EDGE Winter 2012

Business Edge

SMALL BUSINESSES VICTIMS OF CRONY CAPITALISM

BY MARTA H. MOSSBURG, Independent columnist

When a microfinance organization started in Bangladesh is the only way some American entrepreneurs can get loans, what does it say about the state of banking in the United States?

The Grameen Foundation describes itself as “a leader in the fight against poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, the Middle East/North Africa and Latin America.” An offshoot of the foundation, Grameen America, a recently opened a branch in Charlotte, N.C., the second largest banking center in the country, and has 10 other branches in the United States.

To be sure, those applying for microloans don’t have the background to apply for traditional ones. But even small business owners with good credit are having a hard time getting loans.

Community banks aren’t the problem — it’s the majors, the same ones bailed out by American taxpayers a few years ago, who are to blame.

This is a serious problem because small businesses employ more than 50 percent of those working in the United States. If they can’t get access to credit, it means fewer people will be hired and the tepid recovery will continue apace.

Television commercials from the country’s biggest banks make it look as if they focus on loaning to artists, bakers, and independent retailers. As Bank of America said in a recent advertisement, “[W]e know the impact that local businesses have on communities.

That’s why we extended $6.4 billion in new credit to small businesses across the country last year. Because the more we help them, the more we make opportunity possible.”

And in September 2011, the country’s 13 biggest banks stood by Vice President Joseph Biden and the head of the Small Business Administration in Cleveland and pledged to loan $20

billion more out to small businesses over three years. This fall the group announced it had increased lending by $11 billion in the past year.

But don’t take the banks at their word.

First, the definition of a small business loan varies. To the banks, a loan to a company with up to $20 million in revenue is considered a small business loan. A better definition of a small business loan is one with a balance of $1 million or less, which the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) measures.

According to FDIC data, lending in the $1 million and under category was down by $2 billion by those same banks during the time they said it was up $11 billion.

And as Stacy Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance wrote in September, “Overall, the volume of small business lending at the nation’s largest 18 banks has fallen 21 percent since 2009. But the picture is even worse when you consider that these banks have gained market share. As a share of their assets, small business lending at these banks fell 33 percent.

The top banks now control 60 percent of U.S. bank assets, but provide only 27 percent of small business loans.”

Ami Kassar, CEO of MultiFunding, which advises small businesses on loan options, said part of the reason that banks don’t like to lend to small businesses is that they can make a lot more money on a $100 million loan than on smaller ones, which require the same paperwork and more people. Bureaucracies at large

institutions also mean the borrower becomes a data point rather than a human being.

Making the situation worse is that regulations stemming from the DoddFrank financial reform bill of 2010 have increased the costs of lending for community banks.

All factors combined are pushing loan seekers to private lenders for money, said Kassar, whose company runs bankinggrades.com, a site that rates banks on their lending to small businesses. (Bank of America, by the way, earns an “F” from the site.) Loans from private lenders put businesses on a “high-interest treadmill,” he said.

There is no data on the amount of money that private lenders loan each year so it’s impossible to measure the size of their role.

Kassar recommends that policy makers define “small business loan” to make data more transparent and to prevent banks from making false claims. That would be a good start. But it doesn’t change the fact that American taxpayers were forced to bail out mega banks who increasingly won’t lend to even the most credit worthy of businesses not rich enough to hire a lobbyist to defend themselves in Washington.

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Business Edge

FEATURE

BANKRUPTCY CAN OFFER NEW LIFE TO STRUGGLING SMALL BUSINESSES Local JECO bankruptcy lawyers say filing isn’t necessarily the death employees Josh Burdine (left) and Andrew Swearinger pour the virgin resin into the Little Ford which is a rotation molding machine. knell that it’s made out to be 8

Business Edge

BY BART DOAN Whether the economy is picking up or still deteriorating depends on who you’re talking to, but regardless, some small businesses will inevitably fail and some will succeed.

It may have taken creme-filled dessert snacks to shine a light on it, but the Hostess bankruptcy filing this past December showed some that there is a way out.

Local bankruptcy lawyers say filing isn’t necessarily the death knell that it’s made out to be.

“A small business, like a family, can sometimes need help either discharging debt or restructuring debt,” explained Robert Perry, a bankruptcy lawyer in Plainfield. “Very often, what small businesses have is that the business is viable, but it just can’t handle what obligations are due immediately. Most need restructuring.”

John Forest Bymaster, who owns a bankruptcy practice in between Whitestown and Brownsburg, agrees.

“Bankruptcy is designed to restore productivity to a business or to just make the best of a situation,” Bymaster said.

“For instance, I’ve dealt with debtors in two ways: File Chapter 7 and start the business over, if they’ve had years of high debt. Or just make a drastic change at reducing large amounts of debt to make the business viable. In this environment, people think ‘creditors keep bugging me and they won’t give me a chance’ but with Chapter 11 they have a totally different viewpoint to just salvaging the situation and making it profitable for everybody.

“If the problems are not too acute, an attorney can be helpful in trying to work with creditors to re-negotiate leases and to set up a payment program for overdue debts, but the basic question is to come in and find out what the problem is and whether there’s hope for saving the business.”

Both Bymaster and Perry agree that there are misnomers when it comes to moving toward a bankruptcy position.

“I think a lot of times people think it’s more expensive than it is,” Perry said. “Some people have the opinion that there’s no life after bankruptcy and that they’ll never be able to afford a house or a car.

John Forest Bymaster talks over a case he’s working on with office employees Brianna McNair (left) and Jill Cole.

There are obviously bad affects, but they don’t last forever.”

Bymaster added, “We’ve had some major success stories. I guess just don’t be afraid to look into those options and understand them completely because they’re the most powerful of options. I had a client, and he had almost $8,000

“Your credit doesn’t go to an F. Some get better. Some get worse.

After bankruptcy, it’s kind of like having a C. Creditors know you can’t file bankruptcy for eight more years and all of your debt is eliminated. ~ John Bymaster to $10,000 of monthly debt payments.

Afterwards that was dropped down into $1,700 to service all of his debts and do it on better terms, so it’s paid off more quickly.

The amount you pay is a fraction of

the cost, especially since we try to be affordable at a place like this. You think you’re going to be up in another expense when very likely most of your expenses could stop entirely other than your most elementary expenses.”

Perry says that misnomer is combated by the fact that attorneys such as himself are often able to work with creditors to allow businesses to stay afloat while not having the costs incurred being so damaging.

“In particular, I had a client once whose business was entirely seasonal,” Perry said. “He made all of his money in two or three months during one part of the year, and he had a bad year. But we were able to take his debts and restructure them over a five-year period.”

Bymaster gave another example of a plumber he had worked with. “he had a business that had built up too much debt, got into high advertising costs,” he said. “They were hounding him, so he filed Chapter 7 and stopped the business. It stopped his business almost immediately and started a new business. His name was already out there and all of his goodwill was still there. He immediately started making money and now he’s able to operate completely debt free, leaner and meaner.

“We also had a medium-sized company $800,000 in debt. They built up this debt and they got to the point where they

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Business Edge

couldn’t pay the bills anymore. They’d gone beyond the part where things weren’t going to add up to be profitable over the long run, and after careful consideration on the part of the owners and ours, they filed and it worked very well.

The creditors know that something is better than nothing, and if you liquidate, no one will get anything other than the main secure creditor.”

Bymaster said credit doesn’t plummet to below sea level.

“Your credit doesn’t go to an F,” he said. “Some get better. Some get worse.

After bankruptcy, it’s kind of like having a C. Creditors know you can’t file bankruptcy for eight more years and all of your debt is eliminated. That being said, you can still get automobile loans. You can’t get zero interest, but you can also get smaller balance credit cards and over a period of about two years, if nothing changes in the economy, you might be able to get a little more on your balance.”

Ah, the economy, where the national narrative is that it is good, bad, stagnant, improving — all depending on which side of the fence you’re standing on.

Perry believes the climate is improv-

ing for those aspiring to start their own businesses.

“I think the economy has turned the corner,” he said. “House construction is kicking up, consumer confidence is higher, and I think in some ways this might be a good time to start a business.

You have to be careful to choose the right kind of business. I think people are getting back into the construction trades and those people have been hit very hard over the last few years. I’ve had a lot of clients who were construction workers or craftsmen.”

Bymaster opines that pinpointing the economy is an inexact science.

Still, he said if the ingredients and mentality are there to start a business correctly, the time is fine.

“We’re definitely in a different sort of stage in the economy,” he said.

“Most signs point that there are future economic hurdles, but the economy is just so large and service oriented like it never was before. That’s the vast difference between the economic problems in the Great Depression, so as far as getting better, that might be a difficult call to give. You just have to focus, and if you

can stay profitable, don’t be afraid.”

Bymaster said the key is to watch the funding for the business.

“Go for it,” he said, “just maybe the thing not to do in business now is don’t get in too deep. Don’t over-leverage.

Start lean and mean from the beginning.

If you can do that, I say absolutely start a business. A profitable business can survive in a bad economy.”

He does warn, however, that the recent fiscal cliff deal could be a larger cross to bear for some small businesses.

“It’s definitely not a good thing,” Bymaster said. “Employers are not being encouraged to hire additional employees, to expand. They’re also likely to quickly go into protective mode where they’ll just try to operate in the most leanest, meanest, most protected area as possible with regards to expanding and hiring. I don’t think it’s going to have any drastic effect.”

Perry’s office is at 205 W. Main St., Plainfield, and he can be reached by calling 839-8830.

Bymaster Bankruptcy Law Offices are at 4435 E. 650 S., Lebanon, and can be reached by calling 769-6533.

INDIANA CHAMBER OFFERING OSHA COMPLIANCE COURSES February courses offered by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce can help companies stay compliant with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.

The 10-Hour Voluntary Compliance Course and OSHA 30Hour Voluntary Compliance Course will be held Feb. 19-22; participants in the 10-hour course need only attend Feb. 19-20.

Attendees in either course will receive training from an OSHA-authorized instructor, a 400-page manual to take home, and an official course completion card from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Courses are presented by Wilder Allen, president of Safety Management Corporation, who has 37 years of professional safety experience and is a former IOSHA compliance officer and trainer.

The OSHA 10-hour Voluntary Compliance Course for General Industry runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 19 and from 7:30 to 11:15 a.m. Feb. 20.

The 10-hour course is an overview of the most important

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and significant OSHA standards and topics. The course is good for two credits toward the completion of the Safety Compliance Specialist Certificate. Cost is $599.

The OSHA 30-hour Voluntary Compliance Course for General Industry runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 19, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 20 and 21, and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 22.

This course has been designed to increase workplace safety awareness and compliance by providing expert instruction on OSHA codes and standards and counts for four credits toward a Safety Compliance Specialist Certificate. Attendees will also receive a copy of the General Industry (1910) Code of Federal Regulations, a $50 value. Cost is $899.

Both events will be at the Indiana Chamber Conference Center in downtown Indianapolis.

To register, visit the website at www.indianachamber.com/conferences or call (264-6885 or (800) 824-6885.

Business Edge

CONNECTING IN THE CLOUD Video conferencing takes next leap with Omnijoin from Brother

Video and web conferencing have been around for decades, but the quality of the video and audio has proved disappointing and frustrating due to technology glitches and overall poor performance.

However, a new cloud-based system, OmniJoin, recently launched to change all of that. The OmniJoin cloud infrastructure provides a number of benefits to video and web conferencing such as reduced costs from less hardware and IT; more scalability and increased response time compared to systems based on standard servers.

This video and web conferencing technology provides the following unique advantages: • Users can enjoy crystal-clear video images (up to HD quality) and seamlessly-synched audio; • It allows for enhanced collaboration and integration: During meetings, teams can view and edit documents in real time, and can then save the marked-up files for future reference. Users can also transfer files, and access presentations and videos, without having to exit the meeting; and • Secure video meeting recording lets hosts concentrate on the discussions, knowing they can replay the meeting again later.

“Despite its advanced features, OmniJoin Web conferencing is surprisingly

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simple to use,” says Bill Henderson, vice president of Brother International Corporation. “We designed its user controls — like on all Brother products — to be clear and intuitive. This ease of use, combined with free customer support for the life of your license, makes OmniJoin service a smart, worry-free choice for any business.”

