IBAW January 2019 Magazine

JANUARY 2019 January 14th

Sales Roundtable

January 18th

Monthly Meeting

Inside This Issue:

KITTLE: THE WALKER YEARS: TAXPAYER CENTERED REFORMS IN WISCONSIN

MENDELSOHN: POWERFUL DRESSING FOR WOMEN

WENDT: DON’T TURN YOUR BACK ON YOUR CUSTOMERS

Networking matters

At AT&T, we know that making connections is critical to success. In Wisconsin and across the nation, we link businesses with their customers and the world through our wireless network with access to the nation’s largest Wi-fi network. It’s just another way we help our customers stay connected.

AT&T is proud to support the Independent Business Association of Wisconsin.

© 2014 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved.

IBAW thanks AT&T for it’s continued sponsorship.

Executive Director Steve Kohlmann

President

Dan Hansen

Secretary Charles Fry

Baird

Treasurer Tony Palmen

Sikich

Directors Jim Leef

ITU AbsorbTech Ann Barry Hanneman

Von Briesen Law OďŹƒce

John Weber

Hypneumat

Lisa Mauer

Rickert Industries

Robert Gross

Gross Automation

Scott Seroka

Seroka Brand Development

Tom Parks

Annex Wealth Management

Jake Hansen

Jacsten Holding

Scott Hirschfeld

CTaccess

Andy Oliver

Gear Wash

Al Leidinger

Mathison Manufacturing

IBAW Mission: To advance business prosperity through insightful programming, executive networking and member-driven public policy and advocacy.

Independent Business Association of Wisconsin

MONTHLY MEETING Monthly Meeting Friday, January 18, 2019 | Time: 7:00 am - 9:00 am Location: The Wisconsin Club, 900 W. Wisconsin Ave. Milwaukee

Start the New Year off on the right foot! Get inspired to build - and GROW - your business! Learn about creating a culture of growth from two who implemented it within their own $100 million business.

Jerry Jendusa and Paul Schulls will speak about why they needed that culture change and how they did it. They will share the creation and refinement of their own process and Single-Page Plan that aligned everyone to one goal.

Additionally, they will discuss how to implement an execution process that will sustain the results and growth of your own business.

LOCATION

THE WISCONSIN CLUB 900 W. WISCONSIN AVE. MILWAUKEE

7:00 AM

CHECK IN, COFFEE & NETWORKING

7:30 AM

BREAKFAST & PROGRAM

9:00 AM

PROGRAM ENDS

Register at IBAW.com

The Highs and Lows of 2018 Steve Kohlmann, IBAW Executive Director

It’s hard to believe we’re moving into a new year - it’s 2019. My dad always said, “The older you get, the faster time flies by.” He wasn’t kidding.

Many of you may be thinking where did the 2018 go? With scheduling IBAW events I have been working on the 2019 schedule since August of last year so I don’t have the shock of a new year suddenly sneaking up on me. As a matter of fact, in just a short six months I’ll be starting to work on 2020 events. Crazy but true.

Still, when a new year clicks over we often look forward with hope and optimism. And, we review the old year. Like many of you, I’ve had high and low points in 2018. Here are my top picks.

High Point Business: The 2018 Wisconsin Manufacturing Summit By far the high water mark for me was this year’s Manufacturing Summit. Last year’s event started coming together back in February with sponsors such as PyraMax Bank and Vrakas CPAs stepping up to the plate to support us. The panel I wanted for the discussion also came together quickly with Carmex, Charter Manufacturing and TG3 Electronics giving us a great perspective on what’s happening in various businesses. On top of all that, Governor Walker appeared to discuss the successes Wisconsin is playing on a global stage and deliver a positive message. The ballroom of the Wisconsin Club was full of business leaders and energy. Fun stuff!

Low Point Business: Governor Walker Loses to Tony Evers No doubt about it, Walker losing the fall election to Evers was definitely the low point for Wisconsin business. After all Walker accomplished in 2018 (and before that as well) it was hard to believe Wisconsin (well, Dane and Milwaukee County anyway) had enough of the good times and decided to change course. I’ve been fortunate enough to just deal with the Walker administration during my term as director for the IBAW but we’ll have to switch gears and make new connections to the Evers administration. How will the new administration treat Wisconsin business owners? We’ll have to see how this all turns out.

Personal High Point: Another Home Project Tackled In 2017 I tackled rebuilding the screen room attached to my house and it put my carpentry skills to the test. It was at this time last year I started work on upgrading my family room which was locked in a 1970’s time warp. Floor to ceiling wood paneling and shag carpeting. As with many home projects you don’t know what you’ll uncover - or how low it will take until you get into it. What started with just taking some paneling down and a bit of paint, led to erecting scaffolding to reach the top of the vaulted ceiling and challenging me with my fear of heights. My brother, Frank, and my nephew, Joe, were a huge help in securing the ceiling beams which were falling down (unknown to me at the time) and Sue and I were painting fools for weeks on end. The whole project wrapped up in July and we showcased the room by hosting the neighborhood Christmas party in December.

