August Business Connect 2017

August 2017

small business

urged to adopt digital safeuards for modern success pg. 12 Networking How-to is a chamber of commerce networking event right for my business? pg. 14 pg. 4

Distiller takes on historic building for new location

pg. 7

Who’s Next: Bartending Honorees

pg. 20

Wing Shack Taking on a new location

I M P O RTA N T NPPOO I C ENN ! TT M OTRTA RTA IIM OWN AT BUSINESS? N O N O T II C CEE!!

OWN A BUSINESS? BUSINESS? YOU MUST OBTAIN A OWN A YOU MUST OBTAIN A NEW BUSINESS YOU NEW MUST OBTAIN A BUINESS LICENSE NEW BUINESS LICENCE AS OF JANUARY 1, 2017, EVERY PERSON/ LICENCE COMPANY DOING BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF

AS OF JANUARY 1, 2017, EVERYAPERSON/ GREELEY IS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN BUSINESS COMPANY DOING BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF LICENSE. THIS LICENSE REPLACES THE CURRENT SALES TAX LICENSE WHICH IS NO GREELEY IS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A BUSINESS LONGER VALID IN THE CITY OF GREELEY. LICENSE. THIS LICENSE REPLACES THE of Greeley CURRENT SALESCity TAX LICENSE WHICH IS NO 970-350-9733 • Email: greeleysalestax@greeleygov.com LONGER VALID IN THE CITY OF GREELEY. www.greeleygov.com/government/finance/business

City of Greeley

State of Colorado 970-350-9733 • Email: greeleysalestax@greeleygov.com 303-238-SERV (7378) • www.colorado.gov/pacific/tax

www.greeleygov.com/government/finance/business

Greeley Finance | Sales Tax State of• Colorado 1000 10th Street, Greeley, CO 80631 Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

303-238-SERV (7378) • www.colorado.gov/pacific/tax 970-350-9733 tel • 970-350-9736 fax • greeleysalestax@greeleygov.com

Greeley Finance | Sales Tax 1000 10th Street, Greeley, CO 80631 • Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

970-350-9733 tel • 970-350-9736 fax • greeleysalestax@greeleygov.com

2 I Business Connect I August 2017

Features

PG. 12

PG. 14

Small business urged to adopt digital safeuards for modern success

PG. 4

Greeley distiller takes on a bit of Greeley’s

Is a Chamber of Commerce networking event right for my business?

PG. 16

history with new location

Is a chamber of commerce networking event right for my business?

PG. 7

PG. 20

PG. 10

owner takes his concept to Cheyenne

Who’s Next: Bartending Honorees July - August Calendar of Events

Spreading his wings: Local Wing Shack

Pg. 21

PG. 15

What’s wrong with your success?

a bright future with Fusion Light and Design

On the move

Rustic Trades — PUBLISHER Bryce Jacobson EDITOR Randy Bangert

CREATIVE MANAGER Kyle Knoop BUSINESS MANAGER Doug Binder MANAGING EDITOR Sharon Dunn Niche Audience and Brand Director Bruce Dennis

Pg. 21

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS John Benjamin Andy Stonehouse Emily Wenger Sales MANAGER Stephanie Mighell Creative supervisor Amy Mayer Lead Designer Nichole Mathiason

BUSINESS CONNECT 501 8th Avenue, Greeley, CO 80631 P.O. Box 1690 For all editorial, advertising, subscription and circulation inquiries, call (970) 352-0211.

Send editorial-related comments and story ideas to: sdunn@greeleytribune.com For display advertising inquiries, contact: bdennis@greeleytribune.com 2017, August, Issue 6.

Published by: Greeley Publishing Co., publisher of The Greeley Tribune, Windsor Now, the Fence Post, Tri-State Livestock News, and Energy Pipeline

August 2017 I Business Connect I 3

Greeley distiller takes on a bit of city’s history with downtown purchase

Heather Bean, owner of Syntax Spirits, stands in the Greeley Elevator building, 700 6th St., in downtown Greeley. Bean plans to move Syntax Spirits into the new building.

Photos by Josh Polson/jpolson@greeleytribune.com.

By Sharon Dunn sdunn@greeleytribune.com

H

eather Bean doesn’t know exactly how old the building is, but it’s hers.

Now, she will treasure not only its history but its future.

Bean, co-owner of Syntax Spirits, Greeley’s only distillery, got her hands on the keys to the old Greeley Elevator Building, 700 6th St., complete with its century of Greeley commerce, worn and faded with time, to create a shiny new addition to the city’s core.

She closed on the aging building April 27 after what seemed like the pace of an OJ Simpson car chase (for those born after 1994, that’s agonizingly slow).

Syntax Spirits? Where is it, you ask? That’s exactly Bean’s point in buying the new home 4 I Business Connect I August 2017

for her cocktail bar and distillery, which has been on 3rd Street, just east of U.S. 85, and slightly on the wrong side of the tracks since 2010 making homegrown whiskey, rum and vodka.

“It’s not sketchy. It’s just there’s a perception that it’s hard to get to,” Bean said of the building that has been Syntax’s home for the past seven years. “Third Street doesn’t go through 85, so people have trouble finding it, and they don’t view it as walkable from downtown.”

Bean and her business partner Jeff Copeland also wanted to spread their wings a bit. The difference in choice and intention is vast when leasing rather than owning.

“We want to expand things and that means investing more in infrastructure,” Bean said.

“That gets harder to do when you’re leasing something. This seems like a good time to buy into downtown. It’s taking off.”

