biz magazine sept. 2014

CarnivoresRejoice!Longwood General Store IsA Quirky, Fun Outing ForSteak Lovers

September 2014

DELIVERED TO BUSINESS LEADERS THROUGHOUT SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER

APPof the

MONTHPage 8

SweetSuccessPop UP Program OpensNew Markets to Entrepreneurs

Preparing to WinDealing with Changing Markets

BIZ. ToolsBooks, Podcasts, Apps & More

2 Biz. Magazine • September 2014

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The First Word

September 2014 • Biz. Magazine 3

Be forewarned: I’m about to discuss soccer. But stick around, because I will tie it back tothe business world. Let’s look at this summer’s 2014 World Cup. The U.S. Men’s Na-tional Team competed in the world’s most watched sporting event held every fouryears. They were arguably in the toughest group and were given very little chance toadvance in the tournament. It was kind of a big deal. Let’s rewind to early June whenthey played their opening game against Ghana, their recent arch nemesis at the World

Cup. Twitter blew up. Posts filled Facebook feeds. Jerseys were available at stores that hadn’tcarried one single item of soccer paraphernalia before. Why? Because it was an OpportunityBubble (remember that phrase, you heard it here first).

An opportunity bubble is the chance to capitalize — monetarily, awareness-wise, or throughservice — on a short-term event. That’s what we saw with major media, sponsors, and fansthroughout the World Cup. The majority of Americans don’t care about soccer. But when theUSMNT plays every four years, passions ignite. It’s a chance for everyone, from ESPN and Nikedown to a small town sports store, to make some money.

But, that chance only exists for as long as America is playing and winning. If America loses thatdramatic first game against Ghana, all the hype, attention, and merchandise has been fornaught. The bubble bursts very quickly. Those stores that bought dozens of shirts, caps, jerseys,etc. have taken a big hit. It’s definitely a high risk-reward scenario.

So you have to find an opportunity bubble and be set up to take advantage of it. But you needto be prepared for that bubble to burst early. There’s an inherent risk in seeking to gain any-thing from an opportunity bubble and you have to assume that risk. Once you get what youneed and get out before the bubble pops, you have to be looking ahead to try and spot thenext bubble.

In this month’s issue of BIZ., we’ll discuss people and businesses who have found longer termopportunities that attracted new audiences. These may be through an opportunity bubble typeof situation or through a shift in the market. The thing about an opportunity bubble is it getsyour brain working and makes you less adverse to change. So even if you can only take advan-tage of a business venture for a month, if you found value in it, you’ll be more apt to give an-other one a shot or see that you need to completely change your business model altogether.

In changing markets, a lot of change is forced. It can be sudden and violent, or long and slowwhere a blind eye catches up to you. But when that shift takes place, you’ll definitely have to

change and find a new way to do business/seek a new au-dience, or you’ll become extinct.

Nobody likes change and nobody certainly likes bearingthe brunt of risk. But sometimes the pros outweigh thecons and you have to make that leap.

Let us show you les-sons learned andhow to minimizethat risk. Or atleast limit somesleepless nightsover it.

Can You Recognize an‘Opportunity Bubble?’Businesses can capitalize onspecial circumstances and shifts

Sean GreenSean is vice president/publisher ofBIZ. You can follow him on twitter@editorsean.


Contents

Volume 5, Number 6 | ©Copyright 2013 by Specht Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved. BIZ. is published each month by Specht Newspapers, Inc.at 4250 Viking Drive, Bossier City, LA 71111. Telephone (318) 747-7900. Information in this publication is gathered from sources considered to bereliable, but the accuracy and completeness of the information cannot be guaranteed.

20Entertainment Season Has ArrivedFall brings entertainment offerings to Bossier City venues

14Living the Ice Cream DreamPop UP gives new business, others a chance toreach wider audience

17Spotlight: Knowing Your MarketVita Riner highlights the Hispanic market through magazine, radio station

3 Can You Recognize an

‘Opportunity Bubble?’Businesses can capitalize onspecial circumstances and shifts

5 Prepared to WinChange is inevitable; How you deal with it makes the difference

6 Solid GroundA good action plan is key to handling a changing market

11 You Need A CoachIn a changing market, a business coach can offer encouragment, guidance

13 Opening up to New MarketsHere are three ways to market your product or service in this changing world

23 Carnivores RejoiceLongwood General Store Is A Quirky, Fun OutingFor Steak Lovers

Regulars

On the CoverThe latest round of downrtown Pop UPS in-cludes a entrepreneur couple who are livingtheir “Ice Cream Dream”

BIZ. News OnlineThe BIZ. website at www.nwlabusiness.com is Shreveport-Bossier’shome for business news, updated as it happens. In addition, users cansign up for a free BIZ. Daily Report to keep up with BIZ. news from thecomfort of their Inbox.

Want to advertise? http://bizmagsb.com/adrates/

4 Biz. Magazine • September 2014September 2014 • Biz. Magazine 5

Win-Win Powertools

New BIZ Publisher, Sean Green, sentme the BIZ Topic for September (NewAudiences and Changing Markets)and all I could think of was Doris.Doris is one of my fond memoriesfrom the time when I traveled across

the country speaking to groups about Win-ning.

By now, you have seen that Win-Win is our(wife, Andrea and I) company name. It is bor-rowed from the Steven Covey book….”The 7Habits of Highly Effective People®”. I highlyrecommend The Seven Habits of EffectivePeople ®to everyone. It had major positiveeffects on my personal and professional life.

I met Doris in Virginia. During all of my

speeches and seminars, I talk about “Win-ning”. I ask three questions that I hope willstimulate thinking. “Do you like to win?” “Doyou want to win?” and “Do you play to win?”There is a big difference. We all “like” to win,but do we want it badly enough to go outthere and “play” to win? Interesting questionsfor your staff and when you are interviewingprospective employees.

