November 2013 magazine final by Small Business Today Magazine

NOVEMBER 2013

DOING BUSINESS

IN INDIA END OF YEAR, WIND DOWN,

GEAR UP OR BOTH?

DARRYL KING AND KAREN BECERRA PRINCIPLE PARTNERING GROUP, LLC

Volume 2 Issue 8

BUILT BY QUALITY, ETHICS, HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS, AND STREET SMARTS

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SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2013

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SBT Houston Staff November 2013

FROM THE

Publisher STEVE LEVINE

IS IT TIME TO REFRESH YOUR BUSINESS PLAN? One of the standard practices of the 150+ Cover Honorees who I have interviewed for my publications (Real Estate Executive Magazine, Premier Agent Magazine, & SMALL BUSINESS TODAY Magazine) is the annual review of their current business plan. If you have not done so in a while (since last year or beyond) and are not where you expected to be in the 4th quarter of 2013, maybe it is time to review, make corrections, and get busy implementing a refreshed business plan. First, take a look at the goals you put in place at the beginning of this year. You are now in the final two months of the year; if you are not where you intended to be, ask yourself, “Why not?” To help move your business forward, quickly and efficiently, here are several tips from our SBT September 2012 Cover Honoree, Rita Santamaria, CEO of Champions School of Professional Development and Champions School of Real Estate: 1) Call your good customers and ask them for any feedback they can give you to help increase your business. Use this feedback to start ASAP to reach the level you expect based on your good business planning and goals. 2) Work on your marketing program over the next 30 days. Your networking may need to expand either on a personal level or through your website and social media level. 3 Do an assessment of where your contacts and referrals are coming from. This is the area which deserves extra emphasis, including old school “thank you notes” to those loyal persons who are helping you succeed. 4) Have someone take a look at your current website and give you an assessment from a potential client point of view. How does your website look? It should be easy to navigate. Make sure that there is a phone number as well as an email contact on your home page. 5 Do you have an app for your website? In today’s world of technology, being accessible via a mobile device is mandatory. People will contact you while traveling and they typically are using their mobile devices. 6) Spend time away from your business to do better “in your business”. Business owners need time to “sharpen their saw”. Your best new ideas for change that can take your business activity to the next level often happen while you’re away from the daily “must-dos” on your task list. 7) The same routines that keep us comfortable and predictable, where our ideas are safe and our skills are sufficient; will not produce a company that is wise and skillful. Take a company temperature reading and make plans for change today. Continued on next page

President John Cruise Executive Publisher Steve Levine Associate Publisher/Creative Director/Editor Barbara Davis-Levine Business Development/PR Bill Huff Donna Rooney Sonia Guimbellot Stephen Zappala Susan Repka Graphic Designers Malka G. Levy Vanessa Vara Photographer Gwen Juarez Contributing Writers Errol Allen Barbara R. Davis Kari L. Fluegel Mila Golovine Lorraine Grubbs Bruce Hurta Craig Klein Daniel A. Krohn Ralph Lapin Hank Moore Mike Muhney Amy Olivieri Mayor Annise Parker George Rose Rita Santamaria Alvin Terry Holly Uverity Jack Warkenthien Doug Winnie Aimee Woodall Chief Advisor Hank Moore Publisher’s Advisory Board Cyndi Barnett Roger Burks Donna Cole John Cruise Dirk Cummins April Day Dr. John Demartini Maya Durnovo Kathie Edwards Leonard Faucher Mila Golovine Toni Harris David Holt Richard Huebner Jeffrey Jones Darryl King Craig Klein Wea Lee Bertrand McHenry Hank Moore Lisa M. Morton Mike Muhney Leisa Holland Nelson Mayor Annise Parker Maria Rios Grant Sadler Rita Santamaria Allen Shapiro William Sherrill Pam Terry Linda Toyota Jack Warkenthien Doug Winnie Aaron Young Phone: 832-460-2020 E-Mail: Steve.Levine@SBTMagazine.net Or Write: Small Business Today 5380 West 34th Street, Ste 230

Houston, TX 77092 See us on the web at www.SBTMagazine.net

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Continued from Publisher Column page Is It Time to Refresh Your Business Plan?

These partners (for over 10 years) complement each other well and work with an incredible staff to keep raising the bar on their own success and the success of others. They, personally and in tandem, are mentors to many groups and individuals in addition to being two of the most generous individuals whom I have ever encountered. I am quite confident that you will enjoy their story and implement their “Key Take-Away Points” that follow their story. Speaking of “stories”, in this month’s issue, we shine the spotlight on an organization that Barbara and I

are proud to be major sponsors, members, and board members of. The organization is the “National Association of Women Business Owners.” I am very proud to be the only male member of their Board in the history of the organization! In fact, quite often, I am the only male in attendance at their monthly luncheons! Well, it is time to let you get started with this very special issue of SMALL BUSINESS TODAY Magazine. Also, don’t forget to listen to the SMALL BUSINESS TODAY Magazine TALK SHOW each weekday from 4:00pm to 5:00pm on www.MJWJTalkRadio.com. Good Reading, Good Sales, and Have a Blessed Thanksgiving Holiday, Steve Levine Executive Publisher

Designing For Your Success ™

This month’s cover honorees, Darryl King & Karen Becerra of the Principle Partnering Group, know the value of keeping their bottom line and know that the only thing permanent is change.

that

design

works advertising branding graphics logos & more

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INSIDE

NOVEMBER 2013 EDITION I HOUSTON

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IN THIS ISSUE Advertising – Choosing Words That Sell

End of Year, Wind Down, Gear up or both?

Mobile Does Matter for Your Small Business

3 Small Business Marketing Buzzwords that Shouldn’t Scare You

The Houston Public Library Card, Your “Smartest” Card

The Lazy Guide for a Change of Seasons

Doing Business in India

Developing Leaders: Part Three

2 Seconds, 2 Words, 2 Day

Wait, Wait, Tell Me: Marketing for the Attention Deficit

Critical Decision

Evaluating Repayment Ability f or an SBA Loan Application

Elementary Questions Lead to Customer Insights

Planning for College: First Generation Families

Top 10 Needs of Small Business Owners

“O”

DARRYL KING AND KAREN BECERRA PRINCIPLE PARTNERING GROUP, LLC

NAWBO – HOUSTON CHAPTER

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS

CONNECTING WOMEN WHO MEAN BUSINESS

BUILT BY QUALITY, ETHICS, HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS, AND STREET SMARTS

THE Organization Women-Owned Businesses rely on for Growth and Success.

WOULD YOU OR YOUR COMPANY LIKE TO BE PROFILED IN OUR NEXT ISSUE? CALL STEVE LEVINE AT 832-419-2814

TO ADVERTISE YOUR COMPANY IN OUR NEXT ISSUE?

CALL STEVE LEVINE AT 832-419-2814

Getting Organized: Let’s Talk Tools 36 HOUSTON EDITION PUBLISHER: STEVE LEVINE SMALL BUSINESS MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY LEGACY PUBLISHING GROUP, LLC. 5380 WEST 34TH ST. STE. 230 HOUSTON, TX 77092 EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER: STEVE LEVINE PRESIDENT: JOHN CRUISE PHONE: 832-460-2020 www.SBTMagazine.net ADVERTISING RATES ON REQUEST. BULK THIRD CLASS MAIL PAID IN TUCSON, AZ. POSTMASTER: PLEASE SEND NOTICES ON FORM 3579 TO 5380 WEST 34TH ST. STE. 230 HOUSTON, TX 77092 ALTHOUGH EVERY PRECAUTION IS TAKEN TO ENSURE ACCURACY OF PUBLISHED MATERIALS, SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR OPINIONS EXPRESSED OR FACTS SUPPLIED BY ITS AUTHORS. COPYRIGHT 2012, LEGACY PUBLISHING GROUP, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED.

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Gwen Juarez Photography

For 10 years the partnership of Darryl King & Karen Becerra has proven exceptionally successful!

By Barbara R. Davis

ver the years, the Principle Partnering Group has become known to many as the firm built by quality, ethics, humanitarian efforts, and street smarts through the strong, complementary leadership of CEO Darryl King and COO Karen Becerra. PPG capably does project management, certified payroll, staffing, and executive recruiting but primarily creates programs for contract compliance. They deconstruct complex regulatory compliances (rules) and make transparent, defensible processes out of them so the compliance reports are automated. For example, they take federal regulations such as a CFR 49 Part 26 or Dodd Frank and create a Six Sigma-based process for compliance. Mr. King commented, “It’s kind of unique. It may not be something that everybody would like to do because it’s kind of a ‘techie’ thing but that’s what we do primarily at the Principle Partnering Group.” PPG was one of the first businesses to use ‘cloud computing’ (since 2009). They created a ‘cloud-based’ database management system for tracking and reporting, like the contract for the $1.6 billion Metro project in downtown Houston. They track and monitor over 1,000 contracts simultaneously.

the ability to work in the pipeline industry dealing with safety issues. We do regulatory on every level and are now working with cyber security partners.” Ms. Becerra continued, “Another arm we have is the Integrated Services Group that deals with Energy Performance Contracting. We also have the PPG People Source Division. It’s everything from the labor market all the way up to the C-level suite. We have the ability to recruit for that and fill orders.” Both King and Becerra are Senior Fellows of the American Leadership Forum; Darryl was Class 14 and Karen was Class 16. After meeting at one of the Leadership Forums, on several occasions Karen would visit Darryl at his office and ask him to partner and invest in certain business endeavors but none of them were of interest to Darryl. Finally, Ms. Becerra brought him something that intrigued him. Karen thought due to King’s past experience as Chairman of the Board of the Urban League and having written a 30 percent minority participation piece on Minute Maid Park, the Houston Rockets Stadium, and a couple of other projects around town, that they could design a contract participation program firm.

They can also tell you to the penny where every penny of the $1.6 billion has been spent and if there were any litigation, mitigation, or retention issues. They track anything and everything related to the contract and all activity on the contract. They created the software from scratch, and as Mr. King expressed, “We designed that ‘airplane’ while we were flying it in the dark because we started with them after the contract had already begun. We are now on version 6.1.”

Darryl liked what Karen brought to him this time and agreed to partner with her. After discussing what they should call themselves, they agreed upon the name of the Principle Partnering Group in November of 2003. The name selected was a direct reflection of their shared practices in how they conducted business and personally treated others with character, quality, integrity, and principles.

Karen Becerra refers to the talented team at PPG as multi-faceted program management folks. She elaborated, “Our core business is regulatory rules and regulations and making sure everything meets with compliance, but we are not limited to that. We have the ability to work with construction management for Leed-certified buildings; we have

Their logo of a green and blue pyramid with a white background on a firm foundation was designed to symbolically represent a firm foundation that lasts forever. The Earth green symbolizes purity and the IBM blue, an institutional color, signifies trust. “It

Gwen Juarez Photography

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was a cerebral approach as to how we wanted to do business with each other and with our clients”, reflected Darryl. The Principle Partnering Group officially began their operation in December of 2003 with a total of three employees - King, Becerra, and one other partner. Nearly ten years later, they have 30 employees and offices in four different locations – three in Houston and one in San Antonio. In addition, they have satellite offices where their clients are located and need them onsite. They are also able to have “virtual offices” using “cloud-based” systems. Because of the clouds, they are able to work in Houston even though their client is in San Francisco. Some of their notable clients include: Southwest Airlines, Arup, AECOM,Huitt-Zollars, Mustang Engineering, Parsons, and the HRT (Houston Rapid Transit) Joint Venture which is made up of Parsons, Kiewit, Stacy and Witbeck, and Granite.

companies’ intern programs, PPG pays their interns. On top of that, they pay them above the market rate. Even in the beginning when they weren’t paying themselves, they still paid their interns! Mr. King has a refreshing regard for his competitors. His example is one that others in business can learn a lot from. He elaborated, “We don’t see our competitors as people who are a problem for us. We go to areas where they are not. We have a high regard and respect for them and have even partnered with one of them on some projects. Some people keep an eye on their competitors because they think they have to compete or hurt one another. There’s enough space out here for all of us to do well, so we don’t approach competition like that. They are associates as far as we’re concerned.”

