmanPhone: 630.257.5997E-mail: [email protected]: www.lemontchamber.com
Lockport Area Chamber of CommerceContact: Sharon HannahPhone: 815.838.3357E-mail: [email protected]: www.lockportchamber.com
Manhattan Chamber of Commerce Contact: Sheila Simnick / Glenna Johnston
Phone: 815.478.3811 or 815.693.8998 E-mail: [email protected]: www.manhattan-il.com
Manteno Area Chamber of CommerceContact: Lisa Price Phone: 815.468.6226E-mail: [email protected]: www.mantenochamber.com
Mokena Chamber of Commerce Contact: Joann McGowenPhone: 708.479.2468E-mail: [email protected]: www.mokena.com
Momence Area Chamber of Commerce Phone: 815.472.4620E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.momence.net/momencechamber.html
Monee Chamber of Commerce Phone: 708.534.5332 or 708.212.413E-mail: [email protected]: www.moneechamber.org
New Lenox Chamber of Commerce Contact: Debbera HypkePhone: 815.485.4241E-mail: [email protected]: www.newlenoxchamber.com
Peotone Chamber of Commerce Contact: Kim GromalaPhone: 708.258.9450E-mail: [email protected]: www.peotonechamber.com
Plainfield Area Chamber of Commerce Contact: Liz Collins/Mary Gutowski Phone: 815.436.4431E-mail: [email protected]: www.plainfieldchamber.com
Romeoville Area Chamber of Commerce Contact: Sharon Gooday Phone: 815.886.2076E-mail: [email protected]: www.romeovillechamber.org
SCoRE Kankakee ChapterContact: Michael HoltzmanPhone: 815.427.9818E-mail: [email protected]: www.score-kankakee.com
Shorewood Area Chamber of Commerce Contact: Linda Slabaugh, presidentPhone: 815.725.2900E-mail: [email protected]: www.shorewoodchamber.com
Small Business Development Center; illinois SBDC at Kankakee Community CollegeContact: Ken CritePhone: 815.933.0376 • Fax: 815.933.0217E-mail: [email protected]: www.kcc.edu/biz/empsolutions/sbdc/index.asp
u.S. Small Business AdministrationWeb: www.sba.gov
Watseka Area Chamber of Commerce Contact: Carrie Yana / Allison Hudson Phone: 815.432.2416E-mail: [email protected]: www.watsekachamber.org
Will County Center for Economic Development Contact: Missy Snyder/Nicole Puracchio/Megan MuskovinPhone: 815.774.6064 or 888.723.7773E-mail: [email protected]: www.willcountyced.com
Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Contact: Pam MonsonPhone: 815.476.5991E-mail: [email protected]: www.wilmingtonchamberofcommerce.org Workforce investment Board of Will County Contact: Mary Gajcak, business liaisonPhone: 815.727.5679E-mail: [email protected]: www.willcountyworkforceboard.com
Declare Your Financial independence Day
As we get close to the 4th of July, you may be thinking of where you’ll be going to at-tend a picnic, watch fireworks or engage in any of the other activities that accompany the holiday. And while it’s always mean-ingful to commemorate our nation’s many freedoms, you may want to take this oppor-tunity to think about another celebration of liberty—your own “Financial Indepen-dence Day.”
However, unlike the 4th of July, Finan-cial Independence Day won’t just show up on the calendar—you have to work to make it happen. Here are a few suggestions for doing just that:
Liberate yourself from debt. You don’t have to be a free spender to rack up a lot of debt—the cost of living is high, and some-times you need to use loans and credit. But
the more money you owe, the harder it is to achieve financial independence, so try to reduce, consolidate or eliminate as many debts as possible. You may have to drive that old car one year longer or postpone that va-cation until you can pay for it up front, but these and similar moves may pay off down the road.
Emancipate your investments. To achieve your long-term financial goals, you need your investments to provide you with the combination of growth potential and in-come that’s appropriate for your individual needs. To accomplish this, though, these investments need to be “free” from being raided constantly to pay for the costs of ev-eryday life. That’s why you should establish an emergency fund containing six to 12 months’ worth of living expenses. By keep-
ing this fund in a liquid account, you won’t have to tap into your investments the next time you have a major car repair, need a new appliance or face an unexpected medical bill.
Unchain the potential of your retirement accounts. Every time you get a raise, boost your contributions to your retirement plan at work—i.e., your 401(k), 403(b) or 457(b). Your money has the potential to grow on a tax-deferred basis, and you typically con-tribute pre-tax dollars, so the more you put in, the lower your annual adjusted gross in-come will be. But if you’re not contributing the maximum allowed, or at least as much as you can afford, you’re putting “shackles” on the ability of these plans to help you attain the retirement lifestyle you’ve envisioned.
Free your family from threats to your income. Without your income, would your family be able to pay off the mortgage? Or send your children to college? Or meet any of the financial goals you’ve set? Financial
independence will always be elusive unless you protect your family from the potential loss of your income—and that’s why you need adequate life insurance, especially in the years when your children are young and you’re still paying on your house. At the same time, you may need disability in-surance to replace your income if you can’t work due to illness or injury. Your employer may offer a disability policy, but it might be insufficient to meet your needs, so you may need to add extra coverage.
By taking these and other steps, you can go a long way toward turning Financial In-dependence Day from a goal to a reality—so take action soon.
Tom Vaccaro is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Kankakee.
by tom vaccaro
What does “marketing” really mean for a small business? For you, it might include events, public relations, trade shows or ad-vertising. But for other small businesses, it might mean different things, like electronic newsletters, packaging, postcards—and even the hats, uniforms or nametags that employees wear.
In fact, think of marketing not as a single action but rather a combination of steps your business takes to identify, attract and retain profitable customers. As such, marketing is of vital importance to your business, so you want to make sure and do it right. And that means preparing yourself properly before you spend money on marketing.
If you play a sport, you know that prepa-ration is vital for success. Ditto for mar-keting your business. You must be able to clearly identify what sets you apart from the competition. Without this knowledge, you can’t market yourself properly.
Verify the accuracy of marketing in-formation before you proceed. To prepare yourself for marketing, create a detailed
profile of your ideal prospect. As you create your marketing message, aim it at them and list the benefits they will receive. Be certain your marketing message high-lights the special knowledge and expertise you offer.
Look for ways to make the buying process easier for your customers. What roadblocks can you remove? Simplify everything; eliminate potential interruptions in the sales process and make decision-making as painless as possible for your customers.
Put your marketing budget in proper perspective. You might, for example, think of marketing as your ace-in-the-hole rather than merely a “cost.” Try to set a budget and a pace that lets you market continuously. Customer memories are short, and they are bombarded with thousands of marketing messages and images daily. Your effort must be ongoing or people will quickly forget.
Match your marketing to your primary market. If it’s a local market, then that’s
where your marketing focus should be. Broadly-focused newspaper or
radio advertising, for example, might be the wrong choice. Instead, consider marketing neighborhood-by-neighborhood.
A good place to find marketing help is MarketPower.com, a free Web site produced by the American Marketing Association. The site offers authoritative information on all marketing topics from advertising, In-ternet marketing and research, to strategy, public relations and items specific to small business.
To learn more about marketing your small business, contact SCORE “Counselors to
America’s Small Business.” SCORE is a nonprofit organization of more than 10,500 volunteer business counselors who provide free, confidential business counseling and training workshops to small business own-ers. Call 1.800.634.0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you, or find a counselor on-line at www.score.org.
Michael Holtzman is chairman of the Kankakee Valley Chapter of SCORE.
Prepare Yourself Properly Before Marketing
Ask SCORE | by Michael Holtzman
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Healthcare Costs
Healthcare Costs
THE PROBLEM
Workplace Wellness Programs Pay Off
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Letters to the EditorJob Creation initiatives
Difficult economic times in Illinois his-tory have been overcome with hard work, perseverance and government policies that provide tax relief and promote job creation. Our current economic situation calls for similar action.
The current economic outlook for Illinois is not positive. In March 2008, Illinois’ unemployment rate (5.5 percent) exceeded the U.S. unemployment rate (4.8 percent). Manufacturing jobs lost within Illinois surpassed 240,000 since 1998 – a signifi-cant 26 percent of all manufacturing jobs in the state. An independent, non-partisan February 2008 Moodys’ report on Illinois’ economic outlook indicates that Illinois will fare worse than the nation as a whole as the national economy weakens. The cur-rent negative economic situation warrants a concerted State response.
A healthy, vibrant, and stable business
community plays a vital role in our nation’s recovery from uncertain economic times. In order to achieve it, government must be proactive in creating an environment that reinvigorates Illinois’ economy. At the State level, the House Republicans are support-ing the following tax relief and job creation initiatives to help our business community:
Initiate the Jobs for Prosperity capital plan. The proposed $25 billion job creation and infrastructure improvement plan would be responsible and fiscally prudent, with funding from both federal and local sources. Illinois has not passed a capital bill in nine years, leaving our roads, schools, higher education facilities, state facilities and mass transit infrastructure in disrepair. Improv-ing Illinois’ infrastructure will also improve Illinois business and job climate.
Oppose Governor Blagojevich’s Pay-roll Tax. Governor Blagojevich has re-newed his call for a payroll tax of more that
$1 billion dollars on Illinois employers who do not pay more that a defined percentage of their payroll on health benefits. Imposing additional taxes on struggling Illinois busi-nesses – both small and large alike – is oner-ous and counterproductive. Illinois elected officials should focus on measures that pro-mote economic development, job creation and regionally competitive climate – not additional tax increases. My sponsorship of House Resolution 549 demonstrates my steadfast opposition to the payroll tax.
Re-adopt a job training expense tax credit. The credit would allow employers to defray the expense of training and re-train-ing Illinois-based employees. The previous Illinois job training expense tax credit of 1.6 percent was eliminated by Governor Blagojevich in 2004 and has not been re-instated. My proposal will reduce training costs, thereby allowing existing employers to invest in new employees without incur-ring significant training expenses.
Fully reinstate the entire research and development (R & D) income tax credit. Originally repealed by Governor Blagojev-ich in 2003, the credit was only partially reenacted in 2004. Surrounding states have much more generous R & D initiatives. Il-linois policies should focus not only on the
immediate economic slowdown, but also the long-term challenge of creating tomorrow’s jobs. My proposal will add full value to the income tax credit.
The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan, edu-cational organization founded in 1937 in Washington, D.C., has ranked Illinois’ cur-rent business tax climate is 25th in the na-tion (1st being best, 50th being worst), with neighboring states of Indiana and Missouri ranked 12th and 15th, respectively. Illinois should not sit idle as our economic vitality erodes with higher taxes and fewer business incentives. We will be aggressive in replac-ing Illinois’ substandard business tax cli-mate with one that is exceptional. My belief is that the proposals detailed above will ac-complish it. Empowering our business with tax relief and job-creating laws will provide the necessary tools to finish the task of rein-vigorating Illinois’ economy.
Please feel free to contact my office at 815.254.0000 if you have questions or need any assistance.
Sincerely,Tom CrossHouse Republican LeaderState Representative, 84th DistrictIllinois House of Representatives
n Submit your letters to the editor by e-mailing [email protected] or mail to B2B illinois, attn: Andrew Wheeler, 8 Dearborn Square, Kankakee, iL 60901. Letters may be edited due to space restrictions.
COLOR
As a professional consultant in the field of second-language acquisition, I make my living by offering my services to mul-tiple service sectors in the Chicagoland area. Meeting with clients, going over their needs and expectations and listening to my potential clients are everyday activities. I am often called upon to review proposals for services and offer my feedback. After my initial contact, and within a few days, I generate a written proposal outlining our conversation and my services. This is usu-ally followed by several weeks, sometimes months, or even years, of phone conversa-tions and correspondence. Hey, if this were easy, everybody would be doing it!
As I prepare my “customized proposal,” the question I always ask myself is, “how much information do I share?” The stan-dard training description answers the basic WH questions—who, what, where, when and how. Although I give my clients all the information they require, I am often con-cerned that this information can be used to set up training independent of me. My con-cern is not to give up too much information or specifics that can be used to hire some-one else and have them follow my proposal. I have heard of some unscrupulous home-owners getting professional architectural landscaping designs and quotes, only to turn around and hire an independent con-tractor using the other person’s proposal. I understand that this practice is unethical, however, it does happen.
Just a Few PointersRecently, I was contacted by a former as-
sociate (read: ghost from the past) concern-ing an offer by a company to submit a pro-posal for second-language training. I was then invited to a cup of coffee to discuss this in more detail. As I hung up the phone it occurred to me that this apparently friendly and innocuous request for assistance was going to become more complicated than I originally contemplated.
The caller was requesting “ just a few pointers” on oral language screening, course content, selection of texts, and a rough course outline on how much material should be covered during a class session, and that my “material would be returned to you at a later date.” As I reviewed my notes, it became apparent that each item is at least a graduate course unto itself, and that I had
already “suffered through” them in grad school. I let out a deep sigh.
Divulging Trade SecretsWhile I wanted to help out my former
associate, I felt torn by the heavy time con-straints this would undoubtedly lead to. Surely, more calls would follow and more “free consultations.” Helping out is some-thing that I do as a matter of course; my students often contact me about my classes,
homework assignments, papers due, and sometimes just to inform me that they are running late to class. However, many times I tell them that two hours before class I am already in transit and cannot possibly answer the office phone. I still find these phone messages and, of course, e-mails.
I recognized the dilemma that my for-mer associate was in, and I was struggling with how to help. A few pointers coming from me would equate to me giving away my “trade secrets” of working on a worksite. After all, I formed my company to do the exact same things. How much information do I give this person? How much time is this going to consume?
The Ethical Considerations of a Consultation vs. a Freebie
This situation also reminded me of a phone call I received to do a slight trans-
lation sent via e-mail. The caller indicated that if I would just tell him what the let-ter says, he “promises to send” me all the translations from this business venture. I informed the caller that all translations must be paid up front and that I “promise” to do them as soon as I receive payment. He never called again.
