Sbt october Issue 2014 by Small Business Today Magazine

SBT Houston Staff October 2014

PUBLISHER SCOLUMN

Chairman John Cruise President/Executive Publisher Steve Levine Vice President /Associate Publisher/ Creative Director/Editor Barbara Davis-Levine

From the Publisher

Steve Levine

Business Development Manager Deborah A. Powell Business Development/PR Robin Dahm Bill Huff Aaron Kaplan Lisa Lopez Intern Jesus Gonzalez Graphic Designer Lavinia Menchaca Photographers Gwen Juarez Contributing Writers

Helen Callier Barbara Davis Laquitta DeMerchant Mila Golovine Ruben Gonzalez Bruce Hurta Jennifer Jacobson Aaron Kaplan Craig Klein

Hank Moore Mayor Annise Parker Howard Partridge Christi Ruiz Rita Santamaria Gail Stolzenburg Heather Warner Aimee Woodall

Chief Advisor Hank Moore Publisher’s Advisory Board

Shah Ardalan Helen Callier Sonia Clayton Donna Cole John Cruise Dirk Cummins April Day Dr. John Demartini Maya Durnovo Kathie Edwards Mila Golovine Dory Gordon David Holt Richard Huebner Jeffrey Jones Darryl King Craig Klein Wea Lee

Hank Moore Lisa M. Morton Mike Muhney Leisa Holland Nelson Tony Noun Mayor Annise Parker Page Parkes Howard Partridge Susan Repka Maria Rios Grant Sadler Rita Santamaria William Sherrill Pam Terry Linda Toyota Jack Warkenthien Carlecia D. Wright Aaron Young

Phone: 832-419-2814 E-Mail: Steve.Levine@SBTMagazine.net Or Write: Small Business Today 5380 West 34th Street, Ste 230 Houston,TX 77092 See us on the web at www.SBTMagazine.net Free APP for Android & iPhone go to your APP Store and type in Small Business Today Magazine SMALL BUSINESS Today MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY LEGACY PUBLISHING GROUP, LLC. 5380 WEST 34TH ST., STE. 230 HOUSTON, TX 77092 EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER - STEVE LEVINE: 832-419-2814 CHAIRMAN - JOHN CRUISE: 832-460-2020 www.SBTMagazine.net ADVERTISING RATES ON REQUEST. BULK THIRD CLASS MAIL PAID IN TUCSON, AZ. POSTMASTER: PLEASE SEND NOTICES ON FORM 3579 TO 5380 WEST 34TH ST., STE. 230 HOUSTON, TX 77092. ALTHOUGH EVERY PRECAUTION IS TAKEN TO ENSURE ACCURACY OF PUBLISHED MATERIALS, SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR OPINIONS EXPRESSED OR FACTS SUPPLIED BY ITS AUTHORS. COPYRIGHT 2012, LEGACY PUBLISHING GROUP, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED.

Have You Checked Your “BP” Lately?

October Greetings Everyone! ave you checked your “BP” lately? No, I am not talking about checking your blood pressure (but good for you); I am referencing checking your Business Plan. If you have not visited your business plan in the last year, it might be time to do so.

Business Plans are not just for the initial financing of your business. More importantly, they are to chart your course for the days, weeks, and months to follow. I have often heard that, “The only thing permanent is change” which is extremely applicable when it comes to your clients’ wants, needs, and preferences. Are you keeping up with those changes? If not, they may be searching for a company who is already “on top” of their needs. Remember that your clients are your competitor’s prospects and vice versa. Here are some suggestions of things you might start with: • Talk to your customers and get an update on how their business and their consumers have changed. • Talk to your staff (if any) and ask for their feedback and suggestions on the business (you may be surprised with what they know and think). • Visit your competitor’s websites and social media to discover how they have changed in meeting their consumer’s needs.

Remember “why” you created your business and understand that everything is subject to change without any notice. Keep your focus on your dreams, be ready to make changes that need to be changed, and never give up. Our cover honoree for our October 2014 issue, Emile “Chuck”Toups of the Effort Companies is a true visionary and dreamer whose business plans are always in motion, much like the race cars he has that are always winning. Barbara and I were introduced to Emile and his companies by Sonia Clayton of Virtual Intelligence Providers. Not only is Sonia on our Publisher’s Advisory Board, she is also a past cover honoree. We have spent many hours getting to know Emile and listen to his dreams about his future plans, all of which incorporate what he values most - his GOD and his family, first and foremost. It really was fun getting a chance to shoot the cover on the race track at MSR Houston with Emile’s two Porsche Race Cars of EFFORT RACING. I know you will enjoy Emile’s story and understand his message, “We Come to Win!” Good Reading, Good Sales, and Great Success to You All!

Steve Levine

President/Executive Publisher, Small Business Today Magazine

[ OCTOBER 2014 ] www.SBTMagazine.net 3

INSIDE OCTOBER 2014 EDITION HOUSTON

Publisher’s Column

What’s Holding You Back?

3 Tactics to Transform Disinterested Sales Leads into Buyers

City of Houston’s Hire Houston First Program

Differences between Spanish Speaking Culture

Mentoring Guides Your Success

Communicating Effectively With Business Partners

Getting Organized: Organizing and the Trapeze Artist

How to Build Your Own Dream Team

The Secret is the System

SBA Loans and Business Condos for Small Business Real Estate

Branding Rebranded

Business Networking With Stories

Addressing the Oil and Gas Human Capital Shortage with Workforce Optimization Innovative Solutions

Speaking the Unspeakable – Part 1

What Is Needed to Run a Comprehensive Background Check?

Small Business PR: How to Get into the News Today

Your Business’ s Silent Killer

Financial Astrology for October 2014

Emile “Chuck” Toups The EFFORT Companies Rolling Along Smoothly on the Right Track, Making the World a Better Place

Females are Fabulous OCTOBER 24-26 2014

Champions of Diversity October 28,2014

[ AUGUST 2014 ] www.SBTMagazine.net 5

Emile “Chuck” Toups The EFFORT Companies

Rolling Along Smoothly on the Right Track, Making the World a Better Place

Emile “Chuck” Toups “drives” his business and personal life through his faith, passion for excellence, and making a great EFFORT to help people. Photo by Gwen Juarez Photography

6 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

By Barbara R. Davis

rying to describe the EFFORT Companies is no simple task. Imagine a wheel with different spokes coming out of the center of it. That is probably the best way to understand how everything ties together. At the center of the wheel is the hub and without that center, the spokes would not have a connection or a foundation. At the other end of the spokes is the wheel and even though each spoke is separate they hold the wheel firmly together which allows it to roll along smoothly on one track. Emile “Chuck” Toups is the hub. Chuck is a brilliant, altruistic individual who is always looking for ways to make the world a better place through efficiency and innovation. In his desire to help others, Chuck has developed different companies that provide different services that can also create wealth to be shared with communities around the globe. These companies are the spokes in the wheel and even if Chuck creates more companies, and no doubt he will, they will fit in fine; the wheel will just grow bigger. EFFORT as a whole is the outer wheel. Everything inside it is evenly connected and supportive of EFFORT. It can roll slowly or it can roll fast but it always stays on the right track. Is this an easy task? Absolutely not! Everyone knows that anything worthwhile requires great EFFORT!!! Emile Charles Toups aka “Chuck” grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana in a great big house with his mom, dad, and six sisters (four older and two younger). Having a very high IQ, his mind was always racing faster than his mouth could talk. Even though he was enrolled in gifted and talented programs, he learned so quickly that the classes never kept him challenged. Needless to say, he was always bored in school. Chuck loved sports and was swimming and playing baseball, basketball, and football from the time he was four years old. A self-imposed perfectionist, whatever sport he did, he did well because he liked to win. With sports, he could stay challenged because he could use his ability to predict his opponents’ moves and thereby adjust before they could. Perhaps it was because he grew up with so many sisters that he was so competitive but he learned at an early age that practice makes perfect and to do something well requires EFFORT! Chuck’s father, Emile, Sr., had gone to seminary and planned to be a priest but his path led him in a different direction where he eventually became an attorney. Chuck’s dad was a patient man which gave a balance to Chuck’s mom who was a fiery, red-head from Ireland. Chuck’s mother, Mary, had come by way of Ellis Island to the U.S. as an orphan. Her adoptive father had been in the military and later became involved in various things including medical research. He was involved in the invention of the ultrasound machine. Mary was an entrepreneur and also did medical tech work at hospitals. Always open and compassionate, she practiced the adage “the more, the merrier” and often took in someone in need of a place to stay. Chuck recalls many foreign exchange students coming and going in his home. “I grew up with a lot of different cultures coming

Chuck believes in his Leadership Team aka the Mighty Men. Their mission is to drive excellence and deliver results. Pictured are two of these great leaders who support Chuck. - Vice President of EFFORT and head of Global Accounts, Gregory Grant (left) and Ashley Olivier, President of EFFORT Staffing (right). Photo by Gwen Juarez Photography

around. It was always an adventure when I got home,” laughed Chuck. Chuck’s mother may have been one of the most influential people in his life. Her entrepreneurial spirit and caring, giving nature became instilled within Chuck’s soul and everything he does today is a reflection of that. In his teen years, Chuck got involved with motorcycles and his participation in sports faded away. He starting going through a rebellious phase which made it more and more difficult for his parents to control him. During this time, Chuck’s mother took him to a little, country church between Opelousas and Sunset, Louisiana. Sitting in the back of the room, Chuck listened intently to the sermon being given by Pastor Benny Repond. “I felt like someone had been reading my mail. It was amazing. It was like he was talking about me and I felt like I had been anointed!” It was a life-changing experience for Chuck. This new journey of hard work, dedication, and a desire to be a better man continued as Chuck took formal classes in electronics where he got an Associate’s Degree. Drilling for oil was a booming business and it was at the cusp of the digital age. Many of the skills Chuck learned enabled him to transition into working in the oil industry. With directional and horizontal drilling on the horizon, Chuck worked on building the sensors and tools to do that. One of these was called “measurement while drilling” and Chuck was quite successful in the design of this new technology plus many others. Many of Chuck’s coworkers were much older than he was and he learned that leadership skills would be imperative to gain re[ OCTOBER 2014 ] www.SBTMagazine.net 7

spect and he had to exhibit leadership with people from different countries who spoke different languages as well. This began a career built on learning various kinds of skills, working with a diverse group of people, and then expanding businesses throughout the country and the world.

The company continued to be successful and grew even more. As companies grow, roles and responsibilities can change as well. New players became involved with the company and each of them did things differently. Frustrated with the situation, Chuck chose to leave the company.

