SBJ 08-2011 by The Southern Illinoisan

AUGUST 2011

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MONEY MATTERS How to lose money: Certificates of deposit are popular investment choices because of their security and predictable rates of return. But columnist Scott McClatchey took a closer look at CDs for this issue of SBJ and came to the conclusion that investors who rely solely on CDs are losing money. That’s because today’s yields aren’t keeping pace with inflation. Page 7

WOMEN IN BUSINESS Speaking in gender terms: Columnist Jane Sanders examines the different styles used by men and women in the world of business. Communication can be especially risky for women in business. Women who choose to speak as directly as their male counterparts risk being perceived as difficult and demanding, while those who prefer styles seeking collaboration and consensus can be viewed as too nice and not as competent. Page 11

INDICATORS Another mixed bag: Unemployment was trending down in recent months, but the latest numbers for Southern Illinois include a spike in jobless claims in seven of 18 counties. Overall unemployment remained flat for the region during May but rose 0.4 percent in Illinois and 1 percent nationwide. In another discouraging

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Architechniques, Ltd. ........................ 22

measure, home sales either remained flat or declined from the prior year in nine of 16 reporting counties rates, with declines of 35.5 percent and 16.2 percent in heavily populated Williamson and Jackson counties, respectively. Get the latest on new vehicle sales, gas prices, hotel stays and other indicators. Pages 12-13

Carbondale Civic Center ...................... 7 Country Financial, Dennis Woodside .... 7 Custom Cleaners .............................. 15

ELDER LAW First, forget the myths: Estate planning is a very complicated area of the law, one that, unfortunately, is made more complex by a wealth of myths. Columnist Richard Habiger debunks some of the prevailing myths, beginning with the misperception that a person with a good will won’t have an estate requiring probate court. Page 14

Datalock .......................................... 20 FB McAfoos & Company ...................... 5 Feirich, Mager, Green & Ryan.............. 22 Ferrellgas .......................................... 22

ACHIEVEMENTS Learn the latest: Find out who has been hired, who has been promoted or who has received an award for their efforts in business. Make sure you check out our newest ‘Faces in the News’ collection of business portraits and learn more of achievements in regional businesses. If you know of a business or business person who deserves special recognition for advanced training, a unique honor or a business expansion, please let us know at sbj@thesouthern.com. Pages 18-20

Hyannis Air Service, Inc. .................... 20 Jim’s Mobile Offices and Homes ........ 15 John A. Logan College ........................ 17 Modern Copier, Inc. .......................... 22 Oliver and Associates, Inc. ................ 15

Contact us Pepsi MidAmerica .......................... 5, 22 The Southern Business Journal is a publication of The Southern Illinoisan. Contact us via mail at 710 N. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, IL 62901, or at P. O. Box 2108, Carbondale, IL 62903. Also reach us on the Web at www.sbj.biz and via email at SBJ@thesouthern.com. The Journal is published 12 times per year monthly, and

Publisher: Bob Williams n 618-351-5038 Editor: Gary Metro n 618-351-5033

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SIU Credit Union .................................. 8

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mailed to businesses, community development leaders, chambers of commerce members and other professionals in Southern Illinois. Copyright 2011 by The Southern Illinoisan, all rights reserved. A subscription may be obtained by calling 618-529-5454 or 618-997-3356, or by visiting our website.

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Cover Story Facebook and Twitter and blogs -- oh my!

Our panel members Jeff Rose

An independent certified financial planner, Rose is owner of Alliance Wealth Management in Carbondale. More than 4,000 people read his blog, www.goodfinancialcents.com, on a daily basis. He participates in most social media sites, including Twitter, where he is @jjeffrose.

BY LES O’DELL SBJ CORRESPONDENT

For business, social media can be an avenue to increased promotion and interaction with customers. For many companies, it also can be a complex and confusing venture into unchartered Internet waters. To make social media a little less intimidating, Southern Business Journal asked a panel of local experts, some who have used social media to their advantage and others who study and utilize the networks and platforms every day, to share their knowledge of social media with our readers. SBJ: To start, what are we talking about when we say ‘social media,’ especially when it relates to business? Nasco: I like to define social media — not only by what it is, but by what it is not. Social media is not marketing. Social media is a set of tools used to accomplish marketing goals. A company cannot solely rely on social media without having a solid product or service to sell, and a solid understanding of their target market is actually using these social media tools. Once you recognize that difference, then the primary responsibility is to find those social media applications that their target market is using most. Henry: She’s absolutely right. A business cannot survive on social media alone. There are companies that choose not to do a website because they are already on Facebook, but you’re only as good as your latest post. Social media is just one of the tools of marketing, not the sole component of marketing. Nasco: Social media should be complimentary to your other marketing. For example, you can’t have a Facebook page with a voice that says you’re a low-cost

Suzanne Nasco

Nasco is associate professor of marketing at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She also directs the university’s MBA program. She is a frequent consultant to businesses worldwide on social media, in addition to teaching and researching social media trends. On Twitter, she is @snasco. Terrance Henry

ART SERVICES

Social media can be an avenue to increased promotion and interaction with business customers.

option, and then a price point where you charge higher than your competitors. There has to be a consistency. SBJ: When we say social media, what are the platforms or websites that we are talking about? Calvert: There are a bunch. The main one is Facebook. There’s also Twitter. Google Plus is brand new, and they have not launched anything for business yet. There’s also LinkedIn and Foursquare. Scavenger is another, which basically is more for scavenger hunts, but it’s great for businesses, as well. Rose: Let’s not forget YouTube or blogging. SBJ: Let’s look at each of these individually. (See sidebar article.) Calvert: In Facebook right now, businesses can create their own page to promote themselves. It is

great for communicating with customers and for getting the word out. Nasco: One of the key things about FB and social media, in general, is that traditional marketing tends to be ‘push’ strategy, where the company has something to say, and they’re going to say it through brochures, advertisements or a website. As the Internet has matured, we’re really seeing the power of the consumer to where, now, these social media tools allow companies to have more of a ‘pull’ strategy, which is where they communicate with customers and they can pull information from those customers. A popular term now is crowd sourcing, and it is very relevant here because what it means is that you’re relying on your crowd — your peers, your

Find more business news at www.sbj.biz. customers, your suppliers, your employees. You’re pulling information from them that can help you satisfy them. With Facebook, companies cannot just push information with posts, but they can also pull information with things like polls or actually asking questions of their customers. Because Facebook seems very personal, emotion comes into it, too. Henry: Facebook is a lot like word-of-mouth. And, SEE COVER / PAGE 4

Henry is co-owner of SI Small Business Solutions, a Marionbased website design, information technology and consulting company. The company is online at www.sismallbiz.com. Tamarah Cook

Cook is social media manager for SIUC, serving as the “voice” of SIUC on Facebook and for followers on Twitter, where she is the person behind the @SIUC handle. Austin Goins-McCree

The marketing director for Walker’s Bluff, north of Carbondale, Goins-McCree handles advertising and promotion for the vineyard and entertainment center, and participates on Twitter as @Walkersbluff. Stacy Calvert

Calvert is a graduate student at SIUC with years of experience in the dot-com and social media world. She is one of the organizers of the new Southern Illinois Social Media Club. She handles social media for the Student Recreation Center and is @stacyjill on Twitter. — Les O’Dell

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

AUGUST 2011

Cover Story FROM PAGE 3 of course, everyone says word-ofmouth is one of the best forms of advertising. Nasco: Twitter is often called microblogging. If you look at all of the social media tools, Twitter came out of the blogging world. I think that’s something that a lot of people forget; they don’t consider blogging to be social media, but blogs are the grandparent of all social media. That’s where you first started seeing customers having a voice, and then other people — strangers, really — read and build on that. Rose: I think as far as a strategy, I look at blogging as making information available. With my client base, I found I was getting a lot of the same questions over and over again. I thought, rather than being like a broken record, why don’t I write a blog post addressing that question? That gave me a resource for not only that one client, but for anyone out there in the world that might have that same question. I’ve been able to use Twitter and Facebook to get that message out more, and now using YouTube and video sharing to put a face and a voice behind it. It gives a multifaceted approach. Nasco: And, of course, he uses those other platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook to drive traffic back to the blog. I think that’s what’s genius about it. You can use it to refer people back to your site. Rose: I’ve gotten new clients through Facebook, all because of the blog. It all works together. I do have all of my blog posts automatically posted to Facebook and Twitter, so it is sort of a push, but it’s a push of free information. It’s not a push of, “Hey, come invest with me.” It’s more, “Here’s some information. If it’s useful for you, great. Even better, if it’s useful to someone else, pass it along.” SBJ: Is it hard to find the right voice for each particular form of social media?

Cook: I think it is difficult. If you own a small business, odds are you know your target market. If you own a dog kennel, you know that they’re all pet lovers. In our case at SIUC, we have everything from alumni to students to prospective students and staff to just friends of the university. I think it’s very difficult to reach all of them through one platform, and then you have to take different approaches. Facebook is something where you can’t overpost; whereas, with Twitter, you can post all of the time, and no one’s going to have an issue with that. Goins-McCree: At Walker’s Bluff, we look at Twitter as our instant update to our customers. If we have something that is really big going on, or something that we really need to tell our customers immediately, we do that on Twitter because you can post over and over again there, and it’s not seen as an annoyance, where on Facebook, we’re not going to post 20 status updates every day. SBJ: Are there other ways businesses can use social media? Nasco: On Facebook, as a person, if I follow or am Facebook friends with Stacy, she’s automatically following me; on Twitter, it’s asynchronous — I can follow you, but you don’t necessarily have to follow me. You should use that ability very strategically. I use Twitter, primarily so that there is someone else who is filtering that marketing information for me. I can go onto Twitter several times a day and see what other people have filtered for me. If it’s relevant, I can read it and forward it without having to go to 50 different sites in order to get that same information. Rose: What I love about social media, especially Twitter, is that I’m following people who share links to articles that are of interest to me. That way, I didn’t have to go to the original source to find it. Instead, on Twitter, a person who I trust has shared a link with me, so I’m going to read it.

