Designing woman - University of Phoenix · tablet computers are ubiquitous, mobile apps are becoming more a marketing necessity than a nice-to-have extra. According to a study by

THE SMALL BUSINESS ISSUE

Top business ventures of 2012

Martha Stewart serves up business advice

Launching a side business

Kerrie Kelly, MBA ’02 Owner, Kerrie Kelly Design LabsSacramento, California

Designing woman

Your Alumni Magazine | September 2012

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Chief Marketing OfficerArra Yerganian

Vice PresidentKathleen Fern, MBA ’99

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Small business

Like the 10 percent of you who also are entrepreneurs, I’ll always remember the thrill of starting my very own business with my husband.

I was inspired by my capstone project from my MBA program, which we completed together. I’ll never forget the challenge and excitement of those early days when we were just getting our footing, balancing our traditional nine-to-five jobs and our new family with our shared dream of making it big.

Every small business owner has to be a lifelong learner, and I’m no exception. It just won’t work if you’re not committed to evolving whatever it is you’re selling and staying ahead of the next big thing. Your absolute belief in your product or service is what will make it successful, and it has to be something you’re proud of.

Here’s to pursuing your own passion, whatever it may be!

Nikki Sandoval, MBA, Class of 2003 Executive Director, Alumni Association University of Phoenix [email protected]

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The thrill of your own business

Phoenix Focus won 5 2012 Hermes Awards:

Platinum Award for Photography/People/Portrait

Gold Award for Publications/Magazine

Gold Award for Writing/Publication Overall

Gold Award for Design/Publication Interior

Gold Award for Design/Publication Overall

Nikki’s Career tip of the month Most big companies are understaffed nowadays. As a small business owner seeking big clients, demonstrate how you can save them time or money, or more importantly, help them get something done, and you stand a better chance of getting the job.

P.S.

Rosa Sherk | MBA ’08

Everyone hasa story to tell.Share yours and you could be in anupcoming issue of Phoenix Focus.

phoenixfocus.com/share-your-story Upcoming issues: • The law of attraction• Organize your life

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Ask Nikki

Editorial team

Arra Yerganian Chief Marketing Officer

Kathleen Fern Vice President MBA ’99

Nikki Sandoval Executive Director MBA ’03

Jenifer King Editorial Director MBA ’11

Bridgett Price Editorial Assistant

Bridget Gutierrez Online Marketing Manager

ASK NIKKI

Amanda Flatten Senior Editor

JoBeth Jamison Features & Online Editor

Amy Wilson Online Community Manager

Each month, I receive dozens of emails inquiring about resources available to alumni through University of Phoenix. Here are a few of the more frequently asked questions.

Julie Wilson Senior Writer

Use your smartphone to order a print subscription to Phoenix Focus.

Q: I recently received an email about something called Spot ON Deals from University Marketplace. What is it?

A: University Marketplace recently launched a Spot ON Deals program. Once a week, alumni will receive an email with a special discount exclusively for alumni for the week. For example, the first deal offered was amazing: $20 for $100 at Restaurants.com! If you aren’t receiving the email with these weekly deals, visit uopxalumnimarketplace.com to sign up.

Q: I attended an alumni homecoming recently and noticed there was a photographer. Is there a place I can view the photos?

A: With more than 80 alumni homecoming activities happening this year, there are many great photos from each event on our alumni Facebook page. Look for your alumni homecoming photo album at facebook.com/uopxalumni/photos and enjoy!


Dana Anthony Marketing Specialist

Take our poll Visit the new Phoenix Focus portal at PhoenixFocus.com to take interactive polls and see what your fellow alumni have to say. Poll results will be revealed in the Ask Nikki column each month.

6 PHOENIX FOCUS | September 2012

contents

8Top 5 business ventures of 2012

Find out what’s making waves this year in the world of small business.

12Is small business still America’s backbone?

With small businesses employing about half of the private sector workforce and generating 65 percent of new jobs, small companies still have a strong influence on the American economy.

Features

26 On the cover: Designing woman Kerrie Kelly, MBA ’02

An interior designer with a head for busi-ness, Kerrie Kelly launched her own firm, Kerrie Kelly Design Labs, in 2006 and hasn’t looked back since.

16 Martha Stewart’s food for thought

Tips for starting and sustaining your own business.


phoenixfocus.com 7

18Your Career

18 Launching a side business

22 Catching the big fish

24 Marketing essentials for entrepreneurs

38 Extra! Extra!

43 University Marketplace

26Alumni Profiles

26 Kerrie Kelly, MBA ’02 Designing woman

30 Bryan Welton, MBA ’04 Your name, his game

34 Nindi Wadhwa, MBA ’10 Success from scratch

51 Annual Alumni Business Listing

40The Buzz

40 Published by alumni 41 Recognition

42Your University

42 University news 44 Campus news 46 Community relations 49 Events

In this issue

CONTENTS



1 Mobile app designers Did you know that 72 percent of small businesses use mobile apps in their operations? According to a recent study by

cellular giant AT&T, it’s true. In a world where smart phones and tablet computers are ubiquitous, mobile apps are becoming more a marketing necessity than a nice-to-have extra.

According to a study by the mobile research group research2guidance, the market for mobile app development services reached $20.5 billion in 2011, and savvy small business owners can get their piece of the pie in an industry that’s expected to stay strong.

“If you have a business that serves small businesses, you should think about creating an app or making sure your website can be seen well in a mobile browser,” says Anita Campbell, CEO and editor in chief of Small Business Trends, an award-winning online publication for small business owners. “This suggests that there will be opportunities for web designers and mobile app designers.”

Adds Michael Covel, president of Trend Following and author of a book by the same name, “We can assume this connectivity [trend] is going to keep growing—that it’s not going to stop.”

Top 5 small business ventures of 2012

Small business is big. So big, in fact, that there were 23 million of them in the United States in 2009, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. If you want to be one of the lucky half of them that survive for at least five years, you’ve got to pick a winning idea that resonates with consumers. Here’s a look at some of today’s hottest areas of opportunity for small businesses.

By Julie Wilson

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FEATURE | Top 5 new business ventures

2 Services for seniors There’s a population boom going on these days, but it may not be the one you think. Instead of

babies taking the lead, it’s the senior citizen population that’s expanding by leaps and bounds. In 2010, Americans age 65 and up accounted for 40.4 million of the U.S. population, an increase of 5.4 million since 2000, according to the Department of Human Services’ Administration on Aging. Further, this population is expected to balloon to 55 million in 2020.

What does all this mean for small business owners? In a word: opportunity. Americans who reach age 65 have an average life expectancy of an additional 18.8 years. This population will require assistance meeting their

needs as they age, such as “adult day care and shopping services [for seniors],” says Rieva Lesonsky, CEO and president of GrowBiz Media and SmallBizDaily.com. “It used to be hot to have people come in and baby proof your house, but now there are businesses that will go in and senior proof your house,” she adds.

Franchise Business Review, a market research company specializing in the franchise industry, recently reported the rise of senior home care. Eight different senior care concepts—including nonmedical in-home senior care, in-home care and assisted living placement, in-home senior care and health care staffing services—landed on its annual list of the top 100 fastest-growing franchises, underscoring the demand.



3 Little luxuries In recent years, financial woes have wreaked havoc on people’s budgets, forcing many to put off big purchases and cut back on

discretionary spending to bridge the gap. But according to a report by BIGResearch and STORES magazine, a publication of the National Retail Federation, that’s changing. Their research shows a gradual resurgence in discretionary spending by consumers who may have been spurred to make sacrifices due to the economic downturn.

Case in point: the New York Times recently reported that nail polish sales reached a staggering $710 million in 2011. “I dub this frugality fatigue,” says Lesonsky, of the trend to spend on a lesser scale, which extends to small businesses, too.

The study by BIGResearch and STORES also revealed what people deem “untouchable” vs. “expendable” in their budgets: dining at casual sit-down restaurants, getting their hair cut or colored, or enjoying a daily cup of gourmet coffee. This is good news for restaurant, salon and coffee shop owners, as well as other small businesses with lower price points. Though not big expenditures, these smaller indulgences make people feel less deprived than when they cut out all unnecessary expenses.

“The most intriguing opportunities for [small businesses] are the ones where it is an affordable luxury,” contends Campbell. “To spend $10 or less on a dog bandana—most people can find a way to afford that.”

4 Home furnishings According to the Chinese lunar calendar, 2012 is the “Year of the Dragon.” It’s considered

to be the most auspicious of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac and a good time to get married and have children. Why is this important? Because 12 years ago when the dragon had his big moment, sales in home furnishings surged.

And an analytics-based forecast by International Business Machines (IBM) predicts the same outcome this time around. IBM anticipates that in-store sales of home furnishing items will increase by nearly 8 percent to $23.22 billion and online sales will increase by 28.4 percent in the second quarter of 2012.

