TK Business Magazine - Summer 2015

SUMMER 2015

TK Business Magazine

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Excellence is here.

The lasT Thing you wanT is a hearT condiTion you can’T even pronounce.

BuT if you did have supravenTricular Tachycardia, The firsT Thing To know is our specialisTs TreaT iT righT here.

Supraventricular tachycardia is a condition that affects your heart rate, causing it to unexpectedly speed up. Heart conditions in general can be hard Steven Seals, M.D. Cardiac Electrophysiologist

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TK

Alap Shah, M.D. BusinessCardiac Magazine Electrophysiologist

to diagnose. But Drs. Alap Shah and Steven Seals understand them like few cardiac electrophysiologists in the region. Watch a video to learn more about Dr. Shah and Dr. Seals at stormontvail.org.

SUMMER 2015

CONTENTS

FEATURES ► PG 8

Innovation: Alternative Fuels

AmeriPride Services of Topeka pilots an alternative fuel program. ► PG 12

Made in Topeka

A spotlight on products made in Topeka and the surrounding area.

Pedro Lopez Brands

Innovia Films

Pedal Pad ► PG 24

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Rising from the Ashes

Four local businesses share their stories of overcoming their livelihood going up in flames—literally.

WestSide Stamp & Awards

Pizagels

Top City Soda

HHB BBQ ► PG 34

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Is Your Business Prepared?

Is your company prepared for an unexpected disaster? ► PG 42

IN EVERY ISSUE

Building a Better Community

A community built for biking and walking translates into cash for individuals, taxpayers and businesses. ► PG 48

► PG 54

TK Business Experts

Doug Sterbenz Tim Kolling Social Media and Mobile Technology Sgt. Robert Simmons Companies need to create a strategy to take Lisa Loewen advantage of the power of social media in ► PG 65 the business environment.

Scene About Town Who’s who at local business events. ► PG 70

Last Word: Randy Peterson

TK talks with Stormont-Vail HealthCare CEO Randy Peterson.

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From the publisher Tara Dimick

My niece graduated from high school last month, and family members were asked to share some advice with her as she prepares to enter the next chapter of her life.

So here’s what I told her:

Forgive.

Or as my 2-year-old daughter likes to sing, “Let it go. Let it go.” The ability to forgive starts with accepting that we are all human and flawed, and we hurt each other—knowingly and unknowingly. But forgiving gives you the power and strength to be free of the weight caused by anger and sadness. I’m not saying it's easy, but the sooner you accept the flaws of others, as well as your own flaws, the more likely you are to be free of the constraints that are created when you hold on to the wrong done to you by imperfect humans.

Fail.

Too often the thought of failing keeps us from trying. Failures are stepping stones to progress.

Embrace them and learn from them. Channel Chumbawamba and sing, “I get knocked down, but I get up again, you’re never going to keep me down.”

Fly.

It’s not going to be easy, but you are ready.

Spread your wings and jump—you got this.

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Topeka ENT welcomes Dr. Jason Meyers to our practice.

“Building close relationships with my patients and their families is key for me.”

Topeka Ear Nose & Throat is pleased to introduce you to Dr. Jason Meyers, our newest associate. Dr. Meyers is a native of Moberly, Missouri, and his his two areas of special interest are ear surgery and sinus disease.

We’re proud to say that Dr. Meyers’ desire to join Topeka ENT was driven by our high quality of care and leadership in the Topeka medical community.

Dr. Jason Meyers is currently Chief Resident in Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Minnesota and will be joining Topeka ENT in August.

Breathe easy. We’re on the case.

920 SW LANE ST | SUITE 200 | TOPEKA, KS 66606 | 785-233-0500

www.TopekaENT.com SUMMER 2015

TK Business Magazine

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CHECK OUT WHAT'S ON

magazine.com Check out TKMagazine.com to keep up on business happenings in Topeka. Get expert business advice and up-to-date information on business in Topeka. Send your news releases to tara@tkmagazine.com. Trending now:

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SUMMER 2015

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lisa Loewen CREATIVE DIRECTOR/DESIGNER Janet Faust COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Kyle DeRodes, Flash Forward Photography CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Kyle DeRodes, Flash Forward Photography Shelley Jensen, Shelley Jensen Photography Keith Horinek Megan Rogers, Megan Rogers Photographie Vanessa Sastoque David Vincent CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Melissa Brunner Miranda Ericsson Lisa Loewen Karen Ridder Kathy Webber CONTRIBUTING EXPERTS Tim Kolling Lisa Loewen Sgt. Robert Simmons Doug Sterbenz ADVERTISING SALES Tara Dimick 785.217.4836 tara@tkmagazine.com

FOUNDER ǀ Kevin Doel

NETWORK COMPUTING SOLUTIONS PROMOTES JEFF SCULLY AND BRYCE GARNER

@TKBusinessMag

PUBLISHER Tara Dimick

PUBLISHING COMPANY E2 Communications PO Box 67272 Topeka, KS 66667 785.217.4836

TRENDING

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SUMMER 2015 Contributors

@TK...Topeka's Business Magazine

TK Business Magazine

@TK Business

tkmagazine.com 2015 TK Business Magazine is published by E2 Communications, Inc. Reproduction or use of this publication in any manner without written permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Every effort was made to ensure accuracy of the information in this publication as of press time. The publisher assumes no responsibility of any part for the content of any advertisement in this publication, including any errors and omissions therein. E2 Communications, Inc. makes no endorsement, representation or warranty regarding any goods or services advertised or listed in this publication.

Listings and advertisements are provided by the subject company. E2 Communications, Inc. shall not be responsible or liable for any inaccuracy, omission or infringement of any third party's right therein, or for personal injury or any other damage or injury whatsoever. By placing an order for an advertisement, the advertiser agrees to indemnify the publisher against any claims relating to the advertisement.

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INNOVATION

By Kathy Webber | Photos by David Vincent

ALTERNATIVE FUELS

Gary Newberry, General Manager of AmeriPride Topeka

Technology today allows companies the opportunity to look outside the box and find new and innovative ways to do business. Sometimes those innovations offer additional benefits, like helping the environment.

AmeriPride Services, one of the largest textile rental and supply companies in North America, is one of those companies looking at ways to

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be more environmentally friendly. The company selected the Topeka branch located at 400 SE 1st Street to participate in an alternative fuel pilot program. Over the past year, Topeka’s AmeriPride facility has purchased five ROUSH CleanTech Ford F-59 delivery trucks that run solely on propane autogas (the term used for propane fuel used in on-road vehicles) and installed a private propane autogas

TK Business Magazine

station with a 1,000-gallon tank to service these vehicles.

Propane autogas has several benefits for the environment, but mostly it reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emissions and costs about 50 percent less than gasoline.

According to Banny Allison, AmeriPride’s Fleet Services Manager,

continued on page 10

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continued from page 8 the company has been looking at several ways to reduce its fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions since 2012.

“We came up with a few different alternative fuels that would work for our business model, including compressed natural gas, propane, plug-in electric vehicles and hybrids,” Allison said.

The various alternative fuels work best in different environments.

Gary Newberry, general manager of AmeriPride’s Topeka branch, said Topeka was a great fit for the propane autogas pilot program because of its rural routes.

“Due to our widespread territory with many rural routes, this was a good pilot test market, and I knew my service manager and chief engineer were solid guys that would find a way to make it work despite any challenges that might arise,” Newberry said.

The Topeka facility experienced several challenges during implementation.

One of those was an especially cold winter that created high price hikes for propane.

At one point the company had to park the propane vehicles because it simply was too expensive to run them.

With every new program comes learning and growth, but eventually the

“Propane autogas reduces greenhouse gas emissions and has easy, cost-efficient fueling infrastructure.”

— Banny Allison Fleet Services Manager Ameripride Photo Submitted

propane pilot program proved to be successful.

“Propane autogas reduces greenhouse gas emissions and has easy, cost-efficient fueling infrastructure,” Allison said. “Because of our success in Kansas, we are implementing the same autogas vehicles in the Sacramento and Fresno areas.”

Newberry said he is happy that Topeka could have the opportunity to participate in this alternative fuel pilot program.

On-site propane autogas pump at AmeriPride’s Topeka location.

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“This is the direction our company wants to go,” Newberry said. “Our management and ownership are very committed to reducing our carbon footprint and when we get an opportunity to implement this in the field and have it be successful, we are very excited as well.”

Ben Saukko, spokesman for AmeriPride, said the company is committed to clean operations.

“We strive to be better stewards of the environment and sustainability leaders in TK our industry,” he said.

SUMMER 2015

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SPOTLIGHT ON: Pedro Lopez Brands • Innovia Films • Pedal Pad

By Melissa Brunner Photos by David Vincent

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PEDRO LOPEZ BRANDS It’s one thing to like a particular product. It’s another matter to like it so much that you purchase the company to ensure it will be available when you want it.

That’s pretty much the story of the current incarnation of Pedro Lopez Brands.

