Cedar Valley Business Monthly - Dec 2012

THE COURIERPAGE 2 CEDAR VALLEY BUSINESS MONTHLY cvbusinessmonthly.com

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DECEMBER 2012

THE COURIER PAGE 3CEDAR VALLEY BUSINESS MONTHLYcvbusinessmonthly.com

By JIM OFFNER

[email protected]

WATERLOO — “Buy local” is more than a catchphrase, accord-ing to small-business owners in Waterloo and Cedar Falls.

They depend on support of the local market.

“The impact is real,” said Bob Justis, vice president of com-munity development with the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber.

That is one reason the organi-zation last year launched “Home for the Holidays in the Cedar Val-ley,” a buy-local campaign aimed at Christmas shoppers who might be considering purchases either outside the market or on the Internet.

“It’s a reminder to support the local businesses, because if our local businesses are successful it creates jobs and it helps fund ser-vices through sales taxes,” Justis said. “These are the people who live in the community, and they make decisions that impact our community, so we want them to be successful.”

The invitation urges local com-panies to buy local, too.

“We want to remind our busi-nesses that they are a customer, too, and remind them to buy their supplies from local businesses,” Justis said.

More than 900 Home for the Holidays window clings were distributed to Alliance & Cham-

ber investors to display in their businesses a year ago. A weekly e-newsletter contained a link to online coupons from Alliance & Chamber member businesses.

All businesses, supporting charities and projects connected to the Alliance & Chamber were

asked to display the Home for the Holidays logo on websites, in stores, on promotional materials and in ads.

Businesses also were invited to send a photo of how they are dis-playing the Home for the Holi-days window cling.

Justis said the organization did not have any data on how suc-cessful the program was in 2011. He did have anecdotal indica-tions that the program worked.

“It does make a diff erence, especially during the holidays,” he said.

It is particularly important today, with more consumer options available, Justis said.

“The frustration, obviously, is Internet shopping has become such a big deal,” he said.

Volume 7 ● No. 1

STAFF DIRECTORY

Cedar Valley Business Monthly is a free publication direct-mailed to more than 6,500 area businesses.

Contact us at (319) 291-1527 or P.O. Box 540, Waterloo, IA 50704.

www.cvbusinessmonthly.com

EDITORIAL CONTENTNancy Raffensperger [email protected](319) 291-1445

Jim [email protected](319) 291-1598

ADVERTISINGDavid [email protected](319) 291-1403

Carrie [email protected](319) 291-1489

Sheila [email protected](319) 291-1448

SPONSORSCONTENTSJIM OFFNERBuying local makes sense for shoppers and stores alike .............................. page 6

COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONChanges in tax law loom, so maximize charitable contributions now .......... page 7

HAWKEYE COMMUNITY COLLEGEHoliday gifts ideas for the geek on your Christmas list .................................. page 8

DECEMBER 2012

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Jane Cline, left, and her mother, Deb Kelly look at a steamer for the grill at Kitchen Essentials last month in Cedar Falls.

Merchants say buy local promotion is a boon to business

Home for the Holidays

See BUY LOCAL, page 5


Help The Courier on their mission to provide 30,000 meals for the

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Waterloo merchants coordinate buy-local effortsBy JIM OFFNER

[email protected]

WATERLOO — Jessica Young at the Plaid Peacock in Waterloo says there is strength in numbers, so she looks for ways to team up with other nearby businesses on buy-local marketing eff orts.

“It seems like a lot of people are just going that way, toward trying to buy locally,” Young said. “We’ve found a lot of peo-ple have come in, especially for Christmas. They want some-thing unique and not something everybody can fi nd at the big-box stores. That’s helpful.”

The buy-local fever is burn-ing among merchants in down-town Waterloo and among their counterparts in Cedar Falls, but the Waterloo shop owners say their situation has some key diff erences.

“One thing we do try is “Small Business Saturday” the week-end after Thanksgiving,” said Jeff Kurtz, executive director of Main Street Waterloo. “That really tries to encourage people to support these small independent businesses.”

Kurtz credited Young as having played a lead role in Small Busi-ness Saturday.

“We try and kind of work together with other businesses,” Young said. “There’s the Pub-lic Market across the street, for example. We try and coordinate so we have events on the same days they have them. We might tell them what we have going on, and they’ll either let people know while they’re (at the market), or they might have an event of their own at the same time.”

Social media are important marketing tools for small busi-nesses — equalizers, in a sense, Young said.

“They make people aware that things are happening,” Young said.

Referring shoppers to neigh-boring businesses also helps everyone, Young said.

“We always try and tell peo-

ple about other businesses; The Shoppe On The Corner refers people to us and we try and tell people about them,” Young said.

Brandon Brockway, owner of Shoppe on the Corner, at 209 W. Fifth St., said numerous spe-cial events bring people down-town regularly, but there aren’t enough designed specifi cally to draw shoppers to downtown retail shops.

“It’s one thing I’ve mentioned diff erent times on Main Street,” Brockway said. “We have the pub crawl and other things, but really nothing that addresses retail.”

Brockway said his shop has looked for marketing opportu-nities when special events come around, but those occasions have been only sporadic.

“We’ve participated in diff erent things, like when RAGBRAI came to town, and we have a window display at Christmas,” he said. “One year, we were on the Tour de ’Loo. But to have a program for retail is diffi cult.”

Brockway has worked on com-bined marketing eff orts with other antique stores in the area.

“One thing I’ve done with other antique stores in the area is cre-ated a fl yer that advertises all our shops,” Brockway said.

Buy-local programs, whatev-er form they take, have special value during the holiday season, Brockways said.

“It’s extremely important to support the downtown and peo-ple who live here, to help their businesses survive,” he said. “I’ve always tried to buy local, anyway.”

Young said she would like to see a more organized eff ort, a la downtown Cedar Falls.

“That’s what we’d really like to do,” she said. “We would like to see some events like what they do in Cedar Falls that get people out. It would be nice if there were a few more shops that were closer together, so it would be easier for people to go from one to the next.”

DECEMBER 2012

“One thing we do try is Small Business Saturday the weekend after Thanksgiving. That really tries to encourage people to support these small independent businesses.”

Jeff Kurtzexecutive director of Main Street Waterloo

Sites to help you retain sanity during holiday shoppingMcClatchy-Tribune News Service

Consumer stress levels tend to rise when the holiday shop-ping season hits.

Therefore, any advantage a shopper can get before embark-ing can help take the edge off the experience.

Several websites off er a vari-ety of useful holiday shopping and purchasing advice, from payment options and bud-geting considerations to time management.

Here are a few sites worth a

visit:Consumer Reports: Con-

tains useful insights on devising a strategy for holiday shopping. www.consumerreports.org/cro/money/shopping/shop-ping-tips/holiday-shopping/overview/index.htm

Better Business Bureau: Off ers eight tips to manage the hectic shopping season shop-ping. http://newyork.bbb.org/bbb-shopping-tips-for-the-holiday-buying-rush/

Everything Christmas: Spotlights 10 tips for avoiding

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holiday shopping lines. www.everythingchristmas.com/story/tipsavoidline.html

Federal Trade Commission: Provides advice on getting the best deal through online shop-ping during the holidays. www.ftc.gov/opa/2011/11/holiday-shopping.shtm

National Foundation for Credit Counseling: Features guidelines to help keep holiday shopping stress-free. www.n fcc.o rg /co n s u m e r _ to o l s /consumertips/consumertips_07.cfm

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DECEMBER 2012

“I believe that can become habit-forming, where it’s so easy to go on your computer. If you fi nd it locally on a website and buy it locally, fi ne. But otherwise, you’re just sending money out of town,” Justis said.

Other marketing programs also kick in as the Christmas shop-ping season heats up.

Businesses along the Parkade in Cedar Falls are especially active, said Carol Lilly, executive direc-tor of Community Main Street in Cedar Falls.

“Locally, Community Main Street has scheduled an aggres-sive calendar of events from Thanksgiving to Christmas as a means of generating traffi c, increasing exposure and sales for our downtown merchants,” Lilly said.

The organization schedules special events each Thursday evening and Saturday during the holiday shopping season.

“Overall, our holiday season is pretty strong,” Lilly said. “I think since the inception of holidays we do a good job of campaigning.”

The marketing campaign falls under the broad banner of “Holi-day Hoopla” and includes open houses, family-focused events and programs designated for specifi c target groups, including children, parents, couples and types of businesses.

