emphasis magazine - july 2011

8/6/2019 Emphasis Magazine - July 2011

1/16

emphasisMONTHLY

Ju ly

2011

Representing you in D.C. 4 Meet our new First Impressions Coordinator 11 Events calendar 14

T H E G R E A T E R F O R T W A Y N E C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

From let are Mindy Szczepanski o Landquest Title Group, Dan Copeland

o Business People Magazine, Mike Harris o Brookwood Gol Club, and

Michael Hayes o Comcast Business Services, at Brookwood Gol Club on

Blufton Road, the location o this years Chamber Classic on July 28.

Rejuvenated gol

outing swings into

action at Brookwood

on July 28. Pages 8-9

Chamber

Classictees up

A L S O I N S I D E

Stay ahead onext years taxesPage 11


2/16

Interested?

Contact Gulya Alexander @ 260-407-6450or [email protected]

In Innovation Park, dirFree parking

www.destinationyouruture.com

Gulya Alexander, Operations

Manager, Destination: Your Future

For groups from 4 to 80 or more.

LANs, WANs, VoIP, Mobile and more. Just the space you want, whenever.


3/16

EMPHAS IS MONTHLY 3

4 Representing you in D.C.

5 How to keep young people? Engage. Inorm.

Attract.

6 Get involved in the 2011 Heart Walk

6 Of ce Depot switching to recyclable delivery

bags

7 King & Knight selected to create The

Chambers new web site

7 Still time to sign up or Nonprot Summit

8 The Chamber Classic gol outing

9 China trip deadline is July 1

10 New amenities at Fort Wayne Airport

10 Ribbon cutting

11 How to stay ahead o next years taxes 12 Your Chamber discount guide

12 New and renewing members

13 Chamber Chat: Our new First Impressions

Coordinator

14 Chamber Calendar o Events

Chamber members and riends,I would like to extend my gratitude to the

hundreds o volunteers that took part in ourMission: Possible Membership Event this year.With your help, weve added more than 100 newChamber members and had a lot o un! Tisevent has created lots o buzz in the communitythat will only increase our membership. Tankyou or all o your support.

On July 1, we are launching our new Chamberweb site. You said we needed a more user-riendlyweb site that showcased you, our members, in abetter light. We listened. Tanks to the hard worko King & Knight and the Chambers Communica-tions team, I believe youll like what you see. Withmember pages that allow you to control yourcontent and upload video and photos, our pagebecomes your page. Youll see other great eaturesas well like an enhanced community calendar,

easier-to-fnd inormation, and simpler eventregistration.

Te frst annual Nonproft Summit will takeplace July 13 here at the Chamber. Te NonproftSummit will provide expert training in areas such

as technology, cost reduction, intern programs,and communications. Tis expert training is notonly aordable but also designed to specifcallybeneft nonproft organizations, nonproft boardmembers, and your best volunteers. I you areinvolved in a nonproft organization in any capac-ity, I encourage you to join us.

Te Chamber Gol Classic will take place on July28. Weve made big improvements to this eventthat I think youll like. With one ight starting at10 a.m., the course will be ull o business peopleto network with. Well be serving lunch andcomplimentary beverages on the course and willhost an awards reception immediately ollowingthe event. We are adding valet service and prom-ise ewer distractions on the course. Weve alsolowered the cost to make it more accessible toour members. At $100 or members and $125 ornonmembers, you cant aord not to be there.

Hope to see you in the month ahead!

Volume 21, Issue 7

Mike LandramPresident/CEO

Dave YoungVice President o Air

Service DevelopmentMichelle MerrittVice President oMembership andCommunications

Katy StafordDirector o GovernmentAairs

Jon SwerensDirector oCommunications andEmphasis Editor

Lauren RichwineCommunications Specialistand Photographer

A limited amount oadvertising in Empha-sis Monthly is availableexclusively to Greater FortWayne Chamber o Com-merce members.

For rates and inormation,contact KPC Media Group:

Lynn SroueFort Wayne [email protected](260) 426-2640 ext. 304

Lynette DonleyFort Wayne advertisingsales [email protected](260) 426-2640 ext. 305

Or visit the web site:wbusiness.com/emphasis

L E T T E R F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

Mike Landram

CEO and President

Te Chamber

[email protected]

emphasisMONTHLY

Emphasis Monthly is a publication o Te Greater Fort WayneChamber o Commerce.

826 Ewing Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802(260) 424-1435 | [email protected]

Printed by KPC Media Group Inc., publishers o the Greater FortWayne Business Weekly

Te mission o the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber o Commerce isto create a vibrant economic environment by supporting business,advocating on behal o the business community, and osteringcommunity partnerships to advance a common economic vision.

COVERPHOTO

BYLAUREN

RICHWINE


4/16

4 EMPHAS IS MONTHLY

At the end o May, I traveled to Washington,D.C., or the U.S. Chamber o Commerces SmallBusiness Summit. Geared toward businessesthat have 100 employees or ewer, the summitheld sessions on improving your impact, the e-ects o health care reorm on small business,using social media as a business tool, procure-ment tips, risks acing small businesses, andleadership in unique organizations.

