March/April/May 2014 B2B Omaha

SPRING 2014 • MAR/APR/MAY

Tracy Zaiss

DISRUPTING THE STATUS QUO FOR 25 YEARS

AVITURE

Pivoting from Big Contracts to Big Data

LINKEDIN

A Tour of Their Omaha Headquarters

BEST OF B2B

2014 Results

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B2B Omaha Magazine • Spring 2014

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Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 5

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table of contents

spring 2014 • march/april/may • volume 14 • issue 1

“You’d better like owning a company.

And be with people you like. And do things that excite and energize you.”

TRACY ZAISS, CEO OF ZAISS & CO.

20 Tracy Zaiss DISRUPTING THE STATUS QUO FOR 25 YEARS

FEATURE

12

The Triumph of Agriculture Expo The 48th annual Triumph of Agriculture Expo takes place at CenturyLink Center Omaha March 12-13.

DEPARTMENTS

COLUMNS

8

14

On the Rise Aviture

10 omAHA! Cali Commons

Omaha CVB Omaha’s Growing Landscape

15

Office Furniture Get Moving at Work

16

Arts & Entertainment Big Brain Productions

23

Business Ethics Marketing Ethics

SPECIAL SECTION

25

18

How I Roll Cindy Meister Diaz

Best of B2B Results 52

57

How Should Your Business Use Twitter Lists?

In the Office LinkedIn

58 Give Strike Zone and MVP4Life

Social Media

62

The Know-It-All Forget the Alternatives

60 omAHA! TeeBoxx

BestOfOmaha.com

Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 7

on the rise

story by chris wolfgang • photos by bill sitzmann

As CEO of Aviture, Mark Griffis is gradually shifting the company’s focus from subcontracting with large corporations to creating its own data analysis products.

Aviture PIVOTS FROM BIG CORPORATIONS TO BIG DATA

I

N 2004, MARK GRIFFIS founded Aviture as a response to Lockheed Martin’s request that he subcontract for them on a long-term project. The former Air Force officer turned serial entrepreneur had been consulting for the defense technology corporation when they asked him to stay with the project. “I had two days to come up with a name,” Griffis recalls.

Fast forward to 2013. Aviture had grown from a small startup into a stable software development company with enviable contract relationships with large corporations such as Lockheed. And Griffis decided it was time for Aviture to walk away.

8

B2B Omaha Magazine • Spring 2014

Working for a Lockheed or a Northrup is great, he says, but it wasn’t helping Aviture move forward. “Let’s make a difference as Aviture without necessarily needing the support of a larger corporation.”

When a few contracts came up for renewal last summer, “we just decided we were done,” Griffis recalls. “We had enough work of our own, and we focused on getting this new space.”

Aviture moved into a contemporary office space near I-80 and 132nd St. in the spring of 2013.

Ryan Wade, Aviture’s Vice President of business development, would put the company’s turning point back even further. “2010 was

about realigning our customer base,” he says.

Being choosy about the contracts they accepted meant a smooth transition into product development while not leaving Aviture’s consulting side behind entirely.

So while Aviture is still handling some government projects (like UAV [Unmanned Aerial Vehicle] mission planning software), the company is moving into the commercial sphere, focusing on web development and data analytics.

“Everybody can put a dot on a map now,” Griffis says. “But what are you going to do when you have 1,500 dots on a map? What are you going to do with that information? Those are the types OmahaMagazine.com

of problems we want to solve.”

His goal for Aviture is to provide data analysis that’s easily visualized and absorbed so that businesses can get back to work quickly. After all, 1,500 dots on a map create a blob of information that’s difficult to wade through, if not useless.

For military operations, Griffis points out, missed opportunities from poor data analysis can put lives at stake. “In the business world, it’s not as dire,” he says, “but if you miss an opportunity, your business can definitely suffer. That’s what we try to offer insight into.”

According to Griffis, the same technology that can solve the problems of military mission logistics can be put to work solving problems with 3D surgical imaging, concussion analysis, or back-of-the-house restaurant management. “Understand what a customer is trying to do and why,” he says. “Then you can apply the technology.”

“We look at things from a business perspective,” Wade adds, “which I think is unique in tech.

We have experience in developing and actually bringing products to market.”

Creating products that clients can easily apply to their own businesses means that Aviture employees have to have a strong desire to learn.

“It’s not just coding,” Griffis says. “It’s not saying go make this widget. It’s understanding why, always asking why.”

To find those people, Griffis launched a second part to Aviture’s 2013 pivot: a technology business incubator attached to Aviture. He calls it The Garage. “My dream would be to create this pipeline where people come in with Aviture, find their passion in The Garage, and follow it out.”

The new incubator, he says, is a riskmitigated way to get involved in Omaha’s startup environment.

About four fledgling business ideas are active in The Garage. Some are still very early stage (“part of this is education,” Griffis explains. “About mentoring them. Is the market there? What are the distribution channels? How are you going to raise money?”), and some are ready to move out (Huntforce, a trail camera management company, is going into its second round of funding).

All of the business concepts represented in The Garage exhibit Griffis’ desire to encourage Omahans to create on the next level of innovation. “I believe we don’t need more coders,” Griffis says. “We need more technology leaders, people who know how to apply technology.”

Promoting this philosophy, Aviture hosted Hack Omaha last year, a weekend hackathon where programmers attempted to create useful products from city data. B2B BestOfOmaha.com

Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 9

omAHA!

story by molly mahannah • photos by bill sitzmann

Luke Armstrong and Molly Nicklin welcome remote workers and solo professionals to their co-working space at 40th and California streets.

Cali Commons OMAHA’S NEXT CO-WORKING SPACE? 10

B2B Omaha Magazine • Spring 2014

I

T WAS NEVER IN the plan for Luke Armstrong and Molly Nicklin to own a co-working space. But when they had a chance to buy an old grocery store at 40th and California, the midtown co-working space Cali Commons was born.

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“We had a house near Benson,” Armstrong says, “and we rented a space in Benson because we both do some performance painting.” But the cost was prohibitive. “We started looking around, and we found this building and moved in upstairs.”

The pair floated around other ideas for what to do with the excess space. They’d already decided to put an art gallery in the basement and allotted space for Luke’s office and other project RenMind, a web application company.

“We always wanted to be around creative people and entrepreneurs,” Armstrong says. “I like to make new businesses all the time. It was kind of a natural progression.”

The plans for Cali Commons include having new artwork every month as well as providing a place for art shows and other events.

Armstrong and Nicklin also wanted to provide a space that won’t break the bank that’s close to a lot of young professionals. As of January, three people are renting out personal office space, and a few others rent out “seats” in the open area dubbed the co-working space. But the duo is hoping for around 10 or so to gather in the co-working space.

“I’ve always loved this building, for years, and when I saw there was an opportunity to get an office here, I jumped at the chance,” says Ryan Behrens, a social services contractor. “It helps me focus a lot more than working from home, so I think it’s well worth the price of the rent.”

Another aspiration for the co-working space is to host movie nights, yoga classes, or other fun things to help build relationships with everyone using the space.

“We wanted a place that would bring in the kinds of people we wanted to be around,” Armstrong says. He suggests that since they spend so much time in the office, why not make it fun?

