Triangle Business Alliance

Happy 2008 everyone! The BA is kicking off the year of “Innovation.” Please give special attention to the upcoming Business Expo-Wednesday, February 27th, as we are increasing our media exposure resulting in what should be a higher foot traffic rate than ever before.

Please welcome a new contributor to the BAG, Darleen McCullen. Darleen is a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty in North Raleigh. She will be bringing to you informative and interesting information regarding the real estate market. I’m thrilled to have her aboard!

A new venue has emerged within the Capital City Club, the Capital Ladies Club. Under the leadership of Susan Rumble, this group will offer a variety of casual, fun social activities with a quarterly sprinkling of business forums sponsored by Women’s Edge Magazine. Interested women should contact Kim (Almond) Briley at kim.almond@ourclub.com to get placed on the email list. Just recently, the Ladies Club made a trip to the NC Museum and had brunch at the museum restaurant.

Additionally, our BA Third Thursday Joiners Table continues to grow. It is yet another way to meet fellow members, build relationships and increase visibility. I frequently tell new members that spending every day at the Club networking is a viable option should you have such flexibility!

Have a wonderful February and March, and please look for our next issue to be released in April. A reminder to send your company announcements to me via jean@jeanwiley.com. I am also interested in receiving information about any company events that you’ll be holding in April and May.

Warm Regards,

Jean Wiley, Editor in Chief

To find out more about the Futures for Kids online Career Coaching program for students 8th-12th grades or to sign up, go to www.f4k.org. In 2007, Career Coaches delivered more than 3,000 hours of Career Coaching through Futures for Kids (F4K). This program has expanded to 21 counties reaching 60,000 students.

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Happenings

Tuesday, March 18th
Location: Cardinal Club
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
$15++ for Members
$25 Guests

RSVP Please 834-8829

Understanding the News Media

Understanding the News Media can be confusing, and mind boggling. Get the inside media scoop from Renee McCoy, a seasoned Broadcast Reporter and Anchor, who is also a College Communications Instructor. You will learn a few tricks of the reporter’s trade to make it easier for you to understand what makes news and what does not. Bring your note pad and become a reporter for a day.

Renee McCoy is President and CEO of R. Mac Consultants, a company that trains individuals on effective communication strategies to develop a positive image and relationship with the news media. She is a former News Anchor/Reporter with WRAL-TV 5 and currently is an Adjunct Instructor at Peace College, teaching theory and practice of writing for the Media.

Wednesday, April 9th
Location: Capital City Club
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
$15++ for Members
$25 Guests

RSVP Please 832-5526

The Role of Small Business in North Carolina

As a public policy maker with a business background serving her second term in the State Senate, Janet Cowell has written policies that promote small business and those that invest in them, chaired the Information Technology Committee, helped spearhead a number of strategic technology investments and introduced bills to allow for tax credits for investors in start-up business. Join us on April 9th to hear Sen. Cowell discuss the role small business can play in North Carolina’s future economic development.

Janet Cowell graduated with an MBA from the Wharton School of business and a MA in International Studies from the Lauder Institute, both at the University of Pennsylvania. She began her career as a securities analyst with Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation (better known as HSBC) and Lehman Brothers in Hong Kong. She’s also worked as an analyst in strategic planning and new business development for Corning, Inc.; served as a consultant to a number of other Fortune 500 companies on organizational effectiveness and compensation; and worked in business development for SJF Ventures, a venture capital firm in Durham.

Cowell entered public office as a member of the Raleigh City Council and is now in her second terms in the State Senate. As a public policy maker, Sen. Cowell has used her business experience to bring efficiency to government, save tax payers millions of dollars, and champion small business. Currently, Janet Cowell is a candidate for North Carolina State Treasurer.

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Dr. Thomas Griggs, Assistant Editor, Leadership – tgriggs@nscgroup.com

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A Group of Participants vs. A Team of Leaders

Martin Brossman, Guest Columnist – Martin@CoachingSupport.com

Are you a participant or are you part of a team of leaders? Most people are convinced they understand the concept of team in business. Yet when a team leaves the traditional field of a game or a sport our unconscious competence of being a team often leaves as well. In my experience of working with groups it is dangerous to assume that all group members truly understand what team is.

Recently Steven Alston of Split Screen Consulting and I facilitated a group of business men and women in defining, understanding and operating as a team of leaders. Without assuming that everyone knew what a team was, we began by asking the group to distinguish between what it means to be a participant in a group versus being a member of a team. We listed every word and idea that came up.

