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volume three issue three
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TRICKS OF THE TRADE SHOW
DESIGN Branding Mistakes
What to Consider When Buying
Promotional Products
FEATURED
nonprofit MS Dream Center chamber Statewide After Hours
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When You’re Rhode Island’s #1 SBA Lender, You develop a Large Fan Base. BankRI is proud to announce that we have once again been named the Small Business Administration’s top lender in Rhode Island. This marks the 5th consecutive year that BankRI has received this prestigious recognition. As a local Bank dedicated to helping companies expand and succeed, BankRI understands the importance of small business lending. To learn more about BankRI and how we might be able to help your company grow, call 866.422.6574, visit BankRI.com or visit any one of our 18 local branches.
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Hiring an intern is more than a good deed. Good internships are good business. Internships can help you recruit future employees. Interns bring new energy and ideas to your organization. There are programs that can help you pay your interns. Hosting an intern isn’t as hard as you might think. Go to www.bRIdge.jobs to post your opportunity and reach out to a vast pool of talented and skilled interns. Free resources are available to help you get started with your internship program.
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C O R N E R S TO N E PAY R O L L
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from the founder We’ve set our clocks ahead, the weather is warming up and the snow is finally starting to melt. All great signs that spring is finally here! The winter took its toll on many of us with some difficult travel and lost days of business. Now it’s time to look ahead to warmer weather and more hours of daylight. As we enter the second quarter of 2014, it’s a good time to evaluate our networking and trade show schedule for the year. Over the next few months, we will see some great opportunities with the Statewide Business After Hours (March), Ocean State Small Business Expo (April) and Bryant World Trade Day (May). As you begin to evaluate these and other opportunities, I’ve provided my “7 Tricks of the Trade Show” on page 30 that will help provide some insight on having a successful event. This issue also contains helpful articles on promotional products, design, branding and communication. Over the past 15 years I’ve had the opportunity to be part of dozens of trade shows, both as an attendee and an exhibitor. I’ve shared some of my top advice in the article, but there a few specific tips I feel have made the biggest difference to my return on investment. Proper Staffing Taking your “product experts” to a trade show might seem like the most logical choice for some companies that rely on technical expertise to sell their products. The challenge, however, is that in a trade show setting, you will only have a short amount of time to spend with each guest. I’ve always preferred staffing a trade show with my most outgoing staff members, who understand the product, but do not need to get into much detail at the show. Remember, it’s all about
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being memorable and generating leads for future followup. I would also bring enough staff so that we would be able to have at least 2 members of our team at the booth, with at least 1 person roaming the exhibition floor to make connections with other attendees. And remember, sitting down behind your table is not engaging to prospects! Stand towards the front of your booth and greet everyone that walks by. Welcome them to your booth, and let them know you are there to answer any questions they may have. Data Collection and Follow-up How many business cards have you collected at trade shows you’ve exhibited at? How often do you remember what the person was interested in, or if they had any interest at all? One of my favorite ways of collecting data at a show is to offer a raffle prize that people really want, and instead of allowing them to drop in a business card, they are required to fill out a short form. By keeping it simple, in addition to collecting the standard info (name, email, phone, etc.), I can also ask a qualifying question like, “Over the next 6 months, which of the following services do you plan on purchasing?” followed by a list of services I offer. That simple question provides much more value to myself and my sales staff. Within a week of the trade show, we can now follow up with specific information based on the response to the raffle entry. I hope you find these tips and the many others throughout this issue of RISBJ helpful. Happy networking!
BE IN DEMAND.
Gil Lantini President, Founder Ralph Coppolino Vice President, Operations Kelsey Powers Marketing Consultant John Resnick Marketing Coordinator Mike Casale Senior Designer Pam Walsh Editorial Assistant Sara Celano Production Assistant Intern Mike DiSano Contributing Writers Secretary of State-Ralph Mollis Rich Austin Stephen C. Boyle Michael Carter Seth A. Goodall Mark Payden Kristin Carcieri-MacRae Dr. Ronald G. Shapiro Matthew R. Plain, Esq. Kristen M. Whittle, Esq. Mayor-Angel Taveras Nancy Thomas Carolyn Lavin William F. Miller, Esq. Dana D’Orsi AJ Paglia Lisa Shorr Dave Lubeiczyk Ted Donnelly Adam Harvey General Treasurer-Gina M. Raimondo
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contents
volume three issue three
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
8 Secretary of State Ralph Mollis 9 Seconds to Soar or Crash
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10 Support a New Bill for Equal Funding of Health Care 12 RI’s Small Business Can Benefit by Knowing Their Value 13 Self-Employed? 15 What to Consider when Buying Promotional Products 16 10 Ways to Stay Focused & Limit Distractions in the Workplace 18 Ways to Dissatisfy a Customer 20 Personnel Practices 22 Capital City-Storefront Improvement Program 24 Own Your Story…Own Your Success 25 Where is Your Moral Compass 26 The Importance of “First Impressions” 27 Three Steps to Strengthen Your Brand
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28 The 10 Design Branding Mistakes 30 Tricks of the Trade Show 32 Office 365-Why We Made the Switch 34 How Low Can you Go? 35 Events: Networking & Workshops 37 Understand the Benefits of Permanent Life Insurance 38 Chamber Chat 47 Traits of Salespeople who Make it Rain 50 Featured Nonprofit: MS Dream Center of Rhode Island 52 Business Directory 54 Securing Retirement for RI Public Servants
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ON THE COVER Featured
Nonprofit MS Dream Center Chamber Statewide After Hours Cover Story 7 Tricks of the Trade
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SECRETARY OF STATE | Ralph Mollis
Announcing the Launch of Our New Email Subscription Service by Secretary Of State Ralph Mollis
I, along with my Business Services staff, am pleased to announce the launch of an exciting new email subscription service, which will help the general public and small business customers keep up-to-date on important notices and updates issued from our office. The system is designed to allow customers to set specific subscription preferences they prefer, ranging from general information notices to entity record updates, as well as official communications from our office. Here’s how it works and what’s available through our New Email Subscription Service: General Information Notices will be used to distribute information and notices communicated to the general public by our office. Most of the notices will be specific to the business community such as legislative changes, changes to filing procedures and/or new services offered by the Division of Business Services. It’s important to note, this function will also be utilized to notify our customers of service outages, weather/holiday closures and other announcements of offered programs.
I am committed to making it easier to vote, making it easier to do business in Rhode Island, preserving our history and making government more open and accessible 8
RISBJ | rhode island small business journal
Business Entity Record Updates – An officer, director, partner, manager, member or other authorized representative of an entity may set their User Profile to receive an email notification whenever a filing is posted for their entity within our filing system, including formal notices issued by our office. This option can be used as a tool to verify our receipt of a filing, as well as, a tool to protect against corporate identity theft. This setting can be managed on your User Profile Update Page. Official Communications - An authorized representative (i.e.: officer, director, partner, member, agent, etc.) may subscribe to receive official communications via email. This service option allows more than one person to receive these important notices. At this time, our office will use this system to remind filers that their annual report filing period is underway. Signing up for our new email subscription service is simple! Please visit our homepage, http://www.sos.ri.gov, and under the Business Services section, click the New Email Subscription Service envelope icon to register. Users will automatically be prompted to fill out required information. Our office will still mail official communication, required by statute, via the U.S. Postal Service, so no one will miss important information. For more about what additional services our Business Services Division has to offer, please view our informational video on our YOUTUBE page (RI Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis) or click this link to view an informational video: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=DonlZEPrG-A As Secretary of State, I am committed to making it easier to vote, making it easier to do business in Rhode Island, preserving our history and making government more open and accessible.
30 Seconds To Soar Or Crash | SMALL BUSINESS
30 SECONDS TO SOAR OR CRASH We must come across as sincere and enthusiastic. Not over the top, but with enough energy to engage the listener
by Rich Austin
Anyone in sales, or who owns his/her own business (which means you’re in sales) needs to give presentations. Don’t be fooled – when you sit across the coffee table with a prospect, you may not be using PowerPoint, but make no mistake, you are presenting. Whether it’s a product, a service, or yourself (or all three), you’re presenting. According to Malcolm Gladwell, author of Blink, The Tipping Point, and Outliers, you have 30 seconds to make your impression. That’s how long it takes for the other person to judge you and what you’re selling. This instant “judgment” is referred to as “thin-slicing.” We’re all subject to it, so we should learn to use it to our advantage. How should this thin-slicing impact our “pitch,” or “elevator speech”? Simple. What you need is a great “Opening.” Recently, I wrote about getting the client to “ask the next question.” Here, I’m going to give you a few suggestions on how to open that first critical conversation. Your opening should introduce you and your topic – in this case your product or service. This serves to open, if you will, the lines of communication, to prime the listener to pay attention. A good opening should come across as prepared, professional, and purpose-driven. Of course, the delivery of your opening should be polished. This takes practice, but it’s worth it. We must come across as sincere and enthusiastic. Not over the top, but with enough energy to engage the listener. Here are eight methods to deliver a strong opening. There are more, but these work best in a one-on-one situation.
1. Ask a question. I know – I previously said to get them to ask a question, but it can work both ways. How often do we answer a question with a question? 2. Tell a story. This is always effective. The story should be related, obviously, to your product or service. 3. Start with a quotation. Those who know me are aware that this is one of my favorite openings. The beauty of using a quotation is you sound “smart” and you’re borrowing credibility from the person being quoted. 4. Use a statistic. When used correctly, a statistic can be a real eye-opener, or attention-getter. 5. A “startling statement.” Almost every industry is evolving, with something new being developed almost daily. Stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your area of business and start a conversation with it. 6. Tell them about the expert opinion of a leader in the field. This is something like a quotation, but more “timely.” Additionally, it shows that you are knowledgeable in the latest trends. 7. A personal anecdote can seem like a “story,” but it’s more about you (which in this case is okay). 8. Relate a client testimony. Nothing demonstrates your success better than someone else “saying” it. Finally, whatever opening you choose to use, it must be relevant to your product, your service, the listener, and the situation. So, craft a great opening and see what happens.
Rich Austin President Speaking of Success
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SMALL BUSINESS | Support A New Bill For Equal Funding Of Health Care Programs
Support a New Bill for Equal Funding of
Health Care Programs
by Stephen C. Boyle
The image of Dr. Michael Fine silhouetted against a screen reading, “We have the best overall rate of adolescent immunization in the country” in last Wednesday’s paper caught my attention. I applaud the tremendous work that has been done to immunize Rhode Island’s youth. However, it’s important to acknowledge that the small business community in Rhode Island has unfairly shouldered the lion’s share of the cost of this effort; it’s time for a more equitable funding of these critical programs.
it’s important to acknowledge that the small business community in Rhode Island has unfairly shouldered the lion’s share of the cost of this effort In Rhode Island, small- and medium-sized businesses that buy health insurance directly from one of the major insurers, along with individuals who purchase insurance directly from insurers, pay nearly $60 million in taxes and fees on that coverage. Those fees fund health programs and other services for all state residents, including free immunizations for children and adults, and health services for children with special healthcare needs. The state’s largest self-insured employers do not contribute to these programs at all. We should be proud of the important strides that Rhode Island has made in vaccinating all of its youth, but the costs should be borne by all those with health coverage, not just small- and medium-sized businesses and individuals, who can least afford to shoulder those additional costs on behalf of the state. Currently, there is a bill pending before the General Assembly, Senate bill #2484, which would change the current funding formula and require our larger employers to contribute as well, ensuring a sustainable source of funding for these critically important programs while providing some relief to insured individuals and small- to medium-sized businesses. I hope others will join me in urging their legislators to support Senate bill #2484 so we can continue funding these important programs without overburdening small businesses. Stephen C. Boyle President The Greater Cranston Chamber of Commerce
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HealthSource RI is changing much more than healthcare. From the people with pre-existing conditions that can finally get covered, to the small businesses that can now give their employees the freedom to choose their own health plan — lives are changing in Rhode Island. Right now many of your neighbors, friends, and coworkers are already qualifying for tax credits and getting quality affordable health insurance. And we’re just getting started.
To enroll call 1-855-840-HSRI, visit HealthSourceRI.com, or come by. We’re open 7 days a week. THE CURRENT OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD ENDS MARCH 31st
HealthSource RI is the official healthcare portal for the state of Rhode Island. Copyright ® HealthSource RI logo is the trademark and service mark of HealthSource RI.
Spotlight | STARTUPS
Spotlight on Startups
Company Name: Revival Brewing Company Open Date: July 8, 2010 Employees: 3 Address: 95 Chestnut Street, Providence, RI 02903 Website: http://revivalbrewing.com/ Facebook: http://bit.ly/revivalbrewing Biggest Challenge: Keeping up with market demand. To meet market demand, we are working to open our own brewery. Profile: Revival Brewing Company, located in Providence, RI, is one of the top craft brewing companies in New England. Revival strives to surprise and delight local and regional craft beer drinkers by releasing traditional styles from around the world with their own local twist.