“ The most intriguing opportunities for [small businesses] are the ones where it is an affordable luxury.”

Anita Campbell, CEO and editor in chief of Small Business Trends

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FEATURE | Top 5 new business ventures

“It’s a good year to be settling in, according to the Chinese calendar,” says Lesonsky, who has noted a surge in the purchase of home décor items like throw pillows and other accessories that can enhance the look of your surroundings.

She says that it’s relatively simple for small business owners to tap into this trend. “These products are really easy to find and start selling online.” She recommends working through websites like eBay and Amazon.com, which have massive customer bases that extend the reach of entrepreneurs.

5 Food No matter what else is happening in the world, people will always need to eat. After

steep declines in 2009 and 2010 and a plateau in 2011, total restaurant industry sales are expected to reach a record high of $632 billion in 2012—a 3.5 percent increase over 2011, according to the National Restaurant Association (NRA).

“There is a lot of interest in restaurants,” says Campbell. “When you think about it, every small town has restaurants. There are a lot of big chains, but there are also a lot of independent restaurants owned by mom and pop.” In fact, the NRA reports that 7 out of 10 eating-and-drinking place establishments are single-unit operations, in other words, small businesses.

For those who are willing to take the risk of opening a restaurant—research shows the failure rate hovers at around 60 percent for the first year—there is money to be made from people who are increasingly more comfortable parting with their cash in what the restaurant industry expects to be a banner year.

The Internet: the common denominator in top trends

While experts may have varying opinions on what the upcoming small business trends are, one thing is certain, they all expect technology to play a role in whatever the coming years bring.

“The Internet is number one,” says Trend Following President Michael Covel, of current and future small business opportunities. “This year, next year, the next 10—it’s online and digital.”

Rieva Lesonsky, CEO and president of GrowBiz Media and SmallBizDaily.com says, “If you are looking to sell a product and you are just brick and mortar in your little neighborhood, then you are missing out on millions of consumers who could [potentially] buy something. It’s still cheaper to sell online—there is way less overhead and a way bigger audience.”



Large businesses may collectively bring in trillions of dollars a year, but the lure of small business ownership still has a powerful hold on the American imagination. And small businesses still have a powerful influence on the economy.

When most of us think “small” we think of a mom and pop store or a family-run company with a handful of loyal workers. But the Small Business Administration defines a small business as any firm with fewer than 500 employees. That’s the vast majority of employer firms in the country—99.7 percent, to be precise. Of the 27.5 million businesses in the United States, only around 18,000 are large businesses.

Still driving the economy? According to the government, small businesses employ about half of the private sector workforce, and over the past couple of decades, they have generated 65 percent of new jobs. All of which seems to support the common assertion that small business is the backbone of or the engine that drives the American economy.

In recent years, though, there’s been some serious engine trouble. According to a Brookings Institution report earlier this year, by 2011 the number of startups had fallen more than 23 percent from its height in 2006. And between 2007 and 2009, business bankruptcy rates more than doubled, with 60,000 businesses going bust in 2009—most of which were small businesses.

The reasons for such a rapid fall in small businesses fortunes come down to this: Since the downturn began, consumers and banks just haven’t been handing money over the way they used to.

Is small business still America’s backbone? How mom and pop contribute to the economy.

Molly Brogan is vice president of public affairs for the National Small Business Association of America. “We started hearing, after the markets collapsed in 2008, that a lot of small businesses had their credit limits cut, so [they might have gone] from $20,000 down to $10,000 through no fault of their own,” she says. Some members are now reporting it’s getting easier to find a loan.

For many, fewer loans has meant less ability to invest in the business and to bridge the gaps between billing a client, getting paid for services and paying a supplier or employees. Then there’s the fact that customers haven’t been buying the way they once did. Brogan says the collapsing housing market plays a role here too, as it has done in every other aspect of the economic drama.

“A third of our members used their home mortgage to leverage business financing,” she explains. So when that home became worth less than what the owner owed, that route to capital shut down.

Business consultant Nick West works with small businesses including graphic design and construction firms. “Businesses that three or four years ago were doing $500,000 to $800,000 a year [in revenue] are now finding they’ve dropped back to $250,000 or $300,000, so there has been this massive reduction in the market,” he says. “Some of what I do at the moment is damage limitation, making sure these businesses continue to service the debt they have and don’t go under.”

There is a bright side, however. The latest data show that things are gradually improving: The number of startups is edging up and business bankruptcies are declining.

The lure of small business While many businesses struggle and others have closed their doors, some people see this as a perfect time to start their own venture. Sometimes they have no choice.

Dennis Ceru is a professor of entrepreneurship and business strategy at Babson College in Massachusetts. He says “necessity entrepreneurs” pop up during dark economic times. “When unemployment is high and the economy is weak, people develop entrepreneurial activities because they have to.”

By Ashley Milne-Tyte

phoenixfocus.com 13

FEATURE | Is small business still America’s backbone?

But he doesn’t believe this type of small business can be considered an economic engine. He points out that of the 27.5 million businesses in the United States, only 6 million have any employees at all. That leaves approximately 21 million sole proprietors toiling away with perhaps just a contract employee or two to help.

Ceru, a longtime entrepreneur himself, says being a small business owner has held

the same allure for generations. “It’s the flexibility and the control. By definition, you are involved in every aspect of the business, so you have your pulse on all of it.”

Reporting requirements are also less onerous for small businesses, and they receive less oversight from government agencies than large corporations (even if the owner has to take care of all that compliance single-handedly).

Running down a dream While it can be argued whether or not small businesses fuel the American economy, it’s hard to deny that they fuel the American dream for many entrepreneurs, even in tough times. Ned Wight of Portland, Maine, recently went into business for himself, but not out of necessity. A former brewer, he’d been dreaming of opening a distillery for more than 10 years. Planning it, talking about it, but finding it difficult to step off



the ledge into the unknown. He had a steady job with benefits at a biotech firm and was the main breadwinner for his family. He was terrified of giving it all up. But early in 2011, everything changed.

“I went out and got a loan and ordered a still [where the distilling process takes place]. I signed the paperwork on the loan. Before that, it was easy to walk away. But once I actually signed the loan and placed the order for the still, I had people I was obligated to—investors, the bank. Suddenly I had to meet these obligations.”

Several months later, he quit his job and jumped into New England Distilling full time. Today, he’s selling six to 10 cases a week of his rye whiskey, gin and rum to local bars and restaurants. His advantage over the big guys has much to do with how adaptable he is. “I’m able

to be fairly nimble in terms of what I can produce and how flexible I can be about production. I can produce a variety of things on a very small scale and change relatively quickly if I need to.”

Wight recently hired his first employee and claims he’s far more relaxed despite working longer hours than he did in his old job.

“It’s fantastic to come to work every day doing something that I love,” he says. “It’s so exciting, I could work all day and all night. I could come in on Saturday and Sunday and be totally happy. I love it.”

Ashley Milne-Tyte is a New York-based writer and reporter who specializes in communication issues. She has written for The Wall Street Journal, the New York Daily News, Financial Times and Independent (London). She has reported on numerous aspects of business and the economy for public radio’s Marketplace.

What big business wants from small business

Big businesses admire the same qualities in their smaller rivals that entrepreneurs themselves value: creativity, flexibility and the ability to make things happen fast.

Consultant Nick West says the corporate giants look on enviously as competitors pop up, do things in a new way and grow rapidly. “You can really get that incremental growth doubling, tripling, quadrupling in a small business,” he says.

Bigger businesses spend a little time rubbing their hands, then make an offer. “They like to buy them up because you can show much more rapid growth in your revenue figures by acquiring a number of smaller, fast-growing businesses than by trying to turn your oil-tanker-like behemoth around to go in a new direction,” says West.

But swallowing a small business doesn’t always make for easy digestion. Large companies are famous for their

bureaucratic ways—ways alien to nimbler, more creative enterprises.

Small businesses looking to grow—while simultaneously maintaining control of their product or service, developments, staff and customer relations, and adhering to the vision upon which the business was built—may want to consider finding an investor and growing into their own big business versus selling to another.

For those looking to grow their name or product through nationally or globally established channels, or for those who are content to hand the reins and fate of their creation over to someone else for an agreed upon sum, a merger or acquisition can translate into a very good deal, especially with a good lawyer to negotiate it.

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FEATURE | Education outlook

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Through her speech, her recommended reading (The Martha Rules: 10 Essentials for Achieving Success As You Start, Build, or Manage a Business), and a sit-down interview with Phoenix Focus, the omnimedia business maven offered plenty of savory advice for starting a business and crafting a living out of doing what you love.

Given that Stewart’s first foray into business ownership was starting her own catering company in Connecticut, it’s probably not surprising that much of her wisdom is served up with food metaphors.

