NOVEMBER 2012
IBAW’S NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM
STEVE KOHLMANN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ANN BARRY HANNEMAN PRESIDENT
T
H INS IS I IS DE S U E :
STEVE VAN LIESHOUT PRESIDENT ELECT
NATION: WIRED NATION CHANGES
LAUBER: WAYS TO INCREASE CASH FLOW
OLIVE GARDEN SKIRTS HEALTHCARE ACT
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2012 Business Presentation Series
IBA Wisconsin
November 16th Brian Sikma Media Trackers
Friday, November 16th, 7:00 – 9:00am The Wisconsin Club, 900 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI IBA Member - $30 • Future Members - $40 To register click here.
Sa
e Da ve th
te!
December 21st Panel discussion on Obamacare and what it means for your business in 2013
January 18th Scott VanderSanden - President of ATT
Be Bold 2: Focusing on competitive jobs in Wisconsin
IBA CONTACTS
IBA MEDIA LINK
Executive Director.......................................Steve Kohlmann President..............................................Ann Barry Hanneman President Elect.........................................Steve VanLieshout Secretary......................................................John Weber Treasurer.....................................................Casey Malek Programing, State & National Issues...........Jeff Hoffman Membership / Sponsorship........................Heather Baylor
Governor Walker discusses preview of 2013 Budget. Click here to listen.
IBA Names New Positions The Independent Business Association of Wisconsin Board of Directors announced the selection of its new administrative partner, Kohlmann Management Group, LLC. As part of this contract, Steve Kohlmann will act as Executive Director of IBAW. In this role, he’ll be directing the administrative initiatives for IBAW, while continuing his present position at Cultivate Communications / Heritage Printing. The IBAW Board Administrative Search Committee, led by Richard Blomquist, was pleased to select Kohlmann Management Group, particularly given Steve's demonstrated commitment to IBAW and its mission. Having served as President of IBAW since 2010, Steve has shown a strong commitment and dedication to the organization. As Steve Kohlmann steps down as President of IBAW, long time board member Ann Barry Hanneman was elected by the IBAW Board to serve as IBAW President to complete the remaining term ending in June 2013. Ann is a partner and employment law attorney at Jackson Lewis LLP where she represents businesses in employment matters. At the same time, Board member Steve Van Lieshout was elected to serve in the current position of President-Elect and will be filling the position of President in June of 2013. Steve is a principal at K & S Technologies. Below are brief biographies of those stepping into new Board positions. We hope you’ll welcome our newest leadership team members and contact them with your thoughts and suggestions.
Executive Director: Steve Kohlmann Steve is a life long resident of Wisconsin and works as a marketing and communication specialist at Heritage Printing/Cultivate Communications in Brookfield, WI. In the past he has been a regular featured speaker at the Milwaukee Biz Times Expo on Marketing & Communications and has sat as a member of the Business Advisory Council for Special Needs Adoption and United Cerebral Palsy Association of SE Wisconsin. Presently he sits on the Tax Assessment Board of Review for the Town of Brookfield where he lives with his wife, Sue. Recently Steve was appointed to the Community Development Authority overseeing the $160 million dollar Marcus development in Waukesha County known as “The Corners”.
President: Ann Barry Hanneman ANN BARRY HANNEMAN is a Partner in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin office of Jackson Lewis LLP. Ann acts as legal counsel to management in labor and employment law matters, including representing employers in federal and state employment litigation. Ann has successfully tried federal court jury trials, and regularly represents employers in administrative matters as well as federal and state court proceedings. Ann is a frequent author and speaker on employment law matters and provides management training for companies on such topics as employment discrimination, Family and Medical Leave Act compliance, discipline and discharge, drafting employee handbooks, ADA compliance, and updates on current cases and legislation affecting employment law and human resources. Ann graduated from Marquette University Law School and received her Bachelor of Science, with an Integral Honors Degree, from LeMoyne College. Ann has served as a past Secretary for the IBA and has been a Board member since 2008.