As a small business owner, revenue comes from repeat business and, of course, new contracts only augment my established monthly income. Sometimes clients contact me to proof a sign that is going up in the high volume traffic area by the elevator for their Spanish-speaking employees or cli-ents. If the work performed is less than 10
minutes of my time, I do it at no charge. I know that my QuickBooks trainer/accoun-tant is going to be upset with me for not creating an invoice and entering the sale. Even though generating invoices is not a complicated matter, I feel that helping out loyal clients with small favors is good for business.
Second Language TipsAfter more thought, I considered it a
non-threatening opportunity to show good faith. In order to be successful in teaching a second language in the workplace, much more than “ just a few tips” is required. I did not opt to meet face to face, as this would be time consuming. Instead, I decided to scrib-ble some notes and send them off. Here are the basics for teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) class for the workplace.
ESL Tips for Workplace Literacy
Give them classroom survival phrases.a) How do you say _______ in English?b) How do you spell __________ (in
English)?c) I do not understand.d) Please repeat.e) I am learning English, please speak
slower/repeat.Practice these phrases again and again.
Have them copy these phrases. Give them time to copy what you write. Do not talk or teach while they write. Stay quiet.
When using the text, give examples, be brief and focus on small sets of words. Control your vocabulary. Have them work in pairs. Be vigilant for signs of stress: blank looks, mumbling, laughter or excessive chat-ter in first language.
Identify the fastest learners as soon as possible. Avoid using them as tutors or they will drop out; “the class is too basic.”
Pick out eight to 10 words as daily vo-cabulary. This includes function words (am, are, is, etc.); content words (nouns and more verbs) will eventually take over.
Teach affirmative, negative and inter-rogative sentences. Avoid showing the auxiliary verb “do" until later.
Role model everything. Control your vocabulary.
Use high energy that is focused on hav-ing them practice, review and experience success. They are your clients.
Learn to stay passive when they are in pairs. Do not confuse activity with teach-ing. Students must do the work. Your job is to make that happen.
Keep your writing organized. Try not to write too much. As the hours go by, you can refer back to what you have covered. Save the last 10 to 15 minutes to review again. Give NO homework. Study and practice is enough (at least for now).
Mix-up, stir and enjoy. Add sugar to taste.
Dr. Héctor D. López, BEST Solutions, Inc.
Spanish Language Training | by Dr. Héctor lópez
Just a Few Pointers… Not Training
n For information on Fronteras, a monthly Spanish-language newspaper serving
Kankakee, Will, iroquois and Grundy Counties, contact Blake Naylor at 815.802.5080 or e-mail
Marketing folks and statisticians com-pile all kinds of interesting facts to share with the population at large. Here are some of those statistics and facts related to or-ganization. Something to think about, for sure!
Cost of Disorganizationn Twenty-three percent of adults say they
pay bills late (and thus incur fees) be-cause they LOSE them!
n Executives waste six weeks per year searching for lost documents.
n An enterprise employing 1,000 knowl-edge workers wastes $48,000 per week, or nearly $2.5 million per year, due to an inability to locate and retrieve informa-tion.
n It costs $120 in labor to track down a misplaced document, or $250 in labor to recreate it.
n It costs about $25,000 to fill a four-drawer filing cabinet and over $2,100 a year to maintain it.
n 100,000 – the number of deaths each year caused by information errors or lack of information. (This is the ULTI-MATE cost of disorganization.)
ClutterPareto’s Principle (The “80/20” Rule):
80 percent of what we keep, we never use. This applies no matter what the item – pa-perwork, clothing, tools, recipes, etc. This
is something to ponder the next time you consider cleaning out your filing cabinet or closet! It IS okay to let stuff go!
E-mail is increasing print volumes by 40 percent. Paper use is growing six to eight percent each year.
The document for the Boeing 747 weighs more than the plane itself!
Mental Clutter/Multi-TaskingManaging two mental tasks at once re-
duces the brainpower available for either task.
Workers’ productivity decreases by 20 percent to 40 percent every time they multi-task or “task switch.”
Subjects in a test were asked to listen to sentences while comparing two rotat-ing objects. Even though these activities engage different parts of the brain, the resources available for processing visual in-put dropped 29 percent if the subject was trying to listen at the same time. The brain activation for listening dropped 53 percent if the person was trying to process visual input at the same time.
Productivity/EfficiencyOn average, interruptions occur every
eight minutes (six-seven per hour) and last about five minutes. In eight hours, that equals 50 interruptions, or 250 minutes, or just over four out of eight workday hours.
A planned phone call takes seven min-utes, unplanned takes 12 minutes.
Aesthetics/PerceptionSeventy-three percent of those surveyed
said their impression of colleagues was in-fluenced by the way their desks were orga-nized.
Seventy percent of those surveyed be-lieved that workers with messy desks were perceived as less career-driven than their fastidious counterparts.
UPS and GM implemented clean desk policies in 2002.
DeclutteringSeventy-four percent of one study’s par-
ticipants said they spring clean because they are tired of clutter.
IKEA did a survey of customers in which 31 percent reported they were more satisfied after clearing out their closets than they were after sex!
Please note: The sources for these statis-tics are too numerous to list, but are avail-able upon request.
NEXT MONTH: “Ask the Organizer” questions are answered (personal or profes-sional). Submit questions to [email protected] by June 15.
Karen McGregor is a professional home and business organizer and public speaker for Organize It!
Organize It! | by Karen Mcgregor
The 80/20 Ruleand other interesting organizing statistics
Legris & AssociatesSusan D. Legris, C.P.A.Specializing in QuickBooks®
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Rail offers Surprising Growth opportunityin transportation sector for Manufacturers
An economist for the fabricating and metalworking industry has sifted through the current financial rubble of surging oil prices and transportation sector woes to find a major growth opportunity for manu-facturers – the rail business.
“Although in general the transportation arena has been hit hard by the economic downturn and many traditional areas are in some distress, one surprise in this sector is the rail industry with a solid expectation for growth given the realities of fuel costs,” says Dr. Chris Kuehl, economic analyst for the Fabricators & Manufacturers Associa-tion, International (FMA). Kuehl made his comments in the current FMA economic update newsletter Fabrinomics.
“The surging demand for food commodi-ties has been and will continue to be a boon for the rail sector. So is the demand for cleaner burning coal,” Kuehl says. “In re-sponse, the major freight rail operations are discussing expansion and the need to buy
more rail cars, specialized yard equipment and even the rail itself.
“There also is renewed interest in provid-ing urban transportation alternatives, and that usually means some kind of light rail system. The rise of gas prices to current lev-els begins to make mass transit more popu-lar and many communities are rushing to ‘get on board,’” he adds.
For companies involved in metal fabri-cating and related industries, these trends “provide some dramatic new opportunities for rail and other infrastructure needs, as well as the machines and carriages provid-ing the transportation,” Kuehl says. “By all accounts, this will be a field that grows ex-ponentially in the years to come.”
Based in Rockford, Ill., the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl. (FMA), is a professional organization with more than 2,300 members working together to improve the metal forming and fabricating industry.
from press release
Think for a moment about your most comfortable pair of blue jeans. Chances are they’ve got a Levi’s® tab on the back pocket.
Levi Strauss & Co. has a long heritage of American quality, going back to when Bavarian immigrant Levi Strauss himself began to make tough, high-quality jeans for the working men of the old West in the late 1800s. Today, the brand has many styles of apparel and merchandise, and is headquartered in San Francisco, the very place where people first came to appreciate Levi’s® quality.
Levi Strauss & Co. is well-known in the apparel industry for being one of the truly great places to work. Compensation is com-petitive, and turnover is far below the in-dustry average. They work hard, play hard, and live the company standard wherever they go. They are true company patriots.
For the record, my definition of a com-pany patriot is a team member who speaks proudly of the work they do, supports and defends their company, and avoids acts that would cause harm to the organization. Many companies try to create that kind of culture, but wind up falling short.
What goes into creating a Levi’s kind of culture?
I met Pat, one of Levi’s regional merchan-dise coordinator managers, on a flight back from San Francisco. She had just enjoyed a two-day company training and planning meeting that included a Giants’ baseball game in the Levi’s® Landing section of the ballpark, which LS&CO. sponsors.
I asked her about the company patriotism she obviously has. How does it start? What goes into creating a culture of success?
“It starts by understanding our histo-ry,” she began. “People need to know that
they’re a part of a heritage of excellence, and so each employee learns the history of the brand and what’s behind it. It’s not just a company, it’s an American icon of quality and value. Everything we do needs to reflect that. It’s the knowledge that you’re part of something much larger than yourself, but as an individual, you still feel you can make a difference.”
It’s great to have a his-tory like that, I said. But, I wondered what the secret is to maintaining that kind of patriotism even if you don’t have a rich history.
“I believe much of it is in human resources,” Pat said. “Hiring the best talent and investing in them—through coaching, training and com-petitive compensation—is huge. A large part of our culture is understanding our dedication to each other, and also understanding the work ethic that’s involved. It’s also being able to work collab-oratively to achieve greater results. You put your all into the job, and the job pays you back. Not everyone fits into a culture like that.”
Pat does a good deal of interviewing, and she has several questions she likes to ask candidates. “One of the questions is, ‘Why do you want to work for Levi Strauss & Co. versus another company?’ It’s im-portant to me that people come in with an understanding of our heritage, culture and how they fit.”
She said that the LS&CO. culture starts at the top. “Our leaders stay connected with employees in all areas of our business. Every meeting I attend, you can count on at least one member of our leadership team being there and keeping us up-to-date and moti-vated regarding our goals. They encourage open and honest feedback from their audi-ence, and we never let them down. I try to emulate that as the leader for my team.”
When you hire someone on your team, I asked, how quickly do you know if some-one’s not going to work out?
“I know within the first 90 days. The question to ask isn’t whether they’re a nice person or not. The #1 rule as a manager of people is making the decision, ‘Are they ca-pable or not capable?’ I will spend all the time necessary to bring someone that’s ca-pable up to speed; however, if they’re not capable, we need to take action, quickly. It’s not good for business, for the team, and
frankly, for the individual. These are the most delicate and difficult situations for me. However, if handled carefully, the individ-ual realizes it for themselves.”
What else goes into a culture of success?“A big part of our culture is our commit-
ment to giving back to our communities,” Pat explained. “We have something known as ‘501 Community Day.’ It’s actually in
honor of our original Levi’s® 501® jeans, so we used that brand to create a special day, May 1. All employees are encouraged to devote this day to participating in a com-munity service project; help our local food pantry, serve at our local homeless shelter, or any other non-profit organization. Each employee gets to choose what they do them-selves or as a group. The company also gives these organizations grants on behalf of our service.
“It allows us to help others and to give back, but I think it does something more. It brings us closer together as a team, and as a company. It also makes us more ap-preciative of what we have, both in our jobs and in our family lives. I love working for a company that has those kinds of values, and I don’t mind going the extra mile for a company like that.”
As you look at your company culture, ask yourself these things:
What are our hiring and training pro-cesses?
Are there standards in place that allow only those who fit to eventually become a part of our company?
How’s Business? | by Bill guertin
Creating a great Company Culture:
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Continued on page 39
Business recruitment Fundamentals:
How to onboard More “A” Players
“All Aboard!” — Don’t you just wish that hiring new employees was that easy? Un-fortunately, it’s such a challenge today that in a recent national survey, over 30 percent of CEOs said up to half of their employ-ees are a poor fit for the job. What’s more, putting the wrong person in the wrong po-sition just to fill the vacancy can have dire consequences to your organization in terms of poor employee morale, low productivity and lost opportunities. The impact to your company’s bottom line can be staggering.
The good news is that companies can drastically improve their workforce quality by adopting a proactive mindset and con-sistently using the right hiring procedures. Of course every company is always looking for good people, but the employees who are considered “A” players are usually work-ing elsewhere—and happily—so they’re less likely to be seeking greener pastures. So if your company’s recruiting strategy isn’t well developed, you’re basically hiring other companies’ “B” and “C” players. True, an occasional “A” player will walk through your door, but you’re more likely to find that elusive diamond through the establishment of solid, consistent recruitment processes.
A multi-layered, robust, recruiting pro-cess must be rooted in proactive, versus reactive, recruiting. In today’s world, many companies have the risky tendency of wait-ing until a job opening occurs to initiate an emergency job search—reactive recruiting at its worst! In a rush to fill the open posi-tion and lacking constant, solid recruiting procedures, the company is more likely to take a less-qualified candidate or, in some cases, whoever shows up first.
Plan Ahead with Good Job Descriptions
Avoid such dire measures by establishing a very structured and systemized selection process well ahead of when your company actually needs it. This begins with writing a job description before the actual recruiting process. A good job description includes: the job’s purpose, a detailed breakdown of responsibilities, to whom the new person will report, ways to measure the person’s ef-fectiveness, the job’s vital factors, how the person will spend their time, their author-ity within the company, and the required competencies, background and experience. The job description also drives your inter-viewing process and questions, as well as the employee’s training plan. What’s more, writing a job description before recruiting
forces you to think through the position and the competencies of the person you need; it becomes the blueprint for the success of the job and the person you hire.
Determine the interview Game Plan
Once you’ve attracted the top can-didates, you need an interview game plan. Considering what’s required and wanted in the new hire, what are you truly looking for in an ideal employee, and how do these attributes relate to what’s needed for the position? Also, if given the opportunity, what compe-tencies would your internal or
external customers look for from your em-ployee to serve their needs? Whatever these competencies are, the candidate you choose must have them.
Your interview game plan must also in-clude a robust selection process. This en-ables you to evaluate the potential hire in different ways. For example, you may need to conduct several interviews, and will want to do background check(s) at the very least.
Focus on Professional Development
After successfully hiring an employee, the next step in the recruitment process is to develop this person via ongoing coaching,
training and planning that will enable his or her professional growth. Unfortunately, most companies have no structured on-boarding plan for new personnel. By solely focusing on bringing someone “aboard the bus,” they forget to follow through with important ongoing training and develop-ment. If this is happening at your company, you’re significantly reducing your retention
odds. And if that new recruit is one of those rare “A” players, the loss is even greater.
The first 90 days of employment are critical to the long-term success of
the new employee. Therefore you should develop and implement a 90-day training plan to secure the employee’s place within the organization and facilitate his or her improvement. You can vary this training based upon the new
employee’s level of experience with your existing systems. But
it’s important to train this new hire on business practices, how your company functions and how these fit into the organization, too.
