October 2015 - Guilford Merchants Association
Transcription
October 2015 - Guilford Merchants Association
T R E N D S VOL. 28, NO. 5, OCTOBER 2015 N.C. Entrepreneurship Center links Triad campuses, businesses I magine coaching a business major at UNCG (a military veteran who already has a culinary arts degree) on creating a business plan for a café. Follow that with scheduling a successful Triad entrepreneur to share her story in a forum open to the community as well as students. Then race off to Flywheel in Winston-Salem or HQ Greensboro or the Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship to stay plugged in with the creatives who are starting the companies and creating the jobs of tomorrow. That’s how Justin Streuli’s day goes. A graduate of N.C. State University who holds an MBA from UNCG’s Bryan School of Business and Economics, Streuli is director of the North Carolina Entrepreneurship Center (NCEC). He describes the center, which has a staff of two, as the bridge between students and faculty at UNCG and the Triad’s burgeoning startup community. “The bridge goes two ways,” he explains. “We try to get students off campus and plugged into the startup community. And we try to figure out the best ways to help small businesses and entrepreneurs use all Justin Streuli, director of the N.C. Entrepreneurship Center at UNCG. Photographed at ThinkHouseU, a residential entrepreneurial center that is part of a national pilot program. the resources that we have on campus.” Those resources range S2dio Supplies, a mobile art supplies business, benefitted from consulting with NCEC. I N SI DE TRENDS Business Success............. 2 Generation Next............. 4 Participation = Success... 4 Loyal Member................. 5 Race & Seek.................... 6 225 Commerce Place Greensboro, NC 27401 Workplace Workshops..... 7 An advertising supplement to The Business Journal Trends is a publication of the Guilford Merchants Association. from students who might serve as interns, to having entire classes work on a project, to identifying faculty members whose expertise can take a startup enterprise to the next level. Streuli became NCEC’s third director more than a year ago. He comes from a strong entrepreneurial background. His grandfather in the 1970s started Santa Cruz Doors, a Colfax manufacturer of fine hardwood doors. The company, which once employed more than 100 people, fell victim to the Great Recession and closed in 2010. Streuli, whose undergraduate degree is in marketing and entrepreneurship, changed his career plans and headed to the Bryan School, a move that set the stage for his current position. After earning his MBA, he started a Web development company with partContinues on page 3 C.A.N. marks 21 years of trading leads, making friends E arly on Friday mornings they stream into GMA headquarters like cousins headed for a family reunion. More than 40 strong, they come to share a meal, catch up on important milestones in one another’s lives and rib each other about golf scores. To the casual observer, it may not seem that this weekly gathering is much about business. But, truth be told, it’s all about business and more, much more. This is the Competitive Advantage Networking group, or C.A.N. group. It will celebrate its 21st birthday in October. Banker Martin Pratt has been in the group since Day One. “I’m the last original member,” says Pratt, now with Bank of Oak Ridge. The bank logo on his business card has changed at least four times over the years, but the C.A.N. group has been a constant. “Some of the faces change over the years, but it’s a great group of people,” he says. “It’s more than a referral group.” The mix changes over time as careers and companies change. Yet some current members remain tight with individuals who moved through the group years ago. Ed Regensburg, who’s been in the group almost since the beginning, plays golf regularly with a former C.A.N. member. Another Continues on page 2 In sales, never underestimate the power of commitment By Josh Seibert B eing committed takes all the questions out of an activity. If you aren’t committed to doing something, then you always have one eye on your emergency exit while doing it. It leaves an out that ultimately Seibert will be a major distraction, because you are looking for signs that you aren’t going to succeed, and the second you see one, you begin leaning toward your exit plan. This is a sure recipe for disaster in sales. If you’re going to be in sales, be committed to sales. Many unsuccessful people in sales harp on all the obstacles and always dream about “getting out” or “having the good territory” or “how it was in the good ole days.” The grass is always greener on the other side. And too many sales people feel the grass on their side is already dead. However, the minute you truly tell yourself, “I am in C.A.N group members pose for a photo in 2014. C.A.N. group Continued from page 1 former C.A.N. member, representing an auto repair shop, now works for Regensburg. The bonds made are long lasting. Going to a C.A.N. meeting may start the workday, but it’s hardly work. President & CEO G. Mark Prince Vice President of Operations Michelle Bolick Vice President of Sales Susan Russell Operations/Special Events Coordinator Holly Smart Operations/Special Events Coordinator Lisa Daas Membership Development Sharon Smith TRENDS is published for the members of the Guilford Merchants Association. Publication Coordinator – Michelle Bolick Phone (336) 378-6350 Fax (336) 378-6272 225 Commerce Place, Greensboro, N.C. 27401 www.mygma.org The Guilford Merchants Association is a nonprofit organization founded in 1906. The Association’s goal is to assist its members and the business community at large to grow and prosper. 2 BUSINESS SUCCESS sales and I am sticking with it no matter what,” you will feel better about yourself and your profession. You’ll feel better because you’ve made up your mind. There is a principle called “commitment and consistency” that states when you are committed there is a strong internal motivation to ACT consistent with that commitment. You’ll feel better because “The reason you keep coming back,” Regensburg explains, “is that these are your friends. We don’t have to ask each other for leads. But we’re constantly giving each other leads. We’re helping each other.” Longtime GMA member Bob Kober is credited with getting the group started in 1994. “I was a networking maniac at the time,” Kober says. “I thought it was logical that GMA start a couple of networking groups, and that’s how it all began.” Tinker Clayton, owner of StitchFX, jokes that he only goes to C.A.N. meetings because of “Gene’s breakfast.” Gene Dolan, of Culinary Visions Catering, makes sure his fellow C.A.N. members many of your doubts just fade away. All of the things you second-guessed yourself about will dissolve. It’s like instant confidence. When you have to do something, you’ll do it. The hard part is getting committed. It’s hard to shut off worries and self doubts about what you’re doing. Unfortunately, the sales profession often lends itself to that. There’s no simple solution; you have to confront these fears and doubts. Constantly tell yourself that you are committed, and there is no other alternative. Eventually you will find you can shut off those negative thoughts. And once you’ve made that commitment to yourself, it’s a lot easier to get others to commit to you! Commitment is doing the things you know you need to do, even if they make you uncomfortable. Be committed and others will commit to you. don’t leave hungry. The C.A.N. group thrives after more than two decades because its members know one another so well, understand one another’s businesses, and trust one another to deliver. No one wants to let down a friend. Members, says longtime member Anne Gundlach, a State Farm agent, “understand what kind of leads you’re looking for and what you can offer people. They have confidence and trust that you will make them look good” by living up to the recommendation. Michelle Bolick, GMA vice president of operations, says, “You never know what will happen when this group gets together on Friday mornings. It’s the highlight of my week and a great start to the weekend. I love to see them make connections because of GMA.” Dolan, the caterer, has been in the C.A.N. group for about 14 years. “It’s been awesome for our company,” he says. “We thank GMA every day.” Sandler Training specializes in sales force and management development. Phone: 336-8841348; www.training.sandler.com. © Sandler Systems, Inc. All rights reserved GMA sponsors three networking/leads groups. To inquire about membership, contact Michelle Bolick @336-3786350. New at DGI Zack Matheny, new president and CEO of Downtown Greensboro, Inc., briefed GMA members on DGI’s status and plans under his leadership. Matheny, a former city council member, spoke at a recent Center City AM Briefing. The briefings are a regular event held at GMA headquarters and are open to all members. Visit www.mygma.org for information on the next Center City AM Briefing. Bibi Coyne (left) helps a Salem College art student with her purchase from the S2dio Supplies mobile