‘Social media is not a fad. It’s here to stay. When you start, don’t think you have to be perfect at it. Just pick one platform, and you’ll learn as you go.’ JEFF ROSE OWNER OF ALLIANCE WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Calvert: It’s also great for finding your competition around the country and seeing what they are doing. That wasn’t available before social media. You can see what they are doing on a daily basis and see if it might work for you. You can really use the media for your advantage. Cook: One of my favorite things you can do through social media, especially Twitter, is that you can monitor your brand. You can see what people are saying about your brand because they are out there talking about you. You can learn what they’re saying, and then you can interact with them, asking what you can do to improve, or thanking them for compliments. SBJ: What do companies need to avoid when it comes to social media? Nasco: I would say that the biggest mistake small businesses make in social media is outsourcing their voice or assigning it to an intern, for example. I think that small businesses need to commit to one tool at a time until you get to the point where either it is returning enough to you to actually hire a social media manager, or you recognize the intensity of the commitment. Once you start, you should not stop, or else all of those customers that come to you from those social media connections and that emotional connection are going to feel abandoned. I would say one tool at a time, picking the tool that your target market is on the most.

Goins-McCree: You really have to trust someone to be the voice of your company on your social media sites. It’s a big responsibility, and you have to make sure that the person you entrust to it is speaking your brand’s language. Henry: I’d use Facebook first. It’s the easiest, and it’s the most widely known. Calvert: Yes, social media is free, but you have to consider bringing someone on to handle this for your business or plan on doing a lot of it yourself. SBJ: So, is social media something that you have to do well or don’t do at all? Cook: Yes. I think of it as a greeter just inside your businesses door. You wouldn’t want them to sometimes be, “Hi! How are you?” and then the next day sit there thinking, “I’m not going to talk to you because I’m busy today.” If you don’t do social media well, you’re really not making the customer a priority. Nasco: You have to find the tool that best fits your business and your audience. If you’re a service provider, Facebook may not necessarily be the tool for you. Knowing what the tools are is important. For example, if you’re a service provider targeting wealthy individuals, LinkedIn has the highest average income of all of the tools. SBJ: Facebook and Twitter seem to be the big two of social media. Do they have the same audience? Goins-McCree: I don’t think so. It seems that our Twitter followers tend to be younger. Our FB followers are generally our older audience. We now have more than 4,000 followers on Facebook. I didn’t realize how much people relied on Facebook to get info from businesses. I thought they’d go on the website or call, but we see people asking questions on Facebook on Friday night. I didn’t understand it, but it is such an instantaneous way to communicate. We get all kinds of SEE COVER / PAGE 6

A social media primer There are literally dozens of social media platforms available to Internet users and businesses. Four of the most common tools are outlined below: Facebook As the largest of the social media websites, Facebook has more than 750 million users worldwide. Users can create a personal profile, connect with other users as “friends” and update friends on their activities through posts called status updates. Users can also post photographs, videos and other materials, as well as join interest groups, “chat” with friends and send messages. Twitter Twitter limits users’ posts to 140 characters, making it a microblogging site. These posts are called Tweets. Twitter allows users to “follow” the posts of other users without requiring that posters “follow” them in return. Blogging Short for “Web Log” blogging, blogs are often written and maintained by individuals on a regular basis, where they share events, thoughts and other material. Many blogs are interactive, providing readers an opportunity to comment on the posts. LinkedIn LinkedIn is a type of social media for professionals, where they can maintain business and industry contacts, as well as learn of their contacts’ connections. — Les O’Dell

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AUGUST 2011

Employment Law

COVER: Facebook, Twitter FROM PAGE 4 questions on Facebook. That’s what makes it such a great tool for us. Calvert: Not only is it marketing, but it’s also customer service because you’re going to have comments and questions that you need to answer. Cook: There is an opportunity there for customers to make some noise, either good or bad. Rose: I don’t get a lot of that. Usually people will go to the blog and use a ‘contact me’ form or just email me questions. With financial questions, I guess they don’t want that on a public forum. For me, the blog is the central hub. That’s home base. I use everything else — Twitter, Facebook, YouTube — just to throw my net out, to see if I can reach people in different ways and bring them back to the blog. SBJ: What’s the one piece of advice you’d give area businesses about social media? Goins-McCree: Choose wisely who is going to be your social media voice. Also, keep it current and keep it updated. Rose: Social media is not a fad. It’s here to stay. When you start, don’t think you have to be perfect at it. Just pick one platform, and you’ll learn as you go. LES O’DELL of Carbondale is a regular contributor to Southern Business Journal and The Southern Illinoisan.

S.I. Social Media Club developing Business leaders who already utilize social media and those with an interest in new media have an opportunity to learn from one another through a new regional organization. The Southern Illinois Social Media Club is a local chapter of a national organization of professionals who work to promote media literacy and to develop industry standards. The local group is in the developmental stage, with plans for numerous events and workshops throughout the year. “The Social Media Club is important to educate the business community about the advantages of social media and how it can help their businesses and personal networking,” Darryl Jones, owner of Splattered Ink in Murphysboro and one of the group’s organizers, says. The club’s first event, which is being called a “meetup,” will be at 6 p.m. Aug. 11 at Tres Hombres in Carbondale. “This will be a great opportunity to engage with other business leaders who use social media in Southern Illinois,” Jones says. More information about the group is available online at http://socialmediaclub.org/chapter/ southern-illinois/ or by following the organization on Twitter @SMCSouthernIL. — Les O’Dell

A brief primer on retaliatory discharge claims under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act BY ED RENSHAW SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

Illinois is considered to be an “at-will” employment state, which means that an employee can quit or be fired for any reason, or no reason. As Renshaw always, there are exceptions to this general rule. One of the most common exceptions arises when an employee suffers a workrelated injury that may result in a claim for compensation under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act. When that happens, it becomes more difficult to discharge the employee “for any reason, or no reason.” More than 30 years ago, the Illinois Supreme Court recognized that employees wouldn’t try to get compensation for their work-related injuries if they were fired for doing so. At that time, employers could fire an employee for filing a workers’ compensation claim, and the employee could do nothing about it. As the court reasoned, employees shouldn’t be forced to choose between keeping their jobs and being compensated for injuries suffered on the job. So, the court found that former employees could sue for “retaliatory discharge” and recover money if they could show they were fired because of the injury. In the 30 years since that decision, Illinois courts have set out some guiding principles on what constitutes a valid claim for retaliatory discharge. Let’s hit some of the high points. First, the person claiming retaliatory

discharge must actually be an employee of the company. While this sounds simple enough, it can be somewhat complicated when workers are classified as independent contractors and are not covered under the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. Just because you call someone an independent contractor does not mean he or she will not be considered an employee if that person suffers a work-related injury. Further, temps from a staffing agency can be deemed to be employees of the client for purposes of retaliatory discharge. Employees of a staffing agency released back to the agency after having a workers’ compensation claim may be able to sue the client for retaliatory discharge, even if the staffing agency is the one providing the workers’ compensation coverage. Second, a former employee may not have to actually file a workers’ compensation claim in order to be protected from retaliatory discharge. If an employer fires an employee who has a work-related injury before the employee files a claim, the firing may still be considered a retaliatory discharge if the employer knew of the injury before the discharge. Third, even employees who do not have a work-related injury may be protected from retaliatory discharge. For example, if employee A has a work-related injury and the company fires employee B, who witnessed the injury and is scheduled to testify on behalf of employee B, employee B can sue for retaliatory discharge, even though he or she was never injured. Fourth, an employee actually has to be fired in order to claim retaliatory discharge. The Illinois Supreme Court has never expanded the retaliation to any other type of discipline or action

Find more business news at www.sbj.biz. short of firing, such as demotion or transfer or salary reduction. Fifth, it is very risky to fire an employee with work-related injury simply because you believe the employee is not telling the truth about the injury or its severity. Unless a legal determination has been made that the employee has committed fraud in claiming an injury, a firing will likely bring on a retaliatory discharge claim. Finally, excessive absenteeism may be a valid reason for firing an employee, even if the absences are caused by the workers’ compensation injury. For example, if a business has a policy in place that employees who miss six consecutive months of work are discharged, that policy can be applied to employees who are absent due to a work-related injury. This policy must be applied to all employees, regardless of the reason for the absences. An employee injured on the job is entitled to protection from retaliatory discharge. However, if the employee is not performing for reasons unrelated to the injury, the employer is not prohibited from disciplining the employee. If a firing is contemplated, it may be time to consult with an attorney who handles employment law matters. EDWARD RENSHAW is a partner with the Carbondale law firm of Feirich/Mager/ Green/Ryan. F/M/G/R is a general practice law firm offering a full range of legal services, including labor and employment law, real estate, workers’ compensation and estate planning. The firm’s telephone number is 618-5293000 and its website is www.fmgr.com.