President Elect 2013 - 2014: Steve Van Lieshout Mr. Van Lieshout joined IBAW in 2011 and is the Co-Founder of K&S Technologies, a firm which specializes in identifying, developing, and providing new technologies to clients both domestically and internationally. Prior to K&S Technologies, Steve as a Registered Professional Engineer has had an extensive career in Sales and Project Management with large SE Wisconsin Design/ Build General Contractors in commercial, retail, and educational markets. Steve is also very active as a long time Board member of the Wisconsin Chapter SCIFirst for Hunters, an international organization specializing in conservation, education, and focusing in shooting and hunting activities. Steve also is a licensed muskie guide in Wisconsin and is a graduate of Marquette University in Civil Engineering.
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Dedication to Country Steve Kohlmann, IBAW Executive Director
I have to admit that I've been lamenting on what to write as my first article as Executive Director for IBAW. Of course, the obvious choice would be to write about how far IBAW has come since it started back in the mid 70's or the direction I hope to take it. Another topic choice would be to thank everyone on the Board, our sponsors and the membership itself for their hard work in making IBAW strong once again - for which I am VERY grateful. Everyone has worked hard on IBAW and it shows. I guess the old saying is true: ‘Many hands make light work.” With the election coming up (or finished depending on when you read this) I could touch on that as well. Certainly no shortage of topics there. Yes, I had all those topics running around in my head for this article - until I saw that photo today. The photo I'm talking about was sent to me by one of my buddies and it shows soldiers guarding the Tomb of the Unknown at Arlington National Cemetery in the driving rain during Hurricane Sandy. I've posted it in this article so you can see it too. As I write this Hurricane Sandy is just starting to make landfall and pounding the East Coast with high winds and driving rain. New York, New Jersey are really getting hit hard. So is Washington DC where the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is being watched over by soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment regardless to what Hurricane Sandy is throwing at them. Their mission, started in 1948, has gone on with non stop precision 24 hours - every day - despite rain, snow, heat and cold. And now hurricane. I have to admit getting a little emotional when I saw this photo. My wife, Sue, and I visited Arlington a few years back paying our respects at the Tomb. Every American should experience this. Powerful stuff. But now here I sit in my warm house, tapping away on my laptop in the comfort of my recliner listing to some easy listening music while these hearty individuals do their duty at The Tomb - and around the globe.
I'm very proud of our military personal all over the world. Whether they are guarding the Tomb of the Unknown or stationed somewhere in Europe, at home here in the Untied States or in some desolate god forsaken barren land like Afghanistan. They all risk their lives, sacrifice relationships with family, friends and spouses to watch over us and protect us from enemies foreign and domestic. I don’t have to tell you we live a very nice lifestyle here because of the sacrifices they have made to keep us free and I never have a problem if you spend my tax dollars on the military. A simple 'THANK YOU' hardly seems like enough when someone does something extraordinary like our military personnel do every day. And I don’t think they can hear that enough. So next time you see a man or women in uniform or if you know of a vet that has served, take a minute from your schedule and shake their hand and say "Thank you!". I'm sure you'll make their day and I be willing to bet you'll feel glad you did it too.
