The Business View
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE I Prepare Your Business for Hurricane Season I Meet the Mobile Area BUSI NESS Chamber’s Board of Advisors I Manage Small Costs VIEWMOBILE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE to Drive Profits JULY 2008 | VOLUME XXXVIV, N O. 6 FFiinnddiinngg BBaallaannccee...... SShhoorrttccuuttss ttoo SSuucccceessss THE BUSINESS VIEW is published monthly, except for the combined issue of December/January, by the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce 451 Government Street, Mobile, AL 36602 (251) 433-6951 CONTENTS www.mobilechamber.com ©2008 Publisher . Winthrop M. Hallett III ON THE COVER Executive Editor . Leigh Perry Herndon Managing Editor . Susan Rak Blanchard THE Copy Editor . Alison W. Gonzales Additional Writers and Editors BUSI NESS Ashley Collins, Klaus Jeschke, Michelle R. Matthews Printing Services ......... Interstate Printing/Direct Mail VIEWMOBILE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Graphic Design .................................... Wise Design Inc. Advertising Account Executive ............. René Eiland 431-8635 [email protected] 10 Develop a disaster business plan and increase the odds of surviving the aftermath of a hurricane ADVERTISERS 13 -28 The Mobile Area Chamber introduces Alabama Orthopaedic Clinic . 22 its 2008 board of advisors Alabama Power . 29 Alpha Move . 26 31 Guest columnist Klaus Jeschke 4-5 On the Cover: Meet five Mobile-area BancorpSouth . 33 shares how reducing minor business women who have found ways to balance their costs can drive significant bottom-line professional and personal lives. Businesses like Dream Century Bank . 7 profit increases Dinners provides a much-needed shortcut to success. Coast Safe and Lock . 38 Community Bank . 11 Photo by: Leigh Perry Herndon Cooper Restaurants . 9 Dauphin Realty . 26 Expense Reduction Analysts . 26 FEATURES MONTHLY FOCUS Inkworks . 34 Instant Sign Center . 29 Interstate Inc. 31 7 Eagle Awards and Minority Business 7 Small Business of the Month: Advocate Award entries due by July 11 Lagniappe . 34 Orion Engineering Lewis and Associates . 18 9 Partners for 30 Business Spotlight of the Month: Meyer Real Estate . 31 Growth – S.L. King & Associates New Horizons Credit Union . 29 Seizing the Online Payroll Services . 38 Opportunity 30 Diplomat of the Month: Kay Watson, Adecco Employment Services Page & Jones . 22 nears its goal of $10 million Pixallure . 30 32 FYI Premier Medical Management . 14 Providence Hospital . 12 9 32 CEO Profile: Bart McCrory, SouthernLinc . 8 Baldwin Transfer Co. Inc. 9 The Mobile Area Chamber’s total Springhill Medical Center Clinic . 5 33 Investor Focus: S&S Sprinkler Co. Inc. The Computer Professionals . 6 resource development campaign passes half-way mark Whitney Bank . 22 34 Building Small Business Wilson-Dismukes Inc. 14 9 34 Who’s In Town 35 Chamber@Work 35 Economic Indicators 36 Calendar The Mobile Area Chamber was awarded a five-star rating by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the highest designation Member News given. Accreditation recognizes those Chambers that have 37-38 defined, reached and maintained basic operational performance standards and have significantly contributed 39 Anniversaries to the good of their community, region, state and country. The Mobile Area Chamber has been accredited by the 39 New Members U.S. Chamber since the designation’s inception more than 40 years ago. MOBILE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | THE BUSINESS VIEW | 7.08 3 Ellen Maxime Michelle Catherine Vulevich Marian Faulk Gulley-Parson ...Getting it All Done A look at five businesswomen who successfully balance a career, family and volunteer activities ive women. Five husbands. my family’s schedule.” Browder uses her computer’s personal life and said she coordinates the week’s activities Thirteen children, plus one on Outlook calendar and a PDA to know the “who, what, with her husband and utilizes a home-based computer the way. And five careers. when and where of my husband, children and my sched - and the Web. “I often write my St. Paul’s newsletter from F ules.” She and her husband have children ranging in home after the kids are asleep.” And, she added, “The Web ages from kindergarten to college. is unbelievable.” In addition to on-line banking, postal Meet Michelle Gulley-Parson , administrator of the Browder is involved in close to a dozen organizations, services and shopping, Vulevich even shops for baby Mobile Area Education Foundation; Sylvia Browder , including the Mobile Area Chamber, her church, and necessities including diapers. project director of the Women’s Business Center; Ellen children’s schools and activities. In addition, she and two Vulevich is married and has two boys under the age of Maxime , vice president of property management with friends are creating a Christian-based organization to three. In addition to work and family, she is a member of Delaney Development; Catherine Vulevich , marketing offer spiritual and peer support to minority women Junior League of Mobile and the Public