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A publication of the Independent Business Association of Wisconsin. Insightful articles for the small business owner and entrepreneur.
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JULY 2014
KEATING:CHEERS TO CATCHING
COUNTERFEITERS
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
OLLENBURG:GAME-CHANGERS: NEW RULES
IN EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION
SEROKA:THE SEVEN RULES OF
HIGHLY EFFECTIVE BRAND MANAGEMENT
July
18t
h
July
14
Best PracticesSales Roundtable
“The Changing Media”Dan O’Donnell
PLUS...Candidate for Sheriff,Sheriff David Clarke
BIESER:7 WEB DESIGNS TRENDS YOU WON’T REGRET - AND A FEW
YOU MIGHT...
HARRISON:GROWING STRATEGICALLY IN
A HEALTHY ECONOMY
Don’t miss the Wireless Technology Forum on July 24th!
Details inside!
At AT&T, we know that making connections is critical to success. In Wisconsin and across the nation, we link businesses with their customers and the world through our wireless network with access to the nation’s largest Wi-fi network. It’s just another way we help our customers stay connected.
AT&T is proud to support the Independent Business Association of Wisconsin.
© 2014 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved.
Networking matters
IBAW thanks AT&T for it’s continued sponsorship.
Executive DirectorSteve Kohlmann
PresidentSteve Van LieshoutK & S Technologies
.
President Elect 2014Membership / Sponsorship
John WeberHypneumat
VP. State & National ProgramsJeff Hoffman
Judson & Assoc.
TreasurerCasey Malek
Sikich
Directors
Bart AdamsSikich
Ann Barry HannemanSimandl Law Group S.C
Heather BaylorPark Bank
Richard BlomquistBlomquist Benefits
Jason KuwayamaGodfrey & Kahn
Tom BoelkowBSI Design, Build, Furnish
Dave Drumel Staff Electric
Jim LeefITU Absorbtech
IBAW MEDIA LINK
IBAW Mission:To advance business prosperity through insightful
programming, executive networking and member-driven public policy and advocacy.
Congressman Paul Ryan confronts IRS Commissioner John Koskinen on missing emails.
To view, click here.
Business Education Series
LOCATION THE WISCONSIN CLUB 900 W. WISCONSIN AVE. MILWAUKEE
7:00 AM REGISTRATION & NETWORKING
7:30 AM BREAKFAST & PROGRAM
9:00 AM PROGRAM ENDS
Registration now open! Click here.
FIVE STAR Programing
Mr. O’Donnell is a two-time winner of broadcast journalism’s prestigious national Edward R. Murrow Award and has won nearly 20 regional Murrow Awards and Wisconsin Broadcasters’ Awards for excellence. In addition to his work in Milwaukee, Dan has served as a correspondent for CBS News Radio, ABC News Radio, FOX News Radio, In Session TV, and HLN’s “The Nancy Grace Show.” A lifelong Wisconsinite who grew up just four miles from WISN’s studio, Dan is a graduate of both Marquette University and The University of Wisconsin Law School. He is also a licensed, but non-practicing, attorney.
July 18th Meeting“The Changing Media”
Dan O’Donnell, WISN RadioWhat is going on in the world of today’s news media and reporting? What are the new methods & trends using to report the news we want...and don’t want? And where is all this taking us?
Sheriff David Clarke,Candidate for Sheriff
Sheriff Clarke will stop by to briefly discuss his reelection campaign and give an overview on the issues he feels Milwaukee - and southeastern Wisconsin - face.
PLUS...
Additional Special Guest!
COST:IBAW Members....$32.00
Guests....$42.00
Includes high level networking and plated breakfast!
Attire: Business professional.
The Leopard’s SpotsSteve Kohlmann, IBAW Executive Director
If you’re a hard working, fairly successful business owner you can often be seen as rich or affluent by Joe Six Pack and Blue Collar workers and they probably don’t see you as a hard working risk taker but as a 1%er. Achieving success by making his or her employees toil away in bleak, darkened, work environments that would make Ebenezer Scrooge proud. It doesn’t matter if you’ve mortgage your home twice, worked 16 hour days for many years, neglected going to your kid’s school or sporting events or dealt with endless federal regulations in a increasingly challenging economic environment. You’re rich and privileged driving around in that fancy car of yours or having that big house. After all, you play golf on weekday afternoons, don’t you?
I don’t know about you but I make no apologies for working hard or taking risk. The risks and sacrifices I have taken pale in comparison to the ones you have taken to get your business where it is today. Entrepreneurial spirit, free market thinker, driven to succeed; call it whatever you want, there are certain individuals who will always push forward because they need to, regardless of the obstacles in front of them. It’s in their DNA and it’s who they are. They can’t change any more than a leopard can change it’s spots. Work is rarely off my mind and I’d be willing to bet that many of you have the same affliction.
