sbj 03-01-10

MARCH 2010 Our next

SBJ CommunityLeaders’Breakfast

Thurs., Apr. 29, 2010,at John A. Logan College

PLAN NOW!

InsideM A R C H | 2 0 1 0

The Southern Business Journal (USPS #019988) is apublication of The Southern Illinoisan. Contact us via mailat 710 N. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, IL, 62901, or at P. O.Box 2108, Carbondale, IL, 62903. Also reach us on theWeb at www.sbj.biz and via e-mail [email protected]. The Journal is published 12times per year monthly, and mailed to businesses,community development leaders, chambers of commercemembers and other professionals in Southern Illinois.Periodicals Postage Paid at Carbondale, IL. Copyright2010 by The Southern Illinoisan, all rights reserved.Postmaster: Send address changes to: SouthernBusiness Journal, P.O. Box 2108, Carbondale, IL 62902.A subscription may be obtained by calling 618-529-5454or 618-997-3356, or by visiting our Web site.

Contact usPublisher: Bob Williams n 618-351-5038

Editor: Gary Metro n 618-351-5033

Advertising: Abby Hatfield n 618-351-5024

Circulation: Trisha Woodside n 618-351-5035

Database Coordinator: Mark Doman n 618-351-5042

continues a three-part report on preparing successful business presentations. In this segment, thefocus is on preparing the fine-tuningthe body and conclusion of the planned pitch, speech or presentation.It’s important to identify and organize key points, determine andplan what supports will be needed and prepare an effective summary andconclusion.

Page 11

INDICATORSHome sales show improvement: Thefinal quarter of 2009 saw home salesrise over the same period last year for 10 of Southern Illinois’ 18 southernmost counties. Sales rose 41 percent in Jackson County,for example, with 79 homes sold,compared to 56 for the same periodlast year. Home sales rose 78.9 percent in Union County, with 34 salescompared to 19 for the same quarterlast year. The monthly list of indicatorsalso offers the latest figures on unemployment, retail sales, new vehicle sales and gasoline prices.

Pages 12-13

ACHIEVEMENTSCatch up: Find out who has beenhired, who has been promoted or whohas received an award for their effortsin business. If you know of a businessor business person who deserves special recognition for advanced training, a unique honor or an expansion of business, please let usknow at [email protected].

Page 16

InsideCorbell Telephone and Electronics .... 17

Dutch Guttering .................................. 6

Egyptian Electric Cooperative................ 3

Feirich, Mager, Green & Ryan.............. 17

Henry Printing .................................. 23

Hyannis Air Service, Inc. .................... 17

Jackson and Gray Insurance .............. 23

Jim’s Mobile Offices and Homes .......... 6

John A. Logan College ........................ 22

Leading Lawyers ................................ 18

Midwest Backgrounds, Inc. ................ 15

Oliver and Associates, Inc. ................ 11

Pepsi MidAmerica .......................... 5, 20

Property with TLC, LLC ........................ 23

Sanberg, Phoenix and Von Gontard .... 15

SchoolCenter ...................................... 8

Southern Illinois Healthcare................ 10

Southern Illinois University ................ 24

Stiles Office Equipment ...................... 15

Your Jeweler ........................................ 9

Directory of Advertisers

COVER STORYWhole new ball game: New mediapossibilities — including Twitter, blogsand Facebook — offer business people new routes for connecting with customers and potential customers. It’s especially importantfor businesses that have customersalready using new technologies. “If your customers are using socialmedia and Internet devices, then, as abusiness, you need to be on thoseplatforms and devices,” says Suzanne Nasco, associate professorof marketing at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Learn how toget started with new media and how tosucceed through a comprehensivereport by frequent contributor LesO’Dell.

Pages 4-5, 19

HEALTH CARE Veterans may qualify for care options:The VA provides a benefit called “Aid and Attendance” that can pay as much as $1,949 a month to a qualifying veteran household. The trouble is most veterans simply don'tknow about this valuable benefit.According to SBJ Contributor RichardHabiger, about a third of all seniors inthis country age 65 and older couldbecome eligible for VA Pension underthe right circumstances.

Page 6

YOUR BUSINESS What to do before reaching thepodium: SBJ Contributor Jane Sanders

MARCH 2010 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 3

Mark Your CalendarMarch 1

Beginning Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan CollegeCenter for Business & Industry.

March 3Beginning Access 2007: 8:30 a.m. to

4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan CollegeCenter for Business & Industry.

Beginning Outlook 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F111, John A. Logan CollegeCenter for Business & Industry.

March 4Beginning QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F111, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

March 9Intermediate Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to


March 10Advanced Publisher 2007: 8:30 a.m. to


March 11Beginning Access 2003: 8:30 a.m. to


Intermediate QuickBooks 2009: 8:30a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F111, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

March 12Beginning/Intermediate Adobe Acrobat:

8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F111, John A.Logan College Center for Business &Industry.

March 15Beginning Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to


March 16Advanced Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to

4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College

Center for Business & Industry.

March 17Intermediate Access 2007: 8:30 a.m. to

4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan CollegeCenter for Business & Industry. Cost is$90.

Beginning Word 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F111, John A. Logan CollegeCenter for Business & Industry. Cost is$90.

Time & Stress Management: 8:30 a.m.to 4 p.m., Room F110, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.Cost is $90.

March 18Intermediate Access 2003: 8:30 a.m. to


Advanced QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m.to 4 p.m., Room F111, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

March 23Intermediate Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to


March 24Beginning Publisher 2003: 8:30 a.m. to


March 26Advanced Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to


Beginning/Intermediate AdobePhotoshop: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., RoomF111, John A. Logan College Center forBusiness & Industry.

March 31Team Building: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.,

Room F110, John A. Logan College Centerfor Business & Industry. Cost is $90.

For more information on John A. Logan or to register for classes, call 618-985-2828, ext. 8510 or e-mail [email protected] A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry is located at 700 College Road, Carterville and cost is $55 unless otherwise noted.

MARCH 2010SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL4

Cover Story

There was a time when promoting abusiness meant hanging a shingle above astore’s entrance or posting handbillsaround town. Today, business leaders andowners face an overwhelming number ofchoices and options ranging from tried-and-true techniques, includingnewspapers and broadcastadvertisements, to new platforms withunusual names, such as Twitter, blogs andFacebook.

Businesses are trying to find a balance,discover what works and, in some cases,embrace new media as part of theirpromotional strategy.

What exactly is new media? Some callthese new promotional and advertisingareas social media, referring to thepersonal nature and social interactioninherent in the tools. Regardless of thename, these platforms and outlets arechanging the way businesses of all sizespresent themselves.

Suzanne Nasco, associate professor ofmarketing at Southern Illinois UniversityCarbondale, says companies looking tointeract with customers in locationsoutside of service calls or the sales floorturn to technology — to social media — toaccomplish the task.

“Social media, from a marketingperspective, is a way for organizations toopen up two-way dialogue with theircustomers,” Nasco explains. “What itreally does is reduce the space between acompany and its customers.”

She says that businesses need to use thenew media outlets if their customers areusing the technology.

“If your customers are using socialmedia and Internet devices, then, as abusiness, you need to be on thoseplatforms and devices. You need to be partof their conversations and attract theireyeballs,” she says.

The uniqueness of social media comesfrom the ability to target specificaudiences, according to an assistantprofessor of journalism at SIUC.Narayanan Iyer, who teaches courses inadvertising and new media, says newmedia is not that different from moretraditional communications.

“Remember that even traditional media,such as newspapers and magazines, havespecialized sections for health or businessbecause they understand that there aredifferent kinds of audiences out there, allwith different needs,” Iyer says.

He says that understanding thebusiness’s customer base is key, regardlessof which advertising tool is used.

“It is extremely important that youunderstand your audience,” he explains.“With social media, the one-to-manymodel of advertising changes to a many-to-many model. What you must do is getan understanding of your niche marketand what your customers read and whatsites they visit.”

Iyer says avenues for this“narrowcasting” include social media, butadvertisers should not ignore long-standing outlets, including printadvertising and radio and televisioncommercials.

“Traditional media is still the massmedia,” he says. “You still have to use it oryou may miss out on new members ofyour target audience.”

There are many options for businessesin the way of new media, including theInternet, Facebook, Twitter and blogs.Some companies use just one of the newmedia; others utilize several or all.Regardless, an understanding of eachplatform is beneficial.

Dot comsFor many businesses, the entry point to

new media is through a Web site, either fortheir own company or as an advertiser onanother Web site. While many firms use aWeb presence as an advertising andpromotional tool, a growing number areseeing the benefits of using anothercompany’s Web sites as a vehicle for theirown businesses.

Banterra Bank Director of MarketingMel Bower says that advertising on Websites, such as The Southern Illinoisan’s site(www.thesouthern.com), is a major andvital part of outreach for his company.

“I think, for us, it is increasingly moreimportant as consumers are going online.We believe that it is a way we can get infront of a lot of consumers on a daily basiswith our logo and our services,” he says.

One thing that Bower says he especiallylikes about online advertising is thatresults can be directly measured.

“Online advertising providesaccountability,” he says. “You can measureit. You can know how many are seeing theimpression and how many are actuallyclicking. The measurability is a hugeadvantage.”

Other companies are taking advantageof the specialization and the measurabilityof online advertising, says Bill Robbins,interactive marketing specialist for TheSouthern.

“We’ve had some really inspiringsuccess stories where ads on our productshave really seen an impact,” he says. “Itisn’t just the daily print edition or the

daily Web site or the e-edition; there are anumber of outlets that we build thatchannel traffic for our advertisers.”

Robbins says Web sites, including thoseof Southern Business Journal(www.sbj.biz) and SI Autodeals(www.siautodeals.com), have beeneffective vehicles for advertisers, and Webtraffic reports prove it.

