8 minute read
Briefs
Keeping Up the Momentum amid a Pandemic
The NB Pure team has been busy over the last year. The brand got a packaging makeover, launched a new supplement, Zinc Up, and brought forth a new product, Daily Multi-Fiber. All of this achieved during a global pandemic while business slowed around the world. How did the company accomplish all this? By staying nimble, communicating and using the moment to its advantage.
Formerly known as Nutritional Brands, the company had been planning to rebrand under the name NB Pure and had plans to launch Daily Multi-Fiber before the pandemic. Zinc Up is an example of innovating during the present moment. “The idea for Zinc Up had been on our minds for a while, but sometimes it takes a situation to get an idea out of your head and onto the shelves,” says RJ Carvis, director of marketing at NB Pure. The process for getting it in stores involved conceptualizing, formulating, testing and selling. The NB Pure team had to learn to be flexible and agile as challenges arose. If one component falls short when testing ingredients and packaging, everything stops. “There were a few push-backed dates in this process, but luckily we were able to hit our target launch date,” says Carvis.
Working remotely helped NB Pure open communication channels through phone, email and Slack, occasionally blurring the line between 9-to-5 work and personal time. Sharing files, reviews and approvals became easier and the timeline for the rebrand also broadened as a result of many retailers halting product additions.
NB Pure’s mission is more relevant than ever: Wellness with a purpose. The newfound awareness of wellness as a result of COVID drives the company to keep innovating. “We look to be a one-stop shop for wellness and something that you can use to achieve whatever your lifestyle wellness goals are. We just keep innovating,” notes Carvis. The consumer demand for wellness products to support immunity, gut health and stress is at a peak. This is fuel for NB Pure’s fire. —Leah Johnston, wellness communications specialist at SRW and a registered dietitian GUIDES & RESOURCES
Find out more in each issue of In Business Magazine as we provide resources and guides that can help businesses get and stay connected to the information they need to build business.
COVID-19
Business Stimulus: With now two phases of the Paycheck Protection Program loans and other Small Business Administration loans and stimulus packages, we include these links for businesses: • Restaurant Revitalization Award Portal: restaurants.sba.gov • PPP Loans: bit.ly/sba-ppp • SBA Stimulus: bit.ly/c19-guide-resources • Get My Check: irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment • Federal Resources for U.S. Small Businesses: covid-sb.org • Vaccine Finder and information: vaccinefinder.org • Testing (Onsite and Mobile): aztestnow.com Vaccine: As vaccines become readily available and businesses begin to go back to the office, we offer these links for more information on where to get vaccinations and who will qualify: • No appointments necessary (but recommended) beginning April 26, 2021. • Registration: podvaccine.azdhs.gov • General Information: azdhs.gov/index.php
SMALL BUSINESS
Assistance and Guidance: Many businesses are looking for information that will improve business through programs to enhance services, resources that can assist in day-to-day business or simply connecting businesses with opportunities. Here are this month’s resources: • Small Business Financial Resources: azcommerce.com/covid-19/financial-resources • Arizona Small Business Association: asba.com • CPLC Women’s Business Center: prestamosloans.org/womens-business-center • Small Business Development Center: maricopa-sbdc.com
IN BUSINESS MAGAZINE
In Business Magazine creates many resources throughout the year. Here are our most recent: • WESTMARC: The West Valley Connected: nbusinessphx.com/department/westmarc • In Business In the Firm Guide: inbusinessphx.com/2021-in-the-firm
MORE
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LOOKING GOOD
Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements
ACHIEVEMENTS
Jennifer Adler Wins Stevie Award for Entrepreneur of the Year
Jennifer Adler, CEO of Adler Public Relations, was recently named the winner of a silver Stevie® Award in the Entrepreneur of the Year: Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations category in the 19th Annual American Business Awards®. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations.
