EdgeBusiness Magazine

MAY 2009

Break Free of

CHAINS

How to keep employees engaged to improve retention, productivity www.edgebusinessmagazine.com P.O. Box 511 â– Cedar Rapids, IA 52406

Lessons in Recruiting

How to get the right people on your team

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EdgeBusiness ■ MAY 2009

Advertising

INDEX

Americlean 16 CarePro Health Services 2 Coldwell Banker 2 Farmers State Bank 7 Holmes Murphy 17 Honkamp Krueger 2 Kirkwood Training & Outreach Services 6 Meardon Sueppel & Downer PLC 11 Metro Studios Inc. 3 Mount Mercy College 21 Pioneer Graphics 19 Presentations 5 St. Ambrose University 16, 21 The Mansion 25

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Editorial

INDEX

Allan Custom Homes 18 Alliance Claims Solutions 10 Coe College 18 FNBCIowa 18 Geonetric 14 Julie Perrine Virtual Assistant LLC 5 Kirkwood Community College 10 Pearson 4, 15 Primus Construction 19 Sheila Schmidt Consulting LLC 14 University of Iowa Tippie School of Business 18 West Music Co. 15 Workplace Solutions 4

MAY 2009 ■ EdgeBusiness

CONTENTS

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ON THE COVER

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Photo illustration by Liz Martin and Rachel Young

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Lessons in Recruiting

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About us

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Cover story: How to keep employees engaged to improve productivity, retention How to get the right people on your team Improve writing skills to get ahead Core value statements can head off ethical troubles

VOLUME 5 ■ ISSUE 9 ■ MAY 2009 Online: www.edgebusinessmagazine.com E-mail: theedge@gazcomm.com EdgeBusiness Magazine is a monthly magazine for business owners and executives in Iowa’s Technology Corridor and is published by Gazette Communications Inc.

Staff Editor: Janet Rorholm (319) 398-8469 Art director: Rachel Young Advertising: Mary Reeder (319) 368-8506 Contributing editors: George C. Ford

Departments 6 Efficient Workplace 7 Newsmakers

(USPS 258) POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gazette Communications, P.O. Box 511, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406 ■ Copyright 2009

Permissions: The content of EdgeBusiness Magazine

may not be reprinted without written permission. If you have questions about reprinting The Edge content, call (319) 398-8328.

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8 Accounting 9 Legal Angle 12 Marketing on the Edge 13 Corridor News 16 Human Factor 20 Improving Quality 21 Barometers 22 Economic Development

Address: 500 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406

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23 Toughest Decision 24 Calendar 25 Digest 27 Book Review

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EdgeBusiness ■ MAY 2009

Lessons in

Recruiting How to get the right people on your team

By Janet Rorholm

T

he economy may still be in the tank, but it’s bound to improve sometime.

Then all those businesses that have laid off will be hiring again.

Here’s a primer on what to do to make sure you find the right person amid all of those applications.

“Hiring decisions are probably the most important decision a manager will make. It is so important that you don’t want to make a mistake,” said Pat Dessner, a human resources consultant for Workplace Solutions in Washington, who has Pat Dessner more than 20 years in human resource experience.

The best way to not make a mistake? Slow down.

“Don’t hurry the process. Go through all the steps in the process and don’t veer from that,” Dessner said.

Robbi Cowley, director of recruiting for Pearson based in San Antonio, Texas, agrees.

“I’d rather leave a position unfilled than to fill it with a person that isn’t a good fit,” she said.

Dessner likens hiring to buying a computer.

You wouldn’t decide you needed a computer and just go to the store and say, “I Robbi Cowley want to buy a computer,” not caring about the brand, the operating system, the software or the memory, she said.

You’d investigate before making that purchase.

“Well, the same thing goes with hiring an employee,” she said.

Usually the biggest mistake that people make when hiring is that they hire too fast.

When it comes to best practices in hiring, Dessner and other human resource professionals live by the three Cs: ● Competency ● Character

Culture Not only do candidates have to have the competency or skills to fill the position, they also must have the personal character the company is looking for and the candidate must be a good fit for the company’s culture.

The first step in determining competency is to create a job description. Too many businesses, especially small businesses, don’t have job descriptions. They think they don’t need them, Dessner said. But without a job description, you don’t know the skills needed to do the job, making it tough to narrow down the applicant pool, much less hire the right person, she said.

The next step is to do job profiling. A job profile consists of a task analysis to select the tasks most critical to a job and a skill analysis to identify the skills and skill levels required to perform it effectively. By matching the job profile information and having candidates take an ACT WorkKeys assessment, it helps determine whether the candidate has the basic skills needed for the job. To view occupational profiles already done, go to (www.act.org/workkeys/profiles/occuprof/index.html).

“I’ve used it and what’s cool about it is that it reduced turnover, there were less errors and less training time,” Dessner said. ●

MAY 2009 ■ EdgeBusiness

5

She said using WorkKeys also protects an employer since, legally, employers have to be able to defend why one candidate was selected over another. The assessments are given at Kirkwood Community College or Iowa Workforce Development.

But whether it’s WorkKeys or another employer-created skills test, assessments are key to determining an applicant’s skill level, human resource professionals say.

“People always say great things in an

“

If you could use only one tool out of your (hiring) toolbox, I would find 50 great people and ask them for names of candidates. Great people usually know great people or have worked with great people in the past.

“

– Robbi Cowley, director of recruiting for Pearson

interview,” said Julie Perrine, owner of Julie Perrine Virtual Assistant LLC. “There are a lot of things you can learn doing skills (testing).”

Perrine also urges employers to ask for work samples from applicants.

When it comes to personal character, Dessner said past performance is a predictor of future performance. Human resource professionals urge employers to use behavioral questions in the interview process to determine how a candidate has handled situations in the past.

Cowley and Dessner also recommend using personality profiling.

Also, always conduct background checks.

Some people think previous employers won’t tell you anything, but many times people give you an idea of the person’s performance, Dessner said, noting that most people feel free to say something positive, if that’s the case.

“When you put it all together, you should have a pretty good idea of the person’s charac-

Becky Holub of Cedar Rapids, a senior recruiter for AEGON, talks with Kirkwood Community College accounting student Joana Karl during a job fair at Kirkwood in the fall of 2008 in Cedar Rapids. About 60 companies had human resources and recruiting representatives at the fair to meet with prospective employees. Liz Martin photo/EdgeBusiness

ter,” she said.

Finally, Dessner said employers need to take into consideration whether the candidate will fit into the company’s culture.

“Culture is that unwritten thing. It’s the glue that keeps it together,” she said.

An employee’s personality profile can help determine whether the person will fit into the culture. The interview can also help determine whether there will be a good fit.

Cowley encourages companies to solicit employee referrals when seeking quality candidates.

“If you could use only one tool out of your (hiring) toolbox, I would find 50 great people and ask them for names of candidates,” Cowley said. “Great people usually know great people or have worked with great people in the past.”

She said people who work in a company know the company best. They know the culture and they know the expectations, so they would know best whether that person would fit.

Pearson employees also have motivation to make those referrals. The company offers anywhere from $250 to $1,000 for a hire based on a referral.

Cowley said she’s also embraced social networking to find qualified applicants. She said she’s had success in posting position openings to her Facebook and LinkedIn pages, getting anywhere from 100 to 150 applicants that way.

In the end, a hiring mistake doesn’t just hurt the company, Dessner said.

“It hurts the employee, too,” she said.

“They’re a mismatch either in a job they hate, or they are unsuited to the work, which can be

6

EdgeBusiness ■ MAY 2009

I

Rich Smith

EFFICIENT WORKPLACE

Make sure you have a healthy ‘street image’

s recruitment and retention an important topic in these hard economic times? Does this topic apply to an efficient workplace? Your answer lies in how you answer the following questions. What is your “street image?” Do you have a “street” to repair?

Imagine this following true story. While standing in a local checkout line I heard the following exchange between two women (a few years ago).

First lady: “Hi, what’s new with you?”

Second Lady: “Well, my husband just landed a job with (name withheld) and we are real really excited as they do so much in the community.”

First lady: “Well, I’m so sad to hear it. My husband used to work there, and we thought the same way as you. We soon learned they did everything for show. They manipulate their employees and during the last slowdown, they knew they could really abuse their people.

When things turned around my husband left when friends recommended him to the company they work for.”

Your organization’s “street image” is what is being told by the people who work for you and what is being said, or not said, by the commercial service providers in your community.

No matter what image leadership projects at the country club level the street image is what most people know. The “Emperor’s New Clothes” story still applies.

An efficient workplace has a healthy street image. The organization does not often lose their best people. They often have a list of potential hires coming from their employee rec-

ommendations. A quick question for business owners and executives: Would your employees recommend your organization to their best friends? If asked by a known, hard-working

iStock

friend that is seeking employment, would your employee have a pregnant pause before responding?

Your street image has a lot to do with your organization’s core decision-making values.

Do they shift with the economic weather vane or leadership’s mood of the day? Or, are they consistently upheld and open to accountability?

How would an efficient workplace answer?

Is your street great to drive on or one to avoid? Do you have a street in need of repair?

While the dollar cost can be low, it can have a high cost to pride, image management and ego.

Remember that warm crow is easier to eat than cold crow.