While working in a senior management role dealing with the global supply chain, Chuck had built up a strong expertise in maintenance management in the oil industry. He had always been a perfectionist in everything he had done and expected the same regarding the efficiency in the areas he dealt with. He saw how things were not running efficiently and consistently but his ideas to improve things were received with deaf ears. It was at this point that he realized he had hit a glass ceiling and decided to leave the company.

So, in March of 2005, Chuck opened up his own consulting company and named it WorldPMO to deliver project and program management services. PMO stands for Project Management Organization and the company’s tagline is Program Management Services. All of that training Chuck had gotten over the previous 20 years in engineering design and delivery, dealing with the global supply chain, and traveling around the world empowered Chuck in creating a company capable of helping a lot of people. After all, people need to know how to deliver things. People do projects every day, whether it’s on an individual level or a corporate level. They have to be able to do that effectively and efficiently and Chuck knows how.

As the head of drilling systems was driving him home, the gentleman kindly told Chuck that he thought differently than others and handed him a book about mavericks. Even though Chuck had considered him an adversary, he was kind of flattered. He had never thought of himself as a maverick but all the while home he kept thinking, “Maybe I do think differently!” After quitting his job, Chuck jumped into the field of IT which was new in the 1990s. He took on the role of the IT director with a software company doing trading desk software. On the horizon was the deregulation of the power industry. This company had already developed the software that dealt with tracking gas and oil so converting that to the power industry was not a huge jump. This positioned the company into a very good space. Unfortunately, it came to a point that there was a meltdown in the senior levels and Chuck was one of those who got the axe. After getting a taste of the IT arena, lots of ideas kept bubbling out of Chuck’s mind. Meanwhile, he realized that he needed to go out and do some other work so he responded to a request for some help with an asset sale. He had never thought that he had much experience in that area but then realized that he had been partly involved with 16 acquisitions. He was asked to be the support on the technology side of a refinery sale. He jumped into that and did so well that other people were saying that they had never seen it done like that. Capitalizing on his inventiveness, Chuck started writing all of the materials on how to do them and how to do all the due diligence and other pertinent details. At that point, Chuck made the life changing decision to permanently leave corporate America and enter the world of entrepreneurship. So with a partner, Chuck started the company Merger Tree. He came up with the idea to put together a plan for a whole merger and acquisition suite and then turn them into a variety of software products.Things went very well for the first year and then the dot-com industry went bust. After retooling things a little bit, they began offering IT services to small companies and high wealth families. 8 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

Once Chuck started WorldPMO in 2005, it grew on its own. He hadn’t really put together any kind of marketing strategy. “That really wasn’t the point. The point was that I’m a designer and engineer by heart and all I wanted to do was look at a better way to deliver projects on time, on budget, and ultimately with the outcome that somebody wanted,” expressed Chuck. Down the road in 2007, Chuck had an epiphany. There was a much better way to help his customers effectively deliver EFFORT. Chuck elaborated,“I would always pray for wisdom and it kind of just flashed and I saw the whole thing. That is where the vision of EFFORT was born. It’s not about rushing out to create revenue; it’s about doing the pattern that was sent from above. It didn’t matter if I had to bootstrap it along the way because this is the enjoyable part; the journey. I am so grateful to Him to be given the opportunity to meet wonderful people and along the way we are going to help them, too, whether it’s dealing with someone who needs help with coordination or communication, or maybe it’s a corporation that is going through change and needs additional support.” “It’s the people that are the core and the heart and the soul of the company. It’s the people that matter,” continued Chuck, “Companies need to be pointing their employees toward innovation and excellence and not towards cost-cutting. Companies are going to save money by doing things more efficiently or by changing the patterns of things done in the past by making better products and providing better services for their customers. It was at this point with EFFORT that I had to decide what we were going to do. What was EFFORT going to sell? What is our message? How are we going to take the patterns of excellence and then transition those into a series of process outsource services related to the delivery of EFFORT? We love projects. This is what we do. This is what we are going to grow our legacy on by helping people to deliver EFFORT.

Communication and teamwork deliver excellence for their clients! Photo by Gwen Juarez Photography

When you have such a strong global brand that you can develop, you can go after all kinds of things and make money. It’s been a time of understanding and then trying to transition through that. Plant the right seeds. This is a people-based business. It’s built on relationships and the development of that. We have all kinds of activities we are moving forward on such as products but they are really all internal things to help EFFORT deliver for their customers.” Since that point, Chuck has continued on his journey to create a spiritual enterprise, all under the umbrella of the EFFORT Companies. Chuck has designed the different divisions of EFFORT to run much like that of a fine Swiss watch - ticking along efficiently, predictably, measurably, and reliably keeping perfect time with an intricate composite of finely tooled gears and springs that mesh smoothly and precisely together. Chuck Toups’ journey is about serving the Lord by serving people. As Chuck’s mind races faster than any race car in existence, he is always thinking about new and innovative ways to make the world a better place. The list of companies created by Chuck is long and undoubtedly there will be many more in the future. Through EFFORT, Chuck has created the perfect vehicle to drive his humanitarian EFFORTS of doing ministry through business.

Here is a brief synopsis of each of The EFFORT Companies: WorldPMO

WorldPMO is a project management solutions and services company that understands the power of a successfully executed project. Working closely with Fortune 100 companies, they provide EFFORT in support of programs and projects by effectively and efficiently delivering real, measurable results. WorldPMO has the capability to support projects anywhere in the world and

has successfully executed and delivered projects in 49 countries. WorldPMO has the capability to handle project management services that encompass program management, financial management, portfolio management, compliance management, and procurement management. Other services offered include project assurance, project recovery, and resource assurance.

EFFORT Systems

EFFORT Systems is all about the delivery of EFFORT. It deals with commerce related and project delivery consulting. They provide engineering and consultancy in supporting their customers in delivering products and services no matter what industry they are in. This includes project management support, establishing project management offices, communications support, change management, technical engineering, and process outsourcing. They provide answers to the “what ifs?”

EFFORT Staffing

Originally created for internal consumption, the goal of EFFORT Staffing is to go out and locate those top 2 per centers then properly utilize, orient, and put them into the field for their customers. From the beginning, their purpose was to attract the right people, properly assess staff, and then place them into the appropriate position. The key to their success is their competency assessment and skill certification practices. EFFORT Staffing specializes in finding competent workers in the retail industry; the medical industry; general industrial; technical engineering; and project management.

EFFORT Media

EFFORT Media was first created to be an in-house media division. Over the past three years, they have built up their video, [ OCTOBER 2014 ] www.SBTMagazine.net 9

audio, and sound equipment and also developed expertise in video productions, photography, and digital delivery solutions.

EFFORT Gear

EFFORT Gear is a high-quality, fashion forward, performance brand that will appeal to a wide variety of consumers. The products will reflect the latest fashion trends in conjunction with cutting edge performance fabrics that will establish EFFORT Gear as an up and coming market leader. EFFORT Gear will be launching an original line of apparel and accessories in 2015. Chuck’s Words of Wisdom Photo by Gwen Juarez Photography

EFFORT Racing, founded in 2012, was created as a way to put EFFORT in the limelight and in doing so fuel the branding of EFFORT and all it stands for - excellence, vision, faith, and integrity. They began with one simple goal - to be Champions, both on and off the racetrack and their slogan, “We Come to Win,” says it all! Unbelievably, they won the very first race they entered at Sebring Raceway in Sebring, Florida. By striving to infuse integrity and standards based on biblical principles into the passionate and exciting world of racing, they have quickly become known not only in the racing community but throughout the world! Chuck has quickly accomplished what most racing teams take years to do - they are consistently winning! Given that success, they aligned with Porsche Motorsports for the 2014 season in which they won one of the GTA class championships. EFFORT believes in giving back to the community and created the concept, “Excellence for a Cause.” Chuck explained, “The goal is to use racing as a platform to support local charitable endeavors and to meet that, we established the Champions Race for Charity.” It is Chuck’s plan to hold select Champions Race for Charity events to help nonprofit groups in different communities. I am not doing this for money. Racing is just the backdrop for EFFORT to communicate the concept of excellence through performance.” “We keep the team motivated by pointing them to the overall mission; it’s all about people,” concluded Chuck. “That’s really what it comes down to and there’s no end to that. The people that I surround myself with are who I call the Mighty Men. They include Gregory Grant who is the Vice President of EFFORT and head of Global Accounts, Ashley Olivier who is the President of EFFORT Staffing, Adrienne Rogers who is the head of EFFORT Gear, Erin Gahagan who is the Racing Team Manager, and Johnnie Scroggins who is the Director of Operations for EFFORT Media. The Mighty Men were the ones who supported David through his 20 years of exile and they all had mighty exploits on their own. My children are also big supporters and are connected to the values of EFFORT. I am so grateful.” The bottom line is that EFFORT is on the right track in helping make the world a better place. 10 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

Chuck’s Words of Wisdom

EFFORT Racing

1. You have to have a vision and a purpose and then do what you love. If you’re not doing what you love, you are not going to make it. 2. Surround yourself with good people. Don’t let people’s opinions adjust the vision you have and take measured steps to achieve the outcome. 3. Build your brand. 4. Develop relationships. 5. Find mentors and get advice from people you trust. 6. You need to understand the markets you are getting into. 7. We create concept and ideas from our spirit. So ideas and concepts are the building blocks for your vision. You have to picture them for anything to materialize. 8. Do everything with excellence. 9. Also, do everything with EFFORT. When you make a serious attempt to do something, it will happen.

EDITORIALFEATURE

What’s Holding

You Back? By Errol D. Allen

uccess is not easily defined. You know it when it happens to you and you feel it when it occurs to you in various life activities. Most individuals desire success in all aspects of life whether it is personal or business success. If you are not achieving what you deserve, here are some helpful suggestions. One must be personally motivated. Others cannot motivate you to change behavior. Sales agents must have the personal drive and leap of faith to start each day with a can do spirit. Where does it come from? I believe it comes from the courage to believe in ones’ self. Cour-

12 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

age means dealing with fear. The fear sales people work under is the fear of having to meet strangers and fear of being rejected when asking for business loyalty. We know the outcome will be rewarding if we take the plunge but jumping in can be scary. Overcoming fear is the foundation for making the necessary change in your life that allows you to engage in the rewards that come with being successful. Changing a life style or habit that is not working is the first step to success.

»Continued on Page 46

EDITORIALFEATURE

3 Tactics to Transform Disinterested

Sales Leads into Buyers By Craig Klein, SalesNexus.com CEO

hatever your business is, you are probably hyperaware that today’s buyers are quite different than they were a few short years ago. This is true in both the business to consumer and the business to business worlds. Buyers are empowered by information yet they are thirsty for more information from you.