Under the heading of "Being a Participant in a Group" responses appeared such as: observer, critic, expecting to be entertained, waiting for something to happen, passive, and boring. Under "Being a Member of a Team" concepts appeared like: focus, direction, purpose, fun, each member having a role, individual strengths utilized, clarity, competition, action, and engaging.

Continuing our process of exploration, we recorded all the input on a flip pad, asking which they would rather be part of. Not surprisingly, they chose team. Next we opened discussion regarding the contrast between an effective team and an ineffective team, a useful technique since it brings to light how members are being effective or ineffective without having to point it out individually. The two main elements that our group revealed were that an effective team works through challenges together and is based on trust. The input was followed by a lively discussion about what builds trust. A few of the most notable trust-building components were: people doing what they say they are going to do; being held accountable for it; and a system to handle what to do if they do not do what they say they will do.

What I considered the most significant insight expressed around trust building was the value of working through challenging times together, because without working through the personal challenges inherent in conflict, a degree of trust may never be created—a topic for a future column since conflict is one of my favorite areas in coaching and training.

Back to examining contrast, we asked, “What degrades trust?” One of the core answers was the breaking of promises or dropping of agreements without a completion or ending, leading to a rich discussion of the difference between being a member of the team vs. being part of a team of leaders. We fired off the questions and they considered their replies. What really is a team of leaders? How do you manage a team of leaders differently from just a team? What is the demand on the individual and the person managing, personally?

Flipping back to the response list for ‘member of a team’, we wrote the new terms that emerged to describe a team of leaders:

Earned a certain degree of their autonomy with accountability, mastery, seeking individual best, viewing each other as leaders in their domain, excitement, respect, clarity of purpose and vision, contributing to the purpose and vision and its evolution, pioneers, open to possibilities, connected to reality, leading by personal example, a high degree of coach-ability, and the idea that it is more challenging to lead than to merely participate.

We wondered if the group could come up with examples of being part of something like this. They did! They mentioned groups, associations, and projects, most of which they had earned their way to be part of and some of which they just lucked out to be involved with. My example was the Business Leaders Club (www.businessleadersclub.com) here in the Triangle which invites members based on their potential for a unique contribution to their team.

Finally, Steve and I built on the newly-derived perspective of a team of leaders to re-examine the vision and mission of the group. We emphasized the need to set up support structures for keeping the team-of-leaders concept alive and well. To prevent the architecture from crumbling, we advised, it would require acting from this enriched vision and mission as well as declaring all wins and successes along the way to celebrate and encourage progress.

If this has inspired you (as it did me) to re-examine how you operate in groups, ask yourself how you can change your approach to support your group in being more a team of leaders. Whether your personal agenda is to lead a team or to be a dynamic leader-member of a team, here are the key behaviors to institute in creating an effective team of leaders:

Listen to each member of the team as a leader
Ask for and appreciate the team’s collective counsel / input
Don’t cater to the exception (i.e., don’t let the mission be distorted or derailed by one difficult team member)
Make decisions that look out for forwarding the team’s mission

I am reminded of the saying my Aikido instructor shared about following his mentor’s instruction: “You will never be a great leader unless you learn to follow.”

Martin Brossman is a Raleigh-based Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author. He is known for his focused, rapid-results coaching method which appeals equally to executive, small business and entrepreneurial clients. Contact Martin at: (919) 847-4757 or Martin@CoachingSupport.com. Website: www.CoachingSupport.com

Want to Flip a House? Educate Yourself First!

If you're like me, you love those “Flip It” television shows. They're addictive, aren't they?!

And, unless you've been living under a rock, you've seen the media coverage about the record number of foreclosures in the United States.

These shows, coupled with the increased foreclosure rate in this country, have prompted many new investors to enter the market.

In North Carolina, foreclosure rates are almost certain to climb. However, we are quite fortunate in Wake County. In 2007, fewer than 1,400 homes actually made it to the Courthouse steps as foreclosures, according to a manager in the Special Proceedings Division at the Wake County Clerk of Superior Court.

As a real estate professional, each week, I receive quite a few emails and phone calls from new investors seeking hugely discounted deals. The truth is, many foreclosure properties aren’t a bargain at all, and are often sold at or near retail value. (Yes, it’s true!) In addition to the unpaid mortgage, items such as the foreclosure attorney’s fees; back taxes; homeowner association dues; etc.; are added into the price—increasing the property’s cost as much as $40,000.

However, when one is able to find a good price, flipping is a great way to make a significant amount of money in a short time.

