July 2017 edition of In Business Magazine by InMedia

JULY 2017

2017 Top 50 Small Business Industry Leaders

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THIS ISSUE National Association of Women Business Owners â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Phoenix

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JULY 2017

COVER STORY

Growing Business – Scaling to Greatness

In Business Magazine takes readers inside Valley businesses that have successfully scaled up in their respective industry, as their leaders share factors and decisions that helped them make it happen. FEATURES

Special Section:

The Game for Talent Has Changed – Have You?

The competition for talent has put new pressure on recruitment, and Gary Covert and Monique Porras discuss how businesses can address today’s reality. Owners Legal

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Services Guide

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IN BUSINESS

Business

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PARTNER SECTIONS Celebrating 30 years of serving the women business owners of Phoenix

Real-Life Scenarios – Real-World Advice to CEOs

Entrepreneurial energy and financial advice were the takeaways of the CEO whose story closes Bennett Curry’s threepart series on the ACA’s CEO Corner Office program.

Navigate Recent International Trade Policy Developments

Attorney Melissa Proctor brings her experience in international commerce to a discussion of the need for U.S. companies to have a solid strategy in the current shifting milieu.

Summer 2017 • nawbophx.org

July 2017 Message from Phaedra Earhart So far, this year has been full of forming new partnerships and creating lasting relationships with our community partners, such as ASBA, ASU Sparxx, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, e-Women Network and Athena Valley of the Sun, to name just a few. We are looking for more community alliances to partner with on a monthly basis so that members and those interested in membership may come together for a happy hour at the Omni Montelucia. I am thrilled to be a part of this growing organization and witnessing first-hand the impact it has on our membership! The power of our national organization is getting even stronger. National NAWBO started a new countrywide program designed specifically for our Premier members who own businesses that exceed $1 million in annual revenue. It is appropriately named The Circle, and our very own Lynda Bishop is the program director. This is an exciting time to be a NAWBO member, and this new program will fill a need by offering deeper support by providing members peer and business connections, access, and learning opportunities above and beyond their actual membership. This will come in the form of mastermind groups, two-day retreats each year, a speaker’s bureau and much more. The most exciting news is here in Phoenix, because we are offering a program to fulfill the need of women business owners who are passionate about breaking the $1 million mark through the Million Dollar Break-Through Program. This special program will be led by Susan Brooks, founder of Cookies from Home and a founding

Phaedra Earhart 2016-2017 President NAWBO Phoenix Chapter Farmers Insurance 1425 S. Higley Road, Suite 107 Gilbert, AZ 85296 480-289-5768 phaedra.earhart@gmail.com Years in Business: 6 Joined NAWBO: 2011

member of the NAWBO Phoenix Chapter 33 years ago. Although women own 9.1 million businesses across the U.S., only 3 percent reach $1 million in annual revenue. Resources, guidance and support to serve women business owners in the $250,000+ category who are ready to go to the next level are limited and hard to find. It’s why we are thrilled that Susan chose NAWBO to partner with, and we are currently looking for participants and sponsors, so please visit our website to learn more. Looking forward to your success,

ABOUT NAWBO

Phaedra Earhart NAWBO Phoenix President, 2016 – 201 NAWBO® prides itself on being a global beacon for influence, ingenuity and action and is uniquely positioned to provide incisive commentary on issues of importance to women business owners. NAWBO Phoenix propels women entrepreneurs into economic, social and political spheres of power.

We host networking and education events throughout the valley each month, open to both members and guests. Check out our calendar at NAWBOphx.org and join us! Take advantage of this great networking opportunity by bringing business cards and making connections.

For more information, please visit NAWBOphx.org.

Phoenix Metropolitan Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners 7949 E Acoma Dr., #207, Scottsdale, Arizona 85260 480-289-5768 • info@NAWBOphx.org

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NAWBO NEWS

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SPECIAL SECTION 2017

Top

Small Business Industry Leaders FEATURING Benefit Commerce Group Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona CBIZ Liquid Capital of Arizona Radix Law

DEPARTMENTS

Guest Editor

David Krietor, president and CEO of Downtown Phoenix Inc., introduces the “Growing Business” issue.

Feedback

Cindy Dach, Jacob Meltzer and Anthony Spinato respond to In Business Magazine’s burning business question of the month.

Briefs

“Credit Card: Use Business or Personal?” “AR Sky Writing,” “Wellness Scheduling On the Go” and “Key to Connect”

Stearns Bank N.A.

Technology

“Tech-Enabled Collaboration,” “McDonald’s ‘Snaplications’” and “3-D Transforming Business”

Healthcare

“Ethnic-Sensitive Healthcare,” “Real-Time Remote Imaging,” “Humana: Healthy AZ Worksite Award,” “Happy? Sad? Sleep Deprivation Blurs the ‘Read’” and “Advancements in ENT – Helping Put Our Community on the Map”

Legal

Money plays a significant role in our election process. Local attorney explains financial parameters of how citizens and businesses can use their resources to influence the outcome of an election.

Books

New releases give fresh insights on business thinking.

Assets

2017 Jaguar F-Pace Prestige Plus: Great event tickets can be a big asset when entertaining clients.

Power Lunch

Kona Grill – Island Delectables Plus: Great food plus history keep Valley standards as Valley stand-outs.

Roundtable

Wist Office Products Company

12 Meet our Top 50 highest-recommended small businesses and small-business services companies …

2017 Top 50 Small Business Industry Leaders

By the Numbers

Littler Mendelson survey reveals key regulatory, technological and social issues impacting employers under a new administration and as a variety of forces reshape the workplace.

From the Top

Rick Ueable’s principled leadership of Foods 2000, Inc. makes his Subway franchises among the most successful in Arizona.

CRE

“Camelback Luxury,” “Canadian Investment,” “Net-Zero Townhomes” and “Challenges in Repurposing Commercial Projects”

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A focus on customer-centered culture could eliminate reputation-ruining fiascos.

ON THE AGENDA

Spotlight

Loan Clinic — U.S. Small Business Association Selling to the Federal Government — U.S. Small Business Association

Calendar

Business events throughout the Valley

According to the recently released, fourth annual Wells Fargo International Business Indicator, 81 percent of U.S. companies expect international business activity to increase during the next 12 months, up from 64 percent in 2016, while at the same time 86 percent agree the failure of trade pacts will impact their business. wholesale.wf.com/global-focus/international-business-indicator

TREASURY MANAGEMENT | BUSINESS LINE OF CREDIT OWNER-OCCUPIED COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE | CREDIT CARD INVIGORATE YOUR LIFE BY TAKING A FRESH LOOK AT YOUR FINANCES. TALK TO A BANKER TODAY.

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July 2017 In Business Magazine is a collaboration of many business organizations and entities throughout the metropolitan Phoenix area and Arizona. Our mission is to inform and energize business in this community by communicating content that will build business and enrich the economic picture for all of us vested in commerce.

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS Kristen Merrifield, CEO Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits (602) 279-2966 www.arizonanonprofits.org Jack Lunsford, President & CEO Arizona Small Business Association Central Office (602) 306-4000 Southern Arizona (520) 327-0222 www.asba.com

There’s a sense of pride in doing the job right. We’ve been treating our customers like family for over 100 years and we’re ready to do the same for you!

Steven G. Zylstra, President & CEO Arizona Technology Council One Renaissance Square (602) 343-8324 www.aztechcouncil.org

For a business loan or equipment finance call us today at 480-314-4200.

EA 3-Y

Phaedra Earhart, President NAWBO Phoenix Metro Chapter (480) 289-5768 www.nawbophx.org

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Doug Bruhnke, Founder & President Global Chamber® (480) 595-5000 www.globalchamber.org

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Anne Gill, President & CEO Tempe Chamber of Commerce (480) 967-7891 www.tempechamber.org Our Partner Organizations are vested business organizations focused on building and improving business in the Valley or throughout Arizona. As Partners, each will receive three insert publications each year to showcase all that they are doing for business and businesspeople within our community. We encourage you to join these and other organizations to better your business opportunities. The members of these and other Associate Partner Organizations receive a subscription to In Business Magazine each month. For more information on becoming an Associate Partner, please contact our publisher at info@inbusinessmag.com.

ASSOCIATE PARTNERS Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce ahwatukeechamber.com Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry azchamber.com Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce azhcc.com The Black Chamber of Arizona phoenixblackchamber.com Chandler Chamber of Commerce chandlerchamber.com Economic Club of Phoenix econclubphx.org Glendale Chamber of Commerce glendaleazchamber.org Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce phoenixchamber.com Greater Phoenix Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce gpglcc.org Mesa Chamber of Commerce mesachamber.org North Phoenix Chamber of Commerce northphoenixchamber.com Peoria Chamber of Commerce peoriachamber.com Phoenix Metro Chamber of Commerce phoenixmetrochamber.com Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce scottsdalechamber.com Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce surpriseregionalchamber.com WESTMARC westmarc.org

JULY 2017

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WE PUT SOME OF THE VALLEY’S TOP BUSINESS EXPERTS IN ONE PLACE. Business Resource Center. You need timely, relevant information to help you manage your business. But finding it can be a hassle. That’s why SRP has partnered with local business organizations to bring you professional insights on everything from marketing and human resources to financing and forecasting. All in one place. All from experts in their fields. SRP is happy to provide this free service, because what’s good for business is good for all of us. Learn more at srpbizresource.com.

WHEN BUSINESS BOOMS, BOOM BACK.

July 2017

VOL. 8, NO. 7

Publisher Rick McCartney

Editor RaeAnne Marsh

Art Director Benjamin Little

Contributing Writers

Neil M. Alexander Alison Bailin Batz Robert Bridge, M.D. Linda Capcara James B. Connor Gary Covert Bennett Curry Jerry Ernst Mike Hunter Joseph Kanefield Robin L. Lawton Monique Porras Melissa Proctor

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Senior Art Director Benjamin Little

Chris Crafton 623-334-7186

Financial Manager Jeffrey J. Quatrone, E.A.

Paul Menchaca 480-372-1628

1. Offers valid for applications received and completed between May 20, 2017 through July 7, 2017. Loans and lines are subject to credit approval and for business purposes only. Conditions, fees and restrictions may apply. Offers available for new Bank of the West loans and lines of credit. Offers require automatic payments from a Bank of the West Business Checking account. Rates and terms are subject to change at any time without prior notice. 2. The closing cost credit will be applied on the settlement statement as credit towards third-party fees such as appraisal, title policy and environmental fees incurred during the loan process. If the actual third party costs incurred are less than the advertised credit amount, no additional credit will be given. The fee credit cannot be combined with other loan offers. A credit up to $1,000 will be applied for loans between $150,000 and $500,000. A credit up to $2,000 will be applied for loans between $500,001 and $1,000,000. A credit up to $3,000 will be applied for loans between $1,000,001 and $2,500,000. 3. SBA loans from Bank of the West are in participation with the US Small Business Administration. Loans are subject to approval in accordance with both Bank of the West and SBA eligibility and lending guidelines. Certain fees, conditions and additional restrictions may apply. 4. A good faith deposit will be required upon accepting Bank of the West approval. If applicant withdraws the loan request after issuance and acceptance of Bank of the West’s Commitment Letter, all third-party costs incurred must be paid by the borrower. A credit up to $3,000 will be applied for SBA loans between $150,001 and $1,000,000. A credit up to $5,000 will be applied for SBA loans between $1,000,001 and $5,000,000. A credit up to $10,000 will be applied for SBA loans between $5,000,001 and $15,000,000. Credit cannot be applied toward SBA packaging or participation fee. 5. Bank of the West Prime + 0.5% rate is for new or existing Bank of the West customers who have or open a new Choice or Analyzed business checking account with Bank of the West. Available for Business Lines of Credit up to $750,000. After 12 months, a minimum rate of 4% applies. Bank of the West Prime is 4.00% as of March 22, 2017, and subject to change. 6. For new accounts, minimum opening deposit of $100 required; the monthly service charge of $20 on Choice Business Checking will be rebated for the first two statement cycles. Ask a banker about ways to waive the monthly service charge thereafter. Additional terms and conditions and fees apply. 7. Account charges based on service usage less earnings credits, based on balances, and may offset fees. See current Analyzed Business Checking Schedule of Fees for details. Minimum opening deposit of $100.

JULY 2017 DATES

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Accounting Manager Todd Juhl Corporate Office InMedia Company at Galvanize Phoenix Campus 515 E. Grant St., Suite 150 Phoenix, AZ 85004 T: (480) 588-9505 info@inmediacompany.com www.inmediacompany.com Vol. 8, No. 7. In Business Magazine is published 12 times per year by InMedia Company. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to InMedia Company, 515 E. Grant Road, Suite 150, Phoenix, AZ 85004. To subscribe to In Business Magazine, please send check or money order for one-year subscription of $24.95 to InMedia Company, 515 E. Grant Road, Suite 150, Phoenix, AZ 85004 or visit inbusinessmag.com. We appreciate your editorial submissions, news and photos for review by our editorial staff. You July send to editor@inbusinessmag.com or mail to the address above. All letters sent to In Business Magazine will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication, copyright purposes and use in any publication, website or brochure. InMedia accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or other artwork. Submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. InMedia Company, LLC reserves the right to refuse certain advertising and is not liable for advertisers’ claims and/or errors. The opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the position of InMedia. InMedia Company considers its sources reliable and verifies as much data as possible, although reporting inaccuracies can occur; consequently, readers using this information do so at their own risk. Each business opportunity and/or investment inherently contains certain risks, and it is suggested that the prospective investors consult their attorney and/ or financial professional. © 2017 InMedia Company, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine July be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission by the publisher.

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DAVID KRIETOR, DOWNTOWN PHOENIX INC.

Tipping the Scale

David Krietor is CEO of Downtown Phoenix, Inc., a community development group formed in 2013 that coordinates activities of the Downtown Phoenix Partnership, Phoenix Community Alliance and the Downtown Phoenix Community Development Corporation. DPI works to ensure that the Downtown business community has a synergistic relationship with its community partners and surrounding neighborhoods. During his 20 years of service to the City of Phoenix, Krietor has served as community and economic development director, aviation director, deputy city manager and chief of staff for Mayor Phil Gordon. He is the 2013 winner of the William Lampkin Award for Career Excellence in Economic Development.

Scaling for growth is a goal not only of individual companies but also of economic development and community-based organizations. Some of the companies that are industry and headline-grabbing giants today started at a kitchen table or in the family garage, and Arizona has several native success stories like these that bolster our economy and strengthen our business community. Phoenix’s downtown core is witnessing an influx of small and medium-sized, innovative companies where the environment is particularly attractive for scaling up. Business executives recognize the benefit of working within close proximity to other like-minded companies and potential partners. We also see more mature companies pivoting toward innovation deciding to relocate where the physical environment is comprised of interesting spaces in authentic, vintage buildings as well as a more walkable, bike-able urban experience. Companies like Galvanize, Uber, Tuft and Needle, and Quicken Loans have all chosen Downtown. In fact, the publisher of In Business Magazine, InMedia, is a great example of such a move to the downtown area in its move to the Warehouse District. What is happening in Central Phoenix is not unique and is reflective of a broad national backto-the-city movement that is not likely to abate anytime soon. Founders and CEOs of locally based businesses that have successfully made this leap and scaled beyond their neighborhood borders share insights of the various decisions made and processes implemented that enabled their growth. These span a variety of industries and illustrate the diversity of our economy. For this cover story, “Growing Business: Scaling for Greatness,” In Business Magazine Editor RaeAnne Marsh also spoke with business coaches about clearing some of the hurdles business owners face as they grow their company. Funding that growth may rely on access to a credit card, but there are aspects to consider that are addressed in an article on the Briefs page. And businesses may find legislation can hinder or advance their industry — this month’s Legal feature discusses avenues for getting involved at that level. A Trade feature gives business decision makers some insight into current impacts on agreements that affect international commerce opportunity. Workforce issues are the focus of an HR feature article this month on the reality that it is now much more of an employee’s market versus the employer’s market of the Great Recession. And Roundtable argues for building a company culture around customer service. This July issue also includes the annual Top 50 Small Business Industry Leaders special section, with an introduction by my fellow economic development champion Kimber Lanning. With its broad range of relevant content, In Business Magazine continues to be an ally in helping strengthen our business community. I’m pleased to help present this July issue, and wish you good reading on these following pages. Sincerely,

David Krietor President & CEO • Downtown Phoenix Inc.

Growth, Growth and More Growth In this issue, we look at the many ways that local businesses have had

We want to thank David Krietor of Downtown Phoenix, Inc.

success in growing their company. Through organic growth strategies,

This group has long been a driver in the “growth” of downtown

acquisitions and other tactics, these companies have done what many

and has, as a result, enlightened many to the benefits of working

of us, as business owners, are working to do. Growth is a conscious

in our most concentrated business district. The downtown scene

effort on the part of each of the leaders of these companies our editor,

is burgeoning and, as David states and several of our cover story

RaeAnne Marsh, spoke to. Perhaps not so unique and innovative as

companies attest to, Downtown Phoenix is quickly becoming a true

much as strategic and deliberate, growth is arguably the true measure

success story itself. —Rick McCartney, Publisher

of success for an organization. It was wonderful to glean some insight from what these companies have shared.

Special Section:

Owners Legal

MAGAZINE

Services Guide

JUNE 2017

IN BUSINESS

Business

TOURISM

To Dolur larsism and : Sense

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How to Monetize Your Data Understand Core Motivators Successful for Sales Save Your Data from Ransom

of Place

How are we commun leveraging our ity for tourists to spend money?

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Let us know what you think of this issue of In Business Magazine. Email our publisher at feedback@inbusinessmag.com.

Go online at inbusinessmag.com to see the behind the scenes video on our interview with David Krietor

CONNECT WITH US: Story Ideas/PR: editor@ inbusinessmag.com Business Events/ Connections: businessevents@ inbusinessmag.com Marketing/Exposure: advertise@ inbusinessmag.com Visit us online at www.inbusinessmag.com

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VALLEY LEADERS SOUND OFF

establishing your business successfully in its first location, what were some Q: After key concerns when you began planning to expand to additional locations?

MORE ON POINT

FEEDBACK QUESTION: Let us know what you want to know from the Valley’s top business leaders. editor@inbusinessmag.com

For all past Feedbacks go online to inbusinessmag.com and see what Valley executives think on various business topics.

Co-Owner and General Manager Changing Hands Bookstore Sector: Retail

Co-Owner Keep It Cut – Unlimited Haircut Memberships Sector: Barbershops

Vice President Spinato’s Pizzeria Sector: Restaurant

Changing Hands Bookstore changinghands.com Cindy Dach is co-owner and general manager of Changing Hands Bookstore. Changing Hands is a 43-year-old independent bookstore with two locations in Arizona. The Phoenix location is home to First Draft Book Bar, a beer, wine and coffee bar. Changing Hands hosts more than 400 events a year. Dach is a community leader and serves on numerous nonprofit boards of directors.

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ANTHONY SPINATO

IN BUSINESS

JACOB MELTZER

For years, our community had been asking us to open a bookstore in Phoenix. Our search for a location was met with challenges. We had to find a central location and a landlord who understood the nature of bookselling — low profit margins, digital disruption in the form of e-readers and online competitors, along with understanding the value of the bookstore as a community gathering place. The main reason most independent bookstores don’t survive is high occupancy costs. The next step was figuring out how our second location would represent our overall mission and culture while simultaneously responding to and reflecting the needs of its new community. Rather than clone the Tempe store, we chose a downtown-appropriate esthetic and continued to follow our customers’ lead in determining product mix. Learning how to run a bar and create a model for internal communication between two locations is a priority. Our solutions come through online manuals, data capturing and cross-department training. For us, successful growth is about identifying the challenge and moving to solution as quickly as possible.

For a Feedback response from another popular recreation and tourist attraction, see this month’s Feedback feature on our website, inbusinessmag.com.

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How to Monetize Your Data Understand Core Motivators Successful for Sales Save Your Data from Ransom

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My partner and I focused on scalability — how to add locations with only marginally more work for us as owners and still ensure quality and consistency across all shops. To address this, we created clear policies and procedures that could easily be replicated by a shop manager and then quickly audited by us as owners. Once we had the system, we focused our attention on getting a strong manager on board. We wanted someone who was as excited as we were about our concept, our growth vision and our company values (ownership, hospitality and fun). Having a strong manager on board to handle all the day-to-day operations and maintain our company culture in the shop allows us to continue focusing on expansion. We also looked at location. Was our first store a unicorn? For our second store, we didn’t take any risks. We surveyed our existing clients, looked at the overall demographics of the area around our first location, and then looked for a new location that matched as closely as possible. Sure enough, the results looked almost identical.

In the restaurant business, you’re most concerned with consistency of the menu, in terms of flavors and preparation, and with the guest experience. It was incredibly important for us that each guest at our Bell Road location would receive the same warm service and quality meals that they would if they went to our first store. With respect to difficulty, finding great team members to deliver the Spinato’s Experience was perhaps the most difficult. That took time. Back then, we looked at the profiles of our best staff and tried to find people who shared and showed those traits during interviews. The consistency issue we solved by creating our Spinato’s family kitchen and having one or two members of our team make these proprietary recipes daily for both restaurants. Being connected to the neighborhood seemed the easiest part. Our pizzerias are gathering places for family, friends and many local businesses and youth sports. We didn’t have to go looking for the connection; they came to us with almost unlimited opportunities to serve and support our community.

Keep It Cut keepitcut.com

Spinato’s Pizzeria spintospizzeria.com

Jacob Meltzer holds a B.S. in Biology from Western Washington University and a M.Ed. in Higher Education from ASU. From 2005 to 2015, he worked in student leadership development and property management. In 2015, he transitioned to Keep It Cut, bringing Unlimited Haircut Memberships to market.

Anthony Spinato is the vice president of Spinato’s Pizzeria, a Phoenix favorite with five Valley locations. His father, Ken Spinato, started the family-run business with one location in 1974. Since then, they have been satisfying diners’ hunger for authentic Italian flavors with a focus on made-from-scratch family recipes and excellent guest service.

Sign up for the monthly In Business Magazine eNewsletter at www.inbusinessmag.com. Look for survey questions and other research on our business community.

QUICK AND TO THE POINT

BYTES

by Mike Hunter

AR Sky Writing Skrite empowers users to create their own AR by leaving virtual messages in the sky, giving them the opportunity to “own the sky.” It is the first app to enable everyday users to create their own messages and explore others in the sky around them. Skrites — the pieces of content, users upload to the sky — can only be created in a user’s current location. Skrites are created in zones, with a maximum of 25 Skrites allowed per zone. The first user to create a Skrite in a zone gets that zone named after her. “This allows users to virtually own a piece of the sky, whether it be the airspace above their home, business,

Credit Card: Use Business or Personal?

