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Greater Jackson Business - 1
CONTENTS 16 20
6 32
FEATURES: 3 Up Front
Jack Criss
16 COVER STORY
6 GJB You Should Know
Apeiron Consulting and
Training
8 GJB Special
Relationships Generate
Revenue
10 Craig’s Corner
Social Media Policies
12 Special Opinion
One Less For One-Up
2 - Greater Jackson Business
Grace Bateman of Peru Paper Co.
20 Special to GJB
Fondren Association of
Businesses
26 GJB Special
Five Questions
30 Planning
Walt Dallas
31 Economy
Warren Wiltshire
BUSINESS
Business News for Hinds, Madison and Rankin Counties
Online Exclusive Content! Visit us online at greaterjacksonbusiness.com
UP
FRONT
BY JACK CRISS Publisher
DON’T BOGART THAT AD BUDGET, MY FRIEND
D Volume 1 • Issue 6 Publisher/Editor Jack Criss Managing Editor Lea Anne Brandon Art Direction/Layout Pevey Creative gmpevey@bellsouth.net Columnists Tom Beck, Todd Butler, Walt Dallas, Elizabeth S. Fowler, Murray Harber, Wes Holsapple, Luther Munford Contributing Writers Lynne Jeter, Mary Mack Jones, Elizabeth Lee Norris Photography Tom Beck, Jack Criss, Meredith Norwood, Jeff Sanders Illustration Dagny Criss Greater Jackson Business is published to promote Metro Jackson in an informative and positive manner. We welcome contributions of articles and photos; however, they will be subject to editing and availability of space and subject matter. Photographs, comments, questions, subscription requests and ad placement inquiries are invited! Return envelopes and postage must accompany all materials submitted if a return is requested. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Greater Jackson Business are those of the authors or columnists and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products or services herein. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement.
BUSINESS
Business News for Hinds, Madison and Rankin Counties
P.O. Box 13665 • Jackson, MS 39236 Phone: 601-750-6587 email: jack@greaterjacksonbusiness.com www.greaterjacksonbusiness.com
isclosure here, if you don’t already know: I have a horse in the race of promoting advertising. Yes, Greater Jackson Business (and yours truly) survives by advertising revenue. So naturally I’m going to urge people and businesses to keep spending money on promoting their goods. But, in advocating such, I’m also including spending revenue with other mediums besides print and, yes, even those who publish magazines besides myself. Since the Meltdown of ‘08 most all businesses have had to make cuts. Usually (and unfortunately) one of the first things to go out of the company budget was the advertising dollars. Why? Well, many advertisers believe that they don’t really get the “bang for the buck” that they should out of advertising. They also claimed (in pre-internet days) that tracking the success of any particular ad was dubious at best, if not outright impossible. Still other businesses felt that advertising was just exhibitionism and that it could be done away with entirely without bottom lines being adversely affected. In fact, I even heard from more than one former advertiser that they didn’t want to appear as if they were “sticking their head out” above other businesses lest they appear arrogant or haughty in down economic times. In other words, these businesses wanted to lay low for what they believed would be a better end-perception in the eyes of the buying public. (“Well, if they can afford to spend THAT much in advertising, they must not need MY business...”) As well as being a writer, editor and publisher, I am a salesman and have been for many years. Moreover, I believe passionately in my product which is a prerequisite for any successful salesperson. And I will tell you now, unequivocally, that I believe the absolute best time to advertise is precisely when times are uncertain and the competition has slacked off in self-promotion. The iron is hot for you to strike and the customers are there for you to take. How is that?
Well, visibility actually is a GOOD thing. It reminds the consumer – your potential customer – that you are, in fact, still alive and kicking and wanting them to come see you and spend money. Far from being presumptuous, I find such a message reassuring as a customer myself. Additionally, if you advertise specials, discounts, and the things that distinguish and differentiate you from your competition, don’t you think NEW customers will give you a try? I do. While others in your field of business are being quiet, cutting their ad budgets, why don’t you keep yours the same or even increase it a little? Certainly you must be particular and look for the good advertising deals (and believe you me, they are out there. My number is 601-750-6587 if you want to talk great multi-media ad deals! My shameless plug for the column...) But, spent wisely, I think the current climate is very ripe for you to pick up some new business from the competition through new advertising and maybe bring your existing customers in more often. Even if you’re not in a service industry, you should let the community at large know you’re growing, you’re out there fighting and that you’re still a part of the general fabric of commerce that makes Metro Jackson (our particular market) strong and vibrant. Announcing new hires, new moves and new projects through advertising in the media is the way you do that. Those of us in media will appreciate your choosing to spend money with us and will, in turn, probably give you deals that would have been unheard of even three years ago. So come on marketing people: the phone lines are open and we here in the media have operators standing by. We want to make money, yes. But believe me: we’re making less now these days. It’s not about big commission and greed anymore: It’s about simply trying to make a living and to help and promote those who help us by advertising. In this process, we make our communities stronger. Isn’t that what it’s, ultimately, all about? - GJB
Greater Jackson Business - 3
4 - Greater Jackson Business
Greater Jackson Business - 5
GJB YOU SHOULD KNOW
Apeiron Consulting and Training:
Stephenie Hinson brings a boundless approach to critical field BY LEA ANNE BRANDON GJB Managing Editor
I
f the baby is ugly, Stephenie Hinson isn’t afraid to say that the baby is ugly. Such blatant honesty in assessing even the most troublesome of situations coupled with her ability to graciously deliver sometimes unsavory criticism is exactly the skill set that makes this Clinton native a highly sought-after workforce consultant and corporate trainer. “I have no problem calling it like I see it,” admits Hinson, CEO and President of the newly established Apeiron Consulting and Training. “The truth is that a bad situation is never going to improve if you sugar-coat everything. I do try to approach the truth with some tact and decorum. It is not always a comfortable situation, but in the end, it is almost always appreciated.” Because she is hired as an “outside” consultant who comes into an existing workplace to resolve employee problems and other workforce issues, Hinson says that she is able to speak the truth with a veracity and authority that those already employed by the company might not be able to accomplish. “The greatest advantage to hiring an outsider to do what I do rather than an insider is that those on the payroll are so mired in the corporate politics and are sometimes so afraid of crossing the wrong person that getting a straight answer and giving someone an answer he may not want to hear is oftentimes impossible,” she says. “I don’t have that worry because I don’t have to play office politics.” Another benefit of hiring an outside consultant over assigning a current employee to do problem-solving or training is that it is more cost-effective for the employer. “You only work for a particular company until your task is completed. Then you move on to the next challenge. You’re not having to pay (an outside consultant) benefits which is a big savings,” Hinson notes. Apeiron Consulting and Training markets Hinson’s services to companies and employers who want to boost employee performance and productivity. She also coaches business executives and managers on their presentation, inter-personal, communication, supervisory 6 - Greater Jackson Business
Stephenie Hinson
and team-building skills; develops on-the-job training programs; implements corporate culture programs; offers one-on-one professional development coaching services and facilitates workshops and corporate meetings. She says the benefits of training and development to a company include increased productivity, reduced employee turnover, increased efficiency that results in financial gains and a decreased need for supervision. Hinson, who currently divides her professional career between her hometown of Clinton and her parallel operations outside of Atlanta, said she thrives on the challenges of contracting with a company that needs her help in boosting employee morale, performance and productivity or in saving countless dollars from wasted work efforts and undertrained workers. “It appeals to all of my senses,” she says, admitting that she counteracts stress-inducing situations with a quick wit and injection of humor. “As a consultant, I get to be creative because the picture is always changing. Standing in front of a classroom, you get to see your baby come to life, if you will. You can see the fruits of your labors. You see what works and you see what doesn’t so you can adjust.” Hinson says her educational background and her Southern upbringing combined to prepare her well to succeed in an often maledominated corporate culture. She earned a Masters degree in Workforce Training and
Development from the University of Southern Mississippi and an undergraduate degree in Communication from Mississippi College. She is also certified or qualified to host leadership development tools such as Myers Briggs Type Indicator and The Oz Principle “I’m a jokester,” Hinson admits. “I like to have fun. I know how to laugh at myself and to get others laughing as well. I can be very serious and professional when the situation calls for it, but I like to have fun too. I think if people can enjoy what they are doing, they do a better job and learn more too,” explaining that she enjoys the challenge of putting her audience at ease before tackling the difficult issues of workplace dynamics and job training. Before founding Apeiron Consulting and Training earlier this year, Hinson was in charge of the training program for the plywood division of Georgia Pacific. During her tenure at Georgia Pacific, she was responsible for the design and delivery of employee, management and leadership development programs. During her tenure there, Hinson says she was able to: n Save the company more than $200,000 by successfully facilitating training regarding company core values and beliefs including corporate management, facility management, departmental supervisors, and union and non-union employees. n Orchestrate the development and implementation of maintenance skill assessment and technical training efforts for more than 250 craft personnel with a potential savings of $600,000. n Establish training metrics, training policy and key control strategies that streamlined the training process and enhanced decision making. n Improve area manager annual evaluations by providing on-going professional coaching. Hinson says she now wants to produce those same results for private industry across the Southeast. “I am working to build my client base in the Metro Jackson market and the Atlanta, Georgia, area,” she explains. “Even in these difficult economic times, I think business leaders recognize the importance of sharpening skills and improving employee satisfac-
