HeartBeat March 2013

101 E. Wisconsin Avenue | Kaukauna, WI 54130 920.766.1616

www.heartofthevalleychamber.com

Highlights of 2013 Annual Dinner and Awards Event

What’s Inside

Meet the Board

Protecting your Computer from Java

SBA Loans. Are You Eligible?

Member Spotlight –Miron Construction

March 2013

“...what started as one forklift has grown to more than $40

million worth of equipment. “

Miron Construction

Company

Requirements to Buy Insurance Coverage

Heart Beat | March, 2013 2

Board of Directors March 19, 2013

12 noon Chamber Office

Register for Chamber events

Phone 920-766-1616 Online


& Coffee Conversation

Advocacy Council March 8, 2013

7:30am to 9:00am Chamber Office

Upcoming Events

The Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce provides our member companies with tools so that you are not only in the arena but have the bullhorn to address policies and politics that affect your business. We want all of you to be effective advocates for the business community in Wisconsin. Advocating for issues you care about is an important activity to bring about change in public attitudes and policies that impact all of us every day. To paraphrase Teddy Roosevelt, you cannot impact decisions and achieve success if you aren’t in the arena. The Advocacy Council invites you to join their monthly meetings. Each month we may invite to a special guest to engage in dialogue, keeping us informed of the latest issues, projects, legislation or business concerns. These meetings are designed to be a safe, respectful environment for both our business leaders and our guests. Meetings are open to the general public but reservations are required. If you have an interest in attending this meeting or joining the Advocacy Council call the Chamber office for more information at 766-1616 or visit www.heartofthevalleychamber.com. These monthly meetings are sponsored by AT&T.

March 17, 2013 Happy

St. Patrick’s Day

Member Resource Council Meeting February 7, 2013 8:00am –9:00am Chamber Office

Leadership Roundtable Group

March 14, 2013 12 noon

Chamber Office

A.M. Connect Power Connect March 5, 2013

7:30am—9:00am Chamber office

Chamber office will be closed

March 29, 2013 Happy Easter

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The 2013 Annual Dinner and Awards event, presented by Baker Tilly, LLC was held on February 20th at the Grand Meridian in Appleton. Dave Anderson, founder of Famous Dave’s, entertained the audience with his adventures in business, his successes along with his misfortunes. Dave believes in the importance of the local Chamber of Commerce. He says, “in fact, my first loan back in the early 70s was all made possible by my meeting a local bank president at a Chamber meeting. If it weren't for the Chamber there isn't a snowball's chance in hell I would have ever gotten past the loan officer with my having no assets back then! One thing I learned, it's usually not the loan officers who attend Chamber meet-ings but usually its the presidents and owners of companies.”

2013AnnualAwardsEvent

5 www.heartofthevalleychamber.com

BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR AWARD… recognizes an individual that exemplifies a community pillar of strength by playing an active role in the local business community, business associations and community groups. Management skills will be demonstrated through many factors including innovation, quality of business performance and problem solving abilities. The dedication and commitment this individual has shown to the community has significantly improved the image, character and business climate of the Heart of the Valley. Glenda Woosley, this year’s Business Person of the Year award winner, closes early on Christmas Eve just to open her doors a few hours later to give 300 less fortunate community members a full dinner and a visit and gifts from Santa. Glenda and her staff also fill 1800 shoeboxes for local emergency rooms and shelters throughout the community. She hosts her own golf outing each year that raises $12,000 annually for various non-profits. All this while serving on numerous Boards and committees and still seeing sales increases in the $100,000 range each year. Glenda is a true inspiration to her young employees, to our community and to the Chamber.

The Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce has been serving our communities for nearly 90 years. But 90 years of history means nothing without acknowledging that the Chamber is not some faceless entity. It has accomplished all it has, precisely, because of the contributions of all of our past and present members. It is all of us, working hard, working together, to create a positive and impactful business climate in our area. It exists because our members have what it takes to keep pushing against all odds, against all that may stop them. They have creativity, guts, fortitude, and a willingness to take risks. They make things happen. Within every community there are people and businesses that go above and beyond what is normally expected, to benefit those around them. In our area we are blessed to have many such people, and we wish we could honor them all. Unfortunately we can only honor a few.

