risbj issue 2, volume 2

freevolume two issue two

solving the dehydration problem

Providence Animal Rescue League | Central Chamber

turning passioninto a thriving business

Daddy, What Do You Do For Work

FuelBelt

Record KeepingFor The Self-Employed

Founders League HitsThe Ground Running

features:

RWU.edu(401) 254-3530

Courses, Certificates, DegreesDowntown Providence and Online

Gil Lantini | From The FoUNDer

fromthe founder

Happy Anniversary to the Rhode Island Small Business

Journal! This issue marks the one year anniversary of our

first publication date. What started out as an idea in July

2011, hit the stands in February 2012 and one year later

we’ve lived to tell our story. Just like a wedding day, I

remember the day our first issue went to press. It began

with anxiety and stress, that lead up to the ultimate moment

of excitement, the “I do”. That was the moment Jim sent the

files off for production. We followed that up with our post

ceremony “reception” at a favorite Providence bar. That

night marked a celebration of eight months of hard work

we had put into building the concept and the brand, and

RISBJ was finally now going to be a reality.

Unfortunately for us, unlike a wedding there was no

honeymoon after. I recall waking up the next morning after

a long night out and thinking to myself “Do I really have

to start on our next issue NOW”? The world of publishing

was new to me and the thought of having to do this all

over again was a bit overwhelming. Not only did we start

on the next issue right away, but we’ve done it 10 more

times since. With 12 issues scheduled for 2013, RISBJ has

become the voice of entrepreneurship in Rhode Island,

supporting our small business community, and we are here

to stay.

This anniversary issue is one of our best yet. Our featured

cover story is on FuelBelt, a Rhode Island company that

has been on the Inc. 5000 list 6 years in a row. Founder

Vinu Malik turned a lifelong passion of his into a thriving

business. I truly believe that to be successful in business

you need to have passion for what you do. Malik’s story

shows us that if a market for your product exists, we can

combine our passion with hard work and determination to

be successful.

Thank you to everyone who has helped us turn our passion

into a reality. We enjoy bringing you each and every issue

of RISBJ and hope to continue to do so for a very long time.

The traditional gift for a one year anniversary is paper and

I couldn’t think of a more fitting gift to give than volume 2

issue 2 of RISBJ. If we make it to 50 years, Ralph promises

a gold plated magazine. We’ll see how that turns out. In the

meantime, I hope you enjoy this anniversary issue!

2 rISBJ | rhode island small business journal 41920 IR ,ecnedivorP tsaE • enaL sirroM 22 • moc.snoitulosecremmoctsae

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401 831 [email protected]

©MMXIII Rhode Island Small Business Journal

Gil LantiniPresident, Founder

ralph CoppolinoVice President, Operations

& Business Development

Danny AngeliAccount Executive

James Pardee JrCreative Director and Design Editor

mike CasaleGraphic Designer

Aaron CadieuxVideo Production Manager

Contributing WritersLisa Buben

Miriam J. CaloreKristin Carcieri-MacRae

Jeffrey S. DeckmanDarlene EvansPeter GeorgeJeremy GirardAdam Harvey

Jeanne A. HulitDouglas Jobling

Steven J. King, PECarolyn Lavin

Dave LubelczykDonna Mac

Bob ManasierIvan Misner

Ralph MollisChris Poe

Elizabeth PierottiPatricia Raskin

Peggy RileyDr. Ronald G. Shapiro

Mari Anne SnowTim Sullivan

Mayor Angel TaverasMelissa Withers

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4 rISBJ | rhode island small business journal

Secretary Of State

Daddy, What Do You Do At Work?

Making A Difference For Small Business

Spotlight On Startups

When Passion Meets Execution

How Social Media Has Transformed Public Relations

Building A Strong Contact Sphere

An Educated Consumer Is The Best Consumer

Networking And Workshops

Elders vs Egos

Navigating Your Communication Skills

Ways For Taxpayers To Get Tax Help

Run Your Business Like An Entrepreneur

New Jobs And New Beaches At The Quonset

Reaching Out Through The Airwaves

Show What Your Customers Think Of You

Manufacturing Renaissance Revisited

First Impressions

Your Small Business Online In 2013

Record Keeping For The Self-Employed

3 Tips For Staying Focused

06

09

10

12

15

16

18

20

21

21

What’s Flowing This Issue?

Read. Replenish. Repeat.

09


Forewarned Is Forearmed

Featured Story: Fuelbelt

Business Profile: Mutual Cornell

Featured Chamber: Central Chamber

Chamber Chat

Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should

Capital City: Providence’s Comeback Story

Founders League Hits The Ground Running

Social, Visual, Mobile, Virtual: Part II

The Importance Of Optimizing Your Website For Mobile

Featured Nonprofit: Providence Animal Rescue League

Golocal

Commercial Real Estate

Community Corner

Navigating Your Communication Skills

Ways For Taxpayers To Get Tax Help

Run Your Business Like An Entrepreneur

New Jobs And New Beaches At The Quonset

Reaching Out Through The Airwaves

Show What Your Customers Think Of You

Manufacturing Renaissance Revisited

First Impressions

Your Small Business Online In 2013

Record Keeping For The Self-Employed

3 Tips For Staying Focused

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SeCreTAry oF STATe | Ralph Mollis

Encouraging EconomicData Points to Better Times Ahead for EntrepreneursSecretary Of State Ralph Mollis

It appears that Rhode Island’s entrepreneurs

are continuing to be more optimistic about

the economy’s recovery, based on 2012 data

from Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis.

Last year 7,121 new business entities

registered with his office, the most since the

Great Recession officially began in 2008.

“We should be careful about reading too

much into these numbers after years of

struggle. There may still be pain ahead, but

at least there are signs that the economy is

headed in the right direction,” says Mollis.

Mollis tracks annual business filings because

most newly formed business entities in

Rhode Island choose a corporate structure

that requires registering with his office.

For example, 2012 marked the first time

there have been two consecutive years of

growth since 2006-2007. Starts were up 4

percent last year compared to 2011, which

was up 1 percent compared to 2010.

“Judging from our work with start-ups over

the past year, there were indications that

people have more faith in the future of

the economy. But the results are still a bit

surprising,” says Mollis.

And for the first time since 2004-2007, there

have been four straight years of growth in

any corporate legal structure classification.

The number of newly formed limited liability

companies hit 4,479 in 2012, up 6.6 percent

compared to 2011.

If you want to toast the encouraging

economic news, consider a beer from

Foolproof Brewing Company, which was one

of those 7,000 start-ups last year. Finding the

beer shouldn’t be a problem, according to

President Nick Garrison. Though based in

Pawtucket, you can already order Foolproof’s

brews in dozens of pubs, restaurants, and

liquor stores from Westerly to Woonsocket.

“We worked on getting the brewery off the

ground for quite some time. Last year we

reached the point where we were ready

to tackle the business in earnest,” says

Garrison. “I needed time to pull the right

team together, write the business plan, find

a location and equipment, and put together

the financing. And I had to do a lot of

research about the regulatory environment

as well.”

The Pawtucket-based brewery kicked

off with three beers in its product line.

Each one is named for a particular

life activity, or as Garrison calls

them, “sacred beer experiences:”

Barstool, Raincloud and the uniquely

Rhode Island “Backyahd.”

“It appears that ‘Backyahd India Pale Ale’ is

going to be our flagship brand,” explains

Garrison. “It’s the ultimate suburban brew,

aggressively hopped with a tantalizing hop

aroma. The beer’s bitterness pairs perfectly

with spicy foods coming straight off the grill.”

Despite the success of start-ups like

Foolproof, Mollis says there are signs that

the economic shake-out is not over. In 2012,

6,725 corporate entities disappeared, about

1.5 percent more than 2011. Still, Rhode

Island did better than in 2008,

when the Great Recession officially began.

That year a record 7,071 companies went out

of existence.

“Our economic difficulties have taken a

terrible toll on all of us, but most signs

appear to point to better days ahead,” he

says. “Making it easier to start a business in

Rhode Island will create jobs and jumpstart

the economy.”

2012 marked the first time there have been two consecutive years of growth since 2006-2007


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Mind Your Own Brand | STArTUPS

by Dave Lubelczyk

One morning at breakfast my four-year-old

asked me what I do all day at work. As I

started to give my thirty-second elevator

pitch I use at networking events, I soon

realized he didn’t care how “I build stronger

brands and improve organizational

dynamics” nor did he seem interested in how

“I help companies succeed.”

So I told him that “I make companies better.”

And he asked, “Are they sick?”

“Well kind of,” I answered, struggling to

bring my complex methodology of creating

extraordinary experiences and advocacy

building down to a single phrase that would

satisfy my son. Finally I said, “I make stores,

restaurants and banks into fun places to

shop and work.” Satisfied with the answer,

he shifted the discussion to something

more important; what we were going to do

together that day.

As I later pondered this discussion, I realized

that we often describe our businesses in

terms of how we understand them, not

in terms our audiences will relate to. My

son understood ‘fun’ was better than ‘not

fun’ and he has often been bored in stores,

restaurants and banks. By putting things in

his terms, he was able to personally relate to

that description and see why making them

fun would be a good thing.

I have since changed how I describe my

business and so should you. When you

discuss your business, do not use industry

jargon, fancy marketing phrases or well-

crafted elevator pitches. Talk to the prospect

in terms of their business and their issues.

Which means you must ask them about their

business and listen to their issues before

you ramble on about your business.

If you are able to talk in terms of their

perspective and are able to make a real

connection between their business and

your product, soon you will be spending

some quality time together building a

solid relationship.

daddy, what doyou do at work?

Dave LubelczykImage Identityimageidentity.com

we often describe our

businesses in terms

of how we understand

them, not in terms our

audiences will relate to


by Jeanne A. Hulit

SBA Lending:Making a Difference for Small Business

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For two years in a row the U.S. Small Business Administration has

helped to put more than $30 billion into the hands of small business

owners across the country. In fiscal year 2012 (October 1, 2011

through September 30, 2012), SBA loan programs posted the second

largest dollar volume ever, surpassed only by the dollar volume in

fiscal year 2011, which was heavily boosted by the loan incentives

under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. The pace of SBA loan-

making is a healthy sign for the national economy and the credit

markets and is one of the foundations for ensuring the availability of

financing to small businesses trying to establish themselves, grow

and create new jobs for Americans.

Here in New England, the SBA backed just under 4,000 loans totaling

$930 million in fiscal year 2012.

In Rhode Island during the same period, SBA approved 349 loans

totaling $87.4 million.

Over the past year, SBA began streamlining and simplifying many of

the loan programs to provide more access and opportunity for both

lenders and small businesses. As part of this effort, SBA encouraged

lenders to use more of their own paperwork and the agency’s

updated processing systems, so that more than 80 percent of its loan

applications can now be processed online.

These efforts, among other loan enhancements, have resulted in

nearly 1,300 lenders returning to SBA lending, and have opened up

more points of access to capital for small businesses wherever they

do business. We have the results to prove it.

504 Loans Dollars Set All-Time Record. By improving the loan

making process and by allowing small businesses to refinance their

commercial mortgages for a limited period of time, we saw a record

year for the Certified Development Company (504) loan program,

which helped 9,471 entrepreneurs supporting $15 billion in small

SBA | Making a Difference for Small Business


Making a Difference for Small Business | SBA

Jeanne A. HulitAssociate Administrator for Capital Accessand Acting SBA New England Regional Administrator

SBA Lending:Making a Difference for Small Business

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business lending. 504 loans can be used to purchase or renovate

commercial real estate or machinery and equipment.

In New England, SBA and its Certified Development Companies

loaned 636 small businesses $373 million using the 504 program. The

CDCs approved 56 loans to Rhode Island small business that totaled

$31.7 million.

CAPLines Loan Program Jumps 400 Percent. A revamped CAPLines

program, which provides working lines of credit to small businesses

such as manufacturers and government contractors, jumped 400

percent from 108 loans and $118 million in fiscal year 2011, to 532

loans and $410 million in fiscal year 2012.

Low-dollar Loans on the Rise. Lenders are making more low-dollar

loans using the Advantage loan programs - Community Advantage

(CA) and Small Loan Advantage (SLA). Community Advantage

enables non-profit mission-based lenders to use SBA’s 7a Loan

Guaranty Program for the first time. These programs encourage

lenders to make low-dollar loans, which are an important tool for small

businesses. The Small Loan Advantage ended the fiscal year with 820

loans for $106 million. Nearly 80 percent of the year’s SLA loans came

after SBA simplified the processes on June 1.

SBA’s Growth Capital Program Breaks Record for the Third

Consecutive Year. The Small Business Investment Company

(SBIC) debenture program provided a record $2.95 billion to small

businesses in fiscal year 2012, a 14 percent increase over the

previous year and the highest single-year volume in the 54-year

history of the program. This good news is due in part to a number of

improvements that contributed to an increased number of new SBIC

licenses and reduced license processing times.

here in new england, the sba backed just

under 4,000 loans totaling $930 million

in fiscal year 2012


Spotlight | STArTUPS


by Elizabeth Pierotti Tips From the Trenches

when passion meets executionFor Startups…

When Passion Meets Execution | SmALL BUSINeSS

On several occasions recently, I’ve had the

opportunity to share what it means to be

an inventor and entrepreneur with middle

and high school age children. They love

the product stories, hearing about the

successes as well as the mis-steps. It’s their

chance to see in person what happens from

idea to finished product in a more hands-

on entertaining way than reading about it

in books. They find it unfathomable that a

product could take more than 10 years of

work to reach the marketplace since that

represents a longer time span than most of

them have been on the planet.

“It takes as long as it takes” can be

financially absorbed by corporations that

have the resources for sustained periods

of experimentation. James Dyson’s vacuum

cleaner, for example, took 15 years and

5000+ prototypes to complete. That’s fine

for him but entrepreneurs and start-ups

are working with more limited time and

money constraints.

One way or another, all ideas will go

through a development process if they’re

ever to transform into real products. As an

individual entrepreneur having to boot-strap

projects over the years, I’ve learned that a

far better use of resources is to focus on

concept development rather than product

development. Product development is

expensive since it includes services from

professionals with the technical skills a

project may need at some point. Concept

development costs very little and with some

effort, this process is within the grasp of

anyone committed to doing the homework.

The goal of concept development is to test

the merits of a new idea as thoroughly as

possible so that informed decisions can be

made on what to do next. A series of steps

will basically confirm whether the idea is

innovative… it works… it can be made…

the target consumers like it… and it can

turn into a profitable venture. None of this

involves any secret sauce or rocket science,

just focus, organization and research. I

call this the “Product Plan.” At the end of

this process, there will be one of several

outcomes:

• Your idea is determined to be

commercially viable and you advance

to the next stage.

• Your idea needs some modifications

and you go back to the drawing board

and revise accordingly.

• Your idea is found not to be viable, and

while this may initially be disappointing,

you are now free to let it go and move

on to a better idea.

These are all successful outcomes that cost

little or nothing and can be completed in a

relatively short time frame.

At the same time, there is a subjective

aspect to this process since no two

individuals will approach it in the same way.

Consider these three points:

• You have a unique set of skills, assets,

goals, and limitations.

• Whatever the product idea, your

approach must take into account your

resources and your goals.

• Your assets and approach converge

within the context of your product’s

industry, marketplace, and the state of

the economy at any given time.

Put these together and it becomes clear

that there is no single formula, quick answer

or common path that applies to every

person and all ideas. The good news is

that whatever your resources, if you avoid

abdicating your responsibility for doing this

work and take charge from the outset, you

will not only be following your passion, but

will have the satisfaction of executing it.

Elizabeth PierottiThe Inventing Lifewww.theinventinglife.com

the goal of concept development is to test

the merits of a new idea as thoroughly as

possible so that informed decisions can be

made on what to do next


SmALL BUSINeSS | How Social Media Has Transformed Public Relations

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For professionals in the fast-paced B2B

marketplace, social media remains a

daunting challenge. How does one make

the most of a social media tools such as

LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook plus blogs and

more? I often hear: “Why do I need to spend

time on social media? I am too busy with

emails already!”

While a recent Constant Contact presenter

shared that 69% of LinkedIn participants

are closing business on LinkedIn, the use

of social media as a tactical public relations

tool may be the key. Generating awareness,

reinforcing your brand, and keeping you and

your company top-of-mind are vital elements

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of public relations that can be

accomplished -- easily and efficiently --

through social media.

Smaller, targeted audience

With a carefully cultivated list of connections

and friends, your inspired posts and “shares”

of useful information go right to the people

who matter. While most will not be ready-

to-buy, all of your connections and friends

could influence others. Instead of hoping

that your audience members are reading

of your accomplishments in a print or web

publication, your news appears directly on

their computers/phones/devices.

Extended reach and viral capacity

Repurposing your news via the social-share

features of blogs, web sites and social

media outlets is the secret to making positive

impressions. Whether you are pontificating

on laws that impact drugs in the workplace,

offering advice about tax credits for small

businesses, or inviting clients and friends to

a seminar on 401K plans, social media is the

hottest way to disseminate your message

to your connections, and, hopefully, to the

connections of your connections.

ROI of time and energy

We all know that writing articles is great for

business-building. For those less inclined to

write, create a shorter post or share on your

favorite social media site. People just don’t

like to read anymore, so a quick highlight of

your message written in a fun-to-read way

may be your best bet for ROI (return-on-

investment) of your time and energy. And, of

course, the ultimate call-to-action is that you

will be available to elaborate via a one-on-

one phone call or face-to-face meeting.

So the next time you are thinking about what

to write or where to jump in or with whom

to connect, remember that each when you

engage your audience using social media,

you are enhancing your communications with

clients and customers, fortifying your public

image, and increasing your exposure to your

target audiences and beyond.