So it was time to take her concept further.

She had been looking at the Greeley Elevator building for quite some time. The family that owned the building for decades closed it in February 2014 after 94 years of doing business.

“I’ve always loved that building,” Bean said.

“When it came up for sale at first, we had just signed a five-year lease, and I thought, ‘Oh, darn it. I love that building. Then it was still on the market, and I finally called, and we were down to a year (on our lease). I had other distiller friends saying, ‘You should buy a place, do it and commit.’ So with that, I finally made the phone call, and said, ‘Oh, it is an option.’

We could afford it. And the timing was better, and luckily no one got it first.”

That was October, and the deal has stretched out a bit. But April finally came, and she became the proud owner of a chunk of Greeley’s history.

“It’s been in the same family for 100 years, so it’s kind of a big deal, and they’re selling it to us, so it’s actually important to us. It was the last operating grain elevator in Greeley, and we used to buy our grain there.

“We’re taking on this big piece of history from someone else’s family, and that’s kind of a big responsibility. We want to do that some justice with the changes were making.”

She plans to dedicate a wall in her new tasting room to that pictorial history.

Remodeling the new building could easily eat up $300,000. The 96ish-year-old building (records are shoddy on the building’s age) for years operated as a feed store after decades of being a grainery. It could use a new roof and some new paint. A sprinkler system and accessibility features will push up the price tag considerably.

“It has a hardwood floor, brick walls, old 1920s light fixtures, so were almost most of the way there,” she said. “So that’s nice.”

But Bean plans to give this old building the treatment. She hopes to jazz it up the only way she knows how, with her funky tastes mixed with a classy vibe. There are a couple of odd spaces in the building which could use some creativity, as well.

“With the funky sterile industrial park thing we have now, we’re kind of limited. Industrial weird is kind of like the only thing this lends itself to,” Bean said of her current building. “I love our industrial weird, but it’s not as appealing to a majority of Greeley that it could be.

“The move will be opportunity to get more of like a 1920s speakeasy, a really classy vibe.

We’ll hit a broader section of the population.

Labeling for various feed types were painted on the wall around the Greeley Elevator building. Bean hopes to maintain the building’s character during the renovations.

August 2017 I Business Connect I 5

Heather Bean looks up at the silos that rise out of the Greeley Elevator building in downtown Greeley.

Combine that with being more in downtown proper and a little less hard to get to and little less scary.”

Her distillery now consists of the distilling room and the cocktail bar and tasting room.

She hopes to move the cocktail bar over first, opening by the holidays. Then, she’ll make some decisions on the rest. She may opt to keep her current space for her distilling operation, which will be helpful in a relatively new venture she’s embarked in with helping other distillers concoct their own blends. As a licensed distiller, Bean is in the position to help other budding distillers get into the business.

The licensing is the hard part.

“People have their concept for their own liquor brand and they bring it to a distiller and says, ‘can you make this for us?’ ” she said.

“And we do that. It’s up to them to sell it. It’s their baby, but we get to basically leverage all of our licensing to bring some more money to the economy.”

She’ll also add a couple new tastes to her own 6 I Business Connect I August 2017

lineup, such as a gin, a bourbon whiskey and some seasonal projects.

The move also will come with a brand change she hopes will add to her brand’s appeal. Customers will see new labeling on the bottles and such, and potentially a jazzed up logo to appeal to a broader buying public.

Bean calls it getting away from being so “beery,” or the casual fun labels with unique back stories she started with. It’s time to evolve, she said.

That gets started now, keys in hand, and a future almost fully sketched out.

“This whole grain elevator project is a huge leap, and I feel remarkably supported by the downtown community,” Bean said.

She hopes, at least, Syntax will become another destination in Greeley’s growing downtown mix — being she’s the only distiller in town.

“I hope what we’re doing can help that whole vibe of making downtown Greeley a great place to visit,” she said.

Bartenders The Greeley Tribune and Business Connect are highlighting the up-and-coming leaders across Weld County as part of a new series called Who’s Next. The goal of the Who’s Next series is to honor some of the most dedicated young people working to shape our cities in Weld County every day. The honorees you see on the following pages were nominated by their peers for the outstanding work they are doing in bartending, and were celebrated at our fifth Who’s Next event on July 31.

View more online at www.greeleytribune.com/whos-next-honoringbartenders/

Chelsea Hinspeter

Bar Manager at Syntax Spirits Age: 25 You’ll find Chelsea Hinspeter behind the bar at Syntax Spirits serving up more than 80 standard and signature drinks, most crafted from the spirits distilled on site. Hinspeter worked at another restaurant as a bar back before working at Syntax creating cocktails and her own drink creations. “I really love the atmosphere of Syntax. The clientele is different and a lot more laid back. I get to create things and am more hands on with Syntax. As a smaller establishment I get to be a part of a team where my position matters and you’re not just a peg in the wheel.” Hinspeter said she enjoys working in the Greeley area because of the people. “I love Greeley. It’s changing and growing but still has a small town feel. People tend to be nice. They have totally different backgrounds and are from all different walks of life. I can learn so much from them. I meet really interesting people when I’m behind the bar and hear a lot of different stories.”