EMERGING ENTERPRISE AWARD… was designed to encourage entrepreneurs who have been in business less than five years but more than two years. The Emerging Enterprise Award recognizes that starting a business requires a unique blend of vision, energy, perseverance and talent. It is given to businesses that have demonstrated a creative business approach, proven success and positive impact on the local community. 4 years ago this year’s award winner began in a spare bedroom and has moved twice, and is now in a 1000 square foot office. They have had substantial revenue gains every year, serving clients throughout the US. They partner with various non-profits, helping them with their websites, social media creation and management and public relations. Imagine 5 years ago if you knew Facebook and Twitter would be a way to communicate to your customers? Well this company did and that is why this year’s Emerging Enterprise award winner is Baer Performance Marketing, owner Aaron Baer.

AndTheWinnersAre...

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LARGE BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD… recognizes a business member that has demonstrated excellence in business affairs, while adding to the quality of life in the Heart of the Valley. This award can be given to an individual or business that, through creativity, perseverance and innovation has excelled in their efforts to create jobs, products and opportunities for their employees. The business must

be a “for profit” business with 50 or more employees and must be in operation for a minimum of 5 years. Kobussen Buses began in 1938 when the Kaukauna School District asked a local dairy farmer if he would like to transport students to and from high school. Beginning that year with one red, white and blue bus and growing to over 390 school buses and 140 fleet vehicles, Kobussen now employs 650 people throughout the state of Wiscon-sin. The family owned business has long been involved in trade associations, local nonprofits and charitable events. They continue to invest in their buses, equipment, employ-ees and facilities. They focus on training which has been a key factor in the company’s exemplary safety record. They embrace technology and rather than fight mandates, they

see the benefits of the improvements. With “bus” being part of the family name, it would seem that the Kobussens were destined for the transportation business.

These award winners are an inspiration to us all. Commitment, perseverance and innovation are traits each of them pos-sess. The Chamber will continue to advocate for your interests - so each of you can focus on building your business. To all of you, who helped shape the Chamber as we know it today, we promise to never let you down and we will faithful-ly work for business and employment in our region. We need our Chamber members to have financial success. The bet-ter you do, the better we do. Therefore Chamber programs and benefits are designed to help make your business better and expose you to business opportunities that only Chamber members are exposed to - driving up commerce and help-ing you help your business.

SMALL BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD ... recognizes a business member that is a locally owned company doing business for at least 5 years and has less than 50 employees. The small business should operate at a level that inspires others and exhibits vision that goes beyond “business as usual.” The award winner will demonstrate success and exceptional performance in business practices, customer service and community involvement.

Our 2013 Small Business Achievement award winner, Don Grissman, started with a dream of owning his own business 42 years ago. In 1971 the Bottom Half opened. That began a path of growth, downsizing, moving, readjusting and growing some more. Even a devastating fire that destroyed his business did not keep Don from his dream. When big box stores started encroaching on his business, he knew he needed to make a change. In 2005 he changed his business to Midwest Workwear, and opened an internet store spe-cializing in Carhartt products. Midwest Workwear has shipped to people from Kaukauna to Australia and Iraq. Don is known for his great customer service, his willing-ness to change with the times, and his extensive community involvement. He has been a member of the Chamber since the 1970’s.

Awardseventcont’d...

www.unisoncu.org


www.tricountyarena.com

www.McCartyLaw.com

www.bouwerprinting.com

AroundTown


Spring is here when Dick’s Drive-In on Crooks Avenue in Kaukauna reopens. Get delicious burgers and soft serve ice cream treats when they open on March 1.

Bring the kids to your local Lowe's Saturdays at 10 a.m. to build a wooden project they can keep. Register Your Kids for a FREE Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic at www.lowes.com

Spring cleaning. Get your big down comforters cleaned before packing them away at Bubble Fresh Laundry. www.bubblefreshlaundry.com

Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Gift Certificates make the perfect gift for everyone. From golf to flowers, cookies to candy, gift certificates can be redeemed at over 100 area business.

