Thinking Bigger Business—November 2017

VOL. 26 // ISSUE 11 // NOVEMBER 2017

DRIVEN TO SERVE Jeffrey Dunn and the team at Secure Medical Transport get patients safely to their destinations.

BIGGER FINANCE Know Your Numbers

BIGGER HR

No Drama From Mama

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CONTENTS

NOV E M B ER 2017 VOL. 26 // ISSUE 11

SPECIAL FOCUSES

28 KC Health & Wellness Companies

Local businesses have carved out a number of niches in this industry.

42 KC’s Anniversary Celebrations

Local businesses recognize business milestones.

D E PA R T M E N T S

07 The Bigger Picture 08 Legislative Briefs 10 Biz Bits 13 BIG | deals 15 25 Under 25 ® Updates 50 BIG | shots OUTLOOK

20 KC Futures The force behind KC job creation S M A R T S T R AT E G I E S

32 BIGGER | finance Know your numbers

34 BIGGER | hr Hiring friends and family

24 | KC ENTREPRENEURS

36 BIGGER | sales The secrets of influence

37 BIGGER | technology

HE ON T R E V O C

Protecting your mobile phone account

DRIVEN TO

SERVE

38 BIGGER | law Keeping your company from discrimination

Secure Medical Transport helps patients and their families meet a pressing need.

16 4

THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

B IG I N F LU E NC E

| 18

B IG S TA R T S

| 18

MADE TO LAST

17

C O M PA N Y T O WAT C H

19

KC M A D E I T

22

ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY

BF Strings

Sandlot Goods

Brandy McCombs

Mark Franze and Glenn Bradford restore, repair and sell fine string instruments.

Sandlot Goods hits homerun with leather-crafted products.

Changing course has led to opportunity.

SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

5

CONTENTS

N OVE M B ER 2017

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THE BIGGER PICTURE

Leading to Success

O

ver the years I’ve talked with

Further, he said, to be a good teacher often

many entrepreneurs who’ve

requires believing in people—in your staff—

said when they first got

sometimes before they believe in themselves.

Read that last part again: “before they believe

started, they had maybe one or two people

in themselves.” Sound familiar?

who sincerely believed in them and their idea. Everyone else thought they were crazy. Those

As business owners, we must remember to place

one or two people stood strong for them even when

people in positions that set them up for success.

self-doubt sometimes crept in.

And, importantly, to then teach and mentor them.

Still others talk about the first customers who took a chance on their new company while others watched skeptically, waiting for the venture to succeed before signing on.

Sometimes that requires challenging them and allowing them to make mistakes while still offering support. If that doesn’t show you have confidence in them, then what does? It’s easy to get frustrated and decide it‘s easier to just do the work ourselves. Or, to

Several years later, those entrepreneurs still remember

complain that something isn’t being done well without

those cheerleaders and customers. They still relish the

offering the guidance necessary to help the person

support they provided during those touch-and-go times.

improve performance.

Recently I interviewed someone about leadership,

When you catch yourself falling into one of those

specifically about leading a company. He provided an

scenarios, take a minute to remember when others

interesting twist on the “I believe in you” scenario.

believed in you when everyone else thought you weren’t

Leaders, he said, must be teachers. Not just “the boss,”

going to make it. Be that person now to the people on

decision maker and personifier of all the other traits

your team. After all, they, like your early cheerleaders,

characteristic of the role. They must be teachers.

want the company to be successful too.

Ke lly S can lon

// Publisher // kscanlon@iThinkBigger.com

SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

7

L E G I S L AT I V E B R I E F S

FEDERAL Congress Continues to Push for Tax Reform President Donald Trump continues to push Congress to reform the tax code. While it was not clear at first what tax reform would look like under the new administration, many details are beginning to emerge. The current proposal would drop both individual and business rates, while reducing the number of tax brackets from seven to three. It is also likely that the standard deduction would increase, and several itemized deductions would be eliminated. The current proposal would also end the state and local deduction.

Perhaps most interesting, the plan would

create a “pass-through” rate for closely held businesses such as sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLCs and S corporation that have traditionally been taxed at the individual rate of their owners. Finally, the proposed plan would reduce the current corporate tax from 35 percent to 20 percent.

Hearing on Fostering Women’s Entrepreneurial Success The House Small Business Subcommittee on Health and Technology held a hearing this month on fostering the success of women entrepreneurs. In addition to examining the current state of women’s entrepreneurship, the panel concentrated on many of the challenges women business owners face and how to best address those challenges.

Much of the discussion was focused on the difficulty of raising capital. Subcommittee Chairman Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen noted: “Men typically launch their business with twice the capital women

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THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

do, and less than 10 percent of all venture funds are granted to women-led businesses.”

STATE Governor Lobbies Amazon to Consider Entire State of Missouri Governor Eric Greitens has encouraged Amazon to consider the entire State of Missouri for its proposed HQ2 headquarters project. The proposal stated that both Kansas City and St. Louis are viable locations for Amazon’s headquarters, but Amazon should consider the entire state. Greitens touted Missouri’s entrepreneurial spirit and start-up community as well as education opportunities and workforce. Greitens also pitched the proposed Hyperloop transportation system along the I-70 corridor as a means to connect the entire state.

Missouri Supreme Court Declines to Hear Right to Work Case The Missouri Supreme Court ruled this month that it will not take up a lawsuit challenging an initiative petition that asks Missourians whether they want Missouri to become a Right to Work state. That means the initiative will be on the ballot when voters go to the polls in November 2018.

The initiative petition is an effort to repeal Missouri’s new Right to Work law. According to the law, which was passed earlier this year by the legislature and signed by Governor Eric Greitens, workers can’t be forced to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment.

Union-backed petitioners immediately challenged the law, collecting enough signatures to force a state-wide vote on the measure. Right to Work supporters have challenged the initiative process, arguing that the ballot language is insufficient and likely to cause confusion. The Missouri Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the case affirms the Missouri Court of Appeals ruling, which found the ballot language sufficient. Right to Work supporters may challenge the collected signatures as some signors reported being misled by petitioners about the nature of the petition.

KC BUSINESSES THINKING BIGGER 17TH ANNUAL 25 UNDER 25® AWARDS FEBRUARY 24, 2018

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Nomination Sponsor

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Band Sponsor

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Exhibit Associates

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BIZ BITS

Pipeline Receives Challenge Grant The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has issued a $2.087 million challenge grant to benefit the Pipeline Entrepreneurial Fellowship.

Pipeline works with highpotential entrepreneurs from Kansas, Nebraska, Kansas City and St. Louis, offering training, mentoring and connections designed to exponentially increase their businesses.

Through the challenge grant, Kauffman will match on a one-to-one basis every dollar that another donor contributes to Pipeline.

The grant is good for four years.

SBA Unveils Lender Match Tool The U.S. Small Business Administration has launched Lender Match, a free online tool for helping small businesses locate the perfect lending partner.

Visit www.sba.gov/lendermatch, and you’ll be asked to fill out a form. Then, in 48 hours, you’ll be contacted by potential lenders that are interested in working with you.

Updated Small Business Size Standards The U.S. Small Business Administration is adopting a new set of size standards for small businesses in several industries.

The changes are part of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget’s latest North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) updates for 2017. The size standards are important because they define which companies officially are and aren’t small businesses. And that determines whether those companies qualify for federal programs that assist small businesses, such as contracting initiatives.

As part of this year’s updates, the size standards will increase for six industries:

three in Manufacturing, two in Retail Trade, one in Mining, Quarrying and Oil and Gas Extraction. Size standards will decrease for two industries: one in Mining, Quarrying and Oil and Gas Extraction and one in Information. Additionally, one industry in Information will see its size standard change from average annual revenues to number of employees. As part of the update, 21 new industry categories are being created.

KC Women in Technology, OneKC for Women to Team Up OneKC for Women— the alliance of businessfocused organizations that help local women build brighter financial futures—is getting a new partner: Kansas City Women in Technology.

OneKC for Women’s other affiliates include the Women’s Employment Network, Women’s Capital Connection, Women’s Business Center and WE-Lend. OneKC’s member organizations help local women compete for jobs, start businesses and secure funding to grow those companies.

Kansas City Women in Technology encourages and supports women in technology careers.

ScaleUP! KC Seeking Seventh Cohort ScaleUP! Kansas City, which helps the region’s small businesses ramp up their growth, is taking applications now for its seventh cohort. Applications are due Dec. 6.

That new class will begin meeting in late January. Applicants must have been in business at least two years and generate at least $150,000 in annual revenue, with the potential to make more than $1 million per year. More details are available at www.KCSourceLink.com.

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THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

Workers Compensation Insurance Changes for Kansas Businesses If you own a Kansas-based business, you may pay less in workers compensation

insurance next year. The voluntary base rate is scheduled to shrink by 7.6 percent compared to this year, while the assigned risk rate will decrease by 5.8 percent. 2018 will be the fourth year in a row that Kansas’ worker compensation rates will decline. In that time, rates have fallen about 39 percent in both categories. The decrease is an average, so not everyone may see a decrease.

KC Region to Launch Pre-Seed Fund The greater Kansas City region is just months away from the launch of a $5 million pre-seed fund that will target entrepreneurs who need $50,000 to $350,000 in investment.

The fund, which doesn’t have a name yet, will make investments worth up to $150,000, but only if other investors put up an equal amount. Participating entrepreneurs must also agree to get training and mentoring at the Enterprise Center in Johnson County, one of the leaders of the project.

Several local business and civic groups worked on the new fund, including the Enterprise Center, the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, KCSourceLink, the OneKC for Women Alliance, the Kauffman Foundation, the Greater KC Chamber and local investors.

As part of the effort, ECJC has secured a $150,000 Seed Fund Support grant from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration. That money won’t go directly into the fund. Rather, it’ll pay for staffing and administrative expenses to support the fund.

assistance services. Officials say the incubator could create 90 jobs. The grant will come from Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, which invests in economically distressed communities.

Applications Start for 2018 InvestMidwest The Invest Midwest Venture Capital Forum is taking applications for next year’s conference. Details are available at www.investmidwestforum.com. Up-andcoming companies can apply for a chance to present their concepts to an audience of venture capitalists, corporate and private investors, and professionals in the fields of law, business and finance. The final application deadline is Jan. 12.

KC Drops on Kauffman Index of Growth Entrepreneurship Kansas City has fallen five spots on this year’s Kauffman Index of Growth Entrepreneurship, ranking 28th among the nation’s largest metro areas.

Produced by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the annual study is one measure of the nation’s entrepreneurial health.

Generally, this year’s index shows a continuing recovery from the Great Recession, though researchers warned of a long-term decline in entrepreneurial growth.

Kansas City’s lower ranking was because of a decline in the rate of startup growth and in its share of “scaleups”—the number of young, small businesses that expand to 50 employees by their 10th year.

Meanwhile, Missouri held steady at No. 22 on the index’s list of the 25 largest states, but Kansas dropped three spots to No. 8 on the list of the 25 smallest states.

Hispanic EDC of KC to Lead New Business Incubator The U.S. Commerce Department has pledged $1.6 million to help the Hispanic Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City create a new business incubator.

The facility will operate in an existing industrial building that must be remodeled. The incubator will encompass 13,000 square feet and include a commercial kitchen, conference rooms and coworking space.

Plus, clients will be able to access business SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

11

BIZ BITS

The nation’s young companies are growing more swiftly and hitting the 50-employee mark faster, but fewer are evolving into medium- and large-size employers, researchers found.

ArtsKC Awards Grants ArtsKC—Regional Arts Council has awarded ArtsKC Catalyst grants to 74 smalland mid-sized nonprofit arts organizations.

The grants, totaling $138,330, include project grants and mission grants. Project grants were awarded to 27 nonprofit organizations with arts programs, and mission grants went to 47 nonprofit arts organizations to support their missions.

