RISBJ Volume 2, Issue 8 by Rhode Island Small Business Journal

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volume two issue eight

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Congratulations to the winners of our first ever Entrepreneurial Women to Watch Awards!

from the founder

As we put out the call for nominations, we were overwhelmed with the emails that instantly started to flood in. We received over 400 nominations in just 10 short days, representing a wide range of industries and a variety of company sizes, from the solopreneur to companies with over 100 employees. The common theme with each and every application is that women leaders are all around us, are starting companies and are growing them at a rapid pace. In fact, womenowned businesses are growing at 1.5x the rate of male owned businesses. Thank you to everyone that applied. Our selection committee had the extremely difficult task of choosing just 7 winners out of an applicant pool of over 100. Each and every applicant was deserving of recognition for a variety of reasons, from innovation and growth, to overcoming adversity and their commitment to Rhode Island. We look forward to honoring the winners and nominees at our awards ceremony at The Dorrance in Providence on Monday, November 4. This issue highlights each of the winners and the stories of their success, and we hope it will inspire future entrepreneurs, both men and women. Entrepreneurship isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t about age, race or gender; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about having a plan, a vision and the willingness to take a risk to create something from nothing. The process of entrepreneurship involves recruiting every ounce of inner courage, passion (not to mention a lot of the time and money) and channeling it to develop a new sense of professional purpose. Entrepreneurship allows the opportunity to make your own rules, create your own playing field and share your passion. Entrepreneurship, though extremely rewarding, can also be crippling at times. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. We are pleased to be honoring these women for their plan, their vision and their courage. Congratulations Blythe, Lynne, Nancy, Alison, Jessica, Alayne and Lynsey. You are an inspiration to the entrepreneurial community!

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

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lets take a look

what’s inside this issue

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

Secretary of State Ralph Mollis

Global Reach from Our Backyard

Spotlight on Startups

Strategic Planning Conference

Small Business Profile- Phenix Home Care

Rhode Island Foundation

Five Reasons to Ask for Customer Feedback

Ten Tools to Help you Save Time in Your Business

It’s Smarter to File than to Pile

How to Manage a Remote Worker or Office

Does Anyone Know why Randy Left this Message?

Treasury Holds Over $23.6 Million in Unclaimed Business Property

Reclaim Your Power to Communicate

Why Are We So Resistant to Change?

Networking and Workshops

Capital City: Women Entrepreneurs

DIY Sucks – Why SBO’s Need to Hire Help, NOW

Corporate, Intellectual Property and Employment Law Concerns

The Art of the Pitch

Peace of Mind through the Eye of a Lens

2014 Entrepreneurial Women to Watch in Rhode Island

Dear Mom: A Letter Home from a One Day Warrior

Featured Chamber: Northern RI Chamber of Commerce

Hear Me Roar

October is National Ergonomics Month

Featured Nonprofit: The Victoria Alviti Music Foundation

GOLOCAL

What Clams Taught me About Leadership

Positive Business

New “Benefit Corporation” Business Structure in RI and MA

38 36 39

35 www.risbj.com two issue eight www.risbj.com| volume | volume two issue eight

SECRETARY OF STATE | Ralph Mollis

Our Commitment to Bring Your Business from Concept to Completion by Secretary Of State Ralph Mollis

This year’s “We Mean Business” expo was a huge success, especially for entrepreneurial women! It was a breath of fresh air to see so many women attend our expo this year to learn more about starting their own business, or growing their existing company. I want every Rhode Islander to know if they have a solid idea for a business, all that stands between them and the grand opening is getting started. I am dedicated to helping Rhode Islanders turn their vision for a business into a reality. I also want every Rhode Islander to know that if you weren’t able to make it to this year’s expo, don’t worry; you don’t have to wait until next year to get expert advice and guidance about your existing or prospective business! What is available at our expo is also accessible during normal business hours at our 148 West River Street, Providence location, as well as online at www.sos.ri.gov. This year, thousands of new business entities were created, many of them by women, which is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of the Rhode Island woman! One local success story is that of Jerri Cantone. Several years ago, Jerri Cantone of Jerri Moon Cantone Photography was contemplating opening a photography business at the urging of family and friends. She took a leap of faith and came to my office for help. She met in person with Kelly Carello, Director of First Stop Business Information Center, to learn more about what the initial steps are to open a business. “I was so nervous,” said Jerri. “This was a big step for me, and I was overwhelmed at the thought of how difficult it might be to start a business. Everyone at Secretary Mollis’ office was so helpful! Kelly and her staff walked me through all the necessary steps, including filling out the Limited Liability Company form. They helped me sign up for my official Employer Identification Number, and gave me a packet of valuable information that I still use as reference today.” Jerri later came to the “We Mean Business” expo and networked, received pointers on advertising and marketing, and even signed up

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

This year, thousands of new business entities were created, many of them by women, which is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of the Rhode Island woman! for insurance at our event. Jerri followed the advice and guidance of business experts on our staff, worked hard, and today, Jerri is a successful photographer, running her own business, and has been featured in numerous publications, including Providence Business News, Off-Track Thoroughbreads, IHeartRhody.com and Getty Images. This is merely one of many success stories our office has seen from concept to completion. I want everyone to feel as confident and satisfied as Jerri does when they’re thinking about opening a business here in Rhode Island. Anyone looking to get information online about starting a business, or locating forms, may visit our Quick Start online database. Simply choose your business type, search forms and sign up to get started with opening your business. Yes, it’s really that easy! I am personally and professionally committed to making it easier for all Rhode Islanders to open a business. By visiting our online site at https://www.ri.gov/SOS/quickstart/, you may learn everything you need to know to get started. As your Secretary of State, I am committed to making it easier to vote, making it easier to do business in Rhode Island, preserving our history and making government more open and accessible. It is a great honor to serve the people of Rhode Island. Please let us know if my office can be of assistance. We welcome the opportunity to serve you.

GLOBAL REACH

Global Reach From Our Backyard | SMALL BUSINESS

FROM OUR BACKYARD by Chris Barnett

In 2007, Navyn Salem, a stay-at-home mother of four from Barrington, set out with a clear, yet ambitious goal to end the crisis of malnutrition for over 200 million children around the world. Her approach was simple: increase access to inexpensive, peanut-based nutritious foods in developing countries. Over the years, Navyn has used her deep determination to turn this goal into a reality. Today, the two fully operational factories she founded have created more than 60 jobs and reached over 1.7 million children worldwide.

“Edesia started about six years ago because I had an interest in children, I had a business background and my father is from Tanzania. I wanted to find some way to connect all of those dots. I realized there was a large problem with malnutrition and decided to set up a factory that would not only create jobs, use local resources, but also solve a global health problem in Tanzania. The products that we make here at Edesia are really quite revolutionary. They treat the whole range of malnutrition from severe to moderate to prevention,” she explains.

Her compelling story has made Navyn one of the stars of a statewide marketing campaign that celebrates Rhode Island and highlights the state’s people, organizations, businesses and industries. “Rhode Island: It’s All In Our Backyard” features TV and radio ads, billboards, web banner and tile ads and posters. Launched by the Rhode Island Foundation, “Backyard” also encourages Rhode Islanders to share their own success stories on the campaign’s website at ourbackyardri.com and Twitter using the hashtag #ourbackyardri.

Since opening, we’ve shipped to 34 countries as far away as Pakistan and as close to home as Haiti. We’re really proud to have an impact in that many countries around the world and to see our boxes that say ‘Providence, Rhode Island’ on the bottom of them in a little store closet in Ethiopia makes me feel proud of that ‘Rhode Island’ mark. Rhode Island is the perfect place to have my company. I love the community here. I will be here probably for the rest of my life. So, this is really what I call home. It was important for me to have our business here in my home state,” she says.

“This is an internal marketing campaign designed to change the way Rhode Islanders talk about their state. There are plenty of successes to feel good about right here in our own backyard -- global industry and cutting-edge innovation, thriving entrepreneurship, world-class universities and a vibrant arts and culture scene,” said Neil D. Steinberg, the Foundation’s president and CEO. “The state has a selfesteem problem. Backyard is a fact-based campaign that uses the real stories of real people to remind us of all the good things that are happening here.”

Now, Edesia’s Providence factory supplies products for organizations working in emergency situations as well as standard nutrition programming. In recognition that treating the most severe cases is not a permanent solution, Edesia also supplies products for and is an advocate of preventative approaches. Edesia now produces four different ready-touse foods (RUFs), as a licensee and partner of Nutriset in France, designed to address the many stages of childhood malnutrition:

Plumpy’Nut®, Plumpy’Sup™, Plumpy’Doz™, and Nutributter®. These RUFs come packaged in small silver foil sachets and do not need the addition of water, refrigeration, and have a shelf life of two years. These products are delivered to children for free through distribution partners such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme, who, as customers, purchase them from Edesia at cost. Geographically, Edesia has been primarily focused on Latin America and West Africa and has responded to humanitarian disasters, including the earthquake in Haiti, floods in Pakistan, the famine in the Horn of Africa, the drought in the Sahel and recent crises in Syria and Mali. Navyn has organized Edesia to respond to these emergencies rapidly, efficiently, and costeffectively—as the bottom line is always measured by the number of children reached. In addition to production activities, Edesia has engaged in public outreach to raise the profile of childhood malnutrition in the United States. Each year, Edesia welcomes on average 30 visitors a month for educational tours through its Providence factory. In 2013, Navyn continues to keep Edesia’s focus on innovation and advocacy to ensure that this important issue remains high on the world’s agenda. In her own words, reflecting her deep and unwavering commitment to her goal of ending childhood malnutrition, she says, “I will not rest until we have made measurable and significant impact.”

Chris Barnett Senior Public Affairs Officer The RI Foundation

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

Open Date: July 1, 2013 Employees: 1 Website: www.grammar-aid.com Facebook: /Grammar-Aid-EditingService/1408958479323136 Biggest Challenge: : The biggest challenge I have faced is probably the biggest challenge of any new editor--gaining trust. Since I am newly breaking into the market, I need to convince potential clients that I truly can assist them to write more clearly and effectively. Profile: In 10 years as a High School English teacher, I have taught a variety of types of writing: critical, persuasive, creative, journalistic, and more. I have also taught a number of useful skills, such as grammar, research, voice development, fluency, diction choice, and organization. My goal now is to utilize those same skills to assist all kinds of writers. Whatever they are working on; ad copy, website content, academic papers, articles, business reports, newsletters, etc., I believe that I can help them to say what they want to say more effectively!

Open Date: May 24, 2013 Employees: 1 Address: 30 Pocasset Avenue, Cumberland, RI Website: www. seanmcveighmedia.com Twitter: @seanmcveigh Facebook: /SeanMcVeighMedia Biggest Challenge: : Starting my business was a leap of faith – faith in the market, my customers, and myself. Even with nearly 20 years of experience producing compelling videos for a variety of industries, it took plenty of courage to leave the security of my 9-to-5 job to start my own company. My clients’ success integrating video into their marketing plans is a great reward for that leap. Profile: : It’s no secret that online video has become the lifeblood of Internet, and a must-have component for many marketing plans. Done right, video tells your company’s story, educates your audience, and attracts customers. Done wrong, your company’s story gets buried in a cluttered sea of viral videos featuring swimteam lip syncs, human catapults, marriage proposals, and puppies in funny hats. My passion is creating effective and persuasive videos that tell my clients’ stories their way. Through my company, Sean McVeigh Media, my mission is to create video content as the foundation of an integrated marketing plan for small to mid-sized businesses. I know that even small businesses with tight marketing budgets cannot afford to overlook the importance of compelling video content within their marketing plans.

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

Open Date: August 2013 Employees: 1 Address: 97 Keystone Drive, Warwick Website: coreconsultingri.com Twitter: @coremauger Facebook: / CoreConsultingMarketing Biggest Challenge: We are still very much in the incubator stages of our business and plan. Our biggest challenge currently is defining the business entity. We have an official soft launch September 1, 2013 with a projected official launch of January 2014. Before we kick off this new year, we are striving to have our business entity set up by October 1st so that we can move forward with clarity as a business. Profile: CORE Consulting and Marketing exists to create opportunities for businesses to engage with their target markets effectively. Our mission is to ASSESS local businesses, partner together to BUILD a unique social marketing strategy and CREATE opportunities to engage their target markets more effectively. We are a group of creative, organized, relational entrepreneurs that seek to empower and inspire businesses through consulting, training and marketing. We are passionate about the restaurant industry and seek to partner with restaurant owners to provide outstanding consulting, marketing and development services to our target market.

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Strategic Planning Conference | SBA

Strategic Planning Conference U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND R.I. SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER TO HOST 7th ANNUAL ECONOMIC SUMMIT by Norm Deragon

The U.S. Small Business Administration and the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center will partner to host the 7th Annual Rhode Island Economic Summit. The small business strategic planning conference will be held on November 15, 2013 at the Radisson Airport Hotel on Post Road in Warwick. The Rhode Island Economic Summit provides the opportunity for state elected officials and small business owners to engage in a dialogue and exchange ideas about issues of importance to small business in Rhode Island. The goal is to formulate and present a small business advocacy package designed and approved by summit participants for the 2014 Rhode Island legislative session. “It is important that we continue the dialogue with the legislative and executive branches to address issues that impact the small business community,” said Mark S. Hayward, director of the SBA’s Rhode Island District Office. “The standing-room-only turnout at the last two economic summits proved that the small business community and the state’s elected officials are committed to working together to make Rhode Island a better place to do business.” More than 150 small business owners, business leaders, and elected officials participated in the 2012 summit. The forum clarified problems and recommended solutions in five key business environment areas: taxes and budget, health care, regulations, education and workforce development, and energy. A panel discussion with Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts and House Majority Leader Gordon Fox featured a lively discussion with the small business community on a variety of topics including health care, taxation, and the state deficit problem. In addition, many Rhode Island legislators attended the six presentations and offered their comments.

“We are a unified business community working together with state government,” said Adriana Dawson, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center. “As a coalition, we are working hard to make Rhode Island a truly competitive state.” The six standing committees and their chairs are: Taxes and Budget, Grafton H. “Cap” Wiley IV, Tofias PC Accountants and Consultants; Health Care, Ralph Copolla, Meridien Benefits, Inc.; Regulations, Gary Ezovski, ATC Lincoln Associates; Education and Workforce Development, John C. Gregory, Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce; Economic Development, Mark Deion, Deion and Associates, and Energy, Miriam A. Ross, Esq. The Rhode Island Economic Summit is open to small business owners. Seating is limited to 150 registrants. The pre-registration fee is $25.00 prior to October 31st. After October 31st, the fee will be $35.00. Register by calling the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center at (401) 598-2702 or online at www. risbdc.org.

A panel discussion with Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts and House Majority Leader Gordon Fox featured a lively discussion with the small business community on a variety of topics including health care, taxation, and the state deﬁcit problem.

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

SMALL BUSINESS | Phenix Home Care

PHENIX HOME CARE Business Profile: Phenix Home Care Open Date: 1991 Location: 227 Phenix Avenue, Cranston Phone: 401-943-6230 Email: contact@phenix-homecare.com Website: www.phenix-homecare.com

our key to maintaining relationships with anyone is good communication.

In 1991, Nick Passarelli was working as a Nursing Home Administrator when he was inspired to open Phenix Home Care. At the time, Rhode Island had one of the highest elderly populations per capita, and Nick desired to improve their quality of life by offering healthcare services in the comfort of their own home. Without a background in business, Nick opened Phenix Home Care that year and ever since has been successfully providing elderly clients in Rhode Island with quality at-home care. Nick may not have had much knowledge about how to run a business when he opened Phenix Home Care, but he was wellprepared with almost a lifetime of experience in the healthcare industry. At the early age of sixteen, Nick took his first step into the medical world as an orderly. From there, he went on to be a Registered Nurse, a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator, and a Certified Integrated Chronic Care Manager. “All I’ve done my whole life is take care of people. I think that lends itself to why we do what we do at Phenix,” said Nick. Phenix Home Care is Medicaid approved and a Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs program grantee. Phenix Home Care is licensed by the Rhode Island Department of Health to provide many services, including: Home Maker Services: Light housekeeping, dusting, vacuuming, laundry, meal preparation and grocery shopping Home Health Aide Services: Bathing, dressing, feeding, range of motion exercises, and more. Since Phenix Home Care is a non-skilled nursing administration, they cannot care

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

for those who become acutely ill; however, that’s when Capitol Home Care comes into play. Capitol Home Care is a network of three direct competitors, including Phenix Home Care, that offers a mix of both skilled and non-skilled services for a higher level of direct care. Phenix Home Care CNAs work with care providers at Capitol Home Care so that patients can continue to see their trusted CNAs while working with their physical therapists, visiting nurses, or whatever other services they need. This structure helps patient safely and comfortably recover, while also preventing rehospitalization. Nick says that the best way for Phenix Home Care to continue delivering higher quality care is through communication. “Our key to maintaining relationships with anyone is good communication. We make it our priority to ensure that everyone knows the information required in order to provide the best possible services to that client,” said Nick. Because of this, Phenix Home Care and Capitol Home Care have developed strong relationships with doctors, hospitals, and, most importantly, patients. In 1998, Nick found that Phenix was having a hard time covering cases south of Warwick, so he decided to open a branch office called Coventry Home Care. Coventry Home Care offers the same services as Phenix Home Care and helps the company reach out to more patients in Rhode Island. Nick says that it’s entirely possible that they could open another branch office in Rhode Island in the future, but for now they are happy to provide a higher level of care for patients of Phenix Home Care, Coventry Home Care, and Capitol Home Care.

