the Active Voice - ChamberMastercloud.chambermaster.com/userfiles/UserFiles/chambers/390/File/Act… · the Nasdaq Global Market (ICBK), and in spring of this year we completed a

2017ANNUAL DINNER & SILENT AUCTION

ARE YOU TOO BUSY FOR

BUSINESS?

LEADERSHIPPORTAGE COUNTY

the Active VoiceDecember 2016

Portage County Business Council

FEBRUARY 2

PRESIDENT’S AWARD

NOVEMBER

HUMAN & PUBLIC SERVICES

WE NEED PEOPLE

Photo Credit: Emily Glinski, Skyward, Inc.

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Portage County Business Council @PoCoBiz Portage County Business Council

Todd Kuckkahn - Executive DirectorKaren Schanock - Director of Programs & EventsKayla Rombalski - Director of Talent DevelopmentAccounting Department Tonya Kowalski - Director of Business EngagementAngel Whitehead - Marketing Communications Coordinator

[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@portagecountybiz.com

Portage County Business Council, Inc.5501 Vern Holmes DriveStevens Point, WI 54482

715-344-1940 www.portagecountybiz.com

CONTACTS:

MEMBER

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4 we need peopleThe Portage County Business Council s (PCBC) Economic Development Summit started with a report on the challenges of employee retention and attraction, with the focus on millennials.

9 Mission coffee houseMission Coffee House is a local family owned and operated business. We are passionate about our community.

11 what are the ambassadors up to?Members of our Ambassadors Club, PCBC staff, Village of Plover staff and Representative Katrina Shankland celebrated the Grand Opening of Panera Bread.

12 Mentorship boosts individuals and the communityPeople in our community who have benefitted from a relationship with a mentor often have a desire to become a mentor to others down the road. That positive cycle of being mentored, and then paying it forward, is an important part of our region’s economic vitality.

14 2017 Annual Dinner & Silent AuctionThe Portage County Business Council invites you for an evening of dining, socializing, recognition and education.

17 Are you too Busy for Business?Ever heard the saying, “If you need something done, give it to a busy person”? While that may work for errands, many business owners are finding they’re too busy for business anymore.

19 Leadership Portage CountyThe day started out with Wendy Mitch continuing with session two of Mindset, where we again explored the topic of how we want to impact others and not ourselves.

C O N T E N T S

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easier to communicate with visitors, potential employees and potential businesses.

7. There is consideration of a community-onboarding effort. Companies onboard their employees based on the business and to better retain them, we must onboard them into the community as well.

8. Several area legislators have looked at ways to attract residents back by assisting them with paying back their student debt. With a five-year commitment by the individual, the state, county and business may be able to offer a debt reduction or elimination program.

That is a very aggressive agenda, but with the community energy through New ERA, Ignite, Partners In Education and the various summits and forums we have held, it is a great starting point. During the holiday season PCBC is certainly thankful for the assets we currently have in our region. We need to build on those assets to avoid significant challenges in our future.

The Portage County Business Counci l ’s (PCBC) Economic Development Summit started with a report on the challenges of employee retention and attraction, with the focus on millennials. It ended with Craig Culver sharing the Culver’s story and a question and answer session. The five panels in between shared their view of the challenges and opportunities in our community.

With all of the “now hiring” signs and a projected 16,000 employee shortfall by 2025, the challenge of retaining and attracting employees is very real in our community and region. There are few, if any, business sectors that are not impacted by the reality and projections. We need people to join the work ethic and quality of life we enjoy here.

PCBC’s values of engagement, growth, innovat ion, network development, and partnerships will drive its’ agenda to collaborate with the community in addressing the challenge. Several ideas were touched on at the summit and we need the community to get behind them if we want to move the needle.

Here are some ideas we are beginning to develop and we look forward to hearing others:

1. Participating in college job fairs in surrounding states and other regions in the state to recruit employees. We heard at the NEWaukee ypSummit

how ChooseATL was going to where the potential employees are, like SXSW (South By Southwest Conference & Festival in Austin).

2. We are working with the justice system to help support re-engaging those in the system into the business community. Businesses and our post-secondary partners are willing to train potential employees.

3. There is a group in the state working on implementing a WI high school in a foreign country with a direct link to our state and UWSP.

4. We are increasing our efforts to recruit college sophomores and juniors at UWSP and are determining whether or not we should broaden that into a more statewide effort.