“My mom is Mexican. (Growing up), she had a jar with the Pedro label,” recalls Shelley Valdivia, who owns the company with her husband, Rito; her parents, Juanita and Roger Wilson; and sister, Robin Lobb. “We always used it for every taco recipe. She’d make chorizo and eggs for our friends. It’s part of our heritage and our history. It’s just how we cook.”

continued on page 16

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Roger Wilson, Robin Lobb, Shelley Valdivia and Rito Valdivia, owners of Pedro Lopez Brands

TK Business Magazine

Realize your Dream Kitchen

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continued from page 14

Humble Beginnings

The Pedro Lopez name dates back 100 years. Pedro Lopez emigrated from Mexico to Topeka in the early 1900s.

Lopez saved his money to buy a delivery truck, founding the company in 1915 by selling hot peppers in brine. Lopez would gradually expand into a full line of spices, seasonings, sauces and other Mexican food products. Roger Wilson said his wife, Juanita, recalls seeing Lopez in his store when she was a little girl.

The original Lopez family sold the company in the 1970s. It went through

several owners and, by the early 2000s, the products started disappearing from store shelves as the business struggled. At this time, Roger and Rito started formulating an idea to buy the company themselves.

“We had made an offer before (and were turned down), then we heard it was going to the bank,” Rito said.

In Fall 2011, Roger and his family bought Pedro Lopez brands at auction.

The retired Air Force aircraft mechanic was now a business owner.

“I got a business degree from Washburn and didn’t think I’d ever use it for anything, but it’s coming in handy now,” he said with a chuckle.

Sticking with Tradition

Beyond the name, the most valuable item included in the purchase might not look like much to some.

“We inherited this recipe book that was yellowed and had all these handwritten recipes on it. We call it the sacred recipe book,” Roger said.

The book, which has since been converted to digital format, allowed the family to keep to their original goal—to preserve the authentic flavor that is Pedro Lopez. Roger said they spent six months researching the recipes and where to find the ingredients. The blend of 18 spices that makes up their chili powder comes from all over the world. The chili powder, taco seasoning, other spice blends and mole sauce all are produced in a kitchen in an industrial building on Topeka’s near east side.

Mexican chocolate is cooked, poured into hand molds and wrapped by hand.

The special spice blend for chorizo is sent to Fanestil Meats in Emporia to blend for sale. The family usually picks one product a week to produce, cooking five to 10 hours, then moving on to the packaging and distribution process.

“You can smell the chili powder a mile away!” Shelley said.

The family has put in a few modern twists. The original Pedro Lopez spices used to come in brown paper bags.

They’ve now switched to plastic jars with an updated logo. Plus, today’s equipment makes the production process move a bit more easily. But what’s inside has not changed.

“I got a call from a guy in Minnesota who wanted to know if it was the same original recipe,” Roger said. “It’s a lot of satisfaction for us. People tell us all the time they’re glad we brought the product back.”

Balancing Act

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Most of the work is done on evenings and weekends. Even though Juanita and Roger are retired, the others maintain full-time jobs.

“That’s the tricky part,” Robin said.

“Obviously, our full-time jobs come first

because that’s what pays the bills and insurance. It’s a juggling act for sure.”

Together, they make it work. Rito might run their children to baseball practice while Shelley helps in the kitchen.

Robin squeezes in the bookkeeping after her baby is asleep. The grandchildren often get involved, sticking labels on

jars and boxes. As for mom and dad’s retirement?

“We got this far, but we haven’t quite made it all the way yet,” Roger jokes.

And laughter is a big part of what keeps them going.

“We’re all pretty close anyway, we live a half block from each other,” Shelley

said, looking around the kitchen space and adding, “We never thought we’d be this close!”

The company sells its products in grocery and specialty stores around the state—Dillons, HyVee and Price Chopper are among their customers— and through its website, www.pedrolopezbrand.com.

They also supply the seasonings for the annual Fiesta Mexicana food. The family says they’re perfectly content to be a small, family business.

“For us, it’s gratifying to see another way that we can stay together as a family and do things together,” Roger said.

“Probably not every family could pull this off. We have a good time down here.” u

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innovia films Next time you unwrap a piece of candy or slice of cheese, you’re getting a taste of a unique industrial product made close to home.

The Innovia Films plant in Tecumseh is the only cellulose manufacturing plant remaining in the Americas. Not so long ago, its future, too, was threatened. But a collaborative state and local incentive effort, plus upgrades to adapt to demand for renewable and sustainable packaging alternatives, combined to keep the facility not only viable, but thriving.

Unique Product, Unique Process

Patricia Potts, global communications manager for Innovia, which is based in England, said the Tecumseh plant manufactures cellulose films from wood pulp. The process involves breaking down the pulp into a viscous liquid, which is then repeatedly filtered to maximize film quality. The end result are products sold under the brand names Cellophane and NatureFlex.

Historically, Potts said, cellulose films were the only transparent packaging available. The development of polymer

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films led many cellulose plants to close, leaving Tecumseh the lone plant standing on this continent. However, Potts said attributes such as twistability, cutability, anti-static and varying degrees of moisture permeability continue to give it a niche market. In addition to candy and cheese wrappings, the Cellophane brand is used for packaging food condiments and pharmaceuticals, microwavable products, static-free easy-tear adhesive tapes and battery separators.

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Products for the Planet

Innovia’s other brand of cellulose films, NatureFlex, was developed with the environment in mind.

“The NatureFlex range is at the forefront of developments in renewable, compostable and sustainable packaging and is the most fundamental advancement in cellulose films for 40 years,” Potts said.

Potts said NatureFlex is certified biodegradable and is suitable for both industrial and home composting. The films will break down in home compost bins, in water and sewage environments and if dropped as litter. The product is said to biodegrade in under six weeks.

Potts said the plant underwent upgrades and its workforce received additional skills training in order to add the NatureFlex line at the American facility.

Choosing Topeka

Of course, those upgrades came only after a 2005 scramble by state and local leaders to convince Innovia that the Topeka area was where the company needed to stay.

Innovia, which acquired UCB Films, was reviewing its costs and wanted to close one of its three plants—the other two facilities were in England. State and local entities compiled a roughly $2 million incentive package; and the company noted the value of having the lone cellulose manufacturer in North America.

“The centralized location makes it ideal for shipping throughout the U.S.,” Potts said.

In addition, the company says it could not put a price on the workforce, which remained committed throughout the discussions. The Tecumseh facility currently has 185 employees and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“I think the benefits of this location are the employees,” said Mike Basore, plant manager. “The employees are engaged and dedicated to improving the plant which makes Tecumseh a great place to work.”

Today, the plant supplies not only Innovia’s customers in u the Americas, but also Australia and Asia.

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PEDAL PAD If necessity is the mother of all invention, then Michael Stratton is an ideal father: nurturing his idea through infancy; allowing it to spread its wings in adolescence; and helping it find its way into adulthood.

The musician and entrepreneur founded MKS Professional Stage Products, which makes and distributes a product called Pedal Pad to some of the top musicians worldwide.

“I’ve always had a strong desire to work for myself, and I’ve always been fascinated with production and the process of developing something unique and taking it to market,” Stratton said.

continued on page 23

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Fish, for a compliment.

For eight years, Rowhouse owner, Greg Fox and crew, have been dishing up a dining experience thatts truly one of a kind. e ever-evolving tasting menu ensures that every time you visit, it will be like meeting for the rst time.

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TK Business Magazine

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continued from page 20

Infancy

Stratton’s love for music ultimately led him down the manufacturing path.

Stratton played electric guitar and, like many electric guitarists, had various effects pedals to produce different sounds, each with its own controls, cords and connectors.

“I’d get off work on a Friday and I’d have to pull all these things out of a duffel bag and started plugging them in, and it would take forever,” Stratton said.

The idea for the Pedal Pad was born.

It’s essentially a box that keeps pedals and corresponding gear organized and connected.

“It was the necessity side of it,” Stratton said. “As I started to develop it and use it, I’d make refinements. It’s all about picturing it in your head and mulling it over, so when it gets to the point you finally build, it’s pretty well worked out.”

Stratton says he came up with the design and worked with bandmate Les Goering to refine ideas for the fixtures that allow for a seamless manufacturing process. Stratton’s south Topeka shop is outfitted with tools and templates. Saws are dedicated to specific steps of the process, so settings never have to change.

The same goes for router bits and other tools used in the process. Guides tell him exactly how to cut the vinyl for the box covering so there’s no guessing and no waste. Every step is done by hand—no mass production. Stratton also uses local goods and services as much as possible.

He says he’s changed from importing metal work from China to having it done through North Topeka Fabrications.

Custom Cabinet and Racks does the powder coating on the panels.

Adolescence

With the idea and the process ready to go, Stratton set about marketing his product to fellow musicians in 2001.

Two things helped him along that path.

First, Stratton secured a patent on a design feature for a two-tier pedal box for musicians who want to include a pedal too long for a single tier.

