january 2013 business matters

w w w . N C C C C . c o mA publication of New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber will once againwelcome the new year with a

rocking good time. Last Januarythe Chamber hosted "Chamber-palooza," a night of rock and rollwith a Bruce Springsteen tributeband, "Bruce in the USA." TheChamber will continue this new"live, in-concert" tradition withChamberpalooza II. On January31, the Chamber will welcome Jim-my and the Parrots, a Jimmy Buf-fett tribute band to the QueenTheatre in Wilmington.

Jimmy Buffett started per-forming in 1965 in Nashville as acountry music performer. He latervisited Key West Florida and itwas in the Keys that he developed asound and style focused on easygoingbeach bum lifestyle. Through the yearshe has built a legion of loyal fans knownas "parrottheads." Buffett's break-through hit was the "national anthem"of all parrottheads, "Margaritaville"in1977. Buffett has continued to releasenew music and has made a habit oftouring the states each summer playingto packed outdoor venues.

The Chamber noticed a couple ofyears ago the growing number of tributebands. It has become a global phenom-enon with a variety of bands dedicating

their time and talent to honoring theirheroes. With the bands of the 1960s and1970s fading into history with lost mem-bers and growing age, the best way torecapture the music of a generation iswith the tribute band.

Jimmy and the Parrots were formedin Key West in 2002. In October 2004,they released a CD of all-original tunes,“Better Than New,” to rave reviews. InMarch 2006, they released “Island Jam,”a 3-CD set, that was followed up withanother 3-CD set, "Sun Jams,” and mostrecently, the band released another CDof original tunes, "Back to the Bayou."

In 2012, they were named Enter-tainer of the Year at the annual TropRock Music Award ceremony heldin Key West and hosted by the TropRock Music Association. One of themost requested Jimmy Buffett coverbands in the country, Jimmy and theParrots perform not only all the greatBuffett songs people recognize, theyalso play new and classic rock ‘n roll,as well as original songs written bylead singer/guitarist Jimmy Maraven-tano. Their cover songs include fa-vorites by the Beach Boys, Zac BrownBand, Toby Keith, Jerry Jeff Walker,Harry Belafonte, and Bob Marley,among many others.

The concert is a fundraiser that willsupport the Chamber’s small businessincubator program, the Emerging En-terprise Center (EEC). Over the lastfour years, the EEC has worked with 17startup companies and helped them cre-ate over 70 jobs.

The Chamber is proud to host Chamberpalooza and bring fun music,a live concert and additional economicactivity to the City of Wilmington. Pleasesave the date--January 31, 2013 for Chamberpalooza II. Visit the Chamber’swebsite at www.ncccc.com for ticket pricing and information.

fourth-quarter meeting on Thursday, De-cember 6th, the roughly 40-member Eco-

The Chamber Heads to MargaritavilleChamberpalooza II Coming this Month!

Photo by Local Artist, Ingrid Neumann Jan 2013

This Edition

2 I Chamber Events Matter

3 I As a Matter of FactThe Year of the SharkJust Keep Moving Forward

4 I Legislative ConnectionIt’s Time for Our Leaders to Lead

5 I Economic DevelopmentFounding Developer of the Town of Whitehall Joins the EDC’s Monthly Meeting

Emerging Enterprise Center andNCC Economic Development CouncilGather for Holiday Luncheon

6 I Emerging Enterprise CenterEntrepreneurs! A Mentor can Fast-Track your Learning Curve

7 I Join the ChamberClaymont Steak Shop: 40 Years of Great Food

Excel Business Systems: So MuchMore for Over 30 Years

8 - 9 I Value PacksWays to Save With the Chamber

10 I Member ProfileAPS Cleaning--Overcoming Obstacles and Moving Ahead

11 I New Members

12 - 13 I Calendar of Events

14 I Congrats Get Life CoachingEntrepreneur of the Year to Celebrate15 Years Of Changing Lives!

15 I Member Ribbon Cuttings

C H A M B E R E V E N T S M A T T E R

2 I January 2013 I www.ncccc.com New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

UnWINEd Wednesdays are growing in popularity, keep an eye on the calendar

for the 2013 schedule.

Shop Main Street Mixer. Thanks to Kildare’s andRely Local for hosting the event.

Mid Day Mixer at Hartefeld National helped kick-off the holiday season.

New Castle County Chamber of Commerce’sYoung Professionals prepare for their Second

Annual Festivus Spectacular event.

Mark Stellini shares tips to get everyone in yournetwork selling for you at our fourth-quarter

Finding Your Next Customer event.

Holiday Hoorah Mixer and Silent Auction provided valuable assistance to the Exceptional

Care for Children facility in Newark.

The Business Women's Expo attracted a record crowdof over 700! Carol Arnott Robbins (inset), RegionalSales Manager and VP at M&T Securities, Inc. won

the first Business Woman of the Year Award.

The 2013 Business Women's Expo will return to Clayton Hall at the University of Delaware,

on Thursday, November 14th!Visit

www.NCCCC.com

& click Events C

alendar

22nd Annual22nd Annual

Business Women’s ExpoBusiness Women’s ExpoYour GPS to Success!Your GPS to Success!

Entrepreneurial & Entrepreneurial &

Chamber President Mark Kleinschmidt and Donna O'DellHoke (middle, the 2011 Entrepreneurial Woman of the

Year)present the 2012 Entrepreneurial Woman of the Yearaward to Diane Ferry, CEO of Star-Med, LLC.

A S A M A T T E R O F F A C T

www.ncccc.com I January 2013 I 3

By Mark A. KleinschmidtPresidentNew Castle County Chamber of Commerce

There is a long list of articles andbooks about formulating personal

improvement plans and establishing busi-ness goals for the New Year. I wouldlike to add to this list, by sharing four activities any business, large or small,can use to achieve success.

To formulate this list, l am borrowingand rephrasing an observation made byWoody Allen in the movie Annie Hall:“A business is like a shark. It has to con-stantly move forward or it dies.” Withthis in mind, the Chamber has proclaimed2013 as “The Year of the Shark.” Checkout the activities, programs and servicesprovided by the Chamber that will keepyour business moving forward.