5. We have done some SEM/SEO/E-mail marketing to attract employees. As we learn more, we can better focus on the best demographic to target.

6. We are looking at a community-wide website promoting all of our resources (similar to www.someplacebetter.org). With one community-wide portal, it will be

W E N E E D P E O P L E DIRECTOR’S INSIGHT - TODD KUCKKAHN

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SentryWorld Atrium

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THANK YOU PCBC BOARD MEMBERS!

EXECUTIVE BOARDErik Carlson – President, Ellis Construction Company

Ken Erler – Vice President, Sentry InsuranceDoug Ballweg – Member at Large, Delta Dental of Wisconsin

Keith Pilger – Past President, Anderson O’BrienLorraine Avery – Member at Large, Associated Bank

Lisa Sobczak – Member at Large, ABR Employment Services

Ray Ackerlund – SkywardTom Altmann – Altmann Construction Company

Craig Gerlach – Stevens Point Area Public School District Tom Davies – Village of PloverPatty Dreier – Portage County

Jenny Resch – University of Wisconsin – Stevens PointJim Firminhac – WoodTrust BankJames Gifford – Portage County

Gregg Hansel – Pacelli Catholic SchoolsO. Phillip Idsvoog – Portage County

Mike James – SentryWorldDeb Marten – Marten Machining Inc.

Cherrie Marti – Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital Derek Nest – CliftonLarsonAllen

Richard O’Sullivan – Mid-State Technical CollegeJeremie Pavelski – Heartland Farms Inc.Jeff Salewske – Stevens Point Brewery

Dawn Thrun – CAP ServicesMike Wiza – City of Stevens Point

Ward Wolff – First Weber Group RealtorsKelly Zagrzebski – Wisconsin Public Service Corporation Robert Worth – The Worth Company, Director Emeritus

ADVISORSSara Brish – Stevens Point Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Dan Mahoney – Village of PloverMichael Ostrowski – City of Stevens PointVolker Gaul – Mid-State Technical College

Thank you to our 2016 PCBC Board of Directors for their LEADERSHIP throughout the year.

Portage County Business Council

“Where Economic Vitality Meets Quality of Life”

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December 19, 20165:00PM - 7:00PM

Co-Sponsored by:Sunset Point Winery

Heartland Hospice Services

Event will be held at: Sunset Point Winery, 1201 Water Street (downtown), Stevens Point, WI 54481.

Parking: Available in Mid-State Technical College parking lot, public parking lot across the street, or on the square. Our hosts for the December event will be offering a variety of complimentary appetizers, beverages (up to 2 complimentary glasses of wine, beer or

soda), cash bar, and door prize giveaways. A 50/50 raffle will also be played.

Guests will enjoy tours of the winery, holiday bingo, and a visit from Santa! Guests can shop for the perfect holiday gift in the retail space including a variety of novelty towels, cutting boards, natural honey products and wine related items. We will also have music with DJ Ryan David of Dance with Dignity Entertainment. Ryan’s bringing out the turntables and vinyl records to bring a unique flare to this special After Hours!

What is Business After Hours? A social event designed for and hosted by Business Council members to give business professionals an opportunity to network, share ideas, and have their facility seen by other members. The member host furnishes refreshments and hors d’oeuvres for the evening. A different Business Council member hosts Business After Hours every month.

Members are welcome to co-host the event with another Business Council member. Please call Karen Schanock at 715-344-1940 or email at [email protected] to book the month you are interested in.

RSVP by Friday, December 16, 2016.

Business Hours after

REGISTER HERE VIEW DIRECTIONS

Seeking Speakers for 2017 X-Change ProgramsAre you interested in being a presenter at one of our Business X-Change programs in 2017? You are invited you to submit a workshop proposal to be considered for presentation. This is a great opportunity to share new initiatives and proven practices with others in the Central Wisconsin business community. It allows you to highlight your business and the work you do.

All workshops are offered free-of-charge to Portage County Business Council members;no honorariums are paid.

Benefits of Presentation and Sponsorship:• Company recognition as Presenting Sponsor of X-Change• Company name, program outline and logo in Business Council Digital Magazine• Company logo displayed on Business X-Change webpage (including a “link” to company website) – prominent location• Company name and logo in emails to over 1500 member contacts announcing event• Electronic registration list of attendees• Net result of better awareness of what you and your company could do for a potential client• Survey results after the presentation (optional)

WOW! All this for ONLY $50Click here for more details

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5517 Vern Holmes DriveStevens Point, WI 54482715-254-3400

InvestorsCommunityBank.com.

