Fargo INC! August 2019

august 2019

BUILDING

North Expert Advice On...

Architecture Commercial Real Estate Construction City Planning

Life – like the markets – fluctuates.

An Envision® plan adapts.

In your financial journey through life, you can’t always see the destination ahead. To navigate life’s twists and turns along the way, we have an investment process built on both adaptive technology and old-fashioned one-on-ones. Find out how an Envision plan can help you plan for tomorrow, today.

Call for a complimentary portfolio consultation and a discussion about healthy investing for your future.

Matt Watson Senior Financial Advisor First Vice President – Investments 406 Main Ave, Fl. 2 Fargo, ND 58103 Direct: (701) 293-4322 Matthew.R.Watson@wellsfargo.com https://home.wellsfargoadvisors.com/Matthew.R.Watson

Tim Graveline Senior Financial Advisor Senior Vice President – Investments 406 Main Ave, Fl. 2 Fargo, ND 58103 (701) 293-4917 Tim.M.Graveline@wellsfargo.com https://home.wellsfargoadvisors.com/Tim.M.Graveline

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// AUGUST 2019

COVER STORY

32 Building North Dakota

North Dakota continues to experience rapid growth. As new businesses and buildings continue popping up in cities across the state, we wanted to look at how that affects businesses. In here, you'll discover what your business needs to know if you're looking to buy, build or lease office space.

35 38 42 46 51 54 57 61 64 68 72

Offices Spaces of the Future 5 Tips for Redesigning Your Office High Tech Offices 5 Things to Know About Financing 5 Things to Think About When Looking For Office Space 5 things to Consider Before Choosing Your Next Office 5 Ways to go Green In Your Next Office The Future of Construction How Public-Private Partnerships Can Help All 6 Reasons to Consider Leasing Vs. Buying Working with the City

FEATURES 26 Sponsored Content: Synergy At Work How having Zerr Berg Architects and Gehrtz Construction Services under one roof creates a competitive advantage.

74 How a Scorecard can Change Your Business

32

80 Young Professional Network’s One to Watch: Celine Francisco 82 Coffee With Kara: CoreLink CEO Joni Wheeler Retention and culture can be challenging for any organization. However, how do you keep employees when you know the end of the company is in sight? CoreLink CEO Joni Wheeler has created a remarkable culture of leadership and employee growth despite the fact the company is closing.

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88 The Route to Removing Barriers for Employment United Way Collaborates to Meet the Needs of Employees and Employers in Our Local Workforce 92 Get the Best Results for the Greatest Value from Your Employment Attorney 94 5 Common Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make 98 Faces of Business: Alex L. Vasichek 100 August Business Events Calendar

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AUGUST 2019

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Extra video content

editor's note

If you ain’t growing,

YOU’RE DYING?

rowth is what we all aim for, right?

Is the old saying if you ain't growing, you're dying true? That's a genuine question that I would love to know the answer to. (Tweet us what you think @FargoIncMag.) At Spotlight, Fargo INC's parent company, we're going through a lot of change and growth, which is exciting. There are lots of hard conversations taking place about our future and the direction of the company that will have a direct impact on what we do over the next five to 10 years.

This is a similar situation as to what many businesses and our own state are facing. The state continues to boom and so does the economy. This is extremely evident when you start looking at our construction industry. New buildings are popping up across the state and it's changing the look of our cities.

If your business is in the same situation and you're looking to expand your physical presence, I know you're asking the same

hard questions about what your future looks like, what best suits your needs and a host of other questions.

While these are hard questions, you should rest easy that there are numerous extremely qualified vendors that can walk you through every step of the growth. And afterall, that's what we're all after anyway, right?

My 5 Takeaways This Month 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

There are a lot of necessary hoops to jump through to build a new space. (Learn more on page 72) Find a qualified vendor that can walk you through all those steps.

Making your office high-tech is cheaper and easier than ever. A great investment for many offices is quality video conferencing systems.

Look at the Beginning Entrepreneur Loan Program from the Bank of North Dakota. It provides a payment guaranty to the local bank, allowing them to finance new businesses that the local bank may not have been able to finance otherwise.

As of July 1, there was 1,061,998 square feet of office space available for lease in Fargo and West Fargo. It can be hard to find the right spot. Find a good realtor to do the work for you.

If you're going to continue growing, consider building out a bigger building than necessary for right now and lease out the extra space. This way, you can use your space to generate revenue and won't have to build to accommodate more growth.

Andrew Jason, Editorial Director 10

AUGUST 2019

Andrew@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

EDITORIAL BOARD We at Fargo INC! want to make sure our content is unbiased and reflects the FMWF business community. That's why we meet regularly with our six-member editorial board to discuss local business issues and trends and ensure we are living up to our core values.

CRAIG WHITNEY

JOHN MACHACEK

FMWF Chamber of Commerce

Greater FM Economic Development Corporation

President and CEO

As The Chamber wraps up another fiscal year and looks forward to another, we invite you to attend our Annual Meeting, held on Thursday, September 12, beginning at noon, at the Holiday Inn Fargo.

This event kicks off our 2019-20 fiscal years and helps celebrate the business community and the volunteers committed to using their time, talents and influence to help businesses thrive, create positive change and build a stronger community! We will look back on accomplishments and share priorities for the next year.

This event will also honor our 2019 Legacy Leader, an annual award that recognizes the great accomplishments of an individual who has influenced positive change for our region, business climate and Chamber. We’re thrilled to name Gate City Bank’s Steve Swiontek as this year’s recipient. I have learned an even greater respect than I had for Steve witnessing first hand his role as the chair of the Chamber board. He has in many ways been a mentor to me. His involvement and leadership in the community speak volumes, and I can think of no better recipient this year for The Chamber’s highest award.

Congratulations, Steve!

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AUGUST 2019

Chief Innovation Officer

Much of our work at the EDC is assisting area primary sector companies (i.e. businesses that bring new wealth to the state as their customer base is not local) as they grow. Our large and expanding base of primary sector companies and startups have kept us busy. Over the past five years, we’ve helped more than 125 companies with expansion projects where they’ve added more than $340 million in capital investments into the region, creating more than 2,000 direct jobs and utilizing over 1.4 million square feet of commercial space.

And this does not include all the indirect economic impact that occurs because of all this primary sector growth!

North Dakota has many great tools to help spur decisions to make investments for company growth.

Many of these tools fit when you are financing, creating new jobs and/or adding new space. If you are a primary sector business ready to grow, I suggest contacting your local economic development office to see if any of the resources apply to you.

GREGORY WALD

Communications Manager

Moore Engineering, Inc.

Throughout July, I was obsessed with the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. The hours of new documentaries and in-depth reporting about the space race were captivating.

While I knew the basics of the Apollo missions, the new materials commemorating the anniversary added layers of context about the culture, personalities and politics surrounding the effort.

The primary lesson for me was the methodical approach taken to achieve the unimaginable.

NASA engineers, astronauts and contractors listened to each other and fixed problem areas.

They learned from mistakes and experience. And they practiced.

Each mission and test built on the last until they were ready to try landing humans on another celestial body and returning them safely to Earth.

Of course, we kind of take it all for granted now, just another chapter in history. Step back for a moment, though, and you realize how unbelievable and magnificent it really was.

TIM BEATON

Executive Director

FM Area Foundation

At the FM Area Foundation, philanthropy is our business, and we are proud to support charitable organizations and students from across the region.

As you think about the growth of your own business, consider how your company gives back to the community and how you can support your future workforce.

If your company is interested in starting a scholarship fund to support students going into a specific industry, contact us at 701.234.0756 or greg@ areafoundation.org. We can help you get a scholarship fund set up, help determine the criteria and help market it to students.

STEVE DUSEK

KRISTI HUBER

Dakota Business Lending

United Way of Cass-Clay

President & CEO

Small business owners who are tired of paying rent and have an upcoming lease renewal should know there’s an alternative to renting – buying your own building through a long-term real estate loan.

Instead of writing a check to a landlord every month, business owners can be paying themselves, investing in their future.

Deciding to continue to rent, buy an existing building or build new can be one of the most challenging, yet critical decisions a small business owner can make. Being informed and understanding the components of a lease or the many hidden costs that go along with construction can make or break your business. While there may be others, we generally find these are the top three reasons to own a commercial building: • Build equity – every payment made is an investment in a business owner’s future.

They can leverage the accumulated wealth for further business growth or options when it comes time to retire.

• Stabilize occupancy costs – rent increases no longer apply; the monthly payment is always the same with a long-term, fixedrate commercial loan.

• Preserve cash – in many cases, the monthly payment to own is less than the rent. Small business owners can use the retained working capital to buy inventory, hire new employees, purchase needed equipment or invest in other strategies to grow or improve the business.

President

“Creativity is thinking up new things.

Innovation is doing new things.”

-Theodore Levitt, Harvard Business School Professor and American Economist With nearly 20,000 jobs, the Fargo Industrial Park is an engine for the local, regional and statewide economy.

Businesses in the Industrial Park manufacture and create goods that are exported all over the globe, and the need to fill more positions is imperative to keep this economic engine running.

One consistent barrier to filling jobs is the lack of reliable public transportation.

But, through an innovative collaborative effort among United Way of Cass-Clay, MATBUS, the City of Fargo and private businesses, starting this month, an on-demand bus service will be available to and from the Industrial Park using TapRide service technology.

By bringing the right people, with the right resources, the right data and the right technology to the table, United Way was able to collaborate and innovate to provide transportation for the workforce in the Industrial Park.

It is an inspiring example of how we can work together as collaborators on innovative and new solutions that will bring tangible results and make a meaningful difference within our workforce and greater community.

August 2019 Volume 4 Issue 8

Fargo INC! is published 12 times a year and is available at area businesses and online at FargoInc.com.

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Boy Scouts of America Northern Lights - Fargo, ND Natural stone, wood beams, and scouting motifs enhance BSA’s brand in their regional Fargo headquarters. The building, which contains office, retail, and event space, was inspired by the vernacular architecture found in camps and state parks.

99 Bottles - Moorhead, MN Foss helped the local liquor retailer shape their brand and stand out from their competition by repurposing a decrepit building into a contemporary retail space that assisted in the revitalization of downtown Moorhead.

Ducks Unlimited - Bismarck, ND A highly effective waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization, DU looked to Foss to reflect their mission into a building design.

Nestled within a hillside overlooking the Missouri River, the DU regional offices incorporate sustainable elements such as glulam timbers, abundant daylight, and views of nature.

Technology OfďŹ ce Park - Fargo/Moorhead A local company was looking to grow their business and company culture. Foss explored a design with a Silicon Valley vibe that puts technology at the forefront to help strengthen the tech company’s brand and vision.

CHECK OUT SPOTLIGHT MEDIA'S OTHER PUBLICATIONS

We only get a certain number of months of sunshine and 80-degree weather here in the Red River Valley. We like to use these months wisely and spend some quality time outdoors. Each month at Design & Living we love to celebrate our area's stunning interiors, but this month we are stepping out the back door and are honoring all things alfresco. From beautiful gardens to patios to curb appeal, if it's outside, we are showcasing it!

We all have our own pet stories.

Whether we adopt our furry (or not-so-furry) friends or otherwise, each pet in Fargo-Moorhead has a story to tell us. In our annual pets issue, we bring you some of the best pet stories within our own community. Come along with us and celebrate everything our pets have to offer us.

As we return from our summer away, we want to dedicate this issue to you, Bison Nation!

With the help of our friends from SCHEELS, we put together the NDSU gear you must have this season. Also, elevate your tailgate with NDSU's BBQ Bootcamp and get prepared for the Bison takeover of Minneapolis. This one is for you, Bison fans!

SPONSORED CONTENT

Synergy At Work

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SPONSORED CONTENT

HOW HAVING ZERR BERG ARCHITECTS AND GEHRTZ CONSTRUCTION SERVICES UNDER ONE ROOF CREATES A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

syn·er·gy

/'sinәrjē/ noun the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.

W

alk into the office of Zerr Berg Architects and Gehrtz Construction Services and you’ll be greeted by a front desk. Go to your left, you’ll walk into Gehrtz’s office. Take a right, you’ll find Zerr Berg. While it might be a simple thing, it makes all the difference in why this partnership between the two companies provides a competitive advantage.

Their Competitive Advantage Imagine you’re working with an architect on designing your next office. You meet with them, discuss everything you want in your new space and they begin work on the design. Being an architect is all about collaboration so they work closely with numerous groups, including a construction team. What may take several days of back and forth emails and phone calls at other firms, take minutes at Zerr Berg. All the architect has to do is take a left at the front desk.

Between Zerr Berg Architects and Gehrtz Construction Services, there are 31 employees at their office in Downtown Fargo.

“What we do with our firms is pretty special,” said Brian Berg, Principal Architect at Zerr Berg. “Having a construction management service in-house is a unique feature. There are other people that provide similar services, but the firm that Steve and I came from pioneered that model, not only here but nationally. We have really

thrived in that environment. There’s a synergy that happens between an architectural firm and a construction management firm when it’s done really well because of the support that we provide for each other.”

A synergistic bond is a great way to describe the two companies’ relationships. However, that synergy isn’t something that’s just created. It’s developed over years of hard work.

Taking from what they’ve learned from their previous workplace, Berg, Gehrtz and Tim Zerr launched Zerr Berg Architects and Gehrtz Construction Services in 2001 and have been serving clients throughout North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota ever since.

Specializing in schools, churches and commercial buildings, they have become a regional pioneer in the space.

There are several reasons why this

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SPONSORED CONTENT INDUSTRIES THEY WORK IN • Education • Medical / Health Care • Churches • Housing (multi-family, dorms) • Commercial • Office • Senior Housing • Community • Military / Government

partnership works so well, but besides the proximity, their seasons also mesh well together.

“Steve’s busiest season from a construction management standpoint is in the summer. We do a lot of work for schools so he’s often working hard to get construction completed before the school year starts,” said Berg. “Our busiest time of year is typically during the late fall and winter while we’re preparing projects for bid and trying to get things ready for the start of the construction season the following spring.”

Synergy is defined as “the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.” It perfectly sums up how their relationship combined with their years of experience, make them one of the top regional leaders in their field.

“We’ve worked together 25-30 years and we’re still good friends. That tells you something,” said Gehrtz. “Zerr Berg Architects does work with other construction managers and Gehrtz Construction Services has worked with about 10 other architectural firms. The sweet spot is when we’re working together because we know how each other think. It’s the synergy that Brian’s talking about. We know what they expect of us and they know what our expectations are in terms of the quality of drawing and response. It really is a pretty smooth-running machine.”

The Budget Dilemma Everyone’s heard that construction projects will always go over budget. That’s not the case when working with Zerr Berg and Gehrtz. Because of their experience and how closely they work together, Gehrtz is very good at putting together detailed schematic estimates. This means 28

AUGUST 2019

that, with nothing but a basic floor plan, they’re able to put together an accurate schematic budget. As the plans become more detailed, so too does that budget.

Both firms have an excellent record of aligning budget to scope. They work extremely hard to make sure they meet the owner’s budget expectations.

“We take that fiduciary part of our job very seriously to protect the owner’s resources.

A lot of times, budgets are finite,” said Berg. “It’s absolutely critical that we establish accurate budgets early on so that the owner has good information to base decisions on. That’s a critical part of our role.”

Since much of their work is with school districts and government agencies, those projects are often publicly bid. Their goal is to have the project estimate be five to 10 percent below the average bid.

While meeting a budget is great and experience is fantastic, it all means nothing unless they’re able to put together plans that meet the client’s needs. That’s something that Zerr Berg Architects and Gehrtz Construction Services takes very seriously.

“As architects, we help a client take intangible ideas and turn them into tangible space,” said Berg. “You have to work hard to understand your client, putting yourself in their shoes and understanding why and how they do what they do. Architects, by nature, need to be good listeners. Our main role as a designer is to listen, ask the right questions and to understand.”

And each project has its distinct challenges and needs. For example, if they’re designing a school, an elementary classroom functions differently than a high school science lab. It all starts with the right questions but then evolves from there as they get to work.

“Before we do any design, we end up with a list of spaces and square footage, relationships, adjacencies and all those kinds of things,” said Berg.

“From that, once we have a program that everybody agrees on, we start talking about what the space will look like and how it can be organized and how that intangible idea can be transformed into a physical space.”