That’s why it was refreshing when Cadillac came out with a TV ad to sell their new ELR Hybrid car (basically a Chevy Volt with extra bling.)
While the ad ultimately was to sell a car it really was a great tool for communicating hard working entrepreneurs and free market thinkers. “Crazy driven hardworking believers” the ad called them.
Of course the ad drew criticism.
Many hated the ad saying it promoted America’s “rich” to spend and acquire more ‘stuff’ and that it poked fun at Europeans’s work ethic and schedule (yeah, so what’s your point?). For some reason a growing number of Americans are enamored with everything European or British. The coverage of the Royals for instance. The latest is Matt Lauer will be interviewing Kate Middleton’s sister, Pippa. Roll eyes here.
American small business owners are driven, unique individuals who rarely care about the clock. I receive emails with time stamps at all hours of the day and night, weekends and Holidays. Some may say that it’s really too bad we can’t shut off work and relax. But it doesn’t bother me in the least. I love what I do and it’s part of my DNA. If I want to work on an idea on a sunny Sunday afternoon rather than go fishing, golfing or some other type of recreation, leave me alone and let me do my thing. I’m happy.
So while the Cadillac ad was intended to sell cars, it touched off a bigger debate.
For those risk takers, it was a validation of who they are and what they do and why they do it. It was a validation of why we do what we do; because we’re crazy driven, hard working believers, that’s why.
And we like our spots.
PLAY
View Cadillac ad
Is the Automotive Industry back to where it was in 2007? In some respects, when looking at automotive production, the answer would be unequivocally “yes.” However, the manufacturing landscape has dramatically changed as a result of the recession in 2008 and 2009. Since 2009, automotive production in North America has increased at an 18% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), reaching 16.5 million units in 2013, and surpassing annual production levels experienced during 2003-2007. Moreover, automotive production is expected to increase to 16.8 million units in 2014.1 The increase in production comes at the heels of the recession in 2008 and 2009, which caused a number of Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive suppliers to go out of business.
According to IRN, Inc., a consulting firm with a focus on the automotive industry, automotive suppliers reduced capacity by an estimated 30% during the downturn. As the automotive industry has rebounded, production levels have surged ahead of 2007, leaving suppliers struggling to meet the increased demand. Most automotive suppliers that survived the downturn made the necessary operational improvements and became much stronger businesses coming out of the recession. As a result, many automotive suppliers’ revenues have increased and incremental margins are near an all-time high (incremental margin = change in operating profit divided by the change in sales). Given the increase in automotive demand, there may be a request from large original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to increase capacity; however, suppliers must be careful not to become too concentrated in the automotive industry. Despite having an attractive revenue stream, the automotive industry comes with its known challenges of annual product pricing reductions, strict manufacturing tolerances, and required high-volume programs. For example, from 2001 to 2010, automotive suppliers achieved productivity gains of 2.4% per year, driven primarily by OEM’s putting pressure on suppliers to reduce costs.2
Growing Strategically in a Healthy EconomyBill Harrison, Vice President, Grace Matthews, Inc.
1 “Automotive Industry Forecast.” Center for Automotive Research. 25 March 2014
As vehicle production in North America is expected to reach 16.8 million in 2014 and 17.3 million in 2015, there is expected to be a shortage of supplier capacity. In a survey performed by IRN, Inc. of one hundred automotive suppliers in late 2013, twenty-eight percent responded as having issues meeting production expectations. As OEM production is forecasted to increase in 2014, capacity is expected to become an even greater concern for automotive suppliers. The logical step to meet the increase in demand would be to increase capacity. While an investment in capacity may make sense in the near-term, the cyclical nature of the automotive industry and the expectation for annual product pricing reductions required to be competitive can increase the risk of the business. In addition, as sales to the automotive industry increase as a percentage of total revenue, the value of the business to a potential acquirer can be negatively impacted. Due to the increase in risk and lower value expectations, we would caution suppliers from becoming too reliant or concentrated in the automotive market.
Furthermore, as the economy continues to improve, manufacturing businesses who serve other industries such as lighting, building and construction, medical, and consumer product markets likely have revenue and profitability at or above levels experienced in 2007. As companies begin to consider investing in their business; adding capacity, investing in automation, and hiring sales people, businesses should weigh the benefits and risks associated with adding additional revenue from any one customer or in any one industry. If a customer becomes a large percentage of revenue, typically defined as >25% of total revenue, a business becomes subject to the demands, and in many cases, the cyclicality of its customer. As automotive OEMs continue to gobble up production capacity, it is putting pressure on manufacturers in other industries to secure their own capacity. As other industries grow, automotive OEMs are luring away production capacity with large programs, and at least at the onset, higher prices.