The space is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. generally, but Armstrong and Nicklin don’t expect people to stick around the whole time. In fact, some renters work only in the mornings or only in the afternoons. The space is available for renters to pop in whenever is convenient. The only stipulation is that the co-working space is not available when an art show or other event is utilizing the open area. B2B BestOfOmaha.com

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Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 11

feature

The Triumph of Agriculture EXPO

12

B2B Omaha Magazine • Spring 2014

story by molly mahannah • photos provided by bob mancuso

I

This year’s Ag Expo will build on the exhibits and vendors of 2013.

T’S A DIVERSIFIED SHOW, something

for everybody that’s in farming and ranching of some form,” Bob Mancuso Jr., show director, says of the Triumph of Agriculture Expedition.

The 48th annual show runs from March 12-13 at CenturyLink Center Omaha.

With more than 900 exhibits and covering the 200,000 square-foot arena, the Triumph of Ag Expo is a hands-on experience. Visitors can expect to see demonstrations from antique farm tractors and equipment, as well as displays from Camp Creek Threshers, Elkhorn Valley Antique Power Association, Keg Creek Antique Machinery Club, and more. Vendors on every level of CenturyLink Center will be showcasing their products, services, or farming and ranching equipment.

“The Nebraska Wheat Board will also be present at the show,” Mancuso says. “They’re going to have a mobile wheat unit that will highlight wheat, and they’ll be giving away cinnamon

rolls, so that’s fun. People can try those and sample them.”

The Expo, which has vendors on a waiting list to participate, is one of the largest in the Midwest.

Mancuso says organizers try to have really diversified options for both vendors and visitors.

“You know, Omaha—we’re right on the border,” Mancuso says, “so we definitely draw eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, even some South Dakota, Kansas, and Missouri. So it’s kind of a five-states-plus deal. You know there are people even from outside those five states that will come to the show.”

And it’s not just the farmers and ranchers that participate in the show. “You’d be surprised at how many people in the Omaha area are in agribusiness,” Mancuso says. “Like Midwest Laboratories is a longtime exhibitor, and they test soil samples, but they’re based right here in Omaha. They test soil all across the nation. They’re based right here, so OmahaMagazine.com

agriculture expo

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Besides the exhibits and vendors, the upper level of CenturyLink Center will host multiple seminars over the two-day span of the exposition, as well as an opening luncheon. Visitors can expect to hear speeches given by the presidents of the Omaha Agribusiness Club, the Chamber of Commerce Ag Council, and the National AgriMarketing Association. The Agri Award, given for contributions in agribusiness, will also be presented during the luncheon.

“The Agri Award winner this year is Bill Northy, the Iowa Department of Agriculture head,” Mancuso says. “He will be speaking at the opening luncheon on the Wednesday. We’re excited to have him.”

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Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 13

omaha cvb

story by dana markel • photo provided by omaha convention & visitors bureau

Omaha’s Growing Landscape A BIKE RENTAL, A RIVERFRONT RESTAURANT, AND HUNDREDS OF NEW HOTEL ROOMS

O

MAHA IS UNDERGOING A bit of a hotel boom, with a dozen new hotel properties under construction or in the pipeline, including the new $27 million Hyatt Place which opened in Omaha’s Old Market entertainment district. Also in the works is a new 330-room convention hotel, which will be built across from CenturyLink Center Omaha, the city’s 250,000-square-foot convention center.

Hilton Omaha completed a $35 million expansion and renovation project and now offers 600 rooms, a 7,000-square-foot ballroom, and completely renovated meeting rooms.

The Doubletree Hotel Downtown completed a $20 million renovation and formed a “green team” to develop innovative and environmentally friendly features. The hotel now offers a bicycle checkout station in its lobby so visitors can save on fuel and pedal to nearby restaurants and shops.

Omaha’s riverfront is also changing with the addition of the Storz Trophy Room. The historic Omaha brewery revived its brand, opening a restaurant with plans to add a micro brewery at the same location. The new entertainment venue sits right along Omaha’s riverfront and within a block of the convention center, creating another great place for visitors and convention delegates to enjoy.

This all points to a city on the move, which is good news. One cautionary note: Omaha has experienced a 42 percent growth in the number of hotel rooms over the last 10 years. Demand over that same period has grown 25 percent. While demand—the number of people visiting the city—is growing at a healthy pace, the supply of new hotel rooms is growing even faster. As we look to the future, creating new ways to attract even more visitors to Omaha and filling these new hotel rooms will be an important factor in our city’s success as a destination. B2B Questions or comments? E-mail us at info@visitomaha.com.

Dana Markel, Executive Director Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau

14

B2B Omaha Magazine • Spring 2014

feature

agriculture expo

< company, or there may be six or seven booths for each company or a local distributor. Two or three different companies could represent one booth.

Whatever the arrangement, Mancuso says there’s always a high return rate for vendors.

“The Triumph of Ag Expo is always packed with lots of new improvements and helpful information,” says Brien McCready. He’s from John Deere’s A & M Green Power, as well as the show’s councilman.

Mancuso says they try to make it worthwhile for the farmers and ranchers out of respect for their busy schedules. Holding the event in March is meant to help farmers and ranchers in the off-season.

“In this area,” Mancuso says, “it’s known to be one of the last shows before the farmers and ranchers get out into the fields, and it’s great to come out and see what’s new in the world of farming and ranching. I mean, they’ll be in the fields from April on, so it’s one last time to come out and see products, services, and equipment.”

For those traveling from different states or even those who just want to spend a night Downtown, local hotels are offering packages for both exhibitors and visitors.

Mancuso states that hotel packages are available for attendees from outside the Omaha area who may have a variety of goals for their time in town. “If you want to stay overnight, or come in to see the show and stay, or come in one day and shop and see the different things in Omaha, we have sponsor hotels: the Fairfield Inn and Suites

by Marriott which is right Downtown, the Sleep Inn and Suites kind of by CenturyLink Center, and the third one is the Horseshoe Casino Double Tree hotel in Council Bluffs.” B2B For the latest information on the Triumph of Ag Expo, visit showofficeonline.com/agexpo.

OmahaMagazine.com

story by jaylene eilenstine, all makes office equipment co.

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Get Moving AT WORK

Y NOW, EVERYONE HAS probably heard how sitting for extended periods of time

is bad for your health. The Surgeon General recommends a minimum of 10,000 steps or five miles per day, yet the average American walks less than half of this amount, which leads to chronic health problems brought on by inactivity.

In the work environment, sitting for long hours is the norm. We spend many hours a day in front of a computer typing, surfing the web, and Tweeting. During a typical workday, Americans spend as much as 95 percent of the day sitting.

The treadmill desk and height-adjustable work surfaces are designed to change sedentary work environments. Consisting of a desk with an integrated control console, the treadmill desk still allows users to accomplish daily tasks like e-mails, phone calls, and typing while being a bit more active. The console displays speed, distance, steps taken, time spent, and calories burned. It also allows users to synchronize data with an online account where they can set goals and track their walking progress. The treadmill desk has a quiet motor that is ideal for the corporate or home office.

Adjustable-height workstations allow workers to raise and lower their work surface and monitor throughout the day, permitting them to sit or stand while working. From companies such as Google and Facebook and classrooms from elementary to university level, heightadjustable tables are starting to become more popular.

