jewish business news - march 2011

8/7/2019 Jewish Business News - March 2011

1/16

Chicago Art LeasingA novel way to deal art

In This Issue:

Our Fiscal Trajectory

Is Unsustainable

Has Spring

Arrived Yet?

Jobs Available in

Your AreaBy Yisroel Kamen

Page 6

By JB2B Networking, Inc.

Page 14

By Moshe Klein

Page 8

By Jewish Business News Staff

Page 10

And i not now, when?By Mendy Rimler

Page 4

Is it Time to Hire Again?


2/16

CONTENT FROM THE PUBLISHER

3 BUSINESS NETWORKING

CALENDAR

4 COVER STORY

Is it Safe to Hire Again? And if not now, when?

By Mendy Rimler

6 FEATURED BUSINESSChicago Art Leasing

A novel way to deal art

By Yisroel Kamen

8 IN MY OPINION

Our Fiscal Trajectory

Is Unsustainable

By Moshe Klein

9 FEATURED NETWORKERS

9 BUSINESS ETHICSDoing What Is Upright in

Gods Sight

10 SMALL BUSINESS FORECAST

Has Spring Arrived Yet?

By Jewish Business News Staff

12 SMALL BUSINESS

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

14 JOBS BOARD

On the cover:

Cover montage images from iStock Photography

Publisher: Shalom Klein

Editor: Gerald Burstyn

Contributing Editors: Moshe Klein,

Khane-Faygl Turtletaub

Contributing Writers: Blanca Campos, Yisroel

Kamen, Hilary Markow, Mendy Rimler.

Creative Director: Michael Borkovec

Advertising/Sales Coordinator: Leah Alpert

Distribution Coordinator: James Austin

Check www.thejewishbusiness.comfor updates.

2011 Jewish Business News. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in part or whole without permission

is prohibited. Editorial, publishing and advertising

ofces: 3564 W. Dempster St., Skokie, Ill., 60076,

Phone: (888) 477-4466.

Dear Reader,

A few weeks ago, I was sitting at a local not-for-prots

annual fundraising dinner. My table was lled with small

business owners and the conversation turned to how busy

things were becoming at the ofce. These entrepreneurs were scheduling their

own appointments, doing their own bookkeeping, and, of course, servicing

their own clients. In other words, business was picking up. In this months

cover story, Mendy Rimler asks, Is it Time for Small Businesses to Hire

Again?

Hiring people for your business is a risky move, but one that is certainly

important if you plan to create a sustainable model and plan for the future. I

am quite condent that small business will be an engine for growth for the

21st century.

Do you expect your business to grow in the next few months? What plans do

you have in place to handle the changes?

Were looking to feature businesses that stand out in the Chicago area, so if

you have a suggestion please email [email protected].

To Success,

Shalom Klein

2 Jewish Business News - A publication of Jewish B2B Networking, Inc. www.thejewishbusiness.com


3/16

March 2Business After-Hours Sign A Rama/Kiwanis Club of Skokie Valley

5:30 p.m.- 7:30 p.m.

Skokie Chamber of Commerce,

5300 W. Touhy Ave., Skokie, Ill.

Register online: http://goo.gl/j1oOW

Lunch n Learn: The Rapidly

Growing Field of Cognitive Fitness

12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.

Skokie Chamber of Commerce

5215 Oakton St., Skokie, Ill.

Register online: http://goo.gl/HqT2i

Small Ofce/Home Ofce Network:Foundations of Investing

12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Skokie Chamber of Commerce,

5215 Oakton St., Skokie, Ill.

Register online: http://goo.gl/sdGFL

March 3The Exchange

5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Cost: $40

Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, 222

Merchandise Mart Plaza, 8th Floor, Chicago, Ill.Register online: http://goo.gl/a7T9E

March 4International Womens Day

10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Cost: $60

International Trade Club of Chicago, 65 W.

Jackson Blvd., Chicago, Ill.

Register online: http://goo.gl/saGyO

March 7Networking at South Suburbs

6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.Cost: $15

Mike Frisni, 10160 191st St., Mokena, Ill.

Register online: http://goo.gl/J5XLS

Le Tip of Northcenter

Networking Group

7:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

LeTip, 4008 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, Ill.