Now back to Doris and today’s BIZ topic ofNew Audiences and Changing Markets. Due totraffic that morning in Virginia, Doris arrived toour meeting just as I finished asking the win-ning questions. To have a little fun, I greetedDoris and brought her up to the front of theroom. I discovered Doris had a sense of humor

when she bolted to my side. Before I knew it,she had wrestled the microphone from myhand and she was telling the audience allabout her business. We all immediately lovedDoris’ passion and enthusiasm. She seized theopportunity to prospect and network theroom. She literally won the room!

When she finished talking about her businessand her goals, I asked her the winning ques-tions I had previously ask the audience. Dorissilenced the audience with her reply….. “I en-vision that I have already won!”

As the business world in the market place ischanging, are you ready? Are you envisioningthe big opportunities and the big win?Are you ready?

Good Selling!Jerry

Jerry FrentressSpeaker & Coach, Win-Win Power(ful)Tools for Sales, Service and EmployeeInterviewing. Website: www.WinWin-PowerTools.com.

Business Facebook:www.Facebook.com/WinWinPower-Tools . 453-6080 / Bossier City

Prepared to WinChange is inevitable; How youdeal with it makes the difference


Randy BrownAdvertising/Marketing Guru

He is the Advertising Director forBossier Newspaper Publishing Com-pany, Inc., publishers of the BossierPress-Tribune and BIZ. Magazine, aswell as Publisher of the BPT. Randymay be reached at [email protected]

Marketing B-S (Bossier-Shreveport)

Recently, I made a fly fishing trip to Col-orado. On our first full day there, it wastime to wet a hook. Never having flyfished before, I was no where near expe-rienced enough to wade out in to unsta-ble waters. However, I did just that. I

quickly realized that I was in serious trouble.

In going after the perfect fishing spot, I wadedout into a swift current and got carried down-stream. I was scared. Without my legs under-neath me, I had very little control over thesituation. After being pulled out by my fishingpartner using the tip of his fly rod, I sat on thebank of the mountain stream and begin to think.

Of course my first thought was to thank God forkeeping me safe. Then, I started to think of howoften in our business lives we get into various

situations without having our feet firmly on theground. Yes, risks are an ever present factor inthe business world. We often times have to stepout into the current and take risks. However, havewe properly assessed the risk(s) that we are tak-ing? What is your risk assessment process?

Though I have been there many times, I don’t likelooking or feeling stupid. Once in the middle ofthe stream with the current rushing against me, Itook the next step without having my feet firmlyunderneath me. Thus, I felt pretty stupid. Nomove or step forward is totally guaranteed. How-ever, I should have made sure that I was standingon solid ground before taking the next step.

In short, this made me think about business plan-ning. We should all have a proper plan of actionbefore we embark upon a new business activity.

Base your plan on your past experience(s) andalso on where you are trying to go.....your finaldestination. A good plan of action will help to in-sure that your feet are firmly planted. It will giveyou more control over the possible situations,roadblocks and obstacles that are certain toarise. Thus, a good action plan will bethe cornerstone of your future suc-cess and will also help you tostand on solid ground.

Solid GroundA good action plan is key to handling a changing market


Recently, I made a fly fishing trip to Col-orado. On our first full day there, it wastime to wet a hook. Never having flyfished before, I was no where near expe-rienced enough to wade out in to unsta-ble waters. However, I did just that. I

quickly realized that I was in serious trouble.

In going after the perfect fishing spot, I wadedout into a swift current and got carried down-stream. I was scared. Without my legs under-neath me, I had very little control over thesituation. After being pulled out by my fishingpartner using the tip of his fly rod, I sat on thebank of the mountain stream and begin to think.

Of course my first thought was to thank God forkeeping me safe. Then, I started to think of howoften in our business lives we get into various

situations without having our feet firmly on theground. Yes, risks are an ever present factor inthe business world. We often times have to stepout into the current and take risks. However, havewe properly assessed the risk(s) that we are tak-ing? What is your risk assessment process?

Though I have been there many times, I don’t likelooking or feeling stupid. Once in the middle ofthe stream with the current rushing against me, Itook the next step without having my feet firmlyunderneath me. Thus, I felt pretty stupid. Nomove or step forward is totally guaranteed. How-ever, I should have made sure that I was standingon solid ground before taking the next step.

In short, this made me think about business plan-ning. We should all have a proper plan of actionbefore we embark upon a new business activity.

Base your plan on your past experience(s) andalso on where you are trying to go.....your finaldestination. A good plan of action will help to in-sure that your feet are firmly planted. It will giveyou more control over the possible situations,roadblocks and obstacles that are certain toarise. Thus, a good action plan will bethe cornerstone of your future suc-cess and will also help you tostand on solid ground.

Biz ToolsDo Something

The speed of business is ever increasing. The successful business leaderstays on top of the tools and information to help his company grow.

App of the Month

Google ChromeGoogle Chrome is a practical alternative to onboard browsers such as Safariand Internet Explorer. It seemlessly integrates with GMail and other GoogleApps.

Chrome is also available as an iOS App, making it a great browser for mobileuse. It even keeps settings, passwords, etc between devices.

Book of the Month

Ten years after the worldwide bestseller Good to Great, JimCollins returns withanother groundbreaking work, this timeto ask: why do some companies thrive inuncertainty, evenchaos, and others do not? Based on nine years of re-search,buttressed by rigorous analysis and infused withengaging stories, Collins andhis colleague Morten Hansen

enumerate the principles for building a truly greatenterprise inunpredictable, tumultuous and fast-moving times. This book is-classic Collins: contrarian, data-driven and uplifting.

— Amazon.com

Come See BIZ. Live!Friday Mornings @ CoHab


More Tools

Podcast of the MonthAsk Pat

I’m Pat Flynn, a regular guy who happens to be a successful on-line entrepreneur. You may know me from my other podcast,Smart Passive Income, which is consistently ranked as a #1business podcast. I love hearing from my fans, and boy do theylove sending me questions :) That’s why I’ve started the AskPatpodcast. AskPat is a brand new, DAILY podcast. Each episodefeatures an actual question submitted from someone like you! Iwon't be able to answer everyone's question, but I'll do my bestto get through as many of them as I can. Now, plug in thoseheadphones because it’s time to learn together about onlinebusiness, entrepreneurship, internet marketing, audience build-ing, passive income, blogging, list building, virtual assistants,startups, search engine optimization, email marketing and somuch more.