Then, not long after he started production, Guitar Player magazine profiled four companies making these types of boxes. His product rated five guitar picks out of five, the first time the magazine ever gave a product a perfect rating.

Word spread. Kerry Livgren and Rich Williams of the band, Kansas, started using the product. So did David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. John Fogerty had one, too, along with others about whom Stratton would hear from shop owners.

“They (the artists) don’t actually call me,” he said. “I did have an interesting conversation with Dweezil Zappa on the phone one time, though.”

As demand picked up, Stratton also was branching into distributing musicrelated electronic components for a company out of Hong Kong. That’s when he entered into a partnership with the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex.

As part of an educational component at the facility, the young people in detention became subcontractors, of sorts, for Stratton’s company, producing and packaging his Pedal Pads.

Stratton said it was a perfect pairing, allowing him to devote time to both aspects of his business, and giving the young people experience in a trade to which they could relate.

“They always really liked the fact that they were building rock and roll gear, and they did a great job,” he said.

Adulthood

But, as it does, life happens. Two years ago funding for the KJCC program was cut. Around the same time, the electronics company with whom Stratton worked lost a trademark dispute. So, it was back to Pedal Pads full time—in an industry that had changed.

“There’s a lot more competition now,” Stratton said.

Stratton’s patent continues to give him a leg up on the competition. Plus, he’s revisited the aesthetics of the product, allowing customers to customize their exterior look and various inputs. Ed Hemberger, the teacher who worked with the young people at KJCC, has retired and now volunteers to help Stratton at his shop. Stratton also enlisted the help of Gary Piland to redesign his website (www.pedalpad.com).

“I’ve always looked at it as a manufacturing opportunity,” Stratton said. “Manufacturing is my job and, hopefully, someday sales will be a bigger part than just me working on it.”

He’s already seeing signs of a new generation of customers. He says John Mayer’s rhythm guitar player uses a Pedal Pad and, when Justin Timberlake performed on Saturday Night Live recently, he saw his logo on the boxes at the feet of both the guitar and bass players.

“It is a thrill,” Stratton said.

Stratton calls this a “rebirth period” for his business. He says he’ll spend about 40 hours a week in the shop, often with Hemberger’s help, making a big pile of sawdust to construct the boxes before moving on to fabric, hardware and finishing work. They can turn out about six boxes a day, if pushed. Stratton says he does email and web work at home, usually corresponding with guitar players to answer their questions. All the while, the gears in his head are turning about how to keep his product ahead of the rest.

“I’ll probably always make changes,” he said, “unless I get a real job!”

TK

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Rising from the Ashes

By Lisa Loewen

Photos by Kyle DeRodes Imagine the phone ringing in the wee hours of the morning; the voice on the other end telling you the unconceivable has happened. Envision the barrage of thoughts racing through your head as you learn your hopes, dreams and livelihood are going up in flames—literally.

For most of us that scenario only plays out in bad dreams.

But for four Topeka businesses, that nightmare proved all too real.

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“We knew we were coming back.

It was just a matter of how.”

— Barbara Butts WestSide Stamp & Awards Owner

Dreams up in smoke

WestSide Stamp & Awards

For David and Barbara Butts, Oct. 21, 2013, had been a normal Monday at WestSide Stamp & Awards. They had finished up some last minute projects, turned off the equipment, locked the doors and were back at home ready to call it a night, when the telephone rang. It was the security company calling to report that the smoke detector was going off in the store; the fire department had already been dispatched.

David assumed it was a false alarm, so he told Barbara to go to bed while he took care of the situation. Barbara said her heart sank when the phone rang again a short while later.

“It really is a fire,” David’s voice reported from the other end of the line.

“And it isn’t good.”

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The blaze, which started as a result of faulty wiring in the ceiling, destroyed the production area and the entire west half of the building. The heat melted equipment, and the smoke and water damage pretty much ruined anything that might have been salvageable.

Sifting through the embers

In the immediate aftermath of the devastation, David and Barbara say they never once entertained the idea of calling it quits.

“We knew we were coming back,” Barbara said. “It was just a matter of how.”

The logistical planning of figuring how they could keep the business open had begun while smoke still billowed

TK Business Magazine

from the building. David’s job was to find a temporary place to set up operations while the building was out of commission.

Barbara was responsible for taking care of the back end. She called the insurance company, bank, vendors, suppliers, and friends and family.

And support poured in. Their laser technician made a few phone calls— within a week they had a new laser. The Chamber of Commerce helped them get temporary office equipment and Dynamic Computer Solutions worked nights to get their computer system up and running as quickly as possible.

When David mentioned they needed people to help move stored inventory out of the basement of the building and into

storage units, members of Christ Lutheran Church rose to the call.

“That Sunday we had more than 20 people show up with trucks and trailers to help us,” David said with tears in his eyes as he recalled the overwhelming support of the community.

Within two weeks from the date of the fire, WestSide Stamp & Awards was able to provide limited production in a temporary facility. Partnerships with local competitors allowed David and Barbara to complete outstanding jobs and keep production rolling.

“People hung with us,” Barbara said. “They were so patient with us and wanted to help us. In fact, many of them wanted to give us business before we were really ready for it.”

A fresh start

While the business was operating out of its temporary location, the old building was taking shape. Having stripped the building down to its studs, David and Barbara now had the opportunity to design the new space to better meet their needs. They were able to save two of their lasers, and with the purchase of both new and used equipment, they ended up with more machines than they had before the fire.

Barbara says that while they were adequately insured for the building and loss of income, they didn’t have adequate coverage for their inventory (thankfully they hadn’t lost any of that in the fire). However, all of their customer accounts, computer files and business records were lost.

“We now have offsite data storage,” Barbara said. “We learned that lesson the hard way.”

In June of 2014, eight months after the fire, WestSide Stamp & Awards once more opened its doors at 2030 SW Fairlawn. The freshly painted walls and redesigned workspace have all but erased the evidence of the blaze, but David and Barbara will never forget.

“Surviving a fire was never on our bucket list,” Barbara said. “But we did it.” u

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“You never think it will happen to you.”

— Jim Burgardt Pizagels Owner

Pizagels A smoldering vision

A small fire can sometimes do almost as much damage as a large one. Just ask Jim and Shanna Burgardt, owners of Pizagels. When Jim arrived at the pizza and bakery café at 5:30 a.m. on Aug. 11, 2014, he could see flames coming out of the roof. Failure of an electrical branch circuit in the ceiling, which had likely been smoldering all night, ignited when the baker turned on the exhaust system early that morning. Fire quickly spread up through the ceiling and kindled the roof.

The fire department soon had the blaze under control, and according to Jim, the damage didn’t look too extensive.

“I figured we would clean up and get going again right away,” he said.

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He soon learned otherwise. While the fire hadn’t caused too much damage to the inside of the building, the smoke and water had taken its toll. Once the inspectors had gone through the structure, it was obvious renovations would be much more extensive than they originally thought.

Fanning the flames

Because Jim had loss of income insurance in place, he was able to keep his store manager, Mary Blair, and his baker, Donny Williams, on staff. However, when it became apparent that repairs would take longer than expected, Jim says he knew there wouldn’t be enough money to pay the bills. In stepped Advisors Excel.

Jim was already running a small salad and sandwich bar at the Advisors Excel building. When the owners learned of his situation, they offered him a job to give him some extra cash flow.

“They were awesome to let me work for them part time while the renovations were taking place,” Jim said. “That really made handling everything easier.”

Jim and Shanna took advantage of the store being closed to renovate areas of the building that hadn’t been damaged by the fire, but were in need of updating. They put in accessible bathrooms and repaired the parking lot—both hard to accomplish with customers coming and going.

While Jim says he was adequately insured, what he hadn’t taken into account was the timeframe it would take to get the store up and running again.

“I should have had plenty of insurance to cover loss of income,” Jim said. “But the money ran out in December.”

In hindsight, Jim says he should have had a disaster plan in place to use as a guide. He also would have put together a timeline for each portion of the construction with contracts that specified completion dates to ensure the project conclusion coincided with the cash flow.

“You never think this will happen to you,” Jim said.

Pizagels began serving its pizza and sandwiches again to a crowd lined up out the door on March 30. Jim says he is overwhelmed at how supportive the Topeka community has been.

“Everyone has been so fabulous to us,” he said. “We are definitely the ‘mom and pop’ of this town.” u

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“It took my breath away. It was just gone—no building left.”

— Scott May Top City Soda Pop Owner

Brian Adams and Scott May, co-owners

Top City Soda Pop One fire—two casualties

The lights from multiple fire trucks and safety vehicles lit up Kansas Avenue in the early morning hours of Jan. 2, 2015. The owners of Top City Soda Pop and HHB BBQ watched helplessly as their livelihoods appeared to be disintegrating to ash right before their eyes. The building at 720 S. Kansas, which housed both businesses, was engulfed in flames.

