Business Journal: May 2013

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Thursday, May 2Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet

Facility, 3909 W. Main St. Community Leaders Breakfast, 7 to 9 a.m.

Decatur Conference Center and Hotel. Fea-tured speaker is Michael Brandwein.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon,Decatur Club.

Human Service Agency Consortium (HSAC),noon, Central Christian Church, 650 W.William St.

Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Knights ofColumbus Hall, 520 E. North St.

Metro Decatur Home Builder’s Association, 6p.m., Beach House, 2301 E. Lake Shore Dr.

American Business Women’s Association(Amacita), 6 p.m., location varies.

Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., EasterSeals’ Building, 2715 N. 27th St.

Friday, May 3Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill

Banquet Facility.Decatur Black Chamber of Commerce First Fri-

day Luncheon, noon, Main Street Church TeaRoom, 2000 N. Main St.

Monday, May 6Decatur Noon Lions Club, Main Place Bar &

Grill, 101 S. Main St.Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club. Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater

Northside Baptist Church.

Tuesday, May 7Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites by

Hilton, 333 W. Marion Ave., Forsyth.

BNI First Class Professionals, 7:45 a.m.,

Crestview Christian Church, 4415 N. Water

St.Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scov-

ill Banquet Facility.Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic

Center.Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Busi-

ness After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., Millikin Univer-sity.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., PleasantviewTownship shed.

Wednesday, May 8Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m.,

Scovill Banquet Facility.Mount Zion Chamber of Commerce Luncheon,

11:30 a.m.Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet

Facility.Decatur Real Estate Investors Association,

6:30 p.m., Perkins Family Restaurant, 2999N. Monroe St.


Facility.GFWC Decatur Woman’s Club, 11:30 a.m.,

Scovill Banquet Facility.Senior Resources Network (formerly Mature

Resources Network), 11:45 a.m., Keystone Gar-dens, 1455 W. Mound Road.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon,Decatur Club.

Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Knights ofColumbus Hall, 520 E. North St.

Decatur Area Women’s Network (DAWN), 5:30p.m., location varies.

Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., EasterSeals’ Building.


Banquet Facility.


Grill.Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.


Hilton.

BNI First Class Professionals, 7:45 a.m.,

Crestview Christian Church.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scov-

ill Banquet Facility.

Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic

Center.

Decatur Building Construction Trades Council,10 a.m., IBEW Local 146 Hall, 3390 N. Wood-

ford St.

Decatur Area Society for Human Resource Man-agement, 11 a.m., Doherty’s Pub and Pins,

242 E. William St.

Central Illinois Ad Club, 11:30 a.m., Decatur

Club. Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview

Township shed.


Scovill Banquet Facility.Christian Women’s Network, noon, Decatur

Club. Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet

Facility.


Facility.Decatur Christian Women’s Club, 11:30 a.m.,

Scovill Banquet Facility.Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon,

Decatur Club.Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Knights of

Columbus Hall, 520 E. North St.Decatur AMBUCS, 6 p.m., Decatur Club.


Banquet Facility.Noon Women’s Network, 11:45 a.m., Decatur

Club.


Grill.Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater



Hilton.BNI First Class Professionals, 7:45 a.m.,

Crestview Christian Church.Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scov-

ill Banquet Facility.Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview

Township shed.


Scovill Banquet Facility.Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet

Facility.Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Awards

Dinner, 5 to 8 p.m., Decatur Conference Cen-ter and Hotel.


Facility.Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon,


Columbus Hall, 520 E. North St.Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Busi-

ness After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., Poage Cadil-lac Buick GMC, 1500 Koester Drive,Forsyth.


Banquet Facility.American Business Women’s Association

(Monarch), noon, location varies.




ill Banquet Facility.Decatur Building Construction Trades Council,

10 a.m., IBEW Local 146 Hall.Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview

Township shed.


Scovill Banquet Facility.Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facili-

ty.


Facility.Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon,


Columbus Hall, 520 E. North St.


Banquet Facility.

Monday, June 3Decatur Noon Lions Club, Main Place Bar & Grill.Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater


Tuesday, June 4Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites by



ill Banquet Facility. Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic

Center.Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview

Township shed.

Wednesday, June 5Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Break-

fast, 7 a.m., Decatur Club. Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m.,

Scovill Banquet Facility.Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet

Facility.

Thursday, June 6Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet

Facility.American Business Women’s Association

(Amacita), 11:30 a.m., location varies.Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon,

Decatur Club.Human Service Agency Consortium (HSAC), noon,

Central Christian Church, 650 W. William St.Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Knights of

Columbus Hall, 520 E. North St.Metro Decatur Home Builder’s Association, 6

p.m., Beach House.Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter

Seals’ Building.

Friday, June 7Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet

Facility.Decatur Black Chamber of Commerce First Fri-

day Luncheon, noon, Main Street Church TeaRoom, 2000 N. Main St.

To submit items for Your Calendar, contact ScottPerry at (217) 421-7976, at [email protected], or click the “Submit an Event” link at www.thebusiness-journal.com.

22 BBUUSSIINNEESSSS JJOOUURRNNAALL MMaayy 22001133 www.thebusiness-journal.com

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601 E. William St. Decatur, IL 62523217.421.7976217.421.7965 (fax)

VOLUME 19 ISSUE 5

STORY IDEAS:Email [email protected] or call 217.421.7976.

SUBSCRIPTIONS:To order additional copies call217.421.7931

ADVERTISING:The deadline for ad and ad copy for the June issue is May 14. Call217.421.7931 for rate information.

The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois is printed monthly and is a publication of Lee Enterprises Inc.

Information published is the responsibil-ity of the author and does not reflect theopinions of The Business Journal of Mid-Central Illinois. To submit articles, mailtypewritten and 500 words or less to:The Business Journal, 601 E. William St.,Decatur, IL 62523. Articles will not bereturned. Any editorial content or adver-tising published is the property of LeeEnterprises Inc., DBA The Business Jour-nal of MidCentral Illinois.

Copyright 2013Herald & ReviewAll rights reserved for entire content.

MMaayy 22001133 BBUUSSIINNEESSSS JJOOUURRNNAALL 33www.thebusiness-journal.com

BUSINESSJOURNAL

OF MIDCENTRAL ILLINOIS

May2013Contents

Ready to rideBike enthusiasts from all backgrounds,

and the businesses that cater to them,

prepare for perfect motorcycle weather.

Page 11

23SURVEY SAYSSaving more

for retirement

not a top priority

16STRONG BONDMr. John’s

teaches students

to focus on

customer service

We received a fax from the state on Earth Day proclaiming April 22 as

No Print Day.

Raise your hand if you think there’s something strange about that sentence.

Time’s up.

They sent us a fax.

Two sheets of paper used to “draw our attention to the overuse of paper and

how to reduce paper consumption.”

One of the suggestions the news release gave for reducing paper waste?

“Send faxes electronically/email attachments.”

Don’t get me wrong. I applaud the thought.

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t marvel at how much paper we go through in

our office. What amazes me more are the people who feel compelled to print

everything and ALWAYS forget to get off their butts and make the short walk

over to the printer and pick them up.

I’m no stranger to being distracted by shiny objects. Things come up that

cause me to forget I pushed print. But that is the exception.

Not everything needs to be printed. And if it needs to be printed, it needs to

be picked up. It’s that simple.

If you need a reminder, print this note and tape it next to your computer.

Biz Bites . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Business Clips . . . . . . . 8

Fred Spannaus . . . . . . 9

Free Time calendar . . 14

Health calendar . . . . . 21

Liz Reyer . . . . . . . . . . 17

Office Coach . . . . . . . 18

Professional profile . . 12

SCORE counselor . . . . 8

Wendy Gauntt . . . . . . 15

StandingFeatures

FROM THE EDITOR

Scott Perry, editor

Business Journal of Midcentral Illinois

PUBLISHER:Todd Nelson

EDITOR:Scott Perry

ADVERTISING:Cayla Hittmeier

LAYOUT & DESIGN:Jane Ruppert

COVER PHOTO:Jean Zerfowski

Bates: ‘God idea’ ledto establishment ofSmall Business Expo

By THERESA CHURCHILL Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — The Rev. Jessie Batesled the Ambassadors for Christ streetministry for so long, it might surprisesome people to know he was an entrepre-neur before he was a preacher.

But it explains why, the minute he sat-isfied his old business debts six yearsago, he and his wife Janice establishedJRB Enterprises to buy and renovatehomes around his church, Abundant LifeChristian Center at 1705 N. Maple St., sothat “people who wanted to rent from uswould have a decent home to live in.”

With 21 properties under their belt, theBateses have been working for the past15 months to breathe new life into thestrip mall formerly anchored by Sattley’soffice supplies.

The shopping center has a new name,Decatur Plaza, and a new anchor, aSmall Business Expo offering new busi-nesses an easier way to get started.

Bates said God shared all this withhim, starting during the time a specialspeaker was at Abundant Life ChristianCenter teaching the congregation aboutmaking good investments.

“This was a God idea,” Bates said.“We were just in training on the residen-tial property for almost five years beforewe entered the commercial realm.”

Open since June 1, the Small BusinessExpo is up to six tenants, the newest ofwhich is J-5 Shoes, a unique boutiqueopened by Edna Thomas earlier thismonth.

Thomas, like the others, appreciatesthe chance to limit her financial commit-ment starting out with a four-monthlease costing just $75 a week, with allmaintenance and utility charges includ-ed.

LeShawn Young, owner of Shawn’sElectronical Connections, has done sowell repairing cellphones, computers andother electronics, he expanded his busi-ness to a second kiosk earlier thismonth.

“This location is real awesomebecause I’m right in the center of town,”Young said. “Eventually, I’m going tohave to have somebody else doing therepairs, too, the traffic is so heavy.”

Other tenants in the Small BusinessExpo are Word of Knowledge Bookstore,Reshaping U 4 Life, Lo’Chique Boutiqueand CA’s Tax Enterprise.

Yet even this isn’t the full story onDecatur Plaza because it has also beenhome since September to Illini Fadez, abarber/beauty shop owned by AudreyAustin and Davida Fanniel of Spring-field.

Manager Geoffery Turnbo said the

shop started with three barbers and onestylist but now has five barbers andthree stylists. “Everybody sees us driv-ing by on Water Street,” he said.

Tickets-N-Trips also remains a keydestination in the shopping center, andmanager Stephanie Ramsey said she

appreciates the changes that have comewith the new landlord.

“It’s nice having businesses next to usand the place looking busier,” Ramseysaid. “(Bates) has really done a good jobfixing everything up and keeping theplace clean.”

Until graduating from EisenhowerHigh School in 1973, Jessie Bates said heworked at Red Carpet car wash from thetime his family came to Decatur fromBrownsville, Tenn.

He operated a variety of businesses —including a lawn service, a night club, aclothing and jewelry store and a cellphone and pager business — in Decaturand elsewhere, until he felt the call toministry, studied at Lincoln ChristianCollege for two years then foundedAmbassadors for Christ in Decatur in1997 and Abundant Life Christian Centerin 2002.

Two spaces remain in Decatur Plaza,and Bates wants to attract a discountstore like Family Dollar or Dollar Gener-al, along with a thrift, photography orgrocery store.

“For the economy, I think it’s goingreally well,” Bates said. “Our wholeintent was to generate and create rev-enue in the inner city. That’s where ourheart is.”

He also believes he learned importantlessons from past ventures that will helphim succeed.

“Besides being a God idea, I knowit’s important not to try to grow toofast and make sure you are financed,”Bates said. “You must also provide thevery best customer service you canbecause your customers are partnerswith you.”


YOUR COMMUNITY

Reverend makes investment in others

Business Journal photos/Mark RobertsJessie Bates, president and CEO of JRB Enterprises, stands outside the Small Business Expo in Decatur.

