Business Journal: Feb 2013

BUSINESS JOURNAL

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O F

M I D C E N T R A L

FEBRUARY 2013

I L L I N O I S

The Children’s Museum of Illinois is more than

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

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February 2013

YOUR CALENDAR

Monday, Feb. 4 Decatur Noon Lions Club, Main Place Bar & Grill, 101 S. Main St. Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club, 158 W. Prairie Ave.

Tuesday, Feb. 5 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites by Hilton, 333 W. Marion Ave., Forsyth.

BNI First Class Professionals, 7:45 a.m., Crestview Christian Church, 4415 N. Water St. Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, Feb. 6 Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Breakfast, 7 a.m., Decatur Club. Scheduled speaker is Decatur Fire Chief Matt Sekosky.

Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Thursday, Feb. 7 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Human Service Agency Consortium (HSAC), noon, Central Christian Church, 650 W. William St. Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Knights of Columbus Hall, 520 E. North St. Metro Decatur Home Builder’s Association, 6 p.m., Beach House, 2301 E. Lake Shore Dr. American Business Women’s Association (Amacita), 6 p.m., location varies.

Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building, 2715 N. 27th St.

Friday, Feb. 8 Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility, 3909 W. Main St.

Monday, Feb. 11 Decatur Noon Lions Club, Main Place Bar & Grill.

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Tuesday, Feb. 12 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites by Hilton.

BNI First Class Professionals, 7:45 a.m., Crestview Christian Church.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center.

Decatur Building Construction Trades Council, 10 a.m., IBEW Local 146 Hall, 3390 N. Woodford St. Decatur Area Society for Human Resource Management, 11 a.m., Doherty’s Pub and Pins, 242 E. William St. Central Illinois Ad Club, 11:30 a.m., Decatur Club.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Knights of Columbus Hall, 520 E. North St. Decatur AMBUCS, 6 p.m., Decatur Club.

Wednesday, Feb. 13

Friday, Feb. 22

Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Mount Zion Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, 11:30 a.m.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Real Estate Investors Association, 6:30 p.m., Perkins Family Restaurant, 2999 N. Monroe St.

Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

American Business Women’s Association (Monarch), noon, location varies.

Thursday, Feb. 14 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

GFWC Decatur Woman’s Club, 11:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Senior Resources Network (formerly Mature Resources Network), 11:45 a.m., Keystone Gardens, 1455 W. Mound Road.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Knights of Columbus Hall, 520 E. North St. Decatur Area Women’s Network (DAWN), 5:30 p.m., location varies.

Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building.

Friday, Feb. 15 Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Noon Women’s Network, 11:45 a.m., Decatur Club.

Monday, Feb. 18

Monday, Feb. 25 Decatur Noon Lions Club, Main Place Bar & Grill.

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Tuesday, Feb. 26 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites by Hilton.

BNI First Class Professionals, 7:45 a.m., Crestview Christian Church.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Building Construction Trades Council, 10 a.m., IBEW Local 146 Hall.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, Feb. 27

Thursday, Feb. 28 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Knights of Columbus Hall, 520 E. North St.

Tuesday, Feb. 19

Friday, March 1

Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites by Hilton.

BNI First Class Professionals, 7:45 a.m., Crestview Christian Church.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Black Chamber of Commerce First Friday Luncheon, noon, Main Street Church Tea Room, 2000 N. Main St.

Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Christian Women’s Network, noon, Decatur Club.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Thursday, Feb. 21 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Christian Women’s Club, 11:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Wednesday, March 6 Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Breakfast, 7 a.m., Decatur Club. Scheduled speaker is Bill Clevenger, Decatur Park District executive director.

Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Thursday, March 7 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

American Business Women’s Association (Amacita), 11:30 a.m., location varies.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Human Service Agency Consortium (HSAC), noon, Central Christian Church, 650 W. William St. Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Knights of Columbus Hall, 520 E. North St. Metro Decatur Home Builder’s Association, 6 p.m., Beach House.

Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building.

To submit items for Your Calendar, contact Scott Perry at 421-7976, at sperry@herald-review.com, or click the “Submit an Event” link at www.thebusiness-journal.com

Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Noon Lions Club, Main Place Bar & Grill.

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater Northside Baptist Church.

Wednesday, Feb. 20

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Monday, March 4 Decatur Noon Lions Club, Main Place Bar & Grill.

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater Northside Baptist Church.

Tuesday, March 5 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites by Hilton.

BNI First Class Professionals, 7:45 a.m., Crestview Christian Church.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

0804 m-f: 8-4

2281 e. hubbard ave 877-

our work is all around you starsilkscreendesign.com

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February 2013

FROM THE EDITOR It began with an update on a story about the changing parking restrictions downtown. It evolved into a discussion about the amazing work being done to renovate the Sams/Hockaday building at Main Street and Prairie Avenue; which evolved into discussion of what’s happening — perhaps it would be better to say not happening — to the Northgate Mall; which evolved into a discussion about Northgate stores we remembered visiting and movies we remembered seeing at the Northgate Cinema.

Many bosses discourage conversations like these, viewing them as a waste of time and a distraction from the job their employees are paid to do. But is it really?

Aside from being a much needed distraction in the high-stress workplace, random newsroom discussions and meetings almost always get a little off track and evolve into great story ideas.

This discussion was no different. The final topic resulted in a photo of the cinema being posted on the Herald & Review’s Facebook page with the question “What’s the last movie you saw at Northgate Cinema?” (I don’t remember my last movie, but I’m sure my date was beautiful!) It prompted a lot of immediate responses, which I classify as positive interactions with our customers.

Sounds likes a good use of my time if you ask me.

BUSINESS JOURNAL

BUSINESS JOURNAL OF MIDCENTRAL ILLINOIS

VOLUME 19

ISSUE 2

601 E. William St. Decatur, IL 62523 217.421.7976 217.421.7965 (fax)

PUBLISHER: Todd Nelson EDITOR: Scott Perry ADVERTISING: Cayla Hittmeier LAYOUT & DESIGN: Ginger Wortman

Scott Perry, editor Business Journal of Midcentral Illinois

COVER PHOTO: Mark Roberts

February2013Contents

STORY IDEAS: Email sperry@herald-review.com or call 217.421.7976.

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Standing Features

SEED MONEY TIF districts spur development

Biz Bites . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Business Clips . . . . . . . 9

Free Time calendar . . 15 Health calendar . . . . 22 Liz Reyer . . . . . . . . . . 18 Office Coach . . . . . . . 18

SCORE counselor . . . . 9 Wendy Gauntt . . . . . . 19

ADVERTISING: The deadline for ad and ad copy for the March issue is Feb. 14. Call 217.421.7931 for rate information.

The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois is printed monthly and is a publication of Lee Enterprises Inc.

Fred Spannaus . . . . . 10

Professional profile . . 16

SUBSCRIPTIONS: To order additional copies call 217.421.7931

Long-term designs Star Silkscreen Designs celebrates 30 years of meeting customers’ needs Page 7

19 SURPRISE! Monitor your computers for these glitches

Information published is the responsibility of the author and does not reflect the opinions of The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois. To submit articles, mail typewritten and 500 words or less to: The Business Journal, 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523. Articles will not be returned. Any editorial content or advertising published is the property of Lee Enterprises Inc., DBA The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois.

Copyright 2013 Herald & Review All rights reserved for entire content.

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February 2013

YOUR COMMUNITY

Business Journal photos/Jim Bowling

Tax increment financing has played a vital role in the redevelopment of downtown Decatur.

TIF districts a handy municipal tool Incentive used to spur development

By ALLISON PETTY Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — While the city’s $14 million worth of renovations to the downtown streetscape draw praise from some residents and business owners, others are not as Read more about tax pleased. increment financing disPeople tricts in Decatur and Macon complain, County and program City Manchanges being considered ager Ryan by state lawmakers at McCrady www.herald-review.com/tif said, and they question why the money isn’t spent elsewhere in the city or not spent at all. Letters to the editor of the Herald & Review during the life of the project have sometimes taken a critical tone, asking why the city

More info

would spend millions downtown when there are needs for a new police building, more plentiful water supply and updates to aging infrastructure throughout.

What those people don’t realize, McCrady said, is that property owners who invested in downtown are the source of the funding for the project. The city is essentially refunding their money by replacing sidewalks, repaving streets, adding parking and undertaking other improvements aimed at attracting people and businesses to the area.

This is possible because the downtown properties are part of the Olde Towne tax increment financing district, one of five TIF districts in the city. They are used as economic tools to spur development in blighted areas that would not otherwise attract it.

“A lot of people think it’s just, ‘Oh, you do a TIF and then you just give people money.’ It doesn’t work that way,” Assistant City Manager Billy Tyus said.

“Most of the redevelopment agreements we do are based on the increment generated that, in our minds ... wouldn’t occur were it not for some sort of incentive.”

The Pines Shopping Center on East William Street is the city’s newest tax increment financing district, but likely won’t be the last.

When a TIF district is established, the property value is considered the base amount. The city, school district and other taxing bodies collect property taxes based on this property value, as they always have.

When improvements are made to properties in a TIF district, the property owners’ taxes will be higher. Howev-

er, the taxes paid on top of the base amount are put into a special fund — or, in other words, the taxes the property owners pay on improvements they have made.

The money can be returned to the developers to improve their properties, or the city can keep the money for infrastructure enhancements in the area, such

www.thebusiness-journal.com as the downtown streetscape project.

The city’s TIF districts are: n Olde Towne, which encompasses downtown and stretches west to the Oakland Avenue business district near Millikin; n Southeast Plaza, which includes Hawthorne Suites and Strand Cinemas; n the former Pines Shopping Center, which is at the corner of William and 22nd streets; n Eastgate Commons, which includes Rural King and the adjacent strip mall; n Near North, which encompasses Wabash Crossing and stretches to U.S. 51.

The Olde Towne TIF district, established in 2000, is the largest and has seen the most activity. The property values of several buildings within the district experienced dramatic growth in the past 10 years.

R&D Development constructed the 34,000-square foot West Towne Square building at the corner of Wood Street and Oakland Avenue in 2001. The property saw a roughly $844,000 jump in its equalized assessed value between 2000 and 2011.

Millikin University purchased the building last year from the Romano and Demirjian families for $3 million.

The university plans to develop the building as a new home for its Exercise Science and Physical Education programs.

The property value of the Sweet Dreams building at 135 E. Prairie Ave. increased from $10,802 to $204,596. Nearby, the Conklin building at 101 E. Prairie Ave. increased its value from $70,315 to $334,023, according to city records.

In addition to the downtown improvements, TIF funds also paid for part of streetscape enhancements to the West Main Street corridor near Millikin University in 2008. While $1.5 million of the money came from a federal grant, the city provided more than $800,000 for the project.

“If you looked at this area prior to the last 10 years, our downtown was struggling and this corridor was struggling as well,” Tyus said. “Now if you drive it, you can see that there are a lot of improvements that are being made, both in the downtown area and in the corridors heading out west.”

