PRESORTEDSTANDARD

U.S. POSTAGEPAID

MORRIS, ILPERMIT NO. 64

Grundy BusinessQuarterly

Summer 2014 | morriS Daily HeralD a division of SHaW meDia

Or Current resident

HELPING HANDSArea students participate in the Grundy County summer internship programALSO INSIDE: Disney Institute comes to Grundy County • Improving office productivity • and more…

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Caroline L. Portlock, Executive Director

Grundy County Chamber of Commerce

& Industry

Channahon Minooka Chamber

Although Mickey and Minnie won’t be in attendance, we guarantee you will have a great time at our upcoming workshop featuring the Disney Institute! The Disney Institute – which serves as the profes-sional development sector of The Walt Disney Company – will host a business development program called “Disney’s Approach to Business Excellence,” at Joliet Junior College, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Thurs-day, September 25, 2014 The program will provide local businesses the oppor-tunity to take certain characteristics of The Walt Disney Company and apply them to their businesses in order to grow and prosper. Given the outstanding reputation of the Disney Institute, I think the business excellence

training will be well worth the day out of the office. The full-day event will allow professionals to learn how to drive business results, retain employees and satisfy customers using Disney’s business philosophies. The Chamber’s goal is to provide resources to help businesses in the greater Grundy County area succeed. Teaming up with Joliet Junior College and the Heritage Corridor Convention & Visitor’s Center to bring Disney and its proven business practices to the region is one of many ways we are working to support economic growth. The program will introduce participants to Disney’s core business principles and its approach to leadership excellence; selection, training and management; quality service; brand loyalty; and creativity and innovation.

Program registration is $365 per person (before August 31) and $445 for registration after Aug 31. Registration in-cludes all course materials, continental breakfast and lunch. The Disney Keys to Excellence workshop will be held at Joliet Junior College’s Main Campus, U-Building Conference Center, 1215 Houbolt Road, Joliet, Illinois. A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are available. To sponsor the event, contact me at (815) 942-0113 or cportlock@grundychamber.com. For more information on the workshop and to register call JJC (815) 280-1418.

Inside This Edition

is a specialty publication of the Morris Daily Herald, A Division of Shaw Media. Articles and advertisements

are the property of the Morris Daily Herald. No portion of this guide may be reproduced without written consent

of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of the Morris Daily Herald, and will not be held liable for

the quality of performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of

this publication.

1804 N. Division St., Morris, IL 60450815-942-3221

Grundy Business Quarterly

To advertise in this publicationGina ext. 2022 • Denise ext. 2020

improving office productivityHow to marketyour startup

ideas to growyour business

HELPING HANDSGrundy County Summer Internship Program4

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Disney Institute Coming to the Area

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Productivity is paramount to a company’s success. A productive staff tends to meet or even exceed its goals, strengthening a company along the way. As a result, business owners often find themselves looking for ways to increase productivity, which could be lagging for a number of reasons. Though lack of morale is often assumed to be the reason behind a lack of productivity among staff, such an assumption is not always accurate. Poor productivity might be a byproduct of the office environment, which could be suffering. The following are a handful of steps business owners concerned about staff productivity can take to address those concerns and get their orga-nizations back on the right track. UpgRADE HARDwARE. Thanks to the preva-lence of technology, men and women have grown ac-customed to getting what they need and want a lot faster than the days of yore. For example, the social net-working tool Twitter has revolutionized the way many people get their news. Top stories are now broken on Twitter, which has the ability to instantly share news-worthy items that once were relegated to nightly news broadcasts or morning newspapers. Many people have grown accustomed to that immediacy, so a lack of im-mediacy can be frustrating. Business owners should keep that in mind when examining their hardware. Older computers, for example, are considerably slower

