LocalBiz Magazine Q2 2021

INSPIRATION P. 42

Service Brewing Company’s big break

INSTAGRAM TIPS P. 32 Six ways to crush it on The ‘Gram

H I LTO N H E A D  B LU FF TO N  B E AU FO RT

IDENTITY P. 57

Make your mark: Qualities of a great logo

CRE ATE YOUR BUSINESS SUCCESS BRIGHT IDEAS, INSPIRATION & INNOVATION

Q2  2021

Lowcountry business is our business.

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When local businesses succeed, the whole region benefits. That's why Hargray has always been here for Lowcountry businesses, investing to bring you the fastest Internet in town, and working throughout the year to keep your employees seamlessly connected to each other and to the world.

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MAKERS

I have fewer senior moments.

THE TEAM

— Chris C, NAD Client

EDITORIAL & DESIGN Editor-in-Chief Lance Hanlin Editors Lucy Rosen, Laurie Laykish Art Director Jeremy Swartz Vice President Sales Lori Goodridge-Cribb Graphic Designer Charles Grace

ADVERTISING & AUDIENCE Digital and Social Ashlan Saeger It took Chris about three days to feel the effects of his NAD+ Therapy treatments at Restore Hyper-Wellness and Cryotherapy and the positive changes lasted for many weeks after.

“Good health is important to me so I am up for anything that can help my overall wellness which is why I gave NAD+ Therapy a shot. It’s hard to describe how I felt after my NAD+ sessions but ‘more centered’ comes to mind. It’s like feeling of calm and alertness at the same time.”

NAD+ is a compound that plays a critical role in the aging process. The body’s NAD levels decrease as we age which can be why your body and mind feel like they are slowing down.

“I never thought of myself as an anxious or stressed out person but maybe I was more than I realized. Since starting NAD+ Therapy my thoughts are more clear, I have more focus and I am much less forgetful.”

Audience Curation Bruce Wolf Sales Melissa Page, Rebecca Kerns

ADMINISTRATION & MANAGEMENT Finance Leah Ortega

“ Creativity is intelligence having fun.”

— ALBERT EINSTEIN

NAD+ IV Therapy can rejuvenate mitochondria, the powerhouse of your cells which are responsible for creating the most basic fuel of your body’s biological processes. Flooding the body with IV NAD+ your body’s repair mode is jumpstarted in a natural way. Restore’s additional vitamin infusion enhances the process, helping with energy production, mitochondria reproduction.

NAD+ Therapy can also enhance brain function, boost energy levels and help you feel more alert. Just ask Chris.

Complimentary Consultation

LOCAL Biz and LOCAL Life are publications of Momentum Media Group Inc. The cover and contents may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the written consent of LOCAL Biz. Send any correspondence regarding editorial or subscriptions to info@localbizsc.com

omentum MEDIA GROUP 11 Marina Side Dr, Hilton Head Island

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EDITOR'S NOTE

Spark creativity INSPIRE, CHALLENGE AND HELP YOUR TEAM PUSH THE BOUNDARIES IN Q2.

Most business owners understand the importance of creativity in the workplace.

A joint study by Adobe and Forrester Consulting found that 82 percent of companies believe there is a strong connection between creative thinking and business success, yet 61 percent of those same companies didn’t see themselves as being creative.

For many businesses, especially smaller ones, it’s difficult to make creative thinking a priority when there are so many other balls to juggle. Who has time to fix what isn’t broken when there are bigger, more important fires to put out? Unfortunately, the pandemic has proven that businesses who are unable or unwilling to rethink and improve run the risk of lagging behind. What worked yesterday and works today may not work tomorrow.

Creative people who find business success are more likely to design new guidelines rather than go along with the same old playbook. They break the mold and discover fresh, improved ways to do things. They are independent thinkers who are innovative with problem solving. They help reveal solutions technical-minded people might overlook.

We created this Q2 issue of LOCAL Biz as a playbook for sparking creativity in your small business. We reached out to the Lowcountry’s top creative business minds and asked them to share their inspirational stories, tips and how-tos for conquering challenges that require an innovative approach. We hope it leaves you feeling smarter and more empowered to take your business to the next level in this uncertain time.

Learn secrets for rebranding your business, standing out on social media, charging what you’re really worth (plus tip) and much more inside this fresh and fun issue, written by a community of like-minded professionals. We appreciate the overwhelming support we received for our Q1 issue in January, and used the same recipe to build this Q2 issue. We know our business-minded readers want practical and tactical information they can act on now, and we hope this installment delivers.

Send feedback to info@localbizsc.com.

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“ Creativity doesn't wait for that perfect moment.

It fashions its own perfect moments out of ordinary ones.”

— BRUCE GARRABRANDT, ARTIST

LANCE HANLIN Editor-in-Chief

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INSIDE

Q2  2021 CREATIVITY Start. Grow. Lead.

Inspiring stories for the three most important stages of your business

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Roundup P. 26

Top picks and news you can use

Sales P. 46

Learn strategies and tactics that work

Marketing P. 54

Questions to ask when hiring a creative agency

HR P. 60

How to laugh your staff (meeting) off

Inspiration & Innovation

Money Matters P. 66

Examples of good that has surfaced through these tough times

Intellectual Property 101: How to keep yours

Business advice P. 72

Tips for success from a former business leader

34 In Focus The Lowcountry's top creative minds offer advice for 2021

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Ask the Experts P. 78 Good advice from local professionals

Smart Stuff P. 84

Tactical tools, tips and resources

Links P. 90

Bonus content at LocalBizSC.com

After Hours P. 92

Get more done and have more fun doing it

Last Word P. 96

Doodling can improve your mind and productivity

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CONTRIBUTORS

LOCAL BIZ WRITERS

BEHIND THE SCENES Ellen Linnemann, writer

Mel Savage, writer

Where do you live and how long have you lived there? “I’ve been a New Yorker for most of my life – I grew up on Long Island and, after attending college in upstate New York and then living in Manhattan (with a few years in between living in Hoboken, N.J.), I returned to my Long Island roots and have lived in Commack for the past 27 years.”

Where do you live and how long have you lived there? “I’m a good ol' Canadian gal. Born in Toronto and lived in and around that area for most of my life, with a few exciting stints in Vancouver and London, England. And I'm proud to say that I'm starting to spend my winters on Hilton Head.”

What is your current occupation? “I am the founder of The Career Reset, a company dedicated to helping individuals and corporations be great at what they do and loving every minute of it.”

What do you like doing more than anything else? “Anything with my dogs (and my husband can come, too!).”

What is your current occupation? “Director of Public Relations at the South Carolina-based SmartMarketing Communications, developing and executing public relations and marketing campaigns for our clients (and doing a lot of writing!)”

What do you like doing more than anything else? “Everything on Long Island is better in the summer – and there’s nothing I like more than summer weekends spent in my backyard with my whole family gathered together (which is also the thing I’ve missed more than anything else during the pandemic this past summer).”

When did you discover your love of writing? “I remember writing something in high school and, years later, someone telling me that they remembered what I had written and that it made an impact on them. I guess that’s when I first realized the power of words – and there’s still no better feeling for me than finding just the right way to tell a story.”

What piece of business advice do you wish someone would have given you when you were younger? “There are actually two pieces of advice I’ve seen quoted that I wish someone had given to me when I was younger, which I think are definitely related. The first would be, ‘step outside of your comfort zone.’ The second would be to ‘find a way to say yes to things.’ I would have definitely done both!”

Where do you see yourself professionally in 5 years? “I see myself still writing for our clients and helping to tell their amazing stories … while also using my love of writing to tell mine.”

When did you discover your love of writing? “When I was in grade 5 and I had to write a scary story. I wrote this over-dramatized version of this monster (my mom) coming to tell me to clean my room. Not only was it fun to write, but I realized it was a great way to work out my feelings.”

What piece of business advice do you wish someone would have given you when you were younger? “This one's easy. I wish someone had told me that other people don’t make me happy or sad. Only I get to control how I feel about things. It's a superpower I wish I'd learned to use 30 years ago.”

Where do you see yourself professionally 5 years? “I see myself running a completely remote business, employing a team of coaches who help highpotential people and companies reach their potential. That's how I can help make the world a better place. Create happier, more fulfilled people who in turn can make their worlds a little bit better.”

Heather Bruemmer, writer Heather Bruemmer is an author, arts advocate and consultant based in Estill. A native of Binghamton, N.Y., her love for art dates back to her days as a student at the Rod Serling School of Fine Arts, where she attended high school with a concentration in drama. As an undergraduate she studied Social Science Education at Western Governors University, but she was not destined for the classroom. Instead, she parlayed her passion for history, politics, art, and travel into a successful career as a curriculum and education writer with dozens of non-fiction titles in print.

Eventually the scope of her writing expanded to include grant writing and administration. She has served as a grant administrator, and director for many important projects, including the re-branding of the Estill Fall Arts Festival, and has been a team member for the SC Arts Commission "Art of Community: Rural SC" project since 2017.

A mother of six, Heather is a long-time board member of the Lowcountry Homeschool Association, one of South Carolina's largest homeschooling accountability associations. She is also a regular contributor to the Hampton County Guardian and currently serves as interim arts director for Hampton County. She is the executive director of SLAY: Support Lowcountry Artists Y'all, a nonprofit serving artists and communities in coastal South Carolina and Georgia.

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START GROW LEAD

Start. Grow. Lead.

CREATIVITY IN BUSINESS HAS NEVER BEEN AS IMPORTANT AS RIGHT NOW. Successful business leaders have long known the critical role that creativity plays in all stages of a business’s lifecycle. Back in 2010, a major IBM survey of more than 1,500 chief executive officers from 60 countries and 33 industries worldwide showed that CEOs believed that “more than rigor, management discipline, integrity or even visions – successfully navigating an increasing complex world will require creativity” – with creativity selected as the most crucial factor for future success. Since that survey more than a decade ago, the business world has only become even more complex; using and fostering creativity in business has never been as important as right now.

Whether you are just starting out with an idea sketched in your notepad, or are trying to navigate through today’s challenging business times, creativity and some out-of-the-box-thinking can often mean the difference between success and failure.

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Creativity not only can help power big ideas, but fostering creative thinking can lead to workplaces filled with collaboration and team bonding and can often open the door to new business opportunities. And, in good times and in not-so-good times, creativity can often be the primary

tool that can help you adjust to unforeseen events and help you “pivot” and find ways to continue to grow.

Examples of creativity in business are everywhere, and you never know where that next great creative idea is going to come from. For Matt Gulick of Pourzilla, who invented a unique cap to seal in freshness on any woven reinforced cloth and plastic packaging, it came from an idea he had as a way to keep his son’s cereal fresh after opening.

For Bluffton artist Amiri Farris, it was seeing the effect that the pandemic was having on local artists and coming up with a creative solution not only to create an emergency cash relief fund for struggling artists but to turn it into a community and economic development organization run by artists, for artists. Creativity is what led longtime dog-lover Katie Konner to combine her love of pets with her passion for painting and pick up a set of 20-year-old craft acrylic paints she had lying around the house, painting her first pet portrait on a paper Publix

shopping bag and knowing she was onto something.

And creativity was behind Elizabeth Fisher’s launch of GlassEco in 2006 – forming a decorative division of Fisher Recycling, creating handcrafted, customized countertops using 100 percent recycled glass, while diverting tons of glass from local landfills.

START. GROW. AND LEAD. Here are just a few inspiring stories of how some local businesses used creative thinking in starting, growing and leading their businesses. Let your creativity flow, and see just how far it will take you in all stages of your business growth. ■

Looking for a Sign?

Take advantage of the opportunity to be part of one of our Business Growth Programs!

To see which of our programs can help you, call us today 843-540-0405 Or Visit: www.donryancenter.com

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Q2 2021 + LocalBizSC.com

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START GROW LEAD

Keepin’ it fresh…

WITH A SIDE OF PROBLEM-SOLVING TO BOOT.

BY SARAH CLEMMONS The story of inventions and the inventors behind them has always captured the popular American consciousness. Matt Gulick of Pourzilla is no exception to these types of stories, but his beginnings as an entrepreneur may have grown roots (literally) a little earlier in life than others.

Gulick has been coming up with creative business ideas since age 7 or 8 when he used vines cut down by his father to craft Christmas wreaths that he insured with a lifetime warranty that kept him servicing neighbors for decades. Early on with this and other childhood business ventures, Matt demonstrated a knack for solving problems, a tool that led to his success in the U.S. Marines as a combat engineer who deployed for three tours of duty in Iraq from 2001-2007.

After Gulick’s retirement from the military in 2007, he was forced to reckon with questions surrounding his professional and personal identity. With rehabilitation assistance by the SHARE Military Initiative program at the Shepherd Center, he was able to identify the problem-solving talents that have shaped his identity in each stage of life.

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Seal the deal

Perhaps the airtight tank enclosure was part of the inspiration for the tough Pourzilla seal.

Why didn't I think of that?

Necessity is truly the mother of invention, as every pet owner can attest to.

These MacGuyver-esque talents naturally led to the invention of Pourzilla, a cap that seals in freshness on any woven reinforced cloth and plastic packaging in its current iteration. It was developed after an initial collaborator left, pushing Gulick to teach himself 3D printing and CAD to improve upon output and 1000+ prototypes. The “current” caveat is important because Gulick is always making updates to Pourzilla, which started out as a way to keep his son’s cereal fresh after opening.

Although Gulick is a natural inventor and creator, he is self-admittedly still very new to the business world. Gulick’s natural humility led him to understand when additional business and marketing assistance was needed by experts like Amber Roback of LightningLaunch and locals Max Hoag of Switch Hitch and Chuck Atkins of VantagePoint Foundation, another veterans' organization that strives to help veterans transition to civilian life.

These local mentorships led him to the Don Ryan Center for Innovation in Bluffton for additional guidance and mentorship through every stage of the entrepreneurial process. By leaning on DRCI mentors as well as prototype-testing support in Berke-

ley Hall, also facilitated by Hoag and Atkins, Gulick has been able to present Pourzilla to interested corporations on a national scale.

Although Gulick admits that inventing can be a very solitary and lonely process, his acceptance of support and feedback in the business and inventing communities has helped him stay connected and engaged.

In the next five years, Gulick hopes to see Pourzilla in the marketplace with the pet market as a beachhead. Gulick sees Pourzilla as an opportunity to both gain independence and do some good in the world. As a result of future successes through Pourzilla, he hopes to support organizations like the Shepherd Center, which made it possible for him to transition to civilian life, as well as local humane associations.

As far as words of advice to his fellow inventors who may have a secret idea that has yet to be shared with the world, Gulick urges perseverance, belief in your talents no matter how dark the tunnel might seem, and the ability to determine what tangible and intangible tools will take you to the next level in your entrepreneurial journey. ■

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SLAYing in the Lowcountry ORGANIZATION CREATED TO PROVIDE CASH RELIEF TO STRUGGLING ARTISTS GROWS INTO SO MUCH MORE

BY HEATHER BRUEMMER

Heather Bruemmer is an author, arts advocate and consultant based in Estill. She serves as interim arts director for Hampton County and is the executive director of SLAY.

The creative sector was one area of the economy that took an immediate hit at the outset of the covid-19 pandemic. Bars and restaurants shut down, leaving gig musicians with months of canceled bookings. Galleries closed, festivals were postponed or canceled.

Museums and venues of all kinds closed their doors. As we now know, many would never reopen. Bluffton artist Amiri Farris was greatly concerned, not for his own canceled bookings, but for former students and friends who were not as well established.

“Right when Covid had started, everything was getting canceled, and there was so much uncertainty about the upcoming shows, festivals, and everything that we, as artists, do. We realized 'we need to do something!’” Farris said. “All of those different support units just completely stopped.”

Farris did do something, partnering with this author and a group of creative powerhouses throughout the Lowcountry to found SLAY - Support Lowcountry Artists Y'all! Farris and his partners incorporated

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SLAY as a nonprofit in March 2020 and worked to create an emergency relief fund. Artists in any discipline could apply for $500 in immediate cash assistance to go towards basic needs. The core team of SLAY creatives shared the fundraising efforts on all of its social media platforms, and by May SLAY had funded all requests for relief.

At this point SLAY was at a crossroads. The organization had started simply to provide cash relief to artists struggling at the beginning of the

pandemic. Once stimulus payments went out and measures like pandemic unemployment and PPP loans became more widely available, the need for cash assistance died down. Farris and his friends discussed next steps for the fledgling organization.

Enter Bluffton businessman Matt Cunningham. Before Covid hit, Cunningham was already working with Farris on developing a studio and gallery concept for his proposed project, The Bridge At Calhoun. When SLAY formed,

How to help a starving artist

With the pandemic hitting the creative sector hard, Amiri Farris partnered with creative powerhouses throughout the Lowcountry to create an emergency cash relief fund for struggling artists.

It has evolved into a community and economic development organization run by artists, for artists.

Farris brought Cunningham on board as treasurer. Cunningham also was an early donor. Ferris and Cunningham assessed whom had asked for help.

Was it a coincidence that most of the artists reaching out for assistance were women or minorities? What were the barriers to success for those artists?

Through informal surveys and conversations, it became clear that many of those artists did not necessarily see themselves as entrepreneurs. In many cases a hobby turned into paid work, without the formal framework of a business. That framework, whether it be incorporating or simply working as a contractor in a formal way with a 1099, in large part determines access to government assistance and small business capital. With his background in venture capital, Cunningham already had been looking into these issues of access to capital and barriers for emerging artists entering the marketplace.

SLAY evolved from a relief organization into a community and economic development organization, run by artists for artists. SLAY now has two key areas of focus: developing artists as

entrepreneurs and developing communities through art to encourage investment and business retention.

For artists, SLAY offers the award-winning curriculum, Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists. This curriculum, designed by Springboard for the Arts, is a professional development curriculum designed to teach business skills to artists in all disciplines - visual, performing and literary arts. Due to the pandemic, this 12-unit series will be offered online. Registration is available through the SLAY website.

For communities, SLAY is working with a variety of partners to create projects that not only beautify, but strengthen neighborhoods. SLAY has taken over Bluffton’s Lowcountry Oyster Trail with plans to expand it into neighboring counties.

It also partnered with the internationally recognized consulting firm, Artspace, to complete a study of the local creative economy. The study will look at the types of creative work practiced, demographics,

current spaces used for creativity, cultural assets, locations for future creative space activation, and affordable space needs. This is anticipated as a first step in a long-term plan to further support the creative economy in the Lowcountry.