As with any investment, the key is to buy right. When I purchased my flip in Cary, North Carolina, I used a method called the Short Sale, where the bank agreed to settle for less than the borrower owed on the mortgage. In other words, they agreed to be “shorted.”

In my particular case, I negotiated $33,000 off the mortgage. (The owner owed approximately $156,000; I paid $123,000; and later sold the property for $169,500. Repair expenses included new carpet, paint, and landscaping.)

If you are interested in real estate investing, following are guidelines that may help:

Find a Mentor—Fast! A good mentor can help guide you through what to do and how to do it. They can also share some of their mistakes so you can avoid making the same ones. Serious investors are busy people—and as the saying goes, “Time is money.” So if you ask someone to mentor you, offer to compensate them. This may be the best money you spend.
Get educated. I've seen people overly anxious to get rich quick in real estate, and then make HUGE mistakes. There are many crooks who take advantage of newbies.

For example, “Janet”, a new, unsuspecting investor, shared a heart-breaking story with me recently. Janet knew a seasoned “investor” from an investment club who convinced her to provide him with money to purchase a property that needed repairs.

The short version of the story: The “investor” used Janet’s money, sold the property for a profit, and Janet received nothing in return—not even her initial investment! (Yes, Janet could sue him, but she’s too embarrassed.)

One mistake Janet made was not having the property jointly deeded in her name once she provided the investor with the funds. Also, an attorney could have drafted a legal agreement to determine how the proceeds from the property sale should be distributed. The moral of this story is to be careful and work with professionals who can protect your interests!

Local education resources that were a tremendous help to me include:

Taking real estate investing classes at the community college. Two classes I attended through Wake Technical Community College were: "Creative Real Estate Investing," and "Foreclosure and Bankruptcy" to learn the proper procedure for foreclosing on a property. If the bank doesn't foreclose on the property correctly, the new owner could potentially lose money. Again, be careful, Folks!
Joining the Triangle Real Estate Investment Association (TREIA). Yearly dues are less than $150, and the information I gained was so valuable! Each month the group meets in Raleigh and hosts luncheons and get-togethers on topics such as buying and holding real estate, rehabbing properties, and the Cashflow 101 Game.
Reading. A LOT!
- One excellent book is: “The Weekend Millionaire's Secrets to Investing in Real Estate” by Mike Summey and Roger Dawson.
- Also, David Bach from Oprah's Debt Diet, has written several books, including, “Automatic Millionaire Homeowner.”
- Check out: “The Millionaire Real Estate Investor” co-authored by Keller Williams Realty's Gary Keller, with Dave Jenks, and Jay Papasan, as well as “FLIP: How to Find, Fix, and Sell Houses for Profit”, by Ricki Villani and Clay Davis, with the forward written by Gary Keller.

If you decide that purchasing an investment property isn’t for you at this time, another avenue for investing in real estate is Tax Lien Certificates. North Carolina does not offer tax lien certificates, but there are many states that do. A good book to start educating yourself is: “Profit by Investing in Real Estate Tax Liens” by Larry B. Loftis, Esq.

Purchasing and flipping a home for huge profits can be exciting—and intimidating all at the same time. However, with the proper education and preparation, you can be successful.

When I flipped my property in Cary, I walked into it with my knees buckling. This definitely is not for the faint at heart. The significant profit at the end made it all worthwhile, though.

Happy Investing!

BA Member Announcements

Event: Excellerate Solutions is sponsoring a “Customer Loyalty is Everyone’s Business” Seminar - Tuesday, February 19, 8:00 to 10:00 AM, Brier Creek Country Club. Investment is $30 in advance or $35 at the door. One of the best ways to achieve sustained profitability and growth in your business is through Customer Loyalty. While the term “satisfied customer” has been around forever, organizations are finding that today they need to retain customers and more importantly, turn satisfied customers into loyal customers. Contact: Dave Vogelpoh at dave@excelleratesolutions.com or Bill Spreitzer at bspreit@excelleratesolutions.com . Phone (919) 544.3787

Event: Jean Wiley will be a keynote speaker at the Vital Signs conference in Southern Pines on Saturday, February 23rd at 10 a.m. The conference focuses on health, lifestyle and fitness and is hosted by STAR 102.5 FM at the Hampton Inn on 15-501 in Southern Pines. Jean will be speaking on “Empowering Your Mind, Empowering Your Life.” Contact Tiffany Hewitt at (910) 692.2107x210 or Jean at jean@jeanwiley.com for more information.

