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ED M O N D, O K LAH O MA
December 2015
VOL. 7 | NO. 12
INSIDE
2015
PUBLISHER Karan Ediger 405-341-2121 kediger@edmondsun.com SALES TEAM Terri Bohanan Maegan Newport Nancy Sade CONTRIBUTING Mike Crandall WRITERS AND Jim Denton PHOTOGRAPHERS Cyndy Hoenig Nick Massey Patty Miller Van Mitchell Tim Priebe Terri Schlichenmeyer Drew Harmon
Heard on Hurd
6
Jill Castilla, president and CEO of Citizens Bank of Edmond, says the Heard on Hurd street festival is designed to promote and celebrate all things local — local food, music, shops and boutiques.
Martial Arts Ministries
8
Blake and Rebekah Graham have a passion for teaching others about faith and the martial arts. So the husband and wife opened Martial Arts Ministries located at 1408 S. Fretz Ave., Suite 3. MAM’s mission is to protect the vulnerable places of the family by instilling both Biblical and martial arts principles simultaneously in families and individuals.
Breakfast on Boulevard
Karen Moore
9
Mickey Stufflebean grew up in a family that served others and says it was a natural fit for him to become involved with Breakfast on Boulevard or BOB in Edmond where he serves as the program moderator. Stufflebean, 73, says the program is serving more people than it ever has since its founding in 1990.
Endeavor Games
Miss your Business Times? Call 341-2121 to get on our mailing list. Thanks! The Business Times is a monthly publication of The Edmond Sun devoted to business in the Edmond area. All rights reserved. Copyright © December 2015.
10
Katrina Shaklee learned a lot about how to develop and grow athletic events while working at The Robertson Group. In 1998 she was diagnosed with MS and became interested in creating an event for athletes with physical disabilities. In 2000 Shaklee’s vision became a reality with the creation of the Endeavor Games hosted at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. December 2015 | The Business Times
3
from our Publisher
The Season of Giving
T
o our Readers: All of us have so much to be thankful for this year. That’s why the Business Times of Edmond and The Edmond Sun have spent this entire quarter giving back to community. The Edmond Sun has been proud to give back to Miles Against Melanoma OK, UCO@125 and with this issue of the Business Times of Edmond we will give back to the HOPE Center’s Samaritan fundraiser. Our team has written about some incredible organizations and people who give back to the community including Heard on Hurd, Martial Arts Ministry, Jena Nelson and Edmond North’s Theater and Music Department, Breakfast on Boulevard, University of Central Oklahoma’s Endeavor Games, and of course the HOPE Center of Edmond. As we close out 2015 we want to assure you that you have plenty to look forward to from our team in 2016. We will feature our annual Healthcare Issue in February, as well as introduce new businesses, salute women in business, take a closer look at LibertyFest and of course announce the new crop of Top 20 Under 40. There are plenty more topics we plan to feature and if you have ideas, please feel free to email me at kediger@edmondsun.com. Happy Holidays!
4
December 2015 | The Business Times
KARAN EDIGER is publisher of The Business Times of Edmond and The Edmond Sun.
By Van Mitchell Special to The Business Times
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December 2015 | The Business Times
J
ill Castilla, president and CEO of Citizens Bank of Edmond, says the Heard on Hurd street festival is designed to promote and celebrate all things local — local food, music, shops and boutiques. It’s also an opportunity for friends, family and neighbors in Edmond and throughout the Oklahoma City metro area to spend time together outside enjoying live music, great food and shopping. Castilla said the street festival started in 2014 as a way for Citizens Bank to give back to the Edmond community for its continued support. It first started from Hurd to Main on Broadway but has since expanded in July to Hurd on First Street due to increase in attendance. “With our involvement in H&8th, we started to have our community ask for something similar in Edmond, and they naturally turned to us to make it happen,” Castilla said. “We couldn’t resist the opportunity to curate an event that combined local music, shopping and food with the local banking spirit. Enter Heard on Hurd, a monthly street festival happening every third Saturday from March through October in downtown Edmond.” Ann Chen, senior marketing officer for Citizens Bank, said Castilla is dedicated to giving back to the community. “Heard on Hurd was the brainchild of Jill,” Chen said. “She is always an outside of the box thinker and Heard on Hurd is one of those outside the box things. We are a community bank and we want to show the community that we are not just the bank down the street. We want to create a vibrant community atmosphere and thus the creation of Heard of Hurd.” Castilla said when naming the festival, she knew it needed to be something unique.
“When brainstorming about the name, it was typical for one to associate music with Broadway, our main north/south street going through Edmond,” Castilla said. “But we didn’t want to be typical. The vision and our bank stands for the underdog so we picked Hurd Street to name our festival after. It’s a massive undertaking but we, as the local community bank, have decided to take on this event to bring people to Edmond. Through talking to community leaders and members, we sensed that it was time to bring this type of festival to downtown to inject new life to the community. Folks could get a chance to listen to live music, eat local food and also check out what Edmond has to offer.” The full eight-month season of Heard on Hurd from March to October this year drew more than 100,000 attendees to downtown Edmond and generated more than $2.6 million to the local economy. Event attendees also made a positive impact on the environment by generating more than 100 bags of recycling. Citizens Bank of Edmond puts on the event for the community with no financial gain. Fifteen percent of Heard on Hurd alcohol, sold by The Patriarch and Bricktown Brewery, and T-shirt proceeds, sold by Tack Designs, benefited the Edmond Public Schools Foundation. The donation of $7,000 was revealed at the final Heard on Hurd. “It’s part of who we are,” Castilla said. “Our bank literally started by the ‘citizens’ of ‘Edmond’ coming together to support one another’s financial needs. As a community bank, if the community succeeds, then everyone succeeds. It’s in our best interest to help our neighbors, the small businesses downtown and the unique organizations in Edmond win in everything that
they do. As a community bank, we are intricately tied to how our community is doing.” Castilla said employees at the bank volunteer their time to help with the festival. “Our employees are part of the reason for the success of Heard on Hurd,” Castilla said. “Without their countless hours, sacrifice and sweat equity, we would not be where we are today with the event. They tirelessly give of their creativity, time and knowledge to help behind the scenes, and I’m truly amazed at how our team can pull this event off every single month. Citizens Bank of Edmond has been involved in the community for more than a century, and that fact remains true today. We are not the type to write a check and call it a day. Our employees are willing to commit their time and resources to help in any way they can, and it is deeply instilled in the soul of our community bank. That’s the difference when you bank local; you’re supporting community.” Chen said more than 100 volunteers gave their time, skills and resources to make Heard on Hurd successful. While the majority of volunteers are Citizens Bank of Edmond employees, several other groups including University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond Public Schools Foundation and Oklahoma Christian University members also help in making the event possible. “Being a volunteer at Heard on Hurd has been an extremely rewarding experience for me as an employee,” said Aimee Yarbrough, vice president of loan document preparation at Citizens Bank of Edmond. “Volunteerism and being involved in the community is something that is in the fabric of the bank and Heard on Hurd is the culmination of everything we stand for. I’m proud to say that I’m a part of that.” Chen concurred. “It is the culture here,” she said. “We emphasize the importance of community. That is deeply rooted in who we are. We knew they would be actively ready to jump on board because our employees are really good at it.” Local food trucks and pop-up shops continued their strong support for Heard on Hurd and were excited to be part of the end of season event.