Register online: http://goo.gl/zhhba

March 8How to Run a Successful SmallBusiness in Illinois

5:30 p.m - 8:30 p.m.

Jewish B2B Networking

7924 Lincoln Ave., Skokie, Ill.

Register online: http://goo.gl/ah1Xw

Build Your Rolodex @ YBar

8:00 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Cost: $15

Sound Bar Group, 2

24 W. Ontario St., Chicago, Ill.

Register online: http://goo.gl/EzzRG

Chicago Bulls Outing

5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Cost: $115

Chicago Sport and Social Club

228 S. Racine Ave., Chicago, Ill.

Register online: http://goo.gl/hB04Y

March 9The Alternative History

of Chicago Theater

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Cost: $15

Chicago Public Radio,

1543 W. Division St., Chicago, Ill.

Register online: http://goo.gl/6nxBi

March 10Shakers and Stirrers Chicago

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Cost: $15

Networking for Professionals,

25 E. Ohio St., Chicago, Ill.

Register online: http://goo.gl/HvFkn

Chicago HR Whine and Dine

5:30 p.m - 9:00 p.m.Whine and Dine,

1261 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, Ill.

Register online: http://goo.gl/UymVd

March 11Around Chicago LIVE!

5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Cost: $15

Around Chicago, 39 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, Ill.

Register online: http://goo.gl/0ar4i

March 16The DBR Chambers Gourmet Club

6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Cost: $32

DBR Chamber of Commerce,

254 Green Bay Road, Highwood, Ill.

Register online: http://goo.gl/b91Kd

Networking Breakfast

7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Cost: $15

DBR Chamber of Commerce, 3000 Lakeside

Place, Bannockburn, Ill.

Register online: http://goo.gl/xQmWq

March 17Professional Womens

Networking Luncheon

11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Cost: $20

DBR Chamber of Commerce,

660 Lake Cook Road, Deereld, Ill.

Register online: http://goo.gl/5ZSgY

Making The Connection:

Diversity & Inclusion at Work

8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Cost: $199

JB Training Solutions,

200 E. Randolph St., #2200, Chicago, Ill.

Register ondine: http://goo.gl/aKyxC

March 23March Networking Meeting

5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Cost: $10

Jewish B2B Networking

135 South LaSalle, 14th Floor., Chicago, Ill.

Register online:http://jewishb2bnetworking.com/events/march-networking-meeting-chicago

March 31Networking Forum

5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Cost: $10

Jason Barlow,

1520 N. Dayton St., Chicago, Ill.

Register online: http://goo.gl/dwDnK

Brought to you by

networkingmonkey.com &jewishb2bnetworking.comAll events are free unless otherwise noted.

Jewish Business News - A publication of Jewish B2B Networking, Inc.www.thejewishbusiness.com


4/16

Is it Time to Hire Again?And i not now, when?

By Mendy Rimler

Robert Smith, CEO of Champion Media Worldwide (CMW), hung out

his shingle in 2000 during a period of general prosperity and healthy

growth. The advertising agency grew at a healthy pace, and by 2008,

Smith was employing a staff of 18.

Then came the crash of September 2008 and Smith, like small

businesses across the country, starting letting people go.

The decline at CMW nally ground to a halt in spring 2009 with a

mere six employees. The debt-fueled property bubble had burst, banks

were teetering on the edge of insolvency and the United States found

itself gripped in the downward spiral of a general nancial meltdown.Small businesses were among the rst to feel the sting of the recession

as they downsized and became more efcient with fewer workers.

Now, Smith is hiring again. Since January, Champion has hired two

to three people a month and this time around, its bigger and better.

He plans to add a total of 14 jobs in addition to the nine people he

currently employs. While Smith partially attributes his current growth

to a new business model at his company, he agrees that the improving

economy has certainly been a factor.

Today, as the economy slowly begins to recover, a light is becoming

brighter at the end of the tunnel. For the rst time since the recession

took hold, the job market is expected to show signicant gains this

year. In fact, small businesses accounted for more than half (97,000)

of the 187,000 private sector jobs created in January, according to the

payroll services company ADP.

