Topeka Chamber Business Expo digital magazine

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CAPITALIZE ON

TOMORROW

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It’s time for 2017 Chamber Business Expo Hello, Community Leaders.

There is much to be excited about in Topeka and Shawnee County these days, and we hope to see you at the annual Greater ToPivarnik peka Chamber Business Expo on Tuesday, Oct. 24, to keep that momentum going.

We’re especially looking forward to shining a spotlight on Top Tank Topeka as we kick off the Busi-

ness Expo, presented by Azura Credit Union, with a luncheon at the Ramada Topeka Downtown.

As you likely already know, a handful of committed Topekans created Top Tank and issued a challenge to entrepreneurs: Pitch your best idea and compete for a $100,000 investment. The only catch: The business must take root in Downtown Topeka. Several of the businessmen behind the initiative will speak about the process during our luncheon. (There were a few tickets left at

press time. Please visit www.TopekaChamber. org/expo or call 785-2342644.) Finalists will be announced in the weeks following the expo, but we’ll all get the inside scoop on the work going into the effort — and the vision for Downtown and beyond.

From the small-business-focused pre-program brought to you by GO Topeka’s Entrepreneurial and Minority Business Development to the full house of business expo booths from 1-4 p.m., you can expect an informative, inspiring and

connections-driven day.

The public is welcome and encouraged to join the community’s largest business expo, again at the Ramada Downtown Topeka. Last year, 1,800 of your fellow business professionals attended, and we’re expecting a similar crowd.

Don’t forget to drop your business card into the fishbowl when you arrive. It’s your chance to win one of several quality door prizes.

Chamber members, remember the last 90 minutes is just for you.

Mingle with us at a reception from 4-5:30 p.m.

Some great business-tobusiness connections are on the menu. This event would not be possible without support from the business community. Thank you, Azura Credit Union, for believing in this event and our community’s businesses enough to be the title sponsor. Thank you to our platinum sponsors: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, CoreFirst Bank & Trust, Dynamic Computer Solutions of Topeka, and Ramada Downtown To-

peka, and other sponsors as well: KSNT, KTKA, KTMJ, CW, Briggs Auto of Topeka, Kaw Valley Bank, Washburn Tech, Prairie Band Casino & Resort, Mize Houser & Company PA, and INTRUST Bank. We look forward to seeing you Tuesday.

In service,

Matt Pivarnik President/CEO Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce

Top Tank investors to speak as panel at kickoff luncheon

By Samantha Foster

samantha.foster@cjonline.com

A coalition of Topeka businessmen offering a unique investment opportunity for entrepreneurs pitching projects for the city’s downtown will discuss the project at a luncheon that will kick off the annual Greater Topeka Chamber Business Expo.

The men behind the Top Tank Topeka competition will speak as a panel during the expo’s kickoff luncheon from noon to 1 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 24, at the downtown Ramada Hotel and Convention Center, 420 S.E. 6th.

Ashley Charest, vice president of resource development for the Chamber, said the investors will lead a 30-minute panel and discussion in which they will talk about how the idea for Top Tank came about, why they were willing to make an investment and what happens next for

downtown.

Top Tank, which launched June 18, is patterned after “Shark Tank,” a popular TV show on ABC in which entrepreneurs pitch business ideas to executives who may offer financial support for their ventures in exchange for a piece of the business.

Five businessmen committed to funding a $100,000 prize to the entrepreneur with the most compelling idea. They are Brent Boles, managing partner of Schendel Lawn & Landscape; John Dicus, chairman, president and CEO of Capitol Federal Savings Bank; Cody Foster, co-founder of Advisors Excel; Jim Klausman, president and CEO of Midwest Health Inc.; and Mark Ruelle, president and CEO of Westar Energy.

The sixth businessman is Greg Schwerdt, president of Schwerdt Design Group, who has committed to working with the con-

Top Tank Topeka coalition Brent Boles, managing partner of Schendel Lawn & Landscape John Dicus, chairman, president and CEO of Capitol Federal Savings Bank Cody Foster, co-founder of Advisors Excel Jim Klausman, president and CEO of Midwest Health Inc. Mark Ruelle, president and CEO of Westar Energy Greg Schwerdt, president of Schwerdt Design Group

June 2017 file photograph/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

From left, Brent Boles, John Klausman and John Dicus are among the speakers. test’s 10 finalists, who will be notified of their status in late November, to help them put together a comprehensive package about their proposals by providing professional design

services.

Interested entrepreneurs from across the region submitted applications before an Aug. 31 deadline, and 20 of them will present their business proposals to the

panel in early November.

A special event in midFebruary will bring the 10 finalists together with the Topeka community for networking opportunities, and one winner will receive a $100,000 investment and the resources to launch a business downtown.

In a live video broadcast with The Topeka CapitalJournal in July, the Top Tank investors said entrepreneurs pitching business ideas would have an opportunity to visit and see

what Topeka has to offer.

Ruelle said he hoped Top Tank would create a network that brings together the competing entrepreneurs and additional investors.

“I would envision that we have 20 more good ideas than we could possible handle to fund and that it creates a buzz and brings other people in who have expertise or capital or passion that can make some of the other ideas that we didn’t select successful as well,” he said.

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Topeka Chamber drives city’s progress, prosperity

By Katie Moore

katie.moore@cjonline.com

With about 1,000 members, the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce is at the center of Topeka’s progress.

“It’s really part of the roots of our community,” said Curtis Sneden, the chamber’s executive vice president.

The organization, which has been in existence for more than 130 years, advocates creating a favorable business climate for its members, president and CEO Matt Pivarnik said.

Members represent a range of groups including businesses, nonprofits and government entities.

“The chamber is a convener for Topeka,” said Janet Stanek, chamber board chairwoman and Stormont

Vail Health COO. The chamber collaborates with a number of organizations working to advance economic growth in Topeka and Shawnee County. By Jan. 1, 2018, the chamber, along with GO Topeka, Visit Topeka and Downtown Topeka Inc. will unite as the Greater Topeka Partnership (see page 8).

Though the organizations will retain their names and boards, they will convey a clear and consistent message, Stanek said.

That message?

Believe in Topeka.