“Keeping events and activi-ties going provides exposure for retailers and merchants and ulti-mately results in higher sales,” Lilly said. “That’s what we hear from merchants and restaurants. They see a direct result in their sales. Every even, we try to cater to every segment of the market to bring in a variety to the area.”

All the buy-local programs combine to keep business strong, said Gretchen Behm, owner of Kitchen Essentials at 128 Main St. in Cedar Falls.

“I have noticed a big upswing in people coming into the store because they want to buy locally, keeping the money cycling with-in our area rather than going out of state,” Behm said.

As a marketing strategy,

though, all buy-local programs provide a boost to the business environment, Behm noted.

“I do think they’re working well,” she said. “A couple of peo-ple came in and said, ‘I could buy it online but decided against it.’ I think people like to see and feel and look at the quality of items. They also like coming to a busi-ness that prides on getting infor-mation and answers questions about products.”

BUY LOCALFrom page 3


Of all marketing programs for area merchants, buy-local eff orts are no-brainers. They make sense from a consumer’s time, money and security stand-

point. They’re also a product of the times, with the emphasis on buying goods and services close to home.

December, when Christmas shopping peaks, is when these programs pay off .

The Greater Cedar Val-ley Alliance &

Chamber launched “Home for the Holidays” last year. The pro-gram placed a heavy focus on the importance of supporting small merchants close to home. The hope is that it succeeded and that it will grow a bit this year. It’s unfortunate, according to the Chamber’s Bob Justis, that the organization did not track its effi cacy. Justis said there are no data on the program’s success. Perhaps this year there will be.

Where communitywide pro-grams leave off , other marketing eff orts pick up and run. Perhaps no collection of local busi-nesses is more aggressive in its holiday marketing program than the more than 120 businesses around Main Street in Cedar Falls. Heading into the holiday shopping campaign, the busi-nesses’ umbrella organization, Community Main Street, sched-ules an array of events designed to pull in local shoppers, diners and browsers. Community Main Street approaches the season from diff erent angles and seems

to leave no marketing avenue unexplored. Programs are geared to certain market segments, even diff erent demographics or shopping purposes. Events often are designed to bring residents downtown; their appetites or impulses do the rest.

Downtown Waterloo has a dif-ferent, perhaps less-developed, marketing approach to holiday shoppers. Logistics are a bit more challenging in downtown Waterloo because there isn’t one commercial thoroughfare that features the outdoor-mall set-ting of the Cedar Falls Parkade. However, the Public Market and Five Sullivan Brothers Conven-tion Center, the hotels and the emergence of other destina-tions downtown such as the new SportsPlex now under construction, should serve as helpful tools for local merchants. Downtown Waterloo is rife with events that bring in visitors year-round; some increased eff orts to coalesce the businesses in the area will augment those eff orts and certainly help business dur-ing the peak holiday shopping season. Sharing ideas with col-leagues in Cedar Falls may pro-vide guidance along those lines.

Buying local is a major trend that can only grow, especially in times of higher fuel prices. It’s a trend that benefi ts the com-munity. The challenge for local merchants is to fi nd the most eff ective ways to employ the practice into marketing cam-paigns. Intensifi ed eff orts from the chamber and the Main Street organizations will help local businesses prosper. They should, because what’s good for local businesses is good for the com-munity at large.

[email protected]

Michael StarbeckChannel Sales ManagerCenturyLink Channel Alliance

403 Sycamore StWaterloo, IA 50703Tel: 515.286.7347Fax: 877.765.3405Cell: 319.290.9088

David A. BeatyCLU, President

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Jim Offneris the Courier

business editor. Contact him at jim.offner@

wcfcourier.com.

‘Buy local’ is a gift to local businesses

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DECEMBER 2012


Leadership. Service. Faith. Learning.100Wartburg Blvd., Waverly, Iowa • www.wartburg.edu

My parents are bothWartburg

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This past summer my father

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DECEMBER 2012

Why maximize your charitable gifts now?

The remainder of 2012 may require more thought than usual

as you consider the charitable aspects of your fi nancial and tax planning.

A number of fac-tors make plan-ning important. For example, the after-tax cost of a charitable gift depends on its timing, your tax rate, whether you give cash or other property and other important con-cerns. Because of uncertainties sur-

rounding tax laws for 2013, it may be better to maximize charitable gifts before the end of 2012.

Suppose you would like to make a charitable gift of $10,000. If the gift is made in 2012, it can be deducted against a maximum federal rate of 35 percent and the after-tax cost of the gift will be $6,500. Delaying the gift until next year, because of possible higher tax rates, will result in an additional $3,500 in taxes on this year’s federal income tax return.

Given higher tax rates sched-uled to go into eff ect in January unless Congress takes action, the most tax-wise strategy may be to accelerate income where pos-sible and off set traditional taxes by increasing charitable gifts that remain deductible in 2012.

Whether or not tax rates are higher in 2013, proposals have been made that could reduce the tax savings from charitable gifts and other itemized deductions.

For example, it has been pro-posed deductions for charitable gifts be limited, along with other deductions, to the 28 percent tax bracket. In that case, the tax sav-ings for the previously described $10,000 gift would be cut to $2,800, some $700 less than if the gift were made this year.

Furthermore, a rule that reduced the value of itemized deductions in the past for higher income tax-payers is now scheduled to return in 2013.

The assets you use to fund your gifts may also have an important impact on the amount you decide to give:

Cash. When you itemize your tax deductions, gifts of cash may be used to eliminate fed-eral income tax on up to half of your adjusted gross income. State income tax savings may be an additional benefi t.

Securities. Giving appreci-ated securities (stocks, bonds or mutual funds) can bring addi-tional tax savings. Such gifts are generally deductible at their full value if they have been owned for longer than a year. As an addi-tional benefi t, no tax is owed on the capital gain that would result from a sale of securities, and if the transfer were made to a per-manent endowment fund at a qualifi ed community foundation in Iowa, the gift would also be eli-gible to receive a 25 percent state tax credit.

There are a number of ways to make gifts this year that can help you meet multiple objectives. Itemized charitable gifts made with taxable withdrawals from an IRA or other retirement account can result in a tax-free disposi-tion of these funds. Deductions for charitable gifts might also be used to off set taxes on a bonus, Roth IRA conversion, capital gains or other additional income. Life insurance policies with cash value no longer needed for their original purpose can be an excel-lent way to fund gift commit-ments. You can also arrange to make charitable gifts over a peri-od of time that can result in a tax-free inheritance for your loved ones. Lastly, check with your advisers about using all or part of the generous gift and estate tax exemptions that are scheduled to expire at the end of 2012.

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Ali Parrishis director of

development at the Community Foundation of

Northeast Iowa. Contact Parrish at (319) 287-9106 or aparrish@cfneia.

org.


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Gift ideas for geeksIt is getting closer to the holi-

days, and you may be looking for gift ideas for the geeks in your

life. Here are a few ideas to get start-ed, ranging from practical to fun to nostalgic.

For some-one who loves to read, think about the Color Nook, which Barnes and Noble just adver-tised for $139 for the Wi-Fi model. Not everyone wants to down-load 150 Apps: some people just want to read a book or maga-zine, surf the web, check email and update Facebook.

At this price, you could get one for yourself and one for a special person. And it has something I really miss about the iPad — the ability to store fi les or pictures on an SD card. The Nook has a screen that is approximately 7 inches.

As a coincidence, Apple just came out with a 7-inch tablet, the iPad Mini. However, all of the predictions that it might provide some competition with other small tablets proved wrong since Apple priced it at $329 for the basic Wi-Fi model, with 16-gig of memory. As noted, you could buy two Nooks and have about $50 left, which would probably get you the covers for the Nooks. Or you could buy one iPad Mini.

If you have been looking at iPads and wondering if you could justify the cost, here is something else to tempt you. Apple is selling a refurbished iPad 2 for as little as $319 for a 16-gig Wi-Fi model. This is an amazing price: The iPad 2 has a decent camera, bat-tery life and most of the appeal of the iPad 3, which admittedly has a superior display. However, for almost anything you want to do on an iPad, the iPad 2 will work great.

For someone who has a serious science fi ction collection, go to thinkgeek.com, makers of one of my favorite catalogs. If there is someone in your life who likes to debate about which actor was the best Dr. Who, fantasizes about being beamed up to the starship Enterprise or thinks watching the Star Wars trilogy is a fun date, this is the place to shop for his or her gifts.