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SMALL BUSINESS | Rhode Island’s Small Businesses Can Benefit By Knowing Their Value
Rhode Island’s Small Businesses Can Benefit By Knowing Their Value by Michael Carter
With nearly 100,000 “small businesses” in the state of Rhode Island, it is clear that the general welfare of the state’s one million residents is directly tied to the health and value of its private sector enterprises. With tourism being a major force in the area’s economy, restaurants and the food service industry are pivotal components and collectively represent millions of dollars of asset value including the sizable “goodwill” associated with profitable players. The average small business in Rhode Island generates $558,000 in revenues and $90,860 in discretionary earnings. Based on typical multiples for owner-
drive the value of a small business, it is difficult to rationally and proactively take the steps needed to optimize its value over time. Once you know how to calculate normalized earnings and learn about the specific factors that impact “market value,” you will be in a much improved position with respect to shortand long-term planning, which optimizes value. 2) Evaluating Offers To Purchase Whether you are buying or selling a small business, relying completely on advice from disinterested parties or even individuals with opposing interests is not a position of negotiating strength. Nobody knows your business like you do and your knowledge alone, if properly
Nobody knows your business like you do and your knowledge alone, if properly expressed, can enhance business value operated businesses obtained from current market data sources, this “average” business is worth between approximately $183,000 and $1,464,000 as of early 2014. For most entrepreneurs, the value of their going concern represents the single largest asset of their retirement portfolio. Owners should take the time to understand the basics of business valuation in order to optimize their control over the future performance of their business and to engineer a successful “exit strategy.” There are both strategic and tactical reasons for obtaining a valuation and understanding the basics of the valuation process. Two of the primary strategic reasons include: 1) Tracking Performance Until you recognize the key factors that
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expressed, can enhance business value through the identification of normalized earnings and the derivation of proper multiples. A couple of tactical reasons why this knowledge is highly beneficial include: 1) Possessing Adequate Insurance Without proper insurance, you could find yourself in a situation of having to pay out of pocket for damages that otherwise would have been covered by your insurance. Key Man insurance will help protect the value of your owner-operated business for the benefit of lenders, investors, or family members. 2) Obtaining Business Loans Providing a prospective lender with a credible business valuation will provide
instant credibility and bolster your chances of obtaining a loan for working capital, new ad campaign, or fixed assets. The more organized and detailed the presentation, the more control the business owner will have when shopping for a loan. There is much to learn, but a few hours every month can make a material difference in the ongoing value of your business and your ability to grow, and sell for top dollar when the time to sell arrives. There are many other reasons why you should take the time to learn about valuation and obtain a valuation for your company, but those listed earlier alone should justify such efforts. The average small, privately-owned and owner-operated business will sell for between 1 and 3 times discretionary earnings with factors such as the type of business, size of business, etc., determining the relative placement along this spectrum–or pushing it above this range. Once the earnings reach $250K to $500K, the pertinent multiples will rise. The “size effect” rewards growing companies not only via higher earnings, but also through higher multiples. If you can increase earnings from say $100K to $500K over time, for example, the business value could rise as follows: $100K times 2.5 equals $250K $500K times 3.5 equals $1,750K For Rhode Islanders, knowing the value of your business is a definitive step towards building the future of your business, ensuring you are properly insured and readying yourself for selling or passing on your business.
Michael Carter CEO and President BizEquity
Self-Employed? Sign Up For 2014 Health Care Coverage by March 31st | SBA
Self-Employed? Sign Up For 2014 Health Care Coverage by March 31st by Seth A. Goodall
my goal is to make sure small businesses in Rhode Island have the information they need about the Affordable Care Act to make informed decisions that are best for their businesses
The Affordable Care Act provides comprehensive health insurance reforms designed to ensure Americans have access to quality, affordable health care coverage, and with only a couple weeks to go during this open enrollment period, now is the time for self-employed business owners to sign up for a plan.
As the Regional Administrator for the New England Region of the U.S. Small Business Administration, my goal is to make sure small businesses in Rhode Island have the information they need about the Affordable Care Act to make informed decisions that are best for their businesses. With new Health Insurance Marketplaces (also referred to as Exchanges) open, self-employed business owners have more options than ever to find affordable health care coverage. Self-employed individuals and other consumers can purchase private insurance coverage from a range of options, and depending on income and residency, potentially qualify for additional subsidies like Medicaid or tax credits. Coming up, there are some important dates self-employed businesses owners need to know if they want to sign up for coverage for this year. •
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For self-employed small business owners, open enrollment for 2014 coverage ends March 31, 2014. The exception is if you have a qualifying life event that provides you with a special enrollment period such as marriage, divorce, birth or adoption of a child, or loss of a job. The next Open Enrollment period is proposed to begin on November 15, 2014 for health insurance coverage that begins January 1, 2015.
You can apply for Medicaid or CHIP at any time of the year. Why enroll? First, increased access to quality, affordable health care will make it easier for potential entrepreneurs to go out on their own instead of staying at larger firms simply because of “job lock” or the lack of access to affordable insurance outside of their current employment. Additionally, small business owners have historically paid as much as 18% more for health care coverage than larger companies. The Affordable Care Act helps level the playing field, slows cost growth, and with consumer protections like insurance rate reviews and a ban on denying coverage for preexisting conditions in place, it provides greater certainty that small business owners can access the coverage they need, when they need it. If you don’t have health coverage in 2014, you may have to pay a penalty. You don’t have to pay the penalty if you enroll in a plan by March 31, 2014. To find an insurance plan that meets your needs today, check out the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) insurance finder tool. By answering just a few simple questions, you’ll be able to locate health insurance plans in your state and explore whether there are local facilities in your area that provide free or reduced-cost health care. To browse coverage options, assess potential subsidies, and purchase your plan online through the individual marketplace, simply go to www.healthcare. gov. For more information about other provisions affecting self-employed business owners under the Affordable Care Act, go to sba.gov/healthcare. Seth A. Goodall New England Regional Administrator U.S. Small Business Administration
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What To Consider When Buying Promotional Products | SMALL BUSINESS
WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS
by Mark Payden
Consider the following factors when purchasing promotional products that will carry your company logo: First, does the promotional product reflect the quality of your product or service? If your company promotes a high-end product or service, it isn’t wise to imprint your logo on a low-end, inferior promotional product. If you’re promoting a sophisticated event, your product should reinforce that sophisticated message. For example: A financial firm has an upcoming convention. They purchase and distribute a more expensive Antigua 100% cotton polo shirt, at a cost of $26.75 each with an embroidered logo. A competitor, on the other hand, is preparing for an upcoming company tennis tournament, so they choose a nice but less expensive lower-end product: a Harvard Square 100% cotton polo shirt for $18.50. You’re delivering more than a gift with every promotional product; you’re delivering a message, too. There is always going to be a more positive attitude among customers that receive a high-quality calculator as a gift than those who receive a less expensive highlighter pen. Every promotional product sends a message, every message translates into a consumer attitude, and every attitude dictates whether or not the consumer conducts more business with your company. Does the promotional product you’ve selected position your company in a unique, attention-getting matter? The more attention, the more talk, and the more potential for generating business from your effort.
For example, a new radio station gave away a Prime Line radio imprinted with their logo. Each radio dial is set to the new station’s number to further reinforce listenership. At a small cost of only $3.95 to $5.95 each, this was a clever, direct method to lure new listeners to the new radio station. Just as effective was the new computer store that gave away the Prime Line modem phone cord. One of my favorite merchandise-driven promotions was launched by the Rhode Island Medical Society. They sent out Tee Off golf balls in a prescription bottle to their doctors. Costs varied – $5.50 to $11.50 – due to the quality range of golf balls available to them. The focus on practical items that your clients will use over and over serves your marketing efforts better and better. Case in point, your company sends out a CD with a Happy Holiday message on it from your staff. The same CD includes an hour of popular holiday tunes. The CDs go out with a great gadget called the iSlice. It is a hip-looking CD opener with a ceramic blade that rips open CD packaging without effort. It is the type of item your customers will use again and again. Selecting the appropriate corporate merchandise to represent your brand should be considered an important aspect of your company’s marketing plan and strategic brand building campaign. To that end, work with a qualified promotional product distributor–a brand partner–that understands the dynamics of merchandising and marketing.
Mark Payden Managing Partner Payden and Company, LLC
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SMALL BUSINESS | 10 Ways To Stay Focused And Limit Distractions In The Workplace
10 WAYS TO STAY FOCUSED AND LIM by Kristin Carcieri-MacRae
We all have interruptions and distractions in our day. You may have a co-worker calling for answers to a question. Your emails may be piling up by the minute. Your co-workers are standing over you dropping items into your inbox. You may get pulled away from your desk while you are in the middle of completing an important task. These distractions and interruptions will not only allow you to lose focus, but will also decrease your productivity. Here are 10 ways to stay focused and limit your distractions in the workplace: 1. Declutter and get organized. Visual clutter leads to mental clutter which will in turn cause you to lose focus and decrease your productivity. Declutter and organize your desk. You should only have what you need on a daily basis on top of your desk. Remove the horizontal flat filing trays. They are a breeding ground for paper. 2. Have a system and a process for everything you do in your office. If you are disorganized and go to
search for a file or important paper, you will waste time searching for it and this process will allow you to become distracted and lose focus. Have a process to handle every piece of paper that arrives at your desk. Create working filing systems so that when you need to search for an item, it will be at your fingertips and you will be able to find it at a moment’s notice. Remember, the simpler the systems you create, the easier the system will be to maintain. The more complex the system, the more likely the system is to fail. 3. Work on your time management skills. Organization and time management go hand in hand. You can’t work on your time management skills until you have decluttered and organized. Create blocks of time that you dedicate to projects you are working on. Prioritize your tasks. Take some time to think about how you are functioning in your day. What changes can you make to become more efficient and productive? 4. Utilize to-do lists. Working with a to-do list will keep you on track during the day. You will have a feeling of accomplishment when you cross items off the list. You will look at your to-do-list throughout the day and it will keep you focused and on track seeing everything you need to accomplish for the day. 5. Limit your interruptions. Aside from urgent issues that need to be handled immediately, set aside time for your
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10 Ways To Stay Focused And Limit Distractions In The Workplace | SMALL BUSINESS
MIT DISTRACTIONS IN THE WORKPLACE co-workers to ask you questions. They won’t be disrupting you throughout the day and it will allow you to stay focused. Before you interrupt, think about if you can figure out the answer first before you disrupt your co-worker. 6. Create a working organized system for emails. Can you develop a system where you check emails only certain times of the day? The minute you pull yourself away from what you are doing to check an email, you will get distracted and lose focus on the task at hand. If you are working on an important project, stay away from the email for that time period. When sending an email, think about if you really need to hit the “reply all” key or if you need to copy everybody on the email.
you start to get distracted. What is distracting you and how can you avoid that distraction from happening? Can you notify your co-workers to not disturb you during certain hours of the day? Concentrate on the task at hand and don’t allow yourself to get distracted and switch to a different project. If an idea pops into your head, write it down and then continue with the task at hand. 9. Reduce your lingering time around the office. The minute you get up from your desk, you will immediately get distracted. Somebody may see you are up and that is a cue for them to speak to you. It’s going to distract you and take you away from what you were doing at that moment. 10. Drink water and eat healthy while at work. This will keep you alert and productive, and will keep you from feeling sluggish.
7. Work on difficult tasks when you are at your best. You will be easily distracted and lose focus when you are not working at your best. If you have a difficult project to tackle, choose a time when you are functioning at your best, whether it is the morning when you first walk in the door or right after lunch. 8. Be mindful. Pay attention to when
Make your co-workers aware that you are working on trying to reduce your distractions and you are trying to stay focused. They may think first before they ask you a question that they could’ve found the answer to or they may not come over and make conversation as easily at your desk if they know you are trying to stay focused. Kristin Carcieri-MacRae Owner Organizing In RI, LLC
Reduce your lingering time around the office. The minute you get up from your desk, you will immediately get distracted www.risbj.com | volume www.risbj.com | volumethree threeissue issuethree one
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SMALL BUSINESS | 6 Ways To Dissatisfy A Customer
6 Ways to Dissatisfy a Customer by Dr. Ronald G. Shapiro
It is less expensive to maintain a good customer relationship than to find a new customer. Thus, I’m constantly wondering why some businesses invest little effort in maintaining good relationships with existing customers, offer new customers better pricing than loyal ones, and spend lots of advertising dollars to acquire new customers. Perhaps, it is because they can get away with it. On the other hand, as small business owners who may have more competition, we cannot afford to needlessly dissatisfy customers. It may benefit us to read through these scenarios and think of some we have encountered as customers to be sure we aren’t needlessly dissatisfying our customer base. Offer new customers better offers than loyal ones. Years ago, a major hotel chain offered 10,000 bonus points per night to relatively new customers, but did not extend the same offer to their most loyal and best customers. I’m told the chain’s most loyal customers complained and the hotel made the wise decision to give them points as well. The program cost the chain far more than expected. What was the chain thinking when they initiated this offer? Don’t Offer Your Best Offer Up Front. I received a letter from my alternative energy supplier telling me my introductory rate was expiring and advising me to call for a new rate plan. I did call and was offered several plans, all of which were considerably more expensive than the original plan. I decided to cancel their service. When I called back to cancel their service, the representative I spoke with offered me a better plan than the first representative. I decided to stay with them for now, but they are “on probation” and my intent is to find a new provider once their “rescue” rate expires. Had
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they offered their better rate up front, they would have had an even more loyal customer. Hide From Your Customers. I wanted to reach a person to renew my wireless telephone service. There were no directions for reaching a customer
receive better and faster service by going online! Ignore Commitments. I’ve called the service number for corporations and the service representatives have agreed to do something for me, such as correct an overcharge, but they did not follow up
I’m constantly wondering why some businesses invest little effort in maintaining good relationships with existing customers service representative via the voice response unit (VRU). I pressed random buttons for several minutes until the system referred me to a person. Ultimately, I reached an outstanding customer service representative who more than made up for the unpleasant experience. While I was more than satisfied with the service provided by this
representative, I would not begin a new contract nor recommend this provider to others because it is difficult to reach customer service. Provide Silly Suggestions. When my internet service was not working, I called my Internet Service Provider (ISP). While waiting in the queue for assistance, I listened to the recording say that I could
or even enter the transaction into their system. Multiple calls were required. I continue to use the providers for low price products, but would not consider them for mission critical work. Making it Difficult for the Customer to say “Good Work.” I recently called a restaurant and told the manager on duty that I had written favorable online comments about their restaurant and wanted to send him the URL via email. He would not provide me with an email address. I did find a customer service form for the restaurant chain and sent them a note offering to send them the same information. I received a note back that they had sent my information to the marketing department and they would get back to me if they were interested. They have not done so. This chain managed to dissatisfy an extremely satisfied customer through bad public relations and policies. Are you sure your business is not guilty of any of the above? Dr. Ronald G. Shapiro Independent Consultant in Human Factors Learning & Human Resources
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www.risbj.com | volume three issue three
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SMALL BUSINESS | Personnel Practices: Legal Issues Involving Volunteer Workers
Personnel Practices
LEGAL ISSUES INVOLVING VOLUNTEER WORKERS part-time basis, for charitable, religious, or humanitarian objectives, without contemplation of payment, are considered “volunteers” rather than “employees” of the religious, charitable or similar non-profit organizations that receive their service. Under the FLSA, only employees are subject to wage and hour provisions; accordingly, volunteer workers are exempt from wage and hour requirements.
by Matthew R. Plain, Esq. & Kristen M. Whittle, Esq.
