NCCOAST Business Journal, 2014

BUSINESS J

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Complimentary

Creating

Jobs

North Carolina Gets a Blueprint for Progress

In the Network Military Matters Published by NCCOAST

Chamber Presents Awards www.NCCOAST.com

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contents nccoast.com email: editor@nccoast.com

The NCCOAST Business Journal serves to showcase Carteret County as a prime location for creating and continuing business endeavors.

The NCCOAST Business Journal includes editorial information from the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce, Carteret Community College, Downtown Morehead City Revitalization Association and the Tourism Development Association and its publisher, NCCOAST, which has final editorial control of each edition and does not reflect the opinions of any entity other than those of NCCOAST. Entire contents, maps, advertisements and graphic design elements copyright 2014 NCCOAST. Reproduction is strictly prohibited without the publisher’s consent. Though every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of all advertising and editorial copy contained herein, the publisher may not be held responsible for typographical errors. NCCOAST and its employees, agents or representatives may not be held responsible for any actions or consequences derived as a result of following advice or instructions contained herein. NCCOAST reserves the right to refuse any advertising or editorial content deemed inappropriate, misleading or in violation with the law.

Published by NCCOAST 201 N. 17th St., Morehead City, NC 28557 252.247.7442 fax 877.247.1856 nccoast.com

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CREATING JOBS North Carolina receives a blueprint for creating more employment opportunities.

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CHAMBER PRESENTS AWARDS The Carteret County Chamber of Commerce presents major awards to area businesses.

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FROM THE CHAMBER Leadership Carteret, Customer Service Champions, Employers of the Year.

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BRANDING 101 Whether you’re identifying your business or your community, adequate branding can play a vital role.

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MILITARY MATTERS Eastern Carolina towns take an offensive stance to protect jobs created by area military installations.

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BUSINESS APPS Our picks for the top business apps you shouldn’t go without.

Publisher Diane Tyler

Managing Editor Amanda Dagnino (editor@nccoast.com)

Sales Director Ashly Willis (252.342.2334)

Advertising Sales Jamie Bailey (252.241-9485) Joey Wootton (252-422-5639) (sales@nccoast.com)

Creative Director/Layout Kim LaChance (kim@nccoast.com)

Graphic Design Kyle Dixon, Amy Kyrsa, Roze Taitingfong

Vol. 7 July 2014

IN OTHER BUSINESS

Downtown View 20 From the TDA In the Network Legislative Update From the Chair From the College The Onlooker Advertising Index

The NCCOAST Business Journal is published annually by NCCOAST and distributed among high traffic areas and local businesses. Email georgia@nccoast. com for subscription information.

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Creating Jobs

State Receives Blueprint to Build for Better Jobs

North Carolina has a new statewide plan to “build communities for tomorrow’s jobs,” courtesy of the NC Association of Regional Councils of Government.

The association’s report, now under consideration by the NC Dept. of Commerce, provides a framework to move North Carolina wages upward. The report says “per capita income in North Carolina remains relatively low, as the state ranks 39th nationwide” – not where we want or need to be.

Identified as high-potential growth industries are defense and homeland security, aerospace, tourism and life sciences … among others. Carteret County already has significant employment numbers in these industry groups.

Interestingly, the document cites “natural environment infrastructure such as national parks and forests” as one of the emerging assets to make communities more attractive for investment by potential employers. It just so happens that Carteret County has one of only four national parks in North Carolina … one of only four national forests in North Carolina … and one of only four national scenic byways in North Carolina.

Cape Lookout National Seashore is a ribbon of sand

– 56 miles of undisturbed, pristine shoreline. It’s only permanent inhabitants are the feral horses that have lived on Shackleford Banks for centuries. Superintendent Pat Kenney said the National Park Service has estimated that the 500,000 visitors to the Cape Lookout National Seashore contributed $27 million to the local economy in 2012 (latest figures available).

Croatan National Forest is both eerie and magical, with its 160,000-acre pine forest, saltwater estuaries, bogs and raised swamps called pocosins. Inhabited by deer, black bears, turkey, wading birds, osprey, alligators and snakes … it’s a great place for hunters, fishermen, hikers, canoeists, campers and bug collectors.

The southern gateway to the 138-mile Outer Banks Scenic Byway begins in Carteret County on Hwy 70 East, just north of Beaufort. The route meanders through the heart and soul of Down East Carteret County. At Sea Level, the byway continues on Hwy 12 to Cedar Island. It connects to Ocracoke and Hatteras via state ferries ending at Whalebone Junction in Dare County.

The association report also notes that “high quality amenities” form a magnet to attract people of all ages to places where they want to spend time personally and professionally.

This notion parallels comments by Dan White of Moody’s Analytics, writing for Area Development, a national site selection magazine. He calls it the “livability factor or quality of life (QOL).”

According to White, there are some influential variables that carry a lot of weight with decision makers. These include: • Public Safety – low per capita crime rates.

• Public Education – high performance schools with high educational attainment rates.

• Recreation – high per capita access to recreational facilities.

Carteret County scores very well on the “Public Safety, Public Education and Recreation” scale, so there is tremendous opportunity to attract entrepreneurs and sole proprietors who enjoy an outdoor lifestyle, a favorable climate and scenic beauty and wonder.

“Carteret County schools are the best in Eastern North Carolina,” said Bill Rogerson, chair of the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce. “And we should be off the chart when it comes to high per capita access to recreational facilities – half of Carteret Countyis under water.”

John Lassiter, who heads up North Carolina’s new economic development public/private partnership to support the efforts of the Dept. of Commerce, remarked recently that the state’s “new strategy” is going to include attracting innovators, entrepreneurs and retirees to come to North Carolina.”

“That’s music to our ears,” Rogerson said. “The Crystal Coast is not a Spivey’s Corner, a Scotland Neck or a Bushy Fork … rather the Crystal Coast is a paradise for OPALS – Older People with Active Lifestyles.

“Beaufort, of course, earned the title as ‘America’s Coolest Small Town’ in 2012, and Morehead City has long been ‘Fishermen’s Paradise.’”

The June 2014 issue of Where to Retire magazine selected Morehead City as one of the “8 best fishing communities” in the country. Editor Annette Fuller said communities “with good fishing have other appealing outdoor adventures – hiking and biking trails, national parks and festivals, to name a few – all set against the natural beauty of the area.”

“Each year, 700,000 Americans relocate to new towns to retire,” Fuller said. “Generally, relocating retirees are healthier, better educated and more affluent than those who choose to not relocate. They bring significant economic benefits to their new states and hometowns.”

Attracting retirees, Fuller added, should be viewed as a source of economic development.

“All retirees go through a ‘pre-retiree’ stage,” Rogerson said, “and they are likely to visit locations that are potential retirement homes – places like Carteret County, which we believe is the most desirable location for business and leisure in North Carolina.

To view a full copy of the association’s report, visit www. ncregions.org.

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Chamber Presents

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Awards

Citizens of the Year Bucky, left, and Wendi Oliver of Front Street Village are embraced by Kerry Youngblood of Carteret Community College.

Sandy Howard, center, displays his Small Business Person of the Year Award as he enjoys the honor with wife Hallock Cooper and Luke Maguire of Amos Mosquito’s Restaurant & Bar.