For niche manufacturing companies serving large blue-chip corporations, companies are often able to grow alongside their larger customer. This typically requires more capital investment from the owner of the business, and keeping up with demand may be difficult as the large customer increases as a percentage of total revenue and business performance begins to mirror demands of the customer.
While the economy is growing and profit margins are improving, a large customer can be a significant driver of growth. On the other hand, the risk profile of the business simultaneously increases. The business is not only at risk of a decline in revenue from the large customer, but is also likely to receive some pushback on price over time. For an owner that is considering a transition, either selling all or a portion of their business in the next three to five years, a customer concentration can be a significant challenge and negatively impact value. Furthermore, a customer concentration in typically cyclical businesses further exacerbates the issue. In addition to the challenges of being subject to the ebbs and flows of one large customer and being exposed to potential pricing pressure, prospective buyers are concerned a large customer may move their business. Many prospective buyers are therefore hesitant to invest in a business with a perceived customer concentration issue.
As advisors to many privately owned businesses, we recommend companies limit their exposure to the automotive industry and not let one customer exceed 25% of revenue. While there may be many positives in the near-term, the risks associated with a lack of customer diversification may negatively impact future performance and decrease the perceived value by a potential acquirer.
Grace Matthews advises privately held businesses on mergers, business sales, acquisition searches, recapitalizations and management buyouts. Grace Matthews specializes in identifying the best potential strategic and financial buyers for each individual business, not only to maximize the purchase price, but also to take into account other intangible issues that are important to owners, management, and employees. For more detailed information on Grace Matthews, Inc., visit www.gracematthews.com.
2 “The Future of the North American Automotive Supplier Industry: Evolution of Component Costs, Penetration, and Value Creation Potential Through 2010.” McKinsey & Company, Inc. 2012.
Industry experts will highlight the reasons why mobile broadband is essential to business growth and today’s society, as well as share the latest wireless trends in technology. Also hear how increasing consumer demand for advanced mobile technology is making the upgrade and expansion of the networks that provide these critical services a necessity. Learn more about the exciting developments in mobile broadband and the benefits of a connected community! * NOTE for Directions: The Workforce Development Center is a standalone building located at the southeast corner of the Waukesha County Technical College’s Pewaukee campus. Please call 262-695-7800 with any questions on location.
Wisconsin Wireless Technology Forum WHEN: Thursday, July 24, 2014 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: WOW Workforce Development Board 892 Main Street Rooms 108 & 110 Pewaukee* PANEL: Tom Still, President, Wisconsin Technology Council Jeff Roznowski, President, WI Wireless Association Thad Nation, Executive Director, Wired Wisconsin Scott T. VanderSanden, President, AT&T Wisconsin Come Hear About the Future of Wireless Technology Event Hosted by:
Barbara Nestingen262•643•4828 / Email, click here
Professional with demonstrated management experience to support corporateobjectives: Media relations, communications and increasing organizational visibility.
• Recipient of eight national communications awards• Exceeded unpaid media placements assignments by 200% at AHC: 1 per week was assigned,
over the last three years in the position, the yearly average was 4 per week• USA Today Letter to the Editor for President and CEO published in October, 1998 and in five
additional local and state newspapers on the national economic benefits of the managed care model
• Communications Consultant for the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Secretariat Geneva, Switzerland, Staff-on-Loan from the American Red Cross, 1990
• Tiffany Award for Employee Excellence, 1991: National award for extraordinary corporate commitment and outstanding professional performance
Executive Assistant Services
Mr. Fry joined the IBAW Board last month and is a partner on the Cefalu/Fry investment advisory/financial planning team at Robert W. Baird & Company in Milwaukee primarily working with individuals, families, and business owners to achieve their financial goals. Baird is an independent full service investment firm headquartered right here in Milwaukee.
Charles holds an executive board member position with the Conservative Young Professionals of Milwaukee (www.milwaukeeconservatives.com). CYP holds bi-monthly events geared towards emerging professionals who are concerned about economic growth and fiscal vitality in the Greater Milwaukee Area.
Charles is also on the executive board of the Young Milwaukee Charitable Organization (www.youngmilwaukee.org) a 501c3 charity organization whose mission is to connect young professionals with charitable causes in the Milwaukee area by holding events and volunteer opportunities.
Lastly, Charles is an allied member of the Wisconsin Motor Carriers association (www.witruck.org) representing the interests of truck and motor coach owners in the state of Wisconsin.
