30 Jan 2015

Leadercast Lunch & Learn Series: February Session

By Jim Vana
Thank you to everyone that was able to join us for our first Leadercast Lunch & Learn Session on January 16th.  We came together to learn from Archbishop Desmond Tutu and each other, how to incorporate leadership concepts like "A person, is a person, through other persons. You are you, because of others." into our daily lives.
For those of you that have already registered for February's session, we look forward to seeing you again on February 20th, when we will hear from Simon Sinek and discuss his  leadership concept "Leaders Eat Last".

If you haven't already already registered for February's session, we have room and would love for you to join us!  Information about the remaining sessions can be found below and for any additional questions, phone calls are always welcome.

This year's remaining  Lunch and Learn Series sessions will be held noon to 1 p.m. on  February 20, March 20, and April 17, at DHCU Community Credit Union, 1900 52nd Ave., Moline, IL.
During the Lunch & Learn Recap sessions, videos will be shown of the top four 2014 Leadercast speakers, as determined by attendee survey results. Everyone at the Lunch and Learn events will have a chance to discuss the valuable concepts being presented as they enjoy a delicious Chick-fil-A lunch.
Speakers for the Leadercast Lunch & Learn Recap series will be:  
February 20th - Simon Sinek
March 20th - Henry Cloud
April 17th - Andy Stanley
30 Jan 2015

5 Innovation Killers That Lurk Within Businesses

By Ginny Grimsley

The work of innovative thinkers is why the world has smartphones, laptop computers, toaster ovens and numerous other gadgets and creative approaches to problem solving.

Yet groundbreaking ideas aren't always welcome in the corporate world or within other institutions.

Instead, those who suggest a different approach often find their ideas shot down by co-workers or blocked by an organizational system that is unwelcoming to change, says international speaker and innovation consultant Dr. Neal Thornberry.

That doesn't mean innovation can't happen, though.

"The innovator needs to know how to operate in these less than friendly cultures without waiting for some miraculous transformation in corporate policy," says Thornberry, author of the book "Innovation Judo: Disarming Roadblocks and Blockheads on the Way to Creativity." (www.NealThornberry.com)

He says there are five innovation "killers" within organizations that a person with ideas can expect to confront.

•  People. Sometime it's an individual, sometimes it's a group. Regardless, people often resist innovation, and many times for illogical reasons. "The more rigid people reject innovation simply because they are uncomfortable with the new or don't want to spend the energy to try something different," Thornberry says. They may be quick to point out flaws in your ideas.

One way to counteract that, Thornberry says, is to be your own worst critic. Discover those flaws first and highlight them yourself. Then you can address how you plan to mitigate them, thus stealing the critics' thunder, he says.

•  Politics. You can usually get around one or two individuals who try to block your idea, but it's more challenging when the organization is rife with politics. "I hate working in highly politicized organizations," Thornberry says. "They make work a lot harder and make you spend considerable time on non-value-adding activities." In fact, Thornberry devotes an entire chapter in his book to "Right Mindedness" so that innovators practicing his seven secret judo skills are not seen as innovating for personal gain or exploitation, but as enablers of company success.

•  Organizational design. An out-of-whack organizational design usually is not generated on purpose or with malice, Thornberry says. Instead it develops over time, with one well-intentioned move after another leading to unintended consequences. Often the result is a proliferation of controls, along with structures and processes that create barriers to innovation.

When an idea is blocked by layers of decision-making, one solution is to use leverage, Thornberry says. Enlist the aid of a customer who would benefit from the innovation, he says, because paying customers have huge leverage.

•  Company values. Here the innovator has both a challenge and an opportunity. Many companies articulate their values, but don't always live by them. "The upside for innovators is that values can be used as leverage for innovation even if they aren't true," Thornberry says. For example, if the company declares, "The customer is No. 1," then it becomes difficult to ignore an innovation that is positioned as being for the customer.