In addition to its cutting-edge product features, the conferencing tool helps small, medium, and large businesses maintain the bottom line by eliminating airfare and other travel expenses — not to mention removing the added stress of going through airport security and potential flight delays.

According to numbers provided by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, round trip domestic airfares in the past year are up 10 percent overall across the country.

As companies search for new ways to do more with less, OmniJoin provides one solution without sacrificing quality and collaboration.

The product is offered on a few pricing levels: Basic, for $49 a month; Pro service, for $79 a month; and for large companies needing several simultaneous conferences, flexible, cost-effective enterprise licensing plans.

For more info, visit the website at www.brothercloud.com/OmniJoin.

“Running on Empty. Running into the sun but I’m running behind.”

— Jackson Browne Internal Revenue Code section 401(k) is the only section of the U.S. tax code that average people can cite.

They know it has something to do with whether or not they can retire with dignity. Or retire at all.

The adoption of section 401(k) in 1982 turned out to be one of those big moments that changed everything.

Individual 401(k) plans are a primary driver of the investment markets. It is the employee retirement benefit that most companies offer.

The plan’s investment performance is also the reason that many people are pacing the floors at night, worrying if their retirement will get delayed or destroyed.

Until 401(k) came along, employee pension programs were usually definedbenefit plans.

A defined-benefit pension gives you a set number of dollars for a set period.

It usually pays out over the course of your lifetime after you retire. (Like an immediate annuity does.) With a defined-benefit plan, the employer takes responsibility for making sure pension money is safe and properly invested.

With the advent of the 401(k), employees with little or no investment experience were required to pick among investment options offered by an employer.

Employees were put in the position to fail. Many have.

It is up to the employer to pick what investment company handles the em-

ployee’s money. If the employer picks a dog, with few options, the employee is out of luck.

Even worse, some companies push their employees to use 401(k) money to buy stock in the company they work for. If the company goes broke, people lose their jobs and their retirement savings, too.

There is a second major problem — Not putting enough money in the

Business Edge

IS 401(K) GOOD FOR AMERICA?

BY DON MCKAY, Columnist for CNHI Media Defined benefit plans encouraged people to stay at the same employer.

But, 401(k) plans do not.

I’ve watched tons of people change jobs and then blow the 401(k) money before they started their new job.

It’s been said that 90 percent of people with a lump sum of money will run through it in five years or less. The same statistic can hold true for people who receive 401(k) rollovers as it does for lottery winners.

When historians study the cause of the 2008 economic meltdown, they will see that the change from defined benefit plans to 401(k) plans in 1982 was a factor. It was one of many shifts that made dramatic changes in people’s lives and liberties.

People didn’t realize just how dramatic until years later.

If we are going to keep from running behind, 401(k) is one of those things that we need to fix.

401(k) to begin with.

A 401(k) plan gives an individual lots of freedom. But, my experience working with injury victims and lottery winners who get big money tells me too much freedom may not be a blessing.

Freedom without knowledge of the consequences can lead to disastrous decisions.

I’ve always encouraged people to put the maximum amount into a 401(k) plan. Few do. Many individuals put in little or nothing at all.

Now many are looking at a bleak retirement.

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Business Edge

EDGE Business Briefs SBL welcomes new vice president Jerry Miser recently joined the staff of the State Bank of Lizton and will serve as vice president of commercial banking.

With more then 20 years of banking experience, he has served various positions including as a commercial credit analyst and commercial lender, predominantly in commercial and indusMISER trial markets.

He has led a sales and administrative team and developed a significant portfolio. Most recently, he was employed with First Financial Bank after its acquisition of Irwin Union.

He is a graduate of Purdue University and serves on the finance commission of St. Simon the Apostle Church.

Furniture store opens in Danville Danville Furniture Outpost recently opened at 117 S. Washington St., just south of the square in Danville.

The store features quality, affordable furniture and consignment items. Several local vendors also have space. Many of the vendors are from the Danville Farmers’ Market.

Danville Furniture Outpost is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tuesday through Saturday.

Keller Williams adds to sales team Joy and Mark Weaver, real estate sales professionals in Plainfield, have joined the Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro West Market Center.

Joy is a registered nurse with Hendricks Regional Health and Mark is a certified aircraft welder. They have been married for 29 years and have a son named Michael.

JOY WEAVER Stacie Tuttle has also joined the team.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in business with experience in banking, human resources, and small business ownership.

After her own moving experiences across town and also across the country, she said she’s thrilled to join with Keller Williams and help others through the process of buying and selling MARK WEAVER real estate.

When not working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, volunteering at church and school, interior design, painting/refinishing furniture, singing, reading, and cooking.

Indy Metro West Market Center at 8102 Kingston St., Avon, was established in 2005 and has more than 60 associates.

TUTTLE For more information, call 472-6877 or visit the website at www.IndyMetroWest.com.

Subway restaurants partner with IHSAA The Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. (IHSAA) has named SUBWAY® Restaurants as the “Official Training Restaurant” of the IHSAA. Subway, long recognized as a nutritional leader, will show its support of education-based athletics at IHSAA sanctioned events

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beginning with the winter athletic season.

The partnership will tie into the IHSAA’s mission to promote health and wellness to the entire Indiana high school community. IHSAA events reach communities across the state including member schools, parents, and coaches.

The IHSAA is committed to education-based athletics and Subway is a strong supporter of the communities where their restaurants are located. The partnership with the IHSAA will include prominent signage, TV, radio program ads, public address announcements, on-site opportunities, social media components, and more.

The IHSAA is the second state association that Subway has joined ranks with. In August the Michigan High School Athletic Association announced that Subway was the “Official Restaurant” of the MHSAA. With more than 38,000 locations in 98 countries, including more than 600 across Indiana, the Subway restaurant chain is the world’s largest restaurant franchise, in terms of number of locations.

Headquartered in Milford, Conn., and with regional offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Brisbane, Miami, and Singapore, the chain was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965.

For more information about the Subway chain, visit the website at www.subway.com.

HCF earns numerous HSPA honors The Hendricks County Flyer picked up several awards at the 46th annual Hoosier State Press Association newsroom seminar and Better Newspaper Contest Awards luncheon.

This year’s event was held at the Indianapolis Marriott North in December.

Representing the Flyer were Publisher Harold COGGESHALL Allen, Editor Kathy Linton, Sports Editor Jake Thompson, reporter/page designer Brenda L. Holmes, reporter Wade Coggeshall, and former reporter Ryan Palencer.

The Flyer staff earned a first-place award for Best Online Site/Web Page. Coggeshall also earned a first-place award for Best Short Feature Story.

HOLMES The Flyer took second place in the two biggest awards of the day: General Excellence, which is determined by the most points earned in overall awards; and Blue Ribbon Newspaper.

Three daily and three non-daily newspapers from throughout the state are nominated each year for the Blue Ribbon honor, and winners are then selected by a panel of judges. The judges base this highest accolade of the HSPA competition on an overall evaluation of the editorial quality of the newspaper. They examine breadth THOMPSON and depth of coverage, quality of reporting and editing, news judgment and content balance, general appearance, imaginative approach to problem news areas, originality, reader interest, and overall professionalism.

The Flyer staff also took second-place honors for Best News-

Binkley Investment advisor on national website An article by Jeff Binkley of Binkley Wealth Management Group, LLC, was recently published by Seeking Alpha (www.seekingalpha. com).

Seeking Alpha is the premier website for actionable stock market opinion and analysis, and vibrant, intelligent finance discussion for BINKLEY investors and analysts.

Binkley’s article entitled U.S. Natural Gas And CNG Fleet Vehicles: Not Just A Lot Of Hot Air, was featured on the website and e-mailed to more than 169,000 subscribers of the website’s Macro View Daily investment e-mail. The article published was written specifically for seekingalpha.com and was Binkley’s first to receive national attention.

Binkley publishes a regular monthly investment outlook and electronically delivers it to more than 1,000 local subscribers in Indiana. To subscribe to his free monthly investment outlook, text “BWMG” to 22828 or e-mail him at jeff@thebinkleygroup. com.

Kroger manager receives honors Brownsburg Kroger manager Ericka Ridgway was recently named as a “Top Store Manager”

by Progressive Grocer, the industry’s leading publication. She was honored at Progressive Grocer’s Corporate Social Responsibility Awards celebration.

Ridgway, who has been with Kroger since RIDGWAY 2000, oversees 117 associates and six members of management in Brownsburg. The local store is one of the fastest growing stores in the entire Kroger Central Division.

During 2012, Ridgway has led her store to sales growth and scored the highest out of 155 stores on an internal operational auditing process.

She is an active participant each year in Indy’s March of Dimes walk and volunteers in the neighboring town of Pittsboro as a youth basketball coach.

Nelson Jewelers honored for service Nelson Jewelers in Brownsburg was named “Business of the Year” by the Brownsburg Chamber of Commerce.

Owner Jeff Nelson said they had been members of the Chamber since its inception.

Nelson Jewelers was founded in 1958 and offers a full range of services, two gemologist appraisers, finer diamonds and gemstones, custom design services, and in-house jewelry repair.

New optometrist joins Plainfield Eye Care Plainfield Eye Care recently announced the addition of Megan Walton, O.D., to its staff of optometrists serving the Plainfield and metropolitan Indianapolis area since 1961.

A Hoosier native from Delphi, Walton graduated from De-

pauw University as a Lilly Endowment Scholar with a bachelor’s degree in biology. As an undergraduate, she participated in a Timmy Foundation medical mission trip to Quito, Ecuador. She received her optometry degree from Indiana University’s School of Optometry and was awarded the American Foundation for WALTON Vision Awareness scholarship in 2011.

Walton had previously worked at an Indianapolis LASIK center.

She has completed rotations focusing on ocular diseases and pathology as well as eye care for all ages at the Indianapolis Eye Care Center, the Bennett and Bloom Eye Center in Louisville, Ky., and the Veterans Affairs Clinic in Pensacola, Fla. She is a member of the Indiana Optometric Association and the American Optometric Association.

For more information or to make an appointment, call Plainfield Eye Care at 839-2368 or visit the website at www. plainfieldeyecare.com.

The office is at 1855 Stafford Road, Plainfield.

Business Edge

paper Design, Best Business Section, and Community Service.

Photographer Jeff Brown earned a secondplace award for Best Sports Action Photo and Palencer took a second for Best Short Feature Story.

Thompson earned a third-place award for BROWN Best Sports Event Coverage and the Flyer staff earned a third for Best Feature Section.

SBL employees raise funds for community A campaign that tied a food drive in with bankers wearing denim was a big win for the community.

In October, Rhonda Wiles, vice president of marketing and community relations director at State Bank of Lizton, invited employees to donate $30 in cash or pantry items so they could wear denim to work on Fridays and Saturdays in October and November.

Donations were matched by the bank. The bank realized a 87 percent participation level.

The bank then presented checks in the amount of $4,380 to the Hendricks County Food Pantry Coalition and Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry in Hendricks and Boone counties.

Pantry items collected in the bank locations were given to area food pantries in the specific communities.

More than 19 bags of pantry items were given to the Hendricks County Food Pantry Coalition the night of the event.

State Bank of Lizton is an independently owned and operated community bank with 10 full-service locations throughout Hendricks and Boone counties.

For more information about the bank, call (866) 348-4674 or visit the website at www.statebankoflizton.com.

IBA picks up two excellence awards The Indiana Bankers Association (IBA) won two Indiana Society of Association Executives (ISAE) awards of excellence at the ISAE’s annual Star Awards Gala in December.

The awards were in the categories of Impactful Community Philanthropic Program and Outstanding Government Affairs Program.

The Impactful Community Philanthropic Program award recognized the New Hope Services/Indiana Bankers Association Disaster Relief Fund, created as a collaborative effort by the IBA; New Hope Services Inc., a non-profit agency servicing southern Indiana; and The New Washington State Bank in Charlestown.

It was established in response to the deadly March 2 tornadoes that swept through southern Indiana. Eventually the fund, which coincidentally attracted the support of country music trio Lady Antebellum, raised more than $380,000.

Its effectiveness was evidenced by the substantial size of the monies collected and by the full allocation of its dollars within six months, without diverting any funds to administrative costs.