The Future Fargo-Moorhead and North Dakota, as a whole, continue to grow. Zerr Berg Architects and Gehrtz Construction have also experienced recent growth and transition. It’s an exciting time as new leadership has recently been introduced. Tim Zerr stepped down last year as Principal Architect. He continues to mentor young professionals and provide architectural services at the firm.

Tony Wolf, Principal Architect, and Dan Kleist, Principal Construction Manager, have recently come on as next-generation leaders in the company.

“It’s an honor to be part of the group in the next generation,” said Kleist. “I started here right out of college. They took a risk on me and they were new so I took a risk on them. It worked out really well. We’re like one big happy family.

“I want to reiterate what Steve and Brian said in that the effectiveness that we have with each other’s firms, you can’t overstate how effective it is. We’ve worked with a lot of other architects. To draw the answers for the questions we might have, we can nail it down within

SPONSORED CONTENT

(Left to right) Tony Wolf (Principal Architect), Dan Kleist (Principal Construction Manager), Steve Gehrtz (Principal Construction Manager) and Brian Berg (Principal Architect)

Friends Outside of Work Berg, Gehrtz, Kleist and Wolf aren’t just business partners.

They’re good friends. This story showcases what makes the relationship between Zerr Berg Architects and Gehrtz Construction Services: All four owners are diehard Bison fans. Not only do they spend all day at work together but they tailgate at all Bison games and sit next to each other. They will share texts. A couple of years ago, Gehrtz was in Italy during a Bison game.

He went to bed around halftime and woke with over 300 texts talking about the game.

That friendship translates into a strong working relationship and the success of Zerr Berg and Gehrtz.

a day here whereas when you’re working out of the office, it can take a week. We’re a well-oiled machine.”

While they’re very focused on their clients’ needs, it doesn’t just end there, though.

“The thing that really stuck with me was how dedicated they are, not only to the projects, but the staff,” said Wolf. “I think it’s really important to keep that in mind that not only do we provide a service for our clients, we provide for our staff and families and be very family-oriented and flexible with schedules.

Those are the things that stuck in my mind about why I wanted to stick around here.”

They’ve worked with schools, churches, government agencies and businesses across the region, and each comes with its own challenges and joys.

However, at the end of the day, what keeps them going is simple.

“For me, what drives me is the challenge,” said Gehrtz. “The best parts of the project are when you’re digging in the ground and you smell fresh dirt and when you’re cutting a ribbon and the client says, ‘You guys as a design and construction team really listened to us. You got our project completed under budget and we have money left over.’

The icing on the cake is when your clients become your friends because you’ve worked together for the last 18 months.”

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North Dakota continues to experience rapid growth. As new companies and buildings continue popping up in cities across the state, we wanted to look at how that affects businesses. In here, you’ll discover what your business needs to know if you’re looking to buy, build or lease office space.

34 Architecture 46 Commercial Real Estate 56 Construction 64 City Planning

BY Andrew Jason | PHOTOS BY Hillary Ehlen

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ARCHITECTURE

Bobcat’s new headquarters is the ultimate example of the open-office concept. You don’t have an assigned spot.

Basically, you show up and you work where you want to.

OFFICE of the SPACES Future W EXPERT Chris Hawley Principal Architect at CHA Architecture + Construction

here do you fall on the open-office concept?

Love it?

Hate it? For some, it’s a godsend and encourages collaboration and creativity.

For others, it’s the worst thing around and hinders productivity. It’s Chris Hawley and his team’s job to balance where his customers fall on that and to make sure a customer’s office meets their needs.

Where is office design going?

Is the open-office concept fading away?

Open-office is a big thing. The pendulum has swung that nobody has private offices.

Whether that’s like Kilbourne Group’s office downtown where you’re all in rows in an openoffice. With that situation, you have assigned seats where you show up to your seat every day.

At the very far end of that spectrum is Bobcat. Basically, you show up and you have a

locker for the day and you sit at whatever desk is available. That’s kind of the extreme version where you have a mobile office all the time, even when you’re in your headquarters. That’s a big concept. For some people, that’s the greatest thing ever. For others, it’s an awful idea.

I think it should be a blend of open-office and the ability to have a closed-door, whether that’s a phone booth or a small breakout conference room. Even my office is an interesting blend of everybody’s got an openoffice with the exception that we have three conference rooms where you can close the door and have a private conversation.

The other thing that I see a lot of and is a part of the discussion as of late is people

entertaining out of their office.

It’s becoming more than just a bunch of desks. How do you have an entertaining function? If you remember the breakroom, back in the day, it was this back of house windowless room where you use the microwave, sink and that’s about it. It’s very unexciting. I think the breakroom of today is basically a high-end kitchen that people meet at to have discussions and informal meetings to talk about whatever they’re working on. In addition to that, it becomes the hub if they have a larger event where they’re bringing in several different people.

I think Kilbourne has a little bit of that figured out with their Elevate space on the third floor where it transitions from a spot where you can get together,

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Kilbourne Group’s, a developer in Downtown Fargo, office is a prime example of what Hawley believes is a good example of how open-office concept should look.

Employees have a set spot to sit but they also have a variety of small breakout rooms for when people need to concentrate. Photo by Rick Abbott.

We also do a lot of offices where people are like, ‘No, I want a closed door. It’s too distracting not to have a closed door.’ We always start out kind of pushing the envelope a little bit because people are afraid of change and we’re trying to push to have a collaborative, open-air environment. Certain businesses need to have a closed-door office.

I think some ownership things that go with that and it’s kind of an attitude thing where you’re

1 Growth vs. Shrinking What’s the number of people now versus a year from now and what if you had to downsize?

2 Flexibility/ Adaptability Think about having fixed furniture and walls versus looking into modular furniture and walls.

CHA Architecture + Construction Office Hawley invests in light modular furniture that is relatively easy to move around. This allows flexible office space so if an employee needs more or less space, they can move tables around. He also has construction crew members who spend about 10 hours in the office and, the rest of the time, are out of the office. Having flexible furniture allows him to have a small space for them to work while in the office.

cater some food and have coffee but then there’s a conference room to the side and there’s also the ability to close it down or open it up for a large function. They then can have an all-day thing where they’re entertaining a client or staff at the end of the day.

That’s kind of the culture thing where every Friday at 4, you have a happy hour, be on the roof and take people out of the grind of sitting at a desk all day.

5 things to Think About When Building a New Office

3 Open Office vs.

Closed Office What’s more important in your office? Create a collaborative working space or isolating people and allowing them to focus. like, ‘Nobody owns this office.

I’m only going to be here for a short period.’ Others are like, ‘I’m going to be here for the next 30 years working in this office and, by golly, I’m going to have my own office.’ It almost becomes a status symbol within that office culture, which is really interesting.

Maybe some of the business leaders who have more of an open-office don’t like that. I’m kind of one of those. We’re all on the same playing field and we’re all working collaboratively.

There is no hierarchy to what we’re doing. It’s a team environment that requires four different people involved to accomplish a task. They’re all in closed-door offices, it’s a huge disconnect. In a design environment, you do business very informally throughout the day in order to get certain things done. You get something to come to mind and they’re right next to you, you have a quick conversation versus getting

out of your desk and going to another part of the building. It’s very inefficient.

Building environmentally friendly and sustainable is becoming more important. Often times, buildings are completely remodeled or torn down in 2030 years. How can you focus on creating a sustainable office?

Interestingly there is all this modular furniture like DIRTT walls and companies that are towing the adaptability of an office environment in order to change over time. You never throw walls away, you just adapt and change them. Those are way less flexible than one thinks. I think the one thing that I’ve done a lot of that’s very sustainable and adaptable is modular furniture. That is a little looser. It’s almost like Legos.

You pick a table that works for you. You put them together and it acts as a conference room table. Group one of them together and it’s a great

4 Acoustics How do you balance private versus public conversations?

5 Circulation of staff and customers What are the flow and experience of staff and customer interaction with regards to all spaces?

workspace for a computer. You can also make it modular to create L and U shapes.

If you walk into our office, people are like, ‘Ooh, nice office.’ The reality is that our office layout changes every three to four months. We adapt because people get shifted around because somebody needs a drafting spot or somebody needs to spread out on a big worktable. That’s the most sustainable way of doing offices, in my mind.

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5 TIPS OFFICE

for Redesigning Your

1.

EXPERT Kim Manuel (ASID, LEED AP) Principal, Director of Interiors & Marketing at BlueStone Interiors

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AUGUST 2019

Make the right first impression What is the first impression you want your guests to feel when they enter your office? What will inspire your employees and communicate to your customers what sets your business apart? Is a formal lobby with a receptionist and black leather lounge chairs appropriate or does a casual coffee bar with a long high top island with barstyle seating feel more appealing to your guests? Featuring your business culture by using subtle corporate colors in the flooring, fabrics or a light fixture is a great way to indirectly show your brand.

2.

Make sure guests can navigate your space easily Space planning, traffic flow and wayfinding work together.

Simple design features such as flooring direction or brighter lights indicating “come this way” are easy to incorporate.

There are many indirect ways to direct traffic in an interior space. "Past the red flooring" or "after the skylight" are examples of traffic flow that you don’t need a sign with copy for. They are intuitive. You will need some signage for legal purposes as well as branding identity. Incorporate materials in your signage that reflect your business and mission. That could be monochromatic silhouette graphics of an athlete or a rustic barn wood backdrop with die-cut backlit steel.

3.

Look up and around, not just the floor plan A reflected ceiling plan with lighting specifications makes up over 50 percent of the surface square footage of your interior office space investment.

Don’t skip designing this square footage in conjunction with your floor plan. LEDs are efficient with energy consumption, although come with a lot of complicated options. Color Temperature? CRI? Wattage?

Consider the color of the lamp that fits your needs best. Spaces are very uncomfortable that have a hodgepodge of various lamp colors in the same room.

Specify a color temperature that fits your type of function and make sure all fixtures are consistent in that room. Warmer colors are best for private, quiet areas like fine dining or mother’s rooms. Neutral colors are best for general work areas. The cool blue colors have been found to be overstimulating and should rarely be used in office design.

Save energy in common areas by reducing the lumen output in hallways and increase lumens task areas. Restrooms and dressing rooms should have a high CRI (Color Rendering Index) to complement your best skin tones.

4.

Where should meeting spaces be? Who should have the most natural light?

Where does collaboration happen in the office? Break rooms have become a favorite impromptu meeting hub of many offices. Many businesses provide healthy snacks and beverages throughout the workday. This may be why foot traffic studies show the breakroom has the most traffic over any other space in the office.

You are bound to run into teammates here.

Providing a standing height long island for a quick conversation or spreading out a project to collaborate on has become a highly productive use of square footage.

Floor to ceiling markerboard walls is another great way to sketch concepts and details easily in any meeting space, including the break room. Incorporating USB outlets near lounge end tables and at counter level for easy alternate work areas.

Small two to four-person conference rooms with lounge chairs and a coffee table have replaced traditional small conference rooms with task chairs and standard 30” high tables. Teams are more open with one another and comfortable for discussions when not hiding behind a table.

Studies show that the best brainstorming sessions are performed in intentional collaboration spaces with markerboards, and technology to facilitate. The best space planning layouts tend to have a blend of ‘me’ and ‘we’ spaces to effectively perform a variety of tasks throughout your workday.

5.

Future Growth and Recession Consider potential expansion areas to maintain the workflow of more offices, conference spaces, production areas, etc. Also, consider areas to easily sublease square footage in the future should you reduce in size. Where would the existing hallways connect into future space?

What structural or plumbing barriers are adjacent to your office suite? How does your site layout allow for potential building additions? How will building code requirements change when adding square footage?

Manuel and Bluestone Interior Design redid the office at Hebron Brick Company's headquarters in Fargo. The result is a transitional style station with accents of chic dark grey, slate blue, strategic touches of metallic and, of course, brick.

Q&A Redesigning an office can be a time consuming and expensive project. What tips do you have for simplifying the process and making it go as smooth as possible?

This is not something you do every day so, as an owner, it is difficult to know the process quickly. How long is the design process? What do I need to submit for a building permit?

How much time do design, permitting and construction take? These are all questions an expert can answer. Hiring a design professional to collaborate with to set up a realistic schedule and budget will eliminate costly surprises along the way.

A professional interior designer will probe at out of the box questions for you to consider.

One probing question example may be about lighting color temperatures. You may desire to have a sterile blue-hued room in a security office vs. a warm candlelit color temperature of light in the mother’s nursing lounge. What

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light fixture specifications should I bid and how many, how high and far apart? These are small discussions that are easy lighting specifications to design before you ‘blindly’ relamp your entire building with glaring ‘blue light special’ LEDs you don’t even want to last their 30-year lifespan!

Where should you start when redesigning an office?

Who should you receive input from when deciding on the redesign?

Programming is the first step to a successful office redesign.

During this process, all key stakeholders or department representatives should be involved. This creates buyin with staff and ultimately delivers the most successful space planning outcome increasing productivity. Who needs close proximity to each other to be efficient with their tasks? Who talks too much and should not be close to one another? Let’s be honest, there is one in every office.

The executive team cutting the check for the remodeling fees may not know exactly how their entire team operates day to day.

We are all creatures of habit and think we know how each person in the office works, although

it is best to research ways to improve efficiencies during this opportunity in the design process. Having an outside designer interview and observe all office operations/functions, oftentimes results in fresh new ways to consider for efficiently operating. Designing options on paper is much cheaper than construction. These space planning flow and return on investment of efficiency conversations typically hit home with the financial stakeholders of all businesses.

What equipment and sizes are currently used? What changes do you see in the futurepaperless or off-site storage?

Who has guests in their offices or work areas? How many people are typically in those meetings? Should each staff team member have standing to sitting adjustable height desks for ergonomic flexibility or could this be accomplished with a variety of break out areas throughout the office? What other functions can the board room that is used two times a year be multi-purposed for?

There’s a lot of different psychology when it comes to colors of office space.

What colors are good for different types of offices?

Color and texture go hand in hand. The same color blue on a dull, rustic chipped wood sign versus vibrant blue highly polished metal, give different feelings. In your office space, always use a combination of a neutral backdrop in whites, grays or brown tones along with a complementary primary color group (blue, green, red or yellow tones) to create the best interior palettes.

Blues are calming and stimulates productivity. Green reflects nature bringing feelings of growth and a calming balance. Red is energizing creating competitive feelings.

Yellow feels cheerful and inspires creativity. When selecting your color palette, also consider the texture of the materials. “Resimercial” is a trend where the durability and function of commercial office elements are reflecting the soft, comforting features of our homes. Textures in a live wall with green plants, upholstered furnishings with textural soft wool pillows and the illusion of mosaic rugs in carpet and ceramic tile pattern layouts are examples of these. What is the color ‘feeling’ you want your guests and staff to be influenced with?

HIGH TECH OFFICES EXPERT Jamie DeJean Owner of Smart Home Technologies

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Q&A When most people think about making their office high-tech, most people are concerned about the costs associated with that. Is making a high-tech office cost-prohibitive or has it become more affordable?

There certainly are components of office technology that may be price prohibitive for some companies. As with any decision, it is important to weigh the costs and benefits when determining what is the best use of resources. At Smart Home Technologies, we have found great success completing a Technology Inventory at the start of a project. We discuss the different areas of technology that exist for business spaces and what the benefits are. We then compile a list of items

that our clients are interested in and develop a preliminary technology bid. With a dollar amount now associated with each area of the bid, decisions can be made about what items are appropriate to implement right away and what items are not appropriate for the project. Additionally, and equally important, decisions can be made regarding what items are not immediately needed but could be added in the future.

These items are prewired to allow the system to grow in the future while also minimizing additional future costs.

What are some of the most popular ways to make an office high-tech?

• Structured Wiring – Providing correct wiring infrastructure is critical for all technology systems to operate reliably. This can include lighting control, motorized window treatments, light sensors, occupancy sensors, heating/cooling sensors, wired and wireless networking, video cameras, card access, security, video conferencing, white noise, background music and many other systems. Structured wiring is not brand or product-specific.

It provides what is needed to work with a vast majority of current products and is forwardthinking to future products and applications. Depending on the area being wired, coax cable, control lines, networking cables and fiber optic cables may be appropriate. It is a technology providers’ role to evaluate what a business has for needs and to provide a structured wiring package that will serve the business’ current and future needs.

• Networking – We hear lots about wireless devices. This can lead people to believe wiring a connection to a building’s technology infrastructure isn’t necessary. This is far from true.