Geoffery Turnbo cuts Michael Withers’ hair at Illini Fadez.


Now openCherryBerry has opened the newest of its

self-serve yogurt bars to enthusiasticresponse at 130 S. Oakland Ave. inDecatur.

CherryBerry offers 12 flavors of frozenyogurt, such as strawberry, watermelon,orange and cherry, and two with nosugar added (Tahitian vanilla and choco-late). The more exotic flavor namesinclude Greek java caramel cup, Califor-nia tart, caramel pretzel, birthday bashand Cookie Monster.

Julie Bartol, director of operations,said she also has two dairy-free sorbets,and topping choices number more than40.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundaythrough Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.Friday and Saturday. Call (217) 330-8573.

n n nAfter spending the past five years per-

fecting his tattooing skills in the Decaturand Springfield area, Jesse Jones feltthe time was right to venture out on hisown.

Jones opened Urban Legendz Tattoo Parlorat 237 S. Jasper St. in Decatur at the endof February.

He said his bright, bold and colorfultattoos are what separate him from hiscompetition. He also does customwork.

While Jones, 23, expects the businesswill grow to include other artists, he’shappy being the only artist in the shopas he gets settled in as a business owner.

Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Mondaythrough Saturday. Call (217) 330-6709.

On the moveWhen Lori George’s dad bought

Decatur’s Golden Glaze Donuts in 1973, hiscompetitors included Mister Donut,Vanzetti’s Bakery and what soonbecame known as Harold’s House ofDonuts.

About all she remembers is that herfather, Donald Sterling, was good friendswith Harold Allison. That and helpingthe girls at Golden Glaze, then located at1500 N. Water St., put sprinkles on the

doughnuts at night. “I was 7 and thought I was a big shot,”

George said. Fast-forward 40 years, and George and

her husband, Dean, have taken the fami-ly business across town and set up shopin the former Harold’s, shuttered since2008, bringing the familiar, large-win-dowed A-frame back to life with cus-tomers, pastry and coffee.

Golden Glaze Donuts moved from 3755E. William Street Road, its home since1996.

“It’s a better opportunity,” Georgesaid. “This place is known for doughnuts,and we want to keep that traditiongoing.”

n n nThe J&R Barber Shop has cut away to a

new Decatur location. It’s now based at 3151 N. Woodford

St., Suite A, just one door east of theSecretary of State’s driver’s licensefacility. The shop, founded more than 50years ago, used to be at 1904 N. MainSt. and had been looking for a moreconvenient location on one levelbecause customers were complainingabout the steps needed to access the oldbuilding.

“We’ve remodeled everything, and it’sabout twice the size of the location wehad,” said cosmetologist and barber LoriCarr. “It will be a lot better experiencefor everybody.”

n n nHendricks & Carr Marketing Solutions has

moved closer to its origins in 2008 indowntown Decatur.

The new location is at 1075 W. Main St.in the former second-story quarters ofFitzjarrald & Associates. Mike Carr, apartner with Josh Hendricks in the busi-ness, said they wanted to be closer toDecatur’s business district than theywere on South Taylorville Road.

n n nCountry Financial representative Andy

Stukins has opened an office on thesquare in Mount Pulaski. Stukins hadpreviously been based out of the Forsythoffice.

Stukins said much of his time has beenspent becoming familiar with the com-munity and meeting as many residentsas possible while working out of the

office at 123 S. LaFayette St. n n n

Kristen and Bryant Bunch have movedtheir at-home birthday party business,Bunch of Fun, into the Small BusinessExpo at Decatur Plaza, 1123 N. WaterSt., beginning Monday.

They have a bounce house to rent outand characters including Mickey andMinnie Mouse, Elmo, Hello Kitty, Spider-Man, Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob.

Bunch of Fun also offers candy-filledpinatas, a party game and a gift for thebirthday child.

Kristen Bunch, who already operatesa home day care service, said she andher husband are trying to fill a need theyfelt time and again raising six sons, whorange in age from 2 to 20.

“We’ve been throwing birthday partiesfor years,” she said. “What we have is solimited here.”

Like his wife, Bryant Bunch also hasanother business — B&B Home Remod-eling.

Bunch of Fun is open by appointment.Call 454-6144.

New nameA longtime northside Decatur hard-

ware store is making the transition to anew name that its owner hopes will helpit offer a more diverse selection of prod-ucts.

The store at 2809 N. Main St. is nowoperating as Decatur Ace Hardware. It hadbeen open since 1974 as Daniels TrueValue, owner Mark Daniels said.

“The change will help us service cus-tomers in Decatur better,” Daniels said.

While the business now has the Acename, Daniels said each store is inde-pendently owned and operated, whichprovides flexibility in running it. Otherthan changing the name, Daniels saidcustomers shouldn’t notice much of adifference in personnel as he and otheremployees remain working there.

n n nHomer L. Chastain & Associates has

acquired Phillip W. Cochran ConsultingEngineer and changed its name to Chas-tain & Associates. Phillip W. Cochran is now

partner of land development at Chastain& Associates.

New ownerA Decatur business is driving forward

under new ownership and a slightly mod-ified name.

Vanderlaan’s Automotive Repair at 6335 EastU.S. 36, Suite C was known for the lastthree years as Vanderlaan’s Auto Repairafter it was founded by former ownerGreg Vanderlaan.

The new owner is Cody Flanders, 24,and he is working alongside newly hiredmechanic Dan Collins to offer a broadrange of mechanical repair for all makesand models.

Flanders worked alongside Greg Van-derlaan when they were employed atNick’s Automotive in Decatur, which isowned by Vanderlaan’s father.

Vanderlaan’s Automotive Repair isopen Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to5:30 p.m., and by appointment Saturdays.Call (217) 864-1196.

ClosedVisitors to the Oakwood shopping area

will notice that Ralph’s West End Marketacross the street at 135 S. Oakland Ave.has closed in recent days.

Owner Nate McKean said he is in theprocess of selling the store to new ownersand hopes it will reopen soon. He declinedto name the buyers, nor would he explainwhy he decided to sell Ralph’s after a lit-tle more than two years in business.

“It’s complex, and I don’t want to dis-cuss it,” he said.

McKean did say that his Oakwoodrestaurant, Blue Eggs & Ham, continuesto operate at 120 S. Oakland. Hours are 6a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 3p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Biz Bites highlight businesses that are opening,closing, expanding … you get the picture. If youhave information for our Biz Bites column, contactTony Reid at [email protected], Chris Lus-vardi at [email protected], TheresaChurchill at [email protected] or callthem at (217) 421-6979.

April election brings some changes to Decatur Board of EducationBusiness Journal Staff Report

DECATUR — Change is in the cardsfor the Decatur Board of Education.

Unofficial results from last month’selection show Barry A. Buttz, Alida Gra-ham, Fred Spannaus and T.J. JacksonJr. as new members of the board. Allfour will be serving on the board for thefirst time.

Daniel Winter, the only incumbent andthe current board president, receivedonly 7 percent of the votes cast.

“I’m pretty disappointed, but obviouslythe community wanted a big change inthe board of education, and they sure gotit,” Winter said.

“Decatur is ready for change, andAlida and I, and T.J. and Fred, are readyto step in and do what we can and make

things better for kids and this wholecommunity, and we’re excited,” saidButtz, the top vote-getter with 5,268votes.

Buttz and Graham are retired teach-ers. Graham additionally served asDecatur Education Association presidentfor eight years, and Buttz has been aprincipal and central office administra-tor. Jackson is a former dean at Eisen-hower High School. Spannaus has been acommunity advocate.

There also were changes at the town-ship level, with trustee Lisa Stanleydefeating incumbent Decatur TownshipSupervisor Duane Potter. Vicki Sheets,who previously served as supervisor,defeated current Republican trusteeMark Younker and incumbent Assessor

Tom Greanias, who ran as an independ-ent, in the race for township assessor.

In the closest race, incumbent ClerkAda Owens edged out current trusteeMichael Sexton. Elected as trustees wereDebbie Sheets, Amy Nixon Rueff,Michael Smith and Susan Gant Reynolds.

Incumbents fared much better in theother high-profile community races.

Chris Riley was won re-election to theDecatur Park District Board of Commis-sioners. He will be joined on the boardby Chris Harrison, who won the seatvacated by Don Luy, who did not seek re-election.

Dale Colee won re-election to the Rich-land Community College Board ofTrustees. He will be joined by DavidCooprider, who is filling the seat vacated

by Amy Bliefnick, didn’t run for re-elec-tion.

It was a clean sweep for incumbentsfor Decatur City Council incumbentsJerry Dawson, Pat McDaniel and JulieMoore-Wolfe.

As for the leadership in other MaconCounty communities, there will be somenew faces — some by their choice andothers by the choice of voters.

The new mayors/village presidents areCindy Luedke in Argenta, Kenny Ervinin Blue Mound, Marilyn Johnson inForsyth, Rose Marie Ross in Harristown,Cheryl Smith in Long Creek, ToddCollins in Macon, Ted Agee in Maroa,Robert Embrey in Niantic, Aaron Keath-ley in Oreana, and Corey Maloney inWarrensburg.

BIZ BITES


Started diving intobusiness to dealwith son’s cancer

By DONNETTE BECKETT Business Journal Writer

MACON — The White Zombies mayhave defined it — “400 horsepower ofmaximum performance piercing thenight ... This is black sunshine.”

But Brian Elliott brings the ride tolife.

“My main job is to restore enginecases and frames, so people can restorethe bikes themselves or pass on to some-one else,” said Elliott, who re-creates1970s and older Harley-Davidson motor-cycle frames as part of his business,Black Sunshine Motors.

He also can re-create the entire bike, atask that can take two months to over ayear to do. “I don’t like to build bikes,but I do it to fund the other work.”

He searches for original parts at swapmeets and at other garages and shops. Ifhe can’t find the part, he will manufac-ture it himself. “When you are restoringa bike, you don’t want something off theshelf, you want an original part.”

Motorcycle buffs from all over theworld, including Australia, England,France, Italy and Germany, where theolder Harley-Davidson culture is verypopular, have work done by Black Sun-shine Motors.

Although motorcycle enthusiasts maydream of spending every day withknucklehead frames and old Harley-Davidson parts, the business startedfrom a nightmare.

The love of motorcycles started whenElliott was 18 years old and “tinkering”around. He started restoring a bike, buthad to sell it after his first child, daugh-ter Myia, was born in April 1998.

“I gave up a little when I had kids,” hesaid, with no regrets.

In January 2002, Elliott’s then 2-year-old son, Brodin, was diagnosed withmedulloblastoma, a brain tumor at thebase of the brain that can affect thespinal cord fluid.

“When he was going through all ofthis, I couldn’t keep my head straight,”Elliott recalls. “If you’re watching TV,you’re still thinking about it. So, I start-ed diving into this.”

Elliott’s wife, Mary, left her job atBachrach’s clothing store to be withtheir son.

“After I left Bachrach, we went fromtwo incomes to one,” she remembers.“His shop helped a little bit financially.”

During the next few years, Brodin hadtwo surgeries on his brain. And the fol-low-up treatments of radiation andchemotherapy took a toll on the littleboy’s body.

Through it all, Black Sunshine Motors

progressed. The business started slowly out of a

shop at his home in Oakley. By 2004, thework began to grow and he moved thebusiness to a shop on Pershing Road inDecatur. But after two years, he foundthe rent and other expenses of owning abusiness to be costly. “And it’s hard torun a business with only two people,” he

said. So he moved Black Sunshine back to

his home, which is now in Macon. Since then the dream has been look-

ing a bit brighter. Brodin, 12, has beencancer-free for five years and wasreleased from further medical testinglast summer. He is a student at HarrisSchool.