•  Corporate culture. The corporate culture essentially is how the people, politics, organizational design and values interact. "The greatest challenge to any innovator, and to embedding and sustaining innovation over the long term, is culture," Thornberry says. To make it even more challenging, often organizations have micro-cultures within the culture. That means, he says, you will need to adapt the use of innovation judo principles depending on which micro-culture you are dealing with at any given moment.

"Innovators throughout history have faced both roadblocks and blockheads on their path to creativity," Thornberry says. "And so will you."

But with a little courage and some counterbalancing skills, he says, these challenges can be overcome.

About Neal Thornberry, Ph.D.

Neal Thornberry, Ph.D., is the founder and CEO of IMSTRAT, LLC a consulting firm that specializes in helping private and public sector organizations develop innovation strategies that create economic value by increasing an organization's effectiveness and efficiency. A respected thought leader in innovation, Thornberry is a highly sought-after international speaker and consultant. He  also serves as the faculty director for innovation initiatives at the Center for Executive Education at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. Thornberry, author of "Innovation Judo: Disarming Roadblocks & Blockheads on the Path to Creativity" (www.NealThornberry.com), holds a doctorate in organizational psychology and specializes in innovation, corporate entrepreneurship, leadership and organizational transformation.

29 Jan 2015

Selecting Your Investment Advisor

By Ginny Grimsley

Changing How You Perceive the Role of Your Investment Advisor
By: Jeff Bucher

On the surface, when people think of an investment advisor, financial planner or retirement planner, what they think of is someone that's going to assist them with making the selections of their stocks, bonds and mutual funds. As you transition into the retirement stage there are many other important areas of retirement that also need to be considered.  Selecting the right retirement guide that will be able to help in all of these areas is crucial for you to have a fulfilling retirement.

We call ourselves many different things, Financial Planners, Investment Advisors, or maybe even Retirement Planners.  Regardless of the title, you probably go to us all for the same thing - to use our knowledge and expertise regarding the financial markets to invest your funds for you. On the surface, this describes the role of the advisor.  However, we feel that this limited role of the advisor specifically covers one period of your investment lifetime, the accumulation period, when you are trying to build and grow your wealth.  As you transition into retirement (the portfolio distribution phase), it's important that the advisor begin to take on a larger role when it comes to your financial well-being.  As an advisor that specializes in the distribution phase, the investment selection must be complimented by a strategy of when best to file for Social Security Benefits, a plan to minimize the amount of taxes that will be due, and a sustainable withdrawal strategy to ensure that your needs will be met for the remainder of your lifetime.

Fiduciary vs. Suitability

When it comes to the investment selection, it's very important to understand what type of advisor with whom you're working. There are two different types of advisors that plan within two different sets of rules. There's the investment advisor, who is held to a fiduciary standard, and then there is the registered representative, or an insurance professional, who is held to a suitability standard. Understanding what standards that they're held to and how they're compensated is part of the investment selection process that, as the consumer, you need to be aware of. The differences are crucial.

A fiduciary standard is a legal obligation where the advisor must act in the best interest of their client and puts the client's best interest ahead of their own.  It is the highest standard of care available under law.  Fiduciary advisors can be regulated by the SEC or state regulators.  An example to explain this standard is an advisor with two identical products that have different fees, who must recommend the one that is lower in cost.  They can't recommend the product that makes more money for them or their company.  A fiduciary advisor is often paid by a quarterly fee that is calculated as a percentage of assets.

According to the FIRNA Industry Professionals manual, the suitability standard requires that a registered representative or insurance professional must have a reasonable basis to believe that a recommended transaction or investment strategy involving a security or securities is suitable for the customer.  This is based primarily on financial objectives, current income level and age, in order to complete a commissionable sale of a financial product.  There is no requirement to find the best investment for you, only ones that are seemingly suitable for you.  They offer a range of products for sale carried by the company he or she represents.  The way that someone with a suitability standard gets paid is by commissions calculated as a percentage of money invested into the product.

Which type of advisor would you like to work with after hearing the differences between the two?

What to expect from a retirement planner

As we transition into retirement, the investment selection is still part of the process, but there's more to expect from a retirement planner.