Project grant recipients include organizations that use art to heal, to reach the disadvantaged, to help the disabled and to

bring art into communities. Organizations receiving mission grants include theater groups, choirs, orchestras, a performance studio, a literary group and other organizations dedicated to the arts.

ArtsKC also awards grants to individual artists and to larger nonprofit arts organizations that are also vital to a thriving, innovative community.

Nov. 15 Deadline for Missouri TechLaunch

Eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria and the application form is available at Missouri Technology Corporation’s website.

Small Business Saturday

The Missouri Technology Corporation is taking applications through Nov. 15 for its Missouri TechLaunch funding program.

The program is for startups that are commercializing research developed at Missouri universities or research institutions.

Applicants can seek up to $100,000 in equity or convertible debt for prototyping, competitive analysis and other activities.

The annual Small Business Saturday shopping day designated to encourage shoppers to purchase from local small businesses is scheduled for Nov. 25. Small business owners interested in participating in Small Business Saturday can get more details at the American Express website: www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small

Affinity Venture Partners is a family of companies within the larger Affinity Worldwide organization, focusing primarily on support and service to the residential real estate investment sector. Supported by a capable team of talented industry professionals, these companies represent the very best in their individual industry verticals.

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SGF Contracting Services provides renovation, rehab and repair services on single and multi-family properties for real estate investors, developers, landlords, REO asset managers and government agencies nationwide.

Hickory Global General Contractors is a Kansas City-area operation specializing in residential new construction, remodeling and tenant finish, taking projects from design/concept to completion.

KC Grout Works utilizes a patented system that cleans and permanently seals grout to prevent dirt, mold and grime from penetrating. We also perform shower restoration and tile repair.

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THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

BIG | deals

AWARDS AND HONORS UMKC Entrepreneurs of the Year Announced Sandy and Christine Kemper, the founders of C2FO, have been named the Regional Entrepreneurs of the Year by the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Bloch School.

Moshe Safdie, the man who designed the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, is the 2017 Henry W. Bloch International Entrepreneur of the Year. The four firms that built the center—BNIM, JE Dunn Construction, Mark One Electric and U.S. Engineering—will receive the

Marion and John Kreamer Award for Social Entrepreneurship.

These winners—along with a student entrepreneur named at the event—will be saluted during the 32nd annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards on Dec. 5 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. The event will benefit the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Bloch School.

» Karen Crnkovich // DMC Service, Inc. » Danielle Debbrecht // CORE Strategies

» Matthew Moore // Martin City

Physical Therapy » Amber Goering // Goering and Granatino, P.A. » Haley Haar // FWT Enterprises II, Inc dba AlphaGraphics Kansas City » Alec Haight // Pioneer Music Company, Inc. » Joelsette Hernandez Jones // Pharos Partners Inc. » Jennifer Juarez // Snacks on Racks Inc. » Vladislav Kaufman // Managed Energy Systems » Nick McLean // Southwest Steel Fabrication

» Doug Obershaw // SkuTouch Solutions » Mitch Rice // Commercial Capital

Brewing Company Company, L.L.C. » Robyn Schmitz // High Prairie

Landscape Group, LLC » Dan Shirey // Freedom Transportation, Inc. » Steven Spangler // Simple

Science Juices » Courtney Thomas // Central Exchange » Ryan Toelkes // Neighborhood

Painting Inc. » Brent Voepel // Voepel Property

Management and Canopy Road Real Estate

continued

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HEMP Adds 23 Entrepreneurs The Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program has announced its 2017 class of mentees. The mentoring program, founded

by Barnett Helzberg Jr. in 1995, is a threeyear, facilitated program that matches a mentee with a more experienced mentor.

The entrepreneurs in the class of 2017 are: » Susan Ahn // Great Plains Supply, Inc. » Charlie Arnot // Look East » Stephen Bastasch // Lenexa Manufacturing Company » RL Brooks // Seen Merch » Justin Copeland // Triggerfish Corporation

Where Your Priority Is Our Priority!

Marie, Shelley, Michelle, Ashley and Roses are here when you need us!

913-663-JOBS (5627) | www.staffingkc.com SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

13

BIG | deals

InReturn Strategies Tapped for National Accelerator Program Local startup InReturn Strategies has been selected to join the Points of Light Civic Accelerator, a national program investing in companies that help underemployed people find good jobs. Company founder Jim Atwater and his team have created an online platform that makes it easier for employers to hire people with disabilities. Participating entrepreneurs will spend time in Atlanta, Chicago and Washington, D.C. At the end of the course, they’ll decide which of their two colleagues deserve to win $50,000 in investment from Points of Light.

Honors for Minority and Women Business Owners Several KC companies were honored at the Kansas Minority and Women Business Awards Luncheon on Oct. 5 at Topeka’s Capitol Plaza Hotel. The event is part of the annual Kansas Minority Enterprise Development Week presented by the Kansas Commerce Department. Local winners at this year’s MED Week include the following local businesses: Construction // Recyclable Materials

Relocation LLC (MBE); MySmartPlans (WBE) Professional Services // LaborMax Staffing

KC Metro (MBE); FSC Inc. (WBE) Retail // Paleterias Tropicanas (MBE);

Sage Restoration LLC (WBE) Supplier/Distributor // SARIN Energy

Solutions (MBE); International Express Trucking Inc. (WBE) Sandra Olivas of the Bank of Labor in

Kansas City, Kansas, was the Minority Business Advocate of the Year. Debra Kunz of the Center for Deliberate Growth is the 2017 Women Business Advocate of the Year.

Paul Kaster of Crooked Branch Studio is the Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

interface for patients to access Heritage Biologics’ pharmacy and nursing staff through a virtual portal.

Red Nova Labs Expands Red Nova Labs has added a satellite office in Denver and added new jobs in Kansas City. The new office is located in a coworking space called Modworks in downtown Denver. The growth is a result of a surge in use of the company’s technology platform, storEDGE. KC Company Ships Premium Beef Startup River Watch Beef has begun shipping grass-fed, all-natural beef to consumers across the country. The antibiotic-free, premium meat comes from River Watch’s own Angus and Hereford cattle raised in Kansas and Colorado. The company, which launched last year, delivers custom orders and offer a subscription service.

Rebrand for Law Firm The law firm Douthit Frets Rouse Gentile & Rhodes has rebranded as a result of growth.

Moving forward, the firm’s name will be Rouse Frets Gentile Rhodes, or Rouse Frets.

Its new website is www.rousefrets.com.

Founded in 1995, the Leawood-based firm has increased its number of attorneys by 75 percent in the past five years, to 39. To make room for its expanding team, Rouse Frets has opened a second location at Town Pavilion in downtown Kansas City.

ARC Opens Another Location ARC Physical Therapy+

is continuing its expansion in Iowa with the opening of a clinic in Urbandale—the company’s third in the Hawkeye State. Charles Flatness will be the new clinic’s lead therapist.

EXPANSION

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Heritage Biologics Launches New Program Heritage Biologics, a leader in Rare Disease Outcomes Management (RDOM), has launched the HBnow virtual care program.

The HBnow program provides an easy

Creative Displays Has New Owner Creative Displays Inc., a Stilwell company that sells commercial-grade holiday lighting, is now under new ownership.

Angela Primavera, a former Lee Jeans executive, took over as owner and president on

14

THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

Sept. 1. Creative Displays was founded in 1959 by George Purucker.

Paul Sessel bought the company in 1994 and ran it for 23 years, expanding its products to include LED and incandescent lights and outdoor displays.

Ad Agencies Merge Walz Tetrick Advertising has acquired Ruth Burke & Associates.

Ruth Burke & Associates (RB&A), a 35-year-old agency, is known for its media planning, buying and consulting, building on Walz Tetrick’s strengths in this area.

The RB&A team will move to Walz Tetrick’s current office in Mission after the end of the year. Walz Tetrick is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

SMG Receives Investment Kansas City-based Service Management Group, founded by Andy Fromm and Bill Fromm in 1991, has sold a minority interest in the company to Ridgemont Equity Partners.

Ridgemont is a middle market private equity firm based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Although the terms of the deal were not disclosed, Andy Fromm said in a release that SMG is looking forward to pursuing growth initiatives with Ridgemont.

SMG provides customer experience, employee engagement and brand research software solutions and services to clients in the restaurant, retail, grocery, convenience, travel and entertainment, professional services and healthcare industries.

OTHER NEWS Companies Join Digital Sandbox KC Via Independence Partnership Drones4Hire and Hidden Abilities have joined Digital Sandbox KC. Their participation has been made possible under a partnership Digital Sandbox KC has with the City of Independence and the Independence Economic Development Council. The two companies will receive up to $20,000 in product development funding, coworking space at WerksLab and support from the Independence Ennovation Center’s iNtech Growth Program.

2 5 U N D E R 2 5 ® U P DAT E S

Bullseye International Plans Open House for New HQ

Dobies Healthcare Group Names President

Bullseye International (Class of 2013) has

Julie Amor has been named president of Dobies Healthcare Group (Class of 2016),

relocated from Lee’s Summit, its home for the past 15 years, to a new headquarters at 4006 E. 137th Terrace in Grandview.

The company’s owners, Gary and Trish Walker, are planning a ribbon-cutting and open house from 2 to 4 p.m. on Nov. 16.

Bullseye sells janitorial, safety, restroom, office, breakroom and facilities products.

The new space has allowed the company to expand from 2,500 square feet to more than 7,000 square feet.

Bullseye’s physical location isn’t the only thing changing. Its logo, products and other pieces have been rebranded, and a revamped website offering more than 60,000 items, launches in November.

after Shatto’s Garlic Butter was named best in show at the Missouri State fair. The butter was also awarded second place in the category of flavored butters at the American Cheese Society’s Annual Competition.

Shatto Milk Company offers four varieties of butters: garlic, honey, salted and unsalted.

a health care-focused marketing and branding firm.

Amor joined Dobies in 2015 as chief strategy officer, a role that will remain part of her duties. Founder Carol Dobies will continue as CEO, while Thom Ludtke rounds out the executive leadership team as vice president of client services.

InnovaPrep Lands $1M Contract, Debuts Next Generation Device InnovaPrep LLC, (Class of 2012) a developer

of biological sample collection and sample preparation technologies, has won a contract award from The U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) subordinate command of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command.

The award totals nearly $1 million over a 24-month period.

Shatto Milk’s Garlic Butter Spices Up Dairy Competition Shatto Milk Company’s (Class of 2006)

Garlic Butter received “top three in the world” designation, or third place, in the Butter-Open Class Category during the 2017 World Dairy Exposition Product Judging.

The recognition came less than a month

Tradeshow Booths Museum Exhibits Corporate Displays

YOUR BRAND. OUR BUSINESS.

continued

www.exhibitassociates.com

816.474.5333 sales@exhibitassociates.com SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

15

InnovaPrep will advance the development of ECBC’s prototype Mano Surface Sampler.

The project will include manufacturing design, development of the manufacturing approaches and full commercialization of the system for Department of Defense applications.

InnovaPrep has also launched the Concentrating Pipette Select, which is a new generation of the Concentrating Pipette they launched in 2012 and is used in government, industry, and research labs. The CP Select is an automated, rapid bio-concentration device that replaces centrifugation and enrichment methods as a front-end to microbial detection.

Kansas City SCORE

4747 Troost Ave., Suite 101 Kansas City, MO 64110 https://kansascity.score.org/ 816-235-6675

The Purple Guys Expands in St. Louis The Purple Guys (Class of 2005) has started

operations in St. Louis. The company has provided managed IT network services for small and mid-market businesses in Kansas City since 2001.

The St. Louis office will be at 12825 Flushing Meadows Drive. Company president and CEO Jon Schram said the decision to add the St. Louis office was a result of a growing client list with operations in St. Louis.

BIG INFLUENCE | MCCOWNGORDON CONSTRUCTION

Blueprint for a Better KC If you get right down to it, McCownGordon Construction is dedicated to building a better Kansas City.

Obviously, most people know the firm for its work on projects like Church of the Resurrection, the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center and the 21c Savoy Hotel.

