Greater Charlotte Biz 2011.03

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legalbiz | bizmarketing | accountingbiz | webbiz | consultingbiz | bizprophet | employersbiz | workforcebiz

march 2011

hitting a

  Skookum Digital Works

home run

  Carolina Digestive Health Associates, P.A.

  Tobin Starr+Partners, PLLC   Data Recovery Group

The Duke Energy Foundation Scores Big With YMCA, United Way, Project LIFT and Other Community Initiatives

Richard "Stick" Williams President The Duke Energy Foundation

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cover story

The Duke Energy Foundation

When Richard “Stick” Williams announced the Duke Energy Foundation’s $5 million donation to Project LIFT, he was not just representing his employer. He was also representing his childhood and the people who helped him become one of the first black officers at Duke Energy. He hopes organizations and projects like the YMCA, Hope Haven, and now, Project LIFT, provide solutions for the hurdles that keep some young people from becoming all they can be.

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Skookum Digital Works

James Hartsell and Bryan Delaney are fond of saying, “You think it; we build it. Apps, games, 360 degree immersive installations. You play the creative, we play the creative tech partner. You give us the why. We’ll help you find the what, and you needn’t even concern yourself with the how.”

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28 Carolina Digestive Health Associates, P.A.

“Often, patients who have seen a lot of other doctors come in for consultation,” says Dr. Portwood. “We’re trying to figure out what is the complexity of this patient; what is their diagnosis; what will establish health or symptom control to give them the highest quality of life.”

34 Tobin Starr + Partners, PLLC “We strive to be strategic, creative and responsible,” says Starr of his 12-person team. “We listen to our clients and engage them in the project. We want to be sure our proposals meet our clients’ requirements and resources. We work closely with clients throughout the process to provide them with insightful solutions.”

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departments publisher’spost

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legalbiz

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bizmarketing

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accountingbiz

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Transforming the Business of Law to Meet the Needs of Business Maximize Marketing; Magnify Impact Accounting, Tax and Consulting Solutions

webbiz

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consultingbiz

11

bizprophet

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employersbiz

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workforcebiz

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biznetwork

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New Media Strategies, Secrets and Solutions Managing and Delivering Change to Optimize Business Value Engaging and Inspiring Thought Leadership in the New Millennium Legislative and Regulatory Highlights for Area Employers Work Force Training and Development

on the cover:

legalbiz | bizmarketing | accountingbiz | webbiz | consultingbiz | bizprophet | employersbiz | workforcebiz

march 2011

Richard "Stick" Williams President The Duke Energy Foundation hitting a

! ! !Skookum Digital Works ! ! !Carolina Digestive

!" Data Recovery Group

“We specialize in data recovery—that’s our only job,” says Ron Davis. A typical repair job at DRG takes three to five days. “We’ve been doing this for almost 25 years. We work with everything and can recover data from any size computer—from a small digital camera to multi-drive server systems.

Health Associates, P.A.

! ! !Tobin Starr+Partners, PLLC ! ! !Data Recovery Group

home run The Duke Energy Foundation Scores Big With YMCA, United Way, Project LIFT and Other Community Initiatives

Richard "Stick" Williams President The Duke Energy Foundation

Photography by Wayne Morris

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FROM DORM ROOM TO

GLOBAL ENTERPRISE Belk College graduate Michelle Menard started Choice Translating while still a student at UNC Charlotte. Today, Michelle and her husband Vernon, the company’s COO and an honorary 49er, have offices in Charlotte and Lima, Peru and clients around the world. To learn more about how the Belk College of Business can inspire the entrepreneur in you, visit belkcollege.uncc.edu.

Michelle Menard Class of 1997

Vernon J. Menard III

[publisher’spost] The Evolution of Revolution What an amazing time to be alive! Witnessing the throngs of people in the Middle East struggling to take back their governments from ruling elites and military dictatorships has been fascinating. Egypt, a country overtaken by a largely peaceful demonstration against its leader, is yet one more instance of the remarkable revolutionary fervor that seems to have originated in the North African country of Tunisia little over a month ago. And the dominoes have not stopped falling! John Paul Galles The amazing thing is that these recent events have unfolded largely as a result of digital communications—the advent of cell/smart phones and text messaging and the Internet’s social media, predominantly Facebook and Twitter. What advanced us informationally in the ’90s, and enhanced global trade in the first decade of this century, is now affecting the world culturally‌way beyond our imagination. Social media is pervasive—echoing across countries as well as in our own cities and towns, neighborhoods and marketplaces. It cannot be denied. Here in the United States, social media has demonstrated its ability to build a wave of sentiment into a political movement. The election of President Barack Obama was heralded for its enormously successful e-mail and broadcast Internet messaging in building a fundraising and volunteer action program. The Tea Party and other social networks turned politics in a different direction in 2010 with Facebook and Twitter. Most recently, the demonstrations at the Wisconsin state capitol grew rapidly with the help of text messaging and Facebook and Twitter. The protestors' activities were quickly picked up by friends and associates in other states. Information and ideas are spreading at almost the speed of light. At the same time, emotions and opinions are also being spread quite wildly. If you have ever been in or near a demonstration, you know about the fear of fluctuating emotions, hurtful rumors and rapid-fire disinformation that will affect the core ambition of the demonstration. Leaders of these events create teams to balance emotions, dispel rumors and fight disinformation to keep the movement strong. The only way to manage these negativities in social networks is for thoughtful people to contribute their comments, thoughts, judgments and concerns openly and articulately. Information sources emerge and become leaders that are tested from within and by the groups themselves. Nevertheless, it is important to be wary of demagoguery and overly zealous opinion evangelists seeking to steer a group in their own personal direction. Our “free speechâ€? society fundamentally supports open expression of thoughts, opinions, emotions and ideas, but we have just elevated “freedom of speechâ€? to a more complex level than ever imagined by our forefathers. Limitations on free speech are already being tested. In fact, some Middle Eastern countries have tried to shut down the Internet and have succeeded for a while. Even in China, the government found it necessary to quash a movement of people trying to build a “Jasmine revolutionâ€? by shutting down communication for anyone using the word jasmine in their communiquĂŠs. We are witnessing significant cultural revolutions that, while information-based, can be furthered in helpful and/ or destructive ways by this digital evolution. Social media offers an immediate platform to deliver ideas, thoughts, comments and concerns—no matter how outrageous or brilliant, anyone can contribute. Facts are not checked. Significance is not measured. Movements can coalesce quickly. Emotions can radically escalate. A crowd mentality can take effect. These are things we must and we will learn to deal with, but for now are problematic. There are many who choose not to participate in social media, just as there are people who choose not to vote. What is important is to learn about this phenomenon and appreciate its significance. It is not going away. It is affecting our lives, whether we participate or not. The convergence of people and ideas around the world offers opportunities as well as threats to business activity and relationship-building. Those who are younger and/or who adapt to change sooner already get it. The world is changing before our eyes. All of us need to tune in to understand and learn more. Just take it slow, at your own pace. Start small. Build your close circle of friends and communicate with them. You don’t need to comment frequently. Just engage Facebook and/or Twitter like you do your neighbor and friends. Speak when spoken to and be a good listener. Communication is a two-way street. By taking even the smallest step onto this new global socialization platform, you will understand significantly more about what is going on in the world today! biz

Let me know what you think - jgalles@greatercharlottebiz.com

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Contributing Writers :ENDA $OUGLAS Carol Gifford (EATHER (EAD Casey Jacobus -ARCIA -ERRILL

Contributing Photographers 4REVOR !DAMS 7AYNE -ORRIS Galles Communications Group, Inc. #ARMEL %XECUTIVE 0ARK $R 3TE #HARLOTTE .# 0HONE s &AX www.greatercharlottebiz.com s 0RESS RELEASES AND OTHER NEWS RELATED information: editor@greatercharlottebiz.com. s %DITORIAL MLANE GREATERCHARLOTTEBIZ COM s !DVERTISING JGALLES GREATERCHARLOTTEBIZ COM s 3UBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES OR CHANGE OF ADDRESS subscriptions@greatercharlottebiz.com. s /THER INQUIRIES PLEASE CALL OR FAX AT THE NUMBERS ABOVE OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.greatercharlottebiz.com. Š Copyright 2011 by Galles Communications Group, Inc. !LL RIGHTS RESERVED 4HE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN HAS BEEN OBTAINED FROM SOURCES BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE (OW EVER 'ALLES #OMMUNICATIONS 'ROUP )NC MAKES NO WARRANTY to the accuracy or reliability of this information. Products NAMED IN THESE PAGES ARE TRADE NAMES OR TRADEMARKS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE COMPANIES 6IEWS EXPRESSED HEREIN ARE NOT necessarily those of Greater Charlotte Biz or Galles Com munications Group, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher. For reprints CALL X Greater Charlotte Biz )33. IS PUBLISHED monthly by Galles Communications Group, Inc., 7300 Carmel %XECUTIVE 0ARK $R 3TE #HARLOTTE .# 4ELEPHONE &AX 3UBSCRIPTION RATE IS FOR ONE YEAR 0/34-!34%2 3END ADDRESS CHANGES TO Greater Charlotte Biz, #ARMEL %XECUTIVE 0ARK $R 3TE #HARLOTTE .#

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7ISHART .ORRIS (ENNINGER 0ITTMAN 0 !

[legalbiz]

Transforming the Business of Law to Meet the Needs of Business

!Not today Boss, I have a Headache! What if you had an employee that just couldn’t quite make it to work or perform his or her duties? What if he told you he was going through a rough time and just did not feel good? In one case, the employer decided to fire the employee. The employee then claimed a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The court ruled in favor of the employer. The employee’s claims did not support the conclusion that the employee was substantially limited in major life activities. This factor is necessary in order to meet the requirement for disability under the ADA. In this case, one point in issue was the employee’s inability to attend a sales conference because of the rough time being had by the employee. The court did not find the inability to attend a sales conference was a substantial limitation to being able to work.

!Terminating for the Wrong Reason Be careful when you decide to terminate an employee’s employment. One employer decided to fire an employee when a former employer contacted the current employer about a non-competition covenant restricting the employee. The current employer appears to have used words like “respect and understanding� for others in the same industry in its decision to fire the employee. Because the non-competition provision was unenforceable under state law, a court held that the employee could file a claim for wrongful termination.

!What your employees say matters‌ Your employees may “jokeâ€? with each other in some pretty harsh and discriminatory ways. You’re safe as long as your supervisors don’t do it, right? Not anymore. At least one court has decided that all evidence regarding discrimination should be considered in any discrimination case. This approach varies from the idea that statements made by people other than supervisors or otherwise made outside of the employment decision-making process should not be

considered. This means that employers must be careful to monitor the language and treatment of coworkers by other coworkers to avoid claims of discrimination even when actual employment decisions are not discriminatory.

!Arbitration Knowledge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

C O N S T R U C T I VE C A T A LY S T FO R C RE A T I VE C O N S C I O U S N E S S

I Hired a Contractor and Got an Employee The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been very interested this past year in cases where it believes that workers should be classified as employees instead of independent contractors. The results have been much higher taxes and, potentially, penalties for employers. Keep in mind that any person working for you can request that the IRS determine his or her employment status. As one company discovered, even a person who only worked for you for one month can decide to start this process for the employer. The IRS has simplified its criteria to determine employment status. There was a 20 factor test that was reviewed to determine

where a person was more like an employee or more like an independent contractor. Now, the criteria consist of 11 points under three categories. The categories are behavioral control, financial control and relationship of the parties. These “new� categories and criteria don’t really change the law or the test. The questions are still very much the same. A few of the questions include the level of control you have over the person’s activities, the level of investment the person makes in the business venture, the level of investment you make in the person and how much the person operates like a truly independent business from your business.

"

Americans with Disabilities New Rules New standards have been adopted for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The new standards address technical specifications for the design and use of buildings and other areas: › Wheelchairs and other devices designed for use by people with mobility impairments must be permitted in all areas open to pedestrian use. › When making reservations for lodging, the lodging place must allow disabled individuals to make reservations for accessible guest rooms during the same hours and in the same manner as other guests and must identify and describe accessible features in the hotels and guest rooms. Also, reserved accessible guest rooms must actually be available for those disabled guests upon their arrival. The regulations also provide guidance with regard to the sale of tickets for accessible seating. › Facilities built in compliance with the 1991 standards for the ADA are not required to comply with the new rules until future renovations impact areas covered by the 2010 standards. However, to the extent that the 2010 standards address requirements not covered by the 1991 standards, those features must be modified to comply with the new standards.

Content provided by Wishart, Norris, Henninger & Pittman, P.A., which partners with owners of closely-held businesses to provide comprehensive legal services in all areas of business, tax, estate planning, succession planning, purchases and sales of businesses, real estate, family law, and litigation. For more information, contact Gary Smith at 704-364-0010 or visit www.wnhplaw.com.

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[bizMARKETING]

Red Rover Maximize Marketing; Magnify Impact

Add a Third DIMENSION to Your Marketing and Business Presence !"#$%&'(")*+,$-"./+010,2$3'*+,4$ 564)07"'4$)0$806'$9'0+)$:00'; Finding Your Place You may not even realize that the world of marketing has changed dramatically in the last few years. Think back to the days when you had to learn about a business without looking at their website. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Now, most every company has an online presence.

!Search Engine Market Share 0%

(Without Rounding)

1% 4%

84.77% - Google - Global

4%

5.69% - Yahoo - Global

6%

N

o matter the type of business, service or retail, large or small, cutting edge or old school, all business owners have a lot in common. They think personnel issues, cash flow, taxes, sales—all issues that require constant attention. But what about marketing? Too often business owners overlook ways to promote their businesses. It may be a lack of knowledge, or a lack of time, or just not enough money. It is a shame, because it may ease so many of the other problems they are busy dealing with. It is important to growing a business and keeping up with the competition to have a solid marketing approach in place. “Traditional” marketing methods utilize more indirect methods to pursue both short and long range objectives. But all that has changed. The new media marketing tools available, and the ease with which they can be employed, provide real-time promotional advantages and directly to the consumer. It is hard to keep up. And yet, new marketing opportunities continue to appear. With millions of people on the Web every day, and the Internet now a trillion dollar industry, it would be foolish not to try and harness technology to your advantage, no matter the size of your business.

