SBJ 08-2011

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AUGUST 2011

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Land of Oz? Social media needn't be a scary fantasy

Transcript of SBJ 08-2011

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AUGUST 2011

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InsideA U G U S T | 2 0 1 1

The Southern Business Journal is a publication of The

Southern Illinoisan. Contact us via mail at 710 N. Illinois

Ave., Carbondale, IL 62901, or at P. O. Box 2108,

Carbondale, IL 62903. Also reach us on the Web at

www.sbj.biz and via email at [email protected]. The

Journal is published 12 times per year monthly, and

mailed to businesses, community development leaders,

chambers of commerce members and other

professionals in Southern Illinois. Copyright 2011 by

The Southern Illinoisan, all rights reserved. A subscription

may be obtained by calling 618-529-5454 or

618-997-3356, or by visiting our website.

Contact usPublisher: Bob Williams n 618-351-5038

Editor: Gary Metro n 618-351-5033

Advertising: Jason Woodside n 618-351-5015

Circulation: Trisha Woodside n 618-351-5035

Database Coordinator: Mark Doman n 618-351-5042

measure, home sales either remainedflat or declined from the prior year innine of 16 reporting counties rates,with declines of 35.5 percent and 16.2 percent in heavily populatedWilliamson and Jackson counties,respectively. Get the latest on newvehicle sales, gas prices, hotel staysand other indicators.

Pages 12-13

ELDER LAW First, forget the myths: Estate planning is a very complicated area of the law, one that, unfortunately,is made more complex by a wealth of myths. Columnist Richard Habigerdebunks some of the prevailing myths, beginning with the misperception that a person with a good will won’t have an estate requiring probate court.

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ACHIEVEMENTS Learn the latest: Find out who hasbeen hired, who has been promoted or who has received an award for theirefforts in business. Make sure youcheck out our newest ‘Faces in theNews’ collection of business portraitsand learn more of achievements inregional businesses. If you know of a business or business person whodeserves special recognition foradvanced training, a unique honor ora business expansion, please let usknow at [email protected].

Pages 18-20

InsideArchitechniques, Ltd. ........................ 22

Carbondale Civic Center ...................... 7

Country Financial, Dennis Woodside .... 7

Custom Cleaners .............................. 15

Datalock .......................................... 20

FB McAfoos & Company ...................... 5

Feirich, Mager, Green & Ryan.............. 22

Ferrellgas .......................................... 22

Hyannis Air Service, Inc. .................... 20

Jim’s Mobile Offices and Homes ........ 15

John A. Logan College ........................ 17

Modern Copier, Inc. .......................... 22

Oliver and Associates, Inc. ................ 15

Pepsi MidAmerica .......................... 5, 22

Shawnee College .............................. 15

SIU Credit Union .................................. 8

Southern Illinois Healthcare................ 24

Southern Illinois University ................ 10

Directory of Advertisers

MONEY MATTERS How to lose money: Certificates ofdeposit are popular investmentchoices because of their security and predictable rates of return. But columnist Scott McClatchey took acloser look at CDs for this issue ofSBJ and came to the conclusion thatinvestors who rely solely on CDs arelosing money. That’s because today’syields aren’t keeping pace with inflation.

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS Speaking in gender terms: ColumnistJane Sanders examines the differentstyles used by men and women in theworld of business. Communicationcan be especially risky for women inbusiness. Women who choose tospeak as directly as their male coun-terparts risk being perceived as diffi-cult and demanding, while those whoprefer styles seeking collaborationand consensus can be viewed as toonice and not as competent.

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INDICATORS Another mixed bag: Unemploymentwas trending down in recent months,but the latest numbers for SouthernIllinois include a spike in joblessclaims in seven of 18 counties. Overall unemployment remained flatfor the region during May but rose 0.4 percent in Illinois and 1 percentnationwide. In another discouraging

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AUGUST 2011 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 3

Cover Story

For business, social media canbe an avenue to increasedpromotion and interaction withcustomers. For many companies,it also can be a complex andconfusing venture intounchartered Internet waters.

To make social media a littleless intimidating, SouthernBusiness Journal asked a panel oflocal experts, some who haveused social media to theiradvantage and others who studyand utilize the networks andplatforms every day, to share theirknowledge of social media withour readers.

SBJ: To start, what are wetalking about when we say ‘socialmedia,’ especially when it relatesto business?

Nasco: I like to define socialmedia — not only by what it is,but by what it is not. Social mediais not marketing. Social media is aset of tools used to accomplishmarketing goals. A companycannot solely rely on social mediawithout having a solid product orservice to sell, and a solidunderstanding of their targetmarket is actually using thesesocial media tools. Once yourecognize that difference, thenthe primary responsibility is tofind those social mediaapplications that their targetmarket is using most.

Henry: She’s absolutely right. Abusiness cannot survive on socialmedia alone. There arecompanies that choose not to doa website because they are alreadyon Facebook, but you’re only asgood as your latest post. Socialmedia is just one of the tools ofmarketing, not the solecomponent of marketing.

Nasco: Social media should becomplimentary to your othermarketing. For example, youcan’t have a Facebook page with avoice that says you’re a low-cost

option, and then a price pointwhere you charge higher thanyour competitors. There has to bea consistency.

SBJ: When we say social media,what are the platforms orwebsites that we are talkingabout?

Calvert: There are a bunch. Themain one is Facebook. There’salso Twitter. Google Plus is brandnew, and they have not launchedanything for business yet. There’salso LinkedIn and Foursquare.Scavenger is another, whichbasically is more for scavengerhunts, but it’s great forbusinesses, as well.

Rose: Let’s not forget YouTubeor blogging.

SBJ: Let’s look at each of theseindividually. (See sidebar article.)

Calvert: In Facebook right now,businesses can create their ownpage to promote themselves. It is

great for communicating withcustomers and for getting theword out.

Nasco: One of the key thingsabout FB and social media, ingeneral, is that traditionalmarketing tends to be ‘push’strategy, where the company hassomething to say, and they’regoing to say it through brochures,advertisements or a website. Asthe Internet has matured, we’rereally seeing the power of theconsumer to where, now, thesesocial media tools allowcompanies to have more of a‘pull’ strategy, which is wherethey communicate withcustomers and they can pullinformation from thosecustomers. A popular term now iscrowd sourcing, and it is veryrelevant here because what itmeans is that you’re relying onyour crowd — your peers, your

customers, your suppliers,your employees. You’repulling information fromthem that can help yousatisfy them. WithFacebook, companiescannot just pushinformation with posts, butthey can also pullinformation with thingslike polls or actually askingquestions of theircustomers. BecauseFacebook seems verypersonal, emotion comesinto it, too.

Henry: Facebook is a lotlike word-of-mouth. And,

BY LES O’DELLSBJ CORRESPONDENT

SEE COVER / PAGE 4

ART SERVICESSocial media can be an avenue to increased promotion and interaction with business customers.

Facebook and Twitter and blogs -- - oh my!

Find morebusiness newsat www.sbj.biz.

Our panel membersJeff Rose

An independent certifiedfinancial planner, Rose is ownerof Alliance Wealth Managementin Carbondale. More than 4,000people read his blog,www.goodfinancialcents.com, ona daily basis. He participates inmost social media sites, includingTwitter, where he is @jjeffrose.Suzanne Nasco

Nasco is associate professor ofmarketing at Southern IllinoisUniversity Carbondale. She alsodirects the university’s MBAprogram. She is a frequentconsultant to businessesworldwide on social media, inaddition to teaching andresearching social media trends.On Twitter, she is @snasco.Terrance Henry

Henry is co-owner of SI SmallBusiness Solutions, a Marion-based website design,information technology andconsulting company. Thecompany is online atwww.sismallbiz.com.Tamarah Cook

Cook is social media managerfor SIUC, serving as the “voice”of SIUC on Facebook and forfollowers on Twitter, where she isthe person behind the @SIUChandle.Austin Goins-McCree

The marketing director forWalker’s Bluff, north ofCarbondale, Goins-McCreehandles advertising andpromotion for the vineyard andentertainment center, andparticipates on Twitter [email protected] Calvert

Calvert is a graduate student atSIUC with years of experience inthe dot-com and social mediaworld. She is one of theorganizers of the new SouthernIllinois Social Media Club. Shehandles social media for theStudent Recreation Center and is@stacyjill on Twitter.

— Les O’Dell

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Cover Storyof course, everyone says word-of-mouth is one of the best forms ofadvertising.

Nasco: Twitter is often calledmicroblogging. If you look at all ofthe social media tools, Twittercame out of the blogging world. Ithink that’s something that a lotof people forget; they don’tconsider blogging to be socialmedia, but blogs are thegrandparent of all social media.That’s where you first startedseeing customers having a voice,and then other people —strangers, really — read and buildon that.

Rose: I think as far as a strategy,I look at blogging as makinginformation available. With myclient base, I found I was getting alot of the same questions over andover again. I thought, rather thanbeing like a broken record, whydon’t I write a blog postaddressing that question? Thatgave me a resource for not onlythat one client, but for anyone outthere in the world that might havethat same question. I’ve been ableto use Twitter and Facebook to getthat message out more, and nowusing YouTube and video sharingto put a face and a voice behind it.It gives a multifaceted approach.

Nasco: And, of course, he usesthose other platforms, such asTwitter and Facebook to drivetraffic back to the blog. I thinkthat’s what’s genius about it. Youcan use it to refer people back toyour site.

Rose: I’ve gotten new clientsthrough Facebook, all because ofthe blog. It all works together. I dohave all of my blog postsautomatically posted to Facebookand Twitter, so it is sort of a push,but it’s a push of free information.It’s not a push of, “Hey, comeinvest with me.” It’s more, “Here’ssome information. If it’s useful foryou, great. Even better, if it’suseful to someone else, pass italong.”

SBJ: Is it hard to find the rightvoice for each particular form ofsocial media?

Cook: I think it is difficult. If youown a small business, odds areyou know your target market. Ifyou own a dog kennel, you knowthat they’re all pet lovers. In ourcase at SIUC, we have everythingfrom alumni to students toprospective students and staff tojust friends of the university. Ithink it’s very difficult to reach allof them through one platform,and then you have to takedifferent approaches. Facebook issomething where you can’toverpost; whereas, with Twitter,you can post all of the time, andno one’s going to have an issuewith that.

Goins-McCree: At Walker’s Bluff,we look at Twitter as our instantupdate to our customers. If wehave something that is really biggoing on, or something that wereally need to tell our customersimmediately, we do that onTwitter because you can post overand over again there, and it’s notseen as an annoyance, where onFacebook, we’re not going to post20 status updates every day.

SBJ: Are there other waysbusinesses can use social media?