Among the top-notch speakers was ChrisGardner, author o he Pursuit o Happynessand inspiration or the hit ilm o the same title.

Gardner spoke to theimportance o alwaysstriving to accomplish

your goals, no matterhow incredible thosegoals might be.

Dana Perino, ormerWhite House PressSecretary under Presi-dent George W. Bush,moderated the panelon the impact o theHealth Care Reormbill passed by Congresslast Session.

Dr. Martin Regalia,Senior Vice Presidentand Chie Economistat the U.S. Chambero Commerce outlinedthe current economicstatus o the countryand how that inluenc-es small business.

Finally, our-starGeneral StanleyMcChrystal, ormer

Commander o U.S. and International Forces in Aghanistan, spoke candidly about the impor-tance o leadership at all levels o an organiza-

tion.In addition to the stand-out program o excep-

tional speakers, the summit awarded the U.S.Chamber o Commerces 2011 Dream Big SmallBusiness o the Year Award.

he top 75 applicants were awarded the BlueRibbon Small Business Award earlier this year.O those 75 businesses, seven inalists rom

seven dierent regions were chosen to contendor the Small Business o the Year Award.

he winner, Red Frog Events rom our ownGreat Lakes region, won the top honor and a$10,000 cash prize.

o apply or the 2012 Dream Big Small Busi-ness o the Year Award, go to www.USCham-

ber.org or inormation. We would love to haveour members awarded with this high honor.

As well as attending the summit, my main ob- jective in Washington, D.C., was to meet withthe oices o our ederal delegation to expressour continued support o their legislative agen-das and reiterate the concerns our membershave on many levels.

I met with Sen. Dick Lugars oice, Sen. DanCoats oice and Rep. Marlin Stutzman himsel.All three oices were very receptive to our con-cerns regarding overburdening regulations atthe ederal level, the need or more economicdevelopment incentives, the ability to grow ex-isting businesses, and ederal legislation thatwould negatively impact businesses in the great-er Fort Wayne area.

I also expressed our desire to continue to be aresource, using the slogan, heres a Memberor hat. Each oice relayed its desire to visitwith our members on their visits back to North-east Indiana and to hear rom you directly onthe issues that most impact your business.

Watch or opportunities rom he Chamber toengage the ederal delegation in the upcomingmonths.

Next year, I encourage you to attend an eventlike the summit. I walked away with a lot oideas on how our members could be positivelyimpacted by the speakers and concepts pre-sented at the summit. Also, anytime you arein Washington, I would encourage you to makean appointment with the oices o our ederaldelegation. hey are always willing to listen anddiscuss issues that impact you.

Feel ree to reach out to he Chamber to assistwith setting up your meetings. We can help pro-vide talking points and assistance with inorma-tion on issues, as well as help with navigation tothe D.C. oices.

Your voice and experience are important. Letthem be heard.

It is about when, not if. Chris Gardner

Representing you in D.C.

Katy Staford

Director o Government

Aairs

Te Chamber

[email protected]

G O V E R N M E N T A F F A I R S

Katy Staord meets with

Chris Gardner, author

o the best-selling

book, The Pursuit oHappyness. Gardner

was one o the many

speakers at the U.S.

Chamber o Commerces

Small Business Summit in

Washington.


5/16

EMPHAS IS MONTHLY 5

G R A D U A T E R E T E N T I O N

Ive said it beore and Ill say it again: Young peo-ple are the uture o Northeast Indiana!

I truly worry that i we arent attracting and re-taining our young high school and college gradu-ates that we may have a shortall o well trained,highly skilled workers in the next 5 to 10 years.

O course, we already know that internshipsplay a vital role in providing young people with po-tential job opportunities and that is the frst stepto enticing them to stay in Northeast Indiana.

Jobs arent the only reason young people stay,

though. So oten, they are looking or more thanjust a steady paycheck.

Tings like cost o living Im sure play some role,but even more than that, many young people wantto live in a vibrant city.

Tey want to eel attached in some way to theircommunity. Tey want activities that are un andinviting. Tey want to live in a community thatvalues diversity and welcomes them.

Introductions rst, please

So we already know we want our young, talent-ed interns to stay in Northeast Indiana. We also

know that their decision to stay is not solely basedon a job oer, although that certainly helps.Tis leaves us with the question: How can we

engage and ultimately attract young people to ourregion?

Well, frst we have to introduce them to all thewonderul things we have to oer.

You may or may not be aware, but the Fort WayneChamber o Commerce houses the Graduate Re-tention Program which runs a summer events pro-gram called Live, Learn, and Intern. Te programis generously unded this summer through a grantrom the Wal-Mart Foundation and this year hasbeen planned by local college student iany Ai-

kin who attends Indiana ech.

iany has planned eight events to introducearea interns to Northeast Indiana through un andinteractive activities designed to help them meetother people and get to know the place they couldone day call home.

