In Business Magazine - May 2011

MAY 2011

Ethics at Work: What does management have to do with it?

inbusinessmag.com

real

bonus in virtual events

Giving Back

The Business of Doing Good

employers'

Social media rights

big gains for small airports This Issue Arizona Technology Council Tempe Chamber of Commerce

power Lunch by the numbers business Calendar

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Celebrating Avnet’s 50th year on the New York Stock Exchange.

Roy Vallee

flanked by les Avnet (middle) Founder/CEO Char th served bo o wh t, ne Av bert sons Lester and Ro their father. as Avnet CEO after

Chairman and CEO, Avnet

A Legacy of Industry Leadership Since the Avnet family started selling surplus radio parts in New York City in 1921, Avnet’s leaders and talented employees have defined what makes a world-class company. On December 15, 2010, Avnet will commemorate a milestone that only 350 other companies have ever achieved in the history of the New York Stock Exchange – we will celebrate our 50th anniversary on the NYSE. This milestone distinguishes Avnet as a premier company – one with global scale and scope, five decades of demonstrated adaptability, a strong global culture, and leading financial strength. It is these capabilities that

have allowed Avnet to grow consistently and profitably over time, and become the leader in technology distribution. Avnet would like to thank our 16,000 plus employees who have made our company so great, our trading partners who have placed their trust in us to deliver the highest service and value, our shareholders who invest in us as well as our business and community partners who work with us to help make the world a better place to live and work. We are proud of our legacy and look forward to achieving far more in the next 50 years than we can only imagine today!

View Avnet’s history on www.avnetondemand.com

May 2011

www.inbusinessmag.com In Business Magazine is a collaboration of many business organizations and entities throughout the metropolitan Phoenix area and Arizona. Our mission is to inform and energize business in this community by communicating content that will build business and enrich the economic picture for all of us vested in commerce.

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At Waste Management, giving back is a responsibility we take to heart.

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May 2011

MAY 2011

Contents

Ethics at Work: What does management have to do with it?

inbusinessmag.com

26

Giving Back

real

The Business of Doing Good

bonus in virtual events employers'

Social media rights big gains for small airports

power Lunch by the numbers business Calendar

Giving Back: The Business of Doing Good This Issue

Arizona Technology Council Tempe Chamber of Commerce

The Valley is known for its civically involved business community. Kate Nolan explores some of the reasons and results, whether the nonprofit support comes from a hard-nosed business decision to look good in the community or an altruistic drive to do good.

Departments

11 Guest Editor

Features

20 Civil Aviation Makes Gains

for Local Economy

Small airports are a force for business on and off site.

Melissa Mistero reports on the impact of the Valley’s small airports.

32 Be a ‘Virtual’ Success

Hosting a seminar, conference, training session or trade show online has plenty of advantages, Gremlyn BradleyWaddell discovers as she investigates some of the options available to businesses.

20

32

34 Ethics at Work

Fraud in the workplace is a business owner’s nightmare.

Where does it really start, and what can be done to combat it? RaeAnne Marsh shares surprising insights from professionals who work in that realm. inbusinessmag.com

Visit inbusinessmag.com for:

■■ Local and national business & financial news

■■ The best local business resources

■■ Archived In Business stories ■■ Get discounted tee times ■■ Business events calendar 8

M ay 2011

Howard Lein, owner of RE/MAX Excalibur, introduces the "Giving Back" issue.

12 Feedback

Noted business leaders Afredo J. Molina, Michael Pollack and Mark Tarbell respond to IBM’s burning business question of the month.

14 Briefs

33 Books

New releases on Virtual Business

36 Nonprofit

St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank St. Mary’s Food Bank

42 Assets

“Online Backup: Keeping Your Small Business Secure,” “On-the-Go Office” and “Sleep Tight — The Importance of Sleep”

“Valley Businesses Give Helping Hand to Japan,” “Business Owners Can Say ‘Buy’ to Leasing,” "SunWest Etches Service to the Community," "Custom Ads Spark Customer Interest," "Alternative Lending Funds with Flexibility" and "Indexing Sustainability in the Supply Chain"

43 Power Lunch

18 By the Numbers

Social Media: Where Is the Line Between Professional and Private?

Impactful figures from Arizona’s women-owned businesses; Key Economic Indicators provide a sense of the health of the local economy.

22 Mergers and

Acquisitions

The Nerve: Arrogant Butcher Serves up Confidence. Plus: “The Coffee-House Office: A Certain Perk”

66 Roundtable Networking

37 On the Agenda

May’s calendar of business events presented by our partners

Increase the value of your business before you sell it.

24 Trickle Up: Reichel

Succeeds in Time for Tee View from the top looks at how Doug Reichel overcame tradition to better connect golfers and golf courses worldwide.

Partner Sections

TEMPE CHA

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45 Tempe

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In This Issue

Sean donovan, Vice President Media and Program development

Te m p e C h

Office

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Staff Don Ruedy

Emeritus,

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Director, Arizona Arizona Innovation Institute

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1

inbusinessmag.com

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May 2011 • Vol. 2, No. 5

Publisher Rick McCartney

Editor RaeAnne Marsh

Art Director Benjamin Little

Contributing Writers Gremlyn Bradley-Waddell Michael A. Covalciuc, M.D. Mike Hunter Kenneth H. Marks Kate Nolan Alison Stanton

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CAPITAL MARKETS CORPORATE SERVICES PROJECT & DEVELOPMENT SERVICES PROJECT LEASING PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TENANT REPRESENTATION 602.954.9000 | www.brephoenix.com

© 2011 Cassidy Turley BRE Commercial

Photographer-at-large Dan Vermillion

Editorial Interns Kayla Karp Melissa Mistero

COVER IMAGE BY James Thew

Advertising

Operations Louise Ferrari

Account Executives Louise Ferrari

lferrari@inmediacompany.com lferrari@inmediacompany.com

Cami Shore

cshore@inmediacompany.com

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rené@inmediacompany.com More: Visit your one-stop resource for everything business at www.inbusinessmag.com. For a full monthly calendar of businessrelated events, please visit our website.

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Vol. 2, No. 5 . In Business Magazine is published 12 times per year by InMedia Company. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to InMedia Company, 6360 E. Thomas Road, Suite 210, Scottsdale, AZ 85251. To subscribe to In Business Magazine, please send check or money order for one-year subscription of $24.95 to InMedia Company, 6360 E. Thomas Road, Suite 210, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 or visit inbusinessmag.com. We appreciate your editorial submissions, news and photos for review by our editorial staff. You may send to editor@inbusinessmag.com or mail to the address above. All letters sent to In Business Magazine will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication, copyright purposes and use in any publication, website or brochure. InMedia accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or other artwork. Submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. InMedia Company, LLC reserves the right to refuse certain advertising and is not liable for advertisers’ claims and/or errors. The opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the position of InMedia. InMedia Company considers its sources reliable and verifies as much data as possible, although reporting inaccuracies can occur; consequently, readers using this information do so at their own risk. Each business opportunity and/or investment inherently contains certain risks, and it is suggested that the prospective investors consult their attorney and/or financial professional. © 2011 InMedia Company, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission by the publisher.

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M ay 2011

inbusinessmag.com

Howard Lein, RE/MAX Excalibur

Guest Editor

Community Partners

Howard Lein is owner of RE/MAX Excalibur Realty, a Scottsdale-based RE/MAX franchise comprised of five operating offices, with 240 associates. Lein’s multiple industry recognitions include RE/MAX International’s Broker/ Owner of the Year, Multi Office Award. His extensive community involvement includes cofounding the Arizona chapter of Sentinels of Freedom.

There is no question that the communities which surround our businesses look to us, as business owners, to invest in local organizations, causes and our employees to better where we live and do business. I believe this is a responsibility of business owners Valleywide, and it is more and more clear that we, as a business community, are succeeding in this endeavor.

In fact, Phoenix supports a tremendous number of organizations, covering an incredible range of needs and causes. One organization my company is heavily involved with is the Arizona chapter of Sentinels of Freedom, which helps the most severely wounded soldiers returning from the Gulf conflicts by providing them housing, furniture and mentoring while they attend college and work to rebuild their lives. My personal commitment stems from having seen the horrible treatment suffered by our returning soldiers during the Vietnam War. It’s important to recognize the sacrifices made by our military personnel and their families, and I find it tremendously rewarding to help the men and women who have suffered injuries while protecting our freedom. As a company, we also have a strong commitment to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which transcends boundaries because of its focus on research, and Children’s Miracle Network, which keeps a local focus by using the funds raised here to support hospitals in our community. It is, after all, our community.

In this issue of In Business Magazine, the cover story, “Giving Back: The Business of Doing Good”

by Kate Nolen, explores this notion of doing good and provides great evidence that the Valley business community sees the power of giving back to organizations, employee interests and even creating events and causes that benefit others. As she digs into this subject, she discovers the benefits to the businesses themselves in engaging employees, building business partnerships and improving the bottom line.

Looking at advances that make technology more reliable and accessible, Gremlyn Bradley-Waddell highlights the advantages businesses are finding in using virtual technologies for training, seminars and even conferences. The acceptance of these services is strengthening business and is allowing smaller businesses opportunities traditionally available only to large corporations and organizations.

By focusing on the business owners and managers, this May issue of In Business Magazine offers readers more, including a story by Melissa Mistero on civil aviation and its impact on the Valley. RaeAnne Marsh shares insights for business owners and human resources professionals on ethics in the workplace and what can be done to police it. With advice on how to prepare your company for a sale and a look at the line between personal and private social media at work, business owners will once again connect to In Business Magazine.

I hope you’ll enjoy this issue and I am pleased to be a part of this business community that does so much to empower where we live.

Sincerely,

Howard Lein Founder & Owner, RE/MAX Excalibur

Businesses Are Capable of So Much The power of each of our companies is so beneficial to our economy, our employees and our community. We buy, sell and trade within our marketplace; we pay our employees; and we can vest in our communities. The third — vesting in our community and doing good — in many respects is the hardest. The ROI is not usually in dollars, and the time spent can be endless. But the payoff is a stronger community, a connection to our neighbors and a feeling of gratification that streets are cleaner, the poor are helped and the disadvantaged are given a boost.

inbusinessmag.com

We chose Howard Lein of RE/MAX Excalibur to be Guest Editor of this issue because of his unparalleled efforts to give back to our community through Sentinels of Freedom and Children’s Miracle Network.

He is a leader in doing good for our community, and we thank him. His commitment to doing what is right to help those in need locally is a model for business owners everywhere, and I truly hope that our readers are inspired to remember the importance of this third responsibility we have in business — to give back.

—Rick McCartney, Publisher

Connect with us: Story Ideas/PR: editorial@inbusinessmag.com Business Events/Connections: businessevents@inbusinessmag.com Marketing/Exposure: advertiser@inbusinessmag.com Or visit us online at www.inbusinessmag.com

In Business Magazine

11

Feedback

Q:

Valley Leaders Sound Off

Executives Answer Businesses throughout Metro Phoenix are known for giving back, and their philanthropy is recognized as an important element in building a strong community. In what way does it also make business stronger?

Alfredo J. Molina

Mark Tarbell

Chairman Molina Fine Jewelers and Black, Starr & Frost Sector: Retail When a company has a vision of “giving back,” it sends the right message to friends, family, business associates and members of the community at large. It projects a positive environment that there is a greater purpose in life than making a profit and by doing so communicates a business that cares and understands the importance that the needs of many outweigh the needs of a few.

I believe that we are all here for a purpose and that we have a responsibility to leave this world better than when we arrived. We are stewards of all that we are given. I empower each of my employees to also give back with their time and talents, serving on boards, committees or volunteering at the organization. The Molina philosophy is that every individual is a precious jewel and that our commitment and social responsibility is to ensure that they become brilliant. This internal belief has helped build a strong, loving and caring business. It is a natural progression that people choose to do business with those who care about their community and the world in general.

Owner Tarbell’s Restaurant Sector: Restaurants First and foremost, thoughtful giving and charitable work just feel right. I also believe that when you, as a business owner, support your community, you create a deeper bond with your customer.

It is a clear demonstration of your humanity and what matters to you.

It is the obligation of a business whose very existence is dependent on the community to give back.

We try to really keep that connection close by focusing on the smaller, local organizations where our contributions can make a difference.

Even when we work for something national we share it locally — we did a very successful fundraiser after Hurricane Katrina, and shared the funds between the victims of the hurricane and local groups Home Base Youth Services and Fresh Start. I believe that keeping it close to home strengthens the community and the business both.

There is also an internal benefit, and that’s to staff morale. A staff is motivated, inspired, and proud when the people they work for commit themselves to a greater good.

International jeweler Alfredo J. Molina is chairman of Molina Fine Jewelers in Phoenix and New York and of Black, Starr & Frost, America’s first jeweler since 1810, in Costa Mesa, Calif. Molina’s lineage of master jewelers dates back to seventeenth century Italy. The recipient of many industry recognitions, he offers the rarest gemstones and collections of exceptional jewelry.

Mark Tarbell trained in Paris, was nominated “Best Chef — Southwest” by the James Beard Foundation, and was the only victorious challenger on the fifth season of “Iron Chef America.” He and his restaurants (currently, one in Phoenix, three in Denver) have won more than 70 awards. He also writes on food and wine and is the weekly wine columnist for The Arizona Republic.

Molina Fine Jewelers molinafinejewelers.com

Tarbell’s Restaurant tarbells.com

Black, Starr & Frost blackstarrfrost.com

Michael Pollack Founder & CEO Pollack Investments Sector: Real Estate If a community has been very good to you, it is not just logical but it is a moral imperative to do likewise for it. We have been blessed in good times and bad, via hard work and good ethics. As a result, philanthropy has been fundamental to our business. With contributions to Goodwill, Haitian Relief, Boys & Girls Clubs, Banner and many others, we also sponsor floats in major parades, I

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play in a band at charity events and we often have a significant holiday light display for the public at our corporate headquarters.

We feel good about this work but also realize, too, it is great for our employees. They are proud to be here and perhaps have an extra lift in their step. As well, people who shop at one of our centers know that doing so benefits a local company that is reinvesting in revitalization of other centers, and making a difference to good causes. In this age of social media, people increasingly want to support companies that are socially aware.

Michael Pollack is founder & CEO of Pollack Investments, which owns nearly 4 million square feet of commercial and industrial retail space in Arizona and California. His leadership has gained the company a reputation for its ability to revitalize struggling retail strip centers. Pollack’s numerous awards and accolades include a certificate of special recognition from Arizona Governor Jane Dee Hull.

Pollack Investments pollackinvestments.com

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YO U R M E E T I N G B U D G E T H A S R O O M F O R

A FEW PLEASANT SURPRISES.

192-seat Lecture Hall

Executive Board Room

“IBM held its Smarter Cities Phoenix event at the Executive Conference Center – Downtown Phoenix. The customers and attendees were very impressed with the state-of-the-art facility, the customer service and the attention to detail. Every aspect of a major conference was anticipated — and addressed well ahead of time.”

Joseph (Jay) Ennesser, Jr. — IBM Sales & Distribution, Industrial Sector, Vice President Global Alliances Solutions, Phoenix Location

If one-stop planning service, an all-inclusive meeting package and high-end amenities sound pretty good on your budget, then the Executive Conference Center – Downtown Phoenix is the perfect choice. The ECC offers more than 21,000 square feet of IACC-certified meeting space, featuring a 192-seat lecture hall, sophisticated furnishings and leading-edge technology for groups as large as 300 attendees. So start looking beyond the same old meeting experience — and enjoy a few pleasant surprises with your next event.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR A TOUR, CONTACT KEVIN HILL. 602-262-6225 | PHXECC.COM FA M I LY O F V E N U E S Phoenix Convention Center | Executive Conference Center | Symphony Hall | Orpheum Theatre

Briefs

Quick and To the Point

Valley Businesses Give Helping Hand to Japan Giving back isn’t only important at home. Whether it is through a percentage of sales or company fundraisers, Arizona businesses are finding unique ways to give aid to Japan, whose damages stemming from the recent earthquakes are estimated to be more than $300 billion.

Roka Akor and Nobuo at Teeter House, two popular Asian eateries in the Phoenix area, have donated more than $18,000 to the American Red Cross, says Shannon Owsley, sponsorship and event manager at the American Red Cross.

In March, Hana Japanese Eatery organized a fundraiser called Roll in For Japan.

Valley businesses provided a night of food, drinks and entertainment for a $20 donation, raising $6,750. CUE Financial Group collected $5,900 solely from employee donations. These are only a few of the 100-plus Arizona businesses that have contributed to the approximately $125,000 Owsley says has gone through the Grand Canyon Chapter. “Please keep in mind,” she adds, “that many people donate directly to our national office in D.C. and this figure does not include those donations.”

The American Red Cross works only with financial donations, explains Owsley, because it would be too costly to collect, clean, package and ship other items to Japan. The money the American Red Cross collects is sent directly to the Japanese Red Cross. “It’s also helping their economy by spending those dollars in their community,” says Owsley. Many businesses have expressed their intention Scan this QR code to continue their fundraising efforts into to get information the summer or until the need is met in on how to donate Japan.

—Melissa Mistero to the relief effort in northern Japan American Red Cross redcross.org

Business Owners Can Say ‘Buy’ to Leasing Though the many foreclosures and sunken businesses may not, seemingly, equate to many positive outcomes, there is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel in this recession. Opportunity plays in favor of fiscally sharp business owners, since now is a fitting time for them to leave their leasing arrangements behind and purchase commercial space.

According to Adam Tolson, principal at Lee & Associates in Phoenix, historically low prices and decent financing make this a good time for business owners to buy. The standard financing is available, requiring 10 percent down, 25-year amortization and 6 percent interest. “It’s easier now that the market has slowed up. Buyers are able to get a low basis in a building and experience appreciation as this market firms up and gets better,” says Tolson. In regard to the very low prices currently being seen in the Valley, he does not anticipate that they will get any lower.

Tolson stresses that businesses should take their time and closely look at opportunities in order to make a good decision. “All the deals aren’t equal,” says Tolson, noting there are a range of properties available, from broken office projects to fully built-out spaces. Of course, location, proper size and potential for growth and room for flexibility are also key when pondering a purchase.

—Kayla Karp Lee & Associates lee-associates.com

SunWest Etches Service to the Community Providing a service designed to help cut down on auto theft, SunWest Federal Credit Union recently expanded its community service endeavors from individual branch events to larger-scale ones with the co-sponsoring of a VIN etching event. Etching the vehicle identification number into the windows, marks that are unobtrusive for the driver, adds cost and trouble for potential car thieves as they would have to replace every piece of glass on the vehicle before they could sell it.

SunWest underwrites the cost of the etching ($300), providing it free to credit union members and anyone else who happens by, and welcoming neighbor businesses that maintain fleets of vehicles with advance notice. “Credit unions, by nature, are not-for-profit and dedicated to helping their members. With free events like VIN etching, we do all that we can to give back to the communities surrounding our

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branches,” says Walter J. Synowiecki, president and CEO of SunWest Federal Credit Union.

The first VIN etching event was held in March at SunWest’s Phoenix location, with live music and prizes donated by other neighborhood businesses, and its success has led the credit union to plan others through the summer and fall at branch locations in Metro Phoenix and Tucson. Other sponsors have included the Arizona Automobile Theft Authority and Mesa Police Department, and local businesses near the locations are invited to participate.

—RaeAnne Marsh Arizona Automobile Theft Authority aata.state.az.us Mesa Police Department mesaaz.gov SunWest Federal Credit Union sunwestfcu.org

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Briefs

Quick and To the Point

Custom Ads Spark Customer Interest

Alternative Lending Funds with Flexibility

One way to get the attention of an audience is to create eye-catching, personalized advertisements. Most companies do not have the time or resources to meet with all of their customers and rely on mail advertisements as the sole communication provider, says Matt Olsen, director of marketing and product development at AmazingMail.

Personalized advertisements really stand out to customers, especially if their name is on it.

“That might be something you want to keep,” explains Olsen. “We like to see our names.”