Rich Smith is president of Priority Management Services Inc. in Cedar Rapids. Contact him at (319) 447-9442 or at rsmith@priority management.com

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MAY 2009 ■ EdgeBusiness

Jay Murray

Ed Barrett

Jeff Steen

Karla Twedt- Michael Flege Steve Erickson Jim Thebeau Ball

NEWSMAKERS

Liberty Bank, with offices in the Corridor, has announced that Jay Murray joined as senior vice president of Commercial Banking at Liberty Bank. Murray previously was with Farmers State Bank.

■

Howard R. Green Co. in Cedar Rapids announced that Michael Daniel, (not pictured) chief financial officer, has been elected chairman and chief executive officer of Green Companies Inc. He succeeds Ralph Russell.

The company also announced the promotion of Ed Barrett to director of human resources and marketing. Barrett formerly was director of human resources.

■

Jeff Steen was promoted to operations manager of The Audio Room Ltd. in Marion. Steen previously was residential systems project manager.

■

■

The Greater Cedar Rapids Community

Christina Bricker

Brian Coller

7

Michael Kaplan

Foundation announced the promotion of Karla Twedt-Ball to vice president of programs.

Twedt-Ball most recently was director of programs.

Marion has named Christina Bricker housing director. Bricker has 16 years of experience in long-term senior care with three years focused on assisted living.

Michael Flege has joined Entrepreneurial Services Group in Cedar Rapids as chief financial officer/controller on-call. Flege previously was controller for Seedorff Masonry in Strawberry Point.

■ Bergan Paulsen Certified Public Accountants and Consultants in Cedar Rapids named Brian Coller a partner in the firm. Coller previously was audit manager.

■

Henry Russell Bruce, with offices in Cedar Rapids and Davenport, announced that Steve Erickson has been named president of the company and Jim Thebeau has been named chief executive officer. Erickson and Thebeau were senior vice presidents for the past 11 years. The changes were prompted by the Feb. 21 death of agency president and CEO Brian Carr.

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Summit Pointe Senior Living Community in

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■ Michael Kaplan has joined the Cedar Rapids branch of Per Mar Security Services as general manager of electronic security. Kaplan will oversee the branch business and personnel and all operations with regard to sales and customer service of electronic security systems for Per Mar’s commercial and residential clients in the Cedar Rapids metro area.

■ Jamie McFadden (not pictured) has joined MindFire Communications in Cedar Rapids as interactive arsonist.

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EdgeBusiness ■ MAY 2009

401(k) plans front, center of employee benefit packages

Jim Anderson

ACCOUNTING

I

ndividual retirement 401(k) plans made the news recently when it was announced that some retirees who are required to make minimum distributions from their plan every year will be given a reprieve for the 2009 tax year. This temporary change of rules was an acknowledgment of the impact that falling stock prices have had on the retirement nest eggs of millions of Americans.

Historically speaking, this drop in retirement fund balances was a rare bit of negative news for an employee benefit that has become a mainstay in the American worker’s lineup of retirement options and a centerpiece of employee compensation packages.

According to the Employee Benefits Research Institute, individual account retirement plans such as 401(k)s continued to increase their total share of retirement assets in this country, standing at about $7.5 trillion in 2004 (the last year for which figures are available).

For the same year, the U.S. Department of Labor reported there were more than 44 million participants in 418,553 plans with assets of more than $2 trillion. The share of individual account retirement plans is projected to grow even further as employers continue to move away from the employer-funded, defined benefit pension plans of a generation ago.

One reason for the growth and popularity of the 401(k) among employees is its tax-favored status. The plans may also offer certain tax benefits to the employer. In the world of recruiting and retention, 401(k) plans have a great reputation as a benefit that can sway a would-be employee’s choice.

Tax benefits, flexibility and diversification The real attraction of the 401(k) is how it works to reduce a worker’s current taxable income, while at the same time deferring tax on any earnings until funds are withdrawn at retirement. Contributions to a 401(k) plan are made with pretax dollars, meaning taxable income is reduced by the amount the employee contributes. In 2009, the IRS will allow plan participants to defer up to $16,500 or 100 percent of compensation, whichever is less. Participants age 50 and over can make additional catch-up contributions of $5,500 in 2009.

In today’s highly mobile workplace, portability is another 401(k) advantage. When an employee changes jobs, he or she generally has the option to roll a 401(k) balance into an individual retirement account, or into the 401(k) of the new employer. In this way, the plan’s major benefits continue regardless of where the account owner is employed.

Contributions to a 401(k) also give employees a certain level of diversification, as investment options are often in all of the major asset categories. Whether the employee is allowed to make his or her own investment decisions or the plan specifies where funds will be invested, the goal is typically to reduce risk and volatility through diversification. Returns are never guaranteed, but professional management of plan offerings allow participants to balance risk

with possible return to maximize growth over the life of the investment.

“Free money” from employers Although they are not required to do so, many plan sponsors chose to match a percentage of employee contributions. For example, if a $2,500 annual deferral by the employee is matched dollar-for-dollar by the employer, it would grow to $5,000. The employer match percentage often increases as the employee defers a greater percentage of their income (up to limits set by the plan and IRS). Every plan is different, but these employer contributions can usually be viewed by the employee as “free money,” at least in the short term, since these funds are not included in current taxable income and any growth is tax deferred.

With all of these great benefits, you would think that everyone would jump at the chance to contribute as much as possible to a 401(k).

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. According to research by EBRI, workers with lower family incomes do not participate in 401(k) plans at the same rate as those with higher incomes.

Education attainment also makes a huge difference. In 2004, workers with no high school diploma only had a 9 percent participation rate, while 47 percent of workers with a graduate degree participated in their employer’s plan.

Still, many Americans do not have a retirement plan. Laws have been implemented allowing employers to make minimum contributions to a 401(k)-type plan mandatory and automatic for all employees as a way of placing more responsibility for retirement finances on the individual and less on the government.

So, even though 401(k) plan balances may have taken a beating on Wall Street lately, they still offer many of the same advantages they have for years. As an employer, a 401(k) can serve as the foundation of a comprehensive package of employee benefits that gives you a recruiting and retention advantage.

Jim Anderson is a manager at Clifton Gunderson and is a Registered Investment Advisor Representative, a Certified Financial Planner Professional and a licensed insurance agent. He can be reached at (319) 363-2697 or jim.anderson@ cliftoncpa.com

MAY 2009 ■ EdgeBusiness

9

Serving the underbanked is bigger challenge today

Louis Ebinger

LEGAL ANGLE

T

he Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. recently published the results of a survey of banks’ efforts to serve the “unbanked and underbanked.” According to the FDIC, unbanked people and families are those who “rarely, if ever, held a checking account, savings account or other type of transaction or check cashing account at an insured depository institution in the conventional finance system.”

Similarly, underbanked people and families are those who have an account with a bank, but also “rely on non-bank alternative financial service providers for transaction services or high-cost credit products.”

Non-bank alternative financial service providers include check cashers and payday loan companies, among others.

A growing problem In June, before the credit crunch worked its way through the financial system, the Center for Financial Services Innovation estimated that 40 million U.S. households were underbanked.

The recent economic downturn likely will cause more individuals and families to leave the financial mainstream. This will lead to a greater loss of economic self-sufficiency among this population and weaken consumer confidence in the banking system.

Results of the survey The survey was required by the Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Conforming Amendments Act of 2005 and focused on topics such as banks’ financial education and outreach efforts and perceived challenges to serving unbanked and underbanked customers. It showed that 63 percent of bank respondents provide financial education materials to the unbanked/underbanked, often in the form of brochures and pamphlets, and 37 percent of bank respondents participate in financial education or outreach efforts with other organizations to expand services to underbanked individuals. Finally, 53 percent of banks teach financial literacy and education sessions targeted at unbanked or underbanked people. For more information and results regarding the survey, see FDIC Survey of Banks’ Efforts to Serve the Unbanked and Underbanked: Executive Summary of Findings and Recommendations, February 2009, at www.fdic.gov Hurdles to serving the underbanked Bankers noted profitability issues, regulatory barriers and fraud concerns as the top three challenges to serving or targeting unbanked or underbanked individuals. Specifically, one regulatory concern of many bankers is the identification necessary for a consumer to open an account in the U.S. Patriot Act. Under that act, financial institutions must verify the identity of any person seeking to open an account, to the extent reasonable and practicable. The act also requires that financial institutions maintain records of account holders and compare the list of account holders with lists of suspected terrorists provided by government agencies.

Pursuant to the act, the Treasury Department has mandated that “U.S. persons” seeking to open a bank account must provide a taxpayer identification number — typically an unexpired driver’s license or Social Security number.

“Non-U.S. Persons” must provide either a U.S. taxpayer identification number, passport number and country of issuance; alien identification card number; or number and country

of issuance of any other government-issued document proving nationality or residence and bearing a photograph or similar safeguard. An example of an alien identification card is the Matricula Consular card, which is issued to Mexican national citizens by Mexico through its consulate offices.

Strategies for expanded services Banks across the country are taking measures to reach out to underbanked communities.