Last month I talked to you about how criticalmentoring was to a young persons success. Well,I view this as equally important to helping themmake decisions about where to live and work atergraduation.

Allowing young people to see what Northeast

Indiana has to oer is a critical step in helpingthem see themselves here.

What can you do to help?

I you have college interns, encourage them toattend the Live, Learn and Intern events. You arewelcome to come as well i they are shy about com-ing alone. Te events are ree or students to at-tend and only $10 or supervisors, HR personneland others.

July oers many opportunities to get your in-tern involved and excited about Northeast Indi-ana. Interns can get more inormation about each

event and register online at www.graduatere-tention.com.In addition to encouraging them to attend the

Live, Learn and Intern events, you can also engageyour intern by taking them with you to meetingsand events that you are attending. Introduce themto other proessionals and help them start build-ing lasting relationships in our community.

By connecting your student intern to people andplaces, you provide them with a well rounded viewo what its like to live and work here.

Dont orget, were all in this together and weneed to make an eort now to help young peoplesee a uture or themselves right here in Northeast

Indiana!

How to keep young people?

Engage. Inorm. Attract.Jennier Fisher

Graduate Retention

Program Manager

Te Chamber

[email protected]

UpcomingLive Learn

and InterneventsFree summer eventsor college interns!Go to our web site atgraduateretention.com to register:

Rivercity SandVolleyball: July 1,6 p.m.

ournament withmusic, ood, games

and cash bar!inCaps: July 7,6:15 p.m.

Starts at Te Cham-ber with tailgating!

Sweetwater Sound:July 12, 5 p.m.

Dinner, tour, andlocal band Black CatMambo!

Fort Wayne Chil-drens Zoo: July 17,1 p.m.

With picnic lunch!

Sycamore Hills GolClub: July 27, 6:30p.m.

Closing banquet witha cash bar!


6/16

6 EMPHAS IS MONTHLY

Nearly 2,300 Americans die o cardiovasculardiseases each day one person every 38 seconds.

Cardiovascular diseases claim more lives each yearthan cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseasesand accidents combined.

Since 1949, the American Heart Association(AHA) has spent more than $3.2 billion on re-search to increase our knowledge about cardiovas-cular diseases and stroke, all in eort o preven-tion and advancing treatment.

You can make an impact in the fght against car-diovascular disease by participating in the 2011AHA Northeast Indiana Heart Walk.

Te Heart Walk is the American Heart Asso-ciations signature undraising event, promoting

physical activity and heart-healthy living in a unamily environment. Its a great way to promotehealth and wellness in our community, all whileraising money or liesaving research and pro-

grams.Participants throughout the Fort Wayne com-

munity helped AHA raise nearly $200,000 at the2010 Northeast Indiana Heart Walk. Te HeartWalk attracted over 1,100 walkers rom nearly 65Fort Wayne area companies.

Mark your calendar or September 17 and jointhe thousands o participants down at ParkviewField or this years event! Gather your riends orcoworkers to orm a team. Tis is a un and easyway or companies, organizations and amilies tomake a dierence in the community and becomemore heart healthy.

o learn more about how you and your com-pany can get involved, visit the web site at

www.ortwayneheartwalk.org. Or you cancontact Vanessa Lauritsen with the AmericanHeart Association at (260) 494-6530 or [email protected].

H E A L T H M A T T E R S

Get involved in 11 Heart Walk

For the last couple o years, customers o O ce

Depot have been increasingly asking or a reliable,more sustainable and cost-eect solution as an al-ternative to traditional corrugated box delivery.

With the challenge at hand, our creative logis-tics team worked on several dierent ideas. Te f-nal product is an innovative and market-changingidea that test groups have embraced all over thecounty. Bags In otes!

Just as it sounds, O ce Depot is going to begindelivering products in recyclable bags that will bepackaged in plastic tote bags. Delivery drivers willbring the totes into their stops and unload thebags or the customer. Tese bags are rated at 30pounds o capacity so they are sturdy and reliable.O course, larger items will still be packaged sepa-rately or in the traditional boxes.

Its hard to determine what the most importantbeneft o this delivery system is. It might be thegreat environmentally conscious alternative tocardboard. It might also be the overwhelming costsavings, as O ce Depot eliminates two-thirds o

the boxes purchased annually, which totals in the

tens o millions o dollars. Tats a savings we canpass along to you, the customer.

I think it might be the elimination o those hor-rible air pillows that come in the oversized boxesholding just a ew items. While they do provideincredible protection, they are the biggest pain todispose o. My son loves the loud popping soundthat accompanies stomping these linked pocketso air, but many o my customers simply hatethem.

But seriously, the greatest beneft is to the cus-tomer. No longer do you have struggle with boxremoval and you have the opportunity to add an-other green element to your companys eorts tobe more sustainable, without adding anything toyour bottom line.

Tis great solution begins in mid to late July andwill be ully rolled out by the end o third quarter.

Once again, O ce Depot is leading the market-place with another Smart, Sustainable Solution tohelp the environment and your business!