“Our restaurant is located in Edmond and we are so glad to be able to bring our food to Heard on Hurd to show off what Edmond has to offer,” said Let’s Do Greek owners Marsha and Gleen Aguilar. “Our team had an amazing time at the season closer.” Castilla said she thought the festival would be popular but didn’t expect it to grow as quickly as it did. “We’ve tried to not have expectations about attendance when creating the event and instead focused on a good experience for all involved including attendees, vendors and musicians,” Castilla said. “We went from about 3,000 people at our first September 2014 event to 20,000 at our last season closer of 2015 in October. During the span of the 2015 season, Heard on Hurd has brought more than 100,000 to the streets of Edmond and it is quite the staggering number to behold. Seeing the community coming together and people having a great time is really rewarding for us. Also, the social media conversation and the fact that we’ve had so many ask to feature the event in different mediums is truly an honor. We are excited to see this event organically evolve.” Chen said she believes that growth will continue with the 2016 festival. “We want to keep raising bar,” she said. “We want to see what we can do to make it better.” Castilla said she hopes the success of Heard on Hurd will be replicated in other communities across the state and nation. “Our vision is that Heard on Hurd continues to reinforce the sense of community that makes Edmond unique and feeding the ‘soul’ of our town, downtown Edmond,” Castilla said. “On a national scale, we hope that festivals like Heard on Hurd will be able to inspire more movements around the country. Social media is a great tool that brings awareness and fans to talk about local. We’ve seen an explosion of activity about Heard on Hurd and hope that eat, shop, bank local catches on nationally. We hope our customers will continue to feel the pride of providing such a wonderful community gathering through Citizens Bank of Edmond.” December 2015 | The Business Times
7
Martial Arts Ministries By Van Mitchell | Special to The Business Times
B
lake and Rebekah Graham have a passion for teaching others about faith and the martial arts. So the husband and wife opened Martial Arts Ministries located at 1408 S. Fretz Ave., Suite 3. MAM’s mission is to protect the vulnerable places of the family by instilling both Biblical and martial arts principles simultaneously in families and individuals. According to the MAM website Martial Arts Ministries’ offers classes for children as young as three years old to adults of all ages. Every student will learn focus, discipline, and self-control while learning martial arts in a Christian facility. “We desire to teach students of all ages martial arts in an environment that is positive and challenging,” said Blake Graham, owner/head instructor. “Life skills are taught along with martial arts to better each student as a whole.” Graham said they opened MAM in 2008. “We began with just a handful of families and it quickly grew,” he said. “We out grew our original location (a church classroom) by December 2008.” Classes are held Monday through Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. Graham said they have special events some Friday evenings and offer birthday parties on the weekends He said every student is encouraged to attend two to three classes per week. “Our tuition cost is significantly less than the competitive (forprofit) schools in Edmond,” Graham said. “We are set up similar to the YMCA in our business model. We are a registered 501c3 non-profit, so we have some students on scholarship programs that are covered by donations.” Rebekah Graham said MAM’s enrollment has steadily grown. “We have had lots of students over the years, but we currently have 75 enrolled,” she said. “We have promoted three students to black belt (a five plus year process) and have six eligible in the next year. “We have seen the ups and downs of business. We are currently seeing growth and anticipate that it will continue.” Graham said they try to offer new classes when possible. “We have recently added an adult only program, and we would love to see this program develop into a larger part of our ministry,” Graham said. “Also, Bekah would like to offer more women’s self-protection classes both at the school and to local businesses, schools and churches.” 8
December 2015 | The Business Times
Graham said it is empowering to watch students grow in both their marital arts skills and faith. “To see each student grow individually in martial arts and in their faith is something not many people get to witness,” he said. “We often have students start their training in elementary school, and we have the opportunity to guide them, along with their parents, through their most challenging years of middle school and high school.” For more information, visit www.maministries.com or email maministries.tkd@gmail.com.
“They had a simple rule. If they come, we serve. We don’t ask questions.”
By Van Mitchell | Special to The Business Times
M
ickey Stufflebean grew up in a family that served others and says it was a natural fit for him to become involved with Breakfast on Boulevard or BOB in Edmond where he serves as the program moderator. Stufflebean, 73, says the program is serving more people than it ever has since its founding in 1990. The mission of BOB is to serve all who are hungry. In the first year of the program, about 3,000 meals were served and today the program averages serving about 2,300 meals a month. In October the program served 2,610 meals or about 118 meals per day. “It’s not much different today than it was 25 years ago in terms of the setup of the program,” Stufflebean said. “The numbers are much different but the need is still there.” On May 7, 1990, Carole Roberts and Patty McKibbon began Breakfast on Boulevard, based on a similar program in Ponca City. A community program, the program is hosted at the First Christian Church of Edmond, financed by donations and run by volunteers from 6-7 different churches. “These two ladies decided that they wanted to start this,” Stufflebean said. “They had a simple rule. If they come we serve. We don’t ask questions.” Stufflebean said on the first day of the program, only one person showed up. “The first day we had one person come who was a young man from the college (University of Central Oklahoma),” he said. “That started it.” Stufflebean said it takes about 100 volunteers a month to run BOB. Volunteers arrive early at 5:30 a.m. to start preparing food. Though breakfast doesn’t officially start until 6:30, there are often people who come earlier. Breakfast runs from 6:30 to 7:15 a.m. Monday through Friday.
“We serve breakfast and we also provide a sack lunch,” said Stufflebean. “We serve a different breakfast every day. In the sack lunch they get two sandwiches, apples and two cookies. They get two sandwiches because that way it can be stretched to dinner(s).” Those who come are allowed up to six meals, Stufflebean said. “If they ask for six, they get six meals,” Stufflebean said. Stufflebean said breakfast features a different specialty every day: pancakes and sausage on Monday, eggs and ham on Tuesday, French toast and sausage on Wednesday, biscuits and gravy on Thursday, and eggs with ham and vegetables on Friday. Lunch also includes a Bible verse as a way to provide comfort to those in need. Stufflebean said the program’s expenses in 2014 was $50,900 and expenses in 2015 is expected to be about $54,000. The program relies heavily on volunteers and donations from the community. “The people of Edmond reach out to help this program,” he said. “I am grateful for the churches and volunteers and people who have made donations through the years that have made this possible.” Stufflebean is leaving his post as program moderator, saying it was time for someone else to lead. He added he will continue to stay involved with the program he loves. “My parents served and I was just raised with it and it came naturally to me,” he said. “I have no intention of leaving (the program). I will continue to be here to help any way I can.” Contributions for Breakfast on Boulevard can be made to First Christian Church, Attn: BOB, P.O. Box 3548, Edmond, OK 73083. For more information call Stufflebean at 341-4742 or the First Christian Church of Edmond at 341-3544.