Carolyn LavinPresidentLavin Marketing Communications

why do I need to spend timeon social media? I am too busy

with emails already!”


Many people ask about the benefits of a “contact spheres” and how

to determine which businesses are in my contact sphere?

A contact sphere is a group of business professionals who have

a symbiotic relationship. They are in compatible, noncompetitive

professions, such as a lawyer, a CPA, a financial planner and a banker.

If you put those four people in a room for an hour, they’re going to do

business together. Each one is working with clients that have similar

needs but require different services. Hence, they’re working that

symbiotic relationship.

An effective example of a contact sphere is the caterer, the florist,

the photographer and the travel agent. I call this the “wedding

mafia”! If one gets a referral to a wedding, then they all get a

referral to the wedding. These professions, more than most, have

truly learned how to work their contact sphere.

Here are some other examples of contact spheres:

Business services: printers, graphic artists,

specialty advertising agents and marketing

consultants.

Real estate services: residential and

commercial agents, escrow companies,

title companies and mortgage brokers.

Contractors: painters, carpenters, plumbers,

landscapers, electricians and interior designers.

Health care: chiropractors, physical therapists,

acupuncturists and nutritionists.

Let’s take a computer sales and service company

as an example. That contact sphere may include

sales reps for telecommunications hardware firms

and photocopier companies. Also, contractors

who specialize in installing wiring may fit within

this contact sphere to assist in wiring installations.

Also, don’t forget the computer trainers, who work

with people and their computers on a daily basis, as well

The Benefits of Buildinga Strong Contact Sphere


Building a Strong Contact Sphere | SmALL BUSINeSS

Called the “father of modern networking” by CNN, Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times bestselling author. He is the Founder and Chairman of BNI, the world’s largest business networking organization.

Peter George is the BNI Area Director for Rhode Island, helping members have a successful, profitable BNI experience.

as business coaches and accountants, who may have clients that

need to improve their company’s technology.

To get the most out of your contact sphere:

1. Identify as many professions as possible that fit within your

company’s contact sphere. Take a look at what professions

your industry tends to work with to get an idea of repetitive and

reciprocal referrals. Create a list of these professions.

2. Identify specific individuals who could fit into your contact

sphere. Go to various networking groups and consult your

business card file and database.

3. Invite these people to participate in networking groups with you

so you can formalize your relationship and have a way to stay in

regular contact. Maintaining the relationship is key. A good way

to do that is to participate in groups that put you together on a

regular basis.

4. Evaluate the professionals in your contact sphere that you are

presently referring. If they are not reciprocating, you may have

the wrong profession or the wrong person. Fill the spot with

someone who is willing to reciprocate.

Although developing a solid contact sphere will greatly increase your

business, you must remember that it alone is not enough. Because

contact spheres consist of small groups, you’re not likely to gain

exposure to a large number of individuals. Hence, work on developing

your overall network of contacts at the same time you are developing

your contact sphere.

Contact spheres are a great way to start building your professional

network. Good luck!

The Benefits of Buildinga Strong Contact Sphere

An effective example of a contact sphere is the caterer, the florist, the photographer and the travel agent. I call this the “wedding mafia”! If one

gets a referral to a wedding, then they all get a referral to the wedding.


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SmALL BUSINeSS | An Educated Consumer Is The Best Consumer

an educated consumer is the best consumer

Energy deregulation has created

competition, savings and confusion. Fixed

rates versus index pricing are prime

examples of this.

Fixed rates may appear appealing, but

historically indexed pricing performed

superlatively. The recession, lower peak

demands, favorable wholesale production

and hurricane reports, keep index pricing

low and stable. The indexed product is

purchased in real time and mirrors the

market, thereby offering the least amount of by Miriam J. Calore


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risk to both the consumer and the supplier.

In contrast, a fixed rate is a combination of

cost and margin, collateral premium, usage

and risk adder, price hold premium, hedge

cost, and the average price. The quoted

fixed rate does not include additional

penalties and fees that can be accrued with

usage swings or consumption variances. So,

though a fixed rate may provide an element

of risk management and budget certainty,

it does not provide a financial reduction on

operating expenses.

National Grid in Rhode Island represents

this performance analysis perfectly. Not only

do we battle the LMP’s (locational marginal

pricing), which are affected by supply and

demand and extreme and unpredictable

New England weather patterns, but we

also battle National Grid’s variable supply

rates. Up through 2009, National Grid’s

Standard Offer Service (SOS) was fairly

stagnant and many fixed rate agreements

had positive results. (The success of each

agreement was contingent upon when it was

entered.) However, in 2010, National Grid

implemented a variable rate SOS. This had a

truly costly impact on those under fixed rate

contracts. In 2013 the variable SOS rates

combined with varying monthly meter reads

and usage make budget certainty and risk

management fallacies.

A fixed rate may provide a moment of

budget certainty, but with it comes both a

risk and cost. In contrast, an index product

streamlines the risks taken by both the

supplier and the business, thereby securing

operating expense reductions. Deregulation

presents a choice and this information offers

you the power to choose wisely.

Miriam J. CaloreBusiness Development ManagerGlacial Energy

the indexed product is purchased

in real time and mirrors the

market, thereby offering the

least amount of risk to both the

consumer and the supplier.


eveNTS | Networking and Workshops

How to Start or Run a Profitable Small BusinessMonday, March 4th6:30 PM to 9:00 PMCenterville Seminar Center

Networking at NightMonday, March 4th5:00 PM to 7:00 PMMcCoy Stadium with the PawSoxPawtucket, RINorthern RI Chamber

Women’s Winter SeriesWednesday, March 6th12:00 PM to 1:00 PM East Bay Chamber Community RoomEast Bay Chamber of Commerce

March Speed Networking EventWednesday, March 6th11:30 AM to 1:00 PMKountry Kitchen, Greenville, RINorth Central Chamber

Developing a Business PlanWednesday, March 6th 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM East Bay Chamber of Commerce

Business Before HoursThursday, March 7th 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM Sugar High, Inc. Newport Chamber of Commerce

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So much of the traditional conversation surrounding leadership in

organizations today is really off base. Like so many other things in

our modern society much of the discussion around leadership is very

ego based and is focused upon self promotion and/or creating one’s

professional brand.

In fact, according to Dave Logan, best selling author of Tribal

Leadership, approximately 85% of all leadership books are written

from what he calls the Stage 3 leadership perspective. He defines

Stage 3 leadership as being one that is ego based and ego driven.

For instance, you will see many books on leadership promoting

the individual who wrote them; promoting an industry tycoon or

suggesting one acts as a fighter pilot or even as a ninja when leading

others. The latter of which was clearly written by an individual who

clearly never studied the ancient Japanese martial art of Ninjutsu. I

spent four years studying that discipline and I can tell you he had no

clue what he was talking about. But he is selling books.

But that is the nature of Stage 3 leaders and leadership models. They

are based upon more fluff than substance and designed to get you

to buy into to some “fantasy” instead of actually giving you tools that

work under fire. And lets face it, real, in the trenches leadership, on a

day to day, human to human and incident by incident basis is always

a trial by fire. So these folks, while perhaps well intentioned, are

actually doing you more harm than good and are taking your money in

the process.

Dave’s research also reveals that 49% of all organizations operate

under a Stage 3 egocentric leadership model. Another 25% of

organizations are being run by apathetic leaders and another 2% by

“vindictive” leaders.

This means that 76% of all organizations operate under leadership

models that empower the wants and needs of a few and which

Elders vs Egosthe battle for the ethosof the modern businessWhy Past Practices are Essential to Embrace

in the New Economy by Jeffrey S. Deckman

CoLor Key: networking workshops


Elders vs Egos | SmALL BUSINeSS

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enforce authority as opposed to ones that respect, mobilize and

maximize the potential of everyone in the organization.

This is not good news because the modern era of business demands

we maximize our human capital resources. Just as machines and

repetitive processes generated the most financial capital in the

20th century the human attributes of creativity, communication and

collaboration are the dominant drivers of profits in this century. And

egos restrict access to these critical resources.

Since the world has changed forever so too must our leadership

models. To not adapt to the modern conditions will prove disastrous.

Because study after study has proven, without a doubt, that people

simply do not respond well to egotistical managers. And a company

hemorrhages money when leadership is weak and the workforce is

non-responsive.

The Return of the Elders

If you look up “elder” in the dictionary you get several bland and

technical definitions. But if you ask yourself, or others around you, to

define an elder I bet what comes out are words that have a sense of

reverence about them. People naturally have positive associations

with elders. And even if they don’t know how to describe one perfectly,

they know one when they see one.

I submit the reason for this is because the essence of what a true

elder is touches upon our souls first, then the mind. And since

dictionaries are written by and for brains they do a poor job of

describing a word that actually connects to our anthropological tribal

DNA. This speaks to the true power of, and the amount of influence,

elders have on us, and by extension, our organizations.

One of the sources of their power is the fact that elders are not

appointed by those in power. They are anointed by their peers. Elders

are also not ego driven and therefore, are not viewed as a threat by

anyone other than those who are ego driven.

Elders are just comfortable being who they are; nothing more or

nothing less.

Who they are reflects wisdom, authenticity and integrity. How they

act expresses inner strength and peace. Their words teach and

heal. Their actions build and repair. They are in the tribe but are not

controlled by it. They hear and listen to a higher power than typical

human consciousness. And they help others to connect, or at least

benefit from, that which benefits them.

People sense this and trust this. As a result they allow these special

people to influence their thinking and to even enhance it. So far

removed from any desire for power are elders that many don’t realize

they are one. If they do realize it, they don’t allow [ CoNTINUeD oN PAGe 24 ]


it to affect them, other than to perhaps make them more committed to

consistently acting responsibly.

They don’t look for followers and as a result they have them. And they

are loyal.

The Importance of Engaging Elders in the

Management Process

By now it is clear why elders are so influential in the organization.

They hold leadership positions whether management knows it or not.

They are trusted and respected; their advice and insights are sought

after and are listened to. Often people will ask elders whether or not to

trust, or follow, management decrees. This means their influence often

times exceeds management’s.

While this may unnerve some in management they have nothing to

fear as long as they operate with the best interest of the tribe and the

culture in mind. It is only if leadership becomes too self centered and

begins abusing their authority or feeding themselves at the expense

of the tribe that they might find themselves in a political conflict with

the elders.

If that happens the elders will always win the hearts and minds of the

tribe while those in authority will only get that labor which they can

force from people. Since we are in a human capital driven economy

this loss of employee engagement will result in losses of productivity,

profits and possibly even people.

So it is in the best interest of management not only to know identify the

elders but to have healthy relationships with them as well.

To be effective a modern manager must have the tribe’s trust. This is

where the elders can help. They must effectively communicate with

the tribe. This is where the elders can help. And they must be able

to motivate and mobilize the tribe. And once again, this is where the

elders can help.

Simply put: Elders mobilize tribes. And it is through tribes that most

work gets done. In fact recent research done by the McKinsey Group

reveals that 67% of all work done in an organization is done through

informal networks (tribes) that operate outside of the org chart.

the hu ma n a ttrib utesof cre a tivity, communica tion and

colla bora tion a re the dominant drive rs of profits in this century

Speed NetworkingThursday, March 7th8:00 AM to 9:30 AMMacColl Field YMCALincoln, RINorthern RI Chamber

Lunch ConnectionsFriday, March 8th 12:00 PM to 1:30 PMSalve Regina UniversityYoung Professionals Networking

Social Media for Business SimplifiedTuesday, March 12th8:00 – 9:30 North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce

EXPO 2013Tuesday, March 12th4:00 PM to 7:00 PM Newport Hyatt Regency Hotel & Spa Newport Chamber of Commerce

Business After HoursTuesday, March 12th5:30 PM to 7:00 PMTinkers Nest East Bay Chamber of Commerce

How to Present to InvestorsWednesday, March 13th5:30 PM to 7:00 PMBetaspring OfficeBusiness Plan Competition Workshop

Birth Of A Business ... A Step-By-Step Process Of Creating A Successful New BusinessThursday, March 14th6:30 PM to 9:30 PMCenterville Seminar Center

How To Fine Tune Your Business…A Step-By-Step Tune-Up For Your Existing BusinessTuesday March 19th9:00 AM to 12:00 PMCenterville Seminar Center

Statewide “Business After Hours”Tuesday, March 19th4:30 PM to 7:30 PMRhodes on the Pawtuxet, Cranston, RI

Business After HoursWednesday, March 20th5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Crossfit South KingstownSouthern RI Chamber

Business After HoursThursday, March 21st5:00 PM to 7:00 PMLiberina’s Deli & Gourmet Express, Greenville, RINorth Central Chamber

Thinking About Being Your Own Boss?Explore Franchise OpportuntiesThursday, March 21st6:30 PM to 8:30 PMCenterville Seminar Center

Legislative ReceptionThursday, March 21st4:30 PM to 6:30 PMRI State HouseRhode Island Chamber of Commerce Coalition

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Since profitability is tied to accessing, mobilizing and leveraging the

human capital of their tribes it is crucial that you find a way to include

the input and insights of elders.

When you combine this additional leadership resource with a healthy

management team you significantly increase your ability to maximize

your profits.

An Ethos that promotes Elders over Egos is a formula that simply

cannot fail.

The following are traits of Tribal Elders.

1. They are humble.

2. They seem to lack ego because they are comfortable with who

and what they are.

3. They have opinions but never push them on others.

4. They don’t care about titles or prestige but they don’t exhibit false

or unnecessary modesty either.

5. They are committed to principles but are detached from

outcomes.

6. They live the “Serenity Prayer.”

7. You trust them, unless you are a trouble maker. Then they

unnerve you.

8. They don’t insist upon being heard yet are willing to speak if you

are willing to listen.

9. They support growth.

10. They don’t sweat the small stuff. But they seem to see

“everything” and understand most things.

11. They are kind. But don’t mistake their kindness for weakness.

Few are stronger in spirit or character.

12. They listen more than they speak and understand more than they

show.

13. They are committed to creating the next generation of elders but

do not seek followers.

14. They have strong, steady moral compasses that are not affected

by the “group consciousness.”

15. They are, at all times, students, teachers and learners about life.

16. They believe in a power greater than themselves.

17. They are wise enough to be forceful and powerful when it is in

the best interest of the greater good.

18. If they had a motto it might read something like: I am what I am

and I will be that with as much honor and grace as I can muster.

If your organization has the benefit of having one or more elders in it

then consider yourself fortunate. If you are one, you probably don’t

identify yourself as one but others do. So thank you for your service.

Jeffrey DeckmanCapability Acceleratorswww.capabilityaccelerators.com

Elders vs Egos | SmALL BUSINeSS


Navigating Your Communication

Skills

Navigating your communication skills is like navigating your business.

While you must be strategic in your planning, you also must be

nimble. That means, ready to adjust your sails, sometimes in a

moment’s notice. This is especially true when you experience a

drastic shift in conditions.

How best to be both strategic and nimble? Basic communication

skills are always imperative. Combine those with the intuitive skills

of understanding the mindset of the people you’re speaking with as

well as the energy surrounding your conversation, and you’ve got the

recipe for healthy, productive communication.

When preparing to communicate with a new group or individual, the

following is a quick checklist to consider first. It will help to ensure

that how you plan to move forward is well thought-out, AND you’re

feeling well enough about your potential interaction that you’ll be able

to confidently and swiftly readjust when the time arises.

Guaranteed it will!

1. Do your homework. That work not only means you must know

your subject matter, but it’s also always best to literally take time to

rehearse. Ask anyone who’s ever been interviewed the importance of

this step. Even though they’re experts and very knowledgeable, it’s

always beneficial to “speak before you speak”. Rehearsing will ensure

by Donna Mac

Six Steps to Small Business SuccessPricing for ProfitsMonday, March 25th6:30 PM to 8:30 PMCenterville Seminar Center

1-To-1 Communication: How To Communicate With Different People, DifferentlyTuesday, March 26th6:30 PM to 8:30 PMCenterville Seminar Center

Pinterest for Fun and ProfitTuesday, March 26th6:00 PM to 7:00 PM East Bay Chamber of Commerce

Business After HoursTuesday, March 26th5:30 PM to 7:30 PMLaw offices of Laura KrohnEast Greenwich Chamber of Commerce

Branding: It’s Not Just for CowboysTuesday, March, 26th6:30 PM to 8:30 PMCenterville Seminar Center

Business After HoursWednesday, March 27th5:30 PM to 7:30 PMBiomes Marine Biology CenterNorth Kingstown Chamber

Business During HoursWednesday, March 27th 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM1149 Bar & Grill, Seekonk, MAEast Providence Chamber

How to Minimize Liability for Intellectual Property InfringementThursday, March 28th12:00 PM to 1:30 PMCenterville Seminar Center

LEADS LuncheonFriday, March 29th12:00 PM to 1:30 PMKent HospitalCentral RI Chamber

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be sure to visit isupportsmallbusiness.comto view all updated and current events and workshops

for this month


Navigating Your Communication Skills | SmALL BUSINeSS

that you don’t stumble on your words, AND it will help “put you at the

scene” prior to actually arriving. I’m not suggesting you memorize

every word. But rehearsing will help you deliver a clear message

AND help you get back on track quickly when your conversation or

presentation gets off course.

2. Know your Goals. Are you trying to sell something, build a

relationship or just educate your audience? Knowing this will help

you “build a story” that’s

compelling and succinct.