AUGUST 2011

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

Money Matters The current CD quandary: Today’s yields can’t beat inflation BY SCOTT MCCLATCHEY SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

Certificate of deposit investors are effectively losing money. According to Market Rates Insight, a research firm tracking bank rates, annualized inflation has surpassed long-term McClatchey CD rates since February. In April, 12-month inflation hit 3.16 percent, while the highest yielding year-year callable CD on the market offered a 2.4 percent interest rate. May’s Consumer Price Index put annualized inflation at 3.6 percent; as of mid-June, the highest yielding nationally available five-year CD was at 3.05 percent annual

percentage yield. Still, the Federal Reserve found that almost $9 trillion of American wealth was held in CDs, bank accounts and various FDIC-insured products as of April. It’s a case of déjà vu. This is the second time in recent history that CD investors have been punished for assuming so little risk. During the period from January to July 2008, the negative yield on five-year CDs was 1.8 percent, according to MRI. They might come out ahead, should inflation diminish. As Bankrate.com senior financial analyst Greg McBride reminded Bloomberg, “Investing in a CD isn’t compensating you for last year’s inflation; it’s compensating you for next year’s inflation, which is unknown.” Will inflation ease in the long term? Many analysts aren’t betting on it. The appeal of CDs remains strong. After all, not many investments are federally

insured. MRI Vice President Dan Geller said it best to Bloomberg: “Right now, people are more concerned about the return of their deposits rather than a return on their deposits.” With 63 percent of Americans still believing the nation is in a recession (according to a recent Rasmussen Reports poll), there is still plenty of skittishness about equity investment. Even with the Fed’s bond-buying campaign sending yields on short-term Treasuries and CDs toward all-time lows, some investors really aren’t hungry for risk. Are CDs still worth it? There is no pat answer. Your own answer will depend on your preferred investment style, your risk tolerance and your financial objectives. Many people choose to park some of their invested assets in CDs and other savings instruments as part of a diversification approach. The inflation-adjusted return is

dismal at the moment, but knowing that your principal is safe certainly has its appeal. Note that surrender charges apply, should you attempt to liquidate your CD. Any guarantees regarding safety of principal are based on the claims paying ability of the issuing financial institution. Traditional CDs are FDIC insured and offer a fixed rate of return if held to maturity. SCOTT MCCLATCHEY is a certified financial planner with Alliance Investment Planning Group, a Carbondale investment firm located at 115 S. Washington St. He can be reached at 618-519-9344 or scott@allianceinvestment planning.com. He also provides investment, retirement planning and insurance services to SIU Credit Union members through the SIU Credit Union Investment Services partnership. Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC.

AUGUST 2011

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

Investments Family Limited Partnership: It has its place, but not always BY BART A. BASI AND MARCUS S. RENWICK SBJ CONTRIBUTORS

Many people have heard of what is known as the Family Limited Partnership. The amazing thing, the terms Family Limited Partnership and FLP do not appear in the Internal Revenue Code or any of the accompanying regulations. Quite simply, FLP is a limited partnership or a Limited Liability Company that is utilized largely in estate planning, offering some benefits to the users, with some substantial downsides.

Nuts and Bolts The FLP allows the general partner to fund the device, transfer value to heirs, keep general control over the assets and utilize various other strategies to reduce gift and estate taxes. In practice, the FLP is similar to a trust in so far as assets are transferred for the current and future benefit of another, while allowing the grantor/general partner to keep control over the assets. The FLP differs from a trust in that it provides for additional tax and nontax advantages, while offering potential unlimited life, and can keep operating after the grantor’s/general partner’s death. While the trust still has a well established place in estate planning, the FLP’s niche in estate planning is a little less established, but not devoid of advantages. The limited partnership (the LP portion of FLP) is a legitimate business entity set up under state statute. Legally, the general partner is potentially liable for all of the debts and claims against the entity to the extent of the business assets in the LP and personally held assets. The limited partners, on the other hand, are not subject to personal liability and are only liable for debts and claims to the extent of their investment in the FLP. The general partner’s liability can be largely absolved by having the general partner shares owned through an S corporation or a Limited Liability Company.

Benefits While the tax benefits of the FLP are substantial, the nontax benefits cannot be overlooked. Not only are the nontax benefits important for the family business, making an effort to achieve the nontax benefits is important to gain the tax benefit advantages, as well. Consolidation of management is a benefit of the FLP structure. Instead of setting up separate trusts, separate bank accounts and separate brokerage accounts, the FLP can use one central account. The consolidation also has the effect of reducing investment expenses and unifies the investment, as well. Unifying the investment, in the manner of an FLP, also provides longevity to the investment, insofar as the FLP can be operated post death by a family member to provide greatest return. The FLP also provides the benefit of creditor protection. Assets involved in businesses, especially a closely held business owned by a minority non-voting shareholder, are often not attractive to creditors or potential ex-spouses. A professional business appraiser is required to be retained when valuing an FLP. An FLP, as most businesses, is not a simple asset to value. Houses, cars, antiques, items for donation must be valued by a qualified appraiser. Closely held businesses, including FLPs, are often so intangible in nature, and often so different from one another, that a simple valuation by a nonprofessional is not sufficient. Because of the complexity, differences and unique nature of each business, an appraisal by a professional appraiser is needed. The appraiser will appraise the business, using a variety of methods — methods that may be advantageous to your estate tax position. One benefit of the FLP is the ability to use marketability and minority shareholder discounts upon valuation. It follows such that along with an appraisal, the professional appraiser can assign discounts for lack of marketability and lack of control. For an FLP, combined discounts for lack of control and

marketability can total from 20 to 40 percent.

Disadvantages Along with the advantages, there is a substantial downside. That downside is a substantial list of ways to derail the intent of the FLP and the advantages it sets forth. l Many promoters of the FLP actively encourage people to insert nearly all of their personal property into the FLP. Property included in the transfer typically includes their house, business interest, recreational property and any and all possessions. Including all personal property in the FLP, to the point where it is impossible to be financially viable, is often fatal to the instrument. This is the worst possible thing that could be done. The IRS sees right through it, brings it to court and, often times, wins easily. l Failure to follow formalities is another fatal event to the FLP. Corporate structures, such as corporations, LLCs and S corporations, all have requirements on their formalities. Such formalities include a charter of some sort, minutes, elections, etc. Failing to have or follow the charter and rules is a sure way to give the structure less credibility within a court or other state proceeding. It is nearly universal that those holding a corporation or FLP will not exactly follow the procedure necessary to uphold the use of the corporate entity or its like. It is with this that many FLPs fail and leave the owner with a large tax bill. l Forming the entity, but placing nothing in it, is another folly that is common. Many individuals go to great lengths and expenses to form an FLP. A lot of times, they form very proper, well utilized entities, in fact. The downfall is, sometimes, that they do not place sufficient assets in the FLP. This is also common with trusts that are written up by attorneys. Once the instrument is created, you must put assets in it; otherwise, the instrument is of no use, and the assets outside the entity do not benefit. l Failing to maintain the FLP can also mean the downfall of the entity. Each state

has a mandatory fee for every entity registered within its borders. This includes corporations, partnerships and all other entities. The FLP is no different in that the FLP must pay a fee. If this fee is not paid, eventually the entity is administratively and involuntarily dissolved. The result — no FLP benefits. l Jurisdictional issues can also present problems. In any legal or tax strategy, it pays to know the jurisdiction. From a legal perspective, bankruptcy laws differ, as in some states offer only a charging order to creditors trying to collect from limited partnerships. A charging order allows creditors to accept distributive payment instead of collecting the principal and assets of the company. It is a less preferred method of collection to the creditor. If states do not allow charging orders, this is less favorable for an FLP. Discounts are also imperative.

Conclusion Estate and business succession should not be done in a one-size-fits-all concept. While the Family Limited Partnership has its place for certain individuals, most people would benefit from other or additional estate planning. The fact is that only 25 percent of those doing estate planning should have an FLP. Trusts, business planning and a whole host of other instruments are available to properly plan the actions and courses to be taken when the time comes. The time to engage in business succession planning is today. Don’t let your business become another statistic. Call The Center at 618-997-3436 for details and assistance with your business succession plan. BART A. BASI is an expert on closely held enterprises. He is an attorney, a certified public accountant and the president of The Center for Financial, Legal & Tax Planning, Inc. He is a member of the American Bar Association’s Tax Committees on Closely Held Businesses and Business Planning. MARCUS S. RENWICK is an attorney and the director of research and publications with the firm.

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One Business at a time. The Illinois Small Business Development Center at Southern Illinois University Carbondale provides technical assistance to both prospective and existing business owners in order to help them launch and/or expand a successful and a sustaining business. Confidential consulting services are offered free of charge to our clients.

FREE WORKSHOPS

AUGUST 31

Starting a Business in Illinois: This two-hour informational seminar covers the basic requirements of starting your own business including: legal structure, start-up requirements, finding financing and business planning basics. An optional business startup toolkit is available for $15 in both printed and electronic formats.

Starting a Business in Illinois Wednesday, 9 – 11 a.m. Marion, Man-Tra-Con 3000 W. DeYoung St., Illinois Star Centre Mall

Finding Financing: This informational seminar details how to obtain funding for your small business as well as provides indepth information on all the possible financing options that are currently available in our region.

Intro to Govt. Contracting Friday, 12 – 1 p.m. Marion, Man-Tra-Con 3000 W. DeYoung St., Illinois Star Centre Mall Starting a Business in Illinois Friday, 1 – 3 p.m. Marion, Man-Tra-Con 3000 W. DeYoung St., Illinois Star Centre Mall

Intro to Government Contracting: This brief workshop will highlight the basic requirements for state and federal contracting as well as discuss local requirements and also detail certifications that business owners may apply for based on their location, ethnicity, and gender.

NOVEMBER 4 Finding Financing Friday, 3 – 5 p.m. Marion, Man-Tra-Con 3000 W. DeYoung St., Illinois Star Centre Mall

Illinois Small Business Development Center/International Trade Center Southern Illinois University Carbondale Entrepreneurship & Business Development Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center 150 E. Pleasant Hill Rd., Suite 110 Carbondale, IL 62903

sbdc@siu.edu www.siusbdc.com

618-536-2424

The Illinois Small Business Development Center/International Trade Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administratino and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and hosted by Southern Illinois University Carbondale

AUGUST 2011

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

Women in Business Influencing up: Gender communication for results and advancement BY JANE SANDERS SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

Yes, things in the business world are getting better for women. And, yes, we still have a ways to go. Women in leadership and executive positions stare down a double-edged sword Sanders daily. If their style is primarily assertive, decisive, task vs. relationship oriented, etc., they are labeled as too tough and masculine — the “B” word. So, does this mean to not act like a man? Or, if a woman’s style is predominantly collaborative, supportive and friendly, she is perceived as nice, but less competent. So, does this mean to not act like a woman if she wants to advance? But, what’s left? How is she supposed to act? Arrgghhh!!