shop. Entrepreneurs Continued from page 1 ners and worked on another startup before signing on with NCEC. Streuli sees GMA membership as one more avenue to strengthen the ties between entrepreneurial college students and the Piedmont Triad business community. While NCEC is based at UNCG, its services are available to all college students. The Triad is home to more than 10 colleges, universities, and law schools. The student population exceeds 60,000. NCEC helped George Demopolous, a 2015 graduate of Greensboro College, connect with a mentor to advise him in his quest to create a mobile social networking app to encourage fitness training. Demopolous took part in an NCEC program called GEMS – Growing Entrepreneurs by Mentoring Students. “The GEMS program was pretty big for me,” he says. “The mentor challenged me and made me come up with answers to questions that needed to be answered. That helped me grow from a student to a more devel- The focus is on developing entrepreneurs who will create Triad businesses and jobs. oped person in general.” NCEC connected Demopolous with a local tech company that helped him build his product. By the time you read this, Dempolous’s Train app should be available for Apple’s iOS mobile devices. Learn more at www.thetrainapp.com. Streuli says Demopolous is an example of the mindset that college graduates need to be successful in today’s economy. Employment isn’t guaranteed upon graduation. “That college degree is just a check box,” Streuli says. The relationships created, on and off campus, as well as the projects and partnerships worked on, may be more important “so maybe you can build yourself a job.” George Demopolous, a graduate of Greensboro College, is building a business based on a social networking fitness app. Streuli also is involved with ThinkHouseU, a national pilot program that provides a residential community for eight entrepreneurial students near the UNCG campus. ThinkHouseU is a project of Forward Impact, a Raleigh-based company dedicated to spurring entrepreneurial innovation. The idea is to nurture scalable business ideas, with the ultimate goal of starting businesses that will create jobs in the Piedmont Triad. Another entrepreneur who uses NCEC to build bridges with campus community is Elizabeth “Bibi” Coyne. plan that won a WinstonSalem competition. The prize money went a long way toward purchasing a used school bus that she converted into a mobile store that visits campuses and other locations throughout the area. S2dio Supplies (www. s2diosupplies.com) is now in its third year. Students may order online for free campus delivery, or shop the mobile studio when it visits. Over the course of the school year, Streuli and his assistant director help lead more than 30 events, programs and activities. A single event, UNCG UNCG student Stephanie McGill, who plans to open a café, consults with Justin Streuli at ThinkHouseU. A longtime art director and author, she watched as the area’s independent art supply shops closed, one after the other. She knew this was more than inconvenient; it made the in-person purchase of art supplies virtually impossible for students enrolled in college art classes. Exclusively online merchants don’t replace walk-in art shops, she says. They don’t suffice for artists, she says, “because you need to have a sensory experience with the product. You need to touch your brushes.” Coyne wrote a business Entrepreneur Day, will touch more than 2,000 students. Successful entrepreneurs visit classes in a wide variety of departments to talk about their experiences. UNCG, he says, “has a diverse and cross-disciplinary entrepreneurship academic program. But entrepreneurship happens all over campus.” NCEC fertilizes that spirit and extends its roots throughout the Triad business community. Justin T. Streuli N.C. Entrepreneurship Center jstreul@uncg.edu 336-908-0178 3 Broadcast sales all about connections B GENERATION NEXT Introducing young GMA members Name: Gillian Dobbins Age:26 Hometown:Greensboro Residence:Greensboro Education: UNCG / Hospitality Management and Business Administration Organization: High Point Convention and Visitors Bureau Position: Manager, group sales and services Duties: I do the sales side as well as the service side. I’m gaining a lot of experience here, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being here. In the upcoming months, I have about five trade shows I’ll be traveling to. Networking is one of my favorite parts of this job, just getting out in the community and meeting new people. On GMA: I’ve been really heavily involved with Guilford