Meet New IBAW Board Member; Charles Fry
Charles V. FryFinancial Advisor
The Cefalu/Fry GroupRobert W. Baird & Company
Office: [email protected]
777 E Wisconsin AvenueMilwaukee, WI 53202
Above-the-fold design with navigation sidebars were in. Now they’re out. Scrolling and long pages were out. Now they’re in.
Rounded corners and drop-shadows were in. Now they’re out. Flat and square were out. Now they’re in.
Are these trends good or bad? The answer, as with most things in life: It depends. Does it improve usability, ease navigation, help users find things faster and think less, build relevant traffic and lead to conversions? If so, it’s a good trend – at least when applied to the right situation.
What drives design trends?
In most cases, more than mere designer whimsy is behind the wheel of web design. Advanced technologies, a changing user environment, the rise of mobile device usage, and technology giants like Apple and Microsoft force designers to respond. Here’s how they’ve responded and created some of this year’s best trends:
1. Responsive Design
Responsive design is both a trend in itself and a driver of some of the trends you’ll see below.
Responsive sites automatically rescale and rearrange content on a single website as a user moves from desktop to tablet to mobile. Responsive design encourages an aesthetic of lean efficiency and tends to align with our definition of good design. At its best, responsive design encourages transparency and puts the emphasis on content.
7 Web Designs Trends You Won’t Regret - and a Few You MightPatrick Bieser, CEO Northwoods
2. Flat Design
Microsoft got behind flat design in a big way with the touch-screen-friendly Windows 8 start page. When Apple released iOS7 2013, the company ditched skeuomorphism in favor of a flat user interface. Apple is a huge driver of technological change and design trends, and its action made an impact. Flat design dispenses with depth and illusion and puts content and functionality plainly up front.
3. Long Pages
Very long pages, a web design DON’T for so long, provide a natural way for the user to scan substantial content website on a smart phone. As it turns out, long pages come at no penalty in ease of use on desktops and tablets. People are very good at scanning large amounts of properly presented data, designers know how to direct the eye downward through long pages, and modern computers and browsers load long pages quickly.
Users like long pages, whether they’re browsing a catalog or scanning the day’s stories in a news site.
4. Infinite Scrolling
For years, designers believed that users hate to scroll. It turns out that they don’t mind and prefer it to clicking on “go to page 2.” Google Image search is the pioneer example; screens of fresh images load quickly as the user scrolls down and down until they have enough choices to make a selection.
5. Toggle Menus
Hamburger menu icons are appearing everywhere. Starting as a way to indicate the main navigation on mobile websites, hamburger menus have found their way onto full size websites --like the recently redesigned NBCnews.com. Usability testing shows that people “get” how they work. Hamburger menus are quickly becoming a convention.
6. Anchored Navigation
The top navigation bar stays at the top of the page and does not scroll with the rest of the page under this regime. Anchored Navigation works well with responsive design and flat design and gives the user ready, familiar options without taking up too much space. Typically, branding imagery above or within the bar shrinks or disappears as the user scrolls down in order to slightly enlarge the main window.
Anchored Navigation works especially when conversion is a part of it and the immediate goal of the interaction with the user. At an employment or a travel site, for example, the job-search box and the ticket booking engine would stay in place as part of Anchored Navigation as the user scrolls down.
Note that Anchored Navigation only makes sense on long pages, which require or encourage the user to scroll down the page.
7. Simplified Navigation
All of these design trends add up to a larger trend toward simpler, cleaner, user-friendly, content-centered navigation and presentation. Mobile use and Responsive Design are behind it and thus are positive influences on web design.
And Now, Some Tempting Trends That Might Be Bad for You!
Some current design trends don’t play well with mobile and make the user acutely aware of the design. We call these web intoxicants. These practices might work for certain businesses for limited purposes, but as a rule we regard them as we would vodka gimlets at 11 a.m. Tempting, but usually not good policy.
1. Full Screen Image Backgrounds
In this design, content sits in the foreground over a fixed image, which usually extends some branding or emotional appeal. As web intoxicants go, this one is fairly innocuous, and it does give a website a visual consistency from page to page. But the image can distract the user from the content and such images don’t read well or disappear on mobile screens.
2. Fixed Video Background
A video playing behind content, clearly, is a distraction. Where the content is simple (a call-to-action search box for homes listed by a realtor, say) and the need for emotional appeal is high (Look at those happy people in their happy home in their happy neighborhood!) a background video might enhance user experience.
But emotional impact and legibility shrink with screen size. Such videos require high production values, they’re expensive to make and edit, and they can be slow to load, especially on mobile.
3. Parallax Scrolling and Prezi Effects
Parallax and Prezi animation techniques bring motion and other special effects to web pages. They can look great and can help tell stories effectively. But be sure that the zooms, fades, rotations and illusions of depth and motion Parallax and Prezi can convey your content rather than distract the viewer from it. Remember: If your user is aware of the design, it’s probably not such good design.