Volunteer workers perform important functions for public and non-profit employers, and such work can provide valuable and rewarding experiences for volunteers. Although the national volunteerism rate has gone down slightly in recent years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 64.5 million Americans volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2011 and September 2012. As they are not considered “employees,” volunteer workers may be exempt from wage and hour requirements like minimum wage, overtime pay, and recordkeeping provisions established under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Rhode Island Labor laws. A primary purpose of these requirements is to ensure that hourly employees are paid fairly and accurately, and to ensure that certain employees receive overtime pay for time worked over forty hours in a week. However, the FLSA and Rhode Island law provides exemptions from these requirements for volunteer workers, as set forth below. •
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Under the federal Department of Labor’s rules, individuals who volunteer or donate their services, usually on a
RISBJ | rhode island small business journal
•
Individuals can also volunteer services to public sector employers. In enacting the FLSA, Congress made clear that people are allowed to volunteer their services to public agencies and their community. However, public sector employers may not allow their employees to volunteer additional time to do the same work for which they are employed without compensation. For example, public employers may not require or permit their employees to perform overtime work without compensation under the guise of volunteerism.
•
Private sector employers can encourage employees to volunteer their time to public or charitable organizations
Personnel Practices: Legal Issues Involving Volunteer Workers | SMALL BUSINESS
In order to ensure that volunteers are not considered “employees” subject to federal and state wage and hour requirements, employers should be aware of the applicable provisions of the FLSA and applicable Rhode Island law. outside of normal working hours. In fact, employersponsored volunteer programs can be a powerful way to support civic and charitable organizations, and engaging employees in this process can improve morale. However, time spent in work for public or charitable purposes at the employer’s request; while under the employer’s direction or control; or while the employee is required to be on the premises, is considered working time, and thus, the employer must compensate the employee in accordance with fair labor standards laws. For example, when an employer sponsors a “volunteer” opportunity on-site during working hours, the employer may not withhold participating employees’ pay during time spent volunteering. •
•
Under the FLSA, individuals may not volunteer services to for-profit private sector employers. The FLSA exemption for volunteer workers applies only to public sector or charitable employers. Rather, such putative volunteers of private sector employers would likely be considered employees entitled to compensation under the Act. In order to ensure that volunteers are not considered “employees” subject to federal and state wage and hour requirements, employers should be aware of the applicable provisions of the FLSA and applicable Rhode Island law. The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (RIDLT) has published a wage and hour guide, a document that includes descriptions and interpretations of Rhode Island wage and hour laws. In light of the somewhat onerous requirements under the FLSA and established by RIDLT, employers should maintain accurate records reflecting their fair workplace practices, and always consult a professional in case of wage and hour questions.
Matthew R. Plain, Esq. Partner, Barton Gilman LLP Kristen M. Whittle, Esq. Associate, Barton Gilman LLP
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www.risbj.com | volume three issue three
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What Clams Me About SMALL CAPITAL BUSINESS CITY | Storefront || How Improvement Manage A Remote Program Worker Building or Office Your Customer Base SMALL BUSINESS Dear To Mom: A Taught Letter Home From ALeadership One Day Warrior
STOREFRONT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMER BASE by Mayor Angel Taveras
Building a customer base is fundamental to the success of all businesses. In many ways, the appearance of a business – or its storefront – can affect the opinion of those customers. Late last month, I joined with local business owners to announce a new storefront improvement program designed to revitalize our city’s building façades and attract more customers to small businesses across Providence. This, the Storefront Improvement Program, is one of 20 action steps identified in my
anchored by small businesses. The storefront improvement program is designed to attract customers to existing businesses, revitalize local business districts, and enhance the beauty and safety of Providence’s neighborhoods. Participating businesses are eligible to receive reimbursements for 50 percent of eligible storefront costs, up to $10,000. The city’s Department of Economic Development will assist small businesses that wish to make changes to their exterior storefronts, including awnings,
THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIRECT IMPACT IN THE ECONOMIC WELL-BEING OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, WHILE IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS economic development plan, Putting Providence Back to Work, which I released in March last year and on which we are making sure and steady progress. Providence is known for its diverse, historic neighborhoods, which are
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signage, windows, doors, permanent landscaping, and façade improvements. The program is open to small businesses with 18 or fewer full-time employees. I was proud to make the announcement at a popular area restaurant, Los Andes, whose owner, Cesin Curi, agreed,
“Customers are often attracted by the look of our storefronts and the funding will help us to draw new customers while beautifying our neighborhood.” To be eligible for the program, a business must meet at least one of the following criteria: • Business serves a predominantly low/moderate income population. • Business will be able to create a job for a low/moderate income individual. • Business will be removing neighborhood blight as part of the project. The program is funded with $250,000 from the Providence Economic Development Partnership, and applications will be accepted, reviewed and approved on a rolling basis, based on the availability of funding. “This is a great opportunity to make a direct impact in the economic wellbeing of our small businesses, while improving the quality of life of our neighborhoods,” said James S. Bennett, Director of Economic Development. More information is available at www. providenceri.com/storefront.
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www.risbj.com | volume three issue three
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SMALL BUSINESS | Own Your Story...Own Your Success
Own your story…own your success by Nancy Thomas
Usually, when I write about communications or public relations, it is targeted to a company, product, or an individual who has something to sell or a service to offer. While spending time on branding and image is important, I find I spend more and more time talking about “the story.” Tell me why someone should buy from you–or give to you–or believe in you. The facts need to be there, but in an overly communicated and marketing society, I believe it is those who tell the best story who will “win.” When it comes to causes–nonprofit organizations, philanthropy– telling the story effectively is crucial. Why? Because people remember stories. More than statistics. Yes, you have to do your homework and have all the facts about how you can effectively use the donors’ dollars or how many more people will be served by a contribution, but that will only engage a donor’s rational brain after the emotional brain has been moved to give. Don’t lead with statistics. Lead with people. Tell one story. Show a beautiful, realistic picture. It has been shown that if you do this, you could raise twice as much money as if you lead with facts and figures. People want to have a personal connection to causes they support. We can understand facts and figures and dollars and numbers. But we want to have that feel-good feeling about the very personal step of writing a check or taking money out of our pocket.
Tell me why someone should buy from you – or give to you – or believe in you. When we share a story, we provide that personal connection–the whole brain gets involved. Not only do we feel that connection to the story, but also to the storyteller. If you are a volunteer with a nonprofit organization and your job is to get others to give, too, remember that. Step away from the statistics and lead with a story. This holds true for business, too. Recently a company with a safety-related product came to me and said they had a problem. They needed to get to the decision makers about why they should engage with their company and buy their service. But they were
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having a hard time ‘making the pitch.’ They gave me lots of statistics and showed me bought high-resolution pictures of their service model. Nothing moved me. Not that I would ever say this, but I was actually getting sleepy listening to the pitch myself. What could they do? What should the approach be? I asked them to tell me a story. Tell me what it would mean to me. My family. My friend. If I were “the boss,” what would it mean to my company and my constituencies? What would it mean if this safety service was not in place? What was the downside? What made this company unique and different? Where were the testimonials? Where were pictures of people? Not high-resolution stock images, but real people, in real situations? Can you give me some news clips, too, of what happened when this type of service was in place elsewhere? And the stories of when it was not? A boring presentation suddenly became exciting. A whole new direction was created by asking them to tell me a story. The tools to do that can be the really good elevator speech. The oral presentation. Volunteers who are willing to tell their personal stories. Visuals. Effective audio. Powerful video. Great photos and compelling text. Whether you are a volunteer for a cause near and dear to your heart, or if you work for a company or organization, once you’ve gathered all the statistics and they are there to back up your proposal, take a step back, put a face to your “ask,” and tell a story. Lead with it. That will engage the person to decide to give, to buy, to volunteer, to support. Follow up with the statistics which will help the person decide at what level they want to get involved. Years ago when I worked at a hospital in a marketing role, a physician was all excited about raising money for a brand new piece of equipment that would measure bone density. Try as he may, he couldn’t explain why this machine was so much better than the machine they already had. Then I asked him to tell me what it would mean if my grandmother needed the test. How would her experience be different? And then I stopped talking. He looked at me for a bit and then he told me a story of what her experience would be like, how it would be better. “Ahhh,” I said. NOW we had a campaign. Many high-technical people have a hard time going from the rational brain to the emotional brain, and later I developed a pin that I wore when I was at work. It said, “Tell me a story….” I wore it every day and it became MY story, too. When I began my own company, my slogan was easy, “Own your story…own your success.” You can–and you will! Nancy Thomas Owner Tapestry Communications
Reaping Business-Building Rewards From Charitable Connections: Where Is Your Moral Compass? | SMALL BUSINESS
REAPING BUSINESS-BUILDING REWARDS FROM CHARITABLE CONNECTIONS:
where is your moral compass? by Carolyn Lavin
Some businesses get involved in numerous charitable missions while others try to play a more significant role in just one or two. No matter the strategy, individuals and companies helping non-profits often reap business-building rewards from their efforts, even if that is not the primary objective. Many businesses boost spirit and morale by sending a company team to group-challenge events such as the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk or The Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Some companies will match the individual funds raised by team members with equivalent firm funds. That kind of corporate citizenship is vital to business-building at all levels. Along the way, the camaraderie that results from employees spending time together outside the workplace and in support of a good cause is priceless. When it comes to individual involvement, many companies strongly encourage employees to serve on boards and commissions. While civic and charitable organizations today are certainly in need of contributions of both time and energy from community-minded people, business professionals are often looking for ways to meet new sources of business via community connections. Professional service firms -- in law, banking, accounting and beyond -- often strongly encourage their mid-level management team to get involved in volunteer pursuits and, eventually, join a board or serve in a leadership position for a non-profit. Luckily, most people willing to share their talents have high
standards of personal integrity. And, aren’t those the ones we want to do business with, first and foremost? In a perfect world, the selection of a volunteer activity for an employee may not be initiated by an employer. But, sometimes, a newly promoted manager is a perfect fit to help fill a board position as a senior colleague cycles off that board due to term limits or other commitments. Or, a professional with a particular philanthropic interest may benefit from an introduction to a chosen non-profit by someone else who is active within a company. There is no doubt that serving in a leadership position builds reputation and expands one’s networking arena. It shows an intention to give back and become part of the fabric of the communities where we work and live. Ultimately, community service – whether in the trenches for Habitat for Humanity or in the boardroom of the local community mental health center -often leads to strong bonds and shared passion, which is what business-building is all about. Certainly, reaping business-building rewards from charitable involvement is a positive outcome of volunteer contributions of time and energy. But, what happens when business-building is the primary motivation? Where does exploiting newfound charitable relationships for personal gain fit on one’s moral compass? Morally, it seems distasteful to spend time helping a non-profit merely to expand your connections on LinkedIn or build your e-newsletter list. Certainly, there are instances where successdriven go-getters fill their plates with civic and charitable pursuits with the sole purpose of increasing name awareness. In the long run, whether in the local soup kitchen or an inner city literacy program, those with the self-serving intent are likely the biggest losers in the charitable equation. The key for workers considering a volunteer activity is making sure those opportunities to give back are meaningful to the employee, not just all about business-building. I am always inspired when I go to a meeting at the Rhode Island Foundation where a favorite Margaret Mead quote is mounted in a focal spot on the landing between the first and second floor: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” In most instances, getting a chance to change the world is, personally, lifechanging as well. Carolyn Lavin President Lavin Marketing Communications
www.risbj.com | volume three issue three
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SMALL BUSINESS | The Importance Of First Impressions
The Importance of “First Impressions” Getting a Company Ready for a Financing or Sale
of the owners regarding ownership of the company, in a surprising number of cases, producing the legal documents to substantiate ownership can be a problem. The issuance of stock must be approved by a vote of the Board of Directors. Once stock is issued, the original owner and all stock transferred by the original owner should be documented in the company’s stock transfer records. If there are restrictions on transfer in the charter, bylaws or a stockholder’s agreement, a waiver of transfer restrictions should be on file. If stock has been issued without the proper approvals or there are gaps in the stock records, this could be an indicator of a potentially expensive dispute or litigation in the future.
by William F. Miller, Esq.
While the cliché, “You only get one chance to make a first impression,” rings true in the social context, the phrase is also true in the business world where the stakes can be much higher. If you are applying for a bank loan, seeking capital from equity investors or considering a possible sale of your company, it is critically important that your business documents are complete and that you respond promptly to requests for information. Seeking financing or preparing a company for a potential sale will vary by industry and the type of business. In any case, the starting point for a business is to make a strong first impression because any well advised lender, investor or potential buyer will undertake a thorough “due diligence” review of the company before they make a final decision to lend, invest or buy the company. The key is to be pro-active in preparing for an external review because the outcome will have a profound impact on the terms, price and sometimes, whether the transaction closes at all. There are two elements that shape the impression you make in responding to a due diligence request. First, is the quality and completeness of the information and documentation you provide; and second, is how long it takes you to respond. A complete and well organized response is expected, but even a thorough response can create a negative impression if it takes too long to pull together the requested information and documentation. Conversely, a thorough and timely response to a due diligence request can create a positive first impression that may help to temper at least some types of negative issues that might be raised by the substance of your response. Among the most frequently overlooked items that a business owner should have at the ready prior to a due diligence review by others, and which have universal application to every industry or type of business include the following: •
•
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Signed Copies of All Important Agreements: Every company has agreements that are critical or at least material to its operation and financial success. These often include real estate and equipment leases, documentation of existing credit facilities, distribution agreements, licenses and employment-related agreements. Make sure all current agreements are complete and signed by all the parties, and attach any exhibits referred to in the agreements. Complete Documentation of Ownership of the Company: Although there is rarely a doubt in the minds RISBJ island small business RISBJ | rhode | rhode island small businessjournal journal
•
Employment Matters: Are the company’s service providers properly classified as employees or independent contractors? Improperly classifying service providers can lead to expensive problems, including civil fines and liability for failure to pay withholding taxes, penalties and interest. Also, if your company has intellectual property that is material to its operation and success, all service providers should be required to sign confidentiality agreements and, in some cases, assignment of developments agreements.
