d-mars.com Business Journal 83

Business Journal Inspire, Inform & Educate

June 2014

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83rd Edition @dmars_com

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On Top of Your Game

Motivational Moment w/ JW – On Top of Your Game

By Jarrod Wilkins

Throughout history there have been several examples of why companies, individuals and organizations have become the epitome of success, proving over a long period of time why they are head and shoulders above the rest at the top of their game.

PAGE 16

Get Ready For College!

Throughout a lifetime, a college degree can provide you with more career options, a higher income and better decision-making skills.

PAGE 18

PAGE 4

Autos R Us Collision Center: Customers Leave with a Repaired Vehicle and a Renewed Spirit Does Practice Always Make Perfect? Staying On Top of Your Business Game

By Mikal Powers In the business world, staying on top of your game is an ongoing challenge that everyone – from executives and sales teams to administrative support – faces.

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2014 Top 50 Black Attorney Awards Ceremony Join our e-mail list for the latest updates @ d-mars.com

I believe that any man’s life will be filled with constant and unexpected encouragement, if he makes up his mind to do his level best each day, and as nearly as possible reaching the high water mark of pure and useful living.

– Booker T. Washington

June 2014

Journal Behind The

3.

Publisher’s Message

Keith J. Davis, Sr.

SR. PUBLISHER Keith J. Davis, Sr.

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Kevin Davis

VICE PRESIDENT Kim Floyd

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Valerie Jones

ACCOUNTING MANAGER Eugenie Doualla

Office Manager Johnny Ray Davis, Jr.

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES C.T. Foster Eric D. Goodwine Tiffany Black

Great product/service…strong business partnerships/relationships…active community involvement…strong social media presence…these are all areas that are vital to having a flourishing business. If you excel in all these categories, you’re probably well on your way to being on top of your game.

However, excelling in these areas alone will not guarantee success. In this day and age, great business owners cannot afford to be complacent. You should always be passionate, hungry and willing to do more and better, whether this is your first year in business or your 30th. This mindset will set the stage for continued success.

Our cover story features a couple who never settled for less. What began as a vision and a dream became a reality, but not before years of perseverance, determination and prayer. Theirs is truly an inspiring story and I’ll know you will enjoy reading it as well as the other valuable gems and tips in this issue.

As always again, thank you for your continued support of d-mars.com. When you support d-mars.com, you are supporting more than just our company; you are supporting the communities in which we live and work. Working together, we can succeed in making positive things happen.

PHOTOGRAPHY L.C. Poullard Grady Carter Tony Gaines

MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Andrea Hennekes

LAYOUT & GRAPHIC DESIGNER Angel Rosa

CONTENTS Autos R Us Collision Center: Customers Leave with a Repaired Vehicle and a Renewed Spirit................................................ 4 Dynamics of Selling: The REAL Hunger Games!......................................................................................................................................... 6 2014 Top 50 Black Attorneys.......................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Staying on Top of Your Game........................................................................................................................................................................ 14

DISTRIBUTION Booker T. Davis, Jr. Rockie Hayden

The Importance of Business Valuation...................................................................................................................................................... 14

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Get Ready For College!....................................................................................................................................................................................18

Valerie Jones Bob Parker Dr. Wendy Johnson Mena Freeman Jarrod Wilkins Mikal Powers Noel Pinnock d-mars.com News Provider

Does Practice Always Make Perfect? Staying On Top of Your Business Game.............................................................................20

Motivational Moment w/ JW – On Top of Your Game..............................................................................................................................16

Did You Know?.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 22 Old Folks Saying…............................................................................................................................................................................................ 22 “Are You Responsible?”................................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Tips to Make Moving More Manageable for Military Members ..........................................................................................................28

Are you Ready to Take Your Business to the Next Level?

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June 2014

Autos•R•Us Collision Center:

Customers Leave with a Repaired Vehicle and a Renewed Spirit

By Valerie Jones Associate Editor

A

vision, perseverance and a lot of faith… that’s what it took for husband and wife Jerry and Erma Palmer to build their business.

Autos R Us Collision Center is a 25,000 square-foot facility located on 10 acres in northeast Houston. The auto body and collision repair shop, under the leadership of CEO Erma Palmer and her husband Jerry Palmer, CFO, has provided customers with quality towing, repairing and restoring services for almost 25 years – all with a Christian business approach.

History

And we understood that.”

For three years, the Palmers tried to get bankers to see their vision.

“Every day, we’d drive by the property. Jerry would draw up plans every night – where the body shop was going to be and the store and all the offices,” Erma said. “We would just marvel at it and lay our hands on it. It was three years and the property was never sold. Finally, we got a banker to see the vision and we finally purchased the property.”

History

Jerry, who then worked for Nabisco, owned a truck at the time and noticed that drivers on the way to and from work would drive into the soft shoulder alongside the road.

“I’d take my chain and my truck and pull them out of the shoulder and they’d pay me $30 or $40,” he said. “My uncle, who was in the wrecker business, told me I needed to cut my truck and make a wrecker out of it.”

Jerry ended up getting laid off from Nabisco in 1989. In 1990, he took his uncle’s advice and made his truck into a wrecker.

“We almost burned our house down with that truck because the grass was dry and the sparks would hit the grass,” Erma joked.

The Palmers recognized that insurance companies controlled the auto repair and collision industry.