Each month the Active Voice features a PCBC “Member of the Month” selected from a list of members that begins with the same letter of the alphabet.

I N V E S T O R S C O M M U N I T Y B A N K MEMBER OF THE MONTH

With Thanksgiving behind us and the holidays on the horizon, a new year is just ahead, and Investors Community Bank (ICB) has a lot to be thankful for as we enter 2017. The milestone year will mark the bank’s 20-year anniversary and two decades of steady growth.

ICB was founded on March 17, 1997 by four entrepreneurs who saw that the business of banking was changing and didn’t want to lose their focus on the customer. Built on the philosophy that people bank with people, not banks, we soon became one of the fastest growing banks in Wisconsin.

We entered the Portage County market in 2010, with a commitment to the community and helping serve the financial needs of area businesses. In 2015 we started construction of a new banking center at 5517 Vern Holmes Drive, which opened earlier this year. We are just a short distance from our welcoming and collaborative neighbor, the Portage County Business Council, and are proud to say we’ve been a member of the PCBC since 2011. Many may not know that in 2015 we became a public company traded on the Nasdaq Global Market (ICBK), and in spring of this year we completed a merger with a business bank in Northeast Wisconsin, expanding our footprint to include branches in Green Bay and Appleton. We also have four Loan Production Offices (Darlington, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac and Sheboygan). Additionally, we recently announced the addition of experienced business banker Sandy Retzki, who has more than 25 years of commercial banking experience in the Stevens Point market. With a focus on business and ag banking, we feel we have a competitive advantage over other banks, including a dedicated cash management specialist on staff in this market. We truly walk in our customers shoes and continue to focus on our customers to ensure we create customized financial solutions. For more information call (715) 254-3400 or visit InvestorsCommunityBank.com.

WELCOME TO OURNEWEST MEMBERS

Rural Mutual Insurance1820 Post Rd Suite 7Plover, WI 54467(715) 341-5508

For more information on membership, contact our

Director of Business Engagement, Tonya Kowalski, at

715-344-1940 or

[email protected]

What are theBENEFITS OF

MEMBERSHIP?

Your business representat ives are

invi ted to educat ional and network

development events

List your own business’ events, jobs, and deals

on portagecountybiz.com

Receive referrals f rom other PCBC members

Become a special event sponsor to promote your

business

Display your market ing mater ia ls in the PCBC

lobby and on the PCBC websi te

Part ic ipate in your local community

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ATTENTION MEMBERS

COMING SOON!!

Member to MemberDiscounts

STAY TUNED FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT AND

DETAILS IN JANUARY 2017!

Mission Coffee House is a local family owned and operated business. We are passionate about our community. Our tag line “Creating Coffee, Community, and Connections” truely sums up who we are. Our goal is to make your mission our mission. Contact Russ and share your mission and see how the Mission Coffee House can assist.

2860 Post RdPlover, [email protected] (715) 544-0730

NEW MEMBER MISSION COFFEE HOUSE

Dawn Thrun – ChairpersonCAP Services, Inc.

Sarah Agena – Vice ChairpersonFlexible Nutrition Solutions LLC

Nyra Lind – Secretary/TreasurerABR Employment Services

Dave Acaley NRG Media

Richard BlueFirstMerit Bank

Dan BlumensteinRack Industrial, LLC

Kim CarrollCliftonLarsonAllen LLP

Holly CarterColdwell Banker

The Real Estate Group Inc.

Lori FalkFalk Cabinet Systems Inc

Tim GottliebRiver Cities Bank

Lenore HafermanHaferman Law

Patty HollisSecure Heritage Insurance Agency

Susan JackanBull’s Eye Credit Union

Sharon KempenPat’s CARSTAR Auto Body, Inc.

Megan KuckkahnPoint Title LLC

Mary LaneFirst Weber, Inc.

Kelly LangBrookdale Stevens Point

Joe Mayer, Jr.Point Insurance Agency, LLC

Kathy OstrowskiTeam Schierl Companies

Dorothy PientkaCommunity First Bank

Terri TaylorUniversity of Wisconsin-Stevens

Point

Rob WymanRiver Valley Bank

Thank You!Thank you to our 2016 PCBC AmbassadorsClub for their volunteer efforts

CONTACT KARENFOR DETAILS!