The city’s newest TIF is also its smallest.

The Pines Shopping Center redevelopment area was created in 2010. In the next year, its property value jumped from $322,999 to $645,817.

The area now includes a Save-a-Lot, Pizza Hut and Family Dollar.

Gerry Kettler, director of consumer affairs for Niemann Foods, said the incentive played an “integral role” in the company’s decision to invest there.

“TIF funding always is instrumental in retail success for us, for two reasons: One, it does help to incentivize, but it also, two, shows that the community is behind that,” Kettler said. “... We love Decatur, and we’re glad that they have a business environment that is encouraging growth.”

The company is also involved in what could become the city’s sixth TIF dis-

February 2013

TIF v. enterprise zones SPRINGFIELD — When communities look to stimulate economic growth, they have a number of options designed to provide incentives to businesses.

In Illinois, two key programs are enterprise zones and tax increment financing districts. While both have similar goals, they are designed differently.

Funding derived from a TIF comes from projected changes in the assessed value of property within the area being redeveloped. The funds are then reinvested back into the area, generally assisting developers with the cost of land acquisition, site preparation, building rehabilitation and other improvements.

Enterprise zones have a more diverse foundation. They can use a combination

of state and local tax relief, regulatory relief and improved government services.

Companies locating in enterprise zones can receive sales tax exemptions for lumber and other building materials and tax credits for each job created within the zone. They also can receive low interest loans.

Both are said to be effective in creating jobs, but there are fewer comprehensive studies of TIF districts because they are created and managed locally.

The state’s 97 enterprise zones are said to have created 354,000 jobs and retained 536,000 other positions over the course of the past 29 years.

trict. McCrady confirmed that the city is negotiating a redevelopment agreement

with Niemann Foods for a site at Oakland and Grand avenues.

— Kurt Erickson

BUSINESS JOURNAL

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The company plans to develop a County Market in the area, which includes residences and was the site of a former dry cleaner. Construction could begin as soon as this summer.

Not all of the city’s TIF districts were created to spur commercial interests.

The Near North TIF district was established in 2003. Its proceeds have paid for infrastructure improvements in the Wabash Crossing area, and the major taxing entities, such as the school district, receive 25 percent of the revenue generated to pay for capital improvements.

“You talk about measuring sticks of success; you know, I don’t know how you measure the fact that there are a lot of people who live in Wabash who may not have had housing or new housing were it not for that project,” Tyus said. “There are financial measures of success, but there are also, I think, quality of life measures of success that you have to think about as well.”

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February 2013

BIZ BITES

Now open Matt Crawford is relieved to have his new restaurant open in Maroa as it expands the reach of another Decatur pizza store.

Crawford’s Pizza & Pub opened at 105 W. Main St. in Maroa last month after a large fire in July delayed its construction.

The restaurant Crawford is running with his wife, Hilary, has a sports bar theme with 12 televisions.

Matt Crawford is the son of Mark Crawford, who owns and operates the Pizza Factory of Macon County at 397 W. 1st Drive in Decatur. The business in Maroa will deliver to customers in Clinton, Maroa and Forsyth, while the Pizza Factory will continue delivery to areas south of Interstate 72.

Crawford’s Pizza & Pub will use the same pizza, breadsticks and calzone recipes as the Pizza Factory. In addition, it offers sandwiches, wings, appetizers and pasta not previously on the menu.

Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Call 794-2700. nnn The first phase of a new storage facility on a road linking Mount Zion with Decatur is open and ready to be filled.

South Lake Storage Plus LCC at 4001 Turpin Road offers a variety of units to store items that might not fit in or around a home. The 144 units range in size from 5 by 10 feet to 10 by 30 feet, co-owner Joy Cleveland said.

The first ones available aren’t climatecontrolled, but climate-controlled units will be offered in the future, said Cleveland.

Call 521-2749. nnn Tasty’s Chicago Grill has opened a fourth location in the Decatur area, this one in Mount Zion in the former home of Triple Dog Dare Ya at 1425 N. Illinois 121.

Co-owner David Naser said because of customer demand, he’d been looking for a Mount Zion location for three years and finally found what he wanted after the hot dog eatery closed last summer.

Chicago hot dogs are one of Tasty’s trademarks, but Naser said the space has been completely redone to serve up his other specialties as well, including gyros, Italian beef and Philly cheese steak sandwiches. His wife, Crystal Naser, will manage the store.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, and the telephone number is 864-1657. nnn A new athletic training center in Warrensburg offers players the chance to hone their skills and gives teams a place to practice and play.

Medalist Athletic Center contains full basketball and volleyball courts plus 4,000 square feet of turf for baseball, softball and golf.

“We have clinics and camps, and we’ll also have some leagues outside our regular hours,” said owner Jad Mason of Forsyth.

Those hours are 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday or by appointment. Call 672-3622.

The couple worked from May through December to remodel the former auto parts distributor into an athletic center.

“It looks pretty much the same outside, but inside it’s totally transformed,” Jad Mason said.

Medalist Athletic Center is at 346 S. Illinois 121 in Warrensburg. Visit www.medalist athletic.com for more.

On the move Physician’s Choice Wellness celebrated its fourth anniversary in October by moving its Mount Zion location to its third and largest quarters to date to accommodate expanding business.

The medically monitored weight management program, which started in Sullivan in 2008, opened its headquarters in Mount Zion in May 2009 and recently moved from its second location on Sunset Court to 1045 N. Illinois 121 next to 121 Fitness.

Director Becky Anderson said limited space and parking were keeping the program from growing. nnn A tattoo shop in Decatur has changed locations in an attempt to expand its offerings.

The Madhouse Tattoo Club moved to 2125 E. Eldorado St. to give it a bigger studio and art gallery, co-owner Jeremy Church said. It had started on Jasper Street early last year.

In addition to the tattoo shop, Church said the business is now offering a line of retail clothing and art gallery space.

“Every bit of the walls is covered by art by local artists and ourselves,” said Church, who runs the store along with business partner Andrew Burger.

The new space will allow for the business to add more employees, Church said. They hope to offer space and times for other artists to come in and work, Church said.

“We want to open people’s eyes to what’s possible with art,” Church said. nnn Shop on Main has moved back to its original location at 407 N. Main St. with thought being given to expansion.

“With the upgrades of the downtown and with few on-street properties available, we want to move the downtown corridor north to Eldorado (Street),” said Cindy Deadrick-Wolfer, owner of the clothing and accessories shop. “We have several properties in the 400 block of North Main and hope to capitalize on that location. With more retail in this area, there will be more traffic.”

Deadrick-Wolfer said they already have prospective tenants.

After spending the 2011 Christmas shopping season and several months following teamed up with Earthen Pottery and Gifts at 201 N. Main St., the two parted ways when faced with a significant rent increase. Earthen Pottery and Gifts moved to 230 W. Main St.

Expanding Cafe Brio is breezing into the lunch trade.

The Decatur restaurant, which opened in December at 2880 N. Oakland Ave., has expanded its hours to accommodate a lunch menu in response to customer demand.

The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.

Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays. The lunch special will include a variety of chicken, fish and pizza.

Weekend dining will feature brunch, starting at 11 a.m. nnn The Coz’s Pizza and Pub in Mount Zion is open a lot more hours for diners to buy pizza and a whole bunch of new menu items.

The business day now runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays. Opening earlier and more often lets the restaurant cater to the lunch trade, and it has beefed up the menu items to choose from with pulled pork, mozzarella sticks, chili and coleslaw.

New manager Jason Pratt has pushed the changes, many in response to customer demand, and added other refinements he just felt gave customers a better eating experience. That’s why there is a new variety of half-pound hamburger and fresh-baked hamburger buns.

Joining forces Decatur accounting firm Hill & White has merged with Sikich LLP. “We are very excited about adding the Hill & White team to our Decatur practice,” said Tom Krehbiel, partner-incharge of Sikich’s Central Illinois practice. “David White and his staff are known for providing top-quality tax, accounting and business consulting services, and they will make a great addition to our existing team of knowledgeable professionals.”

Members of the Hill & White staff are now operating in Sikich’s Decatur office at 132 S. Water St., Suite 300, in the Millikin Court Building. Owner and managing member David White has joined Sikich as a partner.

“We are thrilled about this merger, and everyone is eager to make a significant, positive impact as Sikich team members,” said White. “I am confident that our dedication and increased access to professional resources will benefit our existing clients tremendously.”

Biz Bites highlight businesses that are opening, closing, expanding … you get the picture. If you have information for our Biz Bites column, contact Tony Reid at treid@herald-review.com, Chris Lusvardi at clusvardi@herald-review.com, Theresa Churchill at tchurchill@herald-review.com or call them at 421-6979.

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February 2013

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YOUR BUSINESS

Business ownership was next logical step Star Silkscreen marks 30 years

By SCOTT PERRY Business Journal Editor

DECATUR — Karen Ragee had gone about as far as she could as an employee of a local screen printing business.

“It wasn’t challenging any more,” Ragee said The only thing left was to make the jump to business owner, but she couldn’t do it alone.

“I couldn’t do it without somebody with experience in sales,” she said.

Enter J.C. Star Silkscreen Design Kozeliski Inc. is a full-service screen who had printer, embroiderer and the sales merchandise provider. It is experience at 2281 E. Hubbard Ave. in Ragee was Park 101 in Decatur. Visit looking for, www.starsilkscreendesign. confidence com or call 877-0804. in what she was wanting to do and a belief that the two would make a great team.

“Karen is a real talent. She can make it happen,” he said. “And in this business you’ve got to have that.”

After convincing some lenders of the same thing, Star Silkscreen Design Inc. was born in 1983.

“I don’t think either one of us had the refined skills of running a business and knowing how to make it a profitable and growing a business,” Kozeliski said.

“There was a lot of just get in there and go and just learn by trial and error, mistakes, successes and, I think, just a lot of self fortitude.”

There were those around them that told them they couldn’t do it, bringing up statistics showing the failure rates of small businesses.

“Either we were too naive to accept that or too stubborn to let it fail,” Kozeliski said.

They still remember their first order — 12 dozen navy-colored shirts with red and white ink on them for the Decatur Racquet Club.

“It was special because we thought it was just a huge order,” Kozeliski said.

“We were so excited.”

Their relationship with Bob O’Connell and the Decatur Athletic Club continues today.

“They do a great job,” he said.

O’Connell said the screen printed and embroidered items he gets from Star Silkscreen have become a valuable part of his marketing plan, and something his members have come to expect. He’s working on his next order, which will provide functional clothing for his staff

Contact info

Business Journal photos/Jim Bowling

Screen printer Michelle Brackett works on a press while creating T-shirts for a martial arts group. that will make them readily identifiable as employees — something that’s not always easy to do in the health-club atmosphere.

It’s been an interesting ride and a lot has changed since Star Silkscreen started 30 years ago.

Their office as 2281 E. Hubbard Ave. in Park 101 is their third location.

When the company that did their embroidery work announced it was going to close, Ragee and Kozeliski decided to purchase their equipment and began doing the work in-house.