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Top City Soda Pop owners Scott May and Brian Adams say they didn’t think the damage was too bad at first because the front of the building looked okay. However, when they went around back, the truth became clear.

“It took my breath away,” Scott said. “It was just gone—no building left.”

The fire destroyed everything—all of their equipment, bottling mechanism and inventory. Exploding kegs of root beer had left a sticky film everywhere, making cleanup next to impossible.

Burning entrepreneurial spirit

For a company that had only been in business for a year, it would have been easy to say “oh well” and call it quits. Brian and Scott, however, had other ideas.

“We had started from scratch before,” Brian said. “We knew we could do it again.”

“But we aren’t starting from zero,” Scott added. “We already know what works and what doesn’t so we will be relaunching from a great place.”

The company, which makes its own line of soda pop, needed a new location that could handle its custom-built bottling equipment as well as provide easy access for delivery trucks. As fate would have it, the same day the fire occurred, Brian received a phone call from a former high school classmate who said he thought he might have the ideal space for them out at Forbes field.

Now in the process of building their new bottling system and outfitting their office space, Scott and Brian say they plan to begin production this summer. Top City Soda Pop sells its craft root beer and crème soda through retail partners around the Topeka area. The community support has been so explosive that the partners say their biggest challenge might be producing soda fast enough to keep up with demand.

“Once we are back, our numbers of retailers will probably double,” Scott said. “In a lot of ways this fire could be the best thing that ever happened to us.”

Their relationship with the owners of HHB BBQ, who also lost everything in the fire, will help Top City Soda Pop maintain a downtown presence even though their offices have moved. Once HHB BBQ reopens, it will offer Top City root beer on tap.

“We’ve been through hell together,” Brian said with a laugh. “It’s a friendship forged in fire." u

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“All I could think of was ‘everything is gone.

That’s our livelihood. That’s our everything.’”

— Kim Moege HHB BBQ Owner Trial by fire

HHB BBQ

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Eddie and Kim Moege, owners of HHB BBQ, first learned their business had gone up in flames from the morning news. Eddie was going in to work at 5:30 a.m. to put the tables and chairs back into place after having had some work done on the floors; Kim was supposed to be sleeping in for a change. After watching the morning news, Eddie came back into the bedroom and said, “Something big is going on downtown. You have to get up.”

When they pulled up to their building on Kansas Avenue, they saw smoke billowing out of the windows and firemen rushing everywhere. Fearing the worst, they ran to the back of the building to check on their food trailer and smokers, but firemen blocked their path and told them to stay out of the way.

“But this is our building,” Eddie replied.

Fortunately the firemen had already pulled the smokers away from the building. But the chaos of firemen yelling at them to stay back, and watching helplessly as the building burned, took an emotional toll.

As Kim recalls the events of that morning, tears fill her eyes. The emotion is still raw, even now.

“All I could think of was ‘everything is gone. That’s our livelihood. That’s our everything.”’ Kim said.

Once the fire was contained, the damage was staggering. Eddie and Kim didn’t even try to salvage anything because they knew they would never be able to get the smoke smell out of it.

“It was easier just to count it a total loss,” Kim said.

The first thought that came to mind was ‘what now?’ Kim said they never even considered closing the business.

“We love doing this,” she said. “We’ve worked for other people our whole lives and this is our time to do what we want.”

Picking up the charred pieces

Eddie and Kim learned the hard way that they were under insured. Ironically, only two weeks earlier they had discussed whether they needed loss of income insurance—not in case of a disaster, but because of the construction on Kansas Avenue.

Because they weren’t losing money as a result of the construction, they opted to forgo the additional insurance.

They have since tripled their insurance coverage, including the addition of loss of income insurance.

“We won’t be in the same predicament if something like this happens again,” Kim said.

Smokin’ again

HHB BBQ had to find a new location for their “joint” but they had no intention of looking anywhere other than downtown. Even though at first glance it looks like there are plenty of available spaces, Kim said finding a place wasn’t that simple. Many of the open spaces either require too much renovation or the owners already have other plans for those locations.

Eddie and Kim had talked with Architect One more than a year ago about leasing space at 906 S. Kansas Ave., but weren’t ready to make a move at that time.

This disaster helped push them to make that leap into the bigger space.

Kim says community support played a huge role in their decision on where to reopen. The day of the fire, friends, family, customers and fellow downtown businesses were there to lend their support. Within a week they had a GoFundMe page set up by Skin Art Tattoo Emporium to raise funds to help defray expenses not covered by insurance. Both

DTI and the Chamber also stepped in and offered their support.

Other downtown businesses helped raise money and hundreds of people came out in support of the “Beyond the Blaze” fundraiser to help raise funds for both HHB BBQ and Top City Soda Pop. “That was one of the reasons we wanted to stay downtown,” Kim said. “We didn’t want to leave these people who have been so supportive of us.”

HHB BBQ plans to be serving its smoked meats and root beer floats at its new location at 907 S. Kansas Ave. by the end of May. For many business owners, watching your dreams go up in smoke might seem like the end of the world. But these resilient Topeka business owners turned tragedy into opportunity. They rose from the ashes stronger, smarter and even more determined to watch their dreams TK become reality.

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Is Your Business Prepared?

By Karen Ridder Photos by David Vincent

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"Continuity planning is an area that people just don't focus on because it's about having to sit down and think about the worst possibilities."

— Brian Dennis Certified Continuity Planner Kansas Small Business Development Center

Business Continuity It is one of the most important tools for a successful small business, but most owners are too busy working to consider it. Disaster planning can mean the difference between surviving a calamity and having to shutter the doors forever.

According to the Small Business Administration, an estimated 25 percent of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster.

“It’s my belief that most people have so much on their plate when they own their own business that they just don’t have the time,” said Brian Dennis, certified continuity planner with the Kansas Small Business Development Center. “Their time is sucked up into all the other things you need to do when you are trying to make your business profitable.”

Continuity refers to the ability to continue to conduct business despite a major incident. Dennis understands first hand the importance of disaster planning.

He was the owner of a chain of coffee shops in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck. At the time, Dennis had 250 employees in three-dozen shops.

Because he had a disaster plan in place, his businesses were up and running in less

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than a week. Now, Dennis shares what he learned from that experience with other entrepreneurs.

A good continuity plan looks different for every business. For a restaurant, it could be finding a way to keep your wait staff busy if a disaster happens. For a service business, it could mean making sure your business networks are not susceptible to cyber attacks. For others, it could be simply identifying alternative office space or building a relationship with the right security and cleanup companies to protect your inventory if a major storm damages your building.

Dennis says the small business community generally does not put that much effort into continuity planning because they are too caught up in the here and now.

“That’s an area that people just don’t focus on because it’s about having to sit down and think about the worst possibilities,” Dennis said.

While Dennis offers services to help businesses make continuity plans, he has some tips all small business owners should begin to think about.

TK Business Magazine

Start with insurance

Make sure your policy doesn’t have any holes. If it’s important to you to ensure that payroll can be met to keep employees, then consider how long you might need that coverage in place. That kind of insurance will cost more but will save you from having to find and hire new staff once you are up and running again.

Find strategic partnerships

Business owners should think of creative ways to continue to deliver services or goods in the event of a disaster. Strategic partnerships with similar businesses may make sense. For instance, a restaurant might want to make a deal with another restaurant for servers to be able to take shifts in the event of an emergency. Think about back up office space. Or, if your business relies on a unique piece of equipment, find a competitor who would make a reciprocal agreement for using that equipment so you can fill your customers’ needs when your main space is unavailable.

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Disaster Recovery continued from page 36

Kevin Nocktonick Owner of ServiceMaster Cleaning Services

When a natural disaster hits, a call to a cleanup company is a smart choice. Companies such as ServiceMaster Cleaning Services can help businesses hit by disasters like smoke, fire and water damage. Owner Kevin Nocktonick says water is the biggest physical problem businesses are likely to encounter. When a pipe breaks or bursts, it can quickly become a big disaster. ServiceMaster can assess, secure and, if necessary, remove and store salvageable business assets.

“Our first goal is to never have a business shut down if at all possible,” Nocktonick said.

He says a contingency plan made in advance limits business disruption and

the severity of any service break. However, most businesses are not prepared.

“Most think it could or would never happen for them. Those that had planned for it were repaid countless times over by not only saving lives, but the property and, in many cases, their business,” Nocktonick said.

A good contingency plan includes educating employees and having practice drills for emergency situations.

“We’ve seen situations where this happens to a business and they struggle for months on end,” Nocktonick said.

“Other businesses that have a plan, the employees know what to do. When it does happen, they immediately go to the point of contact they are assigned to.”

Physical Security Physical security monitoring can be another first step toward preventing a disaster and is often a smart part of a good continuity plan. Frank Padilla, recently retired sergeant in the Criminal Investigations Division of the Topeka Police Department and now owner of Guardian Security, says companies such as his can help with front line security in the event of a disaster. If a building is compromised, they will help make sure no one comes in to take advantage of the situation.