Chamber Presents Awards Earlier this year, the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce presented its major annual awards, and Bucky and Wendi Oliver of The Boathouse at Front Street Village in Beaufort were recognized as Citizens of the Year.

“Miraculously, Bucky and Wendi have transformed a dilapidated waterfront area into a model boating community.

Not only are they providing jobs … they are contributing to our water-based and recreational economies in a huge way,” said Dr. Kerry Youngblood, President of Carteret Community College.

He shared how the Olivers have partnered with Carteret Community College to breathe new life into the college’s annual fishing tournament, which benefits the College Foundation, and in turn, the students.

“Bucky and Wendi have really stepped up to support education in Carteret County. They took on the work of bringing The Hill Center Reading Achievement Program to Carteret County, introducing our teachers to specialized training to enable them to help students with disabilities to become better readers. The results have been remarkable,” said Dr. Dan Novey, superintendent of the Carteret County Public School System.

Sandy Howard of Amos Mosquito’s Restaurant & Bar in Atlantic Beach was the winner of the Arnold Murray Small Business Person of the Year Award.

Established in 2003, Amos Mosquito’s has become a restaurant of choice for visitors and locals alike … because the dining experience is unique, according to Scott Eckholdt of Wells Fargo, who nominated Howard.

“Sandy and his team have set the standard for fine family dining,” Eckholdt said. “They have ‘cracked the code’ and make tourists feel like locals and the locals feel valued and appreciated.

“As general manager, Sandy’s responsibility is to hire stellar people who have a ‘service heart.’ Amos Mosquito’s has 134 points of service to perform on a nightly basis.

As a small business owner, Sandy is totally invested in the community.”

Capt. David Eastwood of Carteret Community College is the Skilled Trades Professional of the Year. (Morgan Smith photo)

Two winners were selected to receive the Cassie Algeo Award for Extraordinary Chamber Leadership – Wendy Routson of the Emerald Isle Beach & Pool Club and Ken Compton of Friends of the Library at the Webb Center in Morehead City.

The “Pro Operibus Civilibus” Award recognizing an individual from the public sector for outstanding civic deeds was presented to Derryl Garner of Newport.

“He served 36 consecutive years as mayor of the Town of Newport (from 1977-2013) and was honored by the NC League of Municipalities in 2012, when it conferred upon him an Honorary Lifetime Membership Citation, the highest honor that can be bestowed by the league,” noted Bill Rogerson of the chamber.

Debbie Fisher earned the Debbie Godwin Ambassador of the Year Award for the fifth time. Fisher has four Chamber member businesses: Mary Kay Cosmetics, Office Fusion Solutions, the Professional Development Center and Coastal Heritage Connection – Realty World.

Earlier this year, the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce presented the Skilled Trade Professional of the Year Award.

“Skilled trades professionals are the backbone of our local workforce … and these jobs absolutely cannot be outsourced,” said Mal Garland of Sound Bank on behalf of the chamber.

Garland said the chamber’s tribute to men and women who work in the trades, which forms “an important sector of our workforce, one that reflects the very heritage and culture of Carteret County.”

“People who work with their hands … and their heads to create, build, repair and improve products are indispensable to our workforce.”

This year’s winner is Capt. David Eastwood, coordinator of the Marine Propulsion training program at Carteret Community College’s NC Marine Training and Education Center (NC-MARTEC).

“David came to work at the college in 2000 and transformed marine trades into a vital curriculum program, offering hands-on training with the industry’s newest engines,” Garland said. “Under David’s tutelage, more than 200 students have graduated from the program, adding to the county’s ever-growing professional network of marine tradesmen.

“These graduates have learned something from David that no technical training manual can ever achieve,” Garland said. “He taught them how to be professionals by first investing in themselves.”

In addition, the annual Community Advocate Awards have been presented for 2014, recognizing employers that go the extra mile to make Carteret County a better place in which to live and work. This year’s winners are Friendly Caregivers of Morehead City and the Morehead City Marlins baseball team.

“Family Caregivers is clearly making a difference here … caring for a special segment of our society,” said Chamber Chair Elect Dr. Youngblood, president of Carteret Community College. “Now employing upwards of 50 people, Friendly Caregivers excels in providing top-rate care and service to its clients.

“They offer free caregiver training, they sponsor an Alzheimer caregiver support group and they make hats, sweaters and prayer shawls for those adults and children in crisis at Carteret General Hospital,” Dr. Youngblood said.

“They are even making fleece blankets for the Humane Society to warm dogs and cats.”

Friendly Caregivers’ fundraisers have generated almost $25,000 for hospital’s foundation. The Socks for Seniors project collects and donates more than 600 pairs of colorful socks at Christmas time to seniors living in nursing home facilities and at home alone.

The Morehead City Marlins has brought a new dimension to summertime fun and recreation to Carteret County.

The team competes in a league where collegiate baseball players use wooden bats.

“The Marlins have already made a huge impression in Morehead City…and are attracting families and visitors to Big Rock Stadium,” Dr. Youngblood said. “Scores of youth groups – from Little League teams to Scouts, from the Boys & Girls Clubs to elementary schools – all have benefited, as have many more charitable community organizations.”

Carol Stone and Jerry Stone of Friendly Caregivers display their Community Advocate Award.

www.NCCOAST.com

DOWNTOWN view

New Businesses

Find Home

in

Downtown Morehead City “We’re seeing a lot of exciting things happening in downtown Morehead City,“ said Tom Kies, executive director of the Downtown Morehead City Revitalization Association (DMCRA). “Not the least of which is the Big Rock Fountain on the old Jib Property. This is a long term project that’s already acting as an economic engine for the district.”

In 2013, the city completed the construction of the fountain, which serves as the perpetual trophy for the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. The city recently received approval for a grant and a no-interest loan to move forward on a nearly 7,000 sq. ft. deck over the water. The last phase is an open air pavilion to be built over the deck.

To help fund the project, the DMCRA is selling engraved

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Tom Kies

paving bricks that are placed around the perimeter of the fountain. The first group of engraved paving bricks was put in place early in February of 2014 and the next order is scheduled to be installed this summer.

The DMCRA is aiming to make downtown Morehead City more pedestrian and bike friendly. The association has set aside money to put toward bike racks, each one uniquely designed and created by local artists.

Janeen Russell, chairman of the DMCRA design committee, said, “Not only do we want the bike racks to be functional but we want each to be a singular, interesting work of art.”

The DMCRA is pointing to the list of new businesses that have opened in the district as evidence that downtown is on the upswing. These businesses include Gallery Arendell, Promise Land Market, Sugarloaf Island Bakery, Silver Line, Akai Hana, Beaufort Olive Oil, Atlantic Wealth Management, the home office of the Morehead Marlins, Berry’s Creek Gifts and Parrott’s on 11th. DP Jewelers has also recently opened with extensive renovations on their building at 1113 Arendell St. And Tight Lines Brewing Co. has recently opened a restaurant in the old Raps’ building at 709 Arendell St. Ultimately, when finished, the property will become a craft microbrewery.

Recently unveiling a new logo, the DMCRA continues to market the downtown district. One of the marketing tools the organization uses is hosting events that brings people downtown and showcases the district’s strengths.