Change Is Coming In The Telecommunications Industry Thad Nation, Executive Director, Wired Wisconsin
Flip the switch on the wall, your lights will go on. Turn on to the freeway, and you’re using a safe, efficient means to get somewhere. When it starts to get cold, a press of a button or a twist of a dial means that our homes will become comfortably warm. When the facets of our nation’s infrastructure are maintained, most people just rely on them without giving them too much thought. But we have another key infrastructure system in place that will soon reach its technological limit: The means in which we are able to communicate with each other. While many of us think of infrastructure in terms of roads and railways, now that we are well into an age of information, our communication infrastructure must now evolve.Often, such progress is not only wanted, but necessary as old technology reaches its absolute usable limit. We’ve seen this cycle occur throughout our country’s history, from the benefits of electricity on rural communities; the replacement of telegraph with telephone; the mechanization that spurred our growth through the Industrial Revolution. We are rapidly reaching the point where our existing communications technology has reached its full capacity, and change will need to happen. We are moving swiftly away from a reliance on analog communications to broadbandbased, IP communication strategies.A similar situation occurred a few years ago when television broadcasters made the switch from traditional analog to digital broadcasting. The core television broadcasts were essentially the same. What changed, and what necessitated the purchase of a new television, was the technology used to broadcast those channels. This recent change also provides us with a lesson that we can apply to our communications infrastructure: We must ensure that barriers to this improvement are minimized and that unnecessary or additional regulation is discouraged. History shows us that implementation of broad technological advancements are what actually jumpstart our nation’s economy. Broadband is simply the latest, significant technology transition, and one that needs to happen to propel our economy forward. The time is now for us to be investing in this kind of critical infrastructure. And that is exactly how we need to see it – a communications infrastructure as necessary as roads or bridges or railways. Broadband infrastructure is a superhighway for American businesses to reach out into the world; a conduit that brings in educational opportunities for communities that currently have limited access; and a lifesaver for expanded medical services through telemedicine applications.This vital infrastructure is our pathway to prosperity out of the second greatest economic depression in history. This is how we can grow jobs and make our communities stronger and more robust. The key is re-thinking the way we understand what constitutes our vital, national infrastructure, and that new elements such as broadband must be added. Here in Wisconsin, we have the ability to take the lead on these efforts, to show other states, how it can be done successfully. It’s critical we do everything we can to make sure every corner of Wisconsin is wired. How? Through investment in private infrastructure that will transform the archaic, outdated copper telephone network into a state-ofthe art digital network that can create a 21st century economy for the state of Wisconsin.
We have the potential to lead the nation. The Public Service Commission and the LinkWISCONSIN Alliance has been drafting a Wisconsin Broadband Playbook and seeking input on how to best address challenges and opportunities for improving broadband availability, adoption rates and applications. The Playbook addresses four specific areas: Creating broadband provider incentives to invest in Wisconsin; reducing barriers to broadband investment; leveraging federal and state dollars; and providing education, awareness and personnel to support broadband development our state’s communities. These are strong first steps, and Wired Wisconsin applauds these initiatives. This is not just about ideas, it’s about taking the steps to encourage private investment and eliminate any barriers to make necessary broadband infrastructure a reality for our state. Wisconsin is headed in the right direction, but there is still more to be done. We must encourage all efforts that propel these development efforts forward.
SAVE THE DATE! November 7th- Business Behind the Scenes: Mitchell International Airport * Registration now full & closed November 19th - Monthly meeting - Wisconsin Club Brian Sikma - Media Trackers Media Bias & its Effect On Politics December 21st - Monthly Meeting - Wisconsin Club Panel discussion on Obamacare and its effect on your business in 2013 January 18th - Monthly Meeting - Wisconsin Club Scott VanderSanden - President of ATT Be Bold 2 - Focusing on competitive jobs in Wisconsin February 13th - Business Day in Madison More details coming soon!
Are you an expert in your field? Is there some business insight you’d like to share? Submit an article to the IBAW eMagazine! - 1000 words or less - Send raw text - Photos & graphics welcome For more information contact the IBAW office.
IBAW Members in the News... CARW Award for Industrial Market Goes To Hoffman IBAW Board Member, Jeff Hoffman, CCIM; Judson & Associates, s.c. received the award from the Commercial Association of Realtors of Wisconsin for his work in the Industrial Market for Bridge Logistics October 2. ”Our award winners and nominees represent the very best in commercial real estate in Wisconsin,” said Jim Villa, CARW President and CEO. “These industry leaders are driving economic development and building communities through their creative approaches to commercial brokerage and dedication to client services.”