Mary made the choice to return towork in special education.

“By putting myself in his school set-ting makes me aware of what Brodinneeds,” she said.

This has allowed Elliott to slow down.“You know I’ve got a family,” he said.

But Brodin’s disease and the treat-ment have had a lasting effect on theboy’s body. He has scar tissue on hislungs that causes respiratory problems.He has two hearing aids, cataracts inone eye and he doesn’t talk.

Because of Brodin’s continued healthconcerns, his father works full-time forthe benefits as a railcar repair shopsupervisor.

“I work here, and I moonlight there,”Elliott said, standing among half-assem-bled motorcycles and parts.

Several of Elliott’s bikes have beenphotographed for national magazinessuch as “Easy Rider,” “Full Throttle”and “The Horse-Backstreet Choppers,” inwhich he was awarded Chop Off winner.Other awards include Cycle Source’sBuilder of the Year and Best in Show.His bikes have been displayed at manymotorcycle shows, including at the Bro-ken Spoke Saloon during the SturgisRally. His bikes also have been on dis-play during the Easy Rider Tour.

“Brian started the business as areprieve,” Mary said. “But it proved hewas a real artist.”

Father finds peace restoring motorcyclesYOUR BUSINESS

Business Journal/Mark RobertsBrian Elliot, center, with his two children, Myia and Brodin, at his bike shop in Macon. BELOW: Elliot shows Brodin how to use one of themachines in his garage.

Q: What are some normal occur-rences/benchmarks an entrepreneurmight experience as a business owner?

A: Once again I’ve turned to The Illi-nois Small Business Development CenterNetwork’s Weekly Connection publica-tion. Contributor, Barry Moltz, a smallbusiness consultant, author and speakerwho provides help for small business,has several suggestions. He says mostentrepreneurs will one day create theirlast business card and will stop startingand running companies. Before that daycomes, here are things every entrepre-neur should experience:

START A BUSINESS. Many people thinkabout it, but few actually do it. Quit theday job and jump head first into thedeep end. There is nothing in this worldthat feels better than overcoming thefear of launching a new business ven-ture. When that first customer buys, itmakes it all worthwhile. One suggestionI would add, however, is to develop abusiness plan that will not only helpyou get started but after routinelyreviewing will keep your business ontrack.

SELL A BUSINESS. When someone elsepays money for a company that an entre-preneur built, there is a huge sense ofpride. Creating something of value forcustomers is one thing, but when a larg-er company wants to “buy” what theycreated, that feeling is in an entirely dif-ferent league.

GO OUT OF BUSINESS. While this is notas enjoyable as No. 1 or No. 2, it is avaluable experience. Experiencing fail-ure will test any entrepreneur’sresiliency. When any small businessowner has been beaten down andcomes back, that feeling is the sweet-est one of all.

FIRE AN EMPLOYEE. Most entrepreneurstry to avoid doing this because itmakes them feel sick. Unfortunately,getting rid of a person that every otheremployee knows is not pulling theirweight will eventually be a big reliefand a major boost for the entire organ-ization.

PAY BACK A BANK LOAN. It is easier toborrow money than to pay it back.

When any entrepreneur makes thatfinal payment on a loan, they can lookthe banker in the eye and simplysmile.

WORK WITH A PARTNER. This has its ownset of challenges, but learning to workwith a partner that has complementaryskills can be very rewarding. If a part-nership would work for you, it’s key tofind the right partner for your busi-ness.

GO ON A VACATION (AND STILL MAKE MONEY).This is the test to see if the entrepre-neur has built a real business or justcreated a job. If they can go on vacationand still make money, they have built acompany that has real independentvalue.

PAY IT FORWARD. Mentor other entrepre-neurs with your time or invest in themwith your money so they can be suc-cessful. This is as sweet as personalsuccess.

— Carol Harding, SCORE counselor

Meet a SCORE counselor Sharon Alpi is the Director of the Cen-

ter for Entrepreneurship at Millikin Uni-versity. In 2004 she wasnamed a Coleman Foun-dation Professor in Entre-preneurship joining just 11others throughout thecountry. Sharon wasinstrumental in bringingthe 12-week First StepFastTrac entrepreneurcourse to people in thecommunity wanting to start their ownbusiness. She has been a SCORE coun-selor since 1995.


GOT A QUESTION?To learn more about being a successful

entrepreneur; for one-on-one, face-to-facebusiness counseling; or to submit a questionfor the “Ask the SCORE Counselor” column,contact SCORE Chapter 296, Millikin Uni-versity, 1184 W. Main St., Decatur, IL 62522or call (217) 424-6296.

ASK THE SCORE COUNSELOR

Alpi

BUSINESS CLIPS

Achievements

Illini Supply’s Joseph Rainwater and Dustin Fields havebeen certified in the installation of moveable wall sys-tems.

The Business Journal took third place in the best busi-ness publication (niche product) category in the LocalMedia Association’s 2012 Editorial Contest.

Theresa Rutherford, chief operating officer of St. Mary’sHospital, is now a Fellow of the American College ofHealthcare Executives.

Sheri Spain, membership marketing director and cater-ing manager of the Country Club of Decatur, hasachieved the title of certified marketing professionalthrough the Professional Club Marketing Association’sMembership Management Institute.

AnnouncementsJohn C. Lee, Decatur ophthalmologist, presented a sem-

inar on glaucoma research at the Cogan Ophthalmolo-gy Society Meeting in Kansas City.

The Decatur Parks Foundation has welcomed three

new members to its board of directors: Melinda Chadwick,community volunteer; Margo Rozelle, Kroger Company;and Jim Schwarz, Dunn Company.

Business Clips are abbreviated versions of paid Business Achieve-ments which appear on Mondays in the Herald & Review. For moreinformation about Business Achievements, go to www.herald-review.com/app/secure/businessach/

Rutherford

Chadwick RozelleSchwarz

SpainRainwaterFields

Lee

BUSINESS JOURNALRReeaaddeerr PPrrooffiillee::

n 30% are owner/partner of their business.

n 27% have household income of $100,000 to

$149,000

“It’s a personality conflict.” Have youever heard these words?

I swore them off decades ago. I nolonger believe in personality clashes.

But many managers do. These goodfolks are aware that there is a problem.They know that two (or more) people are

not getting alongwell at work. Thebosses have notbeen able toresolve it. So theymake a diagnosis:a personality con-flict.

Their reactionsfall into three cate-gories:

1. Do nothing.Hope that the prob-lem goes away onits own.

2. Meet with theparties and askthem to just get

along.3. Separate them. If possible, re-assign

one of the parties to a different unit orshift.

Seldom do any of these strategieswork. That’s because the cause is not a

“personality conflict.” That term is acover and an alibi. When a mouth pro-duces the sounds “personality conflict,”what I really hear are these state-ments:

“This is really nobody’s fault.”“Just one of those things.”“No need to hold anybody responsi-

ble.”“Too bad. Not my problem.”“I can’t do anything about this.”“I don’t need to do anything.”Seem like excuses? Sound like a weak

manager? I agree.Here is some guidance to avoid the

personality-conflict trap. Let’s start withfive basic principles that can form thebedrock of your approach:

1. People do not need to like eachother to work together effectively. Theydo not need to be friends.

2. They need to be co-workers.3. Co-workers need to communicate

with each other to work together effec-tively.

4. (This one is important) The commu-nication needs to be work-focused,respectful, complete and timely. Nogames allowed.

5. Very few disputes are equally thefault of two persons. Holding both par-

ties identically responsible is unfair.And it’s ducking your own responsibili-ty.

Keep these five principles in mind. And here’s the drill for the situation.

Call them in, one at a time. Shut thedoor. Get right down to business. Nosmall talk. Define the problem in busi-ness terms: “It has been reported tome that communications between Car-rie and you are so poor that it’s affect-ing our ability to meet delivery dead-lines.”

Do NOT define it as a personal issue.For example, do not say “I hear Carrieand you are not getting along.” That isnot a work-related problem.

Then you state your five principles.Share these tenets without asking forresponse; you are giving them yourposition, not asking for feedback aboutit.

Next, ask the person for her or hisstory. Phrase your questions carefully:

“What could Carrie do differently thatwould help you do the best work youcan?”

“What could you do differently thatwould help Carrie do her job better?”

I want you to note two factors aboutthe nature of these questions. First, they

focus on work issues, not personalities.Second, they inquire about behavior andactions, not the person.

Keep those two factors in mind as youformulate more questions. When you fin-ish your work, I believe you’ll find thatthe problem is not a personality clash,but the actions and behaviors of at leastone of the parties.

And you’ll resolve it as a strong leadershould.

Fred W. Spannaus, principal of Spannaus Consult-ing, is a senior professional in human resources.He loves feedback to his columns. Fred can becontacted by email at [email protected] or by phone at (217) 425-2635.


Co-workers don’t need to be friends

FredSpannaus

Human Resources


n 63% have household incomes

of $60,000 or greater. 36% have

household incomes of $80,000 or

greater.

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Riders say trips connectthem to passing landscape

By VALERIE WELLSBusiness Journal Writer

FORSYTH — Jim Peck calls himself a “fair-weather”rider.

He likes sunny skies and mild temperatures for ridinghis 2007 Harley-Davidson Road King, and so does hiswife, Lisa.

“It has to be over 50 (degrees) for me and over 70 forher,” Jim Peck said with a chuckle. “And we love weekendstuff. Our thing is kind of to stay off the interstate, to stayon the two-lane, back road stuff. We like to go to theGrafton and Alton area a lot. We like the wine trail. We’vebeen to Milwaukee (where the Harley factory is).”

Those whose only mental picture of a “biker” is theblack leather jacket and club patch of a member of Sons ofAnarchy, as seen on the TV show of the same name, andthe matching bad-boy behavior, might be surprised to learnthat most riders are regular folks who just enjoy riding.

Jim Peck works in the nuclear medicine department atDecatur Memorial Hospital, after spending many yearsworking at Sims Lumber. His hours start and end earlybecause the medicines must be made right before beingdelivered to patients but, of course, that leaves much ofthe afternoon and evening free for other activities.

“It’s a whole different field,” he said. “I’m surround-ed by very young, very energetic brainiacs.”

Lisa Peck is a registered nurse, also at DecaturMemorial.

“The kids are all gone and we’re empty nesting,” JimPeck said. “It’s working out pretty good. It is differentat first. I didn’t know what to do.”

Riding is something they can do together that theyboth enjoy, he said. A motorcycle allows a close connec-tion to the passing landscape that a car doesn’t, and atypical ride might end up at a roadside diner in a townthey’ve never visited before.

“We just kind of piddle,” he said. “When we go, wehave an area in mind, but we don’t have a set agenda.We just go.”

Reggie Mitchell has been riding for about six yearsand rides her 2000 Harley-Davidson Sportster in allkinds of weather, unless there’s thunder and lightning.Cold is not a reason to stay home.

“(Fiance John Sauter) taught me to be an every dayrider,” Mitchell said and indeed, Sauter is known to hisfriends as “Polar Bear” because of his willingness toride even with snow on the ground.

Mitchell’s daughter Kristina Rosati also rides, bor-rowing her mom’s bike on those occasions, and bothwomen took the safety course for new motorcycle ridersoffered by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

“It’s not just a hobby,” Mitchell said. “It’s a way of life.”When she signed up for the safety course, there was a

waiting list and some people even came to the classwho weren’t registered, in the hope that someone whowas would fail to show up and make room for them.Now, Mitchell said, the classes aren’t filling up. Shecan’t imagine why. And she sees very few women rid-ing. Other than her daughter, she only knows one otherwoman who rides with any regularity.

