October 2015 - Guilford Merchants Association

T R E N D S
VOL. 28, NO. 5, OCTOBER 2015
N.C. Entrepreneurship
Center links Triad
campuses, businesses
I
magine coaching a business major at UNCG (a
military veteran who already
has a culinary arts degree)
on creating a business plan
for a café.
Follow that with scheduling a successful Triad entrepreneur to share her story
in a forum open to the community as well as students.
Then race off to Flywheel
in Winston-Salem or HQ
Greensboro or the Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship to stay plugged in
with the creatives who are
starting the companies and
creating the jobs of tomorrow.
That’s how Justin Streuli’s
day goes.
A graduate of N.C. State
University who holds an
MBA from UNCG’s Bryan
School of Business and
Economics, Streuli is director of the North Carolina
Entrepreneurship Center
(NCEC). He describes the
center, which has a staff of
two, as the bridge between
students and faculty at
UNCG and the Triad’s burgeoning startup community.
“The bridge goes two
ways,” he explains. “We try
to get students off campus
and plugged into the startup community. And we try
to figure out the best ways
to help small businesses
and entrepreneurs use all
Justin Streuli, director of the N.C. Entrepreneurship Center at UNCG. Photographed at ThinkHouseU,
a residential entrepreneurial center that is part of a national pilot program.
the resources that we have
on campus.”
Those resources range
S2dio Supplies, a mobile art supplies business, benefitted from
consulting with NCEC.
I N SI DE
TRENDS
Business Success............. 2
Generation Next............. 4
Participation = Success... 4
Loyal Member................. 5
Race & Seek.................... 6
225 Commerce Place
Greensboro, NC 27401
Workplace Workshops..... 7
An advertising supplement to The Business Journal
Trends is a publication of the
Guilford Merchants Association.
from students who might
serve as interns, to having
entire classes work on a
project, to identifying faculty
members whose expertise
can take a startup enterprise
to the next level.
Streuli became NCEC’s
third director more than a
year ago. He comes from a
strong entrepreneurial background. His grandfather in
the 1970s started Santa Cruz
Doors, a Colfax manufacturer of fine hardwood doors.
The company, which once
employed more than 100
people, fell victim to the
Great Recession and closed
in 2010.
Streuli, whose undergraduate degree is in
marketing and entrepreneurship, changed his career plans and headed to the
Bryan School, a move that
set the stage for his current
position.
After earning his MBA,
he started a Web development company with partContinues on page 3
C.A.N. marks 21 years of trading leads, making friends
E
arly on Friday mornings they stream into
GMA headquarters like
cousins headed for a family reunion. More than 40
strong, they come to share a
meal, catch up on important
milestones in one another’s
lives and rib each other
about golf scores.
To the casual observer,
it may not seem that this
weekly gathering is much
about business. But, truth
be told, it’s all about business and more, much more.
This is the Competitive
Advantage Networking
group, or C.A.N. group.
It will celebrate its 21st
birthday in October. Banker
Martin Pratt has been in the
group since Day One.
“I’m the last original
member,” says Pratt, now
with Bank of Oak Ridge.
The bank logo on his business card has changed at
least four times over the
years, but the C.A.N. group
has been a constant.
“Some of the faces change
over the years, but it’s a
great group of people,” he
says. “It’s more than a referral group.”
The mix changes over
time as careers and companies change. Yet some current members remain tight
with individuals who moved
through the group years ago.
Ed Regensburg, who’s
been in the group almost
since the beginning, plays
golf regularly with a former
C.A.N. member. Another
Continues on page 2
In sales, never underestimate the power of commitment
By Josh Seibert
B
eing committed takes all
the questions out of an
activity.
If you aren’t committed to
doing something, then you
always have
one eye on
your emergency exit
while doing
it. It leaves
an out that
ultimately
Seibert
will be a
major distraction, because
you are looking for signs
that you aren’t going to succeed, and the second you
see one, you begin leaning
toward your exit plan.
This is a sure recipe for
disaster in sales.
If you’re going to be in
sales, be committed to sales.
Many unsuccessful people in
sales harp on all the obstacles and always dream about
“getting out” or “having the
good territory” or “how it
was in the good ole days.”