5501 Vern Holmes Drive, Stevens Point715-344-1940

[email protected]

Interested in joining the AMBASSADORS Club?

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NEWSROOM U.S. Bank Foundation has made a $1,000 grant to CAP Services to support its Skills Enhancement Program.

The Skills program, which is available in Portage, Waupaca, Waushara and Outagamie counties, is a locally designed workforce development program that assists working, low-income individuals obtain the skills needed to compete for living wage jobs. The program assists with tuition, books, and training-related transportation and child care costs that participants could not otherwise afford.

“We’re proud to support CAP Services and the

Skills program,” said Kelly Johnson, U.S. Bank Branch Manager and Small Business Specialist in Stevens Point. “The program makes a big and lasting difference in the lives of the people it serves.”

The 55 individuals who graduated the Skills program in 2015 saw an average increase in annual income of $14,950; their average hours increased from 27 to nearly 37 hours per week; and almost 70 percent – 38 of the 55 graduates – gained access to employer-sponsored health care benefits.

“We appreciate U.S. Bank Foundation’s continued support,” said Nicole Harrison, CAP’s Vice President of Human Development. “Private funders and partnerships have been the backbone of the Skills program and they, along with the entire community, share in its success.”For more information, including eligibility criteria and contact information of the Skills Development Manager in your area, visit capservices.org/skills.

CAP Services, Inc. is a private, nonprofit community action agency that has been advancing social and economic justice for low-income people in Marquette, Outagamie, Portage, Waupaca and Waushara counties since 1966.

C A P ’ S S K I L L S E N H A N C E M E N T P R O G R A M

R E C E I V E S G R A N T F R O M U . S . B A N K F O U N D AT I O N

Nicole Harrison, left, CAP Services’ VP of Human Development, receives a grant check from Kelly Johnson, U.S. Bank Branch Manager and Small Business Specialist, Tuesday, Nov. 29, at U.S. Bank in Stevens Point. The funds will help support CAP’s Skills Enhancement Program.

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WOM E N IN

PEOPLES STATE BANK WELCOMES NEW STAFF

Todd Kuckkahn presents Panera Bread Manager, Dave Leonard with a certificate of appreciation.

Members of our Ambassadors Club, PCBC staff, Village of Plover staff and Representative Katrina Shankland celebrated the Grand Opening of Panera Bread. The ribbon cutting ceremony took place on November 7th. They are located at 1250 Commerce Place, Plover, WI.

A M B A S S A D O R S S H O W T H E I R S U P P O R T

Peoples State Bank announces the addition of Amber Gober as assistant vice president, mortgage lender at Peoples State Bank’s Wausau – Stewart Avenue office.

Gober joins Peoples with 18 years of banking experience, with the last six years as a mortgage lender. She will be responsible for helping customers secure financing to purchase a home or refinance an existing mortgage. Gober will also assist customers with home equity lines of credit and construction loans.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with Gober, NMLS ID 713120, please call 715.847.4022. More information about Peoples can be found at www.bankpeoples.com

STEVENS POINT NOON OPTIMIST CLUB DONATION

The Stevens Point Noon Optimist Club donated and delivered nearly 600 Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionaries to area 3rd graders in November during American Education Week. This is the 13th year for the Club to carry on with this program.

The Stevens Point Noon Optimist Club, chartered on May 17, 1961, has been in continuous service to our local community and youth. They seek a dedicated and diverse membership and count on community support for their fund raisers.

Students from McKinley CenterElementary School

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M E N T O R S H I P B O O S T S I N D I V I D U A L S A N D T H E C O M M U N I T Y

Written By Amanda Lowey,Delta Dental of Wisconsin

Paying it forward, or repaying a good deed to others instead of the original benefactor, is typically how it goes when it comes to mentorship.

People in our community who have benefitted from a relationship with a mentor often have a desire to become a mentor to others down the road. That positive cycle of being mentored, and then paying it forward, is an important part of our region’s economic vitality.

Kevin Kirschbaum is a shining example of this. Kirschbaum is a Certified Personal Trainer / Strength & Conditioning Specialist and Owner of Flexible Fitness Solutions of Stevens Point, which offers individual and small group training in addition to sports performance training for young athletes.