Its buildings are some of the biggest and most beautiful in the region.

But McCownGordon also makes important contributions to building up the people of the community.

Marketing Analytics Firm Gets New HQ Alight Analytics (Class of 2014) has moved

to 1100 Main in downtown Kansas City, where it will occupy the 17th floor of the City Center Square tower.

The company’s new 20,000-square-foot office is more than triple the space Alight had in its previous location.

Demand for marketing analytics and media data aggregation services from advertising agencies and brands continues to fuel Alight’s growth, driving almost 50 percent revenue growth versus the previous year.

The company, celebrating it’s 10th anniversary, landed on the Inc. 5000 list for the second year in 2017.

16

THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

Co-founders Pat McCown, who is retiring as CEO at the end of the year, and Brett Gordon encourage their team members to donate their time to community and charity work.

The company itself gives at least 10 percent of its revenue to philanthropy every year.

Emphasis on “at least.” So far, the company has surpassed the 10 percent goal almost every year since its founding in 1999. And Pat and his wife, Beth, also donate their time and resources to organizations such as City Union Mission, the Kansas City Rescue Mission and others.

McCownGordon is committed to building a better workplace for its team, too. Earlier this year, the company won a When Work Works Award from the Society for Human Resource Management, which saluted its flexible-workplace policies.

C O M PA N Y T O WAT C H K C

BRADFORD & FRANZKE FRET SHOP

E N T R E P R E N E U R S

An Instrumental Business for Musicians

(Photo courtesy of Austin Walsh Studios)

BF STRINGS SPECIALIZES IN THE RESTORATION, REPAIR AND SALE OF FINE STRING INSTRUMENTS. ENTREPRENEURS

Mark Franzke and Glenn Bradford C O M PA N Y I N F O R M AT I O N

BF Strings 4448 Belleview Kansas City, MO 64111 (816) 283-0400 www.bfstrings.com TYPE OF BUSINESS

A shop specializing in string instruments—including retail, repair and custom builds.

YEAR FOUNDED

2015

ark Franzke steps from behind the counter at BF Strings and settles into a padded chair, one of several pieces of furniture arranged “in the round” in the shop.

Dozens of new and rebuilt banjos, mandolins and guitars are displayed on the walls and on floor stands. The shop features new, vintage and custom instruments and is a dealer for several high-quality established brands. It also sells its own proprietary Hawthorn line of banjos, mandolins and guitars.

Franzke—a retired Hallmark artist, musician and luthier (maker of stringed instruments)—and retired lawyer Glenn Bradford founded BF Strings in January 2015.

During the course of a 40-year law career, Bradford, who plays mandolin and acoustic guitar, collected high-quality stringed instruments and befriended the luthiers like Franzke who made them. Today, Bradford handles the business side of BF Strings while Franzke concentrates on building custom instruments by hand, and restoring and repairing older instruments.

“I’m a builder,” said Franzke, who handcrafted his first mandolin in 1978. “Our knowledge and expertise is second to none.”

M

Memorable projects include a complete rebuild of a 1950s Gibson, using original hardware and electronics. “I brought the guitar back to life,” Franzke said.

He can handle about five orders for new, custom instruments at a time between repair and restoration work. It takes six to eight months to build a custom instrument.

“The bulk of work is day-to-day repair,” Franzke said. “Restoration and scratch-building is timeconsuming, but it is the most enjoyable work. I go back and forth with customers and work out how they want to modify the instrument.”

Often, customers want a custom inlay, such as mother of pearl, in the fretboard, or they request some other modification to personalize the instrument. They can choose the wood, hardware and finish of their piece.

Locals love the shop: The Pitch’s “Best of Kansas City” Awards have recognized BF Strings as one of the area’s best places to buy musical instruments.

Franzke is proud that BF Strings is a resource and gathering spot for local musicians. Guitarists, banjo players and other musicians meet at the shop for jam sessions.

Franzke said, “I like being involved with the community, such as supporting the Westport Roots Festival, and being a place where local musicians like to hang out.”

Pete Dulin is a freelance writer based in Kansas City, Mo. // www.petedulin.com

SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

17

AT A G L A N C E K C

E N T R E P R E N E U R S

BIG STARTS | SPROUT SOLUTIONS

Helping Commodity Traders and Feed Mills Harvest the Power of Data Sprout Solutions’ software enhances full suite of agribusiness operations.

COMPANY // Sprout Solutions ENTREPRENEURS // Gretchen Henry and Jim Taylor WHAT THEY DO // Sprout Solutions has created two platforms for

ag-based clients. CommodiTrade helps traders manage logistics, storage, analytics and other factors so they can reduce risk and better leverage their assets. Milling Station enables feed mills to view and trace ingredients in their inventory, track sales and purchases, oversee scheduling and manage other in-house operations.

Milling Station also keeps users current on federal regulations, allowing them to reduce recall risk.

Working together seamlessly or separately, these two software tools deliver operational efficiency for clients that “move ingredients, manufacture and ship feed, and track usage and analytics to help with decision-making,” said Henry, Sprout Solutions’ CEO and co-founder.

THE INSPIRATION // Sprout Solutions sits at the crossroads of

financial systems and agribusiness—a perfect fit for Henry, who grew up in a farming community and has deep experience in IT, web-based solutions and compliance with federal regulations.

Sprout Solutions provides “a full gamut of IT and hosted solutions” for remote feed mills and commodity trading operations. Clients get more than just software, though: “We’re unique in our space by including IT response in our service,” Henry said.

WHAT’S NEXT // Henry and Taylor want to continually improve

Sprout Solutions so that it can help clients keep up with changes to industry regulations. The company also plans to add staff to its IT and sales teams.

HOW TO CONTACT // Sprout Solutions, (913) 553-3643,

sprout-solutions.com 18

THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

MADE TO LAST | SCHUTTE LUMBER

Schutte Lumber’s Secret?

‘Sticking to What We Do Best’ S.Z. Schutte founded Schutte Lumber in 1880, only a few decades after Kansas City itself was officially incorporated as a town.

“Schutte Lumber is 137 years old,” owner Michael Fuhrman said. “The company made it that far and long by sticking to what we do best.”

A landmark on Kansas City’s Southwest Boulevard, Schutte’s 13-acre lumberyard encompasses a mill, a showroom and a truly massive array of high-quality lumber products.

“A lot of lumberyards have popped up. We chose to make them customers and key suppliers rather than take a commodity-based approach,” said Fuhrman. “It’s an incredible, generous industry. We buy supplies from all over the world and locally, too.”

Fuhrman took charge of Schutte Lumber in 2014, assuming command from his dad, Daniel. The elder Fuhrman acquired the family-operated business and trust in 1997.

So Michael grew up in the industry. He learned to clean the yard, fix fences, make deliveries, manage inventory—practically every piece of the business.

His advice to those building a business that lasts: “There are always going to be bright, shiny things. It’s hard to resist getting outside of your comfort zone. Stick to your core values and do what you do better than others.” www.schuttelumber.com

KC MADE IT K C

SANDLOT GOODS

E N T R E P R E N E U R S

A Winning Lineup SANDLOT GOODS HITS A HOME RUN WITH LEATHER-CRAFTED PRODUCTS. had Hickman fondly remembers playing baseball as a kid with his brother. There were times they would do anything to get a game going.

Today, Hickman still dabbles in baseball, creating handcrafted leather products through Sandlot Goods, his company in Kansas City’s Crossroads District. Sandlot offers 20 different products, including journals, wallets, handbags, belts and additional accessories that are designed in-house.

The endeavor started when Hickman, who then was a partner in an advertising photo studio business, leased out part of their space to handbag designer Katy Bird.

Hickman is majority owner with partner Hannah Johnston holding a minority interest.

The name “Sandlot” came from a very personal place for Hickman.

“Right before we decided to do Sandlot, my brother died in a tragic way, and it kind of made me really think of my priorities in life,” Hickman said. “It brought back a flood of memories and emotions of my childhood and my brother was always there …

“All we ever did during our childhood was try to figure out how to get a baseball game together so it is a daily reminder of the enjoyable moments of my childhood.”

Sandlot started off slowly, but by 2015, Hickman signed a new lease for the leather

C

goods business. That’s when he made the decision to leave his advertising photography business and go full time with Sandlot.

With a total of five employees, Sandlot produces its products in a 3,200-square-foot space. Sandlot purchases leather hides from two different tanners. Designers choose what part of the hide to use for different products, then employ computer-aided design (CAD) to create a die for press-cutting the leather. Everything is sewn on machines, and Sandlot’s logo is hand-stitched or stamped on its products. Johnston manages production with three full-time employees sewing and one to two doing leather finishing.

The company’s most popular item is its journals, but up-and-comers include coasters designed for Major League Baseball parks.

Hickman runs the overall company but keeps an artistic finger in the operation.

“Those moments I get to do something creative is what keeps me going,” he said.

In 2016, Sandlot added a line of canvas duffle bags and backpacks with leather accents.

“It has been a material we have used for a long time, and backpacks are something I really wanted to make,” Hickman said.

“They’re selling pretty well. We’re hoping this holiday season they come to light.”

Hickman sees Sandlot’s product line as attainable luxury, with products priced from $15 to just under $400. Sandlot sells its products at its factory store and various retail partners, including Made in Kansas City. Hickman said the bulk of its products

are sold through its online store. Made in Kansas City manages Sandlot’s growing wholesale business.

The company’s secret weapon of sorts was a Made in Kansas City T-shirt it sold during its first two years in business.

“For a while, we couldn’t keep them in stock—we sold thousands,” Hickman said.

The T-shirt is no longer listed on Sandlot’s website, but is available in its store.

Sandlot is continuing to hit new milestones. Just this year, it received a Cornerstone Award from the Economic Development Council of Kansas City. And the company’s revenues have doubled every year.

Recently, Cerner hired Sandlot to produce its employee anniversary gifts. “We provide the five-year gift for every employee worldwide,” Hickman said.

In the future, Sandlot is looking to expand both its lineup of products and its distribution. Hickman hopes to add a baseball cap to the mix and develop more wholesale relationships. Though Sandlot is looking to sell outside Kansas City, Hickman said the heart of America is a great place to do business.

“I am a Kansas City boy through and through,” Hickman said. “It is the down-toearth people here. It is that hard-working Midwest mentality.”

Ruth Baum Bigus is a freelance writer in the Kansas City area.

SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

19

KC FUTURES

( by Kate Leibsle)

The Not-So-Secret Force Behind KC Job Creation STUDY SHOWS STARTUPS AND SMALL BUSINESSES PLAY AN OUTSIZE ROLE IN HIRING.

That number was the biggest surprise for Hodel and KCSourceLink.

“We expected it to be significant, but not 17,880

“Small businesses add nothing to the economy and workforce.”

16,000, and we were surprised at how consistent it was over time,” she said. “You always hear about how many startups fail, and this

16,854

16,325

15,987

15,344

15,000

A

20 THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

10,000

5,000

0 2012

2013

2014

2015

AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGE

$52,000

2016

KC STARTUP WAGE

$48,000

$44,000 KC AVERAGE WAGE

$40,000

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

YEAR SINCE START

84,011

JOBS IN 2016

80

JOBS IN (1000s)

nd now, thanks to the work of KCSourceLink, we have the data to prove that that is, indeed, #fakenews.

The latest report in KCSourceLink’s “We Create” series, the findings from “We Create Jobs” shares real numbers that show what everyone has always known: Small businesses and entrepreneurs make the Kansas City economy run.

“We have always wanted to quantify the impact of entrepreneurs,” said Kate Hodel, who coordinated the report. “We knew in our hearts that it was great, but to be able to put a number on it was what we wanted.

We’d been looking and looking for a way to measure this.”

The data was collected from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. KCSourceLink researchers calculated the number of jobs from first-time employers using the number of employers who paid for unemployment insurance for the first time. They counted only companies with 20 or fewer employees, which helped screen out bigger companies that relocated to the metro.