In May, the DMCRA hosted its seventh and largest Crystal Coast Boat Show in the downtown waterfront.

Capt. Steve Miller, chairman of the boat show committee, said, “We’ve become one of the biggest shows in this part of North Carolina. This year we had people from as far away as Georgia come to shop at this show.”

The DMCRA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring Morehead City to a vibrant economic, cultural, historic, social and recreational center. Working with the Town of Morehead City, the DMCRA also stages the Alive at Five concert series, July Fourth fireworks display, Christmas parade and Chowder and Cheer Crawl.

For more information, call 252-808-0440 or visit www. downtownmoreheadcity.com.

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FROM THE chamber Leadership Carteret 2015: Now Accepting Applications The Leadership Carteret Class of 2015 is now forming.

Will it be the best class ever?

Leadership Carteret is an in-depth professional development program, which is presented annually by the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce. Sessions, which begin in January of 2015, meet for 10 consecutive Wednesdays.

“This will be our 27th consecutive season to offer Leadership Carteret, and our goal remains the same – ‘Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,’” said Diane Warrender of the chamber.

“The program offers a comp re h e n s ive orientation about contemporar y issues and c h a l l e n ge s The Leadership Carteret Class of 2014. that are unique to Carteret County,” she said. “We take the class to places off the beaten path and behind the scenes to give the participants an experience they will never forget. We guarantee it.”

The 36-member Class of 2014 graduated April 9. Here are comments from three of the participants: Leadership Carteret is designed to inform and inspire us – the current and future leaders – to help stitch together the varied communities we serve, all in a journey to make and keep Carteret County the crown jewel it is in eastern North Carolina,” said Bob Malone.

Ray Hall (who describes himself as a “relative newbie to Carteret”) said “this experience is very unique and special.

It’s hard to find something that envelops you so deeply in a community as this does.”

Sarah McNally said “not only do I feel more confident in my knowledge about Carteret County, but the experience provided me with ideas and new avenues to use in my daily job. It was a great networking opportunity.”

To apply to enroll in Leadership Carteret 2015, contact Diane Warrender at 252-726-6350 or diane@nccoastchamber.com.

Tuition is $400 for chamber members and $500 for others.

Chamber’s Reverse Drawing Is August 16 at Civic Center The public is invited to attend the 22nd annual Reverse Drawing, presented on Saturday, Aug. 16, at the Crystal Coast Civic Center in Morehead City by the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s by far the best party of the summer on the Crystal Coast,” said Tracey Brinson of the chamber, “and someone will win the grand prize of $10,000 cash.

“Tickets are $100 each and only 325 tickets will be sold. You do not have to be present to win,” she said. “The chamber accepts cash, checks, MasterCard and VISA.

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“Each $100 ticket admits two people to the event, which offers a buffet dinner, an open bar, a silent auction, entertainment, dancing, plenty of fun and good fellowship and a free cab ride home within the county limits. Doors open at 6pm.”

The theme is “Hats Off to the Races.” Dress is beach casual, but there is a costume contest with prizes awarded.

For information, contact Tracey Brinson at tracey@ nccoastchamber.com or 252-726-6350.

Chamber’s 2014 Directory Is Guide To ‘Doing Business’ at the Coast The 2014 Business Directory & Visitors Guide, published by the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce, is now available – free of charge – at chamber headquarters at 801 Arendell St., Morehead City.

The 84-page publication was printed

by NCCOAST (publisher of NCCOAST Business Journal) and designed by Graphic Artist Amy Krysa.

The Visitors Guide section appears in the front of the book, featuring 53 color photographs that illustrate all the ways Carteret County and the Crystal Coast lay claim to being the “Water Sports Capital of North Carolina.”

In the center of the book, are the “faces of the chamber” – chamber members in action.

The business directory section includes the complete roster of chamber members who are listed three ways – categorically, alphabetically and by key contacts.

“We encourage local businesses to give copies to vacationers, guests, clients, customers and prospects,” said Chamber President Mike Wagoner.

Help Us Identify True Customer Service Champions There’s a talent search under way … as the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce and NCCOAST (parent company of NCCOAST Business Journal) are spearheading efforts to salute the 2014 Customer Service Champions in local communities.

“Each year, we present a handful of ‘Outrageous Customer Service’ Awards to individuals across the county,’” said Bill Rogerson, chair of the chamber’s board of directors.

“The nomination The 2013 Outrageous Customer Service process is simple. Just Awards recipients are, from left, Mary send in a detailed note Schronce, Robin Barnes, Warren Benton, about someone you Gina Clark and Liz Perry. Not shown is Donwork with or someone na Nally. who has served you well.

Direct your correspondence to Mike Wagoner, mike@nccoastchamber. com. The deadline is Aug. 31. The awards ceremony will be

in October.

The awards program is also co-sponsored by Carteret Community College, Emerald Isle Beach & Pool Club and the NC State Ports Authority. Reception sponsorship opportunities are available.

The 2013 Outrageous Customer Service Award winners were: Robin Barnes of Edward Jones – Henry Kahen; Warren Benton of Acme Self Storage; Gina Clark of the Crystal Coast Civic Center; Donna Nally of the Atlantis Lodge; Liz Perry of Bluewater Real Estate; and Mary Schronce of the Carteret Community College Foundation.

Dr. Kerry Youngblood of Carteret Community College, who was the featured speaker at the awards ceremony, said: “‘Above and beyond’ is a consistent theme for all these award recipients. They are all excellent communicators and truly care about their customers. They ignore the clock; it has no meaning. For them, customer service is 24/7 in all directions.”

‘Connect Carteret’ Serves Young Business Professionals

We’re Your Chamber at the Beach!

Photo by Alex Fisher of Nishfuts Productions

Young business professionals in Carteret County have formed a group known as “Connect Carteret – A Young Professionals Network” to provide opportunities for interaction.

The “under 40 crowd” is benefiting from the professional development Lunch & Learn sessions and social gatherings that occur on a rotating basis once a month, and communities are benefiting from a service component that the group offers.

L e a d e r s h i p responsibilities are shared by Christina Fulcher of maurices, Inc., and Scott Eckholdt of Wells Fargo. Both serve on the Board of Directors at the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce.

“We want to make Carteret County a place where young Scott Eckholdt and Heather Hart say Conprofessionals can nect Carteret is all about mixing business achieve the same with pleasure. social, academic, cultural and financial goals as in larger communities, while maintaining a higher quality of life,” Fulcher said.

Eckholdt said Connect Carteret is attracting young professionals and business people from all sections of the county and is offering younger business leaders a voice to help influence decisions made by local governments.

Businesses and Educators Join Hands To Promote: ‘We Value Diplomas’ While the North Carolina General Assembly members seem prone to kick around education funding like a political football, businesses and organizations in Carteret County (Cont. on page 14)

The Carteret County Chamber of Commerce is committed to reaching out to visitors, guests and second home owners who come to the beach.

The staff and all of our members are dedicated to making your stay at the Crystal Coast more enjoyable, relaxing and memorable. And, we are always seeking to improve and strengthen the connections between small, independent businesses and vacationers.