For Farris, his efforts with SLAY represent a natural extension of his art. "For me, creating public art is the most exciting because it is accessible. I'd rather put a piece on a fence in the neighborhood or on a blighted building than in a museum.

More people will see it, which means more people can engage with my message." He has created public work throughout the pandemic, helping to organize a socially distanced Arts and Seafood Festival for Bluffton in the fall of 2020 and creating colorful banners to celebrate Black History Month for the Old Town area of Bluffton last February.

It is important to Farris that his work is visible. It helps people to realize that artists are businesses too. As he loves to say, "art is everything." ■

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START GROW LEAD

A canvas with unlimited possibilities DOG-LOVER KATIE KONNER TURNS HER LOVE OF PAINTING AND PETS INTO A BUSINESS GROWING BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS

BY ELLEN LINNEMANN Katie Konner has been a dog lover all of her life, so much so that when it came time to choose a new last name after her divorce, she chose a name that would reflect her overriding love of dogs (Conner, which she changed to Konnor for alliteration, means “dog lover” in Scottish.)

It seems natural, then, that while designing dogwear and selling her premium dog products on etsy.com through Fetching Dogwear, the company she created in 2009, she came up with another way to combine her passion for pets with the power of painting. Having just moved to Bluffton, she contemplated her next career move and began painting. She picked up the one paintbrush she owned, pulled out the 20-year-old craft acrylic paints she had and, using the only surface she could find, painted a paper grocery bag from Publix.

Realizing that she had not only a passion for painting but a true talent, Konner kept painting, moving from paper-bag portraits to other formats – including stretched canvas, wall pendants and variations on her original shopping-bag pet portraits. After setting up her pet paintings outside The Store during the Bluffton Farmers Market, and in a craft market at the Convention Center in Savannah, she knew that her business idea had “legs” (one might say four of them). She continued to expand her

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As Fetching Dogwear and Modern Wolf Lover continue to grow, Konner offers some insightful advice for those starting out in a business that’s art and creative focused:

Title here

1. You can have the best product in the world, but if nobody knows about it, what good is it?

A passion for pets and painting has taken Katie Konner from 2. Discover your gifts, then serve others with these painting pet gifts. portraits paper “In on spite of launching my businesses and creating grocery bagsproducts to launching thatapeople love, I felt like a complete and growing pet portraits business. total failure, having been divorced and losing jobs

repeatedly. I didn’t value myself. Though I’ve read every self-help book available, I still resist sharing my work.”

3. Don’t take advice from anyone who hasn’t achieved what you want to achieve. People are so quick to tell you what to do, yet have no idea what they should be doing.

painting repertoire and product offerings (moving into human portraits) – and her company, Modern Wolf Lover, was born.

Noting that she’s “been spoiling dogs for more than a decade,” Konner continues to focus on both her Fetching Dogs dogwear business and Modern Wolf Lover, selling her paintings through her website ModernWolfLover.com, Facebook, Upwork, and word of mouth. As her business continues to grow by “leaps and bounds,” she’s been told that her paintings have a definite style and “capture a pet’s personality perfectly,” which is the goal of both her portrait painting and her dogwear line. ■

Just his duck CRAIG WOLFE BUILDS RUBBER DUCK EMPIRE

BY HANNAH MASSEN Everyone has a happy memory of a rubber duck, whether it’s the “Rubber Duckie” song from Sesame Street, the pink and blue bath toy set your friend gave you as a baby shower gift, or your own childhood toy floating in the bath. Rubber ducks are universally nostalgic.

But Craig Wolfe, the CEO and founder of CelebriDucks has put a 21st-century twist on the classic tub toy. His company models rubber ducks out of beloved characters and celebrities. Gone are the days of the basic yellow bird; now you can bathe with The GodFeather, GooseBusters, or Ziggy StarDuck.

CelebriDucks is considered the top rubber duck manufacturer in the world, selling hundreds of thousands of ducks every year. But had someone told Wolfe years ago that he would go from working as an animation artist to overseeing a multi-million dollar toy company, he would have laughed.

“Trust me, there were no rubber ducks on my radar, as I had absolutely no expertise in how to create these things!” Wolfe said. “But as John Lennon so aptly said, ‘Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.’”

CelebriDucks wasn’t born in a boardroom. One of Wolfe’s friends had the idea of making rubber ducks that look like celebrities while they were at a party one night. While most people would have assumed it would be an impossible business plan to pull off, Wolfe envisioned it working. CelebriDucks would be a product to join the ranks of the Chia Pet, the Hula Hoop, and the Pet Rock – the kind of genius entrepreneurs spend their careers striving for but rarely hit.

To Wolfe, passion is the key to spotting a solid business idea. He says that starting a business for the money – with

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Rubber duckie you're the one

Great ideas can come from anywhere, including the bathtub.

no energy behind your idea – is a sure sign not to move forward. The other way to gauge a business’s potential is to ask for frank feedback, because “if you can’t take feedback, you will never succeed.”

But CelebriDucks wasn’t an instant success. Wolfe started the company as a side project and spent months sending out media releases before the company gained any traction.

“One day, a reporter from The Atlantic City Press in New Jersey called me and asked me why they should do a story about us,” Wolfe said. “I thought about it for a second and then just told her that, well, I was from New Jersey, and I used to go to Atlantic City. And amazingly, the reporter said that was good enough.”

The next day, the vice president of the Philadelphia 76ers saw the article and contacted Wolfe about promoting their star player, Allen Iverson. Wolfe was tasked with creating a duck that featured Iverson’s jersey and unique tattoos as part of a giveaway.

“The giveaway was a huge hit, and suddenly we were getting calls from all these other teams and companies, like the New York Yankees, the Chicago Cubs, Gorton Seafood, etc.,” Wolfe said. “It was like we had a brand new company virtually overnight.”

After 17 years of creating ducks with human-like features, Wolfe and his team developed CelebriDucks’ Costume Quacker line, which would dress

up traditional yellow rubber ducks as pop-culture icons. In three years, CelebriDucks launched 50 Costume Quackers with names like Harry Ponder, Paddle Like It’s 1999, and GameBirds of Thrones. Mr. Squawk and Aviary Grande are amongst CelebriDucks' bestsellers.

Wolfe’s process for deciding which characters or celebrities to turn into a duck is completely intuitive. He and his team start by guessing which ducks would gain a large following – just like their muses. The goal is to create ducks that won’t be one-hitwonders, but will stay popular for decades to come.

Wolfe originally outsourced most of CelebriDucks’ services but decided to move a division of his company back to the United States. His PVC-free Good Ducks are now manufactured exclusively in the USA, a transition that was made possible because of his complete ownership of the company.

“I have no doubt that bringing in investors [or] going on Shark Tank would grow the business immensely, but for me it’s a bit different,” Wolfe said. “I am happy to make a good living and have a business that I can totally control and have fun with. One day I trust someone will come along, make an offer, and I will ideally find someone who can carry our vision into the future.” ■

Ask the Expert: Wolfe’s three pieces of advice for new entrepreneurs.

1. It’s not how much money you make, it’s how much you keep. Excessive overhead can bring down any business, no matter how much you make.

Lean-and-mean is the key to survival, especially in the beginning before the business gains traction.

2. Do not try to be all things to all people or you become nothing to anyone. Focus like a laser on your niche and be really clear on what you stand for.

3. Compete on the cheap and someone can always make it less. Quality, like the tortoise, will ultimately win out, or as I like to say, “Live by the penny, die by the penny. Don’t compete on price alone. Quality is the hardest thing to knock off!”

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START GROW LEAD

Reflecting on growth and success ELIZABETH FISHER, THE OWNER OF GLASSECO, BANKS ON LOCAL RELATIONSHIPS

BY ELLEN LINNEMANN GlassEco manufactures recycled glass countertops and other hard surfaces that are elegant, ecofriendly and unique reflections of personal style. Lowcountry residents and businesses have gravitated towards the sustainable material since 2006, but GlassEco’s story dates back to 1992.

Chris Fisher, Elizabeth’s husband, became Charleston’s first “ecopreneur” when he founded his humble one-person operation, Fisher Recycling.

After collecting glass from several Charleston restaurants and offices, the recyclable waste began piling up at his North Charleston facility. The Fishers had the creative idea to repurpose the glass in countertop designs, and GlassEco was born. The decorative division of Fisher Recycling is owned by Elizabeth, who handles all aspects of the operation. She loves working with clients and designers, from glass selection to final install, but also enjoys days that she can do some manual labor in the shop.

“We started our decorative division, GlassEco, in 2006, creating countertops that are individually handcrafted and customized, using 100 percent recycled glass and diverting tons of glass from our landfills,” says Elizabeth. “For GlassEco, I see clients in our showroom,

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Three takeaways 1. Go outside of your box. “Going out of my box and being a ‘forced extrovert’ by attending networking events that are specific to my industry was a major factor in the growth of both of our companies,” says Elizabeth. “This shift in networking was huge for me - I gained a lot by focusing on the narrow market I am in and who I would be selling to instead of the broader networks.”

2. Do business locally. “It does make a difference," she says.

3. Accept that delegating and contracting out tasks is an acceptable way to operate.

develop proposals, work with our Warehouse Manager to monitor countertop production and inventory and am very ‘hands-on’ when I need to be. I call it "Shop Girl" day - I love to get my hands dirty in the warehouse and can even drive a forklift! Who needs CrossFit when you can shovel 500 pounds of oysters into bins for a slab order and walk 10K steps in a day in the warehouse?”

In growing both Fisher Recycling and GlassEco, Elizabeth attributes much of the success of both companies to the fact that “our businesses are the focus of our lives,” further noting that “since that can be a good thing and a not-so-good-thing,” it’s critical to learn how to balance it all (which she notes takes practice.) In addition, she points to the important role that local relationships have had in the growth and success of both companies.

“Local relationships are my focus,” she says. “I try to buy local, shop local and use local contractors whenever I do business. I look to partner with local designers, builders and homeowners to build our business.

I also have great women's groups in Charleston that make me more comfortable in the networking game,” and notes her involvement in a number of local organizations, including Lowcountry Local First, USGBC

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Lowcountry, Carolina Recycling Association, Hatch Tribe of Charleston, NAWIC of Charleston Palmetto Chapter, Southeast Recycling Development Council (SERDC), CREW Charleston and the Charleston Homebuilders Association.

“Having someone call and say they saw our countertops in someone's home or office and want one for themselves continues to be one of my favorite parts of my job,” says Elizabeth. She is looking toward continued growth of both GlassEco and Fisher Recycling and shared what they plan to accomplish as they take both companies into the future.

“We’re looking to expand our countertop business into Bluffton, Beaufort, Hilton Head Island and Savannah while maintaining our presence in the Charleston area,” she notes. “I love helping homeowners, architects and interior designers come up with their own creations to make their space completely unique, and there is truly nothing more unique than a custom-poured countertop made with recycled glass and other items our clients choose to bring into the design” – which makes GlassEco in a class (or rather “glass”) by itself. ■

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FACES

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Creative faces in business THE STORY BEHIND THREE SUCCESSFUL AND CREATIVE LEADERS In this issue, we are excited to share the stories of three local business leaders who are not only faces of success here in the Lowcountry, but faces of creativity – and creative solutions. From Robert Howell bringing his love of art and nature to the Lowcountry through the creation of his unique Mystic Osprey Gallery, to Jill Moore creatively finding a way to bring “more to life” to residents and tourists through personalized nature programs, to Ryan Baggott tapping into his creativity in developing “Tap the Table” to help business owners automate and personalize customer interactions to drive more sales, these Faces truly highlight the importance of creativity as a business owner. And, equally as important, how creativity, and a creative approach, can help entrepreneurs at all stages of business growth.

Their stories are insightful — and inspiring — examples of the power of creativity in business. See how creativity, and creative solutions, played an important role in the lives and careers of these three Faces of the Lowcountry – and then get ready to bring your best, and most creative, face forward as you continue to grow your own business. ■

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FACES

Robert Howell HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS

BY ELLEN LINNEMANN When looking to move South from the Northeast, Robert Howell knew that the Lowcountry had it all – and, in particular, could match the wildlife that he and his wife had up north living on the Croton River, an estuary of the Hudson River, 45 minutes outside of New York City.

In looking for an environmental ecosystem that included bald eagles, osprey, owls, hawk, deer, fox, river otter, beaver, coyotes, and an abundance of birds, Howell was excited to discover that not only did the Lowcountry offer all that but also dolphins, sea turtles and gators. He knew that they were “home” and had found the perfect location to open their gallery celebrating both art and nature, right in the heart of the Lowcountry.

As the founder and owner of the Mystic Osprey Gallery, Howell and his wife, Emily, created this unique space in the Habersham Marketplace in Beaufort as an extension of their love of nature, wildlife and the earth’s habitat. They are thrilled to have so many fine artists from throughout our country choose to showcase their oneof-a-kind work here in the Lowcountry and share their vision in celebrating nature through art. The artists and the art they choose for Mystic Osprey Gallery is tightly focused on bringing the outdoors and its wildlife into your home in a way that, as Howell points out, “elevates your decor without breaking the bank.” The gallery showcases fine artists who explore “Nature, Habitat and Our Place Within.”

“Our artists are invested in protecting the planet and its wildlife like we are,” Howell said. ”Most all of our artists are in museums, private collections and worldclass galleries. We have a strong showing of Lowcountry and Southeastern artists, but we also show artists from other states.”

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Three takeaways

1 2

The artists and the gallery both bring something to the table. So, the question for me is, “How can I help Osprey’s artists get their art out into the world, into someone’s home, to be appreciated?”

Everyone in brick-and-mortar retail, including galleries, needs to be more creative in their thinking to get people in the door. This was even true pre-Covid. Art is best sold with our clients falling in love with the painting right in front of them. Tactile.

Sure, we promote our artists online via all channels, but you’ll appreciate the artist’s talent more seeing the work, the brushstrokes, the composition, in person – and that’s when people fall in love.”

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“Mystic Osprey is very deliberate in offering collectible, investment-quality art created by artists who believe in the preservation of our planet as much as we do — and those are the clients and buyers we seek, and thankfully the ones we attract.”

Success is rarely accidental.

Babies on board

14 x 24" oil on linen by Dianne Munkittrick, available through Mystic Osprey Fine Art Gallery.

Once deciding on the perfect location here in the Lowcountry, Howell and his wife knew they needed the perfect name for their gallery to highlight their love of nature and wildlife and tell their own personal story.

They decided on the Mystic Osprey – reflecting the fact that everywhere they have lived, they always had an osprey nesting in close proximity. (It’s supposed to be good luck to have a nesting pair nearby.) According to some Native American folklore, seeing an osprey in a dream or vision was a sign that a man had been granted spiritual power as a healer. Noting that “it’s our job as earth’s caretakers to help heal this planet and reduce our impact for our grandchildren’s generation and beyond,” Mystic Osprey was born – with its mission twofold: Beautiful art and environmental appreciation.

Another feature of Mystic Osprey that has proved to be especially beneficial to running a growing business (particularly during a pandemic) is the fact that the Howells live right above the gallery.

“Living upstairs, we’re able to arrange private appointments for small groups and have safe, social distancing,” Howell notes. “Many couples and foursomes on their way to dinner at one of Habersham’s restaurants arrange appointments ahead of their dinner reservations. We also provide broadcast quality viewings on Facetime or Zoom. You’re inside the gallery, you can ask questions of the gallerist, and the viewing experience that my guests can see digitally from their own homes is stunning.”

Combining his love of nature with his love of art, Howell says that it’s truly a dream to be surrounded by earth and wildlife-affirming art, and to put beautiful, collectible art in people’s homes while also promoting environmental and education-based charities that teach our children about our precious earth and its wildlife.

Thrilled for the privilege of introducing Mystic Osprey’s artists to the Lowcountry, Howell is excited to continue to showcase fine artists from throughout the country as he celebrates nature, wildlife, art – and, of course, the mystic osprey, through this unique gallery. Learn more at www.mysticosprey.com. ■

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FACES

An app whiz now works with Wiz

Even if this photo was shot in color, it would appear black and white. Unlike many techie, creative 30-somethings, Ryan doesn’t sport tattoos or piercings and he doesn’t spend energy deciding what to wear when a black and white T-shirt and cap will suffice.

Ryan Baggott CREATIVITY COMES IN EVERY COLOR, INCLUDING BLACK AND WHITE

BY MARY PATTERSON Ryan Baggott is proud to live up to the stereotype that millennials are lazy, but not in the way you might think.

Ryan is obsessed with finding ways for automation to help businesses and staff spend their time where it matters. Saying he is obsessed is an understatement.

This Savannahian moved to Bluffton when he transferred from Georgia Southern to the hospitality program at USCB. Until he discovered the power of Facebook marketing in 2009, Ryan thought his career would remain in food and beverage.

His ah-ha moment came when he saw customers walking into the Tiki Hut, where he worked at the time, because they saw one of his posts or chats on Facebook. It was at that moment that Ryan knew he had to follow his passion of, as he puts it, “turning conversations into conversions.”

A self-professed nerd, Ryan likens his creative process to how he plays chess. He can literally see the end game in his mind and, in his mind’s eye, he sees the steps it will take to win. This creative super power led him to start his omnichannel marketing application company, Tap The Table (TTT).

In a nutshell, TTT helps business owners automate and personalize customer interactions (conversations) to drive more sales (conversions).

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Workin' with the Wiz Rap star Wiz Khalifa chose Ryan to create an application to take orders and engage with customers and fans.

Three ways to keep your creative inspiration

1 2 3

Follow people who inspire you. For Ryan, those people are Gary Vee and Elon Musk, whom he follows on social media, podcasts and video.

Love what you do. This sounds cliché, but there isn’t a morning that Ryan doesn’t wake up excited to solve problems and make people happy. Positivity fuels creativity.

Keep learning. Join mastermind groups and private Facebook groups, many of which are dedicated to helping others in their field. There is so much free knowledge online, there is no excuse to stop learning.

Making a Difference HBA of SC Healthcare Plan Take time off Whether it's hitting the road on his Harley

Road King (made locally at Bluffton's Cycle Ward motorcycle shop) or chillin' with Hannah, his wife of 5-plus years, Ryan has to make time to unwind, otherwise his mind never rests.

“So many businesses don’t put a value on employees’ time because so many tasks are routine. For example, a restaurant host is supposed to welcome guests and give a great customer experience. However, he or she also may be tasked with answering the phone to take orders because ‘it only takes a few minutes.’ It doesn’t take long before those ‘few minutes’ become hours. Order-taking is a process that is not a human’s HABU (Highest And Best Use) of time and an app usually can do a better job. An app can allow the customer to create their own order, customize it and pay, then deliver the order ticket to the kitchen and alert the customer when it is ready. When I figured out how to create that process, my life changed.”