What the report shows is that startups (defined as first-time employers with fewer than 20 employees) are creating a significant number of jobs in the metropolitan area— upwards of 16,000 each year. In 2016, the cumulative impact of those first-time employers was 84,000 jobs, accounting for 65 percent of all new jobs and nearly 8 percent of total employment in the metro.

JOBS

— Said no one ever

60

YEAR FIRMS STARTED 2012

40

2013 2014

20

2015 2016

0 2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

shows that even with the failures, there are others there to pick up the slack.”

Another interesting discovery from the study is the variety of industries that are represented by entrepreneurial companies.

While technology companies are obviously growing in number, Hodel said it’s interesting to note that retail, manufacturing and health care are also a large part of the overall mix.

“The support for entrepreneurs comes from many areas,” she said.

KCSourceLink is breaking new ground with this report, Hodel said. It’s always been difficult, if not impossible, to find local data like this about startups and small entrepreneurial ventures.

“Usually, the stats are on a national, state and some county level,” she said. “But drilling down to the metro area, to ZIP codes, we haven’t found anything else like it.”

Hodel is encouraged by the report and sees it validating our entrepreneurial community and the overall region’s growing support for entrepreneurs.

Hodel was pleased to see that when it comes to salaries, entrepreneurs are keeping pace with, and sometimes exceeding, their corporate counterparts.

“I love the chart that shows that employees of entrepreneurs start below in salary, but quickly catch up and exceed others,” Hodel said. “Successful entrepreneurs understand that it’s about their people.”

Looking ahead, what might the numbers say about the metropolitan area’s future?

We are in a good place, but the question now becomes how to sustain and grow entrepreneurship and everything that goes with it—jobs, salaries and support services.

The key to that, Hodel said, is recruiting and keeping talent.

“That’s the biggest challenge for everybody,” she said. “We need to focus, focus, focus on how education is working—not just for the entrepreneurial companies, either—but how education is preparing young people for the world that is changing rapidly.

“Entrepreneurs are important to the local economy’s health. We need to continue to support both the entrepreneurs and the organizations that support them.”

Kate Leibsle is a freelance writer in the Kansas City area.

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SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

21

ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY K C

E N T R E P R E N E U R S

“It’s just the way entrepreneurs are,” she said.

McCombs is the founder of International Builders and Consultants (IBC), a general contracting, interior finish construction and traffic controls company she founded in 2008 in Florida, just before the Great Recession laid the construction industry bare.

Photo courtesy of Travis Young, Austin Walsh Studio

Changing Course Leads to Opportunity Brandy McCombs’ journey has had twists and turns . . . but she’s leaving her mark.

B

randy McCombs’ entrepreneurial journey is one of not only pursuing opportunity,

22

THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

but also proactively seeking change. It’s clear that she doesn’t shy away from something she’s never done.

When she makes up her mind—whether it’s about changing careers, changing cities or starting a new division in her company—no one is going to stop her.

Ohio to Florida to Missouri Her journey has taken her from a small Ohio town to stints in restaurant management in Florida, and most recently to entrepreneurial success right here in Kansas City.

Her entrepreneurial aspirations started at a young age. Watching her father operate his own auto parts store and her grandfather run the only gas station in town filled McCombs with pride. It was something she knew she wanted to replicate.

McCombs didn’t jump immediately into business ownership, however. She started in the restaurant industry in Ohio and worked her way into management. She thought she would eventually own her own restaurant.

Looking for additional opportunities in the industry, McCombs moved to Florida, where she became the restaurant manager of Sundial Beach Resort on Sanibel Island.

Feeling restless after several years and tired of working every holiday, McCombs took a management position in the service department of an air conditioning installation company in Fort Myers. She enjoyed the work and learned a great deal, but she was eager to be out in the field. So, in 2005 she went to work as a superintendent for a general contractor that specialized in high-rise condominiums. That’s when she realized she had found her business niche.

Building Her Own Business After a few years, McCombs struck out on her own, forming IBC in 2008. That’s exactly when the Florida economy took a nosedive.

“Work dried up overnight. My choices were to stay in Florida and pick another profession again, go back to Ohio, or move my business,” she said.

Not one to accept failure, McCombs researched other parts of the country where construction was faring better and landed in Kansas City.

“I did my research, put my finger on the map and decided Kansas City was where I

was going. So here I am, making memories,” she said.

Leaving Her Mark Since relocating to Kansas City, IBC has become a “household” name for its quality craftsmanship as trim carpenters working for various general contractors. IBC has worked on high-profile local projects such as the Hollywood Casino, Country Club Bank, Children’s Mercy Hospital, LEGOLAND Discovery Center and Sea Life Aquarium, the Kansas Speedway, the Jackson County Courthouse Clock Tower and the Kansas City Streetcar.

In 2014 McCombs discovered a business opportunity that would require adding a separate division to IBC. As she’d done throughout her career, she didn’t hesitate to pursue it.

“I had an opportunity to bid on traffic control when the streetcar was coming into

town,” said McCombs. “I thought to myself, ‘How hard can that be?’ So I did some research and studied it, and I got my certifications and actually went to school. I bid on it, and now my traffic control division is growing faster than anything I ever imagined.”

The new division does flagging and traffic control for various projects, including 24-hour emergency service such as when streets must be closed due to flooding. The Kansas City Street Car was the first job. Since then, IBC has received contracts with KCP&L, Missouri Gas Energy, Burns & McDonnell, Mark One Electric Company and several other local companies, allowing the company to grow its fleet to 12 in just over a year. McCombs predicts up to 300 percent growth in the traffic division in 2017.

She recently added a new location at 1213 West 8th Street to house the traffic division.

“We have purchased this additional building due to the demand for our traffic control

services. We are the only local contractor that supplies union flagging services, and we are the only local certified WBE in the scope of work,” said McCombs.

McCombs is a visionary—she says her brain is always working and people in her office think she’s crazy. She knows it takes a team to put her ideas to work. Over the years, she’s learned several lessons about assembling, training and keeping a great team together: » Monitor employees to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. » Do complete background checks before hiring. » Hire slow and fire fast.

McCombs networks constantly, and she advises others to take advantage of the connections that can be easily made in Kansas City.

“One thing about Kansas City I love is even though it’s a big city, everybody knows everybody and everybody’s so supportive,” she said.

SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

23

DRIVING GROWTH Deals with the Tutera Group, St. Joseph Medical Center and others have led to doubled growth for Secure Medical Transport.

24 THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

KC ENTREPRENEURS

Driven to Serve Secure Medical Transport helps patients and their families meet one of their most pressing needs.

ENTREPRENEURS

Jeffrey Dunn, Brian Fleming, Kevin Teasdale C O M PA N Y I N F O R M AT I O N

Secure Medical Transport 3000 Mercier St. Kansas City, MO 64108 (816) 350-1800 info@securemedicaltransport.com www.securemedicaltransport.com TYPE OF BUSINESS

Nonemergency medical transportation YEAR FOUNDED

2010 E M P L OY E E S

50 KEYS TO SUCCESS

“It’s that high standard of safety, professionalism.”

left // Brian Fleming, director of

sales & marketing, Kevin Teasdale, president and co-founder and Jeff Dunn, founder. inset // Oxygen tanks ready to transport, when necessary.

I

t’s a dilemma that’s too familiar for too many families.

A loved one suffers a health setback—a cancer diagnosis, an accident or just the rigors of old age—and they aren’t able to get around on their own easily. Or at all.

But they still have doctor’s visits, physical therapy sessions or other essential appointments that can’t be missed.

At first, relatives can take off work, until they run out of vacation days.

Sometimes friends can volunteer to play chauffeur, but that isn’t always an option.

Eventually, families have to find a way to get that loved one—someone who may be using a walker or a wheelchair—safely to their destination.

Not just to the curb, but into the building, securely checked in at the right desk.

And that’s what Secure Medical Transport does. The Kansas City company operates a fleet of specially equipped vans that can take injured, disabled and ailing people where they need to go.

“By providing a professional service that people can trust, they say, ‘I’m just going to hire Secure, I can’t take off work for this,’” said Kevin Teasdale, Secure Medical Transport’s managing partner.

“And we’re able to take them to and from the

doctors’ appointments, and they know that they’re taken care of.”

Business has boomed in recent years as Secure Medical Transport has teamed with a growing number of skilled nursing homes. Earlier this year, the Tutera Group—a large operator of senior living facilities—selected Secure Medical to be its exclusive vendor for transportation in the Kansas City region. St. Joseph Medical Center just became a partner, too.

Teasdale and the team have become a go-to resource whenever a patient needs to travel to a medical appointment—or even out-of-state treatment at facilities like the Mayo Clinic. As a result, revenue has doubled in the past two years.

Of course, the doctor’s office isn’t the only place Secure Medical Transport goes.

“We take people to special events, weddings, funerals, lunches,” Teasdale said. One hospice client “was over 100 years old, just wanted to go fishing one last time, so we took him to Jayhawk Marina and took him fishing.”

‘I JUST KIND OF SAW A NICHE’

Teasdale understands the importance of what Secure Medical Transport does because he

by James Hart // photography by Dan Videtich SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

25

The goal is to keep delivering excellent service, he said, “and kind of be what I didn’t see when my dad (former Gov. Joseph Teasdale) needed it.”

Kevin Teasdale // president and co-founder

experienced the same challenges that many of his customers do.

His father was the late Joseph Teasdale, who served as Missouri’s governor during the late 1970s and early ‘80s. When the elder Teasdale’s health suffered in his later years, he needed help getting to the doctor’s office.

“The challenge that we saw when our dad would have to go to a medical appointment, we would have to take off work and come get him because we didn’t trust the companies that were doing it,” Teasdale said.

Back then, Kevin was selling insurance to trucking companies through Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., but he was looking for something different to do. He could find only one other company in town providing nonemergency medical transportation.

“So I just kind of saw a niche, Teasdale said. “And my wife and I talked, and I said this is something I want to do.”

He wasn’t the only one who realized the need. An old high school friend, Dr. Jeffrey Dunn, regularly encountered patients who were struggling with transportation.

Jeff and Kevin discovered they were both developing similar business concepts and decided to join forces. They brought on a third partner, Brian Fleming, who oversees business development and marketing.

Their families knew each other long before they went into business together—all three men

went to Rockhurst High around the same time.

“So we already had that kind of initial respect for each other, and we like each other,” Teasdale said.

“So it was kind of easy … to say I think we should merge as opposed to staying on our own tracks.”

The business chugged along for the first couple of years, as Teasdale was the sole driver.

He also answered calls and put together invoices while he was out on calls. His day started at 5 in the morning and ended at 7 or 8 at night.

“For the first two years,” Teasdale said, “it was me every day in the van.”

A COMMITMENT TO A HIGHER STANDARD

One of the things that distinguishes Secure Medical Transport is its commitment to exemplary service.

As an industry, nonemergency medical transportation is largely unregulated, so Secure Medical has to set its own standards in many ways. The owners want those standards to be high.

Its fleet of 21 vans includes new or late-model Ford Transits or Toyota Siennas that receive regular and thorough maintenance and cleaning. Most are adapted for people who use wheelchairs, while are others are designed to accommodate stretchers for passengers who don’t have the strength to sit up.

The company’s high standards extend to the people that are hired.

26 THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

Secure Medical Transport has created its own training program, and all drivers must be CPR-certified.

“We do all the training for the actual job,” Teasdale said. “By the time you go through our training process, you’re pretty well suited to do the day to day.”

The drivers come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have performed this kind of work in states such as Florida and Arizona, which have large populations of older people. Others are recent retirees.

Pastors take shifts during the middle of the week, while moonlighting teachers take evening calls.

(One thing they all have in common: Everyone wears one of the company’s signature red shirts, but no blue jeans.)

One of Secure Medical’s biggest sources of drivers is off-duty firefighters, particularly from Kansas City, Kansas. About a dozen of Secure Medical’s drivers are KCKFD personnel.