Rhode Island Foundation | SMALL BUSINESS

Rhode Island Foundation Makes Final $150,000 in Make It Happen RI Awards Announcement marks first anniversary of $1 million economic development initiative

by Chris Barnett

The Rhode Island Foundation is marking the first anniversary of its year-long Make It Happen RI initiative by making the final $150,000 in awards from the innovative economic development initiative. “We’ve been successful in putting the focus on concrete ways to improve the economy. Our work is just beginning, but we are making steady progress. Tackling the state’s vital issues takes inspiration, leadership and the willingness to go the distance,” said Neil D. Steinberg, the Foundation’s president and CEO. Last September, the Foundation brought together 300 business leaders, policymakers, academics and others for two days to brainstorm about how to jump-start the state’s economy. Six major themes emerged from the working sessions: create jobs, close skills gaps, better connect the unemployed with existing job opportunities, address specific barriers to success, collaborate, and promote Rhode Island internally and externally. “As we mark the first anniversary, we’re taking stock of the progress to date and planning for what’s next. We know that Make It Happen will continue to inspire collaborations and a call to action,” said Jessica David, the Foundation’s Vice President of Strategy and Public Affairs. The Foundation has committed more than $1 million over and above its normal grantmaking to fund Make It Happen RI projects including these final two awards. The bRIdge.jobs initiative received $100,000 to develop and implement a statewide education and outreach campaign that will address the current and future workforce needs of Rhode Island businesses through the expansion of internships and other workbased learning. The initiative is a partnership between the R.I. Student Loan Authority, Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of

Rhode Island, Governor’s Workforce Board, Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and R.I. Partnership Project. “The bRIdge.jobs website is a free one-stop shop for internships, which makes it easier for employers to post internships that all students can access,” said Charles P. Kelley, RISLA’s Executive Director. “Internships have proven to be a very positive learning and career development experience. A national study shows that 63 percent of paid interns in the class of 2012 had at least one job offer when they graduated, while only 40 percent of those who did not have an internship received a job offer. Employers say internships are a smart strategy for recruiting, accessing and mentoring future employees,” he said. On-Ramps to Career Pathways received $50,000 to enable state agencies to use their resources more efficiently by braiding their funding streams, to make it easier for workers to identify career pathways, to offer career coaching and to implement a work readiness and work experience certification. A pilot program will operate in the state’s one-stop career centers, through industry partners and community-based organizations. The initiative is a partnership between the State Department of Labor and Training, the Governor’s Workforce Board, the State Department of Education, the State Department of Human Services, Workforce Solutions of Providence/Cranston, the Workforce Partnership of Greater Rhode Island and the Community College of Rhode Island. “By aligning public and private workforce systems and improving the connection among them, On-Ramps will increase the ability of residents to access the education, training and placement services they need for economic stability,” said Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee.

Among the 16 Make It Happen RI initiatives already underway are: Buy Local RI - Promoting locally owned independent businesses, strengthening Rhode Island’s merchant and commercial associations and providing a public resource for people to connect to local products and services at buylocalri.org. College and University Research Collaborative - Generating data for informed economic policy decisions in Rhode Island by researching state economic policy issues identified by public policy representatives from the executive and legislative branches of state government. DESIGNxRI – Connecting Rhode Island’s vast and talented design sector to form a strategic single voice and leverage its collective resources. The full list of Make It Happen RI initiatives is posted at http://bit.ly/189lPQi. Make It Happen RI is supported through the Foundation’s Civic Leadership Fund. Launched in 2012, the Fund allows the Foundation to go beyond traditional grantmaking to serve as a leader for critical or emerging issues in the state. Activities supported by the Fund include commissioning research, convening interested parties, advocating for changes in public policy and bringing nationally known speakers to Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. In 2012, the Foundation made grants of more than $30.4 million to organizations addressing Rhode Island’s most pressing issues and needs of diverse communities. Through leadership, fundraising, and grantmaking activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping our state reach its true potential. For more information, visit www.rifoundation.org. Chris Barnett Senior Public Affairs Officer The RI Foundation

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

Communications Without Barriers

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RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

5 Reasons To Ask For Customer Feedback | SMALL BUSINESS

5 reasons to ask for customer feedback learned is to find out what customers really need through surveying them. by Michael Casey

According to a recent survey by the Aberdeen Group, 46% of businesses believe they are leaving money on the table with just 2% reporting they have achieved full penetration of almost all of their accounts. Deepening

2. Surveying is a real-time early warning system. If you are getting timely feedback, you are able to react to any dissatisfaction before it goes public. Social media is a game-changer, giving an unhappy customer a platform to air grievances – big or small. Be positively proactive; use surveys to push selfqualified, loyal customers to your social media pages for testimonials and endorsements.

the sales people stared blankly when it was rolled out, and the engineers were defensive. your relationships to capture additional business starts with knowing what your customers think. Here’s why you shouldn’t fear honest feedback. Before deploying any type of survey, be clear about what you want to measure. This will drive the makeup of your questions, how you collect the data and the frequency in which you seek feedback. Following are the top five benefits of surveys that can help drive new revenue for small and mid-sized business or nonprofits by providing important insights into customer or donor wants and needs: 1. Use feedback as a roadmap for business investments. There is no better way to make sure you will have customer demand. I worked for a Fortune 500 company that made a product in a vacuum – the engineering lab – because it was cool, small, lightweight and the smallest in the industry. The sales people stared blankly when it was rolled out, and the engineers were defensive. They had invested in specialized equipment and tools to mass produce it, and believed they were onto something. We tried for three years, and were never able to sell many at all. The lesson

Preserve your brand with all the positive things you do. 3. It’s objective. You can speculate why you are losing business and end up addressing the wrong issue. A survey might show that the number one reason for customer dissatisfaction is because you aren’t answering the phones fast enough. And, your team will react better to feedback from customers rather than hearing a manager say, “Customers want us to answer the phone faster.” 4. It validates your hunches quickly. Customer research is much easier to do with online surveying as opposed to traditional phone calls and mailings. You can validate your hunches in 24 hours now versus waiting for the call campaign to gear up or waiting weeks for the mail to be returned to you. 5. Just asking for feedback shows you care. There’s just something about a well-planned survey and process, that when delivered properly, shows customers that you value the relationship.

Michael Casey President, Survey Advantage www.surveyadvantage.com

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

SMALL BUSINESS | 10 Tools To Help You Save Time In Your Business

10 Tools to Help You

Save Time in Your Business by Dana D’Orsi

As an entrepreneur, turning time into money is your business. So it’s important to always be on the lookout for ways to increase your efficiency. In this article, I’m sharing 10 of my favorite time-saving resources. Enjoy! 1. Dragon Dictation - Dragon Dictation is an easy-to-use voice recognition app that allows you to quickly record a message that is instantly transcribed for text or email. I personally LOVE to use this iPhone app when inspiration strikes in the car and I’m not able to write down the great blog post idea, headline or course offering I just came up with. With a click of a button, I’m able to capture the thought and send it to myself in an email. 2. Evernote – Evernote is a software application you can download to your computer, as well as your mobile devices. It allows you to store, organize, and access practically anything, and it syncs your content across all of your devices. You can capture your ideas into “notes” and also save audio clips, images, photographs, Word documents, spreadsheets, Web clippings and more. Then, you can tag your notes for easy reference later. Since I’m such a huge lover of information, this tool has been a Godsend to help me easily get at what I need when I need it. 3. Eggtimer - I’m a big fan of using timers as a productivity tool to help me stay focused and to break larger, overwhelming tasks into more manageable, bite-sized portions. Eggtimer is a simple, easy-to-use online countdown timer. You just set a time, and then you’re alerted with a popup and beeping sound when your time is up. 4. TimeTrade - As most business owners know, scheduling can sometimes be a nightmare. Most of my clients have regular, recurring session times, but occasionally I need to schedule one-off sessions. TimeTrade is an online appointment scheduling tool that I use to automate both

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that process, and the process of scheduling my enrollment conversations. I just select which times I’m open for those sessions (because I “batch” my schedule, I reserve Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for clients & prospects) and the tool automatically syncs with my Google calendar. Then, I send a TimeTrade-generated link to clients and prospects and they’re able to see my availability and select the time that works best with their schedules. It eliminates all those typical “back-and-forth” scheduling emails. 5. Teux Deux - I love David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” process for handling task management. Well, Teux Deux is the tool I use to execute it. It’s a browser-based “to do” app that allows me to capture absolutely everything I need to do (yes, every single task!), separate those tasks into contextbased lists, assign them to certain days of the week and designate recurring tasks (e.g., write my blog post every Tuesday, take my vitamins every day, etc.). And there’s an iPhone app as well, so I can easily add tasks as I think of them and delete them as they’re completed. 6. Unroll.me - Unroll.me is a FREE service that helps users manage their junk mail and subscriptions. It allows you to mass unsubscribe from the lists you no longer want to be on and pulls your selected subscriptions into one convenient daily digest email. So instead of receiving multiple subscription emails in my Inbox throughout the day, I receive just one (seriously, just one!). 7. Outright - Outright is a FREE online bookkeeping tool. It automates your accounting tasks by pulling all of your accounts (bank accounts, credit cards, PayPal, Amazon, etc.) into one place and organizes your data into IRS-approved tax categories. They also have an iPhone app so you can enter your mileage/cash transactions on the spot and a paid version

of the software with enhanced capabilities. This tool saves me HOURS each and every month that I used to spend recording my income and expenses. 8. Dropbox - Dropbox is a FREE cloud storage service (with a paid upgrade option) that lets you easily sync files between computers and mobile devices, share them with others, and create backups. I love having access to all of my files when and where I need them, being able to send my clients direct links to the audio and video recordings of their sessions (rather than emailing large files to them), and having the security of knowing my files are backed up daily. 9. Hootsuite - Hootsuite allows me to manage all my social media networks in one place. I use it to schedule Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn posts, track my mentions and monitor conversations on certain topics. They offer both a FREE version of the webbased tool and paid versions with enhanced analytics and scheduling options. 10. Buffer - Buffer is another social media management tool. You can add the content you’d like to share into your “buffer queue” and each piece of content will automatically post throughout the day, in the order it was added, at pre-scheduled times. You can set up your automatic posting schedule based on when you tend to get the most engagement on each of your platforms. I use it in tandem with Hootsuite, primarily for Twitter (as I like to Tweet more frequently than I post on Facebook) and to share web page content that I’m reading (once you install the program, a little button appears on your screen that you can click anytime you want to add web content to your “buffer”– easy peasy!).

Dana D’Orsi Business & Marketing Coach Dana D’Orsi International

10 Tools To Help You Save Time In Your Business | SMALL BUSINESS

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it’s smarter SMALL BUSINESS | It’s Smarter To File Than To Pile

to file than to pile!

top ten tips for a productive filing system by Lisa S. Griffith

Are you struggling with how to set up a filing system for your important papers? Or are you dealing with one that just doesn’t work, making it difficult for you to find what you need, when you need it? Perhaps you’re looking for ways to fine-tune a system that mostly functions well. To help things along, here are my top ten favorite tips for getting that paperwork under control and keeping it that way: 1. Create file names that make sense to you. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about where you would look to find this paper again? That’s usually the best file name. 2. Use nouns for file names – keep them short and sweet. 3. Abolish “miscellaneous” as a file name – it has no future meaning, and anything that gets filed under it will probably never be found again. Remember that the purpose of a filing system is to make it easy to retrieve information when you need it. 4. Utilize hanging files for broad categories such as “Autos,” “Medical,” “Travel,” etc., and then use manila file folders within the hanging files to subdivide broad categories. For example, under “AUTO,” subdivide into “2003 Dodge,” “2009 Toyota,” etc. 5. Color-code your files by category (if you are a person who responds to color). Try green for financial, red for medical, etc. 6. Keep your filing categories broad – no file should only have one or two pieces of paper in it. 7. Place the plastic label tab at the FRONT of hanging files, rather than behind. It’s much easier to locate a file by pulling the label towards you and looking behind it, rather than placing the label at the back of the file, then trying to figure out where the file begins. 8. Locate all of the hanging file tabs in a single row, either all left, all center, or all right, rather than the traditional “zig-zag” pattern. This way, if you have to move a file to a different location, or add or remove a file, you won’t need to change the placement of all the tabs. 9. Think before you file. Consider whether you will really need to refer to that piece of paper again. Statistics show that 80% of what we file never gets looked at again. Ask yourself two questions before you file:

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Remember that the purpose of a ﬁling system is to make it easy to retrieve information when you need it.

It’s Smarter To File Than To Pile | SMALL BUSINESS

“Can I find this information again if I need to?” and “What would be the worst thing that would happen if I let this go?” 10. Purge your files regularly. The key to any successful filing system is ongoing maintenance. Set aside a few minutes each month (maybe when you pay your bills) to check through a few folders each time to clean out old, outdated stuff. Once a year (perhaps at tax time, or at the beginning of the new year), go through everything to eliminate the deadwood and make space for the new stuff.

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www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

SMALL BUSINESS | How To Manage A Remote Worker or Ofﬁce

How To Manage A Remote Worker or Ofﬁce

by Shannon Lewis

It’s hard to believe that I have been working remotely for almost half my career. I have learned a lot about working remotely and managing remote workers. I believe in hiring the best, regardless of where that person resides, so between clients and employees, I have worked with folks as far north as Canada, south as Florida and west as California. There are two areas to focus on to increase efficiency when working with remote employees: tools and processes. Although we are focusing on remote workers in this article, everything in here can be applied to onsite employees as well. Leveraging tools is an important aspect of effectively managing remote workers. As a small business, we don’t always have extra money in the budget to purchase tools. Luckily, there are a lot of great free or inexpensive tools to use. Must-have tools include:

Results-Oriented Work Environment: This is probably the most important of all aspects to managing a remote worker. It takes time to build trust and believe that the remote worker isn’t at the beach all day. This was my biggest hurdle. My first manager would always question me if I didn’t immediately pick up the phone. Remote workers need to have “bio breaks,” coffee breaks, take time for lunch, etc. You can’t expect them to sit at their desk for 8 hours straight. Provide concrete goals and objectives to measure your remote employee’s productivity. Core Business Hours: This might not pertain to everyone, but if you work in an industry where it’s common for folks to work different hours (software development) or have folks working in different time zones, it’s helpful to set up core business hours. These are hours that everyone is working and available for meetings, etc. Level the Playing Field: If most of your employees work in the same office, but a few work remotely, think about having everyone attend

as a small business, we don’t always have extra money in the budget to purchase tools

Video Conferencing: Google Hangouts is by far the best free video conferencing application. It is cross-platform and you can have a conference with up to 10 people at once.

meetings remotely. This removes the “side meetings” that happen so frequently and exclude not only the remote worker, but also exclude others in the meeting.

Document Collaboration: Once again, Google wins. Use Google Docs to collaboratively edit spreadsheets, reports, proposals and more.

Daycare is a Must: (This one might not make me popular.) As much as our employees want to believe they can work at home while taking care of their young children, they can’t. Require your employees to have a “daycare” plan, whether a child care provider stays with the children in the house or the children attend a daycare. Without this, most remote employees will not be able to succeed.

Task Management: There are a wide variety of options here; find the best one for your organization. A hosted version of Redmine, although not free, is a very economical solution. Documentation Storage: Leverage the cloud for documentation storage and to easily share files between employees. I recommend both Dropbox and Google docs. As a small business, we often think processes slow us down, but there are a few lightweight processes to greatly increase efficiency with remote workers.

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I hope these few tips help you to manage remote employees or become a more productive remote employee.

Shannon Lewis, Panoptic Development, Inc. Principal – Operations

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www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

SMALL BUSINESS | Minding Your Own Brand

Minding Your Own Brand:

Does anyone know why Randy left this message? by Dave Lubelczyk

“Who is Randy and why is he calling me?” was all I could think of as I retrieved my voicemail. He left no reason for calling, just “Hey Dave, it’s Randy! Call me!” and his phone number. Despite the fact that I don’t have any colleagues, clients, or friends named Randy, I still got the sense from the message that I should know him. I felt there was a good chance he was someone whom I met through networking. So, I checked my database of contacts and my stack of recently acquired business

information confirmed that I did not know Randy, but still thinking someone referred him to me and intrigued by his cryptic message, I dialed the number. After only 10 seconds on the phone, I realized that I definitely did not know Randy, he did not know me and I was just another name on his call list. As he immediately went into his canned sales pitch, I knew I would never be doing business with Randy or XYZ Cleaning Company. Like so many telemarketers, Randy had tricked me into talking to him and could care less if I truly needed his products or services. No matter how I objected to what he was saying, he

This tidbit of information confirmed that I did not know Randy, but still thinking someone referred him to me and intrigued by his cryptic message, I dialed the number. cards with no luck. I Googled the number he left and the number that showed up on caller ID. I found out he called from the XYZ Cleaning Company. This tidbit of

countered with his scripted pitch and was insisting that I had to meet with his sales guy “who happened to be coming to my area.” Why do companies let this type of situation destroy their brand’s image? In a matter of seconds, Randy had ruined the credibility of XYZ Cleaning Company and ensured that even if I needed a new corporate cleaning company, I would never use their

services. The trick he was using got me to call him back and even got me to listen to his pitch, but his tactics, like so many other sales systems, ended up eroding the integrity of the company’s brand. A company’s brand is shaped by everything that each employee says and does. Therefore, companies often try to preserve their brand by controlling all aspects of workers’ actions. But instead of having a positive effect, they are producing experiences that are less than extraordinary for the potential customer. Then the owners can’t understand why the company doesn’t achieve the desired results and their brands are losing in the marketplace. So what should Randy have done differently? First, he should have never tricked me into calling him back. Second, once he got me on the phone, he should have asked me if this was a good time to talk. If the answer was “NO,” he should have thanked me for my time and hung up with no further questions. This would have impressed me and added to the credibility of the brand. If I did want to talk, he should have talked to me like a normal human being, not a robot programmed to counter my every objection and to make me agree to a meeting as early in the conversation as possible. This normal conversation would have allowed him to qualify me as a prospect and create a favorable experience for me. Randy was the first person to begin my relationship with this company. If he had created an extraordinary initial experience, he could have moved me one step closer to being an advocate for this company’s brand. Instead, he resorted to dishonest sales tricks to fill his calling quota and used a canned script which did little to peak my interest in XYZ’s services. His overall tactics reflected poorly on the company’s brand and should leave XYZ’s leadership asking, “Does anyone know why Randy left this message?”