Know how to make an omelet “To succeed in any endeavor, you must nurse not only your mind, but also your body. An omelet is easy to prepare, elegant, delicious and very satisfying—in other words, a perfect food. And as the French proverb goes, ‘You can’t make an omelet without breaking an egg.’ In other words, to create something—be it an egg dish or a business success—you must make sacrifices,” Stewart says.

In July, legendary homemaker Martha Stewart addressed hundreds of new graduates and their supporters as the keynote speaker for the 2012 University of Phoenix National Commencement ceremonies in Phoenix, Arizona.

Martha Stewart’s food for thought

Tips for starting and sustaining your own business.

By JoBeth Jamison

phoenixfocus.com 17

Make lemonade Another bit of culinary/business crossover is knowing how to make lemonade, says Stewart, who advises adding some perseverance to your recipe and a willingness to look at lemons in a new light. “The idea for Martha Stewart Living magazine didn’t spring fully formed from my head,” she says. “I had [first] approached my publisher about doing some how-to lifestyle books. Back then, they thought it was a terrible idea—a real lemon.” Stewart recalls how disappointed she was until it occurred to her that a magazine about beautiful living would actually be better. “My disappointment became one of the greatest ideas I ever had,” she says. Today, after selling millions of copies of her how-to books, that same publisher has delighted in eating their words. “It’s what you do with the lemons that are handed to you that really counts,” she says.

Mix in passion When asked what it takes to succeed at owning a business, Stewart replies, “There is no single recipe for success. But there is one essential ingredient: passion. “If you want to have a successful business, you must love what you do. How else will you be able to give it the time, energy and hard work that it requires?” she says. “My passion for easing the challenges of the homemaker’s everyday life helped me turn my homegrown catering business into a successful omnimedia company. Today, we reach 66 million consumers, all across media platforms, every single month with more than 8,500 products in thousands of retail locations. I could never do all the things I do if it weren’t something that I wasn’t absolutely passionate about,” she says.

In emphasizing the need for passion, Stewart recounts her first catering job. It was an outdoor wedding for 300 people on a sweltering August day. “For a first timer, I got a little ambitious with the menu,” she says, citing a long list of elaborate dishes and two wedding cakes that didn’t fare well in 108 degree temperatures. “The wedding cakes slid a little bit and almost melted in the heat, but I loved the whole experience. From that event forward, I knew that I had found the job I had been waiting for,” she says. “When work is based in passion, it doesn’t feel like work. It feels fulfilling and empowering.” That said, however, she strongly advises that in any aspect of your business plan, you never bite off more than you can chew.

Allow your ideas to ripen In addition to her food and cooking metaphors, Martha Stewart also draws apt comparisons from another of her passions: Gardening. “Not everybody discovers their passion and manages to successfully tap it

in their 20s or early 30s,” she says, referring to modern-day business wunderkinds like Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Google’s Sergey Brin and Larry Page, and Twitter’s Biz Stone. “Our culture often celebrates the achievements of the young, but I stand before you here as a proud late bloomer,” says Stewart, who was 50 years old when she launched her first magazine—the foundation of her company. “As a gardener, I can tell you that late bloomers tend to be stronger, healthier and more long-lived than their early blooming counterparts.”

Bake your cake and eat it, too Lastly, Stewart advises that you enjoy your accomplishments. “You must take the time to savor your success and celebrate with your family and friends,” she says, while also stressing the importance of writing thank-you notes to those who’ve helped you along the way. “Celebrating your success is the icing on the cake.”

Martha’s ingredients for a successful entrepreneur Creating a successful business isn’t always as easy as pie. Martha Stewart told Phoenix Focus there are five characteristics prosperous entrepreneurs must have:

1 You have to be very persistent.

2 You have to be very persuasive.

3 You have to be very curious about what’s going on around you and in the same field.

4 You have to be as innovative as possible.

5 You have to be hard-working.

FEATURE | Martha Stewart’s food for thought

“When work is based in passion, it doesn’t feel like work. It feels fulfilling and empowering.” Martha Stewart

WEB EXCLUSIVES Visit phoenixfocus.com to view Martha Stewart’s entire commencement speech.


Strained budgets. Deferred dreams. A surplus of time. There are many reasons people start a side business. The ones that succeed, though, are planned just as carefully as their full-blown counterparts. Here are some points to consider before moonlighting in your spare time.

Hobby or side business? Your barbecue sauce is universally raved about at neighborhood block parties. Friends love your floral arrangements. Your handmade jewelry is a hit with the moms at your children’s school. You find fulfillment with such projects in your spare time. But when is a hobby a solid foundation for a business?

According to Susan Urquhart-Brown, small business coach at CareerSteps123.com and author of The Accidental Entrepreneur: 50 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Starting a Business, it’s pretty simple. “You’d have to be making some money at it, first of all,” she says. “It takes desire and seriousness for a hobby to become a viable business.”

Getting started First and foremost, it’s critical to evaluate your priorities to make sure you have the capacity to tackle a side business in addition to your day job and other commitments. “How much time in your life do you have to devote to work?” Urquhart-Brown says. “Most people have a family, a significant other, kids and other things they like to do.”

Launching a side businessMake your big idea blossom.

By Julie Wilson


Then, you need to take a no-holds-barred look at your idea. “Can somebody make money [off it]? Can someone save money? Does it solve a problem, or does it give people personal satisfaction?” offers John Vanston, author of the award-winning book Minitrends and chairman of Technology Futures, Inc.

It’s a great idea to vet your side business idea with someone objective who can give you honest feedback. “Seek out people who have already done it, and talk to them,” suggests Urquhart-Brown.

“I also think associations [groups or clubs with a particular focus] can be very useful,” Vanston says. “There are associations for everything from bearded Santa Clauses to nuclear reactors, and they’re a great place to start.” He suggests asking your local chamber of commerce for a list of them.

SCORE, a program funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, offers free business counseling, mentoring and

phoenixfocus.com 19

YOUR CAREER | Launching a side business

other resources for would-be entrepreneurs. With chapters across the country, as well as online workshops, it’s an accessible way to tap into expert advice from those who have already taken the plunge into entrepreneurship. In addition, private career coaches also can guide you through the process of starting a business, although you’ll have to pay them.

Down to business Once you’ve decided to move forward, starting a side venture is much like starting any small business. At the onset, Urquhart-Brown recommends doing your research. “Now it is so easy to do informal market research with the Internet,” she says. “Find out what makes you unique in providing your product or service because you will always have competition.”

Vanston agrees that defining your market is critical for success, even in the smallest side business. “If you have a business and nobody buys [your product or service], then it really doesn’t matter,” he says.

A roadmap is a necessity as you connect the dots between dream and reality. “[You need to create] an action plan or a business plan,” stresses Urquhart-Brown. “Most clients I work



with will not be getting investors, so this is just for them to develop their ideas. It can be done simply in one to two pages—it’s kind of a GPS for your business.”

The act of writing a plan forces side business owners to think through their goals and create a timeline of tactics to reach them. It can be as simple as designating Monday for marketing and Thursday for doing the books, which can keep you on track when you have personal and professional priorities competing for your free time. “Set up specific times every week when you are doing something to move yourself forward,” Urquhart-Brown advises.

Don’t forget … Even if you’re not devoting 80 hours a week to it, a side business counts as a business—period. This means you are responsible for

When he wasn’t working at his day job as vice president of an Internet software company, Daniel Baker loved to fly four-seater airplanes.

“It bothered me that I would fly between Houston and Austin or Dallas, and there was no way to see my flight status or share it with friends and family,” he says. “Clearly the airlines [were] doing it, and even though I was taking the same routes and going to the same airports, there was no way for me to do it.”

Undeterred, Baker contacted the Federal Aviation Administration and was told that flight status information is publicly available. He used that information to create a free website, flightaware.com, where people can track private, cargo and commercial flights all in one place.

The data feed had thousands of position updates for United States airspace every second, so Baker decided to streamline it so it was easy to use. “Every evening and all day on weekends, I would write the software to solve this problem,” he says. “It was purely a hobby. I had no business motivation.”

He quickly learned that his side gig was a moneymaker. Once the site went live, people began to contact him with requests for reports—reports that they were willing to pay a premium for. Eventually, it became a profitable, full-time job.

Today, FlightAware has offices in Houston and New York, reports on flights in North America and Europe, offers 24-hour-a-day manned phone lines and is still growing.

obtaining the licenses, insurance or permits required in your industry or geographic location. If you sell products, you need to make sure you are charging and paying the appropriate federal and state taxes. “This is the kind of legal research you’ll need to do, depending on what kind of business you are in,” says Urquhart-Brown.

In the end, for those who are passionate about their side ventures, it’s all worth it. “If you can combine your interests, love and expertise in a side business, so much the better,” concludes Vanston. “It doesn’t hurt to have something in your back pocket.”