August 2017 I Business Connect I 7

Ashley Campanella

Lead Bartender at Patrick’s Irish Pub Age: 23 Ashley Campanella is majoring in chemistry at the University of Northern Colorado, as well as lead bartender at Patrick’s Irish Pub and certified in brewing science. Her adviser at UNC happened to be the brewing professor and he encouraged her to get her certificate in brewing science, leading to an internship at WeldWerks Brewing Co. When the owner of Patrick’s emailed her adviser wanting someone to work for him, Campanella’s adviser had just the person. “It’s my first bartending job ever and I’ve been here about nine months,” Campanella said. “On top of bartending I just got promoted to beer buying and lead bartender, which means if the other bartenders have questions about beers or whiskeys they can always ask me.” Campanella said besides being a fun job she enjoys getting to share her knowledge of craft brew with her customers. “Being involved with the brew program and beer buying I get to do a bunch of research on different beers. And with the growing craft brew scene I get customers who come in on a slow shift and we talk about style and discuss how brewing works, how bars are set up, etc.” As for the future, Campanella said it’s wide open. She plans to go to graduate school to earn her master’s degree in organic chemistry. From there, she’ll figure out whether she wants to work in a lab, open up a brewery or put to use her emphasis in forensic science. She volunteers at the hospital in the pharmacy every week and has an interest in pharmaceutical work as well. “I have no idea what I’ll end up doing, but I want to make sure I’m not closing any doors too early.”

Brittany Salazar

Bartender at Roasty’s Age: 27

The first time Brittany Salazar got behind the bar was probably one of the most hectic nights a bartender could face: New Year’s Eve. “I was thrown in New Year’s Eve and it was pretty hard.

The bar was packed and I was like, ‘holy crap.’ But I picked it up really quick.” Salazar said she had thought about bartending for a while and knew it would be the perfect scene for her. “I love my job. I love the people and I love the environment. I meet a lot of interesting new people from around the world and get to hear their stories. It’s amazing.” Salazar said she is known for serving up AMF’s and Long Island Iced Teas. “I embrace every moment. It’s fun. Being able to work with the people I do livens me up and gives me the extra spice to my punch.”

Melady Burney

Bartender at Stuft Burger Bar Age: 22 An Alaska native, Melady Burney was attending the University of Northern Colorado when tuition became too high. She’s taking a break from studying sport and exercise therapy to obtain residency and hone her bartending skills at Stuft Burger Bar. “Stuft is my first serving job ever and I love it. I love when people come back for my drinks,” said Burney. “Bartending is art. Now it’s really easy to me. I love new 8 I Business Connect I August 2017

challenges.” Burney has been at Stuft for about two years and said she enjoys seeing how much the scene has changed since that time. “I really love making margaritas and mojitos. At Stuft we make strawberry mojitos with Malibu rum,” said Burney. “Come by and get some drinks.”

Justin Ghofrani

Bartender at The Kress Cinema Age: 27 Justin Ghofrani has been in the hospitality industry his entire life. From hanging out in his father’s Italian restaurant when he was really young to working as a host at age 13 in his father’s barbecue restaurant in Chicago, Ghofrani has experience in the serving world. “I came to Greeley in 2014 and didn’t know how to bartend at all. I learned from going to bars in Fort Collins and Williams and Graham in Denver,” Ghofrani said. “I like taking care of people, the hospitality and making people happy.

It makes me feel good.” He said he likes that Greeley feels like a small town with regulars who come in. If you stop in the Kress, ask him to make you an Old Fashioned, featuring Buffalo Trace Bourbon, bitters, sugar and orange peel.

Morgan Moisey

Bartender/Catering and Events Coordinator at The Tavern at St. Michael’s Square

Age: 24

Her regulars know her as Captain. Morgan Moisey works as a bartender at The Tavern at St. Michael’s Square. When she started working there four and a half years ago she had no intention of becoming a bartender. But when her boss told her she needed to get behind the bar two and a half years ago she found out she loved it. “I really love creating new drinks for people and trying to find something different that they might like. I really like mixology,” Moisey said. “I’m really fortunate to work at The Tavern. Getting to know the community through bartending is fantastic. I enjoy building relationships I wouldn’t get to if I wasn’t a bartender.”

Ashley Johnson

Bartender at The Tavern at St. Michael’s Square Age: 26 Ashley Johnson’s work assignments are the kind that people beg for. As a bartender at The Tavern at St. Michael’s Square, she’s told to visit different breweries and distilleries in the area to learn about Colorado’s craft beer and liquor culture. She moved here from Utah six years ago with her husband and has been bartending at The Tavern for about three years. “It’s really neat to learn about Colorado and their craft beers and distilleries. The Tavern is so good about being Colorado proud,” Johnson said.

“I have had to learn a lot about beer pairings and distillery tastings. I love bartending.” Johnson said she’s gotten to meet a lot of people through her job. Especially from the neighborhood, which she and her husband live in as well. “I get to meet lots of people who all put their time, effort and knowledge into beer and events. Growing up in Utah it wasn’t really a cultural thing, so to understand beer in Northern Colorado is neat.”

August 2017 I Business Connect I 9

August 2017 Ev Aug. 3

Aug. 9

GREELEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, leads group, 7:30 a.m., at the Chamber, 902 7th Ave., Greeley. This group meets every Thursday morning to share and create business leads for our group’s members. Details: (970) 352-3566.

GREELEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,

GREELEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,

leads group, 7:30 a.m., at the Chamber, 902 7th Ave., Greeley. This group meets every Thursday morning to share and create business leads for our group’s members. Details: (970) 352-3566.