The Outstanding Government Affairs Program award honored the success of the IBA Government Relations Team, which was instrumental in defeating a provision in HB 1072 that stated that

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Business Edge

Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs) must be incorporated into the assessed value of low-income properties. The proposal would have dramatically increased the property taxes of future low-income developments, making them unaffordable and severely restricting Indiana’s much-needed low-income housing market. The collaborative lobbying efforts by the IBA Government Relations Team, IBA bank members, and the LIHTC Coalition led to a successful outcome for Indiana’s banks and, more significantly, for Indiana’s underprivileged.

Gypsies settle in Brownsburg A second-hand store called the Thrifty Gypsy has opened in Brownsburg.

The shop is at 124 E. Northfield Drive, Suite G, next door to the UPS Store.

Thrifty Gypsy carries new and gently used toys, home décor, books, unique vintage items, and name-brand clothing for women, teens, and children.

Gypsy shoppers will also find a variety of new treasures including 18-inch doll clothes and accessories by Hello Dolly and Kayla’s Rompers, 1803 candles, bohemian and vintage style clothing and accessories, jewelry, and original art by local artists.

Thrifty Gypsy is a family-owned business.

Woman-owned law firm opens in county KJD Legal Services recently announced the opening of a civil practice firm specializing in real estate, eminent domain, business services, and estate planning in Brownsburg. The office will be led by attorney Kathy Catlin Davis.

The woman-owned firm has more than 10 years of experience in civil legal issues. The firm is also available for legal matters involving family law and personal injury.

“I look forward to working with local bankers, real estate agents, and financial planners to prepare powers of attorney, and the documents for trusts and limited liability companies for their clients who may need assistance,” Davis said in a press release.

Prior to opening KJD Legal Services, DaDAVIS vis managed large scale property acquisition projects for governments and other entities. She was a deputy attorney general from 2005 to ‘08. Prior to that, she worked for a mortgage company. She began her career in private practice.

Davis is the vice president of Chapter 10 of the International Right of Way Association. She is also a member of the board for Youth as Resources, part of the United Way of Hendricks County. She is a 2011 graduate of Leadership Hendricks County.

Davis is a 2001 graduate of Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis, and a 1995 graduate of Indiana University, Bloomington.

Based outside of Brownsburg, KJD Legal Services is one of the area’s newest law firms specializing in general civil legal matters.

For more information, call Davis at 721-5290.

H&R Block opens tax office in Plainfield A newly remodeled H&R Block retail tax office is now open at 407 Plainfield Commons Drive to help residents navigate an increasingly complex tax code and claim all the credits and deductions they are entitled.

“For more than 55 years, H&R Block has been delivering trusted tax advice in neighborhoods across the country,” Cathi Reed, district manager at H&R Block, said in a press release.

“We’re excited to have an updated office in Plainfield and to meet and serve our neighbors.”

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KNOW YOUR LEGISLATORS.

2013 Legislative Breakfasts

THEIR DECISIONS AFFECT YOUR COOPERATIVE.

Dates:

Monday, January 28 Monday, February 25 Monday, March 25 Monday, April 22 Time:

ONE THIRD OF INDIANA LEGISLATURE WILL BE IN FIRST FOUR YEARS OF SERVICE IN 2013

Complimentary breakfast at 7:00 am Place:

Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds Conference Center RSVP: For reservations, please contact the Hendricks &RXQW\ )DUP %XUHDX RIÀFH DW E\ WKH Thursday prior to each breakfast.

We have invited Representatives Bob Behning, Greg Steuerwald and Jeff Thompson to join us, along with Senators Pete Miller and Mike Young.

SEVEN OF INDIANA’S NINE CONGRESSMEN ARE IN 1ST OR 2ND TERM

Take advantage of this opportunity to interact with your representatives at the Indiana Statehouse!

Sponsored by:

WHO IS YOUR LEGISLATOR? www.IndianaVoters.com

* If schools are closed due to weather, meetings will also be canceled. *

Business Edge

CREDIT UNION

VS. BANKS

Which is right for you?

BY BRENDA L. HOLMES

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Most people are well aware of what a bank does, but do they know the differences in a credit union and how they each stack up?

A credit union is a cooperative financial institution where individuals combine their money to provide loans and services to their fellow members.

“The main difference is that a credit union is a non-profit organization,” said Shannon Mullen, branch manager for the Indiana Members Credit Union in Plainfield. “We have a board of directors that meets monthly to decide how we run things.”

Credit unions have a set criteria for those who can become members. For many, it’s where you work or live.

“To be a member at Indiana Members Credit Union you have to live

or work in certain counties,” Mullen explained. “For example, we are headquartered in Indianapolis. We have 26 locations. So if you live or work in any of those areas, you can become a member.”

Credit unions can offer the same programs as banks and are also obligated by federal regulations. But since

credit unions are a democratic organization they are often able to offer lower interest rates and lower fees.

“And we offer many of the same things as banks,” Mullen said. “We offer mortgages, CDs, money market accounts.”

People looking to open a checking or savings account, or to make a few money market investments may want to look into a credit union.

Banks offer the same, but those with larger portfolios may require the additional options that a bank can provide.

S. Joe DeHaven is president and CEO of the Indiana Bankers Association, but is well versed in both banks and credit unions.

“The only thing credit unions cannot do that banks can has to do with com-

Credit unions can offer the same programs as banks and are also obligated by federal regulations. But since credit unions are a democratic organization they are often able to offer lower interest rates and lower fees.

And we offer many of the same things as banks. We offer mortgages, CDs, money market accounts.” ~ Shannon Mullen A federal charter bank is exempt from both state and federal taxes.

“We in the banking industry do the same things that credit unions do, so we think we should all play by the same rules,” DeHaven said. “They use the roads and if they are robbed they will call the local police for help. We should all have to pay taxes for those public services.”

There are drawbacks with any institution. Since credit unions are

Business Edge

mercial loans,” DeHaven said. “Credit unions are restricted and can only loan up to 12.25 percent of their total assets in business loans.”

The bank vs. credit union debate started shortly after the industrial revolution in the United States.

“The credit union industry started shortly after assembly lines began,” DeHaven said. “They formed these financial institutions where the members all had a ‘common bond.’ And for most people, the common bond was their employer.”

Because of this requirement, credit unions operate as non-profit organizations and therefore do not have to pay taxes.

“Indiana is unique in that we have two types of credit unions here,” DeHaven said. “One is a federal charter and the other is a state charter.”

He explained that credit unions that are a state charter pay state taxes as any community bank would do. They just don’t pay federal taxes.

often smaller, they tend to have fewer branches and ATMs. They might not be able to offer 24-hour customer service as many of the “big banks” can.

“There are about the same number of credit unions and banks in the country,” DeHaven said. “But banks account for 10 times more business than credit unions do. So, naturally, when you have 10 times the business, you will have more infrastructure and be able to offer more locations.”

SHOWING APPRECIATION

Survey shows corporate culture is impacted by employee recognition Roughly seven in 10 organizations use employee recognition programs to strengthen corporate culture, according to a joint survey from Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Globoforce consultancy.

The survey shows that 72 percent of HR professionals say their company or organization’s employee recognition program serves to help the business “instill and reinforce corporate values to its employees.”

Even more — 82 percent — report employee recognition programs have a positive impact on employee engagement.

Another 54 percent say recognition programs help the organization retain employees.

Still, when it comes to performance reviews, only 61 percent of HR professionals say employees are rewarded according to their job performance and only 56 percent say annual performance reviews are an accurate appraisal for employees’ work. A little more than half — 52 percent — of HR professionals say managers and supervisors effectively acknowledge and appreciate employees’ performance.

Furthermore, the joint SHRM-Globoforce survey, the second of two to release in 2012, shows that: • 50 percent of HR professionals say their company has a recognition program tied to company values; • 27 percent of HR professionals say their company’s recognition program is not tied to company values; and • 18 percent of HR profes-

sionals report that their company has no program in place while 6 percent report plans to implement a recognition program in the next 12 months.

The numbers could explain why the majority of HR professionals (75 percent) say employees are not satisfied with the level of recognition they receive for work well done.

Also notable, only 16 percent of HR professionals say the recognition programs serve “to identify high and low performers.”

Fewer, 12 percent, say the programs serve “to identify the most influential employees.”

“Employee recognition programs are especially powerful when the design allows managers and employees to report successes throughout the year and reward and recognize individual performance accordingly,” said Mark Schmit, vice president of research at SHRM. Eric Mosley, CEO of Globoforce, added, “Highly engaged employees can boost a company’s profitability. Our research finds that when organizations invest 1 percent or more of payroll into recognition programs, they experience a positive impact on both employee engagement and financial results.”

SHRM surveyed 815 HR professionals from its membership, employed in organizations the title of manager or above, and 500 or more employees.

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Business Edge

AAA EXPECTS CHEAPER GAS PRICES THIS YEAR NATIONAL AVERAGE EXPECTED TO PEAK BETWEEN $3.60 AND $3.80

Gasoline prices this year are expected to be less expensive than in 2012 as a result of increased domestic oil production and lower demand, according to AAA. The national average price of gasoline should peak at $3.60 to $3.80 per gallon during the next few months, barring any significant unanticipated events. In 2012, the national average price topped out at $3.94.

“Cheaper gas prices are good news for the millions of Americans that depend on their car to travel where they need to go,” AAA President and CEO Robert Darbelnet said. “Lower gasoline prices should translate into billions of dollars in tangible household savings, given that the vast majority of Americans rely on automobiles to live their lives.”

Gasoline prices are expected to rise steadily through April or early May but at a slower pace than last year. As is typical for this time of year, prices will rise as a result of seasonal demand increases and in anticipation of the industry switchover to more expensive summer blends of gasoline. Following

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a late-spring peak, prices are expected to drop during the first half of the summer before rising again in advance of the Gulf Coast hurricane season and the transition back to winter-blend gasoline.

Prices then have the potential to end the year by falling to low or near-low averages for 2013.

“Absent significant storms, majors wars, or production and distribution outages, the single largest factor that will influence gasoline prices in 2013 will be the strength of the U.S. economy,” Darbelnet said. “Stronger than expected growth in the economy would result in higher oil and gasoline prices in anticipation of higher consumption, while a weaker than expected economy would drive prices downward.”

Today’s national average price of gasoline is $3.30 per gallon, which is seven cents less than last year and five cents less than a month ago. Motorists in 39 states today are paying lower average gasoline prices than they did a year ago. States paying more than last year are located primarily in the Northeast,

which is still dealing with the supply aftereffects of Hurricane Sandy. The average price of gasoline today is below $3 per gallon in six states including Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming. The only state with an average higher than $4 per gallon is Hawaii.

The annual average price of gasoline in 2012 was the most expensive on record at $3.60 per gallon, but the situation for motorists is already improving.

In early January, the national daily average dropped below the year-ago price for the first time since Aug. 20, which means motorists are now paying less for gasoline than last year — a trend that AAA believes is likely to continue.

Gasoline prices in 2012 reached record highs partly as a result of unanticipated production disruptions from refinery fires, pipeline closures, and major hurricanes. Oil prices also were higher as a result of tensions in the Middle East including new sanctions on Iran. Such market-moving events are impossible to predict and any forecast on gasoline prices can change as a result of similar factors.

Business Edge

OUR COMMUNITY’S REAL JOB CREATORS

BY MATT HOWREY, President of the North Salem State Bank Every two years, we go through national political races, and each seems to feature its own set of buzzwords. Try as we may, we can’t escape them.

Last year, due in large part to the nation’s struggling economy, we kept hearing candidates and political parties tell us that they were “job creators.”

Each would insist that his or her approach to governance would create more private-sector jobs than his or her opponent.

I may not be an expert on politics, but I do know a thing or two about business. One thing I recognized very early in my career is that businesses create many more jobs than politicians.

And as a community banker, it didn’t take long to realize that the vast majority of new jobs are created by small businesses.

Yes, the huge corporations whose names we all know may have thousands

of employees, but the new jobs and opportunities that keep our communities strong and healthy are created closer to home.

You know that starting a small business takes an idea and some resources.

It also demands a lot of courage.

Most small-business owners put their family’s finances on the line.

They start their companies for any number of reasons, most often because they believe they can do something better than anyone else. It may be that they have a more innovative approach, are convinced they can offer superior customer service, or have a higher dedication to quality.

Most of them don’t start out with the goal of creating jobs. But then something happens. Their businesses are tested by the marketplace, and if their ideas and approaches are as good as they thought, they begin to succeed.