Have a Plan

Every business should take the timeto prepare a business plan. It does nothave to be an elaborate document withspecific operational details. But it shouldhave a set of well thought out objectiveswith a strong focus on financial projectionsand marketing activities. The real valueof a business plan is the planning processitself, because it makes you take stock ofyour current situation and look into thefuture to establish realistic operationalgoals. General Dwight Eisenhower, thearchitect of the D-Day invasion, knew alittle bit about planning and his viewwas, “Plans are worthless, but planningis everything.”

It is never toolate to start plan-ning. The Chambercan help you getstarted with ourfree on-line Busi-ness Plan program,SmallBizU. Visitwww.smallbizu.org/nccc/login.htm. It is

a great self-paced audio presentationthat will discuss all aspects of the planningprocess. Go through the whole programor just use the parts you need.

Be More Entrepreneurial

Every business has felt the impact ofthe Great Recession and many realizeda need to look at new lines of businessin order to move forward. Chambermembers have diversified their productsand services to better serve existingclients and attract new ones. They arenot abandoning their core business butthey are taking a more entrepreneurialapproach to find new ways to fulfill theirmission and generate revenue.

We are also seeing a fundamentalchange in our local economy as largeemployers continue to downsize while

at the same time we are seeing a tremen-dous level of interest in creating a strongerentrepreneurial culture to support startupbusinesses. The Chamber has been inti-mately involved with this transformationby operating the Emerging EnterpriseCenter (EEC) to help early stage com-panies get started. To date we haveworked with 17 startup companies andhelped them create almost 70 new jobs.To find out more about the EEC, go towww.ncccc.com and click “Business Incubator - EEC.”

Always Be Marketing

Every business, large or small, islooking for their next customer. Mar-keting is really a team sport and everyemployee should be on the lookout for

new customers and be constantly workingto keep existing customers. You need tohave a short and concise explanationabout your business and why someoneshould buy from you. This Unique SellingProposition should be well known toeveryone on your team and they shouldsay it often and early.

The Chamber can help a business findtheir next customer with our speciallydesigned mobile app, DelBiz2Go. As amember of the Cham-ber, your business islisted on this verypopular mobile app,which is used bythousands of potential cus-tomers. Youcan also learnabout themost effec-tive ad-vertisinga n dmarketingpractices by at-tending one of our Finding Your Next Customer seminars.

Invest in Your People

Without a doubt the most importantasset for any business is its people. No business can be successful unless ithas competent and committed workers.All too often we do not spend enoughtime looking for ways to create an out-standing work environment. The obviousinvestment you can make in your peopleis a competitive salary but there aremany non-monetary investments thatyou can make to ensure top notch em-ployees. Providing flexible schedules,team building activities, and hosting

employee recognition events are very effective and inexpensive ways to investin your people and promote a positivework environment.

Every business should also be readyto assist their employees with navigatingthe new health insurance rules as theycome on line later this year. To help understand the implications of HealthCare Reform for both employees andemployers, the Chamber will continueto offer its Benefits Connection programfor small businesses and host a series ofinformational workshops about thenew requirements for an employerand the coverage options available tothe employee. To find out more go to www.chamberbenefitsconnection.com.

Make the Chamber part of your NewYear Resolutions. Just like a shark wewill help move your business forward.Best wishes for a happy and prosperousNew Year and I hope you will join us forour trip to Margaritaville with Jimmyand the Parrots on January 31st at WorldCafe Live at The Queen. Fins Up!

u “A business is like a shark. It has to constantly move forward or it dies”

u The Chamber can help a business find their next customer with our specially designed mobile app, DelBiz2Go.

“The Year of the Shark”Just Keep Moving Forward

After months of legislative wranglingand brinksmanship, on January 1, the

United States House of Representativespassed legislation, which was passed theday before by the Senate, to avert the socalled “fiscal cliff.” On December 31, theSenate passed the measure by an over-whelming 89-8 vote, while the House votewas 257-167.

While the majority of middle class taxpayers will avoid increases in marginal taxrates, they will see higher payroll tax rates.

The legislation did not extend thepayroll tax holiday implementedin 2010, which changed the employee contribution for thepayroll tax from 6.2 percent to4.2 percent, in order to provideworking Americans with moreincome as part of the 2009

stimulus package.

The agreement means an increasedtax bill for married couples earning morethan $450,000—$400,000 for single filers—as the current top rate of 35 percent risesto 39.6 percent. Americans earning at thislevel will also experience a change in thetaxes they pay on dividends and capital

L E G I S L A T I V E C O N N E C T I O N


Debt Ceiling Deal Reached

gains, with these rates increasing from 15percent to 20 percent—an amount far lessthan the 40 percent originally sought bythe Administration.

However, there are tax increases onhouseholds earning less than $450,000.Clinton era limits on personal exemptionsand itemized deductions for couples earningmore than $300,000 and single filers earningin excess of $250,000 will be reinstitutedunder the bill.

As for estate taxes,the rates will risefrom 35 percent to40 percent for estatesvalued at over $5 mil-lion dollars, howeverthe Republicans didsucceed in buildingin a provision whichallows the amountof the exemption(currently five mil-lion dollars) to beindexed to the rateof inflation. Someother provisions areas follows:

•Unemployment benefits are extendedfor an additional year benefiting approxi-mately 2 million out of work Americans.

•Tax credits for college tuition, createdby the 2009 stimulus package, are extendedfor five years, benefiting some 25 millionlow income families.

•The “doctor fix” is included meaningthat Medicare providers will not face a se-rious cut in pay.

•The Alternative Minimum Tax problemis permanently fixed removing a potentialtax danger for middle class families.

•A number of existing business taxbenefits will remain in place for anotheryear, including renewable energy taxcredit which is extended for an additionalyear.

•The $900 per year salary raise recentlysigned into existence by President Obamafor members of Congress is revoked.

The debt ceiling is not addressed inthe bill. Technically, as of December 31,the federal government reached its debtceiling ($16.4 trillion). However, the U.S.Treasury has indicated that it has sufficientfunds to meet obligations for anothertwo months, at which time Congress willhave to take action to avoid default.

