LocalBiz Magazine Q2 2022

TAG, YOU’RE IT! P. 28

Shape public perception of your brand with social media mentions

BUILDING ON A BUDGET P. 32 Cost-effective ways to grow your business in 2022

H I LTO N H E A D  B LU FF TO N  B E AU FO RT

GROWING UP P. 34

Create more effective campaigns with generational marketing

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MAKERS

THE TEAM EDITORIAL & DESIGN Editor-in-Chief Lance Hanlin Editors Lucy Rosen, Laurie Laykish Art Director Jeremy Swartz Vice President Sales Lori Goodridge-Cribb Graphic Designer Charles Grace

ADVERTISING & AUDIENCE

JORDAN HAIRE, DMD

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY

SYDNEY CASKEY, DDS INDIANA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY

MATTHEW MASTROROCCO, DMD UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF DENTAL MEDICINE

Digital and Social Ashlan Saeger Audience Curation Bruce Wolf Sales Melissa Page  melissa.page@wearelocallife.com Rebecca Kerns  rebecca.kerns@wearelocallife.com

Now Open in Bluffton

ADMINISTRATION & MANAGEMENT Finance Leah Ortega

ROC Dental Group has opened its Bluffton office in The Plaza at Belfair and is welcoming new patients.

“Starting and growing a business is as much about the innovation, drive and determination of the people who do it as it is about the products they sell.”

Expanding our private practice’s reach to Bluffton enables us to fulfill our mission to serve more of our neighbors while supporting local nonprofits that promote wellness. We can’t wait to meet you!

— ELON MUSK

JOIN US IN SUPPORTING LOCAL NONPROFITS THAT ADVANCE WELLNESS IN THE LOWCOUNTRY.

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EDITOR'S NOTE

Grow your own way SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS SHARE SECRETS FOR SMART AND SUSTAINABLE EXPANSION Sales are up. Customers are satisfied.

You’ve assembled the right team, and you are successfully navigating the many challenges small business owners face. Your market is strong, and you sense there is more to be had. It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for.

It’s the perfect time for a quick expansion, right?

Maybe. But maybe not. While a growing company is often considered a successful company, expanding too quickly can turn a profitable business into a “Growth is never by mere chance; bankrupt business. As history has proven, rapid it is the result of forces working together.” growth can be as dangerous as not growing at all.

— JAMES CASH PENNEY, FOUNDER OF JC PENNEY This Q2 issue of LOCAL Biz focuses on scaling your business in a smart and sustainable way.

Successful local owners and experts share their best practices and offer solutions for overcoming common growing pains. You’ll LOCAL Biz in 2022 read inspirational stories, learn innovative techniques and find valuable resources for growth through content that is delivered in a style that is easy to read, informative and actionable.

Q1: PRODUCTIVITY We hope it leaves you feeling smarter and more empowered Jan, Feb, Mar to lead your business to unprecedented success as we close the books on winter and spring into the quarter ahead. May your business blossom for years to come.

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Q2: GROWTH Apr, May, June

LANCE HANLIN Editor-in-Chief

Get Bizzy

Scan this QR code to subscribe to The Biz newsletter. Each week, receive information vital to running a successful small business here in the Lowcountry in your inbox. Learn more at localbizsc.com.

Q3: COMMUNICATION July, Aug, Sept

Q4: TECHNOLOGY Oct, Nov, Dec

Q2 2022  LocalBizSC.com

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INSIDE

Q2 2022  GROWTH

8

Start. Grow. Lead.

Inspiring stories for the three most important stages of your business.

Roundup P. 22

Top picks and news you can use

Sales P. 40

On-target prospecting in six easy steps

Marketing P. 44

Four steps to a brand revitalization

HR P. 52 Inspiration & Innovation Learn cost-effective ways to grow your business, how to grow your leadership through delegation and how to grow your reach with more effective campaigns.

30

Heralding happiness among the ranks

Money Matters P. 60

Retain your best workers with persuasive perks

Ask the Experts P. 74

Three critical IT factors all owners should consider

Smart Stuff P. 86

Tactical tools, tips and resources

Links P. 91

Bonus content at LocalBizSC.com

Faces

After Hours P. 92

Meet three local business leaders who share tips for personal and professional success.

End your day the right way with a Hilton Head Tea

Resource Directory P. 94

Good contacts for doing local business

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LocalBizSC.com  Q2 2022

Last Word P. 96

Plan your sources of growth, organic and inorganic

A perfectly crafted menu.

Just for you.

Let The East Coast Chef® and her team create an experience to remember!

PERSONAL CHEF SERVICES Private events, Business Events, Retreats Corporate Dinners, Lunches, Breakfasts, Cocktail Parties At-home fine dining and cooking demos

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CONTRIBUTORS

LOCAL BIZ CONTRIBUTORS

BEHIND THE SCENES Cristin Heyns-Bousliman Where do you live and how long have you lived there?

Albuquerque, New Mexico; 14 years What is your current occupation? Recovering litigator/leader of a human resources consulting practice What do you like doing more than anything else? Playing chef and cooking big delicious meals for my family and friends.

What piece of business advice do you wish someone had given you when you were younger? Focus on building authentic relationships, and the rest will work out.

Where do you see yourself professionally in 5 years? I hope to be continuing to cultivate my incredibly special team and working toward being the largest HR consulting practice in the country. Why not us?

Barry R. Wilson My career has been in advertising/marketing since I was in

school at the University of South Carolina. Currently my wife and I own and operate AlphaGraphics, providing complete marketing and printing services.

Where are you located? I live on the Beaufort River near downtown Beaufort. Our business is based in downtown Beaufort from where we serve Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and Beaufort.

Favorite part of your day? Sitting on our bluff with my wife with a glass of wine and watching the sunset.

What would you be doing if you weren’t doing this? Making movies. One of the attractions to Beaufort for us was the Beaufort International Film Festival.

What one piece of business advice do you wish someone had given you?

When you believe in yourself and the path you have chosen, spend more time enjoying the journey.

Jenna Spencer

Founder and visionary of assistpro.com, a virtual executive assistant services agency.

Where are you located? Greenville, South Carolina Favorite part of your day? Gathering at the dinner table with my family What would you be doing if you weren’t doing this?

Probably still climbing the corporate ladder.

What one piece of business advice do you wish someone had given you? That for every new “level” of success you hit, there’s a whole new learning curve.

I’ve learned to make the learning fun and exciting, but it was hard at first. I thought making it to $1 million would automatically make all growth after that easy.

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LocalBizSC.com  Q2 2022

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START GROW LEAD

A hero helping heroes FORMER U.S. MARINE, FIREFIGHTER AND FOUNDER OF TWO SUCCESSFUL STARTUPS USES THE “WARRIOR SPIRIT” TO HELP OTHER HEROES BECOME ENTREPRENEURS

BY ELLEN LINNEMANN As the founder of two successful startups, Zachary Green has grown his companies from the trunk of his car to gross close to $30 million and raise more than $4 million in venture funding – with products now used by more than 80,000 firefighters and carried by three of the nation’s largest retailers. He’s received the President of the United States' “E” award for exporting and has been honored as Exporter of the Year by the Ohio Small Business Administration, Entrepreneur of the Year by Ohio Gov. John Kasich and selected by the Obama White House as one of 10 entrepreneurs to represent the U.S. at the Global Entrepreneur Summit.

This past September he became an internationally best-selling author with the publication of Warrior Entrepreneur: Lessons From The Battlefield To The Boardroom – an inspiring book for business risk-takers which, just a week after its release, topped Amazon’s U.S. categories as the number one book for entrepreneurship and small business/entrepreneurship.

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Three takeaways Green, whose best-selling book Warrior Entrepreneur: Lessons From The Battlefield To The Boardroom is available at warriorentrepreneurbook.com or on Amazon.com, offers these three pieces of advice for someone interested in starting a business:

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Uniquely solve a problem. Focus on the problem you solve and not just your features and benefits. Customers don’t care about “your” features and benefits if it doesn’t solve “their” problem.

You have to have a competitive business advantage. “It’s OK to have an unfair business advantage – not an illegal or unethical advantage, but something that can set you apart and help you overcome other larger companies,” he said.

Make sure you have kick-ass sales marketing and distribution. “It doesn’t matter if you have the most amazing product or service if nobody knows about it,” he said. “It’s critical to have a great marketing and distribution plan in place before you launch.”

Warrior entrepreneur

Zachary Green, who now lives on Hilton Head Island with his wife and son, used traits gained from his life experiences as a U.S. Marine and lieutenant with his local fire department to establish awardwinning start-ups – and now helps show other entrepreneurs how that same grit and determination can be used by anyone to accomplish great things.

When it comes to starting and growing a successful business, Zachary Green (who moved to Hilton Head Island in early 2021 after vacationing on the island for the last few decades) knows exactly what it takes – and how harnessing the warrior mindset can be critical both in business and everyday life. And now he’s bringing his insight garnered from his decades of experience as a U.S. Marine, firefighter and serial entrepreneur to mentor other local heroes as the director of the Don Ryan Center for Innovation’s HEROES Program. This initiative was created to provide business support for the large population of active duty, reserve, National Guard, veterans and first responders (police, firefighters and EMT) in South Carolina to help them launch and grow businesses.

Green credits his “insatiable need to solve problems” for taking his leap toward launching his first business, MN8 LumAware/Foxfire, which introduced advanced photoluminescent technology to help firefighters reduce disorientation, improve building evacuation safety and save lives. His commitment to solving problems and his entrepreneurial spirit have grown through the years. Most recently he launched LumAware Safety Clear Guard, which he created during the pandemic to help keep employees, guests and students safe by utilizing domestically sourced plexiglass to create sneeze guards, face shields, partitions and more. Green led the company’s production of these barriers within 48 hours and helped secure $10 million in sales, including a partnership with Home Depot.

In looking back on some of the challenges he faced as an early entrepreneur and advice he now gives to other entrepreneurs and startups, Green stresses the importance that entrepreneurs understand “there is a big difference between cash and revenue, and it’s critical to find creative ways to bridge the cash-conversion cycle to avoid potentially selling yourself out of business.” In addition, entrepreneurs have to “get out of

the way of the success of the company. Entrepreneurs don’t always make the best CEOs,” he said.

“I served as CEO of my company for seven years but pivoted to be able to take on more of a visionary role that enabled me to continue to develop new products and strategic relationships,” he said. “Moving away from a CEO role was critical because it allowed me to focus on different aspects of growing the business rather than the day-to-day operations.”

As director of the Don Ryan Center for Innovation’s HEROES Program in Bluffton, Green is working with about a dozen local heroes to help them start and grow their businesses, including veteran Roy Brown of OPFOB (www.opfob.org). Brown purchased a plot of land, complete with fishing ponds, cabins, rifle range/pistol range, sporting clays and a large barn for events for veterans struggling with PTSD so they can find mentorship and camaraderie with other veterans. Green and the Center are working with Brown to help grow the organization and increase opportunities for revenue. Green also has been working with Meghan Zalich, a Marine Corps veteran who just opened The Wooden Loft – a DIY business in Bluffton.

“Our program is a direct approach in helping our “HEROES” become active entrepreneurs and helping this largely under-served segment of the Beaufort County population by providing them with resources to help them launch and grow a business," said Green, who has been its director since September. “There are so many success stories, and future success stories, of working with our heroes here in the Lowcountry, and I’m thrilled to be sharing my experience as an entrepreneur, and business lessons learned from a warrior mindset, with those who have given so much to our community.”

For more information about the Don Ryan Center for Innovation’s HEROES program, including ways to get involved, visit donryancenter.com/heroes or call 843-540-0405. ■

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START GROW LEAD

Growing seamlessly WITH KEY PRODUCT AND SERVICE ADVANTAGES, THIS LOCAL BUSINESS GETS PEOPLE’S MINDS INTO THE GUTTERS

BY ELLEN LINNEMANN While working as a builder and remodeler in the Hilton Head area in 2018, Andrew Snodgrass needed gutters on his own home. As a customer, Snodgrass — who had worked in the gutter business in Orlando — quickly realized two things.

The first was that most homeowners were paying more than he thought they should for the quality they were getting.

And second, he saw a major business opportunity.

Snodgrass launched his gutter business in 2019, offering top-quality, competitively priced seamless gutters with a streamlined, personalized approach to product selection and installations. What began as a one-man shop doing home-gutter installations quickly grew to include commercial gutters, growth that was bolstered by word of mouth and hundreds of glowing 5-star reviews on Home Advisor and other review sites.

Today Spartina Seamless Gutters (spartinaseamlessgutters. com) has a full team of gutter professionals and skilled installers specializing in installing and repairing residential and commercial seamless gutters throughout the Lowcountry. Spartina only uses the highest quality gutters that are coated on the inside for added protection. It offers a 15-year warranty on service, about 5 years longer than most other gutter companies.

“Providing our customers with consistency has been a key factor in Spartina’s growth,” Snodgrass said.

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Three takeaways from Andrew Snodgrass

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Snodgrass offers these tips for business owners looking to grow their business – especially those in the booming home-improvement industry.

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Show up on time, every time – or even better, show up early. “In addition, when you get there, make sure to work hard, because it’s noticed,” he said.

Consistency is key. “Consistency has been one of the most important factors in our growth. Every day we are as consistent as possible for every customer we serve.”

Be honest. “Honesty in every aspect of our business is very important to create values and a positive culture,” Snodgrass said.

“There is never a dull moment owning a small business, I’ve learned to be very patient and not force things.”

Into the gutter

The Leaf Relief gutter-protection system is the most advanced technology on the gutter market.

Spartina Seamless Gutters is the only Leaf Relief contractor in Bluffton.

“Some of the key things I think we have done to grow the business include showing up on time when we say we will, as well as being consistent with both our products and services. This consistency has made a difference and has led to our customers recommending us to other customers, which has been an instrumental part of our growth.”

Spartina partners with Leaf Relief® by Ply Gem, the first and only contractor in Bluffton providing customers with the most effective

gutter protection on the market to keep pine needles, twigs and leaves from blocking gutters.

“There is never a dull moment owning a small business,” Snodgrass said.

“I’ve learned to be very patient and not force things.”

Spartina Seamless Gutters plans to launch maintenance plans for their gutter customers, as well as purchase a half-round gutter machine to run halfround seamless gutters. “We’re also expanding our territory to cover a larger area,” he said.

“Since launching the company, we’ve focused on providing customers with the three things we know are the most important to them: quality products, quality workmanship and reliable, on-time service,” Snodgrass said. “By consistently providing that to our customers and earning their satisfaction and trust, we’ve been able to greatly expand our customer base and know that our positive reviews and personal recommendations will remain an important factor in our continued growth in the years ahead.” ■

Q2 2022  LocalBizSC.com

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START GROW LEAD

Leading lessons from the kitchen AS MORE PEOPLE SEEK GOURMET INHOME DINING EXPERIENCES, PERSONAL CHEF LYNN MICHELLE LEADS HER BUSINESS INTO THE FUTURE

BY ELLEN LINNEMANN Since launching her personal-chef business, Chef Lynn Michelle, also known as The East Coast Chef, has been bringing delicious in-home dining experiences to both local residents and vacationers here in the Lowcountry.

Over the past two years, however, as more and more people turned to in-home dining as a result of the pandemic, Chef Lynn Michelle found her business not only serving an important and growing need in the community but literally growing at an unprecedented rate – leading her into the next phase of success for her business.

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Three takeaways

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When starting and growing a business, you will need to work really, really hard and never give up.

Think carefully about whether your idea is a passion or a viable business idea. “For me, I was sure that I could take my passion for cooking and turn it into a viable business idea,” she said. “Once I knew that, I was able to feel confident about the questions of ‘You’re doing what?’ and ‘How will you make money?’ that I faced in the early days.”

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It’s key to maintain that balance of life, work and passion for what you do. “Never stop dreaming and achieving new goals,” she stresses.

“The idea of a personal chef has gone from being considered an occasional luxury to being a convenient part of everyday life here.”

Bringing family together

Chef Lynn Michelle has long believed in the power of food to bring people together and loves sharing her love of cooking with her family. “People love fresh home-cooked meals and the smells of cooking in their houses and love the benefits of having a restaurant-quality healthy meal prepared for them right in their home, allowing them to spend more quality time with their family and friends.” cheflynnmichelle.com

“I had always been busy with bookings since launching the business, but when the pandemic hit and people moved from dining out to dining at home, people sought me out to prepare restaurant-quality meals for them in their own homes,” she said. “This interest in a more intimate at-home gourmet dining experience has continued even as people resumed dining out, as well. Both long-time residents and visitors discovered the benefits of having a delicious, healthy meal prepared for them right in their home. It allows them to spend more quality time with their family and friends rather than worrying about planning and cooking meals.” As a personal chef, Chef Lynn Michelle and her team handle all aspects of creating and serving customized meals in the comfort of a person’s home or business – including menu planning, grocery shopping, cooking/meal preparation, setting the table, serving the meal and all cleanup.

Chef Lynn Michelle’s formal training in Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University and experiences living all over the world not only opened her eyes to a wide range of different culinary styles and flavors but enabled her to craft her culinary skills in a unique style. She worked as a private chef in Belgium, (where she also cooked at the White Devils Tennis Club and Junior Wimbledon Tournament held there) and, after returning to the United States, created and owned one of the first Internet cafés in the country before moving to Hilton Head in 2000. She worked at some of the Lowcountry’s most popular restaurants while becoming a serial entrepreneur (including starting a nonprofit basketball

camp that carried over to the opening of the golf camp, The First Tee.) When she decided to start her own business as a personal chef, she brought together her passion for cooking with her entrepreneurial skills. She quickly expanded from offering individual and family at-home chef services to doing private and corporate events.

Established as one of the area’s top personal chefs, Chef Lynn Michelle became sought after for her innovative in-store cooking demos at the area’s top retailers, helping other businesses grow by driving foot traffic to their stores.