If you don’t have access to a treadmill desk or height-adjustable work surface, you can still find creative ways to move more throughout the workday. Here are a few ideas: • Stand up while you talk on the phone.

• Every time you finish a task, take a stretching break.

• Remind yourself to get up and move. Set a reminder on your phone that goes off every hour.

• Take the stairs, not the elevator.

• Don’t roll your office chair. Get up and walk instead.

Our bodies are made to move, so get moving! Stop by the All Makes showroom at 25th and Farnam to see what’s new in the office and to demo the treadmill desk and height-adjustable work surfaces. The All Makes team is trained to help you make furniture and business equipment purchases that fit your office atmosphere, your work style, and your budget. B2B Visit the All Makes showroom at 25th and Farnam streets in Omaha to see the latest office furniture and design trends on display. The All Makes team is trained to help you make design and furniture purchases that fit your office atmosphere, your work style, and your budget.

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Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 15

arts & entertainment

Big Brain Productions SOLID BUSINESS PRINCIPLES IN THE TATTOO INDUSTRY Joe “Smitty” Smith is always pushing his business model forward. The latest change is a massive renovation to the waiting room in order to maximize client and artist interaction.

16

B2B Omaha Magazine • Spring 2014

story by josie bungert • photo by bill sitzmann

J

OE “SMITTY” SMITH RUNS a seem-

ingly typical tattoo parlor Downtown, complete with 13 staff members and regular clients. But it’s what Big Brain Productions, located in the Old Market, also provides for employees (401(k) benefits, paid vacations, and a holiday trip to Costa Rica) that makes it stand out.

“I just try to do what’s right for people who take their careers as seriously as the people I have working for me. I try to live up to the standards that they set in their careers as a shop owner,” Smitty says.

As the company has grown over its last 14 years, so have its employee benefits. For

example, Big Brain has been offering health insurance for eight years.

Smitty says he had many ideas about what he wanted his tattoo business to be when he was “young and hungry” but struggles to find new ideas moving forward. This drive has led to the parlor’s most recent changes.

“I don’t think you can stand still ever in business,” Smitty says. “I felt like I was at that point where I was kind of standing still, so I said we need to shake it up a little bit, and that’s why we’re doing that big remodel out there.”

Renovations include taking out a spacemonopolizing desk and moving iPads that previously hung on a wall to a new area, where OmahaMagazine.com

they showcase each of the artists’ portfolios.

One such artist, David Brown, has been piercing at Big Brain for five years. He says he joined the parlor because it was a “good fit.” Brown had worked in restaurant management and found the transition to be natural, thanks to a shared business mindset with Smitty.

“We’re both very customer oriented. The customer experience goes above our personal needs,” Brown says. “It’s taking care of the client, making sure that their experience here is the best one they can possibly have.”

Brown credits the large success of Big Brain to the little things that the company emphasizes.

“You don’t get Best of Omaha™ 10 years in a row without doing all the little things right,” he says. “It’s sanitation, it’s stock, it’s ordering; it’s the staff we surround ourselves with. Smitty has done an amazing job of finding nine like-minded tattoo artists who excel at nine different things.”

Despite a good business plan and staff, Big Brain has suffered its share of hardships in years past. In 2007, the company was selected for a tax audit after the IRS looked into how Big Brain’s accountant was amortizing a construction project. Thanks to incorrectly following an amortization schedule, Big Brain received a large audit bill, which triggered years of extra auditing and working closely with lawyers. “My lawyers said I was doing it right, their lawyers said I was doing it wrong, and, you know, you end up somewhere in the middle.”

But with that experience in the past, “I sleep well at night knowing I don’t have skeletons in my closet,” Smitty says. “To have them in your business, and deep in your business, what’s left?

Now it’s like, come in any time. I push two buttons and make a phone call, and they have all my financial records. Nothing to hide.”

As a self-taught businessman, Smitty learned a lot from this experience and has put that knowledge toward running Big Brain. He handles payroll as well as tax deposits, and over the last few years, the company has grossed over $1 million per year. Despite running the business as well as piercing at the parlor, Smitty says he gets the most job satisfaction out of seeing his employees succeed.

“There comes a point where you’re more happy when your subordinates do something well than you ever were when you were,” he says.

“When my kids do something good, it makes me feel way better than when I did it, and it’s the same thing with your employees. When you have somebody else accomplish what used to be your goal, you really take pride in that.” B2B BestOfOmaha.com

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Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 17

how i roll

story by molly mahannah • photo by bill sitzmann

Cindy Meister Diaz AND HER AMERICAN AIRLINES COMMUTE

18

B2B Omaha Magazine • Spring 2014

OmahaMagazine.com

Not everyone commutes to work in a McDonnell Douglas Super 80 aircraft, but it’s all in a day’s work for American Airlines general manager Cindy Meister Diaz.

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INDY MEISTER DIAZ HAS one heck

of a commute. As the general manager of American Airlines in Omaha who lives part-time in Dallas, she frequently commutes from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Omaha’s Eppley Airfield.

Diaz, originally from Scottsbluff, Neb., has been with American Airlines for 24 years. She worked her way through the ranks until she ended up at DFW as the general manager, doing everything from reception to managing the union guys on the ramps.

“I was working in Dallas for about a year and a half or so when the general manager in Omaha got a job in Orange County,” Diaz says. “It was right as we were getting ready to merge with US Airways, so they were looking for an interim to come up here as a commuter.”

It was Omaha itself and a push from her nowhusband that led Diaz to apply for the promotion, which was originally supposed to be a six-week stint. After naming a few people she thought would be good for the opportunity, Diaz threw her own name into the discussion and now commutes about every other week back to Dallas.

“My favorite commute is on Friday afternoon when the last flight is going out to Dallas, and I hop on it to spend the weekend with my family.

Then I come back Sunday night,” Diaz says.

The flight that is “one hour and 23 minutes at an altitude of 33,000 feet” hasn’t quite become routine for Diaz yet.

“I still love it. I still love the way it feels when you take off, I love a little bit of a bumpy landing,” she says. “And I’m an obsessive crocheter when I fly. I bring my own in-flight entertainment!”

But she’s not alone. American Airlines has more than 25 employees that have crazy commutes. She says her favorite thing is asking a fellow employee where she’s headed and hearing, “Oh, I’m working Rome tonight, I’ll see you Thursday.” B2B BestOfOmaha.com

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Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 19

cover feature

20

B2B Omaha Magazine • Spring 2014

story by chris wolfgang • photos by bill sitzmann

OmahaMagazine.com

Tracy Zaiss

“There are people who may be better at starting a business than others. There’s an entrepreneurial drive.

Focus is part of that.

And clarity around what you’re trying to do and how.”

Disrupting the Status Quo for 25 Years

TRACY ZAISS

T

RACY ZAISS HAS AN enormous coffee mug that reads Make Things Happen. It’s a phrase she keeps close to heart even as she prepares to hand over the reins of her 25-year-old marketing company, Zaiss & Company.

That desire to make things happen drove Zaiss to launch her own company in 1989, after learning about a British marketing concept called ‘account planning.’ “It hadn’t really made its way to the U.S.,” Zaiss recalls, “but essentially it’s this concept where there’s a customer advocate at the agency level. So I thought that would be great, I’d be a great planner! Not knowing anything about it, of course.”