Early on, customers were limited to six colors of shirts that were either 100 percent cotton or a 50/50 blend. Today, the sky is the limit, with suppliers constantly coming out with new products to meet the changing demands of customers.

The growing expectation that participation with an organization or in an event will include a commemorative shirt has provided a steady stream of business. And the move toward business casual has prompted companies to get ahead of the trend by providing clothing that looks professional and, in many

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

J.C. Kozeliski and Karen Ragee own Star Silkscreen Design Inc.

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February 2013

Women of Excellence Awards

brought back the biennial event in 2009.

The deadline is March 1. “We don’t want our job to be too easy,� said event Chairwoman Iris LewisBeasley, trust officer at Hickory Point Bank & Trust. “We want some hard choices.�

Nominations for the 2011 Women of Excellence and Young Women of Excel-

lence Awards numbered 33 women and 45 high school juniors and seniors, with about 600 people attending the banquet.

Consultant Cindy Deadrick-Wolfer was named Woman of the Year.

Jean Flider, the YMCA’s membership and marketing director, said she’s been fielding questions about the nomination process, which bodes well for a healthy number. “People want to know if someone has been nominated before, can they be nominated again, and the answer is yes,�

Flider said. “We just ask that previous winners not be nominated again for five years and then be nominated in a different category.�

Categories for Women of Excellence are arts and culture, athletics, business

or professional, community and social service, education, government and politics, labor, and science and medicine.

Categories for young women are academics, arts and culture, athletics and citizenship/community service, and winners receive a $500 scholarship.

Women of Excellence Awards were given by the former Decatur YWCA for eight consecutive years from 1987 through 1994 and six times from 1996 through 2006.

United Way Executive Director Debbie Bogle said she’s long been inspired by the women nominated, many of whom do their good works under the radar. “They aren’t doing what they do for the recognition, but it’s cool to recognize them and hear their stories,� Bogle said.

already know what they want, “they are just looking for the person who can deliver that product.�

Kozeliski said it’s important for him to play up the customer service they can provide and to build upon past relationships. “We pride ourselves on a lot of personal touches with the service, fast turnaround, quality products and then, if there are any problems, we are right here,� he said.

On the art side of things, Ragee said the computer has definitely streamlined the process. “I would stand at that art table and draw for hours,� she said. The art table she’s referring to is the same one they’ve had since day one, along with some of the other office and production equipment.

The computer also has expanded the scope of what customers expect when it comes to designs.

“It gives people more ideas and different designs and that’s exciting� she said. “There are jobs that come out and I say, ‘Wow, that’s really cool.’ I like the challenge.�

Admitting to be “a little wiser now 30 years later,� Ragee is happy with the decision she made to step out on her own and looks forward to many more years. “I personally have another 30 in me,� she said.

Nomination forms Nominations due by March 1

By THERESA CHURCHILL

Nomination forms are available at the Decatur Family YMCA, 220 W. McKinley Ave., www.decaturymca.org or 872-9622.

Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — Everything is coming together for Decatur’s 17th Women of Excellence Awards banquet April 4, including speaker Tammy Fadler, author of “Finding the Pearl.�

Now organizers are waiting for nominations to roll in and hoping the number increases for the second time in a row since the Decatur Family YMCA and United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois

Continued from page 7 cases, helps promote the business even when the employee is away from the office.

Ragee and Kozeliski point to the computers and the Internet as having the biggest impact on the business.

From the sales standpoint, Kozeliski said the Internet puts hundreds of competing businesses in front of potential customers. He contends most customers

Your business is our business.

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February 2013

BUSINESS JOURNAL

9

ASK A SCORE COUNSELOR

Business Center provides start-up assistance Q: I would like to start my own business, but need some help finding a location and getting organized. What can I do?

A: For the answer to your question, I’ve gone to Jim Seaburg, operations director at the Business Center of Decatur (formerly known as Decatur Industry and Technology Center or more commonly, “The Incubator”). According to Wikipedia, a business incubator is “a program designed to support the successful development of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services, ...” — in other words, just the types of services you need.

In this period of economic uncertainty, wise decision-makers seek out all options and all available information before committing to a certain path or decision.

This applies to those that are considering starting a new business or expanding an existing business to that “next” step.

A business incubator provides some options and alternatives to the entrepreneur that can assist them in growing their ideas into the business they envision. According to some studies, businesses that start in an incubator environment are almost twice as likely to

Got a question?

If you are interested or curious about the Business Center of Decatur and how it can be part of bringing your business ideas to life, go to www.decaturcenter.com or call 423-2832. To learn more about starting your business; for one-on-one, face-to-face business counseling; or to submit a question for the “Ask the SCORE Counselor” column, contact SCORE Chapter 296, Millikin University, 1184 W. Main St., Decatur, IL 62522 or call 424-6296.

succeed compared to those businesses that do not.

Decatur’s business incubator, the Business Center of Decatur, was started in the mid 1980s and is housed in the former Borg Warner plant on the south side of Decatur. It is a mixed-use incubator, having housed many types of businesses, rather than being designated for a specific type or mode of business. Many incubators are “for-profit,” some even taking a stake of the incubated businesses. However, the Business Center of Decatur is managed by the Community

Investment Corporation of Decatur, a not-for-profit organization which is involved with programs geared toward the betterment of Decatur. The Business Center of Decatur is currently home for 28 businesses in all stages of growth, and more than 275 businesses have called it home since its opening.

Often, the initial motivation an entrepreneur seeks to locate their business in an incubator is inexpensive space for the start-up or growth of their business, but there are others: lower costs associated with access to common space and utilizing shared equipment on a fee-based system, networking with other likeminded people, access to services that allow the entrepreneur the freedom to work at building their business rather than being tied up handling the sometimes mundane and distracting clerical tasks, and flexibility in space and leasing obligations.

The Business Center of Decatur offers space to new or expanding businesses at a rate that increases annually over the first three years. A typical lease is for one year, with two one-year options to renew, and that lease typically includes a 90-day “break clause” rather than locking a business into a

long-term agreement that may be a deterrent to a business start-up. It is possible that the amount of space can be adjusted, up or down, according to the start-up’s needs and space availability throughout the term of the lease.

Charges from the Business Center for rent, utilities, copies, postage, faxes, shipping, telephone answering, fork-lift usage or clerical work performed are all listed on one monthly invoice, which simplifies bookkeeping for the business owner.

— Carol Harding, SCORE counselor

Meet a SCORE counselor Edwin Wallace retired as president, trust officer and CEO of Gerber State Bank in Argenta. He currently serves as chairman of the board of the Gerber State Bank and owns and manages farmland. His counseling specialties Wallace include financing, agriculture and management.

He has been a SCORE member for six years.

BUSINESS CLIPS

We can help simplify the process.

Potempa

Lavery

Young

Allen

New staff members Maggie Potempa has joined Signature Salon as a hairstylist.

Announcements John Lavery of Investment Planners Inc. has been appointed to the Illinois Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Promotions Caleb Allen has been promoted to sort supervisor in charge of monitoring logistics with the United Parcel Service in Decatur.

Gogerty

Experience the PRO EMP Payroll System.

Mack

Andrew Young has been promoted to commercial loan officer at First Mid-Illinois Bank and Trust.

Achievements Patricia E. Gogerty received the Agent of the Year award for 2012 from Sams/Hockaday Insurance agency.

Jessica Mack, Psy.D., of Psychology Specialists has been licensed in clinical psychology.

Business Clips are abbreviated versions of paid Business Achievements which appear on Mondays in the Herald & Review. For more information about Business Achievements, go to www.heraldreview.com/app/secure/businessach/

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BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile: n 48% share their copy of the Journal with others. n 23% are 35 to 44 years old.

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217.233.4729 or 800.557.6639 1065 West Main Street • Decatur, Illinois 62522 Contact us today at www.centralillinoispayroll.com

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February 2013

Stopping workplace bullies starts with boss Bullies crave attention. But though they’ve been getting a lot lately, most of it is unwanted.

For years, educators have dealt with bullying in schools.

More recently HR managers, professional coaches and consultants have recognized the issue of “workplace bullying.” They want it to stop. The bullies shy away from this notoriety.

Bullying can infest the office or Human Resources the shop floor.

When it does, it harms its intended target, of course. But the wound cuts deeper. Workplace bullying can damage a work unit, a department or a whole company.

Workplace bullying takes many forms.

Here I give a few: n Bullies often are intolerant of others. n A workplace bully may shout or use a sarcastic tone of voice. n The bully may pretend to ignore a colleague. (“Oh, did she say something?”) n Or the bully might discount others’

Fred Spannaus

opinions or belittle them. (“Another mediocre suggestion, I see.”) n A workplace bully might intentionally mispronounce a name, and do so repeatedly. n The bully might invent a nickname for the victim, and use it even when asked not to do so (“She doesn’t like it when I call her that, but oh well”). n The bully might treat others with exaggerated deference or feign incompetence (“Don’t ask me, ask Emily. She claims to be the expert around here.”) n The bully often claims to have a better sense of humor. (“S’matter? I was only kidding. Can’t take a joke?”) n Many bullies are bigots. They stereotype racial, cultural and religious groups. n Some bullies physically intimidate their targets. They stand too close, literally point fingers, or — as alleged in DeWitt County government — actually poke a co-worker.

That’s a very short list. You can come up with other examples.

The good news? It can be stopped.

Four methods can reduce or eliminate workplace bullying: 1. Stopping starts with the boss. Read that sentence again: Stopping starts with the boss.

The boss sets the tone, for good or ill.

If the boss treats others with respect and civility, chances are others will follow their leader. If the boss treats employees with disdain, others are likely to do the same.

2. But it might take more than having a good role model. Some workplaces need civility training. The employees need to learn how to disagree in a way that leads to positive outcomes. Tension can be a great asset to a workplace when people know how to disagree maturely.

Disagreements can sharpen understanding of an issue and help a person see other perspectives, but not if they’re unwilling to listen or too stubborn to modify their positions.

3. Some employees may need more individual attention. They may claim not to be aware of their intimidating tactics.

If so, their supervisor needs to point out their behavior, and do so on the spot, when it happens.

“Justin, I need to talk with you right now. I saw you hovering over Adam’s desk, moving his pictures around while you talked to him. That is not acceptable here.”

4. And some bullies just won’t change, no matter how hard the boss tries to

teach them. They need to be informed what the consequences will be, clearly and unambiguously. When the bullying occurs, the consequences need to follow.

Immediately. And eventually, the bully needs to be gone.

Fred W. Spannaus, principal of Spannaus Consulting, is a senior professional in human resources. He loves feedback to his columns. Fred can be contacted by email at spannaus@ ameritech.net or by phone at 425-2635.

Did you know?

Love affairs How we celebrate Valentine’s Day 1. Send a card — 65 percent 2. Go on a date — 44 percent 3. Give candy — 38 percent 4. Give flowers — 32 percent 5. Give plush toy — 21 percent 6. Give perfume — 12 percent 7. Give jewelry — 11 percent Source: “The Odds: What are the Chances?”