Before he opened his business, he worked for another fitness center where he met Dennis Peterson, President of Delta Dental of Wisconsin. The two became friends, and over lunch one day, Kirschbaum told Peterson he was writing a business plan to start his own business.

“I had gone through the small business development center with UW-Extension, and Denny asked to see my business plan. He said, ‘This is great, you should move forward with it!’ I’ve always looked up to Denny as a business leader in the community and as a role model. He has encouraged me, helped me as a mentor, and supported my business by being a client,” Kirschbaum explained.

Making the transition from mentor to mentee, Kirschbaum works with practicum students and interns from UW-Stevens Point and Mid-State Technical College.

“I enjoy my experience with them,” he said. “They come full of questions. It’s exciting and motivating to help someone else interested in this career path.”

In addition, Kirshbaum has been invited by UW-Extension to speak to students about his experience writing a business plan, and by his former UW-Stevens Point Professors to speak to health and wellness students.

Dennis Peterson’s mentoring relationship with Kirschbaum is just one way Peterson advances mentorship in the community. Delta Dental of Wisconsin also provides mentorship opportunities to college students through a summer employment program.

The program offers college-aged children of Delta Dental employees the opportunity to apply for a summer job opportunity at Delta Dental or for a United Way agency in the Stevens Point community. Up to 10 students are offered positions based on their work history, interest, and school program. Students gain work experience while learning more about the importance of contributing to their own community. Someday, they may find themselves paying it forward.

It’s exciting and motivating to help

someone else interested in this

career path.

““

60 years in business

Team Schierl Companies is proud to be celebrating 60 years in business on December 1st.

Team Schierl Companies (TSC) is a dynamic organization of 57 retail locations in Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan, headquartered in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Retail locations include Schierl Tire & Service Centers, an independent convenience store chain branded as The Store, and Subway restaurants.

In addition to retail businesses, the company also has a real estate development division and a philanthropic component known as the TSC Charitable Giving Fund. TSC has been family-owned and operated since it was founded by John (Butch) Schierl on December 1, 1956 as a home fuel oil delivery business. The company grew and later transitioned to John’s three sons in the late 1980’s. TSC continues to be led today by Tim, Fritz, and Bill Schierl. TSC’s success is the result of the dedication of over 600 associates and the relationships they build with TSC guests, vendors, and each other!

We thank our guests and community for 60 years together and look forward to many more! For more information visit www.teamschierl.com/.

For the second consecutive year, and 10th time since 2001, Aspirus Wausau Hospital (AWH) has been selected as one of the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in the country by Truven Health Analytics™, a leading health care data tracker. No other hospital in the state has been named to the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospital list as many times as AWH.

“We are incredibly honored to be recognized for the tenth time by Truven Health Analytics as one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals,” said Darrell Lentz, president of Aspirus Wausau Hospital. “To be one of only three hospitals in Wisconsin recognized as a national leader in cardiovascular care is truly an accomplishment.”

“Our outstanding cardiovascular team of physicians, nurses and other cardiac professionals deliver exceptional care to our patients when seconds count,” said German Larrain, MD, medical director of Aspirus Heart & Vascular. “This award signifies that our physicians and staff deliver excellent results with fewer complications and a shorter length of stay.”

According to Truven’s analysis, if all cardiovascular hospitals performed at the same level as the top 50 hospitals, more than 9,000 lives could be saved annually, over 6,000 heart complications could be avoided and more than $1.4 billion

in health care spending eliminated.

“Providing exceptional patient care is the foundation of our mission at Aspirus,” said Matthew Heywood, president and CEO of Aspirus, Inc. “This acknowledgment is a reflection of the hard work and commitment of our amazing caregivers to provide the highest quality cardiovascular care for the residents of north central Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.”

Aspirus Heart & Vascular provides state-of-the-art cardiovascular services for the region. Aspirus is a Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Distinction Center for heart care and consistently ranked by national quality benchmarking organizations as a leader in clinical quality and patient safety.

For more in format ion on cardiovascular services please visit aspirus.org. For additional information on this study and 100 Top Hospitals research, please visit 100tophospitals.com.