tion and productivity.” Hinson is now working with Halo Business Advisors to brand her new company and establish a professional online presence to market her consulting and training skills. She named her company Apeiron, an ancient Greek word that means “without limits either external or internal” because she believes that infinite and boundless possibilities exist for growth and development. “It is a perfect fit,” she says of the company name. Hinson preaches that, during an economic downtown or a recession, business and industry leaders with foresight understand that it is the perfect time to invest in the training or retraining of workers so they will be able to take on the new challenges that a financial crisis creates. “And it positions them for improved productivity when the economy does recovery,” she adds. Hinson says businesses are trending toward the recognition that stellar customer service and a satisfied workforce are indispensible in today’s tough business environment. “We’re in a new economy. Customers want instant satisfaction. We want it now. We want it fast and we want people to treat us with respect,” she says, pointing to the Chic-FilA restaurant chain as a shining example of a corporate culture that successfully places cus-
tomer satisfaction as its top priority. “In an economy where most restaurants are hurting if not failing, they are thriving. What sets them apart from everyone else is their outstanding customer service. Chic-Fil-A really gets it,” Hinson observes. “Over the past 10 years, while others are shutting down and losing money, they have doubled the number of employees they have. Being good stewards and making customer service their priority works.” Hinson says that Apeiron Consulting and Training will mimic those same traits...and that her clients will be the beneficiaries. GJB
BUSINESS
Business News for Hinds, Madison and Rankin Counties
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G J B
S P E C I A L
Relationships Generate Revenues
L
osing business becomes worse when you realize it could have been prevented! By having many relationships within each account, you have a strong hold that is not easily broken. There are specific things you can do to build important relationships, gain a stronger foothold and keep the business in
spite of change and competition. 1. Understand your customer’s problems. Customers will buy new and better ways to solve their problems. How well can you converse on problems your customers are facing? One meaningful discussion could be
BY WES
HOLSAPPLE
Contributing Columnist
significant enough to get a shot at the new project or generate a referral for additional business. 2. Be a resource. Having a scheduled appointment to present your proposal doesn’t mean you will have your customer’s undivided attention. You may show up just in time to see them in the midst of a crisis. Be prepared to refer your customer to people you trust that can put out the fire. As a result, they will be impressed, appreciative and attentive to you and your ideas. 3. Three goals for each appointment: Build relationships deep and wide. When you make an effort to build a deep or solid business relationship, you establish common ground and a better understanding of how best to work with them as a person. Taking a personal interest in the person and not just in the “customer” proves your commitment to more than just a transactional relationship. Building the relationship wide means finding out who they know. What relationships do you have in common and who might they be willing to introduce you to? Expanding your contacts will increase your income. Leave something of value. The goal here is to add value to the time they invested in your meeting in a way that motivates them to remember you and your offer. The key is to discover what is important to your customer. This could be sharing a helpful idea or leaving a copy of an article relevant to their business. I still remember who turned me onto the Google 1-800-466-4411 info line! As a result, reasonable people will extend to you additional consideration when it comes to taking your call, returning your e-mail and doing business with you. Further your agenda. Since one of our goals is to make more sales by solving more problems, it’s important we have a sense of urgency to get the business. Most sales require several “touches” or contacts with the decision makers before the deal is sealed. Some experts estimate 6 to 10 touches depending upon the financial investment and the number of decision makes involved. Therefore, it’s best to write out specific goals for each sales call in order to make the best of their time and yours. For example, you may want an introduction to accounts payable since your boss mentioned they are 90 days past due. Inquiring if there are any changes to the RFP process could put you ahead of competitors who didn’t get the memo. In addition, the more organized and concise your thoughts and communications, the more impressive you are to the decision makers and influencers. Psychologists tell us that once a purchase is made, people look for ways to justify their latest and greatest deal by bragging to their colleagues. This sounds like great marketing to me! Wes Holsapple is the president of BDS Institute and can be reached at www.bdsinstitute.com.
8 - Greater Jackson Business
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Greater Jackson Business - 9
C R A I G ’ S C O R N E R
Business Need: Social Media Policies
BY LUTHER T.
G. TODD
MUNFORD BUTLER Guest Columnists
S
mart businesses have seized on social media as yet another way to advertise and get customer feedback. Companies set up “Facebook Fan Pages,” use Twitter to communicate news about their products and even sponsor videos on YouTube. Printed advertisements sport Facebook and Twitter symbols. So do signs in grocery store check-out lines. And even without formal advertising campaigns, employees may use social media in ways that advance the business. But reward and risk go hand-in-hand. Businesses want their employees to use social media to promote their products. But making every employee a publisher creates a risk that something the employee publishes may give rise to a lawsuit. Employers need to protect themselves with social media policies that define what employees can and cannot do with social media. One example of business advertising through social media is the Facebook Fan Page. Facebook reports that more than 1.5 million companies have set up their own fan pages. The Facebook service now has more than 500 million users, with 250,000 joining each day. Best Buy is a company with a Facebook Fan Page that has attracted a million fans. When they visit Best Buy’s Official Fan Page they see a greeting: “Have fun. Be cool. Be yourself.” To that end, visitors are told that “all questions and commentary, including criticism” are welcome. Many users apparently heed the instructions, as a quick glance of the company’s “wall postings” reveals various complaints about products or customer service. In most cases, Best Buy representatives seem quick to 10 - Greater Jackson Business
respond with an apology or suggestion for gaining product help. But employees like these who communicate instantly with customers over the internet hold the company checkbook in their hands. If unguarded, their comments can run afoul of the law and prompt a lawsuit. They have the potential to defame competitors, reveal confidential company information, or provide the fodder for discrimination suits. And, if the proper groundwork is not laid, a company that tries to control what its employees say in social media may be accused of invading an employee’s privacy. So companies can get in trouble both coming and going. In 2009, for example, a Tennessee pizza establishment was sued for libel after employee comments on Twitter and Facebook disparaged a marketing firm it had hired. But upper-level managers at a New Jersey res-
taurant were found to have broken state and federal law when they found out what a disgruntled employee was saying in her private MySpace chat room and fired her. All signs indicate that such suits will continue to gain traction in both state and federal court. So how can employers protect themselves? The best strategy is to adopt an official socialmedia-usage policy. These things merit particular attention: Oversight n Employers should tell employees who want to discuss company business in social media for advertising or other purposes to get permission first. The company should then provide examples of what can be usefully said. Confidentiality n Employees need to protect business con-
fidences and to guard against revealing confidential strategy or transactions, e.g. by tweeting “status updates” that may tip off a competitor to the company’s plans. Relationship Disclosure n Social-media policies should forbid anonymous posts about products and should mandate both factual accuracy and full disclosure of the factual basis for any opinions that are given. New Federal Trade Commission guidelines provide that companies can be liable if employees or paid endorsers promote products in social media without revealing their relationship with the company. Violations can carry fines of up to $11,000 per infraction. Intellectual Property n Copyrighted material posted on the internet needs to be protected with appropriate copyright notices. Privacy n Employers need to caution employees not to send anything out over the internet which the employee does not want made public. They should tell employees not to publish co-employees’ photos, names or personal information without permission. They also need to explain that the company has a right to inspect any social media posting an employee makes on company equipment or on company time. Only with such an express rule can the company ensure that it can monitor employee postings without inviting invasion of privacy claims. The United States Supreme Court recently held that a city’s auditing of text messages sent on a company-issued pager did not invade the employee’s privacy. But it did so because the city had a written policy that limited pager use and justified the audit. Disciplinary Concerns n Employers must proceed with caution when disciplining employees for violating a social-media policy. Various federal and state laws forbid retaliation against employees who make public certain categories of corporate misconduct. With careful planning, a business can promote its products using social media while reducing the legal risk social media poses. But a policy is important. As in other areas of life, forewarned is forearmed. - GJB Luther T. Munford and G. Todd Butler are attorneys in practive with the Jackson office of Phelps, Dunbar LLP. They are filling in this month for Jim Craig.
