Let’s Think Michigan First
I recently attended an event that featured Buy Michigan Now campaign founder, Lisa Diggs. Her presentation about the efforts of the campaign seemed to gain the interest of many of the attendees in the audience that morning. She spoke of the difficult time we’ve faced here in Michigan and how she hit a point where she realized that we can do something to fix it.
The Buy Michigan Now campaign (www.buymichigannow.com) is “dedicated to promoting the beauty, character, and commerce of Michigan and to economically revitalizing the state.” I recommend you, as leaders of our communities, visit the site and consider the impact that “Thinking Michigan First” can have on your business as well as the economy and welfare of our state.
As Lisa mentioned, we seem to have developed a victim mentality over the last few years: a state of mind that assumes we’ve been the victim of bad politics, a broken auto industry, and other hardships. But, it’s time to alter that mindset. It’s time to stop waiting on the auto industry and our government to cure our troubles. We need to make a choice to go from victims to victors. And that process starts with all of us…now!
Local entrepreneurs have started to take action. Two college graduates recently formed Michigan Made Direct (www.michiganmadedirect.com). Their slogan, “Hometown Favorites…One Click Away!” sums up their intentions to help stimulate interest and promote locally made and distributed products such as Detroit’s own Faygo beverages and Better Made potato chips. Eric Finnigan, co-owner of Global Materials Management, LLC, the parent company of MichiganMadeDirect.com says:
For so long, fellow Michiganders have been forced to migrate outside of our great state to find jobs. By leaving the place they call home behind, they are also forced to say goodbye to so many of the great products they have become accustomed to while growing up here. MichiganMadeDirect.com was created to bridge that gap by offering Michigan originals all over the world. It has been very special for us to be a part of the push to support our local economy and encourage all Michigan businesses interested in becoming a consignment partner to contact us at customerservice@gmm-llc.com or (877) 381-2660.
We can maintain their encouraging efforts by injecting it into our own philosophy and business practices as well.
Sure, we’ve got work to do. But, I’m confident that if we all make a conscious effort to “Think Michigan First”, we can pull ourselves from this slump and get us back on our feet running.
“Hail! Hail! to Michigan
The leaders and best!”
Leadership Reflections
Continuing from last week’s post, I wanted to follow up with those of you who were interested in increasing your leadership qualities.
To continue your leadership reflection, there are a couple of things you can do:
In the morning you see yourself in the mirror. You ask yourself the first leadership reflection question: Why would anyone want to be led by me?
It is evening at home and you find yourself back in front of that same mirror prior to bed. You ask yourself the second reflective question: How did I lead today?
Yes, these are challenging questions. They are not always easy to ask, and usually more difficult to answer. However, if you are living your values and using and developing your strengths, you will find that you can positively answer these questions most of the time.
The time you take for reflecting will allow you to continue to walk down your leadership path and become more of a value and strength-based leader for your associates, friends and family.
Leadership will always require the “how to” aspects, but also consider how values, strengths and reflective questions can assist you in walking down your leadership path.
Let me know your thoughts.
What Are Your Values as a Leader?
Know and Live Your Values.
Think about 20 values that are important to you and record them. Identify the 10 most important from that list. then take the additional step of identifying the top five and list them in ranking order.
Can you write a value statement that reflects how you live those values? Consider how you use and live those values in your daily leadership activities. Remember, leading occurs in your organization, but also at home, in your marriage, community organizations and church.
Once you write a thought or statement about how you are living your values, allow yourself to review it occasionally and update it. You will find this activity reinforces your value-based leadership. It also allows you to take the thoughts to a deeper and more meaningful level.
Our team utilizes a framework to identify our top values. Comment and let me know if you would like a copy.
Understanding Trademarks and Service Marks
Protecting your company’s intellectual property can be a difficult and confusing subject. Fortunately, it’s not as complicated as you might think to use trademarks and service marks. In fact, they are great marketing tools, adding value to a company’s intellectual property.