Key to the success of this 90-day training plan is using a men-toring team consisting of a peer,
manager and support person. The mentoring team should meet at least monthly to give feedback to the new hire, ensure he or she has someone they can go to with ques-tions, and enable their success at
adhering to the 90-day training plan.
Establish Expectations NowAlso during this time, it’s critical to set
clear, result-oriented goals. Why? Because setting these requirements will communi-cate company expectations and accountabil-ity for results, ensure that the new employee understands the company’s priorities, and,
most importantly, measure whether he or she is the right person for the job. Once the employee successfully completes the first 90 days, you’ll need a six-months-to-one-year, personal-development plan to facilitate his or her advancement and growth. Focus on consistent improvement and job-perfor-mance strengthening.
incorporate the Current Business Plan
Finally, do you have a well-developed, current business plan? From day one, such a plan helps new employees understand the company’s direction and the role they play in it. Based upon the business plan, your re-cent hire should also grasp the company’s vital factors—the unique set of critical ele-ments that can either hold a company back or propel it to success. Each employee should be assigned personal vital factors that sup-port the company vital factors—an exercise that creates that crucial strategic alignment within your organization.
Following these fundamental strategies is a sure way to onboard those “A” players and, more importantly, keep them aboard the company bus. With the right team in place, you’ll find it’s easier to retain those good workers, maintain strong company morale and meet your business’ goals.
Lee Froschheiser, president and CEO of Management Action Programs (MAP) Consulting, works with many premiere business leaders and companies nationwide.
Lee is also co-author of the best-selling book, “Vital Factors, The Secret to Transforming Your Business—And Your Life.” His consulting firm specializes in trans-forming companies, and accelerates the performance of people, teams and organizations. Clients include WebEx Communications, Cold Stone Creamery, Los Angeles Clippers and KIA Motors.
by lee Froschheiser
n Focus on creating a systematic, well thought out, proactive recruiting process.
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n Onboard new recruits using a 90-day mentoring plan with a 90-day training period, measurable 90-day goals and a mentoring team that meets monthly to ensure the new hire’s success.
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Considering society’s bottomless access to information, our non-stop exposure to stimuli beamed from around the world, and the unsettling aspects of a modern life lived in a global village, Heraclitus’ observation rings truer than ever. Every day we do our best to manage as much uncertainty out of our lives as possible, but in the end, we can only control so much.
The “constant of change” is what gener-ates the unrelenting stress in our lives. It gives us the sense that our well-being is under constant threat. When you feel this threat, the hypothalamus area of your brain revs like a hot rod; hormones secrete, the nervous system engages. Adrenaline hits the bloodstream like a fuel injection. Excessive cortisol is discharged into the body produc-ing – if the infomercials are true – stubborn extra pounds. We never hit the “off” button and our “flight or fight” reactions become unremitting, resulting in the inability to cope with trivial matters and limiting our effectiveness to deal with change, re-ignit-ing the cycle.
But why is it some people act consistently strong in times of inconsistency? Why do some remain resilient despite negative odds? Why do some emerge as leaders despite the pressure?
Some people seem to be more “ready” to both avail themselves of change and grasp opportunity amidst chaos, while others – equally affected by circumstances – are left paralyzed and diminished.
Great leaders throughout history, and spiritual and intellectual thinkers through-out time, speak to a type of thinking that transforms the soul into one of peace, cour-age, purpose and bearing. Privilege and adversity strike indiscriminately, but those who face it using core beliefs and thought-patterns motivate themselves to win and succeed.
READY Thinking is a framework that
produces influential action and enables an individual – or an entire organization – to get motivated and take action in the face of both challenge and opportunity. With this model, you are able to tackle tough prob-lems, flourish in times of turmoil and to be more capable of moving through change rapidly. READY is an acronym that out-lines a five-step process to bring leadership into times of uncertainty:
R – Reality Reality requires you to define the situa-
tion in uncompromisingly clear and concise terms for yourself and the people around you – the most essential step in READY Think-ing, and the hardest. Why? Very few people
like reality. Governing your life is about choosing, but the old adage is true: People want their cake and to eat it, too. Yet, the common practice of expending emotions and energy on things that aren’t real is the direct opposite of being ready. The philoso-pher Santayana said it best, “One real world is enough.” First step in defining reality: Stop playing the “what if ” game. When you hear yourself – or someone else – say things like “What if…” or “If only…” or “I should have, would have, or could have…” you’re wasting time and emotion on things that aren’t real. Stop!
E – EnlargingEnlarging is about giving yourself, and
those you lead, an inspirational energy-in-ducing vision much larger than the task at hand, and much bolder than the situation warrants. Human beings want to feel part
of something bigger than themselves. They want their work to be important, valued, and to make a difference. First step in en-larging: Ask the question, “What’s in it for me?” While this may sound self-centered, it actually helps to frame your “self talk” and to fully appreciate the larger purpose of your effort.
A – Accountability Accountability requires authentically
taking responsibility for your actions and for the leadership you give to others. People will want to join your team when they be-lieve the journey you lead them on will be worthwhile, the destination you take them to will be important, and that your leader-ship can get them there. Blow the account-ability bond, and don’t look back; your team will be long gone. First step in accountabil-ity: admit, apologize and acknowledge. Ad-
mit you caused the problem, apologize for it, and acknowledge your role in finding a solution.
D – Durability Durability allows you to persist through
tough times, finish the job and value the benefit of sweat and toil. Durability is the ability to stick with something through good times and bad, victory and heart-break, happy emotions and sad ones – this is the most powerful attribute of a READY Thinker. Durability is stronger than talent, better than luck, more real than potential, and more valuable than intellect. Durability is the value that has delivered every good thing in your life. First step in durabil-ity: When faced with what appears to be a daunting task or major setback, focus on one small action that moves you forward. Then focus on the next small action. Small
steps allow you to surmount what initially appears to be insurmountable.
Y – “Yes” Attitude A “Yes” attitude means you take what
you do seriously, but you don’t take your-self seriously. Having fun and enjoying your work pays dividends, and people – friends, co-workers and clients – want to be part of the energy. How do you get people to join you on the “Yes” attitude bandwagon? At-tract them with optimism and confidence. First step in “Yes” Attitude: Nourish your brain with a positive diet. Instead of that firebrand talk show, listen to motivational music instead. Read an inspirational book before going to sleep instead of watching the morbid nightly news. Learn a foreign language on the way into work; when some-one asks about your commute simply say: “Magnifico, grazi!”
Do you remember a time when you felt READY? In all likelihood, there were many unknowns when you went through the change. But despite a nervous energy, you were inclined to do something, to move forward, to take the lead. You were confi-dent and resolute. Chances are, you are a leader in some aspect of your life – at work, at home, at school, or wherever you hold influence – so wouldn’t it be worth it to be READY more often? Being READY is facing down obstacles and changing events with influential action.
John Baker, a speaker and founder of READY Thinking, LLC, has helped hundreds of organizations achieve success by adopting a practical framework of thinking during
times of change and opportunity. He has over 20 years experience, with compa-nies including American Express and Ameriprise Financial, as a senior execu-tive specializing in sales, client loyalty and customer service. John is author of the forthcoming book, “READY Thinking – A Framework for Action in Times of Change.”
Leadership in the Face of Change
by John Baker
“the only constant in the universe is change.”
greek philosopher, Heraclitus – 2,500 years ago
A young entrepreneur was recently re-viewing his own natural talent patterns as revealed in a comprehensive psychometric tool. He had exceptional behavioral and motivational energy as well as having one of the highest empathetic outlook scores ever seen (9.8 out of 10). What most people wouldn’t give for some of his energy! However, as with many up and com-ing entrepreneurs, he was great at get-ting things started and extremely frus-trated with trying to get things fin-ished. The young entrepreneur real-ized that in order to fulfill his potential, he needed to build a much stronger sup-port team to execute more effectively on his ideas.
This entrepre-neur currently owns three differ-ent businesses and has enough ideas to start several more. What is important at this juncture is building a support team that is different from him – folks who don’t like to initiate new projects but who will enjoy implementing, nurturing, and optimizing the ideas that have grown into businesses already. The question he had (like so many others do) is: “But how do you do that?” In what may seem too simple to be considered anything other than obvious, the response is: “Know the job, know the person, then manage for success.”
Know the JobWhat are the primary activities of this
job? Interaction with lots of people? Versa-tility? Working in a competitive environ-ment (whether competing against a goal or winning against competitors)? Frequent change? Maintaining an organized work-place? What are the activities that make up the majority of time spent in this job when it is done right?
What are the primary intrinsic rewards of this job? Of course, everyone wants a paycheck, but what else does this job re-ward? Helping other people? Learning new things? Creating and maintaining order? Or, is the greatest reward creating lots of money or some other measurable result? Every job rewards something, so what does this job reward most?
What common sense or good “business
judgment” does this job enlist? Does it de-pend on someone who focuses on practical results, organizing things, seeing how things fit together or compare with each other? Is it asking for someone who thinks deeply and spends most of his or her time manag-
ing concepts, ideas, or strategies? Or, is this job asking for someone who is an exceptional judge of other people and who can influence, lead, understand, and develop others?
Know the Person
Using the same road map for un-derstanding the job, owners/man-agers should be able to develop a deeper and more benefi-cial understanding of the ideal person for the job. What activities does the ideal candidate enjoy most? Inter-action with others
or space and time to work with a singular focus? Completing routine tasks or lots of irons in the fire? Troubleshooting or pre-dictable project management? Organizing files and systems or always moving forward in the midst of chaos? How does this relate to what the job is asking for?
What motivates the candidate? Creat-ing wealth? Helping others? Learning new things? Working according to a set of prin-ciples? Being in charge and controlling the destiny of others?
What common sense, or business judg-ment, does this person bring to the job? Is he or she more effective as a thinker? Is he or she quick at comparing several practi-cal alternatives, understanding how things work, and adjusting to create the desired results? Or, does the candidate most effec-tively understand the needs of others? How does this relate to what the job is asking for? Is someone being put in the position that is a natural fit, or are we asking him or her to come to work and check his natural talent and motivational inclinations at the door because that is what the job requires?
Manage for SuccessOnce an owner/manager has a crystal
clear picture of the activities, rewards, and evaluative judgment of the job and under-stands how the candidate fits or doesn’t fit with that picture, it is possible to develop a
unique new approach to managing for suc-cess. By leveraging those parts of the job that will come naturally and learning how to navigate the rough spots that don’t line up, there is a better chance of supervising the work and the person for greater perfor-mance and fulfillment. Who wouldn’t want a relationship with an employee where all you have to say is, “go do your thing!” and high performance is the result?
In order to achieve optimal effectiveness in hiring and management, entrepreneurs have to accept that not all jobs or all people are the same. Jobs ask for specific activities, motivations, and judgment. And people bring unique behavioral preferences, mo-tivational biases, and evaluative judgment patterns to their jobs. By having a clear pic-ture of the job and what constitutes superior results, then having a clear picture of where a person fits with what the job is asking for, business leaders can begin to “manage to win” instead of doing what most supervisors end up doing with their employees, “man-aging not to lose.”
It is said that diagnosis is often, “90 per-cent of the cure.” As the entrepreneur real-ized, he often made hiring decisions feel-ing like he was playing roulette. He put an ad in the paper, started looking at resumes and hoped the resumes gave him some clue about whether a person was capable of do-ing what he wanted. Some companies will take the extra effort to call references, do
some background checks, and all of this to set the stage for an interview where the re-search indicates most interviewers decide in the first 30 seconds whether or not they like the candidate. In better companies, hiring managers may do a reasonable job of vetting the resume and validating what the candi-date can actually do. However, great hiring is about developing a deep understanding of what the candidate is most likely to succeed wildly in doing.
Most entrepreneurs view hiring, super-vising and managing as something other than primary work – it is a means to an end, almost a necessary evil, rather than a critical part of fulfilling their entrepreneur-ial dreams. They rarely recognize that how they understand the job and the candidate may be one of the most important factors in their future success.
Ron Price is the founder and CEO of Price Associates, a company dedicated to helping business leaders and entrepreneurs solve problems, identify solutions and
implement change in strategy and perfor-mance. Ron is also the author of “Finding Hidden Treasures,” a series of essays with action steps to aid readers in mining their own inner talents. As the former president of the AIM Companies, Ron directed the strategic, marketing, compensation and incentive planning, as well as field training and operations.
Enterpreneurial Hiringby ron Price
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As the economy continues to contract, small business owners are seeing a 20 per-cent or more decrease in sales, while whole-sale prices increase and margins shrink. If you are going shopping, be sure to buy as much as you can from local small busi-nesses.
The three-month moving average, CF-NAI-MA3, increased to –0.86 in March from –0.92 in February. This negative value suggests that growth in national economic activity was below its historical trend. In addition, March marked the fourth consec-utive month that the three month moving
average was very near or below the –0.70 threshold. A CFNAI-MA3 value below –0.70 following a period of economic ex-pansion indicates an increasing likelihood that a recession has begun. With regard to inflation, March’s three-month moving average indicates low inflationary pressure from economic activity over the coming year.
The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufactur-ing Index (CFMMI) decreased 0.7 percent in March, to a seasonally adjusted level of 107.6 (2002 = 100). Revised data show the index decreased 0.8 percent in February,
to 108.4. The Federal Reserve Board’s in-dustrial production index for manufactur-ing (IPMFG) was unchanged in March. Regional output in March was 0.6 percent higher than a year earlier, below the 1.4 per-cent increase in national output.
According to the Michigan Retail Index, a joint project of the Michigan Retailers’ Association (MRA) and the Federal Re-serve Bank of Chicago, 28 percent of retail-ers increased sales in March over the same month last year, while 54 percent recorded declines and 18 percent saw no change. The results create a seasonally adjusted per-formance index of 35.6, down from 42.2 in February and the lowest for any month since February 2003. For March 2007, the index was at 49.0.
Looking ahead, 54 percent believe their sales will increase for April through June, while 25 percent forecast declines and 21
percent project no change. The results create a seasonally-adjusted outlook index of 59.6, the highest since last October. For March 2007, the index was at 57.1.