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3.89% - Bing

86%

3.80% - Baidu .054% - Ask - Global .037% - AOL- Global NetMarketShare.com Feb 2011

These days, the term “Google it” is synonymous with any search done online. Being “findable” online is increasingly important. Here are some interesting statistics that you may not be aware of:

" Google is the most popular search engine globally (84.8%) followed distantly by Yahoo, Baidu, Bing, and Ask. (comScore.com); " 43% of all searches on Google are related to searches for local services or businesses. (comScore.com) "!97% of consumers use the Internet to find and research products or services in their local area. (The Kelsey Group) " 82% of people performing an online local search follow-up via an online inquiry, phone call or visit to an offline local business. (Local Marketing Source)

It is clear that an increasing number of your prospective customers are searching the Internet to decide which local businesses to spend their money with. Not long ago, Google, being the largest collector of usage data, recognized this upward trend toward local searches and created Google Places. A Google Places informational listing is free and available to all business owners. When you do an online search, Google will show local results first from local businesses, including Google Places listings. So, right away, there’s one free avenue of promotion. Entering a description of your business, contact information, hours, brochures, videos and

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even coupons not only are helpful to your prospective customer, they also serve to increase your website’s search engine optimization (SEO). If you optimize your Google Places page properly, and can be found by local consumers, you’ve got the battle half-won.

Google Places is one piece of this new marketing smorgasbord—Google Places integrates not only with all Google searches, but with Google Maps and Google Earth. Google Earth adds a third dimension to Places and Maps by supporting geospatial applications “popping” right out of a map at you. Alongside the increasing use of smartphones (estimated to reach 51% of the marketplace this year) with their Global Positioning Systems (GPS) feature, information about your business can actually “push” customers to your door! Earth to Google! Come in… The use of Google Earth has grown tremendously, but still so many people just use it to marvel at the sight of their own home or the neighborhood where they grew up. But imagine displaying your business on Google Earth as a 3D model and/or geo website and tying it to your other marketing materials as an enhanced local marketing strategy. If you look at your business on Google Earth (merely input the address), you will see it looks flat, just like the satellite photo. What kind of impression does that make? Just think if you could really show your locations and what is going on inside! Wouldn’t it be great to bring

your customers directly to your front door? They could get a much better sense about your business and your capacity to meet their needs. Maybe you would like to take them on a tour to learn more about your business and then invite them to visit in person. Google Earth is supporting the use of new development tools, from the basic 3D building depiction to entire geo websites featuring digital media. Such media can include tours of your facility, 360 spin tours of your showroom, images of your products, a video of the business owner talking about the business, product brochures, you name it—literally any of the marketing materials you have developed to date. Furthermore, you can add geo layers of information to the geo website to show geographically relevant information—all your area car washes, tax preparation offices, medical clinics, nearby restaurants—whatever is appropriate to your business. You could also add layers to show customer locations to refine your marketing plans or servicing routes, or show your distributors to better route transportation routes. You begin to see the potential—you can bring your customers directly to your virtual doorstep for an enhanced experience learning about you and your business and use the information you developed through using it to refine your business operations at the same time. Best of all, all of these new tools, from the 3D building models to the layered geo websites, can be plugged into your homepage or hosted as a standalone application available by QR code that can be placed on websites, business cards, brochures, slide presentations, any type of hard media.

This QR code takes you to the Hampton Inn SouthPark’s geo website, where you can click on the Hampton Inn & Suites logo to view the tour and the layers to show additional information.

Without the 3D building, the satellite image leaves the Hampton Inn SouthPark looking flat!

3D building shows the Hampton Inn SouthPark accurately on all sides!

Popup display shows Hampton Inn SouthPark’s 360 tour and links to website for reservations!

Geo website shows Hampton Inn SouthPark in 3D and lots more information on its various layers (left side). Cont. page 39

C O N S T R U C T I VE C A T A LY S T FO R C RE A T I VE C O N S C I O U S N E S S

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[accountingbiz]

%LLIOTT $AVIS 0,,# Accounting, Tax and Consulting Solutions

inancial Due Diligence:

Meeting expectations of the buyer and seller

W

hether you are buying or selling a business, both transactions involve both risk and opportunity to the parties. Your goal, as a buyer or seller, is to avoid surprises, while having high confidence in your decisions.

!Importance of due diligence As the buyer, by conducting the proper due diligence before a merger or acquisition, you gain critical insights and assurances that the business is what it appears to be before moving the deal forward. As the seller, by properly preparing for due diligence, you can identify and address upfront issues that could otherwise lead to purchase price disputes, closing delays, buyer uncertainty and even post-transaction litigation. Financial due diligence, when fully executed, assesses not just the validity of historical results, but Scott Henderson CPA,Transaction Advisory also what the past perforServices mance indicates about the future prospects of the business. Financial due diligence focuses attention on the critical success factors including identifying risks and opportunities, potential contingencies, commitments and exposures, and evaluating the quality of historical and projected earnings and cash flow, and the internal controls, employees and systems supporting the presented results. Findings from due diligence procedures can usually be quantified and translated into purchase price adjustments, often based on a multiple of EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) or modifications to the terms and conditions of the transaction. As either the buyer or the seller, if you understand what needs to be accomplished in the due diligence process and prepare accordingly, you are likely to achieve a more efficient and effective outcome. The following addresses some of the base-level expectations of the buyer and seller.

Rick Hewitt CPA,Transaction Advisory Services

!Quality of earnings An audit provides an opinion that the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position and results of a company in conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). However, GAAP allows for subjectivity, judgment and estimates in a company’s accounting policies that can have a material effect on the operating results and financial position, and thus a transaction purchase price. If audited, a buyer should look at the audit work papers to gain an overview and understanding of the target’s accounting policies

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Financial due diligence, when fully executed, assesses not just the validity of historical results, but also what the past performance indicates about the future prospects of the business. and potential issues. For a company that is not audited, the possibility of adjustments to price is even greater. Understandably, the seller wants to present financial results that may lead to the highest selling price. Quality of earnings is typically the key focus area. This exercise begins with the target’s reported EBITDA and adjusts or normalizes earnings to reflect what the buyer would expect on a pro forma basis. The seller may often provide management adjustments for expenses it believes will not continue, such as excess owner’s compensation, benefits and extravagant expenses, one-time or unusual expenses or expenses that may change as a result of the transaction, such as rent, insurance or professional fees. In addition to evaluating management’s proposed adjustments, the buyer may identify and propose certain due diligence adjustments to earnings. Related to the income statement, the buyer will analyze revenue trends, compare revenue to cash receipts (generally called a proof of revenue) and look for early revenue recognition or revenue that may be reversed, aggressive use of estimates, onetime or unusual revenue transactions and revenue not related to the company’s ordinary course of business. The buyer should look at general and administrative expense trends where certain discretionary accounts such as marketing, repairs and maintenance, research and development, and personnel costs may not be indicative of necessary spending post-transaction. Related to the balance sheet, a buyer should examine the methodology applied to provision accounts, including sales returns and chargeback allowances, reserves for doubtful accounts, inventory obsolescence reserves, and warranty obligations and related reserves. The buyer should inquire about capitalization policies, verifying that operating expenses are not being improperly capitalized. Understanding these policies is critical to determining the impact on quality of earnings, to assess whether earnings have been impacted by subjective accounting entries rather than business operations. The buyer should also analyze key accrued expenses, searching for unrecorded liabilities and assessing proper cut-off procedures, especially for interim financial statements. The seller should ensure that the most recent period end balance sheet contains adjustments similar to those included at year end.

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Understanding the methodology for accruing expenses and changes in these accounts during the trailing 12 months may identify potential quality of earnings issues. A buyer and seller will likely view materiality differently. While the seller may conclude the cumulative adjustments to EBITDA are not material to the overall results of the presented financial statements, the buyer will likely consider the adjustments very material if the purchase price is calculated using a multiple of EBITDA.

!Further Investigation Concurrent with its quality of earnings analysis, the buyer should inquire about and examine data that may shed additional light on the future direction of the company and risk exposure to the buyer. Key areas may include seasonality issues, price versus volume impact on revenue, trends of gross margins overall, by product and revenue line and an understanding of the components of cost of goods sold including inventory valuation, allocation of labor and overhead and fixed versus variable cost mixes. Regarding customers, a buyer should want to understand terms of any customer contracts,

Through due diligence by the buyer, looking beneath the surface of the financial statements, and proper preparation by the seller, providing quality financial statements, supporting documentation, and meaningful responses to questions, an efficient transaction process should ensue. extent of customer concentration, reasons for lost customers and variances in major customer activity. Further, the buyer should inquire about working capital trends (generally defined as current assets less current liabilities) and cash management issues including any apparent receivable collection risks, trends in receivable and inventory turnover and accounts payable

management. A buyer should also assess historical capital expenditures and future capital expenditure needs and capacity issues. These areas, among others, should help the buyer understand how cash is generated and used, specifically distinguishing cash flow from operating activities versus financing and investing activities. A seller should anticipate and be prepared to answer questions not only about the company but comparisons to competitors and industry benchmarks. Through due diligence by the buyer, looking beneath the surface of the financial statements, and proper preparation by the seller, providing quality financial statements, supporting documentation, and meaningful responses to questions, an efficient transaction process should ensue. Since each deal is unique, consider involving your team of advisors (accountants, attorneys, consultants etc.) who have experience with due diligence engagements early in the process to tailor and assist with procedures appropriate to your transaction. Content contributed by the Charlotte office of Elliott Davis, PLLC, an accounting, tax and consulting services firm providing clients the solutions needed to achieve their objectives in 10 offices throughout the Southeast. For more information, contact Scott Henderson at shenderson@elliottdavis.com or Rick Hewitt at rhewitt@elliottdavis.com or visit www.elliottdavis.com.

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C O N S T R U C T I VE C A T A LY S T FO R C RE A T I VE C O N S C I O U S N E S S

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[webbiz]

CC Communications, Inc. New Media Strategies, Secrets and Solutions

What’s New for Your Social Media Marketing

“ Tool Kit ?�

.INE MONTHS AGO WE DESCRIBED SEVERAL SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS AND ONLINE 7EB SERVICES THAT CAN HELP BUSINESSES MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR SOCIAL MARKETING INITIA TIVES !T THE TIME THE IMPORTANCE OF INCLUDING &ACEBOOK 4WITTER ,INKED)N AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS AS A PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE " # OR " # MARKETING effort was certainly on the rise. 4ODAY LEVERAGING THESE CHANNELS IN ORDER TO DRAW NEW AND EXISTING CUSTOMERS TO YOUR COMPANY S CENTRALIZED WEBSITE PRESENCE IS NOW AN ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENT FOR ANY EFFECTIVE ONLINE STRATEGY (ERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL SERVICES TO CONSIDER ADDING TO YOUR SOCIAL MARKETING TOOL KIT Think “More Social Gizmos.â€? HootSuite.com‌ /NE OF SEVERAL HUB STYLE MANAGEMENT APPLICATIONS (OOT3UITE offers the ability to create, schedule, post and monitor all of your social media CONTENT POSTINGS AND TRACK AUDIENCE STATISTICS SIMULTANEOUSLY FOR MULTIPLE OUTLETS LIKE &ACEBOOK 4WITTER 7ORD0RESS AND VARIOUS 233 FEEDS USING A SINGLE COORDINATED PROGRAM (OOT3UITE WORKS WELL FOR GROUPS TOO FACILITATING TEAM COLLABORATION AND COORDINATING INDIVIDUAL CONTENT MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENTS Involver.com‌ )NVOLVER AS A &ACEBOOK PREFERRED VENDOR ALSO OFFERS A ONE STOP SHOP FOR CREATING AND TRACKING CONTENT POSTINGS FOR A LONG LIST OF SOCIAL MEDIA CHAN NELS ALL AT THE SAME TIME INCLUDING POPULAR MULTIMEDIA CHANNELS LIKE 9OU4UBE AND &LICKR )NVOLVER OFFERS ITS OWN UNIQUE 3-, 3OCIAL -ARKUP ,ANGUAGE THAT PROVIDES FRONT END DEVELOPERS THE ABILITY TO SELECT OR CREATE COMPLEX APPLICATIONS THAT CAN BE DEPLOYED ACROSS MULTIPLE SOCIAL NETWORKS SUCH AS INTERACTIVE POLLS COUPONS PHOTO GALLERIES SLIDE PRESENTATIONS EMBEDDED mASH MOVIES lLE SHARING EMAIL SIGN UP FORMS and other powerful engagement options.

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are keywords considered Q: Why so important? ~Charlotte, NC

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According to recent statistics, 93% of Internet users turn to search engines to help locate company information. Another 80% use search engines to help make purchase decisions on the Web. Those are hard numbers to ignore. Searchers use keywords or key phrases to help narrow down their searches. Knowing the keywords used by your search audiences can help you with better website navigation, organic search engine optimization, paid search engine marketing, internal and external link building and other website traffic building endeavors. Need help? Google offers a free keyword research tool at https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal that can help you with valuable ideas for keywords and key phrases. Check it out! Have a question about Web design or online marketing? Submit your question to www.greatercharlottebiz.com/webbiz. Questions & Answers may be reprinted here in upcoming editions of Greater Charlotte Biz!

