Greater Philadelphia Business

CURBSIDE How retail is adjusting

ORGANIZE Simplifying office clutter

SPOTLIGHT Montgomery County

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contents

VOL. 1 ISSUE 1 2016

SPOTLIGHT 26

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

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EXECUTIVE Q & A

SMALL BUSINESS 38

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT NAWBO

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KEYS TO CAREER SUCCESS FOR WOMEN

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42 IN EVERY ISSUE 2

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EDITOR’S LETTER

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AROUND THE REGION/PEOPLE

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CEO ADVISOR

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GUEST COLUMN

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NETWORKING

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PASSING THROUGH

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B SCENE

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AFTER HOURS

STARTERS 8 10

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SAVVY VIDEO BROADENS ITS SCOPE CURALATE CONNECTS RETAILERS WITH CONSUMERS VIA SOCIAL MEDIA

FEATURES 16

NO CURBING CONSUMER’S ENTHUSIAM FOR QUICK PICKUP

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ASK THE EXCUTIVE COACH

LIFE & STYLE

ORGANIZATION AT WORK. THE NOT-SO-IMPOSSIBLE DREAM Feeling scattered by multiple email accounts and the growing pile of paperwork? Experts offer tips to see the surface of your desk and a single digit number from your inbox.

BBQ EMPIRE With a bit of smoke, a smattering of sauce and a whole lot of soul, Chef Keith Taylor looks to expand his business

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More retailers are catering to consumers desire to grab and go.

Is it a trend on the express lane to fading or has it just started its journey?

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42

STABLE 12 GOES FROM THE BARN TO BRIDGE STREET

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DINING – EL POQUITO ADDS MEXICAN FLAVOR TO CHESTNUT HILL

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Editor’s Letter

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

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4

elcome to Greater Philadelphia Business Magazine’s inaugural issue. We are open for business. And “Open for Business” will be an ongoing focus of coverage in our magazine.

We all know starting or expanding a business is a gutsy, time consuming, potentially life changing venture. It takes a great amount of introspection before a formal plan is actually laid out. The first and foremost question in any startup is am I ready to be the boss? Next, you also must examine the personal sacrifices needed.

Expansion is more complicated. It is not just about adding square footage or multiple locations. It is about knowing when an initial estimated market is saturated. This is a question businesses hope to face and can answer realistically.

Savvy Video Production (pg. 8) grew from Rick Davis’ still photography business. Every person with a smart phone has the ability to produce videos. Why hire a professional? Davis has over thirty years’ experience working with agencies. He has a trained eye that capture the images which tells his clients’ story. It’s where the process starts before the cameras roll. For Savvy, the story is the key.

Zachary’s BBQ (pg. 42) plans to more than double its current space in Norristown and is taking over dining operations at the Grand Ballroom in Philadelphia. Owner Keith Taylor takes his responsibility as a leader as seriously as his slow cooked ribs.

“What kind of leader would I be if not creating opportunities for my employees?”

Neither Zachary’s BBQ nor Savvy Video Production was started on a whim. But sometimes we see places spring out of nowhere and expand rapidly. “Where did they come from? It’s like they popped up overnight.”

Another ongoing feature will be a county spotlight. Consider the “County Spotlight” like a fingerprint as each one has their own identity based on location and demographics.

gp-biz.com

If you run a business or are planning for the day you can announce “open for business,” valuable resources starts on page 34.

When the workday ends, we like to decompress with some non-screen time. In our Life and Style section which starts on page 50, you will find options for staying in (books and wine) or going out (golf, wineries, and exhibits). With the fierce competition for our discretionary dollars, this section will not only highlight our picks for relaxing downtime, but will ask those in the hospitality and leisure industry how they attract guests and adapt to their needs.

Lastly we ask, “Where do you go to solve the world’s problems or even talk about them?” Social media forces us to look for adult conversation that is not a screenshot to be sent to HR. “After Hours” wants your input. Where’s a safe spot where you and your friends can talk about all the things you are not supposed to talk about? We may not be solving the world’s problems but we are having fun trying. In this issue, we spend “After Hours” at Cigar Mojo. Suggestions to where we should go next? Let us know.

Overnight success will always be one of America’s favorites, right up there with playing catch with dad, stuffing everything with bacon, and knowing how great it is to be an American. The things we value – whether be it an app on our phone, a service we didn’t know we could live without, or an advertising jingle we can’t get out of our head (chicken parm you taste so good) -- make us say, “what took so long for something like this” or “why didn’t I think of that?” They are the questions which are the core of all great innovations.

Greater Philadelphia Business Magazine hopes to spotlight those who not only had the courage to turn on the proverbial “open for business” sign but also to bring you interesting and compelling content from those who have driven the region’s economy for decades.

Editor

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online

Contributors

www.gp-biz.com Lisa Tierney Lisa Tierney is a certified professional coach and an award-winning marketing professional with over 18 years of experience in providing effective, strategic marketing advice.

Read the Digital Copy Online Get the most updated news, weather, sports, scores, stocks and commodities 6

Jennifer Robinson Robinson conducts talks and workshops with a broad range of businesses, non-profits, conferences and groups to ensure they are maximizing networking opportunities.

Be a part of the region’s largest surveys Get your day started with dailies!

Find area networking events!

Buy the newest team apparel!

Coming Next Month: • Who’s Hiring • Spotlight: Bucks County

• Franchise Elite •Q & A with new college president

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Tony Leodora Leodora has been an editor at a number of magazines, while also working on the business end of the golf industry in management, sales and marketing.

Stay connected with us!

before anything else, we’re all human rethink your bias at lovehasnolabels.com

STARTERS

Savvy Video Broadens its Scope

By Katie Kohler

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f all the images Rick Davis has captured in his over forty years of still photography, the two that greet you upon entrance to his new venture, Savvy Video Production, is a bike racing peloton and a stem of broccoli.

One is an action taken shot of bikers forming an inverted V formation Davis captured while shooting on the back of the car. The other is a vegetable parents hide in other food hoping to trick their children into eating it.

Both show the range of Davis’ talent of finding beauty in everything from a cruciferous vegetable to a team of ten speeds.

“People are born with it. Seeing the composition, the color. Putting it in the right light. One of the things people don’t understand is a professional photographer makes it happen every time the very best they can. It’s what we do.

We produce a thing that is ephermal for you. It only existed at that point in time.

It’s there and its gone,” said Davis.

Davis operates his commercial still photography business out of a studio in West Chester since 1986. Over the past five years he has been working as a cinematographer doing motion work and wanted to take it to the next level and establish a full production company in addition to the services he offers as a cinematographer.

“With motion work you are moving through a set of moments. It’s different ways of explaining life. I wanted to say more creatively and be more involved with the whole creative process. Still photography is a distillation of a moment. Telling stories has always been in the background. The ability to ramp up and do that with technology became a lot easier with the advancements in digital filmmaking which is where I saw my opening,” said Davis.

In November 2015, Davis launched Savvy Video Production, a new production company that offers full HD/UHD and 4K cinema digital video to clients. While some of the cameras and lenses can be gp-biz.com

Colleen Mullen

Rick Davis

“It’s different ways of explaining life. I wanted to say more creatively and be more involved with the whole creative process.” used for still and motion, the sound and lighting instruments and computer capabilities are greater for production work.

The growth required what Davis called a “fair investment” which will be ongoing as technology advances. Savvy works primarily with healthcare, pharmaceuticals, corporate, consumer, and non-profit clients to produce promotional/branding films, commercials and interviews.

Lead Producer Colleen Mullen, with a multifaceted background in production, joined in the summer of ‘16 to help launch Savvy. She previously worked at the West Chester based home shopping channel QVC. “I was a little stifled by the corporate nature of the work. It was a wonderful experience and I had a great time and learned a ton but it wasn’t the best fit for me. A situation like this where I can wear a number of hats with an entrepreneurial, creative drive was really important to me. Life is short.

You have to be really invested in what you are getting up out of bed every morning for, said Mullen.

“What spoke to me about Rick’s vision for Savvy was he wanted to tell stories and that is where my passion is with

filmmaking and creativity. I think stories and what people have been through and what they have to share is what’s important. It excites me when we are able to capture that and share it,” added Mullen who earned her Graduate Certificate in Advertising and Media Production in 2012 from Villanova.

The studio features green screen capability and the largest egg cyclorama in the Philadelphia, Delaware and Southern New Jersey area. They offer services from pre-production storyboarding through postproduction editing, and Blu-Ray/ DVD authoring—Davis brings three decades of experience collaborating with creatives in advertising, public relations, and in-house communication teams.

“We listen to a story. We have to know about your company, your goals, and brand. The biggest part of what we do is understanding that. The involvement in film production and making movies is about listening and brining what the person or company wants to say about their business, their story, out. We are storytellers. We need to know. We need to listen,” said Davis.

Mullen stressed the importance of being able to translate clients’ ideas from

any stage, even if it is still in their mind or jotted on a napkin.

“I think that is what is unique about us,” said Mullen. “We bring an advertising, public relations, and marketing background on my side and so much composition and technical work on Rick’s side.

Anybody can pick up their phone and video their boss. That’s not the type of stuff we are doing. We are making things that are powerful, visual and will be remembered. Not just a video for the sake of a video,” said Mullen “Technology kicked down a lot of walls. It allowed a lot of people to come in. It allowed what I call ‘good enough’

to be de rigueur,” said Davis. “It never used to be like that because there used to be people who knew - high priests of design, copywriting photography - who made things and delivered it. Now there is a free for all. It’s a big food fight and it will be that way for a while. People have to make a living at it. How do you know what your worth? I know what I’m worth. Some don’t. There’s been a great democratization in the visual arts. Being able to deliver every time is what professionals like myself do.”

Some business owners feel the investment in video production will be costly or that with the advancements in tech-

nology they can make a quality video on their phone. This may be a mismanagement of marketing dollars, especially if an organization has spent on other forms of media to engage consumers.

“It’s mis-thinking around what a budgetary line item is. How important is the brand that you built or your corporation built? How do you want to appear in the marketplace compared to your competitors?” said Davis.

Savvy Video Production 210 Carter Drive, Suite 9 West Chester, PA 19382 www.savvyvideoproduction.com

HEADROOM OFFERS PRIVATE AND COLLABORATIVE OFFICE SPACE. Expands Shared Office Space Concept

An office just isn’t about physical space.

John Tooher and Dan Lievens, managing partners at HeadRoom, believe that the actual spot you charge your laptop is only one part of the ecosystem of a shared office.

Lievens notes that HeadRoom’s original goal was to create an environment for like minded people to help each other grow and collaborate on ideas, rather than simply provide generic office space for individuals and businesses.

HeadRoom relies on a threecolumn support structure.

Space: Residents get their own office and conference rooms 24/7 for 50 hours a month and phone answering services.

Strategy: Lievens, who has 20 years experience with early stage businesses, and Tooher, whose background is in strategic planning, are available for consulting.

Collaboration: The main ingredient according to Tooher, the open work areas create an environment that rivals tech startup incubators with free flowing ideas and varied opinions.

Offices with doors and windows and conference rooms are available but HeadRoom’s mission is to get its “residents” to talk to each other. There are no tenants or strangers here. “There is a sense of belonging. Of being in it together. A big part of what we do is making you feel at home and connecting residents,” noted Lievens. “It truly is more about creating a safe environment for businesses to lean on each other and grow.”

Tooher touts the eclectic mix of service providers and how 70% use the services of other residents.

“It was very important for us to get that mix. It’s also important they are talking and interacting with each other,” said Tooher.

HeadRoom’s first location opened in Media in September 2014 and they welcomed residents to their Wayne location in October. There are plans for a third location this year. “Our goal is to make it a destination for businesses looking to go to the next level,” said Lievens.

But don’t look for HeadRoom in the saturated with co-working environments city limits. “We will never be in the city. We are looking for the hometown energy and feel. We are catering to slightly more established businesses in the suburbs,” said Lievens.

“There are a lot of people who would like to do business and stay in the suburbs. They don’t have any reason to go into the city. There is a great market for us here. If anything you will start to see some other players in the city expand or move out this way,” said Tooher.

HeadRoom offers two-day, fee-based strategic-planning services for $2,000 to $2,500 and a mentoring program for $4,000 a year at each of its locations. Access costs $350 a month, which buys you 50 hours of use, a receptionist/phone-answering service, Friday happy hour, and a one-hour consultation with Lievens and Tooher.-K.K. gp-biz.com

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STARTERS

Visual Commerce software maker connects retailers with consumers via social media

By Harry Bambi

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f a picture is worth a thousand words, how does that translate into dollars?

It’s Curalate’s job to help businesses monetize the picture of Taylor Swift and make the process from the thought bubble of “I want her shoes/earrings/shirt” to pressing the “buy now” button as easy as possible.

As the only content monetization platform, Curalate assists brands ranging from mall staples such as Forever 21 and J.Crew, to the internet media giant Buzzfeed.

Curalate’s main goal is to connect these brands with consumers using the power of images and inspire them to purchase.

Curalate reduces the consumer’s journey from liking the picture to ordering the shoes on Nordstrom’s site. Before the technology was created, the time from seeing the latest trend to purchasing it required several steps, and the chance of losing the sale was moderately high. If a link to the brand’s website wasn’t present, the shopper would need to spend time researching the product which could lead to a dead end or purchasing from a competitor. Curalate makes sure the styles, products, and articles individuals want will be easy for them to access and purchase.

This approach differs from other forms of digital marketing by giving the company an unparalleled understanding of how a brand’s marketing efforts are performing. Rather than emailing a generic, onesize-fits-all email to every customer in a database, Curalate identifies top images and posts with high levels of engagement to build a tailored path for each individual consumer. “We are transforming the nature of visual commerce through our ingp-biz.com

novative technology” explained Apu Gupta, the CEO of Curalate. “Connecting with consumers has never been more complex, as the journey from inspiration to purchase takes many more paths through social media and savvy shoppers tune out anything that is generic or impersonal.”

Constant changes to the digital terrain have been a boon for Curalate as brands look for ways to retain customers and generate new business. Creating brand loyalty when many shoppers are choosing the “price lowest to highest” filter requires brands to constantly prove their value.

“By providing retailers with the tools to connect images to sales and to gather the most authentic images that are generated by fans of their products, we provide value by increasing client revenue and enabling brands to better engage with their customers,” said Gupta.

The tools Curalate offers businesses of all sizes helps firms construct their own bridge to both local consumers and shoppers around the globe.

Investors are believers in Curalate as Gupta announced in February a $27.5 million investment from past backers which include New Enterprise Associates (the largest U.S. venture capital), Philadelphia-based FirstRound Capital (the biggest venture firm based on the East Coast); and MentorTech Ventures, which focuses on firms run by Penn grads.

Since 2012, they have bought into Curalate to the tune of $40 million.

With the latest investment, Curalate is aiming to double its staff of 115, which is spread across locations in Center City, New York, and Seattle, by year’s end.

GUPTA’S CURALATE AIMS TO HELP BRANDS BETTER UNDERSTAND AND LEVERAGE THE VISUAL WEB.

“Curalate’s success depends on our ability to attract and retain incredibly talented people and Philly has become such an attractive place for young, educated, creative people to live and work. This city is a completely different place from what it was when I first arrived here twelve years ago,” said Gupta, who has an MBA from Wharton. “The quality of life and affordability together with our world class universities make it such a unique place.” www.curalate.com

STARTERS

STABLE 12 GOES FROM THE BARN TO BRIDGE STREET

By Harry Bambi

“Do you live in a barn?”

The phrase used by mothers across multiple generations has a different meaning for Rick Wolf, owner of Stable 12 in Phoenixville. Wolf spent most of his life at his family’s farm, Saddlebrook Equestrian Center in Skippack. The barn was a “12 stall” structure that would become a makeshift laboratory for Wolf and his longtime friends Tyler Fontaine and Chris Carbutt’s home brewing operation. After nearly three years, the team outgrew their “entrepreneurial incubator” and set off to find a location for a brewery.

Today, the three beer-loving friends have become downright city folk, establishing their location on Bridge Street in up and coming Phoenixville.

Since opening, Stable 12’s marketing strategy has been humble (their sign went up in late March) they have enjoyed a great response. Focusing on Phoenixville’s foot traffic, building a clientele, and word of mouth have been their top priorities.

Their position on Bridge Street drives foot traffic from bar-hoppers, cinema buffs leaving the Colonial Theater, and foodies looking for a post-dinner liquid dessert.

Wolf’s love of beer, coupled with the booming rise of craft beer and a family full of entrepreneurs, made entering the beer business a smart move to Rick and his friends.“My whole family owns businesses so when this started to come about it was a no brainer. The market is growing at 17 percent per year,” said the 28 year-old Wolf.

Most of the financing for Stable 12 was out of pocket with a little help from friends and family. Wolf recalls the difficulty in obtaining funding after being rejected by nine banks. “One bank said ‘you look like a kid. This isn’t going to work.’ They weren’t interested in doing business with us,” said Wolf.

Since opening, three of those banks have returned lobbying for Wolf’s business in the form of a line of credit.

Despite the rapid expansion of brewer-

Beer Terms Guide A.B.V. – Alcohol By Volume A.B.W. – Alcohol By Weight I.B.W. – International Bitterness Unit I.P.A. – India Pale Ale Nitro - a mix of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. nitrogen produces tiny bubbles and a creamy texture and diminishes acidity.

About Craft Beer

STABLE 12’S INTERIOR IS INSPIRED BY ITS FARM ROOTS.

ies popping up around the area, Stable 12’s beer list centers on classic, approachable creations instead of the niche brews that can be difficult to palate for the average beer drinker.

“We aren’t doing any sours. We are going more for the American IPA’s and we want to start getting into a barrel aged program” notes Wolf.

Stable 12’s best-selling beer, their West Coast IPA, is not only having success in the brewery, it’s also finding popularity at the Collegeville Movie Tavern.

IPA’s are certainly having their moment in the craft beer sun as you can find countless varieties at Wegman’s Pub, and at local distributors. The 7.6% IPA stands out by offering light notes of grapefruit to balance the surprise of a higher than usual ABV. A must-try for any IPA aficionado.