LAUNCHING ZAISS & COMPANY

T

HE NEW ANGLE ON marketing

strategy seemed to bring together her background in creative and marketing research: She’d started her career as a copywriter for a small agency after graduating from Hastings College and then UNO, then went to Bailey Lewis (now Lauerman) as a media director, and finally served at Swanson Russell as vice president of, that’s right, account planning.

She was there for two years before she decided to try account planning on her own. >

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Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 21

cover feature

tracy zaiss

Enjoying your work is essential, Zaiss says, and hints of that philosophy abound at Zaiss & Co. The CEO asks employees to bring back the tackiest magnets they can find on their business trips to adorn the company fridge.

< “And the more I thought about it,” Zaiss says, “the more I thought I have two major goals: I wanted to have the opportunity to do really innovative, effective marketing strategies. And second, I wanted to work with really smart, creative people who shared my goal.”

She turned to one such person to help her launch Zaiss & Company. “My attorney, Bob Freeman,” Zaiss says. “The fact that he was willing to take on this somewhat young woman who wanted to start her company—he certainly didn’t need to do that.”

Perhaps it was because the partner at Fraser Stryker saw values worth working with. Zaiss, Freeman points out, doesn’t have a cookie cutter approach. “Sometimes it’s easy to say, this looks a lot like that other project I just did,” he says.

“Tracy, I think, is someone who wants to look at everything afresh. She can turn it upside down, look at it sideways, look at it through other people’s eyes…media, employees, and customers.”

DISRUPTING THE STATUS QUO

Z 22

AISS KNEW HER FLEDGLING company had to be focused on neither her clients nor her creative team but

B2B Omaha Magazine • Spring 2014

rather on her clients’ customers. “Typically in the agency world, you’ve got two at times adversarial forces: account service and creative,” she explains. “Not always for bad reasons, there’s a tension between the two. The account represents the client, and the creative people tend to represent the product.” With account planning, she explains, you put someone in the mix who represents the client’s customer. “The client may want their logo to be [bigger in an ad], but does their customer care about that? The creative may want to do something different because it’s clever, but does have it meaning for the client’s customer?”

Evidently her client-customer focus worked.

Today, Zaiss & Company has 22 employees, serves roughly 20 clients across industries such as education, finance, and family entertainment, and grosses about $10 million a year.

Michael Echols, executive vice president at Bellevue University and a long-standing client of Zaiss & Company, credits Zaiss’ success with her rigorous attention to a changing market. “My experience with her is as a strategic partner,” he says. “Higher education has changed dramatically over the last decade. It’s expensive…people are asking if a college education is worth it. She

and I work together to answer that question.

She’s very thorough, she’s analytical, and she’s very plugged into the research.”

Zaiss has seen marketing tools come and go, and she’s watched as information processes have slowly shifted from being media driven to consumer driven. And she’s not about to be distracted by any of that. “We always have to ask why we’re doing stuff,” she says. “It’s not to create pretty pictures. It’s to sell a product.”

Overall, this dedication to foundational principles has afforded Zaiss & Company with a steady increase in success over the years, “but there have been ups and downs,” she says. The downs, Zaiss confides, are usually as a result of a decision to stop working with a client.

“I kind of have a reputation for just deciding if I don’t want to work for someone, I don’t want to work for them.” Her goals are innovation, and if a client no longer wants to be innovative—well.

“I love demanding clients,” she says. “But as a business owner, we have to have a vision of what we’re doing. If we’re not being allowed to do the best work that we can do, then we’re really not helping the client.”

Zaiss’ tough love extends from clients seeking her service to entrepreneurs seeking her advice.

OmahaMagazine.com

business ethics

story by beverly kracher, ph.d.

“There are people who may be better at starting a business than others. There’s an entrepreneurial drive. Focus is part of that. And clarity around what you’re trying to do and how.”

A fundamental understanding of business math, she insists, is vital. Have you projected your expenses? Your revenue? Can you read a balance sheet? “There are basics, regardless of how great your idea is. And some people aren’t willing to take the risk,” she says. “And probably shouldn’t.”

LEAVING ONE COMPANY, STARTING TWO MORE

B

UT FOR ZAISS AT least, the risk

may be addictive. “I read an article in Inc. magazine that said it’s never as much fun as it is the first year. I think that might be true.”

In 2014, Zaiss is handing over management of Zaiss & Company to her sister, Wendy Wiseman, who’s worked with her for 17 years. She’ll trade in her 60-hour work weeks at Zaiss & Company for who knows how many more man hours spread between two new companies.

“They’re both either going to break this year or not,” Zaiss says, but she’s being cagey on the details. She will say that she has a different partner for each project, and both of them have to do with, of course, marketing.

She still plans to keep up with her development work on the board of the Urban League of Nebraska, though that’s the only board she’s currently on. Zaiss was a founding member of the Women’s Fund of Greater Nebraska, where she served as president of the board, but stepped down when her husband Richard’s health started to give way to cancer. He passed away last summer. “Lots of changes,” Zaiss says quietly.

“It was a tough year last year.”

She finds solace, she says, in simply going to her home in Hummel Park every night. “I’m surrounded by woods, wildlife. I like to be outdoors.”

Perhaps in 10 years she’ll retire but best not to count on that. “You’d better like owning a company. And be with people you like. And do things that excite and energize you. I can’t really fathom what I would do that would be more interesting.” B2B BestOfOmaha.com

W

Marketing Ethics HEN JIM MOVED HIS business

in the fall of 2010 from Lincoln to Omaha, he encountered a pricing problem. The cost of his services in Lincoln didn’t suit the Omaha market.

At least that was one explanation for why Jim wasn’t getting the accounts he had planned. How could Jim determine the market price for his services before he lost too many sales and crippled his business?

A colleague of Jim’s recommended a strategy: Have two or three friends who work in Omaha businesses call Jim’s competitors. Ask them to submit proposals for their services. Once the friends acquire the proposals, they tell the competitors “thank you” and inform them that they didn’t get the bid. In this way, the friends, who didn’t want the services anyway, are in the clear, and can give the proposals to Jim to study for pricing information.

“Everyone does this,” the colleague said. “It’s an easy way to determine market price for products or services.”

Would a marketing professional recommend such a strategy? While “easy” and “efficient” are appropriate decision rules in business, they are not synonymous with ethics.

Many marketing professionals subscribe to the American Marketing Association’s Code of Ethics. The Code was created to help them remember that reputation and trust can be destroyed when they only focus on the easy way and forget to consider honesty and harm.

Codes of ethics can help business people overcome obstacles to ethical decision making. One of the obstacles is not identifying all relevant stakeholders and the impact of our actions on them (Werhane, et. al., 2013).

In the previous case, we often forget the competitors. However, think of the Golden Rule. Putting ourselves in their shoes, we realize that none of us likes wasting our time. They

are harmed because they go through the work of preparing bids that have absolutely no chance of being accepted….time and expertise that they can use to really get business.

In addition, we might not recognize the impact on our friends. We are asking them to use their businesses in dishonest ways. None of us would like to have our businesses or reputations treated in this way.