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SocialOomph.com... 3OCIAL/OMPH FORMERLY 4WEET,ATER COM IS ANOTHER LOW cost social media management application that specializes in prescheduled content CREATION AND AUTOMATED POSTINGS INCLUDING PRESET &ACEBOOK WALL PAGE AND STATUS UPDATES PREBUILT 4WITTER TWEETS AS WELL AS PREPLANNED "LOGGER 7ORD0RESS AND 4UMBLR BLOG POSTINGS 3OCIAL/OMPH FURTHER PROVIDES EXCELLENT 30!- lLTERING TOOLS to protect your social media channels. Gist.com... !NOTHER VALUABLE SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT TOOL 'IST COLLECTS and organizes your customer contact data into a single centralized application. #USTOMER CONTACT INFORMATION FROM &ACEBOOK 4WITTER AND ,INKED)N IS COMBINED WITH COMMON #2- CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT TOOLS LIKE 3ALESFORCE COM 'MAIL /UTLOOK AND OTHER DATABASES 4HE COMBINED CUSTOMER CONTACT INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE ACCESSED ON THE GO VIA I0HONE AND !NDROID SMART DEVICES Wildfire Interactive... ,OCATED AT WILDlREAPP COM 7ILDlRE )NTERACTIVE OFFERS THE ONLINE MARKETER PERSONAL ASSISTANCE PLUS A DO IT YOURSELF TEMPLATE DRIVEN APPLICATION TO HELP CONSTRUCT A VARIETY OF BRANDED SWEEPSTAKES CONTESTS AND GIVEAWAY PROMOTIONS THAT ARE SPECIlCALLY DESIGNED FOR &ACEBOOK AND 4WITTER integration. Promotions may be created that can increase your social MEDIA FOLLOWER BASE DISTRIBUTE COUPONS ENCOURAGE E COMMERCE PURCHASES COLLECT TIMELY MARKET RESEARCH AND STIMULATE VIRAL hWORD of mouth campaigns.� Multiple Tools for Mobile Text Messaging‌ 4AKE ADVANTAGE OF MOBILE CONTENT DELIVERY BY ADDING THE IMMEDIATE IMPACT OF 3-3 TEXT MESSAGE DELIVERY TO YOUR EXISTING SOCIAL MEDIA GAME PLAN 0ROVEN 7EB BASED SERVICES SUCH AS %Z4EXTING COM -ESSAGE -EDIA COM AND 4EXT-AGIC COM OFFER LOW COST AND SIMPLE TO USE TEXT ANNOUNCEMENT AND NOTIlCATION PRO GRAMS THAT DELIVER hJUST IN TIMEv MESSAGES DIRECTLY TO YOUR customers’ mobile phones. ~Kip Cozart

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WORK eCycleSecure –

! Good Plans Shape Good Decisions Starting a new business venture isn’t for the faint of heart. Without attention to detail, operational decisions can quickly pile up, overwhelming even the most motivated entrepreneurs. That’s why business and marketing plans are so important, including detailed strategies for building your website. It has been said that good plans shape good decisions. eCycleSecure is a great example. Organization and architecture for their website at eCycleSecure.com was a top priority throughout the startup process. Professionals helped them identify audiences, research keywords, plan navigation, develop content and set up their ongoing content management system. In the few short months since startup, ROI is already visible through consistent website traffic, low bounce rates, and great search engine visibility. Not bad. Not bad at all!

Content provided by CC Communications, a Web design, programming and Internet media company providing a full array of services to businesses and organizations to enhance and produce effective Web, e-mail, multimedia marketing initiatives and business process improvements. For more information, contact Kip Cozart at 704-543-1171 or visit www.cccommunications.com/resources_articles.cfm.

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.OUV%/. 4ECHNOLOGY 0ARTNERS )NC

[consultingbiz]

Managing and Delivering Change to Optimize Business Value

Process Excellence: A Competitive Advantage, Not a â€œThreatâ€? Process excellence concerns itself with efficiency and effectiveness in processes. To quote the late management guru Peter F. Drucker, "Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things." You can have success with Process Excellence! It doesn’t happen overnight and you might need to reach out for help. Just don’t fall into the dreaded “black holeâ€? of Process Excellence despair so many companies have followed. So many times companies feel the need to implement a Process Excellence program and use it as a “threat.â€? They threaten staff with “career deathâ€? if they are not successful in the latest Lean/Six Sigma training program. Staff are openly chastised for not reaching a cost savings goal utilizing the statistical analysis program that “we paid so much for.â€? How about the enterprise-wide initiative that is going to “revolutionize how we do businessâ€? by using the latest in cutting edge Process Excellence techniques, that ends up running off the high performers within the organization and alienating those that are left? Why do we see it over and over again? It has gotten to a point where in a lot of companies you can’t even mention the words Lean or Six Sigma—like the tools themselves have caused the rift that lies within the failed initiatives. But wait a minute! There are some companies that utilize the Process Excellence toolsets and are wildly successful. They use the tools in thousands of applications a day and could not be happier with them. How can this be? They must have a different set of Process Excellence tools. Well, not really. Like the old saying goes, “A good craftsman doesn’t blame his tools.â€? They have learned the secret of making Process Excellence a competitive advantage and not a “threat.â€? To understand what frequently goes wrong, we have to go back to the roots of most Process Excellence enterprise programs and see if they were established with a true “understandingâ€? of what Process Excellence is or its capabilities. Such programs usually start with huge fanfare, touted as the cure all for all things that need improved, and huge amounts of resources are allocated to their success. Several of these programs gain some initial traction and show some great improvements and benefits to the bottom line. The leadership approach at this point is that, “If a little bit is good, then a lot would be great.â€? Everybody should be trained in this and they should be held accountable for the deliverables. It doesn’t matter if some people don’t like it, are not change leaders or have so much else going on that they don’t have the time, “They will all use it or they can leave!â€? Patrick Sullivan, Process Excellence Knowledge This may sound Domain Leader and Six Sigma extreme, but it does Master Black Belt happen. The typical

C O N S T R U C T I VE C A T A LY S T FO R C RE A T I VE C O N S C I O U S N E S S

result in this situation is that some people leave, but the ones that embrace and excel at Process Excellence discover success, resulting in increased job satisfaction and career growth. The top performers in other specialties leave because they aren’t Process Excellence people. This is not where their passion lies. Not everyone has passion around Process Excellence. Not everyone thinks about the risk priority number associated with the prioritization of action items they need to take in their daily lives. We all don’t live to watch control charts looking for a series of three anomalies to take action. But some do. Some of us are truly passionate about Process Excellence. We have thousands of instances where a Process Excellence tool has helped us be successful.

The companies that are truly successful in their Process Excellence journey recognize the value of engaging Process Excellence professionals and work to provide fertile ground to apply the tools. The companies that are truly successful in their Process Excellence journey recognize the value of engaging Process Excellence professionals and work to provide fertile ground to apply the tools. Companies that have yet to identify those passionate people will sometimes invite Process Excellence-passionate people into their organization to share the benefits of a robust Process Excellence program staffed with process improvement professionals. Process Excellence professionals can act as a mentor to your people and impart passion within the ranks. Once people understand and see that Process Excellence is not scary, but rather a proven approach with measurable benefits, they too will have passion. Then and only then, will your company realize the competitive advantage that is Process Excellence.

To summarize: 1. Process Excellence does not have to be a “threat�; 2. Some companies are wildly successful at Process Excellence; 3. Process Excellence can be a competitive advantage; 4. Not everyone has passion around Process Excellence; 5. Allow people to follow their passions to be successful; and 6. Sometimes you need to reach out for help. Hopefully this has shed light on a beneficial approach to Process Excellence and, for those of you out there that are following your Process Excellence passion, know that you are not alone. Content contributed by NouvEON, a management consulting firm. For more information, visit www.nouveon.com. To contact NouvEON’s Process Excellence expert, e-mail him at psullivan@nouveon.com or follow on Twitter@NouvEON.

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the performance group

[bizprophet]

4HE 0ERFORMANCE 'ROUP ,TD Engaging and Inspiring Thought Leadership in the New Millennium

!"#$%& ' SMARTÂ OWNERSÂ TOÂ PARTNERÂ WITHÂ SMARTÂ CAPITALISTS

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How would you react if a capitalist looked at your business and asked, “Is this a business I want to own?� As owners, isn’t that one of our greatest fears around capital—the fear that we’ll lose control of our business? Deep down, don’t we fear that some vulture capitalist is just waiting to tell us what to do and how to do it and, eventually, take away from us this business we’ve raised from a pup? What if I suggested a new world view about capital partners? Here’s what I suggest: In some cases, smart capital partners can be the opportunity to capture our place in the emerging economy by making the equity in our companies more valuable. Let’s come back to that idea. Before we get around to shifting our world view, first let’s admit what equity typically means to us. Equity represents our control of the business. It represents our freedom to make our own decisions, some of which will be good for the business and some of which may not be so good for the business. Equity represents our right to look at the business—and all its assets—as our personal property to use, to re-invest, to drain, to spend, to trade off in exchange for loyalty, even to squander, if that’s our choice. And if we share equity, our percentage represents the degree to which we can have our own way and the degree to which we are answerable to others for those choices. Don’t be offended. I’m an owner, too, and I live in the trenches with owners every day. I know what’s in our hearts and I’m in no position to judge. So let’s be clear about what I’m saying: First and foremost, equity equals control. It also represents our freedom from accountability and transparency when it comes to the money of the business. In a more concrete sense, equity has always equaled what we see as the real assets of the business—land or buildings or capital equipment, accounts receivable, even. We believe this to be true because these are the very real assets our banks have always named as collateral when they loaned us money. Like the equity in our home, the equity in our business was measurable and hopefully stable and accumulating. That was then. This is now. Wise capitalists are asking, “Is this a business I want to own?� not because they want to displace us. They are really saying, “Has this owner created equity value? Is this an owner I want to partner with?�

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Most owners grossly underestimate the risk of the penny stock of their closely-held business. Owners have an upside-down concept that says their equity is more secure when they are in control of it. In reality, the presence of a smart capitalist can stabilize the value of that penny stock, creating objective value. If you attract the interest of a smart capitalist, consider it a compliment. Smart capitalists are looking for a business asset with the potential to become fundamentally more valuable with the stimulant of capital. They just want to know if you’re the kind of smart owner they want to partner with, the kind that gets the importance of healthy equity and healthy return on the risk of ownership. Are you that kind of smart owner? Face Your Fears Behind our drive to succeed as business owners lie three core fears: " fear of exposure " fear of humiliation " fear of loss of control The prospect of inviting a capitalist into our game ratchets up all these fears. What if the capitalist spots the inadequacies we work so hard to hide? What will be revealed by the transparency of the capitalization process? What if we fail—that’s going to be a lot more humiliating if it happens in plain view of capitalists (who have clearly never failed themselves; look how much money they have!). And, of course, loss of control is inherent to the process of securing capital. Facing these fears brings its own payoff. Face them and they lose power. For some of us, that’s worth as much as the capital infusion. Sometimes we have to give up something to get something more. Dancing with a Capitalist Potential capitalists are certainly giving you a long, hard look before committing to invest in your business. You should be taking an equally hard look at prospective capitalists before the music starts. Here’s what to look for when you’re courting a smart capitalist (or vice versa): " Connections you trust: How did this capitalist come into your life? Who does this capitalist know that you trust? Who is the capitalist accountable to? Who’s around the capitalist? You’re looking for someone of integrity, not just someone with money. " Real risk: How did the capitalist make his or her money? Whose money is the capitalist really risking? Is this the capitalist’s money or has the capitalist raised “other people’s money”? A smart capitalist with real skin in the game looks for the highest potential for success, which is what you want, too. " Rigorous discovery: You want a capital partner who puts you through a rigorous process of due diligence. This serves as validation and as a reality check for both parties and creates some assurance of stability. " Commitment to a blueprint: Everyone should understand revenue goals, cash flow requirements and income streams, as well as the plan for governance and oversight of the investment. Look for a concrete planning process and accountability for execution.

" More than money: In addition to capital, you should expect insights, wisdom and accountability to create equity value for yourself and strength on your financial picture. Look for a smart capitalist who wants to make an underperforming asset better by applying strategic thinking as well as capital. You will know the smart capitalist by the questions asked in your fist real time together. " Exit expectations: Look for a capital partner who expects to exit the partnership when it’s time for the owner to buy him out of his position.

Content provided by Sam Frowine, founder and owner of The Performance Group, which works with business owners to build the value of their business asset, and Performance Capital Group, a boutique investment bank. For a complimentary copy of Enterprise Capital 2011 Sam Frowine about implementing a successful capital strategy, contact him at 704-597-5156 or sam@ theperformancegroupusa.com.

THE EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION Trusted HR Advice, Tools & Training

#Benchmarking for Success Are you competitive? Are your employees engaged? Will they stay as business improves? Tools to compare on a local and national basis. ! Wage & Salary Surveys !"Employee Engagement Surveys !"Benefits Survey !"Policies & Practices Survey !"Focus Groups

For more information on The Employers Association please visit us at www.employersassoc.com or call 704-522-8011. Your Trusted HR Resource Since 1958 with 865 Local Member Companies

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[employersbiz]

THE EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION

4HE %MPLOYERS !SSOCIATION

Trusted HR Advice, Tools & Training

Legislative and Regulatory Highlights for Area Employers

Vacation Pay Regulated By North Carolina Wage and Hour Law Vacation is a wage benefit that may or may not be provided at the discretion of the employer. However, if an employer wants to attract VACATION and retain quality employees, it needs to provide a vacation benefit for its employees. Under North Carolina wage and hour law (N.C.G.S. Sections 95-25.12 and 95-25.13), if the employer does promise vacation pay or vacation time off with pay, then the employer must have a written vacation policy that clearly explains how the vacation is earned and how it can be taken. Also, the law (N.C.G.S. Section 95-25.7) provides that any earned vacation must be paid at termination unless the employer has a written forfeiture clause that clearly explains how the earned vacation can be taken away.

PAY

We recommend adding the following verbiage to your vacation / P T 0 policy: Forfeiture of Accrued,Vacation: ! Vacation [may/may not] be carried from one year to the next. ! Any accrued, but unused, vacation time will be paid to you upon resignation of employment, provided you work a twoweek notice, as outlined in our Resignation Policy. Failure to provide a notice will result in the forfeiture of accrued, unused vacation. This vacation payout will be less any money owed the company. ! If you involuntarily separate from the company for any reason, other than a reduction in force, you will not be paid your accrued, unused vacation. For more information on this issue, go to http://tinyurl.com/ nc-wage-hour. (Capital Associated Industries)

!Medical Information—When Is It Private? It can be difficult to determine whether HIPAA privacy rules apply in certain situations. Here are a few common scenarios and how to handle them.

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Content provided The Employers Association, providing comprehensive human resources and training ser vices to a membership of over 860 companies in the greater Charlotte region. For more information, contact Laura Hampton at 704-522-8011 or visit www.employersassoc.com.