Gwen Juarez Photography

PPG has an extraordinarily large “charitable” budget for a firm that is their size mainly because Becerra and King share the same values about giving back to the community. “The point is,” PPG has managed over $4 billion worth of business in every expressed Darryl, “When we developed this company, we said aspect from professional we wanted to be prinservices to construction, cipled in every aspect to operations and mainand this is one of those tenance. Ms. Becerra aspects we wanted to proudly stated, “We have be principled in and not been able to impact forget where we came over 600+ businesses in from. I grew up in the some areas, have helped projects. I don’t fool anybuild capacity for them, body into thinking that I and actually managed was somebody different. contracts for over 1,000 We grew up in a harsh, of them. In addition, we mostly violent, povertyhave helped graduate stricken area. I don’t people from the program think you can forget and now they’re becomabout that. You have to ing ‘primes’. I think that’s remember from whence been my most satisfying you’ve come and make PPG has assembled an incredibly talented corporate staff. moment. sure that you help those less fortunate. If you Darryl interjected, “I’ve have a blessing, share personally mentored bethe blessing, and you’ll tween 30 to 50 small businesses over a 22 year period and I am most get it back tenfold. We’re really blessed and we’ve been very proud that some of them have become very successful to the point successful but we’re like the UPS man; sometimes our job is to that they are no longer considered small business! I believe wisdom is deliver it, not receive it.” fathered by time and experience. The best thing to do is to share that experience honestly with small business. I’ve probably made The Principle Partnering Group does far more sponsoring than every mistake you could make and I think you have to be able to most companies. Last year, for example, they took ten families own up to that. When you see somebody doing something alike that they got from an organization called “Change Happens.” or similar, you have to deal with it head-on.” They delivered entire Christmas dinners including turkey, dressing, yams, and potato salad to families in need. They have a Mr. King continued, “I’m more direct with people than most, but I chef who works with them and they have been doing this for many have always felt that it is better to tell you what I think about what years for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Also during Christmas you are about to do than to be paralyzed by politeness. I don’t time, they give money to an organization called “Navidad en el think you are doing any small business a favor by allowing them Barrio” to purchase toys and bikes for children in need. to bump their head so that they can have the same bump that you had! I don’t want them to feel that pain. I’d rather that they not Even though they do a multitude of things for others, Darryl do that so I am kind of part social worker; more social worker than expressed that they don’t try and market their generosity and I want to be because I get involved in a granular level with them described what they do as being “quietly effective.” One year because I really want them to be successful.” they bought 20 mattresses for homeless people as a result of a request by council woman Wanda Adams. PPG regularly helped From the time the Principle Partnering Group began, they have an organization called the Houston Achievement Place, a place had an Internship Program and many summer interns from where sexually abused children go to be healed and educated. Houston Community College have benefited greatly over the When the Yates School Band lost all of their equipment in a flood years by participating in the PPG Program. King says it was ten years ago, Darryl and his friend Ken White replaced all of the Karen’s idea. She initially designed it and also managed it. In equipment. addition, PPG has been extremely generous because unlike most Continued on page 30

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SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2013

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Advertising –

THE BUSINESS OF REAL ESTATE

Choosing Words That Sell

By Rita Santamaria

hen it comes to writing marketing pieces for promotion and advertising both you and your properties, there are some words that just do a better job of “call to action”.

anything. However, if there were a new roof or foundation repair that came with a guarantee for a period of time, with the guarantee in writing, you could promote and advertise that guarantee.

The following words will help you do the selling:

Easy – Everyone has a hurried pace in today’s world. People want things and tasks to be easy. Use the word “Easy” and phrases such as, “Your process from buying to closing is easy with the Villareal Team of Specialists.

You or Your – “You” is the most powerful word you can choose. It is more powerful than the word “Money”. So instead of writing for example, “My clients say working with me is the best thing that ever happened to them.” Write, “You will notice a huge difference between my professional experience and that of any agent you have worked with in the past.” “You are the most important part of my job.” “Keeping you happy is my goal.”

Free – Whether it is a “Free” market analysis, “Free” consultation, “Free”

Yes – “Yes” is one of the most pleasing words to the human ear. Use “Yes” often with your clients. They enjoy hearing they were right or, you are just agreeing with them, or yes, the work can be done. Quick/Quickly – At every turn, people want things done “Quickly”. Whether waiting for loan approval, for an inspection, survey, or appraisal to be delivered, clients want tasks done quickly.

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Money – Right after “You” is the word “Money”. People love to save “Money” and earn “Money”. Therefore, using the words, “Save you Money” makes a huge statement in any advertising piece or campaign.

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Health/Healthy – People want products and services that help them retain good “Health” or make them “Healthier”. Advertising the amenities of a neighborhood that have golf, tennis, jogging trails, bike paths, and pools add to their desire to acquire that property. Using the phrase, “You will maintain your healthy lifestyle by using the bike paths, jogging trails in the highlands subdivision…” would be a good use of wording in your ad.

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Guarantee – People want to feel like they have assurances with their purchases with as little risk as possible. In real estate, there are few times we could ever “Guarantee” SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2013

estimate, or “Free” report, try to put something “Free” into your marketing materials.

713.629.4543

West Campus

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

For example, “You can be assured that I will follow up to make sure all tasks are done quickly and we stick to our timetable of 30 days to closing and funding.” Benefit – Everyone wants to know “What’s in it for me?” The extra that is received by this selection needs to be presented. “The benefit of buying in this neighborhood is that there is a community pool at no extra charge in your homeowner’s fees.” “The benefit of buying this house is that the school bus stops right in front of your home.” Person’s Name – People love to hear the sound of their own name. Use it often during your conversation: “Marie, what do you think of the landscaping?” Always address marketing pieces to an individual’s name not “resident” or “occupant”.

Other powerful words include:

Love Results Safe/safety Proven Fun New Save Now When you advertise in the newspaper, remember to use the AIDA formula for best results: A = Attention Short, vision-creating words will entice the reader to go further. I = Interest Create interest in the next several words to motivate them to read the rest of the ad. D = Desire Now that you have their attention, you have to deliver a benefit to create a need for them to own this property. Choose a major feature of the property for building desire: “The perfect family room for gatherings by the fireplace on a cool night.” A = Action Now that you have the reader’s attention, you must ask them to move or take action on their feelings: “Call Tina today.” “Easy terms available; call now!” www.SBTMagazine.net

To maximize results from your property ads, follow these 10 Tips to Effective Advertising: 1. Collect as much information as you can about the property. Analyze the property to be advertised. 2. Determine the target audience for the ad. Don’t aim your ad for everyone. Who is the buyer prospect for this house or farm or office building? 3. Remember people buy benefits not features. How will the buyer benefit from this house? 4. Every ad should have the location, price, and the indication of size of the house. In a survey of what is most important to buyers, 99% stated they wanted to know the location of the property, 75% wanted to know the price, and 66% of them wanted to know the number of rooms in the house. 5. Never exaggerate. Avoid overused words like: beautiful, spacious, immaculate, nice, and lovely. They are the 5 most overused words in real estate advertising. Never use industry jargon or abbreviations. Always tell the truth. 6. The headline should be attention-getting and eyecatching. “What’s in it for me?” 7. Write the ad as though you were having a face-to-face conversation with the buyer. 8. Close with a Call To Action. “Call Henry today!” 9. After writing the ad, review it and ask yourself, “Does it inspire enthusiasm?” 10. Keep a copy of all your ads and make notes as to which ones work for you better than others do. Which one inspired the buyer to pick up the phone and call? This will help in the future for all of your ad writing. Will you use these ideas and techniques in marketing? Yes, because it’s easy! Are you going to love the results? Yes, because it is free and easy to do! Guaranteed! Start today!

Rita Santamaria is the owner of Champions School of Real Estate and Champions Professional Development. For more information, go to www.ChampionsSchool.com. Champions School of Real Estate since 1983 and 2013 BBB Award for Excellence in Business.

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

End of Year, Wind Down, Gear up or both?

ENTREPRENEURS TOOL BOX

By Alvin E. Terry MBA, Business Consultant, Dynamic Business Builders

s we begin to observe the holiday season as business professionals, we must reflect on the previous 10 months as it relates to our individual business plans. Comparing actual vs. planned projections will bring everything into focus. Were you on target or just floundering along? I must admit, my target kept moving also. The economy had a great impact on some sectors of the business community that was our primary focus. I always say “our”, because I am in it with you to win it. Some sectors experienced growth, other sectors maintained, and others just vanished altogether. This year of 2013 has been a challenge for the entire Global Economic Community, not with-standing the influences of politics. “Made in America” has been the driving force to help the economy get back to a level of some consistency. It is a reality that we must identify how we can collaborate with synergistic businesses that complement each other. As we review all of the activity that has taken place over the past 10 months, we must believe and practice how positive relationships are complementary to each other. At times, we all have identified that we cannot make this thing of small business become successful with a whim of our imagination. I understand that this is a “bunch of work” that is dynamic and changing before our very eyes. Maneuvering through this maze of positioning your business and staying on course with your perceived business plan requires constant attention. In respect to your individual business plans, please focus on the numbers. The numbers are the bottom lines for all of us. I cannot emphasize enough about the importance of the numbers. The numbers are indicative of how we are progressing with our individual business plans. I know that many will not possess formal business education, but that is what makes us entrepreneurs. We all have that calling that has brought us to this point. This is what any small business entrepreneurs anywhere is all about. The will to believe that we can get it done is just that; we can. It is that passion and commitment to make that dream come alive. As we progress through this evolution of business development and growth, we must be attentive to where we are in this process

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of growth. Some businesses will grow at a rapid rate depending upon the need of the consumer. Some businesses will experience consistent growth and some businesses will stall and stagnate and cease to exist. The most important thing is to be cognizant of what is happening and influencing your profit margins. Being aware of the internal and external influences that affect your successful business potential is paramount. If you are experiencing consistent episodes of cash flow problems, customer dissatisfaction, employee turnover, and other instances that are affecting your ability to operate a successful business operation, then it may be the time to have some other consultants assist you in getting back on tract. Please be mindful that it may be influences that you may not ever be able to control. As I have pointed out before, 7 out of 10 businesses fail for a variety of reasons. If you have experienced the ongoing day-to-day activity of dealing with customers employees, vendors, suppliers, advertisers, and marketers, then you are a small business entrepreneur. All small businesses start the same way. Even Generals have to go through Basic Training. The most important thing is to be cognizant, or mindful, and vigilante of knowing where you are in the process and the evolution of where you are in respect to where your business is in fulfilling your customer’s needs. If you are not fulfilling that need, now is the time to decide on the next course of action for the New Year if you decide to keep on going forward to grow a business that will have the capacity to sustain the test of time. Keep in mind that all big businesses started out as a small business, as an idea in some one’s mind. If it is not working for you, change it, modify it, or let it go. Most importantly, be prepared to make a change. If you would like to contact me concerning Business or Real Estate, I may be reached at alvin.terry@rocketmail.com or Cell 713-392-9107. www.SBTMagazine.net

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Mobile Does Matter for Your Small Business By: Amy Olivieri, Constant Contact Regional Development Director Amy Olivieri

e live in an increasingly mobile world—just take a glance around, wherever you may be, and you are sure to see multiple people using mobile devices. They’re checking their email in line at the coffee shop, browsing the internet on the sidelines of their child’s soccer game, and tweeting from the aisles of the grocery store; and when potential (and existing) customers go to get information about your business, they will likely do so using a mobile device. Potential customers who find your website through listings like Yelp or TripAdvisor or a mobile search are usually in the mindset of buying or contacting your business. It’s important that they can easily purchase something from your mobile site or can find your contact information. These two components play into a mobile-friendly experience that can be extremely powerful when it comes to conversions. If your business does not offer mobile-friendly experiences for your customers, the worst that can happen is that people decide not to do business with you. That’s the bottom line and as a small business owner, your bottom line is a big deal. Aside from losing business, there are a few other problems that can arise if you’re not mobile friendly that you’ll probably want to avoid. I’ll outline the most common challenges, as well as some tips to help make sure your business is mobile friendly. While becoming mobile friendly is not something that will happen overnight, do a little bit at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Here are a few simple things you can do in the next few months to get your business moving with the mobile tides. Challenge: Frustrated customers Picture this-- an excited new customer arrives at your mobile website and they’re laser-focused on buying one of your products. They’ve done their research; they’ve combed through your stellar business reviews on Yelp; and they’re ready to SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2013