Parallax and Prezi techniques require thoughtful storyboarding and considerable investment. They fit better with branding and image building than with calls to action and conversions. Parallax and Prezi code can screen your content from search engines, and these animations can cause long load times on mobile.
Ready to learn more about effective web trends and 11 other web strategy topics? Join us for our ongoing workshops presented by Northwoods in the Milwaukee, Waukesha and Chicago areas. All of them are free.
Patrick Bieser is the CEO of Northwoods and an expert in enterprise website solutions including usability, content management, information architecture, ecommerce, and more. Patrick shares his knowledge at speaking engagements nationwide, through an ongoing workshop series at Northwoods headquarters, and through webinars and online communities.
2014 Wisconsin Manufacturing Knowledge SummitOn June 20, 2014 the IBAW partnered with the Tool, Die & Machining Association of Wisconsin (TDMAW) to offer Wisconsin manufacturers and their suppliers a unique look at trends within the industry and to also report on some of the challenges the industry faces in the next 5 years.
Special thanks to the event sponsor, First Business Bank for their efforts in helping organize this event.
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Photo Key
1: A full house in the main ballroom of the Wisconsin Club as IBAW & TDMAW members prepare to hear about the state of manufacturing and the challenges the industry faces in the workforce.
2: David Vetta of First Business Bank delivers opening remarks and highlights the importance of a strong relationship between banking and manufacturing working together for success.
3: New IBAW President, John Weber of Hypneumat addresses the change in IBAW Bylaws and calls for voting in new board officers.
4: Kent Lorenz of Acieta gives the main presentation on “Manufacturing Matters” pointing out the trends on manufacturing now and what to expect in the future.
5: Outgoing IBAW President, Steve Van Lieshout receives his award for his efforts as 2013 - 2014.
6: IBAW Executive Director, Steve Kohlmann (Left) presents David Drumel with an award for his service on the IBAW board.
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6Photos courtesy of Tim Townsend.
Manufacturing Roundtable with Lt. Gov. KleefischOne of the hallmarks of the IBAW is the ability for its members to connect with elected officials on a one to one basis rather than communicated through a paid lobbyist.
Immediately following the 2014 Manufacturing Knowledge Summit, Lt. Gov. Kleefisch hosted a roundtable discussion listening to the concerns Wisconsin Manufacturers face and how the present administration can help in overcoming those hurdles.
LEFT: Over 50 Wisconsin manufacturers and their suppliers discuss concerns ranging from tax issues to DNR & EPA concerns and workforce issues with the Lt. Gov.
ABOVE: Lt. Gov. Kleefisch gives IBAW and TDMAW members a list of resources open to them in overcoming certain hurdles with the State. The Department of Administration Office of Business Development is one of many departments meant to help facilitate issues when dealing with Wisconsin agencies. For more information see the RESOURCES tab of the IBAW website.
Game-changers: New Rules in Employee MotivationJessica Ollenburg, CEO, Human Resource Services
Culture of entitlement, questions regarding capitalism, redefining “success” and Gen Y characteristics are some of the many game-changers affecting today’s organizational outcomes. While we do not advocate creating a leadership culture that entertains repetitive and burdensome employee questions, we do advocate an employer-driven commitment to education which enhances engagement and motivation toward shared employee-employer success. This article discusses considerations and blueprints toward that success.
Today’s Gen Y career entrant speaks in terms of “I feel,” phraseology we Baby Boomers were taught to be unacceptable. America’s leadership postures for votes by touting principles of entitlement, birth right, refusal to work and socialized benefits. These characteristics feed a de-motivation to work harder or smarter than the next person. In an era where state government leaders can organize an initiative to refuse work which arguably outweighs their initiatives to demonstrate work, how can we expect impressionable youth to grasp real work ethic? When we are willing to question our constitution, why shouldn’t employees question workplace rules?
Collective bargaining was created in an era where employees worked hard and employers often lacked principle and know-how to properly keep checks and balances toward mutual economic success. Today we find employers committed to lifelong learning while many employees cannot construct a meaningful sentence. Checks and balances are once again off while the best workers in America are held back by concepts of seniority and union dues, at least until employers have as much power as self-serving, dues collecting unions who are among the biggest businesses of all… next to government. Nonetheless, we recommend employers do not entangle with the NLRB unless willing to wage a costly war. Except for some successful adjustments by Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin, employers need to recognize that unions have more “solicitation” leverage than that allowed of employers. The general population continues to listen to the loudest voice in the room.
Financial success is being undermined, capitalism and its complexities are in question, and profiteers take advantage of conflict, sensationalizing every issue. Employees are more uncertain than ever before as to their own goals and how to attain them.