It will also enable you to

anticipate what kind of

questions your audience

might have when the time

comes for you to deliver. If

you understand your goals,

you’ll be better able to “start

at the end” which is what

any great communicator

does. So before an important

conversation or presentation,

always ask yourself, “what

are the important take-

aways from this upcoming

interaction?” In fact, that’s a

good way to begin! Once you

know your goals, share them

in a relaxed and confident

style with your audience.

3. Know yourself. It’s a

fact that people pay more attention to non-verbal communication than

they do verbal. So make sure you head into meetings well groomed

and with consistently healthy energy (good posture, great eye

contact) so you don’t have to spend any time concerning yourself with

those things later. If you know you’re the type of person who might

tense up while speaking, just be cognizant of that fact and check in

with yourself from time to time without losing focus of your audience.

Breathing and slowing down just a bit always helps communication

flow better. That’s a tool you can tap into without anyone in the room

taking notice.

4. Know Your Audience. Get as much insight into who you’ll be

communicating with prior to your meeting. Once you find out, you’ll

be much better able to plan how your upcoming interaction can be

utilized for everyone’s benefit. What matters to a group of doctors is

certainly different than what matters to a roomful of gourmet chefs.

But the important thing is that you’ve taken time to figure out what

matters to them! They will intuitively know it and feel it, and THAT is

the foundation toward excellent communication with anyone. If you’re

speaking with someone you consider of great importance, remember

we all, every one of us, have strengths and vulnerabilities. Work to find

common ground. It’s there to be found.

We all need to plan and focus when we communicate with someone,

especially for the first time. That helps expedite everyone’s time as

we work to build relationships for ourselves and our companies. But if

that’s all we do, we haven’t brought forth the most important factor in

the communication equation: Relatability!

Being nimble means being

yourself and not someone who

sounds scripted and controlled.

It’s someone who can deviate

from the core conversation,

speak from their head and heart

and then make sure their points

have been well made and well

received.

If you’re speaking before a crowd

and sensing that you’re losing

your audience, the best course

of action is to pause and ask out

loud the all-important question,

“How am I doing?” or “Am I

speaking too fast?” If you think

the energy of your audience is

decreasing, don’t automatically

assume it’s because of

something you said. We’re all

doing our best to stay present to

the countless details of our lives and businesses. You just might need

to interject “something different” like an off-beat story or something to

make them laugh. Adding those elements every few minutes will supply

energy to content that’s monotonous, dry or just new.

As the great communicator and playwright George Bernard Shaw

once said, “The single biggest problem with communication is the

illusion that it has taken place”. So if you’re wondering, ask!

There are plenty of business people who can state the facts, deliver

analytics and attempt to drive their listeners to action. But it’s the

speakers who shares their knowledge while simultaneously and

nimbly putting themselves in their listeners’ shoes who stand out from

the crowd and are appreciated, respected and remembered fondly.

Why not be one of them?

Donna Mac OwnerDMacVoice & Media

If you’re speaking before a crowd and sensing that you’re

losing your audience,the best course of action is to

pause and ask out loud theall-important question,

“How am I doing?”or “Am I speaking too fast?”


IrS | Ways for Rhode Island Taxpayers to Get Tax Help

by Peggy Riley

Boston…The Internal Revenue Service has opened the 2013 filing

season by announcing a variety of enhanced products and

services to help taxpayers prepare and file their tax returns by the

April 15 deadline.

“This year, taxpayers have until Monday, April 15, to file their 2012 tax

returns and pay any tax due. The IRS expects to receive more than

147 million individual tax returns nationwide this year

including 513,000 from Rhode Island taxpayers,” said Peggy Riley,

IRS Spokesperson.

The IRS began accepting and processing most individual tax

returns January 30, 2013 after updating forms and completing

programming and testing of its processing systems to reflect the

American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA) that Congress enacted on

Jan. 2. The vast majority of taxpayers can file now, but the IRS is

continuing to update its systems for some tax filers. The IRS will

begin accepting tax returns from people claiming education credits

in mid-February while taxpayers claiming depreciation deductions,

energy credits and many business credits will be able to file in late

February or early March. A full list of the affected forms is available

on IRS.gov.

Last year for the first time, 80 percent of all individual returns including

432,000 from Rhode Island were filed electronically. E-file, when

combined with direct deposit, is the fastest way to get a refund.

Assistance Options

The best way for taxpayers to get answers to their questions is by

visiting IRS.gov. Last year, the website received a record 340 million

visits, a 17 percent increase over 2011.

This year, the redesigned website makes it easier than ever for

taxpayers to get to key forms and vital information. The front page

also has links to redesigned pages to help with everything from

refunds to specific tax issues as well as easy access to taxpayer-

friendly videos on the IRS YouTube channel.

Through IRS.gov, taxpayers can access Free File, which provides

options for free brand-name tax software or online Fillable Forms plus

free electronic filing. Everyone can use Free File to prepare a federal

tax return. Taxpayers who make $57,000 or less can choose from

about 15 commercial software providers. There’s no income limit for

Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic version of IRS paper forms.

People making $51,000 or less usually qualify for the Volunteer

Income Tax Assistance program for free tax preparation and

electronic filing. Tax Counseling for the Elderly, a similar community-

based volunteer program, offers free tax help with priority assistance

to people age 60 and older, specializing in questions about pensions

and retirement issues. Information on these programs can be found at

IRS.gov.

For tax law questions or account inquiries, taxpayers can also call the

IRS toll-free number 800-829-1040 (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time) or visit

a taxpayer assistance center. Taxpayers should check IRS.gov for the

hours and services offered at the location they intend to visit.

Check for a Refund

Even with the Jan. 30 opening of the tax season, the IRS expects to

issue refunds within the usual timeframes. Last year, the IRS issued

more than nine out of 10 refunds to taxpayers in less than 21 days,

and it expects the same results in 2013.

Ways for Rhode Island Taxpayers to Get Tax help


Ways for Rhode Island Taxpayers to Get Tax Help | IrS

out of the boxthinking lending

Capital for all the right reasons

THE BUSINESSDEVELOPMENT COMPANY

www.bdcri.com 401 351 3036

After taxpayers file a return, they can track the status of the refund

with the “Where’s My Refund?” tool available on the IRS.gov website.

New this year, instead of an estimated date, “Where’s My Refund?”

will give people an actual personalized refund date after the IRS

processes the tax return and approves the refund.

Here are some tips for using “Where’s My Refund?”

• Initial information will generally be available within 24 hours after

the IRS receives the taxpayer’s e-filed return or four weeks after

mailing a paper return.

• The system updates every 24 hours, usually overnight. There’s no

need to check more than once a day.

• “Where’s My Refund?” provides the most accurate and complete

information that the IRS has about the refund, so there is no need

to call the IRS unless the web tool says to do so.

• To use the “Where’s My Refund?” tool, taxpayers need to have

a copy of their tax return for reference. Taxpayers will need their

Social Security Number, filing status and the exact dollar amount

of the refund they are expecting.

Taxpayers should remember that while most tax refunds are

issued within 21 days, some tax returns need additional time to be

reviewed. As part of that effort, the IRS has put in place stronger

security filters this filing season to protect against refund fraud and

identity theft.

Identity Theft

Stopping identity theft and refund fraud is a top priority for the IRS,

and the agency’s work on identity theft and refund fraud continues to

grow. For the 2013 filing season, the IRS has expanded these efforts

to better protect taxpayers, help victims and detect refund fraud

before it occurs.

The effort includes stronger screening filters for incoming tax

returns, increased IRS Criminal Investigation activity and expanded

partnerships with local law-enforcement officials and financial

institutions. More information is available in IRS Fact Sheet 2013-2.

By late 2012, the IRS assigned more than 3,000 IRS employees —

more than double the number from 2011 — to work on identity theft-

related issues. IRS employees are working to prevent refund fraud,

investigate identity theft-related crimes and help taxpayers who have

been victimized by identity thieves. In addition, the IRS has trained

35,000 employees who work with taxpayers to recognize identity theft

indicators and help people victimized by identity theft.

The IRS continues to increase its efforts against refund fraud, which

includes identity theft. During 2012, the IRS protected $20 billion of

fraudulent refunds, including those related to identity theft, compared

with $14 billion in 2011. For more information, see the special identity

theft section on IRS.gov.


Run Your BusinessLike An Entrepreneur

SmALL BUSINeSS | Run Your Business Like An Entrepreneur

As a company and advisor that focuses on the positives first, we need

to look at entrepreneurs and how they start businesses so that we

can all jump start the economy. Fear and paralysis naturally settle in

with the economy not picking up and no tangible signs of improving

in the near future. Now, fear as an entrepreneur or business owner is

a good survival reaction in moderate doses but paralysis is never a

good reaction since it only leads to failure. Companies need to keep

learning, exploring and reaching out both internally and externally

to stay relevant and engaged in their clients/customers/staff’s lives

and financial dealings. So, let us examine some methods in the

entrepreneur’s playbook to benefit all our business efforts.

Here is a good list to start any discussion when discussing business

startup, growth or change:

Don’t get bogged down in detailed, large overriding

business planning. Start with an outline of what you want to do,

how you want to do it & what you will need. Here is a main reason for

a team approach within your organization or with the assistance of

outside resources, especially with the marketing side of knowing who

your target is and the financial side of getting what you need, not

always what you want.

Be Honest. Know what you want to do, what you love to do,

what you do best and what you have little or no skill/interest/passion

for. This point is key as we later decide how to fill the holes in your

business swing (as a side warning: this is a baseball reference-you

may run into a number of them throughout this series-can’t help

being a coach).

Capital or access to it is key. Be aware of costs, needed

expertise and what you have to work with. Here is a reason for a

good fiscally conservative money manager on your team. Any

talent can be bought or found if you have a clear and

direct plan of attack that has some funding available in a

transparent model of capital use. Quick actionable steps

to get real time results to test your ideas & fine tune as

needed also limits capital outlay.

Know or learn who your target

market is. What value do you bring to

this market; how to talk directly to them

in their voice not jargon, sales or biz

speak and how to engage them are some

key takeaways . Relevance and honest

dialogue create loyalty. (We spend a lot of

time with our clients refining the messaging

and outreach to make it a unique experience

for their targets.)

Don’t be afraid to “field a free agent” team. No one or

very few can do it all in business nor have the internal resources to

properly “field” a complete solution. Here is where vendors, affiliates,

consultants and other companies can complete your roster.

This can be a hazardous journey to find the right fit(s) but well worth

the discovery in new ideas, methods and connections. Hire slow

and fire fast.

To sum up: Business is a MARATHON made of SPRINTS.

Business is a marathon to a defined end point set by you ( be it:

retirement, buyout, ipo, whatever you delineate as the goal of the

company). This business marathon must be structured as a series

of sprints (short, actionable programs with a defined and measured

by Bob Manasier


Run Your Business Like An Entrepreneur | SmALL BUSINeSS

result-which is the accelerator model of business start up) to keep

the energy, focus up and the possible costs down. We will explore

the sprint test method in more detail later in this series. Whatever

your business need (examples: hiring, new marketing, business

development, increased sales activity), structure a 2-4 week plan to

accomplish some measurable activity (be it: new candidates, more

sales outreach, more networking-we will discuss this in depth in a later

article); designate a lead on the activity and get it done. From this

exercise, define the good, the bad and the waste of time and structure

a calendar of business sprint exercises for all your activities. Try to

make it fun, add prizes if needed and create a self-refining, dialogue-

creating environment for your team(s).

Having spent my life starting companies and consulting companies,

it is a good time to explore the local scene for business and

entrepreneurs. We will focus in this series on actionable steps and real

world examples of ongoing consults and market builds to guarantee

we give real time direction and ‘no-box’ ways to look at a problem that

might be plaguing your company and your sleepless nights.

Our goal here and in our suite of firms is to start or grow companies

with conservative fiscal planning, to make a more sustainable job

environment, to be more active in our communities and to balance

work/play/life (if there is such a thing). We like to see all of our efforts

as a mosaic, no defined walls in an entrepreneur’s thinking.

We will be visiting some of our clients as well as start ups throughout

this series (names will be withheld to protect the ‘errors’ which will

always happen). If you have questions or comments-email me at

[email protected]. Enjoy the month.

Bob Manasier Founder and Managing PartnerDiamond Point Advisory Group

this business marathon must be

structured as a series of sprints

(short, actionable programs with a

defined and measured result-which

is the accelerator model of business

start up) to keep the energy, focus up

and the possible costs down


Overcoming a Regulatory Challenge Creates New Jobs & New Beaches at the Quonset Business Park

There are times, when it is best to look at

what may appear to be an obstacle, and see

instead opportunity. That is the approach

we took in assisting waterfront tenants

at Quonset to comply with state Coastal

Resources Management Council (“CRMC”)

guidelines regarding public access to

Narragansett Bay.

In Rhode Island, the CRMC requires that

businesses located on waterfront property

on Narragansett Bay provide public access

points to the water for public use. That meant

tenants of Quonset Business Park located

along the waterfront -- including those in the

defense and automobile industries -- are

required to provide access to the water.

We recognized this as a hurdle to these

businesses – a challenge we were

determined to help them clear. It presented

an opportunity for us to find a way to make

it easier for them to do business, which

has long been our guiding mission. And

so in 2005, the QDC came up with a

public access plan in cooperation with the

CRMC that would help meet those state

requirements, but also relieve Quonset

Business Park tenants from the hardship of

having to each create their own individual

public access points on land leased from the

QDC. The master plan is then

updated every five years in accordance with

CRMC requirements.

Under the plan, Quonset tenants would not

have to create their own individual shoreline

access plans. Instead, the QDC itself came

up with an expansive proposal that includes

numerous avenues for public access within

the Park. Among them is more than 180

acres of conservation space, a 2.3 mile

bike path, the creation of a large-scale retail

plaza, five historical and cultural venues

(including the Seabee Memorial Park,

Quonset Air Museum, and the Allen

Madison House), access to the airport

and QDC offices, and most relevant to

this discussion - the creation of four new

beaches at the Business Park. The CRMC

agreed with our vision.

We believe that the result of that plan today

serves as a good example of how creativity

and flexibility can warm the climate for

economic development, and can also serve

the greater public good. The ‘beaches’

portion of the plan itself was as Rhode Island

as they come – a true Ocean State solution.

What better way to please all of the parties

involved than to create a series of beaches,

all with breathtaking views of Narragansett

Bay. And that is just what we have done.

The QDC manages three beaches within

the Business Park, providing maintenance,

seasonal bathroom facilities, picnic tables,

and garbage cans.

By conceiving of this plan and maintaining

these beaches, we have relieved each

waterfront tenant the responsibility of

providing their own public access points. It

is a solution that makes sense for all sides.

For Rhode Islanders, we have created yet

more areas where they can embrace the

breathtaking beauty of our state.

The beaches within the business park

now include:

• Blue Beach, which includes a small

beach with sand dunes to the south

and a densely

New Jobs and New Beaches at the Quonset | SmALL BUSINeSS

by Steven J. King, PE

we are committed to working with tenant companies to overcome obstacles, and achieve success

[ CoNTINUeD oN PAGe 34 ]


SmALL BUSINeSS | New Jobs and New Beaches at the Quonset

wooded fringe to the north and east. It

is connected to a residential area and

the Kiefer Wetland to the west. It is

located next to a former salvage yard

and solid waste dump that has been

restored by cleanup efforts. It features

scenic views down the West Passage.

It has a beautiful 1,000-foot stone-dust

walking path which leads from the new

parking area to the beach.

• Compass Rose Beach is a small sandy

strip located off Roger Williams Way.

While presently owned by the state

Department of Transportation, as part

of airport property, it is leased by the

Rhode Island Airport Corporation and

managed by the QDC. It too, looks

down the West Passage.

• Spink’s Neck Beach is a narrow, sandy

strip located off Patrol Road not far

from the North Kingstown Marina. The

Little Allen Harbor area is an active

working waterfront with several marine

related businesses. The beach area

features views of Narragansett Bay from

Patience Island to Jamestown.

In time, we expect to add Calf Pasture Point

Beach, which has been managed by the

Town of North Kingstown since 2001. It is a

natural habitat that is home to many species

of wildlife, sea-life, and waterfowl. Adjacent

to the Mount View neighborhood, it sits along

the Quonset Bike Path and features views

from East Providence to Warwick Neck to

Jamestown and the sea.

Quonset Business Park continues to be an

engine of economic development and job

growth for our state. Nowhere are jobs being

created at a faster pace, and

nowhere are businesses expanding with

greater consistency.

This story of the three beaches reinforces

a key element of our recent progress here.

Simply, we are committed to working with

tenant companies to overcome obstacles,

and achieve success. Through open

communication, careful planning, and

committed investment to our infrastructure,

Quonset Business Park has been able to

make a significant contribution to helping our

state’s economy to grow.

But at the same time, it is a place that

recognizes and shares the true beauty

of the ocean front. And it is a place that

encourages you to do the same, and stop

by for a visit.

Steven J. King, PE Managing DirectorQuonset Development Corp

the result of that plan today serves as a good example of how creativity and flexibility can warm

the climate for economic development

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SmALL BUSINeSS |

Patricia Raskin, President of Raskin Resources Productions, Inc., is a radio talk show host, award-winning producer, media coach and speaker. She is the host of “Positive Business” on AM790 on Fridays from 3-5PM, “Patricia Raskin Positive Living” on WPRO -630AM & 99.7FM on Saturdays from 3-5PM and “The

Patricia Raskin Show” on WSAR – 1480AM on Fridays from 10-noon. www.patriciaraskin.com

Reaching Out Through the Airwaves

In today’s many options for consumers it’s

important to find ways customized and

unique ways to market yourself. Hosting your

own radio talk show can offer you just that.