Strategies include: ● Opening new bank branches inside the facilities of corporations that employ many new immigrants with tailored operations to serve the specific needs of employees and compete with alternative service providers such as checkcashers and large payday lenders. ● Leveraging relationships with local agencies and community organizations to expand education and outreach efforts, including financial education programs in neighborhoods with high unbanked populations. ● Establishing a Credit Builders Program to offer small dollar loans to low- to moderate-income borrowers with less than perfect credit. ● Employing bilingual, Spanish-speaking staff at branches located in areas with a sizable Spanish-speaking population.

Good business Amid ongoing economic turmoil, public trust of banks has weakened and large numbers of consumers remain outside of the financial mainstream. Banks can counter these forces by providing services and outreach to underbanked and unbanked communities. Greater access to mainstream financial services translates into greater economic self-sufficiency. That combined with the positive perception of banks reaching out within the community makes serving underbanked populations a proposition worthy of strong consideration.

Louis Ebinger is an attorney with Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC in Cedar Rapids. He can be reached at lebinger@simmonsperrine.com or (319) 366-7641.

10

EdgeBusiness ■ MAY 2009

THE WRITE

Stuff

Bad writing skills can hold you back

By Janet Rorholm

A

master Twitterer Amy Stevens admits she will probably never be.

Stevens can’t bare to abbreviate words, which is so prevalent among texters and Twitterers because the 140-character limit is too confining, she said.

“I feel spelling reflects who you are and your organization,” said Stevens, director of Alliance Claims Solutions in Cedar Rapids.

Stevens said many people don’t seem to agree.

She said she’s seen fewer applicants and employees with the business writing skills needed for the business she manages, which is Amy Stevens why she became a business writing instructor at Kirkwood Community College’s Continuing Education program.

Other employers also are worried by the informal writing trend that has seeped into the workplace today. Bosses are urging or flat-out telling employees that they need to attend the class. Some students have admitted that they’ve been passed over for promotions because of their poor writing skills, Stevens said.

So much of being a manager is about writing — writing performance reviews, proposals, documentation and investigations — that it pays to be a good writer, Stevens said.

Some of the most common writing problems include informal writing, poor grammatical skills, writing that is too verbose, or writing

MAY 2009 ■ EdgeBusiness

where the point is lost.

“What I really think has happened is that very few people write letters anymore and even in e-mails, you are seeing the English language dumbed down. I blame a lot of it on texting,” she said.

Writing fast is not always conducive to writing well, she said. So often people write something fast and send it off.

“We don’t realized that writing, especially good writing, requires time,” she said.

That’s one of the reasons why Jennifer Bollig of Cedar Rapids found the class valuable.

Bollig, a military veteran and an office assistant who has been temping in the recession, took the class to help set herself apart from other applicants. The class is required as part of the office professional certificate that she is seeking.

“It’s definitely worth it to invest in yourself,” she said.

Her best advice for writing well? Get right to the point and proofread. “(The class) can apply to everyone. All people need to learn to write well,” she said.

Stevens said it isn’t that most employees have never taken writing classes. Most people received it in college, but they’ve lost it because they haven’t had to use it, Stevens said.

Because of the nature of her business,

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Stevens said communication between her staff and customers can end up in court. So those back-and-forth e-mails had better be completely professional, without smiley faces or abbreviated words like “btw” for by the way, which is so common in texting.

For that matter, Stevens said too many people misuse e-mail.

“E-mail was designed for quick and fast questions and answers. Now people use it for everything,” she said.

Stevens said you shouldn’t use e-mail to document conversations or to converse with someone who is only a few feet away. Any conversation meant for documenting should be done in letter form that can be attached to an e-mail if necessary.

Other business writing tips: ● Don’t use emoticons (those silly faces people like to stick in their e-mails). They are not professional e-mail etiquette. ● Take time to use the writing tools available, like grammatical or spell check. ● Use the proper tone and style depending on who the audience is. For example, a letter to an attorney should have a different tone and style than a quick e-mail to a colleague. ● Evaluate the proper tool for the communication. Is an e-mail appropriate, or should it be a formal letter, attached to an e-mail?

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EdgeBusiness ■ MAY 2009

Social media: Waste of time or Web-based marketing tools

Lisa Van Allen

MARKETING ON THE EDGE

M

any businesses today rely on a Web site for business. That web presence offers one-way communication with current and potential customers. The problem is getting those new customers to your Web site.

Search engine optimization is great for that — if the customer is searching for your product or service on Google or Yahoo. But what if you could capture the attention of customers who don’t even realize they want or need your product or service yet? What if you were able to connect with those potential customers and develop a sense of trust and loyalty? What if you could demonstrate your expertise, regularly offering them free “tastes” of what you do, until you had them ready to buy? All of this is possible, and aside from the time involved, this marketing strategy is free.

You’ve guessed it. We’re talking about social media marketing or Web 2.0 — the hottest marketing trend that isn’t going away any time soon. Using social media, there are many ways to generate traffic to your Web site. Getting traffic from social media Web sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube can boost your business and help you get attention quickly in a short period of time. The traffic generated on social media is not targeted, meaning you communicate with a broad, general audience. But this audience is huge.

On Facebook alone, you have the potential to reach 200 million people. Twitter has more than tripled in size in just the last month. To ignore the potential is simply foolish.

So, how do you use social media to attract leads to your business Web site?

1. You need to solve a problem. What is the pain or problem your potential customers face and how is your product or service the solution?

Whatever you post to your blog or share on Twitter or Facebook should solve a problem.

2. You need to be visible, active and consistent. Simply creating a profile on LinkedIn or Twitter is not enough. Updating your blog only once a month is not enough. You have to engage with your target market often. Check in with your followers or friends at least once a day so they don’t forget you. There are applications that help you manage your time and efficiency.

3. You need to share your expertise. After connecting with friends and followers, plan on demonstrating your knowledge and the highlights of using your product or service in your status updates, videos and blog entries. Make it easy for people to share your content with others. Provide buttons on your blog that allow people to easily forward your posts to their friends and colleagues. Create shortened URLs so updates can be retweeted on Twitter.

4. You need to be personally and emotion-

ally attractive. Don’t be afraid to let your personality show through. Social media is one place where your personal and professional lives blend. It gives your potential customers a chance to see the real you. This opportunity to connect is the best way to get them to know, like and trust you. So be engaging and funny.

Share your life and your interests. Even the most mundane trivial information can generate a connection. For example, I got a client through Twitter because of a connection with someone who also likes low carb chai lattes.

5. You need to measure your results. Use a variety of tools to measure which social media tool is bringing you the most leads. You also may want to split test and send Facebook leads to a different page on your blog than the leads you attract from Twitter. If you use 1ShoppingCart or Aweber, you can use these tools to measure your results.

6. You need to be realistic about your time and capacity. Create a social media marketing strategy that includes all the sites you will use, how often you will update and commit to it.

Once you learn how, Facebook can be updated in five minutes and Twitter can take less.

LinkedIn is most beneficial when you engage in the discussion groups and Answer forum, so plan accordingly. YouTube and audio sites like BlogTalkRadio or Talkshoe are the quickest way to climb Google rankings, but creating video or audio files take time and preparation.

Know what you can do consistently and what you can delegate.

7. You need to let go. In other words, open the door so that those who follow you can interact with each other. Allow your friends, followers and fans to interact. Be in your abundance mind-set. Social media is about connection. To truly connect, you have to have the attitude of giving and abundance. Free articles or product downloads are a great way to attract a following, but generosity of spirit will keep them coming back for more.

Lisa Van Allen is a business coach and social media trainer with Van Allen & Associates Personal & Executive Coaching in Cedar Rapids. She can be reached at lisa@vanallencoaching.com or (319) 551-1414.

MAY 2009 ■ EdgeBusiness

CORRIDOR NEWS CEDAR RAPIDS: MidAmerican to equalize rates in 2014 — MidAmerican Energy was given three more years by state regulators to equalize electric rate disparities between its three Iowa service territories. Rates differ between zones because the utility was formed by mergers involving three companies — Iowa Power & Light, Iowa-Illinois Gas & Electric, and Iowa Public Service Co. — all of which had separate rate structures.

business units — Penford Corp.’s board of directors is considering selling at least some of the company. Word that Penford has picked an investment bank to explore “strategic alternatives” lifted the company’s flagging stock price more than 30 percent in early April despite the simultaneous announcement of a big secondquarter loss. Penford Corp. is the parent company of Penford Products Co., which manufactures industrial starch and ethanol in Cedar Rapids. The Centennial, Colo.-based company lost $22.2 million, or $1.98 per diluted share, in the quarter that ended Feb. 28.

CEDAR RAPIDS: Qwest using Twitter to connect with customers — Qwest is offering customer service response via Twitter as part of a social media strategy. Four weeks after launching a pilot customer service program using Twitter, Qwest has decided that it’s something customers value. It hears from a couple hundred customers a week.

IOWA CITY: Firm’s software application used on iPhone — Componica, the tiny technology company Steven Mitchell co-founded at the University of Iowa’s Technology Innovation Center in 2005, recently launched its first software application for Apple’s iPhone called Memorize Words. The software makes full use of the iPhone’s interactive capabilities.

Users see a flashcard-like screen with a word displayed and spoken in Spanish, which they must then identify.

IOWA CITY: Gift store closes doors — Vortex Gifts, a retail icon in downtown Iowa City for 22 years, became a victim of the recession in April. Owners Pamela and Jonathan Sabin said the decision was difficult but ultimately unavoidable due to the economy.