“Unfortunately, we know that sometimes people prey on businesses that aren’t secure,” Padilla said.

A security presence during off hours can help prevent not only a break-in or theft, but also a fire or other incident.

An often-overlooked role of a security company is to help companies

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Frank Padilla Owner of Guardian Security deal with terminated employees. That includes escorting a terminated employee from the building in order to safeguard against any incidents.

TK Business Magazine

“Security is an important part of any business, especially when you have workplace violence issues,” Padilla said.

Padilla recommends businesses also consider Crime Prevention through Environmental Design concepts to develop strategies for preventing crime.

Things like general upkeep, making sure bushes are trimmed and lighting is adequate can help prevent theft disasters. An assessment of walkways and signage can also help. Padilla says many companies do not think to put physical security in their continuity plans.

“A lot of people don’t think of this until it’s too late or in the 11th hour. It’s nice to think about security because you don’t want to be scrambling through the yellow pages when the time comes,” Padilla said.

Information System Contingency Not all data backup systems are the same, and many small businesses are unprepared for the kind of disaster that can hit when a server goes down.

Jim Driggers, president of Network Technologies of Kansas, Inc. recommends that businesses incorporate both on-site and off-site data back up. On-site backup is quickest to restore, but off-site is good when equipment is destroyed or your server gets a virus.

“We hope you never ever need to use the back-up and have a catastrophic event, but it happens every day,” Driggers said.

Data backup is more complicated than simply “putting it in the cloud.”

Driggers suggests small business owners

consider image backups because they are easier to restore than the file-to-file back ups that many companies currently use.

“That’s old technology. They don’t

Jim Driggers, President Network Technologies of Kansas

realize until they need it that it is a long hard process to restore a full server,” Driggers said.

For on-site backup, Driggers says the standard is to have data automatically backed up every 15 minutes. Cartridge back-up systems in the servers of clients should be swapped out five days a week.

Data should also be stored off-site and encrypted with a long-term retention of at least seven years.

Driggers says random quality checks on backups are critical. Even the best back-up systems cannot tell if a file is corrupted. While off-site data storage isn’t free, it could pay off in the long run.

“It’s the best money you’ll ever spend,” Driggers said.

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continued on page 40

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continued from page 39 AOS Security Architect Mike Palitto says cyber attacks are the biggest security threat to small businesses.

A cyber attack can quickly take a company down and possibly open an owner up to big liabilities for not storing information securely. All companies that use computers are at risk today.

“It’s not about if you will be compromised, but when you will be compromised,” Palitto said. “You will be compromised, either by target or happenstance,” Small businesses owners should consider two important considerations in cyber security. The first is doing businesses with larger corporations.

“When you do business with a bigger customer, you will be held to some standards to defend your network,” Palitto said.

Consider the 2013 hack of the discount chain Target. Millions of customer credit card numbers were exposed through the work of a vendor HVAC company. Even though it was the

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Cyber Incident Response HVAC company that had the inadequate cyber security system, Target was found liable in a class action lawsuit. That means many small business owners may now find themselves having to prove the

TK Business Magazine

security of their computer systems before getting that contract with big business.

The second changing element of cyber security is the increase of smaller scale cyber attacks. Target had millions of customers’ data to attack, but trends show that data is being leaked in smaller amounts. That makes smaller breaches— like those that can affect a small business— potential moneymakers for hackers.

Businesses that are not required by law to secure information have generally been less vigilant and find themselves vulnerable to cryptolocker software.

In these cases a hacker basically “holds hostage” the company’s information and demands a ransom to give it back. Cyber security defense and remediation has become so sophisticated, Palitto advises business owners to rely on a managed security advisor to protect their computer systems.

“It’s about identifying the threat, and putting protections and response in place TK to recover fully,” Palitto said.

4

Review Existing Documents Validate/Prioritize Mission Critical Business Functions Perform Risk Assessment RISK & BUSINESS Conduct Business Impact Analysis IMPACT ANALYSIS Analyze Alternative Solutions Present Findings and Recommendations

Phase 1

Crisis Management, Command Center e h Disaster Recovery, Hot Site T Phase 2 f Business Resumption o BUSINESS CONTINUITY High Availability s e PLAN DEVELOPMENT Plan Monitoring Strategy s a h y P c n e g n i Create Enterprise Testing Strategy t n Prepare for Plan Tests Co g • Test Scenarios n Phase 3 i n • Test Cases n TESTING OF BUSINESS Pla Execute Plan Tests CONTINUITY PLANS Revise Plans as Needed

Productivity Phase 4 COST OF DOWNTIME Damaged Reputation

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By Miranda Ericsson Photos by Vanessa Sastoque

BUILDING A BET COMMUNITY 42

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Complete Street found on 17th Street between Washburn & MacVicar

“Increasing transportation choices is a key pillar of any successful community.”

— Bill Fiander City of Topeka Planning Director Everyone who lives in Topeka uses our transportation system to get where they need to go. Everyone.

Our streets are set up to serve automobile traffic; it isn’t always easy to get around town by other means. Many of our city’s sidewalks are damaged or missing altogether, and our roadways don’t provide a safe lane for bike traffic.

However, recent initiatives by the City of Topeka and area advocacy groups are making it easier for Topekans to ride a bike or walk to their destination—and that’s good for business.

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It’s obvious why biking and walking are good for a person’s health, but it’s not quite as clear why it’s so good for our local economy. Simply put, every benefit of biking and walking translate into cash for individuals, taxpayers and businesses.

Lowering Health Care Costs

For starters, obesity is expensive. In 2012, a Gallup study ranked Topeka as eighth in a list of the most obese cities in the U.S. The annual cost of obesity for the Topeka metro area was projected at

TK Business Magazine

more than $100,000,000. Ralph Krumins, the development director of the Topeka Bikeways Advisory Committee and managing director of investments at Krumins McGee Financial Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, says bike riding and walking are among the cheapest

continued on page 46

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SUMMER 2015

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continued from page 44 and easiest activities to increase physical activity.

“Study after study shows that physical activity is directly correlated to lower health care costs,” Krumins said.

And lower health care costs mean money saved on insurance and out of pocket expenses. Healthier buyers are also wealthier buyers—you have more money to spend when you aren’t dumping your paycheck into health bills.

Increasing Transportation Choices

Roads are expensive, too. Very expensive. Eleanor Blue, the author of Bikenomics: How Bicycling Can Save the Economy, says roads built for cars are the most expensive and most heavily subsidized infrastructure in which our cities invest.

“We can actually save money by investing in things that make it more convenient and safer to drive less,” Blue said.

Blue advocates for Complete Streets, a national movement that encourages transportation networks to support all of the ways people get from one place to

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another. She says Complete Streets make better use of our streets for more people.

“The public right of way should offer reasonable options for people to get around,” Blue said. “Incomplete streets are much more expensive and wasteful.”

Bill Fiander, planning director for the City of Topeka, agrees.

“Increasing transportation choices is a key pillar of any successful community,” Fiander said.

Increasing Capacity of Existing Roads

Repair and expansion of existing roads is funded by taxes, and the costs are immense.

“We all pay if we spread the roads out,” Fiander said. “We’re less dependent on tax-driven expansion if we get on-board with Complete Streets.”

Increasing bike traffic means gets more use out of the roads we have already paid for, with a lot less wear.

“We could have more activity and more buyers on the road,” Fiander said. “Each bike that takes the place of

TK Business Magazine

a car on the road increases the capacity of that road. It opens the roadway for more cars, without having to expand the infrastructure.”

Saving that Encourages Spending

Karl Fundenberger, director of bicycle operations at Topeka Metro, says helping cyclists get where they need to go supports area businesses.

“Any time you see a bike locked up at a business— restaurant, office, or store—that means someone is inside spending money,” Fundenberger said.

He adds that cyclists save money on gas and upkeep of a vehicle, and that money goes into more purchases.

Studies show that cyclists spend more money on groceries and staples overall than consumers that arrive in cars. Krumins notes that because cyclists travel at a slower pace, they’re also more likely to notice businesses on their route than passing cars. So, more bikes on the road mean more money for businesses.

“Businesses on bike routes make more sales after bike infrastructure is added,” Krumins said. “This is borne out by measuring sales taxes before and after improvements.”

Completing the Community

More bicyclists and pedestrians in the mix give additional room for parking, and that means more customers can access businesses in a given area. So improving bike and pedestrian infrastructure leads to growth from within, instead of physical expansion and sprawl.

Andy Fry, co-chair of Heartland Healthy Neighborhood’s Complete Streets Workgroup says Complete Streets could also be called complete communities because the focus is on creating safe and connected paths that lead from neighborhoods to shopping districts, workplaces and other popular destinations. People who can get around easily in their neighborhoods might be more likely to explore a new restaurant or a local business.