•
Qualification to Do Business: Virtually all companies are required to file annual reports in the state in which they are organized. If they do business in other states or foreign countries, they also may be required to qualify to do business in those other jurisdictions. Failure to file annual reports in the state where you are organized can result in administrative dissolution of your company. Although there is a procedure for reinstatement, being administratively dissolved for failure to file your annual reports makes a profoundly negative statement about how the company is run. Failure to qualify in another state or foreign country can also give rise to civil penalties and disqualification from use of the courts in that jurisdiction. That could be important if a major customer fails to pay you and your company decides to sue to recover what is owed.
These four points are not an exclusive listing of areas that need to be addressed. Rather, they are common problems that come up in due diligence reviews. For a more exhaustive due diligence checklist of the type you might expect to receive in an equity financing or an acquisition, consult with your attorney. William F. Miller, Esq. Partner Pannone Lopes Devereaux & West
Three Steps To Strengthen Your Brand | SMALL BUSINESS
THREE STRENGTHEN STEPS TO by Dana D’Orsi
Many people think of graphical elements like logos, websites and brochures when they hear the word brand. But a brand is SO MUCH MORE than that. Your brand is made up of the TOTAL EXPERIENCE that your customers and prospects have with your business—at each and every touch point—and how that experience makes them FEEL. It is the foundation that all of your marketing, products, services and programs are built on. Here are 3 critical steps to strengthen that foundation: STEP 1: GET CLEAR. The first step is to get clear on exactly who you are as a business and what you stand for. Here are some questions to consider: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Who do you serve? How do you serve them? Why do you do what you do? What results do people get from working with you? 5. What makes you stand out from competitors? 6. How do you want your customers to feel when they interact with you? 7. What do you want to be known for? STEP 2: DO YOUR RESEARCH. Now that you’re clear on who you are and what you stand for, it’s time to see how well you’ve been doing in getting that message across. Reach out to a few of your current clients, past clients and prospects to find out how they describe you and your business to others. Once you have a sense of the words and phrases they’re using, it will help you strategize the changes you may need to make in your marketing and business practices to help your
YOUR BRAND
community better understand what makes you unique, special and different. STEP 3: INTEGRATE YOUR BRAND INTO EVERYTHING YOU DO. Whether you’re aware of it or not, every day, in everything you do, you are communicating your brand. So be intentional and consistent in creating that ideal experience for your customers and prospects. Here is a sampling of places you can begin to integrate your brand more purposefully:
Reach out to a few of your current clients, past clients and prospects to find out how they describe you and your business to others
Dana D’Orsi Business and Marketing Coach, Dana D’Orsi International
Your Elevator Pitch
Your Customer Service Practices
Your Sales/Enrollment Conversations
Your Client Welcome Kit
Client “Extras”
Your Voicemail Message
Your Email Signature
Your Business Card
Your Website
Your Lingo
Your Business Model
Your Charitable Giving Practices
Your Personal Appearance
The Quality Of Your Products And Services
Your Content
Your Social Media Posts
Your Elevator Pitch
Your Elevator Pitch
Your Personal Story
Your Signature Talk
Your Follow-Up
Your Events www.risbj.com | volume three issue three
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DESIGN
THE 10
SMALL BUSINESS | The 10 Design Branding Mistakes
BRANDING MISTAKES by AJ Paglia
The creative collateral of small businesses and start-ups is the least important, most important, thing there is. While owners and operators are busy prepping product and managing staff, things like logo design and website updates collect dust at the bottom of the to-do list. Yet, having a visibly dynamic brand and marketable approach will be the difference between a company and a really successful company. As a freelance graphic designer, I work with companies to build their brand (name, message, approach, etc.), make their services look visually appealing to their desired clientele (logo, stationery, website, uniforms, etc.), and basically make them pretty! I’ve sent countless invoices to companies who could have avoided certain billable items because they made mistakes that I see made by almost every company I’ve done work for. Don’t make these mistakes, and you’ll save yourself time, money, and a big “I told you so” on the invoice your designer sends you. 1. USE GOOGLE IMAGES Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Companies use images they find online for free for their website, logo, menus—anything. The problem is that they’re rarely good quality, they’re being used by other companies, and (most importantly) they’re not owned. This puts the business in risk of being caught using a copyrighted image, resulting in cease and desist letters, which then results in unnecessary headaches. Recently, I had to redesign a company’s logo because they realized their original logo (made by the owner) had an image in it that was pulled from Google images, and was also used in a recent movie release. Completely avoidable. The right move: hire a graphic designer, illustrator or photographer, or purchase royalty-free images from stock photo websites. 2. EXPECTING SOMETHING FOR NOTHING A lot of small business owners think they can buy their nephew tickets to a big concert in exchange for a fully functional website. They are wrong. The creative industry
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is the same as every industry, where you get what you pay for. If you give your nephew concert tickets to design your company website, it will look amateur and customers will be turned away. If you use a “free” design template, it will look like your company isn’t successful. And if you ask a designer to make things at a “reduced cost,” they will NOT look as good as they would at “actual cost.” The right move: set aside a budget for creative collateral. 3. PRETEND TO BE A SOMEONE ELSE It’s okay to model your company’s look like your favorite brand or a similar brand, but a lot of small businesses decide to just mimic looks. I was asked to design uniforms for a local bar, and they requested that I copy the uniforms of another local bar, and I mean copy exactly. This creates brand problems. The public can’t tell the difference between one brand and another if you make everything look the same, and when everything looks the same, nothing stands out. The right move: be original when you market to your customers. 4. OVERFILL YOUR LOGO Some companies treat logos like a summer camp suitcase. Everything’s in it. Year established? It’s in there. Outline of the company building? It’s in there. The owner’s dog? Oh, definitely in there. And none of it will be retained by the desired customers. It creates problems when you need the logo used universally to promote the company. The best and most successful logos are simple and clear. Customers need to see your logo, know it, and remember it. Simple and clear. The right move: focus your logo on what’s important. 5. DON’T STICK TO YOUR STANDARDS Standards are what designers use to create consistency for a brand. Making
The 10 Design Branding Mistakes | SMALL BUSINESS
all collateral with the same font, making the name tags the same shape and color as the logo, using photos that are taken from a specific angle, etc. It’s easier to not stick to these standards, but what’s easier isn’t better. If your customers can’t tell that all your creative collateral came from the same place, your brand looks like a jumbled mess. The right move: make a set of standards, and stick to them. 6. DON’T BE FLEXIBLE Your logo will need to be on a black background, as often as it needs to be on a white background. It will need to be large, as often as it will need to be small. Companies sponsor races, donate to charities, and have events. Your logo and standards should be prepared for that; otherwise, you’ll be the company with a blurry logo on a charity runner’s shirt that has a big white box around it because the original design was made small and on a white background, by your nephew. It makes your company look inexperienced and unprepared. The right move: prepare your company’s imagery for every possible use.
Customers need to see your logo, know it, and remember it. Simple and clear.
7. MAKE IT TOO PERSONAL Naming your company after your dog, picking pink as your standard color because it’s your daughter’s favorite, and making any brand decision based on personal life is a mistake. These decisions don’t target your customer demographic, and they’re the ones that want to give you money. When things get “personal” branded, customers get confused and take their money somewhere else. The right move: make brand and design decisions based on customer research. 8. DON’T ASK FOR HELP You want a circular business card? Okay. You want your website to take orders from overseas? No problem. You want signage that glows in the dark? Do it. Companies, especially new companies, have ideas but no idea how to execute them. So they just use templates and common choices. This makes your business look unoriginal, and is so simple to avoid. It takes 2 seconds to Google search “circular business cards.” The right move: find people to help you make your ideas happen. 9. GIVE NO DIRECTION Designers and contractors can’t read minds. If you have something made, and give no direction, the result rarely pleases you. I designed a website once, without any concrete direction, and after 15 proofs it was finally done. However, it could have only cost the client 3 proofs, with simple direction. Research and share with the people making products for your company; a simple example you find online shared with your designer WILL save you funds. The right move: provide examples for direction. 10. THINK ANY OF THE ABOVE ARE NOT IMPORTANT The public will judge a book by its cover. If your small business or start-up isn’t ready for that, plan on hiring a freelance designer very soon. AJ Paglia Freelance Graphic Designer
www.risbj.com | volume three issue three
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SMALL BUSINESS | Tricks Of The Trade (Show)
TRICKS Trade shows are a great way to grow your customer base and can provide great exposure for your business. They can also be expensive, and if not planned for properly, can be ineffective. So how can you ensure that you make the most out of any show you’re exhibiting at? Just showing up at the tradeshow isn’t enough. You need to plan months prior to the actual show date, execute successfully at the show and follow-up after it’s over. Here are 7 tips on having a successful show: BUDGETING
STAFFING
I talked about budgeting for staff should you have at a show? You length of the show and how man If this is an all-day event, you’ll w in shorter shifts rather than havin You will also want to have enoug that people are not waiting in a l The other consideration is havin the showroom floor, speaking wi engaging with attendees away fr
The cost of signing up for the show is often the least expensive part of actually exhibiting. You need to identify how many staff members, and what staff members, should be attending the show. Each employee attending costs your business money. You will also need to factor in the cost of printed materials, signage, giveaways, discounts you’re offering on your products or services and any contest prizes you may be offering. Once you add all of these items up, you will have the estimated cost of the trade show.
Once you know who will be atten individuals know the message th with event attendees? Do they k contests? Do they know what pr looking to promote? Make sure e day is on the same page in orde message.
EVENT PROMOTION
How many times have you gone representing the company was s phone? Exactly! Make sure your everyone walking by. Staff shoul hiding behind it) and greet every are just trying to get to the booth with someone at your booth, giv need, but don’t keep others wait appointment to continue your dis
Well before the show date, you should be promoting your involvement. Send existing customers and prospects an email to let them know when and where the tradeshow is. This will also allow you to promote any specials you will be offering or contests you will be running. Emails with content such as “Visit us at Booth #123 at the Business Expo for your chance to win a new iPad Air” gives people an incentive to stop by. You can also entice prospects to the show by sending out emails that promote a special offer only available to show attendees. In addition to email, take to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin to do the same.
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BOOTH ETIQUETTE
GIVEAWAYS AND CONTES
Everyone loves free stuff! While the types of giveaways to have a
Just showing up at the tradeshow isn’t eno actual show date, execute successfully at
THE
f, but just how many staff u will need to consider the ny attendees are expected. want to have staff working ng the same people all day. gh people at the booth so long line to speak with you. ng a staff member that works ith the other exhibitors and rom your booth.
nding, figure out if those hat you will be sharing know the special offers and roducts or services you are everyone helping out that er to create a cohesive brand
e to a booth and the person sitting behind the table on their r staff is fully engaged with ld be in front of the booth (not yone that walks by even if they h next to yours. When engaged ve them the attention they ting too long. Offer to setup an scussion.
STS
there are many opinions of at a show, the reality is that
Tricks of the Trade (Show) | SMALL BUSINESS
TRADE
(SHOW)
having something with your logo on it that people leave with creates a lasting impression of your brand. Give away something memorable and useful. Look for items that are related to your industry and order enough so that you don’t run out too quickly. While everyone stopping by can get the “free stuff”, also have a contest that is given to one lucky attendee. By offering something that many people will want, you will create more traffic to your booth. Instead of asking for business cards, try creating a small form that people need to fill out that qualifies them as customers at the same time as entering them into the contest. SIGNAGE AND PRINTED MATERIALS Your tradeshow booth shouldn’t look like a 6th grade science fair project. Having a nice tablecloth with your logo, a stand up sign like a retractable banner stand and a hanging sign or banner behind your booth are all affordable materials for your business and will help to reinforce your brand. Combined with printed materials such as flyers, business cards and brochures, your booth will leave a lasting impression and prospects will walk away with materials to review after the show. FOLLOW-UP After the event, do not wait for people to reach back out to you, because often times they won’t unless prompted. You want to be memorable, so make the first move. Send personal emails to everyone that stopped by your booth thanking them for stopping by. Remind them of the special offer and ask if it’s OK for you to add them to your monthly company email newsletter. For prospects that seemed interested in your products, follow up with a phone call and send a handwritten note. Tradeshows can be a lot of work; however, if planned and executed properly, they are a great way to increase your brand awareness and customer base.
ough. You need to plan months prior to the t the show and follow-up after it’s over.
www.risbj.com | volume three issue three
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SMALL BUSINESS | Office 365: Why We Made The Switch
Office 365
Why we made the switch. by Lisa Shorr
How many hats do you wear owning a small business? As small business owners, we often find ourselves in the roles of Sales Manager, Accounting Manager, Operations Manager, even IT Manager. How do we keep up and provide the highquality customer service our clients demand? How can we take just one task off of the plate of our employees? My husband Eric and I juggle these roles on a daily basis. Our mission is to implement internal IT solutions that provide us peace of mind as well as ensure our network runs more smoothly. Microsoft Office 365 is one of those solutions. Since installation, we’ve seen a boost in employee productivity as well as office efficiency. So what is Microsoft Office 365 and why did we make the switch?