Two terms have become part of every marketer’s vocabulary:

1. Content Marketing 2. Inbound Marketing

Some say there is a difference between the terms, but in truth, they are not different at all.

What it boils down to is this: Future customers will only respond to a company that creates value for their sales leads before they expect a purchase from them. A recent article in Forbes stated that most businesses focus on the problems of navigating Google and the challenge of beating competitors while the real battle moves your indifferent sales leads from the common state of disinterest to taking action to purchase. Do You Know Why Sales Leads are Disinterested? Sales leads are totally overwhelmed by the number of messages vying for their attention. The endless noise causes them to block out messages about products and services they might really love. Instead of hearing about how you can help them, they respond defensively. They resent you even contacting them and consider any sales pitch as bad.

A method that has been proven to be profitable fully recognizes this disinterest. It is called either inbound or content marketing. This method offers total control to message-weary sales leads.

company has been invisible, any contact feels like a stranger knocking on your door. After you have built trust with content materials over time, you are more like a knowledgeable, trusted friend.

By using informative content sent to the sales lead, you have been transformed within the minds of your prospects. Instead of the “big bad sales pusher”, you have become helpful, authoritative, and knowledgeable. When the sales lead is ready to make a decision to purchase, they make an “inbound” contact with the provider and, in turn, make a purchase.

There are several steps in the transformation:

1. Get Their Attention Anyone who creates headlines and attention grabbers need to be constantly honing their craft.

2. Show Up at the Right Place If you are in the wrong place, it doesn’t matter how good you are at getting attention. A great headline for a book club may not get the attention of someone who is a gun collector.

Win the War for Attention

If you have not tried this approach, the concept of inbound marketing may sound like a fairy tale cooked up by a corporate marketing manager that never speaks to an actual customer. If your company is already using these tactics, you are probably adding to your content marketing budget for 2014 because it simply works.

Here are some of the reasons mentioned in the Forbes article:

• Builds relationships with prospects and customers • Contacts only those who have given permission to be reached • Focuses on the goal of becoming a trusted and valued resource

In addition, it is critical that you know your market and that your information is relevant. CRM metrics can help.

Approach Sales Leads with Strategy

Today’s successful companies are able to overcome indifference by moving from invisibility to being “front of mind” at the time the purchase is made. When your

3. Use the Right Media Again, some audiences are more likely to respond to a video while others prefer a well-written article.

4. Show That You Care Effective, targeted messages express empathy about the needs of the reader without pushing a solution.

Inbound marketing based on useful content requires you to be both knowledgeable and responsive to the sales lead. The buyer is empowered with the choice about which messages get through to them. Use your CRM to learn everything you can about your current customers and sales leads. Measure responses and consistently adjust your communication to fit their engagement.

Craig Klein is the founder/CEO of SalesNexus.com which is a leading provider of CRM, email marketing, and lead generation solutions for business-2-business sales teams. [ OCTOBER 2014 ] www.SBTMagazine.net 13

EDITORIALFEATURE

City of Houston’s Hire

Houston First Program By Annise Parker, Mayor of the City of Houston

he city of Houston spends billions of dollars to maintain and improve the city’s infrastructure and provide vital public services. Ensuring that local companies (the life blood of our economy) have the opportunity to compete for city contracts has been a priority of my administration. In the fall of 2011, my administration implemented Hire Houston First, a local preference program that provides contracting opportunities for homegrown businesses. There is a domino impact on the local economy that far exceeds the direct benefits experienced by the companies that are winning city contracts. It keeps your tax dollars working locally to generate jobs and pay for the purchase of goods and services. There are currently more than 1,300 Hire Houston First designated companies. This is your opportunity to get answers to some of your questions about the program.

What does Hire Houston First mean?

In order to qualify, companies must meet at least one of two requirements: 1. The company must be headquartered within Houston’s corporate city limits or within one of the 10 local counties of Harris, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Liberty, Montgomery, Waller, Austin, and San Jacinto. 2. The company must have 20 percent or more of its workforce and a substantial part of its operations within the city limits or one of the 10 counties.

How is Hire Houston First implemented in the city of Houston’s procurement process?

Generally, Hire Houston First allows the award of contracts under $100,000 to a local firm if the local firm’s price is within five percent of the lowest bid from a non-Hire Houston First designated company. For contracts exceeding $100,000, there can be no more than a three percent difference between the non-Hire Houston First designated company’s bid and the next highest offer from a Hire Houston First vendor.

Has the program been successful?

Last month, the city of Houston’s Office of Business Opportunity released the “Hire Houston First Progress Report” which details the program’s success during the reporting period of October 2011 through December 2013. 14 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

There are currently more than 1,300 Hire Houston First designated companies. This is your opportunity to get answers to some of your questions about the program. It was assumed that the designation would be necessary to give local companies a fair opportunity during the procurement process but we have found that Houston companies are competitive without using their Hire Houston First designation. Highlights from the report include: • More than $1 billion dollars of the city of Houston’s business has been awarded to Hire Houston First firms • More than 1,300 companies have been designated as Hire Houston First, of which 424 have won city contracts • Hire Houston First companies support approximately 20,000 jobs in the Houston region • More than 50 Hire Houston First firms had never before secured a contract before their Hire Houston First designation • These companies collectively employ nearly 20,000 employees right here in Houston To view the full report, visit www.houstontx.gov/obo and click on the “OBO Reports” tab.

Should I apply?

Even if you are not currently doing business with the city of Houston or have no plans to do so, you can apply and become a Hire Houston First designated company. Visit www.houstontx.gov/ obo and click on “Hire Houston First”. The application is free and can be completed online. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Business Opportunity at 832-393-0600.

Serving since January 2, 2010, Annise D. Parker has been elected as the Mayor of Houston three times. She is Houston’s 61st Mayor and one of only two women to hold the City’s highest elected office. In 2010,Time Magazine named Mayor Parker one the 100 most influential people in the world. Mayor Annise Parker is a Steering Committee Member of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and serves on President Barack Obama’s State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience. She is also on the advisory board of Small Business Today Magazine. For more information, go to www.houstontx.gov/mayor/.

EDITORIALFEATURE

Differences between

Spanish Speaking Culture By Ludmila (Mila) Rusakova Golovine

he Spanish language is one of the most important languages in the world. It is currently spoken by over 500 million people as either a first or a second language. Nevertheless, most people think of Spanish as a monolith. They believe that the language is uniform and spoken the same way everywhere. However, the countries where Spanish is spoken are actually quite diverse in both language and culture. If one is to do business in these countries, these differences must be taken into consideration. Understanding them will both reduce misunderstanding and promote respect with your Hispanic counterparts. The main misconception is the view that there is only one Spanish language and that it is the same everywhere. There are actually several Spanish languages. Since the fall of Rome in 476 AD, the Latin language which was spoken in what is now Spain began to differentiate along local lines. Eventually, one dialect, Castellano or Castilian, became the dominant language. According to the current Spanish Constitution, Castilian is the official language of Spain; however the other dialects are still protected languages. The two most commonly known dialects in Spain are Catalan and Galician. Catalan is spoken in the province of Catalonia, bordering France. Meanwhile, Galician is dominant in the province of Galicia, situated to the north of Portugal. Due to the proximity of their neighboring countries, Galician is similar to Portuguese while Catalan is closer to French. There is also the Spanish diaspora dialect called Ladino. This dialect is sometimes referred to as Judeo-Spanish as it is primarily spoken by Sephardic Jews. In 1492, the Spanish monarchy decided to expel all non-Christians

from Spain. Consequently, large numbers of Spanish speaking Jews left Spain for other countries. Although the people have been separated from Spain for over 500 years, the language that they spoke still survives and is spoken by at least 150,000 people in Israel, Turkey, Greece, Morocco, and Latin America. The diversity from Spain has also impacted Latin America to a great extent. The Spanish language both unites and divides Latin America. While the basis of the language is more or less the same, there are certain expressions, words, and accents which differentiate the populations that speak Spanish. The usage of the second person singular informal is used differently across Latin America and is one of the major differences in how the language is spoken. The “tuteo” or usage of the pronoun “tu” for this form is predominant in Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Venezuela. For most of the rest of Latin America, the “voseo” or “vos” pronoun is employed. The “voseo” is a remnant of the Latin language as “vos” is the second person plural form in Latin. However, in Modern Spanish, it is usually a singular form. Primarily, “vos” is used in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. Interestingly, Ladino also employs “vos”. It is important to point out that in the Central American countries and Chile, “tu” and “vos” are both employed interchangeably whereas in Argentina, Eastern Bolivia, and Paraguay, only “vos” is used. If one wishes to do business in any of these countries, these aspects of language must be taken into account and recognized so that improper Spanish usage is avoided. Being familiar with the proper usage in your country of business will greatly impress your counterparts and demonstrate that you took the time to learn their way.

Another major difference in Spanish classification is how the language is referred to in various countries. Most English speakers recognize “español” as the way that Spanish speakers refer to their language. Nevertheless, in many countries this label is not employed. The term “español” is employed in Mexico, the majority of Central American countries, and Colombia. In the South American countries, “castellano” is mainly used when referring to the Spanish language. It is important to note that Argentine Spanish is especially distinct. Argentines refer to their language as “castellano del Río de la Plata”, which is the region around Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital. Of all the versions of Spanish in Latin America, Argentine Spanish is singled out for its distinct accent and for its usage of a different vocabulary which is sometimes compared to Italian. This phenomenon is not surprising due to large-scale immigration from Europe to Argentina in the last century. The Spanish language is one of the most useful in the world. The countries in which it is spoken represent one of the most promising and profitable opportunities for entrepreneurs today. Nevertheless, if you want to do business in the Spanish speaking world you must first recognize the diversity of the language and then prepare yourself accordingly if you are to succeed there.

As a graduate of the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Houston, Ludmila (Mila) Rusakova Golovine, Founder, CEO, and President of MasterWord Services, Inc., started her company with a vision of seamlessly connecting people across any language, any time, and any culture. Mila can be reached by email at mgolovine@masterword.com, by phone at 281-5890810, or visit her website at www.masterword.com. [ OCTOBER 2014 ] www.SBTMagazine.net 15

EDITORIALFEATURE

Mentoring Guides

Your Success By Hank Moore, Corporate Strategist™

mart Leaders Don’t Have to Be Lonely at the Top. Professionals who succeed the most are the products of mentoring. The mentor is a resource for business trends, societal issues, and opportunities.The mentor becomes a role model, offering insights about their own life-career. This reflection shows the mentee levels of thinking and perception which were not previously available. The mentor is an advocate for progress and change. Such work empowers the mentee to hear, accept, believe, and get results. The sharing of trust and ideas leads to developing business philosophies. The mentor endorses the mentee, messages ways to approach issues, helps draw distinctions, and paints pictures of success. The mentor opens doors for the mentee. The mentor requests proactive changes of mentee, evaluates realism of goals, and offers truths about path to success and shortcomings of mentee’s approaches. This is a bonded collaboration toward each other’s success. The mentor stands by mentees throughout their careers and celebrates their successes. This is a lifelong dedication toward mentorship in all aspects of one’s life.