“We’ve found that for one of the dealersthat participates in SI Autodeals, visitorsthat go to their site from SI Autodeals havea longer ‘hang time’ on their site — evenlonger than those that go directly to theirsite or that find them on Google,” he says.

He says that this advertising allows fortargeted messages to find just the rightaudience.

BY LES O’DELLSBJ CORRESPONDENT Keys to successful new media promotions

ImmediacyBe diligent in keeping up with what the public is saying about you and respond

quickly to questions and criticisms, Suzanne Nasco of the SIUC marketingdepartment says.

“Social media allows the feedback loop to be immediate. Companies that realizethis leverage this immediacy to meet their customer’s needs,” she says.

Keep it freshPostings on the new media platforms have to be kept up-to-date and

interesting. Quatro’s Steve Payne updates his Facebook page as many as threetimes each day.

“If you get bored with it, your customers will, too,” Payne says.

Be ‘real’Certified financial planner Jeff Rose suggests that businesses should “be

themselves” in online postings.“Social media allows you the opportunity to be yourself to a whole new array of

people who don’t know you. Just be yourself and it’ll drive business to you,” heexplains.

Give it timeBe willing to devote as much as an hour a day to your new media efforts, and be

patient in looking for results.“Don’t do it if you can’t devote time to it,” Nasco says. “If you do it and don’t

give it the time it needs, it makes people who are very social media-oriented moreresentful.”

Rose says new users should not expect immediate results.“There is a tremendous learning curve, and it takes time to learn. I haven’t yet

gotten a client directly from Twitter yet, but I know it’s going to come,” he says.— Les O’Dell

New media: Social networking now a business strategy


Cover StoryTraditional media

Newspapers and broadcast stations areadapting to the new media. Most areatelevision stations offer viewers theopportunity to interact with news anchorsand reports through Internet-based chatapplications from their Web sites.

The Southern recently unveiled“Southernville,” an online communitywhere members and visitors can get thelatest on their neighborhoods,communicate with others and have theopportunity to share photos, opinions andmore. The newspaper even offers anonline edition, frequently sends outbreaking news via Twitter and offers videoto accompany some articles on the Web.

Robbins says that future plans call forcontinued growth of the Southernvilleplatform.

FacebookOriginally an online means for college

students to make friends with friends’friends, Facebook has exploded into one ofthe most popular Internet sites. Businessleaders, including Steve Payne, owner ofQuatro’s Pizza in Carbondale, quickly tooknotice. Today, Quatro’s business page onFacebook has more than 3,000 fans, whoregularly have access to information andpromotions from the restaurant. It’s beena successful venture, according to Payne.

“As we have tried to market to youngerage groups, the probability of making a hitwith Facebook has been reasonably good.It’s not cost-free, but it has been verycost-effective,” he says.

Nasco explains that time is a cost ofmost social media advertising.

“It takes time and it takes energy,” shesays. “It’s not about putting up a fan pageon Facebook and waiting for people to talkabout your product or service; instead, it’san active process. Don’t do it if you can’tdevote time to it, because if you don’t giveit the time it needs, it makes people who

are social media-oriented very resentful.”For that reason, Payne says Quatro’s

tries to keep its presence fresh.“We try to typically post a couple or

three times a day,” he says. “Most of thosewill be general information. Most of ourtime is ‘touching’ people, not trying to sellpeople. It is a relationship builder.”

Payne says businesses should not lookfor immediate response, but rather use theplatform to build a brand.

“It’s a complimentary product to ourother marketing,” he says.

TwitterUnveiled in 2006, Twitter allows users

to send out brief announcements,questions and messages — never morethan 140 characters — to other individualswho choose to receive them, calledfollowing. Users receive regular updatesfrom all of the individuals and entitiesthey follow, while other users may chooseto “follow” them or to forward their

messages — known as tweets — to otherTwitter users. It can lead to an extensivenetwork of people and fans with commoninterests. It also can be beneficial forbusinesses.

“We use Twitter messages to establishour personality and branding,” said AmyMills-Tunnicliffe, director of marketingfor 17th Street Bar and Grill restaurants inMarion and Murphysboro. “We use it toconnect with people who are our fans andwith others in our industry, as well asanyone interested in barbecue.”

She recently presented a seminar aboutthe benefits of social media at a NationalBarbecue Association gathering, whereshe told attendees that Twitter is a good fitfor her company.

“I love it. I’ve connected with peoplethat I never would have connected withotherwise. People love to have a personalconnection like this with companies.

SEE COVER / PAGE 19


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Military veterans entitled to care options, including some that are little known

In February, wecelebrate PresidentsDay in honor of twogreat presidents:George Washingtonand AbrahamLincoln. Both wereheroes of warsfought for freedomand unity of ourgreat country.

The United States has fought many warssince that time with the blood, sweat andtears of millions of heroic men andwomen. For more than three centuries,there have been programs to care for thosewho fought in our wars. In 1636, aveterans’ assistance program wasestablished by the pilgrims of PlymouthColony who fought with the PequotIndians. The pilgrims enacted a law fromEnglish law that reads, “If any man shallbe sent forth as a soldier and shall returnmaimed, he shall be maintainedcompetently by the colony during his life.”

In 1789, the U.S. Congress passed apension law for disabled veterans and theirdependents, and in 1811 the first medicalfacility for veterans was completed. Sincethat time, the Department of VeteransAffairs has opened many care facilities

nationwide, including Marion VA MedicalCenter, Mount Vernon Community BasedOutpatient Clinic and St. Louis VAMedical Center-Jefferson Barracks. Inaddition, state veterans’ homes have beenbuilt, including Illinois facilities in Anna,Lacily, Maintain and Quincy.

Today, the VA provides a variety ofbenefits for veterans. For our elderlyveterans, there is a little-known andunderused benefit called “Aid andAttendance” that can pay as much as$1,949 a month in income to a qualifyingveteran household.

Most veterans simply don’t know aboutthis valuable benefit. In fact, about a thirdof all seniors in this country, age 65 andolder, could become eligible for VAPension under the right circumstances.That’s how many elderly war veterans ortheir surviving spouses there are in thiscountry.

The official title of the “aid andattendance” benefit is “Pension.” Thereason the pension benefit is commonlycalled “aid and attendance” is becauseveterans or their surviving spouses canbecome eligible if they have a regular needfor the aid and attendance of a caregiver orif they are housebound. (Do not confuse“Pension” with “Compensation,” the VAbenefit based on a service-connecteddisability.)

To receive a VA Pension, a veteran need

only have served 90 days on active duty,with at least one of those days during aperiod of war. There must be a dischargeunder conditions other than dishonorable.Single surviving spouses of such veteransare also eligible. If younger than 65, theveteran must be totally disabled. If age 65and older, there is no requirement fordisability. There is no age or disabilityrequirement for a single surviving spouse.Finally, there is no requirement that theveteran served overseas or has a service-connected disability.

There are income requirements, but aspecial provision does allow householdincome to be reduced by 12 months worthof future, recurring medical expenses.These allowable, annualized medicalexpenses are such things as medicalinsurance premiums, ongoing prescriptiondrug costs, out-of-pocket cost of monthlymedical equipment rental, the cost ofhome care, the cost of paying adultchildren to provide care, the cost of adultday services, the cost of assisted living,and the cost of a nursing home facility.These are all considered medical costs andthey can be deducted from householdincome to qualify for a VA Pension.

In many cases, family members aresacrificing dearly to take care of their lovedones at-home. Yet, they don’t know thatthe VA will pay up to $1,949 per month tomembers of the family to take care of the

veteran, the veteran couple or thesurviving spouse at home. If thearrangement is set up just right and with awritten contract, the family members canreceive some money from the governmentfor their sacrifice.

The secret for receiving a successful VApension award is not in filling out the formbut in knowing what documents andevidence must be submitted with theapplication.

Knowing the secrets for a successfulaward is the most important aspect of thebattle. An elder law attorney who isaccredited by the VA to represent veteransunderstands how to maximize the benefitand avoid a denial.

The VA accredited elder law attorneyalso can provide strategies for reallocatingassets to allow for the best possibleaccommodation of assets forbeneficiaries, thus avoiding or reducingtaxes, family disputes and Medicaidpenalties (should the veteran or spouse eventually need nursing homecare).

— Richard Habiger is an elder law attorney,who focuses on asset protection, Medicaidand VA benefits, Alzheimer’s and life careplanning — all in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary staff. You may contact him at618-549-4529 or info@habigerelderlaw. com.

Health CareH O S P I T A L S | W E L L N E S S | B E N E F I T S

BY RICHARD HABIGERSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

Habiger


Workplace

Last June, anarticle in thismagazine introducedyou to a youth-building conceptcalled the “40DevelopmentalAssets.” Researchproves young peopleneed a majority ofthese 40 traits,

characteristics and experiences to increasethe probability they will grow up to behealthy, thriving, productive citizens.Since that time, our BASIC (BuildingAsset-Strong Involved Communities)coalition has conducted several trainingsessions and developed marketingmaterials to spread the message abouthow we, as a community, and you, as aleader in that community, are vital to thisimportant initiative.

Sometimes we tend to overlook thepotential of youth and the value they canbring to our businesses and communities.But it is worth considering that today’syouth are becoming increasingly moresavvy and have more disposable incomethan the kids of yesteryear. They are notonly current or potential consumers, butalso our current and future workforce andtax base. It benefits us all to play a moreactive part in this positive development.Growing up healthy and creative doesn’tjust happen. Young people need mentorslike you and me to inspire, support, teachand mold them into productive citizens.