Personal Low Point: Loss of Family Pet We didn’t have very many low points the past year but if there was one that did stand out it was the loss of one of our cats, Lucy. If you have a family pet you realize just how much they are part of the family and when things go bad it hits the family hard. And it did with us. Blood tests at the vet showed, Lucy was in advanced kidney failure (common in cats) and a few days later we took her in to be put down. It was hard for us and for our other cat as well. And while this was incredibly sad for us, a few months later we stopped by the humane society to adopt a new kitten we named ‘Jet’, who’s getting along great with our older cat. Thankfully, a sad ending brightened up a bit. There’s plenty of animals in need of adoption so think about adopting a new friend and family member.

Those are my picks for Highs & Lows of 2018.

I’d be curious to hear your list. Email me at SteveIBAWOffice@gmail.com

Sales Roundtable Monday, January 14, 2019 | Time: 7:30 am - 9:00 am Location: CTaccess, 740 Pilgrim Parkway, Elm Grove

Does your prospect strike fear in everyone they deal with? Is he or she used to getting their way without mutual cooperation? Do they find your lack of preparation or sales pitch disturbing?

How do you deal with people who always want to get their way?

This month we'll discuss how to properly prepare for a presentation and to utilize negotiating techniques that won't leave you gasping for breath. Start the new year off right and get engaged!

7:30 AM - 9:00 AM. (Please arrive by 7:25 - we start at 7:30 SHARP. Location: CTaccess Conference Room 740 Pilgrim Parkway, (Lower Level) Elm Grove

Cost: Free, a benefit of your IBAW membership.

Registration is required. This event is only open to IBAW members.

Coffee provided by CTaccess, bakery provided by IBAW.

ESCAPE! With ED

S

!

E S O O CL

Two IBAW teams squared off at Breakout Games in Brookfield to test their skills in escaping two different themed rooms; Casino Breakout and Museum Heist. Each team had 60 minutes to decipher clues, solve puzzles and work codes to escape their room. Unfortunately, while both teams had fun, neither was able to breakout in the allotted time.

The fun continued afterwards with debriefing, networking and libations at The Butler Inn.

Merrill Lynch is proud to support the IBAW. Tinder Creek Follis Michael Poludniak, CRPC®, C(k)P®, CPFA Senior Financial Advisor Thomas Follis, CFP® Resident Director Daniel Creek, CRPC® Senior Financial Advisor

Merrill Lynch 2600 Browns Lake Drive Suite A Burlington, WI 53105 262.514.7960

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management makes available products and services offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a registered broker-dealer and Member SIPC, and other subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation.

Investment products: Are Not FDIC Insured Are Not Bank Guaranteed May Lose Value The Bull Symbol and Merrill Lynch are trademarks of Bank of America Corporation.

CRPC® is a registered service mark of The College for Financial Planning. C(k)P® is a registered trademark of The Retirement Advisor University, Inc. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in the U.S. © 2018 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

AR4M9LKC | AD-10-18-0699 | 470944PM-0718 | 11/2018

Don’t Turn Your Back On Your Customer Bob Wendt, Cultivate Communications

Do you stop communicating with your customers after they buy your company’s products or services? If so, you’re missing a big opportunity to boost your bottom line by RETAINING them.

When someone buys your products, it doesn’t mean their customer journey has come to an end. It’s actually just beginning. Now’s the time to rethink how to keep existing customers engaged with your brand.

Effective, ongoing communication with current customers increases the likelihood that they’ll buy from you again. In some cases, it may increase the frequency and value of their future orders. In either case, it significantly increases their lifetime value – and your long-term profitability.

Here are some powerful ways you can creatively use marketing to do a better job of retaining your most valuable customers: Don’t leave onboarding to chance: When you first acquire a customer, there’s a lot they need to know: For example, how to use your product or get value from your services, where to go to get their questions answered and how to get customer support. Why not create an email “drip” campaign that educates them about each aspect of doing business with you? By proactively teaching them how to interact with your firm, you’ll make them more comfortable, reduce the number of misunderstandings and save your staff a lot of time. In other words, they won’t need to keep answering the same customer questions, over and over again.

Streamline their access to key tools and resources: Identify the needs of your new customers and then design tools and systems that empower them. For example, you could: • Create a private customer portal within your website where they can login to get all of the learning, resources and support they need.

• Create a mobile app that gives them anytime, anywhere access to these services.

• Can you enable them to order consumable parts ahead of time, so they can pick them up when and where it’s most convenient for them?

• Set up an online forum where your customers can congregate to ask questions, get answers, share knowledge and network with each other.

The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

Survey says…: A traditional survey is an ideal way to identify existing problems you need to fix as well as to identify additional needs you can meet.

Education is always a winner: Provide your customers with education about your product itself, as well as how to get the most value out of it. This could take the form of self-service e-courses, webinars, workbooks, manuals and other materials that distill what your customers need to know into a skimmable, actionable format.

Create an exclusive “subscription” for customers: Your customers should perceive that they are being treated special, with exclusive training, content, events, discounts and more. Loyalty programs can also make customers feel like they “belong” and benefit from their relationship with your company.