The grass is always greener on the other side. And too
many sales people feel the
grass on their side is already
dead.
However, the minute you
truly tell yourself, “I am in
C.A.N group members pose for a photo in 2014.
C.A.N. group
Continued from page 1
former C.A.N. member,
representing an auto repair
shop, now works for Regensburg. The bonds made
are long lasting.
Going to a C.A.N. meeting may start the workday,
but it’s hardly work.
President & CEO
G. Mark Prince
Vice President of Operations
Michelle Bolick
Vice President of Sales
Susan Russell
Operations/Special Events Coordinator
Holly Smart
Operations/Special Events Coordinator
Lisa Daas
Membership Development
Sharon Smith
TRENDS is published for the members of the
Guilford Merchants Association.
Publication Coordinator – Michelle Bolick
Phone (336) 378-6350 Fax (336) 378-6272
225 Commerce Place, Greensboro, N.C. 27401
www.mygma.org
The Guilford Merchants Association is a nonprofit organization founded in 1906.
The Association’s goal is to assist its members and the business community at large
to grow and prosper.
2
BUSINESS
SUCCESS
sales and I am sticking with
it no matter what,” you will
feel better about yourself and
your profession.
You’ll feel better because
you’ve made up your mind.
There is a principle called
“commitment and consistency” that states when you are
committed there is a strong
internal motivation to ACT
consistent with that commitment.
You’ll feel better because
“The reason you keep
coming back,” Regensburg
explains, “is that these are
your friends. We don’t have
to ask each other for leads.
But we’re constantly giving
each other leads. We’re helping each other.”
Longtime GMA member
Bob Kober is credited with
getting the group started in
1994.
“I was a networking maniac at the time,” Kober
says. “I thought it was logical that GMA start a couple
of networking groups, and
that’s how it all began.”
Tinker Clayton, owner of
StitchFX, jokes that he only
goes to C.A.N. meetings because of “Gene’s breakfast.”
Gene Dolan, of Culinary Visions Catering, makes sure
his fellow C.A.N. members
many of your doubts just
fade away. All of the things
you second-guessed yourself
about will dissolve. It’s like
instant confidence. When
you have to do something,
you’ll do it.
The hard part is getting
committed. It’s hard to shut
off worries and self doubts
about what you’re doing. Unfortunately, the sales profession often lends itself to that.
There’s no simple solution; you have to confront
these fears and doubts. Constantly tell yourself that you
are committed, and there is
no other alternative.
Eventually you will find
you can shut off those
negative thoughts. And once
you’ve made that commitment to yourself, it’s a lot
easier to get others to commit to you!
Commitment is doing the
things you know you need
to do, even if they make you
uncomfortable. Be committed and others will commit
to you.
don’t leave hungry.
The C.A.N. group thrives
after more than two decades because its members
know one another so well,
understand one another’s
businesses, and trust one
another to deliver. No one
wants to let down a friend.
Members, says longtime
member Anne Gundlach, a
State Farm agent, “understand what kind of leads
you’re looking for and what
you can offer people. They
have confidence and trust
that you will make them
look good” by living up to
the recommendation.
Michelle Bolick, GMA
vice president of operations,
says, “You never know
what will happen when this
group gets together on Friday mornings. It’s the highlight of my week and a great
start to the weekend. I love
to see them make connections because of GMA.”
Dolan, the caterer, has
been in the C.A.N. group
for about 14 years.
“It’s been awesome for
our company,” he says. “We
thank GMA every day.”
Sandler Training specializes
in sales force and management
development. Phone: 336-8841348; www.training.sandler.com.
© Sandler Systems, Inc.
All rights reserved
GMA sponsors three networking/leads groups. To inquire
about membership, contact
Michelle Bolick @336-3786350.
New at DGI
Zack Matheny, new president and CEO of Downtown
Greensboro, Inc., briefed GMA members on DGI’s status and
plans under his leadership. Matheny, a former city council
member, spoke at a recent Center City AM Briefing. The
briefings are a regular event held at GMA headquarters and
are open to all members. Visit www.mygma.org for information on the next Center City AM Briefing.