Biz @ lunch. 11:30-1 p.m., Rudy’s Texas Bar-B-Q, 2473 28th St., Greeley. Join the Greeley Chamber for BIZ @ Lunch for networking, a delicious lunch, and a short webinar. Any business can benefit from this informative program – not to mention the new connections you can make with other Chamber investors. $20, members; $30 nonmembers. Details: (970) 352-3566.

EVANS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,

Our Gang leads and speakers group, 7:30-8:30 a.m., Chamber office, 3819 St. Vrain St., #C, Evans. Open to everyone.

Free. Details: (970) 330-4204.

GREELEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,

Young Professionals, 5:30-7 p.m., Autotailor, 1011 16th St., Greeley.

Greeley Young Professionals is our 21-39 networking event. Come and join us and meet other young professional in the Greeley area and build business relationships! Details: (970) 352-3566.

Aug. 10 GREELEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,

leads group, 7:30 a.m., at the Chamber, 902 7th Ave., Greeley. This group meets every Thursday morning to share and create business leads for our group’s members. Details: (970) 352-3566.

EVANS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,

Our Gang leads and speakers group, 7:30-8:30 a.m., Chamber office, 3819 St. Vrain St., #C, Evans. Open to everyone.

Free. Details: (970) 330-4204.

10 I Business Connect I August 2017

vents Calendar Aug. 17 GREELEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,

leads group, 7:30 a.m., at the Chamber, 902 7th Ave., Greeley. This group meets every Thursday morning to share and create business leads for our group’s members. Details: (970) 352-3566.

EVANS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,

Our Gang leads and speakers group, 7:30-8:30 a.m., Chamber office, 3819 St. Vrain St., #C, Evans. Open to everyone.

Free. Details: (970) 330-4204.

Aug. 22 GREELEY BUSINESSWOMEN’S NETWORK, luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1

p.m., Community Banks of Colorado, 3780 10th St., Greeley. $15, members; $20 nonmembers. RSVP at www. greeleybusinesswomen.com.

EVANS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, Our Gang leads and

speakers group, 7:30-8:30 a.m., Chamber office, 3819 St. Vrain St., #C, Evans. Open to everyone. Free.

Details: (970) 330-4204.

GREELEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,

business after hours, 5-7 p.m.

Nottingham Stadium, UNC Athletics, 1700 Reservoir Road, Greeley. This event happens every fourth Thursday.

Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and network with other Greeley Chamber investors.

You can also win door prizes. Free to members; $20 nonmembers. Details: (970) 352-3566.

Aug. 26 EVANS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, business after hours, 5-7

p.m., Butters, 2170 35th Ave., Greeley.

Details: (970) 330-4204.

Aug. 31 GREELEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,

leads group, 7:30 a.m., at the Chamber, 902 7th Ave., Greeley. This group meets every Thursday morning to share and create business leads for our group’s members. Details: (970) 352-3566.

Aug. 24 GREELEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,

leads group, 7:30 a.m., at the Chamber, 902 7th Ave., Greeley. This group meets every Thursday morning to share and create business leads for our group’s members. Details: (970) 352-3566.

EVANS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, Our Gang leads and

speakers group, 7:30-8:30 a.m., Chamber office, 3819 St. Vrain St., #C, Evans. Open to everyone. Free.

Details: (970) 330-4204.

To include your business news in the Business Connect sections, contact Sharon Dunn at sdunn@greeleytribune. com or call (970) 392-4439.

August 2017 I Business Connect I 11

Small business

urged to adopt digital safeguards for modern success

By Andy Stonehouse For Business Connect

N

ot so long ago, a small business could get by on a strictly do-ityourself basis when handling its digital needs. You only needed to get your 13-year-old nephew to build your website, and you could ensure your company’s electronic safety by writing your passwords on a Post-It note or deleting the money-offer emails from Africa. All done, right? d increase cold storage space, according to The exponential growth of the internet has changed the way we interact with the world, and even small- to medium-sized businesses now require a bit of professional help to keep themselves safe and prosperous.

A competitive and increasingly challenging 12 I Business Connect I August 2017

online universe is one of the reason northern Colorado businesses have turned to local experts to provide comprehensive IT support, as well as figuring out an aggressive and modern website strategy to draw more customers with search engine optimization.

Scott Warner, vice president of sales with Greeley-based Connecting Point, offers outsourced IT, management, support and consulting services in Colorado and Wyoming, and says a company such as his can help smaller businesses avoid the technology-related pitfalls that can plague a small office.

“We can help people learn how to focus and keep ahead of the IT power curve,” Warner said. “It’s not so much about technology itself as much as understanding where your business is going, and what’s important to you. How does a small business stay ahead of security challenges?”

While it once was relatively easy to install and

administer a small business’s computer system, rapid changes in technology and the reality of constant online security threats mean these are often no longer areas companies in the 20- to 40-employee range can adequately handle themselves, Warner suggested.

An outsourced IT provider can concentrate on two key areas: layered security protocols, which will help protect your files, your customers and your data from online predators, as well as comprehensive password management, providing an additional level of safety among your employees.

“More and more, we’re fighting a reactive game against online threats,” he said. “Cyber crime is now practically like a service and people can even buy a package of threats and tools they can use against you and your business.”

Warner says professional IT services can also help in cases where you and your employees

are running your business on a combination of work computers and personal phones and tablets, as is increasingly common.

“We still see so many users who write down all their internet passwords on a spreadsheet or simply use the same password for everything,” Warner said. “We also suggest a very strong password policy, especially for organizations with a ‘bring your own device’ strategy.”