Don’t forget to personalize your communications: Nothing says you care more than addressing your customer contact by name in printed and electronic communications. Today’s sophisticated email and marketing software makes this easy to do. The best marketers even use deeper customer information to offer highly tailored recommendations to them.

Think Amazon.com, with its “people who bought X also bought these related products…” recommendations. It’s as if they know your deepest needs! Familiarity breeds loyalty.

Create a customer content calendar: Don’t leave communication with your existing customers to chance. Build relationships with them by creating a rolling schedule of consistent communications with them. This calendar should include all types of communication, both formal and informal: Letters, phone calls, special events, discounts, special offers and personal notes, for example.

Develop a customer newsletter: Newsletters are excellent tools to help you develop and maintain customer relationships over time. This publication should be different than the one you sent to sales leads and prospects. Its content should be tailored to the needs of your existing customers. Be sure to include it in your content calendar, so you remember to publish it on a regular basis.

Connect your communications to your company’s mission and values: Customers like to feel like they’re part of something bigger. They may jump at the opportunity to be part of your company’s mission and values, if you invite them (think Tom’s Shoes, which donates a pair of shoes each time you buy a pair). If they can feel like they’re part of an active and engaged community that’s focused on your values, they will become more committed to your brand.

You need a customer communications strategy In the same way that you develop a well thought-out strategy for attracting prospective customers, you need to also take a strategic approach to cultivating relationships with your existing ones. This approach has a number of key benefits: • By helping customers feel well cared for, you can reduce or eliminate buyer’s remorse • It helps your new customers trust you • It gives them confidence to do business with you again.

It’s time to get started. We can help you develop a communications strategy with your current customers. Let’s chat.

Powerful Dressing for Women Lori Mendelsohn, Men’s Fashion Expert and Personal Stylist Over the past two months we’ve been discussing what men should be wearing in the workplace, and how to make a great first impression. This month is devoted to the ladies, and how they can put their best foot forward, look polished and professional-without breaking the bank.

By and large, the majority of career women have an interest in the way that they come across, and enjoy “dressing for success.”

But what does that look like? Many of us feel that if we are going to put our best foot forward, we need to break the bank to get there. And honestly, sometimes we do, but it all depends upon where we work, and how we work.

As we know, in many fields, many of the positions we now hold were male dominated. As women, we’ve evolved into these roles.

And once in them, we often have to work even harder, pay more attention to what we say, how we say it, and how we come across in the way we dress.

As Wisconsin is known for manufacturing, much of our “power” attire needs to be applicable to that forum. We would no more wear a Roland Mouret dress to do a factory visit, that we would wear khaki’s, a button down, and a Carhartt jacket to a benefit. As always, it’s imperative to understand your audience and dress appropriately. But let’s expand our thoughts here for a few minutes.

Women generally feel empowered, just as men do, when they look great. And often times this means a dress-a dress that shows some curves, but doesn’t come across as stupidsexy. A dress that means business and a dress that gets the right attention. It’s the slippery slope of projecting power and glamour in one easy piece. And it’s also about creating a quiet, intimidating look that even intimidates members of our own sex. It’s about coming to the table full throttle, and it’s about confidence-just like a man has in his own perfectly tailored pinstripe suit. And along with this look, it also makes you stand out like a leader-and someone who is worthy of a promotion. Ladies, having an arsenal of power dresses is something to think about and get your head around.

But let’s face facts. Not all of us have the physique for a power dress. Many of us grapple on what looks best on our shape, and how to maneuver good basics for the workplace. Here are some tips on what’s in a classic wardrobe, and how to work with several key pieces. Keep in mind, your top to bottom ratio should be 2:1.

1. A well fitted blazer in a neutral color such as black, navy, grey or taupe. Make the financial investment in a great fitting, wellconstructed one, as it will last at least five years. It can be paired with jeans, a skirt, trousers and so on, and is versatile enough to go from the office to a client meeting in the evening.

2. Sweaters-either shells or long sleeved, fitted and traditional looks. This is where you can start adding color, or a pattern, or a print. If you are a cheetah loving kind of woman, have at it-this is your chance to show your own personal style.

3. A versatile collared blouse. Silks are wonderful, and anything that drapes and is non-clingy works great. Chose a color that works with neutrals, or, be bold with a pop of color.

4. High waisted, flat front, well fitted trousers in wool. Again, neutral colors that will mix and match the jackets you purchase.

Wear with pumps, boots, ankle boots and flats.

5. A pencil skirt in wool. If you have the shape to wear this, it looks great with pumps, flats or a boot.

Accessories are where you can shine here, and really make a statement on what looks great on you-individualizing your brand.

(With a basic wardrobe, it’s imperative to be unique) Bring color into the mix, with fun earrings and necklaces, and if you are feeling bold, try some unique shoes and handbags. I personally shop at www.therealreal.com for some gently used items, and don’t break the bank in doing so.