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click the purchase button…but, they can’t find that button. That maybe could be because that button is actually a link and when they go to click it, their finger presses the link below it, which immediately sends them into a frenzy of frustration. Then, if things can’t get any worse, the visitor can’t find your phone number so that they can call and scream, “Please just let me buy your product!” This scene may seem extreme, but, it’s a reality many mobile users face. If that customer does eventually find your address, you’ve already started your relationship off on the wrong foot. Tip: Make sure your website is mobile friendly A mobile-friendly website is basically a shorter, more condensed version of your main site. Simply paring down your content into digestible chunks will help greatly. Also, make sure you have a clear “click to call” button on every page. That alone is crucial when it comes to being more mobile friendly. Challenge: Your business can’t be found Not updating your online listings on sites like Yelp and Trip Advisor is the quickest way to simply not exist to the many, many people searching and shopping on their mobile devices. Make sure your business is listed, with the correct updated information, in all of the places your customers might be searching for you. Tip: Update your online listings Make sure all of your online listings are updated. You should also encourage existing customers to write reviews for you because they are incredibly powerful in the customer buying process. Maybe even think about offering a discount for customers who write a review for you. Challenge: Existing audience disengages If your emails and newsletters are not mobile friendly, your customers might eventually disengage

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

3 Small Business Marketing Buzzwords that Shouldn’t Scare You By Craig Klein, CEO of SalesNexus.com

t seems like everything is changing faster than you can even become aware of the change…much less adapt your business practices to fit the new way of doing things. It seems easier to simply dismiss it all and continue to do things as you have done in the past. That would be a big mistake. Unfortunately, most of the buzzwords popular in the marketing realm are explained in terms of BIG business. It takes time to extract the juicy goodness from their tactics and boil it down to something you can use in a SMB.

into your CRM along with any emails you send related to the action taken with the sales lead. 2. Ask customer service staff to share their most requested information. Use the emails sent in response to requests to build email campaigns to be sent to all new sales leads. 3. As you build this library of automated marketing and service communication, be on a constant look out for other ways to save time with email automation and combine it with online CRM.

Let me make it easy on you. I have picked three of the most popular marketing buzzwords and translated them into actions you can take today to increase the number of sales leads you can convert to customers. All you need is an online CRM that is integrated with email automation. The rest is pretty easy.

Inbound Marketing This is a buzzword that can cause a small business owner to scratch his head in dismay.

Marketing Automation In this slide presentation about marketing automation, Doherty White claims, “If you increase automation in Marketing, you can generate more sales leads, make more sales, and earn more money.” While I will not deny the truth in the statement, it leaves a lot of space between the claim and what it takes to make it true.

In his article about inbound marketing for small business, Gavin Llewellyn describes inbound marketing as “any tactic that relies on earning people’s interest rather than buying it.” The principles of inbound marketing are more similar to businesses 50 years ago than to the traditional advertising practices of recent years.

Big business will have eight or more metrics they have automated to develop, track, and maximize the use of marketing automation, but, it does not have to be that complicated. Instead, simply use your online CRM sof ware that is integrated with your email marketing program this way: 1. Look for steps that are taken on a regular basis within your sales process. As you discover them, drop the action required www.SBTMagazine.net

Anyone will quickly admit that traditional marketing is ineffective. Inbound marketing sounds good, but it sounds like a pipedream.

Inbound marketing uses social media, blog posts, events, and anything personal that focuses on the customer relationship. Instead of interrupting your potential sales leads, you entice them to contact you and use automated lead nurturing communication to build trust. Again, you easily accomplish this goal when email campaigns are integrated within the CRM. Content Marketing The concept of this buzzword intersects

with the other two. It starts with focusing on your current ideal clients. Spend some time to figure out what your bestcustomers want, need, and worry about. Then, because you care about them, create content to educate them about solutions that are available to them. Send them an email campaign of informative content they value. NOTE: Content marketing is NOT about you, your company, your products, or your services. If you talk about those things, you are simply digitizing traditional advertising methods. This type of marketing is repulsive to today’s decision makers. They could not care less about what you have to offer. Focus all your content on the sales lead. They expect you to educate them well enough that they can make their own decision about whether you are the right solution for them. Give them information that is vitally important to them – even if they never consider your company. Thankfully, marketing automation enables you to furnish educational content to lots of sales leads. These three popular buzzwords reflect the changing buyer environment and you can’t afford to ignore them. Those companies that have implemented these marketing buzzwords are pulling ahead of those that are doing things the old way.

Craig is the founder of SalesNexus. com, a leading provider of CRM, Email Marketing, and Lead Generation solutions to business 2 business sales teams.

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

The Houston Public Library Card, Your “Smartest” Card By Mayor Annise Parker

want to devote this edition of my column to making sure that everyone has the smartest card of all – a free library card. It’s also a good time to remind everyone of the essential services our local libraries provide.

Houston Public Library cards have been redesigned to evoke the Library’s mission, “We link people to the world.” To sign up, visit the main library downtown or any one of our neighborhood libraries, go online at www.houstonlibrary.org, or call 832-393-12313. I have MY link, do you have yours? If not, I encourage you to get a Houston Public Library Card today. I guarantee it will be the “smartest card” in your wallet. The Houston Public Library links you to student success. From infants to adult learners, our library provides students with exciting and engaging programs and services that make learning fun and with resources that they can access from the Library or from home – all with their Houston Public Library Card. In February 2013, the Library provided 19,000 free online tutoring sessions for learners of all ages and held 1,500 After School Zone Sessions, with more than 28,000 Teens and Tweens in attendance. These programs provide kids with a safe and comfortable place to go for support with schoolwork once the school day ends. The Houston Public Library links you to savings and accessibility. According to the American Library Association (ALA), Americans check out more than eight books a year, on the average. If we estimate the average cost of a book as $25, this means that owning a Houston Public Library Card saves you an average of $200 a year. Last year, the Houston Public Library system lent out 6.3 million items to customers, including books, CDs, and DVDs. The Library also provides access to ebooks. We experienced a 66% increase in usage of ebooks and a 100% increase in usage of downloadable audiobooks last year.

partnerships to provide expanded services and programs addressing adult literacy. This includes more English as a Second Language options and GED achievement options. The Houston Public Library links you to technology access and instruction. Libraries bridge the digital divide by providing access to a full range of technology resources and digital literacy classes. Last year, the Houston Public Library recorded 1.1 million computer use sessions which were used for free access to the Internet for job searches, school projects, and business research. The Library also held 5,700 free computer classes covering a wide variety of software and skill levels. The Houston Public Library links you to workforce development. Through various partnerships the Library offers ongoing support to job seekers and small business owners. Workforce Solutions and the City of Houston Office of Business Opportunities provide regularly scheduled classes and workshops on a variety of topics at libraries citywide. The Library held more than 1,600 Open Job Search Labs, providing resources and hands-on assistance to more than 5,600 job searchers. Customers can even make a one-onone appointment for a personalized job search, college funding assistance, or small business funding assistance through the Central Library’s Compass Center. The Houston Public Library serves approximately 20,000 people a day through 42 locations and online. Whether you are looking for resources for your small business, researching a class project, needing access to valuable information to help with your job hunt, or desiring to lose yourself in the latest best seller, the Houston Public Library is the place to do it. It really is your link to the world!

The Houston Public Library links you to literacy advancement. The Library holds more than 2,000 children’s reading programs each year, with more than 62,000 attendees throughout the city. Recently, the Library entered into several SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2013

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

The Lazy Guide for a Change of Seasons By Aaron Scott Young, CEO Laughlin Associates

here is a saying that I love and have often offered up as the secret to my success. It goes like this:

“If you have a difficult job, give it to a lazy man. He’ll find an easier way to do it.” Being somewhat lazy myself, I have put together 10 ways to make the shift from the blissfully relaxing summer into the hard charging fall. Here goes: 1.) Keep It Simple Stupid. Most of us get bogged down in too many things that keep us busy, overworked, and unsuccessful. Have a list – but do one thing at a time.

2.) Eat Your Vegetables. You learned as a kid that it was better to eat the cauliflower first and save the red Jell-O with strawberries for last. The same principle applies to your business. Get the hard, dreaded stuff done first and then enjoy the other, more fun stuff at your leisure.

“If you have a difficult job, give it to a lazy man. He’ll find an easier way to do it.”

3.) It Takes A Village. You don’t want to do everything yourself. Even if you think you can’t afford a little help, you will invariably find that having someone else to do the stuff that you suck at will help you do the stuff where you really shine. It always makes you money to surround yourself with talented, hard workers. 4.) Filter The Time Sucks. There are all kinds of hard things that drain your energy and eat up your time that you really don’t have to do. Learn to reject things that don’t truly feed your business, family, and soul. 5.) Be An Adventurer. Too often I meet people who run a business who have become dull thinkers and boring because they have stopped expanding their thoughts and experiences. My wise wife, Michelle, has long taught our children that the definition of adventure is something you have never done before and you don’t know how it will turn out. THAT is what makes it an adventure. Say “yes” to adventures. www.SBTMagazine.net

6.) The Road Less Traveled Is Easier. The wealthiest man I’ve ever met once advised me that, “If you are standing in line, you’re probably in the wrong place.” When you are with the crowd and everyone else is “doing it”, the room is more crowded, the lanes are all clogged up, and the competition is fierce. When you do things your own unique way, there really is no competition. You’ll be more successful when you go a different way. It sounds too good to be true, but it is…true. 7.) Ya Gotta Love It. It is easier to do something when you are anxious to do it. When you work on stuff that gets your juices flowing and makes you feel alive, you will work harder and not even know it. Follow your passion.

8.) Do What You Are Good At. There is nothing more that will kill my CEO self-esteem than doing mundane work that I hate. Learn to delegate that stuff. When we do things that we know are making a difference, our level of intensity increases and our drive to succeed goes off the charts. Plus, you know you have really accomplished something when you are finished. Life is happier and you feel energized when you do things that matter. 9.) Take A Break. You need quiet time with your thoughts, a good book, or on your knees. Napping is also allowed when necessary. 10.) Get Some Perspective. Autumn is a time of change and we all need a little change from time to time. Sit in a different chair, brush your teeth with the opposite hand, listen to some different music, talk to someone you might otherwise avoid. It is amazing how exciting and magical this old world is when we just look at it in a different way, and really, that is a pretty easy thing to do! Aaron Young, CEO, Laughlin Associates, can be reached by email at aaronyoung@laughlinusa.com, by phone at 1-800-648-0966, or on the web at www.laughlinusa.com. SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2013

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Doing Business in India By Ludmila (Mila) Rusakova Golovine

ith the second largest population in the world and the tenth largest global economy, India is rapidly becoming a hotspot for international business. Companies are finding it a profitable place to start up businesses and its population a great clientele for products and services. Yet, in order to succeed in India, you have to be smart about your approach. The biggest mistake made by Western companies seeking to do business with Indians is that they believe they can do business just like in the United States. India is an extremely diverse country with its own cultural idiosyncrasies for business etiquette. Only by learning these cultural aspects and engaging in cultural sensitivity can you succeed in business ventures there. One of the most important cultural differences is the Indian hierarchy. While Americans do talk about such things as class and social status, these concepts are not rigid, unchangeable categories. In India, however there is a strict social hierarchy based on the traditional caste system. According to this structure, a person’s place in society is assigned and that person cannot move out of it. Furthermore, a person’s job is defined by their caste such as manual labor for example. Anyone outside of the peon caste is not supposed to perform such labor. Similarly, only members of the upper castes would be able to become executives in companies. Becoming familiar with this caste system will allow you to understand the hierarchical nature of Indian society and help you make good business decisions. For example, final authority to conclude business deals is only invested in executives. If you are at a meeting where no executives are present, you will be able to conclude that you are only in the middle of negotiations and not the end.