But while many small businesses have reported that they expect to add

jobs in 2011, the prevailing narrative among small business owners

reects a cautious approach in a slowly recovering economy.

The indicators that we have tell us that the economy is improving,

Eric Bates, general manager at the Doubletree hotel in Skokie, said.

But instead of racing up to more staff and then having to lay off

people, well be waiting to see more improvement before we take on

more staff.

The number of employees at the hotel, about 130, has remained about

the same throughout the recession. Bates explains this is because the

hotel cross-trains employees to work in different parts of the building.

The same worker might wash laundry yet work at the front desk too,

Bates explained. For now, Doubletree plans on keeping that model in place.

Bates line of reasoning reects the zeitgeist among small business

owners in this climate, according to Daniel Kite, managing partner

of Sunbelt Brokers, the largest real estate brokerage rm in Chicago.

I dont hear despair anymore, and people have gained more

optimism, Kite said. Were seeing stabilization in small businesses

in Chicago, and we are on the way up. Ive spoken to thousands of

small business owners in Illinois over the course of 2010 and the cash

ow is there.

Still, Kite said, it will be a while before he expects most small

businesses to start hiring again. We are only just getting back to where

we were. Some 85 percent of Americans are employed by small

businesses, explained Kite, and unemployment will only signicantly

decline when they feel safe enough to hire again.

Indeed, for every Champion Media, there is a small business still stuck

in the economic morass. Take Dr. Marny Turvill, owner of Evanstons

Healthy Green Goods, a food store specializing in all-natural andorganic products.

Turvill opened her doors in 2006, and things only seemed to get better

until early 2009. Then, when she realized that she was stranded on

an island of debt, Turvill laid off her three employees in order to stay

aoat. Today, she said, hiring is off the agenda.

By cutting out all three workers and focusing heavily on generating

sales, things have started to turn around again. But I have to be very

cautious at this point for now, Im not hiring at all.

For the rst time since the recession

took hold, the job market is expectedto show signicant gains this year.



5/16

Baby Steps

At the state level, elected ofcials are hopeful that the winds of

change will start blowing soon. People are getting jobs, and

unemployment is coming down, said Illinois State Senator Ira

Silverstein, a Democrat who represents Chicagos north side.

The national unemployment rate fell to 9.0 percent in January, a

0.4 percent improvement over December. The number of people

applying for unemployment benets also plunged in early February

to 383,000, the lowest mark since July 2008. (Unemploymentapplications hit a peak in March 2009 at 651,000.) A Feb. 14 survey

by The Wall Street Journal showed that economists expect a 3.6

percent growth rate in the current quarter, up from 3.2 percent at the

end of 2010.

In yet more evidence that the economy is improving, the National

Federation of Independent Business Index of Small Business

Optimism rose 1.5 points in January, a modest increase. Still,

small business owners remain highly skeptical about the future and

continue to hesitate on new spending and hiring.

My advice to small business owners is to be cautiously optimistic,Silverstein said. We have a long way to go, were hoping that we

continue to see improvement, but we need to be cautious about the

recovery.

State Representative Lou Lang, a Democrat from Skokie, pointed

out that while small business owners are treading carefully, the

small yet steady growth is already translating into more jobs.

In the last year, Illinois has put on more jobs than any other state

surrounding us, he said. In addition, he noted that he is working to

implement new bills this spring to bring business to Illinois and help

local businesses stay here. Small businesses owners should bear in

mind that we have programs at the Department of Commerce and

Economic Opportunity in Illinois that are designed to infuse money

into businesses, as well as tax credits and other incentives, he said.

Window of Opportunity

For small business owners who are adding jobs, like founder and

president of Libby and Laura Boutique Bakery in Chicago, Laura

Klibanow, there is a silver lining to these down times. Klibanow

posted an ad on Craigslist for help with pre-Chanukah orders three

months ago and almost immediately received offers from people

who were overqualied for the job.

There are so many skilled people out there who are just waiting fora job. Its a great environment for me, said Klibanow, whose baked

goods will soon be available in more area stores. People need jobs

and will take temporary work, too.

President of Parlay Communications Sima Dahl built Chicago-based

Marketing Job Wire, a peer-powered community of professionals

who share job leads, six years ago. Lately, Dahl has noticed that a

specic demographic has begun signing up for her weekly emails.