They turn files into piles. Whether the information is paper, micro-fiche/film, diskettes, magnetic tape or x-rays, A.R.M.S. can provide high security and environmentally friendly disposal of information. www.arms4rim.com

Anytime Fitness fits your busy schedule and on-the-go lifestyle. With your membership, you can workout when it’s best for you—day or night! Their clubs are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. www.anytimefitness.com

Ponzie’s has a Lent special—a veggie ponzie. This pocket of fresh pizza dough is folded in half and stuffed with all your favorite veggie toppings then cooked to a golden brown. Visit Ponzie’s at 136 E. Second Street or call 462-4039. www.ponzies.com


Want your business featured here? Email [email protected]

Dreaming of summer? Start shopping for the perfect boat for family fun, fishing or watersports at Ken’s Sports. www.kenssports.com

Save-a-Lot has $5 dinners, lunches and breakfast ideas that will help you feed your family delicious and nutritious meals that fit your budget. Prepare something quick and easy for any meal, or plan for the entire week. Visit Save-a-Lot at 133 W. Main Street in Little Chute. www.save-a-lot.com

Experience the richer flavor of Dark Chocolate Mocha Coffees and Lattes and indulge your craving for chocolate at Dunkin Donuts on KK in Darboy. www.dunkindonuts.com

Start shopping for Mom’s Day early at Debbie Daanen Photography. These personalized marble coasters offer a stylish way to display memories. The marble will have natural variations in texture, edge and colors. In-cludes cork backing and wire coaster rack. Up to four different photos can be used. www.debbiedaanen.com

Clear Water Car Wash of Appleton is a state-of-the-art car care and detail center that is committed to helping customers protect their investment and the environment by performing professional car care services that conserves water and use only environ-mentally-friendly products. www.clearwaterwash.net

IsWorthRepeatingAssociated Builders & Contractors of Wisconsin presented the 2012 No Lost Time Accidents Award to Alliance Construction & Design for the company’s commitment to safety and completing 2012 with no lost time injuries and accidents. McClone Insurance Group of Menasha acquired the Sheboygan-based Birkart-Heisdorf Insurance Agency. McClone, founded in 1949 is a third generation family owned company with more than 70 employees in the Fox Val-ley, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac and Milwau-kee. Birkart-Heisdorf, founded in 1916, has a main office in Sheboygan as well as locations in Mount Horeb and Green Lake. The Business Bank, Appleton, promot-ed Bill Hodgkiss to president and CEO of the bank and its parent company, Fox River Valley Bancorp. Hodgkiss has been with the Business Bank since No-vember 2011. Dave Meyerhofer of Kobussen Trail-ways was presented the 2013 UMA Maintenance Competition Award dur-ing the UMA Award dinner on Tues-day, January 22 in Orlando Florida. Keller, Inc., will build a packaging and warehouse addition for EuroPharma under the direction of Keller Project Manager, Mark Nysted, and Architect, Steve Klessig. Located at 955 Challeng-er Drive in Green Bay, construction will begin in April and is expected to be completed July, 2013. Keller, Inc. will also complete a remodel for Recycling Solutions under the direction of Keller Project Manager, Jim Dallas, and Archi-tect, Steve Klessig. Located at 2929 South Chase Street in Milwaukee, con-struction has begun and is expected to be completed late spring, 2013. The United Motorcoach Association

(UMA) is pleased to announce that Lamers Bus Lines, Inc. was presented with the Green Highway Award during the UMA Motorcoach EXPO at Travel Exchange held January 20-24 in Orlan-do, FL. Sponsored by Motor Coach Industries, the Green Highway Award recognizes a motorcoach operator that has demonstrated the greatest commit-ment to "green stewardship" in the areas of internal corporate initiative, external corporate stewardship, or community and industry-wide green leadership. Fox Communities Credit Union re-cently hired Mike Banaszynski as a mortgage loan officer. Schenck is pleased to announce that the following employees have recently joined the firm: Jason Londo joined the firm as a Staff Accountant in the audit department at Schenck’s Appleton of-fice. Laura Rammer joined the firm as a Staff Accountant in the tax department at Schenck’s Green Bay office. Brittany Schuh joined the firm as a Staff Ac-countant at Schenck’s Green Bay office. Schenck has also names Mark DeBroux,CPA; Steve Franke, CPA; and Lonnie Hampton, CPA, shareholders of the organization. Cameron Yazdani, MBA, CISA, CBCP, SSCP, has joined the firm as an Associate Director of Risk Services. Miron Construction recently hired Stephen Shaver as project manager; Randy Williams as a hard-bid estimator; Maria Seitz as project coordinator and Krystle Romanowicz as project coordi-nator. Unison Credit Union announced that director James Martinson was nominat-ed as the chairman of the board, replac-ing Sheldon Niquette. Niquette served on the board for 13 years. David Van De Hey will fill the vacancy on the board left by Niquette’s recent retire-