Relationships are viewed as more important in business than the transaction itself. In Indian culture, as with many others, it is preferable to do business with someone already known. Therefore, if you are going to do business there you will have to make contact with someone who is well-connected and have that person act as an intermediary or you will have to spend quite a bit of time and effort getting to know your Indian counterparts. If you choose the former, you will need to do much research and find the appropriate person. If you choose the latter, you must exercise extreme patience as Indians do not like to rush into a business venture. Much of the initial conversation and negotiation will be an evaluation of your personality and integrity. It is entirely possible that the first meeting will not include actual conversation about the prospective business venture. Although this may be frustrating to an American, it is important to show proper decorum at all times. Any sign of frustration will greatly offend your I ndian counterpart and will probably ruin the venture. Another important cultural difference is in communication. Since India is a former British colony, English is widely spoken, especially in education and business, however there are subtle differences in how it is spoken. For example, Indians tend to abbreviate things in speech that Americans normally would not, like months of the year. “February” becomes “Feb” and so on. You must demonstrate flexibility when speaking with them and not let on that this way of talking seems awkward to you. In addition, Indians do not like to say “no” to people for fear of offending them. Therefore, they tend to use vague expressions like “possibly” or

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“we’ll see” when answering questions. Please bear in mind that this expression probably means “no.” Whenever you receive a response like this, it is best to judge from context and body language for the actual meaning. In this fashion, you will not misunderstand your Indian counterpart and believe that something may go forward when in actuality it will not. When meeting with your Indian counterparts, it would be advisable to place your hands together as if in prayer and say the word “namaste,” which is the traditional greeting in Hindi. This action will signal that you are versed in Indian culture, which will impress your Indian counterparts. Also remember that business cards are important and should be treated with respect. Do not merely put your counterpart’s card in your pocket. Have a special case to put it in to show respect. It may seem like it’s not very important but it can make a great difference in the grand scheme of things. The diverse and complex Indian culture may make one apprehensive about doing business in this part of the world; however, Indians are a very gracious and welcoming people. As long you show respect, engage in cultural sensitivity, and maintain a calm demeanor, you will certainly succeed in the dynamic world of Indian business. Ludmila (Mila) Rusakova Golovine, Founder/CEO and President of MasterWord Services, Inc. is a graduate of the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Houston. Mila started her company with a vision of seamlessly connecting people across any language, any time, and any culture so she understands the complexities of the global marketplace and excels at providing language solutions based on creative thinking and strategic planning.

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Developing Leaders: Part Three By Lorraine Grubbs

any people have asked, “Are leaders made or are they born”? The answer, in my opinion, is both. Some people possess a natural, intuitive talent for leadership and then there are those who don’t. The good news is that those who don’t can be taught, as long as they have a desire to learn. It goes back to attitude…you can train skill, it’s much more difficult to change an attitude. So, before you invest in a leader, determine that they have demonstrated a good attitude so you don’t end up wasting your efforts. If you think that by giving them tools they will improve their attitude, you will more often than not be wrong. Save these leadership opportunities for those who have demonstrated the potential through a good attitude. This article is the third in a series of steps designed to give small businesses the roadmap for developing effective leaders. In the first two articles of this series, we discussed starting with the 360-degree review and, with the results of that assessment, putting together a development plan. Now that you have a plan in place, where do you find the resources to help your leaders grow in the areas they need to? In the many years I have been in leadership development I have collected quite a few resources. Among those are a few “gems” that I would like to share. Not only are they low cost, but also I have found them to be highly effective in developing leaders. Following are my recommendations:

Books: Let the experts tell you what’s effective. One of the best sites I have found for almost any type of leadership development is Cornerstone Leadership based out of Dallas, Texas. They have hundreds of books designed in the quick-read format for the busy leader. From mentoring to time management to customer service…you’ll find a myriad of topics and one-stop shopping. You will also find many book recommendations in the blogs or websites of your favorite business leaders. Mentoring: One of the most powerful tools you can use is you, the leader of your company. I know several CEOs who take a couple of hours a week to mentor their “high potentials”. Yes, it takes time, but they all have said, without exception, that it is worth it and, not surprisingly, they get as much out of mentoring their leaders as the mentees do. Webinars: There are so many out there that it’s difficult to know which ones to sign up for. I’ve taken some that were a waste of my time (and the good part is you can opt out during the webinar), but I’ve also taken some that taught me nuggets of valuable information. My advice on webinars is if it’s a topic you need to learn about, and it’s not a high cost, take it. The worst thing that will happen is that you might learn one thing out of the hour of information. Classes: Brick and mortar is one of the most time-consuming, but can be one of the most valuable learning experiences you can give your leaders.

White papers: The Harvard Business Review is my number one resource for leadership articles and white papers. They are well written, accessible on the Internet, and contain hundreds of topics that a leader faces throughout their career, and, while you can subscribe to the HBR, you can often find many of their articles and white papers online for free. From the basics to the more complex issues, you can find just about any topic your leader needs to learn. You can also Google any leadership topic and find other white papers and articles relevant to just about any leadership topic.

Some valuable ones I have treasured over the years include: Franklin Time Management, Situational Leadership, Myers Briggs Personality Assessment, DISC, and Loyaltize Your Employees. Any of these classes can be found through the Internet, and all are designed to give your leaders extremely relevant tools.

Blogs are also an excellent source of leadership learning. Respected and well known leaders such as Jack Welch, Tony Robbins, and Stephen Covey write some of my favorite blogs. Again, Google your favorite leaders and find out if they have a blog, and then subscribe. You’ll get great information from these wise gurus.

Lorraine Grubbs is the president of Lessons in Loyalty. You can contact Lorraine at 281-813-0305 or by email at lorrainegrubbs@gmail.com www.lessonsinloyalty.com

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In next month’s article, I will share some real life examples from my leadership coaching practice.

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

2 Seconds, 2 Words, 2 Day By Toni Harris

s an email marketer, it is important to focus your attention on your email subject lines to increase your open rate. Whenever I speak, I ask the audience which is more important, the subject line or the from line? Which do you think? Most of my audiences say it’s the subject line. While statistically it is actually the from line, I agree with the audience. When I’m looking at my Inbox, I look first at the from information and then the subject. Even when I know who the email is from, the subject has to capture my attention. Here is a simple method for writing more powerful subject and headlines. It’s called the 2-2-2 principle. Let’s walk through it quickly. • The first 2 is for the 2 seconds you typically have to compel them to pay attention. • The second 2 is for the first 2 words of your subject line or headline. That’s really all they read before making a decision, and not a decision about whether to read your message, but as to whether or not they will bother to read the rest of the subject line. • The third 2 is for “why does this email or message matter today.” Today – that’s the third 2. If you can answer that question in your subject line or headline, as close to the first two words as possible, more people will stop and at least open your message. Here are a couple of tips to get your emails opened right away: Short, Simple, and Surprise – Use the three S’s of subject lines. Keep your subject lines short and simple. You can also use the element of surprise. Here are some good and not so good subject lines: No – November Monthly Newsletter Yes – (Tell them the benefit of your newsletter) No – Joe’s Pet Store Newsletter Dog Beat the Heat

Yes – 3 Tips to Help Your

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No – Marketing Training Class marketing training class!

Yes - 10 seats left for the

Use Limits – Have you ever noticed that subject lines sometimes begin with something like “12 seats left for tomorrow” or “ten seats open tomorrow”? First, let me tell you that it’s always true; and you should always be honest in your messages as well. But the reason I start with that is because it expresses very quickly why the message matters today. Seats are running out for an upcoming session. Limits imply urgency and get people to act right away. It also implies that there is a short demand and that if the person doesn’t take action right away, they may miss out. Limits definitely work. Create Urgency – Create a need for the reader to open your email now by creating urgency in your subject. Using words like Today Only, Last Day, and Sale Ends will surely pique your audience’s curiosity and cause them to want to open your email right away. It’s important to point out that you don’t need to go to the “urgency well” all the time; meaning you don’t always have to put a time stamp on it or say things like “today only” or “by close of business” or like that. It’s more about making it very clear to people that your message is relevant and timely in order to win that now, later, or never battle. Effective subject lines are very important to determining whether an email is going to get opened now, later, or never. Spend a little time making sure that the subjects are interesting, thought-provoking, and attention grabbing and your email marketing campaign will be a success!

Toni Harris, who is also known as the Turnaround Queen®, is a Speaker/Trainer, Business Coach, Author, and an Authorized Local Expert with Constant Contact. Email Toni at toni@toniharrisspeaks.com or join her mailing list at www.toni-harris.com.

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Wait, Wait, Tell Me: Marketing for the Attention Deficit By Aimee Woodall

It isn’t hard to see that modern day media channels have increased our desire for information. We obsessively update our feeds to tell the world our every move. Our phones are embedded in our hands and constantly buzzing with calendar alerts, text messages, emails, and news updates. We watch 12 episodes of a TV show in one sitting because we want to know what happens next — NOW. We want to be the first to know or the most in the know. Because of the Internet, Web 2.0 applications, mobile devices, and television, we expect instant gratification.

There’s no denying the rate at which messages are consumed and forgotten. Savvy marketers can recognize this precarious situation. We have to capture ever-fleeting attention spans with faster, more satisfying messages. Information is everything to marketers. So how are we supposed to cut through the clutter? How do we make a message sticky? How do we make what we have to say resonate? 1. Cut Copy: Studies show the fewer words you have in one place, the more likely people are to read it. Go ahead and cut down everything you write by half. While this may seem like a curse to copywriters, it forces you to create concise and descriptive messages. No more flowery language. No more metaphors. Say what you mean in as few words as possible. Audiences will thank you for saving them time and headaches from deciphering what you’re trying to say exactly. 2. Picture This: A picture is worth more than a thousand words. Photography is precise, yet open to interpretation; honest, yet carefully framed; timeless, yet of the moment. Pictures are a critical part of any public relations effort. Enter the social media sites like Tumblr, Instagram, and Pinterest — these sites have exploded in popularity because they capitalized on the idea that words are secondary. If you don’t have a picture to go with your message, you’ll lose your audience before you even speak. 3. Time Out: Once you’ve sent the perfectly concise email or tweet, complete with a picture, don’t sit around and wait for the world to validate your genius, and, do not just go on about your day without checking to see how that message has resounded with your audience. Your customers expect you to be around 24/7 www.SBTMagazine.net

to respond to their questions, comments, and concerns. At the very least, establish expectations for when you will be available so they can move on with their lives or check Buzzfeed without interruption. 4. More Is Better (unless you’re boring): As a rule of thumb, the more information and updates you share with your fan base, the more they’ll remember you and engage with you. You really can’t have too much market penetration. That is, unless what you have to say isn’t fresh or relevant to your customers. Use your knowledge of your audiences to craft messages they’ll listen to and engage with. Talk about things they talk about. They’ll be happy to see your shining face (or logo) show up on a regular basis. Figuring out how to incorporate these tenets into your marketing function is essential to satiating audiences with fresh, relevant, and time-efficient content. This is especially true for the population of “Millenials” (Generation Y) who have grown up around technology. This age group will soon have to make buying decisions on their own. They’ve been bombarded with messages for years and will do everything they can to avoid your sales pitches. With so much information to dig through, it’s your job to figure out how to make your message memorable in their already message-laden minds. As marketers, it’s our job to make sure that the world is in the know. New media channels have opened up doors in the ways we can reach out to audiences and produce content, but, we’re not alone in our pursuit on updates. There are many great distractions out there, and our message should be one of them. As long as we create good content, do it often, and don’t waste anyone’s time, our message will be another great distraction, but will leave a lasting impression. Aimee Woodall is the owner of the Black Sheep Agency. The Black Sheep Agency is a Houston-based, creative agency specializing in non-traditional public relations, social media, and experiential marketing. You can contact Aimee at 832971-7725 or aimee@theblacksheepagency.com. Visit them on the Web at www. theblacksheepagency.com, follow them on Facebook at Facebook.com/theblacksheepagency, and “Tweet” them on Twitter @shearcreativity SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2013

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Gwen Juarez Photography

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The NAWBO 2013-1014 Board of Directors is dedicated to Connecting Women Who Mean Business! Pictured here (from left to right - back row) Barbara Levine, Susan St. Germain, Steve Levine (front row) Trisha Barita, Carrie Carter, Linda Drummond, Dee Pipes, Kim Kelly and Carol Keogh.

