By Amy Lamb

“I’m 135 pounds and 5 foot 7. How much whiskey would it take to kill me?”

This is where Jill (not her real name) found herself after a roller coaster ride in a long-term abusive relationship. At the end of her rope, unable to fight one more day, and seeing no way out, she called the Arkansas Crisis Center in a desperate attempt for help.

On the other end of the line she found a trained volunteer ready to listen.

“This woman had suffered horrible domestic violence for years,” recalls Shelby Chandler, executive director of the Arkansas Crisis Center (ACC). “Her husband was in jail, she just wanted everything to go away.”

It took nearly two hours on the phone that day to help Jill find the strength she needed to move ahead in her life. Unfortunately, Jill is in the company of many.

The Arkansas Crisis Center is an all-volunteer call center that works day and night to restore hope, empower individuals, and save lives through suicide awareness and crisis intervention. Formerly known as the Northwest Arkansas Crisis Intervention Center, the organization has been around since 1985. Today, under a new name, staff and volunteers play a crucial role in linking residents in need with community resources.

“Just having another person to listen and care makes all the difference,” Chandler says. “To be a volunteer here, you have to have compassion, but also creativity. We can’t drive over there and fix their problems, but we can help them find the resources they have – both internal and external – to make a plan and restore their hope. We help them uncover their reasons for living. They have them, they just can’t see them at that moment.”

Suicides and attempted suicides are the 11^th leading cause of death in Arkansas and the third leading cause of death among young people. Suicides not contained to any age group, social status, educational background, or income level. In fact, the age group with the highest percentage of suicides in Northwest Arkansas is 45 to 54 years.

“We’ve had calls from bank officers, wives of executives, you name it,” Chandler says. The ACC can host educational seminars to any local business that feels the need, and also offer crisis response if a suicide affects a local business. Some 60 percent of all Americans know someone who has died by suicide. In 2009, the center took 78 life-threatening suicide calls per month and nearly 6,000 calls during the year.

According to Chandler, 60 to 90 percent of people who die by suicide are found to have a diagnosable mental condition. “Some are diagnosed, some are under-diagnosed. Depression is a chemical imbalance just like diabetes. Depression is not a character flaw. And depression is fatal if left untreated. Unfortunately, with suicide, the research is just not out there.”

Since being hired as executive director in 2007, Chandler has been making strides to increase awareness, state and national awareness, prevention and funding. Arkansas gets little to no funding from the state for the study of suicide prevention, according to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The Arkansas Crisis Center serves the entire state, and is a member of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Anyone who calls the national suicide prevention hotline from Arkansas will be routed to ACC, where volunteers are more familiar with local resources to help callers.

Community Partners

ACC is dependent on private funding for most of its operations. The two biggest funding sources are the Charity Challenge of Champions (http://www.nwacharitychallenge.org/) tennis and golf tournament at Pinnacle Hills, held annually the last week in September. This year the event is September 23-27, and is actively seeking sponsors.

The other main source of funding is United Way of Northwest Arkansas.

“Unfortunately, we’ve been here for 25 years and most people just don’t know we’re out there,” Chandler said. “If you’re someone with a heart for our agency, we’ll find a way for you to contribute.”

Local businesses can help with in-kind services or donations, such as cleaning, sponsoring billboards, clerical work, paying for advertising, or sponsoring community events.

The center is always in need of volunteers. The next training session is May 4. For information call the crisis center at 1-888-CRISIS2 (888-274-7472) or visit www.arcrisis.org.

“We are here to make Arkansas safer,” Chandler says. “Suicide is preventable. When people consider suicide, most don’t want to die. They just don’t know how to make the pain go away.”

Crisis Chat Brings Hotline Online

The Arkansas Crisis Center has added a new support tool to reach people online called Crisis Chat.

A grant from the Alex Blackwood Foundation for HOPE purchased the software for this 24/7 “chat room” support line. Blackwood was 19 when he died of suicide at home in Little Rock. His father, Steven Blackwood, has made it his mission to eliminate the stigma and silence surrounding suicide. “Everyone knows the warning signs of heart attack,’ Blackwood said. “We all need to be equally aware of the signs of suicide.”

Since young people are at high risk of suicide, this online program reaches them where they’re already spending their time – on the computer. They can go to www.arcrisis.org and chat with a counselor. A text version will be available soon.

Suicide Warning Signs

Many times, friends and family only recognize these signs after it’s too late. For Steven Blackwood, he realized his son had sent friends text messages leading up to his suicide.

• Threatening to hurt or kill oneself or talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself
• Looking for ways to kill oneself by seeking access to firearms, available pills, or other means
• Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide when these actions are out of the ordinary for the person
• Feeling hopeless
• Feeling rage or uncontrolled anger or seeking revenge
• Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities – seemingly without thinking
• Feeling trapped – like there’s no way out
• Increasing alcohol or drug use
• Withdrawing from friends, family, and society
• Feeling anxious, agitated, or unable to sleep or sleeping all the time
• Experiencing dramatic mood changes
• Seeing no reason for living or having no sense of purpose in life

(National Suicide Prevention Lifeline)

We’ve just come through the most difficult year most small business owners and operators can remember. If you were to visit one-on-one with them, you would find the majority still don’t really understand what happened from a financial perspective. Many would not be able to explain why banks they’ve partnered with for years suddenly refused their business. They wouldn’t know that the reason for the change depended on whether or not their bank participated in the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) by taking funds from the federal government. They wouldn’t understand that if their bank did participate, the bank’s ability to be flexible with customers was forfeited to government oversight. Or that banks that chose not to participate in TARP, followed suit out of fear.
This is just one of the many changes that occurred in the financial environment of 2009. While you can’t control this circumstance, there are five areas where you can. These principles represent the chronic weaknesses of the small business marketplace, and business owners who take the initiative to follow these fundamentals are more likely to succeed.