“We grew tired of dealing with individual customers who wanted to ‘cut a corner here’ or ‘cut a corner there,’” Jerry said. “Our dream was not only to do the wrecker, but the body shop, collision and salvage. We wanted to repair vehicles back to the way they should be repaired.”

The Palmers received a huge blessing that allowed them to fulfill their dream.

Professionalism and Professionalism and SatisfacSatisfaction tion

Blessed with a New Facility Blessed with a New Facility It can be defined no other way than a blessing from God. The Palmers were previously working on three acres of land and tried to move for quite a while.

“One day, we were traveling down [Wallisville Road] and we saw a ‘For Sale’ sign on a property,” said Erma.

“We called the owner of the property and told him we were just stepping out on faith. Our credit was mud – his and mine – so we talked to the owner and

the owner was very excited about the vision we shared with him.”

The owner of the property asked the Palmers how they planned on financing the property.

“I told him we didn’t know…we didn’t have any money,” Erma said.

“We tried to pay a deposit to find some time for a banker to finance it, but the property owner wouldn’t accept our deposit. He didn’t want to take our money because if somebody else came to him and had cash to pay for the property, he’d have to sell it to them.

The Autos R Us Collision Center is an I-Car Gold Class Certified Collision Center with a team of highly-trained individuals who are Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified and believe in giving customers the highest level of professionalism and integrity.

Autos R Us is also equipped with a Pro Spot welding machine to do factory spot welds.

“One of the most difficult auto repairs we’ve had to do was sectioning/ cutting a vehicle in half and repairing it to Original Equipment Manufactured (OEM) specifications.

Autos R Us is currently OEM certified for the following automakers: Dodge, General Motors, Nissan, Honda, Infiniti

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June 2014

and Ford. By the end of the year, the company will be a BMW and Audi certified collision center.

“We try to educate the customer on the repair process of their vehicle,” Jerry said. “For example, if you have a Dodge, by us being a certified OEM shop for Dodge, there’s money put aside so that when insurance companies write your estimate and use aftermarket parts, the dealership has money for the manufactured parts. We can repair the vehicle with the OEM parts.”

When a customer’s vehicle leaves Autos R Us, the vehicle is repaired for a lifetime and quality pre-existing like it was before it was wrecked.

“You’re not going to leave here with aftermarket parts,” Jerry said. “The customer will get a certificate of corrections in repairs, so years from now, if you go sell your vehicle and it comes up on CARFAX that it’s been in a wreck, you can see that it was repaired at a collision center the correct way. You can show your certificate.”

you need as long as you go to where the wisdom is being spoken. Attending business meetings that were offered helped me tremendously on how to recognize, be familiar with and deal with the challenges that come from being in this male-dominated industry.”

“When you’re ahead, you’re ahead of the industry. So we go wherever the technology and the wisdom and knowledge about repair and automobiles is.”

Continuing aa Legacy Legacy of Continuing of Success Success

– Jerry Palmer, CFO of Autos R Us

Knowledgeis is Key Key to to Excellence Excellence Knowledge Erma is in a unique situation with Autos R Us – which is minority and women-owned. She is also in a maledominated industry. There have been challenges, she admits, but knowledge she has sought and continues to seek along the way helps a great deal in the successful operation of her business.

Erma and Jerry work as a team to provide excellence and expertise, all in a Christian atmosphere.

“When you’re ahead, you’re ahead of the industry. So we go wherever the technology and the wisdom and knowledge about repair and automobiles is,” Jerry said. “Whether it’s in Las Vegas, Detroit or anywhere, we go to acquire that knowledge, so that when we come back here, we are ahead of everybody else.”

Each year, the collision industry has a national automotive collision expo.

The Palmers plan on attending this July in Detroit.

5.

“Whatever industry you’re in, whatever you aspire to become, you have to know and learn about it,” Erma said. “You have to know the ins and outs. You’ve got to know the good and the bad.”

Erma served as secretary of the Houston Citizens Chamber of Com-

merce (now the Greater Houston Black Chamber), in which she attained some valuable knowledge at meetings.

“Being involved, sitting at the meeting table and getting information – all of this is attributable to and how we got to where we are today,” Erma said.

“You’re going to learn everything that

Autos R Us prides itself on providing 100% customer satisfaction. Nearly 25 years into the game, Autos R Us makes sure all permits and certifications are up-to-date.

“There are so many segments to this…we’re selling vehicles out here, we’re salvaging vehicles and everything that we do has its own set of permits and certifications – everything,” Erma said. “In collision, which is the bloodline of this company, all the technicians have to be certified. Every insurance company requires certification, which is great because you don’t want to hire anybody that hasn’t learned the skills to be working on a vehicle.”

Autos R Us is a member of the following: Better Business Bureau, Women Industry Network, North Channel Area Chamber of Commerce, New Bethel Chamber of Commerce, Texas Skill Standard Board and Automotive Board.

The last secret to success? Well, it’s not much of a secret. The Palmers make it clear who deserves the credit for their success.

“The most important thing is that we’re children of the Most High – Almighty God. We take Christian principles and apply them to business,” Jerry said. “We had an insurance man come in here one time and when he left, he was crying. He came in to discuss one thing and when we got through sharing with him, he was crying. He told us he wanted us to continue to be in business because he wants our customers to experience this Christ-like environment when getting their vehicles repaired.”