National Association of Women Business Owners – Houston Chapter

Connecting Women Who Mean Business

By Barbara R. Davis

ounded in 1975, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) was started by a group of women business owners and their supporters who wanted to increase economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs and assist them in “breaking the glass ceiling” by connecting them with other women in business. When NAWBO began, the number of women-owned businesses was miniscule but thanks to a concerted effort of NAWBO and both the private and public sectors, there are now over 8.6 million women business owners. Even so, there is still a strong need for a united front in giving women a voice in the political and business arenas and it has been NAWBO’s goal from their inception to make a change in Washington, DC. In the late 1980s, women owned only 10 percent of US businesses. Today, womenowned firms account for 40 percent of all privately-held firms. Despite the fact that the number of women-owned firms continues to grow at a rate exceeding the national average and now accounts for 29% of all enterprises, women-owned firms only employ 6% of the country’s workforce and contribute just below 4% of business revenues—roughly the same share they contributed in 1997. Nationally, the number of women-owned firms has increased by 59% over the past 16 years. Texas has increased 93% and is

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number two out of the top five states, right behind Georgia that has increased 112%. With three chapters in Texas, the NAWBO Houston Chapter is in the forefront of women leaders working to help even more women-owned firms in reaching their full potential. Linda Drummond, NAWBO Houston 2013 President stated, “Women get 78 cents to the dollar compared to a man and we want the dollar! We want true equality instead of the almost equality. As of yet, women have not found that voice to be heard. NAWBO is out to change that.” This is Drummond Public Relations owner Linda Drummond’s second term as NAWBO Houston President with a 13 year space in between! “I do it because I love the organization. I want to see us succeed and I believe that things shouldn’t be done exactly as they were in the past but we want to be able to use what was done in the past and build on the future and put it in the directive.” What is the most beneficial service that NAWBO offers to women in business? Our primary mission, when the organization was created, was really on the public policy front. To really have a voice for women business owners on regulatory issues, tax issues, and issues that face business across the board. Helping to create a level playing field is really something of value that we continue to

provide for our members. As a national organization, NAWBO has a PAC that works for women’s issues, whether it’s about small business owners or big business, anything that needs to be done to give women a voice. We try hard to educate women about the political issues affecting women business owners. NAWBO is great about mailing out weekly updates to let everyone know what’s going on in the political arena and what they should have a voice in. In addition, they are encouraged to write their representatives and congress members about important issues related to women in business. What is an important goal for you this year and how you are going to do it better than previous years? Recently, NAWBO Houston has changed leadership and one of our goals this year is to help educate our members. Women are looking for role models and mentors in helping our members conduct their businesses. They want to hear inspirational stories about the challenges they had to overcome in achieving their success. We are creating programs that will service our members in terms of identifying mentorship and ways of growing their businesses. We want to be the source that women business owners come to and give them the information that they need by providing seminars.

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National Association of Women Business Owners – Houston Chapter

Connecting Women Who Mean Business

We also want to get more of a variety in membership. I love being able to help the “newbies” but I would also like to see some larger business owners who have the ability to be part of the Fortune 500 or even those who are part of the Texas Monthly 500. We need members in all ranges because we all need something and we can’t be everything to everyone. Last but not least, we are looking for better ways to promote each member’s business. One of the ways this year will be by having membership mixers at current members’ places of business. Is NAWBO just for women? NAWBO is not just for women. Even though women are the only ones who can have full membership with voting rights, there are a lot of men who are very supportive and are Corporate Sponsors. They are the ones who want to see women succeed. The one thing the Corporate Sponsors can be sure of is the appreciation, loyalty, and support that the members of NAWBO in turn give back to them. Anyone who would like to take advantage of being a Corporate Sponsor will be amply rewarded.

What do you believe is the best way for women to overcome that challenge? It’s really multi-faceted. Lending organizations need to do a better job of understanding the needs of women business owners. One of the things that NAWBO was on the forefront of in 1989 was a piece of legislation called HR 5050. We’ve come a long way but there are still a lot of issues in the lending arena that need to be addressed. We do a lot of research with marketpartners. The statistics show that women are starting businesses in record numbers but they still are having difficulty growing their businesses. So we try to provide the technical assistance and partner with different organizations to help our members grow their business.

What do you find to be unique among the women-owned business community? Women network differently than men. Women multitask a whole lot more than men do. Women don’t necessarily stand in one place at a networking event; we are there working the room and then usually follow-up better than men. There is a lot more “touchy feely” with women. Down the line, the personal things women learn about each other help them in connecting with each other later. What other organizations does NAWBO work with? NAWBO works closely with other like-minded organizations including WBEA (Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance) who certify women business owners, the Small Business Development Center who are a wonderful resource for marketing, and the Bauer Women Society

Members of NAWBO volunteer for the Women Build project of Habitat for Humanity.

What do you believe are the main challenges facing women business owners today? As late as 1974, women were not allowed to hold credit in their own names in many states and women weren’t even able to get business loans without getting it co-signed by a male. Unfortunately things haven’t changed that much since NAWBO began in 1975. One of the biggest issues still facing women who are trying to grow their business is access to capital.

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2013

Courtesy of Linda S Drummond

NAWBO Houston no longer has any banks that are Corporate Sponsors so we would really like one to step up and fill that need. There is plenty of room for other Corporate Sponsors in businesses that would be beneficial to the NAWBO members such as office supply companies, printing companies, insurance companies, commercial Realtors®, spas, massage therapists, physicians, dentists, anything dealing with health and wellness, etc.

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whose members are women students at University of Houston. NAWBO Houston is always looking for Strategic Partners such as Chambers of Commerce, media such as Small Business Today Magazine, etc. Does NAWBO Houston do anything special to honor successful women business owners? Every October, the NAWBO Houston holds their Women Business Owner of the Year Annual Gala. We take pride in the fact that this is the only award given to women business owners by women business owners. NAWBO’s vision is to propel women entrepreneurs into economical, social, and political spheres of power worldwide and we have incorporated this into our nomination process.

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the loss of our 2012 Woman Business Owner of the Year, Vicky Reynolds, who passed away this year after a long battle with cancer. We will miss her smiling face and her always positive attitude. At our September monthly luncheon, we invite all of the nominees to attend the luncheon where each nominee is introduced. We then announce our ten finalists who are invited to speak for a couple of minutes in front of the room. Hearing about the obstacles that these women have overcome is very inspiring to everyone in attendance. Women want to hear about those who have persevered, no matter what, and have become successful. These are the “lemonade stories”; when you get lemons, make lemonade. Women need to “toot their own horn” because no one else is going to do that for them! It’s important for women to apply for every award that comes along. Are you going to win all of them? No, but the more you apply, the more confident you become with yourself. The easier it becomes to tell your www.SBTMagazine.net

Courtesy of Linda S Drummond

Nominees are not required to be NAWBO Houston members but to be nominated for this prestigious award, the local woman business owner must demonstrate excellence as a business owner, initiative and creativity in overcoming obstacles in her business, civic and community involvement, professional accomplishments, and contributions to the community. This award is not about the size of the business, but passion of the woman running the business. Each year, proceeds from the WBOY Gala and Auction benefit a very worthy charity that benefits women.

2012 Woman Business Owner of the Year, Vicky Reynolds. Vicky passed away in February 2013 after a long fight against Cancer.

story and the fact is that once you see it on paper, sometimes it can be quite amazing to yourself about all you have accomplished. Does NAWBO do anything special to help the community? NAWBO Houston also believes in helping others. In addition to our annual NAWBO Gala that benefits a nonprofit group, we are always participating in other events that benefit women in our community. This year, NAWBO Houston joined forces with Habitat for Humanity in their Women Build Section. Through fundraising efforts, we were able to raise $3,500 to help a woman build her house. Twenty-five of our members helped the woman build her home and make a difference in her life by giving her a second chance. For women preparing to start their own company, what advice can you give? Become an active member with NAWBO Houston. The more you put in, the more you will get out of it. We have some long-term members who came in as one person shops and have grown their businesses as a result of NAWBO and the relationships they’ve made. Getting to know the members and being able to see how we can help each other has helped me as well. We are loyal to each other

and we use each others services. NAWBO’s logo is two dollar signs, one vertical and one horizontal intersecting. Our tagline, “Connecting Women who Mean Business”, really is what we are doing. Our goal is to help you find a way to connect with each other and be a success and we do!

How can someone contact

for more information and when and where are the monthly meetings? Visit us on the web at

www.NAWBOHouston.org or call us at

713-487-8475

NAWBO Houston meets the 4th Thursday of every month at 11:30am at Maggiano’s Little Italy located at 2019 Post Oak Blvd., TX 77056. 3 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE Houston, NOVEMBER 2013 I PG 23

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Critical Decision

BIG PICTURE OF BUSINESS

Business at the Crossroads, Making Bold Decisions By Hank Moore / Corporate Strategist™

Forces in the recording industry have announced their intention to cease production of compact discs and convert their music marketing to digital downloads. That is a dangerous course of action and stands to further devastate a music industry that has systematically killed the golden goose over many years. The CD issue (including those who advocate obliterating the medium) is symptomatic of the bigger watersheds that have crippled and ruined large chunks of the music industry: • Not understanding business basics. • Taking decisions away from the creative people. • Focusing only on the technology, not on the creative output. • Not understanding the totality of the music industry, with recording as a stakeholder. • Failure to learn from the past. • The trends toward over-formatting of radio. • Deregulation of broadcasting. • Failure to collaborate, bundle products, or combine efforts to create advantage. • Failure to understand and nurture relationships with the retailing industry. • Failure to plan for the present. • Trends toward homogenization of culture that resulted in drastic cuts in the quantity and quality of original music programming available. • The music industry responding to uncertainty by making the wrong people scapegoats. • The international marketplace responding as entrepreneurs by taking up the slack and addressing the “missed opportuni ties” by the American Music Industry. • Making knee-jerk decisions based upon partial information and wrong hunches. In 1877, Thomas Edison introduced the cylinder, developed originally for business office use. It was the earliest Dictaphone, whereby messages would be recorded by a needle on a rolling

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tube. In 1888, Emile Berliner invented the phonograph record, for the purpose of transporting music to consumers. Columbia Records (now Sony) was founded in 1898, followed by RCA Victor Records in 1901. Edison missed his chance to influence the recording industry by sticking with the cylinder medium, not converting to phonograph records until 1912, and getting out of the recording business in 1929. The radio industry began as a multi-city network that piped recorded music intodepartment stores. In 1920, the first radio sets sold by Westinghouse to promote its first station, 8XK in Pittsburgh, PA. In 1926, NBC Radio signed on the air, followed by CBS the next year. In addition to news and other entertainment shows, a large portion of radio programming was attributable to music, and a long growth relationship with the record industry was sustained. Stars came on variety shows to promote their releases, and the era of radio disc jockeys was firmly secured in the public culture. The media of music distribution was the 78RPM record. It was bulky, breakable, and limited the amount of music on each side. Record companies put multiple discs into sleeves, calling them “albums,” and the terminology still exists today. Further packaging enabled various-artist albums and collections of “greatest hits” (those two categories accounting for half of all CD sales, which would be wiped out by going all-digital). The two major labels developed non-breakable records playing at slower speeds, with thinner grooves and more music on each side, producing a cleaner sound. Columbia introduced the 33-1/3RPM long playing vinyl record in 1948. RCA Victor introduced the 45RPM vinyl record in 1949. Why those speeds? They were combined derivatives of 78RPM, known by engineers as “the mother speed.” CDs play at 78RPM, a technological updating of Emile Berliner’s 1888 invention of the phonograph record. The 1930s and 1940s were massive-growth periods for the recording and broadcast industries. Along came other record labels: Brunswick, Decca, Capitol, Coral and jazz imprints. www.SBTMagazine.net

EDITORIAL FEATURE

Movie studios got into the record business. Entrepreneurs brought Atlantic, King, and other labels to showcase black artists and country music (two major growth industries attributable to the interrelationship of radio and records). Then came the international recording industry, which is the major user of CD technology. The 1950’s saw exponential growth of the recording industry. There were more retail outlets for the music than ever before or ever since. One could buy music at every grocery store, department store, and unexpected locations. There was an industry of sound-alike records, sold at reduced prices. All families had phonographs, thus stimulating record sales and thus encouraging other technologies to bring music into cars (emerging as homes in our mobile society). The emergence of teens as the primary record buyers was fed by TV shows, increased disposable income, and recording artists catering to younger audiences. Due to broad radio playlists, there was ample airplay for every musical taste, and the record industry continued to grow. Independent record labels proliferated, as did recordings by local artists around the country. At every juncture, there were transition periods in the adoption and acceptance of new media. For the first 11 years of 45RPM records and LPs being manufactured, there were still 78RPM discs on the market. Throughout the tape formats, there were still records. With the advent of Compact Discs, there were still records and cassette tapes on the market. To now rush to conversion of all music to digital downloads is shortsighted and stands to kill markets and after-markets for CDs that still have another 20 years to run.

the disc. Lose the “record album,” and the music industry will never be the same. If I were advising the industry, I would steer them toward: • Stimulating a culture where excellence in music would be encouraged, thus improving the quantity and quality of music being recorded. • Creating a music industry where the products would be more worth buying. There are still higher profits in album sales, rather than Internet song downloads (the modern equivalent to the 45RPM single). • Thinking of music distribution in directions other than just the Internet. • Stimulating the global record industry. • Encouraging TV shows to once again have theme songs and movies to get back to real musical soundtracks (not just the current drum crashing noise effects). • Remembering that nearly half of all record sales and downloads involves repackaging older music products for new audiences. • Finding ways to promote local acts around the world. • Working with radio programmers to get playlists expanded. Music has to have the interactive exposure via radio. Nurture programmers of internet radio shows as the best new opportunity for expanding music exposure. • Understanding the after-market of music resellers. • Recognizing downloads as “low hanging fruit.” Do not put all your industry’s distribution in one area, because that one area will always change.