What can you fi nd at think-geek? How about a “Star Trek” inspired pizza cutter, in the shape of the starship Enterprise?

They also have bathrobes, trib-bles (ask your fan) and T-shirts that look like the “Star Trek” uniforms (including red ones that say “expendable.”) In the “Star Wars” section, you can fi nd light saber laser pointers, light saber fl ashlights, “Boba” or “Vader” alarm clocks and Jedi or Sith bathrobes. Dr. Who fans can fi nd sonic screwdrivers, a Tardis cookie jar, a Tardis USB hub and a Tardis mug (remember the phone booth?)

Cherie Dargan is associate

professor in the communications

department at Hawkeye Community College in

Waterloo. Contact her at 296-2320,

ext. 1701, or cherie.dargan@hawkeyecollege.

edu.

See DARGAN, page 9


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After walking around Sta-ples and Barnes & Noble, I saw numerous products geared towards tablets. Zagg had a key-board for $79 and works with iPads; you can also fi nd a Chef stand and stylus for $29, which is great for those of us who fi nd recipes on Pinterest on our iPad and then want to test them out. Staples had a display with the Lenovo Twist—it is a laptop and a tablet. I saw every kind and color of iPad cover possible, as well as styluses. I was also surprised at the number of toys at Barnes & Noble: fans of Dr. Who & the Big Bang theory, watch out!

I posted a question on Face-book: “what is the best gift for a techie?” Some of the suggestions included:

The website woot.com is good for bargains on technology. It includes a section called tech.woot off ering a Kindle Fire for $159. Other bargains included a refurbished portable wand scan-ner for $39.

A friend who works at the Waterloo Public Library said

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a library card is the best gift. It includes free e-books, audio books, and now, free music downloads, not to mention access to Consumer Reports.

An iTunes gift card.The Surface tablet with the

Intel chip. The cover has a key-board. Runs full version of Offi ce. Also has Windows 8.

A cloud drive space. Can you ever have too much storage?

Mine craft, a popular game for the Xbox.

The Google Nexus 7 tablet —made by Asus, running Google’s Android system. It is a competi-tor to the iPad.

Since there are too many new tablets, cameras, smart phones, and other tech toys to review here, I recommend CNET: it is a great resource for researching geek gifts. I found a 3D printer, the newly revamped Furby toy, and an intriguing “futon style” mouse pad for people with cold hands. While you are at it, look at thinkgeek.com. Still can’t decide? There is always the clas-sic combination: a Dilbert or The Offi ce calendar and an iTunes card.

A couple of sites that might be of interest: www.thinkgeek.com; reviews.cnet.com/holiday-gift-guide; and www.woot.com/#

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DARGANFrom page 8

DECEMBER 2012


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Five signs an employee is headed out the door

The Dallas Morning News

Human resources execu-tive Karen LaCroix reveals fi ve warning signs an employee may resign. LaCroix is president and founder of Frisco, Texas-based SuperiorHR. She has spent more than 25 years in human resourc-es, working in industries such as health care, fi nancial services, manufacturing, technology and oil and gas.

1. Positivity becomes pessi-mism: Do you hear employees grumbling about work, man-agement, or day-to-day activi-ties? Keep your ears open for verbal or written communica-tion that signals unhappiness.

2. Huh? Are you talking to me? If you notice an employee isn’t participating; makes fre-quent mistakes; seems bored, tired or otherwise disengaged; or who doesn’t pay attention in meetings or contribute to dis-cussions, you may be dealing with someone who’s mentally already out the door.

3. Desk no-show: The com-puter monitor stays dark. Papers haven’t moved. An employee who misses work more than usual may seem like an obvious sign of dissatisfaction, but you’ll know about it only if you’re engaged with the daily activities of your team, or if you’ve chal-lenged your managers to do so.

4. Lone wolf: There are always employees who volunteer for project work or want to contrib-ute to the team, department or organization. If you notice that a once-social employee seems quiet, spends time alone or dis-tances himself on purpose, you may have a situation in which he’s preparing for a clean break.

5. Rumor mill is churning: Keep your ears perked to dis-cussions about what’s going on in your department or company. If you overhear that an employee is unhappy or looking for a job, or any similar topic, follow up as appropriate. Rumors are often rooted in truth, and many times they’re worth some attention.


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DECEMBER 2012

Choosing charities wisely avoids fraud

You want to do the right thing by helping people in your com-munity, people in our state or maybe even people who are far

away. But what you don’t want to do is help those who prey upon generous givers.

Most legiti-mate charities solicit donations honestly and use their donat-ed resources wisely. Many of these charities solicit donations through their own staff mem-bers or volun-teers and some

use professional fundraisers.Questionable charities and

questionable professional fund-raisers may mislead donors, divert funds from more eff ective charities and shortchange genu-ine charitable operations. While there are legitimate professional fundraisers that fi ll a need, some questionable fundraisers may divert 80 percent to 90 percent of your donations for fundrais-ing expenses, and that’s at the expense of the people you’re try-ing to help.

Follow these tips to protect yourself from fundraising and charity abuses:

Don’t be fooled by a sympa-thetic name. Some operations use names that promise more than they deliver. Many causes clearly deserve generous public support, including veterans, law enforcement and fi refi ghters, but some marginal operations claim connections with such groups yet provide them with very little support. Contact your local sher-iff or police or fi re department or veterans’ organization to check out claims that a donation will be used locally. If a charity’s name

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sounds similar, but not identical, to a charity you’re familiar with, contact the charity you know to check it out.

Ask questions. Be wary of claims the caller is a char-ity worker or volunteer, that most of your donation goes to the cause or that your donation will be used locally. Some chari-ties hire professional fundrais-ers that collect fundraising fees from donations. Ask the caller if he or she is a volunteer or a professional fundraiser. If it’s a professional fundraiser, ask how much of your donation actually goes to the charity. If you’re deal-ing with the charity directly, ask how much of your donation goes toward administrative expenses. If you don’t get straight answers, don’t give.

Ask phone solicitors to send written information. Check out the charity before giving. Be sus-picious if they insist on a pledge before they’ll send you infor-mation. Check them out at the national Better Business Bureau “Wise Giving Alliance” site — www.give.org or check www.charitynavigator.org.

Say no to high-pressure solic-itors. They’re likely not working on behalf of a legitimate charity or professional fundraiser. If they off er to send someone to pick up your donation, ask you to use an overnight service or request you to wire your donation, tell them no.

Be wary of solicitors thanking you for past contributions you don’t recall.

Don’t give your credit card or checking account numbers over the phone to someone you don’t know. Resist high-pressure pitches to give now. Trust your instinct if something doesn’t seem right.

Bottom line: Give wisely. Giv-ing to a known charity you’re confi dent about is often the best option.

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Tom Miller is Iowa’s attorney

general. Contact his offi ce’s Consumer Protection Division

at (888) 777-4590. The website is

www.IowaAttorneyGeneral.

com


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DECEMBER 2012

2012 year in review, and looking forward

This is the year that showed we are truly a global economy. Throughout the year, time and time again, our markets were

aff ected not only by what was hap-pening in the U.S. but more and more by what was happening outside the U.S.

The problems in Greece, Italy and Spain, along with problems show-ing up in China, all had an eff ect on U.S. markets. This will continue in 2013 and possibly beyond. With the European Union

trying to stabilize countries in trouble over there and the Fed-eral Reserve trying to do the same here, investors hope things will eventually level off .

Couple this with high unem-ployment that is virtually at the same levels as four years ago, the housing market rebound-ing slowly, slowing or decreas-ing corporate earnings and a presidential election, and it is a wonder the market has been up through the fi rst 10 months of the year.

When it comes to investing, this year showed us the impor-tance of keeping a well-diversi-fi ed portfolio. Looking back, did your adviser have your invest-

ments set up to protect you from the ups and downs in the market? Do you have your life insurance in line with your family’s needs? Did you have the right amount of disability insurance? Is long-term care insurance a concern?

Families trust their GPS to make sure they are going in the right direction. If they get lost or detours come up, the GPS recal-culates the best way for you to get back on track. That is exact-ly what an investment adviser should do for you. Someone to give you direction, someone you trust, and if you get off track or run into a fi nancial detour, the adviser is there to help get you back on track.