December 2015 | The Business Times
9
By Van Mitchell | Special to The Business Times
K
atrina Shaklee learned a lot about how to develop and grow athletic events while working at The Robertson Group, an Oklahoma City advertising agency that put on the Sooner State Games. In 1998 she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and became interested in creating an event for athletes with physical disabilities. In 2000, Shaklee’s vision became a reality with the creation of the Endeavor Games hosted at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. “The more we looked into it, the more we decided we wanted to pursue something like that,” said Shaklee, executive director of the UCO Wellness Center. “In January 2000 we started working on creating a non-profit called The Sports Group, and by June we were hosting our first Endeavor Games. After the first year we knew we wanted to make it an annual event.” The UCO Endeavor Games is the largest multi-sport, multidisability event in the United States. Over 300 athletes with physical disabilities come to Edmond each June to participate in 11 sports over a span of four days. This coming June will mark the 17th year of competition, which features novice and elite athletes and Paralympic team members of all ages. The Endeavor Games will be held June 9-12, 2016. According to Director of Marketing and Development for Student Affairs Ryan Siler, there were 304 athletes participating and over 350 volunteers helping out during the games last summer. The UCO Endeavor Games is a nationally recognized competition that allows all athletes with physical disabilities to participate in a multi-sport event. The games also provide training clinics for aspiring athletes. The largest event is track and field and other sports include ParaTriathlon which is a sprint distance event, powerlifting, 20k, 5k cycling, soccer, archery, swimming, wheelchair basketball, shooting, sitting volleyball and table tennis. 10
December 2015 | The Business Times
All activities are held in Edmond at the University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond North High School, Mitch Park YMCA, Pop’s Restaurant, Edmond Soccer Club or the Lake Arcadia Outdoor Adventure Recreation Center. Katrina Carr from Mineola, Texas, traveled to the Endeavor Games to watch her daughters Ryanne, 12, and Rina, 8, compete. “Our daughters have learned so much from participating in the Endeavor Games, it is difficult to summarize the impact this event has had on our family,” Carr said. “We have made friendships that will last a life time, all while our girls learn more about perseverance, determination, and sportsmanship. Truly, these Games have helped to change our daughters from timid little girls to tenacious young athletes.” Shaklee said The Sports Group operated the games the first three years before UCO approached her about the university taking it over. “We couldn’t have done half the things we have done without their (UCO) support,” she said. Shaklee said the games have also been strongly supported by the Edmond community. “We have great support from the City of Edmond and the Edmond Visitors and Convention Bureau,” she said. “The Edmond Sun is also a sponsor for us. The city has really embraced us. We are so fortunate that we started this in Edmond. They have made this part of their own.” Shaklee also played a part in helping UCO become a U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Site. UCO has extended its relationship with the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) by becoming an official community partner promoting the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movements. Central will host national and international events, promote USOC sport outreach initiatives and support sanctioned programs and sports as part of the new partnership.
UCO also is an official U.S. Olympic and Paralympic training site and is the host training site for men’s and women’s sitting volleyball. Currently, Central hosts resident athletes in the Paralympic sports of sitting volleyball, archery, track and field, powerlifting and the Olympic sport of taekwondo. Shaklee said the Endeavor Games are organized through a strong team from the UCO Wellness Center. She said the goal is to continue growing and improving the games. “The growth has been fantastic,” she said. “We want to continue to grow the event. We are looking at growing the games to be broader than Edmond. We are talking with other groups outside of Oklahoma interested in taking that on. That is a huge goal.” Shaklee said the Endeavor Games have become a family affair for her. “My kids have grown up on it and my husband still does the public address at track and field” she said. “It is a family event. It has become part of who I am.” Shaklee said her favorite part of the games is seeing the athletes succeed. “It gives me a great feeling that we were able to create this event for folks who can do anything that anybody else does but just do it a little differently,” she said.
December 2015 | The Business Times
11
By Van Mitchell | Special to The Business Times
C
hris Sperry, executive director, says the past few months have been busier than normal at the HOPE Center of Edmond with an influx of people seeking assistance. And with the holidays and colder weather arriving those numbers could increase. “There has been a steady increase in the number of people that we serve,” Sperry said. “There has been an increase in the number of people that continue to be unemployed or underemployed and just can’t get ahead or keep up.” Sperry said in both August and September the HOPE Center provided assistance to more than 700 families. “That is a record number,” Sperry said. “We average between 500 and 550 families a month. That was a significant jump in people asking for service. “ The HOPE Center (Helping Our People in Emergencies) was organized in April, 1984 to meet a community need for a central agency to provide social services. The Center was developed by the Edmond Ministerial Alliance, an interdenominational council of churches, with volunteers and a grant from the Edmond’s Women’s Club. The purpose of the HOPE Center is to meet the basic needs of members in the Edmond Community. Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to noon Friday. Sperry, who has been executive director for about eight years, said those who qualify can receive help with food, clothing, rent, utility assistance, prescriptions and transportation needs. 12
December 2015 | The Business Times
She said individuals or families seeking assistance must be able to show proof of residence with an Edmond or Arcadia zip code. “You have to have an Edmond or Arcadia zip code to receive services,” she said. “We are providing emergency assistance to people with basic needs like food or clothing or seeking financial assistance.” Each week around 200 volunteers rotate shifts and assist staff. They are members of churches, scout groups, university clubs, social clubs and service clubs; high school students, college students, housewives and retirees. “We absolutely rely on volunteers,” Sperry said. “They do our reception work. They run our food and clothing room and our resale store. They do everything. We couldn’t operate without volunteers.” The HOPE Center is funded through private donations and grants with its only fundraising activity each year being the Samaritan Fund Drive sponsored by The Edmond Sun in December. Sperry said many of the area churches contribute regularly and the center also applies for grants whenever possible.
HOPE Helping Our People in Emergencies The only other regular source of funding for the Center is HOPEfully Yours, its resale shop located at 908 N. Broadway Avenue. “Clothing and household items that aren’t needed for clients are sold and the proceeds are used to help fund our prenatal clinic and purchase fresh food items for our food pantry,” Sperry said. Sperry said Edmond is known as a community with a strong economy and great school system and that sometimes creates the wrong perception about its community needs. “There is a perception that there isn’t a need in Edmond, but I think people who have needs work very hard to hide it or at least try to blend in,” she said. “There is a significant need.” Since 1990 the HOPE Center Health Clinic has been able to assist thousands of women and children by enhancing their knowledge and use of nutrition education. The HOPE Center Health Clinic was established in 1990 to assist in providing prenatal care for uninsured women in the Edmond community, who would otherwise be without. WIC services were added in 1993 to help meet the nutrition needs of women, along with their infants and young children. The WIC program was started in the 1960’s to help fill the void of nutritionally at risk women and their children. The program serves pregnant women, postpartum women and children birth through age 5. A dual program, WIC provides supplemental food assistance as well as nutrition and breastfeeding counseling. In the past year, the HOPE Center Health Clinic held 18,457 appointments. At these appointments, participants were given oneon-one, in depth nutrition counseling. “It (WIC) is a wonderful program,” Sperry said. As part of receiving assistance from the WIC program, mothers are required to attend classes concerning topics that include breastfeeding, proper nutrition and physical activity needs for both mother and child. Sperry said the holidays can be especially hard financially and emotionally for families. She said the HOPE Center’s Christmas program Adopt a Family is currently underway. “We just started accepting applications from clients who would like assistance at Christmas,” she said. “Sponsors sign up to buy gifts and toys for the children and provide groceries for Christmas dinner. Last year we had 419 families that received assistance.” Sperry, who began as a volunteer, said getting a person to seek help is sometimes the hardest step to take. “The hardest thing to do is to come in and ask for help,” she said. “And for some of our clients it is an overwhelming experience. It is really important that everyone who walks in the door is greeted with a smile and a kind word.” Sperry said she enjoys coming to work each day because she knows the HOPE Center is making a difference. “I love what I do,” she said. “Every day I get to know we have done something that makes a difference in a person’s life.” For more information about the HOPE Center call 348-4680.