In addition to instilling a stronger sense of pride for the city’s residents, the chamber also works to attract employees and families to the area. The chamber touts Topeka’s affordability, efforts to revitalize downtown and busi-

CHRIS NEAL/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Topeka Chamber executive vice president Curtis Sneden leads the organization’s legislative issues. Earlier this month, he met with groups representing nonprofits as they organized a city council candidate’s forum. ness incentives.

Stanek said chamber websites are often the first place potential residents visit and are an important

resource. Last year, its directory of businesses had 1.5 million hits, said Ashley Charest, the chamber’s vice president of resource devel-

opment.

“Our online membership directory is very valuable,” Charest said.

In terms of advocacy, the chamber drives change by developing legislative priorities.

“The chamber’s special role is to function as a voice in Topeka and Shawnee County on the local, state and federal level,” Sneden said.

During the last several legislative sessions, they have kept an eye on tax policies and looked at initiatives that benefit small businesses or create jobs.

Often the chamber will work with organizations in other cities, such as Lawrence or Manhattan, to create a coalition. Working in concert gives them a louder voice, Sneden said.

The chamber recently

supported a bill allowing the creation of entertainment districts.

In June, Gov. Sam Brownback signed legislation into law, permitting alcohol to be consumed in the districts.

Both the NOTO Arts District and downtown Topeka may become entertainment districts where adults can stroll down the street with a drink in hand, Sneden said.

“We feel like (entertainment districts) will be a hallmark of modern communities,” Sneden said.

The chamber will continue to work on issues of concern including transportation and infrastructure funding, he said.

The organization directly supports its members.

CHAMBER continues on 15

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Topeka Chamber Business Expo sponsors Title Sponsor

®

Media (Television)

Media (Radio)

Grand Door Prize

Exhibitor Hospitality INSTRUST Bank NA

Platinum Sponsors

Networking

Bag Sponsor

Awards Sponsor Luncheon

Friends of the Expo

Westside Stamp & Awards, Inc.

Door Prize Sponsors

B’well Market Midwest Coating, Inc. Muddy Creek Iron Works Sunflower Bank Washburn TECH

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&

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Greater Topeka Partnership to marry focus, vision Four economic development groups working together

By Morgan Chilson

morgan.chilson@cjonline.com

The paperwork has been submitted and is in process for the formation of the Greater Topeka Partnership, a collaboration of the city’s four primary economic development organizations.

In September, the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce, GO Topeka, Visit Topeka and Downtown Topeka Inc. announced they would maintain their separate identities but begin working together under one umbrella.

The idea of coalescing their goals and sharing administrative costs came out of Momentum 2022, the city’s multifaceted economic development plan.

“This strategy that the community has set before us is big, and it’s aspirational,” said Curtis Sneden, chamber executive vice president. “So the whole motivation behind this isn’t savings, it’s all being pointed in the same direction with our oars hitting the water at the same time so we can get the job done.

That’s the main impetus behind this.”

The four organizations

Chris Neal/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Zach Snethen, left, board chairman of Downtown Topeka Inc., Brendan Wiley, board chairman of Visit Topeka, and Janet Stanek, board chairwoman of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce, support a new management structure. do expect to see administrative savings come out of their collaboration as GTP, and already, their marketing and communication departments are working

together.

“Our mission continues to be the same, and that’s to promote downtown and to make it a place that people want to work and live,

and to see the expansion of downtown,” said Vince Frye, DTI leader. “So nothing really changes from that aspect. The fact that we’re partnering with Visit Topeka and the chamber and GO Topeka just makes it stronger. When we’re electively working together, it benefits the entire community.”

Frye said his organization has three employees, including himself, who put on 30 to 45 events every year. That’s challenging.

“We work hard, and we’ve been very successful,” he said. “Having additional employees that will work with us on planning events, fundraising and doing the things that we do on a daily basis, will certainly alleviate some of the load and hopefully bring

us the results that we’re expecting.”

Pivarnik said the four organizations took their time making this decision, each board of directors talking about the pros and cons, and how it will work after the paperwork is in place.

“It just kind of struck us in the face that really to combine our efforts would not only create efficiencies but would also eliminate inefficiencies,” said Wendy Wells, U.S. Bank regional manager and chairwoman of the GO Topeka board.

“Sometimes each organization independently might be heading down a similar path but doing it without the necessary support of the other.”

Pivarnik said he came GTP continues on 15

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ATRIUM 88

87

86

85

84

83

82

92 96

95

94

81

91

80

90

79

89

93

77

REGENCY BALLROOM

98 99

MAIN LOBBY

RA

MP

97

78

100

108

101

107

102

106 103

104

105

POOL

Company................................. Booth(s)