Tipping point: When a side business becomes the main game

phoenixfocus.com 21

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How to get and keep large business clients.

There’s a lot of common-sense advice out there about small businesses tapping into big business clientele. Look professional. Show up on time. Make sure your presentation materials, calling cards and website are all high-caliber.

By Lee Gomes

Catching the big fish

These are all essential tips, but there’s a lot more to dealing with big companies than basic business etiquette dictates. Many professional consultants make their living helping small businesses connect with their much bigger counterparts. And they have some terrific ideas on how to go about it.

Trade your PowerPoint for problem-solving As a small business owner prospecting for clients, perhaps you’re inclined to think that your main goal should be to get your foot in the door and show off your PowerPoint presentation about how good your products or services are. But Andy Blackstone, a consultant in this area for many years and author of Small Changes That Help Small Companies Make Big Increases in Sales, warns that that’s just about the worst thing you can do. As tempting as a slick audio/visual presentation might be, he says your first contact with a company will be much more useful to you if you spend it asking questions about their business needs.

“There’s a lot of research to indicate that executives in large companies don’t want to see canned presentations,” says Blackstone. “Instead, they want to learn how to solve a problem. That means you need to always be trying to solve problems, rather than always be trying to sell something.”


To catch the big fish, use a smaller net Another common small-company mistake, says Blackstone, is casting much too wide a net in looking for potential customers. Instead of starting out with a calling list of 1,000 names—which Blackstone says is surprisingly common—hone it down to a much smaller group of likely prospects and concentrate your energy on them.

Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, who also works helping small companies advance to new levels, emphasizes thorough preparation and tenacity with her clients. Preparing for that first meeting—even one where you’re asking questions rather than boasting about your products—takes a lot of time, she says. Checking out the company’s website and the LinkedIn page of the person you’re seeing are mandatory.

“Corporate decision-makers are crazy busy. Time is their most important asset, and they protect it at all costs,” says Konrath. “If they agree to see you, they expect you to have done your homework. And that involves a lot more preparation than you might initially think.”

Get a date with the decision-makers Konrath offers several other useful tips. For example, you shouldn’t waste your time trying to sell to a purchasing or human resources department. They only do what the management of specific business units tells them to do, and those are the decision-makers you need to spend time trying to reach. And don’t surrender easily in those efforts. Konrath says that it may take an eye-popping 18 attempts, via both email and voicemail, to get on someone’s calendar.

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“It may take more than a dozen messages before someone agrees to meet with you. But if your messages have good information, you won’t be considered a pest.” Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies

YOUR CAREER | Catching the big fish

You should always use these exchanges, she says, not to simply plead one more time for a meeting, but to tell your prospects something they didn’t already know. You might, for example, describe a recent sale and how it solved a big problem for the new customer. Or, you could cite something relevant from the news to hammer home how you will be able to help. For example, if you’re selling teleconferencing equipment, you might cite a story on a recent airline price hikes to emphasize how that equipment can help trim the client’s travel budget. “If your message has good information, you won’t be considered a pest,” she promises.

Konrath urges small businesses to keep in mind that people usually don’t have plans to replace something in their organization, but they will if they can be persuaded that by doing so, they’ll gain some sort of advantage. For instance, an individual might not be in the market for a new computer, but might buy one anyway after being told of the dramatically improved features and low cost of a new model.

Finally, when it comes to small business selling to big business, Blackstone points out that developing leads requires some creative thinking. He cites a personal example of working with an environmental company that helped big businesses comply with EPA requirements. Blackstone’s clients were familiar enough with the workings of federal inspectors to know that companies would get a warning letter before being formally accused of not being in compliance with regulations. Since the list was public information, Blackstone’s crew was able to get a copy. And since all of the companies on the list were badly in need of help complying with EPA requirements, the leads resulted in considerable new business. Says Blackstone, “They had a clever idea, and it really paid off.”

Armed with the right knowledge, navigating your small business through the channels of big business can pay off, too.

Lee Gomes is a San Francisco-based writer who has written for the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the San Jose Mercury News. He can be reached at [email protected].

Tips for keeping big clientsA weak link hurts even a big company, but can be fatal to a small business. Consider the following advice to help ensure a long-term partnership with your big business client.

Know your strengths Assess the strengths of everyone on your team—even if it’s just you—and apply them accordingly. For example, if one person is the brains behind the operation, but not necessarily a “people person,” consider assigning a more amiable team member to the task of communicating with clients. If your team consists of just you, brush up on skills you may lack—whether it’s communication, public relations, finances, setting goals and following through, or simply being friendly—or hire someone better suited for that part of the job.

Don’t forget the details Professionalism should never be an afterthought when dealing with any client, let alone the biggest ones. Whatever comfort level you feel you’ve achieved, always adhere to business email and phone etiquette. Go the extra mile to ensure you’re saying and spelling contact names and client products or services correctly. Also, communication is key, so make sure you keep your client posted on your project every step of the way unless the client specifically requests less-frequent contact.

Save your client’s time In recent years, many major companies have trimmed their workforces, putting the workload onto the remaining employees. Make every effort to make your client’s job easier, to save them time and money or help them accomplish their goals. For example, if a company relies on monthly reports from you, make it your policy to send them without being asked or without asking the client to retrieve documents themselves.



Expert tips to help small businesses grow.

There are innumerable marketing strategies for small business owners, and all of them seem necessary for success—social media is an absolute must; in-person networking is key; Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a No. 1 traffic driver; the list goes on. Deciding what is truly essential can seem overwhelming. So we asked four, nationally known small business marketing experts to share their wisdom.

By Laurel Marshfield

Marketing essentials

On-target content For any small business—whether a local brick and mortar store or a business with strictly online real estate—the Internet is the best vehicle for attracting, engaging and converting prospects into customers and clients. It’s the foundational tool for all small business marketing. The reason? “It’s where the people are,” says online visibility expert and business blogging advisor Denise Wakeman, (DeniseWakeman.com). “Two billion have Internet access. And most businesses don’t need that many customers to succeed.”

What small businesses do need is to get the attention, online, of people who want what they’re selling. The best way to do that, Wakeman says, is with targeted content that solves problems.

“I worked with a chiropractor to set up his blog, so that every post revealed how aches and pains of all kinds have a chiropractic solution.” As a result, she explains, potential patients got proof that he understood the source of their pain, while getting to know, like and trust him through the expertise he displayed in his blog. The business result? Fifty percent more clients.

“Content,” observes Wakeman, “is everything in marketing.”

Trust-building connections For Suzanne Evans of SuzanneEvans.org, a multimillion-dollar business-building empire built over a scant four years, the word that best characterizes her take on marketing is connection. “People want to feel a connection with you,” she says. “You need to be a storyteller. And you need to show empathy.”

Evans, a charismatic extrovert who loves reaching out to people personally, walks her talk. “I totally built my business on speaking,” she says. “I have a personality brand.” In other words, she conveys her content mainly in person (or in videos).

Though not everyone is a larger-than-life speaker like Evans, it doesn’t matter. She and other experts say that you can still succeed if you market with your strengths instead of your weakest skillset. For instance, introverts may connect with potential clients by blogging for thousands of readers, rather than speaking to thousands of seminar attendees.

Evans points to another core success factor. With an email list of 20,000-plus people, you can send out an email blast and instantly bring in income. “If you can build a list, you can make money,” she says. Marketing to so many people, a percentage will always buy.

Client relevancy and the Seven Strategies For Michael Port, small business coach and author of Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling, there are two key marketing words: relevancy and strategy.

“The only way to get clients,” says Port, “is to get their attention” with information that’s deeply relevant to their situation. In fact, he believes “marketing” should be replaced with the word “relevancy.” Being relevant to

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YOUR CAREER | Marketing essentials

people—demonstrating that you can solve their problems—is what every marketing strategy ultimately strives to accomplish.

After you’ve shown potential clients you are relevant, focus on your strategy. “The seven primary self-promotion strategies are networking, direct outreach, referral, speaking, writing, Web and keep-in-touch strategies,” says Port. But he doesn’t advise using them all at once. “Focus on a couple,” he says. “If you do a little of everything you won’t build an asset.” In this case, an asset means lots of people who know what you do and may someday buy what you’re selling.

“When you’re just starting a business,” cautions Port, “make sure you do each initiative fully. Your commitment is what produces results.” One scenario: Network daily and, several times a week, build your speaking or blog-writing skills, along with your “warm call” delivery.

Outsourcing While outsourcing is only one aspect of her overall marketing approach, Pam Slim, business coach and author of Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur, advocates outsourcing administrative work to free up owner time for business development and marketing.

Slim sees every small business as being divisible into three areas: service delivery, management and marketing. The first and third areas should be the owner’s job, but the second can be at least partially outsourced—just not in the beginning, she says.