Dave Lubelczyk Image Identity imageidentity.com

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

Treasury Hold Over $23.6 Million | SMALL BUSINESS

Treasury Holds Over $23.6 Million

in Unclaimed Business Property by Gina M. Raimondo Rhode Island General Treasurer

Making government work more efficiently for you is an important component to reviving our economy. As Treasurer, I have streamlined and improved many of the programs in my office to better serve you. Now, we are actively working to raise awareness about how these programs can benefit you. Over the past few months, the Treasury has traveled the state as part of the Smart Money Tour, helping people find and save money. As part of this tour, the Treasury team is available to help people locate their lost or abandoned property for free. Unclaimed property includes items such as forgotten bank accounts, stocks and dividends, and life insurance benefits. Many are surprised to learn that people are not the only entity with unclaimed property – businesses are often named as owners. My office holds more than 37,500 properties for Rhode Island businesses with an average value of $630, for a total of $23.6 million. Approximately 20,000 to 30,000 additional properties come in each year and 10 percent of these properties are owned by a local business. The unclaimed property process is quick, simple and free. Every claim is unique, and we try to make the process as easy as possible. Properties include vendor overpayments, refunds due, credit balances and accounts payable. Even if your business does work outside of Rhode Island, we have reciprocal agreements with other states and can help you find your property. Also, due to enhancements made during my administration, processing time is down to one week for most claims.

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CLOSER TO THE ISSUES

To claim your business’s property, the Treasury typically requires the following: • Documentation of the authority of the claimant to represent the business. • Documentation of the current standing of the corporation or entity with the Secretary of State’s office. • Documentation of the relationship between the original property account and the claiming business. • Additional documentation may also be required if the business entity no longer exists. During the last fiscal year, the Treasury returned more than $8 million to more than 8,000 Rhode Islanders. Currently, the Treasury is holding more than 750,000 unclaimed properties worth more than $250 million. It’s my goal to return the unclaimed property in our possession back to its rightful owner: hardworking Rhode Islanders and local businesses. Visit the Treasury’s searchable online database (treasury.ri.gov) to find property and begin the online claims process. The website is updated with new properties every week. Businesses are encouraged to reach out to Treasury staff to discuss their specific claim and to determine the appropriate requirements by calling 401-222-2397.

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SMALL BUSINESS | Reclaim Your POWER to Communicate!

Reclaim Your POWER to Communicate!

by Donna Mac Breathing, walking and speaking all come naturally after we are born. As the years go by, if we have difficulty breathing or walking, there’s no question, we do our best to repair the issue so our life remains flexible, healthy and fluid. But why is it that when we have a hard time speaking and communicating, we often ignore the pain? This is an ailment that we don’t take seriously. We don’t try to fix things ourselves because, after all, where do we start? Luckily, you can reclaim your natural ability to speak and communicate without the help of medical professionals and insurance companies. All you need is the ability to stop and think of what might happen if you know you should be better able to speak, but instead choose not to deal with it. Like Sarah. 30-something Sarah, on the outside, is a very successful working mother. In fact, she is the family breadwinner and her husband stays home with the kids. She’s in a technically-based field and earns over 100K a year. But she has found that her communication skills get stuck. Sarah was recently given a promotion, which included a new title and more money. But after a few months, she found that her new role wasn’t well-defined so, in her department, nothing was changing. That made her crazy and her days were filled with way too much to do, which gave her continuous underlying stress.

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“Why don’t you tell your boss?” I asked. She told me she had spoken to two of her immediate superiors but everyone in the organization was going in many different directions, so this was an issue nobody wanted to tackle. Plus, when she tried to talk about her frustrations, she’d get tongue-tied and too emotional, and she didn’t want to lose control at work. “It’s just easier not to deal,” said Sarah. Considering Sarah is a very sought after young professional, she considered trying to find a job elsewhere. “But what will happen when something similar occurs in your next position?” I asked her. It didn’t take much for us to realize that once Sarah’s ability to stand in her power and articulate her needs improved, her whole professional world would open up. To begin the process, Sarah took time to clearly see all her career attributes. Once on paper, she was amazed at how many successes she forgot about! Her company apparently saw all of who Sarah was, but

a bit more time to organize her thoughts prior to meeting with her superiors. She now knows the benefit of actually speaking the words that she will use out loud and practicing them before going into the boss’s office. And while she knows that doubt will creep in from time to time, she will no longer assume that what she has to say will not be taken seriously. She knows now how to respectfully state her case and then be silent. That’s one of the ways she stands in her power. Sarah’s workdays now flow better. She hasn’t been given all of what she’s requested over the past several months, but she knows that important corporate changes take time. And because she’s looking at herself and her ability to communicate differently, those above her are looking at her differently, too. In fact, her requests have sparked a restructuring of her company’s job descriptions. Imagine that. Sarah’s confidence level is up. She’s also up for one of the handful of promotions that’s opened recently at the company.

We don’t try to ﬁx things ourselves because, after all, where do we start? she didn’t. After a close assessment of the various people Sarah needed to address, she came to the conclusion that she was the one who was holding herself back.

We don’t know who will be hired. But guaranteed, it will be someone who is a healthy combination of bright, forwardthinking and a great communicator.

Improved communication also came to Sarah once she realized that she had to take

Donna Mac Owner DMac Voice & Media

Why Are We So Resistant to Change? by Kristin Carcieri-MacRae Recently, I’ve been working with companies who have brought me in to help their disorganized employees. I am finding that most of these employees are resistant to change. It is my job to try to get these employees to see how being organized can improve and streamline their work flow, productivity, efficiency levels and, above all, their quality of life at work. I understand it is normal to resist change. Some people do not like to be taken out of their comfort zone. Many people are happy doing the same thing, the same way that they have been doing it for the past 20 years. If they are disorganized, they are happy with their disorganization and see no reason to change. What if their jobs could become easier once they were organized? What if they could generate more money for their business, have more free time, or qualify for a promotion once they change their ways and get organized? Wouldn’t you say, “Sign me up, I’m in”? It is difficult for them to see the benefits until they actually make changes and live it. This and more can be accomplished once an employee goes from being disorganized to organized and has processes and systems in place. On the other spectrum, you have the employees that want to change and get organized, but just don’t have the skill set to get organized. They are open to change and welcome any suggestions that you may have. They feel stuck and paralyzed by their disorganization. They really want to get organized, but don’t know where to begin and don’t know how to create working, organized systems. Once the systems are in place, they know they will have structure and will be able to follow the system. They

understand that if they change, great things will begin to happen; they just need assistance in creating that change. Which category do you fall into? Think about it. Is being disorganized hurting your business? Is it hindering you from expanding or moving forward onto greater ventures with your business? If your support staff is disorganized, are they hindering that process? Next time you are in your office, take a few minutes and a pen and paper, and sit at your desk and take a look around your office. Make note of what you see on your desk, bookshelves, and walls. Open your desk drawers, filing cabinets and closets. Think about how you function in your office. After you are finished, read through and think about how this makes you feel. I attended the NAPO conference in April and David Tolin, PhD was the keynote speaker. There is a quote that I had jotted down that I thought was genius: “You are only as good as the system you are working with.” How are your systems working for you? Do you have processes and systems in place? Maybe it’s time for a change.

Sunday, October 27 Granite Theatre Westerly Chamber of Commerce The Pink Show 12:30pm-4:00pm $30 per person All proceeds benefit the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation

Tuesday, October 29 1149 Restaurant East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce Lunch and Learn with Dan Marantz, The Growth Coach 12:00pm-1:30pm 1149 Division Road, Warwick, RI 02818 Sponsored by 1149

Wednesday, October 30 Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce Communication Skills & Conflict Management 8:30am–4:30pm 6 Blackstone Valley Place, Suite 402

Get out of your comfort zone and be open to change. There are so many great opportunities out there that you may be missing out on. It’s never a bad time to make that change and get organized.

Friday, November 1 Newport Chamber of Commerce Chamber Connections 7:45am-9:15am

Kristin Carcieri-MacRae Owner Organizing In RI, LLC

35 Valley Rd., Middletown, RI

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

CAPITAL CITY | Women Improving Entrepreneurs Our Infrastructure and Our Economy

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS by James S. Bennett

This month’s issue of the Rhode Island Small Business Journal has dedicated itself to the women of excellence in our business community. In Providence, we are blessed with many outstanding, highly-accomplished owners of small business – so many that narrowing down a field to herald has become no easy task! First, let’s look at the numbers. According to the National Women’s Business Council Center for Women’s Business Research, female-owned businesses account for nearly $3 trillion in total economic impact. In 2007, at least 7.8 million businesses were majorityowned by women, and 1 in 5 companies with revenues $1 million-plus are owned by women. Here in Providence, we see signs of that success all around us. Consider these women business leaders: Navyn Salem, owner of Edesia Global Nutrition Solutions. This mother of four young girls founded the company in 2007 to put an end to the preventable crisis of malnutrition and starvation for 250 million children worldwide. With two factories, she produces ready-to-use supplemental food, and has already created 65 jobs, reaching 1.6 million children in more than 40 countries. www. edesiaglobal.org Meg Wirth, owner of non-profit company Maternova, is steadily building a reputation worldwide for packaging vital equipment and goods to new mothers and infants born in difficult locations across the globe. This wholly women-owned, women-run operation “focuses on highly effective lowtech innovations for effective maternal clinical interventions in low resource settings.” www. maternova.net Anne “Annie” S. DeGroot, MD, founder, CEO & CSO EpiVax, is building a team of scientists who are experts in

RISBJ | rhode | rhode island island small smallbusiness businessjournal journal

immunoinformatics, to develop improved vaccines and biotherapeutics to treat lifethreatening diseases like Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS across the globe. A professor and director of the Institute for Immunology and Informatics at the University of Rhode Island, she also serves as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Adjunct) at Brown Medical School, and director of Clinica Esperenza/ Hope Clinic – a free nonprofit clinic in our city. www. epivax.com Andrea Valentini, owner, designer and CEO of Andrea Valentini, has transformed unconventional materials into inventive designs for lifestyle handbags, accessories, furniture, lighting and interiors. Her trademark “bump” textiles are manufactured locally and have earned her the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum award. Consider that she’s produced custom bag designs for musician Eric Clapton’s Crossroads foundation, Kanye West and Miss Universe Olivia Culpo – the original face of Andrea Valentini as well as others less famous. www.andreavalentini.com Natalie Morello, owner of Shoppe Pioneer, left an exciting job in Manhattan as a buyer in the fashion industry to open her own place here in Providence in 2001. Her vision of someplace to grow is quickly evolving as she has since opened a second nearby business, The Vault, along the South Main Street business corridor, and brought her energy and ideas into reinvigorating the South Main Street Merchants Association – she calls SoMA. www.shoppepioneer.com Diane Hunt, owner and designer of Floral Designs along the city’s busy Broadway, has been succeeding in this industry for the past seven years, providing floral arrangements to individuals, businesses and institutions for every occasion. She attributes some of that success to Providence being “a supportive city for women to run a small business in.” www.lirog.com Margaret Carleton and Devienna Anggraini, co-owners of Craftland, are another example

of remarkable women entrepreneurs in our city, featuring dozens of local and national artists’ works and designs in their Westminster Street storefront operation, which actually began as an annual holiday sale back in 2002. www.craftlandshop.com Whatever the industry, however large the reach, it is clear women are making a profound difference in our community, in our neighborhoods and in our economy. Our mission is to support that creativity and business growth in ways large and small. In our unique partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the RI Small Business Development Center and the Center for Women and Enterprise, the Mayor’s Office is offering free monthly workshops on everything from power networking to creating a strong social media presence. Through our Supply & Diversity / Women and Minority Business Enterprise office, we are helping women become active in the city, state and national contracting process, opening doors and growing bottom lines. There, we are in a statewide network of 26 entities, and we also work closely with our state partners at RI Department of Administration. Our Mayor’s Office of Economic Development is helping small businesses – and womenowned companies – get access to financial and technical resources to start and grow companies through our PEDP and Workforce Solutions, and to bring in our partners at the U.S. SBA, the RI Economic Development Council, RISBDC, CWE, and Chamber of Commerce. When you succeed, we succeed. Please call us for more information at 401.680.8400.

Director of Economic Development City of Providence

[continued from page 27]

Friday, November 1

DIY Sucks!

Belcourt of Newport Newport Chamber of Commerce Annual Silent Auction and Cocktail Celebration 7:00pm-10:00pm 657 Bellevue Ave., Newport, RI

Wednesday, November 6

Why SBOs need to hire help, NOW. by Aileen McDonough of 3am Writers and Dr. Jewel Sommerville of Holistic Health Rhode Island

I’m an independent person, but I’ve long known that no small business owner does it alone. We all rely on friends, family, networks, resources. But what happens when we realize that we need help--help within our businesses--in order to survive and thrive? I sat down with a fellow business owner to discuss this issue recently, and came up with our top reasons why SBOs need to bite the bullet and hire some help...NOW. Enabling Growth. We all have the fear of delegating because “Nobody does it like I do!” True, your business is built on your talents. But are your talents required for every task that keeps your business running on a daily basis? Are they necessary for filing, preparing packets, bookkeeping, setting up appointments? Hiring someone to lighten the load will allow you to focus on money making opportunities in order to grow your business. You’ll have more energy for new ideas and passion projects, and you’ll go after that big client instead of wondering, “How will I do it all?” Quality of service. Many times, small business owners refuse to hire help because of a DIY mentality: why pay someone else for something you can do yourself? “In my experience, if a business owner is trying to do it all by him/herself, something is bound to fall through the cracks,” says Dr. Jewel, “We are only human, and we can’t do everything; it’s not sustainable. The time comes when you have to hire help in order to maintain the quality of service your clients deserve.” The longer you wait, the more exhausted you’ll become, and the more your service quality will deteriorate. Hire while you have the energy and motivation to train.

Shared tasks, new perspectives. For years, I toiled alone in my office and did just fine--Facebook and LinkedIn kept me from becoming a total hermit. It wasn’t until I hired help that I realized the value another person could bring to the mix! Hearing a different perspective not only cut my problem-solving time down in challenging situations, it allowed me to enjoy my successes and see how far I’d come as a business owner. And that is what keeps us all going. Quality of life. A very smart and successful businessman (who happens to be my father) once told me, “When you are in business for yourself, you are the fuel that runs your business. It is essential that you take care of yourself, to keep yourself going.” Part of that self-care is hiring help when you need it. Before I hired out my bookkeeping, I hated dealing with numbers, and every weekend was destroyed by the knowledge that I’d have to do my books Sunday night. Now I blithely close out my QuickBooks on Friday nights so my business manager can get in there and make it all nice. Weekends now are for family, friends, rest, and catching up on the work I love to do. Hiring help may cost money now, but the work, time, improved quality of life, reputation, and sanity it saves in the long run are priceless. Don’t wait. Hire help now! Then you can watch your joy in life soar-along with your business.

what happens when we

Newport Chamber of Commerce Seminar: Computer Securities for Small Businesses 8:30am-10:00am Presented by Jairo Rugel of ATC Tech, Inc.

Thursday, November 7 The French Confection Newport Chamber of Commerce Business Before Hours 8:00am-9:00am 72 E. Main Rd., Middletown

Tuesday, November 12 Best Western Mainstay Inn Newport Chamber of Commerce RI State Planning Program 3:30pm-5:30pm or 5:30pm-7:30pm 151 Admiral Kalbfus Rd, Newport

Friday, November 15 Newport Chamber of Commerce Chamber Connections 7:45am-9:15am 35 Valley Rd., Middletown, RI

Friday, November 15 Newport Chamber of Commerce Seminar: Time Management 10:00am-11:00am Presented by Claudia Cornejo of Center for Women and Enterprise

Tuesday, November 19 Newport Yacht Club Newport Chamber of Commerce Economic Update Breakfast Panel Discussion

realize that we need help--help

8:30am-10:00am

within our businesses--in order

RSVP needed

110 Long Wharf, Newport, RI

to survive and thrive?