Bibi Coyne (left)
helps a Salem College art student
with her purchase
from the S2dio
Supplies mobile
shop.
Entrepreneurs
Continued from page 1
ners and worked on another
startup before signing on
with NCEC.
Streuli sees GMA membership as one more avenue to strengthen the ties
between entrepreneurial
college students and the
Piedmont Triad business
community.
While NCEC is based
at UNCG, its services are
available to all college students. The Triad is home to
more than 10 colleges, universities, and law schools.
The student population exceeds 60,000.
NCEC helped George Demopolous, a 2015 graduate
of Greensboro College, connect with a mentor to advise
him in his quest to create a
mobile social networking
app to encourage fitness
training. Demopolous took
part in an NCEC program
called GEMS – Growing
Entrepreneurs by Mentoring
Students.
“The GEMS program was
pretty big for me,” he says.
“The mentor challenged me
and made me come up with
answers to questions that
needed to be answered.
That helped me grow from
a student to a more devel-
The focus is
on developing
entrepreneurs
who will create
Triad businesses
and jobs.
oped person in general.”
NCEC connected Demopolous with a local tech
company that helped him
build his product. By the
time you read this, Dempolous’s Train app should
be available for Apple’s iOS
mobile devices. Learn more
at www.thetrainapp.com.
Streuli says Demopolous
is an example of the mindset that college graduates
need to be successful in
today’s economy. Employment isn’t guaranteed upon
graduation.
“That college degree is
just a check box,” Streuli
says. The relationships created, on and off campus,
as well as the projects and
partnerships worked on,
may be more important “so
maybe you can build yourself a job.”
George Demopolous, a graduate of Greensboro College, is building
a business based on a social networking fitness app.
Streuli also is involved
with ThinkHouseU, a national pilot program that
provides a residential community for eight entrepreneurial students near the
UNCG campus.
ThinkHouseU is a project of Forward Impact, a
Raleigh-based company
dedicated to spurring entrepreneurial innovation.
The idea is to nurture
scalable business ideas, with
the ultimate goal of starting
businesses that will create
jobs in the Piedmont Triad.
Another entrepreneur
who uses NCEC to build
bridges with campus community is Elizabeth “Bibi”
Coyne.
plan that won a WinstonSalem competition. The
prize money went a long
way toward purchasing a
used school bus that she
converted into a mobile
store that visits campuses and other locations
throughout the area.
S2dio Supplies (www.
s2diosupplies.com) is now
in its third year. Students
may order online for free
campus delivery, or shop
the mobile studio when it
visits.
Over the course of the
school year, Streuli and his
assistant director help lead
more than 30 events, programs and activities.
A single event, UNCG
UNCG student Stephanie McGill, who plans to open a café, consults
with Justin Streuli at ThinkHouseU.
A longtime art director
and author, she watched as
the area’s independent art
supply shops closed, one
after the other. She knew
this was more than inconvenient; it made the in-person
purchase of art supplies
virtually impossible for students enrolled in college art
classes.
Exclusively online merchants don’t replace walk-in
art shops, she says.
They don’t suffice for
artists, she says, “because
you need to have a sensory
experience with the product. You need to touch your
brushes.”
Coyne wrote a business
Entrepreneur Day, will
touch more than 2,000 students. Successful entrepreneurs visit classes in a wide
variety of departments to
talk about their experiences.
UNCG, he says, “has
a diverse and cross-disciplinary entrepreneurship
academic program. But entrepreneurship happens all
over campus.”
NCEC fertilizes that
spirit and extends its roots
throughout the Triad business community.
Justin T. Streuli
N.C. Entrepreneurship Center
[email protected]
336-908-0178
3
Broadcast sales all
about connections
B
GENERATION
NEXT
Introducing young GMA members
Name:
Gillian Dobbins
Age:26
Hometown:Greensboro
Residence:Greensboro
Education:
UNCG / Hospitality
Management and Business
Administration
Organization:
High Point Convention and
Visitors Bureau
Position:
Manager, group sales and
services
Duties:
I do the sales side as well as
the service side. I’m gaining
a lot of experience here,
and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed
being here. In the upcoming
months, I have about five
trade shows I’ll be traveling
to. Networking is one of my
favorite parts of this job, just
getting out in the community
and meeting new people.