“Individuals will have full access to their community,” Fry said. “And potential savings in transportation could translate to surplus income to spend in local establishments.”

Attracting and Retaining People

Carlton Scroggins, transportation planning manager for the City of Topeka, says communities with a transportation system that serves everyone are much more appealing to tourists, and people considering relocating.

“This appeal will give Topeka the potential of growing through in-migration and retention,” Scroggins said.

“Creating a walking environment in a city rich with tourist attractions will inevitably have a positive effect on the local economy.”

Investing in Complete Streets means investing in Topeka’s citizens. Fundenberger notes this could make people feel more valued by their community.

“Having a diverse array of transportation options is the sign of a mature community,” he said, “one that appreciates the autonomy of its citizens and the value of their time.”

And when people feel that they are important and respected, they feel more pride in their community—and TK that’s good for business, too.

Topeka Metro Bikes Topeka Metro Bikes give people in Topeka more transportation options to use for commuting to work, shopping or just for fun.

Here’s how it works:

RESERVE

Find and reserve a bike using the mobile app at Topeka.socialbicycles.com.

RELEASE

Enter your 4-digit PIN code to unlock the bike. When not riding, press the “HOLD” button and lock the bike to a rack.

To resume riding, enter your 4-digit PIN again.

RIDE

If you have a problem with the bike while you are riding it, press the “REPAIR” button and then lock the bike to a rack.

RETURN

To end your trip, lock the bike in a rack at a hub location.

For more information about hub locations and rules, visit topekametrobikes.org

Topeka Community Cycle Project Topeka Community Cycle Project is also working to get more Topekans on bikes and to help them feel safe on the road.

“We’re happy to help individuals who don’t have the means to obtain a bicycle through conventional ways,” TCCP President Kasey Clark said, “or the cyclist that’s already on the road and wants to learn how to be a safer rider.”

The Topeka Community Cycle Project doesn’t just give bikes away— its Earn a Bike program allows volunteers to work for their wheels at the TCCP shop, where they learn to repair bicycles hands-on.

That means they’ll know how to care for their bikes after they take them home and use those bikes to support our local economy through better health, reduced wear on infrastructure and more local purchases.

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SOCIAL MEDIA AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

By Dr. Pamela J. Schmidt In the book “Built to Change,” Edward E. Lawler and Christopher G. Worley (2008) outline a strategy for companies to survive and thrive in the global economy. They stress that organizations need to stimulate and facilitate change to handle accelerated change in the business environment. In particular, they urge companies to: • Keep in touch with their environment.

• Learn about new practices and technologies.

• Reward experimentation.

To assist entrepreneurs and companies in reaching new customers, this article suggests ways to benefit from current technology-related trends in social media and mobile computing.

DIGITAL NATIVES First, get to know Generation Y (i.e.

Millennials, who were born between the early 1980s and 1999) and Generation Z (born between late 1990s to date).

Gen Z are considered ‘digital natives’ who literally grew up with the Internet, computers and email as their consent companions. Not just heavy users of technology, they experience technology as a natural extension of themselves.

These two groups already make up a sizable portion of the consumer base of today and tomorrow. Businesses need to

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communicate directly to them and attract them as customers.

These digital natives are best reached through a changing array of social media that currently includes: YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest. This list will continue to change with ever-emerging Internet websites and smartphone apps.

SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY Make sure your company has a social media strategy with the right targeted presence online, or start experimenting

TK Business Magazine

with social media technologies now.

Don’t miss the chance to add value and grow your business by sharing online.

For example, both informative and ‘how-to’ videos (yes, from companies) are frequently posted on youtube.com alongside all the entertainment and personal video experiments. Companies can engage customers by offering useful or interesting content to build name recognition and brand awareness. Don’t overlook the YouTube video outlet as streaming media are now overshadowing traditional video and television among Gen Y and Gen Z.

Peer reviews carry much influence in this group. Do you know your company’s online reputation? What is shared online in reviews about your company? Reviews and ratings can be found on sites like Amazon.com, Angie’s list, on blogs and intermediary sites in your industry.

Your companies’ PR and media staff need to continually scan online social media for postings online. An essential function of public relations is now to ensure follow-up of online consumer comments. Companies need to ‘right the wrongs’ as strong and lasting impressions are formed by reviews online.

THE PROSUMER MARKET Not long ago, costly inventions and new technology were only accessible to a few wealthy individuals or to wellfunded business in a specialized business category. Think of the early business computers or professional 35-millimeter film-cameras that required photography studios and film editing suites in order to produce a watchable movie. Today, a

wealth of high-quality media technology puts great creative and production power into the hands of non-professionals.

In his 1980 future trends book “The Third Wave,� Alvin Toffler coined the term “prosumer� as someone who blurs the distinction between a consumer and a producer. Modern technological advances such as micro-technology miniaturization, digital optics, flash memory and pervasive wireless networking have led to development of affordable high-quality prosumer tools that allow non-professionals to become proficient producers of online content.

These same technology tools are at the command of innovative companies ready to experiment with new ways to seek out these digital generations on their own ‘online turf.’ Companies need to find are talented individuals who can reach out to interact in social media on behalf of the company and its consumer base. Relational marketing is the new approach and social media is well suited to this approach.

OUR MOBILE LIFESTYLE In the USA today, two-thirds of individuals carry a smartphone. Not stopping there, Americans are tech-laden with multiple computing devices—an average of four devices per person. About 30 percent now have a tablet, up from just 5 percent two years ago. But most of us have not given up our personal computer—many just prefer to be mobile when away from the workplace and increasingly while in the workplace.

Outcomes of this trend include an explosion of self-made media on mobile devices along with quick online sharing.

Marketing and advertising has entered the age of “narrow-casting� (i.e. narrowly targeting audiences online based on specific interests or their needs of the moment). Consumers are ‘pulling’ information and entertainment on a ‘when needed’ basis versus the traditional ‘push’ of broadcast network television, print media and radio.

continued on page 49

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continued from page 49 Amidst this wealth of Internet communication channels, a company should hone its strategy to make better use of new media.

• Identify and target your audience by clearly meeting their needs and anticipating their wants.

• Find creative and interesting ways to support consumers while sharing your company’s message in entertaining and helpful ways.

• Figure out exactly who your target customer base really is, then determine where online to help them find you.

Different channels can be used online in addition to broadly appealing sites like YouTube. Males tend to interact with online gaming sites and sport sites (think fantasy football leagues online).

Females gravitate more to social, design and collaborative online outlets. If your industry or products are fast changing, then keep putting out new content – it encourages and attracts repeated visits and views.

A company of any size can create electronic content (websites, blogs, video, social media postings, etc.) to enhance its strategy, corporate image and business operations. A firm does not have to be a big player to utilize these technology tools. Yet, firms of all sizes risk disruption and possible failure if they do not keep pace by leveraging what new technologies have to offer.

MOBILE-FRIENDLY CONTENT Mobile traffic has become so prevalent that in April 2015 Google changed how it ranks search results generated from mobile devices. Now, when a search originates from a mobile device such as a smartphone, the search results give priority to ‘mobile-friendly’ websites over those of non-mobile ready sites. This provides the mobile user with more useful search results that do not have to be scrolled or enlarged. This criterion does not affect searches initiated from

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"Let’s not go the way of many brick and mortar bookstores, the vinyl record, the VCR or the dinosaur."

—Dr. Pamela J. Schmidt

non-mobile devices, but it is important to realize that the majority of searches today are from mobile devices.

ComScore reports that 60 percent of online traffic is now generated by mobile devices. Furthermore, during the last holiday shopping season, nearly 60 percent of Amazon customers shopped using a mobile device. For an effective commercial presence on the Internet, or even just to be discovered by a majority of consumer searches targeting your industry, firms need to have a mobilefriendly web presence.

To determine whether a webpage meets Google's new mobile-friendly criteria, you can enter its name at Mobile-Friendly Test page [https:// www.google.com/webmasters/tools/ mobile-friendly/]. Along with a resulting assessment, the site also provides links to advice on how to achieve mobile-friendly design.

TECHNOLOGICAL DISRUPTION As technology continues to change, there will be both disruptions of existing businesses as well as opportunities for innovation to create new businesses.

Looking back in the past two decades, we can easily find examples where technology has disrupted major industries. Take the music industry for example. Vinyl records gave way to Music CDs, which all but disappeared with the introduction of the innovative, but now obsolete, iPod, which debuted in 2001. Streaming and downloaded digital content has completely disrupted the former physical media-based music business. Now when people want to get music, they can buy and download it from iTunes or Amazon.

Or, no need to buy it at all. Just stream

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music online from Pandora, Spotify or a host of other music-streaming sites.

Now, the traditional cable television business is under siege by streaming video from Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV and others.

Do you recall when CATV disrupted the earlier broadcast network TV? If you want to keep up with the changing landscape of business, create an organization that strives to facilitate change and stimulates innovation.

Continually scan the environment, learn new technologies and adopt best business practices. Seek out digital natives to help your company adapt. Yes, and remember to reward their social media experimentation.