Amazing Mail, a company founded in 1999 amid the dotcom boom, took advantage of this early as technology made it cheaper to create custom postcards and brochures. Their service offers businesses complete control of the front and back of the postcards, with the ability to upload photos, browse hundreds of royalty-free images online and customize text.

Technology even allows businesses to take their personalization to the next level by customizing the content to fit each customer. For example, AmazingMail sends out postcards to customers of an auto service center chain in Phoenix through SpinSix. SpinSix knows the make and model of each customer’s vehicle and when it needs to be serviced, and changes the messages on its advertisements to speak to that specific customer’s needs.

“You’re gearing your message to their needs and likely to get a better response,” says Olsen.

—Melissa Mistero

Newly formed Lawrence/FSW combines the expertise and resources of financial consulting firm Lawrence Financial Group and FSW Funding, the direct-lending division of Factors Southwest, to provide alternative lending options for small businesses, from start-ups to companies with approximately $30 million in annual revenue.

As a collateral lender, Lawrence/FSW has the flexibility to factor in a business’s full financial situation even if it has a concentration of finances on a single client, and allow a business to capitalize on growth projections by, for instance, counting full value of a contract it has been awarded. “We can explore every resource, from receivables, inventory and purchase orders to equipment, real estate, lease values and intellectual property such as trademarks and patents in order to help our clients get the funding they are seeking,” says Haze Walker, who manages the joint venture.

With offices in Phoenix and Los Angeles, the collateral lender will assist companies in securing financing for working capital, lines of credit, refinancing and restructuring. Additionally, the firm will generate business loans needed for growth, acquisitions and purchase order funding. “The current economic climate and [banks’] stringent rules for lending make alternative financing an attractive option for businesses that may not otherwise qualify [for a loan],” says Lawrence Hurwitz, CEO of Lawrence Financial Group.

—RaeAnne Marsh FSW Funding fswfunding.com Lawrence/FSW fswfunding.com

AmazingMail, Inc. amazingmail.com

Lawrence Financial Group lawrencefinancial.com

Indexing Sustainability in the Supply Chain The Sustainability Consortium, jointly owned and operated

by Arizona State University and University of Arkansas, is developing a program that will enable retailers, manufacturers and their suppliers to better factor sustainability considerations into their operations. The goal of the project is to make information available to manufactures so they can better design their product and identify where in the supply chain or life cycle of the product they can make the biggest impact, according to Kevin Dooley, Ph.D., who heads the ASU side of the project.

The project began with a grant from Walmart, who has seen its own efforts to reduce waste and improve energy efficiency result in gains in both economic savings and its corporate environmental footprint. “They found most of their impact … was due to products they sell, and linked to manufacturers and their supply chains,” explains Dooley. “Their internal success indicated the same environmental, social and economic improvement could be done with the products.”

The scientists will look at how a product is made, all the way from raw materials extraction to manufacturing, distribution and retailing,

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and how the customer uses the product and disposes of it (but not confidential and proprietary product formulas). With laundry detergent, for instance, Dooley explains that the greatest amount of energy consumption is in the heating of water to use. “So if it has a cold-water formulation, that’s a positive design attribute.” And there are social issues of sustainability, Dooley notes, citing concerns of worker safety, rights and equity in, for example, the production of cocoa. Other factors that impact sustainability include decisions on mode of transportation, using a supplier abroad or local, and which of a choice of materials to use.

“The trend we see in business is that retailers are acting as regulators, in a way,” Dooley says. Some of the world’s largest retail and manufacturing organizations have affiliated themselves with the project, but Dooley notes many large companies already have sophisticated systems in place, so this is “more for the small suppliers that don’t have these types of topics on their radar screen.”

—RaeAnne Marsh Sustainability Consortium sustainabilityconsortium.org

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Focusing on Arizona’s Future Developing a workforce to meet new demands

State Energy Sector Partnership (SESP) Arizona is transforming its economic landscape to include more renewable energy businesses and a pipe-line to the skilled workforce it demands. Arizona’s Energy Sector Partnership is active locally and is poised to provide strategic alignment of public and private resources to meet local business’ specialized needs.

WHO: Maricopa Workforce Connections (MWC) and Phoenix Workforce Connection (PWC) make up Arizona’s Central SESP Region.

WHAT: Arizona’s State Energy Sector Partnership (SESP) is our state’s green skills pipeline to a clean energy economy. MWC and PWC make training funds available to eligible employers in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. We and our Partners have the flexibility to refine targets to reflect skill needs of employers.

WHEN: Now! MWC and PWC need to know the training and certifications needed by local job seekers to meet the emerging needs of local businesses. We work with local training providers to identify or develop necessary curricula for incumbent workers or new recruits.

WHERE: Statewide — Arizona was awarded $6 million of which the SESP Central Region received $3 million in funding to train 991 individuals in regional targeted industry clusters.

WHY: Establish a green skills pipeline to meet and sustain the workforce demands of expanding green energy industries. A portion of SESP training funds is dedicated to exposing teens to occupations and training in sustainable energy areas. It is anticipated job created in green energy will provide high wages that in turn will assist economic growth for Arizona’s Central Region.

HOW TO BENEFIT: Grant funds cover training costs call 602/506-WORK today to speak with a local workforce professional about SESP or MWC/PWC Workforce Investment Act programs.

Our goal is your long-term success!

Part of Arizona’s Workforce Development Network

More than 20 years of experience helping businesses succeed.

Call (602) 506-WORK schedule meeting with a local professional!

Call to (602) 506-WORK a (9675) to schedule a meeting withworkforce a local workforce professional or visit Equal opportunity employer/program.

Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. www.maricopaworkforceconnection.com today!

MWC products and services are made available through federal funding provided by the Workforce Investment inbusinessmag.com I n B u s iAct. ness Magazine

17

By the numbers

Metrics & Measurements

150,000 Employed by Arizona Women-Owned Businesses

Key Indicators

Over the last 14 years, the number of women-owned businesses nationally has increased by 50 percent, totaling more than 2.5 million new companies since 1997. Women-owned firms make up 29 percent of businesses throughout the nation, with the exact number close to 8.1 million. A report compiled by Julie Weeks, American Express OPEN Research Advisor, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, shows that the growth of firms owned by women is significant when compared to the total 34 percent increase in U.S. businesses between 1997 and 2011. “Looking at Arizona’s results in terms of economic growth, Arizona is ranked 11th out of the 50 states in terms of the number of women-owned businesses,” says Weeks.

Growth in the number of firms, employment and sales in Arizona has consistently increased since 1997. “Women-owned businesses are keeping up with the pace of growth of all businesses in terms of revenue and employment, until reaching the million dollar revenue mark and the hundred-employee level,” says Weeks, explaining these account for 98 percent of all womenowned firms.

The 140,100 women-owned firms in Arizona employ 149,300 people throughout the state.

Since 1997, Arizona’s women-owned businesses have created almost 47,700 jobs and have had an economic impact of approximately $22.2 billion. Weeks attributes Arizona’s notable rankings to demographic changes throughout the state in recent years. “Arizona has a growing population overall, which fuels the growth of businesses.” While the national average for percentage change in employment is 8.1, Arizona’s change is nearly six times that at 46.9 percent. Additionally, retail sales in Arizona have almost doubled over the last 14 years, reaching 96.7 percent change from 1997 to 2011. The percentage change in sales is nearly double the national average of 53.4 percent. “Women-owned firms are keeping up and running the race next to all firms.”

—Kayla Karp U.S. Census Bureau census.gov American Express OPEN openforum.com

Key indicators for the Metro Phoenix economy are provided in each issue to identify those key numbers that give readers a sense of the health of our local economy.

Economic Indicators (Metro Phoenix)

Number

Unemployment (Feb. 2011)

YOY % Change

8.8%

-8.9

Job Growth (Feb. 2011) in thousands

1698.8

0.7

No. of Housing Permits (Feb. 2011)

508

-37.0

Consumer Confidence (Q1 2011)

63.5%

2.0

Consumer Price Index* (US) (Feb. 2011)

221.3

2.1

Eller Business Research

Retail Sales (Metro Phoenix) Retail Sales (in thousands) Total Sales

January 2011

YOY % Change

$4,097,331

11.1

Retail

2,486,402

13.0

Food

653,750

8.9

Restaurants & Bars

539,621

0.5

Gasoline

417,559

19.0

Contracting

416,823

9.8

Eller Business Research

Trend in Women-Owned Firms 1997-2011 Below is a table comparing Arizona’s women-owned firms data to the national numbers.

United States

1997

2002

2007

2011 (est.)

Real Estate Commercial: Office*** Vacancy Rate Net Absorption

% Change, 1997-2011

Rental Rates (Class A)

Vacancy Rate

Number of Firms

5,417,034

6,489,483

7,793,139

8,125,800

50.0%

Employment

7,076,081

7,146,229

7,579,876

7,650,400

8.1%

Sales ($000)

$818,669,084

$940,774,986

$1,202,115,758

$1,255,798,300

53.4%

Commercial: Indust.*** Net Absorption Rental Rates (Class A)

Residential

Arizona Number of Firms

88,780

109,748

138,080

140,100

57.8%

Total Sales Volume

Sales ($000)

101,601 $11,304,658

www.openforum.com/women

128,926 $15,761,202

147,392 $21,795,502

149,300 $22,231,900

46.9% 96.7%

Q4 2009

28.3%

27.3%

(92,385)

(65,643)

$24.45

$25.78

Q4 2010

Q4 2009

13.9%

15.5%

2,461,764

(406,418)

$0.52

$0.51

Mar. 2011

Mar. 2010

9,118

8,656

Total Median Sale Price

$120,000

$138,000

New Build Sales Volume

424

630

New Median Sale Price

$212,813

$218,029

8,694

8,026

$115,000

$132,000

Resale Sales Volume

Employment

Q4 2010

Resale Median Sale Price

* Consumer Price Index refers to the increase or decrease of certain consumer goods priced month over month. ** Sales Tax refers to Arizona Transaction Privilege, Severance and Use Taxes. *** Cassidy Turley/BRE Latest data at time of press.

18

M ay 2011

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In Business Magazine

19

Sector

Industry at Its Best

Civil Aviation Makes Gains for Local Economy Small airports are a force for business on and off site During one of Arizona’s worst economic periods in history, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport saw its best, generating $685 million in economic benefits in 2010, according to a study from the W. P. Carey School of Business.

During this same period, employment at Gateway Airport rose 45 percent and visitorrelated jobs off airport grounds rose 94 percent. This is a strong indication that Metro Phoenix’s civil aviation sector is doing well despite the nation’s financial situation.

Many local airports are beginning to see a rise in corporate and general aviation operations. Scottsdale Municipal Airport’s most popular clientele is corporate aviation, says Gary Mascaro, director of aviation at the airport. He sees CEOs flying in on corporate jets for business meetings, many from Discount Tire, Nike and Shamrock Farms. A large amount of the general aviation traffic is from visitors coming to see the Barrett Jackson Car Show or various golf tournaments. “Most of the traffic from out of

Scottsdale Municipal Airport

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state comes here,” says Mascaro. “High-end users use their jets to come and check out the events.” Chandler Municipal Airport, a general aviation airport, is experiencing more corporate aircraft and business operations as well, says Greg Chenoweth, airport manager.

In fact, the airport has the busiest contacted control tower in the nation, according to a study by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Across town at Gateway Airport, approximately 90 percent of its traffic is general aviation, and the remaining 10 percent is split between commercial and military traffic, says Brian Sexton, airport spokesman. The military likes the long runways the Gateway Airport offers, which many small airports do not have.

In sheer volume of traffic, however, the Phoenix Deer Valley Airport is the busiest general aviation airport in the United States, according to Alexandria Van Haren-Pierce, public information officer. Deer Valley functions as a general aviation reliever for Sky Harbor Airport. Additionally, most of its traffic

comes from private pilots, corporate aviation and the two flight training schools based at the airport. Its corporate customers use one of the airport’s two fixed-based operators, Atlantic Aviation and Cutter Aviation, which are non-government commercial businesses that provide flights, fuel, maintenance and other aircraft services.

The majority of general aviation traffic at many smaller airports is from flight training.

Arizona State University’s Polytechnic Campus is located near the Gateway Airport and uses the site as the official training ground for its students, says Sexton. Chandler Municipal also has two flight schools on site — Chandler Air Service and Wings 270 — from which 70 percent of its traffic comes, Chenoweth explains. The enrollment in flight schools is high, and Frank Ayers, chief academic officer and executive vice president of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Prescott campus, notes that the Federal Aviation Administration forecasts an increasing demand for pilots over the next 15 years as many senior pilots retire.

The most popular program at Embry-Riddle is its professional pilot program, Aeronautical Science, and students who complete this four-year program receive a commercial pilot certificate and can fly commercial, military and corporate aircraft.

The biggest economic generators at the Gateway Airport are its three aircraft maintenance centers, Cessna Aircraft Company, Hawker Beechcraft Services, Inc., and Embraer Aircraft Holdings, Inc, the first two of which relocated there recently because the cost of living at their former sites in California was too high for their employees.

Most airports are lucky to have one, and those with more than one are usually located near airplane manufacturers. Gateway Airport is an exception because the airport is not landlocked and had the space to build service centers for these companies. Gateway Airport also reaps benefit from its fuel operations. At larger airports, such as Sky Harbor, multiple fueling

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Photo: Kim Hanna

By Melissa Mistero

Photo: Deer Valley Airport

businesses compete for aircraft business.

Gateway Airport’s airport authority manages refueling, which contributes to a significant amount of the operating budget of the airport.

“It makes the airport more self-sustaining,” says Sexton. Similarly, Chandler Municipal Airport has a private fuel vendor and multiple maintenance businesses on site, along with a restaurant and convenience store for pilots.

The Scottsdale Municipal Airport also recently attracted a new player to the local aviation sector — AirSprint, a fractional ownership company that has been doing business in Canada for 10 years. The company has a fleet of Pilatus PC-12s, designed to land in small, tight runways like those at Scottsdale Airport, and people buy shares in one but have access to the fleet should they need their plane while another share-owner is using it.

“When you crunch the numbers, it’s almost more economical to have a private plane if you plan to go to multiple destinations in one trip,” explains Orin Anderson, director of sales. Observing that aviation is becoming more accessible thanks to technology making airplanes cheaper and more efficient, Anderson says, “The future of aviation is very bright.”

He notes that the smaller airports, such as Scottsdale, offer air commuters a convenience over a major hub like Phoenix Sky Harbor — travelers can land closer to their destination.

Most airports are unable to expand physically but are always looking for ways to expand their services and operations.

Scottsdale Municipal Airport has a request pending that it expects to be approved to change its U.S. Customs and Border Protections guidelines to allow international private planes from any country to fly directly to the airport without stopping at a port of entry. The airport will charge visitors a minimal fee to fly directly to the airport, to cover what U.S. Customs charges for the service, but Mascaro points out it will ultimately be less costly and more convenient than landing, refueling and taking off again from a port of entry.

Gateway Airport, unlike most, does have the land and means to expand. The airport recently received $9.75 million from the Federal Aviation Administration to continue with the construction of Phase II of the airport’s Charles L. Williams passenger terminal, thanks to the success of Allegiant Air, Gateway Airport’s only commercial and charter airline. “Gateway airport plays a

inbusinessmag.com

Deer Valley Airport

significant role in two pillars of our economic development by providing a foundation for aerospace companies and by bringing thousands of tourists to Arizona on Allegiant Air,” says Mesa Mayor Scott Smith. Phase II will add two more gates, increase restroom facilities, and expand the airport an additional 30,475 square-feet.

In addition to the economic impact of operations within the airport boundaries, small airports also change and impact the communities around them, says Anderson.

Among the benefits Gateway Airport brings to its surrounding area is business generated by its on-site service centers, as the crews that fly the planes stay in Arizona while the plane is being serviced and make a vacation out of their visit. “It’s a real unique thing that generates economic activity for the Valley,” says Sexton. “It fills up a few hundred hotel rooms a year that wouldn’t fill up otherwise.” In some cases, such as the Chandler Municipal Airport — located in one of the last undeveloped areas of Chandler — the community builds itself around the airport. As operations expand at the airport, more businesses will move to the area for the immediacy of the airport and access to planes.

The Scottsdale Municipal Airport area has already become an economic focal point for its city; in fact, it is the second-largest economic engine in Arizona. There are more than 2,000 small and mid-sized businesses and more than 30 national and regional corporations headquartered in the Commerce Airpark Area

surrounding the airport, and it expects to see at least 5,000 high-level new jobs in the next five years.

The financial benefits to areas surrounding airports are tremendous. A 2004 study on Scottsdale Airport reported the total economic impact of its aviation activities was more than $140 million. And a recent study by the W. P. Carey School of Business found that visitors who arrived at Gateway Airport in 2010 spent $68.9 million at hotels and other attractions, which supported more than 1,000 local jobs. There are 44 employers at the Gateway Airport, providing another 1,100 local jobs. Research Professor Lee McPheters, who headed the W. P. Carey Study on behalf of L. William Seidman Research Institute, says, “A well-functioning airport serves as a portal that welcomes commerce and visitors into the region.”

AirSprint airsprint.com Allegiant Air allegiantair.com Cessna Aircraft Company cessna.com Chandler Municipal Airport chandleraz.gov Deer Valley Airport deervalleyairport.com Embraer Aircraft Holdings, Inc. embraer.com Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University erau.edu Glendale Municipal Airport glendaleaz.com/airport Hawker Beechcraft Services, Inc. hawkerbeechcraft.com Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport phxmesagateway.org Scottsdale Municipal Airport scottsdaleaz.gov/airport

In Business Magazine

21

Bottom line

The Buck Stops with You

Business for Sale?

Increase the value of your company before the sale

by Kenneth H. Marks

Great news! After a long drought of Merger & Acquisition activity, the market for private companies is showing signs of life and recovery. If you own, operate or advise a middle-market company, $5 million to $500 million in revenue, what does this mean for you and your clients when thinking about shareholder liquidity or selling the business? And how can you improve the odds of getting a deal done?

From a private equity perspective, the dollars invested in middlemarket companies more than doubled from 2009 to 2010. Publicly traded strategic buyers like the S&P 500 companies have historical levels of cash and are seeking to deploy part of this hoard to generate significant revenue through external growth initiatives like acquisitions.

An acquisition can provide them with access to new customers, highermargin product lines, new technologies and entrepreneurial talent. The same concept applies to what private equity refers to as tuck-in or bolton acquisitions for larger existing portfolio companies.

While the number of transactions is increasing and appears to be rebounding, the character of the market and deals is different from that of the pre-great-recession vintage. In the period of 2004 to early 2008, there was significantly less scrutiny in underwriting and financing transactions. Today, the performance bar has been raised high with a flight to quality. Transactions are being done with only the very best industry players within a market, and these companies are able to garner valuation multiples at nearly 2008 levels. However, the average and lower-performing businesses will likely find greatly depressed

22

M ay 2011

multiples or, worse, no interest from buyers or investors at all.

What is the typical middle-market company to do to create a partial or complete exit for its owners? Here is an approach that has proven successful in increasing the value of a company before the sale and enhancing the likelihood that a transaction will occur: ▶▶ S tart the process by clarifying the objectives and desires of the owners. The game plan for creating an exit needs to be aligned with the ambitions of the shareholders. For example, are any of the shareholders active in the business and, if so, do they want to continue with the company? An important part of this step is to align the expectations of the shareholders by gaining a realistic understanding of the current value of the business based on the reset-rules of the economy and the company’s recent performance. ▶▶ D etermine how the company really compares to the industry.

Consider financial performance (e.g., profit margins, sales growth rates, productivity, etc.), competitive position, growth strategy, customer base and concentration, and talent. In effect, conduct what a buyer may call “strategic due diligence” on your business and grade your performance. ▶▶ S hore-up the fundamentals. Why sell your company and leave untapped value for the buyer — value that you can realize by making

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some of the predictable improvements that a buyer will make? Make those improvements before you sell. Develop and implement initiatives to address the gaps and weaknesses uncovered by the diligence mentioned above. This step, by itself, can create a significant premium in value for the average business. Keep in mind that making performance improvements takes time — from a few months to more than a year to complete — so plan ahead. ▶▶ Th ink about your business from the buyer’s perspective. Your company is an investment. What is the growth opportunity and strategic value beyond today’s numbers? Even with your house in order and a strong foundation, what investments could be made by management if more capital was made available to further increase the value of your business?