Aileen McDonough, Writer and Marketing Consultant, 3am Writers | Dr. Jewel Sommerville, Founder, Holistic Health Rhode Island

www.risbj.com www.risbj.com | volume | volume two two issue issue eight six

SMALL BUSINESS | Corporate, Intellectual Property and Employment Law Concerns: Don’t Go At It Alone

CORPORATE, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND EMPLOYMENT LAW CONCERNS:

DON’T GO AT IT ALONE by Alexandra W. Pezzello, Esq. | Lauren F. Verni, Esq. | Alicia J. Samolis, Esq. Attorneys at Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP

Are you starting a business? Growing a business? Or just managing day-to-day issues? When it comes to corporate, intellectual property and employment law issues, consulting legal counsel early on will save you money and headaches in the long run. Corporate Formation and Structure You Need to Do More Than Just File the Paperwork By Alexandra W. Pezzello, Esq. When starting a business, or reevaluating your current business structure, it is often advisable to form a distinct and separate legal entity. However, choosing what entity type of corporate entity is the best fit for your business is also important and involves a number of considerations. Businesses can operate under various structures, including sole proprietorships, corporations (either subchapter C or subchapter S corporations), various forms of partnerships and limited liability companies. Determining which of these structures is best suited to your business goals and needs is a critical decision and requires consideration of the number of owners, such owners’ desire to

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

limit liability, management preferences and taxation issues. While a corporation may be the most familiar type of corporate entity, forming a corporation is not always the best selection for a business. Frequently, a limited liability company can provide optimal tax benefits and management flexibility for a variety of businesses. Additionally, advice on which state in which to organize or move your business can save your business significantly in unnecessary taxes or qualification fees (and can also help to avoid engaging the unauthorized conduct of business in certain states). Legal advice and assistance in preparing the proper organizational documents (including bylaws or operating agreements, founders’ agreements, stock or other membership interest restriction agreements, etc.) provides a valuable backbone to a business from founder, shareholders and prospective investors alike. Properly drafted organizational documents can identify and create plans for how situations in management, ownership or other business decisions are handled throughout the life of the business. Seeking proper guidance during a change in your business, whether

in raising capital, merging with or acquiring another business, or converting to another corporate form or jurisdiction, can help your business avoid unintended tax consequences or securities law violations. Lastly, many business owners see corporate maintenance as beginning and ending with the filing formation documents with the Secretary of State and updating the same with annual reports. However, these are only the starting points for properly establishing a separate corporate existence and, in turn, limiting the liability of the business owners through the corporate structure. Counsel can provide advice and recommendations on how to conduct your business in a manner that will preserve such limitation on liability and avoid the “piercing of the corporate veil,” which can subject business owners to liability despite the establishment of a corporate structure.

Don’t Let the Value of Intellectual Property Pass You By By Lauren F. Verni, Esq. Entrepreneurs often overlook the value of intellectual property. They take a “wait

SMALL BUSINESS | Corporate, Intellectual Property and Employment Law Concerns: Don’t Go At It Alone [continued from page 29]

and see” approach and put an intellectual property protection strategy on the budget backburner. What entrepreneurs do not realize is that it can be extremely beneficial to be proactive in acquiring rights in your intellectual property and maintaining and enforcing those rights. Intellectual property consists of trademarks, service marks, domain names, copyrights, patents and trade secrets. By developing an intellectual property protection strategy early on, you are creating the foundation for future business acquisition, asset sales, licensing opportunities and other revenue generators. The failure to recognize, preserve and protect your intellectual property can have a negative impact on business valuation. This oversight can hinder your ability to secure bank financing or obtain venture capital funding. Many banks, lenders and investors require that intellectual property assets be taken as collateral to secure loan obligations. Early investment in an intellectual property protection strategy can solidify your business’s foundation in the market and dissuade competition. An intellectual property protection strategy has many steps. One of the first steps should include trademark and domain name clearance searches to determine whether your business name, domain name or product is actually available for use. By setting aside the resources to have properly conducted clearance searches, entrepreneurs will likely not invest in needless and wasted marketing expenses. Clearance searches can help you to deter potential infringement claims and unnecessary legal expenses defending against those claims. Entrepreneurs should secure employment agreements with employees that assign all intellectual property developed during the course of employment to your business. By developing your knowledge base and your employees’ knowledge about the basics of intellectual property, your business can more readily recognize developments or products and help to protect those intellectual property assets. These are just a few preliminary steps that an intellectual property attorney can advise you about along the road to developing an intellectual property protection strategy. The Internet Says I Can Fire My Employee By Alicia J. Samolis, Esq. The internet is a valuable resource when small business owners have employment questions. Many government agencies have websites that feature free forms and easy-tounderstand guidance. Small businesses can benefit from using the internet as a jumping off point, so that when they call counsel, they have more targeted questions. But use of online resources in lieu of consulting an

attorney has caused startling problems in the employment context for two basic reasons. The first reason is that virtually every employment decision implicates not just one law, but a host of federal and state laws, each enforced by different agencies with their own websites, forms and guidance. Many a savvy business owner reads about one law, follows that law, but proceeds to violate other laws. For example, a small business owner wonders if he or she can terminate an employee who has remained out sick for a few months because of his/her clinical depression. The owner searches the internet and reads about the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) on the Department of Labor’s official website. Relying on material that correctly states that the FMLA does not require a business to give more than 12 weeks of unpaid leave for non-military related sickness, the owner confidently terminates the employee when the 12 weeks expire.

Tuesday, November 19 T’s Restaurant East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours 5:30-7:30pm 5600 Post Road, East Greenwich, RI 02818

Wednesday, November 20 Newport Chamber of Commerce Health and Wellness Series: Food is Medicine 8:30am-10:00am Presented by Karyn Chabot of School for Allied Massage & Ayurveda Sponsored by Olympic Physical Therapy

Thursday, November 21 Newport Chamber of Commerce Business During Hours

Unfortunately for the owner, while the termination did not violate the FMLA, it likely did violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rhode Island Fair Employment Practices Act and the Rhode Island Civil Rights for People with Disabilities Act, all of which require longer periods of unpaid leave as reasonable accommodations for disabilities. The Rhode Island Parental and Family Medical Leave, if applicable, would also have been violated because it requires 13 weeks of leave.

12:00pm-1:30pm Sponsored by Chili’s

Sunday, December 1 East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce Main Street Holiday Strolls 2013 Noon-4pm

Thursday, December 5 East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce

The second reason mishaps commonly occur is that whether an employment law applies depends upon various factors, such as the number of employees at a company, the type of business, and how long the employee has worked for the company. In the above example, the FMLA would not have applied in the first place if the company had fewer than fifty employees or if the employee had been there for less than a year. In addition to wasting money on complying with inapplicable laws, taking an employment action pursuant to one inapplicable law can at times itself be illegal. Thus, given the likelihood of mistakes in selfguided employment law research, and the often serious damages, attorneys’ fees, and fines that can accompany employment law violations, business owners are well advised to involve employment counsel prior to acting. The authors of this article are attorneys at Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP, a business law and litigation firm with offices in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Alexandra W. Pezzello, Esq., is a member of the Business Law, Emerging Growth, Commercial Lending and Public Finance practice groups (awp@psh.com). Lauren F. Verni, Esq., is a member of the Business Law and Intellectual Property practice groups (lfv@psh.com). And, Alicia J. Samolis is a member of the Litigation, Employment and Labor, and Business Law practice groups (ajs@psh.com).

Tree Lighting with Santa

Sunday, December 8 East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce Main Street Holiday Strolls 2013 Noon-4pm

Tuesday, December 10 Spring Hill Suites East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours 5:30-7:30pm 14 James P Murphy Ind Hwy, West Warwick 02893

Sunday, December 15 East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce Main Street Holiday Strolls 2013 Noon-4pm

www.risbj.com www.risbj.com | volume | volume two two issue issue eight six

SMALL BUSINESS | The Art of the Pitch

The Art of the Pitch by John Robitaille

The mark of an effective communicator is someone who can take a complex idea and convey it with simplicity, brevity and credibility. So, what’s the secret to becoming an effective communicator? Well it’s really more of an art than it is a science; and it demands an appreciation of the multiple dimensions through which we communicate. As humans, we use five primary senses to gather information, including sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. In business, public speaking or political campaigns, sight and hearing are the two senses people most commonly use to size you up, so to speak. Let’s take entrepreneurs for example. Not only must they sell their ideas or business concepts, but they must also sell themselves as credible champions of their ventures. Potential investors, partners or customers will scrutinize the idea objectively, but will evaluate the individual much more subjectively. What you say, how you look, your handshake, as well as your body language combine to create the “perfect pitch” – a clear, concise and accurate presentation of the business idea or innovation. Or, they could result in the perfect disaster. The fact is, if you can’t tell someone about your idea quickly, professionally and in simple terms, it’s either too complicated or it’s just a “half-baked” idea.

What you say, how you look, your handshake, as well as your body language combine to create the “perfect pitch” you’re dressed, how you project, your attitude, body language, demeanor and even how you smell can influence the effectiveness of your pitch. These visual components get communicated within the first few seconds. The words you choose are important, but they are only part of the pitch, and they always follow the visual cues. To some this might sound superficial, or even trivial. It’s not. And, others might tell you it’s only the substance of the idea or the business model that really matters. They’re wrong.

Typically, entrepreneurs practice their pitches so they can describe their ventures in about sixty seconds. The notion is that you have to be ready for any opportunity that might arise to sell someone your idea. For example, you meet a potential investor in an elevator and you only have a minute of their undivided attention before the elevator stops and the doors open.

The visual elements contained within any human interaction are powerful influencers, especially during initial meetings. Fused with spoken words, visuals provide important hints, either consciously or subconsciously, to whether the words are authentic and can be trusted.

During that elevator ride, you’ll have an opportunity to be heard and observed. How

Crafting the words and honing the timing can be perfected through practice. But to

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

optimize your projection, attitude and body language, I’d recommend having others provide a critique or seek advice from a professional presentation coach. Next, to achieve the perfect power-look, find a “personal uniform” that works for you. It’s different for everyone, but there are many basic items of clothing and color that accent your best features and minimize anything that’s not so flattering. Remember, the pitch gets you in the door. As my wife Lynda, who has been a visual communicator for most of her career, often says, “When you enter a room, you must own it.” So, your ability to communicate with both “wardrobe and words” doesn’t end with the elevator pitch. You carry it into the room, and it becomes a part of your personal brand as you transform yourself into a successful entrepreneur and your idea into a viable commercial or social enterprise. Executive in Residence, Larry Friedman International Center for Entrepreneurship at Johnson & Wales University

Peace of Mind Through The Eye of a Lens | SMALL BUSINESS

PEACE OF MIND

THROUGH THE EYE OF A LENS THE INCREASING ROLE OF NETWORK VIDEO SURVEILLANCE by Lisa Shorr There is one thing we all know: we cannot be 2 places at once. Your client needs you for a meeting, you have a workshop to attend, your son/daughter needs a ride to a friend’s house or activity, and you have a business trip in London. Who is going to keep an eye on your office? For more than 30 years, CCTV (closed circuit television) or analog surveillance cameras have been implemented by many organizations as a form of “watchful third eye.” Capturing and viewing recorded images has aided in the deterrence and resolution of employee issues from theft to drug use. Analog cameras have also aided in rectifying numerous external threats such as automobile theft, traffic violations and rioting. As a society, public safety has grown to become a major public concern. The events on 9/11, and more recently the Boston Bombings and campus shootings, have put all of us on heightened alert to any suspicious behavior. While analog cameras have been a very helpful tool, poor image quality and cumbersome recorded incident searches have forced security professionals to seek other more sophisticated surveillance options. Out of this demand and the evolution of technology, the IP network video camera was developed. IP (Internet Protocol) or Network Cameras are essentially a mini computer with a lens. Recorded images are viewed over the Internet. Security professional are slowly replacing analog cameras for network cameras. Here are several reasons why: 1. Superior Image Quality – To me, this is the number one reason to go IP vs. analog. Employee claims and public safety threats are on the rise. The need to have clear identification of suspects is crucial. No matter what model analog camera you buy, the resolution will always be under 1 megapixel. Grainy images severely inhibit positive identification. IP cameras can be up to 6 or 7 megapixels. Not only does this provide clear high definition images, but it also allows the camera to view a wider area as well. That means you can cover more ground with fewer cameras. 2. Remote Accessibility – Nothing like peace-of-mind through the eye of a lens. CCTV’s are considered dumb devices. They require coaxial cables that connect the camera to the DVR box. Coaxial is capable of carrying only one signal: video. This means you are limited to viewing data at the location where the DVR box is stored. Conversely, IP runs on PoE (Power over the Internet). This single cable carries both data connection and electrical power and plugs into a network switch. Essentially, if you have the Internet, then you can view IP cameras. This amazing viewing

flexibility allows “real-time” monitoring from anywhere around the globe through any device, from computer to smartphone. 3. Scalability – Most of us have aspirations of growing our organizations. With this growth comes an increased threat of questionable behavior in the workplace. You may be expanding your warehouse and need to keep an eye on inventory levels, or you’d like to prevent fraudulent workman’s comp claims. Expanded monitoring needs require additional cameras. A standard Analog DVR box can hold a maximum of 16 cameras. If you want to add a 17th camera to your property, you will need to buy an additional DVR box. IP systems do not have this limitation. Network video recorders (NVR) can easily expand up to 64 cameras using a standard PoE switch. Another note: If you currently own an analog system and want to add IP cameras but do not want to lose your entire investment in existing cameras, IP solutions allow you to create a “hybrid” model where a video server can convert analog signals to digital signals. The image quality does not improve, but you do not have to get rid of your existing cameras, and you can slowly upgrade a couple cameras at a time. 4. Video Intelligence – It’s all about the data, right? Right! Because IP cameras are mini computers, you are able to track valuable information, including customer count (how many people walked in the door?), heat mapping that reveals high traffic areas at a product display or sale item, and dwell time (how long a client lingered at a display). The IP camera records on motion and can be programmed “remotely” to PTZ (pan, tilt and zoom) or follow a suspect in a given area. 5. Data Retrieval – Your surveillance system is only as good as the data provided. If an incident occurs and you cannot pinpoint the recorded footage easily, then you may have let a suspect off the hook. IP offers software solutions that are extremely easy to navigate and find recorded footage in seconds. Think of IP Surveillance systems as additional computers on your network. Not only do they provide internal and external security, but they can also provide valuable marketing data to guide your business toward success. CCTV solutions are fading fast, just like their counterpart the CRT television. Go ahead and plug in your third eye - your mind and heart rate will be glad you did! Lisa Shorr PC Troubleshooters, Inc.

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

2014 Entrepreneurial Women to Watch in Rhode Island It is estimated that there are over 8.6 million women-owned businesses in the United States, generating over $1.3 trillion in revenues and employing nearly 7.8 million people. Between 1997 and 2013, when the number of businesses in the United States increased by 41%, the number of women-owned firms increased by 59%.* In Rhode Island alone, women-owned businesses account for roughly one third of all registered companies.

RISBJ wanted to recognize the exceptional women of Rhode Island who make up this quickly growing segment, so we created the 2014 Entrepreneurial Women to Watch Awards. It was our goal to find the most confident, tenacious, professional and sophisticated industry leaders in our state, and we ended up receiving almost 400 nominations! Our selection committee, comprised of members of the entrepreneurial community in Rhode Island, was inundated with remarkable success stories, and narrowing the nominations down to just seven winners was certainly a most difficult job. In the end, winners were selected based on a mix of their character, mission, career path, and growth, as well as their dedication to promoting women entrepreneurship in Rhode Island.

We wish to congratulate the following winners of our 2014 Entrepreneurial Women to Watch Awards: ALAYNE WHITE

LYNNE BRYAN PHIPPS

Alayne White Spas

The Compass School

ALISON BOLOGNA Shri Studio

BLYTHE PENNA Ruffinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Wranglers

JESSICA WOOD Fire and Water Restaurant Group

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

LYNSEY COLGAN A Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University

NANCY PARKER WILSON Greenvale Vineyards

ALAYNE WHITE, Alayne White Spas Founded in June 2002, Alayne White Spas focuses on providing exceptional customer service and unique, creative treatments at its Bristol and Providence locations. All of the treatments offered at Alayne White Spas were created and designed by White and include a creative variety of facials, body treatments, pedicures, massage and waxing.

ALISON BOLOGNA, Shri Studio

Meet The Winners On November 4th from 6-8pm, RISBJ is holding an awards ceremony at The Dorrance in Providence to honor the winners and nominees of the 2014 Entrepreneurial Women to Watch Awards. This issue of RISBJ is dedicated to honoring the Women to Watch, not only because we get to tell the inspirational stories of seven remarkable women, but also because we will be highlighting more local business leaders who are making a major impact in our state. Over the next few pages, you’ll get to know about each winner’s career path as we chronicle the important moments that made each woman who she is today. We’ll highlight their successes, learn more about their challenges, and celebrate their commitment to being a part of one of the fastest growing segments in the business world. The 2014 Entrepreneurial Women to Watch is sponsored by BankRI, Horton Interpreting Services, Doorley Agency, Capitol Home Care and The Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence. *The 2013 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report. American Express OPEN, http://bit.ly/16CEkfJv

Alison Bologna, a local reporter for WJAR, is a longtime student of yoga who opened Shri Studio in downtown Pawtucket. Her mission is to offer yoga and wellness classes to the local district while spearheading neighborhood revitalization efforts. To date, Shri has grown to employ more than 20 certified yoga teachers, all of whom are working to build healthier communities in Rhode Island.

BLYTHE PENNA, Ruffin’ Wranglers Blythe Penna loves dogs and has always wanted to own her own business, so she created a dog excursion company. At the Ruffin’ Wranglers’ ranch, dogs are free to run around and play off the leash for an hour and half over five acres of fenced in land. Penna says her business allows “guilt-free dog ownership” for clients because they can simply let their dogs be dogs.