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Valentine’s Day Shopping POPCORN • FUDGE • NUTS CHOCOLATES • CANDIES GIFT BAGS & BOXES PARTY BAGS Show Someone You Care!

UPS Daily Shipping Available Along Route 121 with C Convenient Parking at the door

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Valentine’s Dinner Call Tiffany at 422-4700 Main Place Bar & Grill 101 South Main Street, Decatur

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February 2013

READY FOR A CHANGE? WE’VE GOT OPPORTUNITY!

Teen Challenge Building (old YMCA) 151 W. Prairie Ave. Asking $290,000 4 story w/ basketball courts, pool, etc.

Drivers License Facility Complex 3133-3163 N Woodford Ave. Asking Price $1,150,000

1120 S. Jasper Nice, multi-tenant office bldg.

Just listed 4,000 S.F. - $170,000

1441-1455 Woodland Dr., Mt. Zion

8-1 bedroom apartments on one level. Very nice condition! 100% occupied. This will not last. Call today!

154-190 Merchant St. - For Sale

350 N. US Rt. 51, Forsyth

Own a piece of downtown history!

This one of a kind building can be owner occupied or strictly investment or lease part. Call to discuss options.

12,458 square feet. Showroom/warehouse.

Lots of parking. Great for retail, dealership or redevelopment. $550,000

225-237 S. Main - Nordholm Center

3198 E. Mueller Ave. (old StripMasters)

For Sale or Lease. This property includes 2 buildings on 3 lots. Convenient location west of Court House.

Call for more info.

Classic Star Diner - Jacksonville

For Sale/Lease (agent owned) All Equipment StaysPylon Sign Possible Owner Financing Available

2912 - 2952 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.

Veteran Strip Center For Sale. High traffic - lighted intersection. Land Lease. Prime for redevelopment.

Just off Brush College Rd. 8,000 sq. ft. Warehouse/Office Zoned M-2, 1.75 Acre Lot - $300,000

Former Busey Bank Facility

550 E. Prairie Ave. Great downtown location, corner lot 1,074 sq. ft./Only $149,000

1343 N. Gulick

16-1 Bedroom apartments. Just listed - $264,000 Great Investment Opportunity NOI $25K+

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February 2013

BUSINESS JOURNAL

13

Commercial Leasing Headquarters Downtown Office/Retail:

North Office/Retail:

• 154 Merchant St. – 1,000 S.F. of Retail Space • 420 E. Prairie Ave – Office and Break area • 101 S. Main – 4th Floor – 4,000 S.F. office • 225 – 237 S. Main – Nordholm Center – 2,500 S.F. Available • Coming Soon! – 2,400 S.F. of Retail Space!!!

• Restaurant for lease or purchase – CALL TODAY!

• Drivers License Facility – N. Woodford – 2 Spaces Available • Courtyard Plaza – 1,000 – 2,000 S.F. Available – will build out • 215 Ash Ave. – 1,200 S.F. (S. of Walgreens) – Office/Retail • Forsyth Commons – 1,950 S.F. Office/Retail • 2980 N. Main – 1,200 – 1,500 S.F. Offices Available • 2728 N. Main – 4,000 S.F. Showroom/Shop - $1,600/month • 1330 Beth Blvd. – 2 Story office w/ 33,000 S.F. & lots of parking • Forsyth – 2,000 S.F. behind EyeMart – Office/Retail

Mt. Zion Opportunities:

Warehouse Space:

• Hotel Bldg Lot in Front of Mt. Zion Civic Center • 1460 U.S. Rte 121 – 5,000 S.F. Metal Bldg (former Pierce’s) • 6,200 S.F. Office/Retail – Will divide & build out (Behind Coz’s) • Wildwood Center – 1,000 S.F. Unit Available • CASA Park Plaza – 2,100 S.F. Available (Next to Subway) • Former Secret Recipes – (Ready for new owners) – 4,900 S.F.

• 1440 Brandt Ct. – 7,500 S.F. Office/Warehouse – W/2 – 14” Doors • 5,000 & 7,000 S.F. Warehouse spaces (Former Ice House) • 3130 N. Charles – 26,000 S.F. Warehouse (Zoned M-1) • 1520 – 1530 McBride Ave – 3,000 S.F. Available • 28,000 S.F. of Concrete Warehouse on W. Pershing Rd. • Park 101 – Bldg 1 – 5,200 S.F. w/ Dock Doors • 4,000 S.F. Office/Warehouse in Park 101 – Bldg #3 • Small Warehouse area with shared dock in Macon Resource Complex • 10,000 S.F. Warehouse w/ Dock & 14” Drive-in – 22nd St. Decatur • Park 101 – Bldg 8 – 3,400 S.F. of Office/Warehouse w/ drive-in door • 2250 N. Jasper – 13,000 + S.F. Office/Warehouse on 2 acres • 2350 E. Logan St – 8,240 S.F. of Office/Warehouse w/ dock & drive-in door • 1102 & 1132 N. 18th St. (Former TransCoastal Supply) - $475,000

Commercial Lots & Land: • Corner of Eldorado & VanDyke – .75 acres available • Mt. Zion Land – 5+ acres ready for Apts.

• Lot 2 Decatur Market Place – 2.5 acres – Next to WalMart East • Lot 4 South Side Dr. Decatur – 1+ acre site, Across from Farm & Fleet - $59,900

• 42+ acre – Rte 72 & Rte 121 Interchange - $850,000 • 10+ acre – Corner of Rte 29 & Rte 48 in Taylorville - $650,000 • 29 acre on East Pershing Rd. – Zoned M-2 – Heavy Industrial • 34 acre on the NS Railyard - $1,200,000 • 9.5 acre on Hubbard Ave in Park 101

Tim Vieweg “Your Commercial Real Estate Agent”

Cell 217-454-4037 timvieweg@hotmail.com Visit my listings on Loopnet.com

www.mainplaceproperties.us Management • Commercial Leasing • Office • Retail Acquisition Land Sales • Development

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February 2013

HEART Health HEALTH Heart

SAVING MONEY SAVING MONEY Q A

I want to grow my savings, what are some easy changes I can make?

Q Why is it important for women to pay attention to their heart health?

A While heart disease is typically thought of as a man’s

Here are a few tips to help you reach your financial goal to save more money in 2013: • Set up automatic deposits from your paycheck to your savings account.

In doing this, you don’t have to manually transfer or remember to deposit to your savings, it’s just there each pay day. You can set an amount at the beginning of the year and then increase it with the difference of any raise you attain throughout the year.

problem, it is important for women to pay attention to their heart health. More women than men die of heart disease each year. Heart disease claims the lives of more women than breast cancer and lung cancer combined.

• Pay ahead on your loan. By paying more toward the principal on your loan, you will save on interest and retire your loan early, freeing up those funds to add to savings.

• Reduce work day expenses. Drop off your dry cleaning early to avoid paying extra for same-day service fees. Make coffee at home and bring your lunch to work instead of hitting the drive-thru. If you do go out to lunch, orderwater -it’s free!

Stephanie Maddox

• Analyze your utility expenses. Sit down with your monthly power, phone, internet, cable and insurance costs. Shop around and compare to see if you are getting the biggest bang for your buck. If offered, join a co-op to get a lower rate on these recurring expenses.

Loan Officer

3130 E. Mound Road Decatur, IL 62526 Ph: 875-3823

Jeanne Marie Kairouz, MD Cardiologist Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants

• Avoid unnecessary “deals”. We’re constantly inundated with coupons, discounts and savings passes as perks from companies. Practice self-control when it comes to those “deals” that come at you through email or mailbox.

Experts say that unless it is 35% off or more, it’s not really a good deal. Plus, if you don’t need it, don’t buy it just because it’s “on sale” - that’s not a deal at all!

Women with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity are at a higher risk for coronary artery disease. Other risk factors include metabolic syndrome, mental stress and depression, smoking and lower levels of estrogen following menopause.

If you are at risk for heart disease, speak with your primary care provider about lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk.

The beginning of the year is a prime opportunity to start fresh, set new goals and work toward achieving financial success. For more information, visit www.llcu.org.

Chris Phillips, VP of Marketing Land of Lincoln Credit Union 3130 East Mound Road, Decatur, IL 62526

Heart disease symptoms in women can be different from symptoms in men. For example, chest pain is not usually the most severe symptom in women. Women also experience symptoms unrelated to chest pain such as: neck, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort, shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, sweating, lightheadedness or dizziness and unusual fatigue.

Prairie Heart Institute at St. Mary’s Hospital 1800 East Lake Shore Drive, Decatur, Illinois 62521 Phone: 217.464.2966

(217) 875-3823 cphillips@llcu.org

Taking care of BUSINESS

Ask the Professional >>>

To participate in Ask the Professional, call 217-421-6994

ImprovingADVERTISING Advertising Results IMPROVING RESULTS Q

What would you suggest to improve advertising results?

A

There are three ways to increase sales for your business. It begins with an objective. A concise message makes it easier to measure the results from the advertisement. There should be one primary objective in that message and it should be to increase sales or encourage leads.

Carolyn Ridenour President & Marketing Director 132 S. Water St. Ste 418 Decatur, IL 62523 217-428-9950

ONLINE ADVERTISING Online Advertising Q A

Be sure to measure the results. Don’t rely on your memory to keep track of the results especially if you are using several mediums. An Excel spreadsheet is simple to use and can document sales and all repeat business. The spreadsheet expands easily as a variety of mediums are added.

The final part is to change the message, the headline or the offer and then track the response. It’s important to be willing to change it until you are satisfied with it. Improving the advertisement is always exciting when it makes more revenue for your business. These all sound simple when you read these tips but there are many details that go into each of these steps. A marketing firm can zero in on these and other techniques with a cohesive message that hits the mark sooner then later. Please feel free to contact me so we may discuss your business advertising objectives.

www.cmsdecatur.com

Steve Larson Digital Sales Manager

What is online advertising?

It is the most efficient advertising available for targeting local consumers, whether you are a small business or a large business.

Marketing online to attract local customers works because every day, more and more consumers are using the Internet and herald-review.com to access news and information, local offers and services in close proximity to where they live.

Because so many local people are visiting herald-review.com every day (we average over 7,000 unique visitors each day and generate 1.8 million pages views each month*) it is up to us to provide as many reasons for them to keep coming back for more.

From sponsoring breaking news and doing Today's Deal to helping your business show up better in a Google or Yahoo! Search, if you haven't inquired about including online advertising, you should. It doesn't cost you anything to ask.

To get started, call Steve Larson at (217) 421-6927 or email slarson@herald-review.com today. *source: Omniture

6 0 1 E . W I L L I A M S T. D E C AT U R , I L 6 2 5 2 3 217.421.6927

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February 2013

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YOUR FREE TIME

The Arts Anne Lloyd Gallery: “Art of the Comic Book” highlights the history of the art form since the 1930s. Call 423-3189. www.decturarts.org Gallery 510: Artwork of George Nichols.