The Palmers are active in several ministries at their church, Lakewood Church. Jerry posts a scripture on the marquee outside of the building every morning so that people can see it as they drive by.

“Anything ungodly is not going to happen here,” Jerry said. “Our employees and customers respect us as people of Christ.”

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June 2014

Dynamics of Selling: The REAL Hunger Games!

By Bob Parker Contributing Writer

Introduction:

s a business owner, you may know how to build houses, plan events, prepare French cuisine or even fix automobile engines. You are an expert for what you have studied, learned and trained. But what about sales? The questions I pose to you today: Are you (or your staff) maximizing your precious selling time and market opportunities every day? Are you driving sales to your company or organization at the highest level possible? Are you maximizing your business, personal and workplace relationships? If you haven’t answered ‘yes’ to all of those questions, here are five persuasion tips that will help you and your staff sell new customers and influence buyers at the highest level: 1. Prepare and Ask Smart, Strategically Placed Questions They say “Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” To “prepare” comes from the Latin parer, which means to “arrange” or “make ready” and the prefix “pre,” which simply means “beforehand.” Preparation or the development of smart, strategically placed questions will draw out critical information you will need to formulate a strategy they will want to buy. SellingandPersuasiontechniques.com sites questioning and one of its top persuasion techniques for helping us draw out needs and finding

smart solutions using our product portfolio. The development of a sound selling strategy will require time invested in advance of your meeting but will pay off in a huge way by enhancing a trustworthy image, building rapport with your client and enhancing your credibility as a professional in your field.

2. Manage Personal “Firewalls” and “Up” your Listening Game A recent article by AllBusiness.com puts “not listening” as one of the top 10 mistakes most sales executives make in the field. Not carefully listening to the needs, goals and objectives of the person or client across the table from you can do great damage to your business relationship and (if prolonged) can even be a deal breaker.

How we manage our listening capacity and capability, body expressions, and words are the difference between what many would call being a “pro” at the game and someone just “in a sales job.”

Think about it…How effective could we be if we removed artificial and unnecessary barriers from our persona, body language and words? For example, think about the firewall feature on your computer for a moment. The firewall on your computer is designed to identify and sift out potentially viral data from your computer. If the wall is set too low, anything can penetrate your computer; if set too high, nothing can enter. The manufacturer will tell you that the ideal setting is somewhere in the middle. Why? Because we want some things to actually get into our computer. When your personal or business boundaries, barriers or firewalls are too high, or we are talking more than we are listening during a business meeting, we tend to block out some of the bad, but in the process we may also be blocking out the good that may be delivered in the form of customer needs.

The information gathered through strong listening skills is invaluable for understanding the needs of the person on the other side of the table. It will also positively impact the customers’ success, growth and relationship. We all heard the old adage, “He gave you two ears and one mouth” so that we can listen more than we talk. Set your life and business barriers to a moderate level that allow for good and useful information to reach you.

3. Have the Customer “Experience” in Mind Have you ever been out to dinner and had terrible service, terrible food, and terrible dining atmosphere

and at the end of your encounter you said to yourself ‘that was one bad experience?’

In relationships and business, a quality experience is what people and customers are looking for and if they get it, in the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger, they “will be back.” In your strategy for your personal, career or business, work to create a unique “experience” every time you meet a new acquaintance or prospect. Michael Jackson, Larry King, Paul McCartney, Michael Jordan and even Snoop Dogg all have one thing in common. They all can claim to all whom experience them that there is only one like each of them respectively in the entire world. Set yourself apart from the pack. They will never forget you and always come back to learn more about you. A 2013 survey by Couch and Associates found that 86% of buyers will pay more for a better customer experience, 89% of consumers began doing business with a competitor following a “poor” customer experience and only 26% of all companies have a well-developed strategy for improving the customer experience.

The question is: In your market and among your competitors, are you an original or a duplicate?

4. Grow Business Relationships not Business Cards Someone once said, “customers come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.” Real relationships require more than the exchange of a business card, more than speaking on the phone once or twice, more than a casual meeting at a networking function and certainly more than a “like” on Facebook, a “follow” on Twitter or “friending” someone on LinkedIn or somewhere else in thousands of social media platforms around the globe. In my opinion, real relationships require at least three critical components: Trust – Do I believe the things you or your company says and do?

Rapport – Do I like you as a person?

Credibility – Do I think you or your company is capable of doing what you claim to do?

If you are missing one or more of these components, you may have a relationship but it is not as strong as it could be. As a result, you may get a sale but not as much as it could be. For example, a relationship that I trust and enjoy but do not deem really credible can only bear so much fruit.

Conversely, a relationship with strong rapport and strong credibility, but is lacking trust limits the potential of the association.

In business we should be thinking at all times:

How can I grow the confidence, loyalty, bond and support of my internal and external customers and strengthen the cords of trust and rapport in our relationship?

I must be able to say what I mean and mean what I say and then deliver what I have promised. I will never communicate something to a customer that I and/or my organization cannot deliver on.

According to The Marketing Donut in the UK, 92% of all sales are made AF-

TER the fourth meeting. Their study concludes that 44% of sales end after the first “no,” 22% after the second “no,” 14% after the third “no” and 12% after the fourth “no.” Friend, could it be that after five visits with the prospective customer a “real relationship” with levels of trust, credibility and likeability began to emerge and develop? Think about it, how many times have you fell in love on the first lunch meeting or date? You’re right!