As Brian Solis urges us—disruptive technology is catalyst for change, not the reason that change occurs. If our approach does not adapt and take advantage of new advances, then someone else more agile, adaptable and experimental will take advantage of it. Let’s not go the way of many brick and mortar bookstores, the vinyl record, the VCR or the dinosaur.

Don’t be left behind on the technology curve, ride it like a big Hawaiian surf—on to the next technology wave.

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Photo by Megan Rogers

Dr. Pamela J. Schmidt

Assistant Professor School of Business, Washburn University

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EXPERTS Photos By Megan Rogers

Doug Sterbenz

National Speaker, Author & Leadership Coach

Tim Kolling

WIBW AM/FM

Sgt. Robert Simmons

Topeka Police Department

Lisa Loewen

Focus-Engineered

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Expert: Leadership

Leadership Is a Ticket

Leadership Lessons at the Benefit Raffle Remember the last time you were at a raffle. You know how it goes.

In exchange for a donation to the good cause, you put your name on a little blue raffle ticket. Then the day of the raffle, you stand there and wait to see if your name will be called for the grand prize.

The host pulls one ticket out of the basket and reads the name. When the name is read, you look around to see whose name was called. When nobody hoots and hollers, the host tosses that ticket aside and reads another name.

But why was the first person's ticket skipped? Everybody knows the number one rule of the raffle: You Must Be Present to Win! Leadership is just like the raffle. Leaders Must Be Present to Win™.

What kind of “Present” am I talking about?

Physical Presence

The best leaders I know get out there with the people when it counts. The best way to engage people is to be physically present.

Think about how valuable it is when people are there for you when you need them. There are times for email, voicemail and texting, but many times the only right thing for a leader is to be physically present.

Responsible, highly effective leaders show up. Being physically present and involved creates opportunities for the leader to impact and mold the business and show that he or she cares.

Leaders always say they have an “open door policy,” but how many people want to wear out the path from where they work to your office? Being physically present, where the work is happening, makes communication far more likely and much more effective.

Leadership also requires a high level of trust. Being physically present is a trust driver while lack of presence is a trust destroyer. It is easy for us to trust somebody we see frequently, but it is hard to trust somebody we never see.

If you want to be assessable, build trust, communicate and keep people connected to the mission of the organization, be physically present.

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Mental Presence

Doug Sterbenz

National Speaker, Author & Leadership Coach Retired EVP & COO at Westar Energy

We have so many distractions in our daily lives, and those distractions can easily become more important than the people and tasks right in front of us.

When you are with your team at work, are you mentally present?

Being mentally present means being fully engaged in what is happening at the moment. Being mentally present also means thinking deeply about the leadership aspects of your business.

Regardless of the responsibilities listed in their job descriptions, mentally present leaders are always in tune with themselves and those around them.

They address their technical duties as necessary, but spend most of their time on leadership.

If you want to make great strides on your leadership and the performance of your business, be mentally present.

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Emotional Presence

People might make decisions with logic, but they act on emotions. You cannot start a fire in the heart of your organization unless one is burning in you first. Leaders must be emotionally present.

Telling people what to do is not leadership. We can’t just hold a big meeting, logically explain expectations and expect change. It takes more than that. Leaders show commitment by revealing their passions and emotions to connect on a human level. Don’t be that stuffy executive who rides in on a white horse, gives a nice, logical speech and rides out.

As leaders, we can never lead something we don’t passionately care about.

To inspire real action, be emotionally present.

Your Challenge is Coming

One day, somebody will draw your ticket, and you will face a challenge that will test your leadership skills. When the time comes, remember that leadership is just like the rules of the raffle—Leaders Must Be Present to Win™.

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Expert: Marketing

No Time, No Reason, No Rhyme?

One of the hardest things businesses face, but spend very little time thinking about, is probably the most important key to success. How do they sell themselves?

How do they tell the world who they are?

Most business owners answer that question by saying they want to advertise, but aren’t really sure what that means.

They spiel off a list of products or services and think that customers simply need to know how to contact them.

Hmmm. That’s not really advertising, and it’s not going to be effective.

What Motivates You?

At this point, I don’t ask these individuals why they want to “get their name out.” I ask what they like about their business and what motivates them every day. It’s like a switch flips on. Their eyes light up as they tell me their story. All of a sudden excitement, drive and passion emerge. Out flows ideas and thoughts about ways to grow the business.

Tell Your Story

Then almost all of them stop and say, “But our advertising has never been very effective.” That’s because just giving out a list of products and services with contact information does nothing to distinguish them from the competition. Without something unique, exciting or compelling to set the business apart, consumers have no definitive reason to choose them over someone else. THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO TELL THEIR STORY.

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Tim Kolling, Marketing Consultant WIBW AM/FM

Attract Relationship-Type Consumers

Consumers buy products and services every day, but how do they decide from whom and where they make that purchase? Most of the customers you want to attract are those you can build a relationship with. Those relationship-type consumers make decisions based on trust.

Just giving them that list of what you offer and your phone number or website isn’t going to cut it.

Now ask yourself, “If consumers knew what I know about my business, wouldn’t they already be my customer?”

Sure, they need to know what your products and services are, but tell them about your passion for providing those products and services. Tell consumers why YOU are excited about helping them. Make sure the perception they have about your business is the one you want them to have. That is your new marketing campaign, and you will find your advertising much more effective.

Get it out of your head that advertising is just spots, time, column inches, or digital impressions, and understand it’s about TELLING YOUR STORY!

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TELL YOUR STORY Why did you start/join your business?

What gets you excited about going to work everyday?

Why do customers choose you?

How does your products/services make your customer's life easier or better?

What do customers need to know about your business?

What makes your business unique?

Why do you love your business?

celebrate CRC’s

90 years 1925-2015

Community REsources Council Connecting the resources in our community through Collaboration, Advocacy, Research, and Education

crcnet.org new membership structure crcnet.org/membership SUMMER 2015

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Expert: Crime Prevention In today’s economy, businesses face many challenges to be successful. Among them, one that tends to go unnoticed until something significant happens, is crime prevention.

Violent crimes get the most attention in Topeka; however, property crimes are far more likely. Employee theft, shoplifting, criminal damage and burglaries are all common crimes for some businesses in our community. You, as a business, can help reduce crime.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is a concept that has been around for years. In its simplest form, CPTED teaches us to alter our environment to discourage criminal activity. The goal of CPTED is the reduction of opportunities for crime to occur. This reduction is achieved by employing physical design features that discourage crime, while at the same time encouraging legitimate use of the environment.

The Topeka Police Department has sent numerous officers to CPTED training so they may be qualified to complete property assessments for residences and businesses in our community.

Contact the Topeka Police Department Community Policing Unit to assist you with an assessment.

31.7%

In 2014, approximately of all reported thefts in the City of Topeka were from shopliftings.

Q: What can we

do to reduce shoplifting in our store?

A:

Since each business is different, there is no simple answer. Each business poses different challenges and numerous variables alter the advice we provide. With that said, please understand that some of the advice listed may not apply to your specific business, and as a disclaimer, none of the suggestions provided guarantee a crime-free environment.

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Sgt. Robert Simmons, East Community Policing SGT Topeka Police Department

TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR ODDS AGAINST THEFT

1. Train your employees

Ensure each of your employees knows how to handle different situations. If the business is being robbed, do they know what is expected of them? Or, if they witness someone conceal an item on their person, what are they supposed to do next? Are they allowed to confront them? Should they immediately call the police? Don’t wait for these incidents to occur before having a plan.

2. Pay attention to your customers

When customers walk into your business, make sure to greet them. Give them eye contact and make sure they know you see them. It is not only good customer service to have a warm welcome, but it also lets them know you are paying attention to them. Criminals don’t want to stand out.

3. Stay observant

Always pay attention to your surroundings inside and outside the business. We know you might be tempted to check your Facebook status or send text messages, but fight that urge and be aware of everything around you.

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4. Be a good witness

The police will need important details from you if you witness a crime. For people, we want to know gender, race, clothing, height, weight, hair color, jewelry worn, tattoos, scars, etc. For cars, we want to know color, make, model, approximate year, license plate number, damage, etc. You get the idea, the more details the better. It also helps if you can tell us what direction they left, so know your cardinal directions (North, South, East and West).

5. Visibility inside and outside

Employees should be able to see as much of the store as possible from a given point, so if someone thinks about stealing something, they know eyes are on them at all times. This is also true for outside. Make sure that when people drive by your business, they can see inside the store. Do not clutter your windows with posters and signs.

6. Surveillance ewquipment

While cameras may not always in itself prevent crime, it can be very helpful in making an identification of a suspect after the fact.

Our Detectives and Criminal Intelligence Unit have made numerous successful arrests thanks to surveillance footage.

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Expert: Strategic Planning

Q: We would like to develop a A:

strategic plan for our company.