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Greater Jackson Business - 11
S P E C I A L O P I N I O N
One Less For One-Up Debate seems to becoming a lost art. By debate, I mean true intellectual give-and-take. You present your facts, I present mine, presumably against a philosophic backdrop of reality and not never-never land, and each party attempts to persuade. Persuade, not browbeat. Such is what I read and hear more and more of recently: pure, unadulterated browbeating, verbal bullying and one-upmanship. And I recognize it because I used to be a master of it. But no more.
BY JACK CRISS
Publisher, Greater Jackson Business
Yes, I’m through with the jousting. I’m through trying to intimidate and belittle those who disagree with me. Who does that benefit ultimately? Me and my ego, supposedly. And I guess maybe it did sometime. Did I enjoy seeing an unworthy (in my eyes) or unprepared opponent wither in the face of my logic? I admit I did. And that was wrong. I was promoting myself not my argument. For true debate should seek to enlighten one’s opponents, not embarrass or humiliate them. But that’s what arguments – most especially politically-tinged arguments – have been debased into by more and more commentators today, both in public and private discourse. The anonymity offered by the internet has only fueled such vitriol; write what you want and hide behind a pseudonym. Yep, that’s true, bold debate isn’t it, now? As a follower of Ayn Rand for many, many years, I was a pompous ass most of the time. I freely admit it now and I’m not proud of it. I learned much from this brilliant, but flawed, philosopher but not all of it was entirely good. I would take utter glee in firing off attacks at total strangers, people I had never met in person, because they were Godawful liberals, for example, or Kantians or Marxists. Case in point: I used to regularly knock Robert McElvaine, esteemed History Professor at Millsaps, because of what I had heard about him or by reading his op-eds. I think I may have even told people I “hated” him because of his views. This was said even though I had never met the man. Well, a few months ago, this dreaded liberal professor and I shared cocktails in the bar at Bravo! and had a ton of laughs and a great time discussing history, politics, religion...you name it. Part of this is due in part to a change in my own philosophy, yes; but the larger reason is because I’ve become more humble, more tolerant (if I dare use that dreaded word) and more respectful. In other words, to paraphrase former Yippie radical leader Jerry Rubin, I’ve grown up at 45. Do I still get angry with other people’s views? Certainly. But if I ever intend to change a mind with views different from my own, throwing insulting salvos won’t help the cause. Respect, reason, rationality...and actually listening to my opponent’s own views without just pausing to reformulate my own...might just allow me to make a point. And maybe even change their minds. Maybe. If not? Well, unless my friend in argument is out to kill or enslave me, I’ll just shake his or her hand, thank them for the conversation and be glad I live in a nation where people can disagree without being hauled off to a re-education camp...or worse. So Mr. “Ready, Aim, Right!” here has transformed – and I’m glad about it – into Mr. “Ready, Aim...Let’s Discuss It.” And you know what? I sure have learned a lot more about life, mine and others, in the process. I’m also a better thinker and human being because of it. I hope real debate remains alive and well and I’m sure it still does in many quarters. I just don’t read or hear as much of it as I used to. But there is hope: if a former pompous jerk like me can learn his lesson, can’t anybody?! - GJB
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Greater Jackson Business - 13
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Greater Jackson Business - 15
COVER STORY
Saying Grace: Peru Paper Company’s Founder Provides Outstanding Product, Remarkable Results
By Lea Anne Brandon GJB Managing Editor
G
race Bateman gauges her business success not by how much money she earns but by how many women she helps rise from poverty. In the past year, the against-all-odds business plan for her fledgling Peru Paper stationery company has successfully leveraged a miniscule $100 cash investment and her unswerving faith in God’s provision into a thriving entrepreneurial, mission-minded venture that is steadily advancing toward her goal of changing lives: one woman and one family at a time. In less than 12 months, the 28-year-old Jackson native has taken what started several years ago as a simple craft project and launched a retail and wholesale online marketplace for her handmade note cards, debuted her eco-friendly product line at wholesale markets in Jackson, Atlanta and New York, and increased her international workforce from three part-time workers
16 - Greater Jackson Business
to a staff of 16 women plus a Peruvianbased business manager. Her expanding handcrafted product line now sells in more than 20 boutiques, gift shops and bookstores in 9 states and has recently gone international with the addition of retail outlets in Canada and Australia.
“It’s exciting to know that God can use someone like me to make a difference in people’s lives,” says Bateman, whose quiet demeanor and beaming smile tend to belie the highly focused business acumen behind her company’s hard-earned growth. “I want the success of this business to encourage
other people to understand how God can do miraculous things through you.” Although well-prepared for her business launch with training in social entrepreneurism and guided by a gifted cadre of friends with expertise in marketing, website development and social marketing, Bateman unabashedly credits God for her entrepreneurial achievements. She talks about the return on her hard work and meager financial investment in purely human terms. “More than just the opportunity to run my own business, I realize this is an opportunity for many Peruvian women to come out of poverty. As we grow, we can employ more women,” Bateman explained recently. “I’ve gotten so much more out of this than I’ve put into it. The experience has been a greater blessing than I could have ever imagined and it is one of the biggest joys of my life. I am constantly amazed at where I am today and the journey that has gotten me here. I am surprised it would have impacted so many lives. I had no idea it would have gotten to this point but God had bigger plans
for this than I did.” Bateman’s first trip to Peru in 1999 was as a wide-eyed 17-year-old Jackson Prep high school student who decided to join a mission trip with a group from First Presbyterian Church simply because she “thought it sounded like it would be a lot of fun.” She never imagined that the weeklong summer adventure would set her off on a course that would shape her educational plans and define her professional future. “God really used that mission trip to change my life. I went down there as a kid who’d never been outside this country and just hours after arriving I saw things I’d never seen before. I saw poverty and injustice but I also saw the Lord working in people’s lives. I was really drawn by that and changed by that forever, really,” says Bateman. “I fell in love with Peru, with the people I met there -- and my life, literally, has never been the same.” Her first trip to Peru was clearly not to be her last. While studying Spanish and social work at Mississippi College in Clinton, Bateman would visit Peru several more times.