She’s worked with Billy Woods Appliance Center, Benny Hudson Seafood Market, Golden Isles Olive Oil and Gourmet Shop, Kroger, Piggly Wiggly and Lowcountry Pavers, among others.

Chef Lynn Michelle notes that women personal chefs make up less than 8 percent of the industry. She’s happy to see how others have followed in her footsteps by opening their own personal chef businesses.

“With so many local residents and vacationers having discovered the joy and convenience of having a healthy gourmet meal prepared for them right in the comfort of their own home, the idea of a personal chef has gone from being considered an occasional luxury to being a convenient part of everyday life here,” Chef Lynn Michelle said.

“It’s been exciting for me to have led my business from its humble beginnings as one of the area’s first personal chefs to now being a leader in an industry that is poised for even more growth in the years ahead.” ■

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FACES

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Faces of growth MEET THREE LOCAL PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT ENHANCING THE LIVES OF OTHERS. In this issue we’re featuring some of the faces who not only have shaped the Lowcountry but have given back to the community in so many different ways. Whether through their business leadership, philanthropic work, community involvement or helping those in need navigate through challenging times, the Faces of the Lowcountry that you’ll read about all have one important thing in common: the desire to help others and a commitment to using their business skills, leadership and passion for what they do to enhance the lives of people throughout the region.

The stories profiled in this issue include Dr. Stephanie Jamison-Void, CEO of Jamison Consultants, who founded and grew, Jamison Consultants Integrated Healthcare Services in order to provide critical mental and behavioral health services, community resources and primary care services to all those in need. You’ll read about James Dismond, director of business development at Hospice Care of the Lowcountry, and his work in helping end-of-life patients and their families live every day to the fullest through the programs and services of Hospice Care of the Lowcountry. You’ll also learn how Melissa Brock, director of business development at The Greenery, not only grew her career at the thriving landscape company but has been involved in numerous initiatives to give back to the Lowcountry community through the years, as well.

These are just some of the faces that work tirelessly to make the Lowcountry a unique, and inspiring, place to be — and just some of the faces making life better each and every day for all of us lucky enough to live and work here. ■

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FACES

Dr. Stephanie Jamison-Void THIS MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL IS BRINGING A BETTER WAY AND A BETTER LIFE TO PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE LOWCOUNTRY

BY ELLEN LINNEMANN When Dr. Stephanie JamisonVoid first “fell in love with the work of mental health” 28 years ago, she thought she would be a counselor. However, as her first job in the field quickly changed to more of an administrative position, she discovered that not only was she passionate about helping people in the area of mental health, but she was also developing a strong passion for organizational leadership – earning her master’s in human resources development and working as the human resources director for a behavioral health center in North Carolina where she was responsible for all of the hiring and training.

Bringing together her strong background in behavioral health with her desire to help people receive the behavioral health services they need, Jamison-Void (who received her Ph.D. in organizational psychology in 2021) opened her own practice, Jamison Consultants Behavioral Health Center, in 2010 – helping children, adolescents and families enhance their lives through counseling and behavior modifications, as well as providing Medicaid-targeted case management. By providing Medicaid-funded behavioral health service, Jamison Consultants enables those with Medicaid to have access to a broad range of services that are often critical for individuals and families today – and which can make a true difference in their lives. As a licensed provider with the SC Department of Health and Human Services and the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services, Jamison Consultants provides top-quality care to patients throughout the region.

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Three takeaways from Dr. Stephanie Jamison-Void

Advice for people starting a business: 1. Surround yourself with the best people you can find – and train them from beginning to end to watch them grow.

2. Don’t give up. Ever.

3. Keep it real!

In the years since first launching Jamison Consultants Behavioral Health Center, Jamison-Void continued to grow Jamison Consultants’ locations and services — going from one employee (herself) to more than 50 people on staff in seven offices throughout the Lowcountry. Her strong leadership and desire to help bring mental health services to all those who need them included opening a location in the Beaufort County area in 2013 when she saw that there was a lack of services in Beaufort County for those with Medicaid.

“I saw that a significant percentage of the population in Beaufort County was on Medicaid, and they were lacking core mental health services such as individual/family therapy and behavior modification,” Jamison-Void said. “By opening my practice here in Beaufort County, we are able help so many people who previously weren’t able to get services and receive the help they need.”

As CEO of Jamison Consultants Integrative HealthCare Services (jamisonconsultants.com), Jamison-Void puts her love of, and skills in, organizational leadership to work as she oversees all integrative health care programs and services at locations in Bluffton, Beaufort, Ridgeland, Orangeburg, Holly Hill, Columbia and Savannah. She also spearheaded launching family urgent care centers in Ridgeland, Holly Hill and Orangeburg that offer acute care, wellness visits, immunizations, developmental screenings, behavioral consultations and medical care for the entire family.

“I love what I do,” she said. “I love training and developing staff to be the best people they could possibly be in leadership, in management and in supervisory skills. I love that part about being in mental health, and that is definitely one of my strong points.”

Jamison-Void also points to her love of women’s basketball as being an

important part of her life here in the Lowcountry.

“I am a fanatic when it comes to women’s basketball,” said Jamison-Void, who played women’s basketball for four years in college on a full athletic scholarship. “When I moved to Beaufort County, I found myself coaching at May River High School, where I’ve been coaching since 2016.” As the head coach of the junior varsity girls basketball team and assistant coach of the varsity team, Jamison-Void expressed how much she loves the program – and being part of it.

“That is my therapy,” she says. “It’s something that I really enjoy doing. In addition to the day-to-day business of running my company, I love finding the energy to go out and encourage these ladies to be the best they can be.”

Jamison-Void also points to her love of the Lowcountry’s beaches and the importance of her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, , Incorporated in her life.

Most of all, she loves spending time with her family, including her husband, Stacey, and her boys. She said her parents are her lifeline. “I can just call them and talk to them anytime,” she

said. Jamison-Void’s mother, Jackie, is a pastor at an AME Church, and her father, Willie, who had retired after more than 40 years with Georgia Pacific, came out of retirement to help his daughter with her business and now runs Jamison Transportation Services.

Noting that she’s “an extrovert, by all means,” Jamison-Void said she’s one of those people who others say is “forever smiling” — and that it’s true.

“I find something in everything to smile about and strive to be happy, to be grateful and to still have a level of humility in everything I do. I am also results driven: from clients coming into the office, to people I meet on the street, to my executive team. I just want to show that there can be a positive result from your hard work and dedication. That’s just one of the motivating factors that I possess every day.”

With its tagline of “A Better Way. A Better Life,” Jamison Consultants Integrative HealthCare Services continues to help improve the lives of so many individuals in medically underserved areas in South Carolina and Georgia — helping to change lives, as well. ■

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FACES

James Dismond THIS DIRECTOR HELPS PROVIDE COMFORT AND DIGNITY TO END-OF-LIFE PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES

BY HANNAH MASSEN When people ask James Dismond, director of business development at Hospice Care of the Lowcountry, how he feels about working in hospice, his answer is simple – and always the same. “Hospice care isn’t about dying, it’s about living,” he says, echoing one of Hospice Care of the Lowcountry’s core values. Helping end-oflife patients and their families live every day to the fullest is something that Dismond not only feels passionate about but considers a true privilege as he helps so many people throughout the Lowcountry navigate difficult times with the comfort, honor and dignity that the organization has been providing here for nearly 40 years.

“My mother always says that very few people in life get to align their passion and soul with their employment,” Dismond said. “I am thankful to be one of the lucky ones who gets to wake up every day and do my passion.”

Founded in 1982 Hospice Care of the Lowcountry (HCL) was one of the first hospice organizations to open on Hilton Head Island.

Since then, its staff members have served as guiding lights for hundreds of Lowcountry families as they embark on some of their most vulnerable journeys. The center provides hospice and palliative services, regardless of each family’s financial circumstance, while ensuring that the staff-to-patient ratio allows for the highest-quality care. In addition, thanks to its fundraising efforts, HCL delivers other comforting services and delivers more to its patients at no cost, including aromatherapy, massage therapy, music therapy and a special “Hos-pets” pet-therapy program. Helping patients honor final wishes can often mean the world to both patients and their families.

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Three tips for being successful in business

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Continuously educate yourself.

“Know your business well,” Dismond said, stressing the importance of studying – and studying more. “Be ready for adaptation and current changes in your domain so that you can stay on top of your game.”

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Build a winning team/network.

“Cultivate relationships through networking and find individuals who represent your business the same way you do,” he said. “Select individuals who push you and strive for the same success you want.”

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Fail forward. “Sometimes we try and plan for any and everything, but don’t get so caught up in planning that you never put words into actions,” Dismond said. “Get out and try it, know that mistakes will happen. Take the time to adapt, and then try again.”

While Dismond’s job focuses on financing, creating strategic partnerships with community stakeholders and implementing new patient and staff programs, he is quick to point out that the best part of his job is helping families fulfill their loved one’s final wishes.

“Our team has helped host a wedding for a couple who wanted to say “I do” before it was too late, brought a Latin-American patient and his family together for the first time in a decade so they could get to say goodbye, and transported a veteran patient to a military museum to donate his war memorabilia and tell his war stories one last time,” Dismond notes. “I truly love all aspects of my job at Hospice Care of the Lowcountry; however, when I get to help make final wishes happen for patients and their families, it truly warms my heart.”

Dismond points to one final wish that HCL made possible that highlights what Hospice Care of the Lowcountry is all about. In the summer of 2021 Dismond was part of a care team that helped a daughter take her father to the beach for the last time.

“Those moments on the beach will forever be a memory that I share because it changed my perception towards death,” Dismond said. “Towards the end of life, the smallest of things become so important to us, such as holding your daughter’s hand as the waves crash on the shore and the salty air blows your hair.”

Dismond says it’s “an honor and a blessing” to be a part of the HCL team, noting that it was a long road to get there. Dismond was adopted out of a potentially dangerous situation, and while he loved and was loved by his adoptive family, he always longed for a sense of “home.” Although he “struggled tremendously” growing up while trying to find himself, the first-generation college student was accepted to Marshall University, where he studied psychology and sociology.

Driven by his passion for community service, Dismond has worked for local, national and international nonprofits his entire career, including the Community Action Agency and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

“When you’ve had to beat the odds your whole life, it gives you a new perspective on helping others,” Dismond said. “I couldn’t have dreamt all that I have now.”

When Dismond and his partner, Shawn, moved to the Lowcountry six years ago, he finally experienced the sense of “home” he had been seeking all his life. They recently built a home in Beaufort County where they live with their son, Byron, and three golden doodles. When he’s not at work, Dismond loves getting out in nature with his family, especially kayaking down the May River.

“People say I am always on the go, doing a project or activity,” Dismond says. “Life is so short, I just want to try it all.”

Whether it’s his passion for the great outdoors or his overriding passion for helping others in the community where he lives, Dismond is committed not only to living life to its fullest but helping others make every day count, as well. ■

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Q2 2022  LocalBizSC.com

19

FACES

Melissa Brock THIS LOCAL LANDSCAPER BUILT HER CAREER FROM THE GROUND UP

BY HANNAH MASSEN Melissa Brock is the perfect combination of “ California valley girl” and Southern belle. She has a brilliant smile, rarely has a blonde hair out of place, and buys simple, classy dresses in order to have her company logo embroidered on them so she doesn’t have to wear oversized polo shirts. Most importantly, Brock has made a name for herself in the traditionally male-dominated field of landscaping.

She is director of business development at The Greenery Inc., a regional full-service landscaping company specializing in landscape installation, maintenance, irrigation, lighting, flatwork hardscape and more. Brock initially landed a job as an office administrator for The Greenery’s construction division in 2011. She felt “stuck” in that position, so Brock created a business development position that would allow her to do more of what she loves most: being a “connector” of people.

“I knew I wanted to be the director of business development as a whole, so I went after what I wanted,” Brock said. “My biggest motivation is ‘the thrill of the kill.'” Last year her business development team submitted over 300 proposals worth about $17 million in commercial maintenance proposals with a high conversion rate.

Thanks to her networking and genuine likability, Brock quickly became known for her business development acumen in the construction and landscaping world, so she took up the responsibility to manage and oversee all new business development for commercial maintenance opportunities company-wide for The Greenery’s development initiatives in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

“I've been surrounded by great people who have challenged me and made me better,” Brock said.

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Melissa Brock’s top tips for success Three of a kind

Melissa Brock is shown with her daughters Michaela (left) and Hannah (right), who both attend the Univeristy of South Carolina in Columbia. Both were the recipients of the Hilton Head Area Home Builders Association Education Foundation Scholarship.

Build yourself up: Melissa Brock’s top tips for personal and professional success.

1. Be passionate.

2. Be challenged.

3. Find something personal about the person you are meeting and next time you see them, bring it up and be authentic.

4. Listen more than you talk.

“When I first started, I knew nothing about landscaping.

The horticulturists at The Greenery have taught me so much. I can now go into a meeting and know what I’m talking about.”

The Greenery’s mission is “to be the best landscape company in the markets we serve,” but the company is also committed to serving its employees. The business is entirely employee-owned, giving them a vested interest in the company’s success and its values of service, quality, safety and community involvement. The Greenery encourages professional and personal growth among all its employees through a variety of internal leadership programs.

“We absolutely teach our employees to be happy and to 'show happy,’” Brock said. “We know our people are our greatest asset.”

The Greenery has launched several initiatives to give back to the Lowcountry over the years, including renovating the landscaping for the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, part of the Spanish Moss Trail in Beaufort, the Wharf Street redevelopment project in Bluffton and most recently donating landscaping at OPFOB (Operation Patriot, Forward Operating Base), a military veterans' retreat located in Ridgeland.

Driven by her desire to help others, Brock has served on a variety of local and regional committees. She sits on the board of directors for the Hilton Head Area Home Builders

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Association (HHAHBA) and recently was elected executive VP of associate members.

This is also her fourth year as the chair of the HHAHBA’s education committee. Her dedication to raising money for the scholarship program is personal: both of her daughters were scholarship recipients.

“Without the help of the education foundation, I wouldn’t have been able to afford to send my girls to school,” Brock said. “I’m a single mom, and we went after every single scholarship possible. This is my way of giving back to an organization that gives so much.”

Brock was also on the board of regents for the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce from 20142017 after graduating from its leadership program. She was a member of Business Network International (BNI) for seven years and is proud to be a charter member of Professional Women in Building of the Lowcountry (PWB).

Brock emphasizes the importance of keeping an open mind and listening to others because of the difference it’s made to her career.

“I spend more time listening than talking, and I think it’s served me well,” Brock said. “When people know you are interested in them, as I am, they open up, and by opening up I can get to know them on a human level and connect in a way that isn’t sales-driven.” ■

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7 Venture Drive #100 Bluffton, SC 29910 Q2843.540.0405 2022  LocalBizSC.com 21

ROUNDUP

BEFORE YOU SEND THAT ANGRY EMAIL, READ THIS...

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FIRING OFF THE WRONG EMAIL IN A FIT OF ANGER COULD COST YOU BUSINESS.

BY HANNAH MASSEN Every now and then a client, coworker, or even a friend will say something that rubs you the wrong way big time. We’ve all been there.

And in the olden days, you would probably walk down the hall to have a quiet chat. Well, maybe more like a loud conversation, but you’d be less likely to throw too many verbal punches while looking someone straight in the eye. But this is 2022, and when something ticks you off, you might be tempted to start typing an email.

Whether your wording is blunt and curt, you add one-too-many passive-aggressive emojis, or you insert a swear word, the reader gets the message: you’re not happy. But within seconds of hitting send, you hear a whisper in the back of your mind, should I really have sent that email? You might attempt to recall the email, but once the reader has seen it, the damage has been done.

The best way to write an angry email is to never hit send. You’re less likely to be mindful of your language and tone when you’re sitting in front of a computer screen instead of an actual person, but according to an article published in Scientific American, an angry email can still be a serious blow to the recipient’s confidence. In a simulated work experiment, participants who received angry messages from their bosses experienced more negative emotions, found it harder to stay engaged in work tasks, and answered fewer questions correctly than the control group. And as for your clients, would you want to continue working with someone who spoke to you like that?

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So before you hit send on your next angry email, try these three strategies instead.

1. WRITE THE EMAIL BUT LEAVE THE “TO” FIELD BLANK. Sometimes, you just need to rant. Go ahead and write an angry email while you’re still fired up (complete with, “IS THIS A JOKE??? CALL ME NOW,” in the subject line) – but remember to leave the “to” field blank. Having to enter a real email address once you’ve gotten everything out of your system will serve as another check before you hit send.

2. WAIT AND REVIEW. If you’re on the fence about sending the email, save it as a draft and wait a full 24 hours before opening it again. Once you have a clear head, decide whether it’s too harsh or could be worth sending with a few toned-down tweaks.

3. CHOOSE A DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION METHOD. There are times when you really should address your concerns. But instead of listing your grievances in an email, consider a different communication method. Having serious conversations face-to-face is always best, as you can make sure that you and the other person are in a distraction-free room and you are able to read their body language.

Over the phone is fine, too, as long as you treat the call as you would an in-person meeting. ■

Q2 2022  LocalBizSC.com

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ROUNDUP

Retirement is possible FIVE CONSIDERATIONS TO MAKE YOUR YOLO A REALITY

BY DONNA PETERS

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YOLO, which stands for “You Only Live Once,” has become a popular expression and is a convincing argument for retiring younger. Besides what you want to do when you retire, there are several things to consider before you retire. You need financial security so you will know how to retire and live your YOLO dream. Here are the most basic considerations to bring that dream closer.

1. Budget now. You can’t retire if you don’t know your budget. Simply put, a budget is a summary of your income and expenses but is easier said than done.

Once you know your current expenses and have an idea of the lifestyle you want in retirement, you will need to figure out where to adjust to make early retirement more than a dream.