What actions can the business take to validate this new investment opportunity and to reduce the associated risk? Being prepared to answer these questions, having pre-thought the outcome and taking steps to make it real, can allow the shareholders to not just sell the business on the value of today but to capture and participate in the value creation moving forward.

The overall objective in positioning for an eventual sale, recapitalization or ownership transition is to address the low-hanging fruit, in terms of operational performance and strategic position, and shore up the critical value drivers, fundamentally making the business stronger. And in the process, identifying the longer-term investment opportunities for the business, the break-out strategies, and the initiatives that will allow for geometric increase in value if the company has access to additional capital. This then allows you to lead the sale process with a robust investment opportunity beyond the foundation that exists today.

Handbook of Financing Growth handbookoffinancinggrowth.com High Rock Partners highrockpartners.com

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23

Trickle Up

A View from the Top

Reichel Succeeds in Time for Tee Online scheduling aids golf courses and players

On Course, Online ▶▶ GolfSwitch powers electronic tee time reservations for thousands of travel agents, hotels and resorts, tour operators, visitor bureaus and more than 35,000 websites, including Hotels. com, Travelocity.com and Vegas.com. ▶▶ The company works with 1,840 golf courses worldwide, most of which are in North America. About 325 are located in Europe. ▶▶ Reichel relocated to Europe in 2006 to run the international division, and is currently working to launch into the Asian market. ▶▶ GolfSwitch is the only provider that allows golf courses the flexibility to sell rack rate, special, discount, corporate or vacation rounds to a local, regional, national or global audience.

Dinosaur Mountain course, hole #3, at Gold Canyon Golf Resort

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Doug Reichel, president of GolfSwitch and an avid golf fan, took his own frustration with the difficulty of securing a tee time and developed it into a successful international business. Although he was challenged along the way by both the economy and an industry that is steeped in tradition as well as hesitant to try something new, he has persevered and is currently expanding his company further around the globe.

With a vision to create an easy and efficient way for golfers to reserve tee times at the course of their choice, Reichel founded his company in 1998. Traditionally, he says, selecting between often-multiple courses in the same area, deciding when everyone in your group wanted to play, and booking the reservation took a lot of time and many phone calls between you, your golfing partners and the staff at the course. “In the Scottsdale/ Phoenix area there are so many choices — we have 300 courses here, alone,” he says. “It’s hard to know where you should play.”

Reichel envisioned a way to simplify the process, with a global golf network of software and technology that would benefit both the golfer and the course owners. As his company’s website makes clear, the goals included an increase in tee times for golf courses as well as financially beneficial relationships between buyers and sellers of tee times and golf vacations.

“Really, the genesis of the business came when I was working at another company trying to come up with a way for a vacation company to book tee times at one course,” he says. Looking to give the golf industry a standardized way to do business, Reichel helped create the GolfSwitch network, which allows golf courses to communicate with customers and business partners 24 hours a day, letting golfers book tee times anytime and anywhere.

Reichel and his associates created an application for the golf course and eventually offered it to higher-end resort hotels in Scottsdale like Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, Hyatt at

Gainey Ranch and The Phoenician. “The light bulb just kind of went off at that time and I thought, ‘This could be a business here, so let’s look at other opportunities.’”

During 1999 and 2000, Reichel recalls, the technology world “was in a bubble, with people throwing outlandish amounts of money at ideas.”

He looked at ways to expand the technology and software and work with more courses. “We wanted to be like Expedia.com or Hotels.com and have an aggregate of all of the tee times,” he says. “We thought we would all cash out at an early age, and then the bubble burst.”

Around 2002, Reichel saw his staff of 115 get cut down to just 10 employees. Undaunted, he continued to work toward his goal of aggregating all of the golf information and finding courses that would work with him.

One thing Reichel discovered is that, although he had what he thought was a great idea, the extremely traditional game of golf and those who ran it were not necessarily ready for something new. “We worked on educating golf courses on the value of an online system, but golf is steeped in tradition and, overall, the course owners don’t like change,” he says.

“We had a difficult time educating them about the idea, and also that it would be OK to put your credit card information online. We really pioneered not only the online tee times but also online transactions.”

In 2006, Reichel branched out to start GolfHub, which has given him the opportunity to get into the consumer direct market. “We want GolfHub.com to become the Facebook of golf,” he says. “People can load content, look at reviews and get all types of information, which will really serve a wide range of consumer needs.”

Despite the challenges along the way, Reichel says the whole experience has been “an incredible ride.” Slowly but surely, he was able to get more and more courses on board. Currently, his team of 27 people focus on major domestic golf courses located in Arizona, Hawaii, Southern California, Nevada, Texas and Florida as well as others in Canada, Mexico and Europe.

GolfHub golfhub.com GolfSwitch golfswitch.com

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Photo: GolfSwitch

by Alison Stanton

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Giving Back:

The Business of Doing Good Support for nonprofits is a transfusion for the community that puts your business in line to earn recognition as well as gratification

by Kate Nolan

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Philanthropy can be both an unemotional business decision to look good in the community and a case of really doing good.

For months, Eileen Spitalny knew that on April 29 this year she would be ankle deep in dirt, helping rig a new playground at Children First Academy in Tempe. In addition to providing fun for Tempe’s homeless kids, the new playground would represent months of planning, a $73,000 donation and a 10-year corporate commitment to philanthropy by Fairytale Brownies Inc., the Phoenix baking company Spitalny owns with David Kravetz.

The confectioners’ interest in good-deeddoing is widely shared among the state’s businesses. Arizona’s 15,000 public charities receive more than $3.4 billion in contributions annually, according to Arizona State University’s Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation. Businesses account for more than 20 percent of that. But they double-down on their philanthropy with in-kind donations of equipment and products and by sponsoring thousands of employee volunteers.

For example, the Phoenix white-shoe law firm Snell & Wilmer contributes considerable resources to nonprofits focused on early childhood education, the working poor,

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America. “When I learned how good playgrounds are for child development, it was perfect. It was in the same fun spirit as Fairytale Brownies,” says Spitalny.

Many executives cite an intangible spiritual reward and say philanthropy is “part of our mission.” They are slow to own up to anything less than altruism, but some point to certain practical motivations, such as improvement in employee retention, customer loyalty, corporate image and growth opportunities, among others.

“There are tangible benefits that can include closer relationships with community leaders and officials, enhanced name-recognition and brand awareness, community goodwill, leadership development opportunities, and improved internal communication and sense of common purpose,” admits David McCann, Snell & Wilmer’s communications manager. He adds that having attorneys get involved in the community enhances their understanding of the issues that affect the firm’s clients.

Solution-Oriented Collaboration On the macro scale of a huge company such as Arizona Public Service, you can check “all of the above.” APS has fostered community involvement throughout its existence.

“It is part of the fabric of our corporate culture from the top down,” says Joanna de’Shay, the firm’s corporate giving consultant. The company contributes to local nonprofits across the state and heavily underwrites employee volunteerism. De’Shay says APS has not reduced its giving levels during the bad economy, although she notes that community needs have greatly increased and the firm is trying to meet those needs.

APS exemplifies the “solution-oriented collaboration” that Moore observes.

The company undertook a strategic process to determine which areas of society it could most improve. The result is a list of Strategic Giving Areas: Education (emphasizing math, science, technology, engineering and energy and environmental education), Community Vitality (community-based organizations, arts and culture, sponsorships and events), Community and Economic Development (partnerships, chamber of commerce membership and key projects with municipalities) and Employee Engagement (grass-roots and non-profit projects and leadership organizations).

The vetting process has become more elaborate as the number of nonprofits has soared. And since the economic downturn started, philanthropy more often must demonstrate it is somehow connected to corporate needs. In the old days, CEO Jim would say to CEO Bob, “I’ll buy a table at your charity’s event.” Those days are gone, according to Linda M. Herold, a photojournalist who covers Valley philanthropy, society and culture for her widely read blog Linda Land at lindalandaz.com. Because she covers both charities and corporations, she sometimes acts as an “accidental advisor” for executives seeking causes. “Corporate philanthropy is very responsible today,” says Herold.

“Companies examine a nonprofit’s annual report to see what percentage of funds go to the mission. Many stress keeping their donations in the community instead of e th sending to a home office elsewhere.” g trees for APS plantin Beautiful x ni oe Ph In some cases, as with Mayo Clinic, larger Keep in avez Plaza project at Ch nonprofits themselves receive a steady flow of Phoenix Downtown funding requests to address local community needs. Mayo’s dedication to community was initiated by the founding Mayo doctors and

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Photo: APS

furthering the practice of law and the arts. “We believe we have a responsibility to the communities in which we live and work,” says Lee Fraley, a partner in Snell & Wilmer’s Phoenix office. “As part of our official credo, the firm is committed to continuing our long tradition of service and leadership. Corporate giving, community involvement activities and pro bono legal services are just a few of the approaches we utilize to honor this commitment across our offices throughout the western United States.”

Generosity is a virtue, but as virtuous as Arizona companies may be, it can’t be their main thing.

Corporations, including law firms, exist to make money.

The bottom line drives decisions on staffing, expansion and spending on nearly everything. But even in this haphazard economy, many Arizona businesses are giving away more money than ever. Is it cynical to wonder what companies get out of those philanthropic activities, many of them not even tax deductible?

A heartening answer comes from Charles Moore, who heads a New York City group called the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy. In a recent report, Moore suggests that, as society’s challenges have grown, “we have entered an age of solution-oriented collaboration, in which each party coming to the table must leverage its unique resources for maximum effect.” It means that businesses are recognizing that social challenges, such as poor educational systems, affect a corporation’s future as much as that of the impoverished tenth-grader who lives on the other side of town.

In that sense, Fairytale Brownies saw the future written by playgrounds. The owners discovered a nonprofit called KaBOOM!, whose goal is to propagate playgrounds across

has been formalized as the Community and Business Relations Work Group, whose standards for cash donations range from serving underserved populations to the more pragmatic need to be “a business imperative.”

“Mayo Clinic does not have large financial resources for community requests.

We do, however, have great resources in our people and facilities,” says Marion Kelly, director of community relations at Mayo in Arizona. Mayo has also been deeply involved in community efforts to reduce healthcare costs and improve delivery systems.

ing a hand to McMurry giv manity Hu for at bit Ha

Community-Driven Employees Corporations are increasingly harnessing the altruism of their hirelings to do good works in the community. Studies show that workplace volunteer programs and knowledge of their employers’ philanthropy raise employee motivation, productivity and sense of identification with the company. Informally, bosses say it makes the workplace a happier place.

For example, Nautilus Insurance Company in Scottsdale, which last year matched $25,000 in employee-raised charity funds, offers a Funteer Committee that encourages employees to volunteer and asks them to suggest charities that need help.

The company also sponsors stuffed-animal drives twice a year. The teddy bears are donated to firefighters who use them in their encounters with distressed children.

“When you see the hundreds of bears stacked up in the collection areas, it’s a pretty neat thing. Some employees bring their families in to see it. We’re proud of it,” says Ed Colby, assistant vice president of human resources.

Colby explains that Nautilus, a commercial casualty company, does business all over the United States, so you don’t see the company name a lot here. “But we live here, so our philanthropy is directed at this community,” he says.

The Valley’s corporate champion for leveraging employee selflessness on a grand scale is McMurry, the multimedia Phoenix marketing communications company.

Since initiating philanthropic activities, McMurry and its employees (about 170) have donated and helped raise $43 million. Company founder Preston McMurry pioneered the corporate ethos in 1992 when he started Theresa’s Fund to combat domestic violence. McMurry Charities launched in 2006 with the mission of helping causes of special interest to individual employees, and Big Green, an environmental program, is a recent addition. The company supports hundreds of nonprofits through these programs. A rotating committee of employees makes all funding decisions.

The idea behind the altruism is based on a set of eight unusual corporate values that begins with “Do the Right Thing” and ends with “Earn a Reasonable Profit.”

Among the others are “Embrace Change” and “Accept Social Responsibility.” The company shares its financial information with all employees, and if McMurry can afford an employee’s charitable request, it is never questioned. Employees can pay into a payroll deduction fund for the charities. Some pay in and never request donations out. “Altruism is built into McMurry’s culture,” says communications manager Katie Haney. “Our high involvement in corporate philanthropy helps attract the right people to work at our company — people who are selfless and enjoy giving, doing the right thing and helping people.”

Considering McMurry’s skyrocketing success, attracting principled people has its advantages. A 2007 New York University study bears it out, concluding that employees involved in corporate philanthropy had a stronger identification with their companies that correlated to improved job performance.

Photo: McMurry

What’s So Bad About Doing Good to Do Well?

Probing managers to tell what their pragmatic interests in philanthropy might be is a frustrating task. Somehow the stock answer, “Because we want to give back,” seems not to tell the whole story.

David Eichler, founder (with Sam Alpert) and creative director of David and Sam

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PR in Phoenix, doesn’t understand the reticence. “Whether you are doing it because you feel deeply or you just want good press to drive your bottom line, you’re still helping someone,” says Eichler. “I have clients who don’t want to appear to be press whores because they are so sincerely intent on doing good.” But he points out, “A good journalist gets hundreds of press releases, but there are only so many news slots to fill. If they have to choose between two companies, all things being equal, why wouldn’t they choose the one that is civically involved?”

With a consistent commitment of time, services and money, it’s hard for anyone to be cynical about your philanthropic activities, according to Eichler. Teaming up with the right charity can reinforce a marketing message and, meanwhile, send a sick kid to Disneyland — if you are committed to, say, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, as David and Sam PR is. Isn’t that better than just an ad?

Pet retail giant PetSmart is one of many businesses that align their giving with their mission, concentrating its philanthropy on animal-focused organizations. Dunkin’ Donuts positions its philanthropy among public service groups, such as police and firefighters, representing Dunkin’s “Working Joe” target market, as their ads demonstrate. Other mission-matched efforts include

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to interact beyond the CEO level and, at the same time, raise employee morale.

And then there is that powerful opportunity to influence perception for the future. A business that is perceived as a “good guy” for supporting good causes is likely to earn better access to civic leaders and politicians. A study at one nonprofit website suggested that firms with a great philanthropic history fare better later when the chips are down, if, for example, Fairytale Brownies offering its toil and tr they end up in an ugly legal dispute or some ea First Aca ts at the Children demy play other potential embarrassment. groundbuilding work day Eichler also believes it’s important companies not lower their commitment to the community during slumps. Smart companies become more aggressive and get their logo out there with sponsorships.

“Others fold up like a water bug,” he says. “Never assume your organization doesn’t local consignment business My Sister’s Closet, which need your help. One example is Make-A-Wish. As well known as they are, they need sells used designer fashions at low prices, benefitting the money,” he says.

Sojourner Center, which puts women back on their feet, and Mountainside Fitness, a Phoenix gym that offers weight training for kids, which reinforces the kid theme by There is plenty of need to go around in Arizona contributing to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

The lesson is not lost on one of the state’s newer businesses, Team Online, Inc., a Danish software firm whose U.S. office is based at ASU SkySong in Scottsdale. Team The benefits go beyond good press. Eichler says strategic Online markets its Bosted System to care providers who serve the developmentally volunteering can help alignments with new clients, disabled. “We work with the most vulnerable people,” says Chief Executive Johnny provide an opportunity for your team and the client team

Blacktie founder Kenton Kuhn “was on a lot of boards, and saw that nonprofits couldn’t afford the event people or PR but needed to get their name out there,” Blacktie Arizona president Myra Richman explains about the genesis of the Denver-headquartered organization of which her chapter is part.

Make-A-Wish Foundation of Arizona and Gabriel’s Angels were the first two clients who signed on for her service when Richman launched Blacktie Arizona in January 2005, and have remained with her as her roster expanded. Blacktie was four years old at the time and had proved itself in several other cities around the country, offering each client organization a comprehensive event planning and management service through the local Blacktie website. Details such as arranging table seating, creating nametags and helping with donation collection — taking no cut of the funds raised — and valuable follow-up thank-yous are only part of the benefits that excited Richman about Blacktie.

With many years’ experience in public relations through her company Richman and Associates, Inc., Richman saw Blacktie as a vehicle to help the nonprofits raise their profile in the community. Her blacktiearizona.com website gives the organizations a high-traffic site on which to promote their event prior to its date, and Richman posts photographs from the event within 24 hours, making sure to not only identify all the people in the photos but, in many cases, personalize with quotes from

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them. “It helps get the message out about the organization’s purpose,” she says. And, she notes, other media outlets will often call her for photos when they run an article about the organization or the event.

Another website feature Richman feels is valuable is the “Have You Met?” profile of the organizations’ key leaders, which further helps each organization differentiate itself.

Nationally, Blacktie has processed more than $57 million in its 11 years, and continues to develop new products to add to its suite of services, all aimed at helping nonprofits connect more productively with their individual and business donors. Richman enjoys being the link in that relationship, and shares that sometimes opportunities come her way simply because of the success of her company. She received a phone call, for instance, from someone who had held a large social event at a local resort and found himself with quite a bit of wine left over. Asking where he could donate it, “the general manager of the resort said to call Myra,” she recalls him telling her. “I found a nonprofit that could use it for an upcoming event, and it helped lower the expenses.” And, she says, the fact that Blacktie Arizona had been top of mind for connecting with local nonprofits was also rewarding.

—RaeAnne Marsh Blacktie Arizona blacktie-arizona.com Richman & Associates myragards.com

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Photo: Fairytale Brownies

The Business of Connecting Nonprofits to the Community

Nautilus Insurance nual Company's semi-an e aids stuffed-animal driv k with firefighters who wor distressed children

Killerup Pedersen. “Because of our work, we see their records, and so many times we feel bad.”

Pedersen says he feels better when the company takes these vulnerable people to a Suns game and he spends time with them.

“Our clients live on that for months,” he says.

“We are more likely to buy 100 tickets for $100 apiece than spend $10,000 at an event.” He’s convinced a good reputation is something you earn, rather than buy.

APS aps.com ASU Lodestar Center lodestar.asu.edu Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy

KaBOOM! kaboom.org Linda Land lindalandaz.com Make-A-Wish Foundation wish.org Mayo Clinic mayoclinic.org/arizona McMurry mcmurry.com Photo: Nautilus Insurance, Inc.

Mountainside Fitness mountainsidefitness.com My Sister’s Closet mysisterscloset.com Nautilus Insurance, Inc. nautilusagents.com

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Tech

Innovations for Business

marketing agency in Mesa. And if you have a computer and Internet access, you’re ready to roll. Yes, it’s that easy.

Be a ‘Virtual’ Success Host an online seminar, conference, training session or trade show

by Gremlyn Bradley-Waddell Be honest. For years, some of the most dreaded words in the business world have been “seminar” and “trade show.” Those terms, as well as “conference” and “training session,” conjure up thoughts of scheduling difficulties and such costs as plane tickets, hotel and registration fees, potentially padded expense accounts and even the significant carbon footprint they create.

That’s why virtual events — meetings, conferences and the like that are held online and can either be “attended” in real time or recorded and played back later — make so much sense. Imagine the cost savings in

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travel expenses alone. So even if you’ve never given a thought to hosting or taking part in a webinar (or Web-based seminar) or a virtual tradeshow, it’s time to re-think your strategy. Local experts say virtual events really are not terribly difficult to create, are fairly inexpensive (or even free) and, what’s more, are probably already being made by your competitors — who are snatching away your would-be customers as you read this.

“It’s really about leveraging the Web as an interactive tool,” notes Dara Schulenberg, digital strategy manager with Canyon Communications, a business-to-business

The Webinar Strategy So, what exactly is a webinar, anyway?