— Pat Flynn, via. Stitcher Radio

On the BIZ. Tools Podcast

This Month:BIZ Q&A

Last MonthBeating the Competition

It’s the Little Things

Listen to the BIZ. Tools Podcast at:boztoolspodcast.com

#WorthFollowing

@editorsean@davidaspecht

@bizmagsb@cohab

@Entreleadership

8 Biz. Magazine • September 2014 September 2014 • Biz. Magazine 9


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Put us to work for you.


Are you considering a change in your business? Different target clients?Different products? Are you trying to break through to bigger results?When you want to change something in your existing business, considerthe help and support of a successful coach who has walked that road be-fore you.

Making big changes and having that business break-through sometimes means alittle break-down first! You’ll be facing down the border patrol in your head that isscreaming, “Stop! Don’t go there. Stay right here inside the comfort zone,” yet yougo there anyway. You may have a little fear of failing or you may have a little fearof the unknown, but lace up anyway and crash through the border.

A business coach will guide you in the right steps to take and then hold you ac-countable to making the changes required in your business. They can see the for-est through the trees for you. Let’s say you have a new set of products to offer or anew market you are trying to break into. Together you can create a simple market-ing plan with dates and to-do’s and then, “Get after it!” Take time every single dayto work those steps. It might be making phone calls for 15 minutes every day or

connecting with your new audience in a newlocation, whether that’s online or face to face.Your coach is there to support you and kickyou in the rear. Action = results.

There are a zillion business coaches (all verydifferent) and it behooves you to find theright match for your situation. Some coacheshave a canned curriculum, some are very freeform and a lot are a mixture of both. In thelast 6 years I’ve had 7 different coaches andgotten something different from each one. In-terestingly, none of mine were local, so all ofmine have been phone coaching. They havebeen instrumental in my growth, changes andsuccess.

The one thing my coaches had in common isthat they were farther up the ladder than Iwas. They are able to assess your current posi-tion and create a plan to get you to whereyou’re headed. And they require you to con-stantly work outside your comfort zone. Now,that knee-knocking, teeth-chattering feelingmany not completely go away, but you learnto ignore those voices in your headand just do it anyway.

Uncommon Sense Marketing

You NeedA Coach

Amy KinnairdMarketing StrategistTrainer and Speaker

With over 35 years experience in mar-keting and training, Amy helps busi-ness owners put together the rightplan. If you struggle with your market-ing and don’t know where to start…If what you used to do for marketingisn’t working anymore…If it’s time toget clear about your business andcome up with a good plan…call Amy at318-795-0520 or visit her website:www.UnCommonSenseMarketing.com

In a changing market, a business coachcan offer encouragment, guidance

In order to get our nation back to work, wehave to be able to get to work. Louisiana hasover three million registered drivers, travelingregularly on over 125,000 miles of road, ac-cording to census data from the Federal High-way Commission. In total, the United States

has over 4 million miles of roadway. Our eco-nomic prosperity, as a state and a nation, reliesstrongly on the infrastructure created by theseinterconnected, paved thoroughfares.

Our nation’s roads, and over 600,000 attachedbridges, are repaired and maintained from fund-ing collected in the Highway Trust Fund. TheTrust, while solvent for the remainder of 2014, isprojected to have a $15 billion shortfall nextyear, and will require over $100 billion in newrevenues to remain solvent through 2020, if thecurrent spending levels are maintained.Funding cuts are not likely, as adequate road-ways provide an essential infrastructure uponwhich the nation’s economy functions.

The Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commercehas been aware of this shortfall and has advo-cated to congress that we must find alternative

sources of revenue in order to keep the TrustFund stable. The issue of funding is one mostlegislators agree must be addressed, howeverdebate still remains on how to pay for the short-falls.

This is why Thomas J. Donohue, President andCEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is askinglawmakers for a simple fix; raise the gas tax. TheUS Chamber is asking for a modest, phased-in in-crease, to the gas tax, which accounts for infla-tion levels. The tax has not been raised in nearlytwo decades, and with more fuel efficient cars onthe streets, and with Americans driving fewermiles in recent years, the current tax level pro-duces an untenably low revenue source for thetrust.

The US Chamber has already gained the supportof major labor industries such as trucking andshipping, and hopes individual motorists willalso support the initiative, if they can be con-vinced the funding will go only to the most es-sential products.

In addition, the US Chamber hopes to leverage

public-private partnerships and private invest-ment of global capital, in order to offset somethe cost. The US Chamber hopes any funding in-crease accompanies efforts to create greaterspending transparency, as well as badly neededreforms to regulatory and permitting processes.

A permanent funding solution will provide amore infrastructural certainty to businesses andstate institutions, as well as any organizationswhich rely upon our nation’s roads, bridges andhighways.

A long-term revenue solution is essential, andCongress must act before the year’s end. Theconsequences for inaction would be detrimentalto our ongoing economic recovery and continuedgrowth.

The Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commercejoins with the U.S. Chamber in urging congress toseek long-term solutions to preserve and ad-vance our transportation infrastructure.


Business DevelopmentFrom the Shreveport Chamber

Michael DoughtyMichael G. Doughty is vice president ofMembership Development and Mar-keting for the Greater ShreveportChamber of Commerce.

Roads Are Key to Economic Growth

In order to get our nation back to work, wehave to be able to get to work. Louisiana hasover three million registered drivers, travelingregularly on over 125,000 miles of road, ac-cording to census data from the Federal High-way Commission. In total, the United States

has over 4 million miles of roadway. Our eco-nomic prosperity, as a state and a nation, reliesstrongly on the infrastructure created by theseinterconnected, paved thoroughfares.