Nasco: On Facebook, as aperson, if I follow or am Facebookfriends with Stacy, she’sautomatically following me; onTwitter, it’s asynchronous — I canfollow you, but you don’tnecessarily have to follow me. Youshould use that ability verystrategically. I use Twitter,primarily so that there is someoneelse who is filtering thatmarketing information for me. Ican go onto Twitter several timesa day and see what other peoplehave filtered for me. If it’srelevant, I can read it and forwardit without having to go to 50different sites in order to get thatsame information.

Rose: What I love about socialmedia, especially Twitter, is thatI’m following people who sharelinks to articles that are of interestto me. That way, I didn’t have togo to the original source to find it.Instead, on Twitter, a person whoI trust has shared a link with me,so I’m going to read it.

Calvert: It’s also great for findingyour competition around thecountry and seeing what they aredoing. That wasn’t availablebefore social media. You can seewhat they are doing on a dailybasis and see if it might work foryou. You can really use the mediafor your advantage.

Cook: One of my favorite thingsyou can do through social media,especially Twitter, is that you canmonitor your brand. You can seewhat people are saying about yourbrand because they are out theretalking about you. You can learnwhat they’re saying, and then youcan interact with them, askingwhat you can do to improve, orthanking them for compliments.

SBJ: What do companies needto avoid when it comes to socialmedia?

Nasco: I would say that thebiggest mistake small businessesmake in social media isoutsourcing their voice orassigning it to an intern, forexample. I think that smallbusinesses need to commit to onetool at a time until you get to thepoint where either it is returningenough to you to actually hire asocial media manager, or yourecognize the intensity of thecommitment. Once you start, youshould not stop, or else all of thosecustomers that come to you fromthose social media connectionsand that emotional connection aregoing to feel abandoned. I wouldsay one tool at a time, picking thetool that your target market is onthe most.

Goins-McCree: You really have totrust someone to be the voice ofyour company on your socialmedia sites. It’s a bigresponsibility, and you have tomake sure that the person youentrust to it is speaking yourbrand’s language.

Henry: I’d use Facebook first. It’sthe easiest, and it’s the mostwidely known.

Calvert: Yes, social media is free,but you have to consider bringingsomeone on to handle this foryour business or plan on doing alot of it yourself.

SBJ: So, is social mediasomething that you have to dowell or don’t do at all?

Cook: Yes. I think of it as agreeter just inside your businessesdoor. You wouldn’t want them tosometimes be, “Hi! How areyou?” and then the next day sitthere thinking, “I’m not going totalk to you because I’m busytoday.” If you don’t do socialmedia well, you’re really notmaking the customer a priority.

Nasco: You have to find the toolthat best fits your business andyour audience. If you’re a serviceprovider, Facebook may notnecessarily be the tool for you.Knowing what the tools are isimportant. For example, if you’rea service provider targetingwealthy individuals, LinkedIn hasthe highest average income of allof the tools.

SBJ: Facebook and Twitter seemto be the big two of social media.Do they have the same audience?

Goins-McCree: I don’t think so.It seems that our Twitterfollowers tend to be younger. OurFB followers are generally ourolder audience. We now havemore than 4,000 followers onFacebook. I didn’t realize howmuch people relied on Facebookto get info from businesses. Ithought they’d go on the websiteor call, but we see people askingquestions on Facebook on Fridaynight. I didn’t understand it, but itis such an instantaneous way tocommunicate. We get all kinds of

FROM PAGE 3

SEE COVER / PAGE 6

‘Social media is not a fad. It’s here to stay.When you start, don’t think you have to be perfect at it. Just pickone platform, and you’lllearn as you go.’

JEFF ROSEOWNER OF ALLIANCE WEALTH MANAGEMENT

A social media primerThere are literally

dozens of social mediaplatforms available toInternet users andbusinesses. Four of themost common tools areoutlined below:

FacebookAs the largest of the

social media websites,Facebook has more than750 million usersworldwide. Users cancreate a personal profile,connect with other usersas “friends” and updatefriends on their activitiesthrough posts called statusupdates. Users can alsopost photographs, videosand other materials, aswell as join interestgroups, “chat” withfriends and sendmessages.

TwitterTwitter limits users’

posts to 140 characters,making it a microbloggingsite. These posts are calledTweets. Twitter allowsusers to “follow” the postsof other users withoutrequiring that posters“follow” them in return.

BloggingShort for “Web Log”

blogging, blogs are oftenwritten and maintained byindividuals on a regularbasis, where they shareevents, thoughts and othermaterial. Many blogs areinteractive, providingreaders an opportunity tocomment on the posts.

LinkedInLinkedIn is a type of

social media forprofessionals, where theycan maintain business andindustry contacts, as wellas learn of their contacts’connections.

— Les O’Dell

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AUGUST 2011SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL6

questions on Facebook. That’s what makes it such agreat tool for us.

Calvert: Not only is it marketing, but it’s alsocustomer service because you’re going to havecomments and questions that you need to answer.

Cook: There is an opportunity there for customersto make some noise, either good or bad.

Rose: I don’t get a lot of that. Usually people willgo to the blog and use a ‘contact me’ form or justemail me questions. With financial questions, Iguess they don’t want that on a public forum. Forme, the blog is the central hub. That’s home base. Iuse everything else — Twitter, Facebook, YouTube —just to throw my net out, to see if I can reach peoplein different ways and bring them back to the blog.

SBJ: What’s the one piece of advice you’d give areabusinesses about social media?

Goins-McCree: Choose wisely who is going to beyour social media voice. Also, keep it current andkeep it updated.

Rose: Social media is not a fad. It’s here to stay.When you start, don’t think you have to be perfect atit. Just pick one platform, and you’ll learn as you go.

LES O’DELL of Carbondale is a regular contributor toSouthern Business Journal and The Southern Illinoisan.

Employment Law

Illinois isconsidered to bean “at-will”employmentstate, whichmeans that anemployee canquit or be firedfor any reason,or no reason. Asalways, there are

exceptions to this general rule. One ofthe most common exceptions ariseswhen an employee suffers a work-related injury that may result in aclaim for compensation under theIllinois Workers’ Compensation Act.When that happens, it becomes moredifficult to discharge the employee“for any reason, or no reason.”

More than 30 years ago, the IllinoisSupreme Court recognized thatemployees wouldn’t try to getcompensation for their work-relatedinjuries if they were fired for doing so.At that time, employers could fire anemployee for filing a workers’compensation claim, and theemployee could do nothing about it.As the court reasoned, employeesshouldn’t be forced to choose betweenkeeping their jobs and beingcompensated for injuries suffered onthe job.

So, the court found that formeremployees could sue for “retaliatorydischarge” and recover money if theycould show they were fired because ofthe injury. In the 30 years since thatdecision, Illinois courts have set outsome guiding principles on whatconstitutes a valid claim for retaliatorydischarge. Let’s hit some of the highpoints.

First, the person claiming retaliatory

discharge must actually be anemployee of the company. While thissounds simple enough, it can besomewhat complicated when workersare classified as independentcontractors and are not covered underthe employer’s workers’ compensationinsurance. Just because you callsomeone an independent contractordoes not mean he or she will not beconsidered an employee if that personsuffers a work-related injury.

Further, temps from a staffingagency can be deemed to beemployees of the client for purposes ofretaliatory discharge. Employees of astaffing agency released back to theagency after having a workers’compensation claim may be able tosue the client for retaliatory discharge,even if the staffing agency is the oneproviding the workers’ compensationcoverage.

Second, a former employee may nothave to actually file a workers’compensation claim in order to beprotected from retaliatory discharge. Ifan employer fires an employee whohas a work-related injury before theemployee files a claim, the firing maystill be considered a retaliatorydischarge if the employer knew of theinjury before the discharge.

Third, even employees who do nothave a work-related injury may beprotected from retaliatory discharge.For example, if employee A has awork-related injury and the companyfires employee B, who witnessed theinjury and is scheduled to testify onbehalf of employee B, employee B cansue for retaliatory discharge, eventhough he or she was never injured.

Fourth, an employee actually has tobe fired in order to claim retaliatorydischarge. The Illinois Supreme Courthas never expanded the retaliation toany other type of discipline or action

short of firing, such as demotion ortransfer or salary reduction.

Fifth, it is very risky to fire anemployee with work-related injurysimply because you believe theemployee is not telling the truth aboutthe injury or its severity. Unless a legaldetermination has been made that theemployee has committed fraud inclaiming an injury, a firing will likelybring on a retaliatory discharge claim.

Finally, excessive absenteeism maybe a valid reason for firing anemployee, even if the absences arecaused by the workers’ compensationinjury. For example, if a business has apolicy in place that employees whomiss six consecutive months of workare discharged, that policy can beapplied to employees who are absentdue to a work-related injury. Thispolicy must be applied to allemployees, regardless of the reason forthe absences.

An employee injured on the job isentitled to protection from retaliatorydischarge. However, if the employee isnot performing for reasons unrelatedto the injury, the employer is notprohibited from disciplining theemployee. If a firing is contemplated,it may be time to consult with anattorney who handles employmentlaw matters.

EDWARD RENSHAW is a partner with theCarbondale law firm of Feirich/Mager/Green/Ryan. F/M/G/R is a generalpractice law firm offering a full range oflegal services, including labor andemployment law, real estate, workers’compensation and estate planning. Thefirm’s telephone number is 618-529-3000 and its website is www.fmgr.com.

Renshaw

BY ED RENSHAWSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

S.I. Social Media Club developingBusiness leaders who already utilize social

media and those with an interest in new mediahave an opportunity to learn from one anotherthrough a new regional organization.

The Southern Illinois Social Media Club is alocal chapter of a national organization ofprofessionals who work to promote medialiteracy and to develop industry standards. Thelocal group is in the developmental stage, withplans for numerous events and workshopsthroughout the year.

“The Social Media Club is important toeducate the business community about theadvantages of social media and how it can helptheir businesses and personal networking,”Darryl Jones, owner of Splattered Ink inMurphysboro and one of the group’s organizers,says.

The club’s first event, which is being called a“meetup,” will be at 6 p.m. Aug. 11 at TresHombres in Carbondale.

“This will be a great opportunity to engagewith other business leaders who use social mediain Southern Illinois,” Jones says.

More information about the group is availableonline at http://socialmediaclub.org/chapter/southern-illinois/ or by following theorganization on Twitter @SMCSouthernIL.

— Les O’Dell

COVER: Facebook, TwitterFROM PAGE 4

Find more business newsat www.sbj.biz.

A brief primer on retaliatory discharge claims under the Illinois

Workers’ Compensation Act

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AUGUST 2011 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 7

Money MattersThe current CD quandary: Today’s yields can’t beat inflation

Certificate ofdeposit investors areeffectively losingmoney. According toMarket RatesInsight, a researchfirm tracking bankrates, annualizedinflation hassurpassed long-termCD rates since

February. In April, 12-month inflation hit3.16 percent, while the highest yieldingyear-year callable CD on the marketoffered a 2.4 percent interest rate. May’sConsumer Price Index put annualizedinflation at 3.6 percent; as of mid-June,the highest yielding nationally availablefive-year CD was at 3.05 percent annual

percentage yield.Still, the Federal Reserve found that

almost $9 trillion of American wealth washeld in CDs, bank accounts and variousFDIC-insured products as of April.