The SBA 504 loan, a 20-year commer-cial mortgage, is based on the 10-year trea-sury yield. A spread of approximately 2.33 percent is the current trend, mixed and in correlation with the Russell 2000 small cap index.
Over the last three months, the Russell 2000 has rallied and may indicate that in-terest rate cuts were having a positive affect on capital inflows into small business.
Mark Norris, OPM Business Financing, Inc.
I don’t need to remind you we are in a hard economic time, with many small busi-nesses feeling the pinch. This is a perfect
time to review your policies on how you are handling your accounts receivables. I can tell you from experience that prevention is
the best policy. Also understand-ing your options is very important if you run into a problem collecting money.
For service-oriented businesses, your invoices are important con-tracts. If you have to take a cus-tomer to court, or if a customer takes you to court, make sure all important information is on your invoices. Your customers should sign the work orders fully disclos-ing possible warranty information, finance charges, what happens in the event you take the customer to collections, and any other per-tinent information.
For bad checks, the Will Coun-ty State’s Attorney’s Office has a “Bad Check Restitution Program.” You can see the website at www.checkprogram.com/willcountyil/eligibility.htm showing eligibility for the program. The amount of the check can be no more than $2,500. The check must be received in Will County and submitted to the program within 90 days from the date of the check. You must have a photo I.D. recorded at the time of the transaction.
If you deal with invoices that exceed $2,500, you may want to consider a tele-check machine. Many grocery stores use these machines now. Our company invested in one several years ago after having a few bounced checks. It was very frustrating to find out that the check you accepted two weeks ago has bounced or the customer de-cided to put a stop payment on the check. By then, the customer has received their goods and/or services and you are out of luck. A telecheck machine is very easy to use, with
lower fees than a credit card machine. They guarantee any check they approve. If the check is not approved, you require the cus-tomer to pay with cash or credit card.
You don’t want to wait until you run into a problem before having a plan in place. Consider what the worse case scenario is to your business, and put processes in place to prevent it.
Reneé Perry is a small business consultant and coach in Joliet.
Small Business and a Contracting Economy
Accounts Receivable options
by Mark norris
by reneé Perry
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Lots of times, changes in life also affect your investments. That’s whythere’s never been a better time to schedule your free portfolio review.We’ll talk about the changes in your life, and help you decide whetherit makes sense to revise your investments because of them.A portfolio review will help ensure your investments are keepingpace with your goals. Call your local financial advisor today.
Becoming a sales superstar is ALL about the choices you make as a salesperson. There is good and bad news to this statement. First the bad, what got you here today will not necessarily make you a sales superstar tomorrow. Now for the good news, you can be a sales superstar if you start making choices today – like a sales superstar.
Sales superstars don’t just suddenly show up or arrive out of nowhere. They design their paths to superdom using hard work and thinking about their choices ALL THE TIME! They develop a winner’s edge on the men-tal side and learn the skills to insure winning. So, how do they do this? By work-ing on 10 critical areas that create sales success in today’s highly competitive world. To become a sales superstar, you must decide to improve your skills in these 10 critical areas:
Learning – Sales su-perstars have one thing in common – they are always learning. Their learning can take several avenues. One, they learn about their customers, in depth, so they can understand the current and future situations they will face. They are also readers. Re-member this – leaders are readers! They read about selling, business trends, leadership issues, eco-nomic trends and industry trends. They are the first to sign up for extending training and development sessions. They know that they need to sharpen their skills everyday – if they want to keep win-ning in the game of selling.
Business Acumen – In the modern world of selling, salespeople MUST be able to speak in terms that are important to cus-tomers and especially the “C” level custom-ers. These terms are the world of Business Acumen – revenue growth, cost of goods sold, gross margin, related costs, turnover ratios, velocity and net income. If you are just talking about features and benefits
– you are in the world of commodity selling and price alone rules.
Preparedness – Like the Boy Scout mot-to “be prepared,” top salespeople know that customer research is done before meeting with customers. You validate what you have
learned while in the presence of customers – which shows the customer that you are different and will not waste their valuable time. Using web search engines to find in-formation about your customers, their cus-tomers, financial data and trends – allows you to be more knowledgeable than your competition.
Industry Knowledge – This should be a no-brainer. However, you will still find sales people with little industry under-
standing. To be a sales superstar, knowing the industry is a requirement. It assists you in understanding trends, cycles, what is old or new, best practices, and who are their customers. Industry knowledge allows for knowing the little secrets of success and, most importantly, the ability to anticipate trends within the industry –allowing you to guide the customer to better decisions about their business.
Questioning Skills – Here is the big one. Most sales people talk too much. Yes, they talk too much and actually bore the
customer. Why? Be-cause the customer will have opinions about things and they will be-lieve their thoughts over yours! This is a form of bias; yet, the best sales people have learned this fact. They use questions to uncover these biases, use different questions to guide or educate the customer, and even dif-ferent types of questions to learn what specific benefit or advantage certain solutions would provide for that specific customer. The key is us-ing questions to become customer centric rather than boasting about what you think you know. This is a required skill in modern selling, this is the land of the sales superstar and they have learned the impor-tance of this skill.
Listening – Closely related to the question-ing skills is the ability to actively listen to the customer. Focusing on exactly what the cus-tomer is saying opens the door to understand-ing what is going on in the customer’s world. The sales superstars have taken listening to a higher level. They lis-ten for things that are
not clearly defined by the customer, what should have been said – but was not. They hear general statements and respond with a clarifying question for specifics and a clear understanding of the situation. Another in-teresting effect comes from listening to the customer – they like you more!
Think Like an Owner – This means con-necting all the dots. How does your team finish the sale with the customer? Does the customer feel satisfied after the sale or
does doubt and frustration rule? Coordi-nating other functional areas to satisfy the customer is another critical issue that most sales people overlook – yet it is the one that influences the next sale to that customer the most. Take time to think about customer satisfaction and what it takes to insure suc-cess with each customer.
Creative Problem Solving – The key here is “creative.” This is not by-the-book or policy type of problem solving. It is about looking at the customer’s situation and thinking about different ways to solve the problem they have, then choosing the one idea that will create the most effective solution for both the customer and your company. Hint: Your biggest opportunity customers will test you concerning problem solving before they buy – just to see if you are looking after their best interests. This is a guaranteed test.
Practice, Practice, Practice – The sales superstars do not practice a new or improved technique on a critical customer. They work on the skills using role-plays, application exercises and even videos of customer stim-ulation. Using video in the practice sessions is the fastest method to gain immediate im-provement in selling skills; yet, it is the least used, due to egos and fear of failure. Focus on becoming a superstar.
Self Confidence – The final critical fac-tor is both a means and an end to succeed-ing in the other nine factors. Confidence is the key to having the winner’s edge. Most importantly, customers want to work with confident people to get the results and out-comes they need. If you do the first nine, confidence will come. Or use self confidence in demonstrating the discipline needed to make the choices that lead to success and sales superstar status.
The world of sales is changing rapidly. As a sales person, you need to decide if you want to stay in sales for the long term or do something else. Strong words, yet, truth-ful words based upon the change that has already started in several industries. Com-modity selling will be ruled by the Internet and price decisions rather than best value solutions. Make a decision today to become a sales superstar and master the ten critical factors of success.
Voss Graham is the founder and CEO of Inneractive Consulting Group, Inc. As the author of “Three Games of Selling,” he works with companies across the country
to develop and hire successful sales teams with above average performance. Voss is a seasoned sales veteran who has worked with companies such as International Paper, The Memphis Group (a Division of GE), Alcan Packaging, the United Way and Sara Lee Foods.
Become a Sales Superstar —10 Critical areas to Master
by voss graham
While economic wags may be crying recession, the I-80 corridor area is on a golden roll and is a vital asset in bringing new wealth to the region, according to John Greuling, president and CEO of the Will County Center for Economic Development (CED).
Addressing nearly 200 regional business leaders in a recent economic break-fast meeting at CD & ME in Frankfort, he said, “We may be in a recession, but we are in a unique situation. We will work through this re-cession; we will be able to push through it.” Citing Will County’s unique opportunities, he said the county’s position in the global marketplace makes it an economic powerhouse. “With the addition of I-355, the entire I-80 corridor will continue to grow. The county will add more jobs than any other county in Illinois between now and the year 2030,” he said. Adding that the county more than doubled its population between 1990 and 2006, he said it will double again in the next 20 years – to over one million people.
In addition to the population growth, Greuling reported that in 2007, indus-trial space in the region increased to 116,500,000 square feet. Also highlight-ing the golden business growth along I-80, he reported major development projects in Mokena, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Joliet and near-by University Park and Crete. Among the largest projects named: a 900-acre CenterPoint Intermodal site in Crete, a 720,000-square foot Andrews Corpora-tion site in Joliet, an Ikea facility totaling 660,000 square feet, and the Panduit cor-porate headquarters planned in Tinley Park with 250,000 square feet. He also indicated an 800,000-square foot Central Grocers fa-cility has been proposed for Joliet.
The CED’s 2008 agenda calls for an ag-gressive approach to encourage continued business development with a strong focus on attracting corporate headquarters to the region. Noting that presently, there is not a single 500 corporation with headquarters in the southland, Greuling said the CED is working to change that fact. “Based on a recently completed target study, we are putting together a strategy to attract these larger corporate headquarters which will bring executives and their families to the area and create hundreds of jobs.”
Greuling’s presentation included a blue-print for a number of priority transportation projects designed to handle the ongoing and projected growth of the I-80 region. In-cluded in the blueprint were: the addition of lanes on I-80 from Route 45 to the Prairie Parkway; widening of Route 30 from Joliet
to Harlem Avenue; construction of a new interchange at I-57 and Manhattan-Monee Road; improvement of state and local roads feeding the Veterans Memorial Tollway; construction of the Illiana Expressway
from I-65 to I-57, and the building of the South Sub-urban Airport. However, Greuling added that there are 66 governmental units involved in these transpor-tation decisions and that currently there is no com-
prehensive plan. Quoting an April 2008 Chicago Tribune
article, he said “$5 billion a year is needed to maintain existing infra-
structures. Our legislators need to pass a capital budget.”
“We are in a good position, seeing con-tinued commercial and industrial growth along I-80 and I-355. The CED’s mission and 2008 agenda for business development and assisting in the creation of new jobs and bringing new wealth to the area and en-couraging cooperation among government entities will help push through this reces-sion. Working together, we can do it,” said Greuling.
i-80 on a Rollby sharon Filkins-Jenrich
Horton insurance Company, orland Park, il
Walgreens, Frankfort, il
Class a office Park off of interstate 80, tinley Park, il
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n Following a comprehensive state-wide listening tour launched in March, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Dennis Hastert and Southern Illinois University Presi-dent Glenn Poshard, co-chairs of Governor Rod Blagojevich’s Illinois Works Coalition, announced a new $31 billion comprehensive capital infrastructure plan and their recom-mendations for how to fund it. Based on the listening sessions and face-to-face meetings with this state’s political leaders, co-chairs Hastert and Poshard recommend the following:
• Invest $31 billion in transporta-tion, education, energy, health care, environmental and water, economic development and other critical infra-structure and quality of life needs for the citizens of Illinois.
• Provide a capital improvement plan clearly identifying timelines, priorities and funding sources for projects within each of these investment categories.
• Fund education construction proj-ects and mass transportation invest-ments with $7 billion partial lottery concession.
• Create Capital and Educational Trust Funds with “lockbox” accountability guarantees for capital investments and continuation of the current level of lottery proceeds for P-12 education.
• Use motor fuel taxes to support bonded road projects that allow nearly $2 billion in additional projects.
• Expand gaming (Chicago Casino, one additional riverboat license, increases in positions at existing riverboats, and availability of electronic gaming at racetracks) to raise $550 million annu-ally in new revenues for debt service for environmental and water, energy, eco-nomic development, health care, state facilities, and other critical purposes.
According to a study by Southern Il-linois University, a comprehensive
capital plan would have tremendous economic benefi ts for the state. Th e study found that a capital plan would create 535,000 new full-time jobs, lead to $49 billion in economic activ-ity and more than $2.9 billion in state and local tax revenues.
n A section of Interstate 57 has been renamed in honor of longtime south-ern Illinois Congressman Kenneth J. Gray. From now on, I-57 between Mile Post 0, at the Illinois State Line to Mile Post 106, at the Marion/Jef-ferson County Line will be known as “Ken Gray Expressway.” Gray was an infl uential member of Congress who represented southern Illinois for nearly a quarter of a century in Wash-ington, D.C.
n Four more Biodiesel Fuel Quality Seminars will be held around the state in June. Th e schedule is as follows: June 3 in Lisle, June 4 in Moline, June 11 in Collinsville and June 12 in Blooming-ton. Mr. Hoon Ge, a nationally-recog-nized biodiesel fuel expert, will be the featured speaker regarding the proper handling, distribution and treatment techniques to ensure biodiesel fuel quality. Biodiesel manufacturers, dis-tributors, retailers and fl eet managers are highly encouraged to attend. Over 250 industry people attended the four seminars held last fall. For more infor-mation, contact Darwin Burkhart at IEPA, 217.524.5008.