“It’s freedom,” she said. “I just like to be in the wind.I’ll keep doing it as long as I’m physically able.”

Karen Harlin began riding because she couldn’t seearound her husband when she was on his bike behindhim.

“It’s like having macular degeneration,” she said. “Icouldn’t see anything in the front, only on the sides. Final-ly a friend of mine who rode — and she was short, like I

am — and she said if you get the right bike, you can ride.”Her first motorcycle was a Honda Shadow, and now

she rides a Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail. She’sbeen to Canada and Niagara Falls on it, ridden aroundLake Michigan and to the Black Hills Rally in Sturgis,SD and even rode to her radiation treatments when shewent through breast cancer a few years ago, to squeezesome fun out of that. Her doctor put a notation on herchart about her good attitude when he heard that.

She didn’t get a motorcycle license until she was 55,and now, at 64, can’t ride as often due to her husband’sillness, but still manages to get out and take rides whenshe can. She’s a member of the Land of Lincoln Mot-her-cyclists group for women riders.

“I think I like being outside,” she said. “It’s just thefreedom of being outside in the wind. I like riding bymyself and the escape of it and then I like riding with asmall group of people just out for the day.”


Motorcyclists come from all walks of lifeYOUR FREE TIME

Business Journal/Lisa MorrisonJim and Lisa Peck are Forsyth residents who may not fit the typical biker profile.

Warmer weather bringsmore to stores, streets

By CHRIS LUSVARDIBusiness Journal Writer

Rick Cox knows it’s only a matter of time beforemotorcycle riders will be out in force throughout Cen-tral Illinois.

Just how soon riders are able to be out with any sortof consistency depends on how often the sun is shiningand rain stays away. The seemingly few sunny dayshave been good for business, too, as customers pre-pared in March and April for the riding season ahead,said Cox, the World of Powersports general manager inDecatur.

“We don’t care if it’s 40 degrees,” Cox said. “If it’ssunny, people ride motorcycles.”

Motorcycles account for about 80 percent of thestore’s business, which Cox said also offers other prod-ucts, including ATVs and watercraft.

Motorcycles have become increasingly popular in thepast five years as it offers good gas mileage, Cox said.

“It’s the consumer aspect with more affordabletransportation,” Cox said. “It’s also recreation. Peopleare saying we all work really hard, so we value ourrecreation and leisure time.”

Co-owner Debbie Cozhiar is seeing new and differentpeople visit the Cozhiar Harley-Davidson dealership inForsyth. Customers are tending to be younger alongwith more women riding than in the past, she said.

For the younger riders age 25 and up, Cozhiar said itcan be that “their parents rode and it was a good expe-rience.”

“We see all ages riding in both genders,” Cozhiarsaid. “There has been more advertising toward women.It’s much more accepted.”

Harley is a popular and widely recognized brandwith its wide of selection of clothing and other mer-chandise.

Riding motorcycles can be popular because it oftenoffers riders the opportunity to travel, Cozhiar said.

Organized riding events are a way to draw customersin and give back to the community at the same time,Cozhiar said. The dealership attracted over 1,000 peoplefor its annual Blessing of the Bikes in April.

“We try to make it a really great experience in everyway we can,” Cozhiar said. “It’s a great business.”

Among other things, Cox said World of Powersportsholds a bike show and open house in May in partner-ship with the Gold Wing Road Rider’s Association.

Barry’s American Cycles in Decatur has seen asteady interest in buying and selling motorcycles,owner Barry Geogehegan said. The appeal can be goodgas mileage along with openness of riding.

“It’s the freedom of riding,” Geogehegan said. “Whenyou’re in a car, you’re in a box. Riding is a whole dif-ferent view of the world.”

In addition to more recent used bikes, Geogehegansaid his business offers a selection of antique motorcy-cles that are popular with customers.

Businesses that work with motorcycles have beenbusy since the end of winter getting equipment readywith everything from safety inspections to checking oiland brakes.

“In March and April, people bring in everything theydidn’t take care of properly over the winter,” Cox said.

Safety is an important aspect to keep in mind as theweather gets nicer both for riders and nonriders alike,he said.

“More motorcycles will come on the road than everbefore,” Cox said. “We go all winter with none and thenall of a sudden they’re on the road.”


Businesses ready to meet needs of bikers

Business Journal/Lisa MorrisonThe Cozhiar Harley-Davidson dealership attracted over 1,000 people for its annual Blessing of the Bikes in April.

Hometown: Decatur

Family: Sons, Rick and Randy; daugh-ters, Robin and Renee.

Occupation: Account executive, J.L.Hubbard Insurance and Bonds; tourcoordinator, Soy Capital Bank and Trust.

Education: Decatur public schools, Rich-land Community College, University ofIllinois at Springfield.

My “I’d rather be …” bumper sticker wouldread: “I’d rather be riding my Harley.”While I sincerely enjoy working in theinsurance/banking industries, motorcy-cling gives me true R&R. No phones,emails, television, radio, just the soundof the engine and the sights and soundssurrounding me.

Hobbies/interests: My interests are var-ied. I love riding my motorcycle, travel-ing, classical music, history, reading andhelping others. I enjoy my children andenjoy attending my six grandchildren’smany activities. I find being involved inmy community is an awesome opportuni-ty.

My first job: Handing out pecans at theentrance of F.W. Woolworth Dime Storeduring the holiday season welcomingcustomers to the store. (I think this wasmy first volunteered position. My sisterwas a supervisor of the store and Ireceived no pay.)

Why I do what I do: I find satisfaction inworking with people. I work at assistingcustomers with their insurance issuesstriving to find solutions where theyhave had problems. Insurance is oftenforeign to consumers and they needsomeone to guide them in the rightdirection. I enjoy the satisfaction of hav-ing customers feel good about placingtheir trust with our company.

I also love traveling with the greatpeople who are Soy Bank travel cus-tomers. Those who travel with the BankClub are kind and considerate and look-ing forward to great times on theirtrips.

Personal approaches to challenges: I say aprayer at the beginning of each day toset me on the right path of attitude andhelpfulness. I make a consecratedeffort to work through tough situations.Many times working through chal-lenges I find that timing is very impor-tant; a phone call, an appointment, ameeting, etc.

As my positions often pull me in anumber of directions I count heavily onmy memory and to-do lists. There isnothing quite so great as being able tomark lines through items completed on alist. I prepare my to-do list at night for

the following day. I also try to work aslong as it takes to complete a project —not just 9 to 5. For me, having connec-tions and a network of friends and asso-ciates to be able to go to for advice andhelp is a very important key in a work-ing day.

Community involvement: President ofDecatur and Macon County AreaCrimestoppers Association, past presi-dent and current board member of theIllinois State Crimestoppers Associa-tion, board member of Macon CountyFair Association, member of DecaturArea Women Networking, treasurer ofLand of Lincoln Mot-her-cyclists Associ-ation, currently working on the Commit-tee for American Diabetes to haveKevin Breheny Kiss A Pig, committeemember of the WSOY and CommunityFood Drive soon to be in its 12th yearand a lifetime member of Harley Own-ers Group.

A lot of us have an image in our minds of thetraditional bike dude. Do you think people wouldbe surprised to find out just how many “busi-ness” people are avid riders and blow thisstereotype out of the water? Absolutely, Ibelieve most individuals would be verysurprised to know how many businesspeople ride. The stereotype biker dudesstill exist but not nearly to the extentmany believe. The bikers we see in ourcommunity are individuals who workbehind desks, drive trucks, build homesand the list goes on.

There’s a rumor going around that womenactually ride motorcycles, too. Is this true?Many of those riding are women. In ourwomen’s riding group we have an attor-ney, several bankers, teachers, nurses,hair stylists, home builders, insurancebrokers, to name only a few. There aremore and more women riding each year.An important point to remember no mat-ter how much an individual may want toride, riding is not for everyone. Ridingfor many is a stress reliever. However, awoman should ride because she wants to,not because someone wants her to ride.This is a hobby/interest which takesskill, practice, concentration and abilityand not for everyone.

How long have motorcycles been a part of yourlife? I rode on the back of my brother’smotorcycle at the age of five and love thethrill of the ride. I rode as a passengerfor several years before taking the Illi-nois Motorcycle Safety Class and pur-chasing my first cycle, which was a 750Virago, then a Harley Davidson Dynaand currently a Harvey Davidson FatBoy. I have been avid rider since 1989.

What’s the appeal? Riding is my R&R,giving me a sense of accomplishment, afeeling of freedom, knowing there issome risk of danger and needing to beon guard against losing focus. There isan excitement about being in commandof a powerful machine. Another greatappeal is the camaraderie of those whoride. The nicest people ride motorcycles.

What is the general reaction of people whenthey learn you are such an avid biker? Usuallyshock, some amazement, some disbelief,a few who are envious and always,always people who want to share storieswith you. Either stories of their ownexperiences or that of friends or rela-tives. People like to talk about riding orhow they would like to ride a motorcycle,if only…

I guess it’s safe to assume you’ve done someextensive traveling on your motorcycle. I havehad the awesome opportunity to ride mymotorcycle through the western statesand the Rocky Mountains, YellowstoneNational Park, Utah, Montana, NewMexico to the east coast of Maine,through Nova Scotia and up into Canada,from upper Michigan to southern tip ofTexas and throughout the southernstates. I have ridden more than 200,000miles since 1989 and am not looking toquit as yet. We have such a great stateand country and so much yet to see. Ialways look forward to riding to the nextdestination.

You are a co-organizer of the Land of LincolnMot-her-cyclists. Tell us about the group. Landof Lincoln Mot-her-Cyclists Inc. is thename of our women’s riding group inDecatur. The organization was formed in2003. We are not a dealer sponsoredorganization therefore all makes andmodels of motorcycles are welcome inour group. We have members who havebeen riding 20 years or longer as well asriders just finishing their safety courseand getting their license. Our group hastaken trips to Colorado and the moun-tains as well as to Texas, to the OuterBank and a great many destinations inbetween.

We meet 6 p.m. on the first Mondayevening of each month at a designatedrestaurant. In nice weather we plan adinner meeting and ride to a city withina 50 mile radius to combine a ride and ameeting. Meetings are used to plan ridesthroughout the year. We plan one-dayrides, weekend rides and try to plan amulti-day ride or two each year. We alsoplan rides when spouses and significantothers are invited to ride with us.

Our mission is to encourage and sup-port women who ride, to promote recre-ation, education, camaraderie and safetyfor women riders and to foster a positiveimage of motorcycling and women riders.

How do you join? Any woman rider maycontact us on the web at www.mothercyclists.com, the only stipulations arethat you need to be licensed to ride acycle (not a passenger) and that thecycle ridden has the legal horsepower tobe able to ride highways and interstates.The dues are $12 per year. If you areinterested you may call me at (217) 972-7113 or visit our website.


Meet Karin D. Betzerbusiness woman, motorcycle rider

Business Journal/Ralf Pansch


May is designated as Motorcycle Safety Awareness month. At Coziahr Harley-Davidson®, it’sour priority all the time! Our protective gear, lights & more are designed for riders BY riders!

For information on the MSF courses go to www.msf-usa.org

2013 marks 110 years of Harley-Davidson® & it also marks 10 years for CHD in our current location. Watch for detailson both celebrations coming up in August!! Check out our website, coziahrhd.com or friend us on FB for happenings

throughout the riding months and beyond!!

Safety is a mutual responsibility for motorists and motorcyclists alike.

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Reminds riders towear proper gear,make good choices

By VALERIE WELLSBusiness Journal Writer

DECATUR — Trooper Len Kirkpatrickthinks he has a dream job.