Other than embracing cloud technology, our main reason for making the switch: peace of mind! What is Microsoft Office 365? According to the Microsoft website: “Office 365” refers to subscription plans that include access to Office applications plus other productivity services that are enabled over the Internet (cloud services). Various plans range from a Basic Email Subscription only to plans including Microsoft Office. Applications are “hosted” (data stored and managed in a data center and retrieved via the Internet) by Microsoft. Why did we make the switch? Peace of Mind: Other than embracing cloud technology, our main reason for making the switch: peace of mind! We were tired of
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worrying about our Microsoft Exchange 2007 server. We had to allocate our employees’ time to monitor and maintain the server. If the server went down, we experienced downtime, which disrupted our email communication with our clients. It was just getting too risky. Accessibility: One of the key reasons a small business should embrace cloud solutions is for mobility. Office 365 syncs to all devices. Accessing email from our home desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet is imperative to keep up with today’s demand for instant communication. Take cost into “Account”: With Office 365 you buy only those licenses you need with a predictable monthly fee. Pricing can range from approximately $4 per month per user up to $25 per month per user depending upon the program selected. There are no hardware costs, maintenance fees or warranty expenses like those incurred buying a physical server. The expense for Office 365 turns into an operating expense because this is a service versus a capital expense that depreciates over time. Let’s Collaborate: Office 365 boasts other great features including a cloud version of the Microsoft Office suite, Sky Drive (the name has recently changed to One Drive) and SharePoint. We are able to create documents from any browser, synchronize and share those files using Sky Drive and collaborate on a project posting docs and to-dos via SharePoint. All of our data is in the very capable and secure hands of Microsoft. At some point, something has got to give. Adopting a cloudbased email solution such as Office 365 is like taking one extra ball out of the air instead of watching all of them tumble to the ground. Lisa Shorr VP of Marketing PC Troubleshooters, Inc.
Minding Your Own Brand | SMALL BUSINESS
How low can you go? Minding Your Own Brand
by Dave Lubelczyk
While judging a freshman business plan competition at a local university, I noticed a pattern. Each of the student groups said they were developing a premium brand, but they would use a low-cost penetration pricing strategy. Even though they were often selling at a loss, they explained that by entering the market as the low price leader, they would gain market share, people would fall in love with their product and they could raise their prices once they had built customer loyalty. I could not think of any company that after entering the market with low-cost pricing, went on to be a dominant premium brand and could command an above market price. So, as a judge, I reminded them that “using this logic, they will develop a commodity level brand with very little loyalty and being a commodity is a hole few companies could ever hope to dig themselves out from.” I know what you’re saying, “They are freshmen and have a lot to learn about business.” Hopefully these students have learned from this and will think differently when it really counts. However, this flawed thinking is not reserved for the business school novice because
most companies can’t get it through their thick skulls that a low-cost pricing strategy doesn’t work and does not build customer loyalty.
doing this, they are seen as a premium brand which attracts true passionate advocates and builds a lasting relationship with their customers.
Big box store “low-price guarantees” are creating a marketplace full of people who are fixated on price. Customers are no longer loyal to most brands and will switch from their “favorite” brand for a few pennies. These customers are loyal to low-price, not a particular brand. Because loyalty cannot be based on price, I would much rather see a company say that they were 10% higher than their most expensive competitor and then prove that they are well worth the price. This is a better positioning strategy than to bow to the unprofitable pricing practices that the current marketplace demands.
Customers will not become loyal advocates if you have lured them in with a low-cost pricing strategy. The only true way to build advocacy is to find a unique way to stand out from the crowd by providing extraordinary brand experiences. Unless you provide an extraordinary brand experience, customers will see you as a commodity and will lack brand passion. Advocacy only comes from people who create a true relationship with the brand and that loyalty is priceless.
The only companies that have escaped this madness are the ones that realized a low-cost pricing strategy will never lead to long-term brand success. Once they stopped worrying about how competitive their price is and started focusing on their brand experience, they avoided being a lowcost provider and had a better chance at gaining customer loyalty. By
Dave Lubelczyk Image Identity imageidentity.com
Customers are no longer loyal to most brands and will switch from their favorite brand for a few pennies. These customers are loyal to low-price, not a particular brand www.risbj.com | volume three issue three
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UPCOMING EVENTS NETWORKING AND WORKSHOPS For More Events Visit www.risbj.com MARCH
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MARCH
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Monday, March 24 DiMare Seafood East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours 2706 South County Trail, East Greenwich 5:30pm – 7:30pm
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Tuesday, March 25 Rhodes on the Pawtuxet Statewide Business After Hours 60 Rhodes Place, Cranston 4:30pm – 7:30pm Tuesday, March 25 Centerville Seminar Center Six Steps to Small Business Success... Pricing for Profits 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Wednesday, March 26 Centerville Seminar Center Business Law Basics- everything you need to know to keep yourself out of trouble! 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5 6:30pm – 8:00pm MARCH
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MARCH
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Tuesday, March 25 East Bay Chamber of Commerce Together We Can Networking 16 Cutler Street, #102, Warren 9:00pm – 10:30pm MARCH
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Wednesday, March 26 Northern RI Chamber of Commerce Leadership Skills for Lead People II 6 Blackstone Valley Place, Suite 402, Lincoln 8:30am – 4:30pm Wednesday, March 26 Centerville Seminar Center Insightful Approaches on How Employers Can Reduce Labor Costs 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5 9:00am – 11:00am
APRIL
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Thursday, March 27 Centerville Seminar Center Customer Rewards ProgramsSelecting a plan for future business growth 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5 6:00pm – 7:30pm Friday, March 28 Trafford Restaurant East Bay Chamber of Commerce Coffee & Commerce 285 Water Street, Warren 7:30am – 9:00am Friday, March 28 Newport County Chamber of Commerce Chamber Connections: Referral Based Networking 35 Valley Road, Middletown 7:45am – 9:15am
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Tuesday, April 1 Centerville Seminar Center Speed Mentoring 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5 8:30am – 11:00am Tuesday, April 1 Centerville Seminar Center How to Start or Run a Profitable Small Business 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Wednesday, April 2 Centerville Seminar Center TACTICAL BRIEFING: How to Find the Right Marketing Tactics for Your Business 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5 9:00am – 11:00am Wednesday, April 2 Marriott Providence Downtown Northern RI Chamber of Commerce PawSox Luncheon 1 Orms Street, Providence 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Wednesday, March 26 East Bay Chamber of Commerce Social Media Marketing Made Simple 16 Cutler Street, #102, Warren 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Monday, March 24 Centerville Seminar Center Consumer Food Trends and New Products 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5 6:30pm – 8:30pm MARCH
Wednesday, March 26 Centerville Seminar Center Need More Customers to Find Your Business Online and in Search Engine Results? 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5 2:00pm – 4:00pm
APRIL
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Thursday, April 3 Libations Central RI Chamber of Commerce YPcentral Social 281 Post Road, Warwick 5:00pm – 7:00pm Wednesday, April 9 Centerville Seminar Center Defamation in Rhode Island 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5 6:30pm – 8:30pm Wednesday, April 16 Mount Hope Farm East Bay Chamber of Commerce Meet & Greet Networking 250 Metacom Ave., Bristol 5:30pm – 7:00pm Tuesday, April 22 McKinley’s Pub East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours 1 Division Road, East Greenwich 5:30pm – 7:30pm Wednesday, April 23 Centerville Seminar Center Bull’s Eye Marketing 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5 9:00am – 11:00am Thursday, April 24 Quidnessett Country Club East Greenwich Chamber Ladies Fashion Show 950 N. Quidnessett Road, North Kingstown Starts at 6:00pm
www.risbj.com | volume three issue three
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AVA I L A B L E P RO P E RT I E S
400 South County Trail, Exeter:
Great location!! Design Award of Excellence. Private baths. Centrally located 6 minutes South of Home Depot in North Kingstown. Easy access at the gateway to South County. Taxes are approximate. Assessment as unfinished. 900-4,000 sq.ft. available. From $105,000
1755 Smith Street, North Providence:
Former Dunkin Donuts for over 30 years (they bought & moved across the street). Seats 30+. Has a drive-thru. Parking for 20+. GREAT for ANY fast food concept. 2000 sq. ft. $2,500/mo.
1950 South County Trail, East Greenwich: 20,000 SF warehouse space with 5 dock height doors, 24’ clear height. Ample Parking, Located off Route 2, Great Access to Route 4. Lease at $5 psf.
65 Montebello Road, Warwick:
Great block building with two overhead doors, heavy power, and 2nd floor office. Great access to highway, train, and airport. $175,000
111 Airport Road, Warwick:
Very nice 2nd floor office space near Hoxsie 4 corners. Tastefully decorated, good paint & carpet, possible office furnishings (nice stuff!) Three offices, conference, reception, lav., plus large basement storage. $180/month condo fee. $77,500
222 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick:
Class “a” law office includes conference room, 4 private offices, lavette, reception, storage, kitchen. over 1450 sq ft, plus 500 sq ft storage! Reduced $179,900
TION DUC E R E HUG
10 Southern Industrial Dr, Cranston:
111 Hopkins Hill Road, West Greenwich:
2220 South County Trail, East Greenwich:
2240 South County Trail, East Greenwich:
Great contractor space, building is expandable 5000’ footprint. First floor =3000 office, 2000’ wh. Second fl. =3000’ part finished office . First floor rented to national company. 20*50 covered canopy in rear and plenty of vehicle parking. Located Between Scituate Ave and Plainfiled Pike, Close to I-295. Building is expandable on 3.44 acre lot Asking $525,000
One year lease offers buyer(s) time and income to space plan & seek permits. Close to Exit 7 on Rte 4 across from Stanley Bostich and adjacent Stork’s Nest Child Academy. Lease at $14 psf.
Commercial • Investment • Residential
½ acre – 16 acres Very fast growing area off Exit 6A near GTech, Amgen & Centrex. Front pad is busy Dunkin Donuts, balance of site permits office, retail, warehouse & light industrial. Traffic count 15,000 and growing! Multitude of possibilities- 6 other avail. lots. From $150,000
All spaces include utilities except warehouse. Warehouse space includes 1,200 SF of office space and shared loading dock.Located in expanding business park with ample parking. Quiet, wooded site. Direct highway access to Route 4. On Route 2, near intersection of 402 (Frenchtown Rd.). 6-12 sq ft warehouse from $6 psf. Call for details.
7265 Post Road, North Kingstown:
7.82 acres on US Rt.1. Zoning permits apartments/office/medical/retail. Many possibilities!! Will build to suit, sale or lease, or land only. Great location. Dozens of acres and walking trails behind property. Adjacent 5+- acres also available. Call For Details!
39 Nooseneck Hill Road, West Greenwich:
2,000 to 20,000 sq. ft. flex space for lease. Warehouse, office, classrooms, thearte, recreational, 6 acre site with 500’ front on route 3 land lease available for outdoor storage, nursery greenhouse, ect. Only 1.2 mile from Exit 6. Next to retail plaza. From $5 psf.
Many more Commercial Properties
www.RemaxCommercialRI.com or email Jeff Butler at jab@ButlerRealty.us Trusted Real Estate Service Since 1977 Looking to Buy or Lease? Call the Butler!
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Understand The Benefits Of Permanent Life Insurance | SMALL BUSINESS
Understand the benefits
of permanent life insurance. by Ted Donnelly
Permanent life insurance can provide you and your family with longstanding benefits that ultimately provide a greater sense of protection and financial security. Here’s an overview of the ways that a permanent life insurance policy can be a valuable option for you and your family.
anything, such as funding a child’s college education, supplementing your retirement income as the life insurance needs decrease, or even ensuring the continuation of a personal business you’ve worked hard to build. Moreover, some permanent life insurance policies may be eligible for dividends which may be used to help pay premiums or purchase additional insurance. STAY SAFE AND SECURE. Unlike permanent life insurance, which is in place for your entire life, term life insurance generally provides a tax-free death benefit for a specific length of time. When the term expires, so does your protection. While you may be able to renew it, your health may have changed and the rates may be higher. While term insurance may initially offer more affordable premiums, permanent life insurance provides a lifetime of protection and value. Your premium stays the same regardless of your age or health conditions, and the policy is more likely to be in force when your family needs it most.
While the primary purpose of life insurance is to protect loved ones in the event of your death, permanent life insurance offers other financial benefits that may be extremely helpful with everyday expenses. One of the larger financial perks of purchasing a permanent life insurance policy is the cash value accumulation component, which guarantees cash value accumulation on a tax-deferred basis. This cash accumulation is often referred to as a “living benefit” since it is a benefit you can enjoy during your lifetime.
NOW IS THE TIME. It’s always a good time to protect your family. But it’s even more important to make sure they’re protected when other assets can’t be counted on. That’s why permanent life insurance is so valuable—its cash value is guaranteed to accumulate each year, regardless of the economic environment.
While the primary purpose of life insurance is to protect loved ones in the event of your death, permanent life insurance offers other financial benefits that may be extremely helpful with everyday expenses As long as your premiums are paid, the cash value that builds in your policy accumulates on a tax-deferred basis and can be borrowed against generally income tax-free. That money can be accessed via policy loans for virtually
Ted Donnelly Agent New York Life Insurance Company
This educational, third-party article is provided as a courtesy by Ted Donnelly, Agent, New York Life Insurance Company. 1 Guarantees are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer. 2 The cash value in a permanent life policy is accessed through policy loans, which accrue interest at the current rate and decrease the available death benefit and cash value. 3 Dividends are based on the policy’s applicable dividend scale, which is neither guaranteed nor an estimate of future results.
www.risbj.com | volume www.risbj.com | volumethree threeissue issuethree one
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STATEWIDE BUSINESS AFTER HOURS PARTICIPATING CHAMBER
CHAMBER CHAT Central RI Central Chamber Lauren E.I. Slocum, President/CEO 3288 Post Road, Warwick, RI 401.732.1100 | www.centralrichamber.com
Making Connections – Your business thrives on it, your future depends on it. The Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce strives to help its members make connections and reach their goals. Their dedicated staff, volunteer Board of Directors and Ambassadors are available by phone or email to assist. Each month, there are a number of business opportunities where individuals can meet potential clients, further develop relationships with existing clients, or enhance their personal development. The Central Rhode Island Chamber is always expanding what they have to offer their members based on what needs are being expressed. If you are looking for a working partner for your company that is friendly and accessible, give us a call. We welcome the opportunity to speak with you.