The Business Plan
Facts reflect more than 50% of existing small businesses do not have a business plan in place. This is simply not an option anymore. A business cannot survive in the new money marketplace without a plan that identifies the business model and charts the future of the business. Especially critical for a start-up, access to borrowed or investment money is not available for businesses without a good business plan.

The Marketing Plan
Marketing has undergone more transformation in the last five years than any other business function. Marketing is no longer about advertising and sales. It’s about branding a business in the marketplace so that when the need for your product arises, your business is the first one the customer thinks about as the best place to spend money.

The Financial Plan
The small business owner and operator who doesn’t understand how to create and manage three-to five-year budgets, profit and loss projections, cash flow analyses, break even analyses, standard percents of operating line items, and the importance of an operating philosophy, does so at great risk of failure. Business really is about knowing how to manage the money.

Business Protocols
A protocol is defined as “a set of standardized procedures by which an entity conducts itself.” In the business environment, protocols are typically called Policies and Procedures. Only 50% of small businesses have these in place. Without quality practices, policies and procedures, a small business can’t compete in the new money environment.

Networking

I’m not talking about being a member of every community and civic organization on the face of the planet. The importance of networking is about belonging to groups that are actually relevant and will support and sustain your business. Are your networking activities actually returning an investment in revenue? There is a difference between networking and volunteer work, and too many small business owners blur the lines between the two.

Maxie Carpenter is a professional analyst and counselor, author, and President of MVC Advisory Resource, Inc. He is the author of I Didn’t Ask You to Dance! and Managing Difficult People in the Workplace. You can reach Maxie at www.mvcinc.org.

In 1999, NWACC’s corporate learning department began a partnership with Walmart and the vendor community to develop a uniquely specialized, comprehensive curriculum to prepare graduates for entry level positions within the vendor workforce.

At that time, powerhouse business leaders, including Walmart’s then-CEO Lee Scott and past-CEO David Glass, called a meeting with a large group of supplier leaders to address the significant concerns of the marketplace. They agreed that the high demand for people trained to utilize Retail Link, Walmart’s decision support system, was a primary concern.

Scott asked Wayne Callahan, President of Global Wal-Mart Business at Heinz, to lead a steering committee to help resolve the issue. Working with NWACC, Callahan brought 20 supplier leaders together to design a curriculum. Ten years later, the Marketing Analyst Program has produced 532 highly trained graduates, reducing the demand pressure for constant movement between Walmart and supplier companies.

Over the years, NWACC has added a number of Advanced Retail courses to serve this business sector. Together, the Marketing Analyst Program and Advanced Retail courses at NWACC produce graduates with the applicable computer skills, an in-depth understanding of today’s retail environment, and the requisite soft skills needed for an analyst position in the fast-paced Northwest Arkansas retail community.

Classes such as Practical Retailing Solutions, Communication Skills, Merchandising & Data Analysis, Actionable Analysis with Microsoft Office, and Virtual Merchandising, present the history of retailing, delineate the marketing analyst’s role, cover category data analysis and retailing strategies, and introduce the Retail Link decision support system.

Because the instructional staff is a critical factor determining the value of these classes, NWACC only selects instructors who are experienced retail professionals from the Northwest Arkansas retail community. Valerie Wilson, who was instrumental in developing the Advanced Retail courses, typifies the quality of these instructors. Wilson is currently Director of Consumer Insights with Information Resources, Inc., a leading provider of syndicated data, household panel, and manufacturer/retailer consulting and solutions. Students benefit from the knowledge Wilson garnered from earning her M.B.A. and her practical experience from 10 years of working in the local vendor community.

The effectiveness of these programs can be judged by the product, its graduates. Knouse Foods National Account Sales Manager Tammy Kooy said, “This is a great program that provides a quality learning experience for anyone wanting to improve themselves and become an analyst in the supplier community. The program courses teach you the skills you need to hit the ground running. The Marketing Analyst Program has allowed me to accomplish things that otherwise I may not have been able to do!”

Looking ahead:

NWACC is building again to meet its rapid enrollment growth. When completed in the spring, the 40,000 square foot, $8 million Shewmaker Center for Global Business Development will house several programs, including business, computer, and sustainability classes.

Many community leaders and organizations, such as the Jack Shewmaker Family, Bill and Cathy Stribling, and J.B. Hunt Transport Services, have stepped forward to make a gift toward the $4 million matching grant awarded by the Walton Family Foundation in 2007.

Jill Wagar (jwagar@nwacc.edu), Associate Vice President for Development directs fundraising for the NWACC Foundation as it continues to raise funds for this or other projects.

A December 8, 2009 event dedicated the Welcome Center at the new Shewmaker Center for Global Business Development in honor of Wayne Callahan, President of Global Wal-Mart Business at Heinz. The dedication was made possible by a gift from the Heinz Foundation and Heinz North America, matched by The Walton Family Foundation. Callahan was instrumental in the development of NWACC’s Marketing Analyst Program.

By its very philosophy, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, with general manager Eric Edelstein at the helm, believes that community and charitable involvement are essential ingredients in the business of professional sports. Not a day goes by, Edelstein claims, that the fax doesn’t ring in a few requests for donations from charities.

“Lots of people are going to ask. If there is any possible way to say yes, we find a way to say, Yes! That’s been our approach for community involvement. Whatever we can do, let’s do it.”

That mindset led Edelstein and his administrative team to create the framework and fundraising arm that would create sustainable giving. “We wanted to be responsive to the community’s needs as they ask for it,’ says Edelstein. “And, knowing that we’re a small business with a small budget, we wanted to find a way to get cash into the hands of worthwhile charities.”

During the 2009 season, the Naturals, with the help of corporate partners and fans, donated more than $200,000 in cash, donations and benefits. They hosted over 100 charitable events with some 400 charities served.