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Central Piedmont Community College

[workforcebiz]

Work Force Training and Development

HELPING WITH THE BOTTOM LINE

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n today’s climate, as businesses of all sizes work to leave the recession behind, take time to realize the positive impact a community college such as CPCC can have on your bottom line.

A Skilled Work Force Your business can’t succeed, and new companies will not continue to relocate to the Charlotte region, without a skilled work force. CPCC brings that resource to the area through training initiatives, educational opportunities, co-op experiences and apprenticeships. Our students gain skills and insights important to today’s industries, both in the classroom and on the job. Each of our curriculum and corporate and continuing education areas enlists the help of an Advisory Council, comprised of industry experts who help craft our curriculum and educational outcomes, based on the current needs of businesses. Our students work in real world lab environments, and study with faculty who have industry experience outside of the classroom. CPCC offers hundreds of certifications that can help individuals get the skills they need in today’s market. Many of our corporate and continuing education students already have degrees, and in some cases, advanced degrees, but they recognize a specific area in which they need growth, such as project management or leadership development. CPCC has the resources that help these students bridge the gap to new or expanded careers. Our students work with many local businesses through internships, co-ops and apprenticeships. These experiences offer students course credit while giving businesses much needed resources and access to new employee talent. Many businesses use these opportunities to build their future employment bases, while giving students invaluable real-world work experiences. Corporate Learning CPCC will partner with you to design a training program for your employees, and in many cases the College has become area businesses’ primary professional development resource. Eligible companies can also qualify for free resources through CPCC from the State of North Carolina. Through these Customized and Incumbent Worker Training programs, CPCC works with local companies to design and implement training programs that result in improved processes, increased skill attainment and/or company growth. Talent Pool Management CPCC can help you manage your talent pool by providing links to potential employees who fit your needs. The College has a number of services available to local businesses, from Career Fairs to on-campus recruiting efforts and job postings. The College can help you navigate your pool of candidates, ensuring you reach the best fit for your needs. Small Business Resources CPCC offers a number of resources to entrepreneurs and small businesses owners through our Institute for Entrepreneurship, including individualized business counseling, a wide array of workshops and access to a number of nonprofit organizations and government entities that can provide much needed resources to your business. As you review your maintenance and growth plans for your business, consider the services that CPCC can bring to your organization that can directly impact your bottom line. From finding a qualified work force, to developing your existing personnel, to enhancing your own personal skills, CPCC will partner with you to ensure your future success.

c o n s t r u c t i ve c a t a ly s t fo r c re a t i ve c o n s c i o u s n e s s

Is a co-op student/intern/apprentice right for me? <mXclXk\ gfk\ek`Xc \dgcfp\\j Y\]fi\ dXb`e^ X cfe^$k\id Zfdd`k$ d\ek# Xe[ i\[lZ\ pfli g\ijfee\c Zfjkj% >X`e XZZ\jj kf ZXe[`[Xk\j n`k_ jfl^_k$X]k\i jb`ccj fi YXZb^ifle[% @eZi\Xj\ pfli jkX]] [`m\ij`kp% J_Xg\ k_\ ]lkli\ nfib ]fiZ\ Yp gXike\i`e^ n`k_ cfZXc Zfcc\^\j%

NC Community Colleges— CREATING SUCCESS

Customized Training For nearly 50 years, North Carolina community colleges have offered no-cost, company-specific training to eligible companies; N.C. was one of the first in the nation to offer what has become an important economic development tool. Training may be provided to companies that create eligible jobs, make significant investments in technology or take on critical productivity enhancement efforts. " During fiscal year 2009-10, the Customized Training program provided customized job training to 16,346 individuals at 590 eligible companies. A total of $8,020,044 was expended at an average cost of $491 per trainee.

Tony Zeiss President of Central Piedmont Community College

Continuing Education and Workforce Development Workforce Continuing Education programs offer many pathways to train students. Local colleges have the flexibility to offer training as a single course or they may bundle a series of courses and offer students a certificate of completion leading to a recognized credential (licensure, certification, renewal or registry listing). These training opportunities are short-term, affordable, and have flexible scheduling. " There are more than 900 courses available through Continuing Education programs. More than 250 courses lead to a state-regulated or industry-recognized workforce credential. " In 2008-09, first-time test takers averaged a 96 percent passing rate on their licensing or certification examinations. Aviation Maintenance (100%); Veterinary Medical Technology (100%); Radiography and Radiation Therapy (97%); Cosmetic Arts (96%); Dental Hygiene (92%); and Associate Degree Nursing (89%). "$ Approximately 85 percent of all public safety personnel (fire, law, emergency) are trained at a community college. "$ Offered at NC Community Colleges, the North Carolina Career Readiness Certificate (NC CRC) is a nationally recognized workplace skills credential. Since its initial implementation in 2006, nearly 60,000 individuals have earned the NC CRC credential, which places N.C. sixth in the nation for number certificates earned.

Content provided by Dr. Tony Zeiss, president of Central Piedmont Community College. Learn more at cpcc.edu. For information about Corporate Learning, visit cpcc.edu/cce. Small business resources available at cpcc.edu/e-institute.

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[bizPROlLE]

by heather head

“YOU THINK IT; WE BUILD IT.” SIMPLY PUT, SKOOKUM DIGITAL WORKS MAKES IT WORK ON THE SCREEN

I

“Imagine a world where two geeks in two weeks can create an application that grosses $50 million in its fifth year. That’s the world we live in,” says James Hartsell, owner of technology product developer Skookum, Inc. It’s a world in which ideas and the ability to develop them into powerful, user-friendly applications for Web and mobile devices can make companies successful overnight. It’s also a world in which many traditional businesses struggle to keep up with increasing competition from Web-native forces that deliver goods and services through appealing digital experiences. It’s a world in which marketing agencies, traditional companies, and entrepreneurs who want to thrive need a partner who knows how to build and deploy effective digital solutions. “In short, it’s a world that needs Skookum,” says Bryan Delaney, vice president and co-founder. Making a Tight Connection Skookum was conceived by Hartsell and college roommate Delaney in 1998 when they started building digital solutions for freelance clients—(heard this one before?)—out of their dorm room. Both management information systems students, the two took turns finding clients and sharing the work. Although their college years were fraught with friendly rivalry, Hartsell says they “shared a common outlook on business and technology,” and after school they both took jobs with the Department of Defense. By 2005, they felt compelled to strike out on their own and officially launch their business. Remembers Hartsell, “We didn’t have contracts or clients; we didn’t have anything. We just said, ‘We’re young, we’ve got a little bit of money saved up, there’s a market niche for us.’” The company is part of a growing trend of successful businesses conceived, built, and run by 30-somethings who’ve known nothing but programming. And like many successful companies developed by young entrepreneurs, they got there on the bleeding edge of technology. In fact, Skookum is making that edge visible, especially in Charlotte. “The goal is to be more than just another high-tech company,” says Hartsell. “We are part of a group of people trying to create a community in Charlotte of the brightest, smartest, most forward-thinking technology innovators the region % has to offer.”

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You think it, we build it. Apps, games, 360 degree immersive installations. You play the creative, we play the creative tech partner. You give us the why. We’ll help you find the what, and you needn't even concern yourself with the how.

(l to r) James Hartsell President, Founder Bryan Delaney 6ICE 0RESIDENT

Founder Skookum Digital Works

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skookum A another word for the slang phrase "Tight" or something solid, or genuinely cool hey check this out.. yeah that's skookum! or that's so skookum! C O N S T R U C T I VE C A T A LY S T FO R C RE A T I VE C O N S C I O U S N E S S

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Solving Problems Digitally Skookum carefully recruits and hires for just that combination of big brain and real-world get-it-done determination, the same attitude they bring to their client interactions. Hartsell says there are three essential types of Skookum clients. Their original client base, and still the largest source of revenue for the company, consists of traditional marketing and advertising companies. As recently as a few years ago, big ad agencies saw websites and digital applications as something they had to learn in order to be considered a “full-service” agency. But, Hartsell says, they were never able to do it as well as a specialized digital company could: “In order to be at the front of digital media, you have to be a digital firm.” So they would bring in companies like Skookum to quietly outsource the work. “It was a like a dirty little secret,” says Hartsell. Now, though, most companies recognize the benefit of partnering with a digital concern. In fact, it’s normally seen as a benefit to the project to bring in digital experts like Skookum. “Today, they show us off,” says Hartsell of their relationship to agencies. “Companies are all asking for digital executions, so agencies look good if they already have an esteemed partner.” He smiles, then laughs. “Well, that and people are wising up to the fact big executions take more than the agency’s two in-house developers. As technology matures, CEOs and CMOs are getting wiser, more sophisticated. ” While ad agencies are a significant source of revenue for Skookum, some of the most interesting work happens for direct clients who bring in what Skookum likes to call “toothy” problems. “Big businesses are realizing these whiz-bang consumer tools are available to them to make their organizations run better,” says Hartsell, as

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.NET WordPress XML Android

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To that end, Skookum hosts Friday Tech Talks featuring expert speakers on the latest and greatest technologies. With titles like “Hack our Clickdummy,” and “Set-based Visualization of Genomic Data,” Delaney says the talks were conceived as a way to create a space in Charlotte for the biggest brains to come together, learn and apply themselves to real-world problems. However abstract the talks may seem to outsiders, they are not intended to be ivory-tower academic discussions. “Some people who are really smart—professor-type folks—talk about technology and ideas they’re always incubating, but never take action,” explains Hartsell. “That’s not us. In order to be successful with what we’re doing, we have to possess a quality of tenacity, a sense of ‘We gotta ship our product, we gotta deliver to our client.’”

RSS Opensource AJAX

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“You’ve hit a roadblock. Your team is missing a component. It’s a new language you’re not familiar with. You lack the bandwidth. We’ll help you attack the problem fresh, fill in your gaps, or take over where you’re stuck.” ~James Hartsell President, Founder his face emphasizes “finally,” an unspoken assertion he’s known for years. Recently, a major food manufacturer in the region asked Skookum to help with their information systems. “Their processes were just a mess,” Hartsell recalls. “They were using 1970s systems for inventory control, production line, what they called ‘e-commerce,’ and none of them talked to each other.” Despite the fact that the systems were not designed for integration, Skookum did just that, taking away the company’s organization-wide pain without dismantling the enterprise systems they had invested in or disrupting the essential ways that employees interacted with the technologies. Skookum successfully Web-enabled each system to create a seamless automation—from original transaction to order fulfillment. “This was a fairly inexpensive solution for

them,” says Hartsell, “because we were able to just build the pieces that hooked into their old system, and let them keep all the things they had invested in and were comfortable with. If it works, it works; if it’s not a problem, let’s not fix it.” As much fun as those projects are, it’s the third type of client that makes Hartsell’s eyes light up: An entrepreneur with an idea and a perhaps market, wanting Skookum to build the technological reality. For instance, one client dreamed up a social network-style platform that will allow people to find others who think exactly the way they do about politics—not just on big issues, but whose beliefs line up item for item with each other—and then to organize campaigns, events and other activities around that common political viewpoint. While it may not be the next Facebook, Hartsell says “It could change the way that people think about political structure.” Hartsell says the idea belongs to the client, but it’s Skookum expertise that is putting the product together and preparing it for market. “We’re building everything,” he says. “Product design and development, and the cultural piece too, who it’s for, how it works, why it’s here, the technologies, how to support it and help it grow—we’re their partner for all of that.” Thriving in the Digital Age While robust economies continue to grow up around e-commerce and Web-native entities created in the minds of a few forward-thinking people, traditional companies need not fear the new environment, if they can adapt. Hartsell suggests a few tips for established businesses to bring their companies up to date and take advantage of the many new marketing and

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business development opportunities our increasingly digital world provides. First, he says—and most importantly— “Open your mind. Look at your business and ask, ‘Why can’t we do this?’ We live in an age when technology is so powerful that a couple of smart guys in a room for a few weeks can solve huge problems, and you didn’t have that even 15 years ago.”

“It’s a moneymaker…It could be a money-maker. It’s a solid idea. It needs execution. We help you bring it to life. Provide the method to your madness. We get on with the business so you can make more magic.” ~Bryan Delaney Vice President, Founder

2011 is the Year for Business-Savvy Innovators to Revive and Thrive! Join Us!

Global markets, co-dependent economies, technologies that truly change the way business is done all of these and more are offering challenges of a magnitude we haven t faced before. Business as usual won t get the job done. “INNOVATE” isn t just a buzz-word, it s a mandate! The 2011 season of BSI will focus on new ideas, new ways of doing business, and new technologies these will drive your future success.

April 26 | The life cycle of an idea, from idea to market;

understand what it takes to encourage and embrace innovation!

June 28 | Techno-transactions offer new ways to bring buyers and sellers together; from QR codes to mobile phone apps, the way you connect is changing drastically! August 23 | Joining forces; leverage is critical in this fast-changing world—partner for greater success and explore strategic partnership ideas!

October 25 | Risks, rules and regulations; find out how changes in technology, privacy issues, and on-going legislative changes impact your business and the risks you face!

BSI is an organization designed for business owners. Members meet !ve times each year to address problems and opportunities speci!c to closely-held businesses. They receive insight, information and encouragement as they address their companies challenges.