ment. Van De Hey is the president of Van De Hey Financial Services in Kaukauna. Paul Linzmeyer was named sustainabil-ity leader at ThedaCare. Linzmeyer will guide the health care organization’s sustainability initiatives. ThedaCare also promoted Dan Collins to director of supporting the improvement efforts and strategic plans for the physician services unit. Wisconsin Manufacturers & Com-merce, the state’s chamber of com-merce, promoted Michael Shoys to sen-ior vice president. Lamers Bus Lines recently recognized drivers for outstanding service and safe-ty in 2012. They are Fred Smith, Phil Van Deurzen, Tanya Rosenbaum, Rhonda Vanden Boogaard and Dick Lauer. These drivers are from the Lamers Fox Cities Terminal. Jay McMahon joined Kerber, Rose & Associates as an audit manager at its Shawano office. TIDI Products, a manufacturer of sin-gle-use infection prevention products for medical and dental markets hired Mary Longlais as product manager of dental products; promoted Denise Sitz-berger to product manager of medical alternate sites and promoted Nicole Wolfe to product manager of acute care within the TIDI Marketing Department. Any change or update within your busi-ness such as a promotion, new addition, award won, etc. can be included in this section. News must be submitted by the 15th of the month for the following month’s publication. Send to [email protected].


GOODNEWS


www.capitalcu.com

www.miron-construction.com

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Member

Heart Beat | March, 2013 Our next spotlight can be about your business. Call 920-766-1616 if interested.

Spotlight

Miron Construction Co., Inc

When Greg, Dave and Pat first began working in the family business, it had a mere 25 employees. While Miron did own a minimal amount of equipment, they rented most from local suppliers. That said, Miron’s young new employees wanted to see the business grow and they certainly knew where they wanted to start. So, without the blessings of their fathers, the ambitious trio set out to purchase Miron’s first forklift without any idea how they were going to pay for it. Although they had no doubt they had made the right decision, it still wasn’t easy owning up to it. But once the forklift started meaning more project opportunities for the company, all was forgiven, the risk had paid off. In fact, to this day, a full seventy-five cents of every dollar earned is reinvested into equipment, training and new construction methodologies. What started as one forklift has grown to include a 14-acre warehouse site with 110,000 square feet of covered storage that houses more than $40 million worth of equipment.

Miron Construction Co., Inc. has been a family-owned company since it was established in 1918, when it was founded by Canadian immigrant Patrick G. Miron. When the company was incorporated in 1949 as P.G. Miron Construction Co., Inc. it had five stockholders, including David Voss, Sr. and Roland Kippenhan. The business was eventually turned over to their sons, David G. Voss, Jr., Patrick Voss and Greg Kippenhan in 1979.


In 2003, Tim Kippenhan, Greg’s son, became a principal owner of Miron and began a true partnership with David G. Voss Jr.. Like Dave, Tim had grown up in the family business. In fact, when Tim was just a child, the families would take turns cleaning the office each weekend, so Tim was no stranger to hard work. His fascination with construction continued to grow along with him, often spurred on by trips to local jobsites with his dad. It was impossible to ignore the pride he saw in his father as he gazed at a stunning new building. It was during those moments that Tim decided he would follow in father’s footsteps.

Today, Miron employs Dave’s four children and although Tim’s six kids are still too young to make an ample contribution to the company, there is no doubt that one day they will be welcomed in with open arms. Family is extremely important to both the Voss and Kippenhan families and it’s apparent that they view their employees as an extension of those families. Employees are encouraged to interact with Miron’s two owners, something that can’t be said for many half billion dollar companies that employ nearly 1,200 people. Dave and Tim, however, recognize the importance of maintaining that family culture as the company continues to thrive and expand. As Vince Lombardi once said, “The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual,” and this is something that neither Dave nor Tim have ever forgotten.

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Pat Ness Shareholder Schenck SC www.schencksc.com Year established - 1930

Give us a brief description/history of your business…. A: Schenck is a full service CPA and business consulting firm headquartered in Appleton, with 9 offices throughout Wisconsin. As “CPAs and so much more,” we help busi-nesses with not just their accounting and tax needs, but also many specialized services including payroll, merger and acquisition assistance, and technology.

Q: How did you get started in your field? A: It began with a high school accounting course I took for me to realize that I found my niche. From there I decided to purse accounting as a career by attending the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire.