Delivery switches to recyclable bags

S M A R T S O L U T I O N S

The Chamberdiscount

I your business has 2 to

50 employees, you qualiy

or a discount o up to

fve percent on your small

business insurance pre-

miums rom PHP. Average

annual savings is $2,500.

o receive a ree quote,

call PHP at (800) 982-

6257 or visit www.phpni.com and click on

the Chamber Discount

Program link.

The Chamberdiscount

Chamber members can

save 60 percent on core

catalog items and our

percent o retail catalog

purchases. You can also

monitor expenses with

monthly reporting, and

order online, via phone

or ax, and through retail

stores.

For more ino, contact

Chris Michaels at (260)

249-3977.


7/16

EMPHAS IS MONTHLY 7

C H A M B E R N E W S

Responding to the needs o its many nonproftmembers, Te Greater Fort Wayne Chamber oCommerce has created the frst-ever Fort WayneNonproft Summit to be held on Wednesday, July13, at the Chamber building, 826 Ewing St., FortWayne.

Our nonproft members have spoken loud andclear about the kind o programming they wantto see at Te Chamber and weve listened, saidChamber President and CEO Mike Landram. Tegoal o the summit is to provide quality relevanteducation to nonproft organizations throughoutNortheast Indiana.

Attendees will participate in our sessions: Interns: Your Untapped Workorce, withJennier Fisher, graduate retention program man-ager o Te Chamber

Communication Tat Works, with MichelleMerritt, vice president o member relations andcommunications, and Jon Swerens, director o

communications, both o Te Chamber Daily Cost Savings, with Stacey Smith, presi-

dent and CEO o Prairie Quest Consulting Demystiying I or Nonprofts, with Je

Beights, president and CEO o Source One Solu-tions

Each session was designed specifcally to meetthe needs o nonproft organizations.

Te summit is open to all nonproft organiza-tions. Nonproft organizations are encouraged tosend their sta, board members, and key volun-teers.

Te nonmember early registration rate is $99 or

the day and $129 or nonmembers. Te registra-tion ee includes breakast, lunch, and all materi-als.

Sponsors o the Nonproft Summit include Prai-rie Quest Consulting, Source One Solutions, Cal-houn Street Soups, Salads and Spirits, and O ceDepot.

King & Knight selected to create

The Chambers new web siteTe Fort Wayne frm o King & Knight has beenselected by Te Greater Fort Wayne Chamber oCommerce to create and design its new web site.Te new web site, located at www.wchamber.org, will go live by July 1.

King & Knight is a digital agency located in FortWayne. Established in January, King & Knightprovides web design, web development, mobiledevelopment, and custom sotware applicationsor individuals and corporate enterprises. King &Knight can be ound on the web at www.kingand-knight.com.

Te ounder, Mike King, has more than fveyears o experience in computer inormation sys-tems. He graduated rom IU Bloomingtons KelleySchool o Business with a concentration in Com-puter Inormation Systems. King was named tothe 2010 class o Te Greater Fort Wayne BusinessWeeklys 40 Under 40.

We are excited to award the design o ournew web site to a Fort Wayne frm, said MichaelLandram, chairman and CEO o Te Chamber.

Te Chamber recognizes the importance o lo-cal business and believes this decision exemplifesthat. Mikes reputation in the web design indus-try and his ties to our community make King &Knight a great ft.

Te new web site will be easier to use or Cham-ber members, visitors and Chamber sta. Featureso the new web site include:

A modern look and eel with easy-to-browsemenus.

Easy-to-locate events, departments and otherChamber inormation.

Shorter, reader-riendly URLs. A reormatted and easy-to-browse business

directory with advertising opportunities. An individual web page or each Chamber

member with optional add-ons or photos andvideo.

A revamped community calendar. Ater the web site goes live, Te Chamber will

host training sessions to help its members ullygrasp all the tools the new site oers.

Still time to sign up or Nonproft Summit


8/16

8 EMPHAS IS MONTHLY

C H A M B E R N E W S

Te smell o resh cut grass, birds chirping, thehum o a gol cart, and a loud voice rom the dis-tance yelling, FORE! Tese are the sounds osummer. Its the time o year when we return to aplace where business is done in a comortable yethighly competitive atmosphere. Yes, Te ChamberClassic has returned.

Every year, Te Chamber Classic brings out theareas best business people. With more than 150golers anticipated by Te Chamber, there will belots o great networking to be had. Te Chamber

Classic is where you want to be seen. It is wherethe best business will be done.You can always count on running in to old

riends and colleagues at our outing, MikeLandram, Chamber President and CEO said. Itsalso the place to start new relationships with u-ture business partners.

Tis years Chamber Classic will be a return tothe great outings o the Chamber past. Chambermembers have spoken loud and clear, so wevelistened. Te Chamber Gol Committee was com-prised o these longtime Chamber members:Comcast Business Classs Michael Hayes, owerBanks Vicki Johnson, and Business People Maga-

zines Dan Copeland.Tis gol committee was amazing, said Cham-

ber Vice President o Membership & Communica-tions, Michelle Merritt. Tey were honest aboutwhat needed to improve and cared enough to givetheir time and talent as we improved it.