It takes time. Now, go into your next new relationship with the notion that the trust, likeability and credibility issues must be earned, nurtured and developed like the seeds of any plant. And when you nurture and develop that relationship, watch it grow in more ways than one.

5. PLAN Your Sowing Season and Expect Your HARVEST Season: Professionals Are Always Selling!

And speaking of seeds…

Arguably the most important principle a great seller deposits and grows as part of her/his intellectual capital is the behavior and mentality that encompasses these four words: I AM ALWAYS SELLING. I am always selling, I am always prospecting, I am always building relationships, I am always nurturing, developing, consulting, sowing, advising, etc.

Whether literally, figuratively or intuitively, the best of the best follow what farmers have known for years as the principles or rules of harvest. The farmer will tell you that the four principles of harvest are simply: Everything that is farmed must be harvested.

The harvest does not wait for you. It will come and go.

You must be prepared to receive the harvest when it arrives.

Harvest time is a time for celebration, appreciation and thankfulness.

In sales and in business, timing is everything. Being proactive or waiting a few minutes for the right time to speak or act can be the difference in whether relationships are growing or declining. Seasons historically and even biblically are aligned with harvesting periods where your seed (or your labor) deposited, nurtured and developed will garner a return. In business, sowing seed with your relational capital (your network of business connections) combined with your intellectual capital (your intelligence) will see the reward of your financial capital.

Bob Parker is the President and CEO of the Professional Sales Institute of Houston and Author of the Pocket Guide to Professional Selling. He has held various executive level sales management positions in media for the Hearst, Gannett, Pulitzer and Impremedia Corporations over the last twoand-a-half decades and is a recipient of the prestigious Maynard Institute Fellowship for Business Management. He is an awardwinning business leader, sales trainer, motivational speaker and coach. He is recognized throughout the U.S. as an expert in new business development, consultative selling and customer experience development.

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June 2014

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June 2014

2014

2014 Top 50 Black Attorneys

Congratulations to all 2014 Top Black AttorneyAward Recipients

T

he 3rd Annual Top 50 Black Attorneys Awards Ceremony honored the elite individuals who practice in the field of law, from up and coming attorneys to living legends. Honorees and guests enjoyed a night of recognition and celebration. An added bonus was past honorees and living legends as well as aspiring attorneys who attended – recent alumni from the National Black Pre-Law Conference.

“At d-mars.com, we believe that it’s important the leaders of today understand the importance of inspiring the leaders of tomorrow,” said Keith “MR. D-MARS” Davis, President of d-mars.com. “Our 2014 Top Black Attorney honorees are a magnificent group of men and women who have greatly enhanced the community. d-mars.com salutes and appreciates them.”

“At d-mars.com, we believe that it’s important the leaders of today understand the importance of inspiring the leaders of tomorrow.”

Keith “MR. D-MARS” Davis, President of d-mars.com

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June 2014

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Living Legends Zinetta A. Burney “Congratulations to all my fellow attorneys. Thank you d-mars.com for your continued support and diligent promotion of Houston’s black attorneys. Our communities benefit from the much needed exposure to the legal and judicial systems.”

Judge Zinetta A. Burney

Representative Senfronia Thompson Rep. Senfronia Thompson

Attorney Anthony W. Hall, Jr.

“The event was fabulous and I thought it was awesome that it highlighted people who are contributing to the community, not only in their profession, but as role models for the future generation. The ceremony was done in a timeless manner, which included past living legends, and it was great to allow attendees to get in touch with the past. The event also recognized two attorneys that should not be forgotten, Eraka Watson and Nichelle Williams, who have been resilient in spite of the challenges and obstacles they’ve faced.”

Community Heroes

Ronald C. Green Ronald C. Green

Spouses of Houston Barristers

“Being among this select group was a real honor for both Hilary and myself, and being with them, we were again reminded of the immense talent and commitment these attorneys bring to our community. The law is an essential part of a community—its governance, its safety, its business, its social outreach, and you saw that at the 3rd Annual Top 50 event, with African-American lawyers from all across the spectrum of our community. Clearly, the collective contribution these 50 have made to Houston is enormous. I was very gratified to be among this gathering of true professionals, and both Hilary and I congratulate our cohonorees for their work, their enthusiasm and their sense of community.”

Bethew “Bert” Jennings III

Judge Hilary H. Green

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June 2014

Super Trailbazer

Trailblazers Helen Bishop Jenkins “I was thrilled to have been recognized last night with the Trailblazer award in the company of so many gifted and talented colleagues. The awards are beautiful. For years, I have perused the information published by other Top Lawyer/Super Lawyer entities around Houston and regretted the absence of truly qualified African American attorneys. Your organization has filled a real void and I hope you will continue the celebration. Thanks for the arduous, thoughtful work you do for our community.”

Helen B. Jenkins

Lisa M. Tatum Lisa M. Tatum

“The Annual Top 50 Black Attorneys event is a remarkable opportunity to meet attorneys who are making an impact through practice and example. It is a chance to connect with individuals who make the legal arena their home whether you are a client, a colleague, an aspiring lawyer or a fellow member of the community. The chance to visit and connect is worth it.”

Renee Byas

Super Attorneys Tyrone C. Moncriffe

Tyrone C. Moncriffe

“It was an honor to attend the 3rd Annual Top 50 Black Attorneys event, and I was surprised to be awarded with a 2014 Community Hero Award. The event highlighted some of the most outstanding attorneys in Texas. The overall evening was of class and professionalism. MR. DMARS, keep doing the outstanding things you’re doing in our community and around the city of Houston.”