Lori Mendelsohn is an award-winning fashion designer who has worked in both LA and NY designing men's, women’s and children’s clothing. She has worked in Hollywood, and in the garment centers of NY and LA for over 33 years. Presently, she is assisting Midwestern Men in creating their own personal brands and style for www.uncommonman.net

This One Gesture Will Instantly Improve Your Culture Scott Seroka, Seroka Branding You can’t swipe through inc.com; hbr.org or entrepreneur.com on your iPad without stumbling directly into an article about the significance culture plays in an organization.

I think we all “get it.” Culture is as important, and some even believe more important, than strategy. I tend to agree. I don’t believe a company can execute its business strategy without highly motivated and driven people, and that motivation and drive can only come from building the kind of culture that encourages desired behaviors. A healthy culture is one where people genuinely care about the organization to which they belong; one where everyone believes in, and understands, the organization’s vision and purpose. Culture cannot be purchased through competitive comp packages, nor can it be driven by autocratic leadership or intimidation. It can only develop and flourish under a high E.Q. leadership model where people are trusted, respected and encouraged to do what they were hired to do. Most importantly, an ideal culture will flourish when employees receive frequent, quality feedback while being recognized for performance.

Recognition ranks among the top three things employees value the most from their employer, and in some cases, is even more valued than salary. Although face-to-face recognition is always the most appreciated, a very close and near equal runner-up is the hand-written note recognizing and thanking someone for something they did that made a positive impact on you, your company, their colleagues or a customer. But, is it better than an email? I think the answer is rather obvious. (Are Happy Birthday emails as meaningful as receiving a card in the mail?)

Try it. Write a thank-you note today to someone in your company who did something exemplary that merits recognition. It is easier than you think. Just follow this structure to write a meaningful and sincere thank-you note: 1.

Write what you are thankful for, and be specific. (e.g. “I want to thank you for the way you…”)

2.

Let the person know how their action(s) made a positive impact on the company and/or another person.

3.

Close with a statement of appreciation. (e.g. “I appreciate your commitment to…”)

4.

Sign.

It’s that simple. You can be guaranteed that the employee who receives your note will continue to perform beyond expectations, and his or her colleagues will also be encouraged to perform beyond expectations so they, too, can receive recognition from the top.

Next step – send a .jpg of your logo to a printer, have them print 20 thank-you cards for every employee in your company, and let your employees know you’d like to start a “Thank-You” culture. Therefore, if you have 140 employees, print 2,800 cards. They are ridiculously cheap, and the ROI will come in the form of improved morale, increased productivity, and stronger relationships between employees and management. However, a thank-you culture, or any kind of culture for that matter, cannot be forced. It is something that can only happen naturally, much like the way friendships are formed. Culture needs to be established and led from the top down, across management, and spread among all employees.

As the CEO or leader of your company, challenge yourself to write one thank-you note a week, at the very least. One note a day would be even better, and easier to do once you witness the impact a thank-you culture has on the attitudes and behaviors of everyone throughout your organization.

The Scott Walker Years: Taxpayer Centered Reforms in Wisconsin Matt Kittle, MacIver News

MADISON – As the crowds swelled inside and outside the state Capitol and the protestors sprayed Republicans with spit, insults, and hatred, Gov. Scott Walker could be forgiven for having a moment of pause, for asking himself if it was all worth it.

The public sector unions were calling for Walker’s political head. Some wanted more. They threatened his job, his life, his family. All because the newly elected Republican governor was willing to challenge the status quo, to find a long-term fix to a state budget that had for so long jumped from crisis to crisis, to restore power to a longforgotten constituency: Wisconsin taxpayers.

As the battle over Walker’s “Budget Repair Bill,” commonly known as Act 10, intensified in the late winter and early spring of 2011, some Republicans saw retreat as the only option.

Walker, according to those who know him best, never considered backing down — even as Democrats and their Big Labor allies began organizing a political recall campaign against him.

The “tone at the top,” what the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel once derisively described as Walker’s “reptilian calm,” was precisely what the “Republican Revolution” needed to lead a sustained campaign of conservative reforms.

Wisconsin has come a long way since Walker’s first turbulent days in office. The governor’s loss to Democrat Tony Evers in last month’s election marks the end of an era of sweeping conservative reforms.

Walker’s signature success, Act 10, is, for many, the defining win of his two eventful terms. But it was just the beginning of a long list of limited-government reforms the likes of which Wisconsin had never seen.

First act Act 10 holds wage increases for Wisconsin government employees to the rate of inflation and requires them to contribute more — or something — to their taxpayer-funded health insurance plans and pensions. More so, it requires annual recertification votes and frees public employees from compulsory union dues.

As Walker noted in his 2013 memoir of the times, “Unintimidated: A Governor’s Story and a Nation’s Challenge,” Wisconsin was the diminished labor movement’s line in the sand. The Badger State was the birthplace of public sector unions in the 1930s, and in 1959 it became the first state to allow collective bargaining for government employees.

Big Labor and its political allies financed an expensive campaign to oust the Republican governor. Walker became the first governor in U.S. history to survive a recall attempt. Despite seemingly endless court challenges and Wisconsin’s version of the “resistance”, Act 10 not only survived, it delivered billions of dollars in relief to state and local taxpayers. It helped fix the $3.6 billion budget mess Walker inherited from his Democrat predecessor, and it brought workplace liberty to tens of thousands of public employees.