After receiving her undergraduate degree, she moved to Trujillo, Peru, in 2005 to work for a year alongside missionaries in the rural communities. That was when the vision for Peru Paper Co. was conceived. “I was very impressed with the creativity of the women I met there and I saw how much they enjoyed and what pride they took in making things,” Bateman recalls, explaining that she worked with a small group of women to craft recycled paper from old paper scraps and waste paper. Next, the women created paper designs to fashion one-of-a-kind note cards from the brightly colored scraps. “At the end of the week, there was another group of workers who arrived and they loved the cards,” Bateman says. “We had about 100 cards made – and we sold every single one of them. I can’t tell you how excited the women were. That’s when they began to realize that they could really make some money with this.” When she returned to the U.S., Grace brought back a suitcase full of the handmade cards she bought from the Peruvian women and began selling them to her friends, family and church members. “Out of that experience, out of seeing how excited the women were that people really wanted to buy their product, I realized that this could become a real business,” relates Bateman, a wide smile creeping across her face as she recalls the smiling brown faces of the industrious and talented Peruvian women she authentically describes as friends. But to make her dream a reality, Bateman decided she needed to strengthen her business skills so she enrolled in an economic development training program at The Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College in Georgia. She then went on to earn a Masters in International Community Economic Development at Southern New Hampshire University. It was during her graduate studies and work with The Chalmers Center that she became convinced that job creation was key to eliminating endemic poverty. “Given a choice of loans, charity or the opportunity to work, people prefer having a job,” Bateman declares. After graduate school, Bateman returned to South America and began developing Peru Paper Co. in earnest. She would handle the marketing and stateside sales aspect of the business, the Peruvian women would make the recycled paper and design the cards in their homes. To help manage the Peruvian side of operations, she hired local businessman Oscar Rodriguez to oversee accounting, payroll, production and compliance with local regulations. Because many of the women who hand-make the cards are either illiterate or under-education and don’t have internet access, Bateman relies on Rodriguez to keep the lines of communication open between Greater Jackson Business - 17
Jackson and Tujillo. “We talk on Skype a lot and email regularly,” she says. “That’s really crucial to make sure everything is working according to plan.” Bateman, who purchases the finished cards from the Peruvian women before they are shipped in bulk to the U.S., was adamant that the local women be assured of their income up front and not have their pay contingent on sales. “They are paid before the cards are ever shipped to me,” she reiterates. With the basics of the production side of Peru Paper Co. taken care of, Bateman returned to the U.S. in the summer of 2009 and began setting up the wholesale and retail sales operations. Her first challenge was to find a way to sell the cards to a mass wholesale market and to create retail interest in her new product – on a shoestring budget. She also had to establish the company’s operating systems and determine a marketable price for the cards. (A single card retails for $4.95; a package of eight for $35.95; and a boxed set of eight single-monogrammed cards for $29.95) “I had to start from scratch. I had to develop pricing, decide how to do inventory. I had to come up with a way to market the cards and to get them in front of the wholesale market,” she says. “It really was overwhelming at first. I thought, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’” Bateman turned to Andy and Marianna Hayes Chapman with Halo Business Advisors to
create a marketing plan to introduce retailers and wholesale buyers to Peru Paper’s social ministry back story and its environmentally sustainable product line. The Jackson-based couple created the www.perupaper.com website and online shopping cart featuring product photographs by Tom Beck and candid shots of the Peruvian women at work. The online store opened in October 2009. Printed materials including a wholesale catalogue/ sales brochure were designed by Melia Dicker and Darren Schwindaman and debuted just in time for Peru Paper’s first wholesale market venture at the New York National Stationery Show this past spring. She has since shown the line at the Mississippi Market in Jackson and the Atlanta Gift Market. Most recently, Peru Paper Co. was chosen by jury to show in the prestigious Global Handmade Design section of the New York International Gift Fair this month. “I’ve taken everything step by step. You definitely learn on the job -- there’s no guide book. You have to learn the industry and you learn by doing. Every day brings new challenges and unexpected rewards,” says Bateman, who describes the company’s growth as “slow but steady.” “I have learned that it is worth the extra effort to do things well. It gives us instant credibility. It opens doors and people take me more seriously even though I am young and the company is young.” Bateman says that because she works so
closely with the Peruvian artists to maintain a solid inventory of the company’s most popular note cards she is able to ship most wholesale and online retail orders within 48 hours of ordering. “We keep a good inventory on hand. It’s not months before shipping,” she says, adding that the company is now offering custom designed papers for wedding and rehearsal dinner invitations and Christmas cards and other note cards specially printed with corporate logos. Bateman is also exploring an expansion of her product line to include journals covered with Peru Paper’s unique handmade papers, original artwork displayed in wooden frames handcrafted by Peruvian carpenters and a complementary line of handmade bookmarks. Within a year, Bateman says, she would like to be selling Peru Paper note cards in 100 retail locations in the U.S. as well as additional sites in other countries because that level of growth would allow her to enable more Peruvian women to earn money to take care of their families, educate their children and improve their overall quality of life. “I would love to become the Toms Shoes of the paper and gift industry but that’s going to take some great exposure and people finding out what we do and why we’re doing it,” she says. “But as far as I am concerned, that’s why I’m doing this in the first place: to make a real difference in people’s lives.” - GJB
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18 - Greater Jackson Business
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S P E C I A L T O G J B
Historic Jackson Neighborhood Remains FAB: Fondren Association of Businesses Hitting Its Stride
BY ELIZABETH LEE
NORRIS
Contributing Writer
I
t’s no secret that Fondren is on a roll. From the historic neighborhoods and active community organizations to the eclectic Arts and Commerce district, the energy is palpable. Positioning themselves front and center to benefit from that energy and “Keep Fondren Funky” is the Fondren Association of Businesses (FAB), promoting the locallyowned restaurants, retail and professionals of their one-of-a kind community in Jackson. “It’s been an amazing, quick growth,” states Elizabeth Robinson, FAB Board Member and co-owner of Professional Staffing Group in Fondren. Fundamental to their nearly twoyear-old formation, the Fondren Renaissance Foundation (FRF) served as a launching pad to the association’s creation and FAB now functions as the business arm of the Foundation. “So many great people were a part of this, too. We just caught on at the right time,” states Robinson. By fostering relation20 - Greater Jackson Business
ships, FAB identifies areas of improvement and forms relevant, working committees to achieve those goals. FAB members stay connected via meetings and weekly e-newsletters from President David Waugh, also of Professional Staffing Group, as well as a newly launched Facebook page and website, www. fabfondren.com. Waugh describes the mission of FAB as “Working in cooperation to heighten the identity of Fondren as the destination of choice for locals and tourists alike. As our business district improves, the residential area improves and vice versa.” As more people choose to live in Fondren, even more customers are created for businesses and likewise, more businesses choose Fondren to set up shop. “The original merchants association limited the scope of service. The Fondren Association of Businesses includes the medical community, lawyers, architects and the like, creating essential walkthrough traffic,” Waugh says. Promoting the entire district as a quality place to live and work, Waugh notes the empha-
sis on Fondren as a one-stop shopping district. “You can have a doctor’s appointment, meet with you lawyer or architect, get a hair cut, grab a great lunch, mail a package, buy a birthday gift, stop by the grocery… all right here.” According to Grady Griffin, Director of Education at Mississippi Hospitality & Restaurant Association, 2008 research reveals that for every $100 spent in a “big-box store,” only $12 stays in the community, compared to $45 out of every $100 spent in a locally owned business. “Our members are local, invested in this community and have ownership of this organization,” shares FAB Vice President Jennifer Emerson who, with her chef-husband Derek, owns Walker’s Drive In, a longtime Fondren staple. With a Board of Directors as diverse as Fondren itself, Emerson notes the mix of participants: “Artists, doctors, architects, chefs, interior designers, lawyers and bankers—there is an incredible synergy with this Board because we’re all working for a better Fondren--I just sit in amazement sometimes!” Capi-
talizing on this cohesion, the FAB Marketing team facilitates group promotion by creating cooperative advertising opportunities, landing discounts collectively, something many might not otherwise afford. “We already have the best hospitals, the best restaurants, the best art community. As one entity, we can toot our own horn, accomplishing more than we ever could individually,” adds Emerson. Led by Teams Organizer Ron Aldridge, attorney and State Director of the MS-National Federation of Independent Business, other committees were born from a variety of identified needs. The Green team creates a more inviting environment by organizing district cleanups; the Membership team focuses on recruitment; the Visioning team for longrange planning and the Quality of Life team is charged with safety and security issues. Not turning a blind eye to the obvious issue of crime, the Association has formed a strong
bond with the City of Jackson and Jackson Police Department, both playing an active role in meetings and beyond. Those relationships prove invaluable when coping with a water crisis, street light outages, security cameras and even in the creation of a brochure of emergency and community contact numbers. “The City of Jackson and JPD both have a vested interest in our success and see Fondren as a shining example of what can be accomplished collaboratively. Honestly, I can’t brag on them enough,” Jennifer Emerson states. Members have a better sense of ownership and empowerment where crime is concerned, even making changes on their own. This translates into a sense of pride that permeates beyond just their own businesses, out to the district and city, as well. All work and no play just won’t fly in Fondren, so FAB’s Giving Back to our Community team keeps things lively with the monthly Fondren After 5 event, the popular Arts, Eats & Beats, annual Unwrapping Fondren, carnivals and more. In addition, anticipation for the inaugural visit of The World Famous Sweet Potato Queens in March 2011 has resulted in the creation of Fondren Homecoming, celebrating the district and promoting family involvement, all while raising funds for the Blair E. Batson Chidren’s Hospital. Challenges? “Certainly,” responds Jennifer Emerson. Lofty ideas and events require money to implement. “Fundraising must be part of our mission, but even more than money, we need active, involved members to accomplish our goals.” One such member is Joel Brown.