Once your hourly rate climbs to a figure that’s five or more times that of an assistant ($20 per hour of assistant time, versus $100 to $200 per hour of your time), then it’s time to outsource routine tasks like email blasts, website updates and basic

inquiry responses. The benefit of eventual outsourcing is not just monetary. With hours saved on routine tasks, Slim says, “You can go after new business, including high-value accounts.” But, she warns, delegating work may prove challenging for owners accustomed to managing every single aspect themselves. She advises a gradual phase-in and finding the best assistants through referrals.

While these expert tips represent just a few essential steps, following them can put you and your small business on the road to success.

Laurel Marshfield is a developmental editor, ghostwriter, book coach, and white paper consultant. Her Twitter handle is @BookEditorLM.


Growing up, Kerrie Kelly’s dad pushed her to take calculated risks. His motto was, “Leap and the net will appear.” Clearly, she took thewords to heart.

Today, the vivacious 40-year-old interior designer is building a design empire in her hometown of Sacramento. She has satisfied clients nationwide and has caught the eye of HGTV and Extreme Home Makeover. And this year, Kelly earned the 2012 ASID Nancy Vincent McClelland Award for Interior Design Education.

By Dena Roché Photos by Bruce Racine

DeSigning woMan


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Kerrie Kelly, MBA ’02Owner, Kerrie Kelly Design LabsSacramento, California

ALUMNI PROFILES | Kerrie Kelly


THE CAREER TRENDS ISSUETHE SMALL BUSINESS ISSUE

Left brain, right brain Kelly is much more than simply an interior designer. She’s that rare bird that has a flair for the creative and a head for business. That business acumen, which she honed while earning an MBA from University of Phoenix in 2002, is her edge. It has allowed her to see opportunities that others missed to create multiple, synergistic arms to her business. Kerrie Kelly Design Lab encompasses not only interior design, but also furniture and art lines, and showcases the design books Kelly has authored.

“It is very rare to find a creative person with business sense,” Kelly admits. “So many don’t even know how to invoice or run a job. There is no structure. I knew I needed a backbone in business to be successful. My mom was very ‘Martha Stewart’ and my dad was a certified financial planner; I feel like I brought their two personalities together.”

Kelly says she always knew she wanted to be an interior designer. “I drove my parents crazy always changing my room. They really liked the electric blue walls,” she says with a laugh. “But I am very thankful that they let me do what I wanted; it was a test for my creativity.”

Entrepreneurial seeds Kelly fine-tuned her raw teenage skills at Cal Poly State University, earning a degree in interior design and then spent a year delighting window shoppers with her window designs for Nordstrom and Macy’s before becoming a furniture buyer for Ralph Lauren in 1995. It was there that Kelly started what would become Kerrie Kelly Design Lab as a side business, helping clients find elements that her employer didn’t offer to complete their home design.

While Kelly clearly had the entrepreneurial spirit, it wasn’t fully developed yet, so the business remained on the sideline as she threw herself into a job as design studio manager for several Northern California Del Webb communities, a position she held for seven years and one that inspired her focus on livable (senior) design. Today, Kelly is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS).

“I wanted to contribute and make a difference in a home people had dreamed of and saved up for their whole lives.” Kerrie Kelly, MBA ’02

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ALUMNI PROFILES | Kerrie Kelly

“I had never thought of that demographic before,” admits Kelly. “But I learned about lowering the microwave, eliminating narrow hallways and having a bench in the shower, which is good design no matter what age you are.”

At Del Webb she also gained an understanding of construction and all the phases of building and decorating a home, which she laughingly says was another degree in and of itself.

It was her work with older adults that ultimately pushed Kelly to totally embrace her entrepreneurial leanings. When Del Webb was acquired by another home builder, many of the livable and interesting design options went by the wayside. “Being face-to-face with homeowners, I understood that the livable design concept was important and it wasn’t happening with the new home builder,” Kelly says. “I wanted to contribute and make a difference in a home people had dreamed of and saved up for their whole lives.”

Taking the leap Using a small inheritance from her grandmother, Kelly finally took that leap in 2006 and she hasn’t looked back since. Today she employs three full-time people, several interns, and a hand-picked team of subcontractors. “I’ve developed a team whose talents mean we can say ‘yes’ to any project,” Kelly says. “This business is my kid; it’s 24/7 for me. I’m passionate about design. It’s in my blood.”

And thankfully, Kelly’s design esthetic has matured from the teenage girl with a penchant for brightly colored walls. According to Kelly, her design philosophy is “exclusive approachability.” Boiled down, it means that Kerrie Kelly Design Lab provides unique design that reflects the homeowner’s personality at a price point that real people can afford.

“My designs have taken on more of an authenticity through the years,” she says. “During the housing boom, everyone wanted to mimic what was in a magazine, but now I show people that design can be authentic—we take pictures from your attic that tell the story of your family. I use things they already own and feather in new things.”

The private furniture and art lines she carries also add to the exclusivity factor, but by using private labels, the prices are considerably less and the choices are more extensive. For example, the furniture line has 600 fabric offerings and the art all comes from one of Kelly’s favorite galleries in Sacramento. And everything in the lines is made in America.

Educating others While Kelly’s business is thriving, she’s giving back to the design community in a variety of ways. One of her most satisfying projects was creating My Interior Design Kit, an interactive educational tool developed with Pearson Education aimed at university-level design students.

“I spent one-and-a-half years traveling around interviewing interior design gurus, taking factory tours and speaking with manufacturers,” she explains. The result was a series of videos that cuts to the chase of what it’s really like to be an interior designer.

Kelly is also sharing her knowledge of good design with homeowners through her book, Home Decor: A Sunset Design Guide, which teaches readers how to use decor to create a home that reflects their personality. And her work was featured in several episodes of HGTV’s Crasher series.

In growing her career and business, Kelly has successfully taken leaps of faith many times, never once needing the net.

Dena Roché is a freelance journalist covering lifestyle profiles, travel, health and wellness. She is based in Phoenix.

Awards: • 2012 recipient of ASID’s Nancy

Vincent McClelland Award for Interior Design Education

• Houzz’s Best of Remodeling 2012 Award for the Sacramento area

• Winning design for the Jason Wu for Brizo Blogger 19 Design Challenge, January 2012

• Winner of the exterior color palette in the California Paints 2011 Designer Color Challenge, February 2012

A decorated designerKerrie Kelly has received numerous awards and accolades, and has a top-selling book available on Amazon.com.

WEB EXCLUSIVES Visit phoenixfocus.com to explore additional content related to this article.


Bryan Welton, MBA ’04 Owner, Namify Springville, Utah


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If you can build it, he will name it. Bryan Welton, MBA ’04, has become an entrepreneurial superstar putting company logos and brands on anything and everything. His Internet firm, Namify, is one of the fastest growing private companies in America.

Bryan Welton started Namify, a hugely successful Internet business, in his family’s small home in Provo, Utah. Inventory was piled up in the three bedrooms, the living room and basement. The work was constant back in 2001 and so was the threat of shutting down.

By Leo W. Banks Photos by Bruce Racine

ALUMNI PROFILES | Bryan Welton

Your name, his game



“I put everything on the credit card and we had a month to get the money back,” says the 34-year-old entrepreneur. “We were always a day from bankruptcy. Our motto was, get to work, get the clients, get orders in and get orders out.”

Eleven years later, Namify has been called one of the fastest-growing private companies in America. It now operates out of an 80,000-square-foot warehouse in Springville, Utah; has additional offices in Portland, Denver and Frankfurt, Germany; four factories in China, and 1,000 employees, direct and contract.

What happened? A savvy businessman saw a market niche when no one else did, and it turned out to be huge.

The idea is simple. Namify will take the logo or brand of a company and put it on anything, from name tags and security IDs, to hoodies and even air conditioners.

When the NBA’s New Jersey Nets needed branding, Namify put the players’ names on their lockers and NBA and team logos all around their arena. Namify also did engraving for a presidential summit, producing nameplates, IDs and seat pocket covers for George W. Bush’s entire cabinet. The company even printed lanyards and badge holders for backstage passes for Justin Bieber’s Never Say Never tour and Madonna’s 25th Anniversary tour.

Recently, Welton had a call from a fellow in the air-conditioning business who was frustrated that his company’s press-on stickers were being peeled off

after repair jobs. He wanted to permanently engrave the front of every unit. Welton’s company solved that problem. And one of Welton’s most popular products is engraved toilet plungers that real estate agents give to home buyers. “We can ‘Namify’ anything,” he says.

Humble beginnings Soft spoken and at times philosophical, Welton believes his ambition stems from growing up in the northern California woods, “in a poor, hard-working family.” His dad was a logger in Lake Almanor, populated mostly by blue-collar folks, with a heavy influx of wealthy vacationers during the summer.

In 1982, after release of the first Rambo movie, Welton remembers watching Sylvester Stallone walking around town. “I saw from these well-off people what money could buy and it pushed me do better,” he says.