The Most Significant Lessons I Learned From Mentors

Fame is fleeting. The public is fickle and quick to jump on the newest flavor without showing loyalty to the old ones, especially those who are truly original. Working in radio, I was taught, “They only care about you when you’re behind the microphone”.

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• You cannot go through life as a carbon copy of someone else. • You must establish your own identity, which is • a long, exacting process. • As you establish a unique identity, others will criticize. Being different, you become a moving target. • People criticize you because of what you rep- • resent, not who you are. It is rarely personal against you. Your success may bring out insecurities within others. You might be what they cannot or are not willing to become. • If you cannot take the dirtiest job in any company and do it yourself then you will never • become “management”. • Approach your career as a body of work.

16 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

This requires planning, purpose, and commitment. It’s a career, not just a series of jobs. The person who is only identified with one career accomplishment or by the identity of one company for whom he-she formerly worked is a one-hit wonder and, thus, has no body of work. Many people do without the substantive insights into business because they have not really developed critical thinking skills. Analytical and reasoning skills are extensions of critical thinking skills. You perform your best work for free. How you fulfill commitments and pro bono work speaks about the kind of professional that you are. People worry so much what others think about them. If they knew how little others thought, they wouldn’t worry so much. This too is your challenge to frame how they see you and your company. Fame is fleeting. The public is fickle and quick to jump on the newest flavor without showing loyalty to the old ones, especially those who are truly original. Working in radio, I was taught, “They only care about you when you’re behind the microphone”. The pioneer and “one of a kind” professional has a tough lot in life. It is tough to be first or so far ahead of the curve that others cannot

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see it. Few will understand you. Others will attain success with portions of what you did, but none will do it as well. Consumers are undereducated. Our society takes more to the copycats and latest fads. Only the pioneer knows and appreciates what he-she really accomplished. That reassurance will have to be enough. Life and careers include peaks and valleys. It is how one copes during the “down times” that is the true measure of success. Long-term success must be earned. It is not automatic and is worthless if ill-gotten. The more dues one pays, the more you must continue paying. The next best achievement is the one you’re working on now, inspired by your body of knowledge to date. The person who never has aggressively pursued a dream or mounted a series of achievements cannot understand the quest of one with a committed dream. Much of the population does not achieve huge goals but still admires and learns from those who persevere and succeed. Achievers become life-long mentors to others. Achievement is a continuum and must be benchmarked and enjoyed.

7 Levels at Which Mentors Are Utilized

1. Resource - Equipment, tools, materials, schedules. 2. Skills and Tasks - Duties, activities, tasks, behaviors, attitudes, fulfillment. 3. Role and Job - Responsibilities, functions, relationships, accountability. 4. Systems, Processes, Structure - Control, work design, supervision, decisions. 5. Strategy - Planning, tactics, organizational development. 6. Culture and Mission - Values, customs, beliefs, goals, benchmarking. 7. Philosophy - Organizational purpose, vision, ethics, long-term growth.

7 Levels of Mentoring

1. Conveying Information - The mentor is a resource for business trends, opportunities, an active listener, and adviser on values and actions. 2. Imparting Experiences - The mentor is a role model. They offer Insight about their own life-career. Reflection strengthens the mentor and shows levels of thinking and perception which were not previously available to the mentee. 3. Encouraging Actions - The mentor advocates for progress by empowering the mentee to hear, accept, believe, and get results. Sharing of feelings, trust, ideas, and philosophies. 4. Paving the Way - The mentor endorses the mentee, wanting his-her success. The mentor messages ways to approach issues, drawing distinctions, and painting pictures of success. 5. Wanting the Best – There is a continuing relationship between the mentor and mentee. Progress is envisioned, contextualized, seeded, and benchmarked. 6. Advocating, Facilitating - The mentor opens doors for the mentee. The mentor requests proactive changes of mentee, evaluates realism of goals, offers truths about path to success and shortcomings of mentee’s approaches. This is a bonded collaboration toward each other’s success. 7. Sharing Profound Wisdom - The mentor stands by mentees throughout careers, celebrates successes. Energy coaching and love-respect for each other continues throughout the relationship.

Hank Moore has advised over 5,000 client organizations including public sector agencies, small businesses, non-profit organizations, and 100 of the Fortune 500. Contact Hank by phone at 713-668-0664, by email at hankmoore4218@ sbcglobal.net, or visit his website at www.hankmoore.com. [ OCTOBER 2014 ] www.SBTMagazine.net 17

EDITORIALFEATURE

Communicating Effectively

With Business Partners By Aaron Kaplan

have always marveled at how spouses or long-time best friends are able to work together as business partners. After all, they have both a personal and professional relationship with each other which requires them to compartmentalize each relationship, making sure personal issues are not brought into their workplace and professional issues are not brought into their personal lives. However, as human beings, disagreements and conflicts are inevitable. Fortunately, they can also be diffused before they escalate and wreak havoc on both the business and the personal relationships. World-renowned researcher on marriage and relationships, Dr. John Gottman, says there are four negative communication styles that can lead to the destruction of relationships which he refers to as “the four horsemen of the apocalypse”: 1. Criticism: Criticizing is different than offering a critique or voicing a complaint. It is an attack on your partner at the core. In effect, you are dismantling their entire being when you criticize. It winds up leading to an escalation of the conflict. 2. Contempt: Contempt is the best predictor of the destruction of a relationship because when someone communicates in this state, they are truly acting mean. Treating others with disrespect makes them feel despised and worthless. Without respect, there can be no relationship. 3. Defensiveness: Defensiveness is really a way of blaming your partner. By not taking responsibility for the problem, when we feel accused unjustly, we fish for excuses so that our partner will back off. Unfortunately, our excuses just tell our partner that we don’t take them seriously. Defensiveness gets in the way of two people working as a team to figure out a solution. 4. Stonewalling: Stonewalling occurs when the listener withdraws from the interaction, also known as the silent treatment. When someone shuts down, it only makes things worse and causes things to escalate. So it’s a very disruptive pattern. According to Dr. Gottman, there are three things one should never say in an argument: 1. You never…. 2. You always…. 3. Anything insulting or sounding superior. 18 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

World-renowned researcher on marriage and relationships, Dr. John Gottman, says there are four negative communication styles that can lead to the destruction of relationships which he refers to as “the four horsemen of the apocalypse”: Ineffective and even destructive communication styles are a reflection of how we view the other person. Do we see them as objects, vehicles, meal tickets, or obstacles? Or do we see them as human beings that have the same wants, needs, and fears that we have? If our patterns of communication are not working, we can always try other approaches which may get different results. If you are experiencing disagreements or conflicts in your relationship with your business partner, ask yourself the following questions: • What are the symptoms you’ve felt that have given you cause to wonder if your partnership/relationship is not working? • How would you like it to be instead? • What have you done so far to establish communication about these concerns with your partner? • Which patterns in your relationship are not contributing to your partnership? • What role do you play in the partnership? If these qualities of conflicts and disagreements are present in the day to day operation of your business, they may end up costing you lots of time, effort, and money to repair the damage that has been done. Taking the “high road” in your communication to resolve disagreements and conflicts with your business partner can be a much more satisfying pathway. It all depends on you what direction you choose when one of those forks in the road occurs – to be your best self or not. Aaron Kaplan, Founder/Director of the Kaplan Project LLC, can be reached by phone at 832-831-9451, by email at AKaplan@thekaplanproject.com, or visit his website at www.thekaplanprojectcoaching.com.

EDITORIALFEATURE

Getting Organized:

Organizing and the Trapeze Artist By Holly Uverity CPO®, Office Organizers

neither too small nor too big. If the holes are too small, the net is tight and if the artist falls into the net, it’s like falling onto pavement. If the holes are too large, the artist risks falling through the net and becoming injured. The net has to not just catch the artist but be flexible enough to absorb the energy and then lift them back up to where they were. An organized person’s net is their schedule. Organized people keep a flexThe following are skills you might already have and, ible schedule and ensure that the holes in their days and weeks are neither too small nor too big. if not, are good to learn: If there is too much scheduled time, there is no • Has Some Natural Ability but Takes Time to room for the unexpected and it’s as if they hit the pavement. Conversely, if there is not enough time Learn New Skills Most organized people have some inherent or- set aside specifically to work on projects, things ganizational abilities. They may be great at orga- will not fall through the cracks but they will fall nizing events but not their paperwork. They may through the holes in the net. Organized people be great space planners but can’t manage their keep about 60% of their time free to allow for emails. Like a trapeze artist, an organized person ‘falls’ – interruptions, unforeseen events, and fires takes the time to hone in on their natural skills as they need to put out. well as learning new ones. • Doesn’t Work Alone One never sees a trapeze solo act; there is always • Focuses on the Task at Hand A trapeze artist must maintain laser focus; they two or more people working together. Orgacan’t be distracted by noise, lights, or commotion. nized people also work in groups because they They must be able to block out everything that understand that working in a vacuum is not efdoesn’t help them do that next maneuver. Or- fective. Organized people delegate because they ganized people have that same ability to focus on know that delegation is a great time managewhat needs to be done next so they’re working ment technique. Organized people ask for help proactively and not reactively. They are always because they know that there may be a better working on both long and short term goals and way to get something done. They create agendas, timelines, and project outlines so that everyone not just on whatever bubbles up that day. on their team has the same information and is on the same page. Organized people understand • Capable of Doing a Balancing Act Organized people learn to balance their time and that communication between team members energy between those areas of their lives that are is essential and that they can get more accomimportant to them. They understand that bal- plished with a team than they can by themselves. ance is a fluid notion – it doesn’t mean everything always fits nicely into blocks of time – but it does mean that they can get done what they need to without causing undue stress in any one area for Office Organizers, founded in 1993 by Holly Uverity, is The Entrepreneur’s Organizer. They work with business people to crea protracted period of time. hink about the last time you saw a trapeze artist and were in awe of what they did so far above the ground. In working with clients, I’ve realized that an organized person is like a trapeze artist and while it may seem a strange comparison, both are artists who need to keep their skills top notch. What skills do you already have that are similar to a trapeze artist?

• Has a Flexible Net The net under a trapeze artist has holes that are 20 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

ate solutions for their organizational challenges. You can contact them by phone at 281-655-5022 or visit them on the web at www.OfficeOrganizers.com. “Like” them on Facebook at www. fb.com/OfficeOrganizers.