There are key points to consider when searching for your fi nancial adviser:

1. Find a fi nancial adviser who both you and your signifi cant other feel comfortable with. Do not be afraid to interview sev-eral advisers during this process. Make sure that person will look at your entire fi nancial picture, including investments, life insur-ance, disability insurance and long-term care insurance. All of these are pieces of your fi nancial puzzle.

2. Make sure the adviser you choose knows all of your invest-ments and insurances. An advis-er cannot give you a completed puzzle without all the pieces.

Thomas Kneeland

is an investment adviser

representative with Financial Decisions Group in Waterloo.

Contact him at 233-8476.

See ADVISER, page 13


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This includes your 401(k), stocks, bonds, certifi cates of deposit, money markets, mutu-al funds and cash.

3. When dealing with the investments, make sure the adviser has a clear understand-ing of your investment risk tol-erance that may be anywhere from conservative to aggressive. Most advisers have question-naires that will help you deter-mine your risk tolerance.

4. Does your adviser set up a schedule for review of your fi nancial plan at least annu-ally or as often as you want? This review is the key to making sure you are heading in the right direction to your short-term, intermediate-term and long-term fi nancial goals.

5. Make sure the adviser isn’t investing all your money. It is important to keep a minimum of six to nine months’ worth of expenses in a liquid account in case of emergencies. The more conservative you are, the more you may want to keep liquid.

If you are working with an adviser you trust, good for you. Now what? That’s simple: Do not be afraid to call and ask your adviser questions at any time. Remember, the only stu-pid question is the one that is never asked.

Here are some questions you may want to ask your adviser looking back on 2012:

Am I diversifi ed enough?Do I own large-, mid- and

small-cap stocks/mutual funds?

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Do I have some international investments?

Should I consider real estate funds or precious metal funds?

Did my accounts get re-bal-anced this year to maintain my diversity and risk tolerance?

Is my life insurance ade-quate? Remember, insurance is not typically an investment, as the cash value is rarely used to produce income at retirement, but rather to leave an tax-free legacy to your family.)

Is my disability insurance the right amount? Group cov-erage through work is generally taxable, so the 60 percent of your income it covers becomes 40 to 45 percent of your income after taxes. Consider an addi-tional individual policy.

Do I need long-term care insurance? Which kind of cov-erage makes the most sense? Does a traditional policy or a life insurance policy with a long-term care rider make more sense?

Your adviser should be able to review your portfolio and answer these questions for you. If the answer to some of the questions is no, your adviser can help you accomplish what you allow.

The key is to trust your adviser as you trust in your GPS. Keep them informed of all changes both fi nancially and personally that may create detours in your plan. This will help your adviser keep you on the right road to your fi nancial goals.

There is nothing wrong with recalculating when you encounter life’s detours. You are in the driver’s seat. Make 2013 the year you review your plan.

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ADVISERFrom page 12


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DECEMBER 2012

Cedar Valley witnessed many accomplishments during 2012 Let’s touch on some of the

progress occurring in the Cedar Valley in 2012.

Cedar Falls and Waterloo are among the cities selected to be demonstration communities in

the Blue Zones initiative. The initiative encour-ages awareness of healthy hab-its, and Blue Zone cities will receive assistance and resources to expand oppor-tunities that promote healthy lifestyle choices, such as contin-ued development of trails, parks and recreational

activities. Schools, hospitals and businesses are on-track to promote healthy living choices.

The Cedar Valley TechWorks

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campus consists of two build-ings dubbed Tech 1 and Tech 2. UNI’s National Ag-Based Lubri-cants Center operates in Tech 1. Tech 2 is intended to be a mixed-use center. A new John Deere training center will be one of its tenants. John Deere also plans to open the Waterloo Tractor and Engine Museum immedi-ately adjacent to the site in 2013. Hawkeye Community College will be off ering programs at the TechWorks campus, and a hotel and restaurant under the opera-tion of the Amin Group will be locating there as well.

The Cedar Falls City Coun-cil unanimously approved four resolutions related to the down-town waterfront project on the site of the old Broom Factory Restaurant and the State Street corridor. The Western Home has proposed constructing a two-building, $15 million to $20 million multi-story down-

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town residential complex. They are partnering with Eagle View Properties, headed by Mark Kit-trell and Jean Fischer, who also have plans to develop the area. The emphasis is on apartments, condos and a hotel, which would complement Main Street and add a substantial base of regu-lar customers and activity for downtown. The new neighbor-hood will support the Blue Zones Project health initiative, and River Place residences are com-mitted to “green” energy and environmental developmen-tal design. A groundbreaking ceremony was expected in late November or early December.

The beautiful RiverLoop Amphitheatre opened on the river walk along the Cedar River in downtown Waterloo. This attraction includes a feature for the young ones — Mark’s Park — that has play structures and a splash pad. It joins the River-

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Loop Plaza and RiverLoop Mar-ket as true jewels of downtown Waterloo. The amphitheatre has gotten plenty of attention since opening, including hosting a rally where President Barack Obama spoke on Aug. 14.

Steel girders have been erect-ed nearby as construction is under way on the Cedar Val-ley SportsPlex, a $27.5 million sports facility with indoor soc-cer fi elds, basketball courts, golf room, mat room and workout area. It is expected to be open to the public by Thanksgiv-ing 2013. That will give us yet another asset in the community for which be thankful.

Eastern Iowa Honor Flights enabled many World War II and Korean War veterans to tour Washington, D.C., throughout the year.

The University of North-ern Iowa is expanding its stu-dent housing with a $64 mil-

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lion apartment-style residence hall named Panther Village. The schematic for the building, developed by InVision Archi-tecture and a St. Louis fi rm, was designed to “blend in and complement the rest of the campus.” The project, result-ing in 788 housing opportuni-ties, is intended for junior and senior students looking to live on campus.

And Community National Bank celebrated its 15th anni-versary committed to providing advance technology without losing the personal touch and close customer relationships as a true local bank.

Such an ample list, and it’s only a sampling of the great things that happened to us in the Cedar Valley this year. With an eye to the future and feet fi rmly plant-ed on the ground, our leaders and citizens continue to be the Cedar Valley’s greatest asset.

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Stacey Bentley

is Cedar Valley market president with Community National Bank in

Waterloo. Contact her at 291-2000.


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DECEMBER 2012

Misusing background checks could land employers in hot waterChicago Tribune

The Equal Employment Oppor-tunity Commission has sent a warning to businesses: Conduct criminal background checks at your own risk.

Companies that ask job appli-cants if they’ve been convicted of a felony or check criminal histo-ries expose themselves to poten-tial discrimination lawsuits.

“I would suggest to (busi-nesses) that they think long and hard about why they think they need to do a criminal background check,” said John Hendrickson, the regional attorney for the EEOC’s Chicago district.

The EEOC in April issued enforcement guidance on the matter that is expected to hold signifi cant sway in court. The commission stated that people cannot be denied employment based solely on criminal histo-ries but stops short of banning the use of criminal background checks.

To avoid missteps, the EEOC suggests companies consider three things: how long ago the crime was committed, the nature of the crime and how the crime

might relate to the job. The agen-cy also said companies should also give ex-off enders a chance during job interviews to explain conviction circumstances as well as rehabilitation eff orts.

“Employers should record and document the justifi cation for their employment decisions when they are making the deci-sion with someone with a crimi-nal history,” said Jeff Nowak, a Chicago labor and employment attorney.

Sometimes there are good busi-ness reasons not to hire people with certain criminal records.

For example, if a job applicant is a convicted embezzler, the company would have a strong case not to hire that person in a fi nancial capacity. But the person might be qualifi ed to hold jobs that don’t deal with money.

Even before the guidance was issued, companies were put on notice that they could be vulner-able to paying damages to people for using their criminal history background against them. In January, Pepsi was ordered in a court case to pay $3.13 million to black applicants who had been denied work because of past

arrests or minor convictions. As a result, Pepsi revamped its hir-ing procedures.

A 2007 court case triggered the EEOC to look at the issue. In the case, Douglas El claimed he was unjustly fi red when his employer learned about a 40-year-old sec-ond-degree murder conviction. While an appeals court upheld his dismissal, the court asked the EEOC to provide a legal analy-sis and updated research on the impact of using criminal records in hiring decisions.

The EEOC found that signifi -cantly more African-American and Hispanic people — especially men — are incarcerated, so they are disproportionately aff ect-ed when companies don’t hire ex-off enders.

Employers are being forced to consider: “Do I want to risk … being sued by the EEOC or

risk criminal conduct by future employees that might impact my clients?” Nowak said.