While Ryan’s business is omnichannel (email, chat bots, Messenger and texting), Facebook is the cornerstone. “People told me five years ago Facebook was dying. If 2.7 billion users and growing is a dying business, I will take it,” says Ryan with an excited twitch. He is literally itching to get back online. ■

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843.837.3911 www.KinghornAgency.com Q2 2021 + LocalBizSC.com

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FACES

Great outdoors

With more people than ever discovering the benefits of being outdoors, Jill Moore is thrilled to combine her love of teaching with her passion for the beauty of the Lowcountry to bring “more to life” to both residents and tourists through a full range of personalized events and nature programs — including private nature walks, nature events and “Lowcountry 101” presentations.

Jill Moore A NATURALIST BRINGS ‘MOORE TO LIFE’ IN THE LOWCOUNTRY

BY ELLEN LINNEMANN

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As a teacher back in 2008, one of the things Jill Moore loved most was the opportunity to be part of the Master Naturalist program – where, one weekend a month, teachers traveled all over the Lowcountry to learn everything about the unique Lowcountry ecosystem. Most of all, though, she loved sharing this knowledge about nature with her students by incorporating lessons in an outdoor classroom, as well as exploring nature trails and the beach during family science nights.

So when she was asked if she would like to teach nature programs to the children of Oldfield that summer, she jumped at the chance. The seed was planted. She knew she had found a way to combine her love of teaching and the outdoors with her newfound knowledge of the unique ecosystem of the Lowcountry. She then was offered a full-time position as the community’s staff

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naturalist. With her classroom becoming the great outdoors, her passion to continue learning and sharing was ignited. And while working as the naturalist in a private community was very fulfilling, she sought out opportunities to do more. She serves on the Lowcountry Master Naturalist Board and volunteers with the Outside Foundation on Hilton Head in order to educate more Lowcountry residents about our unique region.

Following the adage of “do what you love,” Moore loves sharing her passion for this area and welcomes the opportunity to teach people about the natural beauty of the Lowcountry while also sharing the importance of protecting our unique environment. But once again, she believed that there was even more that the combination of her teaching experience and love of nature could offer. So when the pandemic hit, she knew that nature could bring more to people’s lives. She launched “Moore to Life,”

(moore2lifesc.com), her own nature company that provides nature-based programs to local residents, communities and tourists.

“A bright side to the pandemic is that people have had a chance to slow down and be outdoors more than ever,” says Moore, who notes that the Lowcountry is ‘like no other place on earth.’

“Getting outside and connecting with nature is such a therapeutic way to spend time, and with many studies showing that people function best when they have access to and a connection with nature, I’m so happy to help people discover a passion and appreciation for the unique areas that surround us.”

Offering a full range of personalized events and nature programs including private nature walks, nature events and “Lowcountry 101” presentations, Moore is excited about the potential growth of the business.

“I have so many plans, and I meet new people every day who are as excited for the potential as I am,” she notes. “As soon as possible, I’ll be offering nature-based trips, from local overnights to weekend getaways.

I also see a need for providing nature-related retreats and hope to work with local groups in the area to offer activities to promote wellness connected with the outdoors.”

With her love of teaching, love of nature and love of meeting new people, Jill Moore is thrilled to have found a way to bring more to life to people throughout our area right now. Having brought Moore to Life to fruition this year, she plans more growth in the years ahead. ■

Three takeaways for business owners

1

When something is not your strong suit, don’t be afraid to seek out help and learn from others.

2

Try not to take things too personally when something doesn’t go as planned.

3

Don’t allow fear of change or the unknown stop you from doing something you love. Take a chance and believe in yourself and all of the possibilities. And dream big!

Terry has been in the insurance business since 1979. He joined the Correll Insurance Group of agencies as the President of Correll Insurance Group of Hilton Head (CIGHH) and South East Coastal Underwriters (SECU).

Prior to joining CIGHH/SECU Terry was the owner of a business consulting and education firm in Florida specializing in coastal insurance for businesses as well as designing one of the very first programs for insuring affluent coastal homeowners.

Terry accepts national speaking engagements on a variety of insurance industry topics. In addition, he is recognized by Federal and State Courts as an expert witness on insurance contracts.

MEET OUR PRESIDENT Terry L. Tadlock

Terry holds the following professional designations, Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC), Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) and is also an approved Coverholder with Lloyds of London.

EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE Member of Correll Insurance Group

28 Locations across South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee

Locally Owned and Controlled

Let our experience, education and innovation work for you.

Our Culture is what sets us apart.

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Now with two convenient locations to serve you: 15 Bow Circle, Suite 101 Hilton Head Island SC 29928

8 Arley Way, Suite 101 Bluffton SC 29910

1.888.668.8082 www.correllhhi.com “Insuring the Carolinas since 1931” Q2 2021 + LocalBizSC.com

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Bailey Thibodeaux is the founder of Honeywave Creative. Learn more at honeywavecreative.com.

Business roundup FIVE LITTLE-KNOWN TIPS TO SUCCESSFULLY REBRAND YOUR BUSINESS

BY BAILEY THIBODEAUX With your brand delivering so much value to your business, it is beneficial to periodically evaluate it to ensure consistency and alignment with your overarching goals. When brands become unaligned with business goals, it is likely time for a rebrand. Here are some tips to make sure your next rebrand is amazing.

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1. KNOW YOUR ‘WHY’ Anyone can rebrand, but it will be a waste of time if you do not first evaluate why you need the rebrand in the first place. Take time to define your goals, vision, target market, problem, and creative solution before beginning.

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What a difference!

Airbnb even has a name for its logo: Belo It represents the universal symbol for belonging.

BEFORE

AFTER

Less is more Dunkin' Donuts simplified its branding and uses icons to stay #ontrend.

2. STAY CONSISTENT Although a rebrand introduces change into your business, you should not stray too far from your roots. Try to maintain some brand elements and designs. Consistency will ensure you do not alienate current and previous customers.

3. AVOID TRENDS After many years, a brand can become outdated.

However, this should not happen after only a few years.

If this is the case, your design likely followed a trend.

Avoid trends by utilizing classic design elements in your brand. Clean fonts and typographic logos are a common way successful brands create a long-lasting identity.

4. MAKE IT A BIG DEAL You just rebranded your business! Great! It shows you care about your customers and want to continue improving for them. Utilize local and online media sources to let everyone know about your new brand.

5. EVALUATE RESULTS To assess results, you must first measure your standing before your rebrand. Take note of important metrics, such as customers, revenue, and engagement levels.

These will allow you to compare the results after your new brand launch.

There you have it. Follow these five tips, and you will have a successful new brand identity in no time. Remember, launch day is only the start of your new brand journey. Live out your brand’s vision and values every single day. The more aligned your brand and business are, the more successful you will be. Good luck with your rebrand! YOU’VE GOT THIS! ■

Pretty in pink

Color and imagery are more important than ever when Instagram can make or break a brand.

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Passion projects FIVE HOBBIES THAT WILL BOOST YOUR CREATIVITY

BY HANNAH MASSEN Between the constant influx of emails, looming deadlines, and back-to-back meetings, working both in your business, and on your business, is often allencompassing. In fact, with more and more people working from home, it seems like long workdays have become even longer – with some people finding themselves drawn to their computers, phones (and their emails) at any of their waking hours, making it feel like there’s little time to do anything else.

If you’ve found yourself thinking wistfully about things you’ve always wanted to do – and projects that you might want to explore – you’re not alone.

And you’re on the right track. Picking up a hobby or embarking on a “Passion Project” can be just as stress-relieving as it is productive. Passion projects are a proven, proactive way to fight burnout, improve your mood, and increase creativity.

Here are five creative outlets for you to tap into – and ways you, and your career, can benefit from nurturing your passion:

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1. Take up photography. Photography is a simple creative activity that challenges us to see the world from a different point of view. While you might want to invest in a high-tech camera down the road, you don’t need anything special to start snapping pictures. Thanks to our smartphones and the editing apps that come with them, we now have everything we need to take top-quality photos on one device.

Feed your soul

Passion projects can help you build new skills that can help you in your current career or set you on a path to discover a new one.

The key is to do something that interests and excites you – and just may inspire you, as well

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2. Start a blog. Blogging is an opportunity to share your thoughts, opinions, and expertise in a pressure-free environment. If you’re an accountant who’s passionate about family finance, start a blog about budgeting for parents in your social circle. If you’re secretly obsessed with romance novels, write a monthly book review. Blogging is also a chance to improve your writing skills, which could be an asset to your career.

3. Grow a garden. Gardening isn’t just good for curb appeal (even if your hydrangeas do look amazing) – it also has amazing benefits for your mental health.

According to a study published on ScienceDirect, gardening can increase your sense of community and quality of life while reducing mood disturbance.

If you’re prone to getting frustrated at work, gardening might help you find some peace of mind.

START HERE

Tools and resources to jumpstart your new passion project.

4. Learn to cook. Cooking strikes the perfect balance between preparation and experimentation. Your inner planner will enjoy the structure of meal planning and measuring while your creative side can have you mixing and matching ingredients.

Use your new hobby as an excuse to get your S.O. or kids in the kitchen if you’ve been craving some more family time.

ART • Take a class taught by Lowcountry artists through the Art League of Hilton Head (www.artleaguehhi.org).

• Artists of all skill levels are invited to attend workshops held by The Society of Bluffton Artists (www.sobagallery.com).

PHOTOGRAPHY • Learn the basics of portrait photography in an online MasterClass taught by Rolling Stone’s chief photographer, Annie Leibovitz (www.masterclass.com/classes/ annie-leibovitz-teaches-photography).

• Charleston Photography Tours (www. charelstonphotographytours.com) leads local and regional photography expeditions across the Lowcountry.

GARDENING • From flowers to fruits and beyond, the Lowcountry Master Gardener Association (lowcountrymga.org) can teach you to grow just about anything,

5. Collaging. Everyone has a stack of old books or magazines lying around that they don’t know what to do with. Instead of throwing them away, recycle them into a collage. Clipping meaningful photos and phrases to create a vision board is a great exercise in positive visualization. ■

COOKING • Take a private cooking class in the comfort of your own kitchen with award-winning personal chef, Chef Lynn Michelle (cheflynnmichelle.com) • Take a hands-on cooking class or watch a cooking demonstration at Michael Anthony’s (michael-anthonys.com/ cooking-school).

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Why virtualexperience companies are just getting started SOLUTIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT We are all asking the same question, what will life be like post Covid? When are we going back to the office? How many days a week will we work from home? No one is sure of the answers to the questions above, but what this writer has discovered is that virtual is here to stay.

Business owners are continuing to look at a dispersed workforce and designing solutions for their future. They are asking questions such as, how much office space do they need? How big of a travel budget do their sales teams require? What does company culture look like beyond providing in-office perks like cafeterias or kegerators? How do they engage their employees?

The answers most likely will require reflection and adaptation. But virtual events, a pandemic-necessitated business model turned game-changer, means that client and employee engagement can be done virtually, and it is surprisingly less expensive than the old way of doing things. Because of this, we have seen an explosion of virtual offerings, everything from magic shows to cooking experiences to wine tastings. This is just the beginning.

As technology continues to improve, we will be able to do more and more virtually. Zoom gained global notoriety this year. While it ranks as the most familiar platform, there are many others. Each with their own niche, they range from individual networking to large expos. The goal? Facilitating connection.

In addition to video-meeting services, the final piece is virtual-event marketplaces. It’s a natural evolution to be able to shop for virtual experiences on marketplaces just like you would for groceries, clothing, flights, apartments, or car rentals.

HR departments, company culture creators, top account managers, executive assistants, and CEOs are among some of the leaders who will benefit from being able to discover and book events just as easily as they would make a reservation at

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PHOTOS COURTESY REELIVATE

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Fun and games Anyone up for Drunk Yoga or Drag Queen Bingo?

T H E

F I N E S T

I TA L I A N

C U I S I N E

“ Client and employee engagement can be done virtually, and it is surprisingly less expensive than the old way of doing things.”

a restaurant. The time savings alone is staggering as it can be painful to scour the internet for enticing corporate events.

Unless you have a personal recommendation from someone “in the know,” it is even harder to determine if these events are quality and worthwhile.

ReElivate (reelivate.com) is a virtual experience company that launched this past year that plans to have over 650 offerings by the end of the year. These will include virtual, physical and hybrid offerings. With a goal of providing a vetted and validated marketplace, ReElivate already made a mark by providing unique and accessible solutions for engagement and team bonding/building. Yes, there is a market for drunken yoga classes. Who knew Drag Queen Bingo would be a team building experience — yet it’s one of its top sellers. And then we have virtual cocktail classes with a description that reads: Where wine meets cocktail and the rest is delicious history. (Sign me up).

According to Jon Conelias, CEO of ReElivate, the question that ultimately comes up is how to pick the right experience for your team. Here are a few things he suggests: • What is the primary goal of the gathering?

It will impact the nature of your choice. For example, if it’s bonding, you would pick something that requires participants to interact with one another rather than choosing an experience you all passively watch.

I N T R O D U C I N G THE MARKET AT MICHAEL ANTHONY’S The new Market Cafe is an active Italian market combined with a cafe atmosphere.

From 11:30am – 2:00pm, we offer a menu of sandwiches and pizza.

At 5:00pm, the Cafe transforms into a cozy trattoria with a small plate menu featuring artisan pizza, pasta, salads and snacks in a casual atmosphere.

We feature a selection of Italian wines by the glass and a full bar.

Please call for reservations.

• Are you trying to reward your employees?

Consider an event that is focused on entertainment and enjoyment.

• Consider making the event part of the workday.

You don’t know what commitments employees have outside of work. Scheduling an event during the workday makes it feel more like a treat and shows that you value the experience (and them).

Whether felting class, musical wine tasting, trivia night or an evening of meditation for people who can’t meditate sounds good to you, there is a virtual experience for you and your team that enables you to stay connected and engaged in a way that may surprise even the most buttoned-up HR manager or business owner. ■

18 YEARS

RESTAURANT

CO OKING SCHO OL

Acknowledged by food and wine enthusiasts and critics alike, the restaurant presents a fine-dining experience combining an awardwinning wine list, exquisite food, and attentive service.

Classes are held several days each week in our Tuscan inspired state-ofthe-art culinary center designed to provide the environment for learning skills and techniques for both novice cooks and culinary enthusiasts.

Orleans Plaza | 37 New Orleans Road | Suite L | Hilton Head Island 843.785.6272 | michael-anthonys.com Q2 2021 + LocalBizSC.com 31

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Six ways to crush your Instagram game

1

BY KAZIAH HOWARD

Stay in the know. Instagram is a chameleon, changing more often than many of us change our air filters. Stay up-to-date on the latest algorithms and features available to maximize your engagement. We’re looking at you, IGTV and reels…

2

Boost your butt off. As much as organic growth is great, you will see the most effective change on Instagram when you pay to play.

This is the best assurance that you will get in front of your targeted buyers, personas, audience, etc.

4

#HashtagsHaveAPurpose. Hashtags are more than an extension of your caption – it’s a way to organize content for others. Hashtags range from the generic to the niche. While it is OK to incorporate many of these, don’t go overboard. A rule of thumb is to use between three and eleven.

Bonus tip: for mobile targeting, write your post but include hashtags in the comment section.

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Get a compass. The worst thing you can do on social media is creating content without direction.

Understanding the goals you have for your business and the people you need to target are crucial.

Take time to establish business needs and create buyer personas to ensure your content is effective.

Typical goals include increased site traffic, purchase of products or services, and brand awareness.

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Stop selling, start listening.

Your Instagram account is not an excuse to spam followers with sales material. Take a conversational tone in the captions, reply to comments, and interact using quizzes, chat boxes, and reaction bars in Stories.

Take action. A follower reads your caption, likes your post – and then?

Adding a call to action (CTA) in captions tells the viewer how to further engage with you. You can direct them to your website (link in bio), tag products, offer a promotion, or tag other accounts and posts.

What’s on your list?

PODCASTS THAT ARE A MUST-LISTEN

FOR WOMEN BizChix Podcast Natalie Eckdahl, a business strategist and high performance coach who helps performing women across the globe build, grow, and scale their businesses while avoiding overwhelm.

Her specialty is working with women to achieve success and confidence. Natalie’s guests include hundreds of industry influencers to help my listeners and clients grow their businesses. BizChix.com

FOR SHARK TANK FANS Rise and Grind Podcast You know Daymond John from Shark Tank, the FUBU founder who is one of the most successful businessmen in the U.S. today. John believes that you have to rise and grind as early as possible to be successful and features guests like Wendy Williams, Nely Galan, and Gary Vaynerchuk who share their secrets of how to work your way to the top. DaymonJohn.com

FOR ENTREPRENEURS The GaryVee Audio Experience Podcast Gary Vaynerchuk is the active CEO of VaynerMedia, a full-service advertising agency servicing Fortune 100 clients across the company’s 4 locations. In the late '90s, after identifying “the internet” as a land-grab opportunity, Gary transitioned his father’s local liquor store into one of the first wine e-commerce platforms resulting in growing the family business from $360MM in sales during a 5-year period. His guests range from celebrities to local start-ups, but Gary is always the star of the show. (Warning: Explicit content, Gary is not always P.C.) garyvaynerchuk.com

It’s the difference in energy and synergy.

John Harris (left) and Brian DeChirico (right) are part of the team at Hilton Head Exterminators that works together efficiently and effectively as they continue to be the most trusted pest control provider in the Lowcountry.

It’s teamwork like theirs that earns trust and maintains relationships over decades. Hilton Head Exterminators is into its sixth decade of trustworthy customer service.

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INSPIRATION & INNOVATION

Inspiration and innovation IT’S EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK. STARTING HERE.

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What does it take to turn a creative spark into a brilliant business idea? While it’s different for everyone, there are definitely some common factors that can lead people from that first glimmer of an idea for a new business, new product or new service to making the jump to turn their vision into a reality. For some, it may start with that “tipping point” or “Aha moment” when you realize that what you think might be a good idea could truly have the potential to be great. For others, instead of one big Eureka moment, they find that their path to launching and growing a business consists of smaller ideas and insights along the way. In all cases, though, taking that creative business idea and turning it into something more is powered by both inspiration and innovation – and the two often go hand-inhand when looking at how some of the most successful businesses both got their start and continue to grow.

As we head into Q2, we continue to look for the inspiration, innovation – and creativity – that is all around us.