“It’s been a really good marriage for both of us because we benefit from the professionalism, and they benefit from the flexibility we offer,” Teasdale said.

Being flexible with scheduling has enabled the company to attract people who represent the company

above // Tyrone Tyner, transportation

specialist, loads equipment for his upcoming appointments. inset // Crystal Darnell and Chelsea Devonshire, dispatchers.

well and treat passengers with excellent care.

Most of the recruiting has been via word of mouth through current employees. “They would just say, hey, I know somebody who would be good,” Teasdale said.

It’s gotten to the point where, if Secure Medical Transport comes across a handful of job applicants with the right mix of

professionalism and caring, the company will bring them onboard because the leadership knows more growth is right around the corner.

‘THE NEED IS ONLY GOING TO GROW’

Secure Medical Transport moved into its current headquarters just off Southwest Boulevard not quite two years ago. Before

that, the company didn’t have an office. When they weren’t in use, the vans were kept at a storage facility. If drivers needed to find Teasdale—and assuming he wasn’t doing a transport of his own—he usually posted up at a neighborhood Panera.

The need for the company’s service is only going to grow as more Baby Boomers age deeper

into their golden years. While Boomers have been retiring in greater numbers in recent years, most of them live independently and don’t need transportation services—yet.

“It was an underdeveloped industry when we started,” Teasdale said. “And I’d say it’s still underdeveloped.”

Kansas City in particular will need services like Secure Medical’s. The region is relatively spread out, without the transit networks of larger cities like New York or Chicago.

“The need is only going to grow, so we’d like to see our business grow, you know, whether it’s another 75 percent in the next two years,” Teasdale said. “But we also want to do a little horizontal growth.”

That might mean expanding into transportation for schools or the Veterans Affairs Administration, or other niches that don’t necessarily involve passengers with medical concerns.

“We feel like we cannot only do it, but do it better,” Teasdale said.

Whatever Secure Medical Transport does next, though, don’t be surprised if you see Teasdale behind the wheel.

Even today, after the company has grown to include dozens of drivers, he still goes on a few calls each week.

“I’m a big believer in being in touch and knowing what’s going on out there,” he said.

Early on, his partners had tried to talk him into cutting back.

“But I enjoyed it so much,” he said, “and it really just helped me understand what is needed.”

The goal is to keep delivering excellent service, he said, “and kind of be what I didn’t see when my dad needed it.”

James Hart is a freelance writer based in Kansas City.

SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

27

BUILDING KANSAS CITY

Veteran Entrepreneurs

2017

FORMER SERVICE MEMBERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE BUSINESS OWNERS, BUT THERE’S A BIG QUESTION ON THE HORIZON.

What the Numbers Say About Veteran Entrepreneurs

E

ven after they leave active service, our nation’s military

veterans continue to make a difference for their country—and many of them do so as entrepreneurs. » According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there were more than 2.5 million businesses that were majorityowned by veterans in 2012, the most recent year for which data is available. » Include half-owners, and the total climbs to 3.1 million, the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse reports. » About 9.1 percent of U.S. businesses— 9 percent of Kansas businesses and 10 percent of Missouri’s—were owned by veterans. » Those companies employed more than 5 million workers, boasting a total payroll of $195 billion. In Missouri, veteran-owned businesses had more than 103,000 employees. For Kansas, the total was over 43,000.

28 THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

» The businesses themselves made in excess of $1.14 trillion annually. Kansas vets generated $9.8 billion, while Missouri’s made $22.1 billion.

Veteran-owned businesses are overwhelming small businesses: About 80 percent have fewer than 20 workers. More than half— 54.5 percent—have four or fewer employees.

Though they start small, many of them have grown and evolved to become some of America’s biggest brands, including RE/MAX, FedEx and GoDaddy.

That’s a proud track record, but experts are calling out a concerning trend: The country’s veteran entrepreneurs are aging, and so far, younger vets are starting businesses at a lower rate.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEN AND NOW

After World War II, almost 50 percent of returning veterans eventually owned their own businesses. Approximately 40 percent of Korean veterans did.

And now? Fewer than 5 percent of veteran business owners belong to the generation that served after 9/11.

Bunker Labs, a nonprofit that helps veterans become entrepreneurs, says that about 12.3 percent of new entrepreneurs in 1996 were veterans. They represented just 5.6 percent in 2014.

If you had to paint a picture of the typical veteran entrepreneur, that person would be older.

According to the 2012 data, about 74 percent of veteran business owners were 55 or older.

About 41 percent of all business owners were 55 or older.

Meanwhile, only 11.7 percent of veteran owners were 44 or younger, compared to 32.5 percent for all kinds of business owners.

Just 3.4 percent of veteran entrepreneurs were under the age of 35. About 13.5 percent of all business owners were younger than 35.

It’s not clear why more veterans aren’t starting businesses. Part of it could be due to the long-term decline in U.S. startup activity.

Others have suggested that former service members may find it hard to secure the financing they need to start a business. They might lack the professional networks that help so many young businesses.

Veteran-owned businesses made in excess of

$1.14 trillion annually Kansas vets generated

$9.8 billion Missouri’s made

$22.1 billion

At least one-third of aspiring and established veteran entrepreneurs say their military service left them with the skills they need to run a business.

Of course, it may just take time. Many people wait until their 40s or 50s to launch businesses, when they have more money and more connections.

Fortunately, several nonprofit groups, government agencies and elected officials are offering help to veterans who want to become entrepreneurs. » The SBA and the Defense Department have teamed up to create Boots to Business, an entrepreneurship program designed for those transitioning from the military to civilian status. » And that’s not counting the long-standing efforts of the SBA’s Veteran Business Resource Centers. » Bunker Labs has brought its business training and support programs to about 16 cities across the country.

» Closer to home, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens has announced plans to lobby for legislation that would eliminate business startup fees for military veterans.

WHAT THE NUMBERS REVEAL

It’s important to remember that, despite the trends, many veterans are a great fit for a life of entrepreneurship.

Advocates for veterans note that many of the qualities that military training nurtures— discipline, leadership, a bias toward action— translate well to running a business. At least one-third of aspiring and established veteran entrepreneurs say their military service left them with the skills they need to run a business.

Veterans are also more likely to be selfemployed than other Americans, the Institute for Veterans and Military Families found.

About 10 percent of nonveterans are their own boss. The self-employment rate for veterans is a little higher—12.3 percent.

And vets who served on active duty are 45 percent more likely to be self-employed, according to the SBA’s Office of Advocacy.

There are a couple of important caveats, though: » The longer someone is in the military, the less likely they are to become an entrepreneur. Self-employment rates was most common with veterans who served four years or less … » Unless that person is career military with 20 years or more in the service. In that case, the odds of being self-employed go up, the SBA found.

Male veterans are more likely to be self-employed than women veterans are— 12.99 percent vs. 5.08 percent.

That could be changing. The number of women-owned veteran businesses grew from 130,000 to more than 350,000 between 2007 and 2012.

And more minority veterans are becoming business owners—their numbers increased 50 percent between 2007 and 2012.

And that’s good news. America’s veterans served to defend this country and everything that makes it great. If anyone deserves to enjoy the opportunities of entrepreneurship, it’s the men and women of our armed services.

SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

29

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BIGGER | finance S M A R T

( by Tom Sernett )

S T R AT E G I E S

Know Your Numbers Or your number could be up.

A

s a business owner, you absolutely have to know your numbers.

Entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis, the host of CNBC’s “The Profit,” has a saying: “If you don’t know your numbers, you don’t know your business!” I would add to that, “… and before long you’ll be out of business.”

So many companies get into extremely tight or emergency cash flow situations, and it

32 THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

seems to come as a surprise to the owner. Far too often, businesses are on their way out of business, and the owner doesn’t even realize it until it’s too late. Why? Because they don’t know their numbers! The shame of it all is that it’s not that hard to know, understand and use your numbers to build a better business.

It’s your responsibility to all who depend on the business (your family, team, customers and vendors) to generate the necessary profits and cash flow. That’s all there is to it. You choose to be a business owner, so you better

understand what drives your business’s profitability and cash flow.

Of course, to know your numbers, the business must have a competent bookkeeping, accounting and finance function. That can mean many different things, depending on the size and complexity of your business.

So what do you need to know, in order to actually know your numbers? The following is by no means all inclusive, and is a barebones minimum.

DAILY

WEEKLY

MONTHLY

Gross profit margin // What is the minimum

Cash position and cash needs // How much

Financial statements // This is your income

gross profit margin you need on every single sale today in order to meet your profitability and cash flow goals? Every day small business owners make decisions to cut prices or give special discounts in order to make the sale. And that’s OK, but only if you understand what it’s doing to your margin on that particular sale and how it affects the business’s profits and cash flow overall.

cash does the business have available, and what are the required cash disbursements this week?

statement, balance sheet and statement of cash flows. Understanding financial statements may take some coaching and practice, but you can master this. We help our clients read financials all the time. The main point here is to gain insight every month into gross profit, net profitability, cash flow and liquidity. The focus should be more on the overall financial health of the business, and not just top-line revenue.

should have a feel for their sales breakeven point. The breakeven point is where the business has sold just enough to cover all its costs and expenses. (So the next sale past the breakeven point will put the business into a profitable state.) We typically determine the monthly sales breakeven point for our clients. But many of our clients break that down to daily sales breakeven points, so they can understand how the business is doing all the time.

Tim Sernett, CPA, is the founder of Timothy L. Sernett, CPA, PA. The firm’s flagship service is Virtual BeanCounters, which offers outsourced accounting and related services. www.thevirtualbeancounters.com

Summary of larger cash flow movements in the near future // For example: The loan

payment is due next Tuesday, our largest customer will be paying us this Friday, biweekly payroll is next Monday, monthly payroll taxes are due in 10 days, etc.

Some sort of sales report // That way, you

have a feel for how you’re doing this week and month-to-date against breakeven points or sales goals.

o

Comparative and predictive reports, such as actual results vs. forecast // A reliable finan-

cial forecast is the next level of knowing your numbers. If you are actually using a financial forecast to help make business decisions, then you are way ahead of 99 percent of your competition.

m a o n w i n e h the c t be

r? ente

All the above is just a starting point.

Depending on your industry, there are many other key performance indicators you should be analyzing, other than gross profit and breakeven point.

With competent accounting and finance help, knowing your numbers is not difficult or time-consuming. There’s really no excuse for not deeply understanding your numbers.

It takes just five minutes a day to review daily, weekly and month-to-date sales levels.

In 15 to 30 minutes a week, you can know your current cash position and cash needs. You need maybe an hour or two a month to review financials and business performance against forecasted goals.

Know your numbers. Drive your business forward.

to-date and accurate.

Want t

Breakeven point // All business owners

Vendor “payables aging” and customer “receivables aging” // These should be up-

Each month, female business owners come together to help each other troubleshoot issues in a roundtable forum. Be the woman in the center, or be part of our solution team. Join today.

www.NAWBOKC.org nawbokc@gmail.com Sign up for our next Troubleshooting Event on Facebook @NAWBOKC

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BIGGER | hr S M A R T

( by Alexandra Cook )

S T R AT E G I E S

No Drama From Mama Hiring friends and family? Here’s how to set the stage for success.

I

f you need help at work, hiring friends and family members can seem like a no-brainer.

You want employees you can count on, and if you can’t trust Mom, your cousin or your old college roommate, who can you trust?

In reality, though, hiring loved ones comes with special challenges, too.

Follow these five steps to help avoid the drama, ensure your team will hit the ground running and be prepared for any pitfalls.

Ensure All Pre-Employment Procedures Are Followed Does the position you’re filling require a background check or a drug screen? A valid driver’s license or a clean driving record? If so, you’ll need to make sure your friend or family member can meet these conditions.