A Fondren institution since 1965, Brown’s Fine Art & Framing co-owner, Joel Brown is ready to recruit. “I could talk all day about the advantages of being a small business owner in Fondren,” he says. Growing from a 1,000 square foot shop to a 10,000 square foot art gallery, Brown has seen many changes even while some things have stayed the same – for the better. “There has always been a great neighborly feel to our business community, where everyone looks after each other, making Fondren shoppers feel safe and welcome,” he says. Instrumental in forming the original business association in 1994, Brown’s has helped lay the groundwork for the progress now coming to fruition. “Fondren is the past, the present and the future. We’re welcoming new businesses, but relish those that have remained prosperous. We want an even more pedestrian community, young and old out shopping, visiting the best restaurants and our eclectic mix of shops,” he enthuses. With the clear advantage of being like no other, the Fondren Association of Businesses promotes their district’s charming character, wealth of creativity and energy, distinctive mix of retail, restaurants, developers and professionals, all surrounded by neighborhoods rich in history and charm. The common goal? A better Fondren. Jennifer Emerson sums it up best: “There is just no end to our growth!” - GJB For further information on joining the Fondren Association of Businesses, contact Membership Team Chair, David Byrd at (601) 9606520 or visit www.fabfondren.org. Greater Jackson Business - 21
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Greater Jackson Business - 25
G J B
SPECI A L
Five Questions for a Local Entrprenuer: Susan Ng, Owner of Cups-An Espresso Cafe in Flowood GJB: How long have you been in business and why did you start out? Ng: We had opened our doors on August 20, 2008. I’m from the Northwest and missed the culture of bonding with others in coffee shops. Flowood needed a low-key setting where the community could come in and interact with one another.
job. Really, though, it is just like another business; it takes much effort to run an establishment of any kind.
GJB: What is your favorite part of the job? Ng: My customers. The variety of personalities that I meet everyday is the fun part of the business.
GJB: Someone comes to you and says they want to start or buy a business; what advice do you give them? Ng: Believe in what you do. If you have passion in your own product, then someone else will, too. Also, be honest with yourself. There is nothing that can ruin a business faster than being untruthful to yourself and to your customers
GJB: Conversely, what is the hardest part of your job? Ng: The hours can be long. Most people assume a coffee shop business is a retirement
26 - Greater Jackson Business
GJB: If you could change one thing about your business what would it be? Ng: Actually, none that I can think of presently.
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Greater Jackson Business - 29
P L A N N I N G
Who pays the Income Tax?
F
or the last 10 years, we have been in a stable federal income tax environment. We are about to see substantial changes next year. Without further congressional action, the top marginal federal income tax rate will rise by 13% for the year 2011 compared to the year 2010 due to the expiration of the Bush tax cuts. The top federal rate will rise from 35% to 39.6%. The top estate tax rates are scheduled to go from 0 to 55%. We also have a 3.8% Medicare tax scheduled to apply in the year 2013.
BY WALT
DALLAS
Contributing Columnist
So this is a good time to reflect upon who really pays the individual federal income taxes in the country. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the top 10% of individuals pay 72.7% of the federal taxes; the top 5% of individuals pay 61.0%; the top 1% pay 39.56%. (Congressional Budget Office, Sources of Income by Income Category, 1979 through 2007.) The following chart reflects the average federal tax rates paid by the top 10%, top 5% and top 1% individual taxpayers in the year 2007: Top 10%................ 16.2% Top 5%.................. 17.8% Top 1%.................. 19.0% Congressional Budget Office, Sources of Income by Income Category, 1979 through 2007. The effective rates don’t look too bad until you consider that the effective tax rates were artificially pulled down due to the low capital gains rate of 15%. So persons with earned income, as opposed to capital gain income, will be paying a much higher effective rate then the effective rates above. So playing loose with numbers and applying the elimination of the Bush tax cuts, the effective tax rates for 2011 for the top earning individuals will be somewhere around the following: Top 10%................... 18% Top 5%..................... 20% Top 1%..................... 22% If we then fast forward to the year 2013, the effective tax rates for the high earners will look as follows: Top 10%................... 22% Top 5%..................... 24% Top 1%..................... 26% So, taking all that into account by year 2013, the top income earners could see their effective marginal income tax rate increased by 7%, and a top wage earner in Mississippi could see an marginal tax rate of about 45% federal and 5% state, resulting in a 50% marginal tax rate. So generally the next $100,000 earned over around $400,000 would pay about $50,000 in income taxes, about half. - GJB Walt Dallas, J.D., LL M. (taxation) is a tax attorney with his offices in Flowood, Mississippi, and can be reached at wdallas@ corporate planning 123.com or by phone at 601-209-8327. Dallas will be writing a series of columns on additional income tax planning for future issues.
30 - Greater Jackson Business
E C O N O M Y
Politics and Markets
F
ollowing the truly awful economic collapse that began in late 2007, the effects of which still hang over us today, I have noticed an interesting phenomenon. That crisis was at least partially responsible for a new party in control of the White House, on the heels of a similar flip flop in Congress in
2006. These changes were not in accord with the thinking of the majority of Mississippians, and certainly not those of our typical client base, and much wailing and gnashing has ensued. My observation is that a malaise, a word not in vogue since introduced to the lexicon by Jimmy Carter , now pervades our attitude about most
BY WARREN
everything.