Ive noticed that there are a lot more seniors who are looking for

jobs. Also, theres a lot more demand now for temporary jobs, Dahl

said.

Though a wider pool means more opportunities for small business

owners, Rep. Lang says this offers a downside too: People may

move on too quickly when they nd better options elsewhere. But

small businesses will now be able to bring in experts who they

normally would never have had a chance to bring in, Lang said.

No doubt a factor in the amount of jobs being added today, this

incentive also explains why government data shows that job

openings are rising far more sharply than hirings; employers simply

have the ability to be picky about whom they hire, and hold out for

the ideal candidate.

But they are hiring again, and the reports from small business

owners in the trenches are tentatively positive, according to Diane

Swonk, chief economist at Chicago-based Mesirow Financial.

The actual key to hiring by small business is a change in the pace

of business startups, which remains very weak compared to pre-

recession levels, but is starting to show signs of picking up, Swonk

said. Small business condence is slowly rming, and there is

some movement in hiring at the national level.

Mendy Rimler is a freelance writer living in Detroit. To respond to this article,

write to [email protected].



6/16

How Much Is That Picture in the Window?

By Yisroel Kamen

Joshua Ginsberg will be the rst to admit that he is not an art consultant.The Philadelphia native with a head for business and a penchant forpainting understands that choosing artwork can be as personal as thesearch for a spouse, so he likens his role to that of a shadchan.

Im here to provide the type of art that people request, he says,condent that his blossoming venture, Chicago Art Leasing, llsa necessary void in an industry where hype sells and quality is assubjective as your favorite Starbucks brew. Im really a ne artmatchmaker.

His business model is simple yet surprisingly effective: Whereas atraditional art buyer would head to the gallery or work through anagent to nd the perfect piece, Ginsberg, 34, bypasses the middlemen

by presenting himself directly to clients as a reliable conduit to manydistinct, bubbling sources of art. But the genius of this enterprise liesin the sales routine, or more precisely, lack thereof.

Ginsberg designed Chicago Art Leasing to accommodate businessesand individuals alike who demand a high-end yet exible solution totheir aesthetic needs. The concept of leasing artwork struck Ginsbergas a viable alternative to outright sales during a personal struggle overparting with his own original paintings.

I thought, maybe theres a way that I can maintain ownership of mywork while generating revenue, he recalls.

Determined to nd out, Ginsberg developed relationships with amultitude of local artists while simultaneously exploring the needs ofthe consumer market. It was during these early days that one of hisrst clients, an accounting rm in Skokie, shared a secret that gave hisnotion a license to ourish.

Since the federal tax code denes artwork as a non-depreciablecapital asset, Ginsberg learned that it made perfect sense forcorporate clients to lease from his company; if not owned, artworkis deemed a liability and can thus be written off along with otherbusiness expenses.

Two and a half years later, Chicago Art Leasing satises clients tastesby drawing from a collage of some 90 professional artists workingin oils, acrylics, watercolors, wood and metal sculpture, ceramics,photography, pen and ink, cut paper, mixed media, and more.

I dont think there is anyone in the market doing what I do, he says,gauging his business early success by its remarkable ability to swimwith the sharks in a rough economy.

Were now witnessing a bit of a sea change. As the market thaws,companies recognize our stability and are starting to contact us.

Leasing art is a particularly attractive option for small businessesseeking to beautify typically close quarters while supporting localartists.

Were constantly looking to expand and change things up, saysacupuncturist Teri Calandra, a Chicago Art Leasing client of over twoyears who switches up her paintings every three months.

Ginsberg understandsthat people want art intheir lives for a varietyof reasons and heworks to accommodatevirtually any request.Most of the leases henegotiates are basedupon monthly usagebut some are forshorter terms, such aswhen a client requires a special piece for a weekend conference orto enliven the ambiance of a house party. And since people oftenfall in love with that which constantly surrounds them, he regularly

drafts installment purchase plans and lease-to-own agreements.

Artists usually benet more from a lease, Ginsberg maintains,because it allows them to derive income from displayed work thatmay otherwise be accruing storage fees.