Stereotypes Women must walk a fine line in the business world, especially in longerestablished industries such as financial services, insurance, automotive and manufacturing. Using solely one gender communication style or the other can often backfire, much more so than it would for a man, as this inflexible behavior will illicit stereotyping and misperceptions of women’s competence and personality. Such behavior by men can cause judgment, too, but less often and less severe, with milder consequences. Eliminating these gender stereotypes is a valid, but lofty, and, for the foreseeable future, completely unattainable goal. So, instead of focusing on eliminating stereotyping, the world would be better served by becoming aware of gender styles, accepting them merely as differences rather than right or wrong behaviors, and learning how to work with them more effectively. In a way, this is a form of eliminating typecasting, but it

approaches the issue by managing stereotypes, not expecting them to disappear.

The solution Women will get the best results by recognizing that they are being judged more strictly, and by interacting and working with a blend of masculine and feminine styles. Men will get the best results by also working with a balance of styles, and by recognizing gender style differences as just that — merely differences — not right, wrong, bad or good. A different style does not translate to less competence, intelligence or leadership ability. Individuals do not need to change who they are naturally, as all people are already a combination of both approaches (although many people, especially in business, get off track from their authentic blend). It’s a matter of flexibility, awareness and having the skills to apply each style in appropriate situations.

Bottom line Women (and men) use a blend of feminine and masculine styles. Be trustworthy, honest, approachable, open, collaborative and supportive, while also taking risks, being assertive when necessary with courtesy, delegating, making the tough decisions and promoting oneself appropriately. The following are communication and behavioral tips for women (or men with a feminine style) that will help improve productivity, working relationships and chances for advancement. Be succinct, to the point, but not abrupt. Hold details for back-up purposes. No one has time to pour over details unless paramount, especially the people in power positions who are judging your interactions with them. Avoid tag questions, apologies, disclaimers, “This is a good report, don’t you think?” Better would be, “Good report.” Hear the difference in power? “Well, this is just my opinion, but …”

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Women must walk a fine line in the business world, especially in longer-established industries.

Better would be, “I think we should …” Take credit for your accomplishments. Or someone else might. Give brief updates on your projects, whether asked for or not. You are not bragging. If you don’t communicate your successes to the powers-that-be, no one else will do it for you, and your skills may be underestimated. Key word — brief! Reduce personal disclosure and problems. Men don’t bond and process the same way women do. This behavior makes them uncomfortable, and they often view it in the workplace as weak and unstable. Handle conflict directly, politely, with empathy. Be clear, to the point, but not rude or abrupt. If you are nervous about an upcoming confrontation, outline your thoughts to clarify and focus them. Take the bull by the horns, but keep him feeling safe and respected at the same time. Make most decisions independently. Reduce the number of times you ask others for their opinion for consensus’ sake. Men see this as indecision and lack of confidence. Just step up to the plate and get things done. Avoid strong displays of emotions. Men see this as weakness — too emotional and not managerial. Avoid saying “I’m sorry” unless you are

literally at fault. It communicates that you were wrong when it may simply be a transition or conversation smoother. Men view apologies as weakness. When interrupted, be direct and courteous, not sharp, but take back the floor. “Hang on a second please, thanks.” Put your hand up to signal “stop” if you have to. Remember, you don’t have to like someone to get the job done. To be successful and promotable, it’s more important for staff to respect and trust you first. They want to know you are the leader. Like can come later and will if the respect and trust remain consistent. Like can come first; but, without the respect and trust, they may still run over you and challenge you at every turn. Communicate your vision for the company/department to men/people-incharge, and your ideas for achieving this vision. If you don’t have a vision, get one. Be flexible and keep a positive attitude about differences. Different is not right, wrong, bad or good — just different. My work, which consists of 18 years of interviews, consulting and speaking for the business world, strongly indicates that the best leaders, regardless of gender, employ a blend of gender communication styles. The best companies recognize, encourage and reward collaborative leaders who nurture and develop their employees, building loyalty, while making the tough decisions, managing their time and getting the job done. JANE SANDERS is president of GenderSmart Solutions. She is an expert in gender issues and communication and helps companies recruit, retain and sell to women. She is a consultant, coach and speaker in the areas of gender communication, recruiting and retention of women, selling to women, strategic life planning, authentic leadership confidence and presentation skills. Jane is author of “GenderSmart: Solving The Communication Puzzle Between Men and Women.” Reach Jane toll-free at 877-3432150, jane@janesanders.com or www.janesanders.com.

Retail sales for Southern Illinois cities City Anna Benton Carbondale Carterville Chester Du Quoin Harrisburg Herrin Jonesboro Marion Metropolis Mount Vernon Murphysboro Nashville Pinckneyville Red Bud Sparta Vienna West City West Frankfort REGION ILLINOIS

YTD April 2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

39.4 28.7 205.8 13.8 17.7 36.3 72.1 49.8 3.7 227.1 34.4 175.0 33.6 35.3 13.4 24.0 41.9 12.2 27.6 42.0 $1,133.8 $50,111.7

120.9 69.5 598.0 42.2 55.3 77.1 195.0 153.4 11.8 683.1 82.0 507.0 130.6 96.6 38.5 75.2 128.5 39.9 87.8 112.4 $3,304.8 $147,232.0

114.5 69.4 565.5 39.9 52.9 100.8 191.9 147.2 12.5 676.0 77.1 476.7 129.1 107.9 37.2 70.1 126.4 37.1 91.9 111.4 $3,235.5 $139,593.2

113.3 71.4 587.7 40.1 51.5 91.9 179.3 135.9 12.4 673.4 75.9 482.8 117.1 101.8 39.0 77.7 130.5 40.5 89.6 111.2 $3,223.0 $237,438.0

112.3 72.4 607.4 40.3 51.7 94.4 173.6 134.4 11.3 662.4 79.8 461.5 94.9 105.2 35.8 73.7 129.5 39.8 82.8 111.4 $3,174.7 $180,162.7

111.7 75.0 610.4 39.9 54.0 103.1 168.5 137.5 11.5 592.7 74.8 501.0 93.0 105.7 41.7 82.5 133.1 36.9 77.7 106.8 $3,157.6 $173,362.8

N I L L I Chicago Fed Midwest % change 06-10 Manufacturing Index

p q q p p q p p p p p p p q q q q p p p p q

8.2% 7.3% 2.0% 5.8% 2.4% 25.2% 15.7% 11.6% 2.6% 15.3% 9.6% 1.2% 40.4% 8.6% 7.7% 8.8% 3.5% 8.1% 13.0% 5.2% 4.6% 15.1%

The CFMMI is a monthly estimate by major industry of manufacturing output in the Seventh Federal Reserve District states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. It is a composite index of 15 manufacturing industries, including auto and steel, that uses electrical power and hours worked data to measure monthly changes in regional activity. It is compared here to the national Industrial Production index for Manufacturing (IPMFG). Base year is 2007. Starting in November 2005, the index excluded the electricity component. 105 104 103 102

IPMFG May 11 90.8

100 98 94 90 88 86 84 82

SOURCE: LATEST STATISTICS AVAILABLE FROM THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. FIGURES ARE IN MILLIONS.

81 80

Unemployment rates for Southern Illinois counties, state and nation Labor force Alexander Franklin Gallatin Hamilton Hardin Jackson Jefferson Johnson Massac Perry Pope Pulaski Randolph Saline Union Washington White Williamson .,REGION ILLINOIS U.S.

3,109 17,909 2,700 4,035 1,908 33,474 20,347 5,223 7,238 9,473 1,997 2,941 15,389 13,301 8,462 8,464 7,850 35,288 199,108 6,590,559 153,449,000

Jobless 418 1,688 237 295 191 2,010 1,456 437 623 847 176 277 1,076 1,097 794 484 526 2,502 15,134 592,367 13,421,000

May 2011

April 2011

May 2010

13.4% 9.4% 8.8% 7.3% 10.0% 6.0% 7.2% 8.4% 8.6% 8.9% 8.8% 9.4% 7.0% 8.2% 9.4% 5.7% 6.7% 10.1% 8.5% 9.0% 8.7%

10.1% 10.2% 8.0% 8.1% 9.1% 6.4% 7.9% 8.8% 8.7% 9.7% 8.2% 9.2% 7.3% 8.4% 10.2% 6.1% 7.1% 7.7% 8.0% 8.6% 8.7%

10.4% 11.0% 9.2% 7.9% 10.6% 6.8% 8.6% 9.7% 9.3% 11.4% 9.7% 10.7% 8.3% 9.1% 10.7% 7.1% 7.6% 10.7% 9.4% 10.1% 9.3%

SOURCE: ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. FIGURES ARE NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED.

Change month p q p q p q q q p q p p q q q q q p

p p

3.3 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.4 0.7 0.4 0.2 0.8 0.6 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.8 0.4 0.4 1.1 0.0 0.4 1.0

Change year p q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q q

76 74

CFMMI May 11

3.0 72 84.0 1.6 70 68 0.4 0.6 66 0.6 64O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M ’11 ’10 ’09 0.8 1.4 SOURCE: FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF CHICAGO 1.3 0.7 2.5 0.9 1.3 May 11 May 10 Change 1.3 0.9 MONTHLY TOTALS 1.3 881 601 p 46.6% 1.4 YTD TOTALS 0.9 0.6 3,530 2,693 p 31.1% 0.9 2010 2009 Change 1.1 ANNUAL TOTALS 0.6 7,478 2,750 p 171.9%

Williamson County Regional Airport passengers

I S I N Consumer credit score

Credit scores are numeric reflections of financial behavior and credit worthiness and they are based on information included in a credit report. Ranging from 330 to 830, a higher score means a lower credit risk. Scores are from July 2011.