James Powers, chairman, president and CEO of the Phoenix-based online productivity firm iLinc, says the term has evolved over the years. Whereas it used to merely refer to an online seminar, workshop or conference that was conducted live and broadcast to many users, the term is associated nowadays with a marketing-related event, typically one in which an audience-drawing expert is featured. And what exactly is the point of a webinar? Well, a good webinar has the potential to attract viewers from around the country, even the world, and audience members have to register to participate. Therein lies the power of the webinars: They not only allow a business to reach out to potential customers, but they also extract important information from those same customers in the form of e-mail addresses and names.

“It’s a source of lead generation,” Powers says, adding that webinars really are the ideal way to find prospective sales.

In fact, according to statistics Schulenberg says she has found in her research, 84 percent of businesses use webinars for lead generation.

Of those, 75 percent plan to do more in this year’s planning cycle “because they found them to be so effective,” she says. In addition to promoting brand recognition, webinars also educate users. A technical product, for example, can be demonstrated for an audience, which is then able to ask questions and interact with the webinar moderator.

Webinars are also perfect for more traditional educational purposes, Schulenberg says, and are ideally suited for training sessions aimed at an end-user audience, business partners or internal staff.

Engage Your Audience As for designing a webinar, Schulenberg says there are software programs on the market that business owners can purchase to create their own version or there are companies that can create a webinar for you.

“The good news,” she adds, “is there’s lots of technology available at very reasonable price points.”

Schulenberg says two approaches to a webinar work particularly well: having an

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Books industry analyst present research results or, alternately, the presentation of customer case studies, in which someone shares how a product has worked out. She also recommends keeping a webinar to about an hour long and including a poll or survey during the session to keep the participants interested.

“If it’s not engaging and relevant to your audience, it’s not going to convert to a sale,” Schulenberg says.

Powers notes that it’s important to prepare for a webinar just as one would a regular, in-person seminar. That means organizing the subject matter, rehearsing the content and editing it as needed and eliminating “dead air” — that maddening silence — whenever possible. Also, he says, be sure that, during the webinar itself, you have someone around who understands the technology involved and can assist if things go awry.

“You can’t just show up and start and hope it’s going to go well,” says Powers, whose current client base of 2,000 customers includes small businesses as well as the likes of Aetna, Traveler’s Insurance, the State of Arizona and 22 other state governments.

One intriguing aspect of iLinc is its capability to monitor audience engagement. Powers says the “participation meter” gauges the audience’s interest by letting the moderator know when a mouse hasn’t been moved in a while or when a participant has, for example, opened up his e-mail account during the webinar.

Trading Up the Trade Show Much like a webinar, a virtual trade show can be an extremely cost-effective way to get your company’s name and products in front of potential clients. In the greater Phoenix area, online event planner Louis Godin juggles three websites — AreaTradeShows.com, WebEventPlanner.com and SalesEPacket.com. For that first site, he builds virtual tradeshows for clients around the country, often in just a few days. The Ahwatukee resident then offers the sites for free, as long as the client displays Google and sponsor ads on the site. Otherwise, Godin’s service runs $499 per year. “I look at it as more of an additional feature, like Facebook or Twitter,” Godin says of the trade show site he creates, “and I look at it as an extension of having a salesperson.”

His typical virtual trade show site has a “landing page,” which often features an event planner who is hosting the trade show, and a portal to enter the actual trade show page. Once there, a user will find a floor map, a listing of show events, and a “clickable” box to search for a particular vendor — it’s much like a real, live-and-in-person tradeshow.

A prime example of how a business might benefit would be a hotel that offers wedding packages. On a Godin-designed site, for example, there might be the hotel as well as booths belonging to local flower shops, photography studios, caterers and jewelry stores.

Once again, the cost savings are truly remarkable.

Power, Schulenberg and Godin agree that the only true downside to virtual events is the lack of face-to-face, personal interaction — which, Powers adds, isn’t necessarily called for in a workplace training session.

The fact remains that it is difficult to build rapport online, but, as Powers says, a virtual event is still “better than just being in a phone meeting.”

AreaTradeShows areatradeshows.com Canyon Communications canyoncomm.com iLinc, Inc. ilinc.com SalesPacket salesepacket.com WebEventPlanner webeventplanner.com

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Virtual Business

Digital Impact: The Two Secrets to Online Marketing Success Digital Impact answers the critical questions marketers have about connecting with and influencing consumers online.

Written in an easy-to-read, approachable format, this helpful guide presents provocative content along with practical, common sense methods that can be followed by any businessperson at companies of all sizes. The discussion hones in on two keys to success: building a performance measurement approach that will let you get maximum impact out of your online marketing and ad dollars, and creating magnetic content that attracts customers and keeps them engaged with your brand.

Vipin Mayar and Geoff Ramsey $24.95 Wiley, John & Sons June 2011

You.com: Manage Your Online Self for Profit, Image and Business Success New media expert Cresta Norris gives advice on how to manage an online image through media such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. She shows readers how to stay connected to the things they care about using RSS feeds, news feeds, netvibes, et cetera.

She also shares tips on how to find a better job, recruit staff or find similar people to work with, illustrating these tips with case studies of individuals and businesses. The book provides examples of how an online image can go wrong, and valuable advice on how to put it right.

Cresta Norris $19.95 Kogan Page June 2011

New Rules for Today’s Workplace: Strategies for Success in the Virtual World In her newest book, business communications expert Sheryl LindsellRoberts delivers timely advice for employees, managers and business owners on surviving and succeeding in today’s technologydependent workplace. An antidote to the boring business book, New Rules for Today’s Workplace includes real-life stories from workers at such successful companies as TiVo, Pegasystems, OneBeacon Insurance and Brown Brothers Harriman.

Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts $13.95 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt On shelves and online

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Management

Decisions that Matter

Ethics at Work

Workplace attitudes impact your business results

by RaeAnne Marsh

It's Rudy Troisi's business to look into some of the traditional indicators for sound personnel selection, background checks being one element of his business Reliable Background Screening. And anecdotal evidence supports the wisdom of looking beyond the resume. “People lie,” Troisi says bluntly. Fifty percent or more.

“Far too frequently, it’s significant,” Troisi notes. Some people embellish, for instance claiming an academic degree from a college that, in reality, they may have attended for just one class. Some people put down misinformation about their employment experience. Even driver’s license information may be incorrect, as people may omit mention that the license was suspended for poor driving or medical reasons.

If there is criminal history, Troisi says, “You need to evaluate the risk for your specific business.” And a credit report can also provide useful information. “I’m not a big advocate of credit reports for employee screening,” he says, noting that in today’s economy, a person’s home mortgage may be so upside-down the only option is to walk away, “but it shows how they handle their own finances.” If a person has a long history of not managing personal finances well, Troisi suggests that putting him or her in a position of financial authority and responsibility for the company “may not be the best match.”

What’s the Fraud Risk?

Forensic accountant and litigation consultant professional Brad Preber, office managing partner of Grant Thornton LLP’s Phoenix office, asserts some of the climate for fraud lies in decisions by business management. “It’s not a question of whether it’s a good or bad person. It’s whether any person can be driven to do something that’s unacceptable normally because circumstances have become so desperate,” he explains.

Three elements must be present for occupational fraud to be committed, according to the accepted Fraud Triangle model: incentive or pressure, opportunity and rationalization.

While the incidence of fraud is neither more nor less today than historically, Preber says, the risk presents differently.

“The incentive factor is greater today than five years ago when the economy was more robust.” And while employees may worry about losing their job, employers are faced with hard decisions about how to manage their business — leading to cost-cutting shortcuts and decreased head-counts that may create opportunity for fraud because there are fewer people to act as checks and balances, less controls to manage risk. Preber suggests it’s important the employer consider, “Are there unique incentives and pressures my employees have that I need to carefully manage so I don’t put them in circumstances that provide them with the next leg — opportunity?”

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The ability to rationalize — achieving the third leg of the triangle — increases with unshared pressure, such as threat of foreclosure or loss of job. Explains Preber, the employee’s rationalization is, “I’m not a bad person; I’m simply doing something because I’m in a desperate situation. So that in itself makes it acceptable to me in these circumstances.” And Preber points out this rationalization may play up all the more if lower-level employees see executives continue to be well paid as they take pay cuts.

But the fraud could be at any level, and the consistently most reliable method to expose fraud behavior is an anonymous tip line, according to Preber. “The work force is now educated to where they recognize certain types of behavior as indicative of unacceptable behavior,” he says, noting that the extravagant lifestyles of the Bernie Madoffs once were viewed as the result of their unique management savvy, but people now understand how difficult it is to come by that income honestly. Today, he adds, “it’s a positive thing to tell on your boss if you have concerns. And there are protections for you.” Fraud could even be a retention issue.

“Employees may exit that employment if they believe [the company] values are inconsistent with their own.”

Small businesses are not immune to the risks, although small-business owners tend to believe all their employees are trustworthy — and therefore minimize the risk of fraud significantly. “Small businesses, because they’re using their capital to grow the business, are less likely to divert resources to controls,” Preber says. They may consolidate all duties related to the processing of one type of transaction, for instance having one person open the mail, collect the checks, make the deposit, reconcile the bank statement, and make the entries in the company’s books and records.

Preber suggests there may be resources small businesses could take advantage of, such as through their bank.

Since being aware of the risk or behavior early enables the employer to address it and implement controls, Preber says, “As part of periodically evaluating the risks your business is exposed to, don’t forget to evaluate the risk of fraud.”

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NonProfit

Investing in Community

by Alison Stanton

Society of St. Vincent de Paul: Serving Those in Need and Those Who Need to Give The goal of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is “to serve those in need while providing an opportunity for others to be of service.” As Executive Director Steve Zabilski notes, it’s a premise that seems simple enough but in reality is a huge undertaking that involves a great deal of hard work and dedication from both the staff and the community at large.

“We have a kitchen that prepares 3,500 meals every day of the year that we serve free of charge to the homeless and working poor in Greater Phoenix through five dining rooms that we operate,” he says. “We provide this service by being a place where the community can come and reach out to those in need. Volunteers come to our kitchen and dining room every day of the year to prepare the food and to serve the meals, in addition to setting up, cleaning up and everything in-between.”

■■ The nonprofit operates 16 thrift stores in central and northern Arizona ■■ ■■ ■■

where everyone — both people in need and the general public — can shop for low-cost clothing, household items and furniture.

More than 90 percent of every dollar received directly benefits the hungry and homeless individuals and families.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Phoenix provides 1.3 million hot meals and up to 500,000 food boxes each year.

The Phoenix Council is the largest St. Vincent de Paul in the country.

Programs also include medical and dental care, thrift stores, and a transitional housing shelter.

The primary source of funding, Zabilski says, comes from more than 20,000 individuals, a number of foundations and “hundreds of businesses, both large and small,” including the Grand Slam Award from the Arizona Diamondbacks, which resulted in a $100,000 grant last year for the Family Dining Room in Downtown Phoenix.

The non-profit organization’s annual budget exceeds $25 million, and covers operations in Phoenix as well as 60 food pantries throughout central and northern Arizona.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul stvincentdepaul.net

St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, the world’s first food bank, was founded in 1967 by John van Hengel. He developed the food banking concept of people and companies giving “deposits” of food or monetary donations and agencies making “withdrawals” to help their clients.

According to President and Chief Executive Officer Terry Shannon, the mission of the non-profit organization is to “alleviate hunger through the gathering and distribution of food while encouraging self-sufficiency, collaboration, advocacy and education.”

Shannon says that two components make up St. Mary’s budget: food and cash. He explains that, because St. Mary’s receives so much donated food, the Internal Revenue Service requires that they note its value based on the figure of $1.60 a pound.

“We have a total operating budget of $130 million,” he says. “Of this, 85 percent of it is donated food, and 15 percent, or $17 million, is our

cash operating budget, which is what helps pay for our utilities, trucks, salaries and other things.” About 70 percent of the cash component comes from the community, Shannon says, through individuals, corporations and foundations. The remaining 30 percent comes from the government.

“The food component all comes from the community,” Shannon says.

“Everything from food drives put on by churches and schools to farmers and growers, manufacturers and grocery stores. They have all been incredibly generous to us, and every retailer in Arizona supports us.”

St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance firstfoodbank.org

■■ EVENT: The fourth annual “Send Hunger Packing” fundraiser will be held ■■ ■■

on June 8 in the organization’s University of Phoenix Programs Center Community Room in Phoenix.

St. Mary’s distributed more than 72 million pounds of food in fiscal year 2009-2010, bringing enough food into the community to provide nearly 300,000 meals per day.

According to President and CEO Terry Shannon, the summer sees the highest demand for food. Reasons include a lack of school programs for children during the summer months and higher electric bills.

In business to do good for the community, nonprofits enrich the lives of those who contribute as well as those who receive. In Business Magazine showcases two nonprofits in each issue, focusing on their business organization and spotlighting an upcoming fundraising event.

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Photos: Top: St. Vincent de Paul; Bottom: St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance

St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance: Leader in ‘Banking’ Approach to Alleviating Hunger

www.inbusinessmag.com

May 2011

O n t h e Ag e n D a

A listing of Greater Phoenix business organizations and their events. Visit www.inbusinessmag.com for an expanded monthly calendar of educational, networking and special business events.

WESTMARC

Tempe Chamber of Commerce

In the Wake of Healthcare Reform

Women in Business Conference and Trade Show

Fri., May 13 7:30a – 11:45a

Wed., May 25 — 8:00a – 1:30p

There are many unanswered questions about how President Obama’s healthcare reform is impacting the state’s healthcare providers and patients since the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act passed. To clear up some of the confusion, the Western Maricopa Coalition will host a healthcare forum at the Glendale Regional Public Safety Training Center on May 13.

A continental breakfast will be served at 7:30a.m., followed by an overview of the Healthcare Reform Act by Ruthann Laswick, vice president of marketing at Black, Gould & Associates. Constitutional and legality issues of the act will be explored by Barry Halpern, partner at Snell & Wilmer. Laurie Lies, president and CEO of Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association, will explain how the bill will affect the Arizona healthcare industry, and the program will continue with a presentation by Kathy Bollinger, president of Arizona West Region at Banner Health, on how the West Valley will deal with the changes. Lori Kemper, D.O., F.A.C.O.F.P., dean at Midwestern University’s Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, will explain how doctors and businesses are preparing for shortages, and Len Kirschner, M.D., M.P.H., former director of AHCCCS, will close the forum with remarks about the future.

“Healthcare covers such a wide range,” says Danah Mann, director of marketing for WESTMARC. “We wanted to get industry leaders that have their finger on the pulse of what’s going on.” Attendees are also invited to a free tour of the facility after the presentations.

— Melissa Mistero

The annual Women in Business Conference and Trade Show at The Buttes resort brings together more than 300 women from the business community. Women will have the opportunity to create networking paths and build a greater rapport with business leaders throughout the Valley. This is the 16th consecutive year this event will take place.

“When we follow up with the vendors and attendees to gauge Lillian Coury the long-term effects of their participation, we’re thrilled to hear the stories about how the conference helped to facilitate so many connections and business deals,” says Sean Donovan, vice president of media and program development at the Tempe Chamber of Commerce. “It has a powerful impact on everyone who attends.”

The theme of this year’s event is “Reach, Achieve, Celebrate.”

The three event speakers, Lillian Coury, Karen Leparulo and Pam Gaber, will each specifically address one aspect of the theme.

Karen Leparulo Coury, founder of Pegasus Pathways and an effective business coach, will speak on “Reach.” Leparulo, speaker for the “Achieve” portion, is the director for the Academy of Guggenheim Funds.

Gaber, founder and CEO of the nonprofit organization Gabriel’s Angels, which reaches out to mistreated children by means of pet therapy, will finish with her story of “Celebration.” Each speaker will discuss her experiences and insights on business strategy and personal development. April Warnecke, meteorologist at KTVK Pam Gaber Channel 3, will emcee the event.

“We’ve selected three amazing women who have accomplished so much in their lives and careers,” says Donovan. “Everyone is going to leave this conference energized, inspired and ready to take on the world.”

—Kayla Karp

Western Maricopa Coalition westmarc.org

inbusinessmag.com

Tempe Chamber of Commerce tempechamber.org

Notable Dates This Month Sun., May 8

Mother's Day

Sat., May 21

Armed Forces Day

Mon., May 30 Memorial Day Agenda events are submitted by the organizations and are subject to change. Please check with the organization to ensure accuracy. www.inbusinessmag.com.

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AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Arizona Biltmore 2400 E. Missouri Ave, Phoenix www.asba.com/enterprise

Red, White, & Beautiful - A Girls Night Out

ASBA Fast + Curious Speed Networking™ — Central

Wed., May 4 5:30p – 9:00p

Spa services & shopping galore! $25, includes all services Ahwatukee Country Club 12432 S. 48th Street, Phoenix ahwatukeechamber.com

Morning Mixer — Networking Tues., May 10 8:00a – 9:00a

Members: $5; future members: $15 New Paths to Healthcare 13838 S. 46th Place, Phoenix ahwatukeechamber.com

Evening Mixer — Networking Wed., May 18 5:30p – 7:30p

Members: $5; future members: $15 San Melia Apartments 14435 S. 48th Street, Phoenix ahwatukeechamber.com

Tues., May 10 3:00p – 4:30p

This is a “ready-set-go” style of networking that allows members to meet other members in 3-minute intervals.

Members: free; non-members: $10 ASBA’s Business Education Center asba.com/events

ASBA Power Breakfast From Boardroom to Bedroom & Lunchroom to Kitchen Table Thurs., May 12 7:30a – 9:00a

Topic: The family dynamic when running a small or home-based business. Learn valuable tips on keeping balance and consistency from work to home. Presented by Frank Brogni, World Class Parenting.

Members: $10; non-members: $35 ASBA’s Business Education Center asba.com/events

ARIZONA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

ASBA OSHA 10-Hour for Construction

28th Annual ‘The Classic’ Golf Tournament

Each participant will be provided with an OSHA Authorized Course Completion card and certificate. You must attend both sessions — Friday, May 13 from noon-5:30p and Saturday, May 14 from 8:00a-1:30p — to receive your certificate.

Members: $50; non-members: $100 ASBA’s Business Education Center asba.com/events

Fri., May 6 7:30a – shotgun start; 12:30p – lunch

Members: $250 single golfer; nonmembers: $275 single golfer; golf foursome: $1,500 Silverado Golf Club 7605 E. Indian Bend, Scottsdale Katie Whitchurch, 602-248-9172 ext 126

2011 Manufacturer of the Year Summit & Awards Luncheon Fri., May 20 7:00a – 2:00p

Members: $95 all-inclusive; nonmembers: $120 all-inclusive; table: $900 all-inclusive; summit and luncheon tickets may be purchased separately Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel 340 N. 3rd Street, Phoenix Katie Whitchurch, 602-248-9172 ext 126

ARIZONA SMALL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION Enterprise Business Awards Luncheon Thurs., May 5 11:00a – 4:00p

We showcase the many successes of remarkable Arizona small businesses and present the U.S. Small Business Administration Awards for the State of Arizona.

Individual seats $50; half tables $275; full tables $550

Fri., May 13 – Sat., May 14

Get Down to Business with Constant Contact Tues., May 17 9:00a – 1:00p

New tools, ideas and success strategies to beat the economy!

Free (bring a business card) Air Marketing 3419 E. University Drive, Phoenix tinyurl.com/smbweek

ASBA Workshop — Increase Your Sales Results Wed., May 18 7:30a – 10:00a

Learn ways to identify and cultivate sales opportunities and how to build an effective prospect/project pipeline to maximize these sales throughout the year. Presented by Mike Leeds, Pro Sales Coaching, LLC. Members: $35; non-members: $55 ASBA’s Business Education Center asba.com/events

ASBA Fast + Curious Speed Networking™ — NE/Scottsdale Tues., May 24 3:00p – 4:30p

This is a “ready-set-go” style of networking that allows members to meet other members in 3-minute intervals.

Members: free; non-members: $10 Compound Grill 7000 E. Mayo Blvd, Phoenix asba.com/events

Phoenix Analysis and Design Technologies 7755 S. Research Dr., Suite 110, Tempe aztechcouncil.org

ASBA Orientation + Mini Benefits Expo

We will be adding bowling into the evening of networking, food and drinks.