CEDAR RAPIDS: Penford Corp. may sell

CEDAR RAPIDS: Iowa unemployment rise

MorningEdge The

smaller in January — The statewide unemployment rate nudged up a tick in February, to 4.9 percent, as non-farm employment fell by 6,900 jobs. February ended with 82,500 Iowans unemployed, up from 80,000 the previous month. Manufacturing led the way in job losses, shedding 8,400 jobs in February.

However, unemployment rates fell slightly in the Corridor. The Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area jobless rate of 5.3 percent for February was down from 5.4 percent the previous month. The Iowa City MSA unemployment rate of 3.8 percent was down from 4 percent in January.

CEDAR RAPIDS: Rockwell Collins buying Georgia satellite business — Rockwell Collins on Wednesday is buying a Georgia company that provides satellite-based network communications solutions. DataPath Inc. of Duluth, Ga., designs, integrates, manages and deploys satellite communications systems for military and commercial customers. DataPath was the prime contractor and provider of 100 percent of the satellite communications portion of the U.S. Army’s Joint Network Node program — the largest military communications network for Iraq and Afghanistan. The company has about 600 employees around the world.

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May 12 – Using LinkedIn for Your Business Learn about this fast-growing professional networking site with more than 35 million professionals and how it can help you grow your contacts and even your business.

Annette Schulte is editorial manager at Gazette Communications.

June 9 – Make Meetings Matter Learn how to solve problems quickly and easily, achieve better alignment around strategic decisions and communicate more effectively using meeting rhythms. Learn who should attend, what the agenda should focus on and when these meetings should occur. Speaker will be Doug Wick, business consultant with Positioning Systems of Cedar Rapids.

Break free of

CHAINS How to keep employees engaged to improve productivity, retention

By Janet Rorholm

F

or April Fools’ Day, Eric Engelmann, president and chief executive officer of Geonetric, a Cedar Rapidsbased Web development firm that specializes in health care, sent employees an e-mail saying he was eliminating the free pop and coffee.

He also said parking meters were going to be installed and all employees were to report to the parking lot for 500 jumping jacks before starting their day.

Not everyone caught the joke at first, but Anne Ohrt, human resources and event coordinator at Geonetric in Cedar Rapids, said the company, which also has hot dog eating contests and euchre tournaments, places a high value on making work fun for its employees.

“Around here we like to keep people on their toes, Anne Ohrt wondering what’s going to happen next,” Ohrt said.

Having fun doesn’t just make employees feel good, it helps keep employees engaged, which experts say translates into company loyalty, increased productivity and efficiency as well as improved health — all highly desirable outcomes, especially in today’s economy. But with such a major distraction like the economy on everyone’s mind, keeping employees engaged is even more important and challenging today.

“This is probably the most important time

to focus on employees and engagement,” said Jason Glass, human resources partner with Pearson in Iowa City.

Getting and keeping employees engaged is much more than just creating a fun place to work, said Ohrt and other human resource area professionals. It’s also about liking the people you work with, having a good manager, understanding what your job is and how your job fits in the company’s mission. It also is about being valued as an employee.

“Being valued is right up there with compensation for employees,” Ohrt said.

Another way to keep employees engaged is to invest in employee development, an area that some Corridor employers have cut because of the economy. Human resource professionals call that a bad move.

Geonetric employees Ben Dillon, left, of Iowa City and Grant Keiser of Cedar Rapids participate in a hot dog eating contest the company held in honor of National Hot Dog Day at Geonetric in Cedar Rapids last summer.

Courtney Sargent photo/EdgeBusiness

Glass calls those cuts “counter intuitive” because the programs are so important to keeping employees engaged.

“When times are good, people have options, but they think back to the times that were difficult.

That’s when you make or break that relationship with employees,” he said.

Sheila Schmidt, of Sheila Schmidt Consulting LLC in Cedar Rapids, agrees.

“I liken it to advertising. When the economy is Sheila Schmidt bad, those who continue to advertise, many times, emerge as leaders when the economy improves.

MAY 2009 ■ EdgeBusiness

I think it’s the same when it comes to learning opportunities for employees,” she said. “Employees still have a desire and a need for developmental training and to learn something new.”

At Geonetric, employees continue to receive a $3,000 professional development stipend they can use to improve their skills.

“We feel that if we invest in the people we hired that they’ll stay engaged while they’re here,” Ohrt said.

She also noted that providing professional development opportunities translates into a better skilled work force.

Even if everyone is cutting back on professional development programs, you can’t use that as a crutch, Glass said. If you can keep those programs, you should do it because that gives you a huge advantage over those other companies, he said.

At West Music Co., the focus on customer satisfaction begins with employee engagement.

“I don’t think we can succeed with employees who just come to work,” said Russ Curry, vice president and director of human resources at the Jason Glass Coralville company. “Due to the unique nature of our business, it is essential that our employees are engaged and passionate about enriching people’s lives through participation in music. We place a great emphasis on training to help make this happen.”

To help keep employees learning new things, West Music employees are encouraged to take advantage of external training opportunities and the company’s internal “West Music University” program. For one employee that could be learning Spanish to better serve the company’s Spanish-speaking customers.

For another that might be learning more about digital keyboards.

The effectiveness of the training is tracked by personal goals and milestones established with the employee’s manager, Curry said. Because of this, West Music places a high priority on training its leaders, a good move according to area human resource professionals, because front-line managers are crucial to employee engagement.

“You can have all programs in the world, but if you’ve got a leader that an employee doesn’t enjoy working for — you’re lost,” Glass said.

“You have to have good leaders in place.”

There are several ways managers can figure out whether employees are engaged. The first is through observation.

“Watch people,” Schmidt said. “Are they interested in what they are doing? Do they ask to take on more responsibility? Do they perform at a consistently high level? Do they drive innovation?

Do they tend to be creative in expressing their ideas for improvement?”

15

West Music employees Judy Pine, from left, Kelly Fowler, Valerie Johnson and Nate Ersig participate in an exercise on working as a team during a session of the company’s leadership class led by consultant Sheila Schmidt, center, of Cedar Rapids April 1 at the store in Coralville.

Experts say manager skills can be one component to keeping employees engaged. Brian Ray photo/EdgeBusiness

The second way is to give employees an engagement survey. The survey can be developed in-house, with a consultant’s assistance or a company can use some basic surveys already on the market.

An example of such a survey is Gallup’s“Twelve Elements of Great Managing” (http://gmj.gallup.com/content/811/FeedbackReal. aspx). It asks employees to rank their agreement on a scale of one to five.

With companies laying off employees, employee engagement becomes even more important.

“Employee engagement is not about retention, it’s getting full participation or that discretionary effort,” Glass said.

In tough times, the idea is to get those productivity increases not from asking people to do more with less or getting people to work more hours, but from making sure those employees are as productive and as engaged as they can be during those 40 hours, he said.

“The gap between those two people even though they are working the same hours is huge,” Glass said.

Research shows there are three types of employees when it comes to engagement: the engaged, the disengaged and the actively disengaged employee, Schmidt said.

The engaged employee want to know what is expected of her. She is naturally curious about the organization and how she fits in.

She also performs at a consistently high level, Schmidt said.

The disengaged employee is neutral. He takes a wait-and-see approach and isn’t as productive.

The actively disengaged employee hates everything. His attitude and behavior are negative and he tries to undermine the work being done.

Gallup Organization research estimates that actively disengaged employees — those who are the least productive — cost the country about $350 billion per year in lost productivity. It also shows that only about 29 percent of the U.S. work force is engaged, 55 percent are not engaged, and 16 percent are actively disengaged. Since a highly-engaged employee typically outperforms a disengaged employee by 20 percent to 28 percent, it’s important to get that engagement, Schmidt said.

“There are all sorts of benefits when you have people who are more engaged. First, their sense of value as an employee and their well being is better. They are happier. They also tend to be healthier and health care is a huge concern for all companies... so it’s a win-win for the organization as well as the employee,” she said.

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EdgeBusiness ■ MAY 2009

Employee recognition: Bring out, celebrate the best in team members

S

tellar work. Well done.

Outstanding.Can you remember the latest instance when someone gave you recognition for great work? When was the last time you praised a member of your team? If you hesitate to answer either of these questions, I encourage you to jump into and implement a new recognition revolution in your team and organization.

Anne Ohrt

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Dynamic employee recognition is not a science, but instead should be viewed as an art. There are no employee recognition laws or rules, because employee recognition must be harmoniously married with your company mission, values, goals and culture.

Dynamic employee recognition (notice I stay away from using the word effective) is a creative and intentional set of actions and communications that employers can implement to create and maintain relationships with employees present, past and future. It is safe to assume that in the minds of many employees, recognition equals retention. They want to know, hear and have others know when they have done a great job. Recognition must be a conscious effort by managers, instead of an after-thought or a knee-jerk solution to a bigger issue.

Here are six steps to help you start discussions about what recognition looks like in your businesses and implement recognition.

MAY 2009 ■ EdgeBusiness

Step One Evaluate and review what your company now does in the area of employee recognition.

Consider surveying your employees to see what kind of recognition they have received in the past, the frequency it has come and types of recognition they prefer, and get a feel for how important recognition is to them.

Step Two Identify what outstanding work might look like in your organization.

Is recognition a vital component of your company’s mission or values? Is it important?