Work has always been Welton’s hobby. As an 11-year-old, he made pocket change sweeping up pine needles at the lake. While a senior at Brigham Young University, he launched a website for a small engraving company partly owned by his father-in-law. Its domain name was nametags.com.

The site brought in so much work that Welton began handling the overflow. Out of this he started his own online company, engraving name tags and badge-holders for conventions. “By 2001, I’d gone into manufacturing because no local engraving or print shop could match our speed and demand,” says Welton. “Today, we call it the ‘hot potato principle.’” It means never sit on an order. He believes most companies work too slowly. Ask a shop to produce trophies for a soccer team and they’ll have the order ready next week. He wondered why it takes other shops so long when the actual work takes three hours.

Namify’s high-tech screen printing system.

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ALUMNI PROFILES | Bryan Welton

Welton wanted same-day service to be a Namify hallmark. He even created special software that alerts managers when production slows anywhere in the chain, allowing them to immediately jump on the problem. Speed is hardly a new idea. But most manufacturers produce the same product all day long.

“With us, if you look at the end of our line, every single product is different and we’re sending out 100,000 to 120,000 pieces a day,” says Welton. “We basically took the Henry Ford efficiency concept and applied it to a customized model.”

Building a better business His innovations have attracted customers worldwide, including 386 of the Fortune 500 companies. But as business has grown, so has his family—he and wife Jenny have six kids—and Welton says that has changed him in positive ways.

“I’m a more peaceful guy now and I think it’s because I have four daughters,” says Welton, who is also a bishop at his church. “They’ve softened me up. I used to work for money and survival, and now my true peace comes from watching my children grow and watching others in the company grow.”

To that end, he still pushes Namify to get better, just as he did in the early days. He remembers getting visits from bankers and high-end businessmen asking about his profit and loss statement or his return on investment. He had no idea what they were talking about. “I knew what worked, but I couldn’t explain it to smart people,” says Welton.

Realizing something was missing, he enrolled in the MBA program at the University of Phoenix, finishing his degree in 2004. He loved the real-life approach of learning from facilitators who actually work in the field.

He recalls talking to a Florida banker about every facet of Namify, thinking how great it was that he could return to work and apply those principles directly to his business.

“My big boom—my growth—happened between 2002 and 2004 while I was studying for my MBA,” says Welton. “The University of Phoenix was my partner in building a multi-million dollar business.”

Leo W. Banks is a writer in Tucson, Arizona.

“The University of Phoenix was my partner in building a multi-million dollar business.” Bryan Welton, MBA ’04



Nindi Wadhwa, MBA ’10Owner, Scooptacular Laveen, Arizona


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An airline pilot turned ice cream man, Nindi Wadhwa, MBA ’10, has made his sweetest dreams come true at Scooptacular.

Who would be bold enough to sign a retail lease in February, graduate with an MBA in March, celebrate the birth of a baby in April and open a brand-new business in May? An entrepreneur, that’s who.

By Julie Wilson Photos by Bruce Racine

Success from scratch

ALUMNI PROFILES | Nindi Wadhwa


THE EDUCATION ISSUE

Nindi Wadhwa and his wife Carissa opened their mom-and-pop ice cream shop, Scooptacular, in the middle of a whirlwind year, and that’s just the beginning for this growing family and burgeoning business.

From pilot to entrepreneur Just a few years ago, Wadhwa was a Phoenix-based commercial pilot, flying Dash 8 turbo prop planes on regional routes in the western United States and Mexico. In 2009, he accepted a voluntary year-long furlough from his airline. Not one to lay idle, he decided to earn his MBA at University of Phoenix while taking a break from flying.

“I had a one-year time crunch,” he says. “I took online and on [campus] classes to accelerate the program.” He reached his goal and graduated in March 2010.

At the same time, he and his wife were raising their young family on the outskirts of Phoenix in Laveen, Arizona, and they noticed there wasn’t a lot there for families to do. “We thought it would make sense to do something family friendly and affordable,” he explains. “We had always wanted to start our own business.”

During one of his courses, he decided to use an ice cream shop idea he had for a team project, which gave him the opportunity to vet and refine the concept with instructors and teammates. When the couple noticed a national ice cream chain in the neighborhood had gone out of business, they called the property management company out of curiosity to learn more about the retail space—and the rest is history.

The scoop Neither Wadhwa nor his wife had ever made ice cream before, but that didn’t deter them. “We spoke to several industry veterans who recommended taking over an existing restaurant as opposed to a new build. This helped us minimize our initial startup costs,” Wadhwa says. “We also bought the majority of our equipment used.”

They scoured the Internet for resources and found a Yahoo group of mom-and-pop ice cream shop owners. Through them, they found other information and events aimed at helping entrepreneurs new to


Scooptacular’s play dough ice cream.

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ALUMNI PROFILES | Nindi Wadhwa

the industry. “We went to a crash-course ice cream seminar and met a man in Kansas City who opened up and gave us a lot of recipes,” Wadhwa says. “He gave us our foundation.”

With a solid recipe in hand, the Wadhwas set about experimenting in the kitchen with different flavor combinations. “We have done some crazy stuff,” he laughs. “We did a hot dog flavor for the launch of baseball season and turkey and Christmas ham [at the holidays].”

They also create flavors with more mainstream appeal, such as Laveen concrete mix, a caramel ice cream with chocolate rocks and caramel swirls; and play dough, their sweet cream ice cream base brightly colored blue, yellow and red. Wadhwa’s favorite? “Good, old-school cookies and cream,” he admits, “since it was the first flavor we made here.”

Grand opening Since launching Scooptacular in May 2010, just weeks after the birth of their second baby, the Wadhwas have been hard at work, often with their two kids in tow. “The first year, I’d work 16 to 17 hours per day, sometimes coming in at 2 or 3 in the morning,” he says. During the second year, though, because of his dependable employees, he often is able to work more regular office hours Monday through Friday so he can spend more time with his family.

This is a far cry from the frenzied pace of the past few years, but Wadhwa says the sacrifices were well worth it. He has found that his MBA prepared him to run his own business, and he especially enjoys marketing. “The basic foundation of marketing really stuck with me,” he says of his program. “And I think having to work in learning teams, which at times was challenging and at times was great, has helped me work with different personalities.”

He uses these people skills with Scooptacular’s eight employees, five of whom have been with him since the day he opened and whom he considers to be family. He believes in empowering them to provide top-notch customer service, which is at the heart of his business. “Put yourself in your customers’ shoes,” Wadhwa advises, “and if you feel it is not right, fix it.”

Giving back Genuine respect for his customers, along with quality ice cream, has made Scooptacular a hit in the neighborhood. “Success is being involved in the community,” he says. “I love to give back.”

The Wadhwas support local schools, community awareness programs, as well as nonprofits like the American Cancer Society and others. “Without the community, there is no way to survive,” he adds.

In the short term, Wadhwa would like to expand Scooptacular into a franchise concept, and eventually he’d love to work as an executive at an airline. In the meantime, though, he and his family are enjoying the sweet success they’ve created from scratch.

“[This experience] has been amazing in so many different ways,” says Wadhwa. “To get to know our customers and interact with them and to provide a place for people to come and enjoy has been extremely rewarding.”

“Success is being involved in the community. I love to give back.” Nindi Wadhwa, owner, Scooptacular

Nindi Wadhwa with his wife Carissa and daughters, Alia, 2, and Ava, 4.



Extra! Extra!

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Must-reads and online resources for small business owners.

By Paula Boon

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BOOKS1. Start Your Own Business, Fifth Edition: The Only Startup Book You’ll Ever Need By Entrepreneur Press This bestseller contains everything you need to know to move from a concept to a successful business. Checklists, sample forms and worksheets make it practical as well as informative.

2. The Right-Brain Business Plan: A Creative, Visual Map for Success By Jennifer Lee Creative types will enjoy this playful approach to defining their business vision and creating plans for achieving it. Instructions and explanations are interspersed with real-life success stories that will motivate and inspire.

3. Get Your Business Funded: Creative Methods for Getting the Money You Need By Steven D. Strauss The author of The Small Business Bible offers clear, practical advice about more than two dozen ways to find money for your business, whether it is a startup or established company.

4. Duct Tape Marketing Revised and Updated: The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide By John Jantsch A small business marketing guru leads you through the process of developing and executing a marketing plan that will allow your business to reach its full potential.

5. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business By Charles Duhigg Identifying and understanding the habits of individuals, organizations and societies—and learning to change them—can lead to transformations in our lives. An award-winning New York Times business reporter explains how.

6. The Accidental Entrepreneur: 50 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Starting a Businesss By Susan Urquhart-Brown Those who find themselves turning a passion into profit unexpectedly will benefit from this read. Entrepreneurs by accident happen all the time, but this book give tips on how to intentionally run and sustain your new business.