Capitol Connection......................................80

Family Service and Guidance Center......... 39

Insurance...................................................91

Mid Star Lab................................................90

AAAA Insurance........................................ 106

CD Tradepost...............................................60

Fierce Life Wellness...................................105

Jenny Craig...................................................21

Midland Care............................................... 29

ActionCOACH Business Coaching............... 59

CoreFirst Bank & Trust.................................31

Fit Body Boot Camp....................................49

jones huyett Partners................................... 4

Midwest Coating, Inc.................................... 8

Adecco NA.................................................... 74

Countertop Shoppe.....................................89

Footprints Bookkeeping Services LLC..... 104

Kansas Expocentre….........................……..62

Midwest Single Source Inc......................... 73

Advantaged Home Care..............................10

Cox Business.......................................... 67, 68

Forge............................................................86

Kansas Horse Council..................................52

Muddy Creek Ironworks..............................25

Aldersgate Village...................................... 28

CustomSkin Medspa.................................... 83

Giant Communications................................32

Kansas State University Global Campus... 47

Networks Plus............................................. 54

Allen Community College..........................101

Dandelions……….....................................….87

Go Modern................................................... 26

Kansas Turnpike Authority.........................64

Office Plus of Kansas/

Katy Browne Rodan + Fields

Capitol City Office Products.....................22

Alpha Media..................................................57

Dynamic Computer Solutions of Topeka.... 16, 17

GraceMed Health Clinic, Inc....................... 36

American Medical Response......................40

Easterseals Capper Foundation................... 6

Great Overland Station............................... 34

Independent Consultant.......................... 78

Peterson Publications................................ 79

Azura Credit Union..........................18, 37, 38

El Centro of Topeka................................... 108

GreatLife Golf and Fitness...........................13

Kaw Valley Bank..........................................69

Portico.........................................................99

Azura Wealth Management...........................5

Elem Technologies...................................... 56

Harvesters - The Community

KSNT, KTKA, KTMJ, CW............................... 70

Prairie Band Casino.....................................72

BAJILLION Agency...................................... 58

Envista Credit Union.............................65, 66

Food Network............................................. 9

Lexington Park............................................46

Quik Print....................................................1, 2

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas......19, 20

Ethan + Anna Children’s Boutique.............48

Heartland Park Topeka................................61

M & R Remodeling........................................75

Race Against Breast Cancer, Inc.................27

Briggs Auto of Topeka................................ 77

Evel Knevel Museum....................................53

Helping Hands Humane Society................ 76

McAlister’s Deli........................................... 33

Ramada Downtown Topeka.........................15

B’well Market...............................................14

Events Unique LLC.....................................103

Jamie Hornbaker Agency - State Farm

McCrite Plaza................................................ 3

Reliant Apparel.........................................92

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1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10 64

51

50

38

37

25

24 11

63

52

49

39

36

26

23 12

62

53

48

40

35

27

22 13

WEST 61

54

47

41

34

28

EAST

21 14

60

55

46

42

33

29

20 15

59

56

45

43

32

30

19 16

58

57

44

31

18 17

65

66

67

68

69

70

72

71 LOBBY

MANAGEMENT BOOTH

Rental Management Solutions.................. 50

73

ATRIUM

74

Ricks Advanced Dermatology.................... 24 Score............................................................ 85 Scott HR........................................................81 ServiceMaster Cleaning Services by AAA...... 11 Servpro of Topeka........................................51 Sky’s the Limit Mobile Gaming LLC...........102 SLI (formerly Sheltered Living, Inc.)......... 43 Small Business Council, Topeka Chamber of Commerce...............84 Stacks, Secure Records.............................. 42

RESTROOMS

76

75 Sunflower Bank............................................41 The Pines Apartments.............................. 100 Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library.....71 Topeka Capital-Journal............................... 82 Topeka Networking Council........................35 Topeka Performing Arts Center................107 Topeka Periodontics.............................44, 45

Topeka Presbyterian Manor........................55 Topeka SHRM.............................................. 63 US Alliance Life and Security Company.......7 Valeo Behavioral Health Care.....................12 Washburn TECH........................................... 30 Wellnitz Tree Care....................................... 23 The White Linen.........................................93

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12 ways to make your small business look big

By Angela Deines

angela.deines@cjonline.com

From consistently communicating your brand, to harnessing the power of social media to having a good handshake and a smile, three Topekabased marketing experts offer their tips to make small businesses look big.

Martha Bartlett Piland, president and CEO, mb piland advertising + marketing LLC Know your purpose and communicate it: Be sure all employees and prospective employees know your “WHY” and how everyone must deliver on that promise to customers and to each other. When your internal brand is strong and well-aligned

with your external brand, every customer encounter will be authentic and meaningful.

Make sure all your communications are consistent: Your brand message should Piland be the same everywhere.

Don’t just think about the obvious. Look deeper.

Your social media, onhold phone message, email signatures, signage, online review sites.

Those are all are places you should properly tell your story.

Network: Join the local chamber of commerce, join a civic group like Rotary or a professional association that shares

your values and interests.

Encourage your leadership team — and as many employees as possible — to be involved in such groups. When you’re networking, be visible. Don’t just join, be active. Show up. Volunteer, lead a committee, speak and share your expertise. Don’t forget to wear a name tag, have plenty of business cards and a great handshake.

Plan your work and work your plan: Make your marketing plan an integrated part of your business plan and execute on it. Don’t just throw things at the wall to see what sticks.

Karl Klein, regional director, Washburn University Small Business Development Center

Stay the course: Choose the platforms that are best for you and your business (commit but don’t overcommit), then guard your reputation with all your muster.

Klein The right platform should engage and create interaction with your target audience, produce interactions, and build a steady base of actionoriented followers.

Consider “cause marketing”: Recent data has shown that as much as 87 percent of consumers have said that they would switch from one company or brand to another if the other brand were associ-

‘‘

Be sure all employees and prospective employees know your ‘WHY’ and how everyone must deliver on that promise to customers and to each other.”

Martha Bartlett Piland

president and CEO, mb piland advertising + marketing LLC

ated with a good cause.

Get along with Google: You can do this by capturing your place through registering with Google my Business. Utilizing this service will get you set up to be found in searches and allow users to get quick access to information on business hours, location, and your website.

Get engaged and marry your customer: You can make great inroads with customer follow-up and

engagement by building a strong database of the people you engage in business. Make your customers feel special and know you care about them as valued patrons. Be informative, solve problems, and build relationships.

The sales will follow.

Caleb Asher, president and CEO, Sprout Communications MARKETING continues on 13

The Topeka Capital-Journal | Sunday, October 22, 2017 | 13

Marketing: Smiling can make a difference Continued from 12

Tell a story: We all like a good story, especially those with a happy ending.

When asked about your business, connecting with your audience in an authentic way is critiAsher cal. Whether you’re perfecting your elevator pitch or posting on social media, showing your personal side and relating to your customer builds trust.

Video is king: People love motion coupled with sound. Pull out your smartphone, hit record, and post it on social

media. Viewers can react instantly, like it, share it, and scroll on.

Be timely and relevant: Keep up with current events and chime in when it becomes relevant to your industry. Watch engagement trends on your social media accounts to find best times for posting and capitalize quickly on comments you receive.

Smile: It may seem obvious, but smiling can be the difference between making a sale or not. A friendly interaction is always a more positive interaction. It doesn’t cost a thing, and can brighten someone’s day. It’s one of your best marketing tools — and you carry it with you each and every day.