Up-to-date tools can also scan your incoming email or even websites you access to find potential threats, building an effective firewall against a world full of prying eyes.

And your website itself, as fancy or relatively recently updated as it may seem, can probably also use a touch of the modern age – something that a regional web specialist like Fort Collins’ Red Rocket can provide some help doing.

Owner Chadd Bryant says it’s no longer simply a case of building a website and hoping August 2017 I Business Connect I 13

that customers will visit. A contemporary approach means optimizing your site to get the best responses on search engines such as Google, which will be a direct pipeline to more customers.

“A lot of our customers have outgrown the website they have and are frustrated by the results,” he said. “They fell into the trap of thinking ‘if they build it, customers will come.’

And they end up with a site that’s not very Google-friendly.”

Just like your IT concerns, Bryant said a small business should consider partnering with a web developer who starts with a defensive approach to web presence and can strategize ways to have you pop up first on a simple Google search.

In Red Rocket’s case, that means examining even the promotional copy in your website.

While it might have been elegantly written in the first place, if it also shows up on your Facebook page or is even marginally close to material that appears on another webpage, Bryant says the all-powerful Google can “punish” a business for plagiarism and suppress its results on a customer’s casual web search.

14 I Business Connect I August 2017

“Unfortunately, all those people who know just enough about web design to be dangerous are pretty dangerous – it’s a case of selfsabotage,” he said. “And SEO is kind of like going the wrong way up an escalator. It’s not a one-time fix, or you just slide back to the bottom.”

Bryant says a winning website is one that features lots of good content that people will link to, and share on their own sites or on social media.

“So much of this is about building credibility with Google,” he adds. “When we started in the late ’90s, very few people had websites and print advertising was the biggest thing.

We watched that transition, and one-man web design shops have trouble offering what you need nowadays – writers, design, marketing and programming.”

Modern web experts can also delve into the tricky world of “reputation management” – helping a company that’s been unfairly burned by online reviews offer a more positive spin on their business.

Windsor

Rustic Trades —

a bright future with Fusion Light and Design

By Emily Wenger For Business Connect

R

ebecca Beard needed a light, and Kristen Bland needed a table.

That’s what sparked a business relationship that now has come to Windsor. Beard is the manager of Rustic Trades in Colorado, a company that makes rustic-style furniture, and Kristen Bland is the owner of Fusion Light and Design.

Beard had been looking for a light, and Bland wanted a table for her new home.

When the two met and realized their businesses could work well together, Rustic Trades began displaying furniture in Fusion’s lighting stores.

“We thought ‘Oh my gosh, this makes too much sense,’” Beard said.

Fusion Light and Design designs interior, exterior, landscape, residential and commercial lighting.

“We kind of do it all, anything lighting related,” Bland said.

The new Windsor location was opened in late June at 425 Main St., the building that formerly held The Windsor Beacon.

Kristen Bland and her husband were raised in northern Colorado, and lived in Denver for the past 12 years.

“And once we started a family we were like ‘Let’s get out of the city and go to a smaller town,’ and Windsor was kind of it for us, we love Windsor,” Bland said.

Bland said the history of the building fit well with the “vibe” of Fusion.

“When we found this space and this building we thought this was perfect for us,” she said.

While Bland said Fusion has a rustic feel, she enjoys keeping up with the constantly changing business as new lights become available. Although she initially worked in various aspects of design, with lighting she felt she had more options to work with a variety of customers.

“Lighting was something that was perfect for me, because not only was it the design aspect but it also has a technical aspect,” she said.

The business also has a Denver location, but the best way to get in touch with the company is to call, she said, so designers can help every step of the way.

FUSION LIGHT AND DESIGN

Fusion Light and Design is now open in downtown Windsor at 425 Main St. For more information about Fusion go to www.fusionlightandesign.com.

RUSTIC TRADES COLORADO

Rustic Trades Colorado shares space with Fusion Light and Design, which recently opened at a new location in downtown Windsor, and provides furniture for the company’s office locations. For more information go to www.rustictradescolorado.com.

August 2017 I Business Connect I 15

Is a chamber of commerce networking event right for my business?

By Andy Stonehouse For Business Connect

T

he ongoing explosion in social media and internet-based marketing can certainly be a blessing for a new business, but sometimes an old-fashioned face-toface event can be just as important in building connections and finding new customers.

And that’s all the more important in a small community such as Greeley. Luckily, the Greeley Chamber of Commerce can play an important role in helping to set up a wide range of local networking events, allowing new or even well-established businesses to get the word out about their services, their staff and their aspirations.

Sarah MacQuiddy, president of the Greeley Chamber of Commerce, says chambersponsored events such as business after hours 16 I Business Connect I August 2017

or a Greeley young professionals mixer can provide a vital source of referrals and marketing opportunities in an informal and relatively inexpensive format.

“It’s an ideal chance to showcase your business,” she said. “The exposure that they get by inviting people into their business, especially if people have never been there before, is very important.”

With some 700 local members – or “investors,” as the chamber now calls its membership – MacQuiddy says there are lots of chances for businesses to participate in the more than 50 local and regional networking events held each year.

Breakfast meetings, lunchtime gatherings, informal after-hours mixers or even the chamber’s own intimate 12 at 12 meetings all allow chamber membership to connect with the community, as well as having a soapbox to provide a brief pitch for their own business.

The chamber’s Greeley Young Professionals group provides monthly networking events for

investors aged 21 to 39, with receptions, social activities and even an upcoming brewery tour.