James E. Payne

Top Attorneys Cedric D. Campbell, Esq. “I’m greatly appreciative to be recognized as a Top Attorney. An old African proverb says “be not discouraged if you are not chosen for an honor, strive only to have been worthy of it.” I‘m humbled to have been chosen and will strive to show myself worthy. My fellow honorees were awe-inspiring and the ceremony was sophisticated with a “down home” touch. To have assembled such a constellation of stars is indicative of Mr. Davis’ great work.

Another African proverb says, “Even the brightest star can’t outshine the sun.” Tonight, MR. DMARS represented the sun. Stay in the sky, my friend, and continue to brighten our path.”

Cedric D. Campbell, Esq

Tameika Carter

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June 2014

11.

Top Attorneys Carvana Y. Cloud “By establishing the Top 50 Black Attorneys event, d-mars.com has distinguished itself as the preeminent sponsor and supporter of the local and regional African American legal community. Keith “MR. D-MARS” Davis is a true visionary and community leader; and I was truly honored and humbled to be among such an extraordinary group of legal advocates. It was an amazing event!”

Carvana Y. Cloud

Jonathan H. Cox

Wilvin J. Carter

L. Renée Lowe

Kevin A. Murray

Troy J. Pradia

Robert L. Session, II

J Thomas Smith, J.D., Ph.D

TaKasha L. Francis TaKasha L. Francis “I don’t know what I love most – being honored with such powerful attorneys, or that the honor was bestowed upon us by our community and their appreciation for the work we do. An attorney’s life isn’t easy and there have been days since law school that I have wanted to throw my hands up and quit. However, this honor reaffirms for me that I have chosen the noblest of professions. I am an advocate. I am a voice for those who need it. I have the ability to serve those I represent and help people solve problems and change lives. I thank God for the honor of practicing law, and the BEST is yet to come!”

Maja Scott

Deshonda Charles Tackett

Up & Coming Attorney Lavonne Burke Hopkins

Lisa Brindle Talbot

Eraka Watson

Lavonne Burke Hopkins

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“It was an amazing evening with Houston’s finest attorneys!

It’s a true honor to be recognized among so many amazing men and women and to have received the ‘Up & Coming Attorney’ award. I am humbled and forever grateful to d-mars.com and the Houston legal community.”

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June 2014

Thank you to all of our Sponsors!!

South Loop

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Networking & Celebration

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June 2014

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June 2014

Staying on Top of Your Game

S

Dr. Wendy Johnson Contributing Writer

taying on top of your game can be challenging as it takes focus, strategy and finesse. We live in a fastmoving society and if you are not careful, you will find yourself engulfed by contenders running the race and are still at the beginning of the race. Do you want that?

A good percentage of staying focused and creating the strategy needed to stay on top revolves around the choices we make, the people on our team and the events that we attend. An excellent way to stay on your game is to assess what other committed/successful people are doing. Yes, we all define success differently; however, once you evaluate what this means, you can determine who is

staying on their game. A good way to get to your best and to know what that looks like is to analyze and explore the habits and routines of the world’s best.

Take a look at a few of the top athletes of all time: Michael Jordan, Jim Brown, Jim Thorpe, Bo Jackson, Pelé, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Cheryl Miller, Wayne Gretzky, Carl Lewis and Jackie Robinson. What do these people have in common and how do they do it? First, they are uniquely talented in their own way, as YOU are and they obviously made a

commitment to constantly improve.

Bottom line, no matter what industry you’re in or your career level, it is possible to stay on top, however, you must be willing to make the necessary adjustment to do so.

Below are a few tips that will assist with this process: 1. Be Consistent: Practice your craft every week. In order to stay sharp, you must practice all the time. Yes, we all

need a break, however, you cannot break for an extended period of time and expect to stay on top. As the old saying goes, “practice makes perfect.”

2. Obtain a Partner: Sharing best practices and having a professional business partner can be very beneficial. This holds true whether you're trying to make changes in your business or develop your career and/or your behavior. You will be surprised how you can motivate and keep each other on task. Friendly and strategic competition can be healthy if you partner with the right person/personality.

3. Commit, Commit and Commit: This is vital as commitment is the major artery of your success. Staying on top of your game requires commitment, tenacity and drive. This is a three-prong formula and you will not move forward if one is missing. I imagine your overall objective is to obtain relevancy, sustainability and make some money. So, in order to do that, you must commit to your overall mission and vision. If not you automatically take yourself out of the race.

So, now that we understand the basics of Staying on Top of your game, let’s get started and Good Luck!

The Importance of Business Valuation

By Mena Freeman

M

Contributing Writer

any owners of small businesses know their companies inside and out. Yet, they rarely know one critical fact – how much their company is actually worth on the open market.

Determining the true value of a business, a process called “business valuation,” is not just important when the owner is looking to sell the company. It’s also important for other reasons: 1) Business succession planning: Savvy business owners often arrange to transfer shares to a partner or heir (after a “triggering event,” such as death, disability or retirement) through a buy-sell agreement, which is often funded with life insurance. But before the owner can identify the buyout price (and thus, know how much the buysell agreement needs to be funded with), the value of the business must be determined.