In conjunction with earning a living, one of the biggest challengesof a living artist is visibility, he notes. Through leasing, an artistunderstands that its like putting his art to work for him.

Art consultant David Parker, who occasionally advises ChicagoArt Leasing, notes that Ginsbergs approach meshes well withChicagos deep sense of civic pride, allowing him to unite peoplewho in turn feel good about supporting each others businesses.

Josh is pretty aggressive and quite enterprising, he says, Iadmire his spirit and ability to speak the same language as hisclients.

As a matchmaker, Ginsberg assesses both parties needs through apatented hands-off approach, allowing customers to describe theirwishes before he attempts to satisfy them.

The best meetings last two hours, he says. I ask three questionsand the client talks the rest of the time.

Ginsbergs metamorphosis from edgling business consultant tobecoming the Jerry Maguire of the art world was no accident offate; the University of Michigan graduate is the son of a doctor-turned-entrepreneur father and an artist mother. He would beremiss, however, not to acknowledge that struggling to nd hisniche during those early post-college years ripened him for theopportunity to pursue a career within the eld of his dreams.

I knew that if I could nd a way of making a sustainable livingin the ne art world, I would do it, he recounted, offering like-minded visionaries a method for testing their ideas.

The rst time you make a sale, its luck. The second time, maybeyoure on a streak. By the third time, you may have a business onyour hands.

An entrepreneur creates a new model to deal art

Yisroel Kamen is a freelance writer in Chicago. To respond to this column,

write: [email protected].

Chicago Art Leasing owner Josh Ginsberg, right, and artist

Beatriz E. Ledesma install a piece for her exhibition entitled

Not Quite There Yet at Flourish Studios Gallery in Chicago.



7/16



8/16

It is very difcult for an accountant not to think about taxes at thistime of year. From January until April, taxes play a major role in ourpersonal and professional lives. Now, more than ever, with the federal,state and local government debt crisis in the news each day, increasingtax obligations are in the forefront of our minds.

Taxes are a necessary evil. They are needed to fund the governmentand to provide basic services that we all could not live without.

Most of us dont realize that taxes were at the core of the AmericanRevolution and in no small way played a role in the founding of thiscountrys independence from Great Britain. Taxation, or limitationson taxation, is a central pillar of our constitution. Kings and monarchsthroughout history would harshly tax the population to fund unpopularwars or lavish personal spending. Inevitably, the citizenry rebelled

when the burden became too great. Revolution often ensued and newgovernments were formed that promised a better way to tax and spend.

Is it any different today? Do you see any threads that link the past toour current situation? The national debt in the United States standsat $14 trillion, an amount of money that boggles the mind. We juststarted getting used to debt loads in the billions and now we are forcedto accept that billions are pocket change. It is generally acknowledgedthat elected ofcials dont even bother to read legislation that dealswith only a few billion dollars. After all, who will notice a fewbillion dollars added to the debt when we already owe $14 trillion?

It reminds me of the mentality of a debtor who knows that he will beling for bankruptcy protection soon but still has some available crediton his charge card. Why not just buy something more? Whats the

difference when I owe so much already?

State and city governments around the country owe billions of dollarsto unfunded pension plans, hospitals and school districts beyondforecasted revenue. Not only cant they pay what is already owed,but their spending continues unabated. Massive annual budget decitsresult in additional borrowing just to get through the short term. Thesolution is obvious, at least to lawmakers: just raise taxes.

In Illinois, legislators recently decided to raise taxes to service thedebt ($15 billion and growing, making Illinois debt one of the

largest in the country) rather than cut spending. The result was a 66percent increase in personal taxes and a 43 percent rise in corporatetaxes. According to the Christian Science Monitor, Gov. Pat Quinnpersonally congratulated legislators for successfully raising taxes at atime when most states were cutting spending.

In my opinion, we are making bad choices. Revolutions have resultedfrom tax increases perceived by the public as abusive (Boston Tea Party1773 comes to mind along with Sarah Palins Tea Party 2010). Do webelieve that history does not repeat itself? As heads of households,business leaders, legislators and citizens of the world, we must resetour scal mindsets before it is too late. We teach our children to workhard, give a portion of their earnings to charity, save money and live

within their means. Why do we believe that our governments at everylevel dont have to do the same?