On GMA:
I’ve been really heavily
involved with Guilford
County Hotel Association
(which is managed by GMA).
I’m a board member, and
I’m inching into getting
more involved with GMA. I
do a lot of networking and
educational events.
Goals:
I love new challenges. We
are growing so much here
in High Point, and I think
that will lead to greater
challenges to me in my
career.
Personal:
I am an avid runner, and
I love to travel when time
allows. My ‘me time’ is going
to the gym.
High Point Convention
and Visitors Bureau
www.highpoint.org
336-884-5255
4
roadcast advertising has television adverchanged a lot since Jan
tising, she can ofSmith first entered the busifer clients digital
ness, right out of the UNC
marketing soluSchool of Journalism and
tions. WFMY staff
Mass Communication. Socan employ Web
cial media wasn’t part of the
and social mecommunications landscape
dia tools such as
then, and writing stories
Twitter, Facebook
meant banging away on
and Instagram to
manual typewriters.
expand an adver“Media has changed dratiser’s reach. The
matically,” she says, laughultimate goal,
ing. “I love it!
Smith says, is the
Jan Smith works in sales for WFMY News2.
“It’s still about the eyesame.
balls and the connections
“Long before
helped me” in business, she
you get to make.”
social media became part of
says.
GMA for years has been
our world,” she explains,
She’s also developed
one of the platforms Smith
building a business “was
lasting friendships. Smith
depends on to
about who
frequently attends events
make business PARTICIPATION
we know,
such as After Work Network
connections.
how we can
sessions and Workplace
She first
help them,
Workshops. WFMY usually
got involved
and how they
sends several employees to
in GMA while working in
can help us. And how that
the educational and motiadvertising sales for radio.
collaboration is part of the
vational workshops, Smith
Then, about five years ago,
natural state of growing
says, and they take the
she switched over to televiyour business.
information back to share
sion and took a position at
“GMA was always that
with colleagues.
WFMY News2.
– helping us make connecShe’s highly complimenSmith continued her
tions.”
tary of Workplace WorkGMA participation as beThe contacts made
shops. “I really enjoy what
fore, looking for other
through GMA definitely
GMA puts together,” she
members whose businesses
helped build her business,
says.
could benefit from televiSmith says. “I can point to
sion ads.
relationships that I made
WFMY News2
In addition to standard
through GMA that have
(336) 379-9369
=
SUCCESS
Building Sales Forces That Work
www.training.sandler.com
336-884-1348
Replacements, Ltd. remains the go-to source
for cherished tableware and collectibles
T
he president of one of
Company founder Page,
LOYAL
the Triad’s best-known
he says, “has always been
small businesses was in the
on the front end of having
audience for the most recent
creative workplace policies
GMA Workplace Workshop.
and having a culture that
estates, and dealers around
With him were other asmattered. Now we perpetuthe nation. Only a constant
sociates from Replacements,
ate that.”
stream of outgoing packages
Ltd., the company that Bob
Replacements was one of
keeps the place from burstPage nurtured from a hobby
the first companies to allow
ing.
to an internationally
employees to bring their
recognized source for
pets to work. There’s a
tableware and collectgym, an on-site clinic,
ibles.
intramural sports, and a
Scott Fleming, who
meditation room.
worked his way up to
“We really try to take
become president of
care of our employees,”
Replacements in 2006,
Fleming says.
joined the company in
GMA membership,
1983. He was employee
he notes, is a way of
‘We
really
try
to
take
care
No. 17, and his first
acknowledging the comof
our
employees.
It’s
like
job was grinding small
pany’s deep roots in the
working with family.’
chips and imperfections
Triad. Even though it
out of crystal.
now grosses $75 million
– Scott Fleming
President
“I’ve done a little
annually, it’s still conReplacements,
Ltd.
bit of everything,”
sidered a small business
says Fleming, who has
by federal standards beevolved with the business
cause it has fewer than 500
When Fleming walks
over the years. Replaceemployees.
through the warehouse, he
ments joined GMA in 1987.