Other highlights of Stable 12’s line up include the boozy 12.4% Russian Imperial Stout, the fittingly named Farm Boy Saison, and the 4.8% Cow Tipper Milk Stout on nitro. While some nitros have a tendency to be too smooth for their own good, Cow Tipper circles back around after a moment of smoothness to bite with a hint of hops, a nice change of pace from other nitros.

Wolf and his team plan on opening an outdoor beer garden. To ring in the beginning of the outdoor drinking season, Stable 12 will have some seasonal selections available including a Saison IPA, a Raspberry Witbier, and a classic Kölsch.

According to the Brewers Association • Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately 3 percent of U.S. annual sales). Beer production is attributed to the rules of alternating proprietorships.

• Less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.

• A brewer that has a majority of its total beverage alcohol volume in beers whose flavor derives from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and their fermentation. Flavored malt beverages (FMBs) are not considered beers.

• The hallmark of craft beer and craft brewers is innovation. Craft brewers interpret historic styles with unique twists and develop new styles that have no precedent.

• Craft beer is generally made with traditional ingredients like malted barley; interesting and sometimes non-traditional ingredients are often added for distinctiveness.

• Craft brewers maintain integrity by what they brew and their general independence, free from a substantial interest by a non-craft brewer.

• The majority of Americans live within 10 miles of a craft brewer.

Small Brews, Big Impact In 2015, craft brewers produced 24.5 million barrels, and saw a 13 percent rise in volume3 and a 16 percent increase in retail dollar value. Retail dollar value was estimated at $22.3 billion, representing 21 percent market share. The number of operating breweries in the U.S. grew 15 percent, totaling 4,269 breweries—the most at any time in American history. Small and independent breweries account for 99 percent of the breweries in operation, broken down as follows: 2,397 microbreweries, 1,650 brewpubs and 178 regional craft breweries. Throughout the year, there were 620 new brewery openings. Combined with already existing and established breweries and brewpubs, craft brewers provided nearly 122,000 jobs, an increase of over 6,000 from the previous year.–Brewers Association figures. gp-biz.com

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Around the Region

PHILADELPHIA

12

A new Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) will open to the public at uCity Square in Philadelphia this summer. The MIC, which is the result of a collaboration between Microsoft Corp., SeventySix Capital, the University City Science Center and Wexford Science & Technology, will be the first in the region and the third in the U.S., with other locations in Atlanta and Miami.

The Innovation Center complements and enhances Microsoft’s regional presence, which includes an office in Malvern and a Microsoft Store at King of Prussia Mall. Currently there are over 350 Microsoft employees in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Located on the ground floor of the Science Center’s corporate headquarters at 3711 Market Street, the MIC will be equipped with the latest Microsoft technology. Through a combination of programming and outreach activities, Microsoft – working closely with the Science Center and SeventySix Capital – will seek to spur economic development and create new opportunities for the local tech startup community. Further, the MIC will host activities that will bring underrepresented groups to greater awareness of and involvement with STEM activities and careers.

“Bringing Microsoft to Philadelphia and uCity Square is a game changer on many levels,” said Science Center President & CEO Stephen S. Tang, Ph.D., MBA. “Not only have we attracted a large tech company to our city, but the MIC also offers a means to engage our neighborhood, innovation, and entrepreneurial communities and give them access to Microsoft technology and training. It took a true collaboration between SeventySix Capital, Microsoft, Wexford and the Science Center to make this happen.”

“We are thrilled to work with SeventySix Capital, the Uni-

versity City Science Center, and Wexford Science & Technology to bring technology and resources to the great city of Philadelphia,” said Jeff Friedman, director of Modern Government in Microsoft’s State and Local Government Solutions Group. “MICs are part of Microsoft’s broader strategy to empower developers and entrepreneurs, extending into local metro markets to help startups grow their business with technology and services such as cloud computing, developer tools, software and open source technologies.”

The MIC will open in time for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in July and will serve as a hotbed of Microsoft activity during the convention, with a number of programs and events that explore the intersection of technology and civic engagement.

After the DNC, Microsoft, the Science Center and SeventySix Capital will develop and deliver a suite of ongoing technology and innovation focused programming that will offer the startup, entrepreneurial, academic and neighborhood communities access to Microsoft resources and expertise.

“Microsoft’s presence in uCity Square will enhance our community of ingenuity and become a catalyst to continue innovation and economic growth in our city,” said Joe Reagan, Vice President at Wexford Science & Technology. “With this opportunity, Philadelphia’s flourishing premier innovation district, uCity Square, will work in tandem with Microsoft to attract talent and companies that will bring businesses of all sizes together to advance technology and collaboration. We’re excited to see what the future holds for uCity Square.”

MONTGOMERY King of Prussia Mall announced four new dining establishments to open within the new expansion connector at the East Coast’s largest shopping center.

The dynamic roster, which boasts several Pennsylvania newcomers, includes: • Hai Street Kitchen & Co. – a Japanese-casual eatery born and bred in the City of Brotherly Love, acclaimed by Zagat and foobooz for its inventive sushi burritos, bowls and specialty sauces, made in-house daily with fresh, all-natural ingredients • SHAKE SHACK – a modern day ‘roadside’ burger stand serving up 100% all-natural, antibiotic-free Angus beef burgers, hot dogs, crinkle cut fries, frozen custard, beer and wine selection, and more • Nicoletta Pizzeria – New York-based Italian eatery, specializing in homemade pizzas, pastas and gelatos from Michelin-starred chef gp-biz.com

Michael White • Melt Shop – the Manhattan transplant that boasts artisanal comfort food from gourmet grilled cheese to specialty shakes • Top Chef Kevin Sbraga will open a second location of Southern-style bar, The Fat Ham, which is slated to open in the late summer.

“The demand – particularly by our Millennial customers – for more dining and entertainment-driven amenities at King of Prussia Mall has increased in recent years. Our goal is to deliver, and with this latest lineup, we’re offering some of the freshest concepts that are new to the market,” said Kathy Smith, Director of Marketing and Business Development.

These latest names will join at least 20 true luxury retail brands in the new space including recently announced CH Carolina Herrera, Clarins, Diane von Furstenberg, Jimmy Choo,

Robert Graham, Stuart Weitzman and Vince.

Five existing King of Prussia Mall luxury brands including Louis Vuitton and Burberry will also take advantage of the new expansion, relocating and expanding their current footprints to create flagship stores. Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s are adding new entrances to integrate into the new connector.

Come August 2016, the new 155,000-squarefoot connector will open, offering not only 50 new and contemporary dining and retail concepts, but also modern features such as common area dining counters with integrated, multi-tiered fountains, floor-to-ceiling windows, device-charging stations, a concierge-level guest service center, valet services, a state-of-the-art parking garage and many more conveniences and amenities.

Around the Region

People on the Move The Judge Group, a West Conshohocken professional-services firm, has promoted Mick Angelichio to president of Judge Healthcare.

Lincoln Financial Group, Radnor, has promoted Kenneth S. Solon to executive vice president and chief information officer.

Aleister Saunders has been named senior vice provost for research at Drexel University.

Lars Ola I. Sjoholm been appointed chief of trauma and surgical critical care in the department of surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and medical director of the trauma program at Temple University Hospital.

William H. Tickner has been hired as assistant vice president of Wells Fargo Bank N.A. in Malvern.

Kylie Flett has rejoined Punch Media as PR and social-media strategist.

Bryn Mawr Bank Corp., parent of Bryn Mawr Trust Co., has named Stephen M. Wellman as senior vice president and chief operating officer of the wealth-management division of the bank, and named Keith B. McCutcheon senior vice president and treasurer of the corporation and the bank.

Ursinus College in Collegeville has named Montgomery County businesswoman Maureen Cumpstone entrepreneur-in-residence, a newly created position designed to support the college’s U-Imagine Center for Integrative and Entrepreneurial Studies.

WSFS Financial Corp., parent company of WSFS Bank, Wilmington, promoted Tracy L. Feinsilver to senior vice president, regional manager, and Albert J. Roop IV to senior vice president, director of technology services.

Cooper University Health Care, Camden, has appointed Thomas W. Rubino vice president of communications, responsible for public and media relations, corporate and employee communications, social media, and the corporate website.

TD Bank has hired Nghia V. Ho as assistant

vice president, store manager of a branch in Havertown, and promoted Matthew D. Romano to assistant vice president, sales and service manager of a branch in Marlton. Named Marisol Medina assistant vice president, store manager of a branch in Philadelphia and Paul D. Marini has been promoted to store manager of the Towamencin branch in Lansdale.

Richie Furino has been promoted to regional vice president of operations for Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House, from regional manager.

David J. Fish has been appointed professor of clinical anesthesiology at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and director of critical care in the Department of Anesthesiology at Temple University Hospital.

MakeOffices, a company that offers flexible, affordable workspaces and services for businesses and entrepreneurs, has hired Danika Ervin as city lead for the company in Philadelphia.

Grant Thornton L.L.P has admitted Melissa Beaumont and Michael Pramberger as audit partners in the firm’s Philadelphia office.

Steven H. Gartner has been promoted to managing director of retail for the Greater Pennsylvania Region of CBRE Group Inc. AT&T has named Judy Cavalieri vice president and general manager of the Liberty States region, based in its Philadelphia office.

Comcast Corp. Philadelphia, has named Sridhar Solur as senior vice president product development for Xfinity Home and Internet of Things for Comcast Cable.

Genesis Healthcare, a Kennett Square provider of post-acute rehabilitation, has hired Richard A. Feifer as chief medical officer of Genesis Physician Services.

Independence Blue Cross, Philadelphia, has named Heidi J. Syropoulos, a geriatrician, as medical director of government markets.

Widener University has named Jayati Ghosh as dean of the School of Business Administration and professor of international business.

To have employees in your organization included in People on the Move, email EDITOR@GP - BIZ.COM

13

Save a life. Don’t Drive HoMe buzzeD. BUZZED DRIVING IS DRUNK DRIVING.

gp-biz.com

Around the Region

NEW JERSEY Atrium Health & Senior Living hosted a grand opening on April 19th of its new post acute care center in Woodbury, NJ at the former site of the Woodbury Country Club. The center boasts a number of premium features, such as best-in-class rehabilitation equipment, including a HydroWorx 1200 Aquatic Therapy Pool™, an AlterG® Anti-Gravity Treadmill® and Accelerated Care Plus® programs and technologies.

The private patient rooms are equipped with a personal television and mini refrigerator, Wi-Fi, high-quality air purification, warm lighting, hypoallergenic bedding and blackout shades. The

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center also holds a movie theatre, bistro and pub.

“This project was set into motion several years ago, with every step of the construction process guided by the needs of the patients. We pride ourselves on offering the thoughtful luxuries that make a world of difference to our residents, patients and guests,” said William Burris, co-chairman and co-chief executive officer, Atrium Health & Senior Living. “The end result is a post acute care center that delivers upon every demand and provides a safe, comfortable environment for our patients and team members.”

Amazon.com, Inc. announced plans to expand its footprint in New Jersey by opening two new fulfillment centers. The new sites will be located in Florence and Carteret. Through these new buildings, Amazon will bring more than 2,000 full-time jobs to the Garden State.

“We place our fulfillment centers close to customers to provide the fastest possible delivery times, and this expansion in New Jersey is directly tied to our increasing customer demand,” said Akash Chauhan, Amazon’s vice president of North America fulfillment operations. “We currently have more than 5,500 full-time jobs in the state and we are excited about the opportunity to add 2,000 new full-time positions.”

Amazon currently operates a fulfillment center in Carteret with more than 500 fulltime associates. This new fulfillment center, the second in Carteret, will be more than 800,000 square-feet and employ more than 1,500 full-time associates. The more than 600,000 square-foot fulfillment center in Florence will employ more than 500 full-time associates when opened.

A 156-unit apartment complex on Camden’s Waterfront proposed by Carl Dranoff was approved by the city’s Planning Board. The project’s civil engineer and architect, Jerry Roller, of the Philadelphia-based firm JKRP Architects presented the details, which also included 5,000 square feet of retail and 192 parking spaces.

Dranoff previously converted a nearby Camden landmark, the Nipper Building, into an upscale apartment building known as the Victor Lofts.

The Dranoff website says “…Dranoff Properties had a vision for Camden; a vision of two cities building on each other’s strengths, united by their shared waterfronts. Hoboken to Philadelphia’s Manhattan...”

DELAWARE Tenants have slowly been filling office space in downtown Wilmington over the past seven years. As a result, the city’s office vacancy rate in 2015 hit an all-time low since 2009.

According to an update from the Buccini/Pollin Group, Inc., Wilmington’s downgp-biz.com

Holtec Set for Spring ’17 A $290 million manufacturing complex along the Delaware River in Camden is set to open next April. 300 engineering and support staff employees of Holtec International, a company that designs and builds equipment for nuclear, solar, and conventional power plants worldwide, will be working at the site of the former New York Shipbuilding Corp. Company officials say total employment at the new Holtec Technology Campus could reach 1,000 by the end of the decade, making Holtec one of the largest employers in the city.

THE 2016 CAMDEN WATERFRONT MASTER PLAN PROPOSES A COMPREHENSIVE VISION FOR A VIBRANT, MIXED-USE, URBAN WATERFRONT NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGNED TO ATTRACT COMMERCIAL OFFICE HEADQUARTERS, A MAJOR HOTEL, NEW RESIDENTS AND NEIGHBORHOOD RETAIL STORES. RENDERINGS FROM ROBERT A.M. STERN ARCHITECTS.

town central business district (CBD) ended 2015 with a 15.2% vacancy rate. The figure is based off of research from JLL. “The delivery of new housing stock and restaurants on Market Street is creating a more vibrant downtown, which is attracting employers and energizing workers,” Rick Kingery, a vice president at Colliers International said in a Delaware Business

Now article. “A real live-work-play atmosphere is developing as the city sees a diversification of employers and the dynamics of a once ‘company town’ are changing. A FinTech [Financial Technology] cluster and entrepreneurial community have emerged while the banking and legal anchors are still thriving.”

FEATURE

No curbing consumer’s enthusiasm for quick pick up More retailers are catering to consumers desire to grab and go.

Is it a trend on the express lane to fading or has it just started it’s journey? By Katie Kohler Now.

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This simple three letter word is the reason innovators stay awake at night and why startups dare to believe they have the next can’t-live-without-it idea. It’s the impetus of customers’ need to receive what they want, when they want it.

The hard work of these pioneers has resulted in a massive influx of technologies making shopping easier than ever. The On-Demand economy brings all of these marvels to the consumer’s fingertips. With the a few taps on a smartphone, an Uber will arrive to transport you to a meeting or the next bar on a Saturday night (beware of their infamous surge-pricing.)

Craving pizza for your House of Cards marathon? Grubhub.

No time to search for the restaurant-quality ingredients the Top Chefs use? Blue Apron.

“We have just become so impatient. I attribute some of this to our use of technology. We basically get what we want when we want it when we are online. So the idea we would take the time to drive, park, shop, is old fashioned for many consumers today. Everything retailers can do to facilitate that new need consumers have for immediate gratification is giving them a leg up against he competition,” said Kit Yarrrow, consumer psychologist and author of Decoding the New Consumer Mind: How and Why We Shop and Buy. Ease of use and delivery are the key components attracting consumers, especially Millennials, to become loyal, repeat customers.

With the number of stores offering Click and Collect continuing to grow, retailers looking to stay ahead of the curve of omni-channel shopping are offering Curbside Pickup. Target, Nordstrom, Walmart, and even the struggling Sears are early adapters.

The process is simple – place an order on your computer or mobile device, an email notifies you when it’s ready for pickup, park in a reserved spot and notify the store through the app of your arrival.

Still not Now enough?

Sears guarantees you’ll receive your items in five minutes or less upon arrival at the store. Target boasts “you don’t even need to park - we hand your order to you as you pull up.” gp-biz.com

THE NEW DRIVE-THRU. TARGET OFFERS A DEDICATED AREA FOR CURBSIDE PICKUPS

A New Habit Customers still vote with thier feet. Ninety percent of retail shopping is still done in-store, according to a recent U.S Census study. However, fingers have proven themselves good decision makers.

InfoScout determined that of the 34.6% of Americans who have tried Click and Collect, half of them tried it for the first time in 2015. Fifty-four percent of shoppers, who have used this service, used it during the 2015 holiday season. Research also shows, 95% of shoppers who used this service during their 2015 holiday shopping indicated that they were very likely to use it again for their 2016 holiday shopping (vs. only 1.6% who said they would be unlikely to do so again).

“Curbside shoppers have raved about the service. We’ve seen a 60 plus percent return user rate – people who use it once typically did so again,” said mobile shopping app Curbside co-founder Jaron Waldman who noted users refer to the service as “convenient, easy, and reliable.”

New York based WSL Strategic Retail conducts about four surveys a year among shoppers and publishes their findings to their clients under the ‘How America Shops’ brand name. WSL’s role is to understand what shopping trends are emerging and what shoppers are responding to or are rejecting.

“Curbside pickup is certainly a rapidly expanding trend and it will expand even more. It’s here to stay. It’s going to be an entrenched habit,” said Candace Corlett, President of WSL Strategic Retail.

“Our customers love it.

They love the convenience and they love that it’s free...”

According to Corlett, in terms of consumer packaged goods, shoppers want to do their shopping and get it home the same day. Sometimes delivery isn’t a viable option due to lack of a reliable drop off location or inability to schedule a time to be available. In other instances, there simply isn’t enough time to deal with parking, scanning the aisles, and waiting to checkout.

“This bridges the need of ‘I want to order it’ and ‘I want to pick it up and take it home today.’ It takes the angst and stress out of at-home delivery,” explained Corlett who mentioned the majority of curbside shoppers are Millennials and Gen Xers.

Early adopters Proving the click and collect method of shopping isn’t just for groceries and home goods, Nordstrom’s “Buy online, Pick-up in Stores” option has been leading the charge since 2008 and expanded to curbside pickup in May 2015 for in-a-hurry customers.

The program has grown from the original group of 20 stores and the service is now available in most Nordstrom locations including King of Prussia, Cherry Hill, and Christiana Malls.

Nordstrom isn’t just keeping up with fashion trends. Their core mission of going above and beyond with each and every customer has resulted in the company’s continued success. “Our number one goal every year is to improve customer service and we recognize the customer’s definition of service is changing. As service expectations increase, so do our opportunities to stay relevant to our customers and speed, convenience, e-commerce and personalization are becoming more important to how the customer views good service,” said Nordstrom spokesman Dan Evans.