Our nation’s roads, and over 600,000 attachedbridges, are repaired and maintained from fund-ing collected in the Highway Trust Fund. TheTrust, while solvent for the remainder of 2014, isprojected to have a $15 billion shortfall nextyear, and will require over $100 billion in newrevenues to remain solvent through 2020, if thecurrent spending levels are maintained.Funding cuts are not likely, as adequate road-ways provide an essential infrastructure uponwhich the nation’s economy functions.

The Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commercehas been aware of this shortfall and has advo-cated to congress that we must find alternative

sources of revenue in order to keep the TrustFund stable. The issue of funding is one mostlegislators agree must be addressed, howeverdebate still remains on how to pay for the short-falls.

This is why Thomas J. Donohue, President andCEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is askinglawmakers for a simple fix; raise the gas tax. TheUS Chamber is asking for a modest, phased-in in-crease, to the gas tax, which accounts for infla-tion levels. The tax has not been raised in nearlytwo decades, and with more fuel efficient cars onthe streets, and with Americans driving fewermiles in recent years, the current tax level pro-duces an untenably low revenue source for thetrust.

The US Chamber has already gained the supportof major labor industries such as trucking andshipping, and hopes individual motorists willalso support the initiative, if they can be con-vinced the funding will go only to the most es-sential products.

In addition, the US Chamber hopes to leverage

public-private partnerships and private invest-ment of global capital, in order to offset somethe cost. The US Chamber hopes any funding in-crease accompanies efforts to create greaterspending transparency, as well as badly neededreforms to regulatory and permitting processes.

A permanent funding solution will provide amore infrastructural certainty to businesses andstate institutions, as well as any organizationswhich rely upon our nation’s roads, bridges andhighways.

A long-term revenue solution is essential, andCongress must act before the year’s end. Theconsequences for inaction would be detrimentalto our ongoing economic recovery and continuedgrowth.

The Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commercejoins with the U.S. Chamber in urging congress toseek long-term solutions to preserve and ad-vance our transportation infrastructure.


Finding a new market for your service can be incredibly challenging. Here are three direc-tions that may help you branch out. Facebook ads have a couple new features. One wayto start is with a list of current customer emails. Put the list into a Comma-SeparatedValues (.csv) file and you can load that file to your company’s Facebook profile. Ask Face-book to invite all your contacts to ‘like’ your company page. Then, use that list to targetyour Facebook ads. You can target all sorts of demographics, or target your current fans

and their friends, but now you can target “Lookalike Audiences” as well.

If you choose to target a lookalike audience, Facebook will use its algorithms to find peoplewho share characteristics with your current core audience, and your ads will show up in thefeeds of Facebook users who have the same demographics and behaviors as the people whoalready like your company.

The other new feature has to do with the Facebook phone app. Admins now have much morecontrol over their company’s Facebook ads via the app, whereas before the ad controls neededto be accessed through the desktop interface.

Don’t forget about the government! Government agencies need everything a regular businessneeds, and more. Our community has a wonderful Government Procurement Center (318-677-

2530 or nwlagpc.org) in the Greater Shreveport Chamberof Commerce. The staff there makes sorting out the redtape for preparing to do business with the government aspainless as possible. And it’s a free service!

Finally, get out of the office! Going to an event for an in-dustry that you think is completely unrelated to your busi-ness is a great way to find a new market. If you aren’talready planning on going to the upcoming DigiFest eventsin Bossier City this month (digifestsouth.com), start withthe DigiTalks on Tuesday, September 16, at 11:30am inMargaritaville’s Paradise Theater. Janine Jordan of the Digi-tal Music Alliance and Louisiana Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne willbe the speakers. Presented by AFCEA ArkLaTex Chapter, theluncheon is $20 for non-members and $15 for members. Ifyou just want to hear the talks, which start at noon, youcan sit in the theater’s balcony seating and listen for free.

Don’t forget to bring your business cards!

Business Development

Jill MacchiavernaJill is Publicity Chair, Business Devel-opment Connection for the GreaterShreveport Chamber of Commerce.

Opening up toNew MarketsHere are three ways to market your product or service in this changing world

Roads Are Key to Economic Growth


Cover Story

One of the regular experiences of retail shopping is“here today, gone tomorrow” — stores open in stripmalls one day, only to close a month later. But thispast May, the Downtown Shreveport DevelopmentCorporation, Downtown Development Authority andCitizens National Bank embraced the trend of stores

with short shelf lives, and turned it on its head to make theticking clock work for the business instead of against it.

Called Pop UP, the initiative saw 12 businesses ranging fromrestaurants to home décor take a low-risk chance at gaining anew audience by opening for two weeks at vacant storefrontsin the Red River District rent-free. The buzz of this limited timeevent saw thousands of shoppers visit these stores, creating avibrancy in an otherwise quiet space.

“To be honest, we had no idea how Pop UP would do. Weknew that the concept had worked in other cities but it wasnew and unique to us,” said Liz Swaine, director of DDA. “Weknew we were onto something when the applications startedcoming in. We realized pretty quickly that there was a pent-updesire for more of everything downtown — more amenities,more shopping and dining opportunities, more pedestrian ex-periences, and Pop UP just checked every one of those boxes.”

Success breeds success to a point where there are threemore Pop UPs scheduled through the end of the year. The firstof these is schedule for later this month, September 22through October 3, in the Business District at the Zodiag Build-ing, 614 Texas St.

One of the businesses taking advantage of this Pop UP willbe Fleur de Crème Gourmet Ice Creams and Sorbets.

Owned by Summer Black and Jayson Salter, Fleur de Crèmeis trying to attract a wider audience for its gourmet and arte-sianal ice cream.

“We’re the perfect candidate. Pop UP caters to small busi-ness that need to reach foot traffic.”

Black said her goal with the one-year-old business is to cre-ate something memorable for the community.

“I was born and raised in Shreveport, so I wanted to bringsomething memorable for our community, memories of theirhometown ice cream shop.”