While you’re at it, make sure they fill out all the paperwork any other employee would be required to complete, such as: » Employment application » Benefits paperwork (even if they plan on waiving coverage) » Form I-9

1

34 THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

» Tax documents (including federal and state withholding forms) Understand Labor Laws When Hiring Family Under Age 18 Employing younger family members can allow children to gain valuable work experience and can create tax advantages if the business owner is their parent. However, you’ll need to follow all applicable child labor laws and wage reporting requirements, both on the state and federal level.

If your business is a sole proprietorship or a partnership in which each partner is the parent of the child, you are not required to report FICA or FUTA as long as the child is below certain age limits. But the child’s wages are subject to income tax withholding rules and minimum wage rules for your industry.

Adhering to payroll record requirements— such as the hourly rate paid, number of hours worked and the amount earned for each pay period—will also help protect your business in the event you are ever audited by the Internal Revenue Service.

2

Be mindful of other applicable labor laws.

These may limit the number of hours a child is allowed to work daily or weekly based on their age, and they may prohibit children from performing certain types of work.

Alter the Reporting Structure, and Use Creative Scheduling One of the best ways to curtail difficult situations is to create a reporting structure where your friend or family member reports to another supervisor or member of management. You should create this structure before the employee begins work.

Take time to create a policy about nepotism and abide by it. (Bonus points if you already have one, but make sure you review it.) This can help with morale and prevent any appearance of impropriety.

Ensure the new employee’s manager understands your expectations, and give them leeway to manage as they would anyone else. The manager should have the ability to determine performance expectations, fit wages and pay increases within the existing budget, and handle performance reviews.

If your business requires shift work, as in the retail or restaurant industry, try to

3

Committing Assumicide?

Working with friends and family can be a rewarding experience. Again, there are exceptions to every rule, but before you make your next hire, remember to have these important conversations early and set the precedent for a harmonious working relationship.

schedule employees who have out-of-the-workplace relationships (spouses, for example) in different areas or on opposite shifts. This will help you to avoid scheduling pitfalls should a family emergency occur or some other unexpected event arises that would require both parties to be absent at the same time.

Be Prepared for Requests for Special Treatment Your friend or family member may want, or expect, extra freedom due to your existing relationship. They might try to give you more input than you would typically expect (or want) from someone in their position. This can also take the shape of them wanting more scheduling flexibility. They might look at your deadlines or processes as suggestions instead of the mandates they actually are.

If you decide that you’d rather overlook this kind of behavior, be prepared for overall employee morale to suffer. Or other employees may start to “follow the leader” and begin to exhibit these behaviors as well. A simple conversation with the friend or family member ahead of their start date can help set expectations.

Friends and family members may ask you to consider hiring someone close to them as a special favor. Remember, the best hiring decisions generally do not start out as favors. There are exceptions to every rule, but if a person is having difficulty finding a job and needs additional help getting a foot in the door, it is likely that person is not a top candidate in his or her field. Be prepared and adjust your expectations accordingly if you decide to extend this person an opportunity.

4

Keep Your Door Open, and Be Ready to Have Tough Conversations Unfortunately, sometimes when a friend or family member leaves the company to pursue another opportunity, you will hear things regarding their performance or work ethic that you had no idea about while they were employed. Practice an open-door policy with supervisors and employees to help keep you informed.

Shut down any issues before they grow out of hand.

Working with friends and family can be a rewarding experience.

Again, there are exceptions to every rule, but before you make your next hire, remember to have these important conversations early and set the precedent for a harmonious working relationship.

5

Alexandra Cook is the director of human resources at Lever1, a professional employer organization that helps businesses outsource HR, payroll and employee benefits.

The Urban Dictionary describes assumicide in this way: “When your assumptions lead to dire consequences that could lead to your potential demise, you commit assumicide.”

It’s a great word. Each of us, as owners, at some point or another, have unwittingly committed assumicide by thinking that just because we know where the ship is headed, the crew will automatically know how to row in the right direction.

The thing is, unless you tell the crew where they’re going, they probably won’t know. If you haven’t told them, you haven’t done an effective job as their leader.

It’s likely that your endeavor will be jeopardized if you don’t take the time to communicate effectively. Without a communication style and voice that clearly, concisely and adequately expresses goals, expectations, ideas and, of course, praise when the moment dictates, the risk of assumicide grows with every passing day.

Direct and clear communication with your employees is essential. It’s also why you should help employees broaden their skills to match the direction of your business. When you do that, you’ve not only grow them as individuals, but you’ve also grown the company.

We write a lot about communication, mostly centered around the way leaders communicates with their team.

The truth is that the people in your business are its most important component, and communication runs an extremely close second.

Stuck with how to visualize what you’re after and then articulate it clearly to employees? Not sure how you can grow your employees in a manner consistent with the business goals of your organization? You may be surprised to know that both are HR functions, and if you need a little help and direction, you know who to call.

When you have an employee issue, you need a professional answer right away. The HR Help Desk is ready 24/7 to answer your tough HR questions.

Give us a call at (855) 474-2836 to find out how to subscribe to get real-time solutions and guidance for your HR challenges.

855.474.2836 | thehrhelpdesk.com

info@lever1.com // (816) 994-1300 // www.lever1.com SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

35

BIGGER | sales S M A R T

( by Dan Stalp)

S T R AT E G I E S

The Secrets of Influence A sales expert shares tips for understanding how prospects really think.

U

ltimately, sales is about trying to influence another person. But a lot of us have the wrong idea about what influence really is.

Many people think it’s a matter of talking about something long enough and convincingly enough to make others do what you want. Or maybe if I just talk louder than you, you’ll “get it” and accept that I’m right.

While this type of behavior occasionally works, it’s not the best way to influence someone. What tends to be more effective is to appeal to prospects’ subconscious rather than conscious minds. Here are some tips for doing just that.

Use Open-Ended Questions This will allow the other person to talk more, which is a good thing—you learn more by listening, after all. It’s also much harder to lie when someone asks you an open-ended question. And when someone is lying to us, it’s much more difficult to influence them.

Play to Personality Types Most people fall into four broad personality types: dominant, extrovert, peacemaker and cautious. By understanding your audience better, you can deliver a more tailored message.

The easiest way to discern prospects’ personality types is by discovering their natural pace and what they are oriented toward.

Pace has to do with slower versus faster.

Orientation has to do with people versus tasks. » A faster-paced, task-oriented person is usually a dominant personality. Business owners and military leaders are mostly dominants. » A faster-paced, people-oriented person tends to be an extrovert. Salespeople, comedians and actors are often extroverts. » A slower-paced, people-oriented person tends to be a peacemaker. Counselors and therapists are often peacemakers.

36 THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

» A slower-paced, task-oriented person is a cautious personality. CPAs and neurosurgeons are usually cautious.

Knowing your personality type and the personality type of the person you are attempting to influence allows you to connect more quickly. Adjusting your delivery to different personality types will pay big dividends over time.

How Does Your Prospect Learn?

There are three main styles of learning: visual, auditory and feeling. Everybody uses each style to some degree, but most of us have a dominant way of learning.

Visuals talk fast because they communicate in pictures. When they think about answers to questions, they look up. They also are more likely to want to see how your product or service works through videos, pictures or brochures. They will say things like “I can’t see what you are talking about” or “Show me how that works.”

Auditory learners talk louder and slower to make sure they are articulating what they want to communicate. When they think about answers to questions, they look to the side.

They need you to tell them about your product and make good eye contact with them. They will say things like “I hear you” or “That doesn’t sound right to me.”

Feeling people talk slowly and softly. They edit most everything they say because they are in tune with how their words impact those around them. When they think about answers to questions, they look down. They say things like “I just don’t feel like this will work.”

You can be more effective by matching your presentation or delivery to prospects’ primary learning style.

For example, if you use words like “see” with visual learners and “hear” with auditory people, you will give them the feeling you “get them” and they’ll feel safer with you.

Never Answer an Unasked Question Maybe you’ve experienced this during your own sales calls. A prospect makes a (not particularly complimentary) statement about your product or service, and you feel the need to put up a defense.

For example, after you reveal how much your product costs, the prospect says, “That seems high.” Often, salespeople will try to argue why the prospect should pay more. Or they’ll drop their price by a certain percentage, hoping that will take care of the objection.

Instead, have the prospect defend their statement. It would sound like this: “Thank you for sharing that with me. When you say high, how did you come up with that?” This will allow the prospect to defend their own statement.

The best influencers realize the importance of understanding the person they’re trying to reach. When a prospect feels that you get them, they are more likely to be truthful with you. They can relax, and together you can come up with a solution that benefits both of you.

Daniel J. Stalp, REBC, RHU, CLU, ChFC, is president of Sandler Training in Overland Park.

(913) 451-1760 x101 // dstalp@sandler.com www.linkedin.com/in/danstalp/

BIGGER | technology S M A R T

( by Burton Kelso)

S T R AT E G I E S

Hang Up on Identity Thieves 5 ways to protect your mobile phone account from scammers.

I

dentity thieves and cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to take advantage of small businesses, and the latest scheme involves your business’s mobile phone account.

When hackers take control of your mobile account, there are several harmful things they can do. For example, they can buy new equipment such as smartphones and tablets and have them billed to your account. Once they get that equipment, they turn around and sell it.

Or hackers can add additional lines and use them to rack up large bills. They might purchase Wi-Fi hotspots and sap your data package by using the hotspots for free internet. With access to your account, they also can steal your banking and credit card information.

How Do Thieves Get Access to Your Business Mobile Account?

Most accounts are hijacked because people have fallen for a phone scam where someone calls and impersonates a representative from the mobile company. The scammer pretends that the victim’s account has been hacked and tricks the user into giving out important

information. Email phishing scams are also a popular way for hackers to get account information.

Unfortunately, it’s getting even easier for the bad guys to carry out these schemes.

There are websites that will identify which mobile carrier your phone number is associated with, at no charge. Some websites will list the name, city and state of the person who uses a particular phone number.

Hackers can also turn to social media to look for information that can help them figure out security questions that will give them access to your business’s mobile account.

What You Can Do to Protect Your Business 1 Create a secure PIN or password for your account. Nobody will be able to make changes to your account unless they can provide that piece of information. Contact your mobile carrier to find out what method your business should use.

2 Train staff on how to deal with scam calls.

With all the cybercrime going around, your

business needs to have procedures in place for maintaining information security.

3 Beware of emails and calls from your mobile company. Your mobile provider will never call or email you about your account.

If someone calls your office asking for details about your mobile account, hang up.

4 Consider having your mobile phone statements physically mailed to your office.

Electronic statements are handy, but they can put your business’s mobile account at risk. If someone hacks into your email, they can get access to your monthly statements. Considering that your statements list all the phone numbers on your account and your account number, it’s the last thing you want hackers to possess.

5 Don’t use your mobile number as your main business number. Many solo entrepreneurs are tempted to do this. Yes, it’s one less bill, but it also puts you at greater risk as your number will now be widely available online. Consider alternatives such as VoIP or Google Voice.

Both options allow you to make business calls from your mobile device without sharing your mobile number.

If your company’s mobile phone account is hijacked, you’ll waste hours and hours straightening everything out. Following the steps above should help your business stay safe from this latest cyberthreat.

Burton Kelso is the chief tech expert at Integral, which offers tech support to homes and businesses all over the Kansas City metro. He regularly appears as a guest tech correspondent on ABC, NBC, FOX and CBS on shows such as “Kansas City Live,” “Better Kansas City” and “FOX 4 Morning Show,” offering viewers easy tips on technology, Internet lifestyle, Internet security and gadgets.

(888) 256-0829 // burton@integralcomputerconsultants.com SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

37

BIGGER | law S M A R T

( by Jim Holland)

S T R AT E G I E S

Getting Unconscious Bias into the Company’s Consciousness Prevent your company from unwittingly discriminating against employees and job applicants.

I

f you’re blonde, if you’re good-looking or if you’re a man who stands nearly 6 feet tall, lucky you. Financially, you may be doing better than the rest of us.