Costs for programs on range depending on

the market and typically include production,

air time and show promos.

BENEFITS:

Promote Yourself

There are major benefits to having your own

radio/internet talk show. You control the

content and topics on your own program.

The audience hears your perspective,

knowledge base, the way you handle

questions as well as your passion for your

business. Remember that your listeners

and their network of friends are potential

customers and clients. This is more than

surface marketing. It gives your audience

the opportunity to really get to know you.

Market Your Business

There are several marketing advantages to

hosting your own radio show. The first is that

you produce a tangible product, which is the

podcast. The second is that you can post

the the announcements on facebook, twitter

and in your on-line marketing pieces. And

third, you can create your own UTube page,

post the picture of the guest or topic and the

interview. In addition, you can create a short

video explaining your work and post it on

your Utube channel as an introduction to the

interviews.

Educate Your Customers/Clients

Having your own show gives you the

opportunity to educate your listeners with

accurate information from your expertise

and experience. With social media and

the internet, consumers have the instant

resources to be very informed and many are.

However, they might not be getting the right

information and what they are getting may

not meet their needs.

Network With Your Peers

Having your own program provides a

great networking tool for you. Through the

program, you develop contacts with leaders

in the field and learn about their perspective.

It also keeps you informed of new ways

to offer your product or service. You gain

another point of view which adds to your own

knowledge base.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT OPTION:

Radio

Local talk stations may have some

opportunities to host a one hour programs.

With online streaming now mainstream, your

program has both a regional and global

reach. On terrestrial (broadcast) radio,

station clocks need to be adhered to and

commercials are included which decrease

your actual air time.

Internet

Internet audio programs have a global reach

and opportunities are plentiful. Interviews are

done by phone and in many cases from your

office directly onto the air. On internet radio,

you own and control the entire hour and can

place commercials and interviews where you

want them to be.

In addition, video streaming is now available

on some internet radio networks where you

can videotape your interview and upload it to

air on the internet station.

Work with an

Executive Producer or Coach

Having a radio program is a time consuming

project. A producer can help you to deliver

a solid professional show. Good producers

are excited about your program and share

your beliefs. They have the skills to help

you set up the framework of your program,

create scripts and promos, give you guest

leads, schedule guests, offering marketing

suggestions and critique your interviewing

style. Coaches are another option to coach

you on style and techniques.

Featured Guest Option

This is another option for those who want

get their message across without the time

and effort required to host a show. You can

work with a host to be a guest on weekly, bi-

monthly or monthly basis and plan the topics

you want to cover. The host becomes your

advocate and works to help you deliver

your message effectively while trying to

attract listener interest and meet

listener needs.

Having your own talk show or being a

featured guest on a radio show can be

exciting rewarding and fun but it requires

time and the right resources.

by Patricia Raskin

Patricia RaskinRaskin Resources Productionswww.patriciaraskin.com


Once you complete your word cloud, study it. Is the image consistent

with the way you would portray your business? If so, congratulations!

You have very good insight. If not, study the cloud and either change

your image of your business or make modifications to the way you

do business and try the word cloud exercise again in a few months.

If you like your word cloud make it into a window decal or a picture

which you can frame and display with pride at your place of business.

If you don’t have a place of business but instead visit customers at

their home or site, attach a copy of the word cloud to your clipboard

or sample book so that your customers will see it

Developing a word cloud can not only provide insight to how

customers view you and your business, it can also serve as an eye-

catching tool for potential clients. Prospective clients may become

more interested in purchasing from you after seeing a visually-

interesting snapshot of how you value customer feedback and how

much your customers value you.

Describe your business in one word. What did you say? If you were

to ask your customers what would they say? Find out. See if you

agree. It is very easy to do. Simply ask every one of your customers

to describe your business in one word as you are completing a

transaction and write it down. If you have a store, shop or other fixed

location you could have business card size slips of paper at the

checkout stand. If your business relies mostly on sevice calls you

could ask your customers for a one word summary of your business

as you complete your transactions. If you are an internet based

business you could ask people to type in a comment at checkout time.

Once you collect all of the comments make a word cloud, similar to

the one shown in the picture above by using the Wordle™ tool. It is

free and easy to do2:

1. Type all of your comments into a file

and save them on your computer.

2. Access the Wordle.Net (TM) website.

3. Click on the Create your own hyperlink.

4. Copy/paste your one word comments from your

computer into the big box on the page.

5. Press the Go button.

6. To see a different design press the Randomize button.

7. To print or make a PDF file of your word cloud press Print,

enable your printer (when asked to do so), and then make

selections in any dialog boxes which you normally may need to

complete to print.

8. To make a .JPG or similar file press the PrtSC key. Paste the file

into PowerPoint or a similar program. Format and trim. Add in the

header and any tag line you would like to feature. Save as a .PPT

file in case you want to edit it. Save as a .JPG file too.

9. To fine tune your word cloud (such as to keep phrases together)

simply follow the instructions in the Wordle (TM) tool.

by Dr. Ronald G. Shapiro

Dr. Ronald G. ShapiroIndependent Consultant in Human FactorsLearning and Human Resources

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Build a Word CloudWhat Your Customers Think of YouShow the World

1

developing a word cloud can notonly provide insight to how customers

view you and your business, it can also serve as an eye-catching tool for

potential clients

Show the World What Your Customers Think of You | SmALL BUSINeSS


SmALL BUSINeSS | Manufacturing Renaissance Revisited

by Douglas Jobling

ManufacturingRenaissance Revisited

risbdc

In a recent issue of this magazine (volume

one, number seven), I described some

factors contributing to a manufacturing

renaissance in the United States. This

process continues apace and a recent

article in The Atlantic magazine (December

2012) provide even greater insight to the

factors contributing to this welcome trend.

For those who missed the original article, I

cited the following factors:

• The U.S. is becoming a source of cheap

energy

• Changes in the foreign currency

arena are ameliorating an imbalance

previously favoring China

• More labor-efficient, and thus more

productive, manufacturing techniques

are being applied in the U.S.

The result of these changes are now

becoming known as “Insourcing,” the

opposite, of course, of “Outsourcing,”

the conscious strategy of obtaining

manufactured goods from foreign sources,

particularly low-wage countries, China being

the most-cited example. In the Atlantic

article, “The Insourcing Boom,” author

Charles Fishman begins by describing

General Electric’s famous Appliance Park

in Louisville, Kentucky. Once the home of

23,000 jobs (in 1973), by 2011 it had only

1,863 “time-card employees – the people

who make the appliances.”

Yet on February 10, 2012, Appliance Park

opened a new factory to make low-energy

water heaters, moving production of

these devices from China back to the U.S.

What happened to make such a move

economically feasible – even advantageous?

Fishman describes the research conducted

in the 1960’s by Harvard economist

Raymond Vernon which described what

would become the fast-paced trend of

outsourcing for the next thirty-plus years:

1. Engineers, assembly workers, and

marketers work in close collaboration

to develop a product and the most

efficient manufacturing process;

2. As the market grows, production

increases and, more important,

becomes standardized and

competition arises;

3. As the product fully matures,

manufacturing shifts to low-wage

countries as cost becomes the major

factor in profitability.

Fishman then explains how changes in the

world economy are making “Made in the

USA” once again not only politically correct,

but economically advantageous:

1. Oil prices are three times what they

were in 2000, making long-distance

shipping much more expensive;

2. The natural-gas boom in the U.S.

(costing in the U.S. one-quarter of what

it costs in Asia), lowers the costs of

energy-intensive factories in the U.S.;

3. China’s average wage is five times

what it was in 2000, and is expected to

increase at the rate of 18% per year;

4. American unions are working more

closely with management to improve

productivity and keep jobs here;

5. U.S. labor productivity continues its


First Impressions | SmALL BUSINeSS

historic upward trend, making labor

costs an increasingly small portion

of the total cost of production,

reducing the advantage of low-

wage nations.

As a result of all these factors, the new

GE plant in Louisville began to make a

lot of sense. By the time they finished

the process, “the material cost went

down; the labor required to make it

went down; the quality went up; even

the energy efficiency went up. GE

wasn’t just able to hold the retail sticker

to the ‘China price.’ It beat that price

by nearly 20 percent.” Outsourcing was

successfully reversed.

Perhaps even more important than

“Insourcing” is the fact that production

of newly developed products will,

increasingly, never get outsourced in the

first place. As fledgling entrepreneurs

and small businesses, which always

foster creativity and innovation, bring

new products to market, they will figure

out ways to take advantage of American

productivity and efficiency and keep

those manufacturing jobs right here

from the outset.

And these trends will continue for at

least the near-term, contributing to

a heightened optimism about U.S.

manufacturing for the next decade

or two.

Douglas JoblingRegional Director, Northern Rhode IslandRhode Island Small Business Development Center

I want this article to make you think about

some important issues when it comes to

disorganization in your office.

For just a few minutes think about how

you feel when you walk into a disorganized

office, whether it is yours or somebody you

are doing business with. Does it make you

feel uncomfortable, stressed, distracted,

overwhelmed, or anxious? How does it

make you feel if it is your office? Are you

ok with feeling like that?

Think about how new clients feel when

they walk into your disorganized office. I

can guarantee they will focus more on

the disorganization instead of what you

are saying to them. They will be asking

themselves if they should go with another

(more organized) company. When you think

disorganized, you think about the company

not returning your calls on time, showing

up late for appointments, forgetting they

had an appointment with you, misfiling

your information, or even worse, your

information getting mixed in with another

client’s information. On a whole, you want

to know the company you are dealing with

is efficient, focused, and productive.

Be sure that the first person a client

comes into contact with when they

walk into the office is organized. The

gatekeeper will be a representation of the

how the office runs. You could be super

organized, but if the first person they see

when they enter the office is disorganized,

they will have already formed an opinion

about the company.

Do you find yourself distracted by your

disorganization? If you do, I guarantee

your clients will also. How long has it

taken you to find a file, paperwork, or

important information when a client was

in your office? Were you embarrassed

that they had to sit there and wait while

you searched for information and tried

to remember where it was located? If so,

you need to really think about getting

organized before you start to lose clients.

Walk into your office and write down all the

things you want to change in 2013. Do you

want to re-organize your physical space

to make it more esthetically appealing

to the eye? Do you need to re-structure

your filing systems? Can you see the top

of your desk? Get the piles off your desk

and try to keep as little as possible on the

desk. We already have enough stress in

the workday, why would you want to add

to that stress by being disorganized? Do

you want to retain your clients and not

lose them to the competition because you

are disorganized? Get the edge on your

competition and get organized!

by Kristin Carcieri-MacRae

Kristin Carcieri-MacRaeOwnerOrganizing In RI, LLC

first impressions,you never get asecond chance.

Made in the USA

once again not only

politically correct,

but economically

advantageous


SmALL BUSINeSS | Where Should Your Small Business Be Online in 2013?

companies like the Providence Performing

Arts Center have started using “Tweet Seats”

to promote their events and have people

tweeting from their shows to encourage

others to purchase tickets for future shows.

Facebook – Facebook reached the 1

billion mark for users in October 2012. It

continues to grow users but the amount of

posts and posts from pages that can be

seen by users has gone sharply down with

the changes there as Facebook is trying to

find ways to make money off of promoted

posts and ads. If you have a Facebook Page

you may be familiar with Facebook Edge-

rank and you may have noticed a big drop of

users liking your posts because they are not

seeing them.

Pinterest – This virtual pin board website

continues to grow and was the fastest

growing ever website to reach 10 million US

So much has changed since I began writing

for the RISBJ on social media. Some social

websites have climbed in rankings and

others made so many changes that people

left them in droves. Which social sites should

you be on and active in 2013 to promote

your business?

These are the 4 basic social websites which

you should focus on:

Twitter – Twitter has just passed the 200

million active users mark in December of

2012. There are 500 million users but 200

million are currently ACTIVE. 60% of users

use their mobile phones for Twitter. In the

United States alone there are 140 million

registered users. Nielsen has just teamed

up with a social media company to measure

“split screen” TV viewing for 2013. Many

people tweet right from their TV’s or their

hand held devices while watching. Some

monthly unique visitors. 80% of its users are

still female. Several types of businesses do

extremely well here with visits and purchases.

You can now register as a business and have

your website verified on Pinterest.

Google+ – As of September Google+ hit

the 400 million user mark with 100 million

members being active. There is a lot of room

for growth here. Google Plus just started

rolling out communities that members can

form. They are similar to the old “forums”

around the web. Like-minded people or

businesses can form their own community

and share within it.

The key to being successful on these

websites is to remain consistent and to

socialize with others there. It is not about just

spreading your marketing message day after

day (boring!). You really need to go by the

80/20 rule. 80% of the time you share others

stuff and 20% your own messages.

That is not easy in the beginning when you

are first starting out using social media. You

are so tempted to share away your own

important messages.

2 Other Major Social Websites

to Master:

LinkedIn – LinkedIn is for business and

you can set up your basic business page

there. Great place to be when you are hiring.

It’s great for networking and for events.

YouTube – If you have a website or blog

you really need to have some videos to

promote your products and / or pages.

Video has become extremely important for

websites and those that sell online.

And of course don’t forget your offline

marketing too! You really need to have a

great combination of online and offline to get

people into your business to purchase. It will

help your business if you have great tracking

methods to track your messages. You can

set up special phone numbers or email

addresses dedicated to particular messages

for tracking purposes. For your online

where shouldyour small business beonline in

2013by Lisa Buben


business you can set up landing pages for

tracking online.

If your business is online you need to have

Google Analytics set up (it is FREE) as well

as Google Webmaster Tools (FREE). There

are also Analytics for Bing too. Both are

great FREE services to help you track your

website visits traffic. You need to know where

they are coming from and where your time

should be spent online in the future.

If you are using several social websites you

may want to have tools like Hootsuite to

manage them. For just $6/month you can

be get the professional version and have

everything you need at your fingertips from

your mobile phone or tablet. Another must

service is the Buffer so you can space out

your postings on various networks. No one

likes to see a dozen posts from the same

person all at once. (Overkill!) Do it in the

morning and forget about it unless you have

interactions with your customers or spare

time to socialize. You will also need the

mobile apps for your mobile phone. These

social apps can be a timesaver for you!

Wishing your business the best in 2013!

or February to report total payments for

the previous year. Form 1099-MISC is

used to report income you received. The

IRS also gets a copy of any 1099s. Your

total business income on Schedule C

Line 1 should be greater than or equal to

the total amount of income reported on

your 1099-MISC forms. If you report less

income on your Schedule C than reported

on your 1099s, you will get a computer-

generated audit notice from the IRS

asking you to explain the discrepancy.

EXPENSES

Disbursements: all payments should be

made by check, credit or debit card or

electronic funds transfer. In an audit, proof

of payment (cancelled check or account

statement) by itself may not be enough

to prove a business expense. Match

invoices to the proof of payment. Avoid

checks payable to cash, and avoid paying

non-business expenses from the business

account.

You must keep track of your business-

related expenses. Try using the same

categories on the Schedule C to

categorize your expenses. You can track

your expenses using envelopes to sort

receipts, or using a spreadsheet program,

or using a financial

Lisa BubenFancy Scrubswww.fancyscrubs.com

Record Keeping for the Self-Employed | SmALL BUSINeSS

by Darlene Evans

Record Keepingfor theSelf-Employed

you reallyneed to go by the

80/20 rule.80% of the time you share others

stuff and 20% your own messages

Independent Representatives are

considered “sole proprietors,” unless

they choose to have some other form

of business. A sole proprietor is just

another way of saying “self-employed,”

“independent contractor,” or “freelancer.”

Income and expenses related to your

self-employment is reported on your 1040,

Schedule C tax return.

The first step to getting organized is to

keep a separate bank account for the

business to keep track of your income

and expenses.

INCOME

Separate your Independent Contractor

income from other types of income. Keep

a record of all your business-related

income.

Deposits: Identify (1) the source of a

deposit and (2) whether the deposit was

in the form of checks or cash. Keep

copies of all deposit slips, noting on each

slip the source of the deposit. When the

IRS audits a business, deposits to a bank

account that are unaccounted for may be

considered self-employment income.

As an Independent Contractor, you will

receive a Form 1099-MISC in January [ CoNTINUeD oN PAGe 43 ]


SmALL BUSINeSS | 3 Tips for Staying Focused in a Sea of Distraction

3 Tips for Staying Focused in a Sea of Distraction

Add to that the fact that distractions actually

feel good, and we’re up against it big time.

Our brain’s reward center lights up when

we multitask because we love doing many

things at once. Focusing on one task is hard!

And, as it turns out, as with many things in

life, stuff that feels good and comes easily is

actually not so great.

What are we supposed to do, then?

Create chunks of distraction-free time

throughout the day

Maybe the goal shouldn’t be to constantly be

in “the zone” all day long. It’s impossible to

be so focused on what you’re doing that the

world drops away and you become one with

your project for an entire day.

However, you can create chunks of

distraction-free time throughout the day, and

it can make a huge difference in

your productivity.

Here’s how:

• Tackle the hard stuff first: This is not

how most of us attack the day, is it?

We tend to handle the small stuff first.

We check emails, do a little paperwork,

whatever that little picky task is that we

want to get out of the way, that’s what

we do first. Try not doing that. As easy

and brainless as they seem, they chip

away at our mental energy, leaving us

depleted and more open to distraction

by the time we get to the stuff that’s

hard for us. So save the small tasks for

after you’ve worn yourself out on the big

stuff. Makes sense, right? It’s a biggie.

Give it a whirl.