We are proud to return as a sponsor o theChamber Classic gol outing, said Michael Hayes,

Comcast Business Class Regional Sales Manager.Its always a good time and there are lots o greatbusiness people every year.

Additional Sponsors or this years Classic in-clude BF Goodrich, PHP, Pro Resources, Glen-brook Mall, Indiana Michigan Power, Lutheran

Health Network, Frontier Communications, Ot-tenweller, Courtyard by Marriott, and op Notch.

With a nod to the outings past, Te Classic re-turns to one ight, improved overall quality, ewerinterruptions on the course, and more aordableees. At just $100 per member or the day, this isan outing you wont want to miss. Tis year, nonmembers are invited to gol in the Classic at a non

ChamberClassicreturns

July 28For moreinormation

Sign up or Te

Chamber Classic

gol outing at www.

wchamber.org.


9/16

EMPHAS IS MONTHLY 9

From let are Michael

Hayes o Comcast

Business Services, Mike

Harris o Brookwood Gol

Club, Mindy Szczepanski

o Landquest Title Group,

and Dan Copelando Business People

Magazine at Brookwood

Gol Club.

Te Greater Fort Wayne Chamber o Com-merce is inviting its members and other busi-ness leaders to explore China during a nine-day trip in October 2011.

Te trip begins Oct. 24, 2011, rom JFK

International Airport in New York and endsNov. 1 at JFK.

During the journey, travelers will visit thecities o Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, and Hang-zhou. Sights include ian An Men Square,the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Mingombs, and the Bund.

ravelers will also learn about the Chinesebusiness system, visit some o the countryseconomic development zones and have theopportunity to meet with business leaders.

Te cost or the trip is $2,099 per person orChamber members. Cost is $2,399 or non-members.

Included in the cost is the ollowing: Round-trip international air are (does

not include travel to and rom JFK) 4- and 5-star hotel accommodations Tree meals a day Deluxe bus tours Fluent English-speaking tour guides Entrance ees or attractions

Join us! Call Michelle Merritt at (260) 424-1435 or email [email protected].

o register, go to our web site at www.w-chamber.org, download our registration orm,print it out and complete it, and return it to

us with your nonreundable $300 deposit,which holds your reservation.

For more inormation, contact MichelleMerritt at (260) 424-1435 or [email protected].

Deadline or registration and paymento $300 deposit is end o business day onFriday, July 1.

China trip

deadlineis July 1

member rate o $125.We want to provide our members the oppor-

tunity to network with members and non mem-bers alike so we are opening up the Classic to nonmembers, Merritt said. Tis allows perspectivemembers to learn more about the Chamber and

see what we can do or them.Gol kits will be $40. Your ee or the day in-

cludes lunch on the course, beverages, and theaward reception to ollow. With one very ull ightstarting at 10 a.m. you are assured the opportu-nity to meet and mingle with all o the golers inthe outing. Register your team today beore it sellsout!


10/16

10 EMPHAS IS MONTHLY

A I R S E R V I C E D E V E L O P M E N T

I you havent booked a ight or been to FortWayne International Airport lately, you may notbe aware o all the activity that has been going on:

New ights have been added: Allegiant toMyrtle Beach, and Delta to both Atlanta and Min-neapolis/St. Paul.

wo new dining options have opened.In the space just beyond security that used to

house the small ca and smoking area, SamuelAdams Brewpub and Seattles Best Coee are nowserving customers in the newly renovated space.Te acelit truly reects the airports commit-ment to provide a product that serves the FWAyers needs and exceeds their expectations. Teseopenings are a welcome addition to FWA, but the

renovations are not stopping there.Also new at the airport is the build-out o the

new landside (on the ticket-counter-side o the

terminal) which provides both a new restaurantand git shop to those waiting or passengers toarrive, wanting to catch a sandwich with departingpassengers or ip leisurely through a magazine.

Both o these areas have a similar look and eelto the new restaurants that opened earlier andurther enhance the continuing upgrade at theairport. Te grand opening or both the SamuelAdams Brewpub and Seattles Best was June 13.

As always or those o you who y FWA oten,thank you, and or those o you that may not haveo late, be sure to check us out!

New amenities at Fort Wayne Airport

Dave Young

Vice President o Air

Service Development

Te Chamber

[email protected]

TownePlace Suites by Marriott

celebrates their grand opening

with a ribbon cutting in the lobby

in May. Participating in the ribbon

cutting were, rom let, regional

director o operations Dale Johns,

general manager Ryan Wall,

president Je Good, Mayor Tom

Henry, and Dan OConnell o Visit

Fort Wayne.

R I B B O N C U T T I N G S

The new renovated space on the

airside o Fort Wayne International

Airport includes Samuel Adams

Brewhouse and Seattles Best

Coee. Also at the airport are

landside additions o a restaurantand git shop.