Bounded awareness is one reason we don’t identify all relevant stakeholders and the impact on them. Bounded awareness is a pattern of thinking that prevents us from noticing relevant data (Gino, Moore, and Bazerman, 2009). It can be a good psychological mechanism because it can help us survive. But bounded awareness also has ethical implications when relevant or useful data is missed and poor choices are made based on incomplete information.

Is there a remedy for the kind of bounded thinking that leads to bad marketing strategies?

Yes, and the remedy is practice.

We need to practice exercising our moral imaginations. When making a marketing decision, take the time to systematically identify all stakeholders and imagine the consequences for them when one alternative is played out, then another, and another. Start the practice by listing options and stakeholders on paper until the mental process becomes second nature. In this way, we strengthen our moral muscle and do a better job balancing the easy and efficient actions with the honest and less harmful ones. B2B Beverly Kracher, Ph.D. Daugherty Chair in Business Ethics & Society Executive Director, Business Ethics Alliance College of Business Creighton University

Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 23

best of b2b

2014 results issue

The Results Are In! I T’S TIME TO REVEAL B2B Omaha magazine’s highly anticipated Best of B2B ™

Winners List for 2014! The Omaha-area businesses listed in the following pages have received the coveted vote of confidence from our readers as a result of their superior business skills, services, and products.

Best of B2B ™ results were tabulated from ballots sent in from the Winter 2014 issue of B2B Omaha. Ballots had to be original, not photocopies, and more than half of the ballot had to be filled out to be acceptable.

The Best of B2B ™ list, now in its eighth year, is organized into categories. If you’re looking for a specific product or service, you can easily find the best. If you see a business you patronize in this year’s list, be sure to congratulate them. They’ll appreciate it!

“Best of B2B ™ has really developed into what it was meant to be,” says Todd Lemke, publisher of B2B Omaha magazine. “Business owners get it—it’s a contest where businesses recognize businesses. It’s great that so many take the time to vote to give that recognition.” B2B

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Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 25

best of b2b

2014 results

BUILDING SERVICES CARPET & RUG CLEANING All Pro Carpet Cleaning Westwood Services DOOR COMPANY Omaha Door & Window Norm’s Door Service

ELECTRICAL SERVICE Miller Electric Oak Hills Electric FENCE COMPANY S&W Fence American Fence Company GARBAGE COLLECTION Abe’s Trash Services abestrash.com 402-571-4926 Deffenbaugh Industries

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B2B Omaha Magazine • Spring 2014

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Public Relations Works If it’s not for your business, you may be missing a vital connection.

At Zaiss & Company our customer-based communications plans include effective, business-moving PR strategies that deliver marketplace results.

For PR strategies that integrate with your total plan and connect to real, bottom-line benefits, partner with us.

You’ll be in good company.

402-964-9293

11626 Nicholas Street

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Customer-Based Planning and Communications

Best PR Agency 6 Years Running!

Omaha, Thank you!

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We are proud to be part of this great city.

If you don’t already know us, come find out what we are all about.

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© 2014 Total System Services, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide. TSYS® is a federally registered service mark of Total System Services, Inc. TSYS Merchant Solutions is a registered ISO/MSP of both First National Bank of Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, and Synovus Bank, Columbus, Georgia.

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Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 27

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2014 results

GENERAL CONTRACTOR Kiewit Hawkins Construction Company GLASS/WINDOW INSTALL Husker Glass City Glass Company HEATING/AC SERVICE SOS Heating & Cooling soshvac.com 402-391-2336 Thermal Services

THANK YOU OMAHA! JANITORIAL SERVICE Sparkling Klean sparklingklean.com 402-399-9233 Jani-King

BEST FLORIST “Taylor Made” for ALL your floral needs since 1950”

LANDSCAPE/LAWN CONTRACTOR Forest Green Lawn & Landscaping forestgreenlawncare.com 402-556-0595 Sun Valley Landscaping sunvalleyomaha.com 402-932-5704

402.733.2322

12310 K Plaza, Ste. 108 Locally Owned Since 1950

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2014 results

LOCKSMITH Carl Jarl Group Big Red Locksmiths MOVING COMPANY I-Go Van & Storage Flat Rate Movers OFFICE FURNITURE All Makes Office Equipment Co. allmakes.com 402-341-2413 Sheppard’s Business Interiors

PAINTING CONTRACTOR CertaPro Painters Gerst Painting Inc gerstcontracting.com 402-289-1010 PEST CONTROL Lien Termite & Pest Control lienpestcontrol.com 402-397-8884 Pest Solutions 365

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2014 results

PICTURE FRAMING Malibu Gallery Lewis Art Gallery lewisartgallery.com 402-391-7733 PLUMBING COMPANY Backlund Plumbing backlundplumbing.com 402-341-0450

Thanks for Voting Us B2B Omaha Magazine’s Best of B2B 8 Years in a row!

Thanks for Voting Us

Tritz Plumbing Inc PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Cushman & Wakefield | The Lund Company lundco.com 402.548.4045 Byron Reed Company

Omaha Magazine’s Best of Omaha 10 Years in a row!

Voted Top 100 Restaurants in America by Open Table

Prime Steak Fine Wine Premium Service

Top 100 Restaurants in America

13665 California Street Omaha, Nebraska 402.445.4380 www.mahoganyprime.com

REAL ESTATE - COMMERCIAL CBRE | MEGA cbre.com/omaha 402-334-8877 World Group ROOFING COMPANY Ciaccio Roofing nebraskabestroof.com 402-293-8707 Scott Enterprises, Inc scottent.com 402-571-2364

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2014 results

SECURITY EQUIPMENT/SYSTEMS SEI ADT SIGN COMPANY Best Buy Signs bestbuysigns.net 402-861-0384 Renze Display renze.com 800-627-9131 SNOW REMOVAL SERVICE Carson Enterprises True North Outdoor

TOWING COMPANY Neff Towing Service, Inc 402-733-5500 Auto 1 Towing WINDOW CLEANING Fish Window Cleaning Squeegee Squad

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2014 results issue

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2014 results

As you can see, we believe in consistency!

BUSINESS SERVICES

Thank you for voting us the Best Insurance Agency for three years in a row!

ADVERTISING SPECIALTIES Bergman Incentives bergmanincentives.com 402-661-7900

~ The Koch Executive Team (26 years average service)

Ideal Images ideal-images.com 402-596-1002 BACKGROUND & DRUG SCREENING SERVICE One Source onesourcebackground.com 402-933-9999

Dave Jesse

Scott E. Trofholz Karen Metzger

Jim Garbina

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The Harry A. Koch Co. Insurance & Financial Consultants Member of First Insurance Group, LLC

2014 Winner

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Business Insurance | Employee Benefits | Bonding | Safety/Loss Control | Family Insurance

BUSINESS BROKER The Firm Sunbelt of Nebraska BUSINESS FORMS & SYSTEMS Performance Group Inc Donis Corp

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BUSINESS PHONE SYSTEMS inTouch Communications

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onesourcebackground.com tel 800.608.3645 fax 800.929.8117 BestOfOmaha.com

Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 35

Thanks for Voting us Your #1 Locksmith!

To see what else we are up to, check us out at:

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2014 results

COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER David Radler Studio Inc davidradler.com Malone & Co COMPUTER SERVICE Lutz Technology Computer Solutions Inc COPIER SERVICE Better Business Equipment BBEomaha.com 402-393-6666

In Commercial Roofing, One Name’s On Top. Nebraska’s largest roofing company is also Nebraska’s best. When quality is critical to your project, be sure to specify Scott Enterprises.