Headquartered out of her home in Keithville, Fleur deCrème has partnered with a local creamery, Flowing HillsCreamery, for the base of her ice cream and uses local, highquality ingredients such as free range eggs.

The business is currently operating out of a cart at the Out-lets at the Louisiana Boardwalk every week but Black aspires toopen her first shop in downtown Shreveport soon. The Pop UPis a great way for her to test the water and get a first hand, real

Living theIce CreamDreamPop UP gives new business,others a chance to reachwider audience

Continued on Page 18

Story By Sean GreePhoto By Amanda Crane


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Spotlight

Buy the building?Dear Dave,I’ve been renting a 5,000-square-foot space for my small business. I’ve been at this locationfor just over a year, and the landlord has asked me if I’d like to buy the entire location. It in-cludes two adjacent tenants, and he’s asking between $150,000 and $200,000. I’m currentlypaying $1,300 a month rent, and that amount would almost cover the monthly mortgage pay-ment if I bought the building. What should I do?Tucker

Dear Tucker,That’s the great misnomer about those kinds of situations. You can get out of a tenant situationpretty easily and move on. But you can’t just get out of a mortgage situation and move onwithout selling the property.

If your business had been around a little longer, and you had the cash to buy it, I might suggestdoing this. But there’s a problem with buying real estate associated with the operation of yourbusiness, and it’s one I’m facing myself. I’ve got a 64,000-square-foot building that our busi-ness operates in. I’ve also leased another 40,000 feet out back from the company that owns it,and I bought another building next door, because we’ve outgrown the first building. Now, I’mhaving to fight all the time to make sure I don’t conform my business to my building, and in-stead make the building conform to the business. It’s really tempting, in other words, to notgrow and have to move out of this place we love.

But the problem can be that if the business is growing, is shrinking or hasn’t been open longenough to stabilize, a piece of real estate can start being the tail that wags the dog. I love realestate, but I’d remain a tenant in your situation. A, you don’t have the money; and B, youhaven’t been doing this long enough to know what your real estate and physical plant needsare going to be.—Dave

Even band partnerships are badDear Dave,My buddies and I put a band together, and we’ve started playing lots of shows and makingpretty good money. We all realize the need to start treating the band like a business, so what’sthe best way to do that?Chuck

Dear Chuck,The first recommendation I have might feel a bit uncomfortable, but I wouldn’t set up the busi-ness side as a partnership. Very few partnerships work out smoothly, because of the unavoid-able personal and professional drama that creeps into things.

I live in Nashville, and I’ve seen stuff like this happen more than once. Drama is a businesskiller, and the bands I know that have been the most successful are the ones that function witha primary or controlling owner. They have someone who owns the band, and the other musi-

cians are employees of the band. You can pay an em-ployee per gig, or even a percentage of the net profits theband is making. You can do a lot of those things, butthere’s still a question at the end of the day — who ownsthe name? If the drummer quits, does he get to take stuffwith him? You don’t want to get into a bunch of that stuff,because in most cases making decisions by committeedoesn’t work. Just ask the government!

Imagine this. A guy stays with you for three years andshows up late half the time and drunk the other half. He fi-nally quits, and then four months later the band gets a $2million record deal. I guarantee you he’ll come aroundwanting a piece of it. That’s the kind of drama I’m talkingabout, and it’s something you just don’t need from a busi-ness aspect.

If you want to agree upon and set up a system wheremoney goes back into the business, that’s fine. There’snothing wrong with holding back 20 percent for growingthe bank, then splitting the rest between the members.There are lots of formulas you can work from that will pro-vide for the band as a whole and its members. But I don’trecommend partnerships at all. And I strongly advise youto stay away from one in a band!—Dave

Dave Says — On Business

Dave RamseyDave Ramsey is America’s trustedvoice on business and money. He hasauthored five New York Times best-selling books, including EntreLeader-ship. The Dave Ramsey Show is heardby more than 8 million listeners eachweek on more than 500 radio stations.Follow Dave on the web at www.entre-leadership.com.


Spotlight

Finding a new audience doesn’talways mean creating newfans and customers, it can beas simple as tapping into onethat is already there.

Local media manager Vita Rinerhas used her Mexican heritage tospotlight the local Hispanic marketthrough her magazine “Vita Latina”and heading up La Invasora 92.1, theonly Spanish radio station in north-west Louisiana.

“I wanted to have a place for ourlocal business leaders to connectand advertise as well as showcasecultural and social events happeningmonth to month in a bi-lingual for-mat,” said Vita.

After emigrating to the U.S. fromGuadalajara, Mexico in 2002, shecreated Vita Latina magazine in onlytwo short years. Her desire to pub-lish the magazine grew out of her bi-cultural marriage — Vita wanted toshare more about her culture andheritage with her husband. She real-ized then there was a void in north-west Louisiana serving the Latincommunity.

“I wanted it to be a bridge forboth cultures, giving our adoptedcountry importance while honoringour roots,” Vita explained.

In 2007, she sold the magazine toThe Radio Group and stayed on asthe editor. In 2009, she took on theposition of Hispanic Market Manager,heading both the magazine and LaInvasora 92.1. In addition, Vita or-ganizes community events focusedon spotlighting the progress andgrowth of the local Latin community— events such as Hispanic Entrepre-neur Gala, Hispanic teacher’s day,the Dia de los Muertos festival, andHispanic Heritage Day.

“It has been a great experienceand accomplishment for me to beable bring a project to full realizationafter only being in this country fortwo years. I have been privileged to

bring the stories of many inspiringentrepreneurs, leaders, artists, politi-cians and everyday heroes in ourcommunity to life.

However, Vita noted that withgreat rewards come great challenges,namely the language barrier andconvincing others of the Hispanicaudience already here in Shreveport-Bossier.

“My first challenge was learningthe English language in the businessworld. Next was informing the mar-ket about the economic strengthsand purchasing power the Latinoshave in this area.”

Throughout her short but success-ful career, Vita has a few tips forother area entrepreneurs and busi-ness leaders.