Amidst this chaos we have worked hard to simplify the steps for employer response. The blueprint for workplace best practices is a 6-step program:
1) Problem Recognition: Accept and understand the larger de-motivation of the community at large. Accept reasons behind de-motivation where it exists.
2) Apply Appreciative Inquiry: Assess and create focus upon what the organization does best.
3) Evaluate Unique Organizational Demographics & Motivation Trends: Assess the motivation culture of your company’s own workforce and evaluate trends. Consider the power of workplace outcomes and how they are affecting the overall mindset of employees. Each organization is unique and is affected uniquely by the impact of the community at large. Local success can overpower widespread deficiencies. If it is not broken, do not attempt to fix it.
4) Tap Into 3rd Party Solutions: Reach out to field experts as means to deploy proven toolsets, to optimize credibility and to avoid appearance of bias. Refuse to experiment in this risky area offering noteworthy ROI for success. Consider HRS as an expert resource here.
5) De-Politicize the Company Stance and Comply with NLRA Regulations: Work ethic, wealth and big business versus small business topics all evoke personal politics. Today’s politics are quite polarized. Avoid biases and stick with the facts. Discussion of unions and collective bargaining risks NLRB repercussions or heightened collective bargaining activity. Stress merit-based outcomes without indicting union methodology. Derive merit-based incentives that work well and are easily communicated.
6) Be Consistent, Build Trust and Deliver on Promises: False promises will create long term damage, but failure to inspire will cause such short term damage that the long term becomes jeopardized. Apply practices consistently and within policy. Create and troubleshoot an action plan before broaching this highly essential topic.
Democracy is complicated, and motivation remains fragile. HRS recommends a keen eye on changes and a quick and accurate response to keep engagement on track. Case studies and specific solutions are available upon request.
Jessica Ollenburg is Chief Empowerment Officer and a Senior Practitioner for HRS, delivering management solutions related to HR, organizational development and legal compliance since 1983. Headquartered in Brookfield WI, the group offers locations in Washington DC, Scottsdale AZ and nationwide satellites. HRS programs include management consulting, talent assessment, education, compliance answers/audits, handbooks, and third party HR operations. The firm’s website AskHRS.com delivers articles, insights, etools and a thought leadership blog. Ollenburg can be reached directly at [email protected]. 6)
Business Behind the Scenes Recap: Harley Davidson Museum
On June 12th IBAW held another of its Business Behind the Scenes events, this time at the Harley Davidson Museum. Attendees were treated to a special tour of the museum highlighting rare documents and photos from the iconic company’s humble beginnings.
The highlight of the tour was access to the museum’s motorcycle archive housing the rarest Harley motorcycles in existence.
Let’s assume for the sake of example you have a very reputable brand and are considered to be a leader in your industry. Your brand is often requested by name and most customers don’t hesitate to pay a premium for your products and services.
If you’re fortunate enough to be in this position, you know it wasn’t by accident. And you know the minute you think you’ve “made it” and ease off the gas, that formidable competitor who was riding your tail yesterday will quickly overtake you in the left lane tomorrow.
It’s the unforgiving and very exciting game of brand management, and if you want to win a leadership position in your industry, start with following these seven rules:
1. Make sure your employees know what your brand stands for. If you truly want a culture of teamwork, everyone must know and understand your brand differentiation, your vision, your definition of winning and how their individual contributions impact the entire organization. Give them a sense of purpose that extends far beyond individual job descriptions. Without a sense of purpose, there can be no passion, and in the absence of passion there is mediocrity.
2. Ensure your brand promise is delivered throughout each phase of your sales cycle (pre-purchase, purchase and post-purchase experiences): Define your touch points (those areas where your brand touches the customer) and train your people on how your brand should be delivered through each. For example, if you are a manufacturer claiming that your products are the “easiest” to maintain, everything about your company must be resemble easy – easy to navigate your website, easy to get questions answered quickly, easy to complete and submit a service request, etc. Everyone at your company must make everything as easy as possible for every customer, all the time.
3. Define those brand metrics you wish to focus on for growth. What is your goal? Do you need to grow brand awareness? Or, do you need to focus on brand understanding, brand credibility, brand consideration, or customer acquisition and retention? There are eighteen brand metrics to consider, and your selections should align with your business strategy.
4. You must always be thinking about what’s next. Today’s game changer will be tomorrow’s yawner. Given enough time and capital, competitors can duplicate your products and services and may make them even better. Patents may be valuable, but for the truly innovative competitor, they are often nothing more than a motivation to leverage your brilliant idea into something bigger, better, faster or cheaper. Get inspired about innovation, build a culture to support it, and throw down a challenge to yourself and your people to come up with the next big idea.