events
6/10/2008Green Ribbon Energy Effi ciency WorkshopChicago Hilton, Michigan Ave., 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.ComEd Care: 1.888.806.2273 or www.ComEdCARE.com
6/12/2008Green Ribbon Energy Effi ciency WorkshopDoubletree Guest Suites, Downers Grove. 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.ComEd Care: 1.888.806.2273 or www.ComEdCARE.com
6/19/2008Green Ribbon Energy Effi ciency WorkshopCrowne Plaza Hotel, Mundelein
8 a.m. - 3 p.m.ComEd Care: 1.888.806.2273 or www.ComEdCARE.com
6/19/200845th Annual Illinois Small Business Week ConferenceLakeside Center at McCormick Place, 8:30 a.m. 8 p.m.SBA or SCORE or Illinois Entrepre-neurship Network
6/20/2008Green Ribbon Energy Effi ciency WorkshopHoliday Inn, Tinley Park Conven-tion Ctr., 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.ComEd Care: 1.888.806.2273 or www.ComEdCARE.com
6/21/200810th Annual Child Care Business ExpoNavy Pier, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.Women's Business Development
Center: 312.853.3477 or e-mail [email protected]
6/25/2008Green Ribbon Energy Effi ciency WorkshopPheasant Run, St. Charles, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.ComEd Care: 1.888.806.2273 or www.ComEdCARE.com
6/27/2008Green Ribbon Energy Effi ciency WorkshopCliff breakers Riverside Resort, Rockford, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.ComEd Care: 1.888.806.2273 or www.ComEdCARE.com
6/25 - 6/27/2008U.S.-Africa Agribusiness Forum Hyatt Regency ChicagoW 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Th 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., F 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.Th e Corporate Council on Africa: 202.835.1115
Dennis Hastert (right) and glenn Poshard (second from right)
events
6/5, 12, 19, 26/2008Business Expansion Network MeetingR-Place Restaurant, Morris, 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. Grundy County Chamber: 815.942.0113
6/6/20085th Annual Chamber Golf OutingNettle Creek Country Club, Morris
Grundy County Chamber: 815.942.0113
6/19/2008Business After HoursRezin Orthopedics & Sports Medi-cine, Morris, 5 - 7 p.m.Grundy County Chamber: 815.942.0113
6/25 - 6/27/2008Chamber Membership CampaignGrundy County Chamber: 815.942.0113
GRUNDY COUNTYGRUNDY COUNTY
GRUNDY COUNTY
WILL coUNty
aWarDs
n Local pharmacy and medical equipment provider, Remco Medical, has been awarded accreditation sta-tus by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc. (ACHC) for an additional three years. Based in Joliet, Remco Medical clients include indi-viduals in their homes, hospice and nursing homes, hospitals, clinics and home health agencies in the greater Will and Grundy Counties.
n Th e Illinois Association of Munici-pal Management Assistants (IAM-MA) recently announced Village of Frankfort’s Assistant Village Admin-
istrator, Howard Sloan, was awarded the “Outstanding New Commu-nity Service/Program Award” by the IAMMA. Sloan, who joined the Village of Frankfort in 1994, was nominated for his eff orts in the devel-opment of Frankfort’s Water Resource Management Plan. As a long-time resident and employee, Mr. Sloan has been active in various social and civic organizations throughout the years. In his role as Assistant Village Adminis-trator, Sloan has been instrumental in developing a long range, formal Wa-ter Resource Management Plan for Frankfort. His eff orts, in the area of protecting and proper usage of envi-
Continued on page 28
ouT & ABouTGRUNDY COUNTYGRUNDY COUNTY
GRUNDY COUNTY
in early May, the Grundy Economic Development Council (GEDC) hosted its annual legislative breakfast at the Morris Country Club. More than 125 local business and com-munity leaders gathered for the opportunity to ask questions and hear from their elected offi cials about a variety of current topics. nancy ammer, Ceo of the geDC, opened the meeting and introduced several guests including edward gonzalez, fi eld representative for senator Barack obama. opening remarks were also made by John Quinn of at&t, event sponsor. Following breakfast, the panel discussion, moderated by Mike Finnegan, business development director for the geDC, featured state senator Gary Dahl (on left) and Reed Wilson, district director for u.s. Congressman Jerry Weller’s offi ce.
CeD Chairman of the Board Mike Hansen, CeD president/Ceo John Greuling, and Frank-fort Mayor Jim Holland presented overviews of Frankfort and Will County during the Will Economic Network Eye opener Breakfast in May.
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WILL coUNty ContinueD
ronmentally sensitive areas within the Village, include a plan for the annual inspection and maintenance of these areas. Over the years, Mr. Sloan has been asked to speak at various confer-ences regarding these eff orts within the Village, and most recently, was invited to speak at the Annual Conference of the Illinois Association of Floodplain and Storm Water Managers. n Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center has been named a winner of both the 25th Annual Healthcare Marketing Report Awards competi-tion and the Aster Awards, a national medical marketing competition. Th e Aster Awards is a national medical marketing awards program allowing healthcare organizations and advertis-ing agencies to compete against simi-larly sized competitors from across the nation. Th e Healthcare Advertising Awards is the oldest, largest and most widely respected healthcare advertis-ing awards competition. Th e awards are sponsored by Healthcare Market-ing Report, the leading publication covering all aspects of healthcare mar-keting, advertising and strategic busi-ness development.
n Joliet residents Virginia Ferry and Vincent L. Foster Sr. are the recipi-
ents of the 2008 J. D. Ross Extraor-dinary Service Awards. Named after President Emeritus Ross who spent nearly 32 years at JJC, the award is the highest honor bestowed by Joliet Junior College to honor community members who have given outstanding service to Community College Dis-trict 525. Virginia Ferry has been sell-ing real estate for more than 40 years through her family-owned business, Twelve Oaks Realty Corp., and is a cofounder of the Joliet Area Historical Society. Ferry is most recognized for her more than 36 years with the Morn-ing Star Mission. She also was a mem-ber of the steering committee forming Lamb’s Fold Center for Women and Children, a maternity home for unwed mothers. Ferry was honored in 2007 by Realtor Magazine as a 2007 Good Neighbor Award Winner; the city of Joliet recognized Ferry the same year for her “outstanding contributions to the quality of life” in the city.
In addition to volunteering at the Will-Grundy Independent Living Center tutoring mentally challenged adults, Vincent Foster also runs a support group for people discouraged by challenging issues, such as physical disabilities. While a student at Joliet Junior College, he helped found the S.P.R.I.T.E. club, which assists stu-dents and parents in resolving issues and sponsors family activities to en-rich education awareness. He was rec-ognized by JJC as the Student Leader of the Year for 2002-2003. Despite his own physical struggles, Foster contin-ues his work in the community, which includes speaking to youth groups at his church. Foster received the Youth Incorporated Spiritual Churches of Truth award winner for motivational speaking. He has also been named the Most Valuable Player for Extra Eff ort for Training and Promoting at Arby’s and he was recognized as the Most Distinguished Employee at Toddler Town Academy.
n Silver Cross Hospital honored members of the Silver Cross Medi-cal Staff with 20 or more years of service April 17 at a Physician Ap-preciation Celebration. Physicians receiving milestone awards included: John Dongas, M.D., cardiology, 20 years; Michael McDermott, D.P.M., podiatric surgery, 20 years; Jerry Ber-
tolini, M.D., orthopedic surgery, 25 years; Gregory Lewis, M.D., urology, 25 years; Corazon Balbarin, M.D., family practice, 30 years; Rajendra Choksi, M.D., pediatrics, 30 years; Anthony Proske, M.D., neurol-ogy/sleep disorders, 30 years; Daniel Gutierrez, M.D., internal medicine, 35 years; Salvador Rinella, M.D., ra-diology, 35 years.
n Silver Cross Hospital’s Behav-ioral Health Services Partial Hos-pitalization Program has received the Program of Excellence Award given by the Illinois Chapter of the Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups, Inc. Th is award is given to an Illinois program or agency that is outstanding in its support for and/or implementation of group work for at least three years. Th e Partial Hospitalization Program at Silver Cross Hospital is one of three
Dr. umesh sharma, silver Cross Chief of staff, and Paul Pawlak, silver Cross President and Ceo, thank Dr. salvador rinella for 35 years of service to the hospital's Medical staff at a Phy-sician appreciation Celebration held april 17.virginia Ferry vincent l. Foster sr.
units that make up Behavioral Health Services along with the Chemical De-pendency Unit and the Inpatient Psy-chiatric Unit.
n Silver Cross Hospital recently received the Rideshare Excellence award from the Partners for Clean Air Coalition (PCAC). Silver Cross was awarded for its proactive approach to planning the replacement hospi-tal and for ensuring transit access for patients, staff and visitors. Th e award recognizes companies for their out-standing voluntary eff orts to improve air quality in Chicagoland.
Business
n New Lenox offi cials recently voted to approve a site plan from representa-tives of Fifth Th ird Bank to build at the Laraway Road retail center dubbed the “Shoppes at Heather Glen.”
n Owner Debbie Dobbs announced the opening of her new business, One Lovely Th ing. A full-service design and decorating center, One Lovely Th ing is located in Channahon. Th e store spe-cializes in custom window treatments, custom blinds by Hunter-Douglas and custom furniture. Business hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; noon to 7 p.m. Th ursday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; closed on Sunday and Monday.
n “Olde Frankfort Village,” a new development to be located at the corner of Route 45 and Old Frankfort Way in Frankfort, received an overwhelming approval to move forward from the Frankfort Village Board during the board meeting held on April 28. Th e new development, with an estimated 60,000 square feet, will include 24 residential condos, professional of-fi ces and commercial/retail (including a restaurant and Town Center Bank). Th e project is being developed by Folkers Commercial, LLC.
n Standard and Poor’s Ratings Ser-vices has increased Will County’s bond rating from ‘AA’ to ‘AA+.’ Th e county will receive a lower cost of bor-rowing as it moves forward with po-tential capital plans.
n Children’s Memorial Hospital
and Silver Cross Hospital today an-nounced the wide range of services that will be off ered at the Children’s Memorial outpatient center in New Lenox. Th e specialty center is sched-uled to open in summer of 2009 and will be 10,000 square feet to accom-modate the wide range of programs. Pediatric cardiac care is just one of the many new services that will be available as a result of the enhanced partnership with Children’s Memo-rial Hospital.
n Th e Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees approved funding options that will dramatically alter the look of the college while enhancing and pro-viding new services to students and the community. Plans to make the fi rst sweeping physical changes to the college since 1974 will now become a reality since the JJC Board of Trust-ees unanimously approved the master plan.
At a recent meeting, trustees approved a $9 capital assessment fee per credit hour that will fund $159 million of JJC’s $220 million master plan if the fee is implemented over four years. Th e board also approved the mea-sure to seek voter approval of an $89 million building bond referendum at the November general election. If the referendum passes, the college will be able to lower the capital assessment fee in subsequent years lessening the college’s tuition. Th e remaining ap-proximately $61 million will be raised through not for profi t, private and other funding options.
n Silver Cross Hospital and the Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission has announced an un-precedented $40 million charity care commitment over 10 years to serve the poor and uninsured in Will Coun-ty. Th is commitment is the fi rst of its kind by any hospital in the state. It comes after consulting with the commission, chaired by Will County Board Member Margie Woods, com-prised of Joliet and Will County civic and community leaders. Th e hospital is committing to at least $4 million a year for 10 years in charity care. Last month, Silver Cross became the only Illinois hospital to have been awarded Th omson Top 100 status four straight years. It has applied for approval to
the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board to build a new replacement hos-pital 3.5 miles from its current campus on Route 6 in New Lenox.
PeoPle
n Dr. Michael Morrow was named the new superintendent of Homer 33C School District at the April 29 board meeting. He has more than 30 years of service in education and be-gan with the school district in 1988. Morrow will replace William Young, who will retire on July 1 after eight years as superintendent of 33C.
n Th e Lincoln-Way High School District 210 Foundation for Educa-tional Excellence is pleased to an-nounce that it has recently elected new executive offi cers: David Zang, treasurer; June Gill, internal vice-president; Patricia Walker, president; Bryan Bruns, external vice-president; and Amy Guzek, secretary.
n Mildred Culp, of Crete, whose WorkWise column appears on Fri-days in Th e Daily Journal, will appear in the May issue of Editor & Publish-er’s “Syndicate World.”
n AMCORE Bank is pleased to an-nounce Christine Batson has joined the company as a commercial rela-tionship manager and vice president. Batson brings 15 years of lending and banking experience to the company. Previously she was a vice president in commercial real estate for Old Plank Trail Community Bank. Batson has her Illinois Real Estate license. She earned a bachelor’s degree in fi nance from Lewis University. Active in the community, Batson is involved with the Will County Center for Econom-ic Development and United Way of Will County.
n Silver Cross Hospital recog-nized 31 physicians on the hospital’s medical staff for outstanding patient satisfaction from Jan. 1 to Dec. 30, 2007. Th is list is a result of using the Press Ganey patient satisfaction process. Th e physicians are: Habib Abbasi, Vlad Badescu, Catherine Baker, Eric Bass, Michel K. Bor-ders, Mark Christensen, Daniel Co, David Collins, Mark V. Danielson, William Farrell, Reza Gamagami, Francisco J. Garcini, Gary Golden, Orest Horodysky, Christopher Joyce,
Hysoo Ka-Widmann, Paul B. Kirch-ner, Timothy Kisla, Brian Lahmann, Douglas Lee, John D. Mikuzis, Kim-berly Mitchell, Silvio Morales Jr., Jag-dish Muzumdar, Arius Patolot, Jose Penaherrera, Gamilah Pierre, Majid Rassouli, Riten H. Sheth, Paul M. Trksak, and Christopher Udovich.
events
Now through Sept. 2008Manhattan Farmer’s MarketFirst & State Streets (Rt. 52), 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.Manhattan Park District: 815.478.3324
6/5/2008Dale Carnegie FREE Workshop: “Taking Team Performance up a Notch”Olivet Nazarene University, Weber Leadership Ctr., 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. Dale Carnegie: 630.390.6050
6/9/2008Regional Consensus Lunch /Panel Discussion: Health Care Aff ord-ability and AccessibilityTinley Park Convention Center, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.Chicago Southland Chamber: 708.957.6950
6/9/2008PSJMC Foundation 24th Annual Charity Golf ClassicGreen Garden Country Club, 7:30 a.m. breakfast; 9 a.m. shotgunProvena Saint Joseph Medical Center Foundation: 815.725.7133 ext. 3339
6/9/2008Regional Consensus LuncheonTinley Park Convention Center, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.Chicago Southland Chamber: 708.957.6950
6/10/2008Monthly Membership LuncheonPrairie Bluff Golf Club, Crest Hill, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.Romeoville Chamber: 815.886.2076
6/11/2008Open Membership MeetingCrete Public Library (2nd Floor Meeting Room), 6:30 p.m.Crete Area Chamber: 708.672.9216
6/11/2008Monthly Chamber MeetingFirst Community Bank & Trust,
B2B illinois DIrect coNNectIoNs
units that make up Behavioral Health Services along with the Chemical De-
and Silver Cross Hospital today an-nounced the wide range of services
the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board to build a new replacement hos-pital 3.5 miles from its current campus on Route 6 in New Lenox.