For times, locations and membership information visit www.business-success-institute.com or call Denise Altman at 704-315-9090

He suggests that traditional businesses look at the way they manage documents, marketing, data, transactions, and every other aspect of the business and find out what resources they have that they’re not already utilizing. What parts of the business could be improved with digital applications? Second Hartsell explains, “Harness the culture to ship. Every company, no matter if they offer goods or services, needs to get better about finishing. Getting to the end.” He continues, “Lots of people % come into their office,

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they write ideas on a whiteboard. And that’s where the ideas stay. It’s the difference between talking and action.� Hartsell says what makes Skookum special is the quick ability to go from idea to execution. “It’s easy to imagine things. We provide companies the means to execute. Not enough businesses know even the fist step to getting something made—off the board, off the paper, inside their own walls.� This means hiring people who are natural producers and organizing teams that are primarily focused on going from A to Z as quickly as possible. Third, Hartsell says, “Make your employees part of the story. Develop a culture in which employees are trusted, honored and enveloped into the story of your brand. Don’t hide them behind a corporate cloak.� Hartsell cites studies showing that people are motivated less by money than by feeling a part of something important and valuable. “Give them that sense, and your people will give you the world,� he promises. Bid Ideas for the Future Hartsell has no trouble taking his own advice. He’s excited about the future and constantly looking for the ideas and solutions that can make his business and that of his clients better. He also has his eyes on the technologies that will critically change the way we do business in the near future. The big one, he says, is Big Data. “Everything we do creates what they call data exhaust,� he explains. “When I swipe my Visa card, Visa knows where I was and what I bought. The GPS on our phones can tell Sprint where we are at any given time. There are people out there who can mine that data and tell you with frightening accuracy what you do every day, when you leave the house, where you work, what you do on the weekends.� Privacy concerns aside, proper application of that data could prevent fraud and identity

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Three Techniques for Energizing Your Business 1. Be Open-Minded About Where to Find Efficiencies 2. Harness Company Culture “To Ship� 3. Make Your Employees Part of the Company Story theft, as well as help people make better purchasing decisions. Imagine if your bank were to match a Monday morning purchase against what it knows about where you usually are at that time and notify you if the locations don’t match up. Or if your store loyalty program could analyze how often you purchase milk and the brand you like, and send you a coupon right before your next grocery trip. Coupled with “Big Data,� the trajectory of mobile devices in general is likely to be explosive, says Hartsell. Perhaps surprisingly, he expects these developments to produce potentially positive results for traditional, brickand-mortar businesses. For example, imagine your Visa company talking to your mobile device so that your mobile device knows where you like to shop. When the GPS unit in your mobile device detects that you’re near one of your favorite locations, it can push details on current deals inside, encouraging you to stop in and make a purchase. Hartsell’s enthusiasm for whatever the future may hold is evident. “The bigger the idea, the better.� “The bigger the problem the better,� adds Delaney. For companies entering this new age, that’s an encouraging message. biz Heather Head is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

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Skookum Digital Works 121 W.Trade Street, Ste. 1900 Charlotte, N.C. 28202 Phone: 704-930-7444 Principals: *AMES (ARTSELL 0RESIDENT &OUNDER "RYAN $ELANEY 6ICE 0RESIDENT Founder Employees: Established: Business: 0ROVIDES DIGITAL PROGRAMMING FOR Web, retail, mobile and business logistics systems. www.skookum.com

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Instant Marketing with QR Codes

QR Codes (Quick Response Codes, QRCs) are a relatively new, 2-dimensional form of barcodes. Already very popular in Europe and Japan, businesses and consumers throughout the U.S. are discovering hundreds of exciting uses for this flexible, convenient (and free) information connection. How QR Codes Work… QR Codes can be displayed almost anywhere. They can be found on printed literature, business cards, highway billboards, product packaging, advertising banners and more. They can be inserted into digital signage and even screen printed onto apparel. QR Codes include embedded text information, web page links and simple programming commands that directly connect customers to timely information about you, your business, and your products or services. Using a mobile “smart phone,” equipped with a built-in camera, customers simply snap a digital photo of the code symbol. Then a free, downloadable QRC “reader” interprets the code and initiates one or more actions, such as accessing a Web page or online map using the phone’s Web browser, displaying onscreen text information, opening an e-mail delivery (mailto) form, sending a (SMS) text message, dialing a phone call or other actions. What QR Codes Can Do for Your Business… QR Codes can be your on-demand sales and customer service representatives. Display text messages, exchange vCard information, initiate a phone call, link to prerecorded audio or video, collect customer “loyalty points,” facilitate online purchases like e-tickets, and easily perform other customer interactions. You can specify a limited date range to convey your content or provide ongoing access to your information. And, each customer connection can be tracked by your organization. Further, you can update and personalize information provided at the point of the exchange. Messages can be updated manually or programmed to change automatically based on the time of day, day of week, weather conditions, etc. Many QRC readers can utilize the mobile phone’s built-in GPS locator and customize information based on the customer’s current proximity. Content can be changed by the business any time to take advantage of current weather or business conditions.

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C O N S T R U C T I VE C A T A LY S T FO R C RE A T I VE C O N S C I O U S N E S S

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photo: Wayne Morris

Richard "Stick" Williams President The Duke Energy Foundation

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by casey jacobus

[bizPROlLE]

hitting a

home run "

The Duke Energy Foundation Scores Big With YMCA, United Way, Project LIFT and Other Community Initiatives

When Richard “Stick” Williams took the podium at a press conference in January to announce the Duke Energy Foundation’s $5 million donation to Project LIFT, he was not just representing his employer. He was also representing his childhood and the people who helped him become one of the first black officers at Duke Energy.

When Richard “Stick” Williams took the podium at a press conference in January to announce the Duke Energy Foundation’s $5 million donation to Project LIFT, he was not just representing his employer. He was also representing his childhood and the people who helped him become one of the first black officers at Duke Energy.

Batter Up! One of three sons born to a single mother, Williams was raised in federal housing—Ray Warren Homes in Greensboro. He grew up in poverty. He attended all-black schools until college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned the nickname “Stick” for being one of the best hitters in sandlot baseball. When he pictured his future, he thought a postman would be a steady, clean job. “I had no idea I was smart,” says Williams. “Even though I got good grades, I anxiously awaited my report card every year to see if I was promoted to the next grade.” However, there were people who saw something special in the bright youngster, going out of their way to help him reach a potential he would not allow himself to see. It was these people that Williams reflected upon as he helped launch Project LIFT, a five-year effort to boost graduation rates and close the achievement gap at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Now president of the Duke Energy Foundation, Williams is at the helm of working with community leaders to make a positive difference in the community through many initiatives. One of those initiatives is Project LIFT, a $55 million plan to support additional services and educational enhancements in Charlotte’s west corridor, the lowest performing area in the district. When Williams helped kick-off Project LIFT at West Charlotte High School in January, he was struck by how the impact hit close to home. “I looked at the kids in the audience—that was me,” says Williams. “If these kids can have some of the experiences and opportunities I was given, we can turn their lives around.” Running the Bases When Williams dislocated his shoulder playing high school football, he was taken to an all-black hospital, which lacked an orthopedic surgeon. Dr. James Maultsby, a white doctor sent to attend to Williams’ treatment and recovery, took a keen interest in the young teen. Their relationship grew as Maultsby invited Williams to family dinners, introduced him to % the sport of tennis, and talked about plans for college.

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but they did the right thing by accepting me.” After two years, Williams was transferred to Chapel Hill as district manager and later, Triangle area manager. He and his family, which includes three daughters, lived in Chapel Hill for 12 years. He was soon asked to serve on the UNC Chapel Hill board of trustees, among other boards in the area. Nothing delighted Williams more than becoming the first African American to Chair the university’s board of trustees. “It’s been a relatively short period of time since black students have even been welcome at the University,” he recalls. “But, now, one of the premier universities in the nation had a black chairman of their board of trustees.”

When Williams helped kick-off Project LIFT at West Charlotte High School in January, he was struck by how the impact hit close to home. “I looked at the kids in the audience—that was me. If these kids can have some of the experiences and opportunities I was given, we can turn their lives around.” “He saw something in me,” says Williams. “Dr. Maultsby treated me like one of his own children. He started shaping me.” When Maultsby learned Williams was nominated for a Morehead Scholarship, he accompanied him to the Chapel Hill campus, where the two met with the admissions department and the head football coach. Even though he did not receive the Morehead Scholarship, Williams went to UNC Chapel Hill and focused his efforts on the football field as a running back for the Tar Heels. He was sure he was headed for a career in professional football. But when he tore up his knee during his freshman season, those dreams were over. “It was the best thing that ever happened to me,” says Williams, “although it was the most painful thing I had ever gone through.” Forced to focus on academics, Williams had another one of those transforming moments. He had heretofore kept to himself, sitting in the back of the classroom, because he was in a new environment—he had never been around so many white students before and felt intimated by all the

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‘smart kids.’ “But,” he thought to himself, “would I do this on the football field?” That day he took a seat on the front row and never looked back. In 1974, Williams enrolled in a summer college internship program at Duke Power in Charlotte, living at the Dowd YMCA on Morehead Street. During the internship, he quickly drew the attention of Dick Ranson, who would later become treasurer at Duke Power. After Williams’ graduation in 1975, Ranson invited him to return to Duke Power in the company’s internal audit department and encouraged him to take the CPA exam, which he did, successfully. Ranson helped Williams land a job at Arthur Anderson & Co. and three years later, encouraged his return to Duke Power in corporate finance. From there, Williams took on assignments in departments ranging from cash management to corporate communications to customer relations. During his early career, Williams acquired new skills and training as he rotated through departments at Duke Power. In 1988, he was named branch manager for Shelby, N.C., becoming the company’s first black manager in a location of that size. He also became the first black member of Shelby’s country club. “One great benefit for the manager of a branch that size was country club membership,” says Williams. “But (at the time) the country club had no black members. It was quite a dilemma for them,

Rounding Third In 1997, Duke Power and PanEnergy, a major player in the natural gas industry, merged to create Duke Energy. Subsequently, the Enron scandal broke in 2001, and the resulting bankruptcy of the Texas-based energy company shocked the country. Ruth Shaw, then executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Duke Energy, and president of the Duke Energy Foundation, asked Williams to come back to Charlotte to serve as vice president of Duke Energy’s diversity, ethics and compliance department. Williams’ responsibilities included ensuring the integrity of the company’s compliance processes. From that role, he moved on to manage diversity and talent, working to create a diverse and exceptional work force. In 2008, Williams became president of the Duke Energy Foundation and later was promoted to his current position of senior vice president of Environmental, Health & Safety for the corporation. The Duke Energy Foundation was established in 1984 under the auspices of Duke’s legendary president Bill Lee to focus the company’s efforts on building strong communities in the areas it serves. The idea for the foundation grew from James B. Duke’s belief that businesses succeed when the communities they serve are successful. The foundation is the expression of the company’s desire to improve the quality of life in those individual communities by encouraging both employees and retirees to contribute their time through volunteerism, sharing the company’s expertise through leadership and supporting charitable organizations financially through grants. Duke Energy contributes a portion of its earnings each year to the foundation, which awards grants in three key areas: community vitality, education and economic development, and environment and energy efficiency. Home Run! The foundation appears to be the perfect

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match for Williams’ talent, experience and passion. He has been personally committed to making an impact on his community throughout his life. Since moving to Charlotte, Williams has served on the boards of the N.C. Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, Hope Haven, Inc., Communities in Schools of N.C., and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Foundation. His gift for leadership means he does more than just serve on committees; he is often asked to be board chair. Recently, for instance, he took on a two-year stint as chair of the Mint Museum’s Board of Trustees. “I don’t know much about museums and even less about art,� says Williams. “I was surprised to be asked to be chair.�

SPECIALISTS IN VOICE NETWORKS FOR 32 YEARS.

“The YMCA of Greater Charlotte is more causedriven than any YMCA I have ever seen. Volunteers talk about the ‘C’ in YMCA. That got my attention.� The timing was daunting; the Mint was moving into a new building and looking for a new executive director. But Williams was undeterred by the challenge, helping to lead the museum’s move uptown, which generated tremendous national excitement, as well as the hiring of Kathleen Jameson, formerly with the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. “We’re off to a great start,� asserts Williams. “We are going to create something really special.� Williams is also the first black chairman of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte’s board of directors. He was attracted to the Y board because he sees it as much more than just a gym and pool for Charlotte families. “It is more cause-driven than any YMCA I have ever seen,� says Williams. “Volunteers talk about the ‘C’ in YMCA. That got my attention.� The YMCA of Greater Charlotte, with 19 branches, is the fifth largest Y in the country. Williams, who gives his own Y membership % to someone otherwise unable to afford it,

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applauds the non-profit organization for childhood development programs like Starfish Academy and its health and well-being classes. He also praises the many Y volunteers who put their time and money on the line. Williams particularly lauds Ward Pritchett, the recipient of this year’s John. R. Mott award, for his efforts to make Y services accessible to all through its scholarship and endowment programs. “I’m so impressed with the time he has given and the acumen he has brought to the organization,� says Williams. “This YMCA operates in the black, and Ward Pritchett has always done what was necessary to ensure it maintains a strong balance sheet. He makes sure we are spending money on the right things and he always asks the right questions to ensure our financial viability.� Senior credit officer in Wells Fargo’s Corporate Bank, Pritchett first became involved with the YMCA of Greater Charlotte in the late 1970s. He served as chair of the YMCA’s board of directors from 2006-2007. The John R. Mott award is named in honor of the Noble Peace Prize recipient whose aim was to cultivate Christian leaders. Pritchett earned the organization’s most prestigious award for the vision and strategy he has provided to the YMCA, which has greatly contributed to the non-profit’s long-term financial strength.