Getting creative to find customers Grandpa Rich’s Pork opened earlier this year

By Angela Deines

angela.deines@cjonline.com

Lovella Bartlett has used the power of Facebook to promote the pork shop she and her husband, Thomas, have operated since the beginning of the year.

“I think we’ve got around 400 likes already, since January,” Bartlett said. “That’s pretty good.

Nine out of 10 people have a Facebook account.

People go there. You’re going to reach people with social media wherever you go.”

The Bartletts operate

THAD ALLTON/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Lovella Bartlett is the co-owner of Grandpa Rich’s Pork, 724 S.W. Gage Blvd.

Grandpa Rich’s Pork, located in a small, standalone building at 724 S.W. Gage Blvd., the former Iwig Dairy store.

They sell farm-raised, hormone-free meat from

Duroc and Berkshire hogs raised in Beverly in Lincoln County. The Bartletts began selling rib chops and pork chops to the Blind Tiger restaurant in April.

Bartlett said she tries to think of ways to harness the reach of Facebook to promote their products, like announcing she is offering meat samples or giving away door prizes.

“I like to do things that will draw people in,” she said.

Maintaining high customer service online ratings is also an important part of her no-budget strategy, Bartlett said.

“That’s pretty important,” she said, “because we don’t want any negativity. No business wants negativity.”

Bartlett said even if you make a mistake as a business owner, the best thing to do is correct the mistake as quickly as possible so word-of-mouth about your customer service remains positive.

14 | Sunday, October 22, 2017 | The Topeka Capital-Journal

GO Topeka program offers incentives to businesses

By Phil Anderson

phil.anderson@cjonline.com

Dozens of small businesses in Topeka and Shawnee County are finding much-needed help from a 2-year-old program that for many recipients seems almost too good to be true.

The Topeka-Shawnee County Small Business Incentive Program, operated by GO Topeka, offers $300,000 a year in financial assistance, with funds spread between both new and existing businesses that meet eligibility requirements.

The goal is to provide a hand up to the businesses, helping them with a range of services including hiring new employees, purchasing equipment, construction or renovation of property and marketing their product.

“This is the second year for the program,” said Mary Ann Anderson, of GO Topeka. “We decided we needed a program that helped small businesses here in town.”

Anderson said the program launched in 2016 with a $150,000 budget. Halfway through the year, the program had grown to the point that GO Topeka officials approached the Joint Economic Development Organization and requested an additional $150,000.

Phil Anderson/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Glenda Washington, left, and Mary Ann Anderson, of GO Topeka, say the Topeka-Shawnee County Small Business Incentive Program is helping new and existing businesses.

By the end of 2016, the Topeka-Shawnee County Small Business Incentive Program had allocated about $260,000 to area businesses.

“We had 18 new businesses and 31 existing businesses that participated in 2016,” Anderson said.

“There were a total of 139 full-time jobs and 134 parttime jobs represented, and those were both new and existing jobs.

“This year, we’re doing it again, and it’s going well.

So far, 11 new businesses and 21 existing businesses have participated, and we have about 20 in the pipeline. They’re waiting to turn in all their paperwork and get their receipts.”

The four incentives include the following:

■■A training incentive that targets employee skills, amounting to $750 per employee for a maximum of two employees per company.

■■An equipment reimbursement up to $5,000 in matching funds.

■■A construction or renovation reimbursement, up to $5,000 in matching funds.

■■And a marketing reimbursement, up to $750 per business.

Businesses that qualify can receive funds for any or all of the incentives, with a maximum payout of $11,500 if they take part in all four.

“These are all one-time incentives,” Anderson said, “so if a business participates once, they can’t come

back and keep participating. We want to get to a lot of different businesses.”

Anderson said “a lot” of small businesses in Topeka can qualify for the funds, providing they meet certain criteria. One of the chief requirements is that the business is registered with the state.

Those who clear that hurdle then must complete a checklist of paperwork to get the process started.

Glenda Washington, of GO Topeka, said the businesses are finding out about the program largely through “word of mouth,” though she said she has made the rounds in speaking engagements to business owners, such as those in the NOTO Arts District.

“A lot of people say, ‘I’ve heard about this from a friend,’” Washington said.

“So we’ve advertised it, but it’s not like we spend a whole lot of money marketing this program. This program is by word of mouth, and it is on fire.”

Washington stressed the program goes to great lengths to ensure that those receiving funds do, in fact, qualify for them and are using them for the intended purpose.

“We do check to see if they are registered with the state,” Washington said.

“We do a site visit. We’ll go by and look at their shop, as well, especially when they get equipment. We go by and validate they got the equipment before we hand them the check.

We want to make sure that before we hand them the money, they did what they said they would do.”

Washington said the in-

centive money — which isn’t a loan and doesn’t have to be paid back — isn’t the end of the story.

“We look at growth,” she said, “so we will measure growth from last year compared to this year. So we’re tracking success.”

The program isn’t just for brick-and-mortar businesses, Washington said, noting that home-based businesses and even mobile businesses have qualified for the incentives over the first two years.

The program is nearing the end of its 2017 funding, and Washington said GO Topeka expects every penny of the $300,000 to be allocated by year’s end.

A request for $300,000 has already been made to include the incentive program in GO Topeka’s 2018 budget.

The Topeka Capital-Journal | Sunday, October 22, 2017 | 15

Chamber: ‘We want this to be inclusive’ Continued from 6

“We exist for our members,” Pivarnik said.

New members get free advertising for exposure and can also arrange a ribbon-cutting event.

Additionally, through social media and a blog, the chamber promotes its members’ services and products.

Businesses join and remain members because of the chamber’s vast networking opportunities and events, Charest said.

Being a member is also a way for businesses to show investment in the community and lends them credibility, she said.

The chamber has also worked on becoming more diverse on a number of fronts.

Now in its 31st year, the chamber’s Leadership Greater Topeka works to cultivate new leaders in the city. Each year’s

class comes from an array of backgrounds, Charest said, and represent different ages, genders, ethnicities and industries.

While downtown Topeka has been a focus of development, Stanek said the group is committed to improving the entire city and county.

“We want this to be inclusive,” she said. “We want to build engagement of the entire community.”

And to reach young professionals, the chamber launched Fast Forward in 1999. That organization made strides last year by rebranding itself as Forge and increasing efforts aimed at diversifying its membership.