Curbside, a two-year-old San Francisco Bay area startup that received $9.5 million in funding, now is available in over 100 cities and is partners with Target, Best Buy and CVS. Curbside’s technology offers customers an accurate inventory of retailers’ items and location-based technology that notifies store employees as soon as a customer arrives for a pickup.

The service offers same-day gratification without the mark up or delivery fees associated with same-day delivery.

In October 2014, Target was one of the first retailers to partner with Curbside. Target’s curbside pickup expanded to one hundred more stores on November 1st, 2015. For the holiday season, their order volume in the last two weeks before Christmas Eve was up an average of 145 percent — over the average weekly order volume from September to November, according to Waldman.

For Target, fourth quarter comparable sales increased 1.9 percent, driven by traffic growth of 1.3 percent. Digital channel sales increased 34 percent, contributing 1.3 percentage points to comparable sales growth.

“It was always the plan to expand to new retailers and markets across the U.S. and we are excited for the future of Curb-

side and what we see is the future of mobile shopping. We identified Philadelphia as a metro area where shoppers are continually looking for ways to get the items they want from local stores – like Target – as quickly as possible. So far the response has been terrific,” acknowledged Waldman.

The not-to-be ignored behemoth Walmart launched a curbside grocery pickup service at select stores in eight U.S. cities starting in early October 2015. Customers select their items, pay, and schedule a pickup time online. Upon arrival, a Walmart employee loads the groceries into their vehicle as part of the no extra fees service.

“Our customers love it. They love the convenience and they love that it’s free. They especially like if they do a weekly shop and it saves their items and they easily click and reorder. It saves a lot of time and money and that is what we are focused on helping our customers do,” said Walmart spokesman John Forrest Ales.

Walmarts in the Greater Philadelphia area do not currently offer grocery curbside pickup, however according Ales, Walmart will announce expansion of the service to new markets later this year.

A new online supermarket shopping study of more than 7,200 consumers by customer intelligence solutions provider Market Force Information found just 5% of respondents said they have used click-and-collect, which involves ordering online and picking up curbside. But of those respondents who had used the service, 75% said they were highly satisfied with the service.

“We are continuing to innovate and think about entire customer experience and what that means,” noted Ales.

Not a passing trend While Waldron and his team of developers at Curbside displayed forward thinking in developing the app, they, along with retailers like Target are responding to competition and consumer preferences.

“The difference between today and ten years ago is all the technology. It has enabled us to do this and changed our psychology. We have this emotional collaboration between the new needs we have for immediate gratification and the ability we have with technology to deliver on those needs,” said Yarrow.

Brick and mortar retail stores are being encroached upon in certain categories by online shopping. According to WSL it is less so in the grocery sector but they are feeling the drain in apparel, baby, and diapers. With Amazon’s fleet of drones possibly looming, retailers aim to think of creative opportunities to meet expectations.

“This is retailers responding to the power of the Internet to take sales out of their stores and the smartest response you can do is give shoppers what they want,” said Corlett.

In this on-demand delivery arms race, companies are battling for the individual who will choose a product based on how quickly it can be in his or her hands, rather than the price. From small garage start-ups to multinational corporations, companies are thinking of different ways to make products instantly available to consumers worldwide. We may be a few years away from drones dropping off our groceries but we are living in a time where it has never been easier to have something new in your hands, now. gp-biz.com

17

CEO ADVISOR

It doesn’t have to be lonely at the top Vistage offers peers for top execs

S

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ometimes it really is lonely at the top. Some CEOs recognize this, but many do not. Or if they do notice the loneliness they do not always admit it. After all, it wouldn’t be the alpha thing to do.

Little known fact - CEOs don’t have many friends. Why? Aren’t CEOs friendly?

Of course they are. Most CEOs became CEOs because they are great at interacting with people. They may be loved by their employees, they may be approachable, but they still might not have any

“The CEOs grow as individuals, make a positive difference in the lives of others, and their companies reap the benefits” friends they can talk to. If they do have a close friend it is probably a friend from college or high school. The reason CEOs do not have friends is that friends take time. It is the one thing most CEOs don’t have enough of.

What is a friend? Friends are always ‘there’ for you, they are ‘always on your side.’ Importantly for CEO’s, a friend is someone you can trust with your secrets.

We may not think of them as ‘secrets’, but CEOs have many things they cannot gp-biz.com

discuss with…well, with anyone really.

What they need is someone who is: 1. Not related to the business in any way; 2. Can be trusted - bet your life trusted; 3. Who can relate to the subject; 4. Has the time and the ability to r eally listen; 5. Is not judgmental; and (hopefully) 6. Won’t give advice unless it is asked for.

Whoa! Someone like that is pretty hard to find. To begin with, it has to be the right person and you will have to spend some time with them before a true friendship can develop.

What is a CEO to do?

Experience tells us that the best way to build a friendship is to work on something together. The more time spent together mixed with the significance of the work (to the workers) strengthens the friendship. It’s why most people make friends among their peers at work. The challenge for CEOs is they have no peers at work. The only peer of a CEO is another CEO. How does one find another CEO and something to work on with that person?

If you had the chance to help out a small group of nice people, wouldn’t you want to do it? If you had the opportunity to tap into the wisdom of a dozen really smart people, wouldn’t you take advantage?

A very small number of CEOs (less than 5%) have joined peer groups of CEOs of

non-competing companies. At regularly scheduled meetings, they work on the important challenges and opportunities of each of their companies. They become each other’s peer advisors.

The rewards can be amazing. Not only is it personally satisfying to help these other nice people, but their companies end up growing at three times the rate of average US companies. The CEOs grow as individuals, make a positive difference in the lives of others, and their companies reap the benefits.

It turns out spending this time with true friends isn’t spending at all. It’s an investment with a great ROI for both the CEO and their organization. For that, CEOs do have enough time.

Joel Adams is the facilitator of a CEO peer advisory board consisting of distinguished CEOs of outstanding companies in the Philadelphia area. https://www. linkedin.com/in/joelaadams Joel.adams@ vistagechair.com

SALES

How to Succeed at Sales: The Solution

goes wrong. That doesn’t make the new client feel appreciated, and they could slip Iinto remorse. They also probably need a new set of expectations about what is going to happ transition from prospect to client. At this stage, you can also deal with any unresolved iss isting vendors); ask for referrals; or begin a conversation about repeat business. If you h for a few more minutes, a lot of problems can be avoided. This will also separate you fro salespeople and position you as being a trusted advisor.

How to Succeed at Sales: The Solution

Do you believe a less, but better approach to your business development would w

When you use the Sandler Selling System, you present only to qualified prospects so yo of presentations will go down, but your conversions from prospects to customers will go doesn’t sound that difficult or scary, does it? There is obviously a lot more to it, though, a said than done. But it’s our hope that this abbreviated explanation will help you rethink y process so you can avoid the pressure and distrust of the traditional sales model.

19 If you would like to learn more about the Sandler Selling System, visit our training center 466 Germantown Pike Lafayette Hill, PA www.TTC.Sandler.com 610.940.0600

The Sandler Selling System

The Sandler sales call should be different than any other sales call y Robert Sinton Robert Waks Robert Waks feel different to both you and the prospect. You should hear things fr robert.waks@sandler.com robert.sinton@sandler.com robert.waks@sandler.com robert.sinton@sandler.com never heard before. You should be able to “sell” without the stress a Robert Waks and Robert Sinton are Sandler certified trainers who are passionate

Robert and Bob are Sandler trainers who are passionate about sharing the San about sharing the Sandler Success Principlescertified and teaching the interpersonal Principles and teaching the improve interpersonal skills needed to greatly improv communication skills needed to greatly your lifecommunication and business.

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Do you know why salespeople get a bad rap as pushy and obnoxiou thousands of good salespeople out there? It’s because when you en son, you don’t even realize you are being sold. They don’t come to y manner like the traditional used-car guy. Professional salespeople h gp-biz.com prospects and help them make a good decision— and no one is the

FEATURE

20

Organization at work The not-so-impossible dream?

Feeling scattered by multiple email accounts and the growing pile of paperwork? Experts offer tips to see the surface of your desk and a single digit number from your inbox

By Katie Kohler

T

he paper monster covering the desk used to be the biggest enemy of office organization. No matter how hard you tried to file completed work it kept growing. Today, it’s partner in clutter crime, electronic correspondence, may be more powerful.

Escaping the paper monster seems easy: lwweave the office and close the door. However, the ever-growing number of emails flooding the inbox is burning a hole through your pocket.

The McKinsey Global Institute and International Data Corp. found that email is the second-most time-consuming activity for workers, next to “role-specific tasks.” gp-biz.com

With a stream of buzzing electronic notifications and a growing to-do list it can seem impossible to know where to start.

Laura Leist, Productivity Consultant, Speaker, and Author of Eliminate the Chaos at Work: 25 Techniques to Increase Productivity said, “People often try to implement a new system, new piece of software or new app – based on brand preference, or what everyone else is using. This is a bad approach. I hear people complain that they tried to implement something but it didn’t work. The reason it didn’t work is usually because they did not make the necessary time to fully implement the system and use it for at least a month before they give up. One also needs to remember that being productive and organized

SARAH GRADY, VISUAL SALES MANAGER AT THE CONTAINER STORE, HELPS CUSTOMERS SOLVE THEIR CLUTTER PROBLEMS.

Photo by Mike Irby Photography

at work is about “maintaining” and using the systems that have been put in place,”.

The to do list serves as an old stand by and one of the most effective ways to stay on track.

“It all depends on how you create it (the to do list). The phone with its alerts is fine for people with ADD, but if you are a visual personal it doesn’t seem real because you don’t touch it. There is nothing wrong with a traditional daily planner, especially if you like to cross things off or keep a paper record.

The medium has to be something that works for you,” added Debbie Lilliard, an internationally recognized organizing expert based in the Greater Philadelphia area, who has run Space to Spare, a professional organizing service since 2003.

Slaying the Paper Beast If the digital revolution has taken over, it has yet to fully hit the desks of workers who struggle to clear space for their morning cup of coffee let alone see more than half the surface.

When professional organizers such as Janet Bernstein or Lilliard are brought in to service an office, the number one source of chaos is paper clutter.

“It’s definitely still paperwork,” said Lilliard about the top complaint. “We divide down the middle. Where is the backlog and what is current has to be separated.”

“I still believe most of us benefit from the old fashioned inbox or tray system. I think separating documents out, and prioritizing into a couple of trays works really well,” responded Bernstein, CPO and Founder of the Greater Philadelphia based The

Organizing Professionals.

Before starting her business in 2006, she lived in five different countries. Bernstein developed her organizing expertise through her travels, multiple international moves, and working abroad, including nine years in the former Soviet Union.

“Most people need a system. They aren’t going to 100% disorganized to Miss Perfect overnight so it has to be something they can adapt to otherwise they won’t do it.”

“Traveling and moving around makes you a minimalist, which most of us can really benefit from. You are constantly paring down. The less we have in our lives, the more productive you are going to be. I don’t have tons of papers around. I haven’t had the luxury of keeping certain things,” said Bernstein.

For those who find it difficult to embrace a minimalistic life style or simply do not know what to throw away, there is hope.

The Container Store, with area locations in King of Prussia and Cherry Hill, offers a wide variety of solutions. After spending an afternoon in their aptly designed box shaped stores, it is easy to believe that your organization and storage problems have been solved. gp-biz.com

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ORGANIZERS FAVORITES Lilliard Unroll.me - Unsubscribe from unwanted email subscriptions, discover new ones and organize them all in one place. The Rollup is a digest that gives an overview of all the subscriptions you receive each day. It will keep your inbox clean by organizing the subscriptions you receive into a daily digestible email.

Neat Desk - A high-speed, duplex desktop scanner and Smart Organization Software.

Scan receipts, business cards, and documents in one batch while the software identifies, extracts, and organizes key information.

Leist OneNote - Great for taking notes during meetings and keeping a to do list. It has the gp-biz.com

ability to attach documents, audio files, videos, tables and more to a notebook to keep everything in one place. “Most people have heard of Evernote, however OneNote is part of the Microsoft Office Suite and integrates with Outlook and Tasks.”

ScanSnap IX500 – This best seller guides you through every step of the scanning process, and allows access to documents anywhere.

Leist loves this device for small offices or individual offices.

Grady Poppin desk accessories – This popular line has items available in colors ranging from a pink fit for a Disney Princess to a more subdued dark grey which add personality to your desk.

“It’s a great way to liven up office with a little bit of color. Color makes it fun.”

Elfa Filing Cart – The perfect Daily Action Center fits underneath a desk and comes with hanging rails for quick access to files and two drawers for storage.

Bernstein Brother Printer PT70BM Wireless Personal Handheld Labeler. “Labeling your files can transform those paper files you still need to keep and makes them so much easier to read and cleans up the look of your files. If you share your workspace with others, a labeler keeps everyone informed of where items should be placed,” said Bernstein.

Leist recommends a Daily Action Sarah Grady, The Container Store’s Center (DCA), a place easily accesvisual sales manager in King of sible from your desk chair, to corPrussia, delves deeper than pointral all your projects in files. Anying customers into the direction of thing not needed on a daily basis filing cabinets or plastic totes. or isn’t a current project should be “The number one complaint is stored in a reference file, if at all usually clutter. We have to get “Ask yourself – is this information them to define what their clutter still needed? Can I scan it? If origiis, whether it is paperwork or filnals must be kept, file it in an area ing. Then we go from there. They that isn’t at your fingertips to keep usually say they have papers evyou DAC items to a minimum,” erywhere. Then we talk them said Leist. through that. What kind of paLilliard, who has appeared on perwork? We try to find out what Mission: Organization a home imthe real root of the problem is. A provement show on HGTV, is also lot of people come in and want an advocate for a DAC for both to Band-Aid a problem. It works home and office mail. She has clifor a little bit but is a mess again. ents who employ her services sort Tell me why it’s a mess. Why is through their mail. Lilliard recomit cluttered? We try to work backwards to try to solve the root of THE ELFA FILING CART PROVES AN IDEAL DAILY ACTION CENTER. mends sorting on a daily basis before it becomes too overwhelming the problem,” explained Grady. to deal with by dividing into “to do,” “to read,” “to file,” and “recycle” for junk mail.

The Monster in Your Pocket Some think the world can be easily divided into two sectors.

Those who don’t mind the big red number glaring from their No Overnight Fix Before the paper monster takes over, or the inbox breaks an inbox and those who do.

Organizers agree on keeping work and personal email sep- all time high score. Taking time to organize regularly is the key to maintaining a productive workspace before the paper arate while being vigilant about unsubscribing to things of no monster takes over, or the inbox breaks an all time high score. interest. Also, if your alert sounds it does not mean to stop your “In a messy office, no one is making the time to actually go current task to reply. through and organize. There is something else more pressing “It’s almost a generational thing. The forty plus crowd, we don’t have a problem in delaying a response to emails. My two and urgent. I’m a huge believer in maintenance. It can be scheduled once weekly, whatever time it takes to get your space ordaughters in college have an immediate response. I am a great believer in setting aside time and responding to emails in one ganized. Most of us don’t do that,” said Bernstein.

“Without the on-going and often daily maintenance, there will block. It’s easy to lose track of time when we are switching be back-sliding and that is where people begin to feel overfrom one activity to another,” said Bernstein. whelmed again. Setting time with yourself to work on these Authors of a report from the London-based Future Work Centre, which conducts psychological research on people’s work- areas on a consistent basis will be helpful,” said Leist.

Grady notes not everyone needs an overhaul and some do place experiences, said emails are a “double-edged sword” that provide a useful means of communication but can also be a just need file storage or letter trays.

“Most people need a system. They aren’t going from one source of stress. Psychologists who warn that constant updates hundred percent disorganized to Miss Perfect overnight have become a “toxic source of stress” “The inbox is not a catch-all for all e-mail. Instead, think of so it has to be something they can adapt to otherwise they won’t do it. It has to work with their lifestyle and be someit as the processing center for anything that still requires acthing they can get excited about,” said Grady. tion. Any other e-mails should be deleted, filed or forward to Think finding time on your now organized planner will be someone else. Having a workable e-mail electronic structure is difficult? advised,” advised Leist “Does that meeting you scheduled need to be one hour? Can Leist suggests Quick Steps in Outlook to quickly process what you need to accomplish be done in 20 or 30 minutes? If e-mail and “project” folders where you can file e-mails regarding a specific project that don’t require additional action on so, you’ve gained 30 to 40 minutes of time to answer e-mails and return calls. Too often I see meetings blocked on people’s your part. Starting all of these files with the word “project” will keep them in order in Outlook version prior to 2013. For certain calendars in one hour time blocks with absolutely no time to do anything in-between let alone take a bathroom break. Rethink versions of Outlook you can drag and drop folders so all of how you schedule your time” said Leist. your folders are in one place. gp-biz.com

23

GUEST COLUMN

The Growth of Greater Philadelphia

By Matt Cabrey

24

Greater Philadelphia is at the forefront of transformations that are defining how business gets done, not only in our community, but across the country and the world. This is illustrated in the unprecedented surge of construction activity across our eleven county neighborhood of northern Delaware, southern New Jersey, and southeastern Pennsylvania.

The multi-billion dollar redevelopment of the Camden waterfront – Liberty Property Trust committed to investing $1 billion to help create the Camden of the future – the massive expansion of the King of Prussia Mall, the emergence of apartments and mixed-use properties, and more all underscore a development boom happening across Greater Philadelphia.

In Center City Philadelphia, there are a growing number of cranes that are now part of the city’s skyline. These cranes represent thousands of construction jobs that come with this development and are working on major projects, including: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s new 735,000 SF medical research facility; the 2.7 million SF FMC Tower; the transformation of Market East and its anchor The Gallery Mall; and Comcast‘s new $1.2 billion Innovation and Technology Center.

Most recently, Drexel University and Brandywine Realty Trust announced their $3.5 billion investment in the 14-acre Schuylkill Yards project – one of the largest-scale development projects in the city’s history – which will include spaces designed for innovative start-up companies, research laboratories, and corporate offices, along with residential, retail, and hotel, and robust open green space.