He rides a motorcycle up and down thehighway on patrol for the Illinois StatePolice.

“If it’s warmer than 25, we’re outthere,” he said.

The motorcycle offers him greatermaneuverability than a car and also hasthe advantage of being less obvious thana patrol car for catching speeders. Plus,of course, it’s more fun to ride a Harley-Davidson than to sit in a car.

Kirkpatrick and Master Sgt. ShadEdwards visited World of Powersports inMarch, along with ABATE of Illinois’state coordinator Mike Myers, and theIllinois Department of Transportation’s

Terry Redman and John Webber to givepresentation on motorcycle safety. Mayis Motorcycle Awareness Month, andwith warmer weather, more bikers willbe on the road.

“Motorcycle riders are especially vul-nerable,” Edwards said, citing the statis-tic that 16.6 percent of traffic fatalities inIllinois are motorcyclists, though motor-cycles are only 3 percent of registeredvehicles. In about half of those motorcy-cle crashes, the bike is the only vehicle.

Myers said the top two causes ofmotorcycle crashes in 2011 were driverimpairment — due to alcohol, drugs orboth — and a right of way violation, thatis, another driver who pulled out in frontof or into the motorcycle. A new safetycampaign shows a group of riders on theroad, all their safety gear on, but theGrim Reaper fills the top half of the pic-ture and the caption is, “Death rideswith the impaired rider.”

“It’s the choices we make that havethe greatest impact,” he said.

The Gear Up — Ride Smart campaignaims to remind motorcyclists to wearproper safety gear, including long pants,sturdy boots and gloves, head and eye

protection, as well as check the condi-tion of their bike, before every ride. The“T-Clock” checklist includes tires andwheels, controls, lights, oil, chassis andkickstand checks. Being alert and visiblevia bright-colored clothing, knowingyour motorcycle and having a realisticawareness of your riding skills is alsoimportant. Rider safety courses areavailable through IDOT for beginner,intermediate and experienced riders andMyers urged all riders to take one ormore of those courses.

No matter how safely the rider is driv-ing, however, he or she still has to be onthe alert for those who might not noticea motorcycle. ABATE places signs andbanners throughout the state urging,“Watch out for motorcycles,” and sendsmembers to drivers education classes togive presentations to teens in the hopesthat they will learn to watch for bikesfrom their first day behind the wheel,but even then, the words most oftenheard from the driver of a four-wheeledvehicle after a crash with a bike is, “Ididn’t see him!”

Donald Koehler knows that well. In2011, he was riding his motorcycle on

U.S. 51 near his Macon home when apickup pulled out in front of him.Koehler’s injuries included a collapsedlung, broken rigs, a shattered right arm,crushed left hip, fractured skull andinternal injuries. And yes, the other driv-er said he didn’t see him.

“The one thing I tell a lot of people nowis don’t assume they see you, because allmotorcycle riders have cardinal rule,” hesaid. “I forgot. I’ve been riding all my lifeand I assumed, I must have thought theguy seen me, and I took my eyes off himand that’s when I got caught.”

It ended Koehler’s motorcycle-ridinghobby, but not his determination to tryto keep this from happening to someoneelse. He welded the battered bike to atrailer and pulls it to motorcycle rallies,parades, and anywhere else it mightcatch the eye of someone who needs tobe reminded to watch for bikers. Healso wants to remind the bikers them-selves.

“Somebody who rides a lot getsrelaxed and they need to be reminded(too),” Koehler said. “I was always oneof those people who thought it wouldn’thappen to me.”

IDOT’s campaign aimed at bike safety

The ArtsAnne Lloyd Gallery: Barn Colony Artists

Annual Show. Call (217) 423-3189.www.decturarts.org

Gallery 510: Artwork by Nicole Christin-son. Call (217) 422-1509.

Blue Connection: Carriage House PressThat’s How We Roll fundraiser.

Perkinson Art Gallery, Kirkland Fine Arts Cen-ter: Annual Student Exhibition.

MusicJuvae Jazz Society Concert, 4 to 7 p.m. Sat-

urday, May 25, Decatur Club.

Opus 24 Spring Concert, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday,May 14, St. Patrick Catholic Church.

Cookin’ with the Chorale, 6 p.m. Saturdayand Sunday, June 1 and 2, Fairview ParkPavilion.

On StageKirkland Fine Arts Center: “Broadway

Today,” featuring the best of Broadway’srecent seasons, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May11. For tickets, call (217) 424-6318.

Millikin University Department of Theatre andDance presents “Equinox: A Concert of

Dance,” May 4 and 5, at Kirkland FineArts Center. For tickets, call (217) 424-6318.

Decatur Park District dance students present“That’s Entertainment,” Saturday and Sun-day, May 3 and 4, Decatur Civic CenterTheater. For tickets, call 422-5911.

Little Theatre-On the Square: Fiddler on theRoof, June 5 through 15.For tickets, call(217) 728-7375. www.thelittletheatre.org.

For the kidsScovill Zoo: Zippy Zoo Day with Mom,

noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 11. MemorialDay Celebration, May 27. Call (217) 421-7435.

Airport Fun Day and Experimental AircraftAssociation pancake breakfast, 8 to 11 a.m.Saturday, May 25, Decatur Airport.

The Rock Springs Nature Center hosts along list of minicamps, family adven-tures and classes during the month. Somany, in fact, that there are too manyto list. Go to www.maconcountyconser-vation.org and click on the Programs

and Activities tab for a complete list-ing.

Charity eventsKiss-A-Pig Gala, to benefit American Dia-

betes Association, 6 to 9 p.m. Friday,May 3. Call (217) 875-9011.

Greater Decatur Duck Derby, noon to 4 p.m.Saturday, May 4. This annual event bene-fits the Children’s Museum of Illinoisand helps fund free nights and specialevents. To sponsor a duck or for moreinformation, call (217) 423-5437.

Misc.Stars Over Athens, Thursday, May 9,

Greek Orthodox Church, 570 N. Union St.Tickets for the dinner, hosted in twoseatings at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., are$25 for adults and $15 for children(carry-outs available). For tickets, call217-428-9030 or 217-520-6230.

Got an item you’d like listed in the Your Free Timecalendar? Send the information to Scott Perry [email protected] or 601 E. William St.,Decatur, IL 62523.


DECATUR CLUB 158 W. Prairie Ave., DecaturAccommodates: 300 people Contact: Jeff IngleBanquets & weddings 429-4200

DECATUR CONFERENCE CENTER & HOTEL 4191 U.S. 36 WestAccommodates: 2,000 people Contact: 420-871155,000 sq. ft. functional space, food service available

DOHERTY’S PUB & PINS 242 E. William St., DecaturAccommodates: up to 80 seating - 150 capacity Contact: 428-5612Full food & beverage service available

HICKORY POINT BANQUET FACILITY 727 Weaver Rd., DecaturAccommodates: 225 w/additional seating on veranda Contact: Tina McCarnenAward-winning cuisine 421-6657

MAIN PLACE BAR & GRILL 101 S. Main St., DecaturAccommodates: up to 100 people Contact: Katy Mize101 Club, business/social functions 422-4700Full food & beverage service available

MT. ZION LIONS CENTER 1595 W. Main St., Mt. ZionAccommodates: up to 300 people Contact: Sharon SpinnerChoose your own caterer, bring your own food 864-3100Ask about our “value-added service” mtzionlionsclub.com

SCOVILL BANQUET FACILITY 3909 W. Main St., DecaturAccommodates: up to 225 people Contact: Kevin BrewerAward-winning cuisine 421-7470

FeaturedBusiness:

MT. ZION CONVENTION CENTER 1410 Mt. Zion Pkwy, Mt. ZionAccommodates: 1,100 people Contact: 864-5424

Calendar of eventsFor a complete list of events, go to www.herald-review.com/go/

DECATUR — Headlining acts andattractions for the 28th Decatur Cele-bration have been announced.

Festival headliners include 2000srock band Vertical Horizon, alongwith quad-platinum 1990s alternativerock band Blind Melon. Joining themare hip-hop trio Naughty by Nature,1970s rock band Foghat and 1990sdance club diva Ce Ce Peniston.

Arguably the biggest musicannouncement, however, was the con-firmation that previous Celebrationheadliners Here Come the Mummieswill return for a special concert Aug.1 at the Lincoln Square Theatre.Unlike other Celebration events, theshow will be ticketed, with $15 to $40tickets that will go on sale May 1 fromthe Lincoln Square Theatre box office.

Filling out the rest of the musicalannouncements were performersGrammy-nominated country singerDavid Nail, country comedian KevinFowler, American Idol finalist CaseyAbrams, Christian rockers Building 429,Christian duo for KING & COUNTRY,country singer Tyler Farr, Eagles trib-ute band Heartache Tonight and zydecoband Lisa Haley & the Zydekats.

Decatur Celebration will be Aug. 1 to4 on the streets of downtown Decatur.

Decatur Celebrationheadliners announced

There is a perception that anyone“techie” can do ANYTHING “techie.”But that is far from the case. To fullycover all your technology needs, you willrequire a dozen different skill sets fartoo broad for any one person to know. Ifyou are frustrated that your current ITsupport can’t meet all your needs, this ismost likely the issue. You’ll need to builda deeper team of resources to fill in allthe gaps. Here’s what you need.

PC technicianNearly everyone has a PC tech avail-

able to troubleshootroutine issues, likesoftware error mes-sages, hardwareissues, printingproblems, malwareinfections, etc. Thatperson is oftendoing nothing morethan reacting toproblems, but agood tech will alsodo proactive main-tenance like patch-ing and securityupdates.

Server administratorIf you have ten or more staff, you prob-

ably have at least one server. That serveralso requires proactive maintenance tokeep it operating efficiently and securely.From time to time, you may have issuesthat require troubleshooting, or softwarepackages that require updates.

Network engineerYour network is what keeps all your

systems connected to your server andthe Internet. Networks include wired andwireless, as well as VPN (virtual privatenetwork) connections for remote access.Any issues connecting will require thehelp of a network engineer. In smallerenvironments this is usually handled bythe server administrator.

Telecom engineerMost phone systems are now VoIP

(Voice over IP) systems. This means theyrun on the same network as your comput-ers, which can require some special setupand tuning to ensure good voice quality. Atelecom engineer will bridge the data andvoice sides of your network to make sureeverything is running smoothly.

Business analyst The software you use to run the busi-

ness — accounting, order processing, cus-tomer relationship management, etc. —all require specialized expertise. Not onlydoes someone need to be familiar with thesoftware itself, they also need to under-

stand how the software integrates withthe related business processes. A goodbusiness analyst will ensure that youmake the most of your software by findingopportunities to streamline and automate.They will adjust settings in the softwareand also communicate changes to the peo-ple who use the software every day.

Web developer Your website is written in code, which

means someone needs to maintain andupdate that code. The more interactiveyour site, the more coding will be need-ed. Since the web is constantly evolving,your site will require regular updates.This should be done in coordination withyour marketing team to ensure the bestresults. In most small businesses, this ishandled by a website development com-pany who has strong knowledge of onlinemarketing and the technology behind it.

Vendor manager No matter how many internal IT staff

you have, you will still have a number ofvendors to manage. These will likelyinclude a copier/printer company, vari-ous software companies, a phone compa-ny, an Internet service provider, a cellu-lar provider, and quite possibly more.Someone will need to be in charge ofcommunicating with these vendors andensuring they provide the contractedservices, especially when problemsarise.