“The chamber is at the center, the forefront, of great things that have happened over the years in Topeka,” Pivarnik said.

GTP: ‘It’s a unified management structure’ Continued from 9

from Tulsa where such a structure was already in place, incorporating 15-plus organizations under one umbrella.

“I came from a structure where we all were one team working together, and the team atmosphere, the economies of scale, were so incredible that I almost didn’t have a clear understanding of how valuable it was until I came here and didn’t have it,” he said. “It was, quite frankly a little frustrating for me.

I’ve said this before. Topeka should have done this a long time ago.”

The goal of the four organizations is to be operating under one roof, but at this point, no decisions have been made about that, Pivarnik said.

The new organization will be governed by a chairs council, which consists of the chair and chair-elect of each of the four partners and then seven at-large members, Sneden said. The group will have strategic oversight of GTP. It’s critical that the community

August 2017 file photograph/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Matt Pivarnik, president and CEO of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce and GO Topeka, sits with Kayla Bitler, strategic coordinator for Momentum 2022. understand that each organization is still separate as an entity, he added. The volunteer boards stay in place, and the mission of each organization remains the same.

“It’s a unified management structure,” Sneden said. “The partnership will have a CEO, which is Matt (Pivarnik). Everybody that works for one of those organizations will be on one payroll.”

The outgoing chairs of each

board of directors of the four organizations strongly favored the formation of GTP. “The four organizations that will be part of the initial — and I’ll say initial — platform got a unanimous vote of approval pretty much without a lot of controversy to move forward with this platform,” said Janet Stanek, COO at Stormont Vail Health and chamber board chairwoman.

“It opens the door for the dayto-day communication, on what are you doing, what are we doing and what can we do together,” said Zach Snethen, project manager at HTK Architects and chairman of Downtown Topeka. “And really joining just the levels of talent that each of the entities have and really working towards a collective community purpose. There’s still a focus on downtown, a focus on business, a focus on tourism in Topeka, but we’re able to combine kind of talent pools that existed somewhat autonomously before into a larger effort really working for the good of the city.”

16 | Sunday, October 22, 2017 | The Topeka Capital-Journal

A little help from a lot of friends can raise funds Online efforts can help bring projects to life

Tips for crowdfunding n Develop a strategy and pitch for the business. Keep it simple. n Dozens of crowdfunding sites exist for projects ranging from art and design to high-tech companies. Research the site before launching the campaign. n Prepare to invest time and energy promoting the campaign.

By Luke Ranker

luke.ranker@cjonline.com

Topeka native Taryn Jacob and a few of her friends wanted to create environmentally friendly, compact water bottles, but the group had no capital to get the project off the ground.

In search of a loan, she created a business plan, like her father had when he started a small business and presented to a local bank, she said.

“They legitimately laughed at us,” she said.

Not to be deterred, the group turned to Kickstarter, one of the largest crowdfunding websites, and launched a campaign seeking between $20,000 to $25,000. About $35,000 was raised through the site and Jacob started Nada Bottle, a company that provides collapsible BPA-free plastic bottles encased in nylon. A portion of the company’s profits support clean water efforts around the world.

“We really wouldn’t be where we are without crowdfunding,” Jacob said.

Crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter, Indi-

THAD ALLTON/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Topeka artist Jancy Pettit turned to Indiegogo when she wanted to fund an abstract shapes coloring book. egogo and GoFundMe have become “extraordinarily popular” with startups and small businesses looking to raise capital from strangers rather than loans, said Wallace Meyer Jr., director of entrepreneurship programs at the University of Kansas School of Business.

According to crowdexpert.com, a website devoted tracking trends in the crowdfunding industry, global crowdfunding skyrocketed from $12.7 billion in 2012 to more than $34

billion in 2015.

Small businesses have faced limited opportunities to raise capital.

“If you think about it, prior to crowdfunding, your choices were really yourself, your friends and your family,” he said. “You certainly can’t get a bank loan because there’s no collateral, and bank loans don’t tolerate that degree of risk associated with a startup.”

Topeka artist Jancy Pettit turned to Indiegogo when she wanted to fund

an abstract shapes coloring book. Pettit wanted to use heavy paper that wouldn’t tear under the pressure of a crayon or colored pencil, so she couldn’t print the books on demand and needed a little extra cash. She set a goal of $5,000 and raised a little less than that.

Those considering crowdfunding should budget for the possibility the goal won’t be met, she said. Websites also charge a percentage for hosting the crowdfunding, which

should also be factored into budgets.

Crowdfunding campaigns can generate a lot of buzz about the product and build excitement around a concept, but Pettit said people should be prepared to do that marketing themselves.

“I think the fallacy is that people think they can put a project up and that’s all you have to do,” she said. “You have to do the marketing. It can be a lot of work, so you have to have the energy.”

Since Jacob ran her Kickstarter campaign about four years ago, crowdfunding has become a lot more competitive, she said. Products seeking online funding need to be more niche, and campaigns must be eyecatching, she said.

“When we did ours, we just talked about what we wanted to do by a train track. Now you have to

n Create and maintain momentum by keeping in touch with investors and use social media n Be prepared for questions from investors. How do you plan to spend the money? Do you have an exit strategy? What are your goals? Do you have trademarks, patents or copyright in place?

SOURCE: U.S. Small Business Administration

have celebrities talk about your company,” she said.

“You have to be unique and you have to be relevant.”

The landscape of crowdfunding is also changing, Meyer said. In the past, donors to crowdfunding sites could expect reimbursement in the form of a small token of appreciation, like a T-shirt or sticker, but the SEC now allows equity crowdfunding, which allows people to own shares in the startup.

“The good news is the opportunity if the startup is successful — you can now own a piece of it, and therefore, your investment in that startup will appreciate just like any other ownership of stock in any other company,” he said. But startups rarely appreciate in value, so the downside is investors without a lot of knowledge of the risks could lose money.

The Topeka Capital-Journal | Sunday, October 22, 2017 | 17

Building in Topeka: Processes being smoothed

By Morgan Chilson

morgan.chilson@cjonline.com

The red tape that’s an intricate and necessary part of any building project is a notorious point of contention for most builders.

