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Conway Center for Family Business

Monthly Message -- August 2011

8th Annual Family Business Tour and Networking Event

Ricart Automotive

4255 S. Hamilton Road

Groveport, OH 43125

August 18th - 4:00-6:30 p.m.

Don't miss this year's tour -- the Ricart family has a lot of fun in store for you and your family. Whether you're interested in connecting with other Central Ohio business leaders, getting a peek at the recording studio where the always memorable Ricart ads are created, or meeting members of the Ricart family, this event has something for everyone. The test track will even be open for those who are brave enough to try the on-site driving school's skid car and anyone can enter to win a guitar and lessons and other great door prizes!

And for those who are curious about the story behind the Ricart family's success, Fred and Rhett Ricart will share how their family went from owning one Ford dealership in 1953 to being the largest Ford dealership in the world for 12 consecutive years and the only MotorTrend Certified dealer in Central Ohio.

Bring your family or invite another family business leader to attend with you -- it will surely be a night to remember!

Be sure to RSVP so we can have plenty of refreshments on hand. Just contact Deana at 614-253-4820 or gordon@familybusinesscenter.com, or visit www.familybusinesscenter.com.

From Workaholics

to Alcoholics

Coping with Addiction in Family Businesses

Alumni Hall at ODU

Thursday, September 15

7:30-9:00 a.m.

These days, the pressures of managing a family business and being responsible for the livelihood of other family members are tough challenges to leave at the office at the end of the day. So finding a way to handle the worries and stress of your job can be a challenge, especially for many family business leaders who also share downtime with family members. Family business leaders often become workaholics and some even turn to drugs or alcohol to manage the challenges in their lives.

What can you do to combat these problems if they occur? And better yet, what steps can you take to prevent addiction problems in your business before they become an issue? Scott Camp, a program consultant with Working Partners, a consulting and training firm that provides full-service drug-free workplace consultation and support services, will discuss how to start critical conversations about addiction issues and policies and will provide information about prevention, education, and warning signs for which you should be on the lookout. We'll also hear first-hand from family business leaders who've taken steps to prevent or combat addiction issues in their own business.

Don't miss the first educational program of the fall -- RSVP online at www.familybusinesscenter.com or to Deana at 614-253-4820 or gordon@familybusinesscenter.com

Save the Date

13th Annual Family Business Awards

Catering By Design

6465 Busch Boulevard

Columbus, 43229

Friday, November 4th

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

In 1999, the Conway Center for Family Business began a tradition of recognizing excellence in family business. That tradition continues at the 2011 Family Business Awards Program this fall as we recognize family business success in the areas of succession planning and implementation, communication, community engagement, re-invention, milestone achievements, and support of a family business. Please reserve the date on your calendar for this opportunity to celebrate the achievements of your peers, clients, and friends. More details will be shared in future publications and will be available at www.familybusinesscenter.com.

Directors' Insight

Summer time is a great time to catch up on your business reading. Whether you're traveling for your job, sitting on a beach, or hanging out at home in your backyard or in the air conditioning, this is a great time to gain insight and perspective that will help you take your business to the next level.

Here are suggestions from us and from some of our members via our LinkedIn Group, Family Businesses of Central Ohio:

Family Business as a Paradox by Amy Schuman, Stacy Stutz, and John Ward (recommended by Robert Pasin, President/CEO of Radio Flyer Inc.)

Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

Good to Great by Jim Collins

Just Enough: Tools for Creating Success in Your Work and Life by Laura Nash and Howard Stevenson

Kids, Wealth, and Consequences: Ensuring a Responsible Financial Future for the Next Generation by Richard A. Morris, Jayne A. Pearl, James E. Hughes Jr.

Outstanding!: 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional by John G. Miller

Loving Monday: Succeeding in Business Without Selling Your Soul by John Beckett (Chairman R.W. Beckett Corporation, an Ohio based family business)

The Power of Story: Change Your Story, Change Your Destiny in Business and in Life by Jim Loehr

We hope you take time to enjoy a good book, your family, and the rest of your summer and look forward to seeing you at our next educational program on September 15th and at the FAMILY BUSINESS TOUR AND NETWORKING EVENT on August 18th.

