SouthGroup Insurance Services has again joined with Friends of Children’s Hospital to present the SouthGroup Make a Difference 5K Run/Walk on February 18, 2012 in Ridgeland. The Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital treats over 150,000 children from every county in Mississippi each year for everything from cystic fibrosis and juvenile diabetes to pediatric heart disease, neurological disorders and other childhood illnesses.  Thank you for participating in last year’s event which attracted over 650 runners and walkers and raised $25,000 for the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital.

We hope you will participate again this year.  The 3.1 mile course runs through the Northpark area of Ridgeland and the race is a Mississippi Track Club event.  Medals are awarded in all age categories as well as overall winners and all pre-registered runners and walkers receive a souvenir t-shirt.

There will be a one-mile fun run for kids immediately following the 5K and all participants will receive a finisher’s fun medal and medals will be awarded in each age bracket.  There will also be fun activities for children on premises.

Door prizes will be awarded following the race and refreshments will be available.  Convenient parking is available in the Woodlands Office Park .

You may print your registration form or register online at http://www.southgroup.net/5k-run.htm.  Please join us again this year.

GRAND OPENING/RIBBON CUTTING

MS Sports Hall of Fame

Tuesday February 7th

5:30 – 7:30 PM

Refreshments and Hors d’oeuvres

Special Thanks to:

Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame

Southern Beverage Company

Fantasy Foods Catering

]]> http://greaterjacksonbusiness.com/2012/02/local-98-ribbon-cutting/feed/ 0 http://greaterjacksonbusiness.com/2012/02/planning-for-this-year-with-inmotions-deirdre-m-danahar/ http://greaterjacksonbusiness.com/2012/02/planning-for-this-year-with-inmotions-deirdre-m-danahar/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:30:45 +0000 admin http://greaterjacksonbusiness.com/?p=2784

Groundhog day. A do over day. A day to check to see what is on the horizon in the coming weeks. Now is a terrific time to reflect on what you have planned for 2012. After all we develop a commitment to what we spend time on- the more time invested the deeper the commitment. Taking time to consider what you decided to invest your resources (time, effort etc.) and how you would do so is a good idea. Or if heck January just slipped way from you, now is a fine to think about what you really want to commit to this year. What would make your life, or your work- heck go big both- deeply meaningful to you? If you are not crystal clear about the big important-to-me-picture to me you’ll get bogged down by all that could be, tripped up by details, lose your place or worse decide to toss all your efforts out the window. What happens all too often is starting out gung-ho ready to jump into your resolutions and really MAKE THIS THE YEAR when (fill in the blank). Suddenly it is March and you are not making the progress you hoped for. By August you’ve forgotten about those resolutions, or are feeling bad about not getting them done. Not to fear it is February and there is time to recalibrate. Ground hog day is always my signal to do this, before I get in too deep. The past 4 weeks I have been leaning into projects that directly relate to what I named big important-to-me-parts of my personal plan for 2012. The idea of taking on projects instead of goals really works, because you can always make progress on a project. You are better positioned to make progress when the project is discrete, that is as specific, measureable and related to something alive in your big important-to-me-picture. No matter how small the step you take is it represents progress. Your efforts and their outcomes both have value. If a small step is less productive than you intended you have not lost too much either. If it does propel you forward you can figure out how much bigger to make the next step. Every 4 weeks I think about the projects (I started to experiment with this idea in December) I want to focus on and describe them as a succinctly as possible. One important criteria I use is thinking through what can I realistically lean into given what is already on my calendar for the upcoming 4 weeks. My projects are designed to move me into new or better territory, this requires extra oomph and there is only so much oomph you have in a given time period. Then I carve out regular time to focus on them. By time I mean work sprints when I only focus on the project at hand. These are 15-60 minutes of burst of time that my schedule allows for on a given day. The results thus far? I tackled one big professional project, made significant headway on an other and FINALLY got the darn main hallway painted! All things that otherwise might have lingered and lingered and lingered. The hall had a been a source of “as soon as” stuckness for more months than I’d like to admit to- but no more. When I needed to recalibrate during the 4 weeks I did, so I could make progress. In considering what projects to focus on during this current 4 weeks I recalibrated again. I’ll keep doing this to ensure I continue to make progress. Also I focus on no more than 3 projects in a given 4 weeks. Over the year I’ll get to everything in my personal plan, without feeling like I need do to it all- NOW. What a relief! So how do you recalibrate to keep your focus and momentum over the coming weeks and months? Try using these questions and your honest answers to point the way: What specifically is working? How do I know this to be true? What specifically is not working? How do I know this to be true? How can I make this easy(ier)? Where am I holding back? When am I am at my best? How do I do this more? Why I am doing this in the first place? My point(s) here, whether you feel like “Yes or everything is on track” or not is this: Determine what you really want and need, be as specific as you can, readjust if you need. Create bite sized projects for a discrete time frame that relate to your big-important-to-me picture. Identify difficulties that you are experiencing so you can decide how to address or circumvent these. Bring out the capacities you have, or if needed build new ones. Yes an “old dog” can learn new tricks there is even the science to prove it. Strategize plan of action, quickly. If you need help to do this, and often we do, something about not seeing the forest for the trees, ask for it. Act accordingly. How you you keep making progress on your plans? Send me a note, or post your tips and questions on my Facebook page or through Linked-In.