Our restaurants, stores, shops and service providers are reliable businesses that are capable of satisfying every whim, desire and need – everything from Accommodations and Accountants to Window Treatments and Yacht Sales. Just name it – child care, lawn care, skin care, pet care, home care or formal wear.

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FROM THE chamber (Cont. from page 13)

are lining up on the sidelines to say: “We support public education.”

Look for new window stickers on display across the county that illustrate the commitment of business leaders to join hands with educators to proclaim: “We Value Diplomas.”

Sponsors of this community-wide campaign are Carteret Community College, the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce and the Carteret Carteret Community College President County Public School Dr. Kerry Youngblood holds the new “We System.

Value Diplomas” sticker to launch a new Dr. Kerry Youngblood, campaign to heighten awareness and supPresident of Carteret port for education in Carteret County.

Community College, came up with the slogan and invited the school system and the Chamber to join in.

“This is an awareness campaign to raise consciousness

of the partnership that businesses and educators have to improve the quality of the workforce,” he said.

“We would like to see every business in the county display the stickers. It’s a reminder to young people to invest in themselves through education.

“The goal, of course, is having all citizens attain high school diplomas or GED (General Education Development) credentials. Beyond that, the community college offers an array of programs and more than 100 courses leading to a certificate, diploma or associate degree,” Dr. Youngblood said.

The round 4.5-inch stickers are offered free of charge and are available at: chamber headquarters, 801 Arendell St., Morehead City; the McGee Building on the college campus, 3505 Arendell St., Morehead City; and at the school system’s central office at 107 Safrit Drive (off Lennoxville Road), Beaufort.

Carteret County Schools Superintendent Dr. Dan Novey said: “The school system’s mission is to graduate all students prepared to be productive citizens. Our graduation rate continues to improve and ranks among the highest in the state.”

“A quality school system supports current economic success and ensures future success. Businesses relocate not only where a trained workforce exists but also where quality schools provide the support needed for families.”

Chamber Chair Bill Rogerson said: “As an organization, we are committed to doing everything we can to help ‘enhance the quality of education in Carteret County.’

“At no time in the history of our state has workforce

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development been more important,” Rogerson added.

“Education is the key not only to individual prosperity but also the economic vitality and the quality of life for all citizens.

“Therefore, it is imperative that our tax dollars be invested in the education of our youth in their pre-K through grade 12 years and also in support of our community colleges, which provide the kind of technical training that is focused and targeted on workforce demand. The beneficiaries are the students themselves, employers and our communities.”

Spotlight Shines on ‘Employers of the Year’ Three local businesses were recently selected as Employer of the Year Award winners, in recognition of their superior all-around performance.

Honored by the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce

children Nathan Wax and Allison Wax Carter.

The family-owned business is still hands-on, ensuring a first-class vacation experience for rental guests, offering topdrawer property management services for homeowners and inspiring a local cadre of experienced and caring sales team members. The company now offers more than 700 vacation rentals and is dedicated to giving back to the community in numerous ways.

Transportation Impact, a parcel spend-management firm, was founded in 2008 by Travis Burt and Keith Byrd. It has grown by leaps and bounds, now employing more than 25 people, and is ranked on the Inc. Magazine list of America’s fastest growing private companies. Transportation Impact and its subsidiary, First Flight Solutions, have helped nearly 400 clients save a combined total of more than $40 million in shipping expenses over the past three years.

Transportation Impact invests heavily in education and the company provides scholarships to college and high school students as well as financial support to countless local school groups.

Willis Insurance Agency is part of the Nationwide network … and Mac Willis has been a Nationwide agent for 41 years.

The agency supports the Boys & Girls Clubs of Coastal Carolina, the Barta Fishing Tournament, sports and band programs at East Carteret High School and West Carteret High School, Friends of Scouting Down East and the Crystal Coast Hospice House.

However, it is the care and service that Mac Willis and his agents have given to thousands of policy holders that rank as

Emerald Isle Realty has remained a family business for four generations. They are, from left, Allison Wax Carter, Julia Batten Wax, Mark Wax, Nathan Wax and Sabrina Hylton.

and the Eastern Carolina Workforce Development Board were: Emerald Isle Realty and Transportation Impact, both based in Emerald Isle; and Willis Insurance Agency, with offices in Morehead City and Beaufort.

Emerald Isle Realty was established in 1962 by Mildred Batten Simmons and her husband, Clarence, who fell in love with the island during their first visit here. Three generations – and 52 years later – Emerald Isle Realty is guided by Julia Batten Wax and her husband, Mark Wax, along with their

they are and where they want to go, as well as all of the unique facts that apply to their situation. solutions arranged to advance the probability of success.

To learn more about our services or to schedule an initial consultation, call us today at 252.515.7800 or email at greg@myatlanticwealth.com.

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17

Branding 101 Building a brand is essential for small businesses hoping to thrive in a competitive market. But in today’s market, developing a brand is much more than creating a flowery logo. It also means identifying who you are as a company and then creating tools that bring the company’s essence to the public. Because consumers are still pinching pennies and looking to stretch every dollar, today’s market is as competitive as ever, but branding can be used to effectively explain to potential customers what you and your products provide as well as how you and your products differ from those offered by competitors. It’s your chance to tell your story – and to make your products identifiable.

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When building a brand, one of the first things a small business owner must do is define his or her brand.

Defining a brand is essential, but it isn’t always easy. The following are a few tips to help small business owners define their brand.  Understand and explain your mission. Small business owners clearly want to make money, but the mission of your company should go beyond padding your bank account. This mission should define the company’s reason for being. Try to write why the company exists in a few short sentences, and then a s k others in the company to do t h e same.

For example, if your company is making an eco-friendly alternative to a popular product, then explain that your mission is to provide consumers with eco-friendly alternatives to traditional products.

Explain your philosophy and keep in mind that your mission might change as your company evolves.  Explain why your product is beneficial. Another step to defining a brand is to explain why it’s necessary. This includes describing the company’s product features and services provided.

You want to separate your product and your company from its competitors, so be as specific as possible.  Know your customers. It helps to know who your customers are and what they want.

Thanks to the Internet, customer feedback and consumer opinion is now easier to attain

than ever before. While direct feedback on your product is beneficial, you can also visit online forums in which consumers discuss their experiences, both good and bad, with other products and other companies. Use that information to your advantage, and never assume you know what your customers want. Understanding your customers is an ongoing process, as their needs and wants are likely to evolve over time.

Stay on top of knowing what your customers want so you can continue to meet those needs. î€ Establish a social media presence. A great way to increase your company’s visibility is by establishing a social media presence that connects the business with existing and potential customers. Use the various social media platforms in different ways. A Facebook page can explain the history of the company, while Twitter can be used to alert followers to special promotions or events. Social media can also be used to solicit customer feedback, which can be used to ensure you are meeting your customers’ needs and adapting to meet those needs when necessary. î€ Manage your reputation. Branding also involves managing your company’s reputation. You want existing customers to react positively when thinking about you, your company and your products. Courteous, attentive and professional customer service goes a long way, as does adhering to your company’s mission. You not only want customers to be return customers, but you also want them to speak positively of you to their friends and family. î€ Develop a website. Today’s consumers often rely on the Internet to connect with a business. Consumers may want to peruse a restaurant’s menu before booking a reserva-

tion or view a retailer’s online catalogue before walking into the store. A good website can be a tremendous asset to a business, while a bad website can drive customers away before they spend so much as a dollar. A good website is informative and easy to navigate. Restaurant owners should include some photos of their establishment on the site to show customers the type of ambiance they can expect when dining. The site’s URL should include only the name of the restaurant, which makes it easy for potential customers to find the site when using a search engine. If the name you prefer is already taken by a similarly named establishment in another region, then include your state or city in the URL, such as LuckyPennyNC.com. If you are not skilled at building websites, hire a professional firm to build the site for you.