Launch-A-Ball fundraisers held after every Friday night home game raised more than $6,000 for charities from the sale of rubber baseballs. Pack the Park Mondays raised another $6,000-plus for 12 different non-profits that participated in promoting Monday games.

Another program gives high school teams the chance to play on the Arvest Ballpark field. Schools can purchase blocks of tickets wholesale to turn a profit for their own programs, and then gain the chance to play a game at the park. “We had two high schools participate last year,” Edelstein recalls “We have five already scheduled for 2010.”

It seems the list of contributions never ends. They donate thousands of tickets and baseball memorabilia to charity fundraising events all over Northwest Arkansas, as well as to programs that support education or give underprivileged children a seat at the game.  They even set a Guinness World Book record for fans with kazoos.

Edelstein sees 2010 as an opportunity to build on the momentum to do even more.  Although first quarter will be the creative launch pad for what’s new, Edelstein hopes to see more communities and charities get involved.  Buying wholesale fundraising tickets, for example, is a great way for charitable entities to raise money without having to create an event. The City of Farmington did just that, creating a Farmington Night at the Game, and raised funds to improve their city ball fields.

Using the park as a host-site for charitable events is another example of the team “looking at roadblocks and how to get around them.” In 2009 they hosted Tour de Cure, the ALS Walk, Alzheimer’s Memory Walk, and The Cancer Challenge to name a few.

“We’re a small business, but what we lack in size, we make up in profile,” says Edelstein. “We’re good people doing good things.”

Professional sports do, indeed, make a good match to giving. “Sometimes people like something tangible even when they are giving. Here they can feel good about giving to a charity, but they can also go to a ball game. We work hard to figure out how everybody wins. There can be no loser in these deals. Everybody’s got to feel like they generated something good.”

Edelstein admits the economy impacted them in 2009, but more on big-ticket items, he claims. Advertisers, while greater in number, typically made smaller investments.

“There’s less left over, but with our mindset to create wins for everybody, it doesn’t necessarily stop us. Whatever a charity puts into it, they get out of it. And it’s endless. Anything that becomes an endless pot of money is what we’re trying to create. It’s sustainable charity.”

Pulling from their own marketing budgets to serve charitable giving, The Naturals created The Street Team, which includes a second mascot and inflatable pitching machine.

“People would ask us to make an appearance but if we were having a game, all of our resources were tied up.  We wanted to create something independent of our day-to-day baseball team that can still be out there to help when needed. The Street Team,” he adds, “ was everywhere!”

Edelstein and his inside team– who hail from Cleveland, New Jersey, Buffalo, Western New York, Iowa, and Huntsville, Alabama – now call Northwest Arkansas home. “I made it a point to assemble a team with a good mix of local people born and raised in Northwest Arkansas and also industry-knowledgeable people who have worked for minor league teams around the country. We bring ideas we’ve seen in other places.

“Our goal here is to be one of the best, and to have people from our industry respect us as guys who do it right. From the community perspective, I like to think that we are as progressive as there is out there, with room to grow.”

By Janie Pritchett-Clark

It’s not high tech, it’s high tack. It’s a barn full of creaky leather saddles and colorful wool blankets on sure-footed horses. These horses give their days to the children of Northwest Arkansas who have physical, emotional and mental disabilities. At Horses for Healing (HFH), a 75-acre ranch on the outskirts of Bentonville, a small team with big hearts work to make strides in children’s lives.

Why use a horse for physical therapy when you can use a high-tech machine?

You can see the answer in the faces of the 300 special needs children who currently participate in the program. There is joy in riding. There is power in motion. Up and down, side to side, forward to back–research shows the rhythm of riding a horse has a therapeutic benefit to both body and brain.

Just the act of sitting astride a horse engages coordination and stability. For some of these children, the thrill of getting out of their wheelchair and onto a horse is therapy all on its own. For them, the physical empowerment and freedom is significant.

These children form unique relationships with the therapy horses, says Linda Brown, HFH’s executive director. Their involvement helps them gain self-confidence, acquire a sense of achievement, and improve their social interactions. The results are often profound.

“Children with a wide variety of disabilities gain strength, balance and coordination while on horseback. Some take their first halting steps or speak their first words after therapy at Horses for Healing. Better yet, for children who face immense challenges, their time at Horses for Healing is not only productive, it is joyful,” says Brown.

It benefits the volunteers, too.

Leroy Schuetts is president of the non-profit’s board of directors, and volunteers at the ranch. “Horses for Healing is about like-minded people who are dedicated to the high standards of what I call ‘intelligent compassion’ coming together for this special needs resource that works–equine assisted therapeutic riding,” he says. “I find tremendous gratification in this declaration. I have personally witnessed a rider improving balance and building muscle tone while smiling from ear to ear; a non-verbal child sounding out the command ‘walk-on’; a child in a wheelchair who has never before shown joy, but who is laughing the entire time he is riding.”

While rewarding, the business of therapeutic riding is costly. There are more than 10,000 special needs children in Northwest Arkansas. If the board of directors and staff at Horses for Healing could have their way, they would be serving every one of them.

Unfortunately, there is a waiting list.

It takes about $50,000 a month to run the farm–an average 1,000-pound horse eats one to three percent of its weight a day. There are 20 horses in the therapy program. The program requires about 130 volunteers a week, along with seven full-time staff.  Without volunteers, the organization would have to pony up an additional $75,000 in payroll.

The money to run HFH comes from many sources. And like, many non-profit’s in today’s climate, there’s not enough to go around. Not a penny comes from state aid or Medicare support, and most of the riders receive scholarships and discounts. A small portion comes from private riding lessons and equine boarding available to the public. The majority of funding comes from donations from the community and fundraising events like the Horse Jump planned for October.