A S P I R U S W A U S A U H O S P I TA L A M O N G

N AT I O N ’ S T O P 5 0 H E A R T H O S P I TA L S NEWSROOM

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Presented by

Thursday, February 2, 2017Annual Dinner & Silent Auction

5:30 – 8:30pmHoliday Inn Hotel & Convention Center

1001 Amber Avenue, Stevens PointThe Portage County Business Council invites you for an evening of dining, socializing, recognition

and education.

The annual dinner features the presentation of the Ambassador of the Year Award, Small Business of the Year Award, Decree of Excellence Award, and

the President’s Award.

Those in attendance will also have the opportunity to bid on an endless list of Silent Auction items. The Business Council extends an invitation to all Business Council members and their guests to attend the Annual Dinner. Reservations are due by Thursday, January 26, 2017. Cost is $55/person. Reserved seating for

tables of 8.

Our Master of Ceremonies for the event will be News Anchor from WSAW - TV 7 Mr. Jeff Thelen. Special thanks to our Exclusive Media

Sponsor WSAW – TV 7 and Fox WZAW

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Social5:30-6:50PM

Complimentary Hors d’ oeuvres, Cash Bar

Silent Auction5:30-6:50PM

A spectacular array of jewelry, artwork, travel, sports and entertainment packages

Dinner & Program6:50-8:00PM

Awards8:00-8:30PM

Presentation of Ambassador of the Year,Small Business of the Year,

Decree of Excellence, and the President’s Award

Choose from two mouth-watering entrees:

Steak & Shrimp6oz Bacon Wrapped Sirloin, Old Bay Butter Shrimp,

Roasted Red Potatoes and Prince Edward Island Vegetable (Green Beans, Yellow Beans and Baby Carrots)

Vegetable Penne PestoEntrees also include a House Salad with choice of dressing, freshly baked rolls, a delicious dessert, coffee, tea and milk.

The 2016 President’s Award Recipient is ....... Lorraine Avery, Senior Vice President Strategic Director Bank Operations at Associated Bank

Special thanks to our Award Sponsors

And thanks to our Reception Sponsors

Limited opportunities are still available for our members wishing to play a greater role in our Annual Dinner. Please contact Karen Schanock for sponsorship information at 715-344-1940 or [email protected]. Thank you for your support.

Watch for your Annual Dinner invitation in the mail soon.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

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Decree of Excellence Award Nominations SoughtThe Portage County Business Council is seeking nominations for the annual Decree of Excellence Award.

Presented annually to a Portage County business, selection criteria includes making a significant contribution to the county’s economic vitality and providing outstanding community service within the last year.

The Small Business of the Year Award is presented during the Business Council’s Annual Dinner on Thursday, February 2, 2017. Nominations will be taken through Wednesday, December 21, 2016.

For more information on this award and past recipients, please contact Karen Schanock at 715-344-1940 or [email protected].

You have a unique opportunity to promote your business at the 23rd Annual Silent Auction fundraiser

event. The Business Council is currently seeking unique products and services to be auctioned at the

Annual Dinner and Silent Auction on Thursday, February 2, 2017. Proceeds from the event benefit

member programs and new Business Council initiatives.

As a Silent Auction donor, the Business Council promotes both your business and the merchandise and/

or service in all printed promotional material.

Your business and donated item will also be promoted during the Annual Dinner to over 350 business people. Each donation will be recognized with a display at the

Silent Auction, highlighting your business name.

Contribution ideas could be a specialty product and/or a service your business offers. Ideas might include a monthly floral delivery, one year hair care or dry-

cleaning, oil changes, consulting services, golf lessons, artwork, jewelry, clothing or cellular phone services.

Need more ideas? How about a weekend get-away package, home/office cleaning, a photography session or

dining out certificates.

Be creative… Don’t miss this chance to promote your business to the

business community.

For more information, or to register a Silent Auction contribution contact Karen Schanock

at the Business Council Office: 715/344-1940 or [email protected].

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

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Ever heard the saying, “If you need something done, give it to a busy person.”?

While that may work for errands, many business owners are finding they’re too busy for business anymore. Small business has changed a lot over the past decade and the demands on a business owner’s time have multiplied like rabbits.

Businesses must now connect with buyers offline and on through:

• Blogging

• Videos

• Creating & providing content

• Tying different forms of content aimed at conversion into the appropriate level of the sales funnel

• Maintaining a fan page and/or multiple social media profiles

• Publishing on thought leader and niche social sites like Medium, Quora, and LinkedIn publishing

• Analyzing your analytics

• Tweaking all of this knowledge and know-how each time a platform changes or rolls out a new feature, and keeping up with new technology

WHEW! And that doesn’t even include taking your marketing to the next level through drip campaigns, newsletters, and building your list.Hopefully you have someone who helps you with all this, a marketing person or partner, but many small business people don’t.