Important questions we need to ask include :

• How are we going to create an income/distribution plan of these assets that's going to be reliable and sustainable for as long as you live?

• How do we select a social security filing strategy that will best meet our needs it?

• How are we going to protect your standard of living from inflation?

• How are we going to reduce your tax obligations?

• How are we going to position these assets in a way that you still have the liquidity that you need for all kinds of emergencies and related discretionary spending?

• How can we position things in such a way that you have the income stream you need and, at the same time, have the flexibility to handle life's unknowns?

• How can we help protect you from the risks of a long term illness?

• How do we select the right health care plan to best meet your needs and resources?

• How do we protect the legacy that you want to leave behind for your heirs?

Transitioning into Retirement

Again, as we transition into this retirement phase, investment selection is part of the process. But now we need to focus more on an income plan, which encompasses social security planning, tax planning, planning against inflation and health care planning - all of these things are added into the picture. So, during this transition, the perception that you have of your investment advisor needs to take on a new role. Often, with new clients, we find that there hasn't been a transition, which means the client is being greatly underserved.

At Citizen Advisory Group, (www.citizenadvisory.com), our program offers a much more comprehensive approach to the retirement planning side of things. We pull in the investment selection with an income/distribution plan that includes planning for social security, longevity and taxes. We unify all of these different pieces to create a very well-rounded plan. This allows people the safety and security to go out and enjoy their retirement lifestyle and spend their money without the fear associated with running out of money during their lifetimes.

About Jeff Bucher

Jeff Bucher is president of Citizen Advisory Group, (www.citizenadvisory.com), and is an Investment Advisor Representative of AlphaStar Capital Management, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. He has a life and health insurance license with the state of Ohio. His membership affiliations include the exclusive Ed Slott's Master Elite IRA Advisor Group™, National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), the National Association of Fixed Annuities (NAFA) and the Forum 400. He has earned Top of the Table honors through the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT).  Jeff has been featured on the Toledo, Ohio television affiliates for NBC, CBS, FOX, and ABC. Bucher is a former standout wrestler at The Ohio State University, where he earned an athletic scholarship and honed his leadership skills en route to earning four varsity letters.

28 Jan 2015

LECLAIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBERSHIP

By LeClaire Chamber of Commerce
It is time to renew your Membership for 2015!
In order to remain or be on the Chamber Website Membership Directory
and on the Directory in the March Newsletter, please renew by February 1, 2015!
Membership forms have been mailed out, or you can renew your membership by going to
www.leclairechamber.com and pay via Pay Pal.
If you did not receive a letter and form by mail,
please see the attached form, or
contact the Chamber at LeClaireChamber@gmail.com
.
If you have already renewed your Membership, Thank You!
16 Jan 2015

AIM to Serve Entrepreneurial Start Ups through SPN Integration

By Cara Eccleston

AIM is a not-for-profit community based organization that promotes technology to empower people, enhance organizations and create brilliant communities. AIM is pleased to announce that Silicon Prairie News and Big Omaha have been added as services of our organization to continue the brilliant community impact that the Silicon Prairie News website and events like Big Omaha have had on our startup community for the past six years. AIM's goal is to enhance this value to markets in Omaha, Lincoln, Kansas City, and Greater Nebraska. Recognized for events such as Big Omaha, the Silicon Prairie Awards, and the Startup Job Crawl, Silicon Prairie News is a digital media company devoted to entrepreneurs and tech startups in its communities.

For AIM, this is an opportunity to better serve the local entrepreneurial and startup community and to expand its mission and impact. Headquartered in the heart of downtown Omaha with various satellite locations throughout the Midwest, AIM is a social enterprise that promotes technology to build brilliant communities. Through community engagement, AIM promotes early interest and skills in Information Technology (IT), links graduates and working professionals with IT opportunities in the community, and offers ongoing career development for IT leaders.