PRO TIP: Contribution to a retirement fund early or a job that has a pension can make a big difference.

If you didn’t start early enough, a financial planner could help with other strategies to manage your money. If your kids still listen to their parents, this may be the best advice you give them.

2. Plan for your dependents. If you have children, set up an education fund early as this can be a game-changer (assuming you want to help pay for their education). A 529 plan is a great way to save for schooling and is simple to administer.

Tuition costs can be daunting and something you will want to have saved for over the years so that student debt doesn’t become your debt. In some cases school debt comes due around the time your children tell you they are getting married. Unfortunately, there is no government-sponsored marriage-saving fund. It is your dependents’ life events like these that can deplete what you thought would be your own retirement savings.

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3. Don’t let possessions own you. If you own your home, there is a possibility to downsize and take out some equity that can be used to fund your retirement. This may seem like a big step but is also an opportunity. If you have a large house, chances are you have also accumulated a lot of "stuff" over the years. "Stuff" may include art, excess furniture, bikes and even vehicles.

PRO TIP: Selling some of these items on the internet or on consignment can help fund your future travel and entertainment coffers. At the time of writing this, there is a high demand for used goods due to scarcity, so you could get top dollar.

4. Get your affairs in order. Retirement is a major life step into your next chapter of life. Whether you are young or old, it is always wise to have your affairs in order.

Your will and powers of attorney should be up to date, and make sure you have enough put away to cover unexpected repairs or emergencies.

PRO TIP: Set a reminder every five years to review your will and POA, as things can change over the years.

5. Know your burn rate and adjust.

The biggest concern when considering retirement is if you will have enough income coming in or enough savings to live on. A more important concern should be how much you plan to spend, or your burn rate, when you do retire. As obvious as that seems, when asked how much they think they need to live on, many people respond “a lot.”

PRO TIP: Whatever your burn rate is, plan to have more. It is prudent to have a rainy day fund – not only for fixing the roof but for maintaining your health and other unforeseen financial needs.

Whether your retirement YOLO dream is endless world travel or more home time with your grandkids, planning will increase your odds of living that dream. If you don’t know where to start, seek advice from a financial planner because your future is too important to risk. After all, you only live once. ■

Donna Peters studied Finance and Economics at Western University and later obtained her CFA. She joined the fixed-income Portfolio Management team at a prominent Canadian life insurance company following her graduation from university and has remained there since. She currently lives in Toronto with a loving husband, two teenage sons and an adorable poodle.

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ROUNDUP

Awaken your sleep strategy SERENDIPITOUS SLEEP AIDS

BY LESLIE T. SNADOWSKY We spend so much time trying to perfect our eight-hour workday. So why are we asleep at the wheel when strategically planning our eight hours a day in bed?

“Sleep affects everything in your body,” says Dr. Frank Barbieri, DDS, MS, at 2 Sleep Well Again in Bluffton and Summerville. “There are 90 different sleep disorders listed by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and people don’t realize poor sleep can increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, acid reflux and a weakened immune system. If you are on the borderline of a problem and you have poor sleep, it kicks you over to the wrong side and makes that problem just grow and become worse.”

Barbieri’s Sleep Centers offer dental solutions for medically diagnosed sleep apnea, snoring and insomnia, but he says practicing successful sleep hygiene at home will give you the good night’s sleep of your dreams.

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YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE “Sleep is a pattern,” Barbieri said. “If you can get to sleep the same time every night, that’s important. And if you wake up every day at the same time, you sleep better and have better sleep quality. If you hit the snooze button, and things like that, that’s not good.”

HERE COMES THE SUN

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Light signals your body to get going, whether you switch on a bed table lamp or keep the curtains open to see natural sunlight. “Whenever you wake up, 5:30 a.m. or 8:30 a.m., get out of bed and let the light get in,” Barbieri says.

WARM GLASS OF MILK Mom may know best when it comes to tucking you in, and Barbieri says if a warm glass of milk does the trick, stick with it, but forgo a full-fledged meal before nodding off. “If you need a little something before you go to sleep, have something very small and very light,” he says. “You should not have coffee after 3 p.m. and no alcohol within three hours of when you go to sleep.”

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RELAXATION MODE Don’t exercise at night because it revs up your metabolism. Instead, get in the habit of relaxing your body before bedtime, which means switching off your phone and iPad and all blue lights. “You also want to shut the TV off about a half hour before you want to go to sleep,” Barbieri said. “No reading, no TV in bed, all those things are keeping you awake.”

CLOTHING OPTIONAL According to the Sleep Foundation, 28 percent of the population sleeps in the buff, but wearing socks to bed may help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. “I’ve had patients in both situations,” says Barbieri. “The sleep spectrum for what people have to do to get to sleep is vast.”

SILENT NIGHT While Barbieri encourages silence for sound sleep, he doesn’t begrudge his patients some nocturnal noise. “Some people need to hear a fan,” he says. “And you can buy sound pillows that emit soothing rhythms like running water, rustling leaves and rainforests.” ■

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ROUNDUP

Tag, you’re it!

Social media tags and mentions are more than just a courtesy. They can be an essential part of your digital marketing strategy. Whenever someone name-drops a person or brand online, that’s a social mention, and when someone links a profile page to their post, that's a tag. These shoutouts can be positive or negative, but every single one is an opportunity to engage with your audience and shape public perception of your brand.

Tags and mentions will alert you when someone is talking about your brand online (and vice versa). They’re a surefire way to start a conversation about your or someone else’s business, increasing engagements and improving your brand reach. Here’s a step-by-step guide to using tags and mentions on Facebook and Instagram.

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MENTIONS To mention a person in a post or comment: • Type the person’s name with a capitalized first letter • Select a name from the list that appears To mention a Page or group in a post or comment: • Type “@” and then the page’s or group’s name • Select a name from the list that appears

TAGS To tag a photo before you post it: • At the top of your Facebook news feed, click “Photo/video,” below “What’s on your mind?”

• Select the photo you want to share • Hover over the photo and click the pencil edit in the top left • Click “tag photo,” then click a person in the photo and start typing their name • Select the full name of the person or page you want to tag when it appears • When you are finished tagging people, click save then click the back arrow button • Select the audience for your post, then click post To tag a photo that has already been posted: • Click the photo you want to tag • Click the hangtag-looking icon in the top right of the photo • Click the person in the photo and start typing their name • Select the full name of the person or page you want to tag when it appears • Click “Done tagging”

Interact accordingly

Make an effort to respond to each mention of your business on social media. It makes customers feel acknowledged and appreciated.

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experience

INSPIRATION & INNOVATION

Three ways to grow your leadership through delegation LEARNING TO DELEGATE WILL HELP YOU KEEP GREAT PEOPLE.

BY JENNA SPENCER

If you search Google for the definition of a leader, you’ll find tons of answers. All of those answers have one root meaning: to lead others. A leader is in charge of leading people, no matter the industry or business.

My passion for delegation is fueled by this very definition. There are many ways delegation helps your people grow, but did you know it can help you grow as a leader as well? This article will show you why delegation should be one of the core tools in your leadership tool belt.

Being in the delegation business for almost a decade now, here are the top three ways delegation can serve you:

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• Helps you keep great people • Creates space for success • Promotes growth Delegation can help you keep great people. As we delegate, we are providing so many opportunities for our team members to grow. They are learning new skills and responsibilities, and they are learning to expand and grow in their abilities and roles. These team members then have the opportunity to gain confidence and bring their ideas to the table. Great people want responsibility.

Great leaders want great people. Delegation is the tool to tackle both of these at the same time. It’s the practice of continuing to develop people into great leaders.

Delegation creates space for success. I have yet to meet a successful leader that is looking to fill up a free bucket of time in their schedules each week.

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Leaders need more time. You need the time and space to think high-level and create more opportunities for your company. There are tons of statistics on leadership burnout. By embracing delegation and equipping your people to do great things for you, you can create the time and space in your schedule to operate at the level you need for your business without burning the candle at both ends.

Delegation promotes growth. If you are delegating to, and keeping, great people and creating time to think high level, your business will grow. You’ll then have the opportunity to lead from a higher level all the time. What would it look like if you could delegate an entire project instead of pieces of it? What could you focus on if you trusted that everything was being done well and you only needed high-level updates and regular reviews? How much faster could your company move if you were able to delegate quickly and efficiently to people that are used to taking on new responsibilities regularly?

Adopting a great delegation practice is vital to your success as a leader. It's even more vital if you want to be the best leader possible. You’re already leading people. Why not keep those great people, create space and achieve the growth you want? Delegation is the answer. ■

Three steps to delegate

BRAIN DUMP a list of items you’d like to get off your plate. Pick three that would have the biggest immediate impact to your schedule but would not be too difficult to hand off in 30 days.

WRITE THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION: “What does it look like when this has been successfully delegated to someone else?” Take your time and think about the details here.

TRANSFER THIS INFORMATION to the person to whom you are delegating, answer their questions, and set a weekly meeting to review until you are confident they own the new items.

JENNA SPENCER is CEO of AssistPro, a business that offers tailored, U.S.-based, executive virtual assistant services for business coaches, entrepreneurs and visionaries to help them grow personally and professionally. “I am passionate about teaching delegation. After founding and scaling a company providing assistant services, I created Delegation Mastery.

This process helps leaders gain freedom in their lives and growth in their businesses through the mastery of delegation.” To sign up for a course, visit delegationroadmap.com/join.

Q2 2022  LocalBizSC.com

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INSPIRATION & INNOVATION

Building on a budget FIVE COST-EFFECTIVE WAYS TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS IN 2022

BY HANNAH MASSEN

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The new year gives us the motivation we need to push the pedal a little harder and pursue our goals with greater focus – especially after a year like 2021. Business owners and CEOs are looking to scale up their companies on the eve of what economists are calling an economic surge. But if your business was hit hard during the pandemic (like many others), you’ll have to grow your business strategically and efficiently.

Think you don’t have the resources you need to grow this year? Think again.

These are low-cost, proven methods you can use to scale up your business. ■

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■ Focus on what you can do With COVID-19 rules and regulations still in place, business owners are well aware of what they can’t do. But putting the focus on what you can do right now will help you develop an action-oriented mindset and a more profitable business plan for 2022. Whether you decide to revamp your website or use this time to strengthen your relationship with customers, setting measurable goals now will keep you from staying stagnant.

■ Create high-quality content Content sits at the heart of any good marketing strategy, but is often low on business owners' lists of priorities. It’s not that they’re incapable of posting to Instagram, but the process is time-consuming and they don’t see immediate returns. But with potential buyers spending more time online than ever, it’s worth investing in your social media presence.

■ Streamline your process Are your stockrooms cluttered with old inventory, or you still haven’t made the transition from a paper to a digital system? It’s time to embrace the “out with the old, in with the new” mantra. Making simple adjustments to streamline your process will help you stay competitive and productive.

■ Wow with impressive customer service Great customer service doesn’t just mean providing a listening ear, it’s about providing smart solutions to unexpected problems. It’s time to make customer happiness a company policy, not just customer satisfaction. If you’re not busy putting out fires, then going the extra mile to offer bonuses, incentives and rewards to loyal customers will keep them coming back and can boost your reputation.

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BOOMER

INSPIRATION & INNOVATION

Growing up CREATE MORE EFFECTIVE CAMPAIGNS WITH GENERATIONAL MARKETING

BY HANNAH MASSEN

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Picture a typical family: Ruth and Dave are the Gen X parents, they have a Millennial son named Jake, and two teenage Gen Z children.

Oh, and don’t forget about grandma and grandpa Baby Boomer. Now picture this family at the mall.

Jake and his younger siblings are looking for an engaging brand experience, while grandma and grandpa are on the hunt for a bargain. And Ruth and Dave? They’re chatting with the luxury item sales rep at the department store.

The dozens – if not hundreds – of studies that have been done on consumer habits and preferences across generations usually boil down to one takeaway: we are not all alike. Each generation has its own expectations, lifestyles and values that influence its members’ responses to your marketing tactics. Jake would probably toss the brochure you handed to grandma and grandpa, while the easiest way to reach Ruth and Dave would be through email marketing.

By segmenting the target market based on the age group (aka generational marketing), businesses can make a better and more direct approach to connecting with consumers.

Use this generational “cheat sheet” to inform your next marketing campaign.

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GEN X BABY BOOMERS (BORN 1946-1964)

GEN X (BORN 1965-1980)

■ Getting to know them

Gen Xers have acquired a significant amount of wealth over the years, but they tend to prioritize practical expenses. Between being raised during an economic depression and having mortgages, college tuition statements and retirement funds to think about, Xers are the most discerning when it comes to quality and price. They also have one of the highest university attendance and graduation rates among all the generations, which is why solid data and testimonials make for effective “evidence” that your brand promises hold true. If they’re going to invest, they’re going to invest in the best.

Gen Xers have been around the block a few times when it comes to making purchases, so they’re likely to see right through any toogood-to-be-true deals or unrealistic promises. They’re not too keen on hardcore sales tactics. Just be honest with your intentions and straightforward with your facts.

Baby Boomers may be the oldest generation, but they also have the most buying power. Having mostly grown up in America’s post-war “golden age” and spent years growing their careers, the 60+ crowd is the most inclined to go on a shopping spree. After all, they do have kids and grandkids to spoil.

That said, earning the trust of Baby Boomers requires some patience and skill. Baby Boomers are known for their loyalty, and today’s retirees tend to favor brands that prioritize convenience and reliability. They are less conscious when it comes to price as long as they get their money’s worth. Try adding value to your products and services through bundling, a rewards program, or outstanding customer service.

■ Suggested marketing strategies Baby Boomers tend to favor more traditional marketing tactics and strategies (i.e. direct mail, coupons and face-to-face interactions). But don’t count them out of the digital age: most Boomers have embraced digital communication, and while they’re not quite as tech-savvy as their children, they have a high email marketing response rate and typically research products and services online before making a purchase.

■ Getting to know them

■ Suggested marketing strategies Gen Xers may not be digital natives, but they are certainly active members of the digital age. Most Xers are in the prime of their careers, which means they’re refreshing their inbox most of the day (can anyone else relate?).

Email marketing is the number one way to reach this generation, but the way to earn their loyalty is through excellent customer support. Gen X uses social media less frequently than their children, but when they do, they go straight to Facebook and Pinterest. Aside from looking at lifestyle content and “liking” their friends’ anniversary photos, they also use social media to look for deals from their favorite brands. According to a survey from Yes Lifecycle Marketing, 85 percent of Gen X respondents said that a sale or deal influenced their last purchase.

Q2 2022  LocalBizSC.com

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MILLENNIALS (BORN 1981-1995)

GEN Z (BORN 1996-2015)

■ Getting to know them

■ Getting to know them

Millennials (or Gen Y) were the first to grow up in the age of the internet. Knowing that they’re partial to all things digital may make marketing to Millennials sound like a cakewalk – but only if you know how to appeal to them.

Since the proliferation of fake news, clickbait and online scams have dominated their early adulthood, Millennials prefer word-of-mouth marketing. They want to hear directly from brands and real consumers, which is where social media comes in. Businesses can build direct relationships with Millennials on almost any of the latest platforms from Instagram to TikTok to Snapchat. But Millennials don’t just want to hear from brands on social media, they’re also looking for something to post about. A week-long wellness retreat with llamas? Check. Sustainable athleisure? Check. An Ube-flavored iced latte? That’s a must. This generation may be slightly “extra,” but that’s only because they’re in the fearless pursuit of new experiences.

The most important thing to know about Gen Zs is that no, they are not Millennials. Nicknamed “iGen,” Gen Z is the most tech-savvy generation yet – meaning its members can research just about anything in a matter of clicks and swipes.

According to Forbes, Gen Z is a benefit- and results-driven group. They may be young, but having grown up in the shadow of the 2008 economic crash (followed by that of the COVID-19 pandemic), they are hyper-aware of where their money goes.

The majority of the generation is progressive and willing to stand for causes they care about.

In fact, A 2020 study published in Market Dive says that Gen Zs are attracted to authenticity, as 82 percent of Gen Z respondents said they would trust a brand more if it used real people in its advertisements, and 72 percent said they are more likely to support brands that stand up for social causes. Because these digital natives are constantly sifting through content, Gen Zs are adept at filtering out marketing messages that don’t appeal to them directly. They value individuality, which is why you shouldn’t lump them in with everybody else on your email list.

■ Suggested marketing strategies Timing is essential with Millennials. They’re always online, so keeping your website and social media profiles up-to-date is critical. They’re also likely to reach out to you through online reviews or comments, which is why you need to be on top of monitoring your mentions. Remember how we said that Millennials seek out new experiences? Bonus points if you can deliver a brand experience that’s customized to their buying history, needs or habits.

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MILLEN

INSPIRATION & INNOVATION

LocalBizSC.com  Q2 2022

GEN Z ■ Suggested marketing strategies Social media is one of the most effective ways for brands to connect and communicate with consumers – especially Gen Zs. Because young people spend so much time online, honing your content marketing strategy should be a priority for you and your team. Gen Z-friendly content includes short-form, interactive and time-sensitive content. Use audience segmentation to deliver customized content to Gen Z inboxes and social feeds based on their personal needs and preferences. And like most young people, Gen Zs just want to be heard.

So, listen. Send out customer feedback forms on a regular basis, or interview people to find out how they feel about your brand.

Just be sure you’re not collecting a bunch of numbers to slap on a spreadsheet and forget about, but actually intend to make some changes if need be. ■

You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a Good First Impression.

2 Marshland Road, Unit 3, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 843.682.4247 terrashairstudio.com Q2 2022  LocalBizSC.com

37

INSPIRATION & INNOVATION

You might need a business makeover if ...

BY GEOFF FIXWIRTHY

T

This is not a “you know you’re a redneck when” joke, but it is not dissimilar. There are strong signs that your business needs a makeover, but you may not see those signs or might not have the time or wherewithal to do something about it. We can help by outlining some of the symptoms and offering a chance to win a professional makeover.