Procurement specialistA key part of IT is the equipment. You

need someone expert to ensure you pur-chase the right equipment for the rightprice. Generally, spending a little more forquality will pay off in reliability over time.It’s the old “you get what you pay for”adage, which definitely holds true when itcomes to technology. At the same time,you don’t want to waste money on bellsand whistles that you will never need.

Project managerIf you are highly dependent on IT, you

probably also have a regular slate of proj-ects under way. These could be softwareupgrades, infrastructure changes, migra-tions to cloud applications, new equip-ment rollouts, or any number of otheractivities. Someone will need to track sta-tus and timelines, as well as coordinationbetween any interdependent areas.

Cost analystLike any area of the business, IT should

have a budget. A set amount of equipmentshould be planned for replacement eachyear, so that nothing becomes too outdat-ed. Upgrades and maintenance expensescan also be predicted from a budgetstandpoint. Then you will need someone

to review and manage those costs as theyear goes by, to adjust as needed.

Chief informationofficer/planner

At least once a year, you should reviewyour technology systems as a whole. Isyour technology meeting the needs of thebusiness? Are you protected from risks,such as security breaches, disasters,employee misbehavior, failing equip-ment, etc.? What systems will help yourbusiness grow and become more effi-cient? Taking a big picture view of yourtechnology will allow you to plan smartinvestments instead of constantly react-ing to problems and issues.

Compliance and security expert

Nearly every business these days issubject to some form of regulatory com-pliance requirements. The most commonfor small business is PCI Compliance,which impacts everyone who acceptscredit cards. Other highly regulated

industries include medical and finance,but compliance requirements are becom-ing a norm for nearly everyone, and evenunregulated businesses will benefit fromstrong security practices. This is highlyspecialized expertise, and audits usuallyrequire an independent third party sothis will be another area to outsource.

Where to find themNo wonder one person can’t do it all! A

small army of people is required to covereverything listed here. Fortunately, mostof these skill sets are only required onoccasion, so you can hire the expertiseneeded, when you need it. Once you’veassembled your team of experts, there’sone last challenge: ensuring they all worktogether, since all these areas are tightlyinterconnected. You’ll need a tech-savvycentral point of contact who can keepeveryone integrated and on the samepage, with plenty of communicationsyear-round to keep everything on track.

Wendy Gauntt is president of CIO Services LLC, atechnology consulting company that specializes insmall business solutions. Visit her Web site atwww.cioservicesllc.com for more information,ideas and free resources.


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School focuses oncustomer service,support for others

By RYAN VOYLESBusiness Journal Writer

DECATUR — After her house burneddown in January, Jennifer Kreher want-ed to go to a place where she could feelcomfortable and take in everything thathad happened to her.

Her first thought was school.Kreher, 37, is one of 60 students

enrolled at Mr. John’s School of Cosme-tology, based in Decatur, which focuseson cosmetology, esthetics, or skin care,and nails.

But for students like Kreher and oth-ers, Mr. John’s is more than just aschool: It’s a family.

“They offered me a place to live, andthey’re paying for utilities. ... I eat,breathe and live Mr. John’s,” Krehersaid.

It’s part of the culture of the school,which is set to celebrate its 50th anniver-sary next year. John Stubblefield, CEOand namesake of the school, said whilethere is a focus on the art of hair andother aesthetics, there is a large focus onteaching students how to develop rela-tionships with customers.

“If they don’t love you, they’ll findsomeone else,” Stubblefield said. “To besuccessful in our business, 20 percent ofit is artistic ability and 80 percent is cus-tomer service.”

In addition to the students at itsDecatur school, there are 25 students atits Jacksonville location. Mr. John’s goesby a clock-hour schedule where studentshave to complete a certain numbers ofhours before they can be licensed.

As the economy continues its struggle,Stubblefield said the school and theindustry are able to do well as people aredrawn to the idea of getting an educationand hands-on experience.

“People see they can get an educationin a year or so and have a base of clientsto succeed in the business when theyleave,” Stubblefield said.

Part of the appeal of Mr. John’s forstudents has been the ability to adjust tothe changes in the industry. It was thefirst licensed school in the state to teachesthetics and computers.

“We want the instructors to be on thecutting edge, and to get the students ontop of what’s going on and what thetrends are going to be,” said Nancy Cor-dray, the school’s director of education.

While many students who graduateleave with knowledge of artistic andbusiness skills, as well as a clientele,Stubblefield hopes all of them also leavewith a sense of confidence.

“Our business is like weight loss; wesell a dream,” he said. “We want to teach

our students how to sell that dream andreinforce it.”

The pitch to be friendly and compas-sionate goes toward more than just the

clients. Kreher said the bond betweenstaff and students reflects a passion tohelp and support one another.

“After my fire, I was very confused

and I was in shock, but I came therefirst because there’s such a feeling offamily,” she said. “They enjoy, they love,they care for everybody.”


YOUR CAREER

Students find strong bond at Mr. John’s

Business Journal photos/Jim BowlingFrom left, Amanda Davis practices on a mannequin as student Beth Wiggins, reflected in mirror, preps her work station and student ShareHammer works with customer Brandi Renfro at Mr. John’s School of Cosmetology Esthetics and Nails.

TOP: Student Lisa Dennis, facing, is givenguidance by cosmetologist Tish Morrisonwhile practicing layerings. BOTTOM: Stu-dent Alex Glover works on a flat iron curlset.

Students Elizabeth Zienkosky, left, and Lamisha Benton perform perms on mannequinheads.

Q: I’ve spent the past few years work-ing in jobs outside my field because ofthe recession. Now that the job market ispicking up, I’m trying to find the rightway to explain the retail, volunteer work,etc., that I’ve done to send a good mes-sage. What do you suggest?

A: Identify the themes that runthrough yourcareer — includ-ing recent years— so that you cantell a compellingstory.

Sit down, closeyour eyes, andreflect on yourcareer path sofar. If you’re feel-ing regret or anx-iety, set thosefeelings aside andfocus on accept-

ing the path you’ve been on. Go easyon yourself, recognizing that you’vedone what you needed to in order to getby in circumstances that you didn’tcreate.

Now think deeply about your valuesas a person and a professional. Regard-less of whether you’ve been working in

your field or in other roles, these willcarry through. For example, if one ofyour values relates to understandingyour customer’s needs, identify ways inwhich this has shown up across yourcareer.

Similarly, think about your areas ofskills and expertise. Some may be moretechnical, and it may be more difficult tofind a connection. Others may focusmore on intangibles such as communica-tion skills, which will lend themselvesmore easily to inclusion in your resuméand interview story.

Developing an effective resumé thathighlights your strengths will be key.Review different options to find anapproach that works for you. Explorenonchronological formats that will de-emphasize gaps in your professionalpath.

In terms of content, craft some high-impact statements about what you wouldbring to a new position. These can beused at the top of your resumé or in acover letter to spark an employer’s inter-est.

Anticipate interview questions thatexplore your job history, and outlineyour responses. For example, to a gen-eral question about your work history,

emphasize your most recent profession-al role, comment on the lack of jobs inthe industry, and note your diligence infinding other work and your initiative involunteering. End with your readinessto move back into the profession, andmention steps you’ve taken to remaincurrent, such as reading industry litera-ture, attending meetings or taking class-es.

Prepare for questions that may bemore pointed, so you aren’t on the defen-sive. Rehearse your responses somewhat

so that you’re not stumbling for words,but not so much that it sounds canned.

Remember that this will not be a newstory to employers — many people are ina similar situation, and there will not bea stigma with it as long as you own yourstory with assurance. If you find yourselffeeling insecure, take some deep breathsand reground yourself in your skills andcapabilities.

Take advantage of new opportunities,and use your track record in hard timesas a demonstration of your ability to suc-ceed.

Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than20 years of business experience. Her company,Reyer Coaching & Consulting, offers services fororganizations of all sizes. Submit questions orcomments about this column at www.deliverchange.com/coachscorner or email her at [email protected].


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Values will guide you back into job market

LizReyer


n 89% are college educated.

n 28% are ages 45 to 54.

Q: Our department’s physical layout hascreated a lot of problems. My employeeswork in a completely open area withoutcubicles or dividers. There are noenclosed spaces where we can talk pri-vately about confidential matters, such aspersonal problems or performance issues.

The staff frequentlycomplains that it’sdifficult to concen-trate with so manypeople around.

I have suggestedwearing head-phones, but no oneseems to like thatidea. Instead, I geta lot of requests towork from home,which creates itsown set of prob-lems. We’re aboutto move to a newbuilding, which

gives me an opportunity to reconfigureour space. What would you suggest?

A: Fortunately, the completely open workenvironment was a fad that now seems tobe dying. A little privacy should improveproductivity and morale, so install cubiclesor dividers to reduce noise and other dis-tractions. Although some people can focusin a hurricane, most employees find thatconstant movement and conversationmake it difficult to concentrate.

Do not assume, however, that a revisedfloor plan will automatically eliminatethose work-at-home requests. Apart fromescaping office chaos, people may alsoenjoy working in their pajamas andavoiding traffic snarls. So unless youplan to eliminate this privilege altogeth-er, you need to develop a clear telecom-muting policy.

To encourage collaboration, the newlayout should include a small conferenceroom or meeting area where colleaguescan gather to discuss plans and projects.And since every manager must be ableto have private conversations, be sure togive yourself an office with a door.

Q: What can I do about a co-worker whohas decided he doesn’t like me? For thelast two years, “Matt” has been disdainfuland dismissive whenever I try to talk tohim. Recently, after I attempted to start aconversation, he loudly said, “This girlkeeps trying to get me to talk to her. Iwish she would just leave me alone!”

Since we don’t have to work together, Itook the hint and stopped speaking tohim. However, I would still like to clearthe air. I wish I could just let this go, butit would be nice to be able to say “goodmorning” without worrying about Matt’sbad attitude. How should I approach him?

A: Given that you have no work-relatedreason for communicating with Matt, Ithink it’s time you got the message. Aftertwo years of rebuffing your attempts atfriendly conversation, he has now explic-itly told you to leave him alone. Soplease just do as he asks.

Since you seem to be an outgoing,sociable person, Matt’s indifference

undoubtedly hurts your feelings. Howev-er, you must try to understand that somepeople simply have no desire to engagein social chit-chat at work. The more youtry to be chummy, the more Matt willpush you away.

If the two of you worked on the sameteam or collaborated on projects, thatwould be quite different. Under those cir-cumstances, learning to adapt to eachother’s work styles would be extremelyimportant. But since you and this guyhave no occupational connection, youmight as well treat him as he wishes tobe treated.

Q: For 18 years, I stayed at home to carefor a child with special needs. My son nowhas an independent living arrangement,so I am in the process of looking for work.Before he was born, I held several retailand clerical jobs, but after being unem-ployed for so long, I have no idea what toput on my resumé. How can I encouragesomeone to hire me?

A: Now that you’ve decided to return towork, a self-study program can help youlearn about the five basic steps in a jobsearch. These include setting realisticgoals, creating effective “sales tools”(including a resumé), networking, inter-viewing and making a wise job choice.Many books and online resources canprovide guidance in these areas.

With an 18-year employment gap, youshould give special attention to network-ing. Blindly sending out resumés is awaste of time, since competing with otherapplicants will be difficult. You need theadded boost that comes from a makingpositive personal impression or being rec-ommended by a strong connection.

To strengthen your resumé, includeany volunteer work you may have donefor charitable or civic organizations. Youmight also consider increasing thoseactivities, since volunteering can providerecent experience and references. Workis still work, even if you’re not receivinga paycheck.

Finally, congratulations to you fordevoting so much time to your son. Yourdedication has undoubtedly made atremendous difference in his life.