Dedicated to providing support and recognition to the local startup community, SPN embraces this opportunity to join an organization like AIM that can "provide the leadership and resources to grow SPN in a way that serves the ever changing needs of the Silicon Prairie startup community for many years to come." (SPN acquired by AIM Institute, Dusty Davidson) AIM and SPN look forward to collaboratively enhancing your IT and startup community.

16 Jan 2015

Business Leaders Brief Administration on Senior Administration on International Trade Policy

By Rachel Harvey
Senior Administration officials gather input from business leaders on how international trade policies affect businesses' bottom lines.

Washington, D.C. - While negotiations for several international trade agreements are in progress, business leaders, including Michael Lassner, President of Allied Steel Buildings in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will meet with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Robert Holleyman, and other senior administration officials yesterday to discuss how international trade policy affects their businesses.

"One of the best opportunities to create economic growth at home is to sell American goods and services to the 95 percent of global consumers who live outside our borders," said Secretary Pritzker. "In 2013, the U.S. achieved $2.3 trillion in exports, more than any other time in history, which supported 11.3 million American jobs. To give our businesses access to more markets and more customers, America must continue leading the world in negotiating high-standard trade agreements that reflect our values and set the rules for trade in the 21st century."

At a roundtable organized by the White House Business Council and Business Forward, the discussion will focus on the importance of government and businesses working together to help more American companies reach more international markets.

"Under President Obama's leadership, the U.S. is spearheading the most significant trade agenda in history," said Deputy USTR Holleyman. "I always appreciate the opportunity to hear directly from business leaders who are affected by international trade policies. By helping our businesses sell more exports abroad, United States trade policy can unlock opportunity, support well-paying jobs, and strengthen our middle class."

The discussion will touch on two significant trade agreements that the Administration is currently negotiating: the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) with members of the European Union. These agreements would boost American competitiveness and help U.S. businesses access more markets abroad.

"Exporting helps companies like ours to expand beyond our borders, offering our products to a wider customer base. As a result we continue to hire more employees to address this growing demand. This practice also helps us to learn and improve our services both nationally and internationally," said Lassner. "It was extremely valuable to have the opportunity to brief the Obama Administration on ways international trade policy can better support Allied Steel Buildings and other's international business activities."

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 300,000 U.S. companies export their goods to international markets. Businesses that do export grow faster and are 8 percent less likely to declare bankruptcy than those that do not export.

About Business Forward

With the help of more than 50 of the world's most respected companies, Business Forward is making it easier for tens of thousands of business leaders from across America to advise Washington on how to create jobs and accelerate our economy. Business Forward is active in more than 100 cities and works with more than 450 senior Administration officials, Members of Congress, governors, and mayors.

To date, the organization has also brought more than 3,000 business leaders to the White House to brief the President's economic advisors. Business leaders who have participated in these briefings have seen their suggestions implemented in the Affordable Care Act, the Jobs Act, three trade agreements, and every one of the President's budgets. Many have also shared their recommendations with their representatives in Congress and through op-eds and interviews with local media. Ninety-eight out of 100 business leaders who have participated in a Business Forward briefing would be interested in participating in another one. For more information please visit www.BusinessFWD.org.

About Allied Steel Buildings

Allied Steel Buildings, is a recognized leading supplier of high-quality pre-engineered steel buildings and metal building systems. In its more than ten years of experience, the company has developed almost 4.000 different steel projects all over the world, delivering building solutions for diverse industries, from aviation to equestrian. One customer and one building at a time.

16 Jan 2015

State Treasury Invests in Iowa's Economy.

By Karen Austin

DES MOINES, IA (01/14/2015)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald announced that Tuesday's Invest in Iowa online auction was the most successful to date. All forty-two of Iowa's participating financial institutions received deposits, for a total of $78.2 million. "We use an auction format offering state deposits to Iowa financial institutions six times a year. This allows the state to earn a competitive return on the funds while ensuring local financial institutions have the money they need to keep the economy moving," Treasurer Fitzgerald said. "The program currently has over $232.9 million invested in Iowa banks."

Fitzgerald created the Invest in Iowa program in 1983 as a way to deposit state funds in Iowa financial institutions. The financial institutions hold the funds as CDs and use the money to make loans.