From the way local businesses have creatively adapted to the times, to tips for creative team building, we’re looking at the important role that the creative process plays for so many businesses today. We’re also continuing to profile the innovative business leaders who inspire us with their stories of taking their idea to the next level – and the role that innovation and inspiration played as they took their businesses from an initial idea to a thriving business.

Here’s to the Lowcountry’s innovative and inspiring business leaders, and to ways to use innovation, inspiration and creativity to take your business to the next level. ■

" Inspiration and innovation – the two often go hand-in-hand when looking at how some of the most successful businesses both got their start and continue to grow."

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INSPIRATION & INNOVATION

Turn your online meetings from blasé to blow-them-away 5 CREATIVE TWISTS FOR YOUR NEXT ZOOM

BY MARY PATTERSON

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■ Turn virtual meetings into talk shows. The meeting leaders can sit in their living rooms (Oprah style) and talk to distanced employees or guests from the sofa. A simple, single camera and a couple of lapel lavalier microphones will do the trick. This style is much more engaging than the usual faces on a screen, Brady-Bunch style.

■ Home office helper. Send your staff a simple branded document or video with tips for turning their homes into a fully functional workspace.

Tips can include things like “close the bathroom door,” “clear the clutter on the counter,” and “mute when you are not speaking.”

■ Refresh your e-learning content. If you don’t have e-learning or online training, now is the time to create it. With PowerPoint and a screen recording tool like Loom (a free Google extension), you can easily transform boring manuals into short videos stored in the cloud for remote access.

■ Share the hosting. Shake it up and delegate hosting meetings to your team. It is great for their professional development and, who’s kidding whom, your employees may be tired of your face on the screen. Encourage the meeting hosts to add their personal touches to the agenda with fun ice breakers and breaks.

■ MacGyver your presentations. Take a tip from TED Talks and turn your boring slide shows into engaging presentations. Your living room drapes can be the backdrop, and you can wear a lapel mic to make sure the sound is strong.

Here’s the fun part – you can use your laptop as a teleprompter by putting your script in Word and using a wireless mouse to scroll. Your audience will see your eye contact and confidence, and you will feel like a global TED speaker. ■

PRO TIP Create branded Zoom backgrounds for your team to use in meetings and with clients. See our LOCAL Life and LOCAL biz examples at locallifesc.com and localbizsc.com.

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INSPIRATION & INNOVATION

Understanding the creative process FIVE STEPS TO FOLLOW FOR A MORE CREATIVE BRAIN

BY HANNAH MASSEN

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When you think of the creative process, you probably picture a series of subjective steps exclusively embarked on, and understood, by gifted artists and writers.

But creativity — and the actual creative process – isn’t only for those who are innately creative. In fact, not only is creativity something that everyone can uncover – and utilize – in everyday life, but business owners in particular can harness their creative side in order to put creativity to work for them and their businesses.

Contrary to popular belief, the creative process does have a standard structure. Everyone has a different way of generating ideas (for some of us, it’s Pinterest and white wine), but the process usually begins by gathering inspiration and culminates in a final product. So, if you’ve ever created an original work of any type, you’ve been through the creative process yourself – perhaps without even knowing it.

Ready to uncover your creative side and put the power of creativity to work for you and your business? Experts have broken down the creative process into five main stages. So whether you’re an established artist or an emerging entrepreneur, breaking it down into these steps can help unlock your out-of-the-box thinking and unleash your inner creativity.

The creative process isn’t just for artists and writers, or those who are innately creative. In business, following the five main stages of the creative process can not only help you come up with some out-ofthe-box ideas, but can help you creatively grow your business.

■ Preparation. The first stage of the creative process is one you’re likely familiar with: preparation. While it might feel like you’re cramming for an exam, now’s the time to consume as much inspirational material or useful information as you can. But getting informed doesn’t have to be boring.

Searching for hashtags on Instagram, watching TedTalks, or even watching people can inspire you. This stage is both an external and internal process, consisting of both going into the world to gather the information you need, and then truly thinking about and engaging with all of this new information that you’ve gathered so you can take it to the next step.

■ Incubation. Phase two is when you let all that information and inspiration soak in. You might not feel like you’re doing much, but your subconscious should be hard at work dreaming up ideas. Don’t be too hard at yourself if you spend a day staring at a blank Word doc or scribbling out ideas. Give yourself time for the next stage to occur.

■ Insight. You’ve had an idea. A breakthrough. A “eureka” moment.

But the insight stage might not hit you like a Mack truck. Sometimes, it comes in the form of a daydream, a passing thought, or even an idea you didn’t take seriously at first. Keep a notepad handy to document your thoughts. Or, for $15 visit Amazon (for the umpteenth time this month) and order the Brilliant Ideas launch pad by Kari Chapin.

■ Evaluation. Once you’ve settled on an idea, it’s time to put it to the test. This is the phase where you really dig deep – as tricky and painful as it might be to your ego – and ask yourself if this is an idea that’s ultimately worth working on. Does it hold up against a flood of critical thinking, honest questions, and the scrutiny of your peers? Is it logistically possible with the resources you have available?

■ Elaboration. Once your idea has passed the scrutiny test, it’s time to bring it to life. For many, this stage can take longer than the other four put together (or at least feel that way if you’re up against a deadline). If you come up with something you’re not completely happy with, repeat steps 1-4. ■

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INSPIRATION & INNOVATION

Your customers are forever changed THREE THOUGHT-STARTERS TO EXCEED THEIR NEW EXPECTATIONS

BY MARY PATTERSON

It was only a year ago that our lives and businesses were forever changed, although it does seem like a lifetime.

Over the past year, consumers have created new routines, adopted new technologies and formed new expectations of the companies they do business with.

At the height of the pandemic, customers learned to live without you, or with less of you, so you need to regain their trust.

While they may not tell you how they really feel about your operation, they will tell their friends, family and 1,200 neighbors when they take to their Nextdoor app.

Regardless of the type of business you operate, these three tips and ideas can be applied.

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Turn lemons into lemonade with ideas that could differentiate you and help you do more business.

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IMPROVED CUSTOMER SERVICE Even if you have good service, it has to be better now, and keep getting better. Your customers make purchases online, they did things for themselves they may not have before and they learned to live without many things. And in some instances, that ‘deprivation’ led to surprisingly rewarding experiences.

Think of ways to deepen your relationship with your customers. If you can’t think of ways, ask your customers! You don’t need a fancy survey – simply say, “We really appreciate your business. What could we do to make your experience with us even better?”

EASY ON THE EYES The perfect amount of light for your space.

CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS Businesses have gone to great expense and trouble installing plastic partitions and sanitizing door handles and menus. Yet at the end of a safe and sanitary transaction, the customer is handed a payment terminal to insert their credit card.

Use a QR Code for payment. Square, Paypal and other payment services offer this technology and it is surprisingly easy and affordable.

REINVENT SOCIAL DISTANCING Consultants at McKinsey & Company predict 2021 is the year of transition as their studies indicate that people are not going to be excited about crowds and close proximity any time soon. There will not be a “back to normal.”

Take a cue from the restaurant industry, which adapted to delivery, curbside and new ways of dining in. Think of ways your place of business can be reconfigured or redesigned to give your customers (and employees) more space and comfort. ■

843-258-9261 | SeaglassWindowscapes.com

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INSPIRATION & INNOVATION

My Big Break KEVIN RYAN, CO-FOUNDER/CEO, SERVICE BREWING COMPANY

BY ELLEN LINNEMANN Kevin Ryan’s life has always been about service.

A West Point graduate, he spent eight years leading and training soldiers in Alaska and Colorado, going on to command two companies in Iraq.

After bringing all of his troops home safely, he left the Army for civilian life in 2004. He spent the next eight years having the privilege of working side-byside with his father to grow his specialty management benefits company. But it was a life-changing Valentine’s Day gift from his lady love Meredith Sutton in 2012 that led him to not only embark on a new journey to become a successful business owner, but to continue his passion for service – and honoring those who serve.

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HIS BIG BREAK(S) That now legendary Valentine’s Day gift – a beer home-brewing kit – is what Ryan notes as his first “big break” when it came to setting him on a path to his new career. After spending two years perfecting his beer-making skills and trying new recipes with friends and family, and with the help of 23 investors (most of them Army, Navy and Marine Corps veterans), the couple prepared to launch what they knew would be a truly unique craft brewery – dedicated to not only making great craft beer, but to donating a portion of its revenue to charities that support service men and women and first responders.

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Since their launch in 2014, they have raised over $200,000 for local, regional and national organizations.

It was while preparing to launch their brewery – Service Brewing Company – that Ryan experienced his second big break and a pivotal moment for his business idea. Knowing that they wanted to be located in Savannah, the couple searched tirelessly for just the right building in their price range. When real estate agent Lori Judge showed them a building that was in an area of the city not known for restaurants, bars, nightlife or foot traffic – but at 60,000 square feet was about five times the size of what they had originally been looking for at a price they could afford ­ – they jumped at the opportunity. Ryan credits going with their gut feeling and choosing this particular building as instrumental in the launch and growth of the business. It enabled them to not only create a sprawling brewery, but provided an opportunity to do what they wanted — to integrate into the community. Meredith, a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design, designed the stunning Savannah tasting room based on the stories Kevin told about his military experience.

She also creatively built the brand to pay homage to American military history.

Today, Ryan looks back at those pivotal moments for Service Brewing Company, knowing how the right idea, at the right time – and in the right location – were instrumental in the continued success of his business. Not only has the area of the city in which they are located experienced tremendous growth, but the sprawling, open and airy nature of Service Brewing Company enables them to provide people with a great option for enjoying a socially distanced afternoon or evening in their 4,000-square-foot taproom or in the outdoor seating area.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR SERVICE BREWING COMPANY? With its continuing focus on high quality beers and local ingredients, Service Brewing Company is poised well for the future. In addition to the spacious brewery being a continued popular spot for socially distanced gatherings, Service Brewing Company can host a wide variety of private events in their tasting room. It also is expanding its distribution throughout the region.

Most importantly, though, Service Brewing Company remains committed to the ideals that began back in 2012 when a Valentine’s Day gift uncovered Ryan’s talent and passion for making beer: to honor and give back to all those who have risked their lives to put country and community first. ■

Sir, Yes Sir!

For Service Brewing Company, the combination of the right idea, at the right time – and in the right location – was the key to the success of the business.

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INSPIRATION & INNOVATION

The silver lining of Covid-19

BY RANDI BUSSE

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While many will be hard pressed to express such sentiment, one local business owner has created several silver linings.

Ian Duncan and his wife, Kathleen, founded The Grind, a full-service coffee supply company in Bluffton in 2016.

Their goal was to provide area residents and businesses with the highest quality coffee and coffee service in the area. When the business relocated in 2019 to Sheridan Park, it gave them the ability to better serve the local community, providing a quiet industrial style coffee shop with a decidedly hipster vibe. It quickly became a great workspace for local professionals. The drive-thru window would turn out to be even more critical to the operation of their business once COVID-19 roared into the Lowcountry.

If you know Ian and Kathleen they are unique and sincere people first. During the pandemic, many business owners were solely focused on their own survival. Ian and Kathleen reached out to other local business people and invited them to participate in a mini-farmers community market to help others make it through as well. Updating their website made it easier for customers to order online and eliminate phone calls.

The pandemic provided a chance to make staff changes and realign employees that weren’t a good cultural fit. He started an incentive program to reward employees who bring in new business.

Ian and Kathleen soon realized how many silver linings they were able to create to not only sustain their business, but also to grow it.

Ian and Kathleen utilized the services of SCORE SC Lowcountry throughout their business trajectory. SCORE offers numerous resources to local business that can help find those silver linings. www.score.org/recovery/small-business-resilience-training. ■

Three silver linings you can create

1 2 3

Website updates Make sure your site can take online orders and has clear information about your Covid policies and business hours.

RANDI BUSSE is a SCORE mentor, customer service speaker, trainer and author of “Turning Rants Into Raves: Turn Your Customers On Before They Turn On YOU!” workdevgroup.com

Staffing Evaluate your staffing and job roles. Everyone has to pivot and employees can take on new and different tasks.

Continuous Improvement Use resources like SCORE to up your game.

Doing the same thing as you always have may not get the same results during and post pandemic.

Digital Signage allows you to update content on the fly, so your message can stay relevant. With Custom Audio Video’s quality technology and easy to use controls, your Digital Signage always makes a statement.

To learn more about all of our digital business solutions,

Call. Click.

Or Come In.

Get your message across

48 Pennington Dr, Suite B Bluffton, SC

www.custom-audio-video.com

(843) 815-5130 45

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SALES

Sales and marketing are like the chicken and egg MARKETING IS THE CHICKEN. OR IS IT THE EGG?

Dictionary.com defines marketing as, "the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising." That definition is confusing because it is essentially saying that marketing is selling, but sales is selling, right? We prefer the Hubspot explanation: “Sales and marketing are two business functions within an organization. They both impact lead generation and revenue. The term ‘sales’ refers to all activities that lead to the selling of goods and services. Marketing is the process of getting people interested in the goods and services being sold.”

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In other words, sales and marketing work together to get more products and services sold. How that is done today is so much different from how it was done in the past. Many of you may remember door-to-door salespeople who explained why you need to purchase their encyclopedias/vacuums/Bibles/ Tupperware. In the late ‘60s and ‘70s, those door-to-door salespeople were replaced with more efficient “traditional media” including radio, television, magazines and outdoor signs.

“ Sales and marketing are two business functions within an organization. They both impact lead generation and revenue.”

Fast forward to 2021…

Companies create content and hire influencers to convince consumers to ‘click now’ to purchase and receive free shipping; they post on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok; they stage live installations and create engaging promotions. And yet, consumers still watch TV, listen to the radio and read magazines (like you are now). However, they also are talking to Alexa, scrolling on their phone and checking alerts on their watch--all at the same time.

According to Statista, in 2020 consumers spent an average of 7 hours and 50 minutes per day engaging with traditional and digital media.

It is more difficult than ever to capture and keep the attention of your multi-tasking audience, so companies need to create the right messages for the right media and serve those at the right time. Yes, that is plural because no single tactic is enough to reach and convince an audience why they need your product or service.

In this Sales and Marketing section, you will find out how to make your logo shine, how to promote effectively and even when and how to hire professionals to help. ■

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FIVE WAYS TO STAND OUT ON

VER SIO .0 N2

BY LISA STAFF AND DEEVO Here it is. Social Media. It’s everywhere you look.

And I hate to tell you this, but it’s here to stay.

Many businesses mistake social media for just being “social.” Social media has in fact completely re-shaped the way we engage, connect, do business and spend our valuable time. We now spend countless hours scrolling, clicking, and watching mega influencers tell us how and where to spend our money.

How do we as businesses (that don’t have multi-million-dollar Amazon-type budgets) understand the ever-changing and much-feared “algorithm,” learn all of the TikTok dances, compete with the big dogs that started ages ago, hold onto some modicum of dignity and still get the elusive “Golden Ticket”? How do we avoid the “Social Scaries,” known by many as those times that we stare aimlessly at our screen wondering what to post?

How do you and your business stand out in a sea of businesses competing for the same set of eyeballs without having to don a pair of yoga pants? Because let’s face it, the market is saturated and there are a million other businesses out there peddling their wares that just so happen to be the same as yours.

There are a variety of strategies, but at the core of every one of them it’s showing up consistently, telling your brand’s story in a visually appealing way, connecting with your audience, and adding value. As consumers, we want to be entertained and know what’s in it for us. Truth!

What we don’t want is to feel like we are watching QVC every time we launch into a platform.

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Below are five ways you can tell better stories to stand out in a sea of competition on social media: 1. Plan, strategize and execute.

Look, you gotta have a plan. Consider your social media plan, aka content marketing plan, your GPS coordinates to successful social media. No GPS, no destination. Show up and post content regularly. Plan your content, curate your content and show up and post regularly and diversely.

Use the tools at your disposal. Yes, there are tools! You can get feedback on what was a hit and what was a flop. Sometimes it’s harsh and you will be surprised. You just need to check your analytics for the raw truth of what your followers want to see more of.

In Instagram, for example, you can post in your feed, stories, IGTV, Live, or Reels. Within Stories you can actually poll your audience and get your own feedback on what they are interested in. Never has it been easier.

There are apps to help you plan and schedule a week’s worth of posts to your multiple media platforms in one sitting. Planoly is a good one (No affiliate link payments being sent my way, sadly). And there is a plethora of other apps to help less-than-Vogue-quality images look better. Just take it easy on some of those filters, please, or we will be forced to call in an intervention.

Don’t be afraid to show up and pull back the covers and engage. People love some behind the scenes. How do you make those scented candles? Why did you choose to put those two scents together? Ask for feedback and opinions from your followers and engage. Strike up conversations. Collaborate.

K.I.S.S.

Social media doesn't have to be complicated but it does require some forethought and strong imagery because the picture sells the story.

2. Always try to provide value and assistance in whatever way you can.

Become an invaluable resource. Solve problems. Let people know WHY you love what you do and how you do it better and differently than other companies doing exactly the same thing. Think about your business, your industry, and/or niche when crafting posts and post from the perspective of entertaining, solving a problem, or presenting yourself as a subject matter expert on your topic of choice. Never be pushy, never sell. Offer value. Give. Give. Give.

3. Get personal and go behind the scenes.

Part of the algorithm on social media is to remind your followers you are just like them. Human, social and relatable. Let them see that part of you that others might be curious about.

Be creative, think outside your box. Imagine if you met one of your followers in person, how might you interact with them?

4. Entertain, inform and be helpful.

Be informative, show your fans you are a force to be reckoned with, or at least someone who’s worth following. Consider your assets and develop a comprehensive guide to show and share these assets with your fans and potential fans. This can come in a variety of forms. Don’t be set in stone and rigid.

Use your assets strategically and aesthetically.

Lisa Staff and Deevo are the locals behind SPROUT CONNECTORS. Learn more at sproutconnectors.com.

5. ALWAYS respond to comments.

This really should be Rule #1. Don’t be anti-social. If someone takes the time to comment on your post, take the time to thoughtfully comment back with real words not just emojis. To further entice you, increased engagement gets more eyeballs on your post. That’s the “E” word we all want.

Now that’s motivating.

Remember: Don’t overcomplicate social media. Have a plan. Use compelling and entertaining content. Show up. Be consistent. Be genuine. Serve others. Engage. Follow these basic tenets and you will start to grow your brand on social media and, in the process, you might find out a thing or two about yourself. ■

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SALES

Five easy ways to jumpstart your creativity

BY HANNAH MASSEN

After weeks of team meetings and client calls, you have a new creative project on your hands. Something big. You sit down at the computer, eager to dazzle your entire office with your industry-defining ideas. But nothing happens. You spend hours writing and rewriting sentences, scribbling ideas on sticky notes, and getting up to see if anything new has materialized in the snack room – again. Sound familiar?