When a small business needs fast money, it’s easy to whip out a credit card to make the purchase. Every entrepreneur relies on them. Why not, when they’re convenient and easy to manage? But the line between personal and business credit can be blurry. When is it appropriate to open a business credit card, versus continuing to use personal cards? These milestones signify it’s time. Borrowing needs exceed personal credit limitations. Running a business can be expensive, especially when equipment or inventory is involved, and a thriving business often requires more funding than personal credit allows. Business credit cards can be the ideal solution, since they offer higher credit limits compared to a personal card and they don’t follow the same debt-to-income ratio. Employees need their own credit cards. Once a small business grows enough to support employees, providing them a credit card to manage their purchases can be important for certain job functions. Sharing a personal card can easily result in declined purchases as a result of today’s stringent fraud prevention measures and it puts the cardholder’s personal credit at the mercy of the employee. If a business needs more than one credit card, opening a business account makes sense. It allows employee spending limits to be managed individually and opening or closing cards without impacting other users. Bigger funding needs are looming in the near future. When a business recognizes it may need conventional bank financing to purchase capital equipment or handle expanding operations, having a solid business credit history already established is essential. It opens the door to bigger funding opportunities than a personal credit history can accommodate. It’s not enough for the owner to have a strong personal credit history — a banker wants to see signs that the business itself is creditworthy. Long before a business plans to apply for a loan, it’s smart to begin building up a business credit history by opening a credit card in the name of the business. It also demonstrates creditworthiness and stability to the lender. On a final note, there are two things to keep in mind when considering a business credit card. Most require a personal guarantee, making the business owner responsible for the company’s debt should it miss payments. Also, business credit cards don’t enjoy the same consumer protection benefits as a personal card. It’s important to read the fine print. — Jerry Ernst, president and CEO of Horizon Community Bank, one of the largest locally owned and operated commercial bank charters in Arizona. Horizon Community Bank horizoncommunitybank.com

or any location that brings value to larger companies that can potentially use this space for advertising,” says CEO and co-founder Rishab Jain. m.onelink.me/33179669

Wellness Scheduling On the Go ThrivinU is a new app for the wellness community, being beta tested in the Phoenix area on iOS and Android. Scottsdale resident Dara Rummel modeled it after Uber, to connect providers of health and wellness services with consumers. She wanted an easier way to schedule appointments and have the option for a professional provider to come to her. ThrivinU is built around six categories: nutrition, beauty, wellness, fitness, health and fashion. Businesses have the opportunity to customize and control their mobile brand presence, and be part of a direct-access wellness consumer network, and ThrivinU offers them realtime analytics. thrivinu.com

Key to Connect EventKey offers a new level of connection at professional events from simple meetups to business seminars. The platform works through LinkedIn. Organizations can use EventKey to promote, sell tickets and do registration for events. Advantage to attendees is being able to access photos and more easily recognize other attendees, facilitating introductions. The app automatically collects attendees’ contact information, and stores it even after the event. geteventkey.com

When a small business needs to borrow larger amounts, yet wants the convenience of a credit card or isn’t ready for a capital loan, the next step is often a business line of credit. Online quick loans, such as Horizon Community Bank’s new 24-hour business line of credit, are an alternative to the conventional application process. horizoncommunitybank.com

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METRICS & MEASUREMENTS

Big Issues Face Employers in Arizona, Nationwide There’s uncertainty amid potential regulatory change by Neil M. Alexander

Employers are facing a great deal of uncertainty — from the new administration in Washington, to a growing patchwork of state and local laws, to continued advances in technology and shifts in how work is performed. That was the major takeaway from The Littler® Annual Employer Survey, released this past May at Littler Mendelson’s annual Executive Employer Conference in Phoenix. The survey was completed by more than 1,200 in-house counsel, human resources professionals and C-suite executives, who expressed concerns that resonate with many employers in Phoenix and across Arizona.

THE TRUMP EFFECT

Neil M. Alexander is a shareholder in the Phoenix office of Littler Mendelson, the world’s largest labor and employment law firm representing management. He serves as co-chair of the firm’s Staffing, Independent Contractors and Contingent Workers practice, and regularly counsels clients on workforce design decisions and on maximizing contingent worker options while ensuring compliance with relevant laws. Alexander also defends companies in a range of industries against claims involving workplace issues. littler.com

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Our sixth annual survey once again asked respondents to predict the impact of various regulatory issues on their workplaces over the next 12 months. In most instances, the perceived impact did not change much from last year, showing that employers do not expect near-term regulatory relief at the federal level. The exception was immigration reform, where 63 percent expect an impact over the next 12 months, up from 40 percent in 2016. This isn’t that surprising, given President Trump’s hardline stance on the issue. Employers in Arizona understand the impact of immigration policy changes well. In the southern part of the state, farmers who rely on migrant labor are likely concerned — which is something even lawmakers with strong anti-immigration stances should remember. Additionally, Arizona tech employers in urban areas are no doubt wondering about the future of H1B visas — which were created to bring high-tech professionals from other countries to the U.S. — given the Trump administration’s vow to re-examine the program.

CHANGES TO PAID LEAVE

Paid leave mandates were identified in our survey as the area in which recent laws have been enacted at the state and

local levels that will most impact employers. This, of course, is a big issue in Arizona, with related aspects of the Fair Wages and Health Families Act in effect as of July 1.

CONTINGENT WORKERS

Our survey also found that employers plan to increasingly use independent contractors. While some states have taken an aggressive posture regarding the gig economy, potentially hampering employers’ plans to use contractors, Arizona has taken a diligent and thoughtful approach. That means the growth in the use of freelancers and independent contractors should largely continue in our state. Odds are employers will continue to see a great deal of change in the coming months and years — particularly if the Affordable Care Act is eventually repealed and replaced and as the president fills seats in government agencies. But one thing is very clear: There’s already a lot to process for companies in Arizona and across the country. The Littler® Annual Employer Survey bit.ly/littler-employer-survey

Workplace Regulation Percent each year reporting impact is none /moderate / significant 2015

2016

2017

The Affordable Care Act

33 / 31 / 33

52 / 54 / 55

14 / 15/ 17

EEOC/anti-discrimination law enforcement

20 / 23 / 22

54 / 55 / 54

26 / 22 / 24

NLRB enforcement

17 / 15 / 13

42 / 41 / 42

41 / 44 / 45

Immigration reform

9 / 5 / 24

33 / 34 / 39

58 / 60 / 57

18 / 31 / 25

62 / 51 / 56

21 / 18 / 19

DOL enforcement of federal employment law

Workforce Management Which of the following accommodation requests from employees have you found most difficult to accommodate?

Which of the following factors have caused your company to use more independent contractors, freelancers and/or temporary workers?

Intermittent FMLA leave taken in an unpredictable manner

65%

35%

Extended leaves of absence beyond FMLA requirements

55%

Contingent workers are primarily used to staff up and down for specific projects, contracts or seasonal hiring

Remote or work-from-home arrangements

37%

Difficulty finding qualified full-time candidates

30%

Efficiency of using contingent workers

22%

Higher costs associated with W-2 employees (e.g., benefits, wage & hour laws, etc.)

16%

Our business model is based on the use of contingent workers

10%

Modified or reduced work schedules Extended leaves of absence under the FMLA

36% 24%

Religious practices or beliefs

Extended jury duty (beyond a week)

Source: The Littler® Annual Employer Survey, 2017 bit.ly/littler-employer-survey

Increased use of these alternative work arrangements in our industry We are not hiring more contingent workers

Editor’s Note: For more detail on the key changes impacting employers, please refer “Employer Alert: Paid Sick Leave Required,” from the June 2017 issue of In Business Magazine, online at www.inbusinessmag.com.

8% 34%

MINDING THEIR BUSINESS

Rick Ueable: Reject Passivity, Stand United, Invest Internally

Principled leadership for Foods 2000, Inc., among the longest-running, most successful Subway franchises in Arizona by Alison Bailin Batz

According to Rick Ueable, Foods 2000, Inc. was supposed to be a distant memory well before 2017. Rewind to 1983, when Ueable formally partnered with colleague Ken Clark on a business called Real Investments, a commercial real estate company that was met with great success nationwide … until the fallout from the Tax Reform Act of 1986. “The Tax Reform Act changed the way real estate could be depreciated, which played a huge role in the industry’s infamous crash of the late ’80s,” says Ueable, who had two choices by 1989 — cut ties with Clark and close up shop, as so many businesses did at that time, or dig his heels in and fight the good fight as a team. Ueable chose to stand with Clark, and vice versa. “Not even at our lowest did we point fingers or assign blame — that was key. Instead, we worked day and night to negotiate deals as we could while devising a strategy on how to transition into another industry,” recalls Ueable, who had to — admittedly — be convinced that sandwiches were the way to go. By happenstance, Clark was seated on a flight to San Diego with one of the first-ever Subway franchisees in Arizona and got inspired. While still at the airport, Clark called Ueable (collect) and shared his vision of expanding Subway in Arizona as their next step. Given there was exactly zero restaurant experience between the two of them, Ueable was at first hesitant to make the move. But, at this same time, Ueable began investing more in his faith, as well as his faith’s teachings of servant leadership as a business model, no matter the industry. “I decided to take this leap of faith with Kenny, and we were both in agreement that everything we did from there on out would be based on servant leadership’s principles,” says Ueable, who named the business Foods 2000 in a nod to the millennium because he couldn’t fathom still being in the sandwich business by the time 2000 rolled around. By late 1989, Foods 2000 pulled together a $450,000 loan (at 19 percent, notes Ueable) and purchased its first three locations. And even when their office boasted only a handful of employees, servant leadership’s principles of listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of others, and building community were at the forefront. To Ueable, the concept also meant rejecting the idea of managing in a silo, and he went so far as to report the company’s financials to all his managers on a weekly basis to ensure complete transparency from the top down. “Beyond transparency, we wanted to show our commitment to investing internally in our people, so early on we developed a training program, workshops and continuing education

opportunities — some mandatory and some optional — for every single employee from managers to sandwich artists, with the goal to empower them to make their own decisions, as well as to be accountable for said decisions,” says Ueable, who has expanded the trainings over the past three decades to include life skills seminars, leadership boot camps and programs on professionalism. Ueable also notes that listening to his team — especially those who work in the restaurants and see product, processes and customers on a daily basis — versus simply bossing them around changed the direction of not only Foods 2000, but of Subway itself. “I made the decision to run for an elected position on the North American Independent Purchasing Cooperative for Subway in 2000 because I wanted to play an active role in quality control, logistics and technology to help make our teams’ lives easier,” says Ueable, who did eventually serve as the IPC chair and today serves on its board of directors. Among its biggest recent achievements is the introduction of Subventory, a revolutionary technology being launched in Subways nationwide to simplify supply and demand at the store level at the touch of a button. A final word from Ueable on how Foods 2000 has stood the test of time: gratitude. “The simple act of telling someone ‘thank you’ on a regular basis, and meaning it, still counts for something, both in business and in life,” says Ueable, who arms his leadership team with an endless supply of gift cards to simply use as daily thank yous to the teams in the field between face-to-face rallies and meetings. Foods 2000 even launched an internal Facebook group so employees can post positive thoughts and photos as well as offer support and build camaraderie 24 hours a day, whether they are in Phoenix, Flagstaff or anywhere in between.

Rick Ueable joined Subway Kids & Sports of Arizona in 1999, a nonprofit focused on helping kids in need gain access to sports, camp and equipment and registration fees. To date, the organization has touched 30,000 children and donated $800,000-plus statewide. subwaykidsandsportsaz.com

ABOUT FOODS 2000, INC. • Foods 2000 owns and operates 41 Arizona Subways, with plans to expand to 48 by year’s end. • Rick Ueable and business partner Ken Clark founded the company in 1989. • Foods 2000 has 400-plus employees and moved to a new headquarters in Scottsdale in 2015. • In June 2017, Foods 2000 was honored for having the top restaurant in the state, located at 44th Street and Cactus. In 2016, Ueable and Clark won the same honor for their location at 19th Avenue and Greenway.

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PROPERTY, GROWTH AND LOCATION

Challenges in Repurposing Commercial Projects

Lincoln Property Company earned the 2017 Best of NAIOP “Redevelopment Project of the Year” for Luhrs City Center, a National Historic Landmark that incorporates 157,735 square feet of office and retail space, along with a Class A parking garage, at the southwest corner of 1st Avenue and Jefferson Street in the heart of downtown Phoenix. “Between its mixed-use elements, original Art Deco styling and Spanish Colonial influences, Luhrs is not only an aesthetic symbol of downtown Phoenix’s early years, but is what tenants are once again looking for in a premier creative work environment,” says Doug Klocke, Lincoln Property Company Director of Development and Construction Management. lpcphx.com

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Zoning and Entitlements: The regulatory powers of the local municipality must be vetted. Even with the support of a project by city staff, the neighbors may have an opportunity to intervene. Zoning and building codes will control all aspects of a development, including the use, architectural guidelines, density, access, parking and landscaping. Decisions regarding whether to demolish and reconstruct or to scrape and build could be swayed based on grandfathering of non-conforming uses, applicable fees and rights of neighbors to object. Offsite Infrastructure: Great care is required where a repurposed use will result in a different impact on the offsite services (e.g., utilities, traffic, drainage, etc.). There is no shortcut to engaging civil engineers to thoroughly evaluate the requirements for the repurposed project and the capacity of the “in place” improvements, or, alternatively, the determination of any necessary additional offsite improvements. Environmental: “Legacy” projects often have legacy problems, whether in the form of asbestos, underground storage tanks, chemical residue from agricultural uses, or even septic tanks. The environmental consultant will need to review the historical use of the property, as far back in time as possible, regardless of the applicable ASTM standard. —James B. Connor, shareholder with Gallagher & Kennedy, PA (www.gknet.com), practices corporate finance and real estate law, representing local and national real estate developers, lenders and investors with commercial real estate matters

GET REAL

Camelback Luxury District at Biltmore is the latest luxury apartment community in the Camelback Corridor from Kaplan Management Company and Simpson Housing® LLLP. The four-story luxury mid-rise is conveniently located within walking distance to the Biltmore Fashion Park, and offers 227 elegant oneand two-bedroom apartments. Among its one-of-a-kind amenities are a large fitness center that includes an additional studio with virtual trainer, an on-site dog park and a rooftop lounge. The property is managed by Simpson Property Group®, which has received the sought-after National Multifamily Customer Service “A List” Award for Excellence in Customer Service for the past 14 years. simpsonpropertygroup.com

by Mike Hunter

Canadian Investment Canadian-based Western Wealth Capital continues to add to its Arizona rental portfolio; it is the third largest multifamily owner in the Phoenix area. The real estate investment company and its partners recently acquired Tierra Santa, a 274-unit rental building, for US$13.4 million. WWC considers Phoenix a highly prospective rental market owing to robust population and employment growth. “The material growth of our company’s asset base is attributable to the execution of a precise business model applied to a market that presents extensive opportunity,” says Janet LePage, chief executive officer of WWC. westernwealthcapital.com

The multifamily market continues its dynamic pace with strong renter demand, rising rental rates and steady sales, according to the Q1 report released by Colliers International in Greater Phoenix. bit.ly/colliers-multifamily-report

Net-Zero Townhomes Real estate investment firm Caliber – The Wealth Development Company has partnered with one of the nation’s leading Net Zero Energy (NZE) developers, MODUS Development, on their second project, Eclipse, which officially broke ground and has begun development. This is Scottsdale’s newest environmentally sustainable townhome community, designed with Zero Energy Star® certification for maximum energy efficiency. The gated, circular designed, green solar community, located on 1.46 acres on Granite Reef Road just south of McDowell Road, is a $9.1 million, 20-unit NZE townhome project that will infuse game-changing technology innovations like Apple/Google integration into a luxury residential lifestyle. eclipsescottsdale.com

photos courtesy Lincoln Property Company (far left); Kaplan Management Company, Western Wealth Capital and Caliber (left to right)

HISTORIC REDEV HONORED

With the desire by many Arizona residents to experience a more urban lifestyle, the repurposing of commercial buildings and areas has become very popular over the last seven years. As evidenced in Phoenix by the Seventh Street Corridor, Roosevelt Row and ASU’s downtown campus, these projects can thrive, but it is important to note that real estate development involving repurposing requires thorough due diligence, significant time and a relatively large scope of review. The good news is that most of the due diligence items to be considered are common to any real estate project. The bad news is that the failure to investigate and evaluate the risks might leave an investor with limited prospects for salvaging the initial investment. If redevelopment will be pursued by a prospective purchaser, great care is required to identify and assess risks. The following are among many issues to be addressed. Title Review: Reviewing the title, including an ALTA/NSPS survey, is essential. Obtaining title insurance in the amount of the purchase may not adequately address the scope of the risk, where the “fully developed” value is projected to be worth more than the cost of the land. (Consider obtaining “subsequent issuance” endorsements.) Among potential problems are covenants of record, access issues, easements, use restrictions, architectural approvals and other burdens, including sharing of amenities, such as parking, with third parties.

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INNOVATIONS FOR BUSINESS

TECH NOTES

by Mike Hunter

McDonald’s ‘Snaplications’ For the 250,000 restaurant employees McDonald’s and its independent franchisees anticipated hiring for the

DustRam inside a 3-D printer that just finished printing and is about to go into assembly (left); fully assembled DustRam with 3-D printed nozzle head (below)

summer (4,200 in Arizona), McDonald’s implemented a modern approach to recruiting — Snapchat. “Snaplications,” a term coined by McDonald’s, is a first-to-Ωmarket hiring tool in the U.S. that allows job application process for a job at a McDonald’s restaurant through the Snapchat app. McDonald’s used a similar Snaplications execution in Australia earlier this year, and the company is also utilizing platforms that include Spotify and Hulu to reach potential job seekers in a new way for the brand. “We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to find job seekers. We thought Snaplications was a great way to allow us to meet job seekers where they are — their phones,” says Jez Langhorn, senior director in HR at McDonald’s USA. Snapchat users nationwide may be served 10-second video ads of real restaurant employees talking about the benefits of working at McDonald’s. Viewers can then “swipe up” to instantly visit the McDonald’s career webpage in Snapchat to explore the opportunities offered by McDonald’s, and apply to their local restaurants if they so choose. mcdonalds.com/careers

Tech-Enabled Collaboration Bolste has joined Current, powered by GE’s partner ecosystem, aiming to provide collaboration and communication technology to customers and partners worldwide. Bolste’s all-in-one platform provides all the familiar collaboration tools a team needs for optimal alignment, increased productivity and cohesive, instant communication with those that matter most. The platform allows teams to plan, align, communicate and accelerate success with mobile and desktop business messaging, unlimited guest users, video conferencing, file sharing, calendaring, tasking, editable documents and more. Bolste, along with intelligent environment data streamed from Current will allow users to instantly communicate what matters most to get the necessary people, processes and projects aligned. By tapping into the data from intelligent environments, such as building automation, space planning/optimization and guidance/movement, companies will enable the appropriate team or audience to collaborate on the important imperatives that require human intervention to reach their goals. Likewise, the partnership between Current and Bolste will allow companies to become even more involved in discussions, communications, projects and innovation.

FROM PROTOTYPING TO MANUFACTURING

Once hooked on 3-D printing, King decided to make 3-D manufacturing part of his own business. He purchased a Stratasys Fortus 450 MC Printer from PADT to 3-D print his own prototypes. But, after seeing how rugged the prototype was, he knew he could also use 3-D printing to manufacture low volumes of the DustRam. The metal DustRam® head took five months to produce, sold for $8,000 and weighed 12 pounds. The 3-D printed part could be produced in about 50 hours, sold for $2,030 and weighed less than three pounds. The cost, time and labor savings were significant. The 3-D printed material also allowed contractors using the DustRam equipment to work faster and more efficiently, as the lighter plastic heads were easier to maneuver and handle for longer periods of time. —Linda Capcara DustRam LLC dustram.com Phoenix Analysis & Design Technologies, Inc. padtinc.com

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Among materials that can, currently, be used for 3-D printing are thermoplastics, thermoplastic composites, pure metals, metal alloys, ceramics and various forms of food.

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The original DustRam head was a piece of solid metal. It was effective, but expensive and very heavy to work with for multiple hours, especially when removing tile or stone 15 feet overhead. DustRam’s lead engineer, Michael Hadley, suggested working with Phoenix Analysis & Design Technologies, Inc. to design and 3-D print a plastic version. King was apprehensive, but worked with PADT on a single-piece, nylon 3-D printed prototype of the DustRam. The prototype was taken on a test run at a difficult job and, despite King’s prediction that it wouldn’t hold up to the physical stress of dust-free tile removal for even a day of use, it proved to be both rugged and dependable. It was eye-opening for King. PADT principal and co-owner Eric Miller points to this as a great example of practical, low-volume application of 3-D printing. “In Jack’s case,” he says, “3-D printing and the high-quality plastic materials we can produce became a significant low-cost upgrade over manufacturing the metal DustRam head.” This stood in stark contrast to a recent experience King had with traditional methods

MAGAZINE

REAL-USE APPLICATION OF 3-D PRINTING

of manufacturing a prototype. While working on developing an industrial-grade chisel to join the DustRam product line for use on massive tile removal jobs, DustRam LLC designed the product and paid $25,000 to manufacture a high-grade, metal, fully functioning prototype. Unfortunately, within three minutes, the chisel shook itself to pieces and became totally useless. King took it apart and found the design flaw, and then needed to repeat the expensive prototyping process.

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Jack King, founder and CEO of DustRam LLC, has spent his entire career in flooring, and, 15 years ago, founded Arizona Home Floors, LLC. In 2008, high-end flooring took a huge hit when the market for new housing construction collapsed. Since remodeling became the only game in town, he went to work on an invention for dust-free tile removal. After several prototypes and iterations, his invention was perfected and DustRam LLC was formed as a stand-alone company. The revolutionary DustRam® product consists of a head piece that allows a chisel to fit through an opening at the mouth, while leaving space to vacuum simultaneously. DustRam LLC remains the only dust-free tile removal company, and certified flooring contractors across the country make use of DustRam products.

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3-D Transforming Business

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Photos courtesy of DustRam LLC

seekers to be served an ad and opportunity to begin the

Ways To Keep Your Money Safe 1 Secure checks and bank statements as carefully as you would cash.