I have been privileged over the years to become acquainted with LenWalter, the business and nancial editor for WBBM Newsradio 780.Im big fan. He gets it in my opinion. One time, shortly after the9/11 terrorist attacks, I saw him at the Rosemont Convention Centerand asked him for some advice to share with my clients. Withouthesitation, he told me we must live within our means and spendbelow our means. For example, Len advised that someone who earns$50,000 annually should live and make decisions as though he earned$40,000. Len explained that living below our means allows us to savemoney for unexpected occurrences, like losing a job. In this way,we are prepared to handle whatever might come without a dramaticimpact on lifestyle.

My advice to clients, to the people who read this column and to ourelected ofcials is to follow Lens advice. The nancial course wehave collectively chosen as a society is unsustainable. Lets hope thatwe can make the necessary changes before its too late.

Our Fiscal Trajectory Is UnsustainableLets change course beore its too late

By Moshe Klein

Moshe Klein is an accountant and small business consultant. His frm, Moshe

Klein & Associates, Ltd. is based in Chicago and services clients throughout

the United States and Canada. To respond to his column, write to:

[email protected].

We must live within our means

and spend below our means.



9/16

Doing What Is Upright in Gods Sight

In the world of work and nance, success and failure can be

measured. Money spent and money earned, money gained and

money lost are all carefully accounted for. The progress of ones

career can be tracked by income, rank or the symbols of power and

prestige.

Jewish culture has rarely denigrated the world of work, nor has the

accumulation of wealth often been viewed with suspicion among

Jews. Rabbinic sources evaluate ones business affairs rst of all

through an ethical lter, as in this classic Midrash, one among

many:

If you will heed the Lord your God diligently, and you do what is

upright in Gods sight, giving ear to Gods commandments, and you

keep all Gods laws (Exodus 15:26): What does doing what

is upright mean? It means being engaged in the give-and-take of

business. The verse implies that when people act in business with

integrity and their fellow human beings are pleased with them, it is

accounted to them as if they had fullled the whole entire Torah.

[Mekhilta de-Rabbi Yishmael, Va-Yassa, 1.] The Midrash reads

these connected phrases as a sentence: doing what is upright

constitutes keeping all of Gods laws.

Intrinsic value is ascribed to work itself in many classical Jewish

sources. Work is valued not as the converse of an inherently evil

idleness but rather with the positive goal of self-reliance. People feel

shame not so much about being idle as about being indigent, and

it is from the latter that we ask to be spared in these passages from

the traditional Grace after Meals: May we never nd ourselves in

need of gifts or loans from esh and blood [but may we rely only on

Your helping hand] and May the Merciful One provide us with

an honorable livelihood. From this outlook, Jewish law derives a

parental obligation to provide children with an education in someskill from which they may earn a living.

Protection for the rights of employees is grounded in biblical law,

beginning with a prohibition against delaying payment to a day

laborer (Leviticus 19:13). Rabbinic civil law underscored that point,

claiming that one who delays payment violates not one but four

biblical injunctions, and added the provision that wages must be

paid in money and not in goods. Workers rights are also protected

in rabbinic law by granting them an exemption to the general rule

that nancial claims must be based on more than just a statement

under oath. An employee denied wages could establish such a claim

merely by making a statement in court.

The individual encounters the world of business as a consumeras well. Biblical and later Jewish law provide for a number of

forms of consumer protection. As early as the laws of the Torah,

fraudulent pricing and inaccurate weights and measures are

outlawed. The biblical prophets railed against unfair market

practices as much as they did against such other moral failings as

idolatry and licentiousness, and the rabbis of the Talmudic era did

the same. Going beyond mere sermonizing, Jewish law specically

recognizes a consumers right to abrogate a sale made under

deliberately falsied conditions or at an exorbitantly high price.

Excerpted with permission from MyJewishLearning.com

Locate these and other business networkers and create your own profle online at

www.jewishb2bnetworking.com/directory

Stu NitzkinNational Director o Israel SportCenter or the DisabledMotto: Live each day and help as many people

as possible.

My work: Raise awareness and fundraise for charity.