"Demand for funds reached its highest peak this year," Fitzgerald stated. "This is a reflection of the current market. I am glad this program is available to help stimulate lending around the state."

Invest in Iowa quarterly auctions are held on the second Tuesday of January, April, July and October. In response to growing interest in this program, two auctions offering one-year term CDs are also held throughout the year. The next auction is scheduled for February 24, 2015 at 10 a.m and will offer one-year term CDs. Each auction has an established minimum interest rate and a minimum bid. To learn more about the Invest in Iowa program, visit iowatreasurer.gov, select "Invest in Iowa" under the "For Businesses" tab or contact the treasurer's office at 515-281-5368.

###

15 Jan 2015

Leveling the Playing Field for Businesses

By Ginny Grimsley
ValidateIt™, Powered By Google Consumer Surveys,
Provides Affordable Access to Fortune 500-Style Data

Until now, businesses without the in-house expertise to write and design unbiased questionnaires could always turn to third-party research firms - if they had $20,000 or more to pay.

"In today's economy, businesses cannot succeed if they can't make data-driven decisions. Lack of research is one of the top five reasons products fail," says market research industry leader Corrine Sandler, citing a Harvard Business Review report.

To help businesses make data-driven decisions, Sandler has developed an online research platform called ValidateIt™(www.validateit.com), which is powered by Google Consumer Surveys and provides robust methodology at 90 percent less than traditional research.

Sandler notes that Google has been a leader in making information widely accessible to the masses. It's now time to make insights available to the masses.

Sandler discusses how a platform like ValidateIt™ is changing the landscape of business intelligence.

•  Can today's David-in-business compete with a Fortune-500 Goliath? With the recent opportunity to gain current, reliable data for business decisions at an affordable price, entrepreneurs no longer must rely exclusively on inspiration from epic parables from the Bible. The old, Goliath-like prices for solid-market research and product development have been felled for the Davids of today's entrepreneurship. In the spirit of Google's original mission statement - "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful" - the price for world-class data doesn't have to start at $20,000.

•  Is there any merit to the old way of gaining primary data for market research? The "old way" refers to privileged data available to only the top percentile of businesses. Beginning entrepreneurs and small businesses, which constitute the majority in the business world, often ended up relying on unreliable methods such as intuition and gut feelings to make decisions. That lack of research is why 85 percent of products fail, according to a Forbes online report, Sandler says.

"With ValidateIt™, decision makers receive 250 respondents, and the reports get to those decision makers within 24 hours," that immediate, accurate and actionable decision making

•  How does the platform help in product development? Your answers are only as good as the questions asked; that's where ValidateIt™ comes in through its scientifically designed questionnaires. IdeaRank is one of the research models launched. It will tell you whether your ideas are strong enough to withstand the competition and break through. The product development series of models will tell you the optimal price for your product, the realistic market demand for your concept or product and even evaluate your choice of name or tag line.

"As we've experienced in recent decades, technology has leveled the playing field in a number of industries," Sandler says. "Now, we're at a tipping point for doing the same in market research."

About Corrine Sandler

Corrine Sandler is a market research industry leader, CEO of Fresh Intelligence, international professional speaker, and Advantage best-selling author of "Wake Up or Die." She's the developer of ValidateIt™ (www.validateit.com), an online research platform powered by Google Consumer Surveys. Questionnaires designed by market researchers and distributed by Google Consumer Surveys return analyzed and aggregated responses with a 95 percent confidence level. Sandler's mission is to make intelligence accessible to the world.

13 Jan 2015

States will be a Central Focus in Foreign Trade in 2015

By The Council of State Governments

LEXINGTON, Ky.--As states strive to remain globally competitive, many state legislatures will be looking to foreign trade and attracting new investment from international partners.

The Council of State Governments this week released its annual listing of top 5 issues legislators will face this year in education, energy and the environment, federal affairs, fiscal and economic development, health, international affairs, interstate compacts, transportation and workforce development.