Wired connections provide us with the best performance, highest reliability and best security possible. If a device doesn’t require moving from one location to another, the best practice is to provide a wired connection. This generally includes desktop computers (or docking stations for laptops), network printers, servers, cameras, video conferencing, etc. It is also recommended that rooms or areas that are missioncritical have a redundant location for wireless devices to hardwire to a network in case of a wireless system failure or when outside interference prevents the wireless network from being reliable. Wireless networks are susceptible to inference from many sources, including other wireless networks and other electronic devices that emit interference (microwaves, wireless cameras, etc.). Relying on Wi-Fi for a business (or home) isn’t considered ideal for best performance. It is best to use wireless for devices that are mobile or were not wired during an original design.

• Simple Control Systems – Internal team meetings, as well as collaborating with remote offices or other organizations through video conferencing is a common practice among many businesses and organizations.

What previously involved expensive and time-consuming travel has widely been replaced with technology-based

4 things to consider when building your office 1 What currently makes your business successful? Building layout, community collaboration spaces, individual workspaces, private offices, etc. should all be taken into consideration.

2 What limits your business from being more efficient? Is it difficult for different departments to work together because of physical or technical separations? Is time being lost to a low-reliability network system or a difficult to use video conferencing system?

3 Are there opportunities for technology to be used to improve employee efficiency? This can be things like providing better task lighting, offering a more comfortable working environment by better regulating temperature, eliminating glare on difficult to read computer monitors and reducing distractions from interoffice noise.

4 Can technology increase your company’s profitability by lowering energy costs, increasing employees’ knowledge and skills through better access to outside resources or promoting a better working environment that allows employees to be more efficient completing a task?

solutions. Properly implemented control systems provide all employees the opportunity to start a video conferencing meeting on their laptop, in a board room or a collaboration space with confidence.

• Automation of mechanical systems such as lighting control, heating cooling and window treatments. By integrating these mechanical systems with one control system, they can work together in an efficient manner that improves the work environment while reducing energy costs.

• White Noise – White noise is similar to running a fan to help you sleep. A white noise system produces a steady sound across a wide spectrum of frequencies that raises the noise floor and reduces distractions from outside interference. An increased noise floor also provides additional privacy. Reductions in audible interference allow for better employee focus.

• Background Music – Background music can be used to welcome guests and provide a pleasant experience going from one location to the next. It also offers improved privacy between offices similar to a white noise system.

• Security and Monitoring – Card access, alarm systems and camera systems not only provide protection and alerts in the case of a break in, but they also allow employers to track client and employee traffic, deliveries, product monitoring, etc.

What do you think offices 10 years from now will look in terms of technology?

I think we will continue to see a rise in the number of remote employees that do not come into a traditional office daily (or traditional working hours). This benefits the employer (less physical space to secure) and offers employees the added benefits and flexibility of working from home. Technology gives these employees the ability to remain connected with what is happening in the office and staying connected with their colleagues.

I also see a continued increase in sensors in an office space.

Sensors to allow lighting, heating and cooling and window treatments work together as a cohesive system. These sensors can be used to turn lights on or off based on what areas are being used. They can also ensure lights are set to appropriate levels by monitoring the ambient light present in a room. This measurement can then be used to determine how much additional light is needed to provide adequate illumination in a work area.

Sensors also allow motorized window treatments to work together with heating and cooling systems to allow or reject thermal gain based on the sun’s position and if the building is in a heating or cooling mode.

All of this results in businesses reducing energy costs while promoting a more comfortable and productive working environment for employees.

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Smart Home Technologies In Use The Facial & Oral Surgery Center Smart Home Technologies recently redid the Facial and Oral Surgery Center’s office after they provided Dr. Michael Noffze’s technology package for his home. Dejean and Dr. Noffze went to the Crestron Experience Center in Rockleigh, N.D. to demo and experience technology that was eventually incorporated into The Facial and Oral Surgery Center’s new location.

Lighting The surgery center uses a centralized lighting control system. This system allows simple control of lighting for employees from in-wall keypads. These keypads also provide control of motorized window treatments and access to the building’s “Call for Assistance” system.

Light Harvesting The front reception desk has a light sensor that measures the ambient light present above the work station and dims the overhead LED lighting to provide the proper amount of illumination to work comfortably without using more light and energy than required.

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Window Treatments There are motorized roller shades installed throughout the facility. In some rooms, these window treatments help reduce thermal energy from heating the space or reducing glare on computer and video displays. In client care rooms, a non-transparent fabric was used to ensure client privacy.

The board room doubles as the classroom with the ability to view the Operating Room when students are present to observe procedures. Roller shades are not considered sanitary in Operating Rooms, so smart glass was installed in the upper clerestory windows to prevent direct sunlight on the patient and surgeon while operating.

All of these window treatments are controlled from the in-room touch panels as well as closed automatically when employees leave at the end of the day.

Call for Assistance System The concept for this system was provided by Dr. Noffze. Each of the Operating and Client Exam Rooms has an illuminated room sign in their respected hallways. If staff members need additional assistance, they simply press the “Call� button from the room touch panel. This triggers an audible tone through the other touch panels and displays the room in which assistance is needed. In addition to the audible and visual feedback from the touch panels, the room that originated the help request begins blinking to help staff quickly navigate to where they are needed. In the rooms without touch panels, status indicators were installed and blink to alert other staff if assistance is needed.

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REAL ESTATE

5 THINGS FINANCING

to know about

EXPERT Jonathon Leonard Business Banker at Gate City Bank in Bismarck

EXPERT Greg Ellwein Business Banker at Gate City Bank in Bismarck

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1.

Business Plan Before meeting with a banker, the first step is to ensure you have a complete and updated business plan. A robust business plan will help your banker provide the best financial advice for your situation.

If you don’t have a business plan, there are several resources available to help you create one and assist with other business planning needs. · North Dakota Small Business Development Center: ndsbdc.org · North Dakota Women’s Business Center: trainingnd.com/womenowned-business · SCORE: score.org/findlocation?state=ND

2.

Financials Generally, you will need to have two to three years of tax returns, a current profit and loss statement and balance sheet for the business. In addition, you will need to bring your personal financial information, including tax returns and personal financial statement.

This will allow the banker to evaluate the financial health of the business and the owners. This information also allows the banker to run scenarios with different loan programs to show you the impact on business cash flow.

3.

Personal Financial Information As mentioned, your personal finances will be looked at as part of the business loan process.

Your personal credit history and personal debt can impact your ability to borrow for the business, so it’s important to review your personal finances and ensure your credit is in order. If you foresee any credit issues, be sure to prepare explanations for the bank.

4.

Loan Structure When meeting with a banker, you will need to discuss how the loan will be structured. For example, will the building be owned by the operating business, by yourself personally or will you set up a separate entity to own and rent the building? These are examples of options that you will want to think through and discuss the benefits of one over the other with your banker.

5.

Down Payment Funds Part of the business loan process will be determining what funds you have available for a down payment. If you have this information available ahead of time, this will help decide which options will be best for obtaining your financing. There are options available for low down payment business loans, however, there may be higher fees or rates associated with these loans.

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Q&A The Bank of North Dakota is the only one of its kind in the country. They work with financial institutions around the state. How can businesses take advantage of having the Bank of North Dakota?

WalletHub recently named North Dakota one of the best places for start-up businesses, so it’s no surprise that we have a unique resource like the Bank of North Dakota. They provide another source of financing that businesses outside of North Dakota aren’t afforded.

The Bank of North Dakota’s programs all work with a local lender as the initial point of contact. Whether you are a new business, expanding business or an established business with additional financing needs, there is a multitude of options provided by the Bank of North Dakota.

With the Beginning Entrepreneur Loan Program, the Bank of North Dakota provides a payment guaranty to the local bank, allowing them to finance new businesses that the local bank may not have been able to finance otherwise. For larger businesses, local banks can partner with the Bank of North Dakota to give them the ability to finance larger loans. These are just a few of the lending programs offered by the Bank of North Dakota. The lender will work with both the borrower and the Bank of North Dakota to find the program that best fits the specific financing situation.

What are usually the best options for businesses in terms of loans?

Several factors can influence the type of loan the business can obtain. If you are looking to have the smallest initial capital outlay,

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it is good to be familiar with the Small Business Administration 504 Loan Program. Most commercial real estate loans through a bank will either be a balloon loan or an adjustablerate loan. A balloon loan has a rate fixed for a certain period (for example, five years) with repayment calculated over a different set period, like 20 years. At the end of the fiveyear period, the loan balloons, which means that it comes due. At that point, the borrower would refinance the remaining balance in the same manner as before, assuming they still have adequate financial performance.

With an adjustable-rate loan, the rate adjusts over a period of time. Then, at the end of that period, the rate adjusts based on an index or factor that would have been determined when the loan was originated. To decide what option will best fit your business best, you should discuss with your business banker to review different options and their impact on your business’ cash flow.

Why is buying a building often time a good idea for businesses?

When you buy a building versus renting the property, you are building equity. You will have a hard asset that, with each payment, you are building equity for the business instead of paying rent to someone else.

There is also the potential for appreciation of the property that will help build the business’ and owner’s net worth. Buying a property can also be a risk-mitigating factor; there could be struggles with the business and it could fail, but you still have the equity in that property. Another benefit is that when you own a building, your mortgage payment is fixed and so there are no concerns of rent increasing drastically. Plus, with the continued low-interest rate environment, a lot of times you can buy a property and have a mortgage payment that is less than what you would be

paying for rent. When you buy a building, you will also have control of your occupancy cost.

If you can reduce your overall occupancy costs by buying, you are not only building equity in an asset, you are also improving the cash flow of your business.

The funds you save on your occupancy expense can then be reinvested in your business.

What are some of the other things you should consider before purchasing property?

There are multiple factors you should consider before buying a building. First, examine your lease expense and then compare it to the possible loan payment for the purchased building. If you can get into a property and pay less than your lease, it may be a good time to consider buying.

You also will need to account for maintenance and other variable expenses that you will incur when owning a building. For example, if you are thinking of building a new property, special assessments are another factor to keep in mind as they can have an impact on your total real estate expense. Consider where your business is at financially; if you are rapidly growing and have large capital needs, you may not want to tie up funds in real estate since it is not a highly liquid asset. If you are looking to buy a property, determine what funds you have available for the down payment as it will help determine the different loan programs available. There are programs like the SBA 504 program that can mitigate the total amount of funds needed to buy a property.

Lastly, like everything in real estate, location is also a factor.

If you are a retail business, you will want to find a location that is easily accessible and visible.

For a manufacturing business, investigate zoning restrictions in the area. For all properties, look at the future growth of your business and if the building will accommodate that growth, including expansion plans.

5 THINGS OFFICE SPACE

to think about when looking for

EXPERT Andy Westby Commercial Realtor & Auctioneer at GOLDMARK Commercial Real Estate, Inc.

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Perhaps you are a brand new business looking to move out of the basement into your first 1,500 square foot office or you are a well-established business that has outgrown your 50,000 square footage industrial building and are thinking it’s time to expand. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, there are multiple items to consider that can help you get the best deal and come out a winner in the complex world of commercial real estate!

Location, Location, Location There is a reason this is a common mantra in real estate.

Some businesses rely on locating in a high visibility spot on a main arterial road, yet that isn’t the case for most. Prime locations come with prime pricing, which may not always make the most financial sense for your business. If you ask yourself, “Will my sales or profit increase because of where this office is located?” and the answer is no, then focus on B or C locations that meet your key needs (functional use, general geography, parking, etc.) If your business is positively impacted by things like great visibility, high traffic counts and the best accessibility (i.e. retail and service businesses usually), then focus

on those prime locations. Just be prepared for higher costs.

Own vs. Lease Many business owners I meet with like the idea of owning their own building. However, there are reasons that many businesses lease space, especially in their early years. Leasing gives businesses better flexibility to grow and expand quickly, it keeps cash in the business and it means less time spent on property issues and more time on your business or with your family. On the other hand, leasing builds no equity over time and your business’s costs can be more variable as well.

Owning has advantages such as more cost certainty for the business, tax benefits and building long term value for the property owner(s). Keep in mind that most commercial loans require 20-25 percent down, which can soak up a lot of cash upfront. The Small Business Administration does offer loans with 10 percent down, though, and all banks love lending on owner-occupied buildings, so shop around for the best financing. Also, ask your lender about Bank of North Dakota financing as their PACE program can help buy down interest rates

for certain businesses and deals too. Any banker or commercial realtor can help you analyze a buy/build/lease scenario, so do not be afraid to get an expert involved to help evaluate your options.

Fit-up vs. Move-in When leasing space, there are two primary options to consider: 1) Build out a new space from a vanilla shell (1st generation space) 2) Remodel or move into an existing office (2nd + generation space) Landlords are usually willing to contribute some significant dollars to fit up first-generation space for tenants. This is referred to as “TIA,” or tenant improvement allowance. In the FM market, for example, we see TIA’s of $30-35 per foot or more depending on the deal terms and tenant. Just remember that tenants usually still end up paying out of pocket to finish their space since construction costs can be $45-65 +/- per square foot to finish out a typical office depending on your needs.

However, some owners may be willing to pay the entire fit-up bill and amortize the difference back into your base rent. Going with a new build-out means your business ends up with space

Fargo-Moorhead Market stats

Part of “knowing the market” is having objective data about the current state of the commercial market in your area. For example, here are some key statistics pulled from the Commercial Multiple Listing Service for Fargo and West Fargo and compiled recently by Andy Westby of Goldmark Commercial Real Estate.

designed to your specific needs, but that almost always comes at a higher cost.

SPACE AVAILABLE FOR LEASE (BY TOTAL SF) Fargo & West Fargo Type

As of Jan. 1, 2019

As of April 1, 2019

As of July 1, 2019

Office

931,690

1,002,682

1,061,998

Retail

447,325

473,702

491,791

Industrial

859,081

844,081

878,133

SPACE AVAILABLE FOR SALE (BY TOTAL SF) Fargo & West Fargo Type

As of Jan. 1, 2019

As of April 1, 2019

As of July 1, 2019

Office

130,792

209,513

182,266

Retail

85,709

65,704

55,774

Industrial

272,833

419,360

409,793

Note: This data does not represent properties that may be listed for lease or for sale by owner.

If you can find a secondgeneration space that meets most of your needs already, you can usually get into the space with very little or no out of pocket expense. Landlords will generally pay for things like new carpet, paint and maybe even some light remodeling to get a good tenant into an existing secondgeneration space as well. How much they will contribute usually correlates directly to how long you will lease it for and the price you are paying. Keep in mind that existing spaces do usually come with some sacrifices where not ALL of your needs and wants may be satisfied, but your costs are likely going to be lower overall.

Short term vs. long term A key decision for most tenants is the term they commit to when signing their lease. Landlords generally prefer longer terms (think 5+ years), while some tenants may prefer a shorter term such as two to three years.

Keep in mind, the shorter the term you go, the less likely an owner is to put money into the space or negotiate on key deal points. The flexibility of a shorter term is an advantage to the tenant, so it does remove some of your negotiating power.

Established businesses with a strong handle on their future growth prospects will often lock into five to 10+ year terms to get the best offers from Landlords, while younger or rapidly growing companies often push for shorter terms with renewal options or right of first refusals to protect their flexibility. Neither is right or wrong. It has to be what is best for your business balanced with what the owner is willing to agree to.

Know the market Regardless if you buy, build or lease, it is important to know the market so you can get the best deal possible. Are there lots of options on the market that meet your needs or is the type and size of property you need in short supply? Are properties sitting on the market for a long time or are things leasing/ selling quickly right now? You need to know who has what leverage and where you can get an edge. Also, find out what similar properties have sold for or leased at recently to make sure you are “in the market” with your offer before locking into something. Or better yet, find a good commercial realtor you trust who can lead the effort to research, analyze and negotiate the deal for you. They live and breathe these things daily and can help ensure you get the best deal possible.

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Q&A What resources are out there for companies searching for their next office that your customers don’t know about?

There are lots of good resources online for finding office space. Many people assume the national sites such as loopnet.com are the most comprehensive listing services, but that isn’t so in our market right now. The most comprehensive list of properties available would be on the local multiple listing service engine (MLS). A good place to access those listings is the website of just about any of the commercial brokerages in town, such as goldmarkcommercial.com.