The legislation has also delayed thesequester – i.e. the mandatory cuts thatwere part of the Budget Control Act of2011, for two months, during which timethe Congress will be wrangling over thedebt ceiling and how or whether to avertthe pending steep budget cuts to bothentitlement and defense programs.

Visit

www.ncccc.com

& click

Governm

ent Affairs

uWhile the majority of middle class tax payers will avoid increases in marginal tax rates, they will see higher payroll tax rates.

In December, the Chamber conducted adetailed public policy survey concerningthe leading post-election issues confrontingour members. The on-line survey consistedof 53 questions and covered a wide rangeof topics from public safety in Wilmington,to casinos in New Castle County, toDelaware's public education system andsolutions to the national debt crisis. Thesurvey was completed by 242 Chambermembers.

For the most part, members indicatedthey were very concerned about the directionof the country and the ongoing budgetaryproblems in Washington. On the locallevel they were concerned about crime inWilmington and generally supportive ofcharter schools. Here are some highlights:

•47% said that the country was off onthe “wrong track”

•31% thought political gridlock was themost pressing problem facing the nation

•38% did not think Social Security wouldbe available when they retire

•59% support the establishment of addi-tional charter schools

•76% viewed public safety as a seriousissue in Wilmington

The survey, took place as fiscal cliffdeadlines began to loom and negotiationsthreatened to stall, found that spendingand the national debt are perhaps the twogreatest issues facing the country at thistime, according to our membership. Theirnumber one recommendation for balancing

the budget, at39% was re-duce spending.

We will bereleasing moreresults fromthis importantsurvey as thefirst quartergoes on. Thankyou to thosewho participat-ed in the sur-vey for weigh-ing in on thesematters of national and local significance.Our government affairs team hopes to usethis feedback to more effectively represent

Chamber Conducts Public Policy SurveyThe Results Are In

the greater New Castle County businesscommunity in our dealings with the local,County, State, and federal government.

Eliminating certain tax deductions and“loopholes” for all income levels

Eliminating certain deductions and “loopholes” for large corporations

Increasing taxes on households earning more than $250,000 per year

Increasing taxes on households earning more than $1 million per year

Reduce spending

Which approach would you MOST like Congress to take in moving toward a balanced budget?

39.4%17.7%

22.9%11.3%

8.7%

E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T C O U N C I L


Founding Developer of the Town of Whitehall Joins the EDC’s Monthly Meeting

The Economic Development Council’smonthly discussion luncheon on No-

vember 7 was joined by Brian DiSabatinoof EDiS Construction, who gave a pres-entation and solicited input on the plannedWhitehall community near Middletown.

The New Castle County Economic Development Council represents a part-nership between the NCC Chamber ofCommerce and New Castle County Government, bringing together govern-ment officials at the state, county andmunicipal levels with business leadersfrom throughout the County. EDiS Con-struction, founding developer, has part-nered with The Welfare Foundation and,founding builder, Eastern States Group,to bring the Town of Whitehall project to life.

If you have previously lived in aplanned community, or know someonewho has, you may already understand thebasic concept behind Whitehall: in oneplace, community members can live, work,recreate, and shop, often in multi-use complexes mapped out prior to construc-tion. The Town of Whitehall will indeedprovide convenience, amenities, and prox-imity to areas of interest. But what’s more?

Whitehall aims to be-come a center of activity and daily life forhomeowners and com-munity members, but forNew Castle County atlarge, as well. With theinclusion of town squares,public meeting spaces,places of worship, schools,and parks, the developers’hope is to re-create thebest neighborhoods inDelaware and beyond.As the development’sweb site exclaims: “It’strue. We’re building a town.”

DiSabatino cited the New Castle CountyChamber’s government affairs and eco-nomic development efforts, particularlyat the County level, as vital in makingWhitehall possible.

With two acres of land and over one mil-lion square feet of buildable area, DiSabatinoprojects that the project will generate $1billion in residential construction, $30 millionin potential revenue from retail sources,and up to $360 million in revenue from its

business park. The first phase of Whitehallis called Mapleton Village. Additional in-formation can be found at the development’sweb site, www.whitehallde.com.

The members-only Economic Devel-opment Council holds a monthly DiscussionLuncheon focusing on a topic of importanceto development, job growth, and/or thebusiness community in New Castle County.For information on membership, contactBob Chadwick at (302) 294-2058.

Brian DiSabatino, Founding Developer of the Town of Whitehall,shares info at the recent Economic Development Council luncheon.

Economic Development Council Member List Public Sector Co-Chair:

County Executive Tom GordonPrivate Sector Co-Chair: Mr. Dennis RochfordAloysius Butler & Clark

Astra ZenecaBancroft Construction

Bernardon Haber HollowayChristiana CareCity of Newark

City of WilmingtonCommercial Industrial Realty Council

Committee of 100Delaware BioScience AssociationDelaware Contractors Association

Delaware Economic Development OfficeDelaware Park

Delaware River & Bay AuthorityDelDot

Delmarva PowerDiSabatino Construction

Emory Hill Real Estate ServicesFirst State Innovation

Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors BureauHarvey, Hanna & Associates

M&T BankMaritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay

New Castle County GovernmentNew Castle County Board of Realtors

PNC BankSaul Ewing LLP

Setting Properties, Inc.TD Bank

The Byrd GroupThe Commonwealth GroupThe Garland Company

W.L. GoreWILMAPCO

Wilmington UniversityWorld Trade Center Delaware

At the Economic DevelopmentCouncil’s fourth quarter meeting

on Thursday, December 6th, the roughly40-member Economic DevelopmentCouncil (EDC) joined the companiesof the Emerging Enterprise Center(EEC) for a holiday luncheon, network-ing, a presentation, and (for the EECcompanies) some practice sharing theirelevator pitches in front of a large au-dience. The Economic DevelopmentCouncil brings together government of-ficials at the state, county and municipallevels with business leaders fromthroughout the County. The EmergingEnterprise Center is among the EDC’s

flagship initiatives; begun in 2007, it isa business incubator for startup (0-3years in business) companies with thegoal of creating jobs and revenue growthin New Castle County.