2) The IRS needs to know the value of the business: At the death of the business owner, the value of the business will be used to help determine estate taxes and

tax basis for any future sale.

To obtain a business valuation, business owners may wish to contract with a professional appraiser to provide an opinion that will be viewed as independent and objective with the IRS. The resulting business valuation may then be used in a variety of planning applications – for example, enabling the owner to sell the business at a higher sale price or for the business owner or his/ her heirs to pay less in taxes after the sale of the business or the death of the owner.

Fair Market Value The goal of valuing a business is to arrive at a clear and supportable estimate of what the fair market value of the business is. Fair Market Value is defined as: “…the price at which the property will change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither being under any compulsion to buy or to sell and both having a reasonable knowledge or relevant facts.”

Book Value On an accounting level, the most basic measure of worth is book value – defined as balance sheet assets minus liabilities.

However, most businesses are sold at prices greater than book value because the balance sheet shows assets at original cost minus accumulated depreciation, not true replacement value. For example, suppose a piece of machinery was purchased for $50,000 five years ago and the accumulated depreciation

is $15,000. Consequently, the balance sheet carries this machine at a value of $35,000, even though it could cost substantially more to replace at current prices. Therefore, book value may not provide an accurate indication of fair market value.

Valuation Methods

Most qualified, independent business appraisers use one of the following valuation methods when valuing a business: Capitalization of earnings – The calculation begins with annual earnings over one or more years. It then divides earnings by a “cap rate” that reflects the cost of capital and the risk of the company. For example, suppose a company has average annual earnings of $200,000 and a cap rate of 10%. Under this method, its estimated value would be $200,000/10% = $2 million.

Discounted cash flow – This method, often used to value new businesses or companies with volatile earnings, begins by forecasting future earnings over several years. To account for the time value of money, a discount rate is then applied to each year of forecasted earnings.

Comparable Sales and Discounts – Some appraisers modify their estimates of value based on an analysis of recent sales of comparable companies in the same market or industry.

Why Business Valuation is Important The cost to conduct a comprehensive

business valuation can range from a few thousand dollars up to $50,000 or more.

Regardless of the cost or methods, it is important for the process to be conducted objectively by a qualified licensed appraiser. Normally, the appraisal is a document in which the appraiser describes the methodology which was used to value the business and provide an estimated fair market value that is designed to satisfy the IRS and courts. Additionally, this estimated value of the business may be useful data for the owner in putting together a succession, estate or personal retirement plan.

In Conclusion Although many business owners have a vague idea of what their companies are worth, most are merely guessing – and over time, such guesswork can prove costly. In the worst case, not knowing fair market value could cause owners to sell their businesses for less than they actually are worth – or for heirs to pay more than their fair share of estate taxes after the owner’s death. For these reasons, the cost of a business valuation can be an excellent investment.

Prepared by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. The information contained in this article is for general, informational purposes only. Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents or employees do not give tax or legal advice. You should consult your tax or legal advisor regarding your individual situation.

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June 2014

Motivational Moment w/ JW – On Top of Your Game

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By Jarrod Wilkins Contributing Writer

hroughout history there have been several examples of why companies, individuals and organizations have become the epitome of success, proving over a long period of time why they are head and shoulders above the rest at the top of their game.

The one common thread that binds all of them together is their commitment to going the extra mile. It’s really that simple. I recall hearing something that actor Will Smith said in an interview: “If we both get on a treadmill, one of two things will happen: either you will get off first or I will die on the treadmill.”

That’s an example of going the extra mile. Are you that committed? Are you willing to die to who you are now to give birth to who you desire to be?

I am also reminded of a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson which stated, “There is no traffic on the extra mile.”

The truth is most people are not willing to go all out and really lay it all on the

line for what they believe and envision.

That’s why history does not remember or recognize most people.

I think it is a shame for a person to live 60, 70 or 80 years on earth and can’t get 80 people to show up to their funeral. We are living in a time were it is easier for the majority of people to sacrifice their convictions on the altar of compromise versus simply committing to the process of becoming. The number one reason for this, I believe, is a lack of strong character in our leadership. As a nation, we are so impressed with charisma versus character, vision versus values and style versus substance. There is no such thing as a good or bad company; there are only good and bad people that make up a company’s values and dominant traits. Those are the things that sculpt an organization’s culture. That said, culture isn’t in

places; it’s in people, so if you want to change the culture of your company, you must first start with the people.

In the book Good to Great, Jim Collins explains some of the characteristics of great companies. One of the concepts deals with getting the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus. Another concept deals with getting the right people that are on the bus into the right seat. That is so important! In order to have the required stamina, resilience and resolve on the long journey we call the extra mile, we must have the right people in the right place in our lives, both personally and professionally.

The key to being on top of your game can be summarized in one word – Leadership. Nothing happens, changes, develops, is improved, is corrected, advances or succeeds without leadership.

My mentor Dr. Myles Munroe said, “true leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration, generated by a passion, motivated by a vision, birth by a conviction and produced by a purpose.” It is the quintessential force of all successful and significant people that history will never forget.

Many people have a misunderstanding of leadership. They believe it is a noun, which describes a person place or thing, but that is not true. Leadership is not a noun; it is a verb – the root word of leadership is ‘lead,’ which is an action word. So if you want to be at the top of your game and remembered

throughout history, you must lead your way there – do it first. John C Maxwell said it best, “A leader of one is a leader of many, but if you can’t lead one, you can’t lead any.”