NOTHING STILL SAYS “RECORD” LIKE A CD IN A PLASTIC CASE

To kill the CD makes poor business sense. 78RPMs were phased out because better technology was developed. Quadraphonic was technology glitz but did not make good business sense. 8-track tapes were only meant to be an interim medium, until CDs were developed. CDs are the dominant medium and are economical to produce.

The much-needed regeneration of the music industry to make a comeback and reclaim its past dominance takes time, energy, resources and lots of heart to produce. Couch planning as the only way to avert a crisis. Changing technologies does not equate to planning and strategy development.

Killing CDs is a bean counter move and is contrary to the heart of the music business. CDs enable local bands to have records. Computer downloads are convenience items and impulse purchases. People’s listening frequency and intensity is different (and significantly reduced) through computer downloads. Nothing still says “record” like a CD in a plastic case, where the album is as much in the packaging as the content material on www.SBTMagazine.net

Contact information for Hank Moore. Website: http://www.hankmoore.com. Email: hankmoore4218@sbcglobal.net. Phone: 713-668-0664. Hank Moore has advised 5,000+ client organizations, including 100 of the Fortune 500, public sector agencies, small businesses and non-profit organizations.

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National National Association Association of of Women Women Business Business Owners Owners Houston Houston Chapter Chapter Connecting Connecting Women Women Who Who Mean Mean Business Business Why NAWBO? • Women own an estimated 10.6 million businesses in the United States • They employ 19.1 million workers (1 in 7) • Their businesses account for $2.5 trillion in sales • Women business owners are philanthropically active: seven in 10 volunteer at least once per month; 31% contribute $5,000 or more to charity annually; 15% give $10,000 or more. Shouldn’t you be involved in an organization that takes

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SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2013

Galleria Area Westchase Area 1810 Fountain View Dr. 11681 Wertheimer Rd. Houston, Tx 77057 Houston,Tx 77077 (T) 713-243-0900 (T) 281-597-0000 (F) 713-243-0902 (F) 281-497-5701 Visit us www.harvestgrille.com www.facebook.com/HarvestOrganicGrille

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Evaluating Repayment Ability for an SBA Loan Application By Bruce Hurta

he primary definitions of the word “lend” include giving (money) to someone with the intention of getting it back. The U.S. Small Business Administration.

Government Guaranteed 7(a) Loan Program fits the definitions. It is not a government grant nor is it a gift or charity. Actually, the 7(a) Loan Program is not even funded by the government. It is funded by privately-owned or publicly-owned financial institutions who loan their own funds with partial reliance on the U.S. government agency guaranty. This allows the SBA lender to offer more relaxed underwriting guidelines and approval parameters. The lending institutions who participate in the SBA 7(a) Loan Program need to be repaid with interest. They are lending money as a business and they expect a return. The typical government guaranty is 75% of the loan amount, so a loan default due to the small business borrower’s inability to repay the loan will result in a loss for the lending institution. Not only will the lender experience a loss of as much as 25% of the money they lent but they will also lose the interest income they should have earned. Additionally, if too many defaults cause the lender to rely upon the SBA government guaranty, that lender will lose their privilege to grant SBA loans to small business borrowers. Repayment ability is, therefore, the number one criterion the SBA lender wants to satisfy when evaluating a new SBA Loan Application. The Lender’s Responsibility What are the sources for repayment of an SBA loan? Since the Loan Program was designed to help small businesses grow, thrive, and create jobs, the primary source for repayment should be the income from the small business applying for the loan. It is the lender’s responsibility to study the track record of the business to evaluate repayment ability. Traditionally, this is done by reviewing the business and personal tax returns, plus current interim financial statements, to detect growth trends, profit stability, expansion opportunities, or problems with any of the aforementioned criteria for measuring business success. Significant aberrations in the financial trends or ratios that appear out of line for the industry would cause the lender to dig deeper for underlying symptoms of business decline. The aberrations may be a red flag or they may be satisfactorily

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explained or justified by the loan applicant. The applicant’s business plan and financial projections should provide explanations and solutions for any weaknesses in the historical financial performance of the small business and they should highlight future business opportunities. In the cases of businesses with unstable track records, the lender will need to document the file to demonstrate and be assured of the borrower’s grasp of the situation and their plans to implement strategies to correct the problems. A business turnaround loan request is one of the most difficult types of small business loan requests to accommodate. Lenders rely heavily upon “track records” as indications of how a small business will perform in the future. Documenting an expected successful turnaround business plan needs to be accomplished carefully and precisely with as much market and industry data as possible. Minimizing Risks The same business plan and financial projections information is required for new business startups. Fortunately, a startup business will not have a negative track record to detract from their success expectations. Startup businesses, however, can be even more challenging. Lenders understand that most people learn from their mistakes. Evaluating repayment ability with a startup business requires multiple realistic assumptions to prove that financial projections are achievable. Once again, these assumptions should be documented based upon market research, industry statistics, industry experience, and management backgrounds with the expertise to execute the business plan. A lender does not want to be the last one holding the bag because the borrower did not have the experience, facts, statistics, market research, etc. to achieve success with the new business. The SBA requires that the small business qualifying for the loan will ultimately have the capacity on its own to repay the loan. There are, however, other sources of repayment that a lender can rely upon to strengthen the loan application. Secondary Continued on page 38 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2013

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Gwen Juarez Photography

He made a vow as a youngster that he would never do anything to make her cry.

Darryl King always “keeps the ball in the air” at PPG! Continued from page 7

Both Darryl and Karen sit on a lot of boards of various charitable groups including Innerfaith Ministries. They also sponsor a lot of children who wouldn’t normally have an opportunity to develop their leadership skills so they specifically look at schools that are located within the “inner loop.” It is their hope that these children will see that they are capable of being a CEO if they desire it. One would not be exaggerating in calling the Principle Partnering Group an award-winning firm. They have won so many awards that the plaques and trophies overfill a bookcase and are on several walls. Some of the most notable of these awards and recognition include the Emerging 10 Award, the Supplier Diversity Champion Award, and recently Darryl received the Urban League’s Humanitarian Award. Mr. King had been the Urban League Chairman of the Board and was instrumental, along with a committee of board members, in purchasing the Federal Reserve Bank Building for the Urban League. As a result of the purchase, Darryl’s name is on a plaque on the building, located downtown at 1301 Texas Avenue. This was a monumental experience for a “kid from the housing projects of Braddock, Pennsylvania who only has a high school diploma and never attended college!” Needless to say, it came as quite a surprise and was very personal to Darryl when he received the Humanitarian Award and both his parents were present to see him receive it. Even though Mr. King grew up in Pennsylvania and Ms. Becerra grew up in the small town of Giddings, Texas, they shared a lot of similarities at different times in their lives. Both of them grew up in the poorest area of town by the railroad tracks. Darryl’s mother raised Darryl, his three brothers, and one sister. Karen’s mother passed away when she was six years old and her father became an alcoholic. Karen was raised by her elderly, handicapped grandmother and basically grew up fending for herself. Somehow, she managed to grow up without “running the streets” or getting into any trouble.

In the same manner that Darryl worked with the Urban League, Karen worked with the A.A.M.A. (Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans), a Charter School on 45 near Wayside. Karen was a big proponent of Charter Schools in the 1980s and she was able to make sure that A.A.M.A. got a gym, a library, a computer lab, and a cafeteria. The school mainly had “at-risk” (“throw-away” youths). Just like Darryl has his name on a plaque on a building, Karen has her name on a plaque on the Charter School building. She also helped with the building of the Tejano Center for Community Concerns and the Raul Yzaguirre School for Success. Karen served as the Chairman of the Board and on the Advisory Board for almost the same amount of time that P.P.G. has been in existence. It is amazing that both Becerra and King have been so instrumental in buying buildings for charitable organizations! One thing that Mr. King is most proud of is that he is able to be in business and also have his children and his nephew working for him. Before Darryl’s brother passed away, he asked that Darryl take care of his son who was 14 at the time. Since that time, his nephew, Christian King, has been working every summer since then for PPG. He graduated top in his class, Magna Cum Laude at North Carolina A&T, is a Six Sigma Green Belt, and is now an Associate Project Manager at PPG. Darryl is grateful to his wife, Sharon Hairston-King, who shares the same entrepreneurial spirit as he does. Ms. Becerra is also very proud and appreciative that her family is so supportive of her business and recognizes the sacrifices being made are for the benefit of the company. Karen is also delighted that her granddaughter is interning with PPG. Darryl added, “We have developed, earned, and maintained a very good reputation as a company. We cherish it and make sure our team members understand how valuable it is to us to have a reputation of performance and that we will operate at peak performance. We don’t take work we are not qualified to take and that works well for us when people check our references. We have stellar references and that really is one of our competitive edges. We encourage them to talk to our clients. That works in our best interest when our clients tell them what they think about us. Darryl has always believed that the things he learned in “the projects” helped him to be successful in business. Likewise, Karen feels that the adversity she overcame growing up has given her the foundation to be successful. Combine those street smarts with their desire to help others with quality and ethics in all they do; it is no wonder that they have achieved such great success!

In Darryl’s case, because he appreciated how hard his mother worked to care for his siblings and him, he was driven to be a high achiever because he wanted to please and impress his mother. SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2013

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Karen was always very inquisitive and wanted to know how everything worked. Her grandmother would scold her for hanging around with the adults but Karen wanted to know what was going on. Her observations of how people acted and talked helped Karen develop what she likes to refer to as “emotional intelligence” or the ability to “read” people. “I think that helps a lot in preparing me for working with others,” reflected Ms. Becerra. Karen is known as “The Pig Slayer” for always “bringing home the bacon!”

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Gwen Juarez Photography

Karen & Darryl both believe in the empowerment of others and are mentors to so many groups.