11/16

EMPHAS IS MONTHLY 11

Find out more

Visit buywithpqc.com

or call the o ce at

260-420-7374 or more

inormation.

Stacey Smith is president

and CEO o Prairie Quest

Inc., a woman-owned frm

specializing in Business

Process Management and

Acquisition Services.

G E T S A V I N G

By Stacey Smith

Prairie Quest Inc.

ax season is fnally past us, both as business-es and individuals. For those o you who owedmoney, its a sign that youre a proftable business.Tats a good thing, right?

But sometimes when it comes to making thoseIRS payments, you fnd that youve been proftablebut your cash management isnt what it should be.

For those that operated on a loss this year, itshows you can still operate successully based onyour good credit, maintaining exceptional rela-tions with your vendors, and being able to meetyour fnancial obligations.

Its OK to do that or a while, but in small busi-

ness, its not just about making money, its aboutmanaging your money.

So while the memory is still resh, lets examinesome easy money management solutions that willhelp maintain your credit rating, create great rela-tionships with both your bank and your vendorsand allow you to get a good nights sleep amidstthe challenging tax months o March and April.

Pay bills on time every month

Notice I didnt say Pay your bills in full everymonth. Tats not necessarily realistic. I juggledcredit card payments or years when I started my

business. But every month, every creditor got paidat least the minimum amount on time. So setup systems, such as automatic bill payments, topay at least the minimum payment.

Send out your invoices on time every month

Believe it or not, many business owners are un-believably tardy in sending out their bills. I havecontractors that sometimes bill me as much as sixmonths late. When you bill your clients late, theypay you even later. Stop it! Send your invoices im-mediately when someone incurs a debt, and cer-tainly no less requently than monthly.

Talk to your vendors Your vendors control your payment terms.

Teyre the ones who say whether you have 30days or 120 days to pay. Tat makes a huge dier-

ence in your cash ow. Explain your business plan.Most importantly, always take their calls, even

when youre late on a payment.

Take your banker to lunch

A good business banker can make or break acompany. Mine helped save my business at leasttwice. Find a bank and a banker wholl take time totalk to you, learn about your business and under-stand your ups and downs. Dont have a banker?ime to get one, and a line o credit to access mon-ey i times get tough or opportunities arise.

Get a ree credit report

Small businesses get credit based on the ownerscreditworthiness. Youre entitled to one ree credit

report per year rom each o the three major creditreporting agencies. Get it at www.AnnualCre-ditReport.com and clear up any inaccuracies.

Go ater overdue accounts, especially big

ones

I youve provided goods or services, you deserveto be paid. Otherwise, youre in the lending busi-ness, and you cant aord that. Make collectingoverdue invoices a continual part o your business.

Limit the amount o credit you give to any one

customer, even large corporations

Big companies are paying slower these days, andthe risk o bankruptcy o a big customer certainlychallenged my business. Never allow yoursel to bedependent on one customers fnancial health.

Set money aside

Yes, I know you just made a huge sale, and themoney is burning a hole in your bank account.Dont spend it all! Youre just like most entrepre-neurs riding the roller coaster o cash ow. Look atseasonal uctuations, and be a bit paranoid aboutwhere your next dollar will come rom.

Get an accounting sotware solution

I youre still using Excel or a paper journal tokeep track o your fnances, stop it already! Youneed a simple accounting program to be able toorecast and look at trends.

Staying ahead o next years taxes


12/16


Renewing members

May 2011Alro Steel CorporationAnnes Hallmark ShopAnthony Motor Parts Corp.Anthony Wayne Area Council

- Boy ScoutsAnthony Wayne Vending Co.Armstrong FlowersAttero ech, LLC

Bauman ConstructionBenco DentalBig C Lumber Company

Blue Pony DigitalBower North ProductionsBowmar, LLCBradley Gough DiamondsBrainood or BusinessBrookwood Gol ClubC & P MachineC 2 I AdvisorsChaseChoice DesignsRonald A.Cohen, DDS, MSDCORE BeneftsCorporate Housing SystemsCrat LaboratoriesCripe Architects & EngineersCustom Art Screen PrintingCustomized Power ServicesDWD echnology GroupDeBrand Fine Chocolates

Dunkin Donuts

Edible ArrangementsGwendolyn A.Edmondson,

DDSEPCO Accounting & ax

Services

Educational OpportunityCenter

Te Entrepreneurs Sourceor Indiana

Essex GroupFamily & Childrens ServicesFast Print

Felderman Design-BuildFelgers Peat MossFort Wayne Door, Inc.Fort Wayne Mad AntsFort Wayne Printing Co.Fort Wayne PsychiatryFort Wayne Wire DieGator Cases, Inc.Gehres & AssociatesHabegger Furniture, Inc.Hanna Brothers Drywall &

PaintingHercules Machinery Corp.Hightech SignsHumana MarketPointHuntington BankIndiana Physical TerapyIndiana Wesleyan UniversityIrmscher