Adams Inspiring Example of Stewardship IBAW Board member Bart Adams has been acquainted with St. Anne’s Salvatorian Campus since Frank Probst, his former professor at Marquette University, recruited him to serve on the St. Mary’s Nursing Home Board of Directors from 1994-2003. Frank then recruited Bart to serve on the St. Anne’s Board of Directors in 2004. Former chairman of the board, now a member of the finance and strategic planning committees, Adams was recognized for his service and presented with the 2012 St. Anne Award at the fifth annual HeartStrings dinner Tuesday, September 25. For 28 years, Bart has volunteered with the Waukesha Area Council of Boy Scouts of America, and previously volunteered with Milwaukee County Council of Boy Scouts of America. He also serves on the board of the Sisters of the Divine Savior Sponsorship Corporation, Waukesha County Business Alliance, Independent Business Association of Wisconsin (IBA), and many more. Administrator Lynn Vogt says, “When I think of Bart Adams, I immediately think of astonishing generosity, unshakable confidence, and true integrity all wrapped up in a humble man who is an inspiring example of gracious faith. Bart is astute, considerate, and conscientious; demonstrating his resolute devotion to his family, friends and God day after day. The residents of St. Anne’s are truly blessed by Bart’s sincere interest, servant leadership, and enduring kindness.”
Kolb+Co Honored as Business of the Year by Waukesha County Executive Kolb+Co. was presented the 2012 Waukesha County Executive Award for Business of the Year. This program seeks to recognize organizations in the private, public, and non-profit sectors that contribute to the continued success of the County and its citizens. An independent panel of judges that includes business executives, community leaders and past award winners, select award recipients each year based on how each meets the needs of taxpayers, customers, investors, employees, and the community at large. “We are so honored to have been selected as Waukesha County’s Business of the Year.
There are countless organizations within Waukesha County that demonstrate a keen sense of responsibility toward the well-being of the County. It is our privilege to be recognized amongst these great organizations,” stated Tom Luken, president of Kolb+Co. In addition to Business of the Year, Waukesha County Executive Daniel P. Vrakas also awarded The Women’s Center as Large Non-Profit of the Year, Your Choice to Live, Inc. as Small Non-Profit of the Year, and UW-Extension Drug Free Communities Coalition as Government Agency of the Year. All award winning organizations were honored at a luncheon on October 16, 2012, at Country Springs Hotel in Waukesha. Kolb+Co. provides integrated services and coordinated solutions to closely held businesses and their owners. The group, located in Brookfield, has just under 100 employees.
Second Annual Governor’s Small Business Summit Governor Walker announced the details of the second annual Governor’s Small Business Summit. “Last year, we began a tradition with the first-ever small business summit,” said Governor Walker. “This year we’re looking forward to another successful event, ultimately improving the relationship small businesses have with state government. This Small Business Summit will bring members of my cabinet together in the Coulee region and allow small businesses to directly interact with key government officials. “Our administration has been working directly with small businesses to improve the business climate in Wisconsin,” Added Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch. “This is a unique opportunity to provide input and learn about what our administration is doing and it should not be missed.” The Inaugural Governor’s Small Business Summit was held last year in Green Bay. More than 81 percent of participants who responded to a survey conducted at the conclusion of the event said it was excellent or very good. More than 75 percent of participants who responded said they had a better understanding of how the State of Wisconsin is supporting job creation and small business growth. Below are the details of the second annual Governor’s Small Business Summit: Thursday, November 8, 2012 8:00a.m.—4:00p.m. La Crosse Center, 300 Harborview Plaza, La Crosse, WI Registration is now open for the event, and can be accessed at: www.wheda.com/root/SmallBizSummit.