Signs you might need a brand makeover You’re stuck in the ‘90s: If you use the same logo and marketing materials as when you started your business, you might need a makeover. Your logo and marketing materials may have looked innovative when you started but may be outdated now, like orange shag carpeting in the basement.

Your business has changed: If you have added services or products or changed how you do business over time, you might need a makeover. An example is Joe’s Heating and Air, which just added

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LocalBizSC.com  Q2 2022

plumbing services. Changing the name to Joe’s Heating, Air and Plumbing may not be enough to signal a change to consumers who see the same logo and trucks with the word ‘plumbing’ added.

You’re inconsistent: If your trucks look different than your business cards that look different from your website that looks different from your brochures, you might need a makeover. No one intends to be inconsistent, but inconsistencies occur as things are added.

P R E S E N T S

T H E

If you use the same logo and marketing materials as when you started your business, you might need a makeover.

You could win a $10,000 brand makeover.

Your brand is the face of your business and the first impression your company ma es f yours needs a refresh or a redo this contest is for you t s easy to enter and all entries ill recei e a bonus gift from lpha raphics and i he inner ill recei e a complete mar eting re brand graphics and elements printed by lpha raphics including ogo redesign or refresh • usiness ards rochures enus Print indo and all raphics • terior graphics (where permitted) d ertising and Promotion in i aga ine Social edia Promotion • irect ail Postcards Significant public relations and promotional support

Your customers have changed: Your customers may be changing, or you may want a different clientele. If you are using the same marketing you used to get a $100 sale but want a $500 sale, you might need a makeover.

You’re planning to grow: If you want to expand products, services or partner with another company, you might need a makeover. This is the perfect time to step back and assess whether your marketing tells the story you now want to tell. ■

It’s easy to enter or nominate a business: 1. Visit LocalBizSC.com/Makeover 2. Answer three questions 3. Upload 3-5 photos

ENTER AT LOCALBizsc.com/Makeover The contest will be judged by a panel of local business experts.

There is no cost to enter or nominate a deserving business.

a

experience

Q2 2022  LocalBizSC.com

39

SALES & MARKETING

On-target sales prospecting in 6 easy steps

“Build a book of businesses of all sized fish, because just trying to catch whales can take a long time.”

BY RYAN DOHRN

Most of your sales prospects don’t want to talk to you—at first. You’re probably acutely aware of this as you approach them and try to build new business.

Even though these prospects may truly need you and your products to grow their businesses, they simply don’t have much time for you. So that’s where sales training is critical to help you build a prospect list that’s laser-focused for success.

I’ve figured out six steps to on-target prospecting that work for me. Put these into practice, and watch for measurable results in your acquisition of new business.

New business prospecting is critical to sales success. If you dedicate one hour every day to practicing the targeted sales training process I’ve outlined here, you’ll find your sales hitting the mark and exceeding what you thought possible. ■

M

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LocalBizSC.com  Q2 2022

RYAN DOHRN is an Emmy Award winner, Fortune 500 advisor and globally recognized sales consultant. Since 1994 he has trained and coached over 20,000 sales reps to date and speaks over 60 times per year.

Ryan loves teaching sales reps his simple and effective way to achieve sales success. Ryan is the CEO and founder of Brain Swell Media LLC, a corporate training and revenue strategy firm. He is also the publisher and owner of the corporate sales training web portal SalesTrainingWorld.com.

DEFINE YOUR PROSPECT

1

Do you have certain criteria you use before you put someone on your prospect list? I’ve noticed in my coaching that a lot of sales reps are fairly random in whom they target. To see results beyond random ones, come up with a list of three or four qualities of the ideal prospect before you just put a company on your list.

Defining the ideal prospect is really about using a test to help you see who’s on target. My test is, do they currently buy the types of products I’m selling, or have they in the past? If the answer is yes, they’re on the list. If it’s no, I wouldn’t necessarily NOT put them on my list if I feel they’re a great fit, but they’re not going to be at the top.

One last tip in defining who should be on your list: Every prospect doesn’t need to be a whale or a massive potential account. Whales are harder to close. Don’t load your list with nothing but massive potential clients.

IDENTIFY YOUR CALL-TOCLOSE RATIOS TO FINETUNE YOUR PROSPECT LIST

2

To create a highly targeted Top 10 or Top 20 list, you’ll need to know how many prospects you need to get to the goal. And that’s all about your call-to-close ratio.

To calculate your call-to-close ratio, consider this. If your goal is $10k, for instance, and your average deal is $1k, then you’ll need to close 10 deals to get to $10k.

But unless you close 100 percent, you’ll need to meet with more than 10 people to get your 10 deals. So basically just double it. If your goal is $10k and your average is $1k per deal and your close ratio is about 50 percent, you’ll need to meet with about 20 people to close 10 deals.

If your close ratio is 20 percent, you’ll need to meet with more people to get to your 10 deals.

So create your most targeted Top 10 or Top 20 list, but you also might need a Big 50 or a Hot 100.

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SALES & MARKETING

3

CREATE EMAIL THAT CONNECTS Email is a primary way sales reps reach out to people, but in sales training we’re told that nobody wants to read our email.

The only way to cut through the clutter is to keep emails simple and relevant.

Emails that hit the bulls-eye follow a three, three-and-three format. Three words in the subject line. Three sentences in the email. The email must address one of three needs. Can you save them money, make them money or save them time? What can you do for them?

CRAFT VOICEMAIL THAT CUTS STRAIGHT TO THE CORE

4 5

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Once again, realize that practically nobody wants to listen to your voicemail. So be strategic. If you start out with your name, nobody will listen. You will be deleted.

In my sales training I always stress to format your voicemail — 30 seconds max — in three parts, something like this: Share some insight you have about their business.

Give a success story from your work with another similar company.

Say why they should call or email you back.

CULTIVATE THE BEST TIME TO PROSPECT This is about reaching out to people at a time when they can reply.

I’ve found that the two best times to prospect are at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. because most people don’t book meetings before lunch, and they don’t book meetings before they go home.

Obviously, you might have a best time to call on people based upon your business or product category. Every product is different. Every territory is different.

And every country is different.

WE W EB BRING R I NG YOUR YOU R IDEAS I DE A S TO T O LIFE! L I F E!

6 PUT IN PLACE A SMART PATTERN OF FOLLOW-UP FREQUENCY The pattern of three works well here too. You’ll find that I refer to it time and again in sales training, and that’s because the power of three works and is well documented.

So if I reach out to someone with an email or voicemail on Monday, I’m not going to call again on Tuesday or Wednesday. I’m going to reach out again on Thursday—three days later.

A colleague of mine refers to this as “polite persistence.” And using this pattern can increase your sales when you incorporate it into your ongoing sales training and development.

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43

SALES & MARKETING

There is no time like the present

AFTER

FOUR STEPS TO A BRAND REVITALIZATION

BARRY WILSON and his wife, Rita, own and operate AlphaGraphics, serving businesses of all sizes in Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Beaufort and surrounding communities.

BY BARRY WILSON With the first quarter of 2022 behind you, now is a great time to evaluate your business brand. The marketing environment is always changing. Consumers develop new preferences and competition grows, so brands need to react to those changes to stay relevant.

Yours is no different. All businesses need a refresh from time to time. With four simple steps you can refresh and revitalize your business brand, build customer loyalty and expand your reach.

But branding is far more than just a logo. It’s also important to establish the fonts, colors and imagery that you’ll incorporate into your brand marketing across all communications and advertising. If your branding isn’t already well established, a designer can help you outline each element of your visual representation. Once this set of brand guidelines has been created, it’ll be easy for you to keep future branding consistent across all touch-points

UPDATE DESIGNS

REFRESH PRINT COLLATERAL

Is your brand feeling outdated or just not making the right impression? A graphic design refresh can put a modern spin on your brand to stand out to customers and represent your brand accurately. A professional designer will work with you to understand your business and what makes it unique, then determine how to best communicate it visually in a way that captures attention and makes a positive impression.

With your branding elements established, it’s important to make sure that they're reinforced at every customer touchpoint. A print collateral refresh will start by auditing all of your existing print materials that reflect your brand: business cards, brochures, promotional materials, menus, packaging, product labels and more. Take a holistic view of your entire print output, then find opportunities for improvement.

W

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LocalBizSC.com  Q2 2022

BEFORE

This step could be as simple as just updating your existing collateral to match your refreshed branding — or it could be a complete overhaul. You might take this opportunity to reprint collateral that is highly visible with customers, like your brochures, on higher-quality paper or even incorporate premium-print finishes. When it comes to reusable items like menus, opting for extra durable or even waterproof paper can help your printed materials stay in good shape for years to come.

You could even come up with new pieces of collateral, or new ways to use existing items. If one of your business goals is to earn more repeat customers, you might create loyalty cards or coupon cards to hand out with purchases to encourage a return visit. Ensuring that you have the right print collateral for your needs is all part of a business makeover.

RETHINK SIGNAGE

“Rebranding can be a highly effective way to give your business a shot in the arm. It will be an exciting process, but it is a process that doesn’t happen overnight.”

Is your business location eye-catching and enticing to passersby? Can customers easily find their way around your store? Does the interior appearance of your business reflect your branding? These are all questions that you should ask yourself as you’re planning your business-brand makeover — and if the answers are “no,” they’re all problems which can be solved with signage.

Signage that’s well thought out, beautifully designed and properly installed can offer many benefits for your business.

Way-finding signs ensure a pleasant and smooth experience by seamlessly directing customers where they need to go, while window, wall and floor graphics can reinforce your brand’s visual elements. Seamless navigation and strong branding are both essential to building a memorable and enjoyable experience for anyone who enters your business.

SPREAD THE WORD Now you have an exciting refreshed brand you’re proud to show off and a whole suite of high-quality print collateral ready to go. The only thing that’s left to do is to bring in new customers to experience all the positive changes you’ve made.

There is a wide range of print and digital marketing tactics that can help you connect with prospective customers. A marketing professional can guide you through the process to make sure your print and digital presence aligns with your refreshed brand by examining your print creative and brand messaging, SEM and social media messaging, website graphics and more.

Rebranding can be a highly effective way to give your business a shot in the arm. It will be an exciting process, but it is a process that doesn’t happen overnight in order to be done right. Starting now can have you ready to launch your refreshed brand before the holidays. ■

Q2 2022  LocalBizSC.com

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SALES & MARKETING

“You don’t need an English degree to write for social media, but you do need to hone your brand voice and speak to your followers. Use these tips to build your social media writing skills.”

Caption this: Social media content writing made easy

BY HANNAH MASSEN Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or totally off-the-grid) for the last few months, you’ve probably heard a thing or two about Meta changing the Facebook and Instagram algorithms. It’s now harder than ever to generate engagements, but there’s still hope for those of us who aren’t influencers – you don’t need to learn a bunch of TikTok dances to reach your target audience. Facebook and Instagram may favor videos and Reels, Stories and live streams, but the core elements of great content are still the same: great visuals, strong CTAs, (calls to action) and compelling captions. ■

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LocalBizSC.com  Q2 2022

■ Have a distinct brand voice Picture your business as a person (stay with us here): What would they wear? What would their interests and values be? Who would they be friends with? And, most importantly, what would they sound like? Your answer to that last question should define your brand voice, or the tone and language you use across all of your brand’s platforms. Using a consistent brand voice on your website and all social media channels will build your business’s identity and relationships with its supposed “friends,” or your customers.

Your best customers are right here.

Every business is unique so we will work with you to design a marketing plan that reaches your customers and prospects with the right mix of print, digital, social and online advertising.

■ Lead with a hook The average person lingers on any given post for only a few seconds, which is where your stunning visuals come in. But if they do decide to read your captions, it’s important to capture their attention just as quickly. At the risk of sounding like your middle school teacher, always lead with a hook. This could be a quote, a bit of humor, a strong statement or an announcement – whatever’s relevant to the goal of that post. Speaking of middle school…

G.O.A.T.

BE A BETTER BOSS P. 76

Reach your full potential by following the seven golden rules

STEP UP YOUR GAME

MAKE YOUR BUSINESS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME LOCALBIZSC.COM

DECEMBER 2021 + VOL 5 • ISSUE 12 + TOYS LOCALLIFESC.COM

■ Always end with a CTA While you might enjoy sitting back and watching the likes and comments roll in on your latest selfie, chances are you’re not posting on your business account just for fun. You want your followers to take some sort of action after seeing your post, whether it’s visiting your website, clicking a link or tagging someone in the comments.

That’s where a strong call to action comes in: a message that prompts your followers to engage with your business in some way. This can be a clear directive that prompts them to take immediate action (“click,” “sign up,” “subscribe”), a statement that creates a sense of urgency (“limited time offer,” “don’t wait!”), or a request for contact as an intermediary step between your social platforms and making a purchase (“DM us,” “call now,” “send us an email”).

MAKE THE BEST OF IT P. 32

Strategies for overcoming common business setbacks

H I LTO N H E A D  B LU FF TO N  B E AU FO RT

Q4 2021

■ Write to an 8th-grader The average national reading level is that of an 8th-grader, and you want to reach the most people possible. Therefore, you should only use words and sentences that a 12-year-old would understand. Ditch the jargon and buzzwords and write like you’re chatting with your followers over coffee, using casual language and simple sentence structures. Writing in the active voice (i.e. when a sentence has a subject that acts upon its verb) can also improve clarity.

FOLLOW THE LEADERS P. 22 Good business advice from 13 successful entrepreneurs

Q4  2021

H I LT O N H E A D • B L U F F T O N • B E AU F O RT

Dec 2021

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SALES & MARKETING

Increase your reach

SOCIAL MEDIA SAVVY, FROM FACEBOOK TO META

BY LESLIE T. SNADOWSKY

If you asked someone out on a date, how would you engage them?

It’s a question Ryan Lockhart, owner of Group 46, a full-service, brand-driven marketing agency in Bluffton, says is at the heart of every successful social media campaign.

“I would try to build a relationship through multiple engagements over time,” he said. “So if I bump into someone a few times in line at Starbucks, I might see what their order is and maybe offer to buy them one and start to build that relationship.”

This strategy translates to marketing, says Lockhart.

With ever-evolving technology and social media platforms, his position for all his clients, regardless of the industry, is for them to understand their own brand voice and to be congruent with that brand voice to set an expectation with their ideal clients.

I

80/20 RULE

MESSAGE OVER PLATFORM

Lockhart says service-based social media for Group 46 and his clients focus more on aspirational or inspirational content. “Eighty percent of our posts are informative toward our brand and our position and our why.

Twenty percent of posts focus on action to schedule an appointment or purchase a product. We focus on a unique brand message or a unique brand position and try to generate awareness around the principles we stand for, the value that we bring to our clients, and the why they need to use us, versus purchase my stuff, or get this for a discount.”

“Every medium works,” says Lockhart, “so catering your social media marketing toward whom you’re trying to engage with would be the most appropriate choice, regardless of the social media platform.”

Lockhart also says you shouldn’t be distracted by what your competition is up to on social media. He says the danger of trying to keep up with others often leads to the dilution of your own voice, brand and vision for what success is.

REINVENTION With so many social media avenues available, Lockhart says many companies are tempted to post “cookie-cutter” content that often is overlooked. For clients like Callawassie Island, Lockhart uses social media to reignite and reinvent the lifestyle brand. “We helped them come up with a unique position or unique voice that would be meaningful and relevant to the people who actually are interested in hearing what they have to say. We focus on the essence of what they stand for to get to the most distilled point of their messaging and their engagement to have a consistent voice.”

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HELLO, METAVERSE “Individual companies should be mindful of the type of client that they’re trying to attract to ensure that they’re saying the right thing to the right person at the right time,” he said. “And choosing a platform is part of the timing.”

While Lockhart says there’s a place for Facebook, Instagram, Snapshot, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube, the Metaverse, augmented and virtual reality is where the future of marketing lies.

“Apple has already filed and received a patent on augmented reality, and there are companies out there taking augmented reality to contact lenses. Virtual reality headsets are already available for home use. The future is evolving at a rapid pace, and Meta would be the first virtual, augmented reality platform that we can see in the next five years coming to heavy, heavy fruition. It will overtake everything.”

Choose your megaphone FACEBOOK Launched 18 years ago, this social media giant boasts 2.85 billion monthly active users who post text, photos and multimedia content.

Rebranded as Meta Platforms, this platform has been valued as much as $1 trillion.

INSTAGRAM This photo and video-sharing social networking service was sold to Facebook for $1 billion in 2012 and is now worth $100 billion.

It has 1.2 billion monthly active users, and 32 percent of them are between the ages of 25 and 34.

SNAPCHAT More than four billion Snaps are sent each day on this multimedia instant messaging app that’s popular amongst the age 16-and-under crowd.

TIKTOK Released in 2016 this videofocused social networking service surpassed Google as the most popular website of 2021. Forty-one percent of its users are between age16 and 24, and 90 percent of them say they use the app daily.

You Bank It, We’ll Book It. Great financial roots start with great financial records.

With more than 15 years of experience in the accounting and customer service industries, we offer remote and onsite local bookkeeping and business management services.

• We assist small businesses with the set up their accounting file and educate them on streamlined workflows, reconciliations and reviews.

• We offer one on one classes as well as small group seminars.

• We have support and trouble-shooting services when you just need a one-time or couple of times answer as you’re going through your day to day operations.

• We offer clean up and catch up services.

I have lived in Bluffton and the surrounding area for over 30 years and have watched my small town grow into an eclectic, vibrant community of entrepreneurs. I started this business because so many small businesses needed an option that fit their budget and many of the accounting firms were an all or nothing service.

TWITTER This microblogging and social networking service’s net worth hovers around $12.2 billion, and its 396.5 million users tweet 200 billion tweets annually.

YOUTUBE Google scooped up YouTube in 2006 for $1.6 billion. Today the online video sharing and social media platform is worth $160 billion.