Q: Who is the one person that helped to make you who you are today? A: My dad instilled in me great work ethic and drive from a very young age. He had us start working at 15 so that we understood the value of a job and money as well as the re-ward.

Q: What do you like most about working in the Heart of the Valley area? A: The people: they are down to earth and I truly enjoy helping local small businesses.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish during your term with the Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce? A: When I started out working with the Chamber I didn’t view it as tackling specific goals. My only goal was to do my part and help the Chamber in any way I can. As time carries on that still holds true, but I would also like local

businesses to see the value of the Chamber and show con-tinuous support.

Q: What is the worst job you’ve ever had. A: The worst job I have had was while in college I worked for a moving company. Q: OK, now the good stuff. What do you like to do for fun? A: Golfing and spending time with my family and friends. Q: What’s your favorite movie and why? A: Star Wars. At the time that movie was created, there had never been another movie that pushed the envelope for vis-ual effects like Star Wars did. Q: Is your desk messy or organized? A: Organized Q: Green Bay Packers or another team? A: Green Bay Packers—is there any other team? Q: Where was your best vacation and why? A: My best vacation was in Germany and I was fortunate enough to have a once in a lifetime experience and spend my journey staying with locals of the area. This gave me the ability to view things through their eyes and see amaz-ing historical sites that the average tourist would not be able to experience. Q: What are the Top 3 items on your bucket list? A: Play golf in Ireland, ideally on historic courses; Travel with my family to foreign countries; Sky dive

Heart Beat | March, 2013

Meet The Board


Robert Zemple CPA, Partner Baker Tilly www.bakertilly.com Year Established - 1931

Q: How did you get started in your field? A: I started my career in public accounting graduating from UWO with an accounting degree in 1980. I was hired by Schumaker Romenesko & Associ-ates a local CPA firm at the time. Our firm grew into a regional accounting firm that in 1999 merged with Virchow Krause & Company. Our business has continued to grow both organically and through mergers and we now have a very significant presence in the Midwest with 5 offices in Wisconsin, Minneapolis, 2 in Chicago, Detroit, Washington, DC and New York. I became a partner in the firm in 1993. I serve clients in a number of different industries including an emphasis in the manufacturing/distribution industries. Q: Who is the one person that helped to make you who you are today? A: My father had the most significant and positive influence on me. He instilled a very strong work ethic as well as demonstrating throughout his life the ethical business qualities of high integrity, honesty, and exceptional client service as I grew up working on the family dairy farm and the insurance business that he ran.

Q: What do you like most about working in the Heart of the Valley area? A: I grew up in the Manawa area which is close to the Valley. The Heart of the Valley area is a safe, family friendly, pro-business environment that makes a fantastic place to live and work. Q: What do you hope to accomplish during your term with the Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce? A: I just stepped into the office of President of the Chamber and as we are in the midst of a long-term strategic planning project, my primary goal is to work with the Board to bring the planning process to completion with updated goals and objectives that are member driven and designed to create an optimal business environment for our membership. Q: What is the worst job you’ve ever had? A: I will turn the answer to this question into the worst part of the

current job that I have. The worst part of my current position is periodically needing to terminate underperforming employees. It is definitely the least favorite part of my job as I desire to see all our employees gain their fullest potential and succeed in our business. When you terminate someone it, at times, feels like a personal failure. Q: OK, now the good stuff. What do you like to do for fun? A: I am an avid outdoorsmen. One of my favorite outdoor activi-ties is bird hunting with my chocolate lab, Reggie. He is the first trained hunting dog I have owned and he makes the whole bird hunting experience totally enjoyable as it’s fun to see him work. Q: What’s your favorite movie and why? A: “A Christmas Story” because I identify with Ralphie and receiving the most special Christmas gift in the whole world-- a Red Rider BB Gun. I received that exact same gift when I was about the same age that Ralphie was in the movie. Q: Is your desk messy or organized? A: For me my desk is organized, however, others looking at it might consider it messy. Q: Green Bay Packers or another team? A: GO PACK GO! Q: Where was your best vacation and why? A: My best was a family vacation we had with our then college- age children. We did a cruise tour the started out by flying into Anchorage, Alaska and spending three days touring the sites around Anchorage and Denali. Then we boarded a cruise ship in Seward and cruised to Vancouver, British Columbia. The scenery and accommodations were absolutely phenomenal and to share that experience with my nearly grown up children was something I have appreciated and will never forget. Q: What are the Top 3 items on your bucket list? A: I don’t really have a bucket list but something that I have wanted to do for a number of years is an elk hunt in Colorado with all my children. We currently are scheduled in November 2013 for a hunt, so I am really looking forward to the trip.