Networking events can even provide nonprofit organizations with an ideal venue to build community support or simply familiarize local businesses with their many benefits.

Bob O’Connor, executive director of the Weld Food Bank – a local support agency serving thousands of the working poor in northern Colorado – has hosted a variety of before- and after-work chamber gatherings.

He said they’ve opened up avenues for some unexpected partnerships, as well as providing an opportunity to explain the food bank’s mission.

“We like to try to get people into our building and let them know what we really do,” O’Connor says. “That can be a totally eye-opening experience for many businesses and can really help put the issue of hunger in perspective, especially locally.”

And with resources stretched to their limit at a small, high-volume organization, O’Connor says a visitor at a recent business before hours event provided the food bank with a very welcome gift.

“People always ask how they can help, and then someone asked, ‘who actually does your office cleaning?’ We explained that we had to do that ourselves. So a cleaning company offered to donate its time for the job,” O’Connor explains. “We appreciated that, but we’ve also found other ways that we can partner with local businesses.”

And for more traditional businesses, the chamber events provide an important ongoing source of connections and a chance to learn about changes, new staff and new projects among their business neighbors.

Chalice Springfield, CEO and managing bro-

ker at Sears Real Estate, says her firm has been a strong supporter of Chamber networking events, hosting and sending staff to participate when other businesses open their doors.

“We’ve had some very well-attended events, which are important as a service-oriented business,” she says. “I have about 50 real estate agents on staff, so these events can be great not only for meeting businesses and getting referrals, but also for learning more about the community.”

Sears Real Estate sponsors a yearly Greeley Young Professionals gathering as well as regular business after or before hours events, with the company’s marketing director spending a significant amount of time setting things up when Sears is the host.

“Our location on the golf course provides a nice setting, and we always provide a tent, catered food and drinks,” Springfield said.

MacQuiddy says there are just a few basic rules about hosting a networking party, the biggest being that the host business does need to provide the food and drink – and businesses are encouraged to partner with Chamberaffiliated restaurants or caterers. If alcohol is served, she also suggests that hosts partner with a local liquor retailer and provide alcohol awareness training for any staff handling the beer and wine.

“Hosts also need to have a space that can accommodate up to 150 people, and often more, though we do allow our investors to utilize the chamber offices if they need to do so – and we don’t charge for that,” she explains.

And with the rise in home-based or onlineonly businesses, MacQuiddy has also encouraged those chamber members to team up and host networking parties with folks operating out of brick-and-mortar settings.

Greeley Chamber of Commerce networking opportunities To explore options about hosting a Chamber event – Business Before Hours, Business After Hours, lunchtime gatherings or a Greeley Young Professionals event, contact the Greeley Chamber at (970) 352-3566 or visit www. greeleychamber.com. Hosts are asked to provide space and light refreshments for up to 150, per event.

August 2017 I Business Connect I 17

Spreading his wings:

Local Wing Shack owner takes his concept to Cheyenne

Jordan King sets out another order at the Wing Shack food truck at a Greeley Stampede event in Island Grove Park. Wing Shack owner Brian Seifried has been growing this concept for the last 15 years.

Photos by Josh Polson/jpolson@greeleytribune.com.

By Sharon Dunn sdunn@greeleytribune.com

A

fter 13 years, Brian Seifried is spreading his wings — again.

He has taken his Wing Shack concept to five locations from his humble beginning in 2004 in Garden City. In May, he opened a sixth location in Cheyenne, culminating a move that had been simmering for some time.

“I’ve always looked at Cheyenne as a community, from a demographics perspective, that could be interesting to us at some point.

It’s been in the back of my head for years.”

He had just added a new restaurant to his growing chain in Fort Collins this past year.

Cheyenne, however, offered growth potential Seifried said is starting to shrink here in northern Colorado. He was able to find 18 I Business Connect I August 2017

a spot that had previously housed a restaurant at a 30 percent reduction over prices in Colorado.

“It offered us an advantage to get into somewhere with a little less overhead than say our Fort Collins move, which took a lot more resources,” Seifried said.

The new restaurant is just across from the Frontier Mall in the city’s core commercial district off Dell Range Boulevard.

Since the first Wing Shack restaurant opened in Garden City in 2004, Seifried has added four other restaurants: west Greeley, Loveland, Windsor and Fort Collins, along with an executive team to run the stores, which now swell with 100 employees. In that time he’s also added more health insurance coverage to all full-time employees and instituted a cloud-based point-of-sale system that allows him to track his numbers with ease in the palm of his hand.

A tip tray fills up as Wing Shack employees handle order after order at the Greeley Stampede in Island Grove Park. Photos by Josh Polson/jpolson@greeleytribune.com.

“If you would have asked me in those early days in Garden City if we’d be looking down the road 13 years with six locations and expanding into another state, I’d have probably laughed you out of the room.”

Seifried at first was concerned the recent oil and gas downturn would have hit Cheyenne hard, but that wasn’t the case. It turns out the city’s economy has some diversity to weather the bumps.

“With Cheyenne, with the Air Force Base and being the capital, with a lot of government employment, they have sectors that are pretty entrenched and insulated against the oil and gas ups and downs,” Seifried said.

From here, there are a range of options moving forward, he said.

“We’ve definitely thought of expanding south of our current area,” Seifried said. “Northern Colorado has such a good economy and some communities that we, maybe five to 10 years ago, wouldn’t have thought would be a good fit. We’d like to fill in northern Colorado a bit before we make a jump into Denver.”