“We’re a small business
knows every employee by
Today Fleming oversees
on
the larger side,” Fleming
name, what they do, and how
the privately held busithey do it. The average tenure says, “but still a small business that employs almost
of employees is more than 14 ness, right here.”
390 people and is a landyears. More than 55 employ- Replacements, Ltd.
mark for travelers passing
ees have been with the com1089 Knox Road
through Guilford County
pany more than 20 years.
McLeansville, N.C.
on Interstate 40.
“It’s like working with
www.replacements.com
Replacements’ public
family,” Fleming says.
(336) 697-3000
face is a 12,000-square-foot
showroom where items
range from inexpensive
Christmas ornaments to
silver items and other collectibles priced in the thousands of dollars.
Sprawling behind the
showroom is a warehouse
What is Live2Lead?
The Speakers
brimming with more than
A leader development experience
12 million items. Every day
designed to equip you with new
perspectives, practical tools, and key
brings more from collectors,
MEMBER
Replacements, Ltd. President Scott Fleming and Whitney Follis, a
multi-product specialist. She’s checking and categorizing recently
acquired goods coming into the warehouse.
The Replacements showroom, off I-40 east of Greensboro.
OCT. 09. 2015
takeaways. You’ll breathe new life
into your leadership during this halfday event.
Learn from world-class leadership
experts at this simulcast broadcast
live from Duluth, GA. You will return
to your office ready to implement
your new action plan with renewed
passion and commitment.
The showroom is a destination
for the curious as well as collectors.
For questions or sponsorship
opportunities contact:
Ronald Graves
[email protected]
336.905.9810
John C. Maxwell
Leadership expert,
coach, and author
Valorie Burton
Best-selling author, coach
founder of CaPP Institute
Patrick Lencioni
Founder and president
of The Table Group
Event Information
Foun
When: Friday Oct. 9 from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm (EDT)
Where: The Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering
2907 E. Gate City Blvd. (Lee St.) Greensboro, NC 27401
Kevin Turner
Microsoft’s chief
operating officer
Hosted by
In partnership with
For more information and to register go to www.L2Lgreensboro.com
5
Maximizing your membership value is always our No. 1 priority
G
MA membership is comprised of a diverse
cross-section of companies.
From the largest employers in the Triad to a
sole proprietor working out of her home, each
member values GMA membership differently. For some, the educational opportunities
– such as the Workplace Workshop series – more
than pay for their membership dues; an unlimited
number of employees can attend each workshop
and benefit from nationally known motivational
speakers.
For others, the opportunity to attend a weekly
networking group may be the preferred connection with GMA services. The wide variety of
networking activities offered by GMA is a compelling factor for most members.
Others find the social aspect of
meeting people, volunteering and
connecting with the community to
be the driving force behind their
participation.
GMA is always searching for
Prince
ways to enhance the value of your
membership dollar through adding and modifying services. Whether it is negotiating a discounted rate for advertisement to the High Point
Furniture Market exhibitors, subsidizing ticket
costs to events such as the Grasshoppers outing
or GMA’s Annual Dinner, adding a fun new social
event such as Race & Seek, or simply allowing
members to park in the GMA employee lot during large downtown functions, GMA is constantly
looking at ways to add value to your membership.
Please do not hesitate to call or email me with
your suggestions for new and creative ways GMA
can work for you to optimize your time and investment. G. Mark Prince
President & CEO
Race & Seek:
Form a team,
join the fun
A
Hampton Inn/ Coliseum
August 14, 2015
GMA members mingle and network in the lobby of the Hampton Inn/ Coliseum in Greensboro.
Susan Russell, GMA vice president of sales, and Anthony
Auman of College Hunks Moving.
Richard Bober (left) of ComforCare Home Care Services
and G. Mark Prince, GMA President and CEO.
6
Pat Fehlig (left) of College Funding Innovations and Will
Bowman of Express Employment Professionals.
GMA Vice President Michelle Bolick (left) and
Alison Huber of Sprint, who served as emcee
for awarding door prizes.
Rachel Amelkin of
Hampton Inn/Coliseum.
re you up for
some adventure? Feel like you
could hold your own
competing in “The
Amazing Race” on TV?