So far, more businesses are opting not to conduct crimi-nal background checks, with 14 percent of businesses report-ing this year that they don’t do them, a 7 percent increase from 2010, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. In 2012, 69 percent of businesses used criminal background checks for every position, while the rest only use the checks for some positions.

Because of the potential for negligent hiring suits due to employee criminal misconduct, Nowak said businesses should still do criminal background checks.

Some small businesses like Erie-LaSalle Body Shop in Chi-cago, a 78-year-old family-

owned business, mostly rely on intuition when making hires.

Owner Robert Gottfred is glad to interview anyone who shows the initiative to make an appointment.

He does criminal background checks only after he knows he wants to hire someone, as a pre-caution. His main concerns about prospective hires are involvement in serious crimes such as theft or sexual or physical abuse.

“I use somewhat of my intu-ition in many cases, sometimes right, sometimes wrong,” Gott-fred said. “Obviously I’m for the freedom for the employer to act in the best interest of his employ-ees and clients.”

While he had not heard of the EEOC’s enforcement guid-ance, Gottfred said he has hired ex-off enders he thought were qualifi ed.


A phrase that has found its way into our daily lexicon this year is “fi scal cliff .” It refers to a combi-

nation of feder-al government spending cuts and expiring tax cuts that many fear could be a serious drag on the U.S. econ-omy beginning at the start of 2013. These s c h e d u l e d spending cuts and tax increas-es have many e c o n o m i s t s concerned that

if nothing is done legislatively to change current plans and avoid the cliff , a recession could result due to consumers having less to

spend just as government reduc-es its own spending.

Changes on the docketThe estimated impact on the

economy comes from a combi-nation of expiring tax cuts, new taxes and automatic spending cuts. The most direct eff ect on individuals has to do with tax changes. They include:

The expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts of 2001 and 2003. Most notably, this would raise income tax rates for most people to levels that were in place prior to 2001. It also would change other tax provisions, including an increase in taxes on dividends and capital gains, a decrease in the child tax credit and a re-instatement of phasing out some itemized deductions and personal exemptions for higher

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income individuals.The end of the “payroll tax

holiday” that reduced an indi-viduals’ Social Security taxes by 2 percent.

Less benefi t from the Ameri-can Opportunity Tax Credit, which provided up to $2,500 per student in credits (a dollar-for-dollar reduction in taxes) to off set qualifi ed higher educa-tion expenses. In 2013, income limits to qualify for the credit — which will revert back to its prior name, the Hope Scholar-ship Credit — are lowered, and the maximum credit is reduced to a projected $1,950.

The loss of the “patch” that allowed many middle income Americans to avoid exposure to the Alternative Minimum Tax.

A drastic reduction in the exclusion amount for the estate

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tax from $5.12 million per per-son to $1 million, and an upturn in the highest maximum estate tax rate, from 35 percent to 55 percent.

The implementation of a higher income threshold to qualify to deduct out-of-pock-et medical costs as an itemized deduction. Currently, expenses valued at more than 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income can be deducted. The threshold rises to 10 percent in 2013 for most tax-payers. For those at least age 65, the higher threshold phases in through 2016.

The addition of new taxes that will apply to individuals earning higher incomes as part of the new Patient Protection and Aff ordable Care Act.

The effect these changes would have on individuals over the next year could be dramatic, anywhere from several hundred dollars to several thousand dol-lars or more in increased taxes for 2013, depending on individ-ual circumstances.

The other aspect of the fi scal cliff is scheduled federal govern-ment spending cuts that are due to take hold in 2013 — another potential blow to the economy.

These include:$110 billion in spending cuts

agreed to in the Budget Control Act of 2011.

$26 billion from the expira-tion of emergency unemploy-ment benefi ts.

$11 billion in reduced Medi-care reimbursements for physicians.

$105 billion in other sched-uled changes to revenue or spending.

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What should you plan for?Nobody can be certain what

policymakers in Washington may choose to do — or not do — to limit the potential economic shock created by the confl uence of events that have led to the fi s-cal cliff . They could vote to alter the planned changes to tax laws and government outlays in order to temper the impact. However, any action in that regard may not occur before late this year or into 2013.

In the meantime, be prepared for what may come. It appears likely that the amount of taxes you pay in 2013 will be high-er than what you paid in 2012. Whether it will be as severe as what exists under the currently scheduled changes remains to be seen. Despite this, changes to the national economy or your personal fi nancial circumstanc-es will not occur overnight.

The tax changes would take place all at once, but from a per-sonal perspective, they would have a gradual eff ect. It could be dramatic over a year’s time, but it will be applied in small-er increments such as through wage withholding. Even the government’s spending cuts will be implemented gradually over the year. The situation will cre-ate challenges and should not be taken lightly. But it also off ers the opportunity to carefully review your fi nances, every-thing from day-to-day spend-ing to investment strategies and tax planning, to determine the best way to limit the impact on your own bottom line and move forward with your best fi nancial strategies.

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DECEMBER 2012

Preparing your portfolio for the looming ‘fi scal cliff ’

Larry K. Fox is a private wealth

adviser with Ameriprise Financial

Inc. in Waterloo. Contact him

at 234-7000.

Find all your latest news in


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By supporting local holiday events like Festival of Trees, First National Bankinvests in everything we love about Cedar Falls. And when you choose FirstNational Bank for your family’s banking needs, your money stays right herein your hometown—helping your neighbors, friends and family build abetter community. Together, we’re making a difference in Cedar Falls first.

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There are lots of opportunities to volunteer over the holidaysThe holidays are a terrifi c time

of year to share your talents while helping others. The Volunteer

Center of Cedar Valley has listed a number of great ways to get involved. Here are a few to consider:

Dec. 6 is Family Fun Days at the Phelps Youth Pavilion. Volunteers are needed to help families in the art room work-ing on the make and take activi-ties and to help

staff throughout the day. Shifts are usually 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. Volunteers age 16 and over are welcome.

The Family and Children’s Council needs volunteers 14 or older to gift wrap for holiday shoppers for a donation Dec. 8 for two-hour shifts throughout mall hours, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Lowell School needs individu-als to adopt a family for the holi-days. Wish lists will be provided

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for individuals and families. Gifts need to be wrapped and delivered to Lowell on Dec. 19. Volunteers age 14 and over are also needed on to unload gifts and bring into the school from 12-4 p.m. and to assist families as they pick up gifts at the school from 4-7 p.m.

The Grout Museum District needs volunteers ages 16 and over to assist at the Bluedorn Imagi-narium with “Club Fetch” from 9:30 until 11:30 a.m. Dec. 8.

On Dec. 11, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley holds its annual “Fun with Frosty” event from 5 -6:30 p.m. Volun-teers ages 16 and over are needed to set up and tear down for games, crafst and serving food.

Volunteer ages 18 and over are needed to assist staff with print-ing press and an industry assem-bly line demonstration activity at the Grout Museum District’s Museum School Day from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Dec. 12.

Waterloo Community Schools needs volunteers ages 18 and over to help at the Battle of Waterloo Wrestling Tournament by sell-ing merchandise, providing hos-pitality, running errands, selling and taking tickets and assist-

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ing with bracket postings from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Dec. 14-15 at Young Arena.

Assist with “A Creepy Crawly Christmas”at the Grout Museum and Imaginarium from 9 a.m. to

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5 p.m. Dec. 26-28. Volunteers ages 16 and over are needed for as little as one hour or as many as eight.

Volunteers ages 16 and over are needed to walk through Grout ■

Museum and Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum and assist people as needed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 26-31. Volunteer two to eight hours one day or every day. Volunteers are welcome.

Anne Nass is communications coordinator with the Volunteer Center of

Cedar Valley. Contact her at the center, at 272-2087 or anne_

[email protected].

DECEMBER 2012

ALLIANCE & CHAMBER NEWSLETTERPAGE 19

WWW.CEDARVALLEYALLIANCE.COM

BE PART OF SOMETHING GREATER!December 2012

The Home for the Holidays campaign is designed to encourage residents of the Cedar Valley to support their local businesses and, in turn, their local economy. Cedar Valley businesses are encouraged to display the Home for the Holidays logo on thier web sites, in

Cedar Valley business can obtain this logo and window

Home for the Holidays . . . and EVERYDAY!