• Find your sweet spot: Pay attention to

when you do your best thinking. Some

people focus best first thing in the

morning, others on afternoon walks

or even in the shower! Ask around

and you’ll find that for many people,

their strongest focus time is not when

they’re at work. Don’t feel guilty about

How your brain responds to distractions.

Distractions are a sign that something in

your environment has changed. Maybe it’s

a flashing light on your computer monitor

or your phone is making noise. Whatever it

is, a distraction is an alert to your brain that

says, “Hey! Look over here! You gotta check

this out!” Our brain’s reaction to distraction is

almost impossible to stop. It’s automatic.

So, we wind up multitasking. While

multitasking is sometimes necessary, which

makes it an important skill, it’s also got a

downside. It makes us a little bit stupid.

When we multitask, we’re not doing any of

the tasks particularly well--we forget things,

we make mistakes, we miss subtleties.

As a busy business owner, you’ve got a

tremendous amount of stuff going on at any

given moment. I get you. I feel your pain

because I know what it’s like to have an

endless stream of employees, clients,

emails, phone calls, Instant Messages,

Twitter updates, Facebook statuses, etc.

barraging you while you’re trying to get

some work done.

It feels like the world is bashing you over the

head with a brick and it’s nearly impossible

to stay focused amid the noise and endless

chain of disruptions. No amount of coffee in

the world can help you. Believe me, I’ve tried,

but the sad truth is that you have to learn

how to train your brain to stay focused.

by Adam Harvey


it. It’s normal. Instead, pay attention to

whatever your best time is and try to set

it aside for tackling the big projects on

your plate.

• Practice not multitasking: Have you

ever sat down to read something and

had to read it many times over because

while you were reading you were

thinking about something else? There

goes your multitasking brain again!

You’ve got to train it to stop wandering

in many different directions, so just

like when you train your body during a

workout, you have to train your brain to

maintain strong focus. Try to set aside

time each day to exercise your focus

muscles. Choose one task and only

one to focus on. Make it a fun one like

reading a book or doing a crossword

puzzle. Start for small chunks of about

ten minutes at a time and work up to

longer periods. If your mind wanders

off, pull it back. Keep the pressure on

and eventually, you won’t have to keep

reigning yourself in.

Hopefully with these tips, you’ll be on your

way to Focusville! Now, how many times did

you check your email while you were reading

this article? Be honest…

Rock Networking | SmALL BUSINeSS

Adam HarveyGLAD WORKSwww.gladworks.com

Record Keeping for the Self-Employed | SmALL BUSINeSS

Darlene EvansPadgett Business Services401-783-4500 or email [email protected]

software program. The important thing to

remember is you’ll need to keep track of

who you paid, the amount spent, when it

was paid, and what the expense was for

(that is, the category or type of expense).

The most relevant categories of expenses

for Independent Contractors include:

• Advertising – this includes business

cards and web-marketing

• Insurance – for property & casualty,

or business insurance. Do not

include health insurance under this

category.

• Other interest – credit card or loan

interest, such as interest paid on your

computer loan.

• Legal and professional services –

such as fees your accountant will

charge

• Office expense – anything other than

routine supplies.

• Rent or lease other business

property – rent paid on retail or

meeting location, for example

• Repairs and maintenance – repairing

your computer, for example

• Supplies – routine office supplies like

paper, toner, pens, pencils, notepads,

etc.

• Travel – the cost of traveling to a

convention, meeting, or business trip

• Meals and entertainment – the cost

of business meals, but be careful

not to go overboard here as this is a

common target in an IRS audit.

• Utilities –electricity, gas; percentage

is deducted for home-based

businesses.

• Other expenses – such as Dues &

Subscriptions, Web development,

and Business telephone expenses.

Health Insurance expenses. If

you are self-employed and you pay for

your own health insurance, then you

can deduct the full cost of your health

insurance premiums on your Form 1040

as a personal deduction. For record

keeping purposes, be sure to make a

separate category for health insurance

expenses since that figure will be

reporting elsewhere on your tax return.

Equipment. Keep track of computer

equipment, software, furniture and other

fixed assets in a separate expense

category. When it comes time to work

on depreciation expenses, you’ll need

to know when a particular piece of

equipment was purchased as well as its

cost and the type of equipment that

was purchased.

Estimated tax payments. Be sure to

keep track of estimated tax payments to

federal and state governments. This might

not show up clearly if you run an expense

report just for the calendar year, as the

final estimated payment is due in January.

when we multitask,

we’re not doing

any of the tasks

particularly well-

we forget things, we

make mistakes, we

miss subtleties

you can track your expenses using

envelopes to sort receipts, or using

a spreadsheet program, or using

a financialsoftware program


SmALL BUSINeSS | Forewarned is forearmed

Forewarned is Forearmed:Preparation is Key for Weathering Accountable Care Act Implementation!

The primary goal of Accountable Care Act (ACA) is to expand

affordable health insurance coverage to as many people as possible,

which will make health care more affordable for all. The major

aspects that relate to employers and employees are the requirement

that businesses (with over 50 employees) offer health

insurance, or pay a “penalty/tax”, and the “individual

mandate” which similarly requires that

individuals purchase health insurance, or pay

a similar “penalty/tax”.

As the US department of Health and

Human Services (HHS) releases

new policy guidelines related to ACA

implementation of the a clearer picture

of the implications it will have on small

business both in the short and long term.

New rules about how insurance premiums are

calculated will mean that some people’s premiums

will rise and others will fall. The key for small business

is to position them to take the best advantage of the new

health insurance landscape.

Some businesses will choose to pay the “penalty

tax” rather than provide health insurance.

If they had previously provided health

insurance, their employees would not

only lose the equivalent of the employer

contribution to their health insurance, but

also be compelled to pay the premium for

continued health insurance coverage. If

those employees are purchasing health

insurance in the individual policy market, it

has been estimated (according to consultants

performing an actuarial analysis) that they will

see their premiums rise by 32% from 2010-2014.

This rate increase will be softened for some due to tax

discounts which are available to people with incomes below 400% of

the poverty level.

Some small businesses may choose to provide health insurance

even though they are not compelled to do so according to the

“employer mandate”. The premiums for these policies are calculated

using a different set of rules under the new ACA guidelines. One

ACA provision eliminates the use of “Underwriting Factors”

(UF) in determining premiums for small groups (2-50

employees). Using UF, individual or groups premium

rates were calculated on an actuarial basis that

more closely represented their personal health

risk factors. After elimination of UF, rates are

based much larger groups of people without

regard for their health risk factors. The

resulting relative insurance premium rates are

ironically skewed towards the unhealthy.

Actuarial scenario analysis anticipates that as

relative premiums rise for people in the “lowest risk”

demographics, many of them will choose to leave the

market in one way or another; the result of these people

leaving those markets will result in a rise in premium rates for the

remaining policy holders is estimated to be between an additional

3-12%, depending on how many “Low risk” people leave

the market.

Fortunately, small business owners have

options; they do not have to accept higher

premiums as a necessary evil of providing

health insurance or pay the extra penalty

tax. If the employee group is among the “low

risk” demographic, it may be time for the

employer to opt for a “self-funded” insurance

program. A self-funded program is managed by

a private health insurance carrier, but due to the

funding arrangement, will cost the company less if

fewer services are used over a given period of time. In

order to consider this option, the employer needs to analyze

employee wellness in order to determine if their level of wellness is

sufficient to justify a self-funded plan.

by Tim Sullivan

the 27.4% of the

population with the

highest number of health

risk factors will see their

relative premium rate

reduced between

20-30%

the 21.6% of the

population with the

lowest levels of health

risks will see their relative

insurance rates rise

between 30-40%


Forewarned is Forearmed:Preparation is Key for Weathering Accountable Care Act Implementation!

If the small business has chosen to self-fund, or is hoping to self-fund,

one of the ways it can hedge its bets is to look into incorporating (or

expanding) the employee wellness program. If for no other reason,

establishing a current level of wellness is a good idea in any size

business. The best way to gain buy-in from the employee population

is to tie the wellness program to their health insurance premiums.

Here is one example of how an incentive program might look:

The average worker contribution to health insurance in 2010 was

28%, if employees maintain an over 90% participation rate in the

wellness program accompanied by measurable (independently

measured and verified) wellness improvements, the current level of

employee contribution to the health insurance will be maintained. If

the employee population fails to meet these goals, an increase of

employee contribution will increase by 10% for the following month.

Using the 2010 numbers, monthly family (of 4) health premium for the

employee is $333 per month, failure to maintain the wellness program

would raise that contribution by $33 per month.

Knowing the aggregate level of wellness for your staff and their

covered spouses can help an organization make informed decisions

regarding health insurance and wellness plans.

For the small business owner, it is vitally important to determine

whether your workforce is in the healthier group or less healthy.

The actual design and implementation of the incentives surrounding

health insurance / wellness program policy needs to be transparently

designed to promote accountability and buyin by all parties

concerned. Employers agree to fund their share of health insurance

as well as wellness initiatives, and employees agree to abide by the

wellness program which will lead to both better employee health and

lower long term health insurance rates.

Tim SullivanLife-Panelwww.well-track.com

Forewarned is forearmed | SmALL BUSINeSS

the result of these people leaving those markets will result in a rise in premium

rates for the remaining policy holders is estimated to be

between an additional 3-12%

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F E AT U R E D S T O R Y:For some, running, cycling and swimming are ways

to enjoy a warm sunny day. For Vinu Malik, they are

a way of life. As a 36 time Ironman triathlete, Malik

turned his passion into a thriving business.

Malik saw a need to solve the dehydration

problems he faced during races and wanted

a better way to carry his drinks. The existing

products on the market were belts that were

uncomfortable and didn’t have any flexibility. Malik

came up with a concept of a belt that had comfort

in mind, giving it flex and focusing on ergonomics.

He started by making it for himself out of necessity.

Malik recalls a time when a friend came into his

apartment, took one look at the belt and said “Don’t

quit your day job.”


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FUELBELT GEAR IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR FAVORITE SPECIALTY RETAILER

FeATUreD STory | FuelBelt

With continued determination, Malik started

off with 50 belts and gave them to high

profile triathletes and just months later the

winner of the Ironman World Championships

came across the finish line with a FuelBelt

on. The exposure from the win, along with

the extended media covered helped FuelBelt

go from an idea in Malik’s apartment to a

recognizable brand overnight. To this day,

Malik continues to credit much of his growth

to the media, which he maintains very close

relationships with. This has resulted in

continued widespread coverage which has

helped to build brand awareness.

FuelBelt initially sold their products

exclusively online but as sales grew, the

company built a global distribution channel

that now includes over 5,000 stores in

40 countries. From a revenue standpoint,

FuelBelt continues to be one of the fastest

growing companies in the endurance sports


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FuelBelt | FeATUreD STory

channel and is the only company in the

sporting goods category to make the Inc

5000 list 6 years in a row. “Making the Inc.

5000 for a sixth year in a row is the result

of having long-range goals, an exceptional

team, and incredible customers. It’s also a

privilege to share this acknowledgement

with such notable alumni as Zappos, Under

Armour, and Patagonia…” said Malik.

As a product that started with very little

real competition, FuelBelt has created

competitors based on their success. There

are now close to 10 direct competitors

that are creating similar products, however

Fuelbelt is the clear industry leader with

over 70% of the overall market share. Now

with over 200 products, FuelBelt continues

to expand their product line which includes

reflective gear, race gear, run gear and other

active lifestyle gear.

As FuelBelt continues to expand into new

markets, their Rhode Island roots remain

strong. Malik chose to start his company in

Rhode Island because the FuelBelt brand

is lifestyle based. Rhode Island is unique

in that it provides access to the beaches

for swimming, bike paths for cycling and

good roads for running. The other strength

to building the brand in Rhode Island is the

tight knit community needed to support a

startup such as FuelBelt.

When asked about some of the challenges

that Rhode Islander’s often hear about when

starting a business, Malik said “There are so

many surprising companies here in the state

and they work hard to get where they are. It’s

hard work from day one and you have to be

on top of it every day. No hand outs, no gifts.

Nothing is really given to you. No matter

where you start your business, you really

have to work at it.”

As for future growth plans, FuelBelt continues

to pursue several opportunities. From further

expansion into European markets, to the

addition of several new products, FuelBelt

looks to continue revolutionizing the industry.

In the U.S. market, FuelBelt is looking to big

box retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods and

Target as major distribution channels in 2013

to help further increase company exposure

and revenue.

FuelBelt continues to grow and evolve,

serving the needs of athletes, from runners to

cyclists, to competitive triathletes. FuelBelts

have been used to break world records,

personal bests, and have even been used at

the Olympic world stage, where every effort

and every second counts.

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when a friend came into his apartment, took one look at the belt and said “Don’t quit your day job.”


business profilethis month’s

mutual Cornell

While overseas outsourcing has had

a perverse effect on the landscape of

American business, it has also created jobs

in unexpected places. Mutual Cornell, an

analytical chemistry laboratory operating

out of Providence, RI, has learned the

importance of changing with the times.

Founded in 1993 by Kevin Donahue, Mutual

Cornell focused on environmental testing

before finding its niche testing consumer

products manufactured overseas. Items

such as jewelry, toys, and household

objects must be tested for chemical

components considered toxic to people

and the environment before they may be

sold in California. Testing is legally required

by California Proposition 65, formerly

known as The Safe Drinking Water and

Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. Intended

principally to prevent corporations from

contaminating water supplies, it is now

considered the gold standard regulating the

presence of toxins in items sold to the public.

Though its jurisdiction extends only to retails

items sold in California, states including

Illinois, Maryland, and Minnesota have

adopted similar laws. In 2008 Congress

passed the Consumer Product Safety

Improvement Act (CPSIA), which established

EN71-3 Testing

ASTM F 963-08 Testing

Phthalates Testing

CPSC-CH-E1004-11 Testing

Cadmium Extractability from Children’s Metal Jewelry

Total Lead and Cadmium Testing


Mutual Cornell | BUSINeSS ProFILe

a national limit of hazardous materials

allowed in children’s products. The presence

of toxic materials is of particular concern to

children; risks include cancer, birth defects,

and developmental disabilities.

A family run company, Mutual Cornell

places a premium on the value of personal

interactions. “When I was first starting out

as an environmental chemist, many of my

contacts were members of the jewelry

industry here in Providence” Donahue

says of his early days in the business.

“Sadly, much of that business has been

moved abroad due to outsourcing, but the

professional relationships I established

remain strong.” Noting the importance

of the strong small business network in

Rhode Island, Donahue says: “Those

relationships led me down a different path;

they introduced me to manufactures who

needed their goods tested to Proposition 65

standards, which I had heard of, but had no

professional involvement with. It turned out

to be a natural fit, and it completely changed

the direction of my business.”

Though it has grown steadily throughout

the years, Mutual Cornell still numbers less

than 30 employees, many of them family

members or longtime business contacts.

Donahue underlines that, despite its size,

his company has undergone the same

rigorous accreditation process as the largest

and most prestigious testing laboratories

in the world. Certified by both private and

government entities, Mutual Cornell has

been accredited by both the International

Organization for Standardization (ISO/

IEC) and the Consumer Product Safety

Commission (CPSC). Mutual Cornell

employees are members of the Fashion,

Jewelry, and Accessories Trade Association

(FJATA) and hold board positions on the

Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of

America (MJSA) and the newly formed U.S.

National Committee of the International

Electrotechnical Commission for Quality

(USNC/IECQ). “We are proud not only of the

work we do, but of the way our business has

grown over our twenty year history. In many

ways it was organic growth, but we owe

much of our success to the community we

operate in.” With a constant eye to the future,

Mutual Cornell’s plans for 2013 include

expanding its small parts testing

department to incorporate a wider variety of

children’s toys.


F E A T U R E D

As an organization, the Central Rhode

Island Chamber of Commerce seeks

to support and advance the business

community in Rhode Island. We provide

a myriad of benefits to our membership,

and continually strive to find new ways to

help our members succeed. The Central

Rhode Island Chamber is a leader in pro-

business innovation and advocacy. We have

approximately 1,000 members statewide

in towns including Warwick, West Warwick,

Coventry, and West Greenwich. Our

members’ loyalty is the best yardstick of our

performance, and they continue to speak

very highly of our services.

The Central Rhode Island Chamber had

numerous successes over the last year,

despite the tough economy. Our members

have leveraged the benefits of membership

with their own ingenuity to realize strong

results of their own. Together, we will seek

to build on these successes moving forward

and revitalize Rhode Island’s economy in the

process.

The Central Rhode Island Chamber of

Commerce is a member of the Rhode Island

Chamber of Commerce Coalition, which

speaks with the voice of over 7,100 Rhode

Island businesses. Through the coalition,

we successfully advocated against many

pieces of bad legislation that would have

adversely affected our members. The

Coalition’s E-Advocacy network allowed

us to mobilize our members and get them

involved on the issues that mattered most

to the small business community. If you

helped support of the issues at the State

House through www.RIBUSINESSVOTES.

com thank you. If not please visit the site

and click on the “Take Action” tab and

see how easy it is to get your message

heard. Leah Prata, Chairman of the Board,

believes wholeheartedly that the Chamber

plays a vital role in keeping our membership

informed of legislation and its implications,

while also providing “a valuable voice for the

business community in Rhode Island.”

Our many, diverse events provide our

membership with great networking and

business development opportunities.

Chamber membership yields greater

company visibility within the community,

according to Rich Hittinger, Alliance

Environmental Group LLC.

Business Assistance: Our business

assistance services are the meat and

potatoes of what we do at the Central

Chamber. Our staff meets with members

and potential startups to help them realize

their goals and attain new successes.