After working in PR at large Phoenix-area advertising agencies for more than a decade, Adler started her own firm in March 2019. Adler Public Relations is a Scottsdale-based, boutique lifestyle and luxury PR firm that specializes in representing restaurant, hospitality and real estate brands. Last year, despite the challenges presented by COVID, she still managed to increase the company’s gross revenue 68% year over year. adlerpublicrelations.com
The recently released 2021 edition of Chambers USA ranked Coppersmith Brockelman, a business law firm in Phoenix, in the Labor & Employment, Litigation: General Commercial and Healthcare practice areas. The 2021 Chambers USA nationally recognized attorney is Kristen Rosati, for Privacy & Data Security: Healthcare. Six individual attorneys were recognized for their expertise in Arizona: Keith Beauchamp, Litigation: General Commercial; Kent Brockelman, Labor & Employment; Roopali Desai, Litigation: General Commercial; John DeWulf, Litigation: General Commercial; Karen Owens, Healthcare; and Kristen Rosati, Healthcare. cblawyers.com
Six Arizona attorneys were among the 97 Ballard Spahr lawyers recognized for excellence by Chambers USA in its 2021 rankings: Karen C. McConnell, Business & Transactions: Corporate/M&A (Arizona); Litigation: David J. Bodney, Litigation: First Amendment Litigation (Nationwide); David J. Armstrong, Litigation: Environment (Arizona); Mark Kokanovich, Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Arizona); Ronald J. Stolkin, Litigation: Labor & Employment (Arizona); and Jay A. Zweig, Litigation: Labor & Employment (Arizona). Additionally, Ballard Spahr’s Phoenix Corporate/M&A, Environment, and Labor & Employment practices were named “Leading Practices” for Arizona. ballardspahr.com
New Hard Seltzer Is Branded ‘Personality in a Can’
Local beverage industry veterans Sheldon Wiley and Eric Burdick recently launched a new “hard seltzer sensation” exclusively in Phoenix. Engagingly named Becky and sporting a tagline of “personality juice,” it is currently available in four flavors: pink lemonade, passion fruit, mango and tropical cherry. It is sold at select retailers Total Wine, BevMo and AJ’s Fine Foods and is available at a number of local restaurants and bars of which Sip, Montauk, Maya Day and Nightclub, RnR, Loco Patron, Sandbar and, of course, The Porch and Bevvy are a few.
Wiley and Burdick conceptualized Becky together, teaming up to can a drink prior to the canned cocktail and White Claw craze. “I’ve always had aspirations to create a fun global brand, and having my own alcohol line has been on my bucket list inspired by being entrenched in the food and beverage industry half of my life,” says Burdick, an innovator of Scottsdale nightlife also known as “Burd” who has spent the last 15 years involved in the restaurant and nightclub industry focused on building brands that revolutionized the Scottsdale nightlife scene. Now a partner in local hotspots The Porch and Bevvy, Burdick is a marketing and branding visionary whose experience has helped grow both concepts into additional locations.
Wiley is a three-time Guinness World Recordholding mixologist who’s dubbed the “world’s fastest bartender.” A vanguard of the sipping community, Wiley has been crafting uniquely fresh libations since 1999, creating specialty drink menus for Ian Schragers Morgan’s Hotel Group, Top Chef Kitchen, Top Chef Cruise, The Maggiore Group in Arizona and countless others. Wiley is known both behind the bar and in front of the camera, having been featured on primetime networks and earned hundreds of national media placements.
“After 20 years of hospitality service, it’s beyond time for me to plant a flag on the producer side,” says Wiley. “I’m excited about the process and taking our girl global!” —Mike Hunter
Becky tastebecky.com
Why Phoenix Is the Perfect Market for Expansion
When evaluating new markets throughout the U.S. for our company’s expansion, we look at a number of factors that include population demographics, physical environment and socioeconomic data. For Boss Security Screens, these are important elements as they help determine if there is a need and a willingness of the population to buy our security screens and doors.
The purpose of our product is to provide peace of mind to families and individuals as a solution that will excel in times of need. We recognize a strong need in high-crime areas, and, because Phoenix’s overall crime rate and violent crime rates are significantly higher than the national average — according to areavibes.com/phoenixaz/crime — we realized we could serve a larger part of the population that would be more highrisk than in other metropolitan areas.
For the fifth-largest city in the country, which continues to grow rapidly, security needs to be of the utmost importance. According to the U.S. Census Bureau last year, Phoenix attracted more new residents than any other city in the U.S. for the fourth year in a row, and the city led the nation in 10-year population growth since the 2010 census. These numbers only added to our determination to help Phoenix residents.
The Phoenix metropolitan region also has more than 400,000 snowbirds each year. As seniors and property owners with second homes are a large part of our clientele, we knew our product could be of assistance as a tool to keep homes safe and secure while these seasonal residents are away for nearly half of the year.
Another factor was the convenience of launching an additional Southwest location. Our company’s headquarters is in Las Vegas, with additional operations in Tucson and Albuquerque. These cities are all easily accessible from Phoenix, so it made sense operationally and logistically. With Phoenix’s business-friendly climate and persistent growth, we knew it was a great place for us to expand, and expect it to be a sustainable top-producing market for us for many years to come. — James Kerr, founder and CEO of Boss Security Screens (bosssecurityscreens.com); screens are made in the USA and incorporate more than 55 years of engineering excellence