If so, create goals to be reached and metrics to be tracked, such as less turnover or higher employee satisfaction scores.

Step Three Identify and choose tangible and intangible ways that fit into your culture to recognize employees and set a budget.

There are many resources out there to help with ideas. Here are some that I have used in the past: ● Employee gifts in many price ranges at www.baudvillethemes.com ● Employee recognition program ideas at www.incentiveamerica.com ● Employee engagement solutions and suggestions at www.carrots.com Just a reminder — recognition does not have to be expensive. Be creative and use your

17

imagination. A recognition program is much more than an “employee of the month“ parking spot and certificate.

Step Four Implement your recognition program Remember to: ● Be consistent. ● Make some aspects of the recognition visible to all employees. ● Don’t play favorites; good recognition programs do not favor one employee over another. ● Random recognition is great. You don’t always have to tie recognition to a quantifiable goal, but make sure that the recognition is building someone up.

Step Five Track and measure the success of the program.

Step Six Re-evaluate your recognition initiatives on a yearly basis.

Ready, set, go. If your organization needs a way to energize your employees, I encourage you to seriously consider creating a recognition program.

Anne Ohrt is human resources and event coordinator at Geonetric in Cedar Rapids. She can be reached at (319) 221-1667 or Anne.Ohrt@ geonetric.com

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EdgeBusiness ■ MAY 2009

From left: Bailout protesters yell outside AIG in New York. Former AIG head Hank Greenberg prepares to testify on Capitol Hill. Auto industry executives testify about their bailout request. Bernard Madoff heads to court in New York. AP photos

Building a Strong

FOUNDATION Written, modeled core value statements can head off ethical troubles

By Janet Rorholm

T

oday’s headlines about Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme and executives earning millions of dollars in pay or bonuses for steering companies into such dire circumstances that the U.S. government needs to step in and bail them out have many people talking about business ethics — or the lack thereof.

Wall Street and Main Street may be miles apart, but businesses at every level should not only have ethical policies or core value statements they not only follow and enforce, but also model, business experts say.

“Just having a code of ethics is not enough.

Most people get the message by observing behavior and if leaders aren’t setting a good example, that sends the message this is how

we operate,” said Pam Carstens, professor of business administration and world affairs at Coe College in Cedar Rapids.

With only three employees, FNBCIowa in Cedar Rapids is similar to many small Corridor businesses in that they do not have written ethical guidelines or core values. They do, however, have a verbal one they uphold.

“I can summarize our principle operating practice as ‘Do the right thing.’ If you do the right thing for your clients, the rest will fall into place,” said Jon Konchar, business broker with FNBCIowa.

Still, even Konchar and his partners have a hard time defining what “Do the right thing” means, which is why its important for business owners to spell it out for employees, experts say.

“It’s not enough for employees to just know the words. They need to understand what it means,” said Nancy Hauserman, professor of management and organizations and law and interim associate dean for the University of Iowa’s Jon Konchar

Tippie College of Business.

Paul Brundell, president and CEO of Allan Custom Homes, has a code of conduct and ethics policy it expects employees to follow. He also urges them to subscribe to this unwritten rule: “Whatever decision you make will be fine as long as you’re OK reading about it on the front page of the paper the next day.”

Brundell’s background in electrical engineering teaches him that electricity takes the path of least resistance. That applies to people.

“The path of least resistance is all around us.

And many times that leads us to make decisions that you’ll regret the next day when you read about it in the paper,” he said.

Seeing something in print is powerful, Carstens said. That’s why she urges all businesses to put their core value statements in writing and then print them out and put them everywhere, including the company’s Web site for all to see. Business experts agree that the more employees a business has, the more important it is to have a written core value statement since the business owner and executives get more and more removed.

“People take it more seriously if it’s on paper,” she said. “There’s a certain degree of

MAY 2009 ■ EdgeBusiness

permanence to it. There’s less wiggle room if you see on paper what those expectations are.”

For companies that don’t have a core values statement, Carstens recommend business owners and executives consider addressing the following: ● Importance of a diverse work force ● How you expect employees to interact like showing respect for one another ● Employee rights ● Employee relationship expectations between Paul Brundell its suppliers and distributors as well as customers to avoid conflicts of interests ● Social responsibility ● Environmental responsibility ● Marketing tactics of products and services ● How it will operate internationally, if relevant Carstens said a lot of businesses, especially those with boards and investors, are under pressure to perform well in the short-term so they start looking to cut corners and do things that will make them look better. But constant growth isn’t realistic, she said.

“They start pushing the edge,” of what’s ethical, she said.

For Konchar and his partners, the price of being unethical is huge. Quite simply, the company’s reputation is at stake.

“Even if nobody’s looking, you better do the right thing or we’ll be on you. There’s quite a bit at stake,” he said.

Konchar said he’s sensitive to the issue because business brokers nationally don’t have a great reputation.

“Ethics in business — some people think that’s an oxymoron,” he said. “One phrase I despise is, ‘It’s just business’ — as if that gives you the right to screw somebody.”

Bart Woods said a core value statement is near and dear to him as president of Primus Construction in Hiawatha.

• • • •

“I have a strong faith myself and I can’t afford to leave that at the door,” he said.

“The essence of our mission is to treat others how we want to be treated...” he said.

“What gets preached around here is that we may build buildings, but this is about people and how we treat people and how we want to be treated. If someone complains, we ask employees to consider it from their perspective.”

Woods said that contractors often have a shaky reputation, but he’s found that running an ethical construction business pays off.

“In the construction industry, it’s opportunity rich to do the right thing and make an impression,” he said.

Local business owners said not only have they fired employees for not behaving ethically, they’ve turned down businesses because of their values.

For businesses wanting to instill a culture that respects those core value statements, the process starts in the interview process, Hauserman said. People doing the hiring need to tell applicants what the company’s values are and what they are looking for in their employees.

“Then those values need to be modeled from top down and from bottom up,” she said.

Some people say you can’t teach ethics, but you can, Hauserman said.

You do that by modeling good ethical behavior.

People learn by what they see, she said.

Enron is a perfect example of why just having a core value statement in writing is not good enough, said Dana Telford of St. George, Utah, who is Bart Woods a strategy consultant, guest lecturer at Harvard Business School and coauthor of best-seller “The Integrity Advantage” and “Integrity Works.”

“Enron’s statement of values was beautiful,” he said.

But when leaders didn’t follow it, it created a completely different culture.

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“It’s one thing to say we have these core values. It’s another thing to show that you’re willing to stick to that, even if you’re going to lose money over it,” Telford said.

While no one’s perfect, Telford said many corporate executives who have gotten to where they are and stayed there isn’t because they weathered the storms well, it’s because they had integrity.

“They make more good decisions than bad decisions and if they screw up, they ’fess up,” he said.

That helps set the tone of the company, Telford said.

Another way to create the culture of integrity is to pay attention to how people behave and recognize them for good behavior.

“Once you tell a person, ‘Good job,’ then people start saying, ‘It’s true, they want us to behave that way...,’” Telford said. “If you do that, you’ll see long-term lasting benefits.”

Top 10

Integrity Characteristics 1. You know that the little things count.

2. You find the white (when others see gray).

3. You mess up, you ‘fess up.

4. You create a culture of trust.

5. You keep your word.

6. You care about the greater good.

7. You’re honest but modest.

8. You act like you’re being watched.

9. You hire integrity.

10. You stay the course.

Source: Dana Telford and Adrian Gostick, authors of “The Integrity Advantage”

20

EdgeBusiness ■ MAY 2009

Good leadership systems means better engagement, retention, recruitment

S

Dennis VanAuken and Gary Nesteby

IMPROVING QUALITY

enior leaders in all types of organizations are asking:

● How do I reduce my work force and retain the talent? ● How do I find qualified workers? ● How do I get talent to move to Iowa? ● Why are my people leaving to work for my competitor?

High-performing organizations have designed and deployed systems and processes that are based on proven methodologies and that align with their organizational core competencies. We may be a bit prejudiced, but we believe that the Baldrige framework is the best model to use when developing a systematic approach for work force retention and recruitment.

By looking at lists of the “Best Places to Work” you will see organizations that define and communicate a clear vision of the future. In addition, the organizational values are operationalized and lived out through the actions of all staff members.

Organizational alignment is one of the most important components of an employee retention and recruitment strategy. Organizational work force alignment provides everyone a clear understanding of the organization’s vision and clarifies their own roles and behaviors in how they contribute to the success of the organization.

Organizational and work force alignment can be tested by asking these simple questions: 1. What is the organization’s vision?

2. What are the organization’s values?

3. What is your role?

4. How does your role contribute to the organization’s success?

5. Would you recommend applying for a job in our organization to a friend or family member? (Rate on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being absolutely.)

The responsibility for educating, communicating and modeling work force alignment and engagement is the responsibility of a leadership system. An effective leadership system refers to the informal and formal methods of leadership that are used to make decisions, communicate to work force, develop leaders and reinforce values, ethical behavior, directions and performance expectations. Outcomes may include: ● Respect for the capabilities and requirements of work force members and other stakeholders

● Setting high expectations for performance and improvement ● Building loyalties and teamwork based on the organization’s vision and values ● Encouraging and supporting initiatives and appropriate risk taking ● Subordinating organizational structure to purpose and function ● Avoiding long chains of command that require long decision paths ● Providing a system for leadership to conduct self examination, feedback and improvement Strong leadership systems typically provide an image or model that can be clearly communicated to all levels from the top down.