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3 Make sure the same person isn’t authorizing, receiving and reconciling financial transactions. Even if you have a small staff, rotate responsibilities periodically.

YOUR BENEFIT IN BUSINESS

WELL WELL WELL

by Mike Hunter

Ethnic-Sensitive Healthcare Equality Health, an Arizona-based organization pioneering healthcare delivery to underserved and ethnic populations, has officially launched its cultural care program with an initial focus on the Hispanic community. “Challenges with language, health literacy and cultural and social norms have created large healthcare disparities for a growing portion of our society, and that’s unacceptable,” says Hugh Lytle, Equality Health founder and CEO. According to Equality Health’s research and information from its network of providers, nearly 50 percent of Hispanic adults in the United States lack a primary care physician, and this group is more likely to delay healthcare for an illness or drop out of treatment when symptoms disappear. By improving cultural healthcare literacy among dedicated physicians, easing administrative burdens for providers and reducing costs for insurance companies, Equality Health is redefining the one-size-fits-all healthcare system and building culturally specific medical delivery systems. equalityhealth.com

Real-Time Remote Imaging Banner Health, in partnership with DigiSight Technologies, a San Francisco-based digital health company, and EyeNet, a group of Phoenix-based community ophthalmologists, has launched Paxos — a telehealth solution that enables healthcare teams to collaborate and make informed decisions at the point of care — at 13 of its facilities across Arizona. Replacing real-time care for what is commonly many hours of waiting, this new teleophthalmology program allows emergency room doctors to capture the image of a serious eye injury or other vision disorder and digitally transfer that image to an ophthalmology expert. The Paxos technology uses a specialized adapter (FDA Class II registered) that takes pictures of the front of the eye and retina using a smartphone, and includes cloud- and mobile-phone-based HIPAA-compliant software to allow secure transmission of various vision and ocular tests. bannerhealth.com

Humana: Healthy AZ Worksite Award Humana Inc., a leading health and well-being company, was recognized recently by the Healthy Arizona Worksite Program for achieving the Platinum Award level of excellence in worksite wellness. Humana partnered with Southwest Human Development, the local Easterseals affiliate, to positively impact literacy in the Phoenix community, helping collect more than 12,500 books and building 22 libraries.

Happy? Sad? Sleep Deprivation Blurs the ‘Read’ Business leaders who rely on their peoplereading skills, take note: A recently released study led by William D.S. Killgore, University of Arizona professor of psychiatry, psychology and medical imaging, found that study participants had a harder time identifying facial expressions of happiness or sadness when they were sleep deprived than when they were well-rested. While the difference in performance was not overwhelming, it’s enough that it could have a significant impact in critical social interactions, Killgore says. “As a society, we don’t get the full seven to eight hours of sleep that people probably need to be getting. The average American is getting a little less than six hours of sleep on average, and it could affect how you’re reading people in everyday interactions,” says Killgore. “You may be responding inappropriately to somebody you just don’t read correctly, especially those social emotions that make us human. Or you may not be as empathic. Your spouse or significant other may need something from you and you’re less able to read that. It’s possible that this could lead to problems in your relationships or problems at

work. To me, that is one of the biggest problems — how this affects our relationships.” The sleepy participants’ ability to interpret facial expressions of other emotions — anger, fear, surprise and disgust — was not impaired, however. Killgore believes that’s likely because we’re wired to recognize those more primitive emotions in order to survive acute dangers. The data used in the study, “Sleep Deprivation Impairs Recognition of Specific Emotions,” is part of a larger research effort on sleep deprivation’s effects on social, emotional and moral judgment. Killgore began the project while working as a research psychologist for the U.S. Army. The recent study supports an earlier one, published by Harvard’s Seung-Schik Yoo and colleagues, which showed that when people are sleep deprived, a disconnect occurs between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala — one of the key emotionally responsive areas of the brain. —Mike Hunter Sleep Deprivation Impairs Recognition of Specific Emotions http://bit.ly/science-direct-sleep The University of Arizona arizona.edu

Advancements in ENT – Helping Put Our Community on the Map HonorHealth Ear, Nose and Throat is excited about some new innovative technologies that help us serve our community here in Arizona. Currently, our otolaryngology group in Central Phoenix is the only one in the Southwest to offer the unique services below. Eustachian Tube Balloon Dilation is a new device approved for persistent Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) in adults ages 22 and older. A few common symptoms for treatment of ETD are persistent fullness in the ears and significant discomfort with altitude change. This minimally invasive procedure provides rapid relief over limited former treatment options. Using a new drug for ear infections and swimmer’s ear, we’re able to place antibiotic gel at the site during ear tube placement. This alleviates parents from having to administer drops in their child’s ears post-operatively, and from having to remember the correct dosage.

Balloon Sinus Dilation is a procedure for chronic sinusitis sufferers, and it can be done in either the clinic or operating room. A minimally invasive balloon opens the sinus passages to relieve sinus pain and sinus pressure associated with chronic sinusitis. During the procdure after dilation, the sinus can then be irrigated with an antibiotic irrigation to help remove trapped bacteria. Studies show that balloon dilation keeps the natural sinus openings patent as well as a surgically created hole. A drug-eluding sinus implant allows localized delivery of a corticosteroid (mometasone furoate) for chronic sinus sufferers with or without polyps. The implant releases steroids directly into the sinuses over 30 days post-surgery. Studies show this reduces the post-operative scarring that could lead to closure or obstruction of the treated sinus(es). —Robert Bridge, M.D., Chief Otolaryngologist at HonorHealth ENT (bit.ly/hh-phoenix-ent)

healthyazworksites.org humana.com

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United Benefit Advisors’ recent survey found employers continue to seek health care cost savings through such consumer-driven health plans as health savings accounts (HSAs) and health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs). ubabenefits.com

LAW MATTERS TO BUSINESS

The Costs of Democracy

How can businesses – and individuals – make their voices heard? by Joseph Kanefield

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Joseph A. Kanefield is a litigator in the Phoenix office of national law firm Ballard Spahr whose government-centric practice focuses on election and campaign finance law, constitutional law, civil and appellate litigation, government relations, publicprivate partnerships, procurement, administrative law, gaming, consumer, and state and local tax matters. Kanefield leads the firm’s Political and Election Law Practice Group. ballardspahr.com

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The courts decided long ago that money is an important component of political speech. Campaigns need it to succeed and citizens need it to raise their voices during the election process. After all, a campaign advertisement on television reaches a lot more people than a megaphone at the local park. So, how can citizens and businesses use their resources to influence the outcome of an election? The answer is simple and a bit complicated at the same time. Few, if any, dispute that money plays a significant role in our election process. For example, last year a combined total of $81 million was spent during the Arizona statewide general election in non-federal races. Of that, $4.4 million was spent on Proposition 206, the citizen initiative that raised the minimum wage, which has had a major impact on Arizona businesses. And the proponents outspent the opponents by a large margin. Because money has the potential to corrupt, the courts have said that the manner in which elections are financed can be regulated by the government. Thus, it’s important for businesses wishing to influence the election process with their wallet to understand the basic rules.

KNOW YOUR LIMITS

The easiest way for a person to influence an election is to make a contribution to a campaign or candidate aligned with his or her interests. But it’s important to know the different laws that apply to contributions to campaigns versus candidates. For example, businesses opposed to the 2016 minimum wage ballot measure could donate to the political action committee organized to defeat the measure and there was no limit to how much they could give. Strict limits, however, apply to contributions to candidates, whether from a business or an individual. The contribution limits for a statewide candidate or political action committee that gives to candidates are currently $5,100. Those same limits apply to legislative candidates. Interestingly, the limits for local candidates are slightly higher at $6,350 because the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Act, passed by the voters in 1998, reduced the limits by 20 percent, but only for statewide and legislative candidates. There is an exception in candidate elections for what are referred to as “independent expenditures” that have no limitations. These occur when a business or a group of people raises and spends money to influence candidate elections but does so without coordinating with the candidate. In other words, the expenditure must be truly independent of any influence from the candidate so as to not run afoul of the candidate contribution limits.

FORM A POLITICAL COMMITTEE

Any business or group of people wishing to spend more than $1,100 to influence an election will have to form a political action committee (PAC). A PAC organized to influence a

statewide election (e.g., gubernatorial) will organize itself with the Arizona Secretary of State. County political committees file with the county election officials, and municipal political committees file with the city clerk. That process generally involves choosing a chair and treasurer, opening a bank account and filling out a short statement of organization. Once the committee is open, it can begin to accept contributions and make expenditures. At this point, the committee is obligated to file reports and disclose those activities. PACs are often organized by trade or industry, but there are, generally, no restrictions on who can organize a PAC. For example, a corporation can form a PAC funded with voluntary donations from employees for the purpose of contributing to candidates supportive of the corporation’s interests.

DISCLOSE DISCLOSE DISCLOSE

Election transparency is important to voters. Polls consistently reflect voters’ desire to know who is trying to influence elections through campaign contributions and how campaigns are spending their money. Disclosure is accomplished by the filing of campaign finance reports with the election filing officer. Campaigns are also required to include disclosures in literature and advertisements. Mailers and television ads include “paid for” notices to tell the public the name of the political committee responsible for the ad. The public can then inspect the political committee’s campaign finance reports, which are mostly available online. All statewide and legislative campaign finance reports can be found at www.azsos.gov. Although steps have been taken to simplify and deregulate the campaign finance laws, challenges and pitfalls still present themselves for those wishing to influence elections with their wallets. It behooves everyone, whether acting on behalf of their business or as individuals, to be sure to know the limits. Those planning to form a political action committee should be sure to read the rules and not hesitate to ask questions of the election officials or to seek legal advice.

The drafters of the Arizona Constitution recognized the importance of campaign finance regulation and included a provision at statehood requiring the legislature to enact a law “providing for a general publicity, before and after election, of all campaign contributions to, and expenditures of, campaign committees and candidates for public office.”

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A local startup that grew to international prominence and impacts industries across the business spectrum, GoDaddy is one of many Valley companies that have scaled up successfully. It was founded in 1997, and only five years ago began looking at international expansion as a core growth driver, according to Andrew Low Ah Kee, executive vice president international. “Today, 40 percent of our customers are located outside the U.S. in more than 100 countries around the world,” he says. “Taking GoDaddy global was a massive effort that has touched every part of the company.” That concerted effort was begun because the company believed its online products and services could be valuable for customers outside its existing U.S. presence, according to Low Ah Kee, who reports GoDaddy now offers products and customer care in local languages in more than 50 markets around the world. Noting that, internally, there are more than 2,000 people focused on delivering online tools and solutions for these customers, Low Ah Kee relates, “Every function had to change to support our global expansion — from customer-facing areas like our products, our website and our customer care being offered in local languages, to building out a global platform, to the business-enablement corporate teams like finance and accounting.” WebPT disrupted an industry as it scaled up. The steps to its successful growth were carefully considered and carried out, but Heidi Jannenga, D.P.T., who co-founded the company with husband Brad, admits it was, in many ways, unexpected. “I was working as a clinic director and realized that I needed a better solution to cut one of our highest expenditures: dictation and transcription,” Dr. Jannenga says. “At the time, we were using pen and paper, and paying for manual data entry, which was expensive and time intensive. I began searching for a software program but, ultimately, decided to build the solution originally designed for my practices when we realized there wasn’t anything Web-based that would meet my clinic’s needs. It wasn’t until we completed market research and found that 80 percent of physical therapists were using pen and paper for documentation that I realized this was a much bigger opportunity — and that we could help many more therapists achieve greatness in practice. At this point, we knew we had stumbled onto something that could be used nationally.” After taking two years to build the product, they launched it in 2008 at the largest physical therapy conference offered by the American Physical Therapy Association. Says Dr. Jannenga, “We made a conscious decision to bootstrap, and I continued

JULY 2017

to work full-time at my clinic. We had 12 paying clinics that were using the platform in our local area while we were in beta prior to launching the company during our first year. We sold WebPT to five clinics in our first month post launch and have never looked back, with each month after that being our best sales month ever. We recognized and validated very quickly that our product was resonating with a paying audience nationwide.” Market research enabled them to thoughtfully strategize how best to price and market to more clinics, Dr. Jannenga says. Finding that small businesses accounted for 60 percent of the marketplace, with approximately 30 percent multi-site practices with multiple facilities and the small remainder large corporate enterprise companies, and that the small-business sector — clinics with up to five potential users — was the most underserved within that market, the Jannengas identified that as their primary focus and noted that a key characteristic of those businesses was not having big capital expense budgets. “That turned out to be a pivotal aspect

of our initial success,” Dr. Jannenga relates. “We entered the market as an SaaS platform — meaning, customers pay a monthly per-user subscription fee. We found this pricing structure was appealing immediately because it eliminated the need for the expensive IT equipment, maintenance and manual upgrades that were often cost-prohibitive for this audience.” Dr. Jannenga believes the success of the WebPT business approach was also tied largely to the value its members were getting in having maintenance and customer service included in the monthly subscription. “The other thing we did that was very effective — and unique among SaaS models — was not having a long-term contract, but rather a 30-day cancellation option. This put the burden on us to continue winning a member’s business month after month.” She also notes the company has invested a lot of time and effort into educating and supporting the rehab therapy community — WebPT members and non-members alike — through content marketing. “All of this was driven by our deeper purpose of helping rehab therapy professionals achieve greatness in business and clinical practice,” Dr. Jannenga says. “This type of focus on customer service has been a key differentiator for us from the very beginning, which has allowed us to capture a national audience and garner close to 40 percent market share in nine years.” Building a large-scale business was Matt Widdows’ goal when he founded HomeSmart, so, as he developed its operations and internal processes, he says, “I knew I couldn’t build something that would only work in Phoenix, but would be successful everywhere.” Following his motto, “Set ridiculous expectations and find

GROWTH – ORGANIC OR BY ACQUISITIONS? GoDaddy – Leveraging Cash Flow “We have a solid business model and we’ve been able to self-fund our organic growth vs. raising outside capital. “Recently, we took advantage of the strength of our balance sheet and the predictability of our cash flows to acquire Host Europe Group. With the closure of this acquisition, GoDaddy is now one of the market leaders in Europe.” —Andrew Low Ah Kee, Executive Vice President International

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GROWTH – ORGANIC OR BY ACQUISITIONS? WebPT – Driven by Innovation “WebPT has grown both organically and through acquisition. We’ve always been focused on being a true partner to our members by providing a business-critical software and service. However, at our core, we are an engine of innovation, and we’ve continued to build new products and features to not only scale our own business, but also empower our members to scale theirs. “Most of those innovations have come as a direct result of listening to our members. We also focus on proactively addressing impending regulatory and compliance needs, which has led us to — in some cases — make strategic acquisitions. As a startup, we built the foundation and main platform on which we have now been able to add on functionality and modules garnered through acquisition. We analyze the buy vs. build decision with each feature or new product that we want to add to our platform, taking into account cost, time to market and competitive advantage. “Two examples of such acquisitions are Therabill, a Web-based practice management software, and WebOutcomes, an online outcomes-tracking tool for physical and occupational therapists that we modified and integrated with an existing WebPT application to then launch WebPT Outcomes.” —Heidi Jannenga, D.P.T.

a way to make them normal,” Widdows made service his top priority. He focuses on providing top-quality technology, tools and systems while supporting broker and agent growth and success throughout every stage of their business, and says, “High value and amazing service is who we are and guides everything we do.” “Every entrepreneur has visions of grandeur when bringing a product to market. The ultimate goal should always be to go national and, ultimately, international,” says Tom Zummo, founder and CEO of True Nopal, whose company achieved that international milestone this past May. Observing that the more common path is to launch in a small area and see if the product gains traction and grows organically, he relates he did the exact opposite when introducing True Nopal Cactus Water to market — he launched nationally. Since its founding in 2013, the company has become a leader in the plant-based beverage market and is carried by major grocery chains and specialty grocers nationally as well as throughout Arizona. “The regional launch method does enable one to assess the process and allows for adjustment while things are still on a small scale,” Zummo says, noting that, if issues develop early on, it is easier and more cost effective to respond and correct the problems in an isolated area rather than the whole country. “I am not saying that the small-scale launch is a bad idea; in fact, in most cases it is the right way to go. I just knew that since I was introducing a whole new beverage category to the world — “Cactus Water” — we had to make a big statement and grab the attention of press, retailers and consumers alike.”

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OUTSIDE INSIGHT Perfecting the product or service and then marketing it are certainly not the only aspects of a business that determine its success. “In the development years of business, from concept to startup and through the subsequent ‘getting our stride synchronized with growth as leaders while raising a business,’ entrepreneurs must be hands-on in all areas,” says Isabel Banerjee, who brings to her consulting business, GroYourBiz Arizona, her experience of founding a chemical distribution business and growing it from zero annual revenue to a global $14 million-plus. “The problem with working so hard in your business is that you don’t know what you don’t know yet, and you have a limited perspective based on your own life experience to date.” Another problem entrepreneurs often face is recognizing their limitations — no one is best at everything nor can any one person do it all for any extended period of time. Business advisors or consultants can help with specific projects or needs, and Banerjee points to other options such as a board of directors — which “contributes exponential value in wisdom, perspective and resources, and inspires accountability — or peer advisory board. Every area of the business needs an extra look at least every once in a while, notes Greg Head, CEO of Greg Head Consulting, former chief marketing officer at Infusionsoft and who consulted with WebPT during its first

phase of fast growth. And within each broad category are a myriad of more specific areas: Customer acquisition encompasses sales, marketing, customer service and pricing; people encompasses culture, hiring, organization structure and leadership; products and services must include improving the experience as well as efficiencies; strategy encompasses planning and prioritization; systems encompasses software and processes; and finances encompasses a host of issues besides just money. “The reality is, the bigger you get and the faster you grow, the more you have to spend time working on each of these to keep growing,” Head says. “Most businesses stop growing because they haven’t taken time to keep building better foundations.” The biggest challenge Head sees for all “scale up” leaders is judging how much time to spend working on the business in any one of the key areas. “Some spend too much time perfecting their systems and building over-detailed plans, so their business lacks the execution and drive that is needed to move forward. Others are all action and no planning. It takes some judgement to know when to move out of constant action to sit down and sort through how to do things better and more efficiently,” Head says. “The brutal reality is that bigger businesses are more complex than smaller ones, at every stage. It’s the complexity that kills growth rather than ‘not enough capital’ or ‘not trying hard enough.’”

JULY 2017

GROWTH – ORGANIC OR BY ACQUISITIONS? True Nopal – The Power of Disruption “Up until recently, the brand has grown organically through word of mouth and through a lot of free press. Any time an innovative product that disrupts the category goes to market, naturally it will garner a lot of attention. I feel that True Nopal has been fortunate that the beverage industry stood up and took notice. This attention has created opportunities and discussions about acquisition and partnerships with some of the largest beverage companies in the world. “In March 2016, the attention led to True Nopal finalizing an exclusive distribution deal for the United Kingdom and Ireland with Lucozade Ribina Suntory, a division of Suntory, the third-largest distilled beverage company in the world. Working with LRS and Suntory over the past year, and seeing that they shared the same passion for the brand and their belief that the heartbeat of the company is in the founder, demonstrated to me that, together, we are perfectly placed to achieve our goal of having True Nopal Cactus Water in the hands of consumers around the world. On May 26, 2017, True Nopal and Suntory International finalized a Joint venture for global growth of the brand.” —Tom Zummo, Founder and CEO

FUNDING GROWTH Low Ah Kee credits GoDaddy’s solid business model for enabling the company to self-fund its organic growth rather than raising outside capital. Self-funding is the common approach, as well, of WebPT, HomeSmart and True Nopal, although Zummo came to it less directly. “When the company was formed, I had financial partners, but I quickly realized that we had a difference in opinion of how things should progress. A long story short, I ended up buying my former partners out after about 16 months. From that point on I funded the company on my own,” True Nopal’s Zummo relates, sharing that, financially, he put everything on the line and had everything at risk. He emphasizes it was a calculated risk, because he believed in both his product and himself. “I had been here before, in other industries, and I knew that my work ethic, determination, common sense and never-give-up attitude would persevere.” Citing Gary Hopkins, “The only limitations are those that you impose upon yourself,” he says his philosophy is, “You must believe so much in what you are doing and who you are that, no matter what obstacles are presented, you must have the confidence in yourself to know that you will figure out a way to get it done.” Widdows founded HomeSmart in 2000 with the belief that the real estate industry had fallen

JULY 2017

behind in technology and systems to support real estate agents in their everyday business needs. A decade earlier, he had created a technology company in the medical industry; this time, he aspired to combine traditional real estate concepts with innovation and a technology approach. “I believe in the HomeSmart vision, so I continue to make personal investments in the company to accelerate the success along with its organic growth.” The Jannengas started with personal savings to fund WebPT’s growth. Says Dr. Jannenga, “We were completely bootstrapped initially, and maintained a very lean budget in those early days.” In fact, she continued to work full-time as a physical therapist while she put effort into designing what the product should do. Brad, as technology co-founder, worked full-time building the software platform. “That meant a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and penny-pinching, but this appreciation for resource efficiency had, and still has, a positive influence on the mindset of our entire company,” Dr. Jannenga relates. Within two years of launching, WebPT was at a million-dollar run rate, and its existing infrastructure made it difficult to keep up with sales. Realizing their company had reached the point at which it needed to expand to meet

demand was the impetus for seeking their initial round of funding. Says Dr. Jannenga, “Funding wasn’t even considered until we were profitable.” During that period of rapid growth, she recalls, they constantly had to make decisions on how to use the money they were making, which meant focusing on one thing at a time based on business priorities — for instance, “Do we buy another server? Do we hire another customer service rep?” It was a situation that, she says, they started to see as an impediment to longterm growth. “In 2010, we decided we wanted to ramp up the business infrastructure to meet current and future demand, but we needed more capital to do that. We were in an optimal situation to go after funding: The market was reeling from the real estate downturn and desperate for a positive optimistic opportunity in a different sector, and, most importantly, we didn’t need funding to survive, but wanted it to accelerate our success. And we had the upper hand in the sense that we were going into pitches with proof that we had a profitable business, which also validated our culture and business practices. So, we were only willing to entertain investors who wanted to get behind our mission and culture, not the other way around.” Dr. Jannenga shares more of how she evaluated the market for growth, and evaluated funding partners for a fit, in the cover story online at www.inbusinessmag.com.