Contributing Columnist
At Pinnacle Trust, we had tremendous returns last year; yet this air of pessimism dampened the results in
WILTSHIRE
our clients’ minds. They talk of going back to growing gardens for their food, like their parents or grandparents did during the Depression. Hold on! The situations are not comparable. To begin with, there was no FDIC, SEC, Social Security or unemployment insurance then. The point is this: we must not let political personalities or emotions dictate our investment decisions. Politicians come and go (even if some do the latter too slow to suit), but business cycles endure. While many want to sit it out, gimlet-eyed fund managers are in the market trying to make a nickel – every day, not just in four year segments when the political winds are favorable. Try as they might, those in Washington (President, Congress, Federal Reserve) typically have little control of the economy. At best, they can provide a balanced budget, a strong dollar (though exporters want otherwise) and regulation and oversight that will prevent the cheaters from scamming us. At worse...well. Regardless, the markets will distill and digest their actions and then work through, or around, them. That is why its recent success seems perverse when some are talking revolution. We still see the current investment climate as near the end of a cyclical bull market within a longer term bear market. Buy and hold at your peril, but standing on the sidelines from malaise is not the answer either. It takes a tactical approach, with continuous monitoring, now. - GJB
Warren Wiltshire serves as Chief Legal Counsel & Trust Officer at Pinnacle Trust. He may be reached at wwiltshire@ pinntrust.com or by calling him at 601-957-0323.
Greater Jackson Business - 31
S P E C I A L T O T H E G J B
What Does “Good Enough” Photography Mean? Why would you want your brand (advertising) photography to not look professional? What purpose does it serve, except to make your business look unprofessional? A good portrait photographer is not necessarily a good commercial photographer, and vice versa. Photographers tend to have specialties, and just because one shoots great portraits doesn’t mean they can shoot products, or food. Research who you’re hiring, and notice what photos of theirs stand out.
BY TOM
BECK
Contributing Columnist
What does a “good enough” photo mean to your business and your ad? If it looks blah, then it’ll get lost and forgotten in all the other ads out there. And even if you do see results, how much better would those results be if you actually had a GREAT photo in your advertising? When you hire a pro photographer, you’re insuring that you’re going to get great results. Does the person you hired for $100 off Craigslist have pro equipment? Backup equipment? A certificate of insurance in case they break your merchandise? Are they going to behave professionally on the shoot? Do they know the technical specs of what you need delivered, and will they deliver in a timely manner? These aren’t (usually) a concern when you hire a true professional. If you (or your graphic designer) are purchasing microstock photography (iStockphoto, Shutterstock, etc.), then your competition can, too. How embarrassing will it be to see the image you’re using being used by your competitor (and yes, it has happened, more times than you know). Also, is that image “good enough,” or does it stand out? If the image is just “OK,” even if you didn’t pay much for it, how much is it costing you in business you COULD have had? In other words, are you getting the biggest bang for your buck? What say you? What is your experience with good enough vs. great photography? - GJB Tom Beck is a commercial photographic and owner of Beck Photographic based in Jackson, MS.
32 - Greater Jackson Business
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S P E C I A L T O T H E G J B
Working With A Whole New Wardrobe: Tips for the Business Woman
I BY ELIZABETH S.
FOWLER
Contributing Columnist
t’s amazing how one new piece can revolutionize your wardrobe, unleashing hundreds of new outfits. Here you will find tips for building a strong, stylish work wardrobe on a tight budget. Recently a girlfriend suggested that I compile my personal tips for building a strong, stylish work wardrobe on a tight budget. Needless to say, with tempting fall fashion items populating the shelves of every local store, I was happy to oblige. Fair warning beforehand, though – prepare yourselves; this might sting, but it is worth it. Don’t buy anything! It’s a shocker, but the first step in building a solid fall wardrobe with items that will transition from work to play should NEVER be shopping. You will come home having spent a lot of money and will still feel like you don’t have anything to wear. You need to prepare BEFORE you shop. Gather Ideas. Spend some time flipping through catalogs and browsing on the Web, clipping or printing pictures of outfits you like. Identify looks that are you and that you can imagine yourself feeling great wearing. My catalog of choice these days for outfit ideas is J.Crew. I rarely buy their clothes, but I always use their ideas. If you are a regular purchaser at a local boutique with killer looks, don’t feel shy! Ask the salesperson for permission to snap a shot of the mannequin with your smart phone. You can get an outfit idea almost anywhere. Be realistic. If you work in a casual environment, you probably don’t need to invest in new suits, even if you do love the idea of looking like a powerhouse everyday. Likewise, if you are a high-powered attorney, you might not need five new pairs of designer jeans. If you find yourself drifting toward a very casual look and you have to wear a suit everyday, think about how you might incorporate some casual items into your business wear. For example, you might buy a cashmere hoodie that you can wear with a sleek skirt or some hip comfortable shoes to wear around the office with your pants suit. Study the looks. Examine the outfits in your newly compiled personal “look book” and take notice of similar pieces you already have in your closet. You will find that most professionally styled looks consist of basic pieces that you already own. Most of the time, I find that instead of basics, trendy accessories are what I need to punch-up my work wardrobe. Set a day aside for focusing on your closet. It’s just you and your material possessions. First, try everything on and separate items into piles: stuff that fits/stuff that doesn’t fit, stuff that is clean/stuff that needs to be washed or mended; stuff that you hate/stuff that you love; stuff you like, but have never worn because you can’t find the right shirt to go with it! Don’t get rid of anything at this point - just take inventory. Make it happen! Start with one of the outfit pictures in your personal look book. Try to create that look using pieces from your closet. The colors or patterns in your closet might not be exactly the same as the ones featured in the catalog pictures you have chosen, but that shouldn’t stop you. More than likely, you can use your closet’s current contents to make outfit combinations that have a similar “look and feel” as the ones in the pictures. Write it down. As you try to make new outfits using your old pieces, you will start to notice that you are missing key items to complete the look featured in the picture. For example, you might be trying to compile an “I am the best ‘closer’ at my firm and I WILL seal this deal” sort of look that you spotted on Gossip Girl’s Eleanor Waldorf. You have the perfectly cut designer pencil skirt, the Prada pumps and multi-layered pearl necklace. You have a great belt and the perfect earrings, but you can’t wear the outfit because you are missing the boldly colored, feminine blouse. Congratulations! You have just discovered the first item to add to your shopping list. Make more outfits; add to your list. As you continue to try to pull together “looks” using the contents of your closet, key items will identify themselves as missing. Before you know it, you will have a list of things to buy that you never knew you couldn’t live without! Invariably they will be things that you normally would never take a second look at while shopping. Last year for me these items were a simple pair of Nine West black flats and a purple blouse that cost less than $20. With these two pieces I was able to create about 50 new stunning career combinations. Go shopping! Always take a list detailing what you need to buy so you don’t get sidetracked. Before going shopping, I take photos of the things in my closet that need accompanying items to complete an outfit. For example, if I need a shirt to go with an old skirt, I either take a picture of the skirt or take the skirt itself. This keeps me from buying things that don’t work. Don’t be afraid to buy worthwhile, expensive items. Using this method, you truly will save money because you aren’t wasting it on junk you like but will never wear. So, now you can afford to by quality pieces that you will cherish. - GJB My Scoop is an online style magazine with editions in Birmingham, Nashville and Mississippi. Elizabeth Sparkman Fowler is editor and publisher of My Scoop’s Mississippi edition. Elizabeth is a marketeer at heart. She has worked in a variety of media, including: TV, Radio, Web, Print, Point of Purchase and Product Packaging. You may reach her at elizabeth@myscoop.com.
34 - Greater Jackson Business
w h i l e s o m e l aw f i r m s a re bu s y t ry i n g to m a k e a n a m e f o r t h e m s e lve s , we prefer
p rot e c t i n g t h e n a m e s o f o u r c l i e n ts .