Have you ever wondered what yourbusiness looks like through the eyes of ateenager? Christopher Wheetley is atalented sophomore at Agape ChristianHigh School in Energy and chairperson ofthe newly formed Positive YouthDevelopment Youth Council. When askedwhat he looked for when he walked into abusiness, this is what he had to say:

“As a teenager, the first thing that I look

for in a business is respect. I don’t expectthis solely from the employees I come intocontact with, but from the business as awhole. Some businesses may feel they lack relations with youth becausethey don’t offer products or servicesthat directly involve people of our age group.

“Nonetheless, it’s important forbusinesses to invest in youth, starting atan administrative level. Whether it’sthrough contributions to youth-basedprograms and activities, or througheducating employees on how to interactwith youth, businesses that promoteyouth development tend to gain a morecommunity-friendly status.

“Businesses can also help this age group by providing employmentopportunities. I encourage businesses tothrow away their preconceived notionsabout age and look at each youthindividually to assess their talent. Somebusinesses are also unaware of theimportance of the teenage market. A studyconducted by Teenage ResearchUnlimited, found that teenagers spent$175 billion in 2003. This illustrates themagnitude of the one-on-one contactwith youth in a business.

“The teenage years are a transitionalperiod. Teens are just becoming moreindependent and will have that firstexperience of shopping alone. Often, thesefirst experiences lead us to choose whereto conduct business next time. It isimportant that a young person does notfeel pressured, looked down upon orinsignificant.

“I’m on the Jackson County PositiveYouth Development Youth Council (PYD),and we have decided to award the 2009Youth Friendly Business Award to the topbusinesses in our county that we feel havedisplayed youth-friendly conduct through business and communityoutreach. The top five businesses areposted on our council’s link from theCarbondale Park District’s Web site(www.cpkd.org). We’ll announce the

winner at this year’sPYD sponsoredSpeech and CreativeWritingsCompetition on April10 at the Paul SimonPublic PolicyInstitute. For moreinformation on thePYD Youth Councilor any of ourprograms or

activities, please visit our Web site link atwww.cpkd.org.”

So, how did your business fare lookingthrough Chris’ eyes? Showing respect,

developing relationships and appearingfriendly seem like great business strategieswe would all want to employ. Growingyour business while growing our youth atthe same time? That’s a business plan wecan all get excited about. To find out moreabout how you can be a part of thisexciting movement to grow our nextgeneration of great citizens and help ourcommunity, please visit our BASIC Website at www.devassets.com.

— Kris Sherrill is coordinator of communityhealth for Southern Illinois Healthcare.Christopher Wheetley is chairman of thePositive Youth Development Youth Council.

Asset builders to recognize top businesses: Is your business youth friendly?

Sherrill

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Your BusinessP R O F I L E S | P R E V I E W S | H U M A N R E S O U R C E S

Advance preparation yields successful business presentations

Any savvybusiness personwould agree thatstrong presentationskills yield betterresults in the form ofmore sales, approvedbudgets, satisfiedaudiences,opportunities forpromotion and

advancement, and the like.Last month, we discussed how to

analyze requirements for a presentationand prepare your introduction. Thismonth, we will continue with preparation,specifically the body and conclusion ofyour pitch, speech or presentation. Thefinal column in my three-part series willfocus on delivery skills, non verbals andcontrolling anxiety. Look for it in the nextissue of Southern Business Journal.

Identify and order key pointsWhat are the key messages you want to

communicate? Every presentation hasmain points or modules. The key points inthis article, which is a form ofpresentation, are the statements in boldtype. Notice how they are written in thesame format and verb tense. This offersconsistency and navigation to the reader(or listener).

Identify your key points and their sub-points. Things to consider whendetermining the order of your messagesinclude logic and commonality, clarity andsimplicity, and priority. For example, youmay want to put the more complexmessages toward the end, after simplerones have been covered. Or, in case yourallotted time is cut, consider ordering yourpoints by priority.

Select and organize supportsSupports are the life of your

presentation. They add color, texture andpersuasion to facts and figures. Supportscan include short stories, statistics,

definitions, poems, examples,testimonials, quotes, cartoons, jokes andunlimited visual props.

Any time you run across a story,cartoon, quote, quip or statistic thatcatches your attention, hang on to it. Starta “keepers” file. Just because thesekeepers don’t perfectly relate to yourcontent doesn’t mean you can’t use themeffectively to make a point, or to supportyour facts or opinions. Your verbaltransition or how you introduce thesupport can easily tie it to your material.

For example, you’ve probably heard thefamous quote by Wayne Gretzky, arguablythe greatest hockey player: “You miss 100percent of the shots you never take.” Do Imake presentations about hockey? No, butI often need to make a point about takingrisks and just going for it. In myGenderSmart Communication keynote, Iuse several cartoons that effectivelyreinforce the points I want to make.However, none of them are specificallyabout gender communication in theworkplace. Their content can be tied to mymaterial and made relevant with a one-sentence verbal transition.

I also use examples of specificcommunication differences customized toeach audience, video clips thatdemonstrate gender styles, and more.These supports reinforce the points I wantthe participants to learn and remember.

Testimonials can be strong supportsduring sales presentations. Show a letterfrom a satisfied client, with the key partshighlighted. Better yet, bring a videotapeof the client to your meeting for a livetestimonial.

Here’s another tactic. Parents learnsomething every day from their children.Write down those innocent, yet wise,observations and you will have some goodmaterial. Just make sure these supportstruly are unique and powerful. Don’t letyour understandable lack of objectivity getin the way. Gift books filled with everydaywisdoms or lessons or children’scomments can be very effective. Duringmy seminar on presentation skills, I askfor volunteers and quickly coach them todemonstrate ineffective non verbaltechniques on the stage. It’s fun and

engaging, and they don’t have to “speak”in front of the audience.

Provide direction signalsAudience members space out during

presentations. Our brains simply need abreak. When participants come back tolife, they need to quickly find where youare in your presentation. Help themaccomplish this by using transitions andsignals throughout your presentation.

Direction signals include verbaltransitions and building agendas such as I,II, III or A, B, C. Mini-summaries areeffective and involve a one-sentencesummary of the point just covered aslead-in to the next point.

So, after you select and prepare the

supports for your key points, make sureyou have clear direction signals that makeit easy for audience members to followalong.

Prepare the summary and conclusion

Succinctly and quickly tell them whatyou told them, a verbal outline of sorts.Then, with your conclusion, ask clearly forwhat you want. That may be a project, araise, an order, a behavior change, a voteor any number of end results. Finally, closewith impact. Leave them wanting moreand thinking about your presentation after

Sanders

BY JANE SANDERSSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

SEE SANDERS / PAGE 14

S O U T H E R N I L L I N O I S I N D I C A T O R S

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IPMFG Dec 09100.2

CFMMI Dec 0984.1

SOURCE: FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF CHICAGO

Williamson County RegionalAirport passengers

441 165 p 167.3%

441 165 p 167.3%

Jan 10 Jan 09 Change

2009 Change

YTD TOTALS

MONTHLY TOTALS

Anna 104.4 113.3 112.3 111.7 109.7 112.2 p 0.98%Benton 63.8 71.4 72.4 75.0 70.4 71.6 q 0.28%Carbondale 515.7 587.7 607.4 610.4 579.4 544.9 p 7.85%Carterville 36.7 40.1 40.3 39.9 32.7 32.4 p 23.77%Chester 48.4 51.5 51.7 54.0 51.1 50.8 p 1.38%Du Quoin 92.1 91.9 94.4 103.1 95.0 99.9 q 8.01%Harrisburg 175.8 179.3 173.6 168.5 164.9 160.2 p 11.92%Herrin 135.6 135.9 134.4 137.5 127.9 122.4 p 11.03%Jonesboro 11.6 12.4 11.3 11.5 11.5 10.7 p 15.89%Marion 619.4 673.4 662.4 592.7 545.9 525.3 p 28.19%Metropolis 71.0 75.9 79.8 74.8 69.4 73.4 p 3.41%Mount Vernon 437.6 482.8 461.5 501.0 475.3 462.4 p 4.41%Murphysboro 118.6 117.1 94.9 93.0 94.6 90.5 p 29.39%Nashville 101.1 101.8 105.2 105.7 101.1 103.6 q 1.74%Pinckneyville 34.2 39.0 35.8 41.7 38.0 37.9 p 2.90%Red Bud 63.6 77.7 73.7 82.5 82.5 75.9 p 2.37%Sparta 115.9 130.5 129.5 133.1 127.7 121.7 p 7.23%Vienna 33.9 40.5 39.8 36.9 32.7 32.7 p 23.85%West City 84.0 89.6 82.8 77.7 70.8 70.9 p 26.38%West Frankfort 102.0 111.2 111.4 106.8 102.3 105.9 p 5.00%REGION $2,965.4 $3,223.0 $3,174.7 $3,157.6 $2,983.0 $2,905.3 p 10.94%ILLINOIS $127,727.6 $237,438.0 $180,162.7 $173,362.8 $167,459.0 $159,201.4 p 49.14%

YTD Nov 2009City 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004% change

04-08

Retail sales for Southern Illinois cities

SOURCE: LATEST STATISTICS AVAILABLE FROM THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. FIGURES ARE IN MILLIONS.