Call 422-1509.

Decatur Airport: Watercolors by Jessica Disbrow.

Decatur Public Library: Watercolors by Sue Watts.

Blue Connection: Bronze Man Books and children’s book artist Amy M. Kuhl Cox. Perkinson Art Gallery, Kirkland Fine Arts Center: Paintings by Martha Jackson.

Erlanson Gallery, Richland Community College: “The Art of Science 2.0: Images from the Institute of Genomic Biology,” through Feb. 22. There will be a reception from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6.

Music Millikin Decatur Symphony Orchestra: Young Artists Concert, Saturday, Feb. 2; Oratorio, Saturday, March 2. Both shows are at 7:30 p.m. at Kirkland Fine Arts Center. For tickets, call 424-6318.

Calendar of events For a complete list of events, go to www.herald-review.com/go/ Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, Kirkland Fine Arts Center. For tickets, call 424-6318.

On Stage The Spencers: Theatre of Illusion, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 22, Kirkland Fine Arts Center. For tickets, call 424-6318.

Theatre 7 presents “Marrying Terry,” March 8-10 and March 15-17 in Shilling Auditorium, Richland Community College. For tickets, call 422-3866. www.theatre7.net

Charity events Hearts around the World, 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, Cafe DMH. Experience an evening of South American cuisine and culture all the while supporting the DMH Foundation and Heart and Lung Institute. For more information or to order tickets, call 876-2105.

For the Love of it!, an audience participa-

tion cabaret featuring local vocalists, to benefit Pancreatic Cancer Lymphoma Research Foundation, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8 and 9, at The Decatur Club.

Dinner is at 6 p.m. and the cabaret at 7 p.m. For information, call 429-4200.

Easter Seals Bowl-a-thon, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10, at Spare Time Lanes. Cost is $50 for a team of four. For more information, call 429-1052.

Awesome 80s Flashback to benefit United Cerebral Palsy Land of Lincoln, 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 2, at The Decatur Club.

Cost is $15. For tickets, call 428-5033.

Dueling Downtown to benefit the Children’s Museum of Illinois, 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at the Masonic Temple.

For tickets, call 423-5437.

Polar Plunge, to benefit Special Olympics Illinois Central/Area 10, will be held at noon Saturday, March 2, at the Beach House. For more information, go to www.soill.org or call Joanie Keyes at 428-9255.

For the kids Children’s Museum of Illinois: Family Science Sunday, Sunday, Feb. 10; Valentine’s Day Workshop, 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14; “A Knight to Remember,” 6-8 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 21. Call 423-5437.

The Rock Springs Nature Center hosts a long list of mini camps, family adventures and classes during the month. Go to www.maconcountyconservation. org and click on the Programs and Activities tab for a complete listing.

Misc.

Metro Decatur Home Builders Association Home Show, 9 a. m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, Mount Zion Convention Center.

ValenDine, dinner/dance event, Saturday, Feb. 16, at the Hickory Point Banquet Facility. For tickets, call 422-5911.

Community Leaders Breakfast, 7-9 a.m.

Thursday, Feb. 21, at the Decatur Conference Center and Hotel. For tickets, call 421-7919 or 421-7926.

5th annual Community Prayer Breakfast, 7-8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, Decatur Conference Center and Hotel.

PLACE BAR & GRILL Featured MAIN Accommodates: up to 100 people Club & Atrium, business/social functions Business: 101 Full food & beverage service available DECATUR CLUB Accommodates: 300 people Banquets & weddings DECATUR CONFERENCE CENTER & HOTEL Accommodates: 2,000 people 55,000 sq. ft. functional space, food service available DOHERTY’S PUB & PINS Accommodates: up to 80 seating - 150 capacity Full food & beverage service available HICKORY POINT BANQUET FACILITY Accommodates: 225 w/additional seating on veranda Award-winning cuisine

101 S. Main St., Decatur Contact: Tiffany Jess 422-4700

158 W. Prairie Ave., Decatur Contact: Jeff Ingle 429-4200 4191 U.S. 36 West Contact: 420-8711 242 E. William St., Decatur Contact: 428-5612 727 Weaver Rd., Decatur Contact: Tina McCarnen 421-6657

MT. ZION CONVENTION CENTER Accommodates: 1,100 people

1410 Mt. Zion Pkwy, Mt. Zion Contact: 864-5424

MT. ZION LIONS CENTER Accommodates: up to 300 people Choose your own caterer, bring your own food Ask about our “value-added service”

1595 W. Main St., Mt. Zion Contact: Sharon Spinner 864-3100 mtzionlionsclub.com

SCOVILL BANQUET FACILITY Accommodates: up to 225 people Award-winning cuisine

3909 W. Main St., Decatur Contact: Kevin Brewer 421-7470

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February 2013

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Meet Nicole Bateman Hometown: Quincy, Ill. Family: My husband, Mark Bateman.

Occupation: Executive director, Children’s Museum of Illinois.

Education: I graduated from University of Illinois at Champaign with a bachelor of science degree in agricultural and environmental education and communication.

My “I’d rather be …” bumper sticker would read: “I’d rather be On Vacation!” My husband and I love to travel. Feet in the sand or boots in the snow. Getting away for a bit helps restore your mental health!

Hobbies/interests: I enjoy golfing, boating, interior design, biking, Illini sports and spending time with our family and friends. Weekend trips to St. Louis should also be on the list. So much to do so close to home!

My first job: When I was 12, I started teaching piano lessons, worked on my family’s dairy farm and baby-sat for families in my neighborhood. I’ve always enjoyed working and the responsibilities that came with it. And the cash was nice, too.

Why I do what I do: I love leading an organization that plays an important role in its community and in the quality of life of others. The museum is a place everyone can enjoy.

Personal approaches to challenges: I look at the big picture first. Figure out what you really need to focus on and what you don’t need to worry about. Taking that approach cuts out a lot of the stress. I feel that too many people focus in on the small stuff that, in the end, either works itself out or didn’t really matter to begin with.

Community involvement: I currently serve on the board of directors of Rotary Club 180 and the Women of Excellence Committee. I’ve also served on various fundraising committees for the Children’s Museum of Illinois, and Corks & Forks and Brew Ha Ha for the Decatur Area Arts Council. I co-chaired the American Heart Association Heart Walk in 2012, and participated in fundraisers for Project Success’s Rockin’ Back to School and the American Diabetes Association, and served as a campaign cabinet member for United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois. I enjoy helping where I can.

For those people who live under a rock, tell us a little about the Children’s Museum of Illinois. It’s the happiest place in Central Illinois! We’re a hands-on, interactive museum for kids, and for the kid in all of us. We offer workshops that focus on arts and sciences, and host field trips, birthday and company parties, and special events year round. We also offer summer camps and are a host site for Decatur Public Schools’ summer enrichment program.

Children’s Museum of Illinois is a fantastic place for families to reconnect. Today’s families are always on the go and nothing is more fun than seeing them come in and spend a few hours of quality time together laughing and playing.

What does the museum director do? Like every small business, the director wears many hats. I oversee general management and operation of the museum, as well as working with our staff to develop programming for workshops, camps and special events. Fundraising and community outreach also are important responsibilities of my position.

Business Journal/Mark Roberts

Unlike most small businesses though, if I’m having a stressful day behind my desk, I can walk 40 feet into the gallery and decompress at the paint wall or bubble table. Your day can really turn around fast when an enthusiastic child ropes you into her world of imagination and brings you a special delivery of princess ballerina shoes from our post office exhibit.

What attracted you to the job? Who wouldn’t want to work in a castle? Seriously though, I love working with the community, with children, in leadership roles and event planning. It combines all of the aspects of previous jobs that I’ve enjoyed the most. If you would have asked me what my dream job was, I couldn’t have answered it until now.

You became director in October. Has there been a particular area of focus during these initial months? We have a few initial areas of focus that I feel has made a noticeable difference. We’re focusing on our marketing efforts. We’re fortunate to be in the age of social media where visitors can “check in” and share pages and link to our sites.

Word of mouth has worked in the past, but we’re adding more and more events and making sure others know about them is very important.

We’re also focusing on adding value to our visitors’ experience at the museum. One small way we’re doing this is by celebrating those days on the calendar that may seem insignificant, but that can be a learning experience for the kids. We’ll have festive activities for those days coming up such as Groundhog’s Day, Lincoln’s Birthday, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and the first day of spring. Most of these activities will be free with paid admission and we’ll put them on our cal-

endar and Facebook so our guests can check out what’s coming up.

Have you made any changes or have plans to make any changes early on? I plan to involve more local businesses and organizations in museum functions. Central Illinois is full of fantastic people and businesses that have a natural fit with many aspects of the museum, whether it’s a special event or potentially an exhibit that could be built to educate children about industry we have in our own backyard. Partnering with others, where it makes sense, will benefit everyone involved.

Anything new on the horizon? We’ll be giving our summer camps a makeover and adding new themes and educational opportunities. This fall we’ll offer a museum on wheels program where we can bring our workshops to classrooms in the area. Funding for school field trips is being cut more and more each year, so if they can’t come to us, we’ll go to them.

Our Family Science Sundays also are new this year.

We partner with Richland Community College and January’s workshop, covering forensic science, was a big hit. These will be held the second Sunday of each month and we hope that families will join us to experience fun science.

We also have a few other exciting things in the works, so keep your fingers crossed and your eyes open. We’ll make the announcements in due time.

More from Nicole Bateman Read more of Nicole's responses, including information about museum fundraising efforts, at www.the business-journal.com.

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February 2013

BUSINESS JOURNAL

17

Decatur police center proposal advances

By ALLISON PETTY Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — The Decatur City Council gave the go-ahead last month to pursue a deal that would allow the city to lease space for a larger police facility, moving toward a solution for a decadelong problem for the cramped department.

The proposal would move police headquarters to 707 South Side Drive, which was formerly used as an office building

by Zexel-Valeo Corp. Council members informally expressed support for the plan during a study session.

“We don’t want to build a Taj Mahal;

Parking restrictions eased The city has eased the restrictions it placed on angled parking along South Main Street in downtown Decatur.

The limits, which prohibited trucks, vans and sport utility vehicles from parking in the spaces, aimed to address citizens’ concerns about seeing around large vehicles when attempting to back out of the spaces. But City Manger Ryan McCrady said the restrictions ultimately created a lot of confusion about which vehicles were acceptable.

“There’s not a sign big enough we can put up down there that covers all the different types of vehicles that exist today, without making it look like the state fair,” McCrady said.

The new spaces are part of city officials’ goal to attract more people to downtown restaurants and businesses.

With the end of metered parking, most spaces became free for those parking within a time limit, even as downtown streetscape improvements provided more accessible sidewalks and space for outdoor dining.

RCC extension center Richland Community College started the new year with a bang as it broke ground on a new 4,000-square-foot extension center in Clinton, and discussed a draft of the college’s campus facilities master plan that calls for more growth over the next several years.