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December 2015 | The Business Times
13
Edmond North High School
Gives Back By Van Mitchell | Special to The Business Times
J
ena Nelson worked professionally as a director and casting agent for a number of years in the theater/entertainment industry but realized something was missing for her. So the Broken Bow native switched gears and decided to head into the classroom to teach theater and performing arts at the high school level. Today she serves as the head of the Edmond North High School theater and performing arts program. This is her fifth year at the school and was last year’s Edmond North Teacher of the Year. “I started out working professionally directing and working as a casting agent and was getting a little burned out from the business,” Nelson said. “I started volunteering with some inner-city kids in an after-school program. I absolutely fell in love with it and started thinking that this is something that I might want to do.” Nelson started teaching at Baton Rough, La. She taught at various sites across the country before coming back to Oklahoma and opening an acting academy. She later taught at Putnam City before moving to Edmond where her children attend school. “It was hard to leave Putnam City, but I wanted to be closer to home where my kids go to school,” she said. During her tenure at Edmond North, Nelson’s students have gone on to earn approximately $3,527,368 in theater/performing arts college scholarships. In 2015 her students have earned $1,045,368 in theater/performing arts scholarships. Currently seven Edmond North graduates are enrolled at Northwestern State University of Louisiana (six of which are freshmen this fall). NSU is Nelson’s alma mater. “It is fantastic,” she said. “I am very proud that I can send students to my alma mater. I know they are going to do very well there. They are getting to go to school because of this.” The 2015-16 production schedule for Edmond North’s theater/ performing arts program include: “Wonderland” which written specifically for Nelson and her students. Performance dates were Nov. 19-21, Musical Theater/Jazz Band Pops Concert, Dec. 14; 14
December 2015 | The Business Times
“Pippin,” at 7 p.m. March 3, 4, & 5 and “Dark of the Moon” in August 2016. “We do the shows that we enjoy,” Nelson said. “We do the shows that we are passionate about.” Nelson has been invited twice to the American High School Theater Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. She is now an ambassador for the AHST. Nelson was invited to teach at the International Music Festival in Campina Grande, Brazil in 2014. She has also brought in Broadway stars, and award winning directors to work with the North students. This year there will be visitors from the film industry to give workshops. Nelson said normally schools have to apply to attend the festival in Scotland but event organizers were impressed enough with her students that they received a phone call inviting them back.
“This time around we got a call from them and said they wanted us to come back,” she said. “They love what our kids do and how professional they are. They love the energy that they have.” There will be 33 students attending the festival, and Nelson said she is working on various fundraising opportunities to help defray some of the costs. Nelson said her students learn a variety of skills while in the Edmond North program including how to build stage sets, lighting and all the inner workings of making a production run. “The students built the sets,” Nelson said. “It gives them a sense of pride and ownership with it.” Theatre and performing arts’ budgets are being slashed across the country and Nelson knows that she has to make every effort for her students and program to succeed. “Our (school) budget as a whole was cut 30 percent this year,” Nelson said. “I know that I have to work harder because this is an elective (class). There is no magic budget that is turned over to us. We sell sponsorships in our playbills and our tickets. If we don’t have people come and see our shows then we don’t have a department. (Fortunately) Edmond values the arts. You see it in our community with our artwork and our presentations of music and band. There is an investment in the arts.” Nelson said she loves her job, and one of her greatest joys is seeing the passion that her students have about the arts and their future. “When you see a kid that maybe so many people in society have given up on and you see they are involved in this and it completely changes their life,” she said. “I have had kids go from parole officers to college scholarships. They bought into the program and they realized that this is something that can change their lives. They love the discipline that comes with it. They find a family here.”
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WE SHARE THE DOGWOOD. NOW WE SHARE A NAME. ONB Bank is now Central Bank of Oklahoma. For more than 10 years, we have been a member of the Central Bancompany family of banks. Adopting the Central Bank name is a natural progression as our family continues to grow and thrive. Our new name strengthens our connection with more than 140 locations throughout the region, where you will now have access to your accounts. Though we share a name, our bank maintains local decision-making authority; a business model that has stood the test of time. Rest assured that our ownership and people will remain the same, and our commitment to quality service continues to be our highest priority.
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December 2015 | The Business Times
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October 2015 Home Sales Statistics
T
he Edmond Board of REALTORS® (EBR) home sales statistics for October 2015 are now available online at http://www.edmondrealtors.com/stats. The statistics provided are published monthly by EBR based on MLSOK multiple listing service data. The statistics are based on residential properties in the City of Edmond. Overall, median prices increased and days on the market increased. The listed versus closed ratio finished weak this month. The total housing inventory at the end of October 2015, increased 11.50 percent to 1,357 existing homes available for sale. Our market experienced some upward momentum with the increase of Median price this month. Prices went up 11.85 percent in October to $249,950 versus the previous year at $223,464. The median days on market has increased to 28.50 in October compared to last year’s 23 percent. For comments on the statistics, contact EBR President Area Delimited by City Of Edmond by City Of Edmond Patricia Ayling, 348-3032. Residential Property Type l Property Type The Edmond Board of REALTORS was established in 1947 and currently represents over 650 REALTOR members and 115 Affiliate OCTOBER members serving the Market Edmond area. Absorption: Last 12 months, an Average of 329 Sales/Month Activity
ber 2015
les/Month
October 2015
OCTOBER Active Inventory as of October 31, 2015Market = 1,357
Activity
Closed Listings Listings 2014 Pending2015 +/-% New Listings 352Median List276 Price -21.59% Price -9.78% 317Median Sale 286 Percent of List Price to Selling Price 460Median 523 13.70% Median Days on Market to Sale 229,450End 250,000 8.96% of Month Inventory Supply of Inventory 223,464Months 249,950 11.85% Closed (13.07%)
2014
2015
+/-%
352 317 460 229,450 223,464 98.91% 23.00 1,217 3.67
276 286 523 250,000 249,950 98.63% 28.50 1,357 4.13
-21.59% -9.78% 13.70% 8.96% 11.85% -0.28% 23.91% 11.50% 12.46%
Do You Have Documents Waiting to be Shredded? We Have Your Solution!
98.91% 98.63% -0.28% Pending (13.55%) 23.00 28.50 23.91% Other OffMarket (9.10%) 1,217 1,357 11.50% Active (64.28%) 3.67Data from 4.13 12.46% Reliable, the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of REALTORS®
Apply Today... Closed (13.07%) Pending (13.55%) Other OffMarket (9.10%) Active (64.28%)
The City of Edmond is now accepting Monthly Inventory Analysis applications for full-time, part-time Quality Report Produced on: Nov 06, 2015 and seasonal positions. Analysis Wrap-Up What's in this Issue Report Produced on: Nov 06, 2015
ory Analysis
On-Site Closed Listings 1 Shredding Pending Listings 2 ciation of REALTORS®The total housing inventory at the end of October 2015 rose Services Visit us on the3 web today at New Listings 11.50% to 1,357 existing homes available for sale. Over the last 12 months this area has had an average of 329 closed 4 aInventory per month. This an unsold of We are Sosales Confident thatrepresents You Will Loveinventory indexfrom Months Supply of Inventory 5 4.13 MSI for thisWhat's period. in this Issue LocalMedian Days on Market to Sale 6 Our Service, that We Will Offer You Median Sale Prices Going Up Median List Price at Closing 7 Company Closed Listings 1 359-4648 City of Edmond Jobline According to the preliminary trends, this market area has Median Sale Price at Closing 8 experienced some upward momentum with the increase of Can Pending Listings 2 You 2015 rose Median Percent of List Price to Selling Price 9 Median Price this month. Prices went up 11.85% in October New Listings 3 Over the Summary 10 2015 to $249,950 versus the previous year at $223,464. TrustMarket
329 closed ry index of
area has ncrease of n October 64.