Labor force Jobless Dec 2009 Nov 2009 Dec 2008 Change month Change year

Unemployment rates for Southern Illinois counties, state and nation

Alexander 3,376 365 10.8% 11.3% 8.5% q 0.5 p 2.3Franklin 17,410 2,457 14.1% 13.9% 9.9% p 0.2 p 4.2Gallatin 2,651 288 10.9% 11.0% 9.3% q 0.1 p 1.6Hamilton 3,960 383 9.7% 9.8% 8.2% q 0.1 p 1.5Hardin 1,764 230 13.0% 12.3% 9.6% p 0.7 p 3.4Jackson 31,486 2,477 7.9% 7.7% 6.1% p 0.2 p 1.8Jefferson 20,051 2,201 11.0% 10.8% 7.8% p 0.2 p 3.2Johnson 5,063 567 11.2% 10.8% 8.8% p 0.4 p 2.4Massac 7,310 677 9.3% 8.9% 7.7% p 0.4 p 1.6Perry 9,082 1,161 12.8% 12.5% 11.0% p 0.3 p 1.8Pope 1,923 220 11.4% 11.4% 8.8% 0.0 p 2.6Pulaski 2,979 331 11.1% 11.5% 9.6% q 0.4 p 1.5Randolph 15,150 1,507 9.9% 9.8% 7.8% p 0.1 p 2.1Saline 12,470 1,385 11.1% 11.2% 8.7% q 0.1 p 2.4Union 8,433 1,043 12.4% 11.1% 9.8% p 1.3 p 2.6Washington 8,134 684 8.4% 8.4% 6.6% 0.0 p 1.8White 7,645 701 9.2% 8.8% 7.9% p 0.4 p 1.3Williamson 34,751 3,471 10.0% 9.7% 7.5% p 0.3 p 2.5 .,REGION 193,638 20,148 10.4% 10.2% 8.5% p 0.2 p 1.9ILLINOIS 6,602,400 714,600 10.8% 10.5% 7.4% p 0.3 p 3.4U.S. 153,059,000 15,267,000 10.0% 10.0% 7.2% 0.0 p 2.8SOURCE: ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. FIGURES ARE NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED. 2,750 2,636 p 4.3%

2008ANNUAL TOTALS

Leaders Among UsC L A S S O F 2 0 1 0

SAVETHE DATE!

Community Leaders’ BreakfastThursday, April 29 | 7–9 AM | John A. Logan College

Honoring the

N O I S I N D I C A T O R S

Prices at the pumpAverage price per gallon of regular, unleadedgas as of Feb. 16 and Jan. 19, 2010.

694Murphysboro

Consumer credit scoreCredit scores are numeric reflections of financialbehavior and credit worthiness and they are basedon information included in a credit report. Rangingfrom 330 to 830, a higher score means a lowercredit risk. Scores are from January 2010.

692U. S.

699State

698Region

SOURCE: EXPERIAN

SOURCE: AAA

Metro East $2.54 $2.71 $1.97Springfield $2.48 $2.69 $1.90Illinois $2.64 $2.82 $2.00U.S. $2.61 $2.74 $1.97

Feb 10 Jan 10 Feb 09

208

200

204

206

A

210

’08

212

M

214

A M

216

J

218

J

220

S O N DD J’09

F

Consumer Price IndexThe CPI measures average price changes of goodsand services over time, with a reference base of 100in 1982-84.To put into context, a current CPI of194.5 means a market basket of goods and servicesthat cost $100 in 1982-84 now costs $194.50.

U.S. city averageDec 09 215.9

Midwest urbanDec 09 202.7

SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

95949392919089

96979899

100101102103104105106107108

D J A M J J A

’07

S O N D JJ A S O N D J

’08

F M A M J J A S O N

’09

F M

’10

U of I FlashIndex

The Flash Index is an early indicator of the Illinois economy’s expectedperformance. It is a weighted average of growth rates in corporate earnings,consumer spending and personal income. An index above 100 indicatesexpected growth; an index below 100 indicates the economy is contracting.

Jan 10 91.2

Home sales Total units sold, including condominiums

SOURCE: ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

Alexander 4 5 q 20.0% 17 32 q 46.9% $43,500 $52,000 q 16.3%Franklin 67 56 p 19.6% 276 332 q 16.9% $40,000 $51,000 q 21.6%Gallatin 1 3 q 66.7% NA NA NA $45,000 $15,000 p 200.0%Hamilton 3 2 p 50.0% 7 8 q 12.5% $42,000 $39,500 p 6.3%Hardin 3 0 NA 0 0 0% $25,000 $0 NAJackson 79 56 p 41.1% 383 467 q 18.0% $88,000 $78,250 p 12.5%Jefferson 67 74 q 9.5% 332 381 q 12.9% $92,500 $77,500 p 19.4%Johnson 18 19 q 5.3% 78 92 q 15.2% $84,750 $75,000 p 13.0%Massac 28 24 p 16.7% 112 128 q 12.5% $74,170 $76,750 q 3.4%Perry 27 26 p 3.8% 126 149 q 15.4% $52,000 $55,000 q 5.5%Pope 0 4 q 100.0% 10 9 p 11.1% $0 $91,500 q 100.0%Pulaski 3 2 p 50.0% 13 4 p 225.0% $39,900 $19,000 p 110.0%Randolph 41 33 p 24.2% 149 136 p 9.6% $69,000 $72,000 q 4.2%Saline 22 13 p 69.2% 80 78 p 2.6% $64,250 $38,500 p 66.9%Union 34 19 p 78.9% 101 91 p 11.0% $74,000 $82,000 q 9.8%Williamson 161 142 p 13.4% 639 705 q 9.4% $97,000 $83,500 p 16.2%ILLINOIS 29,822 21,986 p 35.6% 107,075 140,378 q 23.7% $155,000 $163,950 q 5.5%

Q4 09 Q4 08 Change 2008 2007 Change Q3 09 Q3 08 ChangeMEDIAN SALES PRICE

SOURCE: INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

Hotel/motel statsTotal amount of revenue generated in Carbondaleby hotels and motels for room rentals only.

New vehicle sales Total cars, trucks sold based on title applications filed.Excludes motorcycles, trailers.

SOURCE: ILLINOIS SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE. LATEST DATA AVAILABLE.

Alexander 13 12 p 8.3% 169 195 q 13.3%Franklin 81 101 q 19.8% 1,341 1,247 p 7.5%Gallatin 21 22 q 4.5% 294 225 p 30.7%Hamilton 15 16 q 6.3% 287 260 p 10.4%Hardin 9 12 q 25.0% 109 135 q 19.3%Jackson 97 158 q 38.6% 1,969 1,622 p 21.4%Jefferson 53 82 q 35.4% 1,270 1,105 p 14.9%Johnson 27 26 p 3.8% 481 419 p 14.8%Massac 28 24 p 16.7% 422 407 p 3.7%Perry 39 39 0.0% 689 638 p 8.0%Pope 8 9 q 11.1% 123 111 p 10.8%Pulaski 10 17 q 41.1% 221 199 p 11.1%Randolph 64 73 q 12.3% 1,208 1,126 p 7.3%Saline 62 90 q 31.1% 1,064 920 p 15.7%Union 39 34 p 14.7% 596 534 p 11.6%Washington 35 31 p 12.9% 621 595 p 4.4%White 46 56 q 17.9% 721 664 p 8.6%Williamson 151 186 q 18.8% 2,515 2,292 p 9.7%REGION 798 988 q 19.2% 14,100 12,694 p 11.1%

Oct 09 Oct 08 Change 2008 2007 Change

$768,913 $748,259 p 2.8%

$6,686,833 $6,517,990 p 2.6%

Oct 09 Oct 08 Change

2008 Change

YTD TOTALS

MONTHLY TOTALS

$7,520,856 $7,330,504 p 2.6%

2007ANNUAL TOTALS

Leaders Among UsC L A S S O F 2 0 1 0

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Honoring theHonoring the


Good intentions of federal stimulus bill don’t guarantee good results

Almost 30 yearsago, the then-youngDavid Stockman wasabout give up his U.S.House seat inMichigan to becomebudget director forthe incoming Reaganadministration,leading theconservative charge

for lower taxes and the futile fight forrestrained federal spending. Before heassumed his new position, heaccompanied an interviewer from theAtlantic back to his rural home inMichigan. When he and the interviewerapproached his family’s farm, they passeda new tennis complex that seemedstrangely out of place in this setting.

The interviewer asked Stockman iftennis was a major sport in this area.Stockman responded that it wasn’t andexplained that the local township decidedto build the courts because the jurisdictionhad received federal revenue sharing fundsfor recreation projects. Stockmanexplained: “It’s all right, I suppose, butthese people would never have taxedthemselves to build that. Not these tight-fisted taxpayers! As long as someone isgiving them the money, sure, they arewilling to spend it. But they would neverhave used their own money.”

This is instructive in the currentenvironment one year after the approval ofthe nearly $800 billion federal stimulus

package. Because of the effects of therecession, state and local government inIllinois and around the nation areexperiencing the worst fiscal crisis inmemory. The state of Illinois is facing ashortfall in the neighborhood of $13 billionfor the next fiscal year and is delinquent inbillions of dollars of promised payments touniversities, health care providers andstate vendors. Local governments,including schools, are planning for majorcutbacks. In Chicago, the Chicago TransitAuthority, which provides vitaltransportation services for the city, is onthe verge of financial collapse.

The anomaly is that in this environmentof austerity and retrenchment,governments are considering hugelyexpensive, wildly ambitious projects. Forexample, the Champaign-Urbana area isconsidering a $30 to $35 millionbroadband infrastructure program to bringhigh-speed Internet service to poor,“underserved” neighborhoods. Acollateral benefit would be access to betterInternet service for some businesses,schools and government organizations.Even the huge price tag would notguarantee the ongoing operation of thenetwork, since annual fees would beneeded for this — fees that are likely not tobe paid.

Residents of Champaign County weresurprised to learn recently that the IllinoisDepartment of Transportation wasconsidering widening I-74 to six lanesfrom the western edge of Champaign toMahomet at a potential cost of $71 million.No local public official could recall anyrequest of this nature, and many people

expressed concern about the need for sucha project. Note that I-74 is only four lanesthrough the more congested Champaign-Urban area. Even I-57 south of I-80 insouthern Cook County is also four lanes.