These activities all increase your know, like, and trust with your customers or clients. People do business with people they’ve established a connection with through these aspects. The list of tasks provided above contains essential marketing practices and to avoid them, or refuse to do them, is akin to ignoring your phone.

But while you may feel too busy to do these things, you must ask yourself are you busy for business or too busy to do business?

The DifferenceBetween Good Busy

and Bad BusyGood busy relates to customers. You have lots of people buying from you. You’re processing so many orders and credit cards you don’t have time to breathe. This is good busy.

You spend all morning on social media but not posting or interacting, just scurrying down one rabbit hole after another. You’ve spent time on social media and have been occupied all morning, leaving less time for other business activities, but you’ve accomplished nothing. This is bad busy.

The problem with being busy – good or bad – is that it’s exhausting. If it’s in service to your customer’s or clients, that’s beneficial to your business. If it’s helping you to establish know, like, and trust, the fatigue is worth it. But social media and digital marketing are not like a treadmill. You don’t get points for just getting on it and moving. You need it to go somewhere.

Being busy doesn’t equal being productive and reaching your business goals.

How to Change a Busy Activity into Business

As a business owner you need to ensure your busy is productive.

To do this, have concrete goals in mind. Goals need to be:

• Realistic• Measurable• Time sensitive• Specific

“Busy” should always accompany its friend “productive.” This means your goal needs to be tied into your business strategy. A goal is not to “get” on social media. Even if you tailor that goal to follow the rules above, it’s all busy work if it doesn’t tie into what you are trying to accomplish for your business.

If regular social media posting is your goal, you need to understand not only the how but the why behind your actions. What are you trying to accomplish? More sales? More visitors to your site? Better quality employees? These are all different goals.

Analyze YourEfforts Often

The best way to avoid unproductive busy-ness is by reviewing your efforts often. Tie your goals into your strategy and ensure you are accomplishing what you’d like by analyzing the results (at least quarterly).

We all have the same 24-hour days, yet some business owners are able to accomplish a lot more of their revenue goals than others. Some of that is luck, and a sexy product or service, but in today’s digital marketing a lot of success depends upon building worthwhile relationships and getting off of that unproductive treadmill of doing the work but not going anywhere. It’s not performing the action that will get you there but streamlining your efforts, and continually pointing yourself in the direction of where you want to go.

Christina R. Green teaches small businesses, chambers and associations how to connect through content.

Are you too busy for business?

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LEADERSHIP PORTAGE COUNTY

Portage County Busniess Council Foundation

A community micro-granting dinner

COMING SOON

FEBRUARY 2017

What is SOUP?SOUP is a new way to share ideas, start conversations, and fund innovative projects/people/ideas in our community. The premise of the SOUP micro-granting dinner is that each attendee pays a suggested donation of $5. That $5 gets you a bowl of soup, side of bread, and a vote. Four pitches to better our community (in the areas of Education & Innovation, Marketing & Awareness, Housing & Infrastructure, and Entertainment & Recreation) will be given. Attendees then cast their vote for one of the four pitches. The winning proposal takes home all the funds raised at the end of the evening.

Stay tuned for more information coming soon!

GROWTH

VISIBILITY

ADVOCACY

CREDIBILITY

LEARNING

ExclusiveMember Benefits

Our Economic Development professionals are working hard to

bring more business and customers to you

Raise your reputation through membership

Build and strengthen your business network with over 465 members and 90+ events designed to help build your business and attract new clients

Have a say in what happens in government through the Chamber’s legislative efforts

Get a competitive edge over non-members with exclusive training opportunities on a variety of hot topics

Stand out & get noticed as an active member in the community and increase exposure through our

publications

Join the Portage County Business Council and discover great opportunities to connect with future customers and partners. By joining PCBC, you

get members-only perks, exclusive advertising, networking opportunities, and a whole lot of exposure. Make your business footprint in the community today!

5501 Vern Holmes Drive, Stevens Pointwww.portagecountybiz.com715-344-1940 | [email protected]

NETWORKDEVELOPMENT

WHY JOIN PCBC?