Don’t be discouraged if inspiration doesn’t strike right away. Creativity isn’t a tap that can be turned on and off, but there are exercises that can help you generate ideas.

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1. Brainstorm. Brainstorming is a classic exercise in divergent thinking, a thought process that considers many possible solutions. Concentrating on quantity over quality of ideas in the early stages of your planning process allows your brand to think beyond the obvious. Keep asking “what else?” rather than “would this work?” Once you have a list of possible directions, narrow down your options until you settle on an idea.

“ The brain requires roughly 20 percent of the body’s total energy.”

2. Make a mind map. Still not seeing the vision? Take your brainstorming process up a notch by creating a mind map. Write down central words or topics on a piece of paper, then link them with related terms or ideas. This can help you visualize how different aspects of your project are connected while providing a unique perspective on your subject.

3. Move. The brain requires roughly 20 percent of the body’s total energy, so if you’ve been sitting at your desk for hours on end, you’re more likely to go into the zone. If you’re not able to hit the gym or take a run, stretching your legs over your lunch break might be all that it takes to feel refreshed and refocused.

4. Switch up your medium. It’s easy to fall into a creative rut if you’re not trying anything new.

Break out of your comfort zone by switching up your medium. If you’re a graphic designer, try writing. If you’re a writer, try sketching out your ideas. You might even discover a new skill that you can bring back to your team.

5. Collaborate. Speaking of your team, it can make a great springboard to bounce ideas off of. Bringing fresh perspectives to the table can help you consider solutions you wouldn’t have before or catch potential pitfalls. ■

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SALES

Creating critical thinkers 10 QUESTIONS THAT HELP YOUR TEAM SOLVE PROBLEMS (SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO)

BY MEL SAVAGE The role of great managers is not to “make sure things get done,” but rather to “help people get things done.” This little nuance is the difference between telling people what to do and helping people figure out what to do.

Helping people think for themselves is how you build a high-performing team of critical thinkers who solve problems and move your business forward.

But where do you start? How do you teach people to solve problems and think for themselves?

When one of your people presents a problem, the instinct of most leaders is to either tell people how to solve the problem or ask them what they want to do about it.

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PROBLEM SOLVING

Both of those tactics are not ideal.

MEL SAVAGE is an executive coach and founder of The Career Reset, specializing in career and business planning. She has 25-plus years of corporate experience working in senior management with McDonald’s Corporation and in partnership with Coca-Cola, Kraft, Ford, General Motors, the NHL and the IOC. She is also the host of The Career Reset podcast. You can find out more at thecareerreset.com.

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LATTERAL THINKING

CONFIDENCE

When you tell people how to solve the problem you might get a short-term result, but your people are not learning to think for themselves.

And while asking people “what do you think you should do” sounds more nurturing, it’s still not overly effective.

I used to do it all the time. I’d say “don’t come to me with a problem unless you have a solution.” And then you know what would happen? They stopped coming to me with problems. I know that sounds like a good thing. But it wasn’t.

The problems were still happening, but my people didn’t see any value in coming to me because all I would say is “what do you want to do about it?”

Your job as a leader is not to tell people what to do, nor leave them out on their own. Your job is to help them figure it out.

QR CODE COMEBACK As a leader, when someone comes to you with a problem, your role is to FOCUS ON THEM, not on the problem.

When you focus on the problem, you stop focusing on the person. And as a manager, your job is to focus on the person and let the PERSON focus on solving the problem.

How do you do that?

That’s easy.

• Care about the person more than the problem. You already know how to care about people. You do it all the time.

Tap into that nature and do it with your team.

CURIOSITY

The rumor of its death was greatly exaggerated

CRITICAL THINKING

OPEN MINDEDNESS

• Get curious. Curiosity means you have no preconceived judgments or ideas about the person or the situation. Just be open to what’s being served up to you without making assumptions.

• Help them think it through. Here are 10 questions you can ask to help your people solve problems.

1. What help do you need thinking this through?

Do you just need a sounding board, or are you really stuck? I like to ask this question so I understand what people need from me.

2. What’s the overall objective/goal? Ground them in the big picture.

3. What are you trying to achieve here?

4. What’s getting in your way?

5. What are the possible solutions? Help them brainstorm. If they say they don’t know, don’t let them off the hook. Reassure them it’s a safe environment and ask them to guess. Or tell them to come back in 10 minutes with a few options.

6. What do you want to do next? Which of those options aligns with your goal?

7. What are the possible outcomes if you do that?

How will you handle those outcomes?

8. Who do you need to help you with this solution?

9. How will you engage them?

10. What help do you need from me to make this happen?

You may not need all these questions in every situation. The more you work through this with your team, the faster the process will go.

The big benefit over the long term is you have a high-performing team that needs you less and values you more. ■

QR codes, or Quick Response Codes, were created in 1994 by a Toyota subsidiary to help in the manufacturing process to help track vehicles and parts. In the early 2000’s marketers dreamed of ways to use the QR code to build brands and drive business but QR codes were a solution in search of a problem, and there were barriers to use. Until recently, consumers had to download a QR code app and then remember to use it. Marketers also had a difficult time finding a motivating reason for consumers to use the QR code.

Fast forward to the late 2020 and it’s hard to not see or use a QR code. So what happened? Covid removed two of the main barriers to adoption, technology and consumer need. Most cell phones easily scan a code with the native camera and businesses use the code to provide information in a contact-free way. Here are some ways to use QR codes: n Menus or instructions – if you hand something out and take it back, make it a QR code. Customers scan to read the information on their phones.

n Hours – if your business has changing hours and you can’t get back to keep the sign on the door updated, put up a QR code and keep your webpage or Google Business updated from where ever you are

n Payment – Paypal and other payment services offer a QR code for customers to scan and pay online

n Promotions – Customers can scan to coupons, exclusive offers or your social media page

Try it!

Scan here for other business tool and tips.

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Advertise your business FIND THE RIGHT CREATIVE AGENCY, CREATE A SHOWSTOPPING LOGO AND MAKE YOUR MARK IN 2021.

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SEVEN QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN HIRING A CREATIVE AGENCY

Creating a winning partnership

BY HANNAH MASSEN Finding the right creative agency for your business is as important as having the best attorney or financial planner. Whether you don’t have the time, or staff, to manage marketing, PR, and social media on your own, or you recognize the value of having experienced marketing professionals take over this part of your business to leave you to concentrate on the bigger tasks of growing your business, working with a creative agency is a proven way to help you reach – and exceed – your marketing goals.

But just like you wouldn’t hire a project manager without confirming that it’s just the right fit for your company, there are a few things you need to learn about the agency that you’ll be partnering with before you seal the deal.

Here are seven questions to ask when hiring a creative agency to confirm that it’s the right “fit” for your business and to ensure not only smooth sailing ahead but the creation of the perfect partnership.

■ Can you show me your case studies? This simple yet effective question can help you decide whether this is the right agency for your business. Case studies not only show what kinds of clients the agency typically works with but also demonstrates their ability to follow through on creating brand experiences. Be sure to pay attention to the quality of their own website and social media feeds, too.

■ What does your process look like? Every agency is unique, but they should all have an established process for getting things done. Ask your agency to walk you through their entire creative process, from initial planning to materials production, and find out what they expect from you at each stage.

■ What is your team’s experience level? There are small, niche agencies with incredible staff and established corporations that hire entry-level freelancers. You won’t know whom you’re hiring until you ask.

■ Who are some of your previous clients? While not necessary, it is nice to see proven results from past clients within your industry. It is also important to make sure that the agency is currently not working with any of your direct competitors to avoid conflict of interest.

■ Who will be my point of contact? There are a lot of moving parts involved in marketing. From strategy to web design, you will have a lot of different people doing a lot of different things.

Hence, you need to identify the person who will be your go-to throughout the process.

■ How do you plan to execute marketing differently than our current approach? There’s a reason you’re hiring a new agency. Your team needs change instead of the same old thing that didn’t work, and the agency you hire should be able to present a new approach.

■ What will you need from us? Whether it’s a necessity or a nice-to-have, your agency will likely be asking you for your input or business materials on a regular basis. They’ll appreciate you being an active and considerate partner, just like you’ll want the final word on every project. ■

Hiring an outside creative agency not only frees you up to ensure that you have the time needed to work on the “big picture” aspects of growing your business but will assure that you are getting fresh, creative ideas from experienced professionals who know what works, and what doesn’t, in marketing. The key is finding the right client-agency fit.

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MARKETING

These creative sales promotions strategies will help you increase revenue and maximize your market exposure.

Go for the upgrade

Everyone loves a good sale, but savvy shoppers are especially skeptical of “one time only” offers and recurring sales. Instead of marking down your products or services, offer an upgrade (the “premium” package sold at the “basic” price). Another option is to bundle your products with exclusive add-ons. Try selling two complementary products together for a slight discount or including an access code to free printables, instructional videos, or other helpful downloads.

A little freebie goes a long way

You can increase the average value of your orders by throwing in a free gift when your customers reach a certain price threshold. For instance, if you have a lot of orders totaling around $50, consider offering free shipping at $75. If you run a brick-and-mortar business, choose a small item to give away instead, like samples or merch – which doubles as advertising for you.

Pump up the promotions WHY SALES PROMOTIONS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER, AND HOW THE RIGHT PROMOTION CAN PUT YOUR SALES GROWTH IN HIGH GEAR

BY HANNAH MASSEN Sales promotions can do more than boost awareness of your business. A well-developed promotion can provide the incentive many people need to try a product or service. Not only can a great promotion drive potential customers right to your door to take advantage of a limited-time offer, but effective promotions can both boost your sales growth and build repeat business. Simply put, if you’re ready to enhance your bottom line, launch a new product, or create a buzz about your business, it’s time to pump up your promotions.

Although they may seem similar, promotions are not to be confused with marketing or advertising. Think of marketing as your overarching umbrella. It encompasses all of the strategies, activities, campaigns, and outreach efforts your brand executes to raise awareness about your business. Advertising is a single strategy meant to call attention to a particular product or service. While businesses may use ads to announce deals, the goal of a promotion is to bring in business. This usually involves the use of an incentive to boost purchasing motivation.

It isn’t hard to get stuck in a sales promotions rut, especially if your business has a new sale every week. Once your messaging starts to sound the same, customers will tune out your on-air ads or mark your newsletters as spam. ■

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Amp-up your social media

Speaking of free advertising, creating engaging social media content is a low-cost, highly effective way to promote your business. With people spending more time online than ever, now’s the time to make your online presence a priority. Make sure you focus your efforts on the two or three platforms where your audience spends the most time and stick to your brand’s unique voice. Replying to comments, launching polls, and spotlighting customers increase your engagements and give you the opportunity to talk to them directly about what your business is doing next.

Make the VIP list

Customer loyalty is key, and many businesses garner it through creating a rewards program. But you can’t expect to gain members overnight; you have to promote your loyalty program and make it worth your customers’ time. The perfect example here is Costco, and if you’re a member, you’re well aware of the perks: you can use their gas stations, buy items in bulk, and receive free samples every time you shop. They also limit the hours that non-members can shop, making the flexibility of shopping early in the morning or after work worth the membership fee.

Hyper-targeted sales

Your promotions typically won’t appeal to every type of customer, but in the age of data-driven personalization, launching hypertargeted sales has never been easier. Start by segmenting your customers based on their needs and shopping habits, then create tailored content to send to each group. You also can create discounts for top customers, based on their purchasing history.

Support a local cause

Sponsoring or supporting a local cause is a great way to get your name out there or make a positive impact on your community.

Customers are more likely to buy from brands with similar values, so donating a portion of your sales proceeds to a nonprofit is a win-win for everyone. Make the experience interactive by hosting a (virtual) fundraiser or class. This doubles as the perfect photo-op for social media and beyond.

I’ve got 99 problems, and my logo is all of them.

The logo is the heart of a company’s brand and often the first contact many have with your business, making an excellent first impression crucial. Designers agree there are five qualities that make a logo stand out. Use these principles to make your mark.

I

1. Simple is not boring.

The Nike swoosh. Apple’s namesake symbol. The Target bullseye. Some of the most recognizable logos incorporate simple, intuitive design. People focus on a logo for a few seconds, making a simple design easier to recall. It’s key for marketing and brand awareness. Focus on shape, color pattern, and emotive fonts that will effectively illustrate your brand.

ake your mark

2. Stop having an identity crisis.

TOP QUALITIES OF It is all too common SHOWSTOPPING LOGOS to forget to incorporate your brand's identity and

BY KAZIAH HOWARD goals in logo creation.

Ranging from subtle nods to the obvious, when executed well, it can make your logo iconic. Think FedEx, Tour de France, Toyota, and Amazon.

3. Jump off the tightrope. Balance your brand.

A well-balanced logo is harmonious and polished. People respond best to symmetry. It is the reason Comic Sans is one of the more deplorable typefaces. A structured logo echoes the structure and stability of your brand.

4. Opposites attract.

Opposing elements give your logo the wow-factor you want to associate with your brand. Experiment with differing fonts, shapes, and color contrast for a standout design.

5. This isn’t Game of Thrones, but hierarchy does matter.

What’s your why? The five Ws are a lot of information to convey in a logo. Place essential points – like your business name – at the top or center, with additional brand identifiers below or surrounding it.

Your business should stand out, and so should your logo. Apply these tips to create a brand asset that goes above and beyond, providing instant brand awareness for your audience. ■

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Social media primer: Facebook If you love Facebook marketing for your business because it’s free, you are in love with nothing. No more than 6 percent of your followers will ever see your organic (aka ‘free’) posts, which is much lower than years past and is intentional on Facebook’s part. Why? Money. Facebook likes to make money, so it rewards businesses that spend money on its platform.

Don’t fret - there are some tricks to increase the number of people who see your organic posts before you spend money on Facebook advertising. Here are some tips to working with the Facebook algorithm from Hootsuite.

I

Anatomy of a good Facebook business page ■ Start conversations that get people talking to each other.

According to Facebook, one of the algorithm’s key ranking signals is whether a user has previously engaged with your page. And while no one is going to interact with your brand page like they would with their friends’ pages, those likes and shares go a long way towards increasing your reach on future posts.

That means you have to put in the elbow grease before the algorithm can start to recognize and reward your page’s value. And by elbow grease that does not mean shoddy, obvious engagement bait. (The algorithm can tell, and it will down-rank your post and maybe even your page.)

Pro Tip: The best way to earn more engagement is to be genuine. You don’t have to be controversial, you can try curious, funny, interesting, or inspiring.

■ Post often and consistently.

Pages that post often are more likely to be meaningful to their audience.

Therefore, posting frequency is a ranking signal that can affect how high up in the newsfeed your posts are placed.

ProTip: Look at your page’s analytics and create a content calendar so you always have something relevant to post.

■ Post high-quality videos longer than 3 minutes.

In May 2019, Facebook announced that the newsfeed will increasingly show quality, original videos. The algorithm is increasing the influence of these three ranking factors: • Loyalty and intent: Videos that people search for and return to; • Video length and view duration: Videos that people watch past the 1 minute mark, and that are longer than 3 minutes; • Originality: Videos that aren’t repurposed from other sources Pro Tip: Try using Facebook live video, which averages six times more engagement than regular video. ■

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1. Focus on the customer: Show images and content that interest them, not what you want them to see 2. Mix up content: Post videos, tips, cool photos and inspiration 3. Keep your images updated: This includes your logo, your banner.

4. Create a group: This helps organic reach because people engage with groups of like-minded people 5. Complete your profile, completely: This sounds like a no brainer, but it’s not uncommon for businesses to not choose a category or even have a broken url link.

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HUMAN RESOURCES

Creative ways to find new talent for business owners

BY FRANKLIN BUCHANAN

C

Covid has resulted in long-term unemployment rates we haven’t seen since 2014. It’s also forced workers to reevaluate their priorities when it comes to work. For forward-thinking employers, this is an ideal time to attract great talent for your organization.

Here are four creative ways to do so:

PRIORITIZE SOFT SKILLS. When conceptualizing your ideal candidate, think beyond those that check all of your experience boxes. Most jobs can be taught; many soft skills, however, can’t. Look for people who get things done and are winners for their organizations. This should be clear from their resumes. You also can tailor your interview to focus on behavior-based questions. One question we recommend is, “Tell me about a time you made a mistake.

What did you do to correct it?”

KNOW THE WHAT AND WHY BEHIND THE NEED. It’s easy to type out a list of tasks and duties to post on a job board.

This leads to bloated job descriptions with expendable tasks and actions.

And, you’re likely going to miss out on great talent that way. A recent HBR study found that women typically only apply for a job when they meet 100 percent of the criteria. Men apply when they meet 60 percent.

Instead, think about what the person who takes the job ultimately needs to accomplish, and then begin thinking about the critical tasks needed to meet those needs and let that formulate your job posting.

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“Being creative throughout your recruitment process can help you attract top-tier talent in 2021."

5 PROVEN WAYS TO BE MORE

DON’T LET THE PANDEMIC KEEP YOU FROM INTERVIEWING AND DOING YOUR DUE DILIGENCE. One of the many benefits of technology in today’s environment is that you can still conduct thorough interviews remotely. Leverage video teleconferencing capabilities for interviews to limit in-person interactions while also checking your candidates’ comfort level with technology and interacting virtually. This is a great way to see how they’ll handle interactions in today’s normal.

Once you’ve identified your top candidate, don’t skip your usual due diligence. We highly recommend calling all references. While you may expect references to provide, well, great references, you can usually learn some valuable information about your prospective hire by asking open-ended questions. One of our favorites is “tell me about this person.”

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CREATI VE

Go for a Walk

Going for a walk can be a huge creativity booster. Great minds such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Nicholas Tesla, Charles Darwin, Aristotle, Steve Jobs were all obsessive walkers.

There’s much scientific evidence linking walking with great. New research indicates walking on a regular basis promotes new connections between brain cells, improves memory, and staves off the usual withering of brain tissue due to aging.

Be open to new experiences According to Scott Barry Kaufman, coauthor of Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind, the #1 thing you can do to be more creative is to be open to new experiences.

Kaufman says openness to experience is the number one thing to cultivate for both personal meaningful creativity and worldchanging creativity.

Workers are more focused than ever on the overall benefits and compensation package they’re offered.