5. Everyone at your company must be in a perpetual state of continuous improvement. If it’s not broken, break it, and build it better. If it works, figure out a way to make it work better. How can you provide even more value to customers and partners? How can you get even more from your employees in terms of dedication, production, ideas, and teamwork? What are their incentives and motivators? How can you be easier to do business with? Push hard and keep raising the bar.
The Seven Rules of Highly Effective Brand ManagementScott Seroka, Certified Brand Consultant, Principal of Seroka
6. When hiring, look for people who act like, think like and quack like entrepreneurs. Recruit and reward people who know what it means to take ownership and responsibility for everything they do. Look for those who understand how important it is to meet deadlines, keep promises, honor commitments, keep customers happy and take pride in their work. Unfortunately, these people can be hard to find, but when you find them, they will prove to be invaluable to your entire organization.
7. Review your brand performance every 12-18 months. This is just good business practice. Even if you rebranded your company last year, schedule a date with your senior leadership team to make sure your brand is performing well and that your metrics are improving. If they are not, identify the problems, make the appropriate changes, and hold people accountable.
Your brand is your biggest asset because brands are the reason companies exist. Start with #1 and work your way down the list. You’ll begin to witness a new energy and excitement within your company filled with people who will fight the good fight to help you become an industry leader.
You have a vision for the success of your business.
BMO Harris Commercial Bank can help make it
happen. We’re the people you know with the
commitment you expect. We can provide the
expertise and capabilities you need to help make
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What do you see? A partner who puts
your vision first.
bmoharris.com/Wisconsin
BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC
The IBAW is hosting a monthly, early morning Sales Best Practices Roundtable beginning Monday, July 14th from 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM.
This is open to anyone in a business development role at an IBAW member company who would like to share their real world challenges and most successful strategies for growing business.
This Roundtable is meant to serve as a confidential means to learn from your peers in other industries and to help others learn from your experience – good and bad. Location:CTaccess Conference Room740 Pilgrim Parkway, Suite L3Elm Grove Cost: Free - A benefit of IBAW membership.
Coffee provided by CTaccess, bagels provided by IBAW.
SALES: Best Practices ROUNDTABLE
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Meeting Moderator:Mark Truesdell
LAUNCH
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July 14th
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Cheers to Catching CounterfeitersRay Keating, Chief Economist, SBE Council, Washington D.C.
The costs of counterfeiting are enormous.The OECD estimated that international trade in counterfeit and pirated goods in 2007 amounted to $250 billion. That number no doubt has since grown markedly. In fact, according to an ABC News Nightline report from October 2013, “Counterfeit goods account for nearly 10 percent of worldwide trade, an estimated $500 billion annually, according to the World Customs Organization.”
Counterfeiting clearly hurts two groups. Perhaps most obvious are the entrepreneurs, firms and workers that lose business and control of their intellectual property. The other group is consumers, who get ripped off by failing to get what they thought they were purchasing.
And while counterfeiting affects a wide range of industries, have you thought about counterfeit wine? It’s been getting some significant media coverage of late.
A May 29, 2014, an ABC News report highlighted a raid in Italy that netted 30,000 bottles of fake wine. It also was noted that a French newspaper estimated that as much as 20 percent of wine on the world market might be fake. As reported: “Italian police
today said they seized 30,000 bottles of counterfeit Brunello, Chianti Classico and Sagrantino di Montefalco — all cheap wine with a fancy, fake label — from central Italy in a raid after a three-month investigation. The bottles had been sold in bars, wine stores and supermarkets for about $40 each. Italian police said the fraud could total hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Again, both wine makers and wine consumers are damaged. However, the story of billionaire Bill Koch being defrauded in the wine market serves up staggering numbers lost by a consumer due to counterfeiting.
It was reported in another ABC News story, “Koch says he spent some $5 million buying rare vintages of top French wines, which later turned out to be fakes. Many were actually produced in the kitchen of a master con man in suburban Los Angeles. ‘I just had to have them,’ Koch told ‘20/20’ in an interview conducted in the elaborate wine cellar of his oceanfront mansion in Palm Beach, Florida. ‘Then I’d open it up and drink it and it was dish water or moose piss.’ Koch admits there will be little sympathy for a wealthy person spending $50,000 to $100,000 for a fake bottle of wine, but he choked up as he described his distress at seeing the debasement of ‘the art, craftsmanship’ of so many fine wines being faked.”