“One of the more immediate projects for the college is the Workforce Development Institute,” said Nate Elliott, director of the sustainability design group for BLDD Architects.

The project will renovate 14,000 square feet of the existing campus, while also adding a new 45,000-square-foot building, said Greg Florian, Richland’s vice president of finance.

“The new building (on the east end of the campus) will house diesel, automotive technology, auto body, building trades and other skills trades programs, plus a new wellness and fitness center for students,” he said. “Plus, there will be a new restaurant built on to the Shilling Community Education Center near the Culinary Arts Institute, and

that’s not our goal here. But we also are trying to have something that’s going to last us a long time and a situation that we can live with for a long time,” City Manager Ryan McCrady told the council.

The city would enter into a 20-year lease with B.W. of Decatur LLC, which is associated with the Romano family.

Currently, the city leases police space at the Macon County Law Enforcement Center, 333 S. Franklin St. The police share that space with the county jail, county sheriff’s office and emergency dispatch center.

James Matarelli, principal at Peoriabased architecture and engineering firm

Dewberry, compared the cost and timeline for renovating the Law Enforcement Center or renovating and leasing the South Side Drive space.

The latter option would allow the police to move into the building as soon as March 2014. Renovating the current space would likely take two years longer and cost roughly $7 million to $10 million, Matarelli said.

For several reasons, Matarelli said the South Side Drive proposal presented advantages.

“It is actually a lower cost. It has more growth capability because of the site. There is a place to add on if you ever wanted to. There’s ample parking,

and you have the ability to improve the image for staff and recruiting as well,” Matarelli said.

Residents who responded to a city survey last year indicated an overwhelming unwillingness to pay higher taxes to fund construction of a new police facility.

Their concerns would be addressed by leasing the South Side Drive building, as McCrady said it would not require a tax increase.

The lease would likely cost about $250,000 above the city’s current lease, which is $300,000 per year, he said. As part of the agreement, the developer would be required to renovate the facility before the police moved there.

renovation of 14,000 square feet of existing space for the Early Childhood Education program and new welding space.”

A groundbreaking for the $13.8 million project, which will be financed through bonds authorized last year, could come as early as March.

A summer groundbreaking is likely for the Student Success Center. The $4.7-million project that will consolidate all of the college’s student services into one area immediately inside the main entrance.

New appointment

privilege. You’re dealing with the issues that are important to your community.

Then to be able to do that at the appellate court level is even a more rare privilege. I feel blessed to have an opportunity such as this.”

Her appointment, to replace the recently deceased John McCullough, took effect Jan. 14.

White, a graduate of Macon High School, began her career as an assistant state’s attorney with the Macon County State’s Attorney’s Office.

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Lisa Holder White, who became the first black judge in the county in 2001, broke more new ground with her appointment as the first African-American seated in the Fourth District, based in Springfield.

“I was thrilled to be the one selected and appreciate the confidence the Illinois Supreme Court and Justice (Rita) Garman have in me,” White said. “Serving as a judge at any level is such as

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

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February 2013

YOUR CAREER

Relocation possible solution to noisy work area Q: I am constantly distracted by people chatting near my desk. My cubicle sits next to a hallway, so there is an endless stream of employees passing by all day long. For some reason, this seems to be the place where they always stop to talk.

Most of these discussions are personal and have nothing to do with work. I recently interrupted two people who had been talking for almost 30 minutes and asked if they could find a water cooler somewhere.

I’m becoming increasingly irritatOffice Coach ed, but don’t know what to do about it.

Any ideas?

A: Trying to concentrate while chatty colleagues cluster around your cubicle could certainly drive you crazy. Unfortunately, since this is the natural result of your high-traffic location, there is no quick and easy answer to your problem.

The ideal solution would be relocation, so consider asking your boss about moving to a quieter site. Perhaps you could trade places with someone who is less bothered by noise. If the traffic flow creates issues for everyone, the entire group might suggest a new cubicle arrangement.

But if you seem to be stuck in this spot, you should start making people aware of your needs. As a first step, you might post a sign that says, “People working! Please don’t chat in this area.”

That won’t eliminate the problem, but it

Marie McIntyre

may help.

You should also develop a friendly oneliner to politely move people along. For example: “Sorry to act like the conversation police, but I need to concentrate, so would you mind talking further down the hall?” Of course, you must always deliver this message with a smile.

To control your understandable irritation, remember that the real cause of your problem is the office layout, not colleagues who are being intentionally rude.

Your chatting co-workers simply forget that people nearby may be trying to work. Offering gentle reminders will increase their awareness and hopefully encourage them to change their habits.

Q: My manager apparently believes in motivating people through public humiliation. He has created a large wall poster showing everyone’s progress towards achieving their objectives. He says this will encourage poor performers to improve, but to me it seems very demeaning. What do you think?

A: Although there are different schools of thought about this approach, public embarrassment does not usually fix performance problems. This tactic is typically used by managers who either don’t know how to manage performance or don’t want to invest the time required to do it well.

For jobs with quantifiable goals, a more effective strategy is to establish clear standards for everyone, then publicly post results for only the top producers. This will help to establish these highperformers as role models who can share helpful strategies with their colleagues.

To assist low performers, managers should provide personalized coaching to

Weekly tips Can't get enough advice from the Office Coach. Get weekly column updates at www.thebusiness-journal.com. determine the cause of their difficulties and create a corrective action plan. If these efforts fail to produce the desired change, it may be time to conclude that the employee is simply in the wrong job.

Q: In our office, the women often come to work wearing skimpy tops, sleeveless dresses and flimsy sandals. Although I realize some companies have a casual culture where everyone dresses informally, that is not the case here. The men all wear coats and ties, but most of the women look like they’re going to a picnic.

I was always taught that you should wear businesslike attire if you want to be taken seriously. I hope you will comment on this in your column, because these women may have no idea that they could be hurting their chances of advancement.

A: An old adage states that you should dress for the position you want, not the one you have. This doesn’t mean that an ambitious mechanic should come to work in a suit, but it does mean that people should consider the impression made by their clothing.

Today, career-minded women have a wide variety of suitable options when it comes to business attire. Nevertheless, some of them have been known to make unfortunate choices.

Readers, if you have any opinions about “dressing do’s and don’ts” for pro-

fessional women, send them to me at www.yourofficecoach.com or via Twitter @officecoach.

Q: After our marketing coordinator resigned, I expressed an interest in her position. My manager said that I could immediately take over her duties and start using her title. He promised to talk to his boss about making this change permanent.

Based on his comments, I assumed I would be getting a promotion and a raise. That was several weeks ago, however, and he has never mentioned it again. Meanwhile, I am continuing to do my old job and the new one. Should I ask what’s going on, or would that be inappropriate?

A: Since you already have the work and the title, you have every right to know when this promotion will be finalized. As long as you inquire in a calm, professional manner, your supervisor should not take offense.

For example: “Now that I’ve been working as the marketing coordinator for several weeks, I wanted to find out when my title will be officially changed.

Do you know when I might expect this to happen?”

Once you have that information, you can ask about your raise and the timeline for filling your old job. But if your boss seems to be waffling, then you need to find out whether he actually intends to follow through with this plan.

Marie G. McIntyre is a workplace coach and the author of “Secrets to Winning at Office Politics.”

Send in questions and get free coaching tips at www.yourofficecoach.com, or follow her on Twitter @officecoach.

Strategies for staying on task at work Q: I have a lot of trouble focusing. I have a lot of things to get done, and new ones added all the time, and it’s really hard to do them all the way to completion. Do you have ideas on how to get this under control?

A: Practice maintaining focus and find ways to manage your environment in order to address this situation.

In order to understand the dynamics you’re reacting to, start by getting into a calm state of mind. Sit quietly or go for a walk, focusing on your breathing and letting your mind slow down. If you start thinking about all of the things you need to get done, notice the thoughts and let them go.

From this state of calmness, reflect on

Liz Reyer

the issues you’re having with focus. In particular, look back and consider whether these are new issues, or a longstanding pattern that may be flaring up due to increased pressures. Your situation could arise from a variety of causes, from temporary high stress due to added workload all the way to ongoing adult ADD. This column will focus on selfmanagement strategies, but if you think there may be a medical issue, that is also a direction you should pursue.

Next, examine your experiences in more detail, determining whether they’re related to the content of what you’re doing or to your organizational skills. For example, “I can’t get things done,” may actually mean “When I’m doing a task I don’t really like and get distracted, I don’t get back to it” or “When new tasks come in, I spend a lot of energy remembering to do them and lose track of what I was doing.”

Finally, think about past strategies that have worked for you, or that you’ve seen others employ. These will be your

Weekly tips Get weekly career tips from Liz Reyer at www.thebusiness-journal.com. best starting point. They may include task management ideas including prioritization help from your boss, or may also be broader in scope, such as having a meditation practice or regular exercise routine.

Once you’ve identified triggers that undermine your ability to focus, such as too much change, too many things to do, or tasks you don’t like, list the strategies that could help you. These might include: n Using lists. Even if it doesn’t come naturally, getting items out of your head and onto paper can free up a great deal of mental energy. n Taking an email break. Especially if you’re doing something difficult or

unpleasant, email can be just the distraction you want ... even though it’s interfering with your success. Shut it down, even if it’s just for an hour, so that you can concentrate. n Reward yourself for successes. Get something done? Do something fun for a few minutes to celebrate. Go for a walk, read something light, chat with a friend; whatever would be rewarding to you. n Breathe and calm down. If you’re getting flustered, return to some good deep breaths to get regrounded, and then start again.

Being conscious of the factors that undermine focus and steps you can take to engage more fully will help you stay on track.

Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of business experience. Her company, Reyer Coaching & Consulting, offers services for organizations of all sizes. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliver change.com/coachscorner or email her at liz@deliverchange.com.

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February 2013

BUSINESS JOURNAL

19

TECHTALK

Tech gotchas that you want to avoid All too often, people ignore technology that seems to be running OK, only to find out the hard way that something isn’t quite right. Here are some of the most common issues that may be happening in your very own company without you even knowing it.

Backups aren’t working One of the most common issues is that a business gets data backups set up and working, and then they never check to see if things are still running fine down the road.

Backups can fail for dozens of reasons. The worst time to discover that is when you need to retrieve data and you can’t.

Monitor your backTechnology ups and test the recovery process regularly. Make sure you have data offsite as well, so that you can recover your systems even after a fire, flood, theft or other major disasters.

Another backup issue is employees who save data to their local PCs instead of to share drives on the server. Servers should be backed up, but PCs usually are not. That means if a hard drive fails, you will lose whatever that person created. It might be nothing, or it might take hours, days or even weeks of rework to re-create the lost information.

Wendy Gauntt

Security updates stop running Antivirus is another item that often isn’t working as expected. You may find it’s not installed on one of your PCs, or perhaps the updates haven’t been applied for quite some time. If this isn’t monitored, you may discover this problem because you encounter a networkwide virus outbreak. That could take down most of your computers for days while you attempt to do a full cleanup.