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Months Supply of Inventory (MSI) Increases
edmondok.com/careers
FIRST MONTH FREE!!! Inventory Median Days on Market Lengthens
*12 Month Agreement Required
MonthsTheSupply of Inventory median number of 28.50 days that homes spent on the market before selling increased by 5.50 days or 23.91% in MedianOctober Days2015 on compared MarkettotolastSale yearʼs same month at 23.00 MedianDOM. List Price at Closing October 2015 is Positive MedianSales SaleSuccess Price for at Closing with Median Prices going up and Days on Market MedianOverall, Percent of List Price to Selling Price increasing, the Listed versus Closed Ratio finished weak this Marketmonth. Summary
Call 405-478-1234 for Your FREE Quote!
www.MidconShredding.com There were 523 New Listings in October 2015, up 13.70% from
Estate is were Local last year at 460.Real Furthermore, 276 Closed Listings 401 W. 33rd St. • Edmond, OKthere 73013 this month versus last year at 352, a -21.59% decrease. Closed versus ListedConsult trends yielded a 52.8% ratio, down from Consumers Should with a REALTOR®
4 Real Estate is Local 5 Consumers Should Consult with a REALTOR® ® 6 Buying or selling real estate, for a majority of consumers, is 7 of the most important decisions they will make. Choosing a one real estate professional continues to be a vital part of this 8 process. 9 Identify a Professional to Manage the Procedure 10 REALTORS® are well-informed about critical factors that affect your specific market area - such as changes in market conditions, consumer attitudes and interest rates.
The City of Edmond is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Are You Ready to Buy or Sell Real Estate? Contact an experienced REALTOR®
last yearʼs | The October December 2015 Business2015 Timesat 76.5%, a 31.04% downswing. This pressure for on ana increasing Supply Buying will or certainly selling create real estate, majorityMonthʼs of consumers, is MLSOK of Inventory (MSI) in the following months to come. one of the most important decisions they will make. Choosing a Office: real estate professional continues to be a vital part of this Phone:405-840-1493
October 2015
Area Delimited by City Of Edmond Residential Property Type
OCTOBER
Absorption: Last 12 months, an Average of 329 Sales/Month Active Inventory as of October 31, 2015 = 1,357 Closed Listings Pending Listings New Listings Median List Price Median Sale Price Median Percent of List Price to Selling Price Median Days on Market to Sale End of Month Inventory Months Supply of Inventory
Market Activity
2014
2015
+/-%
352 317 460 229,450 223,464 98.91% 23.00 1,217 3.67
276 286 523 250,000 249,950 98.63% 28.50 1,357 4.13
-21.59% -9.78% 13.70% 8.96% 11.85% -0.28% 23.91% 11.50% 12.46%
Monthly Inventory Analysis
Closed (13.07%) Pending (13.55%) Other OffMarket (9.10%) Active (64.28%)
Report Produced on: Nov 06, 2015
Data from the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of REALTORS® Analysis Wrap-Up Months Supply of Inventory (MSI) Increases The total housing inventory at the end of October 2015 rose 11.50% to 1,357 existing homes available for sale. Over the last 12 months this area has had an average of 329 closed sales per month. This represents an unsold inventory index of 4.13 MSI for this period.
Median Sale Prices Going Up According to the preliminary trends, this market area has experienced some upward momentum with the increase of Median Price this month. Prices went up 11.85% in October 2015 to $249,950 versus the previous year at $223,464.
Median Days on Market Lengthens The median number of 28.50 days that homes spent on the market before selling increased by 5.50 days or 23.91% in October 2015 compared to last yearʼs same month at 23.00 DOM.
Sales Success for October 2015 is Positive Overall, with Median Prices going up and Days on Market increasing, the Listed versus Closed Ratio finished weak this month. There were 523 New Listings in October 2015, up 13.70% from last year at 460. Furthermore, there were 276 Closed Listings this month versus last year at 352, a -21.59% decrease. Closed versus Listed trends yielded a 52.8% ratio, down from last yearʼs October 2015 at 76.5%, a 31.04% downswing. This will certainly create pressure on an increasing Monthʼs Supply of Inventory (MSI) in the following months to come.
What's in this Issue Closed Listings Pending Listings New Listings Inventory Months Supply of Inventory Median Days on Market to Sale Median List Price at Closing Median Sale Price at Closing Median Percent of List Price to Selling Price Market Summary
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Real Estate is Local Consumers Should Consult with a REALTOR® Buying or selling real estate, for a majority of consumers, is one of the most important decisions they will make. Choosing a real estate professional continues to be a vital part of this process.
Identify a Professional to Manage the Procedure REALTORS® are well-informed about critical factors that affect your specific market area - such as changes in market conditions, consumer attitudes and interest rates.
Are You Ready to Buy or Sell Real Estate? Contact an experienced REALTOR®
MLSOK Office: Phone: 405-840-1493 Email: bgaither@okcmar.org
Reports produced and compiled by RE STATS Inc. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Does not reflect all market activity.
December 2015 | The Business Times
17
business matters
Nick Massey Astute Investor
Did the Fed Save or Ruin the Economy?
B
eing a product of the 60s and 70s, when we Baby Boomers were protesting and rebelling against authority and conventional thinking, I still have a natural negative reaction when people in their ivory towers tell me how things should be. This is especially so when they are people who have not spent much time in the real world outside academia. In my opinion, Ben Bernanke is one such person. As the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, he headed up the Fed during one of the worst crises of all times. Not only did he not see it coming, I think he made it worse by pursuing reckless policies that have led to the worst economic recovery in 70 years. Just before the 2008 collapse that took down everyone from the average investor to Lehman Brothers, the Federal Reserve was talking about “green shoots” recovery propaganda. Just prior to that it was the “Goldilocks Economy.” Neither too hot nor too cold. Then wham!! Stock prices collapsed and so did housing. Didn’t see it coming, did you, Ben? I still recall Uncle
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December 2015 | The Business Times
Ben telling us in 2007, regarding subprime loans, that the problem was “contained.” So when Bernanke recently wrote a piece for the Wall Street Journal titled “How the Fed Saved the Economy,” I couldn’t help but wonder: “Does this guy live in the real world?” The suggestion is that the Fed saved us all from disaster. While I will concede that they had to take drastic action in late 2008, praising Ben is a little like giving a medal to an arsonist for putting out the fire that he started. He says the economy has nearly reached full employment. So why are everyday Americans still struggling to find good paying jobs? Sure, the unemployment rate is 5.1 percent, but the labor force participation rate is the lowest in 38 years! And real household incomes are down double digits over the last 15 years. Then he says that inflation is low?! Have you been to the grocery store lately? (My wife will tell you that I haven’t, which is true; but I hear about it from a reliable source — her.) The price of nearly everything has skyrocketed. Oh, that’s
right, the Federal Reserve doesn’t include commodities like food and energy in the inflation rate. You know, just the stuff we use every day to live. Since he has no credibility in recognizing and taking action to curb the crisis in the first place, I’m not sure why anyone cares what he thinks anyway. He should go back to his ivory tower and write books for other would-be “intellectuals.” Thanks for reading. NICK MASSEY is a financial advisor and president of Householder Group Financial Advisors in Edmond, OK. Nick can be reached at www.nickmassey.com. Investment advice offered through Householder Group Estate and Retirement Specialists, a registered investment advisor.