Steve Peters, CEO of VisionQuest Wealth Management has announced a new hire with Jessie Hrivnak as Service Director. Jessie is a graduate of NC State and held several positions at ClubCorp with the most senior being the Director of Private Events and Membership Relations. Jessie will be responsible for managing the day-to-day activities and staff in the service department while actively working with the Advice Team in the development of new client solutions. Another new hire, Joseph Cuereschi has joined the Creative Financing Division, Clearfield Financial. Joseph has four years of experience in financial services and will make a wonderful addition to the Creative Financing Team. www.vqwealth.com .

Chris Basnight, Owner of Impressive Designs, announced that Second Chance Solutions has launched their new website. The website was designed and programmed by Impressive Designs. Second Chance Solutions is a laser printer repair and maintenance company. The site contains new content including tips and tricks for laser printers and a section displaying refurbished printers. Owner Charlie Edinger has over 30 years of experience in computer and printer repair and preventive maintenance. Visit Charlie’s site at www.sechancesolutions.com. Contact Chris Basnight of Impressive Designs at www.impdesigns.com or call at (919) 790.9800

Michael Jacobs of Jacobs Capital is pleased to announce the addition of two new team members. Mark King joins Jacobs Capital as a managing director from RSM McGladrey, where he headed up Transaction Support Services for the southeast. In that capacity, Mark provided due diligence services for buyers of companies, including numerous private equity firms. Mark is a graduate of Wake Forest University with a BS in Accountancy, and he received his MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Denny Marshall joins Jacobs Capital as a senior associate from BBR Wireless Management, where he was a co-founder of the service provider to corporate wireless users that was recently sold. Previously, Denny has worked in various technology and finance positions for major companies such as Thornburg Mortgage, Nortel and BellSouth. Founded in 1998, Jacobs Capital is an investment banking firm that specializes in merger and acquisition advisory services, typically involving companies engaged in ownership transition. Jacobs Capital also provides highly professional and affordable business valuations. www.JacobsCapital.net / MJacobs@jacobscapital.net .

Sunita and Joseph Shouse, Owners and Lifestyle Coaches of Butterfly Life ~ Healthy Living Solutions for Women announced that they joined other clubs in NC in support of Toys for Tots. In addition to this national campaign Sunita and Joseph have decided to support the Wake County Women Center. The Women’s Center of Wake County, Inc. started over twenty years ago as a grass roots movement to meet the needs of women re-entering the community from prison. In addition, the center has expanded their focus to include the growing issues of homeless women with children and single women. Sunita and Joseph put up a tree filled with stars representing the needs of the women and children. Butterfly Life also held their 1st Annual Holiday Social where attendees became a “Star Sponsor”, picked a Star and put the unwrapped gift under the tree. The gifts (totaling upward of $750.00) were then presented to Deborah Harrell Meehan, President of the Board of the Women Center. Contact Butterfly Life by calling (919) 755-3322.

Sarah M. Place, President & CEO of Place Trade Financial, Inc. (Member FINRA, SIPC), a full service discount brokerage firm based in Raleigh, NC, announced that she has been named to the NC Council on Economic Education Board of Directors. As a board member, Place will support the organization's mission, focus on critical strategic issues, assist with fiscal oversight, fundraising and community outreach. “Sarah knows the importance of economic and financial education from her vast experience as a financial markets industry practitioner,” said Adam S. Pilsbury, Chairman of the Board of Directors for NCCEE and Assistant Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Charlotte Branch. “Sarah also knows the importance of community involvement. Luckily for the Council we can give her both in one place, and we're grateful for her passion to serve.” Sarah is also active in The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, the Leadership Raleigh Alumni Association and the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). She serves as a member of the Kids Voting North Carolina/Wake County Board of Directors, a member of the Capital City Club’s Trendsetter’s Board as well as being a board member for the Big Bad Ball; a benefit for the Hospice of Wake County. Contact Sarah by calling (919) 719-7200 or visiting www.placetrade.com.

Lesle M. McClure, CEO of McClure and Associates Construction, Inc. was featured in the January/February issue of Midtown Magazine in the article, “Working from Home”. Her comments reflected the evolution of the home office, and her companies’ role in providing home office designs for the serious professional. McClure and Associates, founded in 1998, provides services for designing and building new custom homes, custom remodels and additions, and commercial upfits. Call (919) 878-8006, visit www.mclurebuilders.com or email lesle@mcclurebuilders.com .