For more than 35 years, trusted on these and many other projects ...

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TD Ameritrade Park First National Bank Tower Midtown Crossing Village Pointe Shopping Center UNO Weber Fine Arts Building Children’s Hospital

SCOTT ENTERPRISES 402-571-2364 | www.ScottEnt.com 9684 N 109th Street, Omaha, NE 68142

SolutionOne solutiononenow.com 1-800-742-0023

CORPORATE JET SERVICE Jet Linx JetLinxOmaha.com 402-422-0393 NetJets DELIVERY SERVICE Capital Express HotShot Deliveries Inc

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2014 results

DELIVERY VEHICLE DEALER Mercedes-Benz of Omaha omahamercedes.com 402-384-9999 Omaha Truck Center INTERNET PROVIDER Cox Communications coxbusiness.com 402-934-3223 CenturyLink MAILING LISTS CAS Inc cas-online.com 866-461-4693 infoUSA

MAILING SERVICE DBS Burke burkeservices.com 402.455.1200 Omaha Mail, Inc 402-758-0671

OFFICE RECORDS STORAGE & DESTRUCTION Access Information Management Record Managment Solutions OFFICE SUPPLIES Pay-LESS Office Products Office Depot

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B2B Omaha Magazine • Spring 2014

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A Family Business Since 1975 A Family Business Since 1975 402-397-8884 A Family Business Since402-397-8884 1975

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Thank you Omaha for voting us best of Omaha for all you Thank Omaha Pest controlyou needs.

Thank you Omaha for voting us best of Omaha for all you Pest control needs.

for voting us ‘Best Thank you Omaha of Omaha™’ and ‘Bestfor of voting B2B™”usfor all you best Pest control needs.

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Omaha – thanks again for voting us the #1 CPA firm in 2013!

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www.fzacpa.com 402.496.9100

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2014 results

PRINTER Omaha Print omahaprint.com 402-734-4400 Barnhart Press SALES TRAINING Sandler Training davearch.sandler.com 402-616-1098 Dale Carnegie Training

UNIFORM SUPPLY Alamar Uniforms Don’s Pioneer Uniforms WATER - BOTTLED Ideal Pure Water Deep Rock WEBSITE DEVELOPER Rebel Interactive Iridian Group

FINANCIAL SERVICES

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2014 results

BANK First National Bank firstnational.com/business 402-346-3626 or 800-642-0014 ACCESSbank CREDIT CARD MERCHANT PROCESSING TSYS Merchant Solutions tsysmerchantsolutions.com 1-800-354-3988 American Payment Systems americanpayment.com 402-502-9985

PAYROLL SERVICE Payroll Maxx Ideal Payroll Service

FOOD SERVICES BANQUET FACILITY Scoular Ballroom Embassy Suites La Vista Hotel and Conference Center CATERER Brandeis Catering Hap Abraham Catering COFFEE PROVIDER LaRue Coffee Ideal Pure Water

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2014 results

RESTAURANT BUSINESS BREAKFAST WheatFields The Egg & I TheEggandIRestaurants.com 402-679-6302 RESTAURANT BUSINESS DINNER Mahogany Prime Steakhouse mahoganyprime.com 402-445-4380 801 Chophouse 801chophouse.com 402-341-1222

RESTAURANT BUSINESS LUNCH Sullivan’s Steakhouse sullivanssteakhouse.com/omaha 402-342-0077 Charleston’s

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ACCOUNTING OFFICE Frankel Zacharia fzacpa.com 402-496-9100 Bland & Associates BlandCPA.com 402-397-8822

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A R C H I T E C T U R E | E N G I N E E R I N G | CO N S U LT I N G

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Citizens by Design Thank you for your trust, Omaha! Voted #1 eight years in a row!

Metropolitan Community College Culinary Arts Institute | West Dodge Expressway | Joslyn Sculpture Garden

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2014 results

ADVERTISING AGENCY Sleight Advertising sleightadvertising.com 402-334-3530 Bozell ARCHITECTURAL FIRM Leo A Daly Co Holland Basham Architects EMPLOYEE BENEFIT COMPANY Gallager Grace/Mayer Garvey & Associates

When your company needs a merchant account we offer: • Guaranteed lower rates • Quick approvals • Low-cost terminals • Top-rated customer service • Gift and loyalty card programs

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EMPLOYMENT AGENCY C&A Industries ca-industries.com 402-891-0009 Hemphill Search Group hemphillsearch.com 402-334-4800 ENGINEERING FIRM HDR hdrinc.com 402-399-1474 DLR Group

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Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 47

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2014 results

FINANCIAL PLANNING FIRM Feltz WealthPLAN Callahan Financial Planning INSURANCE AGENCY The Harry A. Koch Co. www.hakco.com Davis Companies LAW FIRM Baird Holm 402-344-0500 Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman akclaw.com 402-392-1250

Residential • Commercial • Recycling Sales • Service • Rentals

Abe’s Trash Service, Inc. “Serving Omaha For Over 50 Years” COMMERCIAL

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2014 results

BUSINESS CONFERENCE VENUE Scott Conference Center scottcenter.com 402-778-6313 Regency Lodge EVENT PLANNING SERVICE planitomaha inc. planitomaha.com 402-333-3062 Events, Inc. FLORIST Taylor’s Flower Shop & Greenhouse taylorsflowers24hours.com 402-733-2322 Janousek Florist & Greenhouses

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Business & Commercial Law l Litigation Estate Planning & Probate l Employment Law Real Estate l Franchise Law

www.akclaw.com

Best of B2B Winner 4 years in a row!

402.392.1250 Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 51

in the office

story by rain sissel • photos by bill sitzmann

LinkedIn’s New Office IS LINKED IN TO EMPLOYEE NEEDS

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“I have been to Chicago, I have been to Dublin, and I have been to corporate, and they really have found the right mix to make it feel like LinkedIn.” KELLI PILGRIM, DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL OPERATIONS

F

OUNDED IN 2002, THE Omaha

LinkedIn office is an eclectic mix of corporate consistency and quirky colloquialism. After years of steady success at their 90th and Western location, LinkedIn expanded last November into an almost-identical building across the parking lot in order to house its 170plus employees.

Walking into the brand new facility, one thing is instantly obvious: the abundance of natural light. “It’s one of those things you take for granted and don’t really realize how meaningful it is,” Kelli Pilgrim, Director of Global Operations, says about the new space.

With a life-size cut-out of Kid Rock at one end of the office and a Star Wars-themed tech area complete with a Chewbacca light at the other, the new LinkedIn office reflects its employees.

“Every site puts their own little flare and personality on things, but pretty much the color scheme and the feel of the office is always the same,” Pilgrim says. “I have been to Chicago, I have been to Dublin, and I have been to corporate, and they really have found the right mix to make it feel like LinkedIn.” Although corporate has achieved the perfect shade of LinkedIn blue for its new office, employees were given a lot of freedom in terms of the creative elements of the new Omaha space. Per employee request, individual rooms and meeting spaces in the new office are organized >

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in the office

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B2B Omaha Magazine • Spring 2014

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<not by numbers and letters but by Clue characters—instead of room 202, employees convene in Colonel Mustard or Miss Scarlet.