Such an investment will likely pay for itself sooner rather than later and will increase the chances that customers’ first impressions are good ones. î€ Seek help. Defining a brand isn’t easy, and if you’re struggling to turn a great product into a successful brand, then don’t be afraid to seek help. Many communities recognize the important role small businesses play in a local economy, and such communities routinely host small business forums and discussions aimed at helping small business owners thrive.

In addition, seek advice from established small business owners who might be able to share both their good and bad experiences and help you avoid certain mistakes they made when starting out.

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You can be part of this project by ordering a personalized, engraved paving brick that will be placed in the walkway around the perimeter of the fountain. t 5ISFF TJ[FT BSF BWBJMBCMF UP TVJU BOZ CVEHFU t .POFZ SBJTFE UISPVHI CSJDL TBMFT HPFT UPXBSE PGGTFUUJOH UIF DPTU PG CVJMEJOH UIF GPVOUBJO GVUVSF QIBTFT PG UIJT TJHOJmDBOU QSPKFDU BOE .PSFIFBE $JUZ %PXOUPXO QSPKFDUT

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FROM THE tda

Crystal Coast Offers

Tourists an

Affordable, Memorable Vacation

The growth of our tourism industry in North Carolina last year indicates that the leisure travel market is continuing a steady increase. We attracted 52.5 million travelers from across the country because of our great tourist destinations – from the mountains to the coast with well-known signature attractions to off-the-beaten path hidden gems. The money they spent while visiting supported approximately 200,000 jobs and more than 40,000 businesses. Given the quality of our state’s unique offerings topped off with southern hospitality, we once again ranked as the sixth most visited state in the nation.

Leisure travel is a way to reward ourselves after working hard. Whether we choose to relax on the beach, take a nature hike, visit historical sites or take a scenic boat cruise, vacations provide the opportunity for us learn things about ourselves and the world around us. Whether we travel alone or with friends and loved ones, we create and share memories that last a lifetime. Many studies have

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shown vacations are vitally important for overall health and wellness- that people who take time to travel are more productive at work and have healthier relationships.

Here on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast, tourism is our primary economic engine. Visitor expenditures for the county exceed 282 million dollars each year. It’s no wonder because this laid back coastal area offers the best bang for the buck with something for everyone. And with the breathtaking scenery and friendly atmosphere, we’re the perfect beach getaway people are seeking to create those lifelong memories.

Along with relaxing on our 85-mile stretch of beautiful coastline for which we are well known, The Crystal Coast offers our visitors lots of fun activities all year that don’t cost a thing! · Enjoy the free exhibits at our local attractions including Fort Macon State Park, The History Place, NC Maritime Museum, Beaufort Historic Site & Cape Lookout National

Seashore (NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores and Core Sound Waterfowl Museum charge a nominal fee) · Follow the Civil War Trail through Carteret County · Attend the NC Seafood Festival or Carolina Kite Festival in October, Emerald Isle St. Patrick’s Festival in March, Beaufort Music Festival in May or the Pirate Invasion in August · Have a cookout at the Visitor Center, Fort Macon State Park, city/county parks picnic areas · Join in on a bluegrass jam session in Newport Park · Go consignment store shopping for bargains · Ride your bike along the many bike trails throughout the county · Hike a nature trail – Fort Macon, NC Coastal Federation trails · Enjoy free outdoor music concerts all summer long countywide · Enjoy free outdoor movies during the summer at Atlantic Beach Circle and at Emerald Isle Community Center yearround · Watch glorious sunrises and sunsets on the beach · Stroll along our scenic waterfront boardwalks with a great selection of restaurants & shops · Attend free arts & crafts fairs all year long · Watch the Christmas parades in Morehead City, Emerald Isle and Newport, 4th of July parade in Beaufort or the largest Veteran’s Day parade in the state in downtown Morehead City · Feel the excitement during the daily weigh-ins for the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in June

The

· Learn how to fish! Attend a free surf fishing seminar at the Emerald Isle Community Center · Be a spectator at one of the many road or bike races held on the Crystal Coast · Watch the sea turtles hatch on the beach · See the wild horses of Carrot Island from the Beaufort waterfront The Crystal Coast is a beach destination like no other.

Many people return yearly for a vacation, as they grew up coming here as a child and have special ties to the area.

Others want to experience what we have to offer as their friends or families have recommended us. Still others find us on Facebook or see an ad in a magazine. No matter how they discover the Crystal Coast, it will surely be an experience of a lifetime!

Elizabeth Barrow Director of Local Public Relations Crystal Coast Tourism Authority www.crystalcoastnc.org

Follow us on https://www.facebook.com/nccoast

PLACE TO MEET in CARTERET COUNTY

Overlooking the waters of the Intracoastal Waterway, the Civic Center offers a breathtaking view for every occasion! Offering 20,00 sq ft of flexible space, the Civic Center can easily be transformed from a banquet of 800 to a meeting of 25. Offering meeting space and a variety of entertainment, the Civic Center has become a venue for every special event.

www.CrystalCoastCivicCtr.com 3505 Arendell Street MOREHEAD CITY, North Carolina 28557 • 252 247-3883

t ou k c he w s c to ne ion ure our ovat s Be ren

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IN THE network

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PHOTOS: 1. Chamber Ambassador of the Year Debbie Fisher and Julie Naegelen of the Chamber.

2. In the mood for a vacation getaway, Kris Youngblood poses with Jim Marks of Accent Travel and Cruises, Ltd., at the 2014 Business After Hours Expo.

3. Gus Tulloss of Gus H. Tulloss Insurance and Lindy Robinson of the Carteret County Board of Elections.

4.

4. Lee Gillikin of MoreHair City Salon & Spa and Olivia Yankosky of Transportation Impact.

5. Chamber Board member Vernon Small and Alyce Kelly of Hampton Inn-Morehead City

Networking: It’s Good for Your Business Networking is both an art and a science. It may come easy for people with outgoing personalities and the “gift for gab”… but too much gab can get you in trouble.

If you have a plan to capitalize on networking opportunities, you’re on the right path.

“I tell people to be themselves and to be genuine, but to also have a purpose,” said Julie Naegelen, who serves as director of membership services with the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce.

“Prepare yourself ahead of time before entering the room at each networking forum you attend. Don’t try to meet and distribute business cards to everyone you don’t know. That can be overwhelming and unproductive. Try this technique – be selective, and use people you know to introduce you to people you would like to meet,” she said.

“If possible, try to find out who has registered in advance to attend. Make a target list of five people, let’s say, that you would like to get to know – potential business contacts,” Naegelen said.