City of Topeka planning director Bill Fiander is well aware of complaints and challenges within the city limits on new construction and renovations. His department has been working for several years to smooth out the process so the safety of the public is protected through strong building codes and the red tape is minimized for builders and property owners.

It’s been a challenge.

Since the recession hit from 2006 to 2009 and staffing dropped at the city planning offices, the department has worked to hire more people to handle the increase in permits that began about 2011, Fiander said.

“We had to get back to a little more pre-recession staffing levels just to keep up the same turnaround times that people had come to expect and that were our goals,” he said. “The worst thing that can happen on our side is to have one person be the person who inspects, reviews, approves something and they’re out, and there’s no redundancy.”

In late 2015, the city’s planning process shifted to institute a design review process through the Landmarks Commission, which looks at plans and provides advice or answers questions for developers.

That way, if there are concerns with the design, it is caught early enough in the process to save the developer money, but shifting the way things have always been done takes time, Fiander said.

“There’s a lot of culture in the development community that you just kind of bring your plans down

here and then something magically happens and you walk away,” he said. “It was just kind of a loose process. What we’ve tried to do from that standpoint is bring a little more predictability and structure so that you know if you bring it in, you have a really good idea of when you’re going to get it back out, and you’re going to know up front what you need to give us and what information you’re going to need with your plans.

“We’ve put a lot of emphasis on the pre-application stage,” Fiander added.

For Seth Wagoner, who leads AIM Strategies and is in the process of multiple development projects, the city’s planning process has been relatively straightforward. But he wonders if that would be the case for smaller developers or business owners who just need to renovate their one building and don’t do it for a living.

“I think they do a very thorough job; they do very well,” he said. “I guess my biggest concern is that for the small developers here in town, I’m not sure that they have the resources to jump through the hoops sometimes that the city is wanting. You do need a good team of architects and engineers to make sure that you’re dealing with the historic (issues), you’re dealing with upgrading these buildings to ADA standards. If somebody has $20,000 and a dream, I’m not sure that they’re getting there.”

Early review involves a Site Plan Review, mostly for new construction, which shows a bird’s-eye view of the site, Fiander said. Such early interventions can save dollars.

“For commercial buildings, you need to have your site plan approved before you can then apply for the building permit,” he said.

“Actually we’re gong to cut down your time tremen-

KEITH HORiNeK/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Richard Faulkner, left, division director of development services for the city of Topeka, and Bill Fiander, planning director, review a set of engineering plans for the city. The two have been working to smooth out the planning process so developers know what to expect and can get through quickly. dously because at the site plan stage, at the planning stage, you’re probably going to be about 30 to 40 percent design complete.”

Adding such requirements over the past few years has helped developers avoid surprises.

Other improvements made at the city offices include electronic plan submittal, expected to be in place in the next few months. Although plans can be submitted electronically, the city staff hasn’t been able to mark them up or add comments. A new system will allow that, Fiander said.

“As soon as we mark it up electronically on the screen, it gets saved and sent back to them immediately,” he said. “We also are doing a permit portal, which will then help with communication, which is the other thing that is kind of an unsung villain in this process. We want the contractor, the design professional, to see exactly what we’re seeing on our screen.”

In the permit portal, anyone building or renovating a project will be able to see exactly where their plans are in the process, Fiander said. They can see who’s checked off on the plans, what the comments are, what’s left to do and the time frames associated with each part of the process.

Communication is critical.

Fiander said the attitude that many developers have within the city — that they can’t say anything negative or complain about the process else they be penalized by the city planning department — is frustrating to him and others, who want to hear about sticking points and figure out ways to make the process better.

In addition, he sometimes thinks the city is blamed when other factors cause the delay. Often, plans are submitted with incomplete information, such as a civil engineering plan that’s not quite completed. The city holds the plans until the in-

formation is turned in. But the architect or other professional may tell the client they dropped the plans off and imply it’s the city’s slowness at issue, Fiander said.

So the city will be changing the rules, not allowing the plans to be dropped off and left with them if they aren’t complete, he said, or charging a fee to go over the plans up front.

“It confuses people.

We’re going to stop doing that,” Fiander said.

The other issue is that many people drop off plans and end up canceling projects. City staff doesn’t need to waste time going through those plans until they know they’re moving forward, he said.

“You’d be amazed how many plans never get picked up,” Fiander said.

“You’d be surprised how many projects don’t move forward. We get a lot of those, and we don’t get any fee out of those. They bump somebody else that actually has a legitimate

project they’re moving forward on.”

Fiander said significant improvements have been made in the process. His department is on target to be at 100 percent on conducting inspections within 24 hours of request or when scheduled. Right now they’re sitting at 99 percent.

He encouraged anyone with issues to call.

“I, for one, think they absolutely need to tell us because we can’t fix anything we don’t know about,” he said. “I get a lot of thirdparty type comments. Well, who is it? I called ’em. I didn’t get a call back. We need to know exactly what we need to fix.”

It is challenging to make sure eight inspectors who go out in the field are all on the same page.

“But we’ve had a 75 percent changeover in our inspectors in the last year due to retirements, so we’ve got six out of our eight inspectors are brand new,” Fiander said. “And it’s a whole new culture which we’re trying to establish, and they’re totally up for it. Now they’ve got iPads in the field. Before it was a real struggle to get our inspectors to be technologically savvy and want to do that sort of stuff.”

For many, the planning and inspection process goes smoothly.

Mitesh Patel, who is building the Hilton Garden Inn on Arvonia Place, behind the Wanamaker WalMart, said he’s had no issues with the city and inspection team on his first project in Topeka.

“We had a challenge on our job site, so our project was delayed, but it was due to the condition of the retaining walls,” he said.

“We didn’t have any utilities. That’s why our project took a little bit longer than our average project should be, but it has nothing to do with the city.”

18 | Sunday, October 22, 2017 | The Topeka Capital-Journal

Protecting IP a must for Bartlett & West Patents, trademarks, copyrights offer critical legal safeguards

By Morgan Chilson

morgan.chilson@cjonline.com

Patents 9,533,698 and 9,771,090 protect the design of a railway monitoring system owned by Topeka’s Bartlett & West and Kentucky-based R.J. Corman Railroad Group.