Program Manager Frank DeSantisshared a summary of the companies’activities in 2012, which yielded impres-sive results! Through the third quarterof 2012, the EEC companies had gen-erated $5,916,114, surpassing their com-bined total revenue ($5M) for all fourquarters of 2011. Additionally, the com-panies created or maintained 24 full-time equivalent positions this year, com-pared with 17.5 at year-end 2011.

The EEC’s theme of general growth wasalso echoed by its individual companies.This year, three companies graduated fromthe EEC program: Genoese & Associates,a tax planning and accounting firm; FiresidePartners, which provides business aviationemergency response plans, and Info Solu-tions, which provides transition IT supportto mid-size businesses. While the two formercompanies have moved into their ownoffices in New Castle County, Info Solutions,which was named the EEC’s best-perform-ing company in 2011, has formally graduatedfrom the program but will remain in thebuilding as an “anchor tenant,” to benefitour newest additions.

Emerging Enterprise Center and NCC Economic Development Council Gather for Holiday Luncheon

Continued on page 6.

Speaking of which: Facility ServicesGroup (or FSG), Keystone Scents, and IAM… Consulting are the three newestmembers of the EEC family. The diversityof goods and services provided by thesethree groups – system solutions for theflooring industry; production, marketingand distribution of scented products, andstrategic management consulting, coach-ing, and training programs – is reflectiveof the Emerging Enterprise Center’soverall diversity. This is due to the factthat the incubator does not focus on aspecific industry, but seeks to nurtureany small business that has the potentialto significantly grow revenues and jobs.


Starting a business can be a dauntingtask. Ask any successful entrepreneur

and they’ll tell you that they may havehad a great idea, great enthusiasm and some great customers, but soon the reality hits…. There is more to running a business. It helps to have asupport network, to keep you focusedon the things that will make your business successful.

The Emerging Enterprise Center(EEC) at the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce offers assis-

tance to early stage, start-up busi-nesses in New Castle Countyand the greater Wilmingtonregion. The incubator program helps nurture the en-trepreneurial spirit while pro-moting economic development

in New Castle County by pro-viding affordable office space and

business support services, as well as train-ing, mentoring and a network of profes-sional advisors.

A key component of nurturing theentrepreneurial spirit is through the Men-tor Program at the EEC. It is designedto provide participating companies inthe EEC Small Business Incubator Pro-gram with job-specific guidance to fasttrack their learning curve. The Mentorshelp the EEC Company Teams by keep-ing them focused on the important pri-orities, clearly articulating their businessvision, challenging their benchmarks/mile-stones, developing and executing onaction plans, and assisting them, whereappropriate, with developing a networkof contacts. Mentors are drawn from di-verse business fields, and are experienced,well-qualified professionals who canrelate to the challenges facing early-stagecompanies. The Mentors have networksin the region and have volunteered toshare their knowledge and expertise withCompany Teams at the EEC.

One EEC company, WSI (We Simplifythe Internet) is taking full advantage ofmentoring. The mentoring program has

been a successful as-pect of the EEC, saysProgram ManagerFrank DeSantis, “Wedesigned the mentor-ing in a way that itwill help early stagebusinesses grow theirbusiness, and developthe skills that will en-hance their chancesof success.”

Matt Doyle is thepresident of his WSIfranchise, a Toronto-based firm with over500 consultants in the US. His companyassists clients with a variety of internetand web services such as search engineoptimization, web presence, mobile sites,and other tools. “I had been in advertisingworking for the Yellow Pages and Com-cast and I was transferred to Utah. I de-cided to come back to this area and startmy own business.” After some investi-gation Doyle settled on WSI. “We openedin 2010 and found a home in the EEC.”Doyle was matched with a mentor andthe two men meet on a monthly basis. “Ienjoy the mentoring. I have learned agreat deal from it, I had never been abusiness owner before. I was always theemployee.”

“I tell him he used to work for ‘theman’, now he is ‘the man’,” jokes ChrisBurkhard, Doyle’s mentor. Burkhard isthe owner of CBI Group, a staffing, re-cruiting and HR firm located in Newarkand Wilmington. “My father was a serialentrepreneur,” says Burkhard. “He owneda number of different businesses while Iwas growing up and I later managed anddirected some of them.” At the age of30 Burkhard opened his own business.In 2011 he was named the County Cham-ber’s Entrepreneur of the Year.

“Chris has been great, he has reallyled me on a path of discovery as a businessowner,” says Doyle. “He has helped inother ways as well; I know he put me intouch with an excellent CPA.” Currently

Entrepreneurs! A Mentor can Fast-Track your Learning Curve

the men are working on a quarterly, one-year and three-year strategic plan forWSI. “Chris has really taught me the im-portance of being fluid, to be able tochange quickly, to adapt, that is why weare working on three strategic plans.”Burkhard challenges Dolye to highlightto clients what his company does betterthan anyone else.

“I feel like I’ve been there where Mattis and I can give advice because I havelived it,” says Burkhard. “I have alwaysbeen fascinated with people’s interest inentrepreneurialism, with the idea ofdreaming big on a small concept.”Burkhard is convinced we still have theability to invent. “We will always needthose people who want to build the bettermousetrap,” he says. “This is where theEEC helps, it allows business people totake their good idea, try it out and getsupport for it.”

Burkhard has been mentoring andteaching on a variety of levels from JAto peer-to-peer and has grown his skillset.“I feel I can give an opinion or an answeron something before the person knowsthat they need an opinion or answer.”Burkhard sees the advantages of men-torship on his own business and career,“the more I teach, the more I know.”

For more information regarding theEmerging Enterprise Center please con-tact Frank DeSantis at 302-294-2056 orvisit the EEC online at www.ncccc.com.

Emerging Enterprise Center and NCC EconomicDevelopment Council

Gather for Holiday Luncheon

E M E R G I N G E N T E R P R I S E C E N T E R

Additionally, the Center’s InternationalSoft Landings program, launched this yearas a plat-form fore s t a b -l i s h e dcompa-nies op-era t ingab roadto ex-pand intothe Unit-ed States,garneredtwo newrecruits,both hail-ing fromItaly: IdeaItalia, andADHR ,an online Human Resource firm.