Murrah & Killough, PLLC A Houston-Based Business Law Firm with Deep Texas Roots and International Reach By Deborah A. Powell

n the 1920s, Chicago printers Mather & Company created a colorful, motivational series of artwork that hung in businesses and factories all across the United States. The posters, featuring inspirational messages about self-discipline, loyalty, honesty, and diligence, promised that workers who followed these guidelines would be promoted above their peers. Although the posters are no longer produced, the maxims live on today in the way Mark Murrah and Rick Killough, partners of Houston-based business law firm Murrah & Killough, conduct business and assist their clients with a plethora of legal matters. With new offices in Fulshear and Katy, Murrah & Killough, PLLC provides a vast array of services to its business clientele including transactional law, entity formation, real estate, import/export, construction, and corporate litigation. In addition to having over 35 years of combined experience in corporate law, both Mark and Rick are native Texans. Going back to the early days of Texas, the Murrah family traces its roots to ancestor Pendleton Murrah who served as the tenth governor of Texas. Mark is currently working on a biography of same and is due out the second quarter of 2015. Growing up in East Texas, Mark developed an early appreciation for the work ethic and ingenuity of those who

manufacture and make things. A graduate of both Rice University and the University of Houston Law Center, Mark chose to remain in Houston where he honed his skills working with a variety of law firms (Hughes, Watters, & Askanase, LLC and Stumps & Farrimond). After a short period as a business owner, he returned to practicing law with a greater understanding of what business owners need and want from their legal counsel. Mark also believes in giving back and actively pursues avenues in which to do so. One such avenue is Purple Songs Can Fly, a local charity that works to positively affect the lives of pediatric cancer patients and their families through the writing, recording, and sharing of its original songs. As a father and coach to his son’s baseball team, Mark also believes strongly in the impartation of truth, integrity, sportsmanship, and good work ethics to the up-and-coming generation. In like manner, as a collector of Mather posters, Mark hopes to instill those same timeless virtues to all who enter his office. One of his favorite messages pictured in the poster behind him is “Have You A Good Idea? Let’s talk it over…and see how we can apply it. Better ways benefit all!” The Killough family also played a part in early Texas history. Isaac Killough and family immigrated to Texas in 1837 and unbeknownst to them homesteaded on

some hotly disputed land. This same land had been promised by way of treaty to the Cherokee Indians just the year before; however, the treaty had never been ratified. This broken promise once again became a major point of contention between the various factions. The following October, the Killough family was massacred. This vicious attack is believed to have been both the largest and last Native American attack on white immigrants in East Texas. Rick, like Mark, is also in the process of penning a detailed account of the family and their early Texas roots. Also a graduate of Rice University, Rick received his J.D. at the University of Texas in Austin. Rick first earned his legal sea legs assisting Ken Starr in the Whitewater investigation in the early 1990s. From there, Rick worked for various hedge funds, law firms, and as in-house general counsel before partnering with Mark on Murrah & Killough, PLLC. Both men agree that the mission of the firm is to represent companies that still make and do things that contribute to making the United States an industrial power, thus providing the kinds of jobs that add value to the economy.They further believe that it is their responsibility to offer advice to their clients that goes beyond only legal matters but also supports the business goals of the client.

For more information on how the law firm of Murrah & Killough, PLLC can be of service to you, contact Mark Murrah & Rick Killough at 281-501-1601. You can also visit their website at www.mktxlaw.com.

EDITORIALFEATURE

How to Build Your

Own Dream Team by Three-time Olympian Ruben Gonzalez

hen I decided to take up the luge and train for the Olympics I was 21 years old. Back then I thought I could make it to the Olympics all by myself. I still had a lot of growing up to do... In “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” Steven Covey talks about three stages people go through - dependence, independence, and interdependence. At 21, I was still in the independent stage and needed to move on to becoming interdependent. Along the way I realized that I needed some help. In order to accomplish great things I was going to have to develop some leadership and people skills to build a team. Then I would have to work through the team to make my Olympic dream come true. I was going to have to turn singles luge into a team sport. It’s no different in any big project or endeavor. Lone Rangers never accomplish as much as people who work through teams. I like to keep things simple. I believe it takes only two things to be a good leader. It takes passion and integrity. If you are passionate about your mission, you will attract the people who are like minded; people who would like to be a part of your mission. I was passionate. I told everyone I talked to about my Olympic dream. Everyone! And I was excited about it. I was not wishy-washy. Other people had no doubt that I believed in and was committed to the dream. By doing that, whenever I talked to someone who was interested in the Olympics, I

In “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” Steven Covey talks about three stages people go through dependence, independence, and interdependence. became their link to the Olympic Games. And many times they were willing to help me out. Believe me; I needed a lot of help. I needed financial help. It’s very expensive to be flying all over the world to train and compete. You’re also out of work for months at a time. Everyone thinks I have corporate sponsors. People ask me, “Ruben, who are your sponsors? Coke? Pepsi? Nike?” My sponsors were Visa and MasterCard baby! I put it all on the card. And after maxing out my credit cards, my family lent me tens of thousands of dollars. It’s part of the price you pay to succeed. I needed medical help. Doctors, Chiropractors, and massage therapists that kept me healthy and patched me up after bad crashes. Finally, I needed spiritual help. I needed people who would keep my spirits up when I was struggling. Especially in the beginning. People who would keep me from quitting. The first year I was crashing four out of five times. It got to the point where even after crashing, it was going to be easier to get back on the sled than to come home and tell everyone I had quit. I couldn’t quit. I didn’t want to let the team down.

22 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

My passion about the Olympic dream attracted people to me. I believe everyone has the capacity to be passionate about something. Unfortunately, most people keep their passion all bottled in.They don’t want to show their passion out of fear of what others might think. I didn’t care what others thought. I actually wanted to know who did not believe in me so I could stop associating with them. I made it a point to only spend time with my supporters. Doing so made me unstoppable. The first part of leadership is passion for the cause.The second part is integrity. Would you follow someone you don’t trust? Of course not! So if you want to be the leader and have others follow you, you need to be absolutely trustworthy. Your word is Gold. You keep your word. You start being very careful about what you promise.You must deliver on every promise. Every time you don’t, your credibility and your reputation will suffer. If you have passion for the cause and you are a person of integrity, you’ll be ahead of 95% of the people out there. People will be attracted to you, and you will be able to accomplish great things.

Ruben Gonzalez is an award-winning keynote speaker and the author of the critically acclaimed book, “The Courage to Succeed.” His experiences as a three-time Olympian and as the owner of two businesses give him a unique perspective on how to conquer the corporate struggles of today. For his free 10-Part Success eCourse, visit www.StartWinningMore.com or contact him at 832-689-8282.

EDITORIALFEATURE

Always Doing the Right Thing

Photo by Gwen Juarez Photography 26 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

By Barbara R. Davis

n early 2009, EFFORT Companies founder and President, Emile “Chuck” Toups began having a conversation with Ashley Olivier, a new member of his EFFORT corporate team, and the subject of how difficult it was to find the right personnel became a topic. Ashley’s commiserated that at his prior organization, the personnel that he kept getting were not of quality, they weren’t team players, and the company was always having a high rate of turn over. Chuck, who was contracting out to other firms, had the same problem. Having a bigger vision in mind regarding the EFFORT brand, Ashley began EFFORT Staffing. As the President of EFFORT Staffing, Ashley began working out of his house putting together a company that would demonstrate the high ethics and be of the same caliber of all of the other divisions of the EFFORT Companies. He shared, “We all believe in the importance of having a strong faith, always being true to who we are, and doing things with integrity, commitment, and excellence. It’s about the people so doing the right thing is key.” Primarily supporting WorldPMO, EFFORT’s project and program management services division, the goal of EFFORT Staffing was to go out and locate those top two per centers then properly match their qualifications, assess them, and put them into the field for their customers. From the beginning, their purpose was to attract the right people, identify competencies, and then place them into the appropriate position; but how to do that? Ashley had not come from the HR industry; he came from the oils and lubricants sector of the chemical industry where he was a product line manager. He began his arduous task by spending count-

less hours researching what to do by finding resources in libraries and book stores, going online to staffing industry analyst sites, and also visiting a lot of staffing forums. He was determined to find out the best practices of what the top organizations were doing. Ashley even got Dunn & Bradstreet reports trying to figure out who the big players were in the market, what they did, why they were successful, and what their specialty areas were. From there, Ashley started looking at how those big companies actually provided candidates and what their processes were. With EFFORT Staffing, Ashley wanted to do things differently and provide a better service to their clients, their candidates, and their people as well. Ashley began developing the foundational requirements to create EFFORT’s own unique model. “It’s our process, our client focus, and our candidate focus that set us apart,” stated Ashley. “We are very people oriented. We believe that people are the first blocker to success. If you don’t have the right people, you are not going to be successful. If we have not followed our pattern of excellence and not provided the right people to our clients, we will have failed them. So if we do the right thing by finding the perfect match with the right people, they’re going to be successful and as a result we will be successful at the same time.” Currently, EFFORT Staffing has 50 to 100 people representing their organization and this year, they are looking to double their growth. Things have been progressing rapidly for EFFORT Staffing. Instead of being the HR firm for the EFFORT Compa-

EFFORT Staffing people deliver! EFFORT Staffing is comprised of a unique group of dedicated and experienced professionals whose goals are to provide the right people for the right position every time! Photo by Gwen Juarez Photography

[ OCTOBER 2014 ] www.SBTMagazine.net 25

nies, they now provide HR functions for the public. They actually consider 2014 their official launch year. Before that time, they did a lot of testing assessing, mapping, and basically foundational development. Although they already had external clients and even though they weren’t marketing out to the public until this year, a lot of company contacts kept asking them, “Can you provide services to us as well since you are so innovative and doing so well for yourselves?” It was an eye opener and made them keenly aware that they needed to go out to market. The public truly needed the foundation and processes they had built and they knew they were sustainable and scalable. Vice President of the EFFORT Companies and head of Global Accounts, Gregory Grant shared, “The key to the success of EFFORT Staffing is our competency assessment and skill certification practices. EFFORT Staffing specializes in finding competent workers in the program and project management services, in IT, in several verticals such as Oil & Gas, Retail, Medical, Manufacturing, Technical, Engineering, and we do general staffing in all categories. We are trained, experienced, agile, and not predestined to follow the old rules in staffing. We are confident we have a real advantage in being able to make adjustments as we go and make things better and we know how to get things done! It’s in our peoples’ DNA. With everybody that we have, we are practicing continuous improvement and using developed processes and programs.” Whether people are referred or they come via headhunters, EFFORT takes them through their multiphase screening process. Before the prospective employee can even go to the client, they do multi-phone screen interviews and then videos and in-person

interviews. The client can be an internal client such as another business unit; it could be another stakeholder in one of the EFFORT companies; it also could be the client. Many people do go directly to them looking for opportunities. In those cases, EFFORT Staffing personally represents that person in helping them find gainful employment that matches the job descriptions and all of the tools that they use to help their clients they use the same tools to help individual candidates. Based in Houston,Texas, EFFORT Staffing sources top talent to effectively support domestic and international operations. Over the years, they have worked in 49 different countries providing resources to their internal companies. They expanded to Austin and San Antonio with Dallas in their sites in August of this year 2014 and next will be expanding to Canada and Ireland, UK, The Netherlands to target support their client requirements and more of their European clients. After that, they are planning to move into Asia. . EFFORT Staffing never follows a cookie cutter approach. They have changed the paradigm enough to be noticed and to assure their clients reap the rewards of performance through excellence. They wont allow themselves to be just a body shop; they really match the right people to the right role. Also, they provide other services and solutions such as HR consulting and project services through their other firms. The single most important thing is assuring their people through their proprietary and automated EFFORT Assurance processes. They do quality checks on a weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly basis to make sure that every person they place on-site is the right person doing the right thing…and doing the right thing is what EFFORT Staffing is all about.