Single Bowler — Members: $25; nonmembers: $35. See website for team and non-bowler pices Scottsdale Lanes 7300 E. Thomas Road, Scottsdale aztechcouncil.org

Thurs., May 26 8:30a – 10:00a

Network with new members, meet your asba team and interact with asba volunteers and partners Light refreshments will be served.

Free ASBA’s Business Education Center asba.com/events

ASBA + BNI Arizona Referral Success 101 Fri., May 27 8:00a – 10:30a

Tactics to increase your referral business and networking tips to creates more referrals.

ASBA and BNI Arizona members: free; non-members: $99.00 ASBA’s Business Education Center asba.com/events

ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL

Thurs., May 19 5:30p – 7:30p

BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS Breakfast Mixer

Thurs., April 14th 8:30a – 10:00a

Guest presenter Robert Martinez, founder of the The Geld Group and president of Entrepreneur Learning Center, will speak on best practices to achieve optimal time management and work productivity. Starbucks coffee and breakfast goodies will be served.

The Microsoft Store Scottsdale Fashion Square — Nordstrom wing clicktoattend.com; event code: 154773

CENTRAL PHOENIX WOMEN 5th Anniversary Tea

Women in the Workforce Committee: Gen Y Women At Work

Mon., May 23 4:00p – 6:00p

Wed., May 4 4:00p – 6:00p

Meghan Skiff, director of marketing for management consulting firm Solutions 21, will speak.

Members: $15; non-members: $30 Morton’s The Steakhouse - Phoenix 2501 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix aztechcouncil.org

Managing Risk in the Cloud: Law & Technology Best Practices Thurs., May 5 11:00a – 1:30p

Panelists representing both legal and technology perspectives will address issues related to cloud computing.

AZTC and MCBA members: $25; nonmembers: $35 With CLE credit, AZTC and MCBA members: $50; non-members: $50 Maricopa County Bar Association 303 E. Palm Lane, Phoenix aztechcouncil.org

Council Connect: Supercharge Your PR Program with Social Media, presented by Marketwire Wed., May 18 7:30a – 9:30a

After5 Bowling Event: Hosted by The CORE Institute

Learn how to incorporate social media, search engine optimization and listening tools in your PR strategy.

Members: $15; non-members: $25 (breakfast will be provided)

Sharon Harper will present “Impact of Development, Skysong and more. $75 per person. Advance reservations are required.

The Ritz Carlton, Phoenix 2401 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix centralphoenixwomen.org

CHANDLER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Business Golf

Wed., May 4 Begins at 6:30a

$29 per player The Foothills Golf Club 2201 E. Clubhouse Drive, Phoenix chandlerchamber.com

Networking @ 9 Fri., May 6 8:45a – 10:30a

Free Western International University 55 S. Arizona Place, Chandler chandlerchamber.com

Wake Up Chandler Wed., May 11 7:30a – 9:00

Free Verizon Contact Tammy for specific location. chandlerchamber.com

Please confirm, as dates & times are subject to change.

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Technology Corner Lunch Seminar Series Thurs., May 12 11:30a – 1:00p

Members $5; non-members $10 Chandler Chamber chandlerchamber.com

Lunch Club

Mon., May 16 11:30a – 1:00p

Sidelines Grill 2980 S. Alma School Road, Chandler chandlerchamber.com

Business Golf

Wed., May 18 Begins at 6:30a

Bear Creek Golf Complex 500 E. Riggs Road, Chandler chandlerchamber.com

Business After Business Thurs., May 19 5:00p – 7:30p

Members $5; non-members $10 Historic Downtown Chandler contact chandlerchamber.com

Member Welcome Breakfast Thurs., May 26 7:30a – 10:30a

Free Chandler Chamber chandlerchamber.com

ECONOMIC CLUB OF PHOENIX Business Alumni Networking Happy Hour and New Grad Mixer Tues., May 3 5:30p – 7:30p

This W. P. Carey School of Business Alumni Networking Happy Hour is open to all business alumni and graduating students. $10; students free Cadillac Ranch Tempe Marketplace wpcarey.asu.edu/alumni/mixer

GLENDALE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE First Friday New Member Reception Fri., May 6 7:30a – 9:00a

Free Bitzee Mama’s Restaurant 7023 N. 58th Avenue, Glendale glendaleazchamber.org

Membership Blender Thurs., May 19 5:00p – 7:00p

Free Wet ‘N Wild 4243 W. Pinnacle Peak Road, Glendale glendaleazchamber.org

inbusinessmag.com

GREATER PHOENIX BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE GPBCC Networking Mixer Thurs., May 12 5:00p – 7:00p

New members will present their business/services.

Members: free; non-members: $15 Innovations Studios 100 N. 3rd Street, Phoenix phoenixblackchamber.com

MESA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Morning Mixer Tues., May 3 7:30a – 8:30a

Networking and continental breakfast.

Members: $5; non-members: $15 TruWest Credit Union 1982 W. Main Street, Mesa mesachamber.org

Fiesta Council Membership Kick-off Sat., May 7 10:00a – 2:00p

Come participate in “City Hall at the Mall” and start your business success by joining the Mesa Chamber Fiesta Regional Council.

Free Fiesta Mall, Center Court 1445 W. Southern Avenue, Mesa mesachamber.org

Grow Your Business Tues., May 10 11:30a – 1:00p

Speaker, Terry Benelli of NEDCO, “Looking for Business Capital, What Are Your Options?”

Members: $15; non-members: $25 Carrabba’s Italian Grill 1740 S. Clearview Avenue, Mesa mesachamber.org

Good Morning East Valley Fri., May 13 6:30a – 8:30a

Sponsored by Ocean Air, Air Conditioning & Heating, and featuring an update from Mesa’s own Speaker of the House Kirk Adams. Entertainment: Back in the Daze Members: $20 with reservation, $25 at the door; non-members: $30 Mesa Country Club 660 W. Fairway Drive, Mesa mesachamber.org

Taste of Mesa Tues., May 17 5:30p – 7:30p

Come see the spectacular Mesa Arts Center and the outstanding Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum. Make new business connections and sample some of the best Mesa has to offer.

Members: $15; general admission: $25 Mesa Arts Center and Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum One E. Main Street, Mesa mesachamber.org

Mesa’s Amazin’ Race Fri., May 20 Noon – 5:00p

Presented by Superstition Springs Lexus.

An outstanding team-building event and a way to learn all about businesses in Mesa. Race begins at noon. Wrap-up party at Arizona Golf Resort. Free Race T-Shirt for all participants.

Individual: $50, or $25 for party only.

Superstition Springs Lexus 6206 E. Test Drive, Mesa mesachamber.org

Women’s Business Council Wed., May 25 11:30a – 1:00p

Lunch and Networking. And it’s not just for women. The smart businessmen attend as well.

Members: $15; general admission: $25 Country Inn & Suites 6650 E. Superstition Springs Blvd., Mesa mesachamber.org

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS East Valley Happy Hour Thurs., May 5 5:30p – 8:30p

Free; RSVP by May 4 Embassy Suites Hotel 2630 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix nawbophx.org

NAWBO U

Wed., May 11 9:00a – 10:30a

Members: $15; non-members: $30; RSVP by May 6 Phoenix Country Club 2901 N. 7th Street, Phoenix nawbophx.org

Welcome Meeting — New and Prospective Members Wed., May 11 10:00a – 11:00a

Free Phoenix Country Club 2901 N. 7th Street, Phoenix nawbophx.org

Luncheon

Wed., May 11 10:45a – 1:00p

Members: $38; non-members: $48; add $15 for late registration; add $25 for day-of registration; RSVP by May 8 Phoenix Country Club 2901 N. 7th Street, Phoenix nawbophx.org

Scottsdale Neighborhood NAWBO Thurs., May 19 11:30a – 12:30p

Free; RSVP by May 18 The Grapevine Restaurant 4013 N. Brown Avenue, Scottsdale nawbophx.org

Ag e n d a

N. Central/Desert Ridge Neighborhood NAWBO Fri., May 20 11:30a – 1:00p

Free; RSVP by May 19 Rock Bottom Restaurant at DESERT RIDGE MALL 21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix nawbophx.org

East Valley Neighborhood NAWBO Tues., May 24 7:30a – 9:00a

Free; RSVP by May 23 Dobson Ranch Golf Club 2155 S. Dobson Road, Mesa nawbophx.org

West Valley Neighborhood NAWBO Wed., May 25 11:30a – 1:00p

Free; RSVP by May 25 Dobson Ranch Golf Club 2155 S. Dobson Road, Mesa nawbophx.org

Central Neighborhood NAWBO Thurs., May 26 11:30a – 1:00p

Free; RSVP by May 25 The Good Egg 50 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix nawbophx.org

Networking Phoenix Signature Event Mon., May 9 6:00p – 9:00p Free

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort 7575 E. Princess Drive, Scottsdale RSVP: networkingphoenix.com

NORTH PHOENIX CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Power Network Industry Specific Lunch

Mondays throughout the month Noon – 1:00p

Members: free; non-members: $10; Networking Phoenix Passport members pay Chamber member price Rock Bottom Brewery 21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix Edward Gomillion, (602) 482-3344

Master Mind Round Table

Tuesdays throughout the month 7:30a – 9:00a

Free Rustic Café 20811 N. Cave Creek Road, Phoenix Edward Gomillion, (602) 482-3344

Biz for Breakfast

Wednesdays throughout the month 7:30a – 9:00a

>>

Members: free; non-members: $10; Networking Phoenix Passport members pay Chamber member price

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May 2011

Rustic Café 20811 N. Cave Creek Road, Phoenix Edward Gomillion, (602) 482-3344

Power Network Industry Specific Lunch

Wednesdays throughout the month Noon – 1:00p

Members: free; non-members: $10; Networking Phoenix Passport member: Chamber member price Catch 22 18725 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix Edward Gomillion, (602) 482-3344

Coffee Club Meeting

Fridays throughout the month 8:30a – 9:30a

Free Heart & Soul Café 4705 E. Carefree Highway, Cave Creek Edward Gomillion, (602) 482-3344

Power Network Industry Specific Lunch Fridays throughout the month Noon – 1:00p

NORTH SCOTTSDALE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Educational Workshop Sponsored by SRP

NSCC Member Breakfast

Free Business Development Center 7111 W. Bell Road, Peoria peoriachamber.com

Wed., May 4 7:30a – 9:00a

Members: $15; non-members: $25 Blue Agave 7000 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix blueagavemexicancantina.com

Business Resource Lunch Wed., May 11 11:30a – 1:00p

Members: $15; non-members: $25 Location TBD – check our website calendar northscottsdalechamber.org

Postnet Ribbon Cutting Thurs., May 12 5:00p – 7:00p

Postnet 20343 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale postnet.com/scottsdale-az149

Speed Connectors — Networking

Members: free; non-members: $10; Networking Phoenix Passport members pay Chamber member price Catch 22 18725 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix Edward Gomillion, (602) 482-3344

Tues., May 17 3:30p – 5:00p

Philanthropic Group

Meet & Mingle

Tues., May 3 Noon – 1:00p

Free; Chamber membership required after first visit Casey Jones Grill 2848 E. Bell Rd., Phoenix Edward Gomillion, (602) 482-3344

Kiwanis

Mondays, May 9, 23, 30 7:00a – 8:00a

Members: free; non-members: $6; Networking Phoenix Passport members pay Chamber member price Mimi’s Café @ Desert Ridge 21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix Edward Gomillion, (602) 482-3344

Philanthropic Group Tues., May 17 Noon – 1:00p

Free; Chamber membership required after first visit Casey Jones Grill 2848 E. Bell Rd., Phoenix Edward Gomillion, (602) 482-3344

Business 2 Business Mixer Thurs., May 18 5:00p – 7:00p

Members: free; non-members: $10; Networking Phoenix Passport member: Chamber member price Valley Luna Mexican Restaurant 16048 N. Cave Creek Rd., Phoenix Edward Gomillion, (602) 482-3344

Members: free; non-members: $10 The Compound Grill 7000 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix thecompoundgrill.com Wed., May 18 5:00p – 7:30p

Members: free; non-members: $10 Gordon Biersch 18545 N. Allied Way, Phoenix gordonbiersch.com

Networking & 9 Golf Fri., May 20 3:00p Shotgun Start

Members: $40; non-members: $50 Stone Creek Golf Course 4435 E. Paradise Village Pkwy. S., Phoenix stonecreekgc.com

Business Resource Lunch Wed., May 25 11:30a – 1:00p

Members: $15; non-members: $25 Location TBD – check our website calendar northscottsdalechamber.org

PEORIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Networking Group Tues., May 3 7:27a – 8:30a

$4 Fratello’s Café & Catering 13560 N. 94th Drive, Peoria peoriachamber.com

Scottsdale Area Chamber scottsdalechamber.com

Wed., May 4 Noon – 1:30p

Champions Breakfast Thurs., May 5 7:15a – 9:00a

Members: free; non-members: $20 DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Paradise Valley-Scottsdale 5401 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale scottsdalechamber.com

New Member Orientation Sponsored by SRP Mon., May 9 Noon – 1:00p

First Friday Airpark Breakfast Fri., May 6 7:15a – 9:00a

Free Chamber Office peoriachamber.com

Members: $15; non-members: $25 (with advance registration) Hampton Inn 16620 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale scottsdalechamber.com

Connecting the Chamber & Community Thurs., May 12 5:30p – 6:30p

Business After Hours “Los Tres Amigos” Mixer

Free The Tasting Room 28465 N. Vistancia Blvd., Peoria peoriachamber.com

Tues., May 10 5:00p – 7:00p

Connect with business professionals from the Scottsdale, Phoenix and Tempe Chambers at our annual Los Tres Amigos mixer.

Members: free, non-members: $20 Phoenix Zoo 455 N. Galvin Pkwy., Phoenix scottsdalechamber.com

Networking Group Tues., May 17 7:27a – 8:30a

$4 Fratello’s Café & Catering 13560 N. 94th Drive, Peoria peoriachamber.com

Peoria Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Banquet Thurs., May, 19 6:00p – 9:00p

$35 Skye Supper Club 16844 N. Arrowhead Fountain Center Dr., Peoria RSVP at peoriachamber.com

Mon., May 16 Shotgun start: 12:30

$150 per player; $1,000 Corporate Sponsorships Ancala Country Club 11700 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale Calleen, (480) 949-6282

Inspire Luncheon Wed., May 18 11:30a – 1:15p

Ribbon Cutting Sat., May 21 10:00a – 11:00a

Free Hardware Unlimited 7608 W. Cactus Road, Peoria peoriachamber.com

Breakfast Meeting Tues., May 24 7:30a – 8:30a

$10 Firebirds Wood Fired Grill 16067 Arrowhead Fountain Drive, Peoria peoriachamber.com

SCOTTSDALE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Member Orientation Wed., May 4 7:30a – 9:00a

Scottsdale Area Chamber Open

Meet and network with other Chamber members, staff and volunteer leaders, learn about the resources available to you through your membership and identify specific strategies to help you reach your business goals.

Free

Connect to a community of businesswomen for personal and professional development! Speakers from the healthcare industry will discuss conventional, integrative and collaborative approaches to fighting and curing cancer.

Members $35; non-members: $45 (with advance registration) Gainey Ranch Golf Club 7600 Gainey Club Drive, Scottsdale scottsdalechamber.com

Champions Breakfast Thurs., May 19 7:15a – 9:00a

Members: free; non-members: $20 TruWest Credit Union 7333 Via Paseo Del Sur, Scottsdale scottsdalechamber.com

SOUTHWEST VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Networking At Noon Wed., May 4 Noon – 1:00p

Please confirm, as dates & times are subject to change.

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inbusinessmag.com

www.inbusinessmag.com

Chamber members only.

Paseo Apts.

4200 N. Pebble Creek Parkway, Goodyear southwestvalleychamber.org

Capture A Customer Training for Members Wed., May 4 6:00p – 7:00p

Chamber members only.

Ed’s Fish N’ Chips 306 N. Central Avenue, Avondale southwestvalleychamber.org

This class will be hosted by Jeanne Brovelli from Chamber Nation and will take our members through an online presentation about growing your business.

Free; Chamber members only.

This is an online webinar – sign in/login information provided with registration. surprisregionalchamber.com

Business After Hours

Sam’s Club Networking Event

Networking At Noon Wed., May 11 Noon – 1:00p

Thurs., May 12 5:30p – 7:30p

Free David Gerard Salon 3810 Estrella Pkwy., Goodyear southwestvalleychamber.org

Networking At Noon Wed., May 18 Noon – 1:00p

Chamber members only.

Ed’s Fish N’ Chips 306 N. Central Avenue, Avondale southwestvalleychamber.org

Lunch at the American Sports Center Thurs., May 19 11:30a – 1:00p

$10 members; $15 non-members American Sports Complex 16101 N. 83rd Avenue, Peoria (623) 932-2260

Networking At Noon Wed., May 25 Noon – 1:00p

Chamber members only.

Ed’s Fish N’ Chips 306 N. Central Avenue, Avondale southwestvalleychamber.org

Sunset Memorial Day Service Mon., May 30 7:00p – 8:00p

Free Avondale Civic Center southwestvalleychamber.org

SURPRISE REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Traffic Catcher Workshop Tues., May 3 8:30a – 10:00a

Traffic Catcher Website workshop for assistance in initial setup, or help to manage your existing traffic catcher website. Limited to first 10 members.

Free; Chamber members only Surprise Regional Chamber Conference Center Robin or Mary, (623)583-0692

inbusinessmag.com

Thurs., May 5 7:30a – 9:00a

Bring those door prizes and business cards and join us for valuable networking time! Open to all.

Free Sam’s Club 16573 W. Bell Road, Surprise m.burnett@servpro9782.com

Ribbon Cutting for 623Life.com Thurs., May 5 5:00p – 7:00p

Come celebrate Cinco de Mayo with 623Life.com. Ribbon Cutting at 5:30pm. Refreshments and door prizes and networking opportunities.

Free Surprise Regional Chamber Conference Center surprisregionalchamber.com

First Friday Brown Bag Lunch Fri., May 6 12:00p – 1:00p

BYO Lunch and network with other Chamber members at the Chamber Conference Center. Room only for first 30 registrants only. Each attendee will be given the opportunity to provide a 35-second commercial for their business.

Free; Chamber members only Surprise Regional Chamber Conference Center surprisregionalchamber.com

Monthly Chamber Breakfast Tues., May 10 7:30a – 9:00a

Bring your business collateral materials to share, and any gifts for the raffle.

Online registration required.

Members early registration: $15; members: $20; non-members: $25 The Colonnade at Surprise 19116 Colonnade Way, Surprise surpriseregionalchamber.com

Surprise Regional Chamber’s Can’t Miss Mixer Thurs., May 12 5:00p – 7:00p

This recurring event will be held at a different Chamber business each month. Please register so that we can get an idea of how many will be there.

Free to members.

Location will be announced closer to the event – check the chamber website. surprisregionalchamber.com

Sam’s Club Networking Event Thurs., May 19 7:30a – 9:00a

Bring door prizes and business cards Free Sam’s Club 16573 W. Bell Road, Surprise m.burnett@servpro9782.com

Monthly Newsmakers Luncheon Fri., May 20 11:30a – 1:00p

Join us for this fun and informative networking opportunity, and great food to be enjoyed by all.

Registration required.

Members “early bird”: $10; members: $15; non-members: $20 Communiversity at Surprise 155950 N. Civic Center Plaza, Surprise surpriseregionalchamber.com

Business Education Seminar Wed., May 25 8:30a – 10:00a

Business Education Seminar Series.

Continental breakfast, prizes given away and great networking before and after the presentation.

Free. Registration required.