Finally, the EDC-EEC luncheon providedour incubator entrepreneurs with an oppor-tunity to describe their company, their targetcustomers, and the solutions they provide,in front of seasoned members of the businesscommunity. All have now become familiarwith program manager DeSantis’ refrain ofusing “Clear, Concise, and Compelling” pitch-es to familiarize audiences with their brand,and that training was evident in their two-minute introductions to the luncheon crowd.Among others, Greg Fylak of UniversityConsulting Experts, Matt Doyle of WSI –We Simplify the Internet, and Valerie Brownof I AM… Consulting, shared their two-minute elevator pitches with the crowd, sum-marizing in short order the pain their com-panies could solve for the audience of 50.

To learn more about Economic Develop-ment Council membership, contact Bob Chadwick at (302) 294-2058 or [email protected].

Continued from page 5.

Valerie Brown-Baul, owner of I AM...Consulting, delivers a quick

pitch at the EDC and EEC's holiday luncheon.

Matt Doyle of WSI - We Simplify The Internet

Visit

www.NCCCC.com

&click B

usiness Incubator

Connect with the greater New CastleCounty business community...

· Networking Mixers

· Tabletops/Expos· Special Events

· Annual Dinner· Business Women’s Expo

· A Day on Capitol Hill· Chamber Awards Luncheon

· Quarterly Tabletop & Membership Meetings

· Chamber Charity Golf Challenge

· Policy Makers Series

· W.I.N. Women Into Networking

Save money as a member of the County Chamber...

· Affordable Health Insurance· Auto Insurance· Office Depot Discounts

· Workers Comp, Disability

· Vision Plans· Dental Plans

· Life Insurance

· Merchant Processing

· Member to Member Discounts

· Pre-tax Benefits

· Business Education Programs

· Room Rentals

Grow your business with the County Chamber...

· Event Sponsorships

· Online Advertising

· DelBiz2Go Mobile App

· ChamberMail Email Blast Advertising

· Print Advertising

· Flexible marketing plans for any budget

· Referrals and Referral Groups

· Ribbon Cuttings

· Speed Networking

· Greater Newark Network


J O I N T H E C H A M B E R

Nearly 90% of all New Year’s Res-olutions are broken. And it doesn’t

take long, most people don’t make itinto February with whatever they vowedto change, improve or better. One sim-ple and easy New Year’s Resolution abusiness owner can make is to join theChamber and help their business con-nect, save and grow in 2013. It is oneresolution that will stick!

The Chamber helps businesses connect to other businesses and to cus-tomers through a variety of networkingevents and special programs. TheChamber provides excellent forums atsome of the best facilities in the greaterNew Castle County region for peopleto share business cards, greet customersand learn business education tips fromlocal professionals. This past November,over 700 people came together at theannual Business Women’s Expo at theUniversity of Delaware’s Clayton Hall.Over the summer, business people andnon-profit leaders met at the annual

Non Profit Luau. Throughoutthe year the Chamber broughtpeople together at various mix-ers held at many fine restau-rants, golf courses and even theBlue Rocks’ Frawley Stadium.

The Chamber helps busi-nesses save with the BenefitsConnection Insurance Program.Benefits Connection provides affordablehealth insurance in addition to dental,auto, and more. It is easy to see how

much you can save by visitingncccc.com and filling out the simple“quick quote” form. The Chamberis working on behalf of all businessesto keep an eye on legislation in Doverand D.C. that affects commerce inthis region. The Chamber is also veryactive in sorting out the specifics ofthe Affordable Healthcare Act. While

visiting ncccc.com, please note the Members Only section—it is filled withmoney saving programs for business.

Make it a Resolution to Join the Chamber

Growing your business is most im-portant to the Chamber and we workhard to give your business an edge inthe marketplace. We offer educationprograms to help you hone your skillsand teach new practices. The Chamberhas a great new mobile app for allsmart phones—DelBiz2Go. The app, DelBiz2Go, has a coupon and deals

feature that a business owner can set up individually allowinghe or she to offer a coupon ordiscount that can bring in new business.

The Chamber is very excitedabout a number of new and re-designed programs for 2013, likethe Annual Dinner moving tothe Bob Carpenter Center inNewark and a series of all newtabletop festivals coming eachseason throughout the year. Now

is the best time to join the Chamber.For more information please visitwww.ncccc.com or call (302) 737-4343.


C H A M B E R V A L U E P A C K S

This year the New Castle CountyChamber of Commerce is offering

a new marketing platform for members:Value Packs.

The Value Packs are spread acrossthe four major Chamber programs of Advertising, Business Education,Event Marketing and Networking aredesigned and priced to suit any budget

from sole proprietors to large employers.

The Value Packs do just that--bringvalue to your business by helping youand your company be recognized, high-lighted, and in focus at Chamber events,in print, online or in person. Chamberprograms are well-respected and wellknown throughout the greater New

Castle County region and the ValuePacks allow businesses to be a part ofthe Chamber's network and to use thepower of the Chamber's influence tohelp businesses grow. They are pricedfor value and special discounts offeroutstanding savings. The offers rangefrom FREE to as low as $50 and up to$2,300 (for an entire year of the new

Something new for 2013--Value Packs

Premium Ad Campaign). Now is thetime to get started with your ValuePack package.

Please contact the New CastleCounty Chamber of Commerce todayat (302) 737-4343 or [email protected] more information and please keepthese informational pages.

A D V E R T I S I N G

� Ad Campaign - *$525 30% Discount� Four (4) Business Card size ads in Business Matters ($500 value)� Website Banner ad for four (4) weeks ($200 value)� Enhanced Listing for website Directory for the entire year ($50 value)

A $750 value! Reach over 275,000 people!

* Pay in full in advance and receive an additional 10% discount for a final cost of $473

� Enhanced Ad Campaign - *$1,470 40% Discount� Four (4) quarter page ads in Business Matters ($2,000 value)� Website Banner ad for eight (8) weeks ($400 value)� Enhanced Listing for website Directory for the entire year ($50 value)

A $2,450 value! Reach over 300,000 people!