The candy bowl is always full, and the cooler is stocked to the brim with juice drinks, soda, and bottled tea. Employees have access to an expansive break room/dining space that offers fresh fruit, a wide variety of lunch options, an espresso machine, and a Coca-Cola Freestyle soda machine. Most lunches at the LinkedIn offices are free and catered, but don’t let that fool you—LinkedIn prioritizes health and ergonomics.

Mark Davis is the facilities manager at LinkedIn and was an essential part of the expansion project. He says he’s grateful for the emphasis on ergonomics and employee comfort so that he can focus on meaningful maintenance issues.

“If somebody requests something, there are no questions asked. If that’s what you think you

“If somebody requests something, there are no questions asked. If that’s what you think you need, we’ll make it happen,” Davis says. “We are really accommodating in terms of ergonomics.”

MARK DAVIS, FACILITIES MANAGER

need, we’ll make it happen,” Davis says. “We are really accommodating in terms of ergonomics.”

All desks in the LinkedIn office are adjustable via a small crank and equipped with a personal filing cabinet and rolling pod that can be used as a seat for quick meetings. The new office also offers private, spacious restrooms for women who are pregnant or nursing, as well as employee showers, a fitness center, and free Zumba classes.

“We have a really strong health and wellness program at LinkedIn in general. We have a small gym here that the landlord provides, and we have discounts to local gyms nearby. That way, if people just want to run over by Westroads and come back, they have a place to freshen up,” Pilgrim says.

LinkedIn also offers a Bring Your Parents to Work Day along with the traditional Bring Your Kids to Work Day so employees can better integrate their families into their work routine. For employees who have children, the snow day policy is especially helpful—all work can be done remotely, so there’s no shuffling the kids off to the neighbors while trying to navigate a Nebraska winter. B2B BestOfOmaha.com

Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 55

social media

story by brittany mascio

How Should Your Business

W

USE TWITTER LISTS? HEN APPROACHING TWITTER AS a tool for business, consider

that you can use Twitter lists— curated lists of users relevant to a specific topic—as a resource for closely following conversations of key influencers.

For companies like Phenomblue, a full-service agency using strategy, creative, and technology to connect people and brands, Twitter lists have become a way to both demonstrate an authoritative position as well as bring together credible voices in an industry.

“We maintain Twitter lists as part of an ongoing effort to provide our followers with content that helps make sense of today’s increasingly

entertainment.

Providing families in conflict with a peaceful, dignified, and respectful alternative to the traditional divorce process.

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BestOfOmaha.com

that may already exist.

“Try identifying a profile that would fit into [a] desired list…view the lists that the profile subscribes to and which they’re a member of,” Richling says. “It’s quite possible the profile you’ve chosen is already included in the perfect list for you to follow.”

Users can both create lists and subscribe to others’ lists, so the pressure to aggregate profiles for a list lessens. You could choose to simply follow a few existing lists that cater to your business’ interests instead.

For more on Twitter Lists, read the Twitter Help Center post on Lists. B2B

Divorce with Dignity

business.

health.

fragmented marketing landscape,” says Kate Richling, Vice President of Marketing at Phenomblue.

Twitter lists keep conversations together, providing convenience and utility for followers. The subjects of lists can vary from industry-related topics to event attendees to previous clients— whichever topic followers can identify with.

When vetting which key influencers to include on a particular list, be mindful to incorporate those who contribute meaningful content relevant to the list’s designated topic. Select users with proficient expertise or those who contribute with valid sources. When searching for profiles to add to a list, reference related Twitter lists

the new

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—Chinese Proverb

Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 57

give

story by meghan townley • photo by bill sitzmann

Strike Zone and MVP4Life TEAM UP AGAINST THE DROP OUT RATE Joe Siwa and Teri Cissel have combined the forces of Strike Zone Omaha and MVP4Life to encourage under-privileged kids with teamwork.

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B2B Omaha Magazine • Spring 2014

“L

EARNING LIFE SKILLS THROUGH

baseball.” This is the tagline for MVP4Life, a new nonprofit organization aimed at keeping Omaha’s youth in school and helping them succeed in life. MVP4Life has joined forces with Strike Zone Omaha to form school programs, camps and clinics, coaches’ clinics, and the Upper Deck League.

OmahaMagazine.com

The goal of MVP4Life is to instill a sense of work ethic and teach kids about the importance of contributing to the community. It’s not just about baseball. It’s about producing a rewarding program that encourages kids to work together.

Joe Siwa and Teri Cissell, partners at Strike Zone Omaha, realized the need for after-school programs in the community. It was Cissell who thought up the idea behind MVP4Life. As the nonprofit’s director, she has been working hard on the program for about a year and a half and says it’s almost ready to launch. “We have it where we want it to be and now want to hit the ground running,” Cissell says.

Over eight weeks, the school program will teach life skills to fifth through eighth graders. The goal is for students to graduate from MVP4Life with a set of essential life skills. “This is a full-circle program,” Siwa says. “Everything is connected with helping these kids become more productive citizens in life. We are giving them that foundation to live upon.”

“We’ve put a lot of thought into this and have really built a strong program,” says Cissell.

Cissell and Siwa have created a complete curriculum based on the HOMERUNS life skills: Handle diversity, Overcome challenges, Make good decisions, Encouragement and leadership, Responsibility and respect, Understand and accept situations, Nurture self-esteem and confidence, and Stay focused on personal goals.

“Research shows that if kids are kept in organized school activities, they do much better in school and in life,” Cissell says. “Douglas County Sheriff’s department did research that determined if we could keep just 10 percent of male students from dropping out of high school, we could save Nebraska taxpayers $65 million per year.”

The nonprofit also includes the Upper Deck League, a competitive league for college players in their offseason. These players mentor youth on how to be successful college athletes, as well as attend a leadership conference in exchange for playing in the Upper Deck League. Siwa stresses the importance of giving back to the community and hopes that these 120 college baseball players are passing on a strong work ethic to the kids.

“Our job is to get these kids involved and teach them how to listen to instruction, take criticism, and gain a work ethic. We want to put a desire into these kids...great things happen when you work hard,” Siwa says.

The program will begin in the Omaha Public Schools and filter out to the rest of the community. B2B BestOfOmaha.com

A big round of applause to the 2014 Best of B2B™ winners!

Save The Date Thursday, May 22, 2014

B2B Omaha magazine looks forward to hosting a private event in your honor at the Omaha Country Club, the site of the record breaking 2013 U.S. Senior Open, for all the 2014 Best of B2B™ winners. Formal invitation to follow.

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omAHA!

story by mandy mowers • photo by bill sitzmann

Justin Cherry (left) and Aaron Martin are selling their disc vending machines to Frisbee golf courses around the nation.

TeeBoxx BRINGS DISC VENDING MACHINES TO FRISBEE PARKS.

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B2B Omaha Magazine • Spring 2014

D

ISC GOLF FANS ARE all over

the board.

“They’re not preppies, hippies, punks,” says Aaron Martin, founder of TeeBoxx.

“That’s something that struck me. You can’t narrow them down to a genre. Age range, too.