The private-pay Sports Riding Program is managed by Amy Walsh, a life-long enthusiast who rode in the National Championship at Lexington, and now provides Hunter/Jumper instruction for HFH’s able-bodied riders and independent special needs students. Amy heads up the Jump Show. (see sidebar)

Horses for Healing is a 501c(3) non-profit organization accredited by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARAH). It was the first therapeutic riding center in Arkansas, and is one of only two Premier Accredited facilities in the state. In operation since 1991, Horses for Healing currently partners with Bentonville and Rogers school systems to provide riding programs for children with emotional or mental disabilities.

To donate money, sponsor an event, or volunteer, call the barn at 479-795-0570 or visit http://horsesforhealingnwa.org/

By Janie Pritchett-Clark

Your new 2010 Names and Numbers phone book has just arrived throughout Washington and Benton Counties – complete with the game schedule for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. And, as with thousands of business decision makers, it’s probably now tucked into your important reference book shelf where you can grab it when you need it.

“There’s only one reason someone opens a phone book,” say Mark Ponkey, District Sales Manager for Names and Numbers. “They are looking to spend money and they are looking for a business to spend it with. We can’t make sales for our advertisers, but we can deliver sales opportunities.”

Directory or yellow page advertising is one of the prominent forms of advertising local companies budget every year, especially small businesses. Deciding how to proportion that budget can seem overwhelming.

Expand your advertising with Media Co-op

“Business owners need to advertise everywhere their potential customers may look for them,” says Ponkey. “When customers say ‘I’m going to pull all of my budget out of theirs and put it in yours’ – that’s not necessarily a good decision. Even though we feel the majority of folks use our book, that we have the best reference value, and that business owners get a better return on their investment through our book, if someone picks up another phone book looking for a specific business and can’t find it, they’ve lost that sales opportunity.”

Using other forms of advertising in the local marketplace is an important relationship-building tool and part of building a product story. The “Media Co-op” program with Names and Numbers helps businesses pay for other forms of advertising that expand their exposure in the market.

“We realize that yellow page advertising is not the only form of advertising that is successful. Let people know they can find you in the Names and Numbers phone book by using our logo or tag line in your ad and we reimburse up to 30% of what you spend with us.”

A company must spend a minimum of $2,000 a year with Names and Numbers to participate in the co-op program, and eligible media include radio, TV, print, direct mail, and billboards. It also includes advertising such as doormats, car and truck signage, and community advertising at ball fields and churches. It’s best to discuss eligibility details first.

Reaching your Customer

“When a consumer can find information about the community and reference the information easily, that’s probably the book they are going to pick up more often when looking for a product or service,” says Ponkey. To gain that reference value in the marketplace, a lot of thinking goes on behind the scenes to categorize search and navigation ease.

Between bleed bars– those solid colors on the edge of the pages– and multiple file formats, accessing Names and Numbers is easy and accurate. The book is available in the standard large print format, a mini-book, on CD, and online at NamesandNumbers.com. Now you can even access a mobile platform at NamesandNumbers.mobi.

Getting in the Book

“Our sales representatives go to businesses armed with as much marketing data as we can provide without overwhelming them,” says Ponkey. “They can share community data and demographics, the footprint of where our book is distributed and the coverage area, information about test lines and testimonials. As sales consultants, our goal is to uncover the needs of each business and provide ideas on how those goals can be achieved.”

While they can’t guarantee results or recommend it for everyone, test lines are one way businesses can gauge response. A unique number is included in the directory ad, and while it forwards flawlessly to the company’s main number, it allows accurate call tracking. Using test lines, John Holland, DDS was able to track more than 708 calls from his ad, and New Hope Veterinary Center more than 2500.  “It’s those success stories that show we really do help local businesses drive local sales.”

Building Community is a Natural

Helping to build community and drive those local sales is what Names and Numbers is all about. They partner with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals baseball team and have featured them on the phone book cover for the past two years. “We are a local phone book,” says Ponkey. “We’re not here to take dollars and make promises and then take off. We have a presence in and a commitment to Northwest Arkansas. We have over a dozen sales representatives who live here, participate in the community, spend money in the area and send their children to school. We’re a lot more than a phone book company, we’re a local company.”

You can reach Names and Numbers at (479) 464-4568 or mponkey@namesandnumbers.com.

By Janie Pritchett-Clark

Getting your money’s worth when relocating employees or your business has never been more relevant than today. Because companies traditionally absorb the costs of relocation and typically outsource the tasks, move management is a complex undertaking. Whether relocating a new graduate or a senior level executive, HR needs to know that every mile along the way is covered with the greatest possible efficiency without giving an inch of professional and exceptional service.

Winter Moving & Storage has the solution: A move management team that looks at the big picture and every pixel in between. With 30 years experience in the business, you would expect Winter Moving & Storage to know it’s game. What you might not expect is their level of recognition nationwide.  Out of 400 national companies, less than 10% earn the accolades Winter Moving & Storage has earned – not one time, but year after year after year.

“To those of us in the industry, these awards are a prestigious honor,” says President John Winter, whose family purchased the firm in 1979. “To those using our services they instill a level of confidence and trust that companies really need, especially in times like these.”

To the industry the company is a five-time consecutive-year winner of Atlas Van Lines’ most prestigious honor, the Milton M. Hill Quality Award. To the corporate relocation team at your company it means that Winter Moving & Storage continually meets or exceeds customer service standards. It means they make accurate weight assessments so that RFPs zero in on the real costs of relocation. It means their claims ratios, safety points and warehouse ratings are superior.

“To even be considered for this award, we have to first receive the Hauling Excellence Award,” says Winter. “While Atlas recognizes outstanding achievement, this award is reserved for those select few that genuinely rank as the ‘best of the best’.” They’ve won the award for six of the past eight years.

As an Atlas Van Lines agent, Winter Moving & Storage partners with an international network committed to excellence. Whether you are moving across town or cross-country, Winter Moving & Storage delivers productive RFPs, enhanced vendor relationships, effective transit policies, consistent and conscientious customer service.