“And as a community banker, it didn’t take long to realize that the vast majority of new jobs are created by small businesses.” ~ Matt Howery

As their companies begin to grow, the demands on their time and their workloads increase. That’s when they start to create jobs. And, as each new employee allows them to handle more business more efficiently, they create even more jobs.

In creating those jobs, they do something else. They help their employees develop financial security. When those employees have money to meet their needs, they begin to spend it at other businesses. They buy homes and pay the taxes that support community services like schools and fire departments.

As those employees prosper, the communities they call home grow stronger, and more businesses open their doors, creating even more jobs.

Sometimes, business owners need a little boost to help their companies achieve their growth. That’s where community banks come in, lending money for expansions and new equipment that will lead to even more job growth.

We know that growing businesses will create new customers and new opportunities for us, too. Every business loan we make is actually an investment in the economic health of our community.

So the next time you hear a candidate for public office tell you he or she will create jobs, smile and nod politely.

Then walk down the street and do business with a locally owned company.

That way, you’ll know that you’re playing a role in real job creation.

NORTH SALEM

STATE BANK

www.nssb.cc

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Business Edge

FEATURE

OBAMACARE Local hospital CEOs discuss coming changes 22

Business Edge

BY STEVEN PENN Matt Bailey and Kevin Speer, CEOs of IU Health West Hospital in Avon and Hendricks Regional Health in Danville, have been fostering changes in their hospitals in accordance with what the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will bring.

The majority of the PPACA, or what’s commonly referred to as “Obamacare,” kicks in starting January 2014, but changes have been coming for years.

One of the main concepts of the health care reforms is to change the focus of the system, something Bailey said he feels is a positive step.

“I think the concept of accountable care is very good,” Bailey of IU Health West said. “I think it’s exactly the direction we need to go.

What we’re trying to do is move away from a system that is all geared around volume. We refer to it as curve one and curve two.

Curve one meaning ... if you show up at our hospital, we get paid. It’s all based upon a volume driven system.

It’s just not a sustainable system for the federal government, for the state government, for a large employer, or for a small employer. Accountable care, as I look at it, it’s a new model that says, “Hey providers, you’re going to be held accountable for quality, and if you hit quality standards, then you can receive rewards, but if you don’t hit them, you have penalties or reductions.’”

Bailey said the risks involved with the reforms will ultimately make the system better for patients.

Speer said a lot of the changes have to do with forcing health care providers and the patients to be more proactive with their health.

“The shift, or the paradigm change in my opinion, is one to incentivize health care and health care providers to keep patients healthy and well,” he said. “Therefore, keep them out of hospitals, out of inpatient beds, and not to utilize high cost technology, like imaging and procedures sometimes.”

He said by holding hospitals and patients more accountable for their health, the costs of health care won’t skyrocket when American citizens

Hendricks Regional Health Adult Hospitalist Dr. Gordon Reed, like all health care workers, is preparing for the changes that will come with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

reach older ages.

Speer added that employers and health care providers will try to incentivize regular visits to primary care doctors, rather than more expensive visits to hospitals and emergency rooms.

“The incentives now are for insurance plans for employers to provide free or lower cost interactions with your primary care provider each year,” he said. “Instead of me looking at going to my family practice doctor and having an out of pocket expense each time I go of $40, maybe it’s free now for the first six visits. That’s what we’ve done here at Hendricks, we want to incentivize our employees to see their doctor to get treatment earlier. When I (as a patient) go to see my doctor, is there something in the medical record that indicates that he talked to me about weight loss, that he talked to me about high blood pressure, that he talked to me about stopping smoking?

All of those things are going to cause diabetes and cause heart disease, which will then cause this jump in health care cost.”

Bailey said hospitals and businesses have started to ready themselves for the changes coming in January 2014.

“From an IU Health standpoint, we’re saying, ‘This is the way that health care should be designed to start

with,’” he said. “Having a system based upon patient quality, patient satisfaction, patient safety — those are all three keys that we’re gearing ourselves for.

From a business employer standpoint ... (Jan. 1) 2014 is when accountable care is going to take place. That’s when the law says if you have more than 50 employees, you’re going to have to provide a set amount of health care. What businesses are going to have to do, big and small, they’re really going to have to look at their employee benefits package and make a determinate. What am I going to do with employees that are part-time, that are under 30 hours? Those are some of the decisions. Really, (businesses) don’t have a year because we’ve got people that will need to be making their decisions, probably no later than October.

That’s going to be the big challenge.”

Speer said businesses with less than 50 employees might decide to let their employees essentially “shop around” for their insurance.

“Employers with 50 or less employees, they have an option of allowing their employees to go to an ... insurance marketplace,” Speer said. “Those employees can buy their own insurance, and that employer can pay a tax or penalty for allowing them to do that, or having them do that. Larger

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employers can have that same option, but it’s a larger tax put on them. I think there’s a lot of discussion about whether or not employers would decide to send their employees out to the marketplace and let them fend for themselves.

The reality was, if they were spending $10,000 a year on health insurance for (an employee), even with the penalties it would cost them $7,000 a year, so economically they could do it for less money if they jettison their employees to those exchanges. I don’t believe that’s how the workforce, the employer market, will respond to this, or is going to respond to that.”

He said he feels most businesses will continue to provide insurance as a way to recruit and keep better employees.

Bailey said health care providers will also be held accountable for whether a patient has to be re-admitted.

“If you’re a Medicare patient, someone over age 65, and if you’re re-admitted within 30 days for the diagnosis that you were admitted for, we will not receive any payment,” he said. “That’s a risk, and that’s going to create an incentive that we really address. We’re asking ourselves, ‘why are they presenting themselves back in the emergency room? Is it because they didn’t have the money to afford their medications, or was it because they hadn’t seen a primary care doctor yet?’ Those are two drivers I think that we’re saying, again if you’re moving away from a volume driven health system, just saying ‘hey, when you show up, we’ll take the best care of you that we can.’”

Speer said hospitals will have to work on ways to figure out if a patient is following guidelines set by their

doctors or filling prescriptions to cut down on re-admittance. Having a more connected health care system will help with that, he added.

“We’re looking at who are we going to partner with from nursing homes, pharmaceutical companies, drug stores, and physical therapists,” Speer said. “All of whom are going to coordinate that care of the person, to keep the person well, and to avoid having them re-admitted ... Today, there’s no linkage. If I get discharged from the hospital and I’m given a prescription, the hospital has no way to know what I did. There needs to be a connection between the patient, the hospital, the doctors, and my primary care doctor, so they know I was discharged and they know what I was prescribed when I was discharged.”

Bailey said similar practices will be put in place at his hospital.

“I think the patients deserve a better system that’s less fragmented,” he said.

“I think that’s everything that accountable care is going to force health care providers, doctors, nursing homes, home health care, any agency that’s providing a health or social good is going to have to work more in concert with one another. So we’re not looking at it as an event ... we need to look at it from the full continuum. Accountable care, meaning we’re going to assume risk around a health population.”

Speer said HRH has been looking at partnering with different entities to really get the message across about healthier lifestyles.

“We’ve gone out and begun to partner with the school systems, with employers, with governmental entities around health and wellness clinics for

their employees,” he said. “We’ve put those in place in a number of different places within Hendricks County.

We put really, one of the first wellness models together with the YMCA. If you go to the Y here in the county, there’s health care adjacent to fitness.

People are there exercising, eating right, and they can see their doctor — that’s the type of environment we’re trying to create.”

As more and more portions of the health care reform take effect, health care providers will continue to look for ways to make the changes easier to swallow.

“A majority of the pay for performance measures, will be in place (by Jan. 1, 2014),” Speer said. “We’re going to be highly scrutinized with regard to physicians and the satisfaction scores of employees, and quality measures which have been put in place to determine quality health care. Do we have fully implemented and running electronic medical records systems? That begins sort of the threshold of all these things converging together.”

Speer said one of the biggest points of the reforms is to get a majority of the population some form of health insurance.

“A lot of the health care reform was about providing insurance to everyone.” he said. “You’ll (be) required (by statute) to buy health insurance, or have health insurance. If you don’t, there’s a tax penalty for doing so. Hopefully, if we’re successful in that endeavor as a country ... 96 percent is the number they think will occur of people insured. There’s probably always going to be a certain percentage that chooses not to carry health insurance.”

CHAMBER HAS GUIDE FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM LAW A new publication from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce is designed to assist Hoosier businesses in complying with the federal health care law that is still new to so many.

While the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was passed in 2010, questions and confusion abound for business leaders and employees as they face major changes to Indiana’s health care landscape.

Health Care Reform for Indiana Employers includes information on the PPACA that is most pertinent to Hoosier employers, such as individual mandates and exchanges,

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round-one coverage and future coverage mandates, employer coverage responsibilities, changes for retiree health insurance, student health insurance and benefit plans, and more.

The book is available only as an ePub (electronic publication).

Health Care Reform for Indiana Employers is authored by attorneys from Ice Miller LLP and is available for $74.25 for Indiana Chamber members and $99 for non-members.

To order a copy of the publication, visit the website at www. indianachamber.com/publications or call 264-6885.

Business Edge

SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS SHOW CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM ABOUT 2013 There’s no doubt that small businesses are a driving force in the American economy. And because they feel the shifts in the economy so acutely, the insight of small business owners can provide a real-time picture of what’s going well and where potential problems lie.

The semi-annual Bank of America Small Business Owner Report explores the concerns, aspirations, and perspectives of small business owners across the country; revealing messages of both optimism and caution.

Hopes are high among small business owners for a profitable 2013 — more than half of those surveyed said they anticipate their revenue will increase in the next year. And most small business owners also feel they are currently in a good position in regards to capital, with 70 percent saying they have what they need to run their businesses effectively.

In addition to revenue, small business

owners were optimistic about hiring and staffing in 2013. In a challenging job market, 31 percent of small business owners say they plan to hire within the next year, which is good news for those seeking employment. A mere 3 percent said they had plans to reduce staff numbers.

But the optimism revealed in those numbers isn’t the whole story.

Pragmatic concerns about the outlook of the economy are still on the minds of many business owners. More than half said they have concerns about the effectiveness of government leaders, commodities prices, health care costs, the recovery of consumer spending, and the strength of the U.S. dollar.

Despite those concerns, small business owners are not considering changing career paths. On the contrary, regardless of the ups and downs of the economy and the challenges inherent to the business

world, two-thirds of small business owners say they don’t regret their decision to go into business.

When it comes to keeping their own fiscal houses in order, many small business owners admit they look for outside guidance — and only 29 percent ranked themselves as “very savvy” when it comes to managing their finances. To make those critical decisions and plans, they rely on accountants, other small business owners, bankers, and financial advisors.

“Small business owners are looking for expertise from their bank as well as other sources so they can make the right decisions for their business heading into 2013,” says Robb Hilson, small business executive at Bank of America.

Not only are small businesses part of the backbone of America’s economy, they’re an important indicator of its current state.

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Best places to work in Indiana

Employees often roll their eyes when it’s time for the annual “corporate retreat” to help build morale and bond co-workers for the greater good of the office.

But what may have once been a boring event is becoming a fun field trip, and some local businesses are leading the way.

Monster Mini Golf has been open in Avon for a little more than three years.

The indoor experience is perfect for corporate or office meetings.

“We have two party rooms that seat 20 people each,” owner Rob Wallin said. “We can open the curtain and make one big meeting room that will seat up to 40.”

He said companies will come in and have meetings for a portion of the day and then spend time doing the 18-hole mini golf course and playing the many arcade games.

“We have a large party room upstairs as well,” Wallin said. “This is the room where parents will often end up hanging out. They can watch their kids from up here. And there are couches, so it’s more comfortable.”

The Monster Mini Golf website at www.monsterminigolf.com is a wealth of information for those planning corporate events. There is a virtual tour of the facility and a complete listing of costs involved.

“Our website can be very helpful,” Wallin said. “You can see the facility without actually coming out for a visit.”

Wallen said he’s gotten a lot of referrals for birthday parties from employees who come in for a corporate retreat.

“They will come in and play golf and the games and decide, ‘hey this would be a great place for my kid’s birthday party.’”

Monster Mini Golf is a 7591 E. U.S. 36, Avon. For more information, call 268-4946 or visit the website.