It’s a case of déjà vu. This is the secondtime in recent history that CD investorshave been punished for assuming so littlerisk. During the period from January toJuly 2008, the negative yield on five-yearCDs was 1.8 percent, according to MRI.

They might come out ahead, shouldinflation diminish. As Bankrate.comsenior financial analyst Greg McBridereminded Bloomberg, “Investing in a CDisn’t compensating you for last year’sinflation; it’s compensating you for nextyear’s inflation, which is unknown.” Willinflation ease in the long term? Manyanalysts aren’t betting on it.

The appeal of CDs remains strong. Afterall, not many investments are federally

insured. MRI Vice President Dan Gellersaid it best to Bloomberg: “Right now,people are more concerned about thereturn of their deposits rather than areturn on their deposits.”

With 63 percent of Americans stillbelieving the nation is in a recession(according to a recent Rasmussen Reportspoll), there is still plenty of skittishnessabout equity investment. Even with theFed’s bond-buying campaign sendingyields on short-term Treasuries and CDstoward all-time lows, some investorsreally aren’t hungry for risk.

Are CDs still worth it? There is no patanswer. Your own answer will depend onyour preferred investment style, your risktolerance and your financial objectives.Many people choose to park some of theirinvested assets in CDs and other savingsinstruments as part of a diversificationapproach. The inflation-adjusted return is

dismal at the moment, but knowing thatyour principal is safe certainly has itsappeal. Note that surrender charges apply,should you attempt to liquidate your CD.Any guarantees regarding safety ofprincipal are based on the claims payingability of the issuing financial institution.Traditional CDs are FDIC insured andoffer a fixed rate of return if held tomaturity.

SCOTT MCCLATCHEY is a certified financialplanner with Alliance Investment PlanningGroup, a Carbondale investment firm locatedat 115 S. Washington St. He can be reached at618-519-9344 or [email protected]. He also provides investment,retirement planning and insurance services toSIU Credit Union members through the SIUCredit Union Investment Servicespartnership. Securities offered through LPLFinancial, Member FINRA/SIPC.

McClatchey

BY SCOTT MCCLATCHEYSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

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AUGUST 2011 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 9

InvestmentsFamily Limited Partnership:

It has its place, but not always

Many people have heard of what isknown as the Family Limited Partnership. The amazing thing, the terms Family Limited Partnership and FLP do not appear in the Internal Revenue Code or any of the accompanyingregulations. Quite simply, FLP is a limited partnership or a Limited Liability Company that is utilized largely in estate planning, offering somebenefits to the users, with somesubstantial downsides.

Nuts and BoltsThe FLP allows the general partner to

fund the device, transfer value to heirs,keep general control over the assets andutilize various other strategies to reducegift and estate taxes. In practice, the FLPis similar to a trust in so far as assets aretransferred for the current and futurebenefit of another, while allowing thegrantor/general partner to keep controlover the assets. The FLP differs from atrust in that it provides for additional taxand nontax advantages, while offeringpotential unlimited life, and can keepoperating after the grantor’s/generalpartner’s death. While the trust still has awell established place in estate planning,the FLP’s niche in estate planning is alittle less established, but not devoid ofadvantages.

The limited partnership (the LP portion of FLP) is a legitimate businessentity set up under state statute.Legally, the general partner is potentiallyliable for all of the debts and claimsagainst the entity to the extent of thebusiness assets in the LP and personallyheld assets. The limited partners, on theother hand, are not subject to personalliability and are only liable for debts andclaims to the extent of their investment inthe FLP. The general partner’s liabilitycan be largely absolved by having thegeneral partner shares owned through anS corporation or a Limited LiabilityCompany.

BenefitsWhile the tax benefits of the FLP are

substantial, the nontax benefits cannot beoverlooked. Not only are the nontaxbenefits important for the family business,making an effort to achieve the nontaxbenefits is important to gain the taxbenefit advantages, as well.

Consolidation of management is abenefit of the FLP structure. Instead ofsetting up separate trusts, separate bankaccounts and separate brokerage accounts,the FLP can use one central account. Theconsolidation also has the effect ofreducing investment expenses and unifiesthe investment, as well. Unifying theinvestment, in the manner of an FLP, alsoprovides longevity to the investment,insofar as the FLP can be operated postdeath by a family member to providegreatest return.

The FLP also provides the benefit ofcreditor protection. Assets involved inbusinesses, especially a closely heldbusiness owned by a minority non-votingshareholder, are often not attractive tocreditors or potential ex-spouses.

A professional business appraiser isrequired to be retained when valuing anFLP. An FLP, as most businesses, is not asimple asset to value. Houses, cars,antiques, items for donation must bevalued by a qualified appraiser. Closelyheld businesses, including FLPs, are oftenso intangible in nature, and often sodifferent from one another, that a simplevaluation by a nonprofessional is notsufficient. Because of the complexity,differences and unique nature of eachbusiness, an appraisal by a professionalappraiser is needed. The appraiser willappraise the business, using a variety ofmethods — methods that may beadvantageous to your estate tax position.

One benefit of the FLP is the ability touse marketability and minorityshareholder discounts upon valuation. Itfollows such that along with an appraisal,the professional appraiser can assigndiscounts for lack of marketability andlack of control. For an FLP, combineddiscounts for lack of control and

marketability can total from 20 to 40percent.

DisadvantagesAlong with the advantages, there is a

substantial downside. That downside is asubstantial list of ways to derail the intentof the FLP and the advantages it sets forth.lMany promoters of the FLP actively

encourage people to insert nearly all oftheir personal property into the FLP.Property included in the transfer typicallyincludes their house, business interest,recreational property and any and allpossessions. Including all personalproperty in the FLP, to the point where itis impossible to be financially viable, isoften fatal to the instrument. This is theworst possible thing that could be done.The IRS sees right through it, brings it tocourt and, often times, wins easily.lFailure to follow formalities is another

fatal event to the FLP. Corporatestructures, such as corporations, LLCsand S corporations, all have requirementson their formalities. Such formalitiesinclude a charter of some sort, minutes,elections, etc. Failing to have or follow thecharter and rules is a sure way to give thestructure less credibility within a court orother state proceeding. It is nearlyuniversal that those holding a corporationor FLP will not exactly follow theprocedure necessary to uphold the use ofthe corporate entity or its like. It is withthis that many FLPs fail and leave theowner with a large tax bill.l Forming the entity, but placing

nothing in it, is another folly that iscommon. Many individuals go to greatlengths and expenses to form an FLP. A lotof times, they form very proper, wellutilized entities, in fact. The downfall is,sometimes, that they do not placesufficient assets in the FLP. This is alsocommon with trusts that are written up byattorneys. Once the instrument is created,you must put assets in it; otherwise, theinstrument is of no use, and the assetsoutside the entity do not benefit.lFailing to maintain the FLP can also

mean the downfall of the entity. Each state

has a mandatory fee for every entityregistered within its borders. This includescorporations, partnerships and all otherentities. The FLP is no different in that theFLP must pay a fee. If this fee is not paid,eventually the entity is administrativelyand involuntarily dissolved. The result —no FLP benefits.l Jurisdictional issues can also present

problems. In any legal or tax strategy, itpays to know the jurisdiction. From a legalperspective, bankruptcy laws differ, as insome states offer only a charging order tocreditors trying to collect from limitedpartnerships. A charging order allowscreditors to accept distributive paymentinstead of collecting the principal andassets of the company. It is a less preferredmethod of collection to the creditor. Ifstates do not allow charging orders, this isless favorable for an FLP. Discounts arealso imperative.

ConclusionEstate and business succession should

not be done in a one-size-fits-all concept.While the Family Limited Partnership hasits place for certain individuals, mostpeople would benefit from other oradditional estate planning. The fact is thatonly 25 percent of those doing estateplanning should have an FLP. Trusts,business planning and a whole host ofother instruments are available to properlyplan the actions and courses to be takenwhen the time comes. The time to engagein business succession planning is today.Don’t let your business become anotherstatistic. Call The Center at 618-997-3436for details and assistance with yourbusiness succession plan.

BART A. BASI is an expert on closely held enterprises. He is an attorney, a certifiedpublic accountant and the president of TheCenter for Financial, Legal & Tax Planning,Inc. He is a member of the American BarAssociation’s Tax Committees on CloselyHeld Businesses and Business Planning.MARCUS S. RENWICK is an attorney and thedirector of research and publications with the firm.

BY BART A. BASI AND MARCUS S. RENWICK

SBJ CONTRIBUTORS

Page 10: SBJ 08-2011

The Illinois Small Business Development Center/International Trade Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. SmallBusiness Administratino and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and hosted by Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Dunn-Richmond EconomicDevelopment Center150 E. Pleasant Hill Rd., Suite 110Carbondale, IL 62903

[email protected]

618-536-2424

Illinois Small Business Development Center/International Trade CenterSouthern Illinois University Carbondale

Entrepreneurship & Business Development

Free business consulting services now available in Marion!Creating, Developing, and Growing Southern Illinois -

One Business at a time.The Illinois Small Business Development Center at Southern Illinois University Carbondale provides technical

assistance to both prospective and existing business owners in order to help them launch and/or expand a successful and a sustaining business. Confi dential consulting services are offered free of charge to our clients.

FREE WORKSHOPS AUGUST 31

NOVEMBER 4

Starting a Business in Illinois: This two-hour informational seminar covers the basic requirements of starting your own business including: legal structure, start-up requirements, fi nding fi nancing and business planning basics. An optional business startup toolkit is available for $15 in both printed and electronic formats.

Finding Financing: This informational seminar details how to obtain funding for your small business as well as provides in-depth information on all the possible fi nancing options that are currently available in our region.

Intro to Government Contracting: This brief workshop will highlight the basic requirements for state and federal contracting as well as discuss local requirements and also detail certifi cations that business owners may apply for based on their location, ethnicity, and gender.