JESSICA WOOD, Fire and Water Restaurant Group As one of the founders of Fire and Water Restaurant Group, Wood owns Caliente Mexican Grill, The Burger Shack, UMelt, and WildWood Catering. Wood makes a point of using local, sustainable products in all of her restaurants to help support other Rhode Island businesses. Her company has created hundreds of jobs, and is continuing to provide more opportunities for Rhode Islanders as they grow.

LYNNE BRYAN PHIPPS, The Compass School After realizing her kids weren’t seeing the value in their education, Lynne Phipps decided to found The Compass School. A K-8 charter school, The Compass School fosters an engaging environment where kids work in their preferred areas and grow into themselves under the foundational principles of environmental sustainability and social responsibility.

LYNSEY COLGAN, A Child’s University Lynsey Colgan owns A Child’s University, an early childhood school for children six weeks old to six years old. Colgan always has more teachers on than required by state licensing so that students receive a high-quality education. She aims to create a warm, “homelike” environment in her two schools so that students always feel comfortable while away from home.

NANCY PARKER WILSON, Greenvale Vineyards In 1992, Nancy Parker Wilson started Greenvale Vineyards with her parents and husband, and ever since, it’s been a success! Currently, Greenvale Vineyards produces 3,500 cases of wine, with selections including Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Vidal Blanc, Cayuga, Albarino, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Almost every day of the year, Greenvale Vineyards hosts tours and tastings, music and programs.

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

ALAYNE WHITE Alayne White Spas

In the ever-growing world of technology, the beauty business is one of the last opportunities to physically connect with the consumer, which is one of the reasons why Alayne White says she decided to open Alayne White Spas. Founded in June 2002, Alayne White Spas focuses on providing exceptional customer service and unique, creative treatments at its Bristol and Providence locations . White had worked for Aveda Corporation for 12 years and traveled throughout the country teaching other spas how to run their businesses. She saw many frustrated employees who worked with owners who did not know how to lead, which inspired to her begin a company that supported women’s careers and simultaneously encouraged family and life balance. White chose to open her first spa in the town she lived in, Bristol, because she wanted to contribute to her community and also have control over her other life as a mom. The spa started out with just 3 employees in just 400 square feet, and by the time six months had passed, they had to come up with an expansion plan to accommodate all of the appointment requests. In 2004, the spa added an additional 400 square feet to accommodate 2 more treatment rooms. A few years later, she was able to open another spa on Providence’s East Side, quickly making Alayne White Spas a popular destination.

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

“Our success and reputation are because of our unique approach to client care and hiring smiley, happy people. It is our privilege to wake up every day with the intention of stunning service, and we get to do this through the business of beauty,” said White. All of the treatments offered at Alayne White Spas were created and designed by White and include a creative variety of facials, body treatments, pedicures, massage and waxing. Each member of her team of “spa goddesses” was trained in the same technical skills so that the quality of the treatments is consistent from client to client. This year, White’s business was put to the test when the blizzard Nemo caused a pipe to burst, damaging 50% of White’s business and making it inoperable. White says she learned a lot about her business during that time:

“I learned the benefits of great clients who supported us throughout this awful experience. I was reminded about the work ethic and commitment of my team to my brand. They changed their schedules and worked under dire circumstances, keeping a smile and positive outlook the entire time.”

White is currently negotiating the purchase of a commercial building where she plans to move her Bristol spa and reinvent the concept of spa into more of a lifestyle focus. White enjoys working closely with the community, frequently providing service donations to events and associations. She also works with the technical schools in the state, offering presentations, job opportunities and internships. “After 25 years working with women, I still wake up every day excited and joyous that I get to do what I love,” said White. “I lead both my company and my life with an honest and positive outlook on both outer AND inner beauty for women of all shapes and sizes. As a result of my hard work, my business has grown steadily both in numbers and employees for the past 14 years.” Currently, White is giving back to her team by setting up an employee-owned franchise operation for high performers in the company. This system will allow the brand to expand and prevent her team members from maxing out in their careers. She also plans to add additional spas in key markets, such as East Greenwich and Newport.

ALISON BOLOGNA Shri Studio

In 2009, Alison Bologna opened Shri Studio, Urban Revitalization Yoga, in downtown Pawtucket with the mission of offering yoga and wellness classes to the local downtown district while spearheading neighborhood revitalization efforts. Today, Shri Studio is the only corporation of its kind in the state with an emphasis on yoga outreach in urban communities. A longtime student of yoga, Bologna received her National Yoga Alliance teacher certification in 2006 and since then, she has taught yoga classes in several locations throughout Rhode Island, when she’s not busy anchoring and reporting the news for WJAR. When she moved to downtown Pawtucket in 2009, she was inspired by the revitalization efforts in the district and decided to create a space where yoga classes could be accessible to students of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, and where new jobs could be created to help gentrify the neighborhood. Shri, in Sanskrit, the language of yoga, is loosely translated to mean that which radiates light and abundance. The studio’s name then reflects the studio’s mission: to illuminate downtown Pawtucket, and communities beyond, with positivity by making the practice of yoga accessible to everyone and everybody, and in keeping with its mission, Shri now runs five signature Projects including: The Shri Studio Shelter Project, School Project, Adaptive Project, Recovery Project, and Military Project. Implementing a custom curriculum written by Bologna with input from project leaders she appointed from her teaching staff, Shri now works with hundreds of men, women and children in schools, shelters, community centers, prisons and hospitals - every week.

And to date, Shri has grown to employ more than 20 certified yoga teachers to deliver these classes, 6 of whom the Studio trained this past year through the National Yoga Alliance and Spirit Tree Yoga, a local partner. For the past two years, with this structure in place, Shri has been measuring program outcomes to prove that the organization has been building healthier communities in Rhode Island. In 2010, for example, through its pilot program at Blackstone Valley Prep, a mayoral academy, 84 percent of students reported feeling less stressed during their school day after practicing yoga with Shri teachers, while 71 percent of students reported feeling more focused in school and 82 percent said they felt more selfconfident. Students also reported similar outcomes during Shri’s pilot program inside The Rhode Island Training School, with incarcerated youth. “Since opening Shri, I feel both blessed and grateful to work alongside other inspirational leaders in Rhode Island, from both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, who share my same values in investing in our downtown districts, supporting collaboration and creating jobs - all in an effort to build healthier and more compassionate communities,” said Bologna. In 2012, Bologna founded Shri Service Corps, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of the Studio, that funds these customized yoga projects for organizations that otherwise would not be able to afford such programs. Fundraising for Shri Service Corps officially began that year with the Shri Summer Soiree, held at the Old Slater Mill Museum in Pawtucket; that event netted nearly $8,000 for the organization, which immediately went back into the community

to buy yoga mats and to pay teachers at reduced rates to run more than 300 free yoga classes in schools, shelters and community centers in Pawtucket, Providence and Central Falls. Then in 2013, Shri’s 2nd annual Yogathon fundraiser raised even more money for the organization while bringing hundreds of participants into the downtown district. With its annual operations budget continuing to grow, Shri now reaches more than 100 students through outreach on any given weekday in the community. Looking to the future, Shri is now preparing to run more teacher trainings based on its unique, outreach-¬based curriculum, and another growth strategy in the works is to market the Shri Curriculum to other studios across the country, in which organizations can become affiliates of Shri by purchasing the curriculum and by receiving the Studio’s staff support (management and instructional consulting) to both brand materials for credibility and class management purposes. And that’s not all. Bologna is set to launch a Shri food product in 2014 in partnership with a licensed, local baker. The nutritional product, a nut-free, oat, seed and fruit square, will carry all the Shri branding, and once positioned on local store shelves, the product will work to promote Shri’s mission to even larger audiences, while helping to sustain its charitable endeavors.

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

BLYTHE PENNA Ruffin’ Wranglers

Blythe Penna has always seen herself as a passionate, risk-taking entrepreneur. From the second she graduated Clemson University, she was pushing for a career in medical sales during the day while working as a waitress at night. After 14 years of success in medical devices, she had to end her sales career due to a hip injury; however, during her time rehabilitating, she was able to come up with the idea for her next venture while spending time with her dog, Roma. Penna had always wanted to own her own business, and working with her dog was a plus, so she came up with the idea of building a dog excursion company. She partnered with her dog walker, and together they formed Scratch and Sniff. Shortly after, Penna and her partner realized they didn’t share the same business goals, and Penna went through the stressful process of dissolving a company while still trying to run her own part of the business, which she renamed Ruffin’ Wranglers, LLC. According to Penna, the company name embodies everything her company is about: the outdoors, wrangling pups, and allowing pups to have a ruffin’ good time! At the Ruffin Wranglers’ ranch in Rehoboth, dogs are free to run around and play off the leash for an hour and half over the five acres of fenced in land. Wranglers also take dogs up the five miles of hiking trails that lead to

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

a river where the dogs can go for a swim. A day at the ranch includes pick-up in one of Ruffin’ Wrangler’s Honda Elements, drop-off, and a cleaning of the dogs. Penna likes to tell clients to simply let their dogs be a dog:

“Your dog should be in their natural element and run free with their best buds. A tired dog is not only a very happy one, but also makes the owner thrilled as well. We provide guilt-free dog ownership. We also warn that if they are not careful, their dog could have a better social life than they do!” Currently, Ruffin’ Wranglers offers two morning sessions and two afternoon sessions, and takes care of 60-80 dogs a day!

The company also offers overnights and in-home pet sitting exclusively to their weekly excursion clients. Penna says her company is continuously growing in their current areas of coverage, which includes the East Side of Providence, Downtown Providence, the West Side of Providence, Riverside, Rumford, and Barrington. She is planning on introducing a fifth Honda Element into their fleet of pick-up vehicles to help expand their business to Bristol and Warren. Over the next year, Penna also would like to start looking for another ranch closer to Cranston and Warwick so that Ruffin’ Wranglers can provide even more dogs with a fun excursion for a day. “Ruffin’ Wranglers Dog Excursions is a success because I have surrounded myself with an incredible team and built the best clientele any company could hope for...not to mention we adore what we do,” said Penna. Penna is excited to continue growing with her team, and looks forward to the growth to come.

JESSICA WOOD Fire and Water Restaurant Group

For the last 12 years, Jessica Wood has been a small business owner. As one of the founders of Fire and Water Restaurant Group, Wood owns Caliente Mexican Grill, The Burger Shack, UMelt, and WildWood Catering, and she has always made a point of doing business in Rhode Island to help other Rhode Island business owners to succeed. Fire and Water Restaurant Group was founded in 2003 and is based on one simple strategy: exciting and dynamic food. Since 2003, Wood’s company has opened six quick service locations that all provide simple, good food at a reasonable cost. Wood has helped to create hundreds of jobs in a state that has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, and her businesses are continuing to grow to supply more jobs for Rhode Islanders. “Our end goal is to create leaders. Our company culture is one of our top priorities and it begins with the right hire. This has allowed us to grow, as we have opened two Grilled Cheese Stores in the last year and the latest was on Weybosset Street in Downtown Providence,” said Wood. In order to keep her businesses current, Wood is constantly coming up with new restaurant concepts based on what she sees as a need in the market. The menus may change frequently at her restaurants, but Wood always keeps one component consistent in the recipes: the source of the food. Wood believes in shopping local to keep other businesses successful, so she has maintained strong relationships with local farmers who provide her restaurants and catering company with fresh, sustainable products.

Wood may not be a classically trained chef, but she does take pride in her “street chef” ability and knowledge. In order to refine her skills, she has enrolled in several continuing education programs at Johnson & Wales University. She has also taken business and management classes to heighten all of her strengths as a manager and a leader. Wood says her biggest challenge is trying to balance her family life and business life, especially since her husband is her business partner; however, her family is also her biggest motivator. “My boys are my driving force. Everything I do down to the grilled cheese I make, or the paycheck I sign, is for my boys. I wish nothing more than to secure their future,” said Wood. Besides shopping local, Fire and Water Restaurant Group also gives back to the community by raising money for many charitable causes. Over the past three years, Wood has raised money in her restaurants to help feed local families in need during the holidays. Also, each of her stores has done numerous fundraisers in an effort to fill the Johnnycake Center food pantry. Wildwood Catering has also donated food, services and time to the Junior League of Rhode Island’s partnerships: The Autism Project in Johnston, Aging Out of Foster Care in Rhode Island, and The Amos House Child

Reunification Project in Providence. Fire and Water Restaurant Group has also donated proceeds to the Matty Fund and they are helping to facilitate a fundraiser for Save the Bay. Every day, Wood continues to work on building small business in Rhode Island.

“Being a small business owner is hard on its best day, near impossible on its worst, but I would not have it any other way,” said Wood. “There is a powerful community of young small business owners in Rhode Island who are truly doing innovative things and because we all support each other, we are all starting to thrive. I encourage the community as a whole to support small business in Rhode Island.”

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

LYNNE BRYAN PHIPPS THE COMPASS SCHOOL

Lynne Bryan Phipps has traveled many paths in her life. An award-winning architect, yachtswoman, equestrienne, and ordained minister, Phipps is also an adjunct faculty member at Rhode Island School of Design and the founder of Design One Consortium. After realizing her kids weren’t seeing the value in their education, she also decided to found The Compass School, a K-8 school dedicated to graduating problem solvers, critical thinkers and lifelong learners.

“My children had become bored with their classes and felt the monotony of school. I knew this had to change. I saw a huge need, not only for additional schools, but also for an education to be engaging and founded on the necessity of lifelong learning,” said Phipps. Many other parents shared Phipps’s vision and helped her bring it to life. Once Phipps had approval from the state to found a charter school, she set out to find teachers who had similar viewpoints on education and she was able to establish a council composed of enthusiastic directors, teachers and parents. Thirteen years later, The Compass School is the top-ranked middle school in Rhode Island, the second-ranked elementary school in the state and has a waiting list of over 250 students. The U.S. Department of Education also named The Compass School a National Green Ribbon School, an honor bestowed on only 64 schools nationwide in 2013. Teachers at The Compass School foster an environment where kids work in their preferred areas and grow into themselves under the foundational principles of environmental sustainability and social responsibility. Students learn material from traditional disciplines through project-based learning in multi-age classrooms. Every aspect of the Compass experience is

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designed, from the governance structure, to having “steps” (multi-age classroom groupings) in place of grades. Students at The Compass School have consistently held the highest NEASC average of any public school in the state for the last three years, proving the school’s unique structure effective. Phipps says Rhode Island has been very supportive in all of her professional endeavors. “I have learned that in Rhode Island, if one has the idea and the drive, the state will work with the individual to make it a reality. The state and local communities provided me the tools and support necessary to found The Compass School and ensure it will continue to graduate students with a strong sense of dedication and commitment to the state of Rhode Island,” said Phipps. As a way to give back to the community that has always supported them, The Compass School has monthly beach cleanups, clothing swaps and other community programs that allow students and families to positively impact the local community and bring the principles of social responsibility and environmental sustainability out into the world beyond the campus. The Compass School also holds an annual EcoFair for surrounding communities, featuring student presentations on environmental projects, and an annual “Celebration of Local Foods” involving local farmers, restaurants, and wineries. Because the Compass School has been so successful, Phipps wants to expand and offer continuing education to teachers and administrators in an effort to open more Compass Schools, both nationally and internationally. Phipps wants to replicate the effective model she has created and implemented with those who share her vision for education. The Compass School Board is currently discussing this process and working to expand The Compass School.

LYNSEY COLGAN A Child’s University

Lynsey Colgan, owner of A Child’s University, never thought she would be running a business. “This is not the path I thought I would have wandered down when I was in college studying to be a teacher…but I am overjoyed that I journeyed down ‘the road less traveled,’” said Colgan. Now, Colgan owns not just one, but two successful schools in Rhode Island that have witnessed tremendous growth and strong support from the community. A Child’s University is an early childhood school for children six weeks old to six years old that initially opened in Cranston in 2002, and then spread to Lincoln a few years later. The school follows a unique staffing model that includes always having more teachers on than required by state licensing and only hiring the most exceptional teachers for their classrooms. Teachers are expected to create warm, “home-like” environments in their classrooms in order to provide the most comforting atmosphere for their students when they are away from home. Due to their dedication to providing high-quality education and care, both the Lincoln school and Cranston school received accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, a recognition less than seven percent of early childhood schools in the U.S. possess.

“[We] truly respect our teachers, children, and families so much and feel they deserve the best,” said Colgan. “We strive to keep our schools fresh and always filled with new and exciting learning toys. Every detail holds the utmost of importance to us.”

Colgan is proud to have held a consistent waiting list for both of her schools each year. She is always adding new programs and equipment, and improving the environment for the children and families so that they feel and see firsthand where their tuition is going. One of the most recent improvements included a million dollar renovation to the Cranston school to create a top-of-the-line early learning school. Even after all of the recent additions to the Cranston school, she still looks for more ways to advance her schools.

Colgan looks forward to continuing to work with the teachers and families who have contributed to her success: “I can say from the bottom of my heart that I love my job and the people I work with. I think you have to have a passion for what you work for and if you put your best effort into all that you do, growth in your business is a natural result. You draw the people and success to your company naturally.”

“I love knowing that there is never a limit to what our schools can reach or accomplish. There is no one to say, ‘You cannot do that,’ or ‘It cannot be done.’ I know that I can make the conscious decision each and every day to follow my heart and make sure I create the very best learning, growing, and working environment possible for all who walk through our doors,” said Colgan. “Even during times of expansion when we were really ‘struggling’ due to overwhelming expenses, I knew we could not stop giving to the schools and children. I knew that only a good end result could come from a highquality input.” A Child’s University is also committed to Rhode Island and helping out the community. Over the years, they have brought gifts to the Tomorrow Fund, adopted needy families, wrote letters to soldiers overseas, and sent crafts to nursing homes. They are currently taking part in a music study with Brown University. Colgan also wants to get the school involved in Rhode Island’s BrightStars program this year, which rates the best early childhood schools so that parents can easily determine the type of school that fits their family’s needs.