Three out of four job seekers surveyed by Fractl, for example, said they would consider taking less money for more flexible hours or more vacation time. In a recent Forbes survey, 82 percent of workers said they liked working from home, so telecommuting should also be something you consider including if it makes sense for the position and your organization. ■

Take a shower There’s strong research suggesting that a relaxed state of mind is important for creative insights. Taking a shower is one of the most relaxing things you can do.

In his research for the book, Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind, Scott found that 72% of people have new ideas in the shower.

Live in Solitude for a while A little bit of solitude once in a while is a good thing for creativity. Here’s another excerpt from Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind: “Research has found that creative people frequently require solitude in order to generate interesting new ideas, and then turn to collaboration to spin those ideas into a coherent concept or product.” So in order to be more creative, just take some time out for yourself.

FRAKLIN BUCHANAN is the founder of Post Up Careers, which offers personalized career management services for professionals at every stage of their careers. These range from resume writing and LinkedIn profile optimization to career coaching and are designed to ensure his clients make it past the pesky applicant tracking systems and, ultimately, get hired. Learn more at postupcareers.com

Don’t give up Creativity needs persistence. Research indicates more attempts leads to more creativity. In an article published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Brian Lucas and Loran Nordgren from Northwestern University used a creativity test to show that “persistence is a critical determinant of creative performance and that people may undervalue and under utilize persistence in everyday creative problem-solving.”

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HUMAN RESOURCES

How to laugh your staff (meeting) off

BY CRISTIN HEYNS-BOUSLIMAN When is the last time you looked forward to gathering for your weekly staff meeting? How about describing it as “fun?” Be honest. As remote work has become more prevalent, and gathering around the water cooler isn’t necessarily an option for everyone anymore, staff meetings need to evolve as well.

Here are five easy ways to enhance your team's staff meeting experience:

1 2

Everybody gets the mic. To maintain engagement in a staff meeting (particularly a virtual meeting), make sure that every team member has to unmute (or inevitably be told “You’re on mute!”) at least once. This can take the form of a facilitated discussion on a topic or decision relevant to the whole team, or through the team-sharing exercise described below.

3

Team share for the win. Designing a weekly team-share exercise is a great way to drive engagement and build connections (even remotely) within your team. During the pandemic, my team had a “Mental Health Exercise of the Week” that would encourage creative ways to get through quarantine (Quarantine Bingo, a baking challenge, and a Covid signature cocktail creation, to name a few). The following week, the individual team members would talk about their experience.

As we are slowly approaching “normal,” we have converted this to our “Team-Building Exercise of the Week,” which we kicked off with the “Getting to Know You” challenge. Team members were assigned colleagues whom they perhaps didn’t know as well due to different projects or practice areas, and they conducted interviews to learn five things about the interviewee that no one on the team would know. I assure you, the information revealed during the following week’s team share was anything but boring!

4

Transparency is lit. Be sure that the announcements you do make during meetings are limited to relaying the details you can share about company-wide initiatives to which the team may not always be privy. Feeling like they have the inside track also will drive your team’s engagement. Individual contributors can inadvertently wind up feeling like they are camped out on an island. Bring them back into the fold with interesting info on upcoming events and projects. Extra credit if you offer up the opportunity to participate on a committee or other internal initiative.

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If this meeting could have been an email, put it in an email. Rather than reviewing a list of assignments or reading boring announcements, send them out before the meeting and simply ask if there are any questions or clarifications needed. This way you can save time in the meeting for sharing and connecting.

Close with gratitude. Closing staff meetings with an opportunity to share statements of gratitude (aka “kudos”) will send everyone off into their week on a positive note. Watching my team in their Brady Bunch configuration on the Zoom call screen as they go around and offer thanks for each other’s hard work, guidance and support warms my shriveled little heart. I promise it will yours too! ■

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CRISTIN HEYNS-BOUSLIMAN is department head of REDW Human Resources Consulting practice. Her team consults with businesses of all sizes nationwide, assisting in building strong culture while facing employee-relations matters with a proactive legal mindset.

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HUMAN RESOURCES

Creative Leadership WHAT CREATIVE LEADERS HAVE & HOW TO HARNESS YOUR CREATIVITY AS YOU LEAD

BY HANNAH MASSEN

We generally picture leaders as being charismatic, determined, and natural-born risk-takers. But picking up the reins and leading requires more than just courage.

THEY’RE NOT AFRAID OF FAILURE No one wants to hear that they have a bad business idea, but even if their plan isn’t logistically possible, they refuse to go back to the drawing board. Creative leaders are flexible enough to start back at square one if Plan A didn’t work out, and sometimes they strike gold in the process. Fail fast, fail often, and fail forward – and always ask for feedback.

THEY ARE COACHES, TEACHERS AND MENTORS Creative leaders know that it’s not about their creativity, but their teams’. They know when to step in as a manager, work shoulder-to-shoulder with employees, or mentor from a distance so that everyone else in the office can do their best work. They implement processes, methods, and environments that foster creativity, not to play to their own strengths. Making the professional development of your employees a priority is essential to building an innovative business.

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THEY SEE THE BIG PICTURE Creative leaders are like skydivers who can act quickly from a thirty-thousand-foot view but understand how things work at ground level. In other words, they know how each idea, project, and employee ties into their overarching business goals. Always keeping your end-game in mind will make you a better strategist.

THEY ENCOURAGE COLLABORATION The ability to imagine and execute new ideas is the hallmark of creative leadership. Creative leaders are the movers and shakers of their industries because they’re not afraid to challenge the status quo and take a leap of faith. But they don’t walk the road less traveled alone – they pave the way for their teams to follow. These entrepreneurs seek input from all levels of their organizations and encourage collaboration across departments. Empowering employees to take initiative allows them to discover opportunities and allows them to invest in the outcome of their work.

THEY ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS No matter how much experience they have, creative leaders are humble enough to know when they’re not the smartest people in the room, and they don’t try to be. And when they don’t know or understand something, they make it their mission to find the answers they need. Curiosity is a sign of maturity and professionalism, not ignorance. Learning from others will only help you expand your knowledge base – and can make for good networking, too. ■

Professional Development Tools and Resources n Create a mentorship program. Mentorship programs help employees create professional relationships across tiers and divisions, but creating a concrete set of guidelines is essential for the program’s success. For example, your company should make an effort to create events that allow mentors to connect with one another on a personal level, such as mentorship lunches or outings. Mentors should be encouraged to communicate with their mentees on a regular basis, and a program coordinator should monitor the success of the relationships. n Offer in-house or online courses. The professional development courses available on SkillPath (www.skillpath.com) or edX (www.edx.org) will expand their skill sets and teach them more about their industries. These courses cover a wide variety of topics, ranging from Spanish language classes to leadership development. If you want to offer courses that are specific to your company, ask senior members of your team to lead a webinar or lunch-and-learn. n Provide access to industry resources. When you invest in relevant resources like software tools and subscriptions, it empowers employees to take responsibility for their own professional development. You also might consider inviting industry leaders to speak at your company or sponsor events that will be free for employees to attend.

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MONEY MATTERS

Intellectual Property 101 WHAT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IS AND HOW TO PROTECT YOURS

BY NELLIE AKALP Your business's intellectual property includes everything from your company's name and logo to your trade secrets—and are just as valuable as your physical assets. Take the proper legal steps now to protect your intellectual property before another business beats you to it.

Here’s what you need to know about trademarks, copyrights, and patents.

Y

TRADEMARKS A trademark is a word, phrase, name, symbol (or a combination) that identifies a product or service source and distinguishes it from other products or services. When you legally register your company name, product names, logos, and taglines with the USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office), you have the exclusive right to use those trademarks and can sue for infringement. If you don’t register your trademark with the USPTO, you have no claim if others copy you.

COPYRIGHTS Copyrights protect “original works of authorship” and give your business the exclusive right to make copies, license, and otherwise use a literary, musical, or artistic work, whether printed, audio, video, etc. For digital startups, this typically means website copy, marketing materials, and computer code. Legally, a copyright exists when something is written, photographed, drawn, etc.; however, as with a trademark, unless you register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office, it will be difficult to protect it in court.

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PATENTS

A registered patent is the exclusive right granted by the government to manufacture, use, or sell an invention for a certain number of years. Patents cover tangible items such as software processes, product design, and other innovations. Before applying for a patent, make sure your product or idea is original, useful, and not apparent to others with basic skills in your field. As patents have value in and of themselves, they can be sold as assets and are factored into funding or acquisition deals. Acquiring a patent can take up to six years and hundreds of hours of work.

Most companies turn to an attorney, patent agent, or licensing firm to help with the process. ■

NELLIE AKALP is a passionate entrepreneur, business expert, professional speaker, author, and mother of four. She is the founder and CEO of CorpNet.com, a resource and service provider for business incorporation, LLC filings, and corporate compliance services in all 50 states.

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MONEY MATTERS

Smart apps make smarter business owners APPS T0 HELP YOU BRING THE MONEY IN AND KNOW WHERE YOUR MONEY AND TIME GO

T

These apps are not all fun and games, but they will help you manage your money and time when you want and where you want. The US Chamber of Commerce shares the best seven apps for small business at uschamber.com and below are their top three money apps. ■

Accept Payments: Square Square Point of Sale is the free point-of-sale app that enables you to sell anywhere and in any way your customers want to buy.

Use the Point of Sale app with a Square Reader for contactless and chip to allow customers to pay touch-free using payment links, QR codes, Apple Pay, and EMV chip cards.

Other features we love: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

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Record cash, gift cards, and other forms of tender Customize your POS with photos, names, and variations Send receipts via email or text message Apply discounts and issue refunds Track inventory in real time Connect to a receipt printer, kitchen ticket printer, barcode scanner, and cash drawer

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Alternatives: ■ Lightspeed ■ Paypal ■ Shopify

Manage Expenses: Expensify Expensify lets you and your team scan receipts, track business and personal expenses, and book travel all in one app. Simply snap a photo of any receipt, and Expensify’s SmartScan technology captures the details.

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Other features we love: ■ Mileage tracking ■ Automatic credit card import ■ Receipt integrations (Uber, Lyft, Hotel Tonight, Grab) ■ Accounting integrations (QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, Sage Intacct) ■ Custom report exports

Fiduciaries

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Alternatives: ■ Freshbooks ■ Wave Accounting ■ Sage Business Accounting

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Other features we love: ■ Reports to discover what's taking up your time ■ Calendar to see all your meetings ■ Customize time entries with projects, clients and tags ■ Siri lets you speak your task ■ Shortcuts like @ and # to quickly add people and projects

Alternatives: ■ Hubstaff ■ RescueTime ■ DeskTime

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Hilton Head Island, SC • Charlotte, NC 7 Lafayette Place, Suite B, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926

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How much are you worth?

OWN YOUR VALUE. THEN ADD TAX.

BY HEATHER BRAGG

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Raise your hand if you own a business. Ok, good.

Raise your hand if you have a Master of Business Administration.

Not many of you out there.

Many business owners start without a business plan, let alone a business degree. I was not an exception. In business coach terms, I had “created a job for myself.” Imagine my surprise as I faced new challenges when my freelance graphic design gig became a full-blown creative marketing agency with employees.

After nearly 15 years in business and all of the learning opportunities — some costly! — along the way, the biggest hurdle we crossed was: charging what we’re worth.

For businesses in the service industry, setting competitive prices can be a painful process — especially if you are a people pleaser uncomfortable talking about money or if customers don’t understand the value. When this happens, you’ll find yourself constantly stuck in the negotiation process, which expands lead conversion time that slowly eats away at your profit margin.

Don’t be afraid to turn away a customer if they refuse your prices. Underpricing sets a bad precedent because it signals to your prospective customers that you are unsure of your own value or that there isn’t any value. If money is tight, this can be difficult advice to follow, but when a potential customer wants to negotiate down to the nitty-gritty, that means other problems are likely to arise later on.

Building self-confidence and setting boundaries are part of growing a healthy business — because they remove friction for you and the customer.

If a potential client asks me, “Why do you charge so much for brand identity?” that tells me they aren’t a qualified lead. Their understanding of graphic design costs come from Googling “logo design” and watching $10 prices pop up from places like Fiverr. A few months later, this same person will contact my agency and ask, “Can you please help? I just saw my logo on two other storefronts.”

Potential clients like this learn the hard way that true creative professionals will exceed their expectations, because they take the time to understand their clients’ business. This dedication, commitment and artistry are worth a lot more than $10. ■

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DOES YOUR INVESTMENT STRATEGY Match Your Risk Tolerance?

We Help You Evaluate Your Willingness and Ability to Tolerate Investment Risk When Working Towards Your Financial Goals.

4 Tips to Help Get Comfortable Charging What You’re Worth

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Understand your value. List all of the costs — including the time it takes for you to do the work, to prepare a proposal and to invoice. Seek guidance from the pros — a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a business coach or consultant.

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Understand your client’s problem. Dig deep into their pain points — including time stressors. Ask, “How is this a problem?” and let them talk without interrupting.

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Shift your mindset to value, not price.

When a lead first inquires about your prices, let them know that you only work with people you can help. Offer them a first-time consultation — a discovery call — where you can get the ball rolling and demonstrate your value at the same time.

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Convey value in all communications.

From sales and marketing to customer service, your client needs to understand how badly they need your business. When money comes up, don’t be afraid to talk openly about your prices, because you’re worth it!

HEATHER BRAGG is CEO of Bragg Media Marketing. Learn more at braggmedia.com.

WEALTH MANAGEMENT RETIREMENT PLANNING RISK STRATEGIES We help build a personalized plan to help you build wealth, protect your family, preserve your assets, and any other goals you have.

We are Marc Stuckart, CPFA and Creighton Stuckart, CFP® a father and son team who founded Atlantic Investment Advisory Group to provide a straightforward financial planning solution to coastal South Carolina families.

Clear Guidance to Help Grow and Protect Your Wealth

. SUITE 203 . HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC 2 PARK LANE ATLANTICADVISORSHHI.COM 843.341.3300 ATLANTICINVESTORSHHI.COM

Financial Advisor offering securities through Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Summit Financial Group, Inc., a registered investment adviser.

Summit and Cetera are affiliated and under separate ownership from any other named Q2 2021 + LocalBizSC.com 71entity.

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SPOTLIGHT

Five tips from a proven leader FORMER SCIENCE COMMITTEE CHIEF OF STAFF CHUCK ATKINS OFFERS ADVICE FOR SUCCESS BY EDDY HOYLE

LOCAL SINCE 2009 Chuck Atkins is shown atop the presidential palace in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; with the late John McCain in Antarctica; with his wife, Merry, in France.

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Chuck Atkins is a combat veteran of the Vietnam War, having served in the U.S. Marine Corps. His service to our country continued throughout his career. Atkins retired in 2010 as the Chief of Staff/Director of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology, where he led a staff of scientists, engineers and attorneys in carrying out investigation, oversight and the legislative agenda for federal civilian research and development programs under jurisdiction of NASA, DOE, EPA, FAA, FEMA, NOAA, and others. Prior to this committee appointment he served as Chief of Staff for members of Congress and was elected President of the House Chiefs’ of Staff Association and a Stennis Center for Public Service Congressional Staff Fellow.

He was also a founding partner in a consulting firm (Atkins-Elrod & Associates) that specialized in management, administration and finance for development projects, particularly re-development of historic properties. He also served as adjunct professor of political science and public policy at Northern Kentucky University and Thomas More College and was appointed by the governor to the Kentucky State Board of Education.

Atkins hails from Atlanta, graduated from Georgia State University and earned a Master’s degree from Ohio State University. He and his wife, Merry, enjoy the slow, relaxed life of the Lowcountry, especially the water, playing golf and biking. Atkins is past president of the board at Berkeley Hall. He is the current president and a founding board member of Vantage Point Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to guide and support military veterans in South Carolina who have experienced wartime trauma to reintegrate into their communities.

Here are his tips for success:

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Mind over matter

Chuck at the Berkeley Hall fitness center in Bluffton.

"Growing older doesn't have to mean being weak," Atkins said.

KEYS TO SUCCESS 1. Pay attention to your peripheral vision. Too often in our careers we look ahead toward our goal, but perhaps to the extreme, explained Atkins. “If we are too focused in a single direction, we can lose sight of things outside of that narrow focus that could take us in a different direction,” he said. “We can stay on our path, but other opportunities outside of our comfort zone, and outside of our initial goals, might present real opportunities and new challenges.”

2. Life comes at you fast. “Be open to seize opportunities in both business and in life,” Atkins explained. “Life comes at you fast, and sometimes quick decisions must be made. It’s like a fast ball coming at you. You have to decide if you’re going to swing almost as soon as the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand.” He added that blind alleys can happen, circumstances can change, but opportunities to go and see the world have their own rewards.

3. An elementary, simple philosophy. “Get good people who fit the nature of the organization and the mission,” Atkins said. “Everyone I hired had to be smarter than me.

Make sure they understand the direction and buy into the mission. Nobody comes to work to fail, but don’t be afraid to make corrections along the way if they are counter-productive or contrary to your agenda. They must be smart, but they must also fit in the team.”

4. Trust your gut. “Listen to your intuition and internal judgment,” Atkins said. “Be objective, but also trust your judgment — it has value. Trust your gut sometimes to avoid mistakes, especially when hiring.”

5. Create synergy. “Collaboration, when managed properly, has a powerful synergy, depending on the organization,” Atkins said. “Moderate your strong personality so you don’t marginalize yourself in such a way that people stop listening. Self-reflection is a good thing for leaders.

And don’t take yourself too seriously.” ■

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IN FOCUS

Targeting best prospects with direct mail drives higher ROI

BY BARRY WILSON One evening as I was doing office work at the kitchen island, my wife asked, “where’s that postcard for bedding that we got in the mail today.” “I threw it in the trash,” I hesitated to say. “Say what!

I put that postcard aside so I could look up the brand. I think it’s something I want to buy,” said my wife. Needless to say, I had to dig it out of the trash can.

As digital fatigue is becoming more and more evident, direct mail remains a “comfort” medium; there is a greater trust factor for direct mail versus digital ads, and 81 percent of mail recipients read or scan their mail daily, and 59 percent say they enjoy getting mail from brands about new products, like the one my wife received.

Direct mail is a personal interactive form of communication that customers can touch, feel, experience and decide to keep it with them in case they are interested in the business or offer. Studies have shown that the average lifespan of a direct mail piece is 17 days, even after you had to dig it back out of the trash

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BARRY WILSON is the owner of AlphaGraphics.

can! That is something digital marketing cannot match. Direct mail is highly effective to steer customers’ online experiences and to bring offline customers into a brand’s digital marketing streams. My wife’s interest in this luxury bedding brand was generated by the direct mail, which drove her to the brand’s website, where the brand captured her info and made a sale. Over 58 percent of households with a household income over $65k have made a purchase from direct mail.