This and other brokerage sites give you the ability to search ALL listings in the market, regardless of what brokerage has the property listed. You can filter by type (retail, office, industrial, etc.), size, price, location and much more. When it comes to looking at financing, most commercial lenders are willing to do a quick quote with just a few key pieces of information to give you an idea on the current rates and programs available. If your bank makes you jump through tons of hoops just to get a rate quote, it might be time to find a new banker.

What is the most common mistake you see clients make before starting to search for a property?

Not understanding their needs and/or budget before spending time on property tours. Before setting foot in a new space, be thoughtful about these two items and then filter your list of potential options through them. Too often, clients start touring based on spaces that meet their size or location requirements, only to realize later the space is too expensive or can’t functionally meet their immediate or long-term needs.

Detailed planning on budget and space needs can save everyone time and make the process more efficient.

Where is the next “hotspot” in Fargo-Moorhead?

A lot of areas around the metro are seeing investment, so it’s really hard to pick just one. We’re seeing revitalization efforts in places like downtown West Fargo and Moorhead as well and greenfield development in areas like Veterans Boulevard and 52nd Ave. S. Overall though, demand continues to push development to the south and southwest metro, as that is where we see the majority of the new construction and large land sales taking place. I think Horace is a city to keep an eye on. With a new high school coming soon and their infrastructure bottlenecks now resolved, the city of Horace is an area that I think will see the type of rapid growth that West Fargo began experiencing many years ago.

Some of Property Resource Group’s projects

5 THINGS YOUR NEXT OFFICE to Consider Before Choosing

I-94 office building

EXPERT Tonya Bishop Commercial Real Estate Broker and Property Manager at Property Resources Group

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1.

Convenience for your business While it might seem intuitive, one of the first things you should consider is what’s convenient for your business.

Are most of your clients in one area of town? Are you a shipping company and need quick access to the interstate?

The area of town that your office is in will have a huge impact on your company. It’s also very dependent on your industry type.

If you’re in retail, you need to factor in things like visibility, ease of access, demographics and rooftops in the area. Some of the questions you ask should include how many people walk or drive past the location? Is it accessible by public transportation? Can customers and delivery trucks easily access the location?

Is there enough parking for employees and customers?

2.

Space planning A general rule of thumb for office space is to plan on having roughly 100150 square foot per employee.

However, that number will vary depending on your business. If you’re a call center and are going to have employees in cubicles, you will need less square footage. However, if you’re going to have offices lining the perimeter of the building, that will require more square footage.

There are also maximum square footage size requirements for a new structure based on the lot size. For example, if you have a one-acre lot, you can fit roughly a 10,000 square foot building. Of course, other factors play a role such as parking requirements for your business type and green space requirements per the city code.

BNG Team’s new headquarters in Fargo

3.

Growth Your business today is not your business five years from now and you need to make sure you’re always planning for that growth. If you’re going to build a location, think about what the next five years potentially holds for your company. Do you expect to add on another 50 employees? If so, you need to plan for that as it is more cost-effective to do it now versus moving or building again.

There are a couple of options on how you can do that.

Option 1: Let’s say you’re expecting to double your business and employee count in the next five years. You could purchase more land than what you currently need, such as a two-acre lot and start by building a 10,000 square foot building as phase one and then wait to do the rest of the project until it’s financially feasible. This gives you the flexibility to add onto the current building or add another building on the same parcel of land, again keeping size requirements in mind.

Sometimes land costs do not allow for this option, so that leads us to Option two.

Option 2: Using that same scenario, you can actually build a property that is larger than what you need immediately and plan to lease out a portion of the space until you or your business would need that space in the future. You can choose to do a shorter-term lease with the tenant so that when you’re ready to occupy the space, you can move into that space after their lease expiration. This will allow you to invest in your own property so you can gain some equity and income as well.

4.

City Ordinances This is why it’s important to hire an architect team who is well versed in the city codes and ordinances as there are many city zoning laws and ordinances that must be followed when building a new property. You need to make sure the land zoning is correct for your business. For example, you can’t build a heavy industrial site somewhere that’s zoned for general commercial use.

There are mixed-use properties in which you can have an overhead garage door for your office, however, this adds some challenges and additional information is required to obtain city approvals. In certain cases, the city has granted variances and re-zoned property based on the owner acquiring all the necessary information and presenting it at the city meetings.

If you’re in a development, you should also be aware of covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs). This is a set of rules dictated by the developer that states the building construction requirements, property use restrictions, what items need approval, etc. It’s no different from any residential development.

Most homeowners or condo associations will have rules regarding the appearance and use of the property as well, which is mainly provided as a way of keeping consistency in a development.

5.

Outsource it In summary, you should consult with an expert when planning your next office space. You will need to be prepared with a list of questions and remember that construction is a process that can get expensive. Once you have all your requirements, working with a company that provides you all the steps of that process under one roof streamlines it. Property Resources Group, PACES Lodging, DRG or similar companies can provide a potential client those services from start to finish and beyond.

From initially locating and purchasing the land, designing your building, constructing your property, helping to lease out any excess space and lastly property management services, they know the market.

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CONSTRUCTION

Left to right: Alyssa Zachman, Rodney Bischof, Jacob Friedman and David Crutchfield.

Not pictured: Yao Yu

5 WAYS In Your TO GO GREEN Next Office T

here are many steps you can make to improve your working environment.

Here are some things to think about from the U.S. Green Building Council North Dakota.

EXPERTS USGBC North Dakota Board Members David Crutchfield, Rodney Bischof and Yao Yu

1.

Facility Begin with a building that has been designed with sustainability as a priority, whether it is a new building or a carefully renovated building.

• Access to daylight - Welldesigned offices with generous windows and daylighting reduce lighting bills while improving mental health, especially with our short/cold winter days.

• Audits, Benchmarking and Setting Goals - Most utility companies provide general advice or even a customized audit to evaluate an existing building and report on how to reduce energy waste. Some also provide optional programs to purchase renewable energy.

Data is key to help guide your office to make and achieve sustainability goals • Metering and tracking utility usage (even from bills) can

provide a baseline and track changes over time – and if your space doesn’t have its’ own meters, now is a great time to get them added.

• There are online benchmarking tools, such as Arc, that can help in recording data in energy use, water use, waste generated, transportation and the human experience (a.k.a. what is it like to work in the space). Visit arcskoru.com to learn more.

• Building Certification - A building that is LEED-certified provides an internationally recognized third-party verification on green buildings.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. More info can be found at new.usgbc. org/leed.

• Energy Reduction - Use the data to determine areas where energy reduction can occur. This can be accomplished by using LED lighting or more energyefficient heating and cooling systems like geothermal heat pumps (ghp). Research of North Dakota facilities shows this reduces actual energy use by an average of 23 percent in the 24 buildings studied.

• Water Use Reduction - Check the plumbing fixtures to see if they are low-flow or waterreducing fixtures. Looking for the EPA WaterSense Certification is a good start. Also, look at the landscaping around the office and try to choose native species of plants or drought-tolerant species to reduce – or eliminate – the need for an irrigation system.

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2.

Culture Make ‘corporate social responsibility’ (CSR) a part of your business mission and ethic. If possible, designate a knowledgeable and enthusiastic sustainability officer or committee to develop team consensus on related goals and strategies.

Establish the goals and priorities that fit your company (this is where the data comes in handy). Then systematically integrate them into the office and business culture. Measure efforts and then celebrate your successes. Recognition for various goals achieved or special team/personal efforts goes a long way. It also provides an opportunity to proudly promote your efforts.

3.

Behavior To better achieve your sustainability goals, everyone in the office will have to help.

• Waste Reduction - What does your office throw away – and how much? Completing a trash/waste audit can provide this data and can show where improvements can be made – maybe to accomplish a goal of zero waste so that trash is diverted from landfills.

• Energy Use Reduction Reduce energy waste (and overhead) in the office by doing some simple things, such as turning off lights (maybe by changing to automatic light controls) and turn off computers or other electronic equipment when not in use, especially since they produce excess heat.

• Transportation - Encourage alternative transportation options, such as walking or cycling, and consider rewarding behavior changes, such as providing free bus passes, electric vehicle charging stations or preferred parking for carpools or electric vehicles.

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Product Certification Third-party certification can provide you quick assessment of products and buildings because they have already been evaluated.

• Consult knowledgeable professionals trained in green/ sustainability, including interior designers, architects, landscape architects, engineers, builders, etc. Many are trained or versed in various aspects of green design and some are certified in specific aspects of LEED through the USGBC and the Green Building Certification Institute.

4.

Health and Wellness Provide (and incentivize) healthy snack or drink alternatives for breaks.

Provide water filling stations and encourage the use of reusable containers. Reward walking at lunch or breaks when reasonable (this is Fargo after all). Ask if your insurance plans provide incentives for health/exercise programs or other preventative care.

5.

Materials and Waste The elegant simplicity of the 3R’s (reduce, reuse and recycle) still applies.

When making office renovations or purchases, consider the upstream and downstream lifecycle impacts of the products purchased. Where do they come from? (Are they made regionally?) How durable are they? What happens to them someday? Can you utilize preowned items (like cars)? Do they give off-gas toxins (like volatile organic compounds) into the office (adhesives in furnishings and cabinets, printers, paints, etc.)? Can you donate things that have reached the end of their usefulness?

• Consider earning credentials or membership for you, your products or your business to earn third-party certification. Look for other trusted certifications and learning resources, including: • Green Business Bureau: greenbusinessbureau.com/how-gbbcertification- works • Green America (businesses): greenamerica.org/greenamerica-green- business-certification • WasteWise (part of the US-EPA): epa.gov/smm/wastewise • WaterSense (part of the US-EPA): epa.gov/watersense/ commercial-buildings • WELL (buildings): wellcertified.com/certification/v2 • UL-Greenguard (products): greenguard.org • Green Seal (products): greenseal.org • Energy Star (a US-EPA voluntary program that helps businesses and individuals save money and protect our climate through superior energy efficiency.): energystar.gov • EPEAT (a resource for sustainable electronics): epeat.net • Forest Stewardship Council (wood products): ic.fsc.org/en • Learn what others have done or are doing by searching available project databases. There are many projects locally that can help inspire you and your company.

• Websites like Green Building Information Gateway provide a database for projects, people, places and more. Check out gbig.org • USGBC has a database of projects available at usgbc.org/ projects • Energy Star Certified Building & Plant database is available at energystar.gov/buildings

About United States Green Building Council - North Dakota The US Green Building Council is a national organization dedicated to promoting better living through sustainable environments. They have a variety of events throughout the year and their website has informational articles. More info can be found at usgbc.org/usgbcnorth-dakota USGBC North Dakota Market Leadership Advisory Board Members - David Crutchfield (North Dakota State University) - Alyssa Zachman (Icon Architects) - Rodney Bischof (EAPC Architects Engineers) - Jacob Friedman (Three Rivers Development) - Yao Yu (North Dakota State University)

THE FUTURE OF CONSTRUCTION T

he conventional approach to construction, with studs and Sheetrock, for your office, clinic, hospital or school has been around for the last 50 plus years. This conventional way of framing walls divides space, creates circulation and offers structure where needed. You can clad these conventionally built walls with stone, wood or technology to further your design. It’s a proven process that works and creates great results.

EXPERT Paula Klein Owner of Smartt Interior Construction (exclusive DIRTT partner for ND, SD and Western MN)

However, how does this approach to construction react to change in the future? The way we work, learn, heal and live will not be the same in five years, let alone 10-20 years. Is there a method, process or solution that can provide the same design you want today and adapt in the future? The idea of prefabricated flexible construction has been around, but with the impact of technology, this idea has created the ability to get the design you want, and customize a space suited for your organization and still reap the benefits of a future-proof method of construction.

These innovations have evolved due to the increasing demand of organizations asking for the following: 1 Hyper-Smart Workplaces with Integrated Technology We’ve adapted to using more technology, and it’s important to consider how technology has shaped our physical environment because it will continue shaping it in the future. Classrooms

used to be equipped with chalkboards. Now, we can give school children personal devices and classrooms can be equipped with interactive screens for information sharing. Workplaces are also taking advantage of interactive technology, intelligent room schedulers, and bringyour-own-device conference rooms to increase productivity for their employees. Thinking about new technology brings

value to real estate when planning for construction and having the architecture that can respond quickly to the changes in technology is a luxury that drywall can not do.

2 Personalized Work, Healing and Learning Environments Flexibility and choice are gaining more traction in workplaces, healing environments, and learning spaces. Every employee, student, and patient is different.

We can incorporate intentional features and technology for learning, focusing, collaborating and socializing into our environments to help each different person do what they need to do in their best way.

Planning spaces with flexibility allows for personalization to help your space work today and work in the future.

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3 Sustainability and Reduction of Waste During Construction Building sustainably and reducing waste has been at the forefront of global discussion for a while. According to a World Economic Forum report on shaping the future of construction, 40 percent of US landfills is construction waste and debris. By considering sustainability while building, not only can you help the planet, but you can greatly benefit your return on investment. Modular options, like pre-fabricated flexible construction, cabinetry, ceilings and floors can evolve with your company – saving the earth and your pocketbook from buying new.

4 Designing for the Next Generation Workforce Millennials and Generation Z crave experiences, purpose and choice over where and how they work. Thoughtful customizations throughout the workplace such as planning for a variety of environments, art, fixtures and technology will create a branded space to engage both employees and customers in these new generations. The ability for buildings to adapt as new generations enter the workforce will help attract and retain talent.

5 Speed of Schedule and Certainty of Cost Change orders and onsite surprises – inevitable with any project – cost money and end up stretching a schedule. New planning tools like virtual reality let you experience a space and make changes before building instead of issuing change orders as you’re building. Prefabricated construction will keep your schedule moving and modular components help adapt to unforeseen site conditions and reduce waste.

Speed of schedule and project costs can be kept under control with proper attention and new tools during planning.

Smartt Interior Construction In Use Bell Bank Smartt Interior Construction recently renovated Bell Bank headquarters at 3100 13th Ave. S, Fargo. With the addition of DIRTT walls, the space is now more adaptable, efficient and aesthetically pleasing.

This breakroom gives each booth its own TV so employees can unwind during their breaks. The booth is also ideal for an impromptu meeting.

TVs can be recessed into the DIRTT wall assemblies to make it blend in seamlessly with the wall. When the TV isn’t turned on, you don’t even know it’s there. It also protects the technology you invested in.

These offices are made with DIRTT wall assemblies so they can be changed depending on the needs of Bell Bank. If they add more employees, the walls can be adjusted relatively easily with less disruption than conventional construction.

The DIRTT walls separating these individual meeting rooms can be retracted to create a large conference room that’s capable of holding over 100 people.

When you don’t need that much space, you simply pull the walls back together and you have individual meeting rooms.

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How

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS Can Help All

Q&A EXPERT Mike Allmendinger President at Kilbourne Group

What should businesses know when attempting to work with cities?

Even in North Dakota’s biggest city, Fargo elected officials and staff leadership are exceedingly accessible. In learning from peer cities, we’ve found this to be a unique and highly valuable first step. And because our communities are relatively small, it seems no problem can’t be overcome within the city’s known network.

The evolution of a city is typically guided by a comprehensive plan that has been developed through the input of its citizens.

Policies and incentives are then designed to align private investment with public action to accomplish goals laid out in the plan. It is in this way that cities (public sector) and private enterprises work together to shape a city’s future.

development incentives in their downtowns to make the city more profitable. All taxpayers benefit from their downtown’s concentrated development pattern which yields higher property tax per acre than suburban development, its mix of uses which creates walkability and efficient use of infrastructure which lessens the need to build new.

The garage is an asset that spurs development through new parking capacity, which generates new taxes, which pay for the garage. When the garage is paid for, the new taxes will go to the general fund. Downtown grew by 251 new living spaces, 10 new businesses (so far) and the urban, pedestrian-friendly Roberts Alley.

What are some good examples of public-private partnerships in Fargo or North Dakota as a whole?

When working with cities, a shared priority and foundational tenet must be the common good.

Governor Burgum’s Main Street Initiative is all about promoting and growing downtowns. How can businesses capitalize on that and help work with downtowns?

The Main Street Initiative brings to life the efficiencies and financial strength cities realize when investments are made where infrastructure already exists. Downtowns and Main Streets are typically the heart of a community and are a key component in what makes each city unique.