Alexander Franklin Gallatin Hamilton Hardin Jackson Jefferson Johnson Massac Perry Pope Pulaski Randolph Saline Union Washington White Williamson REGION

11 98 13 11 9 121 69 37 25 44 7 15 76 65 43 42 50 166 902

10 81 17 13 6 102 62 33 17 51 4 7 60 45 41 39 52 141 801

698

Carbondale

Region

699

692

State

U. S.

O R S U of I Flash Index

Total cars, trucks sold based on title applications filed. Excludes motorcycles, trailers.

New vehicle sales May 10

694

SOURCE: EXPERIAN

May 11

p p q q p p p p p q p p p p p p q p p

Change

2010

10.0% 21.0% 23.5% 15.4% 50.0% 18.6% 11.3% 12.1% 47.1% 13.7% 75.0% 114.3% 26.7% 44.4% 4.9% 7.7% 3.8% 16.3% 12.6%

126 965 222 236 97 1,320 848 327 269 558 73 129 844 793 486 446 571 1,796 10,097

2009 137 989 184 224 94 1,348 842 353 278 565 85 124 936 719 447 515 471 1,868 10,179

q q p p p q p q q q q p q p p q p q q

Change 8.0% 3.3% 20.7% 5.4% 3.2% 2.1% 0.7% 7.4% 3.2% 1.2% 14.1% 4.0% 9.8% 10.3% 8.7% 13.4% 21.2% 3.9% 0.8%

Home sales Alexander Franklin Gallatin Hamilton Hardin Jackson Jefferson Johnson Massac Perry Pope Pulaski Randolph Saline Union Williamson ILLINOIS

6 54 2 3 3 57 45 16 14 18 1 0 19 26 26 78 18,940

Q1 10 4 59 1 0 3 68 45 17 21 28 3 1 30 28 17 121 21,320

SOURCE: ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

Change

p 50.0% q 8.5% p 100.0% NA 0.0% q 16.2% 10.0% p 5.9% q 33.3% q 35.7% q 66.7% q 100.0% p 36.4% q 7.1% p 52.9% q 35.5% q 11.2%

June 11 97.8

2010 19 259 8 8 8 358 264 78 91 116 8 6 131 122 84 590 103,455

2009 15 258 9 7 13 382 278 64 92 126 6 13 135 100 94 654 107,782

p p q p q q q p q q p q q p q q q

' 08

' 09

' 10

' 11

SOURCE: INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

Hotel/motel stats

Consumer Price Index

Total amount of revenue generated in Carbondale by hotels and motels for room rentals only.

The CPI measures average price changes of goods and services over time, with a reference base of 100 in 1982-84.To put into context, a current CPI of 194.5 means a market basket of goods and services that cost $100 in 1982-84 now costs $194.50.

Feb 11 Feb 10 MONTHLY TOTALS

Change

$491,008 p

$497,450

YTD TOTALS

$917,273 p

$924,422

2009 ANNUAL TOTALS

2008

Change 26.7% 0.4% 11.1% 14.3% 38.5% 6.3% 5.0% 21.9% 1.1% 7.9% 33.3% 53.8% 3.0% 22.0 % 10.6% 9.8% 4.0%

$25,000 $42,550 $18,250 $89,900 $50,000 $79,900 $70,000 $88,000 $84,000 $55,000 $38,000 $0 $74,500 $54,700 $110,000 $85,000 $131,175

$24,500 $50,000 $25,000 $0 $146,000 $108,000 $60,000 $90,000 $59,900 $56,000 $30,000 $74,000 $65,950 $43,500 $58,000 $82,000 $144,000

1.3%

U.S. city average May 11 226.0

226

224

0.8%

Change

$7,520,856 p

MEDIAN SALES PRICE Q1 11 Q1 10

Total units sold, including condominiums

Q1 11

108 107 106 105 104 103 102 101 100 99 98 97 96 95 94 93 92 91 90 89

$7,725,727

SOURCE: ILLINOIS SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE. LATEST DATA AVAILABLE.

The Flash Index is an early indicator of the Illinois economy’s expected performance. It is a weighted average of growth rates in corporate earnings, consumer spending and personal income. An index above 100 indicates expected growth; an index below 100 indicates the economy is contracting.

222

220

218

2.7%

Midwest urban May 11 215.9

216

214

p q q

q q p q p q p q p p p p q

Change 2.0% 14.9% 27.0% NA 65.8% 26.0% 16.7% 2.2% 40.2% 1.8% 26.7% 100.0% 13.0% 25.7% 89.7% 3.7% 8.9%

212

210

208

206 M

S ‘10

M ’11

SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Prices at the pump Average price per gallon of regular, unleaded gas as of June 21 and July 22, 2011.

Metro East Springfield Illinois U.S. SOURCE: AAA

July 11

June 11

$3.83 $3.76 $3.89 $3.70

$3.71 $3.49 $3.88 $3.64

July 10 $2.70 $2.70 $2.80 $2.71

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

AUGUST 2011

Elder Law Common myths about estate planning BY RICHARD HABIGER SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

Estate planning is a very complicated area of the law where myths abound. It is easy to buy into the myths because they have a ring of truth. Unfortunately, the myths help to create far too many legal Habiger problems, which, in turn, only serve to help attorneys buy their next big boat. Do any of the following sound familiar? l If I have a good will, probate will not be required, and my assets can be transferred immediately to the beneficiaries of my will. In fact, having a will mandates a probate in many circumstances. In all cases, a will in the state of Illinois must be filed at the county courthouse within 30 days of death. In most cases, your property may not be able to be transferred to your heirs for many months or, in some cases, years. Probate is a court proceeding to transfer title from the decedent’s name to his or her living beneficiaries. Probate occurs in the state of your legal residence, as well as any state where you own real property. The length of time to complete a probate varies from state to state, but, on average, can take eight to eighteen months. An uncomplicated probate in Illinois will take at least six months. A more complicated probate (e.g., one where an estate tax is due or where a creditor or disgruntled heir files a claim or objection), can drag on for years, generally at great expense. In short, probate can be very frustrating to heirs and creates a public record about you, your finances, your family and other issues that might best be kept private. Hint: You can avoid probate and all of its attendant problems by using a revocable living trust or some other probateavoidance technique. l I don’t need a will if I have a small estate. Many people believe that if they do not have a will, all of their assets will be distributed to their surviving spouse. However, if you don’t create a valid will, the state of Illinois has a statute that will

dictate where your assets go. State law also dictates who will administer your estate. In short, the government’s “estate plan” for you may not be what you want. Indeed, the state’s plan may distribute your assets to persons whom you would not want to receive those assets. l If my assets do not exceed $5 million, I will avoid probate. In Illinois, if you own a home, a farm or any other real estate, and there is no joint owner, your estate will require probate. Also, if the value of all your other assets exceeds $100,000, your estate will probably require probate. If you own real estate or the value of all of your other assets exceeds $100,000, you should seriously consider using a revocable living trust or some other probate-avoidance technique. l A will covers all of my assets. Wills do not cover assets held with joint tenants with a right of survivorship. Wills also do not cover distributions from retirement plans, annuities, life insurance or financial accounts with payable on death or transfer on death designations. l I can do my own estate plan. Estate planning is more than just creating documents. It is understanding the big picture and how the legal documents will work in concert with all of your assets at the time the legal documents are needed. At the risk of over-simplification, would you seriously entertain the thought of doing your own brain surgery? If you would not, then why would you seriously consider doing your own estate planning when you have so much to lose? Even if you believe you need nothing more than a “simple” will, there may be “simple” kinks that you are overlooking. Even if you believe a “will-in-a-box” at a stationary store or a “trust” that can be purchased online will come with instructions on how to “fill in the blanks,” you need to understand that this type of thinking has helped many attorneys to do more than simply pay their bills. l I don’t need an estate plan because I hold all my assets jointly with another. Joint ownership does not avoid probate; it merely delays passing the asset to the ultimate taker until the death of the other co-owner(s). In fact, joint ownership will result in the transfer of the jointly owned

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Probate can be very frustrating to heirs and creates a public record about you, your finances, your family and other issues that might best be kept private. You can avoid probate and all of its attendant problems by using a revocable living trust.

Find more business news at www.sbj.biz. asset to the last joint owner when the other co-owner(s) die(s), even if that is not what was intended. In reality, joint ownership is one of the worst ways to plan your estate. Joint ownership of an asset may expose the asset to estate, gift and capital gains taxes that could be reduced or eliminated by using other means, and it does not protect the asset (or your interest in the asset) if the co-owner enters a nursing home without adequate measures to protect the co-owned asset (as well as his or her other assets). And, joint ownership of an asset may subject the asset to the creditors of all owners. For example, your interest in the co-owned asset is at risk if a co-owner has credit card or other debts, goes into bankruptcy, has an auto accident and does not have enough insurance, or is sued for divorce or child support. l Estate planning is just about my “stuff,” and I don’t have any “stuff” I’m

concerned about. Estate planning, when done right, ought to involve your hopes, your dreams and your concerns for yourself (as well as your loved ones) as you age — not merely with what happens to your “stuff” at your death. Thus, estate planning ought to incorporate “life planning” for the period of time between today and the day of your death. You can’t afford to rely on myths when it comes to you, your estate and your loved ones. Find out the facts and the law. Plan thoughtfully and carefully with the assistance of a knowledgeable and experienced estate planning attorney. Then execute your plan to provide yourself with peace of mind and security for your loved ones. RICHARD HABIGER is author of the Illinois edition of “How to Protect Your Family’s Assets from Devastating Nursing Home Costs: Medicaid Secrets.” He is an elder law attorney who focuses on asset protection, Medicaid and VA benefits. You may contact him at 618-549-4529 or info@habiger elderlaw.com.