UltraStar Theatre 16349 N. Litchfield Road, Surprise surpriseregionalchamber.com

TEMPE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Conversations in Leadership Thurs., May 5 7:00a – 9:00a

This panel on education, tourism and business will feature Dr. Sybil Francis, Center for the Future of Arizona; Sherry Henry, Arizona Office of Tourism; and Jeff Van Raaphorst, Medtronic Microelectronics, Sun Devil football announcer and 1987 Rose Bowl MVP for ASU Sun Devils. $40 Fiesta Resort Conference Center 2100 S. Priest Drive, Tempe Magdalena Warecka, magdalena@ tempechamber.org

Los Tres Amigos Business After Hours with Phoenix and Scottsdale chambers Tues., May 10 5:00p – 7:00p

Held just once a year, the networking evening features complimentary cuisine from Heidi’s Events & Catering, a cash bar and live entertainment from Ray the DJ. Members of Tempe, Phoenix and Scottsdale chambers of commerce: free The Phoenix Zoo 455 N. Galvin Pkwy., Phoenix tempechamber.org

Networking @ Noon Thurs., May 12 11:30a – 1:00p

Ag e n d a

Learn the art of relationship building, enjoy a fantastic lunch and have fun promoting your services at this “speed dating for business” event.

Members: $25; non-members: $35 Location TBD tempechamber.org

Business Before Hours Tues., May 17 7:30a – 8:30a

Bring brochures and business cards and be ready to give a 30-second commercial about yourself or your business. A light breakfast is provided.

Members: free; non-members: $7 ACT Awards 107 E. Broadway Road, Tempe tempechamber.org

Women in Business Conference and Trade Show Wed., May 25 8:00a – 1:30p

See article on page 37 Members: attendee, $65; exhibitor booth, $450 Non-members: attendee, $99; exhibitor booth, $625 The Buttes, A Marriott Resort 2000 Westcourt Way, Tempe tempechamber.org

WEST VALLEY WOMEN Monthly Meeting Tues., May 3 11:30a – 1:00p

General Meeting $35 per person. Advance reservations are required.

SKYE Fine Dining 16844 N. Arrowhead Fountain Center Drive, Peoria westvalleywomen.org

WESTMARC WESTMARC Healthcare Forum “In the Wake of Healthcare Reform” Fri., May 13 7:30a – 1:45p

See article on page 37 Members: $35; non-members: $50; increased $15 after May 6 Glendale Regional Public Safety Training Center 11550 W. Glendale Avenue, Glendale darah@westmarc.org

WOMEN OF SCOTTSDALE Monthly Meeting Fri., May 20 11:30a – 1:00p

General Meeting $35 per person. Advance reservations are required.

The Westin Kierland Resort and Spa 6902 E. Greenway Pkwy., Scottsdale womenofscottsdale.org

In Business Magazine

41

ASSETS

We Value What We Own

On-the-Go Office

Online Backup: Keeping Your Small Business Secure

A lightweight device with battery life lasting up to ten hours, an advanced operating system, wireless technology, and functional apps — the Apple iPad 2 is for people who are serious about business and convenience.

The assortment of apps sets the iPad apart from the standard laptop. Quick and efficient apps cut down on time. iPad owners have the ability to create presentations, graphs and charts with ease using the Keynote app. Rather iPad with WiFi and 3G than carrying around brochures and pamphlets 16GB: $629.00 for marketing, the GoodReader app is available.

32GB: $729.00 The iPad is a wonder for visuals, so more time 64GB: $829.00 can be spent engaging with customers to hone Verizon & AT&T Plans in on prospective sales. And users still have AT&T: access to documents, spreadsheets and PDFs, 250 MB for month: with apps like QuickOffice Connect. $14.99 Business owners can be in better control of 2GB per month: $25.00 finances with apps that keep track of invoices, Verizon: expenses and even payroll. The iPad makes 1GB: $20.00 for better connectivity to clients, contacts and 3GB per month: $35.00 employees, with apps such as LinkedIn and 5GB per month: $50.00 Salesforce Mobile. Its wireless Internet and 3G 10GB per month: $80.00 ensure that users can get Internet anywhere.

Enticing because of its many features, the iPad also boasts a price comparable to or less than a laptop. The choices of apps almost guarantee that you’ll find something specific to your needs for on-the-go business management.

—Kayla Karp

Your company is likely only as strong as the digital data you keep. Contracts, emails, proposals, contacts, collateral and more are the properties that businesses need to be concerned are secure. In a time when we send data all day long and hardware is increasingly less reliable, backing up your data is critical.

Carbonite Pro, an In Business Magazine-recommended small business product, is one such service that will handle your data in a reputable way. State-of-the-art security technologies will keep your data safe. The data is encrypted before it leaves your computer, is transmitted using SSL (which stands for “secure sockets layer,” a security protocol enabling websites to pass sensitive information securely in an encrypted format), and is stored at a secure data center that implements redundancies to guarantee the data will not get compromised, lost or stolen. Carbonite Pro offers a dashboard to organize and see a number of computers that are backed up under the same account.

Carbonite is a software program that works in the background while you work on your computer. The software automatically backs up new and changed files whenever you are connected to the Internet.

While it offers many benefits in backing up your files, Carbonite does not support external hard-drive backup and its customer service has been known to take its time in solving problems. Inherent issues include lengthy time to back up large amounts of data and its software possibly affecting playback of audio and video files. Unlimited backup, $55 per year.

—Mike Hunter

AT&T att.com • Apple apple.com • Verizon verizonwireless.com

Carbonite carbonite.com

Personal Health

Sleep Tight — The Importance of Sleep “Sleep well.” “Get a good night’s sleep.” “Let me sleep on it.”

Common advice and expressions attest to the importance of sleep, although the amount needed varies by individual. Many people require seven or eight hours per night. For others, as little as six or as many as 10 hours are needed. The amount of sleep that you need is the amount that makes you feel alert during the day without drowsiness or excess fatigue.

Sleep is a complex process comprised of different stages that make up the sleep cycle. Sleep represents part of your body’s daily 24-hour rhythm, along with variations in body temperatures, various hormone levels and metabolic processes. Disrupted or poor quality sleep is caused by many things, including caffeine-containing medications or drinks and some medications used to treat high blood pressure, asthma or emphysema; alcohol; general changes in health; life stresses, depression and anxiety; and other problems, like restless legs syndrome or leg cramps.

Snoring is a common condition. Some studies suggest up to 50 percent of men and 25 percent of women over the age of 50 snore. If

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snoring disrupts your sleep or if you have daytime fatigue, sleepiness or other symptoms, you may have sleep apnea, a serious disorder where oxygen levels fall in your blood during sleep.

Some older studies have found that 67 percent of American adults have some type of sleep problem, and 37 percent of Americans say daytime sleepiness interferes with daily activities. If you feel you have a sleep problem, discuss it with your physician, particularly for potentially serious problems like sleep apnea. If you think your medications may be a factor, talk to your doctor before stopping or changing the dose.

Educate yourself by reading about sleep (No More Sleepless Nights

by Peter Hauri may be helpful) and record your sleep patterns and symptoms to review with your physician. If you are concerned about your sleep, sleep on it and talk to your physician.

—Michael A. Covalciuc, M.D., M.P.H., Director of Mayo Executive Health Program Mayo Executive Health Program mayoclinic.org/executive-health

inbusinessmag.com

Power Lunch

Meals that Matter

A Certain Perk: The Coffee House Office These days, meeting anywhere is possible. Phone, computer, comfort and even your favorite beverage are, literally, available to you worldwide. Starbucks may be behind the credibility of this concept, but our local coffee houses are responsible for making it work. Here are a few favorites Valleywide that will be happy to quickly welcome you as an entrepreneurial regular.

Cartel Coffee Lab

For the young, entrepreneurial set, this Tempe coffee/ espresso bar is first class. Ambience is creative and urban. It invites with free Wi-Fi and a comfy zone to plop down in. Everything is guaranteed fresh and the baristas (yes, a coffee bar term, not a Starbucks position) are well trained for perfection every time.

225 W. University, Tempe (480) 225-3899 • cartelcoffeelab.com

In business, where confidence and credibility go a long way, Arrogant Butcher, Downtown Phoenix’s latest great place to go for that power meal, won’t disappoint.

Created by the forces at Fox Restaurant Concepts, the Valley’s most successful restaurant visionaries, this certain hot spot recently opened in downtown’s new urban center, CityScape. Décor, service and the menu are what Scott Fox’s concepts are all about, and, with this eatery, he evolves the business lunch to take center stage.

The people behind it promise, “The Arrogant Butcher is where the buttoned-down crowd comes to impress at power lunches by day. And hipsters, Downtown residents and event goers mingle at night.” That’s confidence.

Described as a grill that meets comfort food, they paid particular attention to the lunch menu, which offers appetizers, salads, sandwiches and entrees that range from about $12 to $18. The California Halibut Fish & Chips is already a favorite. Other dishes include a Turkey Sloppy Joe and the Crab Cake “Louie” Salad. Options will delight whether you are in a hurry to eat well, meeting that casual client or have your boss in town and want to show him some substance. Take-out is also available for those in-office meetings or lunches.

The décor, and really everything about the Arrogant Butcher, is meant to make dining in or taking that lunch up to the office a quick, professional and tasty experience.

A space that shuffles people well and makes getting a table during a crowded lunch easy were evidently top of mind in the planning. Design is industrial urban with dark colors and masculine touches, fitting in perfectly Downtown. The space has three meeting rooms that hold 24-60 diners and are all AV-equipped for presentations.

Lux Coffee Bar

Artistic, creative and urban chic is how one can describe this coffee-bar-slash-meeting-place. A living room setting inside and casual benches and tables outside make Lux a great spot to meet, work on a project or just socialize. The coffee is the highest quality, with baked goods that will fill the bill. Don’t be intimidated, if it is your first time in, that everyone else is known by name.

4404 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix (602) 266-6469 • luxcoffee.com

Echo Coffee

Relatively new on the scene, this South Scottsdale spot is quickly becoming the place to go for coffee, meetings and to simply think. It also offers organic, freshly baked pastries to complement your visit.

“Artisan-style” sandwiches and salads make for a meal, but don’t forego the coffee, which it roasts onsite in the appliance on prominent display. Community is what they boast as important to their success, so be sure to tell a friend.

2902 N. 68th Street, Scottsdale (480) 422-4081 echocoffee.com

>>

Arrogant Butcher CityScape 2 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix (602) 324-8502 foxrc.com

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In Business Magazine

43

Photo: Fox Restaurant Concepts (left), Echo Coffee (right)

Some Nerve: Arrogant Butcher Serves up Confidence

“CancerTreatment Centers of America® gave me a team that stood beside me and was ready to fight. They restored my hope.” ~Beth Gomez Cancer Survivor

Don’t Let Anyone Tell You There’s Nothing More That Can Be Done.

When Beth realized there was nothing more that could be done, she turned to Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA), where we have been fighting complex and advanced cancer for decades. Beth’s team of CTCA cancer experts worked with her to create a comprehensive and tailored treatment plan that combined leading-edge oncologic medical treatments with naturopathic medicine, nutrition, rehabilitation, psychological counseling, spiritual support and pain management. We are different. At CTCA, we never give up.

Call now to speak with one of our Oncology Information Specialists and learn how we fight cancer like no one else.

800-333-CTCA (2822) or go to cancercenter.com

© 2010 Rising Tide, Kft.

TEMPE CHAMBER

Advantage Spring cleaning tips for businesses

By Sean Donovan Just like homes, businesses can benefit from a little spring cleaning. It’s a great opportunity for clearing out the cobwebs, shaking out the carpets and throwing open the windows to let in the fresh air. Here are a few quick and easy ways to reinvigorate your business with some basic housekeeping.

1. Clean up your online presence by getting more engaged in social media and keeping your website current. A website with old information tells people that you’re out of the loop. Instead, make sure that your news, event listings and contact information are current. The same goes for your Twitter profile and Facebook page. By sharing timely, relevant and interesting news and information, people will actually want to hear what you have to say. Online upkeep helps you pop up higher in the search rankings as well.

2. Polish up your networking skills. Go to mixers and events to meet new people and learn

Continued on T.C.A. 3

May – Aug. 2O11 • tempechamber.org

Hundreds participate in Tempe Cares workday event

M

ore than 300 volunteers participated in Tempe Leadership’s 21st annual Tempe Cares workday event on March 10. Tempe Leadership is a program of the Tempe Chamber of Commerce, whose purpose is to identify a diverse group of emerging leaders and foster their leadership skills through education, experience and exposure and service to the community.

Mayor Hugh Hallman, along with Councilmembers Robin Arredondo-Savage and Corey Woods, greeted early morning volunteers as they registered for the event. Councilmember Joel Navarro visited busy wall painters on Rural Road to thank them for their service. The event brought families, social and service groups, neighbors, businesses and individuals together as teams to improve the community.

Visitors to Benedict Park will now be shaded by new trees and will enjoy a cleaner park with the addition of 170 tons of granite rock. Tempe residents will see approximately 5,000 square feet of freshly painted walls along Rural and Kyrene roads, and Pepperwood neighbors now have cleaner alleys thanks to several dozen volunteers that walked the alleys picking up weeds and trash. Street numbers were painted

on the curbs of the Celaya Park Neighborhood to aide emergency response vehicles, and the Tempe Fire Department and volunteers from the Community Emergency Response Team installed or replaced smoke detectors in 180 houses.

Tempe Cares would like to thank their dedicated group of volunteers: Architekton, Kiwanis Club, Tempe Youth Leadership, Tempe Leadership, Edward Jones, Del Rio LDS, Frontiers, Laura Kajfez and Group, Christ Life Church, Islamic Community Center, Faithfully City Church, Tempe High Key Club, Marcos de Niza High School I.C.E. and many other Tempe residents that assisted with the cleanup efforts.

Tempe Cares would also like to thank the sponsors for all their donations without whose kind contributions this event would not have been possible: Tempe Leadership, Campus Corner, Wildflower Bread Company, Rosita’s Fine Mexican Food Restaurant, Islamic Community Center, Edward Jones, Caliente Construction, Home Co ACE Hardware, Chompie’s, Kaleidoscope Screen Printing, U.S. Waste, Quick Trip, City of Tempe, City of Mesa, Einstein Bros Bagels and Tempe Schools Credit Union.

For more information about Tempe Cares, please visit www.tempeleadership.org.

Sean Donovan, Vice President Media and Program Development

Te m p e C h a m b e r. o r g

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16th annual Women in Business Conference and Trade Show It’s that time of the year again! The Tempe Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with its Women in Business Council, is holding its 16th Annual Women in Business Conference and Trade Show on May 25 at The Buttes, a Marriott Resort.

Each year, this powerful event brings together more than 300 business leaders in a setting that celebrates success, facilitates networking and offers incredible opportunities for personal and business growth.

A trade show featuring local and national organizations, businesses and companies provides the backdrop to a wonderful luncheon and presentations by powerful keynote speakers. Our theme this year is “Reach, Achieve, Celebrate!” Keynote speakers are Lillian Coury, Executive Coach, PCC, CIC, Pegasus Pathways; Karen Leparulo, Senior Vice President, Guggenheim Funds; and Pam Gaber, CEO and founder of Gabriel’s Angels. The half-day event culminates with the presentation of the Business Woman of the Year award. This year's finalists are Linda Kalaf, Veolia Transportation; Kristine Kassel, Benefits

by Design; and Vicki Kringen, The Centers for Habilitation.

The event takes place from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and includes a plated luncheon. This event helps to support many of the projects and services provided by the Tempe Chamber to the business community, including legislative representation, networking, seminars, workshops and special events.

There are many ways to participate in this event. You can purchase an exhibitor booth, donate an item to the silent auction or simply attend!

We hope you will join us. Please contact Sachiyo Ragsdale at the Tempe Chamber of Commerce via e-mail at sachiyo@tempechamber.org for more information or to reserve a booth.

2010 Business Woman of the Year recipient Margaret Hunnicutt, left, with Mary Ann Miller, president and CEO of the Tempe Chamber of Commerce

Last year’s Women in Business Conference and Trade Show drew nearly 300 attendees.

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Continued From T.C.A. 1 Lillian Coury is a certified executive coach who founded Pegasus Pathways 10 years ago after two decades in sales and marketing. Coury ran her own company for 13 years, sold it to follow her passion for supporting business people to work smarter, live better and make a difference in the world through their work. Join her as she shares her experiences and the strategy that has enlightened and motivated so many business professionals to fly, and even soar, to their greatest achievements – achievements that are fulfilling, express their unique contribution and give meaning to their hard work.

about other companies in your niche, or in an area where you can provide (and accept) leads. Join a leads group and practice good karma with your generous sharing.

Remember, people do business with people they like. Be liked.

3. Make sure that no dust gathers on your current customers. Follow up with clients once per month at a minimum, focusing on customer service and maintaining your client base. Options for reaching out include mailing notes, sending a personal e-mail or taking the time to call them directly. Invitations to lunch or coffee also show that you value them and their business.

4. Open the windows of your mind by continuing your education. Attend workshops and seminars relevant to your profession. Take classes to keep ahead of your competition. Online courses are available and allow the convenience of workplace or at-home study. Many companies are willing to pick up the tab for courses related to your field.

A director for the Academy Division of Guggenheim Funds, Karen Leparulo is a national speaker and trainer for wealth management professionals, financial advisors and executive management. She has over 27 years of experience based in strategic communication development; professional peak performance; and executive coaching. In addition, her expertise extends to television reporting and producing with a prior slot on Fox Philadelphia. She received a BA in psychology from Gordon College. As a member of the Advisory Board’s Star Program at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago, she has great personal interest in cancer education awareness and is a motivational speaker for outreach opportunities and fund raising.

Te m p e C h a m b e r. o r g

Pam Gaber is the founder and CEO of Gabriel’s Angels, a nonprofit organization that enhances the lives of neglected and abused children through the application of pet therapy. The triumph of Gabriel’s Angels is manifested by Gaber’s leadership position as CEO and her daily involvement in the development, growth and vision of the organization. Today there are 150 pet therapy teams serving over 100 agencies and reaching 13,000 children annually. Gaber was named one of the 2010 Women in Business by the Phoenix Business Journal and in 2011 was chosen as the YWCA Woman of Excellence and voted Most Influential Nonprofit Executive by Arizona Foothills magazine. She is the author of “Gabriel’s Angels: The Story of the Dog Who Inspired a Revolution”.

5. Put a fresh coat of wax on your reputation through testimonials and referrals. You’ll find that people are happy to give credit where it’s due. Ask your customers to write a sentence or two about what makes your service special.

When you use this testimonial to enhance your reputation, it’s simple to reciprocate by including their name and business.

Referrals from happy customers who have been treated honestly and well are priceless.

For more tips, tools and resources, visit our website at www.tempechamber. org or connect with us through your social media.

Sean Donovan is Vice President, Media and Program Development, at the Tempe Chamber of Commerce.

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As members of the Tempe Chamber of Commerce, you and your employees have access to exclusive discounts and programs. Through a variety of partnerships and affiliations, we are able to provide our members with discounts on legal services, identity theft protection, workers’ compensation, e-mail marketing and more, as well as provide access to educational programs and services.

Visit www.tempechamber.org to take advantage of these great benefits.

Passionate about Women in Business

By Enell Burney

The Women in Business Council is dedicated to benefitting the business community by providing the tools, training, education and motivational atmosphere to foster growth and success. Last year the Women in Business Council hosted its first Health and Wellness Fair with more than 150 participants, and earlier this year, it organized a four-part speaker series celebrating the life and career journeys of four successful women.

Now the Council is busy planning the 16th Annual Women in Business Conference and Trade Show on May 25. Future goals of the committee include developing new educational programs, expanding its community outreach and creating new networking opportunities.

Chairing the Women in Business Council Committee is Julie Armstrong, who has spent the last 18 years working in human resources.

A Master Graduate of Rapport Leadership International with a BA in Organizational Communication from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, Armstrong strives to ensure the vibrancy and importance of the council by

facilitating the success of women in business and hosting dynamic networking opportunities.

She said that the best piece of advice she was given is to always share your passion with others. She embraces this by sharing the mission of the Women in Business Council with those who are focused on leadership, community and success and who are interested in meeting and working with other like-minded individuals.

To learn more about the Women in Business Council, contact Julie Armstrong at Julie@ tempechamber.org or visit www.tempechamber. org.