Options for shopping, dining and entertainment in the Cedar Valley keep getting GREATER thanks largely to the support of local consumers. The majority of each dollar spent locally is quickly re-turned to the community in the form of business purchases, wages, and tax revenue. Supporting Cedar Valley businesses fuels the regional econ-omy and encourages entrepreneurism, innova-tion, and diverse options. Ultimately, the dollars you spend locally come back to you in the form of public services, infrastructure, schools, and great retail options.

Throughout the holiday season, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber emphasizes the exceptional holiday shopping and entertainment opportunities

in a special Home for the Holidays in the Cedar Valley campaign.

"I strongly encourage people in the Cedar Valley to purchase from local businesses. Many of our local merchants depend upon sales from the

holiday season for a large percentage of their annual budget. These are businesses which support our lo-cal economy in so many ways, including employing our family members, friends and neighbors. All of

us can make such a difference by buying local.’’

Bob Justis, Vice President, Community Development

Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

ALLIANCE & CHAMBER NEWSLETTERPAGE 20 December 2012


BE PART OF SOMETHING GREATER!

2013Northeast IowaManufacturing

Conference

Expanding Talent Now February 6, 2013

Hawkeye Community CollegeFor More Informationwww.hawkeyecollege.edu/go/manufacturing

[email protected]

Co-Sponsored By:

attract retainQUALITY TALENT

Greater talent breeds greater innovation

• Fill out the SkilledIowa commitment form• Agree to promote the NCRC Certificate within one job posting per year.

• Review the NCRC testing times in your area• Identify a portion of your company’s workforce

that can complete NCRC testing in the next 90 days

Step #1

Step #2

Why support

SkilledIowa?

Why does the GCVAC support SkilledIowa?

Get Involved

A “work ready” communitybenefits business

Contact GCVAC Director of Business Services, Brittany Jungck at 319-232-1156 or [email protected]. More at www.cedarvalleyalliance.com.

“Expanding Talent Now”, the 2013 Northeast Iowa Manufacturing Conference will focus on talent and innovation. The day’s schedule is packed with panels, presentations, and speakers addressing talent supply and skills. Presentations will include:

• Experiences of manufacturers: Vermeer and Unverferth

• How to attract emerging talent to manufacturing

• Retirement - Training opportunities to transition your workforce

Owners and key managers are encouraged to attend. The event is free, but space is limited to 200 guests. Registration is required and may be done by emailing [email protected]. For more information Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, by calling 319-232-1156 or email [email protected].

Talent Fair Reserve Your Space Today!

BOOTHS ARE FREE to GCVAC Investors & Members A $150 value! Space is limited!

GCVAC: Engaged & Focused on Expanding CV WorkforceProviding opportunities and solutions to grow your business

Sign the Cedar Valley SkilledIowa commitment form. Join the list of progressive employers in the Cedar Valley creating “work ready” region. Commit to promoting just one job posting to NCRC certification per year. Together, we can encourage testing, and continue to grow the skilled labor pool. Download the commitment form at www.cedarvalleyalliance.com/SkilledIowa.

Thursday, February 28thFive Sullivan’s Convention Center

2:00-7:00pmBusinesses register by emailing Britt Jungck:

[email protected]

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is working on talent development and retention as a top priority. The GCVAC is aggressively addressing the need for skilled talent. Some of the early initiatives are described on this page.



BE PART OF SOMETHING GREATER!December 2012

“The Cedar Valley has been very good to Moeller and Walter over the past 30 years. With approximately 80% of our business being in Black Hawk County, it only makes sense for us to put back into the location that has been so good to us. We hope that by investing in the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber we can help someone make their dream a reality and help ourselves insure future business as well. We hope by working together not only Black Hawk County will benefit but the surrounding counties like Grundy County will feel the positive effects as well. We are happy to be a part of this program and hope that growth in this area will provide good opportunities for us and future generations to come.”

FtV2 Campaign for Regional Economic Growth

2

“ I have been a business person in the Cedar Valley community for over 35 years and have served as the May-or of Jesup and President of the Jesup Economic Development Foundation. I understand the importance of working to make my business grow as well as helping other businesses to thrive and prosper. I feel the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is working to create a positive business environment by encourag-ing growth through new technologies and research & development, both in existing businesses as well as in new opportunities. Additionally, the GCVAC is working to retain, rand/or attract talented people to work in our Cedar Valley area businesses. I am interested in these goals and I am willing to place a portion my time and monies at their disposal to accomplish these objectives.”

Bloom Mfg. Inc., of Independence, Iowa, specializes in Hydraulic Worm Gear Winches, Planetary Winches, Capstan Winches and Hydraulic Speed Reducers for the Marine, Construction, Waste, Utility, Industrial and Drilling Markets. In 2005 Mark J. H. Collett purchased Bloom Mfg. Inc. from the Bloom ESOP and is the current owner. The GCVAC is proud to have Mark and his company as an active investor and member of the GCVAC Board of Directors.

Mark J. H. CollettPresident

Bloom Mfg. Inc.Independence, Iowa

Lynn TraskCo-Owner & President

Moeller & WalterReinbeck, Iowa

Ron PetersenCo-Owner & Vice President

Moeller & WalterReinbeck, Iowa

Moeller & Walter is a full service building design and materials retail store with a service radius of 60 miles from its Reinbeck loca-tion. Founded in 1876, Moeller & Walter is the oldest privately owned company in Grundy County, Iowa. Lynn Trask purchased in the business in 1985, with Ron Petersen becoming his partner in 1999.

opment, business growth, branding, and improving the business climate.

To learn more, please visit



BE PART OF SOMETHING GREATER! December 2012

Russell Lamson209 West 5th Street, Waterloo

Ribbon Cuttings

Bio Life Plasma Services2535 Crossroads Blvd., Waterloo

Caring Transitions of Northeast Iowa, 1222 W 2nd St. Cedar Falls

North Star3623 Canterbury Court, Waterloo

Welcome New Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber Investors/Members

NewAldaya Lifescapes7511 University Ave., Cedar Falls

Little Caesars3821 University Ave. Ste 1, Waterloo

Roth Jewelers229 E. Park Ave. Waterloo

Recycle Rite128 Busienss Community Service

Bldg. Ste P., Cedar Falls Qdoba Mexican Grill

6406 University Ave., Cedar Falls

National Wrestling MuseumState of Iowa Dan Gable Day

300 Jefferson St. Waterloo

&Ground

Breakings

American Cancer SocietyKelly Warren2101 Kimball Ave., Ste. 130 Waterloo, IA 50702319-272-2880www.cancer.org Category: Associations/Organizations

Caring Transitions of NE IowaKerri Shimp1222 W. 2nd St. Cedar Falls 212-7819www.caringtransitions.net/waterlooia Category: Retirement/Relocation/Estate Sales

Candlewood SuitesJennifer De Puew2056 La Porte Rd. Waterloo, IA 50702319-235-7000www.candlewoodsuites.com/waterlooia Category: Hotels & Motels

Imperial StoneTom Rave 1049 South 3rd St. Manchester IA 52057563-608-3729www.lookimperial.com Catagory: Home Improvement

Fusion RealtorsZach Beschorner1029 Commercial St.Waterloo, IA 50702319-234-8000www.fusionrealtorsiowa.comCategory: Real Estate

JDE EngineeringLuke Dettmer402 E. 4th St., Ste. 101 waterloo, IA [email protected] Category: Engineering Services

Ranchero Saddle & Western WearDonald Faris4192 Logan Ave.Waterloo, IA 50703319-232-6263Category: Clothing-Retail

TAC 10, Inc.Mark DeGroote1005 Technology Pkwy.Cedar Falls, IA 50613319-433-7500www.tac10.comCategory: Software Development

Suburban Extended Stay HotelJennifer DePuew300 Viking Rd.Cedar Falls, IA 50613Category: Hotels & Motels

Summit Chiropractic CentersAndrew Jolley40 Brookeridge Dr.Waterloo, IA 50701319-232-2100www.summitchiropracticcenters.comCategory: Chiropractors

TrueCare Healthcare SolutionsSuzanne Allen 3041 Justin Dr. Urbandale, IA 50322515-276-4220www.true-care.com Category: Home Health Services

Join the GCVAC!Learn how your

business will benefit! Contact Bette Wubbena

at (319) 232-1156



BE PART OF SOMETHING GREATER!December 2012Thank You Total Resource Campaign

Volunteers and Employers

Volunteers, their employers, and

participating businesses were honored

at the TRC Celebration Breakfast, held

at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention

Center. Patty Berning was

recognized as the top TRC salesperson,

with Patrick Smith placing second and

Sheri Purdy in third.