“Statistically, moving is rated as one of the top five most stressful life situations,” says Winter. “Cost is important to your company’s bottom line and customer care is important to your employee’s state of mind. Everyone on our move management team from office to field personnel understands this and strives to not only provide top-quality service, but to meet the needs and concerns of each individual.

“One of the true measures of our service is our customer retention,” he adds. “Around 43% of our business comes from repeat customers and referrals.”

And the rest?  “An explosive economy in Northwest Arkansas has increased the need for corporate and office relocations. We have moved six public libraries, man real estate offices, laboratories and corporations. We work with companies of all sizes; even help companies design and implement employee relocation policies and packages that give them a competitive advantage in the job market. And, of course, we move their families, too.”

Winter Moving & Storage headquarters are located on Otis Corley Drive in Bentonville, with a new 40,000-square foot climate controlled warehouse.  Create a Relocation Package for your Corporate Team with How To Guides on everything from moving the family goldfish to prized heirlooms. (http://www.wintermoving.com/). Get Moving Tips to help plan your move at (http://www.wintermoving.com/) or log on to create a day-to-day task calendar (http://www.wintermoving.com/).

From Biz2Biz NWA August 2009

Which came first: The motorcycle or the job?

The maverick.

Clyde Fessler joined Harley-Davidson in 1977, and it wasn’t long before he was recognized as the company maverick, that person who doesn’t dance to the same beat, who wears different clothes, who thinks outside the box.

In any company, he advises, when you find out who that maverick is you need to protect them and pay them well, because if you don’t your competition will.

“I was that maverick at Harley-Davidson,” says Fessler, now 67, and this year’s Keynote Speaker at the Business Conference & Expo on August 6 at John Q. Hammons in Rogers.  “My motto is: When everybody else turns left, turn right and you’ll make a difference in the world of business.”

Fessler retired from Harley-Davidson in 2002 and is now active as a consultant and motivational speaker. He brings a hard-won message about building a brand, about philosophy, about living what you envision as your company’s purpose.

“No matter how big or small, a company can make a brand statement,” says Fessler. “Ask yourself three questions: Who are you (as a company)? Who are your customers? What do they expect from you?”

The Harley-Davidson story is a rags to riches tale. The company was on the brink of bankruptcy – the press release ready to mail – when they locked key executives in a hotel in Milwaukee to hammer out strategy.  “My vision for America was a two and half car garage. Two cars and a Harley,” he remembers. “I wanted Harley to appeal to mainstream America. What did we have to do to get there?

“We were faced with unbearable odds that many believed we couldn’t overcome. My personal motto is:  ‘If you do what you’ve always done, you’re going to get what you’ve always got.’ And that’s not good enough in today’s marketplace.”

So they went a different direction. They drove a wedge between themselves and the competition and if it turned left, Harley turned right.

That was the start of building the brand.  It took major commitment and time, he claims, but the wheels of a new era were on the road, the blackie laid in.

“One year we joined the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and that helped change the image of Harley riders. Another year we launched motorcycle clothes so riders had a choice of wearing something besides black leather jackets and black t-shirts.

“One of my marketing strategies was to turn negatives into positives. We started the Harley Owners Group, HOG, which was previously a negative in the eyes of the press. The group now has one million members.”

Changing image through charity, clothing, and membership programs were the accessories to a quality product. “We realized our customers couldn’t be mechanics, they had to have a reliable machine. They had to enjoy riding the machine rather than fixing it,” he says.

“I had to almost live the lifestyle to understand the desires and the wishes of our customers,” Fessler remembers of the late ‘70s and ‘80s. “ I really made a big effort to get out and ride with the customer.” He camped with “the boys” in Daytona several years in a row, grew a beard, and carried their dreams back to HQ.
“I spent a lot of time doing field marketing. They trusted me and confided in me. As long as I understood what they thought and what their desires were, I could fulfill them back at HQ with policies, programs, procedures, and product that would make us successful in the marketplace. Understanding the customer and exceeding their expectations is the key to success. Once you have a happy customer they will become your best sales person.”

Can smaller, local companies apply the same strategies for success?

“Yes,” says Fessler. He aims to motivate his audience on August 6 with a challenge, empower them with the chance to make a difference.

“This is a very challenging time in the marketplace. Today’s business climate requires time, dedication, effort and a vision of what your company looks like five years down the road. It’s businesses that meander and don’t have a direction that get lost in the competition. Those who are strong are going be very successful.”

Will the next generation be as intrigued with the Harley lifestyle and tradition?

“That’s a huge challenge Harley-Davidson is facing right now. The younger generation’s image of Harley-Davidson is that it’s their father’s machine. Harley has to keep a youthful appearance and attract the younger generation. That’s what they are concentrating on. They know there’s a challenge there.”

Will the brand change when Baby Boomers are too old to ride?

“Baby Boomers are never going to be too old to ride. But they are going to be too old to fall off.”

Until then, The Harley-Davidson brand is a brotherhood, sisterhood, a community, a lifestyle. No matter where you go on a Harley, someone is going to say, “Nice bike.”

What’s Green in Northwest Arkansas?

Adopting a green lifestyle at home, at business and in your community may be easier than you realize. Companies from one end of NWA to the other are focusing on the green issue, learning to change their choices to help you change yours. Here’s a sample of what we found to be green in Northwest Arkansas.

Green for Your Home

You have the most control over your home environment. These companies and their products can help you make greener choices for your family.

The Home Energy Audit
Jim Jones Construction

Saving 25-50% on energy is a strong motivator behind the Home Energy Audit offered by Jim Jones Construction. Added benefits are many. Homeowners may find a more comfortable living environment, with a safer indoor air quality, and increased home value. An energy efficient home is the quickest and cleanest way to extend our energy supplies. A professional audit will detail the improvements needed to create the energy efficient, green living home.