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

AUGUST 2011

Entrepreneur’s Mailbag Visualize your business: Break out the crayons and poster board BY CAVANAUGH L. GRAY SBJ CONTRIBUTOR

When it comes to developing a new business idea or even expanding on company plans, two things are sure to happen. The thought of jumping feet first into a new venture or risking Gray expansion in questionable economic times could scare you to death, forcing you to cut short your plans. The other likelihood is that you will rise to the challenge, meeting business uncertainty head-on and seeing your idea through to completion. Regardless of the scenario, I think I have the answer to help start-ups and existing business owners address their most pressing business issues all in the time it takes you to grab lunch.

Keywords should provide a clear connection to the problem or issue you are trying to solve.

Go back to kindergarten

Get creative

There are times, when working on a project, that I reach the point of diminishing returns. When this happens, I end up putting in more energy and getting back little in terms of productivity. When this happens, it usually means that it’s time to go back to kindergarten. Kindergarten conjures up images of playing, coloring and fun! When pen and paper just won’t get it done, it’s time to bust out a pack of crayons (or markers if you prefer) and a large sheet of drawing paper in order to tackle business problems in a new and fun way. For many business owners, the idea of “playing” with their business is unthinkable as the theme of the day is all about keeping their heads above water. With crayons and poster board-sized paper in hand, the first thing you will need to do is determine which company issue is most pressing and needs to be addressed first. Is it a management issue, are you looking for new ways to market or is your company just now starting out?

Now that you have identified your most pressing issue, start by drawing a picture that represents that issue in the center of the page. Try not to get sidetracked by your drawing ability (or in my case inability). Once you have drawn your central image, begin drawing any and all images that come to mind that are related to solving your most pressing problem. The images don’t have to be sequential or logical as long as you can recognize what you have drawn. After you have gotten all of your images (ideas) drawn on the page, take a moment to write one key word that describes what that image is. These keywords should provide a clear connection to the problem or issue you are trying to solve. Lastly, step back from your masterpiece to prioritize which items need to be addressed first (if at all).

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Answer the questions If you have managed to last this long, then know that you are almost done. But,

first you must answer some very important questions. Looking at your work, can you come up with a name for your company, and can you clearly describe your product or service? What personnel and staff are needed to help you pull this project off? What is the most creative marketing thing that you can think of to help you get your idea noticed? Lastly, how much will it cost to implement these plans? If you can answer these questions, then the time spent visualizing your business has been well spent.

Visualize the goal Many people reading this may be thinking, “I don’t have time for games,” and all I can say is that’s too bad. I have been visualizing ideas for more than a decade now, and I can tell you that it’s great for accomplishing the following: It helps you generate more out-of-the-box ideas in less time. It helps you present tons of information in a small amount of space. And, for those who just find running your

business these days to be a grind, it’s just plain fun! Mapping out your ideas in this manner won’t solve all of your problems, but it should provide instant insight on identifying a name for your company’s new product or service, as well as clearly describing what it is that you offer. Hopefully this exercise has helped you uncover a new and creative way to market your company. Lastly, try to make a good estimate of how much it will cost you to put your plans into action. Give it a try, and be sure to let me know if any amazing ideas come about as a result. CAVANAUGH L. GRAY is the director of business development for The Entrepreneur Café, L.L.C. in Carbondale and can be reached at 618-206-7013. For more winning small business ideas or for information on how to start, grow and succeed in small business, be sure to follow The Entrepreneur Café, L.L.C. on Twitter www.twitter.com/TheECafe or at www.ecafellc.com.

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

AUGUST 2011

Achievements operating officer and Melisa Adkins as chief nursing officer. Flynn formerly served as community health systems facilities management director for the corporation. Adkins previously served as inpatient services director and assistant chief nursing officer. Both assumed their new positions in early June.

Faces in the news

City officials attend IML workshop Miller

Richey

Waters

Roberts

Rushing

Stokes

Davis

Svanda

Faces in the news Have you been promoted? Send a photo. Has a colleague at work completed an intensive continuing education program? Send a photo. Others in the business community will want to know it, so please consider passing on your employment news and photos to the Southern Business Journal. Feel free to email the information to sbj@thesouthern.com.

O’Neill

Evans

Find more business news at www.sbj.biz.

Carbondale City Council members Lee Fronabarger, Donald Monty and Jane Adams recently attended a one-day workshop in Godfrey for newly elected officials. They were accompanied by City Manager Allen Gill. The meeting was sponsored by Illinois Municipal League, Illinois Association of Park Districts and Illinois Community College Trustees Association. Topics included Ethics and Conflict of Interest, Open Meetings and FOIA, Budget Matters, and Civility and Boardmanship.

Butler named Employee of the Year

MMM provides a sustainable source of safe drinking water for the extreme poor in Africa. During the last 25 years, volunteers and supporters of MMM have provided more than 13,000 villages in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia with shallow wells. Fienhold will help coordinate growth strategies for the Christian-based organization. Most recently on staff at Christian Life Center in Herrin, Fienhold comes to MMM with experience in volunteer coordination, fundraising, project management and special event planning. She is the wife of Marion VA physician John Fienhold, M.D.

Malone joins faculty at SIU School of Medicine Dr. Sara Beth Malone, a native of Johnston City, has joined the faculty at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Carbondale as an assistant professor of family medicine. Malone is a member of SIU HealthCare, the medical school’s practice group, and she is on the medical staff at SIU Family Medicine Center-Carbondale.

Southern Illinois University School of Medicine recently honored Gaye Butler of West Frankfort for exemplary work. Butler, a licensed practical nurse with the Suchman named Southern Illinois Family Medicine Care-A- business manager Van in West Frankfort, has been named Brandon Suchman recently was Civil Service Employee of the Year. named business manager of Rose Bed Inn Bed & Breakfast in Cape Girardeau.

Cusumano & Sons earns top rating

Cusumano & Sons, Inc., a leader in the wholesale produce business in Southern Illinois, recently completed a nationally accredited third party food safety audit and The hotel is owned by Reed Station Lombard now open in Herrin received a score of “excellent.” The Lombard is now open at 112 N. 14th St. in Hotels, LLC, which is located in voluntary audit provided Cusumano with a Carbondale. The general contractor is Herrin, with Chef Pasquale Intravaia another Carbondale-based company, Hotel comprehensive evaluation of food safety serving Italian and American cuisine. programs and training, cleanliness, A banquet and meeting room is available. Builders of America. Both companies are equipment and facility conditions, and owned by Charlie and Trace Brown of Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday other important factors used by retailers through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday Carbondale. when selecting a food supplier. The Browns own the award-winning and 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday. For more Cusumano & Sons has been in the Holiday Inn Hotel in Carbondale and information, call 618-988-2003. wholesale produce business since 1904 and Houlihan’s Restaurant. The Marion currently serves customers within a 100Holiday Inn Express is managed by Construction begins mile radius of its location in Mount Vernon. Monchino Management, LLC. Monchino on Marion hotel Management owns and operates hotels in Construction has begun on the new six states and is based in Herrin. Fienhold named Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in program administrator Marion. The 104-room hotel is south of Flynn, Adkins promoted at HRMC Mara Fienhold of Marion has joined Rent One Park, home of the Southern Marion Medical Mission as administrator Heartland Regional Medical Center in Illinois Miners. The projected opening date of the Shallow Well Program. Marion has named Jim Flynn as chief is early spring of 2012.

Lourdes partners with Norton Neuroscience Lourdes recently established a partnership with Norton Neuroscience Institute in Louisville, Ky., to provide neurosurgery coverage 24 hours a day to the region for the first time in years. Dr. Allan Gocio, neurosurgeon, has joined NNI’s team of 15 neurosurgeons and has opened a practice at Lourdes Marshall Nemer Pavilion. He specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery, spine trauma and brain trauma.

Peterson participates in AP reading Julie Peterson, chairwoman of the social studies department at Carbondale Community High School, was selected to participate in the annual reading and scoring of the College Board’s Advanced Placement examinations in AP European

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SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

Achievements history. The AP reading was recently in Kansas City, Mo. This year, more than 3.2 million examinations from more than 30 AP courses were evaluated by more than 10,000 AP readers from universities and high schools.

SIUC’s Feldhamer recognized nationally Dr. George Feldhamer, professor in the zoology department at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, was presented the Grinnell Teaching Award at the annual meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists recently in Portland, Ore. Feldhamer has been at SIUC since 1984. Prior to coming to SIUC, he was employed by The University of Maryland’s Appalachian Environmental Lab.

Miller takes over as hospital case manager Deanna Miller, a longtime employee of Pinckneyville Community Hospital, recently began working as a case manager for the hospital. Miller has been employed with the hospital since 1968. She began her career at the hospital as a nurse’s aide. In 1995, she went back to school and obtained her credentials to work as a licensed practical nurse. In 1999, she obtained her license as a registered nurse and has been working as a registered nurse ever since.

JCHD earns national recognition Jackson County Health Department has received an award and national attention for its Prison to Community Transition Project. The National Association of County and City Health Officials presented JCHD with the award during NACCHO’s annual conference recently in Hartford, Conn. The Prison to Community Transition Project is one of 41 public health programs selected from across the nation to receive NACCHO’s Model Practice Award.

One promoted at Fifth Third Bank Michael Waters recently was promoted to financial center manager for the Marion West Banking Center of Fifth Third Bank. Waters has a bachelor’s degree in

business administration from Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio, and holds an Insurance Producer’s License, a Series 6 License and a Series 63 License.

named the newest member of the hospital’s board of directors. She is president of Invest Financial Corporation in Paducah.

Rushing retires from Country Financial

Davis elected chairman of IBA

Dan Rushing of Metropolis recently retired from Country Financial after serving 33 years with the organization. Rushing joined Country Financial in 1979 as a financial representative for Saline County. He became an agency manager for the Spokane Agency in Washington in 1990, and he retired as an agency manager for the Shawnee Agency.