The reimaging of Greater Philadelphia extends far beyond the city proper, and is engulfing our entire tristate, 11-county neighborhood. We are seeing development and major capital investment activity extending from New Castle County, Delaware to Mercer County, NJ, and from Chester County, PA to Salem County, NJ. Projects of all shapes and sizes are emerging, and include: • Virtua Health System’s planned $1 billion medical campus in Westampton, NJ

oltec International’s new 600,000 SF campus on the Cam•H den waterfront • H&M’s investment in a 545,000 SF manufacturing facility in Burlington County • Zacros America’s newly relocated operations for its Hedwin Division Newark, DE with a $12 million, 182,000 SF facility • The 170,000 SF expansion of the King of Prussia Mall, making it the largest retail mall in North America • The evolution of Ardmore’s Suburban Square with a new 26,000 SF expansion • The transformative $100 million investment to revitalize the Granite Run Mall in Delaware County • The new 25,000 SF headquarters for Subaru of America in Camden • Bristol Meyer’s Squibb expanded presence in Mercer County with a 650,000 SF complex The new 125,000 SF home of the Philadelphia 76er’s • corporate offices and practice facility along the Camden waterfront • The $17 million 34,700 SF Science Building at Bucks County Community College • Rowan University’s new 96,500 SF Rohrer College of Business School facility The energy embracing our region is driven by many aspects from the favorable cost of doing business and the exceptionally competitive cost of living, to access to top talent that is coveted by local and global employers, and the advantageous proximity to Europe and the US, which is essential for many industries.

For these reasons and more, business leaders, entrepreneurs and researchers form across the country and the globe want to establish their operations in Greater Philadelphia.

Matt Cabrey is the Executive Director of Select Greater Philadelphia, a non-profit business attraction organization. mcabrey@selectgreaterphila.com.

Select Greater Philadelphia is the business attraction organization for the tristate, 11-county region of northern Delaware, southern New Jersey, and southeastern Pennsylvania. Through a dedicated focus on marketing and communications activities, Select highlights Greater Philadelphia to a regional, national, and international audience. The goal: grow the economic vibrancy of our collective community through attracting new businesses to the area and supporting the expansion of existing organizations. gp-biz.com

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SPOTLIGHT: Montgomery County

Montgomery County TODAY

Background Information for MONTCO 2040: A SHARED VISIO the new comprehensive plan for Montgomery County

• A Leading Innovator for Businesses and Industries throughout American History - From early paper mills, iron works, and film studios to cutting-edge pharmaceutical and investment firms, Montgomery County has been on the leading edge of innovation in the nation’s economy. Today, with over half a million jobs, the county remains a vibrant place of commerce and work.

Lehigh • A Transportation Gateway to Pennsylvania - With the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Northeast Extension, Schuylkill Expressgh Valley way, and Blue Route intersecting in Montgomery County and with County an extensive railroad network, the county is a Prepared by Montgomery Planning Commission transportation hub, linking the Philadelphia area with the Montgomery County, Pennsylvania rest of the state. Bucks

n, d C.

To Central • A Tapestry of Neighborhoods and Homes New Jersey and - Above all, Mont 26 476 County is a place gomery over 800,000 people from all Newthat York City walks of life call home.

Montgomery

  

 • An Interconnected Community of Schools, Parks, Libraries, and Trails - With parks like Valley Forge and Green Lane; with many colleges and universities, such as Bryn Mawr and the Montgomery County Community College; with excellent public and private schools; with its extensive trail network along the Schuylkill River, Perkiomen Creek, and Wissahickon Creek; and with its many libraries, Montgomery County provides abundant community resources to its residents and citizens.

• A Shopping Destination - The King of Prussia Malls, which form the largest mall complex on the east coast, as well as the Philadelphia Premium Outlets and countless malls, shopping centers, and stores, make Montgomery County a regional attraction for shoppers.

FIGURE 2: Population in 2010

  

County

95

• A Procession of Traditional Towns Dotted along old Train Lines 276 like Narberth, Conshohocken, Royers- Classic old towns, ford, Glenside, Ambler, and Souderton, are strung along the county’s rail lines, providing appealing main street downtowns for the county’s residents.

Philadelphia

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• A Historic Place76tied directly to the Nation’s Founding - From Valley Forge National Historical Park to the John James 476 Audubon Center at Mill Grove, from colonial-era farmDelaware steads to art deco movie theaters, the county reflects the ever-changing character of southeastern Pennsylvania.

  

  

AERIAL VIEW OF THE KING OF PRUSSIA MALL DURING BLACK FRIDAY.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

(PHOTO COURTESY OF THE KING OF PRUSSIA MALL)

295

FIGURE 2: Population in 2010 Population in 2010

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

gp-biz.com

FIGURE 3: Employment in 2010

FIGURE 3: Employment in 2010 Employment in 2010

Source: Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission estimates

7

Connecting Patterns In 2010, 85,536 more people commuted FIGURE 5: Commuting County Patterns than out. into Montgomery Commuting patterns between Montgomery  County and its neighboring counties are  shown below.

  

  

  27   •

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Montgomery County connects the region with the rest of the state.

Here are a few key transportation facts.

Montgomery County has: • Over 57 miles of limited access highways, more than any other Pennsylvania county in the region.

• Nearly 1.2 billion auto trips per year, almost as many as Philadelphia.

• 109 million annual trips on the PA Turnpike, most in the state, coming from 6 interchanges.

• Over 10.8 million annual trips on regional rail, slightly less than Philadelphia, from 41 rail stations on 6 rail lines. gp-biz.com

•

  

•

  

•

   

areas in the commonwealth and nation.

producing industries. That percentage was halved by 2000, when there were 20% of jobs in goods producing industries.

• The other industry sector that rapidly declined this SPOTLIGHT: decade was the information sector. The largest According to the 2012 County Business Patterns, private losses in this sector occurred during the first half of Montgomery County industry groups from the service sector with over 10,000

Montgomery County TODAY

employees include company management, general hospitals, restaurants, insurance carriers, building/dwelling services, employment services, and grocery stores. One goods Health Care Facilities producing industry, pharmaceutical manufacturing and research, is also considered among the county’s largest Hatboro  nsburg industries, although the Census Bureau withholds actual    the small 309 476 employment figures due to number of companies.  Lansdale

the decade as technology reduced demand for  traditional media publications and wired MONTCO 2040: A SHARED VISIO telecommunications.

Ambulatory Surgery Centers (as of June 2013) FIGURE Ambulatory Surgery Centers of June 2013) • The largest27:increase in employment is in(asthe TOTAL TOTAL professional, scientific, and technical services sector, PATIENT OPER. which gained over 12,000 jobs since 2001.

Its fastest ROOMS FACILITY LOCATION VISITS growing subsector services were scientific   research  and development and accounting services.    

Background Information for the new comprehensive plan for Montgomery County

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611

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Ambler

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



276



202

•

Jenkintown

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

 73

  Top Employers in Montgomery County FIGURE 99: Top Employers in Montgomery County

73



  422

 n

#

COMPANY

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Collegeville  

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INDUSTRY SECTOR  Norristown



 Conshohocken



   FIGURE 25:29 Health Care Facilities 

   eral Hospitals 29 and Specialty Pennsburg   bulatory Surgery Centers   

  

 

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76

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 

476

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 476



 Lansdale











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



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

 Hatboro      611   



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

Pennsylvania Department of Health



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

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 County businesses continue to evolve.  Recently,   & Haas  Dow Chemical purchased Rohm and      announced it will move some operations to the Pfizer   campus, which Pfizer had bought from Wyeth.   Almac, an Irish pharmaceutical company,     consolidated its North American operations at a new     headquarters in Lower Salford.

309



 Care Facility   Health Statistics (as of June 2013)



FIGURE 27: Ambulatory S









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



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FACILITY

 

    Prepared by Montgomery County Planning Commission Ambler  Jenkintown     LICENSED STAFFED OCCUPANCY AVG STAY 663    Montgomery County, TYPE Pennsylvania LOCATION BEDS BEDS RATE (DAYS)        202             73       73      Information  and Analysis   Source: PA Center for Workforce Pharmaceuticals, both manufacturing and research & development,    have        beenan important part of the county economy.       28                    Norristown       Collegeville          Conshohocken 100     422         76               Pottstown      29           476                    General and Specialty Hospitals         Ambulatory Surgery Centers                     Department of Health  Source: Pennsylvania                      (as of June  2013)  276

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Health Care Facilities Statistics FIGURE 26: Health Care Facility Statistics (as of June 2013)

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Source (both figures):  LICENSED STAFFED AVG STAY Source OCCUPANCY (both figures): Pennsylvania Department of Health with additional Pennsylvania Department from Einstein Medical Center-Elkins Park.

BEDS BEDS information RATE (DAYS)  of Health with additional

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gp-biz.com

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information from Einstein 27 Park.  Medical Center-Elkins

           

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Source (both figures): Pennsylvani information from Einstein Medical

Industries Montgomery County byPrivate Private Sector Jobs: 2013 FIGURE 100: in Industries in Montgomery CountyCounty by Sector Jobs: 2013 FIGURE 100: Industries in Montgomery

by Private Sector Jobs: 2013 INDUSTRY INDUSTRY SECTOR SECTOR

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Location Quo

Locatio % OF TOTAL % CHANGE LOCATION % OF TOTAL % CHANGE LOCATION concentrated a concen 2013 JOBS 2003—2013 QUOTIENT 2013 JOBS 2013 JOBS 2013 JOBS 2003—2013 QUOTIENT

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







 

 



















 

 













 

 













   

 

 

 

 

 





it compares to it comp as the state or as the s countycounty unique LQs from LQsthe fro percentage of percent countycounty divided same industry same in LQs greater th LQs gre highly highly concenc These industri These i industries bec industri local economy local ec than just circu than jus LQs less than LQs les concentrated conceni likely serves likely so countycounty as opp

The LQs Theprese LQ to providing to provm figuresfigures and the look atlook moreatd sectorssectors shown 29 whole whole before b

Source: Source: Bureau of LaborofStatistics Bureau Labor Statistics

FIGURE 101: Public Sector Jobs Montgomery County: 2013 2013 FIGURE 101: Public Sector in Montgomery County: Public Sector Jobs ininJobs Montgomery County: 2013 GOVERNMENT LEVELLEVEL GOVERNMENT

2013 JOBS % CHANGE 2003—2013 2013 JOBS % CHANGE 2003—2013

 









 









 

 





 

   

 

 

 

Source: Source: Bureau of LaborofStatistics Bureau Labor Statistics

Location Quotients Location Quotients (LQ) are accepted measures of how concentrated a specific industry is in a county or region as it compares to the same industry from a larger base such as the state or nation. They can reveal what makes the county unique in comparison to the national average. The LQs from the chart on the left represent a ratio of the percentage of total jobs within a particular industry in the county divided by the percentage of total jobs within the same industry in the nation.

LQs greater than one indicate that the industry is more highly concentrated in the county than it is nationwide. These industries are usually considered export-oriented industries because

they tend to serve more than just the local economy and bring money into the county rather than just circulate money that is already in the county.

LQs less than one indicate that the industry is less concentrated in the county as compared to the nation and likely serves other businesses or industries within the county as opposed to a larger customer base.

The LQs presented in the chart are intended only as a start to providing more understanding of the employment figures and the county’s economy. It may be useful to look at more detailed or specific industries within the sectors shown or consider the Philadelphia region as a whole before drawing definite conclusions. gp-biz.com

30

The Man Behind the Kingdom

Hart oversees the expansion of the King of Prussia Mall Photo by Mike Irby Photography

gp-biz.com

D

uring the peak of the holiday season, King of Prussia Mall has 250,000 visitors a day, essentially making General Manager Robert Hart mayor of the third biggest city in Pennsylvania behind Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

The second largest mall in the country is undergoing a massive expansion set to be completed this summer. It will include a new corridor connecting the Plaza and the Court, fifty new stores and restaurants, and a state of the art parking deck.

Since taking over the top spot in 2004, this is the second expansion Hart has overseen. Hardhats and blueprints line hall leading to his office but it doesn’t mean Hart hasn’t been busy with the malls current four hundred plus stores, or welcoming the new addition of fashion-forward European giant Primark and three restaurants in 2015.

King of Prussia Mall employs 7,200 people and averages 20 million of visitors per year. How do you prioritize tasks on any given day?

It’s exciting. A lot of teamwork. It’s a big operation. We have great employees both at the property and the corporate level. At the corporate level we have an outstanding leasing group.

Marketing does a great job. Housekeeping, security and customer service…it’s all focused to make the shopping experience the best for the customer. Simon Property Group (the largest U.S. Mall owner) brings a vast knowledge and support system. We’ve enjoyed that both from management, leasing and the redevelopment standpoints. There are a lot of spokes in the wheel and we are all working together to make this this run at its highest and best level.

You’ve been in the business over thirty years. Why did you make a career in retail property management?

I started in retail after college then got into shopping center management and enjoyed it. It’s diverse and has changed a lot. It’s an interesting profession. There is something new every day.

It’s a very general manager type position in that there are a lot of different ways you can go and focus your energies and I find that very interesting. And it’s real estate so it’s a lot of fun.

How long has plans for the connection of the Mall and the Court been on Simon’s radar?

In late 2011, Simon president David Contis came up with the idea of connecting the two centers and making them one. That was the start of it but it takes a while. A lot of back of house work, designing and leasing strategy. We worked with the township for approvals and met with fire and police to make sure we were all in this together to get their buy-in to make it run as best possible.

How have you seen shopper’s behaviors change?

The customer is more digitally evolved right now.

Everybody has a smart phone and they do more research on the product. They are a smarter customer. Customer’s tastes change and retail will always change. What’s hot today may not be hot down the road and there will always be new retailers coming in. Retailers who aren’t in touch with the consumer will go away. It’s why you see a lot of variety and change when you go shopping.

How is the expansion progressing?

We are getting there right now. The connector is enclosed and now the focus is working on the interior and doing the finishes.

Amazon’s drones haven’t taken over the skies yet but brick-and-mortar stores can’t ignore online shopping. How does King of Prussia Mall handle its growing presence and competition?

The International Council of Shopping Centers recently reported 91 percent of shoppers this holiday season did their purchasing in stores. Online is definitely competition but we look at it as our customers want to come out and experience the mall. They want to touch the product and try it on. They enjoy the social aspect of the seeing the special events and going out to eat. That type of thing you can’t experience online.

What aspect will shoppers be most impressed with?

It’s one mall now. It’s not the Court and the Plaza.

It’s one mall where you don’t have to walk outside and it’s easier to navigate through. It’s a major improvement. We are going to bring in brand new restaurants and retailers, half of which are going to be new to the area. This has really been one of the things that King of Prussia Mall has done very well, bring in retailers to this center that are not found in the area. They are not found in other malls. People drive longer distances to come here. That’s why our market is so large.

It’s a benefit to every store and restaurant in the mall. We are going to see great new retailers and restaurants coming in. We are hoping to provide the best customer service and amenities of any mall. We are excited to see how customers will perceive this.

gp-biz.com

31

SPOTLIGHT: Montgomery County Industries Projected for Near Term Growth

FIGURE 111: Forecasted Percent a

FIGURE 110: Industries Projected for Near Term Growth 2012 JOBS

2015 JOBS

NUMBER PERCENT CHANGE CHANGE

 









 









DESCRIPTION















 

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 

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

 



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

 









  









 



   

 



NUMBER PERCENT CHANGE CHANGE 





 

            

  

















29



Pottstown

Forecasted Employment Less than 10% 10% - 19.9% 29

  



   

309

476



73

Lansdale

73

 









 











Ambler

 



Norristown

100

Collegeville

Local Plan July Source: Montgomery County Workforce Investment Board,  100















  



   76

Pottstown

  

29



   422

Conshohocken

422

Pottstown

476

 

Jenkintown

73







611

202



 

   276



663







Hatboro Pennsburg



1, 2012-June 30, 2017

Pennsburg









422

111: Forecasted Percent 663 2010 and 2040 FIGURE  and Number Change in Employment Between

 



 

4

FIGURE 110: Industries Projected for Near  Term Growth  2015 JOBS

73

100

   2012 JOBS

   663



DESCRIPTION

Pennsburg

47

  

  

32

29



Forecasted Employment Increases by Percent

Forecasted Percent and Number Change in Employment Between 2010 and 2040

m Growth PERCENT CHANGE

 FIGURE 111: Forecasted Percent and Number Change in EmploymentBetween 2010 and  2040 

29

  

Pennsburg

  

 Lansdale  

 663

73





Ambler





Jenkintown  

202  

 73







Ambler

663

 

















73

29

611

Jenkintown

73







  



 

100

Collegeville



Norristown Conshohocken

422

   76

Pottstown 29

  

   476

Forecasted Employment Increases by Number Source: Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

20% - 29.9% 30% and greater

  

202



Forecasted Employment Increases by Percent Less than 10% 10% - 19.9%

Less than 1000 jobs 1000 - 1999 jobs

Lansdale

476



Less than 1000 jobs 1000 - 1999 jobs

2000 - 2999 jobs 3000 and more jobs

Source: Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

Hatboro Pennsburg

   476



  



Source: Montgomery County Workforce Investment 76 Board, Local Plan July 1, 2012-June 30, 2017

Pottstown





Hatboro

309

276







Forecasted Employment

Pennsburg

276

Conshohocken

422

611



29



  



  Collegeville

 

100

29

Source: Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

20% - 29.9% 30% and greater

476



Norristown







 

 



309

476



Hatboro



Less than 10% 10% - 19.9%



TEXTS 309 AND GRAPHS EXCERPTED FROM MONTGOMERY COUNTY TODAY Lansdale

gp-biz.com

  

611

276

Ambler

663

  202

73

73

Jenkintown

143

OUR EDGE. YOUR VOTE.

In town for the Democratic National Convention?

See what makes King of Prussia a world-famous place to shop, dine, and stay!

With the largest mall on the East Coast, gaming and entertainment, a culture of amazing dining, and a plethora of luxurious hotels, King of Prussia is every conventiongoers ultimate destination.

visitKOP.com

SMALL BUSINESS

The United State Small Business Administration (SBA) helps entrepreneurs navigate business through loan guarantees, contracts, counseling sessions and other forms of assistance. As an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, they also help people recover from disasters and rebuild their lives by providing financial assistance to homeowners, renters and businesses.