WILL coUNty ContinueD
Continued on page 34
Businesses need More than team Players;
They Need Team Leaders
There is an old saying that a camel is a horse designed by a committee. If you smiled and nodded your head in agreement, you know the truth of that statement.
Most large organizations rely on com-mittees to perform numerous functions. There are committees that design new prod-ucts, decide what a company’s brand should be, and plan the company picnic. In many cases, these committees do a poor job – but why?
I suspect that organizations often ask committees to do the wrong thing. A com-mittee is not a decision-making group. It can do an excellent job of fact-finding and it can even make recommendations, but it does not make good decisions.
Good decisions usually come from one person. Have you ever seen that proverbial buck stop with a group? It can’t. One reason is that responsibility is lost in a committee. The more people on it, the more difficult it is for a decision to be made because no one person is responsible for it.
What About Teams?Sometimes organizations use committees
as teams. Teams are very popular today, but they are different from committees. For one thing, they use fewer people and are gen-erally required to produce something like a software program, bridge or a building.
I once knew of an architectural firm that used teams to design large projects. It was a medium-sized firm with a number of ar-chitects and other professionals on staff. On large projects, they would assemble a team made up of a few architects charged with designing different parts of the build-ing. There might also be a number of ex-perts on the team. Each one would bring their expertise to the project. For example, an environmental expert would share ideas about the ecological effects, a sociologist would discuss the social implications, and an economist would review the impact on business.
While all of these people would play a role in the design of the new building, none of them would have the same job. There was no overlap of duties so everyone was ac-countable for their part of the project. All of it worked as long as there was an effective project manager who made sure everyone did their part and stayed focused.
Of course, that is the ideal. Many organi-zations form teams that lack this individual accountability. When that happens, those teams usually end up doing mediocre work.
So, Who is in Charge?Committees and teams play an important
role in the management of organizations, but they are not as important as individual leaders. If leaders fail to do their jobs, orga-nizations will fail – regardless of the num-ber of teams and committees it forms.
In my opinion, leadership is an art. A good leader sees his or her division, depart-ment or assembly line as a blank canvas. While they do not paint on that canvas with a brush, they do draw their vision on the imaginations of each person who reports to them. They inspire others by sharing their vision of the future. They show their people how they can design a better product. They explore the possibilities they see and en-courage their staffs to stay focused. Good leaders have good instincts and they gener-ally make good decisions. They also take re-sponsibility. Unfortunately, many organiza-tions have put so much emphasis on teams and committees that their best leaders often blend into the background. The result is a loss of vision and good decision-making.
That is why leadership training is be-coming more important to the business community. Top executives understand the need for quality training in this area because they know teams and committees cannot work without good leaders. That is why Joliet Junior College and other schools offer so many programs to train supervisors and managers.
Good leaders know how to produce good results through teams and committees. They understand the role of these groups and par-ticipate in them constructively. They know how to produce something with a team and how to use a committee to dig for facts and make recommendations.
I hope that the next time a committee wants to design a horse, they will hire a good leader and put him or her in charge. Who knows, they might get a thorough-bred.
Joe Giunta is a contract training manager for Joliet Junior College’s Corporate and Community Services division.
by Joseph P. Giunta
Watseka Chamber Announces Annual Awards
During the time that floodwaters ravaged Iroquois County and in the aftermath of destruction, countless volunteers, local offi-cials and business people pulled together in efforts that symbolize the meaning of com-munity spirit.
At the Watseka Area Chamber of Com-merce’s annual awards dinner, held at the Iroquois County Fairgrounds Wednesday, May 7, it was time to pay tribute to this re-markable group.
Iroquois County’s Times-Republic ex-
panded its centerpiece Citizen of the Year Award to Citizens of the Year and conferred it upon all the residents and friends of the county.
“Do you know who your neighbors are?” asked Roberta Kempen, the newspaper’s ad-vertising director, in presenting the award.
Neighbors, she said, were all of those that came to the aid of the community during the floods – including the fire department, the Red Cross, the ministers and churches and many others.
Neighbors were those filling sandbags, donating food and clothing and offering their time, talents, homes and money with-out asking for any thanks.
Instead of designating an individual or couple as the citizen of the year, as the Times has done since 1980, the newspaper chose to honor all of Iroquois County’s resi-dents and friends who combined their ef-forts to help the community in its bleakest moment in history.
Charles Struble was honored with the
newspaper’s lifetime achievement award.The chamber gave the Watseka Fire De-
partment its business leadership award.Justin Kaiser of WGFA Radio received
the chamber’s staff achievement award for acts far above and beyond the call of duty during the historic flooding.
Commending the fire department for its “selfless service all year round,” Darlene McGehee, recipient of the chamber’s 2007 staff achievement award, said that the de-partment places the safety and protection
of the community first and foremost on a daily basis.
Although Fire Chief Dave Mayotte’s own home suffered extensive flood dam-age, he worked countless hours during the floods, she said. She also recalled Mayotte thanking the local businesses for providing everything that the department and com-munity needed at a business after hours meeting that followed the flood.
Of the 33 firefighters, 13 suffered dam-ages during the flooding. Mayotte told The Daily Journal that the floodwaters woke him at 1 a.m. on Jan. 9.
He immediately called his sons living in Watseka to help save as many of his person-al possessions as possible and began walk-ing door-to-door, waking up neighbors.
By 3 a.m. he was paging the firemen and sending men out to the first calls on County Farm Road.
Until 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 13, fire-fighters would serve 24 hours a day – with Watseka firefighters taking the day shift
and neighboring departments volunteering at night.
It’s been almost five months, and Mayotte still hasn’t been able to return to his home on South Second Street. The basement was completely flooded, and 14 inches of water rose into the first-floor rooms.. He is now elevat-ing and rebuilding the home and hopes to be able to return soon.
Mayotte thanked former Mayor Ted Martin for his sup-port and the contin-ued support of the City Council, the firefighters, assistant chief, local business-es and the wives and girlfriends of all the firefighters.
“In a volunteer department, it takes ev-eryone,” he said.
High-caliber characterMaggie Martin, owner of WGFA radio,
commended Kaiser for his high-caliber character and his loyalty to friends, co-workers and his job. Risking his own safety, as floodwaters encircled the radio station and came within six inches of spilling into the interior, Kaiser provided information every half hour to all the “poor souls in dire straits” waiting for the latest news on the flood, she said.
Kaiser, director of operations at the ra-dio station for the last five years, was de-termined to keep the community informed during this crucial time.
With the exception of a short catnap, he would remain on the air for 51 hours straight during the first flood. When the building lost its heat and electricity, Kaiser
relied on a generator and a few space heaters to try and remain warm.
Growing emotional as he accepted the award, Kaiser said that his job was to enter-tain, inform and move his listeners, adding:
“But, in the end, you moved me.”
Struble’s life work
Along with his work at the Red Cross shelter housed at Trin-ity Church during the floods and his daily deliveries of lunches and dinners to flood victims on those cold January days, Struble was recognized for a lifetime of service.
He joined the U. S. Air Force in 1943 and served in World War
II with several bomb squads. When he left the service as a sergeant in 1946, he received a bronze service star.
He joined the FBI for two years before settling in Watseka in 1951 to raise his two children. He served with the Illinois State Police until his retirement in 1980.
However, retirement far from ended Struble’s service to the community. He has been actively involved in serving at Ameri-can Legion parades, programs and funeral services honoring fellow veterans. He also volunteers at Trinity Church – whether it’s helping to renovate or landscape the build-ing, offering transportation to those in need or helping out in any other capacity.
Humbly accepting the award, Struble said, “I didn’t know anything about this, and I don’t deserve it.”
B2B Illinois and The Daily Journal are publi-cations of the Small Newspaper Group. For subscription information, please contact us at 815.937.3300.
the Daily Journal staff report
an emotional Charles struble receives the lifetime achievement award from roberta Kempen of the iro-quois County times-repub-lic on Wednesday, May 7. the presentation was made during the Watseka area Chamber of Commerce annual awards dinner.(Photos by scott anderson)
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With the theme for the Watseka area Chamber’s award dinner being “it’s 5 o’clock somewhere,” MC Wayne lehman prepares to take the stage. the annual event is held to show appreciation for its members and local businesses, and to present awards such as the Business of the year.
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B2B illinois DIrect coNNectIoNs
aWarDs
n Representative Timothy V. John-son was recently named a recipient of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce “Spirit of Enterprise” award. Th e announcement recognizes Johnson’s support of legislation that promotes job growth and economic expansion. He has received the award every year he has been in Congress, since 2001, underscoring his commitment to free enterprise. Th e “Spirit of Enterprise” award is given to those members of Congress whose voting averages are 70 percent or greater on issues the Chamber designates. Th e Chamber designated 20 key votes in the House during the fi rst session of the 110th Congress. Th e votes covered such is-sues as transportation and infrastruc-ture, energy policy, immigration re-form, trade and health care.
Business
n Certifi ed teachers and other quali-
fi ed educational workers in the Kanka-kee Community College district are invited to enroll in any KCC course for free. Th e free course program is avail-able to full-time certifi ed staff /faculty, administrators or counselors employed by a kindergarten, elementary or high school within the KCC district li-censed by the state of Illinois. Th e college limits the off er to one class per person, per year and the off er is limited to the fi rst 100 applicants. Participants are responsible for the cost of books and fees where applicable.
n Don L. Hurd, president of Kanka-kee Valley Publishing recently an-nounced that the company has acquired the Herald Journal in Monticello, Ind., from Home News Enterprises. Kankakee Valley Publishing is part of Community Media Group, a privately held newspaper publishing group that owns and operates daily and weekly newspapers, shoppers, and other print distribution products in six states. Kankakee Valley Publishing is the par-ent company of the Times-Republic.
aWarDs fi ed educational workers in the Kanka-kee Community College district are
IroQUoIs coUNty
Publishing: July 2008Participation Deadline: June 11, 2008
The Directory will be available:◆ At The Daily Journal’s booth during
the Chicago Bears Training Camp◆ At area hotels and motels◆ Inside the July issue of
B2B Illinois Magazine
◆ At the Convention & Visitors Bureau◆ Online and searchable for a full year
at Daily-Journal.com◆ Also linked to Daily-Journal.com/
best_bites/
This summer, get your restaurant’s name, location and menu in the hands of thousands of potential customers!
For more information or to reserve your advertising space, contact your Advertising Consultant at The Daily Journal:815.939.6642 phone • 815.929.2128 faxor visit www.b2billinois.com/menu
Almost all Premiumpositions are
sold! Call today!
Total Print Quantity: 10,000 • Golf courses, caterers, bars, supermarkets and convenience stores are also welcome to participate!
23rd annual Kankakee valley Park Foundation golf outing at the elks Country Club
ouT & ABouT KANKAKee coUNty
James taylor, Jr., illinois Works co-chair Dr. glen Poschard, Fred tetter, Clayton Harris iii-chief of staff for iDot secretary Milton sees, and DCeo account Manager ed Piatt at the illinois Works public hearing hosted by the Kankakee County Black Chamber of Com-merce, the Kankakee Community resource Center, and the illinois Dept. of Commerce.
a BBRCC Business After Hours was held at Megaplex i.T. Solutions inc. Pictured are Bob Meyers of edward Jones, BBrCC executive Director Jaclyn Dugan-roof, and Web-launch Designs owner Michael roof.
Cor Hershbach, Deputy Consul general from the netherlands (above, top) and Barry Matchett from the environmental law and Policy Center (above, bottom) were the featured speakers at Kankakee Community College’s Sustainability Week in late april. Hersh-bach discussed how the netherlands became a leader, by necessity, in the reduction of landfi ll waste and Matchett focused on the current environmental policies in illinois, along with environmental legislation currently in springfi eld.
the KvPD staff at the signup table. l to r: Brian Zirkle, lyndsay Harwell, renee Chavez, Monica Bisaillon and Jennifer leiden.
Huot oil.
n Send B2B illinois your press releases, business briefs, event photos (with individual identifi cations), and business-related events. E-mail to [email protected] or fax to 815.935.0192.
B2B illinois DIrect coNNectIoNs
aWarDs
n Th e Society for Human Resource Management in Alexandria, Va., has awarded the Superior Merit Chapter designation to the Kankakee Area Human Resource Managers Asso-ciation for its work in perpetuating and supporting the mission of the or-ganization.
n Heritage Woods of Manteno, an assisted living community, has been awarded a defi ciency-free certifi ca-tion from the Illinois Department of Health Care and Family Services.
n Th e American Diabetes Associa-tion has awarded an Education Rec-ognition Certifi cate to the Diabetes Education and Nutrition Center at Provena St. Mary’s Hospital. Th is certifi cation acknowledges the edu-cation the hospital program provides to its patients as an essential compo-nent of eff ective diabetes treatment services.
n Menards received an award for Best Regional Retailer earlier this month at the 2008 Energy Star Awards in Washington, D.C. Menards was se-lected for the award from more than 12,000 Energy Star partner organiza-tions for their commitment to energy effi ciency.
n Provena St. Mary’s Hospital an-nounced that two of their marketing eff orts have achieved a bronze Aster Award in a national medical mar-keting competition. “Th ese national recognitions demonstrate the extraor-dinary commitment to excellence that our Marketing team put forth in their work to inform and educate the community on important healthcare topics,” explains Jeff rey Brickman, FACHE, system senior vice president and regional CEO of the Provena South Suburban Region. “Congratu-lations to our marketing team, includ-ing Melissa Tanner, marketing man-ager; Nan Wagner, designer; Felicia Fowler, community outreach coordi-nator; Liz Krone, marketing associ-ate and Mary Ellen Namoff , Spirit of Women coordinator.” Th e two entries that received the (bronze) Award were the Patient Services Handbook and the “It’s A Promise” advertising cam-paign. Th e Aster Awards is a national medical marketing awards program allowing healthcare organizations and advertising agencies to compete against similarly-sized competitors from across the nation.
n Walt Kopacz, president and CEO of Illiana Financial Credit Union, announced Illiana Financial has earned a four-star rating from Bau-erFinancial Inc., the nation’s leading
independent credit union rating and research fi rm. Th e four-star rating is based on the fi nancial condition of the institution and indicates that Illiana Financial Credit Union is one of the strongest credit unions in the country, according to a company press release.
n Th e Suburban Newspaper Associa-tion recently announced the results of their 2008 Local Community Web Site Contest. Th e Daily Journal Web site (www.daily-journal.com) placed second in the Best Site Architecture and Overall Design category. Accord-ing to the judges, the site displays easy-to-navigate, intuitive toolbars, a clean layout, a consistent feel, and is user friendly. Th e site also off ers a variety of multi-media, including video, RSS feeds and user-generated content.