For now, he wants to continue to focus on slow and steady growth, maybe not get too

ahead of himself. At some point, he said, he’ll have to decide on new concepts or even franchising.

“Over the next few years, I could see two to four more Wing Shacks fall into place, and then we’ll have to make some decisions,” Seifried said.

Wing Shack There are three local restaurants: 2704 8th Ave., Garden City.

Call (970) 356-7900.

1815 65th Ave., Greeley. Call (970) 356-4651.

1261 Main Street, Windsor.

Call (970) 686-5202.

Other locations are in Loveland, Fort Collins and Cheyenne.

August 2017 I Business Connect I 19

What’s wrong with your success?

By John Benjamin For Business Connect

Imagine you’re going into your favorite bakery and coffee shop. The familiar aromas, the faces, the staff and the real reason you’re there: the chocolate croissant, all light, fluffy and buttery.

You order your cappuccino, and they warm that croissant. You are now practically drooling as they bring it over to your table; you can taste that first bite, the warm, flaky bread and the smooth, rich milk chocolate.

Ignoring your cappuccino, you grab that croissant like it’s the last morsel of food on earth and dig in. Suddenly, your taste buds go into shock — this is not the flavor you were expecting. Your immediate response is to spit it out, but you choke it down, followed by a large gulp of cappuccino.

What the heck? You call the owner over to share your disappointment.

The owner politely listens and then responds with, ”Well, we thought we’d try something different with them.”

The owner goes on to explain everyone liked the old recipe. But they wanted to try something new. The owner then lamented the sales of croissants were down and they couldn’t figure out what happened. So they tweaked the recipe yet again and still sales were down. So they tried a discount on the croissants, and that got them the bump they needed. However, as soon as the sale was over, sales slumped once again. They offered the discount again, and to their joy, sales went up. But profits were down, and as soon as the price returned to normal, sales slumped.

The owners, being wise beyond their years, at least most times, asked for help.

We discussed the reasons behind the change in the recipe, and there really were not any good reasons why they changed. In fact, it cost them more to make the new recipe. The owners’ first decision was to go back to the old recipe. They would promote these as the “original” croissant and at a new price just a little bit above the old price.

20 I Business Connect I August 2017

Now, about their use of discounts to create more business. This strategy can work very well on an occasional basis. However, when it is used too frequently, all you do is train your customers to wait to make their purchases until the “sale” comes around. If you are guilty of this same activity, you’re not alone. This happens in all markets. At GE, customers knew that with an eye on quarterly results, a business unit that was slumping would slash prices to get sales up, even at the cost of profit margins.

The next week, when I stopped by for a morning pick-me-up, there they were, the “original” croissants nestled next to the new version. The owner gladly comped me my snack and shared the results of the old strategy made new.

Sales of the original were up above the previous levels, and the new version was selling well. Profits were back and all was well once again.

The moral of the story is often we change things in hopes of making them better, but with no real objective reason to change them. Being human, we change it anyway.

Once you find that secret recipe for your business, keep on using it until it starts to lose its effectiveness. How will you know your recipe is fading? A close look at your sales and financial numbers will tell you.

If you are surviving using the discount-ofthe-month, -week or -day roller coaster, get off it. Pick a price that makes you money and figure out how to really sell it. I’m not against discounting — until it becomes your only strategy.

Sticking with what works is hard work, but it pays off big time. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling croissants, cars, houses or network marketing, there are proven methods. Learn them, tweak them to your personality and watch your success grow.

— John Benjamin is the founder of the Business Engineering Consortium, dedicated to reengineering your business for greater profit and fun.

Comments and suggestions are welcome at John@ BusinessEngineeringConsortium.com

On the

Move

Matthew Vanlandingham

joined Professional Finance Company as an associate attorney for the PFC legal team in June.

Vanlandingham was born and raised in Texas until recently moving to Colorado. He graduated with a psychology degree from Texas Tech University before getting his Juris Doctorate and Masters of Business Administration degrees at Texas Tech University. While pursuing his Juris Doctorate Degree from Texas Tech University School of Law, Vanlandingham worked as a law clerk for a small civil litigation firm in Amarillo, Texas.

Vanlandingham passed the Colorado Bar exam in 2016, and he is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys spending time with his two dogs.

PFC is excited for Matthew to join their team and now has five attorneys in their legal department.

Dan Riddle

has moved into the role of executive vice president of feed for Agfinity. Riddle replaced Mick Daniel, who retired after guiding the Feed Division of Agfinity for the past 15 years. Riddle assumed the role of feed mill manager at Agfinity 20 years ago, and has taken on progressively more responsible roles since that time. He has provided leadership for the feed production and logistics team and has played a key role in driving local net profitability that provides returns to Agfinity members through patronage refunds.

Bea Gross has joined Sears Real Estate as a broker associate assisting both Spanish and English speaking clients with

buying and selling real estate. Gross and her family have been residents of Greeley since 2005. She can be reached at (970) 412-2306 or bgross@searsrealestate.com.

Niki Avery has joined Sears Real Estate as a broker associate.

Avery has been a resident of Greeley for more than 20 years and is very familiar with the local and northern Colorado communities and what they have to offer. She will be assisting both buyers and sellers in northern Colorado and can be reached at (970) 590-2893 or niki@searsrealestate.com.