* Pay in full in advance and receive an additional 10% discount for a final cost of $1,323

� Premium Ad Campaign - *$2,375 50% Discount� Six (6) quarter page ads in Business Matters ($3000 value)� Two (2) Advertorials in Business Matters ($800 value)� Website Banner ad for twelve (12) weeks ($600 value)� Enhanced Listing for website Directory for the entire year ($50 value)

A $2,375 value! Reach over 423,000 people!

* Pay in full in advance and receive an additional 10% discount for a final cost of $2,137


W AY S T O S A V E !B U S I N E S S E D U C A T I O N

� Business Builder - $50 per individualAn outstanding, affordable and time saving value to improve your business.

� Unlimited access to Small Business University (self-paced, online audio powerpoints featuring material in marketing, money and management)

� 3 Live Workshops of your choice (Select from 19 topic specific workshops during the course of the year)A $300 value!

E V E N T M A R K E T I N G

� Quarterly Tabletop & Membership Meeting - $500 each or $1,500 for the series- Display table at each event

� Spring Fest (April 11)� Summer Fest (June 19)

- List of all attendees- Logo listed on all marketing material

� Ribbon Cutting Ceremony - FreeFor new members only.

� Red Ribbon and Big Scissors� Ambassador and VIP Attendees� Photo in the Chamber newsletter, Business Matters (circulation of 67,000)

� Ribbon Cutting Plus - $200� All items listed in standard ribbon cutting� Available for special events or anniversaries� Help coordinate and customize your event.

N E T W O R K I N G

� Year-Long Pass - $100 per individualThis includes the following networking mixers:

� Network at Noon � Mid-Day Networking � Network at Night

� Individual Mixer Sponsorship - $200� One networking mixer (35 to 200 Attendees)� Logo listed on all marketing material

� Chamber Orientation Sponsor - $50 each or $750 for the series� Nine briefings per year (25 to 75 Attendees)� Tabletop at briefing

� UnWINEd Wednesday� Quarterly Tabletops

� Framed Certificate� Press Release� Posting on Web Site, Twitter and Facebook

� September Fest (Sept 11)� Winter Fest (Dec 12)

� List of attendees� Tabletop at mixer

� List of attendees� Distribute marketing material at briefing

M E M B E R P R O F I L E

It started simply. “My Dad has alwaysbeen involved in the community: the

Knights of Columbus, Masons, Shriners, andother service clubs and he was asked by theNur Temple if he would be interested incleaning up after special events and heagreed, that was 1990,” says Brandt Emoryof APS Cleaning Services. He was speakingabout his father, Rob and how the businessfirst began.

Rob Emory was working at Astra-Zeneca in charge of their custodial services(he retired in 2010 after 35 years with thecompany) when he was asked to help out

at the Shiners lodge in New Castleand one thing led to another. “Hedid a good job and very soonpeople were asking him to pro-vide cleaning services for theirorganization,” says Brandt. Thebusiness started out as a side proj-ect while Rob continued to work

full-time with Brandt helping out.

Rob and his son soon found themselvesvery busy. “It was a home-based businessfor years and I would work my full-timejob and help my Dad when I could, almostevery day.” Rob needed some help. Helives with Cerebral Palsy that has left him

with some disabilities. “My Dad is notreally disabled, he lives with what I call‘disadvantages.’” The disadvantages seemedto have heightened following his retirement.“I took some months off and when I wentback to work running my business, my bodydidn’t respond like I wanted” says Rob.

“My Dad has lived his whole life withlimited opportunities and people tellinghim he would not be able to do things buthe worked for 35 years and raised a goodfamily. He made his own breaks and henever asked for help.” Brandt decided hewanted to help, “he is my father.”

“We met and decided we could take thebusiness full-time and I would come onboardand run the new APS Cleaning,” saysBrandt. Brandt moved the company outof the home and into an office location

with a warehouse in New Castle off Churchmans Road. The company has asecond office in Talleyville off Foulk Road.APS has five employees and a growing cus-tomer base. “When my Dad started it waswith handshakes and trust, things are differentnow and I manage all of that for him.”

“We were lucky to have some early suc-cess,” says Brandt. “I was in Newark workingmy other job when I ran across Chris Lockeof Lang Development Corp. and I ap-proached him to say we offered a full-range of cleaning services. Chris made aquick phone call and soon we were cleaning40 apartments in four days.” Lang Devel-opment owns a number of businesses andresidential apartment complexes in Newark.“I’ll never forget how Chris listened to me,made a phone call and that was it.”

“We are a good company because of myfather’s experience,” says Brandt. Robstresses the use of quality products in orderto do a quality job. “I can use cheaper waxon floors that do an OK job and wax moreoften or use a high quality wax that makesa great shine and only have to wax once ina while,” says Brandt. “We also use cleanmop heads. How often do you see dirtymops at places? How well do they clean?Clean mops do a better job and we alwaysuse clean mops.” Brandt concludes, “Weknow the trade.”

APS is hoping their experience can helpothers. “We are working with the DelawareDepartment of Labor in a training program.We want to legitimize the cleaning industry,to train people to clean, to properly use solutions, use good sanitizing practices andmore,” says Brandt. At the end of the program participants will have a certificationfrom the State.

APS Cleaning offers commercial, residential, light industrial, new and post-construction cleaning services. Servicesare provided daily, weekly, monthly andare customizable. Visit APS Cleaning atwww.betterkindofclean.com.

APS CleaningOvercoming Obstacles and Moving Ahead


Visit us on line today to see the many reasonswhy joining the Chamber can help

your business grow in today’s tough economy!

www.ncccc.comor call us at 302-737-4343

Leading Businesses.Leading Communities.