Statistics from the fiscal year 2015 include: • 17,556 clients served; 10,328 attended trainings in Pennsylvania • 1,379 SBA- guaranteed loans for $484,792,800 and 233 microloans for $2.57 million in SBA’s Eastern Pennsylvania District • 3,088 small businesses located in SBA’s Eastern Pennsylvania District received federal contracting actions totaling $1,241,446,563.

Antonio Leta, Director of SBA’s Eastern Pennsylvania District office, oversees 40 counties and is eager to share his thoughts on how the SBA can help your small business.

What should people know about the SBA that they probably don’t?

34

We are here. We are more than lending.

We have many more programs. We have many different partners that we work with that can help a small business. Come see us. Let us talk to you. Let us tell you how we can help you. Maybe we aren’t going to help you directly but we can certainly provide you the right resource to help with your business. There are so many free services available to businesses and they are not taking advantage of them.

Whether it is SBA, state, county or local government free services…there are free

gp-biz.com

services out there galore. If you aren’t taking advantage of them you’re doing you and your business a disservice.

Why don’t you think business take advantage of free services?

One, they don’t know where to look.

Also, they are too busy working in their business and not on their business.

They are in the day to day. Small business ownership is difficult. There is not enough hours in the day to wear a thousand hats and be able to take the time to step away from that and go meet with somebody about trying to get help. What

is the time commitment involved with getting help? It probably puts people off because they are so busy running their business on a day to day basis they aren’t looking beyond making payroll for this week or getting a deal closed. It’s short term and they aren’t looking at a two to three year vision of ‘how am I going to get this business from here to there’ and what do I need to do that. It’s not a fault.

It’s just a reality.

Why is it important for small business to make the time to see what the SBA offers?

Don’t make this like going to the gym.

You can find a million reasons to fill your day and not find time to go to the gym.

For a small business owner, they can find a million reasons not to ask for help because they are so busy in their business, but if you block out that time, like you’d be healthier if you went to the gym, a small business would be healthier if they made the time to ask for help.

The SBA’s recipe for success consists of “Three C’s” – Capital (financing), Counseling (technical business advice), and Contracting (doing business in the Federal Government). In the following issues, Greater Philadelphia Business Magazine will take a closer look at each of the ingredients starting next month with Capital.

For more information visits https:// www.sba.gov/offices/district/pa/ king-of-prussia

InnovateHER CHALLENGE FINALISTS COMPETE AT NATIONALS Three Eastern Pennsylvania S.B.A. InnovateHER Challenge finalists had the opportunity to compete for $70,000 in cash prizes offered by Microsoft in a national pitch competition in Washington, D.C. March 16-17. The InnovateHER Challenge is a national competition aimed at unearthing products and services impacting and empowering the lives of women and families.

“Women control 80 percent of the purchasing power in this country; yet make up less than five percent of venture capitalists. This is why SBA launched the expanded InnovateHER Challenge, which focuses on empowering more women in the investment space and in the innovation space. Women across our country will benefit from investing in research and inventions that impact their experiences at home, in the workplace and even at the doctor’s office,” said Sonia Smith, Economic Development Specialist/Women’s Business Center Technical Representative.

SBA’s national 2015 first place winner was Philadelphia’s Bethany Edwards, who won out against 15 finalists from across the country. Her firm, LIA Diagnostics, designed a pregnancy test to provide a better experience for women at a stressful moment in their lives. This year’s first place winner was Elizabeth Caven from

UpCraft Club, Des Moines, Iowa The three Eastern PAInnovateHER finalists were: • Yasmine Mustafa, Roar For Good co-founder and CEO. Mustafa is the creator of Athena Safety Jewelry; a sleek and discrete simple that protects women from assaults with the touch of a button. Once pressed, it emits an alarm and messages emergency contacts. Mustafa was the winner of the competition hosted by the Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs, and their partners University City Science Center, Robin Hood Ventures, Techgirlz, and Colliders Accelerator.

• Mary Tiffin, Mangata LLC President/ CEO. Tiffin designed and patented a sleek glove with built-in high-powered LED lights for runners, cyclists, and other athletes who want to exercise at dusk or dawn. Tiffin was the winner of the competition hosted by Bucknell University’s Small Business Development Center in Lewisburg, PA and their partner, Pennsylvania State Representative Lynda Schlegel Culver.

• Patrice Banks, Girls Auto Clinic founder/CEO, engineer and automotive technician. Banks owns Girls Auto Clinic, which offers dialogue about the workings of vehicles and

how to service them through female auto repair garages, maintenance workshops, books, and an apparel line. Banks was the winner of the competition hosted by The Enterprise Center of Philadelphia.

“SBA’s criteria was to find products or services that have a measurable impact on women and their families, fill a need in the marketplace, and have the potential for commercialization,” said Smith.

Women-owned firms have increased as a share of total businesses over the years, but they remain smaller, on average, than maleowned firms. In Pennsylvania, data shows 27% of businesses are woman-owned. According to a recent report from the National Association Of Women Business Owners, in 2014 Pennsylvania had 297,700 woman-owned businesses which puts it in the Top 10 states – and Greater Philadelphia in the Top 10 Metro Areas for woman-owned business ownership.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government whose mission is to help small businesses start, grow and succeed through loan guarantees, contracts, counseling sessions and other forms of assistance to small businesses.

SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, has gathered statistics on buying and selling small businesses that show a solid economy for both business buyers and sellers.

gp-biz.com

35

SMALL BUSINESS

The Impact of Skills Based Volunteering

By Scott McKinney

36

Skills-based volunteering is on the rise in popularity. A growing number of companies and working professionals are volunteering valuable business skills to nonprofit organizations. This unique form of volunteering offers small nonprofits the chance to tap into expertise they could not normally access, and offers professionals the opportunity to train, leverage, network and give back to the community.

One Philadelphia area volunteer organization, RSVP (formerly known as RSVP of Montgomery County), has tapped into this recent development in volunteering with its Volunteer Executive Consultants (VEC) program.

VEC Program Manager Ruth Cella recently shared VEC’s experience in this new field of skills-based volunteering.

She explained, “Most of our 65 volunteers are retired from high level jobs as either CEOs or presidents of businesses in the for-profit community. We also have professors, doctors, lawyers, people with backgrounds in finance and banking, and engineers.”

Their primary purpose in volunteering? The same motivation as other volunteers: to contribute their skills to a good cause.

Cella continued, “These are high level professionals, and what they want to do in retired life is to share their skills with people that work at nonprofits. They have had successful careers, and enjoy networking with their peers as they volunteer their time and expertise.”

VEC was started in 1983 and conducts nonprofit consulting services throughout the five-county Delaware Valley area.

The organizations served are mostly very small, often with a budget under $100,000 and with only one or two staff. Volunteers typically work as a team, for a limited 3- to 6-month period, and the most common requests are for help with strategic and business planning, marketing, financial basics, as well as fundraising across the board.

A central goal is often to help the nonprofit form a functioning board: this is critical for nonprofits to attract adequate funding, and nonprofit founders may not have the knowledge necessary for recruitment and governance. VEC also receives requests for assistance from start-ups, aspiring nonprofits who hope to acquire 501c3 status. “We assist a number of start-ups, and begin by making sure their mission and vision is unique, sometimes counseling them to collaborate with an already established non-profit organization, rather than acquiring their own tax-exempt status,” Cella added.

One of VEC’s new clients contacted a private consulting firm to create a business plan, and they received a cost quote of $14,000, before coming across VEC’s services. When clients work with VEC, there is no or minimal charge for the consulting services provided. VEC receives partial funding support from The Pew Charitable Trusts, Tayganpoint Consulting, and its parent organization, RSVP. gp-biz.com

Current Professional Volunteers Cella also noted that five of VEC’s volunteers are currently working full-time as professionals, and virtual volunteering helps make their participation possible. They may meet oneto-one on a weekend early on, and then may connect virtually by phone, teleconference, and email during the course of the project.

Many corporations are requiring their employees to give back to the communities where they live and work. This creates a wonderful way for VEC to access the skills of working professionals to balance teams with retired members. Current employed VECs are from pharmaceutical companies and accounting firms.

Other Activities VEC provides education in the form of semi-monthly workshops on topics of interest to nonprofit boards and staffs. Upcoming workshops cover finance fundamentals, board development, and social media marketing. An annual highlight is VEC’s Meet the Funders panel where foundation and corporate representatives explain the grant funding decision process to nonprofit grant seekers.

The Parent Organization RSVP was part of a nationwide network of volunteer programs funded by the federal government in the early 1970’s, but it has since developed into a locally operated multiservice nonprofit volunteer agency (receiving only a small portion of their funding from the government) meeting the ever-growing and changing needs in our communities.

The bulk of RSVP’s volunteer opportunities serve vulnerable populations such as veterans, the elderly, disadvantaged preschool children, at-risk youth and adults. Volunteers also support nonprofits meeting important community needs by staffing food cupboards, historic sites, blood drives, senior centers, juvenile centers and many other agencies.

Skills-based volunteering offers a multitude of ways for professionals to make a significant impact in the nonprofit world.

Many nonprofits are fledgling organizations and have scarce resources, so they provide an opportunity for a skilled professional to make a large impact, with relatively little time investment.

The projects they assist with are often temporary in nature: short-term projects with a clearly defined goal. The work is flexible: volunteer consultants frequently connect virtually throughout the duration of the project. The impact can be tremendous: nonprofits in the range VEC works with have a drastic need for help, but do not have the resources to hire for-profit firms.

HELPING MANAGE YOUR LOVED ONE’S MONEY

UNDERSTANDING BENEFITS

T:10”

SMALL BUSINESS

National Associate of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Member Spotlight

ANGELA MEGASKO

I

38

n college, Angela Megasko’s neighbor had a dragster they would race every weekend. An athlete in high school, Megasko missed the excitement of being a part of a team and joined the pit crew. Surrounded by the hum of engines and the whoosh of cars, she not only learned about executing a job in a hurry but how all those little jobs combined can keep a car and a business from crashing.

“Being a part of a pit crew team, everybody has a job to do. It has to be executed with clockwork precision,” said Megasko. “When your driver pulls into the pit or when you are getting ready to have the car jump off the line, everybody had to be doing exactly what they are supposed to do at the exact right time. It’s like a machine.

When you think about business teams, everybody has to be doing their job with clockwork precision if they are going to be successful. It gave me an opportunity to see how the drivers needed to prep for each race and how they needed to know their competition’s strength and weaknesses.

“The things you do well and the things you don’t do well are in the spotlight whether you are involved in a pit crew or a departmental team.”, said Megasko.

Nearly twenty years ago Megasko started Market Viewpoint to provide consulting services to organizations that were interested in realizing higher rates of profitability through customer retention. The primary focus is to provide a professional, legitimate mystery shopping service that performs customer service evaluations for a wide variety of organizations, internationally. Market Viewpoint’s staff works with a client’s internal team to develop their survey instrument and any standards that may be necessary to ensure a consistent approach is used by field representatives.

The firm conducts over 5,000 customer service evaluations and customer service audits each year with an international database of 30,000 shoppers. In 2001, Market Viewpoint added a training and coaching division. Recently they expanded a series of workshops and retreats for women, called “Heart of Achievement.”

The competition amongst mystery shopping services can be as tight as on the racetrack. Market Viewpoint boasts a team with a customer service background and flexibility with their clients. “We see each of our clients as being unique. As a vendor I need to be able to respond to how clients do business differently in the marketplace. We take an individualized approach with each of our clients, explained Megasko. “Our clients recognized that if the right questions weren’t asked, surveys conducted by applications like Survey Monkey, can be a dangerous thing in terms of the quality of data collected.”

Market Viewpoint goes beyond the standard mystery shopping markers of which employees smile and if they asked for a customer’s email address at point of sale.

The data can go down a number of paths such as advice for adjustments on policies and procedures, website and phone improvements, and tips for the appearance of the storefront.

“We are giving strategic intelligence on what’s going to make them be seen as a force to be reckoned with in the marketplace. We have given lots of advice, recommendations, and best practices for our clients to consider and we love it when they take our advice and put it into action because it makes a difference. Their customers appreciate it,” said Megasko. gp-biz.com

Megasko has been a member of NAWBO since the inception of Market Viewpoint and praises the expertise and support she has received from the organization.

“They level of support I have gotten over the years has been extraordinary,” said Megasko of the Greater Philadelphia NAWBO Chapter. “I don’t know if there is anyone who understands being in business like another person in business understands. A woman in business can really only be understood by another woman business owner. We have challenges we face. We have frustrations we deal with that women in corporate America don’t necessarily deal with. We are out there alone. Women in corporate America are surrounded by other support departments (sales, HR, marketing). Women in business for themselves are creating all that for themselves from scratch.”

Market Viewpoint, LLC 995 Fairview Road Glenmoore, PA 19343 www.marketviewpoint.com

NAWBO is a network of women entrepreneurs who provide each other with valuable information, resources, referrals and more! Local, regional and national meetings and seminars provide members with faceto-face business connections for new clients, vendors, mentors and friends.

NAWBO’s national online database connects thousands of members across the United States. For more information and a calendar of events visit www.gonawbophilly.org.

SMALL BUSINESS

Keys to Career Success for Women LeBow’s Mawritz offers tips on leadership

Q: Is there one skill that is essential to career success?

Dr. Mawritz: Having a really high level of self-awareness, which is captured by the idea of emotional intelligence, is very important to a successful career. Understanding yourself, your desired lifestyle and what you’re looking for in your career is very important; it might be compensation, work-life balance, promotions, etc. You have to know who you are and what you want.

It’s also worth noting that the more you understand yourself, the more you will understand how people perceive you which is also essential to career success.

Q: What skills are essential to being an effective leader?

Dr. Mawritz: This builds on what I was saying about self awareness. I would say it’s a combination of taking a situational approach to leadership as well as being authentic.

I think it’s important for a leader to understand that you need to acclimate to the situation at hand. You, yourself, are a unique person, and every single person that you interact with is a unique person. Every interaction that you have as a leader with your subordinates is unique. You need to understand yourself in order to understand how to be the most effective leader that you can be, but also understand the particular person and the particular situation that you’re dealing with.

I think it’s essential to take an individualized approach, where you think about the person you are dealing with in terms of their skillset, their developmental needs, the coaching that might be necessary, the task at hand, and then figure out what type of leadership style will work best for that situation, as well as what will work best for you in terms of your own strengths, weaknesses and values.

When I teach classes on leadership, I often teach about leadership styles or behaviors that are effective. I tell my students they need to put all of that information into a leadership tool belt. Think about research on leadership, the books that you might read about leadership, the things you hear in the media, and use all that information to understand what’s effective. But, you also need to understand what works best for you and the current situation at hand.

Q. Are there any key factors that prevent women from achieving career success?

Dr. Mawritz: The biggest thing is something we can control – showing ourselves in a confident, competent manner. Unfortunately, there are socially constructed norms, gender stereotypes, that result in women feeling the need to downplay their certainty, or speak in certain ways that make it seem like we don’t know what we are talking about.

For example, women are much more likely to use qualifiers or ask questions instead of making definitive statements. So, if you think it’s cold in here, you might ask, ‘Isn’t it cold in here?’

Instead of just saying, ‘It’s cold in here.’

Women also tend to apologize more. There’s actually research that shows that men interpret apologies as taking blame. But when women say ‘I’m sorry,’ typically they are not saying ‘It’s my fault,’ they are just showing sympathy, if you will.

Society is beginning to see women differently these days. It’s becoming more acceptable for women to show masculine characteristics – to be more aggressive or more dominant, but that’s changing very slowly. So we still have these socialized norms that we play into that make it difficult for women to act as confident and as competent as they may, in fact, be.

Of course, there are a number of factors that play into your ability to rise the corporate ladder as a woman, but I believe these are the most important because they are what we can control.

And so, I encourage you, when you find yourself in a situation like a job interview, or up for a promotion, don’t be afraid to play up the fact that you deserve that job or promotion – because we know our male counterparts are very likely to do that.

Women are also much less likely to negotiate salaries, which plays into the male/female pay gap. But part of that is our own doing, because we fail to promote ourselves. And so, I think the biggest thing you can do is portray yourself in a very confident manner and don’t play into those social norms that say women shouldn’t act confidently.

Excerpt from a panel discussion featuring Mary Mawritz, PhD, assistant professor of management and a fellow within Drexel LeBow’s Institute for Strategic Leadership that took place at the 2015 PA Conference for Women – which was sponsored by LeBow College of Business. Aliza Licht moderated the panel. gp-biz.com

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KUDOS

Talluto’s Authentic Italian Foods Overcomes Obstacles to Win Family Owned Business of the Year

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n 1967, Joseph Talluto sold his family’s home in Southwest Philadelphia for $7,500 to purchase a $7,400 ravioli machine and moved his family of six into a building he owned “around the corner.” Joe was sixty years old, and at a time when most men his age were preparing for retirement, he was committed to pursuing his longtime dream, both personally and financially.

Today, Joe’s son and grandchildren operate a multimillion-dollar, award-winning seven-time winner of “Best of Philly” business, Talluto’s Authentic Italian Food, Inc. (TAIF) that manufactures and markets nearly ninety varieties of pasta, sauces, and other food products in their 50,000 square-foot state-of-theart facility in Folcroft, Pennsylvania with fifty-five full-time and four part-time employees. Customers include regional and national food service companies, retail grocery stores, delis, specialty food stores, restaurants, and other food manufacturers. Actively involved in the senior management of the business are Joseph A.M. Talluto, president and CEO; his son Joseph F. Talluto, vice president; and his daughters Angel Storti, finance and human resources; and Joanne Brown, retail, production, and administration.