For more than 85 years, we’ve been guided by a very simple philosophy: If we put you first, the rest will take care of itself. •
alabama 205/251-8100 • georgia 404/261-6020 • mississippi 228/864-9900 601/961-9900 • washington, d.c. 202/347-6000 • www.balch.com No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.
Greater Jackson Business - 35
marianna on marketing
Revolutionary Retention Tactics
Y
BY MARIANNA HAYES
CHAPMAN
Contributing Columnist
ou will never experience the full potential of your business if you aren’t revolutionary. Webster’s Dictionary defines “revolution” as a “drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving.” The opposite of a “revolutionary” business owner is one that allows bad habits and complacency to develop in the business, especially in the area of customer service and customer retention policies. It’s a well known fact that it costs MUCH more to get a new customer than to keep one you already have. So, I would recommend that there is no better place to start on your path towards becoming a revolutionary, wildly successful business than to focus first on customer service and customer retention. To make my point, I’ve compiled a list of seven specific tips to apply in your business, specifically when it relates to customer service and/or customer retention efforts. Embrace the tools at your disposal. Whether you know it or not, or even like it or not, the grapevine has gone digital and folks aren’t just talking about you to their next door neighbor anymore. Today, they’re talking about you to the world. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Urbanspoon, Yelp, e-mail and blogs: they’re all alive, well and talking about your business every day in droves right here in little ole’ Jackson, Mississippi. If you don’t know how to use these tools to find unhappy customers and to then communicate with them in an appropriate manner for the medium (you know, in a way that protects the customer’s privacy and the details of his problem while still quickly and deliberately being there to help as their personal, human advocate throughout the process in the specific way that each media’s users expect you to respond), then you’re setting yourself up for stormy waters. Empower employees to make customers happy – not just to fix the “problem.” If a local restaurant burns my pizza, then they take the pizza charge off of my final check – it’s the least they can do for me. As a customer, I would still be left with a bad taste in my mouth, so to speak. However, if the restaurant took the pizza charge off of my final check and also gave me a small gift card so I would come back – or gave me a free dessert before I left – then, I would be remarkably happy – willing to talk to the world about that restaurant, in a good way. In the latter case, the restaurant actually fixed my problem, which at the end of the day had nothing to do with burnt pizza. Be human and empathize. This one is for those of you who have corporate
36 - Greater Jackson Business
“policies;” your business has been blessed to grow to the point that while you’re still a local company, you’re not really that small anymore. Unfortunately, the larger your business becomes, the more likely your employees, or your decision-makers are to be to hide behind a legal team and corporate policies as a safety net. It’s a scary world out there – especially for the “not so small” local business. You have to think big – without the big competitor’s budget. I get it. But hear me out: If you cannot trust your employees to do the right thing, then you should not allow them to be your employees any longer. Regardless of the situation, customers want (and need) advocates. A true customer advocate stands up for the customer – not the company. An advocate makes the customer feel valued and empathizes with the inconvenience or frustration of the situation – even if the situation was caused by the customer himself. As a business owner, just pause for a moment and consider the lifetime value of your average customer, then consider what it would look like it you allocated just 5% of your marketing budget towards a “make good” account so that your front line folks could quickly and simply make stuff right again. What would happen? I believe that in nearly every circumstance, the positive buzz would blow you away. And I have seen it happen: it doesn’t just come from happy customers. All of a sudden it will also start bubbling up from within your company, too, as empowered, entry level employees feel valued and fulfilled in their work. I bet the buzz generates more business than the other 95% of your marketing budget combined. Why does it work so well? Because the entire scenario is personal, it’s remarkable and it’s memorable. In a time when folks like to talk to a few hundred of their closest friends using social media tools, you can’t buy any advertising that will return more than this small investment in humanity. Apologize. Two words: “I’m sorry.” It works at home, and it works in business. Never forget that relationships are worth more than winning an argument. Trust me – you really do want to retain the customer. I’m sure their lifetime value is worth much more than withholding those two little words. Plus, it’s just the right thing to do. Always be humble, be respectful – and own the issue. It’s a non-event if it’s said, but it can cause you a lot of negative word of mouth if you don’t say it. So say it. Be quick to respond. Recently, my husband and business partner, Andy, and I had a customer service “situation” that went on for well over a week. It started with a problem that wasn’t solved by the front-line folks. As our
frustrations grew, we grumbled a bit on Twitter. After 48 hours, someone finally piped up on Twitter and said “we’re going to call you.” It took three more days for a phone call to arrive. There are two lessons here: First, don’t wait for your customers to complain publicly. Be quick to respond to customers off-line and on-line. There are ways for you to monitor sentiment and specific comments across the social web so that you can react before the customer even comes to you directly. This is something that is feasible for any sized business because the basic tools to accomplish this are free. Absolutely blowing your customer’s mind with your interest, care and quick response? Priceless. Second lesson: Do what you say you’re going to do…promptly. Your customer doesn’t have time for red tape. The world moves fast these days. When you promise a response, respond. This is a great place for the frontline customer advocate to follow the entire situation through to the end and beyond to make sure the ball never gets dropped during the most important play in the game.
reach your full potential and success in your business, then don’t do these things. If you want to lose customers faster than you can get new customers, don’t do these things. But if you want to grow your business and spend less on marketing at the same time – DO THESE THINGS. It’s a winning combination that will make you revolutionary. In case you’re wondering, this advice is part of a system we developed called the “12 Steps to Revolutionize Your Business” – the key to YOUR Results Revolution. The full 12 step program was outlined in the February 2010 issue of Greater Jackson Business. For more details on how to implement these “12 Steps” in your business, stay tuned here; I’ll be digging deeper into the “how-to” of each step and sharing specific case studies with you over the next few months. But don’t take my word for it. Every week, on ResultsRevTV,
interview a successful small business owner, so that you can learn from the road-tested, reallife marketing experiences of everyday Main Street marketers just like you. Visit www. resultsrevolution.com to learn more including show topics and guest lists. - GJB Marianna Hayes Chapman is founder of the Results Revolution (www.resultsrevolution. com), an integrated, multi-channel effort dedicated to educating, connecting and promoting locally owned and operated small businesses across America. Marianna is also a nationally-recognized marketing speaker and coach at HALO Business Advisors. Marianna and her husband Andy Chapman advise clients on a broad range of marketing related decisions including the crafting of exceptional marketing messages for new media and the social web. www. facebook.com/ResultsRev - www.halobusiness. com - www.twitter.com/resultsrev
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Go the distance. Do what you say you’re going to do and then heap a pile of “follow-up and keep working until its perfect again” onto your efforts. Go all the way to blissful happiness with your customer – and then go a bit further. Make sure they have a friend, an advocate, that walks through the process with them – and follows up afterwards. A handwritten note or a personal phone call is not out of style in this digital age. Don’t view customers like they’re terrorists. I’m afraid that a lot of businesses are afraid to fix problems – because they are afraid that other problems will sprout up wanting a similar solution. It’s sort of like negotiating with a terrorist: if you give in once, you’ll have to give in again. Take a different viewpoint: view problems as your priority marketing opportunity! Look at problems and complaints as massive opportunities for you to grow (yes, grow) your business. Be grateful that you know about the problems and that you can spend a little money (far less than traditional marketing) on problems as a way to turn the cases into wildly positive customer experiences that lead to more bold and vibrant word of mouth marketing. And we all know that word of mouth marketing is the best marketing you can never buy. It’s as simple as changing your attitude toward your customers – and their problems. With that change, a new world of opportunity may appear for your business. It’s really about what you want. If you don’t want to be revolutionary, then don’t do these things. If you don’t want to Greater Jackson Business - 37
B U S I N E S S H E A L T H
The Next Trends: Value-Based Insurance Designs
T BY MURRAY L.