Dick and Deana

Upcoming Peer Group Meetings

To sign up for any of this month's peer group meetings or to learn about peer group opportunities contact Peer Group Coordinator Connie Nicholson, nicholson@familybusinesscenter.com or visit www.familybusinesscenter.com.

Family Business Leaders Peer Group
Next Meeting August 10th
Topic: Exposure for Your Business Through Social Media
8:00-9:30 a.m., at Sequent, 4700 Lakehurst, Suite 200, Dublin

CEO Peer Group
Next Meeting August 11th (RSVP Required*)
3:30-7:30 p.m. at Jefferson Country Club in Gahanna
*Members of this group are asked to commit to one full year of meetings. If you are interested, we encourage you to try one out.

Women in Family Business Peer Group
Next Meeting August 16th
Topic: How To Win with Negotiation
7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Griffin Center at Ohio Dominican University

Next Generation Leaders Peer Group
Next Meeting September 15th, Noon-1:00 p.m.
No Meetings in July or August. Members of this group participate for one full year. If you are interested in joining the 2012 group, please let us know.

CCFB Members Team Up for Sales Boot Camp

Murray Associates Business Performance Coaching is planning a Professional Sales Development Boot Camp at the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls located in the beautiful Hocking Hills area. This Boot Camp starts on Aug. 25 at 9:30 a.m. and runs until Aug. 26 at 4 p.m. All meals and lodging are included in the packages and it is limited to 12 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call 614-873-7227 or e-mail bryan@murrayassociates.com.

SEO Training Offered at 10% Discount

Whether you're a veteran online marketer, or looking for introductory-level Search Engine Optimization (SEO) training, Webbed Marketing University (WMU) can help you achieve your online marketing goals. Each webinar is hosted by an expert from Webbed Marketing. The 1.5 hour webinars will focus on the following Internet marketing strategies:

Wed., Aug. 10, 2011 at 2 p.m. - "Facebook trends, updates and best practices for your business" will cover tab features, Facebook Places & Deals, and advertising.

Wed., Sept. 14, 2011 at 2 p.m. - "Online Public Relations and Social Media" will highlight how you can strategically use online public relations to help your business maintain a positive online presence.

CCFB members who sign up for the remaining two classes will receive a discount of 10% off the cost. With the discount, the cost is $358.20. To sign up, visit the registration page at www.webbedmarketing.com/wmu!

National Conference for Family Businesses

The fall Transitions conference, hosted by Family Business Magazine and Stetson University's Family Enterprise Center, Transitions West 2011, will take place November 1-3 at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco, California. It offers three powerful half-day sessions focused on delivering information and ideas you can put to work now for your family company: Succession Planning: What Works and What Doesn't; Wealth Transfer, Estate Planning and How to Find and Use Expert Advice; Family Company Governance: and The Nuts & Bolts. The conference also features, family company speakers, an intimate, collaborative environment, special content and sessions for spouses and the next generation of your family business, and networking opportunities with families like yours. Visit www.familybusinessmagazine.com for more information.

Share Your Views on Family Business Issues

Family Business Magazine is conducting a confidential, online survey of U.S. family business owners in an effort to assess the scope of their diversity in leadership and ownership. They plan to study the policies and systems American family enterprises have established to achieve their economic goals of growth and prosperity while preserving family harmony and loyalty. In short, they plan to offer a snapshot of U.S. family businesses and their practices. The deadline for completing the survey is August 15, 2011 and the results will be published in Family Business Agenda 2011 a special issue focusing on The State of U.S. Family Business which will be published in late October. Just click on the following link to get started: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BKY7YRW.

Velvet Ice Cream Factory Tour

Named One of Country's Top 10

Frommer's, a publisher of travel and vacation guidebooks, has named Velvet Ice Cream's factory tour one of the top 10 best in the country."Consumers are always curious about how ice cream is made and they really get a kick out of the tour," said Andre Dager, vice president of guest relations. "Many of the people who come to take the tour are loyal Velvet customers who want to see how their favorite ice cream is made." If you want to check it out for yourself, Velvet offers weekday tours of its Utica factory from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Chris Ahlum Earns Master Arborist Credential

Chris Ahlum, Vice President of Ahlum & Arbor Tree Preservation, has earned the Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA) credential through the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). The BCMA credential is the highest level of certification offered by ISA and fewer than two percent of all ISA Certified Arborist have earned the BCMA designation. In addition to passing an extensive scenario-based exam, candidates must abide by a Code of Ethics, which ensures quality work, and complete continuing education courses to maintain the certification.