The biggest impact you can make on your downtown or Main Street is to consider it as a home for your business. Then tap into the many benefits of a downtown location, including talent attraction and retention, an innovative, lively environment, a strong brand and image, walkable amenities,

long-term value creation and positive community impact.

Also, encourage your city to keep public anchors like a library, post office, fire and police stations and green space downtown.

People can choose the city they want to live in, sometimes even before they choose their job. When your assets are your people, quality of space is a key component of your ability to attract them.

Cheer for those who keep your downtown strong. Support your downtown businesses and become a member of your downtown community organization because downtown is an amenity that benefits the entirety of a city or metro.

Learn about and share your thoughts on incentives offered to draw private investment into your downtown, such as the Renaissance Zone, which is used in 58 cities across North Dakota. Cities don’t offer development incentives in their downtowns to make businesses more profitable. Cities offer

· Roberts Commons Garage The City of Fargo conducted a downtown parking study in 2014, which identified sites for parking garages that could include mixed-use development. In 2015, the Fargo City Commission adopted a Renewal Plan and created a TIF District around three surface parking lots a block off Broadway. Through a competitive process, Kilbourne Group earned the right to build the city-owned 454-stall garage and develop the land around it with mixed-use projects. The City set a goal for $30 million of private development in this P3.

With the completion of the final of three mixed-use projects, the total private investment is more than $50 million.

· Block 9 Plaza Every city needs a gathering space, and the Block 9 civic plaza is designed to be just that. A true public-private partnership, the plaza will be built by Block 9 Partners as part of the incentive agreement applied to the project by the City of Fargo. It will be managed and programmed by Fargo Parks District and includes a bandshell for outdoor live performances, interactive water features for kids (and, adults, of course) and will double as a groomed ice rink in the winter.

The public also has access on evenings and weekends to 379 additional spaces in the Block 9 parking garage.

What industries have a lot of opportunities for publicprivate partnerships or to just work with the city?

Any business looking to launch, expand or relocate has opportunities to work with their city to shape their strategy in a way that aligns with city goals. In some cases, there are incentives available to assist in these efforts.

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5 Things to Know About

Public Partnerships A public-private partnership (P3) is when the public sector (government) and the private sector (typically a business) partner to more efficiently and effectively solve a problem than either could do on their own.

P3s can be deployed to make things happen that simply wouldn’t be possible without the partnership.

Kilbourne Group is grateful for the partnership extended by the City of Fargo in redeveloping our unique, culturally rich, historic downtown neighborhood. The programs put in place by City leaders, including the Renaissance Zone, PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) and Tax Increment Financing, have paved the way for increasingly significant private investments into historic renovation and urban infill development. The programs have allowed existing neighborhoods to compete with new subdivisions for return-seeking private investment dollars. The result is a vibrant, revitalized, nationally recognized downtown that has become a key component in attracting and retaining talent to grow Fargo’s workforce. Here are five things to know about public-private partnerships designed to support the growth of a city.

1.

Public-private partnerships are developed to realize a community vision. In the case of Downtown Fargo, the Fargo InFocus plan is based on feedback from thousands of residents and guides the kinds of projects the City will partner on. There are also parking studies, housing studies and the Fargo GO2030 plan, which guide Fargo’s evolution.

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2.

No two publicprivate partnerships are the same. While there are policies and guidelines on how various programs can be used, each partnership is nuanced and negotiated to provide the best return to taxpayers.

3.

All public-private partnerships should be thoroughly analyzed to determine the return on the public’s investment.

Don’t stop with shortterm calculations. Look out a couple of decades to determine if the public’s investment will be recouped and if it provides a positive return to the city and its people. The City of Fargo often engages with a third-party economic consultant to analyze proposals and ensure they are in the best interest of the City.

4.

Public-private partnerships come in many forms, including up-front incentives, tax abatement, publicly provided infrastructure, low-interest loans, grants and many others.

In each partnership, there is risk and there are ways to mitigate risk to the public entity.

5.

Public-private partnerships have resulted in some of North Dakota’s downtowns most unique assets. They’ve helped keep century-old buildings safe and occupied, and have worked to draw private investment into downtowns, which leads to a growth in a city’s tax base without the expense of building new infrastructure.

When the Renaissance Zone was launched in 1999, downtown Fargo’s value was about $150 million. When Block 9 is completed, downtown Fargo’s value will top $700 million. That’s good for all Fargo taxpayers and is the result of the public sector and the private sector working together.

EXPERTS McKenzy Olson VP Marketing and Public Relations

6 Reasons to Consider

Blake Nybakken Vice President of Development at EPIC Companies

LEASING VS BUYING One of the largest reasons renting has its perks versus buying is that, in most cases, all snow and lawn care and maintenance are on the building owner.

1.

If it’s a mixed-use building, commercial tenants have a given customer base with mixed-use tenants living upstairs.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

There is often collaboration and networking with other commercial tenants such as having block parties or hosting events.

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There are fewer costs associated with leasing because of the splitting between residential and commercial tenants.

Often time, you will receive marketing help through the management team’s social media, websites, email marketing, etc.

If you are a growing company, when you buy, you are somewhat stuck in that square footage.

With leasing, you have the option to grow your business by leasing more space or looking for another space that’ll fit your company/business better.

Q&A

property, so that allows you to focus your efforts on growing your business and taking care of things that make a difference to your own bottom line.

What are the benefits of renting versus buying?

We do leasing options, but we also condo out spaces, which is similar to buying the space.

We always look at the option of condoing out to a tenant if they are wanting that so they can own their own property. We have done two leases like this in the past couple years and are currently working on our third space.

This is very important even to government, school or university land as they typically only offer a leasing option since they want to keep control of the land that they own.

When negotiating about space, there’s sometimes fit-up funds available. How should the discussion take place between the developer and the business owner and what’s a normal amount of fit-up fees?

Each tenant is a case by case basis. This often comes up early on during our discussions with prospective tenants as it is an amount that is typically included with the other main terms of our listings (base rent, CAM, number of years, etc). Our properties have a specified amount for fit-up that was budgeted several months before being listed or advertised, so that number is often hard to change.

How do I know if renting is a better option for me than buying?

One of the top things to think about when weighing the option of leasing versus buying is the location. Once you’ve determined where you would like to be and what it offers then you can start deciding between leasing and buying. Weigh your options and determine your financing.

Leasing frees up cash flow while buying controls the land.

When you buy, it’s completely expensable. In most cases, specials are lower when leasing unless they are figured into your Common Area Maintenance charges.

Renting can be a good way to free up working capital. How can that help my business?

In so many different ways. You could use the extra capital to increase your exposure with some additional advertising or promotional events, expand an area of your business you otherwise wouldn’t have been able to and you can focus on running your business. If you are a tenant (especially in one of EPIC’s properties) everything is taken care of regarding the maintenance and upkeep of the

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However, there are always exceptions, and each property is different. If you have a very desirable business, you may be offered more. If you can’t afford to pay the difference of your fit-up and the allowance, the landlord can sometimes amortize that expense throughout the term of your lease by increasing your rent accordingly. We will help a prospective tenant with schematic design and cost estimates so they get a good idea of what a particular fit-up will cost and that always seems to help.

A typical fit-up allowance for our properties is $25/sf. That amount varies by property and can also be impacted or off-set by other items like the condition of the space delivered by landlord, floorplan, commencement date, etc. EPIC’s fit-up is different with the addition of underground parking on all of our mixed-use building. This creates a different vanilla shell than most strip mall type commercial spaces you see with a dirt floor option you’ll move in with concrete floors already complete.

EPIC Companies’ Pioneer Place building is an example of a mixed-use building in downtown West Fargo. This building has a community room, including a rooftop patio, and overlooks the downtown area. It also has 51 residential units with 13,000 square footage of commercial square footage.

They currently have over 6,000 square feet of commercial space still remaining.

They are also creating the downtown West Fargo streetscape with phases one to three complete and phases four and five starting in 2020-2021.

EXPERTS Maggie Squyer Kylie Bagley Donald Kress Nicole Crutchfield (Planning Department)

WORKING CITY F

Christine Rose (Inspections Department)

with the

or city planning, safety and logistically, the city has several steps for what you need to go through in order to begin construction on a project. We talked with the City of Fargo Planning Department and Inspections Department to walk us through the process of getting the final approval to begin a project.

1 Developer should identify location and make sure proposed use fits the current zoning district (this can be done through communication with the Planning Department or by referencing the Land Development Code and the City’s online geographic information system.)

2 Once the developer has selected a location for the office building, he/she will need to schedule either a Site Plan Coordination Meeting or a Predevelopment Meeting through the Planning Department. The Planning Department will determine the type of meeting needed based on the applicant’s request.

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3 Site Plan Review Meeting Site Plan Review Meetings are typically for projects that are close to submitting for a building permit but still have questions on any requirements the city has. This is the developer’s first opportunity to ask questions and clarify building requirements with several departments (engineering, inspections, fire and public works are all invited). This meeting does not give the developer approval of the site plan. This meeting is not for projects that require additional entitlements, such as a subdivision, zone change or conditional use permit. If entitlements are required, proceed to number four below.

If no entitlements are required, proceed to number six below.

Note that if an entitlement is required, the developer may submit building permit applications while going through the entitlement process, though the building permit will not be approved until the necessary entitlement has been approved.

4 Predevelopment Meeting A Predevelopment Meeting is used when the project requires an entitlement such as but not limited to, a subdivision, CUP or rezone. This allows City staff and the developer to discuss the project at a broader scale.

This meeting is held prior to the developer submitting an entitlement request that will be heard by the Planning Commission.

5 Planning Commission and City Commission If the project requires an entitlement request, the developer will submit an application, fee, and required application materials to the Planning Department. A case planner will work with the developer to take the entitlement through the review and hearing process at the Planning Commission and City Commission.

The City of Fargo Planning Department at the new City Hall in Downtown Fargo.

6 Plan Review Process Developer submits building plan sets to the inspections department who will distribute the plans for departmental reviews (fire, inspections, engineering and planning). If an entitlement request is needed, the developer may submit building plan sets while going through the entitlement process.

This requires a completed application and usually includes site and civil plans along with building and construction plans. There are requirements for submittal listed on our web page. (fargond.gov/work/ commercial-permitting-process/ new-project-submittal) There are requirements on whether plans are required to be done by a licensed professional. Those requirements are different for each department. Fees for submitting plans are shown

on our website at fargond.gov/ city-government/departments/ inspections/commercialbuilding-permits-fees and charged at the time of submittal.

The next step will not happen until fees have been paid.

7 The next step is a technical review of all plans. The link to that process is fargond.gov/ work/commercial-permittingprocess/technical-review. This step can be very short or long depending on many factors.

The factor that causes the most time for reviews is incomplete or inaccurate plans. Project documents are entered into our computer system shortly after receiving them. After entering, the developer can go online and see the progress of your project and contact any department if there are issues.

The developer will be able to

access your projects online, if they have created an account on our website, and be able to communicate with staff and get all issues resolved and the project is ready for permit.

8 The next step is the review response and follow-up.

Information on this can be found at fargond.gov/work/ commercial-permitting-process/ technical-review. This continues until all issues are resolved.

If required, plans need to be resubmitted at fargond.gov/work/commercialpermitting-process/resubmittal-technical-review.

9 After review and approval, the next step is permitting. (Learn more at fargond.gov/work/ commercial-permitting-process/ obtain-building-permit.) A project can be permitted when

the reviewing departments have all the correct information.

All information required for a permit is similar to what is required for an application.

Some applications will not have all the information, such as subcontractors have not been chosen at the time of submittal.

If any information is required in order to write a permit, the reviewer will contact the applicant to get all information then write the permit.

10 Once all applicable reviewers approve any applicable entitlements and building plan sets, the developer receives permits and begins construction.

11 The developer completes his project by calling for inspections.

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HOW A

SCORECARD CAN CHANGE YOUR BUSINESS

P

utting together a magazine is project management. Putting together almost 60 magazines a year is project management on steroids. I look at my professional life in two different ways. Before I had a scorecard to run my department and after. I can’t begin to describe the benefits that come from knowing where exactly you are in your business from the glance of one sheet.

To fully understand why every business needs to have a scorecard, I talked with Eric Newell, the CEO for Stoneridge Software, a business technology consulting company headquartered in Barnesville, Minn.

BY Andrew Jason HILLARY EHLEN

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The Basics of why you need a scorecard The business motivation for using a scorecard is that you are: • Using data to make decisions • Never assuming that what you’ve done is good enough • Always asking yourself and your team what you can do to make what’s not working, work

Why do you need a scorecard?

How often do you look at your P&L and balance sheet? Be honest. You’re supposed to look at it at least every month but, come on, do you really? The nitty-gritty of financial statements can be tough to look at. Now, imagine you had a visually interesting sheet each week that had all the important information for your business on it. This sheet would track things like AR and cash, accounts outstanding, revenue and opportunity pipeline. Game changer, right?

Stoneridge has proven what a successful scorecard can do for a business as it has created one of the most impressive scorecards around. Since they created their first one in 2014, it’s gone through dozens of iterations but the reason for it has never changed.

“The whole goal of a weekly scorecard is to track the most relevant actionable items so you can make a decision or make a change,” said Newell. “A key factor is a consistent cadence in reviewing this information. You want to be able to look at those things and have the opportunity to see, ‘Oh boy, we’ve got an issue here. We need to do something about it before it becomes a problem.’

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What should you track?

The scorecard will vary based on your industry. However, some common metrics to track for any business include cash balance, accounts receivable, sales, team members/ employees and customer satisfaction.

As an organization, you need to decide for yourself the most important measures to track. But it must be something you can act on. According to Stoneridge, an example of some of the industry-specific items to track include...

Professional Services: billed hours/utilization, available resources to bill, weekly revenue and margin, weighted pipeline and backlog Distribution Center: on-time shipments, internal order cycle time, order picking accuracy and warehouse capacity.

Manufacturing: yield, capacity utilization and returns/quality Since they’re a professional services based organization, Stoneridge Software has some specific metrics they track in their scorecards.

“As a professional services firm, utilization is our main metric,” said Newell. “How many hours are people billable? This metric would be of similar importance for law firms, architects or any company where you’ve got people billing per hour. We need to see what our current utilization is versus what we expected it to be. Then we can go, ‘We need to find work for these five people because they aren’t at full capacity right now.’”

This is an example of a weekly scorecard for a manufacturing company.

How specific do you need to be?

Yes, you should get a company-wide scorecard yesterday. However, don’t stop there. Once your scorecard is nailed down, you can also create departmental ones.

This will help your managers do their best work possible. Probably one of the best scorecards to create that will have a tangible impact on your ROI is for your sales department. Here, you can track things like opportunities pipeline, close percentages, meetings, leads generated, etc.

“As you get more advanced scorecards and as you start to become a larger business, it’s important to be able to have department-level scorecards that really help your managers become the leaders of those particular departments and make better fact-based decisions,” said Newell.

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OK great, but how do you actually track this?

There are several different ways to implement scorecards in your business. Stoneridge Software has helped clients with this process, but anyone can start one and it doesn’t have to be complicated. At the most basic level, all you need is an Excel spreadsheet. A scorecard should be simple enough that it doesn’t take a lot of time to update. The weekly scorecard at Stoneridge only takes about 10 minutes every week to refresh.

To create the visual at-a-glance dashboard, Newell recommends downloading Microsoft Power BI, which is free for the basic plan, and then start tracking certain metrics.

“What are the key metrics that you need to be looking at? What matters to you on a weekly basis?” Newell asked. “Put that in a spreadsheet and then you use Power BI to do a little visualization of it and your team can go from there to analyze, consider and make decisions based on that information.”

About Stoneridge Software Newell and his co-founders worked at Microsoft before deciding to branch off on their own in 2012. Stoneridge has grown to represent multiple Microsoft business applications for accounting, operations, sales and marketing. The primary industries they work with include manufacturing, distribution, professional services, construction, and agriculture.

Since launching, they now have around 164 employees with offices in Barnesville, Fargo and Minneapolis.

Learn more at stoneridgesoftware.com.

YPN's " ne to Watch"

CELINE FRANCISCO

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ach quarter, the FMWF Chamber of Commerce's Young Professionals Network selects one of its members as its "One to Watch." The award is peer-nominated, and the winner is featured in Fargo INC! and the Chamber's monthly newsletter, The Bridge.