Starting a Business in IllinoisWednesday, 9 – 11 a.m.Marion, Man-Tra-Con3000 W. DeYoung St., Illinois Star Centre Mall

Intro to Govt. ContractingFriday, 12 – 1 p.m.Marion, Man-Tra-Con3000 W. DeYoung St.,Illinois Star Centre Mall

Starting a Business in IllinoisFriday, 1 – 3 p.m.Marion, Man-Tra-Con3000 W. DeYoung St.,Illinois Star Centre Mall

Finding FinancingFriday, 3 – 5 p.m.Marion, Man-Tra-Con3000 W. DeYoung St.,Illinois Star Centre Mall

Page 11: SBJ 08-2011

AUGUST 2011 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 11

Women in BusinessInfluencing up: Gender communication

for results and advancement

Yes, things in thebusiness world aregetting better forwomen. And, yes,we still have a waysto go. Women inleadership andexecutive positionsstare down adouble-edged sworddaily. If their style is

primarily assertive, decisive, task vs.relationship oriented, etc., they are labeledas too tough and masculine — the “B”word. So, does this mean to not act like aman? Or, if a woman’s style ispredominantly collaborative, supportiveand friendly, she is perceived as nice, butless competent. So, does this mean to notact like a woman if she wants to advance?But, what’s left? How is she supposed toact? Arrgghhh!!

StereotypesWomen must walk a fine line in the

business world, especially in longer-established industries such as financialservices, insurance, automotive andmanufacturing. Using solely one gendercommunication style or the other canoften backfire, much more so than itwould for a man, as this inflexiblebehavior will illicit stereotyping andmisperceptions of women’s competenceand personality. Such behavior by men cancause judgment, too, but less often andless severe, with milder consequences.

Eliminating these gender stereotypes isa valid, but lofty, and, for the foreseeablefuture, completely unattainable goal. So,instead of focusing on eliminatingstereotyping, the world would be betterserved by becoming aware of genderstyles, accepting them merely asdifferences rather than right or wrongbehaviors, and learning how to work withthem more effectively. In a way, this is aform of eliminating typecasting, but it

approaches the issue by managingstereotypes, not expecting them todisappear.

The solutionWomen will get the best results by

recognizing that they are being judgedmore strictly, and by interacting andworking with a blend of masculine andfeminine styles. Men will get the bestresults by also working with a balance ofstyles, and by recognizing gender styledifferences as just that — merelydifferences — not right, wrong, bad orgood. A different style does not translateto less competence, intelligence orleadership ability.

Individuals do not need to change whothey are naturally, as all people are alreadya combination of both approaches(although many people, especially inbusiness, get off track from their authenticblend). It’s a matter of flexibility,awareness and having the skills to applyeach style in appropriate situations.

Bottom lineWomen (and men) use a blend of

feminine and masculine styles. Betrustworthy, honest, approachable, open,collaborative and supportive, while alsotaking risks, being assertive whennecessary with courtesy, delegating,making the tough decisions andpromoting oneself appropriately.

The following are communication andbehavioral tips for women (or men with afeminine style) that will help improveproductivity, working relationships andchances for advancement.

Be succinct, to the point, but notabrupt. Hold details for back-up purposes.No one has time to pour over detailsunless paramount, especially the people inpower positions who are judging yourinteractions with them.

Avoid tag questions, apologies,disclaimers, “This is a good report, don’tyou think?” Better would be, “Goodreport.” Hear the difference in power?

“Well, this is just my opinion, but …”

Better would be, “I think we should …”Take credit for your accomplishments.

Or someone else might.Give brief updates on your projects,

whether asked for or not. You are notbragging. If you don’t communicate yoursuccesses to the powers-that-be, no oneelse will do it for you, and your skills maybe underestimated. Key word — brief!

Reduce personal disclosure andproblems. Men don’t bond and process thesame way women do. This behavior makesthem uncomfortable, and they often viewit in the workplace as weak and unstable.

Handle conflict directly, politely, withempathy. Be clear, to the point, but notrude or abrupt. If you are nervous aboutan upcoming confrontation, outline yourthoughts to clarify and focus them. Takethe bull by the horns, but keep him feelingsafe and respected at the same time.

Make most decisions independently.Reduce the number of times you askothers for their opinion for consensus’sake. Men see this as indecision and lackof confidence. Just step up to the plate andget things done.

Avoid strong displays of emotions. Mensee this as weakness — too emotional andnot managerial.

Avoid saying “I’m sorry” unless you are

literally at fault. It communicates that youwere wrong when it may simply be atransition or conversation smoother. Menview apologies as weakness.

When interrupted, be direct andcourteous, not sharp, but take back thefloor. “Hang on a second please, thanks.”Put your hand up to signal “stop” if youhave to.

Remember, you don’t have to likesomeone to get the job done. To besuccessful and promotable, it’s moreimportant for staff to respect and trustyou first. They want to know you are theleader. Like can come later and will if therespect and trust remain consistent. Likecan come first; but, without the respectand trust, they may still run over you andchallenge you at every turn.

Communicate your vision for thecompany/department to men/people-in-charge, and your ideas for achieving thisvision. If you don’t have a vision, get one.

Be flexible and keep a positive attitudeabout differences. Different is not right,wrong, bad or good — just different.

My work, which consists of 18 years ofinterviews, consulting and speaking forthe business world, strongly indicates thatthe best leaders, regardless of gender,employ a blend of gender communicationstyles. The best companies recognize,encourage and reward collaborativeleaders who nurture and develop theiremployees, building loyalty, while makingthe tough decisions, managing their timeand getting the job done.

JANE SANDERS is president of GenderSmartSolutions. She is an expert in gender issuesand communication and helps companiesrecruit, retain and sell to women. She is aconsultant, coach and speaker in the areas ofgender communication, recruiting andretention of women, selling to women,strategic life planning, authentic leadershipconfidence and presentation skills. Jane isauthor of “GenderSmart: Solving TheCommunication Puzzle Between Men andWomen.” Reach Jane toll-free at 877-343-2150, [email protected] orwww.janesanders.com.

Sanders

BY JANE SANDERSSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

ART SERVICESWomen must walk a fine line in the businessworld, especially in longer-establishedindustries.

Page 12: SBJ 08-2011

S O U T H E R N I L L I N O I S I N D I C A T O R S

100

102

103

104

105

78

90

D J F M A MO N F M A M

98

94

’09

88

86

84

82

81

80

76

J’10

74

72

70

68

66

64J J A S O N D

’11

Chicago Fed MidwestManufacturing IndexThe CFMMI is a monthly estimate by majorindustry of manufacturing output in the SeventhFederal Reserve District states of Illinois, Indiana,Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. It is a compositeindex of 15 manufacturing industries, includingauto and steel, that uses electrical power andhours worked data to measure monthly changesin regional activity. It is compared here to thenational Industrial Production index forManufacturing (IPMFG). Base year is 2007.Starting in November 2005, the index excludedthe electricity component.

IPMFG May 1190.8

CFMMI May 1184.0

SOURCE: FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF CHICAGO

Williamson County RegionalAirport passengers

881 601 p 46.6%

3,530 2,693 p 31.1%

May 11 May 10 Change

2010 Change

YTD TOTALS

MONTHLY TOTALS

Anna 39.4 120.9 114.5 113.3 112.3 111.7 p 8.2%Benton 28.7 69.5 69.4 71.4 72.4 75.0 q 7.3%Carbondale 205.8 598.0 565.5 587.7 607.4 610.4 q 2.0%Carterville 13.8 42.2 39.9 40.1 40.3 39.9 p 5.8%Chester 17.7 55.3 52.9 51.5 51.7 54.0 p 2.4%Du Quoin 36.3 77.1 100.8 91.9 94.4 103.1 q 25.2%Harrisburg 72.1 195.0 191.9 179.3 173.6 168.5 p 15.7%Herrin 49.8 153.4 147.2 135.9 134.4 137.5 p 11.6%Jonesboro 3.7 11.8 12.5 12.4 11.3 11.5 p 2.6%Marion 227.1 683.1 676.0 673.4 662.4 592.7 p 15.3%Metropolis 34.4 82.0 77.1 75.9 79.8 74.8 p 9.6%Mount Vernon 175.0 507.0 476.7 482.8 461.5 501.0 p 1.2%Murphysboro 33.6 130.6 129.1 117.1 94.9 93.0 p 40.4%Nashville 35.3 96.6 107.9 101.8 105.2 105.7 q 8.6%Pinckneyville 13.4 38.5 37.2 39.0 35.8 41.7 q 7.7%Red Bud 24.0 75.2 70.1 77.7 73.7 82.5 q 8.8%Sparta 41.9 128.5 126.4 130.5 129.5 133.1 q 3.5%Vienna 12.2 39.9 37.1 40.5 39.8 36.9 p 8.1%West City 27.6 87.8 91.9 89.6 82.8 77.7 p 13.0%West Frankfort 42.0 112.4 111.4 111.2 111.4 106.8 p 5.2%REGION $1,133.8 $3,304.8 $3,235.5 $3,223.0 $3,174.7 $3,157.6 p 4.6%ILLINOIS $50,111.7 $147,232.0 $139,593.2 $237,438.0 $180,162.7 $173,362.8 q 15.1%

YTD April 2011City 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006% change

06-10

Retail sales for Southern Illinois cities

SOURCE: LATEST STATISTICS AVAILABLE FROM THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. FIGURES ARE IN MILLIONS.

Labor force Jobless May 2011 April 2011 May 2010 Change month Change year

Unemployment rates for Southern Illinois counties, state and nation

Alexander 3,109 418 13.4% 10.1% 10.4% p 3.3 p 3.0Franklin 17,909 1,688 9.4% 10.2% 11.0% q 0.8 q 1.6Gallatin 2,700 237 8.8% 8.0% 9.2% p 0.8 q 0.4Hamilton 4,035 295 7.3% 8.1% 7.9% q 0.8 q 0.6Hardin 1,908 191 10.0% 9.1% 10.6% p 0.9 q 0.6Jackson 33,474 2,010 6.0% 6.4% 6.8% q 0.4 q 0.8Jefferson 20,347 1,456 7.2% 7.9% 8.6% q 0.7 q 1.4Johnson 5,223 437 8.4% 8.8% 9.7% q 0.4 q 1.3Massac 7,238 623 8.6% 8.7% 9.3% p 0.2 q 0.7Perry 9,473 847 8.9% 9.7% 11.4% q 0.8 q 2.5Pope 1,997 176 8.8% 8.2% 9.7% p 0.6 q 0.9Pulaski 2,941 277 9.4% 9.2% 10.7% p 0.2 q 1.3Randolph 15,389 1,076 7.0% 7.3% 8.3% q 0.3 q 1.3Saline 13,301 1,097 8.2% 8.4% 9.1% q 0.2 q 0.9Union 8,462 794 9.4% 10.2% 10.7% q 0.8 q 1.3Washington 8,464 484 5.7% 6.1% 7.1% q 0.4 q 1.4White 7,850 526 6.7% 7.1% 7.6% q 0.4 q 0.9Williamson 35,288 2,502 10.1% 7.7% 10.7% p 1.1 q 0.6 .,REGION 199,108 15,134 8.5% 8.0% 9.4% 0.0 q 0.9ILLINOIS 6,590,559 592,367 9.0% 8.6% 10.1% p 0.4 q 1.1U.S. 153,449,000 13,421,000 8.7% 8.7% 9.3% p 1.0 q 0.6SOURCE: ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. FIGURES ARE NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED. 7,478 2,750 p 171.9%

2009ANNUAL TOTALS

Page 13: SBJ 08-2011

N O I S I N D I C A T O R S

Prices at the pumpAverage price per gallon of regular, unleadedgas as of June 21 and July 22, 2011.