INBUSINESSMAG.COM

KEEPING FOCUS, MEASURING GROWTH “I get a text message four times a day showing how we are doing on sales for the day in our markets,” says Low Ah Kee. “I know what I expect each day, and the ‘ping’ sound on my phone is a regular reminder of whether we’re getting it done.” What to look at are the basics: what matters in the given business. “Design the business to see those metrics regularly, understand what drives them, and go take action.” He notes the pace at which a business can try new things and learn from the experience and the data presented dictates its ability to drive growth. “We encourage our teams to take risks and stay close to our customers to help move our business forward,” he says. Zummo says he — “of course” — charts True Nopal’s growth of new store acquisition and product turns, and looks at total revenue and net profit, but “the most telling aspect of how I interpret, really, how we are doing comes from the incredible feedback that comes flooding in from our customers about the way our product helps invigorate and makes them feel good.” Says Zummo, “To me, each time that occurs, there’s no better measure of success and growth.” WebPT looks at its stakeholders as the key to unlocking success and growth, and assesses internal as well as external indicators to monitor

the health of the company and nurture it in real time. “To ensure we’re delivering value to all our stakeholders — including customer members, team members and partners — we built the concept of continual improvement into our culture,” says Dr. Jannenga. “That means setting goals, continually measuring data, and taking action on the information we collect in order to reach those goals.” Some of the metrics WebPT uses to ensure the company is moving in the right direction are customer loyalty and retention, employee happiness and retention, sales revenue, cost of customer acquisition, churn rate, monthly recurring revenue, annual recurring revenue, lifetime value of a customer, gross margins and monthly profit (or loss). Part of the strategy HomeSmart follows is, “If we do it twice, we automate it,” Widdows says. The company also measures everything it does — and reports those statistics. Also, noting he motivates the Phoenix brokerage to answer 92 percent of calls without going to voicemail, have all paperwork processed and prepared for broker review within 24 hours, and have all paperwork reviewed by the broker within 48 hours, he says, “Efficiency is key to running a successful brokerage.”

GROWTH – ORGANIC OR BY ACQUISITIONS?

HomeSmart – Identifying Strategic Markets “We grow organically and through acquisitions. “In February 2008, we acquired Phoenixbased Dan Schwartz Realty, bringing our agent count to 3,300 agents in Arizona, at the time. “We announced the acquisition of Cherry Creek Properties on May 31, 2017. This deal makes HomeSmart Cherry Creek the No. 1 brokerage in Colorado, based on agent count.

EVALUATE OPPORTUNITIES “There is no shortage of ideas, opportunities and distractions for business owners,” Banerjee says, observing the challenge is deciding which to work on and which to discard or table for later. She suggests running each through a filter of alignment with core values, current capability, capital need, how well it complements existing revenue stream — and a high-level SWOT analysis by the company’s board of advisors or objective third party. There are times to say, “No,” says Head, who explains, “When your business is starting out and you are trying to survive, any customer that will pay money seems like an opportunity.

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This quickly turns into a nightmare when your business starts to grow.” Saying “yes” to every opportunity is a sign of impending problems and frustration, he cautions, noting that companies need to deliberately create a clear focus to define what they say yes and no to. “Surprisingly, you say ‘no’ to opportunities more often when you grow fast and get bigger.”

We now have a total network agent count of more than 13,000 and have increased our footprint to 123 office locations in 16 states. “We are actively looking to continue that activity in strategic markets around the nation.” —Matt Widdows, Founder and CEO

HomeSmart homesmart.com GoDaddy godaddy.com Greg Head Consulting greghead.com GroYourBiz Arizona groyourbiz.com True Nopal truenopal.com WebPT webpt.com

Regional and Cultural Differences How important are regional and cultural differences when trying to expand into new markets? HomeSmart’s Matt Widdows, GoDaddy’s Andrew Low Ah Kee, True Nopal’s Tom Zummo and WebPT’s Heidi Jannenga, D.P.T., answer this question in the cover story online at www.inbusinessmag.com

INBUSINESSMAG.COM

JULY 2017

PEOPLE ARE KEY

The Game for Talent Has Changed – Have You? The competition for talent has put new pressure on recruitment by Gary Covert and Monique Porras

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Gary Covert is a coach and consultant to senior leaders and business owners, focusing on improving organizational effectiveness by helping leaders and teams grow and execute for maximum strategic impact. alphaperformancecoach.com

Monique Porras is the founder of The Kempington Group, a Scottsdale-based executive recruiting firm with a local and national reach. kempingtongroup.com

JULY 20 1 7

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Improvements in the economy have dramatically altered the game for talent. Today, employers have entered a situation where the script has flipped and it is now much more of a candidate-driven market versus the employer’s market of the Great Recession. Organizations need to consider whether they are responding to the new realities or still playing by the old rules. The following are six “new rules” that will help businesses attract and retain the talent they need to drive strategy and effectiveness.

CREATE A ROBUST RECRUITING PLAN

Far too many times, companies have no defined recruiting plan in place. The downside of this is disorganization, lowered overall productivity and employees trying to fill two or more roles. There is probably a business plan in place, so why not a recruiting plan? After all, a recruiting plan is the foundation of who will ultimately be working for a company. Excellent recruiting plans will have a 12- and 24-month roadmap that includes current filled positions, upcoming needs, critical roles, timetables for those roles, target hire dates, budgets and upcoming needs. This recruiting plan can always be adjusted due to profit, business plan changes, market influences, etc. It is strongly recommended that human resources professionals, division or department leaders, and the executive teams work collaboratively to determine upcoming needs and budgets. The reason establishing a recruiting roadmap is so critical is, it keeps everyone focused on the talent that is necessary to move the organization forward. It also contributes to the overall success of the company business plan.

DEFINE AND COMMUNICATE AN ASPIRATIONAL WORK CULTURE

Organizations have a choice: They can either consciously define their company culture or have the company culture randomly define the company. Work culture in a business is similar to personality in a person. A person’s values, beliefs, interests, habits and upbringing create that person’s behavior. Likewise, a company’s work culture will drive the behavior of the organization. Work culture is made up of attitudes, beliefs,

values and behaviors that are shared by a group of people and influenced by the company’s founder and leading executives. CEOs and senior leaders need to ensure that all managers and employees can communicate the work culture. Will all employees be able to communicate it the same way? Company work culture must be defined, shared and known to all; every employee must define the work culture in the same way. CEOs and senior leaders can do this in a way that is both exploratory and builds the team by asking the teams to define the company’s attitudes, ideologies, values, personality and shared behaviors. This is a great tactic to unify the message and collaboratively involve employees. And having culture established in a unified way will ensure more successful recruiting and attracting the right talent.

PUSH CONSISTENTLY ATTRACTIVE MESSAGES

The messages an organization is putting out into the universe matter. As it relates to talent, businesses need to consider what their posted job descriptions say about the organization. The talent pool in markets around the U.S. is very competitive. How can a company make its job opening stand above the others? Companies ask all the time, “How do we attract talent?” It starts with the message or job description they are putting out there. Businesses need to change the traditional job description format from typical and basic to coincide more with its work culture. One idea is to tell the story of the organization, its founder or other leadership figure rather than just a list of responsibilities and requirements for a given role. Or businesses could detail the type of work ethic and personality that will be needed. Recruiters need to ask themselves, “Does the talent reading our job description feel our company’s work culture?” With a defined company culture, they can write a job description that will give the talent an idea of the company’s attitude, beliefs and personality.

RETAIN, RETAIN, RETAIN

The game for talent is as much a game of retention as it is attraction. Attraction and retention are different faces of the same coin. In a game of “finders, keepers,” finding is

Lida Citroën addresses hiring and onboarding issues for a specific population — former U.S. military personnel transitioning to civilian life — in her recently released book, Engaging with Veteran Talent: A quick and practical guide to sourcing, hiring, onboarding, and developing Veteran employees, which is designed specifically for recruiters, hiring managers and businesses of all sizes.

BETTERING YOUR BUSINESS half the story. It’s like a football team that focuses only on offense and leaves defense up to chance. The truism that people leave managers, not companies, is also half the story. People quit companies every day. Who else do they quit? The truth is that people quit (or stay) in companies for many reasons that include being comfortable where they are, a need for security, compensation, the degree to which they enjoy the job function, social factors and even the commute. The truth is, people stay in a position as long as their perception that the state of things “here” is better than the state of things “out there.” When the perception that things are better somewhere else and that the move is an option for them, then experience with a poor manager can be like a rocket pack to shoot an employee out the door. Leaders must have a strategy that addresses the individual needs and also addresses the profound impact that a manager can have on retention.

START STRONG

It’s important to do a complete and thorough job of onboarding new hires. Even excellent people cannot be excellent if the right conditions are not met. Imagine recruiting a top basketball player and then not turning on the court lights for them to play. Likewise, businesses should not leave new hires in the dark about what it will take to have a successful first year. Many leaders take the incomplete view that onboarding is something HR should do and is limited to facilities items (computer, telephone, business cards) and orientation (introductions and “Company 101”). The common result is employees who, perhaps 13 months later, are labeled as “not working out” or “underperforming” or “not fitting in” and have no idea why. The solution is complete onboarding. This means the key areas that are standard from HR plus a process to describe what success looks like over the next 90, 180 and 360 days. Complete onboarding can be as simple as 1) starting with the question of what success looks like, and 2) having a conversation in which the answer to that question is discussed, agreed upon, documented and followed up with the new hire.

EXECUTE AN INTERVIEW PROCESS THAT ATTRACTS AND IS DISCERNING

How is the organization respecting the candidate-driven market environment? What is its leadership doing to create a positive interview process so candidates speak highly of them and the organization? Organizations must recognize this is free advertising and that candidates talk! If a brand is defined by how people feel when they interact with a company, does the interview process enhance or detract from that brand? A poorly orchestrated interview process speaks volumes about the organization. A colleague recently went through an interview experience with a large healthcare company. He visited the company five times for multiple interviews over several months, with multiple managers in each interview. There were other candidates who endured the same process. The company then decided to look at a whole new slate of candidates. Not only does this show an organization that cannot make decisions, it should also be a sign to senior leaders that the hiring managers are not displaying skills of discernment — they cannot identify what they want nor readily identify if it exists in the pool of candidates. The impact to the organization is lost time, perhaps lost candidates, and lost productivity. The game for talent has changed. All leaders need to be great students of the game and make smart adjustments to get the talent their organization deserves.

One Small Yes It’s the small decisions that lead to big results. People were born to live a life of significance. But busyness and fear of failure can overwhelm and get in the way. One Small Yes was written for people who want to make an impact but are not sure where to start. It is for all those who have ever wondered, “What am I here for? What is my calling? Can I follow my calling without losing my family or my sanity? If what I see in my mind is possible, how on earth can I get it all done?” Forget about complicated calendars or excessive goal setting exercises. Following one’s calling is about moving forward, one small “yes” decision at a time. No matter the size of one’s dream or the difference one feels called to make, one’s journey starts with One Small Yes. One Small Yes: Small Decisions that Lead to Big Results Misty Lown

Pages: 136

Morgan James Publishing

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Boomers 3.0 Capitalizing on what is arguably the most important social phenomenon of our time and place — the aging of America — this book shows organizations how to market specifically to baby boomers in their third act of life. Samuel identifies the 10 core values of the older middle class (cognitively healthy baby boomers age 52–80) that guide their attitudes and behavior and serve as cultural indicators of how they are likely to spend their time and money in the future. He explains how the unique core values and “passion points” of baby boomers fuel their consumer behavior and offers a unique, intelligent and forward-thinking cultural analysis by outlining many ways readers can capitalize on the information presented and act on real business opportunities. Boomers 3.0: Marketing to Baby Boomers in Their Third Act of Life Lawrence R. Samuel Praeger

Pages: 170 Available: 7/31/2017

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Leading a Family Business Based on insights from executives across the globe, this planning guide captures the unique challenges faced by leaders of a family business and presents an approach to help these operations survive and thrive across generations. The book includes insights from leaders of family businesses from all over the world and describes important characteristics for leading family and business systems successfully. It features case vignettes showcasing the complex inner workings of family and business stewardship and compares the homogeneity evident in non-family enterprises versus the heterogeneity of family enterprises. The authors discuss the differences between leadership in family enterprises and non-family enterprises. Leading a Family Business: Best Practices for Long-Term Stewardship Justin B. Craig, Ph.D., and Ken Moores, Ph.D.

160 pages

Praeger

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Employee attraction and retention effectiveness often comes down to the issue of employee engagement, and Gallup polls consistently find that fewer than one-third of employees in the United States feel they are involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace (i.e., engaged).

Available: 7/31/2017

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OUR SUBJECT IN-DEPTH

Real-Life Scenarios – Real-World Advice to CEOs And entrepreneurial energy to share by Bennett Curry

Bennett Curry, vice president of business development at the Arizona Commerce Authority, has built businesses, including many familiar consumer brands. His passion to lead and motivate led him into the college classroom, where he taught marketing. His goal is to nurture entrepreneurs.

Real Life Scenarios – Real World Advice to CEOs (July 2017)

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How are we commun leveraging our ity for tourists to spend money?

nd Core Motivators

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The ACA is now accepting applications for its next CEO Corner Office. research.net/r/celd

TOURISM

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Even Successful CEOs Need Peer-to-Peer Feedback (May 2017) The Case Study Format – Valuable Lessons for CEOs (June 2017)

MAGAZINE

Over three months, we share the stories of three small businesses and their participation in a CEO development program created by the Arizona Commerce Authority.

IN BUSINESS

JULY 20 1 7

CEO Corner Office: A Three-Part Series

JUNE 2017

The Arizona Commerce Authority’s CEO Corner Office, a four-month program to develop and engage CEOs of rapidly growing companies, features facilitated topical case studies derived from top business schools, technical assistance and peer-to-peer advice and feedback training.

Third-generation entrepreneur Jim Butler knows great buildings — and great companies — are nothing without solid support. His company, Tucson-based HJ3 Composite Technologies, manufactures, engineers and installs carbon fiber systems to repair the world’s corroding infrastructure. Since connecting with the Arizona Commerce Authority six years ago, HJ3 has scaled to 30 employees and now maintains projects worldwide. The company recently received worldwide patents on all its technologies. Butler, whose company is a two-time Arizona Innovation Challenge winner, has participated in several ACA programs, including its export assistance program and its Venture Ready accelerator. His participation in the Venture Ready program led him to join the CEO Corner Office. “Before joining Corner Office, I had looked for a peer group without much success,” he says. “But here, we were all in a similar growth phase. Since we were all associated with the ACA, we were either just getting off the ground or going from startup to growth. The challenges were similar. I just felt like this group was more primed for people like me, who were leading their companies to the next phase of growth.” The four-month CEO Corner Office program was created by the ACA to develop and engage chief executives of Arizona’s rapidly growing companies. Each session begins with a facilitated business case discussion on topics such as scaling, financial literacy, culture, decision making, leadership and evolving as a CEO. The topic of the day then becomes the focal point in training the CEOs about how to ask and receive peer-to-peer feedback. In a round-robin exercise, a CEO talks about an issue or challenge within the company related to the topic. Peers ask clarifying questions and provide feedback and advice. All cohort members must maintain as confidential all information shared by others. Butler credits the program with exposing him to different leadership styles from executives outside his industry, and says the group’s entrepreneurial energy was crucial as he scaled his startup’s growth. Butler recalls opening up for discussion a specific challenge he was facing: Should he hire salespeople for various product

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lines or seek distribution partners? He recalls the discussion leading him to hire direct-sales salespeople so his company could better manage the client relationship given the technical nuance of HJ3’s technology. “I think it was good to hear the perspectives of CEOs from other industries and how they reasoned to solve problems,” he says. “It was helpful to hear how they engage their teams to foster inclusion and find solutions.” HJ3 has completed major repair and installation projects at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, at downtown Phoenix’s Cityscape, the Pima County Courthouse in Tucson, and the famous “Touchdown Jesus” mural at the University of Notre Dame — to name just a few. Butler estimates the company saves clients between 80 and 90 percent of the cost of replacing structures, extends their life for 30 years, and eliminates 95 percent of the environmental impact of repair projects. The Corner Office program also facilitates sharing of contacts between participants, whether for recruitment, human resources, attorneys or investors — all of which Butler says were invaluable as he honed HJ3’s vision. “The ACA is a very unique private-public partnership, and companies with an Arizona presence are very fortunate to be able to get involved with it and to use its various services,” Butler says. “The CEO Corner Office program is just another example where you have the opportunity at a very affordable price to be a part of a peer group. It’s unique in the sense that it stimulates camaraderie between budding CEOs and entrepreneurs building businesses in the state of Arizona. “I appreciate that fraternal-type feel [that] you are not in this alone; the whole state is there to help you,” he says “As an entrepreneur, it’s just a wonderful opportunity to be able to take advantage of that support. The ACA really is a gold standard for the rest of the country to follow.” Butler is interested in rejoining the same cohort for a 2.0 version of the program. “We invested time to build trust,” he said of the group. “Let’s leverage it.” Arizona Innovation Challenge azcommerce.com/programs/arizona-innovation-challenge CEO Corner Office azcommerce.com/small-business/professional-development HJ3 Composite Technologies hj3.com

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BY RAEANNE MARSH

JULY 2017

U.S. Small Business Administration – Arizona District

‘Selling to the Federal Government’ Wed., Aug. 2 | 1:00p – 2:30p (and monthly) U.S. Small Business Administration – Arizona District

Arizona Monthly Loan Clinic Wed., Aug. 2 | 9:00a – 11:30a (and monthly) The Arizona District Office of the U.S. Small Business Association provides a wealth of information to help entrepreneurs understand and gain access to funds to start or expand their small business, recognizing that access to funds is one of the two top factors that separates the successful entrepreneur from the unsuccessful (failure to plan being the other). The SBA Loan Clinic offers extensive information on obtaining capital to help entrepreneurs plan and further resources they can turn to, with a focus on SBA loans. The specific information covered at each session is tailored to the needs of those in attendance at that session; it is not just for startups — in fact, SBA’s goal of helping businesses thrive means existing businesses are encouraged to attend. Presentations will include basics to help attendees understand equity versus debt financing, credit requirements, interest rates, collateral terms and amounts available through various loan programs and lenders. Entrepreneurs are also encouraged to make use of other SBA resources, if needed, to make sure that prior to presenting any request for capital they have a well-prepared business plan written toward the borrowing and repaying of the funds. Detailed information on the various SBA 7(a) loan programs is available, including what types of businesses are eligible and factors to consider in selecting a bank to approach. Other material offers instruction on credit factors a potential borrower should know, including details the lending institution will want. And there is information on SBA lenders and their preferences, as well as SBA’s resource partners — SCORE, Small Business Development Centers and Women’s Business Centers — where small-business owners can find additional training and counseling. Free U.S. Small Business Administration, Arizona District Office 2828 N. Central Ave., Phoenix

The U.S. government is the largest single purchaser of goods and services in the world, awarding approximately $500 billion in contracts every year. Participating in the process to gain access to these federal contracts can be challenging and overwhelming for small-business owners. On the first Wednesday of every month, the U.S. Small Business Administration Arizona District Office presents a seminar on the benefits of participating in federal government contracting and introduces small businesses to powerful tools to compete for and win federal contracts. The monthly seminar offers the opportunity for networking and for small-business owners to launch their business to the next level through federal contracting. SBA works with federal agencies to award at least 23 percent of all prime government contract dollars to small businesses annually. The monthly training seminar educates small-business owners about the different certifications available and illustrates how to leverage the certifications to access federal contracts. The seminar demonstrates where to find opportunities to bid on, while connecting small businesses with relevant resources to assist them through the process. The Service Disabled Veteran Owned, Woman/ Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned, Small Disadvantaged Business/8(a) and Hubzone certifications are federal certifications designed to ensure smallbusiness participation in federal contracting while spreading opportunity to socio-economic groups. Once a small-business entity registers in the System for Award Management (www.sam.gov), it can participate in federal contracting and gain new customers in this market. The SBA Arizona District Office has relationships with resource partners such as the Procurement Technical Assistance Center, Small Business Development Center network, SCORE and the Women’s Business Centers that work with small-business clients regularly to help determine a small business’s readiness for government contracting as well as to find teaming partners and to identify opportunities for bidding on proposals. The guest speaker represents agencies at the local level; August’s presenter will be Irma Guzman, procurement specialist with Maricopa City. Free

sba.gov/offices/district/az/phoenix

U.S. Small Business Administration, Arizona District Office 2828 N. Central Ave., Phoenix sba.gov/offices/district/az/phoenix

JULY 2017

SAVE THE DATE

Upcoming and notable Professional Women’s Alliance Luncheon Aug.

Tues., Aug. 8

Speaker is Kimberly Hall, director of donor development of Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona. phoenixchamber.com ‘Tech Me Out to the Ballgame’ Aug.

Fri., Aug. 11

Trapp Technology presents its third annual business technology summit with a focus on effectively scaling one’s company. End the day in the Legends Suite at Chase Field to enjoy the Chicago Cubs vs. Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game. azcommerce.com

S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

JULY 2017 NOTABLE DATES

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Tues., July 4 — Independence Day 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

JULY 20 1 7

INBUSINESSMAG.COM

JULY 2017 Wed., July 5

2:00p – 3:30p

Fri., July 7

Mentor on the Road: ‘Startup Opportunities USA-India’

7:00a – 9:00a

First Friday Networking Breakfast

Global Chamber

Glendale Chamber of Commerce

The program will give attendees groundlevel practical info on Indian market dynamics, with a focus on startups. Among topics covered will be how to make a startup competitive in the international framework and managing cultural issues in the perpetually growing emerging markets. One of the major focus areas of Mentor on Road-USA interactive session with startups will be looking for investment opportunities in the startups. Jagat Shah, with the support of the U.S. Commercial Service and the Government of India, is traveling across the U.S. introducing U.S. entrepreneurs and executives to the opportunities of growing their business with and in India, a market that comprises 1.3 billion people. Discussion will cover a variety of business sectors.

Speaker is David Chang of Cuff Restaurant. Event is also an opportunity for all members in attendance to introduce their company and/or products and services, and ends with a raffle. Members: $20; future members (one-time attendance): $60 Cuff Restaurant 5819 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale glendaleazchamber.org

Fri., July 7

Thurs., July 13

11:00a – 1:00p

5:00p – 7:00p

Strategic Growth Workshop

PM Connect

Mesa Chamber of Commerce

Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce

This high-powered workshop is intended for business owners and leaders looking to take their business to the next level. Keynote speaker is Steve Feld, a certified FocalPoint business coach.