“The chamber of commerce, of course, specializes in arranging networking functions. If you are brand new, don’t shy away. The chamber staff and members of the Ambassadors Club can show you around and help you learn how to maximize your effectiveness. That’s a key part of our jobs.”

“We can get you plugged in to attend any or all of the Business After Hours events for the rest of the year. Open to members and their guests, the admission is $5 and a business card. The sponsor receives copies of the cards,

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which that business can use to follow-up with attendees.

“We always have a drawing for door prizes, and your business card in my basket is your ticket to win,” Naegelen said.

The chamber’s largest networking opportunity of the year, the Business After Hours Expo, will be held at the Crystal Coast Civic Center on April 30, 2015 and can accommodate about 65 exhibitors. The annual event attracts about 500 attendees.

“It’s like a Business After Hours networking event on steroids,” said Naegelen, who serves as Expo coordinator.

“We’ve learned how to combine the buzz and excitement of a business trade show with the fun and flair that is associated with a Chamber Business After Hours. Chamber member restaurants and caterers will be there, too, offering samples of their specialty dishes.”

“If you can spare an hour in the morning during the week, you might want to attend one of the Small Business Roundtables that meet at 8am, Tuesday-Friday, at set locations around the county. These sessions are sponsored by the county’s Small Business Resource Alliance. There is no cost to attend and advance registration is not required.

“I’ll be glad to tell you more, because just one business contact made at a networking event that leads to a business relationship or transaction can be an excellent return on a low-cost investment.”

To learn more about networking opportunities, contact Julie Naegelen at julie@nccoastchamber.com or 252-7266350.

LEGISLATIVE update

Coastal Communities

Keep Watchful Eye on Government

It’s entirely possible that the federal government will attempt this summer to designate Carteret County as “critical habitat” for loggerhead sea turtles, red knot shorebirds and Atlantic Sturgeon fish.

“We are constantly contending that ‘critical habitat’ is neither necessary nor warranted,” said Mary Carlyle Brown of Realty World First Coast Realty, who chairs the Public Affairs Committee at the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce.

“We are deeply concerned that the ‘critical habitat’ designation could have a crippling effect on the public’s ability to access the beaches. We want people to be able to walk and drive on the sand, and we want visitors to be able to enjoy their vacations on the shore,” she said. “‘Critical habitat’ could destroy our tourism industry and send property values crashing downward.

“The chamber is working hard along with our local government partners to fight to protect our way of life,” Brown said. “We have the best county-level shore protection program in the country, and the federal government needs to just back off.”

At the state level, the chamber opposes the homeowner insurance rate filing by the NC Rate Bureau, which would jack up premiums by 35 percent for almost all properties in Carteret County.

North Carolina’s Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin ordered a public hearing on the rate request, and that hearing is scheduled to take place in Raleigh on Aug. 6. He said the rate filing “may be excessive and unfairly discriminatory.”

“In our view,” Brown said, “there is no ‘maybe’ about it … the proposed 35 percent increase for almost everyone in Carteret County is definitely inequitable, unjustified, unwarranted and unconscionable.”

The National Park Service (NPS) has withdrawn its request to have dredged material from the Morehead City Harbor Channel placed on Shackleford Banks.

Cape Lookout National Seashore Superintendent Pat Kenney formally asked the US Army Corps of Engineers on June 11 to scrap this component of the proposed Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP), because the NPS is not sure if nourishment of Shackleford Banks would be helpful or harmful.

Carteret County Shore Protection Manager Greg “Rudi” Rudolph said the Carteret County Beach Commission opposed the Shackleford Banks beach nourishment plan because “it would take sand away from Bogue Banks where it is needed.”

The Beach Commission said nourishing Shackleford Banks “would provide little to no benefit, while having the significant potential to adversely impact the undisturbed ecosystem and recreational uses, including surfing, fishing and shelling” at

Cape Lookout National Seashore. The NPS now apparently agrees.

Beach Commission chair and Atlantic Beach Mayor Trace Cooper said the Bogue Banks beaches “are the backbone of our tourism industry.”

Mary Carlyle Brown said: “Diverting dredged material to Shackleford Banks is contrary to the long-standing and historical practice of placing the sand removed from the Morehead City Harbor Channel on Bogue Banks, in order to protect valuable public and private investments.

“We express gratitude to the NPS for listening to the people who want to ‘Keep Shack Wild,’” she said.

“Indeed, community involvement was a key factor in the NPS decision, as evidenced by the voluminous amount of written responses that were submitted and attendance at meetings,” added Rudolph, noting the large opposition to the plan to put sand on Shackleford.

“Contributions from the chamber, representing the business community, were invaluable, helping to demystify the context of the DMMP as a whole and its impacts to natural resources, and therefore, the business community,” he said.

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Military Matters

Communities Take Offensive Stance to Protect Jobs at Cherry Point

The 2014 Leadership Carteret class had an opportunity to tour Fleet Readiness Center East at Cherry Point, which is the largest employer in Eastern North Carolina, providing nearly 3,200 jobs. Crews were repairing a Harrier military aircraft.

Carteret County has boots on the ground to do its part to protect jobs at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and Fleet Readiness Center East in the likely event that Congress will eventually authorize a Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) between 2015-17.

It could be worse, some political insiders fear, if the US Dept. of Defense (DoD) were to do its own version independently without congressional involvement and oversight. The first signal could be a call for a DoD “Capacity Analysis.”

For more than a year now, the Allies for Cherry Point’s Tomorrow (ACT) organization has been meeting to prepare for what lies ahead.

“You have a ‘pre-BRAC’ window to get ready,” said Pete Rose, founder of The Franklin Partnership in Washington, DC, a professional lobbying firm. He told the ACT Board of Directors: “It’s not enough to love your base; everybody loves their base.”

What’s at stake is tens of thousands of military and civilian jobs with an annual economic impact to the region of nearly $2.2 billion. Marc Finlayson of Finlayson Consulting of New Bern has been hired by ACT to manage the process. Carteret County Commissioner Greg Lewis is now chairing the ACT Board, and those board members who are representing Carteret County’s best interests are: Elected officials David Heath of the Town of Newport and Fred Fulcher of the Town of Pine Knoll Shores; Mike Wagoner, president of the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce; and Millie Chalk of Duke Energy Progress.

Finlayson said ACT is doing many of the right things to engage the public and private sectors regionally to strengthen and sustain ACT as a military-community advocacy organization.

Without a doubt, MCAS Cherry Point earns pre-BRAC bonus points for the community’s concerns about erecting wind turbines or tall structures – in the backyard or in the neighborhood of Cherry Point – that pose a direct threat to low-level flight training patterns.

Fortunately, local governments are in tune and in touch – realizing the need to protect that air space in order to safeguard the military and civilian jobs at Cherry Point. The Carteret County Board of Commissioners and the Newport Town Council, particularly, took pre-emptive measures.

Elected officials and staff personnel worked long and hard on their respective tall structures ordinances.

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“The military is the industry that drives our local economy.

As we have stated before, the primary mission must be to generate payroll … not wind power,” Lewis said.

Representatives from Cassidy & Associates of Washington, DC, another reputable lobbying firm, told the ACT board to get its act together and be pioneers and innovators in the area of “shared services,” which is the new frontier of BRAC warfare.