Trademarks (™,®) apply to goods, and service marks (SM, ®) apply to services, as the title implies. A trademark, in its most basic form, is any word, symbol, name, or device which is used to identify and distinguish the goods of one business from another. Things such as words, sounds, colors, logos, and even fragrances can all be trademarked. For example, did you know that the green color of John Deere tractors is trademarked? How about the four-note sound for the computer chip maker, Intel Corporation?
There are some subject matters, however, that may not be trademarked. Those include deceptive matter, scandalous matter, flags of nations, proper names, and portraits.
Service marks, like trademarks, can be any word, device, or symbol. The only difference is that a service mark is typically used to identify and distinguish the services of one person from another, rather than goods. Slogans and phrases are common examples of items that are service marked. They are generally used in advertising, where as trademarks usually appear on product packaging.
You might be wondering how long a trademark lasts? Luckily, it’s for an unlimited amount time, making it a valuable option over patents. However, you must be careful because it is possible for a trademark to become diminished, eroded, or lost. You must continuously use the mark and actively enforce it against infringers to maintain its status. Examples of once trademarked products that are now no longer protected because their right was diminished from its dominance in the market are Kleenex, Xerox, and Band-Aid. People rarely say tissue, copy machine, or bandage. Instead, the norm actually became the brand name, causing the parent companies to lose their hold on the trademark.
It is important to check into state and federal regulations on trademarks and service marks. As you may have guessed, the federally enforced trademark holds more power, giving nationwide protection and allows for greater recovery of any unfortunate economic damages.
You may NOT legally use the ® symbol until the trademark or service mark is officially registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. You may, however, use the TM or SM marks freely, being aware of others using the same or a similar name, symbol, device, etc. A trademark cannot prevent others from making the same goods or from selling the same goods or services under a clearly different mark. That’s why there are patents.
It is relatively inexpensive to register a trademark or service mark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, usually costing less than $1,000 in fees. It is also fairly simple to conduct a trademark search using their search feature. Please visit their website to learn more: http://www.uspto.gov/
Young Professional Organizations
Who is your future leader? This is an interesting question to ask business owners and senior management of organizations. Many may not realize the importance of young professionals to their organization and the community.
Several Chambers of Commerce’s have seen the need for such a group and have implemented Young Professionals Networks as extensions of their existing business networking activities. These groups provide young professionals with networking opportunities, professional development and of course, a lot of fun!
By providing your young professionals with access to these groups it will not only enhance their confidence, but also provide them with additional knowledge and skills that will increase their abilities in the workplace. The future leaders of your organization can be cultivated through your mentoring efforts, as well as other professionals mentoring efforts.
Check out the Great Lakes Bay Region’s Young Professional Networks by visiting the following chamber websites: www.saginawchamber.org; www.baycityarea.com; www.macc.org.
Successful Day for Wirt-Rivette Team at MCVI Race Events
The Wirt-Rivette Group, along with friends and family, participated in the MCVI “Run for Your Heart” activities on September 11th, 2010. Prior to the race events, the team completed a three month internal fitness and training program that involved organized group walks and runs, a weekly fitness newsletter, and other health awareness initiatives.
Team members also participated in the Blue Cross Blue Shield “Walking Works” training series presented by the MCVI Foundation. The series asked participating teams from the surrounding area to log their miles in a friendly competition designed to promote a healthy heart. The Wirt-Rivette Group “ran away” with the competition, recording a total of 975.68 miles over the five-week period! That averaged to nearly 122 miles per walker/runner. The star walker for the team was unquestionably Steve Wirt, who averaged over 16 miles per day on his own! Excellent job, Steve!
On the 9th anniversary of the dreadful September 11th events, the temperature was chilly, but the skies were clear and spirits were high as the races began. The 10k (6.2 mile) race was the first to begin at 8:00 a.m. The team had three participants in this race: Clarence Rivette, Jason Case, and Brandon Filbeck, finishing with times of 51:50, 53:07, and 50:46, respectively. Clarence and Brandon took first place in their age divisions and Jason took second in his.