Networking event. Light bites and refreshments will be served; please plan on eating dinner before or after the event. Presenting sponsor is Comerica Bank.

Members: free; non-members: $30

Free

Members: free (pre-registered), $5 (at the door); non-members: $20

SkySong

Broken Yolk

Holiday Inn & Suites Scottsdale

1475 N. Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale

2034 E. Southern Ave., Mesa

14255 N. 87th St., Scottsdale

globalchamber.org

mesachamber.org

scottsdalechamber.com

Wed., July 5

11 Tues., July 11

3:30p – 5:00p

11:30a – 1:15p

Mentor on the Road: ‘Women Empowerment USA-India’

‘The Tale of GPLET (Government Property Lease Excise Tax) and its Future’

Global Chamber

Arizona Association for Economic Development

The program will give attendees ground-level practical info on Indian market dynamics, with a focus on woman-owned businesses. The purpose is to connect women in the U.S. to Indian women business institutions for increasing the participation of Indian women in Indian economic activity, and provide a platform for women entrepreneurs in the U.S. to connect them to Indian woman-owned businesses for a bigger market. Jagat Shah, with the support of the U.S. Commercial Service and the Government of India, is traveling across the U.S. introducing U.S. entrepreneurs and executives to the opportunities of growing their business with and in India, a market that comprises of 1.3 billion people. Discussion will cover a variety of business sectors.

Experts will analyze the impact of the new Arizona legislation on the GPLET process. Speakers are Laura Sever Blanco, attorney with Gust Rosenfeld P.L.C., and Frank Tomkins, a certified real estate specialist with Gust Rosenfeld P.L.C. Members: $45; non-members: $65; July 7 and after: $75 for all Phoenix Country Club 2901 N. 7th St., Phoenix AZ aaed.com

Tues., July 11 Tues., July 11

West Valley Women

www.westvalleywomen.org

INBUSINESSMAG.COM

‘Having It All: Strategies that Lead to Achievement and Fulfillment’ Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce – Professional Women’s Alliance

Members: $30; non-members: $35 Arizona Broadway Theatre

Members: $30; non-members: $50

7701 W. Paradise Ln., Peoria

Phoenix Country Club

westvalleywomen.org

2901 N. 7th St., Phoenix phoenixchamber.com

globalchamber.org

11:00a – 1:00p

Jodi Low, founder and CEO of U & Improved, will speak on the true meaning behind “having it all” and how to achieve it.

“Fabulously Fun Networking.”

1475 N. Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale

JULY 20 1 7

11:30a – 1:15p

12th Anniversary Luncheon

Members: free; non-members: $30 SkySong

For more events, visit “Business Events” at www.inbusinessmag.com

Please confirm, as dates and times are subject to change.

Fri., July 14

Thurs., July 27

TIME

8:00a – 9:00a

35th Anniversary Chinese Auction Fundraiser and Dinner

Chamber Breakfast

Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International – Arizona Chapter

Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce

One of the Arizona hospitality industry’s biggest events of the year, it has been honored with numerous awards, including two Stars of the Industry Awards, presented by the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association. Proceeds will help support the association’s mission and ongoing efforts to provide quality continuing education and scholarships for those professionals currently in the hospitality industry, as well as those pursuing a career in the field.

Attendees can enjoy breakfast treats while making new business connections; they are encouraged to bring a door prize to promote their business. Free parking is available in the church parking lot of east Mountain Park Senior Living.

$70

Free

DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Paradise Valley – Scottsdale

Mountain Park Senior Living

5401 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale

4475 E. Knox Rd., Phoenix

hsmai-az.org

ahwatukeechamber.com Thurs., July 20

5:30p – 8:30p

8:00a – 9:00a

Harvest Compassion Center Open House

Small Business Leadership Forum

Phoenix Metro Chamber of Commerce

Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce

Attendees will enjoy activities such as a fun photo booth, a caricature artist, raffle prizes and great food provided by the food truck — Cheese, Love and Happiness (prices $3–$8 dollars for snack or dinner). In addition, since this is a children’s program where kids run mini-businesses to feed kids, the children will be selling their homemade products (brownies, cookies, lemonade and more) to support their efforts. The cost for the children’s amazing deserts range from 25 to 50 cents

This bi-monthly forum serves as a platform for small business leaders to connect with peers, build their networks and deepen their understanding of issues facing Arizona companies. Members: free; non-members: $10 Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce

Free Harvest Compassion Center

4744 E. Thunderbird Rd., Phoenix

201 N. Central Ave., Phoenix

phoenixmetrochamber.com

phoenixchamber.com

Fri., July 14

6:00p – 9:00p

Comedy Night Glendale Chamber of Commerce Two stand-up comics will be performing for chamber members during the evening and will be sure to leave everyone in stitches. This will be an open-seating event with a cash bar. Space is limited. $25, early-bird pricing available Cuff Restaurant 5819 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale glendaleazchamber.org Mon., July 17

3:00p – 4:30p

Wed. – Fri., July 19 – 21

TIME

The Technical Edge for Real Estate Professionals

Arizona Governor’s Conference on Tourism

Microsoft

Arizona Office of Tourism

Networking and Training for Real Estate Professionals at the Scottsdale Fashion Square store. Happy hour at Z’Tejas inside the mall will take place after the workshop adjourns. Attendees can enjoy refreshment and appetizers while mixing and mingling with fellow agents, sponsors and guest presenter.

The Arizona Governor’s Conference on Tourism is the premier educational and networking event in the state for travel professionals and destination marketers, providing attendees the opportunity to exchange ideas with peers, learn from expert panelists, draw inspiration from nationally renowned speakers, and discover cutting-edge products and services. Event culminates with the Governor’s Tourism Awards Gala. $425

Free

JW Marriott Phoenix – Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

Microsoft Store at Scottsdale Fashion Square

5350 E. Marriott Dr., Phoenix

7014 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale

azgcot.com

microsoft.com

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TOURISM

How to Monetize Your Data

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If your event is directed to helping build business in Metro Phoenix, please send us information to include it in the In Business Magazine events calendar. Full calendar online. events@inbusinessmag.com

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33 20JULY1 7 INBUSINESSMAG.COM

IMPORTS & EXPORTS

Navigate Recent International Trade Policy Developments U.S. companies need a solid strategy in this shifting milieu by Melissa Proctor

Melissa Proctor is a shareholder of Polsinelli, P.C. She has significant experience in customs laws and regulations, export controls, economic sanctions, and international trade. polsinelli.com

JULY 20 1 7

INBUSINESSMAG.COM

Since the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, U.S. international trade policy has undergone several momentous changes, and more developments are on the horizon. Most recently, the continued viability of international trade agreements, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, has been called into question, as well as the U.S. government’s call for more aggressive enforcement of trade violations. The possibility of further liberalization of sanctions programs (e.g., Cuba, Sudan), possible new sanctions on Iran, North Korea, Syria and Russia, and the proposed border adjustment tax could significantly impact U.S. companies with multinational operations. This means new challenges and, perhaps, even new opportunities for U.S. companies. It also triggers the need for new strategies for adapting quickly to this fluid environment, including taking an active part in key decision-making processes. The most recent developments have involved U.S. free trade agreements (FTAs). The U.S. currently maintains FTAs with

BORDER ADJUSTMENT TAX — PROPOSED

20 countries. Whether U.S. companies import finished goods or raw materials duty-free into the United States under the NAFTA or other agreements, or certify that their own products qualify for these programs, FTAs provide significant cost and duty savings for importers, as well as give U.S. products a key competitive edge in global markets. Congress has granted broad authority to the President to negotiate, enter and even withdraw from FTAs under the Trade Act of 1974, as amended. The President may unilaterally terminate or withdraw from an international agreement after providing formal notice to the other signatory countries. With respect to NAFTA in particular — which entered into force in 1994 and includes the U.S., Canada and Mexico — Section 2205 of the agreement allows any party to unilaterally withdraw after providing six month’s written advanced notice to the other parties, and the agreement would continue in force for the remaining parties. Per Section 125(c) of the Trade Act of 1974, the President may also increase tariffs on goods that are imported from former

Few concrete details have emerged about a possible border adjustment tax, but early indications are that U.S. companies would not be taxed on their export sales and would no longer be able to deduct costs and expenses relating to imports into the U.S.

partner countries from 20 to 50 percent of the rates that were in effect in 1975. On May 18th, new U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lightizer notified Congress of the Trump Administration’s intent to initiate negotiations with Canada and Mexico to modernize NAFTA. The Administration asserts that renegotiation is warranted because NAFTA is outdated in areas that include digital trade, intellectual property rights, customs procedures, labor and the environment. Lightizer has also recently requested public comments from interested parties on matters relevant to the modernization of NAFTA in order to develop specific U.S. negotiating positions. The formal renegotiation process with Canada and Mexico could begin as early as mid-August. Upon conclusion of the negotiations, the resulting agreement will, ultimately, be submitted

to Congress, which would work with the Administration on drafting and voting on the implementing legislation. President Trump also issued Executive Order 13796 on April 29th that requires a comprehensive performance review of all bilateral and multilateral trade and investment agreements, and a formal report identifying specific violations and abuses, unfair treatment of U.S. interests, and instances where an agreement did not benefit the United States. The report is intended to be used to guide future trade policy decisions and negotiations, including the possibility of renegotiating those agreements. Withdrawing from existing FTAs would likely draw significant opposition in view of U.S. companies’ reliance on these agreements, and the detrimental effects on their international supply chains. Withdrawal from FTAs would result in higher tariff rates on imported goods, which would increase U.S. manufacturing costs and the price of goods for U.S. consumers. In addition, U.S. exporters would likely find that their products would become less competitive in overseas markets given that customers in those countries would be paying higher retaliatory duties on U.S. goods. However, U.S. companies may actually benefit from efforts to modernize NAFTA and other FTAs, such as through the elimination of remaining tariffs on U.S. goods, elimination of non-tariff barriers and technical barriers to trade, greater protection of U.S. intellectual property rights, expansion of markets for sensitive industry sectors (e.g., agriculture, textile and apparel), and more aggressive enforcement of trade violations. In terms of navigating this fluid environment, U.S. companies should monitor these developments very closely (e.g., the U.S. government’s commitment to more aggressive enforcement of trade violations, liberalization of economic sanctions programs, new sanctions imposed on bad actors, and the possibility of a border adjustment tax as part of a proposed corporate tax reform effort). This will allow companies to adjust their global strategies with respect to sourcing, entry into new markets, and ensuring that their internal compliance policies and procedures fully address new regulatory and legislative requirements. U.S. companies should also be aggressive in voicing their concerns and needs to the key government decision-makers and Congress to ensure their interests are considered and protected throughout the process.

The following resources can provide additional information on importing and exporting, as well as the latest developments in international trade and business. Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry azchamber.com Arizona Commerce Authority azcommerce.com Arizona District Export Council exportaz.org Arizona Small Business Development Center azsbdc.net Arizona Technology Council aztechcouncil.org Arizona-Mexico Commission azmc.org BIEN (Building an International Economic Network) connectbien.com City of Phoenix phoenix.gov Global Chamber globalchamber.org Greater Phoenix Economic Council gpec.org Metro Phoenix Export Alliance mpexa.com Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations pcfraz.org Pima County Economic Development & Tourism bit.ly/pima-economic-dev Sun Corridor Inc. suncorridorinc.com U.S. Commercial Service bit.ly/useac-az U.S. Small Business Administration bit.ly/sba-az

A WalletHub study earlier this year found that, among the 50 states, the percent of exports to Mexico relative to the state’s GDP was highest in Arizona. wallethub.com

35 20JULY1 7 INBUSINESSMAG.COM

BY RAEANNE MARSH

WE VALUE WHAT WE OWN

2017 Jaguar F-Pace Prestige

2017 JAGUAR F-PACE PRESTIGE City: 18 mpg Hwy: 23 mpg 0-60 mph: 5.4 sec Trans: 8-speed automatic MSRP: $48,700

The best thing about the 2017 SUV from Jaguar is, it combines the SUV experience with a luxury sports car experience. The famously exclusive brand created a new and very useful vehicle that has gotten rave reviews in both performance and style. While one may expect luxury and style to be atop the carmaker’s agenda in creating an SUV, this mid-size SUV is all about getting driver and passengers to their destination in comfort and with precision mechanics. The engine — a 360-horsepower supercharged 3.0-liter V6 — will impress and certainly make the journey in no time. It gets a boost off the line from 332 pound-feet of torque, and, with an 8-speed automatic transmission, the vehicle will accelerate with ease and virtually no feeling of gears changing. Luxury goes far in a Jaguar, and this SUV is built to look tough and allow for perfection in comfort. The eight-way power adjustable front seats give perfect driver position and allow for a sturdy feel while maneuvering. The contraststitched Taurus leather upholstery is soft and smooth. The soft-leather-covered steering wheel and satin chrome dash

are sporty and all about design. The console is matched with ease of controls for the driver and passengers alike. Technology is unrestricted throughout in this creation from Jaguar. From Xenon headlights to Wi-Fi access, this machine will deliver any need of the most discerning driver. The InControl Touch multimedia system gets connectivity, premium audio and navigation. The eight-inch touchscreen is clear and workable, allowing ease for making calls, texting, directions, and listening to music and entertainment favorites. The precise climate control will keep the cabin at perfect temperatures and the Jaguar InControl Apps will ensure the driver is in control even away from the vehicle. The Head-Up Display (HUD) laser illuminates the speed and other directional indicators on the base of the windshield, allowing the driver to keep eyes on the road and not on the (albeit) impressive dash display. This is an impressive entry to the luxury SUV market, touted for its forward-thinking design and reliable performance. Jaguar jaguarusa.com

Ticket Sales Companies: Entertain or Impress The power of having that great seat at a sporting event or concert can be a big asset when entertaining clients. Sure, a nice meal or impressive gift will do, but handing off a great set of tickets to

Since 1983, Ticket Exchange has been

has been serving customers and providing

buys and sells tickets for everything from

providing hard-to-find seats for local and

tickets to top local and area events. An

the Valley’s biggest events to smaller, local

national events. Sporting events, premium

independent service, it will provide best

venues. It provides convenient, secure and

theater seats and the biggest concert acts

seats for sporting, concert and theater

reliable online access to the best premium

are a specialty for this customer-friendly

events in Arizona.

tickets.

establishment.

143 W. McDowell Rd., Phoenix

7116 E. 1st Ave., Scottsdale

3714 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix

(602) 254-3300

(602) 840-2340

(602) 254-4444

aztickets.com

ticketsunlimitedinc.com

ticketexchangeusa.com

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JUNE 2017

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Jaguar Incontrol® Touch Pro™ features replace or enhance those found in InControl Touch. Key aspects of InControl Touch Pro are a large, responsive, 10.2-inch touchscreen and enhanced navigation.

TOURISM

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Ticket Exchange

Based in Scottsdale, Tickets Unlimited

MAGAZINE

Tickets Unlimited

For more than two decades, AZ Tickets

IN BUSINESS

JULY 20 1 7

AZ Tickets

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Photos courtesy of Jaguar (top and far right)

a top event will lock in a client for life. Here are some local ticket companies that know our market best:

Come home to local banking.

It’s been 10 years. And we’ve made local banking something worth coming home to. This anniversary isn’t about us, it’s about you: Arizonans who wanted a better banking experience. After all, you’re not just clients. You’re our neighbors, our friends and the businesses that power our local economy. And with the accolades we’ve received—#1 Community Bank, Top 200 Healthiest Bank, 5-Star Superior Rating—it’s clear we’ve earned your trust with our easier, more personalized, local banking service. Here’s to 10 years as your hometown bank. Bank local. Bank Pinnacle.

Creating an exceptional experience!

Scottsdale 480.609.0055

Phoenix 602.995.6565

pinnaclebankaz.com

BY RAEANNE MARSH

MEALS THAT MATTER

Kona Grill – Island Delectables

PEPPERED TUNA TATAKI ROLL Lobster & citrus aioli, avocado, peppered tuna tataki, sesame-soy chili sauce, green onion

version of mashed potatoes, and the macadamia-nut chicken accented with pineapple-papaya marmalade. And the Big Kahuna Cheeseburger cannot be overlooked — a jaw-dropping 12 ounces of ground beef served with caramelized onions, tomato, lettuce and cheddar cheese on a brioche bun. Finish off with a serving of the Snickers Ice Cream Pie — Oreo crust with Snickers and vanilla bean ice cream topped with chocolate and caramel sauce and whipped cream — before heading back to the office. —RaeAnne Marsh Kona Grill konagrill.com

Valley Standards: They Are All Ours And they defy categorizing. These Valley lunch standards stand out because of their history, great food and service during that mid-day meal.

JULY 20 1 7

INBUSINESSMAG.COM

Cowboy Ciao

Durant’s

Phoenix City Grille

At this Old Town Scottsdale favorite, lunch

Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.,

will likely lead to dinner there the same

this is the place to be. It has been this way

Known to many as the place to get a perfect

night. Cowboy Ciao’s incredible creations

for more than 60 years. Entrée salads, burgers

great tastes. Creative lunch items served in

include the famed Stetson Chopped salad.

and even the “Fat Man’s Special” — all available

a tavern-style setting have earned it a huge

7133 E. Stetson Dr., Scottsdale

in the ‘50s-style steakhouse atmosphere —

local following.

(480) 946-3111

provide a meal that means business.

5816 N. 16th St., Phoenix

cowboyciao.com

2611 N. Central Ave., Phoenix

(602) 266-3001

(602) 264-5967 • durantsaz.com

phoenixcitygrille.com

Kona is an approximately 60-mile-long district on the lava-lined western coast of Hawaii, “the big island,” in the U.S.’s youngest state.

lunch, this long-time spot serves up some

Photos courtesy of Kona Grill (top and far left) and Cowboy Ciao, Durant’s, Phoenix City Grille (bottom, left to right)

PAN-SEARED AHI White rice, baby bok choy, sweet-chili sauce

Kona Grill has added a new Valley location, opening in the urban streetscape of Scottsdale Quarter. The vibe inside is perfectly suited to its environment: It’s very much a lounge feel throughout under the high ceiling with its contemporary design of exposed duct work. The restaurant concept’s signature water feature in this case is a floor-to-ceiling “aquarium” of bubbles that sets off one corner of the dining area. Making the most of its street-corner presence, the restaurant is open on two sides to the bustling sidewalk of the popular outdoor mall, while the muted tones of its décor offer patrons a relaxing reprieve. The wait staff is eager to help patrons through the menu’s Asian and American selection of sushi, salads, sandwiches and more (and signature drinks, for that extended lunch hour). Yellowtail sashimi takes on an extra bite being served with thin jalapeno slices. The pan-seared Ahi tuna is a feast not only for the palate but for the eyes, the color in vivid contrast to the bok-choy pyramid formed over a mound of white rice and all drizzled with a sweet-chili sauce. Looking for something not from the sea? Choices include the ultra-tender, almond-crusted pork tenderloin served with Kona Grill’s tasty

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Are your Employees Taking Advantage of You? by Cindy Gordon

Would you agree that some of your employees are rock-star performers, some are just OK, and, for a small few, you’d like a genie to change them into statues so they stop disrupting others? Let’s take a minute and think about your workforce. How many people are engaged at work — that is, involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace? How many employees are highly disengaged — working only when necessary and probably spreading negative feedback about the company and its management? The rest of your workforce would be considered somewhat engaged — they get their job done, could be working more effectively and are probably staying with your company because they are comfortable and are OK with the paycheck. If your business is like the national average, according to Gallup, your percentages would look like this: Engaged employees

Actively disengaged

Somewhat engaged

33%

16%

51%

Based on the Gallup averages, we have found that these numbers translate into an organization losing up to 18 percent of the productivity they’re paying their employees for. Therefore, if a company pays annual salaries of $1,000,000, they would only be receiving $820,000 of output value. For a small business, losing $180,000-worth of productivity is a huge hit to the bottom line! Cindy Gordon is an Employee Engagement Egghead who helps small businesses be more successful by bringing a sense of fulfillment to people through their work. To learn more about how she works with her clients, visit her website www.BusinessRescueCoaching.com or email her at Cindy@BusinessRescueCoaching.com.

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The Good News

The good news is that the bleeding can be stopped! Over the past few decades, there has been a lot of research that delves into what motivates people. What has consistently been found is that one-size-fits-all strategies just don’t work. Therefore, it’s essential to understand your workforce on more of an individual level to improve their engagement. A business leader (I’ll call Frank) told me his key employee, Sandy, was leaving his company because she had found a job that paid more money. What surprised Frank was that his company’s overall compensation package was far more lucrative. Frank’s compensation strategy included a generous 401K plan contribution. He felt it was important to help his employees save for the future. Sandy felt that at this stage of her life she needed more money upfront. She’d just had a baby and wanted to purchase a larger home for her family. Frank knew this, but his stubbornness cost him a great employee because he didn’t consider her needs. Here are five areas of needs that should be discussed and considered with your employees. 1. Safety and security — This would take into consideration areas of physical and emotional safety, as well as ensuring your employees are clear on their role/responsibilities. Do they feel adequately trained to do their work well and have the proper tools and resources to work at their best? How can a person do great work if they don’t feel secure in their ability to meet expectations or safe to ask for help? 2. Financial Compensation — Most people don’t feel they are paid enough. Yet, we find that when more important needs are being met, compensation takes a back seat in priority. It is important to ensure that your employees are being paid in line with the market rate, but don’t depend on financial rewards to improve their motivation and productivity. Don’t risk losing a good employee because of salary. It will cost you much more to replace them. 3. Relationships — People don’t leave companies, they leave bosses. Have you taken the time to build a strong rapport with your employees? What do you know about their personal lives? How do you show them

you’re invested in their future? Do you know their personal and professional aspirations and have you worked with them to create a plan to help them get there? These are all great ways for strengthening relationships. When you show someone you have their back, they’ll repay you many times over. 4. Recognition — Employee surveys consistently show that people are not getting the recognition they desire. When someone does good work, they want to be acknowledged for it. It’s human nature. We all want to be appreciated. Recognition, like other employee engagement strategies, can’t be used arbitrarily. For instance, if the go-to “I appreciate you” gift is a $20 Starbucks card, what if your employee doesn’t drink coffee, or doesn’t like Starbucks? You just spent $20 to say, “I know nothing about you and really don’t care. But thanks for your loyalty.” Recognition is a powerful employee engagement tool when you understand who they are and recognize them in a personalized way. 5. Personal growth and fulfillment — When a job opportunity gives a person the opportunity to make a difference, they are more committed to the organization and determined to bringing their best. People want to feel they have contributed to a cause. Employees are not interested in your goal to be the best or your financial gains. That benefits you. They want to understand how they are impacting the lives of others. Whether you make fencing materials or cure cancer, your product or service is affecting others in a positive way. Each employee helps to make that happen, so use your company purpose to influence the fulfillment each person gains from their work. By moving the needle on the level of engagement in your workforce ever so slightly, you’ll be making a long-lasting impact on your business’s success. Like all good things, it takes time and attention. However, opening conversations with your employees to learn about their needs in the five areas discussed above and setting out strategies and actions to meet their needs will show your employees you are invested in them and their future with your company. You’ll see their appreciation through the effort they bring to their work. We have seen dramatic improvements in our clients’ employee productivity and engagement levels with strategies that concentrate on these employee needs.