Through a simple review of the model, any employee is able to see the role of senior leaders and how they clearly define and communicate the direction and expectations through a strategic plan.

Deployment of that strategic plan includes clearly defined roles and responsibilities at all levels including the senior leadership and board of directors. Organizational objectives and performance measurements must be established for all roles to align with the vision and support the achievement of the organizational outcomes.

These are just a few of the key points for engaging your work force. Perhaps the most important tip that can be given is that your work force has a choice. If the alignment between the personal values and vision of the work force and the organization in which they work is not strong, then change is always on the mind.

Retention is a measurement that can tell leaders how well their leadership system is working. Recruitment is not an issue if the leadership system is working at a high level of performance. In either case, we don’t know until we measure.

Dennis VanAuken is president of Positive Solutions in Cedar Rapids and Gary Nesteby is executive director of the Iowa Quality Center in Marion.

They can be reached at dennis@positivesolutionsllc.com or gnesteby@iowaqc.org

MAY 2009 ■ EdgeBusiness

21

BAROMETERS Signs of improvement?

Going green

Economic stimulus

Economic measures suggest Americans are more positive about the economy than they have been since the financial crisis escalated in mid-September 2008.

A recent survey showed that three out of four small business owners have embraced green initiatives, from recycling to telecommuting. Why go green?

A survey found that most of small business owners do not believe the government’s relief program, Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), is doing its job.

To save money.

23%

No opinion.

25%

Unchanged.

14%

Describe current conditions as getting better.

37%

Ways small businesses are helping the environment include direct deposit of paychecks, recycling, giving employees reusable coffee mugs, using environmentally-friendly office supplies and limiting the use of electricity or energy.

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Source: SurePayroll

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It is effective.

3%

72% Disapprove of TARP.

Out of all the green businesses, half have noticed a return on their investment of around 5% to 10% while the other half have yet to see one.

49% Describe current conditions as poor.

Source: Gallup

To be environmentally conscious.

71%

Almost half of survey respondents thought the government should focus on tax cuts instead. Eleven percent favored a massive stimulus program, 10 percent favored a solution to ease the small business health care burden and nine percent favored forcing banks to lend money.

Source: SurePayroll

EdgeBusiness graphic

22

EdgeBusiness ■ MAY 2009

Ethanol byproduct may spawn newest industry

A

recent study has provided a glimmer of hope for future economic development at a time when companies are reluctant to pull the trigger on new ventures.

George C. Ford

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Aerial shot of Archer Daniels Midland Corn Processing and Red Star Yeast plants in Cedar Rapids from 2006.

Red Star built its plant adjacent to ADM to manufacture yeast from corn syrup produced by ADM. A recent study suggested Cedar Rapids ranked high for new bioscience research and processing facilities given its proximity to necessary raw materials. Mark Tade photo/EdgeBusiness

The Boyd Co. of Princeton, N.J., says Cedar Rapids ranked as one of the most reasonable locations in North America for a new bioscience research and processing facility. Thirtyfour cities were considered in the United States and Canada.

Specifically, the report said food processors are considering the Corridor for a facility that would produce nutraceuticals, extracts of foods claimed to have a medicinal effect on human health.

Unlike highly regulated pharmaceuticals, which take a long time to bring to market, nutraceuticals go to market fairly quickly and at less developmental cost.

The study found that a 60,000-square-foot functional food and beverage facility housing research and processing functions and employing 150 workers would cost $13.24 million to operate annually in Cedar Rapids. The annual projected operating cost for such a facility in Des Moines is slightly less — $13.17 million.

Sioux Falls, S.D., had the lowest cost at $12.55 million.

Boyd analyzed all major geographically variable annual operating costs that a company would consider when deciding where to locate such an operation — labor costs, utilities, taxes, construction, shipping, corporate travel and occupancy costs.

John Boyd, a consultant with The Boyd Co., said Cedar Rapids is located near major ethanol and grain processing facilities, giving it an advantage along with cheaper land costs and airline access.

Ethanol residue — distiller’s dried grain and phytosterols — are used to make vitamins and antioxidant products, as well as cholesterollowering ingredients in yogurts and soft drinks.

Boyd noted that Midwest ethanol producers generate more than 10 million tons of distiller’s dried grains annually.

With an ample supply of raw material, Boyd believes a food or beverage processor like Cargill would be wise to locate its nutraceutical facility in Eastern Iowa.

The Boyd study was well received by Priority One, which has been working to attract diverse and complementary bioproducts manufacturers. Mark Seckman, president of Priority One, said the study validates the organization’s recruiting strategy.

Seckman noted that J. Rettenmeier USA in southwest Cedar Rapids was attracted by the supply of oat hulls that Quaker Oats could provide as a raw material to produce oat fiber.

Red Star Yeast decided to build a plant adjacent to the Archer Daniels Midland plant in Cedar Rapids to manufacture yeast from corn syrup produced by the agribusiness giant.

Bio Springer elected to locate a yeast extract plant next to Red Star Yeast to use the latter’s yeast to make the key ingredient in many thickeners, emulsifiers and flavorings for foods such as soups and sauces.

While access to raw material is a key factor in the plant siting decisions, work force availability also is a primary consideration. Seckman said the growing base of skilled, trained employees who can transfer their skills gives the Corridor another edge.

If Boyd and Seckman are correct, Eastern Iowa could become a hotbed of nutraceutical production in the near future.

George C. Ford is the financial editor of The Gazette. He can be reached at (319) 398-8366 or george.ford@gazcomm.com

MAY 2009 ■ EdgeBusiness

23

MY toughest

DECISION

Jon Konchar

FNBCIowa

I

sold my business after owning it for more than 10 years. It was time to do it — I’d lost the passion and focus it took to be successful and grow the company. But it was still one of the most difficult decisions of my life.

Before that, my toughest decision had been to leave the security of “Corporate America” to buy a small business. Working in a large corporation afforded me the opportunity to further my education by obtaining my MBA, as well as earn my securities licenses. I was well on my way to climbing the prescribed corporate career ladder and was ensconced in job and career security.

Taking the uncertain path I could see my future path clearly outlined ahead of me. The inevitability of what lay ahead stifled my creative energy and dampened my work drive. Unable to suppress the urge to leave the path of predictability, I opted for a riskier — and more exciting — route into uncharted territory. I took the entrepreneurial plunge.

Leaving the security of a full-time job with benefits behind was a huge leap of faith for me, especially with a young family to support.

Growing, managing and selling a business was the equivalent of riding a roller coaster, with many ups and downs, all at full speed. It was everything I thought it would be — and a whole lot more. Being my own boss and making my own decisions was satisfying. I made some good ones. I made some bad ones. But I was in charge of my own destiny. With a young busy family, the freedom to set my own hours also was a huge plus.

Feeling the pressure The downside to owning a business was the 24/7/365 weight on my shoulders, the employee

issues that seemed to constantly arise and need attention, the ever-shifting demands and needs of customers and the constant demands of vendors and suppliers. It takes a special kind of person to enjoy this type of career.

Entrepreneurs are a unique breed who look at the world a little differently. They embrace risks and take action based partly on hard data and analysis, partly on sheer gut intuition. I know some successful ones. In fact, I have grandparents who built a multimillion dollar corporation from humble beginnings.

It can be done. It’s the American dream. And I was living it.

“

Entrepreneurs are a unique breed who look at the world a little differently. They embrace risks and take action based partly on hard data and analysis, partly on sheer gut intuition.

“

— Jon Konchar, business broker FNBCIowa

Successful entrepreneurs know how to act on their instincts to capitalize on opportunity.

I wish I could say that this column details my personal story of amazing business savvy and success. While there certainly were some measures of success and excitement, over time my enthusiasm began to waver and I knew it was time to sell the company.

Time to sell When it came right down to it, I knew it was time long before I admitted it out loud. I had lost the passion required to be a successful business owner. I can’t differentiate between whether I lost the passion for owning my own company, or whether my abilities and interests had run their course in the one I owned.

Regardless, it was time to make the toughest decision of my life and put my company up

Age: 47 Title: Business broker, former business owner Hometown: Cedar Rapids Residence: Cedar Rapids

for sale.

I listed my company with FNBCIowa. By the time I sold my business, I had developed a rapport with the business brokers who worked there and I decided to join them. Enter Phase III of my career life, the time when I realized I was uniquely qualified to be a business broker.

I could put my own experiences to work to help other people sell or buying businesses. I had been there.

The two-part decision to buy, and then later to sell, my own business gives me a unique perspective when talking to clients who struggle with questions and feelings surrounding selling or buying a business. Some clients perpetually remain on the fence, thinking the grass may be greener on the other side, but backing away when the time comes to pull the trigger. Others are more like me, looking to make big changes and use their talents to the fullest.

The perfect plan In retrospect, working in corporate America, and later buying, managing and selling a business, distinctively prepared me to become a professional business broker. I wish I could say I had planned it that way out of my own infinite wisdom.