Later in the same report, it was noted that many of the fake wines “were actually created by a 28-year-old debonair faker from Indonesia, Rudy Kurniawan, who took the wine world by storm with his supposed access to wines many thought had long since disappeared… ‘I cannot stand to be cheated,’ said Koch, who has spent five times as much investigating the fakes as he originally spent on them. ‘I want someone to know they sell me a fake, man, I’m coming after them no matter how much it costs.’ Koch’s team worked with the FBI and he agreed to testify against Kurniawan at his criminal fraud trial.”Well, good for Koch in pursuing that wine counterfeiter. But of course, most small businesses, including wine makers, and consumers do not have the resources needed to hire their own team of PIs to track down counterfeiters. Indeed, it is one of government’s fundamental duties to protect property, such as stopping theft via counterfeiting. That work needs to be done across industries, and right here at home and in cooperation with trading partners in the international market.
Raymond J. Keating is chief economist for the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.
Keating’s new book, published by SBE Council, is titled Unleashing Small Business Through IP: Protecting Intellectual Property, Driving Entrepreneurship. It’s available from Amazon.com here.
It’s been estimated that as much as 20% of wine on the world market might be fake.
Such theft hurts consumers, and the entrepreneurs and small businesses that
dominate the wine industry.
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Advanced Waste Services is an environmental services company that provides wastewater recycling and other waste and risk elimination services to manufacturers in all industries. Each day, AWS helps hundreds of businesses, both large and small, meet their community and environmental obligations. Annually, we collect, treat and recycle more than 50 million gallons of contaminated wastewater into clean, reusable water and other valuable resources like fuel, steam and electricity. AWS is constantly helping our clients manage, reinvent and improve their sustainability successes. For example, we recently partnered with Forest County Potawatomi Community to help Wisconsin food and beverage manufacturers convert food waste into clean, green renewable energy. Founded in 1993, AWS employs 55 people in the Milwaukee area and a total of 150 people companywide in 5 states.
Advanced Waste Services
Advanced Waste Services1126 South 76th Street
Suite N408BWest Allis, WI 53214
414-847-7100
Letterhead PressWithin just two decades, LPI – Letterhead Press, Inc. has grown from a two-man operation in the back of an ice-cream warehouse to a national graphic arts leader specializing in fine embossing, foil stamping, holographic application and other related services that enhance product and marketing effectiveness.
Founded in 1984, LPI launched a new company with a fresh approach and new vision: To function not simply as a supplier or vendor to the trade, but to cultivate stronger business “partnerships” where innovation and focused persistence leads to exceptional results and delighted customers.
Utilizing a love for the craft, ingenuity and innovation, they were confident in the idea that graphic enhancement services do indeed add value and when properly targeted and executed, elevate the visual quality and functionality of any product or communications piece.
Unwavering dedication to this mission has earned LPI numerous awards, both regionally and nationally, as a reflection of their broad base of customers which includes printers, the design community and corporate direct clients.
Located in South East Wisconsin, LPI is ideally situated to service the graphics centers of the Midwest as well as customers to the East, West and South.
Letterhead Press16800 W. Ryerson RoadNew Berlin, WI 53151 262-787-1717
Seroka provides a full scope of branding services, branding strategy and strategic communications for the mortgage, manufacturing and healthcare industries. Each of our consultants has the depth of knowledge and experience to measurably build, enhance and promote your brand in critical areas such as awareness, uniqueness, credibility, customer acquisition, customer loyalty, price premium, and many more.
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Power TestPower Test, Inc. is an industry leader in the design, manufacture and implementation of dynamometers and control systems.
For more than 37 years, Power Test has provided specialized test equipment to manufacturers, rebuilding facilities and distributors globally. Our products can be found in use at these facilities in nearly 100 countries on six continents.
Our headquarters and manufacturing operations are located in Sussex, WI with sales representatives worldwide. Our unparalleled customer service is well known throughout the industry.
Power Test employs a dedicated staff of talented machinists, fabricators, electronic technicians, assemblers, designers, engineers, software developers, and administrative and customer service personnel.
Our exceptional product life and excellent customer service is well known throughout the industry and has made us one of the industry-leading dynamometer manufacturers. Our dedication to the customer and to the advances in powertrain component testing keep us there.
Chris Halaska
Scott Seroka
SEROKA
Power TestN60 W22700 Silver Spring Drive
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Phone: 262-252-4301
Seroka
N17 W24222 Riverwood DriveWaukesha, WI 53188
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2014
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State Legislative Priorities
- Workforce Development / Technical College Benchmarks
- Pro Growth Tax Reform
- Address the Structural Deficit of WI DOT
- Predictable Sand Mining Regulation
Click here to view.
National Legislative Priorities
- Delay of the Affordable Care Act
- Support the Existing Level of the Federal Minimum Wage
- National Energy Policy Capitalizing on our Strengths
- Increase Access VISAS for Immigrants with Advanced Degrees & Start Ups
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