What sets me apart: I have the ability to connect

with different kinds of people.

Seth ArkinCopywriter, Creative Director,Marketing ConsultantMotto: Describing what is rarely as essential as

conveying why.

My work: I help organizations shape compelling

messages that stimulate action.

What sets me apart: A passion for exploringothers creativity greatly enhances my own,

ideally on your behalf.

Martha SchwartzCatering Sales Manager,

Doubletree HotelMotto: Wake up curious every day and nd people

who make you laugh.

My work: Selling social catering events for the

Doubletree Hotel with an expertise in the kosher market.

What sets me apart: I enjoy being my clients

trusted advisor.



10/16

We enter March looking for signs of spring and warmer weather. Assmall business owners, we hope the rst scal quarter of 2011 will

show a warm net prot and comparable improvement over theblizzard of the same quarter a year ago.

How should we plan for the coming months properly? Shouldwe invest in inventories? Contract for more advertising to drivebusiness? Or perhaps we should lay low and wait out the stormanother quarter and hope for the best?

Telling Economic IndicatorsWeve compiled a handful of economic indicators to help the smallbusiness owner better assess the future direction of the economy.

Gold Closing out February 2010, gold was hovering in the rangeof $1,100 per troy ounce. In February 2011, we see gold in therange of $1,350 to $1,400 per ounce. Traditionally, the demand for

gold will increase when the dollar is weak. For small businesses, aweak dollar means that it will cost more to purchase products andmaterials.

Dollar Index In February 2011, the dollar fell to a 12-week lowagainst a basket of currencies, driven lower primarily on the strengthof the pound sterling, which hit a 10-week high amid growing fearsof U.S. ination. According to Reuters, the markets expect theEuro Zone to raise interest rates sooner than the United States, soinvestors have gravitated toward the Euro. That ight had a negativeimpact on the value of the dollar.

Oil In January 2010, oil was selling for $69 per barrel. By February2010, it had hit $74. One year later, in February 2011, the price of abarrel is approaching $100. Naturally, the cost of gasoline, heating

fuel and other products made from oil have risen as well.

DJIA The stock market rally over the past year has been trulyamazing. Looking only at stocks, one might believe that the impactand ill effects of the great recession have been wiped away and theaverage American has been made whole again. January 2010saw the market rmly rooted at the 10,000 level with growingmomentum. December 2010 saw the Dow reaching for 12,000. InFebruary 2011, despite some minor adjustments, it appears that12,000 is the new reality.

National Debt The government continues to spend more moneythan it collects. The national debt has increased from $10.6 trillionin January 2010 to over $14 trillion in February 2011. Worse, theredoes not appear to be an end in sight for the spending, despite bi-

partisan agreement in Congress that its out of control.

The Budget Decit According to the presidents Ofce ofManagement & Budget (OMB), the economy is on an unsustainablepath. The OMB is forecasting improvement in the economy overa 10-year period, but stresses that further policy changes must bemade now to keep the country on track.

Unemployment Over the past year, the national unemploymentrate has wobbled between 9.8 and 9 percent. Its expected this willnot change dramatically until consumer spending accelerates. Atthat point, more cash for business operations will become available

and small businesses will invest in both inventory and workers.

On the surface, things seem to be stabilizing: unemployment isdeclining, GDP is slightly higher than forecasted and the stockmarket is roaring back. To balance those indicators, however, itsour opinion that ination is becoming problematic and the housingmarket has not yet hit bottom. Personal debt levels also remain quitehigh and the cost of commodities and consumer goods continues ona steady climb.

Our forecast, therefore, is that the recovery has not taken holdfully and the benets of the recovery have not trickled down to ourlevel yet. While Wall Street might be seeing the sunshine and feelingthe rst rays of spring warmth, its still winter in our small businessneighborhood. We would not recommend putting away the shovel orthe winter coat just yet.

Budget carefully, market and advertise for new businessaggressively, but keep costs down. Inventories should remain lowto moderate, but always be on the lookout for bargains. Without adoubt, micro-manage your prot margins and try to nd just theright balance between aggressive advertising, sales increases andmargin improvement.

Hang in there: manage your business smartly and spring will be rightaround the corner!