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MAGAZINES and ARTICLES 1. Small Business Today A publication with both print and online editions that aims to provide readers with business information that will inspire and empower readers to reach their entrepreneurial goals.

2. Success, January 2012 “Baby Steps to Better Business” By Success Magazine Staff Provides six examples of how devoting 5 to 10 minutes a day to a particular goal can make a big difference in the success of a business.

3. The Wall Street Journal, July 2012 “Avoid These 6 Recipes for Business Disaster” By Mike Michalowicz A unique spin on how to be successful in business, this article gives the formula for failure in hopes that entrepreneurs will avoid common pitfalls and save their business before it’s too late.

ONLINE RESOURCES4. Entrepreneur Magazine’s website www.entrepreneur.com Boasts a wide selection of engaging videos and articles with advice and news for owners of small businesses.

5. CNNMoney’s small business section http://money.cnn.com/smallbusiness/ An excellent source of small business-related news and information, including a section describing how various successful companies got their start.

6. The CNN article “Dear America: It’s time to up our entrepreneurial game” by Scott Gerber http://bit.ly/ america_entrepreneur A passionate argument that states instead of encouraging young people to keep looking for good jobs, we should be urging them to become entrepreneurs.

7. The Bloomberg Businessweek article “Spotting Home-Based Business Scams” http://bit.ly/ business-scams Wondering if a home-based business you’ve seen advertised is legitimate? Check out this article before you go any further.

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EXTRA! EXTRA!


The BUZZWe want to celebrate you in our alumni announcements. Share your story and be part of “The Buzz.” Email us at [email protected].

Published by alumni

The 9 Signs of Effective Leadership By Dr. Tony Bolden

One of the most productive ways to achieve success is to emulate the traits of those who are successful. Dr. Tony Bolden, Doctor of Management (DM) ’11, shares nine common traits that effective leaders share and challenges aspiring leaders to learn, grow and lead. Bolden is the chief evangelist of The Leader’s Brand. In addition to being an author, Bolden is a career sales professional, speaker, trainer, facilitator and organizational behavior blogger. The 9 Signs of Effective Leadership is available at amazon.com.

First Poem of Words By Jef Harris

In his first book, Jef Harris, Master of Organizational Management (MAOM) ’04, seeks to inspire with his personal reflections on places, people, trials, his experiences and successes. The words in this collection of poems and lyrics form an honest exposure of a 25-year soldier turned writer. First Poem of Words is available at bookstore.trafford.com.


21 Questions for 21 Millionaires: How Ordinary People Create Extraordinary Success By Brandon Pipkin

Brandon Pipkin, Associate of Arts with a Concentration in Foundations of Business (AAFB) ’10, tells the success stories of 21 self-created millionaires in their own words. By interviewing 21 ordinary people who created extraordinary success in industries as diverse as junk, jewelry, toys and payrolls, Pipkin learned how they found their passion and their success. He shares his findings in this insightful book, available at 21for21.com/book.

Work’s New Age: The End of Full Employment and What It Means to You By James Huntington

James Huntington, Master of Business Administration with a Concentration in Technology Management (MBA/TM) ’00, provides this resource as a means of explaining the global present and future state of work in terms of numbers, trends, social patterns and what we can—and cannot—do about it. Work’s New Age is available at royalflushpress.com and most bookstores.

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THE BUZZ

Recognition

ArizonaGoodyear Dale Kamarata, Master of Business Administration (MBA) ’06, was selected to carry the torch for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in England. The supply-chain manager for Coca Cola was one of 22 Americans chosen for the honor after being nominated by co-workers for his creation of affordable sports programs for low-income youth in the Estrella Mountain Ranch area. The nonprofit Estrella Youth Sports program organizes soccer, basketball and baseball for more than 1,200 children, pre-kindergarten to eight grade.

CaliforniaSan Diego Ernie K. Strehlow, Master of Business Administration (MBA) ’05, was recently promoted to director of operations for IDEX Optics and Photonics-Lasers at IDEX Corporation. This is Strehlow’s fourth promotion since obtaining his degree. Previously, he worked as a supply chain consultant for Thermogenesis and as a commodity manager for Intel.

FloridaBoca Raton Banker Tracy L. Keegan, Bachelor of Science in Business with a Concentration in Accounting (BSB/ACCT) ’04, was named chief operating officer of First Southern Bank. “Tracy has spent a large portion of her career living and working in the Florida markets we serve,” First Southern Bank president and CEO Lynne Wines said

in a company press release. “Her record of success in building organizations focused on all stakeholders will help drive our success.” Keegan most recently served as executive vice president and chief financial officer for Florida Community Bank in Miami.

Sarasota AEC Consulting Group, a recruiting firm for civil engineering, architecture and construction professionals, recently announced its expansion with the addition of Mike Cash, Bachelor of Science in Business with a Concentration in Small Business and Entrepreneurship (BSB/SBE) ’12, as a Sarasota-based principal. Cash’s arrival to the Atlanta-based firm marks AEC’s entry into the Florida market. Cash works with international clients in the engineering, architecture, construction, and oil and gas industries to source and qualify talented candidates for hire. His background in executive recruiting includes work with high profile clients in the health care, government, transportation, maritime and environmental sectors.

OklahomaOklahoma City Rees Associates, Inc. (REES), recently announced the election of Allan Parr, Master of Business Administration with a Concentration in Global Management (MBA/GM) ’00, to the position of chief executive officer. REES is a nationally recognized architecture, planning and design firm that specializes in health

care, senior living, corporate/commercial, government, education and other projects across the globe. Parr, who has more than 20 years of experience in the areas of operations and project management, facilities operation, construction, design and business development, is only the second CEO in the firm’s 37-year history. He will assume the role of founder and Chairman Dr. Frank W. Rees, Jr.

VirginiaFort Lee Arthur G. Dahl, Master of Business Administration (MBA) ’02, was recently inducted into the Ordnance Hall of Fame. Dahl enlisted in the Army in 1984 and worked as a track vehicle repairer with the 588th Maintenance Command. He served numerous deployments, including ones in Iraq and Bosnia. He was selected to work with U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) Life Cycle Management Command in 2003 where he served until 2008. Dahl’s final assignment was at the Ordnance Center and School where he served as the Sixth Regimental Chief Warrant Officer. Immediately following his retirement from active service in 2010, Dahl was selected to head up the newly established G4 at TACOM, where he currently has a staff of 10 people serving in the areas of logistics, engineering and environmental issues. Each year, nearly 100 people are nominated to be considered for membership in the Ordnance Hall of Fame, but only six are selected. Dahl was selected upon his first nomination.


University News

Apollo Group wins multiple Horizon Interactive AwardsApollo Group, the parent company of University of Phoenix is the recipient of six Horizon Interactive Awards, recognizing excellence in multimedia projects. The Instructional Design & Development (IDD) department of University of Phoenix created programs using interactive videos and websites as an initiative to display how their technology designs align with Apollo Group’s commitment to sustainability and quality education. The Horizon Interactive Awards, a prestigious international competition, recognized Apollo Group in the following categories:

Training/Instructional—Video category:

• SilverforMathFlix:TheAreaofaRectangle • BronzeforArtThroughtheAgesVideos • BronzeforSustain-a-Bill:SustainabilityandConservation

Education and Training—Websites category:

• SilverforFoundationsforGroupFacilitation– Culminating Project: Group Counseling • SilverforSustainability

Promotional—Video category:

• BronzeforIDDOverview

“Receiving one Horizon Interactive Award is an honor, but receiving six is a true thrill for the entire University of Phoenix academic team,” says David Bickford, vice president of Academic Affairs. “These awards are a testament to the industry leaders working right here at Apollo Group. They are the best of the best.”

Women-owned businesses are boomingDid you know the growth rate of women-owned businesses is twice that of men-owned firms? In 2011, the 8.1 million women-owned businesses in the United States generated $1.3 trillion in revenue and employed nearly 7.7 million people. Apollo Research Institute is looking into this trend by conducting a comprehensive study of women in the 21st century workforce. Drawing on interviews with 200 women leaders and nearly 2,500 surveys from employers and workers across generations and industries, the study examines women’s career development and leader practices. “We are studying their negotiation styles, work-life balance, educational choices and essential works,” says Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti, vice president and managing director for the Apollo Research Institute. “The findings are already showing that women are well poised for leadership in the 21st century workplace.” The study will also highlight the importance of higher education and how programs must adapt to women’s changing role in society.

The complete findings of the study will be released in January 2013. For updates, check out www.apolloresearchinstitute.com.


Latest version of Bachelor of Science Human Services program announcedThe College of Social Sciences has updated the Bachelor of Science in Human Services (BSHS) degree program. The newest version, BSHS v.005, rolls out this month with four new concentration options—addictions, family and child services, gerontology and management. The degree program will provide students with practical course study and field experience that prepares them to be competent and ethical human services practitioners.

phoenixfocus.com 43

YOUR UNIVERSITY | University News

Alumni discountsTop deals for small businesses.