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T h e A c t i v e V o i c e | D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 6Portage County Busniess Council Foundation

Written by David Drozd, Central Wisconsin Airport and Nadene Miller, Great Lakes Educational Loan Services

Leadership Portage County’s topic for November was Human & Public Services. Our morning session was held at Community Industries Corporation (CIC) who we would like to thank for hosting our group.

The day started out with Wendy Mitch continuing with session two of Mindset, where we again explored the topic of how we want to impact others and not ourselves. These continuing sessions reinforce the concepts on how to consistently move through life with an ‘outward mindset’ which will achieve much greater results. It can be a very challenging concept but one that is critical to becoming a great leader. This method of thinking will continue to make this a great community to work and live in.

Ron Strege from UWSP was up next. He spoke about not only how events in his life have turned things upside down at times, but also how we as community leaders need to understand all of the variables that make up the fabric of our community. It was a great reminder of how we are part of a much larger community and how all the different facets must work together. His candid presentation was appreciated by us all!

So what is Safe Zone Training, our next topic?

It was not what I expected and I can honestly say it was a little uncomfortable for me. This session was about LGBTQ+ in our community and was presented by Milo Whitenack on behalf of the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center at UWSP. Milo did an excellent job at educating us on not only definitions and terminology, but also on the struggles faced in our community. Knowledge is a powerful tool, and as we learn more about all aspects of this community, it will only make it better place for all of its members.

Our speakers in November were Spencer Kohnen who gave a compelling talk on sports injuries, especially concussions and how the general public is responding to the hype. We need more sports participation and to keep the team dynamic in the lives of our next generation. Katie Bembenek told us about music therapy and what a benefit it is to everyone, especially to those in a nursing home setting or recovering. There is opportunity to donate an iPod and/or an iTunes gift card to be able to help the senior center provide this type of uplifting therapy.

After lunch we headed to Woodlands Church in Plover and had a presentation from Sue Wilcox, Executive Director of the United Way of Portage County, on ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed).

Statistics were shared on the project and

there are approximately 39% of households in Portage County that are below the ALICE threshold – which we all found to be very conservative dollar estimates for housing, child care, food, transportation, etc. There is much more to read on this and you can access the reports for all states at www.unitedwayalice.org to read more about the findings and what you can do to help. Mae Nachman, Director of Community Impact, spoke to us about a new database that is being built with the help of Skyward to help identify and pool resources for individuals seeking assistance. Currently each non-profit entity operates separately and the goal is that any resources that are available by various agencies can be used to fully assist the people who need it.

CAP Services (and with help from several volunteers) hosted the Poverty Simulation. On the heels of the United Way presentation this was eye opening. By assuming personas of individuals in various situations such as homeless, lost jobs, abandoned families, and other current day real life situations, we found out how hard it can be to live with limited resources. Often we found that we were just surviving, vs thriving and any one event could take us down a path that was hard to recover from. Great insights were shared and learned during this simulation.

All in all another action packed and informative day!

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D ecember

14 Business X-Change, CANCELLED

19 Business After Hours, 5:00PM, Heartland Hospice Home Care & Sunset Point Winery

23 PCBC Office is CLOSED

26 PCBC Office is CLOSED

2 PCBC Office is CLOSED

11 Business X-Change, 7:30AM, PCBC

14 Business After Hours, 5:00PM, Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center (Community Health Fair 4:00PM)

Purchasing Portage County gift certificates continues to be a successful way to “Buy Local”.

Portage County gift certificates make great gifts. Gift certificates can be purchased at most area banks, credit

unions, the Convention and Visitors Bureau or at our office. They can be used at most businesses with a Portage County

address and are available in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $25, $50 & $100.

The PCBC would like to thank everyone who participates for helping make the program successful. We would also like to thank BMO Harris Bank for their financial support of the

gift certificate program.

PORTAGE COUNTY GIFT CERTIFICATES

Did you know you could post job openings, events and press releases on your membership login?

ASK US HOW TO ACCESS YOUR LOGIN

ADVERTISE WITH US

www.portagecountybiz.com

Check out member Job postings HERE!

For questions on advertising,please contact Angel at

715-344-1940 [email protected].

January

2 0 1 6 / 1 7 E V E N T S

Have you updated your contact information recently? Be sure to update your contacts, number of employees and general information with

PCBC!