16 Heart Beat | March, 2013

http://healthreform.kff.org/

TheRequirementtoBuyCoverageUndertheAffordableCareActAlong with changes to the health insurance system that guarantee access to coverage to everyone regardless of pre-existing health conditions, the Affordable Care Act includes a requirement that many people be insured or pay a penalty. This simple flowchart illustrates how that requirement (sometimes known as an "individual mandate") works.

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www.stellarworkshops.com

“We joined the Chamber for many reasons; I feel on top of the list, though, is networking and support for ALL local business. Be Loyal, Buy Local is a strong phrase. Small business owners need one on one interactions with other people/businesses to connect with them and develop trust for the services that he/she do sell. We can all agree meeting face to face for business purposes helps us to share more about our business and review ALL the ser-vices we provide. It also helps us to search other businesses and realize all the local services we could possibly utilize in the future supporting our local community.” “Many times, networking does force us to share the general background of our business and how it got to where it is today as well. Other small business owners learn off each others experiences...the goods, the not so goods; what has truly helped his or her small business develop a stable reputation providing services in the Fox Valley and what paths will never be repeated.” Kelly Petersen, Keith Petersen Plumbing, Inc. & Trenchless Sewer Solutions, LLC www.petersenplumbinginc.com

WhatourMembersAreSaying

18 Heart Beat | March, 2013

www.bakertilly.com

FROM JAVA EXPLOITS PROTECTING YOURSELF

As one of the most ubiquitous platforms on the web, Java is of great interest to hackers due to its large user base (it runs on an estimated 850 million computers and mobile devices). Exploits seem to crop up at least every few months and, last week, the latest Java vulnerability came to light. This particular exploit takes advantage of a vulnera-bility in Java 7 Update 10 and affects PCs, Macs, and Linux operating systems. CMIT Marathon clients are al-ready protected, but others should immediately upgrade to Java SE 7 Update 11. Because of the frequency with which Java exploits seem to occur, we strongly recommend as a best practice that you turn off Java completely in your main browser. This article on CNET explains how to do so on most popular browsers. However, some important line-of-business applications rely on Java to function correctly. If you use such applica-tions, we recommend having a secondary browser (Chrome and Firefox are both free and user-friendly) with Java in-stalled that you only use for running those applications.

Just be sure to stay abreast of security alerts and ensure that you’re always running the latest recommended version of Java for your operating system and browser. Here are some general guidelines for safe browsing:

1. Do not browse to unfamiliar or unreliable websites. 2. Do not click on website advertising (banner ads). 3. Do not click on links in emails, Facebook (or other social networking site) messages, or instant messages--even from friends--unless you are certain it is legitimate. 4. Keep your anti-malware software up to date. If you unintentionally click a link, an ad, or visit a web page and you suspect you’ve been infected, contact your IT professionals immediately so that they can perform deep anti-malware scans. The sooner you notify them, the better the chance they’ll be able to rapidly resolve any infection. Submitted by Richard Szymanski, CMIT Solutions of Appleton


There’s no doubt that owning a business, especially a small business, in today’s economic climate isn’t easy. Many have cut costs and sometimes personnel to make it through this economic down cycle. Others, who had hoped to buy a business, decided to hold off on the purchase. Now that there are signs the economy is improving, small business owners and entrepreneurs might want to consider taking advantage of U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. SBA loans were specifically created to assist and protect existing small businesses and to start, build and grow a business. That means these loans can be used to purchase an existing business; purchase land, a building, or equip-ment; provide permanent work-ing capital; or assist with an expansion. Through the SBA loan program, loans are also available to help small busi-nesses who export to foreign countries, to businesses that operate in rural areas as they have unique loan processing needs and to those who are active duty military personnel. Why do borrowers often go with an SBA loan, rather than a different type of commercial loan? The following are quali-ties that make SBA loans so attractive: 1. There is usually a lower cash down payment require-ment, as little as 10% instead of the typical 20-25% down payment. This allows clients to preserve this cash differ-ence for precious working capital. 2. SBA loans have a longer repayment schedule providing lower monthly loan payment amounts compared to conven-tional terms. 3. There are no balloons on an SBA loan meaning the loan won’t mature and the balance won’t come due in three to five years as do conventional loans. This gives businesses access to long-term permanent capital. 4. Interest rates are still at attractive levels, providing addi-