Q: My husband and I own a businessthat has seen some difficult economictimes. For the past two years, we havehad to reduce staff and cut salaries justto stay afloat. Now that our children areolder, we have decided that I should startworking in the office, especially since Ihave previous administrative experience.

Unfortunately, the secretary who hasbeen with us for twelve years apparentlyresents my presence. “Ellen” treats medisrespectfully and seems reluctant toshow me the ropes, despite the fact that Iam an owner. How should I handle this?

A: Tough times tend to focus people onself-preservation. Although Ellen may bea bit out of line, her unwelcoming atti-tude probably reflects a concern thatyour arrival may signal her impendingdeparture. After two years of layoffs, sheundoubtedly fears she might be next,

especially if you have assumed some ofher duties.

The way you were introduced into theoffice might also be a factor. Bringingthe boss’s wife on board is not a minorevent, even when she’s an owner. If youjust showed up one day and began doingstuff, that would be a surefire recipe forconfusion and conflict.

Before you began work, your husbandshould have explained your new role toeveryone, then met individually withthose who would be directly affected. Ifhe failed to take these steps earlier, heneeds to do so now. With Ellen, he shouldhonestly address any concerns about jobsecurity and establish clear expectationsfor her relationship with you.

As you continue to increase youractive participation in the business,remember that you are going through alearning curve. Although you have beenan owner for many years, you are nowbecoming more involved in manage-

ment, and that requires an entirely dif-ferent set of skills.

Q: In our department, there are two peo-ple who disagree about everything. Theirconstant arguing makes the rest of usuncomfortable. Our manager is a very niceperson, but he avoids dealing with conflict.How can we stop these ongoing fights?

A: Since your wimpy boss isn’t doing hisjob, the rest of you should meet as a groupwith your quarreling colleagues andexplain the problems they are causing.

For example: “Although you may notrealize it, the two of you make lifeextremely unpleasant for everyone else.Your arguments are distracting and cre-ate tension in the office. We don’t carewhether you like each other, but we doneed for you to figure out how to worktogether.”

If this intervention leads to a produc-tive discussion, perhaps the problem willbe solved. But if not, then ask your bossto intercede. Maybe a direct requestfrom his staff will motivate him to startacting like a manager.

Marie G. McIntyre is a workplace coach and theauthor of “Secrets to Winning at Office Politics.”Send in questions and get free coaching tips athttp://www.yourofficecoach.com, or follow her onTwitter @officecoach.


Payroll Processing • Workers’ Compensation

Unemployment Insurance • Tax Management

Cubicles will help distracted employees focus

MarieMcIntyreOffice Coach

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Fire Sprinkler Systems

Amanda NichollsSales Manager

A

Q How do I Properly maintain my fire sprinkler system?

Prairie Fire Sprinkler, Inc.2393 East Federal DriveDecatur, IL 62526217-877-3333 Office217-877-4444 Fax

www.prairiefiresprinklers.com

An automatic fire sprinkler system is the best way to defend life and property

against fire. The National Fire Protection Association indicates, “that sprinklers

perform exceptionally well. However, when systems do fail, 65 percent of those

failures can be directly attributed to lack of proper maintenance.”

To ensure that a fire sprinkler system is working properly, routine maintenance

and inspections must be performed. Inspection, testing, and maintenance items

must be performed by a contractor licensed in Illinois. The contractor must have

a National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) Level ll in

inspection & testing or have completed a five year apprenticeship.

An annual inspection is the minimum frequency required by law to ensure proper

functionality. Insurance companies will deny a fire claim if the building is not up-

to-date on inspections. In 2011, the NFPA reported $6.9 billion in direct damage

by fire. If you have not had an inspection, you may have to pay these damages

out of pocket.

Let us take care of your systems inspection, testing and maintenance! Please call

Prairie Fire Sprinkler at (217) 877-3333.

Common Problems After a Stroke

Dr. Karen LeeNeuropsychologist

A

Q My husband just had a stroke…..other than physicalchanges, what are some of the common problemsthat could last for a while or longer?

Logan SquareProfessional Bldg.2490 North Water St.Suite 9, Decatur217-877-1100

Often we hear of the warning signs of stroke, but what can you expect in the

weeks and months after a stroke? Depending on where the stroke occurred, and

the severity of the stroke, you might see a combination of emotional, social, and

cognitive changes.

Persons with LEFT-sided strokes show weakness on the right side of the body.

Damage to the left side of the brain usually results in trouble expressing one’s

thoughts, or trouble understanding and comprehending what other people are

saying.

With RIGHT-sided strokes, weakness is seen on the left side of the body. Damage

to the right side of the brain may result in personality and emotional changes,

denial of symptoms, and difficulty with visual and perceptual functioning.

With most strokes there is trouble with reduced attention span, short-term

memory loss, reduced problem solving skills, and occasional anger outbursts.

Life after a stroke can be very frustrating! Imagining yourself in the same situation

helps you to cope.

In time, people who have experienced a light to moderate stroke regain some or

most of their previous skills. Family should try to be as patient and understanding

as possible and find creative ways to help the patient who is trying so hard to

regain lost skills. If you find that being a caretaker is too difficult, and you begin

feeling stressed yourself, ask a professional for help.

I know I need a written budget, but where doI begin?

Creating A Balanced Budget

Nancy ShieldsCourtesy Pay Specialist3130 East Mound RoadDecatur, IL 62526Ph: [email protected]

A

Q

Organizing your household budget and sticking to it requires a great deal of

commitment and dedication. Most people may not realize it, but serious and

prolonged debt problems are not always a result of a lack of money. The real

root cause of escalating debt problems is the personal cash flow management. To

succeed, your written budget should contain the following characteristics:

• Helps you work toward written goals• Has been measured against actual spending activities• Is realistic for your situation• Allows for savings, especially for emergencies• Has “rewards” built into so that you aren’t depriving yourself• Lets you adjust on-the-fly if circumstances change or initial projectionsaren’t accurate

• Doesn’t include overtime or bonuses as guaranteed income• Reflects empowering choices• Has input from everyone whose life will be impacted by the budget• Is as thorough as possible

Create an allocated spending plan using online budgeting tools, a spreadsheet or

a notebook and pencil. If you want to achieve a credible, workable and sustainable

household budget, be prepared to take full control of your spending habits.

For more information visit www.llcu.org.

Chris Phillips, VP of MarketingLand of Lincoln Credit Union3130 East Mound Road, Decatur, IL 62526

(217) [email protected]

Runner’s Health

Dr. Scott BilyeuSports Medicine PhysicianHSHS Medical Group –Family & Sports Medicine

A

Q I’d like to start running.What are some ways for me tostay healthy and injury-free?

Whether you just started running, or you are a seasoned athlete, it is important to

eat healthy and to train properly to prevent injuries. Here are some tips to help you

stay healthy and injury-free:

• Do not expect to run a marathon overnight. Pace yourself and follow atraining program that fits your needs.

• Perform a “warm-up” and “cool-down” of lighter jogging or walking, andstretch after each of these activities.

• Learn the proper technique by joining a running club, training group orspeaking with certified athletic trainer.

• Get footwear that fits properly and is appropriate for the activity you areengaging in.

• Choose clothing that is appropriate for the season. Newer fabrics thatallow sweat to evaporate off of your body will keep you cooler throughoutthe summer months.

• Train no more than five days per week. Rest days are just as importantas training days.

• Cross train by doing other aerobic activities such as biking or swimming.

• Drink plenty of water.

• Eat nutritious, heart-healthy food such as whole grains, fish, lean meats,vegetables and fruits.

To learn more about runner’s health, speak with a certified athletic trainer or sports

medicine physician. Please speak with your primary care provider before starting

any exercise program.

AthetiCare at St. Mary’s Hospital1900 E. Lake Shore DriveDecatur, Illinois 62522

217.464.5970


McClatchy-Tribune News Service

All calories are not created equal.Some require more energy to digest, giv-ing you “a bigger bang for your buck,”says Leslie Bonci, registered dietitian,director of sports medicine at the Uni-versity of Pittsburgh Medical Centerand an author of “The Active CalorieDiet.” Some tips:

EAT PLENTY OF LOW-FAT PROTEIN. Digestingthese foods requires the most calorieburn. Just keepchoices healthy:lean meats,eggs and low-fat dairyproducts, forexample, notfatty cheese-burgers.

FOCUS ON FIBER.Fiber-rich foodsplace second on theactive calorie scale. Load up fresh veg-etables and fruits — with the skin on —beans, bran cereals and whole-wheatproducts, including breads.

GO FOR CHEWY. Your mouth, the firststop in the digestive process, will have towork harder. Choose whole fruit versusfruit juice and toss extra beans or broc-coli into soups and stir-fries.

ADD SPICE. Including items such ascrushed peppers, wasabi and hot sauceat most meals likely will burn 10 to 20extra calories a day thanks to a com-pound called capsaicin — not a lot, butit adds up over time. If you can’t toler-ate spice, try cinnamon, garlic, gingeror cloves and use vinegar as a mari-nade.

DRINK GREEN TEA. Brew it yourself, hotor cold, to take advantage of a metabo-lism-revving substance in tea leaves(just don’t ruin it with lots of sugar). Asfor coffee: caffeine, a central nervousstimulant, also can help torch a fewcalories.

COOK MORE. Opening a packageburns almost zero calories — muchless than preparing meals fromscratch.

BEWARE NONACTIVE CALORIES. Cookies andpastries, chips, sodas and highlyprocessed meats such as hot dogs andchicken nuggets are easily digested andmost likely to be stored as fat.

How to eatmore ‘active’calories

Defend against shingles with vaccineCDC: 1 out of 3will develop virus

By JAMIE LOBERBusiness Journal Writer

DECATUR — Shingles is one of thelatest public health threats.

“Most of the patients (who) haveshingles have no history of chronicmedical illness,” said Dr. Jignesh Modi,infectious disease specialist at St.Mary’s Hospital. In fact, the Centersfor Disease Control and Preventionreports that nearly 1 out of every 3 peo-ple in the United States will developshingles.

The symptoms of shingles are hard toignore.

“There will be a bandlike area onyour abdomen or starting from theback that has vesicles or a skinlikerash,” said Modi. However, the rashcan be absent. “Sometimes, somepatients say they just have an abnor-mal sensation or hypersensitive areawhich goes on like a band on their backand comes around towards their

abdomen.”The Illinois Department of Health

says that fluid-containing lesions nor-mally appear along nerve pathways andwill become crusted.

Until all shingles lesions have beencrusted, they can be transmitted toothers. The fluid contains virus andcan be spread through direct contactor by contact with articles freshlysoiled with fluid from the shingleslesions.

“Shingles is one of the most painfulillnesses,” Modi said. The Centers forDisease Control and Prevention say wetcompresses, calamine lotion and col-loidal oatmeal baths can also helprelieve some of the itching.

“In a patient who does not haveimmunosuppression and does not takesteroids, they can be treated, but wehave to be careful,” Modi said. Thestandard treatment is Acyclovir, andonly in rare cases when someone doesnot respond are intravenous antibioticsindicated. “Because it can have sideeffects on the kidneys, you should behydrated well, and we have to watch thekidney function,” Modi said.

The best defense against shingles is

the vaccine. “There are two shots in thepediatric age group, one during 1 to 2years old and the second around 5 to 6years old, and then one for adults age60,” Modi said. Talk to your doctor andfind out if it is right for you.

“We have to make sure the patientdoes not have a history of immunosup-pression or autoimmune disease, sinceit is a live vaccine and can turn into adisease,” said Modi.

The bottom line is that shingles is adisease that should be taken seriously.

“Once a patient has shingles it staysin the spinal cord for the rest of theirlife and also the virus for someone whohas herpes simplex or cold sores,” Modisaid. The take-home message should beto talk to your doctor about your riskfor shingles, particularly if you arepregnant or immunocompromised. Pri-mary care physicians are well aware ofthe issue.