JA o Fort Wayne

JB ool, Die & EngineeringJohnstons Cartage & Ware-

houseKB Search eamKoehlinger Kruse Security

SystemsLawyers itleLopshire FlowersLowes o Fort Wayne

Lupke Rice Insurance &Financial Services

Michiana Business Publica-

tionsMiller Scales & Food Ma-

chinesMurphy Law GroupNorth Eastern Group RealtyNortheast Indiana Building

rades CouncilNorthwestern Mutual Finan-

cial NetworkONeal Excavating & Con-

structionOrchard Ridge Country ClubOrkin Pest ControlPain Management Associ-

ates, PCParagon LandscapePartners 1st. Federal Credit

UnionPeerless Cleaners

J. C. Penney Co.

Pizza Hut o Fort WaynePower Components Corp.

Precision Die echnologiesPro ResourcesRe/Max Results

Reconstructive Foot & AnkleSpecialists, LLC

Robert Hal InternationalRudaes School o Beauty

CultureSCS Environmental Con-

tracting

Schmucker Construction Co.Tomandram S. Sekar, MD,

P.C.Shawnee Construction &

EngineeringSpecialized Alternatives or

Families & YouthSummit City Bicycles &

FitnessSummit SotwareSylvan Learning CentersTree Rivers Federal Credit

UnionTree Rivers Medical As-

sociatesTree Rivers Running Co.op Notchourkow, Crell, Rosenblatt &

Johnston

ower Bank

ower Sta ng, Inc.rails Edge Apartments

Ueber & Friedrich DentistryUnited REMCVillage Oaks at Fort Wayne

Wagner-Meinert, Inc.Wells Fargo AdvisorsWhitley Mg. Co.Witwer Construction

M E M B E R B E N E F I T S

New members

May 2011

AFLAC

Able Construction, Inc.All-Phase Electric Supply Co.Ash Brokerage Corporation

Carmike CinemasTe Cleaning CompanyFamily Hospice & Palliative

CareFloyd & Partners

Focus Audiology & HearingServices, LLC

Harbour Assisted Living

Innovative echnologyGroup, LLC

Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLPPetrogas International Cor-

porationSigns Now-Division o Indi-

ana Stamp

N E W A N D R E N E W I N G M E M B E R S

PHP

I your business has 2 to 50 employees, youqualiy or a discount o up to fve percent on yoursmall business insurance premiums rom PHP. Av-erage annual savings is $2,500. o receive a quote,call PHP at (800) 982-6257 or visit phpni.com andclick on the Chamber Discount Program link.

O ce Depot

Chamber members can save 60 percent on corecatalog items and our percent o retail catalogpurchases. For more ino, contact Chris Michaelsat (260) 249-3977.

Group Purchasing Organization

Prairie Quests GPO provides Chamber mem-bers with the opportunity to purchase productsand services at prices typically only available tolarge companies. Ino at buywithpqc.com.

Sams Club savings

Chamber members receive a $25 git card or a

Plus membership or a $10 or a Business member-ship. Ino at samsclub.com/membership.

Event discounts and admittance

Every employee o each o our members receivesthe member price or Chamber events. Also, allemployees o members can attend member-onlyevents, such as the Tird House Forums.

Meeting rooms

Members get ree usage o meeting rooms largeand small in the Chamber building during busi-ness hours. Call 424-1435 or details.

Promotion and reerrals

Members can create and oer member-to-mem-ber coupons on the web site. Members also getree promotion to a readership o 24,000 throughEmphasis and ree phone and web reerrals.

Notarization and certication o origin

Free or members by our ront desk sta.

YourChamber

discountguide

For moreinormationCall (260) 424-1435 or

visit our web site at

www.wchamber.org.


13/16

EMPHAS IS MONTHLY 13

How has your past employment prepared

you or the work you will be doing with the

Chamber?My employment prior to Te Chamber o Com-merce instilled in me the concept that customerservice should be the ultimate priority coupledwith attention to detail. My reward is the returncustomer or smile at the end o our interaction.

What does your job entail as the rst

impressions coordinator?

My role is an outreach o the communicationsdepartment here at Te Chamber o Commerce.From the warm welcome to the directive o whereone will go to complete their own personal mis-sion, I greet in person and by telephone to give a

lasting frst impression.

In your ree time, what are you most likely to

be ound doing?

My passion is to be outdoors, whether gardeningor designing my personal backyard oasis.

When you were a boy, what did you want to

be when you grew up (and why)?

Growing up, I had desired to be a zookeeper. Ilove animals and though my vocation did nottake me down that path, I remain very passionateabout animals.

What are some o the challenges as the rst

impressions coordinator?

My challenges in this role are actually opportu-nities to learn more. Fort Wayne is an amazing andever-changing blueprint. Staying current on thechanges is my biggest challenge, but one that I amglad to ace.

Is there anything members should know

about the ront desk that they may not

realize?