694Carbondale

Consumer credit scoreCredit scores are numeric reflections of financialbehavior and credit worthiness and they are basedon information included in a credit report. Rangingfrom 330 to 830, a higher score means a lowercredit risk. Scores are from July 2011.

692U. S.

699State

698Region

SOURCE: EXPERIAN

SOURCE: AAA

Metro East $3.83 $3.71 $2.70Springfield $3.76 $3.49 $2.70Illinois $3.89 $3.88 $2.80U.S. $3.70 $3.64 $2.71

July 11 June 11 July 10

208

222

226

206S

210

‘10

212

M

214

M J

216

J

218

A

220

O N D J F M’11

A

224

Consumer Price IndexThe CPI measures average price changes of goodsand services over time, with a reference base of 100in 1982-84.To put into context, a current CPI of194.5 means a market basket of goods and servicesthat cost $100 in 1982-84 now costs $194.50.

U.S. city averageMay 11 226.0

Midwest urbanMay 11 215.9

SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

95949392919089

96979899

100101102103104105106107108

D J A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A

' 08

S O N D F M A M J

' 09

F M

' 10 ' 11

J

U of I FlashIndex

The Flash Index is an early indicator of the Illinois economy’s expectedperformance. It is a weighted average of growth rates in corporate earnings,consumer spending and personal income. An index above 100 indicatesexpected growth; an index below 100 indicates the economy is contracting.

June 11 97.8

Home sales Total units sold, including condominiums

SOURCE: ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

Alexander 6 4 p 50.0% 19 15 p 26.7% $25,000 $24,500 p 2.0%Franklin 54 59 q 8.5% 259 258 p 0.4% $42,550 $50,000 q 14.9%Gallatin 2 1 p 100.0% 8 9 q 11.1% $18,250 $25,000 q 27.0%Hamilton 3 0 NA 8 7 p 14.3% $89,900 $0 NAHardin 3 3 0.0% 8 13 q 38.5% $50,000 $146,000 q 65.8%Jackson 57 68 q 16.2% 358 382 q 6.3% $79,900 $108,000 q 26.0%Jefferson 45 45 10.0% 264 278 q 5.0% $70,000 $60,000 p 16.7%Johnson 16 17 p 5.9% 78 64 p 21.9% $88,000 $90,000 q 2.2%Massac 14 21 q 33.3% 91 92 q 1.1% $84,000 $59,900 p 40.2%Perry 18 28 q 35.7% 116 126 q 7.9% $55,000 $56,000 q 1.8%Pope 1 3 q 66.7% 8 6 p 33.3% $38,000 $30,000 p 26.7%Pulaski 0 1 q 100.0% 6 13 q 53.8% $0 $74,000 q 100.0%Randolph 19 30 p 36.4% 131 135 q 3.0% $74,500 $65,950 p 13.0%Saline 26 28 q 7.1% 122 100 p 22.0 % $54,700 $43,500 p 25.7%Union 26 17 p 52.9% 84 94 q 10.6% $110,000 $58,000 p 89.7%Williamson 78 121 q 35.5% 590 654 q 9.8% $85,000 $82,000 p 3.7%ILLINOIS 18,940 21,320 q 11.2% 103,455 107,782 q 4.0% $131,175 $144,000 q 8.9%

Q1 11 Q1 10 Change 2010 2009 Change Q1 11 Q1 10 ChangeMEDIAN SALES PRICE

SOURCE: INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

Hotel/motel statsTotal amount of revenue generated in Carbondaleby hotels and motels for room rentals only.

New vehicle sales Total cars, trucks sold based on title applications filed.Excludes motorcycles, trailers.

SOURCE: ILLINOIS SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE. LATEST DATA AVAILABLE.

Alexander 11 10 p 10.0% 126 137 q 8.0%Franklin 98 81 p 21.0% 965 989 q 3.3%Gallatin 13 17 q 23.5% 222 184 p 20.7%Hamilton 11 13 q 15.4% 236 224 p 5.4%Hardin 9 6 p 50.0% 97 94 p 3.2%Jackson 121 102 p 18.6% 1,320 1,348 q 2.1%Jefferson 69 62 p 11.3% 848 842 p 0.7%Johnson 37 33 p 12.1% 327 353 q 7.4%Massac 25 17 p 47.1% 269 278 q 3.2%Perry 44 51 q 13.7% 558 565 q 1.2%Pope 7 4 p 75.0% 73 85 q 14.1%Pulaski 15 7 p 114.3% 129 124 p 4.0%Randolph 76 60 p 26.7% 844 936 q 9.8%Saline 65 45 p 44.4% 793 719 p 10.3%Union 43 41 p 4.9% 486 447 p 8.7%Washington 42 39 p 7.7% 446 515 q 13.4%White 50 52 q 3.8% 571 471 p 21.2%Williamson 166 141 p 16.3% 1,796 1,868 q 3.9%REGION 902 801 p 12.6% 10,097 10,179 q 0.8%

May 11 May 10 Change 2010 2009 Change

$497,450 $491,008 p 1.3%

$924,422 $917,273 p 0.8%

Feb 11 Feb 10 Change

2009 Change

YTD TOTALS

MONTHLY TOTALS

$7,725,727 $7,520,856 p 2.7%

2008ANNUAL TOTALS

Page 14: SBJ 08-2011

AUGUST 2011SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL14

Elder LawCommon myths about estate planning

Estate planning isa very complicatedarea of the law wheremyths abound. It iseasy to buy into themyths because theyhave a ring of truth.Unfortunately, themyths help to createfar too many legalproblems, which, in

turn, only serve to help attorneys buy theirnext big boat. Do any of the followingsound familiar?l If I have a good will, probate will not

be required, and my assets can betransferred immediately to thebeneficiaries of my will. In fact, having awill mandates a probate in manycircumstances. In all cases, a will in thestate of Illinois must be filed at the countycourthouse within 30 days of death. Inmost cases, your property may not be ableto be transferred to your heirs for manymonths or, in some cases, years.

Probate is a court proceeding to transfertitle from the decedent’s name to his orher living beneficiaries. Probate occurs inthe state of your legal residence, as well asany state where you own real property.The length of time to complete a probatevaries from state to state, but, on average,can take eight to eighteen months. Anuncomplicated probate in Illinois will takeat least six months. A more complicatedprobate (e.g., one where an estate tax isdue or where a creditor or disgruntled heirfiles a claim or objection), can drag on foryears, generally at great expense. In short,probate can be very frustrating to heirsand creates a public record about you,your finances, your family and otherissues that might best be kept private.

Hint: You can avoid probate and all of itsattendant problems by using a revocableliving trust or some other probate-avoidance technique.l I don’t need a will if I have a small

estate. Many people believe that if they donot have a will, all of their assets will bedistributed to their surviving spouse.However, if you don’t create a valid will,the state of Illinois has a statute that will

dictate where your assets go. State law alsodictates who will administer your estate.In short, the government’s “estate plan”for you may not be what you want.Indeed, the state’s plan may distributeyour assets to persons whom you wouldnot want to receive those assets.l If my assets do not exceed $5 million,

I will avoid probate. In Illinois, if you owna home, a farm or any other real estate,and there is no joint owner, your estatewill require probate. Also, if the value of allyour other assets exceeds $100,000, yourestate will probably require probate. If youown real estate or the value of all of yourother assets exceeds $100,000, you shouldseriously consider using a revocable livingtrust or some other probate-avoidancetechnique.lA will covers all of my assets. Wills do

not cover assets held with joint tenantswith a right of survivorship. Wills also donot cover distributions from retirementplans, annuities, life insurance or financialaccounts with payable on death or transferon death designations.l I can do my own estate plan. Estate

planning is more than just creatingdocuments. It is understanding the bigpicture and how the legal documents will work in concert with all of your assetsat the time the legal documents areneeded. At the risk of over-simplification,would you seriously entertain the thoughtof doing your own brain surgery? If youwould not, then why would you seriouslyconsider doing your own estate planningwhen you have so much to lose? Even ifyou believe you need nothing more than a“simple” will, there may be “simple”kinks that you are overlooking. Even if you believe a “will-in-a-box” at astationary store or a “trust” that can bepurchased online will come withinstructions on how to “fill in the blanks,” you need to understand that thistype of thinking has helped manyattorneys to do more than simply pay their bills.l I don’t need an estate plan because I

hold all my assets jointly with another.Joint ownership does not avoid probate; itmerely delays passing the asset to theultimate taker until the death of the otherco-owner(s). In fact, joint ownership willresult in the transfer of the jointly owned

asset to the last joint owner when theother co-owner(s) die(s), even if that is notwhat was intended. In reality, jointownership is one of the worst ways to planyour estate. Joint ownership of an assetmay expose the asset to estate, gift andcapital gains taxes that could be reducedor eliminated by using other means, and itdoes not protect the asset (or your interestin the asset) if the co-owner enters anursing home without adequate measuresto protect the co-owned asset (as well ashis or her other assets). And, jointownership of an asset may subject theasset to the creditors of all owners. Forexample, your interest in the co-ownedasset is at risk if a co-owner has creditcard or other debts, goes into bankruptcy,has an auto accident and does not haveenough insurance, or is sued for divorce orchild support.lEstate planning is just about my

“stuff,” and I don’t have any “stuff” I’m

concerned about. Estate planning, whendone right, ought to involve your hopes,your dreams and your concerns foryourself (as well as your loved ones) as youage — not merely with what happens toyour “stuff” at your death. Thus, estateplanning ought to incorporate “lifeplanning” for the period of time betweentoday and the day of your death.

You can’t afford to rely on myths whenit comes to you, your estate and your lovedones. Find out the facts and the law. Planthoughtfully and carefully with theassistance of a knowledgeable andexperienced estate planning attorney.Then execute your plan to provide yourselfwith peace of mind and security for yourloved ones.

RICHARD HABIGER is author of the Illinoisedition of “How to Protect Your Family’sAssets from Devastating Nursing HomeCosts: Medicaid Secrets.” He is an elder lawattorney who focuses on asset protection,Medicaid and VA benefits. You may contacthim at 618-549-4529 or [email protected].

BY RICHARD HABIGERSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

Habiger

ART SERVICESProbate can be very frustrating to heirs and creates a public record about you, your finances,your family and other issues that might best be kept private. You can avoid probate and all of

its attendant problems by using a revocable living trust.

Find more business newsat www.sbj.biz.