On file with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, the patents represent years of work and immersion in a complex process of patent law that they initially didn’t know anything about, said B&W president Keith Warta. His name, along with the names of Bartlett employees Douglas Morrison and Chris Cobb, and employees with R.J. Corman appear on the patent.

Patents are the way that people legally protect their inventions, said Overland Park patent attorney Thomas Luebbering, who worked with Bartlett & West on the patent process. “It doesn’t matter what you call it, it doesn’t matter about the manuscript or any copyright, it’s the invention, the product itself and any structural or functional aspects of the product.”

People often are confused about the difference between patent, copyright and trademark.

“What a copyright covers are basically creative works of authorship, manuscripts, books, paintings, anything you would think of as a creative work for authorship, and that’s copyrightable,” Luebbering said. “You won the copyright the moment the work is created. So if you sit down and write a poem, you can immediately write on there copyright 2017. You can also register it with the copyright office, but you don’t have to.”

A trademark covers a mark itself, which is anything that is used to identify products or services, he

said. The three things can co-exist.

“If you invented a new mobile phone, that one device would have a patent on whatever structural things you invented with your phone, trademark on the name you applied to it, and it would have a copyright on some of the artistic parts,” Luebbering said.

For the Bartlett & West team that worked on the rail monitoring system, the patenting process was complex, and members appreciated the way Luebbering’s firm helped them work through all the steps.

Bartlett & West sought the patent when it was a conceptual idea and didn’t have a lot of detail supporting it, Warta said. They contacted Luebbering, who explained that patent law had changed around 2013 to give the patent to the first person to file, not the first person to invent.

Once the three men understood the significance, they filed a patent as quickly as they could, even though a team of people at Bartlett & West was working on the details that would make the rail system a reality.

That shift in the law was significant, Luebbering said. Previously, if an inventor could prove he was working on an invention first, the patent would be given to him. Now, it’s a race to the patent office.

“It doesn’t matter that you invented yours first, if I file before you do, then my application is taken priority over yours,” he said.

“You would lose your patent right, and I would gain.

It’s really changed things quite a bit. Now inventors, if they want to file a patent, are well advised to move quickly and get something filed right away.”

That was the first of

THAD ALLTON/The Capital-Journal

Keith Warta, left, Doug Morrison and Chris Cobb, all Bartlett & West employees, are listed as inventors on a recent company patent. It was their first patent, and they learned a lot about the complex patenting process. many patent law complexities that Warta, Morrison and Cobb were exposed to as they began to understand the detail they would need to protect their technology.

Early on in the project, Cobb said they considered the idea might be patentable. As they figured out how much financial investment they had in purchasing components, they “got serious about trying to protect that investment,” he said.

They were surprised, though, at how long and challenging the process was.

“Things never move as fast as you would like for them to move,” Warta said.

“You think this is an idea and it’s going to catch on and we’re going to be able to bring value to our clients within a matter of weeks or months. It just drags out.”

They began working with Luebbering in 2014, although initial ideas for their system had come up in 2011, Cobb said.

“Our initial patent was issued on Jan. 3, 2017, and we now have a second one that is related to the first one,”

he said.

The men were challenged to keep “inventor’s notebooks,” which are expected to contain every single detail of the process.

“I think the biggest challenge for us was once you identify that you have an idea that’s patentable is to identify every claim step,” Morrison said. “You have to make a claim of what your patentable technology does, and then you have to have art that represents that.”

Going back to 2011 when they first purchased a LIDAR scanner, basically a 3-D scanner, they had to re-create and write down every step, with supporting art or designs, he said.

“So we had to get into things like inventors notebooks and we had to keep track of every thought process that goes down,” Morrison said. “You have to date and timestamp it, sign it, and all of that history has to come forward into these claims. The patent attorneys are invaluable in that process because it’s a lot of abstract kind of thought out there that we’re bringing into a product that we want

to protect.”

When Luebbering first met with the men, he did a presentation that explained the patent process, and it was eye-opening.

“We had to do some exercises. The one that I always thought was kind of interesting was to explain a paperclip in such detail that no one would ever develop another paperclip like the paperclip you have,” Morrison said.

The details of any proprietary work on so important that Bartlett & West has given every employee an inventor’s notebook, where they’re to write down even simple ideas that they think of as they work.

That time lag on patent filings is something Luebbering said is one of the most common mistakes he sees as a patent attorney.

Before 2013, when patents were given based on a “first to invent” concept, inventors would often wait to flesh out and idea and even pitch it publicly to see if there was real interest in the invention.

But that law change means inventors and com-

panies need to file patents more quickly, although they can file a proviona patent application, which is more informal, doesn’t cost as much as a full patent application and doesn’t require as many details, Luebbering said.

From the date of the provisional filing, they have 12 months to file a full patent application.

Unfortunately, Luebbering said, some people still try to make sure their idea is marketable before showing up in his office.

“The biggest mistake everyone should know about is all patents have a deadline for filing them, and that deadline is measured from when you disclose the invention to the public,” he said. “Public disclosure can be sale of the product, or you can describe the invention on your website, or if you write a paper and publish it. You’ve got no more than 12 months from that public disclosure to file a patent application.”

The patent process cost Bartlett & West roughly $10,00 to $12,000 in attorney’s fees, not counting any time employees put in, so it’s not something they would pursue for every idea they have.

The process, though, has made them more concerned about intellectual property, Warta said.

For inventors or startup companies, a St. Louisbased organization can help defray the cost of the patenting process. The Patent Pro Bono program covers a five-state area, including Kansas, said Hayley Johnston, program manager.

“We provide patent assistance to people who are at 300 percent of the poverty level or below,” she said.

Individuals can apply on their website and then pay an administrative fee to go through the process.

They’ll receive a patentability opinion and a prior art search for that initial fee.

The Topeka Capital-Journal | Sunday, October 22, 2017 | 19

When business growth blows you away, hiring is critical

‘‘

By Morgan Chilson

morgan.chilson@cjonline.com

Business success is a delicate balance of offering products and services customers want, while also supporting and inspiring employees and staying relevant in a changing marketplace.