2015
Charles and Julia Wolfe, Justin Marshall and Kallye Belle
Melissa Craft, Wendy Bond and Jo Leonard
Maverick Chasteen and Tatum McLean
Andy and John Chasteen, Mr. and Mrs. Jon Mitchell and Becky and Maverick Chasteen
Roger and Carussa Pennington
Mr. and Mrs. Whitton and Elizabeth
Russell and Ashley Fahr
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Tresur Tippeconnic, Sydney Connelly, Baye Mayberry and Grayson Shimmels
Susan Boger, Lisa Holub, Mackenzie Holub, Aubrey Ruttman, Samantha Barnell, Kayden Prange and Vickie Weigel December 2015 | The Business Times
19
Business matters
Mike Crandall P rofessional Growth S olutions
Why Motivation is SO Hard
L
et’s face it, motivation, or motivating others is hard — especially if they are employees of yours. One of the most common things I hear from business leaders is “Our people just need to be motivated,” or some version of this. Now, in all honesty this may be a true statement, however even if it is — this is only a tiny portion of the issue or challenge. Every year businesses and their leaders spend several billion dollars, and countless hours trying to motivate their people. This is true in the for profit business community and also in the non-profit organizational community. The vast majority of the time, the leaders who make the decision to make the investment for this are partially or totally disappointed. “Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results,” (also known as the definition of insanity) is a phrase you likely have heard. It gets used frequently in our world today. This is exactly what happens with most organizations when it comes to motivation and motivating their employees. Recently, I was contacted by a large company to see if I would come deliver a key note talk at their annual meeting. “When I asked them what they wanted to accomplish by having me talk, they said “We just need you to motivate our people.” Of course I asked
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December 2015 | The Business Times
some follow-up questions to learn more. In doing so I learned that over the last several years they have had both an annual meeting company-wide meeting, and several smaller regional team meetings. At each one they brought in an outside speaker to motivate everyone. When I asked how it was working the person on the phone laughed and shared how she thought it was a crazy waste of time, energy, and money. However it was what the CEO wanted. Later I was able to visit with the CEO, he shared that this situation of always bringing in someone to motivate everyone was the norm, event before he became CEO. As we talked further, he also admitted it seemed to be foolish. He was conditioned in his business career that this is just the way it is. He went on to share that he knew it did not work, but had no idea what else to try. He was actually very frustrated that it seemed to be such a waste of time, energy, and money every year. Now, you may think this is a unique, one off conversation. However, I need to let you know I have this conversation almost every week with business owners / leaders. They often share they have no clue how to motivate their people for long-term success. Instead they embrace the long-standing notion that a pep-rally is the key. Pep-rallies were great to help the football team get
pumped up for the game on Friday night. However if you recall, they did it before every game, not just once a year. However, in the corporate world, they think doing it once a year works. The true key to understanding motivation starts with understanding people, and that has to start with understanding yourself and your own motivators. Then figuring out that each person has different motivators, and that the vast majority of them come from within, not from the outside. The good news is, there are many ways you can learn to get better at this. Next month we will go deeper into this topic of understanding and getting better at motivation and motivating others. MIKE CRANDALL lives in Edmond. He is a consultant, coach, trainer and speaker focused on sales, management and leadership development for proactive business growth. He can be reached via email at mike.crandall@sandler.com or by phone at 844-1700. For more information, go online to www.customgrowth.sandler.com
business matters
JIM Denton L edger Lines
The Challenge of Change
O
ne of my all-time favorite movies is Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Set in 1803, it spins a robust tale of sailing and battle imbedded with timeless lessons in management and leadership. It stars Russell Crowe who plays the affable Captain Jack Aubrey. In one scene that I find endearing, Captain Jack is examining a small wooden model of the state-of-the-art French sailing ship known as “the Acheron.” He muses, “That’s the future! What a fascinating modern age we live in.” Like Captain Jack, we are drawn to the future, but trying to predict the future is indeed a futile exercise. Along with that, we know that resisting needed change is not an intelligent option for the growing enterprise. Therefore, innovation and change becomes a priority for any business that wants to survive and thrive in the years ahead. For organizations that want to get better at change, I pose four questions for your management team: • What are you doing to encourage
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December 2015 | The Business Times
innovation in your company? • What are you doing to discourage innovation in your company? • Who in your company are the best change agents? • What are we doing to enable our best change agents? Encouraging innovation may be counterintuitive for many enterprises. As old folks, we —I’m in my late 50s — often bristle at changing things. As James Belasco and Ralph Stayer write in Flight of the Buffalo 1994, “Change is hard because people tend to overestimate the value of what they have and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up.” I believe that implementing wholesale change across a large and rigid enterprise is fraught with peril and should be avoided when at all possible. Rather, organizations should initially foster a climate that values innovation and new ways of thinking. Rewarding valuable new ideas creates this culture. Firms should reward what they value. I love the idea of creating an innovation
team who works to make the company better at doing business with their customers. Your best change agents should be on this small but elite team. Your innovation team should never include those who suck the life out of all of the fun of innovating. The team should start small and slowly move toward larger change. Leaders are in the best position to create this culture of change. An effective question for leaders is: “What ‘new thing’ did you do this year?” If a leader has not done a ‘new thing’ this year then they have not lead. Listening to your change agents is a powerful tool for taking your business to the next level. JIM DENTON is a CPA and a managing partner with Arledge & Associates P.C. in Edmond. He may be reached via email at jim@jmacpas.com.
Business Briefs Allied Arts Announces New Board Members & Leadership Changes Allied Arts recently introduced changes and new additions to its executive committee and board of directors for 2015-2016. On the Allied Arts executive committee, C. Renzi Stone is leading as board chair, Tricia Everest moved into the position of vice chair, Mike Turpen is now secretary and Max Myers is serving as treasurer. In addition, the following changes were also made to the committee: Karen Delaney, 2016 campaign co-chair; Debbie Nauser, allocations chair; Brian Byrnes, branding/marketing chair; Steve Mason, education and small grants chair; Lonny Towell, immediate past chair; David Woods, strategic planning chair; Joshua Fahrenbruck, workplace/OKCityCard development chair; and Chris Doyle, Glen Maynard, David Ostrowe, James A. Pickel and Chuck Thompson are now members at large. Allied Arts is also welcomes 19 new members to its board of directors this year. These individuals will join the 96-member board of directors responsible for overseeing Allied Arts’ strategic planning, fundraising and arts advocacy efforts. “We are ecstatic to welcome so many new members to the executive committee and board of directors this year,” stated C. Renzi Stone, chairman of the board. “Allied Arts has a large board of directors that plays an integral role in the organization’s success. We are excited for the energy, fresh insight and unique skill set that each new member is going to bring to the group.”
Local attorneys named 2015 Super Lawyers, Rising Stars Four Edmond attorneys have been recently named by Thompson Reuters to the 2015 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists. Jeffrey Curran, Leslie Lynch and Greg Metcalfe were named to the Super Lawyers list. Ellen Adams was named a Rising Star. All Jeffrey Curran Leslie Lynch are shareholders with the GableGotwals law firm. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent Greg Metcalfe Ellen Adams research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. Rising Stars recognizes the top up-and-coming attorneys who are 40 years old or younger or who have been practicing for 10 years or less. Curran was honored for his work in personal injury products defense. Lynch and Metcalfe were honored for their work in business litigation. Adams was recognized for civil litigation defense. Combining peer nominations and evaluations with third-part research, the selection process is rigorous and has been recognized by bar associations and courts across the country for its credibility and sophistication. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Thompson Reuters is the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. GableGotwals is a full-service law firm of more than 90 attorneys representing a diversified client base in Oklahoma, the Southwest and across the nation.