Curb appeal program offers renovations The outdoor renovations of China Express, 901A N. Illinois Ave., in downtown Carbondale are expected to be finished no later than Sept. 1. China Express will be the second renovation that has been conducted through Carbondale Main Street’s curb appeal program. The first was Harbaughs Cafe (901B S. Illinois Ave.) in July 2010. To sign up as a volunteer with the curb appeal program, call 618-529-8040 or visit www.carbondalemainstreet.com.

Four named to Million Dollar Round Table Peggy A. Richey of Pittsburg, Larry D. Roberts of Marion, Brenda T. Stokes of Anna and David Svanda of Murphysboro, all representatives for Modern Woodmen of America, are among a small percentage of life insurance agents worldwide to achieve membership in the Million Dollar Round Table this year. MDRT is an international, independent organization of more than 35,000 members, or less than 1 percent of the world’s best life insurance and financial services professionals.

Western Baptist recognizes two Neonatologist Edward O’Neill, M.D., recently joined the medical staff at Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah. He joins a medical staff of approximately 240 physicians, representing 40 medical specialties. Diane Dalton Evans recently was

Marty Davis is chairman-elect of the Illinois Bankers Association for 2011-2012. He is president and CEO of Murphy-Wall State Bank and Trust Company in Pinckneyville. Davis was elected at IBA’s 120th annual Conference and Trade Show June 17 in Lake Geneva, Wis. He has 26 years of banking experience.

CCI recognized as a star lender Champion Community Investments recently was recognized as a Star Micro Lender by the Entrepreneurship and Business Development Center at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The award was presented in recognition of the low-interest lending support provided by CCI to Southern Illinois microentrepreneurs. During the last year, CCI has lent more than $475,000 to new and existing microenterprises in a 12county area of Southern Illinois. The nonprofit corporation has partnered with area banks to develop affordable financial packages that allow qualified local businesses to flourish, create new jobs and retain existing ones.

Furtak promoted at SIPC Paul Furtak has been promoted to director of business and corporate compliance at Southern Illinois Power Cooperative. Furtak previously worked as the controller for SIPC, which is based in Marion on Lake of Egypt Road.

New BeginningZ Realty expands The Murphysboro-based New BeginningZ Realty has expanded by opening an office at 828 E. Main St, Suite D, in Carbondale. A ribbon-cutting celebration was July 11. Tamiko Mueller is the owner. The business has four licensed brokers and is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment Saturday.

McGrath wins outstanding performance award Tim McGrath of the financial services firm Edward Jones recently won the firm’s exclusive Century Award for outstanding performance during 2010. McGrath serves the Anna office of Edward Jones.

One reappointed to committee Kathy A. Marlow, vice president and senior operations officer at Murphy-Wall State Bank and Trust Company in Pinckneyville, recently was reappointed to the Illinois Bankers Association 2011-12 Technology and Operations Committee. Founded in 1891, IBA brings together state and national banks, savings banks and savings and loan associations of all sizes in Illinois. Collectively, IBA represents nearly 90 percent of the assets of the Illinois banking industry.

Eggemeyer Associates celebrating 50 years Eggemeyer Associates Architects, an architectural firm based in Carbondale, is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a corporation. The firm originally was known as Fischer-Hemerling, Architects and Designers, and it was known through the 1990s as Stein/Eggemeyer Associates Architects. The firm currently employees 12 fulltime professionals and provides services throughout Southern Illinois. Mark Dillon is the firm’s president.

Law firm promotes two Cheryl L. Intravaia of Carbondale has been named a senior partner of the Carbondale law firm of Feirich/Mager/ Green/Ryan, and Timothy D. Denny of Anna has been named a junior partner with the firm. Intravaia’s practice is concentrated in the litigation and appeal of workers’ compensation claims, including special concentrations in state and federal claims arising under the occupational disease, workers’ compensation and Longshore acts. Denny’s practice centers on workers’ compensation and occupational disease cases. SEE ACHIEVEMENTS / PAGE 20

SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL

AUGUST 2011

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Country Financial representative Krista Menckowski helped raise more than $1,400 for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Franklin County recently at Frankfort Community Park in West Frankfort. The team raised money by selling Domino’s pizza and conducting a silent auction. Country Financial has been recognized as a participant in ACS’s 2011 Relay For Life National Corporate Team Program. Menckowski serves clients from her office in Sesser.

St. Mary’s establishes junior volunteer program St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Medical Group has established one in a series of regional area health education centers across Illinois. The South Central Illinois office at St. Mary’s Hospital in Centralia serves eight counties in the south central region and is funded by a federal grant

from the Department of Health and Human Services. Its mission is to train, recruit and retain health professionals to practice in rural communities. The office recently created a junior volunteer program for high school and college students to gain experience and knowledge in the health care field. The program will begin Aug. 29 at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan in Centralia and Mount Vernon.

Odom promoted to rank of sergeant Illinois State Police Trooper Craig Odom has been promoted to the rank of sergeant. He is an academy field instructor for firearms, regional crowd control member and District 13 range master. In 2007, Odom was named District 13 Trooper of the Year.

Find more business news at www.sbj.biz.

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Business Fine Print PERMITS | BANKRUPTCIES

Building permits Carbondale Tip Toe Nail Salon, 1318 E. Main, $7,000 East Main Shell, 534 E. Main, $25,000 Walmart, 1450 E. Main, $21,000 Dr. Sean Burke, 600 N. Giant City Road, $126,000 Lone Star Steakhouse, 1160 E. Main, $2,500 Sun Valley Estates, 1105 Black Diamond Drive, $219,800 Sun Valley Estates, 1115 Black Diamond Drive, $219,800 NeuroRestorative, 1271 E. Walnut St., $20,000 NeuroRestorative, 1271 E. Walnut St., $20,000 Michael Scott, 409 E. Lasch St., $1,000 James Summers, 605 N. Springer St., $25,000 Sorensen Enterprises, 608 N. Almond St., $15,000 Alleman Rentals, 701 S. James St., $5,000 Daniel Edwards, 501 N. Billy Bryan, $20,000 Home Rentals, 901 W. McDaniel St., $25,000 John and Patricia Pieczka, 209 W. Walnut St., $3,000 Christal Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Guinn, 104 S. Lark Lane, $350

Herrin Brad Blakey, 3 Douglas Drive, $50,000 Daniel Fuller, 809 W. Harrison St., $7,000 Stacey Cutrell, 500 S. 19th St., $3,500 Paul Benns, 717 W. Cherry St., $34,000 Tom Sanchez, 3201 Mustang Lane, $31,000 Shawn Banks, 1713 S. 22nd St., $30,000 David Walls, 1001 E. Stotlar St., $60,000 Herrin CUSD, 14255 Bandyville Road, $3,684,633 Bill Woodhouse, 1620 W. Tyler St., $65,000 S.I. Yamaha, 3008 S. Park Ave., $45,000 Whitegate Enterprises, 1507 Jessica Lane, $102,000 Richard Jones, 603 N. 30th St., $18,000 Anthony Martin, 1300 W. Tyler St., $0 Tom Webb, 6031 Lakeview Drive, $255,000 William Leeper, 420 W. Oak St., $3,759 Mary Abbott, 5963 Lakeview Drive, $155,000 Tim Spowart, 2812 N. 16th St., $5,600 East Lawn Memorial, 3208 S. Park Ave., $296,137 Professional Home Dev., 3220 Mustang Lane, $150,000 Tim Murphy, 2006 W. Walnut St., $170,000 Quinton Smothers, 2220 Weaver Road, $0 Joe Williford, 1212 W. Adams St., $100 Joe Garegnani, 1507 W. Walnut St., $160,000 Shawn Ladd, no address provided, $64,120

Raymond Walker, 2305 W. Cherry St., $200 Toni Barham, 1108 W. Cherry St., $54,610 Carrie Hancock, 101 Newman Drive, $130,000 William England, 2302 Elias Drive, $160,000

Metropolis JPaul McKnight, 2104 North Ave., $400 Paul McKnight, 2104 North Ave., $5,000 Nancy Davis, 211 W. Sixth St., $3,000 Comprehensive Health Center, 1238 Commercial Park Road, $2,000 Melissa Taylor, 410 E. Eighth St., $30,000 Kelly Bailey, 3 Crestview Drive, $2,210 Betty Davis, 211 W. 21st St., $30,000 Julie Thompson, 216 E. Third St., $10,000 Barbara Wilkins, 113 E. 21st St., $0

Murphysboro Mar tin Schaldemose, 1701 Walnut St., $100,000 Anthony Cruz, 417 N. Eighth St., $10,000 Gene Bagwell, 525 N. 11th St., $10,000 START, 507 North St., $10,500 Mary Schimpf, 1927 Hortense St., $2,500 Amber Lepper, 1013 N. 20th St., $500

Bankruptcies Chapter 7 Anthony James and Marcy K. Spowart, 11551 Kevin Lane, Carterville Robert Michael and Laura L. Young, 1101 E. Anna St., Benton Danny L. Thomas, 401 Main St., Metropolis Daniel Scott Hundley, 107 S. Governor, Marion Jessie M. Norwood Nichalson, 723 Bridgewood Lane, Murphysboro Karen L. Williams, 1002 E. Garland, West Frankfort Daniel C. and Joann Matuszczak, 621 S. 13th, Herrin Charlotte A. Garland, 543 Joppa Road, Metropolis Jeffrey D. and Christel Welty, P.O. Box 36, Percy Phillip W. and Rebecca Bonneville, 16861 Illinois 3, Ava Jeffery A. and Teresa Rhein, 19580 Downen Road, Omaha Richard L. and Tracie L. Berry, 2610 Illinois 145, Metropolis Janie L. Holland, 1200 E. Grand Ave., 6-8A, Carbondale David B. and Sheila V. Fredman, 1004 Laura Lane, Marion Nathan D. Jennings, 15307 Remington Road, Marion Debra Nesbit, 485 Bryan St., Nashville