“I’m particularly proud that, because of our reforms, that enabled the people — not the government — to create more jobs, more opportunities and higher wages in this state…We’ve been such a reformer I may have reformed myself out of a job,” Walker said.

Eric Bott, director of Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin and a legislative assistant during the Act 10 battles, said Walker’s legacy in part is his lasting impact on worker freedom. From the dismantling of compulsory union dues in the public sector

to signing the legislation that made Wisconsin the 25th right-to-work state, Bott said the governor drove a good deal of change.

Dizzying pace Even as the budget repair bill and the Capitol protests grabbed the national spotlight, Walker and the Republicans led a flurry of significant limited-government and liberty reforms in the first 180 days of the governor’s first term.

The new governor signed Wisconsin’s voter ID bill into law, and a measure making Wisconsin the 49th state to allow concealed carry weapons.

And the Legislature expanded Wisconsin’s oldest school choice program, dramatically increasing eligibility in Milwaukee, Racine and, ultimately, statewide.

Tax relief Walker and the Republican-led Legislature can lay claim to delivering the largest tax cuts in state history. All told, tax relief tops $8.5 billion. More than half of that came in the form of income and franchise tax reduction, another $3.56 billion in property tax cuts.

Mike Huebsch, Walker’s first secretary of Administration, said the litany of conservative reforms and Walker’s focus on changing state government’s relationship with business set the stage for soaring state revenue, hefty surpluses, and the tax breaks that followed.

“Property taxes were a big issue. They were driving senior citizens out of their homes,” he said. “These were the issues that drove us and made it clear we needed to make fundamental changes.”

Regulatory reform As Walker began his first term in January 2011, Wisconsin was viewed as the “California of the Midwest,” AFP’s Bott said.

Walker and the GOP-led Legislature began working on changing that mentality immediately with a series of regulatory reforms. One of the first changes came with Act 21, described as a “quintessential regulatory reform.” It effectively ended state bureaucracy authority to write rules and regulations that affect laws without explicit and express authority from the Legislature.

Walker saw the dangers unchecked bureaucrats posed. In 2017, he effectively handed back some executive branch power by endorsing the REINS ACT (Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act). Wisconsin became the first state in the nation to adopt the act, which provides greater legislative oversight of the regulations adopted by state agencies.

Welfare reform The governor pushed a suite of reforms, including adding work requirements for welfare programs, limiting benefits for families of children who are habitually truant, and setting a $25,000 liquid asset limit on Wisconsin food stamp beneficiaries.

Earlier this year, Walker called a special session of the Legislature to take up 10 bills, part of his “Wisconsin Works for Everyone” welfare reform initiative. All but one were approved by the Republican majority.

The reforms underscore Walker’s governing philosophy on limiting the ever-encroaching reach of government in the lives of individuals.

“We want to help those in need move from government dependence to true independence through the dignity of work,” Walker said in April, after signing the nine bills into law.

Legacy of reform Today, Wisconsin’s unemployment rate is at historic lows, more people than ever are working, and global players like Foxconn and Amazon are making the Badger State home.

Still, to Wisconsin liberals, Scott Walker remains the bogeyman, the fountainhead of their misery, their conspiracies, their failures over the past eight years.

His limited-government policies were so anathema to their big-government religion that progressives launched a recall movement against him. They hated him so much that they readily endorsed a secret, unconstitutional “John Doe”

investigation — one of the darkest chapters in Wisconsin history — into Walker, his campaign, and many of the centerright organizations in the state.

But Walker and the conservative Legislature embraced the battle, and bested progressives at nearly every turn.

Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, said Walker’s legacy of conservative leadership emboldened governors and lawmakers in other states “to take on government sector unions, the most powerful force in American politics, and enact similarly bold reforms.”

Just days after his defeat, Walker reflected on his tenure. He said he will be remembered as a reformer.

“I’m particularly proud that, because of our reforms, that enabled the people — not the government — to create more jobs, more opportunities and higher wages in this state,” Walker said.

He paused, and considered that he may have been too successful on that score.

“We’ve been such a reformer I may have reformed myself out of a job,” the governor said.

Read the full story on Gov. Scott Walker’s limited-government legacy at MacIverInstitute.com.

IBAW Members Score Wine By Giving Referrals IBAW members can get a free bottle of wine every time they refer a business friend to IBAW and that persons joins.

We want to grow the IBAW and since we are a member driven organization, we rely on you to help grow the group.

Who makes a great candidate for IBAW? Any person or business that has a ‘pro business’ attitude is an ideal candidate. This can include businesses both large and small along with individuals who are entrepreneurs who are free market thinkers!

Contact IBAW director Steve Kohlmann for details on how you can invite a guest to a monthly breakfast meeting.

How To Be A Good Boss By Being A Good Leader in 2019!