If you are feeling stuck let me know I’d be happy to help you get unstuck through a complementary discovery session.  We all deserve to make progress on our important projects. As ever,  I am never to busy to see if I could be a resource to you, your family, friends or colleagues. All my best wishes, Deirdre Deirdre M. Danahar, MSW, MPH, LICSW InMotion Consulting & Coaching, LLC deirdre@inmotioncc.com 601-362-8288 Shameless plug: If you like what you see here or on my blog, please pass it on. Nothing has greater impact than word of mouth.

]]> http://greaterjacksonbusiness.com/2012/02/planning-for-this-year-with-inmotions-deirdre-m-danahar/feed/ 0 http://greaterjacksonbusiness.com/2012/02/short-term-demands-but-long-term-accountability/ http://greaterjacksonbusiness.com/2012/02/short-term-demands-but-long-term-accountability/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:30:42 +0000 admin http://greaterjacksonbusiness.com/?p=2778 By: Dr. Roger Parrott

The best leaders understand they should be held accountable for long-term outcomes before they are rewarded for immediate results.

A business leader, who invests in ideas that are sustainable, will always achieve more than those who are concerned only with quarterly reports.  A church pastor who envisions reaching his whole city, will always be more effective than the one who is concerned about making a glowing report at the next conference gathering. A fund-raising professional who desires to build relationships matching donors with their passions will always raise more money than one striving to meet an urgent campaign goal. Over time, even a school administrator who fixes the nagging plumbing problems will be appreciated more than the one who spends that same money to install new carpeting.

A Harvard Business Review analysis “If Brands Are Built over Years, Why Are They Managed over Quarters?” explored why short-term thinking dominates business marketing today even though branding is an extremely long-term process. The researchers determined that companies have shifted their focus to quarterly outcomes over long-term success because of three factors:

(1) There is an abundance of real-time immediate data that allows corporate leaders to measure results in great detail in ways we could not in the past.

(2) At the same time, long-term results have become even more difficult to measure, thus pushing the focus to a short-run agenda.

(3) The tenure of managers is continually becoming shorter as they see their future linked to demonstrating immediate results.

But it is critical to understand that the root of this short-term outlook does not rest only at the feet of self-serving leaders, because boards and constituencies have allowed organizational success to become measured by quarterly results rather than long-term success.

The most public firings of corporate CEOs seem to nearly always follow a consistent pattern:  cheers for that leader through a relatively short period of repeated quarterly reports followed by a startling discovery by the board of serious foundational issues gone awry. But these same boards have demanded, rewarded, and praised immediate success at all costs.

The real irony is that these boards have also learned to solve their crisis with a short-term solution of firing the CEO, rather than doing the hard work needed to correct the foundational issues—and the cycle is likely to repeat down the road.

And then there are the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately employees or constituents that press leaders for decisions that feed the hunger of instant gratification instead of long-term results. From outside the corner office, pressure has mounted for leaders to make decisions only in light of short-run objectives if those choices will boost today’s benefits. But in reality, the foundational erosion caused by decisions guided only by short-term vision will eventually undermine or destroy all the good that has been achieved, because the damage will eventually be discovered and will be difficult and costly to repair.

This same pattern is seen too often in non-profits, as well as business, as boards and CEOs want to hire people who have demonstrated measureable results. But when we overvalue the short-term results that are more easily measured, we in turn reward leaders who produce immediate advances over long-term ministry significance. Accordingly, the most “productive” people are always being tempted to move to a new place of service.