Debra lovell
Provena St. Mary’s Hospital is proud to an-nounce the Nursing Role Model of the Year recipient, Debra Lovell, RN Cath Lab. Debbie displays
excellent professionalism both with the care of her patients and beyond. She is an advocate for her profession, always willing to assist with nursing students to help them succeed. Her versatility as a team player is evident as she has volunteered on her days off
and in the evenings to share her ex-pertise with telemetry and ICU nurses and giving talks regarding cardiac topics. Debbie speaks highly of Prove-na St. Mary’s to her patients; she tells them how much she loves her job – and it shows. Many patients ask for Debbie by name. Th ey remember the outstanding care that they received.
Business
n HCR ManorCare announced it has been placed on Fortune maga-zine’s 2008 list of “America’s Most Admired Companies” for the second year in a row. Th e list and related sto-ries appear in the March 17 issue of Fortune, and are currently available online at www.fortune.com. HCR ManorCare, which owns several fa-cilities, including one in Kankakee, was ranked No. 1 in quality of prod-ucts/services, innovation and people management, among other criteria.
n Nucor Corp. produces more steel in the United States than any other company, according to data published in the May issue of American Metal Market. Th e rankings track which companies produce the most steel in the country. Nucor topped the list with 22 million tons, followed by U.S. Steel with 16.8 million tons. Nucor, which is based in North Carolina, has a plant in Kankakee.
aWarDs n Provena St. Mary’s Hospital an-nounced that two of their marketing
independent credit union rating and research fi rm. Th e four-star rating is based on the fi nancial condition of the institution and indicates that Illiana Financial Credit Union is one of the
KANKAKee coUNty
Continued on page 36
Peotone, 8:30 a.m.Peotone Chamber: 708.258.9450
6/12/2008Dale Carnegie FREE Workshop: “Taking Team Performance up a Notch”Joliet Chamber of Commerce, 8 - 10 a.m.Dale Carnegie: 630.390.6050
6/12/2008Annual Golf OutingBroken Arrow Golf Club, 9 a.m.Homer Chamber: 708.301.8111
6/12/2008Business After HoursFlossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery, 5 - 7 p.m.Chicago Southland Chamber: 708.957.6950
6/16/2008Chamber Dinner MeetingBeecher Community Hall, 6:30 p.m. cocktails, 7 p.m. dinnerBeecher Chamber: 708.946.6803
6/17/2008C & G (Cultivate & Grow Your Business) Tuesday Old Plank Trail Bank, 7:45 - 9 a.m. ($5 - $8 continental breakfast)Mokena Chamber: 708.479.2468
6/17/2008Business AFTER 5At’s-A-Nice Pizza, 5 - 7 p.m. Romeoville Chamber: 815.886.2076
6/18/2008Mokena Chamber Annual Golf OutingSanctuary Golf Course, 9 a.m. - ?
Mokena Chamber: 708.479.2468
6/18/2008Monee Chamber 30th Annual Golf OutingDeer Creek Golf Club, University Park. 9 a.m. registration; 10 a.m. shotgunLee Boswell: 708.534.2769 or 708.421.1786
6/19/2008Annual Golf ClassicLincolnshire Country Club & Lincoln Oaks Golf Course, Crete. 7:30 a.m. registration (regist. deadline 6/13); 9 a.m. shotgunChicago Southland Chamber: 708.957.6950 ext. 118
6/24/2008Business After HoursPrayer Center of Orland Park, 5 - 7 p.m.Homer Chamber: 708.301.8111
6/25/2008Society of Human Resource Manag-ers meetingJJC Business and Technology Center, 8 - 9 a.m. Derek Wright: 815.744.0111
6/26/2008Business After HoursGuardian Angel, 5 - 7 p.m.Joliet Region Chamber: 815.727.5371
6/26/2008Business After HoursWoodland’s Grill & Gathering Place, 5 - 7 p.m.Bolingbrook Chamber: 630.226.8420
6/26/2008Open Networking MeetingCrete Township Hall, 8 a.m.Crete Area Chamber: 708.672.9216
Peotone, 8:30 a.m.Peotone Chamber: 708.258.9450
6/16/2008Chamber Dinner Meeting
Mokena Chamber: 708.479.2468
6/18/2008Monee Chamber 30OutingDeer Creek Golf Club, University
WILL coUNty ContinueD FroM Page 29
ouT & ABouT KANKAKee coUNty
23rd annual Kankakee valley Park Foundation golf outing at the elks Country Club
national City Bank and rhapsody Cove. ackman, Marek, Meyer and Boyd, attorneys.
3rC Mechanical. B2B illinois hosted Kankakee High school students, pictured here with Ken Crite (right).
Can Do Metals of st. anne, il. Holiday inn express.
n Send B2B illinois your press releases, business briefs, event photos (with individual identifi cations), and business-related events. E-mail to [email protected] or fax to 815.935.0192.
B2B illinois DIrect coNNectIoNs
n Centrue Financial Corporation announced that the company’s board of directors approved the payment of an eight percent increase in the quar-terly cash dividend on the company’s common stock. Th e dividend will be increased to $0.14 from $0.13 and marks the 92nd consecutive quarter of dividends paid to stockholders. Th e dividend was paid to stockholders of record on May 16 and was payable on May 30.
n Certifi ed teachers and other quali-fi ed educational workers in the Kanka-kee Community College district are invited to enroll in any KCC course for free. Th e free course program is avail-able to full-time certifi ed staff /faculty, administrators or counselors employed by a kindergarten, elementary or high school within the KCC district li-censed by the state of Illinois. Th e college limits the off er to one class per person, per year and the off er is limited to the fi rst 100 applicants. Participants are responsible for the cost of books and fees where applicable.
n Kentucky Fried Chicken/Taco Bell opened in the Riverstone com-plex near Interstate 57 Exit 308 in south Kankakee in early May. Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Th ursday and 9 a.m. to 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
PeoPle
J. Michael Panuska
J. Michael Panuska, M.D., M.P.H., quali-fi ed recently for re-certif ication as a Medical Review Offi cer (MRO). He is the medical di-rector of Prove-
na St. Mary’s Occupational Health Center and has been a certifi ed MRO since 1997. Th is latest distinction is valid through 2014. Dr. Panuska is board certifi ed in occupational medi-cine and emergency medicine and is a certifi ed member of the American Board of Independent Medical Ex-aminers. Dr. Panuska joined Provena St. Mary’s Occupational Health Cen-ter in 1995. Th e center partners with employers and the workforce to ad-
dress job safety, injury prevention, and medical care. Dr. Panuska and his staff combine their clinical and medi-cal experience to develop customized programs that protect the health and safety of employees while they are on the job.
Jerry alessi
Jerry Alessi was recently has been named vice pres-ident of com-mercial lending at MainSource Bank in Kanka-kee.
Jojo sayson
Physical thera-pist Jojo Sayson, president of Jojo S a y s o n ’ s Flexeon Reha-bilitation of B o u r b on n a i s , was published in the April issue of the scientifi c
journal, “Aviation Space and Envi-ronmental Medicine,” a trade publica-tion for the aerospace medical profes-sion. Th e article, “Pathophysiology of Low Back Pain during Exposure to Microgravity,” was co-authored by Alan Hargens Ph.D., Dept. of Ortho-pedics, University of California, San Diego, and was funded by a grant from NASA. Th e study attempts to explain why astronauts develop back pain in space. Hargens, the former director of the gravitational branch of NASA Ames Research Center, is a scientist for NASA at UCSD; Sayson is a vol-unteer scientist for NASA at UCSD.
John Fitzgerald, Jr.
Volkmann Dia-monds an-nounced the ad-dition of John Fitzgerald, Jr. to its team. Fitzger-ald brings more than 30 years of experience and has received the
industry’s highest degrees of certifi ca-tion – Certifi ed Gemologist Appraiser by the American Gem Society, as well as a diploma from the Gemological Association of Great Britain. He will perform appraisals for Volkmann Dia-
monds by appointment.
n Richard Flessner, of Roberts, re-tired from the Illinois Department of Transportation on April 30, after 33 years of service with the department.
n Mildred Culp, of Crete, whose WorkWise column appears on Fri-days in Th e Daily Journal, will appear in the May issue of Editor & Publish-er’s “Syndicate World.”
anita speckman
Aava Java owner and professional coff ee roaster, Anita Speck-man, and roaster Laura Corbett attended the 20th Annual Confer-ence & Exhibi-tion of the Spe-
cialty Coff ee Association of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota in May. Speckman and Corbett participated in several training labs and classroom courses including Intermediate Level Craft Roasting, Organic Acids & Th e Chemistry of Coff ee, and Appreciat-ing & Marketing Artisan Coff ees to name a few. Aava Java, LLC is a lo-cally-owned retail coff ee shop located i Bourbonnais. Shop hours are Mon.-Sat., 6 a.m.–10 p.m. and Sun., 8 a.m.–10 p.m.
sandy girard
Rosenboom Re-alty has an-nounced the agency’s top pro-ducers for March: Sandy Girard, Mary Murphy, Pam C o r d e s - R e d -ding, Betty
Hofbauer, Leah Henrichs, Berry McCracken, Rhonda Tatom, Diane Witte, Jennifer Bilthuis, Lil Girard and Fran Martin.
Berry McCracken
Roland Rosen-boom Broker/Owner of Rosen-boom Realty re-cently announced the agency’s top producers for April. Berry M c C r a c k e n , Broker, GRI;
Mary Murphy; Pam Cordes-Red-ding, ABR; Rich Hansen, Broker,
ABR; Sandy Girard, Broker; Jenni-fer Bilthuis; Francis Ciaccio; Lil Gi-rard; Mary Lou Knecht, Broker, Gen. Mgr.; and Maria Piacenti, ABR. Th ey are all members of either the Kankakee County Association of Realtors or the Iroquois Ford Associa-tion of Realtors, as well as the Illinois and National Associations, the North-ern MLSNI and the Kankakee Iro-quois Ford Multiple Listing Service.
Frank tripodi
Coldwell Bank-er Residential Brokerage and Mary Jane Clee-land, managing broker is pleased to announce that Frank Tripodi recently received his broker’s li-
cense. Tripodi has been in real estate sales for over 16 years and is a consis-tent top producer. He can be reached by visiting the Coldwell Banker Resi-dential Brokerage offi ce on N. Kinzie in Bradley.
Bob eklund
Hoekstra Trans-portation named Bob Eklund as March driver of the month. “Bob was selected not only for his out-standing service, professional de-meanor and safe-
ty record, but also for his performance in achieving the highest MPG in the fl eet,” according to a company press release. Th e designation is Eklund’s second honor since he joined the com-pany in January 2007.
Mac McCurry
H o e k s t r a Transportation announced the addition of Mac McCurry to their staff as the recruiter and driver relations manager. He will be responsible
for the overall activities related to trac-tor fulfi llment and driver satisfaction. McCurry previously worked in law enforcement, where he was in charge of recruiting, training and employee recognition, according to Hoekstra.
n Jim Owens, chairman and CEO of
Centrue Financial Corporationannounced that the company’s board
dress job safety, injury prevention, and medical care. Dr. Panuska and his
monds by appointment.
ntired from the Illinois Department of Transportation on April 30, after 33
KANKAKee coUNty ContinueD FroM Page 34
B2B illinois DIrect coNNectIoNs
Caterpillar Inc., was a featured par-ticipant in the 2008 National Summit on American Competitiveness. Th e event was held May 22 at Chicago’s Fairmont Hotel.
n Esther Huff man, of Bourbonnais, and Cathy Hamende, of Bonfi eld, recently graduated from American Bodywork Institute.
Marilyn roy
Speckman Re-alty, GMAC announced their top producers for the month of April: Marilyn Roy, ABR, GRI, SRMM; Aman-da Armer-Irps; Lori Naese,
QSC, SRMM; Connie Cappel, GRI, SRMM; Keith Lewis, GRI; Monna Ulfers, BKR; Donna Giacchino, BKR, GRI, QSC, SRMM; Linda Krause, BKR, GRI, SRMM; Lisa Sanford, ABR, BKR, CRS, GRI, SRMM; and David Gross.
elisabeth Dunbar
S p e c k m a n Realty, Inc. G M A C welcomes new agent, Elisabeth Dunbar, to the B o u r b o n n a i s offi ce.
Connie legris
Th e National Association of Realtors hon-ored Connie Legris, executive offi cer of the Kankakee Coun-ty Association of Realtors, with the Realtor As-
sociation Certifi ed Executive (RCE) designation, which recognized excep-tional eff orts made by Realtor associa-tion executives. Prior to becoming a candidate for the RCE designation, applicants must document their asso-ciation management and academic ex-periences. Th e must also demonstrate knowledge of areas critical to Realtor association management, including association law, governance and issues
related to member services. Recertifi -cation is required every four years.
susan Fisher andre Wallace
Coldwell Banker Residential Bro-kerage announced is top producers for March and April. In March, with 10 units and over $1,200,000 in volume, Susan Fisher was tops in both units and volume. A member of two multi-ple listing services, Fisher has been in real estate for 19 years and is a consis-tent multi-million dollar producer. Andre Wallace was top listing agent for the month with nine units. Other top producers during the period in-cluded Cindy Schimmel, Alisha Clark, Frank Tripodi, Michelle Roth, Anne LaMontagne, Jerry Kern, Diane Brannock, Heather Hinderman and Nettie Williams. For the month of April, Susan Fisher was top listing and sales agent. Other top producers during April included: Marlena Th arnish, Michelle Roth, Sarah Powers, Jerry Kern, Frank Tripodi, Cindy Schimmel, Randy McCurry, Tonya Woods and Sandy Lackey.