METAVERSE This network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connection is the future of advertising and will offer users opportunities to build virtual-reality billboards, sponsor content in social spaces, offer product placement in VR Games, create immersive native ad experiences and RYAN LOCKHART, engage a new generaowner of Group 46 in Bluffton tion of influencers.

Lisa Peacock

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Bluffton, SC 29910 | 843.505.3612 blufftonbookkeeper.com Q2 2022  LocalBizSC.com 49

SALES & MARKETING

Give and get Giving branded promotional products will make the recipient feel great and build brand awareness and customer and employee loyalty. There are many business-building ways promotional products can be used including a gift with purchase, customer appreciation or a trade-show giveaway. And don’t forget that your employees are also your customers.

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PRO TIP: When a new hire starts, give them a ‘Welcome Swag Bag,’ complete with some of your company-branded items, training materials and first-day documents. First impressions count, and this will make their first day a memorable one.

Promotional product experts Mandy and Bill Arnold of Eagle Creations shared advice to help you when you order products Quantity matters The more you buy the more you save, as most items have a minimum-order quantity. Sometimes that can be as few as 12 items, but make sure you note the price breaks. If you are close to the next price break, consider adding a few items to get a better price and give those to your employees or top customers.

Patience is a virtue It is no surprise that the supply chain is creating inventory challenges, so it helps to have alternate choices in case your first choice will take too long to arrive. For example, we ask our customers, ‘if your first choice of white is not available on time, do you have a second choice, just in case?’.

Be creative Our favorite part of our job is to help find unique items or new items our customers haven’t seen before. We start with a broad category, then narrow the suggested items. For example, we may start with a category like technology or sanitization and then look for interesting items in the category.

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Five of our favorite promotional products DOUBLE DUTY This functional wireless charger coaster is easy to set up and use. It looks good on any table or desk and can be a cup coaster when not charging. Win Win. WRITE ON A notebook is always appreciated and useful.

Prices and features vary depending on quantity and quality.

Obviously we love this one, with a ribbon to mark the page.

NOW HEAR THIS Listen to this one. Everyone loses earbuds or needs a backup pair that is charged. You can put your logo on these buds and literally blow away your customer or employee.

DRINK IT IN Keep your logo on their desk. Mugs are practical, affordable and always appreciated. Mug prices can start as low as $2-$3 each (minimum quantities may apply).

SOUNDS GREAT This portable speaker will take your logo to the recipient’s boat, dock, pool or living room.

Having your brand be the life of the party is a winning strategy.

Q2 2022  LocalBizSC.com

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HUMAN RESOURCES

©SEA PINES RESORT/ROB TIPTON

Whistle while you work HERALDING HAPPINESS AMONG THE RANKS

BY LESLIE T. SNADOWSKY

As prospective employees are empowered by their choices in a job market inundated with opportunities, how does a company keep its workforce content and not tempted to stray?

Statistically, happy employees are more creative and offer better customer service, so many bosses are investing in ways to attract and retain employees less likely to quit and seeking strategies to keep the ranks feeling connected to their organization beyond offering the standard health, dental and vision benefits and incremental raises.

At The Sea Pines Resort, a Lowcountry golf and beach destination located along 5,000 oceanfront acres spanning the southern end of Hilton Head Island, employees are treated like their own guests.

“We always can increase our benefits and enhance our pay wages, but if we don't help retain our talent by employee-engagement opportunities, we will lose our talent as fast as we get them in here,” said Candice Taylor, Sea Pines Resort recruiting manager.

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Team players

Candice Taylor (left) is a recruiting manager, and Casey Norris is a human resources coordinator for Sea Pines Resort.

WORKING STAYCATION In addition to standard benefits that kick in after 60 days for full-time employees, staff members at Sea Pines are given resort privileges, including a 20 percent dining discount, a 20 percent retail discount and access to its fitness center, tennis courts and pools as well as free rounds of golf at its enviable Heron Point and Atlantic Dunes golf courses. Employees just have to pay the cart fees.

©SEA PINES RESORT/ROB TIPTON

PAT ON THE BACK Some benefits beyond the basics that create positive work environments include employee recognition initiatives and rewards. Sea Pines has a Circle of Excellence committee that meets monthly and rewards an Employee of the Month and a Manager of the Quarter.

“We’re putting a stronger emphasis on our employee recognition program and getting back to normal, holding employee events,” said Casey Norris, Sea Pines human resources coordinator. “Our employee recognition programs keep everyone feeling like a big family.”

SOCIAL NETWORK While it’s been challenging for companies to organize employee events in the last few years, Sea Pines’ Taylor says they are looking forward to hosting an employee golf tournament, employee luncheons and seasonal celebrations like a Christmas Party in 2022.

“Now that we’re starting to get back to normal, we want to bring back all our employee events and host our employee picnic in the spring,” Norris said.

HOUSING HAVEN Sea Pines luxury boutique hotel and 400 home and villa rentals are not the only accommodations the resort offers. There’s also a newly constructed Sea Pines-branded housing complex complete with a clubhouse for employees.

“Our housing makes transportation to the resort a lot easier for international employees, especially,” Norris said. “And it’s not strictly for international employees. There are opportunities for other employees to take advantage of our housing. It's been really difficult for anyone to find affordable housing in the proximity of our resort.” ■

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HUMAN RESOURCES

Make your workplace a 'WOW' place THREE WAYS TO CULTIVATE A KILLER POST-PANDEMIC WORKPLACE CULTURE

BY CRISTIN HEYNS-BOUSLIMAN During uncertain times when chilling phrases like “the great resignation,” “vaccination mandate,” and “staffing shortages” are front and center in the media, employers are left scrambling to recruit and retain talent.

The dramatic increase in the availability of remote work has many companies competing in much larger job markets for team members.

This means that many employers have to revisit what makes them competitive in the labor market, more specifically, re-examining what drives their workplace culture. The factors described here are a great place to start.

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1. Adopt honest core values and live by them: Humans need stability to thrive. Your core values create a framework for performance expectations,. and employees should feel confident that workplace behavior within that framework will be rewarded. If you haven’t dusted off your core values in years, now is a great time to rejuvenate them. After the last two years, it is safe to say that a lot of our values have changed. Once you complete your update, create a stable and predictable environment by tying all aspects of your operations to your core values. This includes all aspects of performance evaluation, from rewards to consequences.

CRISTIN HEYNS-BOUSLIMAN is a principal and department head of REDW Human Resources Consulting practice. Her team consults with businesses of all sizes nationwide, assisting in building strong culture while facing employeerelations matters with a proactive legal mindset.

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2. Develop a compensation philosophy in tune with your recruiting and retention goals: “You’re lucky to have a job” is no longer an acceptable compensation philosophy. Was it ever, really? A compensation philosophy is a formal statement that explains the “why” behind the way that you pay your employees and ensures consistency in compensation. You have to decide whether you will lead, meet or lag the market in your base compensation and balance that position with the benefits offered.

Perhaps you cannot afford to lead the market in compensation, but you can offer Fridays off.

News flash: employees are less motivated by money than ever before. Work/life balance can be a highly valuable piece of your compensation puzzle and can certainly drive employee engagement in a meaningful way. Your compensation philosophy also should reflect your core values. For example, if one of your core values is “innovation,” then your compensation philosophy must be designed to attract innovative people (i.e. lead the market in pay, offer industry-leading benefits and bonus structure, provide creative fringe benefits).

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3. Investigate remote work opportunities: Even if you managed to make it through the pandemic without offering remote work, you still should be considering whether you can extend this opportunity for any positions. Remote work will not only help you retain team members who might be considering other opportunities that offer this more flexible feature, but it also dramatically increases your applicant pool. Having trouble finding a specialized skillset in a small labor market?

How about hiring someone from across the country who meets all of your ideal qualifications? Score! Managing a remote workforce can be daunting, but it is highly rewarding once you get the hang of it. ■

ForeShore focuses on delivering tailored management and leasing solutions to help our clients create optimum and measurable outcomes. ForeShore’s boutique commercial business includes: • Commercial rental property marketing & leasing • Negotiating lease terms • Small Commercial Association Management • Commercial Space Management

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www.foreshorerentals.com Brian J. Tierney, PropertyQ2Manager in Charge 2022  LocalBizSC.com

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HUMAN RESOURCES

Supersize the way you organize THREE TIPS FOR BETTER SCHEDULING AND MANAGEMENT

BY LESLIE T. SNADOWSKY Entrepreneurs have great ideas.

Organizational skills? Not so much.

But every business owner eventually learns their success relies on the organization of their daily chaos.

Franklin Buchanan, founder of Post Up Careers, which offers personalized resume writing and career-building services, says organization is crucial even if you’re the only one in the office.

“Being a small business owner is a lot of fun, but when you’re a business of one, that fun can become spoiled when you become surrounded by disorder,” Buchanan said. “These are a few tools that have helped me stay organized, but a word of caution. You can’t just do these things and expect overnight results. You have to put time into the technology and customize it to your needs.”

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DATE AND TIME Some historians believe the first calendar was created in the Bronze Age back in 3100 BC. Fast forward a couple of millennia, and executives today are still ruled by the confines of their calendars.

“My business isn’t run on my desk,” Buchanan said. “It’s run on my computer. I use several tools and techniques to keep me organized and my business running as smoothly as possible, and my first is my calendar.”

Buchanan uses Google Suite and Microsoft Office 365 to effectively time block, a technique he teaches to his job-searching clients. He trained recruiters and salespeople how to use it when he worked in staffing. The goal is to block off 45-minute chunks of time on your calendar for vital activities. Buchanan says it focuses you to complete activities in an allotted time.

“You have to use discipline in calendar blocking,” Buchanan said. “Losing time is probably the biggest downfall in business, so be diligent about yours.”

STREAMLINE YOUR SCHEDULING If you’re spending more time scheduling an appointment than the actual length of the appointment, find a technology tool that cuts to the chase, he said.

“I do a lot of scheduling in my business,” he said.

“And whether I’m scheduling interviews, draft reviews or coaching sessions with existing clients or scheduling introductory calls with new clients, I’ve learned how inefficient it can be going back and forth trying to find a time to connect.”

Buchanan uses the Calendly app for scheduling, and it enables him to send a link to the person with whom he wants to meet. They click that link, go straight to Buchanan’s calendar and pick the time that works best for them.

“You can set meeting parameters, unavailable times and even add pricing to your links so you can get paid for your time without having to waste back-office time on invoicing,” he says.

CRM TO MANAGE YOUR PIPELINES Instead of investing in a customer relationship management team, Buchanan turned to an online CRM service that promises to move conversations forward, manage pipelines and win more customers.

“Organization is something that I’m constantly working on, and the last vital tool for me is a CRM tool,” he said. “I use Zoho Bigin. The best part about Zoho Bigin is that it doesn’t just serve as a sales tool, but it also has workflows I’ve set up, so it acts as a project management tool as well.”

Buchanan says he can see where every prospect is in the sales process, the number of deals outstanding, what he’s sold and where each current client is in their respective coaching program. ■

FRANKLIN BUCHANAN Working across a wide range of industries including energy, finance, IT, marketing and sales, manufacturing, education, nonprofit and government, Franklin Buchanan has made thousands of successful placements for the top staffing and recruitment companies globally and has helped countless individuals realize their career aspirations. Learn more at postupcareers.com.

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HUMAN RESOURCES

Our greatest W mistake: GETTING LOST IN OUR OWN STORY. GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

BY DON HARKEY

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We all live within our own head. We are prisoners of our own perspectives, which are tainted by our own knowledge, our experiences, our personality, and most of all, our own story. Our story is powerful because it is ours. We take our own personal narrative as truth. In fact, it’s so much our own truth that we try to manipulate the world around us to align with our story.

We see this happen in politics. If your story includes a political ideology, we see righteousness in the voices of our politicians and evil coming from the opposite side. In just the past few weeks, I’ve heard smart people claim that there is no way that you can be against Trump and be a Christian, and I’ve heard smart people say that Trump has never done a good thing in his life. Our story is powerful, and we get lost in it.

We see this happen at work. If our story involves a boss who doesn’t have our interests at heart, then all we see are bad decisions and poor intentions. If our story involves employees who don’t care or work hard, all we see is laziness and poor decisions. Our story is powerful, and we get lost in it.

DON HARKEY Harkey’s first responsibility as CEO is to his team. He also spends time speaking at conferences and associations across the country, evangelizing the idea that organizations that create empowerment and alignment end up being much more successful. Don loves it when business owners and organizational leaders learn how they can discover and unleash the talent right under their own noses. He also loves to see employees start to realize their own potential. If you’d like to learn more about what it means to become People Centric, contact Don Harkey at PeopleCentric.com.

We see this happen in our lives. When someone wrongs us, we see a villain who can’t do right. We assume negative intentions. We become the hero in our own story. Our story is powerful, and we get lost in it.

The problem with being trapped in the story in our head is that we become observers in our own lives. Some people influence us positively and are protagonists, while others do the opposite and are antagonists. When we meet someone new, we immediately watch to see what kind of character they will become.

We ask, how will THEY act to impact MY story.

The reality is we have no way of controlling how other people impact our story. We can only control our own actions. When we only live in our own story, we are victims of how others treat us. We are passive judges living within our own lives.

Let me offer an alternative.

What if we change it up? Instead of living in our own story and watching how others influence us, what if we seek to understand the story of others and watch how we influence others?

This is the secret of the most positive leaders.

When someone disagrees with them, they seek to understand their perspective and focus on how they treat the other person. This creates a broader understanding and gives the leader a chance to make a positive difference in the world.

This is my challenge to you (and to myself). Don’t focus just on your own story. Work to seek understanding of the stories around you. Don’t just focus on what others do to you. Focus on how you can influence others.

I think you’ll find this exercise, which takes practice, nothing less than transformational. ■

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Q2 2022  LocalBizSC.com

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MONEY MATTERS

Cashing in on the fringe BUSINESSES BENEFIT FROM PERSUASIVE PERKS

BY LESLIE T. SNADOWSKY The SERG Group is known for its impressive roster of award-winning local restaurants and catering services, including WiseGuys, Frankie Bones, Skull Creek Dockside and Nectar, and its dedication to providing guests with quality cuisine, exceptional service and genuine coastal hospitality.

Jordan Norris, the SERG Group’s HR director, said SERG’s commitment to excellence also serves up enviable benefits for its biggest asset: loyal and dedicated employees.

“You have to think outside the box to attract employees and figure out what is appealing and important to them,” says Norris. “Offering different benefits to people from different generations is important. From 100 percent health care to 401K plans to a rewards program to college tuition savings opportunities, we know everybody at every age is motivated differently, so we offer an array of benefits to them all, from Gen Z to management.”

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To learn more about the SERG Restaurant Group perks, visit serggroup.com/careers and serggroup.com/collegesavings.

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■ CASH FOR CREDITS When good help is hard to find, many businesses advertise perks for student employees. SERG has a college-savings program where employees can earn up to $1 for every hour they work to be used at any university of their choosing. In addition, Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL) and University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) students who work 100 hours per semester get a $250 tuition reimbursement. If they work 200 hours per semester, they get $500.

■ HEALTH BENEFITS WITH HEART During the last few years, SERG offered an average hourly wage of $17.78 to employees and an average annual salary of $74,906 to managers, but health benefits seemed to be the biggest motivator on the menu when attracting and retaining talent in the challenging labor environment.

“The food and beverage industry is tricky due to cost flow, but health insurance is very important for certain demographics,” says Norris. “SERG decided to cover 100 percent of the high-deductible plan for our management team and 90 percent for our hourly employees.”

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■ OFF THE CLOCK One of the biggest perks a boss can offer is paid time off, and SERG just rolled out an appetizing program sure to make employees hungry to work there.

“In 2021 our hourly employees started to earn one hour for every 40 hours they worked,” says Norris.

“Our staff can use that time whenever they want for vacations, or if they need a little cash, they can cash them out at any time. It’s kind of like a little bank account for them to use.”

■ REFER A FRIEND “Instead of offering sign-up bonuses, we wanted to reward the employees who were already working for us versus rewarding somebody coming in off the street,” says Norris.

Last summer SERG offered $500 referral bonuses to employees when they recommended friends to work at SERG who were employed for at least 90 days. A similar year-round program offers a $100 referral perk.

■ TEAM SERG REWARDS The Team SERG Rewards program offers employees goods for goodwill. “We’ve been testing this program over the summer, and it’s been received really well,” Norris said. “Employees can earn points for doing good things, picking up shifts, helping out, going above and beyond, and they can cash in those points for real, tangible things like tickets to football games, hotel stays, gifts like kayaks and bikes, swag and stuff off of Amazon. We feel this program is somewhat unique and something that shows we value our employees.” ■

Product not directly offered by Finance of America Mortgage LLC. See your advisor for details. Product offered through Finance of America Commercial LLC I Equal Housing Opportunity I NMLS ID# 1133465 I Product not offered in all states. I Exposure limits and property loans are subject to investor and business credit approval. appraisal and geographic location of the property and other underwriting criteria. Loan amounts, options, and rates may vary depending upon loan type, LTV, verification of application information and other risk based factors. Application fees, closing costs and other fees may apply. Each loan is subject to property approval under Finance of America Commercial terms and conditions. Each property has an individual secured loan. Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Finance Lenders Law license.