“For years my father spoke of one day opening his own ravioli store. In fact, it was often considered a joke around the house. I’m not sure anyone, but he, knew how serious a dream this was... until the day he set forth to pursue it,” Joseph A.M. Talluto said. “My father was a man of many words: very strict and very headstrong. I remember telling my father that he should really consider taking on less responsibility, not more. But he was convinced that ‘now is the time’ and would not stray. My father’s dream continues indefinitely as friends and neighbors enter a Talluto’s store to find nearly ninety varieties of pasta, fresh mozzarella cheese made daily, and many complementary gp-biz.com

TALLUTO FAMILY FROM LEFT: JOSEPH A.M. TALLUTO, PRESIDENT AND CEO; HIS DAUGHTERS ANGEL STORTI, FINANCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES; AND JOANNE BROWN, RETAIL, PRODUCTION, AND ADMINISTRATION; AND HIS SON JOSEPH F. TALLUTO, VICE PRESIDENT.

Italian cuisine… all still served by Joe’s friends and family!”

At an awards ceremony held in 2015, TAIF was recognized as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Family Owned Business of the Year for 2015 for the Eastern Pennsylvania District. In receiving the award, his son, Joseph F. Talluto said “we are both honored and humbled to be recognized as 2015’s Family-Owned Small Business of the Year. Tough economic times have recently tested the strength of our company, and to receive this award is not only testimony to the hard work and resolve of our staff, but also the support we received from the Widener Small Business Development Center, DNB First Bank, and the Small Business Administration.”

“I was honored to have the opportunity to nominate Talluto’s Authentic Italian Foods, Inc. for SBA’s Family-Owned Small Business award. I have known and worked with the Talluto family for over six years and find the family and their business to be a role model of American entrepreneurship and integrity as well as an inspiration to the community and their network of cus-

tomers, suppliers and business partners,” said James Porter, former business consultant with the Widener University SBDC. “The family has struggled through difficult financial and economic conditions and came out on top in a situation where others would have given up. In the process, they demonstrated staying power, grew sales, expanded employment, improved profitability, and continued a family tradition that never compromises on quality, safety, or integrity.”

With the loss of a major customer in late 2006, followed by the recession in 2007-2009, TAIF faced 2-3 years of declining revenues. In collaboration with the Delaware County Commerce Center, SEEDCOPA, and the Widener University SBDC, the company developed a strategic plan that included internal restructuring, process improvement, new product development, and market diversification.

Business owners facing operational challenges have access to confidential, no-fee consulting services provided by the Pennsylvania SBDC network to help them expand and grow. The SBDC program offers growth services for established companies including environmental management, international business, government marketing, online business, technology commercialization as well as in-depth research and analysis. All of these services are provided at no-fee to business owners since the SBDC program is a public/private partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and 18 universities and colleges across the Commonwealth.

Philadelphia-area SBDCs at Widener University, The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, Temple University, and Kutztown University are available to assist existing business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Businesses seeking assistance can find their local SBDC by visiting www.pasbdc.org/centers.

T:10"

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SMALL BUSINESS

BBQ Empire With a bit of smoke, a smattering of sauce and a whole lot of soul, Chef Keith Taylor looks to expand his business

By Katie Kohler

gp-biz.com

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hef Keith Taylor bets neither you nor your friends have ever dined at a Swiss restaurant. Switzerland’s neutrality makes for safe bank accounts but it doesn’t translate into tantalizing cuisine.

“The great cuisines of the world are based on struggle,” explained Taylor, owner and executive chef at Zachary’s BBQ in Norristown. “Food represents comfort so the people with the least of means can get back to that struggle and move on the next day. Soul food isn’t “black,” it’s the child of struggle. The great cuisines of the world all have their own soul food. It’s a food born of the struggles that these cultures went through.

“BBQ is a vehicle, Taylor continued.

“My business is focused on soul. If I said I was opening a soul food place people wouldn’t get it. Soul and BBQ are interwoven. As a chef and culinary professional I know I am about to formalize soul food and bring it in a big way to the national landscape of culinary arts.”

Customers unsure of the difference between soul food staples such as Hoppin’ John and fried okra, need not worry.

Zachary’s staff is quick to dole out samples. They serve as a compliment to BBQ staples such as Carolina pulled BBQ pork or beef brisket.

A native of Nutley, New Jersey, Taylor graduated the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and Cornell’s School of Hospitality and Management. He then worked for Disney and the University of Pennsylvania.

Chefs may be versed in the classics, but Taylor made it a point to learn about the business end of restaurants. He took time after a sixty plus hour workweek to speak with controllers, food and beverage directors, and bookkeepers.

“The average chef only knows 32 percent of the PNL. What’s the other 68 percent? That’s what people don’t know and it’s why you hear nine out of ten restaurants close or don’t do well. Most restaurateurs only know 32 percent of the PNL. If you understood your numbers you wouldn’t be underfunded,” said Taylor. “The biggest thing I can say to anyone no matter what career you’re in, you may be a master at that skill or craft, but if you don’t take the time to learn the business of it you are not prepared to be

Photos by Mike Irby Photography

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Photos by Mike Irby Photography

TAYLOR TAKES PRIDE IN EMPLOYEE DIVERSITY AND JOB SATISFACTICION

in the business of it.”

In 1991, Taylor started his own corporation while working for other organizations and doing catering and consulting on the side. Zachary’s began as a catering business in 2003 and in March 2011 established a location at 1709 Markley Street.

Big things are about to happen to Zachary’s that are in line with Taylor’s plan for growth. Within the year, the restaurant will more than double its current space to 4,000 square feet. The expansion will allow for a larger dining area and kitchen, walk-in box, sales office and a teaching kitchen.

“I want to invite people in so they can learn how to cook comfort food,” said Taylor about plans for the teaching kitchen. “It’s my goal to demystify the world of the chef. I build customers by teaching them how to make good BBQ. You come to me when you don’t want to do it yourself.”

Zachary’s will also be expanding their footprint outside of Norristown as they take over dining operations at the Grand Ballroom at 38th and Market. Taylor has also been scouting locations and plans to open a Philadelphia location.

“It will become the new model and from that we will keep building them until God says I can’t build them anymore,” said Taylor of his future expansion plans.

Taylor is espcially proud of the diversity on both sides of the counter from the sauce covered fingers regulars to the outof-towners who tote two hands worth of to-go bags.

The eclectic catering menu features BBQ staples - hickory-smoked St. Louis-style ribs, brisket, ribs, pork, chicken and smoked turkey. It also has antipasti, bruschetta, hummus, spanikopita and southwest inspired smoked chicken crumpets.

Half of the restaurant’s sales comes from catering. Zachary’s caters events from backyard BBQ’s, to gradation par-

ties, to large scale corporate events, or the recent Convoy of Hope in Norristown with 5,000 people.

Taylor serves as an instructor in the culinary programs at Montgomery County Community College, Drexel, and the Community College of Philadelphia. He becomes especially animated when discussing his role the Central Montco Technical High School. Each year he takes on four assistants from the school to keep him connected to the “farm league” and to “put kids in a position to see and be a part of things they may want to do.”

“Think about being a high school kid or a minority, someone who is considered “less than,” which is what the vocational school system was and here they are in this program. Who do they have to look up to?

They have no one who looks like them. I walk in their school and I am real example compared to the fake media generated examples. They don’t really tell a kid the work you really have to do,” said Taylor.

“I am really committed to providing examples and avenues so they can learn and be a part of what it is they are aspiring to be.”

Leadership is a common theme in Taylor’s kitchen like the smoky aroma of meat.

Since opening Zachary’s, he has kept to his three tenets: faith, family, finance. He realized to take care of his family he had to be home. To do this, he created leaders and closed two days a week, a rarity in the restaurant business. He did the numbers and picked the slowest day (Monday) and Sunday to be closed.

“If I wanted that for myself, what kind of leader am I if I am not providing that example and opportunity to my staff. Leadership in business means you are going out of your way to create opportunities for everyone that you lead and teaching them to create opportunities for everyone they lead,” said Taylor.

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43

SMALL BUSINESS: ASK THE EXECUTIVE COACH

by Lisa Tierney

Question: How can you tell one coach from another? There are so many people doing coaching these days and although people say they’re certified, as a consumer, how can we know whether they’ll be a good fit? Based on what I’ve read and talked with people about, there appear to be different approaches to coaching. How does a consumer know if it’s a ‘match’ for what they really need?

Submitted by Glenna C.

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Answer: As the coaching profession has grown in popularity, more consultants and trainers have chosen to use the word “coach” to describe themselves. I have seen former athletes and thier coaches parlay their careers into serving professionals at corporations. Today, despite attempts to universally trademark an official accreditation by certain large coaching training organizations, anyone can market themselves as a “coach.”

My advice is two-fold.

1. A Real Accreditation / Training Certification – Look for initials after the last name and/or the words certified in front of the name and ask about the coach’s training. There are many diverse training and certification programs. Some coaching training programs focus on aspects of personality and some are very human resources training focused. My personal training focused on brain hemispheric integration as a change agent.

Coaching programs should be intensive in hours of study and practice required and should last a year or more, with a commitment to continuing education. Feel free to ask your coach where and how they got certified.

2. Experience & Proven Success - The coach you hire should have direct experience in helping others like you achieve a specific goal. They might also have real life experience that fosters rapport and mimics your skillset. Coaches are encouraged to find their niche and cater to certain ones such as divorce, grieving, self/body image, ADHD, etc. There are coaches who aid professionals in passing exams or reaching educational milestones and they often have backgrounds in education. There are coaches who have experience with business development, leadership, communication, mid-life career transition and achieving empowerment in the workplace. Some coaches specialize working with women who are struggling in a male-dominated workplace. Others focus on improving physical health. My personal credo is figure out what you want, then learn how to ask for it. When you have figured out exactly what you want to achieve from hiring a coach, you can then search for a coach who has done it for others at least a dozen or more times (of course, the more experienced coaches may charge more). How you gauge success of a coaching relationship is an important consideration. You and your coach should have clearly defined expectations around how you will both determine the success of your work together.

Question: How do you make a career transition or reinvent yourself when you are over 50?

Submitted by Sharen N. Answer: Many of my clients are professionals who come to me after a twenty plus year career, admitting they are feeling unrewarded and disengaged. It’s a common problem but the good news is that anyone who has been around as long as someone in their 40s or 50s usually has a lot of knowledge and experience they take for granted. The key is to harness the essence of what you have done consistently over the course of your career which you have enjoyed and excelled at. Even if you have worked at several seemingly different positions at a variety of companies the trick is finding the common ground. Examples of successful transformations include a communications director who was able to identify her value in a compelling way that landed her a higher position in management at a competing firm. Another example is a professional service provider who decided to target a completely different and specific kind of client – one that she related to and admired - moving from serving manufacturers to focusing on a niche of agri-business (food producers and distributors).

As a coach, one of the most common limiting beliefs I hear is from those who say they can’t re-invent themselves “at this stage of the game” is that they won’t make as much as money as they do now and they can’t afford to go back to school or have no time to learn something new. Hogwash! I promise you can make as much if not more money and work less than before when you understand and can demonstrate your value to a potential employer or customer. And, if you are lucky enough to successfully harness your passion in life and bring it into what you do to earn a living, then “work” is not work anymore.

Lisa Tierney, CLSC is a certified life strategy coach and marketing strategist. She is the Founder and President of TIERNEY Coaching & Consulting, Inc., offering high-level coaching to male and female professional service providers, business owners, and individuals to achieve goals around empowerment, business development, marketing, communications, public speaking, mid-live career transition and leadership development at all levels. Lisa can be reached at or at lisatierney@comcast.net. gp-biz.com

SMALL BUSINESS

THE FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

By Christopher Connor

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n my experience as a franchise consultant not only working with brands to implement the franchise development process, but also to help business leaders make the decision whether to franchise their business, the question arises as to why some significant brands have not franchised and yet have still been successful in building a large network of locations in different markets. For example, In-N-Out burger, Chipotle or Starbucks, have not utilized franchising as an expansion vehicle?

Like most strategic questions, there is never one encapsulating answer, but from my time in the industry it seems that the following elements typically are at the core of why these brands never chose to franchise.

1).They didn’t have to. Chipotle took the company public and brought in significant investment capital to expand. In-N-Out just weathered the test of time and grew the business organically over some 75 years with company owned growth. Starbucks leveraged venture capital and eventually took the business public in order to fund the growth of the system. There was never the need to bring in franchise investments for store openings when the coffee market expanded as quickly as it did and the VC’s were knocking. As the business went global, Starbucks did indeed offer a master license model for international growth, but this was driven by the need to have local, vested management teams in the new countries they expanded into.

2).There were extremely unique market opportunities in place. Starbucks revolutionized the coffee market and convinced us that $5 was a reasonable amount for a cup of coffee. Without any real competition, the margins were significant enough to create financials which

attracted the professional investment community. Chipotle revolutionized the organic, farm to table segment and caught the tidal wave of Americans concerns related to GMOs and other processed food issues. Chipotle made it cool to eat healthy and to pay for it as the average ticket sale went through the roof. In-N-Out burger was able to initially ride the coattails of McDonald’s in the fast food burger crazy of the 60s, 70s and 80s and then had a unique cult following that drove growth into the 2000s.

3).Leadership was comfortable with minimizing store level profitability in order to maximize employee retention and involvement with the success of the business.

Each of the brands have deep layers of management, generally offer better employee benefits and pay and have a dedication to a company culture. Store level profitability is and always will be important, but empowering the people who work in the business drives the overall success of the brand.

These thoughts do not weigh the negatives of choosing not to franchise a business. The liability of all these employees, risk of being on every lease, operational liabilities and other issues are significantly higher with company owned growth

when compared to franchise expansion. Chipotle has recently been working hard to manage a bacterial infection outbreak from several of their stores. Although the damage to the brand is certainly an issue either way, the stores had been franchised this liability to the franchise would be significantly limited.

For some businesses, there are ample opportunities for expansion outside of franchise growth, and for brands such as Starbucks, In-N-out and Chipotle they paved their way to success without the franchise model. Franchising isn’t for everyone and certainly shouldn’t be the only expansion option, evaluate your interests and business as to whether the franchise expansion model is the best fit for your brand.

Christopher Connor is the President of Franchise Marketing Systems.

Franchise Marketing Systems is a full service franchise development, franchise consulting and franchise sales organization. They have taken over 200 small businesses and turned them into successful franchises. The firm is designed to work with small businesses & small business owners who want to grow quickly and efficiently through franchising, but with a lower investment and more manageable cash requirements. www.franchisemarketingsystems.com gp-biz.com

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NETWORKING

Capitalizing on Networking Opportunities as an Introvert

By Jennifer Robinson

Not everyone is a natural networker. Some people dread going to a networking event the way some of us fear getting a root canal. They are frozen with anxiety at the prospect of walking into a room full of strangers or initiating a conversation. Have no fear or at least be able to hide it. There are ways navigate building a network and growing your business or career in the process.

Prepare

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Preparation is key. The more prepared, the less anxious you will be since you eliminated some of the unknowns. Research the event format. Is there open networking? Will there be a designated time for a 30 second pitch? Will there be food? Spend time before the event making a few notecards with lists of conversation starter questions, topics to discuss or both.

Review those before the event to help put you at ease. If there is an elevator pitch, give time to rehearse beforehand.

Why do I mention food? It’s best to arrive having already eaten (or not starving). If there is no food or something you don’t like, you won’t be grumpy because you are hungry. Feeling lightheaded or wearing a pout because you’re starving is not putting your best self forward. You may also be inclined to leave sooner if you are hungry.

Set a goal Before arrival, tell yourself you will meet three people and have meaningful conversations – more than a simple exchange of name and industry while handing off a business card. Once you have a few positive conversations any fears will (hopefully) have dissipated. But if it’s not the case, that is fine too. As long as you meet your goal of three conversations consider the event a success. Don’t forget to folgp-biz.com

low up with your new acquaintances after the event to build and cultivate those relationships.

Don’t set yourself up for failure If you are just starting out networking or aren’t confidant mingling with new people begin at a smaller event with no more than 25-30 people so you will not feel overwhelmed. A great place to start is Meetup.com. There are groups for just about anything in every geographical area. Some are large but generally they are informal gatherings of small groups of people who share common interests. Both the number of people and the informal setting will help you to navigate the event.

Take advantage of the extroverts The extroverts at an event are usually easy to spot. They move around the room with ease making introductions and having conversations. Approach one extrovert and tell them you don’t know anybody in the room. Can’t spot an extrovert? Every event has at least two people who are the coordinators. It’s their job to make people feel welcome. When you do your preparation, know who they are and be sure to introduce yourself at registration and let them know the connections you hope to make. Odds are they know a number of people and will not mind making an

introduction. Watch how they do it. Eventually, that is the place you want to get to yourself - being of value to people by making introductions.

Bring a wingman/woman Usually my advice at networking events is to never navigate them with a friend or colleague. However, there are exceptions if you are an introvert. Ask a more outgoing friend for their help. Plan ahead with them some things you want to highlight. Job hunting or looking to hire?

Searching for a partner on a project? Ask your more extroverted friend to be your PR person at the event. As you navigate conversations together if you don’t feel comfortable talking about yourself, your friend can do it for you. Eventually, you will feel more comfortable, know people in the room and be able to navigate the event without your friend.

Cheat Find a way to approach a stranger at an event without having to approach them at all. How? Get in line for food or drink.

People are captive and bored. Make sure your phone is away and you are present.

Think about a few easy topics beforehand such as “How has your day been?” or “Have you attended this networking group/event before? What do you like about it?” Don’t launch into a pitch or try to make a sale. Remember, it is always all about making a connection.

Try out the networking tips at these events Eastern Pennsylvania Business Owners Network Local Business Networking June 16 - 11:30 a.m - 1 p.m.

Italiano Delite Ristorante 1985 Brookside Rd. Macungie, PA N.J. Business & Industry Association Young Professionals Networking Happy Hour June 16 - 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

The Taproom and Grill 427 W. Crystal Lake Avenue Haddonfield, NJ 08033 Career Success Group Presented by Philadelphia Area Great Careers Group June 20 - 12:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania CareerLink 1855 New Hope Street Norristown, PA Job Search Networking Workshop by Pennsylvania CareerLink - Chester County June 21 - 10 a.m.- 12 p.m.