Do we need a facilitator?

A facilitator is key to a successful strategic planning session.

Here's why.

YOU are the EXPERT. Your team has the expertise and the knowledge of how your company or organization runs. You don’t need an Co-Owner, outsider to tell you what to do.

Facilitator & Coach GUIDE the PROCESS. The facilitator simply acts as your guide to Focus-Engineered keep the decision-making process moving efficiently. Too often, strategic planning is guided by someone within the company who has a stake in the final outcome and will therefore guide the process in that direction. The facilitator will ensure that Strategic planning is the process of must include the key stakeholders that help the group stays focused. clearing out the clutter and the “busy” to map lead your organization. It is their purpose, VOICES are HEARD. The facilitator out the future of an organization. It’s like priorities, outcomes and empowerment that understands group dynamics and the putting on glasses for the first time and having will allow your strategic plan to move from a intricacies of the planning process to help a blurry world become clear. binder on a shelf to a working document. the group achieve its desired results. He/ Effective strategic planning articulates she helps to ensure that all voices have where an organization is going, the actions a chance to be heard. When voices are needed to make progress, and how it will l Set direction and priorities. heard and acknowledged the participants measure success. l Get everyone on the same page. have greater buy-in of the final plan.

However, strategic planning is not the l Focus energy and resources.

CLEAR the DISTRACTIONS. job of the owner, president or boss alone. It l Create measurable outcomes.

The facilitator creates the rules and helps enforce a pause in the day-to-day operations to allow participants to clearly see a vision for the future and define specific actionable areas to improve business performance.

DEFINE the FUTURE. The facilitator provides a process without prejudice to help you answer: TEAM-BUILDING OFF-SITE FACILITATOR • What does success look like?

Hold the meeting where With so many voices in Strategic planning can be • What are the priorities? you can have everyone’s one room, it is easy to fall intense and emotionally • What does our path look like for the undivided attention and into the trap of focusing draining. Plan time to next five years and beyond? ask for phones and on the wrong issues. A help the executive team • How do we position our computers to be turned facilitator can keep the build relationships and organization for success? off. Provide scheduled process moving in the learn to work together.

• How do we work together as a more times for email and right direction without a cohesive team to accomplish our phone calls, if needed. hidden agenda. goals?

Lisa Loewen,

What is Strategic Planning?

Strategic Planning:

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TIPS

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For Successful Strategic Planning Sessions 1

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Julie C. Swift, DDS, MS www.topekaperio.com

SUMMER 2015

Offering a full range of periodontal services, including maintenance, surgical, esthetic and implant procedures.

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SCENE ABOUT TOWN

ABWA Career Chapter's Annual Scholarship Luncheon & Woman of Distinction | March 10, 2015 1

PHOTO 1 Meg Bell, Sprint and Eileen Caspers, USD 501

PHOTO 2 Jeff Freeman, Jay Shideler Elementary; Jim McDaniel, Indian Hills Elementary; Dr. Marcy Cassidy, Farley Elementary; Jaime Callaghan, Tallgrass & Pathways; Dr. Brenda Dietrich, USD 437; Marc Sonderegger, Wanamaker Elementary; Chris Holman, Pauline South

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Back row: Roger Viola, Topeka Community Foundation; Pam Alexander; County Commissioner Shelly Buhler; Nancy Lewis; and Chris McGee, Krumins McGee Financial Group of Wells Fargo Advisors; Front row: Veronica Diaz, Shelley Matalone, Marsha Pope, Kris Scothorn of Topeka Community Foundation

PHOTO 4 Diana Gillespie, Betty Barker and Cheryl Creviston, Jayhawk File Express

PHOTO 5 Back row: David Hines, USD 437 Board of Education; Ed Raines, USD 437; Terry Carney and Tom Bruno, USD 437 Board of Education Front row: Jamie Callaghan and Melinda Patterson, USD 437

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Back row: Susan Garlinghouse, Joann Davis-McKinney, Pamela Johnson Betts, Martha Barlett Piland, Jayne Cafer, Neta Jeffus, Marilynn Ault, Blanche Parks; Front row: Marjory Savage Heeney, Linda Elrod, Dr. Brenda Dietrich, Anita Wolgast, June Windsheffel

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Back row: Pat Gideon and Michelle Fales, Silver Lake Bank; Marvin Spees, Capital City Oil. Front row: Kyle McNorton, Lauren Jorgensen and Barb Koelling, Capital City Oil

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SCENE ABOUT TOWN

Col. Lee Tafanelli, Kansas Highway Patrol and Tammy Tafanelli, office of Dr. John Stringer DDS

Kansas Chamber Annual Dinner February 17, 2015

PHOTO 2 Mike O'Neil, Kansas Chamber CEO; Dave Dillon, Dillon Foods; Joe Grieshaber, Dillon Foods

PHOTO 3 Rachel Whitten, India Keefover, Felicia Kahrs and Jeff Kahrs

PHOTO 4 PHOTOS BY KEITH HORINEK

Speaker of the House Ray Merrick and Steve Anderson

PHOTO 5 Taylor Schettler; Peggy Noonan, Columnist & Best Selling Author; Senator Lynn Jenkins

PHOTO 6 Suzie Gilbert, Roger Offerman, Eric Rea, Mike Kilay, Jackie Fox, Joe Wittrock and Kurt Auleta of Security Benefit

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State Senator Michael O'Donnell, Senator Pat Roberts and Sierra Scott, Leadership of Kansas

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Rick Kendall, Gary Muckenthaler, Tyson Brown and Tad Peete

PHOTO 2 John Grace, Renessa Lolley, Chad Redeker and Micah Williamson, Aldersgate Village

PHOTO 3 Rachel Oblander, ActionCOACH Business Coaching; Teryl Markham, Rumor Marketing; and Andrea Engstrom, ActionCOACH Business Coaching

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PHOTO 4 Jim Frownfelter, The Letterman Jacket Man

PHOTO 5 Dr. Josh Foreman, Foreman Chiropractic; Keith Drinkard, Intrust Bank; Noni Cremer, Midwest Single Source; and Bridget Broderick, Edward Jones

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F I N D O U T H O W Y O U C A N G E T I N V O LV E D T O D AY !

PHOTO 1

ENGAGE.UNITE.GIVEBACK.

TIBA Annual Golf Tournament May 8, 2015

www.fastfor wardtopeka.or g

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The Last Word Q&A with Stormont-Vail's CEO What are you most proud of at Stormont-Vail?

Randy Peterson Stormont-Vail HealthCare President & CEO Photo by Shelley Jensen

Who has impacted you as a leader?

It is difficult to name just one person.

Through my 36 years in healthcare, I have been blessed to work with many great individuals. I have gained from the relationships I have had with trusted colleagues in the healthcare profession.

Building a strong network of peers and colleagues who I can consult and share ideas has been invaluable in my career.

Working with great board members who are unpaid, volunteer community leaders has inspired me to always seek to do what is best for the community we serve.

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Stormont-Vail and CottonO’Neil strive for and attain many accreditations and recognitions for being a high quality, service-driven organization. We have attained many Joint Commission Centers of Excellence in Stroke, Pre-Maturity, Joint Replacement, as well as being recognized as a Top Quality Performer. Recognition as a Level II Trauma Center ensures that eastern Kansas has top notch trauma services 24/7/365.

This year Stormont-Vail was recognized as a Top 100 hospital in the United States for our quality, service and financial performance. Our inclusion in the Mayo Clinic Care Network is another example of striving to be a national leader.

But what I am most proud is our 4,500 employees and physicians who provide great care to our patients every day.

What is Stormont-Vail striving for?

Stormont-Vail and Cotton-O’Neil are making the transition from a volumebased reimbursement system to being a value-based system. We have developed and invested in an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) and were approved to be a Medicare Shared Savings Project (MSSP) participant.

We are redesigning our Primary Care practices to be Patient Centered Medical Homes.

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As we move into being Population Health managers, we are focusing on Care Coordination across the Continuum of Care. Personally, I am excited about the shift from sickness care to being reimbursed for wellness.

What advice would you give someone in a new leadership position?

If you want to be a leader, you have to be able to develop personal relationships with the employees and connect with them on a personal basis. Leaders need to enjoy being with people and seeking to understand what their interests and aspirations are for their careers. I think the four most important attributes of a leader are: honesty, forward-looking, inspiring and competent.

What trait should leaders possess?

Every leader must develop great listening skills. A leader must be able to listen, process the information and then repeat back to the individual what he/she has heard from the speaker.

Only through great listening skills can you truly understand.

What was a transformational moment in your life?

I grew up in a small community in Nebraska with a population of 800.

I was very involved in sports during my childhood and teen years. As I approached high school graduation, I planned to attend a small college in Nebraska with the goal of playing college basketball. My father, who drove a forklift at Hormel Meat Packing, challenged and encouraged me to focus on my education and career development rather than pursuing athletics. I have been forever indebted TK to my father for this counsel.

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