Earn cash back on your purchases or tap into special discounts negotiated just for alumni. Once you have accrued a minimum of $20 cash back in your account, you can request your cash back via PayPal or have a check mailed to you.

University Marketplace uopxalumnimarketplace.com

Student and alumni deals may vary.

$50bonus for opening a Bank of America checking account

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Save big when you shop through University Marketplace.


Campus News

Bay Area Campus honors Helen Foletta scholarship recipientThe Bay Area Campus is proud to award Wendy Montes the Helen Foletta Scholarship, an initiative created in honor of former UOPX student Helen Foletta, who began her studies as a single mother of six children, working full time as UOPX’s first employee under Dr. John Sperling. “We recognize the unique difficulties single parents face in raising a family and maintaining a home while pursuing their degrees and commend them for their hard work and dedication,” says Bay Area Campus Director Stacy McAfee. Montes, a single mother of two, will use the scholarship to complete her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree at the San Jose Learning Center. Upon completion in February 2013, Montes plans to use her degree to advance into management with her current employer.

From left: Helen Foletta with Wendy Montes, current BSB/A San Jose Learning Center student and scholarship recipient.

McAllen Campus donates $5,000 to Operation Interdependence The McAllen Campus in Mission, Texas, participated and co-hosted an Operation Interdependence event, a program that provides a means for

community members to support troops serving on the frontlines, military families and veterans. In July, the staff and faculty of McAllen Campus teamed with other local businesses, including IBC Bank and the National Hispanic Professional Organization of Rio Grande Valley, and sent approximately 8,000 care packages to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The care packages included personal hygiene products, candy, snacks, crackers and a letter of appreciation. The family event had more than 200 volunteers. Veterans and active duty members shared their stories of receiving care packages while serving overseas. University of Phoenix concluded the program with a generous $5,000 donation from the campus to Operation Interdependence to support the efforts of the campaign.

Find out more about Operation Interdependence at oidelivers.org.

University of Phoenix presented Operation Interdependence with a $5,000 donation.

Madison Campus’ highway to successFor the third consecutive year, UOPX employees at the Madison Campus rolled up their sleeves to clean their adopted stretch of highway. Every summer, campus staff members enjoy working outdoors for few hours while keeping their city green and clean. The team collected more than four extra-large bags of trash in the first pickup of the year, making their small contribution a huge success.


phoenixfocus.com 45

Education is a gift. Pass it on.Nominate someone for the Paying It Forward® Scholarship.

Thirty full-tuition scholarships will be awarded to select candidates nominated by University of Phoenix alumni. Nominations must be received by October 10, 2012.

For more information, visit phoenix.edu/payingitforward

Lloyd Benson II, Class of 2009Paying It Forward Recipient


Community Relations

Kansas City Campus strikes with Junior AchievementThe Kansas City Campus recently raised $1,755 to help fund Junior Achievement’s financial literacy-based programs. The JA Bowl-A-Thon, which took place this year at AMF College Lanes in Overland Park, Kansas, is a team-building experience that engages employees, builds camaraderie and morale while raising money for the literacy cause. Above: Employees strike with Junior Achievement in the 2012 Bowl-A-Thon.

West Michigan campus partners with Junior Achievement Staff members from the Grand Rapids Learning Center of the West Michigan Campus recently partnered with Junior Achievement to help children from a local elementary school. Staff spent a day at the Buchannan Elementary School teaching students from kindergarten to fourth grade a variety of topics, including how they can impact the world and their community.

Additionally, the Lansing Learning Center of the West Michigan campus recently participated in JA in A Day at Gier Park Elementary School in Lansing. JA in a Day is a special Junior Achievement delivery method that facilitates the partnership between a business and an elementary school. Junior Achievement USA is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future and make smart academic and economic choices.

Above: A student receives help at Buchannan Elementary School during a Grand Rapids Learning Center partnership event with Junior Achievement.

National Park Foundation awards $220,000 in grants The National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, announced in May that it has awarded $220,000 in grants as part of the 2012 Park Stewards program. Since 2009, the National Park Foundation’s Park Stewards program has made it possible for high school teachers and their students across the country to build a deeper connection and sense of stewardship for their national parks through personal engagement and service learning projects. This year, University of Phoenix has partnered with the foundation making it possible for 22 high school teachers to work in parks and create curriculum that will be taught in the coming school year.

“Connecting high school teachers and students to our national parks is a vibrant way to inspire the environmental stewards of tomorrow,” says Seth Mones, vice president of sustainability for Apollo Group. “The Park Stewards program provides a wonderful environmental and educational experience, and University of Phoenix is excited to support this excellent program.” For more information, visit nationalparks.org/our-work/programs/park-stewards.


phoenixfocus.com 47

FEATURE | Step up your game

Do you know someone on this list?

Each month, approximately 8,000 dedicated students earn their degrees and become proud University of Phoenix graduates.

Phoenix Focus magazine now celebrates the newest members of the growing alumni community—now more than 730,000 strong—with an online list of recent graduates. To see the list of graduates from July 1 to July 31, 2012, visit bit.ly/gradlist-september.


THE SPORTS ISSUE

Register today and join the fun!

phoenixfocus.com 49

YOUR UNIVERSITY | Events

Events

From networking opportunities, to guest speakers and family friendly activities, Homecoming 2012 has something for everyone. The 80 ongoing Homecoming events conclude Oct. 13. Find out more at phoenix.edu/homecoming.

Don’t miss your chance to mix, mingle and network.

ArizonaYuma Exclusive Alumni Reception Hilton Garden Inn Yuma Pivot Point September 28

PhoenixArizona Diamondbacks Baseball Game Chase Field September 16

TucsonExclusive Alumni Reception Loews Ventana Canyon October 13

CaliforniaBay AreaSan Jose Earthquakes Soccer Game Buck Shaw Stadium September 29

San DiegoSan Diego Padres Game Petco Park September 29

ColoradoSouthern Colorado Luncheon at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo September 22

Denver/Fort CollinsColorado Rockies Baseball Game Coors Stadium September 23

ConnecticutNorwalk Exclusive Alumni Reception The Maritime Aquarium September 27

FloridaTampaTampa Bay Ray’s Baseball Game Tropicana Field September 9

MiamiMarlins Park September 16

OrlandoMakahiki Luau at SeaWorld Orlando September 21

GeorgiaColumbusExclusive Alumni Reception The National Infantry Museum September 14

AtlantaAtlanta Braves Baseball Game Turner Field September 16

HawaiiHonoluluExclusive Alumni Reception Aviation Museum October 13

IdahoBoiseDinner Reception at Wahooz Family Fun Center September 13

IllinoisChicagoChicago Cubs Baseball Game Wrigley Field Rooftop Club September 16

IndianaIndianapolisLuncheon at the Indianapolis Zoo September 22

IowaCedar RapidsLuncheon at Bloomsbury Farm Bloomsbury Farm September 22

LouisianaBaton RougeExclusive Alumni Reception Juban’s Restaurant September 20

Homecoming 2012


OhioColumbusExclusive Alumni Reception Bridgewater Banquet and Conference Center September 28

ClevelandCleveland Indians Baseball Game Progressive Field September 29

PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPhiladelphia Union Soccer Game PPG Park October 6

South CarolinaColumbiaExclusive Alumni Reception South Carolina Museum of Art September 14

TexasDallas Luncheon at the Dallas Aquarium September 29

HoustonHouston Dynamo Soccer Game BBVA Compass Stadium September 29

San AntonioLuncheon at Sea World San Antonio September 29

UtahUtahLunch at Lagoon’s Adventure Park Farmington September 29

WashingtonWestern WashingtonSeattle Sounders Soccer Game CenturyLink Field September 22

WisconsinMilwaukee Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Game Miller Park September 15

Louisiana LafayetteDinner at River Oaks Catering & Event Center September 27

MichiganGrand Rapids Luncheon at John Ball Zoo September 16

MinnesotaTwin CitiesLuncheon at the Zoo Minnesota Zoo September 15

MissouriSt. LouisSt. Louis Cardinals Baseball Game Busch Stadium September 7

Kansas CityKC Sporting Soccer Game LIVESTRONG Sporting Park September28

New Jersey New Jersey Exclusive Alumni Reception Liberty Science Center September 27

North CarolinaRaleighExclusive Alumni Reception North Carolina Museum of Art September 22

Homecoming 2012

For a list of career workshops and campus events, visit us online at:

Phoenixfocus.com/2012-09/alumni-events

EventsTHE SMALL BUSINESS ISSUE

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Designing woman - University of Phoenix · tablet computers are ubiquitous, mobile apps are becoming more a marketing necessity than a nice-to-have extra. According to a study by

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