“Continue working hard at whatyou are passionate about and con-tinue your education as well. Alwaysbe ready to embrace any opportunitythat crosses your path and show anactive commitment to works withinyour community. Finally, you can findgreat reward in sharing with othersyour knowledge and experience —pay it forward!”

KnowingYourMarketVita Riner highlights the Hispanic market through magazine, radio station

It has been a great experience and

accomplishment for me tobe able bring a project to full realization after

only being in this country for two years.


The North Louisiana Economic Partner-ship (NLEP) recently unveiled our newcomprehensive strategic plan that pro-vides a roadmap for NLEP and the regionfor the next five years. Developed bynationally recognized TIP Strategies

based in Austin, Texas, our new plan establishesa common vision, a set of goals, and a list of pri-orities for NLEP and its stakeholders.

Having this guide for economic developmentcan amplify the impact of the region’s collabora-tions and collective actions by ensuring every-one is working from the same playbook andtowards the same end. The plan is structuredaround the vision that North Louisiana will be athriving region, a destination for high-qualitytalent, innovative companies, and global invest-ment.

To support this vision, NLEP provides profes-sional economic development services to the14-parish region of North Louisiana, includinglead generation and prospect management. Theorganization also represents the interests ofNorth Louisiana with a unified voice and as asingle point of contact. It acts as a catalyst, aconvener, and a connector in the region to en-sure that North Louisiana’s economic develop-ment potential is realized.

The goals of a strategic plan support the visionand guiding principles of the organization. For

North Louisiana, the strategic plan identifiesthree goals. The first goal encompasses our coremission of promoting economic developmentthrough a world-class program for fosteringbusiness attraction, retention, expansion, andcreation. A new secondary goal includes talentrecruitment and workforce development inorder to create a strong pipeline of talent tosupport current and future employers. A thirdgoal for NLEP is to act as a unified voice for theregion to promote economic development.

Additionally, the strategic plan identifies twobroad industry categories which the regionshould target: advanced manufacturing and pro-fessional services and information technology.NLEP will concentrate resources and businessdevelopment efforts to attract companies inthese sectors, because these sectors displaystrong growth potential and fit North Louisiana’scomparative advantages, talent pool and assets.

Manufacturing is a “defensive target.” This targetsector capitalizes on the region’s historicstrengths in manufacturing—backfilling build-ings and absorbing production workers. In addi-tion, the sector offers the possibility forcapturing growth from a trend called “re-shoring.” A growing number of American com-panies are bringing their operations back to theU.S. as foreign labor markets become more ex-pensive.

Professional & IT support the region’s transitionto a knowledge economy. These targets rein-force the region’s newer assets and capitalize onthe momentum from the CSC relocation to theCyber Innovation Center (CIC) in Bossier City,CenturyLink’s headquarters expansion in Mon-roe, and our high tech assets, including the CICand Louisiana Tech University’s Enterprise Cam-pus, the area’s latest research park.

This strategic plan is the culmination of monthsof research, a lot of hard work from TIP Strate-gies and NLEP staff, and much input from stake-holders and the NLEP Board of Director. It willbecome a road map for North Louisiana’s futureeconomic prosperity.

On the Economic Development Front

A Roadmap for Future Growth

time experience of what that would be like.“As soon as we started making ice cream

and letting people sample it, everyone sug-gested the Pop UP as the next step and wefelt like it would be a great opportunity,” shesaid.

Pop UP’s benefits to participants is that itattracts a new, wider audience to create notonly awareness, but a new tribe of followersand customers.

“I think businesses have their customersand it’s hard, inconvenient, costly or they justaren’t sure how to find a new, untapped cus-tomer base. Pop UP takes a business outsideits comfort zone and puts them smack dabinto a the middle of a potential new cus-tomer base,” Liz said. “Chances are going tobe very good that MOST of the people com-ing in during the run of a Pop UP will be folksthe business has never seen before. Thebusiness can grab that new market share or

realize that the response is not what theyhoped and change their business model onthe fly.”

One of those participants who saw thepromise of Pop UP deliver was Haute GoatCreamery. Operating for three years inLongview, Texas, the businesses wanted toattract a new audience across the state line.Through their Pop UP experiment, they foundsuccess in attracting not only a new audi-ence, but one that is different from their reg-ular clientele.

“It was a unique way to get our product inmore hands,” said co-owner Laura Vander-bilt. “I felt the audience in Shreveport wasmore savvy and knowledgable about theproduct.”

While not being a stranger to Shreveport-Bossier, having been a vendor in the Shreve-port Farmers’ Market with her husband andco-owner Jeff, Laura wanted to expand theirlocal base and saw Pop UP as the perfectventure.

“We signed up because we were so

pleased with Farmer’s Market and saw cus-tomers valued our product and had beenthinking of a retail space in Shreveport in thefuture. Pop Up was a perfect match to seehow well that might work,” said Laura

“We had no idea what to expect, we wentin with eyes wide open, and it ended upbeing fabulous beyond our wildest expecta-tions,” she added.

Besides providing exposure to peoplewho don’t attend the farmer’s market, HauteGoat Creamery saw the chance pay off bygaining four more Shreveport area retail car-riers for their product.

“Going to the farmer’s market, the audi-ence was a different type of audience than Iwas used to dealing with. People want con-venience products and ready-made items.The Shreveport customers was going beyondeating with a cracker, they were cooking withour products and that’s what exciting forme.”

As more and more stores Pop UP acrossDowntown Shreveport, Liz says the concepthas a very high ceiling, with property ownersand managers having the freedom to em-brace and utilize it for their own spaces.

“The concept doesn’t belong to us. ANYproperty owner or manager downtown cando it. I hope some do. I would love for themto take any currently vacant high-profilespace that they are already paying to heatand cool and run a contest to move a busi-ness in rent free for a period of time. Getsome excitement going in the space, helpcreate a destination in your property.”

Scott MartinezPresident, NLEP

He is the President of North LouisianaEconomic Partnership (NLEP), a public-private partnership dedicated to pro-moting economic development inNorth Louisiana. Send comments [email protected].