Page 16: SBJ 08-2011

AUGUST 2011SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL16

Entrepreneur’s MailbagVisualize your business:

Break out the crayons and poster board

When it comes todeveloping a newbusiness idea or evenexpanding oncompany plans, twothings are sure tohappen. Thethought of jumpingfeet first into a newventure or riskingexpansion in

questionable economic times could scareyou to death, forcing you to cut short yourplans. The other likelihood is that you willrise to the challenge, meeting businessuncertainty head-on and seeing your ideathrough to completion. Regardless of thescenario, I think I have the answer to helpstart-ups and existing business ownersaddress their most pressing businessissues all in the time it takes you to grablunch.

Go back to kindergartenThere are times, when working on a

project, that I reach the point ofdiminishing returns. When this happens, Iend up putting in more energy and gettingback little in terms of productivity. Whenthis happens, it usually means that it’stime to go back to kindergarten.Kindergarten conjures up images ofplaying, coloring and fun! When pen andpaper just won’t get it done, it’s time tobust out a pack of crayons (or markers ifyou prefer) and a large sheet of drawingpaper in order to tackle business problemsin a new and fun way. For many businessowners, the idea of “playing” with theirbusiness is unthinkable as the theme ofthe day is all about keeping their headsabove water. With crayons and posterboard-sized paper in hand, the first thingyou will need to do is determine whichcompany issue is most pressing and needsto be addressed first. Is it a managementissue, are you looking for new ways tomarket or is your company just nowstarting out?

Get creativeNow that you have identified your most

pressing issue, start by drawing a picturethat represents that issue in the center ofthe page. Try not to get sidetracked byyour drawing ability (or in my caseinability). Once you have drawn yourcentral image, begin drawing any and allimages that come to mind that are relatedto solving your most pressing problem.The images don’t have to be sequential orlogical as long as you can recognize whatyou have drawn. After you have gotten allof your images (ideas) drawn on the page,take a moment to write one key word thatdescribes what that image is. Thesekeywords should provide a clearconnection to the problem or issue you aretrying to solve. Lastly, step back from yourmasterpiece to prioritize which items needto be addressed first (if at all).

Answer the questionsIf you have managed to last this long,

then know that you are almost done. But,

first you must answer some veryimportant questions. Looking at yourwork, can you come up with a name foryour company, and can you clearlydescribe your product or service? Whatpersonnel and staff are needed to help youpull this project off? What is the mostcreative marketing thing that you canthink of to help you get your idea noticed?Lastly, how much will it cost to implementthese plans? If you can answer thesequestions, then the time spent visualizingyour business has been well spent.

Visualize the goalMany people reading this may be

thinking, “I don’t have time for games,”and all I can say is that’s too bad. I havebeen visualizing ideas for more than adecade now, and I can tell you that it’sgreat for accomplishing the following: Ithelps you generate more out-of-the-boxideas in less time. It helps you present tonsof information in a small amount of space.And, for those who just find running your

business these days to be a grind, it’s justplain fun!

Mapping out your ideas in this mannerwon’t solve all of your problems, but itshould provide instant insight onidentifying a name for your company’snew product or service, as well as clearlydescribing what it is that you offer.Hopefully this exercise has helped youuncover a new and creative way to marketyour company. Lastly, try to make a goodestimate of how much it will cost you toput your plans into action. Give it a try,and be sure to let me know if any amazingideas come about as a result.

CAVANAUGH L. GRAY is the director ofbusiness development for The EntrepreneurCafé, L.L.C. in Carbondale and can bereached at 618-206-7013. For more winningsmall business ideas or for information onhow to start, grow and succeed in smallbusiness, be sure to follow The EntrepreneurCafé, L.L.C. on Twitterwww.twitter.com/TheECafe or atwww.ecafellc.com.

Gray

BY CAVANAUGH L. GRAYSBJ CONTRIBUTOR

ART SERVICESKeywords should provide a clear connection to the problem or issue you are trying to solve.

Page 18: SBJ 08-2011

AUGUST 2011SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL18

Achievements

Lombard now open in HerrinLombard is now open at 112 N. 14th St. in

Herrin, with Chef Pasquale Intravaiaserving Italian and American cuisine.

A banquet and meeting room is available.Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdaythrough Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridayand 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday. For moreinformation, call 618-988-2003.

Construction begins on Marion hotel

Construction has begun on the newHoliday Inn Express Hotel & Suites inMarion. The 104-room hotel is south ofRent One Park, home of the SouthernIllinois Miners. The projected opening dateis early spring of 2012.

The hotel is owned by Reed StationHotels, LLC, which is located inCarbondale. The general contractor isanother Carbondale-based company, HotelBuilders of America. Both companies areowned by Charlie and Trace Brown ofCarbondale.

The Browns own the award-winningHoliday Inn Hotel in Carbondale andHoulihan’s Restaurant. The MarionHoliday Inn Express is managed byMonchino Management, LLC. MonchinoManagement owns and operates hotels insix states and is based in Herrin.

Flynn, Adkins promoted at HRMCHeartland Regional Medical Center in

Marion has named Jim Flynn as chief

EvansO’Neill

WatersMiller DavisRushing

Roberts Richey Svanda Stokes

Faces in the newsHave you been promoted? Send a photo.

Has a colleague at work completed an inten-sive continuing education program? Send a

photo. Others in the business community willwant to know it, so please consider passing on

your employment news and photos to theSouthern Business Journal. Feel free to email

the information to [email protected].

Faces in the news

Find more business newsat www.sbj.biz.

operating officer and Melisa Adkins aschief nursing officer.

Flynn formerly served as communityhealth systems facilities managementdirector for the corporation. Adkinspreviously served as inpatient servicesdirector and assistant chief nursing officer.Both assumed their new positions in earlyJune.

City officials attend IML workshopCarbondale City Council members Lee

Fronabarger, Donald Monty and JaneAdams recently attended a one-dayworkshop in Godfrey for newly electedofficials. They were accompanied by CityManager Allen Gill.

The meeting was sponsored by IllinoisMunicipal League, Illinois Association ofPark Districts and Illinois CommunityCollege Trustees Association. Topicsincluded Ethics and Conflict of Interest,Open Meetings and FOIA, Budget Matters,and Civility and Boardmanship.

Butler named Employee of the YearSouthern Illinois University School of

Medicine recently honored Gaye Butler ofWest Frankfort for exemplary work.

Butler, a licensed practical nurse with theSouthern Illinois Family Medicine Care-A-Van in West Frankfort, has been namedCivil Service Employee of the Year.

Cusumano & Sons earns top rating

Cusumano & Sons, Inc., a leader in thewholesale produce business in SouthernIllinois, recently completed a nationallyaccredited third party food safety audit andreceived a score of “excellent.” Thevoluntary audit provided Cusumano with acomprehensive evaluation of food safetyprograms and training, cleanliness,equipment and facility conditions, andother important factors used by retailerswhen selecting a food supplier.

Cusumano & Sons has been in thewholesale produce business since 1904 andcurrently serves customers within a 100-mile radius of its location in Mount Vernon.

Fienhold named program administrator

Mara Fienhold of Marion has joinedMarion Medical Mission as administratorof the Shallow Well Program.

MMM provides a sustainable source ofsafe drinking water for the extreme poor inAfrica. During the last 25 years, volunteersand supporters of MMM have providedmore than 13,000 villages in Malawi,Tanzania and Zambia with shallow wells.Fienhold will help coordinate growthstrategies for the Christian-basedorganization.

Most recently on staff at Christian LifeCenter in Herrin, Fienhold comes to MMM with experience in volunteercoordination, fundraising, projectmanagement and special event planning.She is the wife of Marion VA physicianJohn Fienhold, M.D.

Malone joins faculty at SIU School of Medicine

Dr. Sara Beth Malone, a native ofJohnston City, has joined the faculty atSouthern Illinois University School ofMedicine in Carbondale as an assistantprofessor of family medicine.

Malone is a member of SIU HealthCare,the medical school’s practice group, andshe is on the medical staff at SIU FamilyMedicine Center-Carbondale.

Suchman named business manager

Brandon Suchman recently wasnamed business manager of Rose Bed InnBed & Breakfast in Cape Girardeau.

Lourdes partners with Norton Neuroscience

Lourdes recently established apartnership with Norton NeuroscienceInstitute in Louisville, Ky., to provideneurosurgery coverage 24 hours a day to theregion for the first time in years.

Dr. Allan Gocio, neurosurgeon, hasjoined NNI’s team of 15 neurosurgeons andhas opened a practice at Lourdes MarshallNemer Pavilion. He specializes inminimally invasive spine surgery, spinetrauma and brain trauma.

Peterson participates in AP reading

Julie Peterson, chairwoman of thesocial studies department at CarbondaleCommunity High School, was selected toparticipate in the annual reading andscoring of the College Board’s AdvancedPlacement examinations in AP European

Page 19: SBJ 08-2011

AUGUST 2011 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 19

Achievementshistory. The AP reading was recently inKansas City, Mo.

This year, more than 3.2 millionexaminations from more than 30 APcourses were evaluated by more than10,000 AP readers from universities andhigh schools.

SIUC’s Feldhamer recognized nationally

Dr. George Feldhamer, professor inthe zoology department at SouthernIllinois University Carbondale, waspresented the Grinnell Teaching Award atthe annual meeting of the AmericanSociety of Mammalogists recently inPortland, Ore.

Feldhamer has been at SIUC since 1984.Prior to coming to SIUC, he was employedby The University of Maryland’sAppalachian Environmental Lab.

Miller takes over as hospital case manager

Deanna Miller, a longtime employee ofPinckneyville Community Hospital,recently began working as a case managerfor the hospital.

Miller has been employed with thehospital since 1968. She began her careerat the hospital as a nurse’s aide. In 1995,she went back to school and obtained hercredentials to work as a licensed practicalnurse. In 1999, she obtained her license asa registered nurse and has been working asa registered nurse ever since.

JCHD earns national recognitionJackson County Health Department has

received an award and national attentionfor its Prison to Community TransitionProject.

The National Association of County andCity Health Officials presented JCHD withthe award during NACCHO’s annualconference recently in Hartford, Conn.The Prison to Community TransitionProject is one of 41 public health programsselected from across the nation to receiveNACCHO’s Model Practice Award.

One promoted at Fifth Third Bank Michael Waters recently was

promoted to financial center manager forthe Marion West Banking Center of FifthThird Bank.

Waters has a bachelor’s degree in

business administration from FranklinUniversity in Columbus, Ohio, and holdsan Insurance Producer’s License, a Series6 License and a Series 63 License.

Rushing retires from Country Financial

Dan Rushing of Metropolis recentlyretired from Country Financial afterserving 33 years with the organization.

Rushing joined Country Financial in1979 as a financial representative forSaline County. He became an agencymanager for the Spokane Agency inWashington in 1990, and he retired as anagency manager for the Shawnee Agency.