North Carolina’s reputation as the “most military friendly state” in the nation is being threatened, according to Sonny Roberts, an ACT board member from New Bern. He sits on the NC Military Affairs Commission and has special insight.

South Carolina and Virginia have opened their arms to military residents and family members by providing higher education benefits and workforce incentives that are significantly more lucrative than those offered in North Carolina.

One of the legislative priorities expressed by a regional coalition of local chambers of commerce is to find ways “to recognize military training toward state requirements and streamline the process for military spouses to obtain professional credentials upon moving to North Carolina.”

Cassidy & Associates personnel made the comment: When it comes to BRAC, “either you are at the table or on the menu.”

Weighing heavily in any BRAC assessment is the level of public/private cooperation and the breadth of community support. Finlayson maintains that Cherry Point may be in a league of its own when it comes to military appreciation and community pride.

The Military Affairs Committee (MAC) of the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce is a pacesetter in this regard, Finlayson said. Heath, who also serves as volunteer chair of the MAC, said: “Our objectives are closely aligned. The MAC is all about creating and maintaining positive relationships between the local business community and military personnel and their family members – partnerships that are mutually beneficial.”

“The MAC is dedicated to showing our active duty and retired military families how much we appreciate and value having them as our neighbors,” Heath adds.

To learn more about MAC, contact Diane Warrender at diane@nccoastchamber.com or 252-726-6350.

FROM THE chair Chamber Chair Bill Rogerson welcomes new Chamber member Jessica Holleman of The Far East Acupuncture Clinic, who was attending her first Business After Hours event in April 2014, hosted and sponsored by The Insurance Center in Atlantic Beach.

I happen to believe that Carteret County is North Carolina’s preferred and premier business address. Entrepreneurs who can put their businesses anywhere in the world are choosing to set up shop here, where virtually every room has not just a view … but a spectacular view. Everything here revolves around water. Rare scenic beauty stretches across more than 500 miles of incredible ocean and inland coastland.

I’m a big sports fan, especially when the ECU Pirates are involved, and I am also a huge cheerleader for local chambers of commerce. That being said, chamber involvement is indeed a “contact sport.” It’s all about making contacts … and connections.

In a networking sense, our chamber specializes in offering opportunities for business people to come together to get engaged, to gain visibility and exposure for our company or organization and to make new contacts that can lead to

Carteret County is

Made for Business lasting relationships as business partners, associates and friends.

Our chamber has no peer when it comes to providing networking forums. Take advantage and capitalize. Your investment will pay dividends, almost immediately.

On a different level, our chamber serves as the “Voice of Business,” making contacts with government officials, administrators and regulators at all levels of government – local, state and federal.

We are committed to ensuring that government adopts pro-business budgets and policies … and to ensuring that government lessens the burdens on small business owners.

An overwhelming majority of our chamber members are small businesses and their ability to be creative and profitable must not be hindered or hampered by ordinances, laws and requirements that stifle growth and progress.

(Cont. on page 30)

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Work Smarter, Not Harder As any business owner knows, the work never really stops. Need to file last-minute expense reports, contact all employees seamlessly, update all business social media accounts, access files from your work computer, edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, share notes and research with a whole team, check up on the latest analytics and scan documents, all away from the office and conveniently located in your smartphone? We have all the apps you need to make your business run smoothly and efficiently, hopefully taking some of the headaches and stress away. Here are some apps that help with everything from coming up with ideas to billing for services.

Expensify – Just

like the product’s tagline, this app makes expense reports that don’t suck. This app promises to streamline the way employees report expenses, the way expenses are approved and the way you export that information to your accounting package. Access Expensify through the web or the mobile app – both are free. The app allows you to add cash expenses, automatically import all card transaction, capture mileage, time and other reimbursable and billable expenses, auto-categorize expenses based on your company’s accounting policies and re-bill expenses from multiple reports and send directly to customers.

GroupMe –

Not everyone will access their work emails at home, so what do you in the event of a meeting that you need to have first thing in the morning? GroupMe makes it easy to contact all of your employees with free group messaging. The app is like a private chat room for your group, and you can add as many people as you want.

The app is available for iOS, Android and Windows Phones, as well as from your computer or tablet. Chat easily from the office or the couch.

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Best

Apps for Streamlining Your Business

PocketCloud Remote Desktop –

Most of us have had an experience where work is necessary on the weekend, but what you need to work on is secured on your business’ server.

That won’t be a problem again with PocketCloud Remote Desktop. This app is a secure and fast way to remotely connect to your Mac or Windows desktop with your iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or Android device no matter where you are.

Access files, pictures and applications like Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop or any other program. PocketCloud comes in three tiers, free, pro and premium.

Documents To Go – This app truly

allows you to work from anywhere. View, edit and create Microsoft Office files from your smartphone and save anywhere, including to multiple cloud services, your computer and your mobile phone. For iOS, Documents to Go offers a standard option for $9.99 and premium for $16.99.

The premium version includes PowerPoint editing capabilities and cloud storage.

Roambi – Get real-time analytics on the go with this mobile-first designed app that is also 100 percent functional on the web.

Roambi allows you to share important data about your business with everyone in your company in an easy to understand way. Always know how productive your business is, even while you’re away. Security is a main priority for this app company. Though it’s made for mobile, all files are safe and come with several options to quickly remove data if the need arises. Call for pricing options. If you want to give it a shot, sing up for the 30-day free trial and test the waters.

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FROM THE college

Community is Key

Kerry YOUNGBLOOD

The key word in Carteret Community College is “community.”

As such, the college strives to provide programs to the community that will benefit the citizens of Carteret county and surrounding areas. This includes providing educational opportunities to further one’s education at the university level, job training and skill enhancement, and the ability to obtain an adult high school diploma or GED. The college’s corporate and community education division offers an array of workforce training programs. These programs and services are designed to meet the needs and interests of adults, regardless of their educational background. Some courses and services are offered on a continuing basis while others begin as a result of specific requests by businesses, individuals and professional or civic groups. Courses can be delivered on or off campus, day or night, whenever or wherever there is an interest expressed by a sufficient number of people.

“We continually develop new training programs to meet the needs of our community”, said Perry Harker, vice president of corporate and community education. “For example, this year we started training programs in physical therapy aide, NASM personal trainer certification, nonprofit management and home health aide just to name a few.”

Carteret Community College also provides non high school graduates an opportunity to receive an adult high school or general equivalency diploma through the corporate and community education basic skills program. These programs offer preparation and instruction for students to obtain either of these credentials.

Through the college credit/curriculum division of the college, health sciences offers programs that help students prepare for employment in the healthcare industry and combine the highest quality instruction with clinical experience in hospitals and other healthcare settings.

“These professional paths offer graduates challenging careers with job satisfaction and security, respect and recognition, a reasonable salary and benefits, and an opportunity for lifelong learning,” said Laurie Freshwater, director of CCC’s Health Science programs.

Each of the programs are designed for students who want to make a difference in the lives of others; have a strong work ethic, ethical ideals, critical thinking skills; and embrace responsibility and cooperative teamwork. The health science

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programs offered at the college include emergency medical science, medical assisting, nursing, radiography, respiratory therapy and therapeutic massage.