The only difference between ordinary and extraordinary people is their commitment to going the extra mile. Are you courting, dating or married to your goals? One thing is for sure, you can’t achieve them if you’re cheating on them with your fears. Cheating, or short-cutting your commitment in any area of your life, is unhealthy and ineffective.

Most people tip-toe through life to arrive at their graves safely – WHY? If you die without giving the world your gifts, then you are a generational thief.

No one whoever accomplished anything great did so by quitting. Many have failed, but you’re not a failure until you fail to get up from where you fell. My wife and I affirm to our fiveyear-old daughter often “quitters never win and winners never quit.” It’s amazing to see her posture and confidence instantly change when she hears that.

She pouts, pauses, then suddenly her face lights up as she discovers her way over the hump to a successful end result. That moment is a character building moment and her ticket into the extra mile.

The lessons and reminders are everywhere. Regardless of your age, gender, profession or personality type, one thing is certain – in order to be outstanding, you must first stand out.

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June 2014

Get Ready For College!

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hroughout a lifetime, a college degree can provide you with more career options, a higher income and better decision-making skills. These are all important in our changing and complex world. Studies show that the earlier a student begins preparing for college, the more likely he or she is to attend college and succeed.

Academia in Motion has been preparing students for college for over five years.

“We provide our students with the effective tools they need to become successful in their own right,” said Marcele Brooks, Founder and CEO of Academia in Motion. “We encourage our students to read daily, take courses that are challenging and make time for studying in addition to homework.”

Academia in Motion understands that every student may not have the desire to attend college, or may not even have the grades, but the benefits to the individual attending college are very clear—college graduates earn more money, have better career opportunities, engage in greater civic participation and have a higher overall quality of life. The average annual income for a person with a high school degree in 2006 was $30,072, an associate degree was $39,846 and a bachelor’s degree $56,897.

Moreover, the advantages of a college education compared to a high school degree

have widened over the last 60 years, although they have leveled off more recently.

With the strong emphasis placed on standardized tests Marcele Brooks, such as STAAR Founder/CEO of and the former Academia in Motion TAKS, a lot of students get discouraged and feel like they aren’t able to accomplish such tasks. Schools need to ensure that they build a college-going culture in which all teachers view all students as college-bound and provide them with the opportunity to prepare for some form of postsecondary education.

Academia in Motion invites students ages 12-18 to join us for the College Prep Retreat at the KOA Campgrounds in Lake Conroe, Texas July 9-12, 2014. Students will engage in educational and leadership workshops, water activities, team building and of course college prep seminars. College representatives will also be in attendance.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Welcome

TO YOUR FUTURE PROMOTION. register today for summer/fall classes. hccs.edu

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Does Practice Always Make Perfect?

Staying On Top of Your Business Game

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By Mikal Powers Contributing Writer

n the business world, staying on top of your game is an ongoing challenge that everyone – from executives and sales teams to administrative support – faces.

Never before has the saying “practice makes perfect” been more relevant than in today’s business world. For those who have experienced success in business, I would venture to guess there is one common thread: practice – the practice of strengthening your business acumen, and the practice of familiarizing yourself with your customer, your market and your competition.

All too often, we experience business problems that require solutions with more strategic thinking than originally anticipated. This is where previous experience and practice can help devise a strategic solution. By calling upon prior and proper training and applying a business-centric mindset to decipher all the data avail-

able, chances are good that a feasible solution with positive outcomes is within reach.

A common mistake that is usually due to the lack of training and that many first-time business owners make is electing to use a trial and error process. This is obviously not the smartest route to a solution and one of the reasons that eight out of 10 small businesses fail in the first 18 months.* For one, a struggling small business should never take the chance of a trial and error process, because they may not have the capital reserves to recover if the solution does not warrant the desired results. The second reason is that without a solid plan behind a business obstacle, there is no “road

map” to help guide your decision and important details can get lost in the shuff le, potentially yielding a less than positive outcome.

Business owners may benefit from additional

education. MBA programs offer students the opportunity to practice real world scenarios in all functional areas of business, allowing them to develop the managerial skills necessary to be effective in a rapidly changing business environment. This “practice” is what MBA graduates find so valuable. MBA programs help students harness the power behind proven management strategies and adapt them to the boardroom.

Each of these reasons strengthens the mindset of practice. Developing stronger business acumen will help to tactically execute a viable solution instead of trial and error, and familiarizing yourself with the planning process itself will help to determine how decisions affect the market, your customer and your competition.

Mikal Powers is campus director at University of Phoenix Houston Campus overseeing campus operations.

Powers earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in business administration from University of Phoenix. He spent five years as a Helicopter Search and Rescue Swimmer and Operations Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy. After earning his degree, Powers attended the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and became a reserve officer for South Texas where he is committed to keeping communities safe and assisting residents in need. *forbes.com

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Did You Know?

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Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia.com

he incomparable Chaka Khan is not just an electrifying singer and songwriter. The Grammy Award-winning singer, born Yvette Marie Stevens, is more than her signature curly hair and infectious smile.

Chaka Khan was raised in the South Side of Chicago. She became actively involved in the Black Power Movement and, in 1969, she joined the Black Panther Party after befriending fellow member, activist and Chicago native Fred Hampton. While with The Black Panthers, she worked on the organization’s free breakfast program for children. She also took on a new name and dropped out of high school.