REQUEST A QUOTE AND GET STARTED TODAY! JIM ATKINS NC, SC, & VA Regional Manager Mortgage Advisor NMLS-133206 O: 843.837.5626 C: 610.212.5390 jatkins@financeofamerica.com

MARIELENA DIMATTEO Mortgage Advisor NMLS-1981464 O: 843.949.4027 marielena.dimatteo@financeofamerica.com

1 Promenade Street | Suite 203 | Bluffton, SC 29910 ©2022 Finance of America Mortgage LLC is licensed nationwide I Equal Housing Opportunity I NMLS ID #1071 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) 11 West Elm Street, First Floor, Conshohocken, PA 19428 I (800) 3555626 I AZ Mortgage Banker License #0910184 I Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act I Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee #15499 I Kansas Licensed Mortgage Company I Licensed by the N.J. Department of Banking and Insurance I Licensed Mortgage Banker -- NYS Banking Department I Rhode Island Licensed Lender I Massachusetts Lender/Broker License MC1071. This is not a commitment to lend. Prices and guidelines are subject to change without notice. Some products may not be available in all states. Subject to review of credit and/or collateral; not all applicants will qualify for financing. It is important to make an informed decision when selecting and using a loan product; make sure to compare loan types when making a financing decision.

Q2 2022  LocalBizSC.com

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MONEY MATTERS

Ready, set …

Start-Up to Funding 101!

“Investors don’t just invest in your idea, your technology or your product – they invest in the value of your people.”

BY ANDREA M. GARCIA

Congratulations! You have successfully taken the leap and launched your small business. Now comes the tricky question of “what kind of funding do I need and how do I get it?” Well, the truth is there is not a simple answer to this heavy question. In fact, there are several steps for success that each entrepreneur should address before seeking investment. Let’s start the conversation with a few golden rules.

COMPANY STRUCTURE IS POWER. Spend the time to illustrate the value behind your organization to potential investors. Be able to answer why your business model is unique and what your executive team has done to establish the infrastructure needed for your industry.

SHOW THE DREAM THROUGH YOUR TEAM. Investors don’t just invest in your idea, your technology or your product – they invest in the value of your people. Effectively communicate why your people are important and what they bring to the company. How will your team be successful in collaboration and company growth?

BUILD YOUR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS. Your messaging should be streamlined across your branding, from your website to your executive summary to your pitch deck, if you want to land the deal. Clearly communicate your intellectual property, your product, the market, your financial model, a reasonable valuation and, most importantly, your team.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. Every stage of raising capital is different. Your pitch to friends and family should be significantly different than your early-stage equity investors, venture capitalists and your series A, B and C rounds.

ENGAGEMENT AND STRATEGY PLANNING. Be involved! Network for the connections you need to pursue strategic partnerships and build your value with potential investors. Ensure your website is updated and spend the time to research your target investors. What do many entrepreneurs NOT do? They don’t ask for the meeting or the investment. Ask for the meeting. Ask for the investment and be prepared to follow up regularly. ■

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Key Takeaways Create a clear financing plan and stick to it.

Investors are busy and appreciate a direct and cohesive approach to the funding diligence process.

Be prepared by following these guidelines: • Set a company financing goal

ANDREA M. GARCIA joined the New Mexico Start-Up Factory in 2018 as the company creation specialist, where she worked closely with entrepreneurs and scientists to commercialize their innovations, create investable companies and secure funding. She now serves as the vice president of operations and oversees all areas of the NMSUF portfolio.

• Determine your financing path (equity, grant funding or a combination) • Have your investment documents ready • Identify your target investors • Create your engagement plan • Execute and adjust your pitch • Execute again

Q2 2022  LocalBizSC.com

63

MONEY MATTERS

Cryptocurrency conundrum BUY, SELL, OR FLIP A COIN?

BY LESLIE T. SNADOWSKY

To bitcoin, or not to bitcoin? That is the question.

Whether it’s a phantom supply of currency or one that could lead to outrageous fortune…

The value of cryptocurrency is so volatile that its total $3 trillion value fell about a trillion dollars between late 2021 and February 2022. So is now the time to jump into the digital asset game and buy when prices are low(er), or is this a cryptocautionary tale that everyone should heed? ■ Here’s a look at some options and the risks.

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■ BITCOIN Launched in 2009, and it’s the most popular and valuable of the cryptocurrencies. You can even buy and sell it at the CoinFlip ATM at the Shell gas station at 1 Palmetto Parkway. in Hilton Head. Secured by cryptography that protects from counterfeiters or double-dipping, the currency isn’t centralized. That means there are no third-party, middleman banks or government entities involved. The decentralized finance (Defi) networks are based on blockchain technologies, and crypto transactions have become popular trading vehicles.

The currency was designed to have only 21 million bitcoins in existence. With about 19 million in circulation now, analysts predict the last of the scarce bitcoin won’t be mined until 2040.

All time high: $69,044.77 in Nov. 2021 All time low: $67.81 in July 2013 ■ DOGECOIN An open-source peer-to-peer digital currency that started as a satirical joke back in 2013. By May 2021 its market capitalization was worth $85 billion. How did creators and software engineers Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer get their cyber caprice on the map? With the help of Reddit and Elon Musk, the value grew more than 800 percent in 24 hours back in January 2021.

All-time high: $0.73 in May 2021 All-time low: $0.000087 in May 2015 ■ ETHEREUM Second to Bitcoin in market capitalization, Ethereum hit the market in 2015 and is going through a major upgrade called Ethereum 2.0 or Eth2. The overhaul will let the digital platform trade from 15 transactions per second up to tens of thousands of transactions per second. It also allows for the creation and exchange of NFTs and has no supply cap.

All time high: $4,878.26 in Nov. 2021 All time low: $0.43 in Oct. 2015

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■ LITECOIN

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This altcoin was founded in 2011 and is akin to Bitcoin in many ways, but Litecoin processes transactions four times faster than Bitcoin and offers a supply of 84 million Litecoins, which is four times more than Bitcoin’s supply of just 21 million. In February 2022 Litecoin’s market capitalization was valued at $8.7 billion.

widows and widowers demystify their finances during

All-time high: $410.26 in May 2021 All-time low: $1.15 in Jan. 2015 * Evaluations courtesy of CoinGecko.com

this most fragile time in their life.

WEALTH MANAGEMENT. RETIREMENT PLANNING. RISK STRATEGIES.

2 Park Lane, Suite 203 Hilton Head Island, SC 843.341.3300 AtlanticInvestorsHHI.com ATLANTICADVISORSHHI.COM Financial Advisor offering securities and advisory services through Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, a Broker/Dealer & Registered Investment Adviser, member FINRA/SIPC. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity.

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MONEY MATTERS

A POS system should do more than ring in sales FIVE RETAIL POINT OF SALE STRATEGIES THAT WILL GROW YOUR BUSINESS

BY JEFF MAINE

PRO TIP: Your POS should be able to track and compare Key Performance Indicators (KPI) such as sales by item, time, employee labor, sales vs. labor costs, etc.

■ INVENTORY MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES Inventory management can be tricky. You need to know what’s in your store, when it’ll run out of stock and how much you should order from the manufacturer that month.

PRO TIP: Your POS system should have real-time inventory monitoring and an optimized approach to inventory tracking and management.

■ MARKETING STRATEGIES An effective marketing strategy should offer to cross-sell items to complement a purchase.

PRO TIP: Your POS system should automatically suggest other products perfect for accompanying an item just purchased by the customer. Marketing tactics also can include gift cards, promotions and customer-loyalty cards to encourage your customers to come back and spend more.

PRO TIP: A good retail POS system can save time by determining the percentage or value of money you want to reduce for each item.

■ EMPLOYEE RETENTION STRATEGIES

There is no time like the present to re-evaluate your POS system. Advancements in software and hardware have turned what was once a ‘cash register’ into a complete business management system that helps manage sales, inventory, customer loyalty and employee satisfaction. Business owners now realize they need a contactless and e-payment system; those features of a POS system are just the tip of the iceberg. A POS system can enhance your crucial business strategies.

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■ SALES STRATEGY A sales strategy is a plan you execute to attain your company’s goals.

With the help of advanced reports produced by your POS system, you can analyze and evaluate data that defines indicators for practical purposes for your sales strategy.

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Yes, your POS system can help with employee retention. They’re the critical component of your company’s success, and a high turnover rate is a difficult situation for companies. Effective communication and recognition are two tactics that can help.

POS software can have real-time employee performance monitoring to produce reports to identify top salespeople to recognize and reward and training opportunities.

PRO TIP: Eliminate post-it notes, which can easily get lost, with system memos between employees and managers so your front counter stays clear and the messages are delivered.

■ CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES A customer relationship management strategy provides you with the opportunity to know, collect and analyze your target market. Such a strategy allows you to dialogue with your customers and build their loyalty by meeting their needs in real-time.

PRO TIP: Your POS system should be able to let you know which products your customers enjoy or dislike most and their consumption habits.

Ask an expert ■ WHAT DOES POS MEAN IN RETAIL? POS is short for Point-of-Sale. It is essential retail business equipment where the customer executes the payment for what they bought in a store.

■ HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RECEIVE THE DATA FROM THE ADVANCED REPORTS? POS systems produce reports in real-time. You will need to select what information you want to check and wait a couple of seconds for it to appear on your screen.

■ WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POS AND EPOS? POS means Point of Sale. It’s like a cash register but with more helpful features. EPOS systems are essentially the electronic format of traditional POS systems. They store information on the cloud. Cloud reporting is a bonus so you can access your reports remotely and provide access to your accountant for your financials. Less work for you. Plus, if the internet goes out, you still can accept payments..

Face first

A Pay Proudly customer-facing solution is great for engaging consumers, up-selling products and rewarding employees with opportunities for increased tips.

JEFF MAINE is the founder and visionary of Pay Proudly. He founded the company not only to serve its customers but also local charities. Every transaction generates a donation to a local charity, and customers can reduce processing fees.

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RESOURCES

Game changer

When users select “Ask App Not to Track” Facebook loses the ability to target your ads.

If you market on Facebook, read this now APPLE’S IOS CHANGES COULD BE KILLING YOUR RESULTS

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Apple’s new privacy update rolled out in September 2021, and Google’s privacy update is expected this year. This is a big deal for marketers, especially for small businesses that tend to DIY Facebook marketing because it is ‘so easy and cheap to boost a post.’ It is an even bigger deal for Mark Zuckerberg because this Apple change was the key factor in the $200 billion hit in value Meta’s stock took in February. (Meta is the company formerly known as Facebook).

WHAT DOES THE IOS UPDATE MEAN FOR YOUR FACEBOOK ADS? In addition to being accused of overstating the number of Facebook users, Facebook posts are much less effective than ever. This is a double whammy in that, one, the Facebook audience marketers think they are reaching isn’t as large as Facebook claimed and, two, Facebook ads are much harder to target and less effective. In simplest terms, that is because if iOS users (Apple) enable their privacy settings, it is harder for Facebook to find them and serve them your ads.

When it comes to Facebook marketing, many small businesses already spend too much time and give too much hope to what Facebook does for their businesses. According to Hootsuite, a leading social media company, organic (ie. FREE) posts appear in only 5.2 percent of your followers’ feeds, and unless your message is compelling, your post is quickly scrolled over. That means if you have 500 followers, 25 people may see your post.

WHAT CAN YOU DO AS A FACEBOOK MARKETER? 1. Verify your domain to configure pixel conversion events for measurement 2. Prioritize the eight events most important to your business when setting up your campaigns 3. Adjust your reporting measurements, as your results will change 4. Identify new strategies on Facebook 5. Spend less time on organic posts unless you have a large audience and high engagement

TANSTAAFL THERE AIN’T NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH

When something becomes a textable acronym, it must be true, right?

TANSTAAFL is an economic theory that applies to Facebook marketing as it is the concept of opportunity cost. In the case of Facebook marketing, your opportunity cost is the time you spend on scrolling on social media, creating the posts, engaging with or sharing your posts and measuring your campaigns.

If that time could be spent in other areas, like enhancing your customer experience, improving service times or developing an effective advertising campaign, that time is really your cost. It adds up.

In other words, Facebook is no longer an inexpensive DIY marketing channel. Don’t be lured into the belief that your free Facebook marketing is working because your friends and employees tell you they see your posts. They are pretty much the only people who do. If you want to continue to use Facebook as a key marketing channel, you need to set a budget, design a highly engaging campaign, monitor your results and adjust throughout the campaign. ■

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RESOURCES

Finish strong:

A step-by-step guide to creating a standout email signature

BY HANNAH MASSEN

A lot of people treat their email signatures like an afterthought, which is a real missed opportunity. Let’s be honest: how many emails do we send that are signed with our first name only--or no name at all? The average office worker sends 40 emails per day – that’s 40 opportunities to market yourself and your business to your email recipients.

Email signatures may be the last thing people read in your message, but they can help you stand out in someone’s crowded inbox. A well-crafted email signature does more than tell someone what your name is: it says who you are, what you do, and how people can reach you besides just hitting “reply.” Here’s a pieceby-piece breakdown of a great email signature. ■

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Start (and end) here Create a professional email signature using these three platforms: 1. YOUR EMAIL: Keep it simple by creating and automating your email signature directly in your inbox. If you’re a Gmail user, set up your signature under “settings.” If you use Microsoft, open the “message” tab, then click “signatures.”

2. HUBSPOT EMAIL SIGNATURE GENERATOR: Hubspot’s six simple design options are great for the person who wants to end their emails with something more than their first name but doesn’t want anything too flashy.

3. CANVA: With hundreds of fully customizable email signature templates to choose from, Canva gives creatives more room to experiment with layouts, fonts and colors.

FIRST AND LAST NAME Your email should always include your first and last name, especially if it’s coming from a generic business address like info@ourmagazine.com. Put your name at the top of your email signature.

AFFILIATION INFO (I.E. JOB TITLE OR DEPARTMENT) Now the recipient knows who you are, but what exactly do you do? Put your affiliation info (like your job title or department) directly under your name. Providing this information can give the recipient more context about the conversation and your role in it. If you’re a business owner or hold an upper-level position, your job title also can give you credibility.

SECONDARY CONTACT INFO Most business owners (and some employees) are still “on call” when away from their computers, which is where your secondary contact info comes in. Put your cell phone number, office number or alternate email address a line or two below your name and title so people know how else they can reach you.

A BIT ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS The next two to three lines of your signature may be as important as your name. Be sure to include your business name followed by your tagline or a brief (yet descriptive) mission statement. If you have a physical office or storefront, it may be worth adding your business’s address, too.

YOUR WEBSITE Now comes the fun part: links. If the email recipient wants to learn more about your business, make it easy for them by adding your website URL directly under your business information.

SOCIAL PROFILE ICONS Social media is also a significant part of your brand (or, at least, it should be). Allow people to find and follow you on social media by adding icons that link your business’s profiles.

HEADSHOT OR LOGO (OPTIONAL) Adding your logo can be a great way to keep your emails on-brand. You also can use a photo in your email signature, but it must be a professional headshot. Either way, the image should be small with a neutral background so that it doesn’t take too long to load. Justify it to the left of the text to give your signature a logical flow.

AND REMEMBER, LESS IS MORE While you may be tempted to go all-out with your brand colors and fonts, email signatures are so short that adding too many extra elements can make them look messy. When in doubt, skip the images and use your email’s standard font so the reader doesn’t get overwhelmed.

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MONEY MATTERS

Do you know which of your customers are profitable?

BY KAREN A. CASEY Do you know the 80/20 rule? Research has shown that in many cases 80 percent of your income comes from 20 percent of your customers. If you can duplicate that 20 percent, your income potentially increases 80 percent. Sounds easy, but you need to do some research.

Do you know which customers generate most of your income? It may not be individual customers but a specific demographic or geographic area.

■ If you are a retail store, do you know who is buying what merchandise – male, female, age group, where do they live?

■ If you offer a service — landscaper, beautician, etc. — who calls you and where do they come from?

■ If you are online only, who finds you and how?

You need to try to get this information at the point of contact with your customer. First get their email. You can offer them a discount or a freebie by filling out a form to get contact information – email, address or at least town, age group, how did they find you, etc. This will provide you invaluable information to focus future marketing to your customer base and avoid spending money where you are not getting sales.

Once you get their email, develop a database that you can use to advise them of future sales, services or new items you have in stock. If a customer found you through a recommendation on Nextdoor or a Google Review, then ask all your customers to leave a review.

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If you have their emails, you can send them the links to leave reviews, making it easier for them. These reviews will encourage others to find you.

Based on this feedback, take a look at your products and services and make sure they are focused on your profitable and repeat customers of your business. Consider asking for outside help to review your profitability.

Studies have shown a small business owner who receives about three hours of mentoring reports higher revenue and increased business growth. There are many mentoring services available to you at no cost such as SCORE, Women’s Business Centers, Small Business Development Center and Veterans Business Outreach Centers.

These services will help you stay focused and grow your business. ■

KAREN A. CASEY, CPA, CFP, is a certified SCORE business mentor.

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ASK THE EXPERT

Your technology is probably ...

OUTDATED If not, it soon will be

BY MARK ROSSI

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is not how to think about your IT systems. Think of technology as the backbone of your business; if it is solid, it can give you a competitive advantage, withstand pressure and enable peak performance. IT is often thought of as computers and the cloud, but it is so much more when if comes to running and growing a business. Here are three critical factors to consider:

1. NETWORKS ARE DYNAMIC

They are always changing, need upgrading and aren’t just ‘pipes and plumbing.’ For example, as you evolve payment systems, launch a CRM, do more remote communications and update your website, you need to consider the changes needed to operate your new technologies together and ensure all your software and hardware is secure.

2. SOFTWARE NEEDS FREQUENT UPDATES

Think about how many times your phone sends you a notification to update, and all you do is push ‘Update Now.’ Unfortunately, enterprise systems are not as simple as a push of a button.

When one program updates, it can cause ‘glitches’ or incompatibilities in other programs, and some updates can take literally hours.

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3. THE CLOUD DOESN’T REPLACE YOUR IT MANAGEMENT NEEDS

‘The Cloud’ simply provides a framework for efficiency, storage and collaboration. It is part of a technology ecosystem but is not the ecosystem. Most businesses have a myriad of technology parts that need to be integrated, updated and managed together, from hardware to software, from to security to backups.