Jeremy Rose has joined Coan, Payton & Payne. His legal practice focuses on all areas of business, technology, and special district matters, including corporate transactions, special district formation, elections, IT governance and risk management, and associated litigation. Rose’s technology practice offers clients a wide-range of technology-focused services, including IT regulatory compliance, IT audit outsourcing and co-sourcing, technology risk assessments, IT governance and planning, business continuity/ disaster recovery planning assessments, and SOC planning and readiness.

Before joining CP2, Rose was a solo practitioner in the northern Colorado community for seven years while also completing 18 years of service in the Army National Guard as a Judge Advocate, including serving as the sole attorney for a special operations command deployed to the Arabian Peninsula.

Rose received his Bachelor of Science degree from Doane University, majoring in biology and music and minoring in chemistry. He worked for several years in the banking and finance industries before graduating law school at Creighton University School of Law in Omaha, Neb. While in law school, Rose focused his coursework on business law, receiving his Juris Doctorate with a concentration in business.

August 2017 I Business Connect I 21

Rob Lambusta has joined the management team of J & T Feeds, 4835 W 10th St. Suite A. Lambusta moved to Greeley in 2014 from New Jersey. His past experience is in kayaks and roof racks, as well the pet industry. He has stepped into the assistant manager position with J & T. He most recently worked at Tailwagger’s in Greeley. He can be reached at (970) 378-0240.

Melissa Jensen

has joined The Community Grief Center in Greeley as its executive director.

Beginning July 10, she will work with the agency’s board of directors and with Dr. Debby Baker, now volunteer programs director, to expand the center’s capacity through fundraising, volunteer recruitment and general operations management, according to a news release.

Most recently, Jensen worked as the marketing manager for the Colorado Visiting Nurse Association and was the Foundation & Development Director at the High Plains Library District from 2007-12. She began her nonprofit career as the marketing coordinator of President Reagan’s National Commission Against Drunk Driving and has owned her own marketing consulting agency, Common Sense Marketing. Jensen was born and raised in Loveland and interned at the Union Colony Civic Center as a business student at the University of Northern Colorado.

Leigh Downing

has re-joined Otis, Bedingfield and Peters, as a paralegal.

She has worked with Fred Otis as his paralegal for more than 20 years, but left the firm a few years ago. She grew up in Greeley and graduated from Greeley West High School. She attends Metropolitan State University in Denver working toward her Bachelor of Science degree in integrative healthcare.

22 I Business Connect I August 2017

Brett Datteri

of Greeley has opened Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections in Greeley.

Buyer’s Choice is on an aggressive growth path throughout North America, according to a news release.

Datteri spent 23 years as an agricultural lender. During this time, he built two houses, remodeled three houses and either finished or remodeled five basements. Datteri is involved in the community as treasurer for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association and a member of Greeley Area Realtors Association.

Scott Clanin has recently joined Sears Real Estate, 2021 Clubhouse Drive in Greeley, as a broker associate specializing in helping both buyers and sellers in northern Colorado.

Clanin has lived in the Greeley/Evans area for 20 years. He is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, has an associate degree in culinary arts from the Art Institute of Colorado and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. He worked at Banner Health for 10 years as the director of culinary and nutrition services.

He can be reached at (970) 518-7932 or scottc@ searsrealestate.com.

Tim Grayewski

joined Professional Finance Co., in Greeley, in June as the regional director of business development. He brings 21 years of experience in the telecommunications, banking and accounts receivable management industry. The past 10 years, Grayewski has been directly involved in AR management and collections with two large AR management companies as a business development professional. Grayewski graduated from Kennesaw State University in business administration. Today, Grayewski and his family live in the greater Grand Rapids, Mich., area.

To include your business moves in Business Connect, contact Sharon Dunn at sdunn@greeleytribune.com or call (970) 392-4439.

WHO’S NEXT

2017

SPONSOR

WHO’S NEXT EVENTS Who’s Next is a program that recognizes up-and-coming professionals in Greeley and Weld County.

Using both a mass and targeted approach, the Greeley Tribune will honor millennials (under 40) in our community by highlighting their story and achievements in print, digital and at a live-event.

Each month, we will host a networking event for the Who’s Next honorees to meet and interact. This event will appeal to Greeley and Weld County millennials, offering honor and pride for what the honorees have accomplished and what they are doing to improve our community and their business.

Be a part of these great events by sponsoring WHO’S NEXT Today.

Contact Bruce Dennis at 970-392-4429 or bdennis@greeleytribune.com August 2017 I Business Connect I 23

“We have the Advantage.

Do you?”

The Funkwerks team at their Fort Collins brewery.

“Our brewery grew by 70% last year, that wouldn’t have been possible without Advantage Bank. From taking the time to understand our business to the local decision making and excellent customer service, Advantage Bank offers everything a small business like ours needs to succeed.”

- Brad Lincoln, Co-Founder of Funkwerks Brewery in Fort Collins, CO.

At Advantage Bank, we are dedicated to serving Northern Colorado’s small businesses like Funkwerks Brewery in Fort Collins. We get to know you and your business so that, together, we can find the best financial solutions at the right time. Let us show you the Advantage of working with a locally owned community bank that believes in building lasting customer relationships.

advantagebanks.com Loveland Branch 1475 N. Denver Ave. Loveland, CO 80538 970-613-1982 Member FDIC

Greeley Branch 1801 59th Ave. Greeley, CO 80634 970-353-0047

24 I Business Connect I August 2017

Fort Collins Branch 4532 McMurry Ave. Ste. 100 Fort Collins, CO 80525 970-204-0450