Pop UP: Program helps startups find/attract new customersContinued From Page 14


A Roadmap for Future Growth

From the Bossier Chamber

The way we do business may look a little different in the coming years. The workforce isshifting and with that brings new challenges that need to be met in order for our econ-omy to thrive. We are seeing efforts on both the national and local levels to bridge theemployment gaps and produce a qualified pipeline of candidates. Educational stan-dards are being elevated and curriculum is shifting towards job ready skills and STEMfields. Community partnerships help to get the right players at the table in order to de-

velop the community as a whole.

As we continue to make great strides, the issue of immigration reform cannot be ignored. TheUS Chamber of Commerce is calling for comprehensive reform because it’s the right thing forour workforce and economy. In a recent interview with the US Chamber, serial tech entrepre-neur and start-up investor, Steve Case, shared why he believes reform is crucial. “If we aregoing to continue to remain the most innovative, entrepreneurial nation, we have to win whatis now our global battle for talent. I don’t view immigration as a problem that we need to

solve,” Case says. “It’s more of an opportunity we need toseize if we’re going to remain the most entrepreneurial na-tion.” While you may be on either side of the fence on thisissue, legislation has come and will come in the future ad-dressing this issue. Is your business ready?

While workforce plays a big role in the making of an econ-omy, business culture is also a key component of the eco-nomic success mix. We mentioned earlier about theshifting workforce and as a result companies and employ-ers are changing the way they work. Traditional workplaceand office settings are being replaced with collaborativesettings where employees can co-solve problems and con-tribute to solutions regardless of their role within theircompany’s hierarchy. As we watch the new wave of theworkplace come into its time, let’s not forget thatadapting and embracing change may be challeng-ing but can be both rewarding and profitable.

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NWLA Tourism

As summer comes to a close, a busy season of big-nameentertainment offerings is set to kick-off in BossierCity. Fall is always packed with live music and majorevents, but the coming months seem especially busyfor Bossier City venues.

The 35th annual running of the Super Derby at Harrah’sLouisiana Downs will be held on Saturday, Sept. 6. One of thepremier races for 3-year-old thoroughbreds in North America,the Super Derby attracts many of the top horses, trainers, andriders from around the country. Racing begins at 2:50 p.m. andwill include a day-long program of top-quality races, conclud-ing with the $400,000, Grade 2 Super Derby.

In addition to live racing, the day also features a variety ofgiveaways, contests and promotions. There will be a kids’ play

area with bounce houses, a celebrity donut eating contest, afree handicapping seminar at 11 a.m. and a meet-and-greetwith the Super Derby jockeys at 12 p.m. A popular tradition,the Super Derby hat contest will award prizes in three cate-gories: “spirit of Louisiana,” “classic,” and “most original.”

CenturyLink Center has a huge slate of offerings planned forSeptember and October, including the Outdoor Extravaganzafeaturing Phil Robertson of Duck Commander, beginning at 5p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6. Other upcoming events at Centu-ryLink Center include the kick-off of country superstar EricChurch’s “Outsiders” World Tour, with special guests DwightYoakam and Brothers Osborne, 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 11, aswell as the Motley Crue Farewell Tour featuring Alice Cooper, 7p.m., Sunday, Oct. 12. Fans of NBA basketball will want to marktheir calendars for Thursday, Oct. 23, when the Dallas Maver-icks will take on the New Orleans Hornets in pre-season NBAaction. Ticket prices for the NBA pre-season game are pricedwith families in mind, with $12 seats available.

The Stage, an indoor/outdoor entertainment venue adjoiningSilver Star Smokehouse & Saloon in Bossier City, has hosted anumber of big names in 2014, and will continue to do so thisFall. Country rapper Big Smo, star of the A&E reality televisionseries Big Smo, will perform at The Stage on Friday, Sept. 12.Nashville-based country band Little Texas, best rememberedfor the RIAA Gold-certified 1992 album “First Time for Every-thing,” will perform at The Stage on Thursday, Sept. 25. Doorsopen at 7 p.m. for live music events at The Stage.

Area casinos also have some of their biggest offerings of theyear planned for September and October. Among the biggestacts slated to perform at local casinos this Fall are ventrilo-quist Jeff Dunham, coming to the Horseshoe Casino Riverdomeon Saturday, Sept. 13 and country music legend Merle Hag-gard, also coming to the Horseshoe Casino Riverdome, on Fri-day, Oct. 10.

More information on these events and many other events canbe found online at www.sbfunguide.com.

Photo Courtesy of SBCTBPreseason NBA action will be com-ing to the CenturyLink CenterEntertainment

Season Has Arrived

STORY BYChris Jay

Fall brings entertainment offerings to Bossier City venues


Downtown Development

In May of this year, the Downtown Shreveport Development Corporation (DSDC), DowntownDevelopment Authority (DDA) and Citizens National Bank did something new, different anda little scary. We asked entrepreneurs as well as existing small businesses to take a chanceon finding a new market downtown by popping up in vacant storefronts in the Red RiverDistrict.

More than thirty small businesses applied and twelve were chosen to give Pop UP a try. Theyranged from 3D printing and custom jewelry to a photography/advertising/marketing companyto restaurants. Two of the business owners had brick and mortar locations but were interestedin expanding their reach into downtown; all therest were new to storefront locations.

Their experiences ran the gamut—-some hadstrong internet sales, some utilized social mediato get the word out about their products andservices, several had experience selling at festi-vals and farmers’ markets, one sold products outof his home.

The one thing each had in common was the de-sire to be bigger and more successful, and the willingness to work hard to do it. These twelveentrepreneurs were willing to take that leap of faith to embrace untapped markets and deter-mine if they and their business had what it took to succeed.

When it was all said and done, the majority of our first Pop UP businesses had made moneyand all had expanded awareness about their goods and services. Quite a few had found newcustomers, and a few, with the help of UnCommon Sense Marketing’s Amy Kinnaird, an earlyPop Up sponsor and supporter, had make some important realizations about how to positiontheir business and structure their sales message.