Patty BerningBridges Senior Lifestyle

Living

Tim BradfordNext Generation Wireless

Corey ClarkLincoln Savings Bank

Jessica CrouchShaklee

Sandy FormanekAwards, Gifts & Engraving

Deonna FritzExpense Reduction Analysts

Glenda HusomeFamily & Children’s Council

of Black Hawk County

Niki KellerHy-Vee Food Store

Jackie KuglerKugler Construction &

Plumbing

Tonya LedvinaYWCA of Black Hawk

Andy MacLennanBuild the Bottom Line

Sheri PurdyCovenant

Wellness Center

Cathy RottinghausHawkeye Community

College

Bonnie SadlerNuCara Pharmacy/

NuCaraHome Medical

Teresa SamecLiberty Bank

Brenda ScharesSchmitt Telecom

Partners, Inc.

Patrick SmithWells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Jerry TwindeWells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Dave VandeventerOakridge Realtors

Good Morning Cedar Valley is a quarterly networking breakfast, educating Alliance & Chamber investors/members on current events. The brief program will include Waterloo Mayor Buck Clark, Cedar Falls Mayor Jon Crews, and a County Board of Supervisors represen-tative. Each breakfast attracts more than 125 member investors from across the Cedar Valley. There is no cost to attend. RSVP is required by calling 319-232-1156 or email [email protected].

Gold Sponsors:

Premier Sponsor:Good Morning Cedar ValleyThursday, December 6, 2012, 7:30am - 9:00am NewAldaya Lifescapes, 7511 University Ave., Cedar Falls

Wednesday, December 5th4:30 - 6:30pmIsle Casino Hotel Waterloo

Pre- Session Legislative Reception

The Annual Pre-Session Legislative Reception is an opportunity for business and civic leaders to meet and mingle with state legislators from across the Cedar Valley region. The evening gives the legislators an opportunity to hear what’s on your mind. GCVAC Investors are encouraged to attend to voice support for pro-business policies and the projects and programs that will make the Cedar Valley an even better place to live and operate a business. Please RSVP to [email protected].

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Night shift: Late workers at risk for some health issuesThe Dallas Morning News

DALLAS — Looking for truly scary costume ideas for next Halloween?

Try Thomas Edison.

The inventor of the light bulb, when you get right down to it, can shoulder the blame for some potentially frightening health possibilities facing 11 million workers.

They’re those who work (heavy organ-music chords here) — the graveyard shift. Research is showing that these creatures of the night — nurses, bakers, fi re-fi ghters, transportation workers, factory employees, police offi -cers, 24-hour help-deskers and others — might encounter sev-eral serious risks:

International researchers, analyzing results of 34 studies, found that shift work was associ-ated with a 23 percent increased risk of heart attack among more than 2 million night, evening and rotating-shift workers, the British Medical Journal report-ed. Among night-shift work-ers only, that number rose to 41 percent. Interestingly, shift work was not associated with increased death rates.

Researchers at Brigham & Women’s Hospital Division of Sleep Medicine found that among workers with pre-dia-betes conditions, the disease is more likely to develop in night workers than those who work days. Additionally, sleeping at “abnormal times” and not get-ting enough sleep leads to lower metabolism and higher spikes in blood sugar.

Teens who work “off -hour employment” before age 20 may be at risk for multiple sclero-sis due to changes in their sleep patterns and disruption of their

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circadian rhythms, according to the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.

So perhaps the maligning of Edison — “the person to blame, obviously,” says Dr. David Luterman, medical director and director of the Baylor Sleep Center in Dallas — now makes more sense.

“When it was dark, there was nothing to do but sleep,” Luter-man says. “Then the light bulb came, and then Henry Ford puts in shifts all over the place. Then radio, which was entertainment in your own home. Then the TV.”

Which led, of course, to over-night jobs, to off -kilter sleep schedules and to health prob-lems that go bump in the night.

First though, a caveat: While these shifts can lead to seri-ous health issues, they’re not a work-all-night given.

“It can mess up your life,” Luterman acknowledges. “But not everybody who does shift work is aff ected. About 20 per-cent have signifi cant problems doing it. There’s no rhyme or reason who will or won’t.”

Every cell in our bodies, he says, has a biological rhythm. The brain has a master clock that trains us to be awake during the day and asleep at night. Thus, when light and dark are out of whack, so are we — if we’re not careful.

“Simply put, the human body is designed and wired to respond to diurnal cues that have to do with nature’s clock: daylight and nighttime,” says Gerry Jacob. He’s CEO of Wellfi rst Sleep Diagnostics, whose sleep centers throughout North Texas evaluate and treat people with sleep issues.

Upending that by working at night or by alternating sleep and wake shifts can lead to dysfunc-tion, Jacob says. For instance, it throws off production of mela-tonin — the hormone respon-sible for rest.

As far as causing obesity and other problems, Luterman says he is unsure of the correlation. There is one, he says, “but I don’t know the physiology of it.

“Hormones, insulin, things like that are secreted in diur-nal variation,” Luterman says. “When you do shift work, you’re opposing some of your normal hormone stasis equilibrium.”

One problem is that people get their nights and days mixed up, he says.

Signifi cant sleep problems for night workers, Luterman says, typically fall into two categories: not being able to stay awake at work or not being able to sleep during the day.

Snoozing on the job can lead to no longer having the job, or, worse, putting lives in danger.

DECEMBER 2012


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Study fi nds burnout on the rise among U.S. workersChicago Tribune

While the economy is fl ashing signs of a rebound, it’s a mark-edly diff erent story for a growing number of workers, according to a survey released last month.

More workers than ever report feeling burned out by their jobs, according to a ComPsych Corp. survey of nearly 2,000 employ-ees conducted during Septem-ber that sought to measure stress levels and their eff ects in the workplace.

“We’re seeing a growing trend of employee burnout,” said Richard Chaifetz, chief executive of Chi-cago-based ComPsych, a global provider of employee assistance programs. “It’s a product of the sputtering economy — compa-nies continue to be slow to hire, and prolonged employee stress inevitably turns into decreased performance, unfortunately.”

During the recession, compa-nies shed millions of jobs as they strove to cut costs and shore up the bottom line. But that work didn’t go away with the elimi-nation of the position, it just got shifted, pushing workers to do more with less, workplace experts said.

According to the report:Nearly 1 out of 4 employees

say their top work priority is just being present at work.

About 2 in 3 workers report

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high levels of stress with extreme fatigue and a feeling of being out of control.

More than half of those sur-veyed said they miss one to two days of work per year because of stress.

Herbert Freudenberger was the fi rst to alert the world to the dangers of “burnout” in 1974 when he coined the term in his book, “Burnout: The High Cost of High Achievement.” He described burnout as a complete lack of motivation or reaction to incentives.

Since then, the term has become a catchphrase for mania-cally stressful days. But burnout is a chronic problem, said Bourg Carter, author of “High Octane

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Women: How Superachievers Can Avoid Burnout.” It starts with mild stresses that most people experience, but if nothing is done to manage the stress, it can become unbearable.

“The actual state of burnout is not just a bad day or a bad week,” Bourg Carter said. “It’s when a person is so consumed with symptoms that they can’t function.”

Burnout usually sneaks up on people, she said.

“All of a sudden you’re exhaust-ed, you’re feeling cynical and unattached,” Bourg Carter said, “and you think, ‘What happened to me?’ ”

In addition to extra work, a lack of job satisfaction can exacerbate feelings of burnout, said Jenni-fer Schramm of the Society for Human Resource Management. Because middle-age workers have delayed retirement, Sch-ramm said, younger employees feel like they can’t advance. Less than 50 percent of workers said they were satisfi ed with their career development in the soci-ety’s most recent job satisfaction survey.

But there’s hope, even for voluntary — and involuntary — workaholics.

Donohoe said talking about stressors with trusted friends or family is a good place to start. Other options include taking

fi ve minutes to eat or do simple exercises at the offi ce, going for a brief walk or taking a catnap on the subway with a phone alarm set.

“Most people expect their brain to constantly be on,” Bourg Carter noted, “but if your brain is constantly on, it will eventually shut itself off .”

Burned out?About 1 in 4 employees show

signs of burnout. Here are some signs, according to Fort Lauder-dale, Fla., psychologist Sherrie Bourg Carter:

PHYSICAL SIGNS: Chest pain, chronic fatigue, sleep problems, lots of headaches, indigestion.