HARBER
Contributing Columnist
his is the time of the year that businesses are looking at their health claims and making changes to their health plans for 2011. Many companies are looking for new ways to engage employees and their families to improve their health and manage their medical conditions as cost controlling strategies. While wellness programs and chronic disease management programs are popular, there seems to be an engagement divide. A new way to engage a larger part of the health plan membership, employees and their dependents, is to offer incentives and value-based strategies within the company’s health insurance plan. Value-Based Insurance Benefits Design and a Medical Home are the latest ways to help employees and their families engage in changing their behavior by reducing the barriers to participation. Barriers can be cost, access, and time. Insurance brokers and benefits consultants are working to help companies shape these new insurance plan designs. Rod Olps, Benefits Consultant with Strategic Employee Benefits Specialists states, “Employers have cut benefits and passed cost on to employees over the past decade. They cannot continue this practice and must incorporate strategies that address the core issues. Identifying current and future high cost claimants and helping them manage their conditions by reducing barriers will help to moderate future cost increases. Value-Based Insurance Design and onsite medical clinics are key strategies in reaching these goals.” Health reform includes these strategies in Section 2713 of the new Patient Protection Affordable Health Care Act. The law allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop guidelines to permit health plans to use the concepts of value-based insurance designs. The main emphasis of this concept is to remove barriers for tests and treatments that are evidence-based and effective by reducing out-of-pocket costs for high valued services and treatments. Research shows that when these strategies are put to use, participation and adherence to treatments and recommendations are improved. Several Jackson employers are doing some interesting value-based insurance designs. “Last year we launched our tobacco-cessation program six months prior to our moving to a tobacco-free campus. We reduced barriers to employees who wanted to stop using tobacco by reimbursing any out-of-pocket costs and connecting employees with the Mississippi Quit-line and UMMC’s ACT Center,” says Billy Sims, VicePresident of Human Resources at Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company in Jackson. Companies using these tactics are not only engaging the employee but also their families. In some employer cases, dependent costs are more than the employee costs. Billy Sims also states, “Our employees and their families appreciate the company’s efforts in keeping costs low while helping them change behaviors. Many of the tobacco program participants have thanked us for helping them quit smoking and say that they feel better and are saving money by not buying cigarettes anymore.” Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company is one of the leaders in moving towards more value-based designs and is looking at more ways to include the concept. They already have an onsite clinic which distributes generic medications for chronic conditions at a zero co-pay. Under current law, employers can offer a 20% differential in health insurance premiums as incentives for participating company-sponsored wellness programs or meeting a specific qualifying standard. The ceiling goes up to 30% in 2014 with the government studying the effects and possibly moving it up to 50%. Using and aligning incentives and building in value-based incentive designs are the future in health cost management. No matter what size company you have, employer provided health insurance is changing. In the next few issues of Greater Jackson Business, I will share with you more information on health reform and wellness as they relate to the small and medium size business. Remember, a healthy employee is productive and cost less than unhealthy employees. Do your part in offering a healthy workplace culture and a good health insurance plan. - GJB
Murray Harber is a Health Performance Consutant based in Ridgeland, MS. 38 - Greater Jackson Business
GREATER JACKSON BUSINESS - NEWSFEED Pinnacle Trust promotes...
Carol Brock
Carol Brock has been promoted to Trust Operations Officer. She received her Bachelor of Accountancy from the University of Mississippi in 1985, and has over 18 years of experience in the financial industry. Brock originally joined Pinnacle Trust in 2008.
New Life for Fondren’s Auditorium
Real estate developer Mike Peters is enthusiastic about plans to repurpose Fondren’s recently closed restaurant, The Auditorium, as a special events hall. “We anticipate a continuation of the great things that have already been going on there. It’s the perfect venue for events, music, food--and best of all, the facility already has everything anyone could need.” Providing event services will be a select group of preferred caterers, with the Mangia Bene Team first out of the gate announcing their participation. Mangia Bene co-owner Jeff Good states, “There is no better location for announcement parties, birthdays, weddings, charity and political fundraisers and corporate cocktail parties.” Offering food and staffing from their three popular restaurants, Mangia Bene’s liquor license also allows them to provide bar services. Good adds, “And the stage and impressive Peavey sound system are already perfect for a band!” Also available for bookings are Walker’s Catering, Catering by Debbie, VIP Grand Events and Latham Roberts Catering. Peters anticipates a targeted kickoff date of September 1, 2010, which will include a new website and even a new name for the historic Duling School facility.
Nine Bradley Arant Boult Cummings Attorneys Named Among The Best Lawyers in America for 2011
ASHLEY DAVIS
Ashley DeVeaux Davis has joined as the Marketing and Client Services Coordinator. She is a graduate of Millsaps College with a Bachelor of Business Administration and has previously worked three years in Mississippi politics.
MAEVE WILSON
Maeve Wilson has joined Pinnacle Trust as an Associate Relationship Manager. She is a recent graduate of Southern Methodist University with a B.B.A. in Finance. Wilson has held previous internships at both Pinnacle Trust and with the Dallas Mavericks Marketing Division.
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that nine of the firm’s attorneys in Jackson have been named to the 2011 edition of Best Lawyers®, a well-respected peer-reviewed publication. Best Lawyers listed a total of 144 Bradley Arant attorneys this year from all of the firm’s offices, up six from last year. The nine Jackson attorneys listed by Best Lawyers this year are: Roy D. Campbell III, David W. Clark, Margaret Oertling Cupples, W. Wayne Drinkwater, Jr., J. William Manuel, J. Douglas Minor, Jr., William R. Purdy, Stephen L. Thomas, and Stephen M. Wilson. In addition, the firm was top-listed for two practice areas: bet-the-company litigation and commercial litigation. “Bradley Arant Boult Cummings has a great tradition of providing excellent legal advice and representation to our clients,” said firm chairman Beau Grenier. “It is an honor to be so highly regarded by our peers and we do not take the recognition for granted.” About Best Lawyers in America 2011 First published in 1983, Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive annual peer-review survey. For the new U.S. edition, more than 50% of the lawyers listed in Best Lawyers cast more than 3.1 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in the same and related specialties. Because of the rigorous and transparent methodology used by Best Lawyers, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to
pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.” About Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP Tracing its roots to 1871, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP has more than 380 attorneys in seven offices, and is one of the largest law firms in the Southeast. The firm maintains offices in Birmingham, Huntsville, and Montgomery, Alabama; Jackson, Mississippi; Charlotte, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; and Washington, D.C. The firm’s lawyers serve clients locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, and provide services across a wide range of industries, including accounting, automotive, banking and finance, biotechnology, life sciences, construction, education, emerging business, energy, entertainment, equipment leasing, forest products, government contracts, health care, life sciences, hospitality, insurance, manufacturing, materials and aggregate production, media and communications, mining, municipal and public finance, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, public utilities, real estate, retail, steel, technology, telecommunications, textiles, transportation, and venture capital. For more Metro Business news visit us online at www.greaterjacksonbusiness.com
Greater Jackson Business - 39
BUSINESS
Business News for Hinds, Madison and Rankin Counties
Coming Next Issue: Illustration by Dagny Criss
40 - Greater Jackson Business
n Who’s The “King” (Queen) of Jackson? n GJB Publisher Reflects on 20 Years n Peoples Construction Keeps It In The Family ...and More!
If you can’t be there, we can. She’s one fastball away from victory, and when she lets it go, the crowd’s gonna go wild. But if you can’t be there cheering in the stands, you can still make sure that she knows you believe in her. Farm Bureau Insurance has a wide range of life insurance policies that can meet your family’s needs, so you can help her feel like a winner, no matter what happens.
Contact the agent nearest you.
MSLFPR40536
In Hinds Co., call (601) 857-5551 In Madison Co., call (601) 856-3705 In Rankin Co., call (601) 825-5056
Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co., Jackson, MS