Gary and Karen Modisett just opened a new laser tag facility in Avon called Xtreme Lazer Tag. They might be new in town but not new to hosting corporate events. The couple and their two children have been running a similar facility for 13 years in Terre Haute.

“Companies will come in and have meetings for a portion of the day and then spend time doing the 18hole mini golf course and playing the many arcade games. ~ Rob Wallin “We do lots of group events,” Karen Modisett said. “We try to have those when we are not normally open to the public, so a business can have the whole place to themselves.”

She said it’s been a fun business to run because people have such a good time.

“I love it when a kid comes out and says something like ‘this is the most fun I’ve ever had,’” Modisett said. “It’s also nice for those corporate events when people get to see the ‘fun side’ of their boss.”

She said when a group of adults come in, the competitive spirit comes to life.

“I’m telling you, it’s not just little kids — everyone loves laser tag,” she said.

Xtreme Lazer Tag is at 8131 Kingston St., Suite 100, which is the industrial park on the south east corner of

the intersection of U.S. 36 and Dan Jones Road in Avon.

For more information on Xtreme Lazer, call 272-4815 or visit the website at www.xtremelazer.com.

During the summer, corporations may want to look outdoors for fun in the sun. The pools operated by the Town of Plainfield — both the indoor pool and Splash Island — are available for corporate events.

There are also special group rates for groups of 50 plus during regular business hours.

During closed hours, Splash Island can accommodate up to 1,500 guests between 7 and 10 p.m. There are different rates per hour for active and non-members.

The Plainfield Parks and Recreation Center and Splash Island are at 651 Vestal Road, Plainfield. For more information on the pools, call 839-POOL or visit the town’s website at www. townofplainfield.com and click on the parks and recreation department.

Auto racing is very popular in Indianapolis, especially on the west side of the city that touches Hendricks County. Corporate partners have been hosting activities for their employees at Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Brownsburg for many years.

The facility has suites available for rental, along with several packages for group tickets.

Lucas Oil Raceway is on 267 acres of land and has three racetracks— a .686mile oval, a quarter-mile dragstrip, and a 2.5-mile, 15-turn road course. It’s the home to the MAC Tools U.S. Nationals — the premier drag race in the world.

The facility has been in operation since 1960 and hosts a variety of racing events during the warmer months. The staff hosts events for USAC Midget races, Silver Crown, ARCA series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, as well as making use of its famous drag strip.

Companies can host their employees for an entire day or just for an evening of races.

For more information on Lucas Oil Raceway, call 291-4090 or visit the website at www.lucasoilraceway.com.

Business Edge

BY BRENDA L. HOLMES

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Business Edge

CARTRIDGE WORLD HELPS CUT OFFICE PRINTING COSTS AVON STORE OFFERS ASSISTANCE

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One of the biggest problems small businesses are currently facing is weak sales, says the National Federation of Independent Businesses. So, with a new budget year right now here, many businesses are combating lackluster sales by reducing operating expenses.

A simple way to improve the bottom line is to reduce office supply spending, says Cartridge World. In fact, the company says businesses can cut office printing costs by 25 percent or more by making a few simple changes.

According to the website www.Reduce. org, the average office worker can use 10,000 sheets of paper every year.

“Considering there are more than 21,000 U.S. and Canadian firms with 500-plus employees, that’s a huge volume of printing,” says Tom McLaughlin, marketing director for Cartridge World North America. “There are three ways businesses can immediately reduce their printing costs: Reduce the number of pages printed, reduce printer ink and toner expenses, and use the right printer.”

With 600 stores in the U.S. and Canada, Cartridge World is the largest specialty retailer of ink and toner printer cartridges for the home and office. Each Cartridge World store serves hundreds of business customers and can provide costsaving solutions, such as the following: To reduce paper use: • Use duplex (two-sided) printing on all “draft” documents.

• Reduce margin areas on each page to print 10 percent more text.

To reduce ink/toner printer cartridge cost: • Purchase recycled/remanufactured

printer cartridges instead of OEM to save 25 percent or more.

• Use high-capacity printer cartridges that provide cheaper per-page printing.

Use the right printer: • Low-cost printers may cost more in the long run. Confirm what kind of ink or toner cartridges they use first.

• Check your printing volume. You might save by upgrading or downsizing your equipment.

PC World magazine may say it best: “If you buy a cheap inkjet printer, you’re going to pay a small fortune for the ink to run it (assuming that you use the ink that its manufacturer specially designed for it).”

If you buy a $100 inkjet printer and print 10,000 pages per year (40/day), you can use 23 standard ink cartridges per year. At a cost of $20 per cartridge, you’ll pay $475 for black ink alone. In three years, you could pay 15 times the cost of the printer for ink. Plus, you could pay up to three times more if printing in full color.

Selecting the right printer to meet the demands for your office, and confirming the cost of replacement printer cartridges should determine what kind of printer to buy.

When buying a color inkjet printer, opt for a printer with four separate color cartridges, not tricolor (three-colors-inone) cartridges. With tricolor cartridges, as soon as one color is empty, you need to replace the entire cartridge.

“Office managers and executives don’t always realize how much they can save by changing printers and their ink and toner provider,” McLaughlin said. “If you’re using the

wrong printer, it pays to switch ASAP. Plus, if you buy remanufactured printer cartridges, you can easily save another 25 percent or more.”

Cartridge World helps businesses of all sizes save money by selling remanufactured ink and toner printer cartridges.

Rather than purchasing brand new cartridges every month, customers can simply recycle their empty cartridges at Cartridge World and buy remanufactured cartridges — saving hundreds on their office printing expenses.

Cartridge World stores sell printer cartridges for all major brands of office printers — backed with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee.

Businesses can save even more money by taking advantage of Cartridge World’s free printer program — available at many stores.

Business customers may qualify for a free loaner printer if they sign a 12-month service agreement to purchase printer cartridges exclusively from their local Cartridge World store. To participate in the free printer loaner program, call or visit your local Cartridge World store.

If you have questions about what printer is right for your office, what cartridges are best, or how to start recycling printer cartridges, contact your local Cartridge World store.

To learn how much your business can save on office printing costs, use Cartridge World’s online savings calculator.

For more information about the company’s eco-friendly ink and toner products, visit the website at www.CartridgeWorld. com, stop by the Avon store at 10238 E. U.S. 36, or call 271-4651.

Business Edge

HAVE THE ‘GOOD DEBT’ VS. ‘BAD DEBT’ RULES CHANGED?

BY JASON ALDERMAN, Directs Visa’s financial education programs Before the Great Recession of 2008 overturned many long-held financial beliefs, it wasn’t uncommon for people to differentiate between “good debt” and “bad debt.” The thinking was that certain kinds of debt were worth taking on because you come out ahead in the long run. Buying a home and financing a college education were two notable examples.

But when home values plummeted and the cost of a bachelor’s degree soared into five or six digits, those oncesafe investments in your future suddenly seemed risky or unattainable.

Now is a good time to step back and examine the concept of good debt vs. bad debt and why, in certain cases, acquiring debt may still make sense — provided you plan carefully and don’t exceed what you can reasonably expect to repay.

This simple distinction still applies: Taking on so-called good debt can help boost your credit rating or allow you

to buy something that will increase in value over time, whereas bad debt often fuels the purchase of items that are disposable, unnecessary, or rapidly depreciable.

One of the best ways to build strong credit history is to show lenders you can pay off debt responsibly. You’re more apt to qualify for a mortgage, car loan, or other large debt if you’ve demonstrated sound repayment behavior. Just remember: Carrying multiple loans or high-limit credit cards could harm your rating, since lenders might worry you’re taking on more debt than you can repay.

• Student loans — The average college graduate earns $47,422 a year, compared to $26,349 for high school graduates — a difference of $21,073. Using simple math, some calculate the difference in total earnings over a 40-year work life as more than $800,000.

However, such estimates don’t factor in the crippling student loan debt many graduates face or their inability to find

work in a chosen field during difficult times. But still, the unemployment rate among college grads is roughly half that of high school grads — 4.5 percent vs. 8.4 percent. College is still a worthwhile investment for many people if they don’t go overboard on loans and choose a degree with good earnings and employment potential.

• Mortgages — Before the real estate crash, homeownership was considered good debt because historically, when someone finally paid off their mortgage, their home was usually worth much more than the purchase price. For many, this probably still will be true, unless they bought during the market upswing or are forced to sell before prices can recover. After all, mortgage interest rates are historically low and interest and mortgage points are still tax-deductible.

Just don’t buy more house than you can afford. Factor in expenses like property tax, primary mortgage insurance, homeowners dues, utilities, and repairs — and if you get an adjustable rate mortgage, calculate how high rates could climb.

• Bad debt — What qualifies as bad debt hasn’t changed since the recession, but budget-conscious consumers are paying more attention now. Meals out, excessive vacations, and unnecessary clothing or electronics — wants vs. needs — all qualify if you’re spending beyond your means. Basically, if you can’t pay the bill in full within a month or two, reexamine whether it’s a worthwhile expense; particularly if you don’t have at least six to nine month’s pay stashed in an emergency fund or you’re trying to save for a car or home.

— Jason Alderman directs Visa’s financial education programs.

Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter. com/PracticalMoney.

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Business Edge

CONCIERGE SERVICES COME TO HENDRICKS COUNTY

BY BRENDA L. HOLMES People may think the only time they can get concierge service is while staying at a fancy hotel, but that’s no longer the case.

About Time Concierge Service, owned and operated by Brent Hopper, now makes the service available to all.

Hopper, a Plainfield resident, has spent most of his life living in Hendricks County. He grew up in the Belleville area and graduated from Cascade High School in 1995. He then attended IUPUI and earned his bachelor degree in secondary education at Indiana University in Bloomington.

Hopper has had a varied career path, working in construction and then many years in the banking industry before starting his own business.

“In college, I worked for my uncle’s painting company,” he said. “I’ve also been a framer. You can say I’ve accumulated a few different skills.”

He and his wife, Megan, were discussing ideas for their own business when a concierge service came up.

“I thought it was a cool idea but didn’t really think about it seriously until about a year later,” he said. “I wanted to do my own business, but not to really open some kind of store. I’ve always

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“I thought it was a cool idea but didn’t really think about it seriously until about a year later,” he said. “I wanted to do my own business, but not to really open some kind of store. I’ve always liked to do different things so I thought, let’s try it.” ~ Brent Hopper liked to do different things so I thought, let’s try it.”

He said the obvious challenge is letting people know what he does.

Most of his business so far has come from referrals.

About Time Concierge Service offers a wide range of assistant, errand, and time management services designed to help busy individuals. Services include, but are not limited to — errand services, delivery/courier services, pet services, organization assistance, relocating

service, waiting services, automotive services, lawn services, house sitting, party and event planning, transportation services, vacation/travel assistance, information/quote gathering, reservation/appointment setting, and gift shopping and buying.

“The business is still in its infancy,” Hopper said. “I’m still working a fulltime job, but I’ve been introduced to several people and people are starting to spread the word.”

He said his services are affordable and he works with each client to find a fee that will be beneficial to both parties.

“It may seem like a luxury, but people are just so busy,” Hopper said.

“I can even just help by running errands.”

At this time, Hopper is doing most of the work himself. He’s hoping to find a few local business clients, as well as individual clients.

“As time goes on, I’ll be able to develop a list of contractors that I can use,” he said. “But for now, it’s all me.”

For more information, contact Hopper by calling 363-1638 or by e-mailing to brent.hopper@about-time-concierge. com. The business is also online at www. about-time-concierge.com.

Business Edge

CULTURAL TRAIL EXPANDS FOR 2013

BY JOSH DUKE, Communications manager for the Hendricks County Convention and Visitors Bureau

As we enter into the New Year, some exciting things are taking shape to increase awareness about Hendricks County as a tourism destination.

We had our best year ever in terms of hotel stays and visits in 2012, and if we here at the Hendricks County Convention and Visitors Bureau in cooperation with all of our industry partners including hotels, attractions, and restaurants continue to do our jobs well, there is every reason to believe 2013 can be even better.

With that in mind, we have exciting news affecting one of our biggest tourist attractions. Three years ago, the Hendricks County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Hendricks County Arts Council partnered to bring awareness to our burgeoning arts and culture district by creating the Rural Routes to Main Street Cultural Trail.