Downtown Shreveport gained, too, with added excitement, vibrancy and pedestrian traffic. Thispart of downtown became ‘the place to be’ over the two-week Pop UP. In the next severalmonths, Pop UP will be moving—-first, into the Central Business District, then to ShreveportCommon—and we’ll finish out the year in the place where it all started, the Red River District.

Along the way, we’ll show off some great available store-fronts and buildings, give our downtown employees andresidents more retail and food choices and help thesebusinesses determine if their business model works, and ifnot, what needs to be tweaked.

We invite you to participate! If you have a business, con-sider popping up downtown, if you do not, come andcheck out those who are. The dates for the Central Busi-ness District are September 22- Oct. 3, for ShreveportCommon, Nov. 3-8, and for the Red River District, Nov. 17-Dec. 31. See all the latest details at www.downtown-shreveport.com and be prepared to Pop!

Pop Ups andNew MarketsProgram helps entrepreneurs test the waters downtown

Liz SwaineDowntown DevelopmentAuthority Executive Director


Socially, people once used “callingcards” which were placed in specialtrays and presented by the house-hold staff to the home owner priorto their seeing you. There were verystrict rules of etiquette for calling

cards. Literally, your card was their first im-pression of you. The first business cardswere called “trade cards” and were used inEngland in the 17th century as marketingtools, including maps for locating the per-son. With the industrial revolution and in-creased business came a relaxing of cardprotocol. Simply put, it became necessaryto provide contact information to more peo-ple. The modern usage of business cardshad begun.

As with much of etiquette, it is the nuancesthat make the difference. We subcon-sciously judge people and it affects how wefeel about them. The following businesscard etiquette rules still apply. Using themenables you to make a positive and profes-sional impression on those you meet.

People exchange business cards because they have established some type of connection orrelationship, however thin. Do not distribute your business card to everyone as though youwere a black jack dealer.

Instead of offering your card, wait until someone asks. This is classier and doesn’t assume arelationship until it actually begins.

Your business card represents you and your company. Always present a clean card withoutbends, tears, or other defects.

If you are seeking employment, prepare a card that contains your contact information. Youwill look professional and enable people to remember you.

When handing your card to someone, give only one unlessthey ask for more. Giving a stack of cards to pass out totheir contacts is presumptive and tasteless. Your cardswill end up in the nearest trash can.

Use your right hand when presenting your card and hold itso it can be read as they accept it with their right hand.Someone has handed you their business card and youwould like to make a note about them on it. Avoid this. Itis better to remember the talk then make a note after youare alone.

Remember the status rule: Juniors exchange cards withjuniors and seniors exchange cards with seniors. Thisequates with how we do business. As a junior executive,never offer your card to a senior executive or ask forher/his card. If he/she offers or asks, know you have madean excellent impression.

Business Etiquette

Pick a CardBusiness cards can leave lastingimpressions — good or bad

Teri HaynesOwner of Business Interactions, LLCEmployee trainer and business eti-quette coachwww.BusinessInteractions.Net

Chris JayPublic Relations and Social MediaManager, Shreveport Bossier Conven-tion and Tourist Bureau. He is amonthly contributor to Biz. Magazine.

He may be reached via email [email protected].


Chris JayPublic Relations and Social MediaManager, Shreveport Bossier Conven-tion and Tourist Bureau. He is amonthly contributor to Biz. Magazine.

He may be reached via email [email protected].

Lunch Break

By the time I’d driven out to the Long-wood General Store in Mooringsport,taken a seat in the gas station/conve-nience store/restaurant’s dining area andtaken a look at the menu, I was alreadymaking a mental list of friends that I’d

like to invite to accompany me to this magicalplace. The truth is, I was a fan within 30 secondsof pulling into the parking lot. The food couldhave been mediocre, and I’d still have left ravingabout the uniqueness of the place. But, as it turnsout, the food at Longwood General Store is prettygreat – especially for the price.

Longwood General Store is located at 3502 High-way 169, about a 20-minute drive from down-town Shreveport via I-20 West and Highway 169.The remote country store has been there sincetime immemorial, and in the last 20 years or sohas built up a reputation as an outstanding placeto eat ribeye steaks, country breakfast plattersand daily lunch specials.

My wife, Sara, and I ate medium rare, 16-ounceboneless ribeyes rubbed with Montreal steakseasoning ($21.95), which were served with abaked potato, salad, and (I found this strange,maybe it’s not) a platter of cheddar cheese cubesand crackers. Steaks range in price from $19.95(9 oz.) to $51.95 (a whopping 48 oz. steak). Wedrank $3 cocktails with names like Black Metaland Bacardi Refresher that were delivered to ourtable by Tammy, the bartender from the casinonext door, who came back later to see how theytasted. There was no pretense of fine diningwhatsoever, but there was great food on theplate, friendly and attentive service, wallet-friendly cocktails and a dining room packed withpeople who appeared to appreciate all of thosethings.

As I paid, the manager inquired about my cameraand asked what I thought of the place. I told her

that I loved it. She apologized for the place being“kind of podunk.” If there hadn’t been a guy be-hind me at the register, waiting to ring up a sixpack of Budweiser tallboys, I would have told herthis:

“Ma’am, there is nothing podunk whatsoeverabout serving a kick-ass ribeye, cooked exactly tothe temperature that I requested, for about $20.And there is nothing podunk about Tammy’s $3cocktails, especially now that I am seeing moreand more $13 cocktails on menus. Please don’tever change a thing about your operation.”

Thanks to Noma Fowler-Sandlin and Brett Malonefor encouraging me to visit Longwood GeneralStore. The Longwood General Store is open 24/7,but the kitchen closes at 9 p.m. Steaks are onlyserved on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

CarnivoresREJOICE

Longwood General Store Is A Quirky, Fun Outing For Steak Lovers

Chris Jay reviews local food every Tuesday atwww.20x49.com.


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