In January, Gov. Pat Quinn and Sen.Dick Durbin announced an ambitious $1.1 billion “high-speed” rail program toconnect Chicago and St. Louis. Illinois’high-speed rail plan should not beconfused with true high-speed rail similarto Japan or Europe. A recent CommerceConnection article referred to 45-minute,17 trips-a-day service from Champaign toChicago. This is not the high-speed railproposed by Quinn and Durbin. Instead,the $1.1 billion would increase speedsslightly to shorten the trip from Chicago toSt. Louis from five to four hours. Theproblem with high- speed rail in a low-density environment is that it simplydoesn’t work. How many people travelfrom downtown Chicago to downtown St.Louis? Would the promise of a four-hourtrip get people out of their cars or awayfrom airlines? At the same time that high-speed passenger rail is being considered,freight transportation improvements aresorely needed in the Chicago area to

maintain the region’s economiccompetitiveness.

What is the connection between theChampaign-Urbana broadband proposal,the I-74 expansion and the high-speed railinitiative? Like the tennis courts in DavidStockman’s rural Michigan, they are all tobe paid for largely with federal money.These are projects that state and localtaxpayers would never pay for themselvesand they would never use federal moneyfor these purposes if the funds werefungible.

This is the tragedy of the federalstimulus program. If the economy neededa stimulus, why not spend the funds forhigh-priority, high-potential projects?There is no requirement that funds bespent frivolously to promote employment.However, it proved impossible to establishrationale priorities as part of the hastilyconstructed program.

Another failure of the stimulus programis also illustrated in these three examples.The stimulus bill was approved inFebruary 2009. More than one year later,the three programs discussed here are onlyin the planning stage. They are stillmonths away from funding if they arefinally approved and years away fromactually being implemented. By that time,with any luck, the stimulus will not beneeded. Unfortunately, good intentions donot guarantee good results.

— J. Fred Giertz is a professor of economicswithin the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs.He can be reached at 217-244-4822 [email protected].

State FocusL E G A L | G O V E R N M E N T | T A X E S

Giertz

BY J. FRED GIERTZ SBJ CONTRIBUTOR ‘It was the best of times, it was the

worst of times, it was the age ofwisdom, it was the age offoolishness ...’

CHARLES DICKENS‘A TALE OF TWO CITIES’

you are gone.Don’t be afraid to use emotion and be

dramatic. Use one of the supports wediscussed earlier — a quote, story, poem,or a profound, pithy question. Just keep in

mind that when you use emotion, it mustbe genuine. People can smell insincerity.

Strong supports can make thedifference between a boring or mediocrepresentation and a powerful, effectiveone. And they make preparation anddelivery more fun for you too, whichmeans you will do a better job.

Next month, we’ll discuss tips to helpimprove delivery skills and reduce anxiety.

In the meantime, have fun findingengaging supports and building your nextpresentation.

— Jane Sanders is a speaker, trainer andfacilitator in the areas of gendercommunication, strategic business orwork/life planning, presentation skills,authentic leadership confidence, recruitingand retention of women, and selling to

women. She also facilitates brainstorming,best practice, and strategic planning sessionsand retreats. Her clients include Toyota,MassMutual, Prudential, US Steel,Walgreen’s, and many more. Located inMount Vernon, she is author of“GenderSmart: Solving The CommunicationPuzzle Between Men and Women,” availableon her Web site. Reach her toll-free at 877-343-2150; www.janesanders.com.

SANDERSFROM PAGE 11


AchievementsA W A R D S | P R O M O T I O N S | R E T I R E M E N T

Clinic moves to a new locationCorley Chiropractic & Rehab Clinic in

Murphysboro has moved to a new location.The clinic is now inside West County

Medical Center at 19 E. Shawnee Drive inMurphysboro. Dr. John Corley, thetreating physician, is a native ofMurphysboro and is excited to bepracticing in his hometown. For moreinformation, call 618-684-5726.

Woodside celebrates 40 yearsCountry Financial representative

Dennis Woodside of Pinckneyville iscelebrating 40 years of serving customersin the Monroe-Randolph-Perry countyarea.

During Woodside’s career with Country,he has been named an All American 23times, District 5 Agent of the Year andCountry Agent of the Year. He was selectedfor the Country Hall of Fame in 1994.

He has qualified for the National SalesAchievement Award, National QualityAward, Health Insurance Quality Awardand Million Dollar Round Table.

He serves clients from his Country officeat 605 S. Main St., Pinckneyville. Theoffice phone number is 618-357-8005.

Shawnee Health opens new centerShawnee Health Service has opened a

new community health center at 400 S.Lewis Lane in Carbondale.

Construction on this new state-of-the-art facility was recently completed andShawnee Health Care-Carbondale is nowopen and offers family medicine andgeneral dentistry services under one roof.

Shawnee Health Care-Carbondaleaccepts Medicaid, Medicare and mostforms of insurance. Financial assistance isavailable to qualified patients.

For medical appointments, call 618-519-9900. For dental appointments, call 618-519-9901. More information isavailable at www.shsdc.org.

Mid America Mortgage honoredMid America Mortgage in Carterville

recently was honored by the USDA as oneof the state’s top lenders in usingguaranteed home loans to help make homepurchases more affordable.

USDA Rural Development honors lendersthat excel in utilizing the guaranteed loanprogram to increase home ownership.

Humbrecht joins law firmJoshua A. Humbrecht of Benton has

joined the law firm of Hassakis & Hassakis,P.C. in Mount Vernon and Effingham as anassociate attorney. The firm is preparing tocelebrate its 60th year of service to theregion.

His focus in the practice of law will be incivil litigation, including personal injury,wrongful death andworkers’ compensation.

He can be reached at the law offices ofHassakis & Hassakis, P.C., 206 S. NinthSt., Suite 201, in Mount Vernon or at 618-244-5335. Hassakis & Hassakis, P.C. alsomaintains regular office hours in Marion,Belleville, Vandalia, Olney and MountCarmel.

Morgan, Guthman form firmDonald R. Morgan and Matthew W.

Guthman, both certified publicaccountants, have formed the accountingfirm, Morgan & Guthman, LLC.

The firm is based at 217 Robert MorganRoad in Murphysboro. Morgan andGuthman have more than 40 yearscombined experience in accounting, taxand audit services.

Anyone interested in obtainingaccounting services may call them at 618-687-3762.

Frey Premium Tax Service opensFrey Premium Tax Service opened Jan. 18

with locations in Energy and Carterville.Owner Sue Frey has 20 years experience

with personal, business, corporation, trust,multiple states, nonresident, internationaland tax planning.

The business also offers bookkeeping,payroll services and new businessconsulting. For information or to set up anappointment, call Frey at 618-925-6204.

Peer review successfulHudgens & Meyer, LLC., has

successfully completed a rigorous peerreview of its accounting and auditingpractice.

Emling & Hoffman, P.C., in Du Quoinhas successfully completed a rigorous peerreview of its accounting and auditingpractice.

The reviewer concluded that the firm’ssystem of quality control for the accountingand auditing practice in effect for the yearending May 31, 2009, has been suitably

designed and complied with to providereasonable assurance of performing andreporting in conformity with applicableprofessional standards in all materialrespects.

The peer review was performed by thePeoria-based Heinold-Banwart, Ltd., whoqualified under the program’s requirementsfor service as a reviewer.

Volunteers honoredJackson County Health Department

honored its H1N1 clinic volunteers Jan. 28by hosting a luncheon and handing outawards.

Jackson County Health Departmentrecruited 29 volunteers during the recentH1N1 vaccination campaign. Thesevolunteers filled many roles at variousH1N1 clinics and put in about 300 hours ofservice.

E.T. Simonds recognized for safetyE.T. Simonds Construction Company of

Carbondale has received an award in honorof the company’s outstanding safetyperformance during the 2009 constructionseason. The award was presented recentlyin Springfield during the 103rd annualconvention and business meeting of theAssociated General Contractors of Illinois.

Hosick joins Country FinancialKyle Hosick of West Frankfort has been

named a financial representative forCountry Financial. Hosick can provideclients with auto, home, life and long-termcare insurance, annuities, mutual fundsand college education funding options. Hecan also offer investment management,retirement planning and trust services.

He serves clients from his Country officeat 2702 17th St. in Marion and can bereached at 618-997-9441.

Men’s conference at LoganThe Southern Illinois Men’s Health

Conference will be from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.March 20 at John A. Logan College inCarterville. The $35 registration feeincludes breakfast and lunch. There will beblood and health screenings, breakoutsessions and a keynote panel discussion,“The Doctor is In.”

Registration is required. Call 618-985-9210 or visit www.simenshealth.org formore information.

Jewett attends meeting Joyce Jewett of B and A Travel Service

in Marion recently returned from a three-day educational familiarization trip toJamaica as the guest of Couples Resorts.

The trip, arranged for Couples ResortsPrestige Agency partners, includedaccommodations at Couples Swept Awayresort and the newly renovated CouplesTower Isle, resort familiarization and siteinspections and meetings with JamaicaDepartment of Tourism officials.

Information on all of Couples Resortsvacation packages to Jamaica may beobtained from B and A Travel Service inMarion or at www.bandatravel.com.

Avery opens fitness studioTina Avery, a certified pole dancing

fitness instructor, has opened a new studioin the lower level of Great Shapes Fitnessfor Women, 2121 S. Illinois Ave. inCarbondale.

For more information, call 618-713-3112or e-mail [email protected].