This self-directed, self-guided driving tour showcases master artisans and their works in their local shops and studios as well as locations that sell or display local art. For those of you who may not be aware, we have a group of amazingly, talented people here in Hendricks County who are not only recognized regionally, but even nationally, in arts and culture circles.

As a result, the Rural Routes to Main Street Cultural Trail has become immensely popular with both visitors and locals allowing participants to explore a variety of media with many of the locations offering classes and workshops Thursdays through Saturdays year round.

A Second Saturdays component in 2012 added four more Hendricks County locations that couldn’t commit to a full schedule but were willing to open their locations to the public on the second Saturday of every month.

With the help of a grant from the state tourism office, the Rural Routes to Main Street Cultural Trail has undergone its first-ever major expansion adding a new loop this year to expand beyond Hendricks County’s borders.

So, in addition to the nearly 20 shops, studios, attractions and restaurants in Hendricks County, such as long-time staples Gallery on the Square in Danville, Frazee Gardens in Brownsburg, and Nomad Yarns in Plainfield, 13 new locations in Morgan County have created a second cultural loop.

This initiative opens up a vast array of new attractions for arts and culture lovers as it brings on board regional favorites such as the Art Sanctuary, Martinsville Candy Kitchen, Hunter’s Honey Farm and Zydeco’s 5 restaurant.

With a vast majority of Hendricks

County hotels clustered at the I-70 interchange in Plainfield near the border of Hendricks and Morgan counties, adding that new loop should entice extended visitor stays within Hendricks County and further enhance an already solid economic driver.

For more information about the Rural Routes to Main Street Cultural Trail and a complete list of the 2013 participants, visit the website at RuralRoutesToMainStreet.com or give us a call at 718-8750.

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Business Edge

FEATURE Ken Mosier, owner of the shop, stands next to a 1970 AAR Plymouth Barracuda that was restored at his shop.

FROM PASSION TO PROFESSION High school dream turns into lifelong career

JECO employees Josh Burdine (left) and Andrew Swearinger pour the virgin resin into the Little Ford which is a rotation molding machine.

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tions. The cars that we deal with, like Ken Mosier, owner of The Finer Dely apart before beginning the restorain here I have a ‘69 Pontiac Trans Am tails in Danville, has carved out a lucra- tion process. convertible that they only made two of. tive niche in restoring classic Chrysler “Every nut and bolt comes off the car It was the very first year of the Trans and Pontiac muscle cars, while earning ... (we) tear it down to the pure metal,” Am ... the only year of the convertible, a national reputation in the process.

Mosier said. “What we do is nothing but and they only made two of them. My Mosier said he specializes in Chrysler ... high-end collector Chrysler cars and client paid $1.1 million for it and we’re Mopar (short for Motor Parts) cars and Pontiac cars (muscle cars). (We) specialdoing a complete restoration on it.” has been in the business for more than ize in Mopar (cars).”

He said his cars stack up well against three decades.

He added that almost every aspect of some of the toughest competition in the “I’ve been doing the business in one the restoration process is done in-house. business. way or another for 30-plus years, but “We do all the body and paint work “The cars that we do, they win all the I’ve been here (at The Finer Details) here,” Mosier said. “The transmission now for 10 years as a full-time restorawork I send to Rick Allison over there in national awards,” Mosier said.

“They’ve been featured in 42 magation shop,” he said.

Camby, A&A Transmissions. The engine zines for restorations. We had the first Mosier said he’s been involved in (work) we do here and all the interior ever perfect car, restoration since 1,000 points out high school, of 1,000 ... I’ve when he and a won the Good friend would Guys Muscle Car purchase cars of the Year two and fix them up years in a row, prior to even back-to-back. We having their compete against driver’s licenses. cars across the Since then, he’s whole country been building and at each one his business and of the shows they reputation. pick one car out, “I’ve been and at the end of doing the old the year we comcars and parts pete against each business since other. We comI was in high pete (for) all the school,” Mosier national awards. said. “I started I travel all over out doing one the country doing car for myself (the shows).” every year, (and The cars that are restored at The Finer Details have won numerous national awards, including the first ever He said he I would) show perfect car at an event. keeps track of his it the followcars and showing ing year, sell it, work is done here. Very little stuff do the cars is a way to ensure it’s been done then (I would) build it up. Then when I send out to have done. Carburetors right.

I opened up my shop and everybody and stuff like that I send places. When “When the car is done, before it goes already knew me because I was in the it comes in, we do it from the top to anywhere, I show the car to make sure parts business for 20-plus years before bottom. I won’t do a car that just wants the car is done and that it wins,” Mosier that ... they started sending me stuff. to come in and have a paint job. I do the said. “If it doesn’t win, it doesn’t leave my I went from two employees — myself whole car or nothing. I average on total possession until it’s done right. We’ve got and another guy — when I first started, restorations, eight to 10 cars a year.” a good crew that’s been with me quite to 13 employees now.” awhile. They know what they’re doing.”

Because of the price of restorations, He started his business in a small Mosier said his business takes him he said the cars are rarely driven on the section of the building he’s in now, but all over the country and provides him road and he has a backlog of cars waithas since expanded and taken over the with many opportunities, from speaking to be worked on. entire building and the one across the ing at seminars to visiting the Playboy “The clients that I deal with, the street.

Mansion. economy doesn’t really hurt them,” “I went from 1,250 square feet to For more information on The Finer Mosier said. “You’re looking at res35,000 square feet,” Mosier said.

Details, call 745-2125 or visit the website torations that average anywhere from He said he gets cars from all over the country and they take the car complete- $50,000 to $175,000 on our total restora- at www.thefinerdetails-1.com.

Business Edge

BY STEVEN PENN

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Business Edge

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE WIRELESS INDUSTRY IN 2013 FASTER DATA SPEEDS. RAPID-FIRE COMMUNICATION. BIGGER SCREENS. The wireless industry is creeping ever closer to instantaneous interaction all the time according to mobile experts.

Noah Kravitz, a mobile expert and founder of the new consumer buyer’s guide FutureSmarter.com, believes that the wireless industry is going to see a boom in convenience and speed over the next year. Wireless providers, device manufacturers, app developers, and network service providers are all working to offer consumers a greater range of flexibility than ever before, whether it is in the form of payment, upgraded devices, or network connectivity.

“Society dictates a need for convenient technology,” says Kravitz.

“What is particularly exciting about the wireless industry is the crosssection between technology as entertainment and technology as communication and how to accommodate for both.”

Heading into 2013, Kravitz, in partnership with U.S. Cellular, anticipates five trends that will pulse through the wireless industry over the next year: 4G LTE Next-generation 4G LTE networks are bringing broadband speeds to mobile device users in more parts of

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the country every day. As smartphones and tablets take the place of computers, access to high-speed downloads and uploads via 4G LTE allows users to stream music, movies, and TV shows, share and upload photos and video clips, and access websites, social networks, and important documents on-the-go. More and more carriers are rolling out 4G LTE. For example, U.S. Cellular announced that more than 87 percent of its customers will have access by the end of 2013.

UNLIMITED DATA That old saying, “Talk is cheap?” It’s never been truer. Over the past five years we’ve seen mobile voice minutes become a near-free commodity while consumer demand for more and faster mobile data has been on the rise. While truly unlimited data plans are going the way of the dinosaur, most consumers don’t actually need unlimited data.

Look for carriers to experiment with ways to offer tiered data plans that base value on the number of bits customers are actually using.

SCREEN SIZE Not five years ago, a 3.5-inch display on a smartphone was considered very

big. Over the past three months, Samsung has sold 3 million units of the Samsung Galaxy Note(R) II which has a 5.5-inch display and is widely available from carriers like U.S. Cellular. What is happening to smartphone screen size, and when will “huge” become “big enough?”

Social networking integration Calling begat e-mailing. E-mailing begat texting. Texting begat instant messaging. And now Facebook and Twitter messaging are threatening to usurp them all. Facebook, like AOL in the late ‘90s, is almost as big as the rest of the Web itself. Twitter breaks news faster than live TV. Social networking on smartphones is more than apps and links — it’s about system level integration that keeps tweets, tags, alerts, and uploads at your fingertips.

TABLETS PCs as we know them may not be dead just yet, but tablets are hot.

Consumers are embracing the intuitiveness and portability that tablets offer, and manufacturers are finding ways to pack dual and quad-core processing power into touch-based computers selling for less than $200 in some cases.

Only half of major organizations regard talent management as a top priority, according to a survey of 537 U.S. companies by Right Management, the talent and career management expert within ManpowerGroup.

For 13 percent of organizations, talent management is a secondary priority, and for the balance, not a priority at all, according to the survey.

When asked “How much of a priority is talent management to your organization’s top leadership?” 49 percent said it was a top priority, 13 percent said it was a secondary priority, and 38 percent said it was not a priority at all.

“It may be that ‘talent management’ is still an emerging concept for non-HR professionals,” said Owen J. Sullivan, Right Management CEO and president of ManpowerGroup Specialty Brands.

“Nevertheless, our research finds that HR executives are fully on board with the process, despite implementation posing a continuing challenge. What the survey data tells us is that much of

senior management hasn’t yet focused on talent management as an integrated strategic concept, even if they actually support many key elements.”

Sullivan said a talent management strategy includes, among other facets, recruitment, assessment, training and development, retention, and leadership programs with each being closely aligned with the organization’s business objectives.

“Senior management surely accepts all of these as worthy objectives, but may not see how they ought to fit together as an integrated strategy,” he said.

Respondents were asked to cite the core elements of their organization’s talent management strategy, if applicable.

The following ranking is the result: 1. Leadership development (e.g., coaching, high-potential programs, succession management, onboarding, performance management, cross cultural competency).

2. Talent acquisition (e.g., sourcing, hiring, selecting, and onboarding talent).

Business Edge

SURVEY REVEALS THAT MANY OVERLOOK TALENT MANAGEMENT 3. Employee engagement (e.g., engagement and retention strategies, wellness, productivity optimization).

4. Individual and team development (e.g., competency modeling, organizational, team and individual assessments).

5. Organization effectiveness (e.g., implementing strategy, workforce alignment, change management).

6. Outplacement and workforce transition (e.g., career transition assistance, career management, and development).

“Leadership development seems to be central to everyone’s idea of a talent management strategy,” Sullivan said.

“Clearly this is the key pressure point for most organizations. Most seem to agree about the goals ... to retain high-value talent, to ensure future leadership, and to plan and manage succession.”

Right Management conducted a survey of 537 senior managers and human resource professionals during the first quarter of 2012.

SAFELY CLIMBING THE CORPORATE LADDER Shopping tips for healthy office footwear From surgeons to chefs, people who spend long hours standing at work take steps to ensure their feet stay healthy, including wearing comfortable, supportive shoes. Yet even people who sit in offices all day can benefit from the right footwear.

“If you don’t work with heavy equipment or aren’t on your feet a lot, you may think the most important thing to consider when choosing work shoes is how professional they look,” says Dr. Joseph Caporusso, a podiatrist and president of the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA). “But even if you’re just walking from meeting to meeting or from the parking lot to your office, ill-fitting or non-supportive shoes can cause discomfort, injury and long-term health problems. It’s important to make good footwear choices, whatever your profession.”

Most adults have experienced foot pain or a foot ailment, according to an APMA survey. Half say they have foot pain at least some of the time. In fact, more Americans experience pain and problems with their feet than with any other body part, the survey revealed. Improper or ill-fitting footwear is a leading cause of foot pain.

The APMA offers some tips for choosing dress shoes that meet both the need for a professional look and basic comfort: • Begin your shoe-shopping process by getting professionally fitted.

Did you know that your shoe size can change throughout adulthood?

Factors like age, illness, and pregnancy can alter your shoe size over time, so it makes sense to get fitted at least once a year. Be sure to have both feet measured and buy shoes according to the size of your larger foot. Also, get sized and buy shoes at the end of the day, when your feet are at their largest.

• Check the shoe to ensure it’s supportive. Padding in the sole should be thick under the ball of the foot and conform to your foot’s natural shape. Shoes should only bend at the ball, and you should not be able to easily twist the shoe.

• Choose natural materials that allow your feet to breathe.

Man-made materials can contribute to sweating, rubbing, and chafing.

• Look for APMA’s Seal of Acceptance on certain models of footwear, which have been evaluated by podiatrists and found to be beneficial to overall foot health.