For more information on how EFFORT Staffing can help you with your personal, professional, or corporate goals contact

281-810-8600

www.EFFORT Staffing.com They are always developing teamwork systems of quality and efficiency for their clients. Communications and teamwork deliver excellence! Photo by Gwen Juarez Photography 26 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

email careers@EFFORT.com or sales@EFFORT.com.

EDITORIALFEATURE

The Secret

is the System By Howard Partridge

he idea behind building systems is for you to have more time. If you are “reinventing the wheel” every day because there is no system in place for your team to follow, you end up doing everything yourself. Ultimately, you want to streamline your business so you can have more time to pursue your life goals. As I write this section, I have been traveling for almost three weeks. It’s the 4th of July and my wife and I are at our little beach condo in Florida. My staff knows what to do. They don’t need me. We were in Australia for almost two weeks and I didn’t have a phone with me. My wife asked me about ten days into the trip, “Have you talked to your office?” I said, “Uh, no.” “Don’t you need to check in with them?” she pressed. “Uh, no, they know what to do. Remember I have a turnkey business.” “Oh that’s right,” she said. One of my coaching clients built his business from almost nothing to over $2 million per year. He takes fourteen vacation weeks each year and travels all around the world. It can be done. Now please understand that you don’t want to be irresponsible. You still have a responsibility as the owner of your company. You must make sure that your managers are leading properly and that things are being implemented properly. I liken it to investment property that is managed by someone else. You own the property (and therefore have responsibility) but you don’t have to do the day-today management.

The other response I get when I ask if someone would ever want to sell their business for a lot of money is a resounding “YES!” Well, here’s the bad news; first, your business isn’t worth much if it depends on you. Second, an investor (someone who has the kind of money you probably want for your business) doesn’t want your 24-hour-7-day-a-week JOB! They want a set of keys.

of mine has a hereditary kidney condition that will one day take his life. It took his brother’s life. As far as he knows, it is inevitable. The problem is that his current business depends on him! He is a genius at what he does but it isn’t a turnkey system. So, he has been feverishly building another company that will help him reach his most important life goal: To leave his family with the finances they need to live comfortably. You may not want to sell your business right now but sooner or later, you will “leave the building”. We all do one day! Whoever takes over that business will need a system. And if you have a system, you will be able to sell it if you need to for some reason.

The other response I get when I ask if someone would ever want to sell their business for a lot of money is a resounding “YES!” Well, here’s the bad news; first, your deal, things began to fall into disrepair be- business isn’t worth much if it depends cause he didn’t have the right team. on you. Second, an investor (someone who has the kind of money you probably Finally, would you like to sell your busi- want for your business) doesn’t want your ness for a lot of money one of these days? 24-hour-7-day-a-week JOB! They want a What if one day you could sell your busi- set of keys. ness and retire on the proceeds? How would that be? I have found that there are They want a set of keys that they can two responses to this question. The first take and turn the crank on the predictable, one is, “No! I love what I do!” The fact is, profitable, turnkey money machine that many of us feel that the work we do in you have created. They want to be able to our business is a ministry—it’s our expres- flip the ignition switch and have it run as sion—or perhaps we love the technical good for them as it does for you. work we do (or some other part of the work “in” the business).

If that is your response, you still need sysAnother caution is not to exit too soon. I have another client whose business was tems in your business! Here’s why: What profitable but when he traveled a great if you had to sell your business? A friend 28 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

Howard Partridge, President of Phenomenal Products, Inc., is the author of 7 Secrets of a Phenomenal L.I.F.E. and 5 Secrets of a Phenomenal Business. You can contact Howard by phone at 281-634-0404 or visit his website at www.HowardPartridge.com.

EDITORIALFEATURE

SBA Loans and Business Condos for

Small Business Real Estate By Bruce Hurta

n general, a small business owner is in business to produce a product or service and they don’t want to be in the business of managing commercial real estate. Nevertheless, there are circumstances where the small business owner might enjoy the benefits of real estate ownership. For instance, if the small business owner enjoys maintaining a property like their house, business office, or warehouse, they might also enjoy the long term benefits of owning their own commercial premises. These benefits include market value appreciation, increased equity as they pay down their mortgage with funds that might have been otherwise allocated to rental expenses, and the ability to deduct interest paid as a business expense for tax purposes. For this individual, it might make sense to own their business property rather than renting it. As long as the business activity justifies long term occupancy in the same type and size office and/or warehouse facility, owning it long term for the investment potential can be attractive. There can be, however, barriers to small business real estate ownership with the costs and financing requirements for commercial property. Purchasing the asset requires a down payment and monthly payments. In many cases, office and warehouse facilities can be either too expensive to purchase or too expensive to maintain when the small business owner has a growing business with demands for working capital. This is where the concept of the business condo grew to accommodate a need. Because business condos share infrastructure such as parking lots, landscaping, walls, and security services, they present a more affordable option for some small business owners. Not only is the initial purchase price less than a similar, standalone building on independent property, but the ongoing maintenance is shared, making ownership easier and more affordable for the long term.

30 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

While the benefits of owning your own commercial premises are certainly attractive, a business owner should consult his accountant, financial advisor, commercial banker, or credit union manager before making the investment. Having solved the price point problem for small business owners to be able to afford real estate ownership, there remains one additional resource for making the purchase more affordable. Small business, owner-occupied real estate is eligible for SBA government-guaranteed financing with lower down payments, longer repayment terms, and easier qualifying criteria than conventional bank loans. In many cases, the small business borrower can purchase business condos with as little as 10% down! Since financing is permanent for 25 years, the small business is assured of a low monthly payment which is often lower than what they were paying for rent in the past or expecting to pay for rent in the future! While the benefits of owning your own commercial premises are certainly attractive, a business owner should consult his accountant, financial advisor, commercial banker, or credit union manager before making the investment. They can help you analyze your financial portfolio and business plan to determine if investing in real estate is the right move for your business. You can learn more about SBA lending and small business finance on Bruce’s blog at brucehurta.wordpress.com. For more information about SBA real estate loans for small businesses, contact Bruce Hurta, Business Lending Manager at Members Choice Credit Union at 281-384-2595 or by email at bhurta@ mccu.com.

EDITORIALFEATURE

Branding

Rebranded By Aimee Woodall

n my office, we put a lot of effort into words. Words are precision; they are the difference in being retweeted once or several hundreds of times. Words cause a guest to RSVP yes or a journalist to hit “reply” when we email them. It should come as no surprise, then, that our office had a roiling debate over how to describe ourselves.Yes, in the fashion of the mechanic with a clunker or the famed shoeless cobbler, we were looking to abandon the outdated tag proclaiming us “a marketing and publicity rebellion.” For, while this one thing is true, we’ve grown up a little since then and we’ve expanded our vocabulary, so to speak. Finally, we settled on “A Strategic Branding Agency”. That prompted an idea for a piece on how the word “branding” is inaccurately and inexplicably used to describe the strictly visual portion of a brand and how we should do something about it. As a result, this is that article: In its more traditional, designer-y sense, “branding” is a combination of permanent visuals that accompany a business or organization — the logo, the type treatments, the color choices, treatment of photography, graphics, and any combination thereof. In reality, however, branding is any feature of a business or organization that makes it different from all the others. Think about Target, or TOMS, or Warby Parker. They didn’t stop with a color palette. Heck, these brands haven’t stopped for a second. They travel; they support; and they have friends, fans, and followers. But you don’t have to be worldwide to have a great and effective brand. If you support children’s charities in a monthly fundraiser at your restaurant, that’s part of your brand. If you distinguish your cleaning service from other cleaning services by only hiring staff who sing opera while they vacuum, that’s branding. If your tweets come

32 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

In its more traditional, designer-y sense, “branding” is a combination of permanent visuals that accompany a business or organization — the logo, the type treatments, the color choices, treatment of photography, graphics, and any combination thereof. In reality, however, branding is any feature of a business or organization that makes it different from all the others. from the point of view of a delightfully sassy jelly donut named Marisol, that’s hilarious. And that’s branding! The new “branding” isn’t a logo or even a graphic design. The new branding is strategy. The new branding is the owning of your company’s presence online and offline. It’s a force of personality that shows up everywhere your audience is. It’s being memorable. It’s relating inward and reaching outward. It’s inclusive and aware and all about doing good things. And if it isn’t, you need to find someone fast to fix that for you!

Aimee Woodall is the owner of the Black Sheep Agency, a Houston-based “Strategic Branding Agency” specializing in non-traditional public relations, social media, and experiential marketing. Contact Amy by phone at 832-971-7725, by email at aimee@ theblacksheepagency.com, or visit the website at www.theblacksheepagency.com.

EDITORIALFEATURE

Business Networking

With Stories By Gail Stolzenburg

any people are unaware of the expression, “Facts tell and stories sell.” The truth is that people rarely remember the details about your company, your product, or your service. You could tell them that that the founder of your company walks on water and they are likely to forget. What they do remember are the stories. My friend, Ronald Wilshire, likes to say, “It’s better to attract with your story than chase with your pitch.”

Most of our decisions are made by our subconscious and our subconscious is unable to tell the difference between a story, dream, or reality.