Through our Central Rhode Island Business

Information Center we provide business

Central ChamberLauren E.I. Slocum, President/CEO

3288 Post Road, Warwick, RI

401 732 1100 | www.centralrichamber.com

FeATUreD ChAmBer | Central Chamber


consultants who help current and would-

be small business owners. Joseph Oakes,

VR Industries Inc., called the Chamber a

“wealth of information,” and “a great business

resource,” that is “very responsive.”

Networking: The Chamber offers numerous

networking opportunities with events such as

Business After Hours and LEADS Luncheons.

“The number of networking opportunities

that the Chamber provides is impressive”,

according to Steven Kitchin, New England

Institute of Technology. Additionally, Rick

Nagele, Fort Adams Trust spoke to the value

added to his organization by events such as

the Business After Hours, saying “It was a

great experience, which has broadened my

business contacts throughout the state.”

Save Money: We strive to create as many

ways as possible for our membership to

save money. Our current benefits include

discounted rates on advertising and rental

space, money saving coupons from local

businesses and other special promotions.

Opportunities for Growth: We host various

workshops, seminars, roundtables, and

presentations on a broad range of topics.

These events offer our members the chance

to further their knowledge and broaden their

opportunities for success.

Communications: The Chamber provides our

members with a plethora of media through

which to increase their communications

effectiveness. We offer such services

as direct mail and email, press releases

on member news, and the monthly

“ChamberWorks” statewide publication.

Jeremy Doran, Signs By Tomorrow, and his

company turned to the Central Rhode Island

Chamber for help with their effort to reach

out to the community, and he was pleased

with how much easier the process was on

his business thanks to our facilitation.

Tourism: We distribute brochures for

local businesses to hotels and car rental

agencies throughout the area. In addition,

the Chamber provides information and

encouragement to businesses and

individuals nationwide who are looking to

relocate to Rhode Island.

Community Support: Through the

participation of our members and staff in

a wide array of local events and initiatives,

the Chamber is an active member of the

community gaining the tangible benefits

of increased community visibility and

networking opportunities, as well as the

intangibles of being good business citizens

and giving back to the community.

The Central Rhode Island Chamber provides

many important benefits to our membership.

The menu of benefits is extensive. We will

continue to work to advance Rhode Island’s

business community and we hope to realize

many more successes in the coming year

with the help of our members.

STATEWIDE BUSINESS AFTER HOURS

The Central Rhode Island Chamber is proud

to participate with the other Rhode Island

Chambers of Commerce to offer an exciting

networking opportunity for all employers

/ employees in Rhode Island. This 3 hour

networking event features over 120 table

top displays from businesses throughout the

state. Everyone is welcome to attend for $15

per person - cash bar. Simply register with

your Chamber - contact information is listed

at www.StatewideBAH.com.

What’s New | ChAmBer ChAT

East Bay ChamberMark G. DeVine, CPA, Chairman

16 Cutler Street, Suite 102, Warren, RI

401 245 0750 | eastbaychamberri.org

Our mission is to promote businesses

as the foundation for community growth

and well-being by being the most

reliable resource and leading advocate

for businesses throughout the East Bay

and surrounding areas. We are here to

help you succeed!

Dont miss our Women’s Winter Series

Brown bag lunch series!

12:00 – 1:00 each Tuesday at the

East Bay Chamber Office, 16 Cutler

St. Warren. Revive, rejuvenate and

reconnect with your Community and

local business owners! 20 minute

speaker, discussion and networking.

Sign up now for next meeting

$5. Fun surprises each seminar!

Raffles, goodies, networking, fun!

Find details of all meetings at www.

meetup.com/WEBOND or go to www.

eastbaychamberri.org / calendar of

events

New Members

SERVPRO of Newport & Bristol

Counties

HCC Marketing

Jason Thomas Home Renovations

Traffic Signs & Safety, Inc

Tire MD

Bristol Auto Body Works, Inc

BayCoast Bank

Savon Shoes

Tinker’s Nest

Newport County Computers

Cranston Chamber

Stephen C. Boyle, President

150 Midway Road, #178, Cranston, RI

401 785 3780I | www.cranstonchamber.com

The Cranston Chamber continues

its fight for affordable healthcare by


SmALL BUSINeSS | Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should

have a Facebook page For your business

doesn’t meanyou should

Just because you can,

I know this is a pretty radical statement

as everyone is feeling the pressure to get

“digital” these days. Don’t get me wrong,

I really love digital tools – I’ve built my

business using them and I believe in their

potential. But going digital can be a big time

suck with very little real business return for

the trouble if you aren’t careful. So before

you launch that Facebook page – here are a

few things to consider that may save you big

headaches down the road.

Have a goal. As with any advertising,

having defined business goals helps you

budget time and resources better. Another

big plus - goals give you more opportunity to

measure your results. Facebook is only one

of hundreds of ways you can advance your

business online. FB should be one piece of a

larger digital strategy, not the only piece. By

taking just a bit of time up front to create a

solid plan that rationalizes your digital goals,

you have a much better chance of success

with much less frustration long term.

Fish where the fish are. Radio, TV

and print publications have distinct, unique

audiences; so does Facebook. Make sure

your target demographic actually uses

Facebook BEFORE you add it to your plan.

Since every social platform has a distinct

user community, do your homework and

find out the profile of Facebook’s user base

today. Remember, Facebook is international.

I recommend local businesses think hard

about their goals if they are targeting an

audience close to home. Spend your time

where your target demographic spends their

time and be thoughtful about what you say

once you find them.

Learn the etiquette and rules or

suffer the consequences. Life online

is very interactive – everyone has opinions

and they share them liberally. Any business

person with a bad Yelp review will be happy

to tell you all about it. Unlike a newspaper ad

which is pretty static, your online viewers will

by Mari Anne Snow


doesn’t meanyou should

tell you EXACTLY what they think (good, bad

and ugly). They will also react quickly when

you make them mad and they will share their

anger with lots of people quickly. Online

etiquette is a key component to building a

meaningful online presence and also critical

for building engaged users. Facebook also

has rules that govern business activities on

their platform. If you don’t understand these

rules and you break them, FB could exile you

with no warning. If you lose FB privileges,

you have little recourse. Take a moment to

learn about this environment and adjust your

approach accordingly for the best results.

Be interesting and actively engage

or don’t bother. Building a page is only

the first step, building a community of

caring brand advocates who hang out with

you, buy stuff from you and say nice things

about you is an entirely different kettle of

fish. This takes a huge amount of time and

effort - plus, once you have this network,

then you have to continue taking care of

it. The minute you stop paying attention to

them, your community will turn their attention

elsewhere. This takes a lot of time and effort –

it’s also the step most businesses fail to take.

When I evaluate existing FB pages for my

clients, they have very few friends and little

interaction. Is it worth the time, effort and

expense required to launch and maintain

a FB page if no one knows you exist? The

correct business answer: absolutely not.

You can’t take “likes” to the bank.

Don’t forget that the reason you want an

engaged community is to build your business.

I see clients spend an inordinate amount of

time trying to get people to “like” them. A “like”

is only useful to a business if it somehow ties

to increased business, brand awareness (that

leads to more business) or positive PR (that

leads to more business). “Likes” are not a

bankable commodity….so design your “like”

campaigns with calls to action that lead to

more money in your bank account.

Finally, understand what you “own”

and what you don’t. When you join

Facebook, you must agree to their terms of

service before you get an account. When

you do this, you sign over ownership of your

content to Facebook. Generally, I advise

clients to use Facebook as an “outpost”

drawing people back to your primary “real

estate” – your business website, blog or

ecommerce site - to do business with you.

That way you can capitalize on Facebook’s

vast user base to increase traffic to your

primary business sites.

A great friend of mine always reminds

me – when you are online, if it’s free, you’re

the product. Facebook needs you, me and

the rest of their 1 billion users (yes, FB

currently has around 1 billion active users

worldwide) and they are doing everything

they can to sell every one of us the dream

of easy, “free” success. What FB doesn’t tell

you is their business goals don’t include the

advancement of your business – p.s. that’s

up to you. FB sells potential, you have to do

all the work. And the better your plan is up

front, the more likely you are to achieve it.

Mari Anne Snow CEOSophaya

is it worth the time, eFFort

and expense required to

launch and maintain a Fb page

iF no one knows you exist


testifying against the supplemental

increase by Blue Cross in health

insurance premiums. The Chamber

belongs to three health advocacy

groups in the state, HealthRIght, Health

Insurance Small Business Task-force

and President Stephen C. Boyle was

recently appointed by Health Insurance

Commissioner, Chris Koller to the

Health Insurance Advisory Council,

that meets on a monthly basis on

all Health insurance issues from the

Commissioner’s office. Boyle referred

to the rate increase process as ”Health

Insurance Groundhog day” where

double digit rates are approved and the

business community must find a ways

to cut benefits, raise deductibles or

pass the cost on to their employees”

New Members

Code Red

Stacey Arruda-Tracy, LICSW

East GreenwichStephen Lombardi, Executive Director

580 Main Street | East Greenwich, RI

401 885 0020 | www.eastgreenwichchamber.com

The East Greenwich Chamber of

Commerce held its Annual Meeting

on January 31st at Quidnessett

Country Club. We were very pleased

with the enthusiastic support of our

sponsors, exhibitors, and everyone

who attended. It was a great evening of

business networking in a relaxed, social

atmosphere.

Our guest speaker was Neil Steinberg,

President and CEO of the Rhode Island

Foundation. Neil told us a little bit of the

history of the Rhode Island Foundation,

and its important role in the State of

Rhode Island. Neil was instrumental in

putting together last September’s Make

It Happen Rhode Island forum at the

Rhode Island Convention Center.

January was very exciting in East


Providence’s comeback story

These first two years that I have served as Mayor of Providence have

been tremendously challenging for our City. Working together, we

have accomplished what few believed possible.

As I delivered last year’s State of the City Address, on February 13,

2012, Providence was running out of cash, and running out of time. In

the months that followed, there were some who said Providence – like

some other American cities - could not avoid filing for bankruptcy.

Today it is my privilege to deliver a much more hopeful report on the

State of our City: Providence is recovering. Through collaborative

efforts and shared sacrifice, we have all but eliminated our City’s

$110 million structural deficit, and we expect to end this year with a

balanced budget. We have put Providence on a sustainable path by

working together and setting aside our politics for the greater good.

We reached a landmark agreement with our city unions and our

retirees to reform our City’s pension system that Moody’s Investor

Service lauded as a model for other Rhode Island cities and towns.

Governing magazine recently wrote that Providence has become

a leader by making our retirement systems more sustainable. We

worked with our major tax-exempt institutions, which have committed

more than $48 million in new contributions to our City over the next 11

years. And we thank Johnson & Wales, Brown, RISD and Providence

College, and Lifespan, Care New England and CharterCARE.

Our City is home to first-class research hospitals and universities and

a developing Knowledge District. We have one of the largest industrial

deep-water ports in the Northeast. We have one of most vibrant

artistic communities in America. Small businesses act as anchors in

every neighborhood of our City. Our young and diverse workforce is

eager for training and opportunity.

We are already seeing signs of economic recovery. Projects

representing tens of millions of dollars are underway in the heart of

our Capital City, including the revival of the historic Arcade - America’s

first indoor mall - into a mixed-use development of retail shops

and micro-lofts; a project transforming the former Providence Gas

buildings into residences; Johnson & Wales University’s construction

of a new parking garage and physician assistant building; and the

creation of six new retail shops on the ground floor of the Biltmore

Garage on Washington Street.

Last Wednesday, I attended events to celebrate the opening of

Andy, Jr.’s, an Italian restaurant in the heart of Providence’s historic

Federal Hill; Ellie’s, a Parisian-style bakery that recently opened its

doors at the Biltmore Garage; Ameriprise Financial’s new offices

downtown; Citizens Bank’s grant to help revitalize our City’s Olneyville

neighborhood; and a topping-off ceremony for Brown University’s new,

state-of-the-art environmental research and teaching facility.

Providence is recovering.

At the same time, we have not lost our focus on improving public

education and strengthening our neighborhoods. We are working

to make Providence the best urban school district in America. And

we have put into effect measures to protect against the blight of

abandoned and neglected properties in our neighborhoods hit

hardest by foreclosure.

Last year, we were selected as a finalist by Bloomberg Philanthropies’

Mayors Challenge for our proposal to boost education outcomes for

low-income children by increasing the number of words they hear by

their fourth birthday. Providence has been recognized by the White

House Office of Faith-based Initiatives efforts to support struggling

schools. We were named one of our nation’s “100 Best Communities

for Young People” by America’s Promise Alliance.

We have learned there’s nothing we cannot accomplish when

we are united.

by Mayor Angel Taveras

CAPITAL CITy | Providence’s Comeback Story



Greenwich with the celebration of 4

grand openings of businesses in the

Chamber.

New Members

Diffley & Daughters

Yogurt Riffic

Unique Fittness LLC

Stomp Performing Arts – 11/26

Worth Repeating Consignment – 11/26

Todd Magiera – 11-26

RI Web Gurus – 11/26

Frenchtown Auto -11/26

EGAPL 12/1

L & S Automotive

Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt-12/11

BFF Grooming Inc. 12/11

The Childrens Workshop 12/11

Greenwich Odeum

Chamber Discoveries

Peoples Credit Union

Rok Bar N Grill

Hill and Harbour Veterinary

Budget Blinds

Inskip’s Warwick Auto Mall

WPRI – TV 12 Kim Poland

North Central ChamberDeborah Ramos, President

255 Greenville Avenue, Johnston, RI

401 349 4674 | www.ncrichamber.com

As we head into Spring, we have lots

of great networking events and more

planned for the North Central Chamber

of Commerce! This is the time of year

that we all come back to life – and

that’s what we hope to do for the small

business community in the towns of

Johnston, North Providence, Smithfield,

Scituate, Foster & Glocester!

Our events will include Speed

Networking, a “State of the Town”

Address with Mayor Lombardi, the

ever popular Statewide “Business After

Hours” and more. Other upcoming

events later in Spring will be our first

“Meet Your Chamber Neighbor” and

another fabulous “Taste of North Central

PERFECT HARMONY

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The Rhode Island Business Journal is excited to introduce our newest media partner, GoGo Cast. This Rhode Island based organiation is a leading on-demand, location based digital media company providing real-time HD digital news, information and advertising displays in hundreds of high traffic retail locations across the state. (GoGo Screens) In addition, RISBJ and GoGo Cast are proud to present GoGo Cast’s newest rewardingly addictive mobile platform, GoGo Mobile. GoGo Mobile provides business with a unique promotionl solution that delivers real-time highly relevant information directly to ther consumer when they want through a mobile

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application. GoGo Mobile complements GoGo Screens marketing solution by providing them with the ability to extend their reach from within the store, directly to the consumer. Businesses can easily create ads and deals on both the app and the screens, easily supply them to a market audience and/or target locations, and redeem all the benefits from advertising on these two advertising powerhouses. This partnership will provide RISBJ with additional reach in the digial media market statewide.


SmALL BUSINeSS | Founders League Hits the Ground Running

FoundersLeague

runningground

hitsGetting a new business off the ground

is exhilarating. It is also one of the most

challenging things a person or team can

do. There are many uncertainties about the

obstacles and opportunities a high-growth

startup will encounter and no surefire

way to predict how a nascent venture will

evolve. But ONE thing is certain in the world

of startups: Community is king. Despite

a cultural fascination with the “lone wolf”

founder who defies the odds, startups

can’t--and shouldn’t--go it alone. No matter

how you slice it, basements just aren’t great

places to run a startup.

Enter the Founders League. Created through

a partnership between Betaspring, the

Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce,

the University of Rhode Island and Brown

University, the Founders League offers

community and programming where

entrepreneurs can find camaraderie,

resources and support.

Since launching in January, the Founders

League has offered entrepreneur-

led programming to more than 300

entrepreneurs and opened a coworking

space at it’s 95 Chestnut Street

headquarters that currently serves as a base

of operations for more than 50 people from

30 different startups.

Coworking is an important component of

the Founders League platform because it

provides entrepreneurs with ongoing access

to a community of peers who share insights,

resources, and the bond of knowing exactly

what it’s like to be in the startup grind. The

space, open 24/7, 365 days a year, include

wireless networks, printers, whiteboards,

conference rooms and break out space, soft

seating, and a kitchenette.

There are no long term commitments and

different membership options to meet a

variety of needs and work habits.

“Being a member of a community of

startups allows us to stay close to our

roots and engage with developers and

entrepreneurs firsthand. Being in the

the

Point of Sale Solutions

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Call 401-255-6522for more information

or visitwww.POSinetPOS.com

by Melissa Withers


Founders League provides a close-knit

community, communication with other

entrepreneurs and peers, and a powerful

feedback mechanism that helps us to

build services that let our customers

be more productive and focused. At a

macro level, the Founders League is

doing a great job of uniting the unique

diversity of the Rhode Island startup

community,” says Mike Rowan, VP of

Research & Development for SendGrid

and head of SendGrid Labs. SendGrid

is based in Boulder, Colorado, but

Mike, a native Rhode Islander, seized

the opportunity to lead a new SendGrid

office in Providence.

In addition to helping companies like

SendGrid get rooted in Rhode Island, the

Founders League is focused on six guiding

principles for how the platform will evolve.

They are:

1. Create an iconic physical nexus.

Place matters. Creating synergies

and circulation are among the most

important components of successful

entrepreneurial communities and their

support platforms.

2. Create a Co-working community.

Coworking communities provide

entrepreneurs with access to a

strong community of peers and a

physical space to work that reinforces

entrepreneurial success.

3. Attract and connect students. Students

represent an important asset in

Rhode Island’s effort to build a strong

entrepreneurial community.