“Women may be especially at risk of footwear-related discomfort,” Caporusso says. “A recent APMA survey found that 53 percent of women experience foot pain. High heels are a must-wear for many female professionals, but can cause discomfort and injury if precautions aren’t taken.”

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Business Edge

KINDLE CAN GENERATE FREE BUSINESS LEADS Imagine Amazon sending you business leads regularly and even paying you to do so. Why would they do it?

“Amazon is desperate for reading material and you can publish your content for free as Kindle books,” says V. Michael Santoro, a managing partner with John S. Rizzo of Globe On-Demand, an internet technology company. The two are also co-authors of Niche Dominance: Creating Order out of your Digital Marketing Chaos (www.

NicheDominance.com).

“The twist is to use them as a generation system for sales leads,” Santoro said.

The audience is huge — Kindle is no longer just for people who purchase Kindle tablets. Amazon has also written Kindle Reader applications for every major smartphone, tablet, and computer including the Android phone or tablet, iPad, iPhone, Mac, Windows 8 PC or tablet, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone 7, Santoro says.

“Most businesses hesitate to use Kindle to generate sales leads because they think they need to write an actual book,” Rizzo said, “but that’s not true.

You can write and publish short reports.

As long as the content is original, of high quality, and does not violate its Terms of Service (TOS), Amazon will publish your material.”

The key is to include a compelling free offer with a strong call to action and a link to a lead capture page — the

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page on your website where people can sign up for more information, special offers, your newsletter, etc.

And Amazon will even help market your book — for free!

When a new Kindle book is approved and published, Amazon will feature it in their new releases section; e-mail their customer base announcing it to those who have previously purchased a Kindle book in that genre; offer the Kindle KDP Select Program for ongoing free promotion; and allow customers to highlight, make notes, and share your book’s content via Twitter and other social networks.

“By enrolling in the free Kindle KDP Select Program, you give Amazon exclusivity on a renewable 90-day basis,” Santoro says.

“This program allows their readers to borrow your book from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, and when they do, Amazon pays you a royalty, as well as for book sales. However, the real benefit is that Amazon provides five days per quarter to give your book away for free.”

Why give your Kindle book away for free?

“Because, as a lead generation system, you want as many individuals as possible to download your Kindle book and visit your lead capture page, Santoro explained. Additionally, Amazon views each book download as a vote and rewards your book with higher page rank-

ing. The more downloads, the better the chance of an Amazon Page 1 placement.

To create your Kindle report: • Use Amazon to determine what current Kindle books or paperbacks are published about your topic.

• Decide what information will be helpful to your potential customers.

Make sure it is original and offers value. Avoid information that is easily found on the Internet.

• Create your report in Microsoft Word and include images if appropriate.

• Include your call to action — a message that prompts readers to visit your website — and link to your website’s lead capture page.

• Create a cover graphic.

Publishing on Kindle is fairly simple.

Go to http://kdp.amazon.com and sign up for a free Kindle account; watch the “How To” Kindle publishing video; fill out the Amazon Author Page to track your statistics; reference the book on your website and link to your Amazon book page; and announce it on your Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and Twitter accounts.

“The goal is not to sell books, but rather to generate leads from Amazon’s huge customer base,” Rizzo says.

An additional benefit is that you will differentiate yourself from the competition by being a published author. If your content is excellent and helpful, you will also build trust, which will help to increase sales from these new leads.

Maritor Inc. recently announced it will consolidate its North American remanufacturing operations and create a “center of excellence” in Plainfield.

The company expects to transfer production operations from its remanufacturing plant in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, by March 31, 2013.

At the same time, it plans to move Canadian customer service and support to its Brampton, Ontario, facility.

As a result of these actions, Meritor plans to invest about $1.4 million into its Plainfield facility while creating about 82 new jobs during the remainder of this year and 2013.

The company has already invested more than $8 million in process upgrades to its global operations in the past five years, including $2.7 million earlier this year in new

equipment for its Plainfield plant which remanufactures commercial truck components while preserving raw materials.

“We believe this investment will help us improve efficiency while better serving our customers in today’s competitive landscape,” Doug Wolma, general manager of Global Aftermarket Operations, said in a press release. “At the same time, this move will strengthen our global remanufacturing footprint.”

Meritor’s global remanufacturing operations currently include eight sites in five countries producing a substantial portfolio of drivetrain and wheel-end components. More than 30,000 tons of metal are recycled annually in Meritor’s remanufacturing operations worldwide, and the company recycles 90 percent of all waste from its operations. More

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Business Edge

MERITOR INVESTS $1.4 MILLION INTO PLAINFIELD PLANT than 40,000 tons of cores, or original components, are processed at Meritor remanufacturing facilities annually.

U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita has worked closely with Meritor through his Red Tape Rollback program. “(This) announcement by Meritor is great news for our Hossier economy, and further proof of our success in making Indiana a top destination for job creators,” Rokita said in a statement. “Over the past year, I’ve worked closely with Meritor to push the federal government to consider using remanufactured parts to achieve greater savings for taxpayers, and I look forward to continuing our productive relationship.”

——— Online: www.meritor.com

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danvillechirocenter.com/wish (317) 745-5100

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Business Edge

RIGHT TO WORK ALREADY PAYING OFF Michigan gave birth to the United Auto Workers. The union was founded at a convention in Detroit in 1935.

After its famous sit-down strike in Flint, Mich., in 1937, the UAW won recognition by General Motors and, in the next several years, by Chrysler and Ford. It was the advent of an era of industrial unionization that may be coming to a symbolic end in the same place it started.

Michigan recently passed the kind of “right to work” law that is anathema to unions everywhere and is associated with the red states of the Sun Belt, not the blue states of the Rust Belt.

To say that such a development is stunning is almost an understatement.

Michigan is to unionization what Florida is to sand, Texas is to oil, and Alaska is to grizzly bears. The union model hasn’t just been central to its economy, but to its very identity.

At its inception, UAW officials got roughed up by company thugs at the famous “Battle of the Overpass,” when Ford was still resisting signing a contract with the union. Some 70 years later, the union movement is getting undone by simple economic realities.

The effect of right-to-work laws, which permit employees to work at unionized companies without joining the union and paying mandatory dues, is hard to pin down precisely because so many other factors affect a state’s economic condition. But Michigan was undergoing a real-world experiment in the merits of forced unionization versus right-to-work after neighboring Indiana adopted a right-to-work law, the first Rust Belt state to do so.

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The early returns weren’t encouraging. The Mackinac Center, a free-market Michigan think tank, reports that Indiana added 43,300 jobs — 13,900 of them in manufacturing — while Michigan shed 7,300 jobs.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican reformer but not a bomb thrower,

says seeing 90 companies from around the country decide to settle in Indiana after the labor change influenced his willingness to sign a bill doing the same thing.

One study, by a University of Minnesota economist, looked at states bordering one another with and without right-to-work laws. It found “an abrupt change” when crossing the border into a right-to-work state, and “that manufacturing’s share of total employment increases about one-third.”

Michigan has already been losing out to right-to-work states without having one on its border. Shikha Dalmia of

BY RICH LOWRY

Reason magazine points out that, with the exception of a brief foray by Mazda, no foreign automaker has set up shop in Michigan, despite the state’s pool of experienced autoworkers. It is hard to be a manufacturing state specializing in autos if you can’t attract new automakers.

Election Day in Michigan brought a stark illustration of the declining political power of the unions when they failed to pass an amendment to the state’s constitution banning right-to-work. More Michiganders voted “no” on the amendment, the Mackinac Center notes, than voted for President Barack Obama. The failure emboldened the Republican-held legislature to push ahead on a right-to-work measure.

The unions so fear right-towork laws because mandatory dues are such a boon to them.

There’s nothing like forcing people to belong to your organization to boost the membership rolls and the treasury.

In one month in 2011 after Gov. Scott Walker ended mandatory dues for public-sector unions in Wisconsin, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees shed half its members, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Decline had already been the order of the day for the union movement.

In 1983, the unionization rate for the American workforce was 20.1 percent.

In 2011, it was 11.8 percent, and only 6.9 percent in the private sector.

Right-to-work prevailing in Michigan represents a new bottom for unions. So many decades after they, in effect, won the Battle of the Overpass, the unions are about to lose the Battle of Lansing.

BUSINESS BENEFITS OF EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERING

Business Edge

NEWS FROM THE CHAMBER

BY REBECCA TODD, Marketing coordinator for the Plainfield Chamber of Commerce.

“We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill Of course volunteering helps the community to grow and thrive. But the benefits of volunteering are also valuable to your business and employees.

There are many studies that show the connection between a company’s community involvement and a company’s bottom line.

Research shows that there is a direct correlation between active community outreach programs and increased revenues and customer loyalty for businesses that engage in helping their communities.

And with so many worthy nonprofits, volunteer opportunities abound in Hendricks County, and there is something to fit everyone’s skill set and schedule.

Having a volunteer program for your company and getting employees involved gives your company increased visibility and the public a positive perception of your business. Volunteers make contacts with like-minded business professionals, gain valuable leadership experiences, and receive increased visibility for themselves and their organizations.

In addition, a 2010 study conducted by the Corporate Citizenship of London

showed that 66 percent of employees reported a greater commitment to their company as a result of their volunteering experience.

Other benefits to your business include positive media coverage, increased employee retention and morale, and increased attraction of investors, all of which leads to a more stable and more profitable business.

Employees benefit in a number of ways from volunteering. Besides the pride and satisfaction volunteers feel, volunteers have the opportunity to network and build business contacts.

A 2010 study by United Healthcare showed that 88 percent of employee volunteers reported that their volunteering experiences had provided them with networking/career development opportunities.

Volunteering may also be beneficial to employees’ health and well-being as well. In a study conducted by United Healthcare, 85 percent of volunteers rated their state of, and satisfaction with, their current physical health significantly higher than non-volunteers; 90 percent rated their emotional well-being favorably and a significantly lower proportion of volunteers were identified as obese.

As a result, businesses offering volunteer opportunities to their employees repeatedly report a decrease in absenteeism among volunteering employees.

Interested in getting your company and employees involved in volunteering in the community and experiencing the benefits first hand? Contact one of the Plainfield Chamber of Commerce’s non-profit members to see how you can help or call the chamber at 8393800.

American Cancer Society 344-7800 www.cancer.org The Gathering Together 837-9570 www.thegatheringtogether.com Habitat for Humanity 272-1405 www.Habitat-Hendricks.org Hendricks County Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry 837-8485 www.fhfh.org March of Dimes 262-4668 www.marchofdimes.com Sheltering Wings 745-1496 www.shelteringwings.org Strides to Success 838-7002 www.stridestosuccess.org Sycamore Services 745-4715 www.sycamoreservices.com United Way of Central Indiana 745-0310 www.uwci.org

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Business and Professional Exchange Every Tuesday 8:15 a.m.

West Central Conservancy District office in Avon

focused on behavioral questions, not work experience.

Lois Young, who’s seeking a position in the non-profit industry, once was asked how much ice is in a hockey rink. The question was meant to gauge her reaction more than it was seeking an actual answer.

Members also practice 30-second pitches of themselves at each meeting.

“You want to pique someone’s interest,” says Carmony. “You want that other person to ask more questions.”

That’s important because in the current job market there are many more candidates than openings. That, of course, is to the employers’ advantage.

“You can dictate what color socks (an employee) wears,” says Carmony.

In fact, many companies get so many qualified candidates that they essentially look for reasons to disqualify you. Wakefield lost out on a job because he didn’t have food distribution experience, even though he’s worked in

distribution for years.

“They want someone who can come in and hit the ground running,” says Carmony. “A lot of times you have 30 days to size up the situation. After that, you’re on your own.”

It may come down to even more nitpicking details, like how you’re dressed. Nowadays it’s even possible to be overdressed.

“You have to do your homework to make sure you’re not offensive and don’t even know it,” says Carmony. “Impressions are formed in the first eight seconds of meeting someone.”

Above all, jobseekers must accept that finding new employment doesn’t usually happen quickly anymore. Wakefield can’t believe it’s been five months for him. He feels confident he’ll get offered a job in Cleveland, but that would entail moving his high school-age son, which he doesn’t want to do, or spending long stretches away from his family. A good friend of his offered advice: “Cross one bridge at a time. Get to the bridge and if you have to cross it, cross it then.”