than newer models, and older machinery can compro-mise productivity and frustrate employees. Upgrading employee hardware can help business owners improve efficiency and productivity and make for a happier, less frustrated workforce. LooK InTo LIgHTIng. Lighting can have a sig-nificant impact on employee productivity. Adequate lighting helps employees stay alert throughout the workday, while poor lighting can cause fatigue as the day progresses. If the office is dimly lit, upgrade lighting fixtures, even installing more fixtures in areas that are especially dark. HELp EMpLoyEEs HonE THEIR sKILLs. Em-ployees who feel as though they have reached a pla-teau and opportunities to advance their careers have all but dried up are less likely to be productive than those who feel they can continue to move up within a company. In such instances, employee morale needs to be addressed, even if there are no immediate pro-motions to be had. Business owners may improve that morale by helping employees hone their skills, be it paying for coursework that allows them to improve existing skills or sending them to seminars where they can learn more about their field. Such efforts are relatively inexpensive investments for employers, but they show employees that their companies are willing to invest in them. Such gestures can improve morale

Story continues on page 6

Improving office

productivity

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Hailey Hoaglund will be starting her senior year at Morris Community High School this fall, but the teenager already has her sights set on a master’s degree. Hoaglund said she dreams of becoming an engi-neer, like her father, and hopes her upcoming summer internship with Utility Concrete as an assistant project engineer will propel her toward a full-time career. She is one of 17 local high school students or recent graduates interning with major companies through a Grundy County summer internship program. “I thought it would be a good experience. It’s also good on a résumé. I want to be a groundbreaking engineer, so this is a great start as well as a good job,” Hoaglund said. Aside from providing hands-on experience, sev-eral of the internships are paid, which is a bonus for students like Hoaglund who would otherwise work a low-paying summer job. “Why would I work at Burger King when I could work at an engineering place?” she said. The internship program was founded last year by the Grundy Area Vocational Center and the Grundy Economic Development Council, with help from state Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, local educators and a small

group of local companies. Founding members of the program gathered Wednesday morning at a breakfast to celebrate the program’s second year and welcome this summer’s interns. “It’s been a great program. We’re growing every year,” GEDC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Norton Ammer said. Five companies added internship programs this year, bringing the total to eight participating businesses. The number of students also increased, from 12 last year to 17 this year. “We’re starting to really put a marriage together of students and companies,” GAVC director Lance Copes said. Local educators and employers hope the program will entice students to stay in Grundy County. Ammer said too often, the county loses its best and brightest after they go away to college. Rezin said on her tours of local industrial plants, several managers told her they were forced to hire engineers from 50 to 60 miles away, because they couldn’t find qualified candidates within Grundy County. “I am convinced that we have the best vocational

center in the state right here in this county,” Rezin said of GAVC. “And we have the industry that will use ev-erybody that they’re educating, as well.” Many of the students introduced Wednesday said they will be travelling to other states to start col-lege in the fall. Ammer said the program provides a first-hand look at excellent career opportunities within Grundy. “The first response when most kids come to our facility is, ‘Wow, I didn’t even know this was here,’” Aux Sable operations officer Jeff White said. “It just kind of opens their eyes.” With more awareness of the program, intern-ships were highly competitive this year. Copes said 178 applicants applied for positions in the program, but only 17 were chosen after a rigorous in-terview process. Some of the students have started their jobs, like Kaitlin Friend from Morris Community High School, who is a marketing intern for Stormtrap. “This is actually our first year in the internship program,” Stefanie Geiss, of Stormtrap said. “Katie has been with us for about two weeks now and she’s done a great job. We’re lucky to have her.”

HELPING HANDSArea students participate in the Grundy County Summer Internship Program

Story by Jessica BourqueShaw Media writer

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Area students participate in the Grundy County Summer Internship Program

Story by Jessica BourqueShaw Media writer

GAVC 2014 internship

reCipients And their sChools

Aux sable Lp

• Lukas Terhall, Morris• Michael Grayson, Minooka• Jacob Beaudin, Minooka

LyondellBasell

• Kelly Kolotka, Morris• Angel Dinelli, Morris

• Josie Hyslop, Gardner South Wilmington• Molly Schultz, Gardner South Wilmington

• Brittany Jezik, Coal City• Lauren Daniels, Gardner South Wilmington

Morris Hospital

• Clayton Labaj, Morris

Rezin orthopedics

• Thomas Luna, Minooka

spACECo, Inc.