Glenn Seitchek of GarageWorks Solution shared that his customer, Wendy Dawson, is featured in the January/February issue of Cary Magazine discussing the ONRAX overhead storage shelf installed in her garage by GarageWorks Solutions. The article is, “Get Ready, Get Set, Get Organized.” Contact Glenn at (919) 363-4006

VisionQuest Wealth Management hired Jean Wiley, Trainer and Coach for their yearly planning meeting. “Jean is a fantastic resource on the ‘how-to’ of establishing, building, growing, and maintaining trust throughout an organization. She interactively presented and discussed the elements that bond people, processes and environments together to ensure long-term success,” stated Stephen Peters, CEO and President. VisionQuest offers a complete range of planning services including expertise in investment management, stock option planning, business succession, risk management, retirement planning, lending services, estate and trust planning, educational planning and charitable giving strategies. www.vqwealth.com or (919) 433-3560. Jean Wiley develops industry specific customized training and coaching programs. www.jeanwiley.com or (919) 601-2420.

Our Newest Members…

V2K Window Décor & More
Ellen Corliss
Rescue Pet Supply
Stephen Walker
Team Nimbus
Bill Davis
Holy Cow Branding, Inc.
Lorana Price
Raleigh Chocolate Fountains
Sarah Barbara
Dynasty Communications
Mike Olseon
Designing Divas
Doris May
Every Body’s Yoga Inc.
Howard Shareff
Smart Moms, LLC
Garla Smith

Editor Bio

Jean Wiley is a Coach, Motivational Speaker, and delivers Customized Training for corporations, Fortune 500, associations, sales professionals and business owners. Specialties include: Sales and Marketing, Developing Empowering Attitudes and Habits, Customer Service, Long Term Sustainability, Time Management, Goal Setting and Getting Organized. Jean is a published author of a dream interpretation book and hosts a human potential radio show in Pinehurst, NC. 919.601.2420 / www.jeanwiley.com

Assistant Editor Bios

Thomas Griggs , Ph. D., is President and CEO of New Science Consulting Group, Inc., in Raleigh. His particular interest is in designing effective programs that bring research scientist/engineers into new business ventures, and he especially likes to design and implement solutions to apparently impossible challenges. He is a graduate of Duke University and holds a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Pacific Graduate School of Psychology in Palo Alto, where he received an Ark Foundation grant for peace research and the Outstanding Dissertation Award for his doctoral thesis. He has been on the adjunct faculty at Duke University and currently teaches at the University of Richmond.

Dr. Griggs may be reached at tgriggs@nscgroup.com or 919.844.1990.

Darleen McCullen is a REALTOR®/Broker with Keller Williams Realty North Raleigh, a full-service real estate company. She enjoys working with both buyers and sellers to make their experiences as stress-free and enjoyable as possible. Darleen holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to real estate, for 13 years, she worked as a marketing specialist with SAS Institute, the world's largest, privately-held software company. Have a real estate question? Darleen may be reached at 919.454.8864.

Susan Rumble is the President of The Vista Group, Ltd. The Vista Group offers professional sales representation for small business, partnering with visionary business owners who want to leverage their limited resources into the Next Level of growth from sales revenue. The revenue growth specialists at the Vista Group bring new business in through the front door for their clients and their consulting teams work with business owners to manage the rapid growth delivered by a successful sales mechanism. Prior to her sales career, Susan was a corporate trainer where she worked with executives from the Center for Disease Control, Coca Cola, Accenture, the City of Atlanta and many others. She has an extensive history of giving back as a community volunteer. The Vista Group is the fulfillment of her lifelong dream to help others reach their full potential. www.VistaGroupLtd.com

Mike Schaul is retired from IBM where most of his career was focused on the software development process, specification and design methods for reducing error insertion. He started KG Funding in 1995 to buy and broker the sale of seller-financed mortgages and business notes. The American Cash Flow Association inducted him into its Million Dollar Club in 1999. Since then he has evolved his focus to commercial mortgages, business cash flow solutions, and litigation funding. Recently, the Gerson Lehman Group Councils named Mike a GLG Scholar for being ranked in the top 20% of their consultants. www.kgfunding.com

Publisher Bio

Daniel Trimpey is the CEO of Technigrafa, which is a print design, web design and web hosting company in Raleigh, NC. Daniel has a BS in Technology Education, with a minor in Graphic Communications from NC State University. Since graduating, Daniel taught middle school for 5 years in the Wake County School System, being awarded "Teacher of the Year" in 2003, before taking his business full-time in 2005. Other past positions include graphic designer for the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and web developer for Cisco's IT Learning Group. Daniel may be reached at 919.374.3014.

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The Business Alliance Grapevine - It's All in the BAG!

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Letter from the Editor

Business Alliance Partners Coaching for Futures for Kids