Coauthor of the New York Times bestselling book “The Power of Full Engagement”, Dr. Jim Loehr examines the way we tell stories about ourselves to ourselves and, most importantly, the We use words and we think in pictures. When way we can change those stories to transform our someone says “elephant”, your mind sees a pic- business and personal lives. “Your story is your life”, ture of an elephant rather than visualizing the says Loehr. As human beings, we continually tell letters E, L, E, P, H, A, N, and T. Rather than facts ourselves stories of success or failure, of power or and figures, our stories, if they are good ones, will victimhood; stories that endure for an hour, or a day, evoke emotions and pictures. So, what is a story? or an entire lifetime. We have stories about our Dr. Ivan Misner, founder of BNI, describes a story work, our families, our relationships, and our health; as a fact wrapped in an emotion. It compels us to about what we want and what we’re capable of take action and it transforms us in some way. His achieving. Yet, while our stories can profoundly afmost important suggestion is to re-live a story in- fect how others see us and we see ourselves, too stead of re-tell a story. The more one can engage few of us even recognize that we’re telling stories, in the emotion of the situation, the more impact or what they are, or that we can change them and, in turn, transform our very destinies. it will have. How do you learn to tell stories? In my case, Most of our decisions are made by our subconscious and our subconscious is unable to tell the I contacted a storyteller and attended several difference between a story, dream, or reality. New classes to learn how. The reason stories are so metaphors have the power to create new reali- powerful is that rather than directly telling somety. Our subconscious minds make decisions and one to do something, your story will create imour conscious minds work on ways to justify those ages or pictures that the subconscious mind can decisions. The greatest speakers, authors, and use in making a decision. I learned about things coaches are storytellers who communicated their like non-verbal communication and eye contact and delivering with passion and power. Now, I’ve visions in words, stories, and metaphors. found I can tell a better story and more people So, when I’m networking, which is most of the are paying attention. Learning to tell stories will time, I use a process I learned from success coach, help you engage your audience, build confidence, Pamela Bruner: Ask questions to find out where boost sales, and become a better networker. the pain/problem is. Then ask them, “What is it Are you ready to start telling your stories? costing you – finances, time, or quality of life?” and “How committed are you in making a change?” Follow it with a story where you’ve solved a similar problem and ask, “Can I help you brainstorm?” Gail Stolzenburg, The Connector, can be contacted by email at Gail@GailStolzenburg.com, by phone at 281-493-1955, or visit Now you have become their partner in solving his website at www.GailStolzenburg.com. the problem. 34 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

EDITORIALFEATURE

Addressing the Oil and Gas Human Capital Shortage

with Workforce Optimization Innovative Solutions By Laquitta DeMerchant

orkforce optimization is pertinent to operations, human resources, and information technology vertical teams across chemical facilities, gas plants, petroleum refineries, pipeline, terminals, and power plants. Oil and Gas HR departments lose staff skill set visibility during the first quarter, if not, within six months of an employee being hired. Once an employee’srésumé is on file, it is rarely updated. When large oil and gas companies create new projects or post jobs, the company has no business unit nor cross-departmental insight into the real-time skill set of employees that may be a viable fit. HR can only compare the new position to the last résumé submitted by an employee. This can be 5, 10, or 15 year old résumés. Business Unit (BU) managers face the same challenges. Managers with large engineering teams consisting of 75+ employees use manual tools, like Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, to document the expansion of employee skill sets. To solidify a sustainable competitive advantage, companies need a way to resolve this problem. Companies spend $2.2 billion globally on staff development and retention. Despite the continued growth of women earning advanced degrees and entering the work place, companies have yet to find a way to consistently and easily identify talent within its own ranks that can fill open positions, especially leadership positions. After surveying 272 women in the oil and gas industry, a key finding of a global talent agency discovered 75% of women felt welcome working in the oil and gas industry yet 45% didn’t feel they got the same recognition as their male colleagues. To attract more women to the industry, companies should give their existing women employees a chance to take more challenging offshore roles and provide equal benefits and leadership opportunities. A viable workforce optimization solution must provide a way for BU and cross-departmental leadership to have a real-time view into the skill set and accomplishments of all employees. Exec-

36 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

Companies spend $2.2 billion globally on staff development and retention. Despite the continued growth of women earning advanced degrees and entering the work place, companies have yet to find a way to consistently and easily identify talent within its own ranks that can fill open positions, especially leadership positions. utive leadership needs a way to validate their financial investment into training and development program leads to domestic (including offshore) and international opportunities. In regards to staff development, there is a plethora of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) available in addition to the traditional college and university degrees and industry certifications such as Pressure Vessel Inspector, Refractory Quality Control Analyst, etc. With 62% of the oil and gas workforce retiring within the next 10 years, employers need a way to identify and educate talent early and fast and at a fraction of the cost. The benefits of education via MOOC include the ability for faster and cheaper training. In addition, employees can quickly obtain expertise in an area at a faster pace than traditional higher education sources. Laquitta DeMerchant is the founder of Fuzion Apps Inc. and Aequitas that provide solutions to managing careers from college to the workplace, from mobile device to the cloud. Fuzion Apps facilitates the collaboration between completions, drilling, exploration, and production teams in the oil and gas industry. Aequitas identifies education, certification, and career opportunities by comparing skills with goals and providing a viable action plan. Laquitta can be contacted by phone 281-389-8275, by email at demerchant@fuzionapps.com, or visit her website at www.fuzionapps.com.

EDITORIALFEATURE

Speaking

the Unspeakable – Part 1 By Kim Sawyer

hat is the one particular method of handling difficult conversations that managers throughout the business world have employed more than any other? They avoid them. People avoid difficult conversations because most of us, from an early age, have experienced any kind of confrontation as unpleasant. They have typically involved angry emotions, hurt feelings, defensiveness, or tenseness and often resulted in a state of affairs worse than before the conversation started. At other times, some people, in order to get past their resistance to these conversations, approach them with excessive forcefulness. Then the confrontation comes across as an attack, a conflict which is the very fear that got us in this place to start with. Words get spoken but, when it happens this way, the receiver gets defensive and defensive people are not listening. If they are listening, they are not hearing (important distinction). If they are hearing, they are only hearing certain bits and filtering out other bits through their defensiveness. Emotions are overruling their ability to take in and process the information in a useful way and certainly short-circuiting any willingness to act on the information.

This is not rocket science, but it’s also not something most people think about when they do this (if they do). The typical thought process goes something like this: “I am going to have this conversation and I am going to say what I have to say as clearly as I can (or in whatever way has become my natural default in these situations). There; I’m done.” But did the message get across? What difference did it make? Are things going to be any different now because of the conversation, except, of course, for the newly disturbed relationships and often additional costly consequences when misunderstanding leads to misbehavior? There is a powerful dictum that is pivotal to what we are up to here: “The meaning of a communication is its meaning to the receiver.” Stop a moment; reread this proposition and consider it. The fact is, it doesn’t matter what it is I intend to say because I am not communicating to myself. Communication is about information passing correctly from one person to another person; so whatever I may want to think, the understanding that person walks away with is what that communication has been. And what’s more, whose responsibility is it to make sure that occurs correctly? 38 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

So I want to offer you an approach that will allow these conversations to happen collaboratively. Next month, in Part 2, I am going to show you a method that I call “Clearing”. It is a simple, powerful process I call “5 Step Communication”. If you approach your difficult conversations using the method, the chances are good that the conversation will go as well as possible; oftentimes, surprisingly well. Yes, mine! The burden is wholly upon the initiator of the communication to see to it that the person with whom they have an objective for speaking gets the full and accurate content of their intended message. I refer to this method I have developed as a form of “Leadership Communication”. When I talk about leadership, I mean a way of interacting with people that attracts them to follow my lead. It’s not about making people do anything; it’s about behaving in a way that people want to emulate or join me in. In this communication tool, each step is about handling the next piece of the conversation so that it is likely to encourage you to respond in a positive way in the same spirit as the way I just communicated to you. So I want to offer you an approach that will allow these conversations to happen collaboratively. Next month, in Part 2, I am going to show you a method that I call “Clearing”. It is a simple, powerful process I call “5 Step Communication”. If you approach your difficult conversations using the method, the chances are good that the conversation will go as well as possible; oftentimes, surprisingly well. Based in Houston,Texas, Kim Sawyer is a highly respected veteran, executive coach who serves clients internationally. Kim can be reached by email at kim.sawyer@ theWealthSource.com or by phone at 832-298-0143. To find out more about Kim’s firm, theWeathSource, visit their website at www.theWealthSource.com.

EDITORIALFEATURE

What Is Needed to Run a

Comprehensive Background Check? By Paul Marcus

he question of what type of comprehensive background check a person or company should do comes up very often. There are many types of background checks that can be done but not all of them will give you the necessary protection. I would like to take a moment to explain the types of searches you may see advertised and then briefly discuss them. Here are the components of running a comprehensive background check on a prospective employee or individual that you may want checked out for nonemployment purposes: 1. First, you must have a Release and Waiver Form signed by the applicant giving you permission to run a Consumer Report on them. 2. The next step in a background search should be to run a Social Security Number Trace which will validate whether or not the Social Security number is a valid number. This search will not tell you whether the Social Security number actually belongs to the applicant but it will tell you the validity of the number and show you places in which the person holding that number has resided. This is very important information to run the needed searches. 3. The third part of the search is to run a multistate or multijurisdiction alias search which will check and bring up records on persons using that Social Security number. If there is a hit that comes up in the report, that hit must be checked in the local jurisdiction where it happened. This is the law under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. A small disclaimer about this search, even though companies will promote and advertise these searches as a “National” search, it does not cover every jurisdiction in the country and not all of the jurisdictions provide the same type of information. 40 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

First, you must have a Release and Waiver Form signed by the applicant giving you permission to run a Consumer Report on them. 4. The most important step in the process is to run searches in every jurisdiction the person has resided in the past seven years under the names listed in the Social Security Number Trace and other names you know this person has gone by. This step is so important because the criminal justice system begins in the county and records are stored in the county. It has been reported that up to 90 percent of all criminal acts are committed in the county of residence. 5. There are a couple of other searches that can be done on a statewide system, those being a state repository search and a state court search. The state court search is the recommended search to run due to the fact that the state repository may be missing important and timely information that the counties may not have reported yet. 6. The final search that should be run as as part of the criminal package is the Federal Criminal Records Search. This search will check for persons who may have had charges in the Federal Court System. Some of the charges that may show up in Federal Court include offenses dealing with weapons, drugs, and money. This search will not show up on a state, county, or multijurisdictional search. It has to be run as a stand alone search.

Paul Marcus is a licensed Private Investigator,TX License Number A13506. He is the owner of Affordable Searches, LLC, a licensed Investigations Company in the state of Texas, License Number A17778. For more information, contact Paul by phone at 281-494-6691, by email at pjm@affordablesearches.com, or visit his website at www.AffordableSearches.com.