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

NANCY PARKER WILSON Greenvale Vineyards

Growing up as the child of newspaper owners, Nancy Parker Wilson was destined to become an entrepreneur herself. She began her career by using her newspaper experience to become the Public Information Director for the two Boston area zoos. After the Zoos and a few years in the world of public relations agencies, she opened a community relations firm in Boston called Wilson Communications. In 1992, she started Greenvale Vineyards with her parents, Cortlandt and Nancy Parker, and her husband, William Wilson. Since opening, Greenvale Vineyards has been successfully providing high-quality wines and enjoyable experiences for their visitors. Greenvale Farm has been in Wilson’s family since 1863, and it is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Wilson’s parents had been using the land since the 1960’s to grow grapes as a hobby. In the early 1980’s, they decided to grow grapes to sell to Sakonnet Vineyards. According to Wilson, growing grapes is extremely expensive and labor intensive. Wilson used to help in the vineyards on the weekends with her husband and small children, and to this day, she still enjoys spending time picking grapes during the harvest season. When Wilson’s father asked her to step in and take on the next level of business at Greenvale Vineyards, Wilson said she agreed because it involved all of her strengths and it meant setting a future at a place that she loved: Greenvale. Wilson enthusiastically joined in and built Greenvale Vineyards into a popular destination for all ages. The vineyards are 24 acres amidst a 72 acre operation.

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“The entrepreneurial spirit requires a vision, dedication, determination and seeing the path to the end goal. It means hard work, long hours, and the ability to handle high risk,” said Wilson. “My most important role is to make sure that we all maintain our sense of humor, recognize when a job is well done, and enjoy what we are doing because life is short.” Currently, Greenvale Vineyards produces 3,500 cases of wine, with selections including Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Vidal Blanc, Cayuga, Albarino, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas, Greenvale Vineyards hosts tours and tastings, music and programs. The Tasting Room in their restored 1863 stable is home to many of their events, including live jazz every Saturday from May through November. It is their mission to make sure that their guests have a fun, educational time and want to come back for more. Through Greenvale Vineyards, Wilson wishes to preserve and protect the farmland and historic buildings and to educate the public about historic preservation and the conservation of open space. Greenvale is respected by the industry for their high standards of vineyard practices, their use of only estate-grown grapes and their leadership in helping the New England Wine industry to be recognized as a region capable of producing high-quality wines. Greenvale is also active in the community and has an active outreach program through advertising, and their website and blog.

Every year, Wilson is excited to add another piece to their vineyards. This year, Greenvale planted 1,800 Albarino plants and built an awning over the terrace. Next year, Wilson plans to continue growing the vineyard, adding more components to draw guests in. Greenvale has already established a loyal customer base and enjoys seeing guests frequently return with friends to support local business.

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

Now carrying a full line of... East Greenwich $1,290,000

High visibility property on Rte 2 South County Trail in East Greenwich. Two buildings both rented. Currently Rehab Center and a Gym w/ Pool and Jacuzzi. Great investment opportunity. Call for appointment!

East Greenwich $849,000

South County Trail! Telephone Pole 121! 6.15 Acres with 200 Feet of Frontage! High Traffic Area. Zoned Commercial. Highway in the front & light industrial in the rear. Will subdivide or build to suit. Sewer, Water, & Gas Available! Call for details!

East Greenwich $1,100,000

Great East Greenwich location! High Visability and Ideal Highway Access. Currently set up as Day Care facility. Best use is Day Care but also ideal for Office or Retail. Call for Appointment!

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Cranston $375,000

Two story masonary building with rubber membrane roof 10 years old, with new windows, can be one unit or two units. 3 phase electrical, 400 amps, 240 volts!

LAND FOR SALE

COVENTRY: 2063 Nooseneck Hill Road, 5.29 acres with 2 access streets. Ideal development site. Adjacent land available. $1.5 million. David Iannuccilli COVENTRY: 71 Harkney Hill Road, 2.2 acres. 275’ frontage plus 165’ frontage on Nooseneck Hill Road. $659,000. David Iannuccilli COVENTRY: 660 Tiogue Avenue, 1.34 acres. 3 street access. Sewer, water, gas. $689,000. David Iannuccilli NORTH KINGSTOWN: 730 Boston Neck Road, Industrial zoned property. 4+ acres with 150 ft. frontage on highly traveled road. Uses include educational, marine, mfg, distribution, warehousing & more. $899,900. Bob Countie

David Iannuccilli

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Visit My Website www.sellri.com

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

® P RO P E RT Y F O R L E A S E

Several Prime Office Locations:

Providence, Warwick, Johnston, North Kingstown, South Kingstown, and Exeter. Call for details and address Several to choose from, Some For Sale or lease. Financing available. Call for details.

747 Pontiac Avenue, Cranston:

Individual office space from 200 sq. ft. to 2,000 sq.ft. Busy Pontiac Avenue location near Rolfe Square- walk to everything! Good for start up or incubator space, you can add space as you grow! RILiving.com MLS #1031022

355 Compass Circle, North Kingstown:

Great unit (#9).1200’ warehouse/workshop. Has 300sf office w/ air conditioning and window.14’ door,18’ ceilings. Sewers, gas, 100 amp 3 phase power. Seconds off Rt. 403 in Quonset/ West Davisville only $8 psf.

577 Tiogue Avenue, Coventry:

1220 sq ft adjacent spaces (2240 sq ft total) on the second floor. Located in a very nice building! Big picture windows in the units with waterviews! Elevator available and nice common area. Join the newest Dragon Palace Restaurant. MLS# 1032254

2006 Nooseneck Hill Road, Coventry:

146 Granite Street, Westerly:

Class A Coventry Credit Union Corporate Office (CCU occupies entire 2nd floor). 1st floor space available from 1880-8200sq ft. Very nice common area’s include cafeteria. Plentiful parking. On Rt3, 1 mile from Rt95 & Exit 6. Office, medical, studio... $12 psf. RILiving.com MLS #1036614

4300 sq ft very strong retail area, next to Advance Auto, former Pet Place, great for food or retail. Below market rent $15. psf

Former school; solid brick construction. Very nice 2nd floor space; owner on 1st floor. Space plan attached. Great Apponaug location! Quick highway access and walk to Apponaug Village amenities! RILiving.com MLS #988739

Great office or salon/studio space in Knightsville. Handsome building with historical charm in excellent shape. Close to amenities and highway. 2 story salon=900sf. One level office=640sf. Two full baths with shower. Basement storage. RILiving.com MLS #1039958

30 Phenix Avenue, Cranston:

74 Nooseneck Hill Road, West Greenwich:

1755 Smith Street, North Providence:

17 Sandy Bottom Road, Coventry: FOR LEASE OR SALE

Point View Marina, South Kingstown:

20 Centerville Road, Warwick:

Former Dunkin Donuts for over 30 years (they bought & moved across the street). Seats 30+. Has a drive-thru. Parking for 20+. GREAT for ANY fast food concept. 2000 sq. ft. $3,200/mo. RILiving.com MLS #1028322

Commercial • Investment • Residential

Great location and set up for night club, restaurant or other food/entertainment venue. Very close to turnkey as night club. 326 capacity. Lease $4,500 nnn per month, lease/option or buy for $595,000. RILiving.com MLS #1022520

Great Route 3 location just ½ mile from Rt 95 exit 6, nicely appointed office or retail suite with several offices and open area,was HQ for Bess Eaton & Tim Hortons. Fresh paint and carpets. 600-1600’, from $10 psf/yr. RILiving.com MLS #990071

Multi use shop. Top end boating and fishing clientele. Serves the Snug Harbor and East Coast recreational and commercial marine industry. About 1,200sf on the first floor overlooking docks and harbor. $12psf. RILiving.com MLS #1039952

Many more Commercial Properties @ www.ButlerRealty.us .... or email Jeff Butler at jab@ButlerRealty.us Trusted Real Estate Service Since 1977 Looking to Buy or Lease? Call the Butler!

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

P RO P E RT Y F O R S A L E

400 South County Trail, Exeter:

Great location!! Design Award of Excellence. Private baths. Centrally located 6 minutes South of Home Depot in North Kingstown. Easy access at the gateway to South County. Taxes are approximate. Assessment as unfinished. 900-4,000 sq.ft. available. From $105,000 RILiving.com MLS #1047850

111 Airport Road, Warwick:

Very nice 2nd floor office space near Hoxsie 4 corners. Tastefully decorated, good paint & carpet, possible office furnishings (nice stuff!) Three offices, conference, reception, lav., plus large basement storage. $180/month condo fee. $79,900 RILiving.com MLS # 1012762

747 Pontiac Avenue, Cranston:

Great location near Rolfe Square. Three floors of office suites from 200 sq ft and up. Good income generator or large owner occupied office. Owner keeping several suites clear anticipating a larger user to buy/occupy and have income. $800’s

RILiving.com MLS#1020960

2614 West Shore Road, Warwick:

132 Meadow Street, Warwick:

Busy Rt 117/Wildes Corner location opposite new Burger King & TD Bank,adjacent to Bennys.New roof,siding,windows,panel box,wiring,fire alarm&heat sensors. Ready for your finish. 1st Fl 2400’,2nd Fl 1200’,basement storage/walkout. Planned for Pub/ Cafe. Lease or Sale - $400’s RILiving.com MLS #1032619

Great location off Rt.117, 1 mile East of Exit 10. Office/ Mfg Wrhse combo. Great value for user. Nice, clean, bright space! This bldg has been substantially updated & is turn key ready to go. Owner can also modify to suit! Lease option available. $500’s RILiving.com MLS #1013527

65 Montebello Road, Warwick:

39 Nooseneck Hill Road, West Greenwich:

Great block building with two overhead doors, heavy power, and 2nd floor office. Great access to highway, train, and airport. $175,000

222 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick:

Class “a” law office includes conference room, 4 private offices, lavette, reception, storage, kitchen. Reduced to High $100’s RILiving.com MLS #981620

Large multi-use building offers great flexibility, possible multiple tenants. The church would consider a lease-back of 10,00015,000sq ft. Additional 14 acres adjacent also available. Great Rt.3 location just a mile north of Rt.95, Exit 6. Huge Reduction! $1,200,000 Motivated Seller! RILiving.com MLS #1029643

400 South County Trail, Exeter:

Approved Development Zoned Business 17+acres.Current permitted plans for 7 office building for total of 86,000net sf.MANY POTENTIAL USES. Central Rt.2 location minutes from Home Depot/Walmart in N.Kingstown. Easy highway access-strong traffic count! Reduced $800’s RILiving.com MLS #1029590

TION DUC E R E HUG

111 Hopkins Hill Road, West Greenwich: ½ acre – 16 acres Very fast growing area off Exit 6A near GTech, Amgen & Centrex. Front pad is busy Dunkin Donuts, balance of site permits office, retail, warehouse & light industrial. Traffic count 15,000 and growing! Multitude of possibilities- 6 other avail. lots. From $150,000 RILiving.com MLS #855989

Commercial • Investment • Residential

337 Oakland Beach Avenue, Warwick:

Lot with multiple buildings. Dual access to Oakland Beach Avenue and Gordon Avenue. 3.5 miles to the State Airport. Six buildings with 12,000 gsf. Overhead doors with high ceilings in some buildings. Utilities available: sewer, water & gas in street. $295,000

7265 Post Road, North Kingstown:

7.82 acres on US Rt.1. Zoning permits apartments/office/medical/retail. Many possibilities!! Will build to suit, sale or lease, or land only. Great location. Dozens of acres and walking trails behind property. Adjacent 5+- acres also available. Call For Details! RILiving.com MLS #856381

Many more Commercial Properties @ www.ButlerRealty.us .... or email Jeff Butler at jab@ButlerRealty.us Trusted Real Estate Service Since 1977 Looking to Buy or Lease? Call the Butler!

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

SMALL BUSINESS | Dear Mom: A Letter Home From A One Day Warrior

“Dear Mom” A Letter Home from a One Day Warrior

by Brian LaFauci There has always been an unspoken bond between service members. This bond includes an understanding of commitment, sacrifice, and training that has led them to possess the unique skill sets imparted through military training. The ability to think clearly under pressure, make sound decisions from muddled information, and work collaboratively while also being independently capable all come from a rigorous training program that spans months, sometimes years. Although service members possess these unique abilities, few, besides the minute 1% of Americans who have defended the flag, fully comprehend how military training imparts these skills. Recently, the number of civilian organizations employing our nation’s veterans has grown dramatically. Although these businesses recognize our veterans’ worth, the value of their training still remains a mystery to those who have not worn the uniform. What if, “hypothetically,” you were to take a group of Rhode Island’s upand-coming business leaders and expose them to a full day of basic training? Add to that the impact it might have on them if they were unaware it was happening. On August 21st, a group of 51 members of Leadership Rhode Island (LRI) arrived for its annual Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Military Orientation Day. A day, normally filled with a ride on a C-130 and briefings aimed at the economic and strategic impact of the defense industry in Rhode Island, turned out to be quite different this year. After a brief introduction by the ESGR staff, the unsuspecting LRI group experienced what would seem to be a primetime reality show as four RI Army Reserve Drill Instructors emerged from a nearby building, barking instructions and roaming

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

Dear Mom: A Letter Home From A One Day Warrior | SMALL BUSINESS

around the pack as a hunter would stalk its prey. The day had just taken a very unexpected turn. Rhode Island Small Business Journal President Gil Lantini, or “Warrior Lantini,” (that day, all the participants were addressed in a similar fashion), commented, “It started off as a very intimidating day with drill sergeants shouting orders at us and setting an expectation of a way things were to be done, so we were required to adjust to that.” As the day progressed, participants were placed into various stress -induced situations. Concurrently, they also visited three of Rhode Island’s military bases, gaining knowledge about their integral roles as economic contributors to the state and to their dynamic role in our nation’s war fighting capabilities. The experience was magnified as “warriors” participated in military drills and ceremony classes, close quarter military combat operations, a virtual reality convoy trainer, a firearm training simulator, and indulged in a delicious MRE (military meals made to be eaten in the field where kitchen facilities are unavailable). To culminate their day, RI Deputy Adjutant General

It started off as a very intimidating day with drill sergeants shouting orders at us and setting an expectation of a way things were to be done, so we were required to adjust to that. Marcus Jannitto, himself an LRI alumnus, presented each member of LRI with an ESGR “coin,” a military tradition symbolically recognizing his or her excellence for completing a day each was completely unaware he or she was about to experience. Before being allowed to return to their normal civilian lives, each Warrior was asked to write a letter home, documenting his or her experience. Michael Coelho, Director of Teen Programs, Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket wrote: Dear Mom,

Rhode Island has a proud history of leading the way. So it’s no surprise we are out front bringing freedom to healthcare. HealthSource RI gives individuals, families and small businesses a whole new way to compare and buy health insurance from a wide range of plans and health insurance providers you already know. Explore our site, call, or come see us for help every step of the way.

I had a great time at my military orientation day! It was a very educational experience. Our fellow warriors undergo tough, stressful, but EXTREMELY professional training. When I get home, I will do my best to promote employment opportunities for our Nation’s warriors. Thank You ESGR, National Guard, LRI! Warrior Coelho

Brian LaFauci ESGR www.esgr.mil

HealthSourceRI.com

1-855-840-HSRI

H e a l t h S o u rc e R I i s t h e o ff i c i a l h e a l t h c a re p o r t a l f o r t h e s t a t e o f R h o d e I s l a n d . C o p y r i g h t ® H e a l t h S o u rc e R I l o g o i s t h e t r a d e m a r k a n d s e r v i c e m a r k o f H e a l t h S o u rc e R I .

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

FEATURED CHAMBER | Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce

F E AT U R E D

Northern RI 6 Blackstone Valley Pl #402 Lincoln, RI 02865 (401) 334-1000 www.nrichamber.com

The Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce (NRICC) came into existence in January 1991 as a result of a merger between the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce located in Pawtucket and the Greater Woonsocket Chamber of Commerce located in Woonsocket. However, the presence and influence of the Chamber of Commerce movement in Northern Rhode Island goes back to the 1880s when both chambers were founded as businessmen’s organizations. In 2012, as part of the United States Chamber of Commerce’s 100 year anniversary, the NRICC (then the Pawtucket Chamber) was recognized as being the only Rhode Island Chamber that was a founding member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Despite the name and location changes, the NRICC, led by a Board of Directors, has kept our focus on helping businesses and our community. In fact, our mission statement says, “The Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce strengthens the economic climate through business leadership that fosters member and community prosperity.” Although we have members from all over the state, the majority of our members are located in the eight communities we serve: Burrillville, Central Falls, Cumberland, Lincoln, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Smithfield and Woonsocket.

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

With an average of 16 years of Chamber experience, the staff works every day for our membership based on our value of investment proposition. The Value of Influence: The Chamber founded and still leads and partners with 10 Chambers to produce one of RI’s largest lobbying groups in the state, representing over 7,500 businesses through the Chamber of Commerce Coalition. In 2013, we became a member of a group of business organizations that decided to work together for the benefit of the state’s business community, giving us an even louder voice. The Chamber’s involvement with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and our relationship with the Congressional Delegation ensure that your voice is heard on the Federal level. The Chamber regularly communicates with our members to keep them informed on key legislative concerns via Under the Dome, our government affairs e-newsletter. The Chamber Advisory Groups focus on local economic issues and community development, including our partnerships with the Pawtucket Foundation, as well as the popular cash mobs done in cooperation with the Blackstone Valley Independent Business Alliance.