DARRYL AND KAREN’S TAKE-AWAY NOTES ON SUCCESS 1. You have to be quite agile and move quickly. 2. You can’t let getting your behind kicked bother you because it happens a lot in business. Somebody is always going to beat you up over something. 3. You have to think on your feet, anticipate, and think ahead. 4. You have to think and see over the horizon because there is always going to be some crap that’s going to pop up! 5. You have to sense things including having a sense for risk. You need to have a sense of your surroundings. Who is your friend? Who is your enemy and “frenemy”. 6. What direction are you going in? Where’s your route? Where’s your escape route? 7. You have to have a constant thirst for knowledge. 8. Always read everything you can possibly read. For example, read the Harvard Business Review to find out what mistakes the big boys have done in business. The Take-Away Notes in Small Business Today Magazine is great to read, too! 9. You have to be really dedicated. 10. You need to set up a system at home and at work and then have a routine you can follow. 11. At the end of the day, you need to honestly ask yourself if you’ve done a good job. 12. Before you leave work each day, check your desk and make sure you haven’t forgotten anything that needs to be done. 13. You have to have a self-improvement plan. You have to think daily about what you can do better to improve yourself and your skills and constantly reassess. 14. At the end of every year, determine what you need to do to improve including making a list of certain people you need to take off your list; people who you need to get out of your space because of their negative enerwww.SBTMagazine.net

gy, people who you don’t want to do business with, or people who are not the type of person who are going to be beneficial to you. 15. When making New Year’s resolutions, resolve to do certain things to improve and also resolve not to do negative things that didn’t work so well for you. 16. Another thing is, if you are a part of the problem, you have got to own up to it. You can’t fool yourself into thinking that you’re okay when you know you are not! 17. Be true to yourself. Do the kind of work that makes you happy. 18. Understand that you can’t do everything, so surround yourself with the right people who can help you get where you need to get. 19. Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Maximize your strengths and make up for your weaknesses with the right people around you. 20. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be paralyzed with politeness. You won’t know unless you ask. The worst that can happen is that you get something that you didn’t already have. 21. It’s very important to negotiate your contracts. People get so excited that they have gotten a contract that they may sell themselves short by not doing any negotiating with it. 22. Read the fine print!!! Deconstruct your contract and make sure that it is not going to cause you to go out of business. 23. Never have pride of authorship even if you are the CEO of the company. Pass it down to others below you and have them review what you’ve written and correct it so that the end product is one of quality. 24. Look at things with a team perspective because collaborative leadership is supportive of the big picture. 25. Treat your employees like family and you will have fewer turnovers. SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2013

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Elementary Questions Lead to Customer Insights By Errol D. Allen

n today’s marketplace, customers have multiple methods to interact and/or purchase goods and services. It’s important to have a clear understanding of your customer’s habits as it assists in developing products and services, marketing methods, and customer service strategies. Most of us were taught a simple method of gaining information back in elementary school – ask, “Who? What? When? Where? How? and Why?” These basic questions are invaluable for gaining customer insights. My analytical side takes over on this topic! Let’s take a look at these questions. Who? - The first step is determining who your customer is. It’s important to obtain as much information as possible about your individual customers. Gender, age, and location are just a few items to capture about your customers. One can then determine purchasing habits of particular age groups; male versus female in those age groups and locations of males and females in those particular age groups. The results can be invaluable when determining who’s utilizing your products/services. What? - Now let’s add the next question - What do my customers want? To gather insights for this question, add “What?” to “Who?” What are your customers of either gender purchasing? What are your customers of particular age groups purchasing? What are your customers of either gender in particular age groups purchasing? What are your customers of either gender in a particular age group from a particular area purchasing? What are your customers of a particular age group requiring assistance with when calling your organization? Of what particular gender or age group are the customers requiring the most assistance? These are just a few insights one can gain by asking the “What?” question. When? - The next insight question to add to the “Who?” and “What?” is “When?” When are your customers purchasing your products/services? When are particular age groups purchasing your products/services? When are your customers of a particular gender within a specific age group purchasing a particular product or service? When are customers visiting your brick and mortar locations to conduct business? When are customers of a particular gender within a particular age group visiting your brick and mortar locations? Where? - Okay, now let’s ask the next insight question – “Where?” Where are your customers purchasing your products/

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services? Where are your customers of a particular age group purchasing your products/services? Is there a preferred location or are they purchasing online? Are females more apt to purchase online than males? Which age group prefers to purchase online? Answering these questions can assist in aligning customer experience strategies with customer behavior. How? - This insight question seeks to determine how your customer chooses to do business with you. Is a particular age group utilizing the mobile phone to interact? What about a particular gender within an age group? Are females between the ages of 25 to 40 utilizing mobile phones more than females in a different age group when conducting business with your company? Are males in a particular age group making online purchases from the laptops versus their mobile phones? How are customers choosing to complain? Are they emailing or calling? Which age group prefers emailing? Which gender prefers calling? Which age group prefers to utilize your web chat channel to communicate? The answers to “How?” helps one to develop methods to reach those customers as well as develop customer experience strategies for those channels. Why? - To get answers to this question requires interaction with the customer. You can accomplish this via surveys or personal interaction. Seek to gain insights - Why are customers of a particular gender more likely to purchase online versus visiting your brick and mortar location? Why does a customer choose a specific location over others? Why does a specific age group prefer to make reservations via your mobile website versus making a phone call? Why does a specific gender within a specific age group utilize your web chat channel to request assistance? In knowing the “Why?”, an organization gains insight into the way its customers think when making decisions to utilize your products or services. Remember, in order to gain insight into your customer’s behavior just begin with elementary questions – “Who? What? When? Where? How? and Why?”

Errol Allen – Customer Service Engineer can be contacted by email at errol@errolallenconsulting.com or by phone at 1-800-830-4167. For more information, go to www.errolallenconsulting.com. www.SBTMagazine.net

EDITORIAL FEATURE

Planning for College: First Generation Families By: George Rose, Wells Fargo V.P., Business Relationship Manager George Rose, Wells Fargo V.P.

higher education remains a valuable, long-term investment when made responsibly and according to a 2013 report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, college graduates have lower unemployment rates, fare better during recessions, and earn wages roughly double those of high school graduates. While parents understand the value of a higher education, they may not know how they can help their student complete college. This is especially true for families where the student would be the first family member to earn a degree. These families often seek out information from reliable sources to understand what options are available to pay for a higher education. If your family has never been through this process before, high school counselors can help you make informed decisions by learning about a particular student’s talents and interests. In addition, regardless of your income, all families should complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at www.fafsa.ed.gov no earlier than January 1st for the upcoming academic year. All federal financial aid and most state and institutional aid require the FAFSA. Getting scholarships or grants for college is a great option because you don’t need to pay them back after graduation. They are awarded based on a variety of criteria, which usually reflects the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award. The government, your college, or a local organization can offer you a scholarship. Also, institutions and organizations that are committed to higher education offer scholarships as well. Beware of scholarship scams that require a credit card number just to perform a search for available options. Scholarships are “free money,” so you should never have to pay money to get them.

additional financing options such as tuition payment plans. Instead of paying your tuition bill in one lump sum each semester, some schools allow you to enroll in this plan to make smaller, more manageable installment payments. Additionally, the Federal Work Study Program allows students to earn money towards their college education by working part time. Federal Direct PLUS loans can cover up to 100 percent of remaining educationrelated costs. These loans are available for parents of dependent undergraduate students and for graduate and professional students. A credit check is required, but debt and current income is not considered. Private student loans are made available to students through banks and other private lenders. These loans can typically cover 100 percent of the remaining costs of eligible education-related expenses. Full credit underwriting is required as well as a debt and current income check. Most students will need a qualified adult cosigner to meet credit eligibility requirements. It is important to pay special attention to the college application deadlines to make sure that you can take full advantage of these opportunities. Use the Wells Fargo financial aid calendar for important dates and be aware of the different types of funding options that families can use to cover education costs.

For additional information on college financing, visit www.wellsfargo.com/student/five-steps-financial-aid. George Rose is a Wells Fargo Vice President, Business Banking Relationship Manager. He is based in Houston, Texas. George can be reached via email at George.Rose@wellsfargo.com.

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Your Next Step

Top 10 Needs of Small Business Owners By Jack Warkenthien

s we round the final turn of 2013, each one of us must position ourselves for two “outcomes”: A fast (and furious?) finish for this current year, as most of us are on a calendar year versus a fiscal year, and a fast start for next year. To that end, it’s time for a “pit stop” to reflect and position your firm for the Winner’s Circle. As I reflect on what our “race” strategy is, for the final three months, I’d like to share a few things for you to consider:

ours. The “Millennials” (Generation Y) who work for us are there for a good time, not a long time, and they require special attention.

• A Plan. Most owners have this vision of what they want to be and where they want to go, but they don’t document a PLAN. There’s a name for that. A VISION without a PLAN is a hallucination!

• A Public Relations Strategy (I know you’ll love this one, Matt!). There’s a HUGE difference between Editorial content and Advertising. Your P/R Strategy is a “Pull” strategy, as what’s written about you pulls new Customers towards you—the visibility is far more credible than your Advertisements and a “Push” strategy. One of the best things a Business Owner can do is to contribute articles to their local Business Journal, or “Letters to the Editor” for the daily paper.

• A Sales Culture. Nothing happens until something is SOLD, and yet so many company owners choose to have a Technology-Centric culture, or Operations-Centric, or many choose a Financial-centric culture. Sales must be at the core of every firm’s culture. • A Scoreboard. An owner must inspect what they expect, and you can’t manage what you can’t measure. Agree on the important Metrics for the respective company, measure results, and post for all to see. • A Leader. A LEADER leads people and a MANAGER manages things. An owner must make sure they remember the difference. • A Path for Each Employee. Our most valuable assets…our People. In a Small Business, we must define a path for each employee based on THEIR destination, not

• A Diverse Client Base. If more than one-third of Sales revenue comes from one Client, you’re exposed. Assume you’ll lose your largest Client this year. Can you still hit your numbers? Don’t sit back and take them for granted. Stuff happens. Diversify and have many Clients.

• An Exit Strategy. Even if you don’t expect a “liquidity event” for years to come, be prepared for the VC firm that’s been watching you from afar. They may be considering an offer to buy your firm, and even if you’re not interested, you MUST know what your firm’s worth is. Get an “appraisal” and know what your respective “number” is, just in case. • A Value Equation. Make sure you understand what’s unique about your business (U.V.P. or Unique Value Equation), since most of us sell a “commodity” at the end of the day. Ensure EVERY EMPLOYEE can answer this question: “We’re the

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ONLY ones who …………………..”, so you can differentiate. • A Passion for the Business. When the fire starts to diminish and you’re not passionate about the company, it’s time to make a change. A convicted Owner is a successful one; so keep apprised of your industry and don’t be intimidated at the speed of change. In today’s economy, it’s not the Big that eats the Small, it’s the Fast that eats the Slow. So today, when you wake up, ask yourself: “Am I the Diner…..or the Dinner?” Remember, in today’s economy and market--regardless of your industry or product/service--one axiom rings true: “WHEN IT COMES TO THE HUMAN RACE, THERE IS NO FINISH LINE.” As Jim Collins states in one of his “Good to Great” books, the enemy of great is good. Now is the time to tune your race “car” and not coast to the finish in 2013. Study each of the ten needs above and huddle with your race team. Many people opine that the Pit Crew Chief is even more important than the Driver. Said another way, as the Business owner, you’re still the one in the cockpit, but you’d better have a trustworthy Crew Chief (ie. COO, V.P., etc) and engage him/her early and often. Divide and conquer is always a better strategy than doing it all yourself. As you’re delegating responsibilities--perhaps even assigning each of the needs to another trusted party--be sure to empower at the same time. Sales are a Team Sport, and operating a company is truly a team effort. Don’t fall into the pit that Continued on page 39

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

“O” By N.D. Brown

he 5th Dimension told us - actually sang to us - that the funky years in the late 1960s and early 1970s were the Age of Aquarius. It was all peace and love. No one spoke of brands, or brand equity, or brand positioning. Well, Aquarius has passed and we have entered the Age of the Brand. Hundreds of thousands of words are printed and read every year about all the mysteries of the word brand. What does the word mean? How important is it? What’s my brand worth? How do I make my brand important? Wait a minute. Do I even have a brand? I titled this article “O” because I think it is not only a brand but it is a perfect example of what a brand is, what it can represent, how important it can be, and what it can be worth. “O” is Oprah Winfrey. There are those who love her, who are suspicious of her, and probably a good number who hate her and her brand. But no one can argue about her impact. I have written before how American women suffer from lack of self respect. It is one of the many reasons there is a glass ceiling. “O” is a brand that addresses those issues. If you work with female executives, are a female executive, or want to be a female executive, you should make the next book

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you buy and read “LEAN IN” by Sheryl Sandberg, CEO of Facebook. It is one of the best discussions of the American female struggle with self-respect that I have ever read. It is a subject I have been preaching and practicing how to overcome for years.