She also went on to have an extremely successful career in music, with hits like “I’m Every Woman,” “I Feel for You” and “Through the Fire.” She also helped write the number one hit song “Sweet Thing.”

“Still Waters Run Deep”

Quiet people are often very thoughtful. / A gentle exterior can hide a profound personality.

Jasmine has always been an introvert. She was always considered the shy girl at school, the child who preferred to read in a corner rather than play sports with the other kids and the reserved coworker who didn’t attend happy hours with the rest of the office.

To those who didn’t know her well, people thought Jasmine was not a people person and preferred to just stay in the shadows. Outsiders thought there wasn’t much to her.

However, what most people didn’t know about Jasmine was that she was an amazing artist. In her spare time, she would sketch, draw and freehand various objects, people and scenes. She was even able to sell some of her pieces at prestigious art galleries, which garnered her quite a profit and served as an additional source of income. When the sale of one of her pieces funded the down payment on a brand new car, everyone at her job was shocked. They didn’t know she had such artistic ability. It just goes to show, still waters run deep.

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June 2014

“Are You Responsible?”

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By Noel Pinnock Contributing Writer

ood leaders never embrace a victim mentality.

They recognize that who and where they are remain their responsibility – not that of their parents, their spouses, their children, the government, their bosses, or their coworkers. They face whatever life throws at them and give it their best, knowing that they will get an opportunity to lead the team only if they have proved that they can carry the ball. When an archer misses the mark, he turns and looks for the fault within himself. Failure to hit the bull’s-eye is never the fault of the target. To improve your aim, improve yourself.

Unfortunately, there are so many who like to shoot first then draw the

target. This may, incidentally, guarantee you bull’s-eye but it is a false sense of security and ultimate victory. Here are some questions to ask: • Are you on target when it comes to responsibility?

• Do others see you as a finisher and a value-added resource?

• Do people look to you to carry the ball in pressure situations?

• Are you known for excellence?

If you have not been performing at the highest level, you may need to cultivate a stronger sense of responsibility and make a concerted effort to mitigate. The most important aspect of taking responsibility for your life is to acknowledge that your life is your responsibility. No one can live your life for you. You are in charge. No matter how hard you try to blame others for the events of your life, each event is

the result of choices you made and are making.

• Listen to the voice in your head.

Eliminate blame; eliminate excuses.

If the blame track or the excuse track plays repeatedly in your mind, you are shifting responsibility for your decisions and life to others.

• Second, listen to yourself when you speak. In your conversation, do you hear yourself blame others for things that do not go exactly as you want?

Do you find yourself pointing fingers at your coworkers or your upbringing, your parent’s influence, the amount of money that you make, or your spouse?

Are you making excuses for goals unmet or tasks that missed their deadlines? If you can hear your blaming patterns, you can stop them.

• Third, if an individual you respect supplies feedback that you make excuses and blame others for your woes, take the feedback seriously. Control your defensive reaction, explore examples, and deepen your understanding with the coworker or friend. People who responsibly consider feedback attract much more feedback. #getatit! www.noelpinnock.com

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Tips to Make Moving More Manageable for Military Members d-mars.com News Provider

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he military gives individuals and families the opportunity to explore the world, but that exploration often requires frequent moving. Rarely is this a smooth process. Service members can receive assistance through Permanent Change of Station (PCS) and Personally Procured Moves (PPM) programs to help handle the process.

No matter how quickly the move happens or what kind of moving assistance your family requests, additional assistance is available for military members. Penske Truck Rental has a specialized call center staffed with employees who are trained to aid service members and their families in negotiating the complications of a move.

Here are some moving tips, courtesy of the Penske call center: 1. Planning – PCS notifications can come without much warning, or families may know about a potential move far in advance. For both instances, getting a plan in place is a good start. Gather important information – phone numbers, contact names, dates, receipts and checklists – into one folder so you can easily track everything. For planning tools focusing specifically on military moves, visit the U.S. Department of Defense website.

2. Weights – Military rules require soldiers to certify the weight of the rental vehicle when empty and after it’s fully loaded. Weight-limit reimbursements are set depending on a soldier’s rank and dependents, but the traditional weights are estimated at 1,000 pounds per room, excluding bathrooms and storage areas. Then add the estimated weight of large appliances, garage items and items in storage. Compare this number to what is allowed and determine if you can reduce the load in any way so you can avoid paying overweight costs. Penske offers a Certified Public Scale locator tool online to help movers in finding weigh stations.

3. Contact info – File a change of address form at your local post office so mail can be forwarded, and make certain your new information is updated with your specific branch of the military.

4. Explore – Get to know your new neighborhood, both on and off base. If you have children, explore the schools and the after-school activities available. Learn a bit about the city’s history and gather information on the services the city offers so that on moving day, your water and electricity will be available right away. (BPT)

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Top 50 Black Professionals & Entrepreneurs

Accepting Nominations for 2015

Top 50 Black Attorneys

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Nomination Deadline: 5/16/2014 Event Date: 7/30/2014

Top 50 Black Health, Medical & Wellness Professionals

Nomination Deadline: 7/31/2014 Event Date: 9/25/2014

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Nomination Deadline: 9/5/2014 Event Date: 10/25/2014

To advertise in any of the above Signature Events, please e-mail operations@d-mars.com

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