Download the

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M E M B E R S H I P M A T T E R S

“USSENSE” Featuring H. Wade JohnsonEntertainment(803) 290-8181www.hwadejohnson.com

A. S. Jacono LLCConstruction/Contractors(302) 378-3000

Beautiful Smiles of Delaware/Victor Venturena, D.M.D.Dentists/Orthodontics(302) 656-0558www.beautifulsmilesofde.com

Brain Balance Achievement CenterEducation/Training(302) 397-8465www.brainbalancewilmington.com

Broadview NetworksCellular Phones(610) 755-4030www.broadviewnet.com

Cash Direct ExpressFinancial Services(302) 442-6941www.cashdirectexpress.com

Central ApplianceAppliances(302) 998-0573

Chelsea TavernRestaurant(302) 482-3333www.chelseatavern.com

Collins Business SystemsTelecommunications(302) 658-1700www.collinsvoice.com

Comfort SuitesAccommodations(443) 350-9154www.comfortsuites.com/hotel-elkton-maryland-MD215

Commercial Deposit Insurance AgencyInsurance(484) 881-1653www.cdiaus.com

Commodities Plus, Inc.Retail-Consignment(302) 376-5219www.buyandsellrags.com

Data Management ConceptsInformation Technology Consulting & Services(888) 467-9568

DE-TaxesAccounting & Tax(302) 477-1108www.de-taxes.com

Drafting by DesignInterior Design(302) 292-8304www.draftingbydesign.com

Ernest and Scott TaproomBistro/Pub/Cafe(302) 384-8113www.ernestandscott.com

eZanga.com, Inc.Marketing(302) 279-1020www.ezanga.com

Ferguson Enterprises Inc.Home Improvement(302) 656-4421www.ferguson.com

Ferris Home Improvements, LLCConstruction/Contractors(302) 293-3871www.ferrishomeimprovements.com

Frank J. Devonshire & SonsConstruction/Contractors(302) 998-7518www.frankdevonshire.com

Glasgow Medical CenterMedical Services(302) 836-8350www.glasgowmedicalcenter.com

Global Franchise Advisors, LLCConsultants/Consulting(302) 286-6626www.globalfranchiseadvisors.com

Handling Physical Therapy, LLCChiropractors(302) 544-4383www.handlingpt.com

Hertrich’s of New CastleAuto Sales/Service(302) 323-1100www.hertrichsofnewcastle.com

Teppanyaki Grill & Supreme BuffetRestaurant(302) 836-9888

Independence WealthStrategies / C. Anthony McDonald CLU,ChFC, MSFSInsurance/Financial Services(302) 781-1054www.independencewealthstrategies.net

K & J Services, Inc.Construction/Contractors(302) 757-0446www.kandjpainting.com

Limestone NutritionHealth & Wellness(302) 397-8705

Mark Weiss and AssociatesBusiness & Professional Services(302) 547-4917www.markweissandassoc.com

Meat HouseCateringwww.theMeatHouse.com

National Duct Cleaning & Chimney, LLCDuct Cleaning(302) 455-0801

PeopleShareStaffing Services(302) 455-1300www.peopleshareworkds.com

Pike Creek ChiropracticCenterChiropractors(302) 737-9601www.PikeCreekChiro.com

Prudential Fox & Roach -Peggy CushingReal Estate(302) 540-6496

Quinn’s CafeRestaurant(302) 239-7440www.quinnscafe.com

Reeds Refuge CenterEducation(302) 482-2286

Right AnswerManagement Consultants(302) 419-8867www.rtanswer.com

RightCoastProEntertainment(302) 918-9181www.rightcoastpro.com

Sears Home Appliance & Mattress ShowroomRetail/Wholesale(302) 453-1251www.shos.com

ShopperLocalAdvertising & Marketing(302) 304-0232www.shopperlocal.com

Speedpro Imaging of WilmingtonSigns - Displays/Vehicle/Carved(302) 999-8162www.speedprowilmington.com

Stanley Properties, LLCProperty Management(302) 376-8800

State Farm - PubuskyInsurance(302) 434-3333www.covermeabby.com

State Farm Insurance -Sean O’HaganInsurance(302) 798-7572

State Farm Insurance-BroujosInsurance(302) 753-5103

Sycamore International, Inc.Computers/IT/Internet(866) 620-8434www.sycamoreinternational.com

The Ministry of Caring, Inc.Social Services(302) 428-3702www.ministryofcaring.org


N E W M E M B E R S

List complete as of December 13, 2012.

To have your business listedhere, join the Chamber!Visit www.ncccc.com or call (302) 737-4343

J A N U A R Y E V E N T S C A L E N D A R


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20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31 1 2

Sun M o n T u e W e d Thu Fr i S a t

8:30 - 10:00 AMChamber Orientation-Get to Know Your

Chamber

FREE event!

SAVE

THE DATE!

Cham

berp

alooza II

January 31st

To register for events, please visit www.ncccc.com and click ‘Events Calendar’

Chamber ClosedHappy New Year!

Chamber Closed

Martin Luther King, Jr.Day

Networking Series Sponored by:

8:30 – 10:30 AM Business FundamentalsTax Changes in 2013;How Your Business

Can Survive

7:30 PMChamberPalooza IIwith the tribute band- Jimmy & The Parrots

at World Cafe Live at theQueen, Wilmington

Chamberpalooza IIfeaturing Jimmy Buffett Tribute Band

Jimmy and the Parrots

Thursday, January 31Doors open at 7:00 PM

Chamber Orientation Get to Know Your Chamberat the Chamber Offices

12 Penns Way, New Castle

Tuesday, January 88:30 - 10:00 AM

Thursday, January 105:30 - 7:30 PM

Annual Member Meeting & Mixer

at Hilton Wilmington/ChristianaNewark, DE

Business FundamentalsTax Changes in 2013:

How Your Business Can Survive

at the Chamber Offices12 Penns Way, New Castle

Thursday, January 248:00 - 10:30 AM

5:30 – 7:30 PMAnnual Meeting & Mixerat Hilton Wilmington-Christiana in Newark

FREE event!

F E B R U A R Y E V E N T S C A L E N D A R


27 28 29 30 31 1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 1 2

Sun M o n T u e W e d Thu Fr i S a t

To register for events, please visit www.ncccc.com and click ‘Calendar & Registration’

To register for events, visitwww.ncccc.com

and click ‘Events Calendar’

UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTEDAll events are held at the New Castle County Chamber,12 Penns Way. Call (302) 737-4343 for details.