The other is called Next Chapter. It’s more of a traditional celebrity interview similar to, but different than, Barbara Walters’ interviews. Oprah does interview each guest, but while Ms. Walters probes into the tabloid headlines, Ms. Winfrey probes into the self-worth of the guest.

Oprah has built a brand around it, and we all know the success Oprah has had building that brand.

The point to all this discussion is what is your brand and what can you learn from “O”.

Oprah doesn’t make anything. Oprah doesn’t really sell anything. Yes, her name is headlined on many things: a magazine, a cable TV network, variety of self-help books…but all of it is written by or produced by others and all of it is under the umbrella “O”, her brand.

Like many males, I was aware of the Oprah phenomenon but I had never actually watched the daytime Oprah Winfrey Show from start to finish. When a flu bug of huge intensity decided to take up residence in my body, I was forced to set aside my type ‘A’ personality work schedule and stay home to be cured.

Oprah started as a small business and she really didn’t even mean to. She was just a talented young woman who wanted to be a success. As her celebrity personality grew, she started to understand what her brand could do. How the Oprah brand could not only address the problem she saw with under confident women, but, it could help them work within themselves to become more fulfilled women. Oprah’s TV network - OWN - produces two very different series which demonstrate how Oprah uses her brand. One is called Master Class. Accomplished people talk to the camera and discuss how they mastered their craft. There is no interviewer to lead them; they casually discuss how they overcame their fears, found mentors, and succeeded.

I slurped the proverbial homemade chicken soup elixir while my wife ran her errands, folded clothes, took my temperature, set appointments, and cleaned the house, all the while ‘sharing’ her daytime TV shows with her patient. Between sneezing and coughing fits, I watched the Oprah Winfrey Show from opening to final credits. I thought, perhaps, I was seeing a unique phenomenon. I watched woman after woman open up about how each felt about herself and her life. Some were sad. Some were joyous. All were from the heart. My interest in the Oprah phenomenon was aroused and my flu bug needed another day to be exorcized. So I stayed Continued on page 39

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Getting Organized: Let’s Talk Tools By: Holly Uverity CPO®, Office Organizers Holly Uverity

ave you ever tried to hammer in a nail with the sole of your shoe? Have you ever tried to change a light bulb on the ceiling while standing on a chair? Of course you have; we all have. Now remember how it feels to use those tools instead of using a hammer or a ladder. Certainly you can use the heel of your shoe to get the nail in the wall but isn’t using the hammer easier? Doesn’t using the correct tool make the job much less of a chore and more of a quick task? The same principle holds true in your office with regards to organizing tools. It’s important that you use the correct tools when you are getting your office organized - and not just the current, new, hot organizing gizmos, but the proper tools for you and how you work. Remember that the goal here is to turn your chores into quick tasks. So how do you figure out what tools will work for you? How do you stop yourself from buying organizing products in the mistaken belief that this is the one that will ‘work’? Begin by recognizing that the people who make and sell organizing products want you to buy them and they don’t care if you need them or not; it’s in their best interests that you buy their products, not yours. Also remember that no tray will get you organized unless you change how you process what comes into your office. Don’t misunderstand me; it’s great to have bins and trays, but only if you need them and understand that they will only work if you do. Now that you’ve resisted the impulse to go shopping, the first step is to assess your office. Take a critical look at your office environment; your equipment, your furniture, your tools, your processes. Ask yourself ‘why’ questions like - “Why is there always a pile on my floor?” “Why am I never able to find a phone number when I need it?” “Why is this (piece of equipment, piece of furniture, gizmo) here?” Ask ‘how’ and ‘what’ questions too - “How can I do this better?” “What am I always using?” “What am I never using?” While you’re in this assessment phase, don’t forget to recognize SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2013

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what IS working because you don’t ever want to change something that is working well for you. Speaking of bins and trays, do you already have too many or do you really not have enough? Before you decide you don’t have enough, look at what’s in the ones you have and notice how you’re using them. Are they holding work or junk? When was the last time you actually put something in or took something out? Look at all the furniture in your office and begin with your desk. Is your desk too big or too small for you? I’ve had clients whose desks were so large they had to stand up to reach the ‘top’ of the desk. Do you have to do that too? Are you missing a handle on a desk drawer? Do your drawers stick? Do you have enough drawer space in your desk for all the files that are currently on your desktop or on your floor? Do you have tables in your office that do nothing but hold up stacks of papers? What’s in the bookcases you have in your office? Are the shelves holding books and binders or piles? What else is in your office that you’re not using properly? Is your furniture pretty or functional? Don’t forget to assess your technological tools also. Are you using what you’re using because it’s the latest thing? Does it do what you need it to do or would you be better off using something less complicated? Should you go back to using pen and paper? Does your tech tool need to be larger? Smaller? Easier to read? Does it need to be something you are less likely to misplace? Does it need to be something that fits better in your pocket or briefcase? If you’re fine with using your tech tools, are you updating the software on a regular basis? Many of my clients love their technology but don’t keep the software updated which is important to keep it working at its best. The following is a perfect example of how a chore was turned into a simple task: One of my clients had lost one arm at a young age so he was welladapted to living and working in the world with only Continued on page 38

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Continued from page 12 Mobile Does Matter for Your Small Business

Continued from page 36 Getting Organized: Let’s Talk Tools

or even worse, unsubscribe from your mailing list. Chances are, the majority of your customers are busy and read your communications on-the-go from their mobile devices. If they are excessively squinting, pinching, and scrolling, they will quickly and swiftly send that email to the trash bin. As much as they love your business and your products/services, they just don’t have time to fuss with an annoying email. It also doesn’t help that they are already inundated with ads, commercials, and emails all day long.

one arm. After spending just a few minutes with him, however, I noticed that when he had to use a pen, he’d put the pen cap in his mouth to pull the pen out. When he wanted to recap the pen, he’d struggle to put the pen back in the cap, which was still in his teeth. I asked him if it was difficult to get the pen back into the cap and he said not only was it frustrating but it could be embarrassing; he’d often miss the cap and end up with small ink marks around his mouth.

Tip: Create mobile friendly emails For starters, keep them short and sweet. That’s the motto for mobile-friendly emails and newsletters. Next, make sure your text font is big enough so that it’s easy to read. I’m not talking about senior-sized font but definitely play around with it and see what looks best. By making even just one of these few adjustments, you’ll be well on your way towards becoming mobile friendly and it doesn’t require that much time or effort at all. All it takes is thinking a little differently about your website and communications. Remember, becoming mobile friendly is a journey not a destination. It will take time.

My recommendation to him? Throw away all the pens with caps and only buy pens that click. While he could easily use a pen that clicks, for some reason, he’d always used pens with caps so the switching to a pen that he could operate with one hand had never occurred to him. This small change of a basic office tool literally transformed how he felt whenever he had to write something down. You can have the same experience. - Once you’ve examined the tools you’re currently using, you are in the best possible place to begin turning a chore (re-capping a pen) into a quick task (click)!

Holly Uverity, CPO® is the owner of Office Organizers – The Entrepreneur’s Organizer. Founded in 1993, they work with business people to create solutions to their organizational challenges. Contact them at 281.655.5022, www.OfficeOrganizers.com or www.fb.com/OfficeOrganizers.

Amy E. Olivieri is Regional Development Director at Constant Contact. Reach her at: aolivieri@constantcontact.com, (713) 401-2841 www.constantcontact.com/amy-olivier

Continued from page 29 Evaluating Repayment Ability for an SBA Loan Application

and tertiary means of loan repayment will not allow a small business to qualify for SBA financing without primary business repayment ability at some point in the near future, but they can minimize the risk to the lender in the meantime. These other sources of repayment may include, but are not limited to, spouse’s outside income from other employment, rental real estate income, stock portfolio income, other business interests, etc. In summary, the small business borrower is required to have done their homework when applying for financing. The process of approving business loan requests is not always consistent, but as a practice, it will always involve the basics described above. A well-prepared loan application package which includes reliable research, facts, and statistics will best prove repayment ability to the lender seeking to approve the loan application.

For more information, please contact Bruce Hurta, Bruce Hurta is the Business Lending Manager of Members Choice Credit Union that specializes in SBA Lending. Bruce can be reached by phone at 281-384-2595, by email at bhurta@mccu.com, or visit Bruce’s SBA lending blog at brucehurta.wordpress.com. SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2013

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Continued from page 34 Top 10 Needs of Small Business Owners

Continued from page 35 “O”

some owners end up in - they assign the responsibility but not the authority.

home for another day and watched another show. The first one was not unique.

I recall a time in the nineties where I was President of another Consulting practice.

Oprah was selling her brand. I immediately knew this woman could sell anything because her brand was empathy. She let every woman know that if she watched the Oprah Winfrey Show, she would learn from someone who cared about her.

This was in San Antonio where Dan owned the firm, but I was the day-to-day operator. I use the term loosely, since every decision I made was reviewed by Dan. After a while, it became apparent to our Team, as well as to every Client we had, that I was a figurehead and why bother with me since Dan touched every deal. What a business lesson I learned! I was given the responsibility to drive Sales and profits, but no authority to decide a nything. Ever since that year, I warned my Clients not to do the same. By the way, the postscript on that story - Dan is now comfortably retired in Magnolia, Texas, having built THE most expensive home in the 10-County area surrounding Houston from the Sales of his very valuable Consulting Practice. Finally, while you’re at it anyway, never lose sight of the fact that your most valuable assets are NOT furniture and fixtures, inventory, accounts receivable, or goodwill. Your treasure is in each of your employees. This is the time of year to separate the laggards, if you have any, and send a message to your Pit Crew that you’re holding each one of them accountable for their actions. Cherish and love your contributors; make sure they know your expectations of them. In doing so, you’ll position yourself for a run at the checkered flag in December, and a fast start at your next race that starts on January 1, 2014. Best of luck to you, and I’ll see YOU at the finish line!

Jack Warkenthien, CEO, NextStep Solutions. Email him at jwarkenthien@nextstep-solutions.com or call him at 832-344-6998 www.nextstep-solutions.com.

WOULD YOU OR YOUR COMPANY LIKE TO BE PROFILED IN OUR NEXT ISSUE?

CALL STEVE LEVINE 832-419-2814 www.SBTMagazine.net

I became a believer. As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, I have been advising clients for years about the strength and importance of women. I explained that we had passed through the “Age of Aquarius” and had entered the “Age of Brand” and with it came the “Age of the Power of Women”! Up until my Oprah exposure, my advice to my clients was mostly financial. I explained that women controlled household money; they controlled corporate money; and they were opening small businesses faster than men. Ignoring them was dangerous. I learned there was more to the story. My clients needed to make their brands mean more than dollars and cents. Their brands had to develop the empathy that Ms. Winfrey brought to her brand. It isn’t easy but it isn’t hard either. Answer these questions: Do you think your brand exhibits that it cares? - Not saying but actually doing it? Do your employees know that their job is to make sure every customer knows they care? What have you done in the last few months to associate your brand with a cause that cares? Do your employees and your customers know your story? The story of you, as well as your company? Are you honestly listening? - To employees and customers? Do you have empathy?

N.D. Brown is a Principal of Brownchild Ltd., Inc. that is located at 3754 Sunset Boulevard, Houston, TX. 77005. You can reach him by phone at 713-807-9000 (work) or 713-822-8370 (mobile), by email at don.brown@brownchild.com, or on the web at www.brownchild.com.

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Advertiserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Index Advertising Design Systems.................................... 4

MJWJ Talk Radio .................................................. 37

And Take Names................................................... 25

NAWBO................................................................. 28

Brand College Consulting...................................... 25

Nerium................................................................... 26

Champions School of Business Development........ 1

Nicholas Earth Printing.......................................... 25

Champions School of Real Estate........................... 8

Sales Nexus...........................................................11

Drummond PR....................................................... 26

Small Business Today Magazine Radio Show ............................................Back Cover

Gwen Juarez Photography.................................... 28 The Harvest Organic Grille.................................... 28 Houston Hispanic Chamber.................................. 39 Houston Minority Supplier Development Council................... Inside Back Cover MasterWord........................................................... 26

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Transgroup Worldwide.......................................... 26 TX Motor Ttansportation Consult1......................... 25 WBEA...................................................................... 2 WDG...................................................................... 40 Westpark Communications...........Inside Front Cover www.SBTMagazine.net

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