Relations Council director with St. Paul’s Episcopal School; and Marian business owners. of Alabama, and she stays involved with her church and Faulk, APR (accredited public relations), marketing When she moved to Mobile, she volunteered as a other various community activities. director for Spring Hill Medical Center. The Business View SCORE (Senior Corps of Retired Michelle Gulley-Parson is admin - recently gathered this group of career women at Dream Executives) counselor, although she istrator of the Mobile Area Education Dinners, introducing them to the new meal preparation doesn’t fit the stereotypical mold – she Foundation. She said her flexible work service and discussing how they do it all and stay sane. What separates is not retired and not a senior. Browder, those who are schedule, a weekly to-do list, and the Last year, there was a record number of women in the an Internet-based advisor, uses evenings ability to access her work computer U.S. workforce – 68 million, and 75 percent of them are at her computer to respond to five to 10 successful comes from home, allow her to accomplish working full-time, according to the U.S. Department of new cases a month, as well as to follow down to their her projects. She and her husband have Labor. In addition, the department’s women’s bureau up with existing clients. abilty to organize. a six-year-old son with cerebral palsy. estimates women will account for 49 percent of the Ellen Maxime also said she keeps a Her morning routine includes placing projected labor force growth between 2006 and 2016. “very thorough calendar both at work Olivia Nettles her son in a warm tub to help loosen Over the last several decades, there has been a huge and on my Blackberry,” and she hits licensed professional counselor, his muscles. She is also due with a transformation of women in the workplace; and, in addi - procrastination head-on. “When papers director, Bay Point Hospital second son in July. tion to their careers, they still balance families, household come in (especially for the kids), I take Gulley-Parson has been and contin - responsibilities and, in these cases, a variety of volunteer care of it right then so it does not get buried!” She and ues to be an advocate for helping her son reach his poten - activities. her husband have three children – seven, nine and 22 tial and includes him in most of her extra-curricular What separates those who are successful comes down years old. activities. “My grandfather always said, ‘If I don’t help, to their ability to organize, said Olivia Nettles , a licensed “You have to prioritize and realize what really matters who will?’ Even with my son’s disability, he understands professional counselor serving as director of Bay Point and what can wait,” she said, while admitting it’s a strug - what it means to help someone,” she said. Although she Hospital, which is part of AltaPointe Health Systems. gle to do so . has curtailed activities because of her pregnancy this year, That is one thing each of this select group of women Maxime is also president of the Alabama Apartment she is still involved with the Early Intervention Council of has down to a science. Association and is treasurer of the local association. She is Southwest Alabama and the service sorority Delta Sigma “As a mother of five,” said Sylvia Browder , “I learned involved with her church and serves as a Eucharist minister. Theta. years ago how important it was to manage my time and Catherine Vulevich takes her networking skills to her 4 7.08 | THE BUSINESS VIEW | MOBILE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Sylvia Browder A self-proclaimed life long learner, she is also enrolled In addition to managing six employees who support “Even if it is only an hour to take a walk or whatever it in Spring Hill College’s master’s program, pursuing a 90-plus departments, Faulk is involved in a variety of takes for you to rejuvenate.” degree in liberal arts. activities including fundraising events, the Public She points out to employers that women are able to Marian Faulk shows that humor goes a long way Relations Council of Alabama and judging writing com - multi-task – effectively. And they bring the organizational when it comes to balancing and lists “terrorizing the dog” petitions. skills to the workplace they use to keep their family going. as one of the activities of her youngest son. Faulk and her Browder has her own work/life-balance presentation “Most women (juggling career, community and family) husband have two boys, ages six and two. that she delivers and said the biggest mistake women are responsible and dependable and are able to model She delegates to “everyone in the family, even the little make is to have too much going on. Then she laughed at those qualities to others.” ones.” Out of necessity, Faulk has become an expert at her own schedule, saying, “I am constantly juggling.” writing and leaving concise messages, noting “sometimes Nettles emphasized that one of the most important the information is all someone needs in order to proceed things a women can do is take some time for herself.