From a marketing standpoint, it’s kind of a nightmare, because they’re hard to profile.”

But he’s done well to figure out his market. It helps that prior to co-founding TeeBoxx, a disc golf vending machine company, Martin’s been both a professional disc golfer and in the advertising and marketing industry.

Martin went fulltime as a disc golfer in 2005.

“I spent a lot of years trying to figure out how to grow the sport and problem-solving. And how I could do it full-time and pay the bills, make a living, that sort of thing.” In 2012, Martin met Justin Cherry, who has a business consulting firm and a background in technology.

“I picked up the game right around four years ago,” Cherry says. “And then through playing at

Seymour Smith [Park], I ended up meeting this guy [Martin] because he’s a legend. I caught up with him for some rounds, met him at leagues.

And then me, I’m always trying to think of business ideas. “ Cherry and Martin started bouncing around some business ideas related to disc golf.

According to Martin, the sport has been growing 18 percent every year for the past 20 years in number of courses, players, and purse amounts.

“I think the biggest problem was the availability of equipment,” Martin explains. “Unlike Ultimate Frisbee, where you can go out with one Frisbee and have a great time, with disc golf generally you have multiple discs, so there’s more of a need for the equipment to be available.”

Martin and Cherry registered TeeBoxx in January 2012 and then spent a good year in research and development.

The vending machine needed to be secure, able to stand outdoors, able to fit discs through the vending slot, and small enough that it could OmahaMagazine.com

20537 B2B HalfPg - Kmiecik_Half pg 10/7/13 9:33 AM Page 1

fit in any park. It also needed to be easy to repair, something that any vending machine technician could fix in any town.

“Then it was just hitting connections, getting the sales process down, the script down,” Martin says. “Justin Cherry heads that up on the sales process. One of the best cold callers. He’s really making it happen.”

Martin takes care of the marketing materials.

A third partner, Ross Brandt, is also a professional disc golfer and a city planner. They also put together an advisory committee and sought out seed money.

“We put together our business plans and projections, and we lightly solicited within the industry. We ended up getting privately funded through an individual in Minnesota who solicited us, actually,” Martin says. “Our goal with that was to get our website up and a machine on the ground.”

They now have two TeeBoxx machines up: one at Seymour Smith Park at 72nd and Harrison streets, and the other in Miami, Fla. Five other locations are in the closing stages.

“We’ve got to be at 15 parks before our business is sustainable,” says Martin. “We feel pretty confident we’ll hit that early this year.”

They offer three program tiers, from simple machine installation to course design and installation to a lease and license agreement. So far, TeeBoxx has identified 160 courses with 150 or more disc golfers each day during peak season.

The profits are split; half goes back to the park.

This way, Martin explains, “We fundraise for the parks…and that also helps with getting a fan base and getting support behind it. And that’s been a really good approach so far. It feels like a better company.”

“We really believe in the company, because we love the sport,” says Martin. “We’re part of OEN, Omaha Entrepreneur Network, and I encourage everybody to build their business in such a way that there’s something active in the community that fundraises for the community.”

Martin and Cherry hope to have more investments soon that will allow them to put together a bulk order, saving approximately 70 percent for them and for lessees.

Once TeeBoxx is sustainable, the team plans to branch out into other park-dominant sports.

Skateboarding will be next. They’re already getting requests for baseball and softball.

“In the future I could see a machine for hiking trails or at a tennis court or a basketball court,” says Martin. “I think we’re going to hold the same theme for all of it—the Boxx will be at the back of it.” B2B BestOfOmaha.com

Your vision. Our experience.

Bob Kmiecik 316 . 2 6 8 .7 9 4 3 bkmiecik@stinson.com 1299 Farnam Street Suite 1500 Omaha, NE 68102

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Successful companies are fueled by energy, innovation and talent. Stinson’s attorneys help small-to-large businesses seize opportunities and address challenges, propelling ideas into success stories. Our perspective and experience supports your vision and allows you to channel your creativity into your business objectives. Stinson.com.

The choice of a lawyer is important and should not be based solely on advertisements.

Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 61

the know-it-all

Forget the alternatives ENERGY PRICES WILL ONLY INCREASE

I

T’S INTERESTING TO READ the wide

variety of opinions about the future supply and pricing of energy for Americans. Most seem based on outdated information. Some on utopian hopes and dreams. A few based on reality.

The challenge is to sift through the available facts and opinions, as well as analyze improving technology, to arrive at a conclusion. A conclusion that may help each of us make better purchase decisions. Future prices may well force you to prioritize energy efficiency.

Don’t be misled by those promoting peak oil, wind power, ethanol, bio fuels, and solar electric generation. Peak oil was pushed by a couple of speculators, and hopeful environmentalists jumped on the bandwagon. Horizontal drilling knocked its wheels off.

Wind power requires that fossil fuel power plants remain available to make up for seasonal and even daily fluctuations in wind speed.

Ethanol mandates, as I wrote in my last column, are in reality another farm subsidy, one that taxpayers can ill afford.

Bio fuels have been explored since the 1920s without any sort of affordable result.

Solar electric is a nice idea that has proven to be a boon to subsidized Chinese solar panel

62

B2B Omaha Magazine • Spring 2014

makers. Subsidies that in reality come from United State taxpayers. Utopian dreams.

In the 1950s, the U.S. was an energy exporter.

Then, with the goal of using oil from other countries first and preserving domestic supplies, our focus changed. We became a huge energy importer.

As we’ve learned the hard way, keeping these foreign supplies flowing costs a fortune. Not only in finances but now in American lives.

Right now, oil and gas production in northern and southern states allows the U.S. to again become an energy exporter. We currently export more refined product than is delivered from Middle East suppliers. Europe is quickly shuttering oil refineries because U.S. refining is so efficient; it’s less expensive to purchase products right here. The same is true of diesel products, including jet fuel. China is even purchasing these products here, returning some of our dollars, because we can refine it for less than they can.

Natural gas prices remain low domestically.

This just isn’t going to last. We will see more and more power generation converted to natural gas. Worldwide the appetite for natural gas grows, as it is an affordable and clean-burning fossil fuel. This increased demand will result in a big increase in the number of ships capable of

transporting compressed natural gas worldwide.

We will probably see U.S. gas sold abroad as well.

So don’t count on this period of cheap natural gas lasting. It won’t.

The U.S. export of diesel products will continue as demanded, and profits from these sales will increase. So the spread in retail pricing between gasoline and diesel will probably increase as well. That diesel car you are eyeing needs to get at least 25 percent better mileage to make sense.

Once the Keystone pipeline is built in some acceptable configuration, we will see that oil refined in Houston, then exported to the international market. Relatively cheap Canadian oil, delivered by rail to Midwest refineries, and its resulting discounted gas prices will come to an end. Canadians want a world price for their tar sands oil. They will eventually get it.

My projection is that as the years progress, we will see continued increases in energy costs in the U.S. I’ll be looking for better gas mileage vehicles and better-insulated buildings. B2B Any views and/or opinions expressed in “The Know-It-All” are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of B2B Omaha magazine, or its parent company, and/or its affiliates.

OmahaMagazine.com

402.342.0077 | 222 S. 15th Street | Omaha, NE BestOfOmaha.com

Spring 2014 • B2B Omaha Magazine 63

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