The cosmetic arts department offers programs that help students prepare for careers in the creative field of cosmetology. Each of the programs are designed for students who want to help others feel and look their best by providing services for the hair, head, face or scalp.

In addition to health science and cosmetic arts programs, Carteret Community College offers curriculum programs leading to certificates, diplomas or associate degrees in both university transfer and applied science degrees. University transfer prepares students to transfer to a senior institution with standing as a junior, and provides students with great cost savings and smaller classes as compared with a typical university. Furthermore, our university transfer students have equal to or higher grade point averages than native UNC juniors upon completion at the university level.

Applied science programs specifically train students in a particular field or trade to prepare them for entry into the workforce. These programs include certificates, diplomas and degrees in programs within marine technologies, hospitality, business, education, law and photography. With over 30 programs, the college helps prepare its citizens for bright futures in a variety of fields.

To help meet the needs of the health care community, Carteret Community College has recently initiated a Healthcare Business Informatics program.

“The healthcare business informatics curriculum prepares individuals for employment as specialists in installation, data management, data archiving/retrieval, system design and support, and computer training for medical information systems,” said Rebecca Stimpson, lead instructor for the new program. “Graduates will be qualified to start their own business and contract with healthcare offices or obtain employment with: physician’s offices, hospitals, dentist’s offices, medical insurance companies, pharmacies and clearinghouses.”

Carteret Community College emphasize the word “community” by providing Carteret County residents with a multitude of educational opportunities from workforce training to college credit programs to adult high school and GED diplomas; and in doing so, works to make Carteret County a better place for its citizens.

THE onlooker

Small Businesses Zoom in on

‘Customer Engagement’

Savvy marketers say it’s much easier to sell something new to a current customer than it is to acquire a new customer.

It’s also cheaper. Researchers say it can cost up to 10 times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. So, small businesses are investing more of their time, money and energy to strengthen relationships with existing customers … and are spending less cash and effort in trying to lure in new customers.

Rather rapidly across America, the marketing seesaw has tipped from an emphasis on attracting new customers to retaining those they already have, according to a report issued recently by Manta and BIA/Kelsey. (Manta is based in Columbus, Ohio, and offers online business services. BIA/ Kelsey is a media and advertising agency with headquarters in Chantilly, Va.) What the survey confirmed is that 61 percent of small business owners reported that more than half of their annual revenue comes from repeat customers rather than new customers.

And a repeat customer spends 67 percent more than a new customer.

Furthermore, existing customers play a more influential role these days in one’s “business success” than do new customers.

Therefore, the goal should be to breed customer loyalty and to deputize customers to be champions of your brand. You do this by engaging them. A lot has been written about “loyalty

programs,” which are recommended by The Herman Group, a strategic business management consulting firm based in Greensboro.

A mini case study on how to accomplish “customer engagement” was offered by one of the speakers at the Small Business Forum on May 13, which was presented by Transportation Impact of Emerald Isle at Carteret Community College in Morehead City.

Patrick Conneely of Chick-fil-A said the company strives to create “raving fans.” These are customers who have an emotional connection to the restaurant in Morehead City and are compelled to remark (comment) about their Chick-fil-A experience to family and friends.

The engagement process is predicated on “execution of operational excellence” by the restaurant team, which encompasses what Conneely describes as “second-mile service that comes from the heart.”

It’s not rocket science; it’s about the manifestation of the work traits of competency, character and compassion, he added.

Retention success also requires a quality product or service and value. Then, engage your loyal customer base to help rave about your business, empowering them to do their part to help recruit new customers.

By Mike Wagoner President, Carteret County Chamber of Commerce

www.NCCOAST.com

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BUSINESS directory The following is a list of businesses advertising in the NCCOAST Business Journal with the corresponding page number of their advertisement. For information on advertising in a future issue of the NCCOAST Business Journal, email sales@nccoast.com or phone 252.247.7442 or 800.525.1403.

AL WILLIAMS PROPERTIES................................ 7 252.726.8800 AMWINS........................................... BACK COVER 252.648.3012 ARTISAN GRANITE & MARBLE........................ 11 252-354-7774 ATLANTIC WEALTH MANAGEMENT................. 15 252.515.7800 BALLY REFRIGERATED BOXES, INC .............. 14 252.240.2829 BUDGET BLINDS................................................ 30 252-247-3355 B&W CLEANERS................................................ 15 252.247.6978 BYRUM’S VACUUM & SEWING CENTER......... 25 252.726.1088 CAROLINA PRINCESS......................................... 7 252.726.5479 CARTERET COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE........................................................ 13 252.726.6350 CARTERET GENERAL HOSPITAL................ 16-17 252-808-6000 CHANNEL MARKER........................................... 31 252.247.2344 COASTAL CAROLINA ORTHODONTICS............ 3 252.726.1137 COASTAL CAROLINA REGIONAL AIRPORT............................................................... 2 252.638.8591

CRYSTAL COAST CIVIC CENTER..................... 21 252.247.3883 DOWNTOWN MOREHEAD CITY REVITALIZATION ASSOCIATION...................... 19 252.808.0440 DP JEWELRY DESIGNS....................................... 5 252.727.0550 IHRIE SUPPLY CO................................................. 5 252.247.4948 JAMES CLOTHING BOUTIQUE......................... 31 252.247.5263 JARRETT BAY BOATHOUSE............................... 7 252.728.6363 KIRKMAN, WHITFORD, BRADY & BERRYMAN.................................................... 27 252.726.8411 MOORE ORTHOPEDICS....................................... 3 252.808.3100 NATIONWIDE, WILLIS INSURANCE AGENCY......................... 14 252.726.7844 PROMISE LAND MARKET.................................. 23 252.222.0422 SILVER LINE JEWELRY....................................... 3 252.773.0264 SOUND BANK....................................................... 2 252-727-5558 STYRON & STYRON INSURANCE..................... 10 252.726.0062 SUNSHINE CLEANERS...................................... 11 252.727.4840 TOWN & COUNTRY IGA....................................... 7 252-726-3781 TRANSPORTATION IMPACT.............................. 29 252.764.2885 THE UPS STORE................................................. 11 252.726.4433 WASTE INDUSTRIES.......................................... 14 252.223.4176 WILLIAM’S HARDWARE..................................... 11 252.726.7158

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Carteret County is

Made for Business (Cont. from page 25)

Our chamber is dedicated to doing everything we can to foster a positive business environment – one that puts us on a path toward economic prosperity.

As an organization, we take seriously our responsibility to speak out on tough issues to protect our coastal communities and vital industries.

As a retired banker, I think in monetary terms. Paying chamber dues is a personal business decision. You get out of it what you put into it. Your investment grows in value when you participate, get involved and contribute your time, energy and talent.

Through the chamber, we can accomplish collectively what no one individual can do alone. We have a “get things done” attitude to build better, more vibrant communities and to enhance the quality of life for all citizens.

Bill Rogerson is the 2014 chair of the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

He joined the board in 2011 and was elected treasurer in 2012. Last year he served as chair elect & treasurer. After a 42-year banking career, all with Wachovia and Wells Fargo, he retired in June of 2012 as market president in Morehead City.

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