Steve Bobowski, Dale Carnegie Training Coach

Dear Carnegie Coach Bobowski: I will become the new boss in my department in January. This is a bit scary for me because I want to start off on the right foot with my department. It is important for me to know what entails being a good boss so I can show my boss he made the right choice in promoting me and I am more than capable of leading a department. What suggestions do you have?

Ann in Green Bay

Dear Ann:

Congratulations on your promotion! I have no doubt your boss made the right choice in choosing you. Most likely, he thinks you are a proactive individual who will work hard to achieving company goals. There are many qualities a good boss encompasses. To be a good boss be a GOOD LEADER:

THE 5 ACTIONS I WANT YOU TO TAKE--A GOOD BOSS AND GOOD LEADER:

• SHOW THEM HOW MUCH YOU CARE BEFORE YOU TELL THEM HOW MUCH YOU KNOW: Get to know your people, their wants, desires, their dreams, goals and what motives them.

• LISTEN TO YOUR TEAM: Your team can give you valuable input and ideas. Listen to what they have to say about things and take them into consideration.

• SETS GOALS FOR AND WITH YOUR TEAM: Look at the company goals and tie them into measurable goals for your department. Be specific in the goals you set.

• GIVE RECOGNITION AND PRAISE: Show your team you see and appreciate what they are doing. People like to be recognized for their work. People like to know they are important to their team and are a valuable asset.

• LEAD THE TEAM WITH CONFIDENCE: You have “earned the right” to lead. Be confident in providing leadership. Stay proactive and follow up with your team on projects.

• SET A GOOD EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW: Be aware of your actions and set an example for your department to look up to. I assure you, “They are watching”.

THE BENEFITS TO YOU:

• You will be the Leader your boss envisioned and your associates will be glad to work for.

Make It A Great Day!

Steven G. Bobowski

President’s Circle IBAW / DALE CARNEGIE PRESIDENTS CIRCLE A LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FOR CEOs, PRESIDENTS, AND BUSINESS OWNERS

As the CEO, President, or Owner you are asked to produce more results with fewer resources, meet and exceed competition, innovate and motivate. This creates very difficult teams and leadership challenges. Leaders must encourage teamwork, bottom-up idea generation, alignment, loyalty and above all commitment. Rather than direct and dictate, leaders must inspire and motivate!

The Presidents Circle: The IBAW and Dale Carnegie Training have developed an exclusive Leadership program for IBAW members only. The Presidents Circle combines peer group engagement and highly targeted executive Dale Carnegie Training among peers to help you achieve significant results. These results will be achieved by providing insights, peer challenges, and developing leadership skills which are aligned with your organization and which will help drive agendas. By combining corporate mission, vision and values with our unique methodology employees will begin supporting a world they helped create.Ultimately, the only sustainable competitive advantage is the innovation, motivation, and creativity of the employees of an organization. Establishing a strong leadership culture provides the environment where innovation and creativity can flourish.

Program Specifics: • • • • • • •

Meetings with other IBAW CEOs/Presidents/Business Owners 10 monthly meetings Dale Carnegie Executive Leadership Training workshop each session.

Round Table Issues Discussed and Resolved Guided Yearly planning Accountability among peers.

Business Results

The President’s Circle will help you achieve results by: • • • • • • • •

Providing training among peers Creating and sustaining change initiatives Ensure continuous improvement and bottom-line impact Align the organization behind a common vision Develop a habit of fact-based decision making at every level.

Strengthen and implement strategic planning Create a value based culture to ensure loyalty Build energy and trust up and down the organization to insure customer loyalty.

Commitments: • Attend meetings • •

Program Leader: Steve Bobowski

No cost for meetings, a benefit of IBAW membership Referrals or 3 enrollments

“Knowledge isn’t power until it is applied.”

-Dale Carnegie

This program is now forming and is limited in the number which can attend.

For more information, contact Program Leader Steve Bobowski by clicking here.

: S E L A S

2nd Monday of the Month SALES ROUNDTABLE 7:30 am - 9:00 am Free & open to IBAW members only Register at IBAW.com

Sales can be a tough road of ups, downs, potholes and a few bumps.

But it can also be fast paced, exhilarating and rewarding.

If you’re in sales, you know there are things only other sales people understand; the thrill of scoring the big account, the uncertainty of “let me think about that.”, the frustration of phone calls or emails that don’t get returned. IBAW’s Sales Roundtable is a support and knowledge resource for sales professionals, business owners, marketing and branding experts who are charged with driving sales.

Join us to discuss the strategy, tactics, inspiration, and motivation to increase sales. It’s a FREE benefit of your membership!

Who should attend: • Sales professionals of any level.

• Business owners • Sales Managers • Marketing & P.R. Professionals

“For many years I ran sales meetings for as few as 3 and as many as 22 sales rep’s now I can go as a participant once a month to IBAW’s Sales Roundtable.

BONUS! Join the IBAW Sales Roundtable and get a compact disc with the BEST in Sales Survival Music. Play it to pump you up before that big meeting or to console you if you hit a sales slump. Guaranteed to make life better.

It’s a focused meeting and everyone wants the same thing – to be more effective at selling.”