Here’s why: We make thousands of decisions every day. Many of these choices are informed by implicit, or unconscious, biases—that is, preconceived ideas we form over our lifetimes as a result of our past experiences.

By definition, we are unaware of our unconscious biases. But studies show that we often subconsciously hold these prejudicial opinions toward certain people and groups of people based on demographics such as gender, age and ethnicity. Even factors like a job candidate’s hometown or college alma mater may be sources of detrimental notions.

Such biases can affect income. For example, men taller than 5 foot 11 earn an average of 38 THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

$5,525 more per year than their shorter counterparts, according to a Harvard University study. And a National Bureau of Economic Research study found that potential employers called back job applicants with stereotypically Caucasian names 50 percent more often than they did for people with stereotypically African-American names, even when their resumes were otherwise identical.

A Yale University study revealed that employers pay a 5 percent “beauty premium” to employees viewed as attractive. Other studies show that blondes earn 7 percent more money than brunettes and redheads do.

Unconscious Bias in Hiring These unconscious biases, which can unintentionally affect hiring decisions in the workplace, can cause big problems. Unconscious bias in the hiring process—or even the appearance of that bias—puts employers at risk for getting sued for discrimination.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers with at least 15 employees from intentional employment discrimination based on sex, race, color, national origin or religion.

(State anti-discrimination laws usually apply to employers with even fewer employees.)

Most employers are well aware the law prohibits employees in these protected categories from being treated differently than other employees. What they may not know is that the law also includes disparate impact, which occurs when seemingly neutral rules or practices turn out to adversely affect protected groups, even when the employer didn’t intend that outcome.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission began targeting unconscious bias nearly 10 years ago. The Commission goes so far as to include “unconscious stereotypes about the abilities, traits or performance” of individuals in protected categories in its definition of intentional discrimination.

Courts, recognizing there is no intent in unconscious bias, haven’t jumped on board, but that hasn’t stopped employees who sue their employers for discrimination from claiming that unconscious bias has led to disparate impact, and that the disparate impact has limited their workplace opportunities.

Unconscious bias lawsuits are on the rise, a

We make thousands of decisions every day. Many of these choices are informed by implicit, or unconscious, biases—that is, preconceived ideas we form over our lifetimes as a result of our past experiences. fact that isn’t likely to change soon. Ongoing research about unconscious bias theory increasingly will encourage plaintiffs to use the disparate impact theory to bolster their discrimination cases.

Eliminating Unconscious Bias in the Workplace Employers can, and should, make unconscious bias a part of the company’s consciousness. What you’re aware of, you can address.

These steps will help to curb unconscious bias at work—and limit the business’s related legal liabilities: » Talk about it. Along with diversity training, provide managers and employees with training that helps them understand what unconscious bias is, acknowledge that

we all have it and recognize how it can manifest in the workplace. » Educate managers about their own biases using the Harvard University Implicit Association Test, the best-known tool for testing one’s own unconscious bias.

Research shows that, when people become aware of their unconscious biases, they can take steps to mitigate the impact of that bias on their organizational decision-making. » Use objective, fact-based hiring techniques, establishing objective criteria and clear, consistent interviewing and decisionmaking procedures. Structured interviews, in which all candidates are asked the same questions, reduce bias that may show up in more free-flowing interviews.

» Keep hiring managers and supervisors accountable by periodically evaluating their hiring decisions and the employee performance interviews they conduct.

These assessments will help you pinpoint places where unconscious bias is affecting hiring or employee management. Once these individuals have the right tools, they will be able to recognize biases and ensure that unfair or illegal motivations— even unconscious ones—do not impact hiring, job advancement and compensation decisions.

While it may be impossible to completely eliminate unconscious biases, taking the conscious measures outlined above can help minimize the effect of implicit prejudices in your workplace.

Jim Holland is managing partner at Fisher & Phillips’ Kansas City, Missouri, office. He practices labor and employment law, exclusively representing management.

(816) 842-8770 // jholland@fisherphillips.com

Commercial . Industrial Data/Comm Design Build Utility . Prime MO: 909 Troost, KCMO 64106 KS: 3236 N. 7th St, KCKS 66115

816-842-7023 www.markone.com

SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

39

SCALEUP! KC

Y O T A B I T E S C O N S U LT I N G

( by Dawn Bormann )

Big Opportunity in Big Data RAJ NAIR AND YOTABITES CONSULTING USE ANALYTICS TO SOLVE CLIENTS’ BIGGEST BUSINESS PROBLEMS.

W

hen Raj Nair started Yotabites Consulting in 2014, many clients didn’t really understand data analytics—let alone know why they should be paying someone to help them navigate it.

But they quickly saw the value after Nair and his team began using data to solve some of their most vexing business problems. As analytics has become more and more essential to companies’ growth, demand for Yotabites’ service has soared.

With the assistance of ScaleUP! Kansas City, Nair has created a long-term vision for growth.

40 THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

The free program—which is offered by the UMKC Innovation Center with support from the Kauffman Foundation—provides training, peer mentoring, professional guidance and more. It’s open to businesses operating in a market capable of supporting more than $1 million in annual sales.

FINDING THE STORIES IN DATA

Yotabites specializes in strategic consulting, solution delivery services, training and open-source software around big data and deep analytics.

Or, as Nair likes to say, his team discovers the hidden stories in data.

Years ago, major retailers didn’t know if a customer tried on a shirt at a store only to ultimately put it back on the rack. But now companies use data to learn exactly what a customer viewed in their online stores, and they can use that information to tailor their lineup of products. Yet tracking that data is cumbersome for many companies.

Nair calls the Yotabites office in Fairway a laboratory. If that conjures up the image of a researcher or scientist, then his plan worked.

Most people don’t think of a consulting company as creating a product, the same way a factory might produce a shirt or a tire. But it’s not that different to Nair. He explains

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that, inside their “lab,” his 16 employees create code or find existing code that can be tailored to clients’ data problems.

Many clients have searched high and low for answers to their problems before ultimately hiring Yotabites.

One financial client spent years searching for a simpler way to find errors in its highly technical system—a process that could take months and, unless properly handled, expose the company to lawsuits from customers.

That was before Nair’s team went to work.

“We were able to go in and actually build a solution and identify those errors within the hour almost,” he said.

It’s why Nair was so open to ScaleUP! Kansas City experts helping him to navigate the administrative side of his business. He understands that you can’t be an expert at everything.

“We do on the technology side what ScaleUP! does on the business side,” Nair said.

One of the biggest lessons ScaleUP! provided for Nair was how to think strategically, with the long term in mind.

Before, Nair took every job that came along so he could improve cash flow, even if those jobs weren’t the right fit for Yotabites.

“We treated almost every situation as hand-to-hand combat situations,” he said.

“We didn’t have a strategy,” he said.

ScaleUP! experts encouraged Nair to target jobs that centered on the core competencies of Yotabites, which ultimately allow the company to earn the most money and win more clients.

Nair had another aha moment when ScaleUP! experts emphasized the need for goals and strategic plans to guide growth.

Without a solid plan, ScaleUP! experts pointed out, Nair wouldn’t know what clients to look for, which employees to hire or what financial target to hit.

Nair immediately drew up a three-year plan that has guided virtually every move he’s made since that day.

It’s a version, he said, of “work smarter, not harder.”

“Because we have set the three-year goal, our journey is laser-sharp,” he said. “I ask the question: Does that apply to our three-year goal? And if I say no, we move on.”

Nair knows what jobs to turn down, but more importantly, he knows what his company needs to do this month in order to land big clients and grow efficiently years from now.

“When you set your vision, everything has to work backward from that vision—the number of projects, the kind of projects I need,” he said. “Then we have to figure out, how do we acquire those customers?

Everything falls into place from that vision.”

TALKING UP THE BUSINESS

Because of ScaleUP! Kansas City, Nair is focusing more on marketing and sales.

His expertise is technology, after all, so he plans to bring on a marketing professional to help the company go to the next level.

He’ll still be part of outreach to potential clients, though. For example, the entrepreneur will conduct seminars to attract prospects. It

ENTREPRENEUR

Raj Nair COMPANY

Yotabites Consulting (913) 449-9699 www.yotabites.com Yotabites provides strategic consulting, software, training and other services around big data and deep analytics.

ARE YOU READY TO SCALE UP?

ScaleUP! Kansas City—a free program for KC small businesses—is looking for companies that want to supercharge their growth.

Applications for the next round are due by Dec. 6. Learn more at www.scaleupkc.com

was how he started the company early on.

It proved to be an invaluable way to bring in new business.

“Frankly, that actually helped us get into our business,” he said. “We didn’t do a lot of that last year and not much this year because we got clients and we had to put our heads down and work on clients.”

Leaving a growing business once a week to attend ScaleUP! classes wasn’t easy. But, Nair said, it was an ideal move for his business and definitely worth the time commitment.

He expects the connections he made with the people there to yield returns for years to come.

“It’s a lot of knowledge that’s embedded in the organization that we were able to leverage,” he said.

The instructors, he said, provided critical support in part because they were entrepreneurs and also because they know where to turn when you hit an obstacle.

“What I love about ScaleUP! is the people.”

Dawn Bormann is a freelance writer in the Kansas City area.

SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

41

Celebrating Business Anniversaries usiness anniversaries aren’t just a great excuse to throw a party. They’re a great time to celebrate accomplishments and foster company unity, too.

A company that’s achieved an anniversary milestone is doing some things right. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics data reveals that about 75 percent of

B

businesses that made it to their first anniversary stayed in business for another year, more than 50 percent survived for at least five years, and roughly a third were around to celebrate their 10-year anniversary. Success seems to breed success.

What better time than an anniversary, then, to open a

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42 THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

company-wide discussion about why the company’s work matters, what’s breeding success and what’s not, and how the company should move forward.

So, whether your company is celebrating its first anniversary, its 50th, or its 100th, by all means throw a party. But take some time to reflect on the philosophies,

Serving you with Honesty, Integrity and Craftsmanship since 1997

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processes and people that got you to this point and how they can shape your future. After all, you’ll want to throw another party in a few years, right?

Congratulations to all the companies in Kansas City celebrating milestones in 2017. You can read about some of them in the next few pages.

816-765-4843 • www.Morganmillerplumbing.com @MorganMillerKC

SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

43

ROYAL SERVICES

Close Out Becomes a Buyout That’s Lasted 25 Years hen Thomas Shyver was asked to close out a fledgling company in 1993, he answered the call. But after assessing the situation, he and his wife Charlene decided to buy the company—then called Royal Mechanical Services—rather than shut it down.

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THEN AND NOW The first iteration of the company started as a subsidiary of Electronic Realty Associates (ERA) in 1972. The subsidiary, called Royal Home Protection, provided home warranties nationwide. But in 1988, Lennox Industries needed services in the commercial market, and Royal Mechanical Services was created. Pizza Hut signed up the young company to install large new ovens in its stores throughout the country so they could launch their Bigfoot pizzas.

By 1993, ERA had decided to close Royal Mechanical Services.

That’s when the Shyvers stepped in and purchased it instead.

They moved the company to the basement of their home in southern Johnson County, near 164th and Metcalf, incorporated it, and got busy turning it around. They signed on their first client—Hallmark—for HVAC services for their store portfolio.

As the company grew, it added more services: plumbing and electrical; life safety; signage; locks, gates and doors; construction; IT; infrastructure; security and a suite of other services, including everything necessary to do high-velocity national rollouts and be an integrated solutions provider.

Fast forward to 2017, and the company—renamed Royal Services—is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The couple’s sons now run the company. Brad Shyver is the CEO, Nathan Shyver is the director of finance and IT and Tim Shyver is the director of customer solutions. They and their team of nearly 40 employees and a network of contractors help major companies with project and facility management.

While Hallmark is still a Royal customer today, the company has won several other large corporate accounts and government contracts nationwide. Among their other clients are Sprint, Honeywell, Helzberg Diamonds, Soft Surroundings, T-Mobile and others.