Williams hopes organizations and projects like the YMCA, Hope Haven, and now, Project LIFT, provide solutions for the hurdles that keep some young people from becoming all they can be. And, as president of the Duke Energy Foundation, he is doing all he can to make an impact on the community around him. Score! The boy who grew up in public housing and poverty has become a major player in Charlotte’s educational and philanthropic community. While Williams has been climbing the corporate ladder at Duke Energy, he has always been aware of the opportunities he was given amongst many other minority and low income students. Where Project LIFT is concerned, Williams sees the broader reach a model such as this can have on the lives of young children, who have great potential, but do not necessarily have the

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resources to succeed. “We really have the opportunity to change the culture,� says Williams. “By focusing on a feeder corridor, rather than one school, we can have a much greater impact.� “How do we reach out to youngsters in the community and make sure they have the opportunities they need to succeed in life?—That is the question.� And that is the question Richard “Stick� Williams has strived to answer throughout his career at Duke Energy. Using his own life as an example and for inspiration, he has worked in partnership with many non profit organizations and philanthropic foundations to find that answer. He hopes organizations and projects like the YMCA, Hope Haven, and now, Project LIFT, provide solutions for the hurdles that keep some young people from becoming all they can be. And, as president of the Duke Energy Foundation, he is doing all he can to make an impact on the community around him. “I’m grateful for the chance I’ve had to work on a number of exciting initiatives,� he says. biz Casey Jacobus is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

The Duke Energy Foundation 550 South Tryon Street Charlotte, N.C. 28202 Phone: 704-382-7200 Principal: 2ICHARD 4 h3TICKv 7ILLIAMS 3ENIOR 6ICE 0RESIDENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL (EALTH 3AFETY AND 0RESIDENT OF 4HE $UKE %NERGY &OUNDATION $UKE %NERGY #ORPORATION Founded: Purpose: 4HE $UKE %NERGY &OUNDATION ALONG WITH EMPLOYEE AND RETIREE VOLUNTEERS ACTIVELY WORKS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE COMMUNITIES SERVED BY $UKE %NERGY LENDING EXPERTISE IN THE FORM OF LEADERSHIP AND lNANCIAL SUPPORT THROUGH GRANTS TO charitable organizations. Charitable Contributions: Charitable GIVING FROM THE $UKE %NERGY &OUNDATION $UKE %NERGY #ORPORATION AND ITS EMPLOYEES AND RETIREES TOTALED MORE THAN MILLION IN 4HE FOUNDATION PROVIDES GRANTS TO SUPPORT THREE KEY AREAS COMMUNITY VITALITY EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY EFlCIENCY )T SUPPORTS communities in its footprint, which consists of the Carolinas, the Greater Cincinnati area AND )NDIANA !NNUALLY THE FOUNDATION PROVIDES matching gifts and grants to support employees’ and retirees’ engagement in the community. www.duke-energy.com/ community/foundation.asp

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The YMCA Honors... John R. Mott Award John R. Mott (18651955) was one of the great Christian leaders of the YMCA movement. He was known as a ‘citizen of the world’, served as Secretary General of the World Alliance of YMCAs, and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1946. The name John R. Mott is respected globally as a shining example of servant leadership. Each year, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte presents an award in honor of John R. Mott. The 2011 recipient is the Ward Pritchett. Prior John R. Mott Award honorees are: 2010 The Tom Dooley Family 2009 James (Jim) H. Morgan 2008 J. Frank Harrison III 2007 Steele Dewey 2006 The Dowd Family 2005 Russell M. Robinson II 2004 Malcolm (Mac) Everett 2003 Robert (Bob) King Jr. 2002 Graeme M. Keith 2001 H.C. (Smoky) Bissell

2000 1999 1998 1997 1996

Harry H. Brace Thomas M. Belk James J. Harris William M. Barnhardt Joseph W. Grier Jr.

George Williams Awards The original YMCA started in London in 1844 as 22-year-old George Williams and 11 friends came together for prayer and reflection. They were compelled to help other young men find what they felt: God’s grace. In recognition of George Williams’ leadership, each year YMCAs across the world recognize outstanding volunteers at their branches. This year, YMCA of Greater Charlotte branches honor… s Chris Prigmore, Camp Thunderbird s Brendan Pierce, Camp Harrison at Herring Ridge s David Thompson, Childress Klein YMCA s Laura Clark, YMCA Community Development s Don Sherrill, Dowd YMCA s Corey Lee, Gateway Village YMCA s Charles Michaels, Harris YMCA s Jed Guenther, Johnston YMCA

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s Jim Murphy, Lake Norman YMCA s Jim Smith, Lincoln County YMCA s Leesa Sluder, Lowe’s YMCA s Toria Burch, McCrorey YMCA s Tom Lewison, Morrison YMCA s Max Knox, Sally’s YMCA s Will Smoak, Simmons YMCA s Carol and Doug Fink, Siskey YMCA s Luke Maybry, Steele Creek YMCA s Michael Thompson, Stratford Richardson YMCA s Heline Beach, University City YMCA Willie J. Stratford Sr. Diversity Award In 1998, an award was established in recognition of Willie J. Stratford Sr., a devoted champion of diversity in the YMCA and community, for his faithful service and dedication to practicing John 17:21, “That they may all be one even as thou, Father, art in me and I in Thee, that they also may be in us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send me.” This award is given to someone who recognizes, leads and inspires others to help create a stronger community through valuing diversity. This year, the award honors… s Deb Hanna

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?"#.2$ CAROLINA DIGESTIVE HEALTH ASSOCIATES FINDS THE TRACT TO DIGESTIVE HEALTH AND COMFORT

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ver the past 10 years and between 10 Charlotte-area offices, close to a half million patients have come through Carolina Digestive Health Associates, P.A. seeking screening, diagnosis or treatment for digestive conditions and illnesses. Thirteen doctors—gastroenterologists all—and eight physician extenders make up the medical staff which provides these services. The group caters to an adult population over sixteen years old. “The easiest way to think of what we deal with is everything within the intestinal track from the mouth to the rectum, including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon,” says Dr. Glen Portwood, MD and chairman of the board for the practice. “In addition to that, are some of the solid organs such as the liver and pancreas which produce enzymes and participate in the digestive process.” Both Portwood and Preston P. Purdum III, MD, a co-partner in the practice and the former chairman, enjoy the investigative nature of the field. “Often, patients who have seen a lot of other doctors come in for consultation. We’re trying to figure out what is the complexity of this patient; what is their diagnosis; what will establish health or symptom control to give them the highest quality of life,” shares Portwood. “I love the Sherlock Holmes side of medicine instead of, say, surgery,” says Purdum, who has been with the practice since its beginning in 2001. The roots of the practice Carolina Digestive Health Associates started with a merger of two practices, explains Purdum. He was with the downtown group of Charlotte Clinic for Gastro-Intestinal and Liver Diseases which joined forces with University Gastroenterology. The merger made sense because of the cross-coverage geographically of practice areas. Also, after managed care started taking root, it became a good idea to be larger in numbers for negotiation purposes, particularly with regard to insurances, according to Purdum. The newly merged practice moved into offices on Billingsley Road, which continues to serve as the main office and serves the downtown area. Now the practice has offices all across the Charlotte region including Concord/Kannapolis, Davidson/Lake Norman, Harrisburg/Cabarrus, Matthews, Monroe/Union County, Mount Holly/Gaston County, % Pineville, University/NE Charlotte, and Waxhaw/Western Union County.

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“The easiest way to think of what we deal with is everything within the intestinal track from the mouth to the rectum, including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon. In addition to that are some of the solid organs such as the liver and pancreas which produce enzymes and participate in the digestive process.� ~Dr. Glen Portwood MD

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The practice maintains five endoscopy centers outfitted with the necessary equipment to do both screening of pre-cancerous conditions and, in many cases, treatment of findings. Doctors there administer anesthesia and perform endoscopies and colonoscopies. Some procedures such as those involved in bile duct and x-ray work require a hospital setting. “Depending on the patient’s diagnosis or health condition, we may need the extra support a hospital provides to manage risk,” explains Portwood. Carolina Digestive Health Associates is well represented both geographically and in areas of sub-specialty among the hospitals within the Carolina HealthCare System and the Presbyterian Healthcare System. Medical practice privileges are granted individually by each of the hospitals. A long list of private insurances are accepted by the practice plus Medicaid and Medicare. “We want to serve the patient and the referring populations in our region,” says Portwood. Physicians, not patients, move across offices. “We have a very deliberate plan for the best utilization of our staff members and physicians,” says Purdum. “While it doesn’t make sense to have all of us serve all over the entire area, our physicians will often be involved in two or more offices.” Purdum, himself, works in the Billingsley office and travels across the Catawba River to a practice in Mt. Holly in Gaston County, taking extensive sub-specialty expertise (hepatology). Portwood works in the University and Huntersville offices. His sub-specialty is biliary (bile duct) work. Stressing relationships and availability, Portwood points out that their system of physician rotation benefits patients with ongoing gastrointestinal issues. “You are there in their geographic area frequently enough so that you are responsive to any need that they have.” Competitive pressures Important to the practice is its independent status. “When you are independent you have more flexibility to run the practice the way you feel is best,” says Portwood. “You have more control over personnel and contracts, more control in setting and implementing standards, wishes and thresholds for your practice.” Portwood goes on to explain that a huge difference between a private practice and a hospital setting is how physicians interact with patients. “Part of what makes me very passionate about what I do is the idea that you see patients in different contexts of their lives and at different points in their illness,” shares Portwood. “If you are in a hospital-based practice, you’re going to see them at a focused point in time and that’s it.” Individual physicians of the group follow their patients who land in the hospital, taking care of

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“Often, patients who have seen a lot of other doctors come in for consultation. We’re trying to figure out what is the complexity of this patient; what is their diagnosis; what will establish health or symptom control to give them the highest quality of life.” ~Dr. Glen Portwood MD

their acute needs and then seeing them again when they’re back out. “Our patients appreciate this,” says Purdum. Being independent creates a need to be represented at both major hospitals. “A lot of our referral base comes from these two networks,” states Purdum. “If you become aligned with one, you will alienate a good percentage of your patient base right off the bat.” Naturally, hospital systems want to use physicians who are affiliated with them. Potential changes in how contracts are made can pose significant challenges and threats to such independence. Aligning with hospital systems and growing a practice in significant numbers are defenses against the possibility that insurance companies won’t enter into contracts with small and medium-sized practices. “Insurance companies are always trying to negotiate different fees such as those that relate to facilities, and combining fees leaving participants with the task of dividing those fees,” says Portwood. Insurance companies renew contracts, or not, every two years. “You must maintain a smartly managed organization.” A few years ago, hospital systems were buying up many independent practices but that pressure has waned, according to Purdum. “If you’re providing the best care you can and the best in Charlotte, you’ll be okay,” says Portwood. Responding to the community Purdum and Portwood cautiously await upcoming health care reform. Topics that concern the practice include the

inability to contract across state lines, a need for honest tort reform and a payer mix that allows for patients who receive care for free or through assistance programs as well as Medicaid and Medicare. Portwood explains that in a hospital setting, between 15 and 50 percent of patients are not in a coverage plan, depending on the month and the hospital. True self-pay amounts to between two and five percent. “You can’t run a successful practice like this if the problem of uninsured patients increases without a meaningful plan to address this national problem,” says Portwood. Both are concerned with malpractice laws and wonder why they are so variable across state lines. “In a more hostile environment, you would be compelled to do more testing,” says Portwood and procedures may take place at an earlier point when monitoring the situation would suffice. “The care gets changed based upon what could happen,” laments Portwood. One of the strengths of the practice is involvement in active research, according to Portwood. Not only does that keep physicians engaged in the advancement of the field, but it may also give patients some opportunities that otherwise would not exist. Of the 13 physicians, 11 are partners. A board of directors of five serves to get more people, ideas and expertise involved to guide decision-making to be more responsive and to streamline the process. Each of the 10 centers has a personality of its own which is the combined personality of the personnel there. Portwood’s style is that of preferring to share ideas throughout the day. Purdum is married

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with a son and a daughter who pursue soccer and horseback riding. He also contributes to the community through his support of Brookstone School, a religious-based private school for underprivileged children. Portwood is very involved with Care Ring, formerly known as Community Health Services, which provides access to medical and dental care to the uninsured and underinsured. Portwood serves on their board of directors. Together with his wife, he participates in multiple programs in the social sciences which look at difficult social problems.

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“Being the person that you say you are still works. Getting a referral to a patient’s family member, friend or neighbor reflects the compassion and care that you give.”

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The practice overall supports area food banks and also organizations and foundations related to gastroenterology such as those for Crohn’s disease and colitis. It chooses to be very active in physician community outreach programs for indigent care. “We try to empower patients to access health care insurance and make healthy lifestyle choices. We try to get them connected with physicians that they can stay with,” says Portwood. Settling into the field Originally from Macon, Ga., Portwood began his medical education at the Medical College of Georgia, followed by a residency in internal medi% cine at the University of Virginia Hospitals. He

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completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. After leaving Duke, Portwood went to Charleston, S.C., to join a new digestive disease center at the Medical University of South Carolina and became an assistant professor there. Then, his wife’s work summoned the family to Kansas City, Mo., where for nine years Portwood served as a partner in a private gastroenterology practice. Five years ago, his wife’s work compelled the family to move again—this time to Charlotte— where Portwood met Purdum and the other partners of Carolina Digestive Health Associates. Portwood has served on the board of directors of Carolina Digestive Health Associates. Offduty, Portwood enjoys supporting his two sons in lacrosse and traveling with the teams as well as good food and wine. Purdum grew up in Richmond, Va., and stayed to attend the Medical College of Virginia. His residency in internal medicine followed at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. “I got a bug for GI because I kept running into people who loved what they were doing,� says Purdum, who went back to the Medical College of Virginia and pursued several fellowships before

becoming an assistant professor. He was recruited to the former Charlotte Clinic for Gastro-Intestinal and Liver Disease by a former student, Dr. Stephen Deal who is also now a partner in Carolina Digestive Health Associates. “I am a transplant hepatology oncologist and when I learned that they were starting a liver transplant program and needed a medical director, I never looked back,� says Purdum. Planned growth Indeed, the group is forging ahead as it prepares to bring another physician to the downtown area specifically to build expertise in pancreatic and biliary work. “We’re hopeful we can attract the right person with the right skill set within a year,� says Purdum. With sights to the future, the group stays abreast of growth and demographic changes in

the area such as that around Lake Norman, Denver and along the South Carolina border. “We’re looking to see if there is a need for us to be there,� says Portwood. The practice is in the final stages of getting on board with Allscripts, an electronic medical records system which will provide a significant upgrade to the data storage system being replaced. In-house IT personnel manage utilization of the system. “When I first came, I saw patient number 27,000; today I saw patient number 431,000. Thankfully we were ahead of the curve on paperless medical records; the paper side of the practice would have eaten us up,� says Purdum. Carolina Digestive Health Associates offers a steadfast commitment to always improving as a practice and utilizing benchmarks and performance measurements as part of their professional development. “In everything we do, it’s still about the patient,� says Portwood. Most patient business comes from physician referrals but word of mouth is still effective, according to Purdum. “Being the person that you say you are still works,� shares Purdum. “Getting a referral to a patient’s family member, friend or neighbor reflects the compassion and care that you give.� biz Zenda Douglas is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

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he Charlotte skyline includes many intriguing buildings, one of which—the NASCAR Hall of Fame—opened last May to rave design reviews, thanks in large part to David Tobin, partner at local architectural firm Tobin Starr + Partners. Tobin and Steven Starr are partners in the Charlottebased architectural firm of Tobin Starr + Partners, a firm known for its expertise in targeted business sectors across the country and internationally. With its recent work in Charlotte, it is becoming more prominent in its home region. Tobin and Starr head the cultural, civic and higher education, and restaurant and retail sectors of the business, respectively. The firm also has expertise in corporate and commercial practice area and facilities architecture, as well as construction services.