What may have previously been the role o an-swering a phone or saying good morning now ex-

pands beyond and tackles the knowledge o whatactivities Te Chamber is involved with and orchampioning. I aspire to give more than expectedthrough knowledge and resources.

What are some o your goals or your rst year

with The Chamber?

My dream is that I will be all-knowing aboutour community and business members and be ableto share my community passion with both mem-bers and guests.

What does it take to make the best rst

impression possible?

I need to not only be a great listener and re-sourceul to answer questions, but also able to stepinto the shoes o the person who walks throughthe door and give back what I would want to seerom my Chamber o Commerce.

What advice would you give to new members

to help them get the most out o The

Chamber?

New chamber members need to get involved andseek ways as both an individual and as a businesspartner to beneft rom the membership. Follow-ing Te Chamber on Facebook, checking the web

page or noteworthy inormation and getting toknow your frst impressions coordinator are allgreat ways to get more involved at the Fort WayneChamber o Commerce!

New First Impressions Coordinator

C H A M B E R C H A T

About TimJones

im is the new frst

impressions coordinator

or Te Greater Fort

Wayne Chamber o

Commerce.

Contact him at tjones@

wchamber.org or by

calling (260) 424-1435.


14/16


Social Media: Protecting YourBrand, Managing Risk

A Chamber Academy

Asher Agencys Kevin Erb and Anthony

Juliano on protecting your brand; Barnes

& Tornburgs Adam Bartrom and JasonClagg on managing risk.

Cost: Members: $19 | Nonmembers: $39

Wednesday, July 6 | 8-10 a.m.

Te Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.

Register online at wchamber.org

Presidents LunchEvery month, meet a local business leader

Te July guest is Nelson Peters. Hosted by

Chamber President Mike Landram.

Cost: $25, including meal | Limited to the

frst 10 Chamber members to sign up

Tursday, July 14 | noon-1 p.m.

Chops Wine Bar, 6417 W. Jeerson Blvd.


Everything You Ought o KnowAbout Doing Business in India

Nick Shah, an expert in Indian business,

on doing business overseas.

Cost: Free and exclusive to members

Tursday, July 14 | 5-7 p.m.



Meet Me @ 5Enjoy an evening of networking with hors

duvres and a cash bar.


Tursday, July 14 | 5-7 p.m.

Tree Rivers Festival, at the Entertainment

Plaza Headwaters Park East.


How o Measure Your OnlineMarketing

A Chamber Lunch n LearnKevin Mullett o Cirrus ABS on how

visitors are fnding your company online

and how to make them customers.


Includes a boxed lunch

Wednesday, July 20 | noon-1 p.m.



More inormation on events

Get the most updated events listing at our web site: www.wchamber.org

Contact Liz Struckholz at (260) 424-1435 or [email protected].

C H A M B E R C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S

JULY

6

JULY

20

JULY

14

Te Fort Wayne Nonprot SummitLearn and grow

your nonproft at

this educational

event. Open to your sta, board members, and key

volunteers. Four sessions will teach about communications,

interns, I and cost-savings.

Cost: Members o any Northeast Indiana Chamber o

Commerce or o NINA: $69, nonmembers $129.

Wednesday, July 13 | 7:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m.

Te Chamber building, 826 Ewing St., Fort Wayne | Register

online at wchamber.org

JULY

13

Te Chamber ClassicOur pre-eminent gol event

returns. Includes lunch on

the course, beverages, and

the award reception to ollow.

With one ight starting at 10

a.m., golers are assured the opportunity to meet and mingle

with all o the golers in the outing.

Cost: Members: $100| Nonmembers: $150

Tursday, July 28 | 7:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m.

Brookwood Gol Club, 10304 Bluton Road, Fort Wayne |


JULY

28

JULY

14

China rip registration deadlineExplore China starting

Oct. 24 rom JFK

International Airport

in New York and ending

Nov. 1 at JFK. Sightsinclude ian An Men

Square, the Forbidden

City, and the Great Wall. Included: Round-trip international

air are (does not include travel to and rom JFK); 4- and

5-star hotel accommodations; three meals a day; deluxe bus

tours; uent English-speaking tour guides; and entrance ees

or attractions

Cost: $2,099 or Chamber members; $2,399 or nonmembers.

Friday, July 1 | Deposit o $300 must be at Te Chamber by the

end o the business day

Download the registration orm at wchamber.org

JULY

1

JULY

14


15/16

I want to subscribe to The Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly for only $49 per year.

go to www.fwbusiness.com

Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly is the source for a comprehensive

dive into business interests throughout Indiana. Each and every week,the time I spend with Business Weekly assures I havent missedimportant business news and events in the region.

John Sampson

President & CEO of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership


16/16

Wih is ps, his s ChCssi s fih, s h, vs ipis h s, is pi .

A s $100 p $125 p h , his is i iss. Wih fih si 10 a.m., ss h

ppi i ih h spiipi.

Register today atwww.fwchamber.org.

july 8, brookwood gol club ort wayne

You are cordially invited tothe golf event of the season.

emphasis magazine - july 2011

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