- Jerry Wick, CEO, Custom Data Too Mail

IBAW Public Policy Committee Hosts Legislative Roundtable in Brookfield

The IBAW Public Policy Committee hosts a Legislative Roundtable every spring and fall featuring representatives from Madison to discuss important issues business owners face. It’s your opportuntity to speak to your elected officials. Past meetings have had representatives Senator Lena Taylor, Senator Chris Kapenga, Representative Rob Hutton, Joe Sanfelippo, Christine Sinicki, Samantha Kirkman and Representative Dale Kooyenga. Meetings are held at the offices of Sikich in Brookfield.

Welfare reform, excessive business regulations and the ever increasing shortage of a competent workforce were the main concerns of business owners as well as crime and the state of Milwaukee Public Schools.

Watch for upcoming Legislative Roundtables.

Visit IBAW.com for details.

IBAW is on an upward trend of growth and we are actively recruiting businesses just like yours to join!

When you join IBAW your entire company is a member - anyone from your team can attend our fine educational and networking events.

Help yourself, your business AND your Team Members.

Come on in...we’re open for business!

Join o

nline!

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2019 Membership Committee

Jake Hansen Jacsten Holdings

Charles Fry Robert W. Baird

Mike Poludniak Merrill Lynch

Dan Hansen

Legislative Fix Moving Ahead for Wisconsin’s New Manufacturing & Agricultural Credit Jim Brandenburg, CPA, MST - Sikich LLP

In IBAW meetings and publications in recent years we have introduced you to Wisconsin’s new tax incentive - the Wisconsin Manufacturing and Agriculture Credit (referred to as the “MAC”). The MAC came about in 2011 to provide an incentive for Wisconsin manufacturers and agricultural companies to remain and grow here, and also perhaps to have out-of-state companies move here. It was scheduled to begin in 2013, and when fully phased-in by 2016 it would essentially exempt any Wisconsin manufacturing and agricultural income from Wisconsin income tax. The MAC was championed by Representative Dale Kooyenga and Senator Glenn Grothman in the legislature.

Magazine Content Needed Consider Submitting an Article!

The MAC, however, had some problems for individual taxpayers when it was drafted and this glitch was recently identified. Here is the issue in a nutshell: the MAC would reduce a taxpayer’s Wisconsin individual income tax, but then would trigger a Wisconsin minimum tax for nearly the same amount. Thus, there may be little, if any, net savings for the MAC in 2013 (a “MAC Attack?”). The legislature is trying to remedy this situation now so that taxpayers can realize the proper tax savings with the MAC on their 2013 Wisconsin individual tax returns.

The IBAW magazine is in need of content, we rely on our members and sponsors to supply us informative articles. The digital magazine is sent out to over 650 contacts statewide and the magazine is parked on the web where, on average, it gets over 1100 views.

Legislative Update: It seems that all key legislative leaders are now on board to correct this issue. It was approved by the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee last week. The Senate and Assembly will be in session in March and voting on final passage for several bills, one of which is this tax bill with the MAC correction. It looks like the legislative timetable will have the bill passed near the middle of the March, before going to the Governor.

Thus, a best guess now is that the bill would be enacted into law somewhere in the latter half of March, 2014.

MAC Attack Options: For any of our individual taxpayers taking advantage of the MAC, this may present some filings logistics. Here are the possibilities:

1. Best case scenario - in some cases the taxpayer’s share of the MAC for 2013 will be used and not result in a Wisconsin Minimum Tax. A taxpayer in this situation could go ahead and claim the MAC and file their 2013 Wisconsin individual return. There would be no need to wait for the legislation to pass.

Consider writing an article on a timely business related topic to your particular field of business. This is an outstanding opportunity for you and your company to gain exposure and increase your brand awareness to a statewide audience. There is no cost to submitting an article.

2. Next, a taxpayer has generated a MAC for 2013, but it will trigger a Wisconsin Minimum Tax. The taxpayer in this case could wait until the law is changed (and then wait a little for the WDR to update its computer processing systems) and then file their Wisconsin tax return and claim the MAC, and not incur the Wisconsin Minimum Tax. This could present a tight timeline for the April 15 deadline, and you may need to file for an extension.

3. Similar case as #2, but this taxpayer could file their Wisconsin individual return with the MAC, but also incur and pay a Wisconsin Minimum Tax for 2013. Then, once the corrective law is enacted go back and file an amended 2013 Wisconsin tax return to obtain the proper tax benefit of the MAC. You would not need extend, but you would need to amend.

We’ll keep you posted as this legislation moves forward.

If you have any questions, please contact Jim Brandenburg or Brian Kelley at Sikich, LLP in Brookfield (262)754-9400.

Contact Steve Kohlmann for details.

Articles submitted by our members & sponsors.

Welcome New IBAW Members!

Meeting Recaps 2014 Wisconsin Manufacturing Knowledge Summit

Power Test

On June 20, 2014 the IBAW partnered with the Tool, Die & Machining Association of Wisconsin (TDMAW) to offer Wisconsin manufacturers and their suppliers a unique look at trends within the industry and to also report on some of the challenges the industry faces in the next 5 years.