Dedicated to Government Relations and Transportation The Tempe Chamber of Commerce’s Government Relations and Transportation Committee serves an important role in policy making and in crafting legislative positions. By researching matters of relevance to the business community and seeking member input on city and state legislation, it makes recommendations on what positions to take in order to best serve businesses.

In addition to maintaining and enhancing the Chamber’s presence at the Arizona legislature, the Government Relations and Transportation Committee has made successful endorsements for various local and state elections and transportation issues. It is an objective of this committee to meet with and develop relationships with Tempe Congressional representatives, most

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By Enell Burney

recently helping to coordinate the State of the District Address with newly-elected District 5 Congressman David Schweikert.

Committee Chairman Jack Pisano is a general manager at Veolia Transportation, giving him valuable experience and insight in the transportation arena. Also serving on the Chamber’s Board of Directors, Pisano has been actively involved with advancing local businesses during his tenure.

Asked to share the best advice he was ever given, he replied, “Be truthful and be yourself.”

Those interested in local government and transportation issues and how they affect business are encouraged to join the Government Relations and Transportation Committee. Learn more at www.tempechamber.org.

Chambers of commerce join forces for Los Tres Amigos mixer The Tempe, Phoenix and Scottsdale chambers of commerce join together on May 10 to host the annual Los Tres Amigos mixer. The casual social event provides an unequalled chance to network with hundreds of your colleagues from the chamber world and business community.

Held just once a year, the evening features complimentary cuisine from Heidi’s Events & Catering, a cash bar and live entertainment from Ray the DJ as more than 1,000 expected guests mingle lakeside at the Phoenix Zoo. Although the zoo closes to the public at 5 p.m., guests at this event will be able to enjoy themselves after hours, as the zoo makes special accommodations for this exclusive event.

“Los Tres Amigos offers an incredible opportunity to get out and mingle with hundreds of people who share an interest in growing their businesses and having a great evening,” said Sean Donovan, Vice President of Media and Program Development with the Tempe Chamber. “It’s a superb opportunity to make the connections that are so useful in growing your company and social network.”

Los Tres Amigos is free for members of the Tempe, Phoenix and Scottsdale chambers of commerce. RSVP online at http://bit.ly/LosTres11 or through your chamber of commerce. The event will be held May 10, 5 to 7 p.m., at the Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Pkwy., Phoenix.

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Breakfast for Chamber Champions Honors Members, Community Leaders During our annual awards ceremony held in February at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel, we were pleased to honor several individuals and businesses that have gone above and beyond in their efforts to make Tempe a thriving community.

Honey Moon Sweets and Morrison Vein Institute received the 2011 Business Excellence Awards for their success in responsible business leadership in the community and their passion for excellence.

Also recognized were four outstanding finalists: Benefits by Design, Brock Supply, IKEA Tempe and Veolia Transportation.

Eric Adams of Alphagraphics was presented with the Volunteer of the Year Award for his dedication in making the Tempe Chamber and its programs a success.

Arizona State University was presented with the first ever Tempe Chamber Visionary Award, which recognizes the proactive role it has played in developing a dynamic business environment.

Dave Cutty, President and CEO of The Centers for Habilitation, was presented with the Spirit of Tempe Award, which recognizes lifetime achievements of service, dedication and contribution to the community.

Pen Johnson was honored with the Tempe Leadership Outstanding Community Leadership Award, which recognizes achievements and service that contribute to improving the quality of life in Tempe. Past recipients have included

Bobbie Cassano (1993); Steve Bauer (2003); Sharon Doyle (2008); and Margaret Hunnicutt (2010), just to name a few.

Special thanks once again to our sponsors: Presenting Sponsor, APS; Print Sponsor,

Heritage Graphics; Copper Sponsors, ASU Alumni Association, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, SRP and TCH; and Business Excellence Sponsors, Telesphere, Heidi’s Events & Catering and Ernst & Young.

Business Excellence Awards recipient Morrison Vein Institute

Connect with the Tempe Chamber!

Join us on Facebook: h ttp://www.facebook.com/people/ tempe-chamber/1762132500 Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tempechamber

Read our monthly e-newsletter: http://bit.ly/tccnews

Joan and Tim O’Connor, owners of Honey Moon Sweets, one of the recipients of the 2011 Business Excellence Awards

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Join the Tempe Chamber group on LinkedIn

All photos by Jay Mark

Check out our blog: http://bit.ly/tccblog

Board of Directors Chairman of the Board: Steve Bauer Chair-Elect: Dave Long Mary Ann Miller, President and CEO, maryann@tempechamber.org

Treasurer: Phil Howard

Sean Donovan, Vice President, Media and Program Development, sean@tempechamber.org

Vice-Chairs: Lorraine Bergman, Mark Thompson, RJ Orr

Renee Lopata, CAE, Senior Vice President, renee@tempechamber.org

Immediate Past Chair: Vicki Kringen

Sachiyo Ragsdale, Communications Director, sachiyo@tempechamber.org

Directors: Todd Christy, Margaret Hunnicutt, Kristine Kassel, Sharon Kausal, Jeff Mirasola, Clark Peterson, Jack Pisano, Jody Robertson, Stephanie Whyte

Heidi Santos, Bookkeeper, heidi@tempechamber.org

Ex-Officios: Chad Ackerley, Mark Duplissis, Charlie Meyer, Stephanie Nowack, Virgil Renzulli, Jackie Thompson

Magdalena Warecka, Director of Operations, magdalena@tempechamber.org

Committee Chairs: Julie Armstrong, Neil Chitel, Vicki Kringen, Lori Murphy, Laura Opstad, Jack Pisano, Curt Ritland, Hal Salem

Enell Burney, Volunteer Melissa Webster, Volunteer

Tempe Chamber of Commerce 909 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe, AZ 85281 • (480) 967-7891

Ken Blanchard College of Business | College of Education | College of Nursing & Health Sciences | College of Liberal Arts | College of Fine Arts & Production

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A R I Z O N A’ S P R I VAT E U N I V E R S I T Y S I N C E 1 9 4 9 Get started today! 855.287.0174 | www.gcu.edu/inbusiness Grand Canyon University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. (800-621-7440; http://www.ncahlc.org/ ).

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Networking @ Noon with the Tempe Chamber

By Melissa Webster Photos by Meegan Tevebaugh-Adams

Joe’s Crab Shack in Tempe was packed for this Networking @ Noon event last January.

Although shopping online is convenient (you can see product pictures, descriptions and prices and make your purchase from the comfort of your own couch), you usually don’t know who you’re giving your money to or whether or not they can be trusted.

In today’s instant-gratification world, it seems that people have lost sight of the personal touch. At the Tempe Chamber of Commerce, we still believe that making personal, meaningful connections is one of the most effective ways to promote one’s business. To that end, we hold our Networking @ Noon (N@N) event every month, which is designed to allow our members to do just that.

This event provides members the unique opportunity to meet with other members of the Tempe Chamber and prospective clients in a fun, casual atmosphere. Eric Adams, general manager of Alphagraphics at Elliot and Kyrene, volunteers his time, skills and larger-than-life personality as moderator of N@N. “Networking @ Noon is a great event for veteran and new members, because it is a structured networking event that is designed for each attendee to meet everyone in the room and get their [contact] information,” said Adams.

If you were to attend this event, one of the first things that you would notice is this structure. Throughout the event, attendees rotate through five tables, spending roughly eight minutes at each table. A table facilitator will

Frank Woertz, State Farm insurance agent with Judy AguilarWoertz State Farm Insurance Agency in Tempe, is a regular at N@N and always seems to walk away with a door prize and new business.

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then ask each person seated to answer a question, which could be personal in nature, though most are usually business-related. This type of networking event has often been referred to as “speed dating for businesses.”

So why is this kind of event important? “Many people buy from people they feel comfortable with. When you meet someone in a face-to-face environment, you can create a powerful relationship that enhances your buying and selling experience. When people feel comfortable with you and your products and services, they are more likely to refer you to their friends, family and coworkers,” Adams stated.

This has certainly proved to be the case for veteran participant Frank Woertz, State Farm insurance agent with Judy Aguilar-Woertz State Farm Insurance Agency in Tempe. Thanks to N@N, Woertz has seen an increase in business. To be specific, he has written up three auto insurance policies, a home insurance policy, as well as additional coverage for a realtor he met at N@N. When asked what his favorite part is about this event, Woertz replied, “For the most part, these are small business owners who have the same challenges and rewards as we do. This makes it much easier to communicate and solve problems.”

Adams hears this kind of response from many regular N@N attendees, but emphasized that “the members that are the most successful at Networking @ Noon are the people that have a system to follow up with the people they had connections with.”

We encourage our members and prospective members to pre-register for the event, as there is a limit on attendance. Also, knowing a headcount in advance helps us better coordinate with the host venue to be sure enough food is prepared. “I know it is hard to commit sometimes, but it is worth your time and energy to come and make connections. I have been doing this for several years, and I have only heard positive feedback on the event,” said Adams.

Networking @ Noon is held the second Thursday of each month at a different member venue. Cost is $25 for members in advance; $30 for members at the door; and $35 for non-members. Attendees will also enjoy a fun pre-event icebreaker activity and the chance to win some great door prizes. Stop missing out and start building business relationships at the next Networking @ Noon!

For more information or to register, please visit www.tempechamber.org or send an e-mail to sachiyo@tempechamber.org.

Randy Courtney of Courtney Valleywide Properties holds up his question for the table. Questions can be fun or businessrelated. Either way, you learn a lot about the people around you.

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M ay 2011

v er m i l l i o n ph o t o w w w. v er m i l l i o n ph o t o . c o m 602.253.6005

3/18/10 11:16:55 AM

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Arizona Technology Report May – Aug. 2O11 aztechcouncil.org

Arizona Technology Council: The Voice of the Technology Industry

President’s Message

In This Issue Gaining an Edge ... Page 2 Key to a Golden Future ... Page 5 Brand New ... Page 6

Who We Are The Arizona Technology Council is a private, not-for-profit trade association with a mission to CONNECT, REPRESENT, and SUPPORT the state’s expanding technology industry.

Phoenix Office One Renaissance Square 2 N. Central Ave., Suite 750 Phoenix, Arizona 85004 Phone: 602-343-8324 Fax: 602-343-8330 info@aztechcouncil.org

Tucson Office The University of Arizona Science and Technology Park 9040 S. Rita Road, Suite 1150 (near I-10 and Rita Road) Tucson, Arizona 85747 Phone: 520-829-3440 Fax: 520-829-3441 tucson@aztechcouncil.org

As the economy continues to improve, companies are looking for new ways to make the right connections that lead to new business. We have seen this desire at the Arizona Technology Council as the ranks of our members grow.

Simply joining, however, is not enough. We strongly encourage our member companies to take advantage of the opportunities offered to better engage with the Council.

It all starts with getting the right people in an organization to become involved. Companies need to identify those individuals who are most influential and best at implementing new ideas. They should also be asking who among them is active in politics and economic growth, and is most apt to share new information. In short, it means getting a cross-section of team members involved in the Council, not just the president or owner.

After that, it’s a matter of getting those people involved in the appropriate program or at the right event—but preferably not on their own time. Companies should proactively approve time to participate.

Managers should browse the listings of our many events and suggest which seem appropriate to attend to help achieve the company’s goals.

Steven G. Zylstra, Recognizing they likely will meet people from organizations whose President and CEO, relationships could be beneficial, assist them in their scouting. When Arizona Technology Council they return to the office, ask them to present overview reports to appropriate teams.

To help, members of the Council’s Ambassador Committee focus on assimilating new and prospective member companies. They assist individuals in recognizing which events are most likely to be valuable to them. Committee members qualitatively and quantitatively drive attendance at all events. They can get the right audience to the right events Collectively, these efforts will help open new doors. And who will company representatives meet? Our member organizations include Boeing, Honeywell, Apollo Group, iLinc, The Foundation for Public Education, Arizona State University, The University of Arizona, KPMG and The Board Institute. Members include “connectors” from virtually every business discipline across industries.

With more than 140 events annually, participation in 10 committees, and communication tools such as our monthly eNewsletter as well as our magazine, TechConnect, Council staff and I invite you to get involved. Make this the year you and your company get engaged. We believe we have the perfect match. The Council is the place to connect and grow.

Management and Staff Steven G. Zylstra

Leigh Goldstein

President and CEO

Managing Director, Programs & Events

Deborah Zack

Don Rodriguez

Director, Membership Services

Editor, TechConnect

Merry Lake Merrell

Ron Schott

Director, Marketing and Communication

Executive Emeritus

Jamy Battle

Justin Williams

Director, Finance and Administration

Director, Tucson Office

aztechcouncil.org

Don Ruedy Executive Emeritus, Tucson Office

George Land Director, Arizona Arizona Innovation Institute

Kim Kressaty

Joe Tidwell Project Manager, GetSTEM-AZ, and State Director, Project Lead the Way

Phillip Huebner Director, Arizona Science and Engineering Fair

Deputy Director, Arizona Innovation Institute

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Gaining an Edge Council helps in efforts to pass the Arizona Competitiveness Package

C

hange can be for the better.

As one of the strongest voices for Arizona’s hightech industry, the Public Policy Committee of the Arizona Technology Council has been a key resource to Gov. Jan Brewer, the Legislature and the Arizona Commerce Authority in defining and supporting components of the Arizona Competitiveness Package that was recently passed and signed into law.

“This is one of the most important pieces of legislation that has ever come our way,” says Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council.

“We’re grateful that the governor and Don Cardon, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority, have the creativity and courage to work with the business community during this difficult time to do something bold and forward thinking for the state.”

Steve Phillips, chairman of the Arizona Technology Council and chief information officer of Avnet, Inc., adds, “This legislation

The Public Policy Committee of the Arizona Technology Council focuses on issues and initiatives that accelerate technology-related public policy and legislation in Arizona affecting the growth and development of the technology industry. These include technology commercialization and development, workforce development, supply-chain development, and capital formation.

Along with Council professionals, the Committee works with legislators, elected officials and policy makers at all levels of government to educate them on the value and promise of the technology industry.

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Don Cardon, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority; Gov. Jan Brewer; and Jerry Colangelo, co-chair of the Commerce Authority's Board of Directors

will be especially impactful to the overall business climate in Arizona by improving the state’s job climate and stimulating economic recovery. We cannot afford to continue to have companies invest and grow elsewhere because our business climate remains uncompetitive. The time is right for reform now.”

Like any polished business plan, the Arizona Competitiveness Package has components designed to complement one of another. They are:

Arizona Commerce Authority The Department of Commerce has been replaced by the new Arizona Commerce Authority. With the effect of eliminating waste in government, this new quasi-public state Authority has oversight by a board made up of CEOs and other corporate executives.

reduction will occur in equal increments over a four-year period.

Increased Sales Factor The electable sales factor for multi-state corporations will jump from 80 percent to 100 percent between FY 2014 and FY 2017. The increase is to occur in equal increments over a four-year period. A corporation that conducts business both in-state and out-of-state must apportion its income from business activity based on the ratio of property, payroll, and sales in Arizona compared to the corporation’s property, payroll, and sales everywhere.

R&D Tax Credit Enhancement The credit is increased by 10 percent if qualified expenditures are made through a public or private Arizona university.

Angel Tax Credit/Capital Gains Corporate Income Tax The corporate income tax rate will be reduced from 6.96 percent to below 4.9 percent between FY 2014 and FY 2017. The

The eligibility criteria for a qualified small business increased from $2 million to $10 million in total assets. The capital gains tax is eliminated on income derived from

The Arizona Technology Council is also supporting several bills still in the state Legislature. They are: SB 1452 – supports eLearning best practices SB 1552 – provide sales factor for companies in the services industry SB 1041 – Invest Arizona to facilitate investments in Arizona by business in the near term.

Members of the Arizona Commerce Authority's newly formed Rural Advisory Council

investments in qualified small businesses that have been certified by the Arizona Commerce Authority.

Personal Property Tax Reform Depreciation schedules are accelerated for prospective acquisitions of commercial personal property initially placed on the tax rolls on or after 2012.

Personal Property Exemption The exemption on personal property increases from the current $67,000 in tax year 2010 to $79,000 in tax year 2011 by using the employment cost index rather than the gross domestic product implicit price deflator.

is $30 million a year and $90 million for three years.

Arizona Competes Fund This has also been labeled the “Deal Closing Fund.” To qualify, a company must achieve certain performance measures, average employees’ wages above the county’s average wage, and other requirements similar to the existing Job Training program. The fund will generate dollars for investment in business projects that stimulate and promote industries that provide stable, high-wage jobs. The program will be funded through increases in corporate income tax withholding and capped at $31.5 million annually.

Several bills at the federal level are also being tracked and supported by the Arizona Technology Council’s Public Policy Committee. The bills include: H.R. 4 – repeal of the 1099 requirement for all transactions $600 or more H.R. 942 – designed to make the federal R&D tax credit for business permanent

Board member Vicki Panhuise, vice president, U.S. Defense Customers, Honeywell Aerospace

Commercial Property The commercial property assessment ratio is reduced to 18 percent. An increase in the homeowners rebate will offset the change in the assessment ratio.

Job Training Program There is reauthorization of the existing job training program, a job-specific reimbursable grant program that provides training plans for employers creating new jobs or increasing the skill and wage levels of current employees.

Quality Job Tax Credit The tax credit replaces Arizona’s expiring enterprise zone program with a new quality job income tax credit. Each eligible job qualifies for a $3,000/year credit for three years, with a cap of 400 jobs per employer each year. The total program cap

aztechcouncil.org

Gov. Jan Brewer signing HB2001, which allowed creation of the Arizona Commerce Authority.

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Getting Together

getSTEM-az offers chance for educators and businesses to unite getSTEM™-az, an innovative and interactive web portal for Arizona educators and businesses, has been launched to build relationships and collaborations that match STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Math) education needs with STEM businesses resources.

“Arizona educators are working to prepare students for careers rich in math, technology, science and engineering skills,” said Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of Arizona Technology

Council. “The getSTEM-az web portal connects teachers with interactive and exciting learning resources they need to provide the rigorous and relevant learning that will prepare students for success.”

The Council partnered with the Arizona Commerce Authority to create getSTEM-az as a component of a statewide initiative to promote rigorous and relevant education opportunities in STEMrelated fields. The initiative is funded by a combination of grants awarded by the Arizona Commerce Authority and Innovation Frontier Arizona –WIRED along with contributions from several technology companies, including Avtex, IBM, Microsoft, Raytheon and Thomson Reuters. “getSTEM-az is an excellent example of the private sector and public sector working in harmony to achieve real results for Arizona students,” said Don Cardon, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “Arizona’s high tech businesses are stepping up to the plate to aid schools in delivering a world class education.” getSTEM-az offers a convenient online location for educators to request resources or opportunities that clearly connect their STEM-related coursework to college or career possibilities. At the same time, it provides businesses with an easy way to support and collaborate with local educators to help prepare tomorrow’s workforce to succeed in STEM-related fields.

The variety of tools, resources, links, current news and events related to STEM education can be found at www.getstem-az.com.

They’re #1 Science Bowl winners head to national competition When it comes to knowing about science, Team #1 from BASIS Scottsdale truly is #1.

They were the winners of the fifth annual Arizona Middle School Science Bowl competition organized annually by members of the Arizona Technology Council’s Workforce Development Committee.

Sanctioned by the Department of Energy’s National Science Bowl®, the event was sponsored in conjunction with IT consulting services leader Solugenix.

The winning team was awarded an all-expense paid trip to compete at the National Science Bowl® competition to be held April 28 – May 2 in Washington, D.C., and a mission experience on the simulator

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at the Challenger Center for Space Science Education in Alexandria, Va. Seventeen teams of up to five students in grades 6 through 8 from throughout the state competed Feb. 26 at Arizona State University’s Tempe campus. Coming in second was the team from the Chandler Preparatory Academy while the spot was claimed by BASIS Scottsdale Team #2.