What’s New | CHAMBER CHAT

Value of Interaction The Chamber provides ample opportunities to meet new prospects, make contacts and receive qualified referrals to grow your business. These opportunities include: Annual Dinner, Eggs N Issues Breakfast meetings, Networking at Night, Executive Success Clubs, Pawsox Welcome Luncheon, Annual Golf Outing, Beer and Wine Tasting and Holiday Open House. Value of Insights The Chamber’s powerful network of relationships provides access to resources that can help you grow your business. Resources like: Business counseling - The Chamber donates office space to the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center and the SCORE Counseling program of the Small Business Administration so existing and new businesses have a local office where they can receive counseling on business plans, marketing , finance, etc. Export assistance - With many manufacturers still in northern RI, we work with the John H. Chafee Center for

International Business located on the campus of Bryant University. Professional development - Our partnership with the Employers Association of the Northeast means businesses have the opportunity to attend human resource seminars facilitated by leading industry experts. Workforce training – With representation on the Board of Directors of the Workforce Partnership of Greater Rhode Island, we have a direct link to the Governor’s Workforce Board volunteer leadership and professional staff. Value of Impact We have many opportunities for our members to advertise and maximize their Chamber investment and your exposure in our network of members. These include: All Member emails, banner ads on the website and search engine optimization and sponsorship opportunities. For more information about the NRICC, visit our website at www.nrichamber.com or give us a call at 401-334-1000.

CHAMBER CHAT Central Chamber

Lauren E.I. Slocum, President/CEO 3288 Post Road, Warwick, RI 401 732 1100 | www.centralrichamber.com “Networking – Support – Advocacy. The Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce serves as a key partner with many businesses. We work with our members as part of a tight-knit community in order to promote their economic prosperity. The cohesive relationships within our community allow members to receive numerous benefits and rewards. From networking events to legislative advocacy, we sincerely seek to further their goals. It is of paramount importance to stay up to date on today’s changing technology. By working closely with our members, the Chamber can continue to be a positive influence on the Rhode Island economy. New Members Bygones Collectibles & Consignment LLC Koch Eye Surgicenter, Inc Sophia’s Tuscan Grille Verizon – Wireless Zone

Cranston Chamber

Stephen C. Boyle, President 150 Midway Road, #178, Cranston, RI 401 785 3780 | www.cranstonchamber.com The Cranston Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Garden City Shopping Center hosted the 2nd Annual Taste of Garden City featuring many of the restaurants located in the Center. Over 100 people attended this annual networking event and were treated to American Jazz standards by Ginny Conley and Bill Moretti in the Gazebo. Garden City continues to expand with the addition of J.Crew, Sephora, LA Fitness, and the Corner Bakery. The Chamber is working with the city’s new grant writer Ken Filarski to identify potential areas for improvement and economic development. In addition, the Chamber is continuing to promote HealthSource RI in the business and broker community as the Affordable Care Act is implemented. Chamber President, Stephen C. Boyle, emphasized that the Employee Choice feature of the program helps alleviate the role of the small employer picking a onesize-fits-all health insurance coverage for their employees.

Newest Members: Beacon Charter High School for the Arts Denis Market Mount Saint Charles Academy

New Members Conroy’s At Your Service Mortgage Access Group Vital Health & Nutrition Generations Financial Strategies, LLC Wilder Therapy and Wellness

East Bay Chamber

Mark G. DeVine, CPA, Chairman 16 Cutler Street, Suite 102, Warren, RI 401 245 0750 | eastbaychamberri.org Our mission is to promote businesses as the

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

SMALL BUSINESS | Hear Me Roar

Hear Me

Roar! by Nancy Thomas

Think about the PR campaigns that captured our attention over the years – nationally, the women who formed Mothers Against Drunk Driving. And now we have strict drunk driving laws. Locally, the mothers in RI who led the way by advocating for their special needs children, resulting in a bill, known familiarly as 94-142 – the Equal Education for All Children Act, requiring schools to teach special needs children in an integrated way

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

in our schools, and to provide extra funds and programs to do that. Over the last few years, the moms who have led local and statewide efforts to change the school lunch program, with inspiration from the first lady and her anti-obesity program for children. Those are just a few. We, as women, are probably more comfortable telling personal stories, in being

the squeaky wheel (as my mom used to say). Maybe it is in our nature when we stand up to protect or advocate for our children in school, in the medical arena, even in playgroups. There we are, quite comfortable in the advocate mode, even though we might not be for ourselves, professionally or personally. Think about the power and effectiveness of the women who are standing up for freedom and women’s rights around

What’s New | CHAMBER CHAT

the world. They are effectively using modern PR technologies – the voice of Twitter, the power of YouTube videos, the more traditional op-ed (opinion editorial) writing, testifying at school committee meetings or legislative hearings. Was there anyone not moved by the RI State House hearings on marriage equality and the powerful moment when moms with moms sat with their children to tell their stories and asked for acceptance and change? Certainly not only women can lend their stories to inspire change. But we do seem especially suited to it.

will have highly developed and respected relationships in both realms. And they will know how to tell a story, how to write, how to show the emotion behind the solid facts and data. Next time you are working with a PR consultant, ask them what causes their support – again, those who are most effective at selling your products or services will often have advocacy at their core. We are all too familiar with the legislative initiatives that happen under the table or in the quiet of private meetings. Advocacy PR can begin the process for that type of

Stepping out of the box of the traditional to tell one’s personal story is not in everyone’s comfort zone. It takes a certain baring of the soul, along with very good advice and counsel to do this well. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) ran a powerful TV campaign featuring stories of people whose lives were forever changed by the ravages of smoking. The stories were very uneasy to watch, you can even find yourself switching the channels as the people told their stories by covering their tracheostomies, or while putting on their prosthetic legs, etc. Begun in a serious attempt to see if the hard-hitting ads were effective, research showed that 12% more smokers tried to quit, and after 3 months, 200,000+ had remained smoke-free. PR is a fascinating tool. Usually it is quite straight-forward. Sell a product or service. ROI isn’t complicated. Did the campaign sell? Was it effective? Did more people come to an event? How did your sales increase, and was it worth the investment of advertising and PR dollars? But most PR professionals will tell you that there is nothing more fulfilling than to work on a campaign, occasionally pro bono, because there is an issue or cause that speaks deeply to us. There’s a law or a regulation, or a company policy, or a personal behavior choice that we can bring our skills to and our ROI is measured quite differently – did we change something for the better, or did we move the needle towards that goal? It’s true our liaisons may switch from advertising people to news editors, but the tools are the same. Good PR firms

resolution, but usually it begins in gathering public support, or, oftentimes, public scrutiny and outrage. So, we begin by telling a story. Finding the person who will let their name, their photo, and their personal feelings out to the public. Those who do this will lose their anonymity in a moment. They might be recognized at the grocery store, or by their neighbors – sometimes the opposition will even confront them with nasty letters or emails or social channel comments. They may get repercussions in the workplace or their place of worship, or even from their closest friends. Stepping out of the box of the traditional to tell one’s personal story is not in everyone’s comfort zone. It takes a certain baring of the soul, along with very good advice and counsel to do this well. It can be some of the most powerful “PR” a practitioner can ever do. Because usually it is to right a wrong. Our stories are powerful. We can make systems change, bills pass, roads can be safer, school lunches can improve, toxic waste sites can be cleaned up, whole countries can move to protect basic human rights, and more.

Nancy Thomas Owner Tapestry Communications

foundation for community growth and wellbeing by being the most reliable resource and leading advocate for businesses throughout the East Bay and surrounding areas. We are here to help you succeed! New Members Colewillaidan,LLC - Cole’s Fine Foods Ch’i Spa Inc. Atlantic Home Loans Speedpro Imaging United Way of Rhode Island Paul Gagnon Realty

East Greenwich

580 Main St East Greenwich, RI 401 885 0020 | www.eastgreenwichchamber.com As we approach November, the Chamber has been working with its members and its Main Street Merchants Committee on several exciting initiatives to stimulate business in our community. Just prior to Halloween, Independence Bank will sponsor the EG Chamber Sent Me Gift Coupon Program, which is a thank you to Chamber members, as well as stimulus for our member Merchants. We are working on Small Business Saturday (November 30) and our lineup of Holiday Strolls, which will be enhanced by providing Trolley service along Main Street. MSNBC’s Your Business is scheduled to do a profile on Main Street East Greenwich’s plans for Small Business Saturday and is scheduled to air sometime in November. New Members Morgan Stanley-Danielle Warren and Robin Russo Sampson’s Automotive O’Leary Law Associates The Cupboard Kitchen + Bath Design Center SeaScape, Inc.

Newport

Jody Sullivan, Executive Director 35 Valley Road, Middletown, RI 401 847 1608 | www.NewportChamber.com NEW Health and Wellness Seminar Series The Newport County Chamber of Commerce will be holding their Annual Silent Auction and Cocktail Celebration at Belcourt of Newport on Friday, November 1st from 6pm to 9pm. The event will feature complimentary valet parking by Valet Connection, remarkable music by Duke Robillard, delightful hors d’oeuvres, dinner and dessert stations along with hard cider and open bars by Russell Morin Fine Catering. The silent auction will include gift cards and arranged baskets. Auction closes at 8:30pm, so arrive early to place your bids. $85.00/pp for Chamber members and $100/pp for non-members. RSVP online at www.NewportChamber.com or call 401-847-1608 before October 28th. New Members Daffodil Project Credit Planner Corp. Slimport RI Secure Advance Auto Parts Mobile Life Apps AppChek

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

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RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

What’s New | CHAMBER CHAT

October Is National Ergonomics Month by Dr. Ronald G. Shapiro All of us want our products, processes and systems to be safe, easy and fun to use. None of us want to have accidents, work inefficiently or be miserable at work. Nonetheless, nearly all of us have had some sort of an accident, have not worked as efficiently as we could, and have had an off day. One reason for having less than ideal experiences is that the systems we use may not be designed optimally for us to use. We may: • Enter a room for the first time and not be able to find the light switches. • Be driving a rental car, it may turn dark, and we may start the windshield washer instead of turning on the lights. • Not be able to find a feature we need to use on our computer. • Injure ourselves because we are lifting too much weight. • Forget to buy something in the store on the way home from work. Professionals who work in the human factors / ergonomics field strive to eliminate these problems and improve safety, productivity and enjoyment of work by designing new systems based upon understanding human capabilities and limitations. The professional in the field most likely has studied both psychology and engineering and has a doctoral or master’s degree. National Ergonomics Month (NEM) was developed to provide opportunities for human factors/ergonomics professionals to explain what you can do to improve safety, efficiency, and enjoyment at work, school or home. Keeping with the NEM objectives, here are six human factors/ergonomics suggestions to help you and your associates stay safe and improve productivity and enjoyment: Help save a life. Establish a company policy that prohibits cell phone use while driving. While using a handheld cell phone is prohibited by law, in fact, having a meaningful conversation on a telephone uses thinking capability which really needs to be used to attend to the driving environment. Thus, using the cell phone,

even if it is not handheld, is not safe because it distracts the driver. Stay healthy. Stand up more than once an hour. Ergonomist Airdrie Long from Australia reminds us that sitting for long periods of time is unhealthy even if one exercises for three quarters of an hour a day. If you have employees who need to be seated to do much of their job, remind them to stand up to get a printout, answer the phone, discard trash, or obtain supplies, etc. at least twice an hour. Compose and use checklists. Do you ever forget to complete a task or bring a needed tool or supply to a worksite? Do what professional pilots do. Improve your company’s safety and quality of work by using a written checklist to be sure that all jobs are completed successfully. Study a little at a time. When you need to learn new material, study a little bit, do something else, and then study a little bit more rather than concentrating all of your studying into a single block of time. You are more likely to remember what you have been studying for a longer period of time if you allocate lots of short intervals of time for studying rather long study sessions. Don’t pressure employees to work too fast. While all of us can frequently work faster than we do, oftentimes working faster does not make us more productive. Instead, it causes us to make speed/quality tradeoffs. Thus, faster working may encourage more errors and accidents. Encourage open communication. Oftentimes, employees may observe unsafe or unproductive environments, but the organizational culture encourages them to avoid discussing these and/or encourages management to defend its position rather than listening. This “silence” has led to disasters in some situations, and accidents and lack of productivity in others.

Dr. Ronald G. Shapiro Independent Consultant in Human Factors Learning & Human Resources

North Central Chamber

Deborah Ramos, President 255 Greenville Avenue, Johnston, RI 401 349 4674 | www.ncrichamber.com

On tap, we have several events including our “Business Booster” Series – educational workshops for our members and the business community. Please consider joining us for “What is Your Color Personality” (helping you to understand how to deal with those of the same “color” and different “colors” in your professional life); Recycling for Your Business; and Human Resources in Your Place of Business. Be sure to check our website and “Like” us on Facebook. For more details on membership or our upcoming events, please visit www.ncrichamber. com and be sure to make us one of your “Favorites.” Follow us on Facebook, we’ll follow YOU, too!

Southern RI

Elizabeth Berman, Coordinator 230 Old Tower Hill Road, Wakefield, RI 401 783 2818 | www.srichamber.com With two successful September events behind us — Twisted Puzzle Run and International Wine & Local Cuisine of Southern Rhode Island, plus seminars regarding healthcare reform and small business practices, the SRI Chamber is now planning its second Ignite! Southern RI. The event takes place November 23, 7:00 p.m., at The Contemporary Theater Company, 327 Main Street, Wakefield. Upcoming networking events include the November 1 First Friday Coffee, hosted by The Hive RI, 650 Ten Rod Road, North Kingstown, 8 to 9 a.m.; and the November 20 Business After Hours, hosted by Museum of Primitive Art and Culture, 1058 Kingstown Road, Wakefield . All networking events are $5/person; all are welcome. Details on all events may be found at www.srichamber.com. New Members Kinesics - Studio Sign A Rama Coldwell Banker/Mary Kammerer Lighthouse Real Estate Group Sherri L. Marshall, CPA AM 1230 WBLQ & 96.7 The Buzz Carol J. Charters Re/Max Central – Christine DiNardi

Greater Westerly

Lisa Konicki, Executive Director 1 Chamber Way, Westerly, RI 02891 401 596 7761 | www.westerlychamber.org Our Chamber is thrilled that our campaign to win Benjamin Moore’s “Main Street Matters” national contest was a huge success. Westerly was one of 20 towns, and the only one in RI, to be selected for a FREE downtown paint makeover. Three blocks of businesses will receive a complimentary paint job in spring 2014. Our Downtown Façade Improvement grant program continues to award money to businesses for new awnings, doors, windows and paint jobs. This private/public partnership encourages economic investments in our community. Our gift certificate program remains strong and generates over $260,000 annually for our members. New Members Claus Encounters Orange Leaf Westerly Successwatchers.net Marketing & PR Consultants www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

FEATURED NONPROFIT | The Victoria Alviti Music Foundation

A Mother’s Efforts to Honor Her Daughter

and Bring Music Back to Schools by Sharon Alviti

Victoria Alviti was a 22-year-old musician who traveled all over the country spreading both her positivity as well as her music, touching the hearts of all who heard her wherever she went. She had talent at a very young age. I can remember her watching Sesame Street as a little girl and getting up and playing the theme song on her keyboard by ear. As she became older, she took piano lessons and won many piano competitions. Victoria was extremely disappointed when she heard that schools were cutting music programs. One day, Victoria turned to us and said, “We have to start a music foundation to keep music in schools.” We didn’t know what to say. We talked about it for a while and told Victoria how daunting a task that would be, but I can remember this like it was yesterday; she turned and looked at me and said, “You’ll make it happen, right Mom?” I said of course I would do what I could, and we never talked about it again. One week later, Victoria left Rhode Island for “gigs” she had in Las Vegas and Hawaii. She was an extremely popular DJ and she simply called herself “DJ Victoria.” She played all around the country, even The Virgin Islands. Victoria and her friends were headed to a friend’s house in Malibu, but they never made it. The car they were traveling in went off a cliff. There were four people in that car, but Victoria was the only one to not survive. The second I heard that Victoria was not with us anymore, I knew that I had to keep her alive through The Victoria Alviti Music Foundation. It was the last conversation we had. That was the reason she told us about starting a foundation.

The day after her celebration service, I hit the ground running. I applied for a 501 (c) 3, I registered as a non-profit and I got our tax ID. I met with Cranston Schools’ Musical Director Mark Colozzi, Superintendent Judith Lundstren, Mayor Alan Fung, and even School Committee President Andrea Iannazzi. It was the beginning of a very long road. As fate would have it, I was with the Sullivan family from Collette Vacations and they invited me to sit in on a meeting they were having with The Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School. The rest, as they say, is history. I formed a partnership with The Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

and started The Victoria Alviti Music Foundation. On the third Sunday in September, we have our event at The Alpine Country Club. We have silent auctions, Chinese raffle and a wine raffle. Last year, we raised enough money to fund music programs for over 1,000 children in Cranston. Victoria attended schools in Cranston, so that is where I am starting. Hopefully, other cities will be next. It costs $18 per student to have the Link-Up program in schools. Link Up is a program designed by Carnegie Hall. Each student gets a soprano recorder and a lesson book, and the teacher gets professional development. The second week in April, we bus the children to Veterans Auditorium and they get to play what they have learned for the past twelve weeks with The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. This year, there were over 10,000 children attending the event. Unfortunately, there are a lot of children in the state who did not get this opportunity because of funding. That is what I am working on. I will be the voice to let people know about this program and what needs to happen to keep music in schools.