But why did my wife receive this particular brand’s direct-mail piece? It was most likely because this luxury bedding brand identified her as a “best prospect,” someone with similar characteristics as the brand’s existing “best customers.”

As an ad agency owner, I oversaw the marketing for a national chain of 225 portrait studios. Obviously, portrait studios appeal to moms with young children. But to significantly maximize our marketing ROI, we wanted to reach the “best prospects,” those moms with the highest propensity to buy family portraits, with an above-average purchase amount. Our AG MicroModeling process allowed us to develop a robust profile of the portrait studio brand’s existing “best customers,” which then made it possible to find lookalikes, the “best prospects.” Building a profile of “best customers” can start with nothing more than a name and address; with this basic data, hundreds of relevant data points are appended to the customer file to paint a more complete picture of who are the “best customers,” which leads us to finding “best prospects.”

Targeting and mailing to “best prospects” drives higher response rates, which leads to new sales, which also leads to repeat business and cross-selling opportunities.

Let me illustrate the marketing ROI when targeting “best prospects.” For the portrait studio brand, we mailed 20,000 postcards for each portrait studio location at a total cost of $10,000 per location

(includes postage, printing, and design).

Response rate of those “best prospect” moms who made an appointment was three percent, which equaled 600 appointments. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but at an average purchase of $160 each, the gross sales were $96,000. Not a bad ROI. AG MicroModeling allows us to: • Analyze distance, traffic patterns and neighborhoods around each business location to uniquely define the marketing footprint • Identify households with the greatest marketing potential by comparing customers and prospects to the local population • Build multiple levels of analysis on the defined target audience • Provide access to demographics, socioeconomics and behavioral information at the local level for the audiences • Create look-alike audiences to find more customers who look like the best customers Direct mail and digital marketing efforts should not be separate and unrelated.

The most successful marketing campaigns blend multiple approaches. When we combined email marketing to reach these same “best prospects,” we realized a 30 percent lift in responses over direct mail only. From a mail list, you can expect to match approximately 50 percent to 60 percent of those names with a valid email address.

Despite the proliferation of digital channels, direct mail is still a stronghold.

In fact, it’s hard to think of a product or service that couldn’t be promoted through strategic direct mail marketing using AG MicroModeling to reach the “best prospects” and drive a greater return on the marketing spend. ■

Fine print Barry and his wife, Rita Wilson, own and operate AlphaGraphics, serving businesses of all sizes in Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Beaufort and surrounding communities.

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IN FOCUS

Why doesn’t your website show up on Google?

MAYBE YOUR WEBSITE IS TERRIBLE.

BY BLAIR WITOWSKI Every profession has that ‘one’ question, the question that seems so simple but is incredibly complicated.

For me, “Why doesn’t my website show up on Google?” is THAT question. It’s the one that I hear from new clients the most and the one that people always ask me when they find out I ‘do SEO’ for a living.

The bottom line in SEO is that in order to show up at the top of search results, you need to answer the question people are searching for better than anybody else. Yes, there are a bunch of little things that go along with this, but the biggest ranking factor for Google is who can answer a searcher’s question the best.

So, the honest reason you don’t show up? Your website is probably terrible. This is a tough one for most people to understand, and it may sound harsh, especially if your site is beautiful and cost you $10,000 to build. The truth is that Google doesn’t care how nice it looks or how much you paid for it.

One thing that is often overlooked when it comes to Google and Bing is that the search engines actually believe in great customer service. They want people who use them to be able to find exactly what they are looking for in the shortest amount of time possible.

Ask yourself — is the information you have on your site the best on the internet? Does your website answer somebody’s question in great detail, succinctly, accurately, and without ulterior motives? If you aren’t showing up on the search engines, then probably not.

Too often, SEO guys want to focus on page speed, backlinks, directory building, outreach, etc. And while those are important, the initial focus MUST start with content. Think about it, without content, what in the world are you going to optimize?

What a lot of SEO companies claim to do when they optimize your website is actually more about mechanics and operation. They want to wave a flag and show off their skills because they updated your website software to the latest version.

I can tell you, that’s nothing special to be proud of and certainly not some kind of fantastic SEO skill.

Does this mean you can ignore all other aspects of SEO … no, of course not.

However, you might need to dynamically shift your focus on how you go about executing your SEO on your website. Change your thinking to a customer-first mentality.What is your perfect customer looking for? Deliver that, and you will definitely get business from your website. That kind of accuracy and originality comes through in Google algorithms.

Content truly is king, and it takes work to write content that is fresh, accurate, relevant, and what Google wants to show. And while it isn’t rocket science, there is a science to it. ■

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BLAIR WITOWSKI is a website strategist, is the founder of Coastal Marketing Solutions, a leading website and SEO firm in the Lowcountry.

My top three reasons why your website might not be showing up on Google

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Copied content. You copied and pasted the content on your website. Google knows if you copy just a single line or backlink and will punish you.

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Repetitive topic. You answer the same question that has already been asked and answered. Try to be original and unique. Spend a little time trying to find a different aspect of what’s out there.

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Poor grammar and spelling. Wait, what?

Google cares if I spell things correctly?

Yes, indeed! Part of delivering a great user experience is having well written content. You don’t have to be Ernest Hemingway, but you at least need to use spell check and have a pretty good grasp of English Grammar 101.

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3/19/21 11:29 AM

The power of public relations for today’s businesses NOW, MORE THAN EVER, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS.

BY LUCY ROSEN If there’s anything that this past year has shown local businesses, it’s how resilient they can be – and how critical it is to have an effective communications plan in place. Communicating to the public took on a whole new meaning and level of importance during the pandemic – when all messaging had to be perfectly crafted in order to effectively reach audiences with the timely, pertinent information needed (and avoid any messaging that might make a business seem “tone deaf”).

And when it comes to effectively communicating to the public, perhaps no industry has played a more important role over the past year – and continues to be a critical tool for a business – than public relations.

As defined by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), public relations is “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

And according to Lucy Rosen, one of the Lowcountry’s leading public

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LUCY ROSEN, chief solutions officer at Smart Marketing Communications, is a nationally renowned business strategist, entrepreneur and author who is known for her ability to help professionals grow and expand their businesses through effective marketing, public relations and networking activities.

relations practitioners and the president of the Bluffton-based SmartMarketing Communications, the word “relationships” is not only critical – but is the word on which she has modeled her entire business, and is the key to her approach.

“I’ve always believed that the real power of PR, and how we work with each and every one of our clients, centers on creating, building and growing relationships,” says Rosen, who in addition to founding and running her full-service public relations/marketing/branding/social media agency is a nationally renowned business networking expert and the author of “Fast Track Networking: Turning Conversations Into Contacts (Career Press, 2010.) “PR today is about so much more than generating publicity for a business or creating an event. It’s about truly working ‘in’ your clients’ businesses rather than just ‘on’ your clients’ businesses, and engulfing yourself in what they do and the markets they both currently reach and can potentially reach.”

“Truly listening to clients and becoming part of their teams gives you the opportunity to foster strong relationships with them, which is of great value to clients in their overall marketing and has helped us to create some truly out-of-the-box thinking,” she stresses, further noting that building these strong client relationships and truly understanding their businesses has enabled her agency to be able to help their clients form other strategic relationships with businesses, customers – and the general public -- that have tremendously helped their businesses grow.

Rosen points out that at no time has the “relationship” aspect of public relations been more important than over the past year, and now – when businesses are moving forward in seeking to enhance their exposure, increase their sales … and often, expand their business relationships.

“Our focus on building strong relationships with our clients, as well as our longstanding relationships with community leaders, not-for-profit organizations and professionals throughout all industries, have led to public relations programs with amazing results for local businesses,” says Rosen, who notes that a good PR plan can help businesses enhance their visibility and credibility, identify target markets, increase profitability and enhance a company’s online presence to reach key audiences. “Whether it’s helping to create a mutually beneficial partnership between two local businesses, or opening doors to help our clients seize new opportunities, we use what we know – and who we know – to help businesses not only communicate effectively, but grow.”

All this is through the power of public relations – and the potential that comes from building, and growing, strong relationships. ■

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ASK THE EXPERT

Case study: How Budget Blinds keeps customer satisfaction so high ABOUT BUDGET BLINDS For over 17 years, Bob and Kate Engler have been serving the residential and commercial window covering needs in the Lowcountry and have grown Budget Blinds to a full-service company offering plantation shutters, shades, blinds, and automated solutions. With two showrooms in Hilton Head/Bluffton and Beaufort, their team is able to meet the demands of the Lowcountry with a premium on service and style for every budget . As the company has grown, so too have its technology needs.

THE CHALLENGE: THE NEED FOR HIGH TECH AND HIGH TOUCH Bob and Katie are passionate about customer satisfaction and wanted to find a way to use technology and people to provide the best possible customer experience. Bob and Katie work closely with every customer and even send a personal hand-written note after each job. As much as technology is important, it's the personal touch that differentiates Budget Blinds. “It’s important to us that no matter how busy we get, we provide 5-star service, and we knew that there must be a technology solution to free us up to do that.

We’re not IT experts, so we contacted Hargray,” Bob Engler said.

THE SOLUTION: ONE-STOP I.T. SHOP Budget Blinds challenged Hargray to install and manage their server, workstations, firewall and backup. The benefit of this one-stop solution for internet, phones, and IT is that if there is ever an issue, it’s just one call to resolve rather than contacting the internet company that blames the IT company that blames the internet company. You get it! Hargray became the one-stop IT shop to proactively manage Budget Blinds’ IT environment, so even if a disaster strikes and they need to work remotely, it can happen with no downtime and Bob and Kate can continue to focus on the customer.

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Key takeaway: Begin with the end in mind

Bob and Kate began their IT partner search with a ‘customers first’ mentality. With that objective in mind, the single-source integrated solution proved to be the best for Budget Blinds, and it is a mentality that Hargray shares.

THE RESULTS: ALWAYS ON CENTRAL IT HUB High customer satisfaction: Dozens of 5-Star reviews speak for themselves, like this one from R. Kelley: “Customer service is fantastic! Installation service rep was extremely courteous, and the install was quick. My new blinds look amazing. The price was very competitive, and the staff offered suggestions to not only save money but assisted with styles that would look good in my home. I would definitely recommend using Budget Blinds of the Low Country.” And thanks to the data storage solution, customer data from 15 years ago is available with the click of a button.

No downtime: So far, so good. Actually, so far, so great. There have been no major technical issues, and Hargray’s back-ups and redundancies will ensure that customer service remains strong.

Efficient to manage: As busy business owners, the Englers appreciate that an IT expert is just one call away and they can focus on their business and family. ■

marketing your PROFESSIONAL TIPS TO BENEFIT YOUR BUSINESS

BY LIBBY O’REGAN

Social Media Marketing has been underrated by many and understood by few despite being a powerful tool for ecommerce companies, emerging brands and manufacturers, professional services, and stores with a brick-and-mortar presence. Frankly, there are no businesses that will not benefit from some form of social media marketing in 2021.

The key to social media marketing success lies in identifying your goals and measuring its effectiveness with data. “What gets measured, gets managed” is a spot-on adage here. Facebook, Google, Instagram, Twitter and the likes have very powerful analytics to aid in quantifying what’s working and what’s not. This often comes sometimes as a surprise to analytical, numbers-driven businesspeople who think social media marketing is a bunch of Millennials on their phones all day. With 80 billion small businesses using Facebook alone, it’s hard to ignore Social as a legitimate form of marketing today.

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CONSIDER YOUR GOALS Brand Awareness (increase word of mouth, get people familiar with your business, gain logo and name recognition). You will want to focus on interesting and creative content and measure success by quantifying your reach (views) within your desired target market, as well as engagement (likes, comments, shares.)

Revenue (in sales of a specific item, product or category). You will want to focus content that uses language with specific sales attributes (why they should buy, all the features and benefits) with a clear call-to-action and direct link to purchase.

Measure success by quantifying your ROAS (return on ad spend). Set benchmarks such as 3:1. For every $1 you spend on social media advertising, expect $3 in return, as an example.

Conversions (conversions don’t have to be in dollars. They can be a phone call or lead-generation contact form). You will want to focus on “why choose you”, what sets you apart from your competition, with a specified call-to-action. Install proper conversion tracking with your Facebook/Instagram Pixels or Google Analytics goals.

Be careful of spreading your business too thin and trying too much. Your business does not have to have all of the platforms (though, you should secure the “handles” or usernames for your business on every platform even if you don’t use them.) Consider which platform makes sense to invest time in content creation to reach your target audience. Pinterest and Instagram are excellent for highly visual fields like fashion, photography, and retail. Facebook can be powerful for professional services like law firms or banks. Once you have chosen the platform that works best, consistency and measuring the data will help you set your business up for long term success with marketing on social media. ■

Libby O’Regan is the founder and CEO of Libby O Marketing. She brings nearly 20 years of marketing experience, with an emphasis in the retail industry and relationship-driven marketing disciplines.

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ASK THE EXPERT

Creative block?

FOUR WAYS TO GET IDEAS FLOWING AGAIN

BY DR. PATRICK WIITA

Having the opportunity to be creative at work is a gift and a curse. Creative block is inevitable and can be excruciating. Whether your block is related to priorities, timing, or fear, here are some tactics to unclog your mind and move towards creative catharsis:

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COMMIT TO CREATE Often, things we do for ourselves just don’t seem like priorities. For your own projects, this could be leading to a blockage in your creative flow. Up the stakes by setting a deadline and telling people about it. If you don’t make your deadline, you’re not only letting yourself down, but you’re also letting your audience down.

That sense of panic you’re feeling is “motivation.”

THE SHOWER PRINCIPLE This one takes a bit of preparation. First, fill your mind with the problem, read your notes, look at your spreadsheets. Next, go do something else. The more mundane, the better. Go take a shower. This intentional procrastination gets your brain out of problem-solving mode, especially if you’re prone to automatic “that will never work” -type thoughts. Inspiration happens when your brain’s guard is down.

TRADE PLUMBING FOR HVAC Sometimes we think of creating in a straight line. You’re at point “A” and all of your juicy,

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creative ideas are at point “B,” on the other end of a hopelessly blocked pipe. Instead of lamenting your clogged pipes, pivot to your thermostat. What are the “hot” thoughts circulating in your mind right now? Identify and develop those, even if they seem unrelated to what you’re working on.

PERFECT, THE ENEMY OF GOOD You might only need only one perfect idea, but why not try 20 “good enough” ideas?

Starting your brainstorming obsessed with limitations or abandoning ideas because you can’t see how to implement them immediately is a surefire way to bum yourself out. Create for creativity’s sake, and leave the criticism for another day.

These techniques can readily be adapted as a leader in a team-based creative approach.

Remember to not encumber your team with limits from the get-go. Have them do their outside-the-box thinking literally outside the box that is their typical office, and remember that there are no bad ideas in brainstorming. ■

PATRICK WIITA is a child, adolescent, adult and forensic psychiatrist. Due to the pandemic, he is providing services virtually using state-ofthe-art telepsychiatry technology.

Lonely at the top? Sometimes.

BY GARY KINZEL Here’s the situation. You’ve called a meeting with your whole team: your partner; C-level staffers; legal and financial advisors; and maybe even an outside consulting expert or business coach. You have a big decision to make that could alter the direction of your entire company, and you want the very best advice you can get.

However as you look around, you realize everyone at this meeting needs or wants something from you. A salary. A fee. Contract renewal or project commitment. Will you truly get unbiased advice? Or will they just say what they THINK you want to hear? Should you share your uncertainty about this? Would that undermine their confidence in you as a leader?

All CEOs, presidents and business leaders have been in situations like this and usually wind

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up making decisions alone, in total isolation. It’s lonely at the top. But it doesn’t have to be.

Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, said, “No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing the solo game, you’ll always lose to a team.” So where can you get unbiased input from experienced people you respect and whose only motivation is to help you succeed?

You must find peers.

Build relationships with other successful business owners and CEOs from outside your company’s vertical, a place where you can be yourself and get advice. Search local business organizations, charity boards of directors, clubs, golf or fishing partners, b2b social media, business periodical publishers or fast-track with a proven, confidential, peer advisory group like Vistage. ■

Gary Kinzel is a Hilton Head resident with 30+ years of experience in marketing and advertising communications. He is the former CEO of his own agency (now Vistage Peer Advisory Group) and is the Vistage chairman for the Savannah/Hilton Head/Beaufort area.

Reach him at gary.kinzel@ vistagechair.com.

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ASK THE EXPERT

Is your team Zoom’d out?

HOW TO MEET SAFELY IN PERSON

Zoom fatigue is a real thing.

According to the Psychiatric Times, Zoom fatigue “describes the tiredness, worry, or burnout associated with overusing virtual platforms of communication. Like other experiences associated with the covid pandemic, Zoom fatigue is widely prevalent, intense, and completely new.”

Nothing can replace the energy and engagement of in-person connections, so we asked Steve French, Director of Sales & Marketing of the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa, to offer some thoughts on how companies can meet safely in person. Of course, the most important safety consideration is to choose a venue that is flexible, can work together with your group as a partner and can offer multiple venues including possible outdoor locations to allow distancing, as many offices just don’t cut it anymore.

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1. Venue safety protocols – Check with the hotel or meeting space to ensure that they: • Mandate masks for all guests and staff • Have sanitizing stations throughout the hotel or venue and in meeting rooms • Check temperatures of staff and guests 2. Seating and room set up – Request the following in your meeting room: • Socially distanced tables and chairs • Coffee and water service that offers individual servings rather than self-serve • Daily sanitizing of all chairs, tables and equipment

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Inside out The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa offers multiple indoor and outdoor venues for business meetings and other gatherings.

3. Technology – ensure the venue has AV support and can accommodate things like: • Large screens so you can dial in people who can’t attend • Fast internet (seems like a no brainer, but with the regular heavy device use, combined with streaming, nothing can be taken for granted).

• Tech support staff that follows protocols including wiping remotes and devices when done. Details matter.

“We are seeing an uptick in organizations that want to meet again, but they are thinking differently. One trend we are seeing is the option for hybrid meeting where on-site attendees meet in a large room, and other attendees can join in remotely, using a large screen in the meeting space. This hybrid model is a good first step to making people feel engaged and comfortable and is one step away from being there in person. As the year rolls out, we will continue to evolve our meeting protocols to adapt to our clients’ changing needs” said Steve French, director of sales and marketing at The Westin.