Catherine Bray, director of CSG's International Program in Washington, D.C., said the states' role in global trade will grow in 2015.

"Trade is big on the national agenda in 2015 and states will become a central focus as the European Union has placed high priority on greater engagement in state procurement markets in their free trade deal negotiations with the U.S.," said Bray.

While state leaders will need to consider the hurdles these free trade deals present, such as different regulatory standards between the U.S. and other countries, Bray believes states cannot overlook the potential benefits they offer.

"The increased opportunity for exports is an area states should really focus on--making sure their international trade programs are robust and prepared to help businesses take advantage of enhanced market access," she said. "Every state leader should know their state trade director and be aware of the ongoing success of small business exports in their state. Exporting companies tend to pay higher wages and show sustainable growth--even in a tough economy."

Bray lists export promotion programs as the top issue facing states in the international arena because of the potential they offer for growing state economies.

"State leaders should have the courage and foresight to invest in their export promotion programs," she said. "While there has been an increase in leaders working to attract foreign investment to their states, in the long-term, a strong exporting economy is a more sustainable force and will continue to create jobs. Once a company has learned how to export to one market, it is more likely to start exporting to others."

Other global issues facing state leaders are attracting foreign direct investment, international trade agreements, trade facilitation and higher education internationalization, according to Bray.

Learn more about the Top 5 issues in international affairs. For more information about these or any other topics, visit the CSG Knowledge Center.

The Council of State Governments is our nation's only organization serving all three branches of state government. CSG is a region-based forum that fosters the exchange of insights and ideas to help state officials shape public policy. This offers unparalleled regional, national and international opportunities to network, develop leaders, collaborate and create problem-solving partnerships. Learn more at www.csg.org

13 Jan 2015

Legislators Look to Increasing Wages, not just Number of Jobs

By The Council of State Governments

LEXINGTON, Ky.--Although the economic collapse that was the Great Recession may be over, state leaders know it's not all blue skies ahead for the economy.

Jennifer Burnett, program manager for fiscal and economic policy at The Council of State Governments, said while the economy is steadily gaining jobs, wages are not increasing.

"The recovery has really reached a turning point, and state leaders are starting to think about the future, instead of just digging out of a hole," Burnett said. "They are going to be looking for ways to not just create one more job and bring the unemployment rate down one more point, but how to create high-paying jobs--jobs that have a future."

According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the average annual wage for jobs lost in the recession was $61,637, but the average wage for the jobs added through the second quarter of 2014 was just $47,171. Increasing wages, not just the number of jobs, will be the top fiscal issue on state policymakers' minds this legislative session, Burnett said.

"So far, the recovery has seen a lot of job growth in low-income sectors while jobs in higher paying sectors that really propel the economy forward have been more elusive," she said. "Now that the crisis is over, it is time to start looking at quality instead of just quantity when it comes to job growth."

The Council of State Governments this week released its annual listing of top 5 issues legislators will face this year in education, energy and the environment, federal affairs, fiscal and economic development, health, international affairs, interstate compacts, transportation and workforce development.

Burnett said other issues facing legislators this year include preparing for the next fiscal crisis, dealing with a likely decrease in federal funding coming to the states, paying for Medicaid costs, and covering public pensions and retiree health care costs.

Even though the economy is in much better shape than it was five years ago, states still have some serious issues to address, Burnett said.

"Balancing a healthy recovery with long-term investment and fiscal planning is like walking a tightrope," she said. "How do you restore funding in critical areas like education and infrastructure that will shore up economic growth today while making sure you have the resources to weather the next storm that comes along?"
Learn more about the Top 5 issues in fiscal and economic development. For more information about these or any other topics, visit the CSG Knowledge Center.
The Council of State Governments is our nation's only organization serving all three branches of state government. CSG is a region-based forum that fosters the exchange of insights and ideas to help state officials shape public policy. This offers unparalleled regional, national and international opportunities to network, develop leaders, collaborate and create problem-solving partnerships. Learn more at www.csg.org.

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