Green Your Home Loans
IberiaBank (formerly Pulaski Bank)

Financial institutions have traditionally been known as anything but green, but IberiaBank is taking action in Northwest Arkansas to change that perception.

“Consumers and businesses alike share the responsibility to recycle, eliminate wastefulness and minimize resource consumption, but banks have the unique opportunity to combine these efforts with community investment,” says Retail Development Officer/Sustainability Coordinator Keaton Smith.

To help homeowners save money on energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint, IberiaBank now offers “Green Your Home” home improvement loans, along with expertise on the incentives available from government and utilities.

“There are so many ways you can improve the energy efficiency of your home,” Smith says. “Simple things like sealing and caulking around doors and windows or adding more insulation to your walls, attic, and ductwork can reduce energy bills up to 50%.” And with the new federal tax credits (30% of total costs), homeowners see ROI for improvements like solar, small wind, and geothermal systems in less than 10 years.

“Green Your Home loans allow the homeowner to make several types of efficiency improvements, with only one monthly loan payment. We try to structure the loan so you can make loan payments with the money saved on your utilities each month. As energy prices continue to rise, using less energy will become even more important, and efficient homeowners will see even greater savings.”

Come Home to an Organized Garage
NWA Garage Solutions

Did you know the garage is one of the largest, most under utilized rooms in the home? Energy efficiency begins with a look at how well you use what you have. That includes all that clutter in your garage. One solution is NWA Garage Solutions, which specializes in turning a cluttered mess into an organized and efficient room.

The approach is to custom design storage to fit your family’s needs with a variety of cabinets, slat wall, flooring options, accessories and bins. The cabinets are made from recycled materials and the floor coatings are zero VOC. And, unlike others, they don’t use muriatic acid to clean and prep the floor.

With a solution like this, the house you thought too small becomes bigger – just from opening up the storage inside the home because now it fits in the garage. Now you can find it!

NWA Garage Solutions’ service is a four-part process. They start with a consult to identify your needs, measure, and inventory your items. They help with the de-clutter as you sort for reduce, reuse, recycle. They will even make the arrangements needed to haul off discarded and charitable items or schedule storage while the work is being done. Installation is done by a professional team equipped to complete the job in one to three days depending on the size of your garage and the extent of the work to be done. And last but not least, they know you will enjoy the results.

As one customer in Fayetteville says, “NWA Garage Solutions are true professionals in every step of the process. They took the time to develop a plan to not only organize my garage but also take it to the ‘next level.’ Rarely does a week go by that I do not receive a positive comment on my garage.”

Enjoy the Green Inside and Out
Spavinaw Stove Company

Now that warm weather is finally here your family will be enjoying the outdoors with backyard barbecues and gatherings. Spavinaw Stove Company wants you to know there’s a green solution to gas and charcoal grills. Traeger barbecue pellet grills uses the same eco-friendly concept used in pellet wood stoves.

The benefits are many. Using a natural biomass fuel means no fossil fuels of any kind are used in the combustion process. The pellets are made from 100% recycled hardwood sawdust and burn at an extremely high combustion efficiency rate. This means low emissions and a lower carbon footprint. And that means it’s the environmentally responsible way to cook outdoors.

It’s healthier, too, because the in-direct cooking system reduces the fat and charring thought to cause cancer. The hardwood smoke created by the pellets produces anti-oxidants similar to Vitamin E.

By partnering with hardwood furniture manufacturers, Traeger adds economic value to materials that were once considered “waste” and in the process creates new business, products and jobs.

With Father’s Day just around the corner, it’s time check out your options. Spavinaw Stove Company is a well-established dealer for stoves, fireplaces and vents from high-quality manufacturers like Harman, Traeger, Lopi, Buck and FPX. They use NFI certified installers and service technicians and have earned a reputation that garners them happy, loyal customers.

Green for Your Health

Take care of the planet. Take care of yourself. There are many ways to do both, many of which we are learning first-hand and for the first-time at this event. Eat, sleep and be well may well be the Green adage of the 21st century.

Sleep Better, Sleep Healthy, Sleep Natural
Mountain Air Natural Beds

Did you know most mattresses have a planned obsolescence of five years? Most people will toss and turn uncomfortably on it for another four and half years before they give in and shop. In the meantime, their mattress could be adding to a myriad of health issues such as allergies, arthritis, stiffness or knee, back and hip pain.

Mountain Air Natural Beds has a green solution you may want to consider. They are the only place in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri to carry an all-natural, organic, latex mattress. Toxin free, the SavvyRest mattress is better for people with health issues, and is designed to provide unmatched comfort for decades. The label reads 96% natural rubber, 2% organic cotton and 2% organic wool. You can’t get much greener than that.

Joyce Robertson is the owner of Mountain Air Natural Beds. “We spend 20 to 25 years of our lives in bed. Why spend two-thirds living healthy and one-third on a toxic synthetic mattress?” she asks. “Latex provides a healthier and more restful sleep environment. Your pillow is 20% of your sleeping comfort. Organic pillows are incomparable in quality and comfort.”

Latex is a natural hypoallergenic, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, dust mite resistant material that comes from the sap of the rubber tree. The SavvyRest brand carries the coveted “Rated Greenest” from National Geographic Green Guide and the Confidence in Textiles standard tested for harmful substances.

As a trend Robertson sees more people moving to organic and natural bedding, and matching it with green and organic items for the bedroom as well as the entire home. From pillows to toppers, sheets and robes, organics are taking hold – and Mountain Air Natural Beds carries them.

Customer satisfaction is key, says Robertson. “Our attention to the health needs of our clients is a relationship, not a transaction.”

Green for Your Business

Making green choices in the workplace can be an economic consideration that proves sustainability equals profitability. Global leaders like Wal-Mart have recognized the value of sustainability on every business front – from pleasing consumers to gaining profits -– and are proving such practices as advantageous rather than a burden. No matter your business size, consider adopting sustainable practices wherever you can. You can start by forming a group of dedicated employees, loyal customers and company leaders to serve as your sustainability committee to research and recommend green practices for your business.