Sometimes, as contrary as it may seem, growing too quickly can tip that balance.

When Lyndsey Wickham and Joe Vawter opened Josey’s Baking Co. in Westboro, they weren’t expecting the staggering number of customers who would come through their doors in the first weeks. Vawter planned to keep his fulltime job, and Wickham was going to run the store on her own.

But just before opening late last year, they began accepting orders for Thanksgiving pies. It was their first inkling that Wickham might not be able to handle the shop by herself.

“We thought that we would start with a six-quart KitchenAid (mixer) and a residential oven, but we had so many pie orders for Thanksgiving,” Wickham said. “I was up all day and all night just baking pies.”

They immediately hired help and now have one full-time employee and five part-time employees. On June 1, Vawter began working in the store full time.

They also invested in commercial kitchen equipment, including a much larger mixer and a convection oven.

“It’s scary. It’s really scary to leave my benefits and my retirement, steady pay,” he said. “You don’t have any idea whether you’re going to be busy or not from day to day.”

But also scary was disappointing customers and doing permanent harm to their business.

“It’s not like we can just pull something out of the freezer, throw it in the fryer

I look back and when I talk about this with people, especially talking with other business owners, one of the big ones for us was that growth from 10 employees to the 30ish range.”

Cody Foster

Advisors Excel co-founder

THAD ALLTON/The Capital-Journal

Konr Williams, co-owner of The Car Lounge, has seen his business grow considerably, leading to many 100-hour work weeks. He added more employees to manage the load. and it’s ready to go,” Vawter said, adding that baking requires hours of prep work with dough and ingredients.

In the first days of business, Wickham said she and Vawter would be up all night baking.

“We’d put what food we had out there. People were hearing about us and they would come in and buy boxes and boxes of food for the office,” she said.

“We sold out by 9 o’clock. It sounds great, but it was real scary.”

“And discouraging, too,” Vawter added.

But they added employees and about eight weeks ago, Josey’s expanded into a vacant store next door to add a seating area.

For many, concerns about rapid business growth are mostly about making sure they have talented employees to serve customers. That can be especially true in small businesses like Josey’s and that of The Car Lounge. Konr Williams opened the car shop with partner Joe Sessel more than two years ago. He was the “car guy” of the pair, and they had plans

to run the shop just during evening and weekend hours. But eventually, Williams quit his full-time job and even then, he couldn’t keep up with the work.

“There was a hard time in Konr’s life on the back half of 2016 and early 2017 when Konr ran the shop pretty much by himself,” Sessel said.

“For almost a year, I was the only one here, only mechanic, only person running the office,” Williams said, adding that he regularly worked 100-plus hours a week.

“I was fighting that tipping point,” he said.

Sessel agreed. “The tipping point where you’re trying to balance the dollars and take a risk bringing someone in,” he said. “We had tight months doing that, but it paid off.”

Finding people that he’d had a past relationship with and could trust was key for Williams, and he brought on two people he’d known in the car industry. Even now, they’re booked two or three weeks out on jobs and could use more employees.

But, Williams said, they’re waiting to make sure the

business will support that.

Growth, especially rapid growth, is almost always about the people, said Advisors Excel co-founder Cody Foster.

“I look back and when I talk about this with people, especially talking with other business owners, one of the big ones for us was that growth from 10 employees to the 30ish range,” he said.

The company’s first employees were mostly friends and family because they were the ones who believed in the AE vision and were willing to take a chance, Foster said.

“That next jump was challenging,” he said. “It required us to go hire people we didn’t know. I think we were so busy with the business that we didn’t take a lot of time to try and hire well. I see this mistake with a lot of our advisers, the first person that comes in that looks somewhat qualified, they’re hired.”

Unfortunately, those early hiring decisions created turnover, and AE leaders quickly realized they needed to be more strategic in hiring.

“If I could go back and

do anything over again, I would have been a lot smarter and focused a lot more on hiring the right people as we started having some of that growth,” Foster said. “That probably held us back the first two or three years.”

Andrea Engstrom, owner of Bajillion Agency, knows that finding creative talent for her marketing and advertising business isn’t always easy.

“Bajillion has tripled in size in the last year,” she said. “One of the most important things for us is having a pipeline of talent that we know who our next hire is going to be. As soon as we know that the business is there to support the growth we know who we’re going to hire. So we’re never in ‘crisis mode’ for hiring.”

Engstrom also has worked to seek a balanced client base, with a focus on having 10 $100,000 clients rather than one $1 million account. That way, if one client doesn’t renew, Bajillion is in a better place to go after new clients.

“It’s steadier, stable, consistent work for my team,” Engstrom said. “If I lose one, it’s much easier to replace. That’s really where we’ve intentionally placed ourselves, instead of whale hunting.”

Whale hunting — going after the huge accounts — can mean you have 20 team

members on one account and if that client pulls the business, “you’ve got to make some really hard decisions,” she said.

Part of the challenge as AE grew was to learn to let go of touching every single business detail.

“In our growth was that evolution from being involved in everything day to day to having to delegate and let go of stuff, and be happy and understand that more is going to get done if you have a great team in place and run with it,” Foster said.

At about 150 employees, Foster said they built a leadership team and the three co-founders were less active in the day-to-day operations.

Even that challenge, he added, comes back to people. Finding the right people who understand your business goals and who will offer the service on which you founded your company can be difficult.

Carlson Financial, a financial services group founded in Topeka and now with offices in Virginia, has doubled its staff in the past year. Founder Carl Carlson said having processes in place to handle the growth is critical, along with topnotch staff.

“You need a lot of people when you’re growing rapidly, and to find the people that fit your culture and have skills and experience and just the attitude that you want, that’s probably the most difficult,” Carlson said. “Secondly, make sure that you have systems in place and processes so anybody that you plug into that company knows what they need to do.

And on top of everything, you better be good at what you do, he said.

“Be the best at what you do,” Carlson said. “And stay on top. It’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of hours and dedication and perseverance. It’s not easy.

“You better be good.”

20 | Sunday, October 22, 2017 | The Topeka Capital-Journal