44 THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

As it has been from the beginning, the company’s goal is to partner with customers to deliver superior project management, innovative programs and a single point of accountability for facility solutions so their clients can focus on their core business.

CUSTOMER-CENTRIC Although Royal leverages technology to work their magic for customers, they never let technology replace the relationship.

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“We keep our customers at the center of every decision we make,” said Brad Shyver.

“We hire technical experts who pride themselves on being able to solve any problem at any time of day to keep our customers’ businesses running smoothly. By providing one point of contact, we streamline the communication process and provide 24/7/365 support.”

Royal Services has four departments: Facility Maintenance, Networking, Government Services and Construction.

“This allows us to be a turnkey solution for our clients,” said Shyver.

They have also developed a proprietary activity-tracking management software called RAZOR that houses all their data on service calls, work progress and assets.

“RAZOR is integrated into everything we do and is invaluable in assisting us with communications and decision-making,” said Shyver. “Customers can monitor capital expenditures, request service, create reports and access other information from a single digital platform.”

The Royal staff is dedicated to delivering on the five pillars that form the core of the company’s philosophy: • Ownership and accountability of all aspects of the customer relationship

“We are extremely proud of this achievement and the impact we have had on the Kansas City community. We have reached this milestone through the hard work and dedication of our incredible team, our culture of providing world-class service, and our partner vendors. We are also very grateful to the many clients who have trusted us to provide them with support for their facilities,” he said.

• Professionalism in all communications and client endeavors • Tenacity to develop a mindset of excellence • Innovation to develop creative, cost-effective solutions • Collaboration that includes the free flow of knowledge and information via honest discourse and open dialog

SERVICING THE COMMUNITY, TOO In addition to being dedicated to its client base, Royal is committed to serving the local Kansas City community they are a part of. Their Community Outreach Program contributes to Blue Valley School District food and school supply drives, Operation Shoebox (which serves military troops), the i-ROK Foundation to combat pediatric cancer, and Ms. Wheelchair Kansas.

Brad Shyver is quick to point out that although the company is a family business, their extended family of employees, vendors and clients have contributed greatly to the company’s success over the past 25 years.

Royal Services 19175 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park, KS 66085 (800) 728-1155 • www.royalsolves.com “Service that Solves”

SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

45

SPONSORED CONTENT

THE HEISENBERG’S

Roll It!

ADDING VIDEO TO YOUR MARKETING PLAN CAN BE A POWERFUL TOOL FOR MOVING YOUR COMPANY FORWARD. ideo popularity is surging: 78 percent of people watch videos online each week, and 55 percent watch them online every day. More video content is uploaded to the web in a month than television has created in the last 30 years.

V

That shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering that video is everywhere. It’s on YouTube, Facebook, a growing number of company websites, emails, social media and a host of other platforms.

So, the question is: Can your customers find your company through video?

If you’re not taking advantage of video, it’s time to consider adding it to your marketing plan. Here are the Top 6 reasons that more and more companies are incorporating a video strategy.

VIDEO BUILDS STRONGER EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS. You know the adage: People buy from people they know, like and trust. Video involves more of our senses and creates greater emotional bonds— which are essential for building long-term, trusting relationships.

1

VIDEO BUILDS HIGHER ENGAGEMENT. The Content Marketing Institute reports that audiences are about 10 times more likely to interact with—share, embed, and comment on—video than with other types of content. And, in a 2016 study released by Wyzowl, 76 percent of users said they would share a company’s video if it was entertaining.

SEARCH ENGINES LOVE VIDEO. Comscore, a company that measures and analyzes media, reports that adding a video to your website can increase your company’s chance of landing on the front pages of Google results by 53 times. Because sites with videos tend to keep people on the site longer, the search engines read that as a sign your site has good content—and you may be rewarded with a boost in the rankings. Of course, you also need to optimize the video with keywords and add appropriate links.

4

VIDEOS ARE ACCESSIBLE. Tools for producing videos and platforms for viewing videos are becoming more accessible and affordable. Even SmartPhones can be used to produce videos that are suitable for certain purposes. And from an audience standpoint, the rise of SmartPhones has made video more accessible on mobile devices, delivering an even larger audience.

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VIDEOS ARE GREAT FOR CONVEYING A VARIETY OF MESSAGES. There’s a video format for most types of content you’re likely to need as a business: “explainer” videos, promotional videos, animated videos, videos that tell a story, interactive videos, video ads, videos for email and more. Each can help you accomplish specific goals.

6

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VIDEO CREATES MORE CUSTOMER CONVERSIONS. Not surprisingly, if you can establish a strong connection with your prospects and build trust (see #1!), you’ll likely see an increase in conversions. In fact, according to Hubspot, 90 percent of customers report that product videos help them make purchasing decisions, and 64 percent of customers are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video about it. Again, that’s not surprising since videos can help potential customers see your product in action. After all, if a picture is worth a thousand words, what kind of value can a moving picture bring?

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46 THINKING BIGGER BUSINESS // November 2017

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From idea to creation we will work together as partners, to give birth to your marketing concepts and ideas. We do more than tell stories—we capture experiences and engage our audiences to observe moments in life that inspire and motivate them to pay attention to the message.

EQUITY BANK NAPKIN STORIES

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“Equity Bank has been extremely supportive, and we certainly live up to our end of the bargain too,” said Lipschutz. “We make sure our plans are complete and our margins are what we said they were going to be, delivering our homes when we said we would. It takes a relationship, like anything, to be successful, and they do that relationship really well. I couldn’t be happier with our partnership.”

Lipschutz noted that Equity Bank is always available when they have issues or questions, and have been fair with the financing and provide great service. The support has helped to position Inspired Homes for future expansion.

Inspired Homes: Transforming the Home Building Market orth Kansas City-based Inspired Homes doesn’t want to be just any homebuilder. The company founders‘ businesses included local real estate and construction busineses spanning more than 50 years. They are now working to revolutionize the home building industry.

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To put it simply, Inspired Homes leverages technology and systems that streamline the home buying and building process. The result is affordable, safe, energy-efficient homes.

“In the U.S., we build homes like we did 100 years ago,” said Todd Lipschutz, president of Inspired Homes. “But Inspired Homes is focused on integrating the manufacturing process into the building system.

The goal is to have walls, floors, roof, mechanical and interior walls manufactured in a high-quality contained environment and shipped to the job in components and assembled on site. The traditional model is field driven and exposes products to rain, wind and other elements.”

Don’t let the technology-driven manufacturing process mislead you into thinking the experience is impersonal. It’s anything but.

“We pride ourselves on delivering a highquality home and a high-quality experience with our customers,” Lipschutz said.

A dedicated point of contact is provided during the home purchasing and building

process, with financing assistance offered as well. Buyers can choose from among multiple floor plans and designs on the Inspired Homes’ website, and customers also have the option of personalized designs.

“We want to expand into other things beyond ‘for sale’ residential and complement the real estate side of the business around multi-family and the apartment side, detached and attached products and potentially into other avenues of real estate. Geographically, we want to make the company strong here in Kansas City and provide opportunity for geographic expansion,” Lispschutz said.

BUILDING A BUSINESS, AND CAREERS TOO Today, Inspired Homes has a presence in Johnson County, Jackson County and Cass County.

“Our vision is to be 360 around the Kansas City metro area,” said Lipschutz.

Lipschutz realizes that in order to grow the company, they need to invest in people who are passionate about building not just a house, but people’s dreams.

“We could have the best laid software and machinery, plans, processes, all that stuff that goes into a robust company, but our belief is in bringing on the right people.

There’s a lot of skilled people in home building, but we seek people out who have that connection with us and our vision and give them the opportunity to grow in our business,” he said.

FINANCIAL FOUNDATION Home building is a very capital intensive business, and Equity Bank has allowed Inspired Homes to build a solid foundation.

SHARE YOUR NAPKIN STORY

Some of the most amazing business stories started as an idea scribbled on a napkin.

Mark Parman, Kansas City Market President of Equity Bank, invites you to share your Napkin Story. “We not only want to hear your origin story, we can help you continue to write the rest of your company’s story,” he said.

Equity Bank is a full-service community bank with offices in Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. Our group of bankers are experienced with businesses from small to large.

We take the time to listen to your story and help you design the services that will benefit you and your business.

To share your napkin story, get in touch at marketing@equitybank.com or (913) 323-9300.

Visit: Equitybank.com/napkin-stories

SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

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Bernadette L. Harris Business book author, keynote speaker

Bernadette L. Harris is a tax and forensic accountant, best-selling author and keynote speaker who has developed a system for helping her clients grow to the next level.

Her sense of humor and ability to make complex business subjects simple and fun have made her an in-demand keynote speaker.

Tell us about your four business tips. You use the acronym B.O.S.S. to outline them: “Build Your Business Like a B.O.S.S. What does the “B” stand for?

KELLY »

BERNADETTE » B

stands for “Be Consistent.” The same things that you have to do to get clients is the same thing you have to do to keep clients. So, keep doing them. You have to be consistent in another area too. You have to consistently promote your business because the people who are going to buy from you are not going to buy from you just because you’re ready to sell to them. They’re going to buy from you when they’re ready to buy from you. So you always have to be selling. The consistency piece is hard. Business owners get tired. They want immediate results.

KELLY » Let’s talk about the “O.” BERNADETTE » Offer

solutions. The businesses that succeed are the businesses that solve a problem— and it needs to be a problem that people are willing to pay for. For example, I don’t like to make my bed, but I suck it up and make my bed. I won’t pay for that. Your business won’t make any money if it’s not going to solve a problem that people are willing to pay for.

Do some market research.

Photo courtesy of Pure Lumere Photography KELLY » The third letter in B.O.S.S. is

an S. What does it stand for?

of our lack, that’s when the return is the greatest.

BERNADETTE » This

KELLY » There is a second “S” in

“S” stands for “Serving Others.” It is very important in our businesses that we show up to serve other people.

I believe that we can never give too much. I’m not talking about giving away your services. I’m an accountant. I forbid that. But we need to have a mindset to show up and serve others. When we serve others, when we give to others, it’s always given back to us. And what we receive back is always greater than what we give. That’s been my experience. I think that sometimes when we’re stretched, it’s the perfect time to give. Sometimes when we give out

B.O.S.S. Tell us about that one.

BERNADETTE » The

second “S” stands for “Seek Assistance.” We live in a society where everyone is DIY. We want to do everything ourselves. The Internet has made us all super smart. We can google anything. The problem is, when we spend a lot of time trying to do everything in our business, we can’t focus our energies on the areas we serve the best. There are some things that we just don’t need to do. Business owners have to get out of the DIY mentality for everything. They still need to

oversee it, but they can’t be down in the weeds with everything.

There are some things in my business that I excel at, and there are some things in my business that I’m not good at. I’ve learned that the hard way. Business owners have to look in the mirror and be honest with themselves.

Acknowledge the things you’re not good at, and then get somebody else to do them. When I do the things I’m not good at, it takes me longer and when I’m finished, it’s still not very good. I’ve noticed that there is a direct correlation between the money that I spend on professional development and my income. It’s an investment.

It’s not always immediate, but the payoff will be there.

To listen to the full interview, scan the QR code or visit theRadio Archives of www.iThinkBigger.com

SMART COMPANIES THINKING BIGGER®

49

BIG | shots

Sunshine Box Demo Conner Hazelrigg, inventor of the Sunshine Box, demonstrates the device at Thinking Bigger Business Media’s October 19 Brew :30 event.

Weave Gotcha Covered Wins National Honor Kelly Wilson, co-founder of Weave Gotcha Covered, accepted the Dr. Tererai Trent Honorable Mention Award for improving the lives of women and children at the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) conference in Minneapolis in October.

Women’s Foundation 25th Anniversary Celebration Former UN Ambassador Samantha Power takes photos with members of the Women’s Foundation’s Girls Leadership after delivering her keynote address. (Photo courtesy of Jeff Evrard)

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