At 8:10 a.m. and next up was the 5k (3.1 mile) run. Eric Finnigan and Amanda Essenmacher represented the team in this race. Eric finished strong with a time of 29:18 and Amanda sprinted across the finish line at 27:04. In the race with the largest number of runners, both finished 4th in their respective age divisions.
The majority of the Wirt-Rivette team participated in the 5k (3.1 mile) walk event that began at 8:15 a.m. Steve Wirt finished 8th overall with a time of 41:38 in another large field of walkers. Close behind was Stacey Filbeck who finished 11th overall and first in her age division with a time of 42:10. Dena Wirt completed the race with a time of 57:36. Lynne Goldstein had a great race as well with a finishing time of 46:03. The mother-daughter team of Elena Brunett and Angel Brunett successfully completed the walk with times of 1:00:40 and 1:01:15, respectively. Donna Gakstatter finished an impressive race with a time of 57:36. Also walking with the team (although their times were not recorded) were Nicole Gakstatter, the daughter of Donna, and Marilyn Abbs, a close friend of Lynne’s.
The morning’s festivities concluded with the awards ceremony where several of the team members received bobble-head trophies for their remarkable finishes in their age divisions. The team also won five free entries for the race next year, as an award for winning the “Walking Works” competition. Steve was also awarded a free pair of training shoes for his inspiring individual effort in the program.
Overall, the day was a complete success and the Wirt-Rivette Team had a terrific time participating in the events with co-workers, friends, and family. The group looks forward to the race next year and improving on their newly established fitness program. Congratulations, team!
Local Race Benefits Heart Disease
Tomorrow, Saturday, September 11, 2010, The Wirt-Rivette Group will be on-site for the MCVI Run for your Heart Race, a race that raises awareness for heart health, in Saginaw, MI! You will see a couple of us in each event of the day!
The 10K race begins at 8:00am
The 5K race begins at 8:10am
The 5K walk begins at 8:15am
There will also be a “Tot Trot” for ages 7 and under beginning at 8:45am, and a 1 mile fun run beginning at 9:15am! All ages will be represented at this race. MCVI has made it incredibly easy for the whole family to enjoy this event!
If you missed registration, there is still time to support the fight against heart disease in mid-Michigan, you can still make a tax-deductible donation to MCVI at the race!
Come out and support the runners and walkers at this incredible event!
To find more information on next year’s event, so you can join in on the fun, please visit MCVI’s website: Click Here
We Are Live!
WE ARE LIVE with the launch of Dynamic Discussions, The Wirt-Rivette Group’s new Blog. The Wirt-Rivette Group is moving forward with the launch of a Social Media Campaign, to include this blog.
By subscribing to our blog you will get information on a wide array of topics from financing options to marketing ideas for your business.
For those of you who are wondering who The Wirt-Rivette Group is let me explain…
The Wirt-Rivette Group is the new name for a group of companies to include Wirt Financial & Leasing Services. The Wirt-Rivette Group provides integrated finance and consulting solutions for businesses.
Affiliates in The Wirt-Rivette Group focus on specific services such as equipment leasing, consulting and property financing. Each affiliate company offers additional value to our group and allows us to provide clients with more programs, experiences and insight to help them grow their business.
In addition to our new organization and name, we will be relocating our main office to 3520 Davenport Ave. Saginaw, MI 48602. We will begin serving clients from our new location on October 4, 2010. Please stop in and visit our new facility and check out our unique “business-to-business” reception area. We will continue to have an office in Bay City as well.
While our name and location may be changing, our service and dedication to our clients will continue to be of the utmost importance to our organization. We are proud to call the Great Lakes Bay Region home.
Make sure you subscribe and follow our blog. You never know what new insight will be posted from The Wirt-Rivette Group.
Like us on Facebook and see our photo album of the remodeling project at our new location.
Follow us on Twitter and we will follow you back.
Check out our website at www.wirtrivettegroup.com
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Behind the Blog
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