We have to start a music foundation to keep music in schools.

The only thing I want to get out of all of this is to have every child know Victoria and what her dream was. I miss her terribly, but she’s with me

every minute of the day. I’m doing this to honor my daughter, and it is rewarding beyond words. We are giving these children an experience they otherwise never would have. To say, “I played with The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra” is a gift that will last forever. We need businesses to come forward to help us. There are only so many doors the team can knock on. We have over 40 volunteers helping us. We need 1,000...a million. There is never enough. Visit our site to donate or learn more: www.victoriaalviti.org.

Ralph Mollis | SECRETARY OF STATE

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

GO LOCAL| Rhode Island Gets $670K For Workforce Training + Education

GoLocalProv.com is the “go to” local Web experience that breaks the biggest local stories, sports, high school sports, weather, news, politics, arts, entertainment — and allows users to go as deep as they wish. Branded, credible, and respected contributors from RI create the stories and content. Information is delivered through multimedia, written, and video platforms. All at GoLocalProv.com.

Rhode Island Gets $670K For Workforce Training + Education GoLocalProv Business Team A $670,000 Workforce Investment Act grant given to RI will go toward employment analysis programs and adult education. Governor Lincoln D. Chafee today announced Rhode Island will receive a $670,000 Workforce Investment Act (WIA) incentive grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. “In order to continue moving Rhode Island’s economy in the right direction, we need to improve education and training at every level–from early-childhood education right up through our public schools, our colleges and universities, and our adult education and workforce development,” Governor Chafee said. “This incentive grant recognizes the outstanding work already under way in Rhode Island and will further enable the Rhode Island Department of Education and the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training to invest in improvements to adult education and workforce training services.” Rhode Island’s high performance in adult education and workforce development programs qualified the state to apply for this incentive award. It is the first time Rhode Island has been eligible since the incentive grants began in 1998. “I am exceedingly proud of the outcomes our dedicated workforce development staff has achieved, particularly in light of Rhode Island’s still challenging economic situation,” DLT Director Charles J. Fogarty said. Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) exceeded all WIA performance targets related to adult education and

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

to entering postsecondary education or training, and DLT surpassed all WIA Dislocated Worker and Adult employment services targets. These targets included GED completion, educational gains, entered employment and employee retention. RIDE and DLT plan to use funds from the incentive awards to purchase technology tools. DLT will use its portion to acquire data-analytics technology that will help track the progress of employment programs and analyze specific trends in workforce development. RIDE will implement technology for use in adult education classrooms. In addition, RIDE will establish a Technology Committee to develop a comprehensive statewide technology plan to address issues of policy and access, with a special focus on professional development, training, and assessment needs. “I want to congratulate the teachers, staff members, leaders of our adult education programs, and all of our adult learners for meeting their goals and earning our state eligibility for this important incentive award,” said Eva-Marie Mancuso, Chair of the Board of Education. “We will use these funds wisely to maintain and improve the quality of adult education in Rhode Island and to build a strong workforce that will advance the economy of our state.” “We are committed to developing and supporting high-quality programs for adult education across the state,” said Deborah A. Gist, Commissioner of Elementary and

Secondary Education. “I am pleased that all of our state-funded adult education programs have surpassed their annual targets and are providing adult learners with opportunities to improve their lives and the well-being of their families. With these incentive funds, we will continue to improve the quality of adult-education services in Rhode Island.”

Providence | GOLOCAL

Google Names Middletown the eCity Capital of RI GoLocalProv News Team Google eCity Awards recognize the strongest online business community in each state. Middletown may be best-known for its beautiful beaches, tasty seafood restaurants, and numerous historical sites, but the town can now tout its online prowess as well. Google has given Middletown the Google eCity Award, recognizing it as the digital capital of Rhode Island. According to Google: “Middletown’s strong online small business community makes it the digital capital of Rhode Island. This New England beach town has a web-savvy community that virtually connects with visitors and residents.”

The town’s response

discussions regarding an island-wide broadband fiber optic deployment to aid economic development and education,” said Wainwright. “AIBPconnect.org is asking people on the island to take Internet speed tests so we can get a good idea of what our current Internet speeds are. Internet is now more of a cornerstone for successfully run businesses. We need to help our constituency and we need faster Internet.”

Google’s impact on RI According to Google, the company helped provide $142 million of economic activity for Rhode Island businesses, website publishers, and non-profits last year. Additionally, an estimated 6,200 local businesses and non-profits benefited from using Google’s advertising tools like AdWords and Adsense. Google also provided $255,000 of free advertising to 13 Rhode Island non-profits through its Google Grants Program.

Google’s methodology In order to determine the winners, Google partnered with independent research firm Ipsos MORI to analyze the online strength of local, small businesses throughout the country. Cities and towns were then scored based on company size, eCommerce abilities, and web and social media presence.

Not surprisingly, Middletown couldn’t be happier about receiving Google’s honor, especially the town’s Chief Information Officer Matthew J. Wainwright. “It’s important for Middletown. We’re trying to implement new technical projects throughout Aquidneck Island, which is the result of our proactive leadership, and it’s nice to have Google recognize everyone’s hard work.” For Wainwright, the honor came as somewhat of a surprise, because technology departments aren’t always acknowledged for their diligence. “In the technology field, no news is good news, which makes it difficult to get recognized. The only time you typically hear anything is when something goes wrong, so this is a nice honor to receive.” Aside from award talk, Wainwright also clued us in on his department’s biggest current project. “The big project right now is including the three towns on Aquidneck Island in

From Rhode Islanders and for Rhode Islanders: See it. Read it. Share it.

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

SMALL BUSINESS | What Clams Taught Me About Leadership

What Clams Taught Me About Leadership by Jeffrey S. Deckman I owned a telecommunications integration firm from 1987 until 2008. And while the company was located in Rhode Island, I spent almost two years working exclusively in Manhattan from 1999 to 2000. I was there as part of a team attempting to secure $25 to $50 million to fund a Smart Building strategy we were hoping to eventually take public. This was at the height of the technology boom, and being in Manhattan meant that I was in its financial and innovation epicenter. This was in a place and at a time when Hi-Tech was attracting some of the most talented, creative and innovative people ever to convene around the industry, including the cast of characters with whom I was partnered. They were as diverse as they were brilliant. A few of them were also quite eccentric. For example, our finance guy was a business manager for several well known music groups of the 90’s; the CEO was a brilliant, but very strange, innovator who started one of the first non-AT&T long distance companies and also painted his toenails red and green during Christmas - even though he was Jewish. One of our fundraisers was an ex-Division 1 college linebacker who could

RISBJ | rhode island small business journal

sell water to a drowning man, but would buzz cut his hair and dye it bright yellow… not blonde….before a big meeting because someone bet him he wouldn’t. And our marketing guy was a 70-year-old corporate marketing guru who built the Nestle brand.

The point of that story is to tell you the next story about Jason, his clams and what they taught me about leadership. Lessons that I still use every single day in my practice. What do Clams and Humans Have in Common? Both “Clam Up” Under Stress.

Then there was Jason. Jason was a 27-yearold, certifiable genius who could get up to speed on almost any concept in record time. This guy seemed completely normal on the outside, and was one of the funniest people I ever met.

When I first met Jason, he had just developed a “portable and highly durable water monitoring system using bivalve mollusks.” In other words, he had figured out how to use clams and mussels to determine if toxins were in a water supply. The military applications alone for such a device were huge! Who knew??

My job in all of this was twofold: I was responsible for insuring our technical solution would work and that this group of people could and would actually function as a team. Some days, this was like herding cats on LSD into a bag of catnip. Not an easy task. But learning to work with this menagerie at such a high stakes game taught me a lot about leadership and how to align very talented people with complex personalities and large egos to achieve a common objective. In the end, while we came close on several occasions to getting funded, we couldn’t pull it off before the bubble burst.

The purpose of his invention, in laymen’s terms, is that the military is highly mobile. As such, it has a great need to determine if water supplies they come in contact with are either drinkable or toxic; hence the need for a mobile, durable and highly accurate water monitoring system. Jason’s “clam solution” worked this way. Clams are uniquely challenged in that they are pretty much stationary and feed by filtering water through their mouths. They are also highly sensitive to toxins. So, if toxins get in the water, they need a way to protect themselves without possessing the ability to

What Clams Taught Me About Leadership | SMALL BUSINESS

swim away. So, their only defense is to “clam up” to avoid the toxins. Once they sense the water is clean again, they re-open their shells, albeit slowly. So, when their environment is healthy, the clams are open, and when their environment is toxic, they clam up. Jason’s used his genius to figure out how to equate various shell positions of the clams to the level of toxicity in any given water supply. To do this, he put the clams in a special container, attached sensors to their shells, immersed them in the water samples and monitored their shell positions using specially designed algorithms and a laptop. Open shells indicated healthy environments. Closed shells indicated toxic environments. The Leadership Lesson As I began thinking more deeply about Jason’s work and the clam’s natural reaction to toxins in their environments, I began to see a very clear correlation with people’s natural reaction to toxins: we both clam up under stress. When we encounter toxins in our environment, we tend to clam up and go into a shell to protect ourselves from the toxins we are being exposed to, as well as from the person creating them. If the toxic environment is the workplace, and the toxic person happens to be the manager, you then have the beginnings of a problem that will significantly impact profitability. People are not very productive when they are working in a shell. To further complicate things, people, just like clams, can take quite a while to open

Libations Restaurant

what do clams and humans have in common? both “clam up” under stress back up once they have clammed up. They get cautious and untrusting. And depending upon how toxic the environment is, or how often the toxic manager appears, it could take a very long time for them to come out of their shells and be productive again. There is not a lot one can do to expedite that process either. Just like a clam, once people have clamped themselves shut, you can’t force them open. Trying to force a person to open up before they are ready will cause them to clam up again and delay their return to maximum productivity. Then, when they do begin opening back up, they do so cautiously, opening a bit to test the environment and waiting to see if it is safe. If the threat returns, they clam up faster than before and most likely for a longer period of time. What Can You Do to Create a Toxin-Free Environment?

To limit unnecessary toxins, you can simply increase your awareness that it is your words and actions that largely define whether you are putting toxins or healthy agents into your environment. Pay attention to how people act around you. Then, when you make a mistake, own it and apologize. If you act appropriately, they will open up again, especially if you give them some time and re-approach them with integrity. So, if you do end up polluting your environment, react quickly and rectify the situation, but allow nature to take its course as things eventually get back to normal. There is nothing more productive or profitable than an organization filled with people who are as happy as a clam. Who would have thought how much human nature mirrors “clam nature?” Kind of makes me wonder which is smarter…. and I am not betting against the clam yet.

Let’s face it, organizations, like nature, can never be completely toxin-free, nor do they have to be in order for them to function well. Besides, no one is perfect. There will be times when someone has a bad day or someone else may be overly sensitive.

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S M A L L P L AT E S • B I G F L AVO R • G R E AT VA L U E

Jeffrey S. Deckman Founder Capability Accelerators

Our clients know we’re here for them year-round, not just at year-end.

JAMES J. PRESCOTT PETER L. CHATELLIER DAVID A. FONTAINE JAMES D. WILKINSON DEBRA A. MITCHELL

AT BRAVER, IT’S THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS.

ROBERT J. CIVETTI

155 South Main Street Providence, RI 02903 401 421 2710 www.thebravergroup.com

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| SMALL BUSINESS

Preventing and Managing Burnout for Women Entrepreneurs recognize the ups and downs of being with an entrepreneur to catch the downs before they escalate. by Patricia Raskin

Women business owners are especially prone to burnout. Many of us are caretakers and sometimes try to over-meet the needs of others. Enclosed are some areas of focus for preventing and managing burnout.

staying positive and optimistic can be cultivated and often brings positive results.

Patricia Raskin Raskin Resources Productions www.patriciaraskin.com

Time Management Women often struggle with not having enough time for family and children and self due to growing the business and work schedule overload. Women need to schedule self care, learn to “say no” in spite of the guilt it brings, prioritize top interests, learn to set boundaries, and delegate tasks to give staff the opportunity to “rise to the occasion.” Self Care Self care is obvious in lowering stress levels, and is often a challenge to follow. Eating well and getting enough exercise are basics. Something that is not often placed in the same category, but should be, is getting enough sleep. Spending time with girlfriends and getting away for brief periods or longer vacations are other ways to bring more joy and less stress into your life. Staying positive and optimistic can be cultivated and often brings positive results. Balancing Professional With Personal Life Another challenge is the tendency entrepreneurs have to bring work-related items home, making their family absorb their stress or feel ignored. One suggestion is to allow a transition time between your work day and your family time to discuss your work-related concerns. Then, follow this with an equal amount of time for your family to air their issues. Other suggestions include scheduling family activities and sticking to them, scheduling time with your spouse or significant other for mini-vacations and “dates” when work issues are not discussed, and learning to

Financial Challenges Entrepreneurialism is not a straight line. It has ebbs and flows on a good day and on other days, it can feel like a roller coaster. Suggestions to handle financial inconsistencies are to maintain highquality work to generate referrals, keep excellent financial records and review them regularly, track advertising dollars to find the most cost-effective results, talk to clients beforehand about fees and expectations, write thank you letters to colleagues who refer you to clients, and most importantly, reach out to the Rhode Island business community by joining business networking groups, finding mentors, and staying visible by attending events. Staff Support: Support is everything, and that is especially true for staff suppport. Support your staff by hiring a competent and experienced administrator, encouraging cohesiveness and congeniality among staff, creating staff incentives, having a consistent bill collection process or hiring a payroll service, and doing what you do best and letting your staff do the rest. Loss of Enjoyment Stress in your work can cause loss of enjoyment. Suggestions for bringing enjoyment back into your worklife include setting reasonable expectations, getting help with the things you don’t like to do, eliminating the toxic people in your work life, surrounding yourself with people who support your goals, screening potential problem clients and being willing to decline your services up front to avoid personal stress and professional liability, and last, but not least, creating your business to do what you like to do. The bottom line is that you can reduce the stress in your business life following the suggestions above, but remember, it takes time, determination and creative solutions.

Patricia Raskin, President of Raskin Resources Productions, Inc., is a radio talk show host, award-winning producer, media coach and speaker. She is the host of “Positive Business” on AM790 on Fridays from 3-5PM, “Patricia Raskin Positive Living” on WPRO -630AM & 99.7FM on Saturdays from 3-5PM and “The Patricia Raskin Show” on WSAR – 1480AM on Fridays from 10-noon. www.patriciaraskin.com

www.risbj.com | volume two issue eight

SMALL BUSINESS | New “Beneﬁt Corporation” Business Structure in RI and MA Provides Option for Mission-Driven Entities

New “Benefit Corporation” Business Structure in RI and MA Provides Option for Mission-Driven Entities

by Attorney Misty Delgado October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, as well as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Store shelves are filled with pink and purple products and packaging symbolizing these causes to help raise money for organizations involved with these movements. This fundraising strategy originally served to help sustain the work of mostly nonprofit organizations. In recent years, for-profit companies seeking to advance a cause similar to a nonprofit’s, and still watch the bottom line, now have a new corporation type as an option to consider for their business models and governing documents called a “Benefit Corporation.” This year, Rhode Island joined 15 other states, including the State of Massachusetts, in enacting legislation allowing for benefit corporations which provide socially savvy entrepreneurs the chance to build their business models specifically on giving back to society in significant ways and to include these concepts into their mission statements. The popularity of a benefit corporation structure continues to expand across the country because it provides a legal framework for for-profit entities to include a cause-related mission into their business model, and still go through all of the phases and transitions that businesses routinely address, including succession

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planning, capital raises, and even changes in ownership. Benefit corporations vary in three fundamental ways from for-profit incorporation types: 1. They must create a General Public Benefit – the benefit corporation must have in its articles of incorporation a mission that has a material positive impact on society as a whole. 2. There are non-financial stakeholders – the non-financial stakeholders must be taken into consideration as well as the financial stakeholder. 3. They must produce an Annual Benefit Report – this report must account for the corporation’s social and environmental performance. Additional requirements focus on the benefit corporation’s purpose, accountability and transparency. Also, directors and officers are allowed to prioritize factors other than those strictly related to financial benefits when they are engaged in decision-making processes for their companies. There are no certifications required to

become a benefit corporation in Rhode Island or Massachusetts, or to convert to this entity type, including via a merger or acquisition. On the other hand, both states do require that the benefit corporation have the “purpose of creating a general public good” within the entity’s articles of incorporation. For more details and information for Rhode Island, visit http:// webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText13/ HouseText13/H5720aa.pdf and for Massachusetts, visit http://www.mass. gov/legis/journal/desktop/Current%20 Agenda%202011/H4352.pdf (pages 75-90). (Please consult your attorney or check other state business corporation websites for information or to access forms.) Business owners are challenged in many ways and the problems of society will not go away if ignored. A benefit corporation is an option for some business owners to consider so to ensure that their vision for a better world – their cause-related mission – becomes an intricate part of their corporate governance that is meaningful to them and others, and has longevity in the marketplace.

Misty Delgado Attorney Pannone Lopes Devereaux & West LLC

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RISBJ | rhode island small business journal