NEWEST MEMBERS Active Data Solutions, LLC Anytime Fitness Astoria Salon Dragon Palace of Coventry East Coast Embroidery
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Grid Iron Ale House & Grille Marcia Liss, PhD Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt New York Life - Catherine Wayne Ocean State Safety, LLC
RGS Energy Ridley-Lowell Business & Technical Institute Sew-Phisticated Swipe for a Cause, LLC
STATEWIDE BUSINESS AFTER HOURS PARTICIPATING CHAMBER
Cranston CHAMBER CHAT Cranston Chamber Stephen C. Boyle, President 150 Midway Road, #178, Cranston, RI 401.785.3780 | www.cranstonchamber.com
The Greater Cranston Chamber of Commerce has been in business since 1931 as the leading advocate for the business community in the City of Cranston. Over the past several years, it has undergone many changes and is about to launch an aggressive effort to more than double its membership. In addition, it plans to change its primary focus to its core members (i.e., small business). Recognizing that the typical Chamber member is a small business, it makes sense to develop a strong platform around that specific member type. Small businesses are the driving force in this economic recovery and are the main force for job development. The primary areas that will be addressed are, Taxes/Budgets, Healthcare, Energy, Access to Capital, Workforce Development and Economic Development as they apply to the small business community throughout the state. The Cranston Chamber of Commerce has been a leading advocate in the state for healthcare reform and has recently instituted a healthcare hotline to ensure businesses get the right answers to their healthcare concerns and the Affordable Care Act. Chamber President Stephen C. Boyle has been a member of the Small Employer Health Taskforce leadership committee, HealthRIght, for policy reform, and serves as co-chair with Health Insurance Commissioner Hittner on the Health Insurance Advisory Council, which serves as a sounding board for the Commissioner for all health insurance issues. In addition, the Chamber has been the driving force in advocating a change in the way the immunization program is funded in the state. Currently, the cost of the program is $62 million and it is paid entirely by the individual and fully insured small business market. Through his role as President, Stephen C. Boyle has helped the Chamber become involved in economic development. As co-chair of the Lt. Governor’s Small Business Advisory Council Resource and Retention Committee, President Boyle has developed proposals to keep the businesses we have. President Boyle is also co-chair of the Economic Development Committee for the SBA Summit, which developed various economic proposals for legislative review, and he was also recently appointed by Mayor Allan Fung as Chairman of the Cranston Industrial Development Commission to partner with the City’s Economic Development Department to stimulate and promote the City of Cranston as an economic hub. The Chamber has been a strong voice calling for the development of a storefront improvement grant
program in the city to invigorate several of the local retail areas. As a member of the Rate Payers Advisory Board, President Boyle, who was appointed by Senate President Paiva Weed and sponsored by Senator Josh Miller, has advocated the concerns of the business community about rate adjustments and the development of affordable green energy. The Chamber will be partnering with the Green Building Council to put forth a comprehensive energy policy for small business. Access to capital continues to be a primary concern and the Cranston Chamber of Commerce has been the only Chamber in the state to initiate a crowdfunding drive, raising over $7k for a local endeavor. Crowdfunding as a tool for small business growth and startups is estimated to exceed venture capital funding in the coming year. Investors will shortly be able to take equity positions in crowdfunding start-ups. In addition, the Chamber has advocated the expansion of the SBA 504 loan program along with the use of the city revolving loan fund to leverage the use of those funds. As a member of the Providence/Cranston Workforce Solutions Board, the Chamber has been directly involved in the review and awarding of grants to several agencies to create job training and development programs, and it works closely with the Cranston Community Action Program to help provide job placements for local students. “Our participation with these issues will position us well into the future with the local business community. Businesses today face many challenges and the Chamber needs to be in a position to help them in a real boots on the ground way. Seminars and meetings are helpful, but those businesses looking to survive today need a real partner in making change and a true advocate for their needs.”
NEWEST MEMBERS WorkDigz Allied Mortgage Group American Printing Company Cork & Brew and Spirits Too Shear Dimensions Hair Salon A.Ricciotti Insurance Associates, LLC. www.risbj.com | volume three issue three
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STATEWIDE BUSINESS AFTER HOURS PARTICIPATING CHAMBER
CHAMBER CHAT East Bay East Bay Chamber 16 Cutler St #102, Warren, RI 02885 401.245.0750 | www.eastbaychamberri.org
Our mission is to promote business as the foundation for community growth and well-being by being the most reliable resource and leading advocate for businesses throughout the East Bay and surrounding areas. Please visit our website at www.eastbaychamberri.org, view our calendar of events, and join us in getting to know your neighbors and business associates. We continue to do everything we can to help our members receive a return on their investment. Did you know the East Bay Chamber has three new programs? 1. Jumpstart your morning with the East Bay Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Coffee & Commerce.’ This is our newest networking initiative geared toward the early-morning crowd. It will be held the last Friday of every month from 7:00am – 8:30am. Don’t miss out on this new networking opportunity! 2. WEBOND (Women’s Empowerment and Business Owners Networking Development) WEBOND is dedicated to supporting, educating and empowering women to be their best both physically and financially through uniting and building each other up and providing a platform in which to share resources that encourage personal growth and a prosperous community. The Women’s Series, hosted by W.E.B.O.N.D., meets every Tuesday from 12 -1:00pm at the East Bay Chamber Office, 16 Cutler Street, Suite 102 in Warren. Admission: $5 weekly, or $45 for the series. The series is held three times a year: Winter Series (January, February, March), Spring Series (April, May, June), and Fall Series (September, October, and November). Each week we present a guest speaker (20 min.) and hold discussions, networking, raffles, and more! WEBOND strives to bring harmony, life-balance, education and resources to women. For more information, visit www.meetup.com/webond or email info@eastbaychamberri.org. 3. Together We Can - Network Referral Group. We’ve been successfully passing referrals on a weekly basis and want to help you do the same. Are you an electrician, landscaper, inspector, caterer, advertiser, architect or designer? Do you sell something, or work in the health and beauty industry? You can benefit from a committed group of professionals working together to grow our businesses and communities. Call the East Bay Chamber office at 245-0750 to learn more.
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These three new groups have proven to be the right step in continuing the growth of our Chamber and helping to provide our members with the tools for success. We encourage you to read the Chamber’s weekly Tuesday@2 e-newsletter, which includes more information about these programs, all the happenings at the Chamber, events you’ll want to attend, and information important to your business. You can receive our e-newsletter, Tuesday@2 by emailing us at info@eastbaychamberri.org. Build your success! Appointments are available with a SCORE representative on Friday mornings at 9:30 or 10:30, here at the East Bay Chamber office for anyone interested in a confidential mentoring session, free of charge. This is a valuable way to learn more about how to grow, expand or manage your business in these difficult times. Take advantage of a face-toface consultation with a business professional that has owned a variety of businesses for 40 years and can help with your questions or problems. You decide the level of assistance you’d like, and the number of sessions, based on your needs. A SCORE retail counselor is also available to advise retail business in order to generate additional sales and improve customer service. The counselor will conduct an onsite visit in your store and consult with owners or managers. The SCORE retail counselor has 42 years of experience with management, merchandising and store layout and design. To take advantage of this free service, please call the Chamber office at 245-0750. Make an Investment in your Business When you become a Chamber Member, you invest in the future of your business and the business community as a whole. Make that investment and become a member of the East Bay Chamber today. We welcome new members! Get involved! Be part of a dynamic group of leaders, make new contacts, gain new lifelong friendships and increase your opportunity to grow. We have a lot of great things happening here at the Chamber.
NEWEST MEMBERS Bristol Art Studio The YogaLoft American Express LegalMatch Hilltop Hotel & Conference Center The Mello Group
STATEWIDE BUSINESS AFTER HOURS PARTICIPATING CHAMBER
East Greenwich CHAMBER CHAT East Greenwich Chamber Steve Lombardi, Executive Director 580 Main St East Greenwich, RI 401.885.0020 | www.eastgreenwichchamber.com
May BAH will be held at Bank Rhode Island on South County Trail and will feature the President and CEO of South County Hospital, Louis R. Giancola, as our speaker. Our Main Street Merchant’s Committee is planning another exciting season on Main Street. We will have another great season of Main Street Strolls and other events that will help EG in staying unique in the state with such a vibrant Main Street. We plan on building on the exposure we received this last fall with coverage on MSNBC and NBC 10. Our Annual EG Restaurant Week, plus the addition of a Jazz Stroll and Trolleys, are all combining to add vitality to our Main Street scene. The EG Chamber will present Here’s to the Ladies… Runway to Fashion at Quidnessett Country Club on April 24. Partial proceeds will benefit the East Greenwich Academy Foundation and Miss Rhode Island.
The East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce got off to a flying start in January and our momentum is continuing in February. We had two wonderful, heavily attended events in January. The first was a joint Business After Hours (BAH) with the North Kingstown Chamber to celebrate the Grand Opening of Poliquin’s World Headquarters on South County Trail. Then we had our Annual Meeting and Expo at Quidnessett Country Club. Our members were treated to a very interesting PowerPoint presentation from Yardney Chairman Richard Scibelli who described the batteries produced at Yardney’s facility on South County Trail. Their batteries are used in our national defense efforts by our military as well as NASA’s space exploration, including a landing on Mars. The EG Chamber and the town of East Greenwich are fortunate to have these world-class companies on South County Trail! February included a wonderful luncheon hosted by Eleven Forty-Nine featuring Kristin MacRae of Organizing in RI. This was followed by Business After Hours at Residential Properties at Main Street. Filippou’s Twisted Pizza and Thorpe’s Liquors were big contributors to this event. The Chamber’s strength is the variety of contributions made by its members. March’s BAH is scheduled for Di Mare Seafood Restaurant followed by April’s event at McKinely’s Pub. Our
The EG Chamber, through its government relations committee and its membership in the Rhode Island’s Chamber of Commerce Coalition, will be working hard on its 2014 legislative agenda. The Chamber of Commerce Coalition supports responsible budget and taxation policy crafted to provide short-term and long-term fiscal responsibility and sustainability and allow Rhode Island businesses to remain competitive while preserving necessary services for the businesses and citizens of Rhode Island. For more complete information on the Chamber’s 2014 Legislative Agenda, please visit either www.RhodeIslandBusinessVotes.com or www.eastgreenwichchamber.com.
NEWEST MEMBERS Marjorie Ball Camp Bow Wow Sam’s Club Mary Aalvik Fitness Law Office of Cara Conaty Ocean State Theatre Company Raku Sakura David Curran of Morgan Stanley Manic Fitness A Time For You Studio
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STATEWIDE BUSINESS AFTER HOURS PARTICIPATING CHAMBER
CHAMBER CHAT Narragansett Narragansett Chamber Christine M. Quigley, Office Manager 36 Ocean Rd, Narragansett, RI 02882 401.783.7121 | www.narragansettcoc.com The Narragansett Chamber of Commerce is organized for the purpose of advancing the commercial, industrial, recreational, civic and general interests of the Town of Narragansett, Washington County and the State of Rhode Island by: •
Creating a better understanding and appreciation of the importance of the businessperson and a concern for their problems;
•
Creating more intelligent business and public opinion regarding town, county, state and national legislative and political affairs;
•
Preventing controversies that are detrimental to the expansion and growth of business and the communities within the trade area;
•
Promoting programs of civic, social and cultural nature that are designed to increase the functional and aesthetic value of the community;
•
Developing and providing economic programs designed to strengthen and expand the income potential of all businesses within the trade areas;
•
Monitor and expose abuses, which prevent promotion of business expansion and community growth.
The Chamber sponsors many events throughout the year, including the Annual Golf Tournament in June, the Summer’s End Festival in September, the Jingle Bell Run in December, and the Narragansett Restaurant Week, which just successfully concluded. The Narragansett Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the following Business After Hours: Wednesday, April 16 from 5-7 p.m. at George’s of Galilee, Wednesday, May 21 from 5-7 p.m. at Legacy Wealth Management, and Wednesday, June 18 from 5-7 p.m. at the Galilee Beach Club.
NEWEST MEMBERS Gabe the Fish Babe Raymond A. Pacia, Attorney at Law Nursing Placement Home Health & Hospice Care The Break–A Narragansett Hotel Orangeleaf Denali
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STATEWIDE BUSINESS AFTER HOURS PARTICIPATING CHAMBER
Newport CHAMBER CHAT Newport Chamber Jody Sullivan, Executive Director 35 Valley Rd, Middletown, RI 02842 401.847.1600 | www.newportchamber.com
Chamber members and the public are invited to attend the EXPO 2014. For 19 years, the EXPO has been a chance for Chamber members to participate in a fun-filled community event. Exhibitors are able to network and share information about their products and services with other exhibitors and to the thousands of local attendees. EXPO 2014 re-enforces the Chamber’s THINK LOCAL initiative by promoting local commerce to local residents. The evening’s events will feature a business-to-consumer trade show featuring more than 120 local and regional businesses including many new exhibitors. A new highlight to this year’s EXPO is a Newport County THINK LOCAL Marketplace which will feature local merchants with products for sale. Live entertainment, live radio broadcasts, interactive displays, food sampling and wine tastings will take place throughout the EXPO. Many great door prizes are being given away by exhibitors throughout the entire event, including the Chamber’s Grand Door Prizes of an overnight stay at Bristol Harbor Inn and dinner for two to DeWolf Tavern.