Here’s a way to satisfy those cravings without having to leave the
Triad.
It’s called Race &
Seek, and it takes place
on Friday, Oct. 16.
This GMA-sponsored
event pits teams of
four against one another in a two-hour
scramble of solving
clues, taking selfies and visiting GMA
member businesses.
The two-hour event
winds up at a networking social at a secret
location.
Teams of four may
register for $100. Individuals may register
for $25 and will be
teamed with other
GMA members.
Race & Seek begins
at GMA headquarters, where teams will
decorate their vehicles,
receive a list of clues,
and then hit the road.
The payoff includes
prizes and stronger
professional relationships.
Visit mygma.org for
a registration form or
call 336-378-6350 for
more information.
Great customer service always hinges on ‘the little things’
E
veryone has been on the
receiving end and knows
Laura Hamilton is right
when she says, “It’s the little
things that impact the customer.”
Here’s a recent example
from Hamilton, a professional speaker based in the
Piedmont Triad who spends
an inordinate amount of
time on the road and living
out of hotels.
She was headed to a city
for a repeat engagement and
planned to stay at a favorite
hotel there. But her sponsoring organization recommended that she stay at a
brand new hotel. Very nice,
they said.
So Hamilton called to
reserve a room and was
promptly put on hold. After
eight minutes, she says she
gave up. She called the place
where she’d stayed previously, where the reservation clerk treated her like a
friend, and fulfilled, without
being asked, the accommodations Hamilton prefers.
That’s customer service,
Hamilton says. “That is huge
to me,” she explains. “The
simplicity of the little things.
That’s what I love.”
Longtime GMA members
who are Workplace Workshop regulars may remember
Hamilton. She’s shared her
insights several times over
the years, bringing practical
advice leavened with energy
and good humor.
She’s a hawk-eyed observ-
Laura Hamilton
er of people and events, finding examples of customer
service – good and bad – every day.
The Wyndham Championship in August demonstrated great customer
service, she says, by anticipating a need and preparing adequately. Tournament
management printed extra
tickets as soon as it was
confirmed that Tiger Woods
would play for the first time
in the Piedmont Triad tournament. Thousands of additional golf fans did indeed
turn out to cheer on the legendary pro, and things were
in place to make the experience enjoyable for all.
“The tournament pulled
it together and made it happen,” Hamilton says. “I
watched in amazement.”
Even Woods was impressed, using Twitter to express his appreciation.
What happened at the
Wyndham is a good example
of non-verbal customer service, she says. Anticipating
customer needs and expectations, and going the extra
mile to ensure those expectations are not just met but
exceeded.
Laura Hamilton is, herself,
an example of excellent customer service. It’s one reason
‘Customer
Excellence:
The Path to
More Business’
with
Laura Hamilton
Thursday, October 15
Embassy Suites Hotel
204 Centreport Drive
7:30 a.m. refreshments
8–10:30 a.m. seminar
Free for all employees
of GMA member
companies!
Registration
deadline: October 13
Call 378-6350
or register online at
www.mygma.org
Please let us know if you need
additional services for
employees with disabilities.
she’s invited to return to
inform and entertain GMA
members.
Scenes from
August’s
Workplace
Workshop
Traci Hart of Replacements
Ltd. (left) won the door prize
of $100, presented by GMA
Vice President Michelle
Bolick.
Workshops often include audience
participation.
John Formica shared insights learned as a Walt Disney hospitality manager
that can be applied to any business.
GMA brings in professional speakers six
times a year for Workplace Workshops,
which are free for employees of member
companies.
GMA members filled the ballroom at Embassy Suites to hear John Formica’s tips
on creating a magical business experience.
7
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• 8 Most Commonly Overlooked Internal Controls
(More Details to Come)
SAVE THE DATE NOW! REGISTRATION OPENS IN SEPTEMBER.
GREENSBORO: TUES, OCT. 27, 2015 l 8am-5pm l Starmount Forest Country Club
RALEIGH: THURS, OCT. 29, 2015 l 8am-5pm l North Ridge Country Club
WINSTON-SALEM: TUES, NOV. 3, 2015 l 8am-5pm l Forsyth Country Club
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