County Hotel Association (which is managed by GMA). I’m a board member, and I’m inching into getting more involved with GMA. I do a lot of networking and educational events. Goals: I love new challenges. We are growing so much here in High Point, and I think that will lead to greater challenges to me in my career. Personal: I am an avid runner, and I love to travel when time allows. My ‘me time’ is going to the gym. High Point Convention and Visitors Bureau www.highpoint.org 336-884-5255 4 roadcast advertising has television adverchanged a lot since Jan tising, she can ofSmith first entered the busifer clients digital ness, right out of the UNC marketing soluSchool of Journalism and tions. WFMY staff Mass Communication. Socan employ Web cial media wasn’t part of the and social mecommunications landscape dia tools such as then, and writing stories Twitter, Facebook meant banging away on and Instagram to manual typewriters. expand an adver“Media has changed dratiser’s reach. The matically,” she says, laughultimate goal, ing. “I love it! Smith says, is the Jan Smith works in sales for WFMY News2. “It’s still about the eyesame. balls and the connections “Long before helped me” in business, she you get to make.” social media became part of says. GMA for years has been our world,” she explains, She’s also developed one of the platforms Smith building a business “was lasting friendships. Smith depends on to about who frequently attends events make business PARTICIPATION we know, such as After Work Network connections. how we can sessions and Workplace She first help them, Workshops. WFMY usually got involved and how they sends several employees to in GMA while working in can help us. And how that the educational and motiadvertising sales for radio. collaboration is part of the vational workshops, Smith Then, about five years ago, natural state of growing says, and they take the she switched over to televiyour business. information back to share sion and took a position at “GMA was always that with colleagues. WFMY News2. – helping us make connecShe’s highly complimenSmith continued her tions.” tary of Workplace WorkGMA participation as beThe contacts made shops. “I really enjoy what fore, looking for other through GMA definitely GMA puts together,” she members whose businesses helped build her business, says. could benefit from televiSmith says. “I can point to sion ads. relationships that I made WFMY News2 In addition to standard through GMA that have (336) 379-9369 = SUCCESS Building Sales Forces That Work www.training.sandler.com 336-884-1348 Replacements, Ltd. remains the go-to source for cherished tableware and collectibles T he president of one of Company founder Page, LOYAL the Triad’s best-known he says, “has always been small businesses was in the on the front end of having audience for the most recent creative workplace policies GMA Workplace Workshop. and having a culture that estates, and dealers around With him were other asmattered. Now we perpetuthe nation. Only a constant sociates from Replacements, ate that.” stream of outgoing packages Ltd., the company that Bob Replacements was one of keeps the place from burstPage nurtured from a hobby the first companies to allow ing. to an internationally employees to bring their recognized source for pets to work. There’s a tableware and collectgym, an on-site clinic, ibles. intramural sports, and a Scott Fleming, who meditation room. worked his way up to “We really try to take become president of care of our employees,” Replacements in 2006, Fleming says. joined the company in GMA membership, 1983. He was employee he notes, is a way of ‘We really try to take care No. 17, and his first acknowledging the comof our employees. It’s like job was grinding small pany’s deep roots in the working with family.’ chips and imperfections Triad. Even though it out of crystal. now grosses $75 million – Scott Fleming President “I’ve done a little annually, it’s still conReplacements, Ltd. bit of everything,” sidered a small business says Fleming, who has by federal standards beevolved with the business cause it has fewer than 500 When Fleming walks over the years. Replaceemployees. through the warehouse, he ments joined GMA in 1987. “We’re a small business knows every employee by Today Fleming oversees on the larger side,” Fleming name, what they do, and how the privately held busithey do it. The average tenure says, “but still a small business that employs almost of employees is more than 14 ness, right here.” 390 people and is a landyears. More than 55 employ- Replacements, Ltd. mark for travelers