Edmond Chamber Senior Vice President & CFO Named Outstanding Chamber Leader Sherry Jordan has been named Outstanding Chamber Leader of 2015 by the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce Executives. Jordan is the senior vice president and chief financial officer for the Edmond Chamber of Commerce. This award recognizes a chamber staff member who has performed exceptional work for their local chamber and community. Jordan received the award Suzanne Shirey, Sapulpa Nov. 5 during the annual O.C.C.E. Chamber of Commerce, convention in Oklahoma City. Sherry Jordan, Edmond O.C.C.E. Chairman Wes Smithwick Area Chamber of called the award a significant honor. Commerce and Wes “Being named an Outstanding Smithwick, Broken Arrow Chamber Leader is a tremendous honor Chamber of Commerce among our peers in the chamber industry,” Smithwick said. “This award signifies countless hours of work above and beyond the scope of daily operations on behalf of the chamber and community.” During the past 11 years, Jordan has guided the Edmond Chamber to a strong financial position, implemented a new membership database, modernized human resource management and implemented the Member Rewards Program. “We are pleased that Sherry was honored by our statewide professional organization,” said Ken Moore, president & CEO of the Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce. “She does an amazing job at the chamber, is respected by our volunteers and is always eager to suggest activities that would benefit our organization. In my opinion, this is well deserved recognition.” Jordan has overseen the growth of the chamber’s Total Resource Campaign by more than 100 percent in the last four years. She also led the organization’s accreditation efforts in 2005, 2010 and 2015, culminating in a prestigious five-star rating from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2015. The Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce is the voice for business. We enhance economic opportunity and quality of life in Edmond. The Edmond Chamber is a hundred year-old, 1,000 member organization working together to promote economic vitality and quality of life in the community. For more information on the Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce, please visit our website at www.edmondchamber.com, or contact Rachel Martin, vice president — Communications & marketing, at 341-2808 or email at rmartin@edmondchamber.com.
December 2015 | The Business Times
23
business matters
Cyndy Hoenig S ocial Strategies
I
Small Business: You’re Never Too Small To Give Back
t’s that time of year again. The holiday season can really change work environments — for retail, it’s more hectic; for us in public relations, it’s more relaxed, and for most, it’s more charitable. Many companies try to give back during the holidays. Whether it’s a full-blown cause marketing campaign or a simple food drive within your office or building, giving back not only makes one feel good by helping others, it also can improve your company’s image and sometimes bottom line. You will actually double your good PR by piggybacking on the PR that charitable organizations tend to garner. Successful small businesses need the support of their local communities. By learning to make the most of this local advantage, an entrepreneur can compete with even the largest companies in the same industry. Because a small business’s success is often so closely tied into the local community, it’s important to also remain an active participant. As a busy small business owner, however, it can be challenging to squeeze another minute into your hectic day. It’s important to make the most of every opportunity, boosting your community involvement while finding ways to motivate your employees and network with other professionals in the community to give back a little. Donating money to local charities isn’t the only way you can give back to your local community. Promote Local Businesses One of the best ways to support your community is to help out other businesses in the area. Buy local as often possible and set aside an area of your website to link to your favorite local companies. Cross networking with noncompeting companies with similar markets helps you reach more people and help out other local business owners just like you. Participate in Holiday Food Drives During the holidays many businesses encourage employees to bring in unopened non24
December 2015 | The Business Times
perishable canned and boxed foods that can be donated to local food banks. This is a fantastic way to help your community, and it requires very little additional time. You’ll only have to set aside a half hour or so just before Christmas to transport the items. Sponsor a Youth Sports Team Chances are someone on your staff has a child on a youth sports team. By finding a local team to sponsor, you’ll be able to help with the funds it needs and get publicity in exchange for your support. This is a simple way to help out with very minimal time investment. Set Up a Collection Jar This is a way to support your community with no time commitment. Simply choose a charity that is important to your team and collect money in a high-traffic area inside your business. Hold a Contest You can support your community while also encouraging your employees to have fun by holding a contest. Each employee chooses a local charity and instead of prizes, money goes to the charities chosen by the winners. Sponsor an Event Sponsoring a participant in a local marathon can be a great way to show support, especially if you can support your own employees who are participating in such events. Adopt a Brick Occasionally new civic buildings will offer local residents the option of purchasing a brick or stone, either on a walkway or building. Such a purchase gives you the opportunity to contribute to progress while also enjoying a little publicity. Build a House Organizations like Habitat for Humanity offer businesses the opportunity to participate in construction projects that benefit disadvantaged residents. The best thing about this type of volunteerism is that many builds are done on weekends. Offer Your Skills As a leader in your industry, you likely have
an area of expertise that’s of value to others. Consider teaching classes on entrepreneurship to local residents or offer to teach a specialized skill that could be of value to those who have been out of the workforce for a while. Encourage Employee Volunteerism Many businesses are now encouraging employees to volunteer by offering paid time off for volunteering. A business can show its support for the community by giving employees a specific amount of time each month, quarter or year for volunteer work, which boosts morale while also increasing a business’s community involvement. As a vital part of your community, it’s important to regularly show support for the residents and businesses that support you. By researching various ways you can participate in local events and organizations, you will be able to come up with your own unique way of giving back to your local community. Just a few more ways to give back this holiday season: Food, Book or Clothing Drive — Host a drive in your office with your employees, or if you’re really ambitious with all of the people in your building. Secret Santa — Employees draw a fellow coworker’s name out of a bowl and buy a toy that reminds them of that coworker. After everyone sees what was bought, donate the toys to a nearby toy drive. Companies that encourage community involvement distinguish themselves from their competitors, and see many benefits, including loyal customers and happier employees. CYNDY HOENIG is a PR strategist who owns Pure PR in Oklahoma City. She is the author of “600 PR, Marketing and Social Media Tips,” which is available as a free download at http://pureprokc.com/600-diy-pr-tips. She also is the author of “PR Rock Star.” Email Cyndy at cyndyhoenig@ymail.com or call her at 245-4668 for more information.
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Business matters
Tim Priebe Webifiable
Do you need a blog?
P
erhaps you’ve considered creating a blog for your organization but are not sure whether it’s right for you or not. While it can be helpful, it’s honestly not a great fit for every single business or nonprofit. It can be beneficial to take a look at pros and cons to having a blog. First, here are three reasons it might be a good idea. Pro 1: Website Visitors Whether you’ve invested money, time or both in setting up a website, it does you no good unless people actually visit it. Whether they find out about it through search engines, social media or an email newsletter, blogging consistently can bring those website visitors. Of course, you want to have a clear next step (aka Call To Action) for them to take once they’re there, or website visitors don’t do you any good. Pro 2: Demonstrate Value Hopefully, most of your blog articles are helpful in and of themselves, without readers having to purchase a service or product from you in order to make use of them. If so, you’re demonstrating value early in the relationship. People are more likely to buy, donate or volunteer if the organization in question has already provided value.
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December 2015 | The Business Times
Pro 3: Establish Expertise Although it’s not always the case, often when people invest time or money with an organization, they want an expert in that industry. If you’ve blog consistently, you eventually have an archive of blog articles that paints a picture of your expertise. Of course, blogging is not for everyone. Let’s take a look at some reasons you may not want to blog. Con 1: Staying Consistent The single most challenging thing for most organizations when it comes to blogging is staying consistent. Perhaps you’ve visited an organization’s website, taken a look at their blog and discovered it had not been updated in months or even years. Are they even still in business? Inconsistent blogging can cause huge perception issues. Con 2: Coming Up With Topics Even if you’ve scheduled time on a regular basis to blog, coming up with topics is challenging! The good news is that I’ve written a book to help with this issue. Blog A Week contains 52 weeks of blogging topics. The bad news? There’s still work on your part to come up with the topics! Con 3: It’s Not Free While the investment for blogging is far
lower than some other marketing options, it’s not free. You may be paying someone else to blog for you, or you may be investing your own time blogging. But even if you’re doing it yourself, your time is valuable. Blogging is an investment you should consider carefully. Blogging can definitely be beneficial. But if you’re considering it, don’t go into it blind! Weigh the pros and cons for yourself and your organization so you can make an educated decision. Tim Priebe is a public speaker, the author of the books “102 Tweets” and “Blog a Week” and the owner of T&S Online Marketing in Edmond. He can be reached by email at tim@tandsgo.com, by phone at 285-0348, or online at www.tandsgo.com.