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High Profile “High-profile projects like the NASCAR Hall of Fame are inspiring challenges,” says Tobin. “It’s fun and flamboyant,” he continues. “It’s an elegantly simple statement of the NASCAR racing experience with the imagery of banking curves and expression of speed and motion of the racetrack. Simple and straightforward, with the exception of the signature ‘ribbon’ on the outside, it’s colorful and interactive on the inside.” Designed by Pei, Cobb, Freed & Partners, a New York City architectural firm founded by legendary architect I.M. Pei, Tobin was asked to be the field architect in Charlotte. The firm chose Tobin, who previously worked at its New York City headquarters office, to oversee the day-to-day construction of the project. The NASCAR Hall of Fame, located Uptown on the corner of Caldwell St. and E. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., is highlighted by a “ribbon” architectural element, composed of large, interlocking

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stainless steel panels that begin as a sloping exterior wall and twist to evoke the curved slope of a racetrack. The incisions in its metal skin, dynamically lit at night, are like “… the blur of a car racing past the spectator at tremendous speed.” Tobin relished overseeing the job site construction, which he says is an important and fascinating job. He says they staffed an on-site office at the NASCAR Hall of Fame for 36 months, “seeing it through from the initial concrete footings in the ground through the installation of all the exhibits and the punch list.” They also served as the architect-of-record for the interior exhibits spaces. The NASCAR project includes a 175,000-square-foot Hall of Fame and

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Museum, a 100,000-square-foot ballroom, a 427,000-square-foot tower and office building, and a 1,000-space parking garage. “You may have a beautiful design, but if it’s poorly executed, the design fails,” says Tobin. “People underestimate what can go wrong on the job site. “We were the job site ‘rat;’ the eyes, ears, and mouth on the construction site, working with the owner, architects and contractors on a daily basis to facilitate communications, toubleshoot problems and help keep the project on schedule and in budget while advocating for the proper execution of the design.” Diversity Partners Tobin Starr +Partners is an 11-year-old

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architectural firm, small by design, focused on a practice that “actively engages its clients” and builds on the two partners’ diverse talents and backgrounds. “We strive to be strategic, creative and responsible,” says Starr of his 12-person team. “We listen to our clients and engage them in the project. We want to be sure our proposals meet our clients’ requirements and resources. We work closely with clients throughout the process to provide them with insightful solutions.” The group has worked on projects ranging from a $100,000 remodeling project to a $12 million campus master plan and for clients ranging from private residence owners to multi-national Fortune 100 corporations. %

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(l to r) David S.Tobin Steven A. Starr Partners Tobin Starr + Partners, PLLC

“You can have a beautiful design but if it’s poorly executed, no one will know it. People underestimate what can go wrong on the job site. ~David S. Tobin Partner

“Our work is really diverse and creative,” says Tobin. “We work for some very interesting clients.” With a background in architecture, interior design, graphic design and branding, Starr leads the restaurant and retail side of the business. Starr was the architect of award-winning environments for clients such as Bank of America, Krispy Kreme, Dean & Deluca, the Biltmore Estate, Plow and Hearth and Firebirds before joining his current firm. He’s recently developed prototypes and branding campaigns for Brixx Wood-Fired Pizza and is architect-of-record for the new Emeril’s restaurant scheduled to open at the Levine Cultural Campus of the Duke Energy Center in the fall. Tobin’s first architectural project was assisting in a major renovation of Carnegie Hall in New York City. With his concentration on civic, community, cultural and higher education buildings, his planning and design work includes the strategic campus master plan for Columbia College in S.C., ABN Amro Bank World Headquarters in Amsterdam,

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International Cultural and Trade Center of the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., the Sculpture Garden Cafe at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Mess Hall at the National Museum of the Marine Corps at Quantico, Va. “We try to collaborate as much as possible when it makes sense for us to overlap and it’s healthy for both,” says Tobin. “Our practice builds on our strategic partners’ areas of expertise,” says Starr. “We don’t believe we need to be able to do everything; we can be the ringleaders.” Brand Clarity Starr helps clients create, or clarify, a brand for their retail environment. Clarifying and distilling brand principles, a process he describes as “corporate psychotherapy,” he conducts programming sessions with clients and helps them “communicate a message through a building.” “We look at the 3D environment as a means to communicate our client’s brand and key messages to their customers,” says Starr. “We can create corporate standards for specific products and retail environments.” Pandora, a jewelry company based in Copenhagen, Denmark, chose Starr as consulting architect to lead its build-out in the U.S. The company sells jewelry in the range of $30 to $3,000, ranging from sterling silver to 18K

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gold with stones. Charlotte stores are located in South Park Mall and in Blakeney. “We’re expanding very aggressively and we needed to develop consistency in branding across our retail stores in North America,” says Jeff Matthews, retail project manager for Pandora Jewelry LLC. Pandora expects to open 100 new U.S. stores this year. Matthew’s project involves architectural branding, putting together a development manual and standards, including the specs, design criteria and options for franchise owners to open stores. “The concept,” says Matthews, “is very clean and European with lots of white and sleek designs. It includes all the information for furniture, fixtures, cash registers, electrical and IT work; everything you need to build your store.” Matthews has worked with Starr with other retail clients for many years. “Steve is one of the smartest people that I know,” says Matthews. “I really appreciate his honesty. He definitely challenges me—in a good way—and I can trust that he’s speaking from experience when he makes me think harder about my ideas and the issues we’re considering.” Matthews says when he first started working with Starr, he took him to a Pandora store, where Starr proceeded to pick up every catalogue to take home and study. “He really dives into the company and %

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4. Magazines deliver more ad impressions than TV or Web in half-hour period. (McPheters & Company) 5. Magazine readership in the 18 to 34 segment is growing. (MRI) 6. Since Facebook was founded, magazines gained more than one million young adult readers. (MRI) 7. The average reader spends 43 minutes reading each issue. (MRI) 8. Magazines are the No. 1 medium of engagement—across all dimensions measured. Simmons’ Multi-Media Engagement Study find magazines continue to score significantly higher than TV or the Internet in ad receptivity and all of the other engagement dimensions, including “trustworthy” and “inspirational.” (Simmons Multi-Media Engagement Study)

10. Magazines outperform other media in driving positive shifts in purchase consideration/intent. (Dynamic Logic) 11. Magazines rank No. 1 at influencing consumers to start a search online – higher than newer media options. (BIGresearch Simultaneous Media Usage Study) The “Magazines, The Power of Print” campaign was created by Y&R NY in conjunction with Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines, Meredith Corporation, Time Inc. and Wenner Media, with the full support of the Magazine Publishers of America (MPA).

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its products to truly understand it before he proposes any architectural work,â€? says Matthews. “Steve surrounds himself with the same kind of people. There’s so much value in what they do.â€? Fascinating Projects The Charlotte Fire Department wanted a new headquarters, a permanent building that would: consolidate different divisions, last for years, fit in its site and show the public that the building is worth the money spent on it. Tobin Starr + Partners won the job in an RFQ competitive bid process, where they submitted both the proposal and select team members to design the new building scheduled to begin construction the first quarter next year on the corners of Graham and Statesville Aves. “It’s hard for a fireman to take this kind of time,â€? says Rich Granger, deputy fire chief, “when we’re used to doing everything in a matter of minutes.â€? “The fire department is an institution in the city of Charlotte—and we wanted to be able to tell people where we are, who we are and how to get to us,â€? Granger says. “We worked with David to design a very traditional brick and steel structure, a two-story rectangular building.â€? “It’s been a fascinating project,â€? says Tobin. “The Fire Department has been a bit invisible over the years. The Fire Department command staff are rightfully proud of the organization and interested in designing a building that will last for generations to come.â€? “They designed a building with a nostalgic look, not one that looks like a fire station. It will have a traditional brick façade, steel windows and a distinctive entryway with a Maltese Cross, the traditional symbol of fire companies with both the Fire Department and City of Charlotte emblems,â€? explains Granger. “I’ll be honest with you, we’re a tough

!Restaurant Interior Concept

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a post office and Repros, a new branded copy center. The building is scheduled to open this month. An added bonus was that the 25,000-square-foot project came in 20 percent under budget, says Starr, saving a significant amount of money for the UNC campus.

“Our practice builds on our strategic partners’ areas of expertise. We don’t believe we need to be able to do everything; we can be the ringleaders.� ~Steven A. Starr Partner customer,� says Granger. “I wasn’t sure what it would be like. But it’s been a pleasant process designing this building with David and his staff.� The renovation of UNC Charlotte’s Prospector Bookstore was a project combining Starr’s brand development work with Tobin’s public building design. UNC Charlotte administrators were interested in creating a new branded concept to appeal to a targeted student group—commuters. “We took a split-level building with a second-floor level cafeteria/food court and gutted the middle and lower levels,� says Tobin. “We reclad two exterior facades and added a new grand staircase and elevator to the core of the building to better reach the main food court and two new food service and dining concepts.� “UNC Charlotte wanted to create its own branded concept. They wanted a somewhat limited food menu for students who wanted something quick with good food that wouldn’t require a lot of storage,� says Starr. “We helped them develop Feisty’s, a gourmet hot dog service that will serve hot dogs with gourmet toppings, hand-cut French fries, sausage, vegetables and a new drink, the Orange Feisty, a smoothie-like drink.� The lower level of the building, says Starr, includes

Stoking the Future The firm’s expertise in different sectors has given it the ability to weather the recent economic nosedive well. Just as one sector was dipping, another sector was headed up. “In 2008-2009, the consumer retail world went off a cliff,� says Starr, ‘but the civic, cultural world was holding steady.� The firm was fully engaged in its higher education work at UNC Charlotte, Richard Stockton College in New Jersey, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. By 2010, the restaurant and hospitality sectors picked up with projects such as the Pandora Jewelry, Brixx Wood-Fired Pizza, Emeril’s restaurant and Delta’s Soul Food. “We’ve stayed between 11 to 13 employees for the last three years,� says Tobin. “We weathered the storm much better than most companies. We were actually flat and we didn’t have to make any changes in our staffing levels. We’ve been careful not to get too overconfident.� But with an increasing workload and the expectation of more to come, the firm recently hired another senior level architect. Building in the Charlotte region appears to be on the horizon for Tobin Starr + Partners. biz Carol Gifford is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

Tobin Starr + Partners, PLLC Charlotte Office Grinnell Water Works Building 1435 W. Morehead St., Ste. 240 Charlotte, N.C. 28208 Phone: Principals: $AVID 3 4OBIN !)! ,%%$ !0 0ARTNER #ULTURAL #IVIC (IGHER %DUCATION 0RACTICE ,EADER 3TEVEN ! 3TARR !)! 2$) 0ARTNER 2ETAIL AND 2ESTAURANTS 0RACTICE ,EADER Employees: 12 Established: 1999 Business: !RCHITECTURAL lRM OFFERING CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO COMPLEX TECHNICAL AND AESTHETIC CHALLENGES IN SPECIlC PRACTICE AREAS OF CULTURAL CIVIC AND HIGHER EDUCATION commercial and corporate, and restaurant and retail. www.tobinstarr.com

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Cont. from page 7

[bizMARKETING]

Maximize Marketing; Magnify Impact

Get Down to Business on Google Earth! Let’s see how this works. The first step is to have your business location constructed as a 3D model by a Google Certified 3D Developer. This model will be a realistic 3-D presentation of your building exterior in a highresolution high-quality image that literally pops-up in its location on Google Earth. Now, your business is ready to stand out in the marketplace! You can create as many 3D buildings and/or geo websites as you have offices or locations or buildings—as long as it has a distinct GPS coordinates. Fay Gibson, marketing director of the Hampton Inn SouthPark at Phillips Place, recently launched a 3D building and geo website for the hotel. It shows within Google Earth and is posted as a plugin on the hotel’s homepage. She comments, “We are thrilled to have the first 3D building image in SouthPark! It turned out so nicely and shows up so many of our quality assets. It will be a great marketing tool—especially integrating it via QR code with our hard copy materials.”

“The building is easy to navigate, showing the pool area, patio and available parking. We also added a 360 tour of the interior showcasing our amenities. On a separate layer, we were able to show the shops in Phillips Place relative to our location. On additional layers, we show Charlotte restaurants, shopping malls, destinations of interest, and sporting event venues. Essentially, it is a virtual concierge for our guests and a convincing presentation for prospective guests.” These new marketing technologies are particularly well-suited to hotels, malls, amusement parks, resorts, tourist attractions, and the

C O N S T R U C T I VE C A T A LY S T FO R C RE A T I VE C O N S C I O U S N E S S

like, where people are interested in the particulars of the destination. They are also of value to other businesses. Real estate companies are fascinated with the application of this technology to their business activities. It is a great way to show properties, inside and out, and exactly where they are positioned in a neighborhood. Prospective homebuyers can take their online home shopping to a much higher level. Tommy Lawing, of T.R. Lawing Realty, a leading local property management firm known for being very tech savvy, is very excited about the new technology. Lawing’s firm manages nearly 3,000 properties. He sees a great opportunity to show prospective clients not only the available rental properties, but the surrounding areas, including amenities and retail conveniences. “What a great tool, especially for people planning a move to Charlotte. It really is the best kind of armchair shopping,” Lawing observed. The same is true for commercial real estate. 3D building models will show the exact and relative locations of available space, and can be detailed down to the blueprint specs! Think about a hospital system or insurance group. 3D building models offer a way to show locations and provide information on hospitals facilities and clinics within an entire network or region as well as providing directions and showing accessible parking. In addition, it could alleviate some of the stress that accompanies a visit such as “Where do I park?” and “What entrance do I use?” Think about retail shops and galleries, where the ability to show exterior and interior shots may be the deciding factor to potential visitors. Think about a water distribution company who can plot customers on a geo website layer and plan better distribution routes. Think about an office machine retailer who can do the same and plan better service routes. Think about a publication which could do the same and analyze its distribution pattern. The business applications of this new geospatial dimension are endless for forward–thinking business owners. 3D building models and/or geo websites on Google Earth offer us new and faster ways to find local businesses and products and a new way to market our own. Personally, as both a small business owner and a consumer, I can’t wait to see what happens next! Google Earth, Google Maps, Google Places, and all references to Google are copyrights of Google.