passing ees have been with the com1089 Knox Road through Guilford County pany more than 20 years. McLeansville, N.C. on Interstate 40. “It’s like working with www.replacements.com Replacements’ public family,” Fleming says. (336) 697-3000 face is a 12,000-square-foot showroom where items range from inexpensive Christmas ornaments to silver items and other collectibles priced in the thousands of dollars. Sprawling behind the showroom is a warehouse What is Live2Lead? The Speakers brimming with more than A leader development experience 12 million items. Every day designed to equip you with new perspectives, practical tools, and key brings more from collectors, MEMBER Replacements, Ltd. President Scott Fleming and Whitney Follis, a multi-product specialist. She’s checking and categorizing recently acquired goods coming into the warehouse. The Replacements showroom, off I-40 east of Greensboro. OCT. 09. 2015 takeaways. You’ll breathe new life into your leadership during this halfday event. Learn from world-class leadership experts at this simulcast broadcast live from Duluth, GA. You will return to your office ready to implement your new action plan with renewed passion and commitment. The showroom is a destination for the curious as well as collectors. For questions or sponsorship opportunities contact: Ronald Graves rjaygraves@hotmail.com 336.905.9810 John C. Maxwell Leadership expert, coach, and author Valorie Burton Best-selling author, coach founder of CaPP Institute Patrick Lencioni Founder and president of The Table Group Event Information Foun When: Friday Oct. 9 from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm (EDT) Where: The Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering 2907 E. Gate City Blvd. (Lee St.) Greensboro, NC 27401 Kevin Turner Microsoft’s chief operating officer Hosted by In partnership with For more information and to register go to www.L2Lgreensboro.com 5 Maximizing your membership value is always our No. 1 priority G MA membership is comprised of a diverse cross-section of companies. From the largest employers in the Triad to a sole proprietor working out of her home, each member values GMA membership differently. For some, the educational opportunities – such as the Workplace Workshop series – more than pay for their membership dues; an unlimited number of employees can attend each workshop and benefit from nationally known motivational speakers. For others, the opportunity to attend a weekly networking group may be the preferred connection with GMA services. The wide variety of networking activities offered by GMA is a compelling factor for most members. Others find the social aspect of meeting people, volunteering and connecting with the community to be the driving force behind their participation. GMA is always searching for Prince ways to enhance the value of your membership dollar through adding and modifying services. Whether it is negotiating a discounted rate for advertisement to the High Point Furniture Market exhibitors, subsidizing ticket costs to events such as the Grasshoppers outing or GMA’s Annual Dinner, adding a fun new social event such as Race & Seek, or simply allowing members to park in the GMA employee lot during large downtown functions, GMA is constantly looking at ways to add value to your membership. Please do not hesitate to call or email me with your suggestions for new and creative ways GMA can work for you to optimize your time and investment. G. Mark Prince President & CEO Race & Seek: Form a team, join the fun A Hampton Inn/ Coliseum August 14, 2015 GMA members mingle and network in the lobby of the Hampton Inn/ Coliseum in Greensboro. Susan Russell, GMA vice president of sales, and Anthony Auman of College Hunks Moving. Richard Bober (left) of ComforCare Home Care Services and G. Mark Prince, GMA President and CEO. 6 Pat Fehlig (left) of College Funding Innovations and Will Bowman of Express Employment Professionals. GMA Vice President Michelle Bolick (left) and Alison Huber of Sprint, who served as emcee for awarding door prizes. Rachel Amelkin of Hampton Inn/Coliseum. re you up for some adventure? Feel like you could hold your own competing in “The Amazing Race” on TV? Here’s a way to satisfy those cravings without having to leave the Triad. It’s called Race & Seek, and it takes place on Friday, Oct. 16. This GMA-sponsored event pits teams of four against one another in a two-hour scramble of solving clues, taking selfies and visiting GMA member businesses. The two-hour event winds up at a networking social at a secret location. Teams of four may register for $100. Individuals may register for $25 and will be teamed with other GMA members. Race & Seek begins at GMA headquarters, where teams will decorate their vehicles, receive a list of clues, and then hit the road. The payoff includes prizes and stronger professional relationships. Visit mygma.org for a registration form or call 336-378-6350 for more information. Great customer service always hinges on ‘the little things’ E veryone has been on the receiving end and knows Laura Hamilton is right when she says, “It’s the little things that impact the customer.” Here’s a recent example from Hamilton, a professional speaker based in the Piedmont Triad who spends an inordinate amount of time on the road and living out of hotels. She was headed to a city for a repeat engagement and planned to stay at a favorite hotel there. But her sponsoring organization recommended that she stay at a brand new hotel. Very nice, they said. So Hamilton called to reserve a room and was promptly put on hold. After eight minutes, she says she gave up. She called the place where she’d stayed previously, where the reservation clerk treated her like a friend, and fulfilled, without being asked, the accommodations Hamilton prefers. That’s customer service, Hamilton says. “That is huge to me,” she explains. “The simplicity of the little things. That’s what I love.” Longtime GMA members who are Workplace Workshop regulars may remember Hamilton. She’s shared her insights several times over the years, bringing practical advice leavened with energy and good humor. She’s a hawk-eyed observ- Laura Hamilton er of people and events, finding examples of customer service – good and bad – every day. The Wyndham Championship in August demonstrated great customer service, she says, by anticipating a need and preparing adequately. Tournament management printed extra tickets as soon as it was confirmed that Tiger Woods would play for the first time in the Piedmont Triad tournament. Thousands of additional golf fans did indeed turn out to cheer on the legendary pro, and things were in place to make the experience enjoyable for all. “The tournament pulled it together and made it happen,” Hamilton says. “I watched in amazement.” Even Woods was impressed, using Twitter to express his appreciation. What happened at the Wyndham is a good example of non-verbal customer service, she says. Anticipating customer needs and expectations, and going the extra mile to ensure those expectations are not just met but exceeded. Laura Hamilton is, herself, an example of excellent customer service. It’s one reason ‘Customer Excellence: The Path to More Business’ with Laura Hamilton Thursday, October 15 Embassy Suites Hotel 204 Centreport Drive 7:30 a.m. refreshments 8–10:30 a.m. seminar Free for all employees of GMA member companies! Registration deadline: October 13 Call 378-6350 or register online at www.mygma.org Please let us know if you need additional services for employees with disabilities. she’s invited to return to inform and entertain GMA members. Scenes from August’s Workplace Workshop Traci Hart of Replacements Ltd. (left) won the door prize of $100, presented by GMA Vice President Michelle Bolick. Workshops often include audience participation. John Formica shared insights learned as a Walt Disney hospitality manager that can be applied to any business. GMA brings in professional speakers six times a year for Workplace Workshops, which are free for employees of member companies. GMA members filled the ballroom at Embassy Suites to hear John Formica’s tips on creating a magical business experience. 7 BERNARD ROBINSON & COMPANY 3RD ANNUAL FINANCIAL SYMPOSIUM Full Day of Relevant Information for Financial Executives. CPE & CLE Credits Available. $45 CPAs and Advisors Since 1947 Greensboro • Winston-Salem • Raleigh Sessions Include: • Local Game-Changing Economic Development Initiatives • Winning in a Highly Competitive Space • Economic Update - Connecting the Dots • Tax Update and Strategic Planning Advice Wide Reach l Solid Core l Deep Roots • IRS Audits - What You Need to Know to Avoid or Successfully Navigate Them • Best Practices in Accounting Departments • 8 Most Commonly Overlooked Internal Controls (More Details to Come) SAVE THE DATE NOW! REGISTRATION OPENS IN SEPTEMBER. GREENSBORO: TUES, OCT. 27, 2015 l 8am-5pm l Starmount Forest Country Club RALEIGH: THURS, OCT. 29, 2015 l 8am-5pm l North Ridge Country Club WINSTON-SALEM: TUES, NOV. 3, 2015 l 8am-5pm l Forsyth Country Club Visit www.brccpa.com/resources/brc-events/ For Event & Registration Updates Or To Sign Up For Our Newsletter! 8