Instead, the commitment and discipline to lead with a long-term view will transform how you approach leadership more so than any other shift you could make.

Dr. Roger Parrott is President of Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi.  He is the author of The Longview: Lasting Strategies for Rising Leaders (David C. Cook)

Let’s talk about ROI, the sales funnel, and expectations for social media. Whenever I hear someone talk about ROI in social media, it almost always follows that they had ample opportunity and were simply unable to capitalize on it. It’s a classic case of blaming the tool for operator failure.

Every sales-oriented organization has its own version of the sales funnel. Regardless of the version, social media is an exceedingly good medium for filling the top of that sales funnel. In fact, it is a 100% certainty that social media will meet this particular expectation. From there, it’s all about how adept your organization is at engaging and converting opportunities within your particular sales funnel.

In the social media world, 1 fan equals 1 opportunity. If you are able to capitalize on that opportunity, then that fan becomes a customer/advocate. And here’s where it gets interesting: not all customers are created equal, even at the same price points. A customer with 10,000 Twitter followers is more valuable and holds far more opportunity than a customer with 100 Twitter followers. The value of a customer/advocate increases with their social influence. And that’s the paydirt social media can provide. In that light, it doesn’t take too many customers/advocates to produce thousands of new opportunities….so long as you know how to identify them and convert them into customer/advocates.

Early in your social media marketing efforts, you are buying opportunity, not customers. During this time, when hardly anyone is a social media pro, ROI should be viewed in terms of cost per opportunity. If your organization is skilled at initial communications, fact finding, developing and proposing solutions, negotiating, and closing the deal, then social media will be a relatively easy win for you. You’ll be able to convert opportunities to customers/advocates fairly quickly. If not, or if your organization is geared to a lower stage of the sales funnel, then it’s going to take some effort and some adaptation on your part.

Fans and followers are not cold leads. Neither are they warm leads. They have taken an action…vis a vis liking you or following you…but you don’t know what the particular motivation for that action was. Fans and followers fall somewhere between warm and cold leads…I call them passive warm leads. In the head-hunting world, they call them “passive candidates”, or professionals who aren’t looking for a job but might entertain an offer if the right one comes along.  Treating a passive warm lead in the same manner that you would treat a cold lead or a warm lead will not produce success. You must develop a unique approach to these passive warm leads in order to capitalize on your social media opportunities.

If a member of the opposite sex smiles at you across a crowded room (that’s the safest equivalent assumption of a consumer liking a brand on Facebook), that doesn’t equate to a marriage proposal or even an invitation to dinner. It simply means that maybe they will talk to you if you make the right effort and don’t screw it up.

In a similar manner, you can’t assume that fans or followers of your business of your business are ready to purchase, but you also know they aren’t totally apathetic. They’re somewhere in between. Passive warm leads. The point is that the translation from your traditional sales process to a social media sales process is not always natural or smooth. Sometimes it takes work.

If your organization is particularly gifted in making initial contact with warm and cold leads, then social media will be a natural extension of your existing sales process, requiring only slight adjustments to your approach. If, however, your organization is accustomed to receiving warm leads without initiating that first contact, then you will have to adjust a good bit in order to be effective and generate a significant ROI in the social realm.

Knowing and understanding where your strengths lie within the sales funnel is key to making social media selling work for you. Being able to adapt your approach to passive warm leads is critical.

Mojoloco’s job is to deliver opportunities and to assist in initial communication, fact-finding, and developing solutions. We can and will do our job well. As your organization adapts to the social media funnel and gains skill at converting opportunities to customers/advocates, then you can begin to view your ROI in terms of cost per customer.

If this scenario describes you, let’s talk…and when we meet, let’s speak clearly about goals, objectives, expectations, and what a positive ROI looks like for your organization.

GJB Publisher

With all of the serious problems in Mississippi you would think that our elected officials might spend their time addressing budget shortfalls, pitiful school districts, finding ways to assist small businesses and entrepreneurs and so forth.

You’d be wrong. At least concerning some of our legislators.

Hinds County Senator Hillman Frazier’s proposal to impose a $50 fine on people caught smoking in cars with children inside boggles my mind. Never mind rightful concerns about undue impositions of the “nanny state”—consider enforcement. Don’t our law officers have enough to worry about with serious crime than to be on the lookout for the nefarious and dangerous car smokers?