Q&A Tell us about your involvement in YPN. What do you like about it the most?

I became a member of the Chamber’s Young Professional Network in 2017. It wasn’t long after I decided to become more involved and joined the Professional Development Committee. In early 2018, I was nominated as Vice-Chair. Presently, I serve as Professional Development Committee Chair with ViceChair Jenni Peters.

Our committee focuses on providing young professionals with learning opportunities and resources that will help them achieve success in their chosen profession. We coordinate events to include early morning networking (Morning Buzz), chances to hear community members share their path to leadership (Lattes with Leaders), and various skill-based courses. As a Committee Chair, I also serve on the YPN Leadership Committee.

I enjoy YPN as it offers exposure to new opportunities to develop and grow with an amazing community of young professionals.

The relationships I’ve built, passion I’ve seen and support I’ve received through YPN inspires me to be involved with this great organization.

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What organizations, along with the YPN, are you involved with that help you grow professionally?

In addition to the YPN Professional Development Committee and Leadership Committee, I’m involved with NDSU’s Business Connections mentoring program.

I have participated as a mentor to college students in the program for the past two years. This opportunity has provided me the experience to understand how to become a stronger “mentee” as well as share my learnings and best practices with students in making the transition from college to career. Being a part of Business Connections has been extremely fulfilling and I would encourage others to learn more about how they can get involved with this program.

For other aspiring young professionals, what advice do you have for them?

A combination of what I have been told and what I would tell others: · Don’t let fear hold you back. Trust your gut, take a risk and learn from your mistakes. · Be curious. Learn something new every day.

Continually improve and find a mentor! · Be positive. It’s contagious and people will notice · Be flexible. Have goals and also be open to new ideas and opportunities Briefly tell us about the journey that brought you to where you are now.

In August 2016, as a junior at NDSU, I started my career with Wells Fargo as a Business Banking Intern. Upon successful completion of my internship, I returned to NDSU for my senior year and graduated with a Finance degree in May 2017.

In July 2017, I returned to Wells Fargo to begin a two-year Business Banking Credit and Relationship training program. This role was

a combination of credit underwriting and relationship building. I had the opportunity to analyze complex credit requests and meet remarkable business owners and community members in the Fargo-Moorhead Area.

In June, I graduated from my training program and was promoted to a Business Relationship Manager. I’m excited to keep learning and continue to get to know and help individuals in our community achieve their financial goals.

Do you have any favorite business books, podcasts, magazines, etc. that have helped you learn along the way?

To date, in no particular order, some of my favorite books that have helped me learn and develop professionally include: · “Winning” by Jack Welch with Suzy Welch · “Ego Is the Enemy” by Ryan Holiday · “Becoming the Boss: New Rules for the Next Generation of Leaders” by Lindsey Pollak · “Lean In: Women, Work and the Will” to Lead

by Sheryl Sandberg Is there anybody in the community you want to thank?

There are many individuals who have positively influenced my life, including family, friends, mentors and peers. They continue to inspire me to become the best version of myself and push me to achieve my goals.

Specifically, I would like to thank Stacey Ackerman. Stacey has been a mentor of mine since I first began my career at Wells Fargo and we continue to meet to this day. Thank you for your leadership and sharing your time to listen, providing feedback and helping build my confidence. It would be impossible to count all the ways you’ve helped me in my career. Thank you so much for what you have done and continue to do, Stacey!

How CoreLink is embracing the present at the end Retention and culture can be challenging for any organization. However, how do you keep employees when you know the end of the company is in sight?

CoreLink CEO Joni Wheeler has created a remarkable culture of leadership and employee growth despite the fact the company is closing.

In this month’s Coffee With Kara, Allegro Group Founder and CEO Kara Jorvig and Wheeler discuss what she’s learned from investing in her employees’ growth and future.

NAME Joni Wheeler TITLE CEO COMPANY CoreLink

J. ALAN PAUL PHOTOGRAPHY AND PATRICK THOMPSON 82

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Joni Wheeler, CoreLink CEO, and Kara Jorvig, Allegro Group Founder and CEO, discussed culture and leadership while throwing axes at Triple Ax in Fargo.

NAME Kara Jorvig TITLE Founder/CEO COMPANY Allegro Group

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THE CONVERSATION Kara Jorvig: I had an opportunity to meet some people from your team and heard about CoreLink’s culture. I kept hearing about this incredible leader Joni Wheeler, which is why I had to meet you. There is definitely a story to CoreLink and your leadership journey and I’d love to hear more about that.

Joni Wheeler: I joined CoreLink about four years ago. The thought was that we’re either going to transform it or close it because it’s not doing what we originally thought and not offsetting costs as we hoped. About a year and a half in, I became the CEO and about six months later, we heard that our parent companies decided to go their separate ways. They were both going to separate platforms.

It’s kind of like it was a marriage 10 years ago and now it was becoming a divorce and nobody was really thinking about taking the kids, which was us. That was tough. I remember thinking, ‘I don’t know if I can

close a company.’ I certainly didn’t sign up to shut down a company. We were on this great growth trend over those two years. I had to do a lot of soul searching of how can I do this? How do I tell people they’re going to lose their jobs?

I had come from a company where I encountered about 40 layoffs in the time I was there. I said, ‘We can make this different. We can make this a journey where people are excited to go to the next thing. We prepare them here and treat them with dignity and respect and make this as positive an experience as if we were a growing company.’ That is how the CoreLink Launch was born.

Jorvig: I know some people left their jobs to go to CoreLink knowing it was closing, When I heard this I thought, ‘There’s got to be an incredible story behind the culture and leadership there because why would you leave a job knowing that you’re going

“All along, we’ve said that culture is inside of each of us. It’s how we decide to show up every day.”

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to be launched into the market?’ What has been the ability to attract, knowing that you’re going to dissolve?

Wheeler: It’s just incredible. When we put the launch information out to folks and we said, ‘You’re going to get time to really figure out what you want to do and you’re going to get six months notice and severance. We’re going to continue to invest in you every single day. As long as you’re here, you’re a part of this team and we’re invested in you and your growth.

We’re going to make sure that you feel comfortable and confident in going to that next thing.’

That’s really what we’ve done. We’ve stood by that and become their campaign manager in looking at other opportunities.

All along, we’ve said that culture is inside each of us. It’s how we decide to show up every day. When you’re a growing company, there’s a vision, mission and it’s exciting.

We’re not growing anymore. We have a purpose. Our purpose is to leave a legacy for our customers so that they leave here saying, ‘That’s the experience I want forever with any service provider.’

We also want to leave that legacy within our community so that the community knows that they can help each other. We’re here to have each other’s backs, lift each other up, help one another be the absolute best possible self we can be and then leave that legacy in each other. We’re sprinkling

About CoreLink

CoreLink was founded 10 years ago by two former Blue Cross Blue Shield CEOs and it’s a software development and services company, which builds the software to run health insurance plans.

However, in July 2017, the company announced to its over 200 employees that they would be closing in the next couple of years. Since that announcement, the company has focused on preparing their employees for what comes next and focused on career development opportunities for their employees.

They’ve also created a website called The Launch to document this journey. The reason for this is best summed up by this description from the site.

“These are the stories of the people, the initiatives and the resources that make closing a company with dignity possible.

The Launch is CoreLink’s gift to the community to show that it shouldn’t take the end of a season to truly embrace the present.” the-launch.net

CoreLink everywhere we go and behaving as one team with a mission to serve our customers, community and one another.

closing versus growing, I know it’s true.

If we can do it here, we can do it in any company out there.

It’s been so phenomenal. I said that we don’t have to be a leadership team. It’s not one team or person. One person puts a drop in the water and everybody else can create the ripples. Every single person has decided to lead from where they are. They come up with ideas about how we maintain this culture and the idea that we can do this great thing for our customers and be innovative.

Jorvig: I think businesses know what they need to do. Meaning they know they need to have a healthy culture, invest in their team and people - but they don’t always know how you build it, invest in and empower people. What’s been the key to your success?

Wheeler: I would say that it’s got to start with leaders. The best outcome that guarantees sustainability is if you start at the very top with your CEO and senior leadership team. But, you have to walk the talk. If you believe that your culture is going to be about trust, dignity, respect, empowerment, then you have to walk that talk.

Jorvig: One of your team members said, ‘I’m afraid I’m never going to find something like this again.’ That’s crushing to me. Why are you so passionate about culture and healthy leadership?

Wheeler: It’s such a differentiator. It makes all the difference. Every individual’s experience is, ‘If I go into a place that supports me, empowers me and believes in me, I can do anything.’ Versus an environment where it’s all about the bottom line. When you have people who believe in themselves, each other and a common vision, if you look at productivity and business success, it soars every time.

I’ve seen it. I’ve had the opportunity to lead many organizations and I’ve seen it there.

Having the opportunity to lead a company and see a whole company transform and even transform to a new level when it’s

Where I’ve seen the success of CoreLink, we spent the whole first year focusing on building a healthy leadership team with individuals but also becoming one team that was focused on lifting up our team and helping our customers be successful. If you stay focused on that common outcome, that’s a big piece of it. Also, letting folks know that this is what is going to be nonnegotiable. People need to feel safe. People need to feel that they’re treated with dignity and respect and are cared about.

If you believe that I care about what happens to you and you becoming your

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What makes Wheeler tick?

Wheeler’s dad worked at a university in Buffalo, New York, where she grew up. He gave Myers-Briggs tests to students and leadership workshops, which means that he would practice on Wheeler. So what did it say about her? At eight-years-old, she was an ENTJ, which means she is a Commander personality: efficient, energetic, self-confident and strong-willed.

But what did Wheeler think about this?

“He talked about an E. I said, ‘I’m an extrovert so that means I have a big mouth and I’m going to be a great lawyer someday.’”

To learn more about Myers-Briggs tests, go to myersbriggs.org.

best self and that we’re going to walk this together, you’re going to be alright. The non-negotiable, for me, is starting with healthy leaders. If you have healthy leaders, we all win.

I also think there’s time. People think investment in people is about sending them to a conference, giving them promotions or climbing the vertical growth ladder. It’s really about time and connecting with your team members. Do you know their passions of what they love to do outside of work? Do you know about their family and what their struggles are? Stay connected with them on that stuff and that will build a foundation of trust and connection.

Jorvig: I hear you talk about a couple different things, which are probably some of the most common things that I see from my desk in terms of businesses that struggle with trust: Conflict-averse leaders within an organization and lack of accountability. From your leadership perspective, why do we struggle with those things? What kinds of things have you done personally to develop good muscles or foundations to help grow your leadership skills in those areas?

Wheeler: With all of those areas come conflict. Conflict is not easy and there’s vulnerability. If I trust you, I have to let my

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guard down, let you in and let you see not the best of me and trust that you’re not going to use that against me or judge me.

I’ve started with vulnerability. I have a lot to be vulnerable about. I have messed up so many times in my leadership career, even just this week. I think it’s starting with showing people it’s not about titles. It’s about that we’re all trying to get to this end over here and we’re going to work together.

Showing your softer and vulnerable side and letting people see that just because you have a CEO title, it doesn’t mean you have it all figured out. I definitely don’t have it all figured out. If I did, I would just be a company of one.

I work hard at that. You don’t have this work-life balance. You have one life. The way I am at work is the way I am at home and I’ll mess up daily and I’ll tell my kids, ‘I could have done that better.’ I think they go, ‘Wow, my mom admits that she’s not perfect.’ I think that translates well in the business world.

Jorvig: What advice do you have for women in leadership?

Wheeler: I think we’ve barely broken that glass ceiling. There’s so much opportunity and I see all these young girls who are looking up to us. I have to keep working on

this myself but be bold, confident and keep that voice.

I love when I see women in leadership. It’s such a wide field of predominantly men. I don’t think we have to fight the way they do or lead the way they do. I think our authenticity and empathy, those things are starting to shine more, especially when you look at healthy cultures. I think a woman leader has an edge these days.

I look at my daughter, she’s the future but we have to pave the way and we have to keep it going. We have to make sure that, as women and leaders, we crash that ceiling and it stays shattered forever and is wide open for the future of the young girls out there.

Jorvig: I get asked all the time about the balance of owning a business and wanting to be a healthy leader while raising two girls. It’s hard to have a balance. Boundaries are extremely healthy and important in our family. How have you managed your drive and push to be who you are and who you’re meant to be, but also to make an impact on your family?

Wheeler: Family comes first. There’s no second. There have been some times where I’ve almost made choices to do something different because my kids

needed me. At that time, I think whatever happened was supposed to happen because I was able to stay and continue forward in my career and still be what they needed me to be. As long as you have your priorities and my first and foremost priority will always be family.

Watch this Interview

Go to FargoInc.com and visit Fargo INC’s Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts to watch an expanded interview and see how the two of them do throwing axes.

If I can have a great career and still make an impact there as well, that’s awesome. I’ve been fortunate and had some really strong positive leaders who have empowered me to keep that balance, even when it was tough, and to lean more toward the family when I needed the extra time. I’m very thankful for every experience, every leader that I’ve had.

People say that you take a day at a time.

Sometimes, I think just getting through what is right in front of me is what I focus on. Certainly, we all have vision and hope for the future but what’s right in front of me is most important so I think that getting through that hard thing and then the next thing comes along and now getting through that. All of a sudden, you’ve gotten through some pretty tough things. That’s what I’ve tried to instill in them as well.

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The Route to

Removing Barriers for Employment

United Way Collaborates to Meet the Needs of Employees and Employers in Our Local Workforce

BY Kristina Hein-Landin, Marketing & Brand Management Director J. ALAN PAUL PHOTOGRAPHY 88

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Fargo Mayor, Dr. Tim Mahoney and President and CEO of United Way of Cass-Clay, Kristi Huber, are joined by leaders from MATBUS, United Way of Cass-Clay and Cardinal IG to announce how the United Way Workforce Transportation project will eliminate the barrier of transportation for individuals seeking employment, and will empower employers to attract and retain employees, thanks to new public transportation services now available in the Fargo Industrial Park.

by MATBUS, there are currently more than 19,588 jobs available in the Fargo Industrial Park, which includes more than 40 employers, such as Cardinal IG, John Deere Electronic Solutions, Northern Pipe Products and Tecton Products.

In a recent survey facilitated by United Way to employers in the Industrial Park, two-thirds of respondents said that reliable transportation would benefit employee retention at their business. “There are a number of individuals that would be great employees at our business, but they don’t have transportation,” said Kelsey Kasten, Human Resource Manager at Cardinal IG, one of the more than 40 employers in the Industrial Park, the area north of Main Avenue and west of Interstate 29 in Fargo.

F

illing the gaps that exist in our local workforce is key to the economic growth of our community, and a solution to lifting people out of poverty.

With one in nine people living in poverty, and currently nearly 20,000 jobs available in the Fargo Industrial Park, an existing barrier consistently stands in the way of individuals gaining employment – and that is reliable transportation.

Eliminating the barrier of transportation for individuals seeking employment will empower employers to attract and retain employees – and that is the goal of the United Way Workforce Transportation Project.

FROM THE EMPLOYER PERSPECTIVE According to the demographic data provided

The last time public transportation was available in this area was in the 1990s, nearly 30 years ago. Before the United Way Workforce Transportation Project, in order for an individual to fill one of the thousands of open positions at an employer in the Industrial Park, they would have to walk to their employer from the nearest bus stop, which is 1.5 miles away, a 30-minute walk and a significant barrier for potential employees.

OPENING NEW DOORS FOR PEOPLE SEEKING EMPLOYMENT In a recent survey to professionals working to assist individuals in finding employment, 82 percent of respondents reported that their clients do not have reliable transportation to get to work and 100 percent agree that reliable transportation would be a gamechanger for their clients.

“Giving employees and employers this option is exciting and applauded by those of us at Job Service North Dakota who see people every day who experience difficulties with employment due to a lack of adequate transportation. This is a significant barrier to attaining and retaining employment and causes workers to be absent and late

“The City of Fargo has been trying to do this for years. Thank you to United Way for being the catalyst to get it started.

This is a unique opportunity, and city leaders have to have vision – a part of that vision is solving a need for employers in the Industrial Park, who are begging for employees who do not have a way to get to these goodpaying jobs. This is a multiple win.”

-Dave Piepkorn, Fargo Deputy Mayor

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because existing public transportation routes and schedules often don’t meet the needs of all employees and employers,” said Carey Fry, Workforce Center Manager, Job Service North Dakota.