CareerLink - Chester County and United Way Financial Stability Center 479 Thomas Jones Way • Suite 500 Exton, PA

Women’s Independent Networking Group for Success Every Thursday in June - 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Charlie Brown’s 1001 Baltimore Pike, Springfield PA

Regular Events Women’s Power Networking: Coffee And Contacts Every Thursday in June - 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

Special Teas Tea Room 100 Ridge Road, Chadds Ford

South Jersey Networking and Referral Group Every Thursday in June - 7 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

Marista’s Cuisine 106 E. Main Street, Maple Shade, NJ

For a complete list of networking events, visit the Basecamp Business Calendar on our website

NAWBO Annual Meeting Dream Bigger, Launch Your Legacy #nawbophillyannualmtg16

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Lafayette Hill Business Networking Event June 21 - 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

The Training Center For Sales & Business Development, Inc. 466 Germantown Pike Lafayette Hill, PA Main Line Chamber Young Professionals Networking Happy Hour June 21 - 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Bolingbroke Mansion 424 King of Prussia Road Wayne, PA Bucks County Business Association Speed Networking June 22 - 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Beneficial Bank 34 S. Sycamore Street Newtown, PA Philly Techfest Breakfast June 23 - 8 a.m. – 9 a.m.

Drexel University Paul Peck Alumni Center 3142 Market Street Philadelphia, PA Main Line Chamber of Commerce Network at Noon June 27 - 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

The Radnor Hotel 591 E. Lancaster Avenue Wayne, PA

Molly Shepard

Join speaker Molly Shepard of Leader's Edge/Leaders by Design for "Dream Bigger, Launch your Legacy." Our Annual Meeting and Board Induction will follow the program.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016 9:00 am - 11:30 am

(Registration and networking breakfast will begin at 8:30 am)

Plymouth Country Club 888 Plymouth Road Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462

To Register: www.goNAWBOPhilly.org gp-biz.com

Variety Club Grows Produce for Zoo

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he Philadelphia Zoo feeds animals with appetites from hearty – a male gorilla gorges on 40 pounds of produce a day - to paltry, a vampire bats sips on 20 milliliters of blood. Sourcing food for a range diets without the option of ever calling for a pizza poses a challenge. Especially when three male and two female gorillas are only a small part of the zoo’s 1,300 animals, many of which are rare or endangered.

Last spring, Barbara Toddes, Nutrition Program Director at the Philadelphia Zoo, and her husband stopped at the Variety Club’s farm stand across the street from their home in Worcester. They met Steve Rock, now Variety facilities manager, who was lamenting the loss of some of the produce.

“The zoo is very interested in locally grown sources. There is so much demand for fresh produce in the city, the zoo just can’t compete. We discussed it with different places. We are not looking for people’s garbage or seconds. We are looking for quality product for the animals. That’s where Variety came in. It offered a nice opportunity for us to help them and for them to help us,” said Toddes, who has been with the Philadelphia Zoo for more than 30 years.

Variety - The Children’s Charity of Greater Philadelphia then formed a partnership with the Philadelphia Zoo to sell produce that Variety grows in its greenhouse and garden to feed the animals.

“We bought a lot of product from them and it’s made a positive impact for the collection,” said Toddes. “We’re really happy about it.”

Last year, Variety sold about $10,000 worth of produce to the zoo, which included red Russian kale, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkins, and squash. The program will continue to grow based on specific items the zoo looks to purchase. Variety is also harvesting browse – trimmings from trees and bushes – that’s edible and accounts for a large portion of the diets of animals such as giraffes, gorillas, tortoises and goats.

“It’s a win-win for everybody,” said Variety CEO Angus Murray.

“Our kids have been heavily involved, from planting, to harvesting, to understanding the business acumen associated with this venture. The idea is to continue to grow the program. The zoo has said they have a six-figure budget and we are just beginning gp-biz.com

to tap into that. The more we expand, the more we can produce, the more jobs we can create for our kids and teach them vocational training skills they will use the rest of their lives.”

Three years ago, the greenhouse was an “abandoned mess” in the corner of Variety’s 80-acre property. Rock volunteered to fix it up and the greenhouse is now one of the gems of the property featured on tours. Rock also tripled the size of the still growing vegetable garden. The greenhouse also features an aquaphonic tank system filled with tilapia. They defecate in the water which raises the nitrate level, making it an ideal source of nourishment for seedlings. Those seedlings, cradled in dirt, sit in Styrofoam containers above the nitrate-rich water. Drawing from that water supply actually allows the produce seedlings to grow three times faster.

“It’s huge for us because, not only is it giving us a great opportunity to build vocational skills for our kids and educate our camp kids, but it’s also becoming a viable reve- “For our kids to be nue stream. Any revenues we are generating, we are creating a ‘product’ plugging right back into the program,” said Murray. that can be bought “For our kids to be creating a ‘product’ that can be and sold is huge...” bought and sold is huge, not only financially, but also for their independence levels and self confidence. It gives us a steady stream of income that we can rely upon, even moreso than other streams of income.”

Variety serves children of all ages with disabilities through an extended school year program, a vocational program, overnight camp and day camp. These fee for service program rely heavily on corporate donations, individual donations, grants and events.

Variety is currently embarking on a full scale feasibility study and community needs assessment to ensure that the organization continues to develop and offer programs and services that are of critical need to children with disabilities and their families throughout the Greater Philadelphia area. -K.K.

Life& Style

DINING

EL POQUITO ADDS MEXICAN FLAVOR, WITH A TWIST OF LIME, TO CHESTNUT HILL

By David J. Putney

gp-biz.com

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uacamole is a good, early marker of what to expect at a Mexican restaurant.

If it’s chunky, someone got lazy with the avocado mashing and doesn’t care about the welfare of the tortilla. Too many jalapenos makes me think it’s hiding something. If it tastes sour or looks brown, assume that the rest of your dining experience will be south of the border.

Guacamole was the first thing I had at El Poquito on a cold, late winter weekday night when my friend and I met at their bar. The two smooth scoops begged to be eaten with a spoon instead of a tortilla chip but my manners won.

“Clearly, El Poquito isn’t afraid to use lime,” I said after the first bite. And that’s a good thing. Lime helps cut the fatty flavor of the avocado. Too many places skimp on this.

El Poquito characterizes itself as a family friendly Mexican cantina. However, according to my Chestnut Hill based friend, their bar scene is quite lively. It has the fuel to back it up with a nice selection of tequilas, mezcals, margaritas and Mexican and domestic beers. We

both ordered the fresh-squeezed lime juice margarita which forever ruined any non-island based attempt. No wonder it is one of their top sellers, especially when it is nearly impossible to limit yourself to only one.

The fajitas are, according to the menu, “for up to two guests” and unlike a chain restaurant, don’t come out sizzling. I am willing to forfeit the sizzle and the obligatory warning by the waiter to “not touch it” for El Poquito’s full, flavorful skillet of sliced chicken, peppers, onions and corn tortillas.

My Dining Buddy, who has insatiable appetite for Mexican food, ordered the enchiladas con pollo which he obviously enjoyed judging by the fact he scraped its guajillo chile sauce off of the plate to “officially finish.”

On a following visit with my Dining Wife, were greeted by a much louder crowd and packed bar. Luckily, we made reservations for Saturday night and were brought into a quieter side of the dining room. The server, Alex, was much more attentive than the Tuesday night bartender. Despite full tables, he took

Photos by Julia Lehman Photography

50

Photos by Julia Lehman Photography

51 time to answer DW’s questions, she not as versed in Mexican as DB, and kept a cool demeanor.

We both had the blood orange margaritas, the seasonal fruit, which packed just the right amount of tart.

On the recommendation of Alex and my own curiosity, I ordered the brussell sprout tacos, cooked to a perfect crispiness and complimented with smoked onion ranch. They were the surprising star of both visits. You’re skeptical it will work until the first bite. Then at the last, you are hoping more magically appear.

DW ordered steak tacos. The order came with tres which were on the smaller side but an excellent combination of flavors, and yes, accompanied by lime.

Don’t expect a Chipotle like heavy hand but you won’t leave hungry. El Poquito’s drink and dining menu is meant to be explored at a casual pace and is certainly a welcome addition to Chestnut Hill’s dining scene.

El Poquito (“the little one”) has roots from the Garces Group with Managing partner George Atterbury who helped

oversee the Garces Group Amada, Distrito and Village Whiskey restaurants at the now shuttered Revel Casino in Atlantic City. The chef is Garces vet Andrew Sabin most recently of JG Domestic.

The inside of the restaurant features reclaimed building materials from floor to ceiling including hardwood, floors wooden booths, and even a rehabbed motorcycle on the wall.

But it’s the outside which pushes El Poquito into a destination for date night or simply a Saturday night with friends.

String lights hang above an outside dinning area with communal tables and fire pits. On this frigid night, it was surprisingly easy to close my eyes and fast forward to a few months to a mild spring evening finishing a second margarita with the fresh squeezed summer fruit juice.

El Poquito has been open for over a year and is clearly not in the same realm of a standard setter like Amada. It lacks also the atmosphere of Distrito. For now, it fits its name. But little ones always grow up.

I’ll be interested to see what it becomes, and will back at the first hint of spring.

Price range $11-30 Parking – Street (there is a new parking lot behind the restaurant but with the new grocery stores and existing restaurants, good luck finding a spot on the weekend.

Takes Reservations – Yes 8201 Germantown Ave Philadelphia, PA 19118 http://elpoquito.com gp-biz.com

Life& Style

Wine

Hot off the Vine

by Laura Lamprecht

Pink Is In

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When selecting a wine, I’m always amazed how people let the color of a wine dictate choice. To this I say, pink is in.

I hear every excuse under the sun on why pink wines aren’t ordered; just a few, · I’m allergic to pink · Only a certain age drink pink · It’s too girly Now even fashion’s Mr. Blackwell says pink is in for everyone and everything.

For the sake of all rosé fans, pink wine is really red wine in a bikini, and who doesn’t love bikinis? It’s a saignee (senye) in layman’s terms, a light squeeze of one red grape or several big red grapes, in turn producing an elegant provence (provonce), dry style wine. From the pedestrial palate to the most cerebral, this dressed to kill fashion statement in a glass is all about

taste. So don’t let a little color throw you off, and dispel the outdated notion that pink is for girls, when-in-fact – pink is in!

My Pink Picks PALISSADE Rose, France Bright and vibrant pink in color with a nose of wild flowers, candied fruits and essence of strawberries. Crisp and clean.

Wonderful bouquet of crushed flowers, red berry fruit and spice. The palate explodes with notes of big, bright berries, and deep floral aromas. Perfect with light foods or by itself. Saignee of Merlot. Enjoy a glass of this deliciousness at The Rose Tattoo, Callowhill St. Philadelphia

HENDRY Rose, Napa Valley, CA Luscious deep pink color. Herbal and strawberry flavors and medium-high acid. A wine perfect for warm-weather drinking, well chilled, with simple foods. Hendry Rose is a dry wine with no residual sugar, which is the result of a saignee of a unique combination of varietals grown in the vineyard. Blend components: 47% Zinfandel, 20% Primitivo, 9% Merlot, 11% Cab Franc, 7% Petit Verdot and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. Savor a glass of this beauty at Talula’s Garden, Washington Square, Philadelphia.

LOCAL WINERIES OFFER TASTINGS AND ENTERTAINMENT Grace Winery

Roll Dance Songs.

July 8 - The Eric Mintel Jazz Quartet: Creative American Jazz with a Cool Twist.

July 22 - The Mango Men: a Jimmy Buffet style Rock to Pop to Country Dance Band.

50 Sweetwater Road Glen Mills, PA 19342 Saturdays Tasting Room Open and Live Music. .

Amalthea Cellars

The New Hope Winery 6123 Lower York Road New Hope, PA 18938 Wine tastings are offered every day. Individual and group wine tastings are available at the wine bar. Performing June 11, 12 – Al Stewart.

July 9th – Yellow Brick Road A Tribute to Elton John

209 Vineyard Road Atco, NJ 08004 Complimentary and VIP tastings every weekend. Visit their website for information on their Saturday night bonfires.

Willow Creek Winery Crossing Vineyards and Winery Inc. Chaddsford Winery 632 Baltimore Pike Chadds Ford, PA 19317 Tastings vary throughout the year.

Reservations are not required. May 28- May 30 Memorial Day Music Festival gp-biz.com

1853 Wrightstown Road Newtown, PA 18940 Summer Happy Hour at the Winery Every Wednesday in June, July and August. 5 pm to 8 pm June 10 - The Fabulous Greaseband: Featuring the best of the 50’s through 90’s Rock and

160-168 Stevens Street West Cape May, NJ 08204 Willow Creek is open to the public for daily farm and vineyard tours & wine and sangria tastings.

RETIREMENT FEELS EVEN FURTHER AWAY WHEN YOU CAN’T AFFORD IT. FEEDTHEPIG.ORG

WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCIAL STABILITY, DON’T GET LEFT BEHIND. There are people just like you who are making good financial decisions every day. To learn how you can join them, and take control of your financial future, visit feedthepig.org.

Life& Style The Best New Products in the World of Golf

Tony’s Top Ten

By TONY LEODORA

Nexbelt Nexbelt, the company that took the golf industry by storm in 2013 with its “belt with no holes,” made Tony’s Top Ten in its inaugural year. This year, after introducing a few new styles (the Fast Eddie, includes a dual-purpose divot tool and bottle opener) and models (the Tactical, a rigid cord belt for use in carrying heavy objects such as tools or weapons), the company experienced another bump in interest, as well as continued success throughout the line.

www.nexbelt.com Hoping to follow in the successful footsteps of Nexbelt are this year’s hottest products (in no particular order).

54 Antigua’s Heather Shirts and Wind Shirts Antigua has long been a leader in both style and technology, when it comes to its line of golf shirts and outerwear. This year, style took the lead.

The new line of heather shirts and wind shirts bring a softer look to the many bright colors that have dominated the golf market in recent years.

Made from a blend of 95% polyester/5% spandex knit, the shirt features irregular stripes and a self fabric collar.

Bridgestone B330RX Golf Balls Bridgestone attracted a lot of attention in the golf ball market in recent years due to many technological advances.

The new B330RX and B330RXS golf balls, for golfers with swing speeds under 105 mph, has all of the hot engineering of the B330 and B330S Tour golf balls but they are designed specifically for the amateur golfer. Its new Amateur Core and SlipRes cover allows the ball to have less spin off the driver, while increasing spin off wedge shots.

www.antigua.com

www.bridgestonegolf.com

Tour Edge Exotics EX-9 Driver Tour Edge Golf, based in Batavia, Illinois, has been a rising name in the golf equipment industry for more than 20 years.

This year’s winner is the new EX-9 driver, featuring the highest MOI (Moment of Inertia) in golf. It is a draw-enhancing, fully adjustable driver. Its unique nature comes from a Full-Speed Impact design that maximizes club head speed through a sloped crown and a subtle sole design that optimizes weight distribution.

High Heat Hybrids and Fairway Woods In 2015 the new High Heat driver took the golf industry by storm. It was developed by Dean Knuth, an engineer and golf innovator who worked for many years with the USGA. This year, he rolled out the logical progression of last year’s success – the High Heat line of hybrids and fairway woods. Bucking the industry norm of using steel in the head of hybrids and fairway woods, Knuth used a titanium, cup-faced de-

www.touredgegolf.com gp-biz.com

sign that is a major improvement over the run-of-the-mill clubs.

www.knuthgolf.com The Survivor Tee After three years of research, Phillybased company Greenkeepers came up with another in their long line of innovative golf accessories. The Survivor golf tee is the latest in the company’s line of performance golf tees, under the leadership of President and creative genius Frank Carroll. Within the first month of play, more than 20 PGA Tour players put the Survivor into play.

The best players in the world are interested in performance and the Survivor tee has been proven to have the lowest ball spin rate of any golf tee that has been tested.

www.survivorgolftee.com

Cleveland TFI 2135 Putter There are a lot of new putters, but only one putter had a truly unique feature. The Cleveland TFI 2135 putter has a raised alignment guide, 21.35 millimeters above the bottom flange or exactly at the midpoint of the golf ball. Cleveland found that 80 percent of all golfers did not have their eye directly over the sightline, or over the golf ball. The new Cleveland TFI 2135 Putter allows for perfect alignment, and more accurate putts.

www.clevelandgolf.com

The award-winning GFK golf sets are intended to help young kids fall in love with golf.

www.golphin.com Leupold GX2i2 Range Finder When it comes to point-and-shoot range finders, there are three important factors to consider: size, accuracy and affordability. The new Leupold GX2i2 Range Finder combines the best of all three factors into one product. It gives golfers the exact yardage to the flagstick (or any other mark), plus the downhill or uphill factor and how to adjust the yardage. The second feature is not legal for tournament play, but it can be turned off easily on the GX2i2, making it fun to use for play or practice but legal to use in tournament play after the slope calculation is turned off. Best feature: the retail price is $329.

www.leupold.com

Golphin Based in Scotland with an intent to inspire golf’s next generation, Golphin designed and manufactures innovative kids’ golf clubs. In particular, the company focuses on beginners, ages 3 to 12.

Cure Classic Putter Cure Putters have been dubbed “the fastest growing putter on the Champions Tour” and for good reason. Cure Putters has led the industry in delivering the highest Moment of Inertia (MOI) in putters since launching in 2014. The new

Classic Series delivers stability and forgiveness of a high MOI mallet, but in a traditional blade style putter.

www.cureputters.com Golf Skate Caddy Single-rider golf carriers have exploded on the market lately and for good reason, there is an advantage over a sitting golf cart in that golfers keep core muscles engaged and warm throughout the round, leading to better performance. Plus, they are easy and more fun to use. The Golf Skate Caddy proved to be the best of the bunch in tests at golf industry conferences.

www.golfskatecaddy.com

gp-biz.com

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Life& Style

Books

Booked Solid with Michael Port

The bestselling author aims to help fill your date book with only the most desirable clients

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etween his roles as New York Times bestselling author, Top Ranked Keynote Speaker, and small business marketing consultant, Michael Port has plenty to keep himself booked solid. His expertise and passion lies in helping service professionals turn leads into clients and implement a marketing strategy.

Q) Your two books, Book Yourself Solid, Beyond Booked Solid, isn’t just about mindlessly filling your date book. You stress choosing clients as carefully as your choose your friends (Red Velvet Rope Policy) and not thinking in terms of making contacts but making connections with real people. Through this approach, how do clients prosper?