For now, BPE remains one of many tools at Wakefield’s disposal in his career path.

“I have a daisy chain of things I’m plugged into,” he says. “This is one.”

For more information on the organization, visit the website at b-p-e.org.

Business Edge

For one, the days of looking through newspaper classifieds or job-search websites like Monster and Careerbuilder are nearing an end. More companies are bypassing those tools altogether to post openings on LinkedIn and/or the company website. A recruiter will post the information on Twitter and the most plugged-in of us will find it.

“They’re not paying any money for it,” Carmony says of such advertising.

“You control the whole process. For people doing a job search, you can’t just read the Sunday paper anymore and hope to find a job.”

It’s not uncommon now to have to go through a recruiter before getting an interview for a job opening. Many are young and inexperienced. They know their company, but not what older outsiders know and what they can bring to the fold.

“You have to figure out how to target your audience and talk to them,” says Carmony.

BPE meetings feature a guest speaker, generally an industry leader who provides insight salutary to jobseekers.

One of the first speakers Carmony ever had at the Hendricks County chapter was a specialist in improvisation. Many in attendance were skeptical of the subject’s benefit. It later proved invaluable for members whose job interviews

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Business Edge

EDGE Events november - february 2013 Feb. 2

Feb. 26

April 4

Feb. 4

Feb. 28

April 8

Avon Women’s Evening of Indulgence is from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at 6990 E. C.R. 100 N. For more information, call 440-0255.

Plainfield Plan Commission meets at 7 p.m. at the Plainfield Municipal Building, 206 W. Main Street. For More information, call 839-2561.

Feb. 7

Plainfield Board of Police Commissioners meets at 6 p.m. in the Plainfield public safety business conference room, 1075 W. Main Street

Feb. 8

Brownsburg BZA will meet at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall, 61 N. Green Street. For more information, call 852-1120.

Feb. 9 Brownsburg Police Commission meets at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall, Town Hall 61 N. Green Street. For more information, call Michael Dove at 858-6012.

Feb. 11

Danville Hendricks County College and Career Fair runs from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds Conference Complex, 1900 E. Main St. For more information, call 745-8804.

March 4

Plainfield Plan Commission meets at 7 p.m. in the Plainfield Municipal Building, 206 W. Main St. For more information, call 839-2561.

March 9 Danville GPS Scavenger Hunt is at Ellis Park, 600 E. Main St. For more information, call Stan Wilson at 745-3015.

March 11 Plainfield Town Council meets at 7 p.m. in the Plainfield Municipal Building, 206 W. Main St. For more information, call 839-2561.

Plainfield Board of Police Commissioners meets at 6 p.m. at the Plainfield Public Safety Building conference room, 1075 W. Main St.

Plainfield Town Council meets at 7 p.m. in the Plainfield Municipal Building, 206 W. Main St. For more information, call 839-2561.

April 9

Brownsburg BZA will meet at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall, 61 N. Green St. For more information, call 852-1120.

April 10

Brownsburg Police Commission meets at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall, 61 N. Green St. For more information, call Michael Dove at 858-6012.

April 13 Danville Gardening Workshop is from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Recreation and Fitness Center, 49 N. Wayne St. For more information, call Stan Wilson at 745-3015.

April 15 Plainfield Board of Zoning Appeals meets at 7 p.m. in the Plainfield Municipal Building, 206 W. Main St. For more information, call 839-2561.

Plainfield Town Council meets at 7 p.m. in the Plainfield Municipal building, 206 W. Main St. For more information, call 839-2561.

March 12

Feb. 12 Design Review Committee meets at 4 p.m. in the Plainfield Municipal Building at 206 W. Main St.

Plainfield Design Review Committee meets at 4 p.m. in the Plainfield Municipal Building, 206 W. Main St. For more information, call 839-2561.

Feb. 13

March 13

April 22

Feb. 16

March 15

April 23

Feb. 18

March 18

Feb. 21

March 25 Plainfield Town Council meets at 7 p.m. in the Plainfield Municipal Building, 206 W. Main St. For more information, call 839-2561.

Danville Arbor Day seedling giveaway runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Recreation and Fitness Center, 49 N. Wayne St. For more information, call Stan Wilson at 745-3015.

Plainfield Board of Appeals meets at 7 p.m. in the Plainfield Municipal Building, 206 W. Main St. For more information, call 839-2561.

March 26

April 26

Danville Chamber of Commerce Membership Meeting is at 11:15 a.m. at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds in Danville.

Avon St. Valentine’s Dinner Dance is from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the Westin, 50 S. Capital St., Indianapolis. For more information, call 386-5062.

Brownsburg Economic Development Commission meets at 5 p.m. in the Town Hall, 61 N. Green St. For more information, call 852-1120.

Danville Euchre Tournament is from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Recreation and Fitness Center, 49 North Wayne St. For more information, call 745-3015.

Brownsburg Girls Night Out is from 6 to 9 p.m. at Frazee Gardens, 3480 N. S.R. 267. For more information, call 745-7594.

Feb. 22 Brownsburg Plan Commission meets at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall, 61 N. Green St. For more information, call 852-1120.

Feb. 23 Plainfield Chamber of Commerce’s annual Auction and Dinner is today.

Feb. 25 Plainfield Town Council meets at 7 p.m. in the Plainfield Municipal Building, 206 W. Main St. For more information, call 839-2561.

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Avon Chamber meets from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Prestwick Park, 5197 Fairway Drive. For more information, call 272-4333.

Brownsburg BZA meets at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall, 61 N. Green St. For more information, call 852-1120.

Brownsburg Police Commission meets at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall, 61 N. Green St. For more information, call Michael Dove at 858-6012.

Brownsburg Economic Development Commission meets at 5 p.m. in the Town Hall, 61 N. Green St. For more information, call 852-1120.

Plainfield Board of Zoning Appeals meets at 7 p.m. in the Plainfield Municipal Building, 206 W. Main St. For more information, call 839-2561.

Avon Chamber of Commerce meets from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Prestwick Park, 5197 Fairway Drive. For more information, call 272-4333.

Brownsburg Plan Commission meets at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall, 61 N. Green St. For more information, call 852-1120.

March 30 Danville Easter Egg Hunt is from 2 to 2:30 p.m. at Ellis Park, 600 East Main St. For more information, call Stan Wilson at 745-3015.

April 1 Plainfield Plan Commission meets at 7 p.m. in the Plainfield Municipal Building, 206 W. Main St. For more information, call 839-2561.

April 19 Brownsburg Economic Development Commission meets at 5 p.m. at 61 N. Green St. For more information, call 852-1120.

Plainfield Town Council meets at 7 p.m. in the Plainfield Municipal Building, 206 W. Main St. For more information, call 839-2561.

Avon Chamber meets from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Prestwick Park, 5197 Fairway Drive. For more information, call 272-4333 .

Brownsburg Plan Commission meets at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall, 61 N. Green St. For more information, call 852-1120.

April 25

Danville Arbor Day seedling giveaway runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Recreation and Fitness Center, 49 N. Wayne St. For more information, call Stan Wilson at 745-3015.

To have your calendar information listed here, e-mail to Kathy Linton at kathy.linton@flyergroup.com and list “EDGE calendar” in the e-mail subject line.

Business Edge

NEW YEAR, NEW OPPORTUNITIES

BY DAVID JOHNSON Advertising Director for the Hendricks County Flyer and its products

This is generally the time of year when most business folks take a deep breath and assess what the previous year has brought. When it comes to advertising, it’s no different.

As a savvy business owner, just as you decide what things were flying off the shelves and what items you had to sell that are still collecting dust, you have to gauge what brought the people in and which avenue of advertising needs to have a complete overhaul.

As you take note of it all, there are some key things you need to make sure you or your advertising partner did, that will hopefully either increase the gains or decrease the mistakes of 2012.

First of all, what kind of plan did you actually have for this past year?

As I mentioned in previous editions, that’s a very important area that needs to be addressed if you don’t have an effective marketing plan in place. I am not a physic, but each year it becomes more and more obvious to me which businesses have a strategic plan in place and which ones are just grasping for anything. Just hoping something works is not nearly as nice as seeing it work.

When you decided to open your doors to the public and offer the products you do, I assume you had a plan in place and thoughts on what you were going to do. Advertising that product is no different.

While most larger companies have their budgets set for 2013, it’s not too late have your advertising representative in each media sit down with you and schedule an effective marketing plan going into the new year. Proactive is always better than reactive.

Secondly, what did you advertise?

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Was it something that would really draw customers in, or were you just trying to empty the shelves. Pairing discontinued items with current trendy items will usually work better than having advertising that screams “Please take this off my hands!” Also, make sure the discount you offer is valuable.

Someone driving 30 minutes to your shop to get 10 percent off of an item usually will not have them beating down your door. The general public is smart. Make sure you use that to your advantage.

Lastly, how often did you update your basic or everyday ads?

Keeping this fresh and lively is something that needs to be done every 30, but no more than 60 days. Whether it is a web, print, TV, or other forms of media, ads can become very stagnant and lose their punch after a short time.

Even if the message is relatively close to

the same, the look will keep the end users’ interest and not have your message overlooked.

An effective advertising representative will use their expertise and try their best to make sure that doesn’t happen. Remember, they work for you.

Use their talents to help you.

The beginning of a new year is always a great time to evaluate the pros and cons of all aspects of your business.

That is especially true in the advertising side. When you look at products and services that you want to be part of your success in 2013, it’s critical that you take the best avenue to get that information to the end users.

After all, the only dust you want to be cleaning is off of empty selves, not merchandise.

Here’s to your success.

Business Edge

Common mistakes can affect computer’s speed and security Have you ever casually surfed the Web, answered a friendly chat, or responded to a curious e-mail only to have it lead to major computer trouble?

With virus, spam, and phishing technology more sophisticated than ever, computer threats can be hidden in devious places. Are you making common computing mistakes without even knowing it?

According to a 2012 Pew Internet & American Life Project survey, 58 percent of American adults have a desktop computer and 61 percent have a laptop.

With all of that computer power out there, it’s important to understand how to protect your PC. Here are common mistakes that can affect computer speed and safety, from the experts at USTechSupport: Mistake: Enjoying “free” software and movies from your buddy.

Downloading pirated software is not only illegal; it can cause significant damage to your computer. The “free” software and media your buddy gave you can do more harm than good to your computer because it may be riddled with malicious viruses and malware, making your PC susceptible to attack. Remember, it’s better to buy than borrow when it comes to software and media.

Mistake: Clicking on enticing popups.

Pop-ups caught your attention? Think before you click. Pop-ups that offer free goods, deals on products, and even conversation with beautiful people can be alluring. But do you know where that click will take you? Clicking on suspicious pop-ups can lead you down a rabbit hole of even more unwanted popups and spam. Take the time to research the subject yourself, rather than clicking on the first questionable advertisement.

Mistake: Leaving multiple files open.

You’re an expert at multitasking, meaning you need to constantly access many files. But leaving multiple files open in different applications can put a significant strain in your system. Try to keep only necessary resources active and see how much faster your machine responds.

Mistake: Not being proactive with computer maintenance.

Computer issues arise frequently, even for the most savvy computer user.

That’s why taking a proactive approach is best so your computer remains secure and fast. You can get a free diagnosis of issues that may be affecting your PC’s performance by visiting the website at www.mycleanpc.com. You can easily

fix common issues before they become costly (and timely) problems.

Mistake: Responding to an e-mail with an “incredible opportunity.”

Everyone has received them — that email investment opportunity that seems too good to ignore. The reality is, many scammers prey on trusting individuals or those who are enticed by get-richquick schemes. These scammers may even complete an initial transaction, only to later wipe out all your accounts.

Never provide personal information, including banking information or your Social Security number, to anyone over e-mail.

Mistake: Visiting adult websites.

“Triple X” can also mean triple the issues. Some sites harbor more than just adult material, they can create a domino-effect of pop-ups, forcing your PC to a grinding halt as it deals with the incoming viruses that drain the system’s resources. Avoiding suspicious sites is part of keeping your computer running at its best.

If you’ve made some of these mistakes in the past, don’t worry. Many people are tricked each day. By learning from these useful tips and suggestions, you’ll keep your PC running fast and issue-free.

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