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How to Collaborate with a Purpose by Cerila Gailliard, PMP, CSM

For many of us, collaborations resemble this scenario: A team is brought together; the problem is defined; some, not all, individuals begin to participate in the discussion; a solution is developed, agreed upon and implemented. Sometimes, the solution resolves the problem, but at other times it’s only a band-aid method that merely offers a short-term solution that will need to be resolved again in the near future. Why do the same problems continue to persist after collaboration has taken place and a solution is implemented? Below we will explore how to overcome this common challenge and how to collaborate with a purpose.

Collaboration with a Purpose

How do we collaborate with a purpose, and what exactly does that mean? To collaborate with a purpose, everyone involved in the process needs to have a guiding principle to help them through the journey, which will then change the collective mindset in the collaboration process. In Michael Wood’s article “Collaboration: Requirements for Breakthrough Results,” (bit.ly/collab-requirement) he defines collaboration as “An intense comingling of ideas and inspiration shared by two or more people seeking to find solutions to specific challenges and goals that are innovative, practical and achievable within the framework of the organization/communities they serve.” This is the perfect definition to describe collaborating with a purpose. If we use this definition as a guiding principle in the collaboration process, as Michael Wood states, it is “creating breakthrough solutions; needle-moving outcomes, not those of the casual kind.”

An Effective Collaboration Process

In order to achieve breakthrough solutions and needle-moving outcomes, it’s important to focus on the following priorities at the beginning of the collaboration process: • Clarity — There are two main reasons why problems are not solved properly: The problem is not understood and/or the problem is undefined. It’s crucial to spend time developing a problem statement with the team. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page and working toward a mutual goal. • Participation — Throughout the collaborative process, many of us have experienced these two scenarios. Scenario 1: Halfway through the process, the realization is made that certain participants need to be present at the meeting who currently are not. Scenario 2: Certain participants are present at the meeting who are not necessary, and perhaps detrimental to the collaborative process. • Foster Participation and Ideas — You cannot expect to foster a collaborative environment that leads to high-level conversations without having a way to bring out these ideas. Instead, determine in advance which brainstorming techniques will work best for your particular team. There are a number of brainstorming techniques that can be used, such as Nominal Group Technique, Idea/Mind Mapping, Affinity Diagram and many others. Cerila Gailliard is the owner of Orchestrating Your Success, LLC. and a certified project management professional consultant. Orchestrating Your Success LLC helps businesses manage small to complex projects to ensure they are both effectively and efficiently executed. Visit www.oysllc.com to learn more about our project management services.

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Business Insurance is Not a Luxury for Small-Business Owners by Marie Gonzales

You are a strong, smart entrepreneur. You own your own business because you have a passion for what you do and know in your heart you are the best person to do it, whatever that passion is. Your business is your child, and you give it your all. You’d do anything for your business. You turned your dining room or basement into an office. You work evenings and weekends. Along with your family, your business is your life. So, naturally, you want it to grow big and strong, and you want to protect it. It’s one of your children now, remember? So your business is fully insured, right? Right? If you are like many of the small-business owners I talk to, the answer is way too often, “I didn’t think I needed insurance.” Or, “I’m too small for insurance.” Or, “Insurance — I can’t afford to pay for that right now.” But small-business owners can’t afford not to pay for insurance right now. It should be part of your business plan from the start. It amazes me that so many creative, smart, driven owners who plan their business down to the number of paper clips don’t think they need business insurance.

A Personal Story

By nature I am a planner. I always had a map of where I was going and how I was going to get there. With a great plan, everything works out as we envision it, right? Isn’t that why we plan in the first place? But life is full of the unexpected. Life throws you off your plan. At thirty-six, I was married to a chief petty officer (hospital corpsman) in the Navy and we had two wonderful children. I was a nationally recognized day care center director. My husband was near the end of a 20-year career in the U.S. Navy. We traveled with the Navy and had lived in many parts of the United States and Japan. The kids met exciting new people. It was a life of adventure, but we were all looking forward to the next phase of our lives, excited by the possibilities of reinvention. Then on April 7, 2001, it all changed in an instant. My loving, dedicated, courageous husband was killed on duty in a helicopter accident. My life and the lives of our children were turned upside-down. We were devastated with shock and pain and grief. This was not part of the plan. After the initial shock, we picked ourselves up and got through it one day at a time. Luckily, about two years before this tragedy, a parent at my day care who was a life insurance agent had given a presentation about the importance of family insurance. His advice had encouraged me to do an insurance makeover, and to this day I am grateful I did. One thing my children and I didn’t have to worry about in the midst of our pain and grief was how to pay the bills. The lesson for me was this: Though I couldn’t control what happened in my life (a hard, painful lesson I feel to this day) and the lives of my family, I could make plans that left us less vulnerable in worst-case scenarios. As a result of this life-changing experience, I felt very strongly that I wanted to protect others in the same way I had been protected. I became an insurance agent. Not super exciting, I know, but I get fulfillment from protecting clients from risks — risks ranging from those of everyday living to the catastrophic events we don’t want to think about. We are all at personal

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risk for financial losses of property, liability and even life. If you are a business owner, you are doubly at risk, since your family’s well-being is not only tied to you personally but to your business as well. Don’t be short-sighted.

A Common Misconception

Many at-home businesses believe they have coverage under their personal home policy. This can be a costly misconception. Business operations are generally excluded from home policies and must be covered with an endorsement to the current policy or, depending on the nature of the business, with a separate policy altogether. A home policy also has very limited coverage or none at all for business property or inventory. As the business changes and grows, owners need to routinely review their exposure to protect the business from financial devastation due to theft, fire or liability claims. Similarly, personal insurance may not provide enough coverage in the event the business owner becomes ill, disabled or otherwise unable to perform the functions of the business. A review of health and life policies is very important to protect not only the owner’s family but their revenue and income as well. In other words, will the business be able to run seamlessly without the owner? Is there a financial succession plan? Is there an insurance plan to fill in the gaps before the business can be sold or get up and running again? No one wants to think about their own mortal limitations, but it’s too important not to. What legacy do you want for your business — prosperity or failure?

Don’t Take the Risk

Business owners can’t afford to put off this kind of risk analysis any longer. Such an analysis can be simple or in-depth, and your trusted agent will be happy to offer this service. If you haven’t done so, I encourage you to do this now. It will take some time from a busy schedule and may cost you a bit in further expenses, but planning for the unexpected could save you years of grief and financial insecurity — and save your business for the next generation. Marie Gonzales is an independent insurance agent with The Guardian Insurance Group. To learn more, visit www.mariegonzalesinsureme.com.

Strategies for a Worry-Free Vacation by Margo Brown

Vacation is meant to be a time to reset and relax. But for some of us, letting go of the office while away proves difficult. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. With these helpful reminders, you can let go of work and have a worry-free holiday. 1. Plan for a day of re-entry. Before even packing your bags, look ahead in your calendar and block off the first day back to work as a day to catch up. Rather than spending all your time off worrying about how you’ll get it all done, go into vacation with the peace of mind that a day for catchup has already been planned. 2. Remember the 80/20 rule. Upon your return, your inbox may be packed with hundreds of emails. Keep in mind that only about 20 percent of messages are relevant. Sort your inbox by person or project to quickly see what’s junk and what’s important. Junk, blogs and daily digests can be deleted right away or moved to a folder to save for a later time. Likewise, with snail mail: Sort junk mail directly into the recycle bin, along with any other unnecessary clutter from your desk. 3. Reconnect and refocus. Once your desk is cleared, take time to look through folders and documents to reconnect with what you were working on before your time off. You can also use this time to scan your calendar to see what’s on schedule for the coming couple of weeks.

4. Do five things. Once your inbox is sorted, your desk is de-cluttered, and you have an idea about what’s ahead, create a list of the top five things that need to be done right away. Focus on that list and, before you know it, you’ll be back on track with the added benefit of being rested from the time away. 5. Schedule your next vacation. Taking balanced time off is just as important for productivity as hard work. Be sure to give yourself another break to look forward to and block out time for your next vacation. Margo Brown is a productivity coach and professional organizer with Wave Productivity. She works with entrepreneurs, small-business owners and business professionals to help them get more focused, organized, and productive in their workplace. She serves the Tempe and Phoenix area in Arizona. Learn more at www.waveproductivity.com.

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Five Critical Elements that May Be Missing from Your Website Copy by Sara Korn

You know what drives me nuts? Putting a lot of effort into something and then not getting much to show for it. I hate that, and I try to avoid it as much as possible. But sometimes it happens anyway. And I know I’m not the only one. I often hear the stories of business owners who are frustrated that their marketing isn’t getting the kind of results they want, despite the investment they put in. For example, take your website. You make a significant investment of resources into your website because it’s the place everyone goes to find out who you are and what you do. It’s your number one sales tool. Shouldn’t your website be bringing you a lot of clients? If it’s not, let’s fix that. Check to see if any of these critical elements are missing from your website copy: 1. Benefits: what’s in it for them — Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in telling people what we do that we forget to talk about why that’s so valuable to our clients. For example, I could tell you that I write website copy, blogs, social media posts, sales flyer copy, etc., etc., but maybe you don’t feel that you need any of those things. However, if I tell you that I can help you create content that makes your sales materials more effective at getting you customers, I bet you’ll perk up. You may not be ready to whip out your wallet just yet, but you’ll at least be open to hearing more about how I do that. It’s a noisy world out there, and the first hurdle you face is simply having people stop to hear what you have to say. Clearly communicating your benefits gets the people who need you to listen up. 2. Your “why’ — What are your company’s values? What beliefs guide how you serve your clients? The answers to these questions are what will set you apart from your competition and draw in the kinds of customers that you most enjoy serving and who most appreciate what you do. People buy with their hearts and then rationalize it with their minds. Is your website copy tapping into this powerful persuasive technique? If not, really take some time to explore this question to identify your authentic “why.” I recommend checking out Simon Sinek’s TEDx talk (bit.ly/ted-simon-sinek) on this topic for inspiration. 3. A clear statement of what you do — Some people are well aware that they need to communicate the benefits of what they do and why they do it, and in the process something ironic can happen: They forget to say exactly what it is they do. Have you ever been to a website where they tell you all about how they’re changing the world, touching lives, increasing sales for clients, making you more successful … but you’re not sure exactly how they do that or what their product or service is? Sara Korn is a freelance copywriter at WriteSmith, where she creates brand messaging copy and marketing content designed to help businesses stand out from the crowd and attract their ideal target audience. Contact her at www.writesmithaz.com.

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That happened to me recently. I couldn’t tell from their home page. Or their about page. Or anywhere on the site. Epic fail! But you’d be surprised how easily that can happen. You get caught up in one important aspect of what you’re writing and accidentally leave off something else that is also important. Use this blog post as a checklist so that doesn’t happen to you! 4. Call to action (CTA) — Speaking of important things people often forget to include, a call to action is what tells website visitors what to do next. Call this phone number. Sign up for a free consultation. Subscribe here. Click this link to find out what the next step is. Et cetera. Remember that you’re not just imparting information; you want people to do something. Go through each major page of your website and check to see if it asks them to take an action. Even if you have a CTA in a sidebar, repeat the call to action in the body text because people often overlook what’s on the side of pages because that’s where ads typically appear. 5. Specific examples — Another mistake that I often see in website copy is talking in terms that are too broad and generalized. Instead, use specific, concrete examples that paint a picture in people’s minds of what you do and how you do it. This helps them imagine you doing it for them, which can make a huge difference. Let’s say you have outstanding customer service. OK, great. But everyone says that. OK, sure, you really do have the best customer service compared to any of your competitors. Instead of insisting that your customer service is awesome, tell the story of a customer of yours and what precisely you did for them and how it impacted them. Talk about the specific results they got. Share how it made them feel, what a difference it made. Tell a story about the experience of working with you so that people who read it will want that experience for themselves. How Your Website Looks Matters. What You Say Is Critical. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in the logistics of creating a website — what layout to use, getting the colors right, making sure there are no glitches, etc. — that the content ends up being an afterthought. Even people who are really good at writing struggle to write their own marketing and sales copy. (For example, me.) It’s essential to have an outside perspective, someone who can see what you can’t see and help you clearly communicate what makes you unique in the marketplace. A professional copywriter can be invaluable in this regard. If you’d like me to take a look at your website and show you exactly where you can improve the copy on your website so that it attracts more of the right kinds of customers for you, contact me at WriteSmithAZ.com.

How to Keep Good Workers: Follow the Golden Rule by Wendy McClellan

Hiring good workers is a critical function for every small business, but it’s only the beginning. One of the biggest costs to small businesses, both in the outlay of actual money and in lost productivity, is worker churn. Once you hire good workers, how do you keep them? The simple answer is, follow the Golden Rule: Treat your workers the way you want to be treated. Here’s how.

Overcommunicate

Overcommunicate, especially at first. Let them know your expectations up front both for job tasks and general behavior. Be crystal clear. Is overtime or weekend work likely and under what circumstances? Is some work more time-sensitive than others? Give your workers a priority tree. What’s your policy on cell phones and social media? Be proactive, not reactive. If you find yourself thinking, “That’s obvious” or “Everyone should know that,” you’re not communicating enough.

Be a Mentor

Mentor your workers. If you think of yourself as their teacher, you have a stake in the outcome. Aside from the Professor Kingsfields of this world (from the movie The Paper Chase), what teachers want their students to fail? Teach processes, yes, but also share your wisdom. If your workers are young, you may have to teach them how to work. Then back off. Don’t micromanage.

Reward and Promote

Have a clear path for advancement: raises, promotions, rewards, bonuses. Break it down on their first day. If you’re too small for promotions, be up front about it. Use intangible

rewards instead — work from home, if possible; MVP and MIP Awards; get-out-of-jail-free cards. Give them smaller raises, more often, for reinforcement. Sure, your payout will be higher, but I always like to say, “You get what you pay for.” It’s an investment. And finally, if you have a bonus structure, don’t make it Good Will Hunting complicated. And then stick to it. Nothing frustrates a worker more than the Catch-22 effect: Just as they’re about to meet their goal, it changes. Don’t be that company.

Build Relationships

Do the little stuff that doesn’t cost you anything. Without being creepy, get to know your workers. Ask about their families and pets, what they do on the weekends, what video games they like. Let them leave early for their kids’ soccer games. But be clear — expect their loyalty and extra effort in return. And don’t favor those with families and kids. Reward your single workers, too. Out of the blue, give them an extra half hour for lunch; let them out a half hour early. Earn their loyalty. At the same time, be absolutely professional at all times. No matter how it makes for good TV, yelling is not a form of communication, nor is belittling. Reward in public, coach in private. And though you want to be friendly with your workers, you are not their friend. You make the tough decisions. In the end, some workers will leave no matter how great a boss you are. Don’t be vindictive. It’s a business decision. If you want them to stay, ask them if there’s anything you can do to keep them. If not, then acknowledge their contribution, wish them luck, and move on.

An HR consultant and leadership coach, Wendy McClellan is the founder and president of Structure for Success, a Scottsdale-based business development firm. With more than 25 years’ experience in executive leadership, Wendy’s forte is building businesses from the ground up and training leaders to be effective, ethical and accountable. She believes strong relationships and effective communication are the keys to success, and regularly speaks on communication, personal empowerment, Human Resources and business development. Visit her website at structure4success.com. McClellan is also the director of the Scottsdale chapter of the networking group Women on a Mission to Earn Commission (WOAMTEC), the treasurer for the Women’s Enterprise Foundation (WEF), the secretary for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), and on the board of directors for The Girls Rule Foundation.

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Making the Shift to Woman-Owned, Woman-Operated Businesses by Mike Bull

A brand-new organization known as WOWOB (Woman Owned, Woman Operated Business) got off to a rousing start last month with a spectacular launch party held at Splash Printing & Marketing in Scottsdale, which drew more than 125 guests. The idea behind WOWOB is that womanowned and -operated businesses tend to have deep-seated characteristics that set them apart. Research done by the Philanthropy Institute shows that women business owners tend to be much more socially conscious then their male counterparts. They tend to reinvest a much higher part of their earning in their families and communities, and they give more at every income level to philanthropic causes.

Making the Shift

WOWOB aims to raise awareness about the value of woman-owned and -operated businesses, and to motivate Arizonans to consider this when making their service/product

choices. In just three months since launching, WOWOB has attracted nearly 100 members. Founders Jackie Wszalek, Wendy McClellan and myself, Mike Bull, are all business owners and are the driving force behind this unique idea. “It seems like we touched a nerve, and the community is responding in a big way,” says McClellan. Although there’s not a formal certification process to join, Wszalek says, “We ask women to self-certify that they own at least 50 percent of their business and are involved in the day-to-day operations of the business and have upper-level decision-making responsibilities.” Depending on the size, a business with one to five employees could join for roughly $45 a year. A robust online directory helps consumers find local businesses that are female-owned. Even though we are more than just a directory, we want to help people find a restaurant, sport shop, T-shirt printer, or any other business that is owned by a woman. There is no cost to search the directory, and people are encouraged to

do so. New business members are being added daily, so there is always something new to find. WOWOB plans to take its message to not just women but men as well. Since launching just last month, WOWOB has been reported in the Arizona Republic, and the Scottsdale Airpark News. Woman-owned businesses are starting at a faster pace than male-owned businesses, and WOWOB wants to raise awareness that, with their rising success and increasing social responsibility, female-owned businesses may well change the way we all think about business responsibility. To learn more, visit www.wowob.org, email info@wowob.org, or call 480-447-9218.

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Put your business on the road to sweet success

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Arizona Locals Are Outperforming Other States and National Chains Welcome to the 2017 Top 50 Small Business Resources Guide, featuring some of Arizona’s leading small and local businesses. It is certainly a great time to have an independently owned business, especially in Arizona. Recent articles and surveys indicate a promising trend for local businesses across the board. The most recent Small Business Credit Survey by the Federal Reserve showed that Arizona local businesses were outperforming other locals across the nation. A higher number of Arizona businesses reported operating at a profit at the end of 2015 than national counterparts’ figures (61 percent of Arizona respondents, compared to 53 percent of national respondents); Arizona businesses were better off in terms of hiring of employees (88 percent of Arizona businesses hired or had no change, compared to 81 percent nationally); and the overall picture of outstanding debt Kimber Lanning is an entrepreneur and economic specialist who works to cultivate vibrant, sustainable communities and inspire a higher quality of life throughout Arizona. Lanning is actively involved in fostering economic self-reliance and resilience for Arizona’s urban and rural communities. She is the founder and executive director of Local First Arizona, an economic development organization focused exclusively on growing and supporting Arizona talent.

looked more favorable for Arizona businesses than national averages. At the same time, Bloomberg News recently published an article titled “Mom-and-Pop Joints Are Trouncing America’s Big Restaurant Chains.” The article references a new research report that predicts, in a dramatic shift from past years, annual revenue for independent restaurants will grow about 5 percent through 2020, while the growth for chains will be about 3 percent. These two reports illuminate a larger trend that we’re seeing in Arizona and across the nation: People are seeking out local businesses in all types of industries on a more regular basis. People are finding that independents provide better products, better services, and an overall better experience that keeps them coming back for more. As the largest local business coalition in the country, the statewide team at Local First Arizona finds these results encouraging. These reports validate that the work we do every day is having an impact on strengthening our local economy and helping local businesses to thrive, keeping more jobs and dollars right here at home. Thanks to In Business Magazine for shining a spotlight on the importance of supporting small and local businesses, and for showcasing some of the best businesses that Arizona has to offer. We’re proud to partner on this endeavor to build a strong local economy and support a thriving small and local business community. And special thanks to the 50 businesses featured in this guide for their commitment and devotion to our community. You make us proud! Sincerely,

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JULY 2017

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Small Business Industry Leaders

Accounting & Tax Services CBIZ and Mayer Hoffman McCann, P.C. CBIZ provides accounting, tax and business valuation, benefits and insurance, and consulting services to real estate, not-for-profit, retail, construction, healthcare, and manufacturing and distribution business in the Phoenix marketplace. Top Executive: Steven L. Gerard Offices (Local / National): 1 / 100+ Local Headquarters: 3101 N. Central Ave., Ste. 300, Phoenix, AZ 85012 Phone: (602) 264-6835 Website: www.cbiz.com

Duran Accounting Solutions LLC Duran Accounting Solutions LLC providesaccounting and tax solutions to businesses with integrity, professionalism and a high focus on customer service. Top Executive: Regina Duran Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 2633 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016 Phone: (480) 248-6755 Website: www.durranaccounting.wix.com

YB Company, LLC YB Company, LLC was created with the purpose of assisting small-business owners with achieving their entrepreneurial goals. Committed to its clients, YBÂ tailors its accounting, consulting and tax services to their specific needs Top Executive: Yesena Barraza Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 1601 N. 7th Ave., Ste. 350, Phoenix, AZ 85006 Phone: (623) 243-1272 Website: www.ybcompanycpa.com

Alternative Funding FSW Funding FSW provides immediate funding to small businesses by advancing funds against an approved commercial invoice. Top Executive: Robyn Barrett Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 4530 E. Shea Blvd., Ste. 142, Phoenix, AZ 85028 Phone: (602) 535-5984 Website: www.fswfunding.com

JULY 2017

Liquid Capital Liquid Capital provides innovative financing solutions for small to middle-market businesses and a strategic accounts payable outsourcing program for large corporate and governmental buyers of goods and services. Top Executive: Joel Gottesman Offices (Local / National): 1 / 41 Local Headquarters: 8679 E. San Alberto Dr., Ste. 201, Scottsdale, AZ 85258 Phone: (480) 473-2105 Website: www.liquidcapitalcorp.com