Hospital ranks high in careWestern Baptist Hospital is featured on a

national health care quality Web site as oneof the top-performing hospitals in thecountry in pneumonia care.

It was chosen because it is among the topthree percent in pneumonia care among2,800 hospitals with 50 or more beds.

Tanner earns Kroger promotionDee Tanner of Ava has been promoted

by Kroger to director of operations for theNashville, Tenn., area. This includes threedistricts and 65 Kroger stores.

Tanner began her career with Kroger in1988 and has worked in many positionswith the company, including deli manager,co-manager, store manager, deli/producecoordinator and manager of customerrelations in the Mid South Office inLouisville, Ky.

She was promoted in 2001 to districtmanager in western Kentucky andSouthern Illinois and in 2008 to districtmanager in Nashville, Tenn.

Tanner is the daughter of Barbara andDanny Jaimet of Willisville.

Webb joins SI Power CooperativeJim Webb of Marion has joined the staff

of Southern Illinois Power Cooperative asfuel supervisor.

Before joining SIPC, Webb served asWilliamson County engineer/highwaysuperintendent, Illinois Department ofTransportation civil engineer, andproduction supervisor for The AmericanCoal Company & Kerr-McGee CoalCorporation at the Galatia Mine.

Located at Lake of Egypt in Marion, SIPCprovides transmission and generationservices to more than 200,000 peoplethrough its seven member-owners:Southern Illinois Electric Cooperative,Southeastern Illinois Electric Cooperative,Egyptian Electric Cooperative Association,Tri-County Electric Cooperative, ClintonCounty Electric Cooperative, MonroeCounty Electric Cooperative and ClayElectric Cooperative.

Three join Carbondale CPA firmMichelle Tyler, Amber Halstead and

Daniel Harms have joined theprofessional staff of Kerber, Eck & BraeckelLLP. They will provide clients in theCarbondale office with auditing,accounting, tax and managementconsulting services.

Kerber, Eck & Braeckel LLP, CertifiedPublic Accountants, is a regionalaccounting firm with offices in Illinois,Missouri and Wisconsin. For moreinformation, call 618-529-1040.


Feirich / Mager / Green / Ryan

Attorneys at LawProviding Business and Personal Legal Services to the Midwest

Located in the Westown Centre • 2001 West Main, Carbondale • (618) 529-3000

Visit our web site at www.fmgr.com

Commercial Transactions

Workers’ Compensation

Labor Negotiations

Employment Matters

Municipal Law

Administrative Law

Banking Law

Real Estate Transactions

Probate and Estate Planning

Business Organization

F M G R

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From $49 each way.Connect to the world with fast, frequent flightsfrom Marion, IL. Free parking and easy baggagecheck-throughs. To book your trip, call us or visitcapeair.com. Or call your travel agent.*Fares subject to change.

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AchievementsA W A R D S | P R O M O T I O N S | R E T I R E M E N T

Let the region knowHave you been promoted? Has a colleague

at work completed an intensive continuingeducation program? Others in the businesscommunity will want to know it, so please consider passing on your milestone employment news to the Southern BusinessJournal. Feel free to e-mail the information [email protected] or fax a written updateto 618-457-2935.


Business people need time to consider new areas of growth

A study byYankelovichPartners reportedthat entrepreneursspend their time inthe following ways:administrativetasks account for 31percent; financialissues occupy 30percent; leading

and managing employees, 23 percent;selling to customers, 28 percent; and, to

round out the list, negotiating withsuppliers, 23 percent. These sameentrepreneurs spend only 38 percent oftheir time getting actual work done. Askoverworked business owners how muchtime they spend fostering new ideas andyou are likely to get laughed out of theirplaces of business, or worse. With newideas representing possible new avenuesof growth, how can small businessescontinue the daily juggling whilesparking creativity in their own firms?

Look past the paradigmsMost owners can pinpoint the one or

two business obstacles standingbetween them and greater success. Increatively addressing those issues,entrepreneurs must first avoidparadigms. Paradigms are preconceivedideas about what the world is, what itshould be like and how it shouldoperate. Before Netflix broke throughthe video rental paradigm, mostindividuals probably couldn’t conceiveof renting their videos from anywherebut their local video rental stores. Inlooking for creative solutions for yourown company, understand that there isalways more than one right answer. Thebiggest success stories have been

written about men and women whochose not to do things exactly by thebook. Another creative barrier is beingtoo practical. In developing new ideas,don’t always play it safe.

Becoming a creative thinker Sparking creativity in your company

need not be difficult, but dedicatingtime to this task will take someadjustment. For starters, try developingan idea file. Some of the best ideas comeat the most inopportune times, so writethose thoughts down (in the moment)

Entrepreneur’s Mailbag

Gray

BY CAVANAUGH L. GRAYSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

SEE GRAY / PAGE 23


Employment LawR E S U L T S | R E S U L T S

It has been very successful for us. It’shelped us make new friends and given usmore exposure,” she says.

BlogsBlogs are a type of online diary written

by a particular person or covering a

specific subject. A contraction of thewords “Web log,” a blog can be effectivefor businesses in terms of self-promotionand exposure. It’s worked for financialplanner Jeff Rose of Alliance InvestmentPlanning Group in Carbondale.

“Two years ago, I didn’t even knowwhat a blog was beyond an online diary,”Rose says. “My blog has become a way forme to showcase my knowledge and myexpertise to current clients and potentialclients or prospects.”

Rose says his blog has evolved intoregular postings of information or insightswhich work to encourage users to othersocial media sites, including Rose’s Website, Facebook page and Twitter account.

“Right now, they all just work together. Iwrite a blog post, I automatically have itwhere it feeds into Twitter and then, fromthere, it automatically posts on Facebook.All of my followers on Twitter and all myfriends on Facebook are seeing mycontent. It’s just amazing,” Rose says.

He says while results were notimmediate, he has seen benefits for hisbusiness.

“Six months into it, I got my biggestclient yet, who came to me through myblog,” Rose explains. “Now we’re friends on Facebook, too. I’ve gottenseveral clients just from my blog, Twitterand Facebook. People come across mycontent and see what I do. It has provenvital and I’m thankful that I got into itwhen I did.”

COVERFROM PAGE 5

Remember this: Employees have a legal right to see their personnel records

Although there isno specificrequirement thatemployers keepseparate personnelfiles for theiremployees, mostcompanies of anysignificant size willhave somepersonnel records

for their employees. These records mayinclude such things as applications,resumes, performance evaluations,disciplinary warnings, promotionhistories or wage information.

So, what do you do when one of youremployees, or a former employee, asks tosee his or her personnel file? Youremember the Personnel Record ReviewAct.

The Personnel Record Review Act is anIllinois law that requires an employer topermit an employee “to inspect anypersonnel documents which are, havebeen or are intended to be used indetermining that employee’squalifications for employment,promotion, transfer, additionalcompensation, discharge or otherdisciplinary action .... ” Remember thatthe act says nothing about some magicpersonnel file, but speaks only aboutpersonnel documents. Just because a

document is not in a separate foldermarked with an employee’s name doesn’tmean the employee doesn’t have a rightto inspect the document.

Some documents relating to anemployee’s job can be excluded frominspection. These are spelled out in theact and include letters of reference aboutthe employee, testing documents,materials relating to the company’s staffplanning, business development,expansion, closing or operational goals,i.e., confidential information about thecompany’s operations, personalinformation about another person if theinformation would be an invasion ofprivacy and investigation or securityrecords related to an employee’s possiblecriminal actions.

If a document doesn’t fit squarely intoone of these exceptions, it should beprovided to the employee for inspection.Don’t try to be coy about excludingdocuments that really should be a part ofpersonnel records.

Employers are required to permitemployees at least two personnel recordreview requests in a calendar year. Oncean employee asks to review his or herrecords, there are time limitations placedon you. You have seven working days toprovide the employee an opportunity toreview the personnel records. If therequest was verbal, it’s harder to proveyou met the deadline, so written requestscan and should be required.

However, if there is some valid reason

why you can’t meet the seven-daydeadline (the file is in the home office inOmaha), a seven-day extension of time ispermitted. Make sure you let theemployee know within the first sevendays if you need more time.

You also must make it convenient forthe employee to look at the records. Thatis probably no big deal for currentemployees who are at your businessanyway. For them, you simply have toprovide the records near their job site andduring normal working hours.

However, for former employees, youmay have to be more flexible to give thema reasonable opportunity to inspect therecords.

If a former employee simply cannot getto your business to review the personnelrecords, you are required to copy therecords and mail them to the employee. Ifyou make copies of personnel records foran employee, you are permitted to chargefor the “actual cost” of the copies.

If an employee disagrees with anyinformation in the record, the employeecan request that the information beremoved. If you don’t agree to remove theinformation, the employee must bepermitted to attach a written statementto the disputed document, explainingwhy he or she believes the information iswrong. If the disputed document is everreleased to a third party, the employee’sattached explanation must be included.

Be aware that the act does not apply toall employers. An employer is required to

comply with the act only if it has five ormore employees, not counting immediatefamily members of the employer. So, thecorner grocery store run by a family andonly one or two other employees is notrequired to comply with the act.

On the other hand, remember that theterm “employee” includes formeremployees as well. Probably mostrequests to review personnel recordscome from former employees rather thancurrent ones.

If an employee was fired and believesthe termination was somehow wrongful,it is common for the employer to receive arequest to inspect personnel records.However, the act does not require you topermit inspection if the former employeehas been gone from your company for ayear or more. So, if you receive a requestfrom an employee, or former employee, toinspect personnel records, don’t panicand don’t procrastinate.

Employees have a right to see thoserecords. However, if you have doubtsabout how to handle a request, you may want to consult with an attorney.