If you don’t have an IT strategic plan, or if IT is not a key part of your business growth plan, you are essentially waiting for a rainy day to fix the roof. You do not need to be an IT expert, nor do you need to form a new department. Many Lowcountry businesses now outsource everything from cyber security to troubleshooting and repairs, from system backup to IT strategic planning for growth. This lets the management teams focus on growing their businesses and putting out the inevitable fires that pop up every day. ■

Mark Rossi is president of KML Computer Services. Since 1996 he has been immersed in the technology field, working in various positions, from hardware technician and network manager to network engineer and IT consultant.

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Slow and steady wins the race PLANNING, PEOPLE AND PROCESS WILL PREVAIL

BY SANDY BENSON Custom Audio Video opened in 1996 with three people and one truck. At that time the business was focused on retail sales of high-end electronics in an area where home audio/video was just a fleeting thought in the building or renovation process.

It took about four years for cash flow to solidify and for the team to strengthen. In 2000 Custom Audio Video expanded from 2,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet of retail, design and inventory space in Sheridan Park. The new location features displays of audio, video, lighting, shading solutions and automation.

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A showroom that shows

Part of the Custom Audio Video growth plan was to invest in a hands-on showroom that lets customers experience products like home theatres in a home-like environment.

FIRST GROWTH MILESTONE: 2002 In 2002 the Palmetto Bluff (originally Crescent Resources) amenities began to build out. Fraser Construction and Auberge selected Custom Audio Video to provide audio, video and displays for conference rooms, ballrooms, outdoor and indoor dining, and pool and fitness AV systems. At that point the commercial division of Custom Audio Video was launched.

We continued to grow, and by 2006 we were a team of 30plus employees. There were many bumps along the way, with the 2009 recession hitting us hard. Most construction came to a complete halt and required us to regroup and rethink our branding and focus. Custom Audio Video invested in both training and marketing. We committed to slow, steady and sustainable growth, which paid off.

Four tips to manage your company’s growth 1. Manage your expenses. The economy is booming now, but that is not to say it won’t turn at some point. Just because the money may be flowing in doesn’t mean it’s time to spend it. Set some aside for the proverbial rainy day. It does rain and often pours!

2. Take care of your people. More than ever, employee retention is critical to a growth plan. If you grow too quickly and hire too many new people, or worse, take on business you can’t service, it will hurt your current team and customers.

3. Invest wisely. Managing expenses doesn’t mean not spending.

Investing in your company is the fuel for its growth. Budget for a solid marketing plan you can afford to do consistently, pay good people well and make sure your systems and processes are as automated as they can be.

4. Be humble. A realtor friend told me “This strong housing market makes a lot of average realtors feel like they are great realtors.”

Don’t rest on your laurels or think you are good enough. Keep updating your skills, learn, or as Stephen Covey says “sharpen the saw.”

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SECOND GROWTH MILESTONE: 2012 We knew it was time to expand expertise into internet technology when clients began looking for wireless and streaming options and more sophisticated AV solutions.

A solid working relationship with telcos like Hargray facilitated that expansion because the internet was becoming a requirement for new technologies, and collaboration enabled better client service.

THIRD GROWTH MILESTONE: 2018 Technology adoption caused the business to flourish, requiring a major retail location upgrade. The Sheridan Park space was transformed into an interactive showroom where clients can see, touch and test technology and equipment. This expansion included a digital signage display for businesses like realtors, restaurants, churches and schools. Continual showroom upgrading aligns with our goal to be the design center for the latest and greatest in AV and integration.

After 25 years of slow and steady growth, we appreciate our solid base of incredibly loyal clients and our team of the best designers and installers in the business. Customer service will always be our top priority before, during and after the sale. Service is so vital to our business model, we have a division dedicated to service.

Bringing the World to Hilton Head Island.

The Community Global Forum is free and open to the public.

April 22, 2022 Kevin Scheid,

CEO / General Manager at NATO Communications & Information Agency Title: Cyber Security Threats & Challenges

Be a Guest or Be a Member.

In Person or Online.

Experience the world through the World Affairs Council of Hilton Head.

For more information contact the WACHH Office at 843-384-6758 or wachhi@gmail.com.

Sound off This room is reminiscent of the black and white Maxell

iconic photo of the early '80s. Remember the black and white print ad with a guy in a chair being blown back by stereo sound?

For a complete listing of speakers and their biographies, visit www.wachh.org/FridayMeetings21-22

A SURPRISE BENEFIT OF GROWTH Growth helped the business expand, stabilize income and create lasting careers for employees.

As a business owner, I am happy and proud that our growth also allowed us to donate to many needy and worthwhile organizations over 25 years. Giving back to a community that has allowed us to be in business for 25 years is a gift. ■

World Affairs Council of Hilton Head P.O. Box 22523, Hilton Head Island, SC 29925 843.384.6758 www.wachh.org

Bringing the world to The Lowcountry!

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ASK THE EXPERT

Workplace burnout: Today’s new normal?

BY RICHARD ELLIS

EMPLOYEES CAN’T GROW IF THEY ARE BURNING OUT

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I know -- we are all burned out by talking about workplace burnout. But it’s an important and timely discussion. Today business leaders are preoccupied with one key question – how to spot workplace burnout and what to do about it.

We’ve all seen the research -- today’s workers are experiencing workplace burnout at alarming rates. This is, of course, a direct result of the global health pandemic.

Meanwhile, the working world continues to place more and more value on the exact things that cause burnout in the first place – today’s “always-on” business culture, a lack of personal and professional boundaries, prioritizing work over home life, and always saying yes to new demands.

As the pandemic continues, the “great resignation” – or is it a great reawakening? – has seen millions of workers reevaluate their priorities and leave the workforce. As a result, employers are left struggling with employee retention, filling vacancies and employee (re)engagement.

WHAT CAUSES BURNOUT?

We tend to think of burnout as an individual employee issue, but research shows it’s actually the organization that creates the conditions that result in burnout. Making it even more complicated, the causes of workplace burnout are as many and varied as the individuals who experience it:  Social isolation  Unrealistic workloads  24/7, “always-on” working culture  Weakened team dynamics  Lack of employee rewards and recognition  An underlying feeling of being treated unfairly  Lack of alignment between individual and organizational values  Overly complex decision-making processes  Lack of employee control over their work environments Of course, all of this is made worse by remote working, underlying family stresses, unfulfilling personal relationships, lack of sleep and the over-reliance on technology to bridge the gaps.

CAN YOU FIX BURNOUT?

Yes, you can! Several strategies can help address burnout in the workplace and lessen its impact on individuals and the organization. First, leaders must recognize and acknowledge burnout exists within their organization. Then they can:  Create a culture of open discussion and empathy  Help teams prioritize, pace and sequence work  Instill a culture where it’s okay to say no to new workplace demands  Encourage self-care  Recognize successes – big ones and small ones -- and celebrate them  Learn from others’ burnout coping mechanisms – and steal them shamelessly  Focus on employee training, learning and development  Create a more inclusive and accepting workplace culture  Encourage networking and mentoring  Create a team charter – outlining how your team will work together  Focus on individual and collective purpose and values Addressing the multitude of issues associated with workplace burnout isn’t easy, but it’s absolutely necessary – and achievable – if you want to create and sustain a truly resilient organization and reach your collective goals. Remember, what’s good for the individual employee is ultimately good for the organization as a whole.

Now, let’s get on with it – let’s extinguish workplace burnout once and for all!

Richard Ellis is the founder of Ellis Strategy Group, a global leadership consultancy. With more than 30 years of international business experience, he is an accomplished executive coach, high-impact business strategist and noted communications expert. Find out more about Richard at ellisstrategygroup.com

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Save time, save money, save headaches ONLINE AND RECURRING PAYMENTS COULD BE YOUR GOLDEN TICKET

BY TAMI BREAM

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E-commerce (electronic commerce) is defined as the buying and selling of goods using the internet. In other words, e-commerce is so much more than online shopping. Whether you are a service-based business like landscaping, a professional service or a medical office, your customers want to pay you from the comfort of their homes. And now even restaurants are using e-commerce to their advantage.

In fact, a Consumer Trends study found that a whopping 83 percent of consumers want to pay their bills online and at their leisure. The vast majority also wants electronic invoices and expects data to be secure.

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Tami Bream is chief operating officer of Equity Payment Inc. on Hilton Head Island, a merchant service provider offering credit card payment solutions with fully transparent practices. Learn more at equitypayment.com.

The study found that a significant number of consumers also enjoy the option of automatic recurring payments, thanks to services like Netflix that trained the consumer. Good news! Recurring payments are not only for subscription services. Legal firms, property owner associations, monthly rentals and schools, among others, can use recurring payments to their benefit. Retainers, regular payments whether monthly, quarterly or annually, and many other fees can be automated. Consumers appreciate this convenience, and you will save time chasing payments and administering invoices. Your cash flow will benefit greatly.

BENEFITS OF ACCEPTING ONLINE (AND RECURRING) PAYMENTS  Secure payments  Faster payments  Fewer errors  Happier customers (and bookkeepers)  Saves employee labor hours  Saves money

EASY TO SET UP

It is easy and straightforward for any business to have recurring payments set up and to enable any other e-commerce transactions. It can and should be the same merchant processing system as you use for your in-person transactions. At Equity Payment we have a handson consultative approach with merchants. We look at the entire business and potential for growth when recommending processing systems or upgrading a current system. Our conciergelevel service assures your staff it has training and support when it needs it.

SURPRISE

Our merchants are usually surprised that a service like recurring payments exists or the ease in which e-commerce can be set up. Merchants are happily shocked by the increase in their profitability and decreased processing costs, all while providing an optimized level of service. For merchants, time is money, so saving both is a win-win and lets them invest more into growing their business. ■

Take your conference room to a higher level Since 1996 Custom Audio Video has been the best choice in quality, design, and service for reliable audio-video, lighting and shades for conference meeting rooms. Contact us about tech solutions for your business or organization, and overcome your AV challenges.

Call. Click. Or Come In.

YEARS

OF EXCELLENCE

www.custom-audio-video.com (843) 815-5130 48 Pennington Dr, Suite B | Bluffton, SC Q2 2022  LocalBizSC.com

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The high-speed comforts of home and office

CASE STUDY

PALMERA INN & SUITES HIRES HARGRAY TO OVERHAUL WI-FI

BY LESLIE T. SNADOWSKY

Stay connected

At Palmera Inn and Suites guests can take advantage of high-speed Wi-Fi in the comfort of their guestrooms and throughout the hotel property. They can even get online while lounging poolside.

Palmera Inn & Suites, a boutique hotel that boasts access to the best beaches, shopping, restaurants, and golf courses Hilton Head Island has to offer, is providing its guests an extra amenity on par with its spacious accommodations – complimentary Wi-Fi. With property-wide Wi-Fi service that caters to the needs of those seeking online services and entertainment as well as those using it for remote work or schooling, Palmera says its allsuite hotel provides unbeatable value for a vacation getaway.

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THE PROBLEM

SUPPLY NOT MEETING DEMAND. “With the increase in usage of devices, technology and internet needs by our guests, we noticed we were having a lot of connectivity issues,” said Susana Cook, the general manager of Palmera Inn & Suites. “If our guests have multiple cell phones and multiple devices in every suite, we want to ensure everyone will connect effectively and receive uninterrupted service.”

Cook says before the Covid-10 pandemic, guests at Palmera primarily needed reliable wireless and online services for their cell phones and devices to make calls, play games, look up local restaurant websites to scan menus and book adventure activities. During the pandemic, guests were additionally working and schooling remotely and needed better and more reliable service.

Palmera reached out to Hargray to upgrade and install new equipment to provide better internet coverage throughout the entire property, including its suites, common areas, lobby building, fitness center, Jacuzzi and swimming pool deck.

THE SOLUTION

BETTER BANDWIDTH FOR CONFIDENT CONNECTIVITY. “Palmera Inn & Suites was ultimately looking to transform its guest experience and deliver the connectivity and entertainment needs its guests were looking for,” said Hargray’s strategic accounts manager, Jennifer Weidner. “Hargray Communications built fiber into the property to support delivering dedicated GIG symmetrical fiber internet services, robust Aruba-managed Wi-Fi and HD video (cable TV).”

Hargray provided Palmera with the bandwidth capabilities to support an entire property of guests that are streaming and surfing the web. The significant property infrastructure upgrade has given guests confidence they always will have connectivity to meet their needs while away from home or work.

THE RESULTS

UPGRADE LEADS TO INCREASED, RELIABLE USAGE. “We were trying to keep up with the demand of our customers and increase the number of devices that could connect at any given time, in every family-friendly suite and throughout the entire property,” Cook said. “Hargray was able to deliver the products that allowed us to meet our customers’ needs. We have much better connectivity now.”

Cook says Hargray has solved Palmera’s problem 100 percent, and since the upgrade no one has raised issues about slow connection speeds or internet services.

KEY TAKEAWAY

DON'T BE AFRAID TO TRY. “We had to look for a solution that was feasible and possible in our environment because we’re on a small island with few options,” Cook said. “We gave Hargray’s products a try and were fortunate to get the results we were looking for.”

As Cook said, in business, you need to identify your problem, look at your options and make your decision, but you’ll never know if something works unless you try it.

“We tried it, it worked and we’re happy, and we’re going to continue adapting as things change,” Cook said. “And we look forward to partnering with a company that also evolves with the technological challenges life throws at us every day.” ■

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INSPIRATION

Making it happen In Hampton WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS HEAT UP HAMPTON COUNTY’S GROWING BUSINESS COMMUNITY

BY HANNAH MASSEN Hampton County has become a hub for women-owned businesses, thanks to the widespread drive for economic development and a new business incubator in downtown Hampton.

Despite the pandemic, several female entrepreneurs have thrived and found ways to appeal to customers and offer superior services and products.

Three local women in particular, who have recently hung out their shingles, have demonstrated the drive to succeed, capitalizing on art and ingenuity, innovation, inspiration, dedication and location.

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LINDA THOMPSON For Linda Thompson, opening Linda’s Art Expressions in downtown Hampton is a “dream come true.” The artisan gallery and gift shop, which opened in a quaint brick building in 2021, includes a crafts and ceramics studio in the back and a gallery in the front. The store features work from more than a dozen artists and craftspeople in South Carolina and the West Coast.

The Minnesota native spent years living and working in the heart of Silicon Valley, nurturing her passions for painting, ceramics and jewelry, made in her spare time. But transporting her work to and from art shows, finding vendors and drawing crowds began to feel like a full-time job in itself, so the idea of opening up her own studio played at the back of her mind – until she moved to Hampton County. That’s when she decided to make her idea a reality.

“It could not have been more meant-to-be,” says Thompson. “When I opened the studio, I was finally able to do what I wanted. I have the equipment, I have space, I have everything — and the best part is getting to share it with other people.”

Thompson teaches a variety of pottery and beading classes in her studio for children and adults, which she sees as proof people of any age can “play in the mud” and make something beautiful. She teaches jewelry-making to a local Girl Scout troop, hosting 15 to 20 scouts at a time.

She’s hoping to work with the Hampton County Recreation Department to create an arts program for local middle- and high-school students.

“People are looking for things to do, and they think there’s nothing to do in Hampton, but there is,” says Thompson. “Besides all of my stuff, there are so many different art opportunities, like the Stanley Center and the theater. It’s a growing place, and I think I got in at just the right time.”

Thompson admits that opening a business during a pandemic was a risky move, but the Hampton community has rallied behind Linda’s Art Expressions to connect her with the resources, clients and equipment she needed to thrive.

She recently decided to join forces – and studios – with Lisa Tuton, owner of Cotton, Twine & Twigs, to offer a whole new range of art classes.

“For a lot of the people who helped me [open], to them it was no big deal,” Thompson said, “but their experience and knowledge made a huge difference to whether or not I could open at all.”

CHARLOTTE MURRAY As a business owner, Charlotte Murray’s greatest joy is helping her customers discover their own passions.

“I have a little sign outside of my store, Lowcountry Living Room, that says ‘come for the coffee and stay for the inspiration,’” says Murray. “As an artist, one of the things I love to do is inspire people in their dreams. I was a cheerleader in high school, and I just think once you’re a cheerleader, you’re always a cheerleader. I am always looking to cheer people on in the direction they feel called to go.”

Murray is a Lowcountry native and lives in Yemassee, which is why she wanted to open her business locally. Lowcountry Living Room sells a wide variety of artwork, gifts and antiques. The business began with its 4,000-square-foot event space, which opened in March 2020, and the antique store and coffee shop addition, once a watermelon shed, opened in December 2020 during the pandemic. But Murray said she used the lag in business to her advantage, repainting and remodeling until the finished space was complete with a polished checkered floor, string lights tented across the ceiling, and couches and chairs arranged into comfortable seating areas on all sides of the room.

Lowcountry Living Room has hosted a variety of events, from elaborate birthday parties and baby showers to wedding receptions and yoga classes. And as an artist herself, Murray hopes to teach painting in the space someday too.

Murray has seen an increase in traffic – literally. Many of her new customers are people passing through her hometown of Yemassee, and she hopes her business will be known as a destination for people traveling down I-95.

“I know that when people are driving from north to south on 95, South Carolina feels eternal to them,” Murray said. “We are looking at the idea of getting a billboard and really becoming a place that people could say as they’re up the road, ‘If we could just make it to the Living Room, we could stop and relax.’ We have a relaxing atmosphere where people can put their feet up and let the kids run around.”

Murray appreciates having open space for the kids to play. Although her biological son, age 33, is expecting Murray’s second grandchild, she and her husband decided to “start over” by adopting their now 11-year-old and 13-year-old from foster care in 2013.

Although her house is only five minutes away from Lowcountry Living Room, Murray’s biggest challenge as a woman in business is balancing entrepreneurship with her family life. She would like to be open more than a few days a week but is still searching for the right person to manage the business while she’s homeschooling her kids.