National Bank of Arizona National Bank of Arizona provides local expertise and focuses on delivering award-winning service. It is more than just a business bank; it has expanded to a full-service financial institution offering a suite of products and services tailored to business. Top Executive: Mark Young Offices (Local / National): 24 / 66 Local Headquarters: 6001 N. 24th St., Phoenix, AZ 85016 Phone: (602) 212-5524 Website: www.nbarizona.com

Pinnacle Bank

Business Banking / SBA Lending Alliance Bank of Arizona Alliance Bank of Arizona is a division of Western Alliance Bank, the go-to bank for business in its growing markets. Alliance Bank of Arizona offers a full spectrum of deposit, lending, treasury management and online banking products and services, plus superior, personalized service to meet the needs of local businesses. Top Executive: James H. Lundy Offices (Local / National): 11 / 43 national as part of larger company Local Headquarters: 1 E. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: (602) 389-3500 Website: www.alliancebankofarizona.com

Horizon Community Bank Horizon Community Bank is a locally owned and operated FDICinsured commercial bank with branches in Fort Mohave, Lake Havasu City, Mesa, Parker and Quartzsite, Arizona, and a loan office in Las Vegas, Nevada. It has almost 80 employees and provides high-touch, customized financial services to those in the healthcare, transportation, real estate and technology industries, as well as general commercial and consumer services. Horizon Community Bank is a subsidiary of holding company Horizon Bancorp, Inc. Top Executive: Jerry Ernst Offices (Local / National): 1 / 5 Local headquarters: 225 N. Lake Havasu Ave., Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403 Phone: (928) 854-3000 Website: www.horizoncommunitybank.com

Pinnacle Bank is an Arizona-based, businessoriented bank serving small businesses and the community in Northeast Phoenix and Scottsdale and along the Camelback corridor. It has a specific expertise in SBA and Residential Mortgage & Construction Lending. Top Executive: Michael J. Thorell Offices (Local): 3 Local Headquarters: 14287 N. 87th St., Ste. 123, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Phone: (480) 609-0055 Website: www.pinnaclebankaz.com

Stearns Bank N.A. Stearns Bank is a top-ranked bank that has established a reputation across the Valley as a strong and stable business bank specializing in fast and flexible commercial finance. Top Executive: Norm Skalicky Offices (Local / National): 1 / 13 Local Headquarters: 9225 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Phone: (480) 314-4200 Website: www.stearnsbank.com/arizona

Wells Fargo & Company Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified financial services company that provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance. For the seventh consecutive year, it is the No. 1 Small Business Administration 7(a) lender in Arizona in amount of dollars loaned. Top Executive: Pamela Conboy Offices (Local / National): 260 / 6200 Local Headquarters: 100 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85003 Phone: (602) 378-4644 Website: www.wellsfargo.com

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Moving Health Forward Together

At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) we’ve learned a powerful lesson over the years -- the best way to predict the future is to create it. And we’ve been busy doing just that – creating the future by moving health forward. With 75 plus years of serving Arizona businesses and the nationwide reach of the Blue plans, we are putting our extensive insights, long-standing provider relationships and proven clinical results to work for businesses like yours: Insights – through insights, we anticipate your employees’ health needs so they have a better health journey. Relationships – through our relationships, we are making healthcare services more effective and challenging the status quo in the way healthcare is delivered. Results – through a focus on results, we are taking actions that lead to improved quality of life and lower healthcare costs. With a multigenerational workforce, pressure on medical costs, growth of new treatments and concerns about societal health, BCBSAZ is accelerating change so that we have better healthcare starting now.

FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS TO YOU We know that healthy employees lead to a more competitive benefit program for your company. That’s why we focus on helping your employees stay well and providing additional care to those who need it.

As the largest local insurance company in Arizona, we deliver health insurance products, related services and networks to more than 1.5 million customers.1 In a recent satisfaction study, 92% of those surveyed reported they were satisfied with our products and services.2 We offer: Medical Plans – PPO or HMO plans with a wide range of deductibles, including high deductible health plans that work with a health savings account (HSA). Dental Plans – Standard plans include 100% in-network coverage for diagnostic and preventive services. Additional Products and Services – Life, shortterm disability, long-term disability, critical illness, accident, cancer, COBRA services and a visionsavings program through Vision Care.3

A PARTNER YOU TRUST Companies like yours need a partner leading the way, innovating, and creating that future, not simply reacting to it. BCBSAZ is that partner. We’re helping to create a future where people get healthier faster and stay healthier longer. That is a future we can all look forward to. 1. Some plans are not offered or underwritten by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. 2. The Customer Study and Group Benefits Administrator Study were conducted in 2015 by Thoroughbred Research, an independent research company.

At a Glance Company Name: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Main Office Address: 2444 W. Las Palmaritas Dr., Phoenix, AZ 85021 Phone: (602) 864-5792 Website: www.azblue.com Number of Offices in Metro Phoenix: 2 Number of Staff: 1,428 City Nationally Headquartered: Phoenix, AZ COO/Interim President: Sandy Gibson No. of Years with Firm: 29 Year Established Locally: 1939 Specialties: Employer Group Health Insurance, Individual Health Insurance, Dental Insurance

3. Vision Care is not insurance, it is an independent company that provides discount eye services and products.

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Benefit Commerce Group Advice, Advocacy & Results for Employee Benefits — that describes what Benefit Commerce Group brings to its employer clients. Benefit Commerce Group is an innovative and award-winning employee benefits consulting firm that is changing the healthcare cost paradigm, one company at a time. We are advocates for our clients and we celebrate their achievements, as shown by the 100+ awards for employee wellness and benefit programs we have helped our clients receive in the past three years. We also help them save money. We conducted a study of 33 of our clients and found they saved more than $55 million on employee benefits over five years. Based in Scottsdale, we are proud of our listing in the Inc. 5000 since 2015, our ranking as one of the Best Places to Work in our area, awards from the Wellness Council of Arizona and our recognition as one of the Valley’s Healthiest Employers. Scott Wood is principal and CEO of Benefit Commerce Group. With more than 30 years of experience inside the insurance industry, he is an expert committed to change and improvement of employee benefit programs for our clients. His industry recognition includes CEO Leadership

At a Glance Company Name: Benefit Commerce Group Main Office Address: 14300 N. Northsight Blvd., Suite 221, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Phone: (480) 515-5010 Website: www.benefitcommerce.com Number of Offices in Metro Phoenix: 1 Number of Staff: 40+ City Nationally Headquartered: Scottsdale, AZ CEO/Managing Director: Scott Wood No. of Years with Firm: 8 Year Established Locally: 1972 Specialties: Employee Benefits Consulting, Strategic Planning, Benefits Benchmarking, Wellness, Compliance

Business Banking / SBA Lending (con’t.) West Valley National Bank West Valley National Bank is the West Valley’s first locally owned and operated community bank, founded by local business leaders. WVNB is dedicated to looking after business owners and their financial needs. The bank also has branches in Scottsdale, Buckeye and Gila Bend. Top Executive: Candace D. Wiest Offices (Local): 4 Local Headquarters: 2440 N. Litchfield Rd., Ste. 100, Goodyear, AZ 85395 Phone: (623) 536-9862 Website: www.wvnb.net

Business Marketing Services Ideas Collide LLC

Scott Wood

Award from The Institute for HealthCare Consumerism, Health Promotion Advocate of the Year from the Wellness Council of Arizona and Most Innovative Broker award from The Institute for HealthCare Consumerism. Our eight Core Competencies, described in detail on our website, are: • Strategy • Data Analysis & Actuarial • Project Management • Implementation • Communication • Compliance & HR Services • Technology • Wellness We conduct an annual benchmarking survey throughout the state to allow employers to compare their employee benefits. Over 300 employers across the state have participated so far in the 4th annual Arizona Employee Benefits Benchmarking Survey. Participating employers can view their benefits compared to other employers in the state and nation, based on size, industry, location and more. We also provide Population Health Management services that allow employers to mine available data to develop programs to improve the health of their employees. Our approach is to treat employee benefits with the same strategy focus that organizations use with other parts of their operations. We utilize many proven best practices and exclusive programs that we have developed to assist our clients. Viewing benefits as an investment, rather than a cost, our clients achieve better results and a return on their investment.

Ideas Collide LLC provides solutions to any communications problem. The agency works to be an extension of its clients’ marketing team — the big ideas department and the go-to for collaborating on every aspect of marketing, public relations, advertising and design. Top Executive: Matthew Clyde Offices (Local / National): 1 / 1 Local Headquarters: 6125 E. Indian School Rd., Ste. 1001, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 Phone: (480) 659-4520 Website: www.ideascollide.com

Infusionsoft Infusionsoft provides small-business solutions built exclusively to help conquer the chaos through a Webbased system that combines intelligent automation with powerful CRM, email marketing, e-commerce and social media tools. Top Executive: Clate Mask Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 1260 S. Spectrum Blvd., Chandler, AZ 85286 Phone: (480) 807-0644 Website: www.infusionsoft.com

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Business Organizations & Associations Arizona Small Business Association ASBA is the largest trade association in Arizona, representing 10,000+ member businesses and more than half a million employees in all 15 counties. ASBA focuses on four key fundamentals of business: effective smallbusiness education, dynamic professional connections, essential support resources, and public policy. Top Executive: Jack Lunsford Offices (Local): 2 Local Headquarters: 4600 E. Washington St., Ste. 340, Phoenix, AZ 85034 Phone: (602) 306-4000 Website: www.asba.com

Local First Arizona Local First Arizona is a nonprofit organization working to strengthen communities and local economies through supporting, maintaining and celebrating locally owned businesses throughout the State of Arizona. Top Executive: Kimber Lanning Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 407 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: (602) 956-0909 Website: www.localfirstaz.com

Employee Benefits / Insurance

Small Business Industry Leaders

Healthcare Insurance

Benefit Commerce Group

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

Benefit Commerce Group is an innovative and awardwinning employee benefits consulting firm that is committed to changing the healthcare cost paradigm.

BCBSAZ offers various health plans for individuals, families, and small and large businesses. BCBSAZ also offers Medicare supplement plans to individuals over age 65. BCBSAZ is committed to improving the quality of life of Arizonans.

Top Executive: Scott Wood Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 14300 N. Northsight Blvd., Suite 221, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Phone: (480) 515-5010 Website: www.benefitcommerce.com

Top Executive: Rich Boals Local Headquarters: 2444 W. Las Palmaritas Dr., Phoenix, AZ 85021 Phone: (602) 864-4100 Website: www.azblue.com

Holmes Murphy & Associates

Delta Dental of Arizona

Holmes Murphy is a premier independent risk-management and insurance brokerage firm. While today’s insurance market sees consolidations and mergers resulting in conglomerates more concerned about the bottom line, Holmes Murphy remains focused on clients’ needs and is committed to accelerating business success.

With 40 years of experience insuring healthy smiles across the state, Delta Dental of Arizona is passionate about oral health and its importance to generations of families. Delta Dental works hard to improve oral health by emphasizing preventive care and making dental coverage accessible to a wide variety of employers, groups and individuals. With the largest network of dentists, locally and nationally, Delta Dental offers a full range of plans to fit any budget and any size company.

Top Executive: Daniel Keough Offices (Local / National): 1 / 12 Local Headquarters: 7047 E. Greenway Pkwy., Ste. 210, Scottsdale, AZ 85254 Phone: (480) 951-1776 Website: www.holmesmurphy.com

Top Executive: Allan Allford Local Headquarters: 5656 W. Talavi Blvd., Glendale, AZ 85306 Phone: (602) 938-3131 Website: www.deltadental.com

At a Glance Company Name: Radix Law Main Office Address: 15205 N. Kierland Blvd. Suite 200 Scottsdale, AZ 85254 Phone: (602) 606-9300 Website: radixlaw.com

Radix Law In 2008, attorney Jonathan Frutkin founded the firm with a goal of providing top-notch legal representation to business, family and individual clients throughout Arizona. Frutkin is a thirdgeneration lawyer; his family has worked closely with business owners and their families for nearly 100 years. In 2017, the firm changed its name from The Frutkin Law Firm to Radix Law. The word “radix” is Latin in origin and stands for the concept of roots: the root of a tree, the root of knowledge, or the root of a number. The name

Number of Offices in Metro Phoenix: 1 Number of Staff: 20

reflects the firm’s values: a business law firm that knows how the law helps clients pursue opportunities and deal with challenges. The firm and its team of 12 attorneys considers itself to be rooted in Arizona with their office located at Kierland Commons in Scottsdale. Radix Law helps businesses, individuals and families with their business law, bankruptcy, taxation, asset protection, real estate law, wills, trusts and estates, and litigation needs.

City Nationally Headquartered: Scottsdale, AZ CEO/Managing Director: Jonathan Frutkin No. of Years with Firm: 9 Year Established Locally: 2008 Specialties: Business Law, Bankruptcy, Real Estate Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates and Litigation

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Healthcare Insurance (con’t.)

Human Resources / Hiring

Information Technology

UnitedHealthcare of Arizona

AmeriSource HR Consulting Group, LLC

Gartman Technical Services, Inc.

UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 850,000 physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare has developed mobile and Web resources, Health4Me and myHealthcare Cost Estimator, which provide cost and quality information to plan participants, including healthcare cost estimates that are customized to an individual’s location and health plan.

AmeriSource helps business owners build the foundation, manage the growth and establish efficiencies within their business.

Gartman Technical Services, Inc. is a full-service IT company specializing in designing the correct hardware, network and software configurations for its clients. Technicians are experienced in all aspects of hardware configurations, software and network integration.

Top Executive: David Allazetta Local Headquarters: 1 E. Washington St., Ste. 1700, Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: (800) 724-4018 Website: www.uhc.com

Top Executive: Camille French Offices: (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 1221 E. Osborn Rd., Ste. A204, Phoenix, AZ 85014 Phone: (602) 343-6444 Website: amerisourcehr.com

Brodin HR Law Whether it’s a workplace investigation, HR compliance review, employment law issue or other legal services related to HR, Brodin HR Law can help. Top Executive: Jeff Brodin Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 3636 N. Central Ave., Ste. 700, Phoenix, AZ 85012 Phone: (480) 351-7700 Website: brodinhrlaw.com

Looking for a way to fund business growth? Fortunately for you, not all lenders are the same.

“We consider FSW Funding a partner in our business.” —Cliff, founder of software development company, Arizona & Mexico

FSW Funding promises: • Fast funding for working capital • Flexible and innovative lines of credit • NO termination fees, contracts, or minimum volume requirements Contact us today to learn more about our ﬁnancing services

602-535-5984 4530 E. Shea Blvd, Ste. 142, Phoenix, AZ 85028

www.fswfunding.com robyn@fswfunding.com

JULY 2017

Top Executive: Glen Gartman Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 735 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85009 Phone: (602) 788-8121 Website: gartmantechnical.com

itSynergy Since its inception in 1997, Phoenix-based itSynergy has been the leading IT Consulting organization empowering small and mid-market businesses with strategic information technology (IT) guidance, comprehensive IT services, and custom software development solutions that provide distinct competitive advantages. Leveraging the latest Microsoft® technology, the firm builds, deploys and supports solutions that improve efficiencies, drive bottom-line results, and enable clients to focus on their core business. Top Executive: Michael W. Cocamower Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 7310 N. 16th St., Ste. 130, Phoenix, AZ 85020 Phone: (602) 297-2400 Website: itsynergy.com

Omnis Networks, LLC A single source for all colocation needs, including virtual private and dedicated servers, Omnis Networks provides value-based services to reliably deploy and implement solutions for the small and medium-sized business. Top Executive: Kevin Martin Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 1005 W. Geneva Dr., Tempe, AZ 85283 Phone: (480) 295 7800 Website: www.omnisdatacenters.com

OneNeck IT Solutions Corporation OneNeck is a leading provider of hybrid IT solutions tailored for mid-market and enterprise companies, including cloud and hosting solutions, managed services, ERP application management, professional services, IT hardware and top-tier data centers. Top Executive: Terry Swanson Offices (Local / National): 1 / 15 Local Headquarters: 5301 N. Pima Rd., Ste. 100, Scottsdale, AZ 85250 Phone: (480) 315-3000 Website: www.oneneck.com

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CBIZ’s not-for-profit group volunteering at Goodwill’s distribution center

CBIZ: Growth and Success. Efficiency and Profitability.

At a Glance

CBIZ is one of the nation›s top providers of accounting, tax and advisory services, and works closely with businesses, nonprofits and individuals to identify and address their needs. Our approach, refined over the years, is simple: listen and learn about our clients› business, their challenges and goals. This allows us to provide proactive suggestions to strengthen their operations and deliver a wide array of solutions to help them achieve their goals. CBIZ has built a reputation in the Phoenix area for providing high-quality products and services with a special emphasis on outstanding client service. Our vision is to be the company that frees Business America from unnecessary complexity, allowing our clients to focus on doing what they do best in ways they never imagined possible. By providing a full array of superior services and customizing those services for our clients› specific circumstances, we are redefining the manner in

which business services are delivered. Our priority continues to be to consistently provide superior services and to build long-lasting relationships with our clients. Our accounting professionals in the Phoenix office are experts and thought leaders in a wide variety of industries and niche accounting topics, including Not-for-Profit, Healthcare, Construction, Commercial Real Estate, Employee Benefit Plan (EBP) audits and servicing, and revenue recognition, among others. The expert knowledge our professionals bring to CBIZ allows us to provide each of our clients with exceptional service and thorough strategic planning. The CBIZ Phoenix office has consistently been recognized for excellence as an accounting provider, as well as a great employer. Some of our most recent awards include: • #1 Accounting Firm (26+ CPAs) in Arizona by Ranking Arizona for 2016 and 2017 • The Best of Arizona Business • Top Companies to Work for in Arizona 2015, 2016, and 2017 • Phoenix Business Journal’s Best Places to Work 2015 • Arizona’s Most Admired Companies 2015 • The Valley’s Healthiest Employers in 2016 and 2017

Company Name: CBIZ Main Office Address: 3101 N Central Ave., Ste. 300 Phoenix, AZ 85012 Phone: (602) 264-6835 Website: www.cbiz.com Number of Offices in Metro Phoenix: 1 Number of Staff: 114 City Nationally Headquartered: Cleveland, OH CEO/Managing Director: Charles A. McLane No. of Years with Firm: 15 Year Established Nationally / Locally: 1997 / 1987 Specialties: Not-for-profit. healthcare, construction, commercial real estate, industries and employee benefit plan services

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Janitorial Jani-King Family-owned and -operated Jani-King Southwest provides state-of-the-art commercial cleaning services to hotels, restaurants, surgery centers, schools, financial institutions, manufacturing facilities and municipal buildings from regional support centers in Phoenix and Tucson. Top Executive: Julie Robinson Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 7250 N. 16th St., Ste. 302, Phoenix AZ 85020 Phone: (602) 433-0550 Website: www.janiking.com/southwest

The King Carpet Cleaning The King Carpet Cleaning Services have been providing carpet- and tile-cleaning services to thousands of very satisfied customers in Phoenix metro area, Avondale, Surprise, Buckeye, Tolleson, Litchfield Park, Goodyear, Scottsdale, Tempe, Gilbert and Chandler. Top Executive: Diego Rios Offices (Local): 5 Local Headquarters: 11820 W. Roanoke Ave., Avondale, AZ 85392 Phone: (623) 205-2499 Website: www.thekingcarpetcleaning.com

Law Firms Carter Law Group Carter Law Firm practices numerous interconnected areas of laws aimed at serving entrepreneurs, innovators, creators, and performers. Carter Law Firm is the umbrella company that also encompasses Ruth Carter’s professional speaking and writing activities. She provides people the legal foundation and educational tools they need to run with their ideas and to empower people to pursue their crazy endeavors. Top Executive: Ruth Carter Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 1938 E. Osborn Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016 Phone: (602) 631-9100 Website: carterlawaz.com

Engelman Berger Engelman Berger is comprised of experienced lawyers who are well recognized for their expertise and committed to resolve commercial disputes and assist clients in preventing legal problems through proper planning. Top Executive: David Wm. Engelman and Steven N. Berger Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 3636 N. Central Ave., Ste. 700, Phoenix, AZ 85012 Phone: (602) 271-9090 Website: www.eblawyers.com

JULY 2017

Fennemore Craig

Radix Law

Fennemore Craig is a full-service law firm with more than 190 attorneys. A law firm in tune with the business engine, Fennemore Craig has helped the West’s entrepreneurs as well as its largest businesses for more than 130 years, whether pursuing solutions or defending their interests in federal and state courts, administrative agencies, and arbitration proceedings. Its litigation skills extend to virtually every area important to business, including product liability, business torts, insurance coverage and bad faith, environment and natural resources, employment, medical negligence defense, personal injury and wrongful death, professional liability, real estate, securities, intellectual property and tax controversies.

The firm and its team of 12 attorneys consider itself to be rooted in Arizona with its office located at the Kierland Commons in Scottsdale.