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GROWING EDMOND
Photos PROVIDED | EDMOND AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
(GPRQG (FRQRPLF 'HYHORSPHQW $XWKRULW\ 7KDQN \RX WR RXU )HDWXUHG %XVLQHVVHV INTEGRIS celebrates grand opening & relocation INTEGRIS Jim Thorpe Outpatient Rehabilitation at INTEGRIS Health Edmond recently held a ribbon cutting to celebrate its grand opening and relocation into a new larger clinic across the campus in the newly constructed second medical office building at 4509 INTEGRIS Parkway, Suite 100 in Edmond. Outpatient Rehabilitation services at INTEGRIS Health Edmond feature an innovative blend of therapy services to get you home faster and back to your life stronger. Their main programs include orthopedic outpatient rehabilitation, neurological outpatient rehabilitation and certified hand therapy. The goal at INTEGRIS Jim Thorpe Outpatient Rehabilitation is to provide patients with a continuum of care so they may regain independence and the skills needed to obtain their optimal level of function. This hospital-based outpatient setting provides patients the opportunity to access a full spectrum of services in one location. Patients needing outpatient rehabilitation services include those recovering from orthopedic disorders of the spine, extremities and joints or orthopedic surgery, neurological conditions both traumatic or degenerative, amputation, soft tissue injuries such as burns, muscular or ligament injuries and damage from cancer treatment to soft tissue for swallowing and speech, as well as pre/postnatal care. Their multidisciplinary team of rehabilitation specialists includes physical therapists, speech/language pathologists and occupational therapists. Whether your needs are for physical therapy, speech therapy or a combination of services, each patient receives an individualized treatment plan with the patient’s goals in mind. For more information, call 657-3800 or visit www.IntegrisJimThorpe.com.
High Five Media celebrates 1 year anniversary High Five Media recently held a ribbon cutting to celebrate its one year anniversary. The marketing company, located at 2959 N.W. 156th St. is dedicated to providing local, face-to-face service through website development, social media management, photography, videography, search engine marketing and its six hyper-local magazines, which are distributed throughout Edmond, as well as Oklahoma City and its surrounding areas. “At High Five we pride ourselves in being unique and at the cutting edge of marketing,� said Earle Haggard, partner of High Five Media. “We champion creatives and work closely with local businesses, delivering world-class service. We look forward to many more years of serving the local community.� For more information about High Five Media, call 471-5550 or visit www.highfivemedia.com. 28
December 2015 | The Business Times
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Business Book Review
by Terri Schlichenmeyer | The bookworm sez
“M is for Money: An Economics Alphabet” by Debbie and Michael Shoulders illustrated by Marty Kelley
c.2015, Sleeping Bear Press $16.99 / $17.99 Canada 32 pages
Michael Shoulders
T
here’s a little jingle in your pocket, and you can’t wait to spend it. So what will you buy? Will you purchase candy or a toy? Is there enough for a present for Mom or Grandma? Or, after you read “M is for Money” An Economics Alphabet” by Debbie & Michael Shoulders and illustrated by Marty Kelley, and you learn a little more, will you put the jingle in your bank? Why do we even have money? The answer starts with farmers … About 10,000 years ago, when humans decided to stay in one place and grow crops, someone eventually had an (A for) Abundance. In their little (C for) Civilization, then, they were able to trade crops for food and other items. Because it’s kind of hard to carry a bushel of grain in your pocket, money was created as a stand-in. This all has to do with (E for) Economics, which is “the study of how we get things we want and need,” how barter works, and how businesses operate. It’s “the way people obtain items that may be scarce or in-demand.” Let’s say you have (G for) Goods and Services, like lemonade and brownies to sell. The kid next door is selling milk and cookies. You can lower your price to attract customers but you’ll want (I for) Income from your lemonade and brownies, so you won’t want to sell too cheaply. On the other hand, you can raise prices if it’s a hot day and people are hungry. The kid next door can do the same, if she wants — which is a basic definition of a (F for) Free Market. 30
December 2015 | The Business Times
So what do you do if you want more (M for) Money? You can ask your family, friends and neighbors to pay you for special chores, which makes you a (P for) Producer. You can cut your (S for) Spending, and put your money away for interest, which you get when your bank makes a (L for) Loan to someone. You could try making something at home out of the (R for) Resources you already have, and you’ll have (Z for) Zero Profit Condition. Or you could just ask for a bigger allowance. How easy is that? As a parent, that’s a question you have; how easy should it be to explain economics to a child who knows what money is? The answer is inside “M is for Money.” Starting at the earliest possible point, authors Debbie and Michael Shoulders give kids thorough lessons on supply and demand, housing markets, quotas, taxes and other facets of economics in a way they’ll understand — particularly if you’re around to help fill in the blanks they may still have. It might fill in the blanks that you have, too. Though this book may seem like it’s meant for small children (and the illustrations by Marty Kelley support that), the concepts here could be quite advanced for them. No, “M is for Money” is best for 8-to-11-year-olds. Those are the kids who’ll want to spend time with it. Terri Schlichenmeyer is a book reviewer in Wisconsin. She may be reached via email at bookwormsez@yahoo.com.
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LESS HERE. . LESS TIME GETTING HERE
MORE STRONGER. MORE TIME GETTING STRONGER. Jim JimThorpe ThorpeEdmond Edmond Now Now Open Open People Jim Thorpe ThorpeRehabilitation’s Rehabilitation’sroster rosterofofunique uniquetherapies therapies Peopletravel travelfrom fromall allover overthe the region region for for INTEGRIS INTEGRIS Jim andand specialists. you hardly hardlyhave havetotodrive driveatatall, all,because becausewewehave have moved specialists.But Butnow, now,ififyou youlive live inin the the Edmond area you moved across our newly newly constructed constructedsecond secondmedical medicaloffi offi building. acrosscampus campustotoaa6,000-square-foot 6,000-square-foot facility in our cecebuilding. Thenew newoutpatient outpatientfacility facilityboasts boasts new new equipment for The for physical, physical,speech speechand andoccupational occupationaltherapy, therapy,a heated a heated aquatictherapy therapypool pooland andspecial special outpatient outpatient programs pre/ aquatic programs for forneurological, neurological,orthopedic, orthopedic,hand, hand,cancer cancerand and pre/ postnatalpatients. patients.The Thebuilding building will will also also soon soon house postnatal house primary primarycare carephysicians physiciansand andspecialists. specialists. Learnmore moreabout abouthow howJim JimThorpe Thorpe gets gets you you back back where Learn where you youwant wanttotobebeatatintegrisrehabilitation.com. integrisrehabilitation.com.
4509 INTEGRIS Parkway, Suite 100 4509 INTEGRIS Parkway, Suite 100
JimThorpe ThorpeRehabilitation Rehabilitation Jim
Visit integrisrehabilitation.com to learn more. Visit integrisrehabilitation.com to learn more.
405-657-3800 405-657-3800