Even worse, your customers could get viruses from you when emails are sent.

Software patches, particularly those from Microsoft, are a very similar concern. Even when patches are set to automatically download from Microsoft, they often get stuck at some point and stop until there is manual effort to get things back on track. These patches are often security-related, so if your company is behind on patches, you are leaving your company vulnerable to security issues.

Confidential data isn’t protected Typically share drives are set up to keep your critical business files organized and secure. Special folders are set

up for sensitive data such as financials and HR, with access limited to the appropriate people in the organization.

What if security settings aren’t correct?

Someone could find a payroll report, or HIPAA-protected medical information, or confidential financial data. Security roles need to be clearly defined, and settings should be tested, especially when changes are made.

Another confidentiality risk is data stored on portable devices such as flash drives, laptops, smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. If possible, data should be encrypted, and these devices should always be password protected.

Many of these can be set for a remote data wipe in the event of theft or loss, which can help prevent your data from becoming public.

User-created liability Many companies are loose with their Internet usage policies. Owners say “I trust my employees.” That’s all well and good, but it’s smart to do at least some minimal level of Internet filtering, if only to limit company liability.

Porn and gambling don’t really have a place at the office, and if your staff surf those sites on their breaks, it could expose the company to unnecessary risk. Stricter policies also can improve productivity. Unfortunately, many employees check sites such as Facebook and CNN throughout the day, and they also shop online. That can take away from time that should be spent working.

Another risk is when employees send emails with confidential data such as social security numbers, credit cards or medical health records. Email is not secure, so sending this kind of information via email endangers privacy and puts your company at risk of regulatory violations. In the financial and health care industries, it’s common to use an email service that monitors email for this kind of data, to prevent accidental transmission.

Software license issues In a small business, software licenses aren’t always well organized, and sometimes software is installed on multiple machines in violation of licensing agreements with the vendors. Just because you can install it doesn’t mean it’s permitted. If you think no one will find out, think again. The Business Software Alliance (BSA) regularly receives reports from disgruntled employees (current and former) that lead them to audit businesses of all sizes. Those employees receive awards for reporting issues, and employers can be heavily penalized.

Equipment is starting to fail In many cases, equipment such as

servers, battery supplies, etc., will start to send out warning signals before it fails completely. Whether it’s a hard drive failure in a RAID array on your server or a battery backup that can no longer hold a charge, there are warning signs that allow you to catch these issues. Pay attention to these and you will avoid far more serious issues. For example, fix the hard drive before another fails and you won’t even have any downtime; replace the battery before a power outage and your server will remain powered up long enough to prevent a hard reboot that might corrupt your data.

their skills with the help of other IT experts.

IT guy is incompetent

Wendy Gauntt is president of CIO Services LLC, a technology consulting company that specializes in small-business solutions. Visit her website at www.cioservicesllc.com for more information, ideas and free resources.

If you aren’t a tech, how can you know whether your tech team is any good? The issues described here won’t seem like a problem until something bad happens. Whether it is making the wrong choices in equipment that isn’t the best fit, setting things up incorrectly or losing track of routine maintenance, all these errors can be very costly to your organization. Your best bet is to find an IT person who understands your business objectives, and then validate

How can you keep up?

The real challenge here is that even if you know to do all these things, they are rarely at the top of the list and can be difficult to monitor. Reporting tools are available that can help, and to a large degree, you have to trust the people handling your IT. Ask them how they manage the “gotchas” in this article and see whether you feel comfortable they would catch problems like these before they become serious.

BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile: n 66% have household incomes of $80,000 or more. n 32% are age 55 or older.

Saturday, March 9 9:30am-12:00pm

Macon Resources 2121 Hubbard Avenue – Decatur

Family concert featuring Scribble Jim & Scribble Jayne of the award winning musical group Scribble Monster at 10:30am.

Activities, Vendors, Door Prizes, Face Painting, and lots of fun!

Proceeds benefit children and families in Macon County.

For tickets and information,

call 875-1910. www.maconresources.org

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February 2013

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February 2013

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21

YOUR HEALTH

Flu season taking toll on businesses Many reluctant to call in sick

By MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer

WASHINGTON — Nearly half the 70 employees at a Ford dealership in Clarksville, Ind., have been out sick at some point in the past couple of months.

It didn’t have to be that way, the boss says.

“If people had stayed home in the first place, a lot of times that spread wouldn’t have happened,” said Marty Book, a vice president at Carriage Ford. “But people really want to get out and do their jobs, and sometimes that’s a detriment.”

The flu season that has struck early and hard across the United States is putting businesses and employees alike in a bind. In this shaky economy, many Americans are reluctant to call in sick, something that can backfire for their employers.

Blake Fleetwood, president of Cook Travel in New York, said his agency is operating with less than 40 percent of its full-time staff because of the flu and other ailments.

“The people here are working longer hours and it puts a lot of strain on everyone,” Fleetwood said. “You don’t know whether to ask people with the flu to come in or not.” He said the flu is also taking its toll on business as customers cancel their travel plans: “People are getting the flu and they’re reduced to a

Associated Press

Nurse Debbie Smerk, right, administers a flu shot to Pamela Black at MetroHealth in Cleveland. shriveling little mess and don’t feel like going anywhere.”

Many workers go to the office even when they’re sick because they are worried about losing their jobs, said John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an employer consulting firm.

Other employees report for work out of financial necessity, since roughly 40 percent of U.S. workers don’t get paid if they are out sick. Some simply have a

strong work ethic and feel obligated to show up.

Flu season typically costs employers $10.4 billion for hospitalization and doctor’s office visits, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That does not include the costs of lost productivity from absences.

At Carriage Ford, Book said the company plans to make flu shots mandatory for all employees.

Linda Doyle, CEO of the Northcrest Community retirement home in Ames, Iowa, said the company took that step this year for its 120 employees, providing the shots at no cost. It is also supplying face masks for all staff.

And no one is expected to come into work if sick, she said.

So far, the company hasn’t seen an outbreak of flu cases.

“You keep your fingers crossed and hope it continues this way,” Doyle said.

“You see the news and it’s frightening.

We just want to make sure that we’re doing everything possible to keep everyone healthy. Cleanliness is really the key to it. Washing your hands. Wash, wash, wash.”

Among other steps employers can take to reduce the spread of the flu on the job: holding meetings via conference calls, staggering shifts so that fewer people are on the job at the same time and avoiding handshaking.

Connecticut is the only state that requires some businesses to pay employees when they are out sick. Cities such as San Francisco and Washington have similar laws.

Challenger and others say attitudes are changing, and many companies are rethinking their sick policies to avoid officewide outbreaks of the flu and other infectious diseases.

“I think companies are waking up to the fact right now that you might get a little bit of gain from a person coming into work sick, but especially when you have an epidemic, if 10 or 20 people then get sick, in fact you’ve lost productivity,” Challenger said.

Study shows people don’t wash hands properly Dirtiest place is around fingernails

By ALEXIA ELEJALDE-RUIZ McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Washing your hands after using the bathroom, not to mention after touching any number of public surfaces, from doorknobs to subway handrails to oh-sodisgusting toilet flush levers, is a basic rule of hygiene. Yet we don’t always do it properly, if at all, which is particularly ill-advised behavior during flu season, when germy hands are common gateways to infection.

Respondents to a recent survey said they washed their hands an average of 87 percent of the time after using a public restroom, and 62 percent said they have rinsed their hands post-bathroom without using soap. The survey of more than 1,000 people in the United States was conducted by Bradley Corp., manufac-

turer of washroom accessories. Women are significantly better hand washers than men.

Those self-reported findings echo habits observed in an a 2010 study from the American Society for Microbiology and the American Cleaning Institute, a trade association for the soap and detergent industry, which sent observers into public restrooms to record people’s hand-washing habits. They saw 85 percent of people wash their hands, an improvement from 77 percent in 2007. In a survey that was part of that same study, 77 percent of respondents said they always clean their hands before handling or eating food. Only 39 percent said they always wash their hands after coughing or sneezing.

Considering that people absent-mindedly touch their faces an average of 16 times an hour, according to a 2008 study by researchers at the University of California at Berkeley School of Public Health, and risk transferring germs from their dirty hands to their eyes, noses and mouths, lazy hand washers

could use a refresher.

“The big mistake people make is that they just rub their palms together and they don’t get to the dirtiest parts of the hands — under and around the fingernails,” said Elaine Larson, associate dean for research at Columbia University School of Nursing. The key is to cover all surfaces of the hands, including between the fingers and in the crevices around fingernails, with a good amount of friction, Larson said. Using soap is important, not because it kills bacteria, but because it acts as an emulsifier to slip the germs off the hands, she said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said washing your hands should take about 20 seconds, or about two rounds of singing “Happy Birthday.”

The temperature of the water doesn’t matter. It’s best to dry your hands with a paper towel so you don’t just rub them on your dirty pants, but better to let them air dry than use a shared towel, Larson said.

Hand sanitizers are a convenient alternative to hand-washing. Pick one

that is at least 60 percent alcohol, and use enough so that your hands are wet for 10 seconds so it has enough time to kill the bacteria, Larson said. Alcohol sanitizers only work when they’re wet, she said.

Hand sanitizers can’t kill all germs, however, such as the norovirus, a highly contagious stomach virus. Washing with lots of friction and then applying hand sanitizer can help against such resistant bugs, Larson suggests.

Hand-washing vigilance is especially important in health care settings. Hospital patients in the United States get nearly 2 million infections each year, which can be life-threatening and hard to treat, according to the CDC. The agency recommends patients ask their health care providers to wash their hands if they don’t see them do so.

After all, the Joint Commission, an independent nonprofit that accredits health care organization in the United States, has found hand hygiene compliance among hospital staff to be about 50 percent.

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February 2013

Community health calendar

Pick healthy 100-calorie snacks McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Many companies now package snacks in 100-calorie portions, but they often don’t contain the nutrients your body needs. “I love the concept of those, but the majority of them aren’t the best options,” said Chrissy Wellington, a nutritionist at Canyon Ranch health resort in Lenox, Mass.

Some advice: n Read package labels. Plenty of unhealthy ingredients can go into a 100-calorie snack. Ideally, a serving should contain less than .5 grams of saturated fat and less than 10 to 12 grams of sugar — the lower the better — along with some fiber and protein.

Pretzels, air-popped popcorn and nuts tend to be among the healthier packages. n Avoid the least healthy packages.

Chocolate chip cookies, candy, biscuits and crackers such as Ritz and Cheez-It land on Wellington’s “worst” list because they’re high in sugar and/or artery-clogging fats. n Think outside the bag. Stay close to 100 calories with 4 to 6 ounces of low-fat yogurt, a hardboiled egg and a small piece of fruit, an ounce of cheese — look for one with less than two grams of fat per serving — or a third of a cup of edamame beans. n Get milk. Drink a cup of low-fat chocolate milk, which is rich in protein, or warm a cup of skim milk with sprinkles of cinnamon and vanilla extract. n Load up on fruits. A small banana or medium-sized pear or apple should run about 100 calories, as would a cup of berries, half a large grapefruit or two plums or apricots. Or pair half a fruit serving with two teaspoons of peanut butter or a few dry-roasted nuts. n Cut up vegetables. Raw leafy veggies such as broccoli and cauliflower only contain about 30 calories per two cups; other easy snacks such as carrots, celery and cherry tomatoes have roughly 30 calories per half cup.