Curb appeal program offers renovations

The outdoor renovations of ChinaExpress, 901A N. Illinois Ave., indowntown Carbondale are expected to befinished no later than Sept. 1.

China Express will be the secondrenovation that has been conductedthrough Carbondale Main Street’s curbappeal program. The first was HarbaughsCafe (901B S. Illinois Ave.) in July 2010. Tosign up as a volunteer with the curb appealprogram, call 618-529-8040 or visitwww.carbondalemainstreet.com.

Four named to Million DollarRound Table

Peggy A. Richey of Pittsburg, LarryD. Roberts of Marion, Brenda T. Stokesof Anna and David Svanda ofMurphysboro, all representatives forModern Woodmen of America, are amonga small percentage of life insurance agentsworldwide to achieve membership in theMillion Dollar Round Table this year.

MDRT is an international, independentorganization of more than 35,000members, or less than 1 percent of theworld’s best life insurance and financialservices professionals.

Western Baptist recognizes two

Neonatologist Edward O’Neill, M.D.,recently joined the medical staff atWestern Baptist Hospital in Paducah. Hejoins a medical staff of approximately 240 physicians, representing 40 medicalspecialties.

Diane Dalton Evans recently was

named the newest member of thehospital’s board of directors. She ispresident of Invest Financial Corporationin Paducah.

Davis elected chairman of IBAMarty Davis is chairman-elect of the

Illinois Bankers Association for 2011-2012.He is president and CEO of Murphy-WallState Bank and Trust Company inPinckneyville.

Davis was elected at IBA’s 120th annualConference and Trade Show June 17 inLake Geneva, Wis. He has 26 years ofbanking experience.

CCI recognized as a star lender

Champion Community Investmentsrecently was recognized as a Star Micro Lender by the Entrepreneurship and Business Development Center at Southern Illinois UniversityCarbondale.

The award was presented in recognitionof the low-interest lending supportprovided by CCI to Southern Illinoismicroentrepreneurs. During the last year,CCI has lent more than $475,000 to newand existing microenterprises in a 12-county area of Southern Illinois. The non-profit corporation has partnered with areabanks to develop affordable financialpackages that allow qualified localbusinesses to flourish, create new jobs andretain existing ones.

Furtak promoted at SIPCPaul Furtak has been promoted to

director of business and corporatecompliance at Southern Illinois PowerCooperative.

Furtak previously worked as thecontroller for SIPC, which is based inMarion on Lake of Egypt Road.

New BeginningZ Realty expands

The Murphysboro-based NewBeginningZ Realty has expanded byopening an office at 828 E. Main St, SuiteD, in Carbondale. A ribbon-cuttingcelebration was July 11.

Tamiko Mueller is the owner. Thebusiness has four licensed brokers and isopen from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondaythrough Friday and by appointmentSaturday.

McGrath wins outstandingperformance award

Tim McGrath of the financial servicesfirm Edward Jones recently won the firm’sexclusive Century Award for outstandingperformance during 2010.

McGrath serves the Anna office ofEdward Jones.

One reappointed to committeeKathy A. Marlow, vice president and

senior operations officer at Murphy-WallState Bank and Trust Company inPinckneyville, recently was reappointed to the Illinois Bankers Association 2011-12 Technology and OperationsCommittee.

Founded in 1891, IBA brings togetherstate and national banks, savings banksand savings and loan associations of allsizes in Illinois. Collectively, IBArepresents nearly 90 percent of the assetsof the Illinois banking industry.

Eggemeyer Associates celebrating 50 years

Eggemeyer Associates Architects, anarchitectural firm based in Carbondale, iscelebrating its 50th anniversary as acorporation. The firm originally wasknown as Fischer-Hemerling, Architectsand Designers, and it was known throughthe 1990s as Stein/Eggemeyer AssociatesArchitects.

The firm currently employees 12 full-time professionals and provides servicesthroughout Southern Illinois. MarkDillon is the firm’s president.

Law firm promotes twoCheryl L. Intravaia of Carbondale has

been named a senior partner of theCarbondale law firm of Feirich/Mager/Green/Ryan, and Timothy D. Denny ofAnna has been named a junior partnerwith the firm.

Intravaia’s practice is concentrated inthe litigation and appeal of workers’compensation claims, including specialconcentrations in state and federal claimsarising under the occupational disease,workers’ compensation and Longshoreacts. Denny’s practice centers on workers’compensation and occupational diseasecases.

SEE ACHIEVEMENTS / PAGE 20

Page 20: SBJ 08-2011

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AchievementsCountry Financial supports ACS

Country Financial representative KristaMenckowski helped raise more than$1,400 for the American Cancer Society’sRelay For Life of Franklin County recentlyat Frankfort Community Park in WestFrankfort. The team raised money byselling Domino’s pizza and conducting asilent auction.

Country Financial has been recognizedas a participant in ACS’s 2011 Relay ForLife National Corporate Team Program.Menckowski serves clients from her officein Sesser.

St. Mary’s establishes juniorvolunteer program

St. Mary’s Good Samaritan MedicalGroup has established one in a series ofregional area health education centersacross Illinois. The South Central Illinoisoffice at St. Mary’s Hospital in Centraliaserves eight counties in the south centralregion and is funded by a federal grant

from the Department of Health andHuman Services. Its mission is to train,recruit and retain health professionals topractice in rural communities.

The office recently created a juniorvolunteer program for high school andcollege students to gain experience andknowledge in the health care field. Theprogram will begin Aug. 29 at St. Mary’sGood Samaritan in Centralia and MountVernon.

Odom promoted to rank of sergeant

Illinois State Police Trooper CraigOdom has been promoted to the rank ofsergeant. He is an academy field instructorfor firearms, regional crowd controlmember and District 13 range master.

In 2007, Odom was named District 13Trooper of the Year.

Find more business newsat www.sbj.biz.

Page 21: SBJ 08-2011

AUGUST 2011 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 21

Business Fine PrintP E R M I T S | B A N K R U P T C I E S

Building permitsCarbondaleTip Toe Nail Salon, 1318 E. Main, $7,000East Main Shell, 534 E. Main, $25,000Walmart, 1450 E. Main, $21,000Dr. Sean Burke, 600 N. Giant City Road,

$126,000Lone Star Steakhouse, 1160 E. Main, $2,500Sun Valley Estates, 1105 Black Diamond

Drive, $219,800Sun Valley Estates, 1115 Black Diamond

Drive, $219,800NeuroRestorative, 1271 E. Walnut St.,

$20,000NeuroRestorative, 1271 E. Walnut St.,

$20,000Michael Scott, 409 E. Lasch St., $1,000James Summers, 605 N. Springer St.,

$25,000Sorensen Enterprises, 608 N. Almond St.,

$15,000Alleman Rentals, 701 S. James St., $5,000Daniel Edwards, 501 N. Billy Bryan, $20,000Home Rentals, 901 W. McDaniel St., $25,000John and Patricia Pieczka, 209 W. Walnut St.,

$3,000Christal O’Guinn, 104 S. Lark Lane, $350

HerrinBrad Blakey, 3 Douglas Drive, $50,000Daniel Fuller, 809 W. Harrison St., $7,000Stacey Cutrell, 500 S. 19th St., $3,500Paul Benns, 717 W. Cherry St., $34,000Tom Sanchez, 3201 Mustang Lane, $31,000Shawn Banks, 1713 S. 22nd St., $30,000David Walls, 1001 E. Stotlar St., $60,000Herrin CUSD, 14255 Bandyville Road,

$3,684,633Bill Woodhouse, 1620 W. Tyler St., $65,000S.I. Yamaha, 3008 S. Park Ave., $45,000Whitegate Enterprises, 1507 Jessica Lane,

$102,000Richard Jones, 603 N. 30th St., $18,000Anthony Martin, 1300 W. Tyler St., $0Tom Webb, 6031 Lakeview Drive, $255,000William Leeper, 420 W. Oak St., $3,759Mary Abbott, 5963 Lakeview Drive, $155,000Tim Spowart, 2812 N. 16th St., $5,600East Lawn Memorial, 3208 S. Park Ave.,

$296,137Professional Home Dev., 3220 Mustang Lane,

$150,000Tim Murphy, 2006 W. Walnut St., $170,000Quinton Smothers, 2220 Weaver Road, $0Joe Williford, 1212 W. Adams St., $100Joe Garegnani, 1507 W. Walnut St., $160,000Shawn Ladd, no address provided, $64,120

Raymond Walker, 2305 W. Cherry St., $200Toni Barham, 1108 W. Cherry St., $54,610Carrie Hancock, 101 Newman Drive, $130,000William England, 2302 Elias Drive, $160,000

MetropolisJPaul McKnight, 2104 North Ave., $400Paul McKnight, 2104 North Ave., $5,000Nancy Davis, 211 W. Sixth St., $3,000Comprehensive Health Center, 1238

Commercial Park Road, $2,000Melissa Taylor, 410 E. Eighth St., $30,000Kelly Bailey, 3 Crestview Drive, $2,210Betty Davis, 211 W. 21st St., $30,000Julie Thompson, 216 E. Third St., $10,000Barbara Wilkins, 113 E. 21st St., $0

MurphysboroMartin Schaldemose, 1701 Walnut St.,

$100,000Anthony Cruz, 417 N. Eighth St., $10,000Gene Bagwell, 525 N. 11th St., $10,000START, 507 North St., $10,500Mary Schimpf, 1927 Hortense St., $2,500Amber Lepper, 1013 N. 20th St., $500

BankruptciesChapter 7Anthony James and Marcy K. Spowart, 11551

Kevin Lane, CartervilleRobert Michael and Laura L. Young, 1101 E.

Anna St., BentonDanny L. Thomas, 401 Main St., MetropolisDaniel Scott Hundley, 107 S. Governor, MarionJessie M. Norwood Nichalson, 723 Bridgewood

Lane, MurphysboroKaren L. Williams, 1002 E. Garland, West

FrankfortDaniel C. and Joann Matuszczak, 621 S. 13th,

HerrinCharlotte A. Garland, 543 Joppa Road,

MetropolisJeffrey D. and Christel Welty, P.O. Box 36, PercyPhillip W. and Rebecca Bonneville, 16861

Illinois 3, AvaJeffery A. and Teresa Rhein, 19580 Downen

Road, OmahaRichard L. and Tracie L. Berry, 2610 Illinois

145, MetropolisJanie L. Holland, 1200 E. Grand Ave., 6-8A,

CarbondaleDavid B. and Sheila V. Fredman, 1004 Laura

Lane, MarionNathan D. Jennings, 15307 Remington Road,

MarionDebra Nesbit, 485 Bryan St., Nashville

Jennifer S. Wickham, 4048 S. Illinois Ave.,Carbondale

David A. and Beth A. Lindley, 11762 SaravilleRoad, Marion

Norman A. and Diane K. Roy, 214 Rose Lane,Red Bud

George Edward and Betty Lou Tucker, P.O. Box361, Zeigler

Aaron N. Smith, P.O. Box 453, UllinTravis L. Lannom, 1107 Benton Ave., Johnston

CityJason M. and Tabatha D. DiNobile, 557 N.