Choose Green Hospitality When You Travel
Holiday Inn & Suites

The Holiday Inn & Suites in Pinnacle Hills is one of the prototype inns designed to be the perfect convergence of tradition and innovation for the 21st century business and leisure traveler. The hospitality industry has begun to encourage hotels, resorts, motels, and bed and breakfast facilities to implement environmental initiatives and cost-saving green practices to conserve energy, reduce water consumption, protect air quality, reduce waste, and participate in environmentally preferred purchasing.

Holiday Inn & Suites has taken the challenge and has an on-going sustainability approach, starting with all fluorescent lighting, hotel and room recycling, and low water usage.

The new Holiday Inn & Suites is the NWA Green Expo Hospitality Sponsor and features all two-room suites, complimentary WIFI throughout the property, onsite restaurant and lounge, indoor pool and spa, excellent location, versatile meeting space and many more amenities.

Bring Your Peanuts to PostNet
PostNet Village on the Creeks

Every year, millions of pounds of used packing peanuts end up in landfills. The solution in NWA? Designated an approved collection center, PostNet at the Village on the Creeks in Rogers can now accept those unruly peanuts from customers ready to reduce, reuse, recycle.

“We’re always looking for ways to be more green and we know our customers are, too,” says Manager Chad Burghart. Peanuts are reused in the their day-to-day shipping operations.
Be sure to sift through them thoroughly before you bring them in to make sure you haven’t missed something valuable. “Like the heirloom ring Aunt Gertrude sent you,” says Burghart.

If you want to be extra helpful, separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable peanuts before dropping them off. Don’t mix the two, even though both types are reused. To tell which is which, float a sample in water. If the sample dissolves, it’s biodegradable – made from a vegetable derivative; non-biodegradable otherwise.

“At PostNet, we see it as part of our social responsibility to promote a healthy and environmentally balanced business community,” says owner Phil Swope. “PostNet is constantly striving to reduce the impact of our business on the environment.”

PostNet encourages good stewardship of natural resources at its HQ and stores nationwide by recycling paper, toner cartridges, packing supplies and office electronics.

Going Green in the Tradeshow World
Big Hats Consulting

Promoting your business at tradeshows with an eye on green is getting easier. The 2009 exhibitors show in Las Vegas was testament to the industry’s efforts, where new and sustainable products are emerging. Tradeshow expert Ken Abernathy attended and came back to Northwest Arkansas with a bevy of eco-options.

Among his favorites were:
• eco-friendly banner stands made from bamboo, with recyclable graphics
• corrugated exhibit frames made from recycled materials
• eco-crates for environmentally friendly shipping to the expo site
• mini brochures designed to highlight information but use one-quarter of the standard-sized brochure
• flash drives that eliminate printing and shipping altogether, and put copious amounts of information right in the attendees’ pocket
• LED lighting options to replace heat-hog halogens
• creative designs in lightweight aluminum frames and fabric graphics
• expo bags made from recycled juice boxes
• booth-sized carpets made from recycled soda bottles
• eco-friendly rental programs for infrequent show-goers. Rentals could save one-third to one-half the cost, which means going green also saves you green

Technology and Computer Solutions for Northwest Arkansas
Dozier Technologies Group, Inc.

Software is one of the easiest ways to improve your company’s sustainability scorecard. Automating simple tasks and putting them on the Web can save paper, time, labor and energy, all of which save you money.

If you are looking for software specific to your industry or company’s needs, Dozier Technologies can help. “We work by listening and understanding your needs, then translating our understanding into an application that accomplishes everything you ask for at an affordable price,” says Business Development Manager Nicole Lynch.

“Our flagship software applications include Atlas, a retail analytical tool for vendors and suppliers; Orbit, a point-of-sale solution for franchise and small- to medium- sized business owners; Orbit Life, a simple, easy to use e-commerce solution for anyone; ampTickets, an e-ticketing solution for entertainment venues; and Portal, a construction document management and distribution solution.”

Dozier Technologies Group, Inc., was formed in 2001 with the vision of offering enterprise level custom software development and technology at a small business price. All of their applications are Windows-based for an intuitive user interface, and Web-based for mobility and sustainability.

Green for Your Community

Taking green to the municipal level is an exciting endeavor of leaders from everywhere in the community – from patriots and politicians, to retired CEOs and youths fervent about protecting the world they live in. Take time to participate in activities that educate, build and promote better community.

‘Green’ Bank Blooms
Arvest Bank

Arvest Bank broke ground on its first LEED-certified bank branch in March 2008, and celebrated its opening on Earth Day 2009. This new 8,080 sq. ft. branch on Joyce Street in Fayetteville is the first LEED-certified prototype branch for Arvest, although its predecessor’s have many of the required sustainability practices in place. The branch utilized many LEED practices with regard to water, light, site landscaping, construction, building systems, compliance and training, air quality and construction waste recycling.

Sustainability Spotlight Promotes “Live Green”
KNWA

If you haven’t seen the “Sustainability Spotlight” on KNWA, detour to their website at nwahomepage.com to catch up on some incredible innovation right here at home.

The feature airs Tuesday at 10 p.m. and spotlights – with award-winning caliber production – local, national, and global sustainable initiatives from Wal-Mart and its vendor and supplier community.

“What we really enjoy talking about with these companies are the innovations. Every day a new idea is born that can grow into something that changes the way we look at the industry,” says Mike Vaughn, KNWA General Manager.

“One of the unique and amazing aspects of living in NWA is how many people in our community make decisions that have large environmental impact,” says Brook Thomas, KNWA News Anchor. “Something that can be seen through this series is how small steps can have big impact. A decision about a few millimeters of plastic can equal tons of waste not winding up in a landfill.”