The Newport County Chamber of Commerce is hosting two special events for their members and the public in March. First, on March 14th from 8:00am to 9:30am is the Volvo Ocean Race Informational Breakfast at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The second is their Annual Consumer EXPO which will be held on Tuesday, March 18th at the Hyatt Regency Newport on Goat Island, Newport from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. Chamber members and local business owners are invited to attend the informational breakfast on the upcoming Volvo Ocean Race to be hosted in Newport from May 5 - 17, 2015. The Volvo Ocean Race’s decision to include Rhode Island in this premiere international event is a testament to the state’s great sailing tradition and will generate enormous economic impact to our local and state economy. The 2013 America’s Cup event brought $38.2 million to Rhode Island businesses, created job income of $12 million and generated $2.5 million in general state tax revenue from visitors, organizers, sponsors, racing teams and media members covering the event. The Volvo Ocean Race Newport Stopover is a longer-duration event so the estimated economic impact will be greater. Join the Chamber on March 14th to see what the Volvo Ocean Race Newport Stopover has in store for Newport County businesses.
EXPO 2014 is sponsored by Southcoast Health System and Newport Daily News. Admission is free to Chamber members and their employees. General admission for the public is $3.00 per person. Free Parking is available onsite and also at the Newport Gateway Center where you can enjoy a hassle-free Trolley ride to the Hyatt. For further information, please call Jane Roggero, the Chamber’s Operation Manager at 401-847-1608 or visit the Chamber’s website, www.NewportChamber.com. To see the countless other opportunities presented by the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, including educational seminars and networking events, please visit their calendar of events at www.NewportChamber.com/events.
NEWEST MEMBERS OceanPointe Christian Church Compton Clambakes H&R Block Tidy Betty
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STATEWIDE BUSINESS AFTER HOURS PARTICIPATING CHAMBER
CHAMBER CHAT Northern RI Northern RI Chamber John C. Gregory, President/CEO 6 Blackstone Valley, S.402 2nd fl, Lincoln, RI 02865 401.334.1000 | www.nrichamber.com Businesses Benefit from Networking, Advocacy, Education and Advertising offered by the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce The Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce is pleased to join colleagues from across Rhode Island for the Statewide Business After Hours event. As Rhode Island’s first regional Chamber, we understand that a strong, united business community is the backbone of a prosperous state. It is our belief that the best, most efficient way to keep our state moving forward is through the collaboration of organizations with like values. While our membership is diverse, the companies we represent all share the same desire to grow their business in the state we call home. Membership in the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce offers tremendous value to local businesses through networking opportunities, legislative advocacy, continuing education, and strategic advertising. No matter what the need or size of the organization, membership in the Northern Rhode Island Chamber offers something for everyone. We encourage members to take advantage of the many benefits available to them and their employees. We’re a local Chamber with access to the people and information needed to operate a successful business. We represent the businesses – and work with community leaders – from Burrillville, Central Falls, Cumberland, Glocester, Lincoln, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Smithfield and Woonsocket. More than 1,500 decision-makers throughout Northern Rhode Island are Chamber members. This provides an instant conduit to business development. Members have the ability to promote their business in our weekly electronic newsletter; place business fliers in our office display case; or list their business under a variety of categories in our online searchable membership directory. Members view networking as one of the most effective ways to grow their business. Whether attending an informative Business Before Hours at a local health facility, engaging with colleagues at a legislative summit at the Rhode Island State House, or mingling with business professionals at one of Northern Rhode Island’s many established restaurants for Networking at Night, businesses appreciate the value of membership.
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The staff of the Northern Rhode Island Chamber is an excellent source for business referrals. When people call our Chamber looking for businesses, we refer our member companies only. Additionally, all Chamber-member businesses are listed in our searchable membership directory on our website – www.nrichamber.com – both by name and category. We serve as the eyes and ears for our members at the state, local and federal level. At the Northern Rhode Island Chamber, we understand that the first priority for our membership is to maintain a successful business. While they may be unable to attend hearings at the state house, we have two lobbyists on staff who testify on issues of importance to the business community. Additionally, the Chamber works with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which offers federal representation to our members. Our member benefits department is constantly looking for new ways to save employers money. Through our relationships with various agencies and with our knowledge of available assistance programs, we help businesses thrive. Our continuing educational opportunities help enhance our members’ workforce. We offer business owners and their employees access to informative and relevant seminars and workshops designed to improve productivity and overall efficiency. The Northern Rhode Island Chamber is an extension of our members’ businesses. Our conference room in Lincoln is available for our members at no cost. Employers often utilize this room for off-site meetings with staff, or to host a presentation for clients. The room is fully equipped with a computer, Internet access, LCD projector, and tables and chairs that can be reconfigured as needed.
NEWEST MEMBERS Elite Physical Therapy Crystal Spring Natural Water Annie Mac Home Mortgage AFW Photography L.S. Maintenance Co., Inc. David J. Ward, D.M.D. Doctor’s Choice Asclepius Training New England Farms of RI I THRIVE! Executive, Business, and Life Coaching
STATEWIDE BUSINESS AFTER HOURS PARTICIPATING CHAMBER
Greater Westerly CHAMBER CHAT Greater Westerly Chamber Lisa Konicki, Executive Director 1 Chamber Way, Westerly, RI 02891 401.596.7761 | www.westerlychamber.org
neon T-shirts, don glow-in-the dark glasses, and stuff their pockets with glow sticks. We will incorporate adrenalinepumping music and special effects onto a 5K course. Several themed areas will be designed to engage participants in the fun. It will be candy for your eyes and ears. Experience a magical world of light and sound unlike anything else in the Ocean State. As part of the entry, runners will score a glowin-the-dark t-shirt, glow swag (sticks, bracelets, etc.) and admittance to the post-race party where a DJ spins tunes and powerful lasers cast out beams that will illuminate wide smiles. Fog machines and CO2 jets will help create a high-adrenaline atmosphere as attendees enjoy an epic dance party.
Great things are happening at The Chamber! Coastal Living just named Watch Hill as one of “America’s Happiest Seaside Towns.” The 10 winning towns will be named in the March 2014 issue of Coastal Living. Voting to name the country’s #1 town will take place through March 31st and you can vote hourly for your favorite! Results will appear in Coastal Living’s July/August issue. Please help us put Watch Hill on the TOP of the nation’s tourism radar screen by voting often at www. coastalliving.com/happytowns2014. Spring is almost here and we are certainly ready to herald in a new season. Beginning March 24th, our community welcomes the team from Benjamin Moore to downtown where they will begin a FREE paint makeover of 20 buildings! Over a 3-week period, our community will get a fresh look and a fabulous historic color scheme at no cost. Westerly was one of 20 communities who won the “Main Street Matters” paint contest, competing against 840 cities and towns across the U.S. and in Canada. We couldn’t be more proud of how our community rallied to win this contest, and could not be more excited for the project. Be sure to visit historic downtown Westerly soon and see the results of this incredible transformation. Another exciting event to look forward to is set for June 27th. We are thrilled to announce, ELECTRIC EVE, a 5k non-competitive run where runners, artists and families unite. Misquamicut State Beach will host the grand affair. As night falls, participants in the noncompetitive Electric Eve pull on
Clearly, we have a lot to look forward to and some very exciting things on the horizon. However, our top priority remains your bottom line. We are constantly investigating ways to save our members money and provide programs that generate new revenues for our members. In the past 2 months alone, more than 95 members signed up for The Chamber’s energy program with North American Power. By doing so, they secured a $50 Visa gift card, they are saving money with a 3-month fixed rate plan, and they will have several options going forward to stay competitive with their rates. In addition, The Chamber receives a small incentive for each member that enrolls, generating funds that will help us provide more quality programs in the future. Finally, last month we hosted Southern Rhode Island’s “40 Brightest Stars Awards” as a collaborative effort of our Chamber working along with the Chambers in Charlestown, Narragansett, and Block Island. We congratulate all of the incredible winners and look forward to another year of tremendous progress and community service in southern Rhode Island. Together, our region’s Chambers are stronger than ever before. Be sure to “Like” us on Facebook to keep up with all of our activities, events, and business initiatives.
NEWEST MEMBERS Rhode Island Marine Denali RX Lifeline in Homecare
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STATEWIDE BUSINESS AFTER HOURS PARTICIPATING CHAMBER
CHAMBER CHAT Greater Providence RI Greater Providence RI Chamber Laurie White, President 30 Exchange Terrace 4th Fl., Providence, RI 02903 401.521.5000 | www.providencechamber.com The Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce is the advocate for growing and protecting the business community in Rhode Island. The Chamber is financially strong with more than 1,200 member-companies located throughout Rhode Island and beyond. Our staff is composed of experts in economic development, government affairs, small business and entrepreneurship and is led by a Certified Chamber Executive. The Chamber is the place where small and medium-size business, in particular, can find an avenue for “organizing the fight.” We analyze bills and determine what affect they will have on the overall business community. Fighting back is easy through our CapWiz electronic messaging tool. The Chamber is where the state’s most civic-minded business leaders convene to work on issues that affect your business and our community. Taxes, public education and stimulating local demand are just some of the economic development issues that drive our policy work. The Chamber provides a forum for channeling your energies.
FEATURED PROVIDENCE CHAMBER EVENTS MARCH Statewide Business After Hours Tuesday, Mar. 25 Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet 60 Rhodes Place, Cranston 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Industry Exchange (GPCC Members Only) Thursday, March 27 Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce 30 Exchange Terrace, Providence 7:30a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Free Admission 2014 Congressional Breakfast Monday, Mar. 31 The Crowne Plaza Hotel 801 Greenwich Avenue, Warwick 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Presenting Sponsor: Citizens Bank APRIL Industry Exchange (GPCC Members Only) Thursday, Apr. 24 Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce 30 Exchange Terrace, Providence 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Free Admission
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MAY THE Garage…featuring The Economic Outlook Luncheon Thursday, May 1 Rhode Island Convention Center One Sabin Street, Providence 12:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Presenting Sponsor of The Garage: Bank of America Presenting Sponsor of the Economic Outlook Luncheon: University of Rhode Island
JUNE Spring Golf Classic Monday, Jun. 2 Metacomet Country Club 500 Veterans Memorial Parkway, East Providence 11:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. The Inside Track (GPCC Members Only) Tuesday, Jun. 10 Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce 30 Exchange Terrace, Providence 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Free Admission
20th Annual Worksite Health Awards Wednesday, May 28 The Crowne Plaza Hotel 801 Greenwich Avenue, Warwick 7:45 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Presenting Sponsor: Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island Industry Exchange (GPCC Members Only) Thursday, May 29 Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce 30 Exchange Terrace, Providence 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Free Admission
Registration information at www.providencechamber.com
7 Traits of Salespeople Who Make it Rain | SMALL BUSINESS
7 Traits of Salespeople who by Adam Harvey
Most successful salespeople have a couple of personality traits in common. For example, most of them are pretty competitive and goal-oriented by nature, but these aren’t the only things that help them make it rain. Great salespeople, no matter what they’re selling, consistently get a few things right. Let’s take a look. Careful listening is key It’s so important to listen to the customer. Not talk, but listen. Many salespeople feel that they have to get right in there and sell, sell, sell, but how do they know what to sell if they don’t know what the customer needs? A salesperson who listens will gain a true and complete understanding of the customer’s pain points and be able to address them with the perfect solution. Chances are, when a customer feels heard and respected, they’re going to have a lot of trust in a company and its representatives. Happy customers who got what they needed come back for more! Keep promises Another thing that helps to establish trust between a salesperson and a customer is integrity. Being consistent, predictable, honest, and reliable are among the most important qualities of great salespeople. Their customers learn that they can count on them to always deliver on their promises—and if they can’t, they’re upfront about it and they make it right. Have excellent customer service skills Sad tales lead to fewer sales. Customers expect fantastic customer service
Being consistent, predictable, honest, and reliable are among the most important qualities of great sales people
Make it Rain.
these days and if they don’t get it, they go online to tell the tale! Part of performing great customer service is having the integrity just mentioned above, but another part of it involves having good old-fashioned manners. Thank you notes, calls to check in, and quick, reliable responses to requests or inquiries make customers feel like the number one priority and it speaks volumes to them about how important and valued they are.
Function as part of a team Great salespeople know that collaborating with the folks who actually perform the work or make the product is important to getting customers what they need. They cannot operate within a vacuum, not knowing what’s possible and what can be done to accommodate a client’s needs. Tapping into what resources are available internally can reveal possibilities of which a salesperson working alone may never have been aware. Great salespeople never miss an opportunity to explore the possibilities.
the space is a classic aspect of good listening. When salespeople allow their customers to pause and think rather than fill that quiet space with chatter, they learn far more about their customers’ needs. Customers need to process what’s happening in the conversation in order to ask questions and make good decisions. Great salespeople understand that and let it happen.
Are not in a hurry Ever sat in a meeting with a salesperson who seemed like they were in a hurry to get somewhere else? It leaves people feeling unimportant and like they haven’t been heard. Sales come from building relationships, and that takes time. A confident salesperson who can sit still and listen calmly rather than seem eager to rush out to meet the next prospect will earn customer confidence every time. How does your sales team stack up?