“Really the challenge right now is finding a person who’s the right fit: someone with the mindset of seeing our business as a mission to people not only to share inspiration and a great cup of coffee but also to meet people where they are,” says Murray. “It’s a little bit of a different job description.”

In addition to making new hires, Murray’s next goals are expanding her coffee bar and cafe area as well as the patio space outside her store. In true artist fashion, she painted a mental picture of families laughing, children playing games and live music playing on Lowcountry Living Room’s porch on a slow summer night.

“I’d like to be a hub for people to come and get to know each other a little more,” Murray said. “It strengthens our community when people get to see each other in more casual settings like that. We really want to see Yemassee become what it once was.”

PHYLLIS HARVEY At age 62 Phyllis Harvey, owner of Julienne’s Espresso Cafe, came out of retirement after a long career in banking and bought a restaurant in Hampton County, joining a growing force of women entrepreneurs in the Hampton County area.

Harvey says that running a restaurant is not for the faint of heart and that finding “good help” can be even more difficult.

She admires the local women who have the courage to go out and open their own businesses.

Phyllis Harvey’s advice for future restaurant owners and entrepreneurs includes, “you have to be dedicated; learn what you don’t know, including the cost of products; and restaurant life is not for the faint of heart!” ■

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SMART STUFF

Get smart

PRO TIP

“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”

Read John Maxwell’s book, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth and clip this cheat sheet as a reference.

— JOHN MAXWELL

According to leadership guru John Maxwell, “When we take small steps of growth every day over time, we see progress. And then our hope has the most potential to be realized. If you string together enough days of consistent growth, you begin to change as a person. You become better, stronger, more skilled or all of the above.”

Personal and business growth takes time, and since time is finite, you probably need to find time to work on your growth plans. Little things like saving time doing payroll, supplementing your brainpower or starting your day with a smile, thanks to Mama Odie’s Business Scope, make a big difference, so make sure to read those articles. ■

A

1. The Law of Intentionality 2. The Law of Awareness 3. The Law of the Mirror 4. The Law of Reflection 5. The Law of Consistency 6. The Law of Environment 7. The Law of Design 8. The Law of Pain 9. The Law of the Ladder 10. The Law of the Rubber Band 11. The Law of Trade-Offs 12. The Law of Curiosity 13. The Law of Modeling 14. The Law of Expansion 15. The Law of Contribution

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Stroke of genius NATURAL WAYS TO SUPPLEMENT YOUR BRAIN’S BRAWN

BY LESLIE T. SNADOWSKY Where would Agatha Christie’s fictional detective Hercule Poirot be without his superior “little grey cells,” or physicist Albert Einstein without his colossal cerebral capacity, or Hollywood actress Geena Davis without her Mensa membership card?

When it comes to getting ahead in the intelligence-quotient arena, you’re either born with it or need a boost of brain power. Try accelerating your acuity by ingesting these noodle-nurturing supplements.

W

SOUNDS FISHY

Who would equate eating oily fish with being a brainaic? Someone smart, I guess, because the omega-3 fatty acids it contains reels in the benefits. But if you aren’t hooked on the idea of eating anchovies, herring and sardines, try a fish oil supplement loaded with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Fatty acids can improve your brain health and function, and their antiinflammatory properties can stave off the brain-draining effects of aging.

WINE NOT?

Relaxing with a glass of red wine and a box of bonbons could be the smartest thing you could do. They both contain an antioxidant called resveratrol, as do red and purple fruits like raspberries, blueberries and grapes and even peanuts. It acts as a memory booster and can help prevent insulin resistance, heart disease and cancer. Most resveratrol supplements attain their acumen from an Asian plant called Polygonum cuspidatum.

EGGHEAD

Creatine is an essential amino acid found in meat, fish and eggs and is naturally found in the muscles and the brain. It helps with your energy metabolism, and its supplements are far more potent than what your body can produce in a day.

Not only can it improve cognition and brain health, this crafty correlative is also a mastermind at strengthening bones and slowing the progression of aging skin.

JOLT TO THE SYSTEM

Anyone in quest of a “caffeine high” knows what they’re after – more energy and intellectual stimulation. Found in coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks and dark chocolate, caffeine shoots a jolt to the nervous system that can help anyone get through a boring business meeting or stay awake when doing work on a red-eye flight. It’s the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive drug, but you better mind your dosage. Too much caffeine can give you the jitters.

HERBAL WISDOM

It’s fun to say, and it packs a punch to your noggin. Ginkgo Biloba is an herbal supplement containing antioxidants that power your psyche by improving blood flow to the brain. Studies have shown it also can hone your thinking skills, improve your memory and reduce age-related mental decline. Ginkgo extract is also known to reduce anxiety, treat depression and improve asthma. ■

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SMART STUFF

Payroll management is now more complicated than ever DIY MAY NOT BE THE BEST SOLUTION ANY LONGER

Depending on the nature of a business, managing payroll can range from relatively simple to incredibly complex. However, even the simplest payroll administration still has the pressures involved with payroll tax filings, tracking paid time off and completing W-2s each year. Some businesses manage their own payrolls because they don’t trust the books to an outsider. Others DIY because they don’t want to pay a professional. And many still do their own payrolls because they always have.

“Time is money” and “mistakes are costly” are just two clichés to remember when considering if you should reconsider how you manage your company’s payroll. Here are three more:

D

1. A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE Handling payroll in-house can be more expensive than outsourcing because proper payroll organization requires systems and processes for managing tasks, responsibilities and deadlines. This can include managing various types of information, detailed filing systems, avoiding clutter, accurate recordkeeping and disposing of out-of-date items. Not to mention, fulfilling the payroll requirements for Paycheck Protection Program loans, or retroactively applying for Employee Retention Tax Credits also require a great deal of organization and additional documentation.

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2. THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS A small mistake or oversight can be costly. Failing to pay close attention to every detail comes with liability, so no detail is too small.

From the proper classification of employees to tax regulations and exceptions to knowing and understanding labor laws, you don’t want to miss important details that keep you in compliance and penalty-free.

This is especially important as more work shifts to remote and employees start to take advantage of new laws for paid family leave and sick days, which is putting increased pressure on already stretched HR and accounting staffs.

3. IF YOU DON’T CHANGE, YOU DON’T GROW No two businesses are alike, so every payroll is unique. As businesses grow and evolve, so too do their payroll needs. Many companies are redefining roles, work arrangements, pay, vacation and hiring practices.

One new trend is the hiring of ‘gig workers’ because it is so difficult to find full-time employees. The payroll and tax implications of determining the employment status of certain employees add a new twist to an already cumbersome process in payroll management.

According to Ted Orban, business services director of H&R Block in Hilton Head, there are two main reasons his clients choose to have H&R Block manage their payrolls.

“Our clients want to ‘get it right’ to limit their legal liability. Our clients don’t want to be on the hook for big penalties from the IRS, so the burden is on us to ensure that all labor and tax laws are followed correctly. And most recently, the world has changed so much since the pandemic, from PPP loans to tax credits and timeoff requirements, that even the most basic payroll has become more complex. Our clients choose to focus on growing their businesses and want us to take care of their payrolls and associated filings and taxes.” ■ TED ORBAN, business services director of H&R Block in Hilton Head

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SMART STUFF

MAMA ODIE'S

Q2 BusinessScope

WHETHER YOU'RE LOOKING FOR WORK, A RAISE, OR A PROMOTION, LOOK TO THE STARS TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE IS HEADED.

Aries

Leo

Sagittarius

You know what they say about deals that are too good to be true, Aries. Rams are usually tempted to charge ahead at top speed when they see an opportunity, but the stars are calling you to be a bit more skeptical this quarter. It always feels great when an old contact comes knocking with a great offer in hand, but ask yourself, do they have your best interests in mind? It might be worth scheduling a second meeting or doing your research before you sign any agreements.

Leos usually have reputations for being a little “extra.”

But it’s not always because they want attention, it’s because they feel like if they don’t go big, they might as well go home and never come out again. It’s time to turn down the pressure and get comfortable with knowing when good is good enough. Going the extra mile isn’t worth it if you run yourself into the ground in the process, so listen when the stars say that some self-care is in order this quarter.

Inhale positivity, exhale the stress from a day full of zoom calls, Sagittarius. Ambitious archers tend to aim for the stars, but if you’re so overwhelmed you can’t see straight, you don’t want your arrow to ricochet off the nearest wall and backfire. You may be tempted to take some extra time off this quarter, which is totally ok. You’ll be happy you canceled that 4 o’clock in the long run.

Taurus

Virgo

Who says you can’t teach an old sea goat new tricks? You’re feeling especially curious this quarter, Capricorn, so lean into the urge to learn.

Online workshops and informational meetings are great, but new experiences – like taking a weekend trip or picking up a hobby – can teach you as much about yourself as your area of interest.

It’s time to take a good hard look at who’s on Team Taurus. Bulls don’t want to be stuck pulling the cart for everyone who wants a free ride, so be honest: who’s been contributing to your professional or personal life, and who just wants to be part of your success story?

Giving yourself some healthy distance from people who take more than they give could give you the bandwidth you need to form new partnerships.

Let’s make some money moves, Virgo! You’re poised for profits this quarter, and because organized Virgos are practically experts at budgeting, you may find that you have some side cash left over to put towards your big schemes and dreams. Just remember to spend your money slowly to make sure you see a high ROI.

Libra

Gemini

One look at a Gemini’s computer can tell you how their mind works: there are folders and screenshots all over their desktop. But that’s (hopefully) about to change this quarter when you get your processes in place.

In the spirit of “spring cleaning,” the stars are urging you to get organized and streamline your workflow.

Start chunking your work, build a morning routine or whatever helps you stay focused and on-task.

Cancer

There’s a lot we can learn from thoughtful, compassionate Cancers, but this quarter you want to share even more of your expertise. Whether you have strong feelings about something happening in your local community or want to pass on the years of knowledge you’ve acquired over your career, there’s a captive audience waiting for you. Consider joining a mastermind group, signing up to be a keynote speaker or taking on an apprentice. You might even submit an article to your favorite business publication (wink wink).

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Your goals are taking center stage this quarter, as the cosmic alignments cue a season of major growth for you (is it really chance that you picked up this issue?).

It may be the right time to further your career by heading back to school, going full force with a major project or switching industries altogether. But because Libras particularly value harmony, make sure these changes align well with your personal life, too. Will agreeing to supervise a major out-of-state project disrupt your relationships back home, and is taking night classes leaving you enough time to relax?

Scorpio

Be on the lookout this quarter, Scorpio – the stars are sending you a surprise this quarter. Even if you can’t imagine squeezing one more event or task into your schedule, you might receive an unexpected invitation, business inquiry or offer that has the potential to change everything. And when an opportunity presents itself, in true scorpion fashion, you should be prepared to strike fast. Say yes a little more in the next few months. It might lead to one of your biggest breakthroughs yet.

Capricorn

Aquarius

Take a seat at the head of the table, Aquarius.

The stars have appointed you CZO (chief zodiac officer) this quarter because if you’re ready to lead, people will follow. This could be an opportune time to pitch your ideas at the next board meeting or encourage others to take action with you in support of a social cause. And if you’ve been looking to make some new hires, your job opening ads are almost guaranteed to gain traction. But remember to leave space for other opinions. You might be a #boss, but you don’t want to come off as bossy.

Pisces

Pisces are natural empaths, which is why when someone comes to them with a problem, they’ll stop at nothing to help them through it. But this quarter is a smart time to pinpoint and plug energy leaks or ward off the energy vampires who may be feasting on your emotional bandwidth. You shouldn’t be expected to tend to your tasks at work while mediating calls between your neighbor and their ex, so don’t feel bad about creating some distance.

LINKS

LINKS LocalBizSC.com + Bonus Content + Digital Offerings Job Board Post your open positions and find links to other local job boards.

Social Channels Follow us on Instagram, friend us on Facebook and connect with us on LinkedIn (LocalBizSC).

The Biz Newsletter This weekly newsletter provides Lowcountry business owners with helpful information, tools and tips that are delivered in a style that is easy to read, informative and actionable.

Digital Edition Read the latest issue of LOCAL Biz on your favorite computer, phone or tablet.

Business Directory Find professional services and support for your business.

Events, Webinars and Networking Post and find live and virtual business events, training and networking.

Website Resources Find cheat sheets, e-books, infographics, marketing resources, guides and more.

Q2 2022  LocalBizSC.com

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AFTER HOURS

Happy hour WHEN TRADITIONAL TEA IS NOT ENOUGH

BY IWANA BEVVIE After a long day at the office, you may need more than a traditional Earl Grey tea. Did you know that Hilton Head has its own tea, called Hilton Head Tea that is similar to a Long Island iced tea but with a mule kick? Here are two ways to enjoy one, made-for-you or DIY.

A

ORDER A HILTON HEAD TEA AT

FRANKIE BONES Let the friendly bartenders at Frankie Bones serve you up a hand-crafted glass on ice, so you just have to pull up a seat, sip and say ahhhh..

©MIKE RITTERBECK

INGREDIENTS • 1 1/2 ounces peach/mango liquor infusion (vodka, rum, triple sec, mango and peach) • 2 ounces sour mix • Splash of Coca-Cola • Lemon wedge DIRECTIONS Fill hurricane glass with ice. Pour peach/ mango liquor infusion, sweet and sour, and shake in large Boston shaker. Pour back into hurricane glass and splash with Coke. Garnish with lemon wedge.

TRY THIS!

MAKE YOUR OWN

HILTON HEAD TEA Unleash your inner mixologist and prepare this crafty cocktail in the comfort of your own home. The ingredient list is long but the taste is worth the effort.

INGREDIENTS • Ice, as needed • 4 fluid ounces beer (such as Miller High Life) • 3 fluid ounces orange juice • ½ fluid ounce vodka • ½ fluid ounce gin • ½ fluid ounce white rum • ½ fluid ounce silver tequila • ½ fluid ounce triple sec • 3 fluid ounces Coca-Cola DIRECTIONS Mix all ingredients and enjoy.

Garnish with a lemon or lime if desired.

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Fun stuff D

YOU'VE WORKED HARD. NOW LAUGH A LITTLE.

Do you have a funnier punchline? Now is your chance for 15 minutes of fame. Email your caption to info@localbiz.com, and we’ll share the best submissions on social media.

"Visualize yourself not fall ing off the wall."

"This is us."

MENSA MONDAYS Lighten up

According to medical experts, when you get stressed, your body tenses up and can cause you to feel stuck. A good laugh can relieve physical tension in the body and relax the muscles for up to 45 minutes.

"Your punchline here."

Start your week off right by correctly answering a fun and challenging question on LOCAL Biz’s Facebook or Instagram pages (LocalBizSC). Questions are similar to those on the Mensa Admission Test, so be sure to have a pen and paper handy. You will definitely need to write down your thoughts to figure out the correct answer.

SO YOU THINK YOU'RE FUNNY? Here's your chance. If you have a punchline send it to info@wearelocalbiz.com

Q2 2022  LocalBizSC.com

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RESOURCE DIRECTORY

LOCAL Biz B2B Marketplace Welcome to the LOCAL Biz B2B Marketplace. This section was created to help local businesses do business with each other. We are appreciative and proud of every LOCAL Biz advertiser — they are leaders in their industries, and they chose LOCAL Biz as an investment in their growth. These companies and professionals have a lot to offer, and we hope you will consider them when making your purchase decisions.

AlphaGraphics www.alphagraphics.com Atlantic Investment Advisory Group www.atlanticinvestorshhi.com The Bluffton Bookkeeper www.blufftonbookkeeper.com Chef Lynn Michelle www.cheflynnmichelle.com Custom Audio Video www.custom-audio-video.com Don Ryan Center for Innovation www.donryancenter.com Eagle Creations www.eaglecreations16.com Equity Payment equitypayment.com Finance of America Mortgage www.foahomeimprovement.com/about ForeShore Hilton Head Property Managment and Rentals www.foreshorerentals.com H&R Block www.hrblock.com Hargray www.hargray.com KML Computer Services www.kmlcs.com Pay Proudly payproudly.com ROC Dental Group www.rocdentalgroup.com Rose Hearing Healthcare Centers www.rosehearinghealthcarecenters.com Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport www.savannahairport.com SCORE SC Lowcountry www.sclowcountry.score.org Signature Closets of the Low Country www.signatureclosetsandcabinetry.com Smart Marketing Communications www.smartmarketingcommunications.com Terra's Hair Studio www.terrashairstudio.com

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Info@WeAreLocalBizSC.com 843 -802-2258 Localbizsc.com

lisa@blufftonbookkeeper.com 843-505-3612 blufftonbookkeeper.com

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Equity Payments does. support@equitypayment.com 843-628-0505 MakeMoney@EquityPayment.com

Property Owner Lists Your direct mail will reach the right audience with the most accurate and targeted specialty mailing lists and targeting strategy. bruce@propertyownerlists.com 843-301-3788 propertyownerlists.com Q2 2022 + LocalBizSC.com

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INSPIRATION

The Last Word PLANNING FOR GROWTH Organic growth: growth driven by expanding output or engaging in internal activities (growing through a company’s own capabilities and efforts) Inorganic growth: growth driven by acquisitions, joint ventures or partnerships. (Less common)

“If you’re green, you’re growing and if you’re ripe, you start to rot.”

Below is an example with our sample numbers to help you plan your sources of growth. Fill in your numbers:

— RAY KROC, FOUNDER OF MCDONALD’S

GROWTH STRATEGY/REVENUE GROWTH FRAMEWORK 2022 GROWTH TARGET

Organic growth

Existing revenue sources

$18,000 ____________

$15,000 ____________

Increase volume Increase average price

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$4,000 ____________

$20,000 ____________

Inorganic growth

New revenue sources

$2,000 ____________

$3,000 ____________

$11,000 ____________

Your Local Hearing Experts

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Our Vision - A team dedicated to creating the best value for our patients through innovative products for exceptional hearing.

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