COLLABORATIVE SUPPORT FROM THE FARGO CITY COMMISSION Over the past year, United Way led more than 70 meetings with community partners, businesses and government entities to identify barriers for the local workforce, and the issue of transportation continued to be a consistent theme for both employers and employment-seekers alike.

On June 3 of this year, representatives from United Way of Cass-Clay and MATBUS presented the plan to leaders at the Fargo City Commission meeting. “United Way of CassClay is proud to collaborate with MATBUS to provide a solution to one of our community’s most complex issues. This will have a positive impact on our business community, and it is an innovative and lasting solution to lifting people out of poverty, one of our bold goals,” said Thomas Hill, VP Community Impact for United Way of Cass-Clay.

The diverse partners including MATBUS, the City of Fargo, the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Corporation, The Chamber, Cornerstone Bank, FM Area Foundation, Microsoft, the Otto Bremer Trust, West Central Initiative and private investors, helped with the financial aspect of this United Way-led 90

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project, which was a major differentiator in its success.

“The City of Fargo has been trying to do this for years. Thank you to United Way for being the catalyst to get it started. In the past, the City of Fargo has tried to get transportation out to the Industrial Park, and it is too difficult with the shift changes at different times. This is a unique opportunity, and city leaders have to have vision – a part of that vision is solving a need for employers in the Industrial Park, who are begging for employees who do not have a way to get to these good-paying jobs.

This is a multiple win, and I am thankful to be a part of it,” said Dave Piepkorn, Fargo Deputy Mayor.

INNOVATION IMPLEMENTED THROUGH TAPRIDE TECHNOLOGY Transportation services begin in August, via TapRide, an on-demand technology platform provided by MATBUS that allows riders to receive a “curb-to-curb ride” via access to existing main MATBUS systems. Operation times can be adjusted to meet the demands of riders and the system will follow the same pay structure as current services, with an adult fare set at $1.50, and a 30-day pass for $40.

“We have seen the success of the TapRide service in and around the NDSU campus as a cost-effective way to provide public transportation to our community. The collaboration with United Way has been,

Fargo Mayor, Dr. Tim Mahoney and United Way of Cass-Clay President and CEO, Kristi Huber, were joined by Kelsey Kasten, Cardinal IG Human Resource Manager; Josef Rivera, MATBUS First Transit General Manager; Julie Bommelman, MATBUS Fargo Transit Director; Ahmed Shiil, United Way of Cass-Clay Community Impact Manager; Thomas Hill, United Way of CassClay VP Community Impact; Dave Piepkorn, Fargo Deputy Mayor; and Matthew Peterson, MATBUS Fargo Assistant Transit Director for a ride on the MATBUS vehicle that will provide new transportation services and remove barriers for employees and employers, thanks to the United Way Workforce Transportation Project

and will continue to be beneficial as we implement this service in the Industrial Park,” said Matthew Peterson, MATBUS Fargo Assistant Transit Director.

BRINGING THE WORKFORCE TO OUR EMPLOYERS “A main economic target of the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation is primary-sector companies – those who bring new wealth to our region from a larger, regional, national and international customer base. One of the leading challenges is workforce, and we value the collaboration and partnership with United Way on this issue,” said Joe Raso, President and CEO of the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation.

“United Way is a powerful community facilitator. They have the unique ability to connect the right people and the right organizations to solve difficult community issues. They take a strategic approach to solving complex problems, and they keep driving to get things done to make our communities better,” said Chris Barta, Director of Operations at Marvin, a primary sector business.

Collaboration is the key to solving complex issues in our community, and it is vital to creating lasting social change. The United Way Workforce Transportation Project will change the game for many individuals and families in our community, as well as employers seeking employees for their workforce.

This is the Power of Community. Realized.

Get the Best Results for the Greatest Value from Your

EMPLOYMENT ATTORNEY

BY Kristy L. Albrecht

Y

our employees are one of your company’s most valuable assets, but they also can be one of your biggest challenges. When you are dealing with difficult personnel issues or working to develop legally compliant employment policies, your employment attorney can provide valuable assistance to you. Here’s how to get the best results for the greatest value from your attorney.

Kristy L. Albrecht is a Fredrikson & Byron shareholder in Fargo, and a member of the Employment & Labor, Litigation, Transportation and Appellate Groups. She advises employers on a variety of employment law issues, including hiring, firing, discipline, employee leave laws, employee handbooks, drug and alcohol policies and separation agreements. She can be reached at kalbrecht@fredlaw.com.

Know When to Ask for Help Not every employee problem requires legal advice. However, waiting too long to call your employment attorney can turn what could have been a small problem into a much larger (and much more expensive) one.

So how do you strike the right balance? To begin with, consult with your employment attorney regarding which topics typically call for legal advice and which typically do not.

Employee terminations tend to be a highrisk area, as do employee medical leaves, worker classifications, and wage and hour issues. Checking in with your attorney early on in these situations to make sure you are heading down the right path is much more cost-effective than waiting until later when you are forced to defend a lawsuit.

Sometimes you have the answer on an employment law question, and you need only confirmation that you are correct.

Or perhaps you have a question about a basic legal standard. In those situations, a quick email communication is sufficient and cost-effective. Other times, your attorney will need additional factual information from you, and a phone call or in-person meeting is the most efficient way to communicate. Regardless, your employment attorney can work with you to manage your personnel policies and

practices in a way that will help you avoid legal claims (or build your best case if a claim becomes unavoidable).

and ultimately assuring you will receive the kind of legal advice and assistance most helpful to you.

Generate a Shared Understanding of Your Business and Your Goals Having an attorney who understands your business and your goals creates tremendous value and efficiency in the legal work performed for you. This kind of knowledge allows your attorney to tailor his or her advice to your specific needs, rather than giving you a one-size-fits-all answer that does not work for you.

For large projects, including employment litigation, having a kick-off meeting specifically to discuss your goals and objectives for that project or piece of litigation is critical. Consider this example – a former employee files a lawsuit claiming age discrimination. You hire an aggressive litigation team and barrel forward into litigation, expending large amounts of money in legal fees and devoting countless hours of your management team’s time in strategy discussions, written discovery matters, and depositions.

Examples of ways your attorney can gain this knowledge include anything from lunches and happy hours to more structured annual or quarterly planning meetings. This face-time, which is typically off the clock, is extremely helpful in educating your attorney about your business, developing a relationship of trust,

TIPS 1

Ask your employment attorney about which employment-law topics typically call for legal advice and which typically do not.

2

Figure out ways to educate your employment attorney on your business and your goals.

3

Work with your attorney to address compliance issues proactively.

4

Have kick-off meetings for large projects and/or pieces of litigation, and maintain ongoing communication throughout the matter.

5

Discuss fees and costs up front and put agreements in writing.

This approach may be entirely appropriate in some circumstances, but perhaps it is not the strategy that makes sense for your business in this particular situation. Failing to have up-front, specific conversations about your goals and objectives could result in misunderstandings about what you expect and how to achieve the best outcome for you.

Look for Creative and Proactive Solutions Another strategy for managing legal costs while still getting great value is to work with your attorney to find creative and proactive solutions rather than traditional, reactive approaches.

For example, does your employment attorney offer training or other employment-law compliance programs tailored to new and growing businesses to help you comply with federal, state and local laws? A proactive approach can save substantial amounts of money later because if you train your employees, they will more likely comply with applicable legal standards. Additionally, the fact that you work to assure compliance through training is excellent evidence of your good faith efforts if litigation should come to pass. Training sessions can also improve morale in the workplace because the employees will feel better informed and that they have been included in matters of importance. All of this serves to increase economic efficiencies and decrease legal expenses.

A related issue is whether your employment policies are up to date and legally compliant.

When is the last time you had your handbook

reviewed? Does it contain policies and notices required by the applicable federal, state, and local laws? Do your policies reflect your actual practices? We have found that in the process of updating handbooks for our clients, an important educational process occurs. Clients learn what is required legally and how to resolve certain personnel issues as we work through and update the company’s employment policies. Additionally, a good handbook provides important evidence when defending against employment claims. Again, all of this serves to increase economic efficiencies and decrease legal expenses.

Another creative approach is to have access to some checklists or other guides covering employment law topics, such as hiring, wageand-hour laws, and departing-employee best practices, as well as to work with attorneys who provide seminars and webinars on employment law topics. While these checklists, guides, and presentations are not a substitute for consultation with your attorney on the difficult issues, the information you gain may answer the easy questions and help you spot the issues that present risk to the company.

Have Open Communication About Expectations and Fees As is true with marriages or other significant partnerships, open communication is key to a successful attorney-client relationship.

In that regard, we recommend that you discuss fees and costs up front. This does not mean simply asking the attorney for his or her hourly rate but also having an open discussion about your budget. Some large projects or litigation matters evolve. When the project changes, you should ask about how those changes may impact the time the attorney needs to devote to the project.

These open discussions help your attorney work within your expectations and help you understand what you can reasonably anticipate as to fees and costs.

Companies face many challenges in staying on top of ever-changing employment legislation and in managing legal risks related to their employees. You do not, however, have to meet those challenges alone. Instead, develop an attorney-client relationship that maximizes value and focuses on meeting your company’s needs and objectives.

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5

Common Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make

I

n my role with the ND SBDC, I have the privilege of helping more than 200 entrepreneurs each year start, grow and manage their small businesses. As I work with clients and reflect back on my own career in the private sector, I believe that while it’s great to celebrate success, it’s even more important to learn from our failures.

By Paul Smith Fargo Center Director of the North Dakota Small Business Development Centers

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In his book “The Lean Startup,” Eric Ries says, “I have learned from both my successes and failures and those of many others that it’s the boring stuff that matters the most. Startup success is not a consequence of good genes or being in the right place at the right time. Startup success can be engineered by following the right process, which means it can be learned, which means it can be taught.”

LACK OF FOCUS David Allen said, “You can do anything, but not everything.” Focus is not only having a clear idea of what your business will do, but equally important knowing what it won’t do. Without focus, it’s too easy to expend valuable time and resources chasing potential opportunities, which may or may not pan out. That’s why having a business plan is so important. Every company, regardless of the business stage, needs a business plan, especially start-ups. Most of us would never dream of building a house without a blueprint; that would be foolish. Why would a business be any different? According to research, those companies with a written business plan are 3x more likely to succeed than those without a plan. There are several different types of business plans, and the type of plan that’s right for your company depends on your objectives and audience.

If your goal is to obtain a loan from a financial institution, you will probably need a more traditional detailed business plan. A good place to start is with a “lean plan” like the bplans (bplans.com) one-page pitch or business model canvas before developing a more detailed plan if needed. The important thing is without a business plan, you are more likely to veer off course.

Resource Fortunately, there are some great business planning tools and templates out there like LivePlan, which make the process easier than ever.

A SOLUTION IN SEARCH OF A PROBLEM

A FOCUS ON PROFIT INSTEAD OF CASH

In my role, I work with a lot of bright, innovative and inspiring entrepreneurs who have lots of great ideas for a new product, service or app. Many are understandably eager to push forward with development, but they often skip a critical step in the process – a thorough market analysis. Every business opportunity starts with people who have a problem or unmet need. The first step is to define the problem and how your business will solve that problem. Second, you will need to size up the market. Is there a demand for your product or service? How many people would be interested in your offering?

Where do your customers live? How many similar options are already available to prospective customers in your designated service area?

Are there enough potential customers who will allow your business to be profitable? A good market is one that is either large enough or has enough demand to be profitable – ideally both. Some of this industry and market data is available through existing free sources. The SBDC has access to additional resources, which require a subscription to sites such as IBISWorld, Vertical IQ, Bizminer and Esri. Perhaps most important, it’s critical to go out and interview and/or survey potential customers to validate the need for your offering and that customers will actually pay for it. Doing a thorough market analysis takes time but it will be time well spent in the long run.

Many small business owners view their business through one lens – the income statement (P&L). Sales minus direct costs and operating expenses equals net income. And certainly, one of the goals of a for-profit business is profit. However, profit doesn’t pay the bills – cash does. A business owner needs to monitor the cash flow statement and balance sheet in addition to the P&L. If a business doesn’t have the cash to support its daily operations, the business will fail. That’s the main reason about 20 percent of startups fail within their first year, and only 50 percent are still in business after five years. Many of those businesses are actually profitable on paper but run out of cash. For example, the business may have recorded revenue but has to wait 30 days or longer to get paid by a customer so the business has a receivable on the balance sheet, which hasn’t been converted to cash. The company needs to have sufficient working capital to ‘cover’ those receivables until the cash is received. Startups need sufficient working capital to ensure the business can cash flow until it reaches the ‘break-even point.’ The SBDC can help them determine how much working capital they will need by doing a detailed cash flow forecast and break-even analysis.

Resource The SBA has a list of free listing of business data and trends. You can find it by going to sba.gov and searching “market research competitive analysis.”

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UNREALISTIC FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS Many startups assume their business will make money from month one and that they will be running at full capacity within three to four months. Some apply the “hockey stick” growth curve: Sales grow slowly at first, then shoot up with huge growth rates when “something” happens. The problem is, that “something” rarely happens, and the business doesn’t have the capital to survive. At the same time, many startups underestimate their startup expenses, those expenses incurred prior to launch, and their first-year expenses, those ongoing expenses incurred after launch. The bottom line is startups need to have ‘believable’ financial projections grounded in realistic assumptions. As a general rule, it takes the average startup business 7-11 months to reach the steady state ‘break-even point.’ I strongly advise startup clients to ‘stress-test’ their projections by asking, “What happens if the business only achieves 50 percent of projected revenue during the first 3-6 months and expenses are 25 percent greater than projections? ” It’s critical to determine your ‘real’ cash needs before sitting down with a lender to discuss startup financing.

LEAVING NO TIME TO WORK “ON” THE BUSINESS In his classic book “The E-Myth Revisited,” Michael Gerber points out that everyone who goes into business has to play the role of three people: entrepreneur, manager and technician. The entrepreneur is the visionary, the manager manages staff and establishes processes and systems and the technician is the person who makes the product or delivers the service. Most small business owners are technicians who become business owners because they were really good at their job and decided they would be better off owning their own company. The fatal assumption is that if you understand the technical work of a business, you understand that business. There’s a lot that goes on with a business that a technician cannot intuitively understand without additional knowledge and training. For example, I recently worked with a client who was an excellent diesel mechanic and decided to open his own shop. He quickly realized that if he were only a technician, his capacity to grow the business would be limited because he would be the only one capable of doing the work.

However, if he hires staff, he will need to manage them, which now requires a ‘manager’ skill set.

My best advice for startups is don’t try to do it alone. Connect with business advisers and mentors, CPA’s, attorneys, insurance agents, marketing and HR professionals who can assist with many of the business functions while you focus on growing the business and those activities that require your unique expertise. At the same time, I encourage clients to read, take classes and attend workshops and webinars to increase their business knowledge and especially their financial acumen. All business owners should have a basic understanding of the financial side of the business.

Resources The SBA Emerging Leaders program is an excellent seven-month crash course for small business owners of established companies. Recruiting doesn’t start until December and classes start in April but the registration site is open all the time. Learn more at sba.gov/emergingleaders.

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About ND Small Business Development Center Smith is Fargo Center Director of the North Dakota Small Business Development Centers. Each year, the ND SBDC assists more than 1,000 ND entrepreneurs and small business owners across the state to start, manage and grow their businesses. The SBDC provides free, confidential business advising, technical assistance and training in a wide range of areas such as business startup and planning, market research, funding and financial analysis. The Fargo Center is located in the NDSU Research and Technology Park Incubator.

To register for services, visit their ndsbdc.org

ALEX L. VASICHEK Owner/Financial Advisor

Elevate Financial

I

grew up in a small community in central North Dakota. My dad was a John Deere dealer. I grew up working on farm equipment as a mechanic for the business. When I decided to be a financial advisor, I still wanted to stay connected in the agricultural community. I felt there was a large disservice being done between financial advisors and farmers. Our objective is to correct that to give the level of service and understanding our clients deserve. I have been in the financial services industry since I was 19 where I interned at Northwestern Mutual. When I was 21, I left NML and came over to mass mutual where I eventually started Elevate Financial. In my five years, I have been Advisor of the Year three times for Mass Mutual Central. My brother and I also do some real estate investing on the side.

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Faces of

Fargo Business

Take us through a typical day in your life.