Hummus, at roughly 80 calories for a quarter-cup, can be a smart dip.

Screenings

Classes

Bone density screening, 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, Women’s Health and Breast Center, 302 W. Hay St., Suite 117A. To register, call 876-4377.

Art therapy for cancer patients and families, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, Complementary Medicine Art Room 409, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Clay, paint watercolor, acrylic draw, print make, collage, weave and more. For information, call 876-4700.

Cholesterol screening, 7-10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, 1689 S. Franklin Street Road, and 810 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, 4775 E. Maryland St. Cost is $20. To register, call 876-4377.

Women’s heart health screening, 9-11 a.m.

Thursday, Feb. 21, St. Mary’s Hospital, Room 561. Free personalized assessment including full lipid screening and cardiovascular screening. To register, call 422-6100.

Support groups Helping Hands Bereavement for Children, 3:30 p.m. Thursdays, Cancer Care Center of Decatur Art Therapy Room, 210 W. McKinley Ave. To register, call 876-4750.

SHARE support group, 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11, St. Mary’s Hospital, Room G24. Support group for those who have experienced the death of a baby during pregnancy, at birth or early infancy. For more information, call 4642045.

Breastfeeding support group, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 11 and 25, Baby TALK, 500 E. Lake Shore Dr. To register, call 4642334.

Growing Through Grief, 10-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12, 19 and 26, DMH Hospice Office, 3122 Brettwood Circle. A bereavement education series for family members who have lost a loved one. To register, call 876-6770.

Facing Cancer Together, 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, Cancer Care Center of Decatur Complementary Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. To register, call 876-4750.

Pink Link breast cancer support group, 6 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 14. To register, call 876-4377.

Brain cancer support group, 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, Cancer Care Center of Decatur Complementary Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. To register, call 876-4750.

In BeTween for Girls, 10-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, DMH OB Classroom. Nine- to 12-yearolds are invited to bring their parent along to help them understand the life issues that are important for the teen years. To register, call Pediatrics at 876-3100.

Freedom from Smoking. This seven-week course, led by American Lung Association trained facilitators can help smokers identify their addiction and provide ways to break their habits. The first class is 5:30 p.n. Monday, Feb. 4, at the Forsyth Wellness Center, 241 W. Weaver Road. The cost is $20. To register, call 876-4249.

Cardiopulmonary education session, 1:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 8, and 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, DMH Cardiac Rehabilitation Department. For information, call 876-2496.

Eat Right to Help the Fight, nutrition class for cancer patients, 1-2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11 and 25, Cancer Care Center of Decatur Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. To register, call 876-4750 Infant CPR Class, 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11, DMH Classrooms. To register, call 876-3400.

Breastfeeding for the Pregnant Couple, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 14, Assisi Conference Room, St. Mary’s Hospital. For information or to register, call 464-2334.

Real Dads Rock!, 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, Assisi Conference Room, St. Mary’s Hospital.

This class enriches the father-to-be with skills to be confident in his major role in the care and birth of the new baby. Call 464-2334.

Happiest Baby on the Block, 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, Assisi Room, St. Mary’s Hospi-

tal. Topics include crying, normal newborn sleep, top 10 myths about babies, swaddling and more. For more information, call 4642334.

Breastfeeding Basics, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, DMH Classrooms. Registration is required. To register, call 876-3400.

Grocery store tour, noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27. A registered dietitian will guide shoppers through the various sections of the grocery store. Cost is $10. To register, call 876-4249.

More Hearts around the World, 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, Cafe DMH. Experience an evening of South American cuisine and culture all the while supporting the DMH Foundation and Heart and Lung Institute. For more information or to order tickets, call 876-2105.

Red Cross Blood Drive, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 13, DMH Classroom.

Community Health Lecture Series, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 19, Decatur Public Library. Dr. Jeanne Marie Kairouz discusses hypertension in women.

Go Red for Women 10th Year Celebration, 5–7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 25, Richland Community College. Join St. Mary’s Hospital for the 10th Year Celebration of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women. The event will feature cardiologist Jeanne Marie Kairouz, as well as heart disease survivors. Other features include food and refreshments, massages, manicures, mini iPad drawings, a fitness demonstration, screenings and more.

For more information, or to RSVP, please call Tori at 464-2510.

BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile: n 63% have household incomes of $60,000 or greater. 36% have household incomes of $80,000 or greater.

A New Season young widowed group, 6 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 21. For information, call Dawn Followell at 864-2799.

Renewal bereavement support group, 6:307:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 25, Cancer Care Center of Decatur Complementary Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. To register, call 876-4750.

Widowed support group, 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28. Monthly dinner gathering. For location or to register, call 428-7733.

Us TOO prostate cancer support group, 4:30-6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, Cancer Care Center of Decatur Complementary Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. To register, call 876-4750.

TM

y– ompan Your C g to Helpin ives Save L

2013 Macon County

Heart Walk & 5K Run Sign Up As a Corporate Sponsor or Build a Walk Team

Call Audra Burks at 217-698-3838 maconcountyheartwalk.org ©2012, American Heart Association. Also known as the Heart Fund.

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23

YOUR MONEY

Higher payroll taxes an unwelcome surprise Take-home pay down 2 percent

By DALE KASLER McClatchy-Tribune News Service

The first paycheck of 2013 contained a nasty surprise for many workers: a tax increase that shrank their take-home earnings by 2 percent or more.

While the “fiscal cliff” compromise spared most Americans an increase in their income taxes, Congress allowed a temporary cut in payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare to expire. The tax increase comes at a time when worker paychecks are already under pressure from rising health care premiums and ongoing furloughs in the public sector.

For many, it is big enough to offset any recent pay raise.

Matt Anhaiser, a Lexus of Roseville (Calif.) employee, said he and his wife, a nurse, are losing a combined $283 a month.

“That is my truck payment, or all of the extracurricular activities for my children, or a week and a half of groceries,” said Anhaiser, 36. “That is significant to me. I don’t know where it’s going to come from at this point.”

Economist Jeff Michael said the higher payroll tax will likely curb economic growth in 2013 by one-half of 1 percent.

That won’t be nearly enough to knock the economy back into a recession — Michael still thinks the economy will

expand by about 2 percent — but it will contribute to another year of sluggishness.

“It’s part of the reason why we’re expecting another year of this slow growth,” said Michael, director of the University of the Pacific’s Business Forecasting Center. “It’s going to weigh against some of the benefits we’re getting from improving real estate markets and improving job markets.”

Michael got a firsthand taste of the impact when he opened his own paycheck. He’ll lose about $100 a month, just enough to cancel out his raise for this year.

“Is it going to affect me? Certainly,” he said.

Michael said he wasn’t shocked at the higher payroll taxes. He said he and most other economists had figured the increases into their growth forecasts for 2013.

Michael and other experts agreed that by resolving the fiscal cliff crisis, and averting significant across-the-board increases in income taxes, Congress avoided doing major damage to the stillfragile economic recovery.

Still, the higher payroll taxes did surprise many wage earners. The high-profile fiscal cliff debate that consumed Congress in the waning days of 2012 mostly centered on income tax rates and government spending cuts.

Little attention was paid to Social Security and Medicare tax increases, which loomed in the background of the debate. When the dust settled, Congress

Some benefits back in place Tax measure part of fiscal cliff legislation WASHINGTON (AP) — Taxpayers preparing to file their 2012 returns can breathe a collective sigh of relief.

The alternative minimum tax or AMT has been patched — permanently — and several tax credits and deductions that technically expired at the end of 2011 were extended as part of the fiscal cliff legislation that Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed into law in January.

“It certainly puts back into place many of the tax benefits that had expired for many people,” said Mark Steber, chief tax officer with Jackson

Hewitt Tax Services. “The extenders will be back on people’s tax returns, making their 2012 refunds larger than they would have been.”

But the delay in congressional action could mean confusion for some taxpayers over what credits and deductions still exist.

That could make going it alone on tax day costly. Experts say people should seek some guidance, whether it’s from a professional tax preparer, up-to-date software programs or tax guides, before filing returns.

More than 90 percent of taxpayers go to a tax preparer or use tax software to file their returns, estimated Jim Buttonow, a 20-year IRS veteran who is now vice president of products for New River Innovation, a tax technology company.

quietly allowed a pair of 2-year-old payroll tax cuts to expire as of New Year’s Day. With that, Social Security taxes have gone back up from 4.2 percent to 6.2 percent. Medicare taxes have gone back up from 1.45 percent to 2.35 percent for higher-wage earners, starting at $200,000 for singles and $250,000 for couples filing joint returns.

Sally Hamilton, a professor at Drexel University’s graduate business school in Sacramento, said the expiration of the tax cut was almost inevitable.

By allowing the taxes to rise, Congress can shore up the finances of two politically popular programs, she said. The main Social Security trust fund is projected to run out of money in 2035, and the Medicare trust fund is expected to run dry in 2024.

“The payroll tax cut was put in as a short-term idea when the economy was still worse than it is,” Hamilton said. “It was never intended, obviously, to last forever. It was a fairly easy (issue) for them to find consensus on.”

That doesn’t make it go down any easier for most taxpayers.

Anhaiser, for one, isn’t convinced Social Security will be around when he

reaches retirement age, even with the extra tax revenue. The 36-year-old said he might reduce his 401(k) contribution to compensate for the loss in take-home pay.

The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimated that 77 percent of U.S. households are affected by the higher payroll taxes.

“For someone making $50,000 a year, it’s a thousand bucks — that’s significant,” said Perry Ghilarducci, a principal at Auvant Ltd. certified public accountants in Sacramento, Calif.

The higher taxes follow years of income stagnation for most Americans.

“I’m just starting to see people get hired again, get interviews, (but) it’s definitely not back to where it was,” said Rosanna Venturini of ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions in the Sacramento area. “People are having to take jobs that pay less than what they were used to making.”

Wages have grown only about 2 percent a year on average since 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Most years, pay raises for many Americans have barely kept up with inflation.

February Home Equity Special Take advantage of special rates on our Home Equity Loan. Replace a leaky roof or worn out gutters. Save energy with new windows and doors. Give your kitchen or bathroom an overhaul with new flooring, fixtures, and counter tops.

Home Equity Loans aren’t limited to home improvements. Its a low interest source of money for whatever you need: Vacation | College | Taxes | Debt Consolidation To apply or find out more stop by or call 217.875.2301.

Hurry, this special ends February 28th, 2013.

BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile: n 89% are college educated. n 28% are ages 45 to 54.

Home values are back up.

Loan rates are still down.

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