“I think the solution is hygienic meas-ures like handwashing and calling yourdoctor right away if you have shingles,”said Modi.

The good news is once you have shin-gles, you usually cannot get it a secondtime.

YOUR HEALTH


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Bates: ‘God idea’ ledto establishment ofSmall Business Expo

By THERESA CHURCHILL Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — The Rev. Jessie Batesled the Ambassadors for Christ streetministry for so long, it might surprisesome people to know he was an entrepre-neur before he was a preacher.

But it explains why, the minute he sat-isfied his old business debts six yearsago, he and his wife Janice establishedJRB Enterprises to buy and renovatehomes around his church, Abundant LifeChristian Center at 1705 N. Maple St., sothat “people who wanted to rent from uswould have a decent home to live in.”

With 21 properties under their belt, theBateses have been working for the past15 months to breathe new life into thestrip mall formerly anchored by Sattley’soffice supplies.

The shopping center has a new name,Decatur Plaza, and a new anchor, aSmall Business Expo offering new busi-nesses an easier way to get started.

Bates said God shared all this withhim, starting during the time a specialspeaker was at Abundant Life ChristianCenter teaching the congregation aboutmaking good investments.

“This was a God idea,” Bates said.“We were just in training on the residen-tial property for almost five years beforewe entered the commercial realm.”

Open since June 1, the Small BusinessExpo is up to six tenants, the newest ofwhich is J-5 Shoes, a unique boutiqueopened by Edna Thomas earlier thismonth.

Thomas, like the others, appreciatesthe chance to limit her financial commit-ment starting out with a four-monthlease costing just $75 a week, with allmaintenance and utility charges includ-ed.

LeShawn Young, owner of Shawn’sElectronical Connections, has done sowell repairing cellphones, computers andother electronics, he expanded his busi-ness to a second kiosk earlier thismonth.

“This location is real awesomebecause I’m right in the center of town,”Young said. “Eventually, I’m going tohave to have somebody else doing therepairs, too, the traffic is so heavy.”

Other tenants in the Small BusinessExpo are Word of Knowledge Bookstore,Reshaping U 4 Life, Lo’Chique Boutiqueand CA’s Tax Enterprise.

Yet even this isn’t the full story onDecatur Plaza because it has also beenhome since September to Illini Fadez, abarber/beauty shop owned by AudreyAustin and Davida Fanniel of Spring-field.

Manager Geoffery Turnbo said the

shop started with three barbers and onestylist but now has five barbers andthree stylists. “Everybody sees us driv-ing by on Water Street,” he said.

Tickets-N-Trips also remains a keydestination in the shopping center, andmanager Stephanie Ramsey said she

appreciates the changes that have comewith the new landlord.

“It’s nice having businesses next to usand the place looking busier,” Ramseysaid. “(Bates) has really done a good jobfixing everything up and keeping theplace clean.”

Until graduating from EisenhowerHigh School in 1973, Jessie Bates said heworked at Red Carpet car wash from thetime his family came to Decatur fromBrownsville, Tenn.

He operated a variety of businesses —including a lawn service, a night club, aclothing and jewelry store and a cellphone and pager business — in Decaturand elsewhere, until he felt the call toministry, studied at Lincoln ChristianCollege for two years then foundedAmbassadors for Christ in Decatur in1997 and Abundant Life Christian Centerin 2002.

Two spaces remain in Decatur Plaza,and Bates wants to attract a discountstore like Family Dollar or Dollar Gener-al, along with a thrift, photography orgrocery store.

“For the economy, I think it’s goingreally well,” Bates said. “Our wholeintent was to generate and create rev-enue in the inner city. That’s where ourheart is.”

He also believes he learned importantlessons from past ventures that will helphim succeed.

“Besides being a God idea, I knowit’s important not to try to grow toofast and make sure you are financed,”Bates said. “You must also provide thevery best customer service you canbecause your customers are partnerswith you.”


YOUR COMMUNITY

Reverend makes investment in others

Business Journal photos/Mark RobertsJessie Bates, president and CEO of JRB Enterprises, stands outside the Small Business Expo in Decatur.

Geoffery Turnbo cuts Michael Withers’ hair at Illini Fadez.


I’d like to start running.What are some ways for me to stay healthy

and injury-free?

Whether you just started running, or you are a seasoned athlete, it

is important to eat healthy and to train properly to prevent injuries.

Here are some tips to help you stay healthy and injury-free:

• Do not expect to run a marathon overnight. Pace yourself and

follow a training program that fits your needs.

• Perform a “warm-up” and “cool-down” of lighter jogging or

walking, and stretch after each of these activities.

• Learn the proper technique by joining a running club, training

group or speaking with certified athletic trainer.

• Get footwear that fits properly and is appropriate for the activity

you are engaging in.

• Choose clothing that is appropriate for the season. Newer fabrics

that allow sweat to evaporate off of your body will keep you cooler

throughout the summer months.

• Train no more than five days per week. Rest days are just as

important as training days.

• Cross train by doing other aerobic activities such as biking or

swimming.

• Drink plenty of water.

• Eat nutritious, heart-healthy food such as whole grains, fish, lean

meats, vegetables and fruits.

To learn more about runner’s health, speak with a certified athletic

trainer or sportsmedicine physician.Please speakwith your primary

care provider before starting any exercise program.

Q

A

AthletiCare at St. Mary’s Hospital1900 E. Lake Shore DriveDecatur, Illinois 62521

217.464.5970

Dr. Scott BilyeuSports Medicine PhysicianHSHS Medical Group –Family & Sports Medicine

217.464.1030

Runner’s Health

By BECKY YERAKMcClatchy-Tribune News Service Writer

Melody Sucharda, a certified publicaccountant with a master’s degree intaxation, always makes the maximumcontribution to her 401(k) plan. Marriedwith no children, the corporate tax man-ager also has some savings set aside foremergencies. Still, the Wauconda, Ill.,resident, 42, sees room for improvementin her finances.

“I would like to put a little more intosavings this year,” said Sucharda, notingthat much of the couple’s short-termcushion was wiped out in recent yearsafter a failed business investment.

When it comes to striving to save,Sucharda is in the minority, a recent sur-vey shows.

Only 46 percent of respondents in aPNC Financial Services Group Inc. sur-vey said they planned to increase theirsavings and investing this year.

What’s more, these are savvier con-sumers. The survey consisted of 1,020U.S. adults ages 35 to 70, with more than$100,000 in investable assets. A quarter ofthe sample had more than $1 million ininvestable assets.

“People are finding it easier to develophabits devoted to physical fitness than

financial fitness,” Stephen Pappaterra,PNC’s head of wealth planning, said. Ofrespondents to the survey, 19 percentbelieve they are doing better thanexpected on saving for retirement; 47percent believe they’re where they needto be.

Worker savings remain modest, andmany retirees — and people approachingretirement — haven’t socked awayenough to provide themselves a comfort-able standard of living after they quitworking, PNC and others have found.Fewer than half of Americans have triedto calculate how much money they’llneed for retirement, according to theEmployee Benefit Research Institute, anonprofit focused on economic securityissues.

Sucharda has contributed to a 401(k)at every job since college. She said, how-ever, that she can do a better job of liv-ing within her means.

“We have a bad habit of buying thingswe may not need because they’re a gooddeal,” she said.

The mortgage from the home theybought in 2006 is also hindering themfrom putting more into savings. “Wecan’t refinance since the market valuehas declined,” Sucharda said.

In the PNC survey, 43 percent saidtheir best financial moves include put-ting as much as they could into retire-ment plans, as Sucharda has, while 15percent say living within their means istheir best plan of action.

Chris Hartrich and his wife both grewup in the Chicago area but moved toNeenah, Wis., about three years ago forhis insurance job. They have four chil-dren, with two in college and one a sen-ior in high school.

Partly through budgeting and limitingdiscretionary spending, they considertheir financial condition “healthy,” hav-ing been able to finance their kids’ col-lege educations and still save for retire-ment.

Hartrich said he worked with a finan-cial adviser last summer and said he’llprobably continue to do so every otheryear to get feedback on the family’sfinancial planning. In the PNC survey, 43percent of respondents said they plannedto meet with a financial planner in 2013.

“As a CPA with some good experiencein investing, I thought I would not need afinancial planner,” he said. “But anobjective look at what we were doingwas a valuable exercise.”

While only 46 percent of PNC survey

respondents said they planned to boosttheir saving and investing, 70 percentsaid they planned to exercise more.

Hartrich’s wife, a nurse, says increas-ing his exercise “would be more valuablethan increasing our savings” partlybecause “the biggest unknown as Iapproach my 60th birthday is health carecosts in retirement.” Getting in betterphysical shape now might mitigatefuture medical costs, he said. But thecouple has also stepped up their contri-butions to their 401(k) plans in the pastyear.

Hartrich said he also had the good for-tune earlier in his career to work forcompanies that offered pension plans.“So at age 65, I expect to receive pen-sions from three different organiza-tions,” he said.

The couple is unsure when they’llretire but have begun shifting assetsfrom stock funds into more conservativefixed-income funds.

They’re trying to pay off their mort-gage as fast as they can, and the move toWisconsin might hasten that goal.

“When we moved up here we were ableto purchase a much less expensive homeso that freed up some assets for collegecosts,” he said.


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YOUR MONEY

Survey finds saving more not a top priority

Don’t let money mythsaffect your financial goals

By NEDRA RHONEMcClatchy-Tribune News Service Writer

From retirement to saving to payingoff debt, our modern-day money worriesare many. But some of that concern isfueled more by rumor than reality.

Mechel Glass, vice president of com-munity outreach for financial counselingservice CredAbility, shared the top fivemoney myths she has encountered whileworking with a range of clients on finan-cial education.

MYTH 1: Most financial goals are unat-tainable. “People may sit down and settheir goals, but they don’t track theirprogress,” Glass said. “They will say,‘I’m getting out of debt this year,’ butthey don’t look at where they are eachmonth. They don’t put themselves on aplan.” In order to successfully reachyour goals, you need a plan to get thereand a method for tracking yourprogress.

MYTH 2: It is impossible to have enoughmoney for retirement. “It is possible, ifwe start when we are in our 20s and 30sand just start saving a little bit,” shesaid. If someone tells you when you areyounger to put just a little bit of moneyaside, the task isn’t so overwhelming.“When you are in your 60s, it does seemunattainable because you’ve waited solong,” Glass said.

Myth 3: Children don’t need to learn

about money until they reach highschool or college. “You don’t want (chil-dren) to get their opinions about how tohandle money from other people,” Glasssaid. “My daughter is 9 years old, andwe started talking about money whenshe was 3 years old. People want to waituntil their kids are in college, and bythen, they are too late.”

MYTH 4: Living on a budget means nothaving fun. “Fun is allowed,” Glass said.You just have to plan for it. Glass set thepersonal goal of getting out of debt thisyear, including her mortgage, but wasstill able to negotiate an affordable rateon tae kwan do classes to take with herdaughter. “It is something we plannedfor and researched, and it fit into ourbudget,” Glass said. Other people maywant to go shopping, and they still can,she said, as long as they set aside moneyfor each purchase. “You can’t take yourwhole paycheck and go blow it,” Glasssaid.

MYTH 5: Marriage will end your moneywoes. “People get married and assumethey are going to get a house, a car andgo on vacations,” Glass said. “Some-times when you get married, your part-ner may have a lot of debt.” Loved oneswill often share their dreams and aspira-tions, but not their financial plans, andsometimes they may even hide theirfinancial past, she said.


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