— Ed Renshaw is a partner with theCarbondale law firm of Feirich/Mager/Green/Ryan. F/M/G/R is a general practicelaw firm offering a full range of legalservices, including labor and employmentlaw, commercial transactions, banking, realestate, workers’ compensation, municipallaw and estate planning.

Renshaw

BY ED RENSHAWSBJ CONTRIBUTOR


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Learn intricacy of withdrawals before taking money out of a Roth IRA

Sometimespeople want toaccess Roth IRAfunds for earlyretirement or otherpurposes. Maybeyou’re one of them.If you have everthought abouttaking money out ofa Roth IRA, be sure

to consult your financial adviser firstbefore you make a move, and keep thefactors mentioned below in mind.

You can withdraw regular contributionstax-free, but not your earnings. This is a

critical distinction, and many Roth IRAowners don’t seem to know about it.

When you withdraw assets from aRoth, there is a set order in whichcontributions and earnings must bedistributed — the IRS ordering rules fordistributions:n The IRS regards the first layer of

withdrawals from a Roth as regular con-tributions instead of earnings. So thislayer is treated as coming from yourannual after-tax contributions. There-fore, if you just withdraw this layer ofmoney, there are no taxes or penaltiesinvolved. (You can do this at any time,whether you have held your Roth for fiveyears or not.) Basically, the IRS is per-mitting you to remove a percentage ofyour account before the alarm sounds on

the five-year clock. (More to come.)n The next assets to be removed

from the account, according to IRS rules,are the conversion and rollover contri-butions to your Roth. These are removedon a so-called “first-in, first-out” basis.For example, the amount of a contribu-tion to your Roth resulting from a con-version made in 2002 would come outbefore the amount of a contribution toyour Roth resulting from a conversionmade in 2008. The taxable portion of theconversion/ rollover contribution comesout first (the amount claimed asincome), and then the non-taxable por-tion.(By the way, the IRS disregardsRoth-to-Roth rollover contributions inthese rules.)n Finally, earnings accrued by the

Roth IRA are distributed.So, in other words, merely

withdrawing your regular contributionwill not trigger tax. But if your Roth hasrealized earnings from contributions,the earnings will be subject to incometax if they are withdrawn.

Is your withdrawal a qualifieddistribution? Here’s another importantconsideration. If you have owned yourRoth IRA for less than five years and/orare younger than age 591/2, you risktaking a nonqualified distribution if youwithdraw money from it. You knowwhat that means — a 10 percent penaltyfor early withdrawal in addition to taxes.(There are some exceptions to this

McClatchey

BY SCOTT MCCLATCHEYSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

Personal InvestmentsR E T I R E M E N T | I N S U R A N C E

SEE McCLACTHEY / PAGE 23


Building permitsCarbondaleWalgreens, 1600 W. Main, $1,550,000El Greco Restaurant, 516 S. Illinois Ave., $25,000Dan Terry/Alliance Investments, 115 S. Washington

St., $20,000Southern Recycling, 300 W. Chestnut St., $300,000Pointe at SIU, 900 E. Park St. 11, $12,500Pointe at SIU, 900 E. Park St. 12, $12,500Selective Site Consultants, 300 S. Marion St.,

$14,000Charles Carter, 1410 Bradford Lane, $10,000DG Rentals, 1702 W. Sunset Drive, $500Evan Feloni, 1449 E. Gary Drive, $5,000John Thomas, 311 E. Mill St., $5,000Bertha Chappell, 1201 N. McQueen St., $2,500Steve Schmidgall, 1449 E. Walnut St., $12,000Mayel Flores, 211 S. Giant City Road, $1,500

CartervilleIla O’Brian, 516 Canary, $0John Gooden, 408 California, $10,000

HerrinKenner Construction, 3216 Mustang Court,

$110,000Steven Claunch, 2405 W. Cherry St., $48,000Ray Vali, 3205 Mustang Court, $140,000

MarionBarnett and Son Construction, lot 7 Bridge St.,

$90,000Barnett and Son Construction, lot 6, Bridge St.,

$90,000Byron Molitor, 1613 Posey St., $140,000Unit 2 School District,1700 W. Cherry St.,$350,000Brian and Lana Joyner, 2907 Williamson County

Parkway, $95,000

MetropolisChristopher Carter, P.O. Box 412, $4,000

Mount VernonOne Stop, 1710 10th St., $8,600Lena’s Flowers and Things, 640 Fairfield Road,

$8,000Stanley Copple, 10320 N. Reynolds Road, $23,000Game Stop, 101 Davidson, $5,000Bart Wright Law Offices, 834 Main St., $1,800Bart Wright Law Offices, 834 Main St., $1,100Oak Grove Village, 62 Cottonwood, $9,400Oak Grove Village, 14 Cottonwood, $9,800Oak Grove Village, 225 Cottonwood, $19,500Oak Grove Village, 72 Cottonwood, $19,500Oak Grove Village, 52 Pecan, $19,500Oak Grove Village, 180 Aspen, $19,500Oak Grove Village, 58 Pecan, $8,700Oak Grove Village, 43 Pecan, $7,900Oak Grove Village, 9 Cottonwood, $11,400Lawrence Hall, 1317 26th St., $0Mark Harper, 1414 10th St., $0K&K Resale Shop, 308 10th St., $75,000Verizon Wireless, 101 Davidson Ave., $161,000

West FrankfortWeeks Body Shop, Illinois 149, $60,000George Tomanovich, 1404 E. Cleveland, $5,200Crosswalk Community Action, 409 W. Oak, $31,107Matt Mitchel, 809 N. Horn, $112,000John Mize, 717 N. Palmer, $32,000Michael Giles, 214 S. Marion Road, $11,000

BankruptciesChapter 7Melissa Boling, 4211 Boskydell Road, CarbondaleGaetano DiMaggio and Kamber DiMaggio, 302

Whiteside Lane, FairfieldDerek Loeh and Bradlenn Loeh, 101 S. Herrell Ave.,

West FrankfortMichael Hellesvig and Stephanie Hellesvig, P.O. Box

505, EldoradoSamuel Edwards,608 E. St. Louis St.,West FrankfortCharlotte Taborn, 322 E. Walnut St., HarrisburgWilliam Shelton, 230 Greentree Drive, GorevilleChester Jenkins, 1116 North Ave., MetropolisRobert Draves and Annette Draves, 940 Williams

St., ChesterJennifer Russo, 34 Golden Ash Lane, CarbondaleTheodore Pate, 1101 N. 11th St., MurphysboroMarvin Hayes, 617 Strawberry Lane, Mount VernonCharles Boyd and Teresa Boyd, 1606 E. Willow

Drive, MarionArthur Geer, 1116 Trout Ave., Johnston CityLoren Street and Barbara Street, 137 North Ave., P.O.

Box 93, JoppaRoger Hern, 8739 Shawneetown Trail, ChesterRoger Sink and Florilla Sink,2301 Wise St., EldoradoKeith Lampley and Christine Lampley, 18452 Corinth

Road, MarionNellie Reeves, 310 W. Florence St., SesserThomas Wink and Bobbie Wink, 811 W. Ernestine

Ave., ChristopherKatheryn Strickland, 215 Oak Drive, MetropolisMarvin Fairless and Angie Fairless, 931 Toledo

Cemetery Road, CobdenNicholas Johnson, 309 S. 24th St., HerrinSherri Hutchens, R.R. 1, Box 97B, JohnsonvilleJimmy Laite and Louise Laite, R.R. 5, Box 161,

FairfieldMisty Bullard, R.R. 2, Box 441, FairfieldAdam Brown and Cassandra Brown, P.O. Box 252,

CartervilleRonald Goede Jr. and Brenda Goede, 970 Corzine

Road, BuncombeTrevyn Antrim and Alicia Antrim, P.O. Box 242, HurstFreddy Isaacs, 2230 Wasson Road, HarrisburgRoger Rich and Loretta Rich, 918 E. College St.,

MarionKevin Hulford, 2520 New Ezra Road, MurphysboroCharles Thompson and Becky Thompson, 211

Panther Drive, PinckneyvilleSusan Marks, P.O. Box 115, Alto PassKelli McMillan, P.O. Box 192, WillisvilleJames Cox and Erin Cox, 4503 Blackjack Road,

Red BudRoger Bastien, 16989 Illinois 149, MurphysboroCarrie Bastien, 1512 King Hill Road, MurphysboroTerry Vaughn and Rose Vaughn, P.O. Box 166,

MetropolisBrent Easton and Holly Easton, P.O. Box 103,

ChesterCrisologo Agbayani and Tammi Agbayani, 389 Old

Villa Ridge, MoundsBarbara Trammel, 1029 S. Ledford St., HarrisburgSteven Mays and Tonya Mays, 14220 Binkley Road,

Johnston CityLuke Back, 205 State St., CarmiPamela Ritter, 5460 Water Way Drive, PinckneyvilleSabrina Brown, 1263 S. Kaskaskia St., NashvilleScott Vandeveer, 1607 Salem Road, Mount VernonRicky Hepp and Debra Hepp, 202 W. Mulberry St.,

PinckneyvilleDelisa Hughes, 1406 N. Wall St., CarbondaleGeorge Weiss, R.R. 2, P.O. Box 342, FairfieldRobert Tiberend and Twila Tiberend, 9777 Riverbend

Road, BentonMichael Sutton and Michelle Sutton, 3 Midland

Drive, MetropolisGeorgia Darmstatter, 202 Reed Station Road, De

SotoBryon Poston, P.O. Box 5, PomonaLauren Rue, 17649 N. Country Farm Lane, Mount

VernonTommy Buttrum and Angela Buttrum, 917 S. 22nd

St., Mount VernonTeena Mathis, 218 Williams St., AnnaSteven Root, R.R. 3, Box 80B, AlbionDarnell Cashion and Amy Cashion,122 S. Peach St.,