The Sustainability Spotlight, presented by Walmart, stemmed from the station’s Live Green series that began in April 2008. According to Sarah Hickman, Innovative Projects Coordinator at KNWA, they wanted to help educate, advocate and activate viewers to do their part in taking care of the environment, and live in greener, healthier communities.

“As we contemplated the success of the program, we began to look for ways to extend the initiative,” says Hickman.

The Sustainability Spotlight series serves to educate viewers on what local, national, and global companies are doing to be green; how even the smallest acts can achieve monumental results; and bring corporations a platform where they can use sustainability to educate, inform, and serve the community.

Go Green: Working to Produce a Five Star Environment
Names and Numbers

Recycling your outdated phone books is great way to participate in greening our community. Just take them to your city’s recycling center. Names and Numbers is an active participant in the recycle, reuse, reduce approach and partners with companies that also serve similar goals.

In creating their phone books, Names and Numbers uses low basis weight paper to reduce fiber consumption. They used recycled materials, including recycled paper and soy-based inks. They recycle their aluminum printing plates and use non-hazardous solutions and glues.

At Names and Numbers, plastic wrap and boxes are reused, as are office supplies that can find another life. They reduce their impact on the environment by proofing their job on-screen, eliminating paper use and ink, and printing close to the market to help conserve fuel in transportation.

Conservation from Arkansas to Africa
The Nature Conservancy

You may not know their work, but you’ve been influenced by it. The Nature Conservancy is the world’s largest non-profit conservation organization. It spans 50 states and 34 foreign countries, pulling together more than one million like-minded members.

Since its founding in 1951, the Conservancy has worked to create a sustainable planet where natural habitats and human communities coexist. Their drive is a world where natural resources are renewable, plentiful and secure.

Since opening an Arkansas office in 1982, the Conservancy and its supporters have helped protect more than 250,000 acres of natural lands and waters in the Natural State. Today the Arkansas program owns or manages 36 nature preserves of more 22,000 acres.

“The Nature Conservancy is committed to working with a wide array of partners in conserving the natural landscapes of Arkansas – places that provide habitat for plant and animal species and places that keep the environment healthy for people,” says Tim Snell, Associate State Director for Water Resources based in Fayetteville.

“In Northwest Arkansas, the Conservancy is particularly active to keep the streams of the Ozark Highlands clear, clean and healthy. The Conservancy has a team of experts in karst – or cave – conservation, which includes the protection of groundwater. These programs combined help keep the state’s water clean for present and future generations.”

The Nature Conservancy is the organization responsible for what has become the Hobbs State Park-Conservation area, along with many other favorite spots throughout Northwest Arkansas. Take a look at nature at nature.org/arkansas

READ OUR GREEN ISSUE

SB Howard & Company provides benefits claims processing and adjusting services for self-insured companies. Known in the industry as a third party administrator, SB Howard & Company has been in service in Northwest Arkansas for nearly 30 years. A third party administrator (TPA) is an organization that processes health claims. TPA’s handle claims processing traditionally handled by an insurance company. A self-funded (self-insured) company acts as its own carrier, undertaking its own risk and controlling its own benefits.

“Self-insuring your benefits is not for every company,” says Leesa Davis, owner of SB Howard & Company in Rogers. “It is good a fit for companies who have an exemplary concern for their employees’ benefits and a tenacious desire to control their expenditure in acquiring them.”

Why consider self-insurance?

“Being self-insured allows you to create benefits that are more suited to your specific group of employees,” explains Davis. “You’ll have a better understanding of what you are paying for – in detail. Your benefits can be specific or general, and reporting on use can be as detailed as needed. You will be able to adapt quickly to the marketplace, economics and staffing, and make changes that reflect those needs with immediacy. Your benefits evolve as your company evolves.

“Self-insurance is a risk,” Davis adds, “but one that can be calculated.” For many CEOs, CFOs or HR Directors considering the self-insured approach, detailing the right solution requires getting down to the nitty gritty of balancing risk with service.

The typical SB Howard client is a company of 150-plus employees and a human resource department continually saddled with the task of cutting health benefit costs. When CFOs realize, for example, that as a fully insured company they leave as much as $1 million on the table in three to five years, they often see how self-funded benefits can move them more adeptly into a secure future.

“That’s often how the conversation begins,” Davis explains. “It’s their money. They want control over how it’s spent and how well it’s spent.”

As a TPA, Davis and her team excel in providing an environment of integrity, accuracy and respect for every individual on their clients’ team. “Service is the only thing we sell,” she says. “Our service must add value to be of value.”

The challenge of employee and health care benefits today is in distilling the myriad of options and variables into a cost effective and care resplendent model both employer and employee can understand. In order for companies to seek and find the right solution, they need solid information and a sound strategy. They need a platform that is relevant and actionable for their employees.

The TPA is instrumental in defining that platform, but there are as many different methods as there are TPAs, Davis warns. To be effective, your TPA methodology needs to merge effortlessly into your accounting, so looking at how accounts are created will be essential – a good question to ask of any prospective firms.

“Be sure to ask about claims turnaround time, the number of dedicated processors and their degree of experience. Who will handle customer service, how and when it is available to your employees? How is the TPA revered among local providers and what relationships do they foster? What training do they provide clients and their employees? How are items reported and how often?” These are all important to the success of the TPA client relationship.

SB Howard & Company handles many aspects of employee benefit plans, including health, dental, vision, and Workers’ Compensation. Most employee benefit plans have highly technical aspects and specialized administration that make a TPA more cost effective than processing in house. At SB Howard & Company, a team of ten is dedicated to this service. Both the VP of Claims and VP of Workers’ Compensation have over 20 years experience in their field.

“The benefits solution doesn’t always have to be a decision of passing on costs or absorbing them,” says Davis. “Self-insuring is a way for employers to have a great deal of flexibility and control at the same time.”