And while it may not be the best idea to puff away with Junior in the backseat, stuffing him full of McNuggets isn’t so great for his health, either. Will there be a proposed fine for that next? Where will it end?

I’m not a scientist or physician but I, like so many others growing up in the late 60’s and 70’s, was surrounded by secondhand smoke. We inhaled not only in the car but at home, in restaurants, in stores—you name it—in those days there was always an ashtray to be found wherever you were. Are we all dying of cancer? No. Shouldn’t we be, based on the slippery logic of the dangers of secondhand smoke? Probably, yes.

I don’t smoke and I can’t stand to be around it. But it’s not a crime—not yet anyway—and I find the theory that secondhand smoke kills to be just that: a theory. And a dubious one at that which doesn’t seem to take into account pre-existing conditions and other environmental and health factors.

Not to pick on Senator Frazier. No doubt his intentions are good. But, as we all know, good intentions can lead to the road to hell—or more government regulation—which is the same thing.

I will admit, though, that it’s amusing and telling when a Democrat, such as Mr. Frazier, tries to impose legislation or government fiat to improve the health of his constituency it’s considered an evil on par with First Lady Obama’s attempt to encourage good eating habits. Yet if a Republican comes along and proposes the same type of thing it’s considered a bold and positive move. Double standards, indeed.

This state—and this country—has severe, possibly catastrophic, problems facing it that deserve the attention of all of us. While it might be nasty and unseemly, smoking in the car shouldn’t be a major consideration right now.

Joe Stallings, III has been promoted to Vice President of Information Security for
Community Bank in the Operations department. He has been with Community Bank since 2009,
formally holding the title of Information Security Officer. Stallings is a graduate of the Louisiana
Tech University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems.

“Joe has played a significant role in making Community Bank one the most secure banks
in the Nation,” said Jonathan White.

Stallings, a Jena, Louisiana native, enjoys camping, hiking, and riding motorcycles. He is
also a Wish Granter for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Community Bancshares, Inc., the holding company for Community Banks across
the Southeast, is a $2.23 billion multi-bank holding company consisting of six banks in
Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida, and Alabama. Community Bank has 38 offices and more
than 650 staff members.

“We are proud to bring such a diverse event to Ridgeland, Miss. that is favorable for this area’s
businesses as well as the community,” said Kasey Perry, Executive Director of the Madison County Chamber. “This happens to be the cheapest company picnic you can find,” followed Perry. The Regatta is the perfect event for companies, schools, churches, sports teams, associations, non-profits,friends and families! Races are held across the U.S. in places such as Charlotte, Boston, New York and Disney World. If you are serious about gaining team unity, confidence and motivation visitwww.paddlesontherez.com. “Last year was just a warm-up…this year is competition…our game faces are ON,” said Ridgeland Fire Department’s Team Captain Shaun Moody, 2011 Grand Champions.

The Madison County Chamber of Commerce provides quality leadership that enhances the businessclimate, education and the quality of life for all of Madison County. Since 1921, the Chamber has served as business-builders and community enhancers to aid in the amazing growth of the county and its ranking as one of the best places to live and work in Mississippi. For more information about the Madison County Chamber of Commerce, email: info@madisoncountychamber.com, or call 601-605-2554.

Watkins, Ward and Stafford, PLLC is a full service CPA firm founded in 1949 with offices in eleven Mississippi communities, including Jackson.  The firm serves clients in almost every state with a staff of approximately 90 providing traditional accounting, auditing and tax consulting in addition to a number of specialized services.

Stockwell & Company, CPA’s has provided general business advice and income tax preparation and planning for a variety of clients for more than 37 years.  Paul Stockwell is well-known in the Jackson area for his wide range of community involvement and has established a reputation for personal service and leadership.

In announcing the merger, Stafford commented, “The acquisition of Stockwell & Company is consistent with the core vision of Watkins, Ward and Stafford in its commitment to excellent client service.  We look forward to having Mr. Stockwell and his staff as members of our team as Watkins, Ward and Stafford continues to grow its client base in and around Jackson.”

The merger combines the Jackson practice of Watkins, Ward and Stafford, PLLC located at 4316 Old Canton Road, Suite 100A and the Stockwell practice located at 689 C Towne Center Boulevard in Ridgeland.  Both locations will be maintained at least through the current tax filing season.