There is an expression that “change is the only constant,” and that seems more true than ever. ■

Cybersecurity is on the rise

BY MARK ROSSI

THREE CRITICAL STEPS TO TAKE TO PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS

Mark Rossi is president of KML Computer Services. Since 1996, he has been immersed in the technology field, working in various positions, from hardware technician and network manager to network engineer and IT consultant.

Recent trends, side effects of a global pandemic, and cybersecurity statistics reveal a huge increase in hacked and breached data from sources that are increasingly common in the workplace. More online ordering, website traffic and especially work-from-home have increased risks for companies.

The analogy I use with my clients is to think of protecting your business the same way you protect your home. At home, you lock the doors, put up a fence, and even sometimes add a security system including cameras and alarms. Heck, you may even live in a gated community. These measures will most likely keep you safe, but none of them guarantee that someone still won’t break into your home. A savvy criminal could still find ways to get into your home if they want to, but if your home is difficult to break into they will move on to a different, less secure victim. The same goes for cybersecurity. Here are 3 critical things we recommend to our business clients:

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1. Back up multiple ways. Regularly backing up your workstations, servers and hard drives is a proven strategy to protect your data from data loss events, including ransomware attacks.

2. An up-to-date firewall. A firewall is your first line of defense.

Make sure your firewall can monitor SPAM email and SSL-encrypted data and has antivirus protection built in. Most importantly, your firewall must be up to date with the current threat landscape with a current annual service and support license.

3. Anti-Virus. Antivirus is a no brainer on all PCs; however, choosing one with a more robust offering with remediation is highly recommended.

Whether you are a one-man show or have many employees, your company’s network and data are at risk, and that risk is rising every day. One of my favorite expressions is ‘don’t wait for a rainy day to fix the roof.’ I say the same thing to businesspeople – make sure your network and data are secure because it’s always much more costly, and devastating, to clean up after a data breach or virus attack than to prevent it from happening. ■

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SMART STUFF

Well Chief, would you believe… that smart ideas and inspiration can come from anywhere? Smart people are where we look first. People like Mark Cuban to see what he is reading, watching and listening to. Companies like Alpha Graphics who think differently about what could be a boring door sign. And tech experts like the guys at Custom Audio Video who can update a work environment to be safe and sound. We have removed the Cone of Silence to share more details.

W

Think smart When we see Smart Stuff, we want to share it to inspire you to think differently and have fun when growing your business. Whether it is a Business Health Check-Up, a horoscope for your business or using technology differently, we hope these examples spark a good idea and bring a smile to your face.

HERE’S AN EXAMPLE IN OUR OWN BACK YARD

Tech support

Why hang a boring "Use Front Door" sign when you can have fun with different colors and images like Furniture Warehouse Design Gallery?

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Furniture Warehouse Design Gallery (FWDG) in Beaufort hired the team at Alpha Graphics to put directional signs on the side doors to ask customers to use the front door.

Alpha Graphics could have put an arrow with “Use Front Door” and completed the job as requested. Instead, they had some fun with color and the line “Your beautiful home starts at our front door.” It doesn’t cost more to be creative, sometimes it just takes a fresh perspective.

Get creative Often tasks become rote and the outcome is what is expected, literally. For example, the sign on the men’s and women’s bathroom doors can simply say Men and Women. Or you can bring a smile to your customers, guests and employees’ faces by simply adding a creative twist.

HOT TIP According to CNBC, Mark Cuban’s advice to college students in 2020 was: “Just chill.

Don’t stress.” Good advice for all of us.

EXPECTED

CREATIVE TWISTS

What’s Mark Cuban up to now?

We sniffed out what this entrepreneur, Shark and owner of the Dallas Mavericks is reading, listening to and saying.

READING Cuban gave “Rework” by David Heinemeier Hansson a glowing review: “If investing in someone who has read ‘Rework’ or has an MBA, I’m investing in ‘Rework’ every time. It is a mustread for every entrepreneur.”

LISTENING TO According to an interview with Arianna Huffington, Cuban wakes up and falls asleep to episodes of “Law and Order.”

That one was a surprise.

SAYING Listen to the Business Casual podcast to hear why Mark thinks that perfection is the enemy of progress as leaders respond to Covid-19.

Q2 2021 + LocalBizSC.com

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SMART STUFF

Healthier business checkup READY FOR Q2? A HANDY-DANDY CHECKLIST, COURTESY OF THE DON RYAN CENTER FOR INNOVATION IN BLUFFTON.

ACCOUNTING

SOCIAL/DIGITAL MARKETING  When was your last email blast - are they scheduled, are there calls to action in them?  Track stats of your emails - open rate, click rate, etc.  Are you using LinkedIn as the business tool it is?  Are you tagging products or services on FB and IG?  Reply to everyone  Check your mentions  Schedule your updates  Review your stats  Research upcoming news and events that can be used to promote your business  Curate content to share

 Review your P&L statement R eview you balance sheet M ake sure your accounts are reconciled every month C heck in with your accountant E xpenses and bills: Pay quickly to ensure goodwill  I nvoices: Make sure you have billed for the work you have already done C hase all late payers  Payroll: Ensure all staff records are up to date T axes: File your returns and pay on time, every time. C ash flow: Cash is king, a strong profit and loss statement does not necessarily ensure a strong cash position. Can you predict your cash position in the future to know if and when you may need more cash?

SALES  Look at your sales funnel. Where is everyone in the pipe line?  How much of your business is repeat versus new? Don’t let the ratio get too one-sided  Keep on top of industry news, and make sure customers and prospects know you keep up with your industry  Are there other sales channels you should be considering?  How are you forecasting sales?  When was the last time you went to a networking meeting?  Do you use CRM? Make sure your customers remember you

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WEBSITE

TEAM  Encourage members’ personal development C reate psychological safety E ncourage teamwork and collaboration among employees R ecognize and reward your team members for their hard work P rovide employees with tools and resources for success ncourage creativity E S chedule regular one-on-one meetings

 Look at your website analytics W hat is your bounce rate? H ow do people find you? H ow long do they stay? W hat do they look at? A re there any broken links?  How hard is it to find your site when you do a search engine search?

This is, by no means, complete but it’s a great start!

Business central

The Don Ryan Center for Innovation is helping to grow businesses and the economy in the Bluffton region.

Founded in 2012, the center is a nonprofit dedicated to helping entrepreneurs succeed and innovative companies grow. It provides innovators with the space, resources, experienced guidance, and contacts needed to successfully launch and grow their businesses. donryancenter.com

Q2 2021 + LocalBizSC.com

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SMART STUFF

Q2 BusinessScope

WHETHER YOU'RE LOOKING FOR WORK, A RAISE OR A PROMOTION, LOOK TO THE STARS TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE IS HEADED.

BY MAMA ODIE

Aries

Coming through: Ram on a mission! Hibernation season’s over, and you’re charging ahead with your personal and professional goals. Whether you have your eyes on a promotion or a side project is panning out, you’re ready to hustle hard and #makeithappen. Just don’t move so fast that you run yourself into the ground; sometimes it’s better to work smarter, not harder.

Taurus

The last few weeks felt like a flurry of activity with no clear direction. You might have had a few business ideas recently, but you aren’t sure which one to pursue – if any. This quarter, you’ll find the clarity you need to turn lofty concepts into concrete goals. If you’ve scattered your energy in too many directions, now’s the time to prioritize and create an action plan.

Gemini

Your future goals are in sharp focus, Gemini, and you’re looking to set yourself up for success.

With your attention so sharply attuned to the future, you could get ultra-clear on the next steps to take in your career. But to figure that out, you'll have to close the opinion polls. Even random Twitter followers might have advice to share, but at the end of the day, you know yourself – and your business – best.

Cancer

You don’t have to do it all by yourself, Cancer. You might have been shouldering an immense load of responsibility for the last few weeks or felt like you were scrambling to keep up, but the intensity is about to lift. You’ll get by with a little help from your friends. You have to put on your own mask before assisting others, so don’t be shy about delegating tasks or asking for the help you need.

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Leo

There’s nothing a Leo loves more than social hour, and this quarter will be your time to shine. You’re about to find yourself in high demand for every meeting or Zoom game night. Even if you can’t get together IRL with people, you can make generous use of online platforms and virtual groups to forge new connections and strengthen existing ones. But if it starts to feel like everyone and their intern wants your time and attention, cancel your lunch plans and take some time for yourself.

Virgo

You’ve been looking for a game-changing career opportunity, Virgo. And ready or not, here it comes!

This quarter, a “crazy little idea” may take on a life of its own, or a surprising plot twist could open up a whole new realm of possibilities. Keep an open mind, because an idea or offer you normally wouldn’t consider could be one you’ve been waiting for.

Libra

Who you work with is just as important as what you’re doing, if not more so! For Libras, the path to prosperity will involve linking up with fellow powerhouses or switching to a new team at work. And the networking doesn’t end there: the next couple of weeks will be an optimal time to court new clients, reach out to recruiters, or have a sit-down with upper management to discuss growth opportunities.

Scorpio

Inspiration only strikes so many times, but you’re about to catch lightning in a bottle, Scorpio.

Your dreamy sign is feeling extra imaginative this quarter, so you’ll want to keep track of any latenight ideas or mid-meeting daydreams you have.

Just remember to keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground. You’ll want to vet any big breakthroughs before pitching them to investors.

Sagittarius

Edging into burnout, or just ready to mix things up?

You might have been questioning your career trajectory, Sagittarius, but don’t worry – this is not what a midlife crisis looks like. You might be confusing constraint for curiosity and could benefit from adding some variety into your weekly schedule. Shake things up by joining a committee at work, taking an online course, or picking up a passion project.

Capricorn

Power up! Not a morning person, that’s about to change. You’re kicking your productivity levels into high gear, in and out of the office. When you’re not powering through projects at work, you’re hitting the gym, helping the kids with their homework, and are making meticulous to-do lists for the next day.

But avoid the temptation to become your personal drill-sergeant; perfection is not the goal, fulfillment is.

Aquarius

Even the best-laid fiscal plans were derailed in 2020, Aquarius, but this quarter, your bank account is due for a rebound. If your income’s been erratic or some part of your work has been stuck in stop-and-go motion, things should start to pick up speed. New sources of income or freelance gigs could pop up.

Who knows, you might decide to hop aboard the cryptocurrency craze or make bank on an investment.

Pisces

Ready to slow down a little? While it’s good to stay busy, Pisces need restorative time to rest and relax.

But powering down doesn’t have to mean shutting down completely – there are plenty of ways to be productive and de-stress at the same time. Spending the weekend writing, volunteering, or getting crafty might allow you to develop transferable skills that could help you in your career.

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LINKS

LINKS LocalBizSC.com + Bonus Content + Digital Offerings

Job Board Post your open positions and find links to other local job boards.

Social Channels Follow us on Instagram, friend us on Facebook and connect with us on LinkedIn (LocalBizSC).

The Biz Newsletter This weekly newsletter provides Lowcountry business owners with helpful information, tools and tips that are delivered in a style that is easy to read, informative and actionable.

Business Directory Find professional services and support for your business.

Digital Edition Read the latest issue of LOCAL Biz on your favorite computer, phone or tablet.

Events, Webinars & Networking Post and find live and virtual business events, training and networking.

Website Resources Find cheat sheets, e-books, infographics, marketing resources, guides and more.

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SPOTLIGHT

EXPANDED AIR SERVICE BRINGS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES TO THE LOWCOUNTRY

©HHI-BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

That sound overhead?

It’s the sound of economic development

Southwest Airlines touches down on its inaugural flight to the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport on March 11. SAV now offers direct flights to 30 destinations on 10 air carriers. Hilton Head Island Airport (HHH) offers 10 non-stop flights through three carriers.

For some cities, economic development is measured in warehouses and factories. In the Lowcountry, it’s measured in wings and wheels. Air-service development has grown tremendously in the Lowcountry, and it’s brought not only more passengers, but more economic opportunities.

The latest air-service development comes as American Airlines takes off this spring directly to Boston from the Hilton Head Airport. Southwest, an airline courted for decades, launched non-stop service to not one, but five destinations from the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. That courtship happens via a partnership with airport leadership and the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce—organizations that work hard to land new flight options for the region.

The Lowcountry has seen accommodation tax collections – a bellwether for the tourism industry – on Hilton Head Island grow annually from $12 million in 2013 to $18.1 million in 2019. “People often think about air-service development as something that’s just for visitors, but convenient air service works both ways,” said Bill Miles, president and CEO of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a benefit for residents, it’s a strong promoter for business, and it plays an important role in our overall quality of life.”

The Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport now offers direct flights to 30 destinations on 10 air carriers.

The Hilton Head Island Airport is home to three different carriers and 10 destination flights, with non-stop service to cities including New York and Washington, D.C. The Hilton Head Island Airport is expanding and renovating its terminal—a $40 million project with construction expected to begin this spring. ■

F

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AFTER HOURS

Make it happen GET MORE DONE AND HAVE MORE FUN DOING IT

BY HANNAH MASSEN

WITH SOCIAL MEDIA, EMAILS, AND A THOUSAND LITTLE TO-DOS, IT’S EASY TO GET DISTRACTED PRODUCTIVITY TIPS Keep a distraction list. With social media, emails, and a thousand little to-dos, it’s easy to get distracted when you’re trying to be productive. Instead of switching screens at every inbox notification, keep a running “distraction list” of all the things you’ll get to once you’re finished with the task at hand.

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URGENT

NOT URGENT

IMPORTANT

DO

DECIDE

NOT IMPORTANT

25min

Take breaks. No one can focus for eight hours straight. Taking breaks can leave you feeling refreshed and focused, but it’s important to make them structured and deliberate. The Pomodoro Technique suggests working for 25 minutes then rewarding yourself with a five-minute break.

DELEGATE

DELETE

JUST KIDDING Journalist: “So, how many employees are working at your company?”

Boss: “About half of them …”

Use the Eisenhower Matrix. Not sure where to start with your to-do list? The Eisenhower Matrix is a grid system that allows you to organize your tasks into four categories: important/urgent, important/ not urgent, not important/urgent, and not important/not urgent. Here’s how these four quadrants should be organized:

Sooner or later, the road always wins.

WHAT WE’RE ...

READING • More Good Jobs: An Entrepreneur's Action Plan to Create Change in Your Community,

by Martin Babinec • The Nuclear Effect: The 6 Pillars of Building a 7+ Figure Online Business, by Scott Oldford • A CEO Only Does Three Things: Finding Your Focus in the C-Suite, by Trey Taylor WATCHING • Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened on Netflix • Emily in Paris on Netflix LISTENING TO • Hidden Brain, an NPR podcast • The Soloprenure Hour with Michael O'Neal • The Side Hustle Show with Nick Loper

Professional Auto Detailing XPEL Window Tinting XPEL Paint Protection Film EXOSHIELD Windshield Film GTECHNIQ & XPEL Ceramic Coatings

DO THIS, NOT THAT Do establish a trusting relationship with your customers by putting their best interests first.

If another business’ product or service is better suited to their needs, practice good networking by pointing them in the right direction. You could push them through the sales process either way, but you run the risk of losing credibility and ending up with unflattering Google reviews.

Don’t be nervous about recommending someone else’s business or product for fear of losing business.

No Detail is Spared Paint Correction Paintless Dent Repair Headlight Restoration Wheel Repair

WORDS TO LIVE BY

“ The secret to getting ahead is getting started.”

— MARK TWAIN

30 Palmetto Bay Road | Hilton Head Island, SC

843.842.2001 trustautospa.com Q2 2021 + LocalBizSC.com

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AFTER HOURS

Whiskey wisdom SIP AND SAVOR THE TALES OF THREE GREAT BRANDS.

W

What better way to wind down your week than with a glass of whiskey.

Here’ a toast to toast three whiskeys we have come to love.

BUFFALO TRACE BOURBON

We admit it, we're suckers for a good mystery.

In the case of Buffalo Trace, it was a mystery called ‘Pappygate’. An employee who worked at the distillery for over two decades pled guilty in 2017 to charges of theft, including barrels of the rare and expensive brand Pappy van Winkle brand. The case took years to solve and went viral across the nation as the largest bourbon heist in history. We also find it mysterious as to why Buffalo Trace doesn’t put an age on its bottles. Enquiring minds what to know.

Classification: Straight Bourbon Distillery: Buffalo Trace Proof: 90 Mashbill: Undisclosed Color: Amber

ANGEL’S ENVY

And we're suckers for a good marketing story and the story of the name of this brand hooked us as much as its distilling process. Within the industry, the whiskey that evaporates during aging is called the "angel’s share."

According to Kyle Henderson, grandson of Angel’s Envy Founder Lincoln Henderson, their whiskey is so good that the angels want more than their share. “If the angel’s share is what evaporates, the angel’s envy is what’s left in the barrel, and the angels are jealous,” he says. How cool is that?

Classification: Straight Bourbon Finished in Port Wine Barrels Proof: 86.6 Mashbill: 72% Corn, 18% Rye, 10% Malted Barley Color: Copper

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HEAVEN’S HILL 27 YEAR BARREL

We’re also suckers for a good story. Heaven Hill 27 Year Barrel Proof Small Batch Bourbon was produced at the Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery before it was destroyed by a fire in 1996. As such, it is referred to as “prefire” Heaven Hill bourbon. The release is comprised of 41 barrels that were produced in 1989 and 1990. Less than 3,000 bottles were produced, so if you can find it and if you can afford it, you better try it.

Classification: Straight Bourbon Proof: 94.7 Mashbill: 78% Corn, 12% Malted Barley, 10% Rye Color: Deep Amber

Fun stuff

YOU'VE WORKED HARD. NOW LAUGH A LITTLE.

SOCIALLY DISTANT

MENSA MONDAYS

to the next level!"

"Chuck, you really took working remotely

Start your week off right by correctly answering a fun and challenging question on LOCAL Biz’s Facebook or Instagram pages (LocalBizSC). Questions are similar to those on the Mensa Admission Test, so be sure to have a pen and paper handy. You will definitely need to write down your thoughts to figure out the correct answer.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES THE EVOLUTION OF THE WORK WEEK

Q2 2021 + LocalBizSC.com

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INSPIRATION

The Last Word DOODLING CAN IMPROVE YOUR MIND, PRODUCTIVITY AND BUSINESS. Unleash your creativity. Finish the doodle.

“Creativity is just about connecting things.”

— STEVE JOBS

Share it on Instagram and tag @localbizsc

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