4. Deploy a self-sustaining business

model. The Founders League must

operate with a model that allows for

sustainability and longterm growth.

5. Enhanced programming. The Founders

League is offering a continuum of

programming and services to match the

wide spectrum of needs within Rhode

Island’s start-up community.

6. Engage more entrepreneurs.

The Founders League places strong

emphasis on creating a dynamic and

activated environment that attracts and

meets the needs of a diverse community

of high growth entrepreneurs.

The Founders League launch has been led

by the team at Betaspring, who are

providing leadership to the platform as the

consortium develops a long-term operating

plan that seeks to ensure the Founders

League is financially sustainable by year

three of operations.

So don’t go it alone: find more information

and register for events at foundersleague.co.


RI”. For more details, please visit www.

ncrichamber.com and be sure to make

us one of your “Favorites”.

New Members

A&W Restaurant

Bar 101

Livingstone Photography

OneAmerica Financial Partners

Palermo Salumeria Italiana

RI Local Magazine

The Children’s Workshop – Smithfield

Northern RIJohn C. Gregory, President/CEO

6 Blackstone Valley, 301, Lincoln, RI 02865

401 334 1000 | www.nrichamber.com

The Northern RI Chamber of Commerce,

in conjunction with its Coalition partners,

will host the Annual Legislative

Reception on Thursday, March 21,

2012 at the RI State House from 4:30-

6:30 PM. The Chamber of Commerce

Coalition is led by the NRI Chamber,

under the direction of John C. Gregory,

IOM and full time lobbyist David R.

Carlin III.

The Coalition is the largest business

advocate organization in the State of

Rhode Island representing 11 area

chambers, 7,500 businesses and

70,000 employees. The Coalition

leaders follow more than 300 proposed

legislative bills annually and the

Legislative Reception is an opportunity

for member businesses to discuss

business issues and meet legislative

decision makers face to face.

New Members

Local Loyalty Partners

Owner Assistance Pro, LLC

Lincoln Chiropractic

Foolproof Brewing Company

Bay Business Machines

TD Bank

Faial Restaurant & Lounge

Ferreira Home Remodeling, Inc.

A group of entrepreneurs working at the Founders League coworking community”

Melissa WithersBetaspringChief of Staff and Nerd Whisperer


SmALL BUSINeSS | Social, Visual, Mobile, Virtual

READy oR NoT, ThESE FouR MEgA TRENDS WIll AFFECT youR BuSINESS

Part tWO: Visual by Chris Poe

Social, Visual, Mobile, and Virtual: I refer

to these as Mega Trends because they

are (1) happening on a grand scale, (2)

affecting business owners and executives

whether they choose to do anything about

them or not, and (3) they are changing the

world as we know it. Moreover, while these

Mega Trends are enabled by technology,

they are more representative of the grander

transformation that is happening as a result.

Ready or not, these Mega Trends are here;

as a small business owner, what are you

doing in the face of them? This article is the

second in a series that focuses on the four

Mega Trends in more detail, and discusses

the options available to small business

owners and professionals building a career

alongside them.

The VISUAL Mega Trend

Visual has been the primary and preferred

method of communication for our species

(in fact, for most sight-species) throughout

history. Even when we had no pictures, or

words, to communicate, we would see each

other and make inferences based upon what

we’d seen, learning from one another.

This is the power of VISUAL. We are primally

wired for visual stimulus. In fact, we’re

so wired for visual that we can even trick

our own bodies into knowing what it feels

like to do something we’ve never done by

leveraging visualization techniques. For

instance, you could close your eyes and

imagine yourself holding a ceramic mug

full of steaming hot cocoa, or reaching into

a dryer to retrieve warm fluffy towels; just

by envisioning yourself performing those

actions, you can trick your body temperature

into rising a little.

Reading about or hearing about an event is

never as compelling as seeing it. Take the

viral video of the Occupy Protesters at UC

Berkley being sprayed with pepper gas –

would it have impacted us as much if we

hadn’t seen the footage? (I think not).

In case you doubt how powerful visual

interaction is, think about how much we long

for it when we can’t have it (for instance, when

a loved one is deployed overseas). Consider

those interactions that are simply not

possible without being able to see (would you

want a doctor performing surgery on you with


Chris PoeChief Technology OfficerAtrion

a blindfold on?). Our visual sense connects

us, enabling us to learn from each other.

Visual stimulus transcends generational

gaps. We have an innate desire to share what

we’ve seen.

Technology facilitates all of our visual needs.

The pervasiveness of the Internet combined

with affordable video gear like webcams,

camera phones, and the countless number

of devices we can consume and create

content with, as well as the rapid growth and

propagation of YouTube (quick stats that will

blow your mind: did you know that YouTube

streams more than four billion videos DAILY?

And that 72 hours of footage is uploaded

every minute?). If that doesn’t indicate

accelerating acceptance, I don’t know what

does. All of this demand to enjoy more and

more visual interaction: leveraging these

technologies is going to quadruple IP traffic

on the Internet by 2014.

Why should we care?

Besides the fact that video makes a huge

impact on the Internet and our internal

network (both from a bandwidth demand

and a performance sensitivity), which of

course we have to be ready for, we should

focus on the heightened impact that making

things visual can have on our businesses.

More and more customers will expect to

interact with your business and its people in

a visual way. We’ve begun to embrace this

ourselves, in fact, in that we are beginning

to leverage video conferencing in our call

center with clients who have a desire to have

that heightened sense of personal contact.

While any marketing department will tell you

how important it is to consider quality visuals

in eliciting a response from an audience,

in each of our businesses we should ask

ourselves if appealing to our innate desire to

see things is something we can leverage in

accelerating or differentiating any initiative.

It doesn’t require million dollar video

conferencing systems or studio quality video

production to leverage the power of

visual stimulus to make a positive impact on

your business.

Consider the next time you have to

document a process for future use. Might

it be even more effective to create a video

of that process? Think about a time when

you’ve sent an employee to physically see

something at a client location. If a picture is

worth a thousand words, how much more

compelling is a video? Seeing is believing,

and with the decreasing cost and

increasing ease by which video can make

a difference in even just one business

process, it won’t be long before you become

a believer yourself – hopefully before a

competitor does.


Southern RIElizabeth Berman, Coordinator

230 Old Tower Hill Road, Wakefield, RI

401 783 2818 | www.srichamber.com

The Southern Rhode Island Chamber

of Commerce is ecstatic to run their

first ever Ignite Southern Rhode Island

event. Ignite is a fast-paced event in

over 100 cities worldwide. Presenters

share their personal and professional

passions, using 20 slides that auto-

advance every 15 seconds for a total

of just five minutes! Enlighten us, back

make it quick! The event will be hosted

by the Contemporary Theater Company

located on 327 Main Street, Wakefield

and will take place on Saturday, March

23rd, 2013 at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $7

per person. Visit www.srichamber.com

for more information.

New Members

Flat Earth Rebirth

Out In Front Horticulture

Brown Family Seafood, LLC

Sexy Raw Food and Fitness

SpringBrook Property Maintenance

Music With Elegance

WE ARE BEgINNINg To lEvERAgE

vIDEo CoNFERENCINg IN ouR CAll

CENTER WITh ClIENTS Who hAvE A

DESIRE To hAvE ThAT hEIghTENED

SENSE oF PERSoNAl CoNTACT

be sure to visit risbj.

com for all the latest

chamber news & events

happening this month


SmALL BUSINeSS | The Importance of Optimizing Your Website for Mobile

by Jeremy Girard

The Importance of OptimizingYour Website for MobileThe days of customers accessing your

website on desktop computers alone is

long gone. In today’s business environment,

our websites need to communicate to our

audience on an ever growing range of

devices, including smartphones, tablets,

netbooks, laptops, desktops, gaming

systems, kitchen appliances and more. The

online landscape has changed and, to be

successful, our websites need to change too.

The “Do Nothing Approach”

Oftentimes when I speak with clients and

business owners about the importance of

their site being optimized for mobile

devices, they respond by grabbing their cell

phone, firing up a web browser, and going to

their website.

“Look, my website comes up on mobile,”

they often reply, showing me their desktop

website - which is being squeezed down to

fit on their phone’s tiny screen. This is what I

call the “do nothing” approach to supporting

mobile devices. As the name implies, you

do nothing and simply expect your website,

which was designed for desktop screens,

to provide an effective user experience on

every other possible screen as well.

The photo below shows what a

desktop website (we will use

Envision’s site for our example

purposes) looks like when it gets

squeezed down for a smartphone’s

small screen. As you can see,

the website does appear, but it is

very difficult to use. Links that were

designed to be clicked on a desktop

are impossible to touch on a small,

touch screen device and the text is

that 40% of users state that, when on

a mobile device, they will abandon a

website not optimized for that device

after 3 seconds. 46% state that they

are unlikely to return to that site and

34% say that they will visit another

site (likely a competitor) instead.

This means that customers that

found your site - either due to

your marketing efforts, a link from

a search engine, through word of

mouth, etc., will then leave your

site and take their business with

them because you offered them

a poor mobile experience.

The example below once

again shows the Envision

website on a smartphone,

but instead of the “do

nothing” approach shown

previously, we have

optimized our site for this

smaller screen. As you

can see, the content

is presented in one

column that is easy to

read on this device.

Links are adequately

sized and easy to

access and our

navigation, instead

unreadable at this size. If you want to

use the site, you will need to “pinch and

zoom” to focus in on small pieces of the

content a piece at a time. If you’ve used

a website on your phone in this way, you

know what an unpleasant experience it is.

The Rise of Mobile Website Traffic

At Envision, we host hundreds of

websites. This allows us to look at traffic

numbers as a whole to identify trends.

What we are seeing is that, on average,

our clients’ sites get about 30% of their

traffic from mobile devices of one kind

or another – and we have some sites

that are over 50% of their traffic from

mobile! This is where industry analysts

are predicting all website traffic will climb

to in the next few years. According to

Google, the mobile web

is growing at eight

times the speed of

the Internet.

With increased traffic

comes increased

expectations. The bar

has been raised for how

our websites should respond to

mobile devices and our users expect

more than the “do nothing” approach.

In fact, another recent survey found


that 40% of users state that, when on

a mobile device, they will abandon a

website not optimized for that device

after 3 seconds. 46% state that they

are unlikely to return to that site and

34% say that they will visit another

site (likely a competitor) instead.

This means that customers that

found your site - either due to

your marketing efforts, a link from

a search engine, through word of

mouth, etc., will then leave your

site and take their business with

them because you offered them

a poor mobile experience.

The example below once

again shows the Envision

website on a smartphone,

but instead of the “do

nothing” approach shown

previously, we have

optimized our site for this

smaller screen. As you

can see, the content

is presented in one

column that is easy to

read on this device.

Links are adequately

sized and easy to

access and our

navigation, instead

of being presented as a row of tiny text links,

is a large, touch-friendly “menu” button that

will bring you to a similarly large, touch-

friendly menu.

More Than Just Phones

Some may suggest that the answer to this

situation is that you need a “mobile website.”

This means that you will have two separate

sites to maintain and keep updated – a

“desktop” site and this new mobile site. Do

you really want to have double the sites to

manage? Furthermore, this approach is only

addressing the two extreme user cases –

large desktop screens and small phone

screens. Supporting multiple

devices is about more than just those two

device sizes. In fact, a study conducted by

the Pew Research Center for Excellence in

Journalism and the Economist Group found that rather than replacing old technology with new devices, these new devices are creating “multi-platform” users. The report stated that more than half of users who use a tablet also use a smartphone and 77% of them also use a desktop or laptop. This means that a single user could be accessing your website content on 3 very different devices – a smartphone, a tablet, and a desktop computer. In each instance, they expect access to the website content in an experience suited to the device they are using at that moment. This is where the bar has been raised to for our new multi-device audience.

We believe that the best approach for

supporting this new multi-device world is

called “responsive design.” Put simply, your

business has one website to maintain,

manage, and promote and that single

site would reflow its layout based on the

screen size being used to access it. In

this way, your site will always do its best to

present an optimal layout and experience

for site visitors. It will present the large

screen layout designed for desktop users

and the small screen experience meant for

smartphone visitors – as well as everything

in between. With so many new devices and

varied screen sizes entering the market each

day, this responsive approach allows

your site to respond to the devices of

today and tomorrow.

The image below shows a

variety of popular devices,

The Importance of Optimizing Your Website for Mobile | SmALL BUSINeSS

all of which are showing one website that

was built using this responsive approach.

In each case, the layout of the website has

changed slightly in order to best support

that particular device and the human being

behind the device trying to find out about

our company and our services. In the end,

this is what is really important - supporting

the human beings that are requesting your

company’s website on this ever changing

array of devices and screen sizes. When you

optimize your website for a variety of devices,

you really optimize it for a wide variety of

people and their very different needs.

Jeremy GirardDirector of MarketingEnvision Technology Advisors


FeATUreD NoNProFIT | Saving Lives 100K Style


Since 1913, The Providence Animal Rescue

League (PARL) has been serving the people

and animals throughout Rhode Island and

beyond. Established as a non-profit 501(c)3

animal welfare organization, PARL receives

no federal or state funding and relies solely

on donations from generous individuals,

businesses and foundations to support its

work to provide compassionate care, medical

treatment and adoption services to more than

2000 animals each year.

“We are proud of the fact that PARL has been

a community resource for a century now

and always strives to lead the way

by example. We are fortunate

that we are able to contribute

in such positive, effective ways

that enrich the lives of people

and animals in our state,” says

Executive Director Carmine

DiCenso. “We can now say that

we have another exciting first for

PARL...competing in the ASPCA

Rachel Ray 100K Challenge!”

The ASPCA Rachel Ray 100K Challenge

is a contest in which 50 shelters across

the country will compete to break their own

records at saving animals’ lives. Throughout

the months of June, July and August 2013,

each competing shelter must save more dogs,

cats, puppies and kittens than they did during

the same three months the previous year.

During those months in 2012, PARL saved 76

dogs and puppies and 303 cats and kittens,

such as Smokey and Angie pictured here.

It’s all about saving lives.

Last year’s Challenge started with a

major bang and included some seriously

heartwarming adoptions. Nationwide, 2,700+

Angie is a four-year-old pitbull/mastiff mix who was adopted in

June of 2012.

Bruschi is a pitbull puppy who was adopted in February of 2013. He’s pictured here with PARL staff

member, Candace.

Smokey is a three-year-old male cat who was adopted in June of 2012.

animals were adopted in two days. Quite the

kickoff weekend!

“The ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K

Challenge is a great motivator

for our team and the residents

and businesses of Rhode

Island to get involved - to

help connect the hundreds

of awesome, loving cats

and dogs in our shelter with

the right families,” says Shelter

Manager Amy Duskiewicz.

“Working together, we

will save hundreds of

animals and enrich the

lives of new adopting

families. At the same

time, we’ll have a

shot at the $100,000

grant which would

continue to fund our

programs and services

and save more lives.”

It’s all about community.

We’re up to the challenge...are you?

We can’t do this without you. Many different

community members can help – individuals,

businesses, local government and nonprofits.

For example, in the first-ever ASPCA Rachel

Ray $100K Challenge,

one local car dealer

advertised a

holiday sale that

also promoted

pet adoptions.

They increased

car sales AND

helped to find

homes

for animals!

We are challenging our community to join us

in brainstorming innovative, out-of-the-box

ideas on how we can increase the

adoptions of our shelter animals.

Over the next few months

we will be launching new

adoption programs that

will send many more

animals home. Do you

have an idea? Great!

We’d love to hear it and

encourage you to share it

with us!

Another key component of winning the

ASPCA Rachel Ray $100K Challenge will be

partnering with local businesses to launch

adoption events. Do you have a business that

would like to partner with us? Super! We’ll

both benefit from the combined exposure!

There will also be sponsorship opportunities

to benefit from in the form of merchandise

and print materials. This is an opportunity not

only for PARL to save animals and win grant

money but also for a little state-wide pride in

how we can come together and rally for the

people and animals of our community.

Help us save more lives by contacting Amy

Duskiewicz, Shelter Manager, at 401-421-

1399 x 205 or [email protected]. Visit

www.parl.org to learn more about the ASPCA

Rachel Ray 100K Challenge.

Saving Lives 100K StyleASPCA Rachel Ray 100K Challenge


We’re Up to the Challenge!

The Providence Animal Rescue League

was named one of only 50 shelters in

the entire country to compete in the

ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge!

We need you, our community, to help us

save more lives this June, July and August!

starts june ‘13

www.parl.org

34 Elbow St, Providence, RI 0903 | 421-1399

We’re in!

Are You?

Wanna help us save lives?

Saving Lives 100K StyleASPCA Rachel Ray 100K Challenge


GoLocalProv.com is the “go to” local Web experience that breaks the biggest local stories, sports, high school sports, weather, news, politics,

arts, entertainment — and allows users to go as deep as they wish. Branded, credible, and respected contributors from RI create the stories and

content. Information is delivered through multimedia, written, and video platforms. All at GoLocalProv.com.

including a solid year for meeting,

convention and sporting event bookings

and attendance, as well as the continued

development of event-based programming

by the City of Providence and other

local organizations.

“We’re very pleased with the numbers for

2012 and very optimistic about 2013,” said

PWCVB President & CEO Martha Sheridan.

“We had some large groups in last year, like

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, which brought

more than 2,500 delegates to the area for

its regional conference in April, and the

International Association for Food Protection

2012 Annual Meeting, which consumed

2,470 hotel room nights in July.”

Most popular days, biggest draws

In tracking occupancy, the PWCVB also

notes that Saturday is the most popular day

of the week for an overnight stay, which

points to the strength of leisure travel.