“The overall focus of this event is to get kids interested in science and math by making it fun and giving them the proper motivation, preparation, and encouragement,” said Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO, of the Arizona Technology Council. “We congratulate

all of the students who participate in this annual event and look forward to cheering on the winning team at the national competition.”

“This event is a prime opportunity to help students reach their highest potential,” said Shashi Jasthi, president and CEO of Solugenix.

The intense and fast-paced statewide academic competition for middle school students followed a “Jeopardy” game show style to test participants’ knowledge in all areas of science and math. It consisted of several question and answer matches in a round robin and double elimination tournament.

Key to a Golden Future Xi'an Terra Cotta Warriors Museum

Check Out China On the heels of a successful inaugural trade delegation to China last year, the Arizona Technology Council has teamed with the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry to provide another exploratory mission to China for Arizona business leaders.

The 2011 China trade delegation will depart Phoenix on Sept. 14, traveling to Shanghai, Chengdu, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Macau before returning Sept. 24. This trip will include meetings with government and business leaders as well as an in-depth exploration of Chinese cultural. Topics to be covered in China include manufacturing, technology, academia, law and a general overview of international business.

This tour is open to Arizona Technology Council and Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry members as well as non-members.

The tour is operated by China Direct Consulting Group in partnership with China International Travel Services.

For more details, contact Merry Lake Merrell, the Council’s director of marketing and communication, at 480-467-8251 or mmerrell@aztechcouncil.org.

Program offers help to gain access to foreign markets Companies looking for ways to crack into the emerging markets of nations like China and India can take advantage of a key to open doors. A Gold Key, in fact.

The U.S. Commercial Service’s Gold Key Service is a matchmaker for businesses looking for direction to make the right connection. The Arizona Technology Council has partnered with the U.S. Commercial Service’s Service’s Arizona U.S. Export Assistance Center on this effort in the state.

“The large, emerging BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) markets represent major 21st century growth opportunities,” said Eric Nielsen, director of the Arizona U.S. Export Assistance Center. “Arizona technology companies have a large stake in understanding how to position themselves to take advantage of that potential.”

The program is for U.S. exporters whose products or services contain a majority U.S. content (at least 51 percent).

“The Gold Key provides direct access to potential agents, distributors, representatives and end users for made-in Arizona products and services, Nielsen said.

A participant in the program goes through a series of steps to accomplish their goals. It starts with a meeting with local Commercial Service trade specialist, often leading to a conference call with another specialist in the desired country who also will be working on the project. There is an evaluation to determine parameters and delivery times plus a questionnaire to learn about the type of partner being sought.

To get the wheels turning overseas, the overseas specialist will contact companies that meet all or most of the criteria set by the client to determine their level of interest and whether they would be a suitable match.

Appointments are set up with such people as pre-screened sales representatives, agents or distributors, and licensing partners. (Six weeks advance scheduling is required.) A profile on each potential company or partner will be supplied as is relevant market information.

The participant then visits the cities of opportunity for meeting. For example, the cities targeted in India are New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Calcutta, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad. The program calls for one day in each city. Any request for additional days will be considered subject to availability of resources The specialist will attend those meetings with the participant. These are followed by post-meeting debriefings to develop appropriate follow-up strategies. There is even help getting a hotel and taking care of other logistics.

For more information, go to www.export.gov or www.buyusa.gov/arizona.

Fee Schedule Although supported by the federal government, the Gold Key Service is a feebased service. The rates are: SME company: $700. Additional day of appointments for SME company: $300 Large company: $2,300. Additional day of appointments for large company: $1,000 SME New-to-Export companies using service for the first time: $350

Tang dynasty show in Xi'an

aztechcouncil.org

*A small or medium-size enterprise (SME) is defined as a firm with 500 or fewer employees or self-certified as a small business under SBA regulations. A large company is defined as a firm with more than 500 employees. Subsidiaries will be classified based on the size of the parent company.

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Brand New

Council getting new energy for its brand The most important asset an organization has is its reputation, its brand.

Refreshing the brand becomes a compelling rallying point and sends the signal of vitality. Creative Engine of Tempe was tasked with energizing the Arizona Technology Council’s brand, giving members a sense of community and providing a seal of approval and distinctive values.

Scottsdale-based Miss Details Design will lead its implementation. Besides design of a new logo, they will be involved in creative work ranging from designing new letterhead for the Council to a style guide that reinforces the brand traits identified

by Creative Engine.

The first step in the brand plan was to identify the Council’s value proposition: What does it offer to existing and prospective members of relevant value?

The starting point was interviews designed to recognize market behaviors, wants, needs, perceptions and expectations.

Identifying these traits provides key insights, stimuli to the next process phase of brand development. In essence, the consumers—in this case, the members—are literally providing stimulus to the brand.

The second step of the brand renovation was to align core competencies, core essence, and assets and infrastructure. If all three are not working together, chances are the organization will not succeed. Core competencies are based upon four distinct factors: knowledge, experience, resources and people. Core essence is who you really are as a company or brand, what your brand stands for in the hearts and minds, and the promises your brand makes to consumers.

The third step was to develop a positioning (promise) statement that’s a thought driver in the Council’s marketing campaign development and a destination compass for the compelling selling proposition: The Arizona Technology Council is a premier trade association representing science and technology companies of all size and stages. At the Council, leaders, managers, employees and visionaries from

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diverse backgrounds meet, share ideas, ask questions and make a real difference to their business and to the industry. These interactions contribute to the Council’s culture of growing member businesses and transforming technology in Arizona.

The positioning line was crafted to reinforce the brand positioning statement:

A Place to Connect and Grow.

This new position line will be closely aligned with the new AZTC logo identity. The brand position line will literally accompany all communications, reinforcing the Council’s distinction, depth, energy, look and feel. Watch for the results to unfold in the months ahead.

Top of the Class

School awards doctorate to Council leader Just call him “doctor.”

The University of Advancing Technology’s Board of Directors has awarded an honorary doctorate to Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council.

The degree will be presented at the school’s April 29 commencement ceremonies at the Mesa Arts Theatre. Also receiving an honorary degree will be Sally Downey, superintendent of East Valley Institute of Technology.

“Both Sally and Steve have contributed to our technology community here in Arizona. Through her enterprising and ambitious leadership at EVIT, and his perspicacious direction of Arizona Technology Council, I am personally thankful to have Sally and Steve as our honorees,” says Jason Pistillo, president of UAT. “I love these guys.”

UAT is a private technology university dedicated to advancing society by cultivating thinking innovators Zylstra serves on a number of different boards, including the Arizona Aerospace Institute Advisory Committee. He is also the co-founder and member of the Governors’ Arizona Science and Technology Council. Zylstra graduated from Western Michigan University with a bachelor of science degree in automotive engineering technology.

“When I received word that UAT was presenting me with an honorary doctorate degree, I was humbled, honored and excited,” Zylstra says. “I have great admiration for the uniqueness of UAT and its reputation as a respected academic institution that is focused on producing the next generation of technology innovators.”

Best of the Best

CIO of the Year to be named at annual Business & IT Summit

All photos by Mark Goldstein

Steve Phillips, chairman of the Arizona Technology Council Board of Directors, speaks at a recent IT expo

Whether you are a business owner looking to improve your company’s productivity, an IT manager wanting to expand your knowledge, or a technology product or service provider looking to grow your sales, help is on the way.

The Arizona Technology Council’s fifth annual Business & IT Summit will be held May 26 at the Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas Grand Ballroom, 6333 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale.

Systems performance, cost efficiencies, impact of green, security, strategic growth, and human capital. These are all topics that impact all the technology heroes who keep systems running smoothly and business advancing in a tough economy and the competitive global landscape. They will be addressed at the Summit.

In addition to the breakout sessions, some of the nation’s most innovative companies will be exhibiting their products and talking about their services. There will be plenty of time for one-on-one networking, too.

A highlight of the summit will be the annual CIO of the Year awards luncheon to honor individual technology executives from industry, nonprofit, education and government. Nominees, including chief

aztechcouncil.org

information officers or those in equivalent IT leadership positions, will be recognized for their innovation and creativity in planning and deploying their enterprise systems, future IT goals, management philosophy and service to the industry and community.

The categories are: Small – For organizations with fewer than 50 employees Medium – For organizations between 51 and 250 employees Large – For organizations of 251 or more employees Small Non-Profit/Government – fewer than 75 employees Large Non-Profit/Government – 75 or more employees Education – technology executive within an accredited higher education institution For more information or to reserve your Summit exhibitor booth sponsorship, contact Leigh Goldstein, the Council’s managing director of programs and events, at lgoldstein@aztechcouncil.org.

Event Agenda 8:00a: Summit doors open/ registration/sponsor exhibits 8:30a: Breakout session #1 9:45a: Break/sponsor exhibits 10:00a: Breakout session #2 11:45a: Break/sponsor exhibits Noon: Keynote speaker/CIO of the Year awards luncheon 1:30p: Summit ends

Attendee Cost Arizona Technology Council member: $40 Non-Council member: $55 Council member reserved table of 10: $350 Non- Council member reserved table of 10: $500

A participant at a recent IT expo

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“Being a sponsor of the Arizona Technology Council has been very helpful in getting our company brand recognition.

The staff has been very supportive and helped us use our sponsorship to promote Miss Details Design, educate our staff, and connect with new vendors and clients. I highly recommend getting involved.”

—Tanya Gagnon Visionary Designer Miss Details Design

“Our involvement with and sponsorship of Arizona Technology Council events has been an immensely important part of our business community outreach and giving back. We love being involved with the AZTC and highly recommend it.”

—Sheila Kloefkorn President KEO Marketing, Inc.

“Our sponsorship of the GCOI has provided us not only recognition as a major player in the VoIP markets in Arizona but has generated many opportunities for great partnerships along with leads for future business. We are very excited to be a sponsor for the 2011 GCOI!” —Debi Caron Partner | Director, Marketing & Business Development Trans-West Network Solutions

Strategic Partners

Each sponsor enters into an agreement that details what each party can expect. For the sponsor, it is combination of services designed to increase the company’s profile.

For the Council, the support helps maintain its programs and operations. The most popular sponsorships are the Platinum and Visionary.

There also are sponsorships for specific events. The Council hosts many events throughout the year, ranging from knowledge-sharing round tables to informational workshops to high-end

keynote speaker series. Some of those events are: Governor’s Celebration of Innovation (GCOI) CEO Retreat in Sedona Council Connect Series Critical Facilities Round Table Series Keynote Speaker Series Partnering Conference

Sponsors help the Council fulfill its mission As with any non-profit, the Arizona Technology Council relies on sponsorships to support its mission. But as you can tell from these comments, there is noteworthy ROI for the Council’s sponsors.

The four types of Council sponsors and their annual levels of investment are: Premier: $50,000 Platinum: $20,000 Visionary: $7,500 Contributing: $4,000

CONNECT

For details about how to become a sponsor, go www.aztechcouncil.org or call 602-343-8324.

REPRESENT

SUPPORT

www.aztechcouncil.org The Arizona Technology Council is a private, not-for-profit trade association with a mission to CONNECT, REPRESENT, and SUPPORT the state’s expanding technology industry.

Interested in membership?

Contact membership@aztechcouncil.org for more information today.

One Renaissance Square | 2 North Central Avenue, Suite 750 | Phoenix, Arizona 85004 Phone: 602-343-8324

8

Arizona Technology Report

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In Business Magazine

63

INDE X Fraley, Lee, 26

McCann, David, 26

Richman, Myra, 30

Godin, Louis, 32

McMurry, Preston, 26

Schulenberg, Dara, 32

Anderson, Orin, 20

Haney, Katie, 26

Moore, Charles H., 26

Sexton, Brian, 20

Ayers, Frank, 20

Herold, Linda, 26

Olsen, Matt, 16

Shannon, Terry, 36

Chenoweth, Greg, 20

Higuera, Lori, 66

Owsley, Shannon, 14

Spitalny, Eileen, 26

Colby, Ed, 26

Hurwitz, Lawrence, 16

Pederson, Johnny Killerup, 26

Synowiecki, Walter, 14

Covalciuc, Michael A., M.D., 42

Kelly, Marion K., 26

Pixler, Carrie, 66

Tolson, Adam, 14

de’Shay, Joanna, 26

Lein, Howard, 11

Powers, James, 32

Troisi, Rudy, 34

Dooley, Kevin, Ph.D., 16

Marks, Kenneth, 22

Preber, Brad, 34

Walker, Haze, 16

Eichler, David, 26

Mascaro, Gary, 20

Reichel, Doug, 24

Weeks, Julie, 18

Index By Name

Zabilski, Steve, 36

Index by Company

Center for Advancing Business Through IT, 24

LindaLandAZ.com, 10

Sherri May & Co., 32

Make-A-Wish Foundation of Arizona, 43

Shortell, 21

Maricopa Workforce

Sindel Technologies, LLC, 26

3P Motor Controls, 32

Center for Services Leadership, 44

APS, 66

Central Phoenix Women, 47

A.T. Still University, 63

Chandler Chamber of Commerce, 47

Mayo Clinic, 67

Abengoa Solar, 32

City of Surprise, 32

Mesa Chamber of Commerce, 45, 47

Ahwatukee Foothills

Clean Air Cab, 32

Moira Sushi, 52

Stockyards, The, 52

Cloud Integration & Optimization, 25

My Sister’s Attic, 42

Sundt, 33

AirSprint Private Aviation, 7

Conquest Training Systems, Inc., 26, 40

My Sister’s Closet, 42

Suntech Power Holdings Co., 32

Alerus Bank & Trust, 39

Copper State Bolt & Nut Co., 32

National Association of

Surprise Regional

American Wind Energy Association, 32

Cox Business, 3

Arizona Biodiesel, 32

Crown Castle International, 16

Arizona Business Advancing

Dixon Golf, 32

Chamber of Commerce, 46

Sustainability, 32 Arizona Commerce Authority, 16, 32 Arizona Farm Bureau, 20 Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education, 40 Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, 46, 50 Arizona Small Business Association, 46, 51, 54

Connections, 17, 32

Asian American Professionals, 66 National Association of Women Business Owners, 47, 55, 59, 61

Sonoran SBAP, 32 Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce, 49

Chamber of Commerce, 49 Sushi Roku, 52 Target Commercial Interiors, 6

Dunn Edwards Paints, 32

National Bank of Arizona, 4

Tatum, 26

Economic and Business

National Federation of

Telesphere, 14

Research Center, 20

Independent Business, 18

Tempe Chamber of Commerce, 49

Economic Club of Phoenix, 47

Noctis Ink, LLC, 14

Texas AgriLife Research, 20

Electricity Journal, The, 32

North Phoenix

Thunderbird School of

Eller College of Management, 37 Empowered Clothing Co., 14 Executive Forums, LLC, 26

Chamber of Commerce, 47 North Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce, 48

Global Management, 11 Tuscan Oven, 14 United States Department of Energy, 32

FarSight Group, Inc., 14

Ownermatch International, 16

VCi Green Fund, 32

Arizona State Credit Union, 13

FastFrame, 12

Peoria Chamber of Commerce, 48

Vermillion Photo, 54

Arizona State University, 16

First Credit Union, 23

Perfect Power Solar, 32

W. P. Carey School of

Arizona TechCelerator, 32

Freeport McMoran Copper & Gold, Inc., 20

Phoenix Art Museum, 5

Arizona Technology Council, 14, 45, 46

Gestamp Solar Steel, 32

Phoenix Film Festival, 65

Waste Management, 15

Arts & Business Council of

Glendale Chamber of Commerce, 47

Predicative Group Inc., 26

Well Suited, 42

Grand Canyon University, 39

Pure Sushi Bar, 52

Wells Fargo, 19

Greater Phoenix

Quarles & Brady LLP, 16

West Valley Women, 49

RA Sushi, 52

Women of Scottsdale, 49

Greater Phoenix, 66 AuthorityLabs, 24 Beyond Green, 32

Chamber of Commerce, 50

Beyond the Horizon, 32

Greater Phoenix Economic Council, 16, 32

Reliable Background Screening, 19

Big Brothers Big Sisters of

H. A. Mackey & Associates, 12

REV Biodiesel, 32

Healthcare Solutions Centers, 25

RevolutionCom, 21

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, 68

Hewitt Associates, 40

Rio Solar Ltda., 32

Bridging the Gap Consulting, 66

Holmes Murphy, 21

SCF Arizona, 2

Buchalter Nemer, 23

Homeward Bound, 43

SRP, 32

BVA Inc., 24

HR Choice, 26

Schumacher European, 9

Cassidy Turley / BRE Commercial, 10

IKEA Business, 53

Scottsdale Area

Central Arizona, 12

Intel Corp., 66

64

M ay 2011

Chamber of Commerce, 48

Business, 14, 32, 44

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Balenciaga, Givenchy and more.

On View Now. Visit PhxArt.org/Fashion

Roundtable

A Candid Forum

Social Media: Where Is the Line Between Professional and Private?

by RaeAnne Marsh

The use of social media in the workplace — whether employer-requested activity or unsanctioned personal use — has legal implications. Some issues fall under established law; some open up new areas as yet unsettled. With a recent Voister survey reporting only 22 percent of employers have a policy on use of online social network sites — while 22 percent of employees use some networking site five times per week and 15 percent use them at work for personal reasons — Lori Higuera, an attorney/director with Phoenix law firm Fennemore Craig, says, “It’s an opportunity for employers to think about good practices.”

Privacy issues arise when an employer uses the Internet’s powerful search capability to investigate employees or potential employees.

But as long as the individual has put information on a site shared with at least one other person, it becomes difficult to make a case for it being truly private. Says Higuera, “In recent cases, the courts have found that this idea of privacy on behalf of the employee does not trump the employer’s right to look for evidence [of the employee’s activity] on those sites.” For attorneys continuing the investigation, there is an ethical distinction, however, between accessing a public Facebook page and friending the employee in order to acquire access, notes fellow attorney Carrie Pixler, an associate at the law firm.

While, legally, the individual’s privacy may not be violated, such online communication

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may cross the line as harassment. Pixler notes that surveys have shown 50 percent of employees feel uncomfortable being part of an online social network with co-workers and supervisors, and this opens up the potential risk of harassment and discrimination. Adds Higuera, “People let their guard down. For instance, with email you can’t tell a person’s tone [of voice]. The same is true on Facebook. … People sort of forget there are all these other eyes there reading it.” She posits the situation of a female employee posting on her Facebook page vacation photos of herself in a swimsuit. “[If] her supervisor comments, ‘You look great in that swimsuit,’ how is that taken?”

Another aspect of privacy involves what an employee does at the place of business.

The employer may want to enforce a policy that limits or prohibits an employee’s social media activity at work, raising the question of how to monitor such use. Explaining the issue of privacy relies on an expectation of privacy, Higuera says that if the computer and operating systems are the property of the employer, the employer has the right to monitor their use and intercept messages. If there is a policy which clearly spells out that right, it removes the expectation of privacy.

“Employers may want to have a written policy that the employee signs,” she says.

But perhaps the employer wants the employee to perform social networking functions. Pixler points out there is a difference between asking the employee to use the employer’s social

networking accounts and a personal account.

“With a personal account, there is no apparent disclosure the employee is acting on behalf of the business.” It’s a distinction that needs to be made clear, as there is a danger of violating federal law when the affiliation is not disclosed in certain circumstances. Personal accounts also pose a greater risk regarding control of the message, Pixler points out; there may be a legal question as to when an employer could face liability for tweets made by an employee. One control an employer can implement to curtail inappropriate tweets is to have messages reviewed by a second employee before being sent.

Where it comes to personal messages, Higuera says, “Employers are apprehensive regarding how to protect their legitimate business interest; they don’t want to step in a minefield and get sued by an employee or government agency.” An employer cannot legally prevent an employee from talking about workplace conditions, but action can be taken if the talk is deemed harassing or discriminatory.

The employer also can prohibit an employee from sharing confidential and proprietary information on a social network site.

What employers can do is define a policy for their business. Explains Pixler, “They can put everybody on notice that ‘X’ conduct is prohibited, and if an employee is terminated, the employer has something in writing to back up the action.”

Fennemore Craig www.fclaw.com

inbusinessmag.com

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