Du QuoinLaura Zoller, 330 S. Walnut St., Du QuoinBrian Meadows and Sandra Meadows, 104

Highpoint Lane, DongolaEddie Webb and Kim Webb, 108 E. Goodall St.,

MarionJohn Miller and Mandy Miller, P.O. Box 413, PercyDwayne Welty, P.O. Box 177, Percy

Chapter 13Judy Wilson, 1702 N. 12th St., HerrinMary Walborn, 1209 S. Land St., HarrisburgDavid Peek, 1209 S. Land St., HarrisburgTom Howerton, 603 E. Madison St., HerrinMary Street, 1404 W. Cherry St., HerrinDavid Trexler, P.O. Box 183, Alto PassMichael Crank, 6540 Illinois 13 W, HarrisburgCatherine Farris, P.O. Box 145, CisneGregory Holt, 210 N. Beaucoup St., PinckneyvilleDixie Essex, 110 Parkview Circle, West FrankfortLarry Stevens and Susan Stevens, 25155 Rock

Springs Hollow Road, ThebesMary Frey, 409-B N. Maple St., BentonCheryl Kelley, 805 E. Samuel St., ChristopherBilly Mathews Jr. and Kimberly Mathews, 106

Weisbrook Lane, CartervilleHeather Russell,302 N. Jefferson St.,West FrankfortJohn Joyce, P.O. Box 106, OkawvilleFloleen Davidson, 1104 Burgess St., Johnston CityMichael Holland and Marlene Holland, P.O. Box 389,

HurstPaula Presswood, 5015 Glober Road, ChesterJames Sarensen and Melody Sarensen, 312 N.

Sims St., RoyaltonRosalee Roseberry, 425 S. 16th St., Murphysboro

Travis Carlson, 4870 Gum Springs Road, OzarkSheila Miller, P.O. Box 156, TammsAnna Henderson, 203 Schickle St., Grand TowerDonald Roeder and Cathy Roeder, 3139 Illinois 148,

MulkeytownRodney Deuel and Claudia Deuel, 114 Pankey Road,

Carrier MillsMary Davis, 512 28th St., CairoGerald Erwin and Brenda Erwin, P.O. Box 363,

Johnston CityBilly Hammond Sr., P.O. Box 16, BentonLarry Eubanks and Judy Eubanks, 1124 Bethel

Road, Mount VernonEric Nystrom and Julie Nystrom, 305 N. Market St.,

SpartaScott Wilburn, 201 E. Bond St., BentonJohn Holmes and Melissa Holmes, P.O. Box 111,

BucknerJohn Ladd, 412 Lickliter St., BentonRetha Clover, 312 Third Ave., Grand TowerRobert Mezo, 4765 Kimmel Bridge Road,

MurphysboroChad Smith and Amanda Smith, 13180 Willow Pond

Lane, Johnston CityMichael Kozan and Jennifer Kozan, 863 W. Vernor

St., NashvilleChristine Hogue, 805 E. Samuel St., ChristopherAlice Crockett, 714 Burrell St., CarmiPaul Boggess Sr. and Angela Boggess, P.O. Box 402,

EldoradoRandy Hester, 510 S. Walnut St., PinckneyvilleBradley Johnston and Angela Johnston, 3626

Macedonia Church Road, MetropolisGloria Scott, P.O. Box 252, BrookportJason Weirauch, 211 N. Jackson St., HarrisburgArthur Kimmel and Tammy Kimmel, 115 Kieffer Ave.,

Mount CarmelBrenda Vestal, P.O. Box 992, MurphysboroSusan King, 124 W. Side St., GorevilleJames Williams and Kimberly Williams, 202 James

St., CartervilleLaDonna Bachmann, 462 E. Industrial Park Road,

MurphysboroGary Hall and Janice Hall, 7370 Ridgway New Haven

Road, RidgwayDouglas Johnson, P.O. Box 584, West FrankfortSarah Carter, 204 Harmsen Circle Drive, ChesterKeith Helm and Heather Helm, 2000 Vista Lane,

MetropolisKenneth Mangiapane and Darlene Mangiapane,

690 Pyramid Lane, Creal SpringsRandall Billingsley, 900 N. 14th St., HerrinDina Billingsley, P.O. Box 91, ColpCraig Roberts and Analyne Roberts, 907 W. Cherry

St., MarionFarrin Melton, 13798 E. Davis Road, Mount VernonDavid Foster, 204 Cherry St., Box 124, Freeman

SpurJames Hertenstein, 1707 Pace Ave., Mount VernonRandal Zoller, 330 S. Walnut St., Du QuoinRex Mize and Cathyjo Mize, 800 S. Third St., HerrinBernard Cordes and Jay Cordes, 201 N. Greenbriar

Road, CartervilleJohn Hopkins and Deborah Hopkins, 411 Cherry

Lake Road, Du Quoin

Business Fine PrintP E R M I T S | B A N K R U P T C I E S

MARCH 2010 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 23 PROPERTY with TLC, LLCREAL ESTATE

“Buying or Selling? Let us help!”

201 N. Park Ave, Herrin • 618-988-1739109 E. Egyptian Ave., Christopher • 618-724-2600

www.propertywithtlc.com

CARTERVILLE COMMERCIAL: GREAT COMMERCIAL LOCATION!! High visability-26,000+ vehicles daily!Stop light access. 429.57 feet Rt. 13 frontage!Owners will consider dividing. MLS# 258872. Calloffice for details.

HERRIN: Commercial corner location on Park Avenue.Rear 2 Bays have floor drains, 3 inside water faucets,all utilities new in 1996, Built in 1990. Offered at$90,000. MLS#280439

HERRIN: COMMERCIAL. 217 S. Park Ave. Roof 3yrs old, 2 new furnaces and A/C's, ceiling fans inevery room, new wiring, spec returns in basement

for furnace and hot water heater, handicap ramp inback, emergency lights, dry basement for storage.Lots of space! Currently being used as a salon.MLS#280426.

HERRIN: This is a unique and beautiful property withSO many potential uses!!! Features are too many tolist. The downtown property currently houses 1LUXURY apartment and 2 businesses. The finishedbasement also has a full kitchen and bath.EXTREMELY well-cared for!! Please call more infor-mation. MLS#276046.

HERRIN: Nice office space for lease. Approx. 900 sq.ft. by Logan Primary Care.

and drop them in the file. Be sure tomake time to get back to them later.Always be willing to ask the question,“Is there a better way to do this?” Don’tbe afraid to challenge custom, routineand tradition in thinking through newideas. As children, we are taught to payattention and not day dream — focus.However, as a business owner, it isimportant that you take time to bereflective on the outlook of yourbusiness. Lastly, see mistakes andfailures as stepping stones to success,and problems as springboards to awhole new world of idea possibilities.

Remember that idea creation doesn’tmean much if you are unable to applythose creative ideas and solutions to real

problems that enhance people’s lives.Millions of individuals have come upwith some amazing ideas for differentproducts or services; unfortunately,that is where it ended. The goal shouldbe to see these new ideas through tofruition. It is only then that a companybegins to become innovative.

— Cavanaugh L. Gray is director ofbusiness development for The EntrepreneurCafé, LLC in Carbondale. He can becontacted at [email protected] or 618-206-7013. For more ideas on sparkingcreativity in your company or for daily tipson how to start, grow and succeed in smallbusiness, be sure to follow TheEntrepreneur Café, LLC on Twitterwww.twitter.com /TheECafe or atwww.ecafellc.com.

GRAY: New areas of growthFROM PAGE 18

outlined in IRS Publication 590, which iscertainly worth reading.)

If you have owned your Roth IRA formore than 5 years:n You can make a qualified with-

drawal of earnings.n You can make a qualified with-

drawal of taxable conversions (conver-sions made in separate tax years will haveto meet separate year-year tests).

You can withdraw nontaxableconversions to your Roth IRA at anytime.

Watch the five-year clock. Yes, how isthe five-year period preceding aqualified distribution measured? Theclock starts on January 1st of the tax yearof your initial contribution, conversionor rollover to a Roth IRA. For example,let’s say you opened up a Roth IRAaccount on January 1, 2007. On January1, 2012, your Roth IRA will meet thefive-year test.

What if you have multiple Roths? Well,when it comes to distributions, the IRShas some aggregation rules for you. Youwill have to figure out the taxableamounts withdrawn, distributions andcontributions using a little addition. Youmust:n Add up all distributions made

from all your Roth IRAs during the taxyear.n Add up all regular Roth IRA con-

tributions made during the relevant tax

year (including ones made after the closeof the tax year, but before April 15 of thefollowing year). Now add that totalamount to the total undistributed regu-lar contributions made in previous years.n Add all conversion and rollover

contributions made during the yeartogether.

To quote Publication 590: “For pur-poses of the ordering rules, in the case ofany conversion or rollover in which theconversion or rollover distribution ismade in 2008 and the conversion orrollover contribution is made in 2009,treat the conversion or rollover contri-bution as contributed before any otherconversion or rollover contributionsmade in 2009.”

There are additional rules for re-characterized contributions that end upin a Roth IRA.

If all this makes you want to talk to afinancial advisor or accountant beforeyou take money out of your Roth IRA;well, that is a wise step to take. Conferwith the financial or tax adviser youknow and trust.

— Scott McClatchey is a founder and LPLFinancial Advisor with Alliance Investment Planning Group, a Carbondale-based investment firm located at 115 S. Washington St.He can be reached at 618-519-9344 [email protected] offered through LPL Financial,Member FINRA/SIPC.

McCLATCHEY: Roth IRA withdrawalsFROM PAGE 20

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