Debra Foulks
Bennett Homes announced its top producers for the month of April 2008 in their residential division. Debra Foulks was the top agent for the month with over
$1.75 million in total transactions. John Tamblyn was the top listing agent for the month with over $1.7 million. Tina Franklin reached a to-tal of $1.6 million in total transac-tions; Michelle Arseneau, Andy Czako and Susan Schreffl er each followed close behind. All six agents are members of the Kankakee County Association of Realtors, the National Association of Realtors and the Illi-nois Association of Realtors.
events
6/5/2008Dale Carnegie FREE Workshop: “Taking Team Performance up a Notch”Olivet Nazarene University, Weber Leadership Ctr, 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. Dale Carnegie: 630.390.6050
6/6/2008First Friday Focus Group on BBRCC membershipBBRCC Offi ce, 8 - 9 a.m.Bradley-Bourbonnais Regional Chamber: 815.932.2222
6/10/2008BBRCC Envoy MeetingNew volunteers welcome.BBRCC Offi ce, 12 p.m.Bradley-Bourbonnais Regional Chamber: 815.932.2222
6/10/2008BBRCC Governmental Aff airs Committee MeetingCall if interested in serving on this committee. BBRCC Offi ce, 2 p.m.Bradley-Bourbonnais Regional Chamber: 815.932.2222
6/11/2008BBRCC Member’s Orientation
New and existing members welcome. BBRCC Offi ce, 8 - 9 a.m. or 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.Bradley-Bourbonnais Regional Chamber: 815.932.2222
6/14 & 6/15/08Homes on Parade Home Builder’s Association of Kankakee: 815.482.4131
6/14 & 6/15/08Relay for Life Bishop McNamara High School, 2 - 8 p.m.American Cancer Society: 708.633.7770
6/19/2008Chamber Fun Day “Hawaiian” Golf EventBon Vivant Country Club. Golf Scramble begins at noon.KRCC: 815.933.7721
6/21 & 6/22/08Homes on Parade Home Builder’s Association of Kankakee: 815.482.4131
6/24/2008Business After HoursFriendship Festival Beer Garden, 5 - 7 p.m.BBRCC: 815.932.2222
Caterpillar Inc., was a featured par-ticipant in the 2008 National Summit
related to member services. Recertifi -cation is required every four years.
6/5/2008Dale Carnegie FREE Workshop: “Taking Team Performance up a
KANKAKee coUNty ContinueD
COOK COUNTYCOOK COUNTY
COOK COUNTY
n Th e District 230 School Board ap-proved the hiring of Michael Mur-phy as Head Dean at Andrew High School beginning July 1, 2008. Mur-phy will take on this new role as cur-rent Head Dean Tom Lahey retires after 16 years in the position. Murphy earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Illinois State University, a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Loyola University and is a licensed so-cial worker.
events
6/5/2008Strain/Sprain Presentation / Over-view of OSHA Interpretation re: Musculoskeletal DisordersHoliday Inn & Convention Ctr. (Tinley Park), 12 noon - 1:45 p.m. 866.369.9182
6/9/20082nd Annual Charity Golf Outing Idlewild Country Club, Flossmoor 10:30 a.m. check-in; 5:30 dinnerKeller Williams Realty: 708.798.1111
6/12/2008Smart Women Smart Money Conference: Recession-Proof Your Finances Holiday Inn & Convention Ctr. (Matteson), 8:45 a.m. - 1 p.m. Barbara Chalko: 312.814.4338 or [email protected]
6/11 - 6/13/2008Empowering Women in Business Seminar SeriesDowners Grove, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (registration req'd.)Dale Carnegie: [email protected] or 630.390.6050
B2B illinois Direct Connections contains original content and information compiled from various news outlets including: Associated Press, e-mails, area chambers of commerce, Web sites, The Daily Journal and numerous other publications.
innovative Management Solutions
Continued from page 8
Around the CountyContinued from page 5
serve approximately 1 million individu-als annually with programs addressing the needs of low-income citizens. Typically, CSBG funds are being used for the follow-ing types of programs: n Education—A broad spectrum of edu-
cational assistance is provided through the CSBG program. Specific examples include: workplace orientation, voca-tional skills training, family planning education, cultural opportunities for dis-advantaged children, energy conserva-tion education, post-secondary education scholarships, GED assistance for high school dropouts, adult and youth literacy training, and nutrition education for sin-gle parents and the elderly.
n Employment—The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity places a high CSBG priority on job-cre-ating economic development programs which result in the employment and self-sufficiency of low-income persons. Each CAA designs and operates an individu-alized economic development program. Ten percent of each CAA’s annual CSBG funding is allocated for economic devel-opment/job creation activities. Most CAAs operate a loan program through which below-market-rate loans are made for business expansion and start-up which results in the hiring of low-income persons.
n Emergency Services—Most CAAs maintain clothes closets and food pan-tries, many of them in conjunction with other community groups and lo-cal churches. Some agencies provide re-deemable vouchers or grants to clients that enable them to meet immediate and urgent family needs such as health ser-vices, nutritious food, housing, employ-ment-related assistance, daycare, medical services and transportation.
n Health—CAAs provide many health-related activities including transporta-tion to medical services, medical and dental screening, immunizations, drug and alcohol prevention and treatment assistance, medication/prescriptions and other related services.
n Housing—The primary housing activities include aid to renters seeking a residence, landlord/tenant rights education and ar-bitration, information about purchasing/financing a home, packaging housing and housing rehabilitation loans, and provid-ing for minor energy efficiency or health- and safety-related home repair.
n Income Management—Many CAAs offer programs to encourage better use of available income. A majority of this as-sistance is in the form of family budget counseling. Information also is provided
includes top management. Their projects are usually (and rightly so) much farther reaching (strategic) in nature. This means that up front planning becomes critical for minimizing waste. (See diagram on page 8 for cost analysis.)
Another reason for planning at the man-agement level is to model the behaviors and skills that you expect in your staff. If an employee poorly plans a project and wastes time and money, there are usually conse-quences. Make sure everyone is held to the same standards.
Celebrate SuccessesIt is very important to continually cel-
ebrate successes, show results, and build a great “cause” within the organization. It may sound simple, but so many organiza-tions fall short in this area. Whether you
through workshops or brochures on such topics as financial management, credit, income taxes and social security.
n Linkages—CSBG funding regularly supports extensive outreach, information and referral services.
n Nutrition – CSBG funding is a primary resource for leveraging and providing nutritional assistance. Typical programs include: federal surplus food distribution, community gardening projects, food banks, senior citizen and youth feeding projects, Christmas food packages and as-sistance in accessing food stamps, WIC, summer feed programs for children, and other nutrition-related programs.
n Self-Sufficiency—Most CAAs provide for comprehensive family case manage-ment programs that promote, empower and nurture family members toward self-sufficiency.
n Coordination of Services—CAAs part-ner with local governments, community based organizations and the private sec-tor to provide critical human services. This coordination is enhanced by the CAA’s unique board structure.
Who is Eligible?Client eligibility for the Illinois Commu-
nity Services Block Grant program is based on a “poverty” income threshold that is es-tablished and annually adjusted (for changes in the Consumer Price Index) by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to the poverty income eligibility, citizens whose income is within 125 percent of the poverty threshold are de-termined to be “low-income” and are also eligible for CSBG services. Illinois’ CSBG regulations also make provision for CSBG services to citizens above these income lev-els who are victims of natural or man-made disasters which cause swift and temporary poverty. Information on CSBG eligibility provisions can be obtained by calling your local CAA:
Kankakee County:Kankakee County Community Services, Inc.657 E. Court, Suite 207Kankakee, Illinois 60901-4055Telephone: 815.933.7883Hours of Operation: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Will County:Will County Center for Community Con-cerns304 North Scott StreetJoliet, Illinois 60432-4035Telephone: 815.722.0722Hours of Operation: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Iroquois County:East Central Illinois Community Action Agency56 North Vermilion
Danville, Illinois 61834-1335Telephone: 217.443.2705Hours of Operation: 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Southern Cook County:Community & Economic Development Association of Cook Co., Inc.208 South LaSalle Street, Suite 1900Chicago, Illinois 60604-1001Telephone: 312.795.8844Hours of Operation: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
For further information on community de-velopment programs please contact:Bureau of Community Development620 E. Adams, CIPS 3 Springfield, IL 62701 Phone: 217.785.6174 TDD: 800.785.6055
I would also like to take this opportunity for anyone interested in the Opportunity Returns program or seeking business as-sistance to contact me at 312.636.0739 or email me direct at [email protected].
Until next month, see you around the county…
Edward Piatt is NE senior account manager for the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, covering Kankakee, Grundy and
southern Cook counties.
Iroquois County: Paul Faraci, east-central manager 217.278.5851E-mail: [email protected]
Will County: Beth May, NE senior account manager 815.721.3543E-mail: [email protected]
feel the need to celebrate the small successes or not, somebody in your organization will have worked hard to complete a project. Many times this work is above and beyond their regular job duties. Therefore, by not expressing your gratitude and celebrating the success, you run the risk of making peo-ple feel that their work has gone unnoticed, unappreciated and was expected.
Nothing will diminish future efforts fast-er than a feeling of being underappreciated.
So what to do, specifically? Plan your communication strategy. Don’t leave it to happenstance, or it will look last-minute, insincere and forced to your staff. Know what means the most to the people and plan your communication efforts accordingly.
Another thing to make sure you do is to recognize people for their contributions re-gardless of their position. I’ve seen organi-zations where the supervisors and managers were not allowed to be recognized for their good ideas. “It’s their job to think of these ideas,” was the rationale. When speaking to the supervisors and managers in this envi-ronment, they felt slighted. In some cases they withheld good ideas from management out of spite. Not a good scenario for any or-ganization.
Last Thoughts When building momentum for lean in
your organization, accept and plan for hav-ing a different momentum in each area or department. Allow for these differences, for they represent the varied dynamics of your organization. If you try to control or stifle a faster-paced department, you are defeating the purpose of employee-based improve-ment initiatives. However, if you have areas or departments that are slow to embracing the lean principles, push them, guide them and nurture them into action.
Long-term momentum comes when ev-ery area is involved and contributing to the proactive improvement of the organization.
Finally, be conscious of how improve-ment projects compete for time with your employees’ other tasks and responsibilities. Any momentum you’ve built can be slowed down or stopped completely if employees are involved in too many projects at once—taking them away from their “normal” job. It is a balancing act in many cases. Finding the balance and not overwhelming employ-ees is very important.
Next month I will finish this lean series by touching on some ways to avoid imple-mentation failures. Until next month!
Patrick Seaton, Innovative Management Tools LLC.
the CenterPoint for entrepreneurs sponsors
Veterans’ Entrepreneurial Boot Camp
More than 75 U.S. military service mem-bers, as well as veterans’ family members joined U.S. Small Business Administration Regional Director Patrick Rea at Governors State University for the Veterans’ Entrepre-neurial Boot Camp in May.
Rea was the keynote speaker at the event hosted by The CenterPoint for Entrepre-neurs at GSU. Of the nation’s 24 million veterans, more than three million are cur-rently small business owners. The steadily growing number of veteran business own-ers, coupled with The CenterPoint’s mission to provide business services to the region, led to the inception of the targeted event.
Rea, also a Brig-adier General in the Army Reserve, discussed why vet-erans make excel-lent entrepreneurs. “Men and women who have served in the military are naturally risk-takers and also have an ex-ceptional concept of service. Both charac-teristics are integral to business success.”
In addition to larger group sessions, the Boot Camp featured breakout sessions on specific topics including business financ-ing, writing a business plan, and business operations. Attendees also took part in one-
on-one counseling with The CenterPoint’s business analysts.
“These sessions have helped to set off a light bulb in my head,” said Sherrie Wirth of Bradley, Illinois. Wirth, who lost a son to the war in Iraq, has a business proposal in progress and received additional guidance at the boot camp. She is planning to open a business that assists returning war veterans with transitional services, including coun-seling and transportation.
Wirth, like many other attendees, is a relative of a service member. In plan-ning the boot camp, The CenterPoint realized the need to not only provide specific information to veterans, but also to those whose lives have been touched by men and women who have served in the military.
Navy Veteran Steve Gillespie of Chicago Heights
served in Desert Storm. While his earlier small business ventures didn’t work out as planned, Gillespie is determined to become a small business success story, noting that he learns something new each step of the way. “Starting a business is a leap of faith,” he said. “It takes passion to be an entrepre-neur, and I’ve got plenty of that.”
from press release
How’s BusinessContinued from page 18
Do we have a generous standard of pay, and insist on excellence?
Do we hire too quickly and fire too late? Is our company history—and its future—
fully communicated and understood by ev-eryone?
How is our leadership viewed by others? Are they “connected” to the team in ways that are sincere, genuine and authentic? (For more on how to achieve authenticity, see my book, “Reality Sells.”)
How do our team members “feel” about their jobs? Are they made to feel part of the team’s success with their individual contri-butions?
Do we encourage volunteerism and com-munity service?
Creating a positive culture in any orga-nization is long, tedious work. But it’s not impossible. Start small and take a step each
day toward building the culture you want to create. Every step—however small—is a positive in the long run.
If you’d like a nudge in the right direc-tion, I’d like to send you my free report, “15 Ways to Be More Authentic in Your Busi-ness.” Just send me an e-mail at [email protected] and put the words 15 WAYS in the subject line. I’ll send it right out to you.
Bill Guertin is an in-demand speaker, author, and chief enthusiasm officer (CEO) of The 800-Pound Gorilla, helping companies develop leaders in sales performance,
service excellence and creative marketing techniques. He is the co-author of “Reality Sells: How To Bring Customers Back Again and Again By Marketing Your Genuine Story.” Bill travels to deliver many work-shops, seminars, retreats and keynote presentations each year.
Keynote speaker Patrick rea ad-dresses attendees at the Center-Point’s veterans’ entrepreneurial Boot Camp.
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