Power Test, Inc. is an industry leader in the design, manufacture and implementation of dynamometers and control systems.

Special thanks to the event sponsor, First Business Bank for their efforts in helping organize this event.

For more than 37 years, Power Test has provided specialized test equipment to manufacturers, rebuilding facilities and distributors globally. Our products can be found in use at these facilities in nearly 100 countries on six continents.

Chris Halaska

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Our headquarters and manufacturing operations are located in Sussex, WI with sales representatives worldwide. Our unparalleled customer service is well known throughout the industry.

Power Test employs a dedicated staff of talented machinists, fabricators, electronic technicians, assemblers, designers, engineers, software developers, and administrative and customer service personnel.

Our exceptional product life and excellent customer service is well known throughout the industry and has made us one of the industryleading dynamometer manufacturers. Our dedication to the customer and to the advances in powertrain component testing keep us there.

Power Test N60 W22700 Silver Spring Drive Sussex, WI 53089 Phone: 262-252-4301

4 Advanced Waste Services Advanced Waste Services is an environmental services company that provides wastewater recycling and other waste and risk elimination services to manufacturers in all industries. Each day, AWS helps hundreds of businesses, both large and small, meet their community and environmental obligations. Annually, we collect, treat and recycle more than 50 million gallons of contaminated wastewater into clean, reusable water and other valuable resources like fuel, steam and electricity.

AWS is constantly helping our clients manage, reinvent and improve their sustainability successes. For example, we recently partnered with Forest County Advanced Waste Services Potawatomi Community to help Wisconsin food and beverage manufacturers convert 1126 South 76th Street food waste into clean, green renewable energy.

Suite N408B

West Allis, WI 53214 Founded in 1993, AWS employs 55 people in the Milwaukee area and a total of 150

people companywide in 5 states.

414-847-7100

Photo Key 1: A full house in the main ballroom of the Wisconsin Club as IBAW & TDMAW members prepare to hear about the state of manufacturing and the challenges the industry faces in the workforce.

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2: David Vetta of First Business Bank delivers opening remarks and highlights the importance of a strong relationship between banking and manufacturing working together for success.

3: New IBAW President, John Weber of Hypneumat addresses the change in IBAW Bylaws and calls for voting in new board officers.

4: Kent Lorenz of Acieta gives the main presentation on “Manufacturing Matters” pointing out the trends on manufacturing now and what to expect in the future.

5: Outgoing IBAW President, Steve Van Lieshout receives his award for his efforts as 2013 - 2014.

6 Photos courtesy of Tim Townsend.

6: IBAW Executive Director, Steve Kohlmann (Left) presents David Drumel with an award for his service on the IBAW board.

Spotlight on new members

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AT&T ITU AbsorbTech Park Bank HNI Risk Advisors Advantage + Ixonia Bank Johnson Financial Group Sikich Lauber Trusted Business Partners RW Baird von Briesen Vrakas Boerke Co. Rickert Industries Merrill Lynch

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THERE’S ROOM AT THE TABLE

As an advocate for small business, the IBAW offers intimate meetings on relevant topics such as Leadership, HR, Sales, and Political Issues.

Business Leaders...Leading Business

Join us.

“ I almost always come away from an IBAW meeting with useable material that helps me with my business. Many times, a speaker will give me something that applies to ITU AbsorbTech. Other times, it is a conversation over breakfast that gives me value.”

Jim Leef, President & CEO, ITU AbsorbTech

“Being involved with a business organization like the IBAW is critical for small business owners in Wisconsin for growth and to have a voice with government.”

Rich Meeusen, CEO, Badger Meter.

Education • Networking • Political Advocacy BUSINESS LEADERS...LEADING BUSINESS

www.ibaw.com / 262-844-0333 / IBAWOffice@gmail.com

IBAW 960 Timber Pass Brookfield, WI 53045 Office: 262-844-0333 IBAW.com

Membership Application

Name______________________________________________Company_________________________________________ Address____________________________________________City, State, Zip_____________________________________ Phone______________________Email Address_____________________________Website______________________________

MEMBERSHIP INVESTMENT

IBAW membership is based on the number of full time employees in your company.

Number of employee in your company

AMOUNT

1 - 15 Employees ...............$300.00 16 - 25 Employees ...............$400.00 26 - 49 Employees.................$500.00 50 or more Employees...........$600.00 SPECIAL OPTION: Prepay breakfasts meetings. Get 12 for the price of 10!

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Amount Enclosed

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS apply to your entire team.

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Monthly Sales Roundtable - free with membership Monthly 5 Star Breakfast Program C Level Peer to Peer Networking Monthly Digital Statewide Magazine - free with membership Informative Workshops Business Behind the Scenes Tours Legislative Updates and Representation from Madison and Washington D.C.

… AND MORE!

Paying By Check? Please make check payable to IBAW. Want to pay credit card? If you would like to pay by Visa, MasterCard or American Express, you can pay online at IBAW.com or by calling the IBAW office at 262-844-0333.