Content contributed by Marcia Merrill, marketing maven of Red Rover Communications, a strategic marketing and public relations firm helping area companies grow by providing them with customized marketing solutions. For more information, contact her at 704-364-0084 or visit www.redrovercommunications.com.

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[bizPROlLE]

by carol gifford

Data recovery is the process of retrieving deleted or inaccessible data from failed electronic storage media such as computer hard disk drives, removable media, optical devices and tape cartridges.

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t’s happened to everyone—and usually at the worst possible time. You finish a project on the computer, coming in just under deadline, and you go to save it. And then … your computer crashes, your hard drive fails, and you fear all your work is lost. Sometimes it’s even worse than just one project; a computer crash could affect all your saved data. Before panic sets in, it’s time to call the Southeast area office of Data Recovery Group, or DRG, here in Charlotte. Other offices are in California and Michigan. Since opening in 1987, the company has successfully completed over 30,000 data recoveries and worked for more than 7,000 companies. The Charlotte office works with hundreds of companies from Maine to Florida and services accounts located as widespread as England, the Bahamas, and Puerto Rico. Data Recovery Group also provides private label data recovery services for computer repair companies located on the East coast. From desktops and multi-drive servers to USB jump drives and camera media cards, DRG can go on a “search and recover” mission for data. Other kinds of media serviced by the company includes: floppy and zip disks; Ipods, PDAs, and MP3 devices; micro drives, and legacy drives. “We specialize in data recovery—that’s our only job,” says Ron Davis, regional manager of the Charlotte office. A typical repair job at DRG takes three to five days. “We’ve been doing this for almost 25 years. We work with everything and can recover data from any size computer—from a small digital camera to multidrive server systems. “Your hard drive is going to fail,” says Davis, “it’s just a question of when. You don’t know if it will last five minutes or five years.” DRG specializes in recovering data from servers, including NAS and SAN systems, says Davis. Recovery services are available for all operating systems including Windows, DOS, Apple/Macintosh, Novell, UNIX, Linux, and Free BSD. Davis says 65 to 70 percent of DRG’s work is business-related. “No data loss situation is too large or too small,” he says. “The process is the same regardless.” “My data was on an external hard drive that simply failed,” says Venita Seward, owner of OHH Snaps photography in Charlotte. “I had years of photographs and documents for my small photography business that were secured on the hard drive. “There was a sense of urgency to recover the data because another company failed to do it. The other company told me it had recovered the data and placed it on an external drive, but when I got it home, I found out it didn’t work. DRG came to the rescue.” Seward appreciated that DRG told her what the problem was and kept in touch throughout the process, even honoring her quoted % price with the other company.

C O N S T R U C T I VE C A T A LY S T FO R C RE A T I VE C O N S C I O U S N E S S

Reaching for Data Recovery DATA RECOVERY GROUP ANALYZES HARD DRIVES TO RETRIEVE PRECIOUS INFORMATION

Data Recovery Group is a complete data recovery service specializing in recovering data from desktop drives, laptop drives, external drives, servers, RAID systems, network attached storage devices (NAS), storage area network devices (SAN), flash drives, and camera media. M A RC H

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An End to Paper Trails With most companies promoting a reduction in the carbon footprint and use of paper or hard copies, protecting data becomes even more important. Recent surveys on data show that most of it is in electronic format and that between 50 to 75 percent of business documents never get printed onto paper, adds Davis. A hard drive is a delicate and very tightly calibrated device that spins at high speed. Sometimes for no rhyme or reason, they just fail, explains Davis. Surges in power, extreme temperatures or a bumped or jarred drive can all be responsible for hard drive failure. Davis recommends that all users routinely backup their data. There are several methods including external drives, burning data to DVD, or using an online backup service. “If your data exists in multiple locations, you reduce your exposure to losing vital documents in a computer crash,” says Davis. With many employees now working on laptops in remote locations, from home or in the field, many companies find it difficult to check to see if backup recommendations are followed. There are warning signs, says Davis, that users should heed and being attentive to them can minimize possible data loss. If the hard drive is making unusual noises such as a buzzing, clicking or knocking, you should turn off the computer, says Davis. Noises signify a mechanical problem that will not go away. “Some computer makers include error codes in some hard drives that put out sounds like a Star Wars attack when something goes wrong,” says Davis. In such a situation, don’t wait, advises Davis. Call a trusted IT professional immediately. If your data does exist elsewhere and can be reproduced without much cost or time, you may be okay with replacing the hard drive and re-installing the information. “And,” he warns, “be careful about those recovery programs that offer free downloads to run on your hard drive. Running IRU, or I Run Utilities, software on a physically failing drive could overwrite and actually destroy the data you’re trying to recover.”

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“We specialize in data recovery—that’s our only job. We’ve been doing this for almost 25 years. We work with everything and can recover data from any size computer—from a small digital camera to multi-drive server systems. ~Ron Davis Regional Manager DRG Solutions One client chose DRG because of its cost-free initial evaluation. “I looked on the Internet for help and had picked out a company, but they wanted $200 just to look at my drives—and DRG was going to do the consultation for free,” says Gary Loden, IT manager at WSFA TV in Montgomery, Ala. “We were saving archives of our video stories on digital files on computer storage units with RAID capabilities, allowing us to use multiple hard drives to Ron Davis 2EGIONAL -ANAGER Data Recovery Group

reduce the likelihood of losing data. “But our system experienced a total mechanical failure, probably due to a random power spike or drop, or it could have been heatrelated, we don’t really know.” Loden says he sought help from several of his 40+ Raycom Media Inc. stations to no avail. He consulted with another area TV station IT person and then sent the data to a local data recovery company, However, that company was unable to recover the data, even after working on it for weeks. After contacting DRG, Loden found out the data was recoverable after the consultation. “I sent DRG the drives and it probably took them only about an hour to figure out what was wrong!” says Loden. “Within 48 hours, they had solved the puzzle. It was very important archival data that we were really happy to get back.” The cost of the project was reasonable, says Loden, and they were able to solve the problem quickly and professionally. “DRG can even save hard drives damaged in disaster conditions like fires and floods,” says Davis. “In spite of how fragile the hard drive is, it is usually so well-protected that even catastrophic conditions might not ruin the data. “Fire and water problems might damage the outside casing but may not get inside to the disks,” he continues. “If you experience a catastrophic event, don’t turn on the power to the computer. You don’t want to spin up the drive motor and contaminate the data on the platters. Usually the problems are between the head and the platter.” In emergencies, DRG will send someone to a location to pick up computers or hard drives. “Once emergency service is started, we’ll work

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24/7 until the data is fully recovered,” Davis adds. One unusual DRG recovery story involves a laptop that went through a washing machine. “I received a frantic phone call on a Friday night from a woman who said she had put her daughter’s laptop in the washing machine,” says Davis. “She was doing her daughter’s wash and unknowingly loaded the laptop into the machine with the dirty clothes. When she realized what happened, she called me right away and asked me to come over and get the computer. I took her drive to the lab and determined that we could recover her data.

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The Path to Recovery Data Recovery Group was started in 1986 by a retired partner from Ernst & Young. Better known to early customers as Drive Repair Services Corporation, the primary business was hard drive repair, but as an added value for customers, it routinely recovered data from repaired drives. In 1994, as hard drive prices declined and demand for recovery solutions increased, Data Recovery Group redefined its mission to become one of the premier data recovery sources in the world. It ceased offering permanent hard drive repair and began specializing in the recovery of data from failed hard drives and multiple drive servers and RAID systems. The company’s history provides a “leg up” in data recovery services. Davis explains: “Although we no longer permanently repair hard drives, hard drive repair is still an integral part of our business. Mechanical failures necessitate the temporary repair of hard drives daily and our vast inventory of parts as well as our intimate knowledge of hard disk drive architecture, allow Data Recovery Group to recover data that most data % recovery services would call unrecoverable.”

THE NEW NORMAL... Are you working harder? Are you working smarter? Is your company vital?

Has the way you see things, feel about things, and think about things changed in response to the New Normal? The New Normal for a lot of businesses means working harder, doing more with less. How is your company responding? If you have a good story to tell, we want to hear about it.

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E-mail us at jgalles@greatercharlottebiz.com with Potential Biz Profile in the Subject line and tell us why!

www.greatercharlottebiz.com

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“Your hard drive is going to fail, it’s just a question of when. You don’t know if it will last five minutes or five years.� ~Ron Davis Regional Manager

“We experienced a hard drive failure and I was looking for a provider who could help us,� says Nick Dooley, IT director of Elevation Church in Matthews. “I asked several people for help and contacted national providers and was surprised to find DRG, a national provider with a lab just a few miles away with the capability to do the work. “I made a phone call and was in and out, with my data back, in just three to four business days,� says Dooley. “They provided great customer service and because they were local, there was no shipping time involved.� Dooley needed a single file out of the failed hard drive and DRG was able to work within his parameters, recovering the data and providing him with the file he needed burned on DVD. “That single file was very important to us and the church,� says Dooley. “The data was irreplaceable.�

Are There Instances Where Lost Data Can Not Be Recovered? There are instances where the damage to the hard drive is so severe that data recovery is not possible. This usually occurs when the read/write heads actually “crash� and gouge the magnetic storage media to the point where the data is destroyed. Davis, “and have confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements in place with many corporations and government agencies.� If more specialized data recovery is needed, DRG offers the Center for Computer Forensics lab, a Michigan lab that protects the integrity of the data evidence. The value of data recovery might be calculated differently by different people, but one thing is certain—it is significant and meaningful to the user, says Davis. “It’s hard to predict which data is valuable to different customers,� says Davis. “From corporate financial reports to cherished wedding photos, from sales data to downloads for a music library, our technicians provide professional, confidential and secure data recovery services.� biz Carol Gifford is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.

Hard Drive Experts DRG uses the latest technologies, including proprietary methods, to recover data, and is often able to recover data that other companies have said is “unrecoverable,â€? says Davis. “In our experience, 95 percent of all inaccessible data can be recovered‌although it’s not an inexpensive process,â€? he warns. DRG lab technicians wear lab coats and face masks, but the recovery process is far from glamorous, explains Davis. Most data recovery techniques involve repair or replacement of heads and/or spindle motor, electronics, the firmware and parameter tables and the file system. “We wear lab coats to help keep the static electricity at bay and keep our clothes clean,â€? says Davis. “We work in a laboratory setting, or ‘clean room,’ to make sure there’s no dust around when we open the hard drive and to control the release of any contaminants that might cause damage to the heads.â€? Keeping data confidential is also essential. “We routinely analyze sensitive data including financial, medical and government records,â€? says

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Drive Repair Services Corporation dba

Data Recovery GroupCharlotte Office 7512 E. Independence Blvd., Ste. 100 Charlotte, N.C. 28227 Phone: 704-536-1717; 877-813-7810 Principal: 2ON $AVIS 2EGIONAL -ANAGER Employees: 9 Established: Additional Offices: 3OUTHlELD -ICH 3AN ,EANDRO #ALIF Business: #OMPLETE DATA RECOVERY SER VICE SPECIALIZING IN RECOVERING DATA FROM DESKTOP DRIVES LAPTOP DRIVES EXTERNAL DRIVES SERVERS 2!)$ SYSTEMS .ETWORK !TTACHED 3TORAGE DEVICES .!3 3TORAGE !REA .ETWORK $EVICES 3!. mASH DRIVES AND camera media. www.datarecoverygroup.com

[bizNETWORK] Thank you to our advertisers who make this publication and its distribution to over 100,000 readers possible! Enjoy their products and services as Charlotte’s leading business-to-business suppliers. 25

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2011 SPEAKER LINEUP Join us at Hood Hargett Breakfast Club for Charlotte s premier networking experience NEXT MEETING Carmel Country Club by invitation only

The Hood Hargett Breakfast Club

is a ‘category exclusive’ business development organization that develops and hosts some 36 events throughout the year for its members and guests. The goal of these events: to provide success-minded business owners with first-class venues to entertain clients and prospects.

Erik Qualman Author of Socialnomics and Social Media and Technology Expert

Apr. 8, 2011

Tobin Smith Fox Business Analyst and Co-host of FNCs “Bulls and Bears�

Oct. 14, 2011

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

MAR

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“Common Ground� Bob Beckel & Cal Thomas of USA Today’s Common Ground Column

Mar. 11, 2011

Wes Moore Youth Advocate and Author of The Other Wes Moore

May 13, 2011

Owner Carolina Panthers

Sept. 9, 2011

Matt Eversmann Hero of Black Hawk Down and the Battle of Mogadishu

Nov. 11, 2011

Jerry Richardson

Accepting New Members

“Prime-time is the best word that describes Hood Hargett Breakfast Club. It’s a networking and business development group that puts you at the right place, at the right time, every time. Run by quality leadership, the members of the group are all top quality people and businesses.� ~Daryl Larner, Larner’s Office Furniture Outlet

CPI Security Compass Group Conrad Trosch & Kemmy, P.A. Griffin Brothers Companies

“The Hood Hargett Breakfast Club is the premier business development group in Charlotte. They helped me launch my business when I came to Charlotte and continue to help me grow it through access to and relationships with top Charlotte business leaders.� ~ Lou Amico, L.A. Management Company, LLC

“Hood Hargett Breakfast Club has been instrumental in developing new business relationships and strengthening existing ones. It is respected among business leaders and serves as a valuable resource for philanthropic initiatives throughout the community.� ~ Gary LaBrosse, LaBrosse/Byerley Group, Merrill Lynch

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