With my young family now grown, who knows where the future will lead me? For the last five years or so, I’ve relished the challenges of being a business broker. I could continue to do this for the rest of my life ... unless that perfect business crosses my path and lures me back to the life of a business owner ... I firmly believe in leaving options open. Closed minds miss open opportunities.

24

EdgeBusiness ■ MAY 2009

BUSINESS

e •v •e •n •t •s

MAY

BUSINESS CALENDAR TUESDAY & THURSDAY 5 &7 MS Project

2007 Basics. Project management involves managing and controlling projects in order to make them a success. Use the tools in Microsoft Project 2007 to organize, track and handle projects effectively. Learn how to create a new project file, create and modify tasks list, create a Work Breakdown Structure and work with task relationships. Create a base calendar, assign resources to tasks, create task calendars, and create and modify tables. Use filters and groups, sort tasks and resource data.

Also learn how to resolve resource conflicts.

The class will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Kirkwood Training & Outreach Services, 3375 Armar Dr., Marion. Cost is $145. Tuition includes a textbook. To register, call (319) 3981022 or visit www.kirkwood.edu/ce WEDNESDAY

6 Your Indispensable Personal

Brand. Developing an indispensable, personal brand takes conscious thought and effort, but it’s absolutely vital to your long-term success.

But where do you begin in establishing or recreating your personal brand? Learn about what personal branding is, why personal branding matters and how to develop an indispensable, personal brand for yourself from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at Kirkwood Training & Outreach Services, 3375 Armar Dr., Marion. Cost is $99.

To register, call (319) 398-1022 or visit www. kirkwood.edu/ce

6

WEDNESDAY Bookkeeping Computer Certificate. Learn the technical skills essential for bookkeeping-related positions, including popular accounting software and the essentials of spreadsheets and databases. This 18-week class will be held on Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. at Kirkwood Center for Continuing Education, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids. Cost is $1,095. Tuition includes all course textbooks. To register, call (319) 3981022 or visit www.kirkwood.edu/ce

7

THURSDAY Volunteer Appreciation, Retention and Recognition. Discover the tools to keeping volunteers once you have them.

Topics include: volunteer motivation; basic principles of year-round recognition and appreciation; effective, creative and meaningful ways to recognize volunteers; and volunteer

Check out...

retention strategies. This session will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Kirkwood Center for Continuing Education, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd.

SW, Cedar Rapids. Cost is $79. To register, call (319) 398-1022 or visit www.kirkwood.edu/ce

8

FRIDAY Leadership for Five Seasons Dinner. Join area leaders for an inspiring evening.

Guest speaker is Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s second highest ranking military officer. The event will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at Kirkwood Community College’s Center for Continuing Education, 7725 Kirkwood Blvd.

SW, Cedar Rapids. Cost is $85. Proceeds benefit local flood relief efforts.

11

MONDAY Professional Portfolios: Your Career Calling Card. Whether you are actively searching for a new position, demonstrating your value to the team, or simply meeting with clients, a professional portfolio will set you apart from your competition. What is a portfolio? Why do you need one? How can you develop your portfolio (both hard copy and electronic or online), and how can you use it once you’ve developed it? This session will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Kirkwood Center for Continuing Education, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids. Cost is $49.

To register, call (319) 398-1022 or visit www. kirkwood.edu/ce

Online!

Easy to navigate articles by topic:

HR, Technology, Marketing stories, plus so much more!

Latest Business News Business event calendar

Read the e-Edition Coming soon...

Business to business online directory

www.edgebusinessmagazine.com

MAY 2009 ■ EdgeBusiness

12

TUESDAY Using LinkedIn for Your Business. Learn about this fast-growing professional networking site with more than 35 million professionals can help you grow your contacts and even your business. This free EdgeBusiness Magazine Morning Edge seminar will feature Annette Schulte, editorial manager at Gazette Communications. It will be held from 7 to 8:30 a.m. at The Gazette, 500 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids in the Nile Kinnick room. RSVP at theedge@gazcomm.com as space is limited.

12

TUESDAY EDC Networking Event. Join the Entrepreneurial Development Center for an evening of networking in a relaxed social setting from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at HH Ventures, 955 Kacena Rd., Suite A, Hiawatha. Cost is free for EDC members and first-time guests and $15 for all others (fee includes cocktails and light appetizers.) Call (319) 369-4955 or go to www.edcinc.org to RSVP.

14

THURSDAY Blogging Basics. This session will introduce you to the world of blogging, show you how to get your own blog started and go through some of the ways blogging can be used to help you reach your target audience personally, professionally and corporately. This seminar will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Kirkwood Center for Continuing Education, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids. Cost is $49. To register, call (319) 398-1022 or visit www.kirkwood.edu/ce

16

SATURDAY Urbana Open for Business Expo. The city’s first expo will showcase more than 30 local businesses and the good and services available in the community. There is no cost to attend. Organizers ask that visitors bring a non-perishable food item for the Benton County food pantry that was flooded last summer. There will be a concession stand.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Urbana Fire Department, 800 Sunset St., Urbana.

21

THURSDAY Evaluating Your Volunteer Program. Learn to evaluate your volunteer program using an evaluation tool. Volunteers need and deserve constructive feedback. Identify the process for evaluating volunteer performance.

The class will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Kirkwood Center for Continuing Education, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids. Cost is $79. To register, call (319) 398-1022 or go to www.kirkwood.edu/ce

21

THURSDAY Hiring Best Practices. Join Pat Dessner, former human resource director for Modine Manufacturing and Workplace Solutions, to find out tips on how to: effectively recruit for positions, develop interview questions that will help identify a candidate’s talents, provide a competitive offer and retain the candidate once hired. This introductory selection and interviewing course covers real-life examples, including employment law, targeted selection, behavioral questioning techniques and selecting qualified employees. Supervisors will learn practical techniques for effectively interviewing and selecting employees. The class will run from 8 a.m. to noon at Kirkwood Training & Outreach Services, 3375 Armar Dr., Marion. Cost is $119. To register, call (319) 398-1022 or visit www.kirkwood.edu/ce

21

THURSDAY Sales Advantage. The eightweek Dale Carnegie training will give your sales force new proprietary tools and techniques, practical “front-line” knowledge and exclusive insights from professionals about the fast-changing challenges of sales. Participants take away a mastery of the sales process — knowing the strategic answers to today’s make-or-break selling issues. Best of all, you’ll see improved results on the bottom line. The class will be held from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Cost is $1,695. For more information or to register, call Michelle Gnida at (319) 390-3355.

● 2651 Crosspark Rd., Coralville, alteration, $93,450, LMS Cadsi. ● 1451 Coral Ridge Ave., Coralville, alteration, $300,000, General Growth Properties. ● 1451 Coral Ridge Ave., Coralville, alteration, $120,000, General Growth Properties. ● 2190 West Lake Rd., North Liberty, new outbuilding, $63,200, Quality Builders.

618 Meade Dr., North Liberty, alteration, $216,945, ESI.

●

● 5535 Highway 22 SE, Lone Tree, new receiving office, $54,870, Weitz Ag. ● 2598 Marak Ct. NW, Swisher, new storage units, $58,333, TD Builders. ● 2598 Marak Ct. NW, Swisher, new storage units, $59,333, TD Builders. ● 2598 Marak Ct. NW, Swisher, new storage units, $59,333, TD Builders.

Linn County 1350 Lyndhurst Dr., Hiawatha, church addition, $2,581,200, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. ●

●

1350 Waconia Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids, new

SBA Loans*

JOHNSON COUNTY Jimmy John’s, Iowa City, $250,000, two jobs created or retained.

●

Hansel Cabinet Co., LLC, North Liberty, $30,000, one job created or retained.

●

Hansel Cabinet Co., LLC, North Liberty, $20,000, one job created or retained. ●

Of fering professional interior design for all your home and of fice needs.

* Note: Information is based on approvals only and does not imply funds have been disbursed.

Commercial Building Permits

19

TUESDAY Corridor PM Exchange. This Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce networking event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at ServiceMaster 380, 5607 Fourth St. SW, Cedar Rapids.

cial building, $2,611,500, City of Coralville.

DIGEST

18 & 20

MONDAY & WEDNESDAY Business Writing. Have you ever been uncertain about how to write a business letter?

In this course, you will learn how to craft effective business communications and avoid common pitfalls that can undermine your message. You will be given the tools to write effective business reports, proposals, letters and e-mails. Word Basics or equivalent experience is recommended. Tuition includes textbook and course materials. The class will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Kirkwood Center for Continuing Education, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd.

SW, Cedar Rapids. Cost is $95. To register, call (319) 398-1022 or visit www.kirkwood.edu/ce

JOHNSON COUNTY ●

2525 Holiday Ct., Coralville, new commer-

25

538 South Gilbert Street Iowa City, IA 319-338-2830 www.themansion-interiors.com

26

EdgeBusiness ■ MAY 2009

accessory building, $180,000, ADM. ● 816 First Ave. NW, Cedar Rapids, addition, $1,000, Affordable Plumbing.

1211 Ellis Blvd. NW, Cedar Rapids, addition, $12,000, Nasco Leasing.

●

1000 27th Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids, addition, $125,000, Pinnacle Engineers.

●

● 4200 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, addition, $5,000, Cedar Memorial.

512 Sixth St. SE, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $7,500, Bethel Church.

●

1224 13th St. NW, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $18,500, Methwick Community.