11:30 AM - 1:30 PMSixth Annual

Economic ForecastLuncheon

at DoubleTree ByHilton Wilmington

Downtown

11:30 AM - 2:00 PM

AfternoonSpeed Networking

8:00 - 10:00 AMRegional Spotlight

atThe Crowne Plaza,

Claymont

5:30 – 8:00 PMWIN Women Into Networking-

Health & Wellness Panel and Exhibits

at Sheraton Wilmington (I-95 & Airport Rd.)

Chamber Closedfor President’s Day

5:30 - 7:30 PMNetwork at Night Mardi Gras at

Holiday Inn Express

Network at NightMardi Gras

at Holiday Inn Express

W.I.N. WIN

Women Into NetworkingSheraton Wilmington South

Wednesday, February 275:30 - 8:00 PM

Tuesday, February 125:30 - 7:30 PM

Afternoon Speed Networking

Wednesday, February 2011:30 AM - 2:00 PM

at the Chamber Offices12 Penns Way, New Castle

6th Annual Economic Forecast Lunchat DoubleTree by HiltonWilmington Downtown

Thursday, February 1411:30 AM - 1:30 PM

8:00 - 10:00 AMBusiness IssuesRoundtable

at the Chamber

6:00 – 8:00 PMPolicy Forumat the Chamber

8:30 - 10:00 AMChamber Orientation-Get to Know Your

Chamber

FREE event!

Joe White "died" in 1994, he was 23years old. Joe was addicted to cocaine

and alcohol and the mixture proved tobe lethal. Or so it seemed… Joe was re-vived by quick thinking EMT’s who wereresponding to a 911 call of an overdosedman lying on the sidewalk in New York.“I was lucky,” says Joe today. But nottoo smart, “I went right back to using.”Joe got clean and sober in 1994 and hasn’tlooked back.

This past summer Joe White was named the County Chamber’s En-trepreneur of the Year at the annual

Chamber Awards Luncheon. Heis the owner of Get Life Coach-ing with offices in Wilmingtonand Delaware City.

It all started with late nighttelevision. “I was watching aTony Robbins infomercial andI thought, “What if it worked?”

so after about three days of watch-ing the same infomercial,

I bought the tapes.” Joe eventually got involved in the Robbins programs

and wastrained tobe a coachfor Rob-bins “Ihave beenan entre-p r e n e u rsince I was12 yearsold andknew Iwanted tomake a major impact.”

Joe started his business out of hisbasement office. “I had two clients thatfirst year,” he recalls. “We have grownsteadily in spite of the economy.” Thecompany will celebrate 15 years in busi-ness in 2013.

Get Life Coaching is exactly what itsays, helping coach people through theirlives whether it be their business life,home life, personal life, relationships ormore. “Coaching is not therapy, therapyis a slow burn, lots of talking,” says Joe.

“I am a mechan-ic.” He explains,“We are all wiredin a certain waybased on anyn u m b e r of factors so whatwe do is we helppeople find outwho they reallyare and thencoach them tostay there.”

“We aren’t about creating dependency.People who come to us want to learnhow to help themselves and to have abetter focus. And we aren’t hypnotists,we do not prescribe medications, there isnothing magic,” says Joe. “About 80%of success is psychology, what holds some-one back is themselves and the patternsthey have created in their lives.”

Joe notes that his company’s approachis about helping people to break limitingpatterns and learn how to be coaches intheir own life.

Get Life Coaching offers one-on-one

coaching, seminars and Life CoachingCertification. One of the most popularprograms is the Firewalk Transformation.The Firewalk is not about the walkingon 1200 degree coals; it is about crossingthe fire in your life. “It is exhilarating,”says Joe. People come out transformedand have broken through whatever fearthat was holding them back. “We allhave our firewalk to cross so we use realfire as the ultimate metaphor for whatwe need to get over,” says Joe. Visit thewebsite www.thefirewalk.com to check it out.

“I love what I do,” says Joe and hecredits an amazing and dedicated teamof coaches and support to help makeGet Life Coaching the success it is today.Joe has coached over thousands of peopleat this point in his career and averagesover 1,100 coaching sessions and morethan 880 hours of seminars and trainingseach year and in 2012.

Visit Joe White and his team atwww.getlifecoaching.com.

Entrepreneur of the Year to Celebrate 15 Years Of Changing Lives!

CONGRATU LAT I ONS G E T L I F E C O A C H I N G


Visit

getlifeco

aching.co

m

Meridian Crossingwww.meridiancrossing.com

Reeds Refuge Center - Studio 505(302) 482-2286

Delaware Furniture Exchangewww.delawarefurnitureexchange.com

Diamond State Financial Groupwww.dsfg.com

Hertrich's of New Castlewww.hertrichsofnewcastle.com

Rufo Associates, PAwww.rufolaw.com

Schilling-Douglas School of Hair Design, LLCwww.schillingdouglas.edu

M E M B E R R I B B O N C U T T I N G S


MedExpress- N. DuPont Hwywww.medexpress.com

RightCoastProwww.rightcoastpro.com

Sleep Disorders Managementwww.sleepdisordersmanagement.info

SpeedPro Imaging of Wilmingtonwww.speedprowilmington.com

Sears Home Appliance and Mattress Showroomwww.shos.com

Photo by Stiehl P

hotography

Photo by Steve K

nox

BM010013

Build your careerEarning a UD certificate can help you:

Upgrade your credentials • Acquire practical new skills • Change careers

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CERTIFICATE PROGRAM INFORMATION SESSIONThursday, January 17 • 6p.m.

Doubletree Hotel • 700 N. King Street, WilmingtonPlease register by calling 302-831-7600.

Register now for ourinformation session!

UD is for you!302-831-7600 • [email protected]/certificate/

New Castle CountyChamber members receive

a 10% discount!

january 2013 business matters

Documents

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n c c c c

new year

fun music

releasenew music

jimmy buffett coverbands

original songs

troprock music association