Has Spring Arrived Yet?By The Staff of Jewish Business News



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12/16

State Update: Small Business Job Creation Tax CreditExpansion

On Jan. 17, Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation to expand the IllinoisSmall Business Job Creation Tax Credit (HB 4599). The credit wasenacted in 2010 as a means to jumpstart job creation in the wake of thenational nancial crisis. Its recent expansion is aimed at reversing thetrend of high unemployment in I llinois and to help spur the recoveryby assisting small businesses in the creation of local, sustainable new

jobs.

Under the new law, the tax credit eligibility is expanded to qualiedbusinesses that hire employees who participated as worker-traineesin Governor Quinns Put Illinois to Work program (PITW) during2010. PITW creates jobs throughout the state by linking low-incomeparents and young adults with worksites in local communities.

Business and Tax Credit EligibilityThere are two categories of businesses eligible for the tax credit. Therst are small businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees. Thesebusinesses would receive a credit of $2,500 when they hire new, full-time PITW employees during the 12-month period that began onJuly 1, 2010. The employer is entitled to one credit ($2,500) if theposition is sustained for one year. It does not require that a particularindividual employee be retained for a year. For small businesses,someone previously employed by the company between Jan. 1, 2010and June 30, 2010 cannot ll the position.

The second category includes businesses of any size that hire a PITWworker-trainee. Employers in this category are entitled to one-half

of the credit ($1,250) as long as that new worker is employed forat least 6 months after the date of hire. The employer is entitled tothe other half of the credit if that same employee is employed forat least 12 months. For these businesses, someone who previouslyworked for the applicants business under the PITW program can llthe position.

Businesses must be located within the state of Illinois to qualify forthe credit and must engage in interstate or intrastate commerce. Newbusinesses hiring their rst Illinois employee(s) may qualify for thecredit. The credit can be taken against the companys withholdingtax liabil ity.

All new positions require that employees receive no less than $10hourly, with a minimum of $18,200 annually. The credit may be

claimed for an hourly employee working an average of at least 35hours per week or for a full-time salaried employee, but not for apartner or an independent contractor.

How to ApplyOnline registration for the credit may be made as soon as a new, full-time employee is hired. Eligible companies should register onlineat JobsTaxCredit.illinois.gov. For more information, call 1-800-252-2923. Illinois has capped the credits at $50 million.

Provided by the Small Business Advocacy Council

The Small Business Advocacy Council is a non-partisan group with over 160 members, including law frms, real estate brokers, accounting frms and others.

A New Program Pays Small Businesses to HireBy Blanca Campos



13/16



14/16

Social Media Manager,Chicago, Ill.We are currently seeking a social media guru to join our team.

Our ideal candidate will be analytical, Internet-savvy and have a

background in generating business through social media.

See complete listing @ www.jewishb2bnetworking.com/jobs.

Account Manager,Chicago, Ill.

Responsibilities include researching our clients businesses and

their marketing objectives, creating presentations, proposals and

other materials to communicate our marketing solutions.


Marketing Coordinator,Chicago, Ill.

The excellent candidate is an enthusiastic, motivated, hands-on

marketing coordinator with a solid track record in coordinatingthe activities of the marketing department.


Security Services Manager, Homewood, Ill.

This position is responsible for proactively managing the service

business within the security products group.


Payroll Manger,Chicago, Ill.

This position will oversee 3-4 payroll clerks and have

responsibility for the accounting and processing associated with

a 1,000 + employee multi-state payroll.


Outside Sales Specialist,Chicago, Ill.

We are currently looking for an outside sales specialist to join our

team. This person will cover the metro Chicago area.


Creative Technical Producer,Chicago, Ill.

As a technical producer, you work closely with sales account

executives, agencies, clients and sales engineers to create and

operate branded advertising programs.See complete listing @ www.jewishb2bnetworking.com/jobs.

Administrative Assistant,Deerfeld, Ill.

We are seeking an experienced administrative assistant to assist

a member of our senior staff, as well as be an integral part of our

ofce team and the larger community.


Find out more about these jobs and over 100 more online at

www.jewishb2bnetworking.com/jobs



15/16

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jewish business news - march 2011

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