Top Executive: Stephen A. Good Offices (Local / National): 1 / 5 Local Headquarters: 2394 E. Camelback Rd., Ste. 600, Phoenix, AZ 85016 Phone: (602) 916-5000 Website: www.fclaw.com

The Luther Law Firm The Luther Law Firm focuses on securing and protecting intellectual property rights. It s patents for individuals and firms of all sizes have produced millions of dollars annually from many wellknown corporations in license fees to the inventors. Top Executive: Barbara Luther Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 8149 N. 87th Pl., Scottsdale, AZ 85258 Phone: (480) 315-6508 Website: thelutherlawfirm.com

Polsinelli PC Polsinelli is an Am Law 100 firm with approximately 800 attorneys in 20 offices, serving corporations, institutions, and entrepreneurs nationally. Ranked No. 17 for Client Service Excellence among 650 U.S. law firms, Polsinelli has risen more than 50 spots in Am Law’s annual firm ranking over the past five years. Polsinelli attorneys provide practical legal counsel infused with business insight, and focus on health care, financial services, real estate, intellectual property, mid-market corporate, labor and employment, and business litigation. Polsinelli attorneys have depth of experience in 100 service areas and 70 industries. Top Executive: W. Russel Welsh Offices (Local / National): 1 / 18 Local Headquarters: 1 E. Washington St., Ste. 1200, Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: (602) 650-2000 Website: www.polsinelli.com

Top Executive: Jonathan Frutkin Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 15205 N. Kierland Blvd., Ste. 200, Scottsdale, AZ 85254 Phone: (602) 606-9300 Website: radixlaw.com

Ryley Carlock & Applewhite Ryley Carlock & Applewhite provides legal support to clients in the areas of real estate; creditors’ rights and bankruptcy; bank regulation and licensing; labor and employment; corporate and securities; public finance and corporate trust; commercial litigation; taxation and estate planning; water, energy, natural resources and environmental; information technology; intellectual property; advertising; food and drug; government affairs; and eDiscovery, eReview and eRetention. Top Executive: James E. Brophy Offices (Local / National): 4 / 6 Local Headquarters: 1 N. Central Ave., Ste. 1200, Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: (602) 440-4808 Website: www.rcalaw.com

Office Furniture Copenhagen Imports Copenhagen is focused on helping clients improve productivity by designing for them the perfect work environment, from executive suites to functional home offices. Top Executive: Erik Neilsen Offices (Local / National): 4 / 7 Local Headquarters: 1701 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016 Phone: (602) 266-8060 Website: www.copenhagenliving.com

Goodmans Interior Structures Goodmans represents millions of quality commercial furnishing products from manufacturers that include Herman Miller, Geiger, Davis, Nemschoff, Nucraft, Fixtures, Global, Hon, National, La-Z-Boy and more than 400 others. Services include space planning through installation. Top Executive: Adam Goodman Offices (Local / National): 1 / 3 Local Headquarters: 1400 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85014 Phone: (602) 263-1110 Website: www.goodmansinc.com

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covering businesses from xs to xl smile power ™

Whether your company has 2 or 52,000 employees, we’ve got a dental plan to fit your needs. With the largest network of dentists nationwide, quick answers and personalized service, we make it easy to keep your employees’ smiles healthy. It’s why more than 1 million Arizonans trust Delta Dental, the nation’s leading dental benefits provider. SmilePowerAZ.com

Arizona Dental Insurance Service, Inc. dba Delta Dental of Arizona: DDAZ-0151-rev0317

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Office Furniture (con’t.) IKEA In addition to the store’s extensive stock of furnishings and furniture, IKEA Business offers its customers free consultation and design services — in its store or at the customer’s place of business. Top Executive: Peter Agnefjäll Offices (Local / National): 1 / 40 Local Headquarters: 2110 IKEA Way, Tempe, AZ 85284 Phone: (888) 888-4532 Website: www.ikea.com/us

Office Supplies

Wist Office Products

IOI Payroll Services, Inc.

Competitive pricing among all product categories allows Wist to achieve success that is shared with team members, communities and clients, who experience reliable business practices, sound ethics and a commitment to sustaining the environment.

Interlogic Outsourcing, Inc. (IOI) is a national and award-winning provider of cloud-based payroll and employer services offering scalable solutions to enable businesses of all sizes to achieve greater efficiencies and reduce bottom-line costs by deploying state-of-the-art technology.

Top Executive: Ian and Robert Wist Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 107 W. Julie Dr., Tempe, AZ 85283 Phone: (480) 921-2900 Website: www.wist.com

Payroll Services

OPACS Inc.

Compass-i LLC.

OPACS recognizes and values the unique identity and culture of each organization and strives to customize its programs and services to fit their needs. Expert sales team members will listen to its customers to identify the best service and value fit for that organization to maximize the productivity of its team and provide seamless procurement processes.

Compass-I was started in 2002 with the purpose of providing businesses a cost-effective and flexible escape from expensive employee leasing (PEO) arrangements. Compass-i brings all the elements to support the employment life cycle through an On-Demand platform. This approach allows clients to receive and ultimately pay for only the services they need and use.

Top Executive: Travis Kimmel Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 8340 E. Raintree Dr., Ste. E, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Phone: (602) 840-6678 Website: www.opacs.com

Top Executive: Chip Shank Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 301 W. Warner Rd., Ste. 132, Tempe, AZ 85284 Phone: (480) 893-1394 Website: www.compass-i.com

Stearns Bank: A Strong and Stable Business Bank Stearns Bank has established a reputation across the Valley as a strong and stable business bank specializing in fast and flexible commercial finance. As a top-ranked bank, we stand ready to meet all your financial needs and get the job done!

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION LOANS • Typical loans up to $10 million (larger amounts welcome) • In-house project funding & supervision by our construction finance department • Work directly with us, from plans to completion

EQUIPMENT FINANCING & LEASING • A direct source for new or used equipment

PCS Payroll Control Systems (PCS) was founded in 1995, and is a leading provider of payroll, payroll tax, time and labor and human resources solutions. Its team of experienced payroll professionals is committed to service, quality and excellence. Top Executive: Joseph M. Reilly Jr. jlOffices (Local / National): 1 / 4 Local Headquarters: 3230 E. Broadway Rd., Ste. C-130, Phoenix, AZ 85040 Phone: (480) 325-4020 Website: www.pcspay.com

At a Glance Company Name: Stearns Bank N.A. Main Office Address: 9225 E. Shea Blvd. Scottsdale, AZ 85260

NATIONWIDE PREFERRED SBA LENDER • Fast in-house approvals & processing to close your loan quickly • Flexible terms up to 25 years • No defined “credit box” • Work with the same Stearns team throughout the entire loan process

Top Executive: Eric Wildstein Offices (Local / National): 2 / 11 Local Headquarters: 4300 N. Miller Rd., Ste. 151, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 Phone: (480) 619-4110 Website: www.ioipay.com

Phone: (480) 314-4200 Website: www.stearnsbank.com/arizona Number of Offices in Metro Phoenix: 1

• Variety of terms available, such as no payments for 90 days • One-hour response time with personal contact all the time Stearns Bank is a $1.7-billion independent, employee-owned financial institution established in 1912, led by current owner and CEO Norm Skalicky since 1964. In 1997, Stearns Bank opened a bank in Scottsdale, Ariz., at its current location of 92nd Street and Shea Blvd. Besides Arizona, Stearns has branch locations in Minnesota, Florida and Georgia. We will get the job done for YOU!

Number of Staff: 374 (nationally), 22 (Arizona) City Nationally Headquartered: St. Cloud, MN CEO/Managing Director: Norm Skalicky, CEO No. of Years with Firm: 52 Year Established Locally: 1997 Specialties: SBA Loans, Commercial/ Construction Loans, Equipment Finance

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Liquid Capital of Arizona: Financing Success Liquid Capital of Arizona provides innovative financing solutions for startup, established and middle-market businesses. Our solutions enable us to meet a broad range of businesses’ needs: • Asset Based Lending — credit facilities for well-established small and middle-market companies. • Factoring Accounts Receivable — purchase of invoices to accelerate cash receipts. • Inventory Finance Program — funding for up to 100% of inventory of all types. • Purchase Order Finance — funding for the manufacture of pre-sold products. • Export and Import Finance — all programs apply to both domestic and export business. • Credit Insurance — convenient pay-as-yougo credit insurance under our own policy. • Cash Advance Programs —for earlier-stage companies. The Liquid Capital network consists of more than 80 independently owned businesses operating throughout the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, sharing a common platform for credit administration, operating systems and management information reporting. The Liquid Capital network serves clients throughout North America and has funded more than $3 billion since inception. The Liquid Capital network combines the benefits of local ownership, decision making and funding with the sophisticated back office of an international financial services organization. Joel Gottesman, president of the company, has been a practicing attorney and banker with

Joel Gottesman

successful executive leadership roles and board of director experience. Liquid Capital’s clients benefit from Gottesman’s background, experience and contacts in law, finance and management to further their growth and potential. Gottesman received a BS Business from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota, School of Law. He was the chief administrative officer and general counsel for First National Bank of Arizona, a $4-billion banking enterprise, and the general counsel for a $45-billion asset NYSE-listed company. He was a director and officer at Briggs and Morgan, a 150-attorney law firm in Minneapolis with a successful business law practice in banking, mergers and acquisitions, and securities law. He has also served on the boards of directors of several public and privately held companies and on the board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Minneapolis & St. Paul. Co-owner Natalie Gottesman received a BS in Education from Miami University and an MA in Speech/language Pathology & Audiology from the Cleveland State University. Joel and Natalie take pride in being able to help small and middle-market businesses grow and succeed. Dedicated and caring, they firmly believe that no one will worker harder to get businesses the resources they need to flourish.

At a Glance Company Name: Liquid Capital of Arizona Main Office Address: 9304 E. Raintree Dr., Suite 120, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Phone: (480) 473-2105 Website: www.az.liquidcapitalcorp.com Number of Offices in Metro Phoenix: 1 Number of Staff: 140+ City Nationally Headquartered: Dallas President & Owner: Joel Gottesman No. of Years with Firm: 8 Year Established Locally: 2009 Specialties: Alternative Finance for Small and MiddleMarket Companies

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Payroll Services (con’t.) Planet Payroll Planet Payroll’s tagline is “More than just payroll!” Aiming to be clients’ No. 1 go-to for staffrelated matters, it offers Human Resources solutions, health insurance, retirement plans, ACA compliance and much more, as well as payroll services. Top Executive: Steven Barnett Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 711 E. Carefree Hwy., Phoenix, AZ 85085 Phone: (623) 434-3436 Website: www.planetpayroll.com

Promotional Products HP2 HP2 has the experience and ability to assure that the right promotional items, corporate awards, logo shirts or other personalized items are selected and designed properly and done to meet clients’ needs. Top Executive: Marc Hawkins Offices (Local): 1 Local headquarters: 1630 E. Bethany Home Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016 Phone: (602) 235-9099 Website: www.hp2promo.com

Three Monkeys Print & Design, LLC

Nextiva

Three Monkeys is dedicated to the growth of clients’ small business. Its customers have the benefit of looking like a large corporation without having to shell out large corporation prices. In addition, the company works with local artists and individuals who enjoy experiencing the personal touch.

Nextiva’s mission is to provide reliable, unified communications products backed by a dedication to delivering amazing service to businesses across the country. Its cloud-based phone systems, fax communications, and Web-based tools are designed to increase flexibility, productivity and efficiency for businesses of all sizes in a variety of industries.

Top Executive: Paolo Diro Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 5005 S. Ash Ave., Ste. 5, Tempe, AZ 85282 Phone: (480) 247-9174 Website: www.3monkeyspad.com

Telecommunications / Mobile Cox Business Cox Business provides voice, data and video services for more than 330,000 small and regional businesses, including healthcare providers; K-12 and higher education; financial institutions; and federal, state and local government organizations. Top Executive: Ed Aaronson Offices (Local / National): n/a Local Headquarters: 1550 W. Deer Valley Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85027 Phone: (800) 526-4158 Website: www.coxbusinessaz.com

Top Executive: Tracy Conrad Offices (Local / National): 1 / 14 Local Headquarters: 8800 E. Chaparral Rd., Ste. 300, Scottsdale, AZ 85250 Phone: (800) 983-4289 Website: www.nextiva.com

Worker’s Comp. Insurance CopperPoint Mutual CopperPoint Mutual provides workers’ compensation insurance coverage for more than 16,000 businesses statewide, ensuring workers the care they need if they are injured on the job. It has been providing workers’ compensation insurance to Arizona businesses since 1925. Top Executive: Marc E. Schmittlein Offices (Local): 1 Local Headquarters: 3030 N. 3rd St., Phoenix, AZ 85012 Phone: (602) 631-2300 Website: www.copperpoint.com

Wist Office Products: Buying ‘Local’ Has Never Been Easier When it comes to supporting the “buy local” movement, Wist Office Products is leading the way in sending the message that “when you buy from a hometown company, you benefit more than just your bottom line; you’re supporting higherpaying jobs for the people in your community and the local economy.” As a third-generation, family-owned and -operated business headquartered in Tempe, Wist Office Products boasts a long history of supplying Arizona businesses with quality office products at competitive prices. From office supplies and janitorial products to office furniture and breakroom supplies, it’s the company’s commitment to excellent customer service that allows it to compete with the bigger, box-store chains in the office supply industry. Wist’s commitment to customer service excellence has been recognized by numerous business organizations as the company has won several awards, including In Business Magazine’s Top 50 Small Business Resources (2013-2015), and Ranking Arizona’s Best Office Supply Company for the last nine years. It also is an annual winner of

At a Glance Company Name: Wist Office Products Main Office Address: 107 W. Julie Dr., Tempe, AZ 85283 Phone: (480) 921-2900 Website: www.wist.com Number of Offices in Metro Phoenix: 1 Number of Staff: 65

the Alfred P. Sloan Award for workplace flexibility, which demonstrates the company’s dedication to its employees. As a charter member of Local First Arizona, Wist Office Products helps to strengthen and promote local business across Arizona. With free next-day delivery and easy, online ordering, Wist Office Products offers a solution to reducing the cost of business products while exceeding your service expectations. Wist Office Products can be reached online at www.wist.com or by calling (480) 921-2900.

City Nationally Headquartered: Tempe, AZ CEO/Managing Director: Robert Wist, President Ian Wist, General Manager No. of Years with Firm: Robert: 41 / Ian: 29 Year Established Locally: 1955 Specialties: Office Supplies, Office Furniture, Janitorial Products, Breakroom Supplies and Exceptional Customer Service

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BUSINESS SIDE OF COX. Cox Business has built a robust Arizona infrastructure with 23,000 miles of 99.99+% reliable Hybrid Fiber/Coax connecting to a fully redundant national backbone. Cisco-certified technicians on the ground and continuous monitoring from our Regional Operations Center resolve problems before they impact your enterprise. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a network designed to exceed business continuity requirements and service designed to exceed expectations. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how we do business.

623-594-5238 coxbusinessaz.com

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Put us to work for you CopperPoint provides workers compensation coverage that protects your employees and your business.

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I’m excited to be in Arizona where small business fuels a thriving economy. Whether it’s workers comp, safety or wellness, CopperPoint and our select agents are ready to help you protect your business.

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Activate Human Capital Over the last half century, college textbooks on management have taught the importance of valuing the human assets of a business, and they have also focused on how to effectively and appropriately manage those assets. And yet, we look around and rarely see it practiced. In Activate Human Capital, author Richard N. Morrison outlines the eight People-Focused Principles of Management, and he explains them in terms of the values that motivate people to want to do the work given to them. And even more, he shows how these values will actually get employees to initiate their work because they will see how it contributes to the overall purpose of the business. Each principle-such as giving people a purpose, communicating widely, accommodating change, creating a culture of worth and hope, and rewarding performance, to name a few-is linked to a component of human fulfillment, and then through research, personal experience, and shared stories, Morrison discusses how to activate each principle and demonstrates what it should look like in the workplace. Eight simple principles can help enhance all business relationships and improve efficiency, productivity, and profitability-if only managers are willing to change. People-focused management has been done, is being done, and will be done increasingly more often as more business leaders comprehend the potential in this empowering form of leadership. When employees feel valued, respected, encouraged, and fulfilled, they will work harder and be more invested in their work-and in

Richard Morrison Founder and Author Activate Human Capital

the success of the business.

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Alexander, Neil M., 12

Frutkin, Jonathan, 53

Kreitor, David, 9

Porras, Monique, 28

Banerjee, Isabel, 22

Gaillard, Cerila, 41

Langhorn, Jez, 16

Proctor, Melissa, 34

Boals, Rich, 51

Gonzales, Marie, 42

Lanning, Kimber, 49

Rummel, Dara, 11

Bridge, Robert, M.D., 18

Gordon, Cindy, 40

Lawton, Robin L., 66

Samuel, Lawrence R., 29

Brown, Margo, 43

Gottesman, Joel, 59

LePage, Janet, 14

Skalicky, Norm, 58

Bull, Mike, 46

Guzman, Irma, 31

Low Ah Kee, Andrew, 22

Spinato, Anthony, 10

Connor, James B., 14

Head, Greg, 22

Lown, Misty, 29

Ueable, Rick, 13

Covert, Gary, 28

Jannenga, Brad, 22

Lytle, Hugh, 18

Widdows, Matt, 22

Craig, Justin B., Ph.D., 29

Jannenga, Heidi, D.P.T., 22

McClellan, Wendy, 45

Wist, Ian, 60

Curry, Bennett, 30

Kanefield, Joseph A., 20

McLane, Charles A., 55

Wist, Robert, 60

Dach, Cindy, 10

Kilgore, William D.S., Ph.D., 18

Meltzer, Jacob, 10

Wood, Scott, 52

Earhart, Phaedra, 39

King, Jack, 16

Miller, Eric, 16

Zummo, Tom, 22

Ernst, Jerry, 11

Korn, Sara, 44

Moores, Ken, Ph.D., 29

1100 KFNX, 21

Downtown Phoenix, Inc., 9

Littler Mendelson, 12

SRP, 7

Activate Human Capital, 63

Durant’s, 38

Local First Arizona, 49

Stearns Bank N.A., 6, 58

Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce, 33

DustRam L.L.C., 16

McDonald’s, 16

Structure for Success, 45

Equality Health, 18

Mesa Chamber of Commerce, 32

ThinkSmallBiz, 64

Foods 2000, Inc., 13

Microsoft, 33

ThrivinU, 11

FSW Funding, 54, 63

National Association of Women Business Owners – Phoenix, 39

Ticket Exchange, 36

Alliance Bank of Arizona, 3 Alpha Performance Coaching, 28 Arizona Association for Economic Development, 32 Arizona Commerce Authority, 30 Arizona Diamondbacks, 67 Arizona Office of Tourism, 30 AZ Tickets, 36 Ballard Spahr, 20 Bank of Arizona, 17

Gallagher & Kennedy, P.A., 14 Glendale Chamber of Commerce, 32, 33 Global Chamber, 32 GPS Insight, 2 Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce – Professional Women’s Alliance, 32

Bank of the West, 8 Banner Health, 18

Greg Head Consulting, 22

Benefit Commerce Group, 52

GroYourBiz Arizona, 22

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, 51, 68

Guardian Insurance Group, The, 42

Bolste, 16 Business Rescue Coaching, 40 C3 Excellence, 66 Caliber, 14 Cathy Hotchkiss, 64 CBIZ, 55 Changing Hands Bookstore, 10 CopperPoint Insurance Companies, 62

Phoenix Metro Chamber of Commerce, 33 Polsinelli, P.C., 34 Radix Law, 53 Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce, 32

HonorHealth Ear, Nose and Throat, 18 Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International – Arizona Chapter, 33

Phoenix City Grill, 38

Pinnacle Bank, 37

HomeSmart, 22 Horizon Community Bank, 11

Orchestrating Your Success, L.L.C., 41 Phoenix Analysis & Design Technologies, Inc., 16

GoDaddy, 22

Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, 33

National Bank of Arizona, 5

Tickets Unlimited, 36 True Nopal, 22 U.S. Small Business Association, Arizona District Office, 31 UnitedHealthcare, 19 University of Arizona, 18 Wallbeds “n” More, 15 Wave Productivity, 43 WebPT, 22 Wells Fargo, 46 West Valley Women, 32 Western Wealth Capital, 14

Simpson Property Group, 14

Wist Office Products Co., 60

Skrite, 11

Woman Owned, Woman Operated Business, 46

Snell & Wilmer, 48 Spinato’s Pizzeria, 10

WriteSmith, 44

Humana Inc., 18 Infusionsoft, 64

CHECK US OUT

Jaguar, 36 Jive, 6

Cox Business, 61

Keep It Cut, 10

Cowboy Ciao, 38

Kempington Group, The, 28

Delta Dental of Arizona, 57

Kona Grill, 38

Desert Schools Federal Credit Union, 21

Lincoln Property Company, 14

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Liquid Capital of Arizona, 59

In each issue of In Business Magazine, we list both companies and indivuduals for quick reference. See the stories for links to more.

Bold listings are advertisers supporting this issue of In Business Magazine.

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When a Business’s Reputation Is on the Line Customer-centered culture could eliminate reputation-ruining fiascos by Robin L. Lawton

Robin L. Lawton, coowner of C3 Excellence, is an author, customer strategist, motivational speaker, consultant and executive coach. He coined the term “customer-centered culture”; his “C3” methodology has enabled numerous organizations to achieve significant growth, and his work has been referenced by authors and experts in areas such as business excellence, leadership, customer experience and innovation. Lawton is the author of Mastering Excellence: A Leader’s Guide to Aligning Strategy, Culture, Customer Experience & Measures of Success and Creating a CustomerCentered Culture: Leadership in Quality Innovation, and Speed. C3Excellence.com

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Whatever happened to the attitude that “the customer is always right”? The airline industry has been taking its hits lately, thanks to several mishandled passenger interactions: pulling a doctor off an overbooked flight in Chicago, a dispute over a carriedon stroller in San Francisco, a couple booted off a flight in Maui when they put their baby in a seat purchased for his brother. But we’ve also heard call-center employees go off on customers, read about store employees using racial slurs, and seen deliverymen literally drop packages on front porches. Any time an employee behaves badly, the scene is likely to be captured by at least one smartphone — and it will go viral. And yet, it happens again and again. Why? It could be that company policies are unclear about priorities. That leaves employees to decide, sometimes on the spot, if it’s OK to go against guidelines to satisfy the person in front of them, and whether that will lead to disciplinary action — perhaps even dismissal — later. Take that decision-making into the real world, with stressful deadlines, cranky consumers and other frustrations, and there’s no telling which way it could go. That’s why it’s up to company leaders to set the standard for excellence with an unambiguous customer-first goal. Let me offer a few tips on how to do that. Know what your customers want. Ask a dozen people what they want from their grocery store, their cable provider or their airline and you’ll probably get a dozen different

answers. And those answers often are counter to what the business thinks should take precedence. No matter what bias the organization has, the customers’ priorities are what count. Figure that out and build a robust product that makes the most people happy. Don’t overlook the needs of the casual consumer. Businesses often focus on pleasing the people they think are their most valuable customers — those with power that comes from their position, personality, purse strings or proximity. But those viral videos and Yelp reviews aren’t coming from the folks in first class with the warm towels and free cocktails. Those four “power p’s” can inadvertently lead us to satisfy the wrong customers. A new slogan or updated mission statement goes only so far. When management identifies issues like quality, leadership, productivity and competitiveness, training often is used to initiate the change. The problem is that only a fraction of those who are trained actually use what they’ve been given. There seems to be an assumption that providing people with hammers and saws will enable them to build a house. Without changed thinking, clear purpose and sufficient support, we cannot expect knowledge or tools to create desired outcomes. There’s both an art and a science to creating a customercentered culture. Of course, the customer isn’t always right. But if you treat them well, in the end they won’t care about that. They’ll care only that they were heard and satisfied.

Arizona was recognized with the 2017 Gold Shovel Award in the 5-plus to 8 million population category for major recent expansions in finance, insurance, and business services, as well as diverse manufacturing operations, in Area Development’s annual economic development awards. bit.ly/gold-silver-shovel-awards

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