I wake up with my son around 6 a.m. and get him ready for the day. This can be challenging at times but we both love our time getting ready and listening to Drake. After that, I am in the office where I have a quick meeting with my staff to get an update on what needs to be tackled right away. I then return emails and make calls for a few hours. The afternoons are generally packed with meetings. These meetings can vary from simply setting up an IRA to doing complex estate planning to doing succession planning for a business. I generally work until around 6 p.m. when I head home to spend some family time with my wife and son.

What’s the worst piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Trying to run too lean. I wish I would have hired staff sooner to help me get to the next level.

HILLARY EHLEN

What keeps you up at night?

My growing business. Making sure we are doing everything we can for our clients.

What would you give a TED Talk on?

Selling relationships. I think one thing that has set me apart from the competition is my ability to build a trusting relationship with my clients.

Business has changed so much and become more

transactional, which in some ways is great, however, in my business, I think the human touch is important.

How does the reality of your job differ from people’s perception of it?

I think there are a lot of different perceptions out there about financial advisors. Some people think of the guys on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange yelling buy and sell orders all day. Some people think we sit and analyze charts.

Some people think we really do nothing at all. The reality is a lot of our time is spent in front of clients going over concepts and solutions to their particular situation.

What’s one thing the local business community could do to help you/your organization?

Help get our name out there.

Come like Elevate's Facebook page and Instagram posts. Our goal is to reach as many people as we can.

If you could thank one person who’s contributed to your success, who would it be and why?

This is a tough question. I have to credit two people on this. The first is my father. He taught me so much in my life but especially in business. He taught me to always keep your word, always think of it from the client's point of view, work hard, be empathetic and be humble. The second person

whom I hold in the same respect is Mark Anderson. He's been a great friend and mentor throughout my whole career.

He taught me how to build a business culture. How to be tenacious when necessary.

What’s your “why”?

My biggest goal in my life is to build this business large enough to keep going after I retire. I want to be the premier agricultural and business planning firm in the area. One day, if he would like, I would want my son to carry on the business.

What part of your job would you use an “easy button” on, if you could?

Back end paperwork! In finance, there is so much back end paperwork. If I could hit the easy button, it would be to have it handled all the time.

What’s one characteristic you believe every great leader should possess?

I think every great leader possess passion for what they believe is right, whether they hold it in our are very vocal. I think every leader has passion.

Who’s a leader you’re studying or paying attention to right now?

Gary V! I am in the middle of his last book. I like his in your face approach and attitude on trying to raise everyone up around you.

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Bismarck Events AUGUST 6 Chamber EDC 101: Maximizing your Membership Tuesday, August 6, from 12- 1 p.m.

Are you interested in learning how to make the most out of your membership? Save the Date and join us at the Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC to hear from Chamber EDC staff about our programs, benefits, committees, and other opportunities on how to maximize your membership. bismarckmandan.com Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC 1640 Burnt Boat Drive, Bismarck

AUGUST 13 Professional Development Series: Social Media Tuesday, August 13 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Here, you’ll learn how to effectively promote and grow your business through social media networks, as well as developing a social media strategy and mistakes to avoid while interacting online. Topics for this event will cover the importance of promotion and networking, how to further expand your business – large or small, and the pros and cons of using social media in the workplace. bismarckmandan.com Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC 1640 Burnt Boat Drive, Bismarck

AUGUST 16 Fridays at the Chamber EDC Friday, August 16 from 11:30 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Join fellow members for a fun and informal way to network on one Friday each month this summer. Chamber EDC staff will serve hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, refreshments and all the fixings. There is no cost to attend, but free-will donations will be accepted. bismarckmandan.com Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC 1640 Burnt Boat Drive, Bismarck

AUGUST 20-22 America’s Grassland Conference Tuesday, August 20-Thursday, August 22

The fifth Biennial America’s Grasslands Conference will be held August 20–22, in Bismarck. Join diverse stakeholders in discussing opportunities for working across boundaries to create strong and effective partnerships for grassland conservation. nwf.org/grasslandsconference Radisson Hotel Bismarck 605 East Broadway Ave. Bismarck

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Bismarck Events AUGUST 23 CORE Women: August

Friday, August 23 from 8:30 - 10:30 a.m.

CORE Women Bismarck Mandan is a quarterly gathering of professional forward-thinking women looking to connect, foster new ideas, and empower others while expanding business networks. Our events trigger risk-taking, inspiration and growth.

This one will focus on happiness. bismarckmandan.com Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC 1640 Burnt Boat Drive, Bismarck

SEPTEMBER 12 ACTIVATE Your Human Resources: Understanding Compensation and Benefits

Thursday, September 12 from 11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.

While financing is a major aspect of starting or expanding a business, we both know the journey does not end there but has only just begun. Our team holds both personal and professional growth in high regard and wish to join you on that journey as well. That is why Dakota Business Lending has started its very own FREE “Activate Women� learning workshop series - Activate Your Human Resources: Understanding Compensation and Benefits. dakotabusinesslending.com Center for Technology and Business 2720 E Broadway Ave #1, Bismarck

SEPTEMBER 13 North Dakota Power Up Health Conference Friday, Sept. 13 from 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The North Dakota Power Up Health Conference is intended for people with disabilities, families, service providers and professionals to discover fun and exciting ways to enjoy good health throughout the life span! All the sessions will be informative and interactive for all participants. ndcpd.org/powerup.html Bismarck Event Center 315 5th St. S, Bismarck

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Fargo, Moorhead & Dilworth Events AUGUST 1 August Breakfast Buzz: Drive Organizational Results through High Engagement Thursday, August 1 from 8 - 10 a.m.

Kick-start your Thursday morning with the Breakfast Buzz! Come for a cup of good coffee with peers and colleagues, engage in spirited dialogue and discussion, and walk away with new knowledge and best practices for how to develop and improve your leadership, teams and business! corporateelements.com Preference Employment Solutions 2605 42nd St. S, Fargo

AUGUST 6

AUGUST 6

The Future of Farming: A Look at Autonomous Ag

FBN Advisory + K-Coe Isom: State of the Markets

Join the Chamber for this Eggs and Issue event as they dive into Grand Farm. This initiative aims to capitalize on the region’s potential in the agriculture and technology industries to create a fully autonomous farm that will impact the Fargo-Moorhead community and beyond.

Join Walter Kunisch, Farmers Business Network Senior Commodity Analyst, to hear how FBN is utilizing research, data science, and the weight of 8,000 farmers on the FBN network to support farmers’ quest for profitability!

Tuesday, August 6 from 7:30 - 9 a.m.

fmwfchamber.com Courtyard by Marriott, Moorhead 1080 28th Ave. S, Moorhead

Tuesday, August 6 from 6 - 9 p.m.

fbn.com Crooked Pint 3340 13th Ave. S, Fargo

Fargo, Moorhead & Dilworth Events AUGUST 7, 14 & 28 The100, INC’s Wednesdays 12 to 1 Wednesday, August 7, 14 and 28 from 12 - 1 p.m.

Nearly every Wednesday, you’ll find an experienced group of owners and executives from The100, INC having lunch in The Porch at Porter Creek. This is open to members of the100,inc., all key personnel and special guests. the100.online Porter Creek Hardwood 1555 44th St. S, Fargo

AUGUST 15 Lunch and Learn: Google for Small Businesses and NonProfits Thursday, August 15 from 12 - 1 p.m.

Matt Bergh, Digital Media Manager at Google, will be giving a lunch and learn at the Prairie Den on Google for small businesses and non-profits. He will be talking about different Google apps for small businesses as well as resources for non-profits. facebook.com/EmergingPrairie Prairie Den

AUGUST 14 State of Technology 2019

Wednesday, August 14 from 8 a.m. - noon

In collaboration with and featuring U.S. Senator John Hoeven, join the FMWF Chamber to hear the latest innovations in technology happening in North Dakota.

A full morning of speakers will present on the amazing tech being developed and deployed in our own backyard, and businesses will learn what they need to know to keep up in this ever-changing time. fmwfchamber.com Avalon Events Center 2525 9th Ave S, Fargo

122 1/2 North Broadway Dr, Fargo

AUGUST 21 AUGUST 20 Chamber 101: Connect.

Engage. Maximize.

AUGUST 15 Off the Clock - August

Thursday, August 15 from 5:15 - 6:30 p.m.

The FMWF Chamber’s Young Professional Network is switching things up this month! Join them for networking and ice cream outside of one of the FMWF area’s staple establishment, the Moorhead Dairy Queen. fmwfchamber.com Moorhead Dairy Queen 24 Eighth St. S, Moorhead

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Tuesday, August 20 from 4 - 4:45 p.m.

If you’re not familiar with The FMWF Chamber, are a new member, new contact, new hire, or just want to reengage with them, this session is for you! fmwfchamber.com The Chamber office 202 First Ave. N, Moorhead

Makers Meeting 2 | the100,inc. Members Only

Wednesday, August 21 from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

The third Wednesday of each month, members and key personnel of the100,inc. have the opportunity to attend a 90-minute “enhanced version” of our Wednesdays 12 to 1 lunches.

This month will feature Don Arvidson, Owner of Express Employment Professionals Fargo. the100.online NDSU Research & Technology 1854 NDSU Research Circle N, Fargo

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SEPTEMBER 10 K-12 Update with our A+ Superintendents Tuesday, Sept. 10 from 7:30 - 9 a.m.

Our Fargo Moorhead West Fargo community has always been known for providing great K-12 education to our children, and it’s important to hear from those who lead our districts. Join the Chamber for this Eggs & Issues to hear from the superintendents of our three area school districts, as each shares updates on their district and looks ahead to what we can expect in the future. fmwfchamber.com Courtyard by Marriott, Moorhead 1080 28th Ave. S, Moorhead

SEPTEMBER 12

AUGUST 21 My Job is Easy...Until People Get Involved: Mastering Teams and Co-workers Wednesday, August 21 from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

The people we work with can make or break us in far too many ways. Learning how to connect and interact with your co-workers is essential to future success. You’ll spend up to 40+ hours a week with these people – and you rarely, if ever, get to choose them! Speaking Eric Hatch as the speaker, at this session, you’ll learn some great ways in which to help one another be your best selves. fmwfchamber.com TAK Music Venue 1710 Center Ave. W, Dilworth

AUGUST 27 Owning Your Wealth

Tuesday, August 27 from 3:30 - 5 p.m.

At this Women Connect event, you’ll learn about why your money shouldn’t be sitting around doing anything, and neither should you. Evaluate your financial health and figure out where you want to be and how to get there.

Set financial goals, discover how to make your money work for you and learn how to put it all together to create a financial plan. fmwfchamber.com DoubleTree by Hilton & West Fargo Conference Center 825 East Beaton Dr., West Fargo

SEPTEMBER 5 September Breakfast Buzz: Drive Organizational Results through High Engagement Thursday, September 5 from 8 - 10 a.m.

Kick-start your Thursday morning with the Breakfast Buzz! Come for a cup of good coffee with peers and colleagues, engage in spirited dialogue and discussion, and walk away with new knowledge and best practices for how to develop and improve your leadership, teams and business! corporateelements.com Preference Employment Solutions 2605 42nd St. S, Fargo

2019 The Chamber’s Ninth Annual Meeting Thursday, Sept. 12 from 12 - 1:30 p.m.

Help the FMWF Chamber celebrate the business community and the volunteers committed to using their time, talents and influence to help businesses thrive, create positive change and build a stronger community! They’ll look back on your Chamber’s accomplishments and share priorities for the upcoming fiscal year, as well as honor the 2019 recipient of the Legacy Leader Award. fmwfchamber.com Holiday Inn Fargo 3803 13th Ave. S, Fargo

SEPTEMBER 12 ACTIVATE Your Human Resources: Understanding Compensation and Benefits

Thursday, September 12 from 11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.

While financing is a major aspect of starting or expanding a business, we both know the journey does not end there but has only just begun. Our team holds both personal and professional growth in high regard and wish to join you on that journey as well. That is why Dakota Business Lending has started its very own FREE “Activate Women” learning workshop series - Activate Your Human Resources: Understanding Compensation and Benefits. dakotabusinesslending.com Dakota Business Lending 5630 36th Ave. S, Fargo

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Grand Forks Events AUGUST 7 Intro to Project Management Workshop Wednesday, August 7 from 1:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Join the University of Mary for this Intro to Project Management. It’s ideal for professionals new to a project management role or anyone interested in adding project management skills to their portfolio. Interactive activities will be used to cover the best practices of managing a project from start to finish.

AUGUST 8 Plugged Into the Future

Thursday, August 8 from 5:30-10:30 p.m.

Join Minnkota Power Cooperative and Nodak Electric Cooperative on August 8 for an evening of electric vehicles, food trucks, and a showing of Back to the Future under the stars. gochamber.org Minnkota Power Cooperative 5301 32nd Ave. S, Grand Forks

gochamber.org University of Mary Grand Forks Campus

AUGUST 15 2019 August Business After Hours Thursday, August 15 from 4:45 - 7 p.m.

Sandford Health invites all Chamber Members and their employees to join them for a fun Business After Hours. Business After Hours is free for Chamber Members to attend and is a great way to unwind after work, meet up with friends and make new contacts. gochamber.org

1407 24th Ave. S, Suite 313, Grand Forks

Thoughts from the experts

“Did you know that a project manager spends most of his or her time communicating? Check out the Intro to Project Management workshop from the University of Mary Grand Forks campus for more tips and best practices that you can apply next time you manage a project.”

Anita Hoffarth, co-owner of Reach Partners. * Reach Partners helps organizations hold standout events and manage successful projects. reachpartnersinc.com

AUGUST 8 ACTIVATE Your Human Resources: Understanding Compensation and Benefits

Thursday, August 8 from 11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.

While financing is a major aspect of starting or expanding a business, we both know the journey does not end there but has only just begun.

Our team holds both personal and professional growth in high regard and wish to join you on that journey as well.

That is why Dakota Business Lending has started its very own FREE “Activate Women” learning workshop series - Activate Your Human Resources: Understanding Compensation and Benefits. dakotabusinesslending.com UND Center for Innovation 4200 James Ray Dr, Grand Forks

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AUGUST 21 Disaster Preparedness! Is Your Business Ready to Recover?

Wednesday, August 21 from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

This Brown Bag session, which is for chamber members but also open for nonmembers, will help you prepare your organization to protect the safety of employees and minimize the impact of damages to the bottom line. Join representatives from the Grand Forks Police Department and the US Small Business Administration to learn about the following disaster preparation topics and more. gochamber.org The Chamber of Commerce GF/EGF 202 N 3rd St. #100, Grand Forks

AUGUST 21

SEPTEMBER 11

Free Simple Steps to Start Your Own Business

Free Workplace Wellness Seminar

Learn how to start your own business. Representatives from Grand Forks SCORE will provide a thorough roadmap of the basics of business as well as social media tips.

RiverView Health’s Occupational Health Team invites area safety directors, occupational health nurses, managers, workers compensation administrators and human resources staff to its free Workplace Wellness Seminar.

The daylong seminar will include respiratory fit testing, foot health, distracted driving, nerve injuries and repetitive use injuries and more.

Wednesday, August 21 from 12 - 1:30 p.m.

gochamber.org Center for Innovation, James Ray Idea Lab 4200 James Ray Dr, Grand Forks

Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 8:30 a.m.

riverviewhealth.org Boardwalk Bar and Grill 415 2nd St. NW, Grand Forks

Minot Events SEPTEMBER 5 Business After Hours

Thursday, Sept. 5 from 5 - 7 p.m.

Join the Minot Chamber for their first Business After Hours of the fall as Sleep Inn & Suites hosts. Enjoy delicious food, great networking and a chance at prizes. There’s a $5 charge at the door. minotchamber.org Sleep Inn & Suites 2400 10th St SW, Minot

SEPTEMBER 10 ACTIVATE Your Human Resources: Understanding Compensation and Benefits Tuesday, September 10 from 11:45 a.m.

- 1:15 p.m.

While financing is a major aspect of starting or expanding a business, we both know the journey does not end there but has only just begun.

Our team holds both personal and professional growth in high regard and wish to join you on that journey as well. That is why Dakota Business Lending has started its very own FREE “Activate Women” learning workshop series - Activate Your Human Resources: Understanding Compensation and Benefits. dakotabusinesslending.com Minot Public Library 516 2nd Ave. SW, Minot