40 Ways to Improve Cash Flow John Lauber, Lauber CFOs
Cash the Life Blood of a Business. This asset can be more important than employees, customers, revenues, mission statements or catchy web pages. Without cash a business dies. Here are some tips we have used over the years to improve cash-flow in a business. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Have a cash plan for your business. It is hard to improve if you don’t know where you’re at. Collect your receivables. (We will dedicate a future edition to this crucial topic.) Eliminate delays in invoicing - get them in the mail as soon as possible. Request progress payments on large orders. Time your invoices to coincide with your customer's payment schedule. Grant cash discounts to key accounts. (Only if you know they will, in fact, pay earlier.) Raise selling prices after evaluating volume considerations. Negotiate special payment terms with key vendors. Set up a payment schedule for large payables. (Vendors tend not to complain if they are receiving regular payments that they can count on.) Use extended payment plans for business insurance premiums. Take advantage of installment option on Real Estate and Personal Property taxes. Determine if you qualify for budget basis payments for utilities. Negotiate billing dates that coincide with publication dates in large ad campaigns. Have retainers and payment terms with sub-contractors that correspond with the terms you have with your customer. Use internet to obtain competitive prices and renegotiate with current suppliers. Pay for large service contracts over life of contract. Use automated payment systems to time disbursement with exact due date. Adopt a "just in time" inventory system for key items, if you can trust your supplier to meet your schedules. Defer fixed asset additions. Consider leasing vs. buying to eliminate the down payment. Set up a lock box system at your bank for cash receipts. In a seasonal business, negotiate "skip payments" on bank notes. (10 payments per year instead of 12.) Make use of automatic sweep accounts to minimize borrowings or maximize invested cash. Negotiate with your bank for a special purpose loan that is tied to the terms of large contracts with unique payment terms. Tie a short-term loan to a future cash inflow like a tax refund. Consider factoring accounts receivable. Avoid cash travel advances for employees. Reimburse on actual expenditures instead. If an employee doesn't have a credit card and they travel often, offer to reimburse the annual fee. Don't use company credit cards. Base executive and sales compensation primarily or gross profit. Pay sales commissions only after collection from the customer. Schedule annual bonus and profit sharing payments during seasonal periods of high cash in-flows. Change payrolls from weekly to by-weekly or monthly. Delay payroll by five to seven days after end of pay period. Evaluate cash impact of owning company cars vs. reimbursing employees for business use of their cars. Liquidate obsolete or unusable inventory. Sell non-productive assets. Rent excess plant space on a short term basis. Determine if your scrap is salable. Consider sale and leaseback arrangements. (If you have equity in selected assets.) Institute a company wide inventory reduction program. (From raw material to shipping supplies.) Determine if you qualify to receive inventory on consignment. Pay only when you use it. File income taxes on a cash basis if you meet the requirements
Companies Begin Testing Ways To Avoid Obamacare Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants are putting more workers on parttime status in a test aimed at limiting costs from President Obama’s health care law. The move entails boosting the number of workers on part-time status, meaning they will work fewer than 30 hours a week. Under the new health care law, companies with 50 or more workers could be hit with fines if they do not provide basic coverage for full-time workers and their dependents. Starting Jan. 1, 2014, those penalties and requirements could significantly boost labor costs for some companies, particularly in low-wage industries such as retail and hospitality, where most jobs don’t come with health benefits. Parent company Darden, which operates more than 2,000 restaurants in the United States and Canada, employs about 180,000 people. Darden reports about 75 percent of its employees are part-timers. Bob McAdam, who heads government affairs and community relations for Darden, said the company is still learning from the tests. Darden is not alone in looking at ways to keep labor costs in check, with companies across the industry prepping for the new regulations to take effect. Other chains are looking for cost saving measures as well. McDonald’s Corp. Chief Financial Officer Peter J. Bensen stated in a conference call with investors that the McDonald’s chain was looking at the many factors that will impact health care costs, including its number of full-time employees. Nationally, 60 percent of companies offer health benefits, but the figure varies depending on the size of the company. Nearly all companies with 200 or more workers offer benefits, compared with 48 percent for companies with three to nine workers, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Welcome new IBAW members! Dick Deschane Access Information Management Michael Poludniak Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
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PAYING BY CHECK ? Make checks payable to IBA ʹ and mail to: IBA 960 Timber Pass Brookfield, WI 53045 WANT TO PAY ONLINE? You can also pay by Mastercard / Visa at the IBA Membership page. www.ibaw.com ________________________________________________________________________ The Independent Business Association of Wisconsin is a not-for-profit entity filed with the IRS under 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code. As a not-for-profit association, the members of The Independent Business Association, Inc. are allowed to deduct a percentage of dues that are not used for lobbying purposes. For the year 2012 based on the total income of the association and the lobbying expenses as reported on the Wisconsin State Ethics Board Lobbying reports for 2011 the percent of dues that were used for lobbing purposes is 15%. Therefore, the percent of dues that would be tax deductible is 85%.