New Marketing and Sales Peer Group for Family Business Leaders Forming

Beginning in September, CCFB Board Member and chief strategy officer of GREENCREST, Kelly Borth, will facilitate a new peer group for family business leaders who want to create marketing and sales strategies to improve their bottom line and industry presence. The 10-month series will offer family business leaders hands-on techniques to take their organization to the next level. It will take place on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 7:30-9:00 a.m. at GREENCREST and will cover the following topics.

September: Listen to Your Customers: Conducting a Customer Survey

October: Know Your Competitors Strengths and Weaknesses: Creating a Competitive Matrix

November: Forecast the Future: Identifying Trends That Keep Your Business Relative

December: Know Your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats: Developing a SWOT Analysis

January: How Good Are You at The Game? Developing a Leading Marketing Strategy

February: Create A Unique Brand: Understanding Your Market Differentiation

March: Express Your Brand Uniqueness: Defining Your Brand Message and Expression

April: Determine Your Goals: Establishing Where Growth Will Come From

May: Manage The Sales Process: Developing An Accountable New Business Program

June: Find Your Best Prospects: Creating an Action Plan That Gets You Noticed

To sign up for this series, please contact Peer Group Coordinator Connie Nicholson at nicholson@familybusinesscenter.com.

Members in the News/

Interesting Reading

Changing With the Times to Outlive the Recession
Fox Business But when the economy took a turn for the worse in 2008, President and CEO Brian Strange knew his business model had to expand in order for the family business to survive. "We weren't getting many opportunities to do these crazy events," Strange said...

Generational Shift -- Good for Small, Mid-sized Family Businesses
IndustryWeek
Many small businesses ranging from less than 100 to over 1000 employees such as Community Coffee, Drywall Supply, Morgan Foods and Sentry Group are examples of family business who have recently embraced technology. NASCAR is an example of a family...

Parents Consider Franchise Ownership Akin to Starting a Family Business
Laredo Sun
"Buying a franchise was a less risky way to start a family business and allowed us to help our son." If parents have more than one child who plans to work in the franchise, they may want to consider from the beginning how a transfer of management and...

Small-business Q&A: Dad's health means it's time to talk
Houston Chronicle
By JACQUELINE TAYLOR Q: I work in a family business started by my father. He is still actively involved in the day-to-day operations, but his health is poor. He hasn't said anything to me about running the business when he can no longer do it...

Growing the family business: Pickering Hill Farm owner happy to keep roots in Avon...
The Morning Journal
By Morning Journal Staff It's safe to say that Pickering Hill Farm is one of the oldest family-owned businesses still thriving in Avon. Having been around since the mid-1800s, current owner Jay Pickering said each year his market sees more customers...

Could keeping it in the family mean happier workers?
Management Today
You might have thought that with all the potential for bickering, working in a family business would be something of a stressful experience. Apparently not, though, according to research by the University of Birmingham for business organisation the...

Summer fun for kids: working in the family business
Globe and Mail
They might work for the company, and that can bring plenty of benefits, learning about the family business and entrepreneurship while earning pocket money and getting lessons in how to budget their finances. Sandra Murre, chief executive officer of...

Small Business Advice from Rick Harrison
ActiveFilings.com
... because although his success might equal that of a business much larger than the small business category, the small business atmosphere of his pawn shop still gives it the feel of a family owned business although it now has international attention...

Family Business: GENERATIONS OF JOBS
nwitimes.com
Although it was decades ago, Bruce White, CEO of White Lodging Services, says "it seems like just yesterday" when his father Dean White told him there are three main lessons to learn when you are part of the family business. . "Before I went to work...

Family-owned businesses may require planning to continue into next generation
ReporterNews.com
Herrera Delgado, 40, along with her sister Maria plans to continue the family business after her parents Liz and Cris eventually retire from the business they founded more than three decades ago. Liz Herrera (right), owner of...