• Alex Wills, Coal City

stormtrap

• Kaitlin Friend, Morris

Us Cold storage

• Samuel Allen, Morris• Shannon Norton, Minooka

Utility Concrete

• Hailey Hougland, Morris• Joseph Wiegmann, Minooka

(opposITE pAgE) All 17 local high school students and recent graduates of the summer internship program take time out to pose for a photo.

(ABoVE) summer interns sit down with their perspective business supervisors.

To nominate a Woman of Distinction

go to morrisdailyherald.com or heraldlife.com,

click on the Women of Distinction logo and

complete the nomination form by August 16,

2014.

WOMENofd i s t i n c t i o n

ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS through August 16, 2014The Women of Distinction Award is given to women who have made a difference in Grundy County and who are representative role models as leaders in their fields and communities. Nominations are being taken now, and the honorees will be chosen by a selection committee from Grundy County.

A welcome reception in October will provide networking opportunities that will precede lunch and the awards ceremony. The awards ceremony will honor women of distinction and provide honorees with an opportunity to share their stories.

PrESENTING SPONSOr SuPPOrTING SPONSOrS

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and productivity. sET TARgETs AnD FoLLow Up on THEM. A sleepy office environment or low employee morale are not always behind lower productivity. In some instances, employees simply need to have goals set for them in order to improve their productivity. Goals should be re-alistic but not too simple to achieve, as poorly set goals can give employees the wrong impression. When tasked with meeting easy targets, some employees may think their employer does not have much confidence in their abilities, while others may embrace easy goals and use

them as an excuse to be unproductive. So while goals should be realistic, they also should inspire employees to do their best. Once targets have been established, don’t forget to follow up and ensure progress is being made. Setting targets but failing to follow up on employee progress can produce an environment in which employees feel as though their efforts are not valued. EnCoURAgE EMpLoyEE InpUT. Determining why productivity is sagging is not always so easy. But many times employees themselves are a business’ best

resource with regard to identifying why things have taken a turn for the worse. Business owners can create an environment in which employees know their input is valued. If necessary, instruct department managers to conduct monthly meetings with staff to address issues such as work flow, teamwork and responsibility. During these meetings, which can be valuable during periods of low or even exceptional productivity, managers can solicit suggestions from employees about improving productivity and efficiency.

Story continued from page 3OFFICE PRODUCTIVITY

Competition has always played a significant role in the business world, and today’s business owners know that the competition for customers is a never-ending battle. For startup owners, that competition can prove even more challenging. Successful startups often credit their initial marketing efforts as a linchpin of their evolution from startup to successful business. Marketing a startup involves careful consideration of a host of factors, and what’s proven successful for one company will not necessarily produce similar results for another. But there are some elements of marketing a startup that owners can employ regardless of the type of business they’re beginning. Keep your initial focus narrow. Successful startups often start with a small target customer base and go from there. Though it can be tempting to market your business to any and all potential customers, targeting a small number of custom-ers who are most likely to help you establish the business could be more in line with your initial meager marketing budget. Once those customers you initially targeted have helped you establish and grow your business, you can then consider targeting a broader customer base. use local media to your advantage. Local media can be a friend to startups if the owners of those startups allow them to be. Contact the local newspaper and local radio station to let them know your business is opening. Let local newspaper reporters try your product and write a review, and go on local radio to announce your grand opening, which should include some type of incentive (free food, product raffles, etc.) to attract potential customers. Local media benefits when local businesses thrive, so developing a partnership with local media early on can prove beneficial to your startup for years to come. use social media to your advantage. Traditional media isn’t the only media startup owners can use to their advantage. Social media is another way