BEHAVIORAL SIGNS: Eating more or eating less, increasing drug or alcohol use, feeling more sensitive or emotional, isolating oneself from friends or colleagues.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SIGNS: Feel-ing depressed or anxious, feeling helpless or hopeless.

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DECEMBER 2012

Entrepreneurs dream of quitting their day jobsThe Miami Herald

It’s one of the biggest decisions that startup entrepreneurs must make — when to quit their day

jobs.Chantale Trouillot has been

debating that question for the past fi ve years. She dreams of when she can permanently

exchange her nurse uniform for a business suit. For now, she jug-gles caring for patients with sell-ing decision makers on her inno-vative product, a more functional hospital gown.

The balancing act, she said, “hasn’t been easy,” but from a practical standpoint, “we have to pay the bills.”

Although U.S. business startup activity has jumped above pre-recession levels during the past four years, entrepreneurs like Trouillot still are hesitant to take the full-time plunge. Making the decision requires a tricky cal-culation: weighing passion and persistence against fi nancial sta-bility and viability.

If you’re too poor or too unsure, you can start a company while employed — no investor will knock you for that, said Vio-lette Sproul, founder of Femfes-sionals, which organizes events in U.S. cities to help business-women connect. But starting a company and holding down a day job takes time management and focus. “You quickly discover it is not as easy as you think it will be,” said Sproul, who started her business while working a full-time job before making the leap.

A few months after Trouillot secured a patent for her innova-tive hospital gown, her husband, Eric, left the souring real estate business to take over market-ing and sales. Together, the two have taken Peak Textiles in Coral Springs, Fla., to the next level — fi nding a fi nancial partner to manufacture and warehouse the innovative, less revealing hospi-tal gowns.

Eric does the heavy lifting — cold-calling, attending trade shows, negotiating contracts, and meeting with prospects — while Chantale makes the high-level presentations to hospital decision-makers about the clini-cal benefi ts of the gowns. The Trouillots sold 100,000 hospital gowns in 2011, and they expect to double that this year.

“It would have been impossible for us to get to this level without one of us devoting ourselves to it full-time,” Chantale said.

By becoming an agency rather than hospital staff nurse, Chan-tale managed to get some fl ex-ibility in her schedule. In some ways, her work has been good for business. It allows her to build relationships in the hospitals and speak authoritatively on need.

“Our goal is we want our gown to be the standard hospital gown,” Eric said. Chantale said it might take fi ve years before the business generates enough prof-it to make it her full-time job. Meanwhile, the key to balance, she said, has been keeping Sun-days for herself.

One of the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs is the risk of burning out. Holding down a full-time job while running a part-time business can leave you with little leisure time. Heidi Elden has discovered balancing both takes intense organization. She works a full-time job in the evenings as a bar manager in Del-ray Beach, Fla. During the days, she focuses on her entrepreneur-ial venture, Lingerini, a fashion-able hybrid between lingerie and swim wear.

For three years, she formulated the concept, poured her sav-ings into samples, and offi cially launched her clothing line in July. Now, she spends her days mar-keting her line to south Florida’s resorts. When you have less time, you have to make it count, she said: “When I come home from my night job, I have to turn the switch off and focus on getting one or two things done.”

Eden has found positive think-ing is critical to building a start-up. “You just have to want it badly enough.” Adding yoga to her day helps her complete two tasks at one time: working out and positive re-affi rmation. “It keeps me sane and focused.”

Clearly, there’s a fi nancial ben-efi t to initially launching a start-up as a side project.

“Lots of entrepreneurs make a mistake in winging it. It’s bet-ter to do due diligence while still bringing home a paycheck,” said Nicole Shelley, founder of a Miami modeling agency/events and public relations company. “But after a while, it’s like dating one person and thinking about someone else. You start thinking you should be where your heart and mind is.”

Entrepreneur Tonya Seavers Evans found this to be true. For two years, she worked as com-munications director for a uni-versity while she tried to start a business as an image/style consultant. She found it over-whelming and fraught with con-fl ict. “I would use my lunch hour, my vacation time, my sick days trying to network and build my business. I found myself stressed and exhausted.”

About a year ago, she began running Style Strategist Inc. full-time with a new, more focused commitment. The move took buy-in from her husband and acknowledgement that it could take years before her former salary is replaced. “When your hobby becomes your business, that takes a mental shift as well,” she said. “I think there’s a much greater fear of failure because the excuses are gone.”


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DECEMBER 2012

Managers spend almost a day a week dealing with slackersLos Angeles Times

Slacker employees don’t pull their weight. But they do a great job attaching it to their bosses.

Managers spend nearly 17 percent of their working hours dealing with poor perform-ers, according to a report from staffi ng fi rm Robert Half Inter-national. That’s basically a full day a week that could have been spent being productive.

And sucking up supervisors’ time isn’t the only downside to subpar workers, according

to the report. Of the more than 1,400 chief fi nancial offi cers interviewed by Robert Half, 95 percent said laggards can bring down offi ce spirits.

“Bad hires are costly, not just for the drain they place on the budget but also in terms of lost morale, productivity and time,” Max Messmer, chief executive of Robert Half, said in a statement.

They’re like the human embodiment of a holiday or March Madness, except not nearly as enjoyable. During such periods, productivity slumps as

workers become more distracted and take more time off , accord-ing to consulting fi rm Challeng-er Gray & Christmas.

So, how best to avoid bring-ing aboard Peter Gibbons, the disgruntled programmer made famous from the movie “Offi ce Space”?

First, managers shouldn’t try to lone-wolf the hiring pro-cess, according to Robert Half. Instead of relying solely on their own instincts, they should ask employees what they’re looking for in a teammate.

And supervisors should extend an off er immediately after mak-ing a hiring decision to avoid losing promising workers to competitors, according to the report.

Finally, lowball salaries won’t get a good worker, according to the study, which reasons that if a company pays employees what they deserve, they’re more likely to want to work harder.

New hires expected to perform from Day 1By DIANE STAFFORD

The Kansas City Star

New on the job? You don’t have 90 days to make an impression. You don’t have a slow ramp-up time. You are expected to hit the ground running.

At a recent meeting of hiring offi cials from some big Kansas City-area companies, Bob Roper made points that some workers need to hear.

Roper, human resources direc-tor at Citywide Maintenance, has watched uncounted new employees come on board — and then seen many fail to succeed within just a few weeks on the job.

“I like to think of the acronym CAP, for conduct, attendance and performance,” Roper said. “You have to quickly show your commitment to the work through

all three.”Every workplace, he said, has

its distinct “hot buttons” or pri-orities. New hires need to rapidly understand what those are.

Some companies, for example, expect perfect attendance for anyone new on the job. In places like that, you won’t be thought well of if you ask for a long week-end off to attend a wedding just a few weeks after being hired. Sure, illness and emergencies happen, but new employees need to be cautious about time off requests.

Other workplaces put strong priority on conduct. How polite or formal are in-offi ce relation-ships? What are the standards for using email or offi ce phones for personal business? How do people handle interruptions when they’re busy? How do peo-ple dress?

Roper said new hires need to watch carefully to see how co-

workers act and interact. The boss or other respected people in the workplace set standards that need to be emulated to fi t in.

Job performance is, of course, the No. 1 way that new hires are evaluated. In some jobs, showing up comes fi rst; you can’t perform if you’re not at work.

In other jobs, the work product will speak for itself. New hires must meet productivity and quality expectations, whether working on their laptops in a cof-feehouse or at home.

Bottom line: Don’t take a job if you’re not up to meeting the requirements.

Diane Stafford is the workplace and careers columnist at The Kansas City Star. Her “Your Job” blog at economy.kansascity.com includes posts about job-related issues. Readers may write to her at: Kansas City Star, 1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. 64108-1413, or by email at [email protected].

For breaking news coverage,

photos and video


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The Overture Group

Lauri Lumm | Consultant

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4507 Algonquin Drive Suite C | Cedar Falls, IA 50613

DECEMBER 2012


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DO YOU HAVE AN ARMY OFSLEEPWALKERS?Employee disengagement costs employers $300 billionannually. Are your profits melting away because ofdisengaged workers?

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DECEMBER 2012

THE COURIERPAGE 30 CEDAR VALLEY BUSINESS MONTHLY cvbusinessmonthly.com DECEMBER 2012


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Cedar Valley Business Monthly - Dec 2012