This is the lesson some people find confronting because people could say that they’re at the early stages and they need to find all the business they can get. That’s a totally fair concern. Your Red Velvet Rope can be looser in the earlier development of your business, but you tighten it up as your demand for services increase. You didn’t go into business for yourself to work with people that drain your energy and make you feel like it isn’t worthwhile. You went into business to be with people that inspire you and that you connect with. The results are two fold: You tend to love the work you do (which is sort of the point of all of it), and you appear much more confident to the outside world, which has a significant effect on you booking business--people don’t hire desperate people.

Q) What advice would you give to improve your networking and selling game?

gp-biz.com

There are three things they can do each day: 1) Introduce two people inside their network who may not yet know each other but would find each other relevant. If they do that, it’s a wonderful way to stay in touch with people and add value to their life at the same time. If you’re not sure if someone would want an introduction, all you have to do is ask. Most people who are serious about making something of themselves want a bigger network.

2) Share some information with at least one person every weekday. Not necessarily your ideas, but something that is relevant to them, based on an article you’ve seen or a book you’ve read.

Q) Share some intentional compassion with at least one person inside your network every day. People care more about how you make them feel than what you do. If someone is going through a rough time, do something nice for them. If somebody had some major accomplishment or won an award, do something special to congratulate them. In other words, be a good human being.

If you do the math and you introduce people every weekday, share information with one person every weekday, and act with compassion every weekday, you’re staying in contact with at least 80 people a month. When the time comes and you need something, you’ve earned the “ask” and when somebody asks one of them for a referral, you’ll stay top of mind and you’ll get that introduction.

3) Many startups and small businesses are wary about handing off to clients to employees because they feel only they can provide the best possible service. How do

you balance “loosening the reigns” while still feeling in control of outcomes?

Get over yourself. You’re not that much better than everyone else. In fact, some people that work for you will serve clients better because their personalities will match those particular clients. What do you care more about: total control or building something that is bigger than just you, something that has scale? In other words, a real business that can deliver without you delivering all the services. If you don’t believe that your employees and staff can do a great job of serving your customers, then you’re either not hiring well or you don’t have enough faith in others. Both of those issues should be addressed if you want to build something special.

Q) Seinfeld has a famous joke about public speaking. He said, “it’s people’s number one fear. Number two being death. That means they would rather be in the coffin rather than give the eulogy.” What advice do you give people to not only overcome their fears but also become effective public speakers?

First of all, Jerry’s joke is hilarious.

However, there’s a fallacy inherent in the foundation of the idea. The reason people might think that public speaking is the number one fear is because you don’t think about death that much. You don’t have to die every day. But you DO have to speak publicly every day, and that’s the reason we’re more afraid of it. However, if you’re afraid of public speaking...and I had a loaded gun, and I was pointing it at your head...and I said, “You have

two choices right now: give a speech or get shot in the head,” which would you do? Most people will say, “I’ll give the speech.” Hence proving the fact that public speaking is not the number one fear.

I can understand how nerve-wracking it can be. I do it professionally and still get nervous. It’s because you care about the outcome. The thing that produces the most anxiety is if you fear not getting approval. However, if instead focusing on getting approval you worry about helping the audience get results by being helpful, you’ll take some of the pressure off of yourself because you’ll stop worrying about if you’re good, and you’ll focus on how to solve the problems for the people in the room.

Q) You stress long-term planning and accountability when building a business. Name an entrepreneur or CEO who you have seen successfully execute this and what can we learn from that case study?

Brian Scudamore, the founder of 1-800-Got-Junk. I’ve done a case study on him in my second book, Booked Beyond Solid. He started as a guy in college with a truck and a buddy picking up stuff to make money after school. As soon as he realized he had a concept of clean trucks, clean uniforms, and great customer service, he understood that he had more than just a junk service--he had a potential franchise business that could scale to the high heavens. He quickly got up to speed on that type of business model that he’d been previously using and put together his long-term plans to grow that into a significant company which he did, year-by-year.

DO OVER: RESCUE MONDAY, REINVEVENT YOUR WORK, AND NEVER GET STUCK (Penguin, 2015)

By Jon Acuff As a young girl, I was the worst hula hooper in the neighborhood. During the “who can hula hoop the longest” contest I was always the first one out. When the plastic toy hit the asphalt too soon I yelled “do over!” to have more time and not sit on the curb watching as the other smiling, pony tailed girls tested their endurance.

Somewhere in between the school yard and the corner office, we have forgotten that, at times, it’s still okay to say, maybe not in the same whiny, pouty voice, “do over.” Jon Acuff takes a humorous, straightforward look into the possibility in “Do Over: Rescue Monday, Reinvent Your Work, and Never Get Stuck.”

After hitting a Career Ceiling, he bluntly lists three options. Get a job at another company, do a job you didn’t want to do like being a creative director, or suck it up and die inside over

Barnes & Noble Top 5 Fiction Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I & II by J. K. Rowling The Crown (B&N Exclusive Edition) (Selection Series #5) by Kiera Cass The Obsession by Nora Roberts The Hidden Oracle (B&N Exclusive Edition) (The Trials of Apollo Series #1) As Time Goes By by Mary Higgins Clark

Brave Enough by Cheryl Strayed The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son On Life, Love, and Loss

by Anderson Cooper Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan

by Bill O’Reilly

Michael Port is available for bookings in the Greater Philadelphia Area. Visit http:// www.stealtheshow.com/media/#Inquire

Jim Pitts, New Business Development, USI Affinity Do it Rhino Style by Dave Magrogan

57 First Women: The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies

by Kate Andersen Brower Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

Business MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom

by Tony Robbins The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur’s Vision of the Future by Steve Case Dream Home: The Property Brothers’ Ultimate Guide to Finding & Fixing Your Perfect House by Jonathan Scott

Non – Fiction

WHAT I’M READING

a period of roughly thirty years.

Acuff assures a “Do Over” over is possible with a “Career Savings Account” which is a combination of relationships, skills, character and hustle. Some skills Acuff touches on seem basic such as maintaining relationships and to take notes at meetings. Others may be qualities like honesty and kindness which you hope a person inherently has to some degree. However, that is the point of the do over. When you have hit a wall in your career where you no longer care to cultivate the basic skills of how to be successful or your morals are tested, it’s a red flag that its time to pick another game.

Hula-hoops weren’t fun anyway. All that work without moving forward. Katie Kohler

Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business

by Charles Duhigg The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

by Charles Duhigg

Rochelle Culbreath, SEPTA Constituent Relations Coordinator Public & Government Affairs - The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

James Knipp is a Benefits Project Manager at Comcast and the president of the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference board - Finders Keepers by Stephen King gp-biz.com

Life& Style

@ The Franklin Institute

Visitors get an immersive experience in “The Science Behind Pixar”

Photo by Darryl W. Moran Photography

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“Visitors are going to learn a lot about animation, computers, physics, math, and what goes into making these movies which really does talk about science and technology.

The great thing is you are going to do it in immersive sessions. The amount of time they are staying is impressive because people love to learn especially when they are having fun. This exhibit does that as well as any of them,” said Dubinsky.

Exhibit highlights include: Sets and Cameras where visitors discover how a bugs-eye view was achieved for A Bug’s Life by viewing an actual set from a bug’s perspective through a viewing portal and then using camera angles and large-set design techniques on a touch-screen computer.

In Modeling, visitors learn how Toy Story’s digital sculptures are created based on sketches from artists.

Lighting explores the challenges in Finding Nemo artists faced in creating animated water with virtual light.

Rigging showcases how models are given a virtual skeleton to enable the animators to add movements. A virtual model of Sulley from Monsters, Inc. has 30,000 posable points.

In Surfaces, visitors can immerse themselves in the techniques behind adding color and texture to every surface in a film by designing “skins” for computer models of characters from Cars.

The Pixar Pipeline: Inside Out showcases the entirety of the production gp-biz.com

Photo of Sully and Mike by Michael Malyszko

“Y

ou are a toy! You are a child’s plaything!” Woody said in exasperation to Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story. Buzz didn’t believe he was a mass produced piece of plastic and the innovators at Pixar knew the Emperor Zurg fighting spaceman and their brand of blending storytelling with technology was anything but child’s play.

The journey to infinity and beyond in terms of moviemaking obviously involves science and math. “The Science Behind Pixar,” an interactive exhibition at The Franklin Institute, takes a unique look at the award-winning films through the lens of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) concepts used by the artists and scientists.

“We wanted to leverage the popularity of Pixar and its movies with underlying STEM concepts in an engaging and immersive way,” said Larry Dubinsky, President and CEO of The Franklin Institute.

“The Science Behind Pixar” was made in a consortium including Franklin Institute and the Museum of Science in Boston which developed the exhibit.

process from its conceptions to scenes to its rendering. Screens in the area are set up to mimic the flow of how artists and animators work together to create the Modeling, Rigging, Surfaces, Set and Cameras, Animation, Simulation, Lighting, Rendering and finally actual scenes from the final of version.

The exhibit which debuted in March and runs through September 5th opened to a “great reception” with spring break visitors and school trips.

“We know the summer is a big tourist time here in Philadelphia. The Institute is one of the largest tourist attractions in the city. We think this is going to do very well this summer and continue to help be a draw for visitors to come and experience arts, culture, science, and great restaurants. We not only see ourselves as an educational and cultural institution, but also an economic development driver,” said Dubinsky. -K.K.

LIFE HAS TAUGHT HIM THINGS NO CLASSROOM COULD.

LEARN HOW TO FIND, TRAIN AND CULTIVATE A GREAT POOL OF UNTAPPED TALENT.

ACLYUPP4006_Mag_FullPage_v1c.indd 4

9/3/14 10:18 AM

Life& Style

Passing Through

Art Alexakis has seen the country through the eyes of a troubled youth and as the front man of Everclear. After nearly dying of an overdose in 1984, Alexis cleaned up and relocated to San Francisco and then Portland to pursue a career in music. The release of Eveclear’s second album Sparkle & Fade in 1995, which featured “Santa Monica” entered them into the regular rotation of alt-rock radio.

“I don’t say it once during the song,” said Alexakis of the city he grew up. “It’s just about comfort zones.”

Everclear visited the Valley Forge Music Fair to play new songs from its ninth studio release Black is the New Black and give the audience a jolt of nostalgia with “Wonderful,” “I Will Buy You a New Life,” and “Father of Mine.”

What are your “Must-Do’s” when visiting Philadelphia?

I go to Jim’s Steaks on South Street. I go see some historical stuff. You guys have a great modern art museum here. I tend to do that when I have a little time on the road. First things first, I go to Jim’s for sure.

What are your impressions of the city?

I love Philadelphia. It’s a dirty, funky East Coast city with so much history and 60 flavor. I love the vibe of it. I love the people and how passionate they are.

Is it true about the “rock star lifestyle,” especially on the road?

I don’t have a rock star lifestyle. I’ve

always been pretty pragmatic. I’ve been clean and sober the whole time with Everclear. The main thing is the loneliness and missing my family. You are in hotel rooms a lot or in a bus. I try to keep connected with them. Technology makes it easier. I see my kid and we talk every day. A lot of times my wife and him will be having dinner and they will put the phone up and I can be there and have dinner with them.

The thing about being on the road is trying to walk the line of enjoying where you are and getting the culture of it, which I usually do through food, I’m a middle aged guy, food is everything to me. I don’t drink or do drugs or chase girls. I eat. I do a tour in the summer with all 90’s bands (Summerland Tour)

and it’s fun, we’ll be backstage and a hot girl will walk by and we will look at her, and go ‘hey man, did you try the brisket at lunch? Was that a marinade or a rub.’

That’s where we are at now. It’s not sex, drugs and rock and roll anymore. It’s sex with your wife, food, and rock and roll.

I think being on the road for me is trying to find the perfect balance some sort of normalcy and being able to enjoy where you at and get that culture. Especially, in this country, I love this country.

It’s so different from town to town. Even in Pennsylvania, you go to Pittsburgh or Philadelphia and it’s pretty different.

Pick your ultimate traveling playlist.

Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen are in a tie for first. Joni Mitchell. Otis Redding.

Some Hank Williams. Rock and roll, soul, a little country.

Upcoming at the Valley Forge Music Fair THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND FRIDAY, JULY 08

NATASHA LEGGERO SATURDAY, JULY 02

Originally located in Devon, the Valley Forge Music Fair was established in a tent in 1955 before becoming a permanent structure constructed in theater in the round style which seated 3,000. It hosted legendary acts such as Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, The Beach Boys, and Richard Pryer. The Music Fair closed in 1996.

Continuing the revival of a 40-year local tradition which began in 2014 with a performance by Smokey Robinson, Valley Forge Cagp-biz.com

sino Resort presents the Valley Forge Music Fair as on-going music, comedy and entertainment series showcasing top headliners and up-and-coming stars of tomorrow. All performances are held in the property’s newly renovated high-tech convention center (The Center) and Waterford Ballroom (The Venue).

All shows are on sale now at Ticketmaster and start at 8:00pm, with doors opening at 7:00pm.

FIND IT. LOVE IT. Robert Graham Stuart Weitzman St. John Peloton

Life& Style

B Scene

Delaware County Council highlighted economic success stories and county initiatives at the 2015 State of the County Address

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DELCO DA JACK WHELAN, COUNCILMAN DAVE WHITE, COUNCILMAN JOHN MCBLAIN,

CHAIRMAN CIVERA MEETS PATRICK

PRESIDENT OF THE DELAWARE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TRISH MCFARLAND,

GILRONAN WHO BROUGHT TABLE

COUNCIL VICE CHAIR COLLEEN MORRONE, COUNCILMAN MICHAEL CULP AND CHAIRMAN

CENTERPIECES CRAFTED BY WORKERS AT

MARIO CIVERA JR.

MELMARK SPECIAL EDUCATION SCHOOL.

Main Line Chamber of Commerce Awards

PRESIDENT & CEO OF THE MAIN LINE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CELEBRATION OF LEADERSHIP AWARDS RECIPIENTS

BERNIE DAGENAIS, FOUNDER OF SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL WOMEN EILEEN CONNOLLY ROBINS AND 2015 CHAIRMAN OF THE MAIN LINE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE STEVE SCOLARI.

The Women in Business Committee of the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce presented the 23nd Anniversary of the Gourmet Getaway, an evening of food and fun which benefits the Women in Business Scholarship Fund AMANDA PARKER WITH THE MANY RAFFLE BASKETS.

gp-biz.com

THE GOURMET GETAWAY COMMITTEE

Life& Style

@ The Ballpark

Give your Taste Buds a Big League Treat with New Menu Offerings

63

ANDREW ZIMMERN’S KOREAN FRIED PORK BELLY SANDWICH

HARRY THE K’S Andrew Zimmern’s Korean Fried Pork Belly Sandwich - From the three-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef and teacher, best known as host of Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods. Battered and fried pork belly with grilled pineapple, gochujang sauce and chili lime salt, on a toasted bun.

Amish Turkey Burger - Fresh ground turkey, sharp cheddar and shallot marmalade on a griddled sesame bun.

Smoked Brisket - House smoked brisket with whiskey barbecue sauce and creamy cider slaw.

Photos by Mitchell Leff

CONCESSIONS New Partner! Chick-fil-A is bringing its famous Chicken Sandwich to the ballpark. A

AMISH TURKEY BURGER

boneless breast of chicken served on a toasted, buttered bun with dill pickle chips.

New Partner! Rita’s Water Ice - Rita’s famous water ice available in a variety of flavors.

Wayback Signature CBP Burger Cheesy Burger with pork roll, garnished with a mini corn dog.

Federal Fried Chicken Sandwich - Boneless chicken breast with buttermilk ranch seasoning, American cheese, dill pickle and spicy Rooster Sauce, on a Potato Roll.

Beer Braised Frankfurter - Hatfield natural casing dog with hard cider, braised, onions and grain mustard on a pretzel roll.

Asian Dog - Hatfield natural casing dog with sweet & sour pickled slaw and Sriracha mayo on a poppy seed roll.

According to Aramark Phillies last season fans ate more than 135,000 orders of Crabfries and 140,000 cheesesteaks. This season, they anticipate fans will eat 4,500 Phillies Franks each home game.

ASIAN DOG

Sonoran Dog - Hickory bacon wrapped natural casing dog with smoked tomatillo salsa verde, Tabasco mayo, chopped tomato and onions.

Upcoming Promotions Saturday June 18 @ 3:05 vs. D-Backs All fans receive AT&T Maikel Franco Bobble Figurine Sunday, June 19 @1:35 vs. D-Backs Men 15 and over receive Hawaiian Shirt.

Friday, July 1 @ 7:05 vs Royals Fireworks Show. gp-biz.com

AFTER HOURS Where do you go to solve the world’s problems?

Some times you want to go…

That familiar spot where maybe your opinions and those around you are as liberal or conservative as yours.

Trying new places can be, shall I say, interesting.

Visiting cigar parlors, local watering holes, hotel bars, coffee shops and other gathering spots can expand our horizons, or require stitches to close our wounds.

Let’s stop texting awhile, correct our posture, expand our minds, laugh-out-loud and meet new friends.

In that vain, recently on a Friday evening I chose a cigar parlor (they’re cropping up everywhere). I selected the recommended Cigar Mojo, a BYOB in King of Prussia, for a chance to relax and engage in some friendly back and forth.

Mojo offers a comfy setting and a huge selection of cigars. Although I’m a neofite, the crowd is eager to offer suggestions. They’re all brought together by the brotherhood of the leaf (BOTL). It serves as a common denominator, a go-to source of conversation.

I settle in – I’m smoking Java Mint by Drew Estate,Traditional cut, sweet, earthy coffee flavor.

My libation – Highland Park Single Malt Scotch – neat.

The aforementioned crowd is eclectic (CEO’s to laborers) and over the course of several hours the sometimes laugh-out-loud sometimes heated banter was all over the place from sports to politics, comics to TV, contractors to the typical mother-in-law lament. There was also a strong contingent of Walking Dead fans.

I did mention there is some alcohol involved. Nothing was out of bounds, but the last one did hasten my exit.

The situation with North Korea, Iran, the wall, the perfect steak and many other topics weren’t resolved this night but it wasn’t for a lack of opinions, and proved to be a most enjoyable text free evening.

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