Division, CartervilleBianca M. Hadsock, 2012 Clark St.,

MurphysboroCloyce J. and Brenda S. Davis, 1101 Ohio St.,

Apt. 403, CairoGeneva J. Irizarr y, 1303 N. 14th St.,

MurphysboroFern Long, 1718 W. Maplewood, MarionBrian K. and Honey L. Bejmovicz, 506 E. St.

Louis, West FrankfortDerek C. and Kristy B. Cole, 716 N. 14th St.

HerrinKelly J. Lowe, 403 Poplar St., Mound CityWilliam J. Connor, 305 E. Douglas, De SotoBryan A. and Debra J. Skaggs, 108 N. Eighth

St., ThebesJames R. Duncan, 562 N. Naples Lane, InaJohn K. and Tammy R. McGhee, 18752 N.

Wildflower Lane, Mount VernonCarla R. Steffy, 10888 N. Royal Court., Mount

VernonBrandy L. Tedford, 200 Powell St.,

McLeansboroLinder Leon and Janeen Leah Tucker, 343 E.

Franklin St., Du QuoinTammy A. Charles, 900 E. Grand Ave.,

CartervilleHarold E. and Tonya M. Beal, 1304 S.

Washington, HarrisburgPatrick Eugene and Teresa Marie Mitchell, 912

S. Cheney St., HarrisburgTyson Alan Chamberlain, 4340 Woodglen

Lane, Mount VernonMack H. Trent, 109 W. Sixth St., West FrankfortRick Edward Garner, 1565 U.S. 51 South,

AnnaCourtney Beth Garner, 101B Cherry St., AnnaMarilyn S. Ward, 319 S. Mill St., HarrisburgJohn W. and Marsha R. Forbes, P.O. Box 102,

CartervilleRhonda L. Rich, 1306 West Blvd., Apt. C,

MarionAmber R. Beyke, 110 S. Division, Apt. B,

Carterville

Charles W. and Martha A. McKinney, P.O. Box204, Tamms

Samuel C. Washington, 409 E. James andThelma Walker St., Carbondale

Amber L. Helsley, 300 S. Second St., MarionDwayne Lee and Kandi K. Corzine, 3970

Franklin Road, MetropolisNealy Vonlee Melvin, 14592 Cambria Road,

CartervilleWilliam D. and Angila C. Woodis, 717 N. 14th

St. HerrinSusan A. Bolen, P.O. Box 3931, CarbondaleMichael L. and Betty JoAnn Compton, P.O. Box

85, CutlerBrian Paul Miller and Gretchen Raquel Curry,

1334 S. Market St., MarionNathanuel D. Bergman, 218 N. Walnut St.,

CarmiChristopher B. and Chasity D. Smith, 608 S.

Thomas St., ChristopherMatthew G. McCarthy, P.O. Box 321, CisneJason Edwards, 200 S. Conger, Norris CityRodney Herbert and Rebecca Lynn Rubach,

5611 Illinois 4, SteelevilleBarrett Archer, 708 Dewey Ave., Mount VernonEarl L. Morgan Jr., 401 Paradise Acres, Lot 27,

CartervilleRobbie D. Groves, P.O. Box 65, West FrankfortMeredith Y. Curtin, 1820 Richview, Mount

Vernon

Chapter 13Geoffrey C. Rose, 12931 N. Shoreland Drive,

MarionKhahliah N. Ortiz, 1511 S. 12th St., Mount

VernonNancy K. James, 106 Parkview St., Johnston

CityTimothy W. and Kendall A. Waller, P.O. Box 559,

CobdenWestley D. Klotz, 212 Douglas St., AnnaMark S. McConachie, 9760 Country Club

Road, SpartaSara M. Moore, P.O. Box 316, ShawneetownJohn E. and Alicia Marzolf, 412 Wagon Wheel

Road, CarbondaleDavid A. and Sandra K. Garner, 1718 County

Road 1620 North, CarmiJudy K. and James R. Jerolds Jr., 690 Swan

Pond Road, DongolaJames N. and Janet L. Wallace, 929 S.

Washington, HarrisburgDustin W. Lampley, 13822 Cutler St., BentonPhyllis J. Poole, P.O. Box 61, OrientScott M. and Danielle L. Nicks, 14188 Jeffery

SEE FINE PRINT / PAGE 23

Page 22: SBJ 08-2011

618.684.6550Toll Free: 800.455.7262

Fax: 618.684.33122139 Walnut St., Murphysboro, ILmodernoffi ceconnections.com

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Feirich / Mager / Green / Ryan

Attorneys at LawProviding Business and Personal Legal Services to the Midwest

Located in the Westown Centre • 2001 West Main, Carbondale • (618) 529-3000

Visit our web site at www.fmgr.com

Commercial Transactions

Workers’ Compensation

Labor Negotiations

Employment Matters

Municipal Law

Administrative Law

Banking Law

Real Estate Transactions

Probate and Estate Planning

Business Organization

F M G R

Page 23: SBJ 08-2011

AUGUST 2011 SOUTHERN BUSINESS JOURNAL 23

Mine Road, Johnston CityRicky and Gwendolyn P. Shannon, 301

Crestview Lane, CarbondaleJennifer C. Stoops, 2C Circle Drive 7,

MurphysboroLinda M. Roberson, 1403 Guardian Place, Apt.

C, MarionJames R. and Mary C. Wharry, 1215 Chestnut

St., Apt 103, MurphysboroCarrie M. Fann, 500 Washington, CartervilleCharles R. Skelcher, 309 S. 17th St., HerrinDetrick L. Woods, 503 N. Miller St., SpartaSarah Mae Delatore, 22524 N. Hails Lane,

TexicoCherie L. Brand, 205 Shawneetown Trail,

Apt. 4, SteelevilleMary B. Prusha, 1201 N. Maple, BentonDeva Deshay Mansfield, 504 W. 11th St.,

MetropolisMichelle L. Grant, 112 S. 21st St., Herrin

Elizabeth A. McCurdy, 1401 W. End, MarionSteven R. and Christina I. Harris, 396 Los

Angeles St., CarbondaleSherman Lee and Wanda L. Taylor, 708 S.

Eisenhower, MarionNathan L. and Lisa Barnes Atterberry, P.O. Box

553, ElkvilleTerry D. Willis and Rosemary L. Ort Willis, 106

W. Nettie St., SesserHarley E. and Lucinda R. Smock, 800 Kerr St.,

BrookportRobin A. Loyd, 1304 Rae Lane, CartervilleTammy Louise Tyler and James Arthur Tyler Jr.,

266 W. High St., NashvilleJames M. Greer, 40 Nobel Ave., BuncombeMike L. Fisher, 3207 Sunfield Road, Du QuoinGeorgia Ann Davis, P.O. Box 86, Mound CityPamela S. Ice, 1101 Ohio St., Apt. 703, CairoRichard D. and Jennifer A. Quertemous, 214

W. Lincoln, Harrisburg

Fred A. and Gladys Petzoldt, P.O. Box 141,Thebes

Trent E. and Amy D. Sheffer, 3120 MeridianRoad, Mounds

Mary A. Konneker, P.O. Box 1326, ViennaDiane L. Bloodworth, 1109 Midway Court, Apt.

B, MarionJoseph C. Smith, 721 W. Raymond, HarrisburgTerry S. and Kara J. Walsh, 1506 Corner Stone

Court, MarionEdward J. and Heather D. Davis, 11870

Harmony Church Road, West FrankfortJoey and Cheryl Ann Reams, 8409 Emling

Road, Du QuoinGabriel P. Shepard, 119 Logan Hollow Road,

Rockwood

Stephanie Ann Zielinski, 525 E. Broadway St.,Apt. A., Sparta

Kimberly A. Evetts, 2102 E. Main St., MarionAnthony J. Anderson, P.O Box 565, CambriaJames M. and Cristina J. Hoover, 406

Kaskaskia St., ChesterJo Ellen Mize, 1208 E. Sixth St., West FrankfortMark Lee and April Marie Perry, 133 E. Mill St.,

GrayvilleDanny W. Holland and Stephanie D. Betz, 715

Harpertown Lane, Tunnel HillMark A. and Diana L. Shelton, 139 Turner

Ave., AnnaPaula L. Terrana, 1608 Meadowbrook Drive,

CartervilleShawn C. Treece, P.O. Box 319, CartervilleDewey Gene and Frances Maria Thompson,

507 S. Gordon, SpartaDavid M. and Mary L. Smith, 2805 Jamison

Blvd., Mount Vernon

Business Fine PrintP E R M I T S | B A N K R U P T C I E S

Find more business newsat www.sbj.biz.

Mark Your CalendarAug. 1

Beginning Access 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 2Beginning Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 3Beginning Access 2007: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

Starting a Business in Illinois seminar: 1 to 3 p.m., Murphysboro Township BoardRoom, 1410 Walnut St., Murphysboro.Free. An optional business start-up kit isavailable for $15. Call 618-536-2424 oremail [email protected].

Aug. 4Beginning QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 9Intermediate Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

Team Building: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.,Room F110, John A. Logan College Centerfor Business & Industry. Cost is $90.

Aug. 10Beginning Powerpoint 2003: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 11Intermediate QuickBooks 2009: 8:30

a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 12Advanced Excel 2007: 8:30 a.m. to

4 p.m., Room F112, John A. Logan CollegeCenter for Business & Industry.

Aug. 16Advanced Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 17Intermediate Access 2007: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 18Intermediate Access 2003: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 23Time and Stress Management: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F110, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.Cost is $90.

Aug. 25Advanced QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 29Advanced Access 2003: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

Aug. 31Starting a Business in Illinois seminar:

9 to 11 a.m., Man-Tra-Con, 3000 W. DeYoung St., Marion. Free. An optionalbusiness start-up kit is available for $15.Call 618-536-2424 or email [email protected].

Sept. 1Beginning Access 2007: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

Sept. 6Beginning Access 2003: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

Beginning/Intermediate AdobePhotoshop: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., RoomH125, John A. Logan College Center forBusiness & Industry.

Sept. 7Beginning Outlook 2007: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room H125, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

Beginning Excel 2003: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

Sept. 8Intermediate Access 2007: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

Sept. 9Beginning QuickBooks 2009: 8:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m., Room F112, John A. LoganCollege Center for Business & Industry.

For more information on John A. Logan or to register for classes, call 618-985-2828, ext. 8510 or email [email protected] A. Logan College Center for Business & Industry is at 700 College Road, Carterville, and cost is $55 unless otherwise noted.