EDITORIALFEATURE

Small Business PR:

How to Get into the News Today By Jennifer L. Jacobson

hort of landing a TV segment for a new store opening or a local, downthe-street breaking news event, small businesses often have trouble getting into the news on a regular basis. But that’s no excuse to focus exclusively on advertising and stop thinking like a press agent. As an entrepreneur, you’re likely to be a smart person with a lot of ambition, insight, and experience. You have something valuable to share, so why should the world be deprived of what you have to say when it comes to your industry? Do you own a bakery? Offer advice to local or industry reporters on seasonal bread trends. Debunk myths about whole wheat. Offer your expertise on what the wedding industry is looking for this summer. Do you run a flower shop? Same thing; offer insight into what color roses are hot for prom, what wedding flowers to avoid, and how to give new moms a thoughtful bouquet that lasts. Show off your expertise. You don’t have to wait for your store’s next launch, campaign, or big announcement. Successful communications are not about one point in time; they’re about momentum. Successful communications mean strategically sharing something that will (1) provide useful information to your audience and (2) support your brand’s objectives. It’s not rocket science. Starting today, here are five things that can help you move the PR needle:

1.Start a Blog

Write at least one article a month. Plan

about two months ahead and start offering insight and even contributed articles that speak to seasonal and industry trends that will impact your customers.

2. Share Your Data

If your business has been around for more than five minutes, you have data. Look for the most interesting data that you can share about your market or area of interest. Then, look for the movement and/or contrast where numbers move drastically or data is in stark contrast with itself. That’s where you’ll find the story. Your job is not to reveal a 30-page report to the press; just summarize the data in a compelling way and be sure to site your source. Infographics are a great way to do this or well-written, one page reports filled with insightful quotes from management. Remember, the point of this document is to make your brand look like an authority in its space. Only share what supports this objective.

3. Share Someone Else’s Data

Don’t have your own data? That’s fine. Do a little research on your industry or area of interest. Then compile (and cite) that data into a relevant report or infographic. Be sure to add strategic insights from your top customers and your management team.

4. Make a Founder’s Story Exclusive

Every company has a founder’s story. Play detective and reveal how you came to start your company. What was your process? What was your inspiration? Why did you do it? What would you have done if you hadn’t done this? What is the most

surprising thing you have learned? What do you love most about doing business in your community? This can be a great way to showcase the human side of any business.

5. Be an Industry Expert

Chances are, someone in your company, be it you or someone else, is probably an expert in at least one field and it’s probably in an interesting topic like baking, zoology, childcare, health tech, plumbing, or alleviating local hunger by networking surplus food from grocery stores. Start strategically offering your advice to a handful of reporters who regularly cover these topics. If you’re a true expert, some of the reporters you contact will need quotes for upcoming articles and want to interview you. Should you be so fortunate, don’t spend the whole time talking about your brand. Your job is to be an expert who also happens to be the founder of your business. In conclusion, successful communications are ongoing. Once you start looking for creative ways to both tell your story and offer value to people, you’ll find a whole new way to grow your brand and your brand’s influence. Jennifer L. Jacobson, founder of Jacobson Communication and author of “42 Rules of Social Media for Small Business”, is an expert in generating positive public awareness. Jennifer has created communications campaigns and press relationships for many companies including Retrevo, Wolfe Video, WeVideo, Plug and Play Tech Center, LookSmart Ltd, MerchantCircle, MarketCulture, and the Personal News Network. For more information, visit her website at www.jacobsoncommunication.com. [ OCTOBER 2014 ] www.SBTMagazine.net 41

EDITORIALFEATURE

Your Business’s

Silent Killer

By Dawn Haynes

f you are over the age of 40, you may remember the public service announcements from years ago created to raise public awareness of high blood pressure or hypertension. It was during this time that it became dubbed “the silent killer”. Over the years, we have learned that untreated high blood pressure significantly increases the risk of heart disease and stroke—the first and third most common causes of death in the US. Hypertension can also damage the kidneys and increase the risk of blindness and dementia. This silent killer wreaks serious systemic havoc even as we remain completely unaware of its presence. And left untreated, any one of these side effects can result in death. Did you know that, quiet as it is kept, your business may have been or could be at risk for another kind of “silent killer”? This silent killer sucks the financial lifeblood out of our companies and has, based on one study, an overall economic impact to the tune of somewhere between $6 and $14.8 billion per year. It eats its way through approximately 10% of company profits via employee turnover; reduced morale; loss of productivity; lost time; negative impact on company reputation; increased medical costs in the form of sick leaves, health insurance costs; and worker’s compensation claims. In some instances, there are also increased legal costs and rehabilitation costs. It is a silent killer because one 2014 workplace survey found that while 72% of American employees are aware and acknowledge that it exists in the workplace and 48% of whom are either directly or indirectly affected, only 18% of all employers take actions to stop it while 72% either condone or explicitly sustain it because, sadly, it is not illegal. So, what is this silent killer and why aren’t employers more concerned? It is workplace bullying. And while a small percentage (5%) of employers actually actively encourage workplace bullying, I believe the overwhelming majority of employers treat it the same

42 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

It is a silent killer because one 2014 workplace survey found that while 72% of American employees are aware and acknowledge that it exists in the workplace and 48% of whom are either directly or indirectly affected, only 18% of all employers take actions to stop it while 72% either condone or explicitly sustain it because, sadly, it is not illegal. So, what is this silent killer and why aren’t employers more concerned? way most of us typically treat the shortness of breath indicative of heart disease; the sudden severe headache that warns of a stroke; the change in urination that accompanies compromised kidney function; or the changes in reasoning and judgment that warn of dementia. They simply don’t see it as anything to be taken seriously or as being indicative of a bigger or more systemic problem - the kind of problem that, left unchecked, could have any number of dire consequences. You may be thinking,“I’m a solo practitioner”, or, “I’m not a bullying boss.” “So, why should I care?” Perhaps you should care because workplace bullying doesn’t always occur from the top down. But more on that next time; until then, wishing you continued small business success—safely!

Dawn Haynes, the Toolbox Diva™, is the CEO, (Chief Empowerment Officer) of 2EmpowerU, (formerly Fight or Flight Self Defense). You can contact Dawn by email at dawn@2empowerU.net, by phone at 713-298-6301, or visit her website at www.2empowerU.net.

EDITORIALFEATURE

Financial Astrology for

October 2014 By Christi Ruiz, Business Spiritual and Intuitive Life Coach

ARIES (March 21 - April 20)

Venus is making you feel codependent with your partnerships. Rethink the long term validity of certain business. The Solar Eclipse on the 23rd will make sure your breakups don’t break your bank.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21)

A triangle forming with Jupiter, Uranus, and Mars is stabilizing your bank balance and domestic life at the same time. Pour some of your savings into your home life to create an ambiance of peace and calm at this chaotic time.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21)

The Lunar Eclipse on the 8th creates some havoc in your finances. Control joint resources and the eclipse will make you aware that there is a lot of economic power tied up to someone else who you have had a falling out with in the past. That could be a possible partner or relationship.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22)

Changes in the office or business will cause a pleasant new cash flow. Now is the time to allow your ambitions to soar because Mars is assisting you. Jupiter is in your earnings zone so be on the lookout for financial opportunities.

LEO (July 23 - August 22)

Pool your resources together and this will assist in all moving forward toward their goals and dreams. Venus and the Sun will assist you with bringing economic solutions to problematic situations regarding mortgages, renovations, and debt effortlessly.

VIRGO (August 23 - September 23)

Mercury is retrograde (going backwards) until the 10th so use strategy regarding economic decisions. The Lunar Eclipse and Uranus will leave you a bit unsure about your financial plan. After the 16th Mercury will bring clarity and change for major monetary decisions and that is when Mercury goes direct (forward) once again.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23)

Mercury retrograde (going backwards) will make it difficult for a steady income flow. Rewards and goals will be met slowly. Be on the lookout for unexpected good fortune for change at the time of the Solar Eclipse on or after the 23rd of the month. 44 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ OCTOBER 2014 ]

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22)

Your money zone and work zone will allow you to make money much easier than in the past. Mars is in your earning zone so it’s time to move forward with business projects and plans. A harmonious alignment with Jupiter will allow you to transform labor into a lasting cash flow.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21)

Remember that you cannot be a big spender if the coffer is empty. The good life is the best motivator to allow your creative juices to flow. The Sun and Venus unite to make this an important time to socialize so focus on networking and creating relationships. After the 26th will be when Mars begins to influence the opportunities of wealth.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20)

The egocentric Sun and Venus in your career zone are in disharmony. Pluto is taking away from your power to influence others. Then Jupiter after the 10th will bring opportunities of wealth back into your grasp.

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19)

Saturn has been making you work so hard and have tunnel vision. The Solar Eclipse will bring you professional success on the 23rd. You will find that you are surrounded by supportive colleagues that you enjoy and assist you in making money.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20)

Finances will improve with the Lunar Eclipse as it unites with Uranus to create new streams of cash flow. Take advantage of Venus’s impact on your investments and your zone of credit. Mars is in your career zone and will push you to seek all opportunities that will increase your income.

Christi Ruiz is an expert in spiritual and intuitive sciences. She uses these skills to assist with one’s success in real estate, business, and personal matters. In addition, Christi’s many years of experience working for banks and mortgage companies gives her an extra edge in understanding the world of finance. You can contact Christi by phone at 713-773-0333-O or at 281-904-2658-C. Her website is www. christisportals.com and her email addresses are christiruiz722@gmail.com and christiruizchristi@yahoo.com.

»Continued From Page 12 What’s Holding You Back? Seeking a balance between personal and business is imperative in your personal success story. Too much personal time spent on tasks that you enjoy eventually causes your business success to suffer to the extent the personal time is less enjoyable. Too much time spent on business activities can be a detriment to your personal life. Self-talk about making changes to get back on the right track is important. Following through on those changes is imperative. Who in your life will be supportive to help you move into your new success routine? Sharing your plans for change with someone that can encourage you is helpful. That person’s support of you is equally important. Passion for your success is the lightning rod that drives you into action. Self- discipline will keep you engaged in your passion. It’s easy to get caught up in daily activities and lose focus of your success plan. Put your plan on the calendar with date, time and activity you will be engaged in for your map to success. Everyone has the same amount of time during the day. So don’t allow yourself to believe there isn’t enough time for your goals. Evaluate your schedule and carve out the purposeful hours in the day that afford you the opportunities to be successful.

Rita Santamaria is the owner of Champions School of Real Estate in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Online Campuses. For more information go to www. ChampionsSchool.com

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