tional incentive to consider an SBA loan. The added bene-fit, some SBA loans offer fixed rates for 10 or 20 years. Despite the benefits and incentives that SBA loans offer, many still are under the misconception that banks aren’t lending. This is simply not the case. In the last three months alone, the SBA supported $14 billion in lending to small businesses. Small businesses are the backbone of both our local and national economy which is why there was and continues to be aid to help those in this sector so owners are able to start and / or grow their business.

Many people don’t realize that the term “small business” goes above and beyond one or two employee firms, so it’s

important to not rule yourself out for being eligible for an SBA loan. Due to some permanent increases, more businesses may be eligible than in the past. The loan limit for certain SBA loans, which was pre-viously $2 million, has now perma-nently increased to $5 million. In

addition, size standards of a business to become eligible have also permanently increased. Now businesses may be eligible if their net worth is $15 million or less and if they have an average net income of $5 million or less. If you’re looking to establish lines of credit, need financing assistance now or in the near future, or want to learn what types of supporting documents are needed to see if you qualify for an SBA loan, take time to meet with a repre-sentative at a bank who has experience helping businesses in the community with SBA loans. For an added conven-ience, seek out an SBA-preferred lender for a smoother, easier and quicker loan process. Remember, just because the economy isn’t where it once was, it doesn’t mean funds aren’t available. Now’s a great time to explore your options and position your business for growth. Submitted by: Sue Hennes, Branch Manager Citizens Bank in Kaukauna

Eligible to More Business Owners

SBA Loans:

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Locally owned and nationally known, The Kimberly Lee State Farm Agency was established to help families and businesses in the Heart of the Valley, manage the risks of their everyday life, recover from the unexpected and realize their dreams – by offering quality insurance and financial products and services. They offer auto, home, life, health, bank and financial solutions for families and businesses. The Kimberly Lee State Farm Agency is located at 4055 E. Calu-met Street, Suite D in Appleton. For more information con-tact Kimberly at 920-882-4200 or visit www.insuremekim.com

Community Color Mailer is the largest direct mail publications group serving North East Wisconsin. We have been in business 18 years and service the Fox Valley, Green Bay, and Sheboygan Areas. We reach 1.5 million readers annually with all 3 mar-kets. We service over 800 customers annually who experience great Return On Investment. In the Fox Valley alone we reach 132,000 homes and 6,900 busi-nesses with each mailing. With the addition of our website and Google app your business will experience even more exposure. Our artistic graphic designers also create custom marketing piec-es and logo’s to help you differentiate your business from com-petitors. www.communitycolormailer.com


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Web Page & BlogSBA Launches Affordable Care Act


WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administra-tion (SBA) today launched a new web page and blog dedicated to educating small business owners about the Affordable Care Act. The new tools will serve as a gateway for small business owners connecting them with information provided by SBA’s federal partners responsible for implementing the law, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “The Affordable Care Act provides small business owners with access and opportunity to provide affordable health care options for their employ-ees,” said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills. “SBA’s new Affordable Care Act web page and blog will serve as a resource for small business owners who want learn more about how to take advantage of these benefits.” The Affordable Care Act has many beneficial measures specifically for small businesses, including slowing premium cost growth and increased access to quality, affordable health insurance. SBA’s new web page, www.sba.gov/healthcare, breaks down the key provisions

of the Act based on business size in the following categories: self-employed, fewer than 25 employees, fewer than 50 employees and more than 50 employees. The web page also provides links to other useful information for small businesses, including a glossary of key health care reform terms, an interactive timeline with dates for when certain reforms will be implemented, a state-by-state breakdown of health care options, and how to

learn more about specific tax provisions and regulations. Additional resources will be added as they become available. The blog, entitled Health Care Business Pulse (www.sba.gov/blog), will provide small business owners with continuous updates about the implementation of the Act. The blog

is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal or tax advice. Readers should consult their legal or tax professionals to discuss how specific matters relate to their individual business circumstances.

Small Businesses Encouraged to Learn

How to Take Advantage of New Health Care

Provisions

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