Show up prepared Doing homework didn’t end in school! Any salesperson worth their salt does lots of homework before a planned meeting with a customer. Not all salespeople have the benefit of such a thing due to the nature of the business they’re in, but those who do have time to prep and make the most of it. Having studied the customer, they come prepared with a list of questions and a tailored presentation. Know when to shut up Letting silence fill
Adam Harvey GLAD WORKS www.gladworks.com
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T-Minus Two Weeks Until 1,500 Muscle Walkers Fill Gillette | SMALL BUSINESS
T-MINUS TWO WEEKS UNTIL 1,500 MUSCLE WALKERS FILL GILLETTE In less than two weeks supporters of Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) will be flocking to the Dana Farber Field House at Gillette Stadium to “flex their muscle” and walk to support the MDA. On Saturday, March 29th, the MDA Muscle Walk will be kicking off at 12:30PM. Registration for walkers will begin at 11AM. Once inside the Dana Farber Field House, walkers will find a carnivallike atmosphere, with activities and sponsor booths around the indoor track. Some activities include face painting, airbrush tattoos, seated massages, and accessible sports themed games. A VIP pep-rally will also be held for the highest fundraising teams and
sponsors. The pep-rally will include a special visit from New England Patriots players, cheerleaders, and several New England Revolution players. The Muscle Walk is expected to attract over 1,500 walkers. Teams consist of community and corporate groups, as well as families affected by muscular dystrophy. So far over 150 teams have signed up to fight back against muscle disease and already over $20,000 has been raised. The headlining sponsors are Biogen Idec, Amramp, North America’s Leading Ramp, MV-1 of Massachusetts, A Herb Chambers Company, Sarepta Therapeutics Pfizer Inc., TD Bank, CBS Radio, NuMotion, and Wegman’s grocery stores.
Anyone interested in a corporate sponsorship or creating a walk team for the 2014 Muscle Walk at Gillette Stadium should contact the local MDA office at (508) 898-3375 or visit the event web page at www. musclewalkmda.org/ma. The MDA is a non-profit voluntary health organization, dedicated to research and the defeat of over 40 neuromuscular diseases, including ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The funds raised for the MDA go towards the repairs of wheelchairs, support group sessions, clinic visits, summer camp tuition, and of course, the hope provided by extensive medical research. www.risbj.com | volume three issue three
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FEATURED NONPROFIT | MS Dream Center of Rhode Island
FROM A DREAM… TO A REALITY The MS Dream Center of Rhode Island has accomplished turning the dream of co-founders, Marie Perna and Joseph O’Reilly, into a reality. In 2009, they started a conversation and Marie shared her dream of having a place where people with MS, their caretakers, friends and family could come together to enjoy a greater quality of life; and so the concept of the Dream Center materialized. In March of 2010, Joe and Marie, along with Marie’s husband, Don, coordinated a meeting of approximately 100 people with MS, as well as professionals from all walks of life to shape and develop the dream, which is now a reality. Today, the Dream Center is a place where people with MS and their care partners, family, and friends can enjoy fellowship, discuss their disease, share their feelings, and enjoy programs geared toward wellness and other issues at hand. MS is a neuro-muscular disease, affecting the brain and spinal chord, that affects over 350,000 people nationally and over 2,000 in people Rhode Island. Approximately two out of every three diagnosed are women, and onset often occurs in the early thirties, although even children as young as six years old have been diagnosed.
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In large part, the MS Dream Center’s effectiveness stems from the concept of “people helping people.” Since September of 2010, ongoing programs provided by those with MS, as well as their care partners and families, have enabled members to engage in purposeful activities on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 9AM to 3PM, at the Pastore Youth Center in Cranston. It has been exciting to see the Center provide so many diverse services to those individuals taking part. The average daily attendance often is between 25 and 30 people. Those who contribute on a regular basis head a book club, run a bible study, perform Reiki, conduct sharing sessions, offer a craft club, hold an art club, share their nursing talents, run the Wii, provide photography classes, and conduct a “sunshine club.” Quarterly newsletters, Dream Center website updates, and informational flyers keep the community informed of what is going on at the Center. Unselfish sharing is the benchmark of our success thus far. The dream continues on! Thanks to a recently acquired Bank of America Vigneron grant, transportation to and from the Center is provided
through the RIPTA RIDE Program, offering door-to-door service to those who might not otherwise be able to attend. We are also grateful to the City of Cranston, and the YMCA of Cranston for partnering with us in the use of our facility on Gansett Avenue in Cranston. The MS Dream Center is proud to announce the re-launch of Accessible Rhode Island (www.access-ri.org), helped in part by a generous grant from the Rhode Island Department of Health. The information on this new website includes accessibility to well over 500 Rhode Island venues, including restaurants, entertainment sites, museums, galleries, libraries, parks, walking trails, places to stay, and a new section on health and wellness. This comprehensive guide to accessibility offers a significant opportunity to reach the 250,000 people in RI with disabilities, as well as many out-of-state visitors seeking information regarding accessibility. This website is also linked with our partners at the Providence/ Warwick and Newport Convention & Visitors Bureaus, and many other organizations.
Improving The Quality of Life For People With MS, Their Families and Friends
THE GUIDE TO ACCESSIBILITY IN RHODE ISLAND
Accessible
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SMALL BUSINESS DIRECTORY
local small bus APPAREL
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
J Hilburn Contact: Rae Medgyesy Rae.Medgysey@jhilburnpartner.com www.Jhilburn.com 3 Wagon Lane Attleboro, MA 02703 401-258-3656
Butler Realty www.butlerrealty.us jab@butlerrealty.us Contact: Jeff Butler 655 Main Street East Greenwich, RI 02818 401-884-6050
BUSINESS SERVICES The Business Develoment Company pdorsey@bdcri.com www.bdcri.com Contact: Peter Dorsey 40 Westminster Street, Suite 702 Providence, RI 02903 401-351-3036 Lyoness America (Local Loyalty Partners) www.lyoness.net/us Localloyaltypartners@gmail.com Contact: Ernie Pitochelli 130 Darwin Street Woonsocket, RI 02895 401-368-6911
COACHING & CONSULTING Redwood Environmental Group Gkaufman@redwoodenv.com www.redwoodenv.com Contact: Gary Kaufman 10 Elmgrove Avenue Providence, RI 02906 401-270-7000 The Growth Coach D.Marantz@thegrowthcoach.com www.thegrowthcoach.com/dmarantz Contact: Daniel Marantz 33 Urso Drive Westerly, RI 02891 401-612-4769
MG Commercial www.mgcommercial.com mike@mgcommercial.com Contact: Mike Giuttari 365 Eddy Street Providence, RI 02903 401-751-3200 Scotti & Associates www.scottirealestate.com pmbgs@scottire.net Contact: Peter Scotti 246 Hope Street Providence, RI 02906 401-421-8888
DESIGN & MARKETING Artinium, Inc. www.artiniuminc.com Darren@Artiniuminc.com Contact: Darren Marinelli 5 Division Street, Building D, 2nd Floor Warwick, RI 02818 401-729-1997 Big Fish Results www.bigfishresults.com Tony@BigFishResults.com Tony Guarnaccia 5 Division Street Warwick, RI 02886 401-484-8736
DISASTER RECOVERY Lynch’s Cleaning & Restoration www.lynchsrestoration.com
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Contact : Shawn Lynch 25 Starline Way Cranston, RI 02920 401-464-8937 PuroClean Disaster Restoration www.purocleanri.com Tabbruzzese@puroclean.com Contact: Terri Abbruzzese 5 Minnesota Avenue Warwick, RI 02888 401-633-5565
ENERGY Super Green Solutions www.supergreensolutions.com Robert Cagnetta 300 Quaker Lane, Box # 6 Warwick, RI 02886 401-932-1985
FINANCE J.P. Matrullo Financial www.jpmatrullofinancial.com jpmatrullo@matrullofinancial.com Contact: Jonathan Matrullo 10 Orms Street, Suite 410 Providence, RI 02904 401-276-8788 Morgan Stanley www.morganstanley.com Rick.Bellow@ms.com Contact: Rick Bellows 1 Financial Plaza, 19th Floor Providence, RI 02903 401-863-8400 The Ameriprise Financial Planning www.ameripriseadvisors.com/Eric.Coury Eric.Coury@ampf.com Contact: Eric Coury 1 Citizens Plaza, S. 610 Providence, RI 029O3 401-996-7660
Want To Get Your Busines Email sales@risbj.com fo
SMALL BUSINESS DIRECTORY
siness directory FOOD AND BEVERAGE
HOSPITALITY
RENTALS
3rd Rock Coffee Company www.3rdrockcoffee.com Newell@3rdrockcoffee.com Contact: Newell Brown 21 Old Town Trail Narragansett, RI 02882 401-413-4925
Choice Hotels www.choicehotels.com Keastman@teamadvantech.com Contact: Kate Eastman 360 Airport Road Fall River, MA 02726 978-290-0515
Ocean State Rentals www.oceanstaterental.net Oceanstaterental@gmail.com Contact: Jim Baldwin 530 Wellington Ave Cranston, RI 02910 401-941-4002
HEALTH & WELLNESS
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
SIGNS
Aflac Allen Miller 29 Crafts Street Newton, MA 02458 617-658-1820 www.aflac.com Allen_Miller@us.aflac.com
Thrive Networks www.thrivenetworks.com npacitto@thrivenetworks.com Contact: Kevin Ellis 836 North Street, Building 300, S. 3201 Tewksburry, MA 01876 978-243-1432
AA Thrifty Signs www.aathriftysign.com mcahill@aathriftysign.com Contact: Linda Iannotti 221 Jefferson Boulevard Warwick, RI 02888 401-738-8055
Amethyst Biomat www.mindfulness-abundance-healing.com healingartsri@cox.net Contact: Maria Sorensen 1130 Ten Rod Road N. Kingstown, RI 02852 401-932-6820 Jennifer L. Wilkicki, LMT & Esthetician www.styleseat.com/jenniferwilkick jlw531@aol.com Contact: Jennifer Wilkicki 51 Sockanosset Cross Road, s. 204 Cranston, RI 02920 401-935-3549 Qivana www.blessedwithhealthandwealth.com Janetdeleo@gmail.com Janet DeLeo 66 Club House Road Coventry, RI 02816 401-524-2339
ss Listed In Our Directory? or more information
TIMIT Solutions, LLC www.timitsolutions.com tmontgomery@timitsolutions.com Contact: Tim Montgomery 100 Randall Road, Unit 93 Wrentham, MA 02093 774-307-0652
INSURANCE Allstate Benefits www.allstate.com Jeff.Davide@allstate.com Contact: Jeff Davide 98 Hollis Avenue Warwick, RI 02889 401-500-3748
PAYROLL Paychex www.paychex.com apachomski@paychex.com Contact: Andy Pachomski 501 Wampanoag Trail Riverside, RI 02915 401-663-6677
TELECOMMUNICATIONS Wireless Zone www.wirelesszone.com j.sorensen@wirelesszoneri.com Contact: Jason Sorensen 76 Gate Road N. Kingstown, RI 02852 401-886-8484
TRANSPORTATION A Airlines Express Limousine & Car Service, Inc. www.aairlineexpresslimousine.com cottongin@cox.net Contact: Virginia Coulley P.O. Box 222 Saunderstown, RI 02874 401-295-4380
RESIDENTIAL SERVICES Rescom Exteriros www.iwantnewwindows.com Jrousseau@Iwantnewwindows.com Contact: Janette Rousseau 714 A South Bridge Auburn, MA 01501 508-832-5202 www.risbj.com | volume three issue three
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SMALL BUSINESS | Securing Retirement For Ri Public Servants
SECURING RETIREMENT FOR RI PUBLIC SERVANTS by Gina M. Raimondo
Recently, I joined Governor Lincoln Chafee and the attorneys representing public employee unions and retiree coalitions challenging changes to Rhode Island’s state-administered pension system to announce a proposed resolution. With the help of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, we worked together to reach this proposed settlement. Court-ordered mediation is a common, widely-used dispute resolution mechanism with a long track record of success in the United States. We believe this proposal is fair for our public employees, retirees, taxpayers, and cities and towns. While I initially had concerns about this court-ordered mediation, I am pleased we were able to come together and work hard over the last year to achieve a settlement agreement that maintains the health of our retirement system in a way that is affordable and sustainable for all Rhode Islanders for decades to come. This proposal, if approved, eliminates several costly pending pension lawsuits challenging 2009, 2010 and 2011 changes to the state pension laws, saving all parties potentially millions in legal fees. And with this announcement, we are at the beginning of a process that will benefit all Rhode Islanders. The process includes: • • •
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Plaintiffs’ actions: Mail-ballot voting will proceed in the coming weeks. Court action: Judge Taft-Carter will conduct fairness hearings and determine whether or not to approve the settlement agreement. General Assembly action: The General Assembly will be asked to take action on the legislation in the settlement agreement. RISBJ | rhode island small business journal
Specifically, it preserves 95 percent of the savings from 2011 while: •
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Keeping all the major design changes from 2011, including the move to a hybrid plan, increased retirement age, and COLA suspension until the system is at a stronger funding level Still saving Rhode Islanders approximately $4 billion over the next 20 years, and allowing us to tell our valuable public employees that their pensions will be there for them for decades to come
As all parties came together to say, government cannot work without committed and dedicated public servants who deserve a dignified and secure retirement. Whether they are serving our state by keeping us safe, teaching our children, repairing our roads, or working in so many of the unheralded roles that keep our government running, they command our respect, and deserve a dignified and secure retirement. At the same time, too many of our cities and towns continue to face financial challenges. This proposal provides certainty and predictability for our public servants and municipalities to appropriately plan for the future. It also demonstrates that our small state can lead the rest of the nation and come together to solve big problems. We look forward to working together with all involved as this process begins. As this process unfolds, all parties will support and advocate for passage of the proposed legislation. For more information, please visit www.ripensioninfo.org. As always, please contact my office anytime with questions or concerns.
Gina Raimondo Rhode Island General Treasurer
www.risbj.com | volume three issue three
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Let’s take a team approach to primary care and have everyone win. Your employees want access to the highest quality healthcare at the lowest cost.
SelectRI Network
You want to provide your employees with the best coverage possible while saving on healthcare costs. Enter the SelectRI network. A new network of Rhode Island primary care practices employing a team-based approach to care. Your employees enjoy the benefits and convenience of 24/7 physician availability, nutritionists and lower out-of-pocket costs while your company sees lower rates than ever. A win for the hometown team. bcbsri.com/together
www.risbj.com | volume three issue three
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
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