Jennifer S. Wickham, 4048 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale David A. and Beth A. Lindley, 11762 Saraville Road, Marion Norman A. and Diane K. Roy, 214 Rose Lane, Red Bud George Edward and Betty Lou Tucker, P.O. Box 361, Zeigler Aaron N. Smith, P.O. Box 453, Ullin Travis L. Lannom, 1107 Benton Ave., Johnston City Jason M. and Tabatha D. DiNobile, 557 N. Division, Carterville Bianca M. Hadsock, 2012 Clark St., Murphysboro Cloyce J. and Brenda S. Davis, 1101 Ohio St., Apt. 403, Cairo Geneva J. Irizarr y, 1303 N. 14th St., Murphysboro Fern Long, 1718 W. Maplewood, Marion Brian K. and Honey L. Bejmovicz, 506 E. St. Louis, West Frankfort Derek C. and Kristy B. Cole, 716 N. 14th St. Herrin Kelly J. Lowe, 403 Poplar St., Mound City William J. Connor, 305 E. Douglas, De Soto Bryan A. and Debra J. Skaggs, 108 N. Eighth St., Thebes James R. Duncan, 562 N. Naples Lane, Ina John K. and Tammy R. McGhee, 18752 N. Wildflower Lane, Mount Vernon Carla R. Steffy, 10888 N. Royal Court., Mount Vernon Brandy L. Tedford, 200 Powell St., McLeansboro Linder Leon and Janeen Leah Tucker, 343 E. Franklin St., Du Quoin Tammy A. Charles, 900 E. Grand Ave., Carterville Harold E. and Tonya M. Beal, 1304 S. Washington, Harrisburg Patrick Eugene and Teresa Marie Mitchell, 912 S. Cheney St., Harrisburg Tyson Alan Chamberlain, 4340 Woodglen Lane, Mount Vernon Mack H. Trent, 109 W. Sixth St., West Frankfort Rick Edward Garner, 1565 U.S. 51 South, Anna Courtney Beth Garner, 101B Cherry St., Anna Marilyn S. Ward, 319 S. Mill St., Harrisburg John W. and Marsha R. Forbes, P.O. Box 102, Carterville Rhonda L. Rich, 1306 West Blvd., Apt. C, Marion Amber R. Beyke, 110 S. Division, Apt. B, Carterville

Charles W. and Martha A. McKinney, P.O. Box 204, Tamms Samuel C. Washington, 409 E. James and Thelma Walker St., Carbondale Amber L. Helsley, 300 S. Second St., Marion Dwayne Lee and Kandi K. Corzine, 3970 Franklin Road, Metropolis Nealy Vonlee Melvin, 14592 Cambria Road, Carterville William D. and Angila C. Woodis, 717 N. 14th St. Herrin Susan A. Bolen, P.O. Box 3931, Carbondale Michael L. and Betty JoAnn Compton, P.O. Box 85, Cutler Brian Paul Miller and Gretchen Raquel Curry, 1334 S. Market St., Marion Nathanuel D. Bergman, 218 N. Walnut St., Carmi Christopher B. and Chasity D. Smith, 608 S. Thomas St., Christopher Matthew G. McCarthy, P.O. Box 321, Cisne Jason Edwards, 200 S. Conger, Norris City Rodney Herbert and Rebecca Lynn Rubach, 5611 Illinois 4, Steeleville Barrett Archer, 708 Dewey Ave., Mount Vernon Earl L. Morgan Jr., 401 Paradise Acres, Lot 27, Carterville Robbie D. Groves, P.O. Box 65, West Frankfort Meredith Y. Curtin, 1820 Richview, Mount Vernon

Chapter 13 Geoffrey C. Rose, 12931 N. Shoreland Drive, Marion Khahliah N. Ortiz, 1511 S. 12th St., Mount Vernon Nancy K. James, 106 Parkview St., Johnston City Timothy W. and Kendall A. Waller, P.O. Box 559, Cobden Westley D. Klotz, 212 Douglas St., Anna Mark S. McConachie, 9760 Countr y Club Road, Sparta Sara M. Moore, P.O. Box 316, Shawneetown John E. and Alicia Marzolf, 412 Wagon Wheel Road, Carbondale David A. and Sandra K. Garner, 1718 County Road 1620 North, Carmi Judy K. and James R. Jerolds Jr., 690 Swan Pond Road, Dongola James N. and Janet L. Wallace, 929 S. Washington, Harrisburg Dustin W. Lampley, 13822 Cutler St., Benton Phyllis J. Poole, P.O. Box 61, Orient Scott M. and Danielle L. Nicks, 14188 Jeffery SEE FINE PRINT / PAGE 23

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Business Fine Print PERMITS | BANKRUPTCIES Mine Road, Johnston City Ricky and Gwendolyn P. Shannon, 301 Crestview Lane, Carbondale Jennifer C. Stoops, 2C Circle Drive 7, Murphysboro Linda M. Roberson, 1403 Guardian Place, Apt. C, Marion James R. and Mary C. Wharry, 1215 Chestnut St., Apt 103, Murphysboro Carrie M. Fann, 500 Washington, Carterville Charles R. Skelcher, 309 S. 17th St., Herrin Detrick L. Woods, 503 N. Miller St., Sparta Sarah Mae Delatore, 22524 N. Hails Lane, Texico Cherie L. Brand, 205 Shawneetown Trail, Apt. 4, Steeleville Mary B. Prusha, 1201 N. Maple, Benton Deva Deshay Mansfield, 504 W. 11th St., Metropolis Michelle L. Grant, 112 S. 21st St., Herrin

Elizabeth A. McCurdy, 1401 W. End, Marion Steven R. and Christina I. Harris, 396 Los Angeles St., Carbondale Sherman Lee and Wanda L. Taylor, 708 S. Eisenhower, Marion Nathan L. and Lisa Barnes Atterberry, P.O. Box 553, Elkville Terry D. Willis and Rosemary L. Ort Willis, 106 W. Nettie St., Sesser Harley E. and Lucinda R. Smock, 800 Kerr St., Brookport Robin A. Loyd, 1304 Rae Lane, Carterville Tammy Louise Tyler and James Arthur Tyler Jr., 266 W. High St., Nashville James M. Greer, 40 Nobel Ave., Buncombe Mike L. Fisher, 3207 Sunfield Road, Du Quoin Georgia Ann Davis, P.O. Box 86, Mound City Pamela S. Ice, 1101 Ohio St., Apt. 703, Cairo Richard D. and Jennifer A. Quertemous, 214 W. Lincoln, Harrisburg

Find more business news at www.sbj.biz. Fred A. and Gladys Petzoldt, P.O. Box 141, Thebes Trent E. and Amy D. Sheffer, 3120 Meridian Road, Mounds Mary A. Konneker, P.O. Box 1326, Vienna Diane L. Bloodworth, 1109 Midway Court, Apt. B, Marion Joseph C. Smith, 721 W. Raymond, Harrisburg Terry S. and Kara J. Walsh, 1506 Corner Stone Court, Marion Edward J. and Heather D. Davis, 11870 Harmony Church Road, West Frankfort Joey and Cheryl Ann Reams, 8409 Emling Road, Du Quoin Gabriel P. Shepard, 119 Logan Hollow Road, Rockwood

Stephanie Ann Zielinski, 525 E. Broadway St., Apt. A., Sparta Kimberly A. Evetts, 2102 E. Main St., Marion Anthony J. Anderson, P.O Box 565, Cambria James M. and Cristina J. Hoover, 406 Kaskaskia St., Chester Jo Ellen Mize, 1208 E. Sixth St., West Frankfort Mark Lee and April Marie Perry, 133 E. Mill St., Grayville Danny W. Holland and Stephanie D. Betz, 715 Harpertown Lane, Tunnel Hill Mark A. and Diana L. Shelton, 139 Turner Ave., Anna Paula L. Terrana, 1608 Meadowbrook Drive, Carterville Shawn C. Treece, P.O. Box 319, Carterville Dewey Gene and Frances Maria Thompson, 507 S. Gordon, Sparta David M. and Mary L. Smith, 2805 Jamison Blvd., Mount Vernon

Mark Your Calendar Aug. 1 Beginning Access 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Team Building: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F110, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Cost is $90.

Aug. 18 Intermediate Access 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 10 Aug. 2 Beginning Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Beginning Powerpoint 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 11 Aug. 3 Beginning Access 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Starting a Business in Illinois seminar: 1 to 3 p.m., Murphysboro Township Board Room, 1410 Walnut St., Murphysboro. Free. An optional business start-up kit is available for $15. Call 618-536-2424 or email sbdc@siu.edu.

Aug. 4 Beginning QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 9 Intermediate Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Intermediate QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 12 Advanced Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 16 Advanced Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 17 Intermediate Access 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 23 Time and Stress Management: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F110, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Cost is $90.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Sept. 6 Beginning Access 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Beginning/Intermediate Adobe Photoshop: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H125, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 25 Advanced QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 29 Advanced Access 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Sept. 7 Beginning Outlook 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room H125, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry. Beginning Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Sept. 8 Aug. 31 Starting a Business in Illinois seminar: 9 to 11 a.m., Man-Tra-Con, 3000 W. De Young St., Marion. Free. An optional business start-up kit is available for $15. Call 618-536-2424 or email sbdc@siu.edu.

Sept. 1

Intermediate Access 2007: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Sept. 9 Beginning QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry.

Beginning Access 2007: 8:30 a.m.

For more information on John A. Logan or to register for classes, call 618-985-2828, ext. 8510 or email cbi@jalc.edu. John A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry is at 700 College Road, Carterville, and cost is $55 unless otherwise noted.