to engage customers; just be sure to use your social media platform for more than just promotion. While promoting products is a great way to use social media, such platforms also are an ideal way to share interesting information about your products and even you and your employees. Social media platforms now vary greatly, and each can be employed in different ways. For example, Instagram is a great way to share photos of new products or in-store events, while Facebook can be a great tool to share the story of your business and how it came to be. reward loyal customers. Customers love to know their loyalty is being rewarded, and incentivizing that loyalty is a great way for startups to establish a customer base. LoyalBlocks, for example, is a loyalty-marketing tool for traditional brick-and-mortar businesses that allows them to connect with their customers, who can earn special offers or rewards toward products each time they check in on their smartphones when making purchases in the store. The cost of enrollment in such a program or the cost of incentivizing purchases will likely prove negligible the larger and more loyal your customer base becomes. don’t shy away from recognition. Recognition of your efforts is a great way to build a strong reputation, so don’t be afraid to participate when communities are doling out awards to local businesses. You may or may not need to apply for such awards, but don’t feel sheepish if you must apply. Awards make for great (and often free) publicity, and awards are earned on merit, so they’re nothing to be embarrassed about. Building a startup can be as challenging as it can be rewarding. Marketing plays a significant role in many successful startups, and there are many steps startup owners can take to market their business effectively.

How to market your startup

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Getting a startup off the ground is a consider-able and rewarding achievement. But once a business has achieved a certain level of success, business owners often find themselves wondering what to do next. Growing a business may not prove as challenging as turning it from a startup into a successful enterprise, but business owners often agonize over the best way to grow their businesses. The following are a few ideas to grow your business so you can build on your initial success. Open a new location. Physical expansion is often the first idea that comes into business owners’ minds when they are thinking about how to grow their businesses. But physical expansion is not always the best way to grow a business. Before deciding to open a second location, consider consumer trends to determine if your company has staying power, and economic trends to determine if the economy is healthy enough to support both your initial location and any additional locations you plan to open. Another thing to consider before opening a new location is your management style. If that style is very hands-on, then who will manage your new location, or your existing one if you plan to oversee things at the

new store? Physical expansion can be good for business, but it’s often most successful when business owners have a solid management team already in place, which allows owners to spend time at both locations. Diversify your offerings. The Small Business Administration notes that diversifying is a strong growth strategy, providing multiple streams of income that can help business owners survive the slower months when sales tend to dip. Businesses known for a particular product may want to offer complementary products or services or import or export others’ products. Startups often credit loyal customer bases when citing their reasons for surviving their first few years, and such customer bases already trust your brand. Expanding that brand to include complementary products or services is a logical next step to grow your business and build on the credibility you worked so hard to achieve with your customer base. Develop an app. Many of today’s successful startups had Web sites even before they opened the doors to their more traditional brick-and-mortar stores. While a strong Web presence is essential for many of today’s businesses, business owners can now go one step further and create their own smartphone or tab-

let app. Such apps can allow customers to peruse your offerings, place orders on-the-go and perform a host of other tasks related to your business without using a computer. An app can introduce your business to a whole new crop of potential customers, whether they live around the corner from your store or halfway around the globe. Upon introducing the app, expect some technical glitches and solicit user responses so you can quickly update the app and make it more user-friendly if need be. Form an alliance with other businesses. Rather than diversifying their product offerings, some business owners have found it’s easier and more profitable to form an alliance with other businesses who already sell complementary products. Such an alliance can be good for both businesses, as each can expand its customer base without the kind of effort it takes to open a new location or the cost of producing new products. Other businesses already have lists of prospective customers who may need your products, and vice versa. Alliances can be the most effective and quickest ways to grow a business, not to mention the least expensive and time-consuming.

Ideas to grow your business

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