WaterFire continues to be a top draw and

the city’s growing national reputation as a

top culinary destination has also bolstered

Providence’s visibility.

“Promoting Providence as a great weekend

getaway has been a collaborative effort.

The City of Providence has augmented

and enhanced their cultural offerings in

recent years, including introducing new

programming in Kennedy Plaza and

developing a wonderful Fourth of July

celebration. The PWCVB has also focused

on marketing Providence as a top culinary

destination, creating Providence Restaurant

Weeks and promoting local chefs to the

national media,” said Sheridan, noting that

the city was recently ranked the #1 Food

Destination in the U.S. by the readers of

Travel + Leisure magazine in their “America’s

Favorite Cities” poll.

Providence Hotels Outperform National Average For 2012Providence hotels are putting more heads

in beds, with 2012 occupancy and Average

Daily Rate (ADR) outperforming the national

average, the regional average and the city’s

own 2011 numbers.

Occupancy for Providence hotels in 2012

averaged 67.6 percent, a 4.3 percent gain

over 2011’s 64.9 percent and well above

the average for both the U.S. (61.4 percent)

and for all of New England (61.6 percent).

The largest gains were in the Average Daily

Rate. ADR for 2012 was $137.36, a 5.7

percent increase over the 2011 ADR, which

was $129.94. Nationally, ADR for 2012 was

$106.10, with ADR for New England at

$126.80.

AHL All-Stars the latest success

“Our successful efforts to attract large

conventions and events like this week’s

Dunkin’ Donuts AHL All-Star Classic are

bringing more visitors to Providence and

helping grow our local economy,” said Mayor

Angel Taveras. “Providence has so much to

offer, and we will continue working closely

with the Providence Warwick Convention &

Visitors Bureau to promote and market our

Creative Capital.”

The Providence Warwick Convention &

Visitors Bureau (PWCVB) attributes the

strong numbers to several factors,

the PWCvB has also

focused on marketing

providence as a top

culinary destination,

creating providence

restaurant weeks and

promoting local chefs

to the national media


Providence | GoLoCAL

Bill Would Reduce/Eliminate Minimum Corporate Tax

As Rhode Island attempts to continue its

recovery through the recent economic

downturn, one of the issues Republican,

Tea-Party and other similar tax opponents

point to as a major hurdles to small

businesses starting up in the state is a

minimum $500 corporations franchise

tax payment that all businesses in RI are

required to pay each year.

If one General Assembly member has his

way, however, that burden may soon be less

of an obstacle.

Senator David E. Bates, a Republican from

District 32 (Barrington, Bristol and East

Providence) introduced a bill this week that

would allow start-up companies a three-year

grace period before the tax is imposed and

would reduce the minimum franchise tax to

$100 per employee for up to four employees.

“This legislation is going to help small and

new businesses in Rhode Island, the kinds

of businesses that employ so many state

residents and the kinds of companies that

we want to attract to our state,” Bates said.

“A $500 minimum corporation franchise tax is

a significant amount to many small, start-up

companies and is money they could more

wisely use to make payroll or reinvest in

their company.”

Bates says he knows that the legislation

would lower the amount of tax revenue taken

in by Rhode Island but says “what is most

important is that we provide a boost to small

and start-up concerns.”

“If we are serious about growing jobs in

Rhode Island and if we are serious about

making it easier for entrepreneurs to start

and grow businesses here, then reducing

the cost for small businesses to operate

should be one of our foremost goals,”

he said.

The bill, which has been co-sponsored by

Senators Louis DiPalma, William Walaska,

Frank Lombardo and Senate Majority Leader

Dominick Ruggerio, has been referred to the

Senate Committee on Corporations.

Bates said his legislation is proof that the

State Senate’s main focus is to “make it easy

to do business in Rhode Island.”

“We know Rhode Island has a less than

wonderful reputation as a business friendly

state, but that is changing with the various

reforms and new laws that have been

enacted the past few legislative sessions,”

Walaska added. “This bill is another

example of how we can help cut costs for

those businesses already here and make it

more attractive and less expensive for new

businesses to start and grow.”

Biggest months for occupancy

Two months in 2012 – June and October

– topped 80 percent occupancy, a

height not reached since 2004. Both

were strong meeting and convention

months. June featured Netroots Nation,

a conference of progressive bloggers

and political figures; IEEE Computer

Vision and Pattern Recognition

Conference; and the 2012 Hearing

Loss Association of America Annual

Convention. The three conferences

accounted for 5,549 hotel room nights.

Highlights for October included

the University Risk Management

and Insurance Association and the

American Physical Society, whose

conference fell over Hurricane Sandy.

The two events combined for 7,278

room nights. October also featured two

popular events: the Jack O’Lantern

Spectacular at the Roger Williams Park

Zoo and the Flames of Hope WaterFire.

The Providence Warwick Convention

& Visitors Bureau is an accredited,

501(c)(6) nonprofit organization whose

mission is to create vibrant growth

for the local hospitality economy by

promoting, developing, and expanding

a united visitor industry. For more

information, contact 401-456-0200 or

visit www.pwcvb.com.

From Rhode Islanders

and for Rhode Islanders:

See it. Read it. Share it.


THE RHODE ISLANDCOMMERCIAL & APPRAISAL BOARD OF REALTORS®

Butler RealtyGroup

Commercial • Investment • Residential

401-886-7800www.ButlerRealty.us

Several Prime Office Locations: Providence, Warwick, Johnston, North Kingstown, South

Kingstown, and Exeter. Call for details and address Several to choose from, Some For Sale or lease. Financing available.

Call for details.

635 Arnold Road, Coventry: Great location at Exit 7 near Centre of New England. 800’ front retail/office- Rear 1700’ warehouse service area with 14’W x 10’L O.H. door. Fully air conditioned!! Recently

TOTALLY RENOVATED!!! $2500 per/mo. RILiving.com MLS #1024237

577 Tiogue Avenue, Coventry: 1210 sq ft retail space; former salon in this first floor left unit. Located in a very nice building. New Oriental Restaurant going in on the lower

level. Ample parking. RILiving.com MLS#1032118Two 1220 sq ft adjacent spaces (2240 sq ft total) on the second floor.

Located in a very nice building! Big picture windows in the units with waterviews! Elevator available and nice common area. New Oriental

Restaurant is going in on the first floor. MLS# 1032254

333 Main Street, East Greenwich: Best location on Main Street. Bright and open 2nd floor unit with high ceilings. Parking lot across the street. Great office

or studio space! 1,250 sq ft, $12. psf/yr.RILiving.com MLS #1018391

269 Greenville Avenue, Johnston: Bright office/retail/general business space with open floor plan- Former tanning salon. PRIME busy corner location; easily accessible. Ample

parking. 3 phase electric. $700/per month. Unit C.Former Law/Financial Planning office. 3 phase 200 amp electric.

$1400/per month. Unit E.RILiving.com MLS #1010162 and MLS #1010159

24 Quaker Lane, Warwick:1,000 sf street level retail - $900 mo. 1,000 - 3,000’ sf (3units) 2nd level, bright second floor space from $750 mo.with high ceilings and sky lights. Zoned general business.

By Kent County Courthouse & “Miracle Mile” Rt.2/Rt.117.Great highway access & signage.

RILiving.com MLS #987502

20 Centerville Road, Warwick: Former school; solid brick construction. Very nice 2nd

floor space; owner on 1st floor. Space plan attached. Great Apponaug location! Quick highway access and walk to Ap-

ponaug Village amenities!RILiving.com MLS #988739

39 Nooseneck Hill Road, West Greenwich: Great Rt.3 location just a mile north of Rt.95 Exit 6. Versatile build-

ing. 13,000 sq ft clear span with high ceilings, plus two offices/service areas, 2000 & 4000 sq ft. May divide. Up to 40,000’ for Lease or buy at $1.6 Million. From $5,50 psf/yr. RILiving.com MLS #1022330

74 Nooseneck Hill Road, West Greenwich: Great Route 3 location just ½ mile from Rt 95 exit 6,

nicely appointed office or retail suite with several officesand open area,was HQ for Bess Eaton & Tim Hortons.Fresh paint and carpets. 600-3600’, from $10 psf/yr.

RILiving.com MLS #990071

1755 Smith Street, North Providence: Former Dunkin Donuts for over 30 years (they bought &

moved across the street). Seats 30+. Has a drive-thru. Park-ing for 20+. GREAT for ANY fast food concept.

2000 sq. ft. $4,500/mo. RILiving.com MLS #1028322

4 Grafton Avenue, Coventry: Free Standing Commercial Building-PRIME location next

to The Centre of New England-Exit 7 on Rt95.The building has many offices,a kitchen/cafeteria area,reception,storage & IT room. 1st floor office is 1650 sf, 2nd fl. office 2,000 sf, the warehouse is 1600sf w/650sf mezzanine. Sale at

$495,000 or lease at $10 psf. RILiving.com MLS #1031877

1 Brown Street, North Kingstown: Wickford Village- Excellent location on corner lot. Visible from three streets. Big windows, good foot traffic. Larger

unit (1,500 sq ft) beautifully finished, windows on two sides. Smaller unit (1,000 sq ft) needs finishing. Can be combined.

CALL NOW! RILiving.com MLS #1030851

PROPERTY FOR LEASE

Many more Commercial Properties@ www.ButlerRealty.us ....

or email Jeff Butler at [email protected]

Trusted Real Estate Service Since 1977

Looking to Buy or Lease? Call the Butler!


THE RHODE ISLANDCOMMERCIAL & APPRAISAL BOARD OF REALTORS


Butler RealtyGroup

Commercial • Investment • Residential

401-886-7800www.ButlerRealty.us

400 South County Trail, Exeter: Great location!! Design Award of Excellence. Private baths. Centrally located 6 minutes South of Home Depot in North

Kingstown. Easy access at the gateway to South County. Taxes are approximate. Assessment as unfinished. 900-4,000 sq.ft.

available. From $124,000 RILiving.com MLS #995461

81 West Industrial Drive, Cranston: Flex space, office/warehouse very convenient off Rt. 295 at Rt. Up to 2,000 sq ft office, 1,000+ sq ft warehouse 14’ OH door, end unit on dead end street offers parking and vehicle

flexibility. Great for contractors. Reduced! $250,000Lease Considered!

132 Meadow Street, Warwick: Great location off Rt.117, 1 mile East of Exit 10. Office/

Mfg Wrhse combo. Great value for user. Nice, clean, bright space! This bldg has been substantially updated & is turn key ready to go. Owner can also modify to suit! Lease op-

tion available. $525,000 RILiving.com MLS #1013527

845 North Main Street, Providence: Great location. 919 sq ft office condo in a medical building

near Miriam Hospital. Easy highway and city access by the corner of Branch Ave and North Main. Waiting room,

reception, private bath, 3 exam rooms, office. $50,000 under assessed value. $98,500 RILiving.com MLS # 1029651

157 Granite Street, Westerly: Great corner location at signaled intersection. Many major

retailers are in this area. Building could be rehabbed or knocked down. $650,000 Also available: The adjacent 2

family lot (lot #274) 8,712sq ft for $200,000.RILiving.com MLS #1034320

39 Nooseneck Hill Road, West Greenwich: Large multi-use building offers great flexibility, possible

multiple tenants. The church would consider a lease-back of 10,000-15,000sq ft. Additional 14 acres adjacent also available. Great Rt.3 location just a mile north of Rt.95, Exit 6. Reduced! $1,600,000 Lease Considered! RILiving.com MLS #1029643

747 Pontiac Avenue, Cranston: Great location near Rolfe Square. Three floors of office suites from 200 sq ft and up. Good income generator or large owner

occupied office. Owner keeping several suites clear anticipating a larger user to buy/occupy and have income. $875,000

RILiving.com MLS#1020960

111 Airport Road, Warwick: Very nice 2nd floor office space. Tastefully decorated, good

paint & carpet, possible office furnishings (nice stuff!) Three offices, conference, reception, lav., plus large basement stor-

age. $180/month condo fee. Reduced $84,900RILiving.com MLS #1012762

400 South County Trail, Exeter: Approved Development Zoned Business 17+acres.Current per-

mitted plans for 7 office building for total of 86,000net sf.MANY POTENTIAL USES. Central Rt.2 location minutes from Home Depot/Walmart in N.Kingstown. Easy highway access-strong

traffic count! $975,000 RILiving.com MLS #1029590

111 Hopkins Hill Road, West Greenwich: ½ acre – 16 acres Very fast growing area off Exit 6A near GTech, Amgen & Centrex. Front pad is busy Dunkin Donuts, balance of

site permits office, retail, warehouse & light industrial. Traffic count 15,000 and growing! Multitude of possibilities- 6 other

avail. lots. From $150,000 RILiving.com MLS #855989

4 Grafton Avenue, Coventry: Free Standing Commercial Building- PRIME location next to The Centre of New England-Exit 7 on Rt95.The building has many offices,a kitchen/cafeteria area,reception, storage & IT room. 1st floor office is 1650sf, 2nd fl. office 2,000 sf, warehouse is 1600sf w/650sf mezzanine. Sale at $495,000

or lease at $10 psf. RILiving.com MLS #1031857

7265 Post Road, North Kingstown: 7.82 acres on US Rt.1. Zoning permits apartments/office/medi-cal/retail. Many possibilities!! Will build to suit, sale or lease,

or land only. Great location. Dozens of acres and walking trails behind property. Adjacent 5+- acres also available.

Call For Details! RILiving.com MLS #856381

PROPERTY FOR SALE

HUGE REDUCTION

Many more Commercial Properties@ www.ButlerRealty.us ....

or email Jeff Butler at [email protected]

Trusted Real Estate Service Since 1977

Looking to Buy or Lease? Call the Butler!



Inside Cover C February 8 - 14, 2013 New England Real Estate Journal Visit the paper online nerej.comRhode Island

ProofSize: full Section: rIfrom: Karen Dowell x254 [email protected] Date: 1-11-13

Changes Proof ApprovedNew Proof

crop

2”

NE NYREal EstatE JouRNal

Tel: 781-878-4540

Peter M. Scotti & Associates, Inc. • 401-421-8888246 Hope Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02906Visit our web page at www.scotticommercial.com

Peter M. Scotti & Associates, Inc.Brokerage/appraisal/ManageMent

A full Service Real Estate Company

MEDICAL OFFICE SUITES FOR LEASE49 SEEKONK ST., EAST SIDE/PROVIDENCE

2,000 - 9,400 SF SUITES AMPLE ON SITE PARKINGWET EXAM ROOMS, LABS GROUND LEVEL H/C ACCESSIBLEWAYLAND SQUARE LOCATION COMPETITIVE RENTS

RETAIL CENTER FOR SALE440 STAFFORD RD., FALL RIVER, MA

63,000 SF GROCERY ANCHORED RETAIL SHOPPING CENTER. 95% OCCUPANCY WITH GREAT HISTORIC CASH FLOW. 6 ACRE LAND PARCEL WITH SUBSTANTIAL ON SITE

PARKING. PRICE: $6,500,000 JIM MOORE EXT. 14

RESTAURANT FOR SALE248 ACADEMY AVE, PROVIDENCE, RI

3,400 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING CURRENTLY REGIONAL FRANCHISE USER OPERATING TURN KEY FACILITY IN MT PLEASANT AREA WITH DENSE

DEMOS, OFF STREET PARKING PRICE: $295,000.00

FOR SALE, bELLA NAPOLI96 ATwELLS AVE, PROVIDENCE, RI

REDEVELOPMENT SITE LOCATED AT THE GATEWAY TO FEDERAL HILLTWO BUILDINGS, 5,400 S.F. & 2,354 S.F. ON TWO LOTS, 7,000 S.F. OF LAND

zONED C-2 ALLOWING BROAD RANGE OF USES, PRICE: $995,000.00

AUTO DEALERSHIP FOR SALE296 g. w. HIgHwAY, SMITHFIELD,RI

15,680 S.F. BUILDING WITH SHOWROOM, SERVICE, BODY SHOP, OFFICES8.25 ACRE SITE WITH 300 CAR PAVED PARKING zONED PLANNED CORP.

SELLER WILL CONSIDER OWNER FINANCING, PRICE: $1,975,000.00

OFFICE bUILDINgS FOR SALEEAST SIDE OF PROVIDENCE, RI

124 WATERMAN: 7,600 SF VICTORIAN ON COLLEGE HILL NEAR BROWN U.AMPLE OFF STREET PARKING, PREMIER LOCATION, $695,000.00

240 HOPE: 3,000 SF VICTORIAN ACROSS STREET FROM BROWN ATHLETICSFULLY RENOVATED AND MOVE IN READY, $395,000.00

439 BENEFIT: 3,200 SF RENOVATED MIXED USE BUILDING NEARWICKENDEN STREET, TWO OFFICE SUITES, 1 APT, PRICE: $459,000

wATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT SITEPARASCANDOLA wHARF, NEwPORT, RI

57,900 SF LAND SITE, 74,000 SF WATER- 1,000 FEET ON NEWPORT HARBORWATERFRONT BUS zONE ALLOWS HOTEL, REST, MARINA, MUL FAM, MIX

LAST WHARF DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND

Peter M. Scotti & Associates, Inc.Brokerage/Appraisal/Management

A Full Service Real Estate Company

Peter M. Scotti & Associates, Inc. • 401-421-8888246 Hope Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02906

Visit our web page at www.scotticommercial.com


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risbj issue 2, volume 2

Documents

anniversary issue

issue of risbj

issue twosolving

year anniversary

rhode island company

small business community

lifelong passion

maliks story