●

2710 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $42,750, Moyer & Bergman. ●

● 315 Second Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, repair, $85,000, Teegans Ice Bar. ● 409 Seventh Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, repair, $15,000, Terry Durin Co.

149 30th St. Dr. SE, Cedar Rapids, repair, $22,000, Scott Hiserote Construction.

●

● 919 Third St. SW, Cedar Rapids, repair, $15,000, Hajiabdirahman.

600 First Ave. NW, Cedar Rapids, repair, $2,000, SFD LLC. ●

84 16th Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids, repair, $17,095, Mike and Jan Stegen.

●

1234 Four Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, roof repair, $53,000, Affordable Housing Network/Four Oaks. ●

500 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $367,000, Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust.

● 3000 J St. SW, No. 1505, Cedar Rapids, repair, $10,500, MAHP/Cedar Valley Apartments.

3325 Center Point Rd. NE, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $27,500, Robert Himes.

●

●

●

150 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, window repairs, $172,945, Brenton Properties Inc.

2330 12th St. SW, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $20,500, Crandic Railway.

●

405 Edgewood Rd. NW, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $54,900, David-Ew LLC.

●

822 Sixth St. SW, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $5,000, Sam’s Pizza.

●

● 3318 First Ave. NE, Suite F, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $37,500, Manpower.

123 30th St. Dr. SE, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $10,000, JT Holdings Inc.

●

3535 Center Point Rd. NE, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $3,650, Quaker Oats Credit Union.

●

1110 12th Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $12,000, Cargill West.

●

150 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $26,223, Brenton Properties Inc.

●

341 Edgewood Rd. NW, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $25,400, iWireless.

●

3260 Southgate Place SW, No. 3, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $1,000, Sweetopia.

●

421 Third Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $1,500, Financial Advice and Management.

●

1000 10th St. SW, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $36,000, Katering Kitchen.

●

4357 Czech Lane NE, Suite C-4, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $6,000, Mystic Massage Therapy.

●

3700 E Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, remodel, $130,000, Kenwood Elementary School.

●

526 Third Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids, repair, $60,000, Cedar Christian Church.

●

● 510 First Ave. NW, Cedar Rapids, repair, $16,000, St. Patrick’s Church.

5915 Fourth St. SW, Cedar Rapids, repair, $500, Corridor Developer LLC.

●

Patents

Control of reconfigurable SIS/MAC protocols used in wireless communication devices; inventors: Richard Robertson and Robert Frank both from Cedar Rapids; assignee: Rockwell Collins Inc. Cedar Rapid; filed: Aug. 1, 2005; awarded: Nov. 11, 2008. ●

Rotating priority queue manager; inventors: Douglas Hiratzka, Coralville; Philippe Limondin, Cedar Rapids and Mark Bortz, Robins; assignee: Rockwell Collins Inc., Cedar Rapids; filed: Aug. 23, 2006; awarded: Nov. 11, 2008. ●

● Detecting bar codes on two-dimensional images using frequency domain data; inventors: Michael Dant and Robert Kohtz, both from Cedar Rapids; assignee: Intermec IP Corp., Everett, Wash.; filed: March 27, 2006; awarded: Nov. 18, 2008.

Method of sealing OLED cover with liquid adhesive; inventors: Vincent Marzen, Robins; James Sampica, Springville; Paul Nemeth, Cedar Rapids; assignee: Rockwell Collins Inc., Cedar Rapids; filed: Aug. 30, 2005; awarded: Nov. 18, 2008. ●

Plants and seeds of corn variety I106999; inventor: Gary Stangland, Cedar Rapids; assignee: Monsanto Technology LLC, St. Louis, Mo.; filed: March 30, 2005; awarded: Nov. 18, 2008.

●

Radio frequency local area network; inventors: Ronald Mahany, Robert Meier, both from Cedar Rapids; Ronald Luse, Marion; assignee: Broadcom Corp., Irvine, Calif.; filed: July 31, 2003; awarded: Nov. 25, 2008.

●

● Frame raising multiuse paving tractor with blind mateable quick connecting tool attachments; inventors: Joseph Musil, Ely; Vince

Egan, Norwood, Colo.; assignee: Cedarapids Inc., Cedar Rapids; filed: May 9, 2006; awarded: Dec. 2, 2008. ● Leg mounted turkey pan call with opposing sound ports; inventors: David Forbes, Carman Forbes, Ron Bean, all from Cedar Rapids; assignee: Hunter’s Specialties Inc., Cedar Rapids; filed: Sept. 14, 2005; awarded: Dec. 2, 2008. ● Near real-time dissemination of surveillance video; inventors: Edwin Clark, Tampa, Fla.; Glenn Horton, Leesburg, Va.; Vincent Castello, Great Falls, Va.; Daniel Wells, Burke, Va; assignee: Rockwell Collins Inc., Cedar Rapids; filed: Feb. 18, 2004; awarded: Dec. 2, 2008.

Hierarchical data collection network supporting packetized voice communications among wireless terminals and telephones; inventors: Joseph Kubler, Boulder, Colo.; Michael Morris, Cedar Rapids; assignee: Broadcom Corp., Irvine, Calif.; filed: Feb. 20, 2004; awarded: Dec. 2, 2008. ●

● Anti-tip apparatus; inventors: Kim Brokaw; Steven Kunert, Jack Brokaw, all from Cedar Rapids; filed: Feb. 11, 2008; awarded: Dec. 2, 2008.

Apparatus with bellows for calling game; inventor: Ron Bean of Cedar Rapids; assignee: Hunter’s Specialties Inc., Cedar Rapids; filed: June 10, 2004; awarded: Dec. 9, 2008.

●

Radio card having independent antenna interface supporting antenna diversity; inventors: Patrick Kinney, Ronald Mahany, both from Cedar Rapids; Guy West, Duluth, Ga.; assignee: Broadcom Corp., Irvine, Calif.; filed: Dec. 7, 2004; awarded: Dec. 23, 2008. ●

Grease gun with remote-feed adapter; inventors: Mark Weems and Don Linkletter, both from Cedar Rapids; assignee: Weems Industries, Marion; filed: April 13, 2005; awarded: Dec. 30, 2008. ●

● Mobile key using read/write RFID tag; inventors: Timothy Zimmerman, Waxhaw, N.C; Timothy Downs Mullen, James Seely, Jeff Roush, from Cedar Rapids; assignee: Intermec IP Corp., Woodland Hills, Calif.; filed: Jan. 10, 2005; awarded: Dec. 30, 2008.

Radio transceiver communicating in a plurality of frequency bands; inventors: Patrick Kinney, Ronald Mahany and Guy West, from Cedar Rapids; assignee: Broadcom Corp., Irvine, Calif.; filed: Nov. 29, 2007; awarded: Dec. 30, 2008. ●

● Transaction control system including portable data terminal and mobile customer service station; inventors: Ronald Mahany, Steven Koenck, Alan Bunte, Robert Meier, Julie Miller, Roger Wolf and Phillip Miller, all of Cedar Rapids; George Hanson, Andover, Kan.; assignee: Broadcom Corp., Irvine, Calif.; filed: Aug. 28, 2003; awarded: Dec. 30, 2008.

MAY 2009 ■ EdgeBusiness

27

BOOK r • e • v • i • e •w

“Pop!: Create the Perfect Pitch, Title and Tagline for Anything”

By Sam Horn There are lots of branding books and consultants out there. Many can guide you through the important process of creating a personal or professional brand. Sam Horn is the only one I know who actually teaches you how to come up with the words that define that brand in a memorable way.

Horn’s entertaining exercises help you engage your audience with carefully crafted slogans or names.

She provides great examples of how other entrepreneurs came up with the words that define a product or service with maximum impact.

One of my favorite techniques is the “Valley Girl Tell and Sell.” Being from California, I’ve known my share of valley girls who start every sentence with “It’s like ... you know ...” With the valley girl technique, you tell about your product or service by comparing it to an already established icon, book, song or movie.

One man was planning to speak about his research on urban sprawl. He wanted a catchy title that would attract interest in his dry topic. Using the valley girl technique, he came up with “It’s a Sprawl World After All,” connecting his topic with an established, positive reputation. Brilliant! A writer was trying to come up with a pitch for her book publisher and using this technique came up with, “My book is like Bridget Jones’ mother’s diary.” Right away you have a clear picture of what this woman’s book is about and probably want to read it.

The “Valley Girl Tell & Sell” is just one of two dozen techniques that Horn describes. Working your way through this book will help you make your pitch pop.

— Review by Lisa Van Allen, Van Allen & Associates

“The Adversity Paradox”

By J. Barry Griswell and Bob Jennings Successful business people have one thing in common: they have overcome obstacles at some point in their lives.

That’s the premise of “The Adversity Paradox,” a new book by J. Barry Griswell, chairman of Principal Financial Group and Bob Jennings, president of Lean Management Group Inc. Citing the life stories of such Iowans as Clay Jones, president and CEO of Rockwell Collins; Lee Liu, former chairman of IES Industries and venture capitalist John Pappajohn, the authors explain how overcoming adversity helped them to achieve success.

Griswell and Jennings offer practical advice that anyone can use to succeed. They also caution that there are